Chapter 75: Vol 2 Chapter 11: The White Beret
On the highly private rooftop of Shuchiin Academy.
A perfect place for serious discussions.
In the shadows, on an old bench, a fat guy was sitting beside a beautiful girl whose expression barely ever changed.
"You seem to be in a good mood."
"Yoru, aren't you worried at all?"
Megumi asked, her voice light as she let the cool rooftop breeze wash over her.
"Not really. Grades don't jump overnight. You have to build them up gradually."
Yoru smiled as he took out two cans of black coffee from his pocket, handing one to Megumi.
"It's a bit bitter—you might not like it—but with finals coming up, we need it for the review grind."
As he spoke, Yoru opened the can and took a sip.
"Thanks. Did something good happen to you recently?"
Megumi noticed that Yoru had been smiling quite a bit while with her today. That hadn't been his usual demeanor.
"Yeah. I might be able to clear my name soon."
"If not, I'd be expelled from Shuchiin for failing the year."
Yoru held the bottle of black coffee in his large hand as he stood up, looking down from the rooftop at the gorgeous Shuchiin campus.
Eriri hadn't shown up today.
He wondered when she would finally go talk to Kasumigaoka Utaha and clear things up.
But with summer break coming soon, maybe it didn't matter right now.
Still, what kind of conflict could've possibly led Eriri to do something so stupid—like stealing Utaha's stockings and panties as some kind of revenge?
He was curious, but it wasn't his business. No matter how bad things got, the fire in someone else's backyard wasn't going to spread to his. Right?
"That so? Congrats then…"
Megumi paused, looking at Yoru's back as she spoke.
Then she took a sip of the coffee—and immediately scrunched up her face in disgust.
"Yeah."
Yoru responded softly. He didn't mention that Eriri was the real culprit.
With finals around the corner, time was tight.
After a brief break on the rooftop, they both left separately.
Megumi took small sips of the black coffee. It wasn't so bad once you got used to the bitterness. It wasn't undrinkable.
"Guess I'll get back to studying."
Her seat was near the front, so she re-entered through the front door and returned to her desk.
At that moment, Tomoya Aki was rushing in, still distracted by the fact that Eriri hadn't been to school for several days. He didn't watch where he was going.
In the narrow aisle between desks, he brushed right past Megumi.
Megumi politely stepped aside, but Tomoya—completely absorbed in thoughts of his childhood friend Eriri—didn't even try to avoid her.
He bumped into her shoulder and even stepped on her toe.
And yet he walked on like nothing had happened.
"Sigh…"
Megumi let out a soft breath. It didn't hurt, but it was uncomfortable.
She glanced back at him and frowned slightly, visibly annoyed.
Megumi, who rarely got angry, was genuinely upset.
Tomoya made his way outside during lunch break to check Eriri's classroom. She still wasn't there, and he started to feel worried.
"She hasn't been here in days… She's always been frail. Is she sick again?"
"Wait, did I just step on someone?"
He scratched his head, lifting his foot to check, but he had no memory of it at all.
Megumi's presence was so low that she didn't even register in his mind.
Tomoya wandered back to class, sitting alone in his seat.
"A rich girl like Eriri probably doesn't need anyone worrying about her."
"If she gets sick, she just needs to make a call and a personal doctor will come to her house. She doesn't even have to leave her room…"
He mumbled quietly to himself, thinking of her.
His childhood friend, Eriri Spencer Sawamura—a proper lady from a prestigious family, beautiful and refined.
And him?
Just a regular guy, living a regular life. Aside from having a decent online following, he had nothing going for him.
He knew deep down that he wasn't worthy of her. But he lacked the courage to do anything about it.
If he chose one of them, he'd be hurting the other.
That included Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Elegant, cold, stunningly beautiful with a curvaceous body, and top of her class both academically and athletically. Not to mention she was a best-selling light novel author.
Both of them—deeply in love with him.
Thinking about that made Tomoya feel smug. A smile crept across his face.
The school's "unattainable flowers": the aloof and lovely Eriri, and the cool, sexy Utaha… both liked him.
"Hey look, Tomoya's smiling to himself again. What's he doing?"
"Just ignore him. He's one of those hardcore otaku. Probably fantasizing about some waifu."
"True. Guys like him probably blush just from talking to a girl."
"Hahaha, right? A top-tier beauty is way out of our league. But regular girls are easy enough."
Not far away, a group of self-proclaimed "chads" were laughing while watching Tomoya.
"Heh… if only you knew. You'd all die of jealousy if you realized that Utaha-senpai and Eriri—the girls you drool over every day—are both into me."
Tomoya felt no shame. On the contrary, he felt a surge of joy as he adjusted his black-rimmed glasses.
Sure, he'd never held hands with either of them.
But he firmly believed that if he confessed, both Utaha and Eriri would say yes.
Utaha's face and figure were truly god-tier.
Those long, fleshy, beautiful legs wrapped in black stockings every day… and further up…
He didn't even dare imagine.
Tomoya chuckled to himself.
But this kind of story usually only happened in doujinshi—and only in the first half.
The useless loser protagonist and several unattainable beauties mutually liked each other, but the guy was too cowardly and insecure to make a move. He was afraid of hurting their feelings.
In the end, those cold and elegant beauties would get taken by some disgusting fat loser, who turned them into obedient, devoted little girlfriends who bent over backward to please him.
…
Time passed quickly. It was now after school.
Inside the Service Club room—
Yukino was giving Yoru his usual tutoring. Afterward, she and Yuigahama started chatting.
Lately, Yuigahama had only been coming to the club every other day. Yukino said it was because she had things to help out with at home.
Yoru tapped his fingers on the table, chewing his pen in boredom.
After a while, Yuigahama turned to him.
"Kitakami-kun, did you figure out the thing you asked me about that day?"
Yoru didn't even look up. He just shook his head.
Yukino lifted her eyelids slightly, gave him a quick glance, and went back to reading.
"I see…"
Yuigahama had actually stayed up late that night thinking about how to help him.
She still hadn't come up with a good solution.
'Kitakami-kun must want to thank Yukinon, right?'
She secretly peeked at Yukino.
Yukino had indeed put in a lot of work and was extremely responsible.
After the club session—
"You all got tomorrow's notice, right?"
"No club activities in the afternoon. Don't come in during lunch either."
As they left, Yukino reminded them.
"Got it. See you tomorrow, Yukinon, Kitakami-kun!"
Yuigahama waved cheerfully and hurried off.
Yoru went to use the restroom.
With finals approaching, most clubs had already stopped their activities as of Monday.
Students now preferred to study in the library, hold review sessions at family restaurants, or just study at home.
When Yoru came out of the restroom, the halls of Shuchiin were nearly deserted.
"It's getting hotter."
He walked under the dappled sunlight, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead, and stopped to buy a cup of herbal tea.
Something to cool down.
After a few sips, he continued toward the train station at the end of the shopping street.
On the way, he ran into someone he hated.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
Yoru recognized her back immediately.
It was hard not to. A high school girl with a body that mature and seductive stood out.
He followed at a distance. Utaha soon entered a store.
Yoru's mind wandered to thoughts of revenge.
"The real culprit who stole her stockings and panties was Sawamura."
"But there was no hard evidence. Kasumigaoka Utaha simply insisted it was me!"
"She even stirred up the other students and forced the school to search all my personal belongings. She tried to get me expelled…"
"The principal tried to stop the rumors, but everyone knew about it on the first day of school. Utaha definitely fueled it behind the scenes…"
"One word from her, and the whole school believed it. She never denied it—just let everyone think I was guilty!"
Yoru clenched his fists. The anger rose again.
Sure, he hadn't been expelled—only because of Hiratsuka-sensei's trust.
But what if she hadn't believed in him?
One misstep, and his entire life would've been ruined.
Yoru wasn't the type to hold grudges easily, but he wasn't generous either.
Once the truth came out, an empty apology from Utaha wouldn't cut it.
Unless she got on her knees like a dog and begged for his forgiveness—and paid him a hefty sum.
Heh...
Yoru suddenly let out a chuckle, realizing he might have been overthinking.
Not to mention someone like Kasumigaoka Utaha, a high-and-mighty flower used to being chased and flattered by boys—cold and arrogant to the extreme.
Even regular girls would hardly act that way.
Or maybe… force Kasumigaoka Utaha to drop out?
Tch. A top student with sky-high popularity, there's no way Shuchiin Academy would let that happen. She's definitely under their protection.
Beat her up like Eriri?
Eriri was a ticking time bomb, and since the time rewind could only be used once, she knew she'd wronged him first.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's temper was even worse—she'd blow up at the slightest touch. It wouldn't be that easy to succeed.
Unless, someday, Eriri becomes a docile little puppy who thinks only about him and lives for him. Then maybe he could save the time-rewind ability.
It was his trump card, after all, to survive unexpected danger.
And then there's Shinomiya Kaguya...
"
Sawamura still hasn't clarified things. I'll wait and see how it goes..."
Yoru stopped beside a trash can, downed the awful-tasting herbal tea, and pushed those premature thoughts out of his mind.
He started walking again at a leisurely pace and arrived at the shop Utaha had entered.
It was a chain of affordable luxury clothing stores, conveniently located near Shuchiin. Made sense.
The students here had money to spend.
Now that summer had arrived, the most prominent display in the store showcased a row of hats in all styles.
Men's and women's hats alike.
Looking in through the glass window, Yoru suddenly thought of the perfect gift.
Yes, a hat.
No need to worry about sizing like with clothes or shoes, not as expensive or specific as jewelry either.
A hat would be just right.
And it didn't necessarily have to be a summer-only gift.
It wouldn't feel out of place, and the price was reasonable.
He could give one to Yukino. They were familiar enough, and the age fit.
Hiratsuka-sensei wasn't really a good fit.
Fujiwara Chika—barely knew her. Not really an option either.
"Yukinoshita works."
Yoru stepped into the store decisively, and sure enough, Kasumigaoka Utaha was trying on hats.
Ignoring the woman in black stockings, Yoru moved to another section and began scanning the shelves.
A black baseball cap with hand-stitched seams? Too plain—not suitable.
A large sun hat with exotic flair and plastic flower rings? Girls might wear it, but it was too limited, something you'd only see at the beach.
"None of these work..."
Yoru began choosing more carefully.
Meanwhile—
Utaha put down a sheer, wide-brimmed white hat and asked the only shop clerk, "Excuse me, do you have any other hat styles?"
"What kind of features are you looking for, ma'am?"
The shop clerk smiled warmly.
With finals approaching, very few students were out shopping, so the clerk was extra attentive.
"Something that blocks the sun, goes with different outfits, and looks good," Utaha answered without hesitation.
"We just got a batch of trial-sale hats that have been a huge hit at every store. Want to take a look?"
"There are only a few left."
The clerk gestured for Utaha to follow.
The shop wasn't big. After passing a rack or two of clothes, they arrived.
"Kitakami?"
Utaha stopped behind the clerk and called out to the overweight nerd clutching two white berets.
Hearing the familiar voice, Yoru looked up without much surprise and gave her a glance before lowering his head again to study the two berets in hand.
The moment he saw them, he felt they were a perfect match.
The clerk turned to Utaha with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, miss, but those two white berets are the new stock—and that customer already has them..."
"It's fine."
Utaha narrowed her wine-red eyes, studying the person she found absolutely disgusting.
That night, after things happened—
Her stockings and panties were probably violated, right?
Being constantly confessed to and harassed, Utaha knew all too well how twisted some creepy nerds could be.
Especially Yoru, the one she'd found had a stash of foot fetish doujins.
"Gross. Stepping on you might be doing you a favor."
Utaha muttered softly, turning to leave.
But her gaze lingered on the white berets in Yoru's hands. Her eyes lit up.
They were beautiful—
And they fit her needs perfectly.
Utaha had already taken a liking to them. Her face showed it.
There was a thin plastic film on the berets, so no worries about Yoru dirtying them with his touch.
But?
These were clearly women's hats. Why was he even looking at them?
The shop clerk had already stepped aside.
"Why are you staring at me, Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
Yoru looked up, confused.
"Heh."
Utaha clearly had no intention of responding. She let out a short breath and folded her arms.
"You want this?"
Yoru noticed Utaha's eyes locked onto the beret in his hand.
"Yeah, why?"
Utaha nodded, still staring at Yoru with curiosity.
Did he just ask if she wanted it?
Was he trying to curry favor?
Afraid of being expelled?
Heh. Not a chance. Dream on.
Utaha naturally assumed Yoru was just another twisted creep.
And honestly, she wasn't wrong—Yoru used to be like that.
Not even a single same-gender friend, let alone girls.
Who would've guessed that this infamous Yoru actually had decent relationships with several beautiful girls?
"Oh."
Yoru had only planned to buy one.
He glanced at the price. Not too expensive.
There were two anyway. He could give one to Megumi?
In his mind, Yoru painted a vivid picture—Megumi wearing the beret he gave her, standing on a cherry blossom-covered hill as petals fluttered around her in the wind. The hat slips off, falls down the slope, and he picks it up for her.
And Yukino in a park, with cute twin ponytails...
Forget it, couldn't picture that one.
Yoru carried both white berets and walked past Utaha to the register.
Utaha: "Huh?"
"What are you doing?"
The beauty who was used to being flattered had assumed Yoru was trying to please her, fearing expulsion.
At the very least, this was a woman's hat.
There was no way a gross nerd like him would actually buy it.
"I'm buying them~"
Yoru looked back and shrugged innocently.
"You did it on purpose? Trying to piss me off?"
Utaha shot back, locking eyes with him.
"Who do you think you are?"
"I could just as easily make you bark like a dog or punch you in the face."
Yoru rolled his eyes and snapped back. He wasn't the same timid guy anymore—the one who used to stutter and avoid girls altogether.
"You?"
Utaha took a shocked step back, scanning Yoru from head to toe.
How bold...
She squeezed out the words between gritted teeth, her face twisted with disgust.
The Yoru from before wasn't like this.
Had he slimmed down a bit?
That's when Utaha noticed—Yoru had lost some weight.
He ignored her and went to pay.
Eriri was proud, right?
He'd made her wear that prideful face while insulting and looking down on him, then splashed milk in her face in return.
The harder something is to get, the more Utaha would want it.
And the fact that this gross nerd bought something she wanted before she could… yeah, she was definitely a little irritated.
After paying, Yoru asked the clerk to wrap it nicely, with a box.
He walked out holding the box, only for Utaha to chase after him and block his way.
Usually, people would be the ones chasing after Utaha.
Did this count as her chasing him?
Yoru didn't say a word. He didn't even look at her. Just changed direction and walked around her.
"Sell me one of those hats."
Utaha shouted,
"Nah."
Yoru didn't even turn around.
"You bought those two hats just to piss me off? Let me tell you, there's no need!"
Utaha chased after him again.
From childhood to now, the only person who'd ever gotten the better of her was Tomoya.
"Getting upset?"
Yoru smiled.
Utaha pressed her alluring lips together, her expression shifted slightly, then she shut her mouth.
Yoru wasn't afraid at all—he was actually holding himself back to avoid losing it and beating Utaha up.
That arrogant bitch Eriri had insisted on clearing things up with Utaha. Who knew what she was really up to.
Yoru could have said it now.
But to avoid upsetting Eriri, he let it go for now.
He was being cautious.
And what's the harm in that?
Being reckless would be worse.
After all, he had already given Eriri that arrogant bitch a brutal beating.
Eriri had been stupid enough to sneak off and steal Utaha's stockings and panties. She could make the same kind of mistake again.
Besides, the hatred between them—
Or rather, Eriri's current one-sided grudge against him—
Was practically impossible to erase. His mark had been carved deep into Eriri's psyche...
Watching Yoru leave without looking back, Utaha stomped her foot in anger, then turned and went back inside the store.
She bought the sheer white sunhat from earlier, then stormed out.
At the train station, she ran into Aki Tomoya.
"Aki-kun, where are you headed?"
Utaha walked up to greet him.
"Ah… Utaha-senpai..."
Tomoya wasn't stupid. He was going to check on Eriri, but if he said that, it'd definitely upset Utaha.
"What is it?"
Utaha pressed, her gaze sharp.
She could tell something was off.
"Eriri hasn't been to school for several days... I was a bit worried, so I thought I'd go check on her..."
Tomoya stammered, speaking in a small voice.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to lie. He just knew there was no way he could fool Utaha, so he might as well be honest.
That only made Utaha angrier.
Eriri again!
She'd already been irritated earlier, and now the boy she liked was going to visit the girl she hated.