A Date for Three
1st Year Special Class
1st — Hoshikawa Himari
…
8th — Yu Juju
Whiiirrr…
Oh. Unexpected results.
Seated at her vanity, Lua checked the midterm rankings that had just appeared on her smartphone screen. It might have seemed cruel, but publicly posting every student’s rank was Felix Academy policy.
Whiiirrr…
Himari held on to first, and Juju climbed two places.
Both had scored more than high enough to stay in the special class without worry.
Whiiirrr…
“I should praise them.”
“Praise who?”
Click.
Sua, who had been drying Lua’s hair, switched off the dryer. As usual, she had already cleaned Lua’s dorm room and even bathed her that morning.
“Mm, these two.”
Lua pointed at Himari’s and Juju’s names. Sua tilted her head.
“I know Hoshikawa, but… Yu Juju? Unusual name. Are you two close?”
“We got friendly recently. After we went into a gate together.”
“Don’t tell me—she was one of the ones who cleared it with you?”
“Yeah. We even made it to the boss room together.”
In the mirror, Lua noticed Sua’s expression darken.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
“I was really worried back then, you know.”
Squeeze.
Sua wrapped both arms around Lua’s small frame from behind. Trapped in a flawless back-hug with nowhere to go, Lua could only offer an awkward smile.
“Do you have any idea how scared I was when I heard about the accident? I thought I’d never see my big sister again…”
Her little sister buried her face against the nape of Lua’s neck. She smelled nice.
“B-but look—I’m perfectly fine.”
“Mm.”
Lua let Sua hold her for a while longer.
Acting spoiled…
Sua was a model student in every other way, yet she never hid her affection for Lua. It had startled her at first, but Lua had decided to accept it as proof of how comfortable her sister felt with her.
“From now on, even if something like that happens, you stay out of it. It’s dangerous.”
“Y-yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Only after Lua gave a suitably vague answer did Sua finally let go.
“Anyway, midterms are over, so I was thinking of hanging out with them this weekend.”
“Hang… out? With students…?”
“Yeah. They invited me to the mall. The big one right on the mainland after you leave the island… huh?”
Mid-explanation, Lua sensed something off and turned to look at Sua.
“Hic.”
“Wh-why are you crying?”
Sua wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Flustered, Lua pulled out a tissue and offered it.
“I’m just… so proud… Our big sister is going out with other people…”
“……”
“Sniff… Sister, you’ve grown up so much… Want some pocket money? Buy yourself something tasty.”
“I-I have my own money!”
Lua pulled free of Sua’s arms with an incredulous look.
“I-it’s just shopping! You’re making such a big deal…! I go out normally, you know!”
“But Sister, this is the first time. You leaving your room on a weekend.”
“Kh…”
She couldn’t deny it.
“Anyway, I understand.”
Sua wiped her eyes and nodded.
“You’re going this weekend, right?”
“Ah, if you want, Sua, you can come too…”
“No, no, I couldn’t. Those girls asked you specifically.”
Sua waved her hands in refusal.
“But if anything difficult comes up, call me right away. Okay, Sister?”
“Yeah, I will.”
She answered that way, though she doubted mere shopping would produce any real trouble.
Saturday, 11 a.m.
Lua stood in front of the mirror, examining the outdoor clothes she hadn’t worn in ages. A beige dress under a short jacket, a small pouch slung diagonally across her shoulder, white socks and loafers.
These are the clothes Sua bought for me, though.
Excited by her reflection, she spun once in place. Anyone looking would have seen a cheerful upper-elementary schoolgirl ready for a day out.
Is this okay…?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, the doorbell to her room rang.
Ding-dong!
“Ah!”
Lua startled and slapped her own cheeks a few times to pull herself together.
“Who is it?”
“Teacher, it is I. Hoshikawa Himari.”
“Oh, right!”
Having already received a message the night before that Himari would come to pick her up, Lua opened the front door without surprise.
“Did you sleep well?”
Himari stood in the doorway. Unlike usual, she was in casual clothes.
“……!”
The instant Lua saw Himari’s civilian outfit, her mouth fell open.
“Is something the matter?”
A black leather jacket seized her attention first. Combined with skinny jeans that left her long legs fully exposed, the look was a complete 180 from the demure young lady image she normally projected.
In the game it had appeared only once during a specific event, but seeing it up close was incredibly charming—like a city rebel.
“Uh… it’s just unexpected…”
“If this outfit is not to your liking, I shall change and return.”
“N-no! No! I like it!”
When Lua waved her hands in denial, a smile rose to Himari’s face.
“I also find Teacher’s clothes pleasing.”
“Th-thanks.”
Whenever Himari spoke so bluntly, Lua never knew how to react and her face would flush.
“Then let us go. Juju is waiting.”
“Okay.”
Lua locked the door and left the dormitory building with Himari, heading for the parking lot. The weather was pure warm spring. Going to an indoor mall almost felt like a crime.
“Ah, there she is.”
Before long, Lua spotted a short-haired girl standing off to one side of the lot.
Juju wore an orange hoodie and short shorts. Her long, tanned legs stood out—not quite as much as Himari’s, but still. She leaned against a tree, blowing a bubble of gum with a bored expression.
“Teacher.”
“…Huh?”
The moment Himari saw Juju, she abruptly took Lua’s hand and held it tight.
“Juju! I have brought Teacher!”
Juju turned at Himari’s call and beamed—then noticed Lua and Himari holding hands. She popped her bubble with clear displeasure.
“You’re here, Teach!”
She dashed over and claimed Lua’s other hand. Suddenly Lua looked like a little kid holding both parents’ hands.
“Hi, Juju. Been waiting long?”
“Nope, sir. Just got here.”
“Mm, good.”
Lua casually let go of both their hands. Releasing one first would only restart some meaningless rivalry. Himari and Juju withdrew their hands with matching looks of regret.
“S-so, shall we go catch the shuttle?”
On weekends, for the convenience of students and staff, regular shuttle buses ran from the artificial island of Felix Academy to the mainland. Unless they owned a car, students normally took the shuttle.
“Today we will not take the shuttle.”
“Huh? Then how are we getting to the mall?”
“Himari’s got her own ride, sir.”
“This way.”
Himari led Lua to a corner of the parking lot. Something large occupied a space, covered by a cloth.
Ah… don’t tell me.
Of course Lua already knew what it was.
“Ta-da!”
Juju yanked the cloth away.
“Ah! Juju, that was unfair!”
“Hehe, who cares who does it, sir.”
Beneath the cloth sat a motorcycle. Both its engine displacement and overall bulk were considerable—the sort of machine one imagined bald, bearded macho men riding around on.
“This is the vehicle I brought from Japan.”
Himari stroked the handlebars as she spoke.
“It belonged to my older brother. I use it now.”
Lua nodded. It was the motorcycle left to her by her late brother. Showing it to Lua was proof that Himari had opened her heart quite a bit.
“Hold up, though—this only seats two, right, sir?”
Juju asked. True enough, for all its size, three people wouldn’t fit.
“One person may ride here.”
Yet Himari calmly pointed to the opposite side of the bike. A sidecar was attached—the kind that often appeared in old police movies.
“I installed it yesterday in advance.”
“Th-this looks kinda lame, doesn’t it, sir? Sitting way down low all by yourself.”
“It is fine. I have confirmed its safety.”
“Then who’s gonna sit…”
Juju looked back and forth between Lua and Himari, then sighed. Himari had to drive, and if they put Lua alone on the main seat, she and Himari would end up clinging tightly together. In the end, the sidecar was Juju’s lot.
“Then we shall depart. Teacher, please take this.”
Himari handed over a small helmet. Remarkably, it fit Lua’s head perfectly.
“It is the one I used as a child.”
“Gimme one too, sir.”
Grumbling, Himari passed a helmet to Juju in the sidecar as well. The gauntlets and Japanese swords loaded alongside made the space look rather cramped.
“Excuse me.”
Himari lifted Lua cleanly onto the rear of the motorcycle, then sat in front herself.
“Please hold on to me tightly, Teacher.”
“Y-yeah.”
Lua did as told. She felt the smooth leather of the jacket and Himari’s body heat.
This is the first time we’ve been pressed this close…
“……”
Resting her cheek against Himari’s back, Lua suddenly felt a gaze and glanced sideways. Juju sat in the sidecar with her arms crossed, staring at them with clear dissatisfaction.
“…Hmph, sir.”
She was sulking. After a brief moment of thought, Lua reached out.
“Juju, your grades went up.”
“……!”
Lua’s hand landed on Juju’s head. As the small hand gently stroked her hair, a flush rose to Juju’s face.
“Good job.”
“Euk…!”
The displeased look vanished; in an instant Juju turned her eyes away, shy.
“Th-thank you, sir.”
“Hm?”
“For the praise… and for coming with us today!”
Vrooom!
The machinery beneath them growled low.
“We are departing.”
Speaking in a strangely stiff tone, Himari twisted the throttle.
The motorcycle carrying the three of them slipped smoothly out of the parking lot and began racing toward the mall.