[Warning 15+]
Part One~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 31Myah'?!
Sunday morning. The day Hayato and Haruki were headin' out to pick a smartphone for Hayato.
Himeko, who'd been hogging the TV in the Kirishimas' living room since the crack of dawn, gave her big bro a look of pure judgment.
"Big Bro, seriously, that straw hat is a total no-go."
"Wait, really? I was just worried about heatstroke and all that…"
"There are tons of shadows thanks to the skyscrapers, and plenty of chill shops to cool off in… …it's not like Tsukinose where there's literally nothin' around, you know?"
"O-Oh, I see…"
A plain shirt and denim jeans. So far, so good. For better or worse, it was a safe, basic look.
But add a straw hat to that, and Hayato's lookin' exactly like he's headed out to help in the fields. Himeko just couldn't help but call her big bro out on it. Even though Hayato's her big bro, Himeko was literally facepalming.
"By the way, why are we meeting there? Our houses are right next to each other, we might as well just head out together."
"H-Huh?!"
Following those words from Hayato, his little sis, Himeko was 💯% convinced: "Man, this boy doesn't get it at all!". She slammed the pause button on her recording and turned to face him. The sheer intensity of Himeko's gaze actually made Hayato flinch.
"Listen up, Big Bro, okay? Yesterday I went out and bought clothes with Haru-chan."
"O-Oh, right, you did."
"Which means, this is gonna be the very first time Haru-chan shows off that look to you. So, we gotta set the stage for her big debut properly. Doing it right in front of the house is a total bust. You feel me?"
"Hmm, is that really how it works?"
"That's exactly how it works."
Seeing the look on Hayato's face, like he still didn't quite get it, Himeko let out a massive sigh.
(Asking Big Bro to understand a girl's heart is probably asking for too much... then again, Haru-chan is just as hopeless)
Himeko thought about her big bro and their childhood friend—then let out another exasperated sigh before turning back toward the TV.
"Oh, Big Bro, don't forget the papers on the desk."
"This is... ...the parental consent form and Dad's bank account info?"
"Yup, I downloaded 'em and they're already stamped. You're cool with using the same carrier as me, right?"
"Carrier?"
"The phone company. Man, you seriously don't even know that?"
"My bad. Thanks for the help... ...wait, what?!"
"What?!"
All of a sudden, a weird noise leaked out of Hayato's mouth. He was totally glued to the TV. Himeko made a pretty similar sound, too.
"…"
"…"
The drama happened to be hitting its climax right then.
It was one of those scenes where a cheating couple is getting cozy in bed when the wife busts in swingin' a knife.
It was a pretty intense scene. No wonder Hayato made that weird sound. Even Himeko was totally frozen with a flushed face from the awkwardness.
"Eh, so... ...is that, like, the trendy thing right now?"
"I-It's a drama called '10 Years of Loneliness'! My classmates said it was super good! Plus, this actress is incredible! There are non-stop rumors about her being twice-divorced and a total heartbreaker in real life, but that’s exactly why her acting feels so real, and..."
"…Himeko."
"…Fine, I'll keep it in check and study for my exams too."
Now it was Himeko's turn to get the side-eye from Hayato.
◇◇◇
They were supposed to meet up at the station where the shop was located.
It was just three stops away from their local station on the express line, about a 20-minute-plus train ride. This was the massive downtown terminal, the biggest in the region—the exact same spot Himeko and Haruki hit up yesterday.
"Ugh, where the heck is the east exit…"
The station was a straight-up maze, a chaotic mess of subway and private rail lines crisscrossing above and below ground.
Hayato had already been blown away by a lot of stuff when he went to the hospital yesterday, but this was beyond surprising—it was actually starting to freak him out.
"Oh, d*mmit, look at the time! This is just gonna add to my debt with Haruki!"
Hayato had left the house early to get there with 10 minutes to spare, but he couldn't navigate the station for the life of him, feeling like a total lost kid.
By the time Hayato finally managed to reach the bird monument they'd agreed on, he was a solid five minutes late.
Since it was Sunday, the place was absolutely crawling with people, and it looked like finding Haruki in that crowd was gonna be a nightmare. Right then, for the first time ever, Hayato actually felt like he needed a smartphone.
(Man, I'm screwed…)
Hayato was at his wit's end. He raised a hand, ready to just shout at the top of his lungs and brace himself for Haruki's inevitable fury later—right when it happened.
"There you are!"
"…Huh?"
Before Hayato knew it, a girl had suddenly latched onto his arm and was yanking him away.
Two sketchy-looking boys were trailing behind the girl. No matter how you looked at it, they were totally trying to pick her up.
"Aw man, she really was with another boy?"
"Forget about some boy who can't even show up on time, come hang out with us instead."
The girl was a total showstopper.
The girl was rockin' a fresh white summer dress with ruffles on the hem and some unique shoulder straps, with her flowing black hair styled in a braided half-up look. She looked like some refined, high-class lady—the kind of top-tier beauty Hayato had never even laid eyes on before.
If a girl that gorgeous was just standing there waiting all by herself, it'd be harder not to try and hit on her like those boys did.
"Let's get outta here!"
"Whoa, hold up!"
The girl yanked on Hayato's arm with some serious force, trying to pull him outside. Maybe she was just that desperate to escape those creeps, because her grip was crazy strong and she was taking some massive strides.
It happened so fast that Hayato couldn't even react; he just let the girl lead him away. He was totally losing it.
After all, Hayato is a teenage boy.
There's no way Hayato's heart wouldn't be pounding out of his chest with a beauty like that clinging to his arm. Not to mention, feeling the softness of her chest against him... ...no wonder his face was beet red.
But, as Hayato was being dragged along, this weird sense of déjà vu hit him. The girl started overlapping with a face he'd been getting used to lately. And when he caught that annoyed look she kept shooting back at him, his suspicion turned into a cold, hard fact.
"Haruki... ...is that you?"
"…!"
A little ways out from the station, the beautiful girl—Haruki—finally stopped and let go of Hayato's arm, turning around with a scowl on her face.
"Seriously! Hayato, you're so slow, so late! I was waiting here to totally surprise you, but then I'm the one getting surprised by those creeps hitting on me. This sucks!"
"Oh, about that... ...my bad. The station was just so huge that I got lost."
"Told you so, didn't I? A smartphone is a total must-have. You're hopeless without one."
"…Yeah, I definitely learned my lesson."
Haruki, huffing with her cheeks puffed out, looked... ...different, somehow. It was hard to put into words.
Even though Haruki's face looked the same as always, maybe it was the outfit, but she seemed way more attractive than usual.
Hayato's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't even bring himself to look Haruki in the eye. He quickly jerked his head away. His chest was thumping so loud it was actually annoying.
Catching sight of Hayato's beet-red face, Haruki's previous anger vanished into thin air, replaced by a sneaky, mischievous grin.
"Oh ho~? Could it be that Hayato's actually blushing 'cause of me?"
"Wh—No way, man. Eh, are you putting makeup today or something?"
"Yep, good catch! It's my first time, but I really gave it my all. So, whatcha think?"
With that, Haruki gave a playful little twirl.
Haruki's well-kept, long black hair fluttered like silk, and the lace-trimmed skirt of her one-piece dress flared out softly, giving a fleeting glimpse of her firm, healthy-looking pale thighs.
Hayato scratched his head like crazy, trying to play it cool, but there was no way he could hide how rattled he was from Haruki anymore.
Certain of her victory, Haruki put a satisfied smirk and was just about to grab Hayato's arm to mess with him some more when—
"Eh, you're... ...really pretty... ...I think, yeah... ...it looks great on you..."
"Myah'?!"
—Just like that, Haruki's face practically went "BOOM!", turning even redder than Hayato's in a split second.
Those were honest words that spilled out because Hayato was totally at his limit. And because it was Haruki, she knew. She just knew it was the truth.
Getting hit with such a brutal counterattack while her guard was down, Haruki's head started spinning from an emotion she'd never felt before in her life.
"Th-Th-Th-This is, like, you know, that thing! That! Because it's that, so that, uh, Hayato!"
"O-Oh, yeah, that thingy. Like, how you dressed up and put this specifically for me, right?"
"~~~~! It's not… …well, it' s not wrong, but! Just… …mya!"
"H-Haruki!?"
"Let's just go! Let's go and pick out a model already!"
Haruki, who was now way more flustered than Hayato, grabbed his hand and started dragging him along.
They were a pretty awkward pair.
Still, as they kept walking, they started to regain their cool a bit.
Though, obviously, both of their faces were still bright red.
They didn't bring up what happened again. But, because Haruki had something she just had to say, she muttered a tiny whisper.
"…Thanks."
"…Yeah."
The sky was a clear blue without a single cloud in sight; Looked like it was gonna be another scorcher today.
Author's Notes:
∧,,∧
(,,・∀・) Meow~
～(_ｕ,ｕノ
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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Sunday morning. The day Hayato and Haruki were headin' out to pick a smartphone for Hayato.
Himeko, who'd been hogging the TV in the Kirishimas' living room since the crack of dawn, gave her big bro a look of pure judgment.
"Big Bro, seriously, that straw hat is a total no-go."
"Wait, really? I was just worried about heatstroke and all that…"
"There are tons of shadows thanks to the skyscrapers, and plenty of chill shops to cool off in… …it's not like Tsukinose where there's literally nothin' around, you know?"
"O-Oh, I see…"
A plain shirt and denim jeans. So far, so good. For better or worse, it was a safe, basic look.
But add a straw hat to that, and Hayato's lookin' exactly like he's headed out to help in the fields. Himeko just couldn't help but call her big bro out on it. Even though Hayato's her big bro, Himeko was literally facepalming.
"By the way, why are we meeting there? Our houses are right next to each other, we might as well just head out together."
"H-Huh?!"
Following those words from Hayato, his little sis, Himeko was 💯% convinced: "Man, this boy doesn't get it at all!". She slammed the pause button on her recording and turned to face him. The sheer intensity of Himeko's gaze actually made Hayato flinch.
"Listen up, Big Bro, okay? Yesterday I went out and bought clothes with Haru-chan."
"O-Oh, right, you did."
"Which means, this is gonna be the very first time Haru-chan shows off that look to you. So, we gotta set the stage for her big debut properly. Doing it right in front of the house is a total bust. You feel me?"
"Hmm, is that really how it works?"
"That's exactly how it works."
Seeing the look on Hayato's face, like he still didn't quite get it, Himeko let out a massive sigh.
(Asking Big Bro to understand a girl's heart is probably asking for too much... then again, Haru-chan is just as hopeless)
Himeko thought about her big bro and their childhood friend—then let out another exasperated sigh before turning back toward the TV.
"Oh, Big Bro, don't forget the papers on the desk."
"This is... ...the parental consent form and Dad's bank account info?"
"Yup, I downloaded 'em and they're already stamped. You're cool with using the same carrier as me, right?"
"Carrier?"
"The phone company. Man, you seriously don't even know that?"
"My bad. Thanks for the help... ...wait, what?!"
"What?!"
All of a sudden, a weird noise leaked out of Hayato's mouth. He was totally glued to the TV. Himeko made a pretty similar sound, too.
"…"
"…"
The drama happened to be hitting its climax right then.
It was one of those scenes where a cheating couple is getting cozy in bed when the wife busts in swingin' a knife.
It was a pretty intense scene. No wonder Hayato made that weird sound. Even Himeko was totally frozen with a flushed face from the awkwardness.
"Eh, so... ...is that, like, the trendy thing right now?"
"I-It's a drama called '10 Years of Loneliness'! My classmates said it was super good! Plus, this actress is incredible! There are non-stop rumors about her being twice-divorced and a total heartbreaker in real life, but that’s exactly why her acting feels so real, and..."
"…Himeko."
"…Fine, I'll keep it in check and study for my exams too."
Now it was Himeko's turn to get the side-eye from Hayato.
◇◇◇
They were supposed to meet up at the station where the shop was located.
It was just three stops away from their local station on the express line, about a 20-minute-plus train ride. This was the massive downtown terminal, the biggest in the region—the exact same spot Himeko and Haruki hit up yesterday.
"Ugh, where the heck is the east exit…"
The station was a straight-up maze, a chaotic mess of subway and private rail lines crisscrossing above and below ground.
Hayato had already been blown away by a lot of stuff when he went to the hospital yesterday, but this was beyond surprising—it was actually starting to freak him out.
"Oh, d*mmit, look at the time! This is just gonna add to my debt with Haruki!"
Hayato had left the house early to get there with 10 minutes to spare, but he couldn't navigate the station for the life of him, feeling like a total lost kid.
By the time Hayato finally managed to reach the bird monument they'd agreed on, he was a solid five minutes late.
Since it was Sunday, the place was absolutely crawling with people, and it looked like finding Haruki in that crowd was gonna be a nightmare. Right then, for the first time ever, Hayato actually felt like he needed a smartphone.
(Man, I'm screwed…)
Hayato was at his wit's end. He raised a hand, ready to just shout at the top of his lungs and brace himself for Haruki's inevitable fury later—right when it happened.
"There you are!"
"…Huh?"
Before Hayato knew it, a girl had suddenly latched onto his arm and was yanking him away.
Two sketchy-looking boys were trailing behind the girl. No matter how you looked at it, they were totally trying to pick her up.
"Aw man, she really was with another boy?"
"Forget about some boy who can't even show up on time, come hang out with us instead."
The girl was a total showstopper.
The girl was rockin' a fresh white summer dress with ruffles on the hem and some unique shoulder straps, with her flowing black hair styled in a braided half-up look. She looked like some refined, high-class lady—the kind of top-tier beauty Hayato had never even laid eyes on before.
If a girl that gorgeous was just standing there waiting all by herself, it'd be harder not to try and hit on her like those boys did.
"Let's get outta here!"
"Whoa, hold up!"
The girl yanked on Hayato's arm with some serious force, trying to pull him outside. Maybe she was just that desperate to escape those creeps, because her grip was crazy strong and she was taking some massive strides.
It happened so fast that Hayato couldn't even react; he just let the girl lead him away. He was totally losing it.
After all, Hayato is a teenage boy.
There's no way Hayato's heart wouldn't be pounding out of his chest with a beauty like that clinging to his arm. Not to mention, feeling the softness of her chest against him... ...no wonder his face was beet red.
But, as Hayato was being dragged along, this weird sense of déjà vu hit him. The girl started overlapping with a face he'd been getting used to lately. And when he caught that annoyed look she kept shooting back at him, his suspicion turned into a cold, hard fact.
"Haruki... ...is that you?"
"…!"
A little ways out from the station, the beautiful girl—Haruki—finally stopped and let go of Hayato's arm, turning around with a scowl on her face.
"Seriously! Hayato, you're so slow, so late! I was waiting here to totally surprise you, but then I'm the one getting surprised by those creeps hitting on me. This sucks!"
"Oh, about that... ...my bad. The station was just so huge that I got lost."
"Told you so, didn't I? A smartphone is a total must-have. You're hopeless without one."
"…Yeah, I definitely learned my lesson."
Haruki, huffing with her cheeks puffed out, looked... ...different, somehow. It was hard to put into words.
Even though Haruki's face looked the same as always, maybe it was the outfit, but she seemed way more attractive than usual.
Hayato's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't even bring himself to look Haruki in the eye. He quickly jerked his head away. His chest was thumping so loud it was actually annoying.
Catching sight of Hayato's beet-red face, Haruki's previous anger vanished into thin air, replaced by a sneaky, mischievous grin.
"Oh ho~? Could it be that Hayato's actually blushing 'cause of me?"
"Wh—No way, man. Eh, are you putting makeup today or something?"
"Yep, good catch! It's my first time, but I really gave it my all. So, whatcha think?"
With that, Haruki gave a playful little twirl.
Haruki's well-kept, long black hair fluttered like silk, and the lace-trimmed skirt of her one-piece dress flared out softly, giving a fleeting glimpse of her firm, healthy-looking pale thighs.
Hayato scratched his head like crazy, trying to play it cool, but there was no way he could hide how rattled he was from Haruki anymore.
Certain of her victory, Haruki put a satisfied smirk and was just about to grab Hayato's arm to mess with him some more when—
"Eh, you're... ...really pretty... ...I think, yeah... ...it looks great on you..."
"Myah'?!"
—Just like that, Haruki's face practically went "BOOM!", turning even redder than Hayato's in a split second.
Those were honest words that spilled out because Hayato was totally at his limit. And because it was Haruki, she knew. She just knew it was the truth.
Getting hit with such a brutal counterattack while her guard was down, Haruki's head started spinning from an emotion she'd never felt before in her life.
"Th-Th-Th-This is, like, you know, that thing! That! Because it's that, so that, uh, Hayato!"
"O-Oh, yeah, that thingy. Like, how you dressed up and put this specifically for me, right?"
"~~~~! It's not… …well, it' s not wrong, but! Just… …mya!"
"H-Haruki!?"
"Let's just go! Let's go and pick out a model already!"
Haruki, who was now way more flustered than Hayato, grabbed his hand and started dragging him along.
They were a pretty awkward pair.
Still, as they kept walking, they started to regain their cool a bit.
Though, obviously, both of their faces were still bright red.
They didn't bring up what happened again. But, because Haruki had something she just had to say, she muttered a tiny whisper.
"…Thanks."
"…Yeah."
The sky was a clear blue without a single cloud in sight; Looked like it was gonna be another scorcher today.
Author's Notes:
∧,,∧
(,,・∀・) Meow~
～(_ｕ,ｕノ
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: