Chapter 18

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TL: Single TL Translations

Chapter 18

“Yuki? It’s morning, wake up.”

Aoi’s voice woke me up immediately. When I opened my eyes, Aoi was looking down at me, and when I made a surprised smile, she greeted me by saying ‘breakfast is ready’ and moved away from me. It seems that I was asleep for a long time. Even so, to think I didn’t even notice Aoi waking up, I wonder if it’s the alcohol. Rather, I’m not hungover today.

“Good morning, did I sleep a lot?”

“Only for a little. I made breakfast with whatever there was left, but was that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s completely fine. Thanks for everything.”

“No problem, let’s eat?”

Aoi laid out toast and soup on the table. I wasn’t able to compete with her hardworking nature. I also got up and washed my face before sitting down at the table, eating together, and talking about if she has work today. She told me that she only had a few photo shoots in the evening. I was relieved to hear that. We quickly finished eating while watching TV, and Aoi washed the dishes for me again. It’s the usual routine, but I can’t settle down. I suddenly remembered that I left my phone in my bag since yesterday and fished through my bag. There were a few missed calls, but it seemed fine to not return any right now, so I charged my phone for the time being. Thinking back, I got a lot of business cards from the hosts yesterday, so I took them all out and put them on the table.

Despite the fact that I have a lot of them, I don’t really remember much about the hosts. There are some of them that have their pictures on them, but they all look the same. When I checked the names, they were in difficult to read kanji and English characters which somehow impressed me.

“Business cards? This is…”

Aoi finished washing the dishes and curiously sat next to and looked at me. It might not be a good idea to tell Aoi about this, but it’s not like I can just hide it at this point, so I just answered as usual.

“Ahh, yeah. I went to a host club yesterday and…”

“Eh? Host? Wha- huh? W…Why? Are you into hosts? A-Are you okay?!”

As expected, she was extremely puzzled. I answered her with a wry smile.

“No, it’s not like that. My friend likes it, you see. She took me there yesterday. It wasn’t that fun, so I’m not addicted to it or anything, don’t worry.”

“O-Ohh, I see. …I was surprised. W-What was it like?”

Aoi felt relieved, but then quickly asked me in a fearful manner. She’s probably just curious since she’ll never go to a host club.

“Hmm, normal? When it’s your first time, you get one hour of all you can drink and the hosts keep changing, so you just drink and talk, I think? The hosts were pretty nowadays and felt normal.”

“I-I see. Is that so… um, is there… someone you’re interested in… or something?”

“Huh? There wasn’t. I was happy since I drank, but it was pretty boring talking to them. Ah, Aoi do you have a type? Look, I did get a lot of business cards.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t really talked to Aoi about this kind of thing. It’s this girl we’re talking about, I know she’s going to be shy about it, but it seems fun, so I tried asking her while spreading the business cards out. Aoi’s been so flustered that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Huh, me? I don’t really…”

“Come on, come on, who’s your type? Tell me?”

“I… I don’t have one. I can’t choose just by their face.”

Her reply was so serious, so Aoi-like, that it made me laugh.

“Ehh, then how about the ones with a decent looking face.”

“I… I don’t know.”

“There’s no way you don’t know, is there? Come on, look.”

“Y-You don’t need to mind me…”

I was wondering and thinking ‘don’t tell me’ at the Aoi who seemed troubled and stubbornly didn’t say anything. I smirked.

“Hey, don’t tell me you have someone you like?”

“Huh?! …I-I don’t! I don’t, okay?”

It seems like I hit the mark; Aoi’s face become red and she looked very flustered. She’s kind of easy to read. She’s so easy to read that I can laugh.

“Hmm, I see. What kind of person are they?”

“L-Like I said! I don’t have anyone.”

Aoi who turned her face away, denied it, but her attitude isn’t hiding anything. Even though she’s older, her innocent appearance as if she were younger was so cute that I unconsciously grabbed her with some force as though to capture her.

“I won’t let you go.”

“Wah! Wait, let go of me!”

“I don’t want toooo. I won’t let you go until you tell me.”

“L-Like I said, there’s no one!”

“Hey, don’t struggle!”

Aoi was struggling a little, but it was of no problem since she’s weak. When I hugged her from behind, putting strength and drawing her closer to me by her stomach so she couldn’t easily get out, she stopped resisting. Is she ready to say it? I approached Aoi from the side and drew my face closer to hers. Her face is still red, and the fact she doesn’t look at me is so funny.

“And? You can tell me.”

“…I-I’m telling the truth.”

“Hmmm. Then I won’t let you go.”

“W-Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’, it’s because there’s someone you like, isn’t there?”

“T-There isn’t.”

“You’re full of lies.”

While laughing I draw my face quite close so that she can’t run away. Since Aoi can’t move, she just turns her face to the side and looks away, though she looks embarrassed and is obviously panicky. I’m curious about it anyways and since I’ve already come this far, I’ll definitely ask her. Normally I would be gentle with her, but I won’t back down here.

“P-Please, stop already.”

“Don’t wanna. Heyyy, tell me? I wanna hear about it, please!”

“N…No.”

“Whyy, please! Tell me!”

“G-Geez, this is so embarrassing that my face is turning red, so stop it!”

She reservedly pushes my face away with her hand, but I grab her hand and move it. She’s admitted that she has someone she likes. I’m not going to give up just yet.

“Hey, really can’t tell me?”

“… can’t.”

“Ehhh. Hmm, then, is it a celebrity?”

“G-Geez, let’s just stop talking about this.”

She shyly looked at me trying to end the conversation, but the fact that I can’t stop at this point is what being human is about. You can’t get rid of curiosity. She squeezed my hand to show her resistance, but I grabbed it back and pulled her a little closer. I used a slightly cunning move.

“You can’t tell me about it?”

“Huh? That’s not it, but… It’s too embarrassing, I can’t.”

“What the. Then I’ll ask you questions, so tell me if it’s right or not, okay?”

“Huh? B-But.”

“It’s fine! You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to, I’ll start, okay?”

“O-Okay.”

I forcefully convinced her. Good. She’s done for. I smiled and tightly hugged Aoi from behind again, lightly putting my head against hers and squeezing her hand with more strength. I don’t face her since she might not answer if I ask while looking at her.

“Then I’ll ask once again, is the other party a celebrity?”

“They’re not.”

“Then are they a normal person*?”

*normal person as in an ordinary/regular person from the general public, someone who’s not famous etc.

“…I won’t say.”

“Hm? Then are they a friend of yours?”

“…No.”

I see, the person she likes seems to be a friend that’s a normal person. She was a little flustered and held my hand a little tighter when answering. Does she think she won’t be exposed like this? I’m struggling to hold back my laughter.

“Then have you known each other for a long time?”

“…a normal amount?”

“Hmm. Older?”

“I-I won’t say.”

“I see. Tall, thin, macho?”

“I-I don’t know. Normal?”

“Handsome?”

“…Yeah.”

“Gentle?”

“Yeah.”

Well, well. I see, she says ‘normal’, but how normal is Aoi’s ‘normal’? I know that she’s a friend that’s a normal person, but that’s all I know. Since she’s an extremely beautiful girl, the other party is probably an extremely handsome guy. I mean, to be liked by such a cute girl; how envious. I feel like he stole my daughter, but I guess there’s no helping it. She’s a celebrity to begin with, so of course there are people who like her. I feel a little lonely.

“Is that so. That’s… a pretty handsome and high-spec bastard, I see.”

“Huh? W-What do you mean?”

“Even if I didn’t ask, I thought he would be particularly handsome, but either way, it means that he’s handsome both inside and outside, right?”

“Huh, that’s… yes. …Very.”

Aoi, who answers shyly, is just like a maiden in love and I can’t stop grinning at her.

“Geez, look at you brag about them. So, what part of them do you like? Aoi-san. Confess.”

“That’s… e-everything…”

“Everything?”

“Yeah. …They’re gentle… handsome… they understand… me… and care about me…”

You can tell she’s embarrassed without even looking at her face. The ‘everything’ she said is very Aoi-like, but now that I know that she truly likes them, it makes me both happy and sad. It’s a relief to know that this girl has someone like that in her life.

“I see, I see. Rather, even with all that you’re not going out with each other?”

“Y…Yeah.”

“Eh? Why? Even though it looks like you like it’s mutual love?”

When I unconsciously peer into her face, she smiled bitterly while shy. As far as I heard, it seems like it’s going well though.

“With me, I’m completely… you know, no good. They don’t think of me in that way… so.”

“? What’s ‘no good’?”

“That’s, um… since they’re such a wonderful person, I won’t be taken seriously. …I can’t really talk about… fun stories… and I’m not very… pretty, so.”

I’m stunned. The Aoi who’s saying this as if to make excuses, really doesn’t know herself very well. This girl’s low self-esteem is deep. Even though you said that much to me before, I wonder what I should do.

“You know, Aoi is really pretty, and I enjoy talking with you, okay? Don’t worry about it, it’s okay!”

“B-But, I… have a shy personality and while my style might be a little better, but… that’s all.”

“Whaat? No, you already have a great personality. Sure, you’re a little shy, but you’re a hard worker, can cook, cute, and both your looks and style are too good. Rather, there are times where even my heart skips a beat, okay? Really.”

“…Y-Yuki, there are times where your heart skips a beat?”

Aoi asks me curiously. I didn’t think she would ask me such an embarrassing thing. Whose heart wouldn’t flutter from such a beautiful person. Even though I’m the same sex, her appearance is so beautiful and pretty that it catches my eyes. Plus, she’s also very kind and cute on the inside too. I said with a little embarrassment.

“With someone as beautiful and cute as Aoi, even if you’re the same sex, there will be some that do. You’re good on the inside and on the outside, I mean, you are a model, so your appearance is so flawless that there are times where even I get really shy.”

“…Really?”

Though embarrassed I answered by nodding multiple times at her asking as if doubtful. Even though I don’t lie. Rather, this is kind of embarrassing, we seem like a couple. I’m getting pretty embarrassed right now, but I try my best to not show it on my face.

“Of course! Really! Seriously! It would be an instant kill for Aoi. There’s no one who wouldn’t fall for Aoi. But I personally feel like he stole my daughter and I’m sad, but I’ll support you, don’t worry!”

When I tell her a little frantically, though she looked a little unsure, she still smiled and nodded her head as though truly happy.

“Yeah. Thank you. I’m happy.”

“Good! Have confidence, okay? Phew, nevertheless, I’ll probably punch the person Aoi likes if he’s a shitty guy, though from what I’ve heard, he seems like a good guy, so I hope it all works out. You’re not going to confess?”

“That’s… yeah. I won’t tell them. Even if I do, they’ll probably feel troubled by it anyways. I’m satisfied with our current relationship… so it’s okay.”

Aoi, smiling as is she had given up, seems to really think so. She tightly held my hand and leaned her back against me. Does the other person really think of Aoi as just a friend? It makes me kind of sad.

“Is that person going out with someone?”

“No. They’re not going out with anyone.”

“You don’t want to go out with them?”

“…I do want to go out with them, but… it’s fine. Let’s stop already, okay? This talk. It’ll get heated. And with that, it’s over.”

She patted my hand that was on her stomach, signaling that this time it was really over. I replied saying ‘alright’. I’m sure there’s some kind of complicated situation going on, but we can talk about it in detail with the next opportunity. It’s enough to know this much for now.

“Tell me when something happens, alright? I’ll help you.”

“Okay.”

That’s about all I can do.

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