Vol 1 Chapter 3 (1/2)
#3: Girlfriend V.S. Childhood Friend = Mayhem
Chapter
The news of Matsuzu Natsukawa had spread without much a.s.sistance throughout the entire school by the next day. Such fearful propagation power, or should I say infectivity. Whoever hooked up with whoever, whoever got dumped by whoever, these sorts of stories could be heard ten miles away as soon as it happened. Not because Natsukawa had been spreading the good word everywhere, but because the pa.s.sion of romance believers went beyond the pa.s.sion of Catholics of the medieval ages by far.
Speaking of which, perhaps Natsukawa did have a hand in this. After all, if rumors cannot spread effectively, she wouldn't have the need to start a pseudo-confession to protect her ”barrier” to begin with.
Every recess or break we had, people from other cla.s.ses rushed over to observe me. 'So it's that guy?', 'Seems very normal', 'One really can't figure out the taste of ojou-samas.' Just these unscrupulous comments, I already began to understand Natsukawa's feelings. This certainly was very hard to deal with.
Yamamoto of the soccer club requested to shake my hand for the second time this month.
”If you don't give Natsukawa happiness I will never forgive you, yo☆!”
Oh, Yamamoto-kun. You are too dazzling.
If I could, I'd love to offer you the right to bring forth Natsukawa's happiness. I really do.
—Speaking of which, hurry up and a.s.sist me! I beg of you!
♦
That day, at the end of school.
”Humans should know when to give up, Eita-kun.”
Said the Masuzu beside me with an ojou-sama's attutide.
”Just like our cla.s.smate Yamada said, let's work together for my happiness.”
”Only your happiness!”
Oh and also, it wasn't Yamada, but Yamamoto. Regardless this had nothing to do with the topic.
We chose not to take the main roads but a longer route with less people. Even though slightly longer, we had little choice. It was relatively better than to walk home under jealous surveys and irritating whispers.
Masuzu clapped her hands together.
”Speaking of which, Eita-kun.”
”What?”
”From now on, since we'll be spending a rather long period of time together after school every day, don't you think we should spend this period of time better?”
”...Sure, that'd be more constructive.”
The journey Masuzu and I took is from the school all the way to the convenience store on Third Street. The distance was about 1.5 kilometers, around 20 minutes of walking distance.
”Arguing each day for these 20 minutes isn't exactly a good use of time. We should try and make it more meaningful, certainly by working together.”
”And? What suggestions do you have?”
”Well that's of course... buying something to eat, going somewhere to play for a while.”
”That seems rather interesting. But spending each day like this would seem a bit... More importantly: I don't want to reduce the time I spend studying, in addition to the burden of was.h.i.+ng clothes and making dinner. Therefore I should waste as little time and money as possible.”
”Then I guess we should just stick to chatting.”
”Like the sweet lovey-dovey talks between boyfriends and girlfriends, eh?”
”...Lovey-dovey talks, eh?”
”...Lovey-dovey talks.”
Gooseb.u.mps appeared on both Masuzu's arms and mine.
”No way.”
”Impossible.”
I spat on to the ground.
Masuzu straightened her hair.
”Thinking carefully, there's no need to stick with those kind of lover's talk.”
”True, after all it's all just play act.”
”As long as it's something we can talk about. Such as let's say the TV shows we've seen yesterday, that's a common topic.”
”Understood. Let's begin from there, then.”
Masuzu cleared her throat.
”Eita-kun. Did you watch yesterday's 'Magure Punishment Extreme'[1]?”
Ho. This person sure knows how to make a good discussion topic. Maguke [2] is my favorite TV show.
”Of course. Oh, that last scene was the most memorable! You know, the scene where his partner gets shot by the fugitive, then out of nowhere he pulls out a cigarette, then saying 'b.a.s.t.a.r.d, didn't you know I was quitting'. That line was incredible! It really makes you look forward to the next episode! The kind of feel where he has gone through all sorts of pain in life. There are too little dramas like these nowadays! This is G.o.dlike! The best show ever!”
Masuzu lowered her head uncomfortably.
”That... I never planned to make such a deep conversation.”
”...Oh, is that so?”
”Besides, I was never interested in that show.”
”Then why the heck did you ask me?!”
That b.i.t.c.h...
You made me waste my pa.s.sionate emotions.
”What I originally planned was to make a point that topics with Eita-kun seem rather lacking and attempted to begin with a popular TV show.”
”Well, looks like topics between us are very lacking indeed, I'm sorry!”
”An inadequate life can be aided with food and money, but what can an inadequate topic be aided with?”
No matter what, I can never leave 'topic poverty' in her eyes.
Unhappily, I said:
”What about common hobbies or things we like?”
”And what would Eita-kun's hobbies be?”
”Hmm? Hmm...”
Suddenly asked directly, it did seem hard to answer.
My hobbies... What would they be? I guess it all leads to cooking?
”When listing please exclude peeking up skirts at staircases and stealing panties, these two—”
”Did I ever have those two hobbies?!”
Masuzu took two steps backwards with a shocked expression
”D-Don't tell me it is not a hobby but a way of living already?!”
”Like I said, there's no such thing!”
”I'm really sorry. Looks like I injured Eita-kun's most pure impressions towards panties. How about as an apology I let you see my...”
Masuzu bit her lips as if regretful, then began pulling up her skirt.
”Waaah—! Waaah—! Ahhh——!”
”Please don't yell loudly. I'm also clarifying your previous suspicions of 'not wearing any'.”
A group of elementary school kids and chatting housewives gave me cold stares.
...Why look at me?!
You crazy people, why am I the conspirator here?!
”Today's underwear is rather bold. Not only does it have flowery sides, at the very end of it, it is actually transparent... if I were to know I would be hara.s.sed like this, I should have worn underpants more suitable for a high school student.”
”Stop talking as if I'm the bad guy!”
”For your information, it's black.”
”Black, she said!”
Her skirt was slowly being lifted up, revealing her long slender legs.
I couldn't help but form white foam in my mouth.
Her white dazzling legs.
They were of someone who hasn't gone out much.
Smooth and st.u.r.dy, there was something that slightly triggered you, letting people unconsciously look forward to what comes next. Ahead of here, lied black—
Masuzu let go of her skirt making it flop.
All that could be seen were the clean linings, the skirt then gently fell downwards, once again covering her legs.
Masuzu stuck out her tongue.
”Even if you're my 'boyfriend', it's only been two days since we've started dating. Something like this hasn't been stipulated within our arrangement.”
”I don't know about that... Shameless...”
I knelt down on the pavement, helpless and weak.
I was fooled with...
The pure emotions of a high school student were toyed with...
”Get up, Eita-kun. Our happy times together have just begun.”
Certainly, we have not even reached halfway of our journey.
And yet it already is a horrible nightmare.
”Stand up like a man, and let's head forth to our bright enjoyable conversation!”
”...Maybe.”
I wiped my tears off.