CH ss - 22

SS 22: The Couple Who Showed Up at the Library Once in a While

Translated by: chocolalaEdited by: Seiryuu

“It’s been so long since I last came to the library~”

In the library after school hours; Yuzu, who seldomly came to this facility, looked around her curiously.

Well, I was also the same, it felt refreshing to be here.

“Yeah. But what makes you suddenly want to come to the library?”

When I was about to head to the literature clubroom, as usual, Yuzu stopped me as she said, “Today we’re not going there.”

So I went along with her to this place, but I wondered just what kind of whim was this.

When I asked her, Yuzu quietly whispered to avoid others hearing it, “Um, you see, didn’t we tell people that we hit it off in the library and started dating from here? So, if we don’t come here once in a while, it will be unnatural.”

“Ah… Now you mentioned it, I remember that’s our setting.”

When Yuzu and I ended up ‘dating’ due to our circumstances, we had discussed the background story of how our relationship developed until we dated. We had to think a lot in order to cover up this rather unnatural situation since both of us—a Riaju girl and the dork me—barely had any contacts before.

One of them was how we hit it off—so we made up the fact that we met at the library.

“Hm, certainly it’s better to show off our relationship to others.” I nodded in agreement with Yuzu’s suggestion.

“Right? So, now we have the chance, I thought of spending today to read books together.”

“Got it.” With a nod, I looked over to the bookshelves.

I basically always read e-books on my smartphone, so it had been so long since I last read paper books.

“I’ll take this one.” I randomly chose a book and sat on a vacant seat.

“Yamato-kun, what did you choose?” Yuzu asked me, so I showed her the book cover.

“A science-fiction titled Dragonfly Girl . How about you?”

“ Bistro Recipes as Taught by French Restaurant’s Chefs .”

Apparently, she chose a recipe book. I couldn’t help but frown.

“So, you haven’t given up from trying your hands in cooking…”

“Of course. Aren’t my ambitions wonderful? Praise me, praise me!”

I’d like to say that it was a good idea, but I was a little worried because I imagined Yuzu with her hands bloody on the kitchen table.

“…Alright, Yuzu, it’s not always that we come here, how about reading a book that I recommend? Think of it like discovering each other’s interests?”

“What a blunt way to change topics! Do you want to keep me away from cooking that much?!”

“There.is.no.such.thing.”

As a boyfriend, it was natural for me to be worried. I forcefully dragged a sullen-face-Yuzu to face a bookshelf.

“Yuzu, what kind of novels do you read?”

“Whatever is in trend.”

The answer was a no-brainer. Probably, she saw it as a tool to keep up with what people are talking about, rather than as a personal hobby. In that case, it might be better to recommend the current bestseller. With that in mind, I was about to search for the bookshelf that contained such books when suddenly—

“Noo… You can’t, not in this place…” From the depth of the library, we heard a subtly nasal voice that belonged to a girl.

In that instant, Yuzu and I froze stiffly.

“Eh, come on. And no one’s watching.” This time, it was the voice of a flirtatious man.

Yuzu and I locked gazes and then surreptitiously stepped ahead and took a peek at the shadows between the bookshelves. What met our sight was a couple who were clinging very close to each other.

Naturally, they didn’t proceed to the deed inside the library people would crowd at, but even from 100m afar from them, I could sense the pinkish1 atmosphere which totally gave out that they were indeed flirting with each other.

“Whoa…They have the courage to do it at school…”

‘Ah, they kissed. A french kiss at that.’

I observed them with a frown and then Yuzu tugged my sleeve from behind me.

“Y-Yamato-kun… Let’s get away before they discover us,” Yuzu found the situation very awkward and suggested we retreat.

Of course, being a voyeur was not my hobby, so I nodded and returned to the seat close to the library entrance. As soon as we took our seats, both of us loosened up.

“Really, simply seeing others in that situation can wear down your nerves.”

It might be fine for them since they were having fun, but for us who were shown such a display, it was totally not good for our mental health.

“…That girl—she’s my friend.” Yuzu blurted that out.

No wonder she felt so awkward, so she was witnessing someone she knew to be in such a scene.

“I heard that the library is the place couples gather, but I never thought I’d happen to see my own friend in the act…” Yuzu sighed in a complicated emotion.

However, I couldn’t overhear what she just said.

“Say Yuzu, could it be that you know that even when we think of the reason we started dating?”

Yuzu was the one who thought up the scenario that we met at the library leading to us dating. Could it be that she knew about the rumours of this couples’ zone and took advantage of them.

…Or should I say, there was no mistake, not at all.

“Well, this would make it even more believable that way. I just used what I could at hand.” Yuzu readily admitted this fact right away.

“Seriously…? Then, does that mean we are seen like that couple too—” Without thinking, I propped my elbows on the desk and covered my face with my hands.

No, I was not the type of person who cared much about relationships or physical appearance though? However, after seeing the aura from the real couples in this manner, it was indeed unbearable.

“What is it? Are you unhappy that people think you’re flirting with me?” Yuzu didn’t seem to like my attitude and pulled my hem.

“Not that I’m unhappy… But Yuzu, are you okay with that? People are thinking that we’re like those couple who exchange french kisses in the library.”

Rather than me, I supposed that Yuzu was the one who cared more about what people would say.

“Hurm, certainly I’m also embarrassed by that. But think about it, it’s more beneficial for our final objective when people think that we’re getting along ‘really well’ than having them doubting whether we’re really dating or not, isn’t it?”

“If you put it like that, yeah.”

What Yuzu said was logical, but it was difficult for me to accept it emotionally.

“So, it was embarrassing to watch, but don’t you think we should learn a bit from them? We’ve come all the way to show off to others anyway.” Despite blushing, Yushu seemed to be trying to be positive and use them as a reference.

“You’re absolutely right, but that’s a bit…”

Intense images began to burn in my brain, so I was reluctant to agree; Yuzu was instead fed up with my irresolute attitude, she puffed her cheeks.

“Moooo2…Yamato-kun, you spineless.”

“Hold your tongue! Then what? You want me to be like them, pulling you to the shadows and have deep kisses?”

“I-I didn’t say to do that much…” My words were too blunt, and Yuzu toned down a bit.

“Oh? So, until what point are you exactly saying? Come on, tell me how far you wanted me to go.”

When I found an opening in her argument, I attacked more and more, and Yuzu became redder and redder.

“Ya-Yamato-kun, you lewd!”

“What’re you saying? I didn’t say a word that sounded lewd at all. Or, is it that Yuzu was actually thinking that you want me to do lewd things to you?”

“I didn’t! I don’t expect that much from a lousy, spineless boyfriend like Yamato-kun! You’re so out of touch with people’s feelings that you wouldn’t even be able to create that kind of mood!”

Ugh… This girl really knew what to say where it hurt.

“Don’t say nonsense! I’m not lousy nor am I spineless! I’m just being a gentleman to accommodate my narcissistic but defenceless girlfriend!”

“Which part of you is a gentleman! It’s good we’re in the library, why don’t you go borrow a dictionary and check its definition?!”

“Alright, if you say that much, I also have my own pride! How about we go behind that bookshelf! I’ll show you when I get serious! If you want to apologize, you better do it now, I’ll make you swoon until you hyperventilate!”

I briskly got up from my chair and hurled a challenge at Yuzu. Immediately, she stood up too and glared at me.

“That’s just what I want! People who don’t challenge themselves regularly are the ones who don’t know their limits and are overconfident! Well, don’t worry, okay? Yamato-kun, I know that you are such a klutz, and I’m still dating you, so no matter how bad you get, I’m not going to run out of love for you!”

Sparks buzzed between the two of us. Both of us drew our swords called pride. Once it was unsheathed, even I couldn’t return it to its scabbard unless I broke hers.

Just when we were ready to fight a battle we couldn’t afford to lose—

“EHEM!”

—It was stopped by a very intentional harrumph.

I slowly turned my head around and saw the librarian had appeared between us—who knows when she came—smiling while having blue veins popping on her temple.

“You two, this is the library, can you please keep quiet?”

Before we knew it, all eyes were on us. Apparently, we had unintentionally turned up the heat and our voices were getting louder.

“S-sorry…” In sync, Yuzu and I both apologized ashamedly.

But that didn’t stop the librarian’s anger, and with a wrinkle between her eyebrows, she began to lecture us, “Geez… Until now, there was a lot of Ba-couples3 who had their secret rendezvous here, but there were none who publicly displayed their affections like this. You really are the King of Ba-couples.”

“We’ve nothing to say to that…”

Anyway, the stares from our surroundings were unbearable. Never had I imagined we’d be given the title ‘The King of Ba-couples’.

“In general, a library is…”

For a few dozen minutes until the angry librarian’s lecture was over, Yuzu and I were publicly displayed as the ultimate Ba-couple in history.

chocolala: That was sooo close, otherwise, we’d be able to see them smooching~

Footnotes

lewdNot the cow sounds, this is from her poutingBaka couple = idiot couple