How can you bare your bare feet in the middle of January? I hear that women have a lot of subcutaneous fat. Is that why girls can go to school without wearing tights in winter? If I mention such a question, I will be scorned, so let's take it to the grave.
I asked her not to let my question show on my face.

'Are you practicing until this time?
'Yeah. It's my last year.

The last. I thought the words sounded strangely heavy.

'I was just about to leave, too.
'Hey, where are you and Alina-san?'
'I left first. I'm warning you, it's not natural for us to be together.
'Uh huh. We're all used to seeing each other. They call it a Big Mac set.
'What's that?
'Because we're both tall.


Isn't it harsh to compare a tall man with a Big Mac? I think that's an analogy for heavyweights.
I went to school with Shirana because we went to the same junior high school. Naturally, we walk home side by side, relying on streetlights and car lights.

We walk along the streetlights and the lights of the cars.
'Oh, did I ever tell you that?
I interviewed him a long time ago. When I was employed by the newspaper department.
I don't know, I don't know.
''You still haven't changed your mind?''
'Of course. What's the matter, out of the blue?
'Well, it's nice to have a dream. It just occurred to me.

Shirana looks at me with a puzzled look on her face.

''Don't you have a dream, comet?
'At the moment,' he said.
'Do you want to live while doing this, or do you want to do this?
'hmmm ......'
'What do you plan to do in college?'
'Hmmm... ...... I wonder what it is... ......'
'It doesn't sound like there are any. ...... but I don't think you need to worry about it that much. You'll find it in college!

She is right, we will have to find our way in college. I'm just impatient because my friends around me are walking in pursuit of a clear career or dream.
Well, I would like to work as a tomato juice drinker. As a tasting expert.

Are you going to the same college as Alina?
'Huh? I don't know. I don't even know what college he's going to.
'I thought you two were together ......'
It's called a couple, Ms. Shirana. We are not so foolish as to lose our sanity at the mercy of such desires.
'Hmmm ......'

Alina, you have a brain that consistently ranks in the top 10, so there is no way I, a normal brain, can be your equal. Besides, he is a liberal arts major and I am a science major. That alone makes a big difference in which university to choose.
What am I thinking? I don't care what college Alina chooses. What's it gonna do to her if she goes there? They'll treat you like a parasite.





I spent the next two weeks in the newspaper club.
After school, I would go to the newspaper club, and Alina and Toma would talk. They would write out their stories and revise them with each other. Alina would tell me that my writing was so dirty! I was about to fall apart when he said to me, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I tried to talk back to her, and when she let me read her draft, it was so easy to read that my jaw dropped off. She is an aspiring writer. The writing is very precise and concise. There is no snag in reading it at all.

What are you and Nippa up to next?

One day, worrying about me staying late at school, Makoto said such words to me. Ever since I met Alina, I've been doing a lot of things that are out of character for a homecoming club, but these days I'm at a level where I'm no longer a homecoming club member. If the members of the homecoming club, who boast of their inter-high school level abilities, could see me, they would be outraged. They would be upset if they saw me. But unfortunately, I am better than them. A hawk with a hawk hides its talons.

Photo. I'm looking forward to it.

Another day, Nidotsuru smiles wickedly. One of the organizers who dropped a job in the newspaper department during the transitional period. The one who would have suggested 700 percent of the model photos.
She did so casually during a bathroom break. She spoke to me in a very pleasant tone as I struggled to reread and correct an article I had written in my notebook.
I threatened to pour tomato juice on her, but she would not listen at all and took my notebook away from me. I begged her to give it back as if I were a little girl whose lover had been taken from her by an evil force. How cruel. We're having fried chicken with cranes tonight.

"Modern literature?

Another day, Shinji Miyazaki, the head of the art club, peeked in my notebook. Is writing sentences in a notebook really a way to study modern literature? Probably not. It's not like practicing Kanji. I threatened him, saying, 'I'm writing a sensual novel, so you shouldn't read it. There must be a very small minority of people who want to read erotic novels written by men. This is not a freak show. Not yet. Shinji slowly faded away from me.

Why do we hesitate and feel ashamed to show our creations to others? I began to wonder about this and thought about it.
The answer I came up with is that 'a work is an alter ego of oneself.
I believe that a creative work is the embodiment of one's soul. I can't bear the thought of exposing all of myself. That's why I am ashamed. Can you run around town naked? If you can, go to the police. You're very sick.


There were many conflicts, but I was finally able to convince Alina and Toma. I thought the people at the newspaper were really great. Publishing every day is hell. My mind is so exhausted that I can no longer remember how many times Alina has told me I'm not good enough, so I open four bottles of tomato juice. I thought I heard the screams of liver and blood, but I'm sure I heard nothing. They have no mouths.




Now all that's left is the picture in question!

Toma naturally touched on the thing he most wished he had not. He had to use a whole page in the back of the article to take a picture of our school uniforms.

Seriously, does it have to be me and Alina?

I think it is normal for these model photos to pull out models from some agency and have them wear uniforms. They must have good processing skills.

'The student council has asked for you!
'I'm going to roast that chicken ...... I'm going to roast that chicken ......'
'By the way, we already know where we're going to shoot! And I've got my camera ready!'

Toma took out his SLR and stood up.

'Let's go!
'Now? Wait a minute, he's not wearing any makeup.
I've never been to school with makeup on. I'm going to stab you.'
'Stand up stand up! Time is not waiting for me! Let's go get a shot!'

Douma's momentum got the better of us, and Alina and I reluctantly stood up and left the newspaper club. A few other members of the club accompanied us as assistants, and we followed them.

Too late.

I was reluctant to take small steps and resisted, but Alina blamed me.

'I don't like pictures,' she said. I don't like pictures.
'Why don't you just stand there and not think about it? Even a rock can do it.'
'I'm nervous. You look like you're a magazine model or something. Do you have any tips?
'Do I look that self-promoting to you?'
'No, not at all.
'You should remind yourself that you're trash. You won't feel a thing.
'You think I'm trash, don't you?

He changes his shoes and leaves the school building. Arina's expression becomes more and more gloomy and she mumbles, 'You're kidding me. ...... The location of the photo shoot is in front of the school gate. She probably did not expect to be photographed outside in the cold.

'Okay! Let's get a quick shot!
How are you going to shoot it?
'Well, I want the school building and the two of them to fit together nicely and in a good way.

That's abstract. I don't know if I can do this.
I was worried, but fortunately, a female member of the club seemed to have done her research and gave us instructions. While she was looking for the best spot with her camera, Alina and I were getting our uniforms ready. We were asked to dress properly and modelically, and to make sure that our ties and ribbons were not crooked. Since I was not wearing waist pants or any other incomprehensible fashion that showed off my short legs, I did not have anything to point out, but surprisingly, Alina had something to point out.

But surprisingly, Alina had a point to make.

Toma crosses his arms and groans. Alina also stands upright with her arms crossed in frustration and confronts him.

'Alina-san, can't you do something about your tights? ......'
'What? You want me to take it off?
'No, I'm not asking you to take them off, but I still think the tights are a bit ......'.
'What? What's with the tights?

The exclamation point drops drastically. As if to corner him, Alina looks down on him from above. Alina is slightly taller than Toma. I feel sorry for Toma, who shrivels up.

'I guess the tights aren't official or something. ......'
'So you want me to take it off? What do you think?'

I'm scared of my sister Alina. Let's give Toma a helping hand.

Sis! Calm down!
'Oh, my God. All right, I'll undress. I'll get naked.'
No one told me to go that far.

Alina left for the entrance, her shoes clacking. Toma said, 'Thank you! Thank God! He clung to me.

'Next time, explain to him beforehand, will you?
'Sorry! I was too quick.'

About five minutes later, Alina came out of the entrance. I think she is staring at me. Her white breath is like that of a menacing wolf. Her jet-black legs are now bare, and she is ready to be photographed.
Before Alina could explode in anger, the girls explained to her where to stand and how to pose. I tried my best to distract her by cheerfully responding to her questions. I was puzzled as to why I was rolling quickly in the direction of taking a picture when I didn't want to take one. Anyway, I had to do something about this sensitive dud.
With the school building in the background, Alina and I are now facing 45 degrees in opposite directions. It seems that I should shoot from a slightly low angle so that the apex of the school building is included in the shot.

Here I go!

At a signal from a female member of the club, we took our positions.

'Alina-san. Please use a softer expression.

I think she is wrinkling her brow from the cold. It's easy to imagine.
I took about five pictures in total on the count of three, two, one. When I show them to you, I think I look pretty good. I'm sure you'll add some text and distort the space-time with Photoshop and such, right? I'm looking forward to it.


When the shooting was over, Alina disappeared. She disappeared without a word, so we went back to the newspaper club first.
As we were feeling the heat, Alina came back.

I don't have my tights on.

Alina, who still has her bare skin on display, asks me a question.

'It's not me, of course. I haven't turned into a lingerie thief yet. I'm not sure if tights are underwear or not.
'Let me out.
'No, you're not! I was outside the whole time!
'You're going to die.'
'You're being unreasonable. This is what I hear about false accusations. ......'
'I'll erase the culprit as soon as I find him. First, I'll have him stick his fingers in the shredder.'

Come on, Mr. Criminal, turn yourself in. I have a feeling I'm about to be shredded. d*mn it, I wanted to die after I saw Ugin in high school.
There was a knock at the door. I had high hopes it was the killer. Please. Please let it be him. Give him back his tights now. He's been shaking his head like a baby.

'Sorry to bother you.

It was a chicken that showed up. You're not wanted!

'Oh, please leave.
'Terrible. You can't do that as soon as you get here.
'I just took your picture. You can count on me.'
'Whoa. I'm looking forward to it! Oh, and Alina, is this Alina's?

A folded black object is in the crane's hand. It is unmistakably a pair of tights, one of the winter landscapes. Tsuru brought them, which are so popular that some fetishists specialize in them.
The first to react was, of course, Alina.
She stood up and closed the distance with the crane at once, so close that the tips of their noses were almost touching. Before a boxing match, huh?

Where did you find him?
'What ...... was it in the toilet ......?'

Toilet. You left your clothes on. It's not a cicada shell. You should have put it back here.

What the hell, a toilet. Then it was never me in the first place. I'm so ignorant about women's restrooms that I didn't even know Otohime existed until recently.
'Because I knew you'd do something like that.

What a bastard.
Unexpectedly, Tsuru saved the day, and the tights theft case was successfully solved.