V4Ch6: Part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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The day I caught a cold and vowed to live in this world once again is now a few days past.

I ended up taking that day and the next two days off, and with the weekend in between, I managed to fully recover and make a triumphant comeback.

“…A lot happened”

Although my condition improved quickly, the visits from people who heard I was sick were overwhelming. Ayana stayed by my side constantly, of course, but then Seina-san came by, Shu contacted me, Iori, Mari, and Aisaka also reached out… and even Kanzaki-san showed up at my house.

Just thinking about it makes me realize how intense and chaotic those days were, but the fact that so many people cared about me was genuinely heartwarming.

As soon as I was able to go out, I managed to secure some cakes from the always-sold-out bakery near the station and treated everyone to them.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, I was just recalling what happened after I recovered from my cold. It was pretty hectic.”

“Ahaha… It really was. Even though I was there to take care of you, your mom and everyone else still made such a fuss!”

“………”

You were the most intense of them all…?

Ayana was relentless after those sick days. Even though it was just a day or two without our usual cuddling, she was like a force of nature trying to make up for lost time.

I never imagined she’d be so determined and intense in her desire to be close to me.

(Well… I guess I feel the same way.)

It seems like my feelings for Ayana have grown even stronger. Whenever it’s just the two of us, there’s really only one thing we want to do.

[Towa-kun, I want to stay like this all day. I want to stay like this all day, until the morning♡]

Ayana straddled my waist, gazing down at me with heart-shaped eyes. The memory of those intense moments, as we passionately sought each other out, remains vivid and unforgettable, much like the heat of a summer day.

“Even so… I’m still not satisfied.”

“Well, there’s not much we can do about it.”

So, Ayana and I are living our usual school life like that… What are we doing now? We’re looking through the door to the roof, which we opened a little.

Down below, Aisaka and Mari were having lunch together.

Mari seemed to be enjoying their conversation, but Aisaka looked incredibly nervous, unable to hide his tension and only managing to nod along to Mari’s words.

“Hey, Ayana… I know you’re curious, but do you still want to keep watching?”

“Just a little longer.”

Despite feeling like a couple of nosy onlookers, our curiosity was genuine. The reason those two were having lunch together was because Aisaka had asked me to invite Mari on his behalf.

“Aisaka-senpai? Your face is so red… Wait! Did you catch a cold like Yukishiro-senpai?”

“No, it’s not that! I’m just—”

“Let me check your forehead… Oh, it’s hot! You definitely have a fever, Aisaka-senpai!”

It was a scene straight out of a comedy, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Mari-chan is being quite the little devil, isn’t she? I almost feel sorry for Aisaka-kun.”

“Yeah, you might be right… but it’s up to Aisaka to give it his best.”

“True… Alright, let’s head back.”

“Got it.”

On our way back to the classroom, Ayana brought something up.

“Do you remember what we talked about for after school?”

“Of course I do.”

“You were going to buy a swimsuit, right? I was actually looking forward to it more than you.”

“Ara♪, I’m so glad to hear that.”

Today was the day we had planned to go swimsuit shopping for Ayana. While I was excited to buy her a new swimsuit, I was even more thrilled at the prospect of seeing her try it on. I knew it wasn’t something to openly boast about, but seeing Ayana so happy made it all worthwhile.

“Fufu… Fufufu♪.”

“Ayana… ?”

I took a step back as she suddenly began to laugh mischievously.

Taking advantage of the fact that no other students were around, Ayana started gesturing dramatically, like a stage actress, and began to voice her wishes… or rather, her fantasies.

“Childhood friends who grew even closer after overcoming hardships… Always expressing their love for each other, perfectly compatible in every way, and blessed by the heavens. Naturally, when these two go swimsuit shopping, something is bound to happen. Like pulling her boyfriend into the fitting room to show off her swimsuit and then… Kyaa♪”

“That’s not happening.”

Such a scenario might belong in an eroge or an erotic manga, but it wasn’t going to happen in real life.

“………”

Still, I couldn’t deny that a part of me found the idea slightly appealing. It’s a common trope, isn’t it? A close female friend asks you to check how a swimsuit looks, you notice someone you know nearby, and not wanting to be seen, you use it as an excuse to pull her into the fitting room.

What happens next depends on the genre, but it’s an enticing situation if you let your mind wander.

“Hey Ayana, it’s frustrating… I know it won’t happen in real life, and even if it did, I wouldn’t go through with it, but I can’t help but think it’s kind of nice.”

“Exactly! So, let’s save that for when we get back home. As someone who lives for love with you, I’d be thrilled to have you ruin the brand-new swimsuit you just bought… Kyaa♪”

“………”

Lately, Ayana has been rather bold in many ways.

But well, Ayana would never show this side of herself if there were others around, not even her best friend Todo would know that she could act this way… it would be a problem if anyone did find out.

This side of her is something only I know… Although her actions and words can be a bit too er*tic, I might have to give her a talking-to someday. Or maybe not.

After some time passed, it was finally after school. Once the closing ceremony ended, Ayana and I quickly left the school together.

“Hmm hmm hmm~♪”

Ayana was humming happily, clearly excited about the swimsuit shopping.

“Towa-kun♪”

“Oh!”

She hugged my arm tightly, flaunting her good mood to everyone around us, as we headed to the shopping mall. I was well aware that just walking like this would draw a lot of attention.

“You know, Shu-kun has been wanting to talk to us lately.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that too.”

Previously, Shu and I had a talk and reconciled… or at least, we cleared the air completely. Now it was Ayana’s turn, but he seemed to be struggling to gather the courage to approach her. I didn't blame him, though; Ayana actually seemed to be enjoying his hesitation a bit.

“I’m not bullying Shu-kun, but I do want to make him sweat a little for everything that’s happened. I know he wants to talk, but I’ve been pretending not to notice.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“…You think so?”

Ayana asked with a slightly guilty smile.

“Well, I get wanting to see him muster up the courage on his own. I’ve only seen the weaker side of Shu-kun, so I want to see him be brave.”

“Exactly.”

When I had told Ayana about my talk with Shu, she seemed genuinely impressed. It made sense that she’d want to witness his growth firsthand. It was what she, as his childhood friend, hoped for.

“If he shows that, will you be satisfied?”

“Yes. In whatever way he manages to show it, if he can prove that he’s changed, I'll feel completely at peace.”

“In the end, you’re still kind to Shu.”

“I suppose… I understand him because I know the old me.”

Hey Shu, don't be afraid to talk to her. I've told him to reach out to me if he needed help bridging the gap, but he had refused, saying he wanted to muster the courage on his own. I respected that and kept my distance.

“Oh, there it is.”

The shopping mall I was looking for came into view. There’s a wide variety of things available here, but personally I don’t come here that often, and basically only when Ayana is with me.

“Thankfully, it’s cool today.”

“Yes, if it were hot, I wouldn’t be able to cling to you like this.”

Ayana had been holding onto me the entire way, a rare cool day making it comfortable enough to do so.

We walked into the mall and headed straight for the swimwear section. Despite it being a weekday, there were a lot of people, including other students like us.

“Lots of people, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Just… feeling a bit out of place.”

“Don't worry, we're here to have fun,”

The place Ayana and I had come to was the women's swimwear section, meaning it was naturally populated mostly by women.

“It's okay, as long as I'm here with you.”

“I guess so…”

Entering a women's swimwear section was not something I'd ever done before, so I had braced myself for the inevitable awkwardness. But apparently, my resolve was as weak as chocolate. Just then, a store clerk approached us.

“May I help you with something?”

“We’re here to buy a new swimsuit, and he's feeling a bit out of place.”

“Ah, I see! As her boyfriend, you have nothing to worry about. There's no rule against men entering this area.”

“R-right…”

“Besides, what a beautiful couple you two make… Ah, maybe I should go to a mixer.”

The sales clerk approached me with a smile, but then disappeared into the back while giving off a dark aura… what was that?

“Well, the clerk said it’s fine, so let’s go, Towa-kun!”

“Whoa?!”

Where did she get that strength from?!

I was pulled into the forbidden sanctum with Ayana leading the way. Despite being dragged in by her, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

But as the clerk had said, no one was whispering or giving us dirty looks. Ayana's presence was certainly making a big difference.

“There are so many.”

“Yeah…”

I was overwhelmed by the sheer variety of swimsuits on display. There were so many different designs and styles.

“So, which one do you think would suit me best, Towa-kun?”

“…Fumu”

I couldn't afford to be nervous now. I had to choose a swimsuit that I thought would look good on Ayana. But first, I should ask her opinion.

“Do you have any preferences, Ayana?”

“Nope. This time, I want to go entirely by your taste. It might be a tough choice, but it's a little dream of mine to wear a swimsuit chosen by my boyfriend.”

“Alright, got it.”

With her words giving me a boost, I smacked my cheeks to focus and started browsing the swimsuits. The women around us seemed to understand the situation and looked at us with amused smiles.

(Let's see… I've never picked out women's swimwear before, so I guess I'll just go with what feels right.)

When I glance behind me, she is looking at me with a smile, and it seems like she’ll be happy no matter what swimsuit I choose… But thinking about that, I see a swimsuit that I definitely don’t want Ayana to wear, and it makes me want to say it’s a string swimsuit.

“Do you like that one?”

“No, I was just reminding myself not to choose it.”

“I see. Yeah, I wouldn't want to wear that in public either. If you bought it, I'd only wear it for you in private, Towa-kun.”

“Oh, okay.”

But I'm definitely not picking that!?

I pulled myself together and looked around for a swimsuit, and throughout that time Ayana didn’t say a word or even look bored.

Ayana said that she was happy just doing this.

“…I think this one.”

After looking around and thinking about it, a simple white bikini caught my eye.

This is almost the same as the one Ayana showed me before, but with slightly lighter embroidery, making it cuter.

“This one?”

“Ah… well, you know, I thought white would suit you, Ayana.”

White is a color that hasn’t been tainted by anything, a pure and beautiful color. It matches Ayana’s black hair, and more than anything, it suits Ayana’s clean and innocent atmosphere perfectly. Leaving aside Ayana’s recent pink thoughts… I was convinced this was the only choice.

“Fufu, then I’ll go try this on.”

Holding the swimsuit, Ayana headed toward the fitting room.

“Please stay here.”

“Got it.”

The curtain closed, and I could hear the sound of her undressing from inside. I could also hear Ayana’s breathing, and even though I couldn’t see her, my imagination started running wild.

I used to think Ayana had too many pink thoughts lately, but it seems I'm no better.

“Okay, is this good enough… I’m coming out, Towa-kun.”

“Eh? Already──”

Before I could prepare myself, the curtain was thrown open, and an angel appeared. Ayana, clad in a pure white swimsuit, instantly captivated me, and I lost the words I should have said.

… Well, isn’t it obvious? Ayana is the person I love the most, my beloved… and above all, my favorite. The sight of her showing me her swimsuit is indescribable… in other words, it's the best sight ever.

“From your reaction, I've decided. This one is perfect. The texture is great, and it’s very comfortable to wear.”

“I see… that’s great. By the way, you really are a beautiful girl, Ayana… I almost thought an angel had come out.”

“Isn’t that an exaggeration? But thank you♪”

It's not an exaggeration at all; I truly think so. Of course, Ayana looks cute in her swimsuit, but more than that, her great figure exudes an overwhelming allure.

The way her large ch*st is emphasized by the white swimsuit is breathtaking, and I wonder how many men would be captivated by this sight… but I'm the only one by her side!

“Ah… Towa-kun's gaze is glued to me… this is the best!”

Of course it is. After that, Ayana changed back into her uniform, took the swimsuit to the register, and completed the purchase. I don't know when Ayana will show off her new swimsuit, but for now, I'll engrave today's memory deeply in my mind.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yes… what should we do when we get back? There’s still time before Akemi-san returns; should we do something with this?”

“… You weren’t joking about that?”

“Of course not! Well, let's keep it safe since we just bought it. We'll use it again sometime soon… okay♪”

… I’m not disappointed at all. Really, I'm not. After leaving the shopping mall, we didn't stop anywhere and kept walking… but then I suddenly needed to go to the bathroom.

“I need to go to the restroom for a bit.”

“I’ll wait here.”

“I’ll be quick!”

… Was it bad to say “I’ll be quick” to a girl? But there's a reason for that: if I leave Ayana alone in such a crowded place, she'll definitely get hit on. I rushed to the restroom and tried to finish as quickly as possible, but it took about three minutes.

“… Damn it, of all times to have a stomachache.”

I grumbled as I left the restroom and returned to Ayana, only to find my fears confirmed.