Chapter 12: The Day After (1)

[Morikawa Chinatsu's POV]

I stood in front of Tsubasa's house, fiddling with my phone and slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Seriously, Tsubasa is taking forever!" I muttered, though it wasn't exactly shocking. Tsubasa had a habit of being late, but this was pushing it even for him. I couldn't help but worry about my boyfriend.

I know I shouldn't get all worked up over him. He's strong, capable, and can handle anything he puts his mind to. That's what made me fall for him in the first place.

But sometimes... Sometimes I just can't shake off the worry. He can be so damn secretive at times. I can't figure out what's going on in that head of his. Just when you think you know what he's up to, he pulls something unexpected. Like asking both Natsumi and me out on a date. Or even suggesting a threesome, for that matter.

I tapped my foot impatiently on the ground as I waited for him. Eventually, the door to their house swung open, but it wasn't Tsubasa who emerged. It was his sister, Kurogane Akane. From what I could recall, she wasn't exactly Tsubasa's biological sister but rather a step-sibling. With her black hair and red eyes, she exuded a cool beauty... if that's the right way to put it. "Kuudere" seemed like the perfect label for her. She was the type who never let her emotions show, always maintaining that distant aura. As far as I could remember, that's just how she'd always been. Even though we were in the same class last year, I never really saw her interacting with anyone. I tried talking to her once, thinking she might be lonely, but she didn't give me the time of day...

I'll admit, I'm a tad envious of her. Our houses are just meters apart, yet Tsubasa and I still have to trek a decent distance to meet each other. Meanwhile, Akane has that proximity advantage locked down. If my memory serves me right, they became step-siblings when they were seven. I recall Tsubasa mentioning that when they were kids, they were quite close, and Akane wasn't as much of a kuudere back then. I can't help but wonder what caused her to change so drastically.

While I was lost in thought, Akane's gaze landed on me.

For a brief moment, it looked like she scowled in my direction before returning to her usual stoic expression. But that was likely just my mind playing tricks on me. As Akane walked by, she didn't spare me a single glance. I thought I caught a sidelong glance from her, but again, that could've been my imagination at work.

As I watched her walk away, the door swung open once more. This time, I assumed it was Tsubasa finally making his appearance. Yet, to my surprise, it wasn't him but rather his actual sister who stepped out. Tsubasa's younger twin sister, Yui-chan. Yui-chan and I weren't exactly close, and I got the sense that she had some sort of issue with me. I couldn't put my finger on the reason though. When her eyes met mine, she clicked her tongue in annoyance, not even bothering to conceal her displeasure.

"Looks like a cockblock's arrived..." she muttered. I didn't quite catch her words, or perhaps I thought I misheard her, but I didn't ask her to repeat herself. "Onii-chan, someone's waiting for you!"

Sporting a uniform that differed from ours, she slipped on her shoes and walked past me, shooting me a glance before playfully pulling down her eyelid and sticking her tongue out.

What was that all about?

As she turned around and headed off, I found myself staring at her for a moment—her twin tails swaying with each step, her curvy rear moving from side to side.

Finally, the door opened again, and this time, it was Tsubasa who emerged. He seemed somewhat worn out... and maybe even a little guilty. But he grinned at me and said, "Ready to go?"

And so, we headed to school together.

Our school wasn't too far, but it wasn't exactly a stone's throw away either. When we arrived, we spotted Natsumi, maintaining her usual air of nobility with her long black hair cascading down to her waist and her skirt reaching her knees, not to mention those glasses perched on her nose. Her posture seemed a bit off. Well, I guess mine was too, considering I had a bit of a discomfort down there, courtesy of the person walking by my side. Nevertheless, even with that posture, she managed to radiate an air of sophistication. Just what you'd expect from a rich girl like her.

"Good morning, Tsubasa-kun, Chinatsu-chan," she greeted us.

"Good morning, Natsumi."

"Morning."

As she extended her greetings, we did the same. And with that small interaction, we made our way to our classroom together. Along the way, I couldn't help but notice a few students stealing glances at us.

"Hey, isn't that..."

"Yeah, that's them. The two school goddesses. So damn beautiful..."

"Who would've thought we'd get an eyeful of them this early..."

Natsumi and I sort of had this reputation as being among the beautiful and supposedly "goddess-like" figures in the school. To be honest, I found that whole label ridiculous. It's not like I actively encouraged it, but I didn't care enough to put a stop to it either.

In any case, despite Natsumi and I having quite distinct styles, we both managed to exude this sort of otherworldly aura. You know, that thing some guys might call... charisma? There was this one guy, though, with a bit of a paunch, glasses, and a face full of pimples. I didn't know his name, but he was often seen hanging out with Tsubasa.

I suspect he's the one who started this whole thing. I've caught glimpses of him talking to other guys in our class, ranking all the attractive girls in the school. The top five got the so-called goddess status. Apparently, I landed in fourth place, while Natsumi was right below me in fifth. Minami-chan secured third place, and Tachibana Kaori-san from the second year claimed second. Quite unexpectedly, the first place went to Tsubasa's sister, Kurogane Akane. She's known as the Ice Princess and considered a flower that's just out of reach for anyone. She always comes off as distant and cold, making her quite hard to approach. In all honesty, that nickname suits her perfectly.