That title—she thought it would feel incredibly shameful, something she'd stumble over or choke on. Yet it came out so naturally, without a single stutter, flowing from her lips as if she'd been saying it her whole life.
Thinking it in her mind versus saying it aloud—such a tiny gap, and yet, like the cursed words from a fairy tale, it sent an indescribable tremor through Aizono Moe. The tremor spread rapidly from the depths of her heart, radiating throughout her entire body like ripples in a pond.
Her excellent talent, her accumulated proficiency, her outstanding imagination—all of them performed flawlessly at this moment, allowing her to instantly complete the composition in her mind.
She was kneeling on the ground, prostrate at his feet, looking up at his noble countenance from below…
She couldn't see his expression.
But there was no fear or unease in her heart. Only a deep sense of belonging and security that came from submitting to him.
"Master…"
In a daze, Aizono Moe called out again.
This time, she wasn't even aware she'd spoken. So when she realized it, she startled herself. Upon full awareness, she awkwardly bent down and buried her head in her arms.
Whoa…
Calling a friend "Master"…
What on earth was she thinking?!
It must be because she'd watched way too many master-servant themed doujinshi! That had to be it!
And there was no way Kuroha-kun would ever become her master. Even if she was willing to be a maid, he might not be willing to take on a useless maid like her…
A useless maid who couldn't even color properly…
Aizono Moe had unconsciously started to see herself as a "servant." Before this incident, they were friends—equals. But now, she had mentally placed Kuroha Akira on a much higher pedestal.
And that caused her fantasies to expand uncontrollably. All sorts of plays and props started flooding her mind. Collars. Handcuffs. Dog leashes. Vibrators. Rings and chains worn hidden beneath clothes…
"Ugh…! Stop…!"
No. I can't think about this anymore…!
This is school! Not my bedroom!
I'm going to lose control… but I absolutely have to hold back!
And S&M… ordinary people wouldn't be able to accept that, right?
Images full of restraint and pain flashed through her mind. At the thought of those special acts and scenes, her cheeks flushed and her heart involuntarily started racing.
Because she'd received a good upbringing, in Aizono Moe's view, normal emotions and interactions should be warm and peaceful. But precisely because her home environment was overly strict, she'd become curious—and actively sought out those niche hobbies she considered "taboo." Those slightly extreme and unusual ways of interacting…
It wasn't very healthy or proper, but she was indeed a little interested in them.
If Kuroha Akira knew what Aizono Moe was thinking right now, he might find it unexpected—yet also completely understandable.
Most people in the artist community are pretty "individualistic." They can accommodate all sorts of kinks. To put it bluntly, they're all a bit perverted. Despite being usually very shy, when it came to drawing, Aizono Moe could calmly discuss what kind of underwear to draw for the female lead. That alone showed she'd done her "homework" privately.
Meanwhile, Kuroha Akira was currently handling the crime scene.
Cleaning up the traces wasn't difficult in itself. He could just grab a mop and wipe everything down. The real problem was the smell.
Perhaps because Aizono Moe had held it for a while, there was a bit of a… well, let's call it an ammonia aroma. The droplets in the school building hallway were easy enough to deal with, but the main issue was the puddle next to the vending machine. If he simply mopped it up, the mop would absolutely pick up that distinct odor.
If it were his own mess, Kuroha Akira wouldn't have worried too much. But considering this small puddle was left by a current high school girl with extreme modesty—and what she would care about most was the residual smell—he couldn't just handle it crudely.
After some thought, Kuroha Akira decided to use a diversion tactic. Aka, add something to it.
His own drink was only half-finished, so he simply poured the rest into the puddle.
Light yellow plus orange… turned into a lovely shade of orangish-yellow.
After that, he used the empty cans to fetch water from a nearby drinking fountain and continued diluting the mixture. After repeating this seven or eight times, that small puddle became a large pool and spread to the side of the road. Kuroha Akira then diverted it toward a nearby storm drain, where it flowed into the drainage ditch until it completely dried up.
Excellent. Everything is resolved now.
Now, he just had to pray for clear weather tomorrow so the ground would dry quickly. Of course, if it rained, that would be even better—no need to worry about traces or smells at all.
The small residue in the hallway was also wiped away by Kuroha Akira with a mop from the men's restroom. After finishing, he even rinsed the mop. Thorough job. He could even take credit for it later.
Having gone this far, she must be incredibly touched, right?
Then she'll definitely work even harder to draw illustrations for me.
It was about time to go back and check on Aizono Moe. Although he'd helped her resolve everything else, the problem with her body was something only she could fix.
Kuroha Akira recalled her state. He'd felt her warmth when he carried her, but at least the outside of her school skirt seemed fine. Since she was wearing a long school uniform skirt that reached mid-calf, he probably didn't need to worry too much about accidental exposure.
The Class Rep can go commando even in a short skirt, and she even walked up the stairs in front of me… Modern high school girls with no shame are truly amazing. More, please.
Then Kuroha Akira remembered Shirai when she'd fulfilled their bet. At first, her face was flushed, looking like she'd suffered the ultimate humiliation. But later—whether she'd given up or completely let go—she stopped trying to cover herself. Modern high school girls have strong adaptability. More, please.
He'd found it incredibly satisfying to watch at the time. Seeing it live was very different from seeing pictures or videos; it was especially real.
Still, Kuroha Akira's stereotype was that high school girls should be pure, so he wasn't particularly fond of the "gyaru" type.
Speaking of shame, Shinomiya had a very girlish quality… but most of her shy expressions were probably acted. Although Kuroha Akira was susceptible to this, it didn't mean he hadn't noticed Shinomiya acting for him. It wasn't about whether her acting was superb—it was mainly that her actions and expressions were completely contradictory. They didn't match at all.
Would a shy girl actively lean in? That's too easy! Running away would be the normal reaction!
However, Kuroha Akira didn't remind Shinomiya. He figured it was best for her to keep acting until she herself believed it was real. That way, the shy girlishness would get embedded in her soul, become part of her daily behavior, and her pure persona would be naturally perfected.
In short, a timid, clumsy Aizono Moe was more in line with Kuroha Akira's stereotype of a high school girl. The other was Tomita Haruka, whom he saw every morning—she also had that youthful shyness…
Speaking of which, both of these high school girls have large chests… No, this is just a coincidence. He's not a big-boob connoisseur!
While mentally ranking the shame levels of various girls, Kuroha Akira returned to the entrance of the women's restroom and called inside.
"Moe-chan, are you ready?"
"Ah! Y-yes! I'm here! I'm coming out right now!"
He immediately got a response, and she rushed out immediately.
But when he saw how she rushed out, Kuroha Akira lost his composure.
Your skirt!
You didn't put on your skirt!
And not just the skirt… there was nothing at all!
Well, not exactly nothing—at least there was a bush down there.
But that didn't even count as covering! It was even more lewd than being completely naked!
"What the—Moe-chan! Your clothes!" Kuroha Akira hissed, instinctively turning his head away while his brain short-circuited.
Aizono Moe looked down at herself. Then her face went from pink to crimson to the color of a ripe tomato in about two seconds flat.
"KYAAAA—!!"