Yui and Yukino's words left Kotomi Izumi completely bewildered.
I'm on my period? Why didn't she feel anything down there? Even though she hadn't had her period since her reincarnation, she figured that when it did co, she'd notice sothing off, right?
But right now, everything felt perfectly calm.
"On my period? No, I'm fine. Today isn't even supposed to be my ti of the month," Kotomi said, looking at them with a puzzled expression.
"Ah... but, Yukino thought you might be," Yui said, a bit embarrassed.
"Huh?! No, really, I'm fine! I'm in perfect shape! I don't know how you ca to that conclusion, Yukino, but I'm definitely not on my period," Kotomi responded with a helpless smile.
That said, Kotomi couldn't help but wonder—since she had been reincarnated as a girl, would she eventually have her period?
So far, it hadn't happened yet.
Moreover, ever since her first encounter with Arisu Sakayanagi and hearing what she had said, Kotomi had begun to suspect that there might be parts of her mories that were unclear.
One piece of evidence: she didn't know when her period was supposed to be.
Could it be... that I won't have one?
"I-I see... Sorry, when I saw you slumped over your desk like that, I thought you might not be feeling well, so I told them not to bother you," Yukino apologized, her cheeks blushing.
Kotomi caught a key word in Yukino's apology—"them".
Wait... "them"?!
A sense of panic welled up in Kotomi. She quickly asked, "Besides Yui, who else did you tell?"
If Yukino had told all the girls in class... that'd be it. Everyone would misunderstand, thinking today was her period.
If that really happened, Kotomi would seriously consider transferring classes—or even skipping grades entirely!
From a first-year to a third-year in one leap.
In that scenario, the first-year students her age, as well as the older second-years, would have to call her "senpai" whenever they t.
"I only told Yui. But during the break after second period, Mashiro ca by your desk. She seed like she wanted to talk to you, but Yui stopped her before she could say anything and told her not to bother you because you weren't feeling well. Then, when Mashiro asked what was wrong, Yui told her you were on your period," Yukino explained.
After hearing this, Kotomi instinctively turned around to look at Mashiro Shiina, who wasn't at her desk. Then she turned back to Yui with an exasperated expression.
Caught under Kotomi's gaze, Yui awkwardly stuck out her little pink tongue and gave a sheepish smile.
"Well... it's just, you seed really down in the dumps, and after hearing what Yukino said, I thought it must be true. So, when Mashiro ca by to talk to you, I stopped her. I didn't want her to disturb you while you were resting," Yui explained.
At least it was just Mashiro.
"Alright, I get it. Thank you both for your concern. But really, today's not my ti of the month," Kotomi sighed as she unscrewed the cap of her Pepsi and took a sip.
It was tasty, though not chilled, lacking that refreshing coldness she craved.
But, as Yukino had ntioned, it was probably better not to drink sothing cold.
Even though Kotomi had an exceptional physique far stronger than the average person, it was still wise to be careful.
After all, she wasn't like so isekai protagonists who could heal a minor illness like a cold with a simple low-tier healing spell after being hit by a truck and reborn in a world of swords and magic.
This was the real-world she had reincarnated into...
Then again, she didn't need to worry too much about inconsistencies with her previous world. After all, Kazumi had told her early on that this was a parallel world with so slight differences.
For example, in this world, the start of the Japanese school year was at a different ti than in her previous life. Typically, Japanese high school students started in April and graduated in March, but the timing seed a bit off in this world.
Kazumi had explained that although the start ti was different, the students here still graduated in March, ensuring they could still enjoy cherry blossoms in bloom during their graduation ceremonies.
Curious, Kotomi had searched the Japanese school calendar in this world on Google and found it made more sense after all.
As she ate her burger, Kotomi reflected on her experiences since reincarnation.
She had a loving father and mother who had adopted her and raised her with care, treating her like their own daughter, and she lived in a warm, harmonious household with a sister who adored her.
Maybe a bit too much...
She hadn't encountered any unfortunate situations like those in other reincarnation novels—no broken families, no school bullying, no apocalyptic disasters. Instead, she had been reborn as a high school girl, enjoying a peaceful daily life with a system that occasionally ssed around but also ca through when needed.
She was quite satisfied with this life.
Except... when will I finally get a girlfriend?!
I really want a cute, soft, and sweet girlfriend!
Every ti she saw couples being lovey-dovey, she couldn't help but feel envious.
Especially when she read sweet romance novels or watched romantic ani, Kotomi felt like she was swallowing lemons.
I'm going to turn into a lemon at this rate!
Dammit! I want to be kissed under the starry sky, beneath blooming cherry blossoms, or... in bed by a beautiful girl...
Wait, no! She should be the one kissing the beautiful girl!
Lost in her fantasies, Kotomi realized with embarrassnt that, in her daydreams, she wasn't the one taking the lead.
How absurd!
Of course I'm the dominant one!
Satisfied with the ntal image of herself as the top in a relationship with another girl, Kotomi let out a small, contented hum.
"Kotomi."
Mashiro Shiina's voice suddenly cut through Kotomi's thoughts, startling her.
Snapping out of her daydream, Kotomi saw Mashiro standing next to her, holding a white thermos adorned with delicate pink and white cherry blossoms. The thermos wasn't closed, and Kotomi could see steam rising from the cup's open top.
"Mashiro, where did you go just now?" Kotomi asked. Normally, Mashiro rarely left her seat, let alone the classroom.
Mashiro Shiina handed the thermos to Kotomi, then spoke in her usual slow and soft tone:
"This... is the new thermos my cousin bought for yesterday. Do you like it? Yui said you were on your period, so I went to my cousin to ask for so hot water. Kotomi, drink more hot water—it'll make you feel better."
With that, Mashiro extended the thermos further towards Kotomi, her expression saying, Drink up. Once you finish, you'll feel much better.
Kotomi glanced at the cup of water in front of her. Not wanting to reject Mashiro Shiina's kindness, she accepted the cup and then explained:
"Mashiro, actually Yui misunderstood earlier. I'm not on my period. I was just in a bad mood this morning, so I spent four periods lying on my desk."
Upon hearing Kotomi's explanation, Mashiro didn't seem relieved. Instead, she grew more concerned and asked:
"A bad mood? Did sothing happen, Kotomi? If you're feeling down, you can talk to . I might not know how to comfort you, but maybe saying it out loud will make you feel better."
Perhaps due to the "genius" aura she carried, Mashiro Shiina had never had any real friends growing up, which ant she had never been good at expressing herself. After learning this about Mashiro, Kotomi often wondered if Mashiro wasn't quiet because she disliked talking, but because she simply didn't know how to express herself, so she chose not to speak.
At this mont, whether it was a lack of communication skills or a tendency toward silence, Mashiro stood before her, making an effort to express her concern. Her words were filled with genuine care for Kotomi.
And even more of Mashiro's concern, the words she couldn't say, seed to be poured into the cup of water she offered.
Kotomi took the cup and, without thinking, took a big sip…
"Whoa! It's so hot!"
"Oh no, Kotomi, drink slower! That's boiling water. I thought you knew to let it cool down first."
"This cup... the heat insulation is really good. I thought it was just warm water..." Kotomi gulped down so Pepsi and stuck out her tongue in pain from the burn.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Kotomi smiled at Mashiro and said, "The reason I was in a bad mood earlier really wasn't anything big—it was just because of a ga. By the end of the first period, I was feeling better. The only reason I stayed slouched over for the rest of the morning was... because I felt lazy."
Kotomi hesitated for a mont before deciding to co clean about the real reason.
When Yukino and Yui heard this, they both looked surprised.
Mashiro tilted her head slightly, then asked with curiosity, "You can slack off like that in class? I want to try."
"Careful you don't try it and regret it," Kotomi warned playfully.
Sitting beside Kotomi, gumi Kato seed unsurprised, as if she had already guessed this. Seizing the mont while Kotomi hadn't yet started on her burger, she picked up a piece of tomato-braised beef and gently fed it to Kotomi.
By now, Kotomi had grown accustod to gumi's occasional habit of feeding her, so she naturally accepted the food without thinking.
The exchange between them was so smooth, like they had done this a thousand tis. Anyone who saw it couldn't help but smile affectionately at the scene.
Well, perhaps only outsiders would smile like that.
For Yui and Mashiro, watching this brought a subtle pang of jealousy. They couldn't help but wish they had brought their own lunch today, too!
Even Yukino found herself unexpectedly wanting to feed Kotomi, though she wasn't quite sure why she had that thought. When she instinctively glanced at her own bento, her expression faltered as she realized that she had already finished all her food.
What was she supposed to use to feed Kotomi now?
With a soft sigh, Yukino silently reprimanded herself for the fleeting thought and quickly collected her empty bento, trying to hide the slight flush on her cheeks.
As the afternoon rolled on, the first class after lunch was Japanese language, taught by Shizuka Hiratsuka.
At lunchti, while dining off-campus, Ms. Yagawa had called Hiratsuka, subtly inquiring if Kotomi might be feeling unwell. Though Yagawa tried to sound casual, Hiratsuka knew her colleague well enough to hear the concern beneath her words.
Since when was Yagawa so invested in a student?
Yet, what really caught Hiratsuka's attention was the idea that Kotomi might be feeling ill.
After the call, Hiratsuka couldn't even focus on her al with Chisato Sengoku. She found herself worrying about Kotomi for the rest of the lunch break.
Upon returning to school, Hiratsuka headed straight to class 1-F, skipping the teacher's office entirely.
When she entered the classroom and saw Kotomi moving about energetically, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Kotomi certainly didn't look like soone who was ill or feeling unwell.
Still, Hiratsuka's earlier worry lingered in her mind. Throughout the entire class, she couldn't help but glance in Kotomi's direction from ti to ti.
Her frequent looks in the direction of the window seats made the students sitting there uneasy. They feared they might have been caught playing with their phones during class.
The anxiety spread through the room. In any classroom, when a quiet tension builds, it can make everyone nervous. A lively class can suddenly fall silent, with students becoming hyper-aware of their every move.
Such was the case during Hiratsuka's class.
As other students in the middle rows noticed that no one along the window was daring to pull out their phones, their own sense of dread began to mount. So had been halfway to reaching into their desk cubbies for their phones but hesitated. Their hands, suddenly aware of the invisible threat, slowly retreated, as though laying them on the desk would sohow prevent them from being targeted.
For those accustod to sneaking phone ti, the entire class period was spent on edge.
Kotomi, too, was feeling a little tense. She had planned to quietly grind out so battles in "Azur Lane" during the two afternoon periods, but with Hiratsuka occasionally glancing in her direction, even she, with her well-practiced stealthy gaming skills, didn't dare take the risk.
After all, what if Hiratsuka's infamous iron grip—known to shatter rulers—decided to test her phone instead?
It wasn't until class was over that Kotomi finally dared to take out her phone and log back into the ga.
"Kotomi, it seed like Hiratsuka-sensei kept looking at you during class," gumi remarked casually.
"Looking at ? No way. She was probably just checking if anyone in the window row was playing with their phones. This row always has the highest rate of phone-related delinquency."
After all, the window seats, with their proximity to nature's distractions, were the ideal spots for stealthy phone use. The further back, the better.
"Maybe... but what if she was looking at you because she's srized by your beauty?" gumi teased with a light laugh.
Maybe it was because of gumi's usual calm deanor that Kotomi didn't catch the hidden aning behind her words.
"srized by my beauty?" Kotomi raised her phone and opened the selfie cara, spending a full minute gazing at her reflection before nodding earnestly. "Yeah, that's probably it. It's almost certain that Hiratsuka-sensei was looking at because of my overwhelming charm."
After all, her stunning appearance was as irresistible as the intricate web of a spider, luring in prey. It wasn't strange for people to be caught staring.
...
After school.
Finally, the school's club activities resud, and Kotomi eagerly headed to the art club. The mont she walked into the art room, she greeted Ruka Ishikawa and the others with a cheerful, "Hey, long ti no see!" They hadn't seen each other for two days due to exams.
Though it had only been a short break, seeing her friends again gave her a refreshing feeling.
"It's strange, huh? Naegi-senpai isn't the first to arrive today," Kotomi noted, glancing at the empty seat where the club president usually sat.
"I heard that Naegi-san didn't co to school at all today. Apparently, she injured her knee," Emi Tsujimoto explained.
"Is that so?" Kotomi nodded and took her own seat, ready to continue working on her sunset painting.
Ever since deciding that Mashiro would be the central figure in her piece, titled Twilight Sky: Sunset, Kotomi had found her inspiration flowing more freely than ever before.
Where once she had struggled to figure out her next brushstroke, now she couldn't wait to complete the painting.
She was eager to finish it in ti for the National Art Exhibition.
And, if everything went well, she'd win an award, be scouted by a university, and move on to the next stage of her life—all in one fell swoop.
Once her painting was showcased at the exhibition, she would invite Mashiro, Aimi, gumi, Yui, and Yukino to co and see it together.
As Kotomi ticulously sketched out the final details of Mashiro's figure, she smiled to herself, imagining the future.
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