My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 182

"If you don't have any work to do, let's go back together. The library... it's about to close, let's go to my place instead."

"Okay! I'll go get my schoolbag!"

"I'll go with you."

He and Dongtou turned around together, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, turned back to us.

"Goodbye then, Kawanami and Minami-kun."

"Okay...you've worked hard."

"Thank you for your hard work, Irito-san."

Irito nodded, and then disappeared into the noisy crowd in the corridor with Higashito.

After watching them leave, I didn't think much of it and exchanged glances with Xiaoyue.

"I always feel..."

"Um……"

The plan was to have them both join the executive committee, thereby bringing them closer together.

But... what happened?

It feels like the distance between the two of them has actually grown.

◆ Higashito Isana ◆

When I entered Mizuto's room, I plopped down on the bed, took off my socks, and threw them away.

My attitude of treating him like I was at home was nothing new to Shuidou. He hung his backpack on the coat hanger and casually loosened his tie.

"Phew... my shoulders can finally relax."

"Are the executive committee members of the cultural festival really that busy?"

"The job itself isn't much, but for some reason, the vice president keeps bothering me... Dealing with her is exhausting."

"Huh? The vice president? From the student council?"

"Yeah. I think she's not a bad person, but I'm just not very good at dealing with her."

It's rare to hear Mizuto say something like that. My general impression of him is that he doesn't care about anyone except Yui.

"You must be exhausted. I wasn't assigned any work that was too idle, so I'm full of energy."

"Don't brag about this kind of thing. You still need to find something to do, otherwise you'll feel pressured."

"Yeah... Everyone's doing things, it makes me feel so guilty..."

"Having to wear the class uniform when you haven't done anything would be incredibly embarrassing."

"Waaaaah! So that thing really does exist? The culture called 'class uniforms'! I thought elite schools wouldn't have to worry about that kind of problem!"

"Even the most prestigious schools are still high schools at heart. The only saving grace is that they all use their own class funds, so they don't charge tuition."

"So, Mizuto doesn't really like the class uniform either?"

"Is that even a question? Who likes that kind of raw, real-life pressure to conform?"

"I understand! Don't they realize how little they even understand about being a member of the class?"

"What good is it to just pretend to be a group on the surface...?"

"Sigh." Mizuto sighed softly. Hmm... It was clear he was really tired.

"Mizuto-kun, Mizuto-kun. Are you tired? Would you like me to share some of my energy with you?"

"Huh? How do we divide it?"

"Please come this way."

I called my classmate Shuidou to the bedside, had him turn around and sit in front of me with his back to me.

Then, I put my hand on Shuidou's shoulder and applied pressure with my fingers.

"Let me rub it for you~"

"...I thought they were going to do something else, but it turns out it's just a massage."

"how do you feel?"

"Hmm... well..."

"Would you be constantly thinking about the back of her head almost touching her chest?"

"So that's what you were asking. It's not like it's the first time."

"Oh. You mean you're tired of my breasts?"

"We've definitely gotten tired of this old joke."

I just can't do anything with him, he's so demanding. Doesn't he even want to touch me once? When I confessed to him, he clearly said it wasn't that he didn't find me attractive.

My friend Shuidou obediently let me massage his shoulders, and I casually started a conversation with him.

"Mizuto-kun, I heard you're opening a cosplay café at the school festival?"

It was Nan who told me this. It seems that the qualification was won by competing with the presentation.

Mizuto said in a relaxed posture:

"It's not me, it's my class that's doing it."

"I've seen the photos~ The scholar's outfit suits you so well."

"Dressing like that will only kill me..."

Her voice sounded really tired. It seems she's been overhyped and misrepresented.

"That's great, your class's booth looks really fun. Our class as a whole lacks enthusiasm, it's quite boring."

"The least motivated guy has no right to say that."

"That's true, but I'd be more interested in cosplay as cute as yours~..."

"You? Cosplaying in front of everyone? I suggest you figure out your own limitations."

"Indeed, having to do it in front of so many people and also serve guests is too difficult... umm."

I tried to think about the scope of my own abilities.

"...Mizuto-kun."

I leaned my upper body slightly out and peered at Shuidou from above his head.

Mizuto looked up and made eye contact with me at very close range. "Hmm?"

"Can I try it now? Cosplay."

"Now?... What cosplay? I don't have any cosplay outfits in my room."

"No, no. Just let me borrow something from the closet."

"Huh? The things in the closet? Who would lend them to a pervert like you?"

"I won't touch anything I shouldn't! Just lend me this one! This one!"

As I spoke, I gently tugged at the shirt that Mizuto was wearing.

Mizuto's expression became even more surprised.

"This one?...Okay, there's a spare one in the closet..."

"I've wanted to try on Mizuto-san's clothes for ages!"

"This kind of behavior, purely driven by sexual desire, is disgusting..."

"No, that's not it! It's a boyfriend shirt, a boyfriend shirt! It's something I really want!"

If it's for sexual desire, she should be wearing what Mizuto is wearing right now! It's full of body odor! ...Ugh, even I find myself disgusting.

"Your boyfriend only wears shirts when he has no other clothes to change into, right...?"

"No, for example, what if it suddenly rains heavily and I get soaked? In that case, what clothes would you give me to change into?"

"Of course... I'll probably borrow some clothes from Yui for you to wear."

"See! If I didn't do this, I'd never have another chance!"

I'm usually going in and out of a guy's room, so there's bound to be a tiny bit of anticipation, right? Like, deliberately not bringing an umbrella when the weather's weird! But thinking about it carefully, the scenario just doesn't work! I'm stuck!

"That's how it is, so I'm going to go all out and just ask for a cosplay."

"You really don't care about romance at all... Fine, it's fine if you're only wearing it for a short time. I'll leave the room first, you can change if you want—"

"No need, it's okay. Just look to the side."

"Huh?"

It would be so embarrassing to kick the room's owner out. Besides, it's not that I want to belittle myself, but my sex drive is really quite strong, and I don't know what I might do if I'm alone.

"Then I'll be rude..."

I paused my shoulder massage for Mizuto, got out of bed, and opened the top drawer of the wardrobe. I'd won the lottery—there was a neatly folded uniform shirt inside.

I took it back to bed... and prepared to unbutton my shirt.

"Well then, I'm going to change my clothes... Please don't look this way, okay? Absolutely not!"

"I'm sorry to have troubled you with all this, but I really don't know how to watch it."

"I'm totally dumbfounded," Mizuto said, first standing up to take out a half-read book from his bag, then returning to his bedside to open it. His every move seemed so uninterested, which annoyed me. "Are you even a high school boy? Watch me deal with you with a live ASMR of a high school girl changing clothes!"

I let my tie slip down my collar, and then unbuttoned my shirt one button at a time.

...Ah—whoa—it's surprisingly heart-pounding...taking off my clothes with a boy right next to me, and it's like this...During summer vacation, I almost accidentally exposed my bare breasts because I was too sleepy, and now I'm just showing my bra in Mizuto's blind spot...Although it might sound a bit lewd...hehe...

I pulled my arms out of my sleeves and tossed my shirt aside... Ah! On Mizuto's bed! A girl has taken off her shirt and left it lying around! That's so lewd! It's really lewd!

If I could, I'd love to just leave all the bras lying around and see, but I refrained... Thank goodness, if Mizuto hadn't been in the room, I probably would have already done it. Mizuto almost witnessed me completely naked, letting my breasts tremble, while taking pictures of the bare bed.

Okay, now it's the skirt's turn. I hooked my finger on the zipper hidden in the folds—

At that moment, a brilliant idea struck me.

I stole a glance at Mizuto. She completely ignored me, turning a page as if nothing was wrong. There was absolutely no sign that she was pretending to read while actually eavesdropping. Even if we weren't a couple, wouldn't it be alright to slightly seduce a girl's pride?

So, I've decided...

I shifted my hips, bringing the zipper of my skirt closer to Mizuto's ear—

Sizzle s ...

"...Hey. Why are you deliberately getting close to me?"

"Huh?...I...I don't know what you're talking about..."

"...Okay, forget it."

I barely managed to fool them. It seems a bit too deliberate.

I took off my skirt, leaving me only in my underwear. Ugh... I was tempted to strike some erotic poses behind Mizuto, but my self-control barely prevailed. I'll wait until I'm wearing even more revealing underwear.

I picked up the uniform shirt that Shuidou had just worn and slipped my arms into the sleeves.

...Just as I thought, the sleeves are a little long. Hehe, they're loose and comfortable~♪...Ah! I really have to say it out loud.

"Hehe, hehe. It's all very comfortable~...♪"

"........."

Ignore me!

While Mizuto is great even though he's bland and uninteresting, it would be even better if he were a little sweet and affectionate every now and then.

I buttoned up the shirt, but hesitated when I reached my chest. Where should I button it...? Buttoning the first button would be a big mistake, but seeing my bra wasn't a good idea either. Hmm—it's hard to judge without a mirror.

I wanted to use my phone as a hand mirror, so I reached for my backpack, which was lying next to my bed. It was right next to where my friend Mizuto was sitting—

"Huh? Hey!"

Suddenly, Mizuto shouted anxiously and looked at me.

Yes, he looked this way.

Huh? Wait a minute.