Utaha, often hailed as one of the two great beauties at Toyonozaki Academy by the male students, gave off the impression of a quiet and reserved girl.
She didn't like to talk to people and always projected an intimidating aura that kept others at bay, so she didn't have any close friends.
She usually moved around alone, fixing her long black hair with a white headband.
But that was only her surface image.
If you got to know her, you'd discover a completely different side.
Just ask Eriri.
Back in the day, the two of them were often compared as the twin stars of Toyonozaki.
Because Eriri kept hearing others comparing her to Utaha, she took notice of the black-stockinged senior pretty early on—that's when their love-hate relationship started.
As time went on and they interacted more, Eriri quickly discovered that the so-called goody-two-shoes literary girl actually had quite the hidden personality.
Though she always seemed calm and focused on her books at school, pretending to ignore the outside world, in private, she could be outrageously outspoken.
She would say shockingly bold things without a filter—and her words were often laced with biting sarcasm, and sometimes even perverted humor.
That last bit, Eriri noticed, only started emerging after Utaha met Chisato.
It was as if something long dormant inside her had finally been unlocked, and once that mental switch flipped, she began indulging in her strange little kinks more and more brazenly.
She loved twisting normal conversations into something unexpectedly suggestive, letting her words become erotically charged with innuendo.
Depending on the time, place, and her mood, she might even take it further—sneaking in some kind of subtle physical flirting.
And Chisato, being even closer to Utaha than Eriri, naturally knew all this—probably even more than Eriri did, since the two of them were practically inseparable in some… unique ways.
But Chisato didn't dislike Utaha's personality at all.
In fact, he rather enjoyed the way she would throw out provocative remarks or sneak in heart-racing little gestures when no one was looking.
Though they startled him at first, he quickly found himself going along with it.
Utaha wasn't some brainless pervert without restraint—she had awareness and self-control.
She wouldn't take things too far or do anything that would embarrass them publicly. That balance was key to keeping things fresh.
Chisato often thought that with her by his side, he could probably stay enchanted forever. She always found new ways to surprise him when he least expected it.
Just like now, when everyone was sitting together happily, chatting and eating—she chose to secretly engage him from under the table where no one could see.
Chisato was nervous. He really liked Utaha—and her feet—but he was afraid their little under-the-table act would be discovered by the others.
Still, he had to admit—this thrill, the taboo of doing something in secret beneath everyone's noses, stirred a different kind of excitement compared to fooling around behind closed doors.
Utaha, looking completely nonchalant, gave him a subtle bite of her lip to tease him, then lowered her head and began scrolling her phone slowly, as if browsing messages.
She seemed to think she had done enough. Chisato could feel her foot, which had touched him lightly, starting to withdraw.
But things weren't going to end that easily.
"Oh right, I just got a call from the company earlier. Someone came by again seeking a partnership."
"Seika, didn't we agree not to talk about work on this trip?"
"I just figured I should let you know, so you don't complain later and say I'm slacking off."
"I won't, I won't. Let's just save all that for when we're back. Talking business while we're out relaxing kind of kills the mood."
Chisato, still chatting casually with Seika, stealthily reached out his legs under the table and caught Utaha's retreating foot between his own.
He glanced at her face—she looked calm, still staring down at her phone.
Well now, the tables have turned. Let's see how long you can keep your cool.
Back on the plane, Utaha had been teasing him nonstop with her subtle provocations. This time, it was his turn.
Chisato wasn't entertaining any excessive or indecent fantasies—like those scenes you only see in R-rated movies or adult manga, where someone's foot slides under the table and fills the whole room with a heady, provocative atmosphere…
That sort of thing just wasn't realistic.
Never mind whether he or Utaha would even be up for that kind of thing—even if they both didn't mind, Chisato didn't believe that his excitement threshold was so low that Utaha could overwhelm him with just her feet.
After all, it wasn't like they hadn't tried before.
Utaha had once put on those black stockings he liked so much right after a shower, and the result… The result was her nearly getting a leg cramp from exhaustion.
But lightly teasing the soles of Utaha's feet, making her squirm and giggle uncontrollably with an awkward little outburst? That was definitely doable.
"Ah, the backlit photos from this side of the window turn out really nice."
"Yeah, the lighting doesn't even need editing afterward. It has this subtle, high-end vibe to it."
"Right? Right? Ryou, Bocchi-chan, come take one too."
After taking selfies by the window and admiring their shots, the trio—Nijika, Ikuyo, and Ryo—were huddled together discussing the results.
Then Nijika turned to the other two members of Kesshoku Band.
Hitori didn't really want to get up. During winter, she loved curling up in the kotatsu at home just like this—so warm and comfortable.
Plus, she wasn't very good in front of a camera. Most of the photos she appeared in didn't turn out well.
Even for the promotional posters their company had done, what was supposed to be a quick two-hour shoot ended up taking the entire afternoon just because her expressions never quite satisfied the photographer.
"I don't think I'm a good fit for it… I'll pass."
"Don't say that. These are just travel photos. No need to be all formal."
Nijika ran over and pulled Hitori up. She glanced over at the indifferent Ryo.
"Ryo, you too."
"No thanks. I'm starving. I won't have the strength to move until I get some grilled meat in me."
"Well, suit yourself then."
So after Hitori was dragged away, only four people remained at the table.
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