V4Ch2: Part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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“Hey, Towa-kun.”

“What is it?”

“After I went home last night, did anything happen?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Like, did Kanzaki-san try to seduce you or anything?”

“Not at all.”

What is my lovely girlfriend suddenly saying? Sure, Kanzaki-san stayed over at my place last night, but there wasn't the slightest hint of any misunderstandings or inappropriate situations. If anything, what happened was quite the opposite of that sort of thing.

“……….”

I still remember everything clearly, not just the dream, but also my interaction with Kanzaki-san. Whether it’s true or not is something I’ll never really know, but it might be that Kanzaki-san was the one who helped Ayana with her revenge. Given her connections to the underworld, she probably assisted Ayana through means and contacts that weren’t publicly available.

“Hey, Ayana──”

As I was about to ask her, I stopped myself. I wanted to ask if she would have accepted Kanzaki-san's help if she had been offered it. Geez, I already know Ayana wouldn't do something like that anymore, so there's no point in bringing it up.

“Towa-kun, the fact that you even almost said something means there's probably something to it, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Well, considering how well she understands me, it's no surprise she picked up on my slip. Resigned, I decided to just lay it all out.

“Actually──”

I explained who Kanzaki-san is, her likely background, and how she seemed ready to act for my mother and me.

“I see, so that's what you talked about. I'd heard that Kanzaki-san is one of Akemi-san’s underling, but…”

“Ahaha…”

My mother's closeness with Kanzaki-san is clear, but as expected, Mom doesn't like talking about her old delinquent days, let alone about the darker aspects of Kanzaki-san’s life. I ended up asking Kanzaki-san about it myself, albeit indirectly.

“…So.”

Then I brought up what I was almost going to ask Ayana.

“Kanzaki-san is someone with a lot of influence. That much is clear from our talk and her aura. So, Ayana──if someone like her offered to help you with your old… already abandoned revenge, what would you have done?”

Ayana seemed to understand instantly and answered after a moment of thought.

“As a premise, let’s say this is if I were still my old self, back in those times──I probably would have taken her help. Almost certainly. There are limits to what you can do alone… Even if I somehow felt I could manage, I definitely wanted to crush them thoroughly.”

I knew it… Ayana would have chosen to accept Kanzaki-san’s help in that future. That future won’t come now, but this confirms it almost certainly. Kanzaki-san was indeed Ayana’s collaborator.

“But that future won't happen anymore.”

“Of course not. I've said goodbye to revenge and the dark past version of myself!”

Ayana said this as she hugged my arm tightly. She had a broad smile on her face… Thinking about it, she hardly ever smiled so freely until recently.

Even when she smiled before, it was always a perfectly beautiful smile… It’s hard to put into words what makes this different, but smiles like this one were just not something we saw from her before.

“I’m really happy you’re clinging to me, but…”

“Eh?”

“You know, it’s pretty hot right now, so if you could let go…”

Honestly, it's just so hot. It’s not unbearable yet, but under the direct sunlight, it gets pretty rough. Ayana seemed to feel the same way, so we made a promise to cuddle in a cool room after school, and she let go of me for now.

“This heat… it really is a menace. I think this every year, but it’s a shame we can’t snuggle when there's no one else around.”

“We could, but yeah, it’s tough to deal with.”

“Still, how about during gym class? Isn’t that a good chance? Think about it: gym clothes all sweaty and clingy… Doesn’t that get you going?”

That’s a great idea! Ayana seemed to be saying that, but I just wanted to say one thing.

“Ayana… you’ve really become quite bold lately, haven’t you?”

“It’s all thanks to Towa-kun♪”

Ahh… she has such a cute smile.

This morning, Ayana had been talking about some pretty stimulating things, but as more students began to show up, the conversation naturally ended.

“It’s so hot!”

“How about going to the pool in a couple of weeks?”

“Sounds great! Gotta get my swimsuit ready!”

I overheard the girls walking ahead of us talking about it. Summer means the beach and pools, right? It's a classic. And it's not just for them. Ayana and I already have plans to go out as well… I even promised to help her choose a swimsuit.

“Towa-kun.”

“You mean the swimsuit? Don't worry, I haven’t forgotten… and honestly, I’d like to see it too.”

“Ah… Fufu♪”.”

Of course, Ayana remembered our promise. I'm looking forward to it, whenever it happens, and I sighed quietly at the familiar sensation of being watched.

(…I can understand why, but still.)

It’s the attention Ayana gets from others. I've mentioned this before, but Ayana is extraordinarily beautiful and incredibly popular.

Even before we started dating, she was often confessed to. Now, her happiness makes her even more attractive, and despite me being right next to her, she draws so many gazes… not to mention the extra attention she gets from the freedom of summer uniforms.

“Really, why is Ayana so cute and beautiful… and so perfectly my type in every way?”

“Ara, are you trying to flatter me? But are you sure you want to keep going? I might have to return the favor twice over.”

“…At home, please.”

“Y~es♪”

With a cute smile, she nodded and gave me a playful bump with her shoulder. It was like something you'd do with a close friend, reminiscent of the Ayana from before. In this moment, I sensed what Ayana was trying to convey.

Instead of bumping her back, I gently patted her head.

“I think it's important to show affection regularly.”

“Of course!”

Ayana wanted to show our bond to everyone, and that's what she was hinting at. It's tough to balance showing affection without overdoing it in public, especially with someone as cute as Ayana. When she's right next to me, wanting to be close, I naturally want to respond in kind.

“Honestly… this reminds me of something that happened before.”

“I’m having a bit of a deja vu feeling too…”

“Eh?”

“Ara?”

I didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking behind us. I could tell just from the voice. It felt strangely familiar, like this had happened before.

“It’s Iori-senpai and Mari-chan.”

Ayana called out their names, and sure enough, when I turned around, there they were: Iori Honjo Senpai, and our underclassman, Mari Uchida . We've known them both for quite a while now, and like Ayana, they haven’t lost any of their charm.

“You two, huh… Well, I won't be too nosy.”

“Haha! But it's really nice to see you two looking so happy. It's lovely!”

“That's true. But seeing a couple like Yukishiro-kun and Ayana-san when you're in high school… it might make someone's heart stop”

“Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?”

It really is an exaggeration.

After a bit of conversation with the four of us, Iori and Mari decided to give us some space and walked away, leaving Ayana and me to ourselves.

“They don't need to be so considerate.”

“Yeah”

As I watched their backs, I couldn't help but notice how things have changed. These days, we rarely see Shu hanging around them anymore.

Although Iori and Mari both still care about Shu, he spends a lot more time alone now compared to before. I often see Iori keeping an eye on him, and Mari, too, though lately, she seems to be having fun with Aisaka instead.

“Fufu, when Mari-chan and I talk on the phone, she's always bringing up Aisaka-kun lately. It's cute how she talks about him so excitedly but then gets all sad because he won't look at her when he blushes.”

“Oh… yeah, he’s been like that for a while. Still not used to it, huh?”

“It’s adorable. It’s so obvious to us, yet Aisaka-kun is desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. And Mari-chan, thinking he's avoiding her because he might dislike her, gets all worried.”

It's actually pretty entertaining to watch from the sidelines. I've always wondered how things between Aisaka and Mari will turn out.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but I'm glad to see Iori-senpai and Mari-chan heading in a good direction.”

“Yeah… absolutely.”

Iori remains true to her feelings, and Mari is enjoying her time with someone she finds fun to be around, even if she hasn't fully realized it yet. Compared to the paths they might have taken, I'm sure this current direction is much better.

“…………”

Everything is falling into place so perfectly that it's almost scary. We're moving towards the best possible future, but sometimes I worry that this happiness might slip through my fingers… It's a pointless fear, yet I can't help but feel it.

Ayana is right here beside me, my precious girlfriend. I want to be with her forever, but the thought of losing this happiness terrifies me.

“Towa-kun? Is something wrong?”

“Eh? No, sorry, it's nothing.”

Thankfully, this time Ayana didn't seem to notice my brief moment of unease… Jeez, it's almost too indulgent to worry about being too happy.

“Well then, let's head off.”

“Yes.”

Pushing aside the fleeting worry, I chatted happily with Ayana as we made our way to the classroom.

“Good morning, Ayana.”

“Good morning, Setsuna.”

Ayana quickly went to join her friend, Todo-san. Meanwhile, Aisaka, who's been quite the topic of conversation, approached me.

“Osu, Yukishiro.”

“Osu, Aisaka.”

I couldn't resist reaching out and rubbing his perfectly shaved head. The prickly texture was oddly satisfying, and I continued rubbing it.

“Oi, why am I letting another guy rub my head?”

“It’s got a really nice feel, you know? Keep it up.”

“You’re not saying that just because you're hoping I’ll go bald, are you?”

“Of course not. Besides, a shaved head isn't the same as being bald.”

“…True enough.”

I have to admit, “keep it up” and “go bald” sound pretty similar in Japanese. After enjoying the feel of Aisaka's head for a bit, we both got up and headed for the hallway.

We both needed to use the restroom, and Aisaka followed me. Since it was just the two of us, naturally, the topic of conversation had to be this.

“So, how are things with Mari lately?”

“W-w-w-what do you mean?”

“…You're really easy to read.”

I couldn't help but chuckle at Aisaka's bright red face. Even though Ayana and I both know how Aisaka feels about Mari, I don't bring it up directly to him very often.

“Well, good luck.”

“…Thanks.”

I have no idea what kind of relationship they'll end up having, but that's up to them. As friends, I just hope they find a good place together.

After finishing up in the restroom, we headed back to the classroom.

“Oh, Yukishiro-kun!”

“Eh?”

“Hmm?”

The voice calling out belonged to a senior student… perhaps from the year above us?

“Sorry to interrupt out of the blue. I’m Bundou. I belong to the newspaper club…”

Newspaper club… Uh-oh, something completely unfamiliar to me just came up. Even thinking back on it, I don't recall ever hearing about it.

Is it because my presence is so negligible, or is it simply because it hasn't been prominent? However, Aisaka suddenly exclaimed, continuing the conversation.

“Come to think of it, before summer and winter breaks, I've seen the newspaper you guys publish. Didn't you make rankings like ‘Best Couples in this High School' and stuff like that?”

“Exactly! That’s it!”

At Aisaka’s words, Bundou-Senpai's glasses glinted brightly.

Contrary to the atmosphere just moments ago, he began speaking forcefully, dragging us into his domain.

“We've been active since last year, and like he said, we feature things like Best Couples and various other special topics. You don't see this kind of thing elsewhere, right? So, it's been quite popular! Of course, we don't write anything disrespectful, and we have permission to publish articles like this!”

“You are too close!”

This senior’s enthusiasm is overwhelming!

Coughing lightly to compose himself, Senpai continued.

“So, I want to write an article about you, Yukishiro-kun, and Otonashi-san! What do you think?”

“C-calm down, Senpai!”

This Senpai, even after calming down, is still not calm at all!

While soothing the excited Senpai, I calmly considered his proposal.

Best Couples… Well, it's an honor to be seen that way with Ayana, but is it because we only recently started dating?

“Asking around other students, including our analysis, we'll conduct a strict evaluation and announce the rankings! But you two are my top recommendation! I feel a strong connection between you two that could knock other ranked couples out!”

Senpai is really close… Ha, enough already.

“If we’re going to publish it without permission, that’s one thing, but if we’re going to do proper interviews and stuff, I think it could be good, right? It sounds interesting.”

“You…!”

“And so, what do you say, Yukishiro-kun?”

Aisaka seemed interested in joining, and Bundou-Senpai seemed eager for our participation.

Looking between the two of them, I pondered… I should probably hear Ayana's opinion as well. Just as I thought that, a voice came from behind.

“It's fine. I agree.”

With that voice, a hand was placed on my shoulder, and I turned around.

I don't know where she heard from, but Ayana, with a broad smile, stood there with Todo-san.

“Ayana… Is it really okay?”

“Of course. Let’s just show off our relationship to everyone. Show them that no one can come between us!”

“Oh… Otonashi-san is enthusiastic!”

“Please feature our lovey-dovey moments as much as possible.”

“Leave it to me!”

…Um, I guess my opinion doesn't matter here.

Well, if Ayana is fine with it, then I don't mind either. So, I turned to Bundou-Senpai and said

“Okay, please go ahead with that.”

“Since I want to publish the article before summer break, would it be alright to conduct a brief interview tomorrow after school? It’s fine if you’re separate, but I think it’d be better if you’re together. I also want to take some photos!”

Bundou-Senpai’s glasses have been sparkling since earlier. Though there’s no way such a function exists, and it’s not like it’s okay in reality, why does it look that way… maybe I’m just tired.

“I understand for now. Where shall we do it?”

“I wouldn’t dream of making you come all the way to me. I was thinking of visiting your classroom… since it’ll be empty after school.”

That certainly makes sense… and so the plan for tomorrow after school was set.

Bundou-Senpai left with an excited spring in his step, and we hurried back to the classroom as morning assembly was about to start.

…?

After entering the classroom, I immediately felt someone’s gaze as Ayana and the others moved away. It was from Shu, and as soon as our eyes met, he quickly looked away as usual, but I felt relieved that lately, there hasn’t been the negative feeling in his gaze that I used to see.

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