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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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The next morning.
“Ugh…”
I wiggled my toes, a stinging sensation throbbing between my big and second toe.
Grimacing, I glanced at my phone.
[Matsuda-kun, what are you up to?］
A message from Miyuki.
Was this the first time she initiated a conversation?
I had small blisters left by the wooden sandals, but yesterday had been a meaningful day. And now, receiving this text from her made them feel like a badge of honor.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I tapped a reply.
[Just woke up.]
[It’s already 11? What time did you sleep yesterday?]
Her reply was almost instant.
Could it be that she was waiting for my message?
Today was already shaping up to be a good day.
[I fell asleep as soon as I got back. What about you?]
[I just got back from the hair salon with Tetsuya-kun.]
Damn it. They went to the hair salon? Together?
So much for a good day.
[Did you get your hair cut?]
[No, just Tetsuya-kun. He got it cut really short.]
[So that mop of his is finally gone?]
[Yeah, he looks really refreshed. But I think I liked his old hairstyle better. Want to see a picture?]
[Send it.]
Moments later, a photo from Miyuki arrived.
The two of them were posing for the camera, arms slung around each other in a V-sign.
Miyuki, with her usual innocent smile, had Tetsuya’s stupid head leaning against hers – which was annoying, to say the least. But there was something else that was bothering me.
Tetsuya’s hairstyle. It was similar to mine.
‘Doesn’t suit him at all.’
People’s head shapes determine which hairstyles suit them best. It seemed Tetsuya hadn’t considered that and had gone for the same short sides that I had.
The sides of Tetsuya’s head were slightly higher, with a gentle curve.
As a result, his hair stuck out slightly at the sides, almost like a mushroom.
Could this be some misguided attempt to copy me after yesterday’s events?
If that’s the case, then Tetsuya just shot himself in the foot.
He got rid of one of his defining features.
I stifled a laugh and typed out a reply.
[Looks awful. He’d look somewhat decent if he flattened the sides and styled his bangs. Does Miura’s family have any hair wax?]
[I’m not sure, but probably not? Tetsuya isn’t really concerned about his hairstyle… You think it looks that bad? I think it looks fine…]
[If you really thought it looked good, you wouldn’t have said you liked his old hairstyle better.]
[That’s true. Then next week when we study, could you show Tetsuya-kun how to style his hair with wax?]
There was no reason for me to do that.
However, judging by Miyuki’s reaction yesterday, I figured having a meal, just the two of us, would be easy enough now.
There was a high chance she would agree, so I decided to give it a shot.
[I’ll think about it. What are you doing now?]
[I’m home.]
[Any other plans?]
[Nope.]
[Did you shower?]
[Why are you even asking that? What kind of thoughts are running through your head?]
She now automatically assumes I’m thinking dirty thoughts.
How sad. Even though she’s right, but still.
[Just answer the question. Yes or no.]
[Yes.]
[Why’d you shower already?]
[Because I went out?]
I ruffled my hair in frustration.
Why was I acting so timid and trying to gauge her every reaction? Had I caught Tetsuya’s timidity?
No more of this. I need to just be direct.
[Did you eat with Miura?]
[No, we parted ways without eating. I’m about to eat at home.]
[Don’t. Come on. Let’s go eat together.]
[Right now?]
[Yeah. Meet me at the station near that weird used bookstore.]
[Matsuda-kun, you can’t just spring things on me like that. Shouldn’t you ask if I’m free first?]
[Come on, let’s go grab lunch. I’m hungry.]
[Ask nicely.]
[Food. Now.]
[… Fine. I’ll get ready and head out.]
As soon as I received her confirmation, I pumped my fist in the air.
Cowering in fear and being overly cautious wasn’t my style. Assertiveness was the way to go.
I jumped out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom.
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“Matsuda-kun!”
Miyuki, waving brightly from a distance.
As I sauntered towards her, my eyes fell upon her long skirt, and I grimaced.
“You wear that skirt all the time. Aren’t you tired of it?”
“Nope, it’s comfortable.”
Once you’re my girlfriend, you’ll be wearing miniskirts and hot pants that show off your thighs.
And tight-fitting t-shirts, of course. I’ll make you wear a black bra underneath so it peeks through slightly.
And as I watch Tetsuya squirm at your newfound sexiness, I’ll sneak a feel of your butt.
Then I’ll take you to a love hotel and ravish you while mocking Tetsuya’s pathetic attempts to win you over.
“How many of those do you even own?”
“Five.”
“That’s a lot… Come on, let’s go. I’m starving.”
“What are we eating?”
“I was thinking of ramen, but let me know if there’s something else you’re craving.”
“No, I love ramen. But Matsuda-kun, you’re going to order some vegetables on the side, right?”
“That would be an insult to oily food.”
Miyuki shook her head, looking utterly exasperated.
“Right… At least you’re not insisting on plain rice with soy sauce and egg… In your book, even ramen must be a healthy food…”
Don’t give up on me yet, Miyuki.
One day, you’ll be making me healthy lunch boxes out of love.
We then bickered like old friends as we made our way to the ramen shop.
After placing our order, I saw Miyuki resting her chin on her hand, twirling a straw between her lips, lost in thought.
This was something she did when something was weighing on her mind.
I wanted to ask, but I decided to give her space.
As I browsed through my phone, I felt Miyuki poking my arm, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“What?”
“Matsuda-kun, the fireworks yesterday were very pretty, weren’t they?”
Miyuki’s words made me want to shout for joy.
The fact she brought it up again meant… she was conscious of what happened during the fireworks display.
My plan worked. She was confused whether my ‘very pretty’ was directed at her or the fireworks.
And that little stunt she pulled just now was her replaying the events in her head.
Shrugging nonchalantly, I gave her a short reply.
“Yeah.”
“What color did you like best? The purple ones?”
The purple ones went off in the middle… precisely when I shifted my gaze from Miyuki to the sky.
And yet, she specifically mentioned purple?
She was onto me, there was no doubt about it.
But I won’t fall for your little act, not yet.
I’ll make my feelings clear after summer break, after I’ve quit the Supreme Circle.
This strange feeling you now have for me – a far cry from the love that blossomed between Tetsuya and you after 15 years of friendship, but more than just friendship – was still new and confusing.
The bond you two shared, and that impenetrable fortress you had built around your hearts… It was too early for me to even attempt to break through them.
But I’ll work hard during summer break. Until then, you’ll just have to be content with this ambiguous, bittersweet feeling you have for me.
I should consider myself lucky. At least I landed here in the early stages of the story, before things progressed further between Miyuki and Tetsuya.
Had I arrived later, I would’ve missed crucial events and been through hell trying to make up for lost time.
Just thinking about it was exhausting.
“Weren’t they all pretty?”
“Yes… They were all pretty.”
“So, you guys go to the salon without me?”
“Ah, sorry about that. We were going to call you, but… Tetsuya-kun had plans to have lunch with his family…”
Was that the truth?
Or was it Tetsuya’s excuse to avoid me?
It was probably a bit of both.
Miyuki and Tetsuya knew each other’s families well and lived in the same neighborhood.
If Miyuki even mentioned meeting his family or asked how their lunch went, the truth would be out.
Tetsuya, despite his cluelessness, wouldn’t tell a lie that could be easily exposed.
Besides, I did suggest going to the salon together.
If, despite that, he chose to go with Miyuki today, it could only mean one thing: he was wary of me.
It seemed Tetsuya was starting to feel threatened. Not that I was concerned.
The ending of the original story was proof enough of why I had nothing to worry about.
Back then, it made my blood boil. But now that I was here, instead of anger, I felt a strange sense of gratitude for the way things had played out.
“Why are you making that face? Are you upset?”
Miyuki’s question pulled me back to reality.
“Do I look like the type to get upset over something like that?”
“Yes. You’re a bit childish, you know.”
“Oh, so you’re saying I’m immature, aren’t you?”
“One of your flaws, Matsuda-kun, is that you tend to be negative about everything.”
Miyuki said, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she began her usual teasing.
The topic of the fireworks was brushed aside, and the strange tension from earlier dissipated, returning to our usual playful dynamic.
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After enjoying our delicious bowls of ramen, instead of parting ways at the station, we decided to walk to Miyuki’s neighborhood.
The blisters on my feet throbbed with every step, but spending more time with Miyuki made it bearable.
“What did you do on weekends before you met us, Matsuda-kun?”
Matsuda Ken frequented a high-class soapland in Kabukicho on weekends.
He was a regular there. On days he felt too lazy to go, he’d call for one of their girls to go to his house instead.
No matter how flippant my words or actions seemed, I couldn’t tell her that.
So it was time to dodge the question.
“Drank with the guys… Played some pool… You know, that kind of stuff. Why are you so curious about my past?”
“It’s just… you and Tetsuya-kun were like two people from a different world.”
You’re not wrong about that. I literally came from a different world.
“Those were my awkward years. You’re better off not knowing.”
“The fact you’re even aware of it shows how much you’ve matured.”
If you keep praising me like this, I might actually start believing it.
How about a little tough love, huh?
Feigning embarrassment, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
“Nice weather, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. The breeze feels nice, and the sky’s beautiful too.”
“Want to take a picture together?”
“A picture? Sure.”
Miyuki readily agreed and pulled out her phone from her crossbody bag.
The cute character keychain dangling from it irked me for some reason.
It would’ve been perfect if it were my initials, a caricature of me, or even a chibi drawing.
Miyuki scanned our surroundings, looking for a nice spot for a picture.
She found one soon enough and beckoned me over.
As I stood next to her while she fiddled with her camera app, I thought about what kind of face I should make,
Gone was the mischievous, tough-guy persona I usually displayed. In its place was a more serious look, a hint of a smile playing on my lips, eyes holding a certain intensity.
I tried to recall the photos she had taken with Tetsuya and mimicked their usual pose.
As if on cue, Miyuki shuffled closer to me.
This is the first time you’ve seen this side of me, right? You must be honored.
“Should we get closer? Your face is getting cut off.”
I asked casually, and Miyuki, startled, stammered a reply.
“Huh? Oh… Yeah… Right.”
I moved until our shoulders were touching.
This should be close enough to how she posed with Tetsuya.
I hope when she gets home, she compares this photo to the one she took with him.
We were so close now that the scent of her shampoo wafted over, making my heart skip a beat.
Soon enough, we’ll share shampoo, body wash, everything.
Despite her efforts to find the perfect backdrop, only our faces were visible in the frame.
But Miyuki didn’t seem to mind.
She simply adjusted her clothes and smoothed out her expression.
Glancing at me shyly, she asked,
“Ready?”
“Pffft-haha!”
My attempt at saying ‘cheese’ dissolved into a fit of laughter.
Miyuki, amused by my outburst, let out a small chuckle.
But seeing my face contorting further, she quickly composed herself, her finger hovering over the capture button.
Click!
And with that click, accompanied by the same strange tension we had felt back in the ramen shop, we captured our first photo together.
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