At this point, Kuroha Akira finally allowed a faint smile to surface. He raised the orange soda in his hand and extended it toward her.
"Thanks for the drink. But just so you know—even if you try to bribe me, if the work isn't good enough, I'm still going to reject it, okay?"
"Th-that's not a bribe at all… I just wanted to thank Kuroha-kun properly…"
"Is that so? Then let's toast, shall we? Here's to smooth sailing from now on."
"Ah, okay!"
Aizono Moe quickly bought another can of orange soda, popped the tab, and clinked it against Kuroha Akira's.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Like a freshman at her first drinking party who couldn't bear to refuse a toast, Aizono Moe held the can with both hands, expression full of determination. She finally made up her mind, tilted her head back, and chugged the entire thing in one go.
In her eyes, it was already a huge honor that Kuroha Akira was willing to give her another chance. Now that he'd proposed a toast, she had to go all out to show her loyalty!
So, despite how uncomfortable it was, Aizono Moe forced herself to finish the entire can.
Kuroha Akira stared blankly at her performance. This time, he really wanted to say, "Isn't that a bit much?"
Sure, it couldn't compare to the insane challenge videos from his past life where streamers chugged two-liter bottles of cola until they threw up. Still, it was a full can of carbonated soda. Downing it all at once would leave her painfully bloated and absolutely miserable.
Right now, Aizono Moe was indeed miserable—so much so that tears were practically welling up in her eyes.
Because her stomach was full of gas, her already generous chest looked even more magnificent due to her inflated ribcage. She desperately wanted to burp and release all that pressure, but as an active high school girl who cared deeply about her image, she couldn't bring herself to burp so indelicately in front of a boy. So she forced it back down.
After finishing the drink, Aizono Moe wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and forced a smile that looked like she was about to cry.
"Th-that… I… I finished it… Kuroha-kun…"
"Uh… yeah. Well done."
Kuroha Akira praised her dryly, but inside, he was deeply confused.
He'd just wanted to toast and celebrate—how did it turn into a punishment game? This almost felt like bullying…
Was it because he said "toast" that she literally drank it all? Was she really that strict?
Kuroha Akira silently noted that he couldn't encourage her to do anything else. She was very likely to take things way too far.
She said her good friend's brakes were broken, but it looks like your brakes are severely malfunctioning too, Moe-chan.
After a moment's thought, Kuroha Akira also chugged most of his own can, then let out a loud burp right in front of her—using his own actions to say, "It's okay to burp in front of me."
However, Aizono Moe's problem had shifted from burping to something far more urgent. The trapped gas was pressing on her abdomen, and the carbonation had triggered a powerful urge to pee.
Actually, even before leaving the clubroom, after drinking that cup of tea, Aizono Moe had already felt a slight need to use the restroom. But it hadn't been urgent, and she'd been waiting for Kuroha Akira, so she put it off.
Then, while talking to Kuroha Akira, her nerves stayed wound tight. She was especially nervous.
Some people feel the urge to pee when they get anxious. The reason is that anxiety leads to sympathetic nerve excitement, which reflexively stimulates the nerves of the urinary system—thus creating the urge to urinate.
Aizono Moe was exactly that type of person. Now, with an extra can of soda adding to the bloat, her condition had gone from bad to worse. She could barely hold it in anymore.
At this moment, her legs unconsciously pressed together. Her body leaned slightly forward. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her eyes betrayed an undeniable urgency.
The need to pee was like a surging tide, constantly battering her rationality. She wished she could find a restroom immediately and release the unbearable pressure.
If she didn't get to a bathroom soon, she was really going to leak…
Aizono Moe could no longer worry about her image. She spoke to Kuroha Akira with desperate haste.
"Um, Kuroha-kun, I… I need to use the restroom. You should head back first. Don't wait for me…"
Kuroha Akira could tell she was in dire straits, so he nodded.
"Oh, sure. I'll head back then. You'd better hurry."
"Mm, mm! Once I get back, I'll redo the coloring with everything I've got!"
With that, Aizono Moe hurried toward the school building. Her steps were rushed and chaotic, as if every passing second was pure torture.
But panic leads to mistakes. Just as she stepped onto the stairs at the side entrance, her toe caught the edge of a step. Her balance wavered, and she pitched forward.
Shirai Shiori knew how clumsy Aizono Moe could be—especially when flustered. She'd always reminded her to watch her step. And yet, old habits died hard.
Normally, a fall would just hurt a bit. But this time, the critical issue was her desperate need to pee—and Kuroha Akira, being the busybody he was, reacted instantly.
Seeing her about to fall, Kuroha Akira reflexively lunged forward and reached out to catch her.
However, because Aizono Moe was falling forward with her arms outstretched to protect herself, the only part Kuroha Akira could grab was her upper body.
Since she was a girl, he instinctively avoided touching her chest—successfully dodging any "lucky pervert" tropes.
Consequently, his palm landed squarely on her stomach.
…Squish.
It was soft and pillowy. It felt incredible—even better than the Class Rep's thighs. It felt like his whole hand could sink right in, like playing with a water balloon. Indeed, well-endowed girls tended to carry a little extra padding on their stomachs.
Not fat, exactly. More like… pleasantly plump.
If she wore thigh-high socks, the indentations would probably be very visible.
Girls like this were more suited for "enjoyment" than just being eye candy. Hugging her would probably feel more comfortable than a dakimakura.
*a large, human-sized body pillow
While Kuroha Akira entertained these thoroughly lewd evaluations, he still asked with gentlemanly concern,
"Are you okay, Moe-chan?"
"…"
But things were very much not okay.
Although Aizono Moe didn't fall, unfortunately, Kuroha Akira's hand was the final straw.
The external pressure acted directly on her already strained bladder—and the dam broke.
"Guh… Nngh!!!"
After a few seconds of desperate holding, the moment arrived.
An uncontrollable sensation swept through Aizono Moe's entire body. Her face instantly drained of color.
Aizono Moe had never experienced anything so humiliating. Her brain simply blue-screened. She stood there frozen, completely stunned.
Her expression already broadcasted "social death" loud and clear. Tears welled up, rolling down her cheeks like broken pearls.
What followed was a scene many would find… delightful.
Kuroha Akira watched the scene of her complete social suicide unfold before his eyes, and a stray thought drifted through his mind: No wonder the human body is about 60-70% water. And hitting the bathroom is one of the main ways to flush it out—accounting for roughly 50-60% of total fluid output.
Under normal circumstances, it takes an hour or two after drinking for the body to metabolize the liquid and create that urgent gotta-go feeling.
But if someone chugs a large volume in a short time—especially when their body wasn't dehydrated to begin with—the kidneys kick into overdrive to maintain water balance. They accelerate metabolism like crazy.
That was probably the key reason Aizono Moe couldn't hold it any longer…
No—wait! This is NOT the time for a science lecture!
It's over. Everything is over now.
The motivation she'd finally managed to build up was going to get metabolized away right along with everything else!
Kuroha Akira felt his scalp prickle.
He never expected such an incredibly awkward situation—for both the person involved and the innocent bystander.
Why did she hold it until now? Why didn't she just go to the restroom sooner?
No… because she has that borderline personality. Maybe that's exactly why she held it in and couldn't speak up. But no matter how embarrassed you are, a situation this urgent should take priority, right?
Sigh… there's really no helping it.
Kuroha Akira let out an internal sigh and quickly glanced around.
Fortunately, it was pretty late. The students who went straight home had already left. Those with club activities were over at the club building, a good distance away. There was no one else near the school building—only Kuroha Akira to witness her accident.
But he couldn't let her keep leaking like this. She'd get discovered sooner or later.
Unfortunately, she probably couldn't hear a single word he said right now. And she wasn't finished yet.
At this moment, Aizono Moe's face was flushed bright red. Her hair stuck messily to her forehead, sweat and tears mingling together. She bit her lip so hard it looked like it might bleed, trying to stop herself from making any shameful noises—but she couldn't help letting out tiny, pitiful sobs.
Her post-accident appearance was so heartbreaking it made your chest ache, like she was the most helpless person in the world.
No, don't just stand there crying… crying isn't going to solve anything.
Although… she looks pretty cute when she cries.
How to put it? Some girls are just made for crying. Seeing her shed tears like rain was the most pathetic yet strangely beautiful sight. It made you want to scoop her up in your arms, comfort her, and maybe—just maybe—use the momentum to make her keep letting out those faint little whimpers…
And that's exactly what Kuroha Akira did. He picked her up.
Not because he wanted to bully her. He just needed to get her to the restroom, since she was too flustered to walk on her own.
Before lifting her, he warned Aizono Moe,
"Moe-chan, be careful to lift your skirt. I'm taking you to the bathroom."
"Eh? Nngh—!"
Caught completely off guard, Aizono Moe was hoisted into the air. The sudden weightlessness made her heart leap into her throat—and for a moment, she even stopped crying.
Her body went rigid. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she was too stunned by the sudden turn of events to form words.
She didn't know where to put her hands. But the uncomfortable dampness spreading under her skirt reminded her of Kuroha Akira's instruction, so she hurriedly complied and lifted the front of her skirt.
Kuroha Akira had reached directly under her skirt to carry her princess-style—mainly to prevent the back of her skirt from getting any wetter. This was no time to worry about exposure accidents. He couldn't let the affected area expand any further.
Still… the volume was pretty significant.
An unavoidable trail of droplets marked their path through the school hallway during transport.
Her shame was bleeding. Her backside was dripping.
Aizono Moe squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to escape this unbearable encounter—destined to become one of her darkest memories.
Kuroha Akira carried her to the entrance of the first-floor girls' restroom before setting her down. Then, with calm authority, he commanded,
"Go inside, finish up, and clean yourself. I'll handle the crime scene."
"Nngh… but…"
"No buts. Go grab some paper and clean up, or the stain on your skirt is going to get more and more obvious. Leave the rest to me. I won't let anyone find out."
"Nngh…! Mm…"
Aizono Moe nodded, her face burning crimson, and slipped into the girls' restroom like a ghost.
Inside the stall, she didn't want to touch her dirty shoes and socks with her hands, so she had to shuffle them off with her feet, using her toes to peel off the cotton socks.
If I'd known this would happen, I would've just worn pantyhose… But she couldn't really blame herself for that. Who could have predicted this?
Girls usually wear two layers when putting on pantyhose—typically silk stockings plus ankle socks or no-show socks. Ankle socks are usually made of pure cotton, which absorbs sweat better.
The threads of silk stockings are super thin, so their sweat absorption is terrible. Wearing school-issued leather shoes over just stockings makes your feet sweat like crazy—not only uncomfortable but also slippery, hurting your soles and ankles.
Plus, wearing silk stockings all day in hot weather is a one-way ticket to fermented foot odor territory. That's where the whole "smelly stocking feet" meme comes from…
JKs who care about their personal image would never let classmates catch a whiff of their foot smell. So on days they wear silk stockings, they add an extra pair of socks—usually no-shows that aren't easy to see.
Only a shut-in otaku girl like Shinomiya would wear just silk stockings. She stays home all day, doesn't walk much, and never goes out when wearing them anyway. She wears them purely for Kuroha Akira to see and touch—so she doesn't need to pair them with short socks that would ruin the sensation of him holding her feet.
"Nnnngh—!"
Aizono Moe let out a silent scream inside the restroom stall.
Th-this means… I peed on him!
Nngh…! Kuroha-kun's body got dirtied by me!
You're the most direct victim here!
I'm so, so sorry…