Chapter 151: The Scent of Fate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: The Scent of Fate
“Hey, Master, did you have a good weekend?”
“...”
Chinami didn’t answer my greeting, just looked up at me.
Why did she look so adorable, her eyes wide and round with an ice cream bar in her mouth?
Her cheeks were all puffed up... She was so cute I could die.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
At my prompting, Chinami diligently mumbled around the ice cream before finally pulling it out of her mouth.
“I have something to tell you, Junior.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you interested in the upcoming National Winter Competition?”
“Not particularly... Why?”
“I was hoping you would participate. Do you remember? Not long after you joined the kendo club, you asked me to teach you. I told you we should work hard for the Winter Competition.”
“I remember.”
“Mhm... Since we made a promise back then, I think it’s only right that you participate this time.”
I didn’t really remember making a promise, but whatever...
If Chinami wanted me to go, I had to go.
It was a pointless competition for me at this point, but I’d go for her.
Everyone needs a little refresh now and then. Yep, that’s right.
“Alright. I’ll participate if it’s the team competition.”
Was she happy that I agreed so readily?
The corners of Chinami’s mouth lifted into a wide smile.
She reached out, patting my back.
“There are no spots left in the individual competition, since it’s mostly for the second and third-years. So don’t worry about that.”
“Okay. But, Master.”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t it a bit cheap to be eating ice cream all by yourself?”
“Ah... You’re right. Should I go get you a new one?”
“No. A whole one is a bit much. I’ll just have a bite. Give me that.”
“What?”
“That. The one you’re eating.”
I pointed at the saliva-covered ice cream in the bewildered Chinami’s hand.
Her eyes widened as she followed my finger.
“You want this...?”
“Yep. I’ll just have one bite and give it back.”
“B-But I’ve already put my mouth on this...”
“I don’t mind.”
“Whaaat...? How could you...!”
She reacted like the sky was falling.
Always so entertaining to watch.
I grabbed the wrist of the hesitating Chinami, who seemed reluctant to give me something she’d been eating.
Then, while she was still startled, I leaned in and bit off the top of the ice cream.
“Hyaaaah...!?”
Chinami’s face, struck with horror, instantly turned red.
I swallowed the peach flavor that filled my mouth and said nonchalantly, “It’s been a while, but this is good.”
“...Huh? I-Is that so...?”
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Um... cleaning the armor, and... checking the equipment, and... ah, before that, some supplies are supposed to be delivered... so we have to carry some things...”
“I’ll do the carrying, so why don’t you check the equipment, Master?”
“Ah... we can do it together...”
Did Chinami even realize?
That her body was twisting up in embarrassment.
Did she think we’d just had an indirect kiss because I ate her ice cream?
So typical of Chinami. So very Chinami.
I bent my knees to meet her gaze, moving so close our faces almost touched.
Then, with a gentle smile, I patted her on the back.
“I’ll handle the heavy lifting. Got it?”
“...Yes...”
“What are you doing after club activities today?”
“I-I’m supposed to hang out with Renka...”
“Oh yeah? Doing what?”
“Renka asked me to go get cake with her, just the two of us...”
So they’re leaving me out, is that it?
The rebellion of a naughty slave... The master can’t just let this slide.
“And you said yes, Master?”
“Yesss...”
“Cake with just the two of you, leaving your disciple behind... I feel like I’m being left out. It’s a little hurtful.”
“Oh...! Left out, what a harsh thing to say...! Of course, I wanted to bring you along, Junior...! And Junior Hanazawa too, if possible...! But Renka didn’t look too happy today, so I felt like we needed some time to talk, just as friends.”
“Girl talk... something like that?”
“Mhm! That’s right. It’s like that. I’ll be sure to bring you next time, so I hope you can understand with a generous heart... Hoik?”
Chinami stopped mid-sentence and her whole body flinched.
It was because my hand had begun to gently stroke the line from her slender waist down to her plump bottom.
“J-Junior...! You have such very, very naughty hands...!”
I thought she’d demand to know what I was doing, but she came out with a line that wasn’t in her usual script.
And she even said it with a nuance that suggested she knew the part I was touching was an intimate one.
My, my, Chinami... you’ve matured so much sexually.
“I’m just patting you.”
“W-Well, of course, but... we’re outside... If people see, they might get the wrong idea and point fingers and call it shameful...”
“There’s no one here. The club members don’t even come up to the hill.”
“...”
Seemingly at a loss for words, she took a bite of her ice cream.
I’m surprised she can eat that in this cold weather, when you can see your breath.
But has she been skimping on peaches lately? I haven’t seen her eat one at all.
“Should we stay like this for a little longer before we start working?”
At my soft question, Chinami’s head slowly nodded.
The warmth from her back as she shyly turned her feet inward.
By the time my cold hands had warmed up just enough, I gently smoothed down the hair of Chinami, who was huffing little breaths, and straightened my knees.
* * *
Inside a building, packed with people and buzzing with noise.
Miyuki and I cut through the dim lighting and flashing machines, stopping in front of a booth in a corner steeped in a pinkish atmosphere.
“This is it?”
“Yep.”
We had come to a photo booth for taking sticker photos, located inside a huge arcade in the city center.
Miyuki had said she wanted to take a picture to put in her wallet, and I figured experiencing this kind of analog, retro vibe wouldn’t be so bad.
More than anything, it was a refreshing change of pace. Coming somewhere new, instead of going to the same places over and over.
“There’s no one here. We’re so lucky... Let’s hurry and go in.”
Miyuki grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside the booth.
She operated the machine skillfully; this clearly wasn’t her first time.
I asked her as I lounged on the chair inside the booth.
“You’ve done this a lot, haven’t you?”
“I used to take them a lot with my friends in high school.”
“Really? With Miura, too?”
“Yeah. Not a lot, but we did.”
“How annoying.”
At that, Miyuki whipped her head around and smiled with her eyes.
She looked amused by my grumbling.
Seeing that seductive face makes me want to go a round right here... Calm down, my dick.
What am I going to do if you get hard at the drop of a hat? What if I get blue balls from this?
Miyuki tapped the screen, which was popping with cute sound effects, adding various filters and effects before sitting down and linking her arm through mine.
[One, twooo...!]
As I was enjoying Miyuki’s affection, an innocent voice came from the machine.
I quickly put on an awkward smile, and—
Click-!
After the countdown, the picture was taken, and I examined the two of us on the decorating screen.
The atmosphere on one side feels a bit cold. Is my expression a little stiff?
Just as I was thinking that, Miyuki started plastering poop stickers all over the screen.
On my face, to be exact.
Dumbfounded by her actions, I asked, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t like your expression. Try to smile for the second one. Got it?”
And you resort to putting poop on my face...? That’s just mean.
I snorted. When Miyuki pressed the button to take the second picture, I deliberately put on a sullen expression and crossed my arms.
Miyuki giggled at my rebellious act, and then—
[One, twooo...]
Just before the countdown echoing inside the booth reached three, she suddenly cupped my chin with one hand and pressed her lips to my cheek.
A warm, soft sensation on my skin.
In response, the corners of my mouth and eyes shot up against my will, forming a goofy grin.
Did Miyuki eat something weird today? She’s being so forward and full of aegyo, it’s driving me crazy.
Is she trying to bewitch me so I won’t think about the threesome?
“See how much better this is? You should’ve just smiled from the start...”
Miyuki let out a satisfied smile as she looked at the picture on the screen.
She and I started decorating the background with cute and pretty things, and after taking two more pictures, we stepped outside to cut them out.
As I silently watched her, I said, “Are you going to stick it in your wallet?”
“It’ll peel off if I stick it on the leather... so I’m just going to put the whole picture in a card pocket.”
I want to stick a few on my desk.
So Tetsuya can see them and wail to the heavens.
“I don’t carry a wallet.”
“Then stick it on the back of your phone case or on a table at home.”
“Not the table. It’ll get stained if I spill food on it while eating.”
“That’s true. And since you’re a messy eater, Matsuda-kun... it’d be covered in stuff in less than a day, wouldn’t it?”
“You’re asking for it again.”
We teased each other as we cut the sticker photos, then gathered them up, put them in a bag, and prepared to head home.
Just then,
Swoosh...
A refreshing scent faintly drifted into my nose.
It was the scent of lemon mixed with a generous amount of sweet sugar... and it was incredible.
It was a scent so subtle yet captivating, you could almost call it fateful.
And if I was feeling this way, the owner of this scent was probably...
‘Is it Hiyori?’
There was a good chance it was Hiyori, the final heroine.
Was she about to reveal herself to me now, just before the end of the year?
Me, and not Tetsuya?
That would be a good thing, but... no matter how much I looked around the arcade, I couldn’t even find a trace of Hiyori’s back.
“What’s wrong? Looking for the bathroom?”
Miyuki asked, seeing me standing frozen and looking around.
I snapped out of it and looked down at her with a bright smile.
“Nope. Let’s go.”
“What was that...? Are you really okay?”
“Yeah.”
If the owner of this scent really was Hiyori, we would surely run into each other soon.