Tomorrow, I Will Die. You Will Revive - BestLightNovel.com
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[BOKUs.h.i.+NU V2] CUT 4 – YESTERDAY YOU MET HER, AND I PRETENDED THAT NOTHING HAPPENED
“Let’s unravel the secrets of Sakamoto’s body! Next up, for our first topic, Hikari here will uncover Sakamoto’s secrets step-by-step! Now then, our first question is, “Why doesn’t Sakamoto cut his hair!?” The truth is, he really takes note of his fierce appearance. That’s why——”
——Slam
“What kind of annoying alarm is this…”
The worst possible way to ever get out from bed is be woken up by a weird alarm, I couldn’t help but let out a complaint.
Yesterday’s me must have changed my cellphone’s alarm sound. Whatever, this was nothing new. That idiot would think up of some terribly mischievous prank every day. Nice prank, you idiot.
“……Better get up.”
I sat up, and changed the alarm back. What day of the week is it again?
I wondered as I headed towards the living room. My little sister probably woke up just now, since her hair a mess, but she’s still as cute as ever. After I exchanged greetings with her, I took out the sandwich that I had made yesterday, and ate it as breakfast. I sat face to face with Yukiko, and neither of us said a word as we ate our breakfast. But don’t get me wrong; it’s summer vacation, but we’re always eating together. it’s just a sign of our good relations.h.i.+p. It’s definitely not because we don’t have any friends that we’re always eating together. It’s also not because there’s no one wanting to hang out with us siblings. Ah, this sandwich is so salty, but why does it taste so good…
I sighed and looked towards the television, and on the screen is probably an idol group, but I don’t know if it’s it’s a concert or a commercial being aired.
“I’ve been seeing those girls on TV a lot recently.”
“They’re about to hold a concert promo, and since they’re always in commercials, I’m pretty sure they’re just advertising themselves.”
“Wow, you sure know a lot.”
“As a writer, I should always be familiar with the latest trends. If I remember correctly, this idol group is called ‘Eden’.”
Hmph. Who cares what they’re called.
Soon after our dull conversation, the commercial also ended. Immediately after, a shopping program began airing.
“Up next, we will be showcasing today’s merchandise! This product is called the ‘Ring of Happiness’! They say that wearing this ring will bring you happiness, and for only ¥10,000 you can have it now! Let’s hear some experi—”
“Yukiko, do you like watching this kind of stuff?”
“It’s not that I want to, just that there’s nothing else to watch.”
In the pointless shopping program, there was a lady promoting that poorly designed ring in an upbeat mood. Goodness, is there anyone who would actually buy this? Although, it’s probably because there are people who would buy that this would show up on TV.
“Brother, if you’re are crazy for these kinds of stupid things, I’m pretty sure your life is done for.”
“I know. You too, don’t waste money.”
“Y-Yukiko doesn’t waste money. Yukiko is a person with common sense.”
Who knows, according to Hikari Yumesaki’s reports, your room has plenty of toys like pen-sized bugs and miniature cameras. What are you even going to do with those things? Do you want to become a spy?
The television show then continued by unendingly advertising the ring’s capability, showing off its magical powers. Really though, anyone who would get excited over buying something like this must be a complete idiot. I don’t believe that kind of an idiot even exists. I had such a thought as I returned to my room, pulled off the ring that I had been wearing on my right middle finger since I woke up this morning, and then I quickly flipped open the notebook—
“Look, Sakamoto, look, this is the ‘Ring of Happiness’! I bought it from the shopping channel! They say that wearing this ring will bring you happiness! If you wear it while on the train, you might be able to take a peek at some cute girl’s b.o.o.bs☆ What a treat~♪”
“LOOKS LIKE THERE’S AN IDIOT RIGHT HERE, YOU DUMBa.s.s———!!”
I used a fast ball pitch to throw the ring away, and groaned as I faced the journal.
“Whatever, at least it looks like she’s in a good mood.”
Hikari Yumesaki threw a fit when her revival time was reduced by five minutes, but fortunately, she’s calmed down lately. Since then, she had turned back into the same old energetic and cheerful girl from before.
However——
I looked around the room, and I’m speechless,
In addition to all of the doujins.h.i.+ and pillow cases, the room was cluttered with otaku goods, not including the anime blu-rays and the noticeably expensive figurines. Wait, what the h.e.l.l? I don’t know when it happened but the parsley in the room is gone, and now there’s a Venus flytrap in its place. Now that I think about it, the parley had disappeared on that day when Kazes.h.i.+ro was in a bad mood. Could it be that she forced Kazes.h.i.+ro to eat it?
“I feel like she’s been wasting a lot of money lately.”
Although Hikari Yumesaki has calmed down for now, it’s clear that she’s probably still given up on herself. Even though she’s always been a wasteful idiot, I didn’t think that she would actually carelessly buy this kind of stupid ring.
“Nevertheless, this is also a ring that Hikari Yumesaki gave to me…”
……No, no, no! Snap out of it!
And so, I wrote the words, “Give me a break” into the notebook. Then I picked the ring up, and languidly slumped into my chair. Sigh, I’ve had enough, the day’s barely started yet and I’ve already let out a retort. This isn’t just normal suffering anymore, I’m practically being suplexed every day.
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh, as the current situation was that I was being chewed out by Hikari Yumesaki. However, at this time, I hadn’t realized it yet.
That a new problem had already begun.
“Huh?”
On that day, after I had finished eating breakfast and had returned to my room, I could not help but furl my eyebrows.
“I’m out of money.”
I opened up my wallet to check, and my mind immediately filled with questions. Wait, I remember taking out some money two days ago, so what did that idiot buy this time?
I put down my wallet, and opened the notebook.
“Ha~ha, I don’t wanna go out at all today~ I didn’t take a single step outside~”
And what entered my sight was this incredibly suspicious entry.
“Something’s not right…”
Wondering about it, I went on the computer and looked up “s.e.xy dream” on Twitter… Nothing, there’s nothing written. My cellphone was also suspicious, because yesterday’s records were all deleted——Hmm, that r.e.t.a.r.d can’t possibly go an entire day without calling anyone. Tsk, it looks like she’s hiding something.
“Don’t underestimate, Hikari Yumesaki. If it’s an investigation, I definitely won’t lose to you.”
I gleefully declared, walked to my computer, and entered my little sister’s blog “Yukirin’s Big Brother Observation Diary☆”. Even when Hikari Yumesaki didn’t write a proper notebook entry like how it is today, the little sister’s blog was a great tool for investigation, an essential resource. However, the problem was, I felt some indescribable guilt from checking my little sister’s blog every day.
On a side note, the blog had received a lot of criticism, and there’s always some strange comment in the comments section. Recently, Yukiko has been gradually moving from her blog to her Twitter. She posted only on her Twitter yesterday, and her twitter entries are in a corner of the log.
“Now then, what did Yukiko see yesterday…”
I whispered to myself as I searched up yesterday’s entry. What I saw was——
“I managed to steal my brother’s worn s.h.i.+rt!”
“You idiot!”
I was wondering where my s.h.i.+rt went!
“It smells so nice… I guess I’ll give it to Kaoru when I’m done. Then he’ll give me some answers to the homework as payment.”
No don’t!! Don’t do that! Also, what are you doing with my s.h.i.+rt!?
“It looks like brother’s going out. Let’s follow him again today.”
“Ah, he suddenly b.u.mped into Kaoru.”
“Oh good, Kaoru’s a.s.sailing him. I’ll only allow Kaoru to touch my older brother♪”
“Huh? Huh? Brother?”
“WWWhhhhhaaaaaat!? They’re flirting like that in public!?”
What happened!? What did they do!? What kind of flirting did they just do!?
“This is wrong! It’s so lewd! Please continue!”
“Wo-oah!?”
“Nevertheless, you should control yourselves in public. Don’t you guys have any common sense?”
Wait! How did you calm down so fast!?
“Kaoru had on a really girly face when he ran into the public restrooms. It looks like I can make some progress on my light novel ma.n.u.script tonight…”
“Ah, brother went into Café Moonleaf.”
Huh? Café Moonleaf?
Café Moonleaf? Isn’t that the coffee shop near the high school? Unlike other places, Café Moonleaf is kind trendy, and popular with a lot of female customers.
“Brother ate a huge amount of ice cream by himself. It must taste really good.”
“He’s talking with the waitress. That waitress is being really close to him! She’s using her miniskirt to tempt him!”
“Huh? She’s whispering into his ear. I’ll try and read her lips…”
Wait, you know how to read lips?
“!? S-She wants him to wait for her until 2! I have a bad feeling about this!”
“That trash of a woman is doing that with Yukirin’s brother… I need do a thorough investigation her, and then reveal all of her personal information on the interest… Once I find out where she lives, I’ll throw bricks at her house!”
“I’ve caught up with them. They’re just eating tiramisu.”
…Huh? What’s this? Why did it cut off?
“Ah… I lost them… That woman clearly saw that I was busy, and yet she still held onto me, telling me that I was cute and that she wanted to take my picture. So disrespectful…”
Ah, that happens sometimes, because it seems that Yukiko is really popular with female college students and office ladies, and I see her get dragged into stuff like that all the time.
“Sob, Sob~~~ I lost them~~~”
“Is this where it ends?”
The rest of it was just a bunch of her complaints, and her savage rhetoric made me unconsciously want to ask, “Are you a grouchy mother-in-law?”
I turned off the computer, and opened the notebook once again——sigh, how should I do this.
“…If that’s how it is…”
And so.
Later that afternoon, I arrived at Café Moonleaf.
Honestly, this particular cafe isn’t really special, but the store’s waitress uniforms are definitely the catchy parts. I guess it’s probably down to the manager’s tastes, and the uniform designs are decent. Really cute, and no matter how you put it, the miniskirts are pretty great too. Just look at her, that really pretty waitress, those plump thighs that were bigger than all the other waitresses, and coupled with those s.e.xy stockings, it’s really wonderful…
“…Huh?”
Wait, what’s this? She’s heading this way. N-Not good! Did she notice me staring at her!? Don’t get me wrong! I just wanted to make sure I could remember what she looked like, so I can slowly recall it when I get home——
“Welcome, you’re here again today, Senpai.”
“Ah!?”
The waitress struck up a conversation with me, and I couldn’t help but let out a blurt.
When she saw that, she put her hand on her lips and giggled——wait, w-was the girl that Yukiko was talking about on her blog…
“It looks like Senpai came again today, Misaki is really happy.”
“Huh, oh——oh, heh heh. Uh, yeah.”
This waitress was so pretty that calling her gorgeous was an understatement; her warm smile as she greeted me completely overwhelmed me, so I just returned with a random sound. That reply sounded so bad that anyone would think, “Where did this virgin come from?” But the thing is, I really couldn’t help it.
I pulled myself together, and took another look at the girl named Misaki in front me.
She had delicate hair that fell to her shoulders, her face a pure white, and moreover, a mesmerizing apple scent.
Her refined features pieced together a lovely look, and her long eyelashes complimented her large eyes. I can see a pair of silver earrings between her hair, and as a whole, she gave off an elegant appearance——yes, that’s right. She fully embodied the meaning of the word “Princess.” But anyway, what attracted my eyes most were those legs, simple as that.
While I was absorbed in my musing, the young waitress let out another warm smile, and asked,
“Senpai, will you be ordering some more ice cream today?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I’ll just have a cup of iced coffee.”
It seems from her question that Hikari Yumesaki frequently orders ice cream. The thing however is that I don’t have the guts to be a man and eat ice cream by myself, and so I just simply ordered a cup of iced coffee.
“Teehee, Senpai, don’t you always come here to order ice cream?”
Huh?
“I’m so glad, you’ve finally overcome the ice cream.”
“———————!”
S-So cute…
She put her hands together as she smiled, and I furiously blushed. c.r.a.p. This girl is way too cute…
As I got absorbed into my thinking, a scent of apple flew close——hold on, wait a second. T-This distance——it was close enough to kiss——
“My s.h.i.+ft ends at 3 today. Will you be waiting for me until then, senpai?”
“——————————!”
An angel whispered softly into my ear, and she was so close that I couldn’t help but think that her lips were almost touching my ear——no, maybe they were already touching?
“Uhhh…”
This dizzying breath and body scent took me away, and this teenager Sakamoto here couldn’t answer properly, ended up like melted ice cream. Misaki finished giving her greetings and slowly walked away, and I saw what looked like a pair of angelic wings on her back. And those graceful legs…Wait, just how many times have I talked about her legs? Still I have to say, she’s very pretty.
“You’re younger than me right, Misaki?”
I remained seated in a daze, watching Misaki work hard in the shop, and without realizing it, it was 3. Not good, not good. I can’t afford to s.p.a.ce out right now. I came here today to investigate what Hikari Yumesaki was sneaking around for. I can’t forget my original purpose.
But I guess talking with a cute girl is also a form of investigation… erm, what should I do? Maybe I’ll just wait for her in front of the shop. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with waiting. I’ve never waited for a girl before, so I don’t quite know what to do. What should I be doing right now?
“Kept you waiting, Senpai.”
As I was running such simulations in my head using all of the knowledge I’ve gained from manga and anime, Misaki came out from the back of the café wearing her casual clothes.
Alright, first wave your hand at her, and then——
“N-No problem. I just got here anyways.”
How’s that!
“…Huh?”
…Uh, what?
There’s an overwhelming silence. Wait, w-what the? Did I say something wrong? I was waiting for a long time, but isn’t that a nice answer? It’s like I didn’t realize I didn’t wait for long——
“Teehee.”
I’m being laughed at!?
“Thank you for being so considerate, senpai. Teehee, You’re so cute today.”
“Wait, c-cute——?”
“If you don’t mind me asking… How does Misaki look today?”
“Hm?”
Hearing my awkward reply, Misaki lightly lifted her short skirt while showing off a dazzling smile, chortling away in the center of the world——
“Does Misaki look like what you expected of me, Senpai?”
So she said.
I saw the wings of an angel at that moment. That’s probably not an illusion.
“Y-Yes…”
“Teehee, it looks like dressing up was worth the reward.”
Her index finger tapped her peachy lips, and a refres.h.i.+ng laugh came out from her mouth. Whelps, she’s way too cute. I can’t handle this.
“Well, I’ll have to depend on you again today, Senpai. Would you like to accompany Misaki for some delicious crepes?”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
And so, she glided in front of me, headed towards a pastry shop popular with girls.
Her long, flowing hair swayed with the wind, and a light apple scent reminded me of her innocence over and over again. Suddenly, she turned her face back, and that sidelong face caused me to instinctively gulp.
“She’s so cute…”
I’m just taking her to eat some desserts, but if I can see her expression of joy, then it would all be worth it.
I said these words to this unmasculine me, and proceed to chase after her.
“So you found out about Misaki Koudera? She’s a waitress at the Café Moonleaf, and because I wanted to eat some ice cream, I would always go to that café during the summer vacation, and then I got familiar with her.”
“Oh..”
Two days later.
After calming down, I opened the diary and remembered what had happened two days ago as I read the entry.
It appeared that Hikari Yumesaki was hiding something from me.
I was feeling suspicious, and investigated, encounteringthe waitress Misaki at Café Moonleaf. It seemed that she was somehow related to Hikari Yumesaki’s secret, and to confirm this, I delved deeper, and then…
“…….”
——Do I look like what you expected of me, Senpai?
“She’s so cute…”
Reminiscing that scene, I could not help but smile.
The way that she whispered into my ear was like an angel’s, the way that she smiled and her long, flowing hair was like an angel’s, and those beautiful legs…
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I was captivated by that little angel, and in the end, I didn’t ask her about anything, so I went home with absolutely nothing.
Thus, I just wrote to Hikari Yumesaki in the notebook, “I met up with that Misaki Koudera girl. Just who is she?” Hikari Yumesaki’s reply was as follows,
“She’s a first year who goes to the same high school as you, Sakamoto. She’s a really nice girl! I was enjoying the sight of her beautiful legs when I accidentally knocked over my ice cream, and it even got onto another customer’s clothes. But she forgave me! She even brought me another cup of ice cream! It was wonderful! Cute is justice!”
Yep, this I can agree with.
“I went to see Misaki-chan again today~ We ate crepes together~”
“It looks like she’s having fun.”
The entry ended there.
Yep, this is normal. She met an attractive undercla.s.sman at a café, who unexpectedly got along with her. They slowly became acquainted, and hanged out together when her s.h.i.+ft was over. Looks like that’s just itall. Even though her body is now a guy’s, Hikari Yumesaki’s heart was still that of a girl’s, so for her, being friends with another girl was probably fun.
Our body is stuck in a special situation, and personally, I don’t want to make any unnecessary friends, but this kind of friend shouldn’t be a problem. That idiot still feels uneasy about her losing five minutes, so I’m thinking that as long as she can lighten up a bit, that should be fine. The thing is…
“Hm.”
I feel like I’ve being lied to.
“Why did she hide this from me?”
There was nothing to be ashamed about. Oh well, I guess it doesn’t matter.
I pulled out my cellphone, and looked back at the email I got two days ago. The sender was actually that cute girl, Misaki.
“Thank you Senpai for coming to the café today. Remember to come again! Misaki will really like to see you again, senpai.”
Misaki will really like to see you again, Senpai! Misaki will really like to see you again! And I quote, Misaki will really like to see you again! Heheheh.
“Whatever, as long as she’s happy.”
And so, the incident came to an end. I guess it’s really great to meet a decent undercla.s.sman.
Now relaxed, I decided that I would quietly spend the rest of my summer in peace.
“Huh?”
Two days later, I had opened up my wallet to take a look, and my heart skipped a beat.
“…It’s empty again.”
The money that I took out from the bank two days ago was already gone.
“……”
I looked around my room, but I didn’t find any suspicious objects.
There’s no increase in number of anime goods or Venus flytrap. In fact, that Venus flytrap was still sitting by itself in the corner of the room.
“Huuuhhh?”
I took out my cellphone, and looked through yesterday’s emails.
“Senpai, did Misaki look like what you expected today? Misaki is very happy. Misaki will truly cherish the teacup that Senpai bought for me.”
…….
“Senpai, remember to come again. A day without Senpai would be really lonely.”
“Oh-ho…”
Soon after, I opened the notebook.
“Wuaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! How sad————!”
“What happened!?”
The entry started with such frightening words, which gave me a shock.
“Misaki-chan’s family went through a divorce, and she’s really low on money! Not only that, her younger siblings are still very young, so she has no choice but to work for their family income… I know just how difficult being in a single-parent household is! That’s why I’ll help her out!”
“Oh, so Misaki also had this kind of problem huh.”
There’s also the fact that Hikari Yumesaki had such an experience before. Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Since that happens, I guess the teacup is okay. Yep.
“…….”
But having said that, I couldn’t help but feel an ominous premonition.
Why is that…I wonder?
Two days later.
“…Huh!?”
Having just woken up, I felt a strange sense of dread and hastily opened my wallet, and proceeded to let out a gasp. I-It’s empty again…
“Misaki-chan says that her little brother has the flu! They don’t have enough money to go to the hospital… How sad! That’s why I bought a lot of things for her! Sakamoto should also buy some medicine and bottled water to give her. Misaki-chan is suffering right now!”
“…The flu, huh…”
O-okay. Even though it’s summer, I guess it’s still possible to get the flu. Fine.
As I convinced myself of this, I pulled up my little sister’s blog.
“That woman is always having my brother buy things for her. She should be more reserved about it. Could it be that she’s turning my brother into her sla… No, no, no. I’m thinking too much into this…right?”
“…I’m thinking too much.”
I took out my cellphone and looked at an email.
“Senpai, thank you for helping Misaki today. Misaki will definitely repay you. Once Misaki’s younger brother gets better—”
Then what?
“Misaki will give you the Misaki you’ve been hoping for.”
“Heheh…”
c.r.a.p, I let out a weird sound. Besides that, what I’ve been hoping for… Hoho.
“We-well, we can help each other out this way. I guess…”
That’s right. Surely tomorrow, such a problem——
“…….”
Two days later, my worst fears have come true. There was no need to explain.
“Sob sob… Misaki-chan’s father returned home with his debts and he took her money away… How cruel! Her father is such a terrible person! He even told her that if she didn’t like it, she could go work at a nightclub! And so Misaki-chan could only cry about her misfortunes…”
Yeah, seriously…
“That’s why I bought her a necklace that she wanted! Everything will be okay as long as this much can make her happy!”
“…Nothing is okay, this is definitely not okay…”
I went on my little sister’s blog, and sure enough, she also had her suspicions.
“My brother really has been turned into a slave! This is bad! I tried to tell him, but he replied with, ‘We cannot forget that as humans we should trust each other, and a girl with those kind of legs is definitely trustworthy. The beauty of her legs reflect the beauty of her heart! (Cutey~)’ That has to be the most disgusting thing I’ve recently heard! Ugghhh——————!”
Ah, so that’s why you were showing off your skimpy skirt in front of me while we were eating breakfast.
“That trash of a woman… Acting like she’s pure, using her legs to captivate my brother… She’s obviously a manipulative b.i.t.c.h! I’ll never forgive her! She’s so cruel to use my my poor, unpopular virgin of a brother!”
Enough with that!
“I need to show her just how scary Yukirin can be…”
After reading this final statement, I closed the blog, and took a deep breath.
“What a little sister… Anyways, I can’t let Hikari Yumesaki get tricked again.”
Although I don’t want to believe it, the situation is obvious..
Thinking back, I did visit a café normally, and that’s not enough to get such an amazing girl to be my friend. I thought it was weird; She wasn’t frightened by my scary looks.
“Senpai, was Misaki as you expected today again? No, that can’t be true. Misaki let you see the weak side of me. Misaki’s sorry. Please don’t hate Misaki. Misaki is sorry for not being a strong girl. Misaki regrets it.”
I looked over the messages yesterday. Sigh… You don’t have to apologize like that–realizing the problem with my thoughts, I slammed my head on the table to clear my head. Get a hold of yourself!
“The me tomorrow definitely won’t be able to control himself; I need to think of something…!”
As such, I should probably just cut off ties with her, and expose her for what she is.
I told myself these words in my heart, and furiously prepared to storm out.
Just you wait, Misaki Koudera!
A few hours later.
“Senpai?”
I-I can’t take this anymore…
“Sen~pai~?”
“——Yes!”
Misaki’s voice dragged me back into reality.
Not good, not good, I’m being mesmerized.
“Really? Here, come here, how does Misaki look today?”
“O-Oh. Pretty nice…yeah.”
We’re currently at a clothing store near the station.
A while ago, I had decided that I couldn’t allow the situation to continue, and so I immediately rushed to the café. It was possible that this would anger Hikari Yumesaki, but I couldn’t tolerate the problem any longer.
Just as I took a breath in order to tell Misaki, who was coming to serve coffee, that I wanted to end our relations.h.i.+p, she suddenly said, “Please wait for me until 1:00 today. I’m so happy, I can spend more time with Senpai.” And so I just gave up. It was 1:00pm, and I was in front of the café, preparing myself to break off immediately, but she told me, “Misaki will let Senpai see a hidden side today.” I could only give up again, telling myself that I’ll just do it on the way home. Misaki proposed that she wanted to go a clothing store, I thought that she would have me pay for it again. I took a deep breath, intending to break up, and she unexpectedly said, “Look at this really short skirt and this pair of knee socks.” I reluctantly gave up again, giving her just this one last time. Misaki gathered nearly twenty miniskirts from the store, ran into the changing room, pulled the curtain, and tried them on. It was then that I finally snapped out of it, knowing that it couldn’t go on any longer. I took a deep breath and, hold on, wait a second! Isn’t this a rare opportunity? Won’t I be able to witness, with a clear conscience, twenty instances of Zettai Ryouiki? Once I thought it about it, I decided that waiting a little longer wouldn’t do any harm. Then I proceeded to think about how much money I brought in my wallet today.
In this moment, the curtains to the changing room opened, and Misaki came out. She was wearing a skirt shorter than usual, one that almost reached the level of a micro-miniskirt, with her beautiful legs extending out from under——After undergoing twenty baptisms of Zettai Ryouiki, my conscience was long impure Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Grab ahold of yourself! Now is not the time to be overcome by your virgin soul!! “Senpai! You’re being so absent-minded today. Misaki is really bored.” “Huh, oh, sorry.” No, no, no, now is not the time to apologize! “Senpai, are you actually sorry?” “Y-Yeah I am. Uh huh, really.” Misaki brought her face closer, her eyes inspecting me. I couldn’t help but take a step back. She smells good… You know, I hadn’t noticed while I was so focused on her legs, but now looking at it, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s are also quite… “Whatever, Senpai is very ‘special’ to Misaki, so Misaki will forgive you for now. Teehee.” “S-Special?” Where did these sweet words come from? “Giggle. Senpai is the only person special to Misaki. That’s why—” She showed off the piece she had picked out that looked very expensive, the super short miniskirt. “Misaki wants to let Senpai see… Misaki in a cute miniskirt.” Ah, IT’S HERE!!!!!! IT’S HERE! SAKAMOTO! Whenever I thought about those cute, large eyes, the length of that really short skirt, and how she would thank me once I bought those kinds of things for her, my self-control would be completely fractured. But I must make my stand here! Today is the day that I do this! “Um….” Even though I was mentally prepared, I still couldn’t say it properly. Stay strong, Akitsuki! “Senpai?” “Well, you see…” Take a deep breath! “Senpai, what’s wrong? You don’t look so well.” “It’s nothing, I’m sorry, today——WWWhhhhhaaaatttt!?” Boing. Something sounded as if two soft objects had collided, and her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s were pressed up against my body. Oi, you——……! “Senpai, don’t move, let me take a look at your face. You may have a fever.” “Ah, about that—!?” Wait, your b.r.e.a.s.t.s! Don’t press your b.r.e.a.s.t.s so close! No, please don’! “Senpai, this isn’t good, your face is so red. Let me take a better look…” That pure, innocent face came even closer. No, don’t lose Akitsuki! You have to tell her right now—— “You know, Senpai, let’s change the subject for now.” Hoh, her breath reached my lips. So, an angel’s——No… “Misaki just want to touch Senpai today, is that okay?” With a demonic whisper, she extended her slender white hands, and cupped them around my cheeks. Hey, the subject’s been changed by a lot now! “Senpai, maybe you should also try touching me too. Here, you can touch me anywhere you want.” No, this kind of situation… “Hey, Senpai.” Wait a minute, hey—— “If Senpai buys clothes for Misaki today…then Misaki will be sure to please Senpai too.” ……. On the way home. I smiled at the message Misaki sent to me with love, and sighed. “In the end, I bought it for her…” I’m such an idiot… “Why would you say such a thing!? Sakamoto is such a penny-pincher!” “Even if you say so, the fact still remains true.” Two days later, I woke up with a lasting sense of gloom. Two days before, Mr. Virgin here was defeated by the seductress, and suffered serious humiliation. I wrote in the journal, “Misaki is turning us into her slave, please don’t go see her again.” I had even prepared myself, for writing this would surely anger Hikari Yumesaki… “Misaki-chan is a pitiful child, you hear me? Misaki-chan would never do those kind of things! Since she helped me before, she must be a very kind-hearted person. Why don’t you understand? Sakamoto is an idiot! Dumba.s.s!” “Who’re you calling a dumba.s.s…” Faced with this reply, I could only groan. Isn’t this just like one of those situations? The words of a poor girl who got duped by a sc.u.mbag of a man? Now that I think about it, isn’t Hikari Yumesaki a bit too concerned about Misaki? So what if she helped you… Whatever, her fault for having such a personality. “I want to trust her too.” But unfortunately, I wpn’t. Most definitely not. This situation has gone too far for me to remain indecisive. If I allow Hikari Yumesaki to continue being with Misaki, then I’ll be heading towards bankruptcy. It’s a shame, but it’s time to end things between us. I used one hand to type on the keyboard, and opened up Yukirin’s blog. “Brother, please wake up… I’ve already tried to persuade you, but you still refuse to see things for what they are. Now you can’t even see anything anymore…” Oh, it looks like Yukiko is quite worried. “Tomorrow, I follow that girl one more time and find some evidence. Then brother will have to believe me. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll have a duel with her!” “…No matter what, I have to finish this today.” It seems that if I let this go on, there will be severe consequences. If I can, I’d like to smother it before it gets worse “Let’s not focus on that for now. Today, I bought her a cute pair of sandals, and she was very happy. I have to protect her beautiful smile. Misaki-chan is a good person.” I continued reading the journal entry. “I have to make her happy.” “…Right, I decided.” Having read the last line, I swore to myself that, no matter what, I had to tell her today. I might get hated by Hikari Yumesaki, but I don’t care. I can’t stand watching her get tricked like this any longer. We are two souls in one body, each sitting on the same boat. If tomorrow’s me wants to head towards the wrong direction, then I’ll just have to walk a hundred steps towards the other direction. Until she can’t go back the other way. “This might be the only time I else make you cry.” I picked up the mask of “s.e.xy dream” from the corner of my desk. I put it in my pocket, believing that it would give me courage. Then I stood up. Come, let’s battle, Misaki Koudera. That afternoon, I felt as if the temperature had risen quite a bit. As always, once we left Café Moonleaf, we went near the station. The only difference was that I could feel the heat on my skin and my conscience weighing on me. Good, at least my head was cooler than usual. “Senpai, today your face looks depressed. What’s wrong?” “Oh…there’s just something on my mind.” On a whim, I let out a vague statement, and her face suddenly took on a dark look. Don’t falter, Akitsuki! “Do you not like how Misaki look today?” “No, it’s nothing like that.” I tried to not look her in the eye and replied in a cold tone. Silence fell between us. She seemed to hate the awkward atmosphere more than I did, so she spoke first, “Senpai, in your heart, what is Misaki to you?” What are you to me…huh. “Why do you ask?” “Teehee, hm, why indeed.” Hm? “Senpai, this——” Just as I was struck by confusion— —It’s here. She’s pointing at a pair of rings on display behind the window. Hold up…you can’t just choose those importantly symbolic things today. I bet they’re pretty expensive too. “Would you like to buy one Misaki?” “……” Her expression was different now. Her face was blus.h.i.+ng red, and her eyes seemed blurry. Honestly, I want to know the answer too. I also want to believe in her one more time. But, I’ve already decided. So there’s no reason to ask why. I don’t have a choice, right? For the person dearest to me—— “…No. I won’t buy this.” “——Eh!” This unexpected answer left her eyes wide open. I mustered up courage, and stared right into those beautiful eyes. Ah, her eyes are really pretty. So pretty that one would wonder what they looked like when she cries. “A-A-Are you sure, s-senpai? This is Misaki’s wish.” She was probably surprised. She clenched her teeth and her voice was aa bit shaky. “If you buy this for Misaki, Misaki will belong to you from now on, okay?” “……No.” I flatly refused. “Don’t say that to me, alright? Senpai, look at Misaki.” “I said no.” “Why? Misaki wants you to spoil her, Senpai. To pamper Misaki.” “…….” “Stop teasing me, Actually, you’re going to buy it for Misaki right? Right, Sen——” Ugh, enough——! “I said no!!” “————!” I shouted at Misaki, and my voice was so loud that even I was frightened. The people around us all glanced in our direction. Well, this is awkward. I really want to apologize, to put on a sympathetic smile and let things be bygone. But, but… “…You’ve probably used this method before, and tricked countless guys into being your slave right?” “……” “Don’t you think that doing this kind of thing…is pathetic?” “……” “……” “……” “……” “……” “……I’m sorry.” Through the insufferable awkwardness of this p.r.i.c.kly atmosphere, there was finally an apology. …But the one who apologized was me. “Sigh————” While I was frustrated with my own mental weakness, she let out a sigh, dispelling the apprehension. “Looks like it’s over now, Senpai.” Her smile still had a pure elegance to it. However, her eyes no longer contained any pretense in them. The demoness has finally appeared. “Well, I guess I’ve taken enough advantage for me to stop now. I was being so affectionate towards Senpai, did you enjoy it? Giggle, was it enough for a pleasurable dream, Senpai?” The sweet undercla.s.sman from before had disappeared, and standing in front of me was a demoness. In response to her words, I could only clench fists with desperate tolerance. You know what, forget it. I don’t have to be so uptight. Honestly, she really did tug at my heartstrings. So even if she does make fun of me, I can’t do anything about it. It’s also true that I enjoyed it. As such, I can only tolerate it for now. But even though I was going to tolerate it… “Senpai really does smile like an idiot. Especially yesterday.” “Huh—?” I couldn’t help but widen my eyes. Yesterday… “To actually believe in all of those obvious lies, just how stupid are you?” “——————!” …What’s this? “I thanked you a little bit and you got so giddy. Giggle, I thought it was hilarious.” …… “You always say something like, ‘You helped me before, so it’s natural for me to buy you a little something,’ and then you open up your wallet. Giggle, it’s because you get hung up over such things that no one actually likes you, you idiot.” ………..……! I felt my face heat up. To think this woman could say such words. My lips trembled, my throat was dry, and a stinging sensation was deep within my eyes. Her following words finally lit my fuse. “Just what were you expecting? Having lewd hopes,splurging money on me; are you planning to take me to a hotel or something? Teehee, I mean really, for such a stupid reason——” “SHUT UP————————!!” “……!” I exploded. The smile on her face finally disappeared, revealing a look that I’ve never seen before. It seems…it seems that I can’t take it anymore. It didn’t matter how she made fun of me. Even if she humiliated me, even if she tricked me, I could take it because it was just as she said: I’m an idiot. I mean, I’m just an unpopular delinquent. I’m already used to such bad luck, but, but—— “I really…did like you.” It seems that the one thing I couldn’t forgive was Hikari Yumesaki’s kindness being mocked. “Yesterday’s me really did like you. Do you know just how much he worried about you? He trusted you so much, even though you only helped him once, but he was truly grateful to you, even to the point of stubbornness. Yet…yet you——” In a weeping voice, I spat out the feelings in my heart. I believed that my emotions would reach her. I believed in Hikari Yumesaki. Hikari Yumesaki had always believed in her, concerned over her. Here, I’ll believe too, so tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me, that you’re actually a kind-hearted girl—— “……Tsk.” However. What answered me was a cold smile. Ah, so it was like this… “How boring, I thought you were going to say something else, but it turned out to just be some leftover sentiments. Don’t think that just because I helped you means that I have feelings for you. That was just my job as a waitress. Coming up with such a big misunderstanding, don’t you think that it’s sad for you to get played with like a fool?” …played like a fool, huh. “…I don’t think so. I wasn’t a fool. Yesterday’s me was kind.” That person isn’t an idiot. No, she is. It’s true that after going through that tantrum, she probably wanted to escape reality, creating a mess all the time. Becoming friends with Misaki was probably also one of her methods to escape reality. Buying Misaki so many presents, winning Misaki’s favor, they were all for relieving her stress. There was no way she could have trusted Misaki completely. However, regardless of the costs, she still did these “fruitless” things, definitely because she didn’t think that she was being fooled. She’s kinder than anyone else. She was always convincing herself, always believing in Misaki—— “Do you even have the right to say that yourself?” Yet, my words had no way of reaching Misaki. She brutally trampled on my hopes, turning away. Dammit…why won’t you understand? “If you continue to do this…there will be a day when you regret it….” And so I tried my best to plead with her. “That’s right. I decided that the moment when I regret it, I will cry like Senpai is doing right now.” Having said that, she took off the fine necklace from her neck, and stuffed it into her pocket. And then without any hesitation, without any remorse, she said, “Goodbye, Senpai. Take care.” These distasteful tears I could not shed began to swell up in my eyes. “Dammit…I screwed up…why did I have to get stuck in this mess?” Under the scorching sun, I suddenly realized the blistering heat, and weakly walked towards the station, while tearfully complaining. If I could, I wanted to peacefully resolve this problem, even if I got unreasonably mistreated somewhat, so that we could greet each other with a smile the next time we meet. However, I’m just some inexperienced kid, with no ability to do this. “How should I break this to Hikari Yumesaki…” I’ll probably get hated. Maybe I should write about Misaki’s true nature in the notebook… No, better not. That’ll only depress her . I guess I’ll just shoulder all the burden myself. I’m going to be hated anyway. Besides, Hikari Yumesaki is also a kind girl, so there will always be a day when she forgives me. “Si~gh….” c.r.a.p. I can’t stop sighing. Being hated is actually really painful. No, I was always being despised by people before. It’s probably because I’ve been treated better recently that I feel wronged… Man, I feel hurt. I really want to talk this out with someone, but I don’t have any friends willing to do so. “…Help your brother out.” I muttered to myself as I pulled out my cellphone, connected online, and opened up my little sister’s blog. I feel like I’ve been going on her blog a lot lately, and this feels so wrong. But luckily, no matter what, I can count on my little sister to back me up. Wow, I would’ve never thought that there would be a day when this blog would soothe me. How pitiful. “……Huh?” My eyes focused on the Twitter sidebar of my sister’s blog. She just tweeted something. No, it was more than that——Eh? She’s still updating? “What is this?” I quickly opened up the webpage, and browsed through the tweets. What was written was—— “THAT b.i.t.c.h——————————————!!” “What the!?” What the… Let’s look from the beginning… Now that I think about it, didn’t Yukiko say that she was going to following us today? Did she watch the entire thing? “I WON’T FORGIVE HER I WON’T FORGIVE HER I WON’T FORGIVE HER! She’s doing that to my kind-hearted older brother…. AAARRRGGGHHH!!” This is bad, Yukiko has completely lost it. “Brother… His back looks so sad… got to service him properly during our bath. Yukirin is brother’s best friend…” “More importantly, I’ll never forgive that b.i.t.c.h! I’ll thoroughly stalk her, and find something to blackmail her for! I’ll chase her down to the ends of h.e.l.l!” “Hmmmmm… She walked into a resale shop… Is it to sell the necklace…?” “So it was! How heartless! She’s just some money-loving lowlife of a woman!” “This time is…a second-hand store? Hey…she’s going to sell another one of brother’s gifts! If it were Yukirin, she’ll would treasure those for my entire life!” “Huh…? She’s crying? She’s been rubbing her eyes for a while…” What? “It’s probably because the price she got for it was higher than she expected, and now she’s crying tears of joy. That trash woman!” “Ah, she wasn’t looking where she was walking, and now she b.u.mped into some delinquents. Now they’re looking for trouble. That’s what you get LOL!” “Her response was pretty rushed, must be that she’s emotionally shaken. It doesn’t matter when, she’s always so self-conceited! If this continues, then it’ll probably turn into one of those humiliation s.e.x games scenarios!” “……” “Uh oh, that’s not good.” “—Huh?” “W-What is she doing. Hurry up and apologize and then run! S-She’s so stubborn! Don’t argue back!” “Aaahhhh, the delinquents dragged her by the shoulder into a small alley—T-This is bad! The other people are just pretending not to notice! Who’s going to save her!” “Brother! Where are you!? O-Oh, wuahhhhhhh!” “—That idiot!” I turned back the way I was headed, pushed through the crowd, and sprinted forward. “Where are you! Where are you—!” The second-hand store…should be over there. A nearby alley…alley… I see them!! There’s a family-owned second-hand store just away from the street, and there’s a dimly lit alleyway beside that shop. There were three guys who were suspiciously in a circle, and at the center was—— “What are you guys doinggggggggg!!” I yelled as I ran over there. I was up against three guys, so I shouldn’t have acted so rashly, and I could’ve just called the police. My head was cooler than I had expected, but even so, my body would not stop moving. “What are you three dumba.s.ses doing to my girl! Hurry up and let her go!!” At that moment, I was so close to giving those delinquents a flying kick, but in the end I couldn’t gather up the courage. There was an old sign in the discarded alleyway, and so I violently— —Bang! Kicked it!! I made a hole! My kick is really amazing !! Heh, I’m really amazing! That sign’s quite rusty, but it’s still made of metal after all! “Ah——————!?” The three delinquents who were surrounding the shy-looking Misaki were probably scared by my kick right… “W-What’s up with that face!” “Ah, s.h.i.+t! That face, it looks so scary…!” “L-L-Let’s run! That face is just too scary!” I…I guess they’re probably scared by my kick, and so those three delinquents fled. My kick is so strong! I guess that’s to be expected of my foot! I’m so awesome! Ha ha ha… “……..” We’re the only ones left in the alley. Ugh, once I had calmed down, my sweat began dripping out. It’s so hot. “Oh.” At that moment, I noticed what Misaki was holding in her hand—the object in her bag. “…Children’s clothing?” “Ah…!” She softly exclaimed. After selling the necklace, the reason she had gone back was to buy children’s clothing. In fact, there was even a small pair of sports shoes. These didn’t look like things Misaki would use at all, so that… –“Misaki-chan’s family went through a divorce, and she’s really low on money!” –“Not only that, her younger siblings are still very young…” “……” I remembered Hikari Yumesaki’s entry. Misaki remained quiet, and she looked away with an embarra.s.sed look. Faintly from her eyes came… “Erm…” The truth was, I had a lot of questions, but while I was going to ask her… No, I probably shouldn’t. I don’t even know what was truth, and what were lies. Although I wanted to confirm each of them, I decided not to. The deceitful demoness would just lie more. I’ll just put them aside. “Senpai…about that…” She eked out a soft voice. How should I respond? Just how should Akitsuki Sakamoto respond? I couldn’t think of anything. Therefore I intended to escape. I pulled out the object that was in my pocket, put it on my face, and then—— “Oh, I’m s.e.xy dream, not your Senpai.” I said as I turned my back on her. “——Huh?” Hey, not bad of a response. Sigh, what am I doing. “E-erm, S-Senpai?” “I’m not your Senpai, I’m s.e.xy dream” “Oh, S-s.e.xy?” “That’s right, I’m s.e.xy dream. I’m not the same guy as Sakamoto-senpai.” “Oh, huh? B-But——” “It is what it is! It’s quite embarra.s.sing! Now if you’ll excuse me!” I forcefully shut her up. Ahhh, seriously, what am I doing? I already know how pathetic of a guy I am. How lame of me. “…Can you pretend that nothing happened?” “Huh?” I said to her. “Just pretend that what happened today didn’t happen.” I looked back at her, my face too hot to hide. I slowly rephrased my words. “I…yesterday’s me…really liked being straightforward, loved being fickle, innocent, delicate and sweet, and just really adored——you. So…when you see me tomorrow, please act like before. Continue acting like the cute little undercla.s.sman…Misaki Koudera.” “……!” “Even though this is fake, don’t worry. Even though this is all an act, it doesn’t matter. I’ll continue to buy things as long as it isn’t expensive. I always thought it was weird, that no matter when I went to the café, you would always be working, and I’ve never seen you take a break. If you need something for your family, I will also help you. So, when you see me tomorrow, even if it’s fake, please give him a smile. I understand that you hate me, but I’m quite tolerant. That’s why——” I don’t want to let that idiot, Hikari Yumesaki, have such unbearable memories. It didn’t matter how much Misaki hated me; my life has always been like . However, if Hikari Yumesaki were to be hated by her favorite undercla.s.sman, then she would definitely have a lonely look, and if I see that look on her face, I would really suffer. I don’t want to see her act tough through a journal entry. As such, the only thing I can do is to be a hero without a cause. “……” The speechless Misaki didn’t say anything–no, she couldn’t say anything, and she was already walking away. I’m pretty sure her demoness mask had begun to crack, even if only a little. “See look! It was just as I told you! Misaki-chan is a great person!” “This…” Two days later, I opened up the notebook, and glanced through the message left behind by Hikari Yumesaki. “Yesterday she said, ‘Thank you for always buying those things for me. I’m really sorry. From now on, I’ll hold back a little’! Sakamoto, you’re too selfis.h.!.+ You probably told her some unnecessary things! Don’t make me worry like that!” Hey, it looks like she’s also energetically berating me today. “Someone whose heart can’t trust others is such a sad person! As punishment, I ate all of the pudding in the refrigerator! And the watermelon! And the ice cream! My stomach hurts a lot!” “Yes, yes. Enjoy it while you still can.” I looked at the sketch under the entry with a wry smile. A picture of Hikari Yumesaki stuffing herself was drawn, with an angry expression on her face. Two days before, I decided not to write anything in the notebook. I trusted Misaki to act as she had before. I trusted her to change her att.i.tude. And the result was—— It looks like “nothing had ever happened” yesterday. Seeing that ordinary journal entry, I could finally have a relief. Sigh, this is good. I originally thought that something would drastically change. …But, it looks like not everything had been “undone”. “You know, I think the feeling that Misaki-chan gives off has changed a little bit? How do I put this. I feel like she’s opened up her heart more than before… Whatever! All that matters is that she’s still cute!” “Huh?” I was a little bit surprised as I turned on my cellphone and looked back over yesterday’s message. What I saw was—— “I’m going to work today, please be sure to visit.” What? Now this is strange—thinking about that, my gaze moved on to the next message below. “It’s not like I want to see Senpai or anything, so please don’t misunderstand. It’s just that we made too much ice cream in advance, which is why I asked you to come. It’s not like I want you to eat it, and it’s definitely not because I purposely made too much for an excuse to invite you over, so please don’t misunderstand. Also, my s.h.i.+ft changed today, so I can get off at 1:00. It’s not like I wanted to make sure I had enough time to be with Senpai that this happened.” “……” What’s with this message? “It’s not like” has been way overused. Is Misaki actually a tsundere… H-How is this possible? As I thought about this, I stupidly smiled and walked out of the house. No, it’s not like I wanted to see her or anything. I’m definitely not a tsundere. That’s right, I’m not like her. Definitely not like her, I guess.
In this moment, the curtains to the changing room opened, and Misaki came out. She was wearing a skirt shorter than usual, one that almost reached the level of a micro-miniskirt, with her beautiful legs extending out from under——After undergoing twenty baptisms of Zettai Ryouiki, my conscience was long impure Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Grab ahold of yourself! Now is not the time to be overcome by your virgin soul!! “Senpai! You’re being so absent-minded today. Misaki is really bored.” “Huh, oh, sorry.” No, no, no, now is not the time to apologize! “Senpai, are you actually sorry?” “Y-Yeah I am. Uh huh, really.” Misaki brought her face closer, her eyes inspecting me. I couldn’t help but take a step back. She smells good… You know, I hadn’t noticed while I was so focused on her legs, but now looking at it, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s are also quite… “Whatever, Senpai is very ‘special’ to Misaki, so Misaki will forgive you for now. Teehee.” “S-Special?” Where did these sweet words come from? “Giggle. Senpai is the only person special to Misaki. That’s why—” She showed off the piece she had picked out that looked very expensive, the super short miniskirt. “Misaki wants to let Senpai see… Misaki in a cute miniskirt.” Ah, IT’S HERE!!!!!! IT’S HERE! SAKAMOTO! Whenever I thought about those cute, large eyes, the length of that really short skirt, and how she would thank me once I bought those kinds of things for her, my self-control would be completely fractured. But I must make my stand here! Today is the day that I do this! “Um….” Even though I was mentally prepared, I still couldn’t say it properly. Stay strong, Akitsuki! “Senpai?” “Well, you see…” Take a deep breath! “Senpai, what’s wrong? You don’t look so well.” “It’s nothing, I’m sorry, today——WWWhhhhhaaaatttt!?” Boing. Something sounded as if two soft objects had collided, and her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s were pressed up against my body. Oi, you——……! “Senpai, don’t move, let me take a look at your face. You may have a fever.” “Ah, about that—!?” Wait, your b.r.e.a.s.t.s! Don’t press your b.r.e.a.s.t.s so close! No, please don’! “Senpai, this isn’t good, your face is so red. Let me take a better look…” That pure, innocent face came even closer. No, don’t lose Akitsuki! You have to tell her right now—— “You know, Senpai, let’s change the subject for now.” Hoh, her breath reached my lips. So, an angel’s——No… “Misaki just want to touch Senpai today, is that okay?” With a demonic whisper, she extended her slender white hands, and cupped them around my cheeks. Hey, the subject’s been changed by a lot now! “Senpai, maybe you should also try touching me too. Here, you can touch me anywhere you want.” No, this kind of situation… “Hey, Senpai.” Wait a minute, hey—— “If Senpai buys clothes for Misaki today…then Misaki will be sure to please Senpai too.” ……. On the way home. I smiled at the message Misaki sent to me with love, and sighed. “In the end, I bought it for her…” I’m such an idiot… “Why would you say such a thing!? Sakamoto is such a penny-pincher!” “Even if you say so, the fact still remains true.” Two days later, I woke up with a lasting sense of gloom. Two days before, Mr. Virgin here was defeated by the seductress, and suffered serious humiliation. I wrote in the journal, “Misaki is turning us into her slave, please don’t go see her again.” I had even prepared myself, for writing this would surely anger Hikari Yumesaki… “Misaki-chan is a pitiful child, you hear me? Misaki-chan would never do those kind of things! Since she helped me before, she must be a very kind-hearted person. Why don’t you understand? Sakamoto is an idiot! Dumba.s.s!” “Who’re you calling a dumba.s.s…” Faced with this reply, I could only groan. Isn’t this just like one of those situations? The words of a poor girl who got duped by a sc.u.mbag of a man? Now that I think about it, isn’t Hikari Yumesaki a bit too concerned about Misaki? So what if she helped you… Whatever, her fault for having such a personality. “I want to trust her too.” But unfortunately, I wpn’t. Most definitely not. This situation has gone too far for me to remain indecisive. If I allow Hikari Yumesaki to continue being with Misaki, then I’ll be heading towards bankruptcy. It’s a shame, but it’s time to end things between us. I used one hand to type on the keyboard, and opened up Yukirin’s blog. “Brother, please wake up… I’ve already tried to persuade you, but you still refuse to see things for what they are. Now you can’t even see anything anymore…” Oh, it looks like Yukiko is quite worried. “Tomorrow, I follow that girl one more time and find some evidence. Then brother will have to believe me. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll have a duel with her!” “…No matter what, I have to finish this today.” It seems that if I let this go on, there will be severe consequences. If I can, I’d like to smother it before it gets worse “Let’s not focus on that for now. Today, I bought her a cute pair of sandals, and she was very happy. I have to protect her beautiful smile. Misaki-chan is a good person.” I continued reading the journal entry. “I have to make her happy.” “…Right, I decided.” Having read the last line, I swore to myself that, no matter what, I had to tell her today. I might get hated by Hikari Yumesaki, but I don’t care. I can’t stand watching her get tricked like this any longer. We are two souls in one body, each sitting on the same boat. If tomorrow’s me wants to head towards the wrong direction, then I’ll just have to walk a hundred steps towards the other direction. Until she can’t go back the other way. “This might be the only time I else make you cry.” I picked up the mask of “s.e.xy dream” from the corner of my desk. I put it in my pocket, believing that it would give me courage. Then I stood up. Come, let’s battle, Misaki Koudera. That afternoon, I felt as if the temperature had risen quite a bit. As always, once we left Café Moonleaf, we went near the station. The only difference was that I could feel the heat on my skin and my conscience weighing on me. Good, at least my head was cooler than usual. “Senpai, today your face looks depressed. What’s wrong?” “Oh…there’s just something on my mind.” On a whim, I let out a vague statement, and her face suddenly took on a dark look. Don’t falter, Akitsuki! “Do you not like how Misaki look today?” “No, it’s nothing like that.” I tried to not look her in the eye and replied in a cold tone. Silence fell between us. She seemed to hate the awkward atmosphere more than I did, so she spoke first, “Senpai, in your heart, what is Misaki to you?” What are you to me…huh. “Why do you ask?” “Teehee, hm, why indeed.” Hm? “Senpai, this——” Just as I was struck by confusion— —It’s here. She’s pointing at a pair of rings on display behind the window. Hold up…you can’t just choose those importantly symbolic things today. I bet they’re pretty expensive too. “Would you like to buy one Misaki?” “……” Her expression was different now. Her face was blus.h.i.+ng red, and her eyes seemed blurry. Honestly, I want to know the answer too. I also want to believe in her one more time. But, I’ve already decided. So there’s no reason to ask why. I don’t have a choice, right? For the person dearest to me—— “…No. I won’t buy this.” “——Eh!” This unexpected answer left her eyes wide open. I mustered up courage, and stared right into those beautiful eyes. Ah, her eyes are really pretty. So pretty that one would wonder what they looked like when she cries. “A-A-Are you sure, s-senpai? This is Misaki’s wish.” She was probably surprised. She clenched her teeth and her voice was aa bit shaky. “If you buy this for Misaki, Misaki will belong to you from now on, okay?” “……No.” I flatly refused. “Don’t say that to me, alright? Senpai, look at Misaki.” “I said no.” “Why? Misaki wants you to spoil her, Senpai. To pamper Misaki.” “…….” “Stop teasing me, Actually, you’re going to buy it for Misaki right? Right, Sen——” Ugh, enough——! “I said no!!” “————!” I shouted at Misaki, and my voice was so loud that even I was frightened. The people around us all glanced in our direction. Well, this is awkward. I really want to apologize, to put on a sympathetic smile and let things be bygone. But, but… “…You’ve probably used this method before, and tricked countless guys into being your slave right?” “……” “Don’t you think that doing this kind of thing…is pathetic?” “……” “……” “……” “……” “……” “……I’m sorry.” Through the insufferable awkwardness of this p.r.i.c.kly atmosphere, there was finally an apology. …But the one who apologized was me. “Sigh————” While I was frustrated with my own mental weakness, she let out a sigh, dispelling the apprehension. “Looks like it’s over now, Senpai.” Her smile still had a pure elegance to it. However, her eyes no longer contained any pretense in them. The demoness has finally appeared. “Well, I guess I’ve taken enough advantage for me to stop now. I was being so affectionate towards Senpai, did you enjoy it? Giggle, was it enough for a pleasurable dream, Senpai?” The sweet undercla.s.sman from before had disappeared, and standing in front of me was a demoness. In response to her words, I could only clench fists with desperate tolerance. You know what, forget it. I don’t have to be so uptight. Honestly, she really did tug at my heartstrings. So even if she does make fun of me, I can’t do anything about it. It’s also true that I enjoyed it. As such, I can only tolerate it for now. But even though I was going to tolerate it… “Senpai really does smile like an idiot. Especially yesterday.” “Huh—?” I couldn’t help but widen my eyes. Yesterday… “To actually believe in all of those obvious lies, just how stupid are you?” “——————!” …What’s this? “I thanked you a little bit and you got so giddy. Giggle, I thought it was hilarious.” …… “You always say something like, ‘You helped me before, so it’s natural for me to buy you a little something,’ and then you open up your wallet. Giggle, it’s because you get hung up over such things that no one actually likes you, you idiot.” ………..……! I felt my face heat up. To think this woman could say such words. My lips trembled, my throat was dry, and a stinging sensation was deep within my eyes. Her following words finally lit my fuse. “Just what were you expecting? Having lewd hopes,splurging money on me; are you planning to take me to a hotel or something? Teehee, I mean really, for such a stupid reason——” “SHUT UP————————!!” “……!” I exploded. The smile on her face finally disappeared, revealing a look that I’ve never seen before. It seems…it seems that I can’t take it anymore. It didn’t matter how she made fun of me. Even if she humiliated me, even if she tricked me, I could take it because it was just as she said: I’m an idiot. I mean, I’m just an unpopular delinquent. I’m already used to such bad luck, but, but—— “I really…did like you.” It seems that the one thing I couldn’t forgive was Hikari Yumesaki’s kindness being mocked. “Yesterday’s me really did like you. Do you know just how much he worried about you? He trusted you so much, even though you only helped him once, but he was truly grateful to you, even to the point of stubbornness. Yet…yet you——” In a weeping voice, I spat out the feelings in my heart. I believed that my emotions would reach her. I believed in Hikari Yumesaki. Hikari Yumesaki had always believed in her, concerned over her. Here, I’ll believe too, so tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me, that you’re actually a kind-hearted girl—— “……Tsk.” However. What answered me was a cold smile. Ah, so it was like this… “How boring, I thought you were going to say something else, but it turned out to just be some leftover sentiments. Don’t think that just because I helped you means that I have feelings for you. That was just my job as a waitress. Coming up with such a big misunderstanding, don’t you think that it’s sad for you to get played with like a fool?” …played like a fool, huh. “…I don’t think so. I wasn’t a fool. Yesterday’s me was kind.” That person isn’t an idiot. No, she is. It’s true that after going through that tantrum, she probably wanted to escape reality, creating a mess all the time. Becoming friends with Misaki was probably also one of her methods to escape reality. Buying Misaki so many presents, winning Misaki’s favor, they were all for relieving her stress. There was no way she could have trusted Misaki completely. However, regardless of the costs, she still did these “fruitless” things, definitely because she didn’t think that she was being fooled. She’s kinder than anyone else. She was always convincing herself, always believing in Misaki—— “Do you even have the right to say that yourself?” Yet, my words had no way of reaching Misaki. She brutally trampled on my hopes, turning away. Dammit…why won’t you understand? “If you continue to do this…there will be a day when you regret it….” And so I tried my best to plead with her. “That’s right. I decided that the moment when I regret it, I will cry like Senpai is doing right now.” Having said that, she took off the fine necklace from her neck, and stuffed it into her pocket. And then without any hesitation, without any remorse, she said, “Goodbye, Senpai. Take care.” These distasteful tears I could not shed began to swell up in my eyes. “Dammit…I screwed up…why did I have to get stuck in this mess?” Under the scorching sun, I suddenly realized the blistering heat, and weakly walked towards the station, while tearfully complaining. If I could, I wanted to peacefully resolve this problem, even if I got unreasonably mistreated somewhat, so that we could greet each other with a smile the next time we meet. However, I’m just some inexperienced kid, with no ability to do this. “How should I break this to Hikari Yumesaki…” I’ll probably get hated. Maybe I should write about Misaki’s true nature in the notebook… No, better not. That’ll only depress her . I guess I’ll just shoulder all the burden myself. I’m going to be hated anyway. Besides, Hikari Yumesaki is also a kind girl, so there will always be a day when she forgives me. “Si~gh….” c.r.a.p. I can’t stop sighing. Being hated is actually really painful. No, I was always being despised by people before. It’s probably because I’ve been treated better recently that I feel wronged… Man, I feel hurt. I really want to talk this out with someone, but I don’t have any friends willing to do so. “…Help your brother out.” I muttered to myself as I pulled out my cellphone, connected online, and opened up my little sister’s blog. I feel like I’ve been going on her blog a lot lately, and this feels so wrong. But luckily, no matter what, I can count on my little sister to back me up. Wow, I would’ve never thought that there would be a day when this blog would soothe me. How pitiful. “……Huh?” My eyes focused on the Twitter sidebar of my sister’s blog. She just tweeted something. No, it was more than that——Eh? She’s still updating? “What is this?” I quickly opened up the webpage, and browsed through the tweets. What was written was—— “THAT b.i.t.c.h——————————————!!” “What the!?” What the… Let’s look from the beginning… Now that I think about it, didn’t Yukiko say that she was going to following us today? Did she watch the entire thing? “I WON’T FORGIVE HER I WON’T FORGIVE HER I WON’T FORGIVE HER! She’s doing that to my kind-hearted older brother…. AAARRRGGGHHH!!” This is bad, Yukiko has completely lost it. “Brother… His back looks so sad… got to service him properly during our bath. Yukirin is brother’s best friend…” “More importantly, I’ll never forgive that b.i.t.c.h! I’ll thoroughly stalk her, and find something to blackmail her for! I’ll chase her down to the ends of h.e.l.l!” “Hmmmmm… She walked into a resale shop… Is it to sell the necklace…?” “So it was! How heartless! She’s just some money-loving lowlife of a woman!” “This time is…a second-hand store? Hey…she’s going to sell another one of brother’s gifts! If it were Yukirin, she’ll would treasure those for my entire life!” “Huh…? She’s crying? She’s been rubbing her eyes for a while…” What? “It’s probably because the price she got for it was higher than she expected, and now she’s crying tears of joy. That trash woman!” “Ah, she wasn’t looking where she was walking, and now she b.u.mped into some delinquents. Now they’re looking for trouble. That’s what you get LOL!” “Her response was pretty rushed, must be that she’s emotionally shaken. It doesn’t matter when, she’s always so self-conceited! If this continues, then it’ll probably turn into one of those humiliation s.e.x games scenarios!” “……” “Uh oh, that’s not good.” “—Huh?” “W-What is she doing. Hurry up and apologize and then run! S-She’s so stubborn! Don’t argue back!” “Aaahhhh, the delinquents dragged her by the shoulder into a small alley—T-This is bad! The other people are just pretending not to notice! Who’s going to save her!” “Brother! Where are you!? O-Oh, wuahhhhhhh!” “—That idiot!” I turned back the way I was headed, pushed through the crowd, and sprinted forward. “Where are you! Where are you—!” The second-hand store…should be over there. A nearby alley…alley… I see them!! There’s a family-owned second-hand store just away from the street, and there’s a dimly lit alleyway beside that shop. There were three guys who were suspiciously in a circle, and at the center was—— “What are you guys doinggggggggg!!” I yelled as I ran over there. I was up against three guys, so I shouldn’t have acted so rashly, and I could’ve just called the police. My head was cooler than I had expected, but even so, my body would not stop moving. “What are you three dumba.s.ses doing to my girl! Hurry up and let her go!!” At that moment, I was so close to giving those delinquents a flying kick, but in the end I couldn’t gather up the courage. There was an old sign in the discarded alleyway, and so I violently— —Bang! Kicked it!! I made a hole! My kick is really amazing !! Heh, I’m really amazing! That sign’s quite rusty, but it’s still made of metal after all! “Ah——————!?” The three delinquents who were surrounding the shy-looking Misaki were probably scared by my kick right… “W-What’s up with that face!” “Ah, s.h.i.+t! That face, it looks so scary…!” “L-L-Let’s run! That face is just too scary!” I…I guess they’re probably scared by my kick, and so those three delinquents fled. My kick is so strong! I guess that’s to be expected of my foot! I’m so awesome! Ha ha ha… “……..” We’re the only ones left in the alley. Ugh, once I had calmed down, my sweat began dripping out. It’s so hot. “Oh.” At that moment, I noticed what Misaki was holding in her hand—the object in her bag. “…Children’s clothing?” “Ah…!” She softly exclaimed. After selling the necklace, the reason she had gone back was to buy children’s clothing. In fact, there was even a small pair of sports shoes. These didn’t look like things Misaki would use at all, so that… –“Misaki-chan’s family went through a divorce, and she’s really low on money!” –“Not only that, her younger siblings are still very young…” “……” I remembered Hikari Yumesaki’s entry. Misaki remained quiet, and she looked away with an embarra.s.sed look. Faintly from her eyes came… “Erm…” The truth was, I had a lot of questions, but while I was going to ask her… No, I probably shouldn’t. I don’t even know what was truth, and what were lies. Although I wanted to confirm each of them, I decided not to. The deceitful demoness would just lie more. I’ll just put them aside. “Senpai…about that…” She eked out a soft voice. How should I respond? Just how should Akitsuki Sakamoto respond? I couldn’t think of anything. Therefore I intended to escape. I pulled out the object that was in my pocket, put it on my face, and then—— “Oh, I’m s.e.xy dream, not your Senpai.” I said as I turned my back on her. “——Huh?” Hey, not bad of a response. Sigh, what am I doing. “E-erm, S-Senpai?” “I’m not your Senpai, I’m s.e.xy dream” “Oh, S-s.e.xy?” “That’s right, I’m s.e.xy dream. I’m not the same guy as Sakamoto-senpai.” “Oh, huh? B-But——” “It is what it is! It’s quite embarra.s.sing! Now if you’ll excuse me!” I forcefully shut her up. Ahhh, seriously, what am I doing? I already know how pathetic of a guy I am. How lame of me. “…Can you pretend that nothing happened?” “Huh?” I said to her. “Just pretend that what happened today didn’t happen.” I looked back at her, my face too hot to hide. I slowly rephrased my words. “I…yesterday’s me…really liked being straightforward, loved being fickle, innocent, delicate and sweet, and just really adored——you. So…when you see me tomorrow, please act like before. Continue acting like the cute little undercla.s.sman…Misaki Koudera.” “……!” “Even though this is fake, don’t worry. Even though this is all an act, it doesn’t matter. I’ll continue to buy things as long as it isn’t expensive. I always thought it was weird, that no matter when I went to the café, you would always be working, and I’ve never seen you take a break. If you need something for your family, I will also help you. So, when you see me tomorrow, even if it’s fake, please give him a smile. I understand that you hate me, but I’m quite tolerant. That’s why——” I don’t want to let that idiot, Hikari Yumesaki, have such unbearable memories. It didn’t matter how much Misaki hated me; my life has always been like . However, if Hikari Yumesaki were to be hated by her favorite undercla.s.sman, then she would definitely have a lonely look, and if I see that look on her face, I would really suffer. I don’t want to see her act tough through a journal entry. As such, the only thing I can do is to be a hero without a cause. “……” The speechless Misaki didn’t say anything–no, she couldn’t say anything, and she was already walking away. I’m pretty sure her demoness mask had begun to crack, even if only a little. “See look! It was just as I told you! Misaki-chan is a great person!” “This…” Two days later, I opened up the notebook, and glanced through the message left behind by Hikari Yumesaki. “Yesterday she said, ‘Thank you for always buying those things for me. I’m really sorry. From now on, I’ll hold back a little’! Sakamoto, you’re too selfis.h.!.+ You probably told her some unnecessary things! Don’t make me worry like that!” Hey, it looks like she’s also energetically berating me today. “Someone whose heart can’t trust others is such a sad person! As punishment, I ate all of the pudding in the refrigerator! And the watermelon! And the ice cream! My stomach hurts a lot!” “Yes, yes. Enjoy it while you still can.” I looked at the sketch under the entry with a wry smile. A picture of Hikari Yumesaki stuffing herself was drawn, with an angry expression on her face. Two days before, I decided not to write anything in the notebook. I trusted Misaki to act as she had before. I trusted her to change her att.i.tude. And the result was—— It looks like “nothing had ever happened” yesterday. Seeing that ordinary journal entry, I could finally have a relief. Sigh, this is good. I originally thought that something would drastically change. …But, it looks like not everything had been “undone”. “You know, I think the feeling that Misaki-chan gives off has changed a little bit? How do I put this. I feel like she’s opened up her heart more than before… Whatever! All that matters is that she’s still cute!” “Huh?” I was a little bit surprised as I turned on my cellphone and looked back over yesterday’s message. What I saw was—— “I’m going to work today, please be sure to visit.” What? Now this is strange—thinking about that, my gaze moved on to the next message below. “It’s not like I want to see Senpai or anything, so please don’t misunderstand. It’s just that we made too much ice cream in advance, which is why I asked you to come. It’s not like I want you to eat it, and it’s definitely not because I purposely made too much for an excuse to invite you over, so please don’t misunderstand. Also, my s.h.i.+ft changed today, so I can get off at 1:00. It’s not like I wanted to make sure I had enough time to be with Senpai that this happened.” “……” What’s with this message? “It’s not like” has been way overused. Is Misaki actually a tsundere… H-How is this possible? As I thought about this, I stupidly smiled and walked out of the house. No, it’s not like I wanted to see her or anything. I’m definitely not a tsundere. That’s right, I’m not like her. Definitely not like her, I guess.
