Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1: The day after they start dating

2. Chapter 2: The two make their debut at school
3. Chapter 3: Lunch and Interrogations
4. Chapter 4: Changes in environment and mood
5. Chapter 5: Something that can't be fixed
6. Chapter 6: Changes since the relationship
7. Chapter 7: Not so sexy
8. Chapter 8: Do not feed
9. Chapter 9: The beginning of summer vacation
10. Chapter 10: It's too cute to say
11. Chapter 11: Chat by the water
12. Chapter 12 Going home and the reveal of their relationship
13. Chapter 13: Of course she's around me
14. Chapter 14: Encounter with the Past
15. Chapter 15: A farewell to the past
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Volume 5

Author:

Saeki-san

Illustrator

はねこと (Hanekoto)

===============

angelsama#5809
Message:

Author: Saeki-san

done by angelsama#5809

do join the discord, https://discord.gg/aPnWXbUxzE

Table of Contents
Chapter 1： 交往后⼀天的事
Chapter 2： 两⼈上学与⾸次亮相
Chapter 3： 午餐与质问
Chapter 4： 环境的变化与⼼境的变化
Chapter 5： 藏不住的东⻄
Chapter 6： 开始交往后的变化
Chapter 7： 性感的不太好
Chapter 8： 请勿投喂
Chapter 9： 暑假的开始
Chapter 10： 要说还得是可爱的
Chapter 11： ⽔边搭讪不可避
Chapter 12： 回乡与交往的暴露
Chapter 13： ⾝边的理所当然
Chapter 14： 与过去的邂逅
Chapter 15： 与过去的诀别
Chapter 1: The day after they start
dating
Amane started dating Mahiru.

There were few words that existed to describe such feelings, but Amane’s
heart was full of emotions.

On the day of the confession, even until bedtime, when Mahiru returned
home, Amane was still in a trance, his body fluttering with joy.

She was the first love of Amane’s life, and the person was someone he
admired from the bottom of his heart. It was not surprising that he was quite
ecstatic.

For more than half a year after they first met, while it did not seem like a
long time, Amane had been suppressing his feelings, choking them for quite
a while.

He realized he liked Mahiru after New Years, about four months ago.

Some would say that it was only four months; others would say it was
already four months. For Amane, he fell into the latter category. People say
that first love was only a bud, but this did not apply to them. (Note*: what
this means is that first love never works out, which obviously isn’t the case)

It was indeed gratifying that his flower of first love bloomed, but since then,
Amane had no idea how to proceed. He did not even know how to face her
the next day.

There were so many things to consider when Amane was happy, which kept
him awake. The following day after the confession, Amane would have to
greet Mahiru in a subtle lack of sleep.

“…Good morning, Amane-kun.”

When Mahiru entered, it was already too late for Amane to reply. Like
Amane, she also possessed a strained smile.

The second day of the sports festival was a rest day, and it was not
surprising that Mahiru would come over. She always visited frequently, and
the situation had not changed much. Everything was taken for granted.

The minute difference in the situation now was the sense of distance.

Because they cared and respected each other, it was even further than
before.

Normally, Mahiru was quite comfortable and lax. Without thinking too
much, she could enter and relax as if it were home. Due to her character, her
posture was elegant. It was only today that she seemed slightly nervous.

And yet, it was Amane that was more tense. He could not greet her like
usual, barely managing to gasp a “Good morning” in a faint voice.

The two of them sat on the sofa together with a subtle distance, their bodies
further apart than usual.
“…Um, A-Amane-kun, it seems that you didn’t get enough sleep.”

“That…I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I was so happy.”

After Amane hesitated, then confessed in a soft tone, Mahiru’s cheeks were
flushing, turning red.

“I-I slept well and happy, am I too innocent…?”

“No, that’s a good thing! I couldn’t fall asleep after thinking about various
things, just like a kid the night before an event.”

“...Is Amane-kun also very happy?”

“What…of course. The girl I like loves me back, so I am very happy. I can’t
help but think about it.”

Relating to the person he admired gave a feeling previously unknown to

Amane, making him tremble with joy.

However, the stronger the feeling, the more distressed he would be for his
response.

His parents’ relationship seemed to be of little reference value.

The relationship between his parents was closer than normal. They would
often kiss at home for no reason (although it was only in private). If this
relationship were to be used as a benchmark, Amane and Mahiru would
surely be embarrassed.

Amane was unsure on how he should face his lover. Thankfully, as if the
tension was relieved, Mahiru showed a soft smile, planning to snuggle next
to Amane's body; the latter frantically grabbed her shoulders and stopped
her.

Mahiru's expression suddenly froze. Amane realized his mistake, hurriedly

withdrew his hand, and explained.
“Ah, it’s not that I hate you…it’s just that if I’m too close right now, I
would die to death. If you suddenly do this, I would be too flustered.”

Amane was so embarrassed that he could not help and suddenly spoke
formally.

For a long time, the distance between the two was only less than a fist.
However, after the relationship changed, the same distance caused
unstoppable shyness in Amane's heart.

He was not nervous about these before, but once his understanding
changed, he naturally became more sensitive.

“…When I think that I’m dating you now, I can’t calm down. It’s the first
time I’ve fallen in love…”

“Well, even I am not as composed as usual…but even so, I want to stay

with Amane-kun. Finally, after we have started dating…I think it’s time to
face my feelings.”

Mahiru timidly glanced up at Amane, muttering in a trembling voice. Her

shy appearance was too much, leaving Amane desperately trying to hold
back.

“Okay, can you come closer then?”

“…My pleasure!”

Amane’s heart was surging with his desires, and he wanted to embrace
Mahiru. Careful to not let his reason go overboard, he settled with
snuggling next to her.

That action alone seemed to make Mahiru incredibly happy. She showed a
fleeting and innocent smile, leaning against Amane’s arms.

These actions had happened before dating, as they were remarkably close.
However, because Amane did not have the experience and courage that
came with dating, he could not deal with it as calmly as before.
(…From now on, what should I do?)

(Is it enough to just snuggle next to her?)

Amane had no social experience, and Mahiru was his first lover.

Although Mahiru was in the same position, Amane still wanted to have
some insight and knowledge.

Therefore, even if he wanted to guide, he was hopelessly inexperienced.

Due to past events, Amane did not show much interest in others. Even for a
man, Amane was the type with less desires, so he never imagined
interacting with girls. As such, he spent his enthusiasm on learning hobbies.

If he had played some dating sims, Amane might have been able to figure
something out, but he did not play those either.

Amane lacked relevant knowledge, only knowing that couples would hold
hands, go on dates, kiss each other, and sleep together if the relationship
deepened.

Regardless of holding hands or going on dates, it was impossible for Amane

to suddenly go for a kiss. He could try to go on a date, but it was not just
that.

Amane wanted to make Mahiru happy. For Amane, the fatal lack of
knowledge made him feel a little desperate.

As for Itsuki or Kadowaki, they would know how to smoothly lead the
woman.

Amane was now particularly envious of the two.

“Is anything wrong?”

When Amane was thinking of his shortcomings, Mahiru seemed to notice

his expression and came to talk to him.
“Ah, that, um, that is…”

“If you don’t mind, can you talk to me?”

Mahiru did not know what Amane was worrying about. Smiling, she put
her hand on her chest, showing a confident gesture of “leave it to me.”

“So, what’s wrong? Are you still uncomfortable with me being too close?”

“That's not it, sorry for worrying you.”

Seeing Amane’s serious face, Mahiru mistakenly thought that he was in a

bad mood. Amane could not help but feel that he was very hopeless.

“I was thinking about something…rather, I should tell you, since you are
also involved.”

“Good, good.”

Mahiru was just as inexperienced. Amane was not embarrassed to ask as it

was the first time they were dating, and it was a good idea to discuss.

It was better for two to talk than to keep one worried.

“Say, Mahiru…”

“Yes?”

“We…have started dating, correct?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then, what are we supposed to do?”

“What?”

Mahiru was still waiting for Amane’s question, but he was dumbfounded.
He knew that his question could seem silly, but he was completely serious.
“Well, it’s the first time that we are dating…and I don’t read shoujo or
romance novels, so I don’t know how to proceed.”

“…That is the same for me.”

Sure enough, Mahiru also had no prior relationships. To be precise, Mahiru

lived in a position where she was not interested in most everyone. Hearing
Amane’s troubles, she also showed a slightly troubled look.

“So, what do we do?”

“…Maybe we could hold hands?”

“We often do that already.”

“Spend our holidays together?”

“That is common for us too.”

“Going out on dates?”

“We’ve also done that.”

“Hug each other?”

“We do that too.”

It was a pity that Mahiru’s knowledge was comparable to Amane’s. The

ideas she cited were all things they had already done.

This was understandable. If someone asked Amane, “what should lovers

do?” he also would not be able to produce an answer.

“What exactly should I do…” Amane thought, sighing.

Mahiru then timidly tugged on his shirt.

Turning around, Amane found that she was blushing.

“…Well, although it’s hard to say, it’s hard to say…could it not be said that
we had already been acting like lovers since before officially dating…?”

Mahiru’s words caused silence between the two of them.

(When she says it like this, it seems, no, there is no doubt that it was the
same thing…!?)

The two naturally lived in the same space, held hands, went out together,
and never realized that these things were usually done by close couples.

At the beginning, Amane might have thought about it, but he was always
too accustomed to it to care.

“I-I am also working hard, so that Amane-kun can look at me more.

Thinking about it carefully, these are indeed things that lovers do.”

“…Which is true, so to speak…”

“So, rather than unnaturally trying to change, it’s better to just embrace
each other and spend every day together. Moreover, there is no need to try
and change the status quo. We can just follow at our own pace…well,
continuing to associate, is that right?”

The words “at our own pace” slammed into Amane with a thud.

(…Actually, it is fine to not be restricted by an expectation.)

Although Amane was worried about the proper behavior between lovers, he
did not need to fret about it. They had a mutual love for each other, so the
two dated, so long as that held true.

There was no need to push it, and the two could slowly deepen their mutual
understanding, nothing more.

“Yes. Sorry, I completely lost my peace of mind. This is the first time I have
dated someone; I do not know what to do.”

“…Yes.”
“…Erm, in other words…even though it’ll be the same as before, I’ll bring
the feeling of loving you.”

With determination, Amane held her hand and wrapped her palm. Mahiru’s
already blushing cheeks became even more flushed. Her downcast eyes
were a sign of her shyness, but she still came back to hold Amane’s hand
and leaned against him.

“Amane-kun.”

“Yes?”

“…That alone makes me very happy.”

“Yeah.”

After Amane agreed with Mahiru’s whisper, he quietly enjoyed the warmth
beside him.
Chapter 2: The two make their
debut at school
“Amane-kun, please wake up.”

A gentle voice came, calling for him.

Hearing that soft whisper in his sleep, Amane gently groaned, then lifted his
heavy eyelids and slowly opened his eyes.

Perhaps it was due to his drowsiness that Amane’s vision was a little moist,
and a pitiful girl was reflected in it, illuminated by the dim light that spilled
out of the windows.

Her body was bent forward, with one knee on the bed, shaking him awake.
The flax-colored hair dangled and swayed.

“Mahiru?”

“Yes, good morning.”

Amane called out her name for confirmation, hearing the familiar voice and
seeing her nod.

Amane’s mind was a little confused; it was not a dream, and Mahiru was
indeed present. Mahiru acted naturally, and his mind eased, the confusion
gradually subsiding.

“…Morning. Why is Mahiru here?”

“Does Amane-kun not remember what we discussed yesterday?”

“Seeing Mahiru’s frown slightly, Amane muttered “…yesterday…” and

recalled the conversation.
“Can we go to school together on Monday?”

On Sunday, Mahiru asked as they were parting.

She squeezed his hand and looked up and anxiously looked up at Amane,
making the latter a little restless.

The reason Mahiru would act so cautiously was to confirm whether Amane
still wanted to conceal their relationship.

The two had discussed for the time being and decided to make the
relationship public, but Mahiru seemed a little worried.

“Of course, that is fine.”

"Really, really?" (Note*: queue Date a Live Tohka "HONTONI,

HONTONI?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPo7SGPq_mw)

“Why would I lie to you?”

With Amane’s answer, the uneasiness in Mahiru’s eyes disappeared, turning

into joy.

Her shy whisper, “I’ve always wanted to go to school together” made

Amane’s heartbeat even faster. Thankfully, she did not seem to notice, her
expression growing brighter.

“Then I will go to Amane’s house in the morning. That way, I can also cook
breakfast.”

“Wow, to have fresh breakfast made by Mahiru early in the morning, I am

truly lucky.”

“It’s just the leftovers of the bento…can I also make Amane-kun’s bento?”

“If It’s not too troublesome…”

It was already truly fortunate to be able to eat her breakfast, yet even lunch
was added. Of course, Amane could not refuse.
Mahiru’s expression was also relaxed. She did not need to worry about
others anymore. Amane looked very happy, albeit feeling embarrassed and
restless.

(We’re going to school together tomorrow.)

Up until now, to prevent others from noticing their relationship, Amane

went to school after Mahiru.

From now on, that would no longer be necessary.

Amane would be envied if he wanted to publicly interact with her at school,

so he was still a little nervous. However, the most important thing was that
Mahiru was happy, and Amane was happy to be by her side.

Looking at Mahiru’s smile, Amane whispered, “I have to work hard

tomorrow.”

“…Agh?”

It was because he had just woken up, Amane thought of yesterday’s events
and yelled softly.

Also, seeing Mahiru’s face first thing in the morning was bad for his heart.
It was not because he hated it, simply that he was too tempted. It seemed
that he should reconsider asking her to wake him up, for now.

Mahiru looked slightly dumbfounded when she saw Amane’s appearance.

She, of course, was not really puzzled, but felt helpless and wanted to
laugh. Amane, embarrassed at this outcome, pursed his lips.

"Why are you so forgetful...okay, do change your clothes and wash your
face."

"Alright."

Mahiru would prepare breakfast during this time. Amane resisted a yawn,
straightened up from the bed, took off his shirt, and heard a shriek behind
him.

He placed his shirt down, looked back at Mahiru, and found her trembling,
her face turning redder and redder.

"I-I’ve said this before, please don't undress in front of me!"

Maybe it was because of taking off his shirt before her eyes, Mahiru was
shaken, and Amane could only smile wryly.

"But I'm a man, so it's okay for people to see."

"But I have a problem..."

"It's not that I want to show it to you, and I don't want to force you, but if
this is the case, you won't be able to go swimming in the summer."

(Mahiru is not accustomed to seeing the body of males. Just how did she
spend the summers in junior high…) Amane wondered, but Mahiru cannot
swim, so perhaps she used that as an excuse to leave.

Mahiru was serious in character, making it hard to believe that she would
skip class. She said that she chose a junior high that did not require
swimming as an elective, so perhaps it was possible.

They did make a vague agreement that they would go to the pool in the
summer. If Mahiru cared too much about it, Amane would also find it
embarrassing. There were often half-naked males near the swimming pool,
so Amane wondered if she could manage it.

“Ugh…I-I will try…”

Mahiru must have realized this too. After answering in a muffled voice, she
carefully opened her eyes and gazed at Amane.

Seeing Amane’s upper body, her cheeks flushed yet again, about to cry. She
trembled, muttering “uwah.” Truth be told, Amane’s body should not have
garnered attention.
To not let his body go to waste, he would exercise on weekdays. Since he
was in his second year of high school, he had also done additional muscle
exercises recommended by Kadowaki, so his body shape would not be like
a bean sprout. However, it was still not a body of all muscle, and should not
make someone turn away.

To become worthy of Mahiru, Amane certainly exercised more, but it

would not become evident all at once.

Of course, compared to when they first met, his body was now stronger, and
he had gained some muscle, but it definitely was not enough to make
people stare in wonder.

(If she doesn’t get used to it, it might become a problem…)

Although their relationship would surely deepen with time, if Amane also
saw Mahiru’s body, he would also freeze in embarrassment. In a sense, they
were the same.

“Ah…this…just go make some breakfast…”

Amane also blushed after imagining such things.

After hearing his words, Mahiru muttered “I’m going now” and scurried
away like a rabbit.

Seeing her back disappear behind the door, Amane slammed his head
against the wall, wondering, “What am I doing so early in the morning?”

The mirror in the bathroom reflected an unfamiliar self.

Amane wore the same uniform as usual, but the area above his neck was
very different. It was not completely unknown, as Amane had occasionally
shown this image to Mahiru, although it felt uncomfortable that he was not
wearing the usual casual clothes.

Fiddling with his bangs, Amane adjusted them so they no longer covered
his eyes.
Fortunately, boys did not need makeup, but Amane still was not used to
dressing up like this.

“Amane-kun…”

A voice called out from behind him.

From the bathroom mirror, Amane could see Mahiru calling out to him, as
she was ready. However, after turning around, he saw her face was a little
conflicted.

“What’s wrong?”

“...Don’t you hate it?”

“What do I hate?”

“That hairstyle.”

“Huh?”

Mahiru hesitated a little, expressing her concern.

In Mahiru’s eyes, Amane always refused to attend school with such a

hairstyle, so Mahiru seemed worried that others would make a connection
between him and that man.

Amane, who wanted to do this, of course did not hate it.

It could not be said that there was no hesitation, but Amane felt that since
he had decided to stand next to Mahiru, this was the least he could do.

Amane was not particularly handsome, but both Itsuki and Kadowaki had
reassured him, so there shouldn’t be any major problems with the
appearance.

With this getup, no one would say that Mahiru had poor taste - at least,
that’s what Amane hoped.
“It’s not a nuisance for me. Do you hate it?”

“...I don’t hate it, I just have complicated feelings.”

“Complicated feelings?”

“...Because, I might not have you to myself anymore.”

Mahiru muttered such sweet words and shrunk up. Viewing this cute
reaction, Amane chuckled lightly, patting her head while taking care not to
mess up her hair.

“You want me all for yourself?” (Note*: yes you idiot, tf sort of question is
that)

“...Yes.”

To be honest, Amane had said that as a joke, but Mahiru nodded and leaned
forward against his chest.

Amane didn’t expect Mahiru to actually agree. (Note*: is this dude trying to
cuck himself???) Although he was the one that said it, he still cringed a
little. Despite this, the look of Mahiru rubbing her forehead against his
chest made Amane smile, who slowly wrapped his arms around Mahiru.

She was so cute, it was understandable to involuntarily touch.

Mahiru was a head shorter than Amane, and her face was buried in his
chest. She clutched Amane's shirt as if she would never let go. Mahiru
raised her head and glanced at Amane, with an expression of not stopping.

"...Amane-kun is handsome, so many girls will approach him. I'm glad that
Amane-kun can get a proper evaluation..."

“It doesn’t matter if I’m handsome, do you really think I would fall for
other girls?”

“That might not be the case, but I’m still worried…”

“Are you jealous?”

Amane's sudden words made Mahiru blush in the blink of an eye. Even so,
she quietly hummed, then buried her face in his chest again.

She was probably quite embarrassed. Through her flax colored hair, Amane
could see that her face was red to her ears.

"How cute..."

"...Baka."

"Don't worry, even if someone approaches me, I'm not interested in anyone
except you."

This may not be a reason to be jealous, but Amane did not regard other
women as possible lovers. Obviously, there was a lovely, envying woman,
who was also his favorite person. It would be impossible for Amane to look
away.

Speaking of extremes, except for well acquainted people, Amane did not
care for anyone, and had no interest. Therefore, Amane did not even glance
at such people. The kind of person that would suddenly approach as soon as
he became handsome was not someone Amane would want to be with.

"...I know. So, I will show that I like Amane the most, so no one can cut in."

"Be careful...I don't want anyone else seeing your cute face."

"Amane-kun always says such things!"

For some reason, Mahiru suddenly became angry. Amane had to quickly
caress her head in a panic as consolation, but Mahiru slapped him on the
chest.

"Amane-kun always says such things so casually, you cannot do that."

"Cannot, as in?"
"It is not good for my heart."

"I could say the same...sometimes you act spoiled, and I feel I would die."

On the contrary, it was Mahiru with her skinship that held even more
destructive power.

Whether it was the soft body that made one feel hopeless, or the
overflowing sweet body smell, or the intoxicating smile displayed without
reservation that made Amane's heart pound wildly.

Even now, because of Mahiru's cuteness, Amane's heart was beating faster
and faster. Mahiru, whose face was still buried in his chest, should have
noticed it too.

"A sudden attack is more destructive."

After murmuring in a low voice, Mahiru pressed her cheek against Amane's
chest.

"...But, because Amane's heart is also beating loudly, I will let you go for
today."

Mahiru seemed to be pleased with Amane's heartbeat. She whispered,

rubbing against his chest.

Because that action was also very cute, Amane almost groaned out loud,
muttered "calm down, calm down" and stroked Mahiru's hair to conceal his
desires that were slowly building up in his heart.

After five minutes, Mahiru had finished charging. (Note*: im assuming

“charging her love”, which is hella cute ngl)

Mahiru's face was reddened, her eyes a little moist. Looking at her directly
was bad for the heart, but because she seemed to be satisfied, Amane
suppressed his restless mood.

"Let's go then."
Since there was enough time, even if there was some physical contact in the
morning, they would not be late. Even so, Amane felt that it was time to
leave, so he said to Mahiru. She smiled and agreed. "Yes." Not knowing if it
was a psychological effect, but Amane felt that Mahiru's skin was smoother
than usual.

(It's morning but I'm already tired)

Amane was not annoyed. On the contrary he was a little joyful. Because of
this, he would endure his restlessness. If it was a rest day, he could still
spoil her to fight back, making Mahiru act spoiled to the point of dissolving,
but as it was a school day, that was impossible.

Mahiru did not seem to notice Amane's fatigue, and seemed full of energy.

Early in the morning, Amane already felt distress and fatigue in all aspects,
but it was not annoying. With a wry smile. he took their bags and walked
out the door with Mahiru.

As this was the first time leaving with Mahiru wearing the school uniform,
Amane harbored an incredible emotion. He locked the door, briefly looked
at Mahiru, and found that she looked a little uncertain.

Mahiru's hand was timidly clutching the hem of Amane's shirt.

"...Shall we hold hands?"

"Yes."

It seemed that Amane had been right on point. He muttered "so damn cute"
towards the shy Mahiru, and locked hands with her slender fingers.

She immediately raised her eyes and cast a gaze saying "I did not mean for
Amane-kun to carry my bag", but Amane whispered, "As the boyfriend, I
should at least do this little thing." and Mahiru closed her mouth. With her
lips pursed, this kind of behavior looked very cute in Amane's eyes.

"I feel so shy to hold hands formally like this."

The two walked out of the apartment and set foot on the road to school.
Since the Golden Week date, this was the first time holding hands outside,
and Amane felt fidgety.

What's more, Amane was not just a flower protector anymore. Interlocking
fingers with Mahiru-this so called "lovers knot" - way of holding hands
revealed an extraordinary sense of intimacy.

Although Amane had held hands with Mahiru several times before, it did
not happen often, making Amane nervous.

He was worried about whether he was gripping too tightly or that his hands
were too sweaty, but he could see that she had a pleasant smile.

"Although I'm a little shy, I'm also very happy."

"Yes."

"I've been looking forward to going to school with Amane-kun like this.
After finally achieving such a goal, how should I say it, I have a lot of
emotions...I feel very, very happy."

The two went to school together. Although it was only a trivial matter, since
it seemed to be Mahiru's long awaited wish, the expression on her face was
more energetic than usual.

"It seems that a lot of Mahiru's happiness is related to me."

"This, this is because, that...my happiness is being with Amane-kun."

"...Is that so?"

After he stammered a little, Mahiru smiled softly. This smile once again
made Amane strongly aware of how much she liked him, leaving him with
a warm feeling in his chest.

Amane tried his best not to show this mood on his face, but Mahiru saw
through him and noticed he was shy and smiled even sweeter.
"So, starting from today, I will be happy every day...I am a happy person."

"I think that sentence also applies to me."

"Then both of us will be happy for a long time! That's great."

"Life with peace and tranquility is great." Mahiru laughed happily,

shortening the distance between the two. This time, Amane was careful to
not irritate her, turned her body sideways so as to not let her arm stick to his
body, and at the same time patted Mahiru on the head.

He was used to holding hands and walking together, but it was still a little
uncomfortable to stick too close. Of course, the intimate contact between
his girlfriend and himself made Amane very cheerful, but this action may
not look the same in the eyes of others, not to mention Amane did not want
to be witnessed looking so excited early in the morning.

He carefully kept the feelings in his heart, then squeezed Mahiru's hand,
touched arms and walked on the way to school.

It was the morning rush hour, and there were many students and office
workers dressed up around them, showing caring looks.

"It feels like a lot of people are staring."

As the distance to school became shorter, many eyes were cast towards
Amane, causing him to mutter tiredly.

The connotation of the line of sight was diverse, some looking like "who is
holding hands with Shiina?", while others were mixed with jealousy, envy,
and curiosity.

Although it was expected beforehand, personally experiencing it was a

different story.

Fortunately, not all the emotions in the line of sight were negative, but
Amane was unaccustomed to such sights. Amane had been happily living
an ordinary and humble life, therefore, he couldn't calm down at all.
"Of course. Amane-kun looks like a completely different person after all."

They held hands and walked close to each other to show that they were in a
relationship; naturally, other male students would witness it.

It was just that the gap between Amane's appearance during the sports
festival and the current Amane was vast. Although no one directly asked
any questions, the gazes were filled with curiosity.

"Is there really such a big difference?"

"Well, your hairstyle has changed, so you already look different, but more
importantly, you straightened your back and changed expressions to one full
of confidence, so the impression is very different."

"Sorry that I'm normally so disappointing."

"Please don't talk like that...after all, Amane-kun has changed. Although I
like both normal and handsome types of Amane-kun, I hate when you
belittle yourself."

"I don't want to be chided, so I'll keep that in mind."

"That is good."

Mahiru smiled at Amane with satisfaction, leaned her body closer, while
Amane looked around again.

By now, the sights had been mixed with murderous aura, making Amane
almost freeze. However, after Mahiru shot them an angelic smile, these
glares immediately disappeared.

The angel who could stop anything truly was the strongest one.

In the relatively improved atmosphere, Amane felt prickly, but held

Mahiru's hand again and looked forward. They were almost at school
already. Once entering, Amane would be stared at even more, causing him
to have a headache just thinking about it.
"With all these stares, how am I supposed to enter the classroom later?"

"Please give up on such notions...or do you hate it?"

"I don't hate it. I've decided to change."

"Since the time Mahiru confessed, Amane knew that he could no longer be
the same as before.

Amane had decided to not be embarrassed by being next to her. Instead of

neglecting hard work, it was better to prepare for the tough situations to be
worthy of Mahiru.

Hearing this, Mahiru replied, "...Is that so?" while gripping his hand tighter.

"Huh, Mahirun?"

Amane noticed that Mahiru's ears were red, and was about to talk to her
when he heard a voice behind him.

Hearing the familiar voice and nickname, Amane turned his head and saw
Chitose standing there blinking vigorously.

With a stunned expression, Chitose glanced at Mahiru, then at Amane was

next to her.

Seeing them holding hands, Chitose smiled with a "oohh~", walked to the
two of them, and suddenly patted Amane on the back.

"Good morning~ Have you finally reached this point, bro?"

"Shut up, will you?"

"Good morning too, Mahirun~ It seems things are going well."

Chitose looked like she was in a good mood, constantly slapping Amane on
the back.
Today, Amane had been receiving curious and jealous sights. The
expression in Chitose's eyes was pure kindness, which made Amane's heart
hot.

"Congratulations Mahirun, my efforts haven't been in vain."

"Yes, I have discussed many things with you."

"Mhmm. For example, Amane's blockheadedness?"

"...Mahiru?"

"B-because, Amane-kun truly is a blockhead."

Hearing what Mahiru said, Amane could do nothing to refute it.

Mahiru had always shown her feelings, but Amane had not been able to
deal with it properly, and the responsibility was indeed on him. Of course
Mahiru would consult with Chitose on what to do.

Chitose, who had extensively discussed with Mahiru, commented, "Well,

it's Amane after all," which made Amane a little displeased, and she looked
up at him again. She was observing Amane carefully, probably because she
saw a well-managed Amane before.
"Oh by the way, this is the first time I've seen handsome Amane~"

"What's with this name?"

"It's what Ikkun and Yuuta both said. Hmm, although you're not quite as
good as Ikkun, you still look pretty nice for a guy."

Chitose smiled and slapped Amane on the back again This was how she
was showing her thoughts on Amane in her own way. Her words sounded
like encouragement, "Even if the appearance changes, the person is still the
same”', which made the corners of Amane's mouth relax a little.

"Itsuki is still the best for you, eh?"

"Of course. For Mahirun, you're the best, so there's nothing to complain
about, right?"

"That's right. I'm number one for Mahiru."

Amane did not care about being the best for Chitose. As long as Mahiru
thought he was the best, that would be enough.

He glanced at Mahiru and found that she was holding his hand, leaning her
face on Amane's arm, and whispered, "...Amane-kun is number one."

Perhaps she felt a little bashful because of Chitose's declaration, and

blushed slightly.

"Good girl~ Mahirun is so cute. If Amane wasn't here, I'd have hugged
you."

"Okay, don't do this while we're still going to school, do it when you
arrive."

"Wow, that's great, your boyfriend agrees, Mahirun. Give me a hug later~!"

"Uhh, please, please be merciful...?"

Being asked to hug so inexplicably, Mahiru nodded, albeit bewildered,
while Chitose walked next to Mahiru with a smile, probably desperate to
congratulate Mahiru.

After witnessing the intimacy of the two, Amane looked around.

Perhaps it was because they were getting closer to school, there were more
students around.

(...After entering the classroom, the questions will flow in)

He imagined the future that would arrive in a few minutes, showing a wry
smile away from the two girls.

After entering the school property, the gazes further increased. Although
Chitose was also next to them, Amane and Mahiru holding hands garnered
a lot of attention.

Chitose leisurely said, "Oh my, many people are watching," but Amane was
still not comfortable with all the stares.

As for Mahiru, since she had gotten used to it, she walked very
magnanimously. She held Amane's hand tightly as they walked, seeming to
announce their relationship.

"The Angel and a boy..." "Shiina is completely different than before..."

"That person from before? Compared to the sports festival, this is a major
difference..." and so on. It was unexpected that Amane was the boy who
Mahiru declared was the "important person".

Mahiru did not respond to these voices, and showed the sweet smile of the
Angel.

"Amane-kun."

"Yes?"

"We are entering the classroom, is that okay?"

As they approached the classroom, Mahiru asked Amane for permission.

"I was ready when I decided to show this appearance to others, so it's okay."

"...Is that so?"

"Everyone will be surprised. It has only been a weekend since Mahiru

confessed, and Amane already changed his image."

Chitose said with a faint smile, "I was also shocked," which made Amane
feel a little regretful; maybe he should have contacted her, Itsuki, and
Kadowaki in advance.

Amane was too embarrassed to talk about his start of the relationship, so he
put it off. However, these kinds of things should be told to those who had
been following Mahiru and Amane since the beginning.

"...Chitose?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry that I didn't tell you."

"What? The beginning of the relationship was right after the sports festival,
right? Both of you two were probably busy flirting. I guess Amane would
rather talk in person, so it was to be expected."

"The realization of "busily flirting" made Amane feel complicated, but it

was true that the two practically spent all of yesterday together.

Moreover, as Chitose said, Amane received a lot of care from Chitose and
others, and hoped to talk to them face to face. Although Chitose had
discovered and teased Amane before he got to explain, it was instead just an
acknowledgment of the facts.

"...Thank you."

"No problem. Hmph~ I'm just tying the red string of fate between the two
main characters, please worship me more~"
"Alright, I'll buy the crepes in front of the station that Chitose-sama likes."

"It's not a big deal~"

Chitose was joking, and Amane followed along. While chatting, they
entered the classroom.

"Ah, good morning, Shiina...huh?"

The first thing seen was the few girls who were gathered at the door of the
classroom.

They were sitting at the tables and seemed to be chatting enthusiastically.

These girls looked up when they saw Mahiru entering the classroom...then
noticed Amane holding her hand.

Their eyes moved up from her hands to Amane's face.

Currently, their expressions were one of "who is this?"

This was natural, as Amane had never dressed up like this in front of his
classmates before.

Maybe someone had seen Amane look like that outside of school, but he
had never attended class with this getup as Amane Fujimiya. In their eyes,
Amane was a stranger.

Last week, Mahiru had publicly stated that Amane was important to her,
and many students still remembered this scene. Amane also said that the
man seen during Golden Week was also himself.

With just a little thought, it was easy to equate the man holding hands and
Amane.

Before they deducted this however, Amane first let go of Mahiru's hand and
went to put his items at his seat.

This was to make his identity clear.

After recovering, the classroom became quieter than usual. The classmates
who usually talked eloquently were also watching Amane.

"Fujimiya, good morning."

In an embarrassing silence, Kadowaki and Itsuki walked towards Amane

with the usual smile on their faces.

The two who were familiar with Amane could still greet him like normal,
which made Amane very grateful.

"Morning, you two."

"What's wrong, have you finally seen the light?"

"What...well, she got me, and I got her back."

Amane had discussed with them many times, with Itsuki being the first to
notice that Amane liked Mahiru. As Amane walked in holding hands in that
style, they immediately understood that the two had started dating.

"Um, Fujimiya, congratulations. I just got on better terms with you recently.
Actually, I did not wait that long, but feeling anxious to death has dragged
out the time."

"Yuuta, what do you mean? I waited half a year. I don't want to be so

anxious, this coward."

"You're annoying, it's my fault, okay?"

In fact, during the six months watching Amane and Mahiru interact with
each other, Itsuki probably felt quite touched. He nodded with emotion and
whispered, "It's been a long time."

For good or bad, Itsuki had pushed - no, kicked - Amane a lot from behind.
The latter was very grateful, and although Itsuki was too much of a
busybody at times, he had indeed been cheering them on.
Among the people Amane knew, Itsuki was the one that had the most
sincere blessing for the relationship.

"So, you made up your mind to dress like this?"

"Yeah."

"Ah, it feels strange, I'm not used to it."

"I agree. I haven't seen it since last time."

The last time Kadowaki saw him look like this was during Golden Week,
about a month ago. It was expected for the two boys to still not be used to
it.

Currently, only Mahiru was accustomed to this look.

As for Mahiru, Chitose was currently going in for some skinship on her,
while they were surrounded by other classmates. Although they were some
distance away, you could hear what they were asking Mahiru; of course,
Amane didn't need to listen to know anyways.

"Um, Fujimiya-kun!"

Amane looked over and thought, "Must be tough," but it was actually him
that was called.

Turning his head and looking back, he found several girls looking at him,
forming a circle around him. They made no secret of the curiosity in their
eyes.

Amane was not good at dealing with females, and felt that this situation was
a little uncomfortable. However, as it was somewhat expected, he calmly
replied and looked at them.

"...What's up?"

"Wow, it really is Fujimiya-kun! He's completely different from the usual, it

startled me!"
"My impression has indeed changed a lot."

"That's it! It was too boring before."

"Hey, it's rude to say that, right?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Fujimiya-kun."

"It's okay, you aren't incorrect."

Although Amane was almost swallowed up by the girls' aura, he tried his
best to keep from being brought into their rhythm, and smiled wryly at the
same time.

They were telling the truth, so Amane did not want to deny it, nor was he
angry. It was himself that decided to remain invisible, and he did not want
to stand out, so he built the image of a useless, harmless and honest boy in
the class.

And this fact suddenly changed, so it was understandable that a lot would
be confused.

"Your image has changed a lot."

"Yeah. Is it weird like this?"

"No no, I think it's a lot better."

"It's better to say it was shocking to see you so handsome."

"If you say that, I guess my efforts weren't in vain."

Being highly praised in person made Amane feel embarrassed, but it didn't
make much sense to deny it here, and Amane knew that being humble was
not always a good thing, so he gratefully accepted the praise.

Amane paid attention to make his expression as soft as possible. He

nodded, and the girls laughed happily.
"Well, can I ask one thing?"

"Sure, as long as I can answer it."

"I'm wondering. Was it Fujimiya-kun who walked with Shiina before?"

(Ah. The question is finally here.)

Since someone would ask sooner or later, he intended to answer clearly here
and express his thoughts.

The students seemed to be carefully listening to the conversation. If he

declared it now, it would spread throughout the school."

"Yeah, it was me."

"Then, are you two dating? It seems that you were holding hands today..."

"Yep. Thanks to everyone, we started dating last week."

After Amane clearly affirmed, a high-pitched scream sounded. He seemed

to have heard the despair and sadness of the boys behind him, but he
ignored them for now.

Anyway, the boys would definitely interrogate him later, so Amane could
just respond then.

"Hey, how did you and Shiina..."

"There was an incident last year, and our relationship naturally progressed.
Right, Mahiru?"

"Yes."

Maybe it was because the series of questions towards Mahiru was over, but
it was more likely she thought a conversation would solve all the questions
faster. Mahiru walked over to Amane with a smile, stood at a distance of
almost touching the latter, and smiled beautifully at the girls who asked
Amane questions.
"It is not so easy to explain. We only dated after a lot of things happened. I
had been in unrequited love before, and was too excited just now...it felt
like showing off when holding hands."

Just like when they arrived at school, Mahiru grabbed Amane's hand.
Amane smiled bitterly, and held back.

"No, I think I fell in love with you first."

"Is that so? Well, Amane-kun would not be willing to confess."

"Sorry, I have to reflect on this point. I have confessed now, please forgive
me."

"...I think I took the first step."

"Then next time I will do so."

"What are you going to do next time?"

"...You can guess."

As for the couple's next step, there was no other possibility. Mahiru should
have been able to understand what he was talking about...but she just felt
puzzled.

Amane felt that she shouldn't speak more, nor was he old enough to take
responsibility, so he put the words in his heart first. This sentence, Amane
was not afraid that it would remain the same for many years, and would not
fade. At that time, he intended to properly say it to her, so he will make a
reservation for now.

Due to Amane's fooling, Mahiru looked up at him a little dissatisfied, but

after Amane patted her head, it subsided.

"...You are fooling me again."

"I'll talk about it later, just let me go."

"Really?"

Mahiru spoke out her unhappiness, but she looked very happy.

However, she seemed to notice something, and hurriedly covered her face
while blushing. Amane did not know what was going on. Looking around,
he found that none of his classmates had said a word.

Their eyes gathered on Amane and Mahiru.

(--I messed up.)

Indeed, Amane intended to show a good relationship and stabilize his

position as Mahiru's boyfriend. However, he didn't plan to talk like he
usually did at home.

Amane inadvertently touched Mahiru on the head. However, once this

action was done, it was obvious what the surrounding students would think.

"...Amane, you are showing affection inadvertently, please be aware."

Even Itsuki, who firmly occupied the title of "the first gen bakauple" had to
remind Amane. Amane hurriedly took away his hand from Mahiru's head,
biting his lips tightly to avoid showing the heat that rushed to his cheeks.

The news of "Amane and Mahiru have started dating" immediately spread
across the school.

Thanks to the classmates who love to gossip for good or bad, and for the
people that saw the scene of the two walking to school together, everyone
knew it was a fact, not a rumor. With that, whenever there was a need to
change periods or when they needed to leave the classroom, there would
always be people talking quietly, which made Amane particularly
uncomfortable.

"The commotion will subside in a few days, right?"

Kuju stood at a certain distance from the noisy epicenter and looked at the
scene. Hiiragi also nodded in agreement.
"Well, people don't talk about the same topic for long, and it will be
overwritten by other topics in a short time."

"I hope so. If this happens every day, I really will have a headache."

Even during this class, Amane could hear someone whispering in the
distance. To be honest, he was in a little bit of a bad mood.

By the way, during the last class break, the boys questioned him for a long
time, cutting his strength in half. Fortunately, there was no physical
education class today.

"I think there will be fewer people questioning you in the future, but you
will be surrounded in another sense."

"Another sense?"

"There will be some that think you are not bad of an object to have."

"But I already have someone I like."

Amane's whole life was already for Mahiru. Even if he was asked to look
elsewhere, he definitely would not be able to. After all, even if there was
someone better than Mahiru, he couldn't choose otherwise.

Anyone else looking for Amane's love would only trouble him. There's no
way someone would think that Amane was such a frivolous boy.

"Being in love is sometimes unreasonable."

"Well, it's rare to hear that from Makoto."

"You're very rude. However, even if you are someone else's lover, feelings
can't be suppressed. After all, romance is just an impulse."

Kuju added, "Of course, it's impossible to put impulses into action." He
looked at the girls who gathered to chat, and sighed lightly.

"I think, no matter what, no one can get between you two."
"Same. The showcasing of affection should also tell others the meaning of
restraint, but I didn't expect you to do that in front of everyone."

"Forget that...!"

Amane thought of the conversation earlier, and his shame rushed up.

Showing an intimate appearance did have the intention of warding people

off, but head patting was almost equivalent to a confession, and what
Amane said sounded like he was planning to propose in the future. He did
not want to let his classmates know so much.

Fortunately, Mahiru succeeded in throwing everyone off, but Itsuki and

Kuju however seemed to catch it, and said dumbfoundedly, "That's
affectionate."

"Well, everyone knows that Shiina can only show that expression to
Fujimiya. From this point of view, the result is not so bad, right?"

"...That's how it's said, but what is shameful is shameful."

"You say as you were holding hands while walking to school together."

"That was different."

Intentional and subconscious actions had two different levels of shame.

"Give up. Besides, some people thank you for flirting like that."

"How so?"

"If the boys who were chasing Shiina will finally shift their attention, the
girls will be happy."

These softly spoken words were also something Amane had considered.
The girls did not all treat Mahiru the same. Amane knew that some of them
had mixed feelings towards Mahiru because she attracted the attention of
the boys.
Until now, Mahiru had been alone. She was a lone flower who did not show
anything special to anyone, but now she specified Amane as an important
person and showed no interest in other people, alleviating disgust from
certain groups.

Mahiru once said, "Not everyone likes me, and there are some who speak ill
of me behind my back." Amane thought that girls were terrible at the time,
but now that this was the case, Mahiru could finally feel relieved.

"Girls really do work hard. However, as this matter has been resolved,
everyone can understand that Mahiru is also an ordinary girl. She also
doesn't seem to like people calling her an angel, as it is too shameful."

"That's no surprise."

"Yup. Yuuta also had this subtle expression when he was called Prince-
sama. This is normal."

According to Hiiragi, Kadowaki was also uncomfortable with the title of

the Prince. As expected, Yuuta had the same troubles as Mahiru, so Amane
silently prayed for him.

Amane hoped that one day, Kadowaki could also get people to understand
him, just like Mahiru. (I hope that this person who treats everyone equally,
is gentle and kind, does not pretend to be happy)

"...What are you talking about?"

Just as Amane was wishing Kadowaki happiness, Mahiru finished talking

with Chitose and came here.

Mahiru probably didn't hear what they were talking about, but she noticed
Amane's cheeks were flushed, so she looked at the three of them, her eyes
containing a little surprise.

"Ah, Shiina? I didn't say anything big, just that Shiina is also an ordinary
girl."

"How can we talk about this kind of topic...?"

"Ah, no, that...that is today, people around are beginning to understand that
Mahiru is not an angel but rather normal."

Amane almost forgot about the morning and briefly summarized the
contents of the small talk and told Mahiru. Then, as if she understood,
nodded and said, "That's true."

"I know that I am regarded as an idol in a certain sense. That much is true."

Hearing Mahiru's low muttering voice, Kuju and Hiiragi both showed
expressions of "as expected".

They have known Kadowaki for a long time, and had seen many similar
things up to now, so they also understood Mahiru, who was the same kind.

"But, I don't care much about what they say."

"Really?"

"Hmm...After all, as long as Amane-kun thinks I'm an ordinary girl, it's

fine."

Although only Amane, Kuju, and Hiiragi heard this whispered sentence, the
destructive power was more than strong enough.

Mahiru's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled bashfully. It was not just
Amane that was fascinated by it.

He heard the sound of Hiiragi and Kuju gasping next to him. Even the
classmates who happened to look by stared at Mahiru's expression in a
daze.

"...Fujimiya, think of a way to control your girlfriend."

Then Amane heard in a soft voice, "There are many victims around." He
desperately agreed, but love was helpless. Rather, he was the biggest victim,
and was trying his best to stabilize his wildly beating heart.

"...Really, she's lovestruck."

Hearing Kuju's helpless mutter, Mahiru blushed again, smiling deeper as if
affirming it.
Chapter 3: Lunch and
Interrogations
“Amane-kun, what about lunch?”

After the morning classes were over, Mahiru carried a bag and walked to
Amane’s seat. There were two bentos inside.

Amane had planned to have lunch with the usual group during break time,
but he was hesitant as it could cause trouble for everyone.

By the way, although he had started to occasionally eat with Hiiragi and
Kuju, who had started talking with him, they still refused to eat together
today on the grounds that “lone wolves would not want to see the carnage”.
Sadly, Amane didn’t have the confidence to deny such a statement. After
all, he had slipped up during class.

“Hmm. If Itsuki is okay with it, let’s eat together.”

“Did you really think we wouldn’t join?”

Itsuki, Chitose, and Yuuta all approached Amane and Mahiru with their
wallets, smiling wryly.

“Yeah, don’t talk so indifferently. It’s the same as usual.”

“Itsuki…”

“After all, if no one is here to stop you two, the amount of dead people
around would greatly increase. I think it’s better to have us here.”

“Tha-...no comment.”

Considering the interactions between the couple today, Amane could

understand what Itsuki was saying, but he was still uneasy.
Of course, Amane didn’t plan to do such things, but it was true that he or
Mahiru could accidentally mess up. Itsuki’s worries were somewhat
justified.

“Anyway, we’ll act the same as before.”

“On the contrary, I hope that Mahirun will continue to attack and escalate
things~”

“If it comes to that…I won’t be able to stand around you. Your feelings are
so sweet…just thinking about it!”

“Et tu, Kadowaki?”

“My face is getting hot just by thinking about it, although seeing your
happiness is nice.”

As the smile was filled with pure blessing, Amane was speechless. Then,
Kadowaki added, “But you still have to pay attention to your surroundings,
otherwise it’ll be unbearable for others.”

Regarding this point, Amane could understand Kuju’s and Hiiragi’s

rejection, so he nodded seriously.

“...Then, to the cafeteria, right? I don’t have a bento, so I’ll have to buy
lunch from the lines.”

“Uhh”

“Then let’s go~ what’s today’s set meal?”

“I think it was fried chicken?”

“Huh, not bad. The fried chicken here has thin skin and is very delicious.”

Itsuki chuckled, waved his wallet and walked out. Amane silently thanked
him, and followed behind to enter the cafeteria.

“...Amane-kun, this is your lunch.”

In the cafeteria, their group occupied five seats. After the three that bought
food came back, Mahiru took out a bento from her bag and handed it over.

Then, Mahiru took out her own bento box. Amane’s share was bigger.
Although Amane didn’t eat a lot, the appetite of a male high school student
was larger than a girls, and was enough to satisfy his appetite.

“Well, thank you.”

“Mahirun’s bento is great~”

“It’s not for you.”

“How stingy~”

Chitose puffed up her cheeks cutely, but fortunately, Mahiru offered, “You
may take some of mine.” The ballooned face quickly deflated.

Although Chitose seemed very childish, her carefree smile, words, deeds,
and expression to go with it made Itsuki look very pleased.

Watching the conversation between the two girls, Amane opened the lid of
the bento.

It contained the leftover tomato chicken spinach, soy sauce-flavored butter

fried corn, boiled broccoli, small tomatoes, octopus sausage with painted
faces, and Amane’s favorite omelette.
There were many main dishes, as Amane’s appetite was taken into
consideration.

Amane would eat anything, and also liked vegetables, but meat could
promote appetite. Coupled with the eggs he liked, Amane was full of
energy.

“I made more of Amane-kun’s omelette, okay?”

There were many main dishes, as Amane's appetite was taken into
consideration.

Amane would eat anything, and also liked vegetables, but meat could
promote appetite. Coupled with the egg he liked, Amane felt full of energy.

"I made more of Amane-kun's omelette, okay?"

"I think I can work hard for another afternoon just with the omelette."

"Such an exaggeration."

"No no, I'm serious."

Amane liked egg dishes very much. For him, omelettes could stimulate his
energy more than meat. Therefore, the increase in portion was exactly what
he wanted.

Amane hurriedly said "itadakimasu" to express his gratitude to the food and
Mahiru, and extended his chopsticks to the omelette.

In the mouth, it was damp and slippery; after a bite, the stock oozed out,
and the fresh fragrance and sweetness were intertwined, which made
Amane raise the corners of his mouth.

The omelette was so delicious that Amane couldn't bear to swallow it

immediately. He chewed slowly, enjoying the taste on the tip of his tongue.
He should eat slowly, but more importantly, he wanted to savor it as long as
possible.

Amane ate his bento without concealing the joy in his expression, as if he
was saying, "it's delicious as always." Yuuta looked at him and let out a
sigh.

"...You really are enjoying the food, Fujimiya."

"That's true, it's really delicious."

"I know that. But Shiina must be very proud of herself when you're eating it
so deliciously."

Yuuta spoke to Mahiru, who looked at Amane with a smile on her face, her
cheeks were slightly red. Smiling, she said, "Yes. Amane-kun always
praises me for the delicious food. I’m very grateful."

"The hard work of cooking was really not in vain."

"It’s great if someone cooks for me, not to mention it’s very delicious."

"I have mastered Amane-kun's preferences, and I will continue to work hard
in the future."

"It's okay to keep the status quo."

"I still want to cater to Amane-kun's preferences completely."

"I think you can just do what you like. Everything that Mahiru cooks is
delicious."

Amane had no plan to leave Mahiru, and he didn't expect Mahiru to fit him,
but also wanted to learn what Mahiru liked.

He didn't want Mahiru to accommodate himself blindly, but wanted the two
to run in properly. And Amane also wanted to cater to Mahiru's preferences.
Amane nodded emotionally while eating the octopus shaped sausage with a
cute face painted on with sesame seeds. On the other hand, Mahiru smiled
embarrassed and shrank her shoulders.

Seeing the faint blush on her face, Amane couldn't help but look around and
saw the dumbfounded look in Itsuki's eyes.

"...You two were immersed into flirting before we could stop it. Seriously,
what should we do?"

"...That was not flirting."

"Chii, are you listening to this?"

"It means~ this is just the beginning, not at the level of flirting!"

"I'm talking about you guys."

"The current conversation is a bit more convergent than in the classroom. In

this sense, maybe you are not flirting. However, this can also let others
know that they have no chance to intervene at all."

Hearing these words, Amane shifted his gaze from his desk to the
surrounding seats, and found that boys in the same and senior grades were
glaring at him.

Although their gaze was full of murderous intent, after Mahiru glanced
there, they hurriedly looked away, so he understood very well.

(I don't know if I should be ashamed of the students around me hearing this

conversation, or I should be happy to be restrained.)

Amane showed a stiff smile, and Yuuta whispered, "I thought you did it
deliberately..."

“...Seriously, your relationship is good, but it’s too easy for you to enter
your private world. Shouldn’t you pay more attention?”
Although Yuuta added another sentence, "it worked this time," his voice
was a little helpless, and Amane pursed his lips.

"...Why am I being surrounded?"

Back in the classroom after lunch, the boys gathered around.

Mahiru seemed to be going to buy a drink with Chitose, so she was not
present now. Itsuki and Yuuta saw Amane being surrounded, yet they just
smiled and said, "Okay, just calm down and answer the questions," and then
began to prepare for the next class.

"These two fond fellows," Amane thought. But if he couldn’t handle this
problem well, how could he easily interact with Mahiru in the future? After
thinking of this, Amane had no choice but to sigh quietly in his heart, and
then honestly let everyone surround him.

It was mostly boys surrounding him.

They seemed to simply want to vent their dissatisfaction, and there was no
malicious intent. At least the atmosphere on the scene was not meant to
attack Amane.

"You are so annoying, you thief of the century, stealing everyone's angel..."

"How did I become the thief of the century? Besides, Mahiru is not for
everyone."

"I'm so envious and hateful, that you could get a bento made by the Angel-
sama."

"After all, we are already dating. I can't help you if you’re complaining
about such a thing?."

"But you picked the lone flower so easily."

"Actually, it wasn't that easy..."

Everyone voiced their dissatisfaction, but these voices were more like
awkwardness or anger, and they were not too harsh. Although the boys
showed slight jealousy towards Amane, they did not seem to oppose the
relationship per se. Itsuki, who was secretly eavesdropping, looked here,
smiled, and tilted his head. It seemed that there was no salvation for the
poor Amane.

"Furthermore, how did you two even meet? You said that you met last year,
but how?"

"Ah, what should I say...there was a time Mahiru was soaked in the rain, so
I lent her an umbrella, and started a conversation. That's probably it."

"That's it!?"

"It's not so much like that, it's actually more like after meeting Mahiru,
because my life was in a big mess, she couldn't stand it anymore and started
to take care of me."

"You are too lucky, right?"

"I can't deny this."

The encounter between Amane and Mahiru was full of coincidences.

If Mahiru didn't receive a call from her mother that day, if Amane didn't
notice her at the park, if he lent the umbrella but actually took a good bath,
if he had a bad idea, then the two would not get together. In short, it was
almost fate. If any of these conditions were not met, the two may not be
able to develop a relationship like this.

Therefore, the romance between Mahiru and Amane must have been a
miracle.

Amane shrugged, lowering his eyebrows and smiled, then the classmate in
front of him sighed slightly.

"...I'm not trying to belittle you, but I really don't understand why the
Angel-sama likes you. In terms of looks or academics, there must be
someone better than you. Although I understand how you two met, I
wonder how there was any opportunity for her to fall in love?"

"When she fell in love with me, or why, I have not asked Mahiru about this,
so I don't know either."

Amane only understood that Mahiru admired him, but since when did she
start to have such feelings, Amane didn't know. He could not answer this
question; only Mahiru herself could.

Amane smiled ambiguously, not knowing how to answer. At this time,

another student laughed. Since helping out at the study meeting hosted by
Mahiru last week, this student had started to occasionally chat with Amane.

"I can probably guess a little bit. Because Fujimiya is always calm and
caring about the people around him, being considerate of others, the Angel
probably fell for these qualities, right?"

"Yes, it seems that Shiina doesn't particularly like popular people. Maybe,
instead of choosing people who will expect something from her, she prefers
just being in the company of someone peaceful, right? Fujimiya may not
speak well...but he never denies others, or treats others as fools, so it will be
really easy to stay with him."

"Speaking of which, now that I think about it, Fujimiya seems to be really
fond of Shiina. It was like that during the study meeting, and during the
physical education class and cooking practice. You are so gentle with her,
even if you barely manage your body. Protect her." (Note*: what the fuck is
this)

"So this is how Fujimiya was quietly caring about Shiina."

The two boys began to ignore Amane and started praising him. Amane
hurriedly glared at both of them.

"Hey, Konano, Yamazaki, that's enough."

"Look, he's shy."

"This is the so-called frankness, I get it."

"You two..."

The two didn't seem to be afraid of Amane's glare at all.

It was better for the disparaged to listen to this. Amane was feeling
unbearable in front of their comments. At this time, a familiar laughter
came from outside the crowd.

"Ahaha, although Amane is not easy to understand, he is really loyal and

considerate to everyone. Mahirun must have been attracted to this~"

"Is that so? Wait, Shirakawa, when did you show up?"

Chitose, who was not in the classroom just now, poked her head in.

"Eh? It's because lunch break is almost over. Besides, I received a message
saying that you were surrounded by everyone when we were away, so I
came to take a look. By the way, Mahirun is here too."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

The person at the center of the attention, Mahiru, spoke with a somewhat
apologetic expression.

Classes would resume in the afternoon. The person in the topic would
surely find out, as it was discussed in the classrooms.

Everyone understood it in their hearts, but they seemed to have forgotten

just now.

Amane sneaked a glance at Itsuki and saw that he shook the phone in his
hand. It seemed that he was the culprit that called Chitose and Mahiru back.
(Should I thank Itsuki for his help, or should I complain why he didn't come
over and help me out?) Amane didn't know.

Seeing Amane surrounded by everyone, Mahiru smiled helplessly and

approached him. Today, Amane's side had been Mahiru's territory. She
didn't care about the gaze from the crowd.

"I have never mentioned it to Amane-kun...Why do I like him? It is difficult

to answer, but I think it is because Amane-kun accepted me as myself and
treated me with respect, and cherished every bit of me."

Her calm voice sounded very gentle.

"I have also said before that although Amane-kun seems to be indifferent to
the people around him, he is actually considerate and gentlemanly. He will
lend a hand when others are uncomfortable and will not talk about
superficial comforts casually. He had been watching me, expressing his
thoughts with actions, and tolerated my weaknesses. Not only tolerance,
Amane-kun had been pushing me, supporting me until I could sustain
myself. When it's like this, it's unusual if you wouldn't start to like him...or,
those things convinced me that he was the only person in my world."

In other words, from that day on spring break and the day Mahiru met her
mother, Mahiru was convinced of her love.

After realizing this, Amane felt his cheeks suddenly flush.

He did want to ask Mahiru when and why she admired him, but he didn't
expect the answer to be in this form; in front of everyone no less,
accompanied by Mahiru's happy and shy expressing, her loving voice being
revealed.

Amane felt extremely shy, having the immense urge to run away.

"Amane-kun is a person who can tolerate me, cherish me, respect me, and
care about me. Although he is shy and a little frank, he is always gentle
with me. So the more I understand him, the more I like him."

"Please, don't say anything more..."

"Of course, it could not be said that he has no shortcomings. For example,
he is very indifferent to his own affairs and has no self-confidence. But
recently, he has tried to sharpen his appearance, which feels very handsome.
He also turned out to be a little timid, which is also cute."

"...Forgive me."

Hearing what she said, Amane was going to be ashamed to death. He didn't
wait for Mahiru to finish before covering her mouth with his hand, but it
was too late.

However, there was more than only one blushing person.

Mahiru's explanation had basically turned into a showing off of her

happiness. Seeing this, the faces of the students who heard her talking were
flushed, their eyes wandering around.

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because, I think that if I take this opportunity to explain how much I like
Amane-kun and what a wonderful person you are, I can prevent conflicts
with everyone."

"It's wicked to say that so deliberately...Besides, now even the things that
are not good about me are exposed."

"Such as?"

"...The last ones."

"But what I said was the truth. Of course, these aspects of Amane-kun are
also great. The shortcomings are very cute."

"It's so annoying, I'm a coward anyway."

What Amane understood was that his girlfriend had stabbed him out.

Amane, biting his lip, felt a little complicated. At this time, a small laugh
came from beside him.
"Obviously I'm innocent enough." Amane muttered in a voice that only
Mahiru could hear, and turned his head away. Then Mahiru began to lightly
hit Amane's arm; it seemed that she also knew her own innocence.

As Amane accepted this extremely cute attack, he calmed his heart and
cheeks. At this time, there were a few crisp sounds that seemed to be
playing something.

The source of the sound was Chitose. She kept the posture of making a
sound with her hands folded together, her eyes looking a little helpless.

"Okay, time for the intimacy to stop here~ The surroundings are going t be
burnt to the ground...Have you seen this doting and sweet couple? Are there
any warriors who dare to intervene?"

"I wouldn't dare."

"How could anyone win like this?"

"It's like being kicked by a horse."

After Chitose asked, the boys shook their heads weakly, and Amane
drooped in shame.

He didn't expect Mahiru to speak so much in front of everyone, yet he was

also at fault for not having the courage to ask earlier. Now he was ashamed
to death, and looking at Mahiru, there was a slight smile, as if full of
confidence and happiness.

"How should I say this...Shiina, in front of the person she likes, she is just
an ordinary girl."

The girl that said this had been silently observing till now. When Mahiru
heard this, her eyes widened, her expression turning into a smile of
innocence and mischief.

"Yes, I'm just an ordinary girl."

Mahiru finished speaking without hesitation, and then showed Amane a shy
expression.

(Would this increase her popularity...)

Thinking of this, Amane casually patted Mahiru's head to conceal his

shame.

Amane felt that today had been quite a long ordeal. He was constantly
being glanced out, feeling uncomfortable.

Although Amane let them stare at him, there were many eyes, making him
mentally tired.

However, not all feelings were negative, and there was no lack of pure
curiosity and cheers.

The latter type were mostly from the girls, which showed that Mahiru was
very popular.

"Mahiru, let's go home."

Amane spoke to Mahiru after school, who was also about to return home.
After a day of class, at last, Amane could escape from all kinds of sights.

Amane and Mahiru did not join any clubs. If Mahiru joined a particular
club, it would cause trouble, and affect the members.

This was the choice that Mahiru made while fully understanding her
influence, but the fact that she was not allowed to attend saddened Amane a
little.

As for her, Mahiru did not mind at all. Instead, she said the cute sentence, "I
only met Amane-kun because I didn't join a club..." and Amane became
embarrassed.

"Well, I've been waiting for a long time."

Mahiru packed up her things and showed a soft smile, which made Amane's
expression naturally calm.

What made Amane happy was that they could return home together now,
compared to before where they had to stagger their times.

"I am leaving then."

Amane picked up Mahiru's bag that was resting on the table, and said this
line to Itsuki, who was next to him.

Yuuta already went to his club, and was no longer seen in the classroom.

"Well, I am too embarrassed to disturb the two newlyweds, so please go

back affectionately."

"What newlyweds?"

"Ah, my bad, you two are old couples."

"I didn't talk to you about this."

"Although Amane glared at him, "What are you talking about?" Itsuki didn't
seem to take it seriously. On the contrary, he had a happy face, and still
wore the usual frivolous smile in front of Amane's stern gaze.

"No matter how you look at it, Chii, don't you think so too?"

"I agree~"

"You are so annoying. Is it appropriate for the bakauple to say such a

thing?"

"Oh, you're a second-generation bakauple. Because I am first-generation, I

deem you a bakauple."

"Hey..."

"There there, Amane-kun should also calm down."

Amane had planned to flick Itsuki's forehead, but because of the fact that
Mahiru had come to dissuade him, he stopped.

"Akazawa, please don't make so much fun of Amane-kun."

"Mahiru..."

"Amane-kun is not frank, ad he would feel awkward if you tease him. Just
do enough and stop." (Note*: this sounds way too condescending)

"Mahiru, why did you also start?"

"I'm joking."

Even Mahiru came to tease him, which made Amane feel complicated, but
because Mahiru was smiling happily with his originally smile at school,
Amane couldn't stop her.

In the past, she always showed a textbook-like beautiful smile that everyone
would praise, hiding her original smile in the depths. And now, her smile
and attitude were unrestrained, and Amane certainly couldn’t blame her.

Having said that, Amane was unwilling to back off without some revenge,
so he planned to tease Mahiru as much as he desired when they got home.

"Okay Amane-kun, let's go now."

Mahiru seemed to have noticed something, and urged a little flusteredly.

Amane smiled, saying "yeah" and took Mahiru's hand.

"I think it's really good to be able to publicize the relationship, because we
can go out and buy things together like this."

At the supermarket, Mahiru whispered with emotion while selecting the

ingredients for today's dinner.

The supermarket was not a place student couples would usually go to, but
Amane and Mahiru also did not specifically arrange a date.
Furthermore, considering that they had to prepare dinner, the two came here
together.

"After all, it was impossible to come here together before."

"Well, a lot of things can be done without secrecy in the future, such as
going out to buy things together."

"Yes. If needed, we can decide what to eat on the spot."

"Hmm..."

What they wanted to eat was always decided in advance, but from now on,
if there was a sudden urge for a specific dish, they could still discuss it.

For example, today, the original plan was to eat Japanese cuisine. However,
Amane saw the daily set meal in the cafeteria and said that he wanted to eat
fried chicken, and Mahiru was ready to fulfill his wish.

Mahiru grabbed the chicken thighs and put them in the basket that Amane
was holding. She said, "After eating meat for a while, it would be better to
eat fish tomorrow", as if she was thinking about tomorrow's dinner.

"What should we eat tomorrow?"

"Anything is fine...you aren't embarrassed if I say that? Well, how about

horse mackerel."

"It just so happens to be the season, that's good. Then tomorrow, let's eat
fried horse mackerel marinated in onion vinegar, not too sour, right?"

"Yeah."

Amane laughed and said, "You really know me too well.", and Mahiru
shyly replied, "Because I have been cooking for you for half a year."

Indeed, after eating together for 6 months, Amane also started to understand
his own preferences. In this way, although it had only been just over half a
year since the two got involved in this relationship, a lot of things had really
happened, making Amane sigh out loud.

"...We started dating in half a year, it's amazing."

"It's been very long in my opinion? Amane-kun is so slow, he even noticed

and still turned a blind eye."

"Um...I'm sorry"

"Fufu, I'm not going to bully you now, I know that you like me."

Mahiru smiled like a prankster, making Amane feel a little uncomfortable.

But in the final analysis, the problem was that Amane couldn't make up his
mind, so he could only fully admit his mistakes.

"Well, I will express my love afterward."

"Yes, I will too"

"...I'll be embarrassed if Mahiru does too much, so please be modest."

"Embarrassed?"

"...Don't make me a wolf."

If Mahiru started acting spoiled again, Amane's rationality might go on

strike, so he hoped that Mahiru could stop in time.

Mahiru seemed to understand the meaning, and her face blushed, her mouth
as if to make a noise. Hearing her reply in a small voice, "I, I will pay
attention...", Amane tried to prevent his face from also turning red, and
nodded.
Chapter 4: Changes in
environment and mood
"Itsuki?"

"What's wrong?"

"...Is Mahiru more popular now than before she dated me?"

In the classroom, Mahiru was surrounded by many classmates. Amane

looked at Mahiru and muttered quietly, and Itsuki surely said "yeah" when
he saw it.

A few days after the start of their relationship, Mahiru's popularity

continued to increase.

She was already the most popular in the grade, but now she was surrounded
by everyone.

Among them, the proportion of girls was higher than that of boys, but the
boys also cast a enthusiastic look at her. Seeing those looks, Amane felt a
little complicated.

"I also sort of understand why Shiina is more popular than before."

"How so?"

"Well...she used to look like she was separated by a layer of glass, but now
she seems more approachable. I think that because you two started dating,
Mahiru, who was originally unattainable and difficult to reach, now shows a
more girly side.

Indeed, the nature of her smile changed after they started dating.
Although the angelic smile would naturally be there, she began to show her
original side. Compared with the slender and weak smile, she began to
show more of the innocent smile of a young girl.

Little by little, Mahiru no longer acted like an angel, but revealed her
hidden self. Amane was happy about this, but at the same time harbored
some complicated emotions because the smile that only he knew had been
shown to everyone.

Amane expected everyone to know that Mahiru was not an idol, but an
ordinary girl, yet knows that this makes him feel upset. This contradiction
made him hate himself.

"How should I put it, I feel a little bit uncomfortable. Her true face that only
the closest would know has been revealed. It is obviously a great thing, but
I always feel stingy in my heart."

"This is a manifestation of exclusive desire...but she is not all that she looks
like now, she must have a lot of expressions that will only show you."

"That's true."

When touching Mahiru, she would show a shy and a little joyful expression;
when she felt awkward, she would puff up her cheeks, showing
dissatisfaction; when acting spoiled, she would have a soft and sweet smile
like a sponge sucking honey. These were all expressions that only Amane
was allowed to see.

"Besides, you changed Shiina. She has that smile because of you. Don't
shrink back, how about you go up and say 'My Mahiru is sure is cute!'"

"...I don't dare to declare sovereignty like that, but I won't be jealous
anymore."

"Like that'll ever work. You flirt so much in front of everyone."

"Th-that's...not intentional."
"If it was deliberate, that would be too bold. Besides, even if it isn't
intentional, you two unconsciously kill everyone around you."

Itsuki poked Amane's head, saying, "watch out." Amane could only purse
his lips.

Recently, some classmates blushed when passing by Amane and Mahiru,

and their eyes glazed over.

There was no special close contact between the two, and there was no big
conversation, but those classmates turned bright red, which made Amane a
little confused.

There were jealous sights, but the amount of warm sights had increased.
Amane heard the boys in the class who came to find faults because of
jealousy said, "Seeing that their relationship is so good, I also know that I
can't interfere, I can die of this heartwarming..."

Hearing other people say that Mahiru is only looking at him, even though
Amane felt shy, he was a little happy.

"But it's also Shiina's business not to let others take you away."

"How could I be stolen? I'm not as good as Mahiru, so no one would be

interested in me. Even if I were there, I would only be embarrassed."

"...I said that although you are not good, but the average level is very high.
First of all, you don’t need to talk about it. Then, although the words are a
bit unpleasant, they are usually very gentlemanly, and they are very specific
and honest. In the eyes of a girl, you can be regarded as a good target. The
appearance is decent, the body is bland, the brain is good and sports...well,
ordinary, although the speech is not good, the personality is fine, and you
are also dedicated and honest. It's an enviable object, right?''

"To praise me to this point...I feel sick..."

"Speaking is not good, 50 points will be deducted. You don't usually talk
first, although you are not frank per say, but it is just looking at the thorns,
your character is still very straightforward.

"Are you trying to say that the distortion is wrong?"

Although not comparable to the time when he was most helpless, Amane
still felt that he has a wicked personality.

The compliment of good character and straightforwardness was more

suitable for a good young man like Yuuta, who was as good as he looked,
and should not be said to a man like Amane, who wasn't exactly serious.

"I think you understand very well and have a very frank character. Chii also
said that Amane understood well before."

"I'm talking about you guys."

"In the end, your mouth is distorted, but in fact you are very upright, and
you care about others. It's just that you often speak harshly."

"I'm so sorry that I don't speak well."

After Amane turned his head and turned away, Itsuki laughed, and he came
over and patted Amane on the shoulder. Amane pushed back with his
elbow, then whispered "Thank you."

"Fujimiya-kun has become more approachable after he started dating

Shiina."

It seemed that like Mahiru, Amane's interpersonal environment had also

changed.

Before interacting with Mahiru, Amane, except for formal greetings,

basically did not speak to unfamiliar people, and no one would take the
initiative to talk to him.

"...Has it?"

Amane was now replacing the boy who asked to leave to help the girl in the
class, who was worried about being late for the union to help with today's
duty work.

When the other party suddenly said something like this, Amane didn't know
how to respond, and simply shrugged.

By the way, Mahiru had originally planned to help together, but there was
another girl in the class who seemed to want to discuss something with her,
and they stayed in the corner of the classroom and talked.

This point of enthusiasm remained the same as before. As a boyfriend,

Amane was pleased with this, but also a little worried about her.

Amane was cleaning the blackboard after finishing the classroom. At this
time, the girl on duty today took a pen to record in the class log, glanced at
his expression, and then laughed.

"You have changed a lot, huh? Before the image change, Fujimiya-kun
always made people feel uncomfortable. You had a "don't talk to me"
temperament. I thought you were afraid of life."

"I always feel a little sorry"

"Ahahaha, why apologize to me. This is also a personal character, I didn’t

intend to make irresponsible remarks about it? I just think that your social
scope was narrow and deep, so when I saw you and Kadowaki-kun become
friends, I was very curious on how that happened. Now I understand that a
few days after Fujimiya-kun’s image changed this time, although he has not
changed much, he has time to get along with others, or rather, form a
shoal.”

"...Kido ( きど), are you good at observing others?"

"Well, it's one of my hobbies, after all."

Amane was surprised that she could see through him so well.

Although Amane also had a general understanding of the personality of her

classmates, she was just like Chitose who talked and laughed in the center
of the crowd, and that was all he knew.

This was Kido Ayaka ( あやか), if Amane remembered correctly.

Because they had never spoken much before, Amane only knew her by
face. However, someone like that should've had no reason to carefully
observe Amane.

"...Anyway, it's not good for me to keep being locked in my own small
world, right?"

"Was it for Shiina?"

"No. It's not so much for Mahiru, but for myself."

Mahiru didn't ask Amane to change himself, but Amane didn't want to put
the blame on Mahiru. This was his own wish, and he hoped he could
change.

"The reason why I decided to change myself was that I felt that in order to
be with Mahiru, I had to get out of my own circle. It was my own decision."

Although Amane felt that Mahiru liked him even before he bravely took
this step, Amane still wanted to change himself because he wanted to make
himself more confident.

He was just trying to change so that he could be qualified to stand next to

Mahiru. To put it bluntly, it was for his own self-satisfaction, Amane's own
decision, and nothing to do with Mahiru's thoughts.

Amane asserted that it was all for himself. Kido, who had finished her
logging work, laughed inexplicably as if she had heard something
interesting.

"Shiina is so loved."

"…That was not what I meant."

"Hahah, that sounds like that."

Kido smiled contentedly and said "Thank you for the hospitality." Amane
couldn't help feeling a little ashamed, but there was no mockery in her eyes,
and Amane could only hold back her breath.

"Well, bro, the love you are in is so deep. If you didn't like her to this
extent, you wouldn't have decide to change. Working hard for the person
you like, I think that's great. This is love, love."

"...There is nothing wrong with it."

"Yeah, that's great. And Shiina also loves you deeply, so why don't you say
that since she's looking here now."

"Look" Kido said, motioning Amane to look at the corner of the classroom,
Amane looked over per her instructions, and Mahiru, who had finished
talking with others, was staying there alone. She showed a somewhat
uneasy expression, perhaps because Amane had a very happy chat with the
girls around her.

"Shiina is looking at you"

"Mm"

"Then please explain to Shiina? After all, I also have a boyfriend, so I don’t
intend to make her jealous."

Kido smiled badly and stood up. At the same time, a boy's voice came from
outside the classroom and said, "Kido, isn't it over yet? You're going to be
late for part-time job."

"Mr. President, wait a minute, I have to take this to submit."

When Amane thought of it, she was still anxious to go to work, but she did
not appear to be anxious, and responded to the boy slowly.

Amane and Kido's eyes met, and she winked mischievously.

"Fujimiya-kun, thank you for helping me. As for returning a gift...there's

only this, so forgive me. Goodbye then."
Kido quickly took out something from her bag, put it on Amane's palm, and
hurriedly ran out of the classroom.

"She's like a storm." Amane thought so, looking at what she had handed
herself, and found that it was high-protein wafer chocolate. Yuuta once
recommended Amane before, saying that this thing is convenient for
replenishing energy after exercise.

"Obviously, you don't need to return a gift...then why do you give this kind
of thing"

(Why do girls have such things whose main audience is men? Did she really
think I was too thin and needed to exercise more?) With such questions in
his heart, Amane looked at the door where Kido had left, and at this
moment, Mahiru walked to his side.
Although there was no dissatisfaction on her face, there was an expression
of hesitation.

"...Your expression looks very tangled."

"I-I'm not suspicious of you? It's just that you guys seem to be talking very
happily, so I'm curious about what you're chatting about..."

Sure enough, her boyfriend chatting with other girls made Mahiru uneasy.

Amane didn't want to make Mahiru feel unhappy, and Kido should've also
thought it was a normal chat, but since Mahiru felt so, he should reflect on
it.

"Sorry for making you feel anxious. Just now I was talking about the fact
that I changed. Kido said that I seem to have changed a lot."

The topic about love was really embarrassing, and Amane did not
specifically mention it, but this should've gave a rough explanation.

Stroking her head, Amane told her little by little what they had just talked
about. He probably calmed down a bit, and Mahiru's uneasy brows slowly
calmed, forming the soft look of a smile. Amane had discovered recently
that a little intimate contact with Mahiru could calm her mind.

"Of course, Amane-kun has turned into a cheerful and good young man
from the outside. The difference from before is clear."

"I only felt withdrawn before, and it should be very different from now."

"It is undeniable that Amane-kun was very quiet before, and even gave
people a little pressure. It seemed that it is difficult to approach..."

"Well, she said that I am now much more approachable."

"Fufu. But so far, Amane-kun is still lacking initiative, and he only

responds well when someone talks to him. I feel like, taking the opportunity
of publicizing my relationship, people have come to chat with you more,
and everyone will find that you are actually less indifferent. Moreover,
Amane-kun is much softer than before.”

Mahiru seemed to retaliate against Amane who was stroking her head by
poking his cheek with his finger. Amane, who felt a little embarrassed,
grabbed and removed her hand.

But instead, Amane held her hand and rubbed her fingers intertwined. This
should satisfy Mahiru's desire for intimate contact.

Mahiru's smile was a little happier than before. "Amane-kun, you have
become more bright lately." she whispered. Amane was a little ashamed,
and slightly staggered his eyes.

"...I think it changed after living with Mahiru. Also, if I have to say it, I feel
that Mahiru is also easier to talk than before."

"Then, I changed after being with Amane-kun."

"…Really?"

"Of course"

Even if he didn't look at her, Amane could feel her smiling happily. He
deliberately didn't look at Mahiru's side, and squeezed Mahiru's hand like a
counterattack to hide his inner shame.
Chapter 5: Something that can't be
fixed
Late June was the start of monsoon season, so it was always partly cloudy
out.

It was the same today. Raindrops were constantly falling from the gloomy
sky. The vision was even worse than usual, and the foggy air gave people a
sense of occlusion.

“…Ah, it feels so humid.”

“After all, it’s the rainy season.”

The school was full of sluggishness, and there was no way anyone could be
productive. Even the members of the usually active sports club all looked
depressed, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

Even Chitose, who was usually lively and active, couldn’t stand the
weather. She sat in her seat, collapsed weakly on the table. Just like last
year, she had no energy, and even her normal hairstyle changed.

She usually just left her hair hang down naturally, but perhaps because of
the humid weather, she had tied her hair up in pigtails. Nevertheless, the
random hairs sticking out from formation certainly needed some work.

“Amane doesn’t look too bad.”

“Ah, well, I prefer more quiet atmospheres, so I’m not too bothered.”

“Good for you. I can’t stand it at all. I really want to go out for a run.”

“The ground’s really wet now. If you want to go for a jog, you should wait
until the rain clears. You might fall, injure yourself, or muddy your
clothes.”
“Then it won’t be washed off...tsk, I guess I’ll just wait.”

Her voice sounded a little weak, probably because of Makoto.

Even Chitose was so haggard. Amane was thinking about what would
happen to Mahiru, but the latter didn’t break composure and still calmly
talked to the girls, albeit with a slightly more serious expression than usual.

Mahiru didn’t seem to notice Amane’s gaze, happily talking with the fellow
girls.

He was thinking of the time they could spend together later when Hiiragi
asked, “Ah? Is Amane jealous?”

Mahiru often garnered the attention of the surrounding people, so it was

understandable not to notice Amane looking. However, Itsuki completely
misunderstood, and Amane smiled wryly.

“Ah, I’m not so bad that I’ll be jealous of her fellow female friends. I just
thought that after she changed her hairstyle, her entire atmosphere is
different.”

Amane didn’t want to reveal the real reason for watching Mahiru, so he
used a cover. Hiiragi seemed to accept this reason, and replied,

“True, her hair is tied up today.”

Like Chitose, Mahiru tied up her hair. However, Mahiru’s hair was longer
and naturally had more volume, so she seemed to put them into three loose
braids.

Since Mahiru didn’t change her hairstyle very often, the classmates also felt
very fresh. Amane could hear the boys saying, “the angel brings a coolness
to this muggy weather” and “only the air around the angel is very fresh”.

“Mahiru’s so enviable…”

Chitose kept holding on to her damp and disobedient hair while watching
Mahiru’s dry and refreshing hair. By the way, when they met in the
morning, Amane also got entangled by her hair. It seemed that she was
quite envious of someone who did not have to care about the moisture.

"I can't say I have the spirit, but I'm not as depressed as everyone. After all,
when it rains like this, life gets harder. I also hope that the rainy season will
end soon. Besides, there are so many clouds, and the stars are invisible."
(Makoto)

"After all, you belong to the Astronomical club. If it rains like this, the
problem is you can’t see the stars." (Amane)
"Actually, club activities isn't only looking at the stars. If you want to
stargaze at school, you need to be accompanied by a club leader, and you
also have to submit an application to use the roof. Activities generally
involve more research than watching the stars."

"It's a headache." Chitose nodded in agreement at Makoto's words. At this

point, Mahiru seemed to have finished her conversation and stood next to
Amane.

Amane gently pulled out a chair to let her sit, and summarized the
conversation to her.

"We're just talking about how annoying this weather is."

Mahiru obediently sat in her seat, and smiled wryly at the topic of the
weather.

"Well, I suppose Chitose especially hates this kind of weather. She can
neither go out to play nor exercise outside, and her hair easily gets messy."

"I always thought that Shirakawa was full of energy during the rainy
season, but thinking about it, she was also quite quiet during this period in
junior high.

"A-ah, if it's about me in junior high I don't want to listeeen~~"

Chitose didn't want her past deeds to be dug up, so she simply covered her
ears and turned her head aside. Makoto just shrugged.

"Although it's a bit noisy, but now Shirakawa isn't bad."

Amane wasn't sure whether he was trying to comfort her or annoy her.

"...Does Makoto want to fight?"

"I don't plan to do that...but you're very noisy. It's quite lively, isn't it?"
Chitose frowned and slapped the table in dissatisfaction. The dialogue with
Makoto seemed to restore some of her energy, and her face became clearer.
This should be Makoto cheering her up in his own way.

Seeing Chitose in an irritated and awkward mood, Amane and Mahiru

glanced at each other and smiled softly.

As a result of the weather, the rain did not stop until the end of school that
day, and the color of the sky was still a dull grey.

The roads that normally would have been more lively were exceptionally
quiet, and many students sped up the pace to get home.

Amane pulled Mahiru under his big umbrella as they walked home together.

He held Mahiru's bag as usual, carefully walking at her pace to not get her
wet. Looking to the side, maybe it was because of the general mood and
weather, Mahiru seemed a little depressed, and then sighed a little tiredly.

"...The rainy season is so humid, I always feel like I can't get enough
energy."

Mahiru seemed to be aware of Amane's sight. As her bag was taken by

Amane, she had nothing to do, so she fiddled randomly and twisted the ends
of her hair, whispering in a low voice.

"My hair is also difficult to organize, and it can easily become messy, it's so
troublesome."

"It takes a lot more effort to maintain your hairstyle than usual. I personally
think that your hairstyle is also very cute, but it can't helped."

For Amane, it was a blessing to be able to see Mahiru's various hairstyles.

But for girls, a messy hairstyle was a matter of life and death, especially for
Mahiru, who worked harder than others in dressing and appearance.
Although Mahiru's hairstyle now looked more muted than usual, which was
quite cute, she may not like it herself.

Mahiru repeated "c-cute" in a low voice, and then shyed away. She patted
Amane's arm with her fingertips as if trying to hide her shyness.

"...Let’s not talk about it, it’s very troublesome to take care of your hair in
summer. Hair is easily damaged by the sun and maintenance is essential. In
the winter, it gets too dry, but during weather like this, it's too damp.
Depending on the season, I must change my method of caring for it, so it's
very hard..”

"It's not easy for girls."

"So, I admire Amane-kun's hair quality very much."

Seeing Mahiru suddenly mention himself, Amane blinked and found

Mahiru looking at his hair slightly enviously. Today, because it was a lot of
trouble to wax his hair, Amane had only combed it.

"Amane-kun's hair is so refreshing, and it doesn't feel damp at all. It doesn't

take much effort to maintain it, right?"

"At most, I used the shampoo from the beauty salon."

"After all, Amane-kun, your hair is very good. If you take care of it, your
hair will become even smoother."

"I never thought about maintaining that level, but...I will work hard if I
have time."

Since Mahiru was very happy to touch his hair, Amane was motivated to
work hard. Even though the his hair currently didn't have much of a
problem, if Mahiru was happy, that would be great.

Amane looked at Mahiru, and saw a faint, almost transparent smile

appeared on her face, but perhaps because of the rain, her face was much
more haggard than usual.
Looking at her white face, Amane sighed gently.

"Compared to this, it is more uncomfortable for me not to be able to go

jogging in this weather. I had developed the habit of exercising, and now
the laziness is coming back."

In any case, running for a long time on rainy days was not good. If he
caught a cold now, it would be troublesome, to say the least.

Therefore, he would do more indoor work instead of jogging.

"I said so before, but Amane-kun has exercised more than before."

"It's hard enough to see the results of my hard work, so I don't want to
regress."

"Fufu, such a serious and good boy. It's amazing, Amane-kun."

Seeing Mahiru smiling and gently patting his back, Amane felt shy.
Looking away, he gazed at the sky again.

It was still grey, but there was also a pleasant feeling with him, so it wasn't
as bad.

The main reason for that was the existence of the people around Amane.

"Although there are some things to dislike, it does feel quite nice to go
home with you like this. Rainy days also have the advantage of a unique
atmosphere. The air is crisp, and it feels great, when it's not raining
anyways. Walking on a peaceful, quiet day isn't bad too."

Although girls who paid more attention to their image hated this kind of
weather, Amane enjoyed the gentle atmosphere of the season.

Whether it was the dull and quiet light that fell on a cloudy day, the soft
sound of rain gently falling on the ground, or the faint smell of rain seeping
in the air, he liked it a lot.
For Amane, the rainy days were not just a bleak and occluded landscape.
The air and scenery he felt made him feel comfortable.

And, Mahiru was beside him.

Just gently holding her hand, the world in front of him became colorful. As
long as one changed their perspective when looking at things, as long as
there was someone important near, the scenery would appear peaceful. The
two walking side by side together had already made this scene beautiful.

"This opportunity to talk with you also isn't bad. I think a time like this is an
irreplaceable experience."

Although part of the reason he liked it was because this was the first season
of his relationship,Amane also felt that that the fact they were walking side
by side was very meaningful in itself. This time would not come again, and
Amane cherished the present.

"And..."

"And?"

"On rainy days, there'll be more discounted products in stock. There are
fewer people when it's raining, so it's more convenient to choose from some
different products, right?"

Making a joke, Amane smiled and explained why he liked rainy days.
Mahiru was stunned for a moment, then gradually showed a gentle smile.

"Fufu, so this is the knowledge accumulated from living alone all year
round. Although, I know that too."

"Isn't that good then? I'm the type that'll make the best use of everything."

"I didn't say it was bad, hahah."

Mahiru laughed heartily for a while, then her breathing slowly calmed
down, and she raised her head to look at Amane.
"Being able to live a plain life is splendid. Amane-kun really is good at
discovering different pleasures in what he sees and feels.

"Why do you suddenly say that?"

"No, I just thought of how it is great to be able to find fun from different
things and from different perspectives."

"I think the things I see are so bright because of you by my side. Moreover,
you taught me many things that I didn't know. Thank you."

Mahiru showed a look of envy at first, then softly muttered when Amane
looked into her eyes and told her it was because of her presence. Her
caramel colored pupils shook slightly, as if to leak tears.

However, that wasn't from sadness; instead, her joy was gradually growing.

"...I, too, learned a lot of things from Amane-kun. Thank you for that too,
and teach me more in the future."

"That's great."

Amane didn't know if Mahiru had noticed, but her words indicated that she
was willing to be with him for the future. Amane truly hoped to keep this
position forever from now on.

He didn't intend to give up this position, no matter what happened.

Amane took her hand and smiled. Looking at Mahiru, her face had the most
relaxed expression of the day.

"...Then, after we go back, I shall teach Mahiru how to enjoy rainy days."

"What will we do?"

"We can buy some food from the supermarket, and then go home and watch
some TV shows or DVDs, or listen to music and leisurely kill some time.
After all, you don't seem in the best of shape today."
Amane kept staring at Mahiru's caramel eyes. Perhaps he had guessed
correct, since Mahiru's shoulders shook slightly and her eyes started to drift.

In fact, Amane had felt that something was off on the way to school. After
arriving in the classroom, he was convinced that Mahiru wasn't feeling very
well.

The smile she always wore was somewhat listless, and her complexion was
not the same. In addition, her movements seemed sluggish.

Whether this abnormality was due to the weather or possibly a period, that
was a private matter, and Amane did not want to pry. In short, Amane could
tell that she was pretending to energetic, and wanted to help ease the
pressure.

Amane cautiously looked at Mahiru, who seemed to admit it, leaning her
head on Amane's upper arm.

"Although this is one of Amane-kun's strengths, but also your

shortcomings. I can't hide anything."

"Mahiru is not good at hiding things. If you're unwell, your behavior

becomes a little strange?"

"For example?"

"Not to mention, I'm afraid you're hiding on purpose."

How she laughed, the way of walking, and other things were indicators of
how Mahiru was behaving strangely. However, if Amane told her this, she
would be careful to hide them, so Amane refrained.

Mahiru puffed up her face in dissatisfaction, but Amane did not falter. "I
cannot-" Amane refused her request, and gently squeezed the hand he was
holding. Her hand was definitely colder than usual, and was definitely not
caused by the weather alone.

"How about relying on me more? How about we go to the supermarket over

there to buy some food. What do you want to eat? I'll cook today."
"...Onigiri." (Note*: rice ball or smt)

Although she did not resist, Amane could see that she was reluctant, which
made him a little sad. It would be great if he could take care of her more.

Amane decided to care for her seeing that she wanted to keep her facade up
in school, and had forced herself. He promised to help her.

Amane held Mahiru's hand again, and laughed. She no longer concealed her
slightly tired expression, leaning on his arm.

"I can also make some more serious foods? It doesn't matter if you want
something more."

Amane thought that Mahiru was holding back, considering he wasn't the
greatest at cooking. However, it seemed she really wanted to eat Amane's
rice balls.

"Can't I?"

She looked at Amane with a weak gaze.

"Of course, if Mahiru wants to eat some onigiri ball, then I shall make some
onigiri."

"I want to show my housekeeping skills," Amane said joking, and Mahiru
happily replied, "I'm looking forward to it." She seemed to be a little more
relaxed, which made Amane happy as he kept the soft expression on his
face and walked into the supermarket.
Chapter 6: Changes since the
relationship
"Speaking of which, Fujimiya, you and Shiina started dating during the
Sports Festival, right? So, has your life changed since then?"

The courtyard could not be used when it was raining, so the girls went to
the gym for phys ed, and the boys went to health class. As soon as the
teacher walked out of the classroom, the classmates took the opportunity to
ask Amane.

Because of the question, the air suddenly had a tinge of curiosity from
everyone, and Amane decided to tread carefully. In regards to the question,
Amane felt that his mentality had been about the same.

The question caused some boys to turn around in question, making Amane
feel uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll sometimes get surrounded at school like this..."

"Okay, fair. Other than that though. How far have you gone?"

"...Not really anything? At most, we go home together after school."

Two weeks had passed since the confession, and there was no clear change
in Amane's life. After all, they already had a lot of physical contact even
before they were dating, and Mahiru often came over anyway.

The only change that could be said was that sometimes, they were
physically closer than before, but life was no different.

"Liar."

"What was a lie?"

"well, because, just look at it."

"Look at what?"

"Shiina likes you to the point where its incorrigible. Isn't it suppose to be
more already?"

"Wait wait, w-we don't have-"

"Amane, shut up. Your standard has long been abnormal. Judging by
normal standards, you two are already very good."

Itsuki, dumbfounded by the fact that Amane was denying it, couldn't
manage to stay on the sidelines of this conversation. Amane couldn't help
but glare at Itsuki, but the latter still carelessly smiled.

"...Even if you say that, we don't do anything too much. We're still living as
usual."

"You call that normal???"

"Itsuki..."

"I think Yamazaki is correct. Although the two think you haven't gone too
far outside, it's already enough. With that, it must be even more excessive at
home."

As far as the results were concerned, this behavior showed how good their
relationship was. Amane wanted to argue that this was not intentional, but
even if he said that, the people next to him would not listen.

Amane became speechless, and the surrounding boys reacted to the word
"home" one after another. Only then did he realize that Itsuki had leaked
extra information.

"Basically, Shiina is usually at Amane's home. The atmosphere between

you must be very sweet. Instead of a couple, they should be called fierce
lovers."
"Itsuki!"

"You can't hide this kind of thing for long, so it's better to tell it first.
Besides, someone saw you walk into the same apartment complex when
you go home. Before anyone has a strange misunderstanding, please correct
it with accurate facts as soon as possible. Let's go

(Otherwise, letting others have inexplicable misunderstandings will cause

Shiina trouble) Itsuki's eyes once again made Amane speechless.

If you make people around you feel that you just go to spend the night as
soon as you are dating, that's not good at all. Amane did not want to see
Mahiru be despised because of this.

In fact, there have been cases of staying overnight, or more accurately,

lending the bed to Mahiru, but they did not sleep in the same room. It was
true that Mahiru had slept with Amane unconsciously, but he didn't really
sleep together at that time, so it probably doesn't count.

"Speaking of which you and Shiina live nearby...Is this neighborhood

particularly close?"

"...Well, it's the same apartment after all, she often comes to me."

"In other words, as long as you go to Fujimiya's house, you can stop by
Shiina..."

"First, I won't ask you to go, and second, even if you go by yourself, you
can only go to the front hall of the apartment. If you try to commit a crime,
you will be taken out by the security guard."

Although the apartment where Amane and Mahiru live was not as high-end
as a guard at the front desk, the security facilities were quite adequate. This
apartment was geared towards the more affluent class. It not only has its
own courtyard, but also has security guards on duty. If anyone behaves
suspiciously, they will definitely be taken away by security.
"That was a joke just now...So Shiina stayed at Fujimiya's house all day
long?"

"Also, it's not to the point where it's all day long...but I stay together a lot."

This description is really inappropriate all day long. Because Mahiru stays
in Amane's room except for bathing and going to bed, this is close to the
point of living together. However, if I said this, I'm afraid it would cause a
lot of waves, so Amane remained silent.

The information alone has already made the boys press on with their eyes
wide open. Judging from the constant movement of the chairs, they were
quite shocked.

"Hey, hey, this is too unsound!"

"What kind of plot is the same as the usual tricks of childhood playmates in
Little Butter! I think this is not good!"

"But in fact, the relationship between these two people is more sound than
sound. It is too sound. As a bystander, I want to shout that you can do it
quickly."

"What's the meaning of..."

After two weeks of dating, it would be too impatient to develop that kind of
behavior, not to mention that Amane still has anxiety in his heart-if he
really likes Mahiru so much that he yearns for her, will this make Mahiru
think he just likes her? What about the body?

Amane wasn't so eager, and he didn't want to just impose his own ideas on
Mahiru to burden her. What's more, two people haven't kissed before, how
can they do that kind of thing.

"If it is to take it slowly step by step, it can be considered under the premise
of mutual agreement, but I can't do such a thing by imposing my desire on
her."
This kind of topic always made Amane feel shy when he said it. His voice
became smaller and smaller, while Itsuki looked around, and then shrugged
his shoulders deliberately.

"Look at it? For Shiina, this is also a major factor in her liking for Amane.
This guy is really a super gentleman. He is already cautious and considerate
to the point of being a coward."

"Fujimiya, do you really have that? Can you stand up? Or that you are
actually a girl?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Why don't I look like a boy anymore?" Amane couldn't help but frown, but
the people around him started to babble again, "Why are such a lovely girl
like Lord Angel by your side, you won't push her down?" Or "this coward"
or something, now he even pulls the corners of his mouth.

"Don't say a few words, don't care about it anymore. We have to interact at
our own pace, without others interrupting."

"But Shiina seems to have asked Chii for some advice."

"Then please remind you and Chitose not to let her instill weird things into
Mahiru, otherwise I will have a headache."

Although Mahiru has common sense and judgment, he has no experience in

dating. Amane is worried whether she will learn wrong knowledge because
of this.

"You mean, "I'm the only one who can teach the innocent Shiina" or
something?"

"Can you converge a little bit?"

"Why did you have this idea?" Amane stared at Itsuki accusingly, but Itsuki
pretended to be completely unaware.
"Alright, alright. Besides, even if Chii is stopped, there will be other girls
who say various things to Shiina. According to them, this is called "Because
Shiina who is in love is so cute, I need to give her some advice."

"What if Mahiru remembers strange knowledge?"

"That's called Shiina's cute effort in love."

"I don't deny this, but I really hope you can also experience my feelings
when my heart is hit."

"My girlfriend is going all out for you, isn't it great?"

After being said that, Amane could no longer deny it, so he frowned-but
this time he didn't vomit any more dissatisfaction. Itsuki might have known
that Amane would react this way, so he smiled.

"Anyway, all these efforts are to make you like her more, so you will
definitely not refuse, right."

"What's bad is that your girlfriend can't distinguish the importance of

teaching things to others."

"I don't think Chii would teach such radical things. She is also a reasonable
person."

"Really……"

"But two days ago, I saw Shirakawa talking to Shiina about what to do
when holding someone else, and also said, "This week will be very happy.""

"Itsuki, as a supervisor, you are negligent."

"Blaming me!?"

"Sure enough, Mahiru is being taught strange things!" Amane looked at

Itsuki with reproach. It is not difficult to imagine that Chitose will instill all
kinds of knowledge (in the good sense and the bad sense) about the
communication between men and women. The only person who can put the
brakes on Chitose was Itsuki, so of course, Itsuki should stop her in time.

"Really" Amane sighed. The people around didn't know what to say, they
all looked at Amane quietly.

"So you've done it?"

One boy spoke out on behalf of everyone. Although Amane replied, "...I
didn't mean that," none of the boys present believed this answer.

"Speaking of which seemed to be very lively in the physical education class

today, did anything interesting happen?"

After returning home from school, Amane was suddenly asked such a
question. Unprepared, he was taken aback, and the mobile phone he was
holding fell on his lap.

Amane's phone was heavy with a flip-type protective case, and it really hurt
when it hits his leg. In such pain, he turned his gaze back to Mahiru, and
found that she still looked puzzled beside him.

It seems that Mahiru knew about the boys chatting during the gym class. At
that time, everyone talked until the end of class. When Mahiru returned to
the classroom, she must have heard the voice.

"Uh, how do you say that, please don't mind."

I can't say that my classmates are asking themselves "Which step have you
progressed?" Amane had to look away. So Mahiru became more confused.

"Huh...? But when Amane-kun said this, it seemed to refer to things that I
should actually care about."

"Anyway, it's a bunch of things that boys talk about when they are
together."
"This, this...is it something that you don't want to talk about, or can't talk
about it?"

"Should I say that I can't tell, or it's hard to tell..."

It seems that there will be some misunderstandings going on like this, but it
is really too shy to elaborate. Amane had to choose a very vague answer. As
a result, Mahiru looked at Amane and fell into silence.

She didn't know what to say to herself, or was she dissatisfied...Amane

couldn't help feeling a little stomachache, and then Mahiru smiled as if she
couldn't help it.

"Ah, if Amane-kun is unwilling to talk about it, it doesn't matter if you don't
talk about it. It is not good to ask at the bottom, and Amane-kun also has his
own privacy. Men must only talk to men on topics, and there must be
women who don’t. It’s the right part to ask.”

"Honestly, I feel very complicated when you express your understanding

like this...But it's not something that Mahiru has thought so secretly. Do you
think it doesn't matter if you don't ask?"

"Amane-kun certainly doesn't want to inquire carefully about the content

that only girls can talk to, right?"

"Of course. Because it's easy to offend others, I won't ask about things that
others don't want to be asked. Even if Mahiru is my girlfriend, it doesn't
mean that I can limit Mahiru's life or thoughts."

Girls will say all kinds of things in girls’ circles, and Amane knew that.
Although he was also concerned about what Mahiru was going to say, the
content in it always made him feel scared, so he didn't have the idea of
asking him clearly. Having said that, there are some people who encounter
this situation, and they want to ask the bottom of the question.

Amane felt that Mahiru has her own life, so even if he was her lover, he
must respect her privacy.
"The bounds should be clearly separated." He looked straight at Mahiru's
eyes this time, and then saw her giggling with a soft smile.

"I'm the same as Amane-kun. I think it's wrong to know everything about
each other because I like it. Even if I don't understand that, my liking for
Amane-kun will not change."

"...I think this is also Mahiru's charm."

"That is the same for Amane-kun."

Mahiru's voice was also very elegant when he laughed. She nestled on
Amane's shoulders, showing a deep trust in Amane. This feeling made
Amane's heart feel a little itchy. While gently touching the back of Mahiru's
delicate hand with his fingers, he asked her softly, "Are you really not going
to ask?"

Although those words didn't really want to speak out on their own initiative,
they weren't considered as secrets that had to be kept in my heart. If Mahiru
feels uneasy about this, it's better to tell her what happened. Amane had
such thoughts, but Mahiru was still cuddling him, smiling.

"If Amane-kun wants me to ask, then I will ask, if you don't want to say,
that is fine."

Mahiru gave the decision to Amane. So Amane hesitated for about ten
seconds before speaking slowly.

"...Well, that is, how should I say, they asked me if there has been any
change since I started dating Mahiru, and where I have progressed.
Anyway, these are a little gossip."

Maybe those people had further fantasies, but since they didn't say it,
Amane did not respond one by one. However, the boys do care about the
changes in him, so Amane answered Mahiru with this as the main theme.

Mahiru smiled bitterly and said, "Everyone really cares." She seemed to
understand Amane's hesitant voice.
"But what has changed after the relationship...that, I think only the
mentality has changed, so I will consciously get in touch with each other."

"After all, the distance between Mahiru and I is very close. It is not so much
that we have changed, but it may be that the environment around us has
changed a lot."

Amane looked back on his previous experience with Mahiru and found that
they had skin-to-skin contact that met the standard, but there were also
some strange things that were not done between lovers, such as in order to
act as a flower-protecting messenger for Mahiru. Her hand hugged her
tightly for comfort, and he even kissed Mahiru's cheek in order to fight
back.

Now that I want to come here, it makes people very embarrassed, and it
also makes Amane question why he didn't respond to Mahiru's intentions at
the time. In fact, it was precisely because of his inner cautiousness-no, it
should be said that he was timid and suspicious, that he was unable to make
up his mind.

At that time, Amane did not act respectfully, but he was determined to work
hard in the future until he could lead Mahiru and behave properly.

"Really. Because Amane-kun started to care about his appearance, you

looks completely different from before. It has become easier for girls to talk
to you."

"They talk to me to cheer me on..."

"But some people say that Amane-kun is very handsome, and that you're
cute when you smile."

"That's probably the smiling face to Mahiru...I don't care about others."

Amane always felt that his girlfriend seemed to be subtly jealous just now,
and he tried to calm her down in a low voice. She seemed very happy, and
rubbed Amane's shoulder with her forehead.
This appearance was too innocent and too cute, but if he really said that,
Mahiru would protest "Are you treating me like a child?" So Amane smiled
quietly and left this sentence. In my heart.

He looked at the happy Mahiru with a smile, and recalled the scene when he
was surrounded by classmates. Speaking of which, there is one more thing
you have to ask Mahiru.

"By the way, I also heard a piece of information that I can't ignore."

"Hm?"

"Mahiru, you seem to be asking Chitose and other girls for advice. They
didn't tell you anything strange, did they?"

"You didn't talk about the relationship in too much detail, did you?" Amane
looked at Mahiru and asked her in a confirming tone. As a result, Mahiru
looked up at Amane stiffly, and then suddenly looked away.

"...Just a little bit."

"It turns out that there are some...I'm not saying you can't, but if we make
our relationship completely public, then it is better not to do that kind of
consultation. Otherwise, all these things will be exposed to everyone, and I
will be ashamed to death. "

"I-I will be careful."

The consultation itself will not cause any problems, but Amane must
prevent both of them from being exposed. Although he believes that Mahiru
had the ability to judge, she also has a natural side, so there was always
nothing wrong with giving advice.

Mahiru probably realized that she was talking too much to her friends, and
her body was curled up.

Amane himself is not completely disagreeing with Itsuki or Yuuta, but he

will screen the content without involving too much information. He
guessed, could it be that Mahiru felt some kind of great dissatisfaction or
anxiety?

"...Or do you feel very upset after interacting with me?"

"No, it's not about being uneasy or something...Well, I, I just asked them,
what should I do to make Amane-kun happy."

"As long as you can stay with me, I will be very happy..."

"Mm...Amane-kun always said that, "It's enough for you to be by my side."

You doesn't have great material desires, and you also don't make many
demands from others."

"I think this evaluation can also be applied to Mahiru's body."

And it was applied to Mahiru exactly. But Mahiru's caramel eyes blinked,
and then she smiled seductively.

"...I am very greedy? It's because I want to dominate Amane-kun, I want

you to act like a baby, and I also want to act like a baby to you."

"I still think this sentence can be returned to you all the same."

"So Amane-kun wants to act like a baby to me too?"

"...B-because I like you, so of course I want to, and I want to get used to
you. But that monopoly is still limited to the home, and I will be patient
outside."

Mahiru may not have any obvious feelings, but Amane himself thinks that
he is a person with a strong desire for exclusivity.

Common sense and reason told him that Mahiru has her own feelings and
has her own life. She should be given freedom. Amane himself intends to
respect this...However, he also feels that his girlfriend can't be seen casually
by others.
He knew that Mahiru was very popular among students, and he accepted
this. However, Amane also hugged her in his arms, expressing that this cute
girl belonged to him. He hoped that Mahiru's sweet expression was his only,
and only he could act spoiled to her in the world.

Amane's fascination with Mahiru had reached such a point that he wanted
Mahiru to be completely his.

"Unexpectedly, my view of love was so heavy..." Amane laughed at himself

in his heart, but Mahiru appeared inexplicably happy and shy.

"...I found one thing that Amane-kun changed after we started dating."

"What is it?"

"Amane-kun can frankly express his feelings and love."

Mahiru shyly looked up at Amane, not only was he not bored with the
heavy feelings that Amane himself felt, but also cuddled with him, hoping
to accept all these things.

Amane found that he had indeed become more candid than before.

The long-buried emotions finally bloomed in his heart. He hoped to cherish

his girlfriend and not misunderstand her because of his words and deeds. In
this way, he would naturally speak in a softer tone, clearly expressing his
liking to Mahiru, so as not to make her feel lost.

"That's it, just talking or just relying on attitude won't work. I heard that if
you can't express your likes well, love will not go smoothly."

"Amane-kun has done a good job on this point."

"That's what makes you unhappy?"

"No, of course I think this is good, but...that, sometimes it’s not good for
my heart."

"You're too sleazy." Mahiru pouted up slightly.

(This look really is unreasonably cute) Amane thought while patting her
head.

"How do you have the right to say that, every time it treats my heart so
badly"

"What did I do?"

"It's cute and unprepared at all times. It makes people uncomfortable."

"...Amane-kun also is not good for my heart."

After speaking, Mahiru began to slap Amane's chest. Amane couldn't fight
back in the same way, so he could only softly poke her in the cheek.
Chapter 7: Not so sexy
“Amane-kun, something came up today. I will be going home separately.”

After school had ended, Amane planned to return home with Mahiru as
usual, but she suddenly notified him of this change.

Normally, they would return together, as they were neighbors. Amane had
not thought that she would make such a request, and ended up staring at her,
thinking.

Even if Mahiru had something to do, she would often go with Amane. Since
she tactfully refused to include him this time, there must have been
something she did not want Amane to know.

Judging from her expression, Amane understood that it was not anything
bad, so he was not worried.

The nights during the summer came late. As long as it did not take too long
to finish, there would not be an issue, although Amane was still sad about
wanting to stay with Mahiru. (Note*: its day two and he’s already suffering
withdrawal)

“Well, that’s okay, I’ll see you later then.”

Amane knew that Mahiru would still spend time with him at home, and he
respected Mahiru’s wishes.

Mahiru seemed to relax now that Amane had accepted, but then suddenly
popped up, seemingly worried.

“…Please don’t go home with other girls.”

“Do I look like the type of person to do such a thing?”

“I do not think so, but there may be someone who would invite Amane-
kun…it’s not impossible, and I don’t like it. Also, there were some girls a
while ago who asked to talk to you…”

It was a miracle that Amane stayed silent.

(…I-Is she jealous?) (Note*: yes you idiot)

Anyone who saw Amane’s attitude towards Mahiru would deem it

impossible to invite him, but Mahiru still seemed worried.

Also, the girls who asked to talk to him earlier supported the relationship,
and only wanted to congratulate and cheer them on. There was nothing to
worry about.

Mahiru looked a little uncomfortable, looking up at Amane with anxiety.

Amane, who thought this entire debacle was too cute, had the urge to pat
her head. However, looking around at the mass of people, he gave up on the
idea.

The last time he did such a thing, many were petrified by Mahiru’s smile.
He was careful not to repeat the same mistake.

“It’s okay, my heart is only for you. I won’t agree to other people’s
invitations. The most that will happen is Chitose dragging me around.”
(Note*: he may be a blockhead, but at least he knows how to talk smooth)

“…That’s okay.”

Chitose seemed to be within the permitted scope. After all, she had Itsuki,
so it was impossible for her to look at Amane.

Hearing Amane say this, Mahiru relaxed again, and looked up at Amane,
wearing a shy expression this time.

“Also, if you misunderstand, it would be bad, so you can know where I am

going.”

“You don’t need to keep it a secret?”

“...Uh-huh”

Although she said it wasn’t confidential, Amane felt the hesitation.

However, she seemed to be intending to continue, so Amane waited.

“Then, that…I’m going shopping.”

“Really? Then what’s there to be shy about?”

“Chitose and I…are going to buy swimsuits.”

“Swimsuits?”

Indeed, in July, the mall officially began to sell swimwear.

There was an area specializing in swimwear in the mall where Amane often
went. Amane clearly remembered that the girls in the class said they were
going to buy it.

However, Amane never thought that Mahiru would actually buy swimsuits
by herself.

After all, Mahiru did not know how to swim.

She personally said that because she didn't want to swim, she chose a
school that didn't make swimming lessons a compulsory subject.

Because of that, Mahiru needs to buy swimsuits.

"...Don't you want to go to the pool together...?"

Mahiru shuddered and shrank shyly. Amane froze when he heard it, and
then covered his face.

(...Don't say it with that expression)

Unsurprisingly, the classmates who stayed in the classroom were all looking
at Amane's side.
From the dull looks to the warm smiles, the various expressions towards
Amane made him feel embarrassed and ashamed and unable to calm down.
Amane had his heart beating violently when he saw Mahiru's shy
expression, and if he was stared at in this atmosphere, he wanted to dig a
hole to crawl in.

"...That's it. Then...you go."

"Okay, okay...which one is better?"

"The kind that is not dangerous."

Amane had to answer immediately.

With a figure like Mahiru, no matter what kind of swimsuit she wore, she
would look great, but it's best if she doesn't show too much.

After all, Amane had been dating Mahiru for a few weeks, and he had
barely seen Mahiru's exposed skin.

At school, Mahiru would button up all the way to her neck and wear tights.
Dressing up so tightly often made people worry whether she was too hot.

At home, the clothes she wore always covered the chest, and most of the
skirts were long skirts. When wearing shorts, she also wore a pantyhose or
tights.

In other words, Amane has hardly seen the skin of Mahiru's body. After all,
there was no chance.

In this situation, if Mahiru chose a sexy swimsuit, Amane would surely

faint.

Seeing Amane decisively say this, Mahiru's eyes widened at first, and then
she smiled softly.

"It's Amane-kun's style."

"I will die. Fancy styles are no good."

"Hmph, what should I do?"

"Mahiru..."

"I shall discuss with Chitose and choose the one that will make Amane-kun
happy."

Looking at the shy Mahiru, Amane tightened his lips.

(I need to send a message to Chitose, I better tell her not to recommend any
strange swimwear)

This matter was not only a matter of life and death to Amane; He would
have to stop Chitose in the future anyway.

Chitose seems to have returned things to friends in other classes, not in this
classroom. Amane decided to post a message to her, and then poked Mahiru
who seemed to be thinking about a prank in the face.

In the end, Mahiru didn't tell Amane what kind of swimwear she bought.
Instead, she changed the subject dodged the question, saying, "Please look
forward to the day I wear it."

Although Amane tentatively exhorted Chitose, it was difficult to say

whether Chitose would listen. On the contrary, Amane felt that she would
happily say "Amane would like it" and then recommend a highly revealing
swimsuit to Mahiru.

"Please don't be fancy."

Amane's self-talk echoed in the bathroom, only he could hear it.

As Mahiru took the initiative to take care of the work, Amane left her to
clean up after the meal, and she was taking a shower to wash away the
sweat on her body. The swimsuit was always in his mind.
Amane is also a male high school student, and of course he wonders what
kind of swimwear his girlfriend will wear.

The way she showed her slender body without reservation would be
fascinating without a doubt. Mahiru originally had a rugged figure, if he put
on a bikini again, Amane would definitely not be able to see it right away.

Amane just imagined that his heart became noisy and his body was hot.
Although it is also related to soaking in the bathtub, he has become hotter in
another sense.

(...Whatever clothes should be suitable for Mahiru, but I would be

embarrassed to look at her, and can I be able to stand next to her)

Amane has the right to look at Mahiru, and he has the right to be by her
side, but standing next to Mahiru will make him look inferior in all respects.

Looking at his body, there is still a great distance from the ideal. Although
Amane had no cellulite and the bumps on his abdominal muscles are visible
to the naked eye, he still hasn't reached his ideal body shape. In the eyes of
other people, the impression left by it is mainly "skinny", and it will never
be reliable and styled. Man.

Amane thought, it would be better if he had stronger bones, but given that
his parents are quite thin, this is probably hereditary and there is no
solution. However, his height is okay, which I am very grateful to his
parents.

"...Talk to Kadowaki, let's do more muscle training."

The foundation has been laid, and the recent muscle exercises happened to
be a little insufficient. Increase the intensity of the exercise within the range
that can be tolerated. By the time you wear a swimsuit, your body shape
should be better than it is now. I guess so.

Now that he has decided to stand beside Mahiru, he must not neglect his
efforts, even if it is to increase his self-confidence, he has to work harder.
He sighed and soaked half of his face in the water.

Amane Wang thought about the appearance of Mahiru in a swimsuit, and

imagined herself standing next to her, worrying and worrying, and ended up
taking a bath too much.

Usually, Amane only soaks for about 10 minutes, but this time it takes more
than half an hour. You can see how distressed he is.

It took more than three times the time to take a bath, and it was more than
half past 10 o'clock. Amane confirmed the waterproof clock in the
bathroom, and it must be correct. Mahiru basically returned to his home at
10 o'clock, and he should have gone back now.

Amane came to the conclusion that "it was natural for her to go back." He
wiped off the dripping water from his body and quickly put on the clothes.
Because he had been soaking for too long, his body was very hot, so he
didn't put on his shirt and planned to blow on the air conditioner to cool off.

He only wore a pair of sports pants and a bath towel on his head, then left
the dressing room and walked back to the living room. If you let your
parents see this look, they would probably say that Amane is "sloppy" and
"be careful of breaking your stomach."

Thinking about whether there are any good programs, I walked into the
living room while watching the TV. At this time, he found a familiar flax
hair hung on the back of the sofa.

(Has she not gone back yet)

Normally, Mahiru will not be here at this time, but this time it seems to be
rare.

She lowered her head slightly and looked at her arms moving. She was
probably studying what she should have done at home. Seeing Mahiru's
continued efforts, Amane approached her with admiration.

"You're still here at this time. It's really rare to see you."
Amane picked up the remote control on the table and spoke to Concentrated
Mahiru as he changed the channel. Then, she seemed to notice Amane,
raised her head, and then solidified.

"Ah, uh, uh..."

"What's wrong"

"W-why, shirtless..."

After taking a shower in summer, Amane would often dress like this, he
didn't think it was strange. On the other hand, Mahiru visibly panicked,
covering his face with his palm, and red skin could be seen between his
fingers.

"It's really hot right now?"

"I-I'm still here, please don't dress like this"

"No, I thought you were going back...it's already 10:30."

"I planned to tell Amane-kun and then go back."

Amane understood the reason why Mahiru was still here, and sat next to
her.

Immediately afterward, her shoulders shook suddenly, and Amane couldn't

help but laugh.

"...Are you still shy?"

"That's for sure!"

"However, since you bought a swimsuit, do you plan to see my swimsuit

too? I don't think there are as many swimsuits exposed now. Isn't that
okay?"

"Well…"
Mahiru said that she bought swimsuits to go swimming with Amane.

In this case, she should have thought of wearing swimsuits with Amane.

In other words, seeing Amane's half-naked was a prerequisite. Nevertheless,

she was now embarrassed when she saw Amane's half-naked body, which
made Amane worry about whether she would be able to go to the pool.

Since she was shy when she sees Amane, it would be a question of whether
she could stand the swimsuits of the men around her.

Even before they became lovers, Mahiru was embarrassed to see Amane
half naked, indicating that she was a little bit resistant to seeing a man
showing his skin. It was hard to say whether she can go to places like
swimming pools and seaside.

"...The swimsuit is prepared, but you might not be able to go to the pool."

"That's what it says"

"Then get used to it now?"

Amane is less exposed than his swimsuit now. This is an opportunity for
Mahiru to get used to it, but Mahiru shook his head again and again.

"I, I can't do it. If Amane-kun is like this, I can't do it."

"why"

"...Amane, Amane-kun, I feel so sexy."

"Sexy?"

"Amane-kun just finished taking a bath, I can't stand it."

From the very beginning, Mahiru didn't meet Amane's eyes, it seemed that
it wasn't just the reason for seeing the body.
Even if Mahiru says sexy, Amane thought he has no charm, but Mahiru
didn't seem to think so.

Indeed, Mahiru is incredibly charming when he just takes a shower. The

way the person she likes after taking a shower will be like this in her eyes.

Usually Amane was embarrassed by Mahiru. Today, when he saw Mahiru's

shy face, Amane's sadistic heart was slightly hooked, which made him feel
a little happy. However, if he goes too far, Mahiru will be too shy to bear.

"If you really don't like it, I'll go and put on a dress."

"No, it doesn't mean you don't like it...Please, please wait a moment, I will
work hard."

"If I can't stand it if I don't work hard, then I still put my clothes on--"

"I, I want to get used to it now! Because I will go swimming and swimming
pool with Amane-kun later."

After speaking, Mahiru glanced at Amane's side, then his face flushed, and
his eyes drifted to other places. Hearing Mahiru's pitiful determination,
Amane laid his temper and watched her work hard.

Amane didn't ridicule Mahiru's reaction any more, because if the person in
Mahiru's position was him, then he would definitely not know where to put
his gaze more than he is now, and he might even run away directly.

"I have been watching Amane-kun's recent efforts. I can see the results of
Amane-kun's hard work. I am also very happy that I have always supported
Amane-kun."

"Um"

"No, but...that...Recently, Amane-kun has been a bit too handsome. Since

he gained confidence, Amane-kun has been too handsome and can't stand it,
Amane-kun is bad-hearted!"

"Bad--"
"It's Amane-kun who is making my heart beat now."

"...This is not right."

Amane knew that he was making Mahiru's heart beating, but Mahiru felt
that his heart was calm, which surprised Amane. Now Amane's heart is the
same as Mahiru, beating faster than usual.

What's more, Amane had to sit next to Mahiru, and he had to hold the
worries that Mahiru would not have. For Amane, the wicked one is clearly
the real day.

Amane thought that Mahiru could understand her own feelings, so he

stretched out her hand to Mahiru and hugged her slender body into her
arms.

Probably because he didn't look towards Amane carefully, Mahiru was

careless for a moment to let Amane Ease hug her, even his face was
attached to Amane's body.

The small body in his arms trembled obviously.

"Amane Amane Amane Amane-kun"

"...You can scold me for sexual harassment, you can run away right away, I
just want you to experience how I feel now."

Hugging each other shirtlessly is something Amane normally wouldn't have

done. Rather, Amane would never intentionally appear shirtless in front of
Mahiru, but there was nothing to do today.

"In other words, my heart is beating non-stop now....Then, after all, I am a

male, and there is something wrong with Mahiru."

Of course, Amane knew very well that he was responsible for the current
situation, so he was not blaming Mahiru, but anyway, being alone with his
lover at night is enough to make Amane unable to calm down.
Therefore, it was certainly impossible that Mahiru's heartbeat sped up
alone.

Mahiru's cheek in his arms pressed against Amane's chest, his face flushed.
She seemed to hear Amane's heartbeat and blinked repeatedly in surprise.

Feeling that Mahiru had understood what he meant, Amane released his
hands from Mahiru's body, but Mahiru continued to lean on Amane's body
and had no intention of getting up.

"...I'm sorry to make you upset."

"No, I didn't feel uncomfortable...It's just that, that...Leaning in Amane-

kun's arms like this, I feel that Amane-kun is really masculine."

"Then what did you think of me before?"

Amane felt that Mahiru had just said something impolite, and frowned
slightly, but seeing her eyes panicked and her body trembling, Amane eased
the expression on her face.

"No, it's not that I didn't think it before. It's just that...Just stick it directly on
Amane-kun like this...It feels that Amane-kun is very masculine."

Although a little hard to tell, Mahiru confessed his feelings to Amane. As

she spoke, she stretched out her hand and stroked Amane's body. Although
hesitated a little, his movements were very careful and careful, as if he was
stroking fragile objects. Therefore, rather than being shy, Amane Xian felt
itchy.

"...Amane-kun, so thin..."

"Sorry, it's pretty unreliable, right"

"No such thing. That, harder and stronger than expected, I was surprised..."

Mahiru slowly traced Amane's body center with his fingers.

Although Amane does not have any prominent muscles, thanks to the
exercise, it is still firm and firm. . Mahiru's fingers crossed Amane Rio’s
looming abdominal muscles, confirming the touch.

Although he said it was for Mahiru to get used to his skin, now itching,
depression, and shame are rushing up together, making Amane into a
situation where he has to grit his teeth to stop himself from making a sound.

"I haven't touched a male body before. It feels very fresh and surprising..."

"...Feel free to touch if you want, but if you touch too much, something
bothering you will happen."

Mahiru raised his head and blinked as he watched Amane. Despite the
shyness in her eyes, they were extremely pure. Seeing Mahiru's flawless
eyes, Amane realized that he was the only one struggling, and he was
slightly annoyed.

However, the touch of the fingertips coming from the skin made Amane's
body seem to be reacting very badly. At this point, he still had to stop it. He
didn't want to make Mahiru afraid.

"You have been touching for so long, maybe I will touch you too"

Amane Ban jokingly touched Mahiru's waist lightly, and then she shook her
body with a "Yeah". Mahiru was originally a very ticklish physique, and a
light touch would make her tremble. Amane didn't use so much effort, she
made such a sensitive reaction.

Amane originally planned to touch Mahiru for a while and stop until
Mahiru, if he gets angry, he will immediately let go and apologize. But
Mahiru was more shy than angry. She squinted and pressed her forehead to
Amane's chest.

"I, I like being touched by Amane-kun, so it doesn't matter...It's just that,

don't, don't tickle me?"
Mahiru's whole body was completely attached, and he raised his head to
look at Amane. It seemed that she had no awareness of her weapons.

Mahiru’s words, Mahiru’s expression, Mahiru’s eyes, Mahiru’s posture,

Mahiru’s sweet breath, all violently eroded Amane’s rationality, and there
was only one last blow left before Amane rationale collapsed.

Amane bit his lower lip with his teeth, barely suppressed the impulse with
the pain, and then looked at Mahiru's cheek. There was neither doubt nor
warning in her eyes, only her own face.

"...Is it really possible to touch you?"

"Well, why not? I already said that I want Amane-kun to touch me.
Moreover, since I touched Amane-kun, Amane-kun also has the right to
touch me back."

"No, no, it means that, although I made the mistake first, but the current
state is really not good...you are clear about it?"

Amane felt that Mahiru didn't realize the current situation, and there was no
turning back one step forward, so he asked her in a confirming tone. After
hearing that, after Mahiru blinked for a few times, her face was red
throughout.

Mahiru's small mouth opened and closed as if she was about to say
something, but she shrank back in silence and lowered her head.

She did not appear to be running away, but the ears peeking through her
hair were dyed red, presumably from shame.

"Woo, that, that...also, or later, let's talk about it..."

Mahiru squeezed out this sentence as best he could, and begged Amane for
an extension. Amane turned aside and nodded when he heard it.

"...I beg you too...I feel that I might have done it accidentally...Or I am
afraid that I will be impulsive."
The rationality of the male high school student was simply unreliable, so
seeing this unsuspecting posture, he might just hug him directly into the
bedroom.

Amane has already decided to cherish Mahiru, and in the future, he also
wanted to cherish every minute, second and every experience between the
two of them slowly, so he is unwilling to let his instinct go directly to the
last step with Mahiru. Not to mention that it is Mahiru who will lose more
at that time, and it will be her who is more painful.

Amane also tried his best to squeeze out this sentence. When Mahiru heard
this, he trembled and peered at Amane secretly. Amane endured the shame
that could not be concealed, and gently touched her head.

"Please, I want to cherish you, so pay more attention."

Amane told her gently. "I-I will try my best..." In Amane's arms, Mahiru
responded shyly in a voice lacking confidence.
Chapter 8: Do not feed
One month passed after starting their relationship.

Amane hadn't even kissed actively until now, and he didn't know how to get
closer to Mahiru.

Although he and Mahiru had held hands and hugged each other, they didn't
go any further.

A few days ago, Amane had embraced her naked to the upper body, but did
not do anything. If Itsuki caught wind, he would definitely laughed at. Of
course, Amane felt that the judgment he made at the time was not wrong,
but he also understood that it would not be surprising if he was accused of
being a coward.

Amane wanted to deepen the relationship with Mahiru, but he was afraid to
go further. If she rejected him, or he hurt Mahiru and made her cry, Amane
would never get over it. He also knew that this was why he was called a
coward.

Amane glanced at Mahiru, who was sitting next to him.

A few days had passed since Mahiru said that she could touch her.
Although she had been a little restless the next day, she probably knew that
Amane didn't plan to anything too much, and now she has changed back to
her original state. Amane himself was thinking about the fact that the
attitude of the party who was going to do it was a problem, but he was
inevitably nervous after all.

"...What's wrong?"

Mahiru noticed Amane's look on his face, but she didn't seem to notice
Amane's entanglement.

"Uh, that is, what should I say...well, I don't know how to touch Mahiru."
"I want to touch, but I don't dare to touch so casually," Amane added in a
low voice, not being timid. These words seemed to remind Mahiru of what
happened a few days ago, her eyes widening as her eyes started to drift
away.

Mahiru seemed to have completely forgotten the matter, and her reaction
couldn't help but make Amane laugh.

"Hmm, what does Mahiru want me to do?"

"...Why are you asking me?"

"Well, that's because Mahiru is the one who's being touched? I don't want to
do things you don't like, and I want to be gentle with you as much as
possible."

It was absolutely out of the question for Amane to make Mahiru unpleasant.
Amane would be condemned by his conscience and reason, and if his
parents caught wind of it, he would definitely be scolded by them.

It was inevitable that he would be at a loss, since it was his first time. If
Mahiru was dissatisfied, Amane would also be hurt inside, so he hoped to
satisfy Mahiru's wants.

With such thoughts in mind, Amane looked straight at Mahiru. She

wriggled her body, unable to sit still, and just leaned on Amane's shoulder.

"Well, Amane-kun only needs to do what he likes, and I can accept it. Just
don't tickle or pinch my stomach."

"...There is not enough fat to pinch your stomach, right?"

"I did a good job managing my body as a girl, but regardless of whether
there is fat or not, I don't like being pinched by my boyfriend."

"Ah, I didn't plan to do something that annoys you, but..is this really okay?"

"I said it's okay."

Although Mahiru clearly said it was okay, she still seemed a little
embarrassed. As soon as he touched her shoulders, Amane could feel a
slight tremor.

Amane was happy to comply, yet at the same time he reminded himself to
be careful.

The mood to touch her was very strong, but Amane didn't know how to
start. After hesitating for a full ten seconds, Amane held up Mahiru, who
was leaning on him and gently hugged her body.

Amane found that Mahiru's petite body was shivering slightly in his arms,
so he patted her back with gentle movements to relieve her stiff body.

The careful action was just to tell Mahiru that Amane didn't plan to do
anything to scare her, so relaxed his body and leaned back on Amane.

"...Don't worry, I won't do anything."

"I-I'm not afraid...well, I don't know if I should be shy...but I am still

expecting something."

"Expecti-?"

"Mm...a kiss, or something..."

Mahiru pressed her face to Amane's chest and murmured while she shrank.
This time it was Amane's turn to tremble.

"...I-I know that Amane-kun likes me very much, and I also understand that
Amane-kun cherishes me like a treasure...but, I think, Amane-kun should
love me more."

Mahiru said something pitiful and affectionate in Amane's heart.

The usual Mahiru was exuding cuteness in all directions, and now she
unconsciously threw the incredible cuteness at her lover. Thanks to Mahiru,
Amane's head and reason were faltering.
Amane was afraid that if he didn't pay attention, he would pick her up and
bite her skin directly, so he had to substitute with his lip to restrain the
impulse.

"I didn't intend to urge Amane-kun, and I also know that my request is too,
too shameless..."

There was a mixture of shy and apologetic expressions on Mahiru's face as

she whispered in a weeping voice. Amane really couldn't help it anymore
and buried his face into her shoulder.

"...So annoying."

Mahiru seemed to hear Amane's whisper and was shaking anxiously.

Amane worried that the other party had misunderstood his meaning, so he
stared at Mahiru's tearful eyes.

"You are not good at this point. I can't control myself after listening to you,
and I don't want to let you go back."

"Think about how I feel when I hear such sweet words," Amane muttered
and tightly hugged Mahiru's body.

"I think Mahiru should cherish herself more."

"I-I do care for myself, but I love Amane-kun, so I want to do this."

"Please stop for a while...don't say such dangerous words anymore. You
can't test a man's rationality."

"Test...?"

"...If you know how much I love you and still say words like that, then you
are a little devil."

Amane also thought that Mahiru could've tempted him like this since he
was always unwilling to make a move, but then rejected that idea, since he
thought she was too innocent to do such a thing. Regardless, that meant
Mahiru had tempted Amane without even realizing it, which terrified
Amane's sanity.

Probably noticing that Amane was trying his best to endure, Mahiru's
cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked up at him with a coquettish
look.

"...I believe in Amane-kun?"

"I always feel that the trust you have in me is somewhat too much."

"I-I didn't mean that. Seeing Amane-kun struggling, I feel...very happy. No,
not just happy? I can feel Amane-kun attaches great importance to me, and
I know I a loved."

Hearing the joyful whisper, Amane involuntarily stared at Mahiru's face,

only to see a faint shyness on her face.

"Although my housekeeper taught me a lot in the past, I know that it is rare

for people like Amane-kun to listen to eachother's heart and respect
eachother's feelings. I know that Amane-kun respects and cherishes me very
much, so the previous time also gave me the right to choose.”

It is precisely because of the importance of Mahiru that she did not want to
do what she does not want-Amane's mood is clearly conveyed to Mahiru.
Under this premise, Mahiru still hopes that Amane can ask for herself.

Looking at Amane who was speechless for a while, Mahiru showed a shy
expression again.

"From the bottom of my heart, I think it’s great to love Amane-kun like
this."

When a happy, loving smile appeared on Mahiru's face, Amane couldn't

bear it anymore. He printed his lips on Mahiru's soft, loose and white
cheeks.

Amane felt the smooth and soft cheek that was far better than his own,
poured all his love into it, and gently kissed it. On the snow-white cheeks,
with the kiss as the center, a blush gradually spread.

"Um...I just kissed your face. Is that okay?"

He had kissed her on impulse, and only remembered to ask afterward.

However, Mahiru's face burst into a happy smiled.

"...I don't think this question was asked before I granted permission."

"What can I do...that, I can't help it anymore, I'm sorry..."

"It's very polite. How could I hate what Amane-kun did to me...Although I
would have a headache if I tickled or pinched my face, I wouldn't really feel
annoying?"

Having said that, Mahiru seemed to be about to fight back, and gently
pressed her lips to Amane's face, and then moved to the frozen Amane's ear.

"Well, how could I hate a lover's kiss?"

(Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

Doing this kind of thing, as Amane had just realized, was terrible for his
sanity. As Amane was in turmoil inside, he kissed the soft white cheek
again.

Amane forced the circling desire in his heart into a cage of reason, only to
hug Mahiru's petite body again to enjoy the pitiful appearance of his
girlfriend.

"Well, if Mahiru feels bad about it, then forget it. It's not right now."

"Not suitable, is it?"

"I can't control it anymore. It's already at the limit, although I also know it's
shameful."

"...If you can't control it, what will happen?"

"Probably, I might make Mahiru cry."

Amane didn't want to force Mahiru, let alone make her cry, but there was
always something that couldn't be restrained. Now he is hugging and
enjoying Mahiru's soft body, also because of this impulse. Rather, it is
almost a miracle to hold back and only do this step in itself.

Amane could have expected that, for Mahiru, I am afraid that Amane would
go directly to the next step, and she would not stop it. But because Amane
wanted to cherish Mahiru from now on, he couldn't allow himself to
continue.

Instead, in order to adapt to the helpless impulse, he slightly relaxed his

shackles.

Amane sniffed a sweet smell that was inexplicably stronger than before, and
slowly pressed his lips to Mahiru's neck. The slender neck was so white as
to be able to see the blood vessels inside. Just swiping her lips over, Mahiru
lightly trembled her slender body. But she didn't show annoyance, just
twisted her body slightly, as if she felt itchy.

His lips glided slowly and slowly, and when he drifted to the base of
Mahiru's neck, Amane filled his nose with the sweet smell, and then took a
bite. Of course, he didn't use enough force to leave a mark.

However, just touching it lightly, Mahiru let out a scream of "Mnyah~". But
she didn't run away. Instead, she squeezed Amane's clothes tightly and
acquiesced to Amane's actions.

It was too stimulating, directly attacking Amane's reason. Barely managing

to control himself, Amane finally left a mark on the neck where the school
uniform could cover it.

Looking at the only place on the snow-white skin that was stained with
color, Amane felt guilty, loving, excited, as well as a slight sense of
superiority and desire to conquer. Thinking like this, he felt that he was still
a shallow man after all.
Amane raised his head, and saw Mahiru's face flushed, and he looked at
him dimly with tears. There was no disgust in her eyes; they were just full
of shame.

"I'm really sorry, that, I'm not good."

Amane immediately realized that he was overdoing it, and when he was
about to bow his head to apologize, Mahiru opened Amane's closed collar,
and then directly bit the base of his neck that was exposed from the collar of
his T-shirt, near his shoulders.

That bite seemed to be accompanied by a lovely "click". After that, she

tried to suck on it with her lips, but failed. It would be better to say that her
mouth acted as if she was eating.

After a while, Mahiru removed her lips, and found that Amane's skin had
not only left no traces, but had not changed at all. She looked puzzled, and
then she might have noticed Amane's gaze, looking at her with half-
tempered, half-acting, yet trusting eyes.

"...A mark for a mark." (Note*: it didn’t even work tho?)

Mahiru's voice seemed to say, "Do you have any comments?" coupled with
the fact that he couldn't leave a trace, made Amane feel so warm.

Amane endured the mood of directly picking up Mahiru and bringing her to
the room, while whispering "baka". Being careful not to suck up her skin
again, he buried his face in Mahiru's neck.
Chapter 9: The beginning of
summer vacation
"Woohoo! Our summer vacation has finally arrived!"

"Why are you so excited?"

In the middle of July, after the assembly, closing ceremony, and notices of
precautions were all announced, the students were free to go.

At the end of the assembly, Itsuki suddenly bursted out in joy. Amane
couldn't help but stare at him, feeling sultry.

"Isn't it obvious? After the hell-like class is over, heaven is here...there is

paradise ahead!"

"That’s just because you don’t like learning. I personally don't mind it."

You, shut up. Don't forget, Amane, you can also have more time to make
love with Shiina.

It's amazing to say that we love each other...although, we don't spend 24

hours a day together.

It was better to say that they could simply have more time to talk.

When in the same space, they often studied together or did the housework.
It was not always mere lovemaking.

For Mahiru, it was obvious that she also exercised and maintained her
health and beauty. Amane would also run for exercise with her.

"...Let me reiterate. Just be conscious of your flirting. In fact, you haven't

even noticed that you two were constantly flirting."
"That's not true?"

"You two will occasionally smile, hug, hold hands, etc."

"That can't be denied."

Although Amane did not hug Mahiru a lot, he would often make such small
physical contact.

The standard of affection was difficult to define. Amane did not regard
these as love, but in the eyes of others, it seemed to be intimate.

"You see, your affection makes people feel hot just by watching it, right,
Yuuta?"

"Ah, ha ha, yes. I always feel shy when viewing you two."

"Even Kadowaki thinks so..."

"But thanks to this, fewer people want to hinder you, so it isn't a bad thing."

Indeed, at least in the same grade, there were not many boys who harass
him anymore, find fault with him, or try to steal Mahiru, as expected.

The reason for this was largely because Mahiru made no secret that she
liked Amane. Her eyes were only on Amane, so those people gave up.

Even so, Amane was mentally prepared for the backlash, but their
classmates even created a watchful atmosphere for some reason. To be
honest, Amane felt puzzled.

"To tell you the truth, Amane doesn't need to do anything, thanks to the
pressure of Shiina."

"Pressure?"

"Or is it containment? What else could anyone do when they saw Shiina
during the sports festival? If Amane was harassed, she would definitely get
angry.
"Mahiru angry...I can't imagine that."

"I can't imagine it either, but she will definitely be angry. Shiina is great at
literature and civil arts, and her appearance is natural. Needless to say, the
teachers also trusts her very much. If anyone were hostile to her, it will be
terrible."

Itsuki quietly added that "it would be horrible to make a gentle person
angry", to which Amane silently agreed.

(She's probably the type who won't get angry)

Amane also thought that Mahiru being enraged was unlikely.

However, it was still a possibility.

Mahiru always had a gentle smile on her face, and she wouldn't be angry at
some trivial things, but Amane felt that once she crossed the line, she would
smile, and the other party couldn't refute it with reason. Considering what
happened during the sports festival, this was not impossible.

Amane didn't intend to provoke Mahiru, and if he did something, he would

feel sadness before being angry at Mahiru. Amane made up his mind to try
to keep Mahiru's heart at peace.

"...Are you going to make me angry?"

When Amane was vowing in his heart, Mahiru and Chitose walked to his
side.

"Shiina, you are not talking about me, what we are talking about is that if
Amane is done something, you will probably be angry."

"That's for sure...but I won't be too angry. I will talk face to face until the
other person understands."

Looking at Mahiru's smile, Itsuki's body slightly trembled.

Mahiru would probably use words to make the other party understand, just
like the declaration made. It was likely that she would smile and use
reasoning as weapons to press on, so as to make the other party agree. In
this regard, Mahiru also did not want to make others hostile to her.

"Amane, can't you make Mahirun angry?"

"I can't do things that make her angry, so what would I do?"

"...Cheat or something?"

"Do you think I'm that sort of person?"

"Probably not? It's impossible for Amane's character. After Amane opened
his heart, he cherishes the other party's unfoundedness."

"…Thank you for the compliment"

"But he became timid when he cherished too much. For example, he only
kisses her cheek."

"Mahiru?"

"No, no, I am not dissatisfied...Well, she asked me about my traces."

"Alright, forget it."

Now that Mahiru told the whole story after being asked, Amane thought it
would be better not to talk about this topic.

"Ah, what a pro..."

"Itsuki"

"Well, my friend, your excellency is really shy. There is only that little thing
that we all do normally."

Itsuki shouted "Yes, Chitose" and then got up with her. Amane muttered
inwardly, "It's not like you two have already climbed the stairs of
adulthood."

Those two had been dating for two years, and of course they have reached a
stage where Amane and Mahiru have not yet arrived. Moreover, Amane
often listened to Itsuki talk about these topics, so Amane was not surprised,
but vaguely felt a little ashamed.

It was the same for Mahiru, maybe she had heard about it from Chitose, and
his face turned red with a puff. The things she and Amane imagined were
probably the same.

(...It will probably take a while)

They hadn't even properly kissed yet, and the combination of touching
bodies was even more extreme and remote. Amane also didn't have the
desire to do it now, so he had to slowly approach at the pace of the two.

After Amane and Mahiru met their gazes, her face turned redder and she
lowered her head. Amane was so shy, he moved his eyes away from
Mahiru.

"Mahiru, when would it be best to go to my hometown?"

After the closing ceremony was over, Mahiru went back to his home first,
and then came to Amane's house as usual, Amane asked her.

Originally, this matter should have been decided earlier, but Amane was too
excited after he started dating Mahiru, and there were too many things to
take care of, so he forgot to discuss it with her. Shihoko said that it would
do anytime, so as long as the real day has time, it should be the same as in
previous years, so they should go around the Obon Festival in August.

Hearing Amane's question, Mahiru blinked and blinked.

"...Ah, don't you still want to come to my hometown?"

"No, no, I just remembered that I was going to Amane-kun's hometown to
disturb...that, I can do it anytime."

"Okay. How long do you want to stay? Last year I came back probably two
weeks later, including the Obon Festival."

Seeing Mahiru hurriedly waved his hands to express that she didn't hate
going to his hometown, Amane smiled bitterly, worrying about how long
she would stay there.

Regarding the Obon Festival, Itsuki and Yuuta did not invite him, since
generally speaking, the Obon Festival was to be spent with family.
Therefore, it was probably good to be home at that time. Amane did not
need to go back to school during the period, so he only needed to go there.

Last year, Amane was too lazy even to do basic housework, so he stayed in
his hometown for more than two weeks, but this year, Mahiru was here, and
he had to look at her arrangements. As such, the trip should only be a week
or two.

"I don't have any special arrangements, and the day to go out with Chitose
has not been decided yet. So, then, Amane-kun can decide how long it will
take."

"Then two weeks or so. It's a little long, are you okay?"

"Um.."

Since she didn't have any special arrangements, she finally came by the
time proposed by the week.

Considering that Mahiru was a woman and might need more clothes,
Amane suggested to send the luggage there first, and sent a message to
Shihoko to notify of the early package.

Shihoko would still be working and won't reply immediately, but she would
probably happily agree and try to extend the stay. My mother loved cute
things, and thanks to Mahiru's character, she liked Mahiru very much.
"However, my mother should be particularly happy, right"

"Fufu, yes"

"...Are you ready?"

"Um?"

"My mother will pester you"

Shihoko would undoubtedly haunt Mahiru.

After all, mothers always want a daughter. Taking this opportunity, she
would definitely act as if she has a daughter, and she would love Mahiru
too.

"That way I would be very grateful..."

"That's good...to say it."

"Um?"

"...Should we talk about the beginning of our relationship?"

After Amane hesitated and whispered, Mahiru also stiffened.

It seemed that Mahiru had not yet reported to Shihoko for the time being,
but if they returned to Amane's hometown together, Shihoko may be able to
detect the relationship from their attitudes, and then tease them. Amane felt
very contradictory, debating whether he should text the news in advance so
as to reduce the damage later.

However, although it was possible it could reduce the reaction, on the flip
side, it could also increase. That was the issue about Shihoko.

"...Wh-what do we do then? It's embarrassing to report it..."

"Yeah. My mother will definitely ask questions."

"However, I accepted Shihoko-san's precious son. I think I should at least
say something."

"I thought I was the one that accepted you..."

Amane felt that the matter was basically settled, so he said that, but as soon
as Mahiru heard this, he immediately hugged the cushion with a flushed
face.

"...It is Amane-kun's advantage to be able to directly say this kind of thing,

but it is a disadvantage to say it so directly."

"Which is it?"

"The only thing you say to me is the advantage."

"Do you think I would tell others..."

Amane wouldn't be interested in other people, and Mahiru must know this
well, so what on earth was she worried about.

"...There is also this kind of place. Forget it, I think this is not only Amane-
kun's advantage, but also the result of Shuuto-san's education."

"Why did you mention my dad?"

Shuuto's name suddenly appeared, and Amane was puzzled, but when he
saw Mahiru leaning towards him holding the cushion, he touched Mahiru's
head first.

This was not so much to please her, as it was just because she was cute.
After Amane caressed her lovingly, Mahiru lowered her eyes shyly, but let
Amane play around. Amane didn't know if it was an illusion that she looks
very comfortable, so it shouldn't be bad.

"...Probably, Amane-kun will look a lot like Shuuto-san in the future."

"Really? I don't have a baby face like that."

"No, I'm talking about the personality."

"I am not as calm and confident."

"…That was not what I meant."

Mahiru mumbled "baka" in a voice that Amane could barely hear, and then
leaned on his arm. Amane deliberately moved his body back, and Mahiru's
body fell on Amane's knees.

The caramel eyes hid under her eyelids, then reappeared, covered it again it,
and opened again. Looking at this, Amane smiled and traced her cheek with
his hand.

"Although I cannot be a gentleman like my dad, I will try to spoil you in my

way."

"...That's the kind of place I'm talking about."

"My dad is better than me for petting people."

"...I'm going to drown in it."

Mahiru laid her head head on Amane's knees, wrapped her hands over
Amane's hands as if covering him, showing a gentle expression and closing
her eyes.

She took the initiative to rub her cheeks, smiling at the corners of her
mouth.

"...Can you keep me happy?"

"I can give you as much as you want...but don't sink into the pool next
week."

"...Baka!"

This time, Mahiru cried out in an awkward voice. It was cute and could be
heard clearly, which only caused Amane to laugh out loud and touched
Mahiru's face again.
Chapter 10: It's too cute to say
On the day of going to the swimming pool, Amane changed clothes in the
locker room with subtle tension.

Amane and Mahiru came to the amusement facility in the suburbs and
separated to change their clothes. Before entering, some men were staring at
Mahiru. It was not difficult to imagine that she would definitely fascinate
the men after she put on the swimsuit.

If Chitose were here at this time, she would be able to solve this problem
ingeniously, but today it was only two of them. When Mahiru raised her
head and said, "I only want us two to go," Amane couldn't refuse.

Amane made up his mind to protect her from the clutches of other men. He
put on his swimsuit and sun guard while walking out of the locker room.

He arrived at the appointed place and waited for Mahiru to come. She was a
little slower.

For Amane, that was to be expected.

It took more time for women to change clothes, and it was also probably
more crowded there.

Amane sighed, thinking that the life of girls were also very hard. He gently
leaned his body on the thick lamp post, which was where they had decided
to meet.

Although it was summer vacation today, it is still a weekday, so there was

fewer people than usual, but still quite a lot.

Amane absently watched the men, women and children in swimsuits walk
by, and then saw the familiar flax colored hair in the gaps between people.

"Amane-kun"
As expected, his beloved girlfriend was coming here.

However, Amane felt that it might be a mistake to bring Mahiru here. This
is because, as Mahiru headed to Amane's side, many gazes followed.

Amane usually doesn't think about how Mahiru's beauty was out of this
world, even better than the models in magazines.

It's impossible for Mahiru to put on a swimsuit like that and not attract
everyone's attention.

"Sorry, there was too many people in the dressing room."

"All good."

Because they were by the water, Mahiru did not run, but walked quickly,
standing in front of Amane with a faint smile.

Looking at her from the front, it made him very embarrassed and confused
on where to look.

Mahiru seemed to be prone to redness, swelling and pain once sunburned,

so she paid more attention to sun protection. She looked particularly white
if she only wears a swimsuit. In the sun, that piece of skin showed a
flawless milky white, so white that even brightened people's eyes.

That soft skin had to be protected from the sun.

Amane knew she was very slender, and now it was even more pronounced.
The swimsuit not only seemed to reduce the excess fat, but also retained the
feminine softness, not showing barrenness. With this physical body, she
showed that it wasn't not just slenderness. The protruding areas are all
prominent. The white bikini with trim embellishments hid a steep slope of
the chest, depicting a soft curve.

Amane originally thought that she looked thin because she wore more
clothes, but she didn't expect to be so expectant. At the same time, she
wasn't unnaturally large to fit her petite physique, but a balanced and ideal
size that could be grasped with one hand. (Note*: jesus christ I'm high
lmao)

Because that cautious Mahiru chose a bikini, Amane was shocked, but it
didn't seem indecent. Thanks to the larger trim, the cleavage was
moderately hidden, coupled with the appearance of Mahiru, it gave a more
pure and elegant feeling.

Seeing Mahiru wearing a swimsuit, Amane's eyes drifted away.

Amane had only seen idols in some magazines. TO him, his girlfriend's
swimsuit was too dazzling.

"…What's wrong?"

Mahiru walked to a distance close enough to touch. Feeling a little shy, she
put her hand on his chest and asked.

Due to the height difference, Amane saw the shadow formed by the fruits
hidden under the trim, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Amane-kun?"

Seeing Amane didn't respond, Mahiru gently touched his arm like he was
puzzled, and Amane came back to his senses.

"...No, isn't it too appropriate?"

It was impossible for it to be inappropriate. In fact, it was better to say that

it was too suitable, I don't know where to put my eyes.

"Nothing. I think it's really cute. I think it would be great if there were only
the two of us here."

"T-thank you"

A woman's clothes should be praised. Besides, this was the swimsuit that a
lovely girlfriend had chosen for Amane's own sake. If he don't say a word
or two, he couldn't be considered a man. Thinking this way, after Amane
finished expressing his thoughts, Mahiru let out a sigh of relief.

However, Mahiru herself seemed to be ashamed of revealing in a way she

had never done before, and it was obvious that her face was flushed.

Although Amane thought that if she was too shy, it was okay to wear a
more clothed swimsuit, but this was probably the result of Chitose's
instigation, so Mahiru may also be helpless.

(Anyways...)

Amane glanced around, and many men were staring at the appearance of
Mahiru in a swimsuit.

Even a man who had brought someone along blankly stared at Mahiru, and
was promptly slapped by the female who looked to be his girlfriend.

All these could prove that Mahiru had become an angel by the water, but
Amane was a little dissatisfied as a boyfriend, and maybe even unhappy
because his girlfriend was being stared at.

"It's very cute, but-

"But?"

"…That will not work"

Amane took off his sun guard and placed it on Mahiru's shoulder.

Mahiru was originally small and slender, and Amane's sun guard clothes
could be easily reach down to her thighs, so it was enough to cover up a fair
amount.

Of course, the exquisite curves of the legs would also attract attention, but
that couldn't be helped.

"Put it on."
"But...Amane-kun, you..."

"...What if I say I don't want other men to see you?"

That was the the truth.

Although Amane knew that Mahiru had such an ideal body shape, she
would definitely gather the attention of others. If possible, he wanted her to
himself.

After Amane whispered, Mahiru replied softly, "...o-ok..." At the same time,
he blushed-it was obviously not from the summer sun.

After the front zipper was quickly closed, the people around sighed with
regret. As he prevented the indecent eyes from the men, Amane heaved a
sigh of relief and held Mahiru's little hand that was revealed when he rolled
up his sleeves of the loose clothes.

"Come, let's go"

"Mm"

Mahiru nodded slightly, shook Amane's hand back, and Amane walked
slowly with her.

Since they were by the water. Amane originally planned to walk hand in
hand to prevent her from falling, but he held his restraint.

Amane walked brightly beside Mahiru, heading to the shallow water area.
At this moment, Mahiru who was next to him whispered "...Amane-kun"
and looked up at him.

"Hm?"

"...If there were only two of us, would you see me in a swimsuit more?"

"If that was the case, I would probably see enough, and I might start
touching you again."
It might be dangerous to actually do such a thing, but he deliberately
exaggerated it like a joke, and Mahiru showed a thoughtful expression.

She was annoyed for ten seconds or so, and then held hands to further
shorten the distance.

Rather than shortening the distance, it should be said that her arm stuck to
him attached. A soft and plump feeling came across the sun guard, and this
time it was Amane's turn to blush.

"Mahiru, it's touching."

"...Should I say "I did it on purpose" at this time?"

"The angel in Mahiru's heart is not working."

"In front of the person you like, a girl can be both an angel and a little
devil."

Mahiru today seemed to be a little devil.

Despite this, she herself was very shy, her body was trembling, and her face
was flushed, but she did not intend to leave, and deliberately put her chest
on Amane's arm.

Because it happened to be on the elbow, Amane couldn't easily move his

right hand. If he bent his arm, his elbow would sink into Mahiru's chest.

"...It doesn't matter if you post it, but I will enjoy it."

"You, I'm very shy when you say that...but it doesn't matter."

"...Baka"

Amane did not expect that she would accept it positively, and said in a low
voice. Contrary to what he said, in order not to be aware of the soft touch
on his arm, Amane finally had to keep thinking about the pi that was
previously meaninglessly demanded in his mind.
Together with Mahiru, who would attract attention anyway, Amane came to
the relatively shallow swimming pool, and then he waved the small
waterproof bag on his hand and looked at Mahiru next to him.

"So, what should I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, recreational facilities are not suitable for any teaching of swimming,
and you might bump into someone.

Amane wasn't bad at swimming. It wasn't that he couldn't teach her, but this
was not a place with swimming lanes like an actual pool. One would
definitely bump into people.

After all, compared to actual swimming, swimming pools in recreational

facilities payed more attention to playing in the water. People who actually
wanted to swim wouldn't come to such a crowded place.

"If Mahiru wants to learn to swim, that's fine. But I still think that...since
there is a rare opportunity, I want to play with Mahiru."

"T-that, me too. It's good to be with Amane-kun."

Mahiru leaned her body over, showing her eyes looking up. Amane realized
the destructive power of this little devil, stroked the head of his lovely lover,
and gradually found himself calm.

"Then let's play leisurely together. Well, if you are serious about swimming,
you would have take off the sun guard to take off your sun protection
clothing."

Mahiru's petite but plump limbs are hidden under Amane's sunscreen
clothing. If she wanted to swim, the clothing would obstruct her and would
have to be taken off.
As a result, the men around might look at Mahiru, and Amane would also
have to avert his eyes.

Although it is his right to enjoy the appearance of his girlfriend in a

swimsuit, if he watched for too long, Amane may experience death in all
aspects, so this was not what he wanted.

From Amane's perspective, the defense power of the chest piece was very
low, and the attack power is high.

"...Are you going to cover me all the time?"

"Well, I feel it's a pity to show Mahiru to others..."

"...Doesn't Amane-kun want to see it?"

"No, I want to see it, but I will die after watching it."

"Why would you die...?"

Mahiru seemed dumbfounded. She probably didn't understand this feeling.

Of course, Amane was also a man and had the desire to watch, but he had to
keep his rationality.

"...Mahiru also dies when she sees me half naked, right?"

"T-that is..."

"By the way, I thought you wouldn't be able to look at other men half-
naked, but you watched it well today."

Because of Mahiru's innocence, Amane thought she would be shy away

when she saw other men wearing swimsuits, but today Mahiru was only
embarrassed because of Amane's words and deeds, not because of dressing
up.

Hearing Amane pointed this out, Mahiru twitched her shoulders.

"...Well, I'm only interested in Amane-kun...so I didn't look at other
people."

"Oh oh……"

"Well, actually, I saw Amane-kun wearing a swimsuit today, and my heart

was beating really hard. Amane-kun is much stronger than before, and his
muscles are tight, very, very attractive."

After speaking, Mahiru glanced at Amane's upper body secretly, her eyes
wandering.

Before? Does it mean the first time he saw Amane's body when Mahiru was
taking care of a cold? Indeed, compared with that time, from a small life
habit to a big three views, Amane has completely changed. At that time,
Amane couldn't think of strengthening the body at all. It was a thin body
that was ridiculed by others as a bean sprouts that couldn't be refuted.

(...For the time being, it's fruitful)

Of course, from the perspective of people who often go to the gym to

exercise, this effect may not be enough; but when measured by the body
size of male high school students, I may be considered a good body shape.

"Well, Amane-kun, you are also very eye-catching? You are not too thin,
and the muscles are tight, giving people a feeling of rigidity and softness.
This feeling is good."

"Where...Although it is embarrassing and happy to be praised by Mahiru..."

"Why, why?"

"That is to say, such a pure and innocent Mahiru is paying attention

seriously..."

"Are you, are you laughing at me? Even if it's me, that...will pay attention
to the people you like."
As Mahiru said this, he moved his gaze to Amane's body, but his gaze soon
began to drift away again. It really has Mahiru's style.

Mahiru seemed to notice Amane secretly smiling at her, her cheeks

becoming redder, and his eyebrows raised.

"Amane-kun is not qualified to talk about me! My heart is beating so hard!"

Regardless of it, Mahiru simply put her hand directly on Amane flat chest,
feeling his heartbeat. Since there was nothing to hide, Amane only shrugged
frankly.

The first time I saw my girlfriend wearing a swimsuit, I was still a man if I
was not excited. This is a normal reaction. It's better to say that just
controlling one's half of the body is worthy of praise.

"...I see the girl I love in a swimsuit, how can my heart not beat
uncontrollably?"

This meant how much the other party cared about her. Amane thought of
this, and although he was ashamed and happy, he still hoped that Mahiru
would not care too much about him, otherwise she might be steamed out
and could not move.

After Amane confessed, Mahiru seemed to want to say something, but

when the words reached her mouth, she swallowed again, as if she had
given up the verbal argument. She probably understands that she can't win a
lip service, so she wants to force the victory in this way. So Amane also
tightened his mouth, but he let Mahiru force himself this time, not allowing
Mahiru to see his shake as he wished.

"It's useless if it's not a sudden attack."

"...I said so on my lips, but your heart seems to be beating faster than
before, right?"

"Yeah."
As a result, he showed Mahiru his heartbeat. Amane turned his head to look
away, and Mahiru just happily laughed and pressed her face into Amane's
arm.
Chapter 11: Chat by the water
After Amane calmed down in all aspects, he went down to the pool with
Mahiru.

For Amane, who already had the build of an adult, the depth of the pool was
only up to his waist. However, this height reached up to Mahiru's chest,
which was not exactly shallow. She looked up at Amane with a slightly
disturbed look.

"...Mahiru, don't worry, you won't sink."

"Amane-kun, if you choke on water, even 30cm of water can drown

people."

"It's okay, I won't let you sink into the water. Even if you start drowning, I'll
give you mouth to mouth."

In order to cheer Mahiru, Amane jokingly replied, but Mahiru pressed

against Amane's arm and looked up at him. In Mahiru's eyes, there were
feelings that seemed a little awkward, and she seemed to be looking
forward to it.

"...So if I don't drown, you won't kiss me?"

Hearing this slightly dissatisfied whisper, Amane couldn't help but stare at
Mahiru.

Mahiru's lips pouted, looking a little dissatisfied...and it seemed to be a

request, tempting Amane again.

The pink lips didn't lose their luster even if they didn't wear lipstick, Amane
couldn't help swallowing saliva. But even so, he couldn't leave his
rationality here, bit his sweet lips, and stagger his eyes to the side.

"...I-I want to wait a little longer...Um, not here."

"I didn't say that I want to come now. But, that...I'm afraid Amane-kun
doesn't want to."

"Wha- How could I not want to!? I've been thinking about it all the time!"

No boy wouldn't want to kiss a girl he liked. Even Amane, who had less
desire in this regard, wants to fully touch Mahiru and kiss to his heart's
content.

Of course, Amane felt that these kinds of things should be done in stages,
and if he always imposed his desires on Mahiru, she would definitely stay
away from him. Therefore, he stayed patient, not wanting to do too much.

After Amane's strong denial, Mahiru's face turned red. Then, she put her
forehead on Amane's arm and covered her face.

Seeing her blushing to the root of her ears, Amane realized what he had
said, and blushed as well.

"...No, it's not..."

"...Isn't it?"

"I can't say no, but...if this is the case, I won't be able to stand it, so please
wait a little longer."

Amane was scolded by Itsuki as a late-maturing coward, only now, Amane

couldn't deny this.

From Mahiru's point of view, Amane may be too slow. Because he

cherishes it too much and progress is slow, Mahiru has been waiting for it.

(...Does Mahiru wish to go further?)

Did Mahiru want to do more lover-like acts?

To confirm, Amane looked down at Mahiru, and found that her face was
flushed, a red tinge covering half of her face as she raised her eyes to look
at him.
"I am fine with waiting a little, but Chitose also said that it is not good for
you to endure too much...so please keep in moderation?"

"Chito-?"

"Because, in terms of relationships, Chitose has more experience..."

"She definitely told you unnecessary things!? Mahiru, I tell you, we can
progress at our own pace. I never thought about reluctantly rushing it...and,
if I go too fast, you might not be able to stand it either."

Mahiru probably wanted to make some progress, but if she was too eager,
she would reach the limit and boil on the way, so Amane felt that taking it
slowly was not a problem.

For Amane, if he couldn't control his rationality, he didn't know what he

would do.

After Amane spoke with serious eyes, Mahiru lowered her eyes shyly and
bumped her forehead against Amane's arm again.

"U-uh. Um...go, go swimming."

"S-say..."

"...I haven't been to these kinds of places before. Can I ask Amane-kun to
teach me everything?"

She whispered again, "because I don't go out with others much." Hearing
this, Amane took Mahiru's hand and walked into the shallow swimming
pool.

Given her family's situation, no one had taken her to such facilities before.
Perceiving this, Amane felt a little inexplicably sad, but he could let her
experience it slowly in the future.

"Then this summer vacation, let's fill in all the first times of Mahiru."

"...I feel ashamed to use this term...but, um"

Although Mahiru blushed, she smiled happily. Amane also laughed, holding
her hand and walking to a place with fewer people.

At first, Mahiru was afraid of drowning, but perhaps being with Amane
eased her worries, and she didn't care about it anymore as she was playing
in the water.

Amane rented a floatie at the nearby service center. After handing it to

Mahiru, she muttered with a slightly awkward expression, "It feels like you
are treating me as a child..." But she put it around her with safety as a
priority.

Mahiru stretched out, floating on the water, looking up at Amane with a

relaxed expression.

In order to observe Mahiru's situation, Amane waited next to her for the
time being. With the situation like this, Mahiru's chances of drowning were
lowered.

"It's so comfortable."

On Amane's side, Mahiru smiled, legs dangling off the swimming ring.
Amane also leaned against the pool, nodding in agreement.

Although Amane would rather swim than splash around in the water having
fun, he didn't mind simply spending time with Mahiru. If Chitose and Itsuki
were here, they would probably go to the water slides or play beach
volleyball.

There is nothing wrong with such activities, but Amane currently preferred
this peaceful time.

"This way you shouldn't drown. Let's play in the water as much as you
want."

"...But I'm so embarrassed. Even at this age, I still use a floatie."

"Adult women can also use it. Look over there, there are still people sitting
on them."

Amane pointed to a woman in a swimsuit. She was sitting on the ring,

leisurely floating in the water.

For adults, instead of using floaties to assist in swimming, most used them
for relaxing.

Mahiru, who was sitting on the floatie, looked over to the direction Amane
was pointing at, and then quickly returned her attention to herself.

After shifting around in the floatie, Mahiru sat properly with her legs
dangling off again. She blinked and smiled joyfully, as if she liked it a lot.

Her milky white bare feet protruded from the bottom of Amane's sun guard,
kicking up a wave of splashes

Mahiru's feet were slender and soft. Just as Amane was fascinated by the
curves of her legs, Mahiru splashed water on him.

With drops of water dripping off of Amane's face, he looked at Mahiru and
found that she was showing a happy, carefree smile.

Amane didn't know whether Mahiru knew where he was looking, or just
wanted to splash a handful of water at him. He gently retaliated with a
splash of his own, which garnered a happier smile from Mahiru.

"Hey, what was that for..."

Perhaps, Mahiru hoped that Amane would play with her.

Having said that, since Mahiru was sitting on the floatie and was unable to
move very well, Amane was careful to not cause her trouble.

After Amane lightly pushed water at her, she also fought back. It seemed
that all the water ended up on her belly.
Although Amane was slowly getting used to the water, he still narrowed his
eyes because of the cold feeling, and threw water at Mahiru again.
If you play too much, Mahiru might tip over, so Amane's move is quite
light. On the other hand, Mahiru slapped the surface of the water with his
legs excitedly.

Just when Mahiru did this, she lost her balance.

"Mahiru-"

It wouldn't be good if she tipped over with the floatie. Amane supported
Mahiru and asked her to lean on him. Then, Mahiru clung onto Amane.

After all, she almost fell into the water, and seemed to be scared.

"If you get too excited, you might fall over."

"Um...I'm sorry"

"Fortunately, I'm here."

"...If it weren't for Amane-kun, I wouldn't be so excited."

Hearing this whisper, Amane couldn't help but stare at Mahiru.

Mahiru wrapped her hands around Amane's back. With her face still buried
in his chest, she continued.

"...Because I'm with Amane-kun, everything I see shines. Because I'm with
Amane-kun, I'm so happy...and, I think Amane-kun will definitely save
me."

"...Hearing such cute words, I do feel quite troubled."

As Mahiru’s whispers conveyed her love for Amane from beginning to end,
Amane's face instantly turned red.

He wanted to mumble about Mahiru's cuteness.

(...I really love her)

Of course, this was something that was already obvious. However, with so
much kindness from the other party, Amane could not help but feel hot, his
heart overflowing with compassion.

If they were at home, Amane would vigorously pat her head and never let
go. Unfortunately, since they were out in public, he had to be careful not to
overdo it.

Therefore, Amane hugged Mahiru tightly, whispered "...I'll mess you up

after we return," and let go of her. As a result, Mahiru was still soaking in
the water, but her face was flushed like a ripe tomato.

"...I do hope so."

Amane sank after hearing her whisper.

Amane closed his eyes while patiently not wheezing, so as to let go of the
worries that were about to emerge.

Mahiru was still blushing, showing a contented smile for some reason, and
murmured, "I want to love Amane-kun too." Amane dumbfounded and
looked at Mahiru, "Aren't I being loved right now?" but Mahiru laughed
again.

"I also want to be dominant. Because I have been bullied by Amane-kun

recently."

"...You were attacking me before the date, I don't want it. It's my turn."

"My rounds have been skipped too much. I also want to do something to
make Amane-kun shy."

"That was the point...baka."

Mahiru definitely wanted to make Amane shy and embarrassed, and then
admire the look, so he had to maintain a normal mind and grasp the
opportunity.
When Mahiru was teased, she would often show embarrassment. Amane
wanted to maintain his dominant position here. Seeing Mahiru who seemed
to have calmed down a bit, he lifted the hair from her ear and kissed her
cheek. He tried to suppress the shame that was pouring out of his heart, and
looked at Mahiru's cute face that was solidified in a flushed state.

"...Do you want to love me like this?"

"Ooh, so cute..."

"I'm not cute ...okay, it's time to rest, I'll go buy some drinks."

Amane rubbed Mahiru's wet hair, relieving Mahiru. She pressed her head
for a while, and whispered "I want orange juice," which seemed a little
emotional.

Apparently Mahiru wanted to hide her shyness. Amane smiled secretly, and
touched her head again.

"I guess he didn't figure it out."

Amane went back to buy a drink and found that Mahiru was being
confronted by two men.

(That’s why I wanted to keep close to her. But I’m also at fault.)

Although it was a weekday, there was still a line in the dining area, so after
waiting a while, the result was not surprising. Mahiru was being hit on.

In full view, Mahiru wouldn't force them away out of being polite, but
Amane still felt uncomfortable as a boyfriend. He didn't even want others to
talk to Mahiru so casually.

Mahiru herself made no secret of her troubles. For unknown men, it seemed
that there would not be an angelic smile. With the strict sun protection
clothing, Mahiru had no smile on her face, and it seemed that she couldn't
take advantage of using such a beautiful smile. Seeing this, Amane sighed
softly.

(...It's because they don't know that they're bothering the other party, which
is why they can't hook girls.)

After all, a girl who seemed to be waiting for someone was wearing a men's
sun guard, and they still couldn't tell that she was taken. It was disgusting if
they did see it but chose to ignore it, but failing to recognize such details
meant they didn't know about these subtle characteristics. Amane had such
mean thoughts, but it was also because his girlfriend was being hit on.

Mahiru was sitting on the bench waiting for Amane. She probably couldn't
escape these people because she couldn't get up. Amane decided to
apologize later and quickly walked towards Mahiru.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting"

After Amane, who was holding a drink in both hands, spoke to Mahiru, she
looked back happily. It was obvious that her entanglement in the situation
had indeed caused her trouble.

Seeing Mahiru suddenly change her expression, the two men were stunned,
as if they were attacked, and then looked at Amane.

They examined Amane's appearance, showing a subtle sense of superiority.

This was most likely because Amane did not doll himself up today.

After all, he couldn't use hair wax if they were to swim. He did trim his hair
with some scissors, but it was still somewhat bland.

"Sorry, I'm with her, so please don't invite her out."

Being underestimated was a common occurrence for Amane, so Amane

didn't mind the nature of their glares. Then, those two men's smiles became
even worse.

"She's with you? Yeah right. How could someone like you be with her?"
"This girl with such a gloomy dude...like that's true."

Although Amane thought that he really was gloomy, it was true that he
didn't doll up today, and did not intend to refute this point.

It was just that if they were to think like this, it also applied to them. Mahiru
was pure, elegant, and delicate. These frivolous men who go around hitting
on girls were also unlikely to match her.

In order to not cause trouble, Amane was deciding how to reply to defuse
the situation. At this point, however, Mahiru chuckled softly.

When she suddenly laughed, Amane turned towards her and found that she
was politely shielding the corner of mouth.

"Between bright or gloomy, he is indeed on the gloomy side."

"Don't laugh at me..."

"I know he is not that cheerful, but he is also a quiet and steady person?"

Amane didn't know what Mahiru was trying to say, so he stayed silent.
Then, Mahiru properly looked at the men for the first time.

There was no good intentions in her gaze, only a cold feeling.

(...Is she angry?)

Mahiru hated seeing other people underestimating Amane. She already did
not have a good opinion of these people, and their words further angered
her.

"So, even if he is gloomy, what's the issue?"

What Mahiru said did not make her sound angry.

Her voice was as if she was seriously questioning them, making the men
speechless.
"I like him, however he is. I like his personality, appearance, and
temperament. His attributes are just a small detail. My love for him is not
shallow enough to care about such things."

After speaking firmly, Mahiru laughed sweetly at Amane.

Seeing this smile full of love and kindness that she would never show
others, Amane felt his heart burn. He didn't expect that Mahiru would speak
so openly about him, and he couldn't help but feel a joy that came to his
heart.

"It would be nice if you could meet such good women who think so in the
future." (Note*: complimenting yourself 101)

Mahiru concluded with such words. What she showed was not the sweet
smile usually shown towards Amane, but the angelic smile strong enough to
freeze people. The two men could only stare at her in a daze.

Their cheeks were slightly red, perhaps because of Mahiru's dazzling smile.
Amane secretly wondered how they would turn out if the expression only
shown towards himself was directed at them.

"Ah, no, that..."

"Woah, look over there."

They stammered, trying to respond to Mahiru, but Amane waved his hands
casually while pointing somewhere.

The eyes of the two moved along Amane's fingers, reaching a man on the
observation deck watching situation.

The safety management of this facility was basically to remind people not
to fight around the water and prevent accidents. Of course, they were also
monitoring for suspicious people.

The two noticed that the people on the observation platform were glaring at
them, and left in a panic. Amane couldn't help but laugh at the people, who
were brave enough to talk to a girl that was taken, but scurry away when
noticed.

Finally, there was only Amane and Mahiru left, the former of which sat next
to her.

"Sorry, I was late."

First, he had to apologize.

After all, it was because Amane left her alone that someone tried to hit on
her.

"It's okay, it was crowded over there, right? And if I'm alone, this sort of
thing often happens."

"...That's why it was my mistake, I shouldn't have left you alone."

"Those people only talk, so I am not afraid of such people."

(It was true that they could only talk, since they ran away after being
noticed.)

If the staff wasn't present, the situation might've continued for a while.
Amane originally planned to grab Mahiru's hand and leave if he felt trouble
coming, but thankfully the other side left first.

Amane handed the orange juice to Mahiru, and used a straw to sip the soda
he ordered for himself.

"...Are you not afraid?"

"Rather than being scared, it just feels like my mood has been ruined."

"Sorry, please cheer up?"

"Its not Amane-kun's fault...but, please give me a sip of your drink."

Mahiru pointed to the soda that Amane just drank from, and smiled
mischievously, adding, "then it'll be even." Amane handed her the cup,
saying, "I really lost to you this time."

It was obvious that Mahiru asked for his drink to prevent Amane from
feeling too guilty. Little by little, Amane felt his embarrassment rise from
Mahiru's kindness.

Regarding the matter just now, Mahiru did not care anymore. She took the
soda from Amane and took a sip...and her brows suddenly scrunched up in
a frown, tears in her eyes.

The carbonation was a bit strong, but not so overwhelming to make

someone react. Amane could drink in normally, but Mahiru seemed to be
unable to.

"Huh, is the smell strange?"

"...No, it's just I've never drank carbonated drinks before...I didn't know it
was so choking."

Because of the strong stimulus, Mahiru's eyes were moist. Speaking of

which, Mahiru usually drank water, tea, coffee, and the occasional fruit
juice. Amane had never seen her drink carbonated drinks before.

Mahiru was not afraid of spicy things, but she didn't seem to be able to bear
the stimulation.

"I think that since you've never drank soda before, you shouldn't drink
something this strong...why do you want to drink this anyways?"

He took the soda from Mahiru's hand and patted her head, and she looked
up at him.

"...Because, I want to taste the same tastes as Amane-kun."

Hearing this low mumble, Amane almost dropped his soda, but barely
prevented the tragedy.
(...My girlfriend is too cute.)

Mahiru's appearance and actions were already cute enough, and when she
said that she wanted to share the same thing, Amane was ended.

In short, because Mahiru was so cute, Amane couldn't look directly at her.
He could only hold her hand, twisting away to avoid her gaze. Then,
Mahiru took Amane's arm and leaned on him.

"...I want a sip of your orange juice too."

"Fufu, here."

Amane didn't look at Mahiru, who made a soft smile, and rested his arm on
the armrest of the bench and looked away.

Probably because of this, he didn't notice their approach.

"Hey, the lovely lady and the cowardly boy over there, don't you want to
play with us?"

The two heard a familiar, but frivolous voice that they didn't expect to hear
in such a place.

Amane looked at the direction of the sound, and what caught his eye were
two unexpected faces.

One was a handsome guy with a frivolous voice, and the other was a
beautiful, boyish girl. Both of them were faces he often saw at school.

Amane couldn't help but be suspicious.

"Why is Itsuki here?"

"First off, I wasn't following you. It really is a coincidence."

Itsuki waved his hand in denial, ending Amane's suspicion.

After all, if they really were tailing him, they would have showed up to help
when Mahiru was being approached by the two men. Judging from the
timing, Itsuki and Chitose only saw them after Amane returned to Mahiru.

From Chitose's expression, Amane could also see denial.

"Although I heard from Mahiru that you two would go to the pool this
week, I didn't expect to meet you guys in the same facility on the same day.
I'm sorry to disturb your private world~"

"...Mm."

Since the meeting really was a coincidence, Amane didn't intend to

complain, but Chitose laughed teasingly and added a sentence, which made
Amane stare at her.

Having said that, Chitose was also wearing a swimsuit, and staring straight
at her skin was rude, so Amane switched to her face.

Chitose wore an orange bikini with shorts. Noticing Amane's gaze, she
laughed again, crying out a "oh, how lewd~" and wriggled her body.

Chitose knew that Amane did not mean to look at her, but decided to mess
with him. Amane sighed and looked at Itsuki, signaling for him to calm her
down. He only got the reply "she's very energetic in the summer", meaning
he had no intention of stopping Chitose.

Dumbfounded, Amane looked at Mahiru. She was unzipping the front

zipper, which she had zipped up in order to cover up. Although it was a sun
guard, completely closing the zipper in the middle of summer seemed to
make her very hot.

Mahiru pulled down the zipper to her chest, while Chitose blinked in
surprise.

"Huh? Mahirun?"

"What's wrong?"
"...Did Mahirun choose this swimsuit?"

"This swimsuit?"

"Well, what happened to the other one that was bla-"

The reason why Chitose's voice suddenly dropped out was because Mahiru
covered her mouth.

Mahiru stiffed up slightly, stretched out her hand to stop Chitose, and then
froze as she noticed Amane's gaze.

"...Don't worry about it."

Mahiru shook her head, her face flushed as she tried to cover it up.

"So there was another one."

"Ah, no, I could never wear that in public..."

"After all, it's impossible to show it. Ikkun said that it has to be when
Mahirun is alone with Amane-"

"Chitose, please shut up."

"No~"

Chitose's mouth was closed by Mahiru again, but she had no intention of
repenting.

Although Amane was surprised that Mahiru bought a swimsuit that she
would be too ashamed to wear, she had said she was willing to show it to
Amane. Hearing this, Amane was already heating up.

"...Is it that dangerous?"

"It's not that bad. It's more like, Mahirun's figure is so good, it doesn't seem
to have a lot of cloth covering."
"Chitose."

If I continue speaking, Mahirun seems to be really angry, but maybe Amane

might actually see it, ooh~"

"I-I won't let you see it!"

Mahiru blushed, dismissing the incident. Amane felt a little regretful, but he
respected Mahiru's decision.

If she hated it, Amane wouldn't force her, but it wasn't wrong to say that he
wanted to see her in such an outfit.

Hearing Chitose's words, Amane figured the swimsuit was probably not
that revealing, but would still highlight her beautiful figure.

It was hard for Amane to look at Mahiru's body even now. Assuming that
the swimsuit showed even more, perhaps he should've been grateful for
Mahiru's refusal.

Having thought that though, Amane still wanted to see it.

Amane may have been leaking his regrets, which was caught by Chitose.
Smirking, she made another quip at Mahiru.

"Don't you want to let him see it?"

"...Maybe."

Mahiru answered in a faint voice, and put the sun guards hood, lowering her
head to avoid Amane and Chitose's sight.

Only, even if they couldn't directly see her face, they could imagine it red as
a tomato.

"...Chitose, don't fool around too much. Mahiru doesn't need to force herself
too hard."

"But Mahirun is cute, right?"

"Well, of course."

"Ooh, you said it so naturally~"

Amane simply said the truth, which garnered a dumbfounded look from
Chitose.

It should be no surprise since Amane had admitted she was cute even before
they started dating, but the two seemed to be surprised by Amane's decisive
agreement, their eyes widening.

"Amane is such a spoiling lover..."

"You're annoying."

"Oh~ is this the so called love that can change people?"

"Are you underestimating me? It's a recognized fact that Mahiru is cute.
Isn't Itsuki always bragging how cute you are too?"

After his relationship with Itsuki improved, Amane had listened to him
show his affection every day. Amane's short sentence was not as bad as the
constant stream of annoyance from Itsuki.

Amane thought, "is that strange?" and gave them a look. They sighed and
just shrugged their shoulders.

Amane was a little annoyed at this attitude, and Itsuki smiled wryly.

"However, you better stop there."

"What?"

"Shiina seems to be frozen."

Amane wondered why Itsuki mentioned Mahiru and looked at her. He

found Mahiru was holding the hoot and shivering from shyness.

Mahiru seemed to be embarrassed when she was praised in front of others.

When Amane panicked, Mahiru lifted her head slightly to stare at him, and
seemed to cry in embarrassment.

"...That is both an merit and demerit of Amane-kun."

Mahiru murmured, and put on the hood again. Amane could only stare in
loss until she recovered.

After Mahiru's shame faded, they now had a party of four. The good thing
about having such a group was that there were fewer men trying to strike up
conversations with Mahiru.

Since Itsuki and Chitose were with them, Mahiru wouldn't be left alone, and
Amane also paid extra attention.

What's more, at a glance, Itsuki was a handsome, flirty guy with a kind
temperament, the ideal boy. The men who tried to approach them seemed to
hesitate.

However, Chitose, Mahiru, and Itsuki were all brilliant on the outside, and
they garnered a lot of attention.

"Day and day, look at the move."

"Yeah...say, Chitose, you"

Mahiru spoke with silent pressure, so everyone went to the shallow pool to
play. Amane sat on the edge, watching Mahiru and Chitose playfully splash
water on each other.

Amane looked at the happiness of the two, and felt relieved.

In addition, the two were different girls of different types, and they looked
very seductive.

(Note*: tf)

"Ah, it's so good for girls to be intimate."

Itsuki sat next to Amane and looked at the two with a smile on his face.

"You sound like an old bimbo."

"No no. You are also looking at the two of them with interest."

"Yeah right."

"But you must feel comfortable watching it, you're a male after all."

"That sentence also holds true for you."

"I'm not denying it."

Amane murmured, "woah, so honest", and stared blankly at Mahiru, who

was in the pool with Chitose..

"So, why are you so absent-minded in your eyes"

Itsuki put away his smile, asked Amane, then leaned forward a little,
looking at Amane's face.

"Ah, how should I put it, I feel Mahiru is cuter than before."

"You're starting to brag about your girlfriend too."

"Well, yeah, but I just think she started to laugh more often. Before, she
wouldn't laugh at all."

"I didn't really look at her before, but I did hear she was very cold?"

"Yep, she was more cold and venomous. It's nice though...she's smiling so
happily."

Compared to when he first met, Mahiru smiled more candidly.

The carefree smile and frankness she showed now was simply
unimaginable from her cold shoulder and sharp tongue in the past.

Although Amane proudly believed that Mahiru's change was due to her
being with himself, Chitose was also a major factor. Some things could only
be discussed and understood between girls.
Seeing her so happy, Amane felt happy too.

"I feel the same way. Shiina has changed. She used to be as difficult to
approach, like a puppet, but now she is completely spoiling you."

"Whaa...sure, I guess."

"Hey, her kindness is so pure and easy to understand. It is obvious that she
gave you special treatment, even before you two started going out."

"...By the way, Itsuki, you say that Mahiru has treated me like this for a
long time now..."

It's funny how you're that slow.

"Really?"

Even before dating, Amane had vaguely noticed that Mahiru liked him, but
hesitated because he wasn't sure.

"From when Shiina trusted you and was interesting to you, she probably
changed a little bit."

"……Yes"

"Chii was also there, I suppose. For the better and the worse, she was
always interested and easy to get close to, so she has been helping Shiina."

"Please control your girlfriend"

"It's okay, Chii won't pry. Also, look there, Shiina smiled so happily."

Amane looked in the direction Itsuki was pointing at, and found that Mahiru
was being hugged by Chitose, accepting the embrace despite being shy.

From the look in his eyes, he could tell that Itsuki trusted Chitose, and his
expression was very soft. Amane also thought it was a good thing Mahiru
could have a good friend.
Although, Amane still hoped that Mahiru trusted himself the most.

Itsuki patted Amane on the back and said, "Don't worry." Amane smiled
wryly, then Chitose waved to this side against Mahiru, "Hey, young men in
a daze by the pool, come and play here~"

Mahiru also waved his hands lightly, as if wishing for the week to pass.

"The cute girls called us over...there's no helping it."

Itsuki descended from the edge of the pool, and the water soaked to the
waist. Seeing him walking towards the two with a grin, Amane also laughed
and walked in the direction of Mahiru and the others.

"Huh, enough play, enough play~"

Although they were high school students, they were a little tired after
playing for a few hours, so the four of them sat on the benches to rest.

Borrowing the ball to play volleyball, and experiencing the small-scale

water slides under the active request of Chitose, these should be very
exciting for Mahiru.

Mahiru was sitting next to him with a refreshing expression, but she may be
a little tired, and she was leaning on Amane's body lightly.

"So happy. I haven't had this fun in a long time."

"Well. I haven't done such a big exercise for a long time."

"Even in the sports festival, Amane didn't make more appearances. This
time it was a good exercise."

Although Amane is not a sports idiot, he is not good at sports either. He

does not exercise his whole body like he does now. Weeks will take
physical education class seriously, but the activities will not be so
refreshing in class.
"I've been swimming in earnest since the middle of the week."

"The swimming pool is the place to swim...It's good to come once in a

while, isn't it"

"At that time, Mahirun had been watching Amane."

"Huh, yes, I'm sorry, Mahiru"

Since Mahiru and Chitose were happily playing together, Amane also went
to enjoy a simple swim, but maybe this made Mahiru waiting for him.

However, Mahiru shook his head repeatedly.

"No, that's not what I meant...That's great."

Amane thought for a little bit and understood what was "really good": He
couldn't swim in real day, so she was envious of Amane who could swim.

However, Amane also mentioned in front of Chitose and Itsuki that Mahiru
could not swim, so he smiled bitterly and patted Mahiru's head.

If there is still a chance, it might be good to go for some swimming practice

next time.

"Next time I have a chance, come to the pool again"

"Yes."

"Well, what~? You said you want to see Mahirun's black bikini?"

"Are you stupid, I don't want it to be seen by others."

"If you are alone, you obviously want to see it."

"That's...the privilege of a boyfriend, right?"

To show others the black bikini of Mahiru, this scene was something
Amane didn't even want to think about. Even now, Mahiru is covered in
Amane's sunscreen, and Amane even wants her to wear shorts for
swimming.

"Did you hear that, won't you show it to your boyfriend?"

"So, it can be discussed."

Amane turned to Mahiru and smiled slightly, and stroked her head again.

After leaving the entertainment facilities together, the four came to the
family restaurant on Monday.

It's not 6 o'clock yet, it might be a bit early for dinner. But swimming and
playing consume a lot of energy, and Amane was hungry. Perhaps the
timing was just right.

Mahiru didn't have the opportunity to come to the family restaurant, looking
a little excited. The look was so cute that Amane couldn't help but laugh,
but the smile quickly closed because he was lightly beaten from an angle
that Chitose and others could not see.

"By the way, during summer vacation, Mahirun is going to Amane's

hometown, right?"

Chitose asked while cutting the hamburger steak.

In order to arrange the schedule for playing with Chitose, Mahiru should
have also told her to go to Amane's hometown with Amane. But Chitose
still smirked.

"It feels like that Mahiru should go see the parents."

"Too late, Mahiru has already met my parents."

"That's it~...It's like a wife who follows her husband back to her
hometown."
"Yes yes whatever you say."

Although Amane thought, "What are you talking about, let alone married,
there is no engagement", but generally speaking, high school couples don't
usually go to see each other's parents, so Amane couldn't completely deny
it.

Putting Chitose's words aside, Amane ate the omelette from the Japanese-
style set meal. Chitose showed regret because she could not tease him.

Ignoring Chitose, Amane chewed on the omelette, but felt that it was not
enough. Unlike Mahiru's cooking, the omelette here tasted very ordinary.

"Sure enough, Mahiru's cooking is the best." After Amane muttered that, he
glanced at Mahiru and found that she was a little bit red.

Perhaps the "wife" part made her shy.

"So Shiina went to Amane's hometown...then Amane's mother was

definitely happy?"

"Does Akazawa know Shihoko-san?"

"No, it's just what I heard...I understood Amane's analogy."

"Because my mom has the same personality...you will feel very familiar,
right?"

Itsuki seemed to just listen to Amane's words, and immediately judged that
Shihoko felt like Chitose. If Chitose met Shihoko, she would definitely feel
close.

"Well, what?"

"Well, I'm saying that Chii is very cute"

If Itsuki fooled around and praised it by the way, Chitose responded "Itsuki,
you~" with a satisfied look.
"Oh right, Amane, after deciding the day to go home, tell me early. I want
to play with Mahirun before you leave."

"Okay, I should not go back after August. You can play before then...Also,
do the homework too."

"How do I say it, you sound the same as my mother~"

"It's totally not that you clamored last year and said, "I can't finish
homework~!"..."

Chitose had left her homework until the end and did it all at once. Last year,
she had only hurriedly started at the end of the break.

Amane was done ahead of time, and then self-study and review; Itsuki was
the type to do it steadily. As a result, these two people went to help Chitose
with homework.

This year, Amane had already finished, and the same was true for Mahiru,
so the two would study together afterward.

"After all, I don't want to do it...By the way, this year can be taught by the
angel."

"It's okay to teach, but if you call me the angel, I won't agree."

"Oh, so strict, but I like a cold Mahirun too."

As Mahiru and Chitose could also have a relaxed conversation, Amane felt
relieved and ate before the food went cold.

"Mahiru, I want to eat an omelette tomorrow."

After Amane whispered to Mahiru next to him, Mahiru's eyes moved to the
tray in front of Amane.

"Aren't you eating it right now?"

"This is not good. I always feel that normal food is not good. Mahiru's is the
best."

"Fufu, I really can't help you. Then I'll wake you up and make breakfast."

"Um"

It's summer vacation, and Amane wouldn't get up early. It would be nice to
have Mahiru wake him up.

Although Amane knew that Mahiru's face was not good for his heart right
after he got up, this was undoubtedly the best alarm clock.

Amane looked forward to tomorrow's breakfast alone, excited. Itsuki looked

at him dumbfounded.

"Already a cohabiting couple..."

"You are noisy"

Amane didn't say "just half-lived together", and quietly drank the miso
soup, which was a little cold.
Chapter 12 Going home and the
reveal of their relationship
"Are the doors and windows locked?"

"You saw me lock it, no?"

In the corridor near the door of the house, Amane heard Mahiru remind
him, and smiled softly.

Normally, Mahiru didn't nag him as much. This time, it was probably
because they would be away from home for a while, and she was worried.

Starting today, they would go back to Amane's hometown for two weeks,
and Mahiru was being extra careful to protect everything.

"I saw it, but I still ask just in case."

"Okay. You didn't forget to bring anything, right?"

"No. I already sent the necessary luggage, and checked the things I'm
bringing by hand this morning. The doors and windows are locked, and I
have carefully checked everything in Amane-kun's house, from the trash
can to the refrigerator. Please rest assured."

"Thank you."

After all, it wasn't easy taking enough luggage for two weeks. For the stuff
delivered, they both used express delivery, and there was no oversight.

Amane thanked her for her diligence in these small details while taking
Mahiru's bag, then holding her hand.

After blinking, Mahiru softly said, "I like Amane-kun's place", and
squeezed Amane's hand.
Where Amane's hometown was, it took more than an hour by Shinkansen
(bullet train).

Amane sat in the reserved seat and happily chatted with Mahiru while
enjoying the scenery. With that, it didn't feel too long for the Shinkansen the
reach their destination.

The scenery of the station-although it had only been a year since Amane
saw it, made him feel incredibly nostalgic. At the same time, he took
Mahiru's hand again and led her to the scheduled meeting area.

"This is Amane-kun's hometown"

"Yeah. But we still need to drive a little in order to get home."

The shinkansens only stopped at the large stations, so they had to get off
here. There was still some distance to go.

This time, Shihoko, who was free, came to greet him at the station, so
Amane accepted her kindness, although there was also the simple reason
that Shihoko wanted to see Mahiru.

Amane walked towards the big pillar next to the ticket booth and saw his
mother.

He felt that holding hands in front of his mother would still be

embarrassing, so Amane let go. However, there was a slight dissatisfaction
oozing from Mahiru, so Amane hurriedly patted her back.

"I haven't told them we're dating yet, please forgive me this time."

It had become a habit for the two to hold hands, and they would sometimes
do it unconsciously. Amane wanted to pay attention to this during their trip.

Mahiru was a little reluctant, but after seeing Shihoko's figure, she seemed
to understand and returned to her usual expression.
Shihoko seemed to have noticed the two of them, and walked there with a
pleasant smile.

"Long time no see..."

"Oh ho, welcome, Mahiru! You really are here!"

As expected by Amane, the first thing his own mother did was say hello to
Mahiru.

Although she was somewhat surprised, Mahiru lowered her head with a
gentle smile.

"Thank you for your invitation. It's a rare family reunion, and to let me
intrude..."

"It's okay, it's because I want to see Mahiru-chan! Actually, I also wanted to
see you during spring break, but I couldn't arrange a time...ah, what's
wrong, Amane?"

"Don't you have a few words for your son?"

"Oh oh, welcome home, thank you for bringing Mahiru-chan here."

"Yes yes."

Amane knew that was a joke, and he was not really angry. Perhaps Shihoko
could sense a little discomfort, said, "Of course I'm happy to see you back,
Amane." and poked him.

Amane brushed away Shihoko's hand and looked around.

They knew Shihoko would come to pick them up, but it was somewhat
surprising that his dad wasn't there. Shuuto also should have taken leave
today, and Amane thought both his parents would come.

"Where's dad?"

"Shuuto's cooking at home right now."

"No wonder..."

That made more sense.

Shuuto liked to cook and entertain, so he would make various preparations

at home.

"Mahiru, my dad's food is delicious."

Amane informed Mahiru in this way, without saying "it's not as good as
yours though". Then, Mahiru also showed a faint smile.

"Then, I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes, please look forward to the taste of our home."

"It's not even made by you, and you still say that...although Dad's cooking
tastes better."

"That sentence means a lot, you know~"

Shihoko pouted, puffing up her face. However, it was a fact that Shuuto's
cooking skills were better.

Shihoko cooked on weekdays, while Shuuto did them on the weekends.

Although the former had more experience, Shuuto's still tasted better.

It wasn't that Shihoko's dishes were bad, just that Amane preferred Shuuto's
style. Of course, Amane thanked the both of them when the time came.

"Forget it. Let's just go home first, it's almost noon. The cars over here,
come on."

Shihoko beckoned them and said, "it doesn't make too much sense to say a
lot at the station," and started walking to the station exit, while Amane
glanced at Mahiru.

"Then, let's go."

"Mm"

After Mahiru nodded slightly, Amane gently held her wrist.

Although he would not interlock fingers in front of Shihoko, they could at

least say that it was to prevent getting lost like this.

Mahiru's eyes widened, then showed a shy smile, moving closer to Amane.
Amane was also a little ashamed, and walked a little slower behind
Shihoko.

It took about half an hour by car to get home, but to Amane it felt like it
took a total of 2 hours.

In front of Amane was a large house. It was that big because there was a
study room, a spacious kitchen, and vacant bedrooms. Mahiru seemed to
think it was bigger than it actually was, her eyes opened round.

"So big..."

"Oh thank you, our house is quite big. In fact, I hoped to have a daughter to
use that many rooms, but it didn't work out...I guess Mahiru fills that role?"

"Uh, t-that..."

"Mom, don't make fun of Mahiru. She's very embarrassed right?"

"Oh ho?"

Shihoko smiled brightly, but also smirked at at Mahiru's reaction.

Mahiru lowered her head shyly, making Shihoko even more happy.

"Okay, it's hot out, so go in quickly."

"Yeah yeah..."
"Until next time~"

Shihoko's smile showed no sign of stopping, so Amane gave up and pushed

Shihoko's back; the latter simply kept on smiling and unlocked the front
door.

There were footsteps, and it seemed Shuuto noticed that they were back.

"Welcome back"

After entering the house, as expected, Shuuto was waiting.

"I'm back, and I also brought Mahiru-chan~"

"It's been a while, Shiina."

"Yes."

Mahiru and Shuuto hadn't seen each other in more than half a year, so she
was still a little nervous. Shihoko was frank and friendly towards Mahiru-ah
no, she was pressing every step of the way, so there may not be a sense of
distance, but Mahiru still felt unfamiliar with Shuuto.

Shuuto noticed that Mahiru looked a little stiff and showed an approachable
smile.

"You don't have to be so restrained with an uncle like me."

"No, that's not it..."

"The problem is that Dad doesn't look like an uncle."

"Way to butter up your dad."

Amane's father did have an appearance that didn't suit his age.

He looked too young for someone who was almost 40 years old. It was safe
to say that no one could immediately guess his age.
"Amane, I haven't seen you in a while either. You look better."

"It's only been half a year, are there really any changes?"

"Yeah. You're more like a man, looking confident and dressing well."

Because he was going to be with Mahiru, Amane wore some outdoor

clothes. He also did lack self confidence before, so that was definitely a
change.

Being seen straight through made Amane a little embarrassed, and Shuuto
showed a small smile.

"Then, Shihoko, give them a house tour, I'll go prepare the food."

"Okay, come in then. The place isn't too big, so I hope you can live
comfortably."

"N-no...I'm the bother here..."

Mahiru bowed her head and took off her shoes. Amane also changed to the
indoor slippers.

Amane knew his own home well and did not need a tour, but in order to
monitor whether Shihoko would say anything unnecessary, he planned to
follow them.

After seeing Shuuto go back into the kitchen, Shihoko waved towards the
stairs and said, "Over here~"

The second floor was basically the bedrooms and guest rooms. Shihoko was
leading them there.

Amane also wanted to go to his room and open the luggage they send, but
he thought about the location of the guest room and showed an
indescribably expression.

(If I remember correctly, there's only one room that isn’t being used as a
storage room...)
The two rooms, Amane's and the guest room, was connected by a balcony.
It was originally reserved for the second child, and although that child
wasn't born, the room was neatly decorated and could be lived in.

Amane's cousins often used this room when they came over during long
vacations, although that didn’t happen nearly as much these days.

Although Amane didn't say anything, he felt uncomfortable when he

thought about whether it would be okay to let someone of the opposite sex
live in a connected room.

"Then, Mahiru-chan, you can use this room."

As expected, Shihoko led them to the room next to Amane's, which

garnered a sigh from him.

"Thank you for preparing this room for me."

"No need to thank me for such a thing. The bathroom is over there, and next
door is Amane's room. The balcony is connected.

Hearing the words "the balcony is connected", Mahiru blinked in surprise.

"Don't worry, you can lock both sides."

"I-I'm not worried about that..."

"You should though..."

"Heheh, how innocent. Now, I'm gong to help Shuuto prepare lunch, so you
two can get your luggage."

"Alright, thanks."

"No problem, see you later."

Shihoko smiled and walked down the stairs. After confirming that she was
gone, Amane sighed heavily.
"Sorry, this room was the only one."

"No it's okay, I'm okay."

"That's not the point. Mom also doesn't know yet...really."

"I'm okay...and, the balcony is connected, so we can watch the stars

together."

Seeing Mahiru's shy smile, Amane thought "she's not worried about night
attacks at all", and because she hoped to spend the night together, joy
gradually came to his heart.

"...Well, we'll see if it's convenient. Okay, let's go and open our luggage
first."

"Mm"

Amane wasn't sure whether Mahiru noticed his own shyness, while she just
smiled happily and walked into her room.

By now, Amane once again realized that they would live in the same space
for two weeks. He covered his face with his hands and stepped into his own
room, face burning red.

In order to welcome Mahiru, lunch was served by Shuuto.

Like Mahiru, Shuuto could cook a lot of things. By Shihoko's request,

today's staple food was Spanish rice.

Of course, layed out on the table was not only a large pot of Spanish rice,
but also a thick soup and a salad, and plenty of seafood.

Everything was delicious, and Mahiru was very happy. It seemed she also
thought Shuuto's cooking skills were excellent.

"My son isn't a bother, right?"

After resting for a little after lunch, Shuuto asked Mahiru.

Shihoko was responsible for cleaning up after the meal, so she was not
present. The sound of cleaning let them know of Shihoko's presence in the
kitchen.

When Mahiru heard Shuuto's question, she blinked, and shook her head in
denial."

N-no...no trouble at all."

"You always have to take care of me."

"...I have a great time doing that though. I never felt that being with Amane-
kun was troublesome."

"Huh."

Hearing Mahiru smoothly finish speaking, Amane had nothing to say.

"Don't be shy, Amane. Do thank her properly."

"I always thank her."

"Oh, I know."

Mahiru also seemed to see that Amane was hiding his shyness, and laughed
like a silver bell.

Her smile made Amane falter, and his lips twitched. As a result, Mahiru
laughed again, leaving Amane helpless.

"You'll remember this later..."

Amane looked at Mahiru, but she was still smiling. That sentence seemed to
be useless.

Amane couldn't bear it, and turned his head away, but this time Shuuto
laughed.
"Amane really is not honest, although that's the cute part about him."

"Speaking of cute men, do you look down on them?"

"Amane-kun is really cute."

"Mahiru, we'll have a good chat afterward."

"Then, we can talk about this later then..."

When Mahiru said this with a smile, Amane fell speechless again. Mahiru
was very difficult to deal with today. Amane thought that Mahiru was just
nervous, but she seemed to be getting along well.

Although there was also the chance that Mahiru was just used to talking
with Amane.

Shuuto watched the two's conversation with interest, then blinked

vigorously as if thinking of something.

"Ah, by the way, Shiina, if it's convenient, do you want to go shopping

together? Shihoko has something for me to buy."

"Why are you planning to take her out?"

Because Mahiru was being stolen from him, he questioned in

dissatisfaction, while Shuuto smiled as before.

"I can't have some fun walking around like Shihoko did?"

"That's not..."

"Just watch the house for a bit."

"Why!?"

"Well, I want to talk a bit about the past, and you'll stop me."

"Well you're probably going to say something bad..."

"Yep."

Shuuto nodded happily, and then ignoring the speechless Amane, looking at
Mahiru.

"Would you like to go shopping with me?"

"Well, as long as you doesn't mind."

"Then come along. Also, we can choose a gift for Shihoko together."

Shuuto said with a smile after getting permission. For this, Mahiru was
puzzled.

"A gift? Is there any anniversary...?"

"Dad often gives mom gifts, even if nothing happens. Don't worry about it."

Shuuto is very good to women and very diligent, especially to his beloved
wife Shihoko. With that, even if there is nothing major, he would give gifts
without too much trouble.

According to Shuuto, this was a show of gratitude, a proof of love, and also
because he wanted to see Shihoko happy. When Amane was still here, he
often accompanied him to buy such gifts.

This time, Shuuto invited Mahiru to get advice from a female perspective,
although the main purpose would be to talk about Amane's history.

"...Amane-kun feels like Shuuto-san."

"I don't do that much."

"When you see dolls or cute little pendants, doesn't Amane-kun buy them
for me?"

Amane would often subconsciously buy things that Mahiru would like and
suitable for her, but that was because he likes it, and also as a thank you for
taking care of him all the time.
To say that that was like Shuuto, while somewhat true, Amane felt that he
did not do it as often.

"Well, after all, Mahiru takes care of me all the time."

After Amane answered with an excuse-like voice, Mahiru laughed. Her

voice seemed helpless, but at the same time very happy and mischievous.

Shuuto also looked at him with satisfaction. Amane, as if unable to stay any
longer, stood up at will, and fled to Shihoko in the name of helping her
clean up.

"Oh, Amane, weren't you talking with Mahiru-chan?"

"Well, Dad's going to take Mahiru out to buy things."

Amane glanced at the living room. The two were smiling and preparing to
leave.

The reason they moved so fast was probably because Shuuto discovered
that Amane was a little awkward and planned to give Amane some time to
calm down. His father was too aware of the subtle feelings in people's
hearts, and Amane occasionally felt scared.

"Ah, they're going shopping. I guess Shuuto has something to ask Mahiru,
right?"

"What's he going to ask..."

"Probably the usual performance? I don't know everything about Shuuto."

Shihoko handed Amane the special pot that had been washed and baked,
and Amane honestly went and put the pot back in the kitchen cabinet.

During this time, Mahiru and Shuuto had already left the living room.
Amane looked at the door they walked out with a little bit of worry, then
returned to Shihoko who was washing the dishes, dried them and put them
back on the shelf.
Because Amane often helps\ed Mahiru doing these things, he was familiar
with these tasks, but Shihoko's eyes widened when she saw Amane's
actions.

"Amane's movements are also very proficient."

"Thank you for the compliment"

"It looks like you don't rely on Mahiru for everything, I'm relieved."

"Mom, what kind of scumbag do you think I am..."

In any case, Amane was not so shameless to make Mahiru do everything.

If he did, Amane would feel too guilty.

She had already worked hard to cook, and Amane should do something for
her in return.

"Why don't you talk about this kind of thing?" Amane narrowed his eyes to
look at Shihoko. Shihoko kept that look of admiration and shouted, "...Say
Amane."

"What's wrong"

"How far are you with Mahiru-chan?"

"Pfft"

Amane didn't expect such a question to arise now, and couldn't help but
spray it out. Shihoko casually finished the dishes.

Although Amane reflexively took the plate and dried the water with a rag,
he couldn't hide his surprise, his brows furrowing.

"Why are you shaking? The atmosphere is so obvious, did you seriously try
to hide it?"

With that said, Amane was shut down.

Now, the atmosphere between Amane and Mahiru was different from that
of New Year's visits. This, of course, was because of the relationship, but
Amane originally intended to hide it from his parents.

In the end, they had been seen through.

"...Can't it?"

"Of course? I want her to be a daughter, so she's very welcome."

"…Mm"

"Looking at that kind of loving eyes and atmosphere, I thought you had
done everything."

"How could that be possible!"

Amane raised his eyebrows because of this guess, but Shihoko showed no
sign of repentance.

"...Mom, don't tell Mahiru about this kind of thing."

"That's not going to be said. But I want a daughter, and I look forward to
you."

For physical reasons, Shihoko could no longer have children. Amane

understood how she wanted her daughter, so he couldn't blame her more,
just puffed up his mouth.

"...Don't put pressure on Mahiru."

"I know, so Amane has to keep her."

"Does Mom think I will let go of someone like her?"

In the past, Amane felt that as long as Mahiru could be happy, it didn't
matter if the other person wasn't him, and he was willing to leave her. But
now Amane couldn't say such things anymore.
It wasn't wrong to say he was stingy, but it could also be said that the idea
of wanting to cherish Mahiru and not letting go was even stronger. Amane
really did hope that Mahiru could be happy, and hoped that she would like
himself to the point where she wouldn't see other men.

Therefore, Amane did not intend to give Mahiru a chance to divert from his
attention.

Hearing Amane's firm assertion, Shihoko was stunned for a moment, and
then giggled happily.

"Fufu, in areas like this, Amane is also very similar to Shuuto. Shuuto loves
me very much too."

"I didn't inherit my father's talent for attracting everyone."

"Really now. Why don't I ask Mahiru-chan?"

"Hey, stop."

If she went to talk to Mahiru, she might reveal some shameful tidbits, so
Amane tried his best to stop it.

Amane opened his eyes and asked Shihoko to stop, but it seemed to have no
effect. Shihoko happily said in a rather leisurely tone, "I look forward to
Mahiru-chan's return," which made Amane's brows furrowed deeper.

A few hours after Mahiru and Shuuto went out, when Shihoko was going to
prepare dinner, the two of them came back.

Because he would definitely be teased, Amane decided to go unpack his

luggage in his room, and then spent the time working on some school
textbooks. At this time, Mahiru, who had just returned home, came to see
him.

Almost all his furniture had been moved to Amane’s current apartment, so
there was almost nothing in this room, and Shihoko would clean it regularly
so that it will not be shameful. Therefore, Amane allowed her in, but
Mahiru was a little unsure.
Amane didn't know if it was because the two were alone, because of the
room, or because of going out with Shuuto, in any case, Mahiru seemed to
be very restless. Amane put the cushion on the floor and let her sit down.

"Welcome back, Mahiru. Are you tired?"

Amane went to the kitchen to get two servings of barley tea, and asked her
while setting the tea on the folding table. Mahiru blinked a few times, then
relaxed her expression.

"Yeah. I was been sitting on the road here, so I happened to go out and
move."

"Really...So, seeing you so flustered, did you hear something from my

dad?"

Mahiru looked away slightly, and it seemed that he was right. Amane
sighed.

Amane didn't think that Mahiru was in the wrong, but he had a lot to talk
about with Shuuto. However, even if Amane told Shuuto, Shuuto would
avoid talking or play tricks on Amane, so Amane couldn't complain much.

"Hey, my dad...what did he say?"

"It's no big deal, he just asked me how Amane-kun is now, and told me how
cute Amane-kun was when he was a child."

"...What did you hear?"

Amane couldn't figure out anything interesting he did when he was a kid,
and he didn't even know if there were any things that would be bad to say.

It's just that, since the Shuuto specifically told Mahiru, it must have
happened to Amane. From a parent's point of view, it might have been a
cute joke, but in Amane's opinion, it is embarrassing and not funny for his
parents to tell about his childhood failures.
"Tell me more specifically." Amane narrowed his eyes to stare at Mahiru,
and then he drew away from his sight blatantly.

"Then, that...right?"

"Why don't you look at me"

"At least I know that Amane-kun is very cute."

Hearing this unanswered response, Amane sighed deliberately.

"W-what?"

"Bad kids who don't speak will be punished."

Amane pulled Mahiru beside him and asked her to sit between his legs.
After he picked up Mahiru from behind, he touched Mahiru's belly with the
opportunity.

At this, Mahiru seemed surprised too, twisting her head and looking up at
Amane.

"Then, that, Amane-kun?"

"I remember that Mahiru is ticklish, right?"

"...P-please wait. If you have something to discuss-"

"If Mahiru confessed at first, I wouldn't do it either."

Across the clothes, Amane slowly traced Mahiru's flanks, and then Mahiru's
body shook visibly.

While experiencing her slim body that was devoid of excess fat, Amane
slowly stroked her smooth curved waist with her fingers. Just like this,
Mahiru breathed out lightly.

As Mahiru's reaction was so good, Amane couldn't help but scratch her
itching with his fingers, slowly irritating her skin.
Mahiru twisted his body in his arms, causing Amane to have a lot of bad
thoughts, but he couldn't stop at this point.

"Huh, w-wait...huh, Amane-kun..."

"By the way, Mahiru, aren't you a little too ticklish?"

Amane started very lightly, but Mahiru seemed to be very sensitive. She
shook her knees and exhaled slightly.

I don't know if she should be thought of as cute, or she should be stunned

by her stubbornness.

Amane was careful not to touch the place that would be dangerous in a
rational sense after encountering it, and slowly scratched Mahiru. Then,
maybe Mahiru couldn't bear it anymore, and suddenly turned to Amane's
direction with his body.

Mahiru's face was slightly red, and his eyes might be moist from the
tickling. When she glared at him, Amane felt his heartbeat in every sense.

"A-Amane-kun, you idiot, that was too much."

"If you said everything earlier, it wouldn't be like this?"

"No, I didn’t say what’s the big deal. Shuuto-san only talked about Amane-
kun when he was a kid, how you bumped into a telephone pole on a bicycle
and cried. Amane-kun also stuck to Shihoko on Mother’s Day and said, "I
like mom most. I still want to change. I have to be as handsome as Shuuto. I
used wax to make a mohawk!"

"That leak is too bad!"

Shuuto was talking about embarrassing things that Amane himself didn't
remember, and Amane couldn't help hiding his face when he learned this.

Amane originally thought that Shuuto should be able to talk about things
when he was a child, but he didn't expect that all he talked about was such a
shameful topic. Amane even wanted to ask what he meant.
In the eyes of parents, this may be a happy topic, but in Amane's
perspective it was his black history.

"I-I think it's cute?"

"You are not complimenting this. Hurry up and forget about it."

"...Amane-kun tickled me for it, so I won't forget it."

Amane felt that even if he didn't tickle her, Mahiru would remember these
things. However, her words sounded a bit awkward, so Amane reflected
that he might have done too much, and put his hands gently around
Mahiru's back.

"Okay, I'm sorry"

"...Next time you tickle me, I will talk to Amane-kun's ear about what
Shuuto-san told me."

"I don't want to be mentally attacked...I see. I'm sorry."

Amane picked up Mahiru and touched her to coax her, while she stayed in
Amane's arms and buried her face in Amane's shoulders.

"Mahiru, you go take a bath first."

After the reunion after dinner, it was almost time for a bath. Mahiru sat next
to Amane watching TV, and Shihoko spoke to her.

"I can do it later..."

"You are a guest, so it's fine. If you don't want to wash it alone, you can ask
Amane to join you."

"What stupid words are you talking about?"

Shihoko smiled and uttered such words, and Amane naturally frowned.
To lend Amane out means to let Mahiru and Amane take a bath together.
Amane felt that Mahiru could not agree. She was already having a hard
time wearing a swimsuit a while ago, so she would definitely not consider
being naked.

Sure enough, Mahiru's face was red.

She glanced at Amane, then flushed even more. She must have imagined
Amane's body.

Amane was the same; if he thought too much about it, he would feel
ashamed.

"You have to be naked, that, it's really..."

"Oh, do you want me to prepare more towels?"

"Forget it, forget it..."

"Oh, you don't really need to be shy? Shuuto-san and I often wash
together."

"That, that..."

"Mahiru, don’t take it too seriously. Mom and Dad often take a bath with
together, but we don’t have to."

Shihoko's proposal was just to tease them.

Those two were always completely loving. When going out together, they
would definitely hold hands and smile at each other; when they sleep, they
would also sleep on the same bed.

From all angles, the two are in love with each other. Although a little
embarrassing from the perspective of their son, they are a famous pair of
couples in the area.

They took bathes together, saying that it was the two of them that would
make the husband and wife complete. Therefore, Shihoko's proposal might
not have been a teasing, but more like a suggestion at a closer relationship
between Amane and Mahiru.

(Anyway, it’s being nosy at us)

If you go to the bath together, Amane may stain the bath water red, which
would make it difficult.

"Hey teenager, is this all right?"

"What is okay? How can I do this kind of thing in my hometown."

"It sounds like the other side is not completely meaningless."

"...Then discuss with Mahiru."

"Negotiable" sure was a convenient word. A few days ago, Amane heard
Mahiru's say in the pool.

Mahiru wandered around shyly, but it was hard to say that she really didn't
want to take a bath together, so she could only get through.

To be honest, as a teenager, Amane knows that he is ashamed and that the

two will face death for their own reasons, but he still has a little vision.
Although he probably won't actually practice it.

Shuuto listened to these conversations with a smile, and saw Amane's

cramped face, a wry smile appeared between his lips.

"Shihoko, don't tease them too much."

"Good~"

Shihoko soon became calm as soon as Shuuto started. Amane was grateful
for Shuuto.

"Okay, leave my mom alone, go and wash it."

"Okay, okay. Then I'm going to take a shower."

"Amane is really boring. Then you go, Mahiru"

In order to keep Shihoko under control, Amane sent Mahiru away, and
returned to the living room.

Amane's face suddenly became tired, and Shuuto smiled peacefully.

Mahiru took a shower, and then it was Amane's turn.

It was simply because the parents wanted to use the bathtub together, so
Amane must go to wash as soon as possible.

After passing by Mahiru, who had just taken a bath, his heart beat furiously,
and he entered the bath as soon as possible.

Amane hadn't been able to soak for too long. He thought of how he was
soaking in the same bathwater as Mahiru and almost fainted.

After Amane finished washing, his parents went to the bathroom, so he and
Mahiru were the only ones in the living room.

"Your parents, t-they're so affectionate."

Seeing Shuuto going to the bathroom with Shihoko's waist from his back,
Mahiru couldn't help but whisper.

"Since I was little, they've been like that. I'm used to it."

"...I think you're really good at managing."

"Thank you, but I sometimes have stomach pains."

"Fufu"

Amane put his hands on his chest and spit out his tongue. Mahiru covered
the corner of his mouth and smiled softly.

"...Just ask, are you having a good time here? You aren't tired?"
"No problem. Both of them treat me very well...well, treat me like a
daughter..."

"Yeah, probably because my parents want daughters. When such a cute girl
comes over, they will definitely spoil you.

"Mmmm"

The parents accepted Mahiru very happily.

Of course, Mahiru's good character was the most important reason. Because
she was Mahiru, Shihoko appreciated her and cared a lot about her.

Maybe Mahiru was shy after she heard Amane call her cute, a faint red
blossoming on her face.

"After I grew up, my parents always wanted someone to spoil, so, it doesn't
matter if you go to act like a baby to my parents. If there is something you
want, you can always look for them?"

If Mahiru wanted something, then his parents, especially Shihoko, would

surely make it happen.

"I don't need to be spoiled but..."

"But what?"

"I kind of want to go out with everyone..."

Mahiru added, "Because I look forward to going out with my family," her
voice was very small and faint, as if he was about to be covered by the
sound of breathing. After hearing it, Amane instantly felt that his chest
tighten.

Mahiru did not get along well with her family. For her, the contact with
Shihoko and Shuuto was more than her real family ever did.

Amane thought about how good it would be to form the bond of family, but
this matter couldn't be decided by only Amane, so he decided not to say it
yet.

"Is that so? I'll talk to my mother. But if you don't know where to go, I
might let my mother decide what she likes."

Therefore, Amane did not mention this, but decided to spend the family
with Mahiru.

"Probably going to entertainment facilities or shopping malls. If you have

something you want to go, if you don't tell it, my mother will take you to
strange places?"

"Hehe, as long as I am with Amane-kun, I can go anywhere."

"If you say that, mom will definitely take you to weird places..."

Hearing Amane's words, Mahiru laughed happily. Amane calmed down and
talked about the strange places he had been to, which made Mahiru smile
even more.
Chapter 13: Of course she's around
me
Perhaps because of tiredness from the road, or from the words and deeds of
his parents, Amane woke up later than usual. Specifically, it was one hour
till noon already.

Amane got up and picked up the blanket that had fallen to the ground at an
unknown time, and yawned as he folded it up.

(...There is no arrangement for today)

Although Mahiru asked four people to go out together, Amane hasn't told
his parents about it yet. In the few days he had just returned, he planned to
recuperate at home.

Therefore, even if it is almost noon to get up, it is not a problem, but Amane
feels that even if it is summer vacation, it is still too lazy.

Amane slowly got up to change clothes, and walked to the living room after
he finished changing. Of course, Mahiru was already in the living room,
and she was gathered around the table with Shihoko and Shuuto.

Mahiru looked at something that looked like a big book, and her eyes were
a bit bright.

"Good morning. What are you looking at"

"Ah, good morning"

Mahiru's expression didn't show any fatigue. After she said good morning,
she turned her gaze back to the book.

Amane thought about what it was, and also looked over there, then covered
his face.
"...Say, why do you want to see my photo album while I'm not here..."

Amane saw the familiar child covered in mud in the photo, so he whispered.

Parents are those who take pictures and cherish memories very much. It was
no surprise to have an album. The problem is that they showed the album to
Mahiru.

The opened photo album showed a little Amane, with photos that were
generally more innocent, cute, and reckless.

Seeing that he was muddy and about to cry, Mahiru was sitting next to
Shihoko, who was proudly showing the photo album.

"Hey, do you want to see your cute photos? Let's talk about it earlier."

"No, I mean don't show it to her without authorization."

"...Can't I see?"

"It's not impossible, but that, I am embarrassed."

"These are pretty cute"

"Is it really a compliment if you're calling boys cute."

It's okay if he was handsome, but cuteness definitely was not a boast for a
man.

Even if he knew that the child in the picture was immature and cute, Amane
is not happy.

He turned his head away, feeling all three of them laughing.

"Oh, that's great. Mahiru is fascinated by watching Amane, isn't it?"

"That definitely means looking at me and wanting to laugh."

"Well, maybe..."
"Shiina really likes Amane. As a parent, I am glad to see such a reliable
person by his side."

In the corner of his vision, Mahiru lowered his eyes after hearing Shuuto's
words and curled up.

Mahiru probably felt ashamed of being praised. However, Amane's black

history was unknowingly revealed, showing all the embarrassing photo's,
which made Amane's shame even stronger.

Amane plopped down on the sofa to express his dissatisfaction, and then his
parents laughed at him.

"Don't be awkward. Isn't there a good girl next to you that will accept you
no matter what?"

"…That's true."

"However, Amane didn't tell us, so we're a little sad."

"Whaa-"

Shuuto also seemed to know that Amane and Mahiru had started dating.
Amane didn't know don't know if he heard about it indirectly from Shihoko,
or if Mahiru told him directly.

"...It's too shameful to report everything."

"Even if that's the case, it's better to say it. Although I figured it out way
earlier."

"After all, Amane brought this girl to his hometown, and you guys knew it
well."

"You two are so annoying just because we are dating!"

"That's frank. Mahiru, can I ask you to stay with this child?"

"Well, Amane-kun is very shy...I like that too."

"Oh My God"

"I feel relieved seeing your relationship so good."

The parents looked at Mahiru with relief, and cast the same sight towards
Amane, which made Amane's fatigue continue to rise. He didn't want to
respond anymore.

(...Obviously I am from my hometown, but I feel so overwhelmed.)

Due to the character of his parents, Amane had expected this to happen. But
even so, he felt very embarrassed and uncomfortable as a son. Compared
with his son, Mahiru is more popular and more comfortable here, which
makes Amane mentally uneasy.

Amane sighed, arrogantly put the album on his lap and flipped through it.

Most of the photos that Mahiru happily saw were the failures of Amane.
Although there are some shots purely for commemoration, more of them
were of children's unique ways to mess up.

There were also photos of Amane in girl clothes, which disappointed him.

Amane grew up late and appeared very young until later in junior high.
Therefore, Shihoko once asked him to wear female clothes for fun.

By the second day of the second grade, Amane's height suddenly jumped
up, and there was no such thing afterward, but Amane had heard people
secretly say that he had a female face, which was a painful memory.

(...I miss it)

Naturally, Amane remembered the people who had been close to him and
had finally parted ways.

Amane left this place in order to avoid them, and now, for the good or bad,
he has drawn a clear line from the past, and would not be immersed in
sentimentality.
At best, he felt that he might meet the people going to school here.

As if to let go of the troubled memories, Amane quickly closed the album

and raised his head, and found that Mahiru was looking at him.

"...Then, that, is Amane-kun angry...?"

"No, that's not it. I just miss it."

Mahiru seemed to be worried because Amane seemed unhappy. Amane

shrugged and put the album back on the table.

(I can't let Mahiru worry about this.) Although he didn't want to suffer from
the warm eyes of his parents, he reached out his hand and touched Mahiru's
head.

Mahiru's eyes widened, but those eyes soon narrowed softly and relaxed
comfortably.

As expected, Shihoko smiled. Amane ignored her and gently touched

Mahiru's head to coax her.

On the third day home, Mahiru had completely adapted.

"Ah, Mahiru, what a good job."

In the kitchen, the three people are wearing aprons and doing some snacks
in a good relationship. Amane has neither strength nor even received an
invitation, so he can only look at those people from a distance in the living
room.

Mahiru came from afar, so Shihoko and Shuuto cared about her in
everything, even before her son, and they were already happily living
together.

They want to love their son's lovely girlfriend. Although Amane did not
understand this feeling, his son himself was left alone.
Amane had nothing to do, and he didn't think he wanted them to care, but
being placed at this point, Amane could not help but develop a very
complicated state of mind.

In the conversation and affection between Shihoko and Shuuto, Mahiru

seemed very happy, and of course Amane was also happy about it.

Mahiru looked forward to a harmonious family. Now that she could

experience this kind of near-family feeling, Amane feels that it doesn't
matter if he was ignored.

To say that it was a bit troublesome would be because his parents spent a lot
of their attention on Mahiru, shortening the time that Amane could spend
with her.

(Anyway, I can be with her after we go back, so it should be fine)

Amane knew that when he returned to his current home, he would return
when he was alone with Mahiru. However, he still felt complicated.

In short, now Mahiru and his parents were talking happily, so Amane left
the living room and returned to the room to escape this unhappy feeling.

Amane sat cross-legged at the folding table and opened the textbooks he
had brought.

After all, there was nothing to do, and most of the entertainment devices in
the room were sent his current home. Amane could only kill time like this.
In any case, there were exams in the future, even if you want to maintain
your ranking, you still need to learn. He also didn't mind learning, so he
didn't feel painful about it.

Amane did his students' duty to study hard and quietly kill time.

Although the textbook was very new, Amane finished the questions very
easily, all thanks to his daily efforts. Due to the request of his parents and in
order to be worthy of Mahiru, he did not lay down his efforts and achieved
good results
(I used to live by myself as a matter of course, but now once there is no one
next to me, I will feel dissatisfied. When did this start?)

There was no doubt that the reason layed within Mahiru.

Because Mahiru's accompaniment had become normal, Amane had begun

to feel dissatisfied with being alone.

Amane twirled the red ink pen in amusement, and sighed softly.

The teaching aids would be finished soon. This should have been a
gratifying thing, but Amane sighed. Just as he was about to put down the
pen and pick up the mechanical pencil, there were three knocks on the door.

"Amane-kun"

After the knock on the door, Mahiru's voice called out.

Amane originally thought she was cooking in the kitchen, but after looking
at the time, 2 hours had passed and the cooking should be over.

"What's wrong"

"It's nothing, that, I suddenly noticed that you were missing..."

"I'm just studying, I'm bored anyway."

Amane did not expect two full hours to pass, which also means that he was
quite concentrated. No, to be precise, Amane had a lot of distracting
thoughts, but in order to get rid of such thoughts, he put his consciousness
on learning.

"...That's it. Well, may I enter the room?"

"Yes, yes, but don't you need to talk to them again?"

"...Now I want to talk to Amane-kun."

Maybe Mahiru was thinking of Amane, otherwise she would not come to
Amane's room specially.

Amane reflected that he was still immature, but of course he couldn't push
her away, so he said "please come in" and opened the door for her.

After opening the door, Amane saw Mahiru holding a tray.

There were two puffs and some coffee on the tray, which seemed to have
been brewed recently.

"Pardon me…"

Mahiru came in politely, making Amane a little embarrassed.

Amane hurriedly picked up the teaching aids and stationery, took out the
cushions and put them down for Mahiru to use, then took the tray from her
hand and placed it on the folding table.

The puffs were fluffy and beautiful, and they are well done; with such an
appearance, they could be sold in a cake shop. Since it was made by
Mahiru, the taste was also good.

"I just made this, it shouldn't be cold yet..."

"Well, thank you."

Amane was very grateful to Mahiru for bringing these, and thanked him
frankly, then, for some reason, Mahiru lowered his eyes in embarrassment.

"...Amane-kun, are you not angry?"

"Hm?"

"Because Amane-kun seems to have thorns, or it's a bit difficult to get close
to you."

Mahiru seemed to see through him.

It wasn't that Amane was angry; Mahiru was mistaken on this point. He was
simply a little lonely, but neither his parents nor Mahiru were at fault.

"I'm not angry, but Mahiru was snatched away, and I feel lonely."

"Huh...th-that..."

"I'm sorry. I know that Mahiru and my parents are having a great time. It's
just that I am awkward talking to myself."

Amane shrugged and smiled, "I'm quite childish," and took a sip of the
coffee that Mahiru poured him.

Amane knew that Mahiru longed for a family, and should have watched her
with a smile. The problem was that Amane felt that he had nowhere to stay
and ran away.

Although Amane thought that as long as Mahiru was happy, he didn't mind
being by himself for a bit. His unhappiness was his own business, and
would never vent to Mahiru and his parents.

Amane put down his cup and took a breath. Mahiru looked at him quietly,
then threw herself into his chest.

It was more like she was leaning against Amane's chest. Facing the sudden
physical contact, Amane was puzzled.

Amane didn't know what happened to Mahiru, so he patted her on the back
first to coax her. Then, Mahiru slowly raised her head and looked straight
into Amane's eyes.

"...Of course I am happy to spend time with Shihoko, but the best thing is to
be with Amane-kun."

After speaking softly, Mahiru cautiously moved her lips to Amane's cheek.

When Amane felt a slight softness, Mahiru's face had already left.
Her face was very red, completely different from just now; her eyes were
also blurred. Amane couldn't help but kiss Mahiru's soft cheek.

(...I'm a fool)

He thought that it was very dumb to be jealous when Mahiru had such a
deep affection for him.
Amane realized Mahiru's love again, and expressed his overflowing
feelings on her smooth cheeks.

Even on the cheek, Amane was still not used to kissing. It was the same
with Mahiru. Every time his lips touched, she trembled slightly.

At first, Mahiru seemed to want to escape the shame, but after Amane
hugged her and touched her lightly, she gradually committed herself to
Amane.

Sometimes, Mahiru shyly returned a kiss to Amane's cheek. That look was
so cute that Amane couldn't help but hug her.

"...Say, Mahiru?"

After the two kissed each other on the cheeks for a while, Amane looked at
Mahiru's eyes.

Mahiru was shy and joyful, looking up at Amane with a relaxed expression.

"Well, tomorrow, do you want us to go out together? The parents have to

work anyway."

"Just us two?"

"I haven't taken you around this place yet. Although it's the same as where I
live now, nothing special is it."

Amane only made the proposal when he wanted the two to be together, but
Mahiru opened his eyes wide, and then smiled more relaxed than when he
kissed.

"Okay...that, if you and Amane-kun are two people, you can go anywhere."

"Oh"

"Today I still want to stay like this for a while...Shihoko-san and they also
asked me to accompany Amane-kun."
"It's so nosy...it doesn't seem to be counted, or I'm not good at it, I've been
seen through."

Parents seem to care about Amane too.

Amane even felt that he was too stupid, and his body trembled with a smile,
and then slowly let go of Mahiru.

Mahiru seemed to feel disappointed for Amane. But after Amane pointed to
the puff and whispered to her, "I want to eat the snack you made," she
quickly lowered her eyes shyly.

"...Would you like to eat together?"

"want"

Amane stopped holding Mahiru, but sat next to her and held her hand,
Mahiru showed a warm smile.
Chapter 14: Encounter with the
Past
"You two are going out today, right?"

In the morning, the four of them were sitting at the breakfast table when
Shihoko asked as if suddenly remembering.

From the smiling reactions of Shihoko and Shuuto, Amane understood that
it was a mistake to tell them of his plans.

It's just that they simply said, "It's really boring to stay at home all the
time," and they didn't seem to be joking.

"Well, but I don’t go anywhere, just take a walk."

"I haven't been out yet, I'm looking forward to it."

In the three days he came here, Mahiru only went to buy things with Mahiru
on the first day, and then just sat at home. This was not only the reason why
Amane's parents have been entertaining her, but also because it was also not
easy for her to wander around in unfamiliar places.

Amane thought his parents would take her out, but they chose to stay at
home leisurely. Amane felt that he should at least take Mahiru around.

"The only thing around are parks and supermarkets nearby anyways. It will
be different when you go to the city, do you want to go?"

"No, just to take a walk with Amane-kun. As long as we walk together, I

will be very happy."

"...Is that so?"

Amane originally knew that Mahiru was not looking forward to where she
was going. What she was looking forward to was the act of going out—
specifically, she was looking forward to spending time with Amane, which
made Amane's heart surge.

It can also be seen from the expression that she was satisfied just by being
with Amane. Amane, blushing and ashamed, shifted his gaze downwards.

"How should I say, this is more than love, right?"

"That’s how we did when we were young."

"No, Shihoko was not as calm as Shiina at that time?"

"Oh, so strict."

"Although Shihoko was very cute like that."

"Hey-hey"

Seeing Shihoko's shyness and Shuuto naturally praise her, Amane put them
aside with the feeling that "the ones who were so hot early in the morning"
ate Shihoko's omelette.

The omelette tasted good, but Amane still thinks Mahiru's cuisine is better.
The reason for this is that it was made by Mahiru rather than the standard of
cooking. Amane has completely fallen in love with Mahiru's cooking, and
Shihoko's cooking is a little bit inadequate.

Amane looked at her while thinking about asking Mahiru to help make
breakfast next time, and found Mahiru was looking at his parents, with
longing, envy and a trace of shame in his eyes.

Vaguely, Amane understood what she was thinking, and she became a little
embarrassed.

(...Although I can't do it like this)

Even so, Amane hopes to form the intimacy depicted in Mahiru's heart.
Although he still couldn't say it to Mahiru himself.

Amane once again looked at his loving parents at all times, imagining the
future of a certain day, and blushing secretly.

"Then let's go."

After a while after his parents went out to work, Amane said to Mahiru,
who was sitting on the sofa.

Although it's still morning, Amane doesn't plan to go far, but just walk
around at will, so it's not a problem even if it's almost noon. The plan is to
return home at noon, and then Mahiru will cook pasta with bacon and egg
sauce, so he won't go out for too long.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

"I said it was preparation. I don't need to bring anything for a walk...the city
is planning to go again next time."

"...Then, is that a date?"

"Yeah. Today is off."

Suddenly, if a date is going to happen, women also need to prepare, so

today I just plan to go out. In terms of the meaning of the word dating,
perhaps this time is also a date, but the two sides are different in their
seriousness.

Now that he has the opportunity, Amane hopes to find a whole day to go
out. Today's words are just walking together.

For the next date, Mahiru was overjoyed, showing a cheerful and sweet
smile.

"I look forward to dating"

"Yeah. I will consider the date plan, so please look forward to it
moderately."

"You can go anywhere with Amane-kun."

"I know, but it's all here, it's better to pick some places where you can have
fun."

Mahiru herself said that as long as we are together, we are satisfied, and this
can be seen from her expression. But even so, Amane hopes to make her
happy as a boyfriend.

"Anyway, that's next week. Let's take a walk now."

"Um"

After Amane stretched out his hand, Mahiru took it for granted.

This made Amane a little embarrassed, so he smiled lightly to hide his

shyness, and walked out of the house with Mahiru's hand.

Although I haven't gone home for a year or so, there is no change in the
surrounding area. Amane felt nostalgic and walked on a familiar road.

During this period, the two also held hands. Whenever a teenager or girl
who looks like a student on vacation passes by, they will look at Mahiru
enviously. Amane felt a little funny, so he laughed.

This proves how beautiful Mahiru is, which is a good thing, but it attracts
so many people, which makes Amane feel very interesting.

"What is Amane-kun laughing at?"

"Huh? Because Mahiru is very beautiful, it attracts a lot of people."

"It's useless to attract people's attention."

"What if it's me?"

"...Then what do you think Amane-kun will do?"

Mahiru laughed mischievously. Amane Ye smiled and said, "Then I'll take a
good look at home," and took her hand into the park.

This park is relatively large and has many natural scenery. It is a place for
people nearby to rest.

In the big sandpit, some of the children were shouting and playing in the
sand, and some were lining up to play the slide next to the climbing frame.
The parents of these children watched them on a nearby bench, or played
with them.

Seeing this gratifying daily scene, both of them smiled softly.

"Everyone is very energetic."

"We are not so energetic, we can't run around like that."

"Amane-kun didn't like running in the first place, right?"

"No, running is okay. I just hate being forced to run at a prescribed speed in
gym class."

There are always people who hate physical education, and some of them
don't hate physical activity. What they don't like is letting others watch or
being required to prescribe good actions. Amane is also of this type, he still
prefers to exercise freely by himself. He hates physical education, but he
doesn't hate sports that much.

"Then you play with those kids?"

"Then I am a suspicious person, and I won't put Mahiru aside. You are
wearing a skirt, so you can't run or squat."

"Yeah...but I think they are so good. I never played like that when I was a
kid..."
Mahiru softly added that he was basically playing alone in the courtyard, so
Amane held her small hand again.

"...I can't play anymore now. So what...If only there is a chance to play in
the future, it will be fine."

"Huh? Okay, okay...?"

Mahiru didn't seem to understand too much. Amane felt regretful, and at the
same time felt that it didn't matter if she didn't find it.

In addition, when she graduated from high school, Amane planned to talk it
out well, so it's okay if Mahiru hasn't noticed it now, just let her think about
family matters slowly.

Amane felt that Mahiru would not refuse him.

He smiled and fooled through the confused Mahiru, and gently took her
hand and walked in the park.

Amane walked slowly in the shade of the trees as much as possible, looking
at the flowers blooming in the flower beds, and the cool wind blowing from
the trees. He spent a very leisurely time.

The wife who occasionally went for a walk next door at his hometown said
to him, "Wow, that guy from Fujimiya back then-", and looked at him with
a subtle smile and sent blessings. Amane didn't feel unpleasant, only itchy.

After walking a lot in between, the two bought some drinks from the
vending machine and took a rest on the bench in the shade.

"Speaking of which, Mahiru is already very comfortable with my house."

After taking a breather after drinking a sports drink, Amane asked Mahiru.
Because of the abrupt topic, Mahiru's caramel-colored eyes blinked and
then relaxed.

"Yeah, I am very grateful."

"It's better than I am used to it."

"Yes, is it?"

"Yes, that's right, it's already like my hometown."

Mahiru is very comfortable at Fujimiya's family, and has received a lot of

love, even if she originally lived in Fujimiya's family, she would not feel
wrong. Of course, love is a family of three who love her.

Even if you don't think about Amane, his parents still love Mahiru as if
holding them in the palm of their hands, so Mahiru seems to be at ease.

"Did you have a good time at my house?"

"Well. When I came to Fujimiya's house, everything was very happy.

Moreover, Uncle Shuuto and Shihoko-san treated me very well."

"Yes, better than to me"

"Amane-kun, don't be awkward."

"It's not awkward. You are here."

"……Um"

Amane hopes that one day Mahiru can become part of the Fujimiya family.
Leaving aside Amane's placement, at least the family's willingness to accept
Mahiru's state is something to be happy about.

After all, as long as Mahiru was there. And it was obvious that Mahiru
would eventually return to Amane's arms, so Shihoko and the others would
have no problem looking after Mahiru. Although the reduction in the time
the two spends alone makes Amane feel a bit complicated, but after
returning home, he will be able to monopolize the real day.

Mahiru seemed ashamed to hear Amane's words, and put his forehead on
Amane's arm and hid his face. Amane thought that this kind of action was
also very cute, so he planned to touch her head.
"...Fujimiya?"

Hearing this, Amane froze.

After all, there was the breath of Mahiru nearby. Because the two people
were talking happily, they didn't notice anyone approaching.

(That’s right, since I'm back home, I might meet them)

For a while, Amane didn't even want to think of it. After Amane left the
local area, the two temporarily severed their relationship, but by chance, it
was not impossible to run into each other.

In a corner of his heart, Amane felt that he might meet him.

And the reason why he could get this anxiety out of his mind must be
thanks to the presence of Mahiru.

Amane exhaled, stopped his movements, put his hands down and turned to
the direction of the sound.
 Chapter 15: A farewell to the past

"It really is Fujimiya. I can't remember the name without hearing it"
is
Amane's former friend, Tojo, was looking at Amane. His appearance
hadn't changed much since junior high.
Amane was the opposite. In the two years, his looks and mood had
changed a lot. As of now, Amane's style and clothing was meant for public,
so Tojo did not easily recognize him.
While publicizing his relationship with Mahiru, Amane realized that it
would not be easy for people who knew him in the past equate him to the
present. Therefore, he was not confused by Tojo's reaction.
The frivolous smile of Tojo, as always, was only similar to the shape
of Itsuki. The difference, however, was that Itsuki looked humorous, while
Tojo looked as if he was up to mischief.
Seeing that Amane was not moving, Tojo frowned unhappily, and then
sneered.
"Fujimiya, long time no see."
"Likewise."
"So you left your hometown? Are you back now?"
"I'm only visiting for summer vacation. It's good to see you so
energetic."
Amane's answer was more ordinary than he thought, achieving this by
being a little surprised but unwavering.
Amane's heart had been sorted out.
 They lived in the local area, and it was normal to show up here.
Besides, it was just a coincidence. Amane was also not currently living near
them, so he was the unrelated stranger.
Recalling the past, Amane felt that there was a lump in his heart, but
once he felt the warmth of Mahiru next to him, that lump had long since
disappeared.
"What's the matter with that person, did you bluff her?"
"Of course not. She's my girlfriend"
"Huh"
Tojo looked at her with the same gaze that Mahiru had of him. Hearing
the word girlfriend, Tojo showed an unpleasant expression.
Tojo would occasionally show such an expression back when their
relationship was still good, and now Amane understood why this was the
case.
That kind of expression would only be revealed when someone else
had something he didn't.
"There are women in your life now. You're so capable, even if you
used to cry so much and looked so cute. Look at you now, what a nice
man."
Although Tojo said that with a teasing smile, Amane didn't have any
thoughts. Amane originally thought that he would be hurt. However, since
he had nothing to say, like a passing breeze, there was no pain at all. The
only problem was Mahiru, who was next to him, and might've been angered
because of the taunting words.
Amane glanced at Mahiru, who was blinking.
Then she smiled.
 There were many different kinds of smiles from Mahiru, but even
Amane, who had been with her for so long, had never seen such a guise-it
was different from the smile from the sports festival, and also different from
the one shown when she was with Amane. This expression held no
emotion.
Amane didn't know if he could feel at ease seeing such a smile, and he
was disturbed by Mahiru's reaction. Then, Tojo smiled triumphantly.
"Did you know? He's a little better now, but he used to be the joked on
looking like a girl, almost to the point of crying."
"I yearn for that."
The malicious words didn't make Amane react.
First of all, it was because Mahiru was holding his hand next to him,
but more importantly, after meeting Tojo, Amane just thought of it and
discovered that he was such an ordinary man.
In the past, Tojo had the better mood and physique. Refreshing and
lively, he would put forward his own opinions, and had many friends.
Receiving malice from someone better than Amane made him feel
scared. Amane also suffered from the sordid abuse and betrayal behind him.
Now, Amane was calm. Although it didn't matter anymore, he could
recall that this kind of thing happened in the past. Even if he remembered
what happened at that time, Amane would no longer tremble as he did at the
time.
Perhaps dissatisfied with Amane's flat reaction, which seemed to be
separated by layers of film, Tojo's face turned slightly red, and his eyes
became sharp.
"Look at you, so calm...how did you find the value of this guy, girl? He
has no merits except for his background. Did you know how bad he was
before?"
 Tojo turned to Mahiru, but Mahiru's gentle smile remained unchanged.
"Amane-kun told me everything. Although I still don't know his cute
face..."
"I'm afraid you want to see the photos. I didn't say anything."
"Hehe, unfortunately, I have seen them already."
Mahiru added in a low voice, "too cute," and Amane couldn't help but
look at her, dissatisfied. For a moment, she showed her original smile, but
she immediately reverted to the smile of an angel.
Mahiru's smile made Tojo freeze. Amane smirked.
"It doesn't matter what you say. After all, this is your opinion. I have
nothing to say anymore, and I also believe that others' bad things about me
will not change her mind about me"
Amane was no longer afraid of Tojo, because he had a partner who
loved and supported him. Amane's issues were now a thing of the past, and
the wounds had healed.
There is a girl I love the most, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
"Things from the past have passed for me, Tojo"
(So, no matter what you say, I won't get hurt)
Amane looked at Tojo calmly with this meaning. Amane casual's
attitude made Tojo anxious, and he raised his eyebrows. Only, just that
before he could speak, Mahiru spoke first.
"...Speaking of which, you just asked whether there was any value or
not, right?"
She stood by, straightened her back and stared at Tojo. Because of the
fascinating seriousness, Tojo flinched a little.
 It was more appropriate to say that the atmosphere froze. The
extremely calm, clear and sensible eyes, quietly aimed at Tojo.
"Do you only look at money when you choose your friends? Is money
the only thing to you? I think if you choose this way, you will neither get
what you want, nor will you get satisfaction. "
"This..."

"Even if I had money, I was never satisfied...even if I was rich, my heart

was always cold."

Mahiru put her hands on her chest and whispered quietly, making Amane's
heart tight.

Mahiru's family was well off, as they were wealthy enough to hire a
housekeeper, and the quality of her possessions was also good. She once
said that all her parents gave her was money.

Therefore, Mahiru did not take the value of money seriously. She valued the
warmth of humanity much more.

Amane was not injured by Tojo, but felt distressed when he thought of
Mahiru's situation. The reason was that Amane had already forgotten about
Tojo.

"After meeting Amane-kun, I felt that my heart was filled with happiness
for the first time...it was not money or appearance that determined his
value, but his personality. I would never use external factors to determine
value."

After speaking firmly, Mahiru neither pitied Tojo nor rejected him, and only
calmly observed.

"If the only value you see is monetary, that is fine. I will not deny other
people's values, as long as Amane-kun understands that he is the most
important thing in my heart."

The angelic smile changed to Mahiru's original smile as she turned towards
Amane.

Just that was enough to move Amane.

"Mahiru, that's enough..."

"But..."

"It's okay, I'll feel too embarrassed by it...although I'm also very happy. We
can talk about it when it's only us two."

"...Nn"

If he didn't stop her, Mahiru would undoubtedly talk about all the good
things about Amane.

In this way, Mahiru's smiling face would be shown to Tojo. Amane felt
really uncomfortable, because to Amane, Tojo was already a stranger that
had nothing to do with him anymore.

"Thanks."

After whispering softly, Amane walked to Mahiru to shield her.

Standing in the same position, Amane again felt that the issues between
Tojo and himself was of no matter. In the past, such people looked so
dazzling, huge, and terrifying. For Amane, who had grown significantly,
such people did not bother him anymore.

(I won't care about him anymore. I you straighten my back and look straight
at him, you will look down. Even if he looked over, Amane wouldn't
tremble at all.)

Amane didn't have any thoughts when he saw him like this, probably
because Amane Ru said just now that he regarded him as the past and left
him alone.

Amane was calm now. When he was afraid of seeing Tojo and leaving his
hometown, he couldn't imagine that he would be so calm. Mahiru also felt
Amane's atmosphere behind him, and did not stop him.

(It’s time to leave)

Whether it is with the past that has always been blind to, the Tojo that
symbolizes the past, or the wounded and weak self, it should be broken.
Coming back this time might've been fated in a sense. The formed had
formed his present self, and this return just provides an opportunity to
sublimate the past.

Contrary to the quiet Amane, Tojo looked very embarrassed and seemed to
be waiting for Amane's next sentence.

Seeing Tojo like that, Amane gently smiled.

"I am still very grateful to you. Although you have used me and we have
severed our relationship, I found happiness afterward, and it was a kind of
salvation to me."

Amane did not intend to complain to him.

At the time, Amane was injured and suffering, but now he regarded those as
an experience. It was precisely because of that kind of thing that the current
Amane was formed.

He liked who he is now, and it is precisely because he has become the way
he was now that he could meet Mahiru and deepen his relationship with her.

"So, in terms of the result, I think it was a good thing to meet you. Now that
I met her, I think it worked out. Although I was injured, I was able to
mature, probably because of overcoming What happened at that time, I got
precious things, all thanks to you.”

In a sense, Tojo and the rest of his former friends played an important role
in the encounter between Amane and Mahiru.

Their meaning ended here.

"Thank you...I won't be with you again, and there is nothing to say to you,
so that's all I have to say."

A word of thanks that was also a farewell.

Amane didn't want to have anything to do with him again. Amane lived in
different schools, different areas of residence, and different lives. The two
sides had been strangers since then.

Hearing Amane's heartfelt words, Tojo was frozen as if struck by lightning.

Amane turned his back to him.

The lump left by Tojo had disappeared.

"Then Mahiru, let's go back."

"Mm"

After Amane shook Mahiru's hand, Mahiru showed a touch of shyness.

Mahiru acted the same as Amane, who ignored the concerns for Tojo and
only looked at him.

Seeing Mahiru acting like this, Amane smiled wryly and left the park
without looking back, leaving behind the little interest he had in his former
friends.

That night, Amane lay in bed and closed his eyes, waiting for the arrival of
sleep. However, Amane just lay quietly.

Usually Amane could fall asleep quickly, but only today he can't sleep even
if he wants to sleep. He has a wonderful excitement and doesn't feel sleepy.

Amane thought about why, and thought that the reason might lie in his
encounter with Tojo today.

Although he was a former friend and one of the reasons for Amane's pain,
in Amane's heart, the lumps and grievances related to these people had
disappeared.

After the meeting, Amane felt comfortable and even a little emotional.

He realized how much support he had received from her and how much he
had grown in his life after meeting Mahiru, and thus felt an unspeakable
sense of accomplishment.

(...The advice my father gave is really correct, and fortunately I left my

hometown)

If he had decided to stay, he might've not been able to overcome the past
incident, nor would he grow up, living by ignoring the pain and spending
his life in self-deception.

All this was thanks to Mahiru and Itsuki. Amane was full of gratitude and
the comfort of overcoming this incident.

It's just that I probably won't be able to fall asleep in this way, so Amane
got up and decided to breathe in some fresh air to change his mood, putting
on slippers and going to the balcony.

When the window was opened, a gust of moisture blew in, causing some
discomfort to Amane, who had been in the air-conditioned room. Even at
night, it was somewhat warm.

Even so, the air outside is very fresh; there are no residential lights nearby,
and beautiful stars could be seen. Before falling asleep, it was enough to kill
time and relieve boredom.

Amane leaned on the railing, enjoying the tranquil space and brilliant
starlight. Suddenly, the window frame made a squeaking sound.

This sound did not come from Amane's room, but from the other room
connected to the balcony. Amane turned his head and found that Mahiru
was wearing a dress-style pajamas, leaning out half of his body to look at
him.

"...Mahiru, are you still awake?"

Amane did not expect Mahiru to be awake.

Now that it was quiet time of night, and Mahiru always went to sleep before
midnight, so Amane did not expect that she was still awake and would
come to the balcony.
"I can't sleep...Amane-kun, you haven't slept either."

"Well...so many things happened after all."

"…Yes"

While walking to the balcony, Mahiru lowered his eyes slightly because of
the words "so many things," so Amane smiled and said, "Ah, it didn't mean
that."

"I didn't worry about those things? Maybe I'm still thinking more about my
growth."

Mahiru's momentary worry was unnecessary.

Amane no longer had any thoughts about that guy; he just felt his own
changes, and Tojo's face does not appear in any of it. Amane would no
longer be threatened by him.

Hearing Amane telling her with such a smile, Mahiru seemed to be relieved
and showed a small smile.

"Ufufu...Amane-kun has become strong and mature, and he should be a lot

taller than when he was in junior high school."

"Yeah. It's been 20cm, at least."

"That's a lot."

"Yeah"

Amane changed. This not only referred to his height, but more importantly,
his mood and perspective.

Recalling the past, Amane felt that he was an unflattering, lacking, and
arrogant boy. After all, because of those people, Amane couldn't deny his
unapproachable demeanor.

Amane felt that he was more calm now than before.

The reason for calmness lied in the girl he loved the most.

"As Amane-kun said, Amane-kun has grown up, both physically and
mentally."

"…Yes"

"Are you confident?"

"Mm"

"That's good. Even if Amane-kun wasn't, I would support you."

"I'm so grateful, really."

Mahiru smiled gently and leaned on the railing to look up at the sky,
causing a wave of love and affection in Amane's heart.

Mahiru would lean on the side and smile at herself as she does now. She
would support and encourage himself with her by his side. She hoped to be
with Amane. Such a precious and rare person was extremely loved by him.

"...Say, Mahiru"

"Hm?"

"...I want to touch you."

"Huh?"

Hearing the abrupt words, Mahiru slowly turned to Amane's side.

Most of her expression was that surprise. Amane felt ashamed of what he
had said, yet had no intention of correcting it. Instead, he stared at Mahiru's
eyes which were shaking in confusion.

"...I want to touch you a bit, can't I?"

Amane really wanted to touch her.

He wanted to feel the warmth of Mahiru who loved and supports him, and
wanted to experience the fact that she is by his side.

Because of Amane's straight gaze, Mahiru's caramel eyes shook, and then
they hung down shyly.

"...It's not impossible..."

Hearing these soft words, Amane felt even more warmth in his heart.

As he realized that he was accepted, he stretched out his hand to Mahiru.

However, Amane also hesitated whether he should hug her on the balcony,
so the place he touched was the palm of his hand.

Amane took the delicate hand that was strong enough to support Amane
and guided him to walk together, and invited her into his room.

It was late at night, so Amane quietly closed the window and let Mahiru sit
on the bed.

There was no sofa, so they could only sit here. However, as soon as he sat
down, she froze and looked at Amane stiffly, making him laugh.

"I won't do anything."

"Good, good"

"Were you looking forward to it?"

"H-how is it possible"

"When you say that, I feel quite complicated..."

"Whaa?"

"Just kidding...I only want to touch you."

Amane didn't intend to do the kind of thing that Mahiru was alert for an
instant. He intends to wait until Mahiru is ready, and he will not be forced
to get her.

After Mahiru finally stopped tightening her body, Amane slowly wrapped
his hand around her back, and she also wrapped her hand around Amane's
back.

Amane's heart was gradually filled with a soft touch, the accustomed sweet
smell, and the indescribable sense of happiness. He felt compassion and
love in his heart again, and he hugged Mahiru happily.

In his arms, Mahiru also wriggled comfortably.

Although she didn't utter the word happiness, looking at the soft smile that
exuded from the corner of her mouth and the peaceful atmosphere released,
Mahiru must be in the same mood as Amane.

(...I really like it)

Deep down in his heart, this kind of feeling had been sending heat and
happiness to the body, and had gradually increased his sense of excitement.

Amane thought he wouldn't like it any more, but his heart became deeper
and warmer, and he probably won't disappear anymore. Maybe like his
parents, the feeling of love will become stronger and change into a soft,
calm and dazzling form, but it would not disappear.

(Note*: tf? that's what the chinese says anyways)

Amane loved her from the bottom of his heart, so much that he could make
such an assertion.

With this uncontrollable emotion, Amane naturally lifted Mahiru's chin with
his hands, so that his lips overlapped with Mahiru's moist lips with a smile.

The caramel eyes in front of him blinked a few times.

Immediately afterward, a dull pain came from his forehead, Amane was
shocked and moved away from his face.

Amane felt a dull pain, and this time it was his turn to blink. The pain was
probably caused by Mahiru, her eyes wandering vigorously, and her
confused state of mind was unobstructed.

"...That hurt..."

"I-I'm sorry, I was shocked..."

"No, it's okay, I'm to blame for doing this suddenly...I'm sorry."

Amane had already understood that she subconsciously bumped her head
when she was suddenly frightened. Besides, he kissed her without
permission. No wonder she was there.

Seeing Mahiru's reaction just now, Amane began to regret, thinking he

should've waited a little longer, but now Mahiru began to shrink and look
around.

"I-I don't hate that. It's just that I was really taken aback...that...please,
please do it again. This time, it's okay."

Mahiru's voice was full of shyness, but he closed his eyes and raised his
head, ready to accept. Seeing Mahiru doing this, Amane smiled slightly and
snatched Mahiru's lips again.

Just now, Amane had not had time to feel it, so Mahiru pushed him open
with his head, but this time, because Mahiru was ready, Amane was able to
enjoy the taste.

Those lips were softer and wetter than his own.

Although Amane was worried about whether her lips were too dry and
might make Mahiru feel uncomfortable, her expression didn't look bad.
Amane gently bit his lip, and Mahiru wriggled her body, arousing Amane's
indescribable love of affection.
Although separated for a while, Mahiru was very cute. Amane's desire to
come back for a while broke through his patience, and he bit Mahiru's lips
again.

Amane heard a small "Hmm" voice, not knowing whether it was surprise or
protest, but after Amane pecked her lips like a soothing, the voice
disappeared.

No, sometimes there was the sound of swallowing saliva, embellished by

kissing.

So cute. Amane narrowed his eyes, kissed lightly, kissed lightly, and then
hugged the petite body.

After holding his lips a few times, after Amane actually moved his mouth
this time, Mahiru buried his face on Amane's shoulder.

"...You didn't say you wanted to do it several times."

"No, you don't want to?"

"N-no, I'm not prepared...that, I'm very shy."

Mahiru murmured softly, "obviously this is the first time," but Amane heard
something else in Amane's ears, which made his heart beat slightly faster.

"...Is it really the first time for Amane-kun? You feel more relaxed than
me."

"How could I be calm...I just want to kiss Mahiru so much, I don't have the
time to think about other things, so I'm a little tough..."

"I-I don't, I don't hate...as long as you know to do it, it doesn't matter...well,
even if it's a little more."

Amane is also considered a man, and it was impossible not to make a move
when Mahiru raises his head.
He kissed Mahiru's lips again, but this time it was in line with Mahiru's
pace, only staying at the point where their lips met.

Instead, Amane held the back of Mahiru's head with his palm, holding on
tightly.

As if enjoying moist lips, the couple slightly staggered the angle of their
faces and touched each other. Just like this, Amane's heart beat to the point
of almost bursting.

"…Ha ha"

Between the kisses, Mahiru laughed slightly, then leaned her hand on
Amane's chest and stood up and looked up at Amane.

"...Before I liked Amane-kun, I didn't think there was any meaning in

kissing. Now I feel that if I loved you, you would be very happy."

"...Then, are you happy?"

"Mm"

"…Me too"

"Fufu, everyone is the same."

Mahiru showed a carefree smile with shyness. Amane kissed her again,
tasting a bit of her sweet lips, and then Mahiru shook her body.

Amane felt that she was reluctant, so he opened his lips. Mahiru smiled
troubledly.

"Amane-kun is warm."

"...Are you cold?"

"Well, the air-conditioner doesn't seem to have turned off yet..."

The air-conditioning was set to run more during the hot days. Amane is set
to turn off regularly a few hours after falling asleep, so it might still be cold
in thin pajamas.

Besides, Mahiru’s pajama was a short-sleeved dress styles, and it was no

wonder that she was freezing with her arms exposed.

"Would you like me to help you warm up?"

"Then, how can you warm me up?"

Amane asked jokingly, and then Mahiru played along.

"What do you want me to do?"

"What do you think I want you to do?"

"What do you want?"

"You guess."

"...You're not allowed to escape from this though."

"Hmph, I won't lose this time"

"Okay, then let's give it to Mahiru-san."

Amane hugged Mahiru and rolled onto the bed.

In his arms, her flaxen hair fluttered, and her caramel eyes opened wide as
if frightened.
Amane kissed Mahiru's cold cheek, and then covered the two of them with
the big blanket next to him. Mahiru seemed to understand what was
happening now, and leaned her face against Amane's chest.

"This way, both of us will be warm."

"…Um"

"There is also an additional service of an arm pillow."

"Need it?" Amane stretched out his arm, Mahiru smiled gently, and put his
head on it politely.

Amane thought, "The face is quite close," and smiled, then Mahiru's smile
became a little mischievous.

"What's the price for additional services?"

"Only for Mahiru, I just want an omelette for breakfast tomorrow."

"Then I shall lie down."

"You are already lying down?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, then Amane put his other hand
behind Mahiru and shut his eyes.
postscript
Thank you very much for picking up this book.

I am the author Saeki. The fifth volume of the Angel Next Door, are you
satisfied with it?

In short, this volume starts with the interaction between two people, but the
change in the relationship does not mean that there will be any drastic
changes. In this volume, the two people only gradually shorten the distance.

If Amane-kun suddenly becomes a type of full onslaught, I am afraid it will

be a direct change of person. I think it is still more Amane-kun's style as it
is now. But Amane-kun also got rid of a little timidity, please praise him.

As an angel and a little devil, Shinhira was still embarrassed by Amane-kun

due to lack of experience. There will probably be many opportunities to
appreciate Shinhira innocent in the future. I am looking forward to the
beautiful illustrations of Mr. はねこと to show these scenes.

That's right, and this time, the illustrations by Mr. はねこと are also great.
Isn't it too cute? ? ?

The cover is a refreshing illustration that fits the season of sale, so I really
want to put it in a frame for decoration. How about a copy of the original
painting?

Also, Amane-kun is so handsome, why did he think he was unpopular

before...? I really want to ask him for an hour. Although Mr. はねこと
is so
handsome, it couldn’t be better!

I am also looking forward to the illustrations in the books that I will publish
in the future. There are many scenes I want to see...
Finally, thank you all for taking care of me.

The responsible editors who worked hard during the publication process of
this work, the editors of the GA library, the sales department, the
proofreaders, the teachers, the printing department, and the readers who
picked up the book, I Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

See you in the next volume. Will there be the next volume? perhaps.

Thank you all for reading to the end!

author

Saeki

A writer who loves each other secretly and loves each other very much.
He is a writer whose staple food is HE.

It's great to flirt and curse (new slogan)

illustration

はねこと
Freelance illustrator living in Hokkaido.

I like hot springs and stars, and the recent wine is very good.

The angel's feathers are also hidden on the cover this time, so please try
to find it.