Chapter 2 – Keita Amano and All-out Defeat
Translator: your_pingas
After all, except during lessons, we are almost always invaded by this emotion in our school life. Whether it’s the short breaks between lessons that we have no places to go, the lonely lunchtime that we just plop our heads down and eat, or the time that we’re forced out to move out of the normies’ way when we’re on the bus.
We carry a fidgetting sense of “embarrassment” at all times.
The same goes for talking to other people as well. Everyone has a tongue twist once in a while. However, only people like us will screw it up at crucial times. The kind of mishaps that weren’t even adorable or hilarious at all. For example, the humiliation between girls accidentally said “good morning” as “good mourning” is entirely different than me, the guy that once read “next sentence” as “next penis” during lessons. To put it simply, that’s why…Uwah, my face flared up once I think about it. Sigh, how could I pronounce it like that… [Note: The pronunciations of “penis” and “sentence” are entirely different in Japanese.]
A-Anyway.
I’m an “Embarrassment Taster” that takes on all kinds of embarrassment in large doses every day.
This is the title bestowed upon on loners, …which is me at the same time, Keita Amano.
Alright, even though I held such an empty Embarrassment Taster title like this.
Currently, I still encountered the most embarrassing moment in my life.
“…………” “…………”
I made sporadic eye contact with the girl in front of me as I gulped.
The family restaurant, after school. Under the hustle and bustle with all the customers, only our seats are silent like we’re the eye of a hurricane.
A drop of sweat appeared on my temple…As a taster, I’m undoubtedly sure right now.
“Yes…This tangy, rich aroma, …and the color after fermenting, and constant mixing...Also, the intense sourness flooding out from my stomach…”
I took a deep breath when I thought about this. Then, …I managed to hold myself from vomiting and bulged my eyes
“Is this the rarest sight in the industry – The Hell!
-I’m alone with “my friend’s girlfriend” that almost kissed me in the after school family restaurant.
Have I encountered an even more embarrassing situation before?
Nope, there isn’t. It will be a big problem if there is. Even when I’m in 1st grade, the time that I yelled “Taiyaki!” sleepily on my great-grandma’s funeral wasn’t that terrible.
I kept sweating even when it’s not hot at all. My stomach hurts. I’m dizzy, and there’s a needle in my brain. At the same time, I’m feeling increasingly stuffy.
“…………”
The gal in front of my eyes…Aguri-san curled up her hair with her finger as she chugged countless cups of oolong tea down her throat from the drink bar.
She prompted me to start chugging my own oolong tea as well. So…
“Klink…”
We put the cup back onto the table at the exact same time.
“…………”
With that alone, …this moment is already as embarrassing as it could be. Both of us subconsciously lowered our heads.
…Embarrassment, hatred, anger, regret, anxiety, …and also the overwhelming of guilt to each other.
These kinds of emotions merged together in our hearts, and then we lost track of the words that should be said to each other. In the end, …we ended up spending 30 minutes doing nothing but chugging oolong tea.
…Why are we still coming to the restaurant together, are we trying to show off our wealth?
How should I put it? Even so, the two of us still thought that “we need to discuss this face-to-face” as soon as possible. In reality, it’s been two days since that incident passed. During this period, of course, Aguri-san and I tried our best to explain it to each of our partners…However, we’re just getting busy on our own. The two of us never had a uniform conclusion.
This is not going to go well…if we do care for our future.
No, we’re not trying to make up a conclusion.
Basically, Aguri-san and I can swear to god that our lips didn’t touch.
That’s true. However, …for example, if my explanation to Tendou-san is slightly different than Aguri-san to Uehara-kun’s, what would the two of them think? Will they be even more confused?
To avoid that kind of absurd tragedy (and it’s entirely possible to happen for us), Aguri-san and I must share the same acknowledgment. Then we’ll use it as a weapon against each of our partners…We both knew that in our hearts.
While we knew that…
“…!”
During this time, we accidentally made eye contact again, so we looked down…From the others, perhaps we look like a pair of fresh new couples.
However, our hearts are filled with…nothing aside from bitterness, not to mention sweet and sour.
“…Even so, …this silence has to end…”
I sighed and made up my mind to face the issue head-on
“Yes. Aguri-san was the one that leads the discussion usually. In times like this, the least I can do is…!”
To cheer myself up, I randomly grabbed the glass of oolong tea on the table and chugged it down at once. Then, I finally spoke up the first sentence-
“A-Amanocchi. That’s…my cup of oolong tea…”
“…………”
-I messed it up completely when I was about to say something. I banged my head onto the table a couple times as I mumbled with tears in my eyes.
“D-D-D-Don’t tell me I-I-I just indirectly kissed you i-in a situation like this…!”
I want to die. This way of screwing up things kind of fits my style. I’ve always been like this. When I tried to save something, I ended up getting despised for some dumbfounded reasons. A firm determination coupled with a cowardly end. My life has been repeating like this…So, I ended up being such a coward.
I tried to prevent myself from getting people’s attention, but I still continued to bang my head onto the table.
Aguri-san then chuckled quietly and smoothed things over.
“Hoho, you’re dumb, Amanocchi. It’s okay, the side that you sipped is the opposite of mine.”
“Ufufu, …r-really?”
I raised my head with tears in my eyes. During this time, Aguri-san nodded with a smile.
“Yep. Right now, I’m not going to lie on things like this. It’s alright, you didn’t mess it up-“
Suddenly, I let out a big sigh in relief as I continued happily.
“Ah, good to know that! Honestly, I don’t want to have an indirect kiss with you at all, absolutely not! Hiya, I’m saved! I really thought that I’m going to die!”
Aguri-san immediately pouted her cheeks.
“T-This is weird, for some reason, while your reaction is right since you have a girlfriend…However, I really wanted to beat you up hard right now!”
“Eh? No, sorry. Well, …I-I really wanted to kiss you indirectly! Alright, I’ll pretend that I’m the host of Gilgamesh Night and lick the other side of the cup with my tongue-“ [Note: Gilgamesh Night, a softcore porn Japanese TV show from the 90s.]
“That’s a no as well!”
“Ugh!”
I ended up getting punched. She’s quite brutal, and my cheeks hurt. Also, the waiter got scared away.
Aguri-san sighed. “Jeez.” Then, she leaned her body on the back of the seat and even drank the not-so-iced-anymore cold water instead of oolong tea.
I followed her and took a sip of my cold water. Then…
“Klink…”
When the noise of the cups being put on the table overlapped again-
“…Ho!”
-Aguri-san and I can’t hold our laughs anymore.
We laughed at each other carefreely for a while…Then, this time, we sincerely looked at each other’s eyes.
“Well, let’s start our emergency conference right now, alright, Amanocchi?”
“Alright, I understand, Aguri-san.”
We used this overly innocent opportunity and returned to normal.
*
“Amanocchi. Firstly, I need to confirm this no matter what.”
“Yes.”
After the conference started, Aguri-san crossed her arms on the table and looked at me face-to-face.
“We…barely counts as not kissing each other, right?”
“Yeah, of course. That’s obviously true, I have no doubt about it.”
The two of us nodded at each other. Then, …two seconds later, we sighed deeply at the same time.
“Phew…Hey, good to know that. I was confident that we didn’t kiss each other. Still, when Tasuku and other people suspected me, …I’m starting to get worried as well.”
“Me too. I’m the type of guy that’s never sure of his opinions. However, I think I’m definitely right about this. After all, I…”
“Yep, me too…”
After we said that, the two of us blushed as we gave our reason why we’re so sure.
“We were completely focused on our lips…”
This is reasonable. Although Aguri-san and I kissed the wrong person, …we were trying to “receive our boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s first kiss” at the time.”
If we did touch our lips a little bit, that feeling would be carved into our hearts forever.
Aguri-san continued helplessly.
“Ay, even though it’s true that the distance between Amanocchi and me was enough to cause a misunderstanding in everyone’s mind…”
“The same goes for me.”
We let out a sigh in relief again.
Aguri-san wetted her lips with a cup of water…Then, she suddenly stared at me.
“By the way, …when I found out the person in front was Amanocchi instead of Tasuku after the lights were turned on. I was so depressed!”
“W-Why are you acting like you’re the sole victim! I was the same as well! When the angelic Tendou-san in my mind suddenly turned into a rebellious gal, that’s a big disappointment!”
“Wha…! I-If you’re putting it that way, I was the one that was hurt the most when my handsome boyfriend turned into a bean sprout little kid!”
“What was that!”
“I’m putting it that way, fight me!”
The two of us stared at each other angrily. Then, around 5 seconds later, …we dropped our shoulders at the same time and sighed.
“This feels empty…”
As energetic as we are, we ran out of stamina to rub salt on each other’s wounds.
So, we ended this mutual attack and even took the beverages from the drink bar on our own to change the mood before we discuss it again.
“…Even so, Amanocchi, I didn’t mean to target you when I said that…However, I’m still the one that took the most damage.”
Aguri drank her cup of juice as she said that. I scratched my head.
“Yep, I’m really a disgusting otaku, sorry about that-“
“No, it’s not about that. While this “attempted kiss” incident is quite shocking and dwarfs other things, …I actually witnessed the scenery of ‘Konoha Hoshinomori sticking up to Tasuku’ as well.”
“R-Really…I understand.”
The “attempted kissing” is indeed a powerful bomb. It made me forget that aside from us, other partners that entered the maze have their own issues as well. Specifically, Aguri-san saw that Konoha Hoshinomori sticking real close to Tasuku Uehara. On the other hand…
“However, I witnessed the scenery of ‘Tendou-san cuddling with Chiaki’ as well, I should have taken the same damage, right?”
“No. How should I put it, …you can clearly sense that it’s just an accident between the two girls. No matter how I put it, you wouldn’t seriously suspect that they’re interested in each other, right?”
“Uh, you’re right…”
Even so, in actuality, a seed of suspicion that said “don’t tell me” was planted in my heart. However, I guess this is just a minor issue.
Aguri-san continued helplessly.
“But, when we compare the scenery of Tasuku sticking close to another girl to our attempted kissing, the impression should be far weaker. However, I’m still Tasuku’s girlfriend, this is still agonizing.”
“Hmm, …yeah, I get it.”
Even though this is just an accident, but if I saw Tendou-san cuddling with other boys, I would be shocked as well. Of course, I’m not going to overreact and scold the guy for being a cheater, but I’m confident that I’ll hesitate for a long time.”
“While that’s true, Konoha-san and Uehara-kun should be the same as well. An accident is an accident.”
“Perhaps you’re right…”
Aguri-san curled her lips out of her jealousy. I sipped some iced coffee before continuing.
“Especially Uehara-kun acted like he’s rejecting it.”
“Right, Amanocchi, Tasuku thought that it was you at that time.”
“Ugh…! W-Why…When I heard you said that, I feel like I’m shocked.”
“No, no, no, what’s wrong with you! Tasuku wanting to touch you is the main issue here!”
“Y-You’re right. But, for some reason, …I’m a bit thrilled.”
“Amanocchi, you’re too dangerous!”
Aguri-san clicked on her smartphone rapidly as she said that. It seems that I was on her watchlist for “potential cheaters of boyfriend” already, with a high ranking.
I willingly subjected myself to a treatment like this and continued chatting with her.
“Konoha-san was the one that I disillusioned myself from. Although she was already quite erotic- Uh, no, she’s supposed to be an innocent person. Still, I didn’t expect her to flirt with another girl’s boyfriend…It’s a guy that she just met…”
She was acting so repulsive just then…Well, to be honest, Uehara-kun is a handsome guy. Forget about girls, …even I’m willing to stick close to him. However, my rationality successfully held all these thoughts back.
Just as I’m complaining angrily, Aguri-san tilted her head unbelievably.
“Eh? No, I confirmed the color of the headphones’ lights later. Instead of that Konoha girl wanting to stick close to Tasuku, it’s more like her wanting to…”
Aguri-san is staring at me quietly…?
“You’re saying…the colors of the lights? Ah, …sorry, I didn’t remember what everyone was doing back then. I only remembered Tendou-san thought her partner was me. That’s why she hugged with Chiaki…Hoho….”
I suddenly remembered this critical event, so I can’t help but give a reveled smile. Then, Aguri-san gave me a dumbfounded look for some reason and even mumbled. “Sigh, …it’s a bad thing to cause troubles.”
“Hey, then where were we? We were talking about Konoha-san…”
“Ah, no, it’s fine. I wanted to say that girl is quite an anthomaniac, way different than her sister.”
“No, no, no, she’s not an anthomaniac at all…”
Although I immediately wanted to defend my friend, I went utterly speechless after that, sadly…Sorry, Konoha-san, I don’t think I can retort when others called you an anthomaniac…!”
I cleared my throat.
“Speaking of her sister, why did Chiaki cuddle with Tendou-san back then? Did she think that it was Uehara-kun?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Come to think of it, I think the girl never mentioned the color change of her partner's headphones.”
“Hmm…”
I’m getting more suspicious about the whole lesbian theory. Chiaki didn’t mention Tendou-san’s headphones color…Is it because Tendou-san’s color didn’t change? Didn’t Chiaki hug Tendou-san because she recognized her?
Just as I’m mumbling with a confused look, Aguri-san suddenly took a sip of my iced coffee and spoke to herself.
“After all, …it’s because she thought that it was Tasuku…”
Aguri-san drank half of my iced coffee directly like it’s nothing…Although we were freaking out with the indirect kiss just then, come to think of it, Aguri-san taking my stuff is nothing unusual. It’s just that I’ve never done the same to her…I feel I was dumb for getting immersed in the mood.
I led the discussion again.
“Well, we have to bear the most responsibility, though.”
“…Yeah.”
We let out a big sigh again. Aguri-san flattened herself on the table.
“I spent a lot of time explaining to Tasuku, and Tasuku did smile before saying ‘I understand’….But, honestly, I still don’t feel like they treat us as innocent.”
“The same goes for me. Although Tendou-san also smiled and said she understands, …that was just a ‘courtesy Tendou-san’ smile.
“But, we really didn’t kiss.”
“Yeah.”
“We are supposed to be innocent. Sigh, this world doesn’t make sense. Right, Amanocchi?”
“…………”
“Amanocchi?”
I didn’t go along with her, Aguri-san then stood up, and she looked at me.
As for me, …I stared at my crossed hands on the table and answered.
“No, …at least, it’s a fact that I hurt Tendou-san.”
“But, that was just the result of a string of accidents and misunderstandings…”
“Even so, a fact is a fact. I’m not shameless enough to hurt my girlfriend and smiled to think that “this has nothing to do with me” before leaving.”
“…………”
“Of course, …I’ve already explained that I really didn’t kiss with another girl. However, aside from that, I feel like…I need to express myself even more sincerely.”
After Aguri-san heard my serious explanation, …she seems embarrassed suddenly, and even scratched the back of her neck anxiously.
I noticed that and immediately tried to smooth things over.
“Ah, s-sorry. I didn’t say that to ask you to be more responsible. Compared to Uehara-kun, I feel like Tendou-san would be hurt deeper…”
After I said that, Aguri-san smiled in relief.
“Yeah, I guess I understand. After all, you two just started dating.”
“Yes. I think you and Uehara-kun developed trust for each other over time. So, as long as you explained clearly, you two can definitely move on from this temporary ‘shock’…Uh, but Tendou-san and I…”
“Hmm, …I know what Amanocchi is trying to say. But what are you going to do when you said that you want to show your sincerity?”
“Well…”
I was speechless…Although a couple ideas came to my mind, honestly, none of them are positive…Also, I feel like that’s guaranteed to piss Aguri-san off.
However, Aguri-san stared at me sharply like she knew what I was thinking. Her face turned stiff as she questioned me.
“Hey, Amanocchi, if you are trying anything funny…”
So, when she’s in the middle of her sentence.
“E-E-E-E-E-E-Excuse me!”
“!”
Accompanying the sudden greeting, an uninvited clump of seaweed appeared on our seat.
“C-Chiaki?” “Hoshinomori-san?”
She ignored that we’re still shocked and even stick her soft body to me and try to squeeze space for her to sit. Aguri-san and I immediately moved inwards as we went speechless.
Chiaki was the one that ran to us, but she blushed real hard like she’s very embarrassed…However, at the same time, she glared severely at Aguri-san and me
The situation is too sudden, we can’t say anything. Chiaki told the waitress, “Uh, I want to order drink bar services as well!” After a short explanation, she put her bag next to her and took a deep breath…
Then, as if she’s trying to blame us, the girl cried out for some dumbfounded reason.
“I-I still…I still can’t acknowledge the r-r-relationship between y-you two! I-It’s because…It’s because I…I…! I also…!”
“…What?”
“…W-What?”
So, this is it.
No one understood the situation, the three of us was clouded with confusion.
*
“I-I’m really sorry…”
Chiaki slowly sipped her water as she blushed even more and plopped her head down.
Aguri-san and I looked at each other and sighed helplessly.
…Around 5 minutes after Chiaki’s intrusion, she finished listening to our explanation of this meeting. When she understood the situation, her anger disappeared quickly and entirely reverted to that…embarrassed Ms. Chiaki Hoshinomori mode, which is the same as me.
She still lowered her head and explained before grabbing her drink.
“No, well, …our parents aren’t home today. So, Konoha and I came to the family restaurant for dinner…However, when I witnessed the moment that you two are talking to each other intimately, my mind replayed that scene a couple days ago. My anger flared up…Once I realized, I’m already sitting next to Keita…”
“…Really.”
To us, her explanation seems a little vague.
“If it was Tendou-san, it’s reasonable for her to burst into here like that since she’s my girlfriend…But why did Chiaki got angry at times like that…”
That sounds like she’s falling in love with me. Hmph, this isn’t a rom-com, anyway.
If that’s the case, hmm, is it because of rage? For example, Chiaki thinks that Aguri-san and I have our own lovers. This is too despicable…Is she even that serious towards love? But I guess Chiaki is slightly interested in Uehara-kun…Hmm…
…It’s kind of unrealistic, no matter how you think of it. Even so, Aguri-san and I have no interest in bullying Chiaki anymore.
Aguri-san spoke up, signaling that she’s trying to smooth things over.
“Y-Yeah, I’m already alone with Amanocchi only a couple days after that. This feels not right. We’ll admit that. However, that’s the reason why we picked another family restaurant…”
She said that and glanced outside the window.
“…By the way, even if this counts as downtown, it’s still more or less quite close to Hoshinomori-san’s home…”
“Yeah, …I’m sorry. Although it’s not like a couple steps away, our family will get dinner here based on its taste and price…I’m really sorry…”
“No, there’s nothing you need to apologize for…”
Aguri-san gave me an awkward look and signal me to think of a way to get out of this…W-Why do you have to ask me…
“…C-Chiaki, what games are you playing recently?”
“You’re way too terrible at chatting, Amanocchi! I can’t believe you got the nerve to talk about gaming with a depressed girl!”
Aguri-san complained at the top of her voice. However-
“Ah, I started playing Dragon Blood Tree’s Maze 5. Keita, you played that as well, right?”
“You two are chatting!”
Aguri-san was shocked. I focused on talking with Chiaki.
“Of course! I’m on level 3. What about you?”
“Me too! Man, why does the middle part is the most compelling in these type of games!”
“It’s super effective as well! What’s wrong with gaming otakus! They’ll go high whenever someone throws the word ‘gaming’ out!”
Aguri-san seems to be talking about something, but us gamers can’t hear her already. Chiaki and I sat next to each other and even turned our bodies as we chatted enthusiastically.
“I know you! When there’re a lot more missions available in the mid-game after you passed the tutorial, it really excites me!”
“Yeah! Especially when there’s a job system in the game. After you found a quick level-up spot in the mid-game or late-game, the ‘experience ceiling’ is expanded at once. It feels my heart with hope and expectation, and that’s the best part!”
“I 100% agree with you! Level 3 in this generation is exactly the same! I stopped advancing through the main storyline for 10 hours, just to level up my character!”
“Yeah! That’s it! Once you start leveling up, it already feels like you’re not doing it to beat the boss, you’re just doing it for the sake of gaining experience! You don’t like going through the story anymore, am I right!”
“I feel like I would just live there. That’s like getting stuffed up in an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
“That’s a great metaphor, Keita!” Sigh, but that sense of depravity is a fun part of the game…”
“That’s true, Chiaki-san.”
The two of us just looked at the sky and let out a reveled sigh.
…At the opposite seat, Aguri-san put her elbows on the table and looked at us dumbfoundedly.
“…How should I put it? If we put all the complicated situation aside, …how about you two just start dating right away?”
She seems to be babbling about something, but Chiaki and I are entirely devoted to chatting about the game, so we didn’t have time to care.
Just as we’re relished in this blessed moment like we’re in a hot spring, we spoke up at the exact same time.
“By the way, the best part of this generation is still-“
“By the way, the worst part of this generation is still-“
Then, both of our voices overlapped.
“The girls are all pretty cute.”
“…………”
“HUH?”
We instantly glared at each other fiercely. Suddenly, loud claps can be heard from the seat in front.
“Yo, Master Amano! Master Hoshinomori! Hiya. Although I saw the small conflicts between you two in the past, …I’m still throbbed when I saw such a concrete and classical argument plot! I feel like I just watched a traditional performance. I learned something. I’m super delighted right now.”
Aguri-san is getting thrilled over nothing, but we don’t have time to care for her.
Chiaki and I discussed moe elements for 15 minutes straight just as usual. When we exhausted our energy, we finally realized that Aguri-san is still here…Both of us apologized to her.
“S-Sorry…”
“It’s okay. I appreciated your performance. It’s a wonderful pre-dinner show.”
Once we snapped out of it, Aguri-san is eating a bowl of French fries that she ordered some time ago. She even treated our fight as a side dish and seems to be enjoying it.
Then, Aguri-san directly asked an unbelievable question.
“By the way, how many kids do you two have?”
“No, we’re not married.”
“Really?”
Aguri-san was thoroughly shocked for some reason. Also, Chiaki blushed suddenly as well. She doesn’t need to be that pissed with a joke of this level, right…
Anyway, the embarrassing atmosphere caused by Chiaki gradually disappeared.
After Chiaki took a beverage from the drink bar, we grabbed the opportunity and asked her about the incident.
“Chiaki, about the things that happened in the amusement park…”
“Ah. I get it, you two kissed on that day, right?”
“No.”
We started explaining to Chiaki once again. Although she’s unwilling to admit it, she understood what happened and nodded.
Chiaki took a sip of the warm black tea before pouting.
“But, from my perspective, I only felt that you two ‘kissed’ each other.”
“Ah, …right…I guess so…”
Aguri-san and I found this troublesome. If Chiaki viewed it that way, …this means that other people’s reaction has to be the same. This is an actual ingrained issue. Even if we actually didn’t kiss, their testimony is more concrete. We would have lost if this is a lawsuit.
So, even Chiaki seems to be trembled by our reaction. She gave us a slightly caring look.
“Well, …even so, we’re not absolutely not believing you two. It’s just that…we can’t find a compromise between that and what we’ve witnessed.”
“U-Ugh…”
This is a crucial point. However, at the same time, this is just increasing our frustration. We can’t do anything to help it…But it’s because we can’t help it, there’s no used to continue to be bothered.
I decided to change the topic.
“By the way, Chiaki, I don’t really understand a part since then.”
“Really, which part?”
Chiaki elegantly took a sip of her black tea as she answered. I asked her without meaning anything.
“Chiaki, why were you shocked when you saw Aguri-san and me kissed?”
“PFFT!”
Ms. Chiaki spewed all her black tea out. Luckily, it was only on the table and didn’t reach the food or anyone. I do feel terrible for her. Chiaki is coughing hard from her choke, she even wiped the table with tissues quickly as she answered.
“I-It’s nothing, uh, well, well, it’s because, because…”
“C-Calm down, Chiaki. That’s the first time I’ve seen such a reaction aside from humor comics. So, I don’t know what to do, just calm down for now, anyway.”
“A-Alright…Phew, …ha…”
“You good?”
“Yep, …I’m fine. Sorry for scaring you two. I’ll take a sip of my black tea first.”
“Alright, glad to hear that…Anyway, why were you shocked when you saw Aguri-san and me kissing-“
“PFFT!”
“You’re like a character in comics! That’s incredible!”
Aguri-san and I were quite amazed by that at this point. She didn’t mess up anything except the tables, that’s precision. It’s like a kind of unique ability.
Just as we’re staring at Chiaki with sparkling eyes, she quickly wiped the table with tissues and cleared her throat.
“O-Of course, …it’s not common to see my friends in separate relationships kissing each other in front of me. It’s hard for me to not feel shocked.”
This is absolutely reasonable. However…
“But this isn’t enough to hurt your heart, right? However, including your little sister Konoha, I felt like you two are overreacting…”
The Hoshinomori sisters are just as shocked as Uehara-kun and Tendou-san. This is weird once you think about it.
I asked a question purely, but Chiaki’s eyes started rolling around for some reason.
“Uh, it’s nothing. That’s just because, …well, well…”
So, at the next moment, an unexpected person came to her aid.
“Amanocchi, don’t act like that. It’s quite shocking and hurtful when you witnessed two unexpected friends kissing alone.”
Aguri-san swung her finger while letting out her disapproval. I can’t help but tilt my head.
“Aguri-san? Uh, …what do you mean by that?”
“Well, here’s an example from your perspective…For instance, how would you feel if you saw Hoshinomori-san kissing with that Mizumi guy?”
Eh, …Mizumi-kun and Chiaki…?
“Uwah! Although I don’t understand the reason, I feel like I would be shocked!”
I took more damage than expected after I imagined it! What is this! This feels disgusting. Two friends that I don’t even know how they connect to each other just unexpectedly kissed! I’ve never imagined such a horrible scene even when I’m still in my loner stage! I’m defenseless!
Just as my heart is pounding, Aguri-san blinked slightly at Chiaki. To that, Chiaki hastily lowered her head and thanked her…What’s with that interaction between them? Chiaki appreciated her so much just for conveying her thoughts. I think it’s too ridiculous…
Anyway, I understood how Chiaki feels. I apologized to her once again.
“Sorry, Chiaki. I think I understand that you’ll be shocked as well.”
“R-Really? That’s good…Phew…”
Chiaki finally calmed down and drank her black tea.
I smiled and continued.
“Chiaki, I really don’t like seeing you kissing another boy.”
“PFFT!”
“What’s triggering it now!”
I freaked out when Chiaki spewed her black tea again. At the next moment, I was somehow glared by the two girls fiercely.
“Shut your mouth when others are drinking!”
“This is unreasonable!”
I was the one at fault again! I didn’t even say anything remotely hilarious! Chiaki should be the one to blame for acting so brainlessly!
I thought about this, but the stress coming from the two girls is immense. So, I zipped my mouth.
Chiaki finally sipped her black tea normally and slowly. She rested for a while.
“Phew…Anyway, our sisters’ reaction isn’t the most significant issue right now. The main problem is you two’s partners, right?”
“You’re right…”
Honestly, we tried to move away from the issue explicitly when Chiaki showed up. However, the main problem is indeed not the brainless reactions of the Hoshinomori sisters.
Chiaki secretly glanced at Aguri-san as she continued.
“However, uh, it’s not right to say this in front of Uehara-kun’s girlfriend…But, I don’t think he understands the concept of chastity, am I right?”
“It’s really not right to say that in front of a girl! But, …the regretful thing is, I can understand what Hoshino is trying to say…”
“H-Hoshino?”
Chiaki was confused at Aguri-san’s sudden change in naming. Aguri-san continued like it’s nothing.
“After all, the name ‘Hoshinomori-san’ sounds pretty long, right? Including the Hobby Club, we obviously have a lot of chance to talk, so it’s quite weird to keep calling you that. A nickname should be allowed, right.”
“A nickname…nickname…My friend just got me a nickname…Ho, ho, haha, …hahahaha…”
Chiaki laughed disgustingly. This feels creepy…Although I wanted to tell her, the regretful part is, I also understand how precious it is to have a nickname from your friends.
Even so, I guess Aguri-san is just trying to shorten the name, so she continued with the intention of smoothing things over.
“Uh, I can change it back if you don’t like it…”
“No, please just use the nickname! Yes, please call me with the nickname!”
“Really, if that’s so, …I’ll keep it like that. Right, then I…”
“Ah, well, please let me call you Big Sis!”
“Big Sis?”
Aguri-san and I were surprised at this, but Chiaki answered like there’s nothing wrong.
“The name ‘Shin-chan’ doesn’t carry any negative meaning. To a person that’s willing to give me such an adorable nickname, how can I not treat her as a superior!”
“Eh, we’re equals! I hate it when a girl at my age call me Big Sis! It’s like when Amanocchi treated me as some kind of god, why are you two thinking so highly of me right away!”
“I-It’s because…”
“It’s not because! How about you just call me ‘Aguri-san’ like usual!”
“T-That doesn’t feel right!”
The two girls went back and forth about the name…So, 5 minutes later, the two finally managed to find a compromise and solution.
“W-Well, Hoshino will call you ‘Agu-nee’ from now on…”
“I-I guess it can’t be helped…”
After the conclusion is made, the two of them greeted each other with a smile.
“Well, nice to meet you, Hoshino.”
“Yes, Agu-nee.”
I followed them soon.
“Nice to meet you, seaweed head.”
“Shut up, you bean sprout midget.”
We fought each other with furious glares. Aguri mumbled dumbfoundedly. “In a sense, I’m quite envious of the relationship between you two…” I don’t understand at all why she is envious of our fierce rivalry.
Then, Chiaki cleared her throat and continued.
“Uh, well, about Uehara-kun. Well, what I want to say is that…at least when compared to Tendou-san, he’s the kind of guy that can let this go quickly. So, as long as you explain it clearly, I feel like there’s a good chance that he’ll understand.”
“Really…Hmm, if Shin-chan said that, I feel a bit better now.”
Aguri-san cheerfully scratched her cheeks…Just like when they’re calling nicknames, I think these two people are way closer now…Although, from my perspective, they should be love rivals in fierce competition.
Just as I’m pondering dazedly, Chiaki dampened my enthusiasm right away.
“However, Tendou-san will not let this go that easily, Keita. How should I put it…It’s because she’s innocent and has a love for cleanliness. Even when you explained everything, it’s hard to estimate how hurt she would be…”
“Yeah…”
She has the same idea as I do. No matter whether we kissed or not, …before we discuss the truth, Tendou-san was perhaps already severely hurt when she witnessed that scene.
Chiaki took a step further and asked me.
“Keita, what are you going to do with her?”
“Uh, …about that, actually, …I’ve already made up my mind on how I should ‘end’ this.”
“End? What does that mean…”
“Hmm…”
After I took a sip of the iced coffee, I showed the girls my determination once again.
“Firstly, if Tendou-san lost all hope with me, …I’m planning to cut all ties with her when the time arrives.”
“WHA-“
The girls were speechless. Then, they freaked out and immediately spoke up.
“No, no, no, Amanocchi, you don’t need to be that resolute suddenly…!”
“Agu-nee is right, Keita! Your idea is way too extreme, no matter what! That’s your bad habit!”
The two scolded at me. Even so, I’m still not backing down.
“No, I think I need to go from an extreme perspective. After all, …as boyfriend, I literally kissed another girl in front of my girlfriend. It’s hard to find a more lethal attack than this one, right?”
“Well…”
“Even if our lips didn’t touch, nothing changes if Tendou-san can’t clear away her suspicion. Also, instead of making her uncomfortable and keep maintaining this relationship where only I can benefit…I need to act decisively and cut all ties, even if that will make her hate me. She has a great future ahead of her. I shouldn’t drag her down.”
That’s the same as me in the spring. I had a great time because of Tendou-san.
“…………”
The two girls back down and fell silent. I quickly cheered them up.
“N-No, we still don’t know how it will end yet. Perhaps Tendou-san will 100% believe our explanation and agree that we didn’t kiss. So, it’s not guaranteed that we’ll break up. How should I put it, I’m just talking about my own realization and decision. Right, whether did we break up or not, I need to bring an end to something else, and that is-“
“A-Amanocchi!”
During this time, Aguri-san gave me an all-out look and suddenly interrupted me.
I stopped and looked at her. Then, she sat upright and lowered her head to apologize.
“A-Amanocchi…Well, uh, I’m sor-“
“W-Wait up!”
This time, I was the one that interrupted Aguri-san. She was shocked as I hastily continued.
“Aguri-san, what are you trying to apologize for! Please don’t do that! If you say sorry right now, doesn’t that make us look like we actually kissed each other!””
“But, …even if we didn’t, if you ended up breaking up with your girlfriend because of that…”
“Aguri-san, this is at least absolutely not your fault. It’s more like, if you just bear the responsibility carelessly, it’ll only make Tendou-san and I feel uncomfortable. So, …instead, you need to be yourself and act politely.”
“Amanocchi..”
“Aguri-san silently looked at me…Then, she nodded her head confidently.
“…Okay, I understand. I won’t say anything or apologize. I will just…pray silently in my heart and wish that things will be beautiful with you and Tendou-san.
“Thanks, Aguri-san.”
Aguri-san and I smiled at each other warmly. During this time, …for some reason, as if she’s trying to compete, Chiaki injected into the conversation as well.
“W-Well! I’ll back you up as well!”
“Eh? Yep, okay, thanks…?”
“Also, Keita, even if you broke up…Uhhhh, it’s not like your future is totally over yet! There’s a chance for you to continue your youth! You can have a great life!”
“W-What? I can still…continue my youth?”
“Yes! T-Think about it…For example, …uh, p-perhaps there’s another girl who matches you perfectly as well…T-That development is quite possible…”
For some reason, Chiaki blushed as she mumbled at last…Uh, what’s wrong with her? Is she nervous because she’s not used to smoothing things over for people? Even so…
“Eh, it’s not going to happen, Chiaki.”
“Why are you so sure!”
Chiaki was somehow struck hard. I continued with a serious look.
“We’re talking about me, the lonely passerby Keita Amano. Also, I just experienced ‘a relationship with Karen Tendou,’ which had already exhausted all my luck in my entire life. Usually, …the rest of my life is a straight path towards being a mage. It’s more like being able to date Tendou-san for a short time is already a miracle. I will forever treasure that memory.”
“You are taking yourself too lightly! Even though I’m the same as well!”
“Moreover, you can expect how much I’ll earn based on my crappy base stats…With this, I guess even the women that are just trying to scam won’t get near me as well.”
“Please don’t talk about your miserable future this calmly! K-Keita, where are your hopeful adolescent delusions?
“That’s not a problem. I’m looking forward to becoming the first person to use the strongest fire magic ever!”
“Please don’t look forward to learning magic! D-Don’t be so apathetic!”
“Chiaki, please team up with me as a mage when the time is right! We’ll play together!”
“Why are you dragging me down as well! I-I still haven’t given up on my life yet!”
Chiaki ran out of breath as she complained. Hmm, I didn’t expect this. Does she wish for a future with a boyfriend? Ah, is it Uehara-kun? However, hmm, …even though she got a confession somehow before; if he already had Aguri-san, who’s such an incredible girlfriend, I feel like the competition will be harsh..
Just as I’m thinking, Aguri-san, who nearly finished all of the fries on her own, spoke up.
“Well, it’s been a long day. I think it’s time for us to go, right?”
“Ah, right. Uh, what about you, Chiaki…?”
“Ah, I’ll wait for Konoha here- Oops, just a second.”
Chiaki pulled out her smartphone that seemingly got a message and checked. Then, a few seconds later, she let out a big sigh as she hastily prepares to leave.
Aguri-san and I were confused. So, Chiaki explained.
“Konoha wants to watch TV shows, so she’s planning to get her dinner from the convenience store…I guess I should go with you two.”
“Alright.”
So, the three of us left the family restaurant. During this time…
“Ah, right. That ‘something that I want to bring an end to’ was skipped…”
Although I noticed about this, there’s no reason to go back to the seat and chat now.
We went outside after we paid at the cashier. The sun was already gone when it’s not even 6.
The three of us chatted halfheartedly as we strolled on the street.
“The sunset is so early now.”
“Yeah.”
“This feels the same as Amanocchi…”
“While I’m not sure what are you trying to say, anyway, can I punch you?”
“Please don’t do that, Keita! Why are you so violent to Agu-nee?”
“That’s a dumb question, Chiaki. It’s because she’s Aguri-san.”
“That’s a dumb answer, Keita. This doesn’t make any sense! Don’t you think you two’s relationship is too unique!”
We were delighted at this bizarre conversation. This is the salvation that I don’t have when I’m a loner. When the two girls are around, who I kept arguing with, …right now, I sincerely appreciated that…H-However, it’s because I’m unwilling to tell Aguri-san and Chiaki directly. But I should thank them in my heart…Really, thank you so much.
Then, Chiaki is seeming trying to mediate the argument between Aguri-san and me. So, she went close to me forcefully and started to chat about gaming.
“S-Speaking of Dragon Blood Tree’s Maze, the bosses are challenging this time!”
“Eh? Oh, …it’s actually hard. You need to fight your way to the boss without a lot of save points. It’s tough to challenge again as well.”
“Yeah. I ended up spending all my effort on leveling up instead of fighting the boss without noticing…Moreover, the punishment for a game over is really harsh.”
“Yeah, you’ll lose all your items once you lost in this generation…Thanks to this, currently, my team is very fragile from my losing streak.”
I smiled bitterly at Chiaki. So, she gave me a surprised look.
“Eh? Why? Didn’t you also level up your team before you fight a risky boss like a well-prepared player? Why are you wasting your time for additional tries and even sacrificing all your stuff…”
“Oh, …right, you’re correct. But…”
I looked forward, as I answered.
“Recently, I feel like it’s an excellent experience to screw everything and just go all-out and challenge something that’s guaranteed to result in a defeat.”
“I can understand that if you’re talking about fighting games…But, in RPGs that carry risks when you lose, there’s no benefit for a defeat at all…”
“Hey, of course, I want to win as well. But ‘Challenge, Defeat, Lose’ sounds like an enjoyable gaming experience as well. I think. I started to believe that recently.”
I smiled as I conveyed my idea. Then, Chiaki…answered with a slightly lowered head.
“…That’s exactly what Tendou-san would say, Keita.”
“Eh? Right, …I guess you’re right once you said that. Really? While I don’t look like it, I think I was influenced by Tendou-san quite a lot without me knowing it.”
I agreed wholeheartedly with Chiaki’s point, so I can’t help but give her a smile. However, for some reason, …she answered me with an empty smile.
“?”
I’m not sure what she meant. Just as I’m about to ask her, at that moment, Aguri-san, who’s at the front, turned back and asked us.
“By the way, Amanocchi and Hoshino, is it fine for you two just walk to downtown with me?”
After she asked that, we stopped talking about gaming and answered.
“Ah, yes. I’m taking the bus. Let’s walk together for now.”
“I-I’m meeting Konoha at the station as well. It’s alright.”
“Okay. Then let’s go to the bus stop.”
So, the three of us partnered up and walked along the streets in the night. I initially wanted to ask Chiaki what does her reaction mean…However, right now, she’s chitchatting with Aguri-san, so I missed the chance.
Sigh, I can’t just keep bothering her. I changed my mind and looked at the roads dazedly.
…But, by the way, come to think of it, it’s quite rare for the three us to be in a group. Although we’re all Game Hobby Club members, perhaps it’s not easy to only see a 3-person gathering.
“The Keita Amano that’s walking on the streets at night with a gal and a seaweed head…I don’t even know what will the former self think if he saw this.”
No matter how you put it, I feel like my relationships had a massive change in these few months. Even so, meeting with these two people is just the start. The most shocking fact is still “becoming couples with the legendary Tendou-san.”
“A couple, right…”
I still felt like this is unrealistic by today’s standard, …not to mention me a few months ago.
But it’s hard to blame me. The opportunity for us to start dating is literally-
“Eh, w-weird?”
“What’s wrong, Aguri-san?”
Since Aguri-san stopped suddenly, I snapped out of my thoughts and asked.
So, Aguri-san pointed at the bus station that we can see already, and she even looked back at me with a perplexed look.
“…I think I saw Tasuku, Tendou-san, …and Konoha-san…walked into the station together…”
“…What?”
…………
…On the same street, there seems to be another unlikely trio.
*
When we walked into the station, we saw the three arguing over something on the sofa in the middle of the hall.
Just as we’re rushing there, we began to slowly hear what they’re fighting over.
“-I’ve said this many times. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“If that’s so, how would you explain the fact that you played with my body during the date!”
“This is injustice!”
“Look, you’re using erotic words like ‘injustice’ again!” [Note: The pronunciations of ‘injustice’ and ‘wet clothes’ are the same in Japanese.]
“Eh, what’s with the unreasonable accusation! Who’s the erotic one here!”
“It’s Trashara-senpai, of course. Anyway, I bet 80% of your brain is thinking about ‘a big breast, defenseless, young wife with clothes wetted’ when you said that’s injustice.”
“That’s real injustice when you put it that way!”
“Please just calm down. We shouldn’t be arguing like that in public…”
“Sigh, Tendou-senpai, you got some issues as well. Although you’re trying to act like a mediator just then, I’m just as mad at you! You already have Amano-senpai as your boyfriend. I can’t believe you’re still walking on the streets alone with a pornstar that sold his body like him…”
“No, like I’ve said before, we really just met each other coincidentally. Then, you’re the one that overreacted and makes a big deal over this-“
“No, no, no, Tendou. You should ask her to take back that whole ‘pornstar that sold his body’ thing-“
The three of them seem to be in a standoff. Although we’re close enough to hear what the three are saying clearly, …we stopped walking towards them and came to a standstill.
That’s because…
“Uwah, I don’t really want others to know that I’m friends with them…”
Our thoughts are perfectly synchronized here.
We looked at each other and nodded before deciding to leave quietly-
“Eh, weird, Amano-kun? That’s you, Amano-kun, right?”
“-Shit!”
“What?”
Tendou-san was struck with the fact that her boyfriend just swore to her brutally. I’m sorry, Tendou-san…However, I think the problem has to do with the people talking like that in the station…
Anyway, we can’t help it when we’re busted. We turned our heads stiffly, and Tendou-san stopped arguing with the other two and bulged their eyes surprisingly.
“…What’s the unbelievable trio doing here?”
“That’s literally our line!”
We can’t help but yell at the top of our lungs.
Then, after that, all of us finally understood what’s going on after a 5-minute talk.
Tendou-san and Uehara-kun went to the Game Club after school today, seemingly based on “a variety of reasons.” After that, they left the school separately, but the regretful part is that since both of them love gaming, so they met up again at the arcade near the station. If they met, how about just go to the station while chatting…So, after a short walk, I think they’re under Konoha-san’s inspection.
Being misunderstood as cheating by a girl from the Hoshinomori’s family, and even bursting in angrily…I think I heard that somewhere else. Is it what’s trending these days?
Our side started to explain our situation, as well. However, we’re different than Tendou-san. This isn’t a coincidence right at the start, we even met alone in the family restaurant.
Honestly, there’s no way we’re getting out of this if we’re suspected of cheating. Aguri-san and I were prepared for this…
However, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun trusted us right away, unexpectedly.
Just as Aguri-san and I found this unbelievable, the two looked at each other’s face and answered powerlessly at the same time.
“Sigh, it’s because we were taught a brutal lesson on the court…”
“The court?”
Aguri-san and I tilted our heads to express our confusion…This doesn’t make sense. What court?
But I guess Tendou-san and Uehara-kun don’t want to explain in detail, so they just moved on quickly.
“A-Anyway, right now, Uehara-kun and I were self-reflecting.”
“Yes. So, we’re not in the mood to suspect whether you two are cheating or not…”
“Oh, …really, …okay…?”
W-What is wrong with me? I’m feeling unsatisfied even we’re not under suspicion. Should I say that this isn’t fun? …After all, Aguri-san and I were well-prepared to explain ourselves…
But if we’re trusted this way, I need to sincerely appreciate them.
So, after everything’s cleared up, Uehara-kun spoke up like he’s trying to lead the discussion.
“Anyway, everyone’s going home, right? Whether you’re taking the bus or walking.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Tendou-san nodded. Uehara-kun said, ‘right’ before continuing.
“Well, …it’s useless for us to just stay here, shouldn’t we just disband?”
His suggestion is absolutely right. However, everyone just answered with a subtle silence that’s hard to tell whether they agree or not.
Uehara-kun scratched his head awkwardly and looked at Aguri-san. Aguri-san is a bit embarrassed, so she looked away. The reaction between Tendou-san and I is more or less the same.
“…Ah, right…”
Currently, we were relieved to know the “attempted kissing” incident was over, on the surface. So, there shouldn’t be any reason for us to feel awkward right now.
But, we ended up not being able to be ourselves…From this perspective, in actuality, all the issues remained unsolved in everyone’s heart. Also, we all knew this fact.
“…………”
We can’t go home first, yet we don’t have any ideas to lighten the mood, either. In the end, everyone remained quiet. It’s because all of us are being considerate in our hearts. That’s why it caused this sense of…stagnation.
It’ll only be even more embarrassing if this continues.
“Uh, uh, well, Amano-senpai, hentai game- …No, …uh…”
To change up the mood, Konoha-san wanted to throw something new into the discussion, but she can’t reveal her hobbies as well. This isn’t going great.
Also, it’s humiliating for us to be cared for by a junior from another school like this. The atmosphere ended up even more awkward. So…
“W-Well, …uh, …game, …right…Dragon Blood Tree’s Maze…”
There’s a very silent voice that only I can hear coming from the side…So, I turned my head and looked. Then, right there…
“Chiaki…”
I don’t know whether she’s doing it for her little sister or us…A gaming otaku girl is trembling and blushing really hard as she tries to find something for us to talk about, even though she’s not used to this at all.
…………
At that moment, I finally made up my mind and decided to screw it – Alright.
“Please listen to me!”
“?”
I spoke up with a voice that’s enough to overpower Chiaki’s weak mumbles. Just as everyone’s raising their heads in surprise, …I puffed up my chest and took a couple steps forward.
Then, I stood in front of Tendou-san.
“…A-Amano-kun? W-What’s wrong?”
“Tendou-san. I deeply understand that I shouldn’t bring this out in front of everyone…However, to us, I think we can call everyone here a ‘friend’ and irreplaceable to us. So, I hope you can forgive me.”
“O-Okay. Uh, …Amano-kun? What are you trying to say…”
Tendou-san stunned. Just as everyone around is watching us speechlessly, …I straightened my back seriously and asked that one thing.
“I want to talk about, of course, is how we should ‘end’ our relationship.”
“!”
It’s not just Tendou-san, I can sense that everyone present paused breathing.
I took a deep breath before continuing.
“Tendou-san, I want to confirm this with you first…”
“A-Alright.”
Tendou-san gave me a nervous look…So, I made up my mind and asked that question.
“About the scene where Aguri-san and I kissed, can you agree with our ‘attempted’ explanation, let this go, and go back to the relationship we used to have?”
“…………”
To my question, Tendou-san remained silent and slowly closed her eyes first.
With that, she pondered about it with her eyes closed for nearly 10 seconds.
When Tendou-san opened her eyes again, …that pair of blue pupils were already boiling with a firm determination.
She faced me directly and slowly spoke up…
“No. I don’t want to keep it the same as before with you anymore.”
“Really…”
Even though I was prepared for this already, but my throat still froze when I actually heard that.
During this time, Aguri-san suddenly spoke up from behind.
“Eh, w-wait up, Tendou-san, Amanocchi didn’t do anything wrong-“
“Aguri-san!”
I yelled and stopped her. Although Aguri-san is still not willing to let this go and said, “but…!” When I looked back and mumbled, “thank you,” she almost cried out for a moment, but she bit her lips and lowered her head before backing down.
I faced Tendou-san once again and tried my best to squeeze a smile on my face.
…Honestly, I wanted to cry right now. I really can’t hold my tears back if Aguri-san continued to defend me.
However, …I can’t let a girl that I’ve respected for so long to see such a feeble side of mine.
Just as everyone’s watching the event unfolds silently, I continued.
“Tendou-san. I understand now. Well, from this moment and on, we’re already…”
“Yes, you’re right. Amano-kun, …let’s end this relationship.”
I almost whimpered when I heard her saying that so decisively.
However, …I’m not done. I’m not done yet.
After all, right now, …I’m only halfway through the ‘end’ I wanted to make.
“Amano-kun-“
Tendou-san reached her hand to me and wanted to say something.
However, I took a step back and yelled as if I’m rejecting it.
“THAT’S DIFFERENT!”
Tendou-san was scared right away. Also, the same goes for everyone and a couple of passersby that are just joining in the fun…. Ufufu, this is embarrassing. But I don’t care.
This is the only moment that I have a chance to end this.
I puffed up my chest and announced loudly!
“I-I w-wanted to use this as my last chance! I-I-I want to ‘end’ this relationship in my own style! Tendou-san! Please listen to me!”
“Hmm? A-Amano-kun? W-What are you talking about…”
Tendou-san is oblivious to the situation, and her eyes are rolling. Everyone around us is observing with a confused look.
I…have never blushed this hard before in my life.
Even so, to “end” this completely…
I still yelled at the top of my lungs and channeled all my feelings…to Tendou-san!
“Karen Tendou-san! I…I love you!”
“Hiya!” “!”
Tendou-san let out a weird noise as she blushed and even leaned backward out of her shock. All of my friends bulged their eyes, and the people in the station stopped.
This is so embarrassing, I want to die. I want to disappear.
However, even so, …I still didn’t stop.
I continued my confession.
“I love your smile! Your smile pulled this plain and useless boy out of his miserable daily lives. It makes me sincerely attracted to you!”
“Eh, wait a minute, A-Amano-kun…”
Tendou-san freaked out. How poor of her for being dragged down by my weird move. Although I thought about this, I have to do this for a proper “ending.”
I continued once again.
“I love your serious side! You’ll never go easy on someone in a game or in a competition. I’ve always looked forward to that, and it made me fell hopelessly in love with you!”
“Uh, well, how should I, this…hey…”
“I love your slightly biased sensibility! You made me laugh with your unique views on everything, and it made me proud of you as well! This is the first time that I have experienced such a real feeling when I’m with someone! Perhaps I’ll be teased like a little kid when I’m saying this, even so, I’m thinking, maybe this is how it feels to be in love with someone. Yes, I can sense that it is a part of love! Thank you very much!”’
“Ah! N-N-N-No…”
Tendou-san covered her face with both of her hands. Even my friends blushed right now, not to mention her.
However, …even so, no matter how embarrassing this is, I need to go all-out until the last second.
“Also! Most importantly, …the times that I’m playing video games with you, …and the times that we’re chatting about gaming, …those were the most blessed moments of my life!”
“Amano-kun…”
Tendou-san peeked at me from the gaps of her fingers.
I smiled at her, then…
I decided to confess my feelings once again to bring this to a conclusion.
“Karen Tendou-san! I really…I really love you! The end!”
“…………”
Once it’s over, …not only Tendou-san, all of my friends are so embarrassed that their heads are steaming.
Also, even the crowds gave me a round of applause…H-How embarrassing!
Just as I’m about to die from embarrassment, Tendou-san is still trembling. But she asked me this.
“A-A-Amano-kun? W-Why did you say all that…?”
To her absolutely reasonable question…
I took a few deep breaths and managed to act normally again. Then, I answered with a bitter smile.
“I-I’ve said this before, …that’s because I wanted to ‘end’ this. The importance is like accepting a break up calmly, or maybe it’s even more than that. Anyway, this is my way of ‘ending’ this.”
“The ‘end’ that you k-keep talking about, …what are you trying to end?”
“What am I trying to end…Uh, isn’t it already clear?”
“Eh? W-Well, …I just felt…that was literally a confession…”
“Y-Yeah, that’s right!”
“…Eh?”
Tendou-san and everyone around us was frozen.
I decided to convey my thoughts to her again.
“Tendou-san, after all, I’ve never properly ‘confessed’ to you, right?”
“…Oh…”
Right away, everyone understood what I’m trying to say.
I continued.
“Think about it, the chance for us to start dating, …it’s based on a series of biases, misunderstandings, and verbal error. How should I put it, …I can’t get it off my head. No matter how we’ll break up, I still feel like I need to confess to you properly.
“Amano-kun…”
“After all, if I don’t do this, …I’ll feel terrible for those who confessed to you sincerely and got rejected…I didn’t even say anything remotely related to a confession. Then I acted like a boyfriend because of your kindness…I think I’m definitely not supposed to do that.”
“…………”
“B-But, as a result, I didn’t expect that I’ll only yell out my confession once we broke up. I guess this could be one of the most stupid confessions in the world…”
After I said that, I scratched my cheeks before continuing.
“However, …I’m glad that I said this out. It feels far better. Think about it, it’s like fighting a boss in RPG that you can never hope to win. Although you can just quit early on and restart, right now, I still feel like I should do an all-out challenge, then got annihilated and return to the title screen. I just think it feels way better.”
“…………”
S-Strange, what’s wrong? No one is giving me any reactions…Did I mess this up when I tried to relate this to gaming?
I decided to end this with a short conclusion.
“Uh, that’s all. Thank you for dating me before, Tendou-san!”
I lowered my head and greeted her…Although no one gave me a response, …even so, I can still feel the mood among everyone has lightened up.
Anyway, this is enough embarrassment for a day, and I lost my girlfriend…As long as I can improve this tightened atmosphere, all the things I just did was worth it. Yes.s
I’m satisfied with the result, so I spoke up to everyone shyly.
“Well, it’s getting late, let’s disband-“
Just as I suggested that.
“No, u-uh, wait up, Amano-kun.”
“Tendou-san?”
Tendou-san walked forward embarrassingly with a blush.
Everyone is looking at her to see what she has to say…So, Tendou-san cleared her throat.
She looked away awkwardly as she mumbled.
“…When did I…”
“What?”
Crap, even I, the guy that claimed to be the best at listening to other’s mumbling, can’t hear it.
In reality, I think no one heard that as well, all of them stepped closer to Tendou-san.
Then, although Tendou-san paused for a moment with an “ugh…”
But, at the next second, …she seems to have given up on herself and decided to shout it out.
“W-When did I say I’m breaking up with you!”
“…Huh?”
All of us don’t know what she meant, our confused voice overlapped each other.
Strangely, Chiaki was the one that questioned Tendou-san first.
“No, no, no, Tendou-san, i-it’s because you just said ‘let’s end this relationship’ to Keita, right? Doesn’t that mean you two are breaking up…”
“Ugh! No, …that’s because of…uh…”
Tendou-san grabbed the corner of her skirt embarrassingly as she lowered her head.
Uehara-kun immediately laughed mischievously.
“Haha, I guess you’re falling for him once again after hearing Amano’s confession, right?”
“I-It’s not like that! It’s not that! I, …uh, …meant that from the start, …that’s why I’m here…”
Konoha-san interrupted her mumbling sharply.
“You meant that at the start? This means that you planned to forgive Amano-senpai from the beginning and stay as a couple? If that’s the case, why are you saying that you wanted to end this relationship…?”
“I-I said it’s not like that!”
Tendou-san kept waving her hands like a child throwing a tantrum. However, even if she said that none of us can understand her meaning from such shattered information.
“Ufufu…”
Tendou-san’s face is blushing harder and harder. She mumbled on her own, “I didn’t plan to say this in front of that many people…” However, I guess she realized she can’t get out of this if she doesn’t explain clearly.
Tendou-san took nearly 3 deep breaths, and then she started to explain bit by bit.
“S-So, I, …uh, …d-decided to…end ‘this relationship’ with Amano-kun at the beginning…The ‘this relationship’ I’m talking about means…uh…it means…”
“What does it mean?”
I tilted my head out of my confusion and asked.
So, …Tendou-san cried out as if she’s embarrassed from the bottom of her heart…At the same time, she covered her face with both of her hands, …and then she finally said what she meant out loud.
“I mean it’s almost time for us to end this kind of ‘level 1 couple’ relationship…a-and advance to the next phase…Uh, I mean, …it’s the phase…where we can k-k-k-k-kiss soon…”
“…?!”
Then.
We got another person who’s blushing like a red tomato.
*
In the end, we reached a whole new meaning of ‘embarrassment’ that’s different than the start. After we bid farewell to each other, the group was quickly disbanded…
I can’t believe the bus I need to take to go home was the same as Tendou-san’s. Also, there are no passengers aside from us.
“…………”
We sat at the back of the bus, and there’s a person’s wide gap between us in the middle…Initially, we can just pair up and take the 2-person seat. However, currently, it’ll be too much for us to handle if we stick that close to each other…Even so, it’s weird to sit separately, so it ended up like this.
“…………”
…Aside from our silence, there’s only the engine running noise of the bus…I didn’t expect that my ranking of the “most awkward situation in my life” updated once again in just a couple hours.
Moreover, this awkwardness isn’t caused by tensions…The embarrassment caused by both sides liking each other is way too novel. I didn’t know what to do, my chest and my stomach are so itchy.
“Also, the bus still isn’t moving…!”
Whether it’s for Tendou-san or me, our homes are just a walk away. In other words, taking the bus wouldn’t take us a long time. We only decided to take it because it’s getting late.
However, speaking of this bus, I don’t know whether it’s related to the bus schedule or something, it’s not going to start any time soon. By the way, I only noticed this now, but the driver wasn’t even on the bus. He’s chatting with other drivers. Seriously, how long does it take for this bus to start moving?
“…………”
But this silence is intolerable. I managed to muster up my courage and work up my sense of humor to the extreme, then I tried to talk to Tendou-san.
“…It’s quite awkward for us to meet right after we said goodbye.”
“Y-Yeah. This is awkward.”
“R-Right. It’s awkward."
“…………”
“…………”
Crap, this is just telling each other that we’re embarrassed. This is getting even more awkward. What’s wrong with my chatting ability? I’m utterly hopeless with myself.
“Sigh…”
I let out a huge sigh and dropped my shoulders. So, at this moment, I can hear Tendou-san’s chuckles from the side.
I looked, and I saw Tendou-san’s glancing at me with a smile.
“Amano-kun, this is unbelievable. You’re always Amano-kun.”
“Eh? What does that mean? I feel like I’m not getting praised…”
“Ah, that’s fine. Honestly, I’m not praising you.”
“Ouch!”
“However, I’m not despising you either.”
Tendou-san laughed cheerfully after she said that…Although I’m not sure what’s going on, the mood has lightened up anyway.
I pressed my chest in relief as I faced her once again.
“Uh, sorry, Tendou-san. I can only give you weird reactions for your feelings to me…”
After I apologized, Tendou-san smiled and answered.
“Nope, Amano-kun, aren’t you like that at the start? Like when I invited you to the Game Club, you acted really strangely as well.”
“Ah, I knew I was looked down upon at the time as well.”
It’s true when you think about it, but I’m still struck hard nonetheless. From my impression, Tendou-san was considerate to me with an angelic smile…Sigh, now that I remembered it, that smile and reply was literally the polite version of Tendou-san.
Tendou-san moved closer to me once I start getting depressed.
“But you’re still quite positive in my heart, I really like you going all-out on something.”
“Ho, ho, after I heard you said that…”
“I think the ratio between the good impression and disgust is 9:1.”
“Ah, you’re feeling a little bit disgusted.”
I immediately put back my serious face. What’s wrong. It’s already a 90% good impression. A total win compared to the 10% disgust. I shouldn’t underestimate how destructive the word ‘disgust’ can be.
Tendou-san smiled happily when she saw me like this again…Yep, I’m glad to know that I’m disgusting when I can see a reaction like this.
Just as I’m going over these dumb thoughts, the driver finally came back. He closed the door as he announced that the bus will start soon.
The bus slowly went through the roundabout. We stared at the view outside dazedly, the lights coming from the bustling downtown is flashing through the window.
After the bus started moving, there’s not a lot of time for us to be alone together. It was embarrassing just then, but now I’m starting to miss the time we had.
“My home is at the next station.”
“Yeah. You’ll go shortly.”
“Yeah. That was fast.”
“…………”
“…………”
The artificial voice announcing the next station is echoing throughout the bus…After this one, Tendou-san will drop off at the next stop.
“…………”
Even though I knew I should say something, nothing showed up on my mind right now.
I’m thrilled to know that my girlfriend just said she wanted to take our relationship a step further. That’s a blessing for the guy. I was suspecting whether I’m dreaming or not.
However, this is reality. Also, that’s why…I can’t just be reveled on my own. No, it’s more like…
“What…should I do…”
My future was suddenly expanded in an unexpected direction. I’m confused.
“What should I do that suits Tendou-san’s future the most…Wait, this is wrong, the problem has nothing to do with her, it should what do I want, right? If she already said all those things, it should be fine for me to go a bit tougher…a bit tougher…No, no, no, she will suffer irreversible damage if I messed it up! Uh, even though that’s true, I don’t think it’s right to keep this sheepish beta male attitude…”
I don’t know the answer at all, …but I really love Tendou-san. It’s because I love her so much, I can’t decide anything.
This is different than gaming. I can’t use “it’s fine to lose” or “let’s just screw everything and go for it.”
However, I knew that this isn’t working for me.
Just as I’m getting frustrated, the bus announced the next station. Tendou-san pressed the drop-off button.
…No. There’s no way for me to keep it the same as before and be indecisive.
I got closer to Tendou-san. Then, I mustered up my courage and tightly held her hand on her lap.
Tendou’s eyes are sparkling. I stared right at her with a severe blush. Then, even though I still haven’t made up my mind yet, I said what I had to say.
“Uh, well, Tendou-san! I also hope to take a step further with you as well…! But, uh, I still don’t know what’s the best for you right now-“
After I said that.
Tendou-san silently put her finger on my lips and stopped me.
“Amano-kun, you’re disgusting.”
“…………”
“Even though I loved you way more than that.”
“………..”
Tendou-san smiled. That look made all the anxiety in my heart magically disappeared. Instead, a gentle and carefree sense of love came back again.
Her finger is still on my lips as she smiled embarrassingly.
“Honestly, I still haven’t made up my mind yet up until this moment. What should I do next? I don’t have the answer. But, …when I saw you’re getting this nervous, I think I know.”
After she said that, Tendou-san smiled again and moved her finger off my lips.
So, at the next moment, she put her finger on her own lips. She’s so beautiful.
“Well, let’s be anxious and find that real answer excitedly together.”
“…Okay…”
This is too much love for me. I can’t help but answer dazedly.
During this time, the bus is gradually stopping. Tendou-san grabbed her bag and stood up before waving at me and say, “Bye, Amano-kun.”
“Ah, alright, ..see you…”
As for me, I’m still dazed in thought as I answered. Then, when the bus completely stopped, Tendou-san walked to the door-
-However, she seems to have remembered something and turned her head to ask me.
“Ah, right. Please come to my room to play soon, Amano-kun. Let us advance our relationship to the next level.”
“Ah, yes, I would love to.”
“Well then, I’ll see you later.”
“Alright, bye.”
I answered calmly and waved at her. I saw Tendou-san got off the bus, then I waved at her once again to bid farewell from the window.
After that, …I just sat dazedly on the bus for 3 minutes.
“…WHAT!”
I suddenly shouted as I stood up. The driver freaked out, and his shoulders started trembling.
I immediately apologized to the driver before sitting once again.
Then, …I plopped my head down powerlessly and mumbled.
“…E-Even though if we’re taking a step further, isn’t this too fast, Tendou-san…”
I ended up dropping off 10 stops away from my home.
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