Love Story in College

Chapter 18

Heavy, explosive, very strong .. Such a sound has the word 'woman,' but overall, whether her lover is a fit and beautiful woman or not, she is certainly complicated.

Nonetheless, she instinctively felt that something was inappropriate in Kaga Kouko today. He was strangely heavy, and explosive.

Still bedridden, heavy and nearly dead from fever, Banri notices Kouko and her friends sitting close together in the cramped room, envious of their excellent condition.

"I'm really just kidding. I just thought it would be funny if I said you cheated. I'm trying to laugh."

Closest to Banri's bed, which was positioned right next to the mattress, his head held high and sitting with beautiful legs to one side, completely the princess, Kouko broke the silence. A silk handkerchief spread on her lap, she covered her legs gracefully as if she was having a picnic.

Smile calmly. He has an aura of calm. He had the appearance of a born noble.

"After all, there's no way my Tada-kun will cheat."

Before anyone could think of shaking their head or interrupting with a grunt,

"Tada-kun really loves me. Of course I know it .. He loves me!"

Suddenly sitting upright, a pulse appeared on his temple and his voice rose. Ooh ... everybody back off a little bit.

"Or rather, that absolute trust made me grow stronger and stronger. The power of being loved flows through me and makes me feel better, and that in turn makes you .. ouch!"

Left alone, she would be able to continue talking forever, but Linda, who was sitting next to him, hit him near his white elbow.

"But don't you look very serious now !? Seriously, stop it. For a moment you really scared me!"

"You're imagining things."

Rubbing the ravaged area in a strangely happy way, Kouko elegantly flicks her large eyelashes with their jet-black mascara. With the shadow of her soft-bristled light purple eyes, she was today again so feminine that she shone.

Behaving in such an extreme manner, wearing herself like a beautiful actress, she pulled out of her bag a kind of small round object that only a girl had, a container that was like an oyster shell.

"Should I become very suspicious of Linda-senpai who came to help Tada-kun who was destined for me? Although I thought that NANA-senpai would also be here. Did he go back to his place next door?"

He took some of the contents with his ring finger. When Linda replied, "Yes, right," she continued, saying, "Unfortunately, I really want to thank her," then rubbed her soft lips with those fingertips. What he had taken with his finger looked like a pink lip gloss, and the glint of the melted glaze dyed his better-shaped and more beautiful female lips.

Like that, on purpose, he turned towards Banri and his eyes turned soft. No sound came out, the others could not see his expression, he communicated only with Banri, his lips moved, he said,

"Are you okay?"

He said; just one sentence.

I'm fine, thank you, Banri said, also without a sound, just nodding at Kouko. On Kouko's white cheeks, a gentle smile slowly widened.

Already, there is absolutely no way he will talk about seeing such a face, Banri thought.

Kouko had placed a bouquet of roses, her gift for her, beside her bed, like a flower by a tombstone. … The fragrance was now becoming a bit too strong for her aching body. If he could, he would put it aside quickly, that was a huge …

He lost his mark, but there was no lie in his sincerity. In Kouko's gaze true love grows, untainted by a single drop of mud.

When you are dedicated to something like that, you are not worried about your own condition.

In addition, as usual — there are still photo problems. He didn't think it would be touched now.

Photos of him and Linda together, taken in the past. Banri wonders if Kouko took him. That's a possibility. Kouko has come to this room many times now, and besides that there is what happened a few days ago, the Omaken training day. In the rain of that storm. For Banri, it seems that he is already very emotionally unstable, and sobbing for no reason that can be understood.

Now, thinking about it, simply put, she wondered if it was because she had seen a photo of herself with Linda.

He felt he had to check: Is he perhaps seeing the picture? And then take it? And then, if it seems like that, then he should explain the truth to her. Between this and that, tied together with her memory loss, she has not spoken to Kouko about her previous time with Linda.

But, looking like that at her lover smiling at her, she did not feel like she could talk about the topic now.

Moreover, in reality, Kouko may have nothing to do with losing her photo.

It's just somewhere, maybe stuck between the pages of the book. It's possible, and he thinks he'd rather it happen. First and foremost, along with Linda in this situation, she did not think she could directly ask from the very beginning.

Giving up everything, putting his own heart to rest, Banri filled his nasal cavity with the sweet fragrance of roses. He's getting dizzy. Kouko let her gentle smile slip away from Banri, turning towards Linda.

"Linda-senpai, once again, thank you very much. Since you have taken care of my Tada-kun, as a woman, I am truly grateful. Please convey my thanks to NANA-senpai as well."

"Yes, of course, I'll just say that. Since we plan on going to school once he gets back, I will do it by then. Or rather, if it's okay with you, may I give your contact information to NANA-senpai? That way, if something happens like this again, even though we don't want it to happen, then he will be able to contact you directly, right away. "

"Yes! Sure did! Sure was! I don't mind!"

Suddenly the 'good girl' who was well-bred, she made a loyal lower class expression, nodding and answering Linda, she said,

"You really put on an amazing show. It's completely different from what you said just now."

The voice that exploded with unexpected astonishment was the voice of Yanagisawa Mitsuo.

As Kouko's childhood friend, previously unrequited (they say she even stalked him) partners in love, at this point you can call him a natural enemy, staying close. More commonly known as: Yana-ssan.

By the way, he is a handsome man, who even when he is modestly dressed, with a short grey shirt and dark blue jeans, just by being part of the background, just by being part of the background, he made Banri's regular room look like a stylish movie set. And more than that, even in the worst of times he was blessed with the appearance of a natural fool, lately, because his new hairstyle, wildness and virility had grown rapidly. What's more, it has been referred for a moving job by its study club upperclassmen, and after starting to work there, its upper body muscles are increasingly prominent. He was a man whose popularity skyrocketed.

Mitsuo, still sitting cross-legged across from Kouko, with whom he had various complicated connections.

"Why are you acting in Miss Goody Two's shoes? It scares me."

He shrugged his shoulders.

Speaking of Kouko, though,

"…Huh?"

For now, he still had a smiling face.

But his own gaze sharpened into an annoyed look, as cold as perfect ice, the pouting of a dagger at Mitsuo.

But as you would expect from those who had known each other for a long time, even if it went against his will, even such a view would not silence Mitsuo. "I wonder if he's immune?" Banri thought as he looked from one to the other. He had the feeling that if such eyes were directed at him, his own will would burn in an instant.

"Don't give me, will you?" Didn't you just make a lot of noise, "That's cheating, cheating, cheating I say! Tada-kun tricked me! This is really cheating, cheating, cheating! Phaa!" It was jealousy, obviously like daylight. Right, Two Dimensions? In fact, that's why you even made us come with you, isn't it? You even said something like 'Control me! In an emergency, hold me back with all your might! ' That's a fact!"

"… Err, yeah …"

Suddenly, the Two Dimensions caught the shoulder of the handsome man who spoke fluently.

For now, even though his real name was Satou Takaya, many of his friends had completely forgotten the facts, or never knew at all, he thought.

The Two Dimensions, like someone from the petty bourgeoisie, were silently watching Kouko's expression. Banri can't see it. But, as a result of seeing Kouko's expression,

"… Well, in that area, in a three-dimensional relationship, I don't know anything!"

It seemed like Two Dimensions had decided it was time to change the subject. Set a calm smile on his face and slightly twisted his black-framed glasses,

"Or should I say, good morning! Sorry about that, this is our first meeting and we will continue like this. It doesn't matter to me if you call me Two Dimensional."

Perplexed in her trickery, and realizing it was their first meeting, she smiles in greeting Linda.

"Two Dimensions? Is that your name?"

Tilting her head in curiosity, Linda directed a friendly smile, like an upperclassman at Two Dimensions.

"Yes, because I've gotten rid of the three dimensions. As that sign, I call myself Two Dimensional!"

"Oh, that's deep."

"For now, I even have a bride."

"Eh !? There's no way you can marry a character, right !?"

"My bride is my own work. Should I tell you that story now?"

"Ah, no need. I'm Linda, from your same law school. I was the second year participating in Omaken with Banri and Kouko-chan. Nice to meet you, Two-Dimension."

"And nice to meet you too! Ah, and happy, to unexpectedly connect with the people above me!"

"You haven't joined the club yet?"

"I haven't made it in completely, so here I am. Senpai, you haven't been introduced to Yanagisawa here before, have you?"

"I've talked to Yanagisawa-kun, or rather Yana-ssan, a little more than one of his previous courses. Right?"

Linda started to look towards Mitsuo when suddenly her hand was pulled to the side,

"Linda-senpai, can you forgive Mitsuo? Mitsuo had a bit of a headache."

It's Kouko.

Gently placing Linda's hand on her own chest, "Sick, or rather, frankly, her head is full of nonsense! Not good!" he drove home the point, his face serious. At the sight of Kouko talking like that despite looking like a princess, Linda snorted,

"'Full bullshit!' What an amazing way to talk! "

"But it's true! This kid looks normal, but he has a habit of lying. Poor guy, he doesn't even know what he's saying. His brain became bald on the outside, and inside it was empty, like an idiot. Or rather, he was actually going to be bald, right now! Because that perm solution will make all the roots go away! "

"Huh !? Kouko, you have such a way with words! There's no way I'll forgive you for cutting off my roots!"

"Oh boy, another seizure."

Mitsuo got back up, forced himself unnaturally, a thin and evil smile on his lips, and said to Kouko,

"Are you ... full of nonsense !?"

And,

"You yelled 'follow me, ' we're so helpless,"

"Yes, yes it's true! In Mitsuo's world! He'll understand. That's nice!"

Kouko, her hands clasped under her chin, the image of the female lead character on the comic book cover of a girl, blinked her eyes repeatedly, blinking,

"Well, then, will you go !? The entrance is there!"

With a serious expression on his face, suddenly jerking his finger to one side, he said, "Mitsuo, go home."

"…"

When he did not win with his mouth, Mitsuo was left with his strength. Suddenly he grabbed the tip of Kouko's chin forcefully, his thumb at the tip, and,

"Should I give a bleeding hemorrhoid to your ass !?"

He crossed slightly to Seikima II.

"Yahoo! It's broken, it's broken, it's breaaakkking!"

Tell Kouko who struggles to be quiet and bend her body .. Seen from the side it's like a rape scene in a movie. Of course, Kouko fought him with a desperate expression, her beautifully painted fingernails reaching out fiercely, catching her long hair like eagle claws, and her,

"Oh you sonnafa …! You, you, you didn't pull my hair! Release!"

"And you let go of my chin! You started it!"

While a pair of childhood friends seemed like they were holding each other for no reason, and started rolling around on the floor noisily, the,

"Hey! Stop fighting! I mean, you make a noise next to a sick person!"

… Thank you, oh, very well, in his thoughts Banri praised Linda, who had forced herself between the two of them.

At the same time as the two childhood friends began to threaten each other in their usual way, Two Dimensions began to put up a clear sign "I don't want anything to do with them" aura, fiddling with his iPhone, was as if he had put a barrier of coolness around him.

"Ah .. excuse me. Sorry, Tada-kun …"

Looking like he was feeling very awkward, finally regaining consciousness, Kouko got up and peeked into Banri's face.

Banri shook his head to the side, saying, "No, no, this is no big deal."

And with that, an idea as thin as his head hair went inside him, and he felt that he saw something fragile suddenly break apart.

Was it because of how her perfectly unraveled hair had been messed up by the quarrel earlier, or was it because the center of her necklace had turned to the middle of her back, or was it because the center of her necklace had turned to the middle of her back, or maybe because of how she was in a bare-handed fight with her childhood friend right before her boyfriend's eyes?

Up to that point, Kouko's entire existence had been filled, as if overflowing, with a very stable aura .. was able to say with absolute confidence "I am loved!" but now it's suddenly gone. To Banri, it seems like it completely abandoned him.

Kouko is discouraged, so desperate you can hear the voice of her looking down, she said,

"… In other words, is it true? You don't think of things like cheating on me? But, no thought, …"

Taking a short breath, he glared at Mitsuo once more. It seems that what his childhood friend said has pierced to the core of the problem.

Banri thinks he wants to say something, but Kouko immediately turns to Linda.

"I don't think, senpai. But, how to say it, for any girl except I ran to take care of Tada-kun first .. I started late, or rather, actually, maybe I was upset, so to speak … well ... I cannot deny that … "

When she didn't seem to make herself clear, even Linda slumped with a disappointed expression. Kouko turned her pretty face to the floor, agitated restlessly, digging a crack in the floor with her nails repeatedly (and because it was a bit dirty, she probably shouldn't have done that ..),

"… And because of that, I brought the children as friends! That's a cheating thing to do."

"Ah, we have to be friends?"

There's approval in the Two-Dimension vote.

"Two Dimensions for NANA-senpai. Mitsuo to Linda-senpai. By sealing the power of our beautiful senpai girl like that, Tada-kun will be left with the impression that I am a 'reliable girl.'"

"You really are a strategist, Kouko-chan."

"… I feel like I'm drowning …"

"It's okay. Hey, look over here. My chick's power looks like this."

The gentle Linda inched to her knees and inserted herself between the two men. Then suddenly, he put his hand on their shoulder,

"I've been given a twin host! Aren't they two guns !? Aren't they okay !? Hm !? Look here, it's Yana-ko and 2D-ko! And their comic dance routines!"

Banri. Or rather, he saw it.

Mitsuo and the Two Dimensions frolicked and played the role of a dizzy school girl, while at the same time curled up to the form of Linda-senpai. Showing a smile that is not entirely uncomfortable (oh my!) — she channeled Matsuda Yuusaku a little, saying "What …"

Or preferably.

They are not twins.

They are not guns either.

They transform themselves into geisha, coming from outside to visit. Yana-ko, however, because '2D-ko' doesn't quite manage it.

"…"

Surviving alone which seemed to be an attack of dizziness and twisting by his mucous membrane in his brain, without the strength of the will to pull away from him, Banri stares all the time at the banter of his friends who seem to be quite pleasant without seeing him at all.

It seems that both Mitsuo and the Two Dimensions fully accept Linda, the person who always leaves you with a relaxed impression towards anyone. Ever since he had gotten along with the two of them, by looking at the strange strange expressions on their faces, he knew a lot. They were still attached to Linda, too familiar with her, and whatever they said was with laughter. Linda also laughed happily, answering the man's joke with a light punch on their shoulders.

"In hindsight, Yana-ko, the class you just took, was the result good for you? For no particular reason after that, I thought, 'Is he going to be okay? How did it go for him?' "

"Yes! Thank you, Linda-senpai, it turned out fine, and I'm fine!"

"You didn't ruin any of the final exams of the first semester, did you?"

"I think I'm just learning a language. The rest is easy."

"What about 2D-ko and Kou-ko?"

"I'm fine!"

"I'm fine too, with my report almost done."

"Is that so? Nice, nice. Well then, you can all look forward to a cheerful summer vacation."

… And what about Ban-ko?

Can't you ask about Ban-ko?

Seeing his friends trying in vain to arouse his spirit, "That's right! It's summer vacation! Yay!" Banri, alone and depressed, held his tongue.

His lips hurt, of course, though closed, and his dizziness did not subside at all.

"Wow, I'm looking forward to summer vacation! It feels like a dream: to have the rest of the summer for free, a full month and a half! Being a student is the best!"

Under normal conditions, even Kouko tends to feel very lonely, but is it because they feel free to talk about whatever they like, or because Banri's room feels like home, they all seemed to be having fun, from the bottom of their hearts.

Everyone turned their backs on Banri's bed, chatting and laughing at jokes. It seemed that his full presence had been forgotten.

… He wondered if he was too upset. I've guessed.

"Actually, being a student is truly the best! Linda-senpai, do you have anything planned for summer vacation? Like a trip abroad?"

When Two Dimensions were trying to arouse Linda's interest,

"Ah, even though I don't have the money to travel abroad, I think I still want to travel. But, just 'I want to.' I don't have a plan. Realistically, I would go home, spend time, and maybe do nothing but visit some friends there. "

"Oh, you're not from here? Where are you from?"

When the conversation reached Banri's ears, his body suddenly stiffened under the blanket.

Homehouse. Townhouses. … Suddenly the topic is dangerous.

If they have such a conversation, sooner or later the relationship he and Linda will be revealed — possible. He would peek at Linda's face immediately, but her body was only moving sluggishly.

No, he wasn't too worried about being exposed. But as for his memory loss, that ... absolutely no one can be allowed to know that, that feeling goes back to him, that …

"Anyway, beach!"

Raising her voice clearly, Linda suddenly clapped her hands and spoke.

"Of course, I want to go to the beach! It's summer! And it's hot! I want to play as hard as I can! You said you didn't have a plan, right? To go to the beach together! That's kind of a thing."

"Oh, that's good! I really want to go to the beach!"

Mitsuo nodded in agreement. And Two Dimensions, though,

"I have a license. It's nice to rent a car and go together."

"Then let's go! Summer is finally here. Should we go somewhere close like Shounan? Or we can go all the way to Izu! Our group together will be good, and so much fun! Seriously, let's go! Let's decide that!"

Mitsuo pointed once at the entire room with his finger.

… For some reason, he was in a strange mood. Banri thought this might be the first time he saw Mitsuo actively arranging something like this. Moreover, he casually invited even Kouko's natural enemy. What was this sudden atmosphere, even though he was not in a condition to partake in the interaction?

He might not have noticed Banri's regret that way, but,

"What's? Did you invite me too?"

Kouko asked in a flat voice. Mitsuo ignored him smoothly.

"You mean, you'd rather invite me too?"

Although Linda asked the same thing, she was quite cheerful, although she could not help but smile broadly, and turned her head towards her with a slightly timid face.

"of course! It would be boring if Kouko was the only girl!"

Direct thumbs up answer. … What's up with that? Seriously. What are you doing, Yanagisawa Mitsuo? But Banri didn't even think about it. His mind drifted, scattered by the fever, no longer coherent.

"Yay! Then let's take your neighbor NANA-senpai!"

Knowing NANA-senpai, Kouko snorted at Linda's words. As if he could not stand it anymore, he opened his mouth and laughed like a madman, his body twisting as if in pain, he said,

"But, senpai! NANA-senpai and the sea do not go together at all! Ahahahahaha, no way, absolutely impossible! The sun will burn it to a crisp! That would be terrible! It would be really horrible ! "

"Whyhaha! He would turn into smoke, and then disappear, right !?"

Linda also started laughing with him. Two Dimensions bowed forward, observing a pair of laughing girls.

"Eh, uh, what kind of person is 'NANA-senpai'? Does he live here? Does Yana-ssan know him?"

"No, I don't know him either. Did he go to our school?"

"Yes, he's third. Well, to be honest, he's a cosplayer,"

— This is not cosplay!

His field of vision gradually blurred, Banri remained silent, staring faintly at the spinning ceiling.

Has the fever gone up again? The voices of his friends were laughing and chatting somewhere far away from him, and sounded like something was happening in another world.

His mood was still upset, he now felt quite estranged.

He felt very clear that he became like an invisible person, or a ghost.

Banri did not even know if he was included (or not) when Mitsuo spoke a little bit ago about "our group."

Whether his own form was visible to the eyes of others or not, he was not really sure.

Maybe no one knows he's here. Maybe no one knows anything about me. Maybe they didn't notice him, and no one here cared about him. Maybe he can't be seen. Maybe he can't be heard.

Leaving her unmoving self behind, they might all just leave.

… He wondered if this was some kind of "strange" childish loneliness".

Or what?

"…"

Banri slowly closed his eyelids and exhaled deeply, hotly.

Let's stop this, he thought. Between injuries and illness, and the emotional instability caused by her awakened past, she literally falls into grief. Let us set aside dark thoughts, and from now on to imagine the glittering days of midsummer.

… Because it's summer, go with everyone to the sea.

Yeah, it looks fun, even fantastic.

With Mitsuo, Two Dimensions, Kouko, Linda-senpai and maybe even NANA-senpai. And then, himself. We're leaving by car. We will prepare swimsuits, buy sandals, cause a commotion, want to gather early in the morning. Beach ball. Ring-swimming. Coolant. Full of ice and drinks. Don't forget the towels either. From there, oh yeah, there's definitely a suntan lotion, too. And for Kouko, the semi-professional cosmetics she uses to make herself look excellent.

When he tried to imagine it, he fit perfectly.

Banri looks uncool, looks happy, plays on the beach with everyone. Cluttering on the water's banks, the men perform back-breakers, watching groups of dazzling women in their swimsuits, eating yakisoba or shaved ice. Yelling, "Hot, hot!" or whatever she likes out loud, playing the role of a fully weightless student, Tada Banri rejoices under her nineteenth summer sun.

— But, that guy.

Indeed, he wondered about it himself.

Alone in the cold darkness, it felt as if eyes were open.

Since himself yesterday and himself are now clearly "different", he wonders if his current self and himself at sea will be no different. Is it possible to deny such a thing could happen? He is an unstable man, having changed a lot in just one night.

And just like that, he still saw his present self becoming himself in the past, and then his "next" self now coming to such a glorious life.

He can do nothing more than that, it seems.

Under the blanket of towels, his fingertips could not move, as if frozen.

Even becoming like this moment by moment, he felt as if his living self was dying bit by bit. And then he will be reborn, he thought. Throwing his dead soul, then leaving it.

Banri does not know if the self that thinks it is being maintained is even the same as the self a moment before. His past self did not raise such a bad voice, perhaps only allowing it to pile up on his feet. He was, perhaps, just watching, his eyes open. Hearing this, to me. His voice did not reach me from his separate place.

He really lacks confidence.

For Banri, it is absolutely impossible that tomorrow will be the same as today.

* * *

—She wakes.

Room's dim.

It seemed like he was asleep without even realizing it. He wondered how long he slept. He didn't even know if it was dawn or dusk.

After losing time, Banri looked around helplessly. The lights were turned off and the curtains opened, and the light from the streetlight outside lit the inside of his room faintly and faintly.

It's quiet.

The shadow of an empty bench reached the floor.

Near the end of the shadow, there were bare toes.

The entire toe is connected to a pair of lower legs, then to the knee, and finally to the end of a one-piece dress.

He realizes it is Kouko.

Sitting as if he was a puppet, his legs stretched straight, his back against the wall, Kouko alone and asleep.

His finely sculpted face was illuminated by a very strong whitish light, he saw that he was playing with his mobile phone. Her long strands of hair were spread over her shoulders and cheeks, her mouth was weakly open, her defenses were down. With a less than perfect expression, it looked to Banri as if Kouko had no idea he was paying attention.

… Which reminds her, didn't she ever wake up and find Kouko in her room like this?

Banri did not speak, did not even move. He kept staring at Kouko's form.

Oh yeah, that's it. It was the night Kouko was dumped by Mitsuo and became desperate. They went to live shows and got drunk. That noisy day in spring was even yearning now.

The soft tapered bridge of her nose was beautiful, her moody profile illuminated by a cold light.

In his mind, Banri wondered why.

Back then, and right now, Kouko looked as strange as she was. Not because their physical appearance fits at all. Looking, he realized they had no common features. First of all, she wore a low-hanging skirt, and even for a woman, her face was extremely beautiful.

Yet Kaga Kouko spends time alone in her room, unknown, helpless, just an anonymous young man like that — in other words, like himself. Can't help but seem like a trivial existence.

If no one tells you 'You exist', 'I can see you' or 'I can hear your voice', if it keeps going it's hard, and it seems your life is almost ready to fall apart at any moment, then inevitably it must be so.

And so is Banri …

"Kaga-san"

… called him.

He twitched. He wondered if he was surprised. Under the light, her beautiful and raised eyelashes trembled, she looked into Banri's eyes where she lay, still on the bed.

"…Are you awake?"

"Yes. What time is it now? Am I asleep or something?"

"Make wrong…"

The lights are not on in the room, nor is the television. In a thin and quiet silence, while clearing her throat, Kouko crawled to the side of her bed on her knees.

"Here, look, it's past seven."

He turned his phone screen towards her and showed it to her. He closed his eyes in awe, so that he could not see the time. But he was surprised. Even though it was dark, he thought it was already around five o'clock.

"Jam seven …? Uh, you're kidding .. really?"

"Yep. You sleep well. Do you have a dream?"

"Not at all."

"Well, you slept well. But your condition is a little better."

"… Now that you mention it, my sense of urgency is gone... uh, Kaga-san, are you probably here all the time? What about the others?"

"They left around noon. Hey, is there anything you need? Water to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Or rather …"

Sitting a little, Banri looked at Kouko's face. Practically by reflex, a smile appears on Kouko's beautiful face. Although it was impossible that he was not tired, he thought.

How long has Kouko remained that way, the television turned off, playing with her phone while being by her side? Even after everyone left.

By his side all the time.

In a split second, it felt as if a drop of hot water had fallen on his heart.

Equalling his unrest, it felt like a fireball licked him all the way to his stomach. It was a friend that Banri already knew well.

Every time he was touched by Kouko's devotion, he became like this.

He could not help but love the person before his eyes. It seemed like she who had become so emotional like this, as if wanting to cry, was because such feelings were too much for her to handle. Not knowing how he should show them, unable to keep them in one heart, Banri had turned into a worried fool. He can't do anything right.

However, as much as she remained by his side, he was lonely. He knew that if he held her hand, it would comfort him. If she gave him hugs and kisses, he would be more amused. It was overwhelming, barely bearable, only tolerating deception in small numbers, a volume of love so great that it was painful.

— Even like this, even in this case changed 'now', it is.

Every time he looked at Kaga Kouko. Each time, he was a newborn cell, right then and there, opening his eyes. Each time, he thought lovingly of the woman he met.

And again.

What the fuck. As if wanting to pull his bangs from his scalp, he tore the coldpack off his forehead. It's been a long time back to room temperature.

Although she felt this way, even though she was actually here, even though she wanted to go back, and say that she wanted to, it was not "this place.

He gasped in admiration. It was as if the little flame Kouko had just swallowed burned her lungs. Hot and painful, every cell torn apart.

There's nothing he can do about it. No matter how hard he tries. Struggling, writhing, he could not sort out his feelings. It even seemed like he could not finish it in time order. How did he end up like this? And who's to blame?

Somehow, he looked at Kouko's eyes. Kouko was there beside Banri, quietly waiting for Banri to do or say something.

"… I'm fine. I'm really .. Sorry about that, but are you okay for the time?"

"I'm good!"

"Have you eaten? Ah, have you, perhaps, not eaten anything yet?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I've eaten the bread Linda-senpai gave me. I should've apologized."

When Kouko apologized, Banri again looked at him blankly, his mouth opened foolishly. Even if I have a reason to apologize, there is no reason why you should apologize to me.

"Ke, why? What's for?"

"Because .. We barged in here when you were sick, we couldn't take care of you, and made a lot of noise. Stupidly I shouldn't have come; it would have been better if it wasn't there. "

Unlike his timid-sounding words, Kouko raised her chin, pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as if she was challenging him to a fight.

But, it was Banri who now understood perfectly that it was just a big bluff.

"It's not like that."

Roses were still placed next to her bed smelling sweet. There's no vase in this room.

"Also."

"No."

"It was also .. Although I wanted to be a 'good girl'. I can't do anything right. I'm really trash."

"That's not true at all!"

Coming from his weak body, it seemed like the strongest voices. However,

"…I am very!"

Speaking back even then, Kouko would not stop punishing herself. Smiling meaninglessly, pointing at her white and beautiful face,

"I've thought of that somehow, really .. That I could be, more than I am now, of course, perhaps, someone much more like Linda-senpai."

He could not let her continue talking like this.

Banri took Kouko's wrist, and pulled it towards her as if she was going to shake it violently. He wanted to tell her, "That's wrong, that's wrong!"

Kouko's skin was cold, as if it had been brushed by a fresh flower, and it seemed like it would melt under her hot palm.

He was silent, holding his breath. His balance is destroyed by Banri's pull, he comes to bend over Banri's body.

He looked into his eyes, trembling in confusion, at close range.

They blinked repeatedly as if they were worried, those eyes. After a bit, his calmness returned, his long eyelashes appeared. The smell of his hair slightly tickled Banri's nose.

Kouko remained silent, as if nothing was wrong, even though her wrists were held, even pulled, in that gloomy room with only the two of them there, with a companion like her.

Without saying anything, it was as if he was waiting to find out what Banri wanted to do, what he would try to do. Even without moving, Kouko silently observed Banri's eye color.

— What the fuck?

"No, kun …?"

Kouko's slender wrists look so delicate, that even a useless person like her can disconnect her if she tries hard.

"… Tada-kun …"

At that instant, Banri released the breath he had held.

He released all five fingers.

The fingers trembled as if creaking, and from his throat came a matching laugh.

"… Kaga-san, are you sure you're okay …?"

His moaning sounds as if he is crying.

He suspected he didn't sound very subtle. Despite this, he wanted to ask her.

Are you sure you're okay with this, hanging out with an incomplete person like me, with an uncertain, incomprehensible meaning, as if half broken, half ghost?

In his view, that was certainly not good.

I don't know who will be here tomorrow.

And because of that, you have to run away from me.

Banri wants to say all that. But Kouko smiled.

"Are you okay?"

If it was me, of course.

Time, and my stomach too. Everything's fine.

A perfect and beautiful smile came out from her face, she held the hand she had once released. Her cold, soft, and soft fingertips touched the arch of her forehead, as if examining it.

"… You're still hot, right? Being hurt like this when you live alone makes you anxious, right? But you're okay, so that's it. There's nothing more useful than this piece of trashy woman can do, but .. I've got love, more than anyone else. If nothing else, I can be by your side. I'll do whatever I can. "

Before long, with a definite weight behind them, his eyelids closed.

It was good he could not see anything; if it was scary even crying was okay. As if you could say it like that.

No matter how much fun he was, without feeling self-sacrificing, it was scary, Banri felt it was a game of chicken.

Are they able to show their love for each other without fail, however dangerous the situation may be? Can they expose their true selves to danger? Can they do what is right without hope? Can they give themselves without difficulty? It was too painful a competition, like a race to cut yourself just a little off the nerves. Nothing less than such a thing was done to him at this moment. Suddenly, he unilaterally started it.

Kouko has no responsibility in this. He had no reason to rush in pain. He should only love the right partner, be loved by his partner and be someone who wears beautiful clothes, beautiful shoes and laughs beautifully. She is a woman who should only think about being happy and doing things at the right time. Kouko Kaga.

The thing is, if "Tada Banri" doesn't just stop by …

"Hey, Tada-kun. About me."

Little by little, Banri's body heat, like warm water, warms the hands that cover his eyes. Gently, Banri covered that hand with his own. Placing strength into ten fingers, he pressed his gentle hand on his pitiful and ugly face.

Stick to him.

As if begging for help, as if begging for forgiveness, she tightly held Kouko's white hand. Kouko accepted it calmly.

"Just been thinking of me. We want to go to the sea, don't we? … Come on, you and me, without the others. Just the two of us, do you want to do it? Once you feel better, can you take me there with you? "

Banri heard those words in his ear.

A gentle fragrance rose from his hands. His voice echoed deeply in the darkness.

"really? You want to go with me, together?"

"Yes. I wanna go. It doesn't have to be Paris. I want to go with you."

"… is that? I-i understand. That's good."

"really? Is that a promise?"

"really? Is that a promise?"

"Yes. I-i promise. I'll take you to the sea. It's summer, right? Lefs go. I'll plan it. We're gonna have fun!"

He could tell from shuffling it in a place he could not see, Kouko laughed. With the same mark, it seemed like he nodded.

If he can keep his promise, Kouko will laugh like this — he can't be unhappy. And if that's the case, he thought, what else is there to do besides keep it?

But even though he tended to think that way, he wondered if the right thing to do was to let go of his hand directly. That's also he understands.

But, he still can't do that. After all, it was Kouko's smiling face she wanted. He grinned as he imagined himself trying to satisfy such desires. Totally disgusting. He wondered, what am I saying?

Hmph, thought Banri.

Right now, he hates himself, his own flesh, his life. It was not something vague or an indistinct feeling of uneasiness or fear. Clearly, he hated himself as the target he wanted to destroy, in order to wipe out his existence.

Her body looks like some kind of germ, seeping in and contaminating Kouko's beautiful skin ever since she touched it. He's not fun and disgusting. He wondered, if he was successfully put aside, then to what extent would his heart, his soul, be at peace?

Kouko's warm, slender hands, covering her eyelids gently, slid smoothly down her cheeks, though if they pressed her throat, it didn't matter either. He thought he could think of such things calmly because it was impossible for such a gentle woman to do such things, and because she understood them perfectly. But he doesn't like to be in that situation either.

He's been to pieces; an accident.

Since he could not expect his lover to strangle him, he held his own breath, having no choice but to silence himself. He wondered if by doing so for a while, he would probably sink alone into the abyss.

Still a clueless person, his eyes and throat hurt so much that he could cry. Naturally, his injured lips also hurt.

He was also aware that he was actually trapped in the so-called 'periuk' of human life.

* * *

Banri ponders the greatness of everyday things.

Although it seems that you are peeking at the end of the world in despair, through the barrel of a rifle, the sun rises once again, that summer morning so pure white it keeps you alive again. It seemed that the matter of one person had no influence on the world.

Before the daily commotion began, he opened his eyes freshly and as he tried to get out of bed, found his fever had dropped, and that his nineteen-year-old body wants nothing but calories.

Taking care of his injured lips, Banri sipped natto.

Natto meets all her requirements: she has it in the fridge, it's nutritious, she can eat it without biting her mouth, and it's something that doesn't require much chewing. He tried one pack, and finding it was fine, he picked it up and sipped all three packs he had bought. Sitting quietly on a bench, leaning forward, he ate it straight out of the package. Halfway through, he saw all forms. Because of them, without rice, he did not think for a moment they were terrible: it was natto. That's healthy. So far, it's perfectly suited to the Japanese gene, although it's possible for other people's bodies not so much. Letting go of his doubts, as if he, overwhelmed by the morning light, Banri ran through the rest of the three packs all at once, sipping it as if it were noodles.

… When he told Kouko about that,

"From my sister."

The answer is a bit strange.

Or rather, he didn't understand, but,

"The closet was calm, and it somehow smelled like natto."

Such a look on Kouko's face was not at all a sign of pleasure. Raising your shoulders as if you wanted to say "whatever",

"Are you wondering why that is?"

"Eh ... she hid ... in the closet ... to eat ... natto?"

"Boo, you missed. The answer is sportswear. The child will forget to throw his dirty gym clothes at the laundry. He just put it in the closet and left it there. The smell of a young man's body decayed shortly afterwards, turning into a natto-like smell. I can trace it with my nose without hesitation. I mean, Tada-kun, you know, if your sister hides in the closet to eat natto, isn't that a big deal? Something you don't see every day? "

"… If you know the answer, why are you asking me?"

"It's a side-talking technique. Sometimes mixing up questions will be me a conversation. I saw it on the internet."

Kouko tilted her head to the side proudly, with a perfect smile looking at Banri beside her. And just like that, he squeezed the hand of his lover, his fingers tightly intertwined with his lover. After it was done to him, Banri also ran out of energy.

"That's sooo !?"

"It looks like that to me!"

"Now I understand!"

"Are you!?"

Nyow I understand! His-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha ~! … They can't help but laugh like a pair of love birds.

So, the rhythm of every day, really great.

While they keep walking together ... You guys are small ~, Kyaa ~, Standoffish ~, It can't be ~ .. Banri thinks of that once again. Sleep, and the morning sun. Gotta go to school. Others come and go. As long as one is alive, there are instinctive desires that you cannot avoid. Social masks are demanded of you. Ways to make sure you can't move. All of this may be a system to help you forget.

Precisely because of such things, precisely because the morning followed the night, he wondered that humans, their big brains were full of worries, were, can run their social lives by pretending not to pay attention to things.

If he was alone, brooding silently, anywhere in the black night it could seem depressing. But now, like this, he could not feel such a thing. The brightness of the sunlight shone on everyone's face equally. Obviously, things like that night were meaningless. So, everyone crawled out of bed and set off, their faces pretending not to notice.

The third period ended, a noisy crowd of students left, mixed through the lobby of the gray law department.

Banri and Kouko, leaving the same lecture, as usual a two-man party, walk together, forming part of the crowd. As a girlfriend she was, perhaps, impartial, but to her, Kouko shone brilliantly and dazzlingly amidst that dark crowd, as if enjoying her own spotlight.

"But there can't be a smell left over from your sister's natto! In other words, it even came out of his room? Enough so you know about the sportswear in the closet?"

"No, it's never been that bad. I go and check my sister's closet periodically."

"Over time? An inspection? … From your sister's closet?"

"What's that?"

"… Why would you do something like that?"

"What's that kid doing lately? As her sister, I have to check on her. So he's not hiding strange things, is he? I mean, after all, it's an expression of family love. But if he does, then he gets it! "

Making a strange sound like a foreign girl i, Kouko raised her chin defiantly. Following the fine line from her neck, it was very beautiful, but,

"In addition to sportswear smelling like natto, there are suspicious DVDs hidden among the clothes! So, throwing sportswear into the washing machine, I took the DVD (which really looked like it had been watched) and placed it on top of the chest in the living room, right in front of it, right where it can be seen. Nice place, right? Right next to the Warhol picture. "

Execution, is the phrase that crossed Banri's mind. Bad enough to do.

"… Isn't your brother angry?"

"He wasn't angry, but he was always watching me in the dark."

"… By the way, what DVD is it about?"

"The title is 'Lesbian-esque Trap.' Hey, is that normal? Do the boys in high school all seem interested in 'lesbian-esque'? Now, whenever I am told I am "-sque" about something, does Shizuka think secretly, 'Am I big brother .. lesbian-esque traps? '"

"Yes, well, how do you say …? That guy's got a bottomless hole for the stomach, right? Maybe he's a maniac with great potential?"

Recently, people are fiddling with their smart phones with their fingers, earphones in their ears, unaware of the whole world, popping up all over campus. Banri and Kouko, their hands joined in the discomfort of others, are being run over mercilessly by them.

"Ouch!"

"Awas, Tada-kun, are you okay? I mean, if they're silent and don't care to look up, shouldn't you be a little more aware of your surroundings!"

"Ups, how about you, are you okay? I mean, for now, shouldn't you enter your little brother's room without permission, for each other's sake .. uff !?

"No way, that guy was really dangerous .. kyaa!"

Posters affixed to the wall "Be careful: Repeated Accidents" are not very effective.

After being hit by four people in a row, Banri and Kouko hastily grabbed each other's hands and took refuge in the wall. Using his fingertips to sweep the crest that fell onto his forehead, "Gosh!" kouko said, while raising her beautiful brown eyebrows.

"What's up with that !? Can't they see your miserable state? People should pay more attention!"

"Right!?" She said in a sweet voice, wanting her approval. Banri shrugged his shoulders lightly.

As far as he was concerned, there was no particular reason for passers-by to pay special attention to the bandage in a man's mouth. Plus, from the beginning he had thought that sticking together in a crowded campus was a very troublesome way. And more than that, more than anything, an elder sister-style execution by Kouko enrages her for several reasons. Knowing nothing more than his name "little brother Shizuka (pet cat Genghis Khan .. no, Bibimbap)", he could not help but sympathize with her, from the bottom of his heart. He is a man with big sister problems. And since they were blood related, there was no way for him to escape.

When he thought of such things,

"Hey, Tada Banri & Robo-girl!"

From a somewhat separate place, a voice with a certain style called out to the two of them. As soon as they saw, they saw three third-year Omaken on the other side, Kosshii-senpai waved her hand saying "Hurry up and go here." When invited by the senior, the two of them automatically lowered their heads lightly, though,

"… Robo Girl?"

Kouko muttered, "Am I 'Robo-girl'? But why?" His voice was as if he was groaning deep within his throat, and his head was tilted to one side.

The name "Golden Robo-Girl" has become well established among the Omaken upperclassmen, but it doesn't seem to have sunk into the man himself, it seems.

The Omaken meeting is in an ordinary place again today. They held it in one corner of the lobby of the law school building, at a table and several benches arranged by a notice board on the wall.

Kosshii-senpai sat lightly, and next to the bench was Linda.

Although Banri and Kouko came, he recognized them with a smile and called out, "Yo!"

"At Banri, has your fever gone down?

His ankles peeked at the bottom of his childish pants, and he wore a simple shirt, but his usual fighting spirit was not there. With an attitude as if she met a handsome nameless cat on the street corner, Banri showed Linda a cheerful smile and, as she was,

"Yup, thank you! Thank you very much! I slept all night like an inanimate object, and this morning feels like new!"

But casually, his gaze followed the sports news headlines, which someone had placed on the table. He didn't read the contents, of course. He simply followed the line of text, deliberately correcting his vision there.

Banri felt he had to get up, that he should be made to get up.

It should be as it has been until now, not thinking or feeling anything, normal, unchanged. If it was only for himself, he would not change the situation at all. And then, after everything is forgotten and everything calms down, it's for the best. But he had no choice.

With Banri next to him.

"Really, it's all because of you, Linda-senpai. Thank you very much. Today Tada-kun finished his lunch, so he has recovered. See?"

While she was braiding her fingers with hers, Kouko stuck herself onto Banri and looked at her face like a spoiled child. Not that Kouko said, "Linda, how do you like this?" but Banri automatically tries to keep his fingers away, feeling awkward with him flirting with him in front of an ordinary upperclassman.

"It's okay, you know."

He smiled, one eyebrow raised.

With determination, Kouko will not let go of her finger. It was a bit troublesome, but he would not force the matter. While looking at Banri's face in confusion, Kouko continued to smile.

Kouko today is beautiful again.

In her long hair, her elegant long hair, a silk scarf with a bold pattern is presented in place of hair ribbons. The appendages attached to the blouse without her arm ties are blue. White and tight mini skirts like summer and meat-colored strap sandals with nine centimeter heels push her feminine style to the limit. The glint on her smiling lips had a very deep cherry color. A cream-branded bag of color was branded on his shoulder, the shape of the model was, of course, Kaga Kouko!

"Dude"

"He's not a 'friend'."

Popcorn is thrown at him by Omaken's upperclassman, she has no choice but to wriggle out in a strangely erotic way. Even so, most hit Banri's face.

"After you're done playing around, please sit down."

At Kosshii-senpai's insistence, Kouko's hand finally let go. Sitting next to Linda, she received the circulated prints. Look at it for a second, please,

"Whoa ... Finally, this is our debut!"

Banri raised his voice without thinking.

The prints handed to him detail the key points about Omaken's debut presentation for the year, at a major celebration in the suburban shopping district, Awa Odori.

It was decided that right after the summer break began, Banri and the other members of Omaken would ride alongside several other big dancing groups.

Cleansing his throat lightly, Kosshii-senpai caught their attention and began to speak.

"Just a few words. Everyone, you will not lose the print you just received until it is finished. It has a schedule and time, what clothes and footwear to use, what accessories you need, which are now yours, the responsibility to prepare. And then, we have to practice how we're going to dance together. In fact, with just two more exercises, we will only succeed. "

Everyone raised their voices anxiously. Banri. His schedule was stricter than he had thought.

"Don't whine. It was Wednesday after the next. So it's been a hard time."

The older girls showed their nervousness with "A blank Omong! It's bad! Are you serious?" For their part, the older guys just talk about "Where's the wrap party? What are we gonna do? We better order early!"

"Well, since we're going to dance in groups, it shouldn't be too difficult. Linda and I will take the lead, though we may feel like we stand out a little."

Sitting cross-legged, Linda, posing as if she was bowing lightly, raised her hand to salute, signifying her agreement with Kosshii-senpai. Kouko looked at Linda's face, asking.

"'Feeling like you stand out' ... did something happen?"

"You could say so. And that's because Kosshi-senpai and I have to go out often before the group, steer from the front, use that position so we can all work together simultaneously. In fact, our costumes will be a little nicer than yours. "

"Eh, that's amazing! It'll be like that !? Wow ... And since the Linda-senpai dance is really beautiful, then it would definitely be nice, wouldn't it …"

Linda laughed softly at Kouko's happy mutterings.

"Do you want to switch with me?"

Although others will understand this as a joke,

"Yeah!"

… By the way, he was wondering what that reaction was like.

It seems that in the minds of everyone present appears a vision of Kaga Kouko in the form of a golden robot, head thrown back in screams, performing the same robot dance as before. If he was in front of the group, standing up like that. Banri and the older ones finally laughed out loud, however,

"Do your best, Linda!"

"Yes!"

At the end of his vision.

He had seen Kosshii-senpai and Linda clench their hands gently. That was clearly a rude remark between friends. But he knew they weren't so close from the start. After all, we were close friends back then, with many friends shared before. Things like that don't matter. But with second and third year students, it should be impossible to develop such close friendships. Or preferably.

—After that.

Thought Banri, look away.

Regardless, feelings don't happen for no reason. Besides, there's nothing. There's nothing at all. Nothing to think about.

Only, he took a cursory look, Kosshii-senpai's arm, stretched out from her t-shirt. It achieves straight, masculine, angular joints, thick, tense veins that make itself as nothing.

He thinks of nothing but nothing.

The meeting was over, the first-graders got up one by one to leave. Trying to follow them, Banri hurriedly took his bag as well and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

As if that was only natural, Kouko tried to follow him, but,

"Sorry, wait a minute!"

And after saying that, he ran off on his own.

Pursuing the four people who left first, he pulled the sleeves of a Kosshii-senpai T-shirt.

"Err, Senpai?"

"Oh? What's up, Tada Banri? What feminine way can attract my attention. Do you have a crush on the wrong kind of crush?"

"You want to play mahjongg too? Should we all go together?"

"Well, I have something I need to talk to you about .. Is it okay if we chat while walking?"

"No problem. What's going on, what's going on?"

Walking leisurely beside the upperclassman, Banri opened his mouth doubtfully.

"… Err ... about, my boyfriend …"

"Robo-girl?"

"Yes, I've promised to .. bring Robo-girl to the waterfront, but practically, what do you think is a good plan? If we don't go to my home region, then I don't have any idea where we should go, and I can't rely on my friends, because they all have no experience either … "

"Yes, that's right. First of all, to make sure she doesn't rust in the salty sea breeze, you'll have to blow like crazy all over Robo-girl's body."

While he was replying to her with a bright smile, Kosshii-senpai swung her fist at the side of Banri near his heart.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!"

Banri was surrounded in the blink of an eye on the outer steps of the scholar building by the four upperclassmen, laughing and saying, "Hahaha, give him a little more, Kosshii."

"We mean, there's not much fun in this for us!"

"Look at his face and judge for yourself!"

"Are you going to stay? Hm !? One night !? Eh !?"

He was attacked mercilessly. However,

"Sta, overnight ... eh !? Why do you think it would turn out like that !?"

"What's wrong with them now?" he thought, as they stepped more and more mercilessly to the tip of his Jack Purcell foot. Both of his legs were crushed and knocked to the ground, Banri could only lift a sad cry.

"You must have thought you wanted to stay there all night! Like it's nothing! Going to the beach, her long hair flying everywhere, her haughty skin also shows, it would be surprising if you two young people could control themselves! "

"'Robo-girl, there's no way we're going back to the inn like us!"

"'I want to shower well! I want a hot bath! I'm tired, and I want to rest!'"

"… Don't go. If you are tired and sleepy, this is the perfect place. Where to spend the night …"

"… Yep. Looks like that place."

"That's, like this, now …"

"What are you saying, being alone like that !?"

Heey! Banri flapped his feet, sweeping the shoes of the upperclassman. Moreover, such things blasphemed Kouko.

However, even though he thought it was blasphemy,

— "It doesn't have to be Paris."

"…"

As if wanting to dispel the remembered sound in an instant, he shook his head sharply to the side.

As if wanting to dispel the remembered sound in an instant, he shook his head sharply to the side.

The remnants of the sweet, low, hoarse voice in his ears reminded him of that night. He should not remember it in broad daylight on campus, and besides, exploring the meaning of those words would make him seem very bad to himself. Regardless, was he even sure there was any meaning at all? Just because I don't have to be in Paris for now, say 'Where do I want to go? Oh yeah, I want to go overboard', just say it.

… But, maybe. Maybe it means ... simply .. no, no, no, no, no.

"… You guys are a bunch of sleeves. You u upperclassmen have minds in the gutter. Please stop looking at Kaga-san like that. It's a violation."

Her innocent face, lately brighter, made even more furious. Banri stared intently at each of the faces of the upperclassmen as he shouted. High-spirited quealing in falsetto voice, the pretended upperclassman began to flee in an exaggerated slow motion.

"What's with those voices? Besides, I don't want to ask about such things. More precisely, under normal circumstances ... what kind of place is good to go !? What route should I take !? I ask about things like that. And regardless of that, you will be a disgusting delusion and completely unbelievable. I'm disappointed in you! "

"Yes, yeah. What about the train?"

"Do you have a SIM?"

"… None of them. My feet are my only car."

Fiuh .. Suddenly the expression of the upperclassman changed. Folding their hands as one, they surrounded Banri while thinking. Kosshii-senpai muttered seriously.

"Going to the beach by train is painful."

They all nodded.

"definitely. Guys, I'm not sure a healthy young lady would love a place like that. You'll take a high-heeled princess with you on the train early in the morning, not knowing if you'll be sitting or not, and on your way back you'll be flanked by a group of servants. Your sandals are sandy with sand. Smelling salt. You may find high school or high school students there, but not many students. "

"You might be okay with that, but for Robo-Girl it might be embarrassing."

"Now, let's show you the essence of 'torturing him.'"

"Yes, but the result might be 'Robo-Girl, I'm afraid this, but it won't work. I'm not good enough for you.'"

Watching the face of the upperclassman nod together, 'Yes, yes, right, right,' Banri only had a few words. Frozen with a stupid expression on his face,

"What ... which …"

He can only groan.

"For your information, it seems that Hosshii-senpai and her boyfriend last year jumped in and spent the night in Atami. The fee for the two of them passes the night at the hotel which looks like an adult hot spring hotel, going there and returning by bullet train and with this and that, the, out close to 100,000 yen. Well, she's her ex-boyfriend now, because they broke up that fall. Even though they live half together. "

"Ah, right, right. Right."." Right."

"Hosshii made a lot of noise about that time, but it was really a waste."

"Although now for some other reason he would waste it. He told me one day he was wondering if he should repeat the year."

"real?"

Faced by the reflection of his upperclassmen, as if they were becoming job-seeking warriors, their minds and bodies were half destroyed, Banri himself was not calm.

For Atami, a hundred thousand. Although for someone from Shizuoka it was somehow, for this time, an entertaining name.

"So, Tada Banri. Do you have any money?"

Kosshii-senpai seems to have remembered Banri's whereabouts.

"Eh .. I have nothing .. of course."

"Well, with no way to get there, or money, you don't have much of a choice. Then shouldn't you start making money all at once? You got a job?"

"… I haven't …"

"Don't give me 'yet'! You better get it, seriously."

"definitely. If you let a girl like that go, you could spend your whole life and not find another one so pretty."

"Work like your life depends on it!"

"Go for it desperately!"

"You don't look like someone who works so hard."

"Yep. I thought the same thing."

"I know what you mean. You may think you're working hard, but it's no use if you don't show it to her."

"Right, it might be important to me in things like finding a job."

"Show him you're a boy, Tada Banri."

"You have to do it every now and then."

Suddenly surrounded in all directions by the upperclassmen, their faces serious, in sermon mode, Banri was cornered. After arriving where he could say nothing more, he touched the bandage in his mouth with his fingertips. He tried to say that he was an injured person, still recovering from his injuries, but no words came out.

At that moment, past Kosshii-senpai's envious and macho-looking shoulder, she saw Kouko's bored-looking white face, standing alone waiting for Banri. His alone form looked anxious, and looked lonely. It reminded her of how sad she was in the spring when they met.

Just a minute. That's because I want to gather some pointers for your happiness. So just a little more .. thought Banri, looking to the side, when somehow Kosshii-senpai,

"Haa .. Everyone wait! Sheer! It seemed like something was making this person cry!"

Saying things like that. When he realizes that he is called a sissy, Banri becomes increasingly upset.

* * *

"You can't."

Saying it sharply, but with a smile, Kouko tilted her head slightly, to the perfect angle.

"You can't! You can't get a part-time job."

Why did he say such things to her specifically? His gaze was eager to say something, moving from one side to the other, back and forth, as if comparing Banri's left and right eyes.

At lunchtime, the school cafeteria was almost full, and even now, in the afternoon, there were still students scattered here and there.

There were some men who seemed to be having a very late lunch alone, and many chairs were occupied by people who were just sitting here and there chatting.

Banri and Kouko sit in a less popular area, in a wide corner of the table, their chairs put together deliberately.

"Yes, but …"

"You can't. The time we had together was too short. That's totally impossible. I can't let it go. It's impossible."

Indeed, from an outsider's point of view, they were clearly a couple, their faces close together, "doing what they liked." Kouko's knee touched the denim on Banri's knee. Kouko held her elbow on the table, the upper part of her body slightly leaned, and from Kouko came the fragrant scent of roses. Even if it was only from the heat of his body that was tempting, it made Banri's face dizzy, however,

"… no. That's not impossible."

He said it flatly, and turned his gaze away from the white. Right now, here, he was unable to be unable to think. The class brothers had told him to be a man.

Seeing Banri's face like that, Kouko pursed her dark cherry lips. When she did, a gentle 'nooo ..' came out of her lips. Are you Raoh?

"But look, I promise to take you to the beach. To do that, I need money."

"Can't that treat me?"

"No, I'm just saying I'm really short of pocket money. I guess it's normal for students to have part-time jobs."

"Aren't I working?"

"But you're from a rich family."

"… And if they raise your allowance?"

"It won't happen. Like that, they gave me everything they could. I can't ask more of my parents."

"But what cannot be done cannot be done! I really won't allow it! I don't want a job cutting our date time!"

"It's a bit selfish …"

"But! … All right, let's do this. I'll take you with me. OK? That's good, right? Isn't that nice? It's done!"

'That', in other words is .. 'let's go, my treat.' Something like that.

Could there be a more sad story than this? Well, could there be? Usually that's impossible.

Having lost the words that were supposed to follow, Banri awkwardly scratched his head. Oh really? This time, it's your gift! He's not a guy who gives up like that.

Other than feeling a little guilty inside, as he might first remember, he was just a man who was desperate to save face.

… Thinking about such things one by one, it seemed like he already had a guilty conscience. As if he had suddenly fallen into a place or situation that he could not understand, he felt as if he was someone else, looking at himself in amazement.

(Lawhh)

And.

(What's done, Tada Banri?)

It was as if his subconscious had been torn apart and placed next to him.

Back to himself, though,

"… ngh …"

… Everything in an instant. It was clear he was back to himself.

Suddenly his back became cold. Sensing another truly dangerous presence, he sweated.

What the fuck was that, he thought.

He wondered what he had done, placed it like that.

Sneaking at her to launch an attack without her noticing, Kouko, her wide, upside-down eyes sparkling unfettered, sparkling as she approached, Kouko,

"Hey, what were you thinking?"

"… Uh?"

He slowly traced his soft-looking lips with very attractive fingernail tips. And she laughed with a sweet and pleasant voice.

Kouko's nails today are pearlish white. Only a little splashed on the tip is emerald green and silver, giving the impression of tropical fish scales sparkling brilliantly on the sea floor. There was also a beautiful ring made from a delicate material that was mounted on her slender finger.

Staring into Banri's eyes, subconsciously staring at that fingertip movement,

"From the beginning, did you understand?"

Kouko's sharp eyes suddenly looked into his eyes.

They looked at each other with mutual understanding.

At that moment, feeling as if he could see almost everything about her, Banri's heart skipped a beat.

He has a premonition that at any time, from Kouko's lips will appear the words "I know that Tada-kun has changed …"

What would I do if that happened? What am I supposed to do? If he asked such a lie ..what lie should he say?

The inside of his mouth suddenly dried up, and he regretted not bringing free tea with him to the table.

However, Kouko's next words,

"I want to spend more time with you. Don't you know that very well? Really, I want to be with you more, more, moooorre. But, since I don't want you to get upset, I held back. Are you not desperate? I'm plenty. "

After expecting the worst, he found himself in a very different place. He took a breath involuntarily, and groaned.

"…Is that so?"

"Yes, right. When we part, all I do is think about what you do, what you think, and what you feel about me. Really, I want to always hold on to you, 24 hours a day. What you see, what you hear, what you eat, what you feel, I want to know anything and everything. I want to understand, I want to share everything perfectly. But, hey, I understand that being like that can be painful, heavy and annoying. Acting like a stalker can be scary. "

Am I not learning?

Continuing in that way, Kouko showed a perfect smile on her beautiful face. Saying "Yes!" without thinking, Banri nodded excessively, thus eliminating his sting.

"So, if you do the work, our time will be more limited. Did you not see? Besides, since this time I'm going to say frankly, I don't want you to tell me about a girl I didn't know that you met while working somewhere that I don't know. Of course, it's impossible. Just imagining it would make my head explode. Or, do you want to see it? My brain, that is. "

"… Hey, Kaga-san."

"What's wrong? Do you want to see? Really?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant."

"If you want to see, will we check it out?"

"No, seriously, listen."

With Kouko's face approaching, staring intently, Banri parried her lightly with a finger and somehow managed to refute back.

"I'm very sorry to have to tell you about this, but with respect to the value of your discovery in me as the man of this species, at this moment you are alone in that."

It's painful to talk about it to this extent, but that's the reality.

"Obviously, I'm not the kind of guy to drip girls, and from the very beginning the fact that I could date you was, as far as I was concerned, impossible, like a super unreal dream state. Truly miracle. So, being told all of a sudden that you're shocked, and you're afraid of this? I can only laugh. That kind of worry is really, absolutely, unnecessary. "

As Banri stopped talking, Kouko's smile, which until then had shone with confidence, suddenly darkened.

In doing so, his gaze, which had been pushed towards him earlier, was now slowly descending, trembling, onto the table. Removing the curls of her soft, waving hair that she wrapped around her finger, she shrugged once, up, then down. He seemed to be sighing long.

Finally, he muttered to himself, "Why don't you understand?" his voice was so soft that it did not leave his mouth.

He wondered if he had hurt her.

Banri peeks at Kouko's suddenly tense face, trying to find the words he should say, but,

"… I think it would be good if you were small. About this high."

He caught his smile again.

Once again regaining his normal perfect expression, Kouko unfurled his thumb and index finger eight inches apart.

"Then, I can put you next to me all the time. Feed you, put you to sleep, get dressed, I'll hide and protect you so no one can see you. So that you don't get stolen, I'll take you with me in my wallet when I go out. Mirror, gloss and Tada Banri .. will feel like it. And finally, I'd like to wrap you in a sushi roll and eat you! "

"Eh !? Although it was certainly a rather surprising development ... good, but unexpected, and not ... bad? I'd be accepted as delicious, but if I hadn't gotten acquainted with one of your soft skin cells, then maybe in another life? Although it's like the end of Galaxy Express … "

"What kind of story is 'Galaxy Express'?"

"It's like that! For no particular reason, when I was in the hospital, I read everything around the ward. But they are scattered here and there, different volumes in the middle of the series. I haven't spoken in detail because I don't want to share spoilers. "

"Eeh, no way, I don't know. That's the kind of story where spoilers become a problem? I imagined a warm and cozy story with a more romantic mood. So Giovanni and Campanella were involved in the sushi rolls? "

"Hm? No, that's not true, not them. Even Maetel and Tetsuro."

"Oh, the two of them !? No way! Tell me right from the start! Just tell me it's a 009 story!"

His cheeks turned red, Kouko opened her mouth wide with laughter while she hit Banri's shoulder, but

"No, no, that's not true either!"

I'm Kouko .. a girl is somehow off topic …

Right at that moment, when Kouko muttered behind Banri's back, her eyes were downcast and her eyelashes fluttered,

"Tempting in broad daylight!"

With what feels like a thud, their ears are tuned to the sound of anime.

"Betcha it's Oka-chan!"

Turning their heads, as expected there was Oka Chinami standing there, and,

"No way! Or rather, what !? What are you doing here !?"

He pointed at his own mouth, then to where the gauze was affixed to Banri's face. As it happens, in Chinami's small hands is a partially emptied PET tea bottle. With his bottom, he tapped Banri between the shoulder blades.

"Yo, Oka-chan. I fell in the house, my lips hurt and swollen."

"eeh! Are you okay !? How could that happen !? Ah, maybe …"

Grabbing the PET bottle cap as if it was a microphone, he turned towards Kouko. With an evil laugh, turning his head upwards as if he was a child, he said,

"Are you attacked?"

"…"

Expressionless and silent like a Noh mask, Kouko took a PET bottle from him. Just like that, he hit Chinami in the forehead with that thing. But Chinami, as you might expect, stayed put. Without pulling back, as if nothing had happened,

"Wow, that's terrible. Is this serious?"

"…"

He had so much to say he ended up babbling. The image at the back was so shocking that Banri found it difficult to take it. He took the bottle back from Kouko's hand, and put it back into Chinami's bag while explaining briefly.

"This thing will self-destruct. By itself, when it feels like it, it will fall apart."

"Nnyahahaha, really?"

He wondered what was going on that was so funny. Chinami, upon Banri's explanation, smiles like a cat whose stomach is rubbed, however, their situation. If he talks about it. Without him noticing, Banri's eyes became the eyes of a skilled craftsman, having entered the appreciation mode.

Finding Chinami laughing out loud is an everyday occurrence .. like a demon .. no, it's not enough to describe it. She was beautiful, like a wild demon god or roaring waves.

Crowsfeet drooped slowly because of her laughter, her face was very white and innocent. The texture of the skin is like sticky sweet condensed milk. Her lips are strawberry colored.

Her thick, shiny, jet-black hair was loosely sagged and fell onto her shoulders in the style of a foreign noblewoman, her face was clearly like a doll, her large eyes gleaming beautifully, as if damp.

But for some reason, there is a strangely spicy floral scent, not enough jasmine rising from Chinami's body. It was very comfortable, and a little flamboyant.

Banri, unaware that he was enchanted, inhaled his aura-filled lungs, the higher. He can't get enough about how Chinami's cuteness always takes him away from everything that's unpleasant about life. He has a natural gift of cuteness, he thought. He was, perhaps, a gift from the gods. The gift of transcendent cuteness. And Chinami gives his rations freely to the other inhabitants of this world. He wondered if he had no choice but to open his mouth to the falling droplets and accept it as best he could.

She wore a black embroidered linen blouse that was loose like a one-piece dress, as well as black and black jeans. She wears leather sandals, and does not have a daily package as usual today, she carries a traditional woven shopping bag. The back of her neck, wrists and ankles, peeking out of the black clothes were white, slender, fragile and delicate, giving a truly beautiful and especially feminine effect. She had been wearing one slender beaded bracelet, also flesh-colored, looking beautiful and shiny. It had a white color scheme and beige mustard, with contrasting red contrasts. That's very beautiful.

Today, to Banri's eyes, Chinami's cute demon figure is like a brave figure crossing desert countries, emerging from the blowing sand, their brown particles dancing in the air. He's very dramatic.

Can't hold your breath, though,

"What's wrong with you today, Oka-chan? It feels like you came here riding a horse …"

He made an impression. But, it seems Chinami doesn't understand.

"What's wrong with you today, Oka-chan? It feels like you came here riding a horse …"

He made an impression. But, it seems Chinami doesn't understand.

"really? Although I came here as usual from Kinshichou via **?"

He could hear Kouko muttering, "You're from Kinshichou? I don't know why it turned into Okachimachi in my head." O-ka-chi-na-mi, oka-chi-ma-chi, .. Kaga Kouko,

"Adult clothes like that look better to you than your usual Sai Baba cosplay …"

He continues with his impression. But, as before, Chinami was confused.

"… When did I ever do Sai Baba because …?

He was confused about that part. The eyes that were staring back at Banri innocently were actually the universe. Flashing stars in eternal darkness. Banri stood still as if a spell had been cast on him, as if he had been swallowed entirely by Chinami's gaze. She's that pretty. With the room left for a few seconds.

But the feeling of having room for more is not given to anyone else here. Banri's arm was clasped ferociously just below his shoulder and shaken, shaken,

"Tada-kun, let's go to a different store."

His face tense, Kouko stood up from her chair. Even though he said "shopping", it was just a cafeteria.

"Listen. The ultrasonics here give off a lewd and perverted aura."

"Ooh .. The time has come when words like 'obscene' come out of Kaga-san's mouth …"

"That's the truth, so it can't help. If I were in such a place, I would be a victim of flesh-eating flowers in no time. Ah, is that the meaning of 'flowers under '? "

"Huh, so !? What the fuck is this !? 'The thing below' is me. Wouldn't I be caught by the thick and dangerous crevices of the flowering flowers !? Ah, is that the meaning of 'flowers below' ? "

"… St., stop with the comedy. I won't answer anything else …"

Chinami seems to mutter to herself while trying to distance herself from a very rude couple. Even Banri's too late attempt to smooth things out with "We're just joking, it's just a joke" was met with a snort and annoyance that turned away from them.

"I mean, it's time for me to go to my job too. Careful, just relax."

He lightly waved his hand. Hearing that Banri automatically,

"Hey, look! Even Oka-chan has a job. Of course it's normal. Everybody does it."

He pointed towards Chinami, and turned towards Kouko's face. Kouko frowned, and Chinami stopped trying to leave and asked back curiously.

"Huh? Whatisit? What are you talking about?"

"Listen to him! I was also thinking of getting a job, but you wouldn't let me, and stop me. I don't think about Oka-chan having a job. Part-time jobs are perfectly normal and everyone has them. "

"This is perfectly normal! Everybody does it! I mean, our store accepts applications for part-time jobs. Banri, will you work with me? You want an interview?"

"Eh !? Seriously !?"

"Seriously, seriously …"

The conversation was lightning fast. In the seconds it takes to state the subject, he is invited by Chinami. Kouko frowned open, stammered, "Huh !?"

"What kind of job is that !?"

Banri quickly put his teeth into it.

Even so, he really had to get a part-time job. He can't do what Kouko told him. Therefore, isn't it okay to be in the same place, together with his friends? After all, isn't it okay if he works with friends, Two Dimensional, Yana-ssan or even Chinami? Doesn't it make sense to think like that? And he still had space left for a few seconds.

"There's a Daikanyama Cafe."

"Eh! A CAFE !? That's so cool!"

"Well, that's something else. It's amazing, actually. Kind of feels like"*,*,*, TOKYO! S, S, S, SHIBUYA, KUU! "So, chill the juice dripping from it."

"Ah !? What's the flower like below !?"

"Don't I say I won't answer again for that topic !?"

"Isn't a place as fashionable as it usually isn't to hire people like me?"

"Well, you two come and check it out once. I mean, aren't you free now? Do you like it, will you come with me? Like, things are kinda like that now. If you want, Kaga-san also … "

Gently invited like that,

"What is this 'too' …!?"

Kouko Bentak. Step into Chinami, please,

"Am I going to be treated like something during the trip !? Tada-kun and I are two hearts beating as one! I mean, we're dating after this! You might be a teaser here, but isn't Tada-kun avec moi !? B, O, T, H, O, F, U, S! Get !? WE! You understand !? With "W", "II"! Understood !? Do you have that !? Just soon! In other words, stay away! "

Towering over such a tiny Chinami, her beautiful face was like a guardian.

"Yessir, then, will you come with me? Err, you two."

Laughing out loud, she could invite Chinami's invitation as if it was some kind of draft, Kouko stood up beautifully, like a model, lifting her chin haughtily.

"We, can, no. Go awayl. We can't. Not likely. Can you think things through before you ask something silly? I won't let you interfere with the time we have together."

Saying all that while clearly playing the part of the Evil Queen, she turned towards Banri's face and said, "Right?"

"Ehh, let's go, Kaga-san."

This is a deliberate stab in the back. Naturally Kouko, the,

"Huh!?"

Yelped, but.

"Around here, or behind where I live, we always have tea. I would like to occasionally take Kaga-san to a stylish place, for a stylish juice."

That's not bad, being a cafe employee. A little late, but Banri found himself feeling that way. Like he has the energy to race through interviews, get a job and even get a salary at once. He suspected that even though he had set aside time to do so, there would be too many things to do to solve it.

"I mean, I don't want to be a problem for you. Once we get there, I'll be instantly in employee mode, and since I'll be a bit busy, I won't be able to just chat with customers. "

"Hey, look, even Oka-chan is talking like this. Let's go, Kaga-san, and drink some juice. We just started dating, and we can't get into the habit."

Getting into a rut ... Reacting the moment she heard the curse, Kouko frowned grimly. Taking the opportunity to take off in pursuit, Banri,

"… But if Kaga-san doesn't want to come with me, then I can sneak myself …"

"Eeehhhh …!?"

It seemed to work better than he thought.

Kouko, a very elusive expression on her face, stumbled two steps back, her messy bangs falling to the tip of her nose.

A long time passed without him cleaning it, when he finally let out a gloomy sigh. It seems even Kouko has finally given up.

"… okay. It's okay if today's date is to juice with style."

"Nyaha, that's not the place it's called." Chinami sweetly directs the topic of conversation.

So, Banri and Kouko find themselves in a sublimely stylized atmosphere.

Leaving the two of them in the customer's seat, Chinami went to the back room through the driveway in the back, hard to see from the street.

The interior is tight (stylish!) It has a high ceiling (stylish!). Background music Bossa-nova (style!) Echoing in his stomach (cool!). As if curling up from him, Banri looked around the place. Completely overwhelmed, he bowed twice as much as usual.

That's Daikanyama. Style!

The sense of style, the cultured person sharpened and enlarged to where it resonated, the cafe has become a very stylish place. The rustling menu in his hands somehow felt like parchment (very chic!), and sucked sweat from Banri's hands.

From the beginning, Chinami had said it was stylish, it was cool, but only now did the meaning of the word get into their world.

"What is this .. I feel completely out of place here."

"You? Not just you, both of us."

All the same, even Kouko looked uncomfortable, slightly wriggling as she sat on the sofa. Even for the beautiful Kouko, she obviously did not adjust to that stylish place. It was very different from his taste.

Banri reflects that at its core, people come in different types. There is no universal language, of course. And he had a hunch that there was no universal definition of what constitutes "basic culture". But already, we have no choice but to say what we consider style, and after that come back just lose.

"Well, this interior design, it really feels fun. It's like my own living room."

"really. In fact, this Karimoku sofa is like the one we put in our studio."

He doubted whether the two men, the stylish hats on their heads, chatted and smiled, never agreed. He had a feeling about that. They took the bottles of beer in hand, looked each other in the eye and chugged at him excitedly, calling out, "Ceria!" like a stranger and that kind of thing. It seems they are not kidding, nor are they role-playing, but they are there.

Chinami, however, was outstanding as expected.

Wearing her uniform apron dress and shirt, as a stylish employee in a stylish cafe, she works in style. He adapted to his place. Or rather, he had the feeling that whatever environment you throw Chinami in, the character was such that his cuteness was seen freely. For Banri, he seems to have that much capacity.

"… Tada-kun, can you really work here?"

"I don't think I can be a customer here, like I …"

Confused by the stylized locale, quite embarrassed, her body lost its balance, and she sat on the sofa obliquely.

* * *

That night, past eight.

While thinking he might be far away from home, Banri reached out his finger to his neighbor's intercom, but after thinking about it, of course, he stopped. The unpredictable volume of the doorbell might put that difficult person in a bad mood.

For that reason, he tried to knock on his door in a special way. Soon,

"…What?"

NANA-senpai suddenly poked her head out the door, a cigarette in her mouth. With her usual colorless sweatshirt and worn sweatshirt, she looked strangely pale without makeup.

From within the open door, the aroma of the mixture of incense and cigarette smoke slowly flowed towards him. Although this was dinner time, there was no smell of food at all, Banri could hardly believe how strange the life this person lived was. In this case, Banri's room is now filled with the stale smell of yakisoba.

"Err, umm, thank you so much for yesterday."

"… What's wrong with you? You smell yakisoba."

"Oh, yakisoba. Because I ate a little. You were right about that, but, well, for now I have to give this back to you …"

Looking towards the envelope that Banri was holding on to her, he looked,

"Aah"

It seemed like he remembered the money he had lent him for the clinic. He narrowed his eyes, lit a cigarette tightly clenched on his lips, and pulled it tightly while taking the envelope. Then suddenly twisting his body to get away from him, he blew smoke into the entrance into his own place. He wondered if perhaps he was concerned about his recovery.

With just that little bit, it suddenly felt warm and indistinct,

"… Geez, even if I know it's a hoax, it's one of them being naughty helping a stray dog in a rainy situation …"

When Banri muttered to himself, the door was closed in his face. Without much farewell.

When she realized she was left alone in the outer hallway,

"… Ah !? Hey, wait a minute NANA-senpai !! We're not done talking!"

When he frantically knocked on the door,

"What's your problem? You're noisy!"

Clicking her tongue sharply at the same time, NANA-senpai deignedly opened the door a little more. There was a frown on his brow like a bolt of lightning.

"Yes, I have something to give you! If you want, then …"

As gratitude for having been helped, giving up on the problem of getting a job, she had bought some stylish cakes and brought them as gifts. NANA-senpai watched Banri holding them with a sullen look.

Although he knew he was basically a good person, he retreated a little. Well, his body won't forget when he knocks it down with a guitar, swings it to his hair, kicks it in the back and makes it fly.

"… Sweet, someone didn't eat it, maybe?"

Snatching the cake from the timid hands of Banri, NANA-senpai began to carefully examine the ingredient list on the label. Saying "What ..", and then suspiciously, in Banri,

"Crazy"

That'sthat's all. Of course, he doesn't know what that means.

"… Huh? Is that something to taste?"

"It's allergies. Just nuts in any case. I should probably be okay accepting this. This is gonna be my dinner."

"… Err, you only eat cakes for dinner?"

"Should there be a problem with that?"

"… I can bring you some yakisoba. I made too much for myself to eat. It tastes a little good, but unfortunately you can say I made it myself."

Still leaning against the door, NANA-senpai laughed softly. While she tells him she doesn't want to be fed by him. He realized it was the first time he had heard her laughing honestly, not in ridicule or ridicule. When Banri automatically laughs in return,

"Is it healed?"

Using her chin to point, NANA-senpai showed a bandage near Banri's mouth. Banri.

"It's okay. Even though I still have to take medicine."

"So." So."

"Thank you very much, really. What will happen if you don't help me. It will be a real disaster. Of my own blood."

Subduing his head once more, at that moment a shadow flashed across Banri's mind.

For having fled without shoes, among the mountains in early spring.

A set of lights that fight against the darkness.

From the voice calling his name.

Oh, it is.

"… My point is, even Linda-senpai has saved me from disaster. Looks like my life is none other than being saved from disaster by women …"

"Linda. Yeah." yeah."

He sighed.

Muttering in a strange way, NANA-senpai roughly pulled the secondhand cigarette out of her mouth and stuffed it into an ashtray on top of the shoe rack. While the gesture for some reason caught his attention, Banri swallowed the questions that had arisen within him.

— She wonders how much NANA-senpai knows about herself and Linda.

To her, Linda and NANA-senpai were very familiar. It seems like they often hang out together, even staying at NANA's place. He wondered if they were talking about it.

As she evades Linda like crazy, NANA-senpai forcibly arranges for them to speak, right?

He wondered how much this person knew, and what he was thinking now.

"… What's wrong with her face? Do you feel bad about something?"

Staring at Banri's completely silent face, NANA-senpai folded her arms. As if he was urging her to speak, she waited without lighting the next cigarette.

Unknowingly, a complaint started coming out from his throat,

"I feel ... well ... uncomfortable."

"Oh?"

But, he persisted.

"… Especially .. well ... that's money."

He laughed at his stupid expression. NANA-senpai stepped back to take a deep breath, her head tilted to the side as if she was amazed. Then he stretched it out to her.

"You can pay me later."

Envelope with the money he owes her. Banri almost jumped up in panic, though,

"Eh !? Oh, no, no, no! That's not what I meant! Really, really, it would really bother me if you didn't take it from me!"

Strongly rejecting it,

"That's impossible."

He retreated as if he had been pushed away. He fled backwards like a crab while shaking his head from side to side and hiding both hands behind himself.

"No, no, no, no! I mean, really, I'm fine! I'll find a part-time job!"

"A part-time job? … Now?"

Finally, NANA-senpai seemed to give up returning the envelope to him. Her hands on her skinny hips, she asked him.

"I haven't worked. Ah, if by any chance you know someone, or something interesting, please introduce me, I'm trying to find anything I can do quickly so I can pay."

"…Late this week."

It ranks there in speed with Chinami-style juice.

"There are jobs where you can earn a lot in one night, but will you do it? Even though it's waiting on the table at a party event. You'll get a full day's salary, all at once .. But I told you earlier, you might be given responsibility. "

Banri sank his teeth into the words of NANA-senpai. Waiting at a party ..he couldn't imagine it, it would come to him one way or another. At the very least, it would be better than that stylish cafe.

"of course! I want to do it! There's money, so I'll be there! Will there be an interview?"

"I'll introduce you, so I don't think you need to worry. … There's only one condition."

His hands tucked under the hem of his t-shirt, scratching his somewhat flat chest, NANA-senpai suddenly raised one thin eyebrow at him.

"That guy, Yanagisawa. Even though that was all Linda said, she seemed quite handsome. Take the man."