Chapter 1: A New Daily Life
“Way to go, Yoshiki!”
Morning. Right off the bat, the blonde gal Yuzuha Yui praised me.
Yuzuha, sitting in the front seat, rested her elbows on my desk with an excited expression.
The owner of the front seat should be Takeru Arino, a buzz-cut type guy, but that’s old news now.
I know well that he’d be happy to have his seat taken by Yuzuha.
While I was thinking about this, Yuzuha, with a purple hoodie tied around the waist of her white shirt, looked up at me with a smile that seemed like I could hear her humming cheerfully.
“Hey, hey, honestly speaking, isn’t this thanks to me? It couldn’t have happened without my cooperation, right? Yoshiki, are you grateful to me?”
“Ah, well, you know…”
Dating Hanazono happened just yesterday.
Through the cooperation of my childhood friend Remi Nikaido and the central figure of Class 2, Yuzuha Yui, I was able to successfully become Hanazono’s boyfriend.
Honestly, it’s a miracle.
That Yuuka Hanazono is my girlfriend—if my middle school self heard this, he’d definitely faint.
Even though we attended different middle schools, we originally went to the same cram school and would walk home together just the two of us.
But with her guard as sturdy as taking three steps forward and two steps back, countless boys had been rejected by her.
…That same Hanazono now opens her heart to me as a member of the opposite sex.
I didn’t have the courage to ask her out on a date by myself, so certainly this result might not have been possible without Yuzuha.
However, as someone who was nervous about the terrible acting on the day itself, I couldn’t honestly be completely grateful.
Actually, even Remi was troubled by it.
“What? You’re making a weird face. Besides, do you really need that much time to thank me for being grateful?”
“…No, yeah. Let’s go with that. Thanks, it went well thanks to you, Yuzuha.”
“What do you mean ‘let’s go with that’?! What exactly do you mean by ‘let’s go with that,’ Your Honor!”
“Wait, keep your voice down!”
I hurriedly stopped her.
After all, I hadn’t even been able to discuss with Hanazono how much we should let people around us know about our relationship.
“What? Yoshiki, you’re not being fun today, are you? I came to school today basically just to talk about this.”
“I appreciate that, but, you know…”
Just as I was about to issue a gag order to Yuzuha, I noticed a boy approaching with high spirits.
“Good morning, Yoshiki.”
“Uh, Takeru…”
“What’s with the ‘uh’?”
At my response, Takeru gave an obviously awkward smile.
His hair, which was buzzed in April, had grown out a bit and was now becoming a crew cut.
He’s the owner of the seat that Yuzuha was sitting in without permission.
He probably wanted to get close to Yuzuha since my conversation with her was getting lively.
Since his seat was being taken, that was his natural right.
So don’t make that face like a child whose toy was taken away, Yuzuha.
“Sorry, good morning Takeru. So, what’s up?”
“What’s up or down, you two were getting really excited, so I was curious. Yoshiki and Yuzuha-san, what were you talking about?”
Takeru’s gaze glanced toward Yuzuha.
Before Yuzuha could tell him about yesterday’s events, I cautioned Takeru.
“Please, don’t ask about the conversation details. I really don’t want it to be known right now.”
“Why not?! Even if you’re going to exclude me, couldn’t you say it more roundabout? I’m surprisingly quite hurt by this!”
“Arino-kun, you’re an outsider when it comes to this matter. I know you and Yoshiki are close, but it’s not that kind of problem, you know?”
“I’m not entirely unconvinced when Yuzuha-san says it… but what is ‘this matter’? Don’t be so cold, please tell me.”
Takeru looked at Yuzuha again and spoke in a wheedling voice.
Somehow, I felt like his gaze was being drawn to Yuzuha’s exposed cleavage.
If even I, watching from the side, could tell, it must be obvious to Yuzuha herself.
But Yuzuha didn’t seem to mind at all and answered Takeru in a cheerful tone.
“Hmm… Arino-kun, do you want to know?”
“I want to know!”
“But you know, even I need Yoshiki’s permission to—”
“Wait!”
“Fumugyu!?”
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Yuzuha made a muffled sound as my palm pressed against her mouth.
I had intended to stop her with just a gesture, but in my haste, I ended up directly covering her mouth.
For me to touch Yuzuha directly like this was unthinkable until now.
That’s how desperate the situation Takeru had created was.
“Fandee!”
Yuzuha protested by rattling the desk.
But Yuzuha didn’t throw her head back or anything.
Seeing that she wasn’t immediately trying to escape, it seemed she understood my intention to hide the fact that I was dating Hanazono.
Thinking back, Yuzuha had just said “the person’s permission.”
…Maybe she was actually planning to give an answer that would side with me.
Yuzuha might be misunderstood because of her flashy appearance, but she doesn’t cross the line in human relationships.
Rather, she’s exceptionally good at gauging the line with others and closing the distance.
That’s precisely why she could deliberately serve as a leader in middle school and had popularity.
However, sadly, no matter how good a person Yuzuha is, her position as a central figure in the class draws strong attention from those around her.
No matter what content Yuzuha herself might convey, even if she tried to protect me, it would generate some kind of speculation.
In that case, it would be better to physically cover her mouth like this to settle things peacefully.
“Mugugugu!”
Finally, Yuzuha made a protesting sound in my hands.
This time she seemed to be genuinely struggling to breathe, so I hurriedly said “Whoa, sorry” and immediately let go.
“Hah, hah, Yoshiki almost killed me…!”
“Really sorry, I was putting in force without realizing it. I was going easy at first.”
“That’s not the problem, and it was only okay at the very beginning! I was getting gradually more and more suffocated from the middle!”
“I’ll treat you to a pastry as an apology.”
“My life is worth 150 yen!?”
Takeru was slightly surprised by this exchange but seemed very interested, saying “Y-Yuzuha is unexpectedly M…?”
Yuzuha clearly frowned.
“Ha, I’m not an M. It’s just because the other person is Yoshiki, so I don’t hate it enough to smack him. I’d normally dislike it, you know? Though I’d forgive it for a pastry.”
Grateful for her generous heart.
Takeru turned to me with a “R-right!” and spoke in a stern tone.
“Hey Yoshiki, covering Yuzuha-san’s mouth like that, you really…! You’re flying past ‘good vibes’ and being way too close! Are you two seriously going out? What was that ‘because it’s Yoshiki’ about!”
Being questioned suspiciously, I grinned.
“Wh…what are you smiling about?”
“Hehehe, well…”
Right now, I’m probably in the place farthest from Takeru’s suspicions.
I absolutely couldn’t say it without Hanazono’s permission, but I had become someone with a girlfriend.
I replied in a slightly quiet voice.
“Don’t worry, Takeru. There’s no way I’d be going out with Yuzuha.”
“That’s right, even though Yoshiki and I are tight, we haven’t crossed the line. …Wait, in cases like this, where is the line?”
“Stop saying things that make it sound like something might be going on!”
At this explanation that seemed to make things even more complicated, I almost covered her mouth again.
Yuzuha laughed cutely but Takeru’s suspicions didn’t seem to be cleared yet.
“There’s also the possibility that you two are conspiring to fool me. Once I start doubting, I don’t believe so easily, you know? Maybe you two were actually secretly dating like the rumors that went around before—”
“That’s impossible.”
A quiet voice was cast into the scene.
The rippled water surface instantly became still.
Not only Takeru, but even Yuzuha looked over in surprise.
Behind us three, a human figure was standing.
“Ha—Hanazono”
She deliberately looked at me.
“Good morning, Yosshi.”
“O-oh. Good morning.”
I timidly raised my hand just a little, then immediately lowered it.
Hanazono smiled nicely at such an awkward gesture.
…Damn, she’s incredibly cute.
Jade-colored eyes and an elegant atmosphere.
While giving the impression of a small animal, I know better than anyone that she’s undoubtedly a girl.
Hanazono is my girlfriend.
Hanazono is my girlfriend.
Is thinking Hanazono is cute just girlfriend bias?
No, that’s not it.
The objective perspective within me is shouting that.
The sensation of embracing her yesterday still remains in my body.
When that scene came to mind, Takeru asked Hanazono a question.
“Wh-why is it impossible? Well, Yuzuha-san herself denied it, so I guess that’s how it is…”
Takeru seemed timid toward Hanazono, who usually doesn’t talk to boys.
Hanazono remained silent for a while.
Then, after quietly looking at me, she said “Yeah. I’ll leave it to you, Yoshiki-kun” and walked toward her seat.
I, Yuzuha, and Takeru stared blankly at her retreating figure.
…This means it’s okay to answer if asked here, right?
Is it really okay?
Hanazono usually doesn’t talk much with boys. Not just boys—she’s a girl who’s rarely seen actively starting conversations with anyone.
The reason she’s famous at school is because the boys make a fuss about her behind the scenes; Hanazono herself belongs to the quiet category.
For someone like her, frivolous rumors about dating someone seem like the topic she’d most want to avoid.
It was Takeru who broke the silence.
“I…I talked to Hanazono-san…”
That’s what you’re focusing on? I almost felt like making a retort.
Though I’m grateful that he won’t dig deeper into my relationship with her.
However,
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