Morishita Ai

By noon, Uesugi Hara had finally recovered some of his energy, the wilted look on his face having faded quite a bit.

Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, he didn't dawdle; he simply washed up, tidied himself, and headed out of the dormitory.

He first went to the convenience store downstairs to buy a bottle of water.

He had originally intended to head straight to the cafeteria, but the sight of a figure on a bench not far away made him temporarily abandon the idea of eating first.

As he walked closer, Uesugi Hara helplessly curled the corner of his mouth; it really was that slightly neurotic girl.

Morishita Ai was sprawled out on the bench, her smooth, long blue hair cascading over her shoulders, the delicate diamond-shaped hair accessory in her locks shimmering faintly. Her loose gray sweater, pleated skirt, and black pantyhose perfectly outlined her youthful figure.

One hand rested casually against her forehead while the other hung naturally by her side. Her eyes were lightly closed, and in the soft light, she seemed to have fallen into a quiet, light sleep. A faint melancholy permeated her lazy posture, and a relaxed atmosphere radiated from her, as if she had shut out all the noise of the outside world, leaving only this moment of tranquility that belonged solely to her.

The April weather was neither cold nor hot, and the warm sunlight covering her made it a perfect time for a nap.

Uesugi Hara scanned her outfit and nodded to himself—hm, very fashionable; this girl really knows how to dress.

But... he raised an eyebrow helplessly, Morishita, do you really have such a soft spot for black pantyhose?

Ever since Uesugi Hara enrolled, this girl had been wearing them every single day.

He simply squatted down to get a close look at the girl's sleeping face—without her usual coldness, her features softened, making her look quite docile.

As Uesugi Hara watched, he suddenly recalled Morishita Ai's sharp, impudent tongue and her penchant for playing pranks.

Comparing that to how she looked now, it was hard to believe they were the same person.

Uesugi Hara found it quite interesting, so he took out his Terminal to record her sleeping on the bench, from long shots to close-ups, from her sleeping posture to a close-up of her face. He planned to let her see what she looked like.

Why not take a photo?

Because taking a photo would make a sound.

After finishing this, Uesugi Hara put away his Terminal, intending to admire her a little longer before leaving.

As for why he didn't wake her up? A girl sleeping so defenselessly out there—what if she ran into a pervert?

Come on, a pervert is just a pervert, not an idiot; the many surveillance cameras around weren't just for show.

Just as Uesugi Hara was still mentally critiquing the black pantyhose, a voice suddenly drifted over from the side, flat and devoid of inflection, making it impossible to tell her mood: "Is it good to look at?"

"It's good." Uesugi Hara nodded and even earnestly expressed his opinion.

"Do you want to touch it?"

"Wou—" Just as he uttered the first syllable, Uesugi Hara realized what was happening in time. He turned to look at Morishita Ai, who had woken up at some point, and said calmly, "I am not a pervert, Morishita-san."

Morishita Ai lazily rolled over and sat up on the bench. When she looked up at him, her eyes held a coldness that looked like she was staring at trash.

Those eyes, looking at him like he was garbage, rested on him silently, yet they seemed to speak without a sound—Uesugi Hara read two meanings into them: first, "Keep making up excuses, I'm listening," and second, "Do you even believe your own reaction just now?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under her gaze, Uesugi Hara rubbed the tip of his nose. Even though being stared at by her with that look was actually quite nice, he really wasn't a pervert! Really!

He cleared his throat and explained, "I wasn't looking at your legs; I was just discovering beauty in the school. Look, this is the video I just took of you sleeping; isn't it quite cute?" As he spoke, he handed over his Terminal.

Morishita Ai took it suspiciously, swiped the screen a few times, and when she looked up again, the disdain in her eyes was even deeper.

"Uesugi Hara, you really are a pervert." She tossed the Terminal back to him, her tone certain. "Not only peeking, but also filming."

Seeing that Uesugi Hara wanted to argue, she added, her tone chilly: "If you feel wronged, then explain—why are most of the shots in there focused on my legs?"

Uesugi Hara was momentarily speechless. Facing Morishita Ai's undisguised look of contempt, he could only laugh dryly: "Isn't it because Morishita-san was sleeping so cutely and obediently? I couldn't help but record a few more clips. As for filming the legs... that's just a matter of angles, purely an accident, it has nothing to do with me!"

Morishita Ai stared fixedly at Uesugi Hara, her face expressionless, and spoke in a flat tone: "Uesugi Hara, don't tell me you thought you could see me looking as red-faced and flustered as Kamuro Masumi?" She paused, a hint of faint mockery in her eyes. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"And," she added, her voice still without inflection, but carrying undisguised sarcasm, "I'm not as stupid as Kamuro Masumi. Do you really think I'd believe that line?"

"I beg you, Morishita-sama, please show mercy and let me go. I will surely engrave your great kindness in my heart and repay you even if I have to be a beast of burden in my next life." Uesugi Hara pressed his palms together, deliberately putting on a pitiful expression.

Morishita Ai didn't take the bait of his banter. Instead, she followed his lead and asked with a touch of nonchalant curiosity: "Why not offer yourself in marriage?"

Uesugi Hara shrank back, staring at her in shock: "Morishita-san! I didn't expect you to be such a shallow person! To actually covet my beauty!" His expression was somewhat exaggerated.

He stared at Morishita Ai for two seconds, then suddenly changed his tune, dragging out his words as he muttered: "Actually... it wouldn't be impossible."

"Heh." Morishita Ai's eyes swept over him with undisguised disgust. "You're ugly, and your imagination is even worse."

"I'm not ugly, okay?" Uesugi Hara retorted.

Morishita Ai didn't pay him any mind either, but instead sat on the bench and asked, "Uesugi Hara, do you really like looking at legs?" As she spoke, she unhurriedly extended her black-pantyhose-clad foot toward him.

"Not really." Uesugi Hara's gaze landed frankly on the leg she had extended, his tone remaining very flat. "I was just curious if someone like Morishita-san, who wears pantyhose every day, would get athlete's foot."

"Ouch!"

Uesugi Hara's calf took a solid kick—it was Morishita Ai who had kicked him.

"Uesugi Hara, if you want black pantyhose, I'll get you a pair later." Morishita Ai glanced at him expressionlessly, her tone making it impossible to tell if she was serious or teasing.

"Please, by all means... don't do that." Uesugi Hara almost blurted out "by all means, give me some," but he swerved at the last second, secretly wiping away cold sweat—that was close, he almost let it slip.

He really didn't have any other intentions; he was just purely curious about what the black pantyhose worn by a girl were actually like. Really! He absolutely had no other thoughts!

"Morishita-san, if there's nothing else, I'll be slipping away now." Uesugi Hara said, wanting to back away.

"Trying to run away already?" Morishita Ai said, raising her foot and kicking his calf again.

"Ouch!" Uesugi Hara winced in pain.

"Morishita-san, could you please try to be a little more ladylike?"

"Sorry, I'm a veteran of the underworld, not some delicate princess." She raised an eyebrow in response, her tone carrying a hint of roguishness.

"Yes, yes, this lowly one understands." Uesugi Hara hurriedly nodded along with her words. "Could you please show some mercy, senior, and forgive this junior for his earlier offense?"

"Hmph, begone." Morishita Ai let out a soft huff and waved her hand.

"As you wish." Uesugi Hara replied, quickly turning around to slip away.

Watching Uesugi Hara's retreating back, Morishita Ai wondered what she was planning.

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