Faced with Oozuka Mai, she'd shamefully run away. She didn't go to the infirmary, nor did she seize the chance to get closer to the other girl.
She hid alone in a corner of the school, dragging out the time until afternoon classes were about to begin before finally returning to the classroom.
As soon as she entered, Amaori Renako's gaze landed on her, looking as if she had something to say but was holding back. Oozuka Mai was standing beside her too.
It seemed they hadn't told anyone about her panicked escape.
Asakura Mio responded with a slight nod, then quickly slipped back to her seat in the corner, zoning out as she waited for afternoon classes to start.
'How nice,' she thought. Just seeing this "quintet" chatting together made for such a pleasing picture.
Anyone barging into their circle would feel like they were committing an unforgivable sin.
Sitting in her corner, Asakura Mio framed the lovely scene with her hands, shaping a rectangle like a camera's viewfinder, secretly capturing that beautiful sight inside her "frame."
"If only I could take a photo… but I guess that's not really okay."
She murmured quietly to herself. Sneaking photos was just too rude—such thoughts could only stay in her head.
But… were Amaori Renako and Oozuka Mai really dating?
The perfect princess × timid puppy pairing… that could be pretty tasty too.
But secretly, she shipped Oozuka Mai and Koto Satsuki even more. That tall, raven-haired beauty always standing to the side—an ice queen whose grades rivaled Mai's.
Her face was absolutely stunning, and their rivalry-turned-friendship dynamic was just delicious!
Ah—why not just keep things undefined? A messy, complicated situation might be even better!
Of course, all this was just the whirlwind inside Asakura Mio's head. How could there be so many yuri blossoms in real life?
Just like her own niche interests, she'd never met another person in daily life who shared this hobby. Even if there were others, they'd probably hide it deeply, never showing it openly—just like her.
"Um… are you okay now?"
While lost in her wild thoughts, a cautious voice suddenly reached her ears.
Asakura Mio belatedly looked up and realized that, at some point, Amaori Renako had left the lively group and walked over to her desk.
Her face still held worry and guilt, as if she couldn't let go of what happened at noon.
"I'm totally fine! The tree wasn't that high, and the grass was pretty soft—really, no problem at all!"
Asakura Mio wasn't used to being fussed over like this, especially with such heavy guilt. She felt she'd just been unlucky enough to be near them—she didn't deserve such serious treatment.
Seeing Asakura Mio acting normal, Amaori Renako seemed a bit relieved, but her gaze fell on Mio's glasses.
"Your glasses… they got scratched, didn't they?"
There were indeed a few noticeable scratches on Asakura Mio's lenses, and the frames were slightly bent out of shape. Probably got scraped by a uniform button or something hard when she was pressed down.
Mention of the glasses made Asakura Mio involuntarily recall the moment Oozuka Mai wiped the lenses clean and gently put them back on her. Her eyes unconsciously drifted in that direction.
Coincidentally, Oozuka Mai also seemed to be watching them. Their eyes met briefly across the room, and Mai gave her a friendly, gentle smile.
Asakura Mio suddenly felt her face grow warm.
That moment… was a little ambiguous, wasn't it? But Mai probably hadn't thought of it that way at all, right? It was purely her own yuri-filled imagination running wild.
No, no! Can't let my thoughts run away like this! So improper!
"It's fine!" She couldn't control her volume, blurting it out before hurriedly lowering her voice, trying to reassure the other girl.
"Actually, I was already thinking about getting new glasses—my prescription's a bit weak now. You really don't have to worry about me, Amaori-san. Hurry back and chat with them—look, Oozuka-san is still waiting for you."
She really wasn't putting on a brave face; she just felt it'd be easier if she were ignored.
In normal social situations, words like these were practically a dismissal—most people would take the hint and leave.
But—the Amaori Renako in front of her happened to be the type who wasn't good at conventional social cues. Not only did she not leave, she became even more fixated on the glasses topic.
"Th-then, I'll go with you to buy them, Asakura-san! The glasses broke because of me—I'll pay half!"
"Really, it's not necessary…"
"Yes, it is! After school, let's go together!"
It was like the plan had been unilaterally decided. As soon as she finished speaking, Amaori Renako, as if having completed a major task, quickly ran back to her circle of glamorous friends.
It must have taken a lot of courage for her to say that, right?
Asakura Mio found herself troubled again.
Going shopping after school with Amaori Renako, one of the "quintet"... that sounded almost like a date.
What if… what if Mai or someone else misunderstood, got jealous?
Would she… end up being disliked because of this?
Burdened by these worries, the afternoon classes dragged on, and she couldn't find a good reason to turn Amaori Renako down.
Honestly, if she just said, "I have plans" or "I want to go alone," Renako would probably not insist.
But saying that might make the other girl feel down. Considering Renako's feelings, it was hard to refuse so bluntly.
As for the incident at noon, it seemed like it really had been an illusion in Oozuka Mai's eyes. She didn't pay it much mind, nor did she give Asakura Mio any extra attention.
Comparing the two, Oozuka Mai came off as a bit aloof, but that actually made Asakura Mio feel more at ease.
And so, school finally ended. Asakura Mio stealthily grabbed her bag, planning to slip out of the classroom unnoticed.
That way, tomorrow she could just tell Renako she "forgot," and by then she'd have new glasses—the whole matter would fade away.
She succeeded in sneaking out, but she hadn't gotten far when footsteps and a girl's voice called from behind.
"Wait, Asakura-san!"
It was, of course, Amaori Renako. Asakura Mio's steps faltered, and she finally stopped, helpless.
So much for hoping Renako would take the hint that she didn't want to go together. The sneak-out plan was a bust.
"Uh, I was just going to wait for you outside the classroom—wasn't trying to run off," she explained, the words sounding as transparent as protesting "I didn't steal the silver." It practically screamed "guilty," but the other girl didn't seem to notice, or maybe her mind was elsewhere entirely.
"Mm-hmm, that's why I said goodbye to everyone and came out right away. You could say—we're on the same wavelength!"
Don't say things that could be so easily misunderstood!
This girl—is she some kind of succubus or what?!
--+--