Chapter 81Good Smile Spreader
"...I think we should go home too now."
"..."
"..."
"...?"
After Sasaki-san and co. went home, the area around here was quiet again. It felt as if the storm had passed. At the same time, I felt tired all day and I wanted to sleep as soon as possible. That's why I suggested that we go home too, but for some reason, none of them responded.
"Um—Hieh."
When I turned around in surprise, Natsukawa and Ashida were looking at me with half-closed eyes. There was a hissing sound in the back of my throat. The pressure was overwhelming, I had a bad feeling about this.
"...College girl, huh—?"
"Ah, no, I just misunderstood."
"Is that so?"
"Pfft", Ashida turned away from me. Needless to say, they both already knew about my embarrassing misunderstanding. I couldn't reply to anything else, as I felt my position worsening as I said more words.
The only way to manage this situation was to change the atmosphere. I must carry out a retreat strategy as soon as possible...!
"—Huh?"
I tried to get ready to go home, but my bag, which should have been on the bench I was sitting on, was already gone. My wallet was also in my bag, and I didn't want it to go missing. I forgot my embarrassment in the emergency and panicked.
"N-Natsukawa! Do you know where my bag that I left here is? —Eh?"
Natsukawa was still looking at me with half-closed eyes. Natsukawa's appearance was somewhat different compared to before. In front of my gaze, she sat with her white thighs, which poked out from her skirt.
My bag was on Natsukawa's lap as if to say "I'm Airi-chan, you know". It's too sacred to touch and I can't accept it. Hey, it's against the law, Natsukawa. And my bag, please come back to me.
"Okay, here."
"Y-Yeah."
"..."
"...Um."
Shtt, the bag was handed to me normally. I stretched out my hand and grabbed my bag to receive it. But it was strange. Natsukawa-san wouldn't let go of her hand at all. Gosh, she's so strong.
Eh? What's going on, anyway? What the heck is this? Is she trying to make fun of me? Is this a sign that she intends for me to take my bag from her if I can? No, but she doesn't seem like that at all... ...Why is she looking at me with a dubious look?
"—College girl, huh?"
"Cough..."
The same line as Ashida. But the power of her hit seemed to be completely different. That one hit made me dead mentally. My chest felt as if two-thirds of my heart had been taken out.
"...Idiot."
I couldn't help but nod my head honestly and admit that I was an idiot.
♦
Ashida made a sound. Natsukawa also stood up while saying "Then, let's go home!". 20 minutes later, I followed the two of them who seemed to be on good terms. I turned into a ghost in the background, feeling like I had been mysteriously hanged. Now, I just looked like a pervert.
"I think I'm going this way."
Not far from the school gate, there was a fork in the road. Ashida seemed to be going home the other way. Come to think of it, Ashida had complained about Natsukawa's house and hers being in opposite directions. The family restaurant we stopped at earlier was in between those two directions.
"See you again, Aichi! And 'either way', Sajocchi!"
"'Either way', that's too much. See you later."
"..."
Natsukawa's face looked unimpressive, but the moment Ashida saw her, she started squirming with her cheeks pink. I'm glad to see two female best friends so close together, but I don't know what they're talking about. Isn't this a very serious thing...?
"A-i-chi. Let's hang out together again next time. You should bring Ai-chan too."
"Oh..."
Ashida invited Natsukawa to hang out. She also said she wanted to invite Airi-chan to join them, and I must say that it was a good thing they could do. Natsukawa, who was invited, put on a happy face as if she was saved. Hasn't she changed too much?
Oh, aren't the two of them like that? Especially Ashida, is she the kind of girl who knows how lonely Natsukawa is and invites her to hang out? Are they seriously in that kind of friendship...? This sunset walking home feels like nostalgia, even better. Can I take a picture?
...Eh? So you're lonely? I'm sure Ashida is probably still busy with the Volleyball Club, and it wouldn't seem convenient for them to hang out together... As the (self-proclaimed) leader of the Natsukawa cheerleading squad, I don't want her to feel like that, but I can't blame Ashida for this one thing.
"...Really?"
"Because we haven't hung out together since summer vacation! I don't like that!"
"Hmm... ...Yeah!"
Perfect.
Excellent, good job, Ashida. I love this atmosphere and Natsukawa's happy smile...! Just looking at it gives me the energy to perk up again. I feel like I can handle the sudden influx of customers at my part-time job tomorrow!
No, seriously, I can't waste my school day. I used to think that it was foolish to assume that the happiness that would return was proportional to the amount of hard work we put in, but now I'm starting to think that I might be wrong. Being able to end this day with Natsukawa's happy face was a big highlight, but really–
"Hey..."
"Eh?"
Eh, why are you guys suddenly here–? Oh, no, I've seen too many things.
Natsukawa came slowly and approached me. She was slightly downcast and I couldn't see her face due to the height difference. Perhaps due to the tension of being angry, Natsukawa's wavy hair seemed to be flowing. I felt like I was going to die if she said I was disgusting.
"That's... ...Sorry.—"
"Wataru too."
"Eh?"
"...Can't you?"
It's not that I can't, anyway. (Suppressed reflex)
Normally, I would say something like that, but Natsukawa's purification function is too strong so I can't answer her directly. I don't need sloppy words, she's still very cute after all. My face got hot. Seriously? I'm glad I'm not dreaming, right? She's asking me to hang out now, isn't she? Besides, she wouldn't lie, would she? You idiot, Natsukawa is not the kind of girl who would say something like that.
"...Can't you?"
"I-It's not that I can't, anyway..."
Twice is bad. I said it twice.
She's so cute. What else do you want me to say? I can't help it, my vocabulary isn't very good... Should I kneel? Do I have to kneel?
"What makes you so hurry..."
Whose fault is it if you become a goddess....?! Don't think I can talk to a beauty so easily! Never mind, you can look at me left or right! So please don't stare straight at me all the time...!
"...Then—"
Natsukawa glanced at me and Ashida and made me squirm in embarrassment, and finally, she quietly looked at me and gave me a deadly hit.
"S-Sending a message or something, can we do that?"
"Guh!" *Exaggerated.
"Huh!" *Full recovery.
That's as damaging as throwing a boulder into my small heart. Natsukawa wasn't originally that kind of character, right? I couldn't help but feel a gap because there was too short a past. She looked like she was about to lose her nerve. If she showed that to me again, I think I would run away accidentally, but what should I do?
Ashida... is no good anymore, huh. As we can see, she's calm and pretty, but is she turning away from me? I understand that feeling. If I had been born a girl, I think I would have fallen for Natsukawa too.
"A-Aichi...! I'm sorry that I smell like sweat, but is it okay if I hug you again?"
"Sajou Stop!"
(TL Note: It's like 'Swiper, no Swiping!' already, hehe, this is what the MC said in Chapter 78.)
The part where she emphasized it again was really bad. I don't like that she went this far... ...Although, they're both girls... ...it's good that they didn't go to that extent. That's good...!
"Don't stop me, Sajocchi...! We're both girls, there should be no problem!"
"Don't bother putting it into words!"
I never thought that Ashida would give up before me... ...but unlike me, she doesn't have to worry about sexual harassment to the point that she can't control herself. That's bad... If this place is quiet, then I'll recommend it...!
"Um..."
"Be careful, Natsukawa... ...Ashida is much more perverted than me now!"
"M-More than you, Wataru...?"
"I'm sorry, but can't we just forget about me this time?"
Why do you even have a strong reaction to the "more than me" part? I mean, did you think I was a pervert before? Are you serious? I shouldn't have waited behind you for the rest of the scent, should I...? I decided that was a no-no.
"Aichi..., you can message me anytime."
"...Eh? I thought you communicated with Ashida often."
"Since the beginning of summer vacation... ...I think Kei seems to be busy."
"You don't have to worry too much about that."
I wonder if this is a certain kind of etiquette in girls' friendships. I guess she doesn't need to worry too much as Ashida said, but it's a hundred times better than being noisy in group chat* in the middle of the night. I like that kind of rigor. I hope you guys are happy.
(TL Note: Apologies from us, there was a small mistake, we just realized that we translated グルチャ(Gurucha) as Gulcha as stated in the title of Chapter 65 when it should be an abbreviation of "Group Chat", for Chapter 65 we have corrected our mistake, we hope this does not happen again.)
"Since Ashida said it was okay, so just send her a message!"
"...What about you, Wataru?"
"Why me...!?"
Yeah, I did bite my tongue.
Author's Note: It hurts, doesn't it?
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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