“Hmm, I don’t really neglect skincare…”
Rolling up her sleeve and rubbing her upper arm, Maihama tilted her head and said, “I can’t tell for myself,” before extending the back of her right hand toward me. “Well? Smooth, right?” The firm, youthful glow of her skin was visibly undeniable.
“If you’re asking me to touch it, I’ll pass.”
“Waaah, what a shame. I wanted to know whose skin feels better—mine or Saku-senpai’s.”
What is she even saying? I don’t remember touching her enough to compare.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Then how about I—”
Just as the overenthusiastic guy leaned across the table, a booming voice cut through the noise. “Oi, Takizawaaa!” Turning, I saw a burly middle-aged man—none other than Gouda-sensei—waving him over.
“Got a minute?! It’s about today’s practice!”
“Ahh, got it! Be right there!”
Don’t shout across this distance… With a faint, wry smile, Takizawa stood. For someone as tactless as that teacher to actually mind his tone—Bomber Head’s got some pull, huh?
“Takizawa-kun might be a rare breed of human.”
“Fufufu,” Maihama smirked. Despite the borderline harassment, she seemed oddly pleased.
“Even among friends… no, because they’re friends, few ask me things outright. Especially about being a mermaid or my looks. If they’d just ask directly, I wouldn’t mind answering…”
“Shishihara whined about the same thing.”
“Oh? Still… Shishihara-san, Takizawa-kun, even Saku-senpai—you’ve got quite the unexpected social circle, don’t you?”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“It is. Proof you can get along with anyone.”
Wrong. I just don’t care enough about people to like or dislike them. As a social creature, I’m defective—that’s all.
And so, we abruptly found ourselves hunting for a faculty advisor.
At this point, anyone would do. Our club doesn’t need guidance or supervision—it’s pure self-indulgence. All we need is an adult willing to lend their name.
—Not that I’m trying to cut corners.
In fact, now that classes are over, I’m heading to the clubroom as usual.
“Hey, Shishihara. You free later—… Hm?”
The classroom was thick with lethargy. Spotting the popular calico cat of our class, I called out—only to find her seated, glaring into her phone case’s tiny mirror.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm~…”
She was, in essence, grooming herself. Adjusting her bangs, tugging at them—like a convenience store clerk pretending to stock shelves while slacking off. Finally:
“Aaaand… perfect!”
“That didn’t change a thing.”
“Unyaaah?!”
My comment must’ve startled her. Her chair legs lifted with a clatter! Nearby boys shot us puzzled looks.
“N-Nothing’s wrong! Right? Nothing!”
Once she’d reassured them, Shishihara turned and noticed my deadpan stare.
“Don’t react to my muttering, idiot! You scared me!”
“Your reaction’s just over the top… Wait, did you just say ‘Unyah’?”
“Uh, who, me?”
If intentional, that’s painfully cringe. But if subconscious? Even worse.
“Ughhh… ‘That didn’t change a thing’? Zero tact, I swear…”
Grumbling, she double-checked her already-perfect hair in the mirror.
“Got plans or something?”
“Mhm. Karaoke. Guys from another school are coming too.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Liar… Wait, what? Is the Literary Club in trouble?”
“Nothing major. Just need to find a new advisor. I can handle it alone—”
“That is major! Hang on, lemme ask around—”
“Ask who?”
Ignoring me, she tapped on her phone—then suddenly stood.
“Ah! Rii-chan!”
The girl who’d just entered was tall, with flowing, wavy long hair—the modern “one-length” style. At a glance, she radiated top-tier social status: the queen bee of a gaggle of gyaru. Shishihara rushed over, clasping her hands apologetically. I couldn’t hear the details, but I could guess.
Honestly, she didn’t need to go this far. Guilt nagged at me.
“Doesn’t seem as much of a pushover as she claims, huh?”
If she were truly under someone’s thumb, last-minute cancellations wouldn’t fly. The fact they used nicknames suggested a close bond. Even the usually intimidating queen bee wore a gentle smile now. If she always acted like this, guys wouldn’t be so scared of her…
“…… What? “
—Then, my spine froze. Our eyes met—and hers burned with hostility. “Did I… do something wrong?” No time to dwell. Shishihara was already back.
“Sorry for the wait—… Huh? What’s with that face? You look kinda hurt?”
“Never mind. More importantly—your mixer? You’re not going?”
“It’s just karaoke. Besides, I was filler anyway. Club comes first.”
“Appreciate it, but… hey, is ‘Komori(bat)-kun’ permanently my name now?”
I did explain why that nickname exists, but—
“Whaaat? Got a problem with it?”
“Nah, not really.”
Her narrowed eyes said it all. She still held a grudge over my letting the misunderstanding slide.
“Alrighty! If we’re hunting for a tree, let’s head to the faculty forest!”
“Don’t hunt. Hide.”
Just then, I felt the queen bee’s murderous glare again—and bolted from the room.
The opposite of love isn’t hate—it’s indifference. A famous quote that hit harder than expected.
“Wh-Why won’t anyone agree to be our advisor?! Ughhh…”
Shishihara trudged up the special building’s stairs like she was hauling sacks of rice.
“Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault.”
Truthfully, she’d tried too hard. With her gyaru-powered social skills, she’d approached random teachers (“Senseeei!”), pleading our club’s case.
For a normal club, someone might’ve caved. Keyword: normal.
“Two reasons we failed. First—we’re way too suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
“Don’t play dumb. ‘Literary Club ( )’? ‘Studying the soundness of youthful minds’? It’s nauseating. We’re this school’s stain.”
“You’re trashing your own club?!”
“You couldn’t even answer ‘What exactly do you do?’”
“Urk… Well, yeah, but…”
I’d tried vague buzzwords—”helping others,” “volunteering,” “social rehabilitation”—to dodge the question. It only bred more distrust.
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“The ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’ stares hurt more than I expected.”
“You totally checked out halfway, Komori-kun.”
“Yep. That’s the second reason we failed.”
“Hahh?!”
“No offense, Shishihara, but I mentally gave up. Just wanted to go home.”
“You’re the worst!! Ugh, I’m done… At this rate, maybe we’ll trip over a sensei who’ll take us.”
“If they’re lying around, that’s a crime scene.”
My literal response proved how drained I was.
“…Hm?”
Had my eyesight deteriorated too? Down the hall leading to our clubroom, something white and large seemed to be… lying there. As we neared, limbs and hair came into focus—
“Wha—Wha—WHAAA?!”
Shishihara’s shriek confirmed it: a white-coated figure had collapsed. A woman, late twenties. Her closed eyes and serene face gave Sleeping Beauty vibes. Since when did we have a beauty like this here?
“Whoa, Botan-chan?!”
“You know her?”
“Huh? It’s Biology’s Hikami Botan-sensei?”
“The ‘huh?’ is because I’ve never had her.”
“She’s our class’s sub homeroom teacher?!”
Now that she mentioned it, Takizawa had rambled once: “Hikami-sensei’s low-key hot. Bet that lab coat’s hiding a banging bod—… Heh!” Seeing her now, I got it. From her pale, flowing hair to the white tights under her tight skirt, she was like delicate glasswork.
—Wait. Not the time to stare.
“A serial attacker?! Stabbed in broad daylight?!”
“Calm down. No visible injuries.”
Her breathing was steady (sigh… sigh…), no signs of pain.
“Probably just taking a nap?”
“Who sleeps in a hallway?! Was she hit with a tranquilizer?!”
“A bear did this?”
Paradoxically, her panic made me calmer.
“Most likely fainted from anemia.”
“Y-You think? Still scary, though.”
“Leaving her here’s cruel. Let’s move her.”
“To the nurse’s office?”
“Stairs are a pain. The clubroom for now—help me lift.”
“Okay.”
We hoisted her up by the shoulders. Frail as she looked, she was light—but…
“……………………?”
A shiver ran through me. Not from her weight or slenderness—but the sheer lack of human warmth.
“Sh-She’s… c-cold…”
Too cold.
Where our skin touched, her hands felt icy. Like she’d been left in a snowstorm—
or a refrigerated salad chicken. Up close, her pallor was ghostly, as if no blood flowed beneath. Yet her breathing and pulse were normal. A living corpse? Cryo-sleep?
—Wait. Is she…?
I don’t worship the occult or sci-fi—so a realistic possibility dawned on me.
“What’s wrong, Komori-kun? Not helping?”
“Ah, sorry.”
Without bothering to verify anything first, I flung open the Literature Club’s door—
“Excuse me— whoa, it’s freezing in here?!”
Even though it’s April. Even though we’re indoors. Yet somehow, an icy wind slams into me, making me shiver. It’s not like some magic door whisked us off to the Arctic permafrost.
“Th-the AC?!?”
The classroom air conditioner, standard in every room, is blasting at full power, spewing frigid air like a winter storm.
There’s only one person deranged enough to do this.
“What the hell are you doing, Saku-senpai?!”
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