My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

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Ha. No, no. This is like staring at someone's chest the whole time I'm meeting them for the first time.

"I'm Yui Ayai. Nice to meet you, Higashi-kun."

Even if they might be rivals, my social skills aren't so bad that I'd suddenly act like I'm about to fight. Besides, even if I disregard that, the friends I met with Mizuto from somewhere else are people I can empathize with deeply.

The girl from the east end stared at my face for several seconds, then her gaze roamed up and down, as if scanning my body. Although it was quite rude, I couldn't complain because she was staring so intently at my chest.

"So, what are your thoughts?"

When asked by Mizuto, Higashi made a sound for the first time: "Mmm."

"Mizuto-kun...you're really fun!"

"...Is this a compliment?"

"The highest level of praise"

Then, Dongtou suddenly looked into the distance.

"I also want a life where my girlfriend is a bespectacled girl with just the right amount of flesh..."

"What kind of talk is 'including meat'?"

"Ouch, it hurts!"

After being lightly chopped in the hand by Mizuto, Higashito inexplicably chuckled.

...Hmm—, weirdo.

Although I had anticipated this from the moment I learned she was Mizuto's friend, it became clear after our recent interactions.

"Sorry, that's just how he is."

"That's what my classmate, Shuidou, said to me."

"I want to state this upfront: I have no interest in guys who suddenly start commenting on someone's body upon first meeting them."

Mmm! (←A woman who suddenly comments on someone's breasts upon first meeting them)

"That's so unfair, Mizuto. Wouldn't it be more profitable to let people have a little expectation?"

"The one that lost more money is the one that lost more."

"Perhaps I'll offer you something, won't I?"

"What is this guy talking about, treating me like a servant and making me put on your socks?"

Mizuto's tone... I see. It really does sound like she's talking to a female friend. And it's the same with Higashi-kun; with the recent influx of Mizuto's hidden fans, there's absolutely no girlish vibe left.

But...but—

"Seriously, even things that are good in the past will still be considered. You know, girls, it's always a little nice to know your boyfriend is popular, isn't it?"

"Making someone who genuinely has no interest popular is just pathetic, isn't it?"

"When I woke up from my fantasy, I realized all I really do was have a girlfriend."

"I don't need that kind of thinking! Break up with him, not with this kind of man!"

—Isn't the distance too close?

Is your relationship even better than mine?

"---That's what happened."

I rarely come to the cafeteria, and while stirring my udon noodles with my chopsticks, I told Asuhain, who was sitting across from me, what happened yesterday.

I already had an impression of Asahi-no-Ya-Yuan from the entrance ceremony. He's small but imposing, which impressed me then, but because we were far apart, I didn't manage to remember his face. Then yesterday, we happened to sit next to each other in the study room, and feeling it was a rare opportunity, we exchanged contact information.

Since Asuha-in doesn't seem to be the type of person who enjoys socializing, she was quite resistant—but for me, having overcome the hurdles of confessing to Mizuto and making up after an argument, this level of resistance was nothing to be afraid of.

Then today, I happened to see Asuha-in again in the cafeteria. After getting permission to sit across from me, I told him what happened after school yesterday.

Everyone in the class knew about Mizuto, so they couldn't say anything about it. On the other hand, Asuhain was from another class and wasn't the type to gossip, so she was able to tell him without worry.

Asuhain-kun meticulously ate his grilled fish set meal in a triangular order.

"Speaking of which, you do have a boyfriend, Ayai-san."

"He said in a flat voice."

"Yeah. Well, that's right. We've been dating since middle school... What about Asuyain-kun?"

"I'm not good at dealing with men."

Pick up the neatly disassembled pieces of grilled fish one by one.

"If they come in groups, they'll think of us as creatures made up of faces and chests. So they won't see any value in having a conversation with us."

Wow—oh… Utter misogyny…

Someone as cute and with a great figure as Asuhain-san must attract unwanted attention, right? This is a world I don't understand.

"There's a difference between expressing it outwardly and hiding it. I've heard that it's difficult for men to consciously suppress their desires. In ancient China, there were castrated male officials called eunuchs. In religious paintings in Europe, you can occasionally see examples of demons being depicted as sexy women. Male desires are like that; they're rooted in our biological instincts."

"Hmm...so that means?"

"I heard that my boyfriend's classmate's friend has very large breasts."

"Sisi," said Ye Yuan, who finished the miso soup in one gulp.

"Even if he didn't mean it that way, I don't think he didn't feel lust for even a moment."

"……indeed……"

After all, those are her breasts... Even non-males would want to touch them.

"Isn't it simply impossible for a friendship between a man and a woman to exist?"

To these contemptuous words, I can only respond with an ambiguous smile.

Although I felt that the last few ideas were a bit extreme, Asuha-in definitely did not say anything wrong.

When we argued a year ago, I was definitely just being stubborn. But this time, we really have a good relationship—it's the first time I've seen Mizuto chat so easily with anyone other than me.

...That's how I feel.

When I made friends... did you feel the same way, Mizuto-kun?

Are you trying to seduce my man?

—I absolutely refuse to do anything like calling someone into the women's restroom for interrogation or torture. I'm terrible at that kind of aggressive, shouting "Woman!" kind of thing.

However, I think it's still necessary to create opportunities to talk to Dongtou's classmates. That being said, when you're alone with them, it gives off a "Oh no, I've been caught" feeling, which is more likely to scare them.

A day spent pondering what to do.

After a two-hour PE class, I was about to head back after rehydrating at the water cooler when a somewhat familiar figure came into view as I curled up in a shady corner with my knees drawn up to my chest.

"Dongtou, classmate?"

After I called out to her, Higashi-san looked up at me with a blank stare. She stared at my face for a good five seconds before letting out a soft "Ah." She probably hadn't seen me much before and couldn't remember who I was for a moment. She's just like Mizuto-san in that she can't remember people at all…

"Is Dongtou's classmate also having PE class?"

"Ah, yes... Well..."

Because she was wearing a gymnastics uniform, it was obvious at a glance, but I just wanted some openings to start a conversation.

Isn't this a great opportunity? We can have a one-on-one conversation without any pressure or being called out in a private setting—and we're not even in the same class. I wonder if I'll ever have another chance like this.

"May I sit next to you?"

The student in the east corner was slightly surprised for a moment, then said "Ah, please" and moved aside a little. I walked to the empty spot and plopped down on the cool ground in the shade.

Together with my classmate Dongtou, we gazed into the distance at the girls running around the playground, full of energy even during their break. While I've developed some social skills, my innate lack of athletic ability remains an undeniable fact. Having never been good at sports since I was old enough to understand, this scene before me was all too familiar.

I suppose it's the same for Dongtou's classmates.

"Dongtou, are you also the type who's not good at sports?"

"Eh, ah, haa... maa..."

Her response, as if she were a frightened bird, made me want to smile.

Let's take it one step at a time, maintaining a distance that's neither too close nor too distant.

"Yeah, that's true. Having such big breasts must be a real hassle."

"Yes...that's right. As for athletic ability, it's been like this since I was little..."

"Really? Me too. It's so frustrating not being able to do well and not being able to find anyone to team up with..."

"what……"

Dongtou opened his mouth slightly, cautiously peering at my face. "Has the message been conveyed? We're the same type of people."

"Hey, Dongtou-kun."

Carefully maintaining a sense of distance, I slowly moved towards the main topic.

"The more alone you are, the more you can feel the kindness of others, right? Like lending an eraser or helping with cleaning—even these small gestures can make you overthink."

"Yes, yes... I understand, I understand..."

"When someone like that meets someone with similar interests who speaks to them kindly and gently, they generally can't help but develop feelings for that person."

"…………,…………ah"

After a slight delay, Dongtou spoke up as if suddenly realizing something. I smiled wryly.

"This is how we met. Can you understand how I feel?"

After giving her a wink, the student from the east end's gaze darted around nervously for a moment before finally settling on a spot on the ground.

"……you're right"

She said it with a lot of concern.

"I think that's what makes Mizuto so difficult... How should I put it, should I say he's the male version of a gyaru who's very kind to otaku—ah, no, in that case, I should say he's a delinquent who's kind to otaku..."

"Haha. It's okay. I understand what you mean."

"what!"

The student in the east suddenly shouted and frantically waved his hands.

"As a guy, I don't care about anything at all! To be honest, I've never actually liked a guy! I'm only interested in pretty girls!"

"Oh, is that so? Not a single person so far?"

"Yes...that's right, that's correct. Is it strange...?"

"Hmm... No way... If I hadn't met Mizuto-kun, things would probably have turned out the same way."

To be honest, the concept of love wasn't even included in the options.

I never considered becoming someone's lover in the first place. If I had time to indulge in unrequited love, I'd rather read a couple more mystery novels.

If I hadn't met Irito Mizuto—I probably would never have been interested in romance in my entire life.

"...When did you start...liking it?"

The first time, it was Dongtou's classmate who brought up the topic with me.

"At the beginning... we were friends, right? But, when did it start...?"

"When did it start...? We started chatting, and when I came to my senses—it feels like less than a week has passed... You really want to know, don't you?"

After asking her, Dongtou mumbled "Hmm..." and hugged his knees.

"Well... I really enjoy spending time with Mizuto as a friend... The thought of losing that friendship one day makes me feel lonely and scared... I guess when that moment comes, the chances of it being a breakup will be 100%."

"Ah—...I'm a little hesitant to comment on that."

"Mizuto really values ​​his girlfriend."

The muttering of the student in the east end was mixed with a hint of sulking.

"As soon as we started chatting, he immediately said, 'I have a girlfriend.' I was afraid of being seen as overly self-conscious, so I didn't really say it out loud during our first meeting—when I jokingly asked him to help me put on my socks, he firmly replied, 'I can't do that kind of thing.'"

"...I see."

It's unclear under what circumstances one would ask the other person to put socks on for them.

"They didn't hesitate to break my flag! They snapped it before it was even raised! How rude, so very rude!"

"I feel really sorry..."