On the way to school, Amamiya Iori kept talking to Ken about small things that did not really matter, like, "Hey Shimizu-kun, listen, after school yesterday..." and, "And also, this morning when I woke up...". She stayed by his side as they walked down the tree-lined path.
When they reached the school gate, Ken saw the student council doing their usual check on school uniforms. At the center stood the student council president, Ayase Kotone. When she saw Iori, Kotone gave her a small smile.
Kotone had met Kondo Yuuichi through Iori, so she and Iori had a good relationship.
"Good morning, President Ayase," Iori said.
"Good morning, Amamiya-san and... Shimizu-kun, right? Good morning," Kotone said. She had likely learned Ken's name from Yuuichi the day before.
Ken gave a short reply and walked on after she checked that his clothes were fine. He thought it was best to keep some distance, so he wouldn't cause trouble for Yuuichi and her.
"Being the student council president seems hard. They have to do this every morning," Iori said as she caught up with him again.
"Yeah," Ken answered while they walked. As they passed the field, they heard the baseball club shouting and the track club warming up.
Ken's eyes moved without thinking. Sakurai Haruka had changed into her track uniform and was running fast on the track. Her long legs moved with great power as she ran. It made Ken think again about what happened before.
If he remembered right, in the first loop, Haruka should be wearing white and pink striped underwear with a small ribbon today. But the photo he deleted on the train showed her wearing a black, very short, mini triangle style. Even though Haruka dressed like a boy most of the time, her underwear was always very cute. Only Haruka and Ken knew this.
She had the "heroine" kind of life, but her parents died in a car accident when she was very young, so she had always lived alone.
When Ken reached the school building, he changed his shoes at the lockers, then went to the classroom as usual. Kondo Yuuichi was already there, lying face-down on his desk. He did not move. Ken could not tell if he was sleeping or upset about what happened earlier.
To be honest, Ken thought that Yuuichi shouldn't isolate himself like this. It would help his shy nature if he tried to talk to other classmates. But Ken couldn't force him, and Yuuichi gave off a "don't come near me" vibe.
"Morning, Shimizu-kun," a girl said.
"Good morning," he answered. The girl in front of him turned around to greet him again today, just like yesterday. He still couldn't remember her name. He could ask, but he worried she might get the wrong idea, so he stayed quiet.
Ken leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment, but someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey! It's rare to see you alone," a voice said.
"Shinichi... it's you. You scared me," Ken said. Ishikawa Shinichi sat close to him. They often talked during breaks, and they were on good terms. Shinichi's short hair and neat face always gave a good first impression. He was also in the baseball club, so he had a strong, trained body.
"Ken, I heard the train you rode two days ago had an accident. Are you okay?" Shinichi asked. He had missed school yesterday because of a small injury at baseball practice, so his news was a bit late.
"I'm right here, so I'm fine," Ken said with a small laugh. Shinichi often acted foolishly when they hung out, yet he really worried about Ken. That made Ken happy.
"Oh? Amamiya-san went to Kondou again," Shinichi said, touching his chin as he watched them.
Ken followed his gaze. Yuuichi still had a mark on his cheek from sleeping on the desk. Iori pointed it out, and he looked a bit shy. It seemed his mood had improved. Just as Ken expected, they resolved the issue between them easily. He felt relieved.
"I don't get it. Why does Amamiya-san care so much about Kondo?" Shinichi asked.
"Because they're childhood friends. It's normal for them to be close," Ken said. Since they had known each other for many years, and if no one else came between them, those two would stay together. Their bond wouldn't break, Ken believed.
"And anyway, we're just watching from the side, so we have no right to say much," Ken said.
"That's true. But unlike Kondo, no one says anything when you stand near Amamiya-san. See? It's good to be good-looking," Shinichi said. Ken gave a tired smile and shrugged. He didn't think Iori was the type to choose boys by their looks.
At that moment, the two people they were talking about—Kondo Yuuichi and Amamiya Iori—walked over.
Yuuichi came to speak with Ken, and Shinichi returned to his seat.
"Ken, after school, before Iori goes shopping, we plan to hang out a bit. Do you want to come with us?" Yuuichi asked.
It seemed Iori was trying to care for Yuuichi in her own way. Ken wanted to ask, "Is it okay if I join when you two finally have time alone?" But since Yuuichi invited him, that would sound rude.
"Alright, I'll come," Ken said.
So their plan for after school was set.
* * *
At lunch break, President Ayase Kotone came to the classroom again to find Yuuichi.
"Why didn't you reply to my message right away?" she asked.
"Uh... I thought it might get a bit troublesome..." Yuuichi said.
"You really said it, Yuuichi-kun. Anyway, come with me first. Bring your lunch."
"Do I get to say no—"
"No."
"I see..." Yuuichi let out a big sigh when he learned he had no right to refuse, then quietly left the classroom with her.
Maybe because Ken and Iori had warned people yesterday, no one, not even Jiri and his group, tried to pick a fight with Yuuichi today.
As Ken watched them leave, he felt someone staring and turned his head.
It was Amamiya Iori. She held her lunch box in both hands and stared at Ken, while her friends on each side giggled warmly.
Ken could sense her strong will saying, "If you don't invite me, I won't eat lunch," so he waved her over.
In the next second, Iori ran to him with a bright smile.
"Do you need something, Shimizu-kun!"
"You know without me saying it, right?"
"If you don't tell me, I won't know, because I'm a fool," she said. If someone like Iori, who was always near the top in tests, was a fool, then most of the class, including Ken, would be big fools.
Ken stood up and gestured to the empty seat beside him. The girls nearby laughed softly.
"Come eat with me," he said.
"Okay!" she answered with a warm voice and a smile that could charm anyone. Its power was almost intimidating.
While eating the lunch that Iori made, Ken noticed a small change.
"Hey, Jiri, what are you doing after school?" someone asked.
"Eh? Umm..."
"Why are you so nervous? We're just going out to have fun," the friend said.
"Uh... right!"
Ken remembered the conversation yesterday between Jiri and Aoyama Nanami. Nanami was the girl who invited Jiri and the others to karaoke after school. Ken felt the distance between the two had lessened.
"What is it?" Iori asked. She sat beside Ken and followed his gaze. "Ah~" she said, nodding. "They got along better than we thought at karaoke. Nanami looked very happy when she talked about it. I think she really likes him."
"Oh..." Ken didn't think the pair was strange. Both Jiri and Nanami seemed fine, and neither was a bad student. Jiri had been against Yuuichi before, but he did listen to what people said.
"Shimizu-kun, do you like girls like that?" Iori asked. Maybe because he kept looking at Jiri and Nanami, she asked with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. Ken wasn't sure if he imagined it, but Iori soon laughed.
"Just kidding. I already know what type you like."
Ken looked away from her smiling face for a moment.
"By the way..." he began.
"Mm?" she replied.
"If I changed and dressed like a 'gyaru', what would you do?" she asked.
Her question struck Ken so hard that he almost felt a jolt. Without meaning to, his mind pictured Iori as a classic gyaru with her current face and body. Part of him thought she would look very sexy, but the strongest thought was that it didn't suit her at all.
So Ken answered honestly, "I think it's best if you stay just like you are."
"Okay, I got it," she said with a small smile.
Notes:
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.
• Ayase Kotone - Student council president; aloof in public, soft to Yuuichi; secretly “Eromanga Teacher” in prior loop.
• Kondo Yuuichi - Original main protagonist; timid; Iori’s childhood friend; freezes despite push.
• Sakurai Haruka - Tall, athletic senpai; cool/stoic exterior; boyish style; often mislabeled and bullied due to height; shows gratitude and curiosity toward Ken; pale purple eyes; track team member.
• Ishikawa Shinichi - Ken’s friend; baseball club; caring but teases; comments on Iori/Ken and 'good-looking guy privilege'.
• Aoyama Nanami - Iori’s close friend; invites the boys to karaoke, diffusing tension. Appearance: medium-length brown hair, cheerful eyes, casual cute style.