At 4 PM on Sunday afternoon, after repeated urging, Kasumigaoka finally received the school uniform restoration drawing from Eriri.
She didn't want to comment on Eriri's procrastination. As long as the drawing was done, she could tolerate the few hours' delay.
The moment she received the uniform restoration drawing, Kasumigaoka carefully inspected it multiple times. Once she confirmed that it closely matched her memory, she immediately uploaded the drawing to 2CH and other Q&A websites to seek answers.
"Could someone tell me which high school this uniform is from? (PS: The high school should be within the Tokyo metropolitan area.)"
[Image]
As she looked at the straightforward question, Kasumigaoka's heartbeat gradually accelerated, and her breathing became a bit erratic.
It's getting closer, just a few more days at most, and she would find Hoshimi.
When that time comes, she's going to give Hoshimi a big surprise!
Oh right, what should she wear then? A skirt with black stockings again? Would Hoshimi be tired of seeing that by now? Maybe she should change to a different style?
How about trying white stockings?
Hmm... no, with her body type, white stockings wouldn't be very flattering and might make her look a bit "bulky."
How about garter stockings? She remembered that Hoshimi seemed to like garter stockings quite a bit.
Oh right, she almost forgot—she should put some thought into her lingerie too. Who knows? It might come in handy.
"Hoo~ Hoo~ Gufufufu~ Hehehe~"
Kasumigaoka's breathing became more heated, occasionally accompanied by strange giggles.
Knock knock!
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Uta-chan, what are you doing in there?"
Hearing her mother's inquiry from outside the door, Kasumigaoka was stunned for a second, then quickly raised her voice and replied, "Mom, I'm watching anime."
"Really?" Her mother outside the door seemed to believe her. She then asked, "Uta-chan, do you want some fruit? I just made a fruit salad."
"No thanks, I just had some snacks and don't feel like eating now." With her face flushed, Kasumigaoka opened a video website and randomly clicked on an anime she could watch for free.
"I see. Well, I'll leave some in the fridge for you. When you're hungry, you can help yourself."
"Got it, thanks, Mom."
After hearing her mother's footsteps fade away, Kasumigaoka finally let out a long sigh of relief.
She paused the anime and reopened the Q&A websites to check if anyone had answered her question.
Seeing that no one had responded on any of the sites, she furrowed her brows ever so slightly.
Why is there no activity at all? Not even a single comment? Did the post sink?
"Hoo~"
Kasumigaoka took a deep breath and muttered to herself softly.
No need to panic; it's only been a few minutes. It's normal for no one to answer immediately. Just wait, and eventually, there will be a response.
In the meantime, she could go pick out an outfit for when she meets Hoshimi. By the time she finishes, there might be an answer.
Having made up her mind, Kasumigaoka opened her eyes, stood up, and walked toward the wardrobe...
...
Ten minutes later, while picking out clothes, Kasumigaoka couldn't resist checking the computer again.
Still no answers. She frowned slightly.
...
Half an hour later, after changing into a new outfit, Kasumigaoka returned to the computer.
There were some filler posts, some bumps, but still no answer.
Kasumigaoka started to feel a little irritated...
...
An hour later, Kasumigaoka checked the Q&A site again.
"Tsk~" She clicked her tongue in frustration.
How is there still no answer? How long do I have to wait? Should I put up a reward?
Hmm, let's do that—max out the reward points.
The reward system worked quickly. Responses started coming in from different sites.
"Trying to find a school based on a uniform? The design is pretty common, and the color is the usual black. There's no school emblem or any distinctive symbols—just a vague geographical restriction? This might be a bit tricky, but I'll see what I can find."
"Tokyo metropolitan area high school... From what I know, there are over 200 high schools in just the 23 wards of Tokyo alone. If you add the surrounding areas like Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama, the number of high schools could exceed 500. This search could be quite the task."
"Huh? Come to think of it, doesn't Shuchiin Academy's uniform also use black?"
"The person above, Shuchiin Academy's uniform has a standing collar. The one in this image clearly has an open collar. How did you miss such an obvious difference?"
"Oh, I see... Never mind, carry on."
"More than 500 high schools, huh? That's a bit troublesome but not impossible. The image shows a boys' uniform, so we can rule out all-girls' schools right away. The remaining ones can be compared one by one. Most school websites have a gallery that shows the students' uniforms, but some schools don't have a gallery. If we run into that, it'll take a lot more effort."
"Where did you get this image? If it's from the internet, maybe you can try 'reverse searching' it, and you might find the answer directly."
Kasumigaoka raised her eyebrows slightly and replied:
"The image was drawn for me; it wasn't found online, so reverse searching probably won't work."
"You had someone draw it? Wow, that's quite the dedication. This could be a bit tough, but for those points, I'm in!"
Seeing the post gaining traction, Kasumigaoka's lingering anxiety began to fade away.
It's close, so close. Just a little longer, and she'd have her answer.
Hoshimi, I'll be able to see you soon. What kind of expression will you have when that happens? Will you be overjoyed? Shocked? Or maybe some other more interesting reaction?
Ah~ Just thinking about it makes me excited...
Kasumigaoka's legs pressed together unconsciously, her beautiful eyes shimmering with anticipation.
...
Evening, as the city lights came on.
Having just finished a round of "AtaFami", Hoshimi set down the controller and turned to look at Aoyama Nanami, who had been sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for some time.
"Nanami, I'm going to have to trouble you again." Hoshimi stood up and took out the full ear-cleaning kit from the wardrobe, handing it to Nanami.
"No, it's no trouble..." Nanami, under Hoshimi's shadow, blushed and lowered her head.
"..."
Looking at the gentle and delicate Nanami, a strange glint flashed in Hoshimi's eyes.
He wondered what her reaction would be if he pinned Nanami down on the bed right now. Would she hesitantly go along with it?
Hoshimi's gaze flickered, unable to determine the likelihood of such a scenario.
He was certain of Nanami's fondness for him.
After all, if she didn't have feelings for him, why would she repeatedly offer to clean his ears, massage him, and give him lap pillows?
But he wasn't sure just how deep those feelings ran.
Moreover, knowing Nanami's personality, there were some things that, once done, there would be no going back...
"Nanami, is that okay?" Hoshimi asked meaningfully with his gleaming eyes.
===
[30 Bonus Chapters: https://www.patreon.com/cherryblooming]