After the morning training, the day flowed in its usual way.
In class, I had finally gotten used to the school curriculum.
The material turned out to be much simpler than I expected. Thanks to Ren’s memory and knowledge from my previous life, most topics were absorbed almost effortlessly. Sometimes I even caught myself correcting the teachers’ mistakes before they noticed them themselves.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Extra attention right now would be unnecessary.
During the first break, as usual, the whole group quickly gathered around Hayato.
But today I barely intervened.
Yuki confidently supported the conversation without my help.
She told Hayato about a new mobile game, sometimes even interrupting him, and for the first time she didn’t get embarrassed when he looked her straight in the eyes.
“Excellent.”
“It’s starting to work.”
Mio also looked unusually quiet.
Instead of her usual teasing, she kept glancing at Hayato, then seemed to scold herself.
Our morning conversation was clearly still on her mind.
During the next break, Ayaka was arguing with Mio about some nonsense as usual.
Rin calmly watched, quietly laughing.
I only occasionally inserted a couple of phrases to keep the conversation going.
Today the main character of the group was Hayato.
All the girls were circling around him in one way or another.
“So far still…”
I calmly made a mental note.
“But this will start changing soon.”
During lunch, Hayato suddenly told everyone about his first training at the boxing club.
“Satomi-senpai turned out to be really strong.”
Mio rolled her eyes.
“I wasn’t even surprised.”
Ayaka smirked.
“And she definitely paid more attention to you than to the others.”
Hayato scratched the back of his head embarrassedly.
“N-No… probably…”
All the girls looked at him at the same time.
“Naive…”
I couldn’t help but smirk.
“I don’t even need to intervene.”
The last lessons flew by quickly.
As soon as the bell rang, students began to disperse to clubs.
I calmly put my notebooks in my bag.
And almost immediately Mio stopped by my desk.
“Kurisaki!”
I looked up.
Mio stood by my desk with her arms crossed over her chest.
She was clearly nervous, though trying hard to hide it.
“Didn’t forget?”
I smiled.
“Do I look like someone with a bad memory?”
“Hmph…”
She looked away.
“Just reminding you.
Don’t think I’m waiting for this.”
“Of course.
I believe you.”
She immediately frowned.
“Are you mocking me?”
“Just a little.”
Mio punched me in the shoulder displeasedly.
“Let’s go already.”
We left school together.
This time without the whole group.
Hayato stayed for another training at the boxing club.
Yuki seemed to have deliberately lingered in the classroom, planning to wait for him.
Rin left right after the bell.
Ayaka waved and headed home.
A few minutes later we were already walking along the familiar road to the mall.
For several minutes no one spoke.
Mio was the first to break the silence.
“Well…
So what are you planning to do?
Teach me how to be a girl?”
I laughed.
“It sounds scarier than it actually is.”
“I’m serious!”
“So am I.”
She looked at me suspiciously.
“Then explain.”
I stopped by the shop window.
Dozens of reflections of passersby moved across the glass.
“For starters…
Answer honestly.
When you’re around Sakurai-san…
Do you act the same way as you do now?”
Mio didn’t even think about it.
“Of course.
We’re friends.
We’ve always talked like this.”
I nodded.
“Exactly.
That’s the problem.”
She frowned.
“What exactly?”
“You just answered it yourself.
Friends.
Not a girl.”
I paused briefly.
“Imagine you’re a guy.
You have a childhood best friend.
She constantly competes with you.
Punches you in the shoulder.
Yells.
Teases you.
You hang out.
Have fun together.
But…
Have you ever thought of her as a girl?”
Mio slowly lowered her gaze.
…
“No…”
She answered so quietly I barely heard it.
“There.
That’s the problem.”
We started walking again.
“You’re not losing because you’re worse than the others…
You’re losing because you yourself convinced Hayato to see you only as a friend.”
Mio was silent for a few minutes.
Then suddenly asked:
“And what should I do?
Become someone else?”
I shook my head.
“No.
Stay yourself.
But show the side he’s never seen.”
She looked at me in surprise.
“The feminine side.”
Mio instantly blushed.
“There you go again…”
“I’m serious.
You’re a beautiful girl.
Athletic.
Energetic.
But you seem to deliberately hide it under baggy clothes and huge shorts.”
Mio clicked her tongue.
“I never thought about it…”
“That’s why we’ll start with something simple today.”
“Like what?”
I nodded toward the clothing stores.
“Let’s go.”
She tensed.
“Why?”
“We’ll look for clothes.”
Mio stopped abruptly.
“Eh?!”
“You’re not going to make me wear frills or anything?!”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“No.
I’m not going to change you.
We’ll just find something that makes you feel…
Beautiful.”
Mio froze.
A few seconds passed.
Then she shyly looked away.
“Idiot…”
She muttered it quietly to herself.
But she didn’t argue.
Instead, she silently walked with me toward the mall entrance.
“First step…”
“First she has to see the girl in herself.
Only then can someone else see it.”
We entered a large sportswear store. Mio walked beside me, clearly nervous and trying to hide it. I stopped by the women’s clothing section and turned to her. “Mio.” She looked at me strangely. “What?” I looked her straight in the eyes and said calmly: “Promise you won’t call me a pervert. You’ll just listen to me now and won’t run away immediately.” She snorted, but still nodded. “I promise… probably.” I nodded. “Good. Then listen.” I took a step closer and spoke quietly but confidently: “You’re a very beautiful girl, Mio. You lose to the others in breast size — and that’s normal. But you have an ideal athletic body without a single gram of excess fat. Especially your ass. That should be your main argument. But you deliberately hide it under baggy clothes and huge shorts.” Mio turned bright red instantly. Her fists clenched, and she already swung to hit me. “What the hell are you saying, you idiot?! I didn’t think you were such a pervert!” I looked at her coldly. My gaze was heavy and serious. Mio flinched and froze. “I only offered to help,” I said calmly. “If you don’t need it — we’ll just leave. Right now.” She looked confused. After a few seconds she looked at me, then lowered her eyes and muttered quietly: “…Fine. Let’s go.”
A smiling saleswoman immediately approached us. “Good afternoon! How can I help you?” I nodded at Mio. “We need tight-fitting leggings. The kind that make all the guys fall in stacks.” The saleswoman smiled understandingly and quickly brought several options — black, dark blue, and gray. Mio blushed to the roots of her hair, grabbed a set, and practically ran to the fitting room.
Fifteen minutes later she still hadn’t come out. I knocked on the door. “Either you come out, or I’m leaving.” “I’m coming, damn pervert…” came from inside. The door opened. Mio came out, completely red like a tomato. She was wearing a tight-fitting sports top and black leggings that fit like a second skin. For Japan, this looked very bold. I slowly looked her over. “Turn around.” She flinched but obeyed. Her ass was beyond praise — perfectly round, firm, toned from years of training. The leggings hugged her so tightly they emphasized every muscle and seductive curve. This was a true athletic goddess. A noticeable bulge immediately appeared in my pants. I swallowed and said in a serious tone: “You did a good job, Kagami-san. None of the four girls has such a sporty, perfect ass. You earned it with your hard work and now you’re ready to use it in the fight for your love.” Mio’s ear tips turned crimson. She spun around sharply and practically ran back to the fitting room, throwing over her shoulder: “Idiot!!!”
Inside the fitting room, Mio stood with her forehead pressed against the wall. Who does he think he is, saying things like that?! Kurisaki-kun is a real pervert… But… She looked at her reflection. The leggings really fit amazingly. Her ass looked… incredibly seductive. He was the only one who noticed my efforts. And that serious look of his… Oh… She lowered her eyes and noticed a small wet spot on the leggings between her legs. “Shit…” she quietly cursed. Looks like I’m the only pervert here. He didn’t even blush…
From Mio’s perspective
I thought that would be the end of it.
I’d buy these stupid leggings…
Get my portion of embarrassment…
And we’d go our separate ways.
But Kurisaki calmly turned around and walked further through the store.
“Hey.”
I caught up with him.
“Aren’t we done?”
He shook his head.
“We’ve only just started.”
…
Ten minutes later I already had several bags in my hands.
“Try this on.”
I looked at the light beige sweater.
“Seriously?”
“Of course.”
“But I never wear anything like this…”
“Exactly why.”
I hid in the fitting room again.
When I came out…
Kurisaki just calmly looked at me.
Without mockery.
Without stupid jokes.
“Good.”
I frowned displeasedly.
“What’s ‘good’?”
“This sweater emphasizes your neck and shoulders.
They’re beautiful on you.”
I felt my cheeks start burning again.
“Wh-what…”
“And the sleeves don’t hide your wrists.
For a girl, that’s also important.”
He spoke as if…
He was analyzing running technique.
Calmly.
Without a hint of embarrassment.
And that was exactly why I was the one getting embarrassed.
…
“Sorry…”
The saleswoman approached us again.
“I think this would go perfectly with that look.”
She handed over a long dark blue evening dress.
I waved my hands in panic.
“N-No!
That’s definitely too much!”
Kurisaki calmly took the dress.
“Try it on.”
“I said…”
“Try it on.”
…
A few minutes later I came out.
And immediately regretted it.
The dress beautifully emphasized my figure.
I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.
Kurisaki was silent for a few seconds.
Then said quietly:
“Beautiful.”
Just one word.
But for some reason it made my heart beat stronger.
…
When we approached the checkout…
I finally took out my wallet.
And froze.
There wasn’t enough money.
I counted the bills again.
Then again.
“Shit…”
Kurisaki calmly looked at the amount.
Without saying a word, he applied his card.
Beep of the terminal.
“Paid.”
I spun sharply toward him.
“What are you doing?!”
“I’ll pay myself…
I’ll return it later!”
He calmly put the card away.
“No need.
How is this not needed?!
It’s too expensive!”
I was about to get even more indignant.
But he suddenly smiled.
“Consider it a privilege of a beautiful girl.
Sometimes a man wants to pay.”
I froze.
“Wh… what?..”
“Today you worked honestly.
And you overcame yourself.
This is a gift.”
I blushed even harder.
“I can’t accept…”
“You can.”
He calmly took several bags from my hands.
“Otherwise why would a man strive to be successful?”
I silently watched him walk away.
“What did he just say?..”
…
We walked around the mall for a long time.
Sometimes we went into small boutiques.
Sometimes we just looked at shop windows.
And every time Kurisaki found some little thing.
A scarf.
A watch.
A cap.
Sneakers.
And he always explained…
Why exactly this item suited me.
“This color emphasizes your eyes.
These sneakers make your legs look visually longer.
In this jacket you look more mature.”
I no longer even tried to argue.
Because…
Every time I looked in the mirror…
I understood.
He was right.
I had never thought of myself that way.
I had never noticed anything special in myself.
But this impossible giant…
Seemed to see in me what I myself didn’t notice.
And that was exactly why I was getting more and more embarrassed.
We were already heading home in the evening.
I could barely hold all the bags in my hands.
We reached the intersection where the apartment buildings ended and private houses began.
Kurisaki turned toward his residential complex.
I stopped by the street leading to our district with Hayato.
Our houses were almost next to each other.
They were separated only by a small alley.
The windows of my room looked directly at the windows of Hayato’s room.
Kurisaki suddenly stopped.
He looked first at my house.
Then at Hayato’s house.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He handed me the bags.
“Tomorrow is your first task.”
I looked at him in surprise.
“You’ll come wake up Sakurai-san in the new leggings…”
I felt the blood instantly rush to my face.
“Wh-what?!”
He acted as if he hadn’t noticed my reaction.
“Don’t hide.
Walk in front of him.
Bend over a few times while hurrying him.
And most importantly…”
He laughed quietly.
“Don’t forget that you have a very powerful weapon.”
I was already about to explode.
“Kurisaki!!!”
He just waved his hand.
“You’ll see.
The reaction will be very amusing.”
The big guy laughed, turned around, and calmly walked toward his residential complex.
I remained standing with the bags.
“Today…
I’ve completely exhausted my embarrassment limit.”
There was no strength left to argue.
I just sighed heavily.
“Fine…
At least I’ll remember his idea.”
Running my hand over one of the bags, I involuntarily smiled.
New sneakers.
Leggings.
Sweater.
Jeans.
Jacket.
Even a beautiful evening dress.
I carefully pressed the bags to my chest.
And quietly whispered, looking after the giant who had already disappeared around the corner:
“Thank you…
Kurisaki-kun…”