Chapter 64: Poolside Playboys Are Expected
Eventually, a thoroughly shaken Amane was able to
regain his composure, and he set foot into the pool with
Mahiru by his side.
For Amane, who was already at adult height, the water
came up to about his hips, but for Mahiru it reached her
solar plexus, which didn't make it seem particularly shallow.
She looked up at Amane with a slightly worried expression.
"…Mahiru, you're not gonna drown; you'll be fine."
"Amane, people can die by drowning in as little as thirty
centimeters of water."
"Okay, listen… I won't let that happen, but if by some
chance you do, I'll give you CPR."
In order to encourage her, he spoke cheerfully, but
Mahiru kept clinging to Amane's arm and looked up at him
again. In her eyes, he saw a little bit of sulking and a shade
of expectation.
"…You won't keep me from drowning?"
Without meaning to, his gaze locked on Mahiru after she
murmured this with a tone of slight disappointment.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
The small bulge formed by her pouting lips looked
dissatisfied and…kind of pleading, but he figured that was
his imagination.
Looking at her light-pink lips, which hadn't lost any of
their luster even though she wasn't wearing lip balm, Amane
gulped audibly. But there was no way he could cast away all
reason and kiss her then and there, so he shifted his gaze to
the side.
"…I-I'd like for us to wait a little bit longer, so…um, we
can't, not here."
"I—I never said that I want you to do it here. But, well…
I'm starting to wonder if you don't want to, Amane."
"Of course I don't not w-want to!! I always want to!"
Surely there wasn't a guy in the world who didn't want to
kiss the girl he liked. Even Amane, who was not a
particularly romantic person, still wanted to touch Mahiru a
lot and kiss her as much as he pleased.
He knew they had to work up to it step by step, and he
was confident that she would pull away if he was always
forcing his desires on her, so he had been holding back, but
it was unthinkable that he didn't want to.
At Amane's strong assertion, Mahiru once again flushed
red, pressed her forehead against his arm, and hid her face.
The fact that she was red all the way to her ears made
Amane think that he had said something wrong, and he
began to blush as well.
"…Y-you've got the wrong idea—"
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"…Do I?"
"Well, it's not wrong exactly, but, um… If we do that, I'll
have a hard time today, so please just wait a little longer."
Amane had often been ridiculed by Itsuki for being a late
bloomer and a wuss, and at this point, he couldn't deny it.
From Mahiru's perspective, she was probably getting
really impatient with Amane. He was treasuring her too
much and moving at a slow pace, and she had been waiting
for him the whole time.
…I guess Mahiru wants to go further?
She must want to do more things that lovers do?
He looked down at Mahiru to confirm his thoughts, and
she had her eyes turned up at him with half of her flushed
face still hidden.
"…You do what you like, Amane. But Chitose said that
making yourself hold back too long isn't good… Don't overdo
it…"
"Ugh, Chitoseee—"
"A-after all, Chitose has been in a relationship longer than
either of us, so…"
"She's definitely been a bad influence on you, don't you
see?! L-listen, Mahiru, we can go at whatever pace feels right
for us. I'm not trying to go unreasonably fast, and, um…if we
rush too much, I think you'll end up floundering, too."
He believed she also wanted to move things forward, but
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
he was worried that if they hurried things, Mahiru would
feel like she was under too much pressure, so Amane
thought a slow pace was best.
Amane wanted to proceed slowly for his own sake, too,
since he didn't know what he might do if he let himself get
carried away.
When he appealed to her with earnest eyes, Mahiru
looked down, making an embarrassed face, and pressed her
forehead against his arm once more.
"O-okay. Um… Sh-should we go swimming?"
"Y-yeah, we should…"
"…This is my first time coming to a place like this, so
please tell me about everything."
She added quietly that she had rarely gone places with
other people, so Amane took her hand, and they walked to
the middle of the shallow pool.
He guessed that her family had probably never taken her
to any kind of amusement park before, and he felt sad for
her. He decided they should go experience one of those
together sometime.
"So over summer break, how about we check off all of
your 'firsts,' Mahiru?"
"…P-putting it that way is embarrassing, but…okay."
Mahiru flushed red but smiled happily. Amane beamed
back at her and pulled her along by the hand to a spot that
seemed to have slightly fewer people.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Mahiru had been anxious about potential drownings, but
perhaps because she was with Amane, she didn't seem
worried as long as they were just playing in the water.
When Amane rented an inner tube and handed it to
Mahiru, she grumbled about it with a slightly peeved
expression. "I feel like I'm being treated like a child…" Yet
maybe because it gave her a sense of safety, she put the ring
around her body.
While holding on to the tube, Mahiru relaxed and floated
on top of the water, gazing up at Amane with a placid look.
Amane was standing by the side watching her, just in
case, but the way things were going, he figured she wouldn't
have any trouble enjoying herself.
"This feels great, doesn't it?" Mahiru smiled, bobbing
around in her ring by Amane's side.
"Sure does," Amane leaned against the edge of the inner
tube and nodded.
Amane liked swimming but had never particularly cared
for playing around in the shallow pools. But being able to
spend a relaxing time with Mahiru was not a bad thing. If
they had been with Chitose and Itsuki, the two of them
would have wanted to play with a beach ball or go down the
waterslides or something.
That kind of stuff wasn't bad, either, but Amane liked
having some relaxing alone time with Mahiru.
"With the ring, you won't drown, and you can enjoy the
water as much as you like."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"…But it's awfully humiliating, using one at this age."
"Even adult women use them all the time. Look, there are
people sitting in inner tubes over there, too."
Amane pointed to where some women in swimsuits were
floating with their backsides down in the holes of their rings.
Rather than using them as swimming aids, most of the
adults were chilling in similar positions.
Mahiru, who had stuck her body through the ring, looked
in the direction Amane was indicating, then excitedly stood
back up for a second and sat down into the ring.
Floating there with her body fully supported by the inner
tube, Mahiru blinked several times, then smiled, looking
mighty pleased with herself. She seemed to like it.
Her bare, milk-white legs, sticking out of the bottom of
Amane's rash guard, kicked and splashed in the water.
Her legs were slender yet amply soft, and Amane got
splashed in the face while he was captivated by their beauty.
Mahiru was giggling, wearing a happy, carefree smile.
Amane couldn't tell whether she had known where he was
looking, or whether she had done that on purpose, but…for
the time being, he splashed her lightly to get back at her, and
Mahiru's smile widened.
"Now you've done it, hey!"
She had probably been trying to snap him out of his
trance.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Mahiru launched another water attack against him, and
Amane smiled a little and struck back.
But since Mahiru was rather immobile in the inner tube,
she made for an easy target.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
With the palm of his hand, Amane gently splashed some
water onto Mahiru's chest, and she did the same back at
him. She must have also been holding back as this attack
only reached his chest.
Amane was fully soaked. The water still felt cool on his
skin. He smiled with his whole face and splashed Mahiru
some more.
He was going easy on her because Mahiru seemed liable
to flip over if he overdid it, but she was cheerfully kicking the
water in a stroking motion, splashing away.
Each time she kicked, she was thrown a little off-balance.
"Mahiru, hey—"
It would have been awful if she tipped over with the inner
tube, so Amane leaned against the ring to stabilize her, and
Mahiru clung tightly to him.
She was still frightened of falling into the water.
"If you thrash around too much, you're going to fall over."
"Uh…sorry."
"I'm right here, so it's fine, but…"
"…If I wasn't with you, I wouldn't have been playing
around so much," she whispered quietly.
Against his better judgment, Amane stared at Mahiru.
She wrapped her arms around his back, buried her face in
his chest, and continued, "…But I am with you, and I'm
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
having so much fun… The whole world is sparkling…
Besides, I knew you would help me if I needed it."
"…I, um, I don't know what to say when you tell me cute
things like that."
Amane's face automatically turned red at her whispered
words of love.
It made him want to groan.
How can she be so cute in every way?!
…I really love this girl…
Of course, this wasn't a surprise, but Amane could feel his
chest grow hot just from the affection she was directing his
way. He felt overwhelmed with love.
If they had been at home, he would have stroked her hair
and never let her go, but since they were in a public space,
he knew he had to restrain himself.
And so after hugging her for a moment, he whispered, "…
Once we get home, I'll show you how much I love you," and
then he let her go. Even though Mahiru was soaked through
with water, her face was as red as a boiled octopus.
"…That's all I've ever wanted," he heard her murmur.
Ultimately, it was Amane who ended up sinking. Holding
back a groan, he closed his eyes and tried to think about
something else.
Seeing Amane like that, Mahiru smiled with great
satisfaction, her cheeks still red, and whispered, "I want to
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
show you my love, too."
Amane glared at her, wondering if she wasn't already
doing so, with the way she was acting, and she smiled at him
again.
"I want a chance to be in control, too. Recently, you've
completely outwitted me."
"…No way, you came onto me so aggressively before we
were dating. It's still my turn."
"We're skipping over too many of my turns. I want to get
the chance to embarrass you, too."
"So that was your goal all along? …Argh."
Amane knew that Mahiru would have loved to embarrass
him whenever the opportunity presented itself, so he
steadied himself, ready to turn the tables on her.
Mahiru often toyed with him, exposing his pathetic side,
so in an attempt to gain the advantage for once, he made a
show of brushing back some of the hair on the side of her
head and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
She seemed to have confidence to spare, but Amane
somehow swallowed the shame that welled up inside him
and peered down at his adorable girlfriend, who was frozen
in place with a bright-red face.
"…Still love me?"
"N-not cute…"
"Well, I've never been much of a charmer. Here, let's go
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
take a break, shall we? I'll go buy us some drinks."
When he ruffled her soaking-wet hair, Mahiru seemed to
unfreeze. She mumbled sulkily, "I'll have an orange juice,"
and then she head-butted him.
It was obviously an attempt to hide her embarrassment,
so Amane laughed quietly and patted her head again.
"So this is what happens when I take my eyes off you?"
When Amane returned from buying drinks, Mahiru was
being hassled by two guys.
This is why I didn't want her out of my sight. This is my
fault, but—
Even though it was a weekday, there was still a long line at
the food court, so it had taken him some time, and sure
enough, two guys had come up to talk to Mahiru.
They were in public, so obviously the guys were less likely
to force her to go with them or anything, but as her
boyfriend, Amane was not amused. He didn't even want
random people to talk to her.
Mahiru herself was not even attempting to hide her
annoyance. Apparently strange men hitting on her didn't get
an angelic smile. She had zipped the front of the rash guard
all the way up and wasn't smiling, giving them no openings.
Amane sighed softly.
…They can't even tell how much they're bothering her, so
I doubt they're going to be able to pick up any girls, but…
To begin with, they should have been able to tell that a girl
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
sitting alone, wearing a men's rash guard, who looked like
she was waiting for someone, might already have a partner.
If they hadn't been able to guess, that didn't speak well for
their ability to pick up girls. And if they were able to but
decided to try to pick her up anyway, then they were real
jerks.
Amane was probably thinking such harsh thoughts
because he was annoyed that it was his girlfriend they were
hitting on.
Mahiru was sitting politely on the bench and probably
hadn't been able to escape from the men because she didn't
want to leave that spot until Amane came back. Deciding
that he would apologize to her later for making her wait, he
hurried over.
"Sorry for the wait."
The moment he spoke, holding their drinks in both hands,
Mahiru's face lit up. It was obvious that they had been
bothering her.
Mahiru's expression made her look like a completely
different person, and the guys gaped at her as if they had
been caught off guard. They turned to look at Amane.
The two exuded a subtle sense of superiority as they sized
him up, probably because he hadn't dressed up that day—
after all, he couldn't use styling wax when going to the pool,
so he'd only brushed and combed his hair, and it didn't look
as good.
"Sorry, but she's with me, so I'd appreciate it if you would
leave us alone."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Amane was used to people looking down on him, so he
wasn't bothered by their stares and smiled at them stiffly.
The guys' smirks turned even nastier.
"She's with you? Seriously? What a bad match!"
"A sad sack like you, with a girl like this…? Unbelievable."
Sorry for being a sad sack!
Amane knew he was plain-looking; he wasn't going to
argue that point. But as to whether he was a good or bad
match for Mahiru, well, he figured that these guys had to be
even less worthy of her. There was no way that the kind of
gaudy guys who walked around making passes at girls would
ever appeal to someone as elegant, beautiful, and ephemeral
as Mahiru.
The whole situation was a headache, and when Amane
was puzzling over how to argue with them without making
them angry, Mahiru suddenly chuckled quietly, "Heh-heh."
He looked at Mahiru, who had laughed out of nowhere,
and she was elegantly holding her hand over her mouth,
covering her smile.
"They're right," she said. "If I had to say whether you were
sunny or gloomy, you're a gloomy one."
"Don't laugh…"
"I know that my boyfriend isn't very cheerful. He's a quiet,
calm person."
Amane watched her attentively, unsure of what Mahiru
was trying to say, as she looked directly at the other guys for
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
the first time.
There was no kindness in her eyes. They seemed cold.
…I bet she's angry.
Mahiru hated it when people made fun of Amane. So he
expected her to show the guys how she felt. She seemed to
despise them.
"And even if he is gloomy, what's wrong with that?"
Mahiru's words didn't sound particularly angry.
But in a tone that said they didn't really understand the
problem, the would-be pickup artists responded with a
dumbfounded, "Huh?"
"I love him, whether he's sunny or gloomy, it doesn't
matter. I fell for the whole package—his personality, looks,
and attitude. Whether he seems like a good match is
irrelevant. My love for him isn't such a flimsy thing that I
would ever worry about such questions."
Mahiru made this definitive assertion, then smiled
sweetly at Amane.
He felt his chest grow hot as it was full of love and
affection, a smile she never would have shown the other
guys. Amane had never imagined anyone would tell him they
loved him in such a bold way, and while it was a little
embarrassing, the feelings of happiness came to him first.
"I hope that you boys meet wonderful girls someday who
think of you in the same way."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Mahiru beamed, but it wasn't the sticky-sweet smile like
gooey honey and chocolate mixed together that she always
used toward Amane. Mahiru finished them off with the
perfect angelic smile that she used in public, and the guys
stared at her, flabbergasted. Their faces were red, like they'd
been scalded by Mahiru's radiant smile. Amane briefly
thought that if she had shown them her real face, the one
that she only showed him, they would have been reduced to
ash.
"Ah, well, um…"
Stammering, one of the guys tried to reach a hand out
toward Mahiru.
"Hey, guys, over there."
Amane casually brushed the outstretched hand away and
pointed past them.
The guys turned to look where Amane was pointing and
saw that there was a man in a lookout tower who was
watching them.
The pool management took safety very seriously, so there
were lookout towers all over the place. The people posted
there were to caution patrons against roughhousing near the
water's edge and to keep anybody from drowning, but of
course they were also monitoring whether there were any
suspicious characters lurking about.
Once the two guys realized that the employee was looking
at them, they ran off in a hurry with embarrassed
expressions. Amane didn't feel bad for laughing at them for
being cowards, despite having had the courage to chat up a
girl out of their league who looked like she was already there
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
with a guy.
It was finally just the two of them, so Amane sat down
beside Mahiru.
"Sorry for taking so long."
He figured the first thing he needed to do was apologize.
After all, Mahiru had been placed in an uncomfortable
situation because he had left her alone.
"No, it was busy, wasn't it? Plus, that happens all the time
when I'm by myself."
"…I'm sure that's true, but it's my fault you were left
alone. I bet you were scared."
"They seemed to understand what I was saying, so I
wasn't afraid."
I doubt they were listening to you; I think they just left
because other people started staring.
The exchange probably would have gone on a little longer
if the pool employee hadn't been there. Amane would have
gotten fed up with it halfway through and tried to take
Mahiru's hand and leave, but whether the other guys would
have let them go was a different matter.
Amane handed Mahiru the orange juice she had requested
and drank some of his own soda through a straw.
"…You weren't scared?" he asked.
"No, more like upset that they ruined my good mood."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"Sorry. Cheer up, okay?"
"It wasn't your fault, but…all right, okay, let me have a sip
of your drink, and it's a deal." Mahiru pointed to the soda
Amane was drinking and smiled impishly.
"I can't say no to you." He smiled wryly and handed her
his cup.
He could tell that she was acting deliberately playful so he
wouldn't feel too guilty, and he recognized the thoughtful
understanding behind her words.
Without saying anything more about what had just
happened, Mahiru took the soda from Amane and sipped
it…frowning with determination. Her eyes even filled with
tears.
It was a strongly carbonated beverage, but not enough to
cause such an intense reaction. Amane hadn't been bothered
by it, but that didn't seem to be the case for Mahiru.
"Uh, did it taste weird?"
"…No, I just rarely have carbonated drinks… They really
irritate the throat, don't they?"
Mahiru's eyes were watering from the strong sensation.
Come to think of it, Mahiru only drank water, tea, coffee,
and sometimes fruit juice. That was it; he had never seen her
drinking a carbonated beverage before.
Mahiru wasn't that sensitive to spicy foods, but she didn't
seem to care for this kind of bubbly sensation.
"I'm surprised you would want a sip of something like
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
this; you never drink soda… So why did you want to try it?"
Seems like she could have anticipated this would happen.
He took his drink back from Mahiru and patted her head.
She looked up at him, eyes still watery from the fizziness.
"…Because I wanted to enjoy the flavor with you, Amane,"
she mumbled quietly.
Amane nearly dropped the soda, narrowly avoiding a
disaster.
…My girlfriend is utterly adorable.
Amane wondered if "utterly" might sound disparaging,
but he meant it as high praise. Also, he was in agony.
Even at the best of times, he found it hard to deal with
how cute her appearance and mannerisms were, and when
she said that she wanted to share the same drink, he had to
stifle a groan.
Mahiru was too cute to even look at. Amane turned away,
just holding on to Mahiru's hand, and she leaned against
him, hooking her arm in his.
"…Me too. I want a sip of your orange juice later."
"Heh-heh, sure." Mahiru laughed faintly.
Without looking at her, he put his elbow up on the bench's
armrest and faced the opposite direction.
That was probably why he didn't notice them getting
closer.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"Hey, you over there, the cute little lady and the sad sack
little boy, you wanna play with us?"
Someone called out to the two of them in a familiar,
easygoing tone. Amane recognized it, but he hadn't been
expecting to hear it.
When Amane looked toward the voice, he saw exactly the
faces he predicted:
A handsome, if shallow-looking, male and a boyish but
beautiful girl. Both faces he saw frequently at school.
Amane shot them a suspicious look without really
meaning to, but he didn't feel bad about it.
"Why are you here, Itsuki?"
"I'm not stalking you, promise. It's a coincidence,
seriously," Itsuki earnestly insisted. "You know I'm not that
nosy." He waved his hand dismissively.
Amane decided that their friends probably hadn't been
following them. For one thing, if they had been watching,
Itsuki and Chitose would surely have come to Mahiru's
rescue when she was getting hit on.
He figured that, in terms of timing, they had probably
spotted Mahiru after he'd rejoined her at the bench. It was
also clear from Chitose's expression that this was just a
coincidence.
"I mean, we heard that you were going to the pool
sometime this week, but of course I never expected to bump
into you in such a big place, even if we showed up on the
same day. Sorry for intruding on your lovey-dovey time."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"…Hey—"
Amane wasn't going to complain, since they had run into
each other by chance, but he cast a sharp glance at Chitose,
who had a big grin when she teased him.
Which is to say, he ended up glaring directly at her, since
Chitose was also in her bathing suit, and it would have been
rude to look at her body too much.
Chitose was wearing an orange top and swim shorts.
When she noticed Amane staring at her, she smirked again
and shouted, "Oh no, a pervert!" and wriggled around, even
though it was obvious from the direction of his gaze that he
wasn't looking at her body.
Letting out a huge sigh at Chitose's ridiculousness, Amane
appealed to Itsuki with an imploring look, but Itsuki said,
"It's summer, so she's got too much energy." He didn't seem
inclined to try to stop her.
Feeling exasperated, Amane turned to Mahiru and saw
that she had unzipped the front of the rash guard, which was
previously zipped up to hide herself from the wannabe
pickup artists. Even though it was a rash guard, she must
have been hot with the fastener closed all the way up to her
neck.
She had unfastened it down to her chest and was fanning
a little air through the shirt.
Chitose blinked at her, "Hmm? Mahiru?"
"Yes?"
"…You wore that bikini?"
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"This one?"
"Yeah, I mean, you got the other black string— Mmph!"
Chitose's voice was muffled midway through her sentence
by Mahiru forcibly covering up her mouth.
Mahiru had risen halfway to her feet to reach Chitose. She
must have realized that Amane was staring at her, because
she froze.
"…It's nothing," Mahiru said, shaking her head. Her
cheeks were red.
"There was another swimsuit."
"No, ah, that one, well… I'm embarrassed to wear that one
in public, so…"
"You were about to spill out of it, huh? I thought it would
be cute for you to wear when you and Amane were alone—
Mmph!"
"Chitose, you need to shut up now."
"O-okay!"
Mahiru covered Chitose's mouth again. Chitose seemed
absolutely remorseless.
Amane was surprised to hear Mahiru had purchased a
swimsuit that she would be hesitant to wear in public, but
once she said that it was for when they were alone together,
his heart seemed like it would go crazy at the boldness of it
all.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"…Is it really that risqué?"
"Not really. Mahiru has good taste; it's just that it doesn't
cover much."
"Chitose…"
"If I say any more, I think she's really going to get pissed
at me, so please understand you'll just have to see it for
yourself, Amane."
"I-I'm not showing!"
Mahiru rejected the idea outright, her face as red as a ripe
apple. Amane didn't feel guilty about being a little
disappointed.
Of course, if Mahiru was opposed to it, he wouldn't tell
her he wanted to see it no matter what, but still, it would be
a lie if he said that he didn't want to see his girlfriend like
that.
From the way Chitose was talking, the other bathing suit
wasn't just revealing, it was a bold expression of Mahiru's
fine style.
At the moment, Amane was having a very hard time
looking straight at her, but assuming that the other one
revealed even more skin, Mahiru's refusal was probably his
saving grace.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
But of course, as a young man, he would have liked to see
it.
Maybe he looked a little disappointed, because Chitose
smirked, and Mahiru repeatedly glanced at him with
uncertainty.
"You won't show him?" Chitose asked.
"…That's not up for discussion right now," Mahiru feebly
responded. Then, as if to escape from Chitose's and Amane's
gazes, she put up the hood on the rash guard and hung her
head.
Even if Amane couldn't see her face, he could imagine that
it was burning red, enough to make it look like she had
gotten a sunburn.
"…Chitose, don't tease her too badly. And, Mahiru, you
don't need to worry about what I think."
"But she's such a cutie!"
"Why say something so obvious?"
"Oh, this boy's a natural…"
Mahiru being cute was an indisputable fact, but when he
agreed with her, Chitose looked at Amane with faint
amazement in her eyes.
Before they started dating, Amane already knew from the
beginning that Mahiru was cute, so it wasn't that surprising
of a thing to say. But his friends seemed to be bewildered to
hear him say it, and their eyes went wide.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"…Well, if you didn't wind up infatuated in the end,
Amane… You used to say you would never get a girlfriend
and never fall in love, but look at you now…"
"Shut up."
"You know, the feeling of being in love will change a
person!"
"Will you two quit making fun of me? First of all, Mahiru
being cute is a well-known fact, and anyway it's normal to
think that your girlfriend is attractive. Itsuki, you're
constantly bragging about how cute Chitose is."
Itsuki had been going on and on about his girlfriend ever
since Amane had known him. Compared to that, Amane
hadn't said much at all.
When Amane turned the tables and looked fed up with the
two of them, insisting that it wasn't such a strange thing for
him to feel that way about Mahiru, they shrugged defeatedly.
Amane glared at them, feeling slightly irritated by their
attitude, but Itsuki just smiled wryly.
"Ah, but I think we'd better leave it there for now."
"What do you mean?"
"Mahiru looks like she's having a hard time."
At Itsuki's mention of Mahiru, Amane looked over and
saw she was holding the hood down over her head and
trembling, probably feeling extremely self-conscious.
He knew she felt shy about being complimented too much
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
in front of other people. She looked up at him, her eyes filled
with tears of mortification.
"…That's a good and bad thing about you, Amane," she
mumbled, hiding deep within the hood.
Amane couldn't do anything but wait for Mahiru to pull
herself together.
Once Mahiru recovered from her embarrassment, the four
of them hung out together, which was great because it made
it much harder for any other guys to approach Mahiru.
As long as the four of them moved as a group, no one
would be left alone, and Amane was paying close attention
to make sure it didn't happen again.
Moreover, since Itsuki was obviously outgoing and
handsome, the Platonic ideal of a cheerful guy, and the type
who had a friendly aura about him, any men who might have
been aiming to pick up one of the girls probably thought
better of it after one look at him.
However, since Chitose, Mahiru, and Itsuki were all
extremely attractive, Amane couldn't help but feel like all
eyes were on them.
"Mahiru, Mahiru, take this!"
"Kyah! …Geez, come on, Chitose!"
Without saying anything, Mahiru had pushed the group
toward playing in the shallow pool.
Mahiru and Chitose were happily splashing each other,
while Amane sat on the edge of the pool and watched them.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
It was charming, watching two girls who were such good
friends cheerfully playing around.
Also, they were both exceptionally beautiful in different
ways, so watching them was a feast for the eyes.
"Man, it's so nice to see the girls getting along like that."
Itsuki was sitting beside Amane, watching them with a
grin.
"You sound like a creepy old man," Amane replied.
"How rude! You're one to talk, ogling them while they
play."
"I'm not that bad."
"But I bet you were thinking about how nice it was to
watch, you taciturn guy."
"I could say the same about you."
"At least I'm honest about it," Itsuki quipped, gazing idly
at Mahiru, who was giggling as she splashed Chitose with
water.
"So why were you watching her with that faraway look in
your eyes?" Itsuki asked, wiping the foolish grin from his
face. He leaned forward a little bit and peered at Amane.
"Well, how do I put this? Mahiru seems to have gotten
even cuter than before."
"Listen to you, going on about your girlfriend, too."
"I'm not bragging; it's just—she smiles a lot now. She
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
didn't used to smile this way at all."
"We never saw her back then, but…do you mean she was
cold?"
"Yeah. She was always cool and had a sharp tongue. It was
because she didn't trust anyone… I was thinking it's nice to
see her this way now."
Compared to when they first met, Mahiru smiled much
more openly now.
She had a carefree smile and honesty to her that seemed
unrecognizable compared to the distant and sharp-tongued
Mahiru of the past.
Amane felt proud that Mahiru had changed because of
him, but it was also thanks to Chitose. Since they were both
girls, they could talk about things together and understand
each other.
Whenever he saw the two of them having fun together, as
they were just then, he felt really happy.
"I agree; I've also been thinking that Mahiru has changed
a lot. She used to be like some kind of statue, and hard to
approach, but now all I can see is a supercute girl who loves
Amane."
"Who loves me…? Listen—"
"I mean, it's easy to tell, with that much pure affection
directed your way. Even on a normal day, it's obvious that
she treats you special."
"…By the way, I want to ask, from what you could see, has
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Mahiru been interested in me for a really long time?"
"If anything, she was brimming over with love, wondering
what was taking you so long."
"Seriously?"
He'd had a vague inkling that she liked him since before
they started dating, but apparently Itsuki had seen it even
before Amane had considered the possibility.
"I think that Mahiru probably started to change around
the time she started to trust you and like you," Itsuki said.
"I wonder…?"
"And having Chi around maybe helped, too. She's
excitable and friendly, for better or worse, so she pulled
Mahiru out of her shell."
"…I'm begging you to get your girlfriend under control."
"It's fine, it's fine. Chi never treads where she really can't
go. Besides, look, they're smiling so much."
When Amane looked over to where Itsuki was pointing
again, Chitose was hanging onto Mahiru, who looked
embarrassed yet accepting of her own shyness.
He could tell from the look in her eyes and her soft
expression that Mahiru trusted Chitose as well. It was good
that she was finding more friends to depend on.
But he wanted to be person she relied on the most.
Itsuki patted Amane on the back to tell him not to worry,
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
and Amane responded with a wry smile.
"Hey, hey, you melancholy young men there standing by
the poolside, come over here and play with us!" Chitose
waved at them as she clung to Mahiru.
Mahiru waved her hand reservedly, too, looking like she
wanted Amane to join them.
"When you get invited by a couple of cute girls, there's no
way you don't answer their calls." Itsuki plunged into the
pool with a grin and headed toward the girls. Smiling,
Amane watched him go, and he, too, took off toward Mahiru
and the others.
"Whew, we really played a lot!"
After enjoying themselves for several hours, they were
naturally a little tired, despite being high school students,
and the four teenagers sat down on a bench to rest.
They had borrowed a ball to play volleyball, and at
Chitose's insistence, Mahiru had tried going down a small
waterslide, which had been an exciting experience for her.
Sitting beside Amane, Mahiru looked refreshed but must
have been fairly exhausted, because she was leaning lightly
against him.
"That was fun, huh? It's been a long time since I played
like that," she said.
"Mm, me too," Amane agreed. "It's been a while since I
moved around that much."
"Well, you didn't participate any more than you had to at
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Sports Day, eh, Amane? I bet swimming was good exercise,"
Itsuki remarked.
Amane wasn't exactly unathletic, but sports still weren't
his strong suit, and he rarely got such a total workout. Even
during gym, though he took the class seriously, he never
worked his whole body into a good sweat.
"Partway, you went for a serious swim, didn't you,
Amane?"
"Well, a pool is a place for swimming, so…I think it's nice
to swim from time to time."
"Mahiru was watching you while you swam, you know?"
Chitose added.
"Ah, s-sorry, Mahiru."
Mahiru had been playing happily with Chitose, so Amane
had gone off to enjoy some light swimming, but he realized
he might have made her wait around for him.
But Mahiru shook her head.
"Y-you don't need to apologize, but…it must be nice."
After a little thought, Amane figured out what she meant.
Mahiru didn't know how to swim, so she must have been
jealous of Amane, who could do so without any issues.
But he definitely wouldn't out her in front of Chitose and
Itsuki, so he just smiled softly and stroked her hair. If they
had another opportunity, it would probably be good to
practice swimming.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
"Let's go to the pool together again sometime," Amane
suggested.
"O-okay."
"Huh, what's that?" Chitose interrupted. "You say you
want to see Mahiru's black bikini?"
"You idiot, I definitely don't want to suggest she wear that
in public."
"But you want to appreciate it when you're alone?"
Chitose prodded.
"That's…different, since I'm her boyfriend, right?"
Thinking about Mahiru wearing a black bikini in front of
everyone made Amane uncomfortable. Even though she
wore his rash guard, he would have liked it if she had also
put on swimming shorts.
"Come on, Mahiru, you're not gonna show him?"
"I said we'll talk about it later."
Mahiru turned away uncooperatively. Amane smiled
slightly and patted her head gently again.
The group left the water park together and went to a
diner.
It was six o'clock, which was usually a little early for
dinner, but they had been swimming, playing, and using up
so much energy that they were hungry and figured it was the
perfect time to eat.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Mahiru had never had the chance to go to a diner before
and was a little nervous. She looked cute fidgeting, and
Amane laughed in spite of himself. She slapped him from an
angle that Chitose and Itsuki couldn't see, and he reined it
in.
"That reminds me—you're going to Amane's parents'
house over the summer break, right, Mahiru?" Chitose asked
as she cut into her hamburger steak.
Mahiru had probably told her she was going with Amane
to his family home so they could make plans together. Now,
of course, Chitose was smirking at him.
"Oh yeah, that—you're going there to introduce yourself,
right?" Itsuki asked.
"Unfortunately, Mahiru has already met my parents."
"Oh, that's right… Well, at this point, it's more like a wife
accompanying her husband for his homecoming, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah, say whatever you like."
The two of them weren't even close to being married—or
even engaged. So Amane's first thought was to question
what Itsuki was saying. But it was unusual for high schoolers
in a relationship to go for such a long visit with each other's
parents, so there was at least something to his friend's
observation.
Amane quickly let the subject drop and took a bite of the
rolled omelet from the Japanese set menu. Chitose didn't
crack a joke, but instead she looked at him with
disappointment.
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
Ignoring her, he continued to eat, but somehow the eggs
were unsatisfactory. They had a bland, flat taste, unlike
Mahiru's omelets, and though he didn't complain, they left
him feeling unsatisfied.
Convinced that Mahiru's cooking was the best after all,
Amane glanced over at her and saw she looked slightly
embarrassed.
Apparently the talk of her being his wife made her shy.
"So you're going to Amane's house, huh…? His mom must
be thrilled," Itsuki remarked.
"You're acquainted with Amane's mother, Itsuki?"
"No, but I've heard about her… And from Amane's stories,
I've got a good picture of what she's like."
"My mom is a lot… Every time, it's like she's never met a
stranger."
It seemed like Itsuki had immediately been able to tell,
just by hearing about her, that Amane's mother had a lot in
common with Chitose. If the two of them met, they would
probably feel a sense of kinship.
"Huh, what's that?"
"Mm, just talking about how cute you are, Chi."
Itsuki casually dodged the question with a compliment,
and Chitose looked delighted.
"Oh, you!" she fawned. "Ah, and by the way, Amane, let
me know as soon as you've decided the dates for your trip
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
home. I want to hang out with Mahiru before you go."
"Sure thing. We'll probably go in August, so you can have
at it until then… Just don't forget to do your homework."
"Why do you sound like my mom?"
"I believe last year you made a big fuss about not being
done with your homework, so…"
Chitose was the type to procrastinate and then panic,
trying to get everything done before the end of the break.
On the other hand, Amane was the type to get it done
early then review a little every day, while Itsuki liked to work
slowly but steadily, so both of them had gotten stuck helping
Chitose with her work before.
This year Amane had already finished his assignments,
and Mahiru had as well, so they had been reviewing
together.
"But I don't wanna do it… Ah! Maybe this year I can get a
sweet angel to teach me?"
"I don't mind teaching you, but the next time you call me
an angel, I'm rescinding the offer."
"Ah, so strict! But I love stern Mahiru, too."
Thinking how charming it was to see Mahiru sharing
friendly banter with Chitose, Amane took another bite of his
food before it got cold.
"Mahiru, tomorrow I'd like to eat omelets."
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
She was sitting beside him, and when he told her this in a
quiet voice, Mahiru's gaze shifted to the tray in front of
Amane.
"You're eating one right now, aren't you?"
"This one's no good. Somehow the flavor is lacking. Yours
are the best."
"Heh-heh, you're hopeless. All right, I'll wake you up
tomorrow with breakfast."
"Mm."
During summer vacation, Amane stopped getting up
early, so he would be grateful for Mahiru if she did.
It would probably be bad for his heart to see her face first
thing, but there could be no doubt that it would be an
extraordinary way to start the day.
Amane was in a good mood, and as he looked forward to
tomorrow's breakfast, Itsuki stared at him in astonishment.
"You're basically living together…"
"Shut up."
Only half living together, but he didn't say that out loud
and quietly sipped his slightly cooled miso soup.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone