Donations from Ko-Fi were used to purchase “Novel Wishes”, you can check it at the links below including Ko-Fi and Discord links.
▣ KO-FI ▣ DISCORD ▣
▣ NOVEL WISHES ▣
Chapter 1: The Childhood Friend and the Bewilderment Over a “Boyfriend’s Shirt”
♠♠♠
“Good morning.”
“Hey, good morning.”
Arriving at school, in the morning classroom.
After exchanging greetings, Ryōsuke peered into my face and relaxed into a relieved smile.
“You look well. Good to see you slept well again last night.”
“…Well, yeah. How much do you worry about me, anyway?”
Sitting down, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Checking my complexion every morning, are you my doctor or something?”
──Komine Ryōsuke.
Tall and slender, with a well-proportioned face and stylishly set hair.
He’s my best friend from middle school days, popular with girls due to his calm demeanor and sophisticated presence, always looking out for me, aware of my past struggles with insomnia and the various issues between Shizuno-san and me.
“…Of course I’d worry,” Ryōsuke said, staring into my eyes with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“After all the fuss about not sleeping together… and you were being stubbornly prideful about it.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
I smiled wryly and nodded in thanks to Ryōsuke.
“Sorry, sorry. Thanks to you, I’m really doing well now.”
“Good to hear,” Ryōsuke said, finally smiling again.
──Indeed, I had caused him worry.
In the spring, when my insomnia had just started, Ryōsuke was there to witness my decline and had been considerate of my relationship with Shizuno-san since we began sleeping side by side.
I owe him a lot and truly trust him from the bottom of my heart, grateful for his concern.
Because of this,
“…Oh, speaking of which, earlier”
I remembered something and decided to share it in a low voice.
“We got talked about by students from another school…”
I briefly recounted this morning’s incident.
How we were talked about by two high school girls just after leaving home, leading to an awkward moment between Shizuno-san and me…
“So… I thought we should be more careful about how we appear to others. To avoid any misunderstandings.”
“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”
After hearing the whole story, Ryōsuke nodded with a wry smile.
“High school students will gossip about a boy and girl just walking together… if it were someone from our own school, it could’ve been even more troublesome.”
“…You had your share of that in middle school, right?”
Ryōsuke, a popular guy, had often been approached by girls in middle school, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. Watching from the sidelines, I felt sorry for him.
However, since starting high school, he seemed to have learned how to avoid such situations.
But then,
“…Actually,”
Ryōsuke’s expression changed as he remembered something.
“Recently, I got misunderstood for the first time since middle school… Are you dating that girl, Komine-kun? something like that.”
“Oh? What was the situation?”
“When I was chatting with Rokuyō-san in the corridor…”
“…Ah, her.”
──Rokuyō Kanon-san.
A friend of Shizuno-san’s from middle school, now in the same class as us.
Known for her inner-colored short hair and round glasses, she’s the quintessential subculture girl.
Around the same time Shizuno-san and I started our sleepovers, Ryōsuke began interacting with Rokuyō-san, seemingly concerned about Shizuno-san and me behind the scenes.
“…And then,”
Ryōsuke took a deep breath before continuing,
“The one who misunderstood was none other than Kazaki-san.”
“…Wow, really?”
I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the mentioned name.
“That must have been quite a scene… Were you okay then?”
“As you can imagine, it caused quite a commotion…”
Ryōsuke laughed awkwardly, recalling the event.
“She got super excited, jumping to conclusions… It was quite a hassle.”
“Yeah, with Kazaki-san being the one…”
Just then,
“Good morning, everyone!”
A cheerful, youthful female voice filled the room.
Turning towards the classroom entrance, there she was.
The topic of our conversation, Kazaki-san, was just arriving at school.
──Kazaki Yoriko-san.
The class representative, a serious and straightforward girl.
With long black hair down to her back and distinct eyebrows, her sharp eyes conveyed strong will, yet she retained a somewhat youthful appearance.
Kazaki-san immediately started waving cheerily at the other students and struck up conversations.
“Good morning! Ah, such a refreshing May morning, isn’t it!”
“Good morning, Kazaki-chan! But it’s not May anymore, it’s June.”
“And the weather is starting to get cloudy too!”
“Ah! You’re right! How careless of me…”
Laughter rose from around the embarrassed Kazaki-san.
Fundamentally, Kazaki-san is an excellent class representative.
Her brightness and cheerfulness are uplifting, and she pays attention to every student.
Personally, I have a positive impression of her, and she’s treated somewhat like a mascot in the class.
But that’s not all there is to her.
She has a peculiar side.
And,
“…Huh!? Is that…!?”
Kazaki-san, who had just taken her seat by the window, suddenly turned her gaze outside towards the staff parking area.
She stood up abruptly and pressed herself against the window, exclaiming,
“…The math teacher, Tajima-sensei, and the music teacher, Matsumoto-sensei, are walking together…! Could it be! Are they dating…!?”
This is typical of Kazaki Yoriko-san.
She tends to interpret almost any situation as a love story. Just seeing people walking together sparks speculation of a romantic relationship.
Perhaps you could call her a “shipper” in modern terms.
Up until now, she would spontaneously declare any close boy-girl duo as a couple or speculate childhood friends as betrothed, based on her observations. According to a classmate from the same neighborhood, Kazaki-san has been like this since elementary school. She’s inherently a dreamy girl.
Moreover, her “love fantasies” are not always far-fetched.
Following Kazaki-san’s uproars, there have been instances where the speculated couples actually started dating.
So, there’s a sneaking suspicion that Kazaki-san has a keen eye for these things…
I’ve also been wondering about the relationship between Ryōsuke and Rokuyō-san.
Having gone through so much trouble in middle school, Ryōsuke has been interacting quite frequently with a specific girl on a personal level. Could it be… they are actually getting along quite well…?
As I pondered,
“…Looks like it might rain after all.”
Ryōsuke suddenly turned his gaze towards the window of the classroom.
Prompted by him, I also looked in that direction,
“Wow, really…”
The sky, which had been clear and pleasant just a moment ago, was now beginning to be covered with gloomy, gray clouds from the west.
It looked like it was about to start raining soon…
“Eh, why though? The weather forecast this morning said it would be clear…”
“Really… Ah, the forecast has changed too.”
While saying this, Ryōsuke showed me his smartphone.
Indeed, as he said, the weather forecast app displayed the umbrella icon prominently. Moreover, the precipitation probability for the afternoon was 80%…
“I don’t like this… I have a folding umbrella, but it’s annoying if it rains…”
“With this heat, and if it rains on top of that, the humidity is going to be pretty tough…”
While we were saying this, I suddenly realized something──that I had made a certain mistake.
“Ah, damn!”
After school.
As we returned home together in the rain that had finally started, Shizuno-san and I…
“Wow, just as I thought!”
Rushing to the balcony to check, as expected,
“All the laundry is soaked!”
It had been completely exposed to the rain.
My room clothes, school uniform shirts, towels, and even a full set of clothes for Shizuno-san were thoroughly wet.
“Wow, this is bad! Let’s bring them in!”
Shizuno-san said, and we hurriedly brought everything inside together.
Damn, this wasn’t supposed to happen!
It was supposed to be sunny today, and when we got back, all the clothes and towels were supposed to be nicely dried!
After hastily bringing in the laundry, I threw everything back into the washing machine.
Usually, I’d worry about the electricity bill and only go as far as spinning, but… this time there’s no choice. I’ll have to dry them thoroughly in one go. It seems like it’ll take about five hours due to the amount, but there’s nothing I can do about that…
“Sorry, Shizuno-san, for leaving your important clothes out in the rain.”
I apologized to Shizuno-san with a sigh, pressing the start button on the washing machine.
“That pajama was a nice one we bought together. I’m sorry it ended up like this…”
The clothes that got wet were her favorite brand, somewhat expensive. Shizuno-san, who cares about fashion, seemed very happy when we bought them. If I had known this would happen, I should have dried them inside from the beginning…
However,
“Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
With her eyebrows forming a troubled expression, Shizuno-san reassured me.
“The forecast said it would be clear enough. It’s not Shinobu-kun’s fault.”
“…Right.”
Relieved by her response,
I finally managed to let out a small sigh.
“Thank you, Shizuno-san…”
──When we started sleeping side by side.
I never imagined we could have such an exchange when we reluctantly began sleeping together every night. Because of sleep deprivation, we were both prickly in our words and actions, and there was tension from sleeping side by side.
Well──there was also the matter of our promise.
And the difference in our memories, which was unavoidable, I suppose.
──Let’s run a farm together in the future!
As children, I intended to make that promise to Shizuno-san.
In our hometown, far from Sapporo, I said that to her with a proposal in mind.
And she seemed to accept it. At least, that’s what was supposed to happen.
But──,
──Let’s live together in Tokyo in the future!
Shizuno-san──remembered that we had made such a promise.
Aspiring to live in the city, she grew into a stylish girl with that expectation. Naturally, this difference in memory led us into a major argument.
We were at odds with each other, and frankly, this issue remains unresolved.
Why this difference in memory occurred is still unknown.
But… after temporarily stopping our sleepovers and going through various things, we had become more considerate of each other than ever before.
Of course, we still fight over little things, and not everything has been forgiven.
Yet, we can now interact more honestly than before──.
That fact alone brought an involuntary smile to my face, feeling incredibly happy.
“…However,”
I finally realized.
“We don’t have anything to change into, what should we do…”
Due to bringing in the laundry in the rain, both Shizuno-san’s and my uniforms were wet.
We wanted to shower and change immediately, but… Shizuno-san’s clothes are currently being washed.
And today, since Shizuno-san came directly here without stopping by her house, she doesn’t have any spare clothes to change into.
That means she doesn’t have anything to wear right now…
What should we do? If it stays like this, Shizuno-san might catch a cold…
Should I run to a nearby clothes store and buy something?
No, that would take too much time…
As I was pondering,
“…Ah, then how about”
Shizuno-san started to suggest in a slightly hesitant tone.
“Thank you for letting me use the shower first…”
She said, coming out after taking a shower.
And what she was wearing now was──.
“Thanks for this outfit too. It was a big help.”
“O-Oh… Right…”
I awkwardly responded in that manner.
──It unexpectedly struck a chord.
Seeing Shizuno-san wearing “that,” her appearance exceeded my expectations… somehow… it had a significant impact.
Whether she noticed my attitude or not,
“…It’s quite big, isn’t it?”
Shizuno-san said, pulling at the hem and relaxing her lips.
“Shinobu, you always wear this shirt… under your blazer.”
──The school-designated, white shirt.
Shizuno-san was now wearing my oversized dress shirt as room wear──.
Shizuno-san, who asked to borrow some of my clothes, chose this school shirt from among my various personal clothes──for some reason.
Of course, it didn’t fit at all.
The shoulders were slipping off, the sleeves were too long, and the length made it look like a dress, completely oversized.
But… what is this feeling?
Somehow, my heart is racing…
Just the fact that a girl is wearing my clothes gives me a sense of doing something forbidden.
The gap between Shizuno-san’s petite frame and the rugged size of the shirt…
Peeks of her peach-colored skin, flushed from the warmth, through the gaps in the white fabric…
And the fact that she’s only wearing that shirt and underwear right now…
The thin fabric of the shirt, which seems like it could easily reveal too much if not careful, only accelerates the pounding in my heart…
…Wow, the 『boyfriend shirt』.
Until actually seeing it right before my eyes, I had never really thought about it… but it’s incredibly powerful. It’s understandable why it’s a motif in so many love stories…
Unaware of my turmoil, Shizuno-san continues with a slightly tickled, joyful expression…
“…Somehow, it smells like you.”
“Eh!?”
My heart skipped a beat, and I blurted out in surprise.
“Do, do I smell sweaty!? Or is it like, a raw smell…!?”
I’m sure I washed it properly!
And I always make sure to hang it out and even iron it…
Could it still have caught some kind of smell…!?
But,
“…No, not like that,”
Shizuno-san said, sniffing lightly,
“It’s a nostalgic smell…”
──My heart leaped again.
Shizuno-san, pressing the shirt’s sleeve to her nose, smiled contentedly.
──Though I thought we had gotten used to sleeping side by side.
And being together had become part of our routine.
Still, being told such things, I couldn’t hide my agitation…
“…I wonder what it feels like.”
Suddenly realizing, Shizuno-san looked down at herself and said,
“I always wear clothes that fit just right… I’ve always wanted to try wearing something oversized.”
Saying so, Shizuno-san headed towards the full-length mirror.
She wanted to try it on… I see. So that’s why she specifically asked for a uniform shirt. She had been curious about wearing something like this.
Standing in front of the mirror in a corner of the room, she brightened up and exclaimed,
“…Wow! It’s actually pretty good!”
With a sing-song voice, she expressed her delight cheerfully.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
“──Oh! This looks good even by itself! It’s pretty stylish!”
Saying so──I twirled in front of the full-length mirror.
…Yeah, even if I say so myself, it seems to suit me.
I’ve been avoiding the oversized look, thinking it wasn’t really “me,” but it might actually be quite nice…
“Maybe I’ll buy some shirts or cut-sews next time. I’ve been feeling a bit stuck in a rut with my clothing choices lately…”
…To tell the truth, coming over to the mirror was a bit of a diversion.
After getting out of the bath and trying on Shinobu-kun’s clothes, I unexpectedly started feeling nervous.
The situation of wearing a boy’s clothes. Just out of the bath, wearing underwear and directly putting on Shinobu-kun’s shirt. And then being seen like that by… Shinobu-kun.
…Moreover, if you think about it, this is what you’d call a 『boyfriend shirt』.
It was just because I happened to want to try on a shirt, and I asked for it… but it ended up being exactly like a situation you’d see in manga or dramas.
The moment I realized that, I was completely flustered.
…What should I do! My heart is racing!
…What if he thinks I did it on purpose!?
…Might he think I’m trying to make a calculated appeal!?
And in my panicked state, I ended up saying something like “It smells nostalgic” to Shinobu-kun himself, sounding like a total weirdo.
But in reality… it really did smell nice.
It reminded me of the town where we used to live, a rustic scent like a farm or hay.
However──hearing that, Shinobu-kun looked taken aback.
…Of course, he would.
Suddenly being told his clothes smell nice, even someone like Shinobu-kun would be surprised.
Feeling incredibly embarrassed about that mistake, and wanting to somehow distract from the awkward atmosphere… that’s why I stood in front of the mirror.
I didn’t want to make things weird between us now that we had finally gotten comfortable with each other.
But, regardless of all that,
“…I kind of want to walk outside like this…”
I ended up liking this look more than I thought.
“Looks like the rain is stopping soon, so after Shinobu-kun has had his shower… I want to try going out like this and see what it feels like.”
“…Eh!? Outside!?”
Shinobu-kun’s face went pale at my words.
“Right now, Shizuno-san… you’re only wearing that shirt and… underwear, right!? Going out like that is… definitely dangerous!?”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
I hurriedly clarified.
“If you could lend me an inner shirt or shorts… I was wondering if I could go out like that…”
“Ah, I see…”
Shinobu-kun looked relieved.
“Like, if we went out as is, we’d be totally indecent! Can’t let anyone see that!”
“Yeah, right… Sorry, sorry, I got a bit startled…”
Saying so, Shinobu-kun began to prepare for his shower,
“Then, I’ll be quick and jump in now. I’ll hurry so we can go out soon, just wait a bit!”
“Ah, no rush! Take your time!”
I waved at Shinobu-kun as he headed to the bath.
“It’s still cool at this time, huh.”
“Yeah, the breeze feels nice.”
As expected, by the time Shinobu-kun finished his shower, the rain had completely stopped.
We chatted casually as we walked through the dimly lit residential streets.
Our destination was the main street of this area, lined with supermarkets and cafes.
Since I came out in this outfit, I wanted to see how it looked reflected in the shop windows as I walked by.
And maybe, grabbing dinner at a family restaurant wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Well… I’m a bit concerned about Shinobu-kun wearing sweatpants.
They’re cheap sweats he also uses as pajamas, hardly chic… but since he’s indulging my whim, I decided to keep my complaints to myself.
“…Hmhmhm~”
Before I knew it, I was humming to myself.
My steps lightened, almost skipping forward.
Actually, I enjoy walking through the town at night with Shinobu-kun.
The stars in the dark sky look like grains of sugar.
The streets are faintly illuminated by streetlights, and I feel like I can sense the lives of the people in the houses around us, but there’s a certain loneliness…
Walking with Shinobu-kun like this, I feel a happiness similar to when we’re sleeping side by side.
And then──we reached the main street.
Walking side by side with Shinobu-kun, I glanced at our reflection in a window.
“…Oh, not bad at all!”
A new version of myself, different from my usual attire, was reflected back.
Shinobu-kun’s shirt fluttered with each step, creating a beautiful drape.
I was worried it might look sloppy, but thanks to his careful maintenance of the shirt, the silhouette was quite nice.
The glimpse of shorts, rolled up to about hot pants length, peeking out from under the shirt hem added a lively and cute impression.
“Hey hey, how’s this? Pretty good, right?”
I excitedly asked Shinobu-kun next to me, and he nodded with an almost divine expression.
“Yeah, it actually looks kinda stylish… Never thought my school shirt could turn out like this. Clothes really do depend on how you wear them…”
“…Hehehe. Told you so.”
Feeling even better, I almost skipped along the street.
After a few minutes of this, I was pretty satisfied.
Yeah, this was a great discovery. Let’s call it a day here.
If I actually buy some oversized clothes, I’ll come here again and walk around.
If this is how it looks with a school-designated shirt, surely I’ll look even cuter with something more fitting──.
And with that, we decided to enter a restaurant right along the main street.
It seemed to be a newly opened place with a western-style exterior.
The name was… 『Windcombe』 it seemed.
I hadn’t heard of it before, and it wasn’t a large establishment… perhaps a recently opened privately owned restaurant.
Cheerfully entering, the restaurant was quite busy inside.
There seemed to be room for two… Huh, a popular place. This bodes well for the taste.
We were seated by a staff member in his fifties and looked over the menu.
After a while, we decided what we wanted and called over the staff.
Ten seconds later.
We would regret──our carelessness.
Despite 『this morning’s incident』 here we were, casually coming out to eat together, about to rue our decision──.
♠♠♠
『Welcome to Windcombe!』
Right after I called the staff over,
A petite female floor staff approached our table with a lively greeting.
Her energetic greeting was pleasant.
With my eyes still on the menu, I said,
“Let’s see, I’ll have one Mixed Grill set and one Japanese Dinner Set A… Oh, drinks are included? Then, I’ll have oolong tea, and Shizuno-san, what will you──”
“Ah!”
A voice exclaimed.
A surprised exclamation came from the staff member standing beside our table.
I looked over in surprise to see,
“It’s Ōtaki-san and Mori-san!”
It was Kazaki-san.
Our class representative, Kazaki-san, was standing there in the restaurant’s uniform.
“Good evening! Thank you for dining with us!”
“Ka, Kazaki-san!? Eh, wh… why…?”
I asked, dumbfounded.
“Why are you… here?”
“Oh, that’s because,”
Kazaki-san’s expression quickly brightened as she explained cheerfully.
“This is my family’s restaurant.”
“Really!?”
“Yes. Originally, my father was a chef, and he decided to open this restaurant.”
“Wow, that’s… impressive.”
“Since our opening last week was more successful than expected… even though we hired part-time staff, we couldn’t keep up. So, I, as his daughter, was mobilized to help out!”
“Oh, I see…”
A family-run business… with a chef father.
I understood completely.
Indeed, Kazaki-san seemed like the type who would diligently help her parents.
“By the way─”
Proudly, Kazaki-san lifted the menu,
“The restaurant’s name, Windcombe, comes from my name’s characters. See, 『wind comes.』”
“Oh! I see, that’s the connection.”
“So, I hope you’ll support us! My father’s cooking is really delicious.”
“Sure, we’ll come again…”
“Thank you. So, what was it again? Ōtaki-san wanted the Mixed Grill, Mori-san the Japanese A, and you were about to choose drinks…”
Kazaki-san returned to writing down the order when suddenly,
“Wait, wait!”
She snapped back to attention and looked at us.
“Eh, why… why are the two of you here alone at our restaurant at this time?”
…Right.
That’s how it would turn out if we unexpectedly ran into each other…
Especially with Kazaki-san as the other party─.
“Could it be…”
With a face full of anticipation and excitement, she asked,
“Are you two dating!?”
…Well, it had come to this.
A classmate pair dining alone at this time.
Of course, it would lead to this.
And for us… being seen in this situation makes it quite difficult to explain…
“No, it’s just a coincidence… I ran into Ōtaki-kun in the neighborhood…”
Struggling to come up with a clever response.
Instead of me, Shizuno-san started to explain.
“We got to talking and thought, why not grab dinner together…”
…Yeah, that doesn’t sound too bad.
Without overcomplicating the story, a simple answer like that seems most natural.
“Hmm, I see─”
As expected, Kazaki-san crossed her arms and nodded.
Good, she seems to have bought it─,
“It’s a lie, right!?”
…No luck.
“That’s definitely a lie!”
Asserting so, Kazaki-san looked back and forth between us with a detective-like scrutiny.
“Indeed… Mori-san’s middle school was located far from here… So, your home should be in that area too. Then, it’s impossible for you to just happen to meet Ōtaki-san around here at this time!”
…How sharp is that!?
Do people normally remember where their classmates went to middle school!?
And we’ve only been in the same class for about two months! How thorough can you be!
“And you know!”
Kazaki-san continued, comparing us,
“Mori-san, you’re wearing a boy’s uniform shirt, aren’t you? Isn’t that Ōtaki-san’s? The so-called 『boyfriend shirt』!?”
…Shizuno-san’s body jerked in surprise.
Right! That’s true!
Shizuno-san is currently, of all things, wearing my shirt!
Since Kazaki-san goes to the same school, it wouldn’t be strange for her to think it’s mine…
“There’s no way to excuse this!”
Pointing sharply at us,
Kazaki-san─with her cheeks flushed─said to us,
“You two must be dating! And… the fact that a ‘boyfriend shirt’ event has occurred suggests a level of intimacy that implies a physical relationship!”
“A physical relationship!?”
Wait, is it seen that way!?
I hadn’t thought it was such a big deal… Is wearing a boyfriend shirt that deep into the territory!?
It seems Kazaki-san’s voice was too loud.
The surrounding customers started looking over with a “What’s happening?” “Is there some trouble…?” kind of expression.
This is bad, really bad…
We didn’t want to stand out, but at this rate, it could even turn into a commotion.
I have to think of something!
“So, that…”
Trying to get my thoughts in order, I began with a preamble, then─
“…Actually, we were discussing something!”
I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind with vigor.
“A discussion…?”
Seemingly caught off guard by that phrase, Kazaki-san blinked in surprise.
“Yes, Shizuno… I mean, Mori-san was giving me advice!”
“…What kind of advice?”
“As I moved to Sapporo this spring and started living alone…”
I continued, trying to sound as natural as possible while making it up as I went,
“I kinda… started feeling homesick at night and couldn’t sleep…”
“Really!? Are you okay? You haven’t been getting sick, have you?”
Kazaki-san leaned in, seemingly believing the story.
For a moment, I felt guilty for lying… but actually, this excuse isn’t entirely false. It’s true I’ve been having trouble sleeping since living alone, and I did talk to Shizuno-san about it.
“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”
Taking a breath, I smiled back at Kazaki-san.
“Actually, we’re childhood friends from the same hometown. We’ve consulted each other from time to time, and today we were planning to talk about that. But then, it started raining, and Mori-san got soaked… I had no choice but to lend her my clothes, and we ended up coming here. By the way… I’ve been keeping the homesickness thing a secret in class. It’s embarrassing… so we try not to talk too much in class.”
…Yeah, that makes sense.
I improvised the whole story, but it turned out to be quite coherent!
This might just be a fine play on my part!?
And Kazaki-san also,
“Hmm… I see…”
Seemed to accept the explanation, nodding thoughtfully.
“So, homesickness. Living alone can lead to that, huh…”
Still, I could sense a hint of suspicion in Kazaki-san’s voice.
What to do… If she probes further, I might not be able to cover it anymore.
Please, let this conversation end here…
“If that’s the case… it’s fine. You know, as the class president, I can’t overlook any impure relationships… If it’s a pure relationship, of course, I’m all for supporting it.”
“Haha, don’t worry, it’s not… that kind of thing…”
…Actually, it is 『that kind of thing』 The relationship between Shizuno-san and me, who aren’t dating but sleep together, would probably fit Kazaki-san’s definition of 『impure』…
What does she mean by “can’t overlook”?
Is she planning to report to a teacher?
That would be seriously bad, please have mercy…
We absolutely can’t let her spill our secret…!
“So, anyway!”
Desperately wanting to divert the conversation,
I spoke up, my mind racing to find a way out.
“I was just wondering, but our school allows part-time jobs, right? I thought I heard at the entrance ceremony that it’s basically not allowed…”
As far as I remember… it was generally prohibited.
Most schools would say that studying is a student’s main duty, so part-time jobs without a special reason aren’t allowed.
But honestly… considering how earnest Kazaki-san is, she probably got the school’s permission to work here. Still, if the topic could be diverted, and Kazaki-san’s suspicion could be shifted away…
And as expected─
“Ah, that’s totally fine!”
Kazaki-san’s suspicious look dissolved into a bright smile.
“If it’s helping with the family business, you just need to apply for permission!”
“Yes, I’ve made sure to understand all of that before starting to work like this!”
Kazuki-san puffed out her chest with pride.
It seemed like all the doubts that had been in her head until a moment ago had completely disappeared.
…Alright, the strategy worked! I successfully diverted the topic!
Next to me, Shizuno-san let out a small sigh of relief.
But then…
“So, in reality, I had already written the application form and submitted it to the teacher the other day… Ahhh!”
Kazuki-san suddenly raised her voice in a bizarre outcry.
“I…I forgot! I wrote the application form but forgot to submit it!”
“…Seriously?”
“What should we do?!”
Changing her complexion, Kazuki-san started to panic.
“If that’s the case, working here goes against the school rules! Should we stop working right now!?… But then again, we can’t just cause trouble for our customers…!”
Kazuki-san closed her eyes in anguish, pondering for a moment.
Then, with a determined look on her face, she declared,
“In that case… I have no choice but to confess to the teacher tomorrow!”
“…No, no, you don’t have to go that far…”
Her overly serious demeanor made me forget the situation and laugh.
“Just quietly submit the application form tomorrow. We’ll make sure not to mention today’s incident to the teacher…”
Honestly, I don’t think it’s such a big deal. Even if she confessed, the teacher would probably just laugh it off and forgive her. So, I thought it might be better just to smooth things over,
“Ah… Thank you for your concern. But I can’t just do that!”
Kazuki-san still insisted passionately.
“I’ll properly discuss the situation with the teacher tomorrow. Even if it results in a warning or suspension, I have no choice but to accept my punishment and atone for my sins!”
“You’re way too serious!”
I couldn’t help but interject reflexively.
“There’s no way you’d get a warning for just helping out at home! Maybe you’re not even getting paid for it, right?”
“…Is that so? Indeed, I’m not paid…”
Kazuki-san wavered at my retort.
“…Too serious, maybe. But I’m the class representative! I can’t just engage in a cover-up…!”
And at that moment,
“Yoriko! Haven’t you taken their order yet!?”
Such a voice came from the back of the floor.
“Ah! Right!”
Kazuki-san’s complexion changed again.
She gripped the order pad tighter and said,
“I’m sorry, I haven’t taken your orders yet! Setting aside the matter of the crime, I must do my job properly! So, I’m really sorry, but what were your orders again!?”
…With a bitter smile at her chaotic behavior,
Though the situation took an unexpected turn, feeling a bit relieved that I managed to divert her attention,
“…Um, I’ll have the mixed grill, and Mori-san will have the Japanese meal…”
I started to reiterate our orders to Kazuki-san──.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
“Really, I was worried about what would happen…”
“Yeah, it was definitely a close call…”
After finishing dinner at WinCam,
We returned to Shinobu’s house, prepared various things, and sat down on the bed together.
I let out a tired sigh as I remembered the events from earlier.
“I never expected Kazuki-san to be working at that shop… And sorry, I was quickly found out lying…”
That’s right, I had caused a bit of confusion for Shinobu.
Thanks to a quick-witted cover-up, we managed to deceive her, but for a moment, it seemed like Kazuki-san might have recognized us as a couple. Really, she might have thought… there was a physical relationship between us…
“Ah, don’t worry about it.”
Shinobu said in a light tone, comforting me.
“At first, I was too flustered to say anything too, I just happened to think of an excuse on the spot.”
“I see… Thanks.”
“Alright, let’s go to sleep then.”
“Yeah, that sounds good…”
Saying so, we lay down on the bed.
Feeling Shinobu’s warmth close by, his rugged arms, and shoulders – comforting to the touch…
…I should have been used to this by now.
A little restless, but more overwhelmed by a sense of happiness, without any intention of moving.
But──,
“…”
…My heart was racing.
What is it, tonight, after a long time… I’m feeling really nervous.
The sound of Shinobu’s breathing in the dark room.
His body, felt through the clothes, bony…
…I kind of know why.
It was what Kazuki-san said.
“──You two must be dating! I can’t see it any other way!”
“──To think there’s a physical relationship at that level between a couple!”
…That’s how it appears.
Borrowing a shirt from Shinobu, to be seen at that level…
That… having a physical relationship, to that extent…
…Thinking about it suddenly made me feel embarrassed.
Lying vulnerably under the blanket… even my outfit.
I was wearing underwear, but over it, only a shirt from Shinobu.
If I slept in a bad position, it could all be exposed.
…Actually, the pajamas were already washed. They were dry and ready to wear at any time.
But, changing felt like too much trouble, so I ended up in the bed with just the shirt.
That was a mistake… I was tired and sleepy, but I shouldn’t have been lazy and should have changed…
“…”
No good, my heart’s racing faster.
The thinness of what I’m wearing makes me feel unprotected, causing unrest throughout my body…
But at the same time,
I… reconsider something.
“…Mmm…”
Shinobu next to me let out a small groan.
Apparently, he had already fallen asleep…
…This, after all, is a big deal.
Being high school students, sleeping together with the opposite sex… it’s quite outrageous.
I thought about it this morning too, but we’re starting to forget that fact.
Sleeping with Shinobu has become too normal, turning into the usual, and our sense of normalcy is beginning to shift.
Furthermore, our friends are supportive.
Kanon was initially shocked but now supports our sleeping together, and Komine-kun, Shinobu’s best friend, seems to be pushing us along with Kanon.
But… their reactions are rather exceptional.
Normally, we should be more desperate to hide it, feeling guilty…
“…Sigh”
I took a deep breath and wriggled on the bed.
Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Shinobu just in case.
Let’s tighten our minds once more, regaining our sense of caution.
Otherwise, someday someone will find out about our relationship…
If that happens… we won’t be able to sleep together anymore.
And probably, there would be no reason for me to stay by Shinobu’s side…
What would happen to us then?
Would we become distant again, like before we started sleeping together…?
…That would be,
“…I don’t want that…”
I murmured softly, surprising myself.
A soft voice slipped out, and I surprised myself with it.
But… yeah, even after rethinking it, that’s how I feel.
I don’t want to become distant from Shinobu-kun again. I cherish this relationship we’ve managed to rekindle.
…Even so.
“…Mmm.”
After tossing and turning a few times, I let out a small moan.
No good, I’m really feeling nervous today…
It’s not something that usually happens since we started sleeping together… but tonight, I might have trouble falling asleep…