V4Ch6: Part 2

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Translator: Soafp

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Ayana, with her back turned to me, was being harassed by an obviously flashy guy, and I could tell from her posture that she was extremely irritated. There was no time to observe, so I was about to rush over to her.

“Ayana!”

“Ayana-san!”

“… Hmm?”

A familiar voice sounded from beside me, and I involuntarily stopped in my tracks. Rushing towards Ayana were Shu and Iori.

I was left wondering why the two of them were here as they quickly ran to Ayana’s side. Coming back to my senses, I also started running towards Ayana, but then I saw it—the black Ayana awakened within her.

“What are you trying to touch, you creep? Get out of my sight already…! I’m on a date with my beloved, and you’re ruining the mood. Get lost!!”

It was a cry of fury. Even I stopped in my tracks at this, and Shu and Iori, who had also stopped, looked puzzled… as did the flashy guy who had been trying to hit on Ayana. Despite the numerous passersby around, the area fell into silence.

“… Eh? Maybe I was mistaken?”

“It looked like someone who resembled Ayana-san… that must be it.”

It seemed they couldn’t believe that such a voice had come from Ayana, so Shu and Iori stood still, tilting their heads in confusion… or rather, they seemed slightly frightened.

Not just them, but also the flashy guy seemed scared as he quickly turned on his heel and left in a hurry.

“Good grief… haah, is Towa-kun still… eh?”

At that moment, Ayana turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. Shu and Iori also noticed my presence, but they seemed more struck by Ayana’s strong reaction and quickly looked back at her.

“… Umm”

Ayana’s face gradually turned red. Unable to bear it, she lowered her face and ran towards me, hiding her face by burying it in my chest.

“This is the worst~!!”

She seemed extremely embarrassed about losing her temper at the flashy guy and having it seen by Shu and Iori.

“Ah… it really was Ayana…”

“Ayana-san… it was really her…”

Ayana’s body shivered slightly. I understood that she didn’t want to be seen like that, but it was my fault for going to the bathroom in the first place.

“I’m sorry, Ayana, I left you alone for a bit.”

“It’s not… it’s not Towa-kun’s fault. It was that trash who said something irritating.”

Trash… and something irritating?

“He tried to hit on me even though he knew I had a boyfriend, using the usual clichés.”

“I see…”

Probably something like he could satisfy her better than me… If that's the case, I want to chase after him and tell him to keep his hands off my beloved girlfriend, but right now, comforting Ayana is more important.

“There, there. For now, let’s sit on a nearby bench.”

“Okay…”

I signaled to Shu and Iori with a glance, inviting them to join us if they wanted. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to understand, but they nodded and followed us.

Even when we sat on the bench, Ayana didn’t move away from me, and she mumbled softly into my chest.

“What do they mean by entertaining me, or satisfying me… ugh, it makes me sick. Towa-kun is the most important to me… I can’t be satisfied without being by Towa-kun’s side… I can’t live without you.”

“Just let it all out, whatever is bothering you.”

“Ughhhh!! It really pisses me off!!”

She was angrier than I had ever seen her. I continued to gently pat her head while glancing at Shu and Iori to explain Ayana’s current state.

“Ayana isn’t pretending to be someone she’s not. It’s just that she's had to endure a lot, and sometimes she just explodes like this. So please, don't think this isn't the real Ayana.”

Well, Shu and Iori probably wouldn’t think that anyway. However, Shu looked down slightly, likely because he knew all too well about the “having to endure a lot” part… Sorry about that, Shu. I didn't mean to hit a nerve.

“I personally like this side of Ayana too. Even when she explodes with emotion, she’s still my beloved girlfriend, and that doesn’t change.”

“… I know that. I know how much you hopelessly love me, Towa-kun.”

“Right? And that goes for you too, Ayana.”

“Of course!”

Ayana’s smile as she said this, as if to say “isn’t that obvious?” made not only me but also Shu and Iori smile. It seemed Ayana had managed to let off some steam.

Just then, Iori said something unexpected.

“I see… that kind of gap is also interesting.”

“Iori-san?”

“Hey Shu-kun, if I turned into a gal or something… would that make your heart race a bit?”

“… Eh?”

What is this person saying? Shu’s gaze pierced through Iori, but he also seemed to imagine it and looked quite displeased.

I too imagined Iori turning into a gal after her comment. Iori usually gives off a cool impression, and words like pure and graceful are likely often associated with her… If she suddenly adopted a gal fashion, everyone at school would be utterly shocked.

“If Iori-san transformed into a gal, it would definitely be one of those ‘I trusted her and sent her off' situations.”

“You know about that, Ayana…”

I didn’t know where Ayana had picked that up, but I generally agreed.

“So, what do you think, Shu-kun?”

Iori asked Shu cheerfully, but his response was blunt.

“If you turned into a gal, I'd be shocked. Oh, and I might wonder if you got involved with some flashy guys like in those erotic manga.”

Iori, startled by his words, grabbed Shu's shoulders.

“Th-that would be a problem! I would never sell my body like that!”

“Wait, please don't shake my shoulders so hard!”

Shu, who was being shaken vigorously, seemed not to hear, but Iori also declared that she wouldn’t be with anyone but Shu. In other words, she was vehemently denying it.

Seeing this commotion seemed to have calmed Ayana down, and she was back to her usual self.

“Thank you, Towa-kun.”

“As long as you're calm, that's good.”

“Yes♪”

Ayana replied cutely, then turned her gaze from me to Shu. Shu noticed Ayana’s gaze and stopped his interaction with Iori to meet Ayana’s eyes.

A moment of silence fell between them, but there was no discomfort in the air. Knowing that, I felt at ease watching them.

“Shu-kun… you've changed, haven't you? You seem much more mature, like your heart has grown stronger.”

“Is that so… maybe? Yeah… I think so.”

Even so, Shu’s expression and attitude were a bit stiff. While Ayana had an idea of how he felt, for Shu, it had been two months since he last talked to Ayana… so naturally, he was nervous.

“When you move forward, the view looks different than before, right? I think you can understand this now.”

“… Yeah, I understand it well. I’ve realized that I used to be small-minded, not paying attention to those around me.”

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

“Yeah, me too. I definitely thought about a lot of things, but there was a best friend who helped me realize them.”

Ayana, who was sitting next to me, and Shu, who was standing in front, both looked at me simultaneously.

I was surprised by the sudden attention, then embarrassed, scratching my cheek. When I diverted my gaze from the two, I realized Iori was right there.

She was looking at me with a warm, kind gaze, and I didn't know where else to look.

Ayana, who had been looking at Shu, turned her gaze back to him and smiled softly.

“Shu-kun, please continue to take care of me. As an old acquaintance.”

“Ah… yeah… yeah! But before that, I have a lot of apologies to make to you.”

“You don't need to go that far anymore. I can see everything now in the way you are now… But if Shu-kun isn't satisfied, I only have one thing to say. We don't need a somber atmosphere, right?”

“… I give up. If you put it that way, I can only say one thing—sorry.”

“Yes, I heard that loud and clear. This is the end of the dark things from the past! Finished!”

…Haha, watching this unfold makes me feel like crying a little.

On that day… I confessed to Ayana again and told Shu about our relationship, thinking our relationship had ended on the rooftop afterward.

Yet here we are today, the three of us together again… There's no reason not to be delighted by the fact that we’re all smiling.

“Yukishiro-kun, you seem happy, don't you?”

“Well, yeah… Sorry, I forgot to use polite language.”

“It’s okay. But… I also got to see a good moment. I know there have been a lot of ups and downs, but haven't we finally gotten back to being the three of us?”

“… Haha, yeah, you’re right.”

It really… really feels like we’ve finally come back. Ayana and Shu are enjoying their conversation without any awkwardness now that their differences have been resolved.

I don't feel any jealousy seeing this, but now I guess I'll be talking to Iori.

“What were you doing with Shu today?”

“He helped me with some student council work on the way back. Then we happened to find Ayana-san and ended up here.”

“I see. Did you enjoy your time with Shu?”

“Very much. Shu-kun has been amazing lately, you know? He's even more efficient than before, and above all, he's so cheerful. A good atmosphere really increases efficiency, after all.”

There’s some truth to that… Atmosphere really is important in everything.

“Thank you for waiting, Towa-kun.”

“Thanks, Towa. Thanks for spending time with Ayana.”

“No problem. Well then, shall we head home soon?”

“Yes, I think so. Shu-kun, and also Iori-san, see you at school.”

“Okay, see you later, both of you.”

We said goodbye to them and went home as planned.

After this, Ayana is supposed to have dinner at my place, and Seina-san is also planning to join us.

Originally, I would have returned home a bit earlier, but meeting with Shu and the others delayed my return.

“I’m home.”

“Excuse me for intruding.”

It seems Mom is already home, and Seina-san is here as well. When I entered the living room, the two of them were chatting amicably, and Ayana and I joined in, enjoying a conversation as a family. Of course, the main topic was what happened earlier.

“Yeah… even though there were various things going on, it turned out well, didn't it? Hey, Towa, next time, bring Shu-kun when I'm around.”

“Got it.”

“Ayana seems much more refreshed now. And Shu-kun seems to be doing well too.”

“I caused worry for Mom as well. But it’s all okay now.”

Mom and Seina-san were both relieved and happy, and Ayana and I exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

Just as I was thinking about preparing for a bath and dinner, there was an unexpected additional visitor.

“Who could it be…”

“I’ll go see.”

Heading to the entrance and opening the door, there stood Kanzaki-san.

“Yahoo, Towa-boy. Sorry for coming over all of a sudden.”

“No no… What's up?”

“I just felt like eating Ane-san’s cooking! Is it okay even though it's last minute?”

“Oh, is that so?”

As an adult, saying something like that… well, it’s a bit uncouth at this point.

Mom, who arrived late, was amazed but invited Kanzaki-san in. There was a slightly awkward atmosphere the moment Seina-san met Kanzaki-san, but there was nothing to worry about. Moreover, with Mom mediating and Ayana also joining in, Seina-san and Kanzaki-san quickly hit it off.

“Akemi really is a good person… I can feel that so painfully well.”

“Yeah, I can relate to that! Ane-san is truly—”

“Wait, stop with the ticklish talk.”

Since they got along so well, dinner time became quite lively. Well, if you gather three people who get loud when they drink, it’s inevitable in a sense… Ayana and I finished our meal early and took refuge in my room to catch our breath.

“Haa… The smell of alcohol still lingers from being hugged tightly.”

“Haha… Well, I think we endured it pretty well.”

Ayana got tangled up with Mom, and I got tangled up with Seina-san and Kanzaki-san, and we ended up covered in the smell of alcohol. At this rate, Seina-san will probably stay over again today, and Kanzaki-san might do the same… which means Ayana will stay over as well, that’s confirmed.

“Ah, look, Towa-kun! A shooting star!”

“It’s too late when you ask me to look!”

Sneaking up behind Ayana, who was gazing at the starry sky, I hugged her tightly.

Without doing anything special, we simply looked up at the sky together, enjoying a relaxed time.

“Hey, Ayana… don't you think we really did our best?”

“I do. Honestly, we’ve experienced too much for high school students.”

“I guess we’re about the only ones who’ve had such an intense high school life.”

Smiling gently at that thought, I buried my face into Ayana’s neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

“You’re tickling me♪”

“Sorry, but I just wanted to do that.”

Not content with just smelling her scent, I slowly shifted my hand position to rest it on Ayana’s ch*st.

As my fingers gently sank in, Ayana trembled, her eyes moistening with expectation… and as we gazed at each other, inevitably, our faces drew closer and developed into a kiss.

“Chu… Mm…♪“

It didn’t take long for a kiss that started with just a touch to turn into a deep kiss with our tongues. Once that switch was flipped, we couldn’t stop… However, for now, I just want to enjoy the time of touching and kissing.

“Towa-kun, you’re… mean.”

“Oh? I just want to see more of cute Ayana, that’s all.”

“I’m happy to hear that, but I’d be satisfied with just this… but don’t you feel like you want more than this?”

“…I’m sorry for starting something and then stopping. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Because, you know, our moms are still awake.

When I said that, Ayana puffed out her cheeks for a moment, but she nodded, understanding the situation.

“It’s like we need our own space soon, without worrying about such things.”

“Yeah…”

As I was about to nod, we heard a loud noise from the living room.

It was probably the sound of something falling, but Ayana and I sighed in unison before heading downstairs to investigate the cause… back into the battlefield smeared with alcohol where the adults were.

“Oh come on! You’re all adults, can’t you consider some limits?”

“Ayana-chan, welcome back!”

“Ayana, what’s wrong? Do you want some attention?”

“Come here, come here~”

“…”

Seeing Ayana’s shoulders start to tremble, I left the living room behind. It’s not hard to imagine what kind of storm is about to descend upon our mothers, but despite that, I still love this chaos.

“…It really is happiness.”

This, too, is a form of the future that Ayana and I have obtained… From now on, memories will surely remain by our side as treasures.

The journey we’ve desperately struggled through so far… When it all comes together, it feels like it could become a story. Perhaps even a story that surpasses a game.

But maybe that’s going a bit too far?

“D-don’t get any closer! Towa-kun! We’ll be attacked by old, drunk zombies!”

“O-old…!?”

“Wh-what are you saying…!?”

“I’m not… at the age where I can say that yet…”

I heard the sound of a few people collapsing to the floor.

It seems like a scene from hell is spreading out so much that it’s scary to peek again, but in response to Ayana’s voice, I returned to the living room once more.