The Near Miss

“Well, see you later, sir.”

Setsuna excused himself not long after Kaiko humbled him in competition.

“Hang on. My brother oughtta be here soon to cook dinner. You want some?”

Setsuna thought over Itsuki’s invite for a moment before shaking his head. “Nah, I’m fine today. I really oughtta meet him someday, though.”

Given his habit of showing up uninvited, hanging out for a while, then leaving without warning, Setsuna hadn’t managed to be around Itsuki’s place when his brother was home yet.

“…Sure thing. Have a good one.”

“Mm-hmm,” he replied, a little anxiously, as he left.

Then:

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, she killed meeeeeeeeeeeeee…”

He slumped over, sighing deeply.

It didn’t take a genius to see that a manga beginner tackling an upcoming professional was foolhardy at best, but losing still stung. As inexperienced as he was with the manga format, he still put everything he had into drawing pretty-girl asses, his greatest talent. It still wasn’t enough.

He wanted to be able to draw better asses. Godly asses. Asses so overwhelmingly wonderful that they could transcend illustration, transcend manga, transcend fine art, and turn all those formats on their heads. And to do that, he had to see that girl’s ass again—and use it to boost himself to the next level.

It had been several months since he had last seen her and her ass of the millennium around this neighborhood. He had paid frequent visits to the area ever since, searching around, hoping against hope for another chance to see it, but none of his efforts had borne fruit yet. He had checked out a few nearby schools and gyms at Itsuki’s suggestion, but it seemed that the general public didn’t have a concept of what “ass power” (as he attempted to describe it to others) meant, and apart from the amazing ass power this girl had, he didn’t know her name or face or anything. If he at least knew what she looked like, he could sketch out a likeness easily enough, but apart from her ass and the supple, voluptuous legs supporting it, everything about her had vanished from Setsuna’s mind.

“Ugh… I should probably give up…”

SILLIES was canceled, he had just lost a manga battle, and this girl refused to be found again. All Setsuna Ena could do was trudge dejectedly around the city.

Meanwhile:

“……!”

Chihiro Hashima, walking from the nearest bus stop to Itsuki’s place, was startled by the sight of a young man in front of her. There was no way she could forget that tricolor hair. He was small, about the same size as Itsuki. No doubt about it.

—Why is that molester here?!

Darting into a nearby alley, Chihiro waited for her heart to calm down.

Several months ago, when Itsuki and his friends had gone out to picnic under the cherry blossoms, Chihiro was accosted by this man on the way home. He asked her to show her ass, or something—none of it made much sense to Chihiro—and when she turned the stranger down, he reached out and pulled down her pants.

She was lucky enough to knock the pervert out with a well-placed kick, and because he hadn’t shown up since, Chihiro assumed she was in the clear. But he was still prowling around this neighborhood?

…Maybe he lives around here. Or maybe he’s looking for me. For revenge.

Either way, Chihiro never wanted to run into him again, and as she briskly headed for her brother’s apartment, she swore to keep a sharp eye out the next time she walked down this street.