Chapter 50: Towa, Ayana and Shu

Translator: Soafp

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“He is terrible!!”

“Haha, there, there.”

Ayana clung to me without caring about the people around us. It seems she was quite embarrassed to be seen using strong words to drive away the guy who was hitting on her.

With Ayana still clinging to me, I sat down on a nearby bench. She pressed her forehead against my chest, determined not to show her face. The other three could only smile in a troubled manner.

“That was surprising. It was the first time I saw Ayana like that.”

Ayana’s body twitched.

“…Well, I was also surprised.”

“A fake wearing Otonashi-san’s skin… That’s not it, right?”

Ayana’s body trembled even more.

Now that I think about it, except for me, Kotone-chan had also witnessed Ayana in that state. And there was that incident at the pool with the person who tried to provoke Ayana. Setting aside the presence of Shu and Iori, having Seina-san by her side, Ayana’s outburst was probably triggered by something that was said to her.

“Well, I can understand Ayana’s feelings.”

“Did someone say something to her?”

Asking straightforwardly, Seina-san nodded.

“At first, it was just a normal approach, but then he shifted his target from me to Ayana, saying things like how he would satisfy her more than her current boyfriend, or how he would captivate her completely.”

“I see…”

Let’s set aside the smoldering anger in my heart for now. Ayana rarely loses her temper to that extent. While her expressions and words may have a slight edge to them, she rarely reaches the level of yelling. Whenever Ayana gets like that, it usually involves me to some extent. In this case, it was because he brought me up.

“…For me, Towa-kun is the most important. I don’t want to talk or see someone who would brag about themselves by comparing themselves to someone else’s boyfriend, someone whose name I don’t even know.”

That’s right, she’s always like this. Even though I feel a slight precariousness in prioritizing me above all else, I can’t help but feel comfortable with it. However, instead of stopping there, I intend to face Ayana’s way of being head-on. I can confidently say that I have always done so.

“There are times when she needs to let out and vent the suppressed emotions. Well, it would be nice if you didn’t ask too much about it.”

Upon hearing my words, both Seina-san and Shu lowered their heads. Their reactions indicated that they understood what my words were referring to, and perhaps they had their own experiences. As for Iori, she tilted her head slightly, showing some curiosity, but she didn’t ask further.

I stopped stroking Ayana’s head and raised her face, looking into her eyes. Her cheeks were still red, and the embarrassment hadn’t faded, but even so, that expression of hers was precious to me.

“For me personally, I like Ayana like that. I like the moments when the normally ladylike Ayana explodes with emotion, and I like everything about Ayana, so Ayana in that state is no exception.”

“…… I know that you like me. I even know that Towa-kun likes me beyond measure.”

“Right?　And I know it’s the same for Ayana.”

“Of course!”

We all laughed at the expression on Ayana’s face, which was anything but ordinary.

“I see, so there’s such a gap”

“Iori-san?”

“Hey, Shu-kun. Do you feel a gap when I become gyaru-like?”

“…………”

What is this person saying? Shu’s expression is like that. He seems to dislike the idea. To be honest, I also imagined Iori becoming gyaru-like for a moment. Iori has long, beautiful, jet-black hair, and while her bold outfits that reveal her chest might be questionable, her usual school uniform gives off a neat and tidy image. “Cool beauty” is often used to describe her, but if she suddenly made a drastic change to a flashy appearance… well.

I wonder what it would be like if the Iori I just saw suddenly underwent a change and became a flashy gal. You know, like when a girl you haven’t seen for a long time during a long break turns into a flashy party girl who sleeps around.

“Everyone would think that if Honjou-senpai suddenly became like that. ‘Ah, she’s learned about men. And she’s getting laid all the time’.”

“T-That’s a problem!!”

Iori vehemently denied it with a serious expression. She even placed her hand on Shu’s shoulder and shook him vigorously, emphasizing that she would never have that kind of relationship with anyone other than Shu.

“I-I understand!! So please stop shaking my shoulder already!!”

They really get along well, these two.

Seina-san, who was watching nearby, seemed to have noticed Shu’s change as well. She looked happy about it, as if she was pleased with the change. But at the same time, I could sense her concern.

“Thank you, Towa-kun. I feel calm now.”

“I see.”

“Yes♪”

Ayana, who had returned to her usual self, stood up and looked at Shu. Shu, meeting her gaze, tightened his expression and faced her. After a short silence, it was Ayana who spoke first.

“Shu-kun… you’ve changed. You seem bigger, or rather, your heart seems stronger.”

“Is that so… I don’t really know, though.”

Both of them seem a little tense. But I don’t think that’s unnatural. Ayana and Shu are exchanging words like this for the first time since that incident… But there’s no uncomfortable atmosphere, and the aura surrounding both of them is gentle.

“…Moving forward, the scenery looks different, right? I think you understand that now.”

“…Yeah. I understand it well. I’ve realized just how small I was as a person.”

“Fufu, that’s right. I felt the same… But there was someone who made me realize that.”

“Yeah, I feel the same. There was an important friend who made me realize it too.”

And at the same time, both Ayuna and Shuu looked at me. Surprised by the sudden turn of events, I felt strangely embarrassed and averted my gaze. Not only the two of them, but also Seina-san and Iori seemed to share a similar atmosphere, which was quite troublesome.

Ayana, who had been looking at me affectionately, turned her body around and faced Shu again.

“Shu, please continue to take care of me from now on. As childhood friends”

“Yeah! Of course! As childhood friends!”

…Haha, I almost felt like crying a little.

At that time, I thought our relationship had completely ended. But that wasn’t the case… We were able to return to how we used to be. Of course, many things have changed since then, but the crucial difference is that all of us were able to take a step forward again.

“Fufu, you look happy, Yukishiro-kun,”

“Yeah. I’m happy, just as Iori said”

“I’m glad…?”

“Ah…”

Oh no, I inadvertently called her by her first name. I was taken aback and quickly apologized. But Iori seemed surprised at first and then chuckled.

“I see. So Yukishiro-kun called me by my first name in your mind”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize… I finally understand now.”

“Understand?”

Iori nodded.

“Your gaze towards Otonashi-san, as well as your gaze towards me… Sometimes, it felt like you saw me as older than you. I never said anything about it, and even if I suddenly brought it up, it would put you in an awkward position.”

“That’s… “

“It’s as if there’s a secret about me that even Otonashi-san doesn’t know… Fufu, let’s not ask about it. Pursuing you would be like stirring up a hornet’s nest.”

“Eh?”

Iori pointed to a spot where Ayana was staring with a blank expression. Indeed, we might have been talking a bit too intimately. I waved my hand as if nothing had happened, and Ayana quickly moved me away from Iori, creating some distance between us.

“Towa-kun, did this busty woman say something weird to you?”

“Hey, isn’t that way too harsh?”

“It’s not harsh at all. Don’t seduce Towakun with your breasts that seem like they’ll sag once you get older.”

“Don’t say that with a straight face! They won’t sag! And besides, isn’t Otomu-san in a similar situation?”

“I’m always making efforts to maintain the best condition, you know? And besides, mine are just the right size, an F cup.”

…Well, I think an F cup is on the larger side for a high school student. And I remember her saying they’ve grown recently. Well, it’s kind of heartwarming to think that she’s still growing.

With her face completely red, Iori looked at Seina-san for some reason. More precisely, she looked at her cleavage… It naturally was larger than Ayana’s and even bigger than Iori’s, filled with dreams.

“By the way, even though my mom has that size, she has firmness and a perky shape”

“…I see.”

“H-Hey, what are you two talking about in a place like this!?”

Seina-san hunched over, trying to hide her cleavage, but her posture seems a bit awkward. Because she’s holding her chest as if embracing it, it’s noticeable even through her clothes… Oh, a passerby glanced at her in surprise and quickly averted their gaze.

“…I’m tired”

“….Yeah”

Shu agreed, who had come to stand beside me without me realizing. We continued to observe the interactions among the women for a while longer.