V2Ch7

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Translator: Soafp

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As the twilight hours passed, Ayana and I walked together along the darkening path.

“Towa-kun.”

“What’s up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to call you.”

“….I see.”

“Yes.”

We had been engaging in this sort of exchange repeatedly for a while now. Ayana’s cuteness had been overwhelming, even before we left the park. She clung to my arm as if she had no intention of letting go, making her even more adorable. Her soft and ample chest pressing against me made me feel like it was an added bonus.

After sharing a chuckle with Ayana, I looked away from her gaze and, in silence, we continued walking. But every time I glanced at Ayana, I found her looking at me.

For some reason, we both blushed and looked away, only to meet each other’s eyes again. What time was this, exactly?

“Even though you’re sticking to me, you should look ahead…”

“Nope. I’m only looking at Towa-kun.”

Even though I tried to point out that she should look ahead, her cute response made it difficult for me to insist. Ayana didn’t divert her gaze from me and continued walking, still clinging to my arm.

However, at that moment, someone appeared in front of us.

“Oh…”

Ayana and I stopped in our tracks as we saw a figure before us.

“Shu.”

“…”

Yes, the person who appeared before us was Shu. He had been running and seemed out of breath, with a considerable amount of sweat on his face. Shu looked at me and Ayana with a mixture of surprise and disbelief in his eyes. It was a gaze I had never experienced from Shu before.

In those eyes, there was shock, sorrow, and anger directed at me.

When Shu tried to catch his breath and open his mouth, Ayana spoke before him.

“Towa-kun and I are now dating.”

“…..Eh?”

Shu was left speechless by the words uttered by Ayana. Eventually, I felt the need to join the conversation and move closer, but it was Ayana who stopped me.

“Please leave this to me.”

In a soft voice, Ayana said that and faced Shu.

I obeyed Ayana’s request and watched the situation without saying anything. However, I noticed something.

It was the way Ayana looked at Shu.

Before, I had felt that Ayana’s gaze toward Shu was somewhat devoid of emotion, but now it was different. It was a gaze that recognized Shu as her childhood friend, not a detached or mechanical one. She looked at him as if they were close friends.

“I’ve loved Towa-kun for a long time, Shu-kun. Since we were kids, from the moment we met, I’ve loved him.”

With each word, Ayana’s gaze revealed the depth of her sorrow, which intensified in Shu’s eyes. He didn’t want to believe it, to accept it; those emotions were so vivid in his gaze.

It was my existence that seemed to have been forgotten as Shu stared fixedly at Ayana, the only one in his line of sight.

He opened his mouth, spitting out his words vehemently.

“Why… Why is this happening?! We’ve been together since we were kids! We’ve been together for so much longer than you with Towa! You’ve always been with me… You’ve always been by my side with a smile!”

These were the words of a childhood friend who had spent his life with Ayana.

Shu never suspected that he was well-regarded by Ayana, and he had always believed that he would be the one to be with her. That’s why he couldn’t accept it.

Today, I observed various expressions on different people’s faces, and although I thought about that, I never averted my gaze from the two of them.

“That’s true. We’ve been together for a long time.”

“In that case!”

“That’s precisely why!”

“…”

Ayana’s calm voice continued, even louder than Shu’s outburst, cutting off his words.

“Find someone better than me. I’m a terrible person who kept lying and taking advantage of your feelings. I’m sure there’s someone wonderful out there for you, Shu-kun.”

Ayana’s words conveyed a sense of farewell and apology. Her expression was undoubtedly a smile, but from Shu’s perspective, she was delivering a harsh reality. I had my own thoughts and feelings about Shu, and I didn’t intend to assert that I was in the right.

The days I spent with Shu were undoubtedly etched in my memory, and that’s why it was a bit painful to see the hurt expression on his face.

“What lie…? You’ve always…”

Shu said, tears welling up in his eyes as he reached out to Ayana. However, Ayana didn’t respond to his outstretched hand.

Realizing everything from Ayana’s demeanor, Shu withdrew his hand and turned his gaze to me. His eyes held a clear sense of hostility, making me feel like a traitor.

“Because of you—-”

Shu took a step forward, but Ayana once again interrupted him.

“Shu-kun!”

“….!”

“Please don’t let yourself get consumed by anger like those people. Don’t let yourself throw a tantrum when things don’t go your way. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck forever.”

“….Damn it!”

Just as he was about to let his anger take over, Ayana’s words hit him like a cold shower, and Shu hastily ran away.

Watching his back grow smaller in the distance, Ayana let out a small sigh and then jumped back into my arms.

“To be honest, I thought it might backfire a bit like a boomerang. But… I think I’ve taken a step forward.”

“Yeah, you did well. I also plan to have a talk with him eventually.”

I patted Ayana’s head while she was in my arms. I continued for a while, and when I finally let go, she gave me a slightly unsatisfied look. It seems I couldn’t gauge when to stop.

“Today, I… don’t want to go back.”

“…Aah~.”

I should point out that this wasn’t the first time she said she didn’t want to go back, but I had no reason to refuse her, especially now that we were officially a couple. Yet, when she said that today, it sent shivers down my spine and made me realize we were truly a couple. I couldn’t help but grin again. It’s too late for me today!

“Towa-kun? Why are you trembling so much?”

“Whose fault do you think it is? It’s your fault that I can’t stop shaking!”

“Eh, eeeeh!?”

I hugged Ayana as hard as I could to give her her punishment, or rather, her reward, for making me like this.

After some affectionate moments on the dimly lit night road, we were startled back to reality by a message from my mom asking where we were. We quickly decided to head back home.

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“My mom… She was so thrilled.”

After returning home and letting my mother know that Ayana would be staying over again today, my mother was overjoyed, and her joy knew no bounds. As usual, she was already tipsy, swaying from side to side.

“Well, it seems like she was waiting for this moment.”

She didn’t have any doubts about our relationship, but I think she had been eagerly waiting for an official announcement. I believe I’ve given her good news after all the time she’s watched over us.

“Indeed… a lot has happened.”

The events of the past few days were like a few months’ worth of events packed into a short time. I woke up as Towa in this world, met my beloved Ayana, spent sweet moments with her, realized the discrepancies, and then recalled the world’s truth and talked to Ayana. Somehow, I managed to dispel the darkness in her heart. It was indeed a dense and eventful period.

“Starting with Shu and Kotone… Senia-san and Hatsune-san too. There are still challenges ahead, but I think it should be fine with Iori and Mari. As long as I stop Ayana, they should be okay.”

Of course, that didn’t mean I would stop watching over them. To them, they were simply a senpai and kouhai, but since we had become close, I could keep an eye on them and make sure nothing happened to them.

“…Hmm?”

While gazing outside, I noticed my reflection in the window glass. The familiar appearance of me as Towa was still there, and I smiled at that image.

“Towa, it somehow worked out. I did my best.”

Did my reflection really smile? I might be tired, and it could be my imagination, but I’ll choose to believe that it looked that way.

Lost in my thoughts, I heard footsteps from the other side of the door, and Ayana, fresh out of the bath, returned.

“The bath was wonderful! Sorry for making you wait, Towa-kun.”

“Welcome back, Ayana.”

After drying her hair thoroughly, Ayana stood beside me. I silently wrapped my arms around her waist from behind.

“Couldn’t you wait for me?”

“I missed you a bit… Yeah, I missed you.”

“Fufu, you’re really cute today, Towa-kun.”

“What are you saying? You’re cuter than I am.”

As a guy, I’m not sure if I should be happy about being called cute, so those words suit a girl like Ayana better.

“…Suuu”

“Fufu, you’re tickling me.”

I buried my face in Ayana’s hair and inhaled her scent. I held her tightly, not letting her squirm away. She didn’t seem to be trying to escape, though.

“Just hugging you like this is enough for me. Your fragrance and the warmth you bring are incredibly comforting. We won’t be able to do this when summer comes, so we should enjoy it while we can.”

“I wouldn’t mind, even if you’re all sweaty in the summer.”

“Sweaty might be a bit much…”

“Nope, not at all!”

Ayana giggled. It was a genuine smile. I felt an overwhelming sense of sentimentality at that moment.

For a brief moment, Ayana widened her eyes, but she quickly smiled again.

“Towa-kun, I feel like I’ve grown wings.”

“You mean…?”

“It’s liberating… I think that’s the right word. It feels so fresh, like I’ve finally cast off the shackles that have been weighing me down all this time.”

“I see… I see…”

I couldn’t help but feel really happy about what she just said. I held Ayana even tighter for a moment, and she, in turn, placed her hand on top of mine.

“Not everything will go perfectly. I’m sure there will be more tough times ahead… I’ll probably have to suppress the dark side of me that tries to come to the surface, but it’s okay. Because Towa-kun is here with me.”

“That’s right. And I’m the same. No matter what happens, no matter what people say, I’ve already overcome it. I don’t care anymore, as long as you’re here with me.”

“Yes!”

The two of us could surely overcome any challenge together. This was not wishful thinking but a belief I held confidently. After all, we had each other.

“Now, I can accept myself as I am. If I had stayed the way I was, I wouldn’t have been able to be by your side like this.”

“I would have accepted you the way you are, Ayana.”

“Maybe so… but I like it this way better.”

I released my hold on Ayana’s waist, and she turned to face me. Looking up at me, she seemed to be seeking something, and I thought it might be this.

“Ehehe, you understand even without me saying anything, don’t you?”

Oh, it looks like I got it right. Perfect!

I don’t know why, but today, I’ve been feeling light and fluffy all day. I want to stay in this mood for a while longer, especially today.

As if taking me by surprise while I was letting my guard down, Ayana spoke openly about her emotions.

“Towa-kun, thank you for finding me, for helping me, and for loving me. I really appreciate it!”

With these words, her smile was incredibly beautiful. It was a smile I would never be able to forget, etched into my memory.

But, Ayana, it’s me who should be saying thank you. Thank you for letting me meet you, for helping me, and for loving me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Undoubtedly, today, we’ve crossed another hurdle. As I realized this, I made a silent vow to protect the girl in my arms for as long as I could. Together, we’ll find happiness, not alone. That’s the answer Ayana and I have discovered.