A few days after Shining Sun City — Saturday. Open campus day at Sahoda. I woke up to find Kano in my room as if it were routine.
“Morning, Yuito.”
“Morning. Doesn’t surprise me anymore.”
Today was the open campus day, so her being here made sense. She looked disappointed.
”…Not the reaction I’d expected.”
“What were you hoping for?”
“You yank-pulling me into bed and bed-in?”
“Please don’t casually try to make me a predator.”
She is unhinged. She grinned.
“I’d be consenting — so not assault, just consensual.”
“That is not the point.”
(Why are we discussing this first thing.) I got up.
“Shower. Don’t ransack my room like last time.”
“Aw — did I do that?”
“How did you find the ero-manga?”
“I happened to want to read the Japanese dictionary and an English reference book — pure coincidence.”
“You do not happen to want both of those…”
Both and picking exactly the ones I was using as camo — statistically impossible.
I showered. Then dried hair and got out the wax — open campus required public transit, so no bike, no helmet. I’d actually style my hair.
I dressed in the Shining Sun outfit and went back.
“Yep — suits you.”
“Thanks. The skinnies and necklace still feel unfamiliar.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“Right — head out early?”
“Wait, I need to prep.”
“You need to prep too?”
“I’ll get spotted in current me — gal — instantly. Need a disguise.”
(I’d expected her to wing it with charm. Apparently not.)
“Wearing this today.”
“That’s our school uniform — you still have it?”
She’d worn her high-school sailor uniform — she’d only graduated a year and a half ago, still fit perfectly.
“And this.”
“Black-hair wig — you’re going full disguise.”
“Imagine getting caught pretending to be a high schooler at the open campus — embarrassing.”
She started changing in front of me. I turned around. (She said you could watch — too risky.)
Wig with net, expertly fitted.
“How?”
“Pre-college Kano, basically.”
(Black-hair Kano was right there. The blonde fits the modern her, but black isn’t bad either. She has no intention of going back.)
“Fashion glasses too, just to be safe.”
“With all this you’ll be unrecognizable.”
Black-long-hair, glasses, sailor uniform — totally different person. Looked like a prim class president type. No one would identify her with current-Kano.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes —”
She grabbed my sleeve as I was leaving.
“Classmate setting — no polite forms allowed.”
“Wait — already?”
“Start now so we don’t slip.”
“Got it… I mean, got it.”
I switched to casual register.