Chapter 352: Jealousy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 352: Jealousy
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“Asahina, are you gonna eat this?”
A man’s voice reached her ears.
The sound brought Hiyori back to her senses, and she looked at her classmate, who was pointing at the cake across the table.
“What was that?”
“I asked if you’re gonna eat it. Can I have it?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Go ahead.”
At his words, their friends shot the boy disapproving looks.
“You just ate so much, and now you’re trying to take Hiyori’s, too,” said Hiyori’s female friend, who was sitting next to her.
The boy shot back, lifting his chin confidently.
“She said I could have it.”
Even as he acted so brazenly, his eyes kept secretly darting toward Hiyori.
He was checking her reaction, worried she might not like what he was doing.
Noticing his gaze, Hiyori let out a small chuckle and pushed the cake plate in front of her toward him.
She was about to prop her bare feet up on the chair but stopped. The words Matsuda-senpai had said at the movie theater that morning flashed through her mind, and she slipped her sandals back on.
“Hiyori, aren’t you hot?”
Her friend pointed at the cardigan she was wearing.
It was a bit thick for a hot day like today.
Hiyori, who had it buttoned up neatly, smiled brightly.
“The AC is strong, so it’s fine.”
“That’s true. But where did you get it?”
“This? There’s a store called Blossom in the underground shopping arcade. I got it there. They have a lot of pretty clothes.”
“Really? I should go check it out. It’s not too expensive, right?”
“Nope.”
After the conversation ended, Hiyori fiddled with the sleeve of her cardigan.
I can’t believe he actually took me home to change and then brought me all the way back here...
Should she call it absurd, or be impressed by his determination?
Recalling Matsuda-senpai’s stern expression as he told her to change her clothes, Hiyori found the corners of her mouth lifting unconsciously.
He was such a funny person.
Sometimes he was incredibly conservative, and other times he seemed quite open.
Like how he’d nonchalantly picked up and eaten the piece of popcorn that had fallen into her cleavage in the theater.
Judging by that, it seemed he was fundamentally very conservative but acted freely with people he was close to.
His unpredictable attitude toward her... maybe she should just take it as them being in the process of getting closer?
Of course, she couldn’t judge his personality based on her thoughts alone.
And that’s why her desire to get to know the person named Matsuda grew stronger.
He was intriguing. A type of person she’d never met before, so she had a feeling it would be a lot of fun getting to know him.
As Hiyori was about to continue reminiscing about her time with Matsuda, she was suddenly jolted back to reality.
“Hiyori, what’s up with you today? Is something wrong?”
A friend was looking at her with concern.
What had they been talking about?
Clothes? No, she thought another topic had come up after that, but she couldn’t remember at all.
She must have been so lost in thought that she couldn’t focus on the conversation.
“No, it’s not that…”
Hiyori was about to deny her friend’s concern but changed her mind.
Today was a day she needed a little time to herself. She wanted to slowly go over the thoughts that had popped into her head, one by one.
Besides, Miho wasn’t here today, and she’d used up a lot of physical and mental energy talking and hanging out with Matsuda-senpai this morning.
Deciding it would be better to go home and get some rest, she spoke.
“I think I’m not feeling very well today… I’m sorry, but I’m going to head out first.”
“Is it serious?”
“Not really. I think I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“Oh? Okay, then.”
As she stood up, she could feel the disappointed gazes of a few of the boys.
They all tried not to show it, but it was obvious. They were interested in her as more than just a friend.
Ignoring their stares, Hiyori said goodbye to her friends with a smile and left the cafe.
She put the wireless earbuds she’d bought today in her ears and fiddled with her phone.
Soon, the second single from her favorite singer-songwriter began to play.
Mulling over the lyrics, which sounded like a tsundere grumbling, she entered a nearby subway entrance, tapped her IC card, and passed through the gate.
She went down the stairs and boarded a train that had just arrived, luckily finding an empty seat to sink into.
The air conditioning was weaker than in the cafe, and it quickly got hot, but she didn’t think of taking off her cardigan.
Instead, she adjusted it, making sure to cover her upper body completely.
Why was she acting like this?
Many guys had told her she showed too much skin and should cover up, but there was a huge gap between how she’d acted then and how she was acting now.
Maybe it was because Matsuda-senpai’s last words had really struck a chord with her.
I want to take care of you. When she heard him say that, Matsuda-senpai had seemed incredibly reliable.
She suddenly remembered the first time she saw him at the cafe.
An incredibly handsome and kind person. That was the extent of her feelings back then.
But that changed after she found out he was a senior at her academy.
It would be helpful to get close to him… Starting with that assessment, her evaluation evolved to an interesting person, a meddlesome person, a laid-back person, and from there, she had come to see him as someone she could rely on.
[The next station is…]
She’d been using her brain so much for the first time in a while that she’d already arrived at her destination.
If she hadn’t happened to hear the announcement, she would have missed her stop. Today was a lucky day.
With that thought, Hiyori stepped off the train as the doors opened.
“Excuse me.”
Hearing the cautious voice of a tall, handsome man approaching her, she predicted what would happen next and immediately shook her head.
“Sorry.”
“...Right.”
It would have been incredibly annoying if he’d been clingy like that host from before… It was a relief that he backed off so easily.
This is why you need someone like Matsuda around… someone like a bear.
Not just a big guy, but a dependable one you can rely on.
Having chased away the moth, Hiyori continued to reflect on her day with Matsuda.
What was his intention when he said those words today?
Did he mean he wanted to take care of her as a woman?
Or was he saying it out of genuine concern for a mischievous junior, trying to guide her?
It seemed certain that he was seeing Hanazawa-senpai, so the latter was more likely.
But she also had a feeling that wasn't it.
She’d found out by chance when she ran into the kendo club captain and manager that they, too, had a huge crush on Matsuda-senpai.
And he had seemed to naturally accept their attention.
Surely he wasn’t dating all three of them… so was he just leading them on?
She didn’t think Matsuda-senpai was that kind of person… Or maybe he and Hanazawa-senpai were just really close, to the point where light skinship was okay? Like childhood friends?
It was all just speculation, but wasn't this the fun of such delusions?
With that in mind, Hiyori emerged from the subway exit and, feeling the heat as soon as she was outside, immediately took off her cardigan.
Matsuda’s request weighed on her mind, but if she walked home like this, she’d boil to death for sure.
This summer was going to be hell without an air conditioner.
Snapping out of her thoughts for a moment to worry about everyday things, Hiyori quickened her pace as her home came into view.
When she got back, no one was there.
Hiyori remembered her parents had sent a message saying they were taking her little brother to a kids’ pool. Shrugging, she went up to her room on the second floor.
She turned on the AC, pressed the power button on her laptop, and then casually stripped off her clothes.
Left in just her underwear, she stroked her stomach, then suddenly remembered she hadn't said goodbye to Matsuda and picked up her phone.
[Matsumatsuken.]
After sending the message, she went into the bathroom to shower.
She washed up with warm water and returned to her room, the cool air from the AC feeling wonderful.
A smile on her face, Hiyori sat at her vanity and checked her phone.
[What.]
The reply was so concise it felt taciturn.
The real Matsuda-senpai wasn't a man of few words…
Looking at their past conversations, it seemed he was the type to keep messages short and to the point.
[I'm bored.]
[Use honorifics.]
[I'm bored-yo.]
[Thought you were meeting friends.]
[Came back-yong.]
[Already? Why?]
[Just cuz. Nothing to do.]
[Then go to sleep. And stop dozing off in class on weekdays.]
[Boomer.]
[You wanna die?]
Hiyori giggled at Matsuda’s angry reply.
This was a big part of what made spending time with him so fun.
The slightest bit of teasing got her the reaction she expected.
She also liked how he’d act exasperated when she started chattering away, but never seemed truly tired of it.
The way he always gave a reaction was a plus, too.
Also, talking with guys could often be frustrating, but that never happened with Matsuda.
There were frustrating parts to their back-and-forth, sure, but she meant that her heart felt at ease.
[What are you doing?]
[Gaming.]
[The one you bought then? You accepted my friend request, right? Should I send you an item?]
[Gimme.]
The thought of drying her hair completely vanished as Hiyori found her game console and lay face down on her bed.
She logged into the game and was about to go find Matsuda right away, but a mischievous urge took over, and she decided to change her username first.
What would be a really light, thrown-together-sounding name?
After a moment of thought, Hiyori changed her character’s name.
Then, using the feature that let her visit a friend’s house, she found the island where Matsuda lived.
An island named ‘Home.’
What a thoughtless, very Matsuda-like naming sense, Hiyori thought. She burst out laughing when a character named ‘Dumbo-Ken’ wandering nearby spotted her and froze.
-Who are you.-
Her character happened to be holding a squeaky hammer.
She whacked Dumbo-Ken on the head with it, and with a Squeak!, he complained.
-Why'd you hit me.-
Ignoring him, Hiyori hit him a few more times and started putting the items scattered around—which Matsuda had likely collected—into her inventory.
Dumbo-Ken seemed extremely flustered and started following her character around.
-Bang-poof-poof-nim. Pls don't steeal my iitems.-
The desperation was palpable in his message.
Hiyori cackled out loud, then dropped all the items she’d picked up and typed in the chat.
-I'll let you off. Be careful next time.-
-Thank you.-
Seeing Matsuda’s sincere thanks made her feel like she’d returned to her own childhood.
She used to pull pranks like this on her friends when she first started playing games, but this was way more fun.
The gap between the real Matsuda, who would never act like this, and his innocent in-game persona was hilarious.
Hiyori roared with laughter, rolling around like a madwoman, and then dropped the items she already had on the ground.
She said magnanimously:
-Use these.-
Dumbo-Ken stood still for a moment, as if he’d realized something.
-You're Asahina, aren't you?-
He’d finally figured out who she was. Hiyori smiled softly at his denseness and replied.
-Yep.-
-Hey, are you crazy?-
A comment clearly showing he was still salty about the theft earlier.
That made Hiyori burst out laughing again. Without replying, she went to leave her mark on Dumbo-Ken’s guestbook, when—
“Huh?”
She noticed that a user named ‘Ttokttokki’ had left a meaningless character on the guestbook.
Who was this? Ttokttokki? Smart Ki?
Could it be Hanazawa Miyuki-senpai’s nickname?
It seemed likely. They probably started the game together, and while decorating the village, they must have messed around and left that.
A strange feeling washed over her.
It felt as if his ‘first time’ had been stolen by someone else.
An unconscious pout formed on her lips. Hiyori impulsively left the message [Blehh♡] on the guestbook. As a final touch, she followed Dumbo-Ken and whacked him on the head one last time with her squeaky hammer before logging off.
Why did she add the heart? Even she didn’t really know.
No, it wasn’t that she didn’t know; it was more that she was bewildered.
[Thanks.]
A message from Matsuda arrived on her phone a moment later.
Hiyori, who had been about to return to her vanity, paused when she saw it. She rested her wet head on her pillow and tapped on her phone.
[Pay me back with two Suichus-yong.]