Chapter 7: Rain Followed by Rain

Rain Followed by Rain

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The July rains provide a welcome relief from the summer heat, like an oasis in the desert.

I thought to myself as I felt the breeze of the air conditioner, hoping that something like that would happen. And I came to the conclusion that air conditioning is an oasis.

Recently, I've been able to use my supernatural powers a little even on rainy days. I don't know why.

I don't really mind it and it's not a problem, but I was free on Sunday so I called my dad to see what was going on, and he replied, "Isn't that just how it is?" I guess there was no point in asking.

I live alone in an apartment.

So now -- it's a little after 10 a.m. -- I'm sitting in that apartment, looking at the laundry hanging out to dry indoors, and I'm feeling a sense of dissatisfaction with the confident self-promotion of laundry detergent, such as "antibacterial" and "fluffy," that's stuck like dirt on the container, and wondering if they're just trying to cover up the false impression with an artificial scent, like a man getting through a difficult situation with momentum.

Suddenly, a weak notification sound came from my smartphone. I opened the app.

From Hitotose-san, "Are you free today?"

I'm certainly free, but I want to contradict her tone of conviction. So I send her a message saying, "I'm very busy because I'm thinking about the dark side of companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange."

The next moment, the message was marked as read, and within two seconds, the message "I want to go Minamoto's house" appeared.

Hitotose-san seem to be rushing through life. However, I'm not like that, so I'll type slowly.

However, since it was just a short sentence, "Okay," I was able to complete it quickly.

"Come pick me up at the Curse near our school and let's choose a DVD together." Curse is a video rental store that doesn't have a nationwide presence. It is expected to disappear in the future as the trend toward online viewing takes hold.

"Okay. What time?"

"One hour later."

That seems to be the case, so I decided to take my time preparing.

•

•

It's Sunday so it seems like there are more people than usual.

However, it seems that the city's measures to combat population decline have not been very effective, and it is not difficult to walk around.

So, for a moment I thought that I hope they stop with these policies that are nothing but a drop in the bucket, but I also didn't want the chances of meeting interesting people to decrease, so I decided just to support the current mayor after all, and just as I was about trying to find Hitotose-san while browsing for a new movie, I spotted her in a second.

Hitotose-san noticed me immediately too, gave a casual hello, and returned her gaze to the action movie DVD she was holding.

I imagine that most of the films in this section are just a collection of convenient plot devices whose quality has been boosted by money, but without showing any sign of it, I ask, "Do you want to see that?"　

"Hmm, maybe not." (I want to see it)

"...Why don't you give it a try?"

"If that's what you want, I'd be happy to borrow it." (I think----... He---- .....agree... hehe)

The rain makes her inner voice staccato, but she does look happy.

Suddenly, I thought, "Hitotose-san, you know what?"

"What is it?" she asks, looking into my eyes.

"You really have a cute personality."

"...What are you talking about, idiot?"

•

•

As we left Curse and walked towards my apartment, I was asked, "What do you want for lunch?" When I answered, "Anything is fine," Hitotose-san became suspicious and asked, "Really? You really mean anything is fine?", reminiscent of a dictator whose approval ratings are declining.

I told her kindly, "I have no complaints even if your cooking, whether meat or fish, is a bit mediocre, as long it's you who cook," wanting her to rest assured that I wouldn't assassinate anyone or stage a coup.

"Shut up. Stop putting me down by making it sound like a paradox," said Hitotose-san, sounding very dissatisfied.

"What do you want to eat?" I asked her

"..." Hitotose-san silently took out her smartphone, operated it quickly, and showed me the screen, saying, "This!"

It showed an image of what appeared to be cream pasta and the words [Cooking time: 10 minutes]

In short: "Do you want to make it?"

While she deny it by saying "That's not it," the same atmosphere prevails as when she said she didn't want to watch the DVD.

So I asked her, "I'd be happy if you could make it for me."

"Well, I guess I have no choice," Hitotose-san said with a triumphant smile. "If you insist, I'll make it for you."

"Yes, thanks."

By the way, my favorite pasta is peperoncino, which has a lot of chili peppers, but there's probably no point in telling that to Hitotose-san, who doesn't like spicy food.

•

•

Cheese goes well with almost anything. So even the over-cheesy pasta made by Hitotose-san is delicious.

"It's delicious," I tell her. "I like it better than the one I had before."

"Right? If I'm serious, even I can do it," said Hitotose-san, sounding extremely proud.

But I could try to be more creative in my conversation, like a mother-in-law who finds fault with her daughter-in-law's cooking and says things like, "This is going to make you really fat,'' or "Even if you're serious, it's just simple pasta,'' but when I see Hitotose-san munching away with cream on her cheeks, I feel like I shouldn't say anything unnecessary.

However, it would be boring to just silently devour the calorie bomb, so I read out the words that come to mind.

"I want you to marry me."

"Yes, I will."

Hitotose-san answered immediately, but then she turned bright red like she did the other day and closed her mouth. Perhaps the cream on her cheeks was warming up.

"..."

After I said it, I realized that proposing to someone after they'd eaten the food was like saying, "Your only good point is your housekeeping skills, so become my housekeeper."

If feminists heard this, they'd probably die of rage, but by the way, where do feminists originate from? Maybe California? Do they sell feminist rolls or something? Come to think of it, I haven't had sushi lately. That's right, I'll try giving Hitotose-san some with wasabi next time, I thought, when Hitotose-san, who is probably not a feminist, spoke up.

"Hmm, what should I do? Despite my appearance, I'm quite popular, so I'm not sure if I should choose Minamoto."

"Oh, really?" No matter how you look at it, it's obvious that she's popular. And the best thing is that there are a lot of options.　

"..." A hint of dissatisfaction crossed Hitotose-san's face as she abruptly began, "The day before yesterday," she said, "a senior from the third year asked me to go out with him. I didn't know him that well and I wasn't interested, so I turned him down, but he gave me his contact information and said I could talk to him whenever I felt like it."　

"Sounds good, why not try it once?" Hitotose-san won't lose anything.　

"..."　

I feel an incredible amount of pressure, but the white cream on her cheeks ruins it all.　

I don't know if it will work, but I'll try turning on my supernatural powers.　

(...Right. This guy-------..... Then-------- ...I guess...)　

It's impossible. There's too much I can't hear.

The heavy atmosphere continued after this, and Hitotose-san left without watching the movie.

•　

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---

•　

•　

•　

Something was off about Sora and Minamoto.

They were usually such good friends that I wanted to tell them not to act all cozy in the classroom like they'd only been living together for four months and do 'it' at home everyday, but today was different.

Sora had been on edge all morning, and even now she was eating lunch alone, and Minamoto had gone off somewhere.

"Hey, Sakura," my friend Shiori called out. She looked at Sora and asked, "Is that okay?"

Despite her name suggesting she loves reading, Shiori is a girl who hates reading. Naturally, she hates studying, too, but apparently she chose this school, which is recognized locally as a prestigious school, because she wanted to bleach her hair - at this high school, as long as you wear the uniform, you can dress however you like.

Not because Shiori urged me to, but because I had been planning to do so from the start, I headed towards the Sora's seat.

I feel everyone in the classroom looking at me with expressions that say, "We're counting on you."

Everyone is probably scared when a beauty as beautiful as the Sora is on edge. If she wasn't in a bad mood, she would be the absolute queen of facial beauty, teaching us the imperfection of the saying, "Men need courage, women need charm," but now she's a scary woman who makes us realize just how versatile the excuse, "Leave the gods alone, and you won't be cursed."

But I believe that courage is necessary not only for men but also for women.

So I asked Sora, "Did you have a fight with Minamoto?"

Before I knew it, the classroom had gone silent.

"...It's not a fight. I'm just angry on my own," Sora replied in an unusually mature voice.

"That's also..." I was at a loss for words.

I brought Sora over to my desk and talked to her, and she told me that she was frustrated because "he had never been jealous or controlling of her before, and her anxiety and dissatisfaction, that he didn't love her enough, had reached a breaking point." However, she didn't have the courage to confront him about it.

High maiden level! This is the power of the absolute champion of facial beauty, I thought, and I was impressed. And then, I was at a loss as to what to say.

"Well, you know," Shiori, who had been listening to Sora's boasting disguised as a complaint, said lightly. "There are guys like that, aren't there?"

But perhaps a man without possessiveness is far removed from Sora's ideal. "Eh, that's no good," she said, furrowing her brow.

"I understand how you feel," Shiori sympathizes, and puts the omelet in her mouth. It looks delicious.

"Any other complaints?" I asked.

Sora then put her hand to her chin and muttered, "Hmm," then muttered, "I guess so."

I wanted to be honest with my feelings and say, "Stop bragging! Are you trying to pick a fight with us who don't have boyfriends!?", but if I kept signing fight contracts over things like this, I'd get tired of life, so I just asked, "Is there any sign that he has another woman?"

"Ah," Sora muttered through her half-open mouth, blushing for some reason as she said, "I don't think so."

No, seriously, why?

Shiori's distinctive laugh, "Ahaha," was hers. "What's that? So cute."

"What's that? It's not cute," Sora said, looking offended, but cutely pouting. 

Is she doing it on purpose?

•　

•　

"I sent it," Sora said with a worried look on her face.

"Why don't you try taking some distance to calm down?" I advised. They had been dating for a little over two months, which meant it wouldn't be surprising if they were entering a slump in their relationship.

In the case of the lovey-dovey couple who represent Class 2-2, it felt a little different from the typical slump in their relationship, but if the cause was dissatisfaction due to differences in values, then it was probably a variant of that slump.

So, in order to break away from their clingy relationship, Sora told Minamoto, who had left from school early, about it on RINE.

"I wonder if it's okay..." Sora looked genuinely worried.

"It's okay, it's okay." Meanwhile, Shiori doesn't seem worried at all. "Let's go quickly."

Now that classes are over, the three of us are going to karaoke. It would be a shame to leave Sora alone. I'd like to see her suffer a little from loneliness and anxiety, but I don't want to be that cruel.

Sora's smartphone rang. It was probably Minamoto.

"What did he say?" I jumped in. Of course.

"Wait a second," Sora said, operating her smartphone, then her face became sour. "He said, 'I got it'."

I guess she wanted to sulk. It just made her feel even more depressed.

I feel a bit guilty, but it was a necessary measure. Please forgive me.

"I expected it, but Minamoto is really dry after all," Shiori said, slung a light-looking bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah. That might be quite a bold move for a girl like Sora," I agreed.

"What do you mean?" Sora interjected. "Is it because I'm not feminine?"

You say you are not feminine? You?! "Are you serious?"　

Sora's voice saying, "Of course I'm serious," is the most girly one we hear.　

"Ahaha. This is fun," said Shiori, who seemed to be having fun, while Sora seemed dissatisfied, saying, "It's not fun!"　

It's not convincing for a beautiful girl who is obsessed with her boyfriend to claim that she's not feminine.

You'll probably sing feminine songs at karaoke anyway, right? I know, I know.　

•　

•

She's not bad. But she's not good either. But she has a good voice, so she has a certain coolness to her voice.

That's the feeling I got from Sora's singing. However, there was one thing that was a little surprising.　

"Did you watch anime?" I blurted out almost unconsciously.

"When I was in elementary school." Maybe I had a terrible ear, but I seemed to have heard it.

Sora sings either super-famous songs that even people with no interest in music know, or theme songs from anime that had aired a while ago, singing from vague memory in a normal vocal range. In other words, her pitch is unstable, not because she's tone-deaf, but because she simply lacks knowledge and technique.

That's fine, but for some reason, I feel like there are a lot of boyish songs. It goes like this: a recent big hit (rock) → a theme song from a romance movie from about five years ago (ballad) → a relatively easy-to-sing song by a male idol → a battle-themed anime song. It's not bad, but it's different from the image I have of Sora, so I was a little surprised.

『～♪』　

The intro to a famous Western song began.

Next is Shiori. She seems to like listening to indie Western rock, which even karaoke fans probably don't know much about. She often complains that her favorite songs aren't available in karaoke.　

Shiori began to sing, her English surprisingly fluent despite the fact that she had barely left Japan, or even this rural city.

I've always wondered why she seem to pronounce not only consonants but also vowels perfectly. I'm always wondering, "Your grades in English are bad, aren't they?"　

"So cool," Sora said, honestly praising it, unlike me.

By the way, I only choose Vocaloid. The truth lies in the high notes. I can't compromise on that.　

•　

•　

•　

Six days have passed.

Sora is getting gloomier with each passing day, making us worry that teardrop rain will soon begin to fall (though some argue that this is a good thing).

The cause, of course, is Minamoto.

Sora hasn't seen Minamoto for the past six days. He's been absent from school since leaving early that day. Our school is pretty relaxed in many ways, so the teachers don't think it's a problem, but Sora's loneliness and anxiety are on the verge of exploding - and she seems to have followed my advice and kept her communication to a minimum.

Today is Sunday, so we're free, so Shiori and I are staying over at Sora's house.

Looking at the big, beautiful house, I realize I underestimated Sora's ability to dominate others. But it seems Sora has no concept of dominating others, especially not now.

"I wonder if it's going to end like this..." Sora said in a rainy voice.

I can't help but think that it was a bit of an exaggeration to say it after it had only been six days, but if this kind of ambiguous feeling continues, the relationship could just die away, so I can't make fun of it. More importantly, I feel incredibly guilty because it was my advice that caused it.

"That's not true," I said, but I was starting to regret giving her advice about keeping their distance.

"Why don't you just ask him directly?" Shiori didn't seem to have thought it through too much. "Why don't you just snap and say, 'Don't you love me?! Are you okay with me getting creampied by another guy?!'" Far from being thoughtful, she was half-joking.

"..." But Sora was thinking seriously. "Maybe."

Shiori laughed. "Ahaha," I said. "Wait a minute!" I interrupted. If we kept talking like that, even things that would go well wouldn't.

"I won't wait. I can't do it anymore." I sense something firm from Sora. "If we don't get together soon, I'll die."

She is more dependent on him than I thought...!

Is Minamoto a capable man, or is Sora an easy woman? No, she's not. There's a mountain of corpses (rejected men) in front of her. So, is that vague Minamoto the capable man after all?

Appearances can be deceptive, I realized.

The notification sound on her smartphone rang. "Ah," Sora exclaimed. "RINE has come from Minamoto."

"Oh," I said, shocked, but Shiori remained unfazed, saying, "Oh~"

Sora checked RINE with smooth hands, and anxiety appeared on her face. "'There's something I want to talk to you about,' he said."

No way...

"You look like you are going to get dumped," Shiori said nonchalantly. "Even a beautiful woman like you can get dumped if the time comes."　

"Shiori!" I glared at her, and Shiori shrugged her shoulders and said, "I was just kidding, sorry."

•

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---

•　

•　

•　

It's raining again today.

It seems I've upset Hitotose-san, and since yesterday she has been looking at me differently than usual.

My mind-reading ability is only partially functional, so I can't rely on it. I was feeling like I was bothered, but also not really, and listening to the fourth period classical music class, when suddenly, as if warped, he appeared in front of me.

"Hey. It's been a while," said Nurarihyon's Yagami Kimimaru - my childhood friend, three years older than me.　

No one in the classroom can see Kimimaru. I'm the only one who notices him - this is Nurarihyon's supernatural power.

In other words, if I were to say something like, "It's been a while," everyone would just label me as someone who suddenly starts talking to myself in class. The fact that Saeki-sensei's classes are too boring is no excuse for talking to yourself.

So we communicate by writing. [I can't talk right now, so please wait another 10 minutes.]

"Oh," Kimimaru said in a funny voice. "You're doing fine."

I moved the mechanical pencil smoothly. [Better than Kimimaru.]

"That's right," Kimimaru laughed heartily, shaking the long braid that hung from the back of his head like a tail.

•

•　

During lunch break, I came to the rooftop to avoid being seen by others.

Usually the door to the rooftop is kept tightly locked, as if a legendary monster were sealed there, but Nurarihyon, who is known for his cunning ways, quickly stole the key and opened the door with a click.　

On the rooftop, I could see bits of unidentified garbage scattered about, seemingly blown in from somewhere. It wasn't raining that much, but I was still holding an umbrella.

"About two years?" I asked to start with.

"That's about it," Kimimaru said, twirling his open umbrella.

"Why did you come all the way here today?" Kimimaru lives in Tokyo. I wonder what he did to make the long journey.　

"The truth is, my younger sister disappeared, leaving behind a hanging scroll that read, 'Departure, Do Not Search For.'"

So, he'd come looking for her.

"Was it Touko-chan? She is quite unique," I said, wrapping it up in a thick layer of veiled detail. Kimimaru reacted to the hidden meaning, saying, "Don't just casually call my sister by her name."

Come to think of it, he was a siscon.

"Sorry, sorry." I didn't feel the slightest bit guilty, but I apologized anyway. "So, did you find your sister?"　

"Yeah. She was playing at the amusement park."

I don't have anything in particular to say, but I'd be reluctant to ignore him, so I reply perfunctorily, "Oh, that's good."

"Anyway," Kimimaru changes direction. "You're free, aren't you?"

Both Hitotose-san and Kimimaru seem to think I have a lot of free time. But right now, I'm not free. "I'm busy thinking about the cause of the cloudy sky."

"I don't understand."

"I made my lover-like friend angry."

"Hey, what did you do?"

"I don't know that, and that's why I'm confused."

"Oh, yes, yes, that's how it is. Tell me more about it."

"That was..." I told him about what happened yesterday.

"You're an awakened, but you're so useless," he replied in amazement. "That's typical of Mizuki, though."　

Is that so?

So I was about to ask what I should do when Kimimaru said, "Just right in time," in a deliberate tone. "The reason I came to see Mizuki today is because I want your help with my work."

"Exorcism?" Kimimaru works in the paranormal field.

"Yes. I got a big request."

"What do you mean 'just right in time' just now?"

Kimimaru huffed, shrugging his shoulders like an American, despite being an ancient Japanese youkai. His umbrella was lying on its side, and the rain was hitting his face, but he didn't seem to mind. "You have to make her happy with things," he said, looking like a suspicious religious cult leader, and continued. "You help me with my work, get your part-time job pay, use that money to buy a present, give it to your girlfriend while apologizing, and everyone is happy. Do you get it?"

I looked at him with suspicion.

Kimimaru flinched. "W-What is it?"　

"Aren't you just saying whatever's convenient for you to get me to do the job?"　

"No way!" he said, spreading his arms as if to assert his innocence, and exposing himself to the rain once again. "There's no way I'd do something so careless."　

"..." I silently activates my supernatural power.

(One Touko, two Touko... three touko...)

You've got to be kidding me! Is that really a defense?　

•　

•　

Apparently the spirit to be exorcised is located near a large lake on the border with the neighboring prefecture. So, I decided to leave school early.

I feel a little annoyed that I've fallen for Kimimaru's sweet talk, but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea, so I get in his car and head to the scene.

But the most important part is, I still don't know why I'd made her angry. Until I find out, I can't apologize to her.

When I asked him about that, he replied, "Do you understand what possessiveness is?"

"I think I understand," but I can't empathize. When it comes to the opposite sex, it's a feeling I don't have.

"Usually, possessiveness goes hand in hand with love," he adds, adding that it's not just that. "She wanted you to be jealous, so she could confirm your love for her," and yet, he adds jokingly, "But you are a bit too cold. Are you trying to raise her blood pressure?"

"It's not that..." I hadn't thought that not being jealous was such a big deal, so I just said what I was thinking.

Kimimaru further explained, "So, let's say I started dating your girlfriend, what would you think?" 

What do you mean...

Let's think about this in concrete terms.

Hitotose-san and Kimimaru are together? Hmm? I wonder what kind of conversation they'll have? I'm a little interested. It seems like they'll be just two guys who are friends. But what if it becomes more like a boyfriend-girlfriend atmosphere...?

"...Now that you mention it, I guess I'm a little annoyed."

Kimimaru let out a wry smile. "If you exaggerate how you feel, I'm sure she'll be in a better mood. Oh, and the present, the one you should bought with your part-time job money," he added, as if to imprint it in my brain.

"..."

I think so. I thought it was impossible to fall in love with a human, but it seems that's not the case after all.

I'm probably in love too. Probably.　

•　

•　

•　

RINE came from Hitotose-san. "I want us to take some distance to cool my head for a while."

"I understand," I replies.　

"We're almost there," Kimimaru said as he drove.

Wherever you look there is only green. Our town is rural compared to Tokyo, but this place is on a different level. It wouldn't be surprising if legendary monsters were sealed here. That's the kind of charm it has.　

A few minutes later, I received two messages.

"It's not like we're breaking up!"

"Don't cheat on me!"

I smiled and sent my reply.　

"I see. I understand"

I laugh.　

•　

•　

•　

To cut to the chase, we managed to complete the exorcism somehow. 

We had to play tag with the spirit of a golden hawk, a yatagarasu, or some other bird, I was able to read minds even when it was raining, we went outside the prefecture, the bird-brained stupid bird went overboard, and a young-looking demon hag came to give us a lecture, but we still managed to complete the exorcism - and I never want to do it again.

Kimimaru's SUV drives through the familiar residential area. I'm finally home.

"Good job," Kimimaru says.

"Really?" I was extremely tired. If I wasn't a monster, I would have collapsed.　

"I have no words to say," Kimimaru said with a light chuckle, as we arrived at my apartment. "Wait a moment," he said, opening a high-quality looking long wallet.　

It seems like he plan to hand over the money for my part-time job in the form of bills. It makes me feel like I'm getting pocket money.

"Here you go," he said, handing me an amount that would allow me to not have to worry about paying rent for my apartment for six months.　

After saying "thank you," I felt like taking back my thanks, thinking that it was a fair reward and in fact it was even a little. But I wouldn't go out of my way to take it back.　

"Oh, that was a big help. I'll ask you again."　

It's really not a good idea to be taken to a remote, unexplored area without even being given a proper explanation that "it depends on the job."

Hearing a "hahaha" laugh that clearly showed his intention to sweep the matter under the rug, I got out of the car and closed the door.　

The door window was completely open. I stared blankly at him, and Kimimaru said in an energetic voice, "Well, I'm off! Make up with your girlfriend," and started the car off.　

By the way, I don't have any worries about the legality of this money. I don't know if other youkai are like this, but at least with his personality, this money is pretty much legal.　

•　

•　

•　

"I have a favor to ask,"

I said this to the younger sister, Haruka, and sent her a message in RINE. She responded with sentences like:

"What is it?"

"You're acting weird,"

"What happened?" 

"I'd like you to accompany me shopping."

Then I received messages like:

"What?"

"Are you trying to make a move on me too?"

"Scary,"

"You're a sex maniac."

I was about to type "It's for Hitotose-san," but then I realized it sounded confusing and stopped.

"Could you help me choose a present for Sora?"

　

"For Onee-chan?"

"That's crazy."

"I'll go."

"Of course you'll buy me something too, right?"

Of all the people I know, Haruka is fastest at typing.

I'm fairly wealthy now, so I readily agree, saying:

"Okay."　

"Yay!"

"I love Mizuki♡"

"When will you do it?"

"I'll match it with Mizuki♡"　

The sisters have very different personalities. That's not a problem, but I wonder if this one is okay. I wonder what will happen if she carries on like this in the future, and send a message without much thought:

"You have to choose your partner carefully, it's dangerous."

"He's giving me a lecture lol"

"So fatherly lol"

"The way you are using that phrase..."

"If anything happens to Haruka, Sora will be sad."

"They're so in love lol"

"Should I call you Onii-chan from now?"　

•　

•　

•　

I bought Haruka a high-end lipstick. It was less than 5,000 yen including tax, so it's fine, but I think it's pretty brave of her to casually ask a high school student she's not even that close to for high-end makeup.

Haruka was delighted and said, "Thank you very much. I'll continue to help you, so please let me know anytime." (Thank you, Onee-chan, for catching Mizuki). However, I wasn't very happy.

One Sunday, a week after I'd made Hitotose-san angry, I was standing in front of her house, carrying a tote bag in my right hand.

I sent a RINE message to Hitotose-san saying, "There's something I'd like to meet up and talk about," and she replied, "I'm at home now," and "Where can we meet?"

I asked, "Can I come to your house?" and she said yes, so I hurriedly got ready and trudged over in the scorching July sun.

I rang the doorbell. The front door opened immediately.

"...It's been a while." Hitotose-san seemed less energetic than usual. I tried using my mind reading skills.

(I wonder if he's going to dump me...? No. Absolutely not.)

　

"..." I kept the words "I'm sorry" to myself and only said out loud, "It's been a while."　

"Come in," she said in a low voice, but her tone was the same as usual.　

"Pardon the intrusion."

•

•

It seems that both of her parents are at work and Haruka is at a friend's house, so it's just Hitotose-san and me.

As I sat on a stylish floor cushion in Hitotose-san's room, which seemed appropriate to describe in English as "cushion," Hitotose-san brought me barley tea and chocolate. "Sorry for you wait," she said, placing the tray on the small table and sitting down.

"..."

"..."

We both fell silent.

There was no point in continuing our staring contest, so I began, "You know," I began. "Until now, I've never thought, 'I don't want my girl to get friendly with other guys,' or 'I want to monopolize her."　

"..."

After taking a sip of the barley tea, I continued, "I think that's probably because I've never really fallen in love with anyone."

"What's that about?" Hitotose-san uttered, a mixture of irritation and sadness in her voice. "So it was all a lie! All the things you said you love me, all the time we spent together, everything..."

"No, it's not. But now--"

"Of course it isn't!" Tears welled up in her stern eyes.

"No. Only with Hitotose-san I feel different." I'm not good at raising my voice, so I spoke in my usual tone.　

"..."

"I've never been serious before, so it took me a while to realize it. I thought it was impossible for me to be serious, so I assumed I didn't feel anything special about you being popular," I said, pausing for a breath.

"But after thinking about it, I finally realized. I'm in love with you. I'm surprised at myself, but I'm so serious about you that I don't want to give you to anyone else. I really, really love you."

"...Eh, ahh..." Hitotose-san's face turns redder and redder.

"I'm sorry for everything."　

"...Hmm, I'm not angry anymore." Her face is bright red, so I think it could be interpreted as her being furious, but is she really not angry? I really want to ask, but I hold myself back.　

"I haven't put it into words properly yet, so I'm going to say it now."

It feels a bit weird, but since I said I would say it, I'll say it. "I want you to be my girlfriend, Hitotose-san."

"...Eh, uh... ahh..."　

I wait in silence, watching Hitotose-san, whose emotions are exploding and whose speech function is impaired.

If I get dumped like this, I'll probably be in the finals of the Uncool Ways to Get Dumped Championship.

However, after a few minutes, Hitotose-san recovered and said, still blushing, "What, only now? It's too late, you idiot. But I feel sorry for you so I'll forgive you just in case,"

And so unfortunately I missed out on qualifying to participate in the tournament.　

"Well, while I'm at it, there's one more thing I'd like you to forgive me for, is that okay?"

"Wh-what is it?" For some reason, she was on guard.

"From now on, I want to call you Sora."　

"Ahh..." I thought I'd have to wait again, but she quickly responded, "Y-yes," demonstrating normal speech function, so I was relieved.

"In return, I'll call you Mi-Mi-Mizuki."

"No, I'm Mizuki, not Mimimizuki."

Now, on to the next mission.

I opened the zipper of the cheap tote bag I had brought with me to take out the essential item for completing the mission - a present that had cost a lot of money to produce. But once again, Sora's face stiffened, as if on guard.

What's going on here? I thought as I activated my supernatural power.

(What are you planning to do next? If I get any more excited than this, I'll go crazy. I'm sure my actions will become chaotic. Then you'll be turned off... but wait a second. Does the world really work that conveniently? I don't think so. ...So, is this a dream? When I wake up, Minamoto, no... Mizuki will be gone again? And will I be dumped...?)

She was extremely confused and had tears in her eyes again. It seemed like her thought process was fundamentally strange.　

"I won't go, so calm down."　

"Oh, yeah."　

"Here's something for you," I said, placing a box tied with a white ribbon on the table. "I got some money from my temporary part-time job, so this is a present for you."　

"O-oh," she said, trembling. "Can I open it?"　

"Sure."

Sora untied the ribbon and unwrapped the wrapping paper, which looked luxurious, though she couldn't really tell what it was. Then she removed the lid.

Inside the box was a watch with a white design - the one I bought is known for its durability.

To be honest, if I was choosing based on design alone I would have chosen something else, but since this person likes to exercise, I thought it would be better if it was durable, so I chose this one.

"These are couple watches," I say, taking my watch out of my tote bag - a wrapped box - and placing it next to Sora's, "You didn't like these, did you?" I ask.

"No, I don't mind..." But Sora doesn't move. 

"I see. That's great," I say, putting the watch on her vulnerable wrist.

"Thanks..."

I adjusted the band based on the watch Haruka had secretly borrowed (stole) from Sora, and it seemed to be just the right size.

Suddenly, Sora stood up straight. She moved next to me and sat down. She then leaned on me and hugged me. Then she pushed me down.

"I love you, I love you..." Sora repeated in a whisper, pressing her cheek against my chest.

"I love you too," I said, stroking her head, my fingers touching Sora's ear. "Hmm~..." Sora let out a budding moan. "..." After a brief moment of silence, she turned her head, pecked my lips, and whispered, "I love you." She immediately kissed my cheek, then said "I love you" again, kissed my neck, and began raining kisses on me.

(I love you, I love you, I love you...)

The same words keep repeating in my mind. Is this okay? Will Sora return to normal once things calm down?　

I was a little worried, but she was cute so I thought it would be okay to leave it like this and put my hand around the back of Sora's head.

Sora, realizing what was going on, looked at me with longing eyes - and I immediately pulled her to me, taking those delicious cherry-colored lips for myself. I deliberately didn't insert my tongue inside, avoiding the core, but gently bit her lower lip - a soft sensation inside my mouth.

Sora inserted her tongue first. I accepted her without resisting, and went with the flow, tasting the inside of her mouth.

An emotion I had never felt before swelled up inside me. I was confused, but it didn't feel bad.

Following these emotions, I desired Sora more intensely.

As we continued to kiss deeply and passionately, Sora suddenly let go of my lips and sat up.

She takes a deep breath and exhales.

Even something so trivial seems so precious to me—I must have gone crazy.

So I couldn't help but say it. "This is what I like about you, Sora," I said, putting my hand on her waist. "Don't show this to anyone but me."

"──"

Sora just smiled beautifully.