Translator: RaidenTL
"Well, look at you. Dressed up nicely today, huh?"
It was a compliment for Miyuki, who had come over for our lesson.
True to my words, Miyuki's outfit today was a far cry from her usual stuffy look.
Dark blue, high-waisted Bermuda shorts that came down to just above her knees.
She had a white t-shirt tucked into them and wore white sneakers.
To top it off, she wore a light cream-colored, short-sleeved shirt designed as an outer layer.
That huge black bag was the only slight flaw, but otherwise, it was a refreshing style perfect for summer.
It was an innocent look that suited Miyuki's image.
Seeing those straight, pale legs made my possessiveness flare up.
I want to bruise those knees, and fast.
Anyway, I can let myself believe she changed her style because she wanted to look good for me, right?
Let's go with that.
"Thanks, Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki said cheerfully as she stepped inside.
As I moved aside, I saw Tetsuya, who had followed her in, looking at me with admiration.
He was jealous that I could say things he couldn't without a second thought.
Tetsuya wouldn't be caught dead giving a compliment like the one I just did.
He just pathetically thinks to himself, Miyuki... you're pretty...
Or if Miyuki were to ask, "How do I look today?" he'd finally manage a dry, "You look pretty," and that would be the end of it.
"You put wax in your hair?"
I asked, noticing his flattened sideburns.
Tetsuya touched his hair gingerly and asked back.
"Yeah. Does it look okay?"
"It's better than last time, but you shouldn't just press your sideburns down. You have to press them down while pushing them forward."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, something like that. And don't use too much. It looks a little greasy right now."
"Got it. Thanks, Matsuda."
Don't think this is a favor.
If it were just the two of us, I wouldn't have told him a single thing.
Before entering the living room, Miyuki checked on the plants, as she always did.
She smiled, happy to see them slowly coming back to life, and said.
"I should buy some more plant food and stick it in soon."
"Shouldn't you be the one taking supplements first?"
"Why?"
"Nothing. Just worried about you."
Realizing I was talking about her height, Miyuki pouted.
I should go easy on the height jokes.
It's not a complex for her, but it's a sensitive topic for most people, so bringing it up constantly could upset her.
This is just the right amount.
Chuckling to myself, I held out my hand to Miyuki.
"Here, give me your bag."
"It's fine... I'm going in now."
"Already? Shouldn't you rest a bit? You have to take care of your precious plants, right?"
"It's my punishment. I'm starting right now."
"What did Tetsuya do to deserve this?"
"The crime of having a friend like you, Matsuda-kun."
Tetsuya and I aren't friends, we're rivals.
Though there's a class difference, like between a predator and its prey.
Hey, Tetsuya, what about you? Do you think of me as a friend?
"Thanks to Matsuda, I get to study more, so it's all good."
Still as clueless as ever. That's your weakness.
Muttering to myself, I sat at the round table and opened my book.
Then Miyuki sat down between Tetsuya and me and murmured as if to herself.
"It's getting hotter every day... I want to have that mango ice cream we had yesterday again..."
The mango ice cream was what we ate after finishing the movie yesterday.
Miyuki had let out a small laugh when the other customers started whispering because of the coke the woman behind us spilled.
So that's what you're thinking about. But you just made a mistake.
"Mango ice cream?"
At Tetsuya's questioning tone, Miyuki's face went pale.
Tetsuya doesn't know that Miyuki went on a date with me.
If you're not going to be honest, you'd better think fast and come up with an excuse. What's it gonna be?
I watched her with great interest as her eyes darted around before she forced an awkward smile.
"Uh... I bought it after we split up at the arcade... It was really good."
"Really? I've never had mango ice cream before... Let's try it together next time."
"S-Sure..."
The fact that she lied is proof that her feelings for Tetsuya are still stronger.
She must have been worried that Tetsuya would get jealous if she told the truth.
At the same time, it also meant that my presence was slowly starting to take root in her heart.
If she thought of me as just a friend, she would have casually mentioned that we watched a movie and even had ice cream.
This kind of push-and-pull isn't disappointing; it's actually something to welcome.
If this ambiguous state continues, Miyuki will fall into great distress later on.
She'll agonize over why she's meeting me, even lying to Tetsuya to do so.
And then, the day will come when she realizes her true feelings.
I flashed a meaningful smile, showing my pearly whites, at Miyuki, who was sneaking glances at me.
"Hmph..."
Miyuki cleared her throat and took a book out of her bag.
After clearing her throat a few more times, she said.
"It's English today, right? Before we start, I'm going to test you on the grammar we learned yesterday."
For some reason, I really don't want to just let Miyuki go home today.
She showed off this innocent style in front of me for the first time; there's no way I can let her leave just like this.
As soon as the lesson was over, I pretended to look at my phone and sent Miyuki a message.
[Wanna go get ice cream again today? With Tetsuya.]
Bzzzt-!
Miyuki's phone vibrated on the tatami mat.
After checking the message, she tilted her bowed head slightly in my direction.
Then her eyes went back to the screen.
[Don't you think Tetsuya-kun will assume I ate the ice cream near my house...?]
[The shop is near your house, though.]
[What if the clerk asks, "You two are back again?"]
I mentioned Tetsuya because I knew you'd worry about all this.
I knew we wouldn't be going with him anyway.
[If you're that worried, just come alone.]
[I'll think about it.]
[I'll leave a little late, so come out right after you part with Tetsuya and drop off your bag.]
[I said I'll think about it?]
[I'll be waiting.]
At my pushy message, Miyuki shot me a glare as if she couldn't believe it.
That glare is sexy. Give me a blowjob with that expression.
"What are you two doing? Just staring at your phones?"
Tetsuya said, ready to leave.
I put down my phone and answered nonchalantly.
"I was looking at cars."
"You still haven't picked one?"
"I may seem thoughtless, but buying a car is something you have to be careful about."
When I added the self-deprecating joke, Tetsuya let out a small laugh.
"That's true. What were you doing, Miyuki?"
"Huh...? I was... talking with a friend."
"Who? Nanase?"
"No, it's someone you don't know, Tetsuya-kun."
"You have friends I don't know? Must be someone you met at the academy, huh?"
"S-Something like that... You packed your bag, right? Let's go now."
As Miyuki stood up, shouldering her heavy bag, Tetsuya asked.
"Don't you want to stop by a manga cafe or something?"
Why does this bastard keep asking Miyuki to go places?
Go play on your PlayStation with the few guy friends you have.
After hesitating for a brief moment, Miyuki said.
"Um... I don't think I can today. Sorry."
This time she didn't lie, just turned him down.
It's a shame she didn't say she had plans with another friend, but it seems like she's planning to meet me, so I'll let it slide.
"Really? Okay. Matsuda, we're leaving."
Tetsuya, smacking his lips in disappointment, waved at me.
While Miyuki wasn't looking, I answered by raising my middle finger. Once he left with a silly grin, I headed for my closet.
What should I wear? A shirt with shorts, a belt, and loafers?
Nah, too dandy. I don't like it.
I'll just dress casually enough to match Miyuki.
"Why is it so hot... It's so annoying..."
At my complaint while waiting for the signal, Miyuki looked up at me.
"Is it that annoying?"
"Yeah. It's not even raining... If it's like this in August, I might get steamed to death just walking down the street. And why the hell isn't this light changing..."
"You're too impatient, Matsuda-kun. Just wait. And Tetsuya-kun told me on the way home earlier, you swore at him?"
"When."
"You did that thing. The finger."
So he was snitching already.
He probably said it like it was a joke between friends, not actual tattling... but I still don't like it.
Your fate is to jerk off on the floor thinking about the heroines you lost.
"It was a joke. Can't friends even do that? Why don't you just tell me to live and breathe and do nothing else?"
"I was joking too. I'll let that much slide. Since you were kidding..."
I wasn't kidding, though. I was dead serious.
Muttering with dissatisfaction, I waited for Miyuki to turn her head toward the traffic light, then casually rested my elbow on her shoulder.
When I crossed one leg while leaning on her, Miyuki looked back at me again.
"Matsuda-kun, you're heavy."
She didn't ask what I was doing, she didn't pull away, she just said I was heavy.
I can take that to mean my actions aren't bothering her too much, right?
I'll do this more often.
I barely suppressed a cheer and said.
"Your shoulder is the perfect height for an armrest. To just leave it be would be... what's the word... a sin."
"...You're trying to make fun of me for being short, aren't you?"
"That's just you being paranoid. I had no intention of doing that, so let me borrow it from time to time."
"No."
"So decisive."
"I learned from you, Matsuda-kun."
The light changed while we were chatting.
As soon as Miyuki saw the green light, she started walking, and my elbow slipped right off her shoulder.
My center of gravity had shifted slightly in that direction, so I lost my balance for a moment and stumbled.
Miyuki glanced at me making a fool of myself, giggled, and turned her eyes forward again.
I quickened my pace to catch up to her and complained.
"You just left without a word? What if I had fallen?"
"You're athletic, Matsuda-kun, so I was sure you wouldn't fall."
"Well, it's true I'm pretty good at sports."
"It was an empty compliment, but you seem to like it. You're like a puppy."
"Are you trying to pick a fight? You're surprisingly combative."
"I think I could beat the current you, Matsuda-kun."
"You're asking for it... Get over here."
As I slowly reached out to grab the collar of her shirt, she giggled and ran ahead.
Being with me is way more fun than being with boring old Tetsuya, isn't it? I knew it.
I'm counting on you.
Seeing her react like this, it seemed she had already forgotten about how she'd fumbled the situation with Tetsuya back at my place.
I shouldn't bring it up and make things awkward.
If I just let it go, her opinion of me will improve, even if just a little.
Instead, I should ask about something else to soften the mood.
Catching up to her again, I asked.
"By the way, what possessed you to wear this instead of those stuffy skirts?"
"I just... felt like a change."
"You should keep dressing like this."
"You're not just saying that so people will laugh at me, are you?"
"I'm not kidding, it really suits you. I told you that this morning."
Did she sense the sincerity in my calm tone?
Miyuki gently turned her head and avoided my gaze.
Then, so quietly that her voice was almost lost in the surrounding noise, she said.
"...Thanks. You too, Matsuda-kun... you look good today."
Maybe I live to hear Miyuki's compliments.
I feel like I'm on cloud nine.
I feigned not hearing her and furrowed my brow.
"What, you think your outfit would look good on me? Are you messing with me right now?"
"That's not what I... Ugh... Forget it. Let's just go."
Miyuki sighed deeply and quickened her pace.
She must have been embarrassed.
Following her, I thought about the final summer break event that happens in August.
Let's secure one more thing, then keep meeting with Miyuki alone until school starts.
And after I quit the club, I'll reveal my feelings.
By then, it will have been about three months since we started seeing each other almost every day and building our relationship.
That's more than enough time for love to sprout and ignite between a man and a woman, right?
I'm counting on you, Miyuki.