V2C3 Part1

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*****

I had a dream.

I dreamed that I graduated from high school and became a university student. The me in my dream lived alone and led a very fulfilling life.

With a bright personality, I’d successfully became popular on campus. I had more than 30,000 friends, and they fawned all over me. My schedule was jam-packed down to the minute, and people shouted my name here and there like I was at a rock band concert.

“Good grief. Everyone is so hopeless without me.”

In my dream, when I woke up and checked my phone, there were more than 999 unread messages. I’d be needing a lot of effort just to reply to those messages, fufu.

I smiled elegantly when someone opened the door.

That person was of course my handsome boyfriend—an actor with an annual salary exceeding two hundred million yen. Thanks to him I also played a side role in a drama airing next month. Moreover, the drama was scheduled for prime time.

Ever since I had successfully debuted in high school, my life had taken a huge turn.

I’d managed to realize my dreams since starting university. Yes, I wasn’t going to let this dream end. Right, an endless dream…

“Well then, Renako, let’s do our best for another beautiful day.”

He stretched his hand out towards me, flashing a dazzling smile that radiated like sunshine.

So this was happiness. Feelings of love overflowed so much that I was able to feel it. I slowly reached my hand out to his pale hand…

“Wait. Oozuka Mai! Why are you here?!”

“Isn’t the answer obvious? We are...fufufu, do you still intend to make me spell it out for you after all these times?”

Mai swiftly crawled into my bed and brought her body closer to mine. Hii.

“H-hey, wait! Can you stop barging into my dream?!”

Just like a big, persistent dog, she refused to budge even as I tried to push her away from me.

Everything had been going well, but at this brief moment, it had suddenly turned into a nightmare!

“I’ve said I had no intention of becoming your lover, right? We are friends! Rema friends! It’s not like I’m wishing for this from deep inside my mind, okay?! Don’t misunderstand!”

She finally brought her face out from under the bed sheets. With nothing on her body, she looked down at me from above. Hyaa.

The black hair that flowed smoothly down was touching my cleavage, giving off a ticklish sensation, since I also wore nothing on my body.

….wait. Black hair?

What I saw before me was a pair of radiant black eyes that resembled the starless night sky, releasing a faint radiance like moonlight.

“Hey, Amaori…”

“This must be a joke!”

Satsuki-san let out an alluring smile, something I’d never seen before that caught my breath.

She slowly brought her lips closer to mine and our lips touched…

“I like you...I’m in love with you, Amaori.”

“Higyaa!”

I forcefully pushed her and kicked the sheets off from my body, and finally jolted back to reality.

What a terrible way to wake up.

Ever since the day I stayed over at Satsuki-san’s place, I would sometimes wake up from that kind of dream.

What was that...why…?

It was bad enough with Mai even though I was still okay...wait, no, it wasn’t okay. It was true that it gave me a bitter feeling when I had that kind of dream, considering what had happened between us, but let’s just put that aside for now.

Why…why did Satsuki-san keep appearing in my dreams……...

Moreover, we were in that kind of situation, right...we were naked after all…

Could it be that……I have feelings for Satsuki-san….? Nope, no, no, no! It was just a dream. Why was I getting affected by a mere dream?!

What happened between us was just...I accidentally touched her boobs, we slept in the same room, and we kissed.

Huh, that’s a lot!

Uuu, this didn’t mean that I had stronger sexual desires than girls my age...right? I wondered if everyone else had the same type of dreams as me...it wasn’t like I could ask others about this kind of stuff though…

I went to the washroom to freshen up myself and arrange my hair. Suddenly, someone appeared out of nowhere.

“Bi~g sis~”

L-little sister!

I had managed to dodge her these past few days, but she had finally cornered me…

“Today for sure, I’ll make you listen.”

“Y-yes.”

“How should I put this. Okay, I admit that you had a great high-school debut, and you might have gotten carried away. But still, what you did wasn’t right.”

“Ugh.”

My little sister, who stood in front of me with her arms folded, looked like a counseling teacher in her lecturing mode.

“Whatever happened, the most important thing is honesty. If you enjoy your life without any consideration for others, you’ll slowly lose what you have, and everything will be gone the moment you realize, it’ll become too late.”

“Uuh…”

I’d never had any intention to cheat in my relationships, plus my relationship with Mai wasn’t something like lovers anyway, but hearing those words was like receiving a deep stab…

“In the end it’s your life after all. I don’t have the right to butt in. But let me say this, what you’re doing right now isn’t being a bright person or a normie. Even if you’ve become somewhat popular, it doesn’t mean you can hurt others. You’re basically behaving like a scoundrel.”

Oh, my respectable little sister…!

Getting seriously scolded by a second year junior high-school girl made me want to bow deeply into a dogeza while apologizing.

“Well, that was everything I wanted to say. I have morning practice so I’m going now.”

“Yes...thank you for your words…”

My respectable little sister in her sailor uniform turned her back on me abruptly, leaving me alone in the washroom.

When I gazed back in the mirror, I found myself with a deadpan expression. I went back to arrange my hair and clipped on my hairpin properly.

This was good enough...hehehe…

My little sister’s scolding seeped through my mind and my chest became heavier with each passing second. It’s okay, I told myself. My relationship with Satsuki-san was going to end in two weeks, and once everything ends, she would make up with Mai. Everything would return to normal then.

Which was why I was sure that these impure dreams would also stop in two weeks, without leaving a single trace.

...I really meant it, okay?!

I left for school while grumbling.

I wondered what would happen if I met Satsuki-san in this situation…

No, considering Satsuki-san’s personality, I was sure she would answer me with something along the lines of, “What were you thinking...are you dumb?” with that empty gaze. I almost guaranteed it.

I was perfectly aware that the Satsuki-san who answered with something like, “S-stop being dumb…” while looking embarrassed was someone that only existed inside my head.

“Ah, good morning! Amaori-san!”

“Good morning~”

When I entered the classroom, Hasegawa-san and Hirano-san greeted me.

“Ah, yeah. Good morning.”

Like being influenced by Satsuki-san’s phantom, I responded to them with a stiff smile.

Hearing my response, the two of them look thrilled and let out a blissful sigh.

“Haaa, I’m grateful this morning...since this is the only time I’m able to talk with a beauty without any worries, how blessed...!”

“We’re only able to approach Amaori-san in the morning after all~ Ah, today might be the best day of my life~”

“Eh, wh-what were you girls talking about? Ahaha…”

Whenever we interacted, these two always talked like they admired me. Of course I was fond of these two. I like people who like me after all.

The way they treated me fulfilled my desire for acknowledgement from those around me. That’s right. I am Amaori Renako...part of Mai’s group. The Amaori Renako...let’s change my mood.

I channeled my inner Ajisai-san and let out a graceful smile.

“That’s not true, we can talk whenever since I also want to get along better with you two.”

“Really?! Eh?! That’s not some sort of lip service from a beauty, right?! No, well, even if it's lip service, I’m still happy!”

“Waa~ let’s get along well then, Amaori-san~ Hee~ So I’m allowed to look at your face everyday, what a grand opportunity. Could it be that this’ll lead to your permission for your contact info~?”

“Yeah of course, let's get along well!”

Aah, so this was happiness. This was what I wanted. I wasn’t looking for chaos where I had to work hard to maintain my position. I just wanted to casually enjoy my days with friends.

We had fun talking with each other, when suddenly—

“...morning.” Satsuki-san entered the classroom.

“Hiee...Sa-Satsuki-san, morning…”

She halted for a short moment right beside me, and then headed to her own desk.

Th-that was surprising...the Satsuki-san from my dream slowly emerged again from the corner of my mind.

“A-anyway, about your contact info.” I turned my body.

And when I did, Hasegawa-san and Hirano-san’s eyes had turned into heart shapes. Eh?!

“J-just now, Koto-san said ‘morning’…! That, that black-haired beauty Koto-san...eeh? This isn't a dream, right…?”

“I’d never thought that Koto-san would greet me like that…today would be the greatest of the greatest day of my life…”

“Umm, excuse me?! Contact info, what about exchanging contact info?!”

They weren’t even joking, they’d seriously stopped hearing my voice since earlier. Their cheeks were red as they gaped in Satsuki-san’s direction. Seriously?!

“Aah, that glistening black hair...that thin and nice body, she really is a form of perfection…”

“Haa...I want to have that face in my next life...”

No matter how hard I called out to them, it seemed like they no longer bothered to answer, so I left and trudged to my own desk.

So this was reality…

As I was walking, Satsuki-san suddenly called my name, “Amaori.”

“Wh-what is it?”

“Uhh...let’s meet after school.”

As I glanced at Satsuki-san, who averted her gaze, I felt my heart tighten for a moment (might only be my imagination!).

“Ah, yeah…”

Eh, wait a minute, what was this...why was it that Satsuki-san looked nervous...

No, really, what happened? This was dangerous, really dangerous. With just those two lines from her, I felt like my world was spinning uncontrollably.

This-this made it feel like I was being very conscious of our relationship!

You can’t. Finally, we were at the stage where Satsuki-san could potentially become my friend. But with this mood, it felt like our relationship would become a mess!

I finally sat down at my desk, with nervousness piling up inside my chest. When I turned around, Satsuki-san’s eyes met mine.

Uhh…

As if wanting to hide the fact that our eyes met, we hurriedly averted our gazes from each other.

Hasegawa-san and Hirano-san had already said this, but she really has a beautiful face…

Wait, no, I told you that you can’t!

The heck was with this bittersweet mood that resembled middle-school students after their first kiss?! My relationship with Satsuki-san wasn’t like that!

“You’re sure early today. Morning, Rena-chan.”

As I continued to battle with my own thoughts, Ajisai-san arrived in the classroom. I timidly raised my head to look at her.

Aaah, she sure was cute today...look at that fluffy hair that resembled that of an angel...I unconsciously bowed my head in an act of worship.

“Eh, what is it? What are you doing?”

“Ajisai-san, I like you…”

“Eeeh?!”

Ajisai-san turned red after hearing the direct praise that came straight from the bottom of my heart. Looking at her reaction, she really scored a perfect point as a maiden. A totally different type of person from Satsuki-san.

“Eeerr, umm, errr...why were you saying something so bold in place like this...besides...actually, there’s something I had been meaning to ask for a while...umm, umm…”

Ajisai-san’s eyes darted restlessly about as she fidgeted with her hair.

Staring at Ajisai-san, who emitted cuteness from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, I pleaded desperately, “You are the only one for me, Ajisai-san, so stay as my friend till the end, okay…? We’re going to be friends for our whole life...a friend for life...”

“Eh? O-okay! ………..eh?!”

That day, while getting healed by Ajisai-san’s healing aura, I somehow managed to survive until the end of school.

I was so grateful for having Ajisai-san in my class. If it wasn’t for her, I was sure that I would’ve been brought to the infirmary since I would’ve definitely passed out in the first period.

Mai had been considerate of me and my situation with Satsuki-san during this time, but on the contrary, I couldn’t help but feel awkward, almost as if I had been avoiding her…

Uuh, with this I could really prove that I really wasn’t suited for romance. My mind wasn’t strong enough to overcome these romance-related problems…

Well, the real trial starts now, though!

Really, I wondered if someone could come and rescue me from this whole mess...someone like a prince on a white horse, maybe...no, wait, as expected, I couldn’t really deal with boys after all so I’ll pass on that choice! Please make it a princess somehow!

In the end, my life wasn’t so easy to have a long-awaited princess come and save me from my agony, but in exchange, an adorable, top-class angel shyly pulled on my sleeve.

“U-umm, you see, Rena-chan.”

“Hmm?”

I was in the middle of tidying up my desk when she called out to me, so I stopped and turned towards her. There I found Ajisai-san’s smile.

A smile so beautiful that it sparkled like a rainbow in the blue sky. With a smile like that, there was no other choice than to stan her.

“You see, today I don’t have any plans with anyone.”

“Ah, really? That’s rare.”

“No, it’s not like I have that many plans in the first place…”

Right after she said that, Ajisai-san looked like she realized something and clapped her hands.

“Ah, no! Y-yes, you’re right! It’s rare!”

A sudden line as if she noticed her popularity. How adorable.

Ajisai-san was really popular after all, so everyone often asked her out.

Thinking that ‘this me’ was able to freely chat with ‘that Ajisai-san’ whenever I wanted to really was a blessing.

No matter how cute she is, Ajisai-san only has 24 hours a day just like regular humans, and since I didn’t want to bother her, I often planned to get lost from her sight before I could bother her any more than that. But it seemed like Ajisai-san still had something she wanted to say, so I waited for her. She coyly intertwined her fingers while looking at me from the corner of her eyes.

“And that’s why, umm, I wonder what I should do.”

“Uh-huh.”

“............I really wonder what I should do.”

“U, uh-huh…?”

Ajisai-san didn’t say anything and stared intently at me.

H-how should I respond to this, and this uncomfortable feeling...hearing the sound of a clock ticking just added to the nervousness building inside of me. What was with this feeling, like someone was telling me to hurry and make some decision…?!

Eh, I really had no idea what to do! What should I do...I wanted to fulfill her expectations and make her happy, but how…!

I was becoming absorbed in my own thoughts, and my head started feeling dizzy, the signs of me reaching my limit.

“Amaori, what are you doing?”

Satsuki-san approached me. Just like a jet-black curtain, she instantly obstructed Ajisai-san’s light.

“Ahh, err, nothing. Well then, see you tomorrow, Ajisai-sanー”

I gently waved my hand but then I saw Ajisai-san with an unexpected expression on her face.

Eh, what was it?!

“E, err...is there something wrong, Ajisai-san...?

It was my first time seeing Ajisai-san showing that kind of emotion. It was like seeing Kaho-chan when she was treated coldly by Mai…

But in a blink of an eye, she became her usual self again, showing her usual charming smile, she waved her hands.

“N-nothing! There’s nothing wrong at all! Now come to think of it, I also have something I should do! That’s right, I’m busy! See you tomorrow!”

“O-okay.”

Well, that was a given.

I answered her with a simple “See you,” and let Satsuki-san drag me away like usual.

Although she looked a bit agitated this morning, Satsuki-san now looked stable, like her usual self, as she walked beside me.

“Did something happen with Sena?”

“She said she was free today but turned out she had something to do. Ah, can we invite Ajisai-san to our study session next time? If she’s free.”

“My bad, I don’t really like to study with many people. It’s not efficient.”

Huh, so that was the case. Since I was the one being taught I didn’t really have a right to push it any further so I couldn’t really say anything. I was the little lamb who should obey Satsuki-sensei’s rule after all.

Suddenly, a blondie with blue eyes appeared before me and the witch who controlled my reins.

“Oh, Renako. So you’re together with Satsuki too today?”

Oozuka Mai stood before us with a composed smile.

“What do you think, Satsuki? Renako is really a wonderful person, right? Doesn’t she make your heart beat faster and make you feel warm inside? Of course that’s the case, since that’s part of Renako’s charm.”

Mai nodded her head, agreeing with her own words, absorbed in her own world. Hey, what were you saying in the middle of the classroom?

Normally, Satsuki-san would ignore Mai and just walk past her and Mai would shrug her shoulders at that behavior.

But it seemed like today was different.

“Well, you’re right. Certainly, Amaori is different from other people.”

“Eeeh?”

Satsuki-san put her hands on her hip with a confident smile.

“In fact, we studied a lot of things together, like then, right, Amaori?”

Eh? Then...could it be that she was referring to that time during the sleepover?

My cheeks were getting hotter with each passing second.

Wait, if you said something like that, not even Mai would stay calm…

Huh, I guess I was wrong. Mai kept her composed smile as she peered at us.

“Hee? Could you tell me the details?”

“I guess I can’t, right, Amaori? It’s not something that we can tell ‘Outsiders’ anyway.”

“O-of course!”

Even though I had noticed her hidden intention, I couldn’t really give other responses.

As if I could let her talk about that kind of stuff in the middle of the classroom!

Aaah, if you behaved like you were picking a fight, of course Mai would…

Oh, she smiled! What happened?

“I see, it’s a secret between the two of you. Well, I hope someday you can let me join in your ‘secrets’.”

“Too bad.”

Satsuki-san, with brimming confidence, pulled on my arm and embraced it tightly. Uwaa, what on earth was this, an afternoon drama?

“This is a secret between me and Amaori, something that’s shared between the two of us, right, Amaori?”

Someone, please help me. I set a deadpan expression on my face and averted my eyes from her gaze.

When I looked away, I caught the look of Kaho-chan, who had been in the middle of talking with people from another group.

She gave me a thumbs-up, flashing an optimistic smile like everything was going according to plan and that the relationship between them was moving in a positive direction.

I could understand if it was Mai being positive, since she was a natural-born empress, but where did that positivity of Kaho-chan come from...was it because she’s a lovable person that she had her own driving force…?

Mai cleared her throat and shifted to the side like she was opening a path for us.

“I see, that was rude of me. Please do as you like to deepen your bond. How ill-mannered of me to try to get in between two of you like that. I’m sorry.”

Mai really kept her smile on until the end of our conversation.

I was sure she was trying her best to keep her promise to me.

I dragged my feet, feeling downhearted. Uuh.

Satsuki-san covered her grin with her hand, looking gleeful.

“She looked really frustrated there.”

“Sh-she was?”

Back then, Mai had made a move on me when she was driven by her jealousy towards Ajisai-san. Considering her jealous nature, she must have struggled a lot to contain her hostility towards Satsuki-san.

“...I wonder if it’s okay to do something like this. I feel bad for her.”

“You’re right. If I want to fire her up more than this, I’ve got no other choice than to show her our photo from that night.”

“Just restrain yourself from doing that, okay?!”

This time it was my turn to pull her forcefully from the classroom.

With this kind of tension between them, I wondered if they could really make up...there was only one week left until the end of our agreement.

I hadn’t seen any signs of improvement from their relationship, and the only thing that progressed smoothly was my studying for the upcoming test.

“Amaori, you tried to solve it without trying to understand the main problem again, right?”

“Eh? No, but, I thought that this way would be more efficient…”

“That’s true if your goal was to get a good score on an exam. But we’re still in our first year, so it’s better to progress bit by bit while looking ahead.”

“Satsuki-san, did you teach me while considering my future…?!”

“Eh?”

“Ah.”

We sat side by side in the library and our hands touched.

From that small gesture, I could feel a small flame erupt in my chest.

As I was confused over that feeling, Satsuki-san pulled her hand away while staring at it.

“...listen, I’ll say this just in case.”

“O-okay.”

“I admit that we did...ki-kiss back then. However, my heart is still mine, and no one can snatch it to become theirs. That’s why, uh, well...don’t get your hopes up.”

She tried to sound indifferent judging by the way she said it to me, but her cheeks were scarlet.

...I had said this before, if you told me something like that with that kind of face, it would only make me more embarrassed!

“It’s not like I’m hoping for anything...but, can you give me an example?”

“Let’s see, for example...like, treating me as one of your women?”

“I never did that though?!”

“I bet you’d snatch all of my income and use it to gamble...but it would be okay, since I chose you after all...I would make sure to allocate money for your personal spending…”

“Can you stop that?! Moreover, you said that really naturally!”

Right after I retorted back, I realized that it was part of Satsuki-san’s bad joke.

Seeing her embarrassed reaction also made me wonder.

“Anyway, why did you set my character as a violent husband…”

“I thought you fit as a good-for-nothing who relies on their women.”

“Wha-that’s a bit mean don’t you think?! Even though you really look like someone who would be easily manipulated by her unpopular band member boyfriend!”

“In short, if we put you and me together…?”

“A good-for-nothing me, and Satsuki-san who works hard for the sake of providing for me…?”

Let’s imagine that for a bit. Me laying around watching TV while getting full of myself, “Don’t worry, I’ll make it big soon!” Uwaa, it was the worst future possible.

Compared with being Mai’s pet, the scale was getting larger somehow. This was terrible…

“In the first place, I doubt that you’ll indulge me in that kind of convenient situation. I bet once I lose my job you’ll say something along, ‘I already got you a new job, go there starting tomorrow,’ and kick me out of the house…”

“You’re right, I would do that. But don’t worry, I would prepare a warm cup-noodle once you're home.”

“Even though you can cook?!”

Satsuki-san let out a small laugh followed by a sigh.

“But I’m sorry to let you down, since I won’t fall in love with anyone. Romance is meaningless after all.”

Ooh, that sounded like Satsuki-san.

I didn’t know whether she really meant it or not, but at least it made me understand her better.

Satsuki-san once said that we couldn’t really understand ourselves, but...I know that Satsuki-san is someone who understood what she wanted and turned it into reality.

I knew that much since I had the same view regarding that.

What I was doing right now was trying to reach my ideal self, someone that I admired, someone popular with a bright personality. I felt like I could slowly make it happen, with the huge amount of effort I’ve put in.

That’s why, I decided to genuinely support Satsuki-san’s resolve.

“And what if Satsuki-san who said all of that was actually already in love with me, hm?”

I let out a playful smile, imitating her usual self.

My forehead received instant damage from the ruler in her hand.

“Ouchh!”

“Next time you share any stupid ideas, I’ll make sure to do that until you get 0 in all subjects.”

“I was joking you know?! That threat is seriously scary!”

We argued with each other loudly, as if we were ready to fight.

But if I look at what happened, somehow, I felt like we really looked like two friends.

And that was soon followed by that night.

Looking back, that day was the beginning of the turmoil that would soon mark the end of my first term.

***

I was studying in my room that night.

Since the night air today felt refreshing, I opened my window for better air circulation. Even then, I had managed to stay focused until the end. Maybe I really was amazing after all.

It felt like I had slowly understood the enjoyment of studying.

I was completing my school homework as well as the practice work assigned by Satsuki-san.

While playing games was fun, doing stuff with friends must be even more fun. Playing battle games and FPS was fun, but games like Action RPGs sounded more exciting when I had friends to talk about our character’s progress with. Well, in reality, it wasn’t like I had those kinds of friends though!

This concept also applied to studying. Since the other person was Satsuki-san, who took her studies seriously, of course I would eventually become influenced by her keenness.

Actually, that wasn’t really needed as long as I could discover the fun of studying through the typical classes...but too bad, I wasn’t that kind of honor student...

Haah, for me to be seriously studying in my own home, what if I accidentally claimed first place in our grade! I wondered if Satsuki-san would bear a grudge!

I ignited my motivation with my newly found arrogance and tried to power through the rest of my homework.

But no matter how hard I had studied these past few days, of course my academic power hadn’t improved that drastically, so I had one problem left unsolved.

Should I just leave it at that for today and ask Satsuki-san tomorrow?

...umm, but leaving one problem like this felt a bit uncomfortable…

I took out my phone and searched for Satsuki-san’s name in my chat app. I opened the chat room and stared at it with one arm folded.

She had probably just finished her shift, so she must be tired. I would become a bother to her…

Whoops, my phone suddenly vibrated.

Someone who would send me a message at this hour would likely be no one other than Mai. I bet it was something like a luxurious selfie or something like that...wait.

It was a message from Ajisai-san! But why?!

[Are you free now?]

Eeh…? Free, well, I could say that I am, but, why…?

If I replied to her with a [Yeah I’m free], what if she replied back with, [As expected lol, how funny lol]...?

No, no, it was Ajisai-san, she wouldn’t say something like that!

So being honest, I typed [Yeah, I am] and sent it.

[Is it okay if I call you?]

Eh??!?!!

Wait, huh? W-what should I do?!

Still cradling my phone, I closed my window and paced around my room.

Phone calls were one of the deadliest weapons to use against us social recluses. Having a personal conversation felt like plain punishment...on top of that, you couldn’t really see facial expressions and gestures through the call, so you could only rely on the voice and tone. If by any chance we talked at the same time, I would feel so bad I would die!

I didn’t really want to do this...I didn’t want to get teased by Ajisai-san with something like [Rena-chan is really bad at phone calling, huh (laugh)]...

Uuh, what if I asked first by sending her something along the lines of [Eh, what’s wrong? Is it something that should be done by phone?]. If I asked the subject beforehand, I could prepare myself and I could maybe do it more calmly...probably. But when I read my message over, it sounded a bit too cold…

I really had no idea how to leave a good impression on Ajisai-san. Whatever, I’ll just reply with [It’s okay!]

Right after that, as if she had been waiting for my approval (of course that was the case!) my phone started to ring.

Hii, I wanted to run away.

With a feeling like pointing a handgun to my own head, I slowly brought my phone to my ear.

“H...hello.”

Right after that.

“Ah, hello?”

Ajisai-san’s lively voice resounded right by my ear.

Uoooo…I writhed in agony.

“I’m glad, I thought you were already asleep and I didn’t know what I should do since I didn’t want to bother you.”

Ajisai-san, Ajisai-san’s voice sounded so close!

It was like she was whispering right in my ear!

“Ah, no, I was studying.”

“Is that so? Sorry, am I bothering you after all?”

“No, of course not! I just finished!”

“Eeh, I see. That’s great then.”

I frantically tried to gloss it over. When I heard a small breath that sounded relieved, I felt like my heart released tears.

Honestly, as a socially awkward person, I really wanted to avoid phone calls at all costs...as if I could say that. Uuhh…

“And, do you need something? For you to call me like this…”

“Err...just because?”

Just because! So it was an angel’s whim!

But wait a minute, eh, what was this, so it was okay to call another person without a particular reason? Was this some rule between normies? Ha, if that really was the case, this would reveal my true identity as a social recluse, right…? What if she found out since I had no idea...

I shook my head.

“Th-that’s right! There are times when you want to call someone on a whim after all!”

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

After Ajisai-san agreed, we both stopped talking.

Since I was afraid of this kind of awkward silence, I hurriedly talked about something else.

“Wh-what are you doing now, Ajisai-san?”

“Nn, I just got out of the bath, and when I was drying my hair, I wondered what you were doing so I called you.”

“So you spent time thinking about me in your own house…”

I felt guilty for taking up space in Ajisai-san’s brain.

“Eeh? I often think about you though?”

Ehehe, she laughed after saying that. What should I do, the warmth was spreading and filling up my chest.

So happy. So this was happiness…? So this was the taste of happiness. This was my first time feeling this kind of emotion. If I opened the dictionary to look for the definition of happiness, it must be defined as 'Night call with Ajisai-san'.

“E-err, and when is that?”

“Hmm, for example, when I listened to a wonderful song, I kinda wondered if you would like this too or not, something like that?”

I thought I started to understand the reality of making phone calls. Even just from Ajisai-san’s voice and her intonation, I could perfectly understand the emotion behind her words.

I couldn’t see her in person, but I could perfectly picture her smile, and the way she waved her hands during our conversations in person. Huh, could it be that I was doing something awesome after all.

“Ah come to think of it, what kind of music do you like?”

“Eh...m-me? Uhh, well, actually...I don’t really keep up with recent songs.”

The truth was I often listened to game soundtracks. When I wanted to improve my mood, I would play the piece where the player faces off against the last boss.

Of course, I couldn’t say that to anyone. It also wasn’t something that I could share with Ajisai-san. If someone asked me why I listened to that kind of music, I would really have no answer other than, “Eh, is that bad…?”

“M-more importantly, I’m really interested in your favourite songs! I would be happy if you’re willing to tell me next time, the kind of songs you like!”

“Eh, l-like?!”

“Eh? Y-yeah, songs you like.”

For a moment, Ajisai-san’s voice faltered. Why was that?

Ha, could it be that, I just stepped on some landmine…?!

“A-ah, no, you can also share the songs you hate, okay?! Your most hated song!”

“E-eeh~...? Hated song...what was that, ahaha.”

My desperate remark turned out to have a positive result since Ajisai-san’s voice returned to normal while laughing.

A kind of laugh that sounds relaxed, something that I didn't often hear in the classroom.

Err...I didn’t get it, but it seemed like I hadn’t stepped on a landmine.

It seemed like she was enjoying this conversation, and I felt relieved.

Eh, was it really that funny? I couldn’t help but wonder since her laugh hadn’t stopped after a while. In the end, she let out a long sigh that reached my ears.

“I know, let’s play a game, shall we?”

Eeeh? Th-that was sudden!

The memories during our hangout at the department store resurfaced. She had looked a bit different from the usual Ajisai-san in school. That time, she looked relaxed rather than her usual warm and fluffy image (Renako’s lack of vocabulary).

That was why I thought that Ajisai-san probably had the same problem that Mai had, something like putting on a performance for the sake of fulfilling everyone’s expectations. That time, she did tell me that in truth, she was more selfish than people think. She might’ve tried her best to fulfill her role as a role model for her surroundings.

Yeah, I was taken aback when she asked me to play games. But, if by any chance an angel wanted to take a break and rest her wings, I would definitely fulfill that wish for her.

“O-okay but, what kind of game?”

“Let’s see, I wonder what we should do~”

Ajisai-san sounded like she was enjoying this, like she was choosing a cake from a display.

“Ah, that’s right. What about the one we played together before? We can play it online together, right?”

“Ah, aah, certainly...eh, we’re really going to do it?”

“Yup.”

The way she answered me with the tint of happiness in her voice instantly sent me to cloud nine. I felt the love overflow through my entire body. I thought my heart would stop thanks to her sudden adorable attack.

You can’t do that, Ajisai-san...that kind of voice isn’t something that you can show anyone…

I guarantee if boys heard that voice of hers, they would instantly fall head over heels for Ajisai-san...Even though I know that romance is plainly impossible for me, Ajisai-san’s sudden attack struck my heart.

“Sorry, I need to bring the console to my room, can you wait a bit?”

“Ah, okay, take your time.”

After that, I heard the sounds of her moving from her room. In the absence of conversation, Ajisai-san’s faint breathing reached my ears. Somehow this made me nervous…

“Anyway, it’s my first time playing an online game with a friend.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

In the first place, I have only ever played games with Mai and Ajisai-san.

After hearing my confession, Ajisai-san responded back.

“Hee, I see. So I’m your first then.”

“Eh? Y-yeah.”

She sounded unlike the usual Ajisai-san. I couldn’t read her emotion from that voice. Somehow that sounded a bit erotic though?! Wait, or was I the only one being weird right now?!

I thought I might pass out.

“Now come to think of it, when are you going to come over to my house?”

“Uee?”

I accidentally slipped out a weird sound due to the sudden, suggestively seductive question.

“S-somehow, you’re a bit more aggressive than usual tonight, huh…!”

“Fufu.” Her honey-like giggle sent a weird sensation to my brain. Aah, I felt like I shouldn't be doing this!

“Well, I’ll come whenever you invite me, as long as it’s Ajisai-san…”

It would be a bit hard before finals, but I had turned her down once. If I rejected her twice, it would hurt me in various ways…so I had vowed not to do that again.

“Hmm, but I think we can’t do it before finals, huh. Also, Rena-chan is always sticking with Satsuki-chan anyway.”

“N-no, that’s not like what you think!”

Worded like that, it was like I prioritized Satsuki-san over Ajisai-san!

“Because no matter what happens, you’re my number one!”

“...I-I see.”

The atmosphere was getting a bit weird somehow.

She didn’t believe me, did she?!

“...Rena-chan, you shouldn’t do that, you should be more mindful of what you say. If you say something like that, people will interpret your intention in a different way, you know? Bad Rena-chan!”

So I was right! Considering I had already turned her down once, of course right?

“Aah uhhh.”

When I didn’t know how to respond, Ajisai-san laughed like she had already forgiven all my wrongdoings.

“Fufu...but to be honest, I’m happy hearing that from you. Thank you.”

That word of gratitude sincerely spoken made my face burn up in an instant.

“I’m sorry for being a bit harsh. You’re doing your best right now, so you don’t have to mind me. Ah, but let’s enjoy the summer break together, okay?”

She was being considerate after teasing me like that. Deep down, I felt relieved.

“Yeah, of course...I’m looking forward to it...”

Speaking of going to Ajisai-san’s house, I bet I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink the night before out of nervousness...Uuh, let’s stop thinking about that for now. Before then, I should just run simulations inside my head to make sure that everything will go smoothly…

Judging by the background noises, it seemed like Ajisai-san was bringing the console to her room. Could it be that it was usually placed in the living room?

“I’m setting it up right now, wait for a bit, okay?”

“Okaay.”

Ajisai-san’s room. I wonder what it looked like. Let’s imagine it for a bit. I bet it was cute. An adorable room with blooming flowers rustled by a refreshing breeze, and a small river where many small animals frolicked together…

“Hey, so I heard from Kaho-chan, that Rena-chan is...”

“Ah, what is it?”

“You’re trying to mend the relationship between Mai-chan and Satsuki-chan.”

Yes, that was my main intention.

That’s why if they saw me going home with Satsuki-san everyday, it might have looked like I was trying hard to persuade her. In fact, the truth wasn’t too far-fetched but well...

Hearing my answer, Ajisai-san asked me again with a voice that sounded more careful than usual.

“Umm, this might sound a bit rude, but I was wondering, why are you trying so hard?”

“Err…”

I wondered why. So it looked like I was pushing myself doing this. Well, that was a given!

Ajisai-san, the truth is I have poor social and communication skills. Even though it was something ordinary to me, I needed to put in more effort to accomplish what others considered as ‘normal’. That might have been why I appeared desperate.

If I answered her with something like that, I was sure that Ajisai-san would try her best to reassure me that it wasn’t true. It would then lead to more damage so I stopped myself from saying it.

“Um, as I thought, since I’m in the same social circle as Oozuka-san and Satsuki-san, I want them to make up. Also, I personally dislike it if they keep fighting like that.”

This was likely an unsophisticated answer, but she clearly understood what I was trying to say.

“Yeah, of course...You see, sometimes Kaho-chan also mentioned Satsuki-san when she talked with Mai-chan without worry and honestly I thought she was brave. Could it be that I was being too cold as a person…?”

No no no no no.

“If you’re a cold person, then without any doubt, Satsuki-san’s body must be made of liquid nitrogen rather than water...”

(Science trivia: liquid nitrogen’s boiling temperature is around -196℃ / -320℉)

Also, I had very few friends I could talk with in school. If Mai and Satsuki-san keep fighting, I wouldn’t be able to withstand it any longer. I would die from the pressure…

Since it was a matter of death and life, of course I looked desperate!

In short, I was doing this for my own benefit! Yeah, I’m a loser!

But then, Ajisai-san sounded like she refuted my words.

“That’s not true, besides, thanks to this accident, I reevaluated the way I treated my friends. So I decided that I should try to change myself, and become more caring about the people around me.”

“Eeh…? So you were thinking about something like that…”

Turned out that the Ajisai-san I thought was a different type of person from Mai. Even a perfect person had that kind of thought…

“Yeah, and so, this call might also be my first step towards that.”

“I see…”

Ajisai-san was a thoughtful person. She even went out of her way to talk to Satsuki-san who had been eating lunch alone, out of kindness. That side of hers was something that no one could imitate, so she really was an amazing person.

“You are fine the way you are,” wasn’t something that she wanted to hear as someone who wanted to change herself. How did I know? Of course I knew, since I was also the same.

I was sure that if someone denied my effort to change myself and told me that I didn’t have to do anything, it would give me more pain.

I was glad I didn’t get too worked up to say that to Ajisai-san. That was close.

As I bubbled in my own negative thoughts, Ajisai-san let out a gentle laugh from the other side .

“You see, it's because I actually quite...like Rena-chan, you know?”

Her voice slowly seeped into my chest, filling me with an adorable and endearing feeling.

“Uuu, I am extremely delighted to hear those words. It’s my honour...”

“Eh, why are you being formal out of sudden? I’m not a king though?!”

“I also like you, Ajisai-san.”

“Aaaaah~~~....uuuh~...a-anyway, I also want to change this reserved side of me so...I’ll change it!”

“Yup, looking forward to it!”

Honestly I was a bit worried since she let out a voice like she was in agony, but it seemed like she really wanted to work hard this time.

One day she would be promoted into a superior angel from a normal angel, so she might grow another set of wings later.

Right after Ajisai-san told me that she finished setting up the console and launched the game, suddenly—

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Just like that, Ajisai-san sounded a bit different.

“Yes?” I asked her to make sure, but it seemed like the question wasn’t directed to me. She was probably talking with her family.

“Can’t sleep?”

Judging by her intonation, she was probably talking to someone younger than her. It was likely that she was talking to her younger brother.

“Eh? It’s unfair since I’m gaming this late at night? Big Sister is allowed since I’m already in high school.”

Big Sister Ajisai …

It really made me feel strange. The popular Big Sister Ajisai’s whispers, you can stream it for 6980 yen… (Free for me since I’m her friend...)

“Nope~you can’t play now. You have school tomorrow, right?”

I heard a small protest. Judging by the voice, it was a little boy. Was it me in her brother’s body? Wait, it wasn’t me though.

“Go back to your room and sleep now, okay? Eeh? Nothing, Big Sister is on the phone right now, so don’t bother me, okay?”

Aah it really was Big Sister Ajisai, and she sounded troubled. Unlike me who would directly say “How noisy! Go away!” to my sibling, of course the caring Ajisai-san wouldn’t do that.

“Eeh? Geez, no matter how much time has passed, you really are such a spoiled boy. What about Mom? You don’t want to? You want to be with your Big Sister?”

A huge sigh.

It seemed like she gave up.

“Good grief. Alright then.”

Right after that, she shifted her attention back to me with an apologetic voice.

“I’m sorry, Rena-chan.”

“No no, it’s okay.”

At first I thought that apology was for making me wait, but turned out I was wrong.

“I’ll put him to sleep just for a bit, I’m really sorry.”

“Ah, no, really, it’s okay!”

“Yeah...see you later.”

And the call ended.

It felt like I had suddenly been transported back to the world where only I existed. I collapsed on the carpet in my room.

Ajisai-san’s voice was still reverberating inside my ears as I stared absent-mindedly at my phone screen.

It must be hard having a little brother with such a huge age gap. Apparently, she also often had to take care of her little brother after school.

As if that gentle Ajisai-san was a cold person.

Haa, I want to be her little sister in my next life...getting spoiled, putting me to sleep…

While I was deep in thought about my next life, the imaginary Mai inside my head suddenly appeared. “But in this life, you are my fiancée, right?” she said, flashing her super darling smile.

I shook her off. Can you stop barging into my imagination out of nowhere?

I waited in front of my own console for a while until she messaged me with an apologetic sticker: [Forgive me, it seems like today is a bit impossible for me. I’m really sorry].

Too bad...of course I couldn’t lie with my own feelings. But rather than say it to her, I chose to gloss over them and respond that it was okay. I was just some ordinary character that came out of a free gacha game anyway so I didn’t want her to feel bad.

I leaned my head on my bed.

Ah, that was tiring.

To think that having a phone call with the adorable and cheerful Ajisai-san drained most of my energy. How was I going to live my life from now on?

Pondering about my future, I finally reached my limit and proceeded to slip into my bed.

Become more caring to those around her, huh…

The problem between Mai and Satsuki-san would be settled soon.

The next thing would be...my match with Mai.

She had looked composed when she told me that she would definitely make me fall in love with her within the next three years, but it was unlikely that she would passively rely on time and let everything flow naturally.

On the other hand, I also wanted to improve myself so I could proudly say that the Super Darling was my best friend.

“...’kay.”

I decided to get up from my bed and sit at my desk again.

It wasn’t like I could change my personality in such a short time frame, and I definitely couldn’t change my looks to be on the same level with her—that was plainly impossible. That was why...

I should make do with effort.

I stayed up a bit later than usual and struggled against that last one question, somehow managing to solve it in the end.

These were baby steps, but by taking a step everyday, I really felt like I could move forward!

*****

Translator's Note:

Today's note:

AJISAI CUTE

For more detailed info about the novel, click here

Credit:

TL and everything else: Meatbun

Proofread: Lyra

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