Volume 2
Chapter 1: Is the literary high school girl pure? (Part 3 of 3)
● A Literary JK Girl Aims for Refinement ●○●
Ever since we hired a private tutor, my life has changed.
“I’m home!!!”
After finishing Saturday classes, I fling open the front door and rush inside. I quickly wash my hands at the sink and clatter up the stairs to my room.
“Shiori, are you actually washing your hands properly?” Mom calls out.
“I washed them!”
It’s 1:30 p.m. About an hour and a half until he—Masato-san—arrives.
(Today… I decided it’s a casual clothes day♪)
Until Masato-san started coming over, I barely owned any casual clothes. Why would I? My school uniform was enough, and I didn’t have friends to go out with on weekends. I never thought I needed to spend money on clothes.
My mind drifts back to that fateful night—the night I first met Masato-san.
After hurling insults at Mom and threatening to tell Dad, I holed up in my room to process everything.
(This is bad… I never imagined a hero like that would come to my room every week…!)
I seriously thought he’d stepped straight out of a fairy tale. At first glance, he had this wholesome, handsome vibe, but by the end, all I could see was a prince in shining knight’s armor. I couldn’t help but feel grateful for my sudden stroke of luck. I’ll give Mom some credit for bringing such an amazing person into my life.
(And… he called me beautiful, didn’t he?)
I’d tried to be snarky, assuming he’d have a bad personality, but his response was beyond anything I expected. He praised me. Which means…
Could I maybe get closer to him? We’re going to be seeing each other every week, after all! Even if it’s just for studying… maybe, just maybe, something could happen…
My heart races, and my face grows hot. To calm down, I glance at the cover of my favorite novel on the bookshelf.
(He’s really… like the hero in this story…)
But then, my thoughts freeze. The hero on the cover stands beside a delicate, lovely heroine. I turn to the mirror in front of my closet and look at myself.
That’s when it hits me—a shocking realization.
(Like this… I’m nowhere near good enough for him…!)
It’s obvious. I was floating on cloud nine, but I’m a frump. No, calling myself a frump is an insult to frumps—sweet potatoes are delicious, after all. I’m not even that appealing.
My burning excitement cools rapidly. If there were a story about a dorky, glasses-wearing high school girl like me ending up with a fairy-tale hero, how would I react?
“LOL what a delusional farce! No way a super-hot guy would fall for a gloomy virgin like you! Get real!”
…Yeah, that sounds about right.
Sure, there’s a microscopic chance Masato-san is into super plain girls and might like me as I am, but I’m not so desperate as to cling to that. So, what do I do?
I look back at the novel’s cover, at the graceful heroine.
(There’s only one option…!)
I have to become like her.
(But no matter how hard I try, I can’t pull off a bubbly, carefree heroine… So, I’ll aim to be… a refined, elegant type!)
I stand in front of the mirror, unbraid my hair, and take off my glasses.
(This won’t do…)
With determination, I fling open the door.
I’ll hide my true self, whatever it takes. Even if it’s a facade, I’ll become someone he could fall for.
“Mom, teach me how to do makeup!!”
And so began my grand plan to become a refined, elegant girl!
I open my closet to pick out clothes.
“Let’s go with the outfit we picked last week…”
Surprisingly, after I ditched the braids and switched to contacts at school, I actually made some friends. Was it really that simple? Maybe not, but I realize I’d been shutting people out before. It’s probably a matter of mindset.
People noticed my makeover, and it became a great conversation starter. Turns out, I could actually talk to people. So, I enlisted the help of some more socially adept classmates to pick out clothes. Humanity progresses by building on the wisdom of others, right? It’s only natural to borrow their expertise.
“Alright… this’ll do.”
I’m going for the refined look. Mature clothes are the way to go. I pull out my favorite overall-style skirt. For my hair, I go with a half-up style, tied with a light blue ribbon I bought at a trinket shop.
Not bad.
I keep my makeup subtle, sticking to a natural look. Just a bit of eyeliner to enhance my eyes and some light foundation to smooth my skin—nothing too bold.
I check myself in the mirror.
Yup, passing grade.
If I were the heroine to his hero, people might think, “Well, she’s decent enough for a bit of a mismatched romance, I guess.”
Satisfied, I pick up a novel I’d bought but hadn’t touched yet.
“Shiori-chan? It’s Katari. Can I come in?”
…Huh?
Oh no no no no no no no!!!
I was so caught up reading that steamy novel, thinking I had plenty of time! This is bad! It’s only five minutes early! I’m such an idiot!
At lightning speed, I slip a book cover over it—one Mom bought, supposedly from a bestseller literary novel.
This’ll get me through!
“Y-Yes, it’s fine.”
Masato-san steps in, flashing a bright smile.
Oh… he’s dazzling…
“Hello, Shiori-chan.”
Oof.
No, stay strong, Shiori! You’re aiming for elegance!!
“Yes, hello.”
Yes, nailed it! That greeting was pretty graceful, wasn’t it? I think.
As I breathe a sigh of relief, Masato-san’s eyes widen, like he’s noticed something.
“Oh, you’re not in your uniform today.”
Eeee! I can’t believe a guy in real life actually notices something like this!
“Y-Yes, that’s right. I thought it seemed a bit odd to wear my uniform on a day off…”
Might as well show off a little. I swivel my chair to display today’s outfit.
Thank you, friends. Behold this radiance. This armor is a gift from my comrades.
“Wow, that looks great! It really suits you. I’ve only ever seen you in your uniform, so this feels kinda refreshing.”
Oooof!
No! Stay calm… I’m so happy I could die… This is too much… Thank goodness I put in the effort…
But I’m not just going to take it lying down. I’ve sharpened my elegant blade for today—take this!
“Hehe, thank you, Masato-san. Your casual clothes are pretty cool, too.”
“Flattery won’t reduce your homework, you know~?”
What?! What’s with that comeback?!
Stop being so effortlessly cool!!
“Alright, shall we get started? Oh, wait, it’s still five minutes early.”
“Yes, you’re right. What should we do?”
“Since we’ve got a moment, how about a little chat before we dive into studying?”
A considerate, handsome guy is basically a god.
This is our fourth session, but Masato-san’s hotness level is just too high. Even in fiction, this would be called delusional.
“Oh, what book are you reading today?”
…Oh crap. This is bad.
No, wait. The fake book cover is on. He can’t know it’s a steamy novel. If I show him this, he’ll buy it—it’s supposed to be popular!
A voice in my head asks, Is that book cover really enough?
I flash a mental thumbs-up. It’s fine. No problem.
“Um, well… this one by Tasaka-san…”
“Oh, that one’s great! Summer Fell from the Second Floor… What kind of life do you have to live to come up with an opening like that?”
…
Hehe☆ I haven’t read a single page of this fake-covered book☆
Summer falling? What does that even mean? Does summer fall?
The novel inside this cover starts with a half-naked pretty boy falling from the sky and kicking off a lucky pervert moment, but is that okay?☆
What is this?! This cover is useless! (Rage)
“Haha, yeah, it’s really something…”
Okay, I’ll read it. From now on, I’ll make sure to read whatever book I use as a fake cover…
It might be too late, but I mentally apologize to the author of this cover’s novel.
Oh, this is bliss~
I’m not a huge fan of studying, but I love the time spent with Masato-san teaching me. He’s great at explaining things clearly. Honestly, I initially thought I wouldn’t care if he was bad at teaching, but he’s genuinely skilled. He said this is his first time tutoring, but I can’t believe it. Peak performance, right here.
“Here, there’s another way to read this part. This symbol jumps to here, so the correct way is…”
Ugh…
I’m studying hard, but Japanese is my weak point. Classical Chinese? Come on, at least use modern Japanese! Masato-san’s teaching is great, but my brain’s the problem.
As I’m struggling through the text, I feel something behind me.
Huh?
“Alright, Shiori-chan, I’m going to trace it with my finger. Follow along with the reading order…”
A sweet jolt shoots through my entire body.
His whispered words hit my brain like a lightning bolt.
W-What is this?
Is this my personal ASMR stream starting?
Tracing with his finger? Tracing what exactly?!!
My body feels like it’s boiling.
The gauge inside me maxes out and explodes.
“Oof.”
Oh no.
I quickly cover my mouth.
This is my limit.
I shoot to my feet.
“Sorry, I need to use the restroom…”
“Oh, uh, sure. Sorry about that.”
Keeping my face hidden, I rush out to the bathroom. I slam the door shut and collapse to the floor.
“Haa…! Haaa…!”
I can still feel his touch on my back. That warm sensation of him leaning over me. The words whispered in my ear. The sweet scent tickling my nose.
My elegant facade is already cracking.
It’s not fair—it’s too much.
Sweat drips down.
This ugly lust coursing through me—this isn’t fit for a heroine. I know that.
But for now, just for now, let me voice it. Let me cast off this mask and scream as my true self. I’ll put the mask back on later. Just for now.
“I want to push him down!!!”
I let out a completely unrefined emotion with all my might.
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Thanks!
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