Ch.21Umi’s Obsession

Anyway, after school, I headed straight to the dojo.

“You’re going to come every day anyway. I’ll prepare a spare uniform for you here. It’s not a big deal to add one more piece of laundry at this point.”

Thanks to Gonzaemon’s generous offer, I only needed to bring myself when going to the dojo.

“Hohoho. Maybe you could become the Kiryu family’s son-in-law while you’re at it.”

Asuna-san was making some rather risky jokes.

I wondered if Umi would dislike that kind of joke, but she just blushed and pretended not to hear. She probably wanted to get annoyed… but was holding back to avoid ruining the mood. She’s secretly such a filial daughter.

Anyway, Umi immediately dragged me to the dojo.

“Come on! Let’s hurry up and train at the dojo, then hang out together!”

Umi said.

That’s right. Today, Umi was determined to invite me to her room.

“This will be my first time in a girl’s room…”

I had never visited a girl’s room before.

Oh… actually, there was one time. My college senior’s apartment. But it didn’t feel like a girl’s room. Beer cans rolling around and cigarette butts everywhere. Not what I had imagined a girl’s room to be.

“F-First time?”

Umi reacted to my words.

“Hmm… so it’s your first time. Well, I guess that makes sense. Shota, you were a hikikomori, right?”

Umi said.

“Hehehe. Shota, visiting a girl’s room—that’s quite an achievement for you, isn’t it?”

Umi laughed smugly.

“A girl’s room… a girl’s room…!!!”

When I thought about it that way, the significance really hit me.

“KYEEEEEEEEK!!!”

I immediately let out a shriek of joy. Farewell to my dark youth up until now!

“Don’t scream in the street!! It’s embarrassing!!”

WHACK-!

Umi’s punishment came flying. That shut me up immediately.

——–

Anyway, I went straight to the dojo to change clothes. Umi hurried to her room, saying she needed to prepare something. Well, she probably had some embarrassing items she didn’t want her friend to see.

“Ah… Shota.”

Just then, Asuna called out to me with an apologetic tone. Seeing Asuna-san up close made my heart race. Seriously, she could easily pass as Umi’s older sister. What kind of skincare routine does she follow?

I felt envious of Gonzaemon-san.

“My, what is it? Why are you staring at my face like that?”

Asuna-san said with a chuckle.

“It’s because you’re so beautiful, ma’am. I couldn’t help but stare.”

I immediately spoke my honest thoughts.

“Oh my!!! Really!! Shota, you always say the sweetest things!”

Asuna-san started hitting me playfully. Ah, so Umi takes after her mother. Her hands were just as painful.

“This won’t do. You should become my son-in-law. Hmm?”

Asuna-san was suddenly getting carried away.

To stop her rampage, I returned to the main topic.

“So… did you have something to tell me?”

I asked Asuna-san.

“Ah yes… about the changing room. The lockers are all full right now. You’ll need to change somewhere else.”

Asuna-san said.

“I see…”

Well, Gonzaemon’s dojo had many students. Partly because he was a good teacher, but also because many guys came to see the beautiful wife and Umi.

“Then maybe I could borrow the bathroom…”

“No way!! You’re my husband’s precious student, we can’t have that!! Change in Umi’s room. Umi won’t mind.”

Asuna-san said.

“That’s a bit…”

Changing in a female friend’s room? What kind of play is this?

“Do it.”

A shadow fell across Asuna-san’s face.

*Shiver*

I felt a chill run down my spine. Is this what they call presence?

“Alright, fine.”

Feeling a threat to my safety, I immediately complied. Now I understood why Gonzaemon was so whipped.

“Oh!! I love how straightforward Shota is with his answers!!”

Asuna-san patted my head with tremendous force.

Anyway, I had no choice but to take my uniform and head up to Umi’s room.

——-

“Oh, welcome.”

Umi said with a slightly flushed face.

“Sorry about this…”

I couldn’t help feeling awkward too.

“Hmph. You’re just using it as a changing room, right? Don’t get embarrassed about changing clothes. That’s so virgin-like.”

Umi tried to sound casual.

“Right? It’s just a changing room?”

Ah… Umi’s words gave me courage.

“Huh? Y-Yeah…”

Umi looked at me strangely.

Emboldened by Umi’s words, I immediately threw off my school uniform. This is where I shed one layer and grow to the next level!!!

“UOOOOOOH!!!”

I stripped at lightning speed and stood there in just my underwear.

“W-Why are you suddenly stripping!!!!”

Umi immediately covered her eyes and screamed. But her fingers were spread apart, and I could see her pupils. What’s the point of covering your eyes like that? I wanted to call her out on it.

“This is a changing room, right? Those words of yours shattered my timidity.”

I looked at Umi with serious eyes.

“Thank you, Umi. Thanks to you… I could become stronger.”

I stood proudly in my underwear. That’s right. I felt not an ounce of shame.

“What nonsense!! Just put your clothes on!!”

Umi shrieked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Enough with the dramatics—I quickly put on my kendo uniform.

“‘Yes, ma’am’ my ass!!!”

Umi immediately protested.

*Swish-swish! Swish-!*

By now, I could put on the kendo uniform with my eyes closed.

“Then… I’ll leave my stuff here.”

I said to Umi.

“S-Sure…”

Umi, with a bright red face, refused to make eye contact with me.

Right… she must be overwhelmed after witnessing my growth. I sniffed proudly at that thought.

I immediately went to train in kendo.

———

After confirming that Shota’s footsteps had faded down the stairs, Umi sprang into action.

Since the room was being used as a makeshift changing room, Shota had left all his personal belongings, including his clothes, in the room.

“………”

Umi’s gaze naturally drifted toward the clothes Shota had been wearing.

“Ahem!”

Umi cleared her throat and moved to fold the carelessly discarded clothes.

‘It’s… w-warm…’

Feeling Shota’s body heat, Umi’s face turned red. The ticklish feeling that came with it was a bonus.

Instinct moved before reason. Umi immediately brought Shota’s t-shirt to her nose.

“Huaaah…!”

Umi began sniffing it. The scent of deodorant, essential for athletes, was strong, but it couldn’t hide the underlying male scent.

‘N-Not enough…’

Enslaved by instinct, Umi turned her attention to where the scent would be stronger. The crotch area of his school pants.

“Hnnnngh…!”

Indeed, the scent was much stronger there.

“Heheeee…”

Objectively, it wasn’t a pleasant smell, but it had a strange addictiveness. Umi began fully enjoying Shota’s masculine scent.

‘If only I had his underwear too…’

Soon, Umi had dangerous thoughts. Why doesn’t kendo require going commando? She almost resented that fact.

After enjoying Shota’s scent for a while, Umi suddenly came to her senses. Thirty minutes had passed in the blink of an eye.

“R-Right!! This isn’t the time!!”

Umi shook her head vigorously.

She immediately picked up Shota’s phone.

“Really… how careless. It’s slightly cracked too.”

While examining the screen, Umi quickly unlocked the smartphone’s pattern recognition. She had secretly watched when Shota was using his phone, so she knew the pattern.

‘He’s really… so simple.’

It was just three dots connected in a straight line. You could see it even from a distance.

Umi had two objectives.

First, installing an app.

A couple location tracking app.

It was an app that allowed couples to know each other’s locations. It seemed like a sweet app, but in reality, it was an anti-cheating app. An app born from couples’ distrust.

Umi installed the app on Shota’s phone and linked it with her own.

Ding-!

Umi and Shota’s locations were displayed.

For the perfect crime, Umi immediately hid the app. Most smartphone users don’t look for hidden apps. Shota was simple-minded, so he wouldn’t notice the secretly installed app.

‘Shota. You’re in the palm of my hand.’

Umi blushed and smiled slyly.

‘I-It’s not like I like him or am obsessed or anything…’

She just wanted to keep her prey within reach. That’s all.

‘And…’

Umi then ventured into forbidden territory.

That’s right. Checking his messages.

‘Shota… you have so many secrets. And so many connections with girls.’

Umi clicked her tongue and opened the messenger app.

Then, she discovered a shocking message.

‘Come at midnight tonight.’

A terse message from Natsukawa Taiga.

‘A-A midnight rendezvous?!!!!!!’

Umi almost screamed but held back, her body trembling.

‘I-I-Indecent…!’

Despite being a gyaru, Umi had no resistance to this sort of thing and immediately began having lewd thoughts.

‘S-Surely Shota is being manipulated… by that Taiga.’

He must be being blackmailed and exploited by that delinquent.

‘I… must protect him.’

Umi’s eyes darkened.

It was a moment when Umi’s misunderstanding intensified.

‘But first… let me sniff his clothes more. Before the scent fades.’

Anyway, Umi decided to keep sniffing Shota’s clothes until he returned.

———

Meanwhile, from Shota’s perspective.

Tap-! Clack-! Tang-!

Under Gonzaemon’s direction, free sparring continued today. I deflected incoming strikes and immediately went on the offensive.

A clean win. I scored two points total for my victory. Now I could beat more than half of the students. Rapid progress.

‘Well… I did practice in my original world too.’

That advantage was definitely showing.

“Good! You’re getting stronger and stronger!! Shota!!!”

Gonzaemon laughed heartily and slapped my shoulder.

“You might do well in the summer tournament.”

Gonzaemon said with a smile.

“Um… do I have the right to refuse?”

I asked Gonzaemon, just in case.

“If you don’t participate in the tournament, you’ll have to pay back a month’s worth of membership fees plus the cost of your equipment.”

Gonzaemon said with a stern face.

“I’ll participate! I really love tournaments!!”

I quickly changed my stance.

“That’s the spirit!!!”

Gonzaemon maintained his stern expression before finally bursting into laughter.

It seemed like the summer vacation would be busy with kendo tournaments. I sighed in resignation.