Overloaded With Attributes Chapter 21

Black Thigh-Highs 

This complete stranger—this beautiful girl—stopped right in front of me. Her eyes, so beautiful they were sharp, pinned me in place. I had no choice but to drop to my knees and apologize.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I did to offend you... but... please spare me."

...But the instant I tried to do that... she hit the dirt first. Wait, she's doing a full-on dogeza... like, forehead-to-the-asphalt... prostration?!

"Eh? Wh-Wait! What is going on?!" Ignoring my panic, she muttered in a trembling voice...

"...You're... right. To think I'd be forgiven just for bowing... That's... far too... presumptuous of me, isn't it?"

No, no, no! 'Forgive' you?! I don't even know what you're apologizing for*! I am confused! Overwhelmingly confused!* As if to mock my mental state, she stayed on her knees, opened her bag... and pulled out something long and thin.

...Ah. This is it. This is where I get 'shanked.'

"Please."

"Please what?!" Damn it, I should have taken that Spetsnaz knife from Shouko-san! It's too late for regrets. I braced myself, trying to at least guard my vitals and my head... ...But the thing she held up... offered to me with both hands, like a tribute to a king... was...

"...A permanent marker?" The situation was so incomprehensible, I just... took it.

"Please... write whatever you wish."

"Write what?!"

"But... today... is the school entrance ceremony. I... I'm the one giving the new student representative's speech. I'm sorry! I know this is an outrageous request! But... if possible... could you please write... somewhere other than my face? My stomach... my back... or... my butt... I will... expose... whatever part you desire!"

"I SAID, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WRITE?!"

My brain could not catch up. Okay, I admit it was my fault for staring at her! But why did that lead to me graffitiing her body with a Sharpie?!

"Um... Look, I apologize for staring at you. So... ...could you please stop... 'backing me into a corner' in this... incomprehensible way?"

...Why is she... tilting her head... with a "what-is-this-guy-talking-about" look on her face? You know, in my old Japan, a girl as beautiful as you tilting her head wouldn't just 'tilt heads'... it would 'topple nations.' And seriously! This situation! Me... standing over a kneeling beautiful girl... Do you have any idea how bad this looks?!

Those girls over there... they're staring, aren't they?! They definitely think I'm some "pervert who's bullying a bishoujo into submission"... ...No, wait. One of them is... biting her finger... and looks... jealous? What is that? Okay, a few people are giving me dirty looks... but that's, like, less than ten percent of them. The rest of the stares... they feel... slimy. Clingy. And the looks she's getting... they don't look like 'pity.' They look like 'envy.' ...Are the women in this world... way more messed up than I thought? ...Okay, never mind them. Focus on the bishoujo at my feet.

"I think... there's been some kind of... unfortunate... 'misunderstanding' between us. (Almost certainly... one-sided... on her part.) Look, we can't talk like this. Just... stand up. Stand up."

I grabbed her outstretched hand with both of mine and pulled her to her feet. I lightly dusted off her knees... brushing the dirt from her black thigh-highs. This was not sexual harassment, just for the record.

"Honestly... doing something like that... What if you'd scratched your beautiful legs?" At my words, she froze. And then, she whispered.

"...I'm in love."

"WHY?!" *No, seriously! What part of that exchange... had "fall in love" elements?! This girl may be a 10/10... but I think... she's the 'don't-interact' kind of crazy. She was blushing all the way to her ears, a faint smile on her face. Her expression was... ecstatic. It was so... much... that I instinctively took a step back.

"Ah! Look at the time! Yep, I'm... so sad to leave, but... I gotta go!"

If I stick around and she "reboots," God knows what she'll do. Feeling her gaze on my back, I... quietly... and at top speed... fled the scene.

I mean, she's a once-in-a-lifetime beauty. I was a little sad to go. But, you know... "A wise man avoids danger." ...So... anyway, about her.

She's... following me. She is definitely following me. I'm speed-walking so fast I could enter a race... ...and she's perfectly maintaining a three-step distance behind me. She's stalking me.

Too close, scary! Too close, scary!! I know I was just doing the same thing... but this... this has gone past "stalker" and into "horror movie" territory! Not a fun slasher movie, either... but, like, a damp, psychological J-horror!! A beautiful girl... with a blank face... her black hair 'swooshing'... just... coming for me. This is the kind of thing that would make you wet yourself... even in broad daylight!!

Please... hurry... Let me get inside the school gate... Surely she won't follow me inside... right? Right? The "sanctuary" of the school will be my barrier... ...SHE'S FOLLOWING ME INSIDE!

Why?! How?! ...Okay, I kind of noticed... She's wearing the Ourin Academy uniform! Which means... she's a new student, just like me!

"...Um..." A voice. Close. Right... there. So close I can feel her breath on the back of my ear. Crap! She's catching up!

I ignored the crowds of students at the bulletin boards and ran—full sprint—for the building... aiming for "Labyrinth Department, 1-A," just like my notice said! ...Wait, where am I?! Where's my classroom?! I'm in a full-blown panic... completely lost. There are people everywhere, but no one's looking at me... I don't have the courage to ask anyone... I'm just getting left behind... What is this... this "all-alone-in-a-crowd" space...

...GRAB!!

"HIIIIIIIIEEE?!" I've been grabbed! Someone grabbed my shoulder from behind!!

"Kashiwagi-sama, what are you doing? I didn't do anything that should make you... jump like that... This isn't the school building, it's the gymna—"

I spun around, and... it was a woman I knew. It was Shouko-san, looking completely baffled. The thread of tension I'd been holding onto... just... snapped. Before my brain could catch up, my body... just... launched itself at her.

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