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Kasumigaoka had never taken pride in her popularity at school, nor had she ever made a point of talking about it.
But for some reason, after that awkward exchange with Asher, she found herself wanting to prove something.
Before she realized it, a hint of pride slipped into her expression.
Asher, for his part, hadn't paid much attention to the girl in front of him at first.
But the moment he heard her name, his movements paused slightly.
…So this mature-looking classmate with the curvy figure, especially those long, shapely legs wrapped in glossy black tights that practically demanded attention, was Kasumigaoka Utaha?
A real workhorse-level presence in doujin novels.
No wonder she'd acted like that just now.
Once he knew her identity, everything clicked for Asher.
In the original story, Kasumigaoka Utaha was a standout at school, practically a goddess.
Countless guys approached her with all kinds of excuses, all hoping to get closer.
And his sudden appearance earlier had clearly made her misunderstand.
She must have thought he was just another guy trying to worm his way into her good graces.
But later, once she realized his appearance wasn't deliberate, her earlier confidence probably made her feel like a complete fool.
That was why she'd quickly changed the subject and started chatting about other things.
That said…
Asher didn't really care about Kasumigaoka Utaha's behavior, or her current embarrassment.
"Oh, so you're Kasumigaoka-senpai."
"..."
Hearing his flat, lukewarm tone, the pride Kasumigaoka had felt moments ago shattered instantly, leaving her confidence in pieces.
Why am I getting worked up over someone I don't even know?
Still, if he finds out about my reputation later, he'll definitely regret not talking to me more.
Thinking this, a little irritated, Kasumigaoka twitched the corner of her mouth and stood up.
"It's getting late. Class is about to start."
"I'll head back first, Asher."
"Yeah. See you, Kasumigaoka."
"..."
Feeling oddly speechless, Kasumigaoka could only slink away from the rooftop.
Asher watched her leave without a second thought and went back to enjoying his lunch.
Kasumigaoka stepped through the iron door off the rooftop and paused. She glanced back, her gaze lingering on the door as if she could see straight through it, all the way to Asher on the rooftop.
Sure, their first meeting had been painfully awkward.
But there was no denying it.
Asher had piqued her interest.
The way he looked at her was different from other guys, whose eyes were often filled with obvious desire.
She could tell that Asher genuinely hadn't paid her much mind.
Even on a first meeting, wouldn't any man react to a girl like her?
The more she thought about it, the more intriguing Asher seemed.
And besides…
He was the first person who had ever made her feel this embarrassed, to the point she'd basically fled.
Next time, she would definitely get even.
With that decision made, Kasumigaoka finally turned away. Her polished leather shoes clicked crisply against the stairs as she headed down.
...
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Soon enough, it was after school.
As the dismissal bell rang and the teacher announced the end of class, most of the students poured out of the classroom like birds returning to their nests.
Asher packed up his things while responding to the girls who came over to say goodbye.
"See you tomorrow, Asher!"
"Sayonara, Asher!"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
"..."
Once almost everyone had left, Asher finally finished packing.
"See you tomorrow, Akizuki."
He called out to Akizuki Marina, who was also about to leave.
At the moment, she was probably the classmate he was closest to. Everyone else still felt like a stranger.
Hearing him, Marina held her small schoolbag with both hands, turned back, and smiled at him with calm warmth, nodding slightly.
"Mm, see you tomorrow, Asher."
With that, she left the classroom.
Just outside the door, Marina ran into her younger sister, who had been waiting for her.
The moment she saw her sister, Airi's face lit up as she hurried over.
"Onee-chan, you're finally out!"
Seeing her sister, Marina's expression softened with affection.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Airi."
"Hehe, I just got here too~"
"By the way…"
Airi's eyes suddenly sharpened.
She stepped past Marina and looked straight into the classroom at Asher.
"Sis, who's that guy?"
"I've never seen him in your class before."
"And if I'm not mistaken, you just said goodbye to each other, right?"
Airi knew her sister very well.
Marina looked gentle, proper, and refined, but she'd never had rumors with boys. She didn't even really have male friends.
Yet today, she'd actually exchanged farewells with a guy?
Airi was at that rebellious, imagination-running-wild age.
But seeing her sister's teasing look, Marina didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, she scolded her lightly and tapped Airi's head, her blonde twin ponytails bouncing.
"Hey, don't overthink it."
"Asher is a transfer student who just arrived today."
"As classmates, isn't it normal to say goodbye?"
"So that's all?" Airi rubbed the spot she'd been tapped, pouting a little.
She'd thought her sister's love life had finally started to bloom, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
While the sisters were chatting at the classroom door, a figure appeared behind them without warning.
Then a middle-aged man's voice sounded.
"Hey, Marina-chan, Airi-chan, school's over?"
"Want to go home with Dad?"
The moment he spoke, Airi's cheerful expression vanished.
Disgust flashed openly across her cute face.
"Sis, let's go. I think I can smell human trash in the air. It's making me sick."
After saying that, Airi grabbed Marina's arm and walked off without even looking back.
"..."
Watching their retreating backs, the middle-aged man stood there, completely at a loss.
After a while, the refined, scholarly look on his face twisted almost imperceptibly into something dark and vicious.
"Just wait, Airi… once that thing is finished in a few days, Daddy will make sure you truly understand what 'fatherly love' means…"
"....."