Chapter 2: My Female Friend Is Always at My Place

“Yo~ I brought drinks too.”

“Oh, thanks. You’re so thoughtful, Hazuki.”

“That’s only natural.”

Before entering Minato’s room, Hazuki stopped by the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of iced tea and a cup.

By the way, at some point, Hazuki had left her own dedicated cup at Minato’s place.

It was a pink Starbucks cup, apparently her favorite.

It seemed that in Hazuki’s household, her frequent visits to someone else’s home—to the point of leaving a personal cup—weren’t an issue.

Hazuki’s father wasn’t around, and she lived with her mother.

They also had a cat named Momo.

But Momo was apparently a very independent cat. As long as it was fed, it didn’t mind being ignored—or so Hazuki said.

Minato had been to Hazuki’s place several times, but Momo always hid in the shadows, never showing itself.

Since Minato loved cats, he looked forward to the day he’d finally see Momo.

Both Minato’s and Hazuki’s parents were extremely busy, often returning home late at night.

Sometimes they didn’t come home at all.

So, after becoming friends, they often hung out in each other’s rooms upon returning to the apartment. It had become their routine.

Most days, they went straight home from school; outings like today’s were rare.

Though Hazuki was the queen of her social clique, she’d recently become a complete homebody.

Perhaps because she was a super popular beauty with great social skills, her queenly status remained unshaken even if she didn’t hang out with her friends as much.

“Phew~ I’m exhausted~”

“That’s because you went wild out there… Huh?”

On closer inspection, Hazuki was still in her uniform.

“What’s up, Hazuki? Didn’t you change at home?”

“Changing’s such a hassle. It’s fine if it’s a bit wrinkled.”

Hazuki flopped onto Minato’s bed.

“Ahh~ So comfy. Lying down after exercising feels amazing~”

“You’re making yourself right at home.”

Hazuki had completely settled into Minato’s place.

If anything, she came to Minato’s more often than he went to hers.

Since Hazuki’s home was just her and her mother—both women—Minato felt a bit hesitant.

That said, he still visited her place once or twice a week.

“So, what’s for dinner? I’ve got instant curry… and instant beef rice.”

“Again? Maybe I should learn to cook. Imagine me in an apron in the kitchen—your heart would race, right?”

“If it’s food made by you, Hazuki, my heart might race for other reasons.”

“You jerk… You’ve got some nerve!”

Hazuki reached out from the bed, playfully grinding her fist into Minato’s shoulder.

“We’re both latchkey kids for life, and neither of us can cook.”

“There’s the convenience store, delivery, and tons of restaurants around.”

The area around their apartment had not only a convenience store but several chain restaurants.

Though both Minato and Hazuki received ample allowance from their parents, neither was into extravagant food.

“Instant food’s tasty enough. Oh, if Minato wants a girl’s home-cooked meal, I could offer my services?”

“Even if it’s visually appealing, it’d be torture for my tongue and stomach.”

“Your mouth’s so sharp~”

Hazuki reached out again, this time lightly tapping Minato’s shoulder with her fist.

It didn’t hurt much, but her glare was a bit intimidating.

“Should I cook then? Your strength might beat mine, but my hands are more skilled.”

“Don’t use words like ‘strength’ for a girl, okay? Anyway, neither of us is actually gonna cook. For me, as long as someone’s eating dinner with me at home, I’m happy.”

“…”

Minato was quietly surprised, thinking: Hazuki can say such cute things.

He completely agreed. For Minato who had eaten most of his dinners alone growing up, having Hazuki around was something he deeply appreciated.

“Alright, enough of that.”

Hazuki waved her hand with a wry smile.

“Let’s skip dinner for now since we just had burgers. Maybe eat at eight?”

“Sure, I’m not that hungry either.”

It was 7 p.m., an hour until eight.

On the way back from Sporty’s, they’d eaten burgers—naturally, paid for by Minato who lost at table tennis.

Though they were still growing, they weren’t hungry yet.

“Then I’ll play some Legend… That cool?”

“Since you hung out with me today, now I’ll hang out with you.”

“Hang out? You’re just gonna watch.”

Minato started the game on his computer, giving a wry smile.

He’d let Hazuki try the game a few times before, but her skills were hopelessly bad.

She’d gotten so frustrated, banging the desk repeatedly.

“With a beauty like me cheering you on, you’ll play better, right?”

“You’re too loud, always nagging like, ‘Someone’s coming from the side!’ or ‘Why didn’t you pick up that item?’ or ‘That female character’s chest is huge!’”

“That’s because you always pick the big-chested girls. If you want to see big chests, just look beside you.”

“I’m already tired of that.”

“Hey, mine are real! And they’re still growing!”

“Eh? Hazuki, they got bigger again?”

Minato couldn’t help but turn, eyeing Hazuki’s chest as she lay on the bed.

Under her pink cardigan, her white shirt had a few buttons undone, revealing her cleavage.

Not only that, but a glimpse of her black bra was faintly visible.

“I’m only a first-year, you know? Of course they’re still growing.”

“I-Is that so… If they get any bigger, won’t they get in the way?”

“They’re already in the way~ I’m not a gravure idol; too big’s no good.”

“Ugh…”

“Hey, stop staring. Minato look forward. The game’s started, hasn’t it?”

“Whoops.”

Minato tore his gaze from her captivating cleavage.

Hazuki was right—the game had begun.

Legendary Heroes was a first-person shooter, and the match started when characters parachuted from a transport plane to the ground.

Minato’s character was already mid-air.

“Phew, that was close. Damn, distracted by huge breasts… Losing this match’ll drop my rank.”

“Don’t say ‘huge breasts.’”

Hazuki rolled around on the bed, her ample chest bouncing with her.

“By the way, it’s so unfair how easy it is to tell a girl’s size. You can’t tell with guys.”

“You’re saying crude stuff again…”

At some point, Hazuki had started casually making suggestive remarks.

Girls might talk like that among themselves. From her perspective, this was probably like chatting with her female friends.

Though Minato wasn’t a fan of overly blunt dirty talk, Hazuki kept it within bounds.

If it was just light teasing, he actually kind of liked it.

“Hey, Minato.”

“Hm?”

From her tone, it sounded like Hazuki had thought of something fun and was smirking mischievously.

“Next time, let me see yours.”

“Normal state or… inflated?”

Looks like the dirty talk was continuing.

“Do you even have a choice?”

“Huh? What’s that mean?”

“When you show it to me, you’ll be so excited it’ll have to be inflated, right?”

“Don’t make me sound like an exhibitionist!”

Minato quipped while navigating the game map, scavenging for weapons, ammo, and healing items.

Though Legendary Heroes was an FPS, players started with just a knife.

They had to loot crates scattered across the map to gear up.

“Hahahaha! But I’d also like to see it in its normal state. Guess I’ll have to sneak attack you while you’re asleep.”

“Sneak attack?”

“Yeah, yeah. I wonder what Minato’s little Minato looks like!”

“‘Little Minato’? You sound like you’d actually do it—that’s terrifying…”

Imagining himself asleep, pants pulled down, and Hazuki seeing it…

Though the scenario felt thrilling, it’d mostly be overwhelming shame.

“Hahaha, you’re so fun, Minato. I can tease you without holding back.”

“Not fun at all. It’d be better if I was awake when you saw it… Oh, here they come!”

Minato spotted an enemy in the distance.

He aimed his gun and fired a few shots.

But he only grazed them, and the enemy ducked out of sight.

“Ugh, they got away. At this rate, you won’t rank up.”

“Shut up.”

Hazuki watched Minato play Legend almost daily and had picked up some game knowledge.

Legendary Heroes was a battle royale game.

Three players formed a team, fighting other teams, with the last team standing as the winner.

Since Hazuki only half-understood the game, she often mocked Minato from the sidelines.

Minato decided to refocus on the game.

This match felt tough—there seemed to be a lot of high-rank players.

Minato’s skills were above average, but he couldn’t beat the hardcore players who practically lived in the game.

On rare occasions, pro gamers were among the opponents. In those cases, trying too hard only led to disaster.

Minato played cautiously, waiting for other teams to get eliminated. Sometimes, he’d swoop in from behind while enemies fought each other, like a praying mantis catching a cicada, with the oriole behind.

Mid-tier players had their own strategies.

Minato positioned himself carefully—

“Oh, crap…!”

But he was too cautious, limiting his movement range, and the enemy seemed to have predicted his location.

He fell into an ambush and was quickly taken out.

His two teammates went down almost simultaneously, and the screen flashed “ALL DEAD.”

“Ugh, messed up… Oh well, at least we made top ten…”

Even without first place, top ten earned points.

The game’s essence was accumulating points to climb ranks.

Though players also faced the hellish experience of dropping ranks after consecutive losses.

He played two more matches, barely scraping into the top ten both times.

“Ugh, no good! I need revenge—wait, what about dinner… Huh?”

Minato dropped the mouse and turned around—

“Zzz… Zzz… Zzz… Zzz…”

“…Hey.”

Hazuki was fast asleep on Minato’s bed.

She was sprawled out, still clutching her phone.

Apparently, she got bored watching the game, scrolled on her phone, and dozed off.

Considering how much fun she had at Sporty’s, it wasn’t surprising she was exhausted.

“Jeez… What about dinner?”

It wasn’t eight yet, but she was sleeping so soundly, who knew when she’d wake up.

Maybe he should prepare dinner and wake her when it was ready.

But she looked so comfortable, it felt a bit daunting to disturb her.

Minato pondered, staring at his friend on the bed.

Her sleeping face was adorable.

No, even awake, Hazuki’s looks were super cute.

She wasn’t just the class’s acknowledged beauty but the school’s, and her sleeping face was practically angelic.

Though even if you beat him half to death, Minato wouldn’t use such sappy words to her face.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Hazuki’s body rose and fell gently with her breathing.

Since she was lying face-down, her proud, ample chest was squished, creating an especially provocative image.

Though she was a friend—being the opposite sex, Minato couldn’t help but notice her looks and body.

He felt a bit guilty toward Hazuki, but it was like an instinct he couldn’t control.

Friendship between guys and girls did exist.

Minato could confidently say that now, but it was also true that their relationship couldn’t be just friendship.

Honestly, part of why he hung out with Hazuki was less-than-pure motives.

To spend time with such a cute, alluring beauty and have no ulterior motives was impossible.

Even Minato who no longer dared hope for a relationship with a girl, couldn’t help but feel desire for Hazuki.

“But you’ve noticed too, haven’t you…?”

Minato poked Hazuki’s cheek with his index finger.

Her cheek was soft and tender, like pudding.

Though Hazuki’s grades were poor, she was far from clueless.

With so many friends, she surely knew what kind of desires guys had.

“Oh, right…”

Minato suddenly remembered something.

Hazuki had said she’d sneak attack him while he was asleep.

Normally, he’d think it was a joke.

But with Hazuki, she might actually do it.

She could say it as a joke and then pull off an outrageous prank.

Like when she suddenly tackled him on the trampoline or used that mysterious sidespin in table tennis.

So it’s fair for me to strike back a little, right?

No, it’s justified to sneak attack her while she’s asleep.

“But still—”

Minato reached out and grabbed the hem of Hazuki’s skirt.

Though he’d seen under her skirt not long ago, his heart still pounded.

Was it a man’s pathetic nature? Even knowing it was just safety shorts, he was thrilled.

As he lifted her familiar uniform skirt—

“…!”

It was underwear.

Black panties with lace trim along the edges.

The edges faintly revealed the skin beneath.

Since she was lying face-down, he couldn’t see the front.

But he could already see half of her petite, soft, and perky backside.

Hazuki’s butt was fair and smooth, as if it would jiggle elastically with the slightest movement.

Though they’d been hanging out for months, this was, unsurprisingly, the first time Minato had seen her panties up close.

Hazuki had said that in this day and age, nearly all high school girls wore safety shorts.

With miniskirts everywhere at school, there was no chance of seeing panties.

Minato couldn’t help but swallow hard—

“Mmm…”

Hazuki rolled over.

Her skirt was still lifted, exposing the front of her panties.

The front had lace trim too, plus a small red bow.

Her fair thighs were fully visible. Only now did Minato realize how snowy white his friend’s skin was.

Smooth, pale skin, black panties, and the hidden part beneath—

Minato stared, unable to look away.

Before he knew it, his face was so close his breath could reach that spot—

“…Hey, have you seen enough? Done yet?”

“…!”

Minato jolted back, scrambling away from the bed.

Hazuki sat up, half-squinting at him with a glare.

And her face was bright red.

“S-Sorry, Hazuki! It’s just…!”

“Didn’t expect you to beat me to it, Minato. I was planning to sneakily pull your pants down.”

“…Huh, wait? You’re not mad…?”

“Does this face look like it’s not mad?”

“It looks mad.”

Hazuki puffed out her cheeks.

Having her skirt lifted and panties fully exposed while sleeping—she couldn’t not be mad.

Even if it was a boyfriend, she’d probably be upset.

Let alone Minato who was just a friend—

“Being stared at like that makes me shy, you know. Can you tone it down a bit?”

“Huh? It’s about the degree?”

“It’s like… having your underwear seen isn’t that big a deal, right…?”

“Eh?”

By Minato’s standards, guys’ and girls’ underwear were worlds apart in value.

“Hmph, I messed up by falling asleep. My bad.”

“I-Is that so…”

Hazuki’s openness with Minato seemed greater than he’d imagined.

In a way, she might feel more at ease with him than with a boyfriend.

“Wait, Hazuki, weren’t you wearing safety shorts earlier?”

“Yeah, I took them off when I got home.”

“If you didn’t change out of your uniform, why take those off?”

“Honestly, I don’t like wearing safety shorts. They make it hard to relax.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be for relaxing?”

In Minato’s mind, safety shorts were worn to feel secure by preventing panty flashes.

“It’s quick to take off just the shorts. And most of the time when I’m here, I take them off. I just didn’t tell you.”

“If you did tell me, that’d make you a perv.”

No need to announce, “I’m only wearing panties now.”

“But I get that wearing two layers of pants would be uncomfortable…”

“Oh, I get it. You thought I was wearing safety shorts, so you lifted my skirt, right, Minato?”

“O-Of course! No matter what, if I knew you were only in panties—”

“Don’t say ‘only in panties.’ If that’s the case, I’m not mad. You should thank me, Minato.”

“T-Thanks…”

Minato couldn’t help but bow his head.

It might sound like an excuse, but if he’d known there were no safety shorts, he probably wouldn’t have lifted her skirt.

“…No, maybe I’d want to lift it more if I knew…”

“What’re you muttering about, Minato? Jeez, you—”

Hazuki stood up from the bed, looking down at Minato who was still on the floor.

Her skirt was so short it felt like he’d catch another glimpse underneath.

“It feels like you’re too considerate of me, Minato.”

“Eh? Considerate?”

“We’re friends, but we can’t be completely unguarded, right? If you did something really thoughtless or clueless, even I might not be able to handle it in some cases.”

“W-What do you mean? Did I mess up before?”

“Not like that. I mean you’re too polite… No, that’s not quite it.”

“What is it?”

She suddenly said something vague, then contradicted herself, leaving him totally confused.

“You could get closer to me, but you always hold back~”

“N-No, that’s not true…”

“Just so you know, I rarely invite people to my place.”

“…”

Hazuki thinks I’m special—she sees me as a special friend.

That’s how he could take it, right?

Minato’s mind was nearly spiraling into chaos.

“I don’t rank my friends or anything.”

Hazuki’s face flushed slightly as she looked away.

“But… my closest friend right now is you, Minato.”

“…”

“D-Don’t just stay silent! Say something, like teasing me for saying something embarrassing! Ugh, I shouldn’t have said it!”

“S-Sorry…”

“Don’t apologize! That’s not what I meant… Say something embarrassing too!”

“What kind of request is that?!”

“Just say whatever you want! You’ve got at least one or two things you’ve held back because you’re too considerate, right?”

“Even if you say that out of nowhere, I don’t know what to—Oh.”

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through Minato’s mind.

The bond he and Hazuki had built over these months wouldn’t break so easily.

There seemed to be a friendship strong enough to make him believe that.

Plus, he thought this idea might fulfill Hazuki’s current request—

“Hey, Hazuki.”

“Hm?”

“Please—let me see your panties!”

“What?”

Hazuki, standing, frantically pressed down her skirt.

“W-What do you mean, let you see my panties… You already stared at them for ages!”

“If I get the chance, of course I’ll look as long as I can!”

“And what’s that supposed to do?”

“Do you think wanting to see a girl’s panties needs a reason?!”

“Why am I the one getting scolded?!”

Hazuki glared sharply at Minato—

“You’d ask a friend to show you their panties?”

“I wouldn’t dare say that to a regular girl. Even if it was a girlfriend, I might not dare.”

“…So you’re saying because I’m a friend, you can say it?”

“Didn’t you tell me to stop holding back and get closer to you…?”

This logic was pure sophistry.

“T-That’s not what I meant… Or maybe it is? Ugh, I don’t even know what I’m saying!”

Hazuki crossed her arms, pondering.

“S-So, you really want to see that bad? To see my… p-panties…”

“I said, wanting to see doesn’t need a reason—”

“Call it instinct or desire… You’re a guy, after all, Minato…”

Hazuki suddenly grabbed her skirt hem.

“W-Well, if it’s just showing my panties, that’s no big deal… right?”

“Y-You don’t need payment?”

“If you paid me, I’d refuse!”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

Minato realized he’d said something dumb and reflected on it.

There shouldn’t be money involved between friends.

In a way, that was worse than asking to see panties.

“How long is this idiot conversation gonna go on? J-Just look already.”

“…!”

Unexpectedly, Hazuki briskly lifted her skirt.

But she didn’t lift it much, just revealing a glimpse of her black panties.

That tiny peek was somehow even more provocative.

“Whoa…”

“Hey, your eyes are sparkling! They didn’t even shine this much when you got first in Legend!”

“Of course…”

Getting first in Legend was no easy feat.

But getting a close-up view of a cute girl’s panties was even rarer.

“You’re staring too hard… Looking at me like that…”

“Sorry, can you lift it a bit higher?”

“And so demanding. You’re really pushing it… L-Like this?”

Though Hazuki said it reluctantly, she obediently raised her skirt a little more.

The slight bulge between her legs came into view.

What was beneath those black panties—Minato fantasized, swallowing hard.

“Is seeing panties really that exciting?”

“Of course…”

“…Hey, Minato.”

“What? I’m in the middle of enjoying this.”

“You’ve stared too long… T-That’s enough! You’ve seen plenty, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Minato nodded. Hazuki promptly lowered her skirt, pressing it down.

“W-Was I too much?”

“A little… But I’d also want to see a cute girl’s panties, like Ruka’s.”

“Ruka… Oh, you mean Serina?”

Serina Ruka was a female classmate of Minato and Hazuki’s.

Her appearance was the opposite of Hazuki’s—a pure, black-haired beauty.

Though a girl’s curiosity about another girl’s panties was probably different from a guy’s desire.

“Whoops, forget I said that. Anyway~ this ‘game’ was kinda fun, huh?”

“That counted as a game?”

If it was that fun, he’d want to play every day.

Though he felt a bit guilty viewing a female friend sexually, it was impossible not to have impure thoughts about someone as cute as Hazuki.

“But~ You’re such a perv, Minato. Big perv, big perv!”

“Don’t tease me like an elementary schooler!”

“Hahaha!”

Hazuki laughed heartily.

Her innocent demeanor now showed no trace of the provocative panty display earlier.

Minato’s heart nearly raced again.

The contrast between her pure smile and the highly erotic panties was utterly captivating…

“…Hey, Minato you’re not thinking naughty stuff again, are you?”

“N-No way.”

“Don’t go too far. I’m not your girlfriend, you know?”

“I-I know. Let’s keep getting along…”

“Don’t be so formal~ But…”

Hazuki blushed, looking away—

“If it’s just occasionally… let’s play this game again next time, okay?”

“…”

Minato had no reason to refuse.

It seemed Hazuki had genuinely enjoyed it too.

This female friend wasn’t just unconventional—she was far more extraordinary than Minato had thought.

Since she’d shown him her panties, he wondered how far she’d go with other requests—

An impolite thought crossed his mind.

A few days after Minato and Hazuki learned to play their “new game”…

During that time, Hazuki came to Minato’s place almost every day—no, definitely every day.

That day after school, as usual, they returned to the apartment together and took the elevator.

“Minato come to my place today. I feel kinda bad always barging into your place.”

“Hm~ My dad comes home late anyway, so it’s no big deal.”

“It’s about how I feel—Hey, wait!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Minato quickly pulled his hand away from Hazuki’s skirt.

The lifted skirt fell back, covering her dazzling fair thighs and black safety shorts.

But since her uniform skirt was so short, her thighs were still mostly exposed.

“Jeez~ I did say you could look when I’m wearing safety shorts.”

“You did say that, Hazuki.”

“But not in the elevator! What if it stops and someone gets on?”

“They’d be jealous…?”

“Are you an idiot?! They’d think we’re lunatics!”

A guy lifting a high school girl’s skirt in an elevator—

At best, he’d be labeled a pervert; at worst, they’d both be seen as freaks playing some kind of molester game.

No, either way, it was bad.

“You’ll seriously get arrested! And you’d drag me into it too!”

“S-Sorry!”

Indeed—ever since they started that new “game,” Hazuki had been quite generous with her “benefits” for Minato.

When they were alone, she even allowed Minato to do something as outrageous as lifting her skirt.

That said, going too far would earn him a scolding, like now.

Even as friends, there seemed to be a line they needed to respect.

“At least wait until we’re inside?”

“So it’s okay once we’re inside?”

But the line Hazuki set for Minato seemed to be drawn quite far back.

Her usual black safety shorts were the type that hugged her hips, quite short in length, exposing most of her thighs with a fabric area similar to panties.

Plus, since they clung to her skin, her hip contours were clearly visible. Honestly, they were already very provocative.

Minato couldn’t help but stare at Hazuki’s hips through her skirt.

They stepped out of the elevator, walking down the hallway to Hazuki’s place.

“Hazuki, your skirt’s so short. Even with safety shorts, you should be careful not to let anyone see underneath, okay?”

“You’re one to talk, Minato.”

“…Fair point.”

“I’m super careful~ Like on windy days or when climbing stairs, I always hold my skirt down. You don’t think I’m an exhibitionist, do you?”

“But you show me.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re my friend, Minato.”

They crossed the hallway. Hazuki opened her apartment door and stepped inside.

Then, she suddenly stopped—

“Huh? Minato you’re not looking at my safety shorts?”

“I already saw them earlier, so I’m not in a rush.”

“Not in a rush, huh… Oh, Momo♡”

Hazuki kicked off her shoes roughly and dashed to the living room.

Minato caught a fleeting glimpse of Momo’s figure.

Momo was Hazuki’s beloved cat, practically family—no, definitely family.

“Tch, she hid again. Once that girl hides, she rarely comes out.”

“I haven’t gotten a good look at her either. I’ve been to your place so many times, but she’s way too shy.”

“Momo’s not shy.”

“Huh?”

“She just doesn’t show herself easily. Basically, Momo thinks she’s the boss of the house.”

“What kind of VIP is she?”

Next, she’ll be ruling from behind a curtain or something.

Minato entertained the silly thought as he took off his shoes and stepped inside.

“For some reason, whenever you’re here, Minato she never comes to my room.”

“Cats are just tricky creatures.”

Dogs are friendly, cats do their own thing. Though that distinction might be too simplistic.

Minato loved cats too, even going out of his way to help look for missing ones when he saw posters.

Though he wanted to pet Momo, he hadn’t had the chance yet.

“I’ll grab some drinks. Head to my room.”

“Got it.”

Barging into a girl’s room always felt a bit daunting—

But he was long past that stage.

Minato casually entered Hazuki’s room without hesitation.

A white patterned rug, a wooden desk, a vanity, a closet, and a large bed.

In the center was a black coffee table with a cushion beside it.

The room was filled with stuffed animals—rabbits, bears, dolphins, and more dolphins.

It was a quintessential high school girl’s room. At first, Minato had been nervous here.

But now, he was so used to it, it felt like a second room of his own.

“Sorry for the wait. I suddenly craved apple juice, and we had some, so I poured it. That okay?”

“Sure. It’s warm today, so something cold sounds good.”

Minato thanked her and took the glass Hazuki handed him.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s already October, but it’s still kinda hot today.”

Hazuki took a sip of juice, set it on the coffee table, and was about to sit on the bed—

“Oh, I’m taking off my safety shorts.”

With that, she stood back up, slipping her hands under her skirt.

She stuck out her hips, and the black safety shorts emerged from under the miniskirt—

“…Hey, Minato staring like that’s kinda embarrassing.”

“It’s just… Don’t girls sometimes change into or out of gym clothes under their skirts in the classroom?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, that happens a lot.”

“That kind of scene, surprisingly, can really get a guy’s heart racing.”

“Are guys that pure?”

“Well, it probably depends on the guy…”

For Minato it felt like something he shouldn’t stare at.

Since he’d sneak sideways glances, he could hardly call himself pure.

“Oh… W-Well, since no one else is watching, do whatever.”

“Huh, whatever I want?”

“Your eyes are sparkling way too much!”

Minato couldn’t help but lean forward—

“S-So… Can I take off your safety shorts?”

“Eh, when I said whatever, I didn’t mean—You really want to take them off?”

The question was redundant; there was no answer but yes.

“You’ve already seen my panties… What’s fun about taking off safety shorts?”

“Well, I just wanna try it once…”

“For real? Guys’ minds are so hard to get… But, it does sound kinda fun…”

Hazuki, with her safety shorts still at her thighs, clearly hesitated.

That pose was quite alluring, though she didn’t seem to realize it.

“W-Well, it’s no big deal… Fine, do it.”

“Seriously…?”

Hazuki nodded.

It wasn’t like she was showing him anything too private, and it barely involved touching.

“Okay, go ahead, Minato.”

“Wait, before that…”

“Hm?”

“Can you put them back on? Since I’m taking them off, I want to start from the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”

Hazuki seemed utterly shocked by Minato’s request.

Though the half-down safety shorts were indeed provocative, since he had the chance, he wanted to slide his hands under her skirt to take them off.

“You’re really pushing it… Getting all bold all of a sudden.”

Grumbling, Hazuki pulled her safety shorts back up.

She smoothed out her skirt, fixing the hem.

“There. Now you can take them off…”

“Y-Yeah.”

Minato nodded, slowly reaching under Hazuki’s skirt as she stood.

Careful not to touch her thighs, he lifted the skirt from the inside—

“S-So… I’m taking off your safety shorts now.”

“You don’t have to say it… Ah!”

Groping around, Minato pinched the safety shorts, sliding them down her thighs.

The process was smoother than he’d imagined—

“Ah, hey, idiot!”

“Huh?”

“My p-panties! You grabbed my panties!”

“Oh, s-sorry!”

Since he was going by feel, he’d accidentally pulled her panties down along with the shorts.

Meaning, under the skirt in front of Minato there were neither safety shorts nor panties, but—

“Hey, I know what you’re imagining!”

“…Ugh.”

No guy in this situation could avoid imagining what was under that skirt.

“Uh, should I pull your panties back up?”

“J-Just leave them! Jeez… You really wanted to take off my safety shorts, huh, Minato!”

“I don’t wanna stop halfway.”

Minato carefully pinched just the safety shorts, continuing to pull them down.

The black shorts slid over her fair thighs, coming into view—

“L-Lift your foot a bit, Hazuki.”

“You won’t be satisfied until they’re completely off?”

Grumbling, Hazuki plopped onto the bed, lifting one leg.

“…!”

In that instant, Minato caught a glimpse under her lifted skirt.

Not just the pink panties pulled to her thighs, but deeper—

Though it was shadowy, he could barely see anything.

“What’s up, Minato?”

“N-Nothing. Alright, they’re off. Good job.”

“You’re treating me like a kid? I can take them off myself.”

Hazuki casually lifted her leg again, lightly kicking Minato’s shoulder.

In that moment, Minato glimpsed her pink panties and the deeper area again.

“Hm? Minato why’d you lean in just now?”

“N-No reason. What do I do with these safety shorts? Can I keep them?”

“Why?! What would you do with them?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right.”

Faced with such an unreal situation and sight, Minato’s mind was a bit foggy.

No matter what, taking a girl’s personal clothing was too perverse.

“I need to wash them later, so give them back. Anyway… Phew~ So much better. Taking off safety shorts at home feels amazing.”

“They’re that bothersome…?”

After Hazuki took back the shorts, Minato finally calmed down a bit.

If he stayed that excited, who knows what else he’d ask of her.

“Depends on the person. I find them annoying, but some girls wear longer ones. Guys have different kinds of underwear too, right?”

“Yeah, like long boxers, short boxers, or briefs. I’m a short boxers guy.”

“Oh~ I thought most guys wore long boxers. Guys have preferences too, huh.”

“What, you wanna see, Hazuki?”

“I don’t wanna see openly—I wanna catch you off guard and yank your pants down!”

“That’s terrifying!”

With Hazuki, the scariest part was that she might actually do it.

Though it also made Minato a bit excited.

Alone with Hazuki, if Minato dozed off—she’d undo his belt, forcefully pull down his pants, and inspect his boxers.

The taboo scenario thrilled him.

“Anyway, that’s not important! We’re supposed to watch that show together today!”

“Oh, right, I forgot.”

A 43-inch TV hung on Hazuki’s wall.

Recently, Hazuki had gotten hooked on a foreign drama and really wanted to watch it with Minato.

“No one around me follows this show, and it’s already on season six. Since it’s so long, it’s hard to find someone to watch with.”

“That long does make it intimidating.”

Plus, it was a serious fantasy series with complex character relationships, so the barrier to entry seemed high.

“And I don’t want to watch with someone who’ll just say, ‘It’s boring,’ afterward.”

“I can’t guarantee I’ll love it.”

“I have a feeling you’ll like it, Minato.”

“Really?”

The ordinary Minato and the social butterfly Hazuki were opposites in personality and status.

But they clicked surprisingly well, that was true.

“Also, even if it’s not great, I won’t feel bad forcing you to watch to the end.”

“You should feel bad!”

Though Minato had no room to talk, Hazuki was pretty shameless too.

Maybe because of their dynamic, she allowed him to take off her safety shorts.

“I told you~ This show’s fun but has a lot of confusing parts. Like, characters seem to have grudges, but it’s not fully explained.”

“Can’t you just look it up online?”

“That’d spoil it! Even search results can spoil everything!”

“Y-Yeah, fair point. I get that…”

Minato absolutely hated game spoilers, so he understood Hazuki’s sentiment.

“If you watch too, Minato we can discuss the confusing parts and share our thoughts, right?”

“Guess so…”

In short, Hazuki wanted a buddy to enjoy this drama with.

Minato was convenient and probably the best choice.

“Let’s start watching then. Hazuki, your turn.”

“Got it.”

Minato grabbed the remote from the coffee table and handed it to Hazuki.

Hazuki sat on the bed, while Minato sat on the floor, leaning against it.

“By the way, Minato…”

“Hm?”

“Did you just peek under my skirt?! I didn’t give you permission for that!”

“Whoa!”

Hazuki suddenly hooked her legs around Minato’s neck from behind.

“Hey, h-hey… Too tight, too tight!”

“You fake safety-short-remover! You need some punishment!”

“…!”

Hazuki’s thighs clamped tightly around Minato’s neck.

Though it was tight—Minato could clearly feel the softness of her thighs.

He wasn’t sure if he should feel delighted or pained.

“Hey, Hazuki…!”

“You think you’re off the hook?”

“N-No… Your thighs are just so… meaty…”

“You calling me fat?”

“N-No…!”

Hazuki’s thighs looked slender but were surprisingly firm.

Not just plump but smooth and tender, utterly irresistible.

For Minato the pleasure outweighed the pain.

“Oh~ Looks like we need to teach you a lesson before watching. You’re getting too cocky!”

“H-Hey, this is seriously bad…”

“Hahaha! Liar. You smirked just now, didn’t you?”

Hazuki seemed to know that, despite the pain, Minato was enjoying it.

She tightened her thighs around his neck even more, and Minato savored the soft sensation against his face.

Last time, she only showed him her panties.

Today, she let him take off her safety shorts and subjected him to this heavenly thigh hell.

The games he played with Hazuki were getting more and more fun—