Chapter 43
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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms
Chapter 43: A Cross-Dressing Boy Goes On A Stakeout
“‥‥‥‥Fuwaa‥‥. So sleepy…
I raise my upper body from the bed, stretch both arms straight above my head, and let out a big yawn.
I looked at the alarm clock on the headboard and saw it was 5:00 AM.
Yesterday, I almost got caught by Kyoichiro, and Akane showed up at my house out of the blue, so it was a busy day… But today, I’ve got things to do too.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stand up and grab the Hananomiya Girls’ Academy uniform hanging on the wall.
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I climb the deserted hill path, enveloped in silence, and arrive at Hananomiya Girls’ Academy.
Once inside the school entrance, I take a rag and bucket from the cleaning locker by the door.
“Alright… Guess I’ll try doing a good deed for a change.”
Honestly, I’m about to do something that’s not really like me.
But that person is going to be my partner for the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ play from now on.
If it helps Akane play Romeo in a better situation, I’ll dedicate myself to supporting her.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
After muttering that, I pick up the bucket and head to the water source.
“…I guess this is good enough.”
I toss the dirty rag into the bucket on the floor and let out a small sigh.
After about 20 minutes of cleaning… Akane’s locker was neatly returned to its original cleanliness.
However, no matter how much I scrubbed, the dirt on her loafers (Shoes) wouldn’t come off.
The yellow stain from the egg is too noticeable, so it’s probably not possible to keep using these shoes.
Well, at least the shoe locker is clean now, so that’s good enough for now.
The biggest issue right now isn’t the dirt on the shoes.
“Now then, I would like to find the student responsible for dirtied Akane’s locker… I wonder if they will really show their true colors that easily…”
People who do such sneaky things won’t show up where there are others around.
If that’s the case, it would be wise to wait out the moment to catch the bullies in the act with Akane’s locker.
Either the early morning or after school, they’ll likely act during one of those times.
“After putting away the cleaning supplies… I’ll start the stakeout.”
It would be great if this could be resolved in just one attempt, but…
Well, based on my experience, bullying doesn’t end that easily.
The only way to solve the problem is to talk to the person responsible directly.
I picked up the bucket and quietly walked further down the hallway.
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“Good morning!”
“Oh, good morning!”
“Good morning!”
I’ve been staking out Akane’s shoe locker for about an hour and a half, hiding behind the lockers, but the person who seems to be the ringleader hasn’t shown up.
When I check my watch, it’s 7:20 AM.
More and more students were beginning to arrive at school, and the presence of people at the entrance and exit was gradually growing busier.
It’s probably time to call it quits. Judging by the situation, it’s safe to assume that they won’t strike this morning.
“Phew… Well, a lot of teachers come to school in the early morning. I guess the bullies thought that this was a high-risk time.”
I shrug my shoulders and let out a big sigh.
Just then, a voice calls out from behind me.
“Good morning, Kisaragi-san. You’re up early.”
When I turned around, there was a blue-haired girl with a bag slung over her shoulder, Ginjou Haruki.
As usual, she flashes a handsome smile, showing her white teeth, and comes closer—gently clasping my hands with hers.
Then, once again, she brings her face close to mine, as if she’s about to kiss me.
“I’m so happy to see you this morning. Today’s going to be a great day!”
“W-wait, G-Ginjou-senpai!? T-that’s too close!!”
“Hehe, Kisaragi-san, your eyes really are beautiful. They remind me of my grandmother’s—they’re the same deep blue. Like emeralds, or jade… Just like jewels.”
W-why is it… Like yesterday, when this person looks at me up close… I blush and can’t move…
Whenever she gets close, I feel a flutter deep in my heart!! A flutter!!
N-no, no, no, what’s with the fluttering!! That’s disgusting!! You’re a guy, Kaede Kisaragi!!
Pull yourself together! Act like a man!!
Wait, her grandmother…?
“G-Ginjou-senpai, did you just say my eyes resemble your grandmother’s…?”
“Yeah. Actually, my grandmother was Irish. She had the same beautiful blue eyes as you do, Kisaragi-san. Since I first met you, I’ve always thought your eyes were just like hers.”
“So… Does that mean you’re also… a half? A quarter…?”
“Yeah. I’m a quarter, part Irish and part Japanese.”
“…”
I only met her once when I was little, but my grandmother was also Irish.
And just like her, I’m also a quarter, part Irish and part Japanese.
…This isn’t just a coincidence, is it?
To be honest, I couldn’t believe that Kyoichiro, who was devoted to my mom, could have an illegitimate child… But with this many similarities, the idea that this girl could be my half-sister is starting to seem more and more plausible.
“? What’s wrong? Your face suddenly looks scary.”
“No… It’s nothing.”
“Really? By the way—I’ve been wondering, why were you hiding behind the lockers, watching the students arrive? It didn’t seem like you were waiting for someone.”
This girl noticed that I was staking out and deliberately approached me.
She’s pretty sharp.
It would be easy to come up with an excuse… but maybe I should take a step forward to gather some information from Ginjou-senpai.
“Actually… A friend of mine in the same grade had someone put raw eggs in their locker and write nasty graffiti on it yesterday. So, I’ve been hiding behind the lockers, keeping an eye out for the culprit.”
“I see… I’ve never heard of bullying at this school before… But it happens among first-years, huh? Hmm.”
She releases my hands, then puts a hand on her chin and seems to think for a moment.
After a few seconds, she nods and gives me a gentle smile.
“It might be inappropriate to say, but… this sounds interesting. Hey, can I help you with this, Kisaragi-san?”
“Huh? Help…?”
“Yeah. I’m known as the ‘Onee-sama’ at this school, after all. As the ideal senpai admired by the underclassmen, I can’t overlook a first-year in trouble. So, I’d like to help with this issue… Is that alright?”
“I-if you don’t mind, then…”
“Great. Then let’s stake out after school. Oh, and if we’re doing a stakeout, we’ll need some bean-jam buns and milk, right? I’ll buy some at the store during lunch.”
With that, Ginjou-senpai waves her hand and turns to leave.
“See you later, Kisaragi-san. Until after school!”
Taking a step with each overly theatrical movement, Ginjou-senpai straightens her back and disappears down the corridor.
But seriously… is that handsome girl really my half-sister…?
Honestly, I don’t think we look alike. I’m not that tall.
Even though I’m a guy, I’m really short.
“Hmm… I’m starting to feel depressed…”
After quietly mumbling that to myself, I headed back to my class for the lesson.
