My extroverted girlfriend has zero sense of boundaries — Is It really wrong to take her home right after we meet? - Episode 9
♠
After that, with Sayo as my tour guide, we went around to various shops and she told me about the things Ayano likes. Along the way, we also bought the chocolate we had been looking for, leaving only Sayo’s gift to be chosen.
“What are you going to give her as a present, Shijima-san?”
“Cosmetics. I’m planning to get her a lipstick.”
“Cosmetics means makeup, right? Toujou said I shouldn’t give makeup as a present though.”
“Kotaro-kun didn’t research properly and bought a foundation that didn’t match her skin. You have to be very careful when choosing base makeup. Well, I did appreciate the thought though.”
She said this with a sigh, then added,『On that point, I know exactly what Ayano-chan uses on a daily basis』.
“I’ll wait here.”
The cosmetics section reeked of femininity so strongly it was almost overwhelming, and I was not good with that kind of place. The ratio of women there was far beyond any other section, making it a harsh environment for an introvert like me.
More than anything, walking through this space as a man and woman together made it feel as though we were being seen as a couple or something close to it. That felt unfair both to Sayo and to Kotaro.
“What are you talking about? Fujimura-san, you’re coming too.”
“Eh, no, but—”
There was no room to slip in a rebuttal against Sayo’s relentless push and Kyousuke ended up moving his feet as she grabbed his sleeve.
He was the one who had asked about what Ayano likes in the first place. From her point of view, it probably felt strange for him to refuse to accompany her only at this part.
He felt suffocated by the unfamiliar atmosphere.
Not wanting to attract curious stares from those around him, he looked around at the products as if nothing was wrong.
Rows of dazzling cosmetics. Thinking that Ayano used these things on a daily basis made her seem like an incredibly distant existence to him.
“These things are pretty expensive, huh.”
As he murmured this in quiet awe, Sayo said,『It really depends on the item』while proceeding with the checkout. The price was three thousand yen, which was probably on the expensive side.
Even though it was just a gift for someone else, the way she purchased such pricey cosmetics with a calm expression and strolled casually through the sales floor made her look like an adult in Kyousuke’s still-immature eyes.
♥
Wearing sunglasses, she kept a certain distance from the two targets and observed their movements. It felt like she was the protagonist of a spy movie, but since what she was really doing was stalking classmates, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself for how low-level it was.
Even knowing how ridiculous it was, Ayano’s steps did not stop.
Who that girl was, and what kind of relationship she had with Kyousuke. Was she really his girlfriend? None of this had anything to do with her, but once she started wondering, she couldn’t help but act.
For now, they were just going around to different shops. It didn’t even look like they were having a lively conversation. Kyousuke still had his usual timid expression, and the girl was forcing a kind of seriousness onto her facial muscles.
‘…So, is this what they call awkwardly fresh?’
It couldn’t be called enjoyable by any stretch, but if they simply weren’t used to each other yet, she could accept that.
Kyousuke had a reserved personality. The girl didn’t look like the lively type either.
They may have started dating but didn’t really know what couples were supposed to be like, leaving them somewhat awkward — Ayano recalled reading a shoujo manga with just such a situation, and her expression turned bitter.
‘Eh? They’re buying chocolate?’
She quickly hid behind a pillar and only directed her gaze toward the two of them. That shop was a chocolate specialty store Ayano herself occasionally used. Of all sweets, she liked chocolate the most. Especially from this shop, where not only the taste but also the cute appearance had always been her favorite.
“This one, please.”
“Got it.”
Kyousuke loosened his wallet strings without a moment’s hesitation toward the item the girl pointed at.
There was no doubt about it — Kyousuke was buying that as a present for the girl. Moreover, with how smoothly it all went, she had to assume Kyousuke was used to doing this.
‘So they’ve been dating for a long time…!!’
That would explain everything.
Their lack of lively conversation must mean they didn’t need unnecessary words. Communication of the heart isn’t limited to verbal exchange. It must be their own little world, like the unspoken understanding of a married couple.
‘N-no, I’m overthinking this. Totally overthinking this’
She shrugged her shoulders and let out a short, dry laugh.
The basic premise was wrong. She wasn’t trying to make fun of him, but she couldn’t believe Kyousuke had a girlfriend. Considering his personality, there was no way he’d go hang out with another girl — someone like her — while in a relationship. …Or at least, she wanted to believe that.
There was another reason to deny it. There wasn’t any physical contact whatsoever.
Their shoulders didn’t touch. They didn’t hold hands. They didn’t link arms. Things that wouldn’t be strange at all for a couple simply weren’t there between them. Ayano’s romance-experience-poor, shoujo-manga-influenced brain calculated that this meant they weren’t dating.
“What are you talking about? Fujimura-san, you’re coming too.”
“Eh, no, but—”
And then the girl walked off with Kyousuke toward the cosmetics section.
Maybe it was just the angle. But for a moment, it looked like the two of them were holding hands.
♠
“The other day, thank you very much.”
It was a café they had gone into at Sayo’s suggestion to take a short break. After being shown to a table seat, they ordered drinks. While drinking the water and trying to cover the silence, she suddenly spoke up.
“The other day? I don’t think I did anything for you, Shijima-san.”
“It’s about Ayano-chan. You haven’t told her about those two, have you?”
“Well, yeah…”
Even being thanked was troublesome. Regarding that incident, Kyousuke hadn’t said anything and hadn’t done anything either.
“To be honest, I was surprised. You didn’t look like the type to do something like that.”
“It’s not like I can’t forgive gossip or talking behind people’s backs. That sort of thing is sometimes unavoidable, isn’t it? I don’t think there’s anyone who never speaks badly about others.”
Their order arrived.
Sayo moistened her lips with milk tea and, keeping her eyes lowered, continued speaking.
“But those two have spoken badly about Ayano-chan before. Even though they acted friendly on the surface. Approaching her so familiarly and then attacking her behind her back, that’s the end for them as human beings. Even though they hadn’t been that close lately, to start grumbling again just makes me sick.”
Without a trace of hesitation or doubt, Sayo declared it boldly. Kyousuke had thought that she acted that way because she was Ayano’s fan, but now that he heard her real reason, it didn’t seem like that was all there was to it. Whether it was Kotaro or other friends, she probably would have stood up without fear for them too.
“…I respect you, Shijima-san. I could never do something so admirable.”
“Whether it’s admirable or not, I think it goes both ways, since Fujimura-san does things I could never do.”
“Uh, I don’t really know how to respond if you’re going to be modest like that.”
“Fujimura-san, even though you don’t seem to have anything in common with Ayano-chan, you still get along with her. I think that simply means you have a charm that no one else does.”
He thought she was overestimating him, but didn’t say it out loud. If he belittled himself, he felt like Ayano would just get angry with him again.
He decided to just leave it at that. Whatever the truth was, if Sayo didn’t hold any negative feelings toward him, there was no need to say anything.
“So, Fujimura-san, there’s something I want to ask you.”
It’s finally here, Kyousuke thought, bracing himself.
This day had been arranged in exchange for that 『something she wanted to ask』. Nine times out of ten, it had to be about Ayano, but he desperately hoped it wouldn’t be a question that was too hard to answer.
And then—
Right behind Sayo, sitting with her back to them, a woman wearing sunglasses took a seat.
An earring sparkled on her right ear. Over a sleeveless flax-colored top she wore a white sheer shirt, and her reddish-bronze wide pants emphasized the length of her legs. With curves in all the right places, she radiated beauty that drew every eye around.
‘Wh-why is Sasagawa-san here…!’
Sayo didn’t seem to notice her and hadn’t realized it yet, but if she turned even a little she would surely catch on. Even from behind, even with sunglasses on, there was no way to hide her identity.
“I should say first, I don’t have any weird intentions. It’s just curiosity, or think of it as me wanting to have a bit of girl talk with you.”
“Uh, okay…”
Kyousuke couldn’t take his eyes off the back of Ayano’s head.
There’s no way she hasn’t noticed. She had to know they were here, and still chose to sit at that table. Why, what for? His head was full of nothing but question marks.
“Fujimura-san, do you like Ayano-chan?”
♥
Once they had gone into the café, she could no longer see them, of course, thanks to the wall separating the seating area.
What should she do?
She knew that stopping here would be the best choice, but the right choice isn’t always the one that satisfies you. There are things you just can’t swallow unless you get a clear answer.
“Alright…!”
She gathered her resolve and stepped into the café, somehow managing to take a seat behind the two of them.
They probably hadn’t noticed her. Now she could hear everything they said. Bring it on, Ayano thought, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
“Fujimura-san, do you like Ayano-chan?”
So this is what they mean by your mind going completely blank.
The empty space in her thoughts was quickly filled with question marks, and the expression she had kept so firm turned dazed.
So they weren’t a couple? How did this girl know about her? Could this be one of those so-called dramatic confrontations? Ayano quickly turned around and shot a glance at Kyousuke. He, too, looked terribly confused.
“I really am just asking out of curiosity. Since you’re always together, I thought maybe you liked her. I can’t really ask this at school, so I’m going about it in a roundabout way, but really, I just wanted to know.”
“Uh, well, it’s not really about liking or disliking her. It’s more like the pressure from her side is strong, so we’ve been hanging out sort of by momentum…”
“So you’re spending time with her reluctantly?”
“N-no, that’s not it. I mean, uh…”
He was starting to feel unbearably awkward.
She knew Kyousuke preferred being alone. She understood that she had been forcing him to hang out with her. But hearing him say it out loud like this made it feel as though someone was telling her, you’re being selfish, and it hurt.
“…Back in middle school, I betrayed a friend.”
The words dropped in a voice so quiet it could vanish, but Ayano’s ears picked them up clearly.
“I was never good at talking to people in the first place. So I figured, if it meant betraying someone again, maybe it’d be better not to talk to anyone at all…”
When she glanced toward him, Kyousuke was sitting even smaller than usual, staring down at the table.
“But Sasagawa-san, even with someone like me, still cares and says she wants to be friends.”
Kyousuke lifted his face slightly.
“So it’s not about liking or disliking. I just feel like I need to treasure this. This time, I don’t want to make the same mistake.”
His ink-black eyes weren’t looking at the girl — they were looking straight at Ayano.
♠
After that, Ayano finished her cup of coffee and stood up.
Sayo had never noticed her the whole time, but Kyousuke felt relieved. If they had actually come face to face, it wasn’t hard to imagine that things — mostly for Sayo — would have become very troublesome.
“Well then, I’ll head off here.”
Once they had both emptied their cups, they parted ways. Of course, there were no objections, and with a 『Thanks for today』they bowed their heads and went their separate ways home.
The time was just past four in the afternoon.
He thought it was still a little early to go home, so he turned his feet away from the station, deciding to stop by a bookstore. He didn’t have any book he particularly wanted to buy, but it was a good way to kill some time.
Bzzzt—
The phone in his pocket vibrated. When he checked it, there was a notification from Ayano.
【Ayano: Did you already go home?】
That question alone was enough to prove that the person who had been sitting there was Ayano.
He replied, 【Kyou: Not yet】, and immediately the message was marked as read.
【Ayano: Are you alone right now?】
【Kyou: Yeah】
A train passed over the elevated railway bridge.
【Ayano: Is it okay if I walk home with you?】
The sound of the train wheels seemed to push along the noisy Sunday crowd, carrying everything toward the twilight.