Fourth period PE ended, and it was lunch break.
Just as I stood up thinking of heading to the school store,
“It’s a bit chilly, isn’t it, Takuto-kun?”
“Yeah, it is... eh?”
Erina-san, who was passing by my seat, took the cardigan I had draped over my chair with a perfectly natural look on her face and put it on.
“Wait, that’s my cardigan.”
“Eh? I told you to lend it to me because it's chilly, didn't I?”
“You didn't say that.”
“I did too. Come on, let’s go to the store!”
“Uh, okay...”
Well, I was going to the store anyway...
Walking to the right of Erina-san, whose pinkish-beige hair swayed softly as she hummed a tune, she inexplicably kept getting closer to me, so I moved to the right by the same amount. We’re going to bump into each other...
“Why are you moving away?”
“No, why are you getting closer?”
“Ehh~”
She pouted, but it was completely nonsensical.
“Takuto-kun, don’t you notice something?”
“Eh, what...?”
In the middle of the hallway, Erina-san pointed at herself and tilted her head in a calculatedly cute way.
“I mean, there’s no way I can answer a question like that... It’s not like I’m your boyfriend or anything.”
“Hmph? Then would you notice a change in Amane-chan?”
“...Not necessarily.”
Come to think of it, I’ve never asked her, 'Did you cut your hair?' It's not like she never cuts it, so I really must not be noticing... How bad is that, exactly?
“Then, let’s practice with Erina!”
“Ohh~!” Erina-san raised her right arm with enthusiasm. Since she was wearing my cardigan, the sleeves were way too long, folded over and hanging down.
Well, she’s right that it might be good to practice.
...Okay, let’s start with the classic questions.
“Did you cut your hair?”
“No.”
“Did you paint your nails?”
“No.”
“Is the position you tied your hair different from usual?”
“No. You’re totally hopeless, Takuto-kun. Are you just guessing randomly?”
No, even if you say that, I have no idea...
Alright, let’s narrow it down from broader information.
“Does it have to do with your appearance?”
“No.”
“Does it have to do with your mood?”
“No. Oh, but my mood might change.”
“Is it something that puts you in a good mood?”
“Yes!”
Wait, this is just a game of Lateral Thinking Puzzle...
If it’s not related to appearance and it boosts the mood...
“...Did you change your scent?”
“Correct! I’m wearing perfume!”
“Ah, I see...!”
Yeah, while I felt the joy of getting the right answer, this was just me winning a puzzle game, not actually noticing a change in Erina-san, so it wasn’t really practice...
“Hey, how is it? How is it?”
Unconcerned with my inner thoughts, Erina-san shook her head vigorously like a wet dog. A sweet scent reached me from her fluffy twin-tails.
“Ah, yeah, I can smell it... Why did you change your perfume?”
“I didn’t change it, I started wearing it!”
“I see...”
I always felt like she smelled nice anyway, so I couldn't really tell. I won't say that because it sounds creepy, though.
“How is it? Does it smell good?”
“Well...”
“Aren’t you being a bit half-hearted?”
“Well...”
I mean, I can’t exactly say 'it smells good,' but I definitely can’t say it smells weird either.
“So, why perfume?”
“It just kind of lifts my mood. And we just had PE. Erina can stop herself from sweating so I’m not stinky at all, but just in case? I tried putting on perfume after changing.”
“Is that how it works?”
“That is how it works.”
Wait, Erina can stop herself from sweating...? Is she a veteran actress or something?
“In Takuto-kun’s opinion, which do you prefer: with perfume or without?”
“Don’t ask me that, of all people...”
I glanced around to be safe and lowered my voice.
“...Ask Kenji or something.”
“No way, I’m asking Takuto-kun before asking Kenji and having him say it’s no good.”
While waving the oversized sleeves of my cardigan again, she said, “Takuto-kun really is Takuto-kun.”
I’m not entirely satisfied with 'Takuto-kun' being used in a negative sense again, but well, she has a point. She has a point, but still.
“But, regardless of what anyone else says, if Erina-san feels her mood is lifted by it, isn’t that all that matters? Things like that.”
“...Hoh?”
“What’s with the 'hoh'?”
“For a Takuto-kun, you said something quite nice! That might be true!”
She patted my back cheerfully with the extra sleeve. Well, I don't really get it, but if she's happy, that's fine.
............Wait, hold on a second?
“Hey, Erina-san.”
“Hmm?”
Erina-san brought the extra sleeve to her mouth and tilted her head.
...Right now, isn't the scent of that perfume being strongly transferred to my cardigan?!
“Erina-san, take off that cardigan right now!”
“Eh, why?! It’s cold!”
“Doesn’t matter! Take it off!”
“If you’re going to insist that much, you should just take it off me yourself... Here.”
“...! No, are you out of your mind?”
As Erina-san held out both sleeves toward me, I felt like I was about to lose something precious for a second, but I held my ground and snapped back at her. You’ve grown, Takuto-kun!
While saying things like “Geez...” and “I thought taking it off was supposed to be the fun part...”, Erina-san took off my cardigan and handed it to me.
“It really is cold though.”
Ignoring Erina-san’s dissatisfied look, I brought the reclaimed cardigan close to my face.
“Ugh, I knew it, it's on here...!”
She only wore it for a bit, but because she put it on right after applying the perfume, the scent was perfectly soaked in...!
“Takuto-kun, did you perhaps want to sniff Erina’s scent? ...Ah, crap.”
“No! No, that’s not it...? What’s wrong?”
“Takuto-kun, behind you...”
When I turned around to look behind me, where Erina-san had suddenly turned pale and pointed,
“What are you doing?”
...An angel was smiling with a demonic expression.
“...How much did you see?”
“From the part where my lover was telling another girl, ‘Take off your clothes!’”
Oh, Goddess...!
“N-No! This isn't what it looks like...!”
A devil patted my trembling shoulder.
“It’s over for you, Takuto-kun. It’s all the fault of Erina’s Dolce & Gabbana perfume.”
“No, it’s Erina-san’s own fault!”
“Konuma-kun, I’m going to wear that for a bit, so lend me that cardigan, okay?”