Chapter 2: The Omen of a Storm

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After the first period German class ended, I checked my phone and saw a LINE message from Sacchan: [Sorry, I’ll be coming to the seminar from the third period today].

It seemed Sacchan had skipped her language class. She mentioned that her results on the recent quiz weren’t great either. I hope she’s okay…

…Anyway. What should I do for lunch?

On Tuesdays, when we have our seminar, I usually eat lunch with Sacchan. My close friends Tsugumi-chan and Nami-chan eat with their seminar friends. Unfortunately, I don’t have the social skills to ask if I can join them.

It’s not like eating lunch alone is a big deal. Nobody at university cares if someone eats alone. I know that, but it still reminds me of my lonely high school days, and it makes me a bit sad.

Maybe I should ask Sagara-kun to have lunch with me. He usually eats alone too. I’m sure he wouldn’t refuse if I asked him.

…But is it really okay for me to rely on Sagara-kun so much? He probably wants some time alone too. I’d feel bad making him always keep me company.

As I was pondering, my phone vibrated in my hand. Checking it, I saw a LINE message from Ichika-chan, the high schooler I met at the open campus.

[I’m at your university now, Haruko-san. Can we meet?]

Seeing the message, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Huh?” It’s a weekday, so shouldn’t she have classes? I hope it’s okay…

But if Ichika-chan is here, I definitely want to meet her. We’ve gotten close through frequent contact… or at least I think so. We’ve not only exchanged messages but also had video calls several times. Ichika-chan is genuinely sweet and adorable. I’m happy she thought of me and wanted to meet.

[Of course! Where are you now?] I replied, standing up excitedly.

She said she was in front of the library, but I didn’t see her. Instead, I saw a girl wearing a pink cardigan standing alone. She had large hoop earrings and bright red lipstick—a total gyaru. Instinctively, I averted my eyes.

I’ve always been a bit intimidated by gyaru-like girls because I used to be plain. Memories of high school days, when I was teased with lines like, “Oh, Nanase-san is angry again, everyone be quiet,” resurfaced, making me feel gloomy.

Then, the gyaru looked up and spotted me. Her eyes widened, and she hurried over.

“Haruko-san, long time no see.”

“…Huh?”

If I wasn’t mistaken, the gyaru just called my name.

I stared at the gyaru. Her makeup was perfect and meticulous, with bright red eyeshadow and lipstick, light blush, and long black eyeliner.

Seeing her up close, I finally realized.

“Could it be… Ichika-chan?”

In shock, I took a few steps back.

The girl in front of me was undoubtedly Ichika-chan. Her impression was completely different from the last time we met. With the oversized cardigan hiding it, I hadn’t noticed she was wearing the same sailor uniform. On closer inspection, I saw she had many piercings.

I’ve never really interacted with this type of girl before…!

The friends I made in university are all stylish and sparkling, but they’re different from gyaru. I didn’t have a chapter on how to deal with this type of girl in my social interaction manual.

My plans to act like a senior went out the window, and I felt daunted by my cute kouhai’s transformation. Ichika-chan put her right hand to her mouth and said, “Oh.”

“…I guess this is the first time Haruko-san is seeing me like this.”

“Y-Yeah… You looked so different from before, it surprised me.”

“…Did I disappoint you?”

She asked hesitantly, making me realize something.

I was ashamed of myself for shrinking back just because of her flashy appearance. I was surprised, but there was no need to change how I treated her.

“N-No! Not at all! Ichika-chan is still Ichika-chan.”

I said firmly. Ichika-chan looked relieved, softening her cheeks. When she smiled, I could see a bit of her bare face, which made me feel at ease.

“Hey, Ichika-chan. Why don’t we have lunch at the cafeteria? It’s on me! You can order anything you like!”

I said with renewed senior energy, smiling at Ichika-chan.

We then moved to the cafeteria in Building 2’s basement. It’s one of the more stylish cafeterias on campus and popular with girls. When I came here with Sagara-kun before, he mentioned, “The portions are small for the price.”

Ichika-chan, who had politely said “Itadakimasu,” asked,

“By the way, Ichika-chan. Why did you come here today? Did you have something to do?”

She had just visited during the open campus, so it seemed quite dedicated for a prospective school visit. As she munched on her hamburger, Ichika-chan answered.

“I was curious about what kind of person Souhei-kun’s girlfriend is.”

“…Souhei-kun?”

I didn’t need to think about who she meant. My boyfriend, Souhei-kun, is Sagara Souhei-kun and no one else.

Wait, did Ichika-chan just call Sagara-kun by his first name!? I haven’t even managed to call him that properly! Could it be… a mistress coming to confront me!?

The thought made my blood run cold, and I dropped my fork. Noticing my reaction, Ichika-chan hurriedly said,

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I’m Souhei-kun’s sister.”

“…Sister?”

“Didn’t Souhei-kun tell you?”

At Ichika-chan’s words, I blinked.

Come to think of it, he mentioned having a high school stepsister. I also saw a girl in a sailor uniform in front of his house when we went to Nagoya…

Studying her face closely, I exclaimed, “Oh!”

“…About two months ago… we met in front of the apartment, right?”

At that time, I just thought she was a gyaru in a sailor uniform. But she’s the same person sitting in front of me now.

Ichika-chan, looking a bit embarrassed, scratched her cheek.

“Were you visiting Sagara-kun?”

“Well, something like that…”

I couldn’t believe Ichika-chan was Sagara-kun’s stepsister. Why didn’t he tell me? He had plenty of chances to mention it…

“Did you come to the open campus for the same reason…?”

“Yes. I thought I might see him. I didn’t expect him to be giving a presentation, though. I was surprised and ended up speaking to him.”

“I see…”

“I asked for your contact because I was curious about what kind of person my brother’s girlfriend is. I’m sorry if it seemed like I used you.”

…So, she didn’t actually grow fond of me. I shouldn’t have expected a kouhai to look up to me.

Though I felt a bit hurt honestly, I smiled to cover it up.

“No, don’t worry about it! It’s natural to be curious about your stepbrother. Feel free to ask me anything!”

“Really? I have so many questions. I want to know everything about Souhei-kun.”

Ichika-chan leaned forward, asking eagerly. Wanting to bond with Sagara-kun’s stepsister, I ended up telling her all sorts of things.