章 17: The White Beret
After putting on the Sobu High School uniform, Izumi Kotomi admired her reflection in the mirror.
The uniform consisted of a dark-colored blazer with two silver buttons and silver trim accents. Beneath it was a white blouse that gracefully outlined her slender, curvaceous figure, accompanied by a red ribbon at the collar. The bottom half was a blue pleated skirt.
Sobu High School had no strict rules about sock length or style; students could wear them or not. Feeling a sense of embarrassment at the thought of bare legs, Kotomi chose to wear white pantyhose and brown loafers.
[Why is it that when you wear white pantyhose, it gives off such an irresistible vibe? Could it be that you're not just an uke, but a seductive one too~?]
"Hmph, then just don't look!" Kotomi huffed, ignoring the God-Level Heroine System's teasing as she picked up her neatly packed tote bag, emblazoned with the Sobu High School emblem.
When she came downstairs, Izumi Akina, who had gotten up early to prepare breakfast, greeted her with a smile, "Good morning. Breakfast is ready, so hurry up and eat. You have to attend Sobu High School's opening ceremony today, right? Don't be late on your first day of high school."
"Don't worry, I set my alarm early last night, and I've already packed my textbooks and pencil case in my bag."
"Well, this is a surprise. I remember on your first day of middle school, you stayed up late playing games the night before, didn't pack your things, and ended up oversleeping. You couldn't even remember where you put your uniform, or what materials to bring to school, and ended up being late on the very first day. And back in elementary school, you were also late on the first day because you didn't want to get out of bed."
Akina laughed softly as she reminisced, "Last night, before bed, your father and I were betting on whether you'd be late again this time."
"I'm not a kid anymore! There's no way I'd be late on the first day of high school..." Kotomi muttered, her cheeks flushing.
"Sure, sure, you're not a kid anymore. Now, hurry and eat, or you'll end up being late because you ate too slowly."
"How could that happen? There's still an hour before the opening ceremony begins... What?! Only half an hour left!?"
Feeling confident that she had plenty of time, Kotomi suddenly noticed the clock on the living room wall showing 7:00 AM.
In Japan, students usually arrive at school by 8:30 AM, and Sobu High School was no exception. However, since today was the first day of high school, freshmen like Kotomi had to arrive before 7:30 AM for the opening ceremony.
Now, with only half an hour left, Kotomi realized she might not have enough time and quickly started eating her breakfast.
Akina chuckled, relieved that she had anticipated this and had purposely avoided making time-consuming dishes like grilled or fried fish for breakfast.
"Good morning, Mom..." Izumi Aimi, dressed in her middle school uniform, also came downstairs, calmly sitting down to eat.
Although it was also Aimi's first day back at school, as a third-year middle school student facing upcoming exams, she didn't need to report early for an opening ceremony. She could choose to attend or simply arrive by 8:30 AM for classes.
"Sister, you're eating too fast. A girl should be mindful of her image when eating... Ah! Seaweed crumbs just flew onto my face," Aimi remarked, sitting beside Kotomi.
Kotomi, who had just finished eating, placed her bowl on the table with a clatter and said, "I'd like to eat slowly, but I don't have time. I don't want to be late on the first day of high school, like I was in elementary and middle school. Mom, I'm full. I'm heading out."
"Take care," Akina waved her off.
"Sister, slow down on your way to school..." Aimi started to say, but before she could finish, she felt a light, fragrant touch on her cheek. Kotomi's cherry lips had kissed her face... or rather, picked off the seaweed crumbs.
"Sorry, I ate a bit too fast and got seaweed on your face. I've cleaned it off. I'm off now, bye-bye~" Kotomi said, grabbing her tote bag and heading out the door, running toward Sobu High School.
Aimi stared in shock at her sister's retreating figure, and when she finally snapped out of it, her fair face turned crimson with embarrassment. She turned to her mother, blushing furiously, "Mom! Sister, she...!"
Seeing everything unfold, Akina covered her mouth and chuckled mischievously, "Wow, was that a good morning kiss between sisters? I'm impressed."
"Mom, be serious!"
"Oh, your sister's just like that with you. When you're hurt, she gets more anxious than when she's hurt herself. She probably panicked and used her mouth to get the seaweed off your cheek. Remember when you were in second grade and fell off your skateboard, scraping your knee? Your sister panicked and sucked on your wound to stop the bleeding, didn't she?"
Akina reminisced with a smile, then added, "Kotomi was such a silly kid... She probably saw a scene in a TV drama where the male lead stops the female lead's bleeding by sucking on her finger and thought it would work for any wound."
"But I wasn't hurt just now..." Aimi murmured, still blushing.
"Well, Kotomi knows you hate seaweed, especially the crumbs. She probably panicked when she got your least favorite food on your face and just wanted to get it off quickly," Akina explained while continuing to eat.
Understanding her mother's explanation, Aimi realized why her sister had been so flustered—it was out of concern for her dislike of seaweed crumbs.
While she understood, Aimi's face only turned redder.
Meanwhile, Kotomi jogged towards Sobu High School, spotting the school and the students in their uniforms, chatting and walking towards the school gates.
She let out a sigh of relief and slowed her pace.
The benefits of the Queen of All Females attribute on her physical fitness were apparent. Despite being a complete klutz in sports before, she didn't feel particularly tired after a jog, only slightly out of breath.
"I made it on time; I'm so glad..." Kotomi thought as she walked along the street, breathing in the fresh air and the faint scent of flowers.
The gentle breeze brushed against her cheeks, and the streets were filled with students heading to school, the girls in their blue pleated skirts exuding youthful energy and elegance.
"When April comes next year, I'll be able to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom," Kotomi mused.
When she had been reborn in Japan, it was already summer, so she had missed the cherry blossom season in spring, leaving her with a slight sense of regret.
The cherry trees along the street swayed with the wind, their pink petals dancing in the gentle spring breeze.
The thought of encountering a fateful meeting with a mysterious girl under the falling cherry blossoms was a beautiful scene in her mind.
Plop.
As Kotomi walked along, lost in her thoughts of serendipitous encounters, she suddenly felt something like a hat lightly touch the back of her head before it fell to the ground with a soft sound.
Turning around to find the source of the noise, Kotomi looked down and realized what had touched her.
It was a white beret that had been blown away by the wind.
And this beret had just happened to touch Kotomi before she picked it up.
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