NOVEL NEXT chapter 36
Isn’t this too indecent?
I was puzzled by the girl, Yua Shiratori, who grabbed my hand. It was surprising that she grabbed my hand out of the blue and introduced herself so suddenly.
“W-Wait, Yua! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden!”
The girl next to me scolds her, but Yua keeps staring at me as if she can’t hear the voice… What should I do in a situation like this? It would be normal to introduce myself, but I feel a chilling sensation creeping up from behind.
“hahahaha, come on, Toa-kun. We’re going to buy swimsuits now, so let’s hurry, shall we?”
Her face was smiling, but her eyes weren’t. Her gaze towards me was gentle, but whenever her eyes flickered towards Shiratori-san even for a moment, they turned sharp. What Ayana was saying made sense. I gently released Shiratori-san’s hand, which was holding mine with the hand opposite to it.
“Ah…”
Accompanied by Shiratori-san’s poignant expression and a voice that slipped out, I understood the meaning behind that expression, not because I was insensitive, but perhaps due to Toa’s perceptiveness or simply my own feelings.
“Thank you so much! Look, Yue too!”
“Th-thank you!”
I waved to the two bowing their heads and walked alongside Ayana. However, throughout that time, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a gaze on my back… Maybe it was just my imagination.
As we distanced ourselves from the two, Ayana puffed her cheeks and tightly clung onto my arm.
“Toa-kun, your kindness is a good trait and a lovely thing. But trying to charm girls other than me is not acceptable!”
I had no intention of doing that, but I didn’t want to ignore such a situation either. Though Ayana said that, she quickly smiled and softened her expression.
“Well, I fell for Toa-kun like that. It’s tough having such a cool boyfriend.”
“That goes for me too.”
If I were to respond in the same manner, it would imply that having such a beautiful girlfriend would also pose its challenges. In the future, as Ayana grows further, she will become even more beautiful. I have a feeling that even if I’m around, there will be no shortage of people trying to hit on her.
“…”
I gazed at Ayana, who had her arms crossed and was looking around.
From the hidden sides she showed in the game to spending time together like this, I truly believed Ayana was a strong girl in various ways. Of course, besides that strength, her lovable side when she seeks comfort could also be a reason why I’m so into her.
“Toa-kun?”
“Hey, Ayana.”
While being with Ayana felt like a part of my daily life, there were moments when I wanted to seek comfort from her. With the sports festival preparations ahead and especially with the matter concerning Tachibana, I felt a bit tired.
“After we finish shopping today, you’re coming over to my place, right?”
“That’s the plan. What’s up?”
“When we get home, can I fully rely on you?”
Said in a joking manner… or not, but when I said that, Ayana looked at me with an intense expression, peering into my face. I felt a bit taken aback by her intensity, but Ayana murmured as if confirming the words I had spoken.
“Did you say I can rely on you?”
“Y-yeah.”
As I affirmed once again, feeling embarrassed, Ayana flashed a bright smile.
“You don’t need permission for that! I’m always by your side, so you can rely on me whenever you want!”
“Got it. Then, I’ll rely on you when I get home today.”
“Absolutely! Let’s quickly buy the swimsuit and head home right away!”
Although the purpose was to buy swimsuits, it seemed like Ayana had already shifted the focus to going home. The jealousy she had displayed earlier was now gone, and Ayana, who was truly enjoying the moment, was there from the bottom of her heart.
Being pulled along by Ayana, we arrived at the swimsuit section of the store we had visited last year. A year had passed since then, and there was no way I could be accustomed to this place… Ayana was the one buying, but it still felt a bit awkward to step into the women’s swimsuit section. However, seeing other couples around besides us did bring some relief.
“Hmm, which one should I choose…”
As I watched Ayana picking up swimsuits, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Huh!?”
It was natural for anyone to be surprised when someone suddenly placed a hand on their shoulder. The person standing there, who was somewhat familiar to both me and Ayana, was none other than the Student Council President.
“hehehe, sorry if I startled you.”
“President…”
“Senpai?”
Yes, it was none other than Honjo Iori, the Student Council President. I wondered why Iori was here… but besides coming to buy swimsuits, there didn’t seem to be any other reason. After all, she already had that s*xy black swimsuit… wait, isn’t that more like strings?
“Oh, is Yukiyo-kun interested in this swimsuit?”
“Yes. I knew there was that type, but still… I thought.”
With nothing in particular to hide, Iri gathered her courage and spoke frankly.
“I was surprised at being analyzed so straightforwardly… Last year, Shuu was blushing like crazy.”
Oh, so they came to buy swimsuits with Shuu last year. I’m not privy to those details, and Shuu’s personal matters are none of my business… Hm, I don’t recall any scenes like that in the game, so it feels fresh.
“Honjou-senpai, isn’t this swimsuit a bit too revealing?”
“J-Joking! I’m not buying it! I was just curious to see the reaction of a familiar face!”
Upon Iri’s words, Ayana narrowed her eyes subtly.
“So, it’s safe to interpret that there was a slight temptation towards Towa-kun?”
“I told you, there’s no such intent! …Hey, Onmuna-san, could you stop looking at me like that? You seem like you could kill a person with those eyes.”
Smiling wryly at their exchange, I glanced around briefly. There were various types of swimsuits, but… Hm, last year, Ayana wore a white swimsuit, the complete opposite of her black hair. White doesn’t take on any color and just exudes purity. But if I may say, I think any color suits her.
“By the way, Honjou-senpai, are you buying a swimsuit because you have plans to go somewhere?”
“Well, there’s a new facility that opened, right? I made plans to go to the pool there with friends.”
“Oh, Towa-kun and I also have plans to go there.”
Listening to their conversation, I happened to glance at a mirror nearby. The mirror reflected Ayana, Iri, and myself… It was just an ordinary mirror, yet for a moment, I saw a scene that made me doubt my eyes.
“Huh!?”
It was truly a split second. In that fleeting moment, the figures of the two happily chatting seemed to change. I felt like I saw Iri being drenched in white liquid, with Ayana, wearing a hood, looking down at her…
“What was that just now?”
I involuntarily muttered as I rubbed my eyes, but the scene was already gone, replaced by the sight of the two chatting happily.
“Towa-kun?”
“Yukishiro-kun?”
It seemed like they found my behavior odd, as both called out to me. I reassured them with a shake of my head. After chatting with Iri for a while, we parted ways, and finally, the time came for Ayana to choose her swimsuit. However, it seemed she had already made her choice.
“Last year was white, but how about this black one this year? It has frills and looks cute, don’t you think?”
“I think it’s great. It’s mature and suits Ayana—”
Just as I was about to say “suits her”… a voice slipped into my mind as if sliding in smoothly.
“You seem to be having fun.”
“Huh!?”
I turned around instinctively.
Naturally, there was no one behind me. There were some customers in the vicinity, but no one had spoken to me. …What was that voice just now?
“Towa-kun? Are you okay?”
“Ah, yeah…”
Maybe I’m just tired… It’s not good to worry Ayana when we’re out shopping together. I shook my head slightly and smiled.
“I’ve been busy lately… Maybe I’m just tired.”
“hehehe, in that case, I should get you home early to pamper you, just like Towa-kun said earlier.”
“…You remembered that?”
“Of course. I am Towa-kun’s girlfriend, after all!”
With a confident sway of her ample chest, Ayana said so.
Then Ayana went into the fitting room and tried on the swimsuit she picked up… Let me just say, it looked really good.