Chapter 391: Tetsuya-kun's Bad Shot
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 391: Tetsuya-kun's Bad Shot
“Matsumatsu.”
After roll call and breakfast, Hiyori poked me in the back.
“What is it?”
“Where did Hanazawa-senpai go?”
“She went to her room to get something.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Probably sunscreen or a hat.”
“Because we’re going out now? Where are you going?”
“Not sure. We’ll probably walk around downtown for a bit, then maybe head to the beach.”
“Then call me when you get to the beach. Let’s hang out.”
“Alright.”
“...Really?”
Hiyori blinked, as if she hadn’t expected me to agree so readily.
Her ahoge swayed to the left.
It was clearly just swaying in a sudden blast of air conditioning, but to me, it looked like an antenna expressing her emotions.
A simple antenna that moves left when she’s in a good mood and right when she’s not.
“Fine, if you don’t want to.”
“I never said I didn’t want to.”
“But it’ll be a little awkward if the other first-years are there.”
“What about Miho?”
“Mitsushima is fine.”
Because Miho seems like she’d be good at stopping you from going full throttle.
“Then I’ll slip away with just Miho.”
“Do you really need to go that far? Your friends will be disappointed.”
“Yesterday you were giving my friends such a hard time, so why are you looking out for them now?”
“I wasn’t talking about your friends, I was talking about that weird guy.”
“Oh... him? He’s usually a pretty funny guy...”
“From my perspective, he’s just a punk who tried to get smart with Miyuki.”
“Didn’t I try to get smart with Hanazawa-senpai, too?”
“So you do know.”
“Then you must not like me either, right?”
“I’ve never thought that. You don’t have any ill intent.”
“Ill intent? I had plenty... I guess it wasn’t enough if you couldn’t feel it, senpai.”
She said the most startling things so casually.
I snorted at Hiyori’s half-joking remark and gave her wide forehead a light flick.
Despite the soft ‘tick’ sound, Hiyori’s head snapped back as if she’d been hit by a heavy ball.
I stared at her over-the-top reaction in disbelief and said, “Do you really get energy from burning it all up so early in the morning?”
“Yep.”
“It’s nice to see you so cheerful. Anyway, try to get along with each other.”
“Like I said last time, that’s...”
“Nothing is impossible.”
I said in a firm voice, then made a zipping-up gesture.
Hiyori glanced down at the thin windbreaker she was wearing, then muttered as she half-heartedly pulled up the zipper that was down below her chest.
“So conservative...”
“I have to be, with you.”
“Even after you saw my panties.”
“What, you little brat?”
“What! Am I wrong?”
“I wasn’t trying to look. You showed them to me.”
“No, you weren’t. You tickled my feet on purpose to make me show them.”
Our Hiyori is going to grow up to be a journalist who churns out all sorts of fake news.
The image suits her perfectly.
If she were cast in that role for a drama, she might become famous as a villainess after the show ends.
“Stop creating weird conspiracy theories and go have fun. I’ll call you.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll just be all lonely by myself.”
“You have Mitsushima and your friends.”
“You have no empathy.”
Talking with Hiyori used to make my head spin, but now I just find it cute... It’s a novel feeling.
I said, playfully tugging and releasing her ahoge, “Let’s just say that’s true. I’m heading up now.”
“Okay. Should I send you a picture of my swimsuit?”
“Don’t say weird things out of the blue, and tone down the swimsuit you wore yesterday.”
“Why are there so many things I can’t do? Are you a dictator?”
“I’d like to be.”
I gave Hiyori a light pat on the back. As she flinched, I waved and went up to the floor where Miyuki’s room was.
As I headed toward her room, I heard a man and a woman talking from around a corner.
“Miyuki, are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“Him hanging out with that first-year like that. They looked like they were having a great time.”
I knew what they were talking about.
Tetsuya must have seen me and Hiyori talking just now and came to tattle to Miyuki.
I don’t know when he saw us, but... it’s pathetic.
So he’s stooped that low.
I thought you had grown, and I even gave you a tiny bit of praise in my head... Now that you’ve left me with nothing but disgust, what am I supposed to expect from you?
I didn’t feel disappointed or anything.
I already knew he was that kind of guy, and in fact, I was grateful he was acting this way.
Why? Because seeing this pathetic side of Tetsuya would make Miyuki quickly lose any affection she had for him.
“Um... Tetsuya-kun, what are you trying to say? I’d appreciate it if you’d just be honest.”
After Miyuki’s serious tone, Tetsuya, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke.
“Matsuda is dating you. He should know how to act.”
“Are you saying Matsuda-kun should keep his distance from other girls?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about me?”
“Huh? You...?”
“I have a boyfriend, Matsuda-kun, but I hang out with you all the time, Tetsuya-kun. We have long phone calls and sometimes go for walks. By that logic, aren’t I the one who’s not acting properly?”
“That’s...”
“You’re saying this because you’re worried about me, right? There’s no other intention, is there?”
Of course there’s another intention.
Miyuki is usually quick-witted and thoughtful, but she tends to let her guard down around people she trusts.
“Of course. I’m always... you...”
“Then that’s fine.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be apologizing to me, you should be apologizing to Matsuda-kun. Go find him later and tell him you’re sorry.”
“No... If I just go up to him and apologize out of nowhere, wouldn’t Matsuda think it’s weird?”
“Hmm... I guess so?”
He tried to ruin my reputation for nothing and ended up losing out himself.
He must not know how Miyuki feels about me, thinking that saying something like that would ruin our relationship.
Why did he have to do something so out of character, only to tarnish his own image... Tsk, tsk...
Since he was bad-mouthing me behind my back, I felt no sympathy for him whatsoever.
If anything, I was offended. After the school trip is over, I need to set a day to have a talk with Tetsuya.
Whether it’s a talk with words or a talk with fists, we need to do something.
The time for just letting this slide is over.
My patience isn’t that vast.
“Anyway, Tetsuya-kun, if you get a girlfriend, try not to be too controlling. I hear that can be really stressful.”
Following Miyuki’s words, Tetsuya answered with a tiny “okay.”
Sensing the conversation was about to end, I moved away from the hallway.
Then, as if I had just arrived, I waved to Miyuki from a distance as she came around the corner.
“You’re finally out?”
It was better to pretend I hadn’t heard their conversation.
I had to act like I knew nothing, be sweet to Miyuki, and answer her questions honestly. That would make her opinion of the pathetic Tetsuya even worse.
And her love for me deepening would just be a bonus.
“Matsuda-kun!”
Miyuki immediately ran up and threw her arms around my waist.
The faint scent of plums wafting from her seemed especially sweet today.
It was probably because she had so firmly rejected Tetsuya’s attempt to drive a wedge between us.
Her head came up to my chest, and I gently massaged the back of her neck as I asked, “What took you so long to grab?”
“I was looking for my sunscreen but couldn’t find it. What were you doing?”
“I was with Asahina, but you were taking so long I came up.”
“Really? What did you talk about?”
“I told her to get along with you.”
“What’s that... Why have you been so obsessed with us getting along since yesterday?”
“You’re similar in some ways, so you’d get along well.”
“Similar? Me and Asahina?”
It was cute how her eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah.”
“How so?”
“The way you act. You might not see it yet, but I can.”
“Really...?”
While Miyuki was looking at me with suspicion, Tetsuya, looking like a heartbroken loser with his head hung low, came around the corner and met my eyes.
“Oh, Miura, you’re here too? Have fun today.”
I greeted him with the same words as yesterday, pretending I knew nothing, my voice benevolent. I saw the corners of Miyuki’s lips twitch upward slightly.
She must have liked seeing me be so friendly to the person who was just bad-mouthing me.
Tetsuya’s jealousy-fueled actions only ended up boosting my reputation.
This is why it’s good to have someone to compare yourself to.
And from my perspective, Tetsuya was the perfect candidate.
I chuckled inwardly. When he returned my greeting with a sour look on his face, I just brushed it off.
Then, as he walked away after telling Miyuki to have fun, I tilted my head.
“What’s with him? He looks like he’s in a foul mood.”
“Ah... he said his stomach really hurts. And what do you mean, foul mood... Can’t you use nicer words?”
A white lie.
She knew that if she told me the truth, things between me and Tetsuya would turn ugly.
Of course, even without that, he and I were already past the point of no return, but I decided to let it go for Miyuki’s sake.
“Alright. Where should we go first?”
“I looked it up yesterday, and there’s a lot to see downtown. Let’s walk around for a bit and take some pictures.”
“Okay.”
Was it because she’d been so wonderful?
Miyuki looked exceptionally beautiful today.
I decided I had to pamper her and sweep her off her feet, so I pressed my lips against hers, hard and long.
Afterward, I took her blushing hand in mine, and with that, we were ready to go out.