“…Well, I’ll accept that gratitude then. Thanks.”
“…Yeah.”
“Hehe.”
Yuzuha showed her white teeth. Then,
“Well, it doesn’t look like there’ll be any major problems, so it’s not a reason for Yoshiki not to date. You should hurry up and confirm if things are good with her, okay?”
“You’re landing on that topic after all this!?”
As expected, her ability to change the subject was still intact.
The unstoppable momentum in changing topics was still there, which reassured me a bit.
Remi had changed. Probably for the better.
Everyone changes at some point.
But for a little while longer, I wanted the Yuzuha in front of me to remain the one I knew.
There’s a reason for feeling lonely. Probably, there are other reasons too.
“Because, in the end, you didn’t even find out if it’s ‘good vibe’ with Nikaidou-san or not, which is like, what were you even doing? You have to ask again, okay?”
“Eh… I got a date ticket after asking the ‘good vibe’, and honestly, I’m satisfied just getting that cheat item…”
“At this rate, you’ll always be a virgin. Didn’t you want to align your understanding of what ‘good vibe’ means?”
“I want to date because I want to be in a relationship!?”
Yuzuha finished drinking her bottled water and answered in a quiet voice.
“…It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not? It’s completely different?”
A heavy atmosphere reminiscent of the rainy season.
As if to brush it off, Yuzuha’s dry laughter spread under the cloudy sky.
The swallows were no longer in sight.
Having finished my lunch, I was strolling in the courtyard with Yuzuha.
The school’s lunch break is fifty minutes long.
I feel that this lunch break is when how people spend their time varies the most in daily life.
For some, it’s a blissful time; for others, a boring time; and for some, a painful time.
Students who consider the real lunch break to start after eating rush to the playground as soon as they finish. I used to do that too in my first year of junior high.
In the beginning of my third year of junior high, the lunch break itself was painful.
Now, I don’t feel as active as I did in my first year, so I usually chat or sleep.
But occasionally, a walk isn’t bad either.
Time with Yuzuha is always like a storm, so spending time quietly like this with just the two of us was almost a first.
We don’t often have the chance to stroll in the courtyard during lunch break, but surprisingly, Yuzuha also had a peaceful expression on her face.
Given the nickname issue, maybe Yuzuha has been tired lately too.
“…Hm.”
The bench where I had sat with Hanazono came into view.
Just because it’s in a spot where other students can’t easily see, it’s already becoming my personal favorite spot.
“Yuzuha.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Shall we sit on that bench over there?”
“…Heh, I didn’t know there was a bench here. Am I about to be hit on?”
“No way!”
If it wasn’t Yuzuha, I might misunderstand every time she says things like this.
The term “virgin killer” is often seen on social media, but maybe it exists for the gyaru sitting next to me.
As we sat down on the bench, Yuzuha immediately started talking.
“About what we were discussing on the rooftop… If you’re sure you can align your understanding with Nikaidou-san during your date, I’ll start moving on Hanazono-san’s case now. What do you want to do?”
“…It’s weird for me to say this, but you’re really pushing me, aren’t you? I didn’t expect you to check on my progress this much.”
“Come on, you’re the one who started talking about confirming things about ‘good vibe’ and all that. Don’t disappoint me~”
“Ugh…”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
It was a very reasonable argument that I should keep my word.
If she had said something like “because it’s interesting” like before, I might have been able to brush it off a little.
“First of all, I might only be able to push you like this now. If I keep being late much more, I might actually have to repeat a year.”
Yuzuha yawned widely.
…Come to think of it, Yuzuha was late again today.
“Give me a break. You’d be wasting your talents if you repeated a year just because of tardiness. Even though you score higher than me in Modern Japanese.”
“You’re still holding onto that, huh? Well, that’s true, but I just can’t wake up in the morning.”
“That’s no excuse, set an alarm clock!”
“I do set one. If you’re going to be so controlling, why don’t you give me a wake-up call every day?”
“Every day is a bit…”
…Well, actually, it’s not such an unpleasant request.
A morning call from Yuzuha would be nothing but a treat for some of the guys.
I feel like I might act reluctant while secretly wanting to accept.
But it would still be a big burden.
“…Were you seriously thinking about waking me up?”
“Well, if I feel like it.”
“It’s fine, I was just joking!”
Yuzuha said, “You’re a good guy,” and lightly tapped my shoulder.
A slight warmth ignited where she touched.
“Shut up. Why can’t you wake up anyway? What time do you usually go to bed?”
I asked, trying to disguise the warmth in my body.
Yuzuha answered straightforwardly, not seeming particularly puzzled.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I sleep at 3 AM every day. I work a night job, you know.”
I blinked and responded.
“…Seriously? What kind of job are you doing? Isn’t our school supposed to prohibit part-time jobs?”
“A questionable establishment. Details are a secret♡”
“Questionable…!?”
I stood up from the bench abruptly.
Questionable… could it be that kind of place?
While curious, I felt I couldn’t leave it alone if it wasn’t a joke.
But it also felt inappropriate to ask directly—
As I was desperately trying to process my thoughts, Yuzuha spoke in an amused voice.
“Haha, I’m just kidding. The fact that you believed that proves your mind went to pink thoughts about me. What’s this? Is Yoshiki expecting something from me after all? Oh my, how troublesome~”
“Anyone would think that way after hearing that! I’m not expecting anything, just concerned as a friend!”
“So serious~ It’s not like being friends has anything to do with it. I just don’t like it when people who aren’t even my friends tell me to let them do it, you know?”
Yuzuha wiggled her body.
…How serious is this gal?
This kind of behavior is what tickles men’s hearts, but I wonder if she’s made enemies because of it.
The person who first called her “The Sun” might have become obsessed with her because of this attitude.
Yuzuha let out a melancholic sigh.
“But well~ The job isn’t actually fun. I’m realizing how tough it is that you don’t get paid unless you work~”
“…What kind of job are you really doing?”
With the information available, I couldn’t think of many good occupations.
“Then is that outfit also a reaction to the stress?”
“Maybe~ Yoshiki, you’re saying mean things~”
“…Sorry. That was pretty inconsiderate of me.”
As I was about to apologize again, Yuzuha leaned in close.
She placed her index finger on my lips, then on her own.
Her lips, which seemed to have a certain firmness, looked even more alluring.
I leaned back as if struck by an electric shock.
“You, seriously doing things like that…!”
“Our school prohibits part-time jobs, right? Since you’ve got dirt on me now, I thought I’d try to butter you up. So? Will you keep it a secret? Or do you need more?”
“That’s not the point! You’re the one who brought this up!”
Yuzuha removed her finger and smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth.
“Then, you don’t like this kind of thing?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it… but don’t casually tell others about your part-time job. You stand out enough as it is, so it wouldn’t be strange if people got jealous.”
“If that happens, you’ll protect me, right?”
—I’ll shine for you, Yoshiki.
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