Ch. 66.1 - Capacity: 300% Pt1
"----At that moment, under Nogami-san’s threat, not only did you help me move my desk and chair, you even wiped them clean with tissues. Shihou-san was so kind and thoughtful, like a goddess, or maybe a bodhisattva, radiating perfection from head to toe."
That was his first impression of Chouko.
Gentle, beautiful, graceful. A young lady from a prestigious family, yet not the slightest hint of arrogance or condescension. Compared to Nogami, the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
"Ho-Hoshikawa-kun, you’re flattering me too much... you’re making me embarrassed..."
Chouko secretly exhaled a sigh of relief. But part of her couldn’t help wondering, was Hoshikawa really just captivated by the polished, public-facing “Shihou Chouko”?
If so, then what about that time at DUMBO Donuts, when he mentioned her “other side”? What exactly had he meant by that?
Was it just something he’d said to dodge her question about his relationship with Nogami-san? Or...
"But as I got to know you better, Shihou-san, I started to feel this... subtle sense of inconsistency about you."
Harutaki glanced at the beautiful girl walking beside him. Her steps were slightly unsteady, her posture stiff. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself.
He decided to tease her a bit more.
He wanted to see her flustered, that small look of panic she tried so hard to suppress. Driven by that mischievous urge, he began talking as they walked.
"You know, Shihou-san, there’s a long-standing question in aesthetics about the relationship between beauty and distance, "
"The beauty of temporal distance, like the ruins of civilizations left behind through history. The beauty of spatial distance, say, the difference between looking up at Mount Fuji and looking down from its summit. And between people, there’s something called psychological distance."
"I-I didn’t expect you to be so well-versed in aesthetic theory, Hoshikawa-kun..."
He... he definitely knows something!
And of all times, he had to bring this up now, deliberately, when she couldn’t protest in public or turn away!
Chouko tightened her grip on her bag straps, forcing herself to stay calm and not let him see through her.
But what she didn’t realize was that, from Harutaki’s height of 185 centimeters, he might as well have been a teacher on the podium, easily catching every “hidden” little movement of the students below.
"So, as I got closer to you, I realized, you’re not quite as perfect as I first imagined, Shihou-san."
"If you’re going to badmouth me, Hoshikawa-kun, I’ll get mad!"
Her attempt at defiance was so clearly forced that Harutaki took it as an invitation to push her further. He spoke slowly, letting her feel like she was walking a tightrope.
"I’ve already figured it out~"
"F-Figured out what?!"
"Shihou-san, you always act gentle and kind toward everyone, but deep down... you enjoy playing little pranks, don’t you? I noticed it during our last two dates."
"Eh?!"
The answer was so far from what she’d expected that Chouko froze. Relief flooded through her, but she still forced herself to pout, pretending to be indignant.
Fine. If it’s just “liking pranks,” she could live with that...
It was far better than having him discover that she, Shihou Chouko, was actually the secret account “Tsunako” who posted... let’s just say, questionable selfies.
"It’s really not such a big deal."
How interesting. Truly, endlessly interesting.
As he reassured her, Harutaki thought that maybe it was just proximity to Nogami-san rubbing off on him, because lately, he’d found himself growing more mischievous too.
But still... watching Shihou’s nervous, catlike flinches, her careful little reactions, it was like watching a fastball thrown straight into his strike zone at 170 km/h.
"Shihou-san, aren’t you tired?"
"Um... I don’t quite understand what you mean, Hoshikawa-kun."
What a cruel man!
Her emotions were a roller coaster, up and down, over Mount Everest and straight back down again. Her heart could barely keep up.
Talking to Hoshikawa really was exhausting, she thought. When it came to teasing people, this scoundrel was far worse than she ever was, he seemed to enjoy seeing her flustered beyond belief.
Chouko wasn’t dumb, of course. She was easily top ten in the year, and sharp enough to notice when someone was watching her.
And even if she didn’t want to admit it, all the signs pointed to one inescapable truth,
Hoshikawa had already realized that she, Shihou Chouko, was the secret alt account “Tsunako.”
Still, since he hadn’t called her out directly, just hinted, teasing around the edges, maybe he wasn’t as bad as the rumors said. Maybe he wasn’t some heartless playboy after all.
"If you’re talking about schoolwork, I’m fine. I wouldn’t say I’m tired."
"No, I don’t mean school or life stuff."
Harutaki hesitated for a moment. Maybe this was too forward. With how their relationship stood, it wasn’t exactly the right time, or place, given the noisy station, for that kind of question.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Just as Chouko opened her mouth to ask what he’d meant, the south–north line train to Yotsuya arrived. Passengers poured out, and before they knew it, the flood of people had carried them both into the car.
So many people?!
Harutaki struggled to keep his balance as the crowd pushed them toward the far corner by the door.
Having always been chauffeured to and from school in his past life, and avoiding crowded tourist spots during holidays, he’d never experienced anything like this. It was like those “squash games” kids used to play, everyone pushing against a wall, bodies packed together tight.
Even though he’d already ridden the subway once or twice since April, nothing had prepared him for this. The difference between off-peak hours and rush hour was like night and day.
"I feel like I’m gonna suffocate..."
"Is this your first time riding the subway, Hoshikawa-kun?"
Seeing his discomfort, Chouko couldn’t help teasing him a little.
"You really do seem more like the pampered son of a noble house than I do."
"You take this train every day after school?"
He couldn’t imagine doing this twice a day, every day. How did office workers live like this?
"If it’s not rush hour, and I’m not heading somewhere crowded like Shinjuku, it’s not usually this bad."
Even so... she couldn’t help recalling her own first subway ride after moving from Kyoto. It really had felt like stepping into a whole new world.
And compared to the flustered, clueless Onii who had clung to her that day,
She glanced at the boy beside her, who was now shielding her with his arm to give her a little space to breathe. Her perfect white teeth gently caught her lower lip.
Such a hateful scoundrel. Always doing just enough to make a girl’s heart flutter.
She really should’ve turned around instead of standing face-to-face with him like this, trapped between him and the door.
If Onii were here, he’d definitely think she and Hoshikawa were practically hugging...
That image popped unbidden into her mind, Onii’s worried face, his shout as he saw her pressed close to Hoshikawa, the two of them arguing furiously, until finally Onii knocked her on the head and scolded her for it.
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