Why was it that we linked the ideas of “front and back” to that of “good and evil”? That was the thought that I randomly had when I just so happened to open my textbook from the back during the start of class. They were two sides of the same coin, right? It was a fact of life that neither the front nor back could exist without the other. Then why, one might ask, were the things hidden in the back always cast under a negative light? Well, that’s probably because they were never meant for public eyes. …And in that case, were all the things that you couldn’t bring out to the open inescapably evil?
I wanted to shake my head in disagreement, but I wasn’t sure why. More importantly, I had a class to focus on. I sat right next to the window, though, making it easy for me to observe the scenery outside – so right when I was about to go back to paying attention, something caught my eye.
What I saw was a single sakura petal, fluttering along with the spring breeze. The life of a cherry blossom was so fleeting.
I loved the beautiful sight of sakura in full bloom. And so, too, did I love how those trees nobly lived on after their petals had scattered to the winds.
…What would one consider the front and back of a sakura tree?
The sounds of the ongoing lecture blew my question away along with the petals.
This was Yuizono Private Girls’ Academy – an all-girls high school boasting a beautiful campus, priding itself on its guiding philosophy of harmony between freedom and integrity.
“Byebyeee!”
“I’m so tired…”
“Hey, wanna stop by the bookstore on the way back?”
Once again, its students had finished with their studies for the day. Their myriad voices rang out as they headed home, their footsteps taking them down the sakura-lined pathway that stretched from the school building all the way to the gate at the entrance.
However—
As soon as I exited the building and set foot upon the school grounds, all those scattered, disconnected feelings united under one banner.
“Omigosh, look! It’s Amanone-san!”
“She’s as handsome as ever…”
“Wait, is that the senpai everyone’s always talking about?! Wow… I didn’t think prince-like types like her really existed…”
“God, her boyish charm… her girlish beauty… those androgynous looks are just to die for!”
“Do you think it’d be rude to go up and say hi?!”
As I simply continued walking, I could feel all their gazes turning towards me. I faced those eyes head-on, marching forward until I reached a spot where my voice would carry far without having to raise my volume too much. Then, I stopped, cooly surveying the crowd.
For an instant, a sense of tense anticipation filled the air.
I let that instant pass, gracing them all with a wave and a gentle smile.
And then, I spoke.
“I’ll be off now.”
With just that –
“KYAAAA!!!!!!!!!”
The student body erupted into near-screams, their cheers reverberating across the campus.
My name is Amanone Sakoto. I’m currently a second-year student at Yuizono Private Girls’ Academy. And for me, it was just another Friday.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been on the taller side, with sharper facial features than most other girls. Because of that, I’ve more often been told I’m handsome, rather than cute. Even back then, I quickly came to understand that these qualities of mine could be a powerful weapon in the right hands – and that’s why I sought to attend an all-girls school beginning in junior high.
I was as right as I ever could have been, quickly securing my position as the prince of a girls’ academy. Even now, in high school, I’ve successfully continued to hold that position. Although I’d stopped getting any taller as of late, I was still at an impressive 168 centimeters[1], and my facial features have only refined with age. Moreover, having recently become a second-year, I now had plenty of underclassmen to impress. It truly felt like I was about to enter the greatest years of my life.
Indeed, this was the path that I had chosen for myself. Thus, those cheers and applause were my reason to live – the fountain from which my confidence sprung, allowing me to enjoy each and every day to the fullest. Nothing made me happier than seeing all those people full of joy because of me.
Ha ha ha! Right here, right now, I’ve found the reason why I was born into this world!
…That’s how I imagined I ought to feel, at least.
As I continued to walk along the tree-lined pathway, flashing my cheerful smile and waving at the crowd, I felt my expression falling apart for a split second.
Ah, crap. Gotta keep it together…
“Hm?”
It was right at that moment that a particular student caught my attention.
She was standing among the other students at about 150 centimeters tall, gazing at me with a sparkle in her eyes. Judging from the color of the ribbon on her uniform, she was probably a first-year. Her face was quite youthful for a high schooler, and there was something about it that made her almost resemble a puppy. She looked good in the Yuizono uniform, too. It gave her a cute, refreshing presence.
That’s not why I found her interesting, though. I’m popular, after all, so another pretty face wasn’t anything new. Oh, and this isn’t just pompous grandstanding, by the way. I’m proud of how cool I am. A show of modesty would simply make me unworthy of my title. It’s precisely because I see myself in that way that I can carry myself as a prince would.
So why, then, did my gaze drift her way?
Somehow, I felt like she was different from the rest of the students. But as for the reason… honestly, I was so focused on maintaining my cool and confident exterior that I didn’t have any brainpower left over to give it any thought.
As I walked past her, I waved to her like I did to all the others. She returned the gesture with a stunningly radiant smile, even waving back with both arms – an enthusiasm unmatched by any other.
I eventually reached the school gates, making my exit and heading towards the nearest station. I took the train for two stops, seeing fewer and fewer classmates as I got closer to my home. Looking around, I didn’t see any of my neighbors, either. There was nobody here that would recognize me.
“Haah…”
A single sigh escaped my lips.
I felt something similar to back when my expression slipped earlier. Oh man… not again. This was the path that I’d chosen for myself. I was living my life exactly how I wanted to. That’s how things were supposed to be, and yet…
“Why do I feel so… boxed in?”
I muttered, letting my true feelings slip out. It was never like this back in middle school. It was around when I started high school that this started to happen – moments of discouragement, during which it was almost as if there were walls closing in on me. I knew I should be living it up like a prince, but because of all that, I wasn’t really putting much soul into my high school life. What a waste of good fortune it was.
…Well, at least it was Friday, so I had the weekend to give myself a break.
“Ugh… Might as well make dinner, since I’m home anyway. I’m so hungry.”
I could probably manage with whatever was left in the fridge. And Dad was probably working late again tonight, so I figured I’d make enough for him, too. I texted him to let him know, only for him to respond with a quick “Thanks”. …I hoped I wasn’t being a nuisance.
After getting inside the apartment, I got changed and got right to prepping dinner. I really liked cooking. There was something fulfilling about getting the ingredients to all work together just right and turn into a delicious meal. I whipped up two portions of oyakodon and salad in no time at all. When’d I get so good at this?
“Time to eat.”
It tasted… pretty good.
…………
“Well then… Gotta clean up.”
I put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. It was so handy to have around. I couldn’t imagine life without it anymore. I’d have to thank my dad sometime for having it installed.
Now that I was done eating, it was time for a bath. I liked those too. I didn’t really like taking too much time inside, though, since one time I did that and got so dizzy I almost fainted. After filling up the tub and getting undressed, I did my usual full-body inspection in front of the mirror. It was absolutely unacceptable for a prince to have any physical imperfections! Ooh, not bad, not bad at all… And on top of that, the fact that I look so dashing, but it becomes plain to see that I’m a girl when I’m in the nude – damn, that’s hot…
…And now, I felt like the reflection in the mirror was staring back, and not because it was admiring my figure. I needed to get my head out of the gutter. In any case, I’d checked everywhere I needed to, so I washed myself up and took a soak in the bathtub. I loved the feeling of my body sinking into the depths of the hot water. It was like the fatigue from that strange sense of confinement was all melting away.
“Ahh…”
I let out a weary sigh. Right at that moment, my thoughts drifted to that girl from earlier. I wasn’t really the type to play favorites when it came to my social life, spreading my time equally rather than giving special attention to anyone. It wasn’t like me to take so much interest in a specific individual. She was as adorable as a puppy and had waved back to me much more enthusiastically than anybody else. But while those were things that left a positive impression of her, that wasn’t the reason why she had caught my attention.
“Ah.”
I hadn’t picked up on it while coming home from school, but after taking some time to relax and give it some thought, I finally realized.
“It’s her eyes.”
Yeah. The way she looked at me was different from the others. But it wasn’t a gaze of disapproval, okay? At the very least, she had the same sparkle in her eyes as the rest of the students did! But really, deep inside those eyes was something… that I couldn’t really put into words. In any case, it was definitely different.
“Hmm…”
I kept thinking and thinking about the right way to put it, until I noticed something.
“Ah crap, I’m gonna pass out if I stay in here!”
I’d soaked for too long…
I wrapped up my bath and dried my hair. While I was musing on how late it had gotten, I heard the front door swing open. That was probably Dad.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome back.”
“I texted you earlier, but dinner’s made. Make sure to warm it up first, though.”
“I’m thankful, but you know you really don’t have to go through all this trouble, right?”
“…It’s not a big deal. I like to cook. And you’re probably really tired today too, aren’t you?”
“Mhm.”
I headed into my room after that brief exchange. He seemed worn out, so I wanted him to get some rest without having to worry about me. …And it’s not like we talked to each other very often anyway, so it’d be awkward to be sharing the same space.
My room was, to put it nicely, simple. In not-so-nice terms, it was boring as hell. Even though I’m a girl, I didn’t have any plushies. That was fine with me, though, because they’d clash with my cool image. I went over to my desk to review and do homework. It soon came time to sleep, and I went to lay down and close my eyes.
“Hmm… I definitely wasn’t wrong about her eyes, but…”
To be honest, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even after getting out of the bath. I knew it was definitely the eyes, but I still couldn’t quite put my finger on what was hidden behind that gaze. I did realize one thing, at least: I was attracted to her. Right before I fell asleep, one last thought slipped out in a murmur.
“I wonder if I’ll see her again…”
Before I knew it, I was waiting for next Monday to come.
When Monday morning swung around, I felt unusually cheerful. When I got to school, I exchanged greetings with my fellow students, hearing the same sounds of joy that I did when I left school each day. After, I opened my shoe locker to find a cutely decorated envelope inside. Business as usual. To be more specific, the letters showed up at a rate of about once every two weeks. And if I included the times I found letters in places other than my shoe locker, that number would go up to once a week.
By the way, I talk to girls every single day. Not like that’s anything particularly special for someone that goes to an all-girls school, but just saying, you know? Oh, but I guess that’s not really true on the weekends… It’s good to be confident, but I need to be careful not to be so annoyingly excessive as to border on narcissism…
Even though I was carrying on a silly monologue in my head and reflecting on my uncouth mentality, it was still true that I was used to this stuff. I opened up the envelope while making sure to keep the contents hidden from my surroundings. Inside was a letter written in lovely handwriting that matched perfectly with the stationery. Here’s what it said:
“I love you! If it’s okay with you, please come to the rooftop after school!
– Year 1, Class 1
Hanabana Meguru”
“Wha—”
An unexpected shotgun confession, complete with her name and class (she even wrote down the pronunciation for her name along with the kanji[2]!) It was such a pure, straightforward sentiment. This was the first time I’d ever seen a letter like this. Wow… To produce something that would leave even someone like me speechless was truly impressive…
But don’t be shaken, Sakoto! Cool people shouldn’t be panicking about matters such as this! These are the times in which I ought to keep my composure, flash a confident smirk, and cooly make a remark like “looks like an interesting woman’s made her debut.”
And at the very least, the letter seemed sincere. The fact that she had put down her name and class meant that rather than just some prank, this had been written with care and delivered with resolve.
“Alright.”
I mentally prepared myself to respond to the letter, closed it up, and carefully set it inside my bag. I couldn’t sit still for the rest of the day, secretly taking it out to read it over again every single break. It wasn’t just because the contents of the letter were unusually straightforward. Rather… it felt like my body was reacting in anticipation of something.
My classes all felt way too long and way too short at the same time. Once they were finally over, I heard someone call out to me.
“Hey, Amanone-san! Wanna hang out somewhere on the way back today?”
I wanted to head to the rooftop as soon as I could, but my classmate Inoue-san was inviting me out. Before I could say anything myself, her friend Aoki-san stepped in.
“Come on! You know just as well as any of us that Amanone-san’s going to refuse!”
“Yeah, I know, but maybe it’ll work today!”
“She’s got some pretty tough defenses, though. Look, she’s already putting on that apologetic face.”
“Ugh, No luck today either, huh… I’m totally into how independent she is, though…”
Somehow, the two girls had resolved things without me even having to say a single word. This hadn’t always been the case. I’d only started turning down invitations to hang out after I started high school because of that constraining feeling that had started to bear its face. But while I did feel like the word “independent” had a nice ring to it, it’s not like I wanted to be seen as cold and unsociable.
“…Wait, Amanone-san. Is someone about to confess to you?”
“Huh?!”
The fact that Aoki-san was right on target completely took me by surprise.
“I’m so sorry, but I saw someone putting a letter into your shoe locker this morning.”
“Ah…”
So she saw…
…Wait, she saw?
“Hey, wait, what’s she like? The girl that put the letter in my locker, I mean.”
I asked. Aoki-san looked at me in surprise.
“You interested? You always turn these down, so I figured you were gonna do the same thing this time around…”
“Uh…”
Just then, Inoue-san’s voice rang out.
“WHAT?! AMANONE-SAN, YOU’RE GETTING A GIRLFRIEND?!”
Oh my god, Inoue-san, why?! If you say the word “girlfriend” so loudly next to me, it’s gonna draw a crowd! I have to shut this down immediately!
“There’s nothing to make such a fuss over. I just don’t think it would be okay to turn down a confession without even knowing what she’s like. Right?”
I said.
“Oh, so that’s all it is! Alright then, how about we give you some space and go do our own thing?”
Inoue-san responded, seemingly satisfied.
Phew. I somehow scraped by with my sharp wits, and now it looked like I could head to the rooftop without any interference now.
“I think that’s a wonderful mindset to have.”
Aoki-san suddenly said, half-whispering.
“Really?”
“Yes. And for someone as wonderful as you, I have some wonderful news. The girl that gave you that letter is super cute.”
As I parted ways with the two, she left me with those words in a volume only I could hear.
As I headed to my destination, my feet took me up that stairwell that usually felt so inconvenient to climb with a spring in my step. Faced with the door that led to the rooftop, I had a feeling that the sender of that letter was already waiting for me.
…Deep breaths.
I didn’t understand why, but I felt like my body was going to float away if I didn’t stop for a moment to collect myself. After waiting for my emotions to settle down a little, I finally swung open the door.
…
My eyes widened in surprise.
Just a few steps away from me was the girl I had been wishing to see again, her hair and skirt fluttering in the spring breeze like petals dancing along in the wind.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even move. It was as if the slightest motion would launch me into the stratosphere.
“Ah!”
She, on the other hand, exclaimed loudly upon noticing my arrival and rushed towards me.
Okay, okay, just calm down…
I seized the opportunity to momentarily turn my back to her while closing the door and furtively take another deep breath. When I spun around to face her once again, there I was – my usual, princely self.
“Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?”
I hadn’t been playing this role all these years for nothing.
“No, not at all! I’m so happy that you’re here, Amanone-senpai!”
Her smile was bursting with radiance. Her body language was worth a thousand words, showing me exactly how she felt. It was obvious how genuinely happy she was. Seeing her this close, she really did seem like a puppy. So adorable…
“Mmph!”
My voice caught in my throat, causing a muffled noise to come out of my mouth.
No, no, no, what in the world am I doing? Why am I getting so worked up? I need to stay composed.
“Um, Meguru-chan, right? The one who sent that letter?”
“Yes, that’s me! I’m a first year, Hanabana Meguru!”
I would have normally led the conversation into some small talk after the introductions to help her relax, but I was going through it at the moment. I felt bad about that, but I had to get straight to the point before I said something ridiculous.
“So, what brings us up here today?”
I already knew the answer to that, but I posed the question to give her an opportunity to take the reins on the conversation.
“Right! Amanone-senpai! I-I-…”
Her posture was a little stiff, and nervousness was plastered all over her face. I could see she was desperately trying her hardest to tell me how she felt. The sight was so adorably brave.
Holy crap… To be completely honest, I was freaking out too – my heart was racing like I had just finished a marathon! It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, though. Rather, it was similar to the exhilaration one would feel upon setting a new personal best. I’d been confessed to so many times before, but this was the very first time I’d ever felt this way…
Was this love?
I had never understood what it meant to be in love. That’s why I inevitably ended up turning down every confession I’d ever received. I know I’d talked big about giving everyone equal treatment. In reality, though, I had a bit of a complex about the truth that I’d never had any romantic experience despite my cool persona. But maybe, just maybe, the season of love had finally come for me too.
The girl standing right in front of me was about to confess her feelings. As my heart raced to its absolute limits, Meguru continued on with a look of determined resolve.
“I love you! Please go out with me—”
Badump-badump-badump—
“—and be my female!”[3]
And thus did my soaring heartbeat nosedive into a flatline.
…Huh? Oh dear, I think I just nearly fainted. Uh, come again?
…Right. “Female.” …Female. …Female.
FEMALE?!
…Get a grip, Sakoto. Stay cool. Be cool. Don’t let yourself get so rattled. Yeah, maybe I’ve been mistaken for a guy. Yep. Mhm. I’m just so dashing that she thinks I’m a guy that’s been crossdressing to attend an all-girls school. So she’s probably telling me to just give in and let her forcefem[4] me.
Wait, no, what the hell? I told myself to stay cool, so why was I just coming up with something even more insane?! Ah, yeah, “female” is perfectly normal biological term, right? So if I just mentally replace the word “female” with “♀”, then everything’s gonna be totally fine. Any other nuances I’m sensing here are just from my own, very uncool thoughts.
Another deep breath.
…Alright.
“…Sorry, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m already ♀.”
“What?! Senpai, you’re already someone else’s female?!”
She’s just asking if I’m already dating someone, right?
“No, relationships are a pass for me.”
“You mean you’re being passed around?!”
Being passed around… Surely, she meant that… ah, damn. I’m blanking. Passed around… ♀… Passed around… Female…
“Th-that’s so indecent…”
She said in disbelief.
“Aren’t you the one being indecent here?!”
There was a limit to the excuses I could make for her, and we were just about there. The fact that the word “indecent” came out of her mouth meant that she wasn’t ignorant to the more sensitive connotations of the word “female”. And she said all that in spite of such knowledge.
Now, my heart was racing for a completely different reason.
This girl was bad news. I got the feeling that I needed to run away as fast as I could… I had to at least clear up this misunderstanding first, though.
“Listen, I’m not anybody’s female…”
“Really? Then in that case, please go out with me!”
She confidently repeated her confession directly to my face of complete shock. Damn, that took some backbone. Very cool of her. (Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I scrambled to mentally check out from this situation.) Yeah, no, I definitely should have turned tail and ran by now, but…
Seeing someone put their entire body and soul into conveying their feelings was just so moving.
…Ugh. I should at least hear her out.
“Um, could you be a little more clear about what you mean? Specifically, why the word ‘female?’”
I asked.
“Well, when I saw you on that tree-lined pathway, Senpai, I suddenly felt like I understood my own feelings! But I didn’t know how to put in into words, so I kept searching and searching and searching for an answer, and I eventually came to a conclusion!”
“And what would that be?”
“That I want to make you my female!”
“So you do actually understand what you’re saying…”
It seemed like I’d awakened a sleeping lion. But was any of this really my responsibility? Surely, I was an innocent party. I had no reason to give in to her demands… right? Well, it’s not like I wasn’t interested in her, but she seemed like she had a pretty intense personality. I wasn’t confident that I could properly take the lead with her. …But still, the least I could do is be considerate of her honest feelings and give her a sincere response.
“Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. It makes me really happy to hear that you like me. But…”
“P-Please wait!”
“Wha-?!”
As if she could tell where this conversation was going, she suddenly stepped in to close the distance between us. I frantically tried to pull away, but she came on so strong that before I knew it, I was cornered against the door I had just closed. And then in the next instant, Meguru-chan slammed her hands onto the wall right next to both sides of my head, pinning me down and preventing me from escaping.
“H-huh? What? WHAAT?”
I cried out in shock at being put in a position I’d never imagined myself being in. Maybe I should have seen this coming considering all that talk of making me her female. But between the two of us, not only was I a head taller, I also had a bigger frame. I’d never have expected that she would turn this into a contest of physical ability. And speaking of which… Oh my god, this was SO embarrassing?! Why was I the one with my back to the wall?! I’m obviously the bigger and cooler one, and she’s clearly way smaller and cuter, right?! This should be happening the other way around!
“Amanone-senpai.”
“Eep.”
My gaze had been flickering all over in confusion, but the sound of my name brought my sight right down to her face. I could see her arms coming from below, outstretched to either side of my face. Although it was a bit awkward for her to maintain this position, the expression directed at me was as serious as it could be. Within those eyes was what I had sensed before – that which made her different from all the other girls.
My feelings of shame and embarrassment were growing stronger by the second. And yet, so too was my attraction towards her. Once again, my heartbeat began to race. Crap. I didn’t like where this was going… not one bit! I wasn’t exactly sure what was triggering my sense of danger, but it was almost as if someone was running their fingers directly down my spine. I felt like I was starting to lose it.
Despite being pinned against the wall, I still had some range of movement. I had to escape. Even if she got a bit more forceful, the difference in our size would make that a non-issue. And as soon as I thought this through and moved an inch –
“A-Ahh!?”
I moaned.
She had leaned in even closer to stop me from getting away, and it didn’t seem like she was doing this on purpose, but her leg had slid right in between my legs… and up to my crotch. I could feel myself turning red as a beet. Not just because of the position we had found ourselves in, but also because I was in disbelief that such a sensual noise had just come out of my mouth. I had to resist. I had to get away from her. …I just had to. But for some reason, I didn’t even budge.
When I tried to reason out why, all my thoughts jumbled together and I became unable to tell apart the truth from the excuses.
“I’m serious about you, Senpai. I promise I’ll make you happy.”
She expressed her love for me again, this time as clear as possible. This wasn’t how things should be. And even if it was, our positions should be swapped. That should have been the obvious truth, but before I knew it –
“…Okay.”
I whimpered.
“WHAAAT?! Did you just say yes?! You did, didn’t you?! So my confession was a total success?! Oh my god, yaaaaay!!!!”
Upon hearing my reply, Meguru-chan immediately released me from her prison and began jumping with joy, arms raised up to the sky and indulging in her happiness to the fullest. In the meantime…
“Haah… haah… haah…”
I was totally gassed, leaning on the door so I wouldn’t crumple onto the ground.
“Haah… haah… haah…”
But then, gradually…
“Haah…. Aha… Hahaha…”
My heaving began to change its form.
“Ahahahahaha!!”
And before I knew it, I had broken out into full-blown laughter.
“Wha- Huh?! Senpai, why are you laughing?!”
…I mean, come on. Why wouldn’t I be? I kept trying to collect my thoughts and figure out exactly what just happened, over and over again. But every single time, no matter what angle I took, it was still utterly incomprehensible to the point that I couldn’t help but laugh. I was being so damn uncool!
“Wait, did I get it wrong?! Was my confession actually a failure?! Are you turning me down?!”
“Oh, no. That’s not what I mean. It was a success. You did come on a little too strong, though.”
“Ah, uh, s-sorry… I just wanted to make sure you didn’t run away… I-I’m not always like this, I swear! This is my first time ever confessing to anyone! …But, uh, I don’t want to force you into anything. You can say no. I’ll even turn myself in to the teachers for misconduct if you want…”
Even as she was on the verge of tears, she was being so honest and adorable.
“It’s fine. I mean… I didn’t put up much of a fight, after all.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing.”
But really, though. Why didn’t I resist even a little bit? I was big enough that I should have been able to wrestle myself out if I really tried to. …Now that I thought about it, all the confessions to me before this had been something along the lines of “because you’re so cool and handsome”, and never because they wanted me to “be their female”.
To be clear, I didn’t think it was normal to be told something like that, but hearing it still made me happy. Maybe this girl could be the one to finally set me free from my ever-present discomfort.
But I’ll save the introspection for later.
In the end, we had both become so exhausted that we decided to just call it there and go home after exchanging contact information. I was a little worried that walking to the school gates together would draw attention, but fortunately, all the other students had either already gone home or were in the middle of their extracurriculars.
“Okay, then, Senpai! I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Yeah, see ya.”
It seemed like we were headed in opposite directions, so we said our goodbyes at the gates.
…What now? I pondered on how to proceed with this relationship I had found myself in. Regardless of how things had played out, we were dating now. I had to treat her with the same sincerity that she had approached me with.
But still, what did she mean by “becoming her female?” She didn’t mean it literally… right? It was completely at odds with my public image. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding after all. She did say she had been searching for an answer, so maybe she had fallen for some misinformation on the internet. I supposed she was what people called a “natural airhead”. I’d have to make sure to protect her from that kind of stuff from now on! Yup, it’s decided! I clenched my fists and declared with the utmost resolve:
“I’ll do my best to take the lead!”
But at the time, I had no clue – that I was the one who had been defanged. That even puppies could play rough. That what she had said was not too far from the truth… and in fact, that her words carried a much deeper meaning behind them – one that would mark our union as one of the most important pages of both of our lives.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
“Hmmhmhmhm hmm♪”
The rhythm of these footsteps and the melody of those hums belonged to none other than I, Hanabana Meguru! And oh, what a wonderful day it was to be me!
“Amanone-senpai is my girlfriend! Ehehe!”
When I said it out loud, it made me so uncontrollably happy that I couldn’t help but take off running. This road I took to and from school sparkled even more than it did on the day of the entrance ceremony. …But I couldn’t just let myself drown in happiness. I had to reflect on my pushy behavior. I didn’t want Senpai to get tired of me. I told her I’d make her happy, so I had to be as kind as possible and spoil her to the best of my abilities.
“Alright!”
I stomped my foot on the ground with resolve in my heart. After all, I realized when I saw her – that it was precisely of how cool she was that the moment she accepted her feminine side would be when she was the most charming of all.
[1] The average height for a Japanese girl of Sakoto’s age is approximately 158 centimeters. The equivalent in freedom units is 5’6″ and 5’2″, respectively.
[2] This line is referring to furigana, which are phonetic readings sometimes added to help properly read kanji (which tend to have multiple readings).
[3] The term the original text uses here is メス (mesu), which is the clinical term used for female plants and animals.
[4] Similar to the above, the term the original text uses here is メス堕ち (mesuochi), which is a porn term that can be used in a way equivalent to forcefem but with somewhat more explicit connotations. Those of you with insane amounts of brain damage may also think of the term “boyremoval”.
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