My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 215

"Huh? Ah...right, when I first met Yui, she was always wearing pantyhose."

"It seems like I'm a little hesitant to show my legs. But I really can't wear them in the summer."

"Doesn't that mean you've started wearing it again recently? It's only been a short while since I last saw you... hehehe."

"Can you please hide the lecherous old man inside you properly? It's disgusting."

"It's not like anything's wrong, it's just looking at Yui's legs with lustful eyes. Isn't that what liking someone means?"

"That's a lie."

"Haven't you ever looked at Yui with a lewd eye?"

"...I would like to distinguish between the two things clearly."

"Men's hearts are really complicated. Unlike me, I don't hesitate at all and just get confused."

"I can't be as certain of my instincts as you are."

"So, if I came to see you wearing stockings, wouldn't you be able to look at me with erotic eyes honestly?"

"If I were to honestly look at you that way, we'd be finished."

"Hmm...I think being open and honest is a healthy mindset."

"On another note, aren't pantyhose and stockings different things?"

"Yes, they are different. The difference lies in the number of deniers."

"Denial count?"

"Roughly speaking, it's about the thickness of the fibers. Coarser fibers are found in pantyhose."

"Oh...so that means the pantyhose are a darker color."

Which do you prefer? I like stockings!

"...If I had to put it in a word, it would probably be pantyhose."

"Oh—? Oh oh oh~?"

Don't smirk. I didn't mean anything by it.

"I didn't say anything—"

Such casual conversations drifted away amidst the announcements of the sports festival and the clamor of the crowd.

As we chatted, it seemed that another competition had ended, and I heard an announcement calling for the contestants to participate.

The students participating in the women's tug-of-war event are—

Upon hearing this, I gently nudged Isana's upper arm with my elbow.

"Hey. Didn't you say you were going to participate in the tug-of-war?"

"Huh?...Ah! I forgot!"

She really had forgotten. What a close call!

"Ugh, this is so troublesome. Okay, I'll just hurry up and finish the competition and come back."

As she spoke, Isana puffed out her chest and straightened her previously hunched back—

--Smack!

Then, a sound like something snapping was heard.

Isana, still in a stretching position, froze on the spot.

"...Hey, what's wrong? What's that strange noise?"

"No...that...this..."

Isana's expression vaguely showed anxiety as she slowly placed her hand on the center of her chest, her face gradually turning pale.

"...It's broken..."

"Huh? What's broken?"

"...the clasp of a bra..."

What?

Buttons...? Buttons, you mean those? The parts that fasten a bra?

"...You mean it's broken now?"

"Right now... if I puff out my chest, the buttons in the front will..."

It turns out that she was covering her breasts with her hands to hold down the bra cups that were about to slip off.

"You...you're wearing a regular bra...? I don't really know, but aren't the kinds you guys wear for sports...?"

"First, I got used to it and wore my usual style, and I was too lazy to find a sports bra, so I thought it wouldn't matter~ and didn't change! I thought, if it's just tug-of-war, it should be fine...!"

How could someone be so careless? And what bad luck that it broke down at a time like this.

Izana, hunched over, closed her eyes in annoyance and said:

"How annoying...! Nothing's been happening lately, which made me careless...!"

"So you mean the old one could break down..."

"Yes, they were constantly breaking when I was in junior high. Because the sizes went out of style very quickly..."

Ah... I understand...

Huh? So that means... does that mean her size changed? Changed again?

"Everything was fine after I started high school...! It's all Mizuto's fault!"

"Huh? What does this have to do with me?"

"It's all Mizuto's fault for overstimulating my female hormones! You even rubbed me last time!"

"I don't think I was rubbing... but could it be... has the size really changed?"

"........."

Izana fell silent, looking down at her chest, which she was pressing with both hands.

"...I could feel it before, it seemed a little tighter..."

"...Oh yeah... Well, well, he's only a first-year high school student, so maybe that's possible..."

"It's Mizuto-kun..."

Isana looked up at me with a pleading expression and said.

"It was Mizuto-kun... who turned me into Ecchi."

"........."

Ecchi. Ecchi. H. ABCDEFGH.

"...Pronunciation must be standard."

"Hehe. A double entendre."

Isana smiled shyly, rubbing her breasts as she pressed them to confirm, and said:

"Okay, although if I wear a style with an extended back clasp, G might not be too big to fit in... but it would probably be safer to tell my mom and ask her to buy me a new one."

"...Don't ask me."

Which style do you think is better?

"I told you not to ask me."

I think she's just teasing me. She's only really confident in this kind of thing.

I looked away as I said:

"Let's figure something out quickly. We're going to be late for the meeting."

"Hmm—there's no other way...and no time to fix it, so let's just—uh-hoo!"

Izana was seen rummaging around under her sportswear, then slipping her hand into her neckline and yanking out her pale pink bra.

"Hello!"

"Could you please keep this for me?"

(Illustration 010)

Then, she casually placed it on my lap. I stared speechlessly at the thing that still retained its warmth.

"No, no, wait a minute, this is too much...!"

"Let me clarify first, it's not that I'm not shy!"

Isana's cheeks flushed slightly as she stared at me with a glare.

"But it's much better than it falling out halfway through a tug-of-war...! I'll be right back! Just hide it under your gym clothes for now! Please!"

After saying that, Isana stood up.

Looking through the sportswear that obscured her figure, no one would suspect she wasn't wearing a bra. If it were a tug-of-war without any running or jumping, it certainly wouldn't be obvious. But to me, knowing the truth—

"...I'll be right back."

Izana told me this with such determination that I had nothing more to say.

I could only watch her walk away—leaving this bra, with cups bigger than my palm and warm like lukewarm water, on my lap, filled with guilt as I tucked it under my tracksuit.

Mizuto Irito: Only when I have the time and energy can I indulge in the little devil's antics.

"The women's tug-of-war is about to begin! Don't miss this ruthless battle of the girls—!"

Listening to the broadcast, which was delivered with an inexplicably excited tone, I looked towards the center of the playground.

Three ropes, each wrapped with duct tape, lay on the ground. Izana hugged the second rope with both arms. They were probably arranged in order of height; she was positioned slightly behind the center. Fortunately, it was a rather inconspicuous spot.

I kept thinking about the bra that I had kept warm in my arms like Oda Nobunaga's straw sandals, while quietly watching my best friend's figure.

At the sound of the gunshot, the rope was pulled taut. The tug-of-war rope moved left and right in sync with the shouts. It seemed the two sides were evenly matched.

Izana seemed to agree that if she was going to do it, she should do it seriously, her face flushed as she put all her effort into the tug-of-war. Although she looked somewhat apprehensive, this minor flaw was acceptable.

It seems like everything should be fine. No one will notice that he's currently without a shield. Even I, who knows the truth, can't tell the difference.

After a dozen seconds, and several rounds of grappling, the rope was pulled sharply towards the opposing team. The Isanana team lost their balance and were dragged forward, falling to the ground.

"……ah."

*Screech*—Izana took a nasty fall. Although the entire team was injured, only I, who knew the truth, saw a major problem that was cause for concern.

She was dragged on the ground and slid for a moment.

The flattened chest rubbed against the ground.

...Is she alright?

Not wearing a bra not only means a lack of support and easy wobbling, but also simply means the absence of a protective armor for the breasts.

"Ugh—!" While the other team members were groaning, only Izana remained silent, pressing her hands against her chest through her gym uniform.

I saw that her eyes were a little teary.

It's quite pitiful, but it's her own fault for not preparing properly...

Okay, I'll go comfort her. Besides, I want to return this to her as soon as possible. Thinking this, I was about to head towards the direction the contestants had left when…

"Huh? A water bucket?"

Then I heard a familiar voice.

In an instant, my mind went blank, and then I broke out in a cold sweat.

"So you're here. What are you doing?"

The guy, completely unaware, approached step by step.

That girl—Irito Yume…

Completely unaware that I was wearing Izana's bra under my workout clothes, I jogged closer to her.

Yui, wearing a tracksuit, had a sports festival organizing committee member armband on her left upper arm. Because she was part of the organizing committee, she had to be constantly on the go and hadn't stayed in class. I was so careless…!