Chapter 1
The morning after her birthday, when Mahiru had come to Amane’s house before goingto school, her eyes had been just a little swollen, but she herself had a truly happy smile on her fece
Yesterday, even though it was Amane’s feult, he’d cried so many times that he thought his eyes might swell up, but fortunately, it wasn’t on a level where something clearly happened, so as Amane, who’d made him cry, he was a little relieved.
Despite Amane’s concerns, she herself didn’t seem bothered by it, and the only reason she naturally wore a soft expression was probably because the afterglow of yesterday’s events was still lingering inside Mahiru
Her expression was so devoid of any other emotion that you could say she was satisfied, and it was too bright and heart-wrenching for someone like Amane, who had just woken up.
“Good morning."
“..Good morning.”
“..Why are you looking away?"
She sensed right away that my gaze had wandered.
It was all well and good to be greeted in the living room, but Mahiru came up to Amane’s side, who was still wearing his nightgown, and looked up at him with dissatisfaction, so he took a step back.
This was a reflexive action in an attempt to suppress that firepower due to Mahiru’s excessive cuteness, but she probably didn’t understand his intentions
Out ofthe corner of his eye, he could see Mahiru’s eyebrows drooping dejectedly as he looked at her, and Amane hastily returned the distance between them, thinking it was bad, before wrapping his arms around her back.
Avoiding it would be too short-sighted of me. I had no intention of hurting Mahiru, so I had to put the meaning of my current actions into words.
“Sorry, it's not that I hate it or don't want to see it It's just too much."
“..Too much?”
"Mahiru looks so happy, um, when she wakes up, it's too bright to look directly at her. She's so cute, it hurts my heart. Sorry, it was my situation. I didn't want to hurt her.”
The Mahiru in his arms relaxed and reassured him as Amane formed the words, so the misunderstanding seemed to have been resolved.
Mahiru, still squirming but still clinging to Amane as if fawning over him, looked up at Amane and murmured, "That’s fine,” in satisfaction before burying her fece in Amane’s chest again
“..Was it that obvious?"
“It came out like crazy. It was glowing from the inside."
“Th-That much..?”
“That much."
It was a smile that almost sho ne brightly in an attempt to crush Amane's eyes, but he himself seemed completely unaware of it.
"..Ever since yesterday, I've been happy, and my fece has been relaxed. Um, I-I'll be careful." "Please be careful. If you go outside, I don't think you'll do anything around you, not just me.”
"Aren't you exaggerating?”
"Really, really. ..Mahiru, please be aware that your true smile is ridiculously destructive."
It's completely different from the smile of an angel that was made, and the kind of smile that conveys happiness from the bottom of your heart even without words. It feels like it's goingto burn the eyes and brains of anyone who's bathed in it, and as her boyfriend, there's something extremely scary about the future.
Mahiru looked up and put away her smile from earlier, which put Amane at ease, but he hoped she wouldn't let him out outside.
“Then it's just in front of you, right?"
"Please do so.”
Fnyah, Mahiru, who had shown a smile that was completely softer than it had been in the past, seemed to be in a good mood as she tightened her grip on Amane, so Amane, who felt the sensation of her body as soft as her smile, bit his lip tightly so that various impulses wouldn’t overflow from within.
It would be bad in many ways if I let Mahiru, who was still in a good mood, do as she pleased, so I casually patted her on the back as I let go of her in the form of a space between our bodies.
"..Mahiru, I haven't changed yet. Wait a minute. I'll be back soon.”
Instantly, Mahiru’s lonely expression was so easy to understand that I couldn’t help but laugh, but that seemed to offend her, and her lips pursed ever so slightly.
It's extremely cute how she obediently fawns over me like that, but if she's too cute, it'll be a big deal, so I'd like some time to cool the heat inside.
"It's fine if we're stuck together, but do you want to see me change?”
"Are you half-asleep?"
“That's pretty harsh."
I knew teasing her too much would turn into salt, so I decided not to say anything more, gently patting Mahiru’s head as she struggled to pull away, and freeing her from my arms.
Mahiru, who had obediently stepped away from him, looked up at him expectantly, saying, "I’ll wait patiently," so Amane smiled a little and headed to his room, thinking this was something he needed to get dressed quickly.
"Shina-san, your eyes are a little swollen. Are you okay?”
The one who called out to Amane and Mahiru as they arrived in the classroom was Ayaka, who had apparently come to the classroom first
Amane and Mahiru usually came earlier than Itsuki and the others, but thanks to the two of them relaxing at home before goingto school, Amane and Masaru were the last ofthe usual members to arrive today.
Yesterday, Mahiru had apparently washed it off after crying, cooled it down, and even moistened it, but she still couldn't completely suppress the swelling, so her slightly red eyes were finished.
That said, it's not as if it stands out as much as it does. There's something off about it Ayaka seems to have figured it out
“It's okay. It's just, umm, a lot happened."
Ayaka may have known about her birthday, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of saying it in the classroom, so Mahiru, who denied it so modestly, shrank back, perhaps
embarrassed that she'd been found out that she was crying.
From Mahiru's point of view, who fundamentally hated being seen as weak by others, she probably wouldn’t want him to know she’d cried. Amane, the one responsible for making her cry when he saw her fidget, smiled thinly and bitterly.
"..Fujimiya-kun, don't bully Shina-san too much."
“Wait, this is a misunderstanding. I didn’t make Mahiru suffer."
"Th-That’s right Amane-kun is the one who cares about me. He’s always kind to me, and he takes good care of me."
Awawa and Amane waved their hands dismissively at Mahiru, who refused to do anything inhuman, and Ayaka blinked repeatedly, then, for some reason, gave Amane a meek look and patted him on the shoulder.
"..Fujimiya-kun, make sure you go easy on her next time, okay? Shina-san isn't as tough as you, you know?”
“Wait, you’re misunderstanding something! That’s not what I meant! Really!”
Sensing that he’d definitely read too deeply into Mahiru’s statement just now, Amane hurriedly shook his head and insisted that it was as different as possible, and Ayaka lost interest in Amane’s state.
"Hehe,just kidding, just joking. I knew yesterday was going tobe a wonderful party.”
"..Kido, you’re having a bad time with Ituki and the others."
“I don't want that to happen. Anyway, you should be careful. Shina-san's the soft-hearted type, so there's a chance that a lot ofthings will leak out”
“P-Pwah...?”
"I understand that”
“How do you know that?!”
As Mahiru turned to look at them, saying, 'That’s unbelievable," Amane and Ayaka both agreed with her "because" and Mahilu shot them reproachful looks even more.
"..Didyou take an unexpected step up?”
When I left Ayaka and went to see Ituki and the others, the first thing they said to me was, "Again before I get mad.." I couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
Amane wondered if Mahiru could sense that kind of atmosphere from her, and his cheeks almost twitched.
“Hey. I’m going to get mad."
"Nooo.”
“Ikkun, there’s no way Amane would lay a hand on you that easily. He’s so important to Mahirun that he’s fasting himself, you know?”
"Shut up.”
Chitóse was sure she didn’t need it because of Chitoze, which made her head hurt, but Chitosei, who paid no heed to Amane, gave her a light smile, saying, "But you can’t deny it.” Chitóse sent a lukewarm look at Amane as he ignored her, since he intended to keep his comments to himself, but he ignored that, too, after only biting his lip once.
Chitóse shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at Mahiru, who had been quietly watching over her, as if her claim that she had no intention of riding on her teasing had gotten through to her.
Mahiru’s expression was quiet but bright, so Chitóse must have guessed what the results of the month's preparations would be.
“Well, at this rate, I’m glad it went well."
“Everyone, thank you so much."
“No, no, we wanted to congratulate you too, Shiina-san. It’s our turn today. Oh, I don’t plan on doingit here, so it’s fine. You don’t want to spread it too much, do you?”
“I’m going to borrow Amane’s house!”
“You should’ve said something like that first.”
“But you knew this would happen, right?"
“Well, yeah."
"Man, this is what they call telepathy."
"You’d better remember to contact me before you get your hopes up. Seriously;'
I understood that Amane’s house was particularly convenient, and I had a hunch that would happen, but that aside, I was sure the conversation would go more smoothly if he put in a reservation or two first
I reprimanded them, thinking that something similar had happened before, but where was the wind blowing between them?
“Not at all." Amane sighed in an easy-to-understand, if anything showy manner, without hiding his exasperation, and Mahiru smiled in a troubled yet somehow slightly amused manner. “Thank you for your concern. ...I'm so happy to be celebrated."
It was a quiet murmur that only the people around Mahiru could hear, but Itsuki and Chitóse both seemed to have heard it clearly
"Then we'll have to make it something that'll make Mahirun happy and tired. After all, Mahiru is the main character"
"Yeah. You’re always so reserved, Shina-san, so at times like these, I'll be the star of the show! Prostrate yourself before me! I think it's fine if you have the spirit to do that" “Wh-What..? Why are you so tall..?”
"Well, it’s just that Mahiru feels like she deserves to be celebrated that much. I’m not the only one who honestly celebrates her feelings."
It should be fine tobe celebrated by all the friends I’ve made up until now. In fact, it shouldn't be enough yet
Between the celebrations from Amane and Chitóse and the others, the direction of joy would probably be a little different, and as long as there was joy, I wanted them to enjoy their happiness as much as they could.
With that in mind, I smiled and patted Mahiru’s head, saying, "Don’t worry, these guys have no ulterior motives, so I don’t think you need to worry.” She looked a little troubled as she wandered between Amane and Ituki and the others, then nodded with a small smile
“Allow me to formally congratulate Mahirun on her birthday!"
At school, they apparently refrained from shouting too loudly to keep Mahiru’s birthday from being made public, and Chitóse was in a truly cheerful voice the moment she came to Amane’s house, raising her fists to the heavens as she frolicked
Ayaka and Yuuta watched her with smiles on their faces. Ituki was the one who smiled softly at Mahiru, even though she had a feint wry smile on her fece after seeing how energetic she was.
You could say today was an after-party for the birthday party, with all the people who helped decorate the room invited.
“Happy birthday, Shiina-san."
"Thank you very much, everyone."
Mahiru, who had abandoned her birthday as if it didn’t matter anymore, was no longer there. The expression on her face was relief and feint delight.
Seeing her happy to be celebrated by those close to her, Amane also felt genuinely relieved that Mahiru was glad to be able to celebrate her birthday.
"Ufafu, now Mahirun’s the same age as me. She was younger than me, after all."
Amane, Mahiru, Ituki, and Chitóse. The four of us have been spendingalot of time together, or rather, it’s become natural, but Chitase is the festest birthday of all of us. The next to arrive is Amane, then Mahilu, and Itsuki.
In other words, Chitóse was the one who’d gotten older a step earlier, but Amane had no choice but to tilt his head in confusion when asked if he felt older. It wasn’t like he was particularly childish or anything, but if asked if Chittose was strong enough to be proud of being older, he'd keep his mouth shut
“Though from an outsider’s point ofview, Mahiru’s always been more mature."
“Are you dissatisfied with my behavior?"
“It’s nothing."
“..Teh.”
"Yes, is there something you want to say?”
"It’s nothing."
Even from his boyfriend, Itsuki, Chitóse must have had a few thoughts about his behavior, and Itski, who seemed to understand that saying it out loud would definitely turn the target on him, just smiled and didn’t go any further.
With Mahiru’s gentle exchange of "Now, now" entering Chitose's fece with a “Grrr”, Chitoze had regained her composure, so Amane and Itsaki exchanged glances so that they wouldn’t be found out and exchanged small wry smiles.
"Now then, I’m sure you had a lot of fan celebrating with Amane yesterday, so weil be celebrating todayi'
Nowthat the situation had calmed down, Ituki slowly raised his voice on behalf of everyone.
“I’ve already received plenty of congratulations from all ofyou.. I’m sure you’ve all done the
decorations as well, right? It was wonderful."
“nfofu, I know what Mahirun likes just as well as Amane does."
“If anything, you're the one who's more knowledgeable about that stuff, Chitóse. I get that Mahiru really likes this stuff, but I can't think of anything that'll make her happy right away. You're always helping me out.”
Of course, Amane understood Mahiru’s tastes, but if asked if it was enough to decide, “This!” it would be no.
Even if I knewwhat she liked in the first place, I didn't have the ability to pick up the best from among her preferences or combine each and every one of her preferences well. I didn’t have a sense like Chitóse, and I would lose to a choice unique to the same sex.
Chitóse usually enjoyed teasing Amane, but she was pretty serious about Mahiru, so there was no reason to doubt her abilities in that regard.
"Heh heh. Rely on me more. Respect me."
"Haha."
“Oh, you two.”
Mahiru’s troubled,yet funny, light laughter fell on the back ofAmane’s head as he prostrated himself in a pose to obediently bow his head.
“That's why I'm here. It's a limited edition version ofthe skincare products Mahirun always uses. Overwhelmingly cute.”
“Thank you very much, Chitose-san. I'm surprised you remember."
"That's because I've stayed over so many times. Are you jealous, Amane?"
“Why are you looking so smug..? I know what Mahiru's using too.”
Mahiru is a woman who devotes herselfto self-improvement. She seems to have a family saying about skin care too. She's been experimenting with all sorts of things for years, and now she's found something that suits her and is constantly using it And that desire can be directed at Amane as well.
Or rather, it was partly because he’d asked Mahiru what kind o f things Amane would like, but she’d used a variety of samples that seemed to have leftovers to give him skin care. That was when he learned what she was using right now.
In the first place, I’d seen Mahiru use it a few times when she was staying over, so it was only natural that she’d remember.
“Oh my.”
“Now, now”
He didn’t have any particular intention of doing that at all, but the feet that he knewthe contents of skincare seemed to suggest something, and Itsuki and Chitóse gave him friendly smiles, so Amane narrowed his eyes at them, cheeks twitching.
"Stop grinning like that. There's nothing for you to imagine."
“Oh?”
"..Chi-chan and Akazawa-kun never learn, do they?”
“You're right. I know you'd get embarrassed and angry if I teased you too much, Fujimiya.” “Ifyou understand, then you can stopme, Kadowaki and Kido."
"I think 111 do it even ifyou stop me."
“That's true.”
It’s normal for them to play with me in a friendly manner, and I take it as a joke with no malice or anything, but that's not fun to keep teasing me, so I'd like the two observing from the sidelines to become stoppers as well.
As for Mahiru, she smiled and relaxed as she stroked the box of presents Chitóse had given her, so she didn't seem to have any intention of stopping Chitoze.Part of it was that she knew she wouldn't stop even if I told her.
“I'm surprised you managed to get your hands on it.. I think this was a raffle on the internet"
“Well, that's just my luck.”
“You must have been through alot.. Thank you so much.”
“No, no. Honestly, I thought lip balms and stuff were cute too, but there's a color I like, so I thought I'd be happier ifyou bought that for me. To get me to kiss you.”
“Chitose-san!?”
“It's a joke."
"Chii, don't tease me too much. The guardian over there will raise his finger."
“What can you do with just your fingers?"
“I'm sure you'll be able to flickit Want to try it?”
“I-IU pass."
Chitóse shook her head, the corners of her mouth trembling slightly as she showed me that she was putting strength into her middle finger while making a circle with her middle fingers caught on the sides of her thumb.
Ittsuki, who seemedto be enjoyingthe sight, put his hand on his stomach and started laughing, so it seemed that what you glared at with warning to control her more had no effect and instead drew out even more laughter.
What's with the cold look in his eyes? Ittsuki smiled for a while, wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, and took a wrapped box out ofthe tote bag he'd left by his side.
She carefully held it out to Mahiru with both hands, and I could see that she was a little shaken by the sudden change in attitude.
"Yuuta and I are over here. Please examine it”
“Y-You don't have to be so exaggerated.. Thank you, Kadowaki-san."
“No, no. It's an honor to have the opportunity to celebrate."
“Would you like to check what's inside?”
“Oh, so you put something ind ecent in there... I thought, but it's impossible if you're working with Kadowaki."
I want to believe there won't be, and Itsuki is a sensible person, so I don't think hell put anything weird in there, but that aside, if he teamed up with Chitóse, there might be a chance he'd put something bad in Mahiru if he tried to give her a push.
But this time, I'm relieved to know that I talked to Yuuta about it.
"Trust in me.”
"Look back on what you've done up until now;’
“..It's not that bad, right?”
"Ahaha, hmm."
“That's where you can protect Yuuta.”
“I don't think I'd be rude to you, Shiina-san.”
"Yeah, I don't think well be dealing with Mahiru. That's a relief"
“This is the difference in treatment."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right."
"Yuuta can be pretty harsh on me sometimes."
It's probably because the two of them have been friends for a long time, and exchange light banter often.
Yuuta was usually a warm, sincere man with a smile on his fece, but when I saw him like this, I couldn't help but feel that he was also a playful man of his age. I wanted to believe that being teased from time to time also meant that he recognized me as close to Yuuta.
“By the way, what's inside is, ah."
“Why are you hesitating?"
“Well, I don't know if it's a suitable present. We discussed it together."
It would have been one thing if it were her, but when it came to giving gifts to friends and women, she seemedto be quite troubled, and the two of them had slightly sour feces, or rather something close to bitter smiles, so it must have been very difficult to choose a present As feras Amane was concerned, he didn’t doubt their sense oftaste,butthe two of them looked so conflicted that he couldn’t help but worry a little.
“..What did you choose?"
“I'll have a nice broth set."
“P-Practical.”
Hearing Chthose's involuntary voice, Amane couldn't help but feel that it was indeed very practical.
I could tell from their attitudes that both Itsaki and Yuuta had chosen to give it to a woman who wasn't even her, both within the scope of what they could give to her, and that they had chosen it to suit her tastes to a certain extent
“I heard you wanted a whetstone, so wheting stones are impossible, so it'd probably be better to use it for cooking... Wait This is a goo d deal for Fujimiya too.”
“Hey, Amane-kun, did you say the whetstone!?’’
As expected, Mahiru, who seemed to be aware that this wasn’t something high school girls wanted, clungtothe information leaker, so the person in question, Amane, said, “S-sorry," and repeated his apology in a pathetic voice to Mahilu, who was blushing slightly from embarrassment
It wasn't that she didn't want others to hear her say it, but she also seemed to hate saying it on a grand scale.
Mahiru was glaring at me with stern eyes, or at least sharp enough to look up at me hard,
but she was dissatisfied, so Amane patted her on the shoulder to soothe her.
“But you want a whetstone, right?”
“Is there anyone you don't want?"
“I think it's a little early for me to be doingtechnical stuff like that."
“Me too."
“I'm not that motivated to cookinthe first place..”
“I figured it'd be fine if I cut it in moderation."
"I-I have allies...”
There was no one here who was into cooking so no one showed up to agree with Mahiru's opinion, and Amane gently patted her head as if to comfort her, as she was frowning as if saying "That’s not how it is.”
"Don't worry, Mahiru. I'm here. That aside, I don't need any treasure."
I understand the importance of sharpening a knife, but I can't use it on Amane, and I don't want to use a simple sharpener, so I can’t side with him completely.
Mahiru's cuteness, which was easy to understand even from Amane's perspective, made me want to grin. Ayaka, who seemed to know what Amane was holding back, was smiling so I turned away from her out of embarrassment
"Well, because ofthat, well be able to make a good soup stock from the feet that it's easy to use and can be used without worry. Please use this to grab hold of Fujimiya's stomach even more.”
“I think you're grabbing me too hard and twisting my stomach."
"Hehe. Ill take responsibility and take care of you when the time comes."
“Wow, that's love.”
Mahiru smiled slightly slyly, neither affirming nor denying his words, and Amane felt an itch deep in his chest that made him feel like he was being tickled with his toes, and his gaze wandered.
I knew it was because I was walking back and forth between embarrassment and happiness, so I didn't say it out loud, but the movement of my lips must have shown that there was no hint of ridicule in Ayaka's voice as she said, "Fujimiya-kun, this isn't a school, so you don't have to be so obedient."
“..You don't have to say anything unnecessary."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Fujimiya-kun looked really frustrated."
"You're so obedient, Amane."
"Shut up."
“It's like this, like this.”
I glared at Ituki,whowas clearly enjoying himself, to silence him, since there was a hint of ridicule on his face, but his expression was as loud as ever.
“Everyone's thinking about it I.. I mean, my aunt and I decided to do it together. I'm worried about my birthday present, so I'll come here."
While I was admiring Ayaka's familiarity with ignoring the normal driving Ituki with a smile, she pulled a cute envelope out of her bag.
As Mahiru blinked loudly at the present, which had a different purpose than before, Ayaka had also sent a playful winkto Mahiiu.
"A pair ticket for afternoon tea. Butler's going to give us a freebie. I used my aunt's connections to get it”
“Isn't Itomaki-san too broad-minded?”
“I think so too. It's scary, coming this fer. This is the result of our discussion.”
Having Itomaki, who wasn’t directly involved, bless her, Mahiru couldn’t hide her slight confusion, either, perhaps out of apology.
There was a part of Hitomi that wondered if it was okay for her to be so considerate, but Ayaka seemed to have noticed that, too, and half of her own self followed up with a troubled, “You're my friend, and you seem to like Fujimiya-kun."
“I'm sure Fujimiya-kun doesn't hate sweets, so his attitude and mannerisms during customer service might be a good reference. By the way, all the food in this hotel is ridiculously delicious, so I thought Shina-san might be able to learn something from it”
"Thank you very much... I haven't even been able to say hello to Itomaki-san yet”
“You'll have to wait until Fujimiya-kun calls for you, right? Don't worry, my aunt understands that"
“Ugh, I'll get used to it as soon as possible."
She understood that there was no point in being indirectly taken aback, so for Amane, all he could do was bow his head.
I'm getting used to dealing with customers, and I've gotten pretty used to the part-time j ob itself, but I still feil sometimes and expose my pathetic appearance to Senpai and Souji.
It was Amane’s selfishness and show-off to want herto see him properly become a full-fledged adult if possible, but he couldn’t give in to his desire to show her a splendid figure. “Hurry up and do it. I wanna see it too.”
"Me too, me too.”
“You guys are going to make fun of me!”
"Oh, come on. You're so suspicious.”
"I can't trust you...”
Bringing Itsaki and Chitóse here would tease me about nine times out often, or even ninety-nine percent, so if possible, I’d like to stop them from visiting their part-time jobs. “..Hurry up and show me how cool you are, okay?”
“I'll do my best”
It couldn't be helped, but Mahiru had urged him to hurry, so Amane decided to put more effort into his part-time job, since it wouldn’t do to make him wait too long.
Chitóse cackled at Mahiru, who had a slight pressure on her, so I glanced at her out ofthe corner of my eye and saw that she was showing me her tongue without any remorse whatsoever, so Amane turned away and brushed off her teasing.
“Thank you so much, everyone. I am painfully aware., that you are truly blessed for my sake,"
Mahiru was bashful, holdingthe present she’d received, and her expression was filled with pure joy.
Perhaps because she had cried so much yesterday, she seemed to have built up a bit of resistance and didn’t shed any tears, but even so, the caramel color that seemed like it would overflow with more freshness than usual stood out.
"I think you should be a little more greedy, Mahiru."
"Yeah, that's right I think there's a lot of selfishness there for bargaining Mahirun."
“..I feel like you're going to say something weird to me, but that aside, Mahiru, you can be greedy or spoil me more.”
What everyone who knew Mahiru recognized was that she was the type of person who didn’t want or beg for anything from others on her own. She was reserved and tended to put up with anything.
She sometimes commented that she was being selfish, but Mahiru's selfishness was cute, and if it was selfish, she could say for sure that the world was full of greedy people.
Because of her personality, she has the capacity to handle anything on her own, so she's not very good at relying on others, so as her boyfriend, Amane intends to do his best to make her depend on him more.
“Ifyou do that, I'm sure Amane will spoil you. Definitely."
“..I-I'U think about it. Besides, you spoiled me a lot yesterday."
"Huh. Tell me more about that. Look, there's no one else here besides us.”
“Hey, heyi'
It’s not like I've done anything wrong but that aside, it’s still embarrassing to be asked about the events of our time together.
She believed he hadn’t told her the details about the sleepover after the cultural festival, but Mahiru was in danger of running away from Chitose's guidance, so she should probably ask him if he’d heard about it next time.
Despite Amane’s attempts to stop her, Chitóse was sidling up to Mahiru with a refreshingly light smile.
Mahiru put her hand to her forehead, thinking she had to say it as her boyfriend, since Chitóse was still holding her and guiding her to a position a little ways away with a troubled but still vague smile that didn’t feel like a refusal.
Mahiru was the type of person who wanted to share happy things with others, and aside from what she really wanted to keep a secret, anyone close to her would talk if pushed, so I was worried about what she was going to say, but.. Suddenly, I saw Yuuta, who was sitting the furthest away from Mahirou, frowning a little in distress.
"Kadowaki, what's wrong?"
If I asked her in a small voice, she seemed to realize what kind of expression she had on her fece, and her smile became even more troubled.
"No, now that I think about it, is it okay for me to be called here?"
“It's kind of like Kadowaki-kun's modesty to hold back. But it's not good to say it out loud here."
It was a small voice, but even Ayaka seemed to hear it, and she scolded Yuuta with a gentle lookthat reprimanded him, but showed no anger or indignation whatsoever.
“Sorry.”
“You shouldn't make such an apologetic face, okay?”
"To be honest, I haven't known Shiina-san much longerthan Kadoaki-kun, so Kadosaki-kun's lines are supposed to be mine.”
“But Kido doesn't seem all that worked up or worried."
“Hmm, I wonder if Shina-san approves of me. I can feel it from her attitude, so I'm not really worried. It's really easy to tell wh en she's inside."
From Ayaka’s unenthusiastic, natural smile, I could tell she didn’t doubt a single thing she’d said.
Ayaka said her hobby was observing humans, so I thought she was only looking at muscles, but she seemed to have a firm grasp on subtleties like that As far as Amane was concerned, she was happy to have more people who understood her, so she could see through a lot ofthings, and it made her nervous.
“You're pretty confident when it comes to that stuff, Kido-san."
“I don't know if I should call you confident, but I feel like you're being nice to me, and I think ofyou as a friend. Also, Shina-san understands that I'm in love with So-chan, so she doesn't doubt me or anything, so I think she's relieved."
"I see."
“Why are you so convinced, Kadowaki?"
“I don't want to.”
“I don't want to.”
"What the hell?”
"See, Fujimiya-kun was pretty squeaked out during the cultural festival, wasn't he?" "Kya-kya..?”
“Isn't he nice? Something like that”
"There's someone next to me who's the embodiment of popularity, so I can't honestly agree." The cheers at the mock cafe were by fer the most praiseworthy of Yuuta's. Amane wouldn't say he wasn't complimented at all, but it was enough to drown him out by the passionate love call to Yuuta, and it didn't have any sweet nuance to it.
And yet, Ayaka still doesn’t get it She shakes her index finger, which she holds up with a tepid look in her eyes as if to say, "Tsk, tsk.”
"Fujimiya-kun, the genre is different."
"The genre."
"Kadowaki-kun, you're the top-class, refreshing, princely, kind, good-natured young man."
"I guess I have to nod in agreement"
"Kadowaki-kun, please nod here. And Fujimiya-kun hated to look at people, so he was a downer cool guy, but he got a perfect one-hundred-point smile for free at the cultural festival, so that difference in temperature wo rked."
“What are you saying?”
"I'm serious! The self-proclaimed inconspicuous Fujimiya-kun smiled at the cultural festival in a perfect way, so there's a certain number of people who were moved by the gap."
"Kadowaki, do you understand?”
“Hmm.”
“Why won't you agree to that?!”
I want to think it’s not bad that I ended up looking at Ayaka like she’s looking at a creature I can’t understand without thinking, as she let out a feeble, deliberate shriek like a cry.
“Well, I think it's true that Fujimiya'sbeenseenalot more than I thought. Without Shina-san, Fujimiya is. That's what Shina was worried about, or rather, I believe she's in the present tense, and if there's nothing to worry about, that means there'll be a huge advantage when it comes to forming a friendly relationship."
"Exactly. Kadowaki-kun, you're a good speaker."
Ayaka clapped with a big smil e and said, “I’m going to let you go." Her exasperation and bewilderment showed on Amane’s half-hearted expression.
"Well, considering that, I think you've become friends with her as a friend."
"Putting aside whether that's right or not, I get what you're trying to say, Kido.. but I don't think it's all of them."
“Not all of them?"
"Well, even ifthat's the case, Mahiru probably likes Kido because he's a good person, so we've become friends."
"Fuheh?"
The words that came out of Amane must have been unexpected, because a relaxed, relaxed voice escaped Ayaka’s lips.
Why would Ayaka tilt her head there? It was enough to make Amane want to tilt his head, but after a moment’s thought about howto explain it to Ayaka, who didn’t seem to really understand, he slowly opened his mouth
“Well, you know, Kido's good at taking care of people, and he's always nice and smiling. He's the type to reach out to people when they're in trouble. He looks at people all the time, and when he doesn't need help, he always looks after them, so it feels like he hasn't overdone himself"
Mahiru was more shy than Amane if she wasn't careful.
She could communicate perfectly on the sürfece, and she could act like she liked people, but she was a person who couldn't easily enter the shell. There was no shortage of points that Chitóse was able to force her way through because she was an acquaintance of Amane's.
The feet that Amane was so close to her was nothing short of a miracle, but putting that aside, Mahiru herself had the disposition to keep people away from her.
That hadn’t changed, even nowthat she’d stopped being an angel, and although she’s opened up to her classmates more than before, it wasn’t enough to tell them how she really feit..but Ayaka’s soft, calm, and caring disposition must have caught Mahiru’s sensors.
"You're two-faced, you're always smiling, and you keep your distance while being considerate. When it comes to things you like, you get a little carried away, but on the other hand, you have that kind of single-mindedness that makes you so engrossed, and it's within the realm of not causing trouble for others. From Mahiru's point of view, you probably think that's a good thing, and I think she wants to be friends with you.”
From Mahiru's perspective, who seemed to prefer people who were fundamentally calm and sensible, wouldn’t Ayaka fit the bUl perfectly?
Of course, it wasn't because she liked him, but because she thought he liked her personality, she could tell he was continuing to interact with her. Otherwise, Mahiru wouldn't have invited her to his house. It was Amane's house, but Mahilu could tell that he was already as good as home, and since he thought it was okay to let her in there, she opened her heart to him.
"Mahiru seems a little worried about how small my social circle is, but from my point of view, Mahiru doesn't have many friends I can trust I'm happy that a girl like Kido can get along with you, and I'd be happy if I could get along well with Kido.”
I just said exactly what I was thinking, but when Ayaka finished listening to everything, she looked at me with her eyebrows downcast as if she really wanted to say something, so this time I looked at Yuuta, wondering what was going on, and he shrugged his shoulders with an expression that couldn't be concealed, one that could be interpreted as exasperation or admiration.
I didn't understand what she meant.
“..It's amazing that you can say that so directly. It's embarrassing. You can say things like that without a care in the world. I think I understand why you're in love with her, so I'm sure Shina-san would be worried."
“I agree."
“Why do you agree, Kadoowaki?"
“I don't want to.”
“I don't want to.”
“Hey, heyi'
These two didn’t seem to have much contact with each other, but for some reason, they were in perfect sync today, as if they'd hit it off, so much so that Amane was bewildered.
What in the world would make them do that?
“Hey, Fujimiya, aren't you being ridiculously honest with the people you've become friends with?”
“You don't have to be honest with me."
In Amane’s self-consciousness, he didn’t think he was being honest or anything. In fact, he thought he was on the twisted side ofthings, but it seemed that wasn’t how they saw him.
“Fujimiya-kun, I know you don't mean anything by it, but sometimes you just throw it straight at melike this. It's a bad way to put it, and even if you didn't, it's not like there's any chance of a girl getting hit in the wrong place."
“..In other words?”
"It's possible that other girls will like her without her realizing it She's not even aware of it, so she's worried about it.”
"..Me?"
"He doesn't believe me."
Ittsuki, who had apparently been listening to the conversation in silence, couldn’t take it anymore and retorted, so when Amane turned his gaze in that direction, Mahiru and Chitóse had come over to his side as well, as if the conversation was over
"I think Amane-kun's charm is something everyone who came today acknowledges."
“That's probably about a hundred percent of Mahiru's lust."
Mahiru’s words as she entered the conversation made her look shady, but when she looked at him, Amane reflexively straightened his posture Mahiru had a wonderful smile on her face.
“Shuu-kun."
"Yes.”
“I'd like to talk about your own low estimation later, but I'll put it aside for now. ...You've been polishing yourself, and at least you've become someone you can be proud of, haven't you?” “Yes.”
“It's not good to recklessly deny praise when you're acknowledging Amane-kun."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I can understand what Mahiru's saying, so I don’t have anything to object to, but I can’t help but think that’s an overestimation after all.
It was just that Mahiru smiled beautifully, as if she could see through even that, so she shuddered and chased away her unnecessary thoughts.
‘You really are shapeless and weak, Shiina-san.”
"Silence."
The Amane in question was most aware that he was weak to Mahiru, so there was no need for Itsuki to go out of his way to tell him, and it was irritating to hear him say that, so he stabbed Itski in the sharp voice, even though he knew he was at fault, and he waved his hand as ifto say he understood.
"Well, I don't think Amane-kun will... um, turn his attention to other women. Hell only look at me."
“Hyuu-hyuu.”
“Don't make fun of me.”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t bad that Mahiru felt a little creepy after cutting off Chitose’s teasing with a snap "..Anyway, umm, it doesn't feel good to b e approached by another girl, so if you'll be careful, I'll feel b etter... It's selfish, but..”
“There's no way you'd go out of your way to get close to Mahiru when she's worried, right? I'll be careful of the distance.”
I realized once again that Mahiru was acting out of concern for that part of her, so I once again spoke with unwavering confidence in order to get rid of her anxiety.
It was almost impossible for it to affect any woman other than Mahiru, and it was even more impossible for her to seek another woman just because she wanted to confirm her affections. Amane wasn’t stupid enough to take a test run, nor did he think otherwise.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t happy at all at being jealous, but getting jealous meant making Mahiru anxious, and willingly doing that would be out of the question as her boyfriend
"Actually, it's common knowledge that Mahiru and I are dating, so is it even possible for her to try and seduce us?”
It would be embarrassing if she turned around, so she didn’t remember it very aggressively, but the reason Amane and Mahiru were united was because of the sports festival’s borrowed competition.
She had been declared an important person in the middle ofthe competition while the spectators watched, so it was probably known to the entire student body.
On top ofthat, she’d been able to stand firmly next to Mahiru in deterrence, and while she didn’t want to admit it, according to Itsuki and the others, they were "cheating," so from an objective perspective, there was probably no longer an opening for other people to get in.
"Mahirun, there are times when people still say they like you, even though you've lost a lot. Isn't that possible for Amane?"
"Mm. But I don't have one right now.”
This was part ofthe reason I couldn't fully accept what Ayaka was saying.
Mahiru praised him, and Itsuki and the others said he’d changed, but if I had to guess, he definitely wouldn't have liked her. I hadn't run into any other women who liked Amane so far besides her.
It was true that I heard a voice that seemed somewhat familiar during the cultural festival, but nothing happened after that, and my classmates treated me the same way.
As a result, compliments didn't get me anywhere, so I cocked my head every time, but Chitose's sighing voice interrupted my train ofthought
“You know, Amane doesn't like people like Mahirun, but., how do I put this?”
“It looks like a small portion ofthem are going to get serious.”
“I can't imagine it, and even if there is, I don't intend to accept it.”
"Well, in other words, be careful. I'm not worried about Amane looking elsewhere."
“I have absolutely no intention of looking at anyone other than Mahiru, and I can’t respond to her affections, so it’s a problem," said Amane with a light frown, and Chitóse neither laughed nor teased nor was exasperated; she just quietly cautioned him, so Amane could only nod meekly.
"Just so you know, I don't doubt you.”
After Itsaki and the others left, Mahiru quickly told them in a non-damp, casual voice, so they freaked out.
Amane blinked repeatedly, realizing belatedly that this was a continuation ofwhat he’d said back then, and Mahiru, who was sitting next to him on the sofa, lowered her eyes a little as she pinched Amane’s sleeve. The fact that she seemed somehow unreliable might have made Mahilu a little uneasy, too.
“I'm well aware that you, um, love me. Besides, I knowthat you're not the type to break a promise.”
“But you're saying things that make Mahiru worry, right? Ill be careful."
There were things he could and shouldn’t do just because he was oblivious, and Amane wasn’t heartless, inconsiderate, or insensitive enough to let his legitimate worry wash over him as a girlfriend
“It's part of your charm, so it's not something I can restrict. I think it'd be a good thing for you to be evaluated in the first place."
"But I don't want Mahiru to feel bad about it.”
“I think it's fine for Amane-kun to be wary of wo men approaching him, but to be honest, I can't prevent him from being liked. He acknowledges you as such a wonderful person, and I understand that it'd be better for him to be liked to a certain extent than to be hated."
"Yeah, well, that's true. Um.. This is a little off topic, but it's a simple question."
“Yes.”
"I said something similar earlier. Let's say there's a girl who likes me. Why are you trying to seduce me?”
Amane couldn’t understand this place.
It's not like I don't understand why she's trying to appeal to the person she likes.
It's just that I can't help but think that if I add that the person I love has a clear partner, things will change.
Though human emotions weren’t something that could be completely controlled, the idea of the other person understanding that they had a lover, or a partner, and then taking action was beyond Amane’s comprehension.
“If you're taking active action, that means you want my reaction, right?"
“Yes. I think he's expecting you to approach him and turn around because he wants you to like him.”
“In other words, you want to take me away from Mahiru, don't you?”
“That's howit's goingto be.”
"Even though I'm in love with Mahiru this much, it's unsettling that she thinks I have an opening to get in. I don't know where or how she'll get away from me."
Putting aside the judgement of whether or not they were flirting in public, the only thing he could say for sure was that Amane cared for and cared about Mahiru everywhere.
She was confident that they hadn’t fought or taken any drastic measures, and that they'd both respected each other and lived peacefully together. Mahiru had acknowledged that, and she'd also received a reputation from the people around her that Amane and the others would never leave.
He’d never turned his attention to other women, and if anything, he’d probably laugh it off as imnossihle for snmpnnp whn knew Amane tn hemme friends with other women now. since he was on the level of being drawn by Itsuki because he wasn’t interested in them.
Um, if, hypothetically, there was a woman who wanted to drop Amane, it would be truly regrettable if she thought he was the kind of person who would change someone just by lightly appealing to them, and if his feelings for Mahiru were underestimated as something like that, it was unpleasant enough to instantly shut them down.
“In the first place, I wonder if it's something I normally can't tell by looking at me that I'm wary of Mahiru when she comes over knowing she's there. I firmly refuse, though."
The circle of extremely narrow-minded people acknowledged by both themselves and others also expanded their personal space, and it was obvious that they would be the target of caution the moment they crossed the line they were drawing. Especially if that was the kind of opponent that would hurt Mahiru as a result.
Amane couldn’t understand the train of thought that could be carried out to create a rift in the relationship between people who were building a harmonious relationship, and he didn’t want to understand it, so at that point, he wouldn’t even be able to look at them.
"You're more of a clean freak than I am, aren't you?”
"It's more like you're a clean freak. Isn't that normal? You're making me hate you.”
"I understand what you're saying. I'll label that person as someone who does things like that in my mind to distinguish them."
“..Isn't Mahiru a clean freak who told me at that point?”
“That's true. But you're the type to cut your feet with a line that's easier to understand than mine, Amane-kun. I'll make a wall, but you'll reject me."
When she put it that way, Mahiru might have been on the receiving end ofthat rejection even more intensely than she was.
“Well, I don't want Mahiru to get the wrong idea, but it's the main reason, so it can't be helped. Besides, I wouldn't really want to have a personal relationship with someone who's irresponsible enough to get swept away by indecisive relationships like that, so 111 be careful. If I can prevent them from getting the wrong impression, I'd like to prevent them."
Amane’s theory was that it was best to nip any potential factors in the bud that led to them passing each other by or fighting.
Amane and Mahiru were both fundamentally calm and the type who could listen to the other person and find a compromise, so they hardly ever got into a fight, but as for what to do with that, it was probably when one of them did something clearly bad or broke their promise Whether that was a feet or a misunderstanding, it was only natural that distrust would ooz out the moment he made her suspect it, so it was important to eliminate the other party's doubts as much as possible.
In the first place, you should always keep in mind that you shouldn't do anything to make people doubt you, and that you should ask a feir third party to testify at times.
"Getting back to the topicat hand, that's why I don't want to have a woman who likes me, so I think I have no choice but to refuse. Well, I'm not sure if she's really here."
“If you question that, you'll end up going around in circles.”
“I don't want to... Actually, the problem is, I've never been appealed to like that before." 'You're sensitive to malice, but you're slow on the uptake."
"..Mahiru-san,areyou mad?"
“I'm not angry.. I'm just remembering how hard it was to get you to notice me..’’
Mahiru put her hand lightly to her forehead and let out a slightly tired sigh, but for Amane on the side that had caused her so much trouble, he couldn't say anything easy, and he felt his fece stiffen with a smile.
Amane and Mahiru had started dating about halfa year ago, but the process up to that point had been unpleasantly approved by Itsuki and Chitóse, who had been watching over the romance route, saying, "Not only are you slow on the uptake, but you were barely confident, so it took you a while."
Amane was also aware that Mahiru’s goodwill had been servile, and he’d doubted himself and hadn’t been able to fully believe it, so it made a lot of sense for Mahilu to have had a hard time there, and even felt bad about it
“No, of course, I know that Mahiru was try ing to appeal to me like crazy right now! I just wasn't confident!"
“If you hadn't noticed, I would have covered my fece at the time. ..You're too slow on the uptake, Amane-kun."
“I'm sorry.”
“I-I know you'll notice and express it a lot right now! A-Anyway, right now, Amane-kun is extremely sensitive to my goodwill, or rather, he accepts it firmly, but I think he's still slow on the uptake when it comes to other people's, especially as members ofthe opposite sex. Or rather, I'm slow on my feet."
“S-So much so..?”
“I can say for sure. ..It's proof that I'm the only one who can see you, so I can't get angry." “Isn't it obvious that only Mahiru can see?”
“..It's not good to say something like that so casually.”
“Huh..?”
“I-I know it's just me, but.. I'm loved.”
"Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."
She fidgeted, and in the end, Mahiru’s voice shriveled up in embarrassment as she formed the words. She was inexorably adorable, and she gently wrapped her arms around her back as she caught Mahilu, who leaned her body to the side as if fewning over her.
We can express our love for each other and fewn over each other head-on now.
In order to avoid hurting her soft limbs while accepting the emotions Mahiru was directing at her with her whole body, she carefully and carefully enveloped the anxiety and impatience she was holding in her small body so that Amane would accept it and stop swallowing it.
Even the feint stiffness vanished as if it would come undone if Amane gently stroked it with the palm of his hand, and he leaned his weight against Amane’s bo<fy as if to say he would entrust himselfto it, so Amane wanted to feel more of its weight, so he slowly changed his position so that Mahiru would lie down on the sofe with him on top Amane rode on top of Amane as if to cover him, or rather, put him on top, but Mahiru, who’d gotten on top with him out of surprise and embarrassment, blinked her eyes and tried to lift her body up, so Amane didn’t say no and wouldn’t let go ofthe hand he’d wrapped around her back. “..I-It's heavy, isn't it?”
“It's not heavy. ..And I want you to lean on me more."
Mahiru was slightly flustered as her hair swayed, so I whispered to her as if fawning over her, and then her white cheeks took on a feint red tinge.
“Ifthat's the case, I want you to lean on me more too."
“Was it the other way around?”
“You idiot!”
As Mahiru vigorously buried her fece in Amane’s chest and parried the direct attack, she let out an unbearable laugh, and Mahilu, who seemed to sense that he’d laughed at her from the movement of her chest, raised her head halfway up to show him her blushing cheeks and cute, sharp eyes Amane was aware of his bold remarks and actions, even though he was feigning composure, so he gently placed the palm of his hand on his raised head to cover it up and gently stroked it so that the silk thread wouldn’t get tangled, and that alone was enough to sink the head he’d been holding up into Amane’s chest.
Even her direct, outburst-like attacks were adorable, so I smiled and accepted them, enjoying her own indulgence, warmth, and softness to my heart's content, and slowly slid my fingers across the we 11-maintained flaxen river.
“..Shuu-kun.”
'Yeah?”
We touched for awhile, but Mahiru looked atme quietly when I suddenly tilted my head loosely at the calm tone of her voice.
Her eyes were staring at me earnestly, without the agitation or embarrassment from earlier. “I don't think that's the case for everyone who's trying to curry favor with you. ..I think there are some girls who can't hold back their feelings, who can’t hold them back. Someday, a girl who says she loves you will show up. At that time, Amane-kun will..."
“I refuse. ..J accept your feelings carefully. I don’t intend to accept them, though."
He didn’t have to ask the end to know what she was trying to say.
Even Amane, who was devoted to Mahiru, could tell that not everyone who confessed to someone they had a lover with had any ill will toward them. It was only natural that they would spit out their feelings before they broke down.
I don't intend to conclude that everything is bad, and it's not right for others to deny those feelings themselves. There's no one who can control the birth of emotions themselves. They can't bear the emotions they're born with, and there's nothing they can do about it, so they 11 be directed at that person.
It was just that Amane had no intention of accepting that fevor.
"Mahiru is the one I love, and Mahiru's the only one thinking about the future. That's why I
Even if refusing would hurt his opponent, Amane couldn't back down.
Mahiru was the only one Amane loved, and there was no way he’d choose anyone other than her
And there was no way Mahiru could yield Amane to him, either.
Because we both understood that, as if to wipe away our unease, our words, feelings, and warmth overlapped.
"So you don’t have to worry. I only need you, Mahiru."
"..Yes."
Feeling the weight on him increase reassuringly, Amane narrowed his eyes at the comfortable weight and gently embraced the warmth in his arms.
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