My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Let's meet at the station at 12 o'clock!

After replying to Xiaoyue's message, I stood in front of the full-length mirror to check my outfit. Hmm, not bad. Although I also wondered why I always wore long skirts, I didn't dare wear skirts that were too short, and wearing pants seemed like I was trying to look cool. But Xiaoyue always says I look good in pants.

I picked up my bag and went downstairs.

Just then, as if following behind me, Shuidou, with his messy hair from sleeping, came down the stairs.

My stepson, wearing a gray sweatshirt, looked at me sleepily.

"...Are you going out?"

"Yes. Because unlike you, I have more friends."

"Right……"

Just as I was wondering why the answer was so vague, I noticed that Mizuto was holding a book.

...This guy is really something, so unpredictable yet so easy to understand.

I pretended not to notice the book and said:

"You can go out and have fun sometimes, right? With Kawanami or someone else?"

"I don't need it."

After finishing his speech listlessly, Mizuto opened the living room door.

"...Oh, whatever."

As I walked towards the entryway, I said:

"—After I get back..."

"what?"

"You should lend me something too. Otherwise, wouldn't that be unfair?"

For example, the book you're holding in your hand.

We were silent for a while. I didn't turn around, so I didn't know what expression Shuidou had on his face.

After a short while, he answered softly:

"...I'll consider it."

I smiled slightly... really only slightly.

Then, I said it as I walked towards the entrance.

He said things he had never said when they were dating before.

"Well then, I'm heading out."

Take care.

Volume Two: Even if couples no longer change seats before becoming lovers "…………0.325%…………"

Looking back, I can only say it was a mistake I made when I was young. However, I did have what is commonly known as a girlfriend between my second and third years of junior high school.

Strictly speaking, it was from September of the second year of junior high school to March of the third year, about nineteen months in total—among which, for seven months from September to March of the second year of junior high school, we were classmates.

Seven months.

Anyone who has ever been a student in Japan will understand the significance of this number.

That's right—during my relationship with Yui Ayai, we changed seats about seven times.

The reason I added "approximately" is because we were on holiday for half of December and March, and I don't quite remember whether the seats were changed. In short, roughly speaking, this is the number of times the seats in the class were randomly moved.

We sat next to each other only once.

For just one month, we spent all our time at school within a distance of less than a meter.

If it were me now, I would say, "So what?" But back then, it seemed like a stroke of luck falling from the sky. Looking back at my old notes, I can see that only the blackboard notes I copied during class during that period have particularly messy handwriting—I vividly remember myself hurriedly copying notes before I could even concentrate on the lecture when the teacher started erasing the blackboard.

However, despite what I said, Ayai and I are both the typical gloomy type, and we never whisper to each other during class.

Back then, we would at most steal a few glances at each other, touch fingertips while helping each other pick up erasers, or pass notes instead of writing letters—I really don't know what's so fun about that. Why don't we use cell phones to contact each other?

...However, secretly passing notes while avoiding others' gazes, and then peeking at the other person's expression as they read the note, was probably a great pleasure for us back then. Although it's completely incomprehensible now!

Such a period of time only lasted for a month.

Our class has a habit of changing seats at the end of each month—as a result of drawing lots, our seats were split up.

The probability of sitting next to a specific person twice in a row, assuming a class of thirty students with five seats on each side of the wall, is approximately 0.325%. This is perhaps higher than the probability of becoming step-siblings with a recently ex-girlfriend, but it's still not very likely.

...Don't ask me how I know such detailed probability figures. Back then, I was a typical junior high student who liked to learn things on the spot, that's all.

And so, the wonderful days of sitting next to each other came to an end, and it was time for class meeting.

The students walked to the front of the class in order to draw lots prepared by the teacher.

Just as the student sitting diagonally in front of me finished drawing their lottery ticket, it was Ayai's turn to sit next to me...

--- that, that...

A faint sound, barely audible to anyone in the world except for me sitting next to me, entered my ears.

In my memory, that was the first time Ayai spoke to me in the classroom.

--Huh?

So I was startled.

He inadvertently revealed a surprised expression, as if he had been stopped by a stranger.

People who never feel uncomfortable talking to others may not understand, but for a girl like Ayai with a gentle personality—of course, this doesn't apply to the current female demon—this reaction is tantamount to a death sentence.

Ah...yes, no...

Before I could even finish saying "I'm sorry," Ayai quickly walked over to draw lots, and I lost my chance to smooth things over.

Of course, I am a man who understands the psychology of people with communication difficulties, so I apologized to Ayai after school and asked her what happened, but she just smiled shyly and said "nothing" to brush it off.

It's obvious that there couldn't possibly be nothing at all.

People with communication difficulties can be very stubborn in their refusal to assert themselves.

So in the end, I gave up pressing her for answers and never brought it up again.

It's just that this is such a trivial matter that even Sugishita Ukyo might overlook, but I sometimes still think about it.

I remember her face was stiff and slightly red, and I could tell at a glance that she was nervous.

The hands were clenched tightly in an attempt to muster the courage, but for some reason only the little finger of the right hand was sticking up.

And, as if she had some expectation of me, she lowered her head slightly to steal glances into my eyes...

What exactly did Ayai want to say to me back then?

◆

"So, as we agreed before the holiday, we'll be changing seats during today's class meeting."

"Yay!" A burst of wild cheers erupted in the classroom.

Seriously, enough already. It's just changing seats, what's there to be happy about? I genuinely envy these people who live such a happy life.

—If it were any other time, I might say something like that, but only today, even I can't hide my joy.

A month has passed since I enrolled. Until today, the first day after the Golden Week holiday, the seating arrangement has been based on seat numbers.

This is about to change.

Liquidity is about to be generated.

In other words—I can finally escape the female demon behind me!

What a wonderful day this is!

The days of repeated acts of violence during my time in the back seat—kicking my chair from behind, poking my neck with a mechanical pencil, or using whispering tactics when the teacher called on me—that felt like being in the deepest hell were finally coming to an end.

This day should be designated as an anniversary. The homeroom teacher said we'd be changing seats, so today is the anniversary of that seating arrangement.

"(...You seem quite happy.)"

Just as I was deeply moved, a barbed murmur pierced my back.

It should be said that I was physically pricked by a mechanical pencil.

She was my stepsister, ex-girlfriend, and classmate, Irito Yui.

...Hmph, hmph. This is the final test. God, although You have made me suffer greatly during this time, this time I will definitely win. I will endure this test and prove the strength of humanity.

"(Hey...! Are you mute?!)"

More and more tortures continued to hurl at me on my back, which bore the weight of human dignity.

...Being poked so many times really hurts.

Seeing that the teacher for the first class hadn't arrived yet, I took out my phone from under the table.

<Didn't your school teach you not to stab people on the back? Female sadist.> - 09:02

I use LINE to send messages.

A while later, the continuous stabbing stopped, and I received a reply.

<Oh, I'm sorry, this isn't within the scope of the exam.> - 09:03

<I think you'd better go take a morality class.> - 09:03

<Huh? Isn't this about biology? Learning how to treat livestock.> - 09:04

I received a sticker of a pink pig squealing, which made my cheek muscles twitch with anger.

Sorry, this is not within the scope of the exam. — 09:05

<Huh?> - 09:05

<Even someone as intelligent as me hasn't learned how to write Japanese in a way that an orangutan can understand.> - 09:06

"Redhead...!"

A surprised voice came from behind me, and I held back my laughter.

"Don't push your luck." - 09:07

<Waaaah! A primary school student is writing nonsense! Run away!> - 09:07

<A slightly better score in Modern Chinese Literature can easily earn you 250,000 to 800,000.> - 09:07

<It's an honor to receive your praise, Ms. Irito Yui, who topped the entrance exam.> - 09:08

Bang! She kicked the seat of my chair from behind.

I forget when it was, but we once shared our calculated scores from the entrance exams, and I beat her by more than ten points in Modern Chinese Literature.

Students who enjoy reading generally take pride in their modern Chinese language grades (according to my research). This incident seems to have severely damaged this woman's self-esteem; she becomes unhappy every time the topic is brought up, which makes me feel incredibly relieved.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Before any response was received, the teacher for the first class entered the classroom ten minutes late.

I won today's LINE battle. The woman's frustrated expression seems to appear before my eyes.

Just as I was about to put my phone back in my pocket, it vibrated again to indicate that I had received a message.

<Eh.> - 09:11

And that was the end of it.

I found it strange, so I turned to peek and saw that Jie was already intently opening her textbook and notes. Her phone wasn't in her hand.

I guess I had something to say, but the teacher came, so I gave up.

Because our surnames start with the Japanese syllabary "i", we were assigned the first and second seats from the front. Using your phone in these seats would get you caught immediately, so we had a rule against touching each other during class. I didn't want to be embarrassed by having both of our phones confiscated.

...What was she trying to say?

I have to say I was very curious, but the teacher started writing on the blackboard, so I decided to concentrate on the lesson.

The moment the bell rang, the atmosphere in the classroom immediately became much more relaxed.

The morning classes are over.

About thirty students (I can't remember the exact number) stood up as if time had resumed its flow. They carried lunchboxes or wallets and went to find friends to have lunch, as if it were only natural.