「Kororin really is the cutest thing ever…」
Yukarin was stroking Kororin’s head as it sat curled in her palm.
Tonight, Yukarin was staying over in my room.
She was wearing her gym uniform instead of pajamas, and bought fresh underwear from the school store.
She was all set for our little sleepover.
「Hey, Yukarin. We should probably get to bed soon.」
It was already ten at night.
I had to wake up early for my newspaper route, so this was usually when I went to sleep.
「Touka-chan, go to sleep for both of us, okay?」
「…Geez, you’re impossible.」
I climbed under the covers and closed my eyes. And then…
「Wait, me sleeping doesn’t help ‘you’ get any rest!」
「Bit late for that comeback, huh? It’s already morning. Kororin’s sleeping, so keep it down, okay?」
「Oh, sorry… Wait…Yukarin, have you been up all night?」
Yukarin was filming the sleeping Kororin on her phone.
She had dark circles under her eyes.
Kororin, too, was……
「He just looked so adorable while sleeping, I couldn’t help it…」
「Come on, you’ve got to sleep at least a little.」
「But this moment with Kororin, right now, only exists ‘right now’!」
「If you don’t sleep, I’ll tell the teacher and have them ban you from taking care of Kororin at the dorm…」
「Good night, Touka-chan!」
Yukarin dove under the covers like lightning.
Of course, there was no way she got enough rest after that, so all throughout class the next day, she kept nodding off.
Thing is, there are only four students in our class, so if you doze off, the teacher ‘will’ notice and you ‘will’ get scolded.
That’s why nobody sleeps in class.
I bet our class’s nap rate rivals even the most elite prep schools. Not that I actually know what their nap rates are.
And yet…
「Akechi! Falling asleep ‘twice’ during my lecture…you’ve got guts.」
「S-sorry, Miss Misa-sensei!」
「I let it slide the first time, but not the second. I’m not some soft-hearted Buddha who forgives up to three times.」
Standing tall on Yukarin’s desk, arms crossed, was our teacher, Minose-sensei.
The very same teacher rumored to be terrifying when angry, now looming with a fearless smile.
It’s strange how being smiled at can feel even scarier than being yelled at.
「Um, Minose-sensei. Please don’t use corporal punishment or anything like that」
「Don’t worry, Yamamoto. These days, that sort of thing would be a huge problem. I won’t do anything like that」
Minose-sensei said to me.
Hearing that, I felt relieved.
「There’s already a set of proper guidelines for this kind of situation. Maybe it would’ve been better with some corporal punishment, but you’ll have to endure」
And so, Yukarin received a punishment that was fully compliant with the rules.
I won’t go into the details here, though…it just doesn’t feel right to talk about it.
Anyway, the class finally came to an end.
「Yukari, go home and get some sleep today」
「Eh? But I already went home early yesterday」
「It’s a problem for us if you show up at the dungeon in that condition」
Sumire-chan was angry.
But it was understandable.
The dungeon isn’t a place for fun.
Even if the substitute bracelet prevents death, if it breaks, you’re expelled on the spot.
Especially with Yukarin using a sword, a close-range weapon.
She fights right at the front, and in that condition…
「Yeah. I agree with Sumire」
Kyou-san spoke up.
I felt the same way.
「She’s right. Yukarin, you should just go to bed today」
「…Okay. Yeah, then Touka-chan, sorry but…」
「You can sleep in my room, but Kororin’s being left with Kurenai-sensei, so you can’t bring him back to the dorm」
「Eh!? Why…」
「Because if Kororin’s with you, you definitely won’t sleep, right?」
I mean, even when she’s obviously tired, instead of napping during lunch break, she goes to the staff room just to visit Kororin.
「Yukari, go home today. If you’re gone from home two days in a row, your uncle and aunt will worry」
「…Yeah, you’re right. Okay」
Yukarin gave a small nod and turned her back to us.
That back looked so lonely.
I didn’t know what to say to her…
「Akechi-san. You should think carefully about why you go into the dungeon」
Kyou-san said.
Yukarin turned around and nodded without saying anything.
Yukarin… is she really going to be okay?
I started to worry.
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