After restraining the urge to raise his metaphorical flag, Kuroba Akira scratched his cheek awkwardly and cleared his throat.
"Ahem… Let's eat some watermelon."
"Mm…"
Now that his Talent had switched to the class rep's [Academic Ability A], Akira could no longer keep a straight face the way he used to.
I must look like such a creep right now… In the gender-reversed version of my past life, this would've been enough to get me canceled as a sex offender.
But Shiginomiya, though flushed from the way he was looking at her, actually seemed delighted to see Akira struggling to hide his fluster.
So… Akira-kun can be shaken after all.
Up to this point, he'd always acted so indifferent to her looks that it made her start doubting herself. Were all those compliments from others just empty flattery?
No—probably not. Words could lie, sure, but the emotions in people's eyes—envy, greed, lust—those had always been real.
She used to find those stares disgusting. But being looked at by Akira-kun didn't feel uncomfortable.
Well… okay, it did, but not in the same way. It was more like that sticky, feverish discomfort you get in the morning…
And in that moment, Shiginomiya understood something.
She didn't hate being looked at by men—what she hated were eyes filled with desire, with bad intentions.
So yes, spending a bit of her budget on this cheap pair of stockings had been absolutely the right call.
She'd debated between black or white at first, but ultimately chose white because of his nickname—Shirako.
She'd save the black ones for later. They were low on funds now—she and Akira both—so they had to spend carefully.
Feeling quietly proud of herself, Shiginomiya activated her Talent and slipped into a practiced performance of bashfulness, shyly fishing for praise.
Acting proficiency UP.
"Um… because you said… it'd be even better with stockings…"
You actually remembered that offhand comment?
Oh my sweet little ojou-sama… You really are too obedient.
Akira distinctly remembered saying "stockings feel nice to the touch". So wait, did she put them on expecting him to… touch them?
No way.
But… he was definitely enjoying the view, so there was no need to correct her.
"Looks good. Aren't you hot, though?"
"It's fine. The shorts are too short anyway. With the stockings, at least I'm not totally exposed. Doesn't feel quite as embarrassing this way."
Not exposed?
These sheer white thigh-highs… if anything, they only added to the exposure.
Akira didn't bother trying to understand the female perception of "coverage." He decided to let the topic drop.
"Let's dig in before it loses its chill."
He handed her a spoon. Shiginomiya took it, then stared blankly at the uncut half of watermelon.
"…Do we… dig straight in?"
"Yup. You've never eaten it like this before?"
"No… When I was little, fruit like this was too expensive. And after I moved to my new home, they always served it pre-cut."
To most Japanese people, eating watermelon with a spoon straight from the rind was probably a luxury.
Not to mention, a bit uncouth—not exactly in line with their cultural reserve.
Also, eating from the same half like this… for a nation so sensitive about personal space, this would be a pretty big no-no.
"If it bothers you, I can go cut it up—"
"No, it's okay. I just… haven't eaten it this way before. We can share."
Actually, what really bothered Shiginomiya was the thought of their saliva mixing into the watermelon juice. The indirectness of it made her feel more flustered than an actual kiss.
Akira, of course, didn't even register this kind of delicate concern. He was well past the age of being embarrassed by indirect kisses. He'd long since thrown any lingering sense of romantic modesty—and shame—into the Mariana Trench.
So he stabbed his spoon into the watermelon and scooped out a crater-sized chunk like he was opening a can. Then he dug out another piece from the loosened edge and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Whew~ so good! The center's the sweetest part. Here, have some."
"Ah… okay…"
Shiginomiya stared at the jagged, meteor-cratered hole he'd left. There was still plenty of untouched area, but she stubbornly scooped a bite from his crater, trying to suppress her embarrassment.
So… does this count as an indirect kiss via watermelon?
She didn't taste his saliva, of course.
Ugh… why am I even thinking about that? I feel like such a fool… Akira-kun doesn't care at all.
That's right—we're life partners! We shouldn't let something this trivial come between us!
Cheered by her own inner pep talk, Shiginomiya shook off her reservations and began eating in earnest.
The watermelon was sweet.
As sweet as milk.
Ever since she met Kuroba Akira, her life had started tasting sweet.
Is this what it feels like to have a sibling?
Or perhaps—
Is there any difference between this… and having someone you love?
On the sealed box that held her girlish heart, one of the locks quietly clicked open, loosened by the innocent sweetness of a summer memory.
Still, half a watermelon was a lot for two people.
Akira had just eaten the class rep's deluxe bento earlier, so he was already full. After a few big bites, he was done. Shiginomiya's appetite was always modest.
So by the time they set their spoons down, more than half of the watermelon remained.
Akira brought the leftover rind back to the kitchen, wrapped it in plastic, then returned to the living room and snapped his fingers with theatrical flair.
"Now that we're done—let's continue!"
He meant their voice acting practice.
But Shiginomiya, still carrying the misunderstanding from that morning—when Akira had rubbed her feet until she accidentally let out some rather compromising noises—thought he meant, continue rubbing her feet.
"Y-Yes… let's continue…"
She'd already braced herself when she put the stockings on. It wasn't just about letting him look—he had said stockings felt better to the touch.
So, despite the embarrassment, she straightened her legs and placed her white-socked feet on Akira's lap.
Then she covered her face with her hands and bit her lip, trying not to let those embarrassing moans escape again.
Akira, meanwhile, was confused.
Huh? What's happening right now?
We just finished chilled watermelon and now you're offering me a warm dessert?
But… she was offering her feet. And Akira was a foot guy. How could he say no?
So he sat down beside her again, pulled her calves onto his lap, and began round two of the foot massage.
Seems like she did enjoy it this morning—so much so that now she was addicted.
Foot massage was addictive. That's why foot spas became a whole industry.
Not everyone went to those places for "special services," after all.
You'd often see those traditional Chinese medicine diagrams—foot reflexology charts linking every organ to a pressure point on the sole. There was even a saying that the foot is the "second heart" of the human body, essential to circulation for an upright species.
It made perfect sense to Akira.
People in poor health often had cold feet and knees. So yes—more foot rubs meant better blood flow.
But more than anything, rubbing a beautiful girl's legs in stockings? Akira would do it a hundred times over with no complaints.
As expected, stockings felt amazing—silky smooth, soft to the touch.
Shiginomiya's feet were as beautiful as the rest of her. Akira had realized this earlier, but now that he had them in hand again, he couldn't help thinking:
Pretty girl, pretty feet.
They were the kind of perfect feet you'd use as a reference for modeling—a textbook example of aesthetic beauty.
Akira alternated between gently kneading and stroking, his fingers gliding over the white nylon with practiced ease. Technically it was a "foot massage," but he wasn't applying much pressure.
He was completely absorbed. And Shiginomiya?
She was melting.
Compared to the rough pressing and squeezing from earlier that morning, Akira's touch now was soft—almost sensual.
It made her soles itch, made her chest flutter. Her toes curled involuntarily, her foot arched tight, in perfect line with her calf.
It tickled—but in the same way that felt good. In fact, it was even better than that morning.
A tingling wave of pleasure radiated from her soles, flowing up through her entire body.
But… she couldn't hold it in anymore!
"Ah…! Aah! Hnn… aaAAAH!!"
This time her voice rang out louder, higher, and more breathless than before.
And somehow, in this absurd situation, her Talent [Heavenly Voice S] leveled up yet again.
Falsetto Proficiency UP.
In the end, Shiginomiya Shion failed once more—and let out an embarrassingly lewd sound.