Chapter 9 -Why is he in a girls' uniform?

He rushed home, trying to avoid anyone noticing the girl's uniform. He took the best possible route to minimize interaction with his schoolmates.

While hurrying, he remembered a shortcut to his home that few people knew about, so he decided to take it. Even though there were no people around, he was still in a rush and collided with a girl, causing both of them to fall.

"Ahh, watch where you're going, man! Can't you see someone coming from the other side?" she asked, trying to get up from the floor.

"Sorry, ma'am. I was in a rush to get home," Atsuo replied while trying to get up.

"Are you a moron? This is a very narrow path, and you should be more careful," she said, still trying to get up while gathering her things.

"Sorry, ma'am. I will be more careful moving forward. Let me help you gather your things," he apologized, offering his help.

She looked up and, upon closer inspection, realized who it was. "Atsuo! I haven't heard from you in so long that I didn't recognize you at first. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh... Ryoko, it's you! I'm just taking a shortcut. But why are you here all alone? Where's Toru?" he replied, shocked. However, since they used to be good friends, he didn't hesitate to talk to her. At that moment, he even forgot he was wearing a girl's uniform.

"We had a plan to meet at one spot, and I was running late. I realized this shortcut would get me there faster," she said, standing up with a smile on her face.

"Yes, this path is a shortcut to many places, and not a lot of people know about it. But still, you shouldn't be wandering alone in such a lonely place," he replied, showing his concern for her.

"Toru has told me the same thing many times. I guess I need to check my schedule more carefully so I don't have to take shortcuts again," she replied with a little laugh, acknowledging her mistake.

"So, I think I should leave now, and you should also hurry; otherwise, he will be worried," he said, seeing her off.

"Yep, I think I should get going. Bye, see you at school," she replied and headed to her destination.

Atsuo also started heading home, but then he heard Ryoko's voice behind him. "Wait a second. All things are fine, but why are you wearing a girls' PE uniform?" Ryoko took a few steps back and asked, looking at his outfit suspiciously.

"I think I'm done for. She'll tell him, and tomorrow he'll definitely tease me. But what should I say to her now?" He was frozen on the spot, unsure of what to do.

After a few moments, she asked again, "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"What are you talking about? This is a boys' uniform. You must be confusing it with the girls' uniform," he replied confidently without turning around.

After facepalming, she said, "Do you think I'm dumb? I wear these uniforms regularly, and I didn't even need a second glance to recognize them."

"You must have been in a hurry and made a mistake this time. Why would I be wearing a girls' uniform anyway? I think I need to leave now," he replied, trying to convince her as he attempted to leave.

"No, no... You're not going anywhere. I do recall boys' uniforms have pockets on the T-shirt," she said, grabbing his hand to stop him.

He stood there, helpless and unable to utter a single word. They looked at each other—he, tense and she, smiling mischievously, trying to make a mess of the situation.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Atsuo?

Don't tell me this belongs to your girlfriend?

How long have you guys been dating? Who is she?

Does she go to the same school?

If it's true, I never thought I'd find out like this. But don't you think those things are pretty much too early for school students to do?

Even Toru and I never did those naughty things yet. Even thinking about them makes me blush," she bombarded him with questions without any hesitation.

"Ahh… Hey, wait a second. I don't know where you're taking this, and what naughty things you're remembering. It was an accident and nothing more than that," he replied quickly, trying to defend himself.

"An accident, huh? I thought you were strong enough to resist all those girls' tricks, but I'm surprised to know it was true and you did those things," she said, covering her mouth with a smile.

"Stop making up nonsense. Could you stop messing with me and go meet your boyfriend?" he replied, trying to control his frustration.

"I am not going anywhere. And as for my boyfriend, I'm going to call him right now, and we will have a detailed discussion about this at your house." Refusing to leave, she took her mobile out of her pocket and replied while dialing Toru.

She called Toru, and they decided to meet at Atsuo’s place as soon as possible. He failed to explain anything to her and followed her on the way home.

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“You should cover yourself more carefully. If anyone sees you in this uniform, it will cause a big mess and a lot of new rumors,” she said with concern.

“Aren’t I already caught by someone?

Aren’t you creating a big mess?

What kind of girl loves gossip over her own date? Or to be truthful, girls do love gossip,” He thought about everything in his mind and, after giving her a dull look, replied, "Yes, ma'am."

After some time, they reached home without much conversation on the way. Toru hadn't arrived yet, so they went inside and decided to wait for him.

"This place is just the same as it was before. It's been so many years since I last visited. I'm feeling nostalgic. Those were good times back then," she said, recalling her old memories and getting lost in thought.

He didn't reply to her. He just sat in front of her, listening to her speak. For him, recalling old memories was like stabbing a healed wound over and over.

After some time, he heard the doorbell. He stood up and went to open the gate. As soon as he opened it, Toru was there.

"Atsuo, are you alright?

What happened?

She didn't mention anything over the call and just asked me to come over right away. I was worried and thought something unfortunate had happened to you, so I rushed here. But you seem fine to me. So why did she call me here?" Toru's concern was evident on his face as he bombarded Atsuo with questions. Even though they didn't talk much nowadays, things were quite different back in the day.

He wanted to give him a proper answer for his care but he needed to keep his distance so he replied in annoyance by keeping her eyes wide open and gazing at him.

“She is also a moron like you. What is going to happen to me? Even if something had happened I can manage myself quite well and I don’t need anyone to help me.” He said and about to turn around to go back in the room but as he turned Ryoko was there and she seemed angry.

She came closer to him and after giving a head punch to Atsuo she said “Are you calling me a moron? I know Toru is a moron for sure but never ever again call me a moron and why are you guys standing and talking in here. Let’s chat inside the room, I will give a deep idea of what I saw today to Toru.”

“Ahhh.. It hurts. Why are you hitting me like this? Yes, I will never say things like that again.” He said as he titillate his head.

"Yes, let's head inside," Toru replied as he grabbed Ryoko’s hand.

"This place hasn't changed at all. How many years have passed? I don't know, but it feels the same as it did before.

Don't you feel nostalgic, Ryoko?

I think this is where our love story began, and we used to play together back in the day," Toru said, full of emotion as he looked around while entering the room.

"Indeed, it hasn't changed at all. I had the same feeling when I came today. It was so lovely and warm, just like it used to be," she said, looking at Toru with a happy face and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Could you please stop the lovey-dovey talk for now?

This is my home, not a park where you can hold hands and walk around. If you want to have those nostalgic moments, you can visit a nearby park anytime where you guys used to play all day.

If you still want to hang around here, I think I can leave for now so you can continue your date," he said, politely teasing them.

She felt annoyed and angry, and punched Atsuo on the head. "Show some respect to your elders, you idiot," she said.

She was older than Atsuo and had always been like this. Even though they didn't talk much, this trait hadn't changed at all. Back in the day, she was short-tempered and used to punch him just like this.

They sat in the room, and Ryoko was about to start her story when Toru interrupted her.

"Do you want a burger? I brought some on my way home," he said, pulling a food packet from his bag and offering it to them.

They started talking while eating burgers, and Ryoko explained all the details about why they were there. After hearing everything, Toru froze in shock. After some time, he came to his senses and bombarded Atsuo with questions.

"Who is she?

Where did you first meet?

Does she go to the same school? Is she a junior or senior?

Could you show me her photo? Let me check your cell phone," he said, grabbing his phone with excitement.

"You moron!!

What are you doing? Instead of asking him why he is in a girl's uniform, you want to know about the girl?" Ryoko said angrily.

"Who cares about that? I'm happy for him. He finally found someone with whom he can share anything. Can't you see how comfortable he is in that girl's uniform? He hasn't even changed his clothes. This isn't the time for making a fuss; it's a time to celebrate," he replied with a smile.

Realizing he hadn't changed his clothes, he stumbled and quickly ran to another room to change. It didn't take him long to change, and he soon returned.

"Tell me, who is this lucky girl you've chosen? Don't be shy with me, we're old friends after all. If you want, I can ask Ryoko to step outside for a while, and you can give me all the juicy details," Toru asked excitedly.

"Are you out of your mind?

It's not what you guys are thinking. I explained the same to Ryoko. It was just a misunderstanding. I was on class cleanup duty, and that dumb girl Nakano spilled water on me.

I didn't have any spare clothes, and the school didn't have any either. In the end, Sensei asked me to use the clothes of that annoying girl Hikari," he replied in frustration.

"Oh, so that lucky girl is Hikari? She is cute. I am proud of you. Don't you think the same, Ryoko?" Toru replied politely after hearing him out.

"Yes, she is a really nice girl and full of energy," Ryoko nodded and replied.

"You guys are really insane. Don’t you understand there is nothing between us? We are not even friends," he said, struggling to explain to them.

"She allowed you to wear her clothes, and I think she is your deskmate. Even after all this, you are saying you guys are not dating? No girl would do that if she had the option to leave you like that," Ryoko replied as she took a bite of her burger.

"It was their fault for spilling water on me, and those rumors helped," he replied while tackling the situation.

"You do have a point, but from now on, my eyes will be on you. So be careful if you indulge in any activity like that. You will have to face my rage.

Toru, let's go home now. It's no fun if he has no girlfriend. I'm upset and need to eat something good to feel better. So let's call it a day," she replied with an upset face while grabbing her stuff with one hand and holding Toru's hand. They said goodbye and left the house.