Chapter 10: First Experience

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

The next day, the second day of the cultural festival.

There were no outside visitors today, so it felt like there were fewer people than yesterday—but the atmosphere was still lively.

I finished up some class chores in the morning, and after that, I had free time.
Originally, I had planned to spend this time walking around the festival with Endo…

But since our argument yesterday, I hadn't seen her.

I wonder what she's doing now? …Not that it matters.

I was the one who pushed her away, after all.

“Ugh… it’s cold…”

I hadn't been feeling well since the morning.

Probably because I stood for nearly three hours yesterday in thin clothes inside that chilly, air-conditioned haunted house.

Hoping to warm up in the sun, I stepped outside the school building.

There were lots of food stalls bustling with activity.

(Endo… She said she wanted to check out the food stalls, didn't she…)

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I saw Endo and Shiraki standing in line at a stall.

From where I stood, they didn't look like they were having fun.

Endo looked irritated the whole time, and Shiraki seemed so nervous he could barely function, even though he was trying his best to escort her.

(With that kind of atmosphere, it's probably tough for him to confess…)

As I continued to watch the two of them, Endo looked around and our eyes met.

Her eyes widened for a moment—but then she quickly looked down and averted her gaze.

I still couldn't make sense of the complex feelings inside me.

“I'm going home…”

I told my homeroom teacher that I wasn’t feeling well and got permission to leave early. I returned home quickly.

When I took my temperature, it was just a slight fever—nothing serious. Just a mild headache. I lay down on my bed, closed my eyes, and tried to empty my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

---

The intercom rang through my room, waking me up.

When I checked the time on my phone, it was a little past 4 p.m.

They were probably preparing for the after-party at school right about now.

I felt a little bad for not being able to help out.

The intercom rang again.

I sluggishly got up and opened the door.

“You finally came out. I heard you weren't feeling well. You okay?”

Was I still dreaming?

Standing at my door with a shopping bag in hand… was Endo.

“Endo…? What are you doing here…?”

“Just let me in already. I've got refrigerated food in here and the ice packs are starting to melt.”

“O-oh… yeah.”

Endo entered the room like she was used to it and began putting away groceries into the fridge.

“What about the cultural festival?”

“I wasn't feeling great either, so I left early.”

“Liar. You look perfectly fine.”

“Who cares? I came because I was worried about you.”

She looked a little exasperated as she said it—but she was her usual cheerful self.

“I heard Asano went home sick, so I thought I'd cook something for you. But you wouldn't answer the door, and I got tired of waiting.”

“Sorry… I was asleep. Wait—how long have you been waiting?”

“Uh… about two hours?”

Sounds like she stopped by the supermarket and convenience store after finding out I had gone home.

“I bought a lot of veggies, so how about I make hot pot? Gotta get some nutrition in you.”

“What about Shiraki…?”

“Now that you mention it, he said something like ‘I like you.' I replied, ‘Oh, okay.'”

Even if she expected to turn him down, Shiraki was probably feeling crushed right now.

“Endo… Sorry about yesterday. I know we were supposed to hang out…”

“Don't worry about it. There'll be another festival next year and the year after that.”

“This might be a weird question, but—hey! Don't cling to me like that!”

Endo had slipped behind me and gave me a strong hug from behind.

“See? You're fine. Must be thanks to the treatment.”

Even with Endo pressing against me like this, I didn't feel sick. The exposure therapy we'd been working on together must be having an effect.

My heart was pounding. That's probably… just a normal reaction.

“Asano, what were you about to say earlier?”

“I… want to hear how you really feel.”

“My real feelings…? Hmm… Well, we're pretty alike, aren't we? That's why I feel comfortable around you.”

It was true—I felt the same way. We clicked because we were both outsiders since middle school.

But… I felt like that wasn't her true feelings.

“Asano… guess what this is?”

“Huh…? Wha—!? Where did you get that!?”

“What do you mean, where? I bought it, obviously. When I went to the convenience store.”

In her hand was… a condom.

“You're not serious…”

“And now we begin the final stage of exposure therapy~”

I quickly turned to face her—and found her face very close.

The moment our eyes met—her soft lips pressed against mine.

Was this… a kiss?

Endo pressed her lips hard against mine for several seconds. I couldn't even breathe.

“Puhah! Man, kissing is hard. We suck at it.”

“Only because you tried to shove your tongue in!”

I could smell her… feel her warmth…

“You smell kinda nice, Asano.”

“What kind of smell is that…?”

Well, I was thinking the same thing about her, anyway…

“You're really okay?”

“Y-yeah… Strangely, I feel totally fine.”

Maybe all the therapy we'd done had built up a strong immunity in me toward Endo.

“You don't have to do anything, Asano…”

“Huh? Wait, we're still doing this?”

“Of course. I'm going to hold you.”

“Hold me… Have you done this before?”

“Nope. So be gentle, alright?”

Am I just being swept away by lust…?

Even though I agonized over all this yesterday…

“I pushed you away yesterday, you know?”

“Doesn't matter… We're just two lonely people, right?”

As Endo and I sat down side by side on the bed—

“Come here… Haruki…”

No, I'm done making excuses.

The truth is, I—feel something for Endo…

That night, Endo and I spent the night together.

---

The school festival ended, and ordinary days returned.

With midterms approaching, everyone sat through class with a sense of urgency.

“Hey, Asano! What the hell is going on!?”

At lunch break, Shiraki suddenly barged into my classroom, shouting for some reason.

“W-What? What's wrong?”

Not just Shiraki—some other guys I barely knew also surrounded me, blocking my way.

“Hey, I'm about to go eat with Endo… Could you move?”

“Is it true you're dating Endo!?”

“Huh!?”

Where the hell did that come from…?

“Haruki, let's go eat… Wait, what's happening?”

Just as I was confused by the sudden interrogation, the other party involved showed up.

“H-Haruki…!? So you're already calling each other by first names!?”

The pressure from the surrounding guys was intense.

Am I dating Endo…? Even I wasn't sure.

“Shut up! I told Haruki I liked him! Got a problem with that!?”

With that one shout, Endo silenced the worked-up guys in an instant.

“Let's go, Haruki.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the classroom, and we ran down the hallway.

“Hey… just now… when you said you liked me…?”

“Yeah. Too many guys were confessing to me, so I decided to just say I'm dating you.”

“Decided”…? So we're just pretending to be a couple?

Well—whatever.

“Come on, let's get to the empty classroom already.”

“Wait up, Seina…”

My feelings were already set.

I like Seina.

Someday, I'll tell her how I feel.

When I'm ready to hear her true feelings…