The weather forecast had predicted it would be cloudy today.

          I stood at the entrance of the school, umbrella in hand, looking out. Weather forecasts were, after all, just predictions, and they weren’t always accurate. So, I wasn’t surprised to see it raining. The rainy season wasn’t over yet, and rain after a cloudy forecast wasn’t unusual. I had brought a folding umbrella just in case, so it wasn’t an issue.

          ── Or at least, that should’ve been the case.

          Even with an umbrella in hand, I didn’t want to leave the school grounds.

          The weather outside the school entrance felt like an entirely different world compared to indoors. Earlier, when I was waiting for Umina, who had been called in by a teacher, the rain began pouring down relentlessly, as if it had a vendetta. An umbrella seemed useless in this downpour, so I hesitated to leave the school, knowing I’d be drenched instantly. Meanwhile, Mariko had already been picked up by her parents in their car, and Umina, who had met up with her boyfriend with an umbrella, would likely get soaked too.

          「What should I do…」

          It would have been fine if I was going straight home; I could just take a shower and change clothes, no matter how soaked I got. But I was supposed to go to Miyagi’s place today. I knew if I asked, she’d let me use her bathroom and lend me some clothes, but I didn’t want to. There was no way she’d let me borrow anything without it turning into some kind of strange order.

          After a moment of hesitation, I pulled out my phone.

          Just as I was about to text her that I couldn’t make it today because of the rain, I stopped.

          It was Miyagi’s job to send the first message, not mine.

          It was hard to decide which was more comforting: returning to an empty house where no one acknowledged my presence, or going to Miyagi’s place, where, despite her indifferent attitude, she still offered me barley tea.

          ‘I suppose getting soaked by the rain isn’t that big of a deal,’ I thought to myself.

          Deciding I would worry about the change of clothes once I arrived at Miyagi’s place, I put my phone away, grabbed my umbrella, and headed out. As expected, the umbrella barely helped. The rain wasn’t exactly torrential, but it was enough to drench me and make me reluctant to keep walking.

          The rain was incredibly relentless.

          But my feet didn’t lead me towards my own house. Instead, I quickened my pace and headed towards Miyagi’s place—the sort of place where someone like her might tie my hands with a necktie and command me to lick her feet. I didn’t mind following her orders, but I couldn’t understand why I was so determined to reach her place, even in this pouring rain.

          In the seemingly unending rain, I drew closer and closer to Miyagi’s apartment.

          I was shivering in my uniform.

          Even though it was July, my soaked clothes made it feel like summer was still a long way off.

          Lately, our relationship has been heading down a dangerous path.

          If we wanted to turn back, now would be the time.

          There was still a chance to do it.

          But despite thinking that, my feet didn’t slow down.

          Before I realized it, I was standing in front of Miyagi’s apartment. I shut my umbrella and pressed the intercom button, as if I had done it a thousand times before. Miyagi, sounding irritated, buzzed me in, and I stepped into the elevator. The wet fabric of my blouse clung uncomfortably to my skin. Stifling a sigh, I exited on the sixth floor and walked to Miyagi’s door, where her flat, emotionless voice greeted me.

          「Did you not bring an umbrella with you?」

          「What does it look like? Sorry, but can I ask you for a towel?」

          「Well, just come inside for the time being.」

          Miyagi said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

          「Aren’t I just going to get everything in your house wet?」

          Anyone who looked at me could see that I was completely drenched. If I took off my shoes and took even a single step, I’d leave a wet footprint in her hallway. Walking to her room would create a trail of footprints, and water would drip from my uniform. Even if I dried off with a towel, the hallway might still get wet, but it was better than doing nothing.

          「It’s fine. Even if the floor gets wet, I’ll just wipe it later.」

          Miyagi said with a serious tone in her voice as she looked at me.

          「That doesn’t sound fine to me. Just lend me a towel.」

          「I’ll get you a towel and a change of clothes. You can get changed right here.」

          「You want me to do it right here?」

          「Yep. There’s no one else here but me anyway, and no one is coming home anytime soon either, so you don’t need to worry about that. Besides, you’re not going to be able to dry your clothes with just a towel anyway, and if you entered the rest of the apartment, you’re just going to get everything all wet.」

          She had a point.

          A towel was only going to be a temporary solution. I could dry my arms and legs, but my uniform was so drenched that wiping it wouldn’t do much good. At most, the towel would only be useful for wiping away any footprints from the floor.

          I knew she had a point, but I still didn’t want to listen to her.

          I was standing in the entrance of Miyagi’s apartment, and the front door was not the place to undress myself. Even though no one else was home or coming back, Miyagi was still here, and I’d be taking off my clothes right in front of her, with her watching me.

          If Miyagi wanted me to feel comfortable changing here, she could have said something like, “I’ll wait for you in my room,” or, “I’ll go somewhere else.” But she didn’t, and it was probably intentional. It seemed like Miyagi was determined to stay here, so I was reluctant to follow her instructions.

          「You know, I’m not sure I’m keen on the idea of undressing by the entranceway.」

          I said, hoping to deflect Miyagi’s words.

          「Well, if you’re so worried about getting my home all wet, then you should take your clothes off.」

          「Just give me a towel.」

          This time, I was firm with my demand.

          Miyagi had undone the buttons on my blouse many times before, but I didn’t mind since I wasn’t the one doing it myself. But today was different. I would have to unbutton my blouse on my own and willingly take off my school uniform, all while doing it right in front of Miyagi.

          Taking off my uniform in front of Miyagi without her ordering me to, while she insisted on staying here, felt completely different from changing clothes at school. It felt like there was some strange significance attached to me undressing in front of her, so I shot her a defiant glare.

          「Okay, wait here a bit. I’ll go grab one.」

          I wasn’t sure if Miyagi had given up on her stance or if she was planning something else, but either way, she headed to her room to get a towel.

          「… What should I do about my uniform, though?」

          It felt disgusting against my skin, and I wished I had something to change into.

          Honestly, I knew I should have just accepted Miyagi’s offer for a change of clothes. It shouldn’t have mattered whether she was there watching or not. What was truly odd was how self-conscious I felt about undressing on my own.

          If only it hadn’t rained today.

          If today had been a clear day, Miyagi wouldn’t be telling me to take off my clothes. I wouldn’t be shivering in my cold, wet uniform, nor would I be stressing myself out trying to figure out her intentions.

          「Ah, geez.」

          I took off the elastic band I had used to tie my hair.

          Even after we kissed, our relationship didn’t change much. She would lick my ears, tie my hands up with a necktie, and call me indecent, but that was the extent of it.

          But lately, all of her orders have been centered on her doing things to me, which made me feel a bit self-conscious. I knew I was probably overthinking it and being too self-conscious about things I shouldn’t even be worrying about.

          As I kept needlessly worrying about things beyond my control, Miyagi returned from her room and handed me a bath towel.

          「Here you go.」

          「Thanks.」

          I said as I graciously accepted the towel and began drying my hair.

          「What are you going to do about your uniform?」

          Miyagi asked while staring at me.

          It seemed like there was no way I was getting out of this without her watching me.

          「I’ll try to dry it off with the towel.」

          「That’s not going to work.」

          「You’re so stubborn, Miyagi.」

          「I’ll lend you a change of clothes, so just take your uniform off.」

          「… Do you really want me to undress that badly?」

          「Yeah. If you stay like that any longer, you’re going to end up catching a cold.」

          I had walked this far in the pouring rain, which had been so heavy that even an umbrella was useless. What’s more, I was still wearing my wet school uniform.

          I wouldn’t even be surprised if I had already come down with a cold.

          「Don’t move.」

          Miyagi said quietly as she grabbed my hand.

          Her eyes were fixated on my soaked blouse, and I had a feeling I knew what she was going to do next.

          「Is that an order?」

          I asked.

          「Yes, it is.」

          She responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

          What she planned next would probably go far beyond just me changing out of my clothes.

          ‘I should shake her hand off,’ I thought to myself.

          On the day we played that ridiculous eraser-hunting game, I proposed a rule that forbade stripping. If I applied that rule now, I could end what was happening by claiming it broke the rules. This would also override her order for me to remain still.

          But I stayed silent, and Miyagi let go of my hand. My newly freed hand dropped to my side without me making any effort to push Miyagi away. Even though I hadn’t given her permission, she began to unfasten my necktie and then unbuttoned the second button on my blouse.

          I had a good reason for obeying her order.

          If I didn’t take off my wet school uniform soon, I was bound to catch a cold, so getting changed was necessary.

          It was, without a doubt, the right thing to do.

          「I didn’t bring a spare change of clothes today.」

          I said to Miyagi, who still hadn’t taken her eyes off me, but it felt more like I was saying it to convince myself that I was doing the right thing.

          I’m only taking off my wet uniform so I can put on some dry clothes.

          「Like I said, I can just lend you some.」

          Miyagi’s hands had now moved to the third button, which I typically never unbutton at her place.

          She didn’t appear to be amused in the slightest.

          I wasn’t enjoying the situation or what she was doing either, but that didn’t mean I could defy her orders.

          Miyagi’s hands slowly unfastened the third button before moving on to the fourth.

          As I debated whether I should mention the new rule or not, I suddenly recalled that we had left it ambiguous last time. Although I had suggested the rule, it wasn’t something we had clearly agreed upon. Therefore, I had no reason to stop her. Taking wet clothes off was a reasonable action, and Miyagi was doing the right thing by helping me, since I couldn’t bring myself to undress at someone else’s front door.

          There was nothing wrong with what we were doing.

          While I was still trying to justify our actions, Miyagi had already undone all the buttons and opened my blouse. Her eyes stayed locked on me and my body.

          Whatever, it’s fine.

          Having been in the same class before, Miyagi and I had changed for gym class in the same room. I couldn’t recall what kind of underwear she wore or what her body looked like, but since we had changed in front of each other before, it wasn’t a big deal if she saw my underwear. In fact, it would have been weirder if I did care.

          I knew that, but I couldn’t help but frantically search for reasons to convince myself not to care.

          I was acting really strange today.

          Maybe it was the rain, or Miyagi’s intense gaze, or perhaps the cold that was clouding my judgment.

          Miyagi brushed the strap of my bra with her fingertips.

          The strap moved slightly, causing me to flinch.

          ‘I should probably stop her hands now,’ I thought to myself, but I was ordered not to move, so there was nothing I could do. Plus, it wasn’t just my uniform that got wet. My undergarments were soaked too, so it was only natural for her to be taking it off.

          Right, there was nothing I could do.

          I took a small breath in, then exhaled.

          But Miyagi pulled her hand away without moving the straps aside or undoing my bra.

          「Aren’t you going to resist?」

          Miyagi asked even after having come all this way.

          「You’re the one who ordered me not to move, Miyagi.」

          「If you want to resist, then just do it.」

          「I will if you break a rule.」

          「Isn’t what I’m doing right now against the rules already?」

          「Oh, for sure. If my uniform wasn’t all wet, I’d have beaten you up by now.」

          It was raining, and my uniform was soaked.

          If I left it like that, I would have caught a cold.

          Considering the ambiguity of the new rule I wanted to add, there was a valid reason to make an exception for what she was doing now.

          「So you’re saying you’re making a special exception today?」

          「Yeah. I mean, you said it yourself, didn’t you, Miyagi? That I’ll catch a cold if I kept my uniform on.」

          「But I haven’t even paid you yet.」

          Miyagi was acting like a coward. She was the one who had given the order, and now she was looking for a way to back out of it.

          「Were you not planning to?」

          「I’ll give it to you later.」

          After offering what sounded like an excuse, Miyagi pressed her palm flat against my chest.

          It was warm.

          But something was off.

          Miyagi’s hand was warming me on the outside, but for some reason, the heat seemed to reach deep inside. It was so intense that it almost felt as if she were touching my heart directly, making me want to escape as quickly as possible. Yet my body refused to move, as if it were trapped in her palm. My heart started to race faster than usual.

          「You’re so cold, Sendai-san.」

          Miyagi mumbled.

          「Yeah, because I got drenched by the rain.」

          I stated the obvious while staring at Miyagi, who was looking right back at me. Seemingly unaware of my gaze, she brushed my cheek with her hand, then my lips, before pulling away.

          We were rapidly moving away from the “right” path.

          Her removing my wet uniform could be justified as helping me avoid catching a cold, but I couldn’t explain the rest of what was happening. It didn’t feel right for Miyagi to stare at me so intently or for her hand to be touching my cheek and lips.

          The excuse Miyagi had given me was no longer valid.

          I knew I needed to stop Miyagi. I shouldn’t be letting her do this to me. But seeing her hesitation made me waver as well, and I continued to tolerate her behavior.

          If she had given me a harsh order, like tying my hands with a necktie, I would have had grounds to complain. If she had removed my bra without hesitation, I could have easily put an end to it and gone home.

          Instead, Miyagi gave me a half-hearted order, and her visible hesitation made me want to go along with her. I should have put a stop to it by now, but my hand, as if acting against my will, reached out to Miyagi and touched her cheek.

          「But you’re pretty warm, Miyagi.」

          This was the wrong kind of warmth. My cold body needed to stay cold so that the warmth inside could also dissipate. Even though I knew this, my hand kept touching Miyagi, and I debated whether I should touch her lips as she had touched mine.

          Miyagi placed her hand on mine, grasped it, and pulled me closer.

          With our faces just inches apart and our eyes locked, I could sense what she wanted to do next.

          If I closed my eyes, it was likely our lips would meet.

          Miyagi moved even closer. She was so close that I couldn’t see her entire face, but I noticed one thing: she was still wearing her school uniform, even at home.

          It was always like this.

          I’ve never seen Miyagi wear anything other than her uniform.

          But I wanted to see more sides of her while she was at home.

          For instance, I wanted to see Miyagi undo her necktie and unfasten the buttons on her blouse, just as I was being made to do. The fact that I was the only one being undressed felt unfair, which made me want her to experience the same thing.

          As if she sensed the indecent thoughts in my mind, Miyagi released my hand and stepped back. She then reopened the front of my blouse.

          Miyagi let out a small sigh and pressed her lips to my chest, sucking on my skin as if to exchange our warmth. As if the last of my sense of reason had been washed away by the rain, I craved more of Miyagi’s warmth and reached out to grab her shoulders.

          ── No, I can’t do this.

          Just as I pulled Miyagi closer, her lips parted from my skin.

          Miyagi’s fingertips traced the spot where her lips had been, gently caressing and pressing on it. She was likely checking for a mark, similar to the ones she had left on my arm before, to see if there was anything visible.

          Miyagi should have known this too, but it was nothing like leaving a hickey on my arm. Even if the mark fades, it’s like leaving a stain on the heart. And it wouldn’t affect just me; it would likely leave a mark on Miyagi as well. It would serve as an unspoken punishment for crossing the boundaries of our ambiguous rules.

          Miyagi drew her face closer to my chest again.

          When she pressed her lips to my skin, I tightened my grip on her shoulders.

          「Weren’t you supposed to be helping me take my clothes off?」

          Miyagi raised her head as I asked.

          「I doubt the mark will stay on you for very long.」

          I felt a bit relieved that she hadn’t immediately responded with, “I’ll take your clothes off now.” Really, I did. But part of me was also a little disappointed. I swallowed a sigh that threatened to reveal my true feelings.

          「Look, it’ll disappear right away, so it’ll be fine.」

          Miyagi, with a sheepish look on her face, said as she distanced herself from me.

          「I’ll bring you a spare change of clothes.」

          Miyagi mumbled as she turned her back to me.

          Seeing her back reminded me of the day I first met Miyagi at the bookstore.

          On that cloudy day, her back looked different from how it does today. However, it was that day that led me to find a place where I belonged: Miyagi’s room.

          So then, what did I gain today?

          ── It was best not to think about it.

          My hands clutched my blouse, which was still left open.

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TL: Wow, this interlude is long. This takes place in parts 41 & 42 (but the placement of this interlude in the book is AFTER chapter seventeen), and while 99% of the dialogue is the same, some of it ended up being different probably because the light novel has slight differences from the web novel. It is mostly the same and does not take away from the story.

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