During the lunch break, I grew tired of the classroom where the popular kids were buzzing about gossip I didn’t want to hear—like “who’s dating whom and how far they’ve gone”—and headed for the usual fire escape. When I pushed open the heavy iron door, as expected, someone was already there. Kadokura Shiori, a classmate with her hair casually tied up and wearing glasses, was sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor of the landing. Though she had a plain, makeup-free appearance, her carefree posture caused her uniform skirt to ride up, leaving her white thighs exposed. As you sat down on the step below, Shiori gave you a sidelong glance and let out a deep sigh.