Chapter 349: Do You Prefer Big Breasts or Small Breasts?

“Sigh.”

Some time ago, Yukinoshita, clearly showing signs of drunkenness, had slipped into a corner all by herself, sighing away.

This was super unusual!

Wasn’t this normally ice-cold girl constantly acting like she had to be the “perfect superhuman”?

Arrogant and fiercely competitive.

So, this weak, downcast version of herself really shouldn’t be part of Yukinoshita at all!

Could it be that the booze made her accidentally reveal a different personality?

Himekoji, watching secretly from behind his rock, couldn’t help but get curious about Yukinoshita’s strange behavior.

Of course, he clearly wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Yukino-chan, what’s wrong? You seem really down…”

Yuigahama was one of them.

Sadly, the girl’s concern seemed to have the opposite effect.

Spotting Yuigahama approaching, Yukinoshita’s eyes instinctively flicked towards her. Then, as if having seen something she really didn’t want to see, she instantly snapped her gaze away after just one glance.

It looked like her eyes had been stung.

“Sigh.”

At the same time, Yukinoshita’s sigh became even heavier.

Hugging her arms across her chest, she submerged her entire body deeper into the water. Now, only her face remained visible above the surface – a pretty face flushed with drink, yet clearly troubled.

If he remembered right, this was the first time Yukinoshita had ever shown any weakness in front of the others.

She looked incredibly downcast and worried. There was zero trace of her usual strong, cool self.

Yet, seeing Yukinoshita like this surprisingly made someone really want to give her a hug.

He wanted to pat her head, comfort her, and see her rise out of her gloom, glowing brightly again.

Even though Himekoji still had absolutely no clue why Yukinoshita suddenly became this depressed after just a little alcohol…

Shouldn’t booze normally make people hyped?

Just like the Female Teacher right now.

“Hey, you over there, Yukinoshita, stop killing the vibe! Go sigh somewhere else!” The Female Teacher, her own spirits lifted considerably by alcohol, was already starting to get annoyed by Yukinoshita ruining the atmosphere.

She could actually turn a blind eye to her student’s low spirits.

Seeing this, Himekoji couldn’t help but complain silently in his head –

Hey, hey, hey! You’re the teacher! Can’t you pay attention to your cute student’s problems?!

Right now, you should be showing off your gentle, grown-up side!

But it seemed like the only thing left in the Female Teacher’s eyes right now was alcohol.

Kindness?

Can you drink it?

…

“Alright, Sigh…”

The very next moment, Yukinoshita actually did obediently shuffle off to an even more isolated spot to sigh some more.

Wanting not to bother anyone, she specifically headed towards a direction where there were definitely no other people –

A rock in the Onsen pool, far away from the crowd.

Hmm?

Wait!

Himekoji suddenly realized something was wrong.

This was…

Wasn’t this exactly where he was hiding?!

Yukinoshita was sighing her way straight towards him!

And she was heading directly for the spot behind his rock!

The perfect hiding place he’d found…

Was gone…

He wasn’t going to be discovered, was he?

It actually seemed possible!

A sudden sense of crisis washed over him.

Scared, Himekoji instinctively pinched his nose shut and dove his head underwater without a second thought.

Luckily, Yukinoshita was still lost in her inexplicable gloom. Her sighs came one after another, and she didn’t seem to have noticed him. Yet.

That was incredibly close!

Right now, Himekoji and Yukinoshita were both behind the rock, separated by less than a dozen centimeters…

He wouldn’t even have to stretch his arm all the way to touch her wherever he wanted… Just his arm out…

Thankfully, right now, one person’s head was above the water, while the other was below it.

At last, the thick steam that had thwarted Himekoji’s plans earlier was doing him a favor.

Clumps of white mist really blurred the view.

For the person whose head was above the water, it wasn’t easy to notice what was underneath, unless they were looking specifically.

But as for the person underwater, well…

Damn!

It was so clear!

Big trouble! Massive trouble!

What he saw was way too intense. Himekoji, terrified it might be deemed inappropriate, didn’t dare stare. After the briefest, most hurried glance, he swiftly turned his eyes away.

One quick look was enough! Definitely enough!

And that one quick look… was going to leave him thinking about it pretty vividly for quite a while…

Having comforted himself that far, a calmer Himekoji decided it was time to leave.

The space behind the rock wasn’t big. While it had been his ideal hiding spot before, now that Yukinoshita had settled onto it like a pigeon occupying a dove’s nest, it had immediately become dangerous territory.

Every extra second he stayed only increased the huge risk of being spotted!

But…

As he swam underwater towards the other side of the rock, Himekoji suddenly encountered another big problem.

While he was now farther from Yukinoshita, he was also much closer to the noisy “drinking party squad” led by the Female Teacher!

If he poked his head above the surface even a little bit, he’d be caught immediately…

What should he do?

Was he going to test his breath-holding skills again?

He might suffocate to death!

Just as Himekoji plunged into despair, he caught sight of something floating slowly on the water’s surface above him.

A straw!

The one Komachi had casually tossed away earlier!

Truly, when Heaven shuts one door, it opens another!

Himekoji almost cried with relief. Hurriedly, he reached out and grabbed the straw as quickly and quietly as possible before stuffing it into his mouth.

Okay, for the next little while, he’d cling grimly to life underwater with that straw!

For the sake of peeking!

For justice!

He would do it!

……

“Yukino-chan, what’s wrong?”

This small patch near the rocks had lost its peace completely.

After Yukinoshita, Yuigahama had become the second unexpected visitor.

With a straw in his mouth, Himekoji nearly died of fright as Yuigahama walked past.

Luckily, Yuigahama was also not paying attention. Himekoji got lucky once more and successfully stayed hidden.

“It’s nothing, sigh……”

Her voice clearly said it wasn’t ‘nothing’.

This was the first time Yukinoshita seemed so downcast in front of others, leaving Yuigahama deeply concerned.

……

What happened?

It could probably only be the work of alcohol…

Himekoji couldn’t think of any other reason.

He couldn’t help but muse inwardly.

Alcohol really is terrifying.

Once drunk, someone can change completely.

……

“Burp.”

The drunken female teacher answered Yuigahama’s question with a hiccup.

“Probably saw your huge chest and felt totally crushed~~ Thinking, ‘Ah, my little rice grains can’t even be shown to anyone.’ No wonder she’s so worried. Totally understandable~~”

The teacher, thoroughly drunk, shamelessly exposed Yukinoshita’s insecurity right there.

“A-Although that may be true, could you please not say it so bluntly, Sensei?!”

And Yukinoshita actually agreed!

“I-Is it because of me? Yukino-chan, I’m so sorry! It’s my fault!”

Finally understanding the situation, Yuigahama suddenly apologized, her face filled with guilt as if she had truly sinned.

……

It’s not your fault, you silly girl.

Plus, saying that just twists the knife for Yukinoshita, doesn’t it?

With the straw in his mouth, Himekoji watched the drama unfold while comfortably underwater and tossed out a sharp commentary.

And he turned out to be exactly right.

“Sigh—”

Yukinoshita’s sigh grew even heavier and gloomier.

“My my, Yukinoshita, you can be quite childish sometimes too, you know~~”

The female teacher took a swig of beer, suddenly overcome by the urge to impart life advice to her junior.

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?”

Surprisingly, drunk Yukinoshita didn’t protest being called childish. Instead, an unfamiliar anticipation seemed to light her eyes as she waited for the teacher’s answer.

“Having them as big as Yuigahama isn’t necessarily best, y’know.”

“Huh?”

Her sighs finally stopped. Without even realizing it, Yukinoshita perked up her ears.

Hiratsuka-sensei now poured out her heartfelt thoughts—

“Because…”

“They get stuck in tight spaces super easily. Annoying!”

“Whenever I walk around, I bump into things constantly! Even when sitting down, they brush against everything unnecessarily. So annoying!”

“Using a computer? Accidentally lean in a bit and they roll across the keyboard, typing gibberish. Seriously annoying!”

“Eating? Grease and sauce always manages to splash right onto these big lumps. Beyond annoying!”

“Grading papers? They press down on the pages, smearing ink all over my outfits. Frustrating!”

“Going downstairs? They block the view so I can’t see my feet. Worst. Ever.”

“You might even get stuck in an automatic door sometimes! Could it get any more annoying?”

“Looking down at my phone? They block the screen! In school? Could never do a proper push-up because I couldn’t get low enough. Infuriating!”

“And the absolute WORST part? Giving my boyfriend a lap pillow? They end up almost suffocating him!”

“Everything there except the last one? All my personal experience. Totally real!”

As Hiratsuka rattled off complaint after complaint, Yukinoshita felt more and more uneasy…

What kind of consolation was this supposed to be?!

Aren’t you making things worse?

Hiratsuka Shizuka’s sincere personal stories not only failed to lift Yukinoshita’s mood, but dragged Yuigahama down too.

“So true! It feels like such a hassle carrying these around! Why did they have to grow so large… Sigh.”

Yuigahama sighed, nodding along in strong agreement.

“I really wish mine were smaller…”

“Ah, but you can’t say that either! Ignoring the troubles, having them ‘big’ is actually quite nice.”

Once Yuigahama spoke up, the teacher abruptly switched gears.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Now it was Yuigahama awaiting her teacher’s answer.

“Because, men… y’see…”

“Yes yes!”

Yuigahama suddenly seemed immensely intrigued.

“Because, men… they actually get more excited seeing slightly more… well-developed bodies, y’know! The bigger they are, the greater the satisfaction during… those things!”

…

Whoa!

What the heck? A teacher shouldn’t be saying stuff like that!

Holding his breath underwater, Himekoji choked and almost drowned on the spot.

“Huh?! Huh?! Sensei! What are you suddenly saying?!”

Yuigahama couldn’t take it anymore either, her cheeks blazing bright red.

“Weren’t you the one who asked?”

“I definitely didn’t mean something so inappropriate!”

“Didn’t you? Oh well, fine. Honestly, what I think doesn’t matter anyway. What really counts is what Himekoji thinks, right?”

She was definitely completely intoxicated! Her words spiraled deeper into nonsense!

Deep underwater, Himekoji felt his heart skip a beat hearing his own name mentioned so suddenly.

“Well then, Himekoji… What’s your opinion?”

“Do you prefer… big chests… or small ones?”

Hiratsuka-sensei turned slightly, her gaze piercing directly where Himekoji hid, seeming to cut deep under the water.

Huh?

He was being called on to answer!

Exactly like during class.

But why now? At such a horrible moment?!

Himekoji nearly died of fright right then.

Had…

…he been discovered?!

Impossible, right?

He’d been perfectly hidden!

Wait!

Maybe this was just the drunken teacher babbling?

Yes!

That must be it!

He swallowed back the scream rising in his throat.

This critical moment wasn’t the time to panic himself!

If he stayed quiet, he could definitely get away with it.

Stay still. Adapt.

Himekoji decided to hold his peace beneath the water.

……