Prologue

“Hey, so, today’s horoscope said Aquarius is ranked number one in luck.”

In a custom-renovated 3LDK apartment.

“Specifically, it said something about getting closer to someone you like.”

In a Western-style room filled with a voice recording booth, bookshelves, a PC desk, and other such items, the long, straight black-haired beauty sitting next to me, Karasumaru Chikage, was speaking with unusual seriousness.

“If that horoscope is accurate, wouldn’t that mean the girl sitting next to you right now—me—is the one you like?”

Chikage’s birthday is February 19th, so she’s a Pisces. Meanwhile, my birthday is January 28th, making me an Aquarius. You see where this is going, right?

It’s so like Chikage to check my horoscope instead of her own.

“I think that’s a bit of a stretch,” I replied.

Chikage narrowed her sharp eyes, clearly dissatisfied.

“Hmm… a stretch, huh? You know, even if it’s a lie, you could’ve just said you like me. Every girl wants to hear ‘I like you’ from the guy she likes, after all.”

Her blouse and tie swayed gently beneath her shoulder-drop blazer. Trying to keep my emotions in check, I carefully shifted my gaze to her hands.

“By the way, what’s that voice recorder for?”

“Oh, this? Well, you see, I thought I’d record some… emotional, precious moments to use as daily motivation.”

Wait, did she just say “emotional, precious moments”?

“Don’t worry, I’m not using it for anything weird. You just say ‘I like you,’ and I’ll listen to it for motivation every day. That should fall within the scope of a part-time job, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

If it’s part of the job, then I suppose it can’t be helped.

I switched gears and spoke into the voice recorder, “I like you, Chikage.”

“Hehe, not bad. Your feelings reached me, Kei.”

It’s just part of the job, right? …I thought nervously. Meanwhile, Chikage was repeatedly playing back the recording, holding the recorder in her hand. It was a bit—no, quite—chilling to watch.

“Hilarious. Okei-han got his words recorded by Yan.”

“Recorded? This is just part of the job.”

“Sure, but you sounded pretty passionate when you whispered ‘I like you,’ didn’t you?”

There’s only one person in the world who calls me, Kyosaka Kei, “Okei-han.”

That would be the flashy beauty sitting at the edge of the sofa, operating a liquid tablet—Tsukasa Ono, aka “Tsū-chan.” She’s called me that since the day we first met.

Her rebellious half-up blonde hair, blue eyes with colored contacts, glittery nails, heart-shaped piercings, and an outfit that looks like anarchy given form. Her uniform is loosely worn, and her skirt, shortened to the limit, boldly reveals her smooth, egg-like legs. To put it bluntly, she looks like a bit of an airhead.

I’ve grown enough to think that way. Or maybe I’ve just built up a tolerance.

“Well, I put my heart into it. It’s work, after all.”

“Okei-han, you’re really bad at covering things up, huh? You’ve been sneaking glances at my skirt this whole time, and you can’t even hide your gaze properly.”

That’s unfair. I did glance, but it wasn’t constant. Besides, in a society where women increasingly disregard TPO (Time, Place, Occasion), I can’t help but feel a chill at the trend of always blaming men.

In situations like this, it’s best not to get caught up in the other person’s pace and just go with the flow.

“It’s like when you see yatsuhashi lined up in a souvenir shop—you can’t help but look, right? It’s the same thing.”

“Are you seriously comparing me to yatsuhashi!? Don’t lump my special underwear in with some sweets!”

“Ahaha. But if you flip yatsuhashi upside down, it kinda looks like a thong, right?”

“N-no, it doesn’t… And you don’t need to comment on what I’m wearing!”

I think it does look similar, though.

Maybe it’s just because I’m from Kyoto.

“By the way, why are you even wearing special underwear, Tsū-chan?”

“W-well, it’s only natural for a gal to wear cute panties just in case, right?”

“Just in case for what? …Well, I think I can guess.”

“N-no! It’s not like I want to get with Okei-han or anything, it’s just in case of emergencies… mumble mumble…”

Tsū-chan’s ears turned bright red. Was she a tomato in her past life or something?

“Ugh, whatever! You just don’t get a girl’s feelings, do you, Okei-han?”

“I get that you shortened your skirt to show off your special underwear, at least.”

“If you put it like that, it makes me sound like some slut who just wants to show off her panties!”

“You’re not?”

“I’m not! The important part is that it’s for you, Okei-han!”

…So she was doing it on purpose. Well, I kinda figured.

“My reasons aren’t as crude as Tsukasa’s, but I’m also wearing something special.”

An unexpected confession came from an unlikely source. Daigo Sakurako, the glasses-wearing honor student, looked up from her thick encyclopedia and spoke.

“If we’re going to take the next step with Kei-kun, it’s necessary to be prepared.”

With her cherry blossom-colored short bob and the graceful demeanor of a sheltered young lady, Sakurako always exuded calm intelligence. Her neatly buttoned blouse and tightly knotted tie were tucked into a light pink sweater and blazer, and her double-lidded eyes, reminiscent of cherry blossoms, always held a gentle wisdom.

“However, I don’t approve of Tsukasa’s approach. She should have more composure.”

The only place where Sakurako seemed to lack composure was…

“Don’t worry, Kei-kun. I’ll respect your pace.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

…Her chest. Specifically, her twin peaks.

Two melon-sized orbs, condensed with all the nutrients one could imagine, looked ready to burst out of her uniform, as if they were still growing.

Should I pity Tsū-chan for her flat chest, or marvel at Sakurako’s bountiful blessings? It’s hard to decide. I like both, though.

“Kei-kun, are you having a conversation with my chest?”

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The translator of this light novel is new. The novel has already been reviewed, but if you find any errors, we sincerely apologize. Feel free to leave them in the comments so we can keep improving. Thank you!