My brain refuses to process the scene before me as reality. Perhaps it’s because, in my mind, the combination of “Aotaka High School’s classroom” and “Tachibana Iori” simply doesn’t belong together.

The once noisy classroom had fallen completely silent, as if the ruckus from earlier had been a lie. A girl standing in an all-boys’ school classroom was such an unusual sight that no one could bring themselves to speak. Every single one of my classmates held their breath and fixed their gaze on Tachibana Iori.

Noticing me, Tachibana Iori casually raised a hand in greeting before stepping inside the classroom—so at ease, as if this were her own.

“Good morning, Natsuki. I’m glad you’re here.”

She approached me. The air, usually filled with the faint scent of sweat and the unmistakable staleness of a boys’ classroom, was instantly replaced with a refreshing minty fragrance.

“Um… Tachibana-san, why are you here…?”

Around her neck hung a guest pass lanyard. Even with my mind short-circuiting, I could at least recognize that she had come here through the proper channels.

“Why, you ask? It’s a long story… do you want to hear it?”

“Uh… if possible, could you keep it short?”

The atmosphere was suffocating. I could feel the weight of my classmates’ stares piercing into my face like needles.

…Dear classmates, why are you all looking at me with such dark expressions? Just a moment ago, weren’t you calling me a lifesaver?

“I see. Then I’ll get straight to the point—Natsuki, could I borrow your uniform?”

◆

“Wait, why?”

I was the one who asked her to keep it brief, but even I couldn’t ignore the sheer absurdity of that request.

“This should be good news for you, too, Natsuki. The truth is, Suzakura’s students have been given permission to participate as cheerleaders.”

With her usual composed expression, Tachibana Iori dropped an absolute bombshell.

Cheerleaders. That single word sent a ripple of excitement through the classroom.

“Ah, of course, both schools have approved it. Apparently, this was a tradition before I enrolled, so the discussion went smoothly.”

Now that she mentioned it, I had seen pictures from seniors featuring cheerleaders. It had been a dreamlike sight.

“…Wait, does that mean you’re going to be a cheerleader too, Tachibana-san?”

“No, I was interested, but for some reason, everyone stopped me. Instead, they asked me for a different favor.”

“A favor?”

Tachibana Iori’s usually elegant brows knitted slightly in mild discomfort.

“On the day of Aotaka Festival, they asked me to spend the day wearing Aotaka’s uniform.”

“Ah… yeah, I can totally see that happening.”

I had seen plenty of her fans from Suzakura at Cyberia. It was easy to imagine them making that kind of request. Some were the type to admire from afar so as not to be a nuisance, while others had no hesitation in approaching her directly. Even while I was working, I had been asked about Tachibana Iori more times than I could count.

“Normally, I would refuse, but this time, I’m in a position where I owe them a favor. So, I decided to oblige.”

Because of me, Tachibana Iori had ended up in this situation. I felt nothing but guilt.

“Sorry… this all started because of my request.”

“No, I didn’t entirely dislike the idea of wearing a boys’ uniform. I see this as a good opportunity.”

She genuinely seemed to be enjoying this. She had willingly worn a male uniform at Cyberia before, too. Did she actually like dressing as a guy?

At the very least, I now understood the situation.

“I see… so that’s why you need my uniform?”

“I don’t have any other acquaintances here. Besides, we’re about the same height, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, pretty much. You should be able to wear it just fine.”

Tachibana Iori and I were nearly the same height. I was slightly taller, but not by much.

“I don’t mind lending it to you. When do you need to change?”

“Preferably right now. There isn’t a changing room, so I’ll just change somewhere around here.”

“Wait, what!?”

“This is an all-boys’ school. It’s rare for anyone to be interested in my changing. I’ll be borrowing this for a moment.”

“W-Wait, hold on—!”

Ignoring me, Tachibana Iori grabbed my uniform and disappeared.

…No matter how much of a ‘Prince of Suzakura’ she was, no matter how cool and smooth she acted, no matter how ridiculously charming she was—even to me, a guy—changing in a random corner was just too much.

After all, she was still a girl.

While I was struggling with that thought (and my classmates were probably thinking the same thing), Tachibana Iori soon returned.

—Looking like an absolute, undisputed, breathtakingly handsome prince.

“…Whoa.”

A murmur spread through the classroom. I found myself unconsciously voicing my amazement.

Dressed in Aotaka’s uniform, Tachibana Iori looked exactly like the lead in a school drama.

“What do you think? Does it suit me?”

She winked at me as she spoke. If she was doing this intentionally, then she was truly dangerous.

“Honestly… I’m at a loss for words. I’m completely shocked. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone this cool before.”

Even if I included celebrities on TV, she was on another level.

“I’m glad to hear that from you, Natsuki. I think the students at Suzakura will be pleased, too.”

At that moment, I could feel the entire classroom freeze over.

‘Wait… we have to go up against that?’

That thought was practically written all over my classmates’ faces. Even the most good-looking guy in our class, Hiura, was nothing but a pebble compared to the radiant sun that was Tachibana Iori.

“Haha, naturally, this smells like Natsuki. This feels kind of strange.”

Tachibana Iori brought the sleeve to her face and chuckled. Why did she always manage to make even the simplest gestures so effortlessly heart-stopping?

“I’ll return it after school. Just leave my uniform on your desk, okay?”

With that, she walked out of the classroom.

Despite the fact that a girls’ uniform—a legendary, coveted treasure—was right in front of them, not a single person paid it any attention. Every pair of eyes was locked on the figure of Tachibana Iori as she left.

—As the silence settled over the room, someone murmured under their breath.

“Natsuki… don’t tell me… you secretly got a girlfriend without telling us…?”