This Girl is Magnet for Distractions

Yoshika let her mouth hang open and her eyebrows sank. “Whaaaat— That’s so boring! You don’t like her?”

“No.” I can confidently say this too. “No, I don’t.”

“You at least think she’s cute, right? It’s impossible for anyone to not admit that.”

“Akimoto-san? Cute? Like over all, all the time? Or just at some specific moments?”

“Wha? Do all nerds speak in such confusing ways?” Her comment made it clear she had no idea about the true nature of the beast. What lurked just below the pleasant and seemingly calm surface.

“Okay-okay, I guess she’s… she’s able to be described as cute by particular individuals.”

“Ah! You really are no fun!” Yoshika puffed out her cheeks. “Are you not attracted to women or something?”

Hm, that’s ironic. I could tell you about something that would shake your world. “I am. Just not one’s with three-dimensions.”

She recoiled a little at my confession, giving me a cautious eyebrow raise. “That’s really gross, you know.”

“A 2D girl would never beg you to order a pizza with your own money, then punch you when you try to eat a slice.”

“Akimoto-sensei did that…?”

“No comment.”

We took a left off of the main street that ran parallel with the high school. These side streets are usually less trafficked by cars and more people, making the walking experience a lot calmer. Today though, this street was absolutely packed, shoulder-to-shoulder, an unmovable wall of—

“Geisha…? What the hell is going on here??” Yoshika and I froze at the beginning of the street. “Kiyotaka-senpai, did you hear anything in the news about some event?”

I shook my head no with a vacant expression painted on. “Uhm… Should we take a different route?”

Before my junior could respond I think we simultaneously noticed the same head of blonde hair poking out deep in the crowd. “No… surely not.” I said. Yoshika seemed to share a sense of disbelief as she followed me up with, “That’s impossible…”

We cautiously approached the massive gathering of Geisha, and sure enough, we recognized our blonde friend’s head weaving through the crowd.

“How’d she even end up there?” Yoshika went on her tip-toes to get a better view.

“I unfortunately think I know the answer…”

Akimoto spun in a circle, scanning around her like a submarine periscope. She locked directly on us and gasped—she looked as if us finding her saved her life or something. It took a few minutes for her to navigate the crowd, finally stumbling out at our feet. “Ah! Makoto! Yoshi-chan! I— I’m saved!” She said with heavy breathes between each word.

“K—Akimoto-san, what’re you doing!?”

“No time for that, Makoto! We gotta go!” Akimoto grabbed my hand and quickly made a break for a nearby alleyway. Eerily similar to our first real conversation, she pushed me up against a wall and stared sharp-daggers into me.

“O-okay! Seriously, tell me what’s going on! A-and hold on! Why’re you dressed as a Geisha too!?”

Akimoto released me from her grip and sank down into a crouch. “Makoto, this is bad. Like really bad… You remember when I showed you that student handbook and the dresscode thing?”

“How could I forget…”

“Well I wanted to try it out, and on my way to school this morning I was kidnapped!”

“For real!?”

“Yes! By two Geisha! And they dragged me to that side-street saying stuff like, it’s too late to back out now, you signed up for this festival. I was so scared!”

“Pfff—” A laugh tried to escape but I did my best to reel it in. “T-t-that’s terrible… I’m so sorry.”

“It was! Don’t make fun of me! I had to do make-up and practice dancing for almost six hours!” I had crouched next to her, and she playfully tried to push me away.

“Alright, it was a traumatizing experience, I get it.”

“Now I have to escape from them… If I try and leave wearing this they’ll just capture me again. I didn’t bring my uniform or any other clothes…” Akimoto looked at me, wallowing in her self-loathing, with an expression that expected me to have the magic answer.

Yoshika finally decided to come over and join us—she poked her head around the alley and said, “I have my basketball uniform, would that work?”

“Ah! Yes! Yoshi-chan! I knew taking you under my wing would pay off in the long run!” There’s a glaring issue neither of them are realizing here… Should I say something? Or just wait? Akimoto graciously accepted the jersey and shorts. “Makoto, what’re you doing? Don’t you have the decency to give a girl some privacy while changing?”

Decency, and Akimoto, in the same sentence? I almost want to laugh. I conceded though, putting my hands up in a silent apology and turning to leave the alleyway. 

Roughly a minute passed and I was called back in.

While the shorts fit like a glove, the jersey was a different story entirely… “Akimoto-san, did you really not think about this beforehand? Or did you just want to make Yoshika-san cry?”

“I’m not crying!” Our junior retorted.

The jersey that normally had a somewhat loose fit on Yoshika was made into a crop-top by the elegant Akimoto. Who would’ve seen this coming, right? It exposed her stomach, and despite her near competitive levels of eating, she still had very little fat. I will say though, definitely more than when I first met her. Moving up… uhm… I’ll just say a flat-earther could’ve been convinced the world is round… A farmer would’ve been more than pleased with his crop of watermelon… The secret eighth wonder of the world was on full displa—

“Makoto! Stop starin’ at my tits and gimme your shirt!” She looked ready to sucker-punch me so I quickly complied. As she changed again I turned around and the jersey was given to me. I don’t know whether to be happy that I’m thin, or upset that I fit very nicely in Yoshika’s clothes…

 “Akimoto-san, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you sure you shouldn’t cut back on eating at all?”

“Wha? You tryna fight?” Her tone was completely soulless. Euhhh— how can she sound so scary!

“N-no! I’m sorry!”