My extroverted girlfriend has zero sense of boundaries — Is It really wrong to take her home right after we meet? - Episode 5

♠

They rented two movies, bought drinks for each of them at a convenience store along the way, and headed to Ayano’s house.

Once again, he was going into a girl’s room. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous but in reality it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

Since he had been allowed to use the bath and even borrowed some of her old clothes, perhaps he had built up some resistance to it, though it was not something he was entirely pleased about.

“Sasagawa-san, have you been living here for a long time?”

Seated on the sofa in the living room, Kyousuke asked while glancing at Ayano, who was taking his jacket to the bedroom.

There was no special intent behind the question. It was just that, for someone who might have started living here after entering high school, both the entrance and the living room already had a sense of being lived in. In only a week or two, it normally wouldn’t turn out this way.

“I’ve been here since a little after spring in my third year of middle school, so it’s been about a year now. There were some issues with my parents and some relatives suggested it might be better for me to live alone.”

Hearing her voice from the open bedroom, Kyousuke deliberately replied with an uninterested『I see』.

If it was family trouble, it was probably better not to pry. She might not want to talk about it and even if she did, he wasn’t sure he could take it in.

“What’s the place where Fujimura lives like?”

Ayano, having taken off her jacket, headed straight to the kitchen and began rustling around busily. Her『Are you listening?』brought Kyousuke’s attention back to the conversation.

“It’s just an ordinary detached house. Pretty standard.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a younger sister.”

“Must be nice. I’m an only child.”

“She’s stupid and noisy, so it’s not all that great.”

“Is she smaller than Fujimura?”

“Shut up.”

That question couldn’t be answered with a yes or no. Their heights were exactly the same, so there was no way to answer.

And if he said so, she would definitely tease him about it.

“But honestly, I’m jealous. Someone around Fujimura’s height.”

“If I had a short temper, I’d be furious right now.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just that being seen as an adult when you’re not is a lot of pressure. I have times when I wish someone would pat my head or let me lean on them too, you know.”

At that slightly serious tone, the boiling hot water of jealousy inside Kyousuke cooled down smoothly.

‘Well… I guess that makes sense…’

Talking like this, he could tell she was actually a little immature for her age, but when she was silent with a serious expression, she looked older than a college student.

Especially with today’s fashion, she looked even more mature. She had probably chosen her outfit thinking cute styles didn’t suit her. It was honestly a shame that her figure limited her clothing choices.

“That’s why I want to dress Fujimura in outfits that suit you. Like Lolita style.”

“Hey. Isn’t that completely off-topic now?”

“It would definitely suit you. You have a neutral face and beautiful skin. Don’t worry, I’ll do your makeup for you!”

“Go look up the meaning of『don’t worry』in the dictionary.”

Ayano spoke with a firm tone and full of confidence, to which Kyousuke shot back without a moment’s pause.

When it came to Lolita fashion, it was the epitome of frilly, fluffy and cute clothing. The image of himself wearing such clothes and smiling sweetly flickered in his mind and an indescribable sense of discomfort swirled in his chest.

“All right, it’s done!”

A voice called from the kitchen.

Because it was a counter-type layout, he could see her face but not what she was doing with her hands. When he asked,『What’s done?』Ayano grinned broadly.

“For things like this, creating the right atmosphere is important, you know.”

Speaking proudly, she lifted up a drink container of the kind often seen at movie theaters and theme parks. It was a large paper cup with a semi-transparent plastic lid and a straw sticking out. It seemed she had poured the drinks they bought into it along with some ice, as a small shake produced a rattling sound.

“Of course, I’ve got popcorn too!”

With a smug look, she showed off a paper container of popcorn just like the ones seen at movie theaters.

“You even bought all that…Do you usually watch movies alone like this?”

“I wouldn’t go this far if I were alone. I just thought that if a friend came over, we could pretend we’re at the movies together.”

Prompted by Ayano’s『Help me carry these』Kyousuke got up with a weary sigh.『A friend, huh』he murmured softly, scratching the back of his head.

He took the two drinks back to the sofa and set them on the table. She sat down next to him and, with a quick press of the remote, switched the lighting to the night-light mode.

“Which one should we watch first?”

Popping a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth, Ayano laid two DVDs on the table. In the dim light, her lips, glistening faintly with oil, caught Kyousuke’s eyes for a brief moment.

“I’m fine with either.”

“Then let’s watch the horror one. I’ve been curious about it.”

She opened the cabinet under the TV and set the DVD into the player. With a face like a child about to open a new toy, she plopped herself back onto the sofa and said『Here we go』.

“Hey, since we’ve got the chance, let’s play a game.”

The preview for what was clearly a B-grade movie flashed across the screen, casting flickering light on the walls and ceiling. Without turning her face from the screen, Ayano let only her eyes slide sideways toward him.

“Game?”

“Whoever screams first has to do whatever the other says. Well? Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Whatever…?”

“Ah—o-of course, within reason! Within the bounds of common sense!”

Whatever she had imagined, Ayano hurriedly repeated herself with flustered insistence.

Hmm, Kyousuke narrowed his eyes. If just getting her to scream meant he could tell her to go hang out with someone other than him, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad deal.

“All right. I’m in.”

“Yes! If I win, I’m turning Fujimura into my dress-up doll.”

“What happened to common sense?”

Kyousuke was convinced that even if he didn’t win this game, there was no way he could lose.

When eating something delicious, people’s reactions could be split into two types: those who expressed their delight out loud, and those who savored it quietly in their heads. Kyousuke was the latter.

Even when watching informational variety shows, he never bothered to say『I see』out loud. Even if a drama had an overwhelming plot twist, he never voiced his surprise. He wasn’t particularly immune to horror, but he had never screamed just because something scared him.

And Ayano?

If Kyousuke’s hunch was right, she was the former type. The kind who would make a big fuss over something delicious, and say out loud when she found something amusing.

‘Extroverts are just wired that way.’

With that rather biased assumption in mind, he focused on the movie.

The setting was an unremarkable countryside town. The main characters were a mother and her son. The full picture wasn’t clear yet, but from the start the film was packed with ominous scenes that made him break into a nervous sweat.

He stole a quick glance at Ayano.

Her lips were slightly parted as she stared intently at the screen. It wasn’t even an especially exciting part yet. Seeing that serious expression, he understood why she had chosen today for a movie-watching session—she really did love films.

‘Wait…was she actually serious about making me cross-dress?!’

From the look of things now, Ayano didn’t seem like she was going to scream.

Kyousuke realized—she had challenged him to a game where the odds were in her favor.

It was obvious when you thought about it. If the penalty was having to do whatever the other person said, it would be strange if she didn’t have confidence she could win.

But it didn’t matter.

Even if she turned out to be the type who didn’t react much, it wouldn’t put him at a disadvantage.

They’d both watch the movie normally, it would end normally, and the game would finish without a winner.

That was fine. Kyousuke relaxed his tense shoulders and sank deep into the sofa cushions.

An hour passed.

The story shifted toward the climax, tying together all the creepy foreshadowing up to that point. Grotesque supernatural phenomena, the horror of human nature, unsettling background music—every element from the screen worked to stir up fear.

But—

Kyousuke’s mind was nowhere near focused on the film. The screams of the actors, the startling jump scares, the eerie special effects—all of it passed straight through his brain.

It wasn’t that he found it boring.

Nor was he deliberately distracting himself to avoid losing the game.

The reason lay in his right hand.

Resting on his lap, that hand now had Ayano’s left hand placed firmly over it. Her palm was damp with sweat, gripping the back of his hand tightly and gradually increasing the pressure.

‘Is… is she not aware of this…?’

He looked at her, but there was no sign she was doing it intentionally. She had said she didn’t watch horror much alone, so perhaps it simply wasn’t her strong genre.

Before he knew it, a shrill scream rang out from the actress on screen, and at the same time Ayano squeezed his hand hard.

Holding hands with a girl—for the first time since kindergarten—made Kyousuke’s heart pound so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest.

At this point, there was no happiness in it—only embarrassment, and guilt at the impure thoughts he was having, making him want to run from the room immediately.

“…!!”

Suddenly, a face slammed against the screen with a loud bang.

Ayano let out a voiceless scream and clung to Kyousuke’s arm.

From beneath the short-sleeved knit, the slightly firm sensation of her undergarments and the heat of her body pressed against his arm, making Kyousuke scream internally as well.

‘What am I doing?! Say something! Tell her to let go!!’

His dry throat could only produce a faint rasping sound. That alone wasn’t enough to get Ayano’s attention, and his elbow remained buried against her chest.

Calm down, calm down. He steadied his breathing and checked the clock.

The movie was almost over. Once it ended, she would let go. She was so focused now that he felt bad interrupting her.

‘…Feels like I’m just making excuses.’

Soft, warm, and with a nice scent.

It wasn’t as if there wasn’t a part of him that felt like he was benefiting from this situation. The truth was, his rationality was on the verge of collapse.

“──────!!”

It was probably the highlight of the entire film—the most terrifying scene of them all.

Ayano bit back her voice, but her body couldn’t hide her emotions, and her long arms wrapped around Kyousuke.

Being just the right size, Kyousuke was pulled in before he could resist, his face colliding directly into a part of her body far beyond what her age would suggest.

That sensation was something Kyousuke could never hope to endure.

The scream that burst from deep in his throat echoed back as a rather foolish sound.

“Fujimura, you lose.”

As soon as the end credits finished, Ayano said this as her very first words.

Wearing the most triumphant look imaginable.

Kyousuke grimaced as if he had bitten into something bitter, groaning,『Yeah, but still…』He frowned and looked up at her.

“You know what you did, right? This match doesn’t count.”

When he protested, Ayano quickly averted her eyes.

That hug just now had probably been completely unconscious. Her flushed, ripe cheeks proved it wasn’t intentional. Even with embarrassment radiating from her whole body, she pouted and murmured childishly, 『A win’s a win』.

“Wouldn’t it be your disqualification for a foul instead?”

She must have thought there was some truth to his argument. She didn’t deny it, but neither did she agree, instead turning her head away with a stubborn air.

This was going nowhere. After several seconds of silence between them, perhaps deciding it couldn’t go on like this, Ayano let out a small sigh and turned back toward Kyousuke.

“Then let’s just call it a loss for both of us.”

“…Huh?”

“That means we each get one chance to make the other do something. Not a bad deal, right?”

As a compromise, it was a reasonable suggestion.

However, whether or not it was『not bad』was debatable—because in the end, it still meant he would have to make some sort of sacrifice.

“If you promise not to make me cross-dress, I’ll agree to that.”

As expected, Ayano let out a dissatisfied『Eeeh?』at Kyousuke’s proposal.

It had been her declared wish from the start. Even if it was just a penalty game, the idea of being turned into her dress-up doll was troubling.

“Anything else would be fine?”

“Well… yeah, I guess.”

“Then…”

Ayano pressed her lips together and fixed her gaze on Kyousuke.

♥

She was about to say,『Let’s go hang out somewhere again next time』.

But at the last moment, she swallowed the words.

‘No…I should make a bigger request, or it would be a waste.’

If it was just going out together, she could invite him normally.

There had to be something better. As she folded her arms with a thoughtful hum, a certain idea surfaced.

“How about… calling each other by our first names?”

“…Eh?”

“What, no good? I thought it was a great idea.”

Girls calling each other by their first names, boys calling each other by their surnames—that was a habit she had picked up unconsciously as a means of guarding herself around the opposite sex.

It took no special effort, and it didn’t cost a thing. That was why she was sure it was a good idea, yet Kyousuke lowered his gaze with a deeply awkward expression.

“Sasagawa-san, guys address each other by surname. If I’m the only one you call by my first name, it’ll definitely seem weird.”

“…Huh?”

How did Kyousuke, who usually kept his head down in class, know that?

Letting out a surprised, slightly high-pitched sound, she saw him shift uncomfortably as if realizing he’d said too much.

“So, Fujimura, you actually watch me quite a bit.”

“It’s not like that. I just happened to notice.”

The way he spoke, clearly unable to hide his agitation, was so amusing—and so delightful—that a bright, bubbling feeling rose to Ayano’s lips.

“Anyway, that’s not possible” he insisted.

“Why not? You said anything but cross-dressing is fine.”

Kyousuke froze with a troubled expression.

With a resigned sigh, Ayano decided to show him an example. If she started calling him that way, he would eventually give in and follow suit.

“Kyo… Kyos—”

She stopped mid-word when he suddenly looked up, and their eyes met.

In that instant, a rush of heat welled up from deep inside her body, forcing her to bite back the rest of her voice.

‘Eh—w-what is this? This is so embarrassing!’

Thinking back, aside from when she was in preschool or kindergarten, she hadn’t called a boy by his first name even once since she started being aware of the opposite sex in elementary school.

Most likely, Kyousuke felt the same way she did. It was something they weren’t used to, so even if they wanted to do it, they couldn’t. It was just too embarrassing.

“…Yeah, let’s drop this one.”

“A-ah.”

“But… someday, I do want you to call me that. When the time comes, you’ll have to say it first, Fujimura.”

“…I’ll… consider it.”

Kyousuke averted his eyes with a small nod.

‘Hmm… another request, then…’

She thought it over, but it turned out to be surprisingly difficult.

She’d never really had much experience asking people for things. In middle school, she’d been the one people came to for help, and even at work she was generally on the receiving end of requests, so she had no idea what she should demand.

When she looked at Kyousuke, she saw him biting his lip slightly with an uneasy expression—like a child waiting for their turn at the dentist while trembling at the sound of the drill. The sight made her feel just a little warm inside.

‘…I guess this is already enough for me.’

Someone who stayed involved with her without thinking about personal gain.

The time they’d spent watching a movie together and sharing the same emotions had been the most fulfilling she’d had in years. To ask for anything more on top of that felt like it might tempt fate.

Still, saying nothing at all would feel anticlimactic.

She thought hard—tilting her head, turning ideas over in her mind, sifting through her memories.

And then she grasped onto just one thing.

Yes, this was it. She couldn’t think of anything else. Something only he could do for her.

She drew in a small, quiet breath.

And looked straight into his eyes.

♠

“…P-praise me.”

Her words came out slightly lisped, as if she’d finally managed to force them out.

“…Eh?”

“I-I said, praise me.”

When he asked her to repeat herself, Ayano turned her eyes away, looking not so much annoyed as embarrassed to say it.

Hearing it twice, Kyousuke understood what she meant, but he still couldn’t fathom why she was making such a request. His brows furrowed on their own.

“I think I work really hard, you know. At school and at work.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“But nobody praises me at all. Isn’t that weird? I’m working this hard!”

“Y-yeah, I guess so.”

Pulled back a little by the sheer force of her words, he gave a safe, noncommittal reply.

“But… how exactly do I ‘praise’ you? Just say you’re great or amazing?”

“Hmm… that doesn’t feel like enough.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“…Maybe… pat me?”

“P-pat you?”

“On the head. Like, good job, you’re doing great.”

“….”

A sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and he felt like going home right then and there.

“W-what? It’s fine, isn’t it? You get that all the time, Fujimura.”

“That’s just you doing it on your own, Sasagawa-san.”

Even as he said that, he remembered what she’d told him before the movie—her worries about her height.

The pressure of being seen as more mature. Never having her head patted. Never being able to lean on someone. Those straightforward words replayed in his mind, and he scratched his cheek with a troubled look.

“…Ask someone more fitting for that. Not me.”

“I’m asking you, Fujimura.”

“That’s why I said, not someo—”

Before he could finish, Ayano firmly took hold of his right hand.

Her palm was slightly damp with sweat.

“I want you, Fujimura.”

The words, breathed out with a trace of heat, made Kyousuke abandon any will to resist.