Chapter 353: Because Yukinoshita Wasn’t Wearing Any Either
Chapter 353: Because Yukinoshita Wasn’t Wearing Any Either
“Choose A or B? Hurry up.”
Kasumigaoka winked and exchanged a meaningful look with Himekoji, leaving the final choice entirely in his hands.
Let me choose?
Fine!
Himekoji gritted his teeth and made his decision—
“Both options are terrible… absolutely terrible! But if I had to pick one… i-it’s got to be the first one!”
The silent exchange went surprisingly smoothly.
Both quickly understood the complex meaning hidden in each other’s eyes.
But would the next choices go just as smoothly?
Himekoji wasn’t the least bit confident.
“OK!”
As the one acting it out, Kasumigaoka seemed much more relaxed instead, giving Himekoji a “don’t worry” look.
Of course, he couldn’t possibly relax at a time like this…
…
“Ahem.”
Kasumigaoka was starting!
The girl cleared her throat, set down her sake cup, and stood up.
This movement stood out sharply while everyone was lost in their drinks, drawing all eyes to her instantly.
“Himekoji-kun, I have something to give you.”
The first line was straightforward.
Up to this point, things were still within Himekoji’s expectations.
“A thing? What is it?”
The youngest yet most curious one, Komachi, raised her hand first to ask.
“Underwear.”
It was hard to imagine how Kasumigaoka managed to say this with such a serious face.
No—not just serious?
It was practically solemn!
Her delicate, Yamato Nadeshiko-like face seemed to radiate holy light.
“Give underwear?”
Even the drunken adult female teacher, who hadn’t stopped making suggestive comments, was captivated by this unique gift. Still clutching her bottle, a dazed-looking Hiratsuka-sensei repeated the words.
“Hmm. As a token of affection!”
Kasumigaoka nodded firmly while adding this clarification.
“Eh? A token of affection?”
The female teacher froze upon hearing this.
Sinking into a brief, thoughtful silence…
“Then… I’ll give one too!”
…her conclusion was this.
No sooner had the teacher spoken than her hand swiftly reached beneath her yukata’s hem.
Watching, Himekoji gaped in shock and tried frantically to stop her.
“No! Sensei! Don’t! You can’t! You really can’t!”
“Utaha can, but I can’t?”
Hiratsuka-sensei glared, clearly unhappy at being treated differently.
…
She had no choice! You’re just stirring up trouble! How is it the same?!
Himekoji really wanted to snap back like that, but it stayed lodged in his chest.
At the last second, he pulled out another excuse—
“It’s not what you think! This is just… an improvised game between light novel authors! A little creativity challenge we play at writer gatherings…”
His forced explanation seemed to convince no one.
Seeing this, Himekoji dragged Kasumigaoka back to help.
“You explain it to them too, Kasumi Utako-sensei!”
He deliberately used her pen name now.
“Ah, right, right. Whatever Himekoji-kun says, goes~”
“That last bit was obviously unnecessary!”
It sounded layered with meaning…
She was clearly trying to make everyone overthink!
…
“Alright, Himekoji-kun. This is my underwear. Please take it.”
Saying this, Kasumigaoka slid her right hand into her yukata’s left sleeve.
It’s coming out… coming out!
It was black!
The style was so avant-garde!
Lace overlapped like waves, with ribbon bows in the same shade on both sides…
Huh? Wait!
What even were those little pearls beneath?!
For… massage?!
This…
This… this…
Wouldn’t this be way too stimulating if worn?!
This “treasure” pulled from her sleeve left even Himekoji—normally unfazed by ladies’ underwear—struggling to stay calm.
Huh?
Wait a second!
Out of her sleeve?
That’s wrong!
Why was Kasumigaoka keeping underwear in her sleeve?!
“Here.”
Kasumigaoka took two steps forward and solemnly offered Underwear, the token of love, to Himekoji.
“Emmmmm… just a moment…”
Himekoji was still deep in thought about the previous question, his brain running at full speed.
“Won’t wait.”
However, Evil God-sama refused coolly.
“No, wait! You must wait! This Underwear… you took it from your sleeve, which means…”
“I’m not a magician.”
Kasumigaoka answered with complete calm and openness.
“Of course I know that’s not it! That’s not the issue here!”
As he spoke, Himekoji’s gaze slowly, very slowly, drifted downwards, finally stopping at a certain mysterious area just below the girl’s waist.
“Gulp.”
He swallowed instinctively, his throat dry, his voice even starting to tremble.
“Wearing, or not wearing… that’s the question, I think…”
“Not wearing. No problem.”
As expected of Evil God-sama. She answered that incredible piece of information instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
“No problem? No problem your head! Go put on some Underwear properly! Aren’t we all sleeping in the same room tonight!”
“Does whether I wear Underwear have anything to do with us sleeping in the same room?”
“Of course it does!”
“What?”
“Umm…”
Suddenly stumped by the question, Himekoji couldn’t answer. He opened his mouth but couldn’t form a word for a long moment.
“Anyway, go put it on!”
“Can’t do that, Himekoji-kun. I already gave you this Underwear.”
“Then go find a new pair! Oh, and make it a normal one! Don’t go loading it with pearls or anything…”
After all, it would be bad for his health.
His body needed moisture.
“Can’t do that, Himekoji-kun. Wearing Underwear under a Yukata is the crooked evil path.”
Evil God-sama always had her own logic and spoke with conviction.
“I feel like… you are the epitome of the crooked evil path…”
“What did you say?”
“Ah, n-no, nothing.”
“Oh?”
Kasumigaoka narrowed her eyes and stepped towards Himekoji with immense pressure.
Himekoji involuntarily took a step back.
However, the next instant, seeing something, his whole body suddenly froze.
“Eh? Hey! Hey hey hey! Idiot! D-don’t just plop down cross-legged facing me like that! Show a little more caution!”
Kasumigaoka, completely bare underneath, had indeed sat down cross-legged facing Himekoji at the slightest disagreement…
The moment she sat, the hem of her yukata opened and closed in a flash, like a night-blooming cereus. For that single instant, the pale skin of her legs up to her thigh appeared vaguely visible.
Himekoji’s heart rate instantly spiked.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his heart pounded thunderously.
And this was right in front of Yukinoshita and the others!
For Himekoji, this level of stimulation was absolutely unprecedented!
“It’s fine.”
Had she not noticed she was exposing herself?
Completely unconcerned, Kasumigaoka waved a hand dismissively. The slight smirk at the corner of her mouth seemed to mock Himekoji’s flustered yelling.
“Fine how?! Exactly how is this fine?!”
His heart still hadn’t calmed down, Himekoji remained agitated.
“Because…”
Kasumigaoka drew out her words, being deliberately mysterious.
“Because what?”
Himekoji pressed.
“Because Yukinoshita isn’t wearing any either.”
Huh?
Yukinoshita also…
Didn’t wear?