Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – "What Do You Two Mean I Smell Like a Girl?"

7:00 AM.

The classroom began to stir.

Footsteps echoed off the tiled floor. Chairs scraped, lockers clanked, voices yawned and grumbled their way into the morning. Bags were dropped onto desks with dull thuds. It was the usual chaos—the ordinary noise that filled the empty void of early school hours.

Kazumi, meanwhile, hadn't moved a muscle.

Headphones over his ears.

Eyes fixed on his glowing console screen.

Fingers tapping with laser focus.

The world around him didn't matter. He was in the zone.

In just a few minutes, the storm known as Minami and Hanami would arrive. And when they did, his peaceful solo act would be forced into a trio of unpredictable energy and chaos.

So naturally, he was trying to squeeze out the last few moments of calm.

But of course…

He never got to finish his level.

Flick.

One side of his headphones was lifted off his ear.

Kazumi blinked. Then slowly turned.

Hovering over him, hands on her hips and wearing a mock-disappointed pout, was Minami Inatsu.

"What did I say about playing games at school?" she scolded like a teacher who'd caught a student napping with a comic book.

Kazumi replied in the flattest tone possible.

"That it's the only thing that makes this place tolerable."

Minami let out a groan. "I'm being serious!"

Kazumi sighed, unplugged the headphone jack, and tossed the now-muted headphones onto the desk with a quiet thud.

"There. Happy?"

"...Do you even have any other hobbies?" Minami asked, leaning on his desk.

"No."

"Not even one?"

"No."

"Sports?"

"No."

"Reading? Singing in the shower?"

"No. No. And… definitely no."

Minami stared at him like she was trying to read a foreign language with no subtitles.

"You're hopeless," she muttered.

"I do assignments," Kazumi offered.

Minami blinked. "What?"

"You asked what else I do. I finish the teachers' assignments."

"That's not a hobby, that's just… being responsible!"

"It's productive."

"That's not the point!"

As Minami attempted to reassemble her crumbling argument, another voice chimed in—soft, curious, and just a little too observant.

"...Hey, Kazumi?"

Hanami had been nearby this whole time, lounging with her usual bored elegance, but now her interest was piqued.

"Hm?" Kazumi glanced at her.

"Do you use perfume?"

He blinked. "What?"

"You smell… kinda sweet. Like some soft floral scent. It's faint, but it's there."

Minami raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really?"

Hanami leaned closer, tilting her head with narrowed eyes. "Like a girl's perfume."

Kazumi tilted his head. "…I don't wear perfume."

Minami moved even closer and sniffed his shoulder like a curious cat.

"…She's right," she said, astonished. "You do smell kinda sweet."

Kazumi immediately leaned away. "Oi, personal space?"

Hanami rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "That's definitely not detergent."

Minami squinted. "Kazumi… you care to explain this?"

"You're both hallucinating."

Hanami raised a finger. "Humans can't hallucinate smells."

Kazumi looked back at his console.

If he ignored them hard enough, maybe they'd stop.

But that silence… only made things worse.

"Okay, fine," he finally muttered. "I walked to school with someone."

Hanami's eyes lit up like a detective finding a clue. "Oh~?"

"She hugged my arm, that's all."

Minami gasped. "You walked to school with a girl?!"

Kazumi sighed. "Yes."

"Who is she?" Minami asked, voice rising slightly.

"…Secret."

"Ughhh!" Hanami groaned. "Why are you always like this?!"

"You'll find out eventually."

He turned back to his game, trying to block out the waves of curiosity radiating off both of them.

Hanami and Minami exchanged glances.

They leaned in close, whispering behind their hands like mischievous conspirators.

"...What if she's a serious rival?" Minami muttered.

"She did hug his arm," Hanami replied.

"Too close for comfort. We can't let her get ahead."

"Agreed."

Kazumi, still playing, caught just enough of their whispering to regret his entire existence.

He didn't want to know what they were planning.

He really, really didn't want to know.

And yet…

Thump.

Thump.

Warmth spread down both sides of his arms.

Kazumi froze.

He looked down.

Minami on the left.

Hanami on the right.

Both of them were clinging to his arms like velcro with suspiciously smug expressions.

"…What are you doing?"

"Just making sure our scent sticks better," Hanami said cheerfully.

"If you're gonna smell like a girl," Minami added, "it better be one of us."

Kazumi's console beeped.

He looked at the screen.

His character's HP was at critical.

Too late.

Game Over.

He stared at the words for a moment, then let out the longest sigh in the history of second-years.

"…You two killed my entire party."

"We're helping," Minami said proudly, not even a hint of remorse.

"I feel supported," Hanami added.

Kazumi tried to move his arms, but they didn't budge. A few students across the room had started whispering and glancing their way.

"Oh great," he muttered. "Now people are watching."

Hanami smiled. "Let them."

Minami leaned her head onto his shoulder. "Yeah. We're just being friendly."

"Can you not be friendly in private?"

"Nope," they both said in perfect unison.

Kazumi closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the chair.

"…Please don't let this turn into a rumor."

But deep down, he already knew.

There was no way this wasn't going to turn into a rumor.