"Yo! Winter-sensei, good morning!"
The next morning—
As Kasumigaoka Touji walked into the classroom with his school bag, he was greeted by Kitagawa Marin from within her small circle of new friends. He looked over, slightly surprised.
She smiled brightly and said, "A friend told me about you, so I specifically searched for your songs last night. They're really great—Sugoi!"
She finished with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Then she added, "I'm going to have them on repeat in my playlist for a while."
"Is that so? Well, thank you for the support!"
Kasumigaoka Touji replied with a gentle smile before making his way to his own seat.
Kitagawa Marin, meanwhile, continued her lively conversation with the group around her.
"Hey, hey… By the way, do any of you like anime, manga, or games?"
She looked around the circle with an expectant expression.
"I used to watch a bit of anime when I was younger, but I don't really keep up with it anymore," Girl A replied, waving a hand somewhat dismissively.
Girl B followed up, saying, "I'm not really into those things either."
"Me neither…"
Eriri Spencer Sawamura answered softly, a faint trace of guilt coloring her tone.
"Eh…"
Kitagawa Marin's voice drew out in clear disappointment.
Seeing her deflated expression, Girl B crossed one arm over her chest and rested her chin thoughtfully on her hand. "Hmm… now that I think about it, I remember there's an otaku in Class A who's always recommending his favorite series to people."
"Oh! Ah… I know who you're talking about!" Girl A exclaimed, turning to her. "I think his name is Aki Tomoya, right? I heard he works several part-time jobs just to buy otaku merchandise—he's a really dedicated fan!"
"That's the one!"
…
Hearing a familiar name, a flicker of surprise passed through Eriri Spencer Sawamura's eyes. After all, he had been a childhood playmate of hers, and she had… 'betrayed' him under social pressure back then. Although they hadn't been in contact since, he was still someone she knew, and the memory left her feeling a little awkward.
Of course, that was the extent of her reaction.
Kitagawa Marin listened to the exchange between Girl A and Girl B, a look of mild surprise on her face as she propped her chin on her hand. "This person sounds a lot like me; I also work several part-time jobs."
"Eh!?"
Hearing this, everyone in the circle, including Eriri Spencer Sawamura, turned to look at her with renewed surprise.
Kitagawa Marin slightly lowered her head and began counting on her slender, fair fingers. "Reader model, beauty model, hand model for nail polish ads, photography assistant, beauty salon receptionist…"
"But since I've moved now, I've had to quit a few of those." She lowered her hands, clasped them behind her back, and finished with a bright, cheerful smile.
"…You're really hardworking!"
"Exactly! And those sound like pretty impressive jobs… not something just any high school student could do."
"Speaking of which, doesn't it get exhausting doing so many things at once?"
"It's not as amazing as it sounds; they're just regular part-time jobs…" Kitagawa Marin waved a hand modestly, still smiling. "I basically fit them in around my studies."
"Also, jobs like reader model, beauty model, and hand model are more periodic; they only come up once in a while. So honestly, I'm not that busy."
"…That's still really impressive!"
"Hey, hey, speaking of which, Marin-chan…" Girl B pointed curiously at Kitagawa Marin's intricately decorated nails. "Did you get those done when you were working as a hand model for nail polish?"
"Huh? No, not really." Kitagawa Marin glanced at her own nails and then proudly displayed them to the group. "I did these myself. I picked up a few things from the stylists when I was doing hand modeling… So? Are they cute?"
"Super cute!"
"You're amazing, Marin-chan!"
"Ah… Could you maybe do mine too sometime?" Girl A looked at Kitagawa Marin with hopeful eyes.
"Of course!"
Kitagawa Marin readily agreed.
"Ah! Me too! Me too!" Girl B jumped up slightly, raising her hand eagerly from the side.
"No problem!"
Kitagawa Marin laughed and nodded, then her gaze shifted to Eriri Spencer Sawamura. "What about you, Spencer-san? Would you like me to do yours as well?"
"Eh?" Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who had been quietly debating whether to ask herself, was momentarily startled by the direct question. She quickly went along with it. "Then… please, if it's not too much trouble!"
"OK!"
Kitagawa Marin made a cheerful 'OK' gesture with her fingers. "Then, everyone, how about coming to my house after school this afternoon? I have a lot of materials at home, so I'll do them for you all for free!"
"Ooh, that's so nice of you, Marin-chan!"
Girl A rushed over with an emotional expression.
Girl B followed closely behind.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura's eyes lit up at the mention of going to her house. At this point, the nail art itself had become secondary; she was far more curious about what kind of manga collection and CDs Kitagawa Marin might have at her place…
She felt a thrill of excitement!
A shimmer of eager anticipation sparkled in her pure, sapphire-blue eyes.
…
On the other side of the classroom—
"The weather doesn't look good again today. I wonder if we'll still have swimming class this afternoon."
Kani Nayuta gazed out the window with a worried expression. As June had arrived, regular physical education classes had been replaced by swimming lessons. The class representative had even specifically reminded everyone in the group chat last night to bring their swimsuits today.
"If it doesn't rain, it should still be on," Kasumigaoka Touji replied, also glancing outside. Toyosaki only had an outdoor swimming pool, so if it rained, class would undoubtedly be canceled.
"I checked the forecast; it's cloudy today with a chance of light showers later. It shouldn't be a major issue," he added, trying to reassure her.
"I hope so…"
Kani Nayuta gave a slight shrug, then let out a grumble. "It's been raining for days now; I really hate it!"
"Tell me about it. Utaha has had to use the clothes dryer every day lately because of the damp."
"Our place too."
The two of them launched into a mutual complaint session about the various nuisances of the rainy season—from the hassle of drying laundry to the worry of mold developing in the house and how to deal with it if it appeared.
Soon, the bell signaling the start of class rang through the hallway.
Students who weren't already at their desks hurried back to their seats, Kani Nayuta among them.
Once Kani Nayuta had left, Kasumigaoka Touji retrieved the textbooks he would need for the upcoming lessons from his desk and arranged them neatly on top. He then settled in, quietly waiting for the subject teacher to arrive.
…