Translator: AJ1703

Editor: Matsu

◆１【I’m Not Gullible. It’s True, I Swear.】

I am not a cheap man.

I would never sell my soul to Takarai just because we had a little skin-to-skin contact.

I’m grateful for the bridge she provided to have a better understanding of Tsumugi, but that’s all.

I had no intention of being friendly with Takarai in the classroom when I arrived at school after the holiday.

All I ever wanted from school life was peace and quiet.

There are still many boys who are after Takarai. Some of them are probably the type who stand out in class. If a simple guy like me, who studies all the time, were to get involved with Takarai, they might think, “What’s up with that guy,” and I might get into trouble. I couldn’t bring myself to take such a risk.

I had already explained this to Takarai. Takarai appeared in the classroom a little later than me, but she didn’t come up to me first.

I’m supposed to be such a hard-headed person, but on this day, I was more concerned about Takarai’s movements than ever before.

As expected, I couldn’t even think about the text of the problem in the book I had spread out on my desk.

Takarai was on the veranda attached to the classroom, talking happily with a group of girls, including her good friend Ousaki.

Seeing Takarai on the balcony, on the other side of the world separated from the classroom, glowing like a goddess in the sunshine of a sunny morning, I couldn’t help but feel that I wasn’t even close to her and what happened yesterday was just a dream.

I can’t help but look down at my right palm.

Even though it’s been a night, I still feel like the touch hasn’t disappeared.

When I look back at the balcony, Takarai’s touch, which seemed to be protected by an absolute barrier, comes back to me, and I feel as if she is not far away.

I don’t know what it is, but whenever I think of “I’ve had skin-to-skin contact with Takarai Yua”, I feel elated…

I’m sure she didn’t mean it.

Because that would be incredibly embarrassing.

I think it’s hilarious that I’m getting so worked up over the fact that we’re just stringing our hands together.

Takarai’s kindness was for the benefit of the famous Nagumo family, including Tsumugi, not for me personally.

It’s embarrassing to be mistaken. It probably doesn’t mean much to Takarai anyways. I shouldn’t worry too much about it.

I regained my energy and focused on the problem book, shutting out the voices around me. I tried to move my brain and pen somehow, but I couldn’t help but lose focus when my right hand was in my line of sight.

★

It’s lunchtime.

It was the same old routine of coming to the deserted fire escape.

I was about to spread out my lunch as usual.

From above, the dry sound of the soles of shoes and the steel stairs clashing against each other was getting closer and closer.

There is a certain kind of curious person who comes to a place like this.

“You’re here again?”

“Of course I’ll come. I almost got called out again today.”

Even though it was the result of getting into trouble again, Takarai’s voice was lively and she sat down next to me.

I’m not sure if it’s because the ground is nearby and the environment is damp with little sunlight, but the place smells fresh.

I had taken a nonchalant attitude, but when Takarai came next to me, I felt my mood lifted, unlike when I was in the classroom.

What the hell is this…? Why am I so excited that Takarai is here?

I’ve never felt this way before, even when I’m with Tsumugi, who has finally gotten over her stranger-like stiffness… This is like feeling that Takarai is better than Tsumugi.

“As long as the confession doesn’t end, I’ll have to come here.”

“So my peaceful lunchtime is completely gone?”

“I guess that means I’ll have some time alone with Nagumo-kun until I graduate.”

Takarai smiles, not in a disagreeable way.

“I mean, I come here every day just because Nagumo-kun is here.”

“Oh, is that so…”

I couldn’t say anything anymore.

The reason why I don’t feel the need to push Takarai as much as I used to is because she took care of the case of Tsumugi, not because I like her or anything.

“Besides, you can’t do this in a classroom.”

Then Takarai touched my left hand naturally, as if it had always been her habit to do so.

It was still an unfamiliar feeling.

Still, the feeling of last night came back to me and I realized that what Takarai and I talked about on the way home was not a dream.

I was tempted to quickly pull my hand away and run away, but that would make it obvious that I was embarrassed. I’m not going to be actively teased by Takarai.

“I have to help Nagumo-kun get used to girls.”

“Wasn’t that… just a joke for that moment?”

“I would never say something like that as a joke.”

In fact, it would have been much easier for me to understand her behavior if she had just said it as a joke.

I still didn’t understand where Takarai was really going with this.

“Is there any other way?”

Even though no one was watching, I was still embarrassed.

“I think this is the best way.”

Takarai said in a happy tone.

“You want to get to know Tsumugi-chan better, don’t you?”

Takarai peered down at my face.

Whenever I hear “Tsumugi,” I feel weak.

The relationship between me and Tsumugi is still not solid, and there is a possibility that I might hurt Tsumugi in the future by my carelessness.

Even if I don’t know whether Takarai’s suggestion will be effective or not, I have no choice but to go through with it.

Maybe this is my “prayer”.

It’s not about logic, it’s a matter of peace of mind and assurance that if I do this, things will work out even if things get complicated with Tsumugi.

“Oh, that reminds me, here.”

What Takarai pulled out of her skirt pocket was the handkerchief I had lent her a while ago.

“I washed it well.”

“Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s a precious thing lent to me by Nagumo-kun.”

Takarai’s fingertips, which are controlling my left hand, reach out to my palm.

“Thank you for saving my life back then.”

Takarai smiles defensively, like a dog wagging its tail, and shoves a handkerchief into my blazer pocket.

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

I just lent it to Takarai because she cried for Tsumugi. I didn’t do anything that grand to be thanked.

“Anyone would do that if they saw a classmate crying in front of them in an empty room.”

Aside from how you would react after being handed a handkerchief by a boy you don’t know very well.

At least in that scene, Takarai accepted it.

Thanks to this, my trust in Takarai has increased.

“I don’t know, I think it’s just Nagumo-kun…”

Takarai smiled and accented my left hand with her fingertips while still holding it.

Even though she was just touching me with her fingertips, I felt embarrassed, as if she was touching my whole body.

And yet, I don’t mind it at all, which is extremely annoying to me.

This is not good. If I don’t do something about it, Takarai is going to take me over in earnest.

If I become obsessed with Takarai, there will be no one left to care about Tsumugi.

I have to avoid that.

“…Enough with the hand, okay? I can’t eat lunch.”

I said, half embarrassed, and Takarai freed my left hand.

As I opened the two-tiered lunch box, I noticed that Takarai’s gaze was focused on my hand.

“…What is it?”

I asked as I stretched my chopsticks over the side dishes.

“Is that Nagumo-kun’s homemade?”

“Well, yeah. I can do almost all of the housework, so I prepare my own lunch every day.”

I didn’t tell Takarai that I wasn’t as good as her, though. I was about to get carried away.

“Sometimes I use cold food… but not today.”

“How nice~.”

“Then get back to class. You’ve got lunch waiting for you.”

“That reminds me, I haven’t had a solo meal with Nagumo-kun yet.”

I have a bad feeling about this…

“…I’ll make it for you next time I’m home.”

“It’s now or never, it’s now or never, right?” [TLN: The exact same line was repeated, not a mistranslation at all.]

For some reason, Takarai leaned forward with an urgent tone and stared at the omelet I had grabbed with my chopsticks.

“How nice~.”

This means give it to me, right…?

“…Sorry, but I only have one pair of chopsticks here right now.”

“Wow, Nagumo-kun, are you worried about indirectness?”

Truly outrageous, she’s trying to stir up my agitation.

But that level will not melt the icy heart of the permafrost that has been cultivated through years of living in the shadows.

The amateur mendicant next to her tried to move his chopsticks without regard to the monk. [TLN: Probably a JP saying that I’m missing a reference for.]

“That kind of thing is really cute and adorable!”

Takarai wiggled and jabbed her finger excitedly into my cheek, as if she had just seen a harmless-looking little beast at a pet store.

“We’re in high school now! That’s only for elementary school students! How do you do it when you’re passing it around?”

In the first place, I don’t have any friends who pass drinks around. I also have no friends to drink with either.

I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed to be called an elementary school student.

But the most embarrassing thing of all was that it wasn’t anger that was brewing inside me, but joy… or perhaps pleasure.

I didn’t feel bad about it.

You may disagree, but I had interpreted Takarai’s comment about me being cute in a positive way.

This was also due to my lack of tolerance for the opposite sex.

It’s much better to feed them directly or indirectly… and get rid of them quickly than to experience this masochistic humiliation.

“…Here, quickly eat any of them and go back to class.”

“Hmm.”

Takarai seems to be thick-skinned to an extent that she leans forward with her small mouth open.

I guess it means, “Feed me”…Do I need to close my eyes for this?

“Ah, would it be easier for you to feed me if I stretched out my tongue?”

Takarai’s tongue, which is bright pink, stretches out a bit. That was enough to make me nervous. This is the organ that is stored inside the beautiful girl Takarai, which you normally wouldn’t be able to see.

“Don’t do anything else. I’ll feed you properly.”

For Takarai’s sake, I picked up a half-crumbled omelet with my chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.

Takarai bites into my chopsticks and chews on the omelet with vigor.

“Wow~… yummm~…….”

Takarai puts her hands on her reddened cheeks.

What’s the point of a trance-like expression when you’re just eating a meal?

I can’t take it as an honest compliment.

“You’ve eaten. Now go back.”

“Wait~. Watch me swallow your egg properly.” [TLN: Raws include “gokkun” which is a Japanese slang for “c*m swallowing”, hence egg swallowing kekw]

“…Is that a fetish of yours?”

Why do I have to go along with Takarai’s pseudo-nanny play?

Takarai, who ignores me, makes a swallowing gesture and puts her fingertips to her throat, then moves them to her chest as she swallows.

“Look here. I took it all, okay?”

“Don’t open your mouth. That’s bad manners…”

“What’s up with that~? I thought you were going to compliment me.”

“I really don’t know how you see me anymore, Takarai-san.”

“O-Oh, that was delicious and fun. Later, Nagumo-kun. I’ll see you in class this afternoon.”

“You seem to be enjoying life.”

As Takarai walked up the stairs with her skirt flipped up in the air, I had no control over her, no limits.

“Nagumo-kun.”

“Is there more to it?”

Takarai leaned over the railing of the stairs and looked down at me.

“Use your chopsticks properly~. Don’t throw me away, okay~?”

“That’s heavy…”

How dare she make me think of my chopsticks with her saliva on them as her? I was going to give up and use the chopsticks for now, but it would make me even more conscious.

After Takarai left, I had a quiet lunch break.

“Why did I… not hate it?”

Even with all that annoying harassment, I was still in a satisfactory mood.

By the way, I finished my lunch without incident. I even used my chopsticks properly.

This is the first time I’ve ever been so thrilled just by eating a meal, and I shuddered a little at the thought that I might be awakening to a new fetish.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Translator’s Afterword: Wow, this chapter is hard to TL, there’s a lot of shenanigans (references) in this chapter. Moreover, there’s some lewd wording used by Takarai that made it a bit hard for me to translate kek.

Editor’s Afterword: This man’s finally accepting the M fetishes. I’m so proud.