**Chapter 37: The Irresistible Allure**
Before gym class.
The boys were pushed out of the classroom to change in other empty rooms or in the hallway.
Meanwhile, the girls changed into their gym outfits in a classroom with locked doors and windows.
For Alice, in the past, changing clothes in class was always the most embarrassing moment.
As a Caucasian, she would often be scrutinized with curious eyes by the other girls.
However, such a thing did not happen in Class 1-A.
Rather, Alice herself became one of those looking curiously at others.
Hinata Nagin, being a mixed-race girl, had striking platinum hair, rivaling Alice’s golden locks.
As a result, the other girls, used to seeing Nagin, no longer found Alice’s blonde hair unusual.
But the main reason the girls weren’t focusing on Alice was—
Hoshimiya Nagi.
The flawless white skin she revealed after taking off her uniform shone under the light, presenting a tempting texture like a freshly shelled egg.
Plus, she had a more developed and voluptuous figure than her peers, with a slender, tight waist, well-rounded hips, and healthy, plump thighs…
It was hard to imagine how breathtaking this girl would become in a few years.
Is this child really just a middle schooler?
Alice couldn’t help but lower her head.
Comparing herself to her own chest that barely reached her feet, tears of unwillingness flowed in her heart.
Alice couldn’t help but ask herself—
“Is the concentration of beautiful girls in this class a bit too high?”
The gym uniforms at Hoshikage Middle School have a very standard design.
A short-sleeve white T-shirt paired with black gym shorts.
The front of the shirt has a rectangular name tag sewn onto it, displaying the student’s surname.
The shorts have a white stripe on each side, adding a touch of fashion and dynamism.
Since it wasn’t quite summer yet, some girls would wear a deep blue jacket over their uniforms.
Yet even in this simple and plain design, when worn by Nagin, there was always a hint of inexplicable allure.
Especially since her legs, usually wrapped in black stockings, were now bare, extending out of the shorts in a rare display.
It was clearly an ordinary scene, but it hinted at a sense of taboo as if one had caught a glimpse inside Pandora’s box.
……
……
“Ha~ I didn’t expect you to be so impressive, Ryo…”
After running a lap, Kanade supported himself on his knees, panting heavily.
“Well, well~”
Beside him, Ryo.
Her cute doll-like face was covered in sweat, and her complexion was slightly flushed from exercise, yet she maintained a relaxed demeanor.
Having been treated as a model throughout her childhood by her fashion designer parents, she had seldom skipped exercising.
In gym class, the PE teacher intended to test the fitness levels of all students to determine who would represent the class in the upcoming sports festival.
Among the boys, Ryo, who appeared to be girlish, surprisingly came in first.
Kanade, not very athletic, finished last despite completing the run.
But these were merely appetizers.
The real focus was on the girls’ sprinting event.
Standing at the starting line were Nagin, who tied her hair into a practical ponytail and was stretching, and Alice.
It should have been a three-person event, but with Mana’s absence, it became a duel between Nagin and Alice.
“Hinata, aren’t you participating?” the nearby girls asked curiously.
“Well, due to work reasons,” Mana replied indifferently.
As an actress, she was advised to avoid strenuous activities to prevent injuries that could affect her filming schedules.
Thus, she wouldn’t be participating in the sports festival.
Although the teachers seemed eager to see the athletic ability of Mana, a capable actress, they ultimately respected the students’ personal wishes.
As for Alice.
Originally not planning to participate in the sports festival, she should have kept a low profile at such times.
However, it seemed that the scene of her running wildly in the hallway yesterday had caught the attention of the teachers and students, making its way to the PE teacher’s ears.
This led to her being enthusiastically invited by the PE teacher.
And Alice’s opponent was Nagin, representing the new students this year.
Talented in both academics and sports.
Scoring full marks across all subjects and champion of the city swimming competition in elementary school.
Her athletic prowess was evident.
The PE teacher naturally wouldn’t miss such a promising candidate.
Unknowingly, it transformed into a showdown of Alice vs. Nagin.
—Sigh, let’s just get through this…
Alice sighed internally while stealing glances at Nagin beside her.
With her sleek black hair tied into a high ponytail, Nagin exposed her fair, alluring neck, and a few crystalline sweat droplets slid down her pristine skin.
Her stunning profile displayed high spirits, and her starry eyes were fixed on the track ahead, clearly intent on taking this seriously.
Nagin extended one arm across her chest while using the other to push her straight arm, gently pulling it toward her body.
Her slender arm pressed against her subtly protruding curved hill, creating wrinkles on her white T-shirt from the swelling, along with a shadow at the lower chest.
At the same time, Nagin’s voluptuous, long legs were spread apart, with her fair, rounded thighs standing out against the black shorts.
Her legs opened shoulder-width apart, twisting her narrow waist slowly, emphasizing the alluring curves from her chest to her hips.
Though Nagin was merely doing normal shoulder stretches and torso twists, she exuded an inexplicable allure.
Leaving Kanade, resting nearby, tongue-tied as he swallowed hard.
Especially after Nagin noticed Kanade’s gaze, she turned slightly and smiled at him.
It made it difficult for Kanade to distinguish whether his racing heartbeat was because of the recent exercise or the adorable and lovely appearance of his childhood friend before him.
“On your marks—”
With the whistle from the PE teacher, Alice and Nagin darted off the starting line like arrows.
Nagin’s toes forcefully tapped the ground, her leg muscles tensed, and her body surged forward like a cheetah.
—So fast!?
Alice’s first reaction was one of disbelief.
She had planned to just coast through, so she hadn’t exerted her full strength.
But she didn’t expect Nagin, who looked so delicate, could explode with such speed.
She had undergone training at the “academy,” yet at the moment of takeoff, she could barely keep pace with Nagin.
—How could this girl be so agile when she seems so large in every aspect!?
Alice suddenly felt her competitive spirit ignited.
This match was merely a 50-meter sprint.
To others, this distance could be completed in the blink of an eye.
But for Alice and Nagin, it felt as if the wind was howling past their ears, their breaths intermingling in the air, and even time seemed to slow down against their speed.
Alice, who had put in a bit of her true effort, had become competitive.
—There’s no way I could lose to you, this girl with two useless lumps of fat!
Unable to contain her honest thoughts, Alice cried out internally—
“Why has it come to this!?”
Feeling helpless and on the verge of tears.
Eventually, in this contest, Alice won at a breathtaking speed and was chosen by the teacher to participate in the sprint event at the sports festival.
Despite intending to keep a low profile.
“Sure enough, being shorter has its advantages~”
The PE teacher’s complimentary words pierced through her thin, flat chest like a sharp blade.
Meanwhile, Nagin was…
“Kanade-kun, I’m sorry, I lost…”
“Don’t worry about it, Nagi, you did great…”
Kanade comforted the despondent Nagin, who had her head lowered in disappointment.
Suddenly, Ryo beside him handed over a bottle of mineral water with a wink toward Nagin, indicating Kanade to give it to her.
Then Ryo swiftly darted away like a ninja.
Kanade was left stunned.
“W-well, Nagi, take a break and drink some water…”
“Thank you! Kanade-kun!”
Hearing this, Nagin’s energy immediately surged, and she smiled brightly as she took the bottle from Kanade’s hands—
Then, as she was drinking, she accidentally spilled some.
Cool, clear water splashed from her chest, soaking her upper body and white T-shirt.
The white fabric became slightly transparent when soaked, revealing the light blue bra she wore underneath.
“Poof—”
Standing in front of Nagin, Kanade could clearly see this scene.
As a vigorous young boy in puberty, Kanade was unable to divert his gaze from this splash of color.
Causing him to miss the upward tilt of Nagin’s lips.
Nagin’s properly cute face began to visibly flush with a light shade of red…
“W-wait!? I-I—”
Quickly coming to his senses, Kanade stammered, flustered, but swiftly removed his deep blue jacket and draped it over Nagin.
This prevented Nagin’s state from being seen by others.
“……Thank you, Kanade-kun, you really are so kind~”
With a hint of red on her cheeks, Nagin clasped the jacket wrapped around her.
“D-don’t mention it…..”
Kanade averted his eyes, feeling guilty.
Just then, Ryo, who had just walked away, returned as if he had found a source of amusement.
“Hey~ isn’t this… Tsukimi Nagin?”
“——!”
Hearing this, Kanade and Nagin simultaneously looked down to see Ryo’s words referring to the deep blue jacket draped over Nagin, which bore the name “Tsukimi” on the breast.
Realizing what Ryo meant, Nagin turned crimson with a “bang.”
“W-wait! Ryo, don’t say weird things!”
“Eh~ Kanade, you don’t want to continue this topic?”
“Huh? I, I… so stop this topic already!?”
“Sigh, what a bunch of idiots…”
Mana sighed from the side, raising her head involuntarily.
At that moment, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a familiar black-haired figure through the corridor window.
She rubbed her eyes, but that figure vanished again.
“……Just an illusion?”
