Chapter 38: The Beautiful Girl Equips Her Summer Uniform

As June arrived and the heat grew even stronger, Mikawa High School entered the season of wardrobe change.

Even though it’s getting hotter, the rainy season usually kicks in right after June begins—and the moment you switch to short sleeves, it suddenly turns chilly again. Such a pain. Honestly, I wish we could change uniforms back in May.

Anyway, starting today, it’s summer uniforms.

If you accidentally show up in your winter one, you’ll be stuck feeling painfully out of place all day—so beware.

Standing before the full-length mirror in my room, I adjusted the position of my skirt.

Hmm… this high up might be a bit too much. But if I lower it any further, it starts looking bulky and awkward. Finding the right balance is harder than it looks.

For the winter uniform, I used to fold the waistband of the pleated skirt inward and hold it in place with a belt, so I could adjust the length however I wanted. But the summer skirt’s already been hemmed, so it can’t be altered. Getting it to look right takes more effort than you’d think.

"Alright!"

Satisfied with the length, I gave a firm nod.

Up top, I had on a white blouse with a neatly tied ribbon at the collar—just a touch cute. The skirt design was the same as the winter one: a red-purple and navy check pattern. The only difference was the thinner fabric.

I struck a little pose in front of the mirror. A girl in a light, breezy summer uniform looked back at me. I smiled—and the girl in the mirror smiled too.

Good. I’m ready to go.

"Ayu-neechan, you totally look like a girl now."

At some point, my door had opened, and Kaname was peeking through the gap.

"Wh—! How long have you been watching!?"

"Um, since you were adjusting your skirt, I think?"

Phew. At least he didn’t see me changing. Normally, that’s not something you’d have to worry about with your actual little brother, but… lately, I’ve started to suspect this one might try peeking.

"And for the record, I’m not a girl!"

"What!?"

What’s with that look, like you just saw something unbelievable?

Kaname, you do remember that I used to be your big brother, right? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already.

"Well, if that’s what Ayu-neechan thinks, then fine. But to me, you’re still my super cool big sis! Honestly, I wanna show you off to my friends—and to the girls in my class when we’re being all close and stuff!"

"‘Close and stuff’? We’re siblings, that’s not how it works. And if you start showing that off to your classmates, you’ll never get a girlfriend, you know?"

"Eh, but that’s kinda the point. They’ve been so annoyingly clingy lately."

…Kids these days really do grow up fast. Fifth graders talking about love already.

Even my little brother’s popular, and yet back when I was a guy… I barely even talked to people. Girlfriends weren’t even on the table.

Kaname’s tall for a fifth grader, and unlike the old me, he’s actually good-looking. Nobody ever mistakes him for a girl at first glance. I can’t deny I’m a little jealous.

"Besides, I’m gonna marry you, Ayu-neechan! So I don’t need any of the girls in my class!"

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. Kaname says that kind of thing all the time, but it’s such a childish line—fitting for his age.

I used to say stuff like “I’m gonna marry Mom!” when I was little, too.

If only Kaname acted his age more often like this, he’d actually be really cute. Well, he used to be that kind of kid when I was still his brother, anyway.

"Kaname, that’s not happening, okay? You’re already super popular, so go for someone in your class instead."

"…Wait. Are you jealous, Ayu-neechan?"

"I am not!"

How do you even twist it that far!? I slumped my shoulders in defeat.

After all that back-and-forth, quite a bit of time had passed.

What time is it now?

I glanced at the wall clock. Ryoji should be showing up soon. I’d better hurry!

"Sorry, Kaname, I’ve gotta go!"

"Okay! Oh, wait—Ayu-neechan! Did you grab the lip balm? Mom said to make sure you take it to her, remember?"

"I totally forgot!"

I burst out of my room, only to spin right back around at full speed and dash in again.

I shoved the lip balm sitting on my desk into my pouch, then bolted out once more. I slipped on my shoes at the entrance and rushed outside. Ryoji hadn’t arrived yet.

I guess it’d be fine to make him wait, but since he’s nice enough to pick me up on his bike, I don’t want to keep him standing around.

I ran my fingers through my hair, fixing the bits that had gotten messy.

As I waited for Ryoji, my mind replayed everything that happened this morning.

First, breakfast. I’ve been cooking a lot lately for the cooking club and making my own lunches, so my skills have definitely improved. Mom’s been telling me, “You’ll make such a good wife someday♪,” and of course she said it again this morning.

Then, dishwashing. When I was wearing my apron, Dad said, “Ayumi, you really look good in that.”

And just now, Kaname caught me striking poses in my summer uniform.

I rummaged through my bag and opened my pouch. Inside were lip balm, a hand mirror, hand cream, and sunscreen.

…How did it come to this?

There’s no denying it—I’m totally a girl now.

…How did it come to this?

My daily life has been quietly changing bit by bit. I kinda miss the days when I’d blush just from putting on girls’ underwear. Compared to that, the current me looks like a total pervert. Come on, Ayumi, maybe it’s time to hit the brakes.

As I was thinking that, I spotted Ryoji turning the corner from the edge of my vision.

I really need to buy my own bike soon. It’s getting hot out, and I feel bad making Ryoji pedal harder just to give me a ride.

Ever since starting high school, we’ve been hanging out more—grabbing snacks after class, going out on weekends—that kind of thing. It’s great, honestly, and I’m really happy about it. The only downside is… my allowance never lasts anymore.

Sigh… maybe I should start looking for a part-time job.

"Hey. Morning."

Ryoji, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, pulled up on his bike and stopped right in front of me. I greeted him back with a simple, "Morning."

"Ayu… you…"

"What? Do I have something on me?"

"Why are you wearing a camisole under your blouse, huhhh!? It’s summer uniform season!"

"Wh–Why, you ask… well, because—"

"Not having your bra show through is not good! Absolutely unacceptable! Even if the heavens forgive you, I won’t!"

Uh, no, Ryoji, I don’t need your forgiveness!

Honestly, I’m wearing it because I don’t want my underwear showing. Mission accomplished, thank you very much!

Besides, having your underwear visible is what’s weird here. We normally go out of our way to hide it—so how is it suddenly fine if it’s just see-through? That’s gotta be one of the Seven Mysteries of Girlhood!

"Hmph, fine. But even if you hide that, just catching a glimpse of your underarm when you raise your hand is enough for me to eat three bowls of rice!"

I quickly closed my arms. This guy only sees girls through that kind of lens!?

Ryoji… what a pitiful man. No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend. Not that I’ve ever actually seen you try to get one, but still.

"Heh… so the underarms are hidden now, huh? But the way your skirt faintly shows through in the sunlight—there’s no hiding that. For the record, that’s also worth three bowls of rice to me."

…That’s some next-level fetishism right there.

I shot him a half-lidded glare.

"A–Anyway, enough stupid jokes. Let’s get going already."

"…You were definitely serious just now."

In the two months since the new term began, it had become routine for me to ride on the back of Ryoji’s bike.

As he pushed down on the pedals, the bicycle steadily picked up speed.

Not having to pedal myself really is comfortable… I can’t help but think that. Maybe I’ll keep letting Ryoji handle the work for a while longer.

When I opened my shoe locker, there were no love letters inside anymore—probably because people finally realized it was pointless. That would’ve been fine, except the number of “please meet me after school” messages had skyrocketed instead. And I can’t exactly ignore those.

That’s why the members of our Cooking Club have started eating lunch in the clubroom instead of our classrooms lately. I feel bad dragging everyone into it, but they’ve been really understanding.

On the bright side, we recently got an electric kettle! Apparently, Moeka won it at a local community raffle and brought it in for us. Thanks to her, we can now make tea in the clubroom. Everyone brings their own cup or mug.

The once plain table now looks stylish since Sakurako brought in a tablecloth. And sitting right on top of it is a weird-looking monster plushie Ryoji won from a UFO catcher. It’s got this goofy face, but it’s kind of cute, so I end up poking it whenever I’m bored.

As for the bench, Togo somehow found some seat cushions for it, making it way more comfortable.

I even donated a few cookbooks and dessert recipe books myself. Hardly anyone reads them normally, which is a bit sad, but they come in handy during club activities—so I’m glad I brought them.

The boys still mostly just eat what we make, but lately, instead of playing mobile games while we cook, they’ve started watching us from the home ec room. Maybe that’s some kind of progress.

After swapping our shoes for indoor ones, Ryoji and I headed to the classroom.

When we walked in, Moeka and Sakurako were already there, chatting happily together. The white blouses of their summer uniforms gleamed under the morning light.

For the record, Togo usually shows up right at the last minute—and sure enough, he wasn’t here yet. Students who commute by train always seem to arrive earlier than those who live nearby and come by bike, like him.

"Good morning, Ayumi-chan! Oh, and hi to you too, Ryoji-kun!"

"Morning, Ayumi-chan. And, uh, hi to you too, Ryoji-kun."

I smiled and returned their greeting.

Ryoji just replied with a casual, "Yo."
Wow. Talk about minimal effort.

"Ayumi-chan, you look super cute in your summer uniform~♪"

Moeka said it with a bright, teasing smile.

"Huh? Ayumi-chan’s not wearing a see-through bra? You used to be so careless about that. You’ve grown up, huh…"

Sakurako dropped something terrible with a completely straight face.

I’m not careless! It’s just that no matter how careful I am, there are always perverts who find a way to harass me anyway…

While we were exchanging our usual brand of “morning greetings,” heavy footsteps echoed down the hall—getting closer and closer—

"Whaaa! I made it in time!"

The classroom door burst open as Togo shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Yo, Yoshikawa."
"Yo, Tagawa."

The two guys exchanged a quick greeting.

"Woooah, Ayu-chan! You look adorable in your summer outfit too!"

"Sh–Shut up! Don’t yell that out loud!"

Ugh, how embarrassing. His approach is totally different from Ryoji’s, but it’s still mortifying in its own way.

While I was flustered, Moeka and Sakurako started patting my head again. At this point, it’s practically our daily routine. Are they… looking down on me? Someday I’ll make them regret it.

"But alas," Ryoji muttered under his breath, "no see-through bra today."

Togo went, "Oh-ho?" and gave me a long, exaggerated look.

It’s not like anything’s showing, but I instinctively hugged myself and took a step back.

"Wait, Tagawa," Ryoji said. "At our level, can’t we… just imagine it?"

"I see. You have a point."

Both of them stared at me in unison.

S–Stop that! What kind of dirty imagination are you two running on, you walking pink brains!?

"Ayumi-chan really is the cutest when she’s all embarrassed like that," Moeka sighed, cupping her cheeks dreamily.

Sakurako nodded in agreement. "Totally."

Somebody, please stop these idiots!

And so, this ridiculous scene dragged on until morning homeroom finally began.

That’s how it is—another perfectly ordinary day begins.