Chapter 37

Even with the constitution of a Heroic Spirit, Bai Jingyue, who had been injured conceptually, could only rest at home today. Meanwhile, Souten Riko had made plans to go out with Shokuhatsu Shizuri, apparently invited by Misaki Mikoto to be a swimsuit model.

Upon learning this, Bai Jingyue, after Souten Riko left, forced himself to call the company, using his privileges from the dark side to request that they send him a copy of all the footage from today. (You really go all out.)

Souten Riko and Shokuhatsu Shizuri had already met up with Misaki Mikoto and Bai Heizi from Tokiwadai. Besides the four of them, there were also Kakinouchi Kinu and Hōfū Manabu from the Tokiwadai swimming club. Misaki Mikoto had been invited to be a swimsuit model at their request.

However, surprisingly, a few more people had also been invited.

One of them was Kousagi Ayako from Tokiwadai, wearing an inappropriate kimono. As a naive young lady, Kousagi Ayako possessed the elegance, pride, and stubbornness befitting her status. However, it was believed that her good nature would eventually help her find true friends who could tolerate her temperament.

Bai Jingyue knew Kousagi Ayako, and their relationship could be described as that of rivals.

The other person was someone no one expected: the leader of Branch 177, Konori Mii. Today, Konori Mii was dressed in sportswear and explained to the familiar faces why she was there: "A senior from the disciplinary committee at my regular gym asked me to come."

"Ah, Misaki-kun~" A slightly coquettish voice came from behind them. "What are so many people gathered here for?" A cute blonde beauty appeared before them.

"Shokuhatsu Sōgi, what are you doing here?" Misaki Mikoto looked at the suddenly appearing Shokuhatsu Sōgi, somewhat nervous. After all, Shokuhatsu Sōgi's ability was terrifying.

"Of course, I'm here to be a model like you~" Everyone could tell this was a flimsy excuse.

In reality, after making a decision last night, Shokuhatsu Sōgi had decided to first understand Bai Jingyue's current situation. To do this, she used her memory-reading ability to access the recent memories of Bai Heizi, Bai Jingyue's sister. Upon discovering Bai Heizi's plans for the day, Shokuhatsu Sōgi decided to come along, perhaps to gain an advantage over her rival.

Of course, memory reading was best done when the others were unprepared. For example, by dropping a bombshell to shock them?

However, Shokuhatsu Sōgi had no idea what consequences her bombshell would bring. Souten Riko and Shokuhatsu Shizuri also learned about Shokuhatsu Sōgi's identity through Bai Heizi.

Regarding Shokuhatsu Sōgi, the two of them had just met and had no particular opinions, but they couldn't help but think, "Is she really a junior high school student?" when they saw her figure.

The argument stopped when the company's manager arrived, as they had all agreed to help and didn't want to cause a scene.

The manager led them to the dressing room, where they saw a variety of swimsuits.

The two from the swimming club came out first, one in a one-piece and the other in a bikini. Shokuhatsu Shizuri wore an orange one-piece, while Souten Riko wore a sky-blue dress-like swimsuit.

The last time at the "Seventh Mist" swimsuit shop, Bai Jingyue had recommended this dress-like swimsuit to Souten Riko, and she had chosen it with the idea of trying it out.

Misaki Mikoto also came out of the changing room, wearing a swimsuit similar to a school uniform. She had almost been persuaded by Souten Riko and Shokuhatsu Shizuri to wear a cuter swimsuit but gave up when Konori Mii saw her. Misaki Mikoto was frustrated with her own lack of straightforwardness.

Next, Bai Heizi came out, wearing a line-patterned swimsuit that barely covered her body. The others were already used to her eccentricity.

The appearance of the next three girls shocked the others.

Kousagi Ayako wore a red bikini that showcased her figure, but the real shock was the snake beside her, which scared the others.

If Kousagi Ayako drew attention with her outfit and snake, Konori Mii relied entirely on her "hard power."

The feeling of facing a natural enemy left the others, especially Shokuhatsu Shizuri, Bai Heizi, and Misaki Mikoto, feeling deeply wounded, as if they had been pierced through the heart.

"Although it's a bit tight, there's no larger size, so I have no choice." If this statement was just a blow, then Shokuhatsu Sōgi, who came out wearing a leopard-print bikini, was a fatal attack.

"Ah, you think so too? Really, for a swimsuit company to not have larger sizes is quite unprofessional~"

The others could accept Konori Mii, who was two years older than them, but Shokuhatsu Sōgi was their peer, leading them to wonder again, "Is she really a junior high school student?"

"Ah~ Misaki-kun is wearing such a swimsuit for photos? You don't have much of a figure to show off~"

"You!" Misaki Mikoto wanted to retort but had to hold back as the swimsuit company's manager led them to the shooting location.

In the "latest technology" photography studio in Academy City, various things happened, especially when the studio malfunctioned, and the group went through an "adventure" together, which changed their relationships. In particular, Misaki Mikoto and Shokuhatsu Sōgi, though still a bit awkward, no longer confronted each other.

During a break, while they were making curry together, Shokuhatsu Sōgi felt it was time and said to Bai Heizi, "Bai-kun, does your brother know you like girls?"

"Huh? What's it to you?" This question bothered Bai Heizi. Did she really have feelings for Misaki Mikoto beyond friendship? Or... she didn't know what to do, especially since Bai Jingyue already knew how she and Misaki Mikoto got along, and Bai Jingyue's girlfriend was her friend, Souten Riko. In short, Bai Heizi was avoiding the issue.

However, Shokuhatsu Sōgi's next words made her unable to avoid it and ignited a fire in the girls' hearts.

"Of course, it's related to me~" Such an ambiguous statement, especially coming from Level 5 Shokuhatsu Sōgi, had a significant impact on the others. Moreover, Bai Jingyue's official girlfriend was also present.

Everyone who knew Bai Jingyue turned their attention to her. Shokuhatsu Sōgi had thought only Bai Heizi would be surprised, but she didn't expect so many people to stare at her. With Misaki Mikoto present, she couldn't manipulate their minds, and if Bai Jingyue found out, their relationship would be over.

Regarding Shokuhatsu Sōgi's bombshell, everyone had many questions, but with Souten Riko present, no one had more authority to speak than her.