Prolouge

It was around early June─────

It was a rainy day, when the hydrangeas were in full bloom.

“…Saotome-san?”

On my way home from school after buying ingredients for dinner at the
supermarket, I saw a classmate sitting on a park bench near my house
without an umbrella.

Her name was Aoi Saotome, and she was a famous gyaru at school.

Although she was usually absent from school and rarely attended classes,
her striking long blonde hair was always a source of bad rumors about her.
A gyaru who has an atmosphere that makes people shy away from her, plus
she felt like she was a lonely girl.

As a result, she was rejected by her classmates and always spent her time
alone.

Although she and I were from the same high school, we had no contact
because we were in different classes, until I realized that we were in the
same class this year.

“……….”

For a moment, I wondered if I should talk to her in this strange situation.

Normally, I don’t even talk to her when I see her in town, let alone at
school, because to me, an ordinary high school student, this girl was from a
completely different world than mine. But I guess I can’t help but hesitate
in front of someone who gives off an aura that pushes people away.
However, I called out to her when I saw her quite alone in the rain.

“You’re Saotome-san aren’t you?”

I plucked up my courage and called out to her while holding the umbrella
over her.

When she saw me, she raised her gaze and let out a faint voice,

“… Akamori-kun?”

Her voice was so faint that it seemed eclipsed by the sound of the rain.

Her eyes looked wet, probably from the rain.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not doing anything…”

There was no emotion on her face as she answered me.

“If you’re still here you’re going to catch a cold.”

“I’m fine. Leave me alone.”

The hard tone in her voice revealed a clear refusal.

I was about to take a step back because of her attitude. But with this
situation, I couldn’t just say simply, ‘It’s okay,’ and then walk away.

“The rain is getting worse, why don’t you go home soon?”

As I peered with my squinted eyes through the darkness, I saw that her
uniform was not only wet from the rain, but also slightly dirty in places.
The wrinkles looked as if she had been wearing the same shirt for several
days.

After remaining silent for a while, Saotome-san muttered to herself.

“…I have no home to go to.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“What do you mean you don’t have a home?”

“……….”

Sotome-san didn’t answer and kept her mouth shut.

No doubt there must be a reason for that.

No, I knew from the beginning that something was wrong.

When a blonde-haired girl who seemed to be absent from school a lot and
the subject of bad rumors was in the park without an umbrella on a rainy
day and at this time of the day, I could only imagine she was in a situation
where she could not tell anyone about what was happening to her.

However, I never expected to get a kind of response like that.

What should I tell her?

And before thinking and over thinking this situation I said to her.

“Would you like to come to my house?”

“Eh…?”

Thinking about it again, I don’t know how I could have said those words to
her.

If I get involved in this, I will obviously get into trouble.

There was no need to get involved with someone I didn’t know well.

Although I knew that, the reason I couldn’t leave a blonde-haired girl, with
whom I didn’t normally talk to, alone… was probably because she
reminded me of a certain girl.
The figure of a girl who stood alone in my memories─────

I remember when I was in kindergarten I fell in love for the first

time─────

“You can’t stay here forever. Look, I don’t know what’s happened to you,
but I think it’s not a bad idea to take your time and think about it in a place
where you can get out of the wind and the rain.

Saotome-san’s face was expressionless, but her eyes were full of surprise.

And after a while, finally her expression changes.

“… Do you think that’s really a good idea?”

She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and confusion.

Seeing that expression brought back memories I had forgotten.

Yes───── that girl too, she always looked like that.

“Of course, if that’s how you like it, Saotome-san.”

“… If you can help me, I’d appreciate it a lot.”.

“Sure. Then let’s go.”

The two of us got under the umbrella and started walking shoulder to
shoulder.

And that’s how I brought home the lonely girl from my class.
 Chapter 1: Living with a lonely Gyaru

Any sane high school boy has moments when he fantasizes about living
with a girl at least once.

It may be with the girl you like or the girl who is rumored to be the prettiest
girl in school. Maybe one day, out of the blue, you might find yourself
living with your stepsister, who is not related to you by blood, but became
family because one of your parents remarried. Or perhaps, with the
beautiful rich older sister who lives in the neighborhood.

It would be like something out of a drama or manga, a page out of a

juvenile delusion.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s like a rite of passage that every teenager goes through.

Of course, if you were to ask me if I’ve ever had that kind of delirium, I
would answer that of course I have, because it’s natural.

There have been so many times that I can’t even count them on my fingers
and toes. When I have delusions, I get so excited that I can’t sleep all night,
but when I wake up to the dazzling sunrise and the peculiar singing of birds,
I feel empty.

I’m sure any high school kid in his right mind would understand that feeling
of emptiness that makes you want to die.

Well, my sad experiences aside.

There are guys out there who are really hanging out with the girls we all
crave, and for those guys, I’d like to send them a compliment bomb – go
ahead, explode and get rid of them!

While I’m jealous of those guys, I don’t even know who they are. I realize
that living with a girl is a dream that can’t be fulfilled as a high school
student, so it’s time I admit it.

If it really does come true, I hope it happens when I grow up and have a
girlfriend.

As I thought─────

“This is my home. Please feel free to come in.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience…”

I never thought I would be in a position where jealousy would be being

directed at me.

“For now, you should take a shower. Mmm, here’s a towel and…. here’s
one of my casual clothes, which you can wear if you don’t mind. The
bathroom is on the left as you come out of the hallway. Feel free to use the
shampoo or anything else you see fit.”

I couldn’t let her stay wet forever, so I decided to let her shower first and
give Saotome-san what she needed.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t worry. Take it easy~”

I told her as I entered the bathroom and said goodbye to her.

“…No, wait, what did I do!!!”

The living room echoed with my voice shouting at myself.

Even though we were classmates, it was crazy to let a girl into my house
that I didn’t know well.
But since I couldn’t just leave her like that, I suddenly said, ‘Do you want
to come to my house?’… I was surprised that I had the courage to say
something so bold on my own.

“I didn’t think she would really follow me, but…”

I think it all went very well, depending on how you look at it.

I read it in a magazine earlier.

Apparently, if you invite a girl to your house and if she’s okay with it, then
it’s okay to do this and that.

“…No. That’s not okay! No way!”

Even if that’s the case, there must be some kind of catch.

If you search the internet, you’ll find many stories of people who believed
that refusing food was very embarrassing. However, they ended up being
taken to the police station because the girl disagreed, and their lives were
ruined.

It could have happened to me if I had been careless. I tried to imagine

myself being taken by the police for questioning.

‘I’m so jealous that you brought home a high school girl!’; ‘No, it’s not
because I have bad intentions’: ‘Liar! You thought about it at least a
millimeter, didn’t you?’; ‘Well… a millimeter, maybe…’

‘You’re under arrest☆’

The possibility of being questioned in the name of justice is scary. I’ve

heard that, nowadays, you can be reported just for talking to a missing
child.

It already seems to me that this world is too harsh, doesn’t it… but I don’t
think I can get away with it, even if I delay my answer when I’m asked if I
have bad intentions.
Farewell, my youth. I’ll do better in the next life.

‘…By the way, let’s make dinner instead of thinking about stupid things.’

Thanks to my delusions, I was finally able to calm down. Sighing, I thought

about it as I started cooking.

To begin with, I don’t even like blonde, unsociable gyarus. On the contrary,
I prefer elegant girls who are gentle and innocent… Well, it would be
inappropriate not to assess the situation before deciding what to do.

Just as I finished cooking, I heard the bathroom door open.

As the sound of the hair dryer echoed in the living room, I brought the
dinner I had prepared to the table.

I don’t know what happened to it, but I’ve heard that people get desperate
when they’re hungry. Anyway, after she’s eaten and calmed down, maybe
she can tell me a thing or two about her situation.

Well, I may or may not be able to do something.

While thinking, Saotome-san returned to the living room.

“Thank you for the shower.”

“I-It’s okay…”

I looked at her and couldn’t help but feel a great throbbing.

Her hair was long and slightly wet.

Her cheeks were a little flushed from the heat.

Most of all, I couldn’t help but feel a man’s romanticism for the unusual
situation of a girl wearing a man’s casual clothes. And the fact that I was
wearing my own clothes was too good to be true.
It would be even better if I just wore a white shirt…! “Is something
wrong?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing!”

I tried to look away and feign calm, doing my best not to let her know what
was going through my mind.

I took a deep breath, dispelled my worries, smiled and called out to her.

“Dinner is ready why don’t you sit down?”

“I’m sorry…for all the trouble I’m causing you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

We sat across from each other, clasped our hands together in thanks, and
Saotome-san took a spoonful and slowly spooned it into her mouth.

“It’s delicious…”

I could finally see life in her face as she mumbled that.

“Akamori-kun, you’re good at cooking.”

“Although, it’s just fried rice.”

That occurred to me when we were chatting earlier.

I had never talked to her before, and since she was the blonde gyaru who
didn’t talk to anyone in high school, I expected her to be colder and for me
to have a hard time talking to her. But, surprisingly, I was able to talk to her
normally.

I guess the shower and dinner must have calmed her down a bit, right?

Still, I don’t know if that means Saotome-san is going to tell me what

happened to her, but maybe it just means that I don’t have to be so nervous.

Before I asked her, I told her about my situation.

“I guess I’m a little better in the kitchen since I started living alone.”

“You live alone?”

Saotome-san looked around in surprise.

The house had only the bare essentials in appliances and furniture, and it
looked like it was suitable for no more than one person.

Looking around, Saotome-san returned my gaze with complete assurance.

“At the moment, I live alone. My father was transferred right after I passed
the high school entrance exam, so my mother and sister moved in with him.
Since I had just started high school and couldn’t transfer anymore, I decided
to switch schools in my sophomore year.”

“I see…”

“So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to know what happened to you.”

I put down the spoon and stared at Saotome-san.

“I won’t force you to talk about it if you don’t want to, and even if you do, I
won’t tell anyone. After all, I’m going to change schools, so there’s no way
the story will leak out from me. Saotome-san… Well, then how come you
don’t have a house?”

When I asked, Saotome-san closed her mouth with a frown.

“My house…”

After a while, she began to speak.

“My parents divorced when I was little and until now I lived with my
mother. We were poor, so I took time off from school to work part-time
after entering high school, hoping to earn a little extra money for household
expenses. But…when I got home from my part-time job a few days ago, my
mother was no longer there.”

“Did she leave you a message… saying she was leaving?”

“She didn’t leave me anything. I think she left with that guy. Probably her
boyfriend she got a while ago.”
Bitterness spread in my mouth.

I wanted to punch myself in the face for my disgusting delusions earlier.

“After that, my landlord told me I’d fallen behind on my rent, and since I
had no hope of being able to pay it, I left my apartment taking only the
essentials with me, so I had no choice but to live in the park because I had
almost no money… and it would be a long time before I could get a part-
time salary.”

This is impossible. This is insane.

How was she going to date a man when her daughter had just started high
school and was still working hard at her part-time job to help support her
family?

I felt bad because it was crazy to do such a thing, and even more so, being
her mother.

“What are you going to do now?”

I couldn’t control the emotions welling up inside me.

Still, I kept my cool as best I could and asked.

“I don’t know… What should I do?”

Her voice trembled slightly as she said that softly.

“If you have nowhere else to go would you like to stay with me for a
while?”

“Eh…?”

Saotome-san looked at me in surprise and then shook her head slightly in

denial.

“I’ve caused you so much trouble just by coming to your house like this. I
can’t let you do more things for me…”
It was natural for me to respond like this.

Even if we were in the same class and knew each other, no matter how
much trouble she was having finding a place to live, no girl would accept a
boy living alone asking her to live with him just like that.

She would be embarrassed, hesitant and, above all, suspicious.

“It’s not bothersome to me at all.”

But I found myself saying that when I saw Saotome-san’s puzzled look.

It’s none of my business, so I’d better leave her alone─────

It’s crazy to get involved in someone’s family affairs─────

As a high school student, there’s probably not much I can do to help

her─────

I understand that in my head.

But when I heard about her situation, I couldn’t leave her alone.

The reason I felt so determined to do so was probably because she reminded

me of a …. a certain girl.

It was a memory from kindergarten that I had forgotten about until a few
minutes ago.

Back then, I had a crush on a girl.

She was always alone in a corner of the classroom and hardly ever
responded when spoken to, which strangely annoyed me…. And before I
knew it, I ended up falling in love with her.

When I saw Saotome-san in the park, I couldn’t help but see that girl’s
figure in her.

Maybe I still regret not having done anything for that girl.
“I won’t ask you to do anything strange just because I let you stay at my
house. I have a room available, so feel free to use it. Of course, as I said
before, I won’t tell anyone about your situation without your permission.
You know what they say, ‘when times are tough, we should help each
other,’ right?”

I realized I was having a hard time restraining myself, but I knew that, if I
left her here, I would regret it just as much as I did back then.

“… You really think that’s a good thing?”

“Yes.”

Saotome-san shook her head in denial.

“Then can you take care of me for a while?”

“Of course.”

And so, our life together began.

“But there’s one thing I want you to promise me.”

“What promise?”

“You don’t have to pay rent or a utility bill, so I want you to get a part-time
job in moderation and go to high school every day. I’ll take care of living
expenses until you can get back to your normal life.”

After a moment’s thought, he said,

“Okay… thank you.”

She had an apologetic look on her face as she uttered those words of thanks.

And in the end, I couldn’t get that face out of my head for a while.

****
The next morning, I got up earlier than usual to prepare breakfast.

Ever since I started living alone, I would go to school without breakfast

because it was too hard for me to cook, but now that I was living with
Saotome-san, I couldn’t be lazy.

I don’t mind if it’s me, but it’s not good for Saotome-san to skip breakfast.

“When was the last time I had breakfast?”

I thought as I tried the miso soup.

I didn’t know if Saotome-san preferred bread or rice, so I chose rice for

now. As a side dish, I made miso soup with a fried egg. Along with that, I
included some leftover stir-fried vegetables and pickles. It was all pretty
simple, but I convinced myself that breakfast could be like this.

I brought the food to the table and waited for Saotome-san, but she didn’t
come for a long time, possibly because she was still asleep.

“I wonder if Saotome-san is awake.”

I looked at the clock in the living room and saw that it was just after seven
in the morning.

There was still a lot of time left, but what time will she wake up?

“…No way.”

Then, an unpleasant thought crossed my mind.

Could it be that she caught a cold?

I don’t know how long she had been in the park since last night, but given
how wet she was, it must have been raining for quite some time. Although
she was warming up in the bath, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had a fever.

Worried, I headed to the room where Saotome-san was sleeping and

listened carefully.
However, there was no sound from inside.

“Saotome-san…?”

I called out to her softly, but there was no response.

Feeling bad for disturbing her while she was sleeping, I slowly opened the
door and walked in.

I saw that she was still sleeping soundly in bed.

I looked at her face to check if she was feeling unwell, but she seemed to be
sleeping peacefully and comfortably. She didn’t look particularly pale, nor
was she sweating, nor did she seem to be in pain.

“How nice…”

I let out a sigh of relief.

Still, when I looked at her again, I realized that she really did have a
beautiful face.

The facial features of her small face were perfectly balanced, with long
eyelashes that were accentuated by her closed eyes and slightly red-tinted
lips.

Her fair skin was flawless, though her beauty was in stark contrast to her
damaged, dyed blonde hair.

This is probably the first time I’ve seen a girl’s face this close.

“Just looking at your sleeping face like this, you can’t really see yourself as
a gyaru.”

“Mmm…?”

“………!?”

As I admired her sleeping face, Saotome-san suddenly woke up.

Fuck… Realizing that it wouldn’t be good for her to think I was spying on
her while she was sleeping, I immediately tried to hide myself in the heat of
the moment, but there was no way I managed to do so in time.

“…Where am I?”

She woke up and looked around while still half asleep.

She tilted her head absentmindedly, and after a while, she noticed my
presence.

“Akamori-kun… I remember now. You let me stay at your house under

your care, right?”

“Y-Yes, do you remember?”

“Sure. By the way, good morning…”

“G-Good morning.”

Although she had just woken up, she seemed to be about to fall asleep
again.

Her head was bobbing, and her eyes were closing, she tried to return to the
dream world,

“Breakfast is ready. I’ll wait for you in the living room. You should wash
your face.”

“Yes, I will…”

Saotome-san crawled out of bed and was about to leave the room.

“Ouch!”

She hit her forehead against the door and raised her voice.

“Are you okay…?”

“Nnn. I’m fine.”

After answering that, she rubbed her forehead as she disappeared into the
bathroom.

I see, so apparently, Saotome-san is vulnerable in the mornings.

A while later she came into the living room, still looking sleepy.

Although… it’s a feast for the eyes to see a girl in men’s clothes, isn’t it?

“Good morning. Shall we eat?”

“Yes, thank you.”

We sat across from each other like last night and clasped our hands.

“Itadakimasu.”

“Itadakimasu.”

Saotome-san picked up her chopsticks and brought the miso soup to her
mouth.

“I didn’t know if you preferred bread or rice in the morning, so I’ve chosen
rice for now.”

“I prefer rice.”

“…I see. That’s great.”

After a few minutes of conversation, the dining table was enveloped in

silence.

“”………..””

What should I do…? This is awkward!

This is awkward regardless of whether the other party is a girl!

Yesterday I was able to have a normal conversation with her because of the
impulse to bring her home, but now that we are face to face again, I feel
awkward. Saotome-san seemed to feel the same way, and we proceeded to
eat breakfast without talking.

It can’t be helped.

Although we knew each other, yesterday was the first time we talked.

Since last night, I have been wondering, ‘Is this really what I should do? ’
and I continue to wonder the same thing until now.

By the way, the room that Saotome-san used was my younger sister’s room,
so I naturally had her sleep in that bed.

In my fantasies, I naturally imagined a scene where I could sleep in bed

with a girl, but I wanted to tell all the boys in high school and middle school
who had the same fantasy as me.

Reality isn’t that sweet!

From the beginning, I didn’t have the courage to invite a girl to bed.

If I had the courage, I wouldn’t have fantasized about it, and I would
already have a girlfriend.

How sad.

Putting my story aside, when my family moved, we agreed that someone

would come to check on me regularly, so they left a bed and the bare
essentials. However, I didn’t think that would be of much help to me.

“Thank you for the meal, Akamori-kun. Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Oh, no. I’ll eat, I’ll eat.”

I was so distracted in my stupid fantasy that I forgot to eat breakfast, so I

hurriedly brought the breakfast to my mouth, but I felt so guilty that I
couldn’t taste it.
“After breakfast, let’s get ready to go to school. However, I can’t go to
school with you, so I’ll leave a little early and you can use the time to go to
school later.”

“But my uniform… is still wet from the rain.”

“I washed it last night and put it in the dryer.”

I pointed to a corner of the living room as I said this. There was Saotome-
san’s uniform, already washed and dried.

“Thank you… Akamori-kun, I see you can do anything.”

“Due to circumstances, I had to learn to do it on my own. I didn’t usually do

any housework until before I entered high school, so it was difficult when I
started living alone. But humans can do unexpected things when we’re
pressured. So, Saotome-san, don’t worry about the future. Whatever will
happen, will happen.”

“Yes. I hope so.”

I smiled and tried to say something to clear the heavy atmosphere.

Saotome-san gave me a small but awkward smile.

“Also, let me give you this.”

I put the key with the key ring on the table.

“Is this…?”

“This is the spare key to this house.”

“Are you sure?”

“If we’re going to live together, you’ll need this, right? I can’t always be
home to see you off or pick you up. Now, when you go to school today, I’ll
need you to lock the door.”
“Yeah, I get it.”

Once I handed over the keys, I felt like we were just starting to live
together.

“Also, I have a suggestion, can we stop calling each other by our last
names?”

“Huh?”

“We’re going to be living together from now on, so we don’t have to be

strangers, right? It might be hard to get used to it at first, but I think it
would be better to call each other by our first names. So, you can call me
Akira.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. You can call me Aoi too.”

I thought it was important to start formally to shorten the distance.

So with that feeling and after finishing breakfast, we started getting ready to
go to school.

****

The high school we attended was about a fifteen-minute walk from our
house.

When I was preparing for the entrance exam, choosing a high school close
to home was part of my criteria. This is because I have changed schools
several times since I was a child, and I have seen my father suffer from
commuting whenever he was transferred at the request of where he worked.

For example, when we were in Tokyo, it took him over an hour to get to
work on a crowded train, and in the countryside, it took him 30 minutes by
car. Depending on the location, he sometimes must walk and take the bus to
get to work, which was quite a difficult experience.

I felt that it was pointless to spend so much time commuting to work or

school, so I decided to go to the closest high school without hesitation since
it was suitable academically.

High school students should already be able to understand the joy of being
able to sleep until the last minute, however, that won’t be the case from now
on since I started living with Aoi-san.

“Good morning, Akira.”

When I arrived at school and sat down in my seat in the classroom, I was
tapped on the shoulder in greeting, and then, when I turned around, I saw
the familiar figure of a boy.

“Oh. Good morning, Eiji.”

This boy was named Eiji Sazarashi. He is a handsome young man with a
calm aura, and we have been friends since middle school. He is the only
friend who actually knows the old me.

You might be wondering how I can say he knows me from the past when
we’ve known each other since high school.

As I’ve mentioned several times, my father was transferred many times for
work, and I actually lived in this city when I was in kindergarten.

At that time, Eiji and I attended the same kindergarten and were close
enough to play together regularly.

When I returned in the middle of my first year of high school, I saw him
again after a few years. He had become so handsome that I didn’t recognize
him at all until Eiji introduced himself to me.

“Huh?” Aren’t you with Izumi today?”

“I was with her, but she said she would come later since she had to stop by
the staff room to do some work as the class representative.”

Izumi was the class representative and Eiji’s girlfriend.

She and Eiji had been dating since middle school and the two of them
always came to school together.

They were already famous as a couple back then, and even now that they
had entered high school, they were already recognized as one of the most
famous couples in school, as they flirt without regard for the other students.

I want you to put yourself in my shoes so you can see it up close.

What kind of girl is Eiji’s girlfriend, Izumi?

“Eiji-kun, I’m sorry for the delay♪”

At the same time as a cheerful voice sounded, a girl hugged Eiji.

She was an excessively beautiful girl with short light brown hair and
attractive downcast eyes. This was the lovely and cheerful girl and Eiji’s
girlfriend, Izumi Asamiya.

“Welcome back. Thank you for your hard work as class representative.”

“Thank you! My boyfriend is so kind~ I love you!”

“I love you too.”

The two of them shamelessly expressed their love in the middle of the
classroom.

Eiji stroked Izumi’s head, and Izumi clung to Eiji, letting herself be
pampered.
The other classmates watched the familiar scene, not surprised, but smiling.

Also, Izumi was full of too much energy.

She was the one who broke the ice in class with her humor, and she was
also responsible enough to take on the role of class representative. If
something happened to her friends, she was always there to lend a hand,
even if it was out of her reach.

Being the so-called popular girl, her position was supported by both
students and teachers.

She was the complete opposite of the calm and collected Eiji, but for some
reason, they seemed to get along.

I guess that’s how chemistry between people works.

“Oh, good morning, Akira-kun!”

“You say it as if you just remembered.”

“Speaking of remembering, it seems she’s coming to school today!”

Immediately after Izumi’s expression, as if a light bulb had gone off in her
head, the classroom door was suddenly flung open.

Then, the classmates who had been chatting fell silent and the atmosphere
changed drastically.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the door.

When I turned my gaze towards the entrance, there stood Aoi-san.

“”……….””

The classmates stared at her silently, with cold gazes, and I heard from the
class: ‘It’s rare for her to come to school’, ‘When was the last time she was
here?’, ‘I mean, I forgot she existed’ and so on, words that could never be
seen in a pleasant way were whispered.

Of course, Aoi-san could hear it, but she didn’t seem to care, so she sat
down in her seat.
And then, my classmates continued with their conversations as if nothing
had happened.

This reaction is a clear display of the position Aoi-san had in class.

I silently watched the scene with Eiji and Izumi.

“It’s been a long time since Aoi-san came to school.”

“I was worried about her because she was absent for a while. I’m glad she
came~”

Izumi let out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll go talk to her.”

“Yes. Have fun.”

“Aoi-san! Good morning♪”

Izumi called out to Aoi-san without caring about the gazes of the other
classmates.

She was the only one in the class who didn’t ignore Aoi-san, perhaps
because of her position as class representative, but perhaps it was more
because of her kind nature. Well, it was to be expected of an efficient class
representative.

But whether Aoi-san accepted Izumi being too honest or not was another
thing.

“…Good morning.”

She only answered her with those words and decided to act dissatisfied no
matter how much Izumi talked to her.

She was a lonely blonde gyaru. As if the way she normally spoke at home
was a lie.
“You came to school today. How have you been!?”

“…Normal.”

“I see! Well, normal is the best!”

Even so, Izumi’s mental strength was so strong that she could still smile and
talk to her without getting discouraged.

As I looked at this very familiar scene, I suddenly thought of the future.

She lives at my house, so it will be fine for now. At least, until I transfer
schools, Aoi-san won’t have any trouble finding a place to live.

As for the financial problem, we can arrange living together if I can make
ends meet with the living expenses I receive from my parents.

Aoi-san also works part-time, so I’m sure she’ll be able to make ends meet.

But───── What about after I transfer high schools?

I hope she can find a place to live by then, but what if she can’t?

She will be homeless again and there won’t be a place for her at school
either, plus if things go like this, there might not be anyone to help Aoi-san
this time.

At least, no one would be willing to help Aoi-san in her current state.

It wouldn’t be easy for her classmates to accept her, no matter how hard
Izumi tried to help her.

At least, not unless Aoi-san opens up.

The same could be said for the teachers and other classmates at school.

She was a blonde gyaru who never went to school and naturally, the
teachers’ evaluations were also among the worst.
“Are you that worried about Aoi-san coming to school?”

Apparently, I’ve been staring at Aoi-san without realizing it and so when

Eiji asked me that, I quickly looked back and said,

“Ah, no… It’s not like that.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Aoi-san, she’s from the same middle school as us, right?”

“Yes. That’s true.”

“I don’t have any relationship with her, and I haven’t known her well since
I transferred to this high school in the middle of the first year, but I wonder
if it’s been like this since middle school.”

“Neither Izumi nor I were ever in the same class as her, so I don’t know the
details, but it seems that it was only after middle school that she became a
gyaru. In the past she was always alone, so I heard that it’s the same now.”

“I see…”

I gave a self-conscious reply and turned my attention back to Aoi-san.

“… Well, if you have any problems, I can help you.”

“I have no problems, but thank you.”

Immediately after I replied to Eiji, the bell rang to announce the start of
classes.

I spent the entire class thinking about the future.

 Chapter 2: From A Blonde Gyaru To A Black-
Haired Beauty

The next day, Saturday…

Aoi-san and I went to a nearby shopping mall.

It was one of the two largest shopping facilities in the city.

Inside the building there was a movie theater and a hot spring for all ages to
enjoy, so on weekends a lot of people gathered there, even now the facility
was packed with families and students.

There is no other place to have fun, which is typical in the suburbs.

“Let’s start with clothes. I’m sure you’ll feel uncomfortable in just your
uniform.”

“Yes.”

Aoi-san and I went to a nearby clothing store.

It’s obvious, but since it’s a women’s clothing store, there were no other
men but me.

Thinking that I should have gone to a store like ZU or UNIQLO, which had
both men’s and women’s clothing, I looked around the store, feeling
completely out of place.

Aoi-san can’t decide which clothes to choose.

“Isn’t there anything you like?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s been a long time since I did this.”

“I understand. You can take your time.”

“What kind of clothes do you think would suit me, Akira-kun?”

“No, don’t mind my preferences. Choose whatever you want, Aoi-san.”

“But… since you’re paying, it would be nice if you chose for me.”

Really? I didn’t expect to have such a big role in this.

To be honest, I don’t know much about women’s clothing.

I mean, not only me, but all men are ignorant about it.

However, I at least fantasize about my ideal date while browsing the

Internet on my smartphone, thinking, ‘I would be happy if you wore this
outfit on a date with me,’ if I ever have a girlfriend.

By the way; my go-to look for her would be a clean and elegant outfit.

The bottom should be a long skirt that is more comfortable than a miniskirt,
and the top should be a color that matches the skirt. If it’s this season, a
more eye-catching shirt or blouse also looks good.

Especially with a pleated skirt, it will look great.

I want to admire the pleated skirt a girl is wearing and trace the folds with
my fingers endlessly.

Does anyone understand me?

Leaving aside my inclinations, I don’t know what a gyaru likes to wear…

“I suppose a flashy outfit would be better?”

“What? Flashy clothes? Why?”

I was asked in return.

When thinking of a gyaru, one would imagine that they bare their navels
and wear a miniskirt, but is it any different these days?

Even though we say gyaru as one word, their appearance varies from era to
era.

It is believed that in the past, the most common type of gyaru was the
“black gyaru,” known for tanning their skin in salons. However, the concept
of the “white gyaru” later emerged, characterized by a focus on beauty and
concern for maintaining pale skin.

Leaving aside the black and white contrast like Othello, why do I know so
much?

It is because I did not know how to interact with a gyaru, so before sleeping
I would look up some information on my smartphone.

“I would rather wear calm clothes.”

“Something clean and elegant is okay with you?”

“Yes.”

It appears that this is the third group, consisting of clean and elegant gyarus.

In that case, I took another look at the store and looked for something
similar to that image. Then a mannequin displayed in the store caught my
eye.

“Aoi-san, how about this combination?”

The mannequin is wearing a pale pink knitted cardigan with a white long
skirt underneath. The colors are simple and not too flashy, and it gives off a
sense of elegance.

People might think it’s wrong to choose an outfit that’s being worn by a
mannequin, but I think it’s safer to trust the fashion sense of the store clerk
than myself, who doesn’t have much insight.

“Well, then I’ll choose this one. I’ll try it on.”

“Oh, I’ll be waiting for you at the entrance of the store.”

“Okay. Wait for me.”

I saw Aoi-san go to the fitting room, so I sat down on a bench in the

hallway in front of the store. After all this time, why are we here in the
mall?

The reason for that goes back to last night…

****

“What a cold day…”

It started raining in the afternoon and intensified after school ended. By

night, the rain was so heavy that the sound of raindrops hitting the windows
echoed through the room.

It was early June, the start of summer according to the calendar, yet I
couldn’t help but feel a bit chilly when it rained.

It was cold enough that I instinctively took out my thick house clothes.

“Aoi-san will be cold if she only wears those thin house clothes…”

I gave Aoi-san a long-sleeved but lightweight summer jacket.

I thought about this while searching through my bedroom closet for thicker
house clothes for Aoi-san to wear.

She told me she only took what she needed when she left home, but I guess
it was really just the bare minimum. Since she had nowhere to go, there was
only so much she could bring with her.
She probably didn’t bring her own clothes since she always wears mine
when she’s at my house.

As expected, I can’t avoid having her buy more clothes in the future.

It’s not just about normal clothes.

As a girl, you should have some of the essentials you need in your life.

Thinking of this, I went back to the living room to give her a change of
home clothes.

“Aoi-san, it’s cold today, so you should wear this after you finish bathing.”

“Are you sure? Thank you.”

As I handed her the home clothes, Aoi-san placed them on her lap and
thanked me.

As usual, her face wore an apologetic expression even as she said thank
you.

“By the way, Aoi-san…”

“What?”

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t have any plans for tomorrow. I used to work part-time on
Saturdays and Sundays, but from now on I’ll work only after school during
weekdays. I promised you that I would go to school properly, Akira-kun.”

“I see. Then why don’t we go shopping together?”

“Hmm?”

When I suggested it, Aoi-san was taken aback and fell silent. She lowered
her head, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but…”

Did I say something strange?

“No, it’s fine, however… it’s my first time dating a man.”

“…Huh?”

For a moment, I realized why Aoi-san was embarrassed.

Could it be that she thought I was asking her out on a date?

“No, that’s not it! I didn’t mean that. I’m just going to buy some things for
you to use around the house—daily necessities like clothes and other
essentials. I thought it would be easier for you if I helped with the shopping,
so you don’t have to carry everything yourself.”

I quickly realized how it might have sounded and explained, using gestures
to emphasize my point.

That’s what people usually call a shopping date.

“I see. I was a little surprised.”

“No, no, I forgot to explain more… Sorry.”

“No, sorry. I’m sorry I misunderstood.”

There’s a subtle atmosphere that makes it difficult to find the right words.

“………..””

This is awkward as usual!

I know it’s not just Aoi-san; but my face is starting to heat up too!

“I’m happy that you invited me, but I don’t have much spare money. My
next salary from my part-time job won’t be until the end of this month, so I
can’t spend money until then.”
“It’s fine. If it’s about money, I’ll pay.”

“That’s too bad…”

“I have money that I’ve been saving for a long time without spending it,
and I only use it for opportunities like this. If it’s to make someone’s life
more comfortable, then I can use it without hesitation.”

“…Thank you.”

Aoi-san always had a worried expression on her face when she thanked me.

It was probably unavoidable, given the situation.

But it made my heart ache a little to see her make that face.

****

That’s why I’m here shopping with Aoi-san…

I looked around again and saw that the place was packed with people.

If I’m not careful, I might run into my classmates. With so many people in
the mall, it wouldn’t be surprising if I encountered one or two familiar
faces. If someone saw us, it would definitely be troublesome.

Aoi-san and I are just classmates and we don’t have any hidden
relationship.

If we’re seen together, people might think we’re secretly dating. For high
school students, rumors about who’s dating whom can become big gossip.

No, it’s not just about simple suspicions of relationships between men and
women.

I might end up facing the same bad rumors as Aoi-san.

I don’t mind being the subject of rumors, but I need to avoid a situation
where they discover Aoi-san’s circumstances and the fact that she’s started
living with me. We should finish shopping and head home as soon as
possible.

“Thank you for waiting.”

While I was lost in my thoughts, Aoi-san approached me after trying on a

dress.

“Wow. That was pretty fast─────“

“What do you think?”

When she called out to me and I looked up, I could only hold my breath.

The first time I saw Aoi-san in casual clothes, she was even more beautiful
than I had imagined.

What is this feeling? Is it because I chose the outfit and it suits her so well?

No, I just picked an outfit off the mannequin, so the credit goes to the shop
assistant who matched the clothes. Still, I feel like I did a good job picking
it out for her.

I’m amazed at how much a girl can change from a uniform to casual
clothes.

She looked amazing overall, but there was one thing that bothered me…

“Doesn’t it suit me?”

Probably because I was daydreaming while admiring her, Aoi-san asked

anxiously.

“No, it suits you.”

“Really? That’s good.”

“I’ll buy it, but how about we get more clothes?”

“I can’t get more than this…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But…”

I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled about it, so I suggested it to her.

“Well, you can pay me back when you can afford it.”

I knew that Aoi-san would continue to look at me like that whenever I

offered her money in the future.

Her feeling of being a bother to me outweighs her gratitude.

That’s why she doesn’t smile even when she thanks me and always has a
worried expression.

So I suggested a way to make her feel less concerned.

“You can pay me a small amount with your part-time job, maybe someday
when you’re working. Until then, I’ll cover it for you. Pay me back when
you can.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll take you at your word.”

Though her expression was still a little awkward, she seemed relieved.

“Let’s see what else we can find.”

“Sure.”

Still, I was glad to see her smile for the first time.
Afterwards, we strolled around the store again, bought some clothes, and
then headed out.

We went to the drugstore and supermarket, picking up necessities for Aoi-

san. By the time we finished buying everything we needed, we realized that
an hour and a half had passed since we arrived at the mall.

“Is there anything else you want to buy, Aoi-san?”

“I think I’m fine with all this… Ah!”

Aoi-san had a surprised expression, as if she had just remembered

something.

“Hmm? What happened?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Although she said it was nothing, it was clear that she had forgotten to buy
something.

“It’s okay. I don’t think it’s a big deal since I’m with you.”

“That’s true.”

For some reason, she seemed hesitant, as if she was confused and
embarrassed.

I’m not sure what she’s embarrassed about… Well, if she’s okay with it, I
am too.

“Where else would you like to go, Akira-kun?”

“Actually, there is. Can you come with me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I took Aoi-san for a short stroll around the mall, and we soon arrived at our
destination.
“Isn’t this… a beauty salon?”

Seeing Aoi-san in her casual clothes, I couldn’t help but notice her blonde
hair.

Her hair seemed a bit disheveled, partly due to the blonde dye and because
it had grown out too long. It must have been a while since she last dyed it,
as the roots were noticeably different from the rest of her hair.

I wanted to suggest that she wear her hair black to match her fancy clothes,
but ultimately, it was up to her to decide her look. I thought it would be best
to at least address the unevenness of her hair color, even if she wanted to
keep it blonde.

“Now that we’ve bought you clothes, let’s take care of your hair.”

“I’m fine like this. Plus, that would cost a lot of money.”

“Come on. You don’t have to be shy.”

I gently nudged the hesitant Aoi-san and guided her into the shop.

“Welcome.”

The beauty salon was empty, probably because it was lunch time, so the
stylists immediately noticed us and welcomed us… Damn it, why are all of
them so handsome?

Do they hire handsome stylists, or do handsome people aspire to become

stylists?

If it’s the former, then I can only assume there’s some kind of criterion for
facial features in the hiring process.

“Excuse me. I don’t have an appointment. Is that okay?”

“Yes, no problem. Is it for both of you?”

“I’m fine, so please take care of this girl.”

“Okay. Please come this way girlfriend.”

“Eh…”

As the stylist tried to guide her to her seat, Aoi-san stopped in her tracks,
raising her voice.

“What’s wrong, Aoi-san?”

“Mmm, this…”

She tried to say something but couldn’t get a single word out. After a
moment, she seemed to make up her mind and said, “I’m sorry. I’m not his
girlfriend…”

“”…Mmm?””

She bowed her head in apology.

Somehow, both the stylist and I had question marks over our heads at her
response.

“Aoi-san… I think he doesn’t mean ‘girlfriend’ in the relationship sense.

It’s just another way of addressing a girl.”

“Huh!? Like that? Oh no… I misunderstood.”

She looked so embarrassed that she even covered her face with her hands,
but her red ears gave her away.

“And even if she was, I don’t think you need to correct her.”

“I thought I should answer what was asked of me… because I’ve never
been to a place like this.”

Is this for real!? Thoughts like that crossed my mind.

I wonder… if these feelings are natural or out of this world.

This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this kind of uneasiness; I’ve been
experiencing it since the first day I invited her to my house.

Although her usual appearance and behavior might suggest she’s a gyaru or
a delinquent, once you talk to her, the difference between her appearance
and her demeanor becomes clear.

I was also surprised to learn that she has a part-time job to support herself.

Is this the real Aoi-san?

But seriously, has she never been to a beauty salon?

“How have you maintained your hair?”

“I had my mom cut it for me. I didn’t choose to dye it blonde either—my
mom offered to do it when she dyed hers. I didn’t expect the color to be so
bright, though…”

It makes me think about how I felt when my parents cut my hair during
high school.

I recoiled at that thought and finally understood the source of my

awkwardness.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“By any chance, aren’t you a gyaru, Aoi-san?”

“Me? A gyaru? Why?”

She tilted her head and looked at me strangely.

This confirmed it for me.

In other words, Aoi-san is neither a gyaru nor a delinquent.

Given her family situation, it makes sense that she dropped out of school to
work part-time. She probably had no choice but to ask her mother to cut her
hair due to financial constraints, and her blonde hair was a choice made by
her mother, not something she particularly wanted. Stripped of those
external factors, Aoi-san is just a normal girl who loves and cares for her
mother.

“I understand. It’s an honor to be in charge of your debut at the beauty

salon. So go ahead.”

The hairdresser noticed Aoi-san’s discomfort but led her to her seat with a
reassuring smile, showing no signs of concern. Honestly, she was great not
only in her looks but also in her personality.

“What would you like me to do?”

“Mmm, I have no idea…”

Aoi-san seemed confused, probably because she’s not used to this.

Now that I understand she’s neither a gyaru nor a delinquent, I couldn’t help
but smile at her reaction. She looked at me through the mirror, as if asking,
“What should I do…?”

“It’s all good as long as you look stylish. I’ll leave it to you.”

“You’re so smart. It’s a good way to show off my skills.”

I answered on behalf of Aoi-san, and the stylist immediately began

preparing.

As I waited for the cut to finish in the waiting room, I reflected on what I
had learned.

I—no, we must have misunderstood Aoi-san.

I had always thought of her as a gyaru or a delinquent, but she’s actually

neither. Instead, she’s a simple, caring, and kind girl who deeply cares about
her family.
We kept our distance, believing she was exactly what she seemed due to her
striking appearance and absence from school, but her shy nature prevented
her from clearing up the misunderstanding.

… Although it was unavoidable, I couldn’t help but feel very disappointed.

If the atmosphere around Aoi-san were more normal, things might have
been different.

You can’t change the past with hypothetical thoughts.

“But surely the future can be changed…”

I muttered to myself as I organized my thoughts. I felt like I had a sense of

what I could do.

“Sorry I kept you waiting.”

“Y-yes!”

It seemed like I had already thought about it enough.

When the stylist called me, I snapped back to reality and went to see Aoi-
san.

“Wow…”
I unconsciously made a strange sound upon seeing the transformation.

“What’s so strange about this…?”

Aoi-san lowered her head in embarrassment, noticing my reaction through
the mirror.

Before me was a beautiful and elegant girl with natural black hair, who
might be my ideal type.

Her once blonde hair had been dyed a rich black and the ends were neatly
trimmed. The stylist must have handled her hair with great care.

It was hard to believe that the damaged blonde hair of the past could now
look so vibrant.

The work of a professional is truly amazing.

If I didn’t know her situation, I would have shouted, “Who are you?”

It really was such a dramatic transformation.

“It’s nothing strange. I think it suits you very well.”

“Really? You’re not lying to me?”

“I’m not lying.”

“What a relief…”

Seeing her caress her chest in relief, with her hair color and elegant clothes,
she truly looked like a beautiful and elegant black-haired girl.

It’s not an exaggeration—I feel like I’ve seen Aoi-san’s true self.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yes.”

We paid the bill, thanked the stylist, and left the beauty salon. I’m definitely
coming here for my haircuts from now on.
When we left the beauty salon and checked the time, it was just after
twelve-thirty noon.

Since noon is the peak time for these places, the mall was even more
crowded with customers than when we first entered the beauty salon.

“Then let’s go home.”

“Yes, although we’re missing some things, hopefully, we can go back and
buy them.”

“In that case, we can also order them online.”

“That’s right. We can do that too.”

On one hand, I wanted to eat lunch first and then head home, but on the
other hand, it would be risky to linger with so many people around, so I
decided to head home before I ran into anyone.

Thinking that, I started walking towards the entrance.

“Ah!! Akira-kun is dating a girl!!”

A familiar and cheerful voice pierced my ears, causing my feet to freeze as

if they were paralyzed.

The voice was so loud that I could hardly believe it was me who had
misheard. Please… Please let my hearing have been mistaken.

I turned around in a cold sweat. My wish was immediately dashed as I saw

a familiar face.

There was Izumi, the one who had raised her voice, and Eiji, who stood
beside her.

“Why are you here…?”

A torrent of emotions—impatience, doubt, regret, and despair—

overwhelmed me all at once.
“This is a common date spot for couples. It wouldn’t be strange for us to be
here.”

“Akira-kun, you should have told me if you had such a beautiful girlfriend.
How lacking in confidence~♪”

Eiji smiled calmly as usual, while Izumi poked me in the side with her
elbow, a mocking smile on her face. It clearly hurt, but I was frozen in
place.

After a few prods, she seemed satisfied and turned to Aoi-san, extending
her hand.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Izumi Asamiya, Akira-kun’s classmate, and this is
Akira-kun’s best friend and my boyfriend, Eiji Sazarashi. I’d love to know
your name, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Hmm?

Could it be that they didn’t realize it was Aoi-san?

For a moment, I was almost relieved, but Izumi immediately furrowed her
brows.

“Hmm? Huh? I have a feeling I’ve seen you somewhere before, but
where…?”

Please! Don’t notice!

If they don’t recognize it’s Aoi-san, maybe we can still play it off.

“You’ve changed your hair color, huh. As I thought, dark hair suits you
better.”

“Huh? Could it be… Aoi-san? You’re Aoi-san, right?”

“…Yes.”

They knew…
It’s over…

“I didn’t notice because you were so beautiful, but I think you’re even
better now! How to put it, you’re like a very pretty girl! You have more
heroine power.”

Unlike Izumi, who winked and gave a thumbs up, I was in a bad mood.

“Why are you two together?”

Please, don’t ask.

Please ignore this.

I wished they’d leave us alone, but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.

“I’ll listen to the details calmly. In the meantime, let’s go to a café.”

“…Yeah, right.”

At Eiji’s insistence, we moved to the mall’s café.

I felt like a criminal who had volunteered to be escorted by a police officer.

We headed to the café, ordered what we wanted, and took a seat in the back.

I wasn’t planning to order anything, thinking I wouldn’t be able to stomach

anything, but Izumi insisted I try a new drink and asked for my thoughts on
it, so I ended up ordering something strange that I didn’t even understand.

What is this bizarre combination that looks like a cappuccino? I don’t even
know what this is anymore.

Don’t use me as a test subject.

Since I don’t know what it tastes like, it doesn’t really matter what I order.
Damn it.
Aoi-san and I sat next to each other at a table for four, while Eiji and Izumi
sat across from us.

Eiji smiled, and Izumi leaned over the table, looking very curious. She was
so excited that I felt like telling her she looked like a puppy eyeing a treat.

I let out the heaviest sigh of my life, and Eiji gently cut in.

“Don’t worry. We didn’t try to take anything they ordered and eat it.”

“I know…”

I was feeling weighed down, knowing that the interrogation was about to
begin.

However… how much should I reveal?

Now that they know, we’ll end up exposed, even if I try to divert attention.

Well, in a way, it was probably lucky that the first two people who found
out were this pair of boyfriends.

At least, compared to a situation where others found out and spread rumors
without my knowledge, I’m grateful that the two people who did were my
good friends, who were willing to listen.

However, if I were to speak, I would need Aoi-san’s approval, so I looked

at her.

“………..”

This is obvious, but Aoi-san looks anxious.

Even if we manage to trick them and get out of this situation, Aoi-san will
still be tormented by anxiety every time someone discovers us. Even if it’s
just uncertainty about the future, it will only lead to more unnecessary
worries.

If that’s the case, it would be best to have as many allies as possible.

Even if they knew what was going on, the two of them wouldn’t do
anything harmful.

“Aoi-san, is it okay if I tell them the whole story?”

“Eh…?”

No wonder she was surprised.

Still, I continued to explain carefully so she would understand.

‘I’m good friends with the two of them, so I know exactly what kind of
people they are. Even if they knew about our situation, they wouldn’t tell
anyone, I assure you. Also, if they’re willing to cooperate with us, I think
they’ll be a great help in the future.’

Aoi-san lowered her gaze as if she were thinking, and after a while, she
looked into my eyes and nodded.

“Akira-kun, if you think it’s okay, then I think it’s okay too.”

“Thank you.”

After confirming their intentions, I looked at the two of them.

“Please don’t tell anyone else what I’m going to tell you.”

“Okay.”

“Understood!”

“Also, if possible, I’d like you to help us.”

“Whether I can help or not depends on the details, but I promise not to tell
anyone.”

“Sounds good to me! You can trust me with that!”

Believing in their words, I slowly began to tell them what had happened.
A few days ago, I met Aoi-san at the neighborhood park on a rainy night.

Aoi-san’s mother had disappeared with a man, and she had to move out of
her apartment because she couldn’t pay the rent, leaving her with nowhere
to go. So, she started living with me at my house. I also explained the
reason she dropped out of school—it was to help her family financially. I
added that her blonde hair wasn’t something she chose of her own free will.

Aoi-san wasn’t a delinquent or a gyaru; she was just a normal girl who
happened to be a bit shy.

By the time I finished explaining everything, the ice in my drink had

melted.

“I see.”

Eiji’s expression was more complicated than just surprise.

“I was surprised because it was different from what I thought.”

“Different from what you thought? What do you mean?”

“No, it’s nothing. So, what are you going to do now, Akira?”

Since I had told them everything, I knew they would ask.

And I had already decided what I was going to do.

“I hope to fix Aoi-san’s situation before the start of my second year.”

As I spoke, I realized once again that I had to follow through.

“I want to clear up all the rumors being spread around school about Aoi-san
—like why she doesn’t come to school or where she lives. I’m not sure how
to handle it yet, but I know I want to do it.”

“Akira-kun…”

Aoi-san let out a weak voice beside me.

“Knowing you, you’re probably wondering why I would do something like
this for someone I’ve never even talked to. You might also be worried,
given that I don’t have the responsibility to help so much. But still, it’s what
I want to do, and I’ve already made up my mind.”

I’m aware that I’m doing something out of the ordinary for me.

I didn’t want trouble, and I hadn’t intended to help anyone. But when I
heard about Aoi-san’s situation, the first thing that came to mind was to
help her instead of worrying. Of course, part of the reason was that I saw
the face of the girl who was my first love in Aoi-san, but I kept that to
myself.

So that was reason enough to want to help someone.

“Please, will you help us?”

“Of course, if that’s the situation, I’ll help.”

When I lowered my head, Eiji replied immediately, without hesitation.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It seems like you can’t leave her alone.”

“How? What? Why?”

It doesn’t sound familiar when you say it like that. Eiji then smiled
meaningfully.

“It’s not that I like helping people in trouble like Izumi does, regardless of
who they are, but…”

“You never know what you’re going to face. Akira, you never stop helping
anyone halfway. When push comes to shove, you’re the kind of man who
won’t hesitate to lend a hand.”

Had he ever done this before?

I don’t know, but if Eiji said it, it must have happened.

Maybe it was because I had been transferred from school to school due to
my father’s job, but before I could even remember, my childhood memories
became very blurry.

To be more precise, my memories were often hazy.

For example, when I try to recall something, I might confuse an event that
happened before I changed schools with one that occurred afterward, or I
might mix up the name or location of someone’s house with someone else’s.

Maybe Eiji saw this side of me when we were in kindergarten together.

Well, if he can help me, that’s all that matters.

“And you, Izumi… Huh?”

When I looked at Izumi to ask her, she was crying like a baby.

She was crying so hard that I was a little surprised.

“I’ll help too… uuu…”

I’m glad you’re willing to help, but I’ve never seen her cry like that before.

I’m sure she’s crying out of concern for Aoi-san’s situation, but I guess
she’s exaggerating… Still, I honestly appreciate her feelings.

“Can I ask you something?”

While offering a tissue to Izumi, Eiji asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why did you set a time limit until you become a second-year student?”

“Well, that’s…”
Actually, I haven’t told Eiji and the others about my move.

The reason is that I couldn’t bring myself to tell them I was thinking of
parting ways with the two of them.

I know I should tell them someday, but if possible, I don’t want to change
schools.

I knew that if I put it into words, I would have to accept that I’d be saying
goodbye to Eiji and Izumi, and that would feel like an unavoidable
obligation.

I thought I was used to changing schools; however, I didn’t want to part

ways with these two if I could avoid it.

But this might be a good time to break my silence.

“I’m going to change high schools when I start my second year.”

“Transfer?”

Their surprised voices overlapped.

“My father has been transferred to another job again, and starting this
spring, my mother and my younger sister, Hiyori, moved in with him. As
for me, since I’m enrolled in our high school, I’ll stay here for now, but I’ll
transfer schools at the beginning of next year. So, I only have time to be
with you until next March.

“Isn’t she here anymore, Hiyori.chan?”

Izumi was the first to express her surprise.

“Yes. Hiyori decided that it would be better for her to transfer schools early
to prepare for the high school entrance exams, than to transfer later like me,
so she transferred schools when she entered her third year of high school.”

“But… it would have been nice if she had told me.”

As you can guess, Izumi and my sister Hiyori are very close.

Hiyori is a grade below us, and Izumi is not only her senpai at the same
school but also a close friend. The two of them are even closer than Izumi
and I are.

What’s more, Hiyori met Izumi before I did, and Izumi even came to my
house to visit her.

I was very surprised when Izumi introduced herself as Eiji’s girlfriend.

“It’s my fault that Hiyori didn’t tell you. I asked her not to worry you guys,
so I think she was planning to tell you later.”

“I understand…”

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this way, but please continue to get along with
Hiyori like before.”

“Yes. Of course I will.”

Izumi’s shoulders slumped in shock.

“But it makes me sad to hear that.”

Eiji comforted Izumi, closing his eyes as if regretting the separation that
would eventually come.

“That’s all I can say for now. Let me discuss the details with you again in
the near future.”

“Okay. We’ll always be ready, so talk to us when you’re ready.”

“Oh, thank you. So, shall we go, Aoi-san?”

“Yes. Ah, but…”

Aoi-san spoke as if she had just remembered something.

“I have a place I want to visit, so you go home first, Akira-kun.”

“Is it about the place you wanted to visit earlier?”

Ah, I remember her reacting as if she had just recalled something she had
forgotten to buy earlier.

I guess she was planning to buy it before returning home.

“I can go with you.”

“O-okay…”

“But if you’re going to buy something, it might be heavy.”

“Mmm… mmm…”

Aoi-san awkwardly blurted out her words while lowering her head.

What is it about? Is she going to buy something that would be troublesome

if I go with her?

“I see! Then, Aoi-san, let’s go shopping with me!”

For some reason, Izumi volunteered.

It was as if her earlier tears had been a lie, as she stood up with newfound
energy.

I thought I would decline her offer.

“… Are you okay?”

“Of course ♪”

Really?

“Well then, for you two, today’s date is over! See you later, Eiji-kun! I love
you! ♪”
“I love you too. See you soon.”

Aoi-san was taken by the hand by Izumi, and they hurried out of the café,
leaving the two men in a rather strange atmosphere.

“Why…?”

“It must be a difficult place to go with a man.”

“Where would it be?”

“No point in asking.”

… Well, whatever.

I was worried about leaving her alone, but with Izumi, I felt safe.

But still…

“No matter where, you two always say you love each other in public”

“Yes. The place doesn’t matter when it comes to a couple expressing their
love.”

I’ve gotten used to it by now, but for the people around me, it was more
embarrassing to hear.

The lady sitting next to us was so surprised that she spat out her tea.

“And if you’re a couple, don’t you think you can understand each other
without saying a word?”

“Sure, there are couples like that. But I basically believe that people,
especially men and women, can’t fully understand each other. That’s why I
think it’s important to express your feelings in words.”

“I feel like you’re being blunt, but… what do you mean?”

I asked with the intention of making a small tsukkomi, and Eiji continued
with a serious expression.

“It’s impossible to understand each other without words. Even family

members can’t fully understand one another, so it’s unrealistic to expect
strangers, even your partner, to understand you completely.”

“Well… I understand what you’re trying to say, but I’m not sure if it really
works that way.”

“That’s exactly how it is. For example, Akira, you have no idea what Aoi-
san wants to buy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask her. You try to
understand her, but you can’t fully, and that’s why I believe it’s important to
express things with words.”

Eiji added, “Well, it also depends on whether the other person wants to talk
about it or not.”

“It sounds a bit philosophical to me, but…”

But maybe there’s some truth to it.

I suggested the idea of living together for Aoi-san’s sake, but I don’t really
know how she feels about it.

She might be happy, or maybe she’s just grateful. Perhaps she doesn’t really
want to but has nowhere else to go.

There’s also the possibility that I’ve imposed my good intentions on her.

Eiji was right. I don’t truly know what’s going on in Aoi-san’s head.

“Of course, there’s no need to discuss everything. It’s important to try to

understand the other person’s feelings, and it’s also important to be
considerate enough not to ask unnecessary questions. However, we must
not mistake judgment for wisdom. If you want to stay with the person you
love forever, you should talk about what’s necessary.”

“I understand.”
Still, I wasn’t sure if I really understood it at all. I knew it was something
different from what someone would usually say to their girlfriend.

“That’s why, Akira, it’s important that you don’t assume you understand
Aoi-san’s feelings so easily. Since you haven’t talked to her much until
recently, it’s even more important that you do now.”

“That’s true.”

“Especially since Aoi-san is the type who doesn’t share her true feelings
easily, you should be good at getting her to open up.”

“You talk about Aoi-san as if you really know her.”

“I know more than you do, considering you’ve been away from this town
for a long time.”

Well, that’s true. Eiji finished the coffee left in his cup and stood up.

“Well, let’s go.”

“…Yeah.”

I followed Eiji out of the café.

In any case, I’m glad they both decided to help me.

I’ll do my best to improve Aoi-san’s living conditions when I transfer to the

new high school.

Once again, I promised myself that.

That night─────

I arrived home first and started preparing dinner since there wasn’t much
else to do.

I glanced at the clock on the living room wall and saw that it was just after
seven in the evening.
“I wonder when Aoi-san will get home.”

She wasn’t alone at the mall, and since there was still daylight in the sky, it
wasn’t too late. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of worry since I hadn’t
heard from her in a while.

I even considered texting her to ask what time she would be home. But then
I thought it wouldn’t be good to disturb Aoi-san if she was having fun with
Izumi, so I decided against it and put my smartphone down.

“I wonder if this is how a boyfriend feels when his girlfriend is away from
home like I am right now…”

But immediately after that thought, I snapped back to reality.

I’m not her boyfriend, so I’m not in a position to say anything to Aoi-san.

Even though we live together, I wondered if this kind of concern was just
being overprotective…

“Oh no! The steak is going to burn!”

I hadn’t paid attention to the pan while I was lost in thought, and as a result,
the faint smell of burnt steak spread throughout the kitchen.

I quickly flipped the burger.

“I’m back.”

Just after the front door opened, I heard a familiar voice from the kitchen.
Aoi-san appeared in the living room, her face flustered as the sound of her
slippers clattered against the floor.

“Welcome back.”

“I’m sorry I came home late…”

She lowered her head and said this as soon as she saw me. She looked a bit
out of breath, probably having rushed home.

“It’s okay.”

“After shopping with Izumi-san, we went to lunch, and while we were

chatting, I lost track of time… I meant to come back earlier, but I couldn’t.
I’m really sorry.”

“Seriously, don’t worry about it.”

No matter how much I insisted, Aoi-san kept apologizing, her demeanor

looking anxious.

“But my mother gets really angry when I come home late…”

Hearing those words, an unpleasant thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Maybe this is the norm in Aoi-san’s family? An environment where you get
scolded for coming home late or not calling.

Even a normal family might react this way, but Aoi-san’s mother must have
been angry in a way that truly scared her. Perhaps there were unpleasant
emotions at play beyond just worry.

Given that she was the kind of mother who could abandon her daughter, I
couldn’t help but feel uneasy about her.

“I’m sorry…”

“Aoi-san…”

I stared at Aoi-san, who cringed as if she were a child being scolded for no
reason. Eiji’s words from the café came to mind.

Don’t confuse judgment with wisdom─────

If you want to be with the person you love forever, you have to talk about
what’s necessary─────
If that’s the case, I probably shouldn’t just say it’s okay. I need to put my
feelings into words and listen to what Aoi-san thinks.

“Can I talk to you for a minute, Aoi-san?”

“Yes…”

I turned off the stove and asked Aoi-san to sit on the sofa in the living room.
We sat next to each other, and I tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“Aoi-san, did you have fun with Izumi?”

“Eh…?”

Aoi-san seemed surprised by my question. She looked taken aback and

stammered, but after a moment, she slowly opened her mouth.

“…Yes. It was fun.”

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me how you enjoyed yourself?”

Aoi-san nodded slightly and began to speak while still looking at me.

“I used to go out very rarely. My mother is very strict, and I’m always at
home, even on my days off. So when you and Izumi-san took me out for a
walk and chatted with me, I enjoyed it so much that I lost track of time…”

“Then you don’t have to worry about coming home late.”

“But…”

Still, Aoi-san dismissed my words, as if she were blaming herself. I

accepted her feelings without denying them.

“Of course, I understand the feeling of guilt for someone else. But when I
heard you were having fun, I felt happy instead of angry.”

“Are you really happy?”

I nodded slowly.

“I’ve been there too, and I know how quickly time flies when we’re having
fun, especially with close friends. When I was little, I knew I should come
home early, but I was always late, and my parents would get angry with
me.”

By sharing this, I hoped Aoi-san wouldn’t feel guilty any more than she
already did.

“But now I think about it differently. I realize my parents were just worried
about me, not angry. Of course they should be, if their loved ones don’t
come home and don’t contact them.”

At that time, I hadn’t understood anything, but now that I was living on my
own, I had to reconsider my family.

“I don’t know how your mother feels about it since every family situation is
different. But at least I’m glad you can have fun and lose track of time. I
worry because I don’t know when you’ll be back, but I’m not angry. If
you’re still worried about it, just call me next time and let me know. That
way, I can wait for you in peace.”

Did I express my feelings well? Aoi-san nodded lightly, showing that she
understood.

“I understand. Next time I’ll call you properly.”

“Yes. I’ll call you if I’m going to be late too.”

I wasn’t entirely confident that I had conveyed my feelings well, but Aoi-
san’s expression seemed a little calmer.

“I’m glad you and Izumi are becoming good friends.”

“I wonder… if we really get along. I had a lot of fun, but I’m not very good
at talking to people, so Izumi-san might find it boring to be with me.”

“I don’t think so. If you’re having fun, then Izumi must be having fun too.”
“I’ll be glad if that’s the case. I’m a little jealous that you’re friends with
Izumi-san and Eiji-kun.”

It seemed like this was the first time Aoi-san was showing her true feelings.
I knew I shouldn’t let those words pass.

“What are you talking about? You and Izumi are already friends, right?”

“No… I’m her friend…”

“After having fun together for a day, of course you’re already friends. At
least that’s how Izumi sees it. And I’m sure she’ll want to be more involved
with you than ever tomorrow, so be ready for that.”

I tried to lighten the mood a bit, but I could genuinely see a future where
that happened—and it would probably be good for Aoi-san.

“If she thinks of me as a friend… that would make me really happy.”

Aoi-san muttered this, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

That expression was the best smile she’d shown me so far.

“Okay, then, this is the end of this conversation!”

I clapped my hands and spoke as if to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.

“Yes.”

“Dinner will be ready in just a moment.”

“Ah, let me help you.”

I stood up from the sofa, and Aoi-san followed me hesitantly. Seeing her
like that, I swallowed the words — ‘you can rest’ — when they reached my
throat.

Aoi-san probably wanted to help to avoid the awkward atmosphere

continuing. Since that was likely the case, it would be best to accept her
offer for both our sakes.

“Thank you. In that case, could you bring the plates? We’re having steak
today, so I’d like a slightly wider plate.”

“Understood. No wonder I thought I smelled roasted meat. But… it smells a

little burnt.”

“What?”

I was surprised to hear that. Sure enough, the stove was off, but the steak
remained in the pan. Even though there was no fire, the pan was still hot for
a while due to residual heat…

When I hurriedly flipped the steak, it was clear it was overcooked but not
charred.

“Damn…”

Both sides of the steak had turned out slightly burnt. What a silly mistake.

“Fufufu”

“Huh? Did you just laugh?”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were someone who could do anything, so it’s kind
of funny to imagine you making such a silly mistake. Although I know it’s
rude to say that since I can’t even cook myself.”

Seeing Aoi-san laugh made me smile too.

“I can’t do everything. This mistake is relatively minor. I was a mess when I

first started living alone. Every time I tried to make a dish, the seasoning
was off. I mixed up salt and sugar, and even my miso soup was too salty to
drink. Each time I messed up, I had to look it up online to finally get it
right.”

“Really?”
“Yes. It’s fine if it’s just cooking, but I also forgot to put fabric softener in
the washing machine. I didn’t know how to remove the filter from the
vacuum cleaner, so I tried to force it out and ended up filling the entire
room with dust. I don’t know how many times I fell asleep out of
frustration.”

Now that I think about it, it’s kind of ridiculous. As I was complaining, Aoi-
san suppressed her laughter.

“Putting my story of failure aside, what should I do with this steak? Should
I make something else?”

“Don’t worry. Let’s eat it.”

“But I don’t think it will taste very good.”

“Then I’m sure it will be a good memory.”

A good memory…

It was a mistake that would have made me want to pull my hair out if I were
alone, but since we were together, I knew we’d be able to laugh about it
someday.

Thinking about that made me realize that not being alone could be a
blessing.

“Just so you know, I can’t guarantee the taste.”

And that’s how we ended up having a slightly burnt steak for dinner.

As I had imagined, it didn’t taste very good, but I felt more satisfied than
usual, enjoying dinner while laughing at my own mistakes.

After dinner, we took a shower and rested.

Aoi-san seemed to have really enjoyed her time with Izumi, as she eagerly
told me all about it.
They had lunch together, stopped by a café for something sweet, and
laughed wryly about how they felt sorry for the waitress after sitting for
three hours with just a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

I listened intently to Aoi-san’s happy words as she recounted her day’s

activities, her face beaming with joy.

As we talked, I noticed that the clock was almost midnight.

As they say, fun times always go by quickly.

“Tomorrow we still have the day off, but I think it’s time to sleep.”

“Yes, you’re right. Ah…”

Aoi-san raised her voice as if she remembered something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mmm… Can I go wash my clothes before I go to bed?”

“Sure, but it’s already late. Why don’t we do it tomorrow?”

“I know, but…”

She mumbled something and fidgeted. Even that gesture was so cute; I
couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright, let’s do the laundry and then go to sleep.”

“I can do it myself, so you can sleep first, Akira-kun.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll go to bed first.”

“Yes, good night.”

“Oh. Good night.”

I left the living room, walked to my room, and lay down on the bed.
As I closed my eyes, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.

We had just started living together a few days ago, but I had never seen Aoi-
san talk so much. I initially thought it was because she was with Izumi, a
great conversationalist, but Aoi-san, who is usually a bit distant with others,
mentioned that she really enjoys spending time with her friends.

Honestly, I felt happy about that.

When Izumi and Eiji first saw us, I felt desperate, as if the world was
ending, but now I was genuinely glad that the two of them had noticed us. I
wondered if this was what people meant by coincidence.

After thirty minutes of pondering this, I realized I couldn’t sleep, probably

because I was in such a good mood. I heard the electronic beep of the
washing machine, indicating that the job was done…

“Mmm, what about Aoi-san…?”

No matter how long I waited, there was no sign of her taking out the
clothes. Driven by curiosity, I got out of bed and went back to the living
room, only to find Aoi-san sitting on the sofa, sleeping soundly.

“She must have been too tired to stay awake.”

Smiling at her, I headed to the bathroom to take out the clothes and hang
them up to dry. But when I opened the lid of the washing machine, I found
the clothes we had just bought that day.

So that was it. Aoi-san probably thought she should wash new clothes
before wearing them. This kind of thing, rather than being dependent on the
person, was likely influenced by her family. As I took the freshly washed
clothes out of the washing machine…

“T-This is…!”

My hand involuntarily stopped when I saw something unexpected. Mixed in

with the clothes were surprisingly women’s underwear in the laundry net.
As soon as I took it out and held it in my hands, I understood what had
happened.

This was the reason why Aoi-san had told me, “I can come and buy it next
time,” when I asked if there was anything else she wanted to buy. I had
offered to help her carry her groceries, but she had refused my help. Yet
when Izumi had offered to accompany her shopping, she had immediately
accepted. Similarly, when I said I would help with the laundry, she insisted I
go to bed first.

Therefore, this pink and yellow underwear, which looked brand new,
explained her entire attitude.

“…I’ll pretend I didn’t see it and go back to my room.”

I mustn’t let Aoi-san catch me right now.

If she saw me red-handed, she might think I was a dangerous person who
roamed around at night rummaging through her underwear.

They say that spirits you don’t approach won’t curse you.

But just as I thought that, it was too late.

“Akira-kun…”

Sensing someone’s presence, I turned around upon hearing my name.

There stood Aoi-san, her face very red. She had an indescribable
expression, and her shoulders were shaking.
“No, it’s not what it seems! I never took it with bad intentions. Since you
were sleeping, I thought I’d help you dry the clothes! That’s the truth. I
noticed that when you came to my house, you had very little luggage, so I
should have assumed you didn’t have much underwear either. And that’s
why you had to buy some! Yes, I see you have good taste.”

What do I mean by ‘good taste’!?

Only when you’re in a hurry do you say things better left unsaid.

As I showed too much understanding, Aoi-san blushed up to her ears,

hiding her face with her hands.

“Well then… I’ll leave the rest to you.”

It was too absurd to say anything else.

After that, I returned to my room with an awkward smile and covered my

head with the bed sheet.

I felt embarrassed, excited, and regretful, which kept me more awake than
before.

By the way, this incident led to some rules being established between Aoi-
san and me.

Rule number one: Separate the laundry baskets and wash our own clothes.

Rule number two: Call each other when we’re going to be late getting
home.

Rule number three: Aoi-san, who doesn’t know how to cook, asked me to
leave her in charge of cleaning.

Furthermore, we also agreed that we would not hesitate to discuss other

aspects of living together in the future.

On the other hand, my seeing her underwear meant I had glimpsed a part of
her life.

Let’s just say it meant something, and it wasn’t all in vain.

In fact, it was a pleasant revelation for my eyes.

So, once again, I thought about how complicated living together would be.
 Chapter 3: A Strategic Meeting With Trusted
Colleagues

At the beginning of the week, when Aoi-san went to school, there was quite
a stir in the classroom. Suddenly, a beautiful and elegant black-haired girl
appeared, so it was an understandable reaction.

The atmosphere in the classroom felt as if a new student had arrived, but
when Izumi passionately hugged her, shouting her name, our classmates
realized it was Aoi-san.

It’s worth noting that the last time there was such a commotion in the
classroom was when Izumi shouted “I love you!” to Eiji right after the first
term started.

Back to the topic, if something like that happened, of course, everyone

would be surprised, right? No one could have imagined that the elegant
black-haired beauty was Aoi-san, who used to have blonde hair.

Upon seeing Aoi-san, our classmates had various reactions. Some students
approached her like Izumi did, while a few boys whispered, casting glances
mixed with shock and a slight sense of guilt from a distance. There were
also classmates who seemed indifferent.

Although some classmates responded positively when Izumi, who is well-

liked in class, approached Aoi-san, most looked at her with cold eyes.

Still, I knew that not everyone’s reaction would change just because she
dyed her hair black. I understood that, but there’s no choice but to make
progress little by little.

A few days later, as I was thinking about this near the school exit…
“Eiji, Izumi, what do you want to drink?”

“I’ll have coffee.”

“I’ll have tea, brewed in a teapot♪.”

“I don’t have a teapot in my house…”

“In that case, tea is fine.”

I had invited both of them over to my place.

“Understood. Please wait a minute.”

“Akira-kun, I’ll help you too.”

“Thank you.”

We went to the kitchen, grabbed some glasses, and poured drinks for the
four of us. Then, we brought them to the living room and sat down.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Izumi asked, holding her glass with
both hands.

“I wanted to consult with you two about Aoi-san’s future.”

Of course, I already have their approval.

Aoi-san was surprised when I told her at the mall that I wanted to do
something about her situation. So, to discuss it with them, I’ll have to talk
to her again.

If Aoi-san thinks it’s bothersome, I won’t do anything unnecessary.

However, if she’s okay with it, I want to consult with them about future
matters.

As we talked about it, Aoi-san nodded her head in agreement.

As Eiji said before, I don’t truly know his feelings. I also don’t have the
ability to read her mind, and I’m not skilled enough in conversation to
express my thoughts without potentially hurting her. But still, I’m trying to
discuss things with Aoi-san in my own way.

So, if she’s willing to accept it, I believe it’s the best approach.

“As I said before, I want to improve Aoi-san’s situation. I’ve thought about
what I can do in my own way. Therefore, I want to hear everyone’s
opinions.”

“I understand. Please, go ahead,” Eiji said, happily accepting and

encouraging me to continue.

“Generally speaking, I think there are two main problems. The first is that
both students and teachers have a bad impression of Aoi-san. Given her
school life so far, that’s somewhat understandable, but… I want them to
know that she’s a normal girl—neither unscrupulous nor a delinquent, but
really just a normal girl.”

If those misunderstandings were cleared up, I’m sure Aoi-san and everyone
else could become closer.

Of course, there may still be people who don’t like Aoi-san, as it’s
impossible for everyone to accept her. But if the number of people who
understand her increases, even if it’s just one person, that’s still a positive
step.

“I see. It’s true that Aoi-san deserves to enjoy her youth like everyone else.”

“Then, to clear up this misunderstanding, what exactly should we do?”

“That’s the tricky part, right?”

Izumi had a slightly bitter expression on her face.

“I have an idea, and I need your help, Izumi.”

“Me? What is it? Tell me!”

“You’re the class representative, and everyone trusts you, right? If you take
the initiative and get along with Aoi-san, it might help change how others
see her. You’ve always tried to get along with everyone, but from this point
on, I’d like you to be the bridge between Aoi-san and the rest of the class.
However…”

“However, what?”

“This could be risky for you, Izumi. Depending on how others see it, some
might think our class representative is hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Because of that, I can’t guarantee that there won’t be any negative effects
for you.”

I was sure Izumi wouldn’t mind and would take action without worrying
about it, but I felt I should properly explain the situation before asking her
again.

“Eh? Of course, it’s fine.”

She immediately replied as if I was overthinking it.

“I just do what I want, without caring what others say. The reason I keep
talking to Aoi-san is because I want to be friends with her. I feel like telling
people, ‘Come on, stop assuming someone’s a delinquent just based on their
appearance,’ especially when they don’t even know her. Also—”

Izumi smiled warmly at Aoi-san and said, “We’re already friends, right,
Aoi-san?”

Hearing this, Aoi-san, looking a little embarrassed, rubbed her hair and
replied, “Yes. We’re friends. Thank you.”

“Hehehe♪”

Even so, she smiled back at Izumi and responded warmly.

Thank goodness, Aoi-san… at this rate, it seems I won’t have to worry.

“But to be honest, I think it’ll be difficult to clear up the misunderstandings
about Aoi-san with just that. Especially with the teachers—I don’t think we
can approach them the same way we do with our classmates. I wish we had
other good ideas, but…”

Everyone present began to think deeply.

“If that’s the case, she’ll have to improve her academic skills as well,” Eiji
said, nodding after some thought.

“As Akira mentioned, I think the impression among our classmates can
gradually improve with Izumi and the rest of us working together. But when
it comes to changing the teachers’ perception, it’ll be best if she improves
her grades so they can see her differently.”

I see. That was a good point.

For teachers, exam results aren’t everything, but they are one of the key
factors used to evaluate students.

No matter how well-behaved a student is, if their grades are poor, they
won’t be seen as a model student—quite the opposite. On the other hand,
even a student with good behavior but bad grades might be labeled as a
problem student in some sense.

Therefore, Aoi-san would need to improve both her behavior and her
academic performance.

“Speaking of which, Aoi-san, how did you do on the midterms?” I asked.

“Mmm…”

She looked a bit uncomfortable at the question, and I could guess why,
but…

“I failed all of my subjects except for one, so I had to take extra classes,
which were really tough…”
“”Except for one subject…?””

Izumi, Eiji, and I spoke in unison, our voices overlapping and echoing in
the room.

Aoi-san covered her face with her hands as if she couldn’t take it anymore.

I see. Just like when she was mistaken for my girlfriend at the beauty salon,
or during the underwear incident the other day, it seemed that whenever
Aoi-san got really embarrassed, she had a habit of covering her face like
this.

“You had to take a leave of absence and work part-time to support your
family. What could you do? Honestly, I think it’s amazing that you managed
to pass even one subject!”

“…Yes,” she murmured softly.

“Don’t worry, just do your best from now on!”

I’ll support her in whatever she decides to do, though sometimes I feel like I
get into trouble when I try to help.

That reminded me of the time she caught me accidentally holding her

clothes—well, underwear—in my hand. It seems that the more I try to
support her, the more trouble I get into.

Aoi-san shrank back as if she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

…Seriously, what did I do just a minute ago?

“It’s okay. I’m good at studying, so I’ll teach you!”

What a great help, Izumi! She confidently raised her voice to break the
awkward tension.

That’s right. Izumi might seem like just an energetic girl, but she’s actually
very smart. Since starting high school, she’s consistently scored well on
exams, and being class representative wasn’t just for show.

“I think it’d be better if we all studied together, not just Izumi and Aoi-san.
Fortunately, Akira’s house is convenient for us to gather and study. We
could even make it a study camp,” Eiji suggested.

“Sounds great! A study camp and sleepover would be so much fun!” Izumi
responded enthusiastically.

“If you’re okay with my place, I’ll make sure it’s available for everyone,” I
offered.

“Ah, and also—”

Without missing a beat, Izumi clapped her hands as if a new idea had just
struck her.

“If you want to improve the teachers’ impression, how about doing some
volunteer activities?”

“Volunteer activities?”
It was an unexpected suggestion.

“Yes. Actually, I participate in a volunteer program organized by the school,

but we always have trouble getting people to join. I think the teachers’
impression of you would improve a lot if you participated.”

Ah, if I remember correctly, our tutor mentioned this during a session

shortly after I started school. I wasn’t interested at the time, so I only
listened half-heartedly, but it seems Izumi joined after all.

I used to think Izumi was overly concerned about things, but now I see her
kindness extends beyond just her family and friends. I wonder if she was a
nightingale or Mother Teresa in a past life.

“What kind of volunteer work do you do?” I asked.

“A variety of things. We do community clean-ups, visit nursing homes, play

with kids at orphanages, and help them with their studies. These activities
take place every Sunday, but participation is voluntary, so you can join
whenever you’re free.”

It’s true—participating in school-organized volunteer activities sounds like

a great idea. It’s the kind of behavior that teachers would expect from a
model student, and I’m sure they’d be pleasantly surprised if Aoi-san got
involved. Plus, interacting with teachers outside of class could help them
see her in a different light.

“Of course, only if Aoi-san is interested. If it’s too much, we won’t force
you to join,” I added.

“It’s not too much. I’ve already decided not to work on Saturdays and
Sundays, so I think it’ll be fine. Besides… it sounds like fun if we all did it
together. I’d like to participate.”

“Okay!! Then we’ll go next time!”

Izumi grabbed Aoi-san’s hand, her voice filled with excitement.

I guess there’s also the simple joy of making new friends.

“In that case, for now, is the plan to improve the teachers’ impression by
raising your test scores and participating in volunteer activities organized by
the school, while Izumi, Eiji, and the rest of us work together to clear up the
misunderstandings among our classmates, okay with you?” I asked.

“I guess so. Let’s follow that plan,” Aoi-san agreed.

To be honest, when I thought about it alone, I wasn’t sure how things would
turn out. But with the four of us working together, I felt like we could
handle it. It was a strange, yet comforting thought.

As I suspected, all you need are friends you can trust.

“So, what’s the other problem?” Eiji asked, breaking the moment of
optimism. His question brought us back to reality.

That’s right. There’s still another issue. In fact, it was the bigger problem.
“The other issue is where Aoi-san will live,” I said.

In other words, where will she stay after I move?

“I can offer you a place to stay at my house until March next year, but by
then, we need to secure a more permanent place where you can live
peacefully, Aoi-san. Honestly, I think this is a much more serious matter,” I
explained.

“I agree. We can’t rent a place as minors, no matter how much money we

have. Even staying at internet cafés has become stricter with age restrictions
nowadays,” Eiji added.

“Even if we make more friends, I don’t think anyone lives comfortably

alone like I do. On the other hand, staying at Izumi’s or Eiji’s house would
be complicated, right? Even though they’d be fine with it, Aoi-san might
feel uncomfortable with their parents around. I think we need to find a place
where she can truly feel at peace,” I said, sharing my thoughts.

“That’s true~” Izumi responded, looking troubled like the rest of us.

Once again, we were faced with the harsh reality of the disadvantages of
being a student without parental support.

If I hadn’t met Aoi-san, I would never have realized that the environment
which seemed normal to Eiji, me, and others wasn’t normal for her. It had
become an obstacle in her life.

Of course, we couldn’t fully understand the anxiety Aoi-san must have felt
throughout it all.
Perhaps… it was a miracle she could smile like this.

“After all, the best option is to rely on Aoi-san’s family,” Eiji suggested.

“No, like I told you, she doesn’t have a family, and that’s the problem,” I
responded reflexively.
Eiji raised his hand slightly, signaling me to pause and consider his words.
“Family doesn’t just mean parents, does it? Aoi-san, do you have any
siblings or grandparents?” Eiji asked.

He was right—I hadn’t even thought of that, probably because I was

overthinking things.

I turned to Aoi-san, waiting for her answer, but her expression clouded over.

“I think I have some relatives, but I haven’t been in contact with them for a
long time… I’ve met my maternal grandmother, but the last time I saw her,
I was very young. I don’t even know where she lives anymore.”

“Do you at least know the general area she’s in?” I asked, hoping for a clue.

Aoi-san shook her head slightly, denying it.

“All I know is that she’s not in this town,” she said quietly.

“I see…”

With that, the small glimmer of hope faded almost instantly.

This was one of the many challenges Aoi-san would likely face in the
future. Even though her parents were no longer around, I had hoped that
maybe there was some relative who could act as her guardian.

But still…

“Knowing that your grandmother exists is something, though. Even if you

don’t remember where she lives now, there’s a chance you might remember
someday. So, there’s no harm in trying to find her,” I said, trying to reassure
her.

Rather than adding to her worries, I wanted her to see this as a small hope
—a chance, however distant.

“Alright, then. First, let’s work on resolving the misunderstandings about

Aoi-san,” I said, refocusing on our immediate task.
“Understood,” she replied. “Okay♪”

“Thank you, everyone.”

Aoi-san smiled as she expressed her gratitude.

Compared to the first time she came to this house, her expression was much
calmer now.

****

From the next day onward, Izumi took the initiative and began various
activities to clear up the misunderstandings about Aoi-san.

Although I referred to them as activities, they were pretty simple.

For instance, Izumi invited Aoi-san to lunch with her friends, included her
when she passed by with her friends after school, and encouraged her to
join their group in the classroom.

Essentially, she started by increasing Aoi-san’s interactions with her

classmates.

Of course, everyone in the class was confused at first. Still, thanks in part to
Izumi’s excellent communication skills, the classmates became less
cautious day by day, allowing Aoi-san to gradually join in the
conversations.

Since Eiji and I are both boys and didn’t want to seem overly proactive or
unnatural, we treated her with the same attitude as the other classmates.

It was a simple approach, but I was surprised at how well it turned out.
This success was mainly due to Izumi’s influence, but Aoi-san’s efforts
played a significant role as well.

I was impressed by how Aoi-san, who was shy to begin with, tried to speak
up actively. Although some students still showed a cold attitude toward her,
I didn’t think it was a big deal.

As I had thought before, our goal isn’t for her to be accepted by everyone;
it’s enough for us to find as many people as possible who can befriend Aoi-
san, even if it’s just one person.

However, there was one thing that bothered me.

After hearing rumors about the sudden appearance of an elegant black-

haired beauty at school, boys began coming to the classroom to catch a
glimpse of Aoi-san during every break.

It’s not that I was jealous, but it was just annoying.

I wanted to get rid of all of them, but since Izumi chased them away instead
of me, I decided not to intervene. It would have only created more trouble if
I had butted in, so I was grateful for her help.

However, Eiji found my frustration amusing and couldn’t help but smile.

****

Sunday, after spending several days like this─────

“This is the facility we are going to visit today.”

Aoi-san, Izumi, and I— the three of us—visited the orphanage in the city.

The day after we decided to participate in a volunteer activity organized by

the high school, at Izumi’s suggestion, she immediately informed the tutor
of our participation, which led us to this place.

I was surprised by Izumi’s ability to take action; she quickly made plans for
the weekend after we consulted her.

There were more than ten people around us, including the teacher in charge
and several students.
There were more participants than I had expected.

By the way, Eiji didn’t participate because he had other plans.

“As I mentioned on the way here, there are children from kindergarten to
the first year of high school who can’t live with their parents for various
reasons. We visit them regularly to help them learn, play with them, and
during Christmas, we give them gifts obtained through donations.”

According to Izumi, there are many facilities like this in the prefecture.

We were surprised to learn that so many children cannot live with their
parents, but perhaps there are many families in similar situations that we
don’t know about.

In fact, Aoi-san is in the same situation.

That’s why I was wondering───── was it really a good idea to bring Aoi-
san to this place?

When Izumi asked us where we would like to visit, I advised her against it,
but surprisingly, Aoi-san chose this place among many others.

“So, are we going to teach them how to study today, or are we going to play
with them?”

“Today we will play with them. Sometimes the staff thinks of recreational
activities, but today we will play with the children as much as they want.”

As we were talking, the teacher called us over and led us to a spacious

recreation room.

When we entered the room, all the little kids ran toward Izumi and the other
students at once.

“It’s been so long since I saw you all~♪”

Izumi excitedly started playing with the kids.

“Okay, let’s all play now!”

Without further ado, the kids began playing with each other.

Izumi invited me to join in a game of tag with the elementary students,

while the other boys played soccer with the middle school students.
Meanwhile, Aoi-san and the other girls started playing with the
kindergarten kids.

Thirty minutes after starting to play─────

“Izumi… I’ll take a break…”

Tired from giving my all in the game of tag, I spoke to Izumi breathlessly.

“It’s okay. I’ll play with them a little longer.”

“Wow. Take it easy.”

I replied like that and withdrew from the group of elementary school
children.

To be honest, I underestimated the energy of playing with elementary

school kids. What’s with their inexhaustible stamina?

At first, I thought I could easily keep up with them, but as time went on, the
difference in physical strength became apparent.

In the latter half of the game, I was so slow that everyone was catching me
because I was exhausted.

For someone from the homecoming club like me, it was too much to keep
up with children who are in their prime. I stepped out of the group, tried to
catch my breath, and looked for a place to rest.

Then my eyes met Aoi-san, who was playing house with the
kindergarteners.
Aoi-san noticed me and waved her small hand at me with a smile.

“Are you done playing tag?”

“Y-Yes. I was planning to play with the other kids.”

I felt embarrassed admitting that the kids had completely outmatched me in

physical strength.

“I see. Do you want to play with us?”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

I sat down between Aoi-san and the girls.

Suddenly, all the girls turned to look at me at once.

A pair of round, pretty eyes stared up at me.

For some reason, I felt a bit pressured…

“Hey, hey.”

“Mmm? What’s wrong?”

The girl next to me tugged at my sleeve, looking up at me.

“Onii-chan, are you Onee-chan’s boyfriend?”

“B-Boyfriend…!?”

What did this girl just say out of the blue?!

Those innocent, harmless eyes seemed to expect an answer from me.

Don’t tell me all these kids are waiting for my response?

I was left speechless, thinking how mature kindergarteners seem nowadays.

“This man is not my boyfriend,” Aoi-san quickly clarified, and I sighed in
relief at her intervention.

“So is he your husband?”

Without missing a beat, another kindergarten child asked a question that

went even further.

If I’m not her boyfriend, then she thought I could be her husband. How
terrifyingly convoluted!

“H-He is not my husband either… um…”

“I see… but if he was your boyfriend or husband, then they could have been
the father and the mother…”

All the kindergarten children looked disappointed.

Actually, I was a bit disappointed too… Aoi-san had answered right away,
even though I’m not really her boyfriend.

Well, since I’m not her boyfriend, what else could I say?

“This man is not my boyfriend or my husband, but he’s a very important

person to me… so, if it’s okay with you, would you allow us to be mommy
and daddy?”

“Is that okay?”

The kindergarten children’s eyes lit up expectantly at Aoi-san’s words.

“That’s nice, don’t you think, Akira-kun?”

“Y-Yes, that’s nice!”

“Hooray!”
Their innocent smiles, which revealed their feelings so openly, made me
smile in return.

I couldn’t help but murmur the words ‘very important person’ that Aoi-san
had just said while playing the role of daddy.

I’m not her boyfriend, nor her husband, and certainly not a family member,
but Aoi-san says that I’m a ‘very important person’ to her.

It was strange that I didn’t mind my position at all because of that.

Though we had started as just classmates living together in the same house,
maybe we were slowly growing closer to each other…

After a while of playing with the kindergarten children, I noticed an

elementary school girl drawing alone in a corner of the recreation room.

“She’s been alone for a long time,” Aoi-san said softly, also looking at her.

“Some students tried to talk to her, but she doesn’t seem to want to engage
with anyone.”

“I understand…”

Is she a very shy girl?

Or perhaps someone who prefers solitude?

Either way, she looked quite lonely to me.

“I’ll go keep her company.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

But Aoi-san shook her head slightly, refusing my offer.

“I’ll go alone. If two high school students go together, she’ll definitely get
scared.”
“I see. I think you’re right.”

“Excuse me.”

I watched as Aoi-san headed towards the girl.

After a while, I noticed Aoi-san and the girl playing with the kindergarten
children, but the girl didn’t respond to Aoi-san’s calls.

Not only did she not respond, but she also avoided making eye contact.

“…Ah, excuse me.”

I called out to a passing staff member.

“Can I help you?”

“That girl… Does she always spend time alone?”

The staff member’s expression turned serious.

“Yes. She came here three months ago, but she’s always been like this.
Even when other children or we try to talk to her, she doesn’t respond…
That worries us because we don’t know how to approach her either.”

Three months is a significant amount of time to adapt to a new

environment, yet it’s not long enough for a young girl to shake off the
loneliness of being separated from her parents.

I remembered how difficult it was for me to adjust whenever I changed

schools during elementary school.

“The children who come here have different circumstances, and we try to
treat them accordingly… but that can be challenging with her.”

“I see…”
This made me reflect on what it means to be a volunteer.
It’s essential to be a playmate for the children, but it would be even better if
we could reach their hearts, especially in the case of that girl. However, we
lack the knowledge on how to approach such situations.

Even if we empathize, there’s little we can do, and that realization was
frustrating.

I returned to the group of children, pondering those thoughts.

A few hours later, visiting time ended.

As the teacher in charge and the students began to prepare to leave, I looked
around for Aoi-san. Then, I spotted her sitting next to the little girl. Perhaps
she had been by her side all along.

Aoi-san wasn’t doing anything particular; she was simply watching the little
girl as she drew. The quiet presence of Aoi-san seemed to create a safe
space for the child, who was focused on her artwork, oblivious to the
bustling activity around them.
“Aoi-san. It’s time to go home.”

“Yes. I understand.”
At that moment, just as Aoi-san was about to get up, the little girl grabbed
Aoi-san’s sleeve.

“Eh─────?”

Both Aoi-san and I were surprised and silently looked at the little girl.

“…Don’t go.”

After a while, the little girl muttered quietly while looking down.

“……”

Aoi-san and I looked at each other unconsciously.

Then, Aoi-san gently took the little girl’s hand and said to her, “I’m sorry. I
have to go home for today, but I will definitely come back to play with
you.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Would you like to draw together when I get back?”

“Yes. It’s okay.”

“Thank you. Then it’s a promise.”

Aoi-san smiled and extended her pinky finger, and the girl hooked hers to
make that promise. After that, we left the orphanage accompanied by the
staff while the children saw us off.

****

Thus, Aoi-san’s first voluntary participation ended successfully.

We decided to disperse on the spot, and Aoi-san and I parted ways with
Izumi and headed home.
As the setting sun dyed the streets a deep red, I walked down the street
thinking of that little girl.

“It seems that that girl wanted to stay with you for a little while longer, Aoi-
san.”

“Yes. I think so.”

Aoi-san said it clearly.

“I asked the staff at the orphanage about her. They told me that she came
there three months ago, but she never talked to anyone. So when I saw her
talking to you of her own free will, I was honestly surprised. Aoi-san, what
were you talking about with that girl?”

“I didn’t say a single word.”

“Eh?”

“I didn’t do anything, I just stayed by her side.”

Just by being by her side… Do you mean that just by that, the girl opened
her heart, even if it was just a little?

It’s hard to believe that a girl who doesn’t respond to the staff or the other
kids no matter how much they talk to her would open her heart to Aoi-san,
who was only by her side for half a day.

As I hesitate, Aoi-san continues to stay by my side.

“I thought that girl was very similar to me when I was little.”

“Was she similar to you, Aoi-san?”

Her eyes as she said that must have seen herself in the past.

“When I was in kindergarten, I was very introverted and didn’t have a

single friend. My parents didn’t get along well then either, and I think it was
because I was very troublesome as a child. Just like that girl, I didn’t
respond to anyone who talked to me and was always alone in a corner of the
classroom.”

Just by listening to her, I could imagine that Aoi-san must have been exactly
like that girl at that time.

“But the truth is, I felt very lonely. I wanted someone to be by my side. I
wanted to have good friends like everyone else, but I couldn’t even say that.
However, at that moment─────”

Aoi-san looked at the sunset in the distance.

“One of the boys noticed me.”

Her expression was calm, as if she were recalling beautiful memories.

“While everyone ignored me, that boy was the only one who was by my
side. He wouldn’t talk to me or play with me; he would just stay by my side
and do whatever he wanted. But I guess… he was there to make sure I
didn’t feel lonely.”

Listening to this story brought back old memories.

Aoi-san must have felt the same as that girl.

The girl who was my first love was always alone in a corner of the room.
No matter how hard I tried to talk to her, she wouldn’t respond to me, much
less take me seriously. But when she finally started talking to me a little, I
moved away due to my father’s job transfer and never saw her again. I
regretted not making the girl I liked smile when she looked lonely.

Suddenly, I remembered what Eiji had told me at the mall.

───── Akira, you are a man who doesn’t hesitate to lend a hand in
necessary moments.

No, no, it wasn’t that bad.

If Eiji was referring to that time, then it was just a story about how I wanted
to get along with the girl I liked, and in the end, I couldn’t do anything for
her, resulting in a bitter memory called my first love.

“It must have been a strange sight to the people around me, but I felt very
happy just because of that. Therefore, I was just doing what that boy had
done to me.”

In other words, Aoi-san herself felt the same way, and so she could
understand his feelings.

And since she felt very happy when the boy did that for her, by applying the
same treatment to that girl, her feelings must have been conveyed to her.

Perhaps, if it hadn’t been Aoi-san, she wouldn’t have been able to get close
to the girl’s heart.

“Both that boy and you are very kind.”

That’s what she sincerely thought.

Considering Aoi-san’s current situation, she shouldn’t care about others.

That’s why I was wondering what would happen when Aoi-san visits the
orphanage.

Although the situation was different, I felt a bit risky that she would meet
children in a similar situation to what Aoi-san is in now. Still, she was too
kind to care about that child.

“If we are kind, then you are kind too, Akira-kun.”

“Me? No, not at all, I am not kind.”

“That’s not true.”

Aoi-san’s eyes seemed a bit blurry, probably because of the setting sun.
“Isn’t that the same thing you did for me, Akira-kun?”
“What have I done?”

“That rainy day, you called me. You invited me to your house without
asking me the details of my situation. Even now, you are still with me. You
did something much more important than what that child and I did. That is
why I think you are very kind.”

Hearing those words, I felt something well up in my chest. To be honest, I

have always been worried about what I have done for a long time.

───── Did I really make the right decision at that time?

───── Could there have been a better way?
───── Wouldn’t it be better for Aoi-san to have someone other than me?

Although the worries did not disappear, Aoi-san’s words made me feel
much more at ease.

“… Let’s visit that child again.”

“Yes, because I promised her.”

And so, we continued our journey back home, feeling that the color of the
sunset seemed brighter than usual when I looked up.
 Chapter 4: A Three-Day, Two-Night Study Camp

“Then, I’ll go shopping. I’ll leave the housework to you.”

“Yes. I’ll wait for you while I clean the house and tidy up the rooms.”

It was Friday after visiting the orphanage─────

After returning home from school, I dropped Aoi-san off and headed to the
nearest supermarket.

In my usual routine, I usually go grocery shopping on Mondays and

Thursdays, but the reason I’m going to the supermarket now is that Eiji and
Izumi are coming to stay with us for three days and two nights starting
today.

I had enough groceries for two people, but as expected, if it was for the four
of us, there was no way it would be enough until Monday. Therefore, I left
the cleaning and tidying up of the house to Aoi-san while I decided to go
shopping in a hurry.

“Please be careful on the road.”

“It’s okay. I’ll call you when I get out of the supermarket.”

“Yes. Have a safe trip.”

“See you.”

I left the house with Aoi-san waving goodbye to me from the front door.
Along the way, I looked back several times, and Aoi-san kept waving
goodbye to me from in front of the house until I turned the corner. She
waved goodbye to me every time I turned around.
“…Somehow, it feels like this is the life of a newly married couple.”

It reminded me of the sweet life of a wife seeing off her husband when he
leaves for work.

───── No, no, why am I suddenly thinking of such a happy scene!?

I thought while making a tsukkomi.

“But it’s nice to have someone I can say ‘see you’ to…”

I thought this as I walked to the grocery store.

When I first started living on my own, the joy of being free from my family
and the excitement of starting my own life were great, but I’ve learned that
these feelings are only temporary.

And frankly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel lonely, but that feeling
disappeared when I started living with Aoi-san.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, moments of peace and quiet
would unexpectedly arrive.

Watching TV together after dinner or checking on each other’s plans for the
next day before going to bed, even when we did something different, we
felt like we weren’t alone just by knowing we were in the same place.

I’d never realized how reassuring it was to have someone by my side.

“Unexpectedly, I think that maybe it could be me who was saved by living

together…”

My goodness, I got a little off topic.

As for why Izumi and Eiji were coming to stay with us, well, the story goes
back to lunchtime today.

****
“Starting today, we’ll be organizing a three-day, two-night study camp to
prepare for the exams!”

Izumi announced loudly after calling us up to the rooftop during lunchtime.

I had completely forgotten that the end-of-term exams were due in the last
week of June.

When I realized, there were only ten days left.

“It’s about time… I was so busy clearing up the misunderstanding about

Aoi-san that I forgot about it.”

“I’m also glad to see that Aoi-san got along with everyone to the point that I
felt like I’ve taken care of her too much, but I think it’s about time for her to
start studying seriously!” Izumi added, looking a bit concerned.

Considering that she almost failed all of her subjects last time, I guess we’re
a little too late for her to prepare fully.

On the other hand, it’s hard to try to balance everything at the same time.

“That’s why, can we meet at Akira-kun’s house after school?”

“Yes. There is no problem,” I replied.

“Okay♪. I’m going home to get ready for the night, so I think I’ll be there
by seven tonight.”

“I’ll try to get there by that time, too.”

“Thank you, guys.”

Aoi-san bowed her head politely and thanked us.

And just like that, it was abruptly decided to hold a study camp at our
house.
I arrived at the neighborhood supermarket and walked in with my shopping
basket in hand.

The plan was to buy groceries for three days and two nights. Also, since it
was for four people, I needed to secure a large amount of groceries.

Considering that the two of them had gone to the trouble of organizing a
study camp for Aoi-san, there was no way I could just treat them to instant
ramen cups or convenience store lunches.

I remembered that when I was alone, I didn’t worry about such things.

“What should I buy now?”

As I was thinking about side dishes for dinner, glancing around the
supermarket, an idea suddenly came to mind.

I realized that I had been living with Aoi-san for almost a month now, but I
didn’t know what her favorite food was. I hadn’t paid much attention to it
because she always ate everything I made with delight and happiness.

“I guess I still haven’t really gotten to know Aoi-san…”

I decided I’d ask her what her favorite food was next time.

“Ah! Akira-kun!”

“Wow!”

A loud voice suddenly called my name from behind me. Although it would
be more accurate to say they were shouting rather than simply calling me. I
turned around, my shoulders shaking from the surprise, and saw Izumi
dressed in her casual clothes with a shopping basket in her hands.

“Hey, Izumi… don’t surprise me.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Really, you’re always cheerful no matter where you are.”

“Compliments like that won’t get you anywhere♪.”

I felt like if I said something else, she’d just keep misunderstanding, even
though half of what I said wasn’t really a compliment.

“Are you doing the shopping too, Izumi?”

“That’s right. I can’t just show up at your house empty-handed, can I?”

“Hmm? Are you planning to bring something over?”

“Of course. I intend to cook dinner for everyone.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I was planning to make dinner.”

“Then why don’t we cook together instead? It’ll be faster and more fun!”

Izumi seemed to enjoy just imagining it. She was in such a good mood, like
a dog excited for a walk.

“I’m sorry to trouble you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I do it because I want to.”

As we chatted, I walked around the store with Izumi. After a while, we paid
for our groceries and headed home, carrying our shopping bags.

“By the way, Akira-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“How far have you progressed with Aoi-san?”

“Haa!?”

I was stunned by the sudden question. Izumi’s expression became serious,

like she genuinely wanted to know the answer.

“How far? Aoi-san and I… we don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Eh…?”

Izumi narrowed her eyes, as if she was disappointed or complaining.

“You haven’t even kissed her?”

“There’s no way I would when we’re not dating.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! How can a boy and a girl live under the
same roof and nothing happens!?”

Please, stop. I could feel my heart tighten, realizing that I was a coward—
someone who, despite hoping for something deeper, never made a move.

“No way, Akira-kun, don’t tell me that… Huh? So that’s what it was? I
thought you and Eiji-kun were strangely close, though… I’m sorry, but Eiji-
kun is mine, so I can’t give him to you, even if it’s you, Akira-kun.”

“There’s absolutely nothing like what you’re imagining in your head.”

Though I didn’t want to ask, I could only guess what bizarre scenario she
had cooked up.

“But you don’t have any ulterior motives, right? You know, it’s said that a
man who doesn’t ‘eat the food served’ by the damsel he rescued is just
waiting for her to say, ‘You know what I want, right?’ Is that what you’re
expecting?”

“What kind of man do you think I am…?”

I really didn’t want to end up in one of those situations from certain manga.

Even though, deep down, I’d be lying if I said the thought never crossed my
mind.

“It was just a joke,” Izumi said with a smirk. “But I’ve been wondering for
a long time—why did Akira-kun help Aoi-san?”

“Everyone has their own reasons for helping others.”

“Then why did you help her?”

She was no longer her usual pushy self. Izumi could be an unbearable
nuisance when she got like this.

She might seem carefree, but she was surprisingly sharp. Even when I said
the right thing, she had a way of seeing through me, pushing until the truth
came out.

How many times had I tried to brush her off, only for her to figure me out?

I hadn’t intended to tell anyone, but I didn’t feel like it was something I
needed to keep secret either.

“…She reminds me of the girl who was my first love.”

“The girl who was your first love?”

“When I was in kindergarten, there was a girl who always seemed alone.
When I saw Aoi-san in the park, it brought back memories of that girl… so
I couldn’t just leave her there.”

“Hee. So there was a time when you were innocent, Akira-kun.”

“Don’t act like things are so different now.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. So, what happened to that girl?”

“When I entered elementary school, my family moved because my parents

were transferred for work. In the end, I couldn’t do anything for that girl
who seemed so lonely. I wanted to make her smile, but I couldn’t manage it
even once… I guess I’ve regretted it, even though I was just a kid back
then.”

“I see…”

It was a vague memory from that time, but the feeling of regret was still
sharp in my mind.
“What was her name? If you remember, maybe you could find her. You said
she was still in this city when you were in kindergarten, right? She might
still live somewhere nearby.”

“Her name is…”

I tried to dig through my old memories.

I couldn’t remember her full name, but… I think her last name was
Shinoda.

Still, as usual, my memory was hazy, and there was a chance I was
confusing her with someone else.

“I had completely forgotten about it until recently. I don’t even remember

her full name anymore; I was so young back then.”

I thought it would be pointless to mention something uncertain, so I

diverted the conversation.

“In that case, there’s no way to look for her.”

Still, I couldn’t help but hope she was doing well somewhere.

It’s not that I still have feelings for her, but I find myself imagining what it
would be like if we met again for some reason… though I know events like
that only happen in dramas.

I’ve heard the saying───── first love tears a man apart and makes a
woman mature.

Even now, when I think back to the girl who was my first love, it might be
true in a certain sense.

“Still, I understand… nothing has happened with Aoi-san.”

“Don’t say it like you’re disappointed.”

Actually, I was a little disappointed too.

“I don’t think Aoi-san is very happy either.”

“Even if she was, I wouldn’t be able to do anything considering her current

situation. If I approached her now, it’d feel like I’m taking advantage of her
vulnerabilities. I don’t like that kind of thing.”

“You’re surprisingly a gentleman, Akira-kun.”

“The ‘surprising’ part is unnecessary.”

Izumi showed an amused smile, clearly expecting a tsukkomi from me.

“This time, make sure to make her smile properly.”

“Eh…?”

“I don’t expect you to replace that girl, but I don’t want you to have the
same regrets.”

“Izumi, you…”

“Ah, it’s Eiji-kun.”

Before I knew it, we were already near my house, and I saw Eiji waving at
us from a nearby intersection.

“So you two were together.”

“Yes. We met by chance at the supermarket.”

“Izumi, I won’t be long, but I’ll carry your bag.”

Eiji said this and took Izumi’s shopping bag.

“Thank you, I love you!”

“I love you too.”

Maybe it’s because they’re talking about love… I don’t usually think
anything of it, but I felt a little jealous.

So, I quietly immersed myself in a world of imagination while watching the

two standing behind me.

Aoi-san: “I love you, Akira-kun.”

Me: “I love you too.”

Aaaaahhhh! No, no! Just imagining it makes me tingle!

Are these two actually doing this in real life?

Even if I have a girlfriend, I don’t think I’d ever be able to say that to her
face.

By the way, please ignore that the other party in my imagination is Aoi-san.

“Why are you blushing, Akira?”

“Shut up! Leave me alone, you bastard!”

“It doesn’t matter, just know that we’ve already arrived at your house.”

While thinking I had a cruel outburst of anger, we had arrived at my house

without realizing it. In that mood, I entered the house with the two of them,
and Aoi-san greeted us.

“Welcome home.”

“I’m home. I happened to be with those two.”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience!”

Izumi hugged Aoi-san as soon as she entered the house, and, laughing
together, they headed to the living room.
“Those two seem to get along quite well.”

“That’s right. They’re different, but they seem to click.”

“Thank goodness.”

To be honest, I didn’t expect the two of them to get along so well.

They’re polar opposites in many ways, but there must be something about
each other that draws them together.

“When I look at the two of them, they remind me of the sun and the moon.”

“The sun and the moon?”

“Yes, the cheerful Izumi is the sun, while the quiet and reserved Aoi-san is
like the moon. Just like how the moon shines with the light of the sun, it
feels like Aoi-san has become much brighter thanks to Izumi’s energy.”

“I see. But I don’t think Izumi is Aoi-san’s sun.”

“Why?”

I asked him, but Eiji walked off toward the living room without saying a
word.

“As always, saying something with a hidden meaning…”

After all, even if I asked more, he wouldn’t answer.

I followed everyone into the living room and carried the groceries I had
bought into the kitchen.

“Let’s prepare dinner for now. We can start studying after we eat and take
baths.”

“That’s right! Then let’s make dinner together!”

Izumi pulled out her own apron from her bag, excited and ready to start.

Beside her, Aoi-san had a worried look on her face.

“Izumi-san, I haven’t cooked much, so…”

“Like that? Don’t worry, come cook with me!”

“It’s fine to work together, but our kitchen isn’t big enough for the four of
us to cook at the same time,” I pointed out.

“We can make food that doesn’t need the stove, so we’ll work at the table.
Even if we can’t use the stove, there are plenty of ways to make it work. I’d
like you, Akira-kun, to handle the more complicated things like boiling and
roasting.”

“Understood. Eiji, give me a hand, will you?”

“Okay.”

Once that was decided, we split into two groups and started cooking.

“Ugh!… I’m so full.”

“You ate too much…”

I said, watching Izumi rub her stomach as she sat on the sofa, looking
pained.

“It’s nice to eat all together.”

Still, three steaks for dinner, plus two servings of rice, was a bit excessive.

I wasn’t used to cooking for four people, so I figured that if I made too
much, I could just freeze the leftovers.

But Izumi, seeing the extra food, confidently declared, ‘If there are four of
us, we can eat it all!’ So I grilled all the steaks I had bought. Now, with an
absurd amount of steaks on the table, Izumi got carried away and ate way
too much—leading to the current situation.

“Are you okay, Izumi?”

“Yes. I will be if I take a break.”

Izumi responded to Eiji’s worried voice with a wry smile.

She reminded me of a hamster that had eaten too much and couldn’t move.

“I also bought sakuramochi1 as a snack, but I think we’ll leave it for

tomorrow.”

“Sakuramochi!? I want to eat it!”

As soon as Izumi heard the word sakuramochi, she jumped.

Her eyes lit up, as if her pained moans from earlier were a lie.

…No, no, she’s joking, isn’t she?

“When one talks about a study camp, you think of late-night snacks, right,
Aoi-san!?”

“Eh? Y-Yeah… Maybe?”

Stop influencing Aoi-san.

She’s so pure and innocent that she’ll believe anything you say.

“Izumi, are you serious about wanting to eat it?”

“Yes. There are still three days left, so I should have bought more snacks at
the supermarket~”

She expressed her disappointment, as if she wasn’t joking.

Is she the personification of appetite?

I’ve often heard that girls have separate stomachs for sweets and cakes, but
the amount of desserts they put away doesn’t match their body size.

“That’s the spirit, Aoi-san! Let’s go buy some snacks at the convenience
store!”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Really!? Hooray!”

Izumi stood up as if she had forgotten her earlier pain.

“Wait a minute.”

“What?”

When I looked at the clock, it was already past nine at night.

I was worried about letting two girls go out on the street alone. And I
couldn’t let the girl who ate her fill go to the convenience store.

“Eiji and I will go shopping, so you two wait for us while you take a bath.”

“Are you sure? You’re so kind, Akira-kun~ Don’t you think so, Aoi-san?”

“Yes. Akira-kun is always kind.”

“Hee~ How kind are you?”

Please ask such things when I’m not here. It’s just too embarrassing for
them to say it in front of me.

“Huh? Mmm… he always listens carefully to what I say or what I want to

do. When I lived with my mother, she never listened to my feelings…”

“”………””
Unconsciously, we were speechless.

Aoi-san probably didn’t mean it, but the unexpected revelation about her
family situation left us completely silent.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what her life must have been like when she spent
her days suppressing even her own feelings… without being able to express
them with words.

“It’s okay to express your feelings, and you can be more pampered too,
especially with Akira-kun!”

“Why especially with me!?”

Izumi grabbed Aoi-san by the shoulders and turned her around to face me.

“Alright, tell Akira-kun what snacks you want to eat!”

“L-Let me see…”

While being pushed by Izumi, Aoi-san stuttered as if she was confused.

And then she glanced slightly in my direction,

“Pudding, I want to eat that…”

“Y-Yeah. Sure.”

Alright, I’ll buy pudding at the store.

“Okay. Then, let’s listen to the rest while we bathe together.”

“Are we going to bathe together?”

Aoi-san asked with a confused look.

“Yes. When it comes to getting to know each other better between girls, we
definitely have to bathe together!”
Izumi made that statement as if it was a very natural thing.

I told you to stop influencing Aoi-san.

She’ll believe it because she’s pure and innocent, plus, them bathing
together makes me jealous.

Putting my jealousy aside, since when did this get-together become a girls’
sleepover?

While I had a tsukkomi in my mind, I hope you’ll forgive me if a healthy

high school boy imagines a thing or two about it. The thing is, just
imagining two gorgeous girls bathing together in my bathtub makes me
happy.

I mean, from the start, are girls supposed to bathe together!?

…I unconsciously imagine men bathing together, and my spirits drop.

I shouldn’t even imagine it.

“Then, we’ll take a bath and wait for them.”

“Yes. Please do so.”

“Akira-kun, in many ways, I’ll be the first~♪”

I didn’t dare ask her what she meant, but Izumi smiled as if to say, “You’re
jealous, aren’t you?” and left the room… It’s obvious that I’m jealous!

“…Let’s go to the convenience store.”

“Yes.” While Izumi teased us, we left the house to buy pudding.

It’s not like there’s any deep meaning, but when I come back, I’ll take a
shower first before Eiji.
****

After buying a bunch of sweets and puddings at the convenience store, we

headed home with shopping bags in hand.

The streets in the residential area away from the main avenue were dimly
lit, so it was a relief not to let the girls go out alone. It wasn’t an unsafe
area, but at times like this, it’s best to avoid being careless. We should start
studying once we get home.

“It seems that Aoi-san trusts you a lot.”

“Please don’t make fun of us being like a couple.”

That was quite embarrassing.

“I didn’t mean to make fun of you. I’m just curious to know what life is like
for you two.”

“It’s normal. At first, it was awkward because I misunderstood Aoi-san,

thinking she was a gyaru, and since she was reserved, we didn’t talk more
than necessary. Even today, if Izumi hadn’t said such a thing, I wouldn’t
have said what I felt.”

“If that’s the case, what else can we do? It’s hard to get along with people
we don’t know.”

“I’ve recently become very aware of the meaning of what you said at the
mall…”

Basically, men and women can’t understand each other, so as important

people, communication is necessary to protect the relationship.

Meeting another person reminds us of how little we know about them. You
can’t understand them without conversation, and after you understand them,
what you don’t know will increase.
However, if you don’t make that effort, you’re likely to find yourself unable
to be with them sooner or later, especially if the other party is of the
opposite sex.

“But if that’s the case, it seems like your cohabitation is going well.”

“…I don’t know.”

“Are you worried about something?”

It’s impossible for there to be nothing to worry about. No, I have a lot to
worry about.

“Honestly, I still don’t know if bringing Aoi-san to live at my house at that

time was the right thing to do.”

At unexpected moments, I think about it over and over again. It’s like trying
to solve a problem that has no answer.

“I’m glad Aoi-san trusts me. I’m happy if I can help her, even a little. But I
don’t know how Aoi-san really feels. There might be a better way to do
things, or maybe what I’m doing turns out to be unnecessary…”

“I see…”

“But I can’t ask her that. I know that if I did, she’d definitely say, ‘No,
that’s not true.’ There’s no way to know whether or not those are her true
feelings. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing. I have that anxiety… all
the time.”

“……….”

Eiji was silent for a while. Although I looked at his face, I couldn’t see his
expression due to the darkness surrounding him.

“I think what you did was neither unnecessary nor wrong.”

“Eh…?”
Eiji began to speak in a calm tone of voice, as if choosing his words.

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that Aoi-san was saved by you.”

I-Is that… true?

“There might be a better way to do things, since the possibilities are

endless. Only Aoi-san knows what she thinks, but I think that when she said
that you were a kind person, there was no falsehood in those words. I think
that’s the only reason why you extended your hand to help her.”

“…I see.”

I felt that the words my best friend spoke to me cleared my mind.

“If other people were to find out about the situation you two are in, I think
there would be unkind or hypocritical people who would say this or that.
But the most important thing is how you feel. Also, if you’re helping
someone who’s really in trouble, it’s right to be persistent, because either
way, the other party will definitely hold back from doing anything.”

“That’s right…”

“Also, it’s important to believe in Aoi-san’s words. I understand your

concern, but in a relationship between a man and a woman, you also have to
have the strength to believe the words the other party is saying to you
without trying to read the meaning behind them. I think that instead of
worrying about something you can’t see, you should value what you can
see.”

“…Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a high school student, Eiji.”

“High school students are just like you. It’s just that they get girlfriends a
little faster.”

If you can think like that just because you have a girlfriend, then the
problem of divorce will disappear from this world.
“Well, anyway, thank you. I feel a little better.”

“No one knows what the right answer is. Instead of worrying too much
about it, it’s better to do what you can do, even if what you do is wrong,
since this life won’t last forever.”

“Yes, I know.”

It must not be my imagination that Eiji’s words sounded gloomy.

Probably because both Eiji and I have seen a not-so-distant future.

“Come on, it’s time to go home. Let’s end these pessimistic things.”

“Yes.”

As I thought, what one should have is a best friend.

Maybe I won’t have to carry and worry about everything by myself.

Well, I will believe in Aoi-san’s words and do my best. So, I renewed my

feelings and opened the door of the house.

“We’re back now.”

“Welcome back home!”

Izumi, who had finished bathing, welcomed us as if saying that she had
been waiting for us, and behind her, Aoi-san also came out of the living
room, looking in our direction.

“Welcome back home.”

“Yes, we’re back. Here, your pudding.”

“Thank you… Huh?”

When I handed the bag I was holding in my hand to Aoi-san, she looked
inside and let out a surprised voice.
“Is this all…?”

Inside, the bag was filled with pudding as if it was about to burst.

“No, wait… there are many different types of pudding, right? I didn’t know
which one to choose, so I thought about buying two of each type, but I
ended up with more than I thought.”

Although before going to the convenience store I was planning to buy all
the puddings, I didn’t really think I would… however, in the end, I did end
up buying them all.

“There’s no need for you to put in the effort to eat them all.”

“No. I’ll eat them. Thank you.”

Seeing Aoi-san with a big smile on her face, I reflexively looked away.
Honestly, I’m glad she’s happy about something so insignificant, but… I
feel a little embarrassed.

“Wait, what~? Akira-kun, do you perhaps feel embarrassed when you’re

thanked?”

“I’m not embarrassed!”

“Really~? Your face is turning red.”

Izumi continued to tease me.

“Here, we also bought some sweets, so let’s start studying!”

“Okay~. We’re ready now.”

We followed them into the living room with the snacks in hand.

When I looked at the table to start studying, there was an empty packet
containing sakuramochi.

“……….”
“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I was already tired of answering him.

“By the way, who’s going to teach Aoi-san?”

As we sat around the table, for some reason, I asked that question.

I almost forgot that the purpose of this study camp was to improve Aoi-
san’s academic performance.

She had to make up for the delay she had in the first half of the first term,
get good grades on the final exam, and improve her impression in front of
the teachers as much as possible.

“It’s okay if we all teach her, because we’d also be reviewing.”

“Okay.”

And so, finally, the study camp began.

We started from the beginning of the textbook, in other words, from the first
page.

To prepare for the final exam, we only had to learn the material that would
be on the exam, but Aoi-san spent her time busy with her part-time job and
thus missed most of the first term. She wouldn’t be able to answer the final
exam questions unless she reviewed from the beginning.

We taught Aoi-san how to study, although we had to put aside our own
studies. I thought it would be hard work, but when I started, it wasn’t.

Aoi-san didn’t attend classes; however, she seemed to have a good

foundation and was able to properly understand everything we taught her.
Even though the three of us were carefully teaching her, I didn’t expect her
to go this far.
The more I got to know Aoi-san, the more I was surprised by the difference
from the initial impression I had of her. If so, she’ll definitely be fine for the
final exam.

After that, while we were teaching Aoi-san, Eiji and I took turns showering
and resting. However, before I knew it, we continued studying until we lost
track of time, and the hands of the clock indicated that the day had changed.

“… Mmm.”

As expected, I must have been tired from all the excitement.

The first to fall asleep was Izumi, already past one in the morning.

The fact that she was lying on the table but still holding a bag of snacks
showed the fierce battle between her appetite and desire to sleep.

She clearly chose whether she wanted to eat or sleep.

Even for Izumi, there was no way she could eat in her sleep.

“How about we finish for today?”

“I agree. There is still tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to be able to
study.”

“Yes. Thank you, guys.”

Aoi-san put down her pen and bowed politely to Eiji and Izumi, the latter
being the one sleeping on top of my best friend.

“Akira, where should Izumi and I sleep?”

“My parents’ bed is available, so please use it. The bedroom is at the end of
the hall.”

“Thank you. We will use it.”

Eiji said that, and then he carried Izumi in his arms, princess style.

“Good night, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Good night.”

“Good night.”

We saw them off, and Aoi-san and I stayed in the living room.

Although we had spent quite a bit of time together, there was a complicated
atmosphere between us.

“Let’s tidy up a bit, and then we’ll go to sleep as well.”

“Yes. But before that…”

“Mmm? What’s wrong?”

Aoi-san walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door.

She then took out the two puddings I bought.

“If you don’t mind, how about we eat them together and then go to sleep?”

“Sure. Of course.”

“Thank you.”

She sat down next to me with a slight smile of happiness on her face.

When I opened the lid and brought the pudding to my mouth, just the right
amount of sweetness spread into my mouth.

“How delicious.”

“Yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had it, but it’s delicious.”

“Actually, I haven’t had it in a long time either.”

“Really?”

“When my parents were still getting along, my father used to buy me

pudding after coming home from work. I loved eating it with the three of
us, as a family, after taking a bath.”

Aoi-san had a nostalgic look on her face.

She was recalling happy memories with her parents.

“I’m sorry. I’m talking about something somber. I didn’t really want to talk
about that; I just wanted to say that I’m happy to be able to eat pudding
with someone like this again. Mmm, that’s why… I hope we can eat
pudding together again from now on.”

“Aoi-san…”

I was glad that I was the one with her, but at the same time, there was a part
of me that felt bad about Aoi-san’s situation.

Still, if she thinks that the time we spent together is happy, then so be it.

“Of course. If you want, we can eat together every day. I want you to tell
me what else you like, not just pudding. From now on, let’s do a lot of
things that you find fun, Aoi-san.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

If I can see that smile again, then I want to support her as much as I can.

I can’t help but feel strongly about that decision.

“And also, there’s one more thing…”

“One more thing?”

“Thank you for thinking so much of me.”

Aoi-san spoke with a strangely sincere look.

“Like today’s study camp, and for consulting with Izumi-san and Eiji-kun
so that I can have friends. I always wanted to thank you, but I couldn’t find
the time to say it properly.”

Those words inevitably touched my heart.

“I was in shock when my mother disappeared, but I never thought I could

have such fun days like this. It was all thanks to you saving me, and that’s
why I’m truly grateful to you.”

As I watched Aoi-san speak with a soft smile on her face, I thought that
what I did was neither in vain nor a bother.

“You’ve helped me all the time, Akira-kun, so I wish I could do something

in return, but… I’m not good at cooking, and I feel like all I can do is clean,
so I’m sorry.”

“That’s enough for me. The most important thing is that you’re having a
good time, Aoi-san.”

“Yes… but if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

“Oh, thank you.”

That was the end of the first night of the study camp.

As Eiji said, I will try to appreciate what I can see.

****

Thus, the study camp continued on Saturday and Sunday.

We studied together, ate together, and took walks around the neighborhood
to relax.

By doing it with other people, we were able to study more efficiently than I
expected, without slacking off like when I studied alone.
This meant it had a positive effect on Aoi-san’s academic ability.

Her academic performance, which had fallen behind for about half of this
first term, improved significantly over these past few days.

Of course, she hadn’t caught up completely, but with a week left, if she
continued studying like this and with more study camp sessions on Saturday
and Sunday before the exam, she would surely catch up.

Then, on the third night:

“In that case, we’ll go home now.”

“It was fun! Let’s do it again next Saturday and Sunday!”

Aoi-san and I walked them to the front door.

“Thank you both.”

“No need to thank us, since we are friends♪.”

Izumi responded with a smile to Aoi-san, who thanked her.

“See you tomorrow at school.”

“Yeah. Oh, of course too─────”

Izumi then began rummaging through her bag as if she remembered

something.

“Take this, Akira-kun.”

Saying that, she handed me a brown paper bag.

“What is this?”

“I bought it because I thought you might need it, but I almost forgot to give
it to you.”
I opened the bag, wondering what was inside.

“Hey─────!”

I took it out and realized what it was, hurriedly putting it back into the
paper bag.

“What’s wrong, Akira-kun?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing!”

I held it with my hands behind my back to hide it from Aoi-san, who was
trying to look at what was inside the bag.

Inside was a rubber product that dating couples use when having sex.

“There won’t be any problem if you’re prepared!”

“Ugh…!”

Izumi winked as she stuck out her right thumb. I felt like tsukkomiing and
complaining, but in front of Aoi-san, I couldn’t overreact so as not to arouse
her curiosity, so I swallowed the words that had already reached my throat.

“See you~♪”

And so, the study camp ended with Izumi making fun of me.

By the way, I’ll hide this in the back of the closet for now.

****

After that, Aoi-san and I continued to study for the exam together every
night.

Since the exam was a week away, Aoi-san took a break from the cafeteria,
where she worked part-time, and focused on studying.
When she got home after school, she continued to study alone while I
prepared dinner, and I repeated the routine of showing her what she didn’t
understand when I finished dinner and took a bath.

The days continued like this, and one night, there were only two days left
until the exam period.

When I woke up in the middle of the night wanting to go to the bathroom, I

saw that the door to Hiyori’s room, which Aoi-san used, was slightly open
and a light was shining from inside.

“Aoi-san… Have you been studying until this late?”

We had studied together until the day changed, and I had told her to go to
bed and finish her studies, but… Did she continue after that?

After finishing in the bathroom, I went to the living room, looked at the
wall clock, and noticed that it was already past two in the morning.

I thought about making a snack or something, so I took tea out of the

refrigerator and poured it into two glasses. I placed them on a tray with the
chocolate I had bought and left the living room.

When I was in front of Hiyori’s room that Aoi-san used, I knocked softly
and opened the door.

“Thank you for your hard work. Is it okay if I bother you for a while?”

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

Aoi-san stopped her hand, slightly surprised.

“No, I woke up to go to the bathroom, and when I was on my way there, I

saw that the lights in the room were on.”

“I see.”

“I thought it would be wrong to bother you, but since you were studying
late, I made you a snack. How about taking a break and drinking a cup of
black tea? I thought you might be hungry too, so I brought you some
chocolate as well.”

“Thank you. I was just about to take a break.”

“So, is it okay if I stay with you for a while?”

“Yes, of course.”

Aoi-san put her pen down on the table and seemed to invite me to sit next to
her.

I placed the tray on the table and sat beside her.

“How’s your study going?”

“I don’t think it’s that bad. Everyone has taken the time to teach me, so I
want to do my best. It’s impossible to get good grades all of a sudden,
though.”

“I see…”

From Aoi-san’s expression as she said this, I could see clear determination.

I think she is probably a person who doesn’t have much greed.

Even when it comes to studying, I don’t think she’s the kind of person who
tries hard because she wants to get good grades. Instead, I believe the
reason she tries so hard is her desire to repay our kindness.

Have I understood her enough to think that this kind of person is really Aoi-
san?

“But there are some parts that I don’t understand.”

I looked towards the textbooks and notebooks scattered on the table.

“Mathematics? How many problems?”

“About two… or maybe three.”

“Then I’ll teach you now.”

“That… that’s bad.”

“You don’t have to hold back. I think it’s good to study hard until late, but if
you do it to the point of staying up too late, it will affect you tomorrow.
Let’s finish what you don’t understand and go to sleep for today.”

When I suggested it, she nodded slightly despite still holding back.

“Thank you. So can I lean on you?”

“Of course. Let’s see.”

As I tried to look at the textbook.

“Ah…”

Aoi-san let out a small murmur.

“Mmm? What’s wrong?”

As I said that, I looked toward her and understood the reason for her
murmuring.

Aoi-san’s face, with her cheeks dyed red and a surprised expression, was
very close.

“S-Sorry!”

It seems that when I tried to look at the textbook, I brought my face closer
than necessary. If I had turned my face toward her forcefully, it wouldn’t
have been strange if an accident happened. What a pity.

Then, I hurriedly took a step back and turned my face away.

“No. I too… I’m sorry.”

When she looked embarrassed or upset, it made my heart clench.

This is bad.

We are studying now, so it’s not the time to get excited.

I sipped some black tea and ate some chocolate to distract myself.

“Okay, let’s go for it!”

“Yeah.”

I couldn’t help but hope that her hard work would pay off. And so, the
whole night went by.
 Chapter 5: An Unexpected Visitor

“It’s over!!”

It was Friday, the last day of the final exams for the first term.

As the last exam ended, Izumi’s voice echoed through the classroom, and
the other students seemed to feel the same way as they were filled with joy
at being free from the exams.

Some had looks of despair on their faces, while others had their eyes rolling
white and their souls pouring out of their mouths… I can only guess what
they were going through.

Please do your best on the supplementary exams so as not to ruin your

summer vacation with extra classes.

As I thought about it, I felt like it was too early to consider it someone
else’s problem.

“How did you do, Akira?”

“I didn’t have any problems. On the contrary, I did better than I did on the
midterm exams for the first term.”

This is all thanks to the study camp we had together. Instead─────

“How did you do on the exams, Aoi-san?”

I went to her seat and asked her as if I were talking to a good friend.

Lately, thanks to Izumi, Aoi-san’s misunderstandings in class had mostly

cleared up, and she was able to fit in well, at least to the point that the
people around her didn’t find it strange that Eiji and I approached her
normally. Our classmates also acknowledged that we got along well with
Aoi-san.

This is also the result of the constant volunteer activities that proved Aoi-
san wasn’t a gyaru.

“I think I probably did well. At least I was able to avoid failing… I guess.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.”

Aoi-san said this with a relieved face.

“It’s thanks to everyone. Thank you very much.”

“That’s because you did your best.”

As someone who knows how disastrous her performance was in the

midterm exams of the first term, I wanted to sincerely praise her; however,
we can’t let our guard down until the results come out. For now, I’m calm.

“Aoi-san, you have your part-time job today, right? How about we go home
together halfway?”

“Yes.”

“Wait a moment!”

As Aoi-san and I were about to leave the classroom together, Izumi stood in
front of us and blocked our way by spreading her arms.

“There’s something I want to talk about with all of us, so let’s all go home
together.”

“Okay, but what do you want to talk about?”

“We’ll talk about it while we walk♪.”

I don’t know why her way of speaking seemed to have a hidden meaning. Is
she thinking of bad things?

As the four of us walked away from school, Izumi sent us a website link in
the chat group that the four of us have.

“What is this?”

“Okay, just open it.”

I pressed the link as she told me.

“… Hot spring bath?”

Instantly, a hot spring bath website appeared.

It looked like a hot spring bath facility located on the edge of a valley, ideal
for a day trip, with many cabins built on the site surrounded by nature. All
of them have private open-air baths that have their own hot springs.

Regardless of why she sent us the link to this hot spring bath website, Izumi
seems to like things and places with a Japanese feel, such as hot spring
baths, shrines, and kimonos.

When it comes to drinks, she prefers tea over black tea and Japanese sweets
over Western ones. She admires kimonos more than dresses, putting aside
her flashy appearance and personality.

The reason she said she liked tea brewed in a teapot at the study camp and
bought sakuramochi as snacks for the night was that she knew Izumi’s
tastes.

By the way, it seems her hobby is making bonsai trees.

Is she a grandmother?

“I’ve made a reservation at this place for the day after tomorrow, which is
Sunday, to celebrate the end of the exams.”
“It’s too sudden for the day after tomorrow.”

“What? Do you have any plans yet?”

“I don’t have any plans, but it’s too sudden. What would you do if I had a
plan for that day?”

“I asked Aoi-san in advance not to have any plans for that day, but I
completely forgot to tell you, Akira-kun. If you had plans for that day, then
we would have no choice but to go just the three of us.”

“I don’t know why I feel like it’s okay for me to be the only one excluded
from the trip…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

She apologized, sticking her tongue out.

Well, Izumi is always like that, so I didn’t mind too much.

“Alright, then it’s decided.”

“This is my first time going to a hot spring bath, so I’m already looking
forward to it.”

“Like that? Hot spring baths are fun! You might get addicted to them after
this.”

Aoi-san listened with interest to Izumi, who was talking about the greatness
of the hot spring baths.

The hot springs are definitely a good idea to celebrate the end of the exams
as a reward for Aoi-san’s hard work in studying. The facility is an hour and
a half away by train, making it perfect for a day trip.
The most common way for students to celebrate the end of exams is to sing
karaoke, but Aoi-san is not that kind of student.

As I watched the two having fun, I looked at the homepage and suddenly
realized something.

“The payment method for this place is not per person, but per room. It is
four thousand yen per room, which means it is two thousand yen per person
if we rent two separate rooms for men and women… That is quite an
expensive price.”

Well, it’s a private open-air hot spring bath, so it’s no wonder the price is a
bit high.

Then, when I thought about that, Izumi said something unexpected.

“Eh? I only made a reservation for one room.”

“No, no, it’s not good for us all to be in one room together!”

“Why? We’re all friends anyway, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

Even though we’re friends, I understand that booking a single room means
that the hot spring baths are mixed-gender, right?

Even if Izumi is okay with it, I think Aoi-san and Eiji wouldn’t like it. Even
if she is wrapped in a towel, Aoi-san would feel embarrassed, and Eiji
wouldn’t like the idea of his girlfriend going to a hot spring bath with
another man.

If it were me, there’s no way I’d want to show off my girlfriend’s naked
body to my friend.

“Do you think this is good, Eiji?”

“I’ve heard about it before, and I don’t mind it at all.”

“Are you serious…?”

I looked at Aoi-san to see her reaction, and at that moment, I noticed that
she was whispering something to Izumi.

“If that’s the case…”

“Okay, guys, Aoi-san also gave me the thumbs up!”

I can’t believe it… I mean, I’m happy, but is it okay?

“It’s decided! This weekend we’ll all go to the hot spring baths!”

I won’t say anything now because everything is decided.

I don’t know if I’ll later say that it’s better to be separated, but I can’t help
but feel quite excited since I’m a healthy high school student.

I’m really looking forward to that trip.

“By the way, this is a completely different topic, but…”

When I was trying to keep my thoughts to myself, Izumi suddenly spoke

up.

“Aoi-san, where do you work part-time?”

“At a cafe near the station.”

“That’s pretty close. So, is it okay if we all go together now?”

“Eh? Now?”

“I’m interested in what kind of place you work at, Aoi-san, and I’d like to
discuss our plans for the hot spring trip. Is that okay?”
Still, I thought interrupting her while she was working would be annoying.

“Yeah. I think it’s okay. I’m not too busy during the week.”

“How cool~!”

We’ll be going to Aoi-san’s part-time job…

I was a little curious, but I didn’t think I would visit her like this.

****

When we arrived at the cafe, Aoi-san introduced us to the manager.

I had heard that it was a private cafe, so I thought it was run by an old man,
but the manager we were introduced to was unexpectedly a young man. He
was probably in his forties and was a man of the so-called “Ikeoji”
category, with a calm smile.

Putting that aside, we were escorted to our seats by the manager, who
welcomed us cheerfully.

Then, each of us ordered a drink. After a while, Aoi-san, who had changed
into her uniform, brought the drinks we had ordered.

“Your uniform is so cute! It suits you perfectly, Aoi-san!”

“T-That’s not true…”

Aoi-san appeared in the cafe uniform with her cheeks flushed with
embarrassment.

She was wearing a white, frilly apron over a black shirt and a long skirt. It
was the first time I’d seen her with her hair tied back with a hair tie. It’s
always nice to see her dressed differently than usual, right?

“What do you think, Akira-kun?”

“It suits you well, doesn’t it?”

I was stunned when Izumi asked for my approval. I was unconsciously

fascinated by the sight of her.

“I-I think it suits you well.”

“Thank you…”

Aoi-san also looked embarrassed, but I, who was praising her, felt
embarrassed as well.

“Ah, sorry. I’m sorry for keeping you all waiting.”

She started placing the drinks on the table as if to hide her embarrassment.
Then, for some reason, she placed a cake beside each of the drinks.

“We didn’t order cake.”

“It’s a gift from the manager.”

“Hooray! Thank you, manager-san!”

While glancing sideways at Izumi, whose eyes were shining with

excitement, I tilted my head toward the manager from a distance.

“I know it’s not your favorite Japanese sweet, Izumi, but is it okay?”

“That doesn’t matter. I just like Japanese sweets, but that doesn’t mean I
don’t like cakes.”

“I understand.” In the end, anything is fine.

I thought about this as I took a sip of my coffee.

To be honest, I was curious about what kind of place Aoi-san worked part-
time at, but the cafe had a nice atmosphere, and the manager seemed to be a
calm and kind person, so I had nothing to worry about.
Thinking that I knew one more thing about Aoi-san made me feel somewhat
relieved.

****

After that, Eiji, Izumi, and I started planning our trip to the hot spring baths.
We decided on a meeting time and travel arrangements, and we also
researched other nearby tourist attractions and places to visit.

We had a great time, and before we knew it, we were chatting until eight
o’clock at night, the closing time of the cafe. After thanking the manager,
we left the place.

After bidding farewell to Eiji and Izumi, who had gone home earlier, I
waited outside the cafe until Aoi-san finished changing.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

The cafe manager, who was about to close up shop, called out to me.

“Can I tell you about Aoi-san?”

About Aoi-san… With that one word, I unconsciously replied, “What’s

wrong?”

“If you are her friend, do you know about her situation?”

“…About her situation?”

Since I didn’t know how much this man knew, I gave him a blank answer.

He doesn’t seem like a bad person, but I can’t talk about Aoi-san so
casually. Even if this person knew everything, he had no intention of
starting a conversation about it.

He probably noticed my attitude.

“I’m sorry if I’ve made you suspicious.”

The manager slightly opened his hand and spoke calmly.

“I don’t know anything about Aoi-san’s situation. It’s just that if you see a
high school girl working part-time every day in the afternoons, it’s not hard
to imagine that she has some reasons that are hard to articulate.”

I immediately understood when I saw the worried look in the manager’s

eyes as he said that.

Although this man was aware of Aoi-san’s situation, he let her do her job
without asking her any questions, perhaps thinking that Aoi-san must have a
reason for continuing to work.

“She told me a while ago that she had to go to school and wanted to do her
shift after her classes. Since then, I’ve seen her getting happier every day
and thought that her situation must have changed. When you came to the
cafe today, I thought about it. I guess it’s all thanks to you.”

The manager’s face gradually took on a look of relief.

“It sounds weird for me to say this, but I hope you’ll still be good friends
with Aoi-san.”

My heart ached for having mistrusted this person, even for just a moment.

“Of course. It may sound weird for me to say this, but I’m glad that Aoi-
san’s part-time job is at this cafe. I’m sure she feels the same.”

If a high school student asked to work during the day instead of going to
school, a normal adult would typically reject it. However, it was very kind
of him to accept her without asking any questions. Although there are
certainly people who would criticize him, that was reason enough for me to
trust him.

“Akira-kun, sorry to have kept you waiting… Manager?”

Aoi-san appeared, saw me with the manager, and a question mark seemed
to appear above her head.

“We were just having a little chat. Good job. It will be a pleasure to see you
again tomorrow.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

“I also hope you will come again, Akira-kun.”

“Of course. Thank you for the cake.”

After saying that, I bowed my head, and Aoi-san and I left the cafe.

As we walked down the night street together, Aoi-san looked at me as if she

wanted to ask me something.

“What were you talking about with the manager?”

“Hmm? I mentioned that Aoi-san often gets orders wrong and has trouble
with it, so she asked me for advice on what to do to help you.”

“…Liar. I’ve never gotten an order wrong.”

Aoi-san puffed out her cheeks in protest.

She was probably pretending to be angry, but she didn’t really mean it, so I
wasn’t scared. Rather, it was quite cute. I felt a little lucky that she made
this face, too.

“You… are being mean to me, Akira-kun.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I’m glad the manager seems to be a good person.”

“Yes, he is a good person.”

Aoi-san’s trust in the manager was evident in that one sentence.

To be honest, I was glad that there was someone who tried to understand
Aoi-san. In this day and age, I think human relationships are much more
fragile. Every time I changed schools, my friends and I became strangers.

No matter how hard I tried to keep in touch with them after changing
schools, or how much I promised to see them again someday, the passage of
time cruelly took away the passion from my thoughts and feelings.

Without realizing it, I had accepted that relationships with others were like
this, which is why I was more surprised than anyone else that I had gotten
close to Aoi-san.

Am I the kind of person who would do something like that?

The number of times I’ve asked myself this question can’t be counted on
two hands.

But it’s strange… because now I’m glad I did.

That’s why I was thinking.

What will I think when I finally transfer schools and leave this place?

Will I be able to let it go like before?

Ever since I met Aoi-san, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to imagine
the future.

With those thoughts in mind, I returned home with Aoi-san, gazing at the
slightly cloudy night sky.

****

We got home and decided to take a break in the living room. After a while, I
looked at the clock and saw that it was already a little after eight-thirty at
night.

Normally, I would prepare dinner and take a bath while Aoi-san was at her
part-time job, but if I started cooking now, I would finish after nine at night.
For my part, I wasn’t that hungry because I had eaten cake, but Aoi-san
probably wasn’t feeling the same way.

I mustn’t relax, so I have to get started as soon as possible.

“Go take a shower first, Aoi-san. In the meantime, I’ll prepare dinner.”

“No, it’s bad if I’m the one who takes a bath first.”

“It’s okay. You’re tired from coming home from work, so don’t worry. Take
a shower first.”

“… If it’s okay. I’ll do it then.”

Suddenly, the intercom rang just as Aoi-san was about to get up from the
sofa to go to the bathroom.

“Who could it be at this time of night?… Huh?”

I glanced at the monitor next to the kitchen, and what I saw made my breath
catch.

Why did this girl come at this time?

“What’s wrong, Akira-kun?”

“Ah, no, it’s…”

There was no time to explain the situation to Aoi-san.

I must immediately tell her to hide.

“I’m sorry, Aoi-san. Don’t ask me anything, but please hide in the closet in
my room!”

“Eh─────?”

I pushed the confused Aoi-san’s back and forcefully brought her into my
room.
I turned on the light on my smartphone, handed it to her, and asked her to
enter the closet.

After that, I hurriedly brought all of Aoi-san’s personal belongings that

were in the house into my room and then opened the front door.

“You took a long time.”

The expressionless figure of a girl who expressed her displeasure then

appeared.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would come at this time… I mean, you
should have called me earlier too if Hiyori was coming.”

“There’s no need for me to call if I’m returning to my own house, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

The one who appeared at this time was my younger sister, Hiyori Akamori.

Once Hiyori entered the house, she went to the living room and sat down on
the sofa.

“Anyway, this is very sudden. Is something wrong?”

“Akira, since you didn’t call Mom and Dad, they asked me to come visit
you.”

… That’s right; I was so distracted by Aoi-san that I ignored them when

they tried to contact me.

“I see. In that case, I apologize for taking your time to come visit me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m also curious if you’re living well alone.”

“Even though I’m a high school student, I can do quite well on my own.”

Hiyori spoke to me in a tone as if she were my older sister looking out for
me.
Although she was only a year younger than me, Hiyori was strangely
mature even for me, her older brother.

She rarely showed emotions, was always calm, and depending on how you
looked at her, she was often considered to have a dry personality. But she
was so caring that she checked on her older brother, who lived far away
from her.

She didn’t have many friends because of that personality and her strangely
mature mental age, but she was the kind of girl who was quite nice to
friends who understood her. She also maintained small, deep relationships
with people.

Our ages were close, and we related equally as if we were twins.

“How is your new life, Hiyori? Are you getting used to your school?”

“Yeah. I’m having a pretty good time there.”

I was worried because Hiyori was the kind of person who had a hard time
making friends; however, I was glad to know that she was having fun.

“I’m relieved to know that you seem to be doing well. The room is clean
and tidy. I thought it would be hard for a guy to live alone since I figured
he’d come back to find everything a mess; however, the house is clean…
well, if you get yourself a girlfriend, at least you’ll clean your room.”

“… Huh?”

Her sudden sentence sent shivers down my spine.

“What are you talking about? Don’t I have a no─────!?”

While raising her voice to deny it, Hiyori held a long lock of black hair in
her hand.

“It’s too long for it to be my hair or Mom’s, and besides, we don’t have hair
that dark. This is proof that there was another woman who entered this
house, right?”
“That’s it…”
“You took so long to open the door for me, and it was obvious that you
were panicking. You must have intended to trick me by hiding her from me,
but you didn’t have time to clean up the hair that fell out, right?”

Hair is a blind spot.

No, even if she had noticed, there was nothing she could do about it.

I mean, she’s too sharp to notice this kind of thing right away.

“It’s not like I’m going to get angry, so please introduce her to me.”

What should I do…?

I don’t think it’s possible to trick her like this.

The fact that she got home at this time means that she’ll definitely be
staying overnight tonight.

I can’t ask Aoi to stay hidden in the closet until tomorrow, and even if I
manage to trick her, it’s only a matter of time before my parents find out
from Hiyori. If so, the disadvantages of continuing to hide it are much
greater.

“Wait a moment.”

I returned to my room and opened the closet.

“Aoi-san─────?”

She looked surprised.

No, instead of saying “surprised,” she looked at me awkwardly, as if she

had seen something she shouldn’t have.

“Is something wrong?”

Asking curiously, I immediately understood.

In Aoi-san’s left hand was the brown paper bag that Izumi had given me
during the last school camp. Naturally, the mouth of the paper bag was
open, and her right hand, which was holding what was inside, was shaking.

“N-No! It’s not that I bought it or planned to use it, but Izumi thought that I
was the one who needed it now, so she put those condoms in that bag out of
her strange consideration! I never thought of using them the way you’re
imagining I would use them, Aoi-san─────!”

“Mmm…”

Aoi-san blushed like a fresh octopus and fell silent.

As always, I shouldn’t say anything unnecessary. I hate myself for giving

detailed excuses just at times like this. It’s as if I proved that Izumi told me
to use it on Aoi-san.

Who said that the mouth is the source of disaster? That’s an accurate
statement.

“What are you complaining about?”

That’s when it happened.

Hiyori heard my loud voice and entered my room.

She then turned to me with an expressionless face and looked at me as if

she were seeing something disgusting.

“…Do you intend to do ‘that’ in the middle of your little sister’s visit?”

Of course, she was looking at the condom that Aoi-san was holding in her
hand.

“No! It’s not like that! Please believe me, both of you!”

I haven’t done it yet!

I think I’ve heard this line of dialogue in an old movie. I’m pretty sure that
movie ends with a guilty verdict… No way! I haven’t proven my
innocence!

“I’ll hear the whole story, but for now, let’s go to the living room.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Following Hiyori, who was speaking indifferently, Aoi-san and I left the
room.

We sat down across from Hiyori in the living room, then I cleared my throat
and said, “Once again, this is my classmate, Aoi Saotome-san.”

“Nice to meet you… I’m Aoi Saotome,” Aoi-san said, tilting her head in
confusion.

Well, that can’t be helped since she was suddenly forced to meet someone
from my family.

“And this girl is my younger sister, Hiyori.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m her younger sister, Hiyori Akamori. Thank you for
always taking care of my brother.”

Hiyori bowed her head politely and greeted her, though expressionlessly.

“On the contrary, I am the one who is always taken care of by him.
Really…”

When Aoi-san greeted her politely, Hiyori’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Perhaps, in Hiyori’s eyes, rather than the nervousness of being introduced to

the family, Aoi-san’s unnecessarily bewildered appearance seemed
unnatural. Although that couldn’t be helped, since Aoi-san was indeed
bewildered.

She had no intention of hiding it anymore.

“Actually, we live here together.”

“… Huh?”

As expected, Hiyori, who doesn’t usually show emotion, seemed surprised.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she wore a questioning expression.

“I’ll explain it to you, so please listen quietly.”

I then began to talk about Aoi-san coherently. I explained that, on a certain

rainy day, I met Aoi-san in a nearby park.

I also told her how Aoi-san’s mother disappeared with a man, and since she
didn’t pay the rent, she had to move out of the apartment and had no place
to go. So I invited her to live together at my house.

I then told her about my desire to solve the problem Aoi-san had before I
transferred schools and how I told Eiji and Izumi about it, and they were
willing to help me.

“I see.”

When I finished explaining, Hiyori regained her composure.

“I apologize for letting her stay here without telling you and our family,
but─────”

“It’s okay, isn’t it?”

Before I could come up with an excuse, Hiyori said that.

“I-Is it okay?”

Her response was so unexpected that I answered her involuntarily.

“What you did wasn’t wrong, Akira.”

“No, but…”
“We should lend a hand to people who are in trouble. Everyone thinks that
in their head, but in reality, most people don’t do anything. They don’t talk
to people in trouble, they ignore them, and pretend not to see, even if they
see something wrong. Besides, if we lend a hand to people in trouble,
they’ll call us hypocrites.”

Indeed, Hiyori may be right.

In my fifteen years of life, I have encountered one or two such situations.

On the other hand, there are few people who never encounter these kinds of
situations.

“Regardless of the reason or circumstances, you extended your hand, Akira.

Anyway, if you did, you should be proud.”

“Thank you, Hiyori.”

As usual, I couldn’t read any emotion on her face, but I was glad that she
understood. However, I didn’t expect her to accept it so easily.

“I thought you would be more surprised.”

“I was surprised, but it’s not strange coming from you, Akira. I’ve known
what kind of person you are since we were little, and this isn’t the first time
I’ve seen you help someone. In my opinion, that’s very you.”

Not the first time…

Maybe Hiyori, like Eiji, was referring to when I was in kindergarten.

Hiyori also went to the same kindergarten as me, so she must have seen the
scene where I was with that little girl.

Although she is a year younger than me, Hiyori, unlike me, doesn’t seem to
have any gaps in her memory.

Seriously, both Eiji and Hiyori remember a lot of things that I have
forgotten.
“But what would Mom and Dad think if they knew?”

“That’s right…”

They certainly wouldn’t accept it.

That’s no surprise. I’m sure no sensible parents, not even my own, would
approve of an underage boy and girl living under the same roof. It would be
terrible if not only my parents, but other adults found out as well.

I told Hiyori everything because I couldn’t risk them finding out.

“Hiyori, can you please not tell Mom and Dad?”

I bowed my head, putting all the sincerity I could muster into my words.

I knew that if I couldn’t convince Hiyori here, I wouldn’t be able to

continue this life.

“I’m not asking you to help us so that they don’t find out, rather I just want
you to keep quiet for now.”

“There’s no guarantee they won’t find out, even if I do keep quiet, you
know? Mom or Dad might suddenly visit, like I did today. Have you
thought about that?”

“That’s true…”

“Why don’t you just be honest and ask for my support?”

When I couldn’t find the right words to respond, Hiyori said something
unexpected.

“Do you want to help us?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Akira. You said everything honestly with that
intention, didn’t you? I don’t think what you did was wrong, and besides, I
can’t just ignore someone who trusts me enough to tell me everything.
That’s enough of a reason for me to help.”
“Thank you, Hiyori.”

Her words touched me deeply.

The unconditional kindness she showed to those she trusted was so typical
of Hiyori.

“For now, I’ll tell Mom and Dad that everything is fine. If they worry about
you living on your own again, I’ll come visit, like today. I think that’ll buy
you some time.”

“You’re right. I’d really appreciate that.”

“Of course, I’ll help you, but I can’t make any guarantees. So, don’t let your
guard down until you’re in your second year of high school. Just focus on
preparing a more stable situation for Aoi-san as soon as possible.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Hiyori was right — we couldn’t delay for too long — but it was reassuring
to know she was willing to help.

“How long have you been dating?”

““Huh?””

My voice overlapped with Aoi-san’s in surprise.

At first, I introduced her as my classmate, not my girlfriend, but… it’s true I

never denied it.

“No… I forgot to tell you, but we aren’t dating.”

“Haa?”

She then looked at me with shock, as if her expressionless face from just
moments ago had been a lie.
Her surprised, almost displeased expression seemed to say, “I can’t believe
anything you’ve told me.”

It was the first time I’d ever seen that look on Hiyori’s face.

“Why aren’t you two dating?”

“No, no matter what you say…”

“You might not have been dating when you first started living together, but
now that it’s been several days, you must be in that kind of relationship,
right? Or, Akira… are you doing things with a girl who isn’t even your
girlfriend? I misjudged you. That’s really irresponsible.”

“No, like I told you, we never had that kind of relationship to begin with…”

“So, explain what I saw a while ago, then.”

“Izumi gave that to me half-jokingly. It’s unopened — you can check it if

you want.”

It didn’t feel right for a third-year middle school student to say something
like that, but after I insisted it wasn’t what she thought, Hiyori stopped
hiding her surprise, as if she was silently accusing me, “You’re lying…”

“Akira, you’re still a guy, right?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then it’s impossible for a high school boy and girl to live together and for
nothing to happen between them.”

“Leave me alone!”

Please don’t say things like that — especially not the same stuff Izumi says.
I’d rather you praise me for not making a move on Aoi-san!

Seriously! I’m doing my best to resist my baser instincts…

“Are you really okay with this, Aoi-san?”

“Eh…?”

Her cheeks flushed as she struggled to respond to the unexpected question.

“I… I feel like Akira-kun saved me, so I can’t be his girlfriend like this…”

“That doesn’t matter. What do you think of Akira?”

“I think he’s a very important person to me…”

Aoi-san, feeling the pressure from Hiyori, resorted to formal language.

Why did it feel like we were the ones being interrogated?

I don’t mind if she grills me, but I really wish she’d leave Aoi-san alone.

“What exactly do you mean by important? Is he someone you love?

Someone you like?”

“That’s, umm…”

Aoi-san shrank back under Hiyori’s relentless questioning.

“Hiyori, that’s enough for today. Aoi-san’s shy.”

It wasn’t often that I had to calm down Hiyori, who was acting unusually
emotional.

She sighed helplessly, as if conceding defeat.

“For now, let’s have dinner. I’ll cook something.”

“After dinner, I’ll hear the rest.”

Even if things seemed settled for now, Hiyori’s investigation was far from
over.
I’d been her older brother for fourteen years, but there were things I’d never
fully understood about her. Today, it felt like I was discovering a new side
of Hiyori.

Later, after dinner and a bath, we stayed up talking in the living room until
midnight.

I had braced myself for Hiyori to bombard us with questions about my

relationship with Aoi-san, but when she realized we weren’t actually dating,
she just said, “How boring…” and didn’t press the issue further.

Boring? What did she mean by that?

I hadn’t expected her to be so interested in her older brother’s love life. But
then again, even though Hiyori is mature for her age, she’s still a middle
school student. At this age, I guess it’s natural to be curious about romance.

It’s always been this way—I can never quite figure out what makes Hiyori
tick or what turns her interest on and off.

The night stretched on as we discussed everything: my relationship with

Aoi-san, how to keep it hidden from our parents, and what to do moving
forward. By the time the first rays of sunlight peeked through the windows,
we’d finally wrapped up the conversation.

In any case, I’m really grateful to have Hiyori’s support.

Next time, as a thank-you, I’ll treat her to some Yomogi Manju, her
favorite.
 Chapter 6: If Wishes Came True

It was Sunday, days after the incident─────

“Eh!? Hiyori-chan came!?”

Izumi’s dissatisfied voice echoed on the train on the way to the hot spring
bath facility.

“Yes. She came two days ago and left yesterday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me!?”

Izumi, who was sitting diagonally from me, puffed out her cheeks.

By the way, Aoi-san sat next to me by the window, and Eiji sat in front of
me.

“She came at night and left before noon on Saturday, so she didn’t have
time to meet you.”

“Even so, she could have called me. I at least wanted to say goodbye to
her!”

“Could it be that since you don’t get up that early, she wanted to be
considerate of you?”

“Hiyori-chan, she’s really cold~…”

Izumi slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

“But Hiyori said she wanted to see you too, Izumi.”

I didn’t tell her that Hiyori was thinking of contacting her but reconsidered
because she’s such a big sleepyhead in the mornings.

Eiji used to wake her up every morning so she’d never be late for class, but
on her days off, it seemed like she didn’t wake up until after noon.

On the other hand, according to Eiji, being an hour late for a date was cute.

Well, if he hadn’t picked her up today, she would definitely have missed the
train.

“I’ve already told Hiyori that I told them about her school transfer, so I’m
sure you’ll hear from her soon. Once again, it’s my fault that Hiyori didn’t
tell you, Izumi, so please excuse her.”

“I don’t care about that anymore.”

More than that, I want to see her again!

That’s what was written on her pouting face.

“If Hiyori-chan came back, does that mean you told her about Aoi-san?”
Eiji asked me as he calmed down the sad Izumi.

“Yes. I tried to hide it from her, but she found out right away, and I had to
tell her about it.”

I lightly muttered that she found out because of Aoi-san’s hair that was on
the floor of the house.

“That happened because Hiyori-chan, unlike you, is very sharp~”

“Don’t talk like I’m stupid.”

“Don’t worry. All guys are stupid by nature, and you, Akira, are one of
them.”

“…How can I calm down with an answer like that?”

Leaving aside the other men, am I stupid?

I thought it was just my memory that was stupid, but it seems there are
things you never know about yourself.

“So what did Hiyori-chan say?”

“She understands the situation. She said she would help me so our parents
wouldn’t find out.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine if it’s Hiyori-chan. By the way, wasn’t she mad that
you hid it from her?”

“No, she wasn’t mad at me for hiding it from her, but…”

“So why was she mad?”

“She thought Aoi-san and I were dating. So she got mad when I told her we
weren’t.”

“Ah… well, Hiyori-chan is very strict about that kind of thing.”

Seriously, she’s very strict… she put me in quite a difficult situation after
she got mad.

The way she got upset was just like our father when he got angry, even
more severe than him.

“Well, maybe she will forgive you if things turn out like this later?”

“If things turn out…”

In other words, what Izumi and Hiyori are trying to say is that if I live with
Aoi-san, I should take responsibility and go out with her. I understand what
they mean, and I understand what is said about young men and women. If it
were someone else’s problem, I myself would have said there was no way
we could have this kind of relationship, but I’m sorry that I can’t meet your
expectations since our relationship isn’t like that.
If I want to be more precise, it would be closer to say that we both don’t
have time for that kind of relationship because we have a clear and
established time limit.

Of course, if you ask me if I don’t have such feelings for her… I’m not sure
about that yet.

I tried to place my hand on my chest, but the answer wasn’t clear enough.

I vaguely thought that maybe it would become clearer after all these issues
were resolved.

In this way, after an hour of train travel, we arrived at the station closest to
our destination.

From there, after a twenty-minute walk, we arrived at our destination, a hot

spring bath facility, but…

“This is the place, isn’t it?”

“Maybe…”

No wonder Izumi wasn’t convinced.

All we could see was a forest of very tall cedar trees stretching out in front
of us, while just below was a gate like the one at the entrance of a temple,
which at first glance made it hard to believe there was a hot spring bath
facility here.

Honestly, isn’t this a forest?

“For now, let’s go to that place.”

“Okay.”

We all went through the gate with Eiji leading the way. After following a
stone path through the cedar forest, a wooden building was visible not far
away.
At first glance, the building looked like an old house, but I was surprised
when we entered.

“Wow… this is amazing.”

“This is trendy～♪”

Magnificent lighting hung from the high ceiling, and the floor was covered
in black stone, creating a contrast between light and dark. One of the walls
had a glass window, making the room look larger than it actually was.

Perhaps this old house has been fashionably renovated only on the inside.

Beyond the glass windows, a large wooden deck stretched out, and the view
was excellent.

When we told the receptionist that we had made a reservation, a staff

member escorted us to our cabin.

Walking along the wooden deck with sunlight shining through the gaps
between the trees, we soon arrived at the cabin we would be using.

As we opened the door and entered, the scent of fresh grass tickled our
noses.

The room was made up of about eight tatami mats, furnished with antique
wooden tables and chairs. Outside the window at the front of the room,
there was a terrace with two wooden tubs lined up, and the sound of hot
spring water gushing from the spout echoed throughout the room.

“It’s wonderful! It has a great atmosphere.”

Izumi shouted in joy and ran into the room. She took Aoi-san by the hand
and stood by the window, then started making a fuss while looking at the
hot spring.

It was true, just as Izumi had said, it was a nice private open-air hot spring
bath with a good atmosphere.
The location and construction of the cabin, from the outside to the inside,
which seemed to be made entirely of finely selected wood, gave it a
mysterious atmosphere in the forest, evoking the feeling of a hidden cabin
that only those in the know would discover.

To high school students like us, it seemed too luxurious.

“Alright, let’s go straight to the hot spring!”

“Yes.”

“Then, we’ll go to the bathroom to change. You two get ready too!”

As I watched the two disappear into the bathroom, I thought, as I began to

undress with Eiji, what’s next?

I know it’s late, but is this really okay?

Although there was no concern about being seen by other guests, we were a
couple of teenage boys and girls about to take a bath together.

Although we wouldn’t be naked because we would bring towels, the danger

of them coming off was not zero.

Even if Eiji and I didn’t care at this moment, Izumi and Aoi-san shouldn’t…
As I imagined, I shouldn’t imagine, so I racked my brain desperately to try
and get rid of my worldly desires, but there was no way I could completely
eliminate them.

I had no choice. If the two of them dropped their towels and became naked,
then we would have no choice but to become naked as well.

“What’s wrong, Akira?”

“Ah, it’s nothing…”

Eiji wrapped a towel around his waist and prepared to leave.

Why is this guy so calm?

“Shall we go in first?”

“Sure.”

We went to the terrace and poured hot water over ourselves before soaking
in the bathtub.

Eiji soaked in a different bathtub from mine.

“Ahh!”

The warmth of the hot water enveloping my entire body made me

involuntarily let out a strange sound.

Although it was a little warm at first, after getting used to it, the
temperature felt just right.

Maybe it was because of the viscosity of the hot spring water, but the
sensation of warmth clinging to my body was almost addictive. I found it
much more relaxing than the bath I usually took at home.

Then the effects of the hot spring water had calmed down the excitement I
had felt earlier.

“We’re sorry to have kept you waiting!”

Izumi’s voice, heard from behind, echoed past my head and into the forest.

Instantly, the lustful desire that had been waning came rushing back. In an
instant, my excitement reached its peak.

As I turned around, trying to remain calm so it wouldn’t show on my face, I

was speechless at the sight I saw.
“…What’s that look for?”

Aoi-san and Izumi appeared wearing what looked like long, one-piece
dresses that I hadn’t seen before.
“It’s called a yuamigi, and it’s what you wear when you go to a hot spring
bath.”

“Izumi-san bought one for me, too.”

Hearing those words made me remember something.

The reason why Aoi-san didn’t mind when Izumi told her it was a mixed
bath.

When she was secretly mumbling with Izumi about who knows what, I
guess she didn’t mind because she found out at that moment that Izumi had
prepared a yuamigi for her.

Maybe Eiji didn’t mind because he already knew?

That’s why, when I looked at him, I saw that he had a mocking smile on his
face.

Even though you’re the only one I trust, you’re a traitor!

“Mmm? Maybe you were expecting us to wear something else, Akira-

kun~?”

“Stop it!”

Of course I was expecting something else. How dare you play with
teenagers’ feelings!

Yuamigi or whatever, it shows less skin than a swimsuit, but it’s more
revealing compared to summer clothes that cover more.

What should I do with this lust that’s eating away at me?

“Then, with your permission, let’s go in~!”

After washing herself with hot water, Izumi jumped into the same bathtub
as Eiji.
No, wait a minute. No matter how you look at it, these bathtubs are only
meant for two people and they’re not wide enough to fit three.

So, if Izumi was submerged in the same pool as Eiji, that meant…

“S-Sorry to bother you…”

“G-Go ahead! Please!”

Aoi-san got into the same bathtub as me while looking embarrassed.

Don’t tell me, Eiji… Did you know this would happen, and that’s why you
got into a different bathtub from mine?

When I looked back at Eiji, he nodded and made a Buddha-like face.

I’m sorry I called you a traitor… I’ve always trusted you!

“Hot water feels good…”

“Y-Yeah. I think so too…”

My heart skipped a beat involuntarily due to the short distance between

Aoi-san and me.

Although she was wearing a yuamigi, her shoulders were bare, and her hair
was tied up, so I could see the back of her neck. On top of that, how the hell
am I supposed to not notice it when she’s so close to me!?

“I know I betrayed your expectations, Akira-kun, but would I be okay with

this?”

“Eh? Sorry, but I didn’t expect anything from the start, right?”

It’s okay! Of course it’s okay! If it’s like that, this is definitely okay!

While pretending to stay calm on the outside, I couldn’t help but shout in
my heart, ‘Good job, Izumi.’
I’m sorry I thought the two of you were a stupid couple.

“Ah~ my exam fatigue is easing~♪”

Izumi put a towel on her head and said that like an old lady.

“Maybe we can come here every time you finish exams.”

“Eiji-kun, you said something great. Alright, let’s do it!”

“But it’s summer vacation soon. The next time will probably be after the
midterms of the second term.”

“Summer vacation…”

I repeated Eiji’s words.

I started living with Aoi-san a month ago, and there are only two weeks left
until the end of the first term.

“What’s wrong, Akira?”

“Nothing… I just realized we only have two weeks left until the end of the
first term.”

“Aren’t you looking forward to summer vacation?”

“It’s not that. It’s just when I thought Aoi-san’s situation had finally
improved, summer vacation is about to start… I don’t know why, but I feel
kind of sorry. Maybe if I had a little more time, things would have been
different.”

“It’s true. Before that long vacation starts, you’d want things to improve to
a certain extent.”

As Eiji said.

I thought it was a waste to enter summer vacation when the distance

between Aoi-san and her classmates was growing, and I also wanted to
improve her impression with the teachers. However, when summer vacation
ends, there’s no guarantee that what we’ve achieved will be maintained.

And not only that.

The days we spent trying to solve Aoi-san’s problem passed, which meant
that the days we had left were slipping away second by second.

Maybe that was why I felt this uneasiness.

It’s not that there are two and three quarters left, but that there are only two
and three semesters left.

Although there were eight months until my school transfer, I only had five
months left if I excluded the long vacation.

All of this gave me a feeling of uneasiness.

“Don’t worry. We can meet up with our classmates even during summer
vacation. All we have to do is plan to go out with everyone, and there are
also volunteer activities during summer vacation. Just leave it to me♪.”

“Thank you.”

We still owe Izumi so much. In fact, almost everything was arranged by

Izumi.

I hadn’t thought about it to that extent, and the words of thanks just came
out spontaneously.

“You don’t need to thank me. I do it because I want to.”

“No, let me just say it. Thank you very much.”

“I told you that you don’t need to. If you say more than this, I’ll hit you.”

Even though I was just thanking her sincerely, for some reason, she got
angry.
“Akira, I understand that you feel responsible.”

Eiji continued while patting Izumi, who was pouting.

“We were the ones who offered to help, so we had to do something. I

understand that you don’t want to overwhelm us, but you know, Izumi and I
feel the same way you do.”

“You guys too…?”

“We’ve been thinking about it and working together. But it’s not because
you asked us to or because we’re your classmates. It’s just because we want
to help. Aoi-san is also a valuable friend to us.”

“Eiji…”

“If you understand, you don’t need to thank us.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Izumi nodded with a sigh.

When I heard Eiji’s words, I suddenly remembered what he had told me

before.

───── People basically can’t understand each other.

No matter how close you are or how long you’ve been together, it’s not
possible to fully understand the other person’s feelings. That’s why it’s
important to talk, to protect the relationship with the person who’s
important to you.

That’s exactly right.

I didn’t think that the two of you cared so much about Aoi-san. I wondered
if I was being too grateful or if I was becoming a burden to them. But
thinking like that would be disrespectful to their feelings. So, once again, I
muttered “Thank you” in my heart without saying it out loud.
“Aoi-san, is there somewhere you’d like to visit during summer vacation?”

“Eh? Me? Uh…”

Aoi-san thought with a serious expression on her face. After thinking for a
while, she said,

“I think, as long as I’m with you guys, anywhere is fine.”

She said this with a slightly embarrassed look.

“Akira-kun, let’s switch places.”

“Eh?”

Izumi got out of the bathtub she was sharing with Eiji, quickly walked over
to us, grabbed my arm, and pulled me out of the bathtub. She sat down and
hugged Aoi-san tightly.

“You’re such a good girl, Aoi-san! Let’s go to all sorts of places together!”

“Y-Yes. Thank you.”

“Ah~ Aoi-san, you’re so gentle here and there…”

Aoi-san seemed a little confused as Izumi kept getting closer to her. I

watched them while sitting in the same tub as Eiji.

Although I rarely get to be in the same tub as Aoi-san… well, let’s leave
that unsaid.

In this way, we enjoyed the hot springs for as long as possible.

If anyone felt dizzy, they could get out of the tub to rest or try switching to
a different tub.

After soaking in the luxurious open-air hot spring surrounded by nature, we

left the facility, making a promise to come back.
I felt relaxed, and I was able to learn more about Eiji and Izumi’s feelings.
I’m glad we came here.

I thought this experience would set us up for a satisfying summer vacation.

But at that time, I didn’t realize that I had overlooked Aoi-san’s important
feelings.

After the rental time was up, we relaxed in the lobby, each with an ice
cream in hand.

“This hot spring was really great.”

“I completely agree.”

I sat next to Aoi-san, cooling my heated body with the ice cream.

When it comes to hot springs, the first thing that comes to mind after a bath
is milk, but this ice cream was pretty good too.

“What are your plans after this, Izumi?”

“I’m thinking of making a wish to the gods.”

“Huh? Making a wish to the gods?”

I made a tsukkomi at this sudden statement from Izumi. However, it wasn’t

uncommon for her to say strange things unexpectedly, and since this wasn’t
the first time, I stopped myself from commenting further.

“Since your family moves around a lot, I don’t think you know this, Akira-
kun, but this place is a famous tourist spot. There’s a shrine nearby that has
been registered as a World Cultural Heritage site. It’s one of the prefecture’s
tourist attractions and a spiritual hotspot popular not only with Japanese
visitors but also with foreigners.”

“Mmm… maybe I’ve heard of that place.”

“I’ve always wanted to go, but I want to go with all of us.”

“Okay. Since it’s a long-awaited trip, let’s go.”

Half of this could be considered one of Izumi’s hobbies, but if it was a

famous place, it was worth visiting.

It’s not like we’re asking the gods for help when we’re in trouble, but
asking for blessings for the future didn’t seem like a bad idea either. Once
we finished our ice cream, we returned to the station and boarded the train
to our next destination.

****

“… How huge this place is.”

When we arrived at the shrine, I couldn’t help but let those words slip as I
took in the sight before me.

After passing through the shopping area of Omotesando and the large stone
torii gate on the main road, we were met with a vast expanse of land.

Looking at the signs, it seems that there isn’t just one shrine here—there are
several buildings lined up in the courtyard. It would probably take about
two hours to explore the whole area, as it’s simply enormous.

The area is shaded by tall cedar trees that block out most of the sunlight,
making it feel quite cool, even in early summer.

This place was filled with a mystical energy, and the atmosphere certainly
felt like it.

“There’s something indescribable about this place…”

“Yes. I never thought such a place was so close.”

Aoi-san took a deep breath as she responded to my words.

“Come on, let’s keep moving.”

“Yes.”
We followed Izumi, who was leading the way.

Still… since it’s a popular tourist spot, the place was packed with people.

Maybe it’s because it’s Sunday, but I was surprised to see more foreigners
than Japanese visitors.

As we continued walking up a gentle slope, a three-story pagoda came into

view on our left.

We passed by it and continued, soon spotting a building ahead that we

assumed was the main temple.

After paying the entrance fee at the reception, we made our way inside, and
after a short walk, we arrived at the main temple.

“Are we going to pray here?”

“You can, but I want to go to the back.”

“Back?”

We passed the main shrine to the east, where stone steps stretched out ahead
of us, leading to another area.

“Are we really going up here…?”

“There are two hundred steps from here, so let’s do our best.”

“Two hundred…”

I followed Eiji and Izumi as they easily climbed the stairs.

After a while, I noticed Aoi-san’s pace had slowed down.

“Are you okay, Aoi-san?”

“Yes, I’m fine…”

The smile on her face clearly showed she was exhausted. No surprise, since
the stairs were pretty steep.

“You don’t need to push yourself to keep up with them. Let’s take our time
going up together.”

“Yes, thank you.”

When I extended my hand, Aoi-san took it, though she seemed a bit
hesitant.

At that moment, I realized I had done something completely unexpected

without thinking.

What the hell is wrong with me!? Why did I offer my hand so casually!?

No, no, I don’t have to feel guilty. I just grabbed Aoi-san’s hand to help her
climb the stairs more easily, but the softness of her hand made me lose my
composure instantly.

I think this is the first time I’ve ever held a girl’s hand.

Well, except for that time in elementary school when we had to dance a folk
dance. I got paired with a girl who hated me, and we barely touched, only
holding each other’s fingertips while she looked at me with disgust. Those
bad memories came rushing back.

Why do I remember things like that so clearly?

“What’s wrong?”

Aoi-san asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Ah, it’s nothing… I just thought you wouldn’t like us holding hands.”

“Eh…?”

She understood what I meant and blushed.

“No, I don’t dislike it.”

“I-I see…”

Aoi-san’s grip on my hand tightened just a little.

“Your hand is warm, Akira-kun.”

“Th-That? Maybe it’s because my body temperature rose after climbing the
stairs.”

I couldn’t tell her that it was because I was nervous. But thanks to this, I
was able to overwrite the bad memories of holding hands with that girl from
my childhood.
I walked up the stairs while thinking about that, and by the time we reached
the top, I was exhausted—not from the climb, but from nerves.
When I took a breath and looked around, Eiji and Izumi waved to us from a
distance.

“I’m sorry we kept you waiting.”

“No, you didn’t. More importantly, did you hold hands?”

“No, it’s not what you think. Aoi-san seemed to have trouble walking up the
stairs, so I helped her by holding her hand.”

“That’s right. It’s not like there’s any deep meaning to it.”

We panicked and quickly let go of each other’s hands to make excuses.

“It’s okay. Putting that aside, come here.”

What just happened to me felt like a significant event. Following Izumi, we

arrived at an ancient cedar tree.

“What’s this?”

The cedar tree was cut about ten meters from the ground, devoid of
branches and with a hollow trunk.

At first glance, it looked dead, but upon closer inspection, small new
branches with green leaves were sprouting from the trunk. I was amazed by
the strength of the tree’s vitality, refusing to wither in such a state.

I noticed a shimenawa surrounding it. Is this a sacred tree?

There were many people around it, all clasping their hands in prayer.

“This tree is a cedar that is over six hundred years old and is called
‘Kanasugi.’”

“Kanasugi?”

“It is said that if you pray to this cedar tree, your wish will come true.”
As she spoke, Izumi stared at the cedar tree with a seriousness I rarely saw
in her.

Her profile looked so focused that it was hard to imagine the usually
cheerful Izumi.

“I’ve always wanted to come here, but I never got the chance.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t have anything I wanted to ask of any god. You might think it’s
okay to ask for something trivial, but I don’t believe those kinds of wishes
get granted very often. That’s why I’m coming to this place for the first
time. I was thinking of doing it when I had a wish I truly wanted to be
granted.”

I see. It suited Izumi, who adored shrines.

“So then? What’s your wish?”

I asked, a slight feeling of anticipation rising within me.

“I hope Aoi-san’s future is bright.”

“Eh…?” It was Aoi-san, not me, who let out a surprised voice. “Izumi-
san…”

“It’s not like there’s a rule that you can’t make wishes unless it’s for
yourself, right?” Izumi replied. It’s not a very specific wish, so it might be a
problem for the gods, but I’m fine with anything as long as you help Aoi-
san enjoy her daily life instead of asking for detailed things.”

Izumi seemed to be speaking to the cedar tree, then closed her eyes and
clasped her hands together.

“I’m not a religious person, but if my wish can be granted, even just once, I
feel the same as Izumi.”

Eiji said this, clasping his hands beside her.

“You two…”

I couldn’t suppress the emotions welling up in my chest.

Izumi decided to take the only chance to make a wish for Aoi-san’s sake.

I couldn’t bear these complex emotions that threatened to overflow from

my eyes, so I closed them and clasped my hands together to keep my tears
at bay.

───── Please let our wishes come true.

How long must we remain like this for our wishes to be granted? After a
while, I heard a small sob beside me and opened my eyes.

Aoi-san, who was beside me, shed a tear as she clasped her hands together.

****

Afterward, we bought a charm with a kanausugi motif at the shop. It was a

keychain-shaped charm with a bell attached to a hollow cedar tree.

We all decided to put them in our bags until all of Aoi-san’s problems were
resolved.

Afterward, we took a walk around the area and left the shrine.

Next, we stopped by a souvenir shop we saw along the way, bought some
things, and got on the train. Immediately after that, the three of them fell
asleep, probably because they were tired from walking around, while I
couldn’t help but look at the sunset outside the window.

I wish days like this could last forever─────

But, after all, it’s a wish that won’t come true.

Even if Aoi-san’s problems are resolved, a future awaits me where I will be

separated from everyone.
When I think about it, I feel a clear pain inside my chest.

Since when─────?

I’m used to changing schools, and although I feel like letting go of

relationships that are weakening by the moment, I don’t want to change
from my current school.

After meeting Eiji again and becoming friends with Izumi, I regret
transferring to another school, but even so, I didn’t have the feeling that I
hated it so clearly.

I thought about this while looking at Aoi-san, who rested her head on my
shoulder with a calm face that told me she was sleeping peacefully.

That’s right.

Ever since I started living with Aoi-san, I’ve felt a deep sense of regret.

I don’t know if it’s because of a sense of justice that I can’t leave Aoi-san
alone or perhaps due to other emotions, but despite that, I want to spend
more time with Aoi-san.

Realizing this, the pain in my chest slowly turned into sadness and
loneliness.

“Phew…”

I sighed as if to suppress my emotions.

When I looked out the window again, the sunset I had just seen looked
different.

Someday, whenever I saw a beautiful sunset like this, I would probably

remember this day.

Thinking about it, I realized how lonely the red sky shining above us was.
 Chapter 7: What Do You Call Supporting
Someone?

A few days have passed since then, and now there is only one week left of
the first term ─────

After a month and a half of constant efforts to clear up the

misunderstandings about Aoi-san, she had become much more familiar with
the class and was no longer as lonely as before.

It was all thanks to Aoi-san’s hard work and Izumi’s support, but perhaps it
was also because it was still the first term of the first year of high school,
when relationships in the classroom weren’t fully established yet.

Now, the teachers’ impressions depended on the results of the exams, the
results of which were soon to be announced.

I felt nervous because, depending on those results, our original goal would
be largely fulfilled.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Akira-kun.”

“Ah, good job.”

A day before the exam results were to be announced, I was waiting for her
at the door of the cafeteria.

After class, Izumi had invited me to go to Aoi-san’s workplace to hang out.

Since I had no reason to refuse, I decided to tag along and ended up staying
until closing time again.

To be clear, it wasn’t because I wanted to see Aoi-san in her work uniform

again. It also wasn’t because her uniform had a long skirt that I liked, and
definitely not because I wanted to squeeze into her long skirt.

Of course not.

“Then, let’s head home.”

“Yes.”

We started walking side by side.

“Without realizing it, it’s already the last day of the first term.”

“Yes. Somehow, it feels like everything has happened so fast.”

“Really.”

A month and a half ago, before I met Aoi-san, I never imagined my life
would be like this. It feels strange, as if things just happened, and yet, it also
feels like a long time has passed.

“We also have plans for summer vacation, so I hope we can have fun.”

“I hope so too…”

We were casually chatting on our way home when, as we approached the

house, I noticed something odd.

“Hmm? The lights in the house are on…”

Had I forgotten to turn them off? No, I don’t even turn the lights on in the
morning to begin with.

Could Hiyori have come over?

With that thought in mind, we entered the house and made our way to the
living room.

“Hiyori, if you’re here, at least let me know before you—!”

But as soon as I stepped into the room, I froze.

“Welcome back, Akira.”

The person sitting on the sofa wasn’t Hiyori. It was my mother.

She waved at me with a familiar smile.

“Mom… Why are you here?”

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.”

Worried? It’s only been about ten days since Hiyori visited. Hiyori had
promised to reassure our parents that I was doing fine. Even if she couldn’t
stop Mom from coming, she should have at least given me a heads-up.

If there was no word from Hiyori, did that mean… had she told them about
Aoi-san?

“What’s wrong, Akira?” my mom asked, her tone light.

“Ah, it’s nothing… nothing.”

“Really? Well then, won’t you introduce me to the young lady beside you?”

My mom’s sweet smile was as warm as ever, but I couldn’t tell what she
was really thinking beneath it.

…No, there’s no way Hiyori would have betrayed me, right?

Even if the other party was our parents, Hiyori wasn’t the type to break a
promise she had made.

If that was the case, then it had to be something Hiyori hadn’t anticipated.
At least until I knew the exact reason why my mother had come, there was
no need to reveal everything truthfully—after all, this situation was
different from when Hiyori had visited…
What should I do?

How much did Mom know?

How could I possibly explain this without making things worse?

If she found out that I was living with Aoi-san, there would be no future for
us. Everything I’d done for Aoi-san would fall apart, and she would lose her
place all over again. That was the one thing I absolutely had to avoid.

At this point, the only thing that mattered was keeping the truth about us
living together a secret.

It was do or die.

“S-She’s my girlfriend!”

That was all I could think to say to divert attention.

The story would be that her teenage son had a girlfriend and took advantage
of his family’s absence to invite her over. It was embarrassing enough that
I’d want to die if my parents actually saw me in such a scenario, but I had
no other choice. This was far better than getting caught living with Aoi-san.

Please, Mom, believe everything I’m saying.

“Really!? How great of you, Akira!”

“Y-Yes… thank you.”

While I was panicking inside, Mom believed me instantly, without

hesitation.

She beamed with joy, her face lighting up with a youthful, innocent smile
that didn’t match her age—my typical mother.

“Well, Akira, you’re at that age, so I’m not surprised you have a girlfriend.
But I see~, so you had a girlfriend! Come on, don’t just stand there, sit
down and introduce her to me, Akira.”
“A-Ah, yes…”

Mom patted the couch, urging us to sit down.

When I made eye contact with Aoi-san, she seemed to understand the
situation and nodded her head slightly.

After confirming this, she and I sat next to each other in front of my mother.

“Can you tell me your name?”

“Yes. My name is Aoi Saotome.”

“So, Aoi-san. I had thought the day would come when Akira would have a
girlfriend, but I never imagined he would date such a beautiful young lady
like you. I don’t know why, but I feel so touched.”

Mom smiled as she put her hands on her chest, looking genuinely happy.

…My heart hurt seeing her this happy.

But I remembered that there was something I needed to do instead of

feeling guilty.

“We were in the same class, so we became friends, and then we started
dating.”

“I see. How long have you two been dating?”

“Since the beginning of last month.”

“Oh, so you’re in the most exciting part of your relationship.”

“Yes.”

Mom’s barrage of questions was unstoppable. Aoi-san and I took turns

answering them.

“So, which one of you two confessed to the other?”

“Hmm… I guess it was me.”

“What did you say to him when you confessed?”

“No, no, I definitely won’t tell you.”

“Eh~? Come on. Tell me a little.”

“…I refuse. How could I possibly talk about my love life with my parents?”

“That’s cruel. Then, I’ll ask Aoi-san.”

Eh? Wait a moment─────

“What do you like about Akira, Aoi-san?”

“Eh? Mmm…”

Aoi-san looked confused as her eyes darted around nervously.

Due to her overly honest nature, Aoi-san wasn’t good at lying.

On the other hand, although I knew I was in a situation where I had to

pretend Aoi-san was my girlfriend, I wasn’t very good at making things up
on the spot. However, I sincerely hoped that I could say something safe and
get through it.

It wouldn’t matter if she told my mom that she didn’t like me as a

boyfriend. It would be fine if she just said she liked me as a friend.

“I guess… everything.”

That was an unexpected answer.

No, on the contrary, it was more about not lying than mentioning something
specific.

Instead of pointing out one or two things she liked about me, it would be
less suspicious if she said she liked everything about me. I hadn’t
considered the possibility that she would say “everything” because I didn’t
think there was a single thing about me to like.

I’ve heard that if you like someone, you like everything about them. But I
wouldn’t know that either.

“Like when he always uses a soft tone when he talks to me, or when he
always smiles when our eyes meet, or when he listens to my feelings. Also,
whenever we walk together, he always walks on the side of the road and
cooks me delicious food…”

I thought she would dodge the question by saying she liked everything
about me, but Aoi-san started listing details.

Are you really going to say everything you actually think about me?

“It’s not just that. I was isolated at school and had no friends, but thanks to
Akira-kun, I made some good friends. Also, he always helped me with my
studies since I wasn’t good at them… I don’t know where I would be now if
it weren’t for Akira-kun.”

Her words were filled with emotion, unlike her usual calm self.

“I’ve always been saved by Akira-kun’s kindness. Words can’t even express
how grateful I am to him. I can’t do anything to repay him. I’m just causing
trouble for him…”

Aoi-san said many things she liked about me, but I think her true feelings
were hidden in her final words.

“I’m sorry. I think I talked too much…”

“It’s okay, really. Aoi-san, I can tell now that you consider Akira to be a
very important person to you.”

Mother looked at Aoi-san with a gentle expression on her face.

“Listening to your story reminds me of when his father and I first met.”
“When did you first meet Dad?”

“Your father was also shy and not good at socializing when we first met.”

“Really?”

When I asked her that, because it was very unexpected for me, my mother
began to nostalgically tell me her memories.

“When I was an office worker, your father was a new employee in the same
department where I worked. Right after he started, he was clumsy and
didn’t get along with the other workers, so he soon became isolated.
However, your father was serious about his work, he put a lot of effort into
his duties, and he was very competent, so the people around him began to
envy him. Even his senpai, who was in charge of his training, was confused
because he didn’t know what your father was thinking.”

Even though I listened to her story, I didn’t quite understand what she was
talking about, as I never got the impression that Dad wasn’t good at
socializing.

While he had a serious and stern side, he always seemed to me to be a more

compassionate person than Hiyori.

Of course, he socialized with our neighbors, and he also hung out a lot with
his colleagues. He was the kind of person who, if one of his subordinates
made a mistake at work, would go to their office and follow up, even if it
was his day off.

If he wasn’t good at socializing, he wouldn’t have been able to become the

regional branch manager of the company he works for, right?

So, it felt like I was listening to someone else’s story.

“When I saw your father like that, I felt like I couldn’t leave him alone, so I
offered to be his senpai in charge of his job training. Once I started talking
to him, hoping to be a bridge between him and the people around him, it
wasn’t easy. I couldn’t get along with him because he was extremely shy,
but as I stepped in to mediate between him and others, he was slowly able
to get along with the people around him.”

“So that was it.”

“If you understand others, you can change the way you treat them. Your
father was very hardworking from the start, so when the misunderstanding
was cleared up, the people around him started to trust him and entrusted
him with very important jobs. Even now, when your father talks about those
days, he tells me, ‘Thank you for helping me out in those days,’ but I
remember that back then, whenever I did something for him, he would
simply apologize and say, ‘I’m so sorry for causing you trouble.’”

Listening to her story, I suddenly thought:

What was the reason my father changed from saying ‘I’m sorry’ to saying
‘thank you’?

“It’s just a memorable story about a nosy senpai and a timid kouhai. It’s true
that things were quite difficult, but I don’t think your father caused me any
trouble. That’s why I’m sure you’re doing the same for Aoi-san.”

“Of course.”

When I answered her like that, Mom nodded, satisfied.

“That’s why, Aoi-san.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t think that you’re causing trouble.”

Mom turned her kind eyes toward Aoi-san as if she were advising her.

For her part, Aoi-san kept a guilty expression on her face.

“I’m Akira’s mother, and so I’ve known what my son is like since he was a
child. I don’t know what kind of face he shows to his friends or girlfriend,
but if what Akira has done for you is true, then I feel proud to be his
mother.”

It was the first time my mother told me that she was proud of me.

I could say that, more than embarrassment, it made my heart burn deep
within me.

“Besides, you’re also a good enough person to sincerely thank someone for
their kindness and feel discouraged when you can’t give anything back. I’m
so happy that you’re Akira’s girlfriend.”

“Mom…”

“Please always stay by Akira’s side.”

“… Thank you so much.” Aoi-san thanked her while bowing her head;
however, both my mother and I noticed that her expression was gloomy.

Afterwards, we spent the rest of the night eating the dinner my mother had
prepared for us.

Aoi-san seemed nervous at first, but she gradually opened up.

I wasn’t worried because my mother was a good communicator—though

not as good as Izumi—but I could see that she treated her with more
affection than I expected.

After dinner, my mother finished washing the dishes and began preparing to
go home.

“Are you going home already, Mom?”

“Yes. I came with that intention, and I still have time to catch the last train.”

“I see.”

I asked her if she was going home, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit
disappointed.
If my mother stayed the night, I couldn’t let Aoi-san stay home.

“Akira, since I’ve come all this way, can we say goodbye outside the
house?”

“Yes, of course.”

“See you later, Aoi-san.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

Mom said goodbye to Aoi-san with a smile and left the living room.

As soon as we left the house together, I spoke to her at the entrance.

“Can you not tell Dad about this?”

“Yes. Of course. As I thought, I can’t tell him that you’re living with a girl.”

“Eh…?”

I was speechless when she suddenly said those words to me, even though I
had recently felt relieved that everything was going well.

“You don’t have to hide it. I’m not angry.”

“…Did Hiyori tell you?”

“I suspected Hiyori knew too. Just to be clear, I promise you that Hiyori
didn’t tell me anything.”

“So how did you find out?”

“After Hiyori came to visit you, she was acting a little strange, so I got
curious. That’s why I came here without telling either your father or Hiyori.
Although I must say, your father didn’t seem to notice at all.”

Now I understand why Hiyori didn’t contact me.

If that’s the case, Hiyori couldn’t have known either. I’m sorry for doubting
you, even for a moment, sister.

But still, for me to notice something strange about Hiyori, who never shows
any emotion and always has an expressionless face… well, I guess that’s to
be expected from a mother. There’s no way you can hide things from your
parents.

“But how did you find out that I was living with her?”

“I thought I’d clean up your room before you got home. However, I found
some of Aoi-san’s personal items in your room, as well as feminine
shampoo in the bathroom and other traces that made me think you lived
together. That’s when I understood everything. Yes, that’s how it was.”

Now I understand… I must not forget that I was discovered by Hiyori

because of Aoi-san’s hair.

“Aoi-san is a good girl, which is rare these days.”

“Yes… she is a very good girl.”

“However, I also think she is a very dangerous girl.”

Mom continued with a worried face.

“I won’t ask about the reasons why Aoi-san is going through this. But any
adult should be able to guess why a girl her age would live in someone
else’s house. I’m sure Aoi-san must have a much harder life than we can
imagine.”

“Yes, I think so…”

“The fact that you seem more worried than grateful is probably due to the
environment Aoi-san lived in. But Akira, do you really know what you’re
doing?”

Suddenly, Mom’s smile disappeared.

“Helping someone is a very difficult thing and involves great responsibility.
You know that, right?”

Mom was the one who always had a cheerful smile in front of the family;
however, seeing her serious expression for the first time, I felt as if she was
testing my resolve.

Therefore, with this question, I knew that I shouldn’t hide my feelings.

“I know.”

I know how big this responsibility is since that day when I brought Aoi-san
home.

“Still, I want to do my best to help her.”

I put as much sincerity as I could into my words and once again told her
and myself my firm decision.

“I won’t say anything if you’re prepared to go that far. Don’t worry, I won’t
tell your father, so do your best.”

“Thank you.”

Mom nodded with a smile and started walking out of the house, but after a
few steps, she stopped and turned around.

“By the way, are you planning on dating Aoi-san?”

“Huh? Did you… realize that we’re not dating?”

Mom changed completely and smiled as if she was mocking me.

“Well, if you saw Aoi-san, you’d understand. It’s not for nothing that I’ve
been a woman for over forty years. Aoi-san’s feelings for you are more like
those of a significant other than a boyfriend. Of course, it might not be just
that…”
Was it a female intuition, or was it something she could guess because they
were both women?

In any case, what bothered me was the somewhat implicit way of saying it.

“You don’t intend to date her?”

“… I don’t.”

“I see. I thought the reason you were helping her was typical boy behavior,
but I’ll stop asking so insistently. Just take a moment to reflect on your
feelings. Don’t ignore them, or you might regret it later.”

Mom said that and left the house with a small smile on her face.

I continued to say goodbye to her until her back disappeared into the
darkness of the night.

Then suddenly, the smartphone in my pocket announced an incoming call. I

took it out, looked at the screen, and saw Hiyori’s name appear.

“Hello.”

“Maybe Mom is on her way there.”

Her voice was calm, but she spoke too quickly; unusually, I could sense her
impatience.

“Yes, she just left here.”

“I see. Since she hasn’t been back here until now, I thought she might have
come to see you. So, how was it?”

“Well, she already knows that I live with Aoi-san, but that’s okay. You can
ask him to explain it better when you see him.”

“I understand. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m glad you cared about me.”

“I’ll call you back again.”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

“What?”

“Has Izumi contacted you?”

“Yes, she did. I also told her about my move.”

“I’m sorry… for postponing your chance to tell her because of my own
circumstances.”

“Don’t worry. I understand how you feel, Akira.”

Hiyori said that and ended the call.

As expected of my younger sister. Still, my family is too perceptive.

So I can only be thankful that, thanks to them, I was able to avoid this kind
of trouble.

After what happened, I sat for a while under the night breeze, thinking
about the future, not knowing that Aoi-san was listening to the conversation
I had with my mother on the other side of the door.

****

“This is the result of the final exams, but…”

After class, we surrounded Aoi-san’s seat and held our breath.

Aoi-san’s exam results so far had kept her from failing any subjects.

While her grades in all subjects were not average, they did reach the
minimum grade to pass. Now, despite us organizing a study camp, the fact
that Aoi-san was able to achieve such good results in such a short time was
the result of her hard work.
So, only the result of this exam remained.

Although it was possible to prevent her from failing other subjects, it would
be best to prevent her from failing all subjects if she wanted to make a good
impression on the teachers.

“How did it go… Aoi-san?”

Izumi asked with her hands together as if praying.

Then, Aoi-san held up the test results as if to hide half of her face.

“Ohhh…”

The score written in red was sixty-three points─────

“Hooray!!”

Izumi shouted in joy and hugged Aoi-san.

The students around us were startled by her excessively loud voice, though
I wanted to raise my voice as well.

“You did it, Aoi-san!”

“Thank you. Thank you all so much.”

Aoi-san showed a relieved expression as she hugged Izumi.

For our part, Eiji and I also felt the same way, and we heaved a long sigh,
probably because we felt relieved.

“You’ve worked really hard, Aoi-san. Hopefully, this will change the
teachers’ impression of you.”

“It will definitely change, even if they don’t like it. They had a student who
failed almost every subject in the midterm exams, but now she got a better
score.”
Listening to Eiji’s words, I really hope that’s the case.

Then Izumi started to speak while still hugging Aoi-san.

“Speaking of the teachers’ impressions, I heard that the head of the

orphanage we visited earlier contacted the teacher who accompanied us,
asking him to convey his thanks to Aoi-san.”

“Really?”

“Aoi-san, to fulfill the promise you made to that girl back then, you took
the trouble to see her several times, right? The head of the orphanage and
the others found out and called the teacher in charge to thank you.”

“Actually…”

As expected, she met with that girl.

“With this, we’ve achieved most of the goals we had in mind from the
beginning, haven’t we?”

“That’s right.”

As Izumi said, almost… no, I think it was better than I expected.

Although we worked hard to achieve it, the sense of accomplishment was

evident as it took shape.

During the summer vacation, Izumi created various opportunities for us to

hang out with our classmates, and every Sunday we participated in
volunteer activities. Therefore, there was no fear that the long vacation
would destroy what we had built, as we had initially feared.

However, if there was one thing we hadn’t resolved in the first term, it was
the problem of Aoi-san’s residence─────

We still haven’t found a solution to this problem, but we can’t say it can’t
be avoided. From now on, the issue is how to gather information about Aoi-
san’s grandmother, but for now, let’s leave it as it is and be happy.
“Anyway, with this, you were able to avoid extra classes during the summer
vacation.”

“That’s right.”

“Well, it’s decided; let’s celebrate in style!”

“So a party, but we’ve already had the hot spring bath party.”

“That was the party after finishing the final exams; this time it is for the
final exam results.”

Izumi said with a satisfied expression on her face.

“I feel like you just want to have a party.”

“I don’t deny it, but don’t you want to celebrate?”

I agree.

If the effort paid off, I wanted to celebrate.

When I thought that maybe Aoi-san had never had the chance to do that
before, I felt even more motivated to celebrate—so much so that I was
considering buying all the pudding on the way home.

“So, after school today, how about we go to your house, Akira-kun?”

“Okay. I also have something I want to talk to you about, so it’s perfect.”

“Alright, it’s decided♪” With that, the second party was scheduled to be
held at my house after school. As I watched the three of them having fun, I
started to think about what I should do during summer vacation.

****

“Once again, Aoi-san, congratulations on not failing any subjects!”

After school, the sound of cookies clinking echoed in my living room along
with Izumi’s voice.

On the table were a bunch of snacks and drinks bought on the way home
from school, as well as Aoi-san’s favorite pudding.

“Thanks, guys.”

“With this, you can have fun during summer vacation without worrying
about anything!”

“Yeah…”

Is it just my imagination?

Aoi-san’s expression seemed a little down as she replied.

“Where should we go for summer vacation~? The sea and swimming pools
are fine, but vacationing deep in the mountains would be nice too. If you
want, let’s go to all those places. We have plenty of time.”

“About that…”

I interrupted, apologizing to Izumi, whose head was full of plans for fun.

“I don’t just want to have fun during summer vacation; there’s one thing I
want to do.”

“What thing?”

Izumi tilted her head.

“I want to use summer vacation to look for Aoi-san’s grandmother.”

When I said this, both Izumi and Eiji listened attentively to what I was
saying.

“With your help, Izumi, Aoi-san became closer to our classmates,

participated in school volunteer activities, and her exam results were good.
So, I guess the initial problem we came up with has improved positively.
Honestly, I’m glad, but we can’t forget about the other problem, right?”

That problem is none other than Aoi-san’s housing situation.

Until now, I had put it off because I didn’t have much time, but if I wanted
to find Aoi-san’s grandmother, it was impossible for me not to take
advantage of the relatively free time during summer vacation.

“Of course, I know that it won’t be easy to find her since I don’t know her
situation at all. That’s why I want to use the free time during summer
vacation to search for clues.”

“I see. Then that’s it.”

Izumi turned around and started thinking seriously.

“But even if you tell us to search for clues, what should we do?”

“That’s the problem…”

I’m sorry for saying that without having a plan, but I didn’t have a clear
idea of what to do because the feeling of wanting to help came before my
thoughts.

“I think it’s okay for us to go out and have fun, right?”

Eiji then tried to steer the conversation back on track.

“No, like I said, it’s fine to go out and have fun, but we need a clue…”

“Let’s have fun here and there while searching for that clue. In fact, even if
we don’t know where her grandmother lives, there’s no doubt she’s in the
prefecture, so we’ll visit all the cities, towns, and villages while having fun.
If we search in different places, Aoi-san’s memory might be triggered, and
we might find a place that seems familiar to her.”

“…I understand.”
If you put it that way, it’s not a bad idea.

Just as I had completely forgotten about my first love until now, I was able
to remember it when I met Aoi-san. There is a chance that seeing various
places and scenery she encountered in the past will bring back memories for
her.

At least, this is much better than being confused about what to do and being
unable to act.

“What do you think, Aoi-san?”

When I asked her, she nodded.

“Thank you for thinking of so many things for me. However, I’m sorry to
ruin your entire summer vacation because of me…”

“Don’t say that!”

Izumi raised her voice before I could.

“It’s like killing two birds with one stone if we can find clues while having
fun. And please don’t apologize or say things like that. We are friends, so
it’s only natural that we help you, right, Akira-kun?”

“It’s another way of saying you want to have fun, but I agree with you.
Don’t apologize, Aoi-san. We’re all having fun, and most importantly, we’re
friends, so don’t be shy.”

“Yes… Thank you so much.”

However, it couldn’t be helped that Aoi-san was holding back.

The smile that appeared on her face as she said that was an apologetic one,
like the one she had when we first met.

“Since it’s been decided, let’s immediately start making a plan. Although
we have a month, it’s not enough time to go here and there without a plan.
First, let’s narrow down the most likely candidate locations based on Aoi-
san’s memories.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Thus, we started searching for possible locations using the map app on our
smartphones.

I’m sure we’ll have a busy but rewarding few days this summer.

****

That night─────

After Eiji and Izumi went home, Aoi-san and I finished dinner, took a bath,
and then relaxed in the living room.

Before I knew it, the clock hands had already passed eleven at night, and in
a way, it was a good time to rest.

“Aoi-san, I think we should go to bed now.”

“Huh? Ah, yeah…”

She held back her words as if there was something she wanted to tell me.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Her expression seemed rather stiff as she said that.

It was as if she was thinking about something, as if she were nervous.

“If you have something you want to tell me, I’ll listen.”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

As Aoi-san said this, we stood up and left the living room together.
“Good night.”

“Yes. Good night.”

We parted in front of my room, and I entered my room and lay down on the
bed.

Aoi-san seemed to be overwhelmed by something, but what was it?

She behaved like she always does when Eiji and Izumi are with us, so there
doesn’t seem to be anything wrong.

So, if she continues to act strangely tomorrow, I’d better talk to her.

As I thought about this, I was overtaken by sleep, and little by little, my

consciousness sank as if I were drowning. I wanted to fall asleep, so I was
about to do so, but…

“Mmm…?”

I suddenly felt an unusual warmth on my back. I opened my eyes,

wondering who it was, but my breathing stopped as I looked behind me.

“A-Aoi-san…?”

I don’t know what expression she had in the dark, but it was Aoi-san.

She was lying on the bed beside me, clinging to my back.

“What is it… Aoi-san?”

“………”

She remained silent.

What the hell is going on!? Why is Aoi-san in my bed!?

I can’t let my mind get confused by these thoughts and this unexpected
situation.
It’s as if she had sneaked out at night─────

“It’s okay…”

Aoi-san muttered that in a low voice; however, I sensed an unusually strong

determination in her voice.

“Aoi-san, tell me what is wa…?”

“You can use that thing Izumi-san gave you on me.”

“What─────!?”

In other words, she was referring to the act that boyfriends do to confirm
their love for each other.

“O-Okay…”

I can’t believe Aoi-san would say something like that.

This must be a dream. I thought I was having a realistic dream because I’d
experienced this fantasy many times, so I tried to pinch my arm that was
under the sheet, but the pain told me that I wasn’t dreaming.

Seriously… but why is she suddenly doing this?

“I can only repay you for everything you’re doing for me… with this.”

As soon as I heard those words, my mind instantly calmed down, so I raised

my body and faced Aoi-san.

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about giving me something in return?”

“… Am I not attractive to you?”

Under the moonlight, Aoi-san’s expression was distorted by sadness, but

despite that, I couldn’t accept what she was offering me.
“That has nothing to do with it. I am a man too, and to be honest, it is a
tempting offer. Besides, it’s not that I’m not interested, but… I don’t think
it’s right for you to give me your body in exchange for the help I’m giving
you.”
“………..”

“I am glad that you are willing to go this far for me, but I want you to take
better care of yourself. I told you before, I am not helping you because I
want something in return from you. I am happy enough with just your
feelings.”

“Yes…”

I am glad that Aoi-san has done something for me, and I understand that she
is trying hard to return the favor she received. However, there is no need for
her to do so since I have received enough in return.

If I had not started living with Aoi-san, I would not have realized that living
alone is lonely, and I would not have thought that being with other people
makes me happy.

I guess I’m used to being separated from people after repeatedly changing
schools, so it didn’t occur to me until recently that I didn’t want to be
separated from everyone.

I’m sure that being able to realize this is a blessing, and it was all thanks to
the presence of Aoi-san, who was by my side. Therefore, there is no need to
think about returning it with something.

“Come on, let’s go back to your room.”

“Yes.”

I walked Aoi-san out and made sure she returned to her room before
heading back to my bed.

I want to at least make Aoi-san feel less indebted.

And so, as I thought about what I could do for her, I fell asleep again.

****

The next day, Aoi-san’s attitude was the same as usual.

Because of what happened last night, I was worried that we might become
strangely aware of and uncomfortable with each other, but Aoi-san acted as
usual, as if nothing had happened.

Seeing her like that, I felt relieved and patted my chest.

However───── I thought about it afterwards.

Perhaps it was a mistake to reject Aoi-san’s night visit, as I think that was a
sign of her determination.

I couldn’t realize it at the time, so I made a face and politely declined.

Of course, even if I had realized it, I wouldn’t have accepted it, but at least I
should have been able to acknowledge her feelings… I think it would have
been different if I had at least talked about my feelings with her.

Even though Eiji had told me that “the more important a person is to you,
the more you have to talk to them,” I probably thought I understood Aoi-san
at some point, and in the end, I ignored her.

I have always hated this; by the time I realized it, it was always too late.

A few days later, on the day of the closing ceremony───── I went to

school before Aoi-san, as usual, and waited for her to arrive, but she never
showed up.
 Chapter 8: The True Feelings That Are Hidden

“Where is Aoi-san, Akira-kun?”

On the morning of the closing ceremony, Izumi asked with a worried

expression on her face.

“I… I don’t know. She should have been here already.”

It was almost time for school to start, but Aoi-san hadn’t arrived yet.

I always left home first, and Aoi-san left home a little later, but there had
never been a time when she didn’t come to school at this hour.

“Maybe something happened to her.”

“It’s possible…”

As we had this conversation, I looked out the window.

An unpleasant discomfort settled in my chest, likely caused by the black

rain clouds covering the sky.

The weather forecast said it would rain in the afternoon, but it wouldn’t be
strange for it to start raining right now.

“Didn’t she mention anything to you, Akira-kun?”

“No, she didn’t say anything like that. She looked fine, as usual.”

“So, haven’t you noticed anything unusual about her lately?”

“No…”
Something unusual─────

The moment when Aoi-san tried to repay me with her body flashed through
my mind.

“Maybe she had an accident…”

Izumi said with a trembling voice and a worried expression.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Besides, there’s still time. Let’s wait a little
longer.”

“You’re right.”

I looked at my smartphone as I said this to reassure her, but there were no

messages or calls from Aoi-san.

On the contrary, the message I had sent her a while ago was still unread.

In the end, the bell rang, and the tutoring session started without Aoi-san
coming to school. I hoped that she had contacted the school, but our tutor
had no idea why Aoi-san hadn’t arrived.

I could only assume that something had happened.

Maybe she had an accident, like Izumi said?

As soon as I started thinking about that possibility, a myriad of bad thoughts

flooded my mind.

On the other hand, the tutoring session ended, and our classmates started
walking toward the gymnasium to participate in the closing ceremony.

It’s not that I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t feel like participating in it at
that moment.

“Eiji, Izumi, can I talk to you for a moment?”

I called out to the two of them as they prepared to follow our classmates.
“I’m going to look for Aoi-san, so I’ll miss the closing ceremony. Please
explain this to our homeroom teacher.”

“Understood. If you can’t find her, call us. We’ll look for her as soon as the
closing ceremony is over.”

“Yes, please.”

After briefly telling them what I was going to do, I left the classroom.

I hurried home.

Perhaps she had suddenly fallen ill and was resting at home. That’s
probably why she didn’t notice my messages.

As I convinced myself of this, I arrived home and opened the door.

“… Aoi-san!”

But there was no response from Aoi-san; only the echo of my voice could
be heard in the house.

I went inside and searched the entire house for her, but there was no trace of
her. What’s more, her personal belongings had already disappeared from
Hiyori’s room, and when I saw that Aoi-san’s shoes were missing from the
entrance, it became obvious that she wasn’t home.

Despite that, I couldn’t help but continue looking for her.

“Aoi-san… Where did you go?”

I checked my smartphone again, but there were still no messages.

Maybe I can’t see her anymore─────

Thinking about it overwhelmed me with pain and emptiness, as if my chest

were being strangled.
I realized that I was shaking just from breathing, and even though I told
myself to calm down, I couldn’t control my emotions. Along with that eerie
feeling, the palms of my hands became cold, as if my blood weren’t flowing
properly.

Seeing how I felt, I forced myself to calm down and drank a glass of water
from the kitchen.

I took a deep breath, looked around the room, and saw a piece of paper on
the living room table.

“This is…?”

I picked it up and realized it was a note from Aoi-san.

“Thank you for everything.”

It was a phrase that clearly indicated a farewell.

But I didn’t think it was short.

Aoi-san, who isn’t good at expressing her feelings in words, must have put
everything she had into this phrase.

When I thought about how she must have swallowed everything she wanted
to say and left these words, I couldn’t help but wonder how many
complicated thoughts and feelings were behind her heart.

Aoi-san probably left because I didn’t realize her true feelings.

“…No, it’s not the time to regret such things.”

I held back my heart as it threatened to fall apart.

I didn’t realize it; I just have to ask her.

Just as I didn’t recognize Aoi-san’s true feelings, she didn’t know mine
either. And for two strangers to understand each other, they have to start by
talking.
So, even if Aoi-san doesn’t come back, I want to talk to her one last time.

As soon as I thought that, I suddenly felt strength returning to my legs.

I started running around the city looking for Aoi-san.

The first place I went to was where she worked part-time. Although I
thought it was impossible for Aoi-san to be there, I couldn’t help but hope
for even the slightest possibility.

“Excuse me!”

When I arrived at the café, I ignored the sign that said the shop was being
prepared and opened the door.

The manager of the café noticed me and looked at me in surprise.

“Akira-kun? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Is Aoi-san here…?”

I didn’t have time to catch my breath.

“No, she hasn’t come, and she doesn’t have an afternoon shift today, but…
Did something happen?”

“She didn’t come to school today.”

“Eh…?”

The hand that was getting ready to serve stopped.

“Do you know anything about Aoi-san?”

“No, nothing in particular.”

“I understand, I understand.”

“Wait a moment.”
As I was about to leave the café, he asked me to stop.

“I’ll look for her too.”

“…No, please stay here. Aoi-san might come by, so if she does, please stop
her.”

I told him this and wrote down my contact number on a notepad.

“This is my contact information. Please contact me if you hear anything

about Aoi-san.”

“Understood.”

After briefly explaining the matter, I ran out of the café.

I started looking for her at random.

I went to the park near my house where I met Aoi-san.

I went to the apartment where Aoi-san lived with her mother.

I went to the mall where we bought various things together.

I went to all the places I knew, but there was no sign of Aoi-san.

The sky was still strange, as before, and even though it was almost noon, it
was as dark as night.

I was so tired from running that I was about to stop.

“…Eiji?”

When I looked at my smartphone that suddenly rang, I saw an incoming

call from Eiji.

“Have you found Aoi-san?”

“No… When I returned home, there was a note saying ‘Thank you for
everything,’ so I thought she had left home with the intention of not coming
back. I went through all the places I could think of, but I couldn’t find her.”

“Actually…”

I must have been speaking on speakerphone because, besides Eiji, another

voice was heard. It was probably Izumi nearby.

“Maybe she’s not in town anymore.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Maybe she’s trying to do what we were going to do during summer

vacation, but on her own.”

What we were going to do was find the house where her grandmother lives.

“If Aoi-san could trust someone, then she would have no choice but to trust
her grandmother.”

That’s very likely. If so, there’s no way to find her.

“I don’t think so.”

Then Izumi spoke clearly.

“Aoi-san isn’t the kind of girl who would break all the ties she built with us
and disappear. Perhaps… she was just restless and worried, not knowing
what to do anymore, so she got a little lost. I’m sure that even now,
somewhere, she’s still struggling, unable to find an answer to her
concerns.”

I suddenly remembered the time when we first met. She seemed to be alone,
standing in the park, with nowhere to go.

“Find her, Akira-kun.”

I felt as if Izumi’s words had given me strength.

“…Of course.”

I will find her again and again, and bring her home again and again.

Even if she rejects me, even if I force myself to be kind, I still want to be by
Aoi-san’s side.

“But I can’t think of any other place she could have gone to…”

“If Aoi-san is still in this town, she might be in a place filled with memories
for her. At times like this, it seems like people unconsciously flock to places
that bring back memories for them. Unlike you, Aoi-san has been in this
town for a long time, just like Izumi and me, so there might be places you
don’t know about that hold a lot of memories for her.”

A place that holds a lot of memories for her.

Suddenly, a place came to mind when I heard those words.

“Do you know what kindergarten Aoi-san attended?”

“I don’t know… I’ve known Aoi-san since high school.”

“I see…”

If Aoi-san visits a place that holds a lot of memories for her, I think that
place is the one.

She told me before about the boy who held out his hand to her when she
was lonely and isolated. Speaking of the place that Aoi-san has the most
memories of, I can’t think of any other than that.

So, if that’s the case, I guess I’ll have to search all the kindergartens in the
city.

“I know where it is.”

“Really!? Where?”
I left aside how Eiji knew.

I don’t have time to worry about that right now.

“I’ll send the address to your smartphone. Akira, good luck.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

As soon as I finished the call, Eiji sent me the address.

I opened the map, checked the location, and unconsciously froze.

“Are you kidding me…?”

The name and location of the kindergarten appeared on my smartphone

screen.

It was the kindergarten that Eiji and I attended.

“How come…? Aoi-san and I went to the same kindergarten?”

No, now was not the time to think about that.

So, I put aside the questions that kept popping up in my head and hurried to
the kindergarten.

On the way, it started to rain.

The downpour that began as a light rain grew heavier as I approached my

destination, and when I finally arrived at the kindergarten, it was raining so
hard that using an umbrella was pointless.

“Here…”

Arriving at the kindergarten, I looked around while catching my breath.

It had been nine years since the kindergarten graduation ceremony.

It was strange that even though it was buried deep in my memory, I couldn’t
remember it, but when I visited and saw it, I felt nostalgic. Thus, I had the
feeling that my memories were gradually becoming clearer.

Today, it seemed that they had the day off, as the lights were off and there
was no sign of anyone.

“Aoi-san…”

As I walked through the courtyard, I saw Aoi-san in front of the fence

leading to the garden.

After regaining my composure upon finding her, I took a deep breath and
opened the umbrella.

I slowly approached and held the umbrella over her head.

“…Akira-kun?”

Aoi-san looked at me with a worried expression on her face, just like when
we met in the park that time.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay in a place like this without covering
yourself with an umbrella.”

Aoi-san nodded slightly and looked back at the kindergarten.

“Is this the kindergarten you attended, Aoi-san?”

“Yes. I wanted to see it one last time…”

I was convinced that Aoi-san intended to leave this town when I heard the
word “last” come out of her mouth, but at the same time, I was sure of
something else.

I didn’t think it was possible, but as Eiji said, Aoi-san attended the same
kindergarten as I did.

If that’s the case, naturally, Aoi-san and I must have met before.
Thus, I was once again faced with the question that I had put aside to look
for her.

Maybe it was because I had come to a place full of memories that the
scattered fragments of my mind and the stories I heard from Aoi-san all
started to connect.

A possibility had just been born─────

Back then, there was a girl who attended the same kindergarten where I
studied.

Now that I think about it, that girl—my first love—was always alone. I was
strangely curious about her, so I tried hard to talk to her. When I finally
managed to speak to her a little, we had to part ways because my father was
transferred for work.

That girl was always alone due to her introverted personality. At that time,
she met a boy who was by her side. Although they didn’t talk or play
together, she was comforted just by having him near her.

This is a mistake───── that girl was not Aoi-san.

I remember clearly now.

I’m sure her last name was Shinoda.

I still don’t remember her first name, but I do recall the name of that girl’s
family since it was written on the tag on her chest.

I almost thought that everything was connected, but my own memories

denied that possibility.

However, in the next moment, I realized that I had overlooked something

important.

“No way…”

It’s not impossible─────

“Can I ask you one thing, Aoi-san?”

“…What is it?”

“Aoi-san, when you attended this kindergarten, did you have a different
surname?”

“Yes. Before my parents divorced, I had my father’s surname, which is

Shinoda.”

Shock coursed through my body as I recalled the name of that girl.

“Aoi…”

I unconsciously covered my mouth and whispered the girl’s name.

Yes───── that girl’s name was Aoi Shinoda.

“……………”

Shock, nostalgia, and various emotions surged within me, leaving me

speechless.

I hope she’s doing well somewhere.

I thought it would be like a drama if we could meet again someday,

somewhere, but it turns out we’ve already met again.

This kind of thing is called fate, isn’t it? ─────

As all these emotions flooded my mind, one feeling overflowed.

I still want Aoi-san to stay with me.

“Let’s go home, Aoi-san.”

When I said this, Aoi-san shook her head.

“I can’t go to your house…”

“Why?”

“I can’t cause you more trouble than this…”

Her overflowing feelings sounded so weak that they were almost drowned
out by the sound of the rain.

“You’re not causing me any trouble. In fact, I’ve never thought about it that
way.”

“Yes. I know you think that, Akira-kun. Not just you, but Eiji-kun and
Izumi-san too; I know you don’t think I’m a bother to you.”

“Then─────”

“But that’s not right.”

Aoi-san bit her lip, her expression sad.

“I know it’s kind of you to do your best for my sake, but I still think I’m
causing you a lot of trouble. What’s more, I can’t give you anything back if
I keep accepting your kindness. Even if you tell me everything is fine, I
can’t… continue to accept it.”

Ah, I see. In other words, it was a matter of how Aoi-san perceived it.

She was grateful, but more than that, she thought she was causing me
trouble.

I never realized that our good intentions were tormenting Aoi-san without
us knowing. No, not like that───── Aoi-san had repeatedly said, “I’m
sorry for causing you trouble,” and she had also shown it through her
actions. She even tried to repay me by offering her body.

Aoi-san had been like this from the beginning; I just didn’t take her
seriously.

This may be a result of our inability to show the depths of our hearts when
we were so close to each other, but that doesn’t mean I can blame Aoi-san.
Given her feelings and personality, she definitely couldn’t express
something like that to someone who had helped her with good intentions.

Suddenly, Eiji’s words flashed through my mind: “The other party won’t
always talk about it.”

No matter how precious or grateful you are, there are definitely things you
can’t express with words. But even so, Aoi-san had said it.

So I must say what I can’t say.

Thanks to meeting Aoi-san, I understood what was in my heart.

“Even so, I still want to be with you, Aoi-san.”

“Akira-kun…”

Perhaps the words I tried to say to her were cruel; however, despite feeling
guilty, I asked her to stay with me.

But that wasn’t the case. That wasn’t what I truly wanted to say to Aoi-san.

“I’m not just saying this for your sake; I really want to be with you, Aoi-
san.”

My true feelings, which I couldn’t express to Eiji or Izumi, along with all
the emotions that had been weighing on my heart for some time, were
finally articulated in the following words.

“At first, it was for your sake, Aoi-san. I knew your situation and wanted to
do everything I could to help you, even if it was only until I transferred
schools, but halfway through, all of that changed…”

“… Changed?”

“It wasn’t for your sake anymore; it became for my own sake.”

“For your own sake?”

Aoi-san repeated my words, clearly trying to grasp their meaning.

“Anyway, I’m going to change schools. Until now, I saw it as something

inevitable, but ever since I met Eiji and Izumi and started living with you,
every day has been fun, and… I’ve reached the point where I don’t want to
change schools anymore. Somehow, I want this life to continue.”

The feeling I expressed for the first time squeezed my heart mercilessly.

“For me, changing schools has become a regular occurrence, so I’m used to
being separated from my friends. At some point, I stopped feeling lonely. I
never thought I’d have feelings like these, but I think… realizing all this
must be a blessing.”

Still, I continued, as if I were wringing out my words.

“Aoi-san, you said you couldn’t give me anything in return, but that’s not
true. I wouldn’t feel this way if I weren’t with you. I thought I would have
given up and changed schools again without understanding what was truly
important to me. Thanks to you, I have finally realized that.”

I know I can’t thank you enough; however, I couldn’t find the right words
to express it.

“I have received more than enough in return.”

“Akira-kun…”

My voice was shaking as I expressed my feelings. But I must convey them

properly until the end.

“I know you feel indebted, Aoi-san. I know that can’t be helped. However, I
want to spend the little time I have left together with you. Therefore, this is
not for your sake, but for my own, so please stay with me.”

These words are my true feelings, without lies.

“I need you, Aoi-san.”

I don’t think I expressed myself well, and I know I said something very
selfish. But when it was finally conveyed, I felt a sense of relief as my bad
thoughts faded away.

The silence continued for a while, and I felt that the sound of rain I had
heard until now had become very quiet.

“This is the first time someone has told me that they need me…”

Along with her words, I heard a sob.

Aoi-san kept tilting her head, so I couldn’t see her expression.

“Can I stay by your side?”

Her small voice seemed drowned out by the sound of the rain.

“Yes. Please stay by my side.”

Then, I placed my hand on her trembling hand.

I don’t know how much time had passed, but before I knew it, the rain had
stopped, and the sun was shining through the gaps in the clouds.
 Epilogue

“So how does it feel to meet the girl who was your first love again?”

A few days later, Eiji asked me that at the café where Aoi-san worked part-
time.

Probably because summer vacation had just started, the shop was packed
with students, and Aoi-san seemed busy for a while now.

“Nothing in particular… nothing has changed…”

In the end, it turned out that Aoi-san was that girl.

Of course, I was surprised, but even if Aoi-san hadn’t been that girl, I would
have done the same for her.

“I mean, Eiji… since when did you know that Aoi-san was that girl?”

“Of course, I knew from the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”

“Maybe you and Aoi-san went to the same kindergarten; Aoi-san and I also
went to the same kindergarten. Although we were never in the same class,
we were in the same elementary and middle schools. We were also in the
same school district, so it’s only natural that I knew, don’t you think?”

“I suppose that’s correct, but… if that’s the case, why didn’t you tell me
before?”

“It would have been boring if I told you, right?”

“B-Boring, you say…”

Eiji showed a strange, mocking expression.

“I thought that if fate brought you two together, you’d realize it at some
point, even if I didn’t say anything. I was surprised when you started living
with her without knowing that she was your first love. Since that turned out
to be interesting to me, I didn’t say anything because I wanted to enjoy it,
and boy, did I enjoy it.”

“What’s wrong with you? Did you know, Izumi?”

“No, I didn’t. He told me after ending the call that time. I was very
surprised when I heard it, but I was also touched. I thought, maybe this was
all a product of fate♪”

I felt cheated.

“So, did you tell Aoi-san?”

Izumi leaned on the table with a glint in her eyes.

“No… I haven’t told her anything.”

“Haa!? Why!?”

“Aoi-san still hasn’t realized that the guy from back then was me. I would
have done the same thing even if she wasn’t my first love, so I don’t think
it’s something I should tell her.”

“Of course it’s better to tell her!”

Izumi shrugged, her face a mix of shock and disbelief.

Although Izumi says that, what face do I use to tell her now?

The guy from back then was me, and my first love was Aoi-san, wasn’t it?
Back then, I was always by her side because I wanted to be friends with the
girl I liked, since I had hidden intentions, right?
No, no, no. Even if her first love from the past confessed to her, she would
have a hard time reacting.

“It’s okay. I’ll tell her for you, Aoi-san~!”

“Hey, stop it! She’s busy. Don’t bother her!”

Hearing her name, Aoi-san looked at us from behind the counter.

Then she tilted her head and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ Our gazes met, and
when I frantically waved my hand to show that it was nothing, she smiled
and nodded.

“It’s okay, Izumi. Let’s leave this to Akira’s judgment.”

“How boring.”

Izumi pouted, showing her dissatisfaction.

“There’s no need to rush; there will be plenty of time during summer

vacation. The fun has just begun.”

“That’s also true. Let’s think positively about it!”

Izumi seemed to be able to get excited immediately.

I didn’t tell her that I needed her to be more positive than this.

Then, inexplicably, Aoi-san, who had taken off her apron, approached our
table.

“Guys, can I join you?”

“Sure, but have you finished your work yet?”

“The manager gave me a break to eat. He said he would prepare some food
for everyone, so he told me to eat with you.”

“Hooray!!”
As I looked at the delighted Izumi, I bowed to the manager, who responded
by slightly raising his hand.

“Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s start planning our summer vacation.
This summer, we will visit various places and look for Aoi-san’s
grandmother’s house. By the way, it seems that Hiyori-chan is alone. Can’t
she come back here for summer vacation? I want to have fun with her, and
it would be better if we have more people for our mission, don’t you
think?”

“Wow. I think that’s a good idea. Try to contact her, Izumi.”

“Okay!”

Izumi quickly picked up her smartphone and called her.

“She said she agrees!”

The reply came in a matter of seconds.

When I looked at Izumi’s smartphone, it seemed like she intended to stay

here during summer vacation.

I won’t be able to live alone with Aoi-san… No, I better not say that.

“Alright. Now that all the team members are complete, we’ll have fun until
we’re satisfied this year!”

With that, the atmosphere became more festive, and we started talking
about the places we wanted to go during summer vacation.

It had been almost two months since I brought the lonely gyaru from my
class home.

On the other hand, it seems like this year’s summer is going to be the
busiest of my life. But before I realized it, the rainy season had ended, and
the sky looked very clear.
 Afterwords

Long time no see! I’m Haruto Yuzumoto.

It’s been a whole year since I completed my previous work, but I can finally
introduce my new project. To me, it doesn’t feel like that long, but time
really does fly, doesn’t it?

As some of you may know, this work, Class no Bocchi Gyaru wo

Omochikaeri Shite Seisokei Bijin ni Shiteyatta Hanashi, was originally
published on the YouTube channel Manga Angel Neko Oka, for which I was
responsible for the script. I began adapting it into a novel.

It’s currently being published as a series on Manga Angel Neko Oka and has
four episodes available so far. The story differs slightly from the novel, so I
encourage you to check it out as well.

In addition to that, I recently published a new work and will be releasing

another original novel with GA Bunko in November.

This upcoming novel is a completely original story that has no connection

to Manga Angel Neko Oka.

By the time you read this book, some information may have already been
released, so I hope you’ll keep up with the news as well.

Now, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude.

Magako-sama is the talented illustrator behind this novel. Thank you very
much for bringing our characters to life with your beautiful illustrations. I
hope you will continue to enhance my stories with your wonderful artwork
in the second volume and beyond.
By the way, I am personally a fan of Hiyori.

Asagiya-sama is responsible for the character design in Manga Angel Neko

Oka. Thank you for your collaboration on the release of the novel, including
the special manga and reversible cover. I look forward to continuing to
work with you on Manga Angel Neko Oka.

Finally, I would like to thank the editors and the editorial team for their
unwavering support.

Many thanks to the veteran writers and everyone involved in Manga Angel
Neko Oka for their collaboration in the creation of this novel.

And above all, thank you to all the readers who have purchased it.

I hope to see you again in the next volume.

 Credits

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