Chapter 16

Walking around the store in women's clothing is, for me, akin to living hell.

However, if my cross-dressing isn't noticeable enough to be spotted by my friends, perhaps from now on I can proudly go out on the town with RinKa.

...I'm not sure if I can even call it "proudly" wearing women's clothing.

With the encouragement of the Kurihara group, I cautiously slouched and stepped into the bookstore where Saito and Tachibana had entered.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, but there were few customers.

...Is this for RinKa's sake?

It's so embarrassing that I feel like crying, but I muster up the courage and walk around the store.

I walk in a way that casually enters Saito and Tachibana's line of sight... and leave the bookstore after about five minutes.

"Man, that was tough..."

My heart is still pounding.

Getting caught cross-dressing by a friend is really a situation I want to avoid...

I start to walk down the street to meet up with the Kurihara group.

"Hey, Ayanokoji?"

"Huh―――"

Called by my name, I instinctively turn around.

There stood Saito and Tachibana with puzzled faces.

"Sure enough, it's Ayanokoji! What's with that outfit?"

"See, I told you. I knew there was a 20% chance it was Ayanokoji."

"That's really low! ...Ah, no, this is... that..."

How do I cover this up...? I decide it's too late to cover it up.

I had been somewhat optimistic, thinking that even if I hadn't been caught before, they wouldn't notice this time.

They turned out to be sharper than I thought.

"Ayanokoji, you... were following us in women's clothing?"

"N-no, no! There's a reason for this..."

"It's okay, Ayanokoji. You don't have to explain everything."

"Huh?"

Tachibana, smiling gently, places a hand on my shoulder.

"No matter what hobbies you have, we'll accept you as a friend."

"It's a misunderstanding! Let me explain!"

I plead with a half-screaming voice to the embarrassed Tachibana.

"I understand, Ayanokoji. I get it."

"Saito...?"

"Actually, I've been thinking for a while now. I thought Ayanokoji might have this kind of hobby."

"No, I don't! Please, just listen to me!"

The two of them look at me with a kind of gentle gaze.

Their eyes were filled with a compassionate look, as if they were ready to accept everything.

...Should I slap them?

They're not listening to me at all.

"Ayanokoji's cross-dressing is perfect. According to my calculations, there's a 98% chance no one would recognize you."

"...Then why did you guys recognize me?"

"Ayanokoji's behavior was too unnatural. If you had acted more naturally, even we wouldn't have noticed."

Saito's words are echoed with a nod from Tachibana.

Damn... This might be valuable feedback.

No matter how perfect the makeup and clothing, if you act unnaturally, you're bound to stand out.

It's something I need to improve on for the future.

"..."

"What's wrong, Tachibana?"

What's going on?

Tachibana stares at my face blankly.

"Hey, Ayanokoji. I've been thinking."

"...What about?"

"For some reason, I'm not popular with girls. I'm completely unattractive to them."

"A, ah...?"

What is Tachibana trying to say?

"So, I thought... maybe guys could be an option."

"Ah... ah!?!"

"Hey, Ayanokoji. If you look like a girl, it's okay if you're a guy inside, right?"

"No, it's not! What are you talking about!?"

Tachibana's gaze is filled with a strange heat.

I have a bad feeling about this.

It seems the coordination by Kurihara and Kiyokawa was too perfect.

It's like I opened a new door for a guy who isn't popular with girls...!

"Ayanokoji... How about it, right now?"

"What are you talking about!?"

Tachibana, blushing like a lovesick girl, his eyes moist and dreamy, evoking the sweet beginning of a love story...

"Sorry! I just remembered something! See you later!"

"Wait, Ayanokoji! I'm not done talking yet!"

This is seriously bad.

Turning my back on Tachibana and the others, I run for my life.

☆

"That was really bad... That was really, really bad..."

"You have some great friends. I'm so jealous... hehe."

"That's sarcasm, right? You're laughing a little."

In a quiet corner of the street, as I catch my breath, Kiyokawa says with a teasing smile. Is this junior being too cheeky?

"Hey, Kazu-kun. If you and Tachibana-kun were to date, who would be the seme and who would be the uke?"

"Sorry, Kurihara. Can you be quiet for a moment?"

For a BL game enthusiast like Kurihara, it might be a matter of great interest.

But I have no obligation to respond, and I don't want to.

Even if it were a "what if"...

"This has given us a clear goal for the future."

"Yeah... I need to act more naturally."

If I can get used to cross-dressing, going to the fireworks festival with RinKa might not be a dream.

It's an outlandish idea, but perhaps the most realistic strategy... right?