In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 101. You, Like a Mirage

"Ah, it's time."

The entire morning, the homeroom teacher kept rambling on about trivial matters.

Ms. Shoko was still there. In the classroom, where the summer atmosphere was growing stronger, Kaoru let out a long yawn and propped herself up from her slumped position on the desk, her weight entirely on the back of the chair, her hands hanging casually at her sides.

It's so hot...

The high temperatures of summer bring more than just physical heat and fatigue. Just seeing the hot air distorted in the field of vision and the asphalt road emitting heat in the distance can make the body instinctively lose the motivation to do anything else. Under such circumstances, doing anything makes people feel particularly tired.

This is summer in Tokyo—

Xun opened the classroom door, swayed unsteadily as she walked out of the classroom.

After washing her face with tap water, Xun bent down, intending to pour tap water into her empty stomach, when she noticed a girl standing next to her, also bending down.

wow-

In that brief moment of distraction, the tap water was mercilessly rinsing his face and wetting part of his hair.

"Oh, what a coincidence."

The other person pulled back their leaning upper body, and although they had noticed Xun long ago, they deliberately put on a surprised expression.

"Hoshino-kun."

She is the young lady.

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"The new teacher is so boring... I can't help but feel sleepy just hearing his voice."

"Mizukami-kun probably thinks so too, that guy's voice is like a curse."

The escape staircase leading from the roof to the ground has been completed. Very few students notice this place. Xun sits in the shade that just blocks the sunlight and keeps stuffing rice balls into her mouth.

Because of what happened last night, his rest time was delayed, and after dealing with everything, it was later than ever before.

So when he woke up the next day, he was unsurprisingly late.

However... to his surprise, Rin also overslept, so the time spent on the bento was reduced, and today's lunch was a simple rice ball.

As Kaoru chewed on her seaweed-flavored rice ball, she met the young lady's reproachful gaze.

"Hoshino-kun doesn't care what kind of person the new teacher is, I only care about one thing."

She spoke in a rather sharp tone.

"Why is today's bento box rice ball? It's totally unappetizing!"

This statement is not difficult to understand.

No matter how exquisite the craftsmanship, even if every detail is done perfectly, the main ingredient that makes up the rice ball is nothing more than ordinary rice.

Its flavor is naturally not on the same level as other dishes with rich layers of texture.

Ordinary food, no matter how it's decorated, cannot hide its ordinary nature.

"Eating something light once in a while is nice, and besides, you haven't tried Rin's bento yet, have you? You might just like it."

No, I don't want to.

Mizukami, who had been looking forward to her daily bento, turned her face away in a huff.

Ah, being a picky eater is not a good habit.

"Give it a try."

Kaoru moved closer to her and then brought the rice ball to her lips.

"Come on, open your mouth, ah—"

Under such duress, Minakami accepted the rice ball.

Although rice balls are made from rice, the two have very different tastes and textures.

Because it's simple, it's not easy to make mistakes, and you can easily achieve the perfect cooking conditions.

As he chewed and swallowed the rice ball, Shui Shang's eyes immediately lit up.

"Hey, Hoshino-kun, this is really surprising... It looks quite ordinary, but the taste is unexpectedly good."

"I already told you, I had no intention of lying to you."

For the young lady, who was confined to her home and rarely had contact with the outside world, everything was new.

So, Mizukami finished off all the remaining rice balls in the bento box by himself.

He gulped down more than half of the tea in the plastic bottle, wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth like a boy, and sighed contentedly.

"Mizukami-kun, um..."

"I know."

There was no emotion in those pale purple eyes.

"It's the bottle where Hoshino drank water, isn't it?"

She gently shook the bottle, drawing everyone's attention to a particular spot on Xun's face.

"You know perfectly well..."

"This kind of thing is okay, right? Anyway—"

Suddenly, Mizukami burst out laughing.

"Starting next month, Hoshino-kun will become my servant. I don't mind using the same tableware as you, and I'll allow you to share a room and the same bathroom with me. This has already crossed the line between master and servant, but... since it's the troublesome and annoying Hoshino-kun, it's okay."

"So is it because you hate it, or is it something else? Just say it straight!"

"There's no point in talking about this with the simple-minded Hoshino-kun."

"I'm talking to you...!"

At that moment, a gentle breeze carrying the humid heat of summer blew by, softly lifting the bangs on Mizuki's forehead, revealing an expression on her face... that made Kaoru feel a little unfamiliar for a second.

Upon reflection, this was the first time she had ever shown such an expression.

Unlike the cold and threatening smile, the smile on her face at this moment... conveyed only the meaning of the smile itself, without any other miscellaneous elements, nothing more.

The young lady is smiling.

"Hoshino-kun...you..."

The moment those words were spoken, Kaoru had a clear premonition.

Ah, yes.

He wasn't the kind of guy without any charm. The time he spent with his classmate, Mizukami, had subtly changed the way she perceived him.

Therefore, she now reveals the 'changes' that have occurred.

So, are we finally going to hear that sentence next?

"you......"

"So you're in heat again, aren't you? You're just like an animal."

She said these words with an innocent expression.

Kaoru could clearly sense that the fact he had made clear was beginning to waver.

Ah...did I make a mistake...?

Am I really that kind of person...?

As he was thinking this, his body involuntarily made the next move.

"I'm going back..."

Watching his unsteady figure leave, Shui Shang stood up.

The gaze was directed down at his back from below the stairs.

"Hoshino-kun, actually... there's something I've always wanted to know."

"do you like me?"