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Summertime
—Nanato—
My first summer break in high school began. From the first thing in the morning, I listened to some summer melodies and enjoyed my time. Unlike middle school, I had no club activities to worry about, giving me free time for most of it, excluding my shifts at work. Of course, that’ll make it harder to meet with everyone, but we decided to see each other at least once a week. Today, I made plans to hang out with Itsuki at my place. He came over all the time back in middle school, but not at all over the past year or so.
At first, I thought he just wanted to hang out with me, but then I found out he was actually aiming for my mother, as well as playing with our pet dog. Sadly, Mom isn’t around right now, and our dog passed away four months ago.
“Suuup.”
Itsuki arrived, looking stylish as hell.
“Where’s Kiyomi-san?”
“Don’t call other people’s mothers by their first name?”
“So what? Can’t call her Amami-san, or it’s like I’m talking to you.”
He used some messed-up logic to get his point across. Please, somebody stop her.
“So, where’s Kiyomi?”
“No dropping the honorifics, you’re not her boyfriend. I swear to god.”
“Sorry, sorry. Where’s Mama?”
“That might be even worse. Enough of this.”
No matter how he addresses her, I can only see ulterior motives from him. Maybe I should kick him out after all.
“She’s not home right now. I’ve been feeding her the sweets I tried to make, so she’s been gaining weight and is now exercising a bit.”
“Are you kidding me? I just lost 90% of the reason why I even came here in the first place.”
“You’re the one who’s kidding the most.”
Not even three minutes after he gets here and I’m already tired of his shit. I guess he never changes, huh?
“Hold on, what’s with all these gravure idol posters everywhere? Didn’t expect that from you.”
The moment Itsuki entered my room, he pointed out the posters I had put up everywhere.
“Limited for this summer break. Not that I desperately want it, but considering I’m gonna see Reina and Tsubasa in their swimsuits, I need to train beforehand.”
“I didn’t even think of that. You’re a genius, dude.”
I wouldn’t want to start blushing just because of their swimsuit appearances. Some muscle training is important to look buff, but mental training is just as important.
“I also made my PC wallpaper a super lewd gal, too.”
“That’s maybe a bit too much, don’t you think?”
You shouldn’t make fun of people’s efforts. Whatever he says, I will continue.
“You’re really not holding back even on studying, huh?”
“Tsubasa and Reina told me to, so I bought a lot. Can’t miss out on my efforts even during summer break.”
“Those two couldn’t be any more overprotective, eh?”
They are doing and saying all that for my sake, so I cannot possibly disappoint them. Of course, some people might get tired of it, but I find it reassuring.
“I thought things might turn south real quick because of Chiba and Shiroki-san fighting, but after you made that decision, they made up quickly and have gotten closer than ever before.”
“Exactly. But, it’s a relief for me. And with a bit more space between us, I didn’t have to worry about them as much.”
“Guess things are working out.”
I don’t want to lose another friend group. And having avoided this fate, I was relieved from the bottom of my heart.
“But, you do want a girlfriend, right?”
“Well, duh. I wanna go on a date with a cute girlfriend, and go beyond that.”
“Yeah, agreed. Can’t say I wouldn’t mind that.”
If I had chosen between either Tsubasa or Reina, I might have gotten myself a girlfriend. But, I wanted to continue our friend group.
“Why not go out with Susuki again? That would resolve everything, right?”
“But that’s also not gonna happen. I still don’t really know how she feels, and I don’t think that Reina or Tsubasa would be too happy about that. It might just make us drift further apart.”
Nothing much changed from the time I liked Susuki, but there’s a profound rift between us.
“But Shiroki-san’s still staying with you, right?”
“Sure, but what about Reina?”
“I doubt she’d stick around. She’s got a narrow view most of the time, but she can easily make more friends. She never really fit in with us, to begin with, and maybe she’d find a better place to stay if she left us.”
As I thought, Itsuki doesn’t understand Reina one bit. She’d rather stay alone than spend time with some random person. That’s why, if this friend group were to fall apart, she would end up all alone. From her personality and looks alone, she might seem like a strong and fierce person, but she can be pretty down a lot of times. Having spent a lot of time with her over the past year, I’ve realized this.
“Chiba’s crazy. Can’t tell what she’s thinking, unable to stay calm. That’s why I feel like I can’t get a grasp of her.”
“Hmm, I get where you’re coming from.”
That said, he still allowed Reina to join him at his part-time job, so he still can’t leave her alone.
“People often keep their distance from others. Because the closer you get, the more it hurts when you’re apart.”
Losing your connection to someone happens incredibly quickly, despite all the work you might have done to build it up. We are painfully aware of that, so we want to respect it.
“But lately, I’ve started thinking that…some encounters and partings just can’t be stopped. I don’t think our current friend group will continue forever. Someone’s gonna reach their limit eventually.”
“I guess so, yeah…”
“Look at Takata and Kaitou from our class. They were talking all the time before they started dating, and yet they’re not speaking a word now. Staying friends forever is a lot more complicated than we could ever imagine, I bet.”
Even though we’re all students now, we won’t be this close forever…And in fact, many romances and couples are born under the idea that it won’t last after graduation, or even until then.
“So, I think it’d be fine if you confessed to either of them before winter break or sometime around there. Until then, we can spend our time as friends, right?”
“That’s when Christmas rolls around, which would be perfect to get a girlfriend.”
“Before everything breaks apart because of someone else’s actions, you can just become the bad guy and end it yourself. And that sounds like the thing you would do, anyway.”
“Can you not turn me into some sacrifice?”
No matter what happens, someone’s gonna end up the bad guy…
“Also, weren’t you always on the protective side of things? When did you change your thought process like this?” I asked Itsuki.
“Because I might be the one slipping out at some point.”
“Huh?”
“I found someone I like, so if it’s for their sake, I might have to cut ties with you at one point. Staying together all three years is gonna be rough, and even if we made it for a while, the fateful day is gonna be the change of classes for our second year.”
Thinking about it, it wasn’t just my own problem, but there’s also Itsuki and Shibayu’s love lives to consider.
“Who’s that person? Part of our group?”
“Older, of course.”
“I’m sorry that I doubted you for even a second.”
I’m glad he never changes. But if he were to get a girlfriend, I want to support him and not make matters worse for him.
“I just wanna check…It’s not my mom, right?”
“No worries. She was an option, but it’s not her.”
“You were considering her?!”
I’m sure he’s joking, but it still sent shivers down my spine.
“Well, don’t worry about me. It’s gonna take a hot minute, anyway.”
“Is it gonna be hard to win them over?”
“Yup. Difficult is very hard, at least.”
“Well, it’s gonna be especially hard as a high school student, so good luck.”
After that, we talked about this and that and played some games. That said, some of the nasty plays he made led us to have many more arguments.
—Reina—
Even though summer break started, this isn’t fun at all! I can’t believe there are days I can’t even meet Nanato! Why am I even alive? If we were a couple, I could orbit around him 24/7, but we’re just friends. Summer break isn’t nearly as great as I thought.
“Morninsall.”
I entered the sports goods shop and greeted the other employees.
“Can you at least put out a proper greeting?”
“Ah, Hirose. Mornall.”
I got this job thanks to Hirose’s connections. Nothing’s happening so I can’t say I’m having a blast, but at least it’s easy cash.
“If you don’t wanna work, then go home.”
“Not being able to see Nanato during summer break hurts my soul.”
“That…was some cringe stuff, all right.”
“Annoying.”
A maiden in love loses sight of what she says. At least understand that, you virgin.
“Good morning.”
Tsubasa’s older sister Miu-san entered the store shortly after me. Tsubasa apparently asked Hirose to get her hired through his connections like me…But she’s on a different level.
“A-Ah, Shiroki-san. Good morning.”
“Hirose-san! Glad to be working with you today.”
“Likewise. Let’s do our best today.”
Hirose was rather devoted to Miu-san. I knew he had a thing for older women, but this difference in treatment pisses me off.
“Shiroki-san looks as wonderful as always. The baby inside of me is starting to scream for its mama. I can’t handle this.”
“And you call me cringe? You’re not one to talk.”
“Sorry, love is just blinding. I understand how you feel now.”
“Can you not act like we’re the same, you pervert? I don’t need your sympathy.”
Miu-san is even more clumsy than Tsubasa, often messing up. Her reactions and movement were sluggish, so if Hirose didn’t go around stalking her and covering for her, she might have gotten fired already. But, she’s a genius in her own right. Imagine my shock when I heard she was attending the most prestigious university in all of Japan. Her calculations are insanely fast, too.
“Reina-san! Good morning!”
“Mornin’.”
Miu-san’s eyes met mine and she greeted me. Tsubasa asked me to get along with her sister, but I hope that works out.
“Is Tsubasa doing okay?”
“She said she feels sad because she can’t see Nanato-kun. Because of that, she slacked off with her lunch…Oho…”
So Tsubasa’s feeling the same way. I understand how you feel, Tsubasa.
“How do you feel about Nanato, Miu-san?”
“He’s kind but a bit of a weirdo. But I wish him well because Tsubasa-chan loves him so much.”
So she doesn’t like him as a man, at least. And calling him a kind weirdo is pretty spot-on.
“Why do you see him as a weirdo?”
“Well, I’m going from my experience when he was younger. I said I wanted a pet, so he handed me a ticket allowing me to keep him for a day. I never used it in the end…but I wonder if he’d agree now? But yeah, that’s one of the many reasons I think he’s a bit of a special kid.”
That’s Nanato, all right. He always had the weirdest ideas. Maybe I can get her to give me that ticket.
“Hey, work’s gonna start. Get ready.”
“Okaaay.”
Rushed by Hirose, I quickly got ready.
“I’m sorry Hirose-san, taking my time like this.”
“No, take all the time you need. You’re perfectly fine, Shiroki-san. I’m sure the world is just rushing you too much.”
I can’t stand him…Man, I wanna see Nanato quickly and be healed by him. This being a sports goods store, this job was mainly about handling the cash register, but a lot of times, we had to help customers find something. This place had a lot to offer, so we often had students coming by to shop for sports goods.
“Look, isn’t that employee super cute?”
“Holy…Go and talk to her.”
Some students entered the store and looked at me, talking about me. I don’t dislike being called cute, but I really can’t be bothered. Shoo-shoo.
“Um, excuse me?”
“…”
“Do you have any sportswear that would fit me?”
I had a bad feeling about this already, but to my not-surprise, one of them immediately approached me. Normally, I would just act old in hopes of him leaving me be, but he technically still is a customer…
“Are you looking for something in particular?” Hirose got between us, questioning the student with a fierce tone.
Thanks to that, the boy grew flustered and walked away, allowing me to get out of this without any major trouble.
“Thanks for the assist.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I guess even you can be kind at times, huh?”
“Nanato told me to look after you, that’s all.”
Wait, so Nanato was worried about me? That makes me so happy. He really cares about me. But…does that mean I’m on the same level as Tsubasa’s older sister? Does he think I can’t do this job properly?
“Did he not say anything else?”
“That he can’t wait to see you in your swimsuit.”
“Wait, for real?”
“He’s already training his mind so that he won’t go crazy seeing it.”
“Seriously?!”
If he’s that excited about it, then I might have to really go all out. Gotta get a new one.
“What else? What else?”
“Something about wanting to kiss you.”
“Wueh?!”
This statement completely blindsided me, as I let out a flustered shriek. He wants to kiss me?! For real for real for real?!
“That was just a joke. Relax.”
“My agency is going to grind you into minced meat.”
“What agency are you a part of?”
I can’t believe him. Dropping such a joke with a serious look obviously made me believe it.
“That said, he did mention he wanted to do that sort of stuff now that he’s in high school.”
“Really now? Well, I feel the same way.”
“And I do with Shiroki-san…Well, actually, I just want her to pamper me.”
“What kind of desire is that, even?”
Nanato is a boy after all, so he has these swords of wishes. I wouldn’t mind doing all of that for him, and I have to work hard so that he chooses me for it. I’m definitely giving my first kiss to him. Even if he rejects me in the end, I want my first kiss to be with him. That responsibility he’ll surely be willing to take, right?
*
One week has passed since summer break started, and today was a bit more chilly than usual. We girls decided to meet up and buy everything necessary for the trip.
“Reinan, been a while!”
“That it has, Yuzuyu.”
Since I started calling Tsubasa by her first name, I figured I should do the same for Shibayu. If not, it would make Tsubasa special, and worsen Yuzuyu’s misunderstanding.
“Yuzuyu?!”
She happily repeated her own name. I guess she likes me calling her that after all.
“That’s your name, right?”
“…Yuzu is happy about this, but you’re not getting on her good side just because of this.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
She’s still angry about the whole Tsubasa thing. I thought this misunderstanding would be resolved in time, but she still is hung up on it.
“How’s it going with Tsubasa-chan lately?”
“Nothing’s happening. This being summer break, we haven’t even met since.”
“What a shame! Yuzu just met her yesterday at work!”
“Good for you.”
She started bragging for no reason. This isn’t a competition.
“Don’t let that jealousy get the better of you, okay?”
“I genuinely don’t feel a thing. We’re not like that, as I keep saying.”
“…So you’re really not dating after all?”
It seemed like the misunderstanding was being resolved in real-time. I just hope she begins to realize that Tsubasa and I are just being friends, nothing more.
“Sorry for the wait, you two.”
Tsubasa came jogging toward us. We talked on the phone just last night with the intention to discuss the trip, but it ended up mostly about Nanato after all. I better not bring that up, otherwise Yuzuyu will get the wrong idea again…
“Tsubasa-chaaan!”
“Hey there, Yuzuyu-chan.”
Yuzuyu was in the best mood possible as she massaged Tsubasa’s shoulders. Please, just keep smiling like that.
“Morning, Tsubasa.”
“Ah, Reina-chan…Sorry about yesterday, I didn’t mean to drag out the call for several hours like that.”
“…Yeah, no problem.”
You dummy! You brought it up first thing?! Now Yuzuyu’s gonna get the wrong idea yet again!
“What was that about nothing happening, Reina-paisen?”
“…We were just talking, okay?”
“You’re definitely going out. The reason you weren’t bothered by Yuzu’s instigations is because you knew you had the upper hand the whole time, right?”
Aaand we’re back at the beginning. I don’t think I can convince her to think otherwise.
“Let’s go choose our swimsuits already, yeah?”
“Yeaaah! Show me Tsubasa-chan in a swimsuit!”
The moment she heard the word swimsuit, Yuzuyu’s face lit up. Her mental state switches faster than a traffic light, and I can’t help but worry. We headed to the swimsuit store, filled with all sorts of different designs. Since I’m going to choose one specifically for Nanato, I feel like I could look through here for hours. According to Hirose, he’s really looking forward to it. And I’m confident in my physique, so showing off in a swimsuit could be a good chance to make him turn my way.
“Which one are you going with, Reina-paisen?”
“A string bikini, I think. It shows a lot of skin, but this isn’t the time to be hesitating.”
“For real?! You’re going all out, huh?”
“Gotta use the weapons I have. I should try one while I’m at it.”
I grabbed several swimsuits and headed into the changing room, putting on a beige swimsuit first. It’s a rather tight fit, emphasizing my cleavage, and it puts my legs on full display. I don’t like to be arrogant, but I’m quite confident in my body. Standing in front of Nanato while looking like this is definitely embarrassing, but I’m sure it’ll make him fall for me even more.
“How does this look?”
I opened the curtains and showed myself to Yuzuyu and Tsubasa waiting outside.
“Holy! You’re a full-blown gravure idol now!” Yuzuyu practically screamed.
Since they’re both a bit childish still, they can’t possibly hope to wear a seductive swimsuit like I can.
“No way Amamicchi can keep calm seeing you like this. He’ll become your slave in the blink of an eye.”
“Right, right. Nanato does have a lewd side to him, so I bet this’ll work.”
Since Nanato is keeping his distance from us right now, I can’t be as assertive as I want, but showing off my body as this would work plenty, I bet. If he approaches me now, I just have to accept him.
“I-Isn’t that a bit too stimulating?” Tsubasa looked at me with a worried look.
That just shows how powerful my weapons are.
“This much is normal as a high school student.”
“Ugh…”
I do feel bad for Tsubasa, but I’m not stepping back from this. We might be working together, but the battle for Nanato continues under the water. So, I can’t throw away this chance I have.
“Why not try on some too, Yuzuyu?”
She apparently found a swimsuit of her own, holding it in her hand.
“Yuzu is fine, really…”
“No can do. I’m gonna have a good look at it.”
Yuzuyu seemingly gave up and entered the changing room I was in.
“Yuzu doesn’t have a physique like Reinan, so no swimsuit would look good on her anyway…”
“Don’t say that. Your skin is beautiful.”
“That’s the one thing Yuzu is confident in, yeah. So you are looking properly.” Yuzu didn’t hesitate to take off her clothes in front of me.
I guess I was the only one feeling a bit awkward.
“Howzzat?”
She wore a cute bikini with an attached skirt.
“Looks good. You’re very cute.”
“Really? You’re just saying that to make me feel better, right?”
“You’re plenty cute already. With a swimsuit like this, you’ll look even cuter.”
“That’s true. Tsubasa-chan isn’t rocking a model body, either, but just the swimsuit itself is crazy.”
Physique is one thing, but a cute appearance trumps everything else.
“Reinan, why not try on another swimsuit?”
“Will do. But look the other way.”
“Huh? Why would you be embarrassed because Yuzu is looking?” She gave me a dubious look.
“Because…you’ll see my boobs?”
“So what are you gonna do if Amamicchi asks for it? Saying you can’t and run?”
“This and that are different.”
If there comes a time when I’ll have to lay bare everything in front of him, I don’t think I’ll be able to think rationally because of the embarrassment. I have to make sure it’ll happen in a pitch-black room. Though, Nanato will probably be really gentle, so I don’t think I have to be too nervous. He’ll definitely try to ease the tension so that I don’t have to be too nervous.
“Also, we’re gonna go into the hot spring together on the trip, so I’m gonna see it all there, anyway.”
“R-Right…”
She’s not wrong. During the trip and us changing plus taking baths together, she’ll see it all. In elementary school, I couldn’t participate in the trip because I was sick, and I couldn’t be bothered to go on the one in middle school, so I just skipped it. That’s why I don’t have any memories of coming clean in front of others.
“Hup.”
“Yuzu thought you had some kind of complex, but there’s really no need to act this way, no?”
“I’m just not used to it. Also, don’t stare like that.”
“But Amamicchi’s gonna stare, I bet.”
“Stop bringing Nanato into this, I’ll just have weird thoughts all the time.”
I could feel my body growing hot because of this.
“Your breasts are beautiful, Reina.” Yuzuyu tried to imitate Nanato’s tone as she said that.
“Don’t try to imitate him if you can’t do it. And Nanato would never say something like that.”
“Then what would he say?”
“Maybe…It’s nice to meet you two, I’ve been dying to see you…?”
“So Amamicchi is the type to introduce himself to…boobs?”
I think she’s got a messed-up image of Nanato now. My bad.
“I found a swimsuit, too, so could I try it on?”
“Of course, of course.”
Yuzuyu and I finished changing and left the changing room, waiting for Tsubasa to finish her turn.
“Huff…Huff…”
“Yuzuyu, you’re acting creepy. Relax.”
“But…Beyond this curtain, Tsubasa-chan is changing, you know?”
“You’re just a pervert at this point. Don’t do anything weird just because you can’t control yourself.”
I understand going crazy because your feelings aren’t something you can control. There are many times when I wonder what I’m even doing.
“How is this?”
Tsubasa finished changing and opened the curtain, revealing her swimsuit figure. I don’t know if she did it to battle me, but she also went in a bikini. Her chest was a lot bigger than I thought, and her skin plus white legs looked beautiful. Her butt had a great shape, drawing in my eyes. She looks a lot more mature this way than in her regular uniform…Mhm, this might be pretty bad.
“You’re sooo cute, Tsubasa-chan! You’re like a national treasure level of cute! Yuzu’s going crazy over here if she keeps looking at you any more than this.” Yuzuyu just kept on rambling, unable to contain her excitement.
She’s already gone crazy if you ask me.
“I think it looks good. It’s pretty revealing, so are you good with that?”
“Thanks, Reina-chan. To be honest, I don’t feel too comfortable walking around like this all day, so I might get a hoodie to wear on top of that,” she said and started looking for a hoodie that was designed to get wet.
Meanwhile, I headed over to check for some sunglasses and Yuzuyu began choosing a floatie. We each finished buying what we wanted and then took a break at a cafe before we eventually disbanded. There were three more days left until our trip. Getting to experience something like that with Nanato couldn’t be any greater for me, but there are also all my friends coming with me. And like a child looking forward to Christmas, I couldn’t sleep much over the next few days.
—Ootsuka—
My shift at the juice shop ended, so I went to a nearby coffee chain store. I ordered a frappuccino so sweet I could feel my teeth rotting and then sat down at a random table, gazing at my phone. I went to supplementary classes today and got the number of a handsome boy there. He seemed interested in me, now texting me all the time. It’s important to check the other person’s social media to figure out who they truly are. It shows their relationships with other people. I used my second account, not using my real name, and started stalking the guy. He used a selfie as a profile picture. He seems confident in himself, at least. That I don’t mind, because it’s better to be confident than not.
‘Looking for a boyfriend. Open for DMs and exchanging pics.’
I saw him comment under that post saying he wants a girlfriend, and now that I know he’s gonna be a pain in my ass, I’m gonna go ahead and ignore him. Men are all trash. Gonna take a screenshot.
“Is she really using that table all by herself?”
“Not like there’s other seats that are smaller.”
“She’s playing life on singleplayer. And with that blonde hair, too. Does she think she’s some Super Saiy*n? Hilarious.”
From the table to the left, I could hear a group of three girls gossiping about me. They’re trying to be quiet about it, but it’s painfully obvious.
“She probably just doesn’t have any friends. Thinking that nobody understands her.”
“Totally. She’s the type to add random characters on her bag so that she feels special and not like any other girls.”
“She probably goes around back-stabbing people. No way she’ll be happy, and she seems stupid, too. People who dye their hair blonde never turn out to be anything worthwhile.”
What is their problem? They just talk shit about me without knowing anything1. And their uniforms are telling me that they are from Amami’s high school, too. If I had Ikumi with me, she’d give them hell. Also, that third girl is just pulling no brakes at all. Did a blonde-haired girl kill her family or something?!
“We’re really spending a lot of time together lately, Shinichi.”
“Because I want to be with you as much as possible.”
From the table to the right I could hear a couple flirting around like they were newlyweds. They’re being annoying for a whole other reason.
“Geez…”
A sigh escaped my lips. Not having Ikumi around really makes me lonely. Women get lonely easily, so they just tend to get themselves a random man to feel better. I’ve made fun of people like that for most of my life, but now I somewhat understand how they feel. I don’t care who it is, I just want some attention. I want someone to think about me first. I’m not strong enough to live life all by myself, so I want someone to support me. In the end, I didn’t drink much from the frappuccino I ordered and just threw it away before heading outside.
“God, this is pissing me off. You can all just die for all I care,” I grumbled to myself as I walked through the shopping mall.
The people I passed gave me weird looks, but I couldn’t care less.
“Hey, you all right?”
A man called out to me. I knew it. With how cute I am, it’s not that hard to catch myself a new guy.
“Ugh, Amami Nanato?!”
I expected a hottie, but it was just my old friend Amami.
“Been a while, huh? I thought of just leaving you be, but when I heard you mumble that stuff…”
“Got nothing to do with you!”
“Gotcha. Be careful on your way home.”
He was about to walk away, so I grabbed his arm and would not let him go. I don’t wanna be alone, so I can take even this guy.
“Waaait! Pay attention to meee!”
“Can you be any more unstable?”
I always got along with Amami, and he’s kind enough to the point it’s grossing me out, so I liked him as a friend to give me attention. I have a lot of memories where we had fun together.
“I heard you and Susuki are having a fight.”
“More like we’re complete strangers now.”
Of course, I deserve that. I was worried I’d get left out because Amami and Ikumi started dating, so I lied about him having another woman. But, that one lie completely messed up Ikumi, ruined our friend group, and I lost my place either way.
“You’re still angry at me for what I did, right? You must hate me, don’t you?”
“I’m not angry. Can’t bring back the past, nor can I redo it, so it’s whatever. We barely even meet anymore, so I don’t feel a thing2.”
So he’s saying, but he’s clearly angry. He just doesn’t say so because he’s kind. He wouldn’t ever say it straight outright. But that hurts me even more. I would be happier if he just said he hates me.
“You moron! Dummy! Fool! Idiot! You just go away!”
I wanted him to hate me, so I insulted him. Even if it’s hate, I want him to feel something toward me.
“Keep living like that and nobody will bother with you. Everybody would rather stay away from some crazy lady like you.”
“Ugh…”
He said the exact thing I really didn’t want to hear, so I could only groan. I had a feeling somewhere deep down. That nobody would want to spend time with me.
“I’m gonna head home now. Anything left to say?”
“…I’m sorry. I just wanted to be with everyone else.”
I told myself I wasn’t wrong. That I just wanted to protect myself. But there is no need to do that anymore. I realized that I had no value.
“Next time, it’s best to focus on treasuring your friends without making a wrong move. Same goes for me, too.”
If you’re not kind to other people, nobody will be kind to you, either. Amami is kind, so that#s why he’s liked by Ikumi or Shiroki.
“We’re not friends anymore?”
“We’re acquaintances at best.”
I want him to be kind to me again. Just like when we first met. I want him to treasure me.
“Just use me as you’d like. I messed up, so being treated like shit would help me cope with it.”
“I’m not asking you to repent or anything like that.”
“Just order me whatever. I’ll listen to whatever you tell me. Can’t cough up more than a million yen, though.”
Being this desperate toward Amami of all people sure doesn’t sit right with me, but I don’t want him to cut ties more than that.
“Then I have one request.”
“Yeah. Anything is fine.”
“And don’t you say no, okay?”
“I won’t, I swear.”
Amami was willing to open up to me. That makes me happy.
“Get along with Susuki, okay? Without you, she’ll be all alone3.”
“…Say what? No way I can do that.”
I didn’t expect this request. I told him that Ikumi and I cut ties, right?
“I told you that you have no right to decline. Do your best and get along with her.”
“…I’d honestly be easier if you asked to do me instead.”
Telling me to be friends with Ikumi is like ordering me to feed a starved lion. I guess Amami is a bit of a sadist himself.
“No way would I ask for something like that.”
“Any normal boy would ask for that. Because normal boys suck. But, you’re not normal. You’re kind like an idiot4, and also gross.”
“Sorry for grossing you out like that.”
“But, I was happy you were acting this kind to me, so thanks.”
Huh…Weird, I feel like it’s been a long time since I last thanked someone else. In fact, this may have been the first time. Honestly, it doesn’t feel bad. In fact, I feel refreshed.
*
A few days passed since Amami told me to get along with Ikumi. I was thinking of trying my luck once summer break would end, but I still wanted to be friends with her right away. Unable to hold back, I started hiding around Ikumi’s workplace, allowing me to run away in case she was to find me. There, Ikumi stepped out of the shop in her casual clothes. I haven’t seen her in a while, but she’s as cool as always. She’s cool and beautiful. No, this isn’t the time to be entranced by her! I have to go after her!
“I-Ikumi-san…”
She looked my way once and then averted her gaze again.
“Don’t ignore meee!”
She didn’t answer me. It shows that she has no intention of talking to me.
“But Amami ordered me!”
“…What did he say?”
When Amami’s name popped up, Ikumi’s attitude quickly changed. How simple can you be…I feel like I could do anything as long as I used Amami as bait.
“He told me to get along with you.”
“Huh? Why would he do that…”
“I met him a while ago and apologized for what I did. Said I’d do anything to make up for it, and I was totally ready to hit it on with him.”
“How rotten are you?”
“And that’s when he said to get along with you. That’s why I have no other choice.”
“What even…” Ikumi sighed in disbelief, not knowing how to react.
“If you’ve got any complaints, direct them to Amami.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get what’s going on, so can you leave?”
“But I don’t wanna.”
“Then I’m going to leave you behind.”
Everyone is so cold to me. But…as expected, of course. Because I ruined it all for everyone.
“I knew you wouldn’t forgive me, so I prepared this.”
“What’s your plan now?”
“I wrote a letter, so please check it out.”
Ikumi accepted the letter with a bewildered look.
“Thanks for being friends with me all this time. Thanks for not leaving me alone. And this time, I want to help you.”
“…I have no reason to trust you ever again.”
“I know. I’m going to have to show my sincerity first.”
“Yeah, you’re one to talk.”
I watched Ikumi walk off, unable to chase after her. Ikumi may be scary, but she’s kind deep down. In my first year of middle school, I was bullied by some seniors in my basketball club. Everyone pretended they weren’t seeing anything, but only Ikumi stayed by my side. That’s how we first met. As long as I change, I bet I’ll be able to get along with her. I just have to keep going and not give up.
—Nanato—
Two more days until we were off on our trip. I’ve been keeping my muscle training going, but the lack of results had me panicking. I had no particular plans today, but Tsubasa said her parents came to Tokyo and invited me to dinner with them. I agreed in the heat of the moment, but once it was time to meet up, I began regretting my recklessness. Tsubasa still sees me as her fiancé. In that context, it’s like we’re married.
And if I’m going to meet her parents again, it’ll be close to coming to see them right before the marriage. Because Tsubasa will be showing me off as the person that she wants to marry. Of course, I know both her parents, but all these circumstances make it a bit more nerve-wracking than what it normally would be. Though, if they were to say they are against our marriage, it would force Tsubasa to be a bit more flat toward me. I feel like today will bring a great change to our relationship. I can only hope everything works out in a positive way.
“Sorry to suddenly call you over like this, Nanato-kun. I figured it would be nice to have you around for today.”
When I left my house, Tsubasa and Miu-san were waiting for me.
“It’s okay. Thanks for inviting me.”
With Miu-san around, I was hopeful that maybe things wouldn’t get as heavy as I feared.
“It’s been a while, Miu-san. I heard you’re working at the same place as my friend Itsuki.”
“Yuuup! That’s right, he’s really kind and helpful, so even if I mess up here and there, I manage to pull through with his assistance.”
He seems to be acting as some personal aide just because she’s a mature woman. I can already see the scenery in front of me.
“Today’s dinner…won’t be any awkward, right?” I called out to Miu-san, hoping she would help me.
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how Tsubasa is going to introduce me, but since I’m supposed to be her fiancé, I’m worried they are going to judge me for my actions.”
“It’s fine. Both Mom and Dad are pretty chill about that, and I’ll make sure to help you in any need.”
Since I got her blessings, I felt like we could at least avoid the worst-case scenario. The three of us headed to the train station and then entered the restaurant where their parents had placed the reservation. It was a restaurant offering personal rooms, away from the other customers. Tsubasa and I sat next to each other, facing Miu-san and their parents. According to Tsubasa, their parents came here to Asakusa for some sightseeing.
“Sorry for the wait.”
When their parents arrived, I quickly shot up and introduced myself.
“It’s been a while. I’m Amami Nanato,” I said, as a tense atmosphere filled the room.
“That it has, Nanato-kun. But please, have a seat.”
Now hold on…He’s kinda acting like this is some marriage meeting?!
“Just to let you know, I’m not against this.”
They clearly think this is some marriage meeting.
“However, I don’t want you to take Tsubasa’s feelings in a half-baked way.”
“U-Um, I don’t…”
“Though rather than some playboy coming along, I’d much rather be it someone as grounded and caring as you are, Nanato-kun.”
He clearly thinks Tsubasa and I are a thing! I mean, I can’t blame him, considering she brought a boy with her that she sees as her fiancé. But, I can’t just tell him I have no intention of letting that be the case. What do I do…
“Either way, you don’t need to rush things, nor do I want you to. You’re still students, after all.”
I looked over at Miu-san to ask for help. Someone stop this man, please.
“Dad, Nanato-kun and Tsubasa-chan aren’t dating.”
“What?! So he’s just fooling around with her?!”
Phrasing! Now he’s glaring at me!
“He’s also close with some gal classmate, so he’s not all that serious about Tsubasa-chan.”
“So he’s two-timing her?!”
Again, phrasing! Is she that desperate to get me killed?!
“Awawawa…”
Miu-san started panicking because of the tense atmosphere, gesturing an apology my way. She really made things worse.
“Nanato-kun, what exactly are you thinking?”
“D-Dad, Nanato-kun and I aren’t dating yet. We’re just friends for now.” Tsubasa tried to explain.
Thank god, someone who is willing to explain things.
“So you’re just using her as you’d like without going out with her?”
Now he thinks I’m some scumbag. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d punch my lights out any second now.
“We’re being friends right now. And we may not be dating, but we try to help each other in our time of need. I helped her find her way in the big city, and she helped me with my studies.”
“So you’re gunning for Miu instead, I see.”
What kind of deduction is that?! I guess even their father would be a bit of a dimwit at times?
“Is that true, Nanato-kun?! Oh gosh…”
Miu-san held her head as Tsubasa looked at me with tears in her eyes. Both her parents were furious, too. What even is this going on? Is there no saving me from this?
“That is a misunderstanding! The one I like is Tsubasa!” I tried to better my position, realizing that I may have messed up in the process.
“Nanato-kun…” Tsubasa narrowed her eyes as she gave me a gleeful look.
“I admire your admiration. I will accept it.”
He’s gonna accept it just like that?! Now hold on!
“The one who brought up the idea of the engagement was your own father, so I was thinking of just calling it here, but not that I would not allow your relationship. I simply want you to experience your love in as much freedom as possible.”
He’s basically offering me Tsubasa at this point. I can’t take this back anymore.
“However, if you have the determination to say this, then I will accept your engagement.”
Now hold on. Why is he giving permission for that now? The promise was rather vague up to this point, but now it became a reality, forcing me to carry responsibility.
“Wohooo!”
Tsubasa seemed really happy. Having such a cute girl as a fiancée would be nothing but bliss, but I’m in high school, I can’t think about marrying yet.
“But since we’ve reserved a room for this restaurant, we should enjoy some delicious food. As a family, of course.”
He’s already seeing me as a member of their family. How did this happen…
Ending the dinner with the Shiroki Family, we saw their parents off at the hospital they were staying, and then headed back in the group of three as we came. Tsubasa said there was something she wanted to talk about with me, so she had Miu-san enter their flat first and then took me to a nearby park.
“Thanks a lot for today. I was happy I could introduce you to my parents.”
“Y-Yeah. It’s been a while, but I had fun.”
If Tsubasa asked me to meet her parents and I agreed, it would be the same as agreeing to marry her. And since I’m not a child anymore, it only set in.
“Nanato-kun…You said you like me, right?”
“Th-That was just…I was saying I like you more than Miu-san.”
“I know that. But, hearing it from your mouth made me happy.” She blushed ever so slightly, voicing her happiness.
Knowing that a girl as cute as she saw me as her fiancé felt like I was dreaming.
“I guess your parents accepted the whole engagement thing again.”
“Yeah. If anything…We’ve been engaged all this time. But we got separated, so Dad was thinking of erasing that promise.”
Just as Tsubasa said, we became engaged through a mutual agreement. But after my parents got divorced, we got separated and it became a vague promise.
“You really want us to be engaged, huh?”
“I sure do, but we’re not quite there yet.”
“Huh?”
“Your mother has to agree first, or I’ll remain your ex-fianceé.”
“…Y-Yeah. My old man who accepted the engagement isn’t part of my family anymore, so my mom has to be the one to give her blessing.”
Right now, Mom and I were living by ourselves, and my last name changed from Fujiyama to Amami. Since the engagement was decided between the Shiroki and Fujiyama Family, my mother might think otherwise.
“That’s why…I don’t want you to think about this whole engagement too much. I’ve been attached to it myself, but rather than a promise, it’s more like a wish.”
An engagement carries the weight of a future marriage. I guess Tsubasa must have known how I felt about such a heavy responsibility because she made it her personal feelings.
“An engagement can always have a bad connotation of being forced to get married, after all.”
“Exactly. I’ve seen countless TV shows where the protagonist and heroine want to be in love, but their parents force them to marry someone else.“
“That’s true. And that’s why you shouldn’t feel bound down by some ancient promise. Maybe it’d be better if you didn’t stick to me as much?”
Losing someone who cares for me this much might really make it impossible for me to get up again. That’s why I want to wake up now if this is just a dream.
“Nanato-kun.”
“Yeah…”
“I still prefer you. I don’t want anybody else. Even if you free me from the birdcage, I’ll still make my way to you.”
It wasn’t a dream. Tsubasa is already free. And she chose me. Or rather…maybe I’m the one who’s being restrained by this whole engagement thing.
“Let’s go home. I bet you must be tired from everything that happened.”
I nodded in agreement and got up from the bench. I wanted to say something to fill the void, but my head remained empty.
“I can’t wait for the trip.”
Seeing her off, I sighed in relief. Tsubasa looked like a giant bird. Whereas I was a terrified chicken. Watched from a tall place, worried she might leave me alone, I could look ahead of me.
1 Yeah but…they right tho??
2 What a soyboy pussy. Can’t believe I actually liked this guy at one point.
3 If there’s a gap of releases on my end, this line is the reason why. This line turned this mediocre novel into a shit show that’s not even worth reading. Dunno why I’m even working on it.
4 A kind person wouldn’t tell the person who ruined both his and his ex’s life to get along with said ex. Just saying.
CClaw Translations 