Our Dating Story - The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me Volume 2 PDF

V2: Prologue
To this day, I still dreamed about the time when we still weren’t dating.
Within the dream, I was admiring Shirakawa-san being surrounded by many

of her friends from a distance. And I secretly felt a flutter in my heart as I
thought how cute she was today, too.
….That’s right, isn’t it. This is the reality.
The idea of me and Shirakawa-san dating is only possible inside a dream.
When I woke up with this thought in the corner of my head, I got a message
from Shirakawa-san on my phone.
“Morniiing! Today I did a super cute make-up, so take a look♡,” and the
message was attached with a selfie.
As usual, the exceptionally cute Shirakawa-san was looking this way and
smiling.
“Crap….”
My empty, waking body was filled with a lethal amount of love and I started
to feel like I was going to burst into tears because I was so happy.
Although it still feels like I’m dreaming, this is unbelievably the reality.
I wish this happiness would last forever.
I’m also aware that I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of luck.
In that case, I’d be more than happy to get it in advance. The luck for my next
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life, and the life after that.
I want to be with Shirakawa-san forever.
And everyday, I’m renewing my “love” for her.
Because surely, I’m never going to meet someone I can truly feel that way
about for the second time in my life.
V2: Chapter 1
Beginning of July, it’s the first summer since I started dating Shirakawa-san.
There’s still no announcement for the end of the rainy season, however the
temperature under this fine weather went above 35℃, so the air has
completely become midsummer’s.
Nevertheless, the expression of Shirakawa-san walking next to me on the

way to the station, in the middle of going home from school, was as cloudy as
the sky in the rainy season.
“Aah…. tests are, like, tomorrow and It’s bad bad super bad!”
She crumpled her head with both hands and looked towards the sky with a
despairing gaze.
“Baaad, super baddies mapo noodles~”1
“….Somehow that sounds delicious, doesn’t it?”
“Sheesh~! How about Ryuuto? Do you feel super confident?”
“Th-that’s not the case, but….”
The end of term tests would start tomorrow. The subjects for the first day
were English grammar, optional science, and home economics.
“The only thing I can do now for English grammar is reviewing vocabulary,
for chemistry too…. For home economic, I’m planning to do some
memorization tonight, though”
“Aah, so Ryuuto chose chemistry~. I chose biology, but I seriously don’t get
it to the MAX, it flew beyond over it’s ottawa now”
“…That’s Canada’s capital city, I think?”
“Ah, is that so?”
Shirakawa-san looked blankly for a moment, and then she slightly pouted her
lips.
“Actually, is Ryuuto, maybe really smart? No matter how many times I

review English grammar, it’s always a nightmare, but Ryuuto’s already
perfect except for the vocabulary, right?”
“Eh, err, that’s not really….”
As I got more flustered because the bar was raised too high, Shirakawa-san’s
fixedly staring at me with upturned eyes.
“….Wh-what is it?”
“Ryuuto, the scores for English grammar in midterm, what did you get?”
“Eh? Umm….”
Right, If I remember correctly, I made a mistake on some important grammar

and didn’t get the score I had expected…. Despite thinking about such, it
wasn’t terrible enough to be kept hidden, so I had to answer.
“It’s seventy-eight or nine…. I think”
I remember how vexed I was that I didn’t hit the eighty mark.
However, Shirakawa-san’s eyes shined when she heard my confession.
“Eh, no way!”
For a moment, I thought “In which meaning?”, however when seeing the
glitter in her eyes, it didn’t seem to be in a bad way.
“Ryuuto really is smart after all! I got thirty-five, you know~ I really tried my
best, too~”
“I-is that so….”
Even then, that’s still higher than Ichi’s recently, but even if I bring that topic
up, I guess Shirakawa-san’s response would only be a “huh?”.
“The scope for this time is really confusing, too, so I got a feeling it’s gonna
be worse than midterm~…. ”
“How about vocabulary? There’ll certainly be ten questions about

vocabulary, so even if you start memorizing what’ll be covered for the test
now, I’m sure you’ll definitely pull off ten points”
“Eh, isn’t that impossible? I mean, wasn’t there at least a hundred words in
the scope?”
“But, didn’t you already have some of them memorized? So just the one you
don’t know….”
“Eh seriously!? I didn’t even know some of them~…. Ryuuto really is

amazing….”
I intended to give advice, but it seemed to push her in the opposite direction.
Shirakawa-san was dropping her shoulder with a depressed face.
“Before tests I’m always like, I should’ve studied harder and I’ll do better
next time, don’t I. But, when the tests end and we start the next scope of the
lessons, it’s the continuation from the previous one, so I’m still kinda lost
from the start”
“I see….”
“If I’m like Ryuuto, properly piling up what I learned each time, I’ve a
feeling even a test will feel like an extra study session….”
“….”
It’s not even like I tried to assert dominance in studying because I was a
gloomy person, but I’ve completely taken away Shirakawa-san’s vigor.
Not that it’s an apology, but I wonder if there’s something I can do to help….
And when I was thinking that, I suddenly came up with an idea.
“Ah, then Shirakawa-san, if you’d like, do you want to study together from
now?”
Today’s the day before the tests, so we’ve got to leave school early during the
morning. At the moment, we were about to go somewhere for lunch, so I
wondered if we could make it similar to that.
“Eh?”
Shirakawa-san’s eyes opened wide and her face looked truly surprised.
“Study…. together?”
“Yeah. Only if Shirakawa-san wants to, though. I don’t understand it

perfectly either, but I believe I’ve got the general understanding of what’s
covered so I think there’s maybe something I can teach you”
“Eh, you know, can studying be done together with others? I can’t teach
Ryuuto anything, though”
“That’s totally fine. Look, it’s said often, right. You can’t teach others unless
you really understand it. Also, I maybe find something I don’t understand
myself when teaching Shirakawa-san”
“Aah….”
Shirakawa-san muttered “So that’s also one way to look at it”, and looked up
at me.
“I’m so happy. When I’m alone I can’t concentrate and somehow ends up
getting my nails done. If together with Ryuuto, I feel like I can actually
study!”
Her smiling face shined with anticipation and joy, completely like that of a
child about to go on a field trip.
However, 30 minutes later.
Her expression already started to look dark.
“Haah~…. What’s this? It’s totally a stranger to me, though”
At the fast food restaurant in front of A Station (It’s another branch of the
chain store I went to with Yamana-san previously) was Shirakawa-san sitting
opposite me, and had a textbook opened while holding her head in her hands.
“What part you don’t understand?”
“All of it. Everything. Isn’t this sentence not making any sense? What even is
this”
What Shirakawa-san pointed to was the following sentence.
He is the last man to tell a lie.
“That, huh. Firstly, do you understand the meaning of ‘tell a lie’?”
“Umm…. ‘Tell it to Rie’? Ah, I know. A phone call, right? Grandma also
often says ‘If you need something just telephone me’, doesn’t she”
“Whoops….”
It’s worse than I thought.
“Then, do you understand the part before that?”
“‘He’s the last man’….?”
“That’s right. ‘tell a lie’ means ‘to lie’, so a direct translation would be ‘he’s
the last person who would lie’”
“….What does that mean?”
“Let’s assume that everyone in the world turns into a liar. If the liars were to
tell a lie in order starting from the one who lied the most, it means that he’ll
be the last one to tell a lie”
“Aah, I see”
“Do you get the meaning? In other words, he’s an honest person…. And
that’s what it means”
“Yep…. That’s Ryuuto, isn’t it”
Being told that by Shirakwa-san, I looked at her.
“Eh?”
Then she smiled at me.
“If every man in the world were to cheat, I feel like Ryuuto won’t do it until
the very end. And I, believe so”
After saying that, she dropped her gaze and smiled happily.
“Since I started dating, Ryuuto is the first person I’ve felt that way about”
“Shirakawa-san….”
I became embarrassed and started to scratch my chin for no reason.
Of course I’ve no intention to cheat on her at all, but if she believes me to

that extent, it makes my ass itchy.2
“….So with that, do you understand this sentence now?”
“Yep”
“Then, let’s go to the next one”
It was then, when I wanted to move to the next one quickly because I felt
embarrassed.
“Uh, wait a sec”
She told me that, then Shirakawa-san stood up, taking along her notebook
and mechanical with her. Then she came over here, and sat next to me.
We had been sitting around a table for two, facing each other. Up until now,
Shirakawa-san had been sitting on a chair type seat, and I was sitting on a
bench type seat position against the wall. And the bench type seat stretched
all the way to the next tables, so there’s certainly a room for two people to sit.
“Eh…. Eh?”
As I got flustered at the sudden closeness, Shirakawa-san grinned at me.
“This way is easier to read, right?”
It’s just like what Shirakawa-san had said. If we were sitting side by side, we
didn’t have to be bothered laying the textbook sideways, and both of us
didn’t have to peek at the textbook from the side.
“Ye-yeah. Then, let’s continue….”
I tried to hide my unrest and continue with the explanation, however.
“Mm-hmm”
At the same time when Shirakawa-san nodded her head, her hair swayed
softly from a close distance, and a floral or fruity smell tickled my nose.
“….”
Concentrate, me!
Or rather…. This is something I noticed a short while ago when looking to

the side, though.
There were other pairs of man and woman sitting together at a table on the
same row. I don’t know whether they’re a couple or just friends, but
excluding us, all of them have the woman sitting on the wall side…. In other
words, the woman’s sitting on the side we’re sitting right now.
Is there perhaps, that kind of unspoken rule in the world? So the woman on
the wall side? No, is the bench seat priority for the woman….? I don’t know,
but I’m suddenly feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
“Umm…. so, therefore….”
I tried to focus back on the English grammar, but when I cast down my gaze,
the white thighs peeking out of Shirakawa-san’s skirt, who was sitting next to
me now, attracted my gaze.
I want to touch it…. But, if I suddenly do that with this personality of mine,
I’d be a pervert.
We’re studying, don’t get horny. Endure it, me!
“What’s wrong, Ryuuto?”
“Eh!? No, umm, in other words, you see….”
Finally, despite the fact of Shirakawa-san asking me with “Eh, What do you
mean?” and me replying back that happened for about three times, I
somehow managed to finish the explanation for that page.
“….Aah, so that’s what that was all about”
After Shirakawa-san was done with the listening, her face looked a bit more
refreshed compared to from a while ago.
“I thought you’re gonna explain something much more difficult to me. It’s
surprisingly easy, isn’t it”
“That’s right. The longer the sentence, the more difficult it appears, but after
all, it’s just words with increased numbers of adjectives and prepositions”
“Prepositions?”
“Ah, let’s see, like the describing of place of in or at, yeah”
“Fuun”
The fact that she didn’t seem to really get that part was so clear to see it’s
cute.
“But I’m glad! With this I can see a bit of hope now! Thanks, Ryuuto”
After saying that, Shirakawa-san stood up.
“Let’s go get some burgers! When you feel relieved your belly gets empty”
“I guess so”
Even though we had set up the textbook just with the intention of grabbing
the seat, I was worried about how Shirakawa-san fared in her study then we
started studying, so we excitedly headed for the cashier downstairs.
Thus, we obtained our lunch and then it was when we returned to the seat.
“Ah…. Shirakawa-san”
I called out to Shirakawa-san who was about to sit on her original chair seat.
“Nn?”
Stopping the hands that were about to put down the tray, she then looked at
me. Those big eyes of hers were so dazzlingly adorable, I unconsciously
looked down.
“Umm, if you’d like, you can sit there….”
When I spoke while pointing at the bench seat further in, Shirakawa-san tilted
her head with an “Eh?”.
“Well, you see….”
I wasn’t sure how to explain this to her, so I hesitatingly told her.
“I.. am not used to doing things together with a girl…. So I’m sorry if I
missed any things. I realized that.. it’s maybe a better seat. If that’s the case,
then, I’d like Shirakawa-san to sit there….”
“Eh….”
Shirakawa-san’s cheeks suddenly turned red.
“I-I don’t particularly mind either way….”
While saying this, Shirakawa-san placed the tray on the deeper part and sat
down on the bench seat.
“….Thanks, Ryuuto”
With blushed cheeks, Shirakawa-san looked up at me and smiled.
“I’m sorry, that I couldn’t be smart about it….”
“It’s okay”
Shirakawa-san shook her head while still smiling.
“I’m so much happier.. than being formally escorted. I.. love that part about
Ryuuto”
“…..!?”
My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
Shirakawa-san smiled embarrassingly.
“C’mon, Ryuuto sit too”
And then as if to hide her embarrassment, she unnaturally made her voice
sound livelier.
“After eating we’re gonna sit side by side again anyway, right!”
“Eh!?”
“Isn’t it? Aren’t you gonna help me study?”
Being looked at with upturned eyes, the pounding of my heart became more
furious instead of settling down.
I can’t believe I can study for tests together with such a cute girlfriend…. No
kidding, I thought I’m the luckiest guy in the world.
Tests would start tomorrow, and the study group with Shirakawa would also
continue after school during the tests period.
Perhaps the neighboring high schools also had tests coming up, and the usual
fast food restaurant was crowded every day with high school students
studying.
On the third day of study group, it was after eating lunch and a little bit of
studying. We decided to take a break. We returned back to sit face to face and
were drinking our milkshake.
“….You know, there’s many high school students couple studying together,
isn’t there”
Looking around at the surroundings, Shirakawa-san casually spoke.
Now that she mentioned it, there’s also a guy and a girl in a uniform
diagonally across from us silently running their pens on their notebooks
across the table. I’m.. weak at making eye contact with strangers, so I
couldn’t look around that much, but Shirakawa-san perhaps has found
several more pairs.
“It’s really amazing. For me, studying with my boyfriend is…. really
original? Even though it’s like that”
“Original….”
Probably, she meant to say “fresh”, And I thought of that in the corner of my
head, and pondered about the meaning of Shirakawa-san’s words.
I remembered how she was when I told her “let’s study together” before the
tests.
──Eh, you know, can studying be done together with others?
I wonder if it’s her first time. This kind of date(?).
….I wonder if.. she didn’t do that with her ex-boyfriend.
If that’s the case, why didn’t they.
It somehow seemed like a good time to ask her, so I opened my mouth.
“Did your previous boyfriend….s, not ever help you study?”
If I remember correctly, there’s even a rumor of her ex-boyfriend being a

university student. Aside from my indescribable feelings towards her ex-
boyfriend, I was genuinely curious.
At the beginning, I hated the thought of thinking about her ex-boyfriend, even
if just a little…. but perhaps, is a little confidence starting to sprout inside
me?
The confidence as Shirakawa-san’s boyfriend.
“Eh….?”
Shirakawa-san looked over here with a surprised face. When she met with my
eyes, she timidly shook her head.
“….No one did. Things like my grades, they didn’t seem to be very interested
in it…. And I was even told something like ‘Even if they can’t study, girls
benefit from being cute, don’t they’”
How Shirakawa-san felt when saying that was made apparent from how
tightly she pursed her lips.
Seeing her like that rekindled my anger towards her ex-boyfriend.
“I see….”
It’s not like Shirakawa-san..thinks that it’s fine even if she can’t study. It’s
already obvious from the fact that she’s studying for the tests together with
me like this. And yet, to say such a thing to her. It’s too inconsiderate.
With a smile, Shirakawa-san stared at me, who fell silent thinking that.
“Ryuuto is the first time, you know. The first person who’s ever wanted to do
anything for me”
Her eyes slightly narrowed, trembling. And her cheeks shone rosy-colored.
“That’s why, I’m also getting lots of first time feelings”
“Shirakawa-san”
When my chest was overflowing with feelings and I wasn’t able to say
anything, Shirakawa-san’s smile was mixed with bashfulness.
“…. Ok, let’s go study again”
She’s fanning her face with both hands and touching her hair. It’s the gesture
when she’s embarrassed.
“Yeah, let’s”
I will never hurt such a lovely girlfriend.
At this time when I made such a vow, I still wasn’t able to foresee the
upcoming summer events full of turbulence.
The end of term tests proceeded quietly.
On the fourth day of the tests, we got back the English grammar test from the
first day in the homeroom before going home.
“Waa, look, look, Ryuuto!”
After getting back her answer sheet, Shirakawa-san came straight to my seat.
“Ta-da!”
So what kind of wonderful score it’d…. And as I thought that and looked at it,
I frowned at the number “42” written next to the name field.
“….Nnn?”
Shirakawa-san looked at me with a face screaming “How’s that? How’s that”,

so I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction to give.
“Yeah….?”
“Isn’t it amazing? I even thought it’d go down from last time, but it went up!
It’s because of Ryuuto’s help, so thanks!”
“Aah, well, I didn’t do something that big….”
“How’s Ryuuto’s scores? Let me see”
“Yeah….”
When I was told to show my answer by Shirakawa-san, her big eyes opened
wide.
“Amaaaziing! Is Ryuuto a god!?”
“No, no, no….!”
Her reaction was like she’s been shown an answer sheet with a perfect score,
however since it’s 87 points, it’d be embarrassing if my classmates notice it.
“I’m happy for you, Shirakawa-san. It’s higher than last time”
When I forcefully brought back the topic, Shirakawa-san nodded with a

smile.
“Yep! Thank you, Ryuuto!”
Then she returned back to her seat. It was then, when I was about to put away
my test sheet while saying good good grief.
“Kashima-kun”
I heard a voice from the seat next to me. When I looked over there, I saw
Kurose-san looking at me.
Kurose-san….. She’s Shirakawa-san’s twin younger sister, and someone I

confessed to and got rejected by when I was in the first year of middle
school.
Because of their parent’s divroce, she’s taken in by their mother and she had
grudge towards Shirakawa-san for taking away her father. When she first
transferred into this school, she was spreading bad rumors about Shirakawa-
san.
Since that incident, I’ve rarely talked to Kurose-san. Although we at least

greeted each other every morning, Kurose-san was always fidgety, so I was
taking that into consideration, too. It’s natural for her to be feeling awkward
with me for talking about something concerning her life history.
“What is it?”
So, when I replied back while thinking that it’s unexpected for her to start
talking to me, Kurose-san timidly opened her mouth. Her cheeks looked
slightly red.
“Kashima-kun, you’re really smart, aren’t you”
“Eh?”
“Your score, I saw it. Are you good at English?”
“Eh, yeah….”
Maybe it’s because the give and take with Shirakawa-san. It’s not like I
intended to show off, so I felt embarrassed. This time I put the folded test
paper into my bag.
“Not really…. I think I’m not bad at it, though”
“That’s nice. I’m slightly bad at it, you see. I’m also worried about
tomorrow’s English conversation”
Kurose-san frowned her brows deeply, and the corners of her mouth rose.
Then, she started to talk somewhat shly.
“Say…. if it’s fine with you, could you help me study?”
“Eh….”
As I was puzzled, Kurose-san started to talk in a fluster.
“Ah…. what Kashima-kun was mad about the other day, it’s my fault and
I’m reflecting on it. I should say, I felt grateful to Kashima-kun for scolding
me properly…. Anyway, I don’t have any ill feelings towards you”
“….I-is that so”
In that case it’s good then, however….
I still have ill feelings towards Kurose-san for giving Shirakawa-san a hard
time. Shirakawa-san herself doesn’t seem to mind it anymore, and I guess it’d
surely be better if I forgive her for her sake…. and Kurose-san is Shirakawa-
san’s younger sister.
As I was pondering such due to complicated emotions, Kurose-san spoke

with downcast eyes.
“I.. still haven’t got used to this school yet…. My friends are also few…. If
Kashima-kun could teach me, I’d be happy”
“O-oh yeah….?”
Even so, why me of all people? Won’t it be awkward? That’s what I think, but
after that incident, it’s the truth that Kurose-san is treated like a growing
tumor by our classmates.
Some kind-hearted girls and guys, who are just after her face, still talk to her.
However, there’s certainly no sign of her hanging out with any particular
close friends.
Although she’s reaping what she sowed, I feel a bit of pity for her.
However….
“I’m sorry. I’ve already promised with Shirakawa-san to study together

during tests”
When I declined it, Kurose-san hung her head and pursed her lips.
“….I see. I understand”
The tone of voice she let out was calm, so I felt relieved.
Then, Kuruse-san immediately raised her face and looked at me again.
“Then, how about summer vacation? I’m also not good at math, so maybe I
could ask you if there’s something I don’t get about the homework ….”
Hearing this, I looked to the rear with a glance.
“If it’s math, Ichi is more…. Ijichi-kun is better at it than me. Should I
introduce you to him?”
Even if his overall score in midterm was utterly wrecked, only in math he got
a high score, so I think he’s surely strong at it.
However, perhaps that my kindness wasn’t transmitted, Kurose-san’s

expression stiffened immediately.
“….It’s fine”
As soon as she replied with a stiff voice, she immediately lifted up her eyes
again.
“Th-then…. Can I ask at least for a LINE ID?”
“Eh, Ichi’s LINE?”
“No! I mean Kashima-kun’s!”
Being replied back angrily, I got bewildered by the unreasonableness.
“Su-sure…. But there won’t be any contact from me, alright?”
I remembered Shirakawa-san’s subtle reaction when she saw the LINE

message I got from Yamana-san. Having sworn not to make Shirakawa-san
feel worried, I’d like to refrain from contacting other girls as much as
possible.
“….That’s fine. It’s because I want to get in contact with you”
Kurose-san replied with a dark expression, and I shrinked back.
“I-I see…..”
She doesn’t have friends to that extent, huh…. It went beyond pitiful, I felt a
little worried.
“….Thank you”
As I registered her as a friend on my phone under my desk, hiding it from the

teacher, Kurose-san muttered so and her cheeks blushed slightly.
Yeah, she really is cute….
The one I love now is Shirakawa-san, but seeing Kurose-san like this makes
me remember how I felt at the time when I had feelings for her.
But that’s over now, and while feeling a little bit of loneliness, I locked my
phone that stored her contact address.
In the morning of the end of term tests’ final day, the end of the rainy season
was announced by the meteorological agency.
“Hooray, it’s summer vacation!“
On the way back home together, Shirakawa-san’s face truly looked refreshed
for the first time in a while.
“But still, it’s hot! I think I’m melting~”
Looking up at the midsummer’s clear sky at noon with white clouds drifting
by, Shirakawa-san let out a “Yikes” and stuck out her tongue.
She’s fanning the wind using her hands to her chest with an almost-visible-
cleavage, so I felt flustered because my gaze subconsciously fell over there.
“I really wanna go to the sea~ to the sea! Above ground is a no-no”
“Huh, so going under the sea? Diving?”
“Nnnn, just on the beach~. Isn’t it refreshing to get into the sea occasionally”
“Ah, so….”
If that’s the case, isn’t the beach “above ground”?, and that’s what I thought,
but since I was unwilling to be thought of as a nitpicking guy, I kept silent.
Then Shirakawa-san looked into my eyes.
“Hey, hey, do you remember what kind of day is tomorrow?”
“Eh?”
What day is it again…. and as I pondered so, Shirakawa-san let out a

“Sheesh” and pouted her lips.
“One month! It’s the one-month anniversary since we started dating”
“….Aaah!”
Now that she mentioned it, it was around this time last month when I
confessed to her.
When I’m with Shirakawa-san everyday feels fresh and exciting, so it feels
like a considerable amount of time has already passed, but it’s only been a
month, huh.
“Heey, why don’t we go to the sea for our one-month anniversary? The rainy
season is also over”
“Eh? Yeah…. That’s fine by me”
Though I said that, the only experience I had of swimming on the sea was
when I was in elementary school, and when my parents brought me along
there once a year.
“Hooraay! So tomorrow, okay!”
“Ye-yeah….”
Moreover, it’s tomorrow. I don’t have time to do preliminary inspection.
Wait a minute, the sea!?
Are you telling me I’m going to see Shirakawa-san in a swimsuit!?
I can spend the whole day with Shirakawa-san in a.. bikini….!? In the middle
of getting too absorbed in enjoying herself, then the things that are about to
burst slipping out…. is expected, I think that’s not going to happen but, crap.
I can’t stop this wild delusion!
“….What’s wrong, Ryuuto? Spacing out like that”
“It-it’s okay! Everything’s fine”
This is no good. If I’m walking here while hunched forward in delusion,

Shirakawa-san would instantly know.
“Y-you’re really looking forward to it, huh. The sea”
“Yep! I’m so looking forward to it!”
Thus, it’s decided that tomorrow we’d go for a date to the sea for our one-
month anniversary.
V2: Chapter 1.5 – Kurose Maria’s
Hidden Diary
Who the hell does Kashima Ryuuto think he is?
Even though such a cute me asked him for his contact info, he acted like that.
Moreover, the reply for the message I sent was curt, too.
It’s frustrating…..
It’s frustrating, but I can’t get Kashima-kun out of my head.
And the serious look in his eyes when he scolded me. Aside from dad, he’s the
only man who ever faced me properly.
And yet, no matter how much I smile and talk to him, Kashima-kun’s smile
is.. always directed at Runa….
I see…. Kashima-kun does.. resemble dad a bit, doesn’t he.
Dad, too. He never looked at any other women except mom. He may have
looked away for a moment, but he only loved mom.
Despite that, mom threw away dad.
Kashima-kun, please notice it. You’re being deceived by Runa, you know?
You’d surely get thrown away soon. Runa looks a lot like mom after all.
That’s why, I’m a better match for you, okay, Kashima-kun.
Can you please notice it soon?
My heart already belongs to Kashima-kun after all….
V2: Chapter 2
The next day, too, it’s a splendid clear summer weather from morning.
“Morning! I’m so excited to go!”
When we met up at the station’s platform, Shirakawa-san’s attire was already

running full throttle midsummer beach mode.
The strange top she’s wearing with completely open shoulders that had only
the upper arms come with fluttering sleeves, had a tropical plant-style
print…. This kind of thing, was it called a botanical design? So it’s fully
loaded with an everlasting summer feel. And the length of her damaged
denim shorts she wore were so short, that at this rate I was worried that it’d
keep fraying and revealing her panty. It was all then combined with a large
bag and a wide-brimmed straw hat. She could even travel to Hawaii like this.
“I got so excited, I came dressed up with all the items I’ve bought for
summer vacation! The swimsuit is newly-bought, too~!”
Shirakawa-san reported it to me in high spirits.
“Hey, hey, what do you think?”
“Yeah. ….It really suits you”
When I told her this, Shirakawa-san smiled like a blooming sunflower.
“Yaaaay!”
While looking so happy she might’ve jumped on the spot, she grabbed my
arm.
“Go let’s go! Let’s quickly get on the train, and to the sea!”
Today, at Shirakawa-san’s suggestion, we had decided to go to Enoshima. It

seemed that when she’s little, she went there along with her family by car, so
she wanted to go there after a long time.
“Shirakawa-san, do you often go to the sea in the summer?”
Luckily, we’ve got a seat on the train from A Station and we’re sitting side
by side while chatting.
“Nnnn. Nowadays I’ve only been to a pool”
“Is that so? You seemed to like the sea, though”
“Yep. I do like the sea, but the pick-up guys are annoying if you go there
with only girls, aren’t they”
‘O-ooh….“
I spontaneously imagined Shirakawa-san being hit on by a handsome surfer-

type guy, and my face twitched.
Then saying something like “Why not, c’mon let’s go” over familiarly, and
wrapping his hand around her bare hips…. Just imagining it was too
excruciating.
Even if that kind of guy confessed to her when she’s free, I wonder if she
would end up dating him? And then get cheated on….
“So, you know, I can only go there when I’ve a boyfriend, but lately, I was
often free in the summer, so that’s why”
“….”
“But you see, this year my uncle is….”
As Shirakawa-san was about to continue talking, she saw my face, then

stopped talking.
“Ryuuto?”
“Nn?”
“….What’s wrong?”
“Eh?”
When I questioned her, Shirakawa-san frowned slightly.
“Umm you see, recently about what Ryuuto’s, thinking? feeling? I feel like
I’m starting to understand it a little”
As I wondered what she’s trying to say, she stared at me fixedly.
“Ryuuto, when I make a talk about ex-boyfriend1, you make a somewhat

difficult face, don’t you”
“Eh…. no, umm”
When I started to panic thinking that I’d been found out, Shirakawa-san
spoke to me with a serious face.
“You don’t have to worry, okay? I don’t have any contact with any of them
anymore now, with my ex-boyfriend. When I break up with someone, I delete
my entire LINE account. And that’s all I have for a contact address. I’ve got
lots of complaints from my friends, though”
“Ye-yeah…. I understand”
I’m not doubting you, Shirakawa-san. It’s the problem of my feelings.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. It’s not like I’m doubting you or anything,
okay”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. It’s my first time dating a girl, so there’s various things I’m not used
to…. I’m sure I’ll be able to get used to it before long”
“Really….?”
Shirakawa-san didn’t look completely convinced, but it seemed she’s decided

to end that topic.
“So you see…. Huh? What are we talking about again?”
“Eh? What was it again?”
“Oh well. Oh that’s right, so I started playing a new game since last night,
you see”
After that, Shirakawa-san started to talk about a puzzle game on her phone. I
downloaded it, too, then we were playing it while sending each other lives.
And before I knew it, we arrived at Fujisawa.
From Fujisawa, we switched to Enoshima Rails for five stops. After about
one hour and a half from A Station, we arrived at Enoshima.
And so we arrived at Enoshima beach.
The sandy beach was full of people, and the sun was shining down brightly
from above. And seeing the figures of gals wearing glasses, or rugged older
guys with undercut hairstyles swaggering around in swimsuits with a very
loud, upbeat music as a BGM was enough to make my gloomy self nervous.
One way or another, we managed to get to the beach hut and borrowed a
locker to get ready. I finished changing faster than Shirakawa-san and now
was nervously waiting for her outside.
Shirakawa-san’s swimsuit…. Shirakawa-san’s swimsuit…. Just by thinking

about it already makes my blood pressure rise. If I see the figure of
Shirakawa-san in a swimsuit on a sandy beach like this, where it feels like
your feet would get burned if barefooted…. I wonder if I’d get a heatstroke
and collapse.
It’s fine. I did enough image training last night, so no matter how much of a
virgin I am….
Then that’s when it happened.
“Whooo is it!”
Supple hands suddenly covered my eyes, and I could hear a bright sweet
voice coming from close to my ear. And a fruity or floral smell drifting
around.
“….Shi-Shirakawa-san?”
I got too shaken that I ended up making it into a question. There’s no one else
but Shirakawa-san.
Although it’s just her hands, the unexpected skin touch and her breathing that
I could feel up close made my brain heat up, and it felt like it’s going to boil
over.
“Cooorrect!”
My vision brightened, and I looked behind me.
Over there was….
“Ta-da! How is it?”
Shirakawa-san in a bikini.
“….”
Shirakawa-san’s swimsuit was even more amazing than I’d imagined.
The flower-patterned bikini had a stylish design that enhanced her well
proportioned body. Among many women who’re wearing a hoodie or
leggings to protect themselves from sunburn, Shirakawa-san’s bold bikini
appearance was not just sexy, but looked rather healthful.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of the bra-shaped swimsuit supporting her both
heavy-looking breasts. Usually, only the silhouette of her cleavage was
peeking out from her blouse uniform (Even so, that made my heart pounding,
though), but now I could clearly see the full extent of her cleavage and even
the shape of her breasts. The line from her hips to her thighs, too, was
adequately fleshy and magnificent.
I can’t believe such a beauty with a goddess-like figure is my girlfriend….

Our high school doesn’t have any pool, so I think none of our classmates has
seen Shirakawa-san like this.
Just usually being next to her already makes me nervous, but if I were to
spend the whole day with Shirakawa-san dressed like this…. And then, if by
some chance there’s any skin to skin touch…. Ah, this is bad, my head feels
like going nuts if I think about it too much. I’’m, too, dressed in a swimsuit,
so I want to avoid getting too aroused.
“Eh, what? Does it look weird?”
When I saw Shirakawa-san checking her whole body, I shook my head in a

panic while praising her appearance in my brain.
“No! So umm, that’s….!”
“Eh? What, what?”
Looking amused, Shirakawa-san came straight closer to me. I couldn’t take

my eyes away from her charming, almost naked body.
Ah, this, this is that isn’t it. I got so embarrassed I couldn’t say anything.
This is vexing, but this is beyond my control….
“Hey, hey~! Are you happy going on a date to the sea with a girl in a bikini?”
Shirakawa-san kept on teasing me as if my reaction was that interesting.
“Shi-Shirakawa-san….!”
“Aha, Ryuuto you’re all red~!”
As she said that, Shirakawa-san took my hand and pulled me towards the
water’s edge.
“C’mon, let’s go! If we’re not quick, summer’s gonna end~!”
“It-it’s only just started, alright!”
Although my heartbeat ran wild due to the feels of her body temperature, and
I got embarrassed because of my flushed cheeks, I somehow kept it under
control.
“Hey, Ryuuto. Can you put some sunscreen on me?”
As I was spreading out the picnic sheet at the beach, Shirakawa-san said this
to me.
“I can’t reach my back, so…. can you?”
Wh-what’d she say!?
“….Ye-yeah”
I nodded while gulping down my saliva.
Putting sunscreen on Shirakawa-san’s back meant…. Of course, that meant

I’d touch her skin.
“Thanks! Then, here”
And Shirakawa-san handed me the sunscreen bottle, then lying face down on
the picnic sheet.
Different from the front part where there’s proper clothing, the back of the
swimsuit only had a string that it’s not an exaggeration to say that her upper
body was almost naked.
A delicate white back…. A small-ish, but well raised round hipline….
Crap. My brain feels like boiling….
”Th-then, I’ll put it on now….”
“Yeees, please do!”
Contrary to me, who’s nervous and became stiff, Shirakawa-san replied to me

in a relaxed, bright voice.
When I touched that white skin with my hand that had sunscreen on it, it slid
smoothly across her skin. Though already obvious, it feels slightly warm, and
it’s a touching sensation that makes me want to keep doing it forever…. I’d
be labeled as a creep If it were to be known that I was thinking such thing, so
I pretended to be only doing my job, and quietly spread the sunscreen.
“Ah, spread it under the swimsuit, too! You can just move the string”
She seemed to have realized that somehow I was avoiding the area around the
swimsuit and called out to me on that.
“O-ofu!? ….Yeah, I got it”
I got flustered and ended up making a weird voice, but I wondered if it’s
noticed.
With a pounding heart, I held the string with my left hand and brought my
right hand with the sunscreen under it. It’s still the same back, but why my
heart beating so fast like this.
“Pfft!”
Shirakawa-san suddenly let out a held back laughing voice, then my hand
stopped.
“Wha-what’s wrong?”
“The way Ryuuto touches, somehow it’s ticklish”
“Ah, sorry….”
I was wondering whether it’d be bad to keep touching all sticky like this, so I
touched her with reserve as a result.
Anyway, Shirakawa-san’s voice just now, was really erotic….
I suppressed the horniness, and since I felt like the blood flow would gather
in one place, after that I kept thinking about the multiplication table of
thirteen while turning into a devoted sunscreen applying machine.
“Thanks, Ryuuto!”
After finishing applying the sunscreen, Shirakawa-san energetically thanked

me and got up.
“No, thank you very much as well….”
“Eh? For what?”
“Eh!? No, it’s nothing”
Damn it, my inner voice leaked out.
I was just applying her sunscreen, however I got mentally exhausted and
went limp. I send my respect to all boyfriends in the world who composedly
go on a swimming on the sea date.
I’m creepy, aren’t I…. The fact I’m virgin’s in full view.
When I looked around, I was overwhelmed by the dignified behavior of other

guys who had come here with their girlfriend.
Maybe many were locals, but everyone already looked slightly tanned,
they’re slender but muscular, and I felt like their hairstyles too were stylish.
That’s right, isn’t it. Only normies who’d think of going on a date with their
girlfriend on the sea.
When I saw a guy who looked at least to be a high schooler walking with his
girlfriend in a bikini with his hand on her waist, it made me spontaneously
want to ask him “You, how many lives have you lived?”. Cheery people are
amazing.
Surely, Shirakawa-san’s ex-boyfriends were too…. Compared to that, I am….
When I think about it, I feel embarrassed that it’s apparent I’m an indoor
type, with this pale body and all. Even this swimsuit, it’s a vintage item I took
out that I bought in the third year of middle school when my male friends and
I somehow went to the pool due to the stress from studying for tests.
It’s strange, isn’t it, for a guy like me to be in a place like this together with
such a cute girl….
“Ryuuto!”
It was then.
A pink globe flew into the air towards in front of my eyes and I reflexively
caught it with both hands.
It’s a beach ball. Shirakawa-san, who had moved towards the sea before I
knew it, threw the ball at me.
“Let’s quickly get into the sea! Come here come~!”
When I saw that beaming smile, things I’d been thinking just now appeared a
little less inconsequential.
“I’m coming!”
I replied back to Shirakawa-san. Then I, too, headed towards the sea.
And like that, we entered the sea and played tossing balls from close distance.
“Here it comes, Ryuuto!”
“Yeah!”
“Take this~!”
“Here!”
“Kya, I got splashed~!”
We’re not too far apart, so it seemed that a spray from my hand hitting the
ball went flying and splashed Shirakawa-san’s face.
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
Then, Shirakawa-san showed a mischievous smile.
“Then, this is payback!”
“Wah!”
My face was splashed with water, and a fishy, salty taste spread to my mouth.
“You’ve done it now, Shirakawa-san”
“Ehehe”
Shirakawa-san was looking over here with a face of a mischievous child.
“….Alright”
“Kya!”
When I lightly splashed the water, Shirakawa-san turned around and evaded.
Then she immediately scooped the water’s surface with her hands and threw
it this way.
“Wah!”
Not wanting to lose, I returned back some water splash. I kept it moderately
since I thought it’d be bad if her face, which probably had make-up, got wet,
but the other side was relentless, so I gradually became aggressive.
“Ahaha, stop it, Ryuuto!”
“You too!”
At midsummer noon under the sun, we raised a shout of joy just like kids and
enjoyed playing in the water.
I wondered how long we played. After we splashed each other with water, we
got on a rented float in turn and sank each other, or just played tag in the
water. And before we knew it, the sun’s position had changed considerably.
Shirakawa-san was a genius at getting people to enjoy themselves. I had

thought that the sea was only there for the normies and before I dated
Shirakawa-san, I used to wonder what high schoolers would even do at the
sea. And before I knew it, I found myself completely enjoying the sea.
“Uwaa, my hair’s all soppy”
When we decided to take a short break and got out from the sea, Shirakawa-
san squeezed her hair while laughing.
“Aah, that was fun”
Shirakawa-san had tied her hair up before entering the sea, but it’s
completely wet that it’s meaningless. It’s no wonder since she fell off the
float.
“Feeling hungry?”
“I guess so. Let’s get something to eat”
And then we went to a beach house and got ourselves some yakisoba and
takoyaki, and ate on top of the sheet spread on the sandy beach.
Once our stomachs were filled, Shirakawa-san let out a sigh and looked up at
the sky.
“I’m so glad the weather was nice today~!”
“You’re right. I heard about typhoon approaching quickly, but I wonder if it

went away”
Hearing about a typhoon occurring just as the rainy season ended made me
really think that Japan these days was experiencing abnormal weather.
“Maybe it’s thanks to my daily conduct~! Ryuuto should be grateful, okay?”
There’s really nothing I should quip about, so I said “Guess so” while
smiling, and I gulped down the bottle of ramune I was holding.
Although I’ve gotten used to it considerably, it’s still making me nervous….

when I was sitting side-by-side like this with Shirakawa-san in her swimsuit
appearance, and at the distance where just a slight movement would make it a
skin-to-skin contact.
Speaking of swimsuit appearance.
“….Shirakawa-san, there’s something I didn’t get a chance to say earlier, you

see”
It’s been stuck in the corner of my head the whole time now for some reason,
so I wanted to tell it to her even though it’s already this late.
“Nn?”
Shirakawa-san looked over here with a wondering face. To such her, I spoke.
“ The shwim, swimsuit….”
Crap. I bit my tongue. But, I’ve already brought up the subject. If I stop here,
I’ll look suspicious.
“Eh? Swimsuit?”
Shirakawa-san waited for me to speak and was staring at me. Feeling that
pressure, I continued in a fluster.
“That swimsuit…. I-it looks good on you”
When I finally said it, Shirakawa-san’s cheeks turned red with a puff.
“Ryuuto….”
Those big eyes got moist and glistened, and Shirakawa-san started to talk in a
fluster.
“Wh-why are you saying it now~!? Isn’t it sly!?”
“Eh, what is!?”
“I didn’t see that coming, didn’t I!”
After making a racket as if to hide her embarrassment, Shirakawa-san smiled

with a “Ehehe”
“But thanks. This swimsuit is cute, right? I bought it when shopping with
Nikoru last month! I did try about thirty, so as expected, towards the end
Nikoru was kinda pissed and said ‘Why are you so undecided?’”
“That was, certainly….”
Yamana-san, you’re truly a good friend….
“So you see, when I told Nikoru I was going to the sea, she came over after
her part-time and got my nails done! Look, look~!”
Then Shirakawa-san spread her hands in front of me.
“She made a design that matches the swimsuit! Don’t you think she’s a god?
It’s super cute, right!?”
“Yeah, it’s amazing”
I thought it was surely done by a professional in a store. If you were to see it
from the perspective of someone like me, who was indifferent about fashion,
that much already looked like perfection.
“It’s summer vacation, so I had it sculptured”
“Sculptured?”
“I think it’s called lengthening? It’s artificially growing the short nails!
They’re stronger than your own nails, and you can expand the design, too,
you know”
“Hee”
“It makes for fancy nails, perfect for summer vacation!”
“Ah, but we still have school next week, you know?”
Next week, we had to attend school just for a day for the end of term
ceremony. Then after receiving the not-yet-returned end of term tests’ answer
sheets and report card, it’d officially be summer vacation.
“Well, it’s just a bit of a head start”
Then Shirakawa-san made a wink.
“Anyway, I really like these nails! Oh that’s right, I’m gonna take a photo of
it with the sea, and post it on Insta~!”
As she said that, Shirakawa-san grabbed her phone and spread her hand out
towards the sea. Then the photo session started while she’s bending her
fingers.
I watched over her like that in silence.
Although only her hand was displayed, perhaps out of conditioned reflex,
she’s automatically making a cute face the moment the shutter was clicked.
It’s adorable.
Then, our eyes met when Shirakawa-san casually glanced over here.
“….Ah, sorry!”
She then hurriedly put down her phone.
“It’s done now. You must be bored, right”
“No, that’s not the case at all”
I shook my head, and pointed at Shirakawa-san’s nail.
“That, isn’t that ‘L’ written on your ring finger? Is that an initial?”
When I asked her, Shirakawa-san’s face suddenly brightened up.
“That’s right! Nikoru’s putting it on her own~! Actually it should be ‘R‘ for
‘RUNA’, but she made it ‘L’ to go with the goddess of the moon’s LUNA,
she said”
“Yeah, I thought that might be the case, too”
I didn’t know if it was goddess of the moon, but I remembered “LUNA” was
a noun related to the moon.
“It’s surprising you noticed it~! Amazing! I’m happy!”
Shirakawa-san, who was raising voice of admiration, then suddenly frowned.
“….Ryuuto, you’re not saying something like ‘Won’t having nails like that
be a hindrance?’, don’t you”
“Eh….?”
As I was wondering what she’s talking about, she made a gloomy expression
and continued.
“Like ‘Can you do housework with that?’ or ‘Can you wash your hands
properly?’ or ‘Men don’t like that kind of thing, so what’s the point of doing
it?’ or ‘It hurts if it hits so I hate it, though’, you’re not thinking so?”
“Eh?”
Why did she say that so fluently…. as I thought about it, it hit me.
Those were, probably, words Shirakawa-san’s ex-boyfriends have told her so

far
I’m sure, that’s probably the case.
“No, I don’t. Rather…. even if I did, I won’t say it out loud”
If that’s the case, I’ll answer her honestly about my feelings.
“I mean, Shirakawa-san likes nails, right? Even if it’d inconvenience you a

bit, you’re also doing it because just that much exchange would make it feel
all nice, right?”
“Ye-yep…. Right. That’s right”
Shirakawa-san agreed to me while looking confused.
“In that case…. I think, why not”
At least, I don’t think I’ve the right to find fault in that.
After all, if other people tell me something like “If you’re watching something
like KEN’s videos, you won’t get popular, you know? Why don’t you stop
being creepy?”, and, even if the girlfriend I love says that to me for example,
I’ll hate it.
I won’t do things to others that I hate to be done to myself. I don’t understand

anything about nails, but for Shirakawa-san, it’s probably something
wonderful after all.
“Besides….when Shirakawa-san’s talking about things you like, you look
very lively and….”
Even though I could say the words smoothly when I was thinking about it in
my head, I became embarrassed when I tried to say it out loud, and ended up
hesitating to say it.
“…. s-so cute”
I managed to let it out in a small mutter and looked at Shirakawa-san.
Shirakawa-san blushed, and pursed her lips in embarrassment.
“Sheesh…. Ryuuto’s too kind”
She said it somewhat angrily, and hugged her knees. And then, she placed her
face on the knees she’s hugging, and with blushing cheeks and upturned eyes,
she gazed at me.
“If you say something like that, spoiling me, I’m gonna become more and
more of a selfish girl, you know? Is that okay?“
Cu-cute….
She’s so cute I’m trembling.
“….Th-that’s good, that’s good…. Ah, well, that’s okay”
As I tried to endure the feelings to faint in agony, my reply got buggy. Trying
to make a recovery from that, I continued.
“Actually…. Shirakawa-san, it’s fine for you to be a little selfish, you know”
After all, it’s because Shirakawa-san is really a good girl. She’s too much of
a good girl, she’d even prioritize the other party’s feelings before herself.
“At least, when you’re in front of me…. you can at least be a little selfish,
you know. I may be unreliable, however I’m your…. Bo-boyfriend after all”
Uwaa so pretentious! Am I even the kind of guy who can say that!?
Right after I said that, my inner voice quipped at me, and my face became
burning hot.
But, when I tried to convey my honest feelings, this happened.
“….I see”
Shirakawa-san made a face like she had a sudden twinge in her nose and
turned her face on her knees to the other side.
“A boyfriend is, that kind of existence, isn’t it…. It’s my first time knowing
it”
The voice she let out felt like it’s carrying a slight nasal tone.
“….Shirakawa-san”
Is she crying? Immediately after I thought of that I became worried, so I tried

to call out to her.
“Shirakawa-sa….”
“Hey, Ryuuto”
Then, she returned a muddy voice.
“Nn?”
“Then…. Can I say something selfish right away?”
“What is it?”
As I was wondering what it’d be, Shirakawa-san turned towards here. She
rubbed the eyes that had become red with both hands, and raised a joking,
spoiled voice.
“Ramune, go get me another bottle~! It’s too hot and I don’t have enough
fluids at al!”
“I did say you can be selfish, but isn’t that just making a gofer”
When I quipped her with a laugh, Shirakawa-san’s face became flustered.
“Ah, wait. I’ll give you the money”
“It’s fine, it’s just around 200 Yen”
I stood up while saying so, then headed towards the beach house.
….As expected, Shirakawa-san was crying, wasn’t she.
I gave the scars she was carrying from her past relationships a thought, and
once again, I vowed in my heart to cherish her
After that, we played around again at the sea for some time, then took a
shower at the beach hut, got changed, and left the beach before the sun went
down.
“…Somehow, the weather’s getting bad, isn’t it”
When we noticed, the sky above was already completely overcast. The
blowing wind was already lukewarm, and the air was humid just like before
the storm.
“But, we’ve already come this far anyway, so let’s get up to the top!”
“You’re right”
We planned to go to the Enoshima island, climb up the hill until the

lighthouse, eat seafood, then go home.
The weather’s condition was worrying, but it wasn’t raining so we went

ahead with our plan and climbed up the hundreds of stairs to the top. After
taking how many photos at the base of the lighthouse, we went into a
restaurant that had “Raw Whitebait” on the menu.
“My apologies. We don’t have Raw Whitebait today”
That’s what the employee told us when we tried to order Raw Whitebait on
the seat that’s shown to us.
“Is it sold out?”
“No, it was stormy this morning because of the typhoon. We can only serve
them raw on the day it’s caught, you see”
“I see. Then, I’ll have a two-colored rice bowl of red caviar and fried
whitebait”
“And I’ll, have a two-colored rice bowl of tuna and fried whitebait”
We finished our order, and then it was when I casually looked outside of the
window.
“….Ah, it’s raining”
Hearing my murmur, Shirakawa-san also looked outside of the window.
“Oh really…. I don’t have any umbrella”
“Me too….”
“The weather was fine until afternoon, too. Looks like the typhoon really is
coming”
“But, we’re lucky it wasn’t raining while we’re at the sea, aren’t we”
“That’s right~! We’re really lucky”
However, by the time the rice bowl arrived and we finished eating, it was
raining so hard to the point we couldn’t be so easygoing.
“….Isn’t this bad? This rain”
At the eave of the restaurant, Shirakawa-san muttered anxiously.
The force of the rain smashing the ground was so strong that it made the area
about 50 centimeters above the ground look hazy.
“But, it’s useless just staying here…. We have to get to the station somehow”
We chose the timing when the rain weakened a little, then moved here and
there, taking shelter under the eave of a house. While taking our time like
that, we somehow arrived at the station.
However.
“Suspension of operations….!?”
The train we were about to take was announced suspended due to the
flooding along the line caused by the heavy rain. It seemed that it’s not just
Enoshima, but the whole above ground line on the whole greater Tokyo area
also wasn’t operating normally.
“What should we do….”
There were that many people on the sea at noon, but since who knew when,
even in front of the station was completely devoid of people. Even the people
who came to the station in the wet took a taxi on the roundabout, then
disappeared somewhere once they learned of the train’s suspension.
“….Should we also return with a taxi?”
“Eh, No, impossible! Isn’t the fare gonna be harsh? My house is almost in
Saitama”
“That’s right, isn’t it….”
When I looked it up on my phone, I turned pale when the estimate that came
up was almost 30.000 Yen.
Even as we waited for a while for a glimmer of hope, the rain got stronger
and there’s no sign of it letting up.
“Already six o’clock, huh….”
We planned to be already returning home by foot by four o’clock, but this
unforeseen situation caused this to happen.
Will the train operate again before the day is over?
Whenever I check, the status of operation changes. So for example, even if we

take a taxi to the station where the trains are still operating, I don’t know if
from there we can get into a train that’ll take us until home….
And when I asked Shirakawa-san about it, the total we both have at hand is
around 9.000 Yen. We must spend this money carefully.
After some thought, we both called our respective parents (pretending we’re
with friends). And after some discussion, we decided to find a good place to
stay. Fortunately, tomorrow was Sunday and both of us had any particular
plans.
Thus, we left the station behind. However, the rain was so strong that it’s
hard to move around. And by the time we finally arrived at a suitable inn
while searching for one on our phone, we were soaking wet. It was enough to
make the woman at the reception desk hurriedly bring us some towels as soon
as she saw us.
“A night stay for two persons is 6.000 Yen. Breakfast is also included”
Hearing that, we looked at each other. We can stay here.
“Then, we’ll….”
“Would a single room be all right? If it’s one person one room, it’d be 5.000
Yen per person”
We looked at each other again.
“Err….”
5.000 Yen per person means 10.000 Yen for two persons. It’s over budget.
Even if we search for a cheaper inn now, we would’ve to walk around under
the heavy rain. It’s also not guaranteed we’d find one.
“….I, don’t mind”
Averting her eyes away from me, Shirakawa-san spoke softly.
Thus, we ended up spending a stormy night in a room at an inn in Enoshima.
What kind of development is this!? How the hell did it turn like this!?
From this point on, I’ll spend a night in the room with Shirakawa-san…. So
this means…. perhaps…. probably….by some chance we’ll do it!?
I was just thinking about it, but one part of my body, I won’t say where,
becomes hot.
“Ah, the room is nicer than expected, isn’t it”
The room shown to us was a Japanese-style room of about 10 tatami mats2.

Since the room didn’t have a space like a porch by the window, it looked like
a countryside grandma’s room and gave off a somewhat nostalgic impression.
“….Shirakawa-san, why don’t you take a bath if you’d like? It’s cold, isn’t
it?”
“Eh, but how about Ryuuto?”
“I’ll go get change for now, so it’s fine”
I heard the inn had a large public bath, so we decided to get in in turn. Then I
saw Shirakawa-san get out of the room.
And then I changed my soaking wet clothes into the yukata provided to us.
After that…. I collapsed onto the tatami floor of the room
IT’S NOT FINE AT AAAAALL~~~~~~~!
What’s with that? What’s with the words Shirakawa-san said.
──I, don’t mind.
This “I don’t mind” , what kind of “I don’t mind” is this?
Does she simply not mind we’re staying in the same room together, or….
does she not mind it goes “beyond that point”!?
It’s been a month since I confessed to her, then visited Shirakawa-san’s room
right after, then missed the chance to have my precious first sexual
experience.
In the meantime, could it be that…. possibly, Shirakawa-san…. has come to

want to have sex with me?
And then, she’s at loss at when to say it, so it came out as words she said
earlier?
I don’t understand. I’m not Shirakawa-san so I don’t understand. But…. no,

but still….
Could it be that tonight, I will become one with Shirakawa-san….?
After sixteen years of being born into this world…. the time where I kiss this
virgin life goodbye has finally come, I see.
To become not virgin, I wonder how it feels? Will it give me more composure,
and help me grow even as a person….?
Thinking about such a thing made me restless, so while waiting for

Shirakawa-san to finish bathing I ended up mysteriously doing sit-ups. It
might’ve been perhaps out of envy towards the macho men I saw during
daytime at the beach.
“Thanks for waiting, Ryuuto”
When Shirakawa-san came back in a yukata, I was drenched in sweat.
“What’s wrong? Is the AC not working?”
“No, I just did some sit-ups….”
“Eh, that’s surprising! So you’re doing that? Let me touch your belly!”
Shirakawa-san raised an innocent voice and came closer here.
“Eh, No….!”
It’s just a gloomy guy’s whim of exercising so I couldn’t flex my muscles to

the point I’d let other people touch it. More importantly, if Shirakawa-san
touches me now…. I’d immediately wince.
Perhaps giving my reaction a thought, Shirakawa-san’s hand stopped.
“Ah…. Sorry”
She had a sudden transformation from her excited state to an awkward one,
and she withdrew her hand.
Then she looked at me with a smile that was seemingly aware of something.
“Ryuuto should go in there, too. Was it called rock bath? It felt good, you
know”
“Ye-yeah…. You’re right”
As if to escape from the awkward atmosphere that had started to waft over, I
headed towards the large public bath.
What’s with that? What is it this time?
That “sorry”, what the hell is that….
Was it because I looked like I’d hate it if I was touched? Or was it actually “I
don’t feel like having sex today but I was doing something suggestive so..
sorry”…..
But then, if that’s the case what about the “I don’t mind” from earlier….?
When I entered the bath while having such thoughts running in circles in my
head, I couldn’t tell whether I washed my head or just made it wet. And I felt
like I shampooed it twice or thrice. By the time I rinsed it off in the end, I
noticed that my scalp was squeaky clean.
By the way, what Shirakawa-san called “rock bath” was just a normal bathtub
that’s a little larger than your ordinary household bathtub, and was just
surrounded by a wall of rock-like decorations. It’s a reasonably priced inn
that high schoolers could stay on such short notice, so I couldn’t make any
complaints.
When I returned to the room, Shirakawa-san was watching TV while

drinking tea.
“The typhoon.. it’ll pass by tonight, they said. That’s great, isn’t it, we can go
home tomorrow”
“I-is that so…. That’s good”
The matter about the typhoon had completely flown away from my head.
I could feel how strong the rain and wind were outside even though I was
inside a room. Sometimes the window would shake and make a violent sound
that’s enough to give me a momentary feeling of fear.
“….!”
Then I walked inside the room and my eyes were drawn to two futons lined
up.
“Ah, someone from the inn came earlier. When I said we’ve eaten, she laid
out the futons for us”
“I-I see….”
We said we’re going to sleep in one room, so that means lining up the futons,
too, huh….
“Ryuuto, wanna drink tea?”
I was asked so by Shirakawa-san, then I nodded my head ambiguously with a
“Uuh, yeah” as I sat down on the side of the square table next to Shirakawa-
san.
Shirakawa-san opened the teapot on the table, opened the lid of the cylinder
with a hole in it that was also on the table, threw out the used tea leaves
inside, put new tea leaves in the teapot, and poured hot water from the pot.
She handled the tool I wouldn’t have known how to use if I were on my own.
A gal who’s proficient at brewing tea…. there’s quite a gap, I like it.
“Here, Ryuuto”
“Thanks….”
I, who received the teacup filled with green tea, stared fixedly at Shirakawa-
san with a feeling of surprise.
“…What is it, Ryuuto?”
Shirakawa-san looked over here and turned her face away in embarrassment.
“I mean, don’t look at me too much. I’m not wearing any make-up”
“Eh….”
Now she mentioned, that’s right, huh. She’s just entered a bath, after all.
There’s not that much change so I didn’t notice.
And now I tried to take a look, I can find even differences such as the end of
her brows looks slightly thin, and her face looks younger than usual.
When I tried to take a closer look like this, usually I wouldn’t think about
this…. but I feel like the no-make-up Shirakawa-san has the feel just a little
resembling Kurose-san. I think it’d be extremely rare to notice the usual two
as twins, but if it’s the Shirakawa-san now and Kurose-san, I feel like I
understand it a little.
Speaking of Kurose-san, she’s been sending me messages occasionally since
we exchanged LINE IDs. Just like what she had said at the beginning, she
asked me to “Help me study”. Well, when I thought it’d be sooner or later,
then she gave me a specific date, so when I returned something like “I have
plans that day” or “I have summer classes during summer vacation” (it’s not
a lie), she pressed me with a “Then, when are you free?”, and my reply got a
little overdue.
Is it fine.. If I meet with Kurose-san alone? She’s Shirakawa-san real

younger sister, so I don’t want her to treat her badly, however she’s the
opposite sex. And it’s not like she’s in a perfectly good relationship with
Shirakawa-san either, so inviting her and making it three people is tricky.
Besides, even though it’s in the past, I had feelings for Kurose-san, and
Shirakawa-san doesn’t know about that. Talking about it would be a long
story, and telling her honestly could cause misunderstandings instead, too….
And as I thought about a lot of stuff and it got troublesome, my response to
Kurose-san became vague.
“Is-is it really that terrible with no-make-up? Don’t look at me so much~!”
“Eh?”
As I was absentmindedly looking at Shirakawa-san and thinking about the

matter regarding Kurose-san at the same time, Shirakawa-san became
bashful.
“Ah, well…. No. There’s not much difference, okay. But….”
“But?”
“You look a little younger…. It’s cu-cute”
Let’s not talk about how she resembles Kurose-san and so on for now, I
thought so to myself.
“Eh, really?”
Shirakawa-san’s cheeks blushed, and she looked at me doubtfully.
“It’s kinda embarrassing~! I knew it, don’t look”
“Eh, well, I think you look fine, though”
“No, no, no! C’mon, watch the typhoon news!”
Thus, together with Shirakawa-san, I watched TV while drinking tea for a

while.
Later, at around 10 pm after getting tired of hearing the same news about the
typhoon again and again, we went to brush our teeth and started preparing to
go to sleep one way or another.
In the end, I wasn’t sure what Shirakawa-san intended to do tonight.
“….I turn off the lights now, okay”
“Okay”
Since we were ready to go to sleep, I pulled the string and turned the room’s
lights to nightlight mode.
I entered the futon next to Shirakawa-san and stared at the dimly lit wooden
ceiling,
I can’t sleep….
There’s no way I could fall asleep with my heart pounding and getting turned
on like this.
“….Hey, Ryuuto”
At that moment, I heard a voice coming from the futon next to me.
“Ye-yeah?”
“Are you okay? Can you sleep like this?”
When I looked to the side wondering what she’s talking about, I found
Shirakawa-san with her face half popped-out of her futon and looking at me
with an uneasy look.
Immediately after, she suddenly got up and moved towards me on her knees.
“Wha-what is it!?”
“Actually, I’m sorry about earlier. It’s raining so hard, I was soaking wet
from the top of my head and my face was all dirty, too. I was also too tired to
walk…. I don’t have any money, and the thought of having to walk around
looking for another place made me lose energy. Anyway, I just really wanted
to relax quickly, so I said we’d be fine staying in the same room, though….”
“Aaah….”
So that’s what that was all about, huh. So that means there’s no deeper
meaning regarding sex, huh….
I was ashamed of myself for getting so excited and my horny feeling was
calming down.
The talk seemed to become a long one, so I also got up from the futon.
“But, after entering the bath and relaxing myself, I thought about it. Ryuuto is
a guy and my boyfriend, too, so there’s no way he’d be able to keep calm,
right? That’s what I think”
“….”
I wonder what Shirakawa-san’s talking about…. As I was thinking about

that, she came even closer to me.
Within the dimly lit room, her large eyes gazed upward at me.
“Wanna…. have sex?”
“….!?”
Shirakawa-san was wearing the inn’s yukata and the chest area was slightly
opened, making her cleavage peeking out. The line stretching from her
slender waist wrapped with deep blue obi to her roundish hips was
completely just like a mermaid’s and pretty sexy. The flame that had once
calmed down in my chest for a moment flared up wildly. I could feel my
body rapidly growing hot and tense.
“Is…. is it fine, Shirakawa-san?”
I managed to squeeze out a husky voice from my parched throat.
“The feeling of wanting to have sex on your own accord, is still not there,
right….?”
I’m already mostly heading in the direction of wanting to have sex, however,
I tried to look good in front of her at beginning so I must at least confirm
that.
“Yup….”
Shirakawa-san nodded her head nervously.
“But, it’s bad to make Ryuuto to put up with that”
“But if we do it, wouldn’t that just mean Shirakawa-san will be the one who
will put up with it?”
“Well, rather than me putting up with it…. I like Ryuuto, so it’s not like I
would hate it”
Woohoooo!!, and the other part of me in my heart shouted joyously.
The physical part is also raring to go.
In that case…. However, at the moment I swallowed my saliva.
“But you know”
Shirakawa-san spoke up, and continued talking with a downcast look and a
smile on her mouth.
“Up until I started dating Ryuuto, I never really felt like wanting to touch my
boyfriend that much. But, when we’re on the boat some time ago…. For the
first time in my life, I thought ‘I wanna kiss him’. And I also wanted to hold
hands before that…. I’m definitely liking Ryuuto more than I did a month
ago”
“Shirakawa-san….”
I can’t believe she feels that way about me….
I’m so happy my chest becomes hot.
“When I thought about it, it made me a little excited. I’m gonna like Ryuuto
even more from now on and I wanna touch Ryuuto more and more, that’s
what I feel…. If I have sex when I truly want to, for the first time in my life, I
wondered if it could really make my body and mind feel good”
Shirakawa-san said in a low voice while floating a happy smile on her face.
“I see….”
I’m happy, but on the other hand, the intense feeling inside me was fading
fast.
This is really no go…. After being told something like this… already….
I already.. can’t get laid anymore tonight….
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKK!!!!
I yelled and shed tears of blood in my heart while having no choice but to
make a plan for a retreat.
“….Got it. So, let’s go to sleep for today”
I swallowed up my tears and desperately tried to look composed
“We got up early and went for an outing, and we’re definitely worn-out from
all the happenings”
“Eh….”
Shirakawa-san raised her face with a surprised expression after hearing my

words.
“Are you sure? How about sex?”
“It’s fine, maybe at another time…. when Shirakawa-san feels like doing it”
“Ryuuto….”
Shirakawa-san frowned her brows and looked at me with wet eyes.
“Why are you, so kind, Ryuuto?”
“Eh….?”
Is this me being kind?
If anyone were to be in my position, I think they would have no choice but do

the same, though….
But, if this was seen as kindness to her. The reason I can act like that is
because I’m thinking about Shirakawa-san.
It’s because I….
“….It’s because.. I love you, Shirakawa-san”
When I replied so, Shirakawa-san’s eyes glistened in front of me.
Immediately after, she covered her face with both hands and her shoulders
went up and down.
“Shirakawa-san?”
Is she crying….?
“….hicc…. Uuu….”
An uncontrollable sobbing escaped from her tightly closed lips.
“Sorr… I’m so happy….”
Shirakawa-san was sobbing heavily as she spoke as if to make an excuse.
“Eh…. Ar-are you all right?”
I could only be flustered.
“….ry, sorr….”
A little while later, after she had calmed down.
Shirakawa-san wiped away her tears and smiled while looking embarrassed.
“….Sorry. Looks like, I get easily moved when I’m with Ryuuto. I’m sorry”
“I really…. don’t mind it”
It’s fine for her to not apologize that much, but Shirakawa-san piled on more
“I’m sorry”.
“I mean, isn’t it annoying? Even though we were just talking normally, isn’t
it bothersome? Don’t you think I’m crazy?”
“No, I don’t think so, really”
Why would she say something like that? As expected, was her ex-boyfriend
the cause.
I don’t know if it’s what they actually said to her, or the voice of their heart
that she sensed from their mood.
But, I hoped I could break her out of this spell soon.
Finally, I realized it clearly.
I’m not the only one.. who is being haunted by her ex-boyfriend.
“I never think so. …Rather, I’m happy”
“Why? Are you a holy saint? Ryuuto”
“Holy saint….”
A holy saint beyond words.
These days, female high school students use internet slang in speech, don’t
they. Well, I’m also a male high school student of these days, but I’m more of
a nerd so it surprises me when it’s said casually.
“No, it’s different”
It became funny and I laughed a little, then I replied.
“You’re moved a lot when you’re with me, right? Previously Shirakawa-san
said it, right? You said ‘true like’…. It’s because I feel like you’re getting
close to that”
Thus, Shirakawa-san’s eyes shook again.
“Ryuuto….”
And then, Shirakawa-san opened her mouth with her cheeks slightly flushed.
“Hey, Ryuuto. Can I say one more selfish thing?”
“Yeah? It’s okay”
When I nodded, Shirakawa-san spoke shyly.
“Can you, hug me?”
“….eh?”
“No?”
“Well….”
It’s not that it’s a “no”, but to think that we would be hugging…. in a
situation where we won’t be doing anything tonight, In a private room alone.
“Here!”
Shirakawa-san spread both of her arms and smiled at me.
“Yeah….”
I nervously placed my arms around her body.
The body of Shirakawa-san, whom I hugged for the first time, was softer than
I had imagined and warm. Just like my hair, her hair smelled like the
shampoo of the inn, probably because she’s not using the usual perfume. I got
excited feeling the soft and elastic feelings of her breasts directly through the
thin yukata.
“Ryuuto, so warm…. I feel at ease”
The tender voice of Shirakawa-san’s resounding close to my ear made my

heart beat fast with chills. This is dangerous…. If we stick together like this
any longer, the excitement deep inside my body is going to flare up.
“Hey, can we sleep together like this?”
I got startled hearing those words.
“Like this…. huh, eeh!? Like this!?”
Does she mean we’re going to topple over sticking close like this until
morning!?
“….Ahaha! It’s a joke, okay~!”
As I was flustered, Shirakawa-san laughed and separated her body from me.
“Ah, hey hey then, how about sleeping while holding hands?”
“Eh, okay….”
If it’s that, then, it’ll probably do, somehow.
Thus, Shirakawa-san and I lay side by side on the futon and held hands.
The hand is warm, soft, and delicate…. It’s Shirakawa-san’s hand.
“Hey, Ryuuto”
“Nn?”
“….”
I heard nothing back so I looked at Shirakawa-san and I found her staring at

me. Her expression looked somewhat uneasy.
“Is something wrong?”
“….No”
She shook her head at my question and with a somewhat forced smile.
“For our two-months anniversary, we can be together like this, too, right?”
“Like this, too… I’d hate to get caught in a typhoon again, though”
“Ahaha, you’re right”
Even though it’s not that funny of a response, Shirakawa-san laughed out
loud.
This time, though, I winced up her words and returned a joke. Actually, I
should’ve probably answered her properly.
At this point in time, I had never imagined.. that I’d regret this moment so
much in the future.
Hidden Dairy
Why, it must be Kashima Ryuuto of all people….
Actually, I kind of know why. Kashima-kun is somehow.. not interested in me.

Even an idiot would realize it if they see his LINE reply.
But, why Runa? What’s so good about that bitch?
I do admit that she’s got more breast than me, but that’s it. Her body is her
only redeeming feature… I see, it’s the body.
Guys are.. really honest about their lust, aren’t they. After all, all of the guys
who approached me had “I want to fuck you” written on their faces.
The reason why Kashima-kun is lacking interest in me is surely.. because

Runa is satisfying his lust. It’s because that bitch is using her body to ensnare
him.
In that case, if I become like Runa…. will there be a chance?
But hold on, Maria.
Is Kashima-kun.. the kind of man you really want to go that far to make him
turn on you?
Hey, Maria. Aren’t you just being stubborn?
It’s because you lost to Runa again. It’s because it’s the same like when dad
was snatched away….
….I don’t know. That may be so. That may not be so.
But, I just can’t help myself.
Just because we greet each other every morning. Just because we sit next to
each other in class. My feelings towards Kashima-kun grow stronger
everyday.
I want you.. to scold me again with that serious look one more time. Just like
at that time.
Getting told, you’re a bad girl, Maria. Or getting told, you seduce men
without letting a single finger touch you and use them like tools, you really
are a hopeless kid, aren’t you.
Just imagining it makes my body feel hot. I want to.. be embraced by

Kashima-kun….
This is.. the first time I feel this way in my life.
Hey, Kashima-kun. I’m.. a bad girl who wants my elder sister’s boyfriend,
you know. I’m an awfully bad girl, who schemes very bad things….
Shall we do bad things together? Shall we fall into hell?
Kashima-kun is a sincere person, so I’ll put him in my trap.
Kashima-kun is a sincere person. So once he’s in that kind of relationship

even if it’s a trap…. I’m sure he’ll cherish me.
Then you’ll know, okay. That’s I’m a better woman than Runa.
Tonight is stormy, isn’t it.
What are you doing right now? Kashima-kun….
V2: Chapter 3
The morning came, and the typhoon has disappeared.
I wasn’t able to sleep that much last night because the fact that Shirakawa-san
was next to me and our connected hands were on my mind.
We ate a truly Japanese style breakfast prepared for us by the inn’s staff in
our room, wore the clothes we left to dry overnight, then set out to return
home a day late.
The train during Sunday morning that we got on was empty. We both dozed
off, talked about random things, then we arrived at A Station.
“Then, I’ll see you again on the day after tomorrow”
Tomorrow was a day-off because of tests, and Tuesday was the last day of
the first term, the end-of-term ceremony.
In front of Shirakawa-san’s house, we exchanged parting words.
“Yep. See you later, Ryuuto”
The eyes of Shirakawa-san, who said so and waved her hand, suddenly
turned serious.
“…On our second month.. take care of me, too, okay?”
“Yeah. The same for me”
When I answered her, her face returned back into a smile. Feeling relieved
seeing this, I waved my hand at her.
After seeing Shirakawa-san entering her house, I returned back to A Station
alone.
At the station plaza, at Sunday noon, there were people standing around
looking at their phones, seemingly to be in the middle of a rendezvous. As I
was walking around the area, I came across plenty of people handing out
flyers and tissues.
Today too, I could find several people who seemed to be doing that in the
direction where I was going.
“The izakaya ‘Bacchus’ is handing out lunch coupons!”
Izakaya…. It’s at the moment when I had that thought, and was about to
reflexively receive the paper handed out in front of me.
“Ooh!”
The woman handing out the paper raised her voice, and I looked at her face.
That’s when I opened my eyes in surprise.
“Yamana-san!?”
She was Shirakawa-san’s best friend, Yamana Nikoru-san. I was walking

around downtown while trying not to look at people’s faces, so I didn’t notice
it myself.
Yamanasa-san was wearing deep blue clothes that looked like a samue1, and
an apron without a chest covering.
“….Part-timing?”
“Can’t you tell by looking”
Yamana-san said curtly, and once again, handed me the coupon.
“Sending Runa home? It’s just right. You, come to our shop”
“Eh?”
“I’ve got something I wanna talk about Runa, you see. Runa probably gonna
be worried if we meet up alone, so it’d be convenient if we get it done while
I’m at work”
“B-but, aren’t you working at an izakaya….?”
Even the coupon given to me was giving the feel that it’s quite an intense
izakaya, recommending all-you-can-drink from noon.
“Are you scared? It’s not like you have to order only alcohol. Even our shop
has plenty of customers bringing their kids, too, you know?”
Is that so…. So cheery people can order food and drinks at an izakaya while
still underage, huh. I’ve only been eating out at a family restaurant or a
donburi2 shop, so the hurdle is high for me.
“And alone?”
Going to an izakaya alone, then what am I supposed to do. I mean, Yamana-

san is going to be in the middle of work, so it’s not like she’ll be available all
the time.
“Can’t you just bring your friends then”
Yamana-san told me with annoyance.
“Or you don’t have any?”
“I-I do, okay”
“Then come with them. Today I’ll always be on the shift until night, alright”
After speaking quickly, Yamana-san started handing out coupons again.
“We’re handing out lunch coupons!”
“….”
Looks like it’s decided for me to come today, for some reason.
At any rate, I didn’t want to go alone and be thought of not having any
friends, so I tried calling Ichi on my way back home.
“….Hello, Ichi?”
“What is it, man?”
“Are you free today?”
“I’m not free at all, I’m playing a game with Nishi. ….ah, yeah yeah, it’s
Kashi”
True, I can hear a game’s BGM and someone’s voice from the phone.
“Eh, why didn’t you invite me, too”
“I mean you.. yesterday you went to the sea with Shirakawa-san, right? Fuck
you! Go explode! I thought you might be tired, you see”
I think heard his inner voice there for a moment, I wonder if it’s just my
imagination.
“….Say, have you eaten yet?”
“Huh? If it’s lunch, I have. With a take out cheese rice beef bowl extra large”
“Then, want to go have dinner together? I also want you to invite Nishi,
though”
“Huh? Why all of sudden”
“By Yamana-san.. I was invited to come and have a meal at the izakaya she’s
part-timing at”
“By Yamana… do you mean Yamana Nikoru from our class? You, you’re in
contact with a demon gal like her!?”
“It’s related to Shirakawa-san… Yamana-san is.. Shirakawa-san’s best friend

after all”
When I explained it briefly, I could hear a heavy sigh coming from across the
phone.
“Kashi…. you really have changed”
“….So you won’t come?”
I should’ve known he won’t.. It’s when I thought of that.
“Of course I’m coming!”
A sudden immediate reply came back.
When I listened carefully, I could also hear Nishi’s voice saying “I’ll come!
I’ll come!” from a distance.
“Eh, you’ll come!?”
Judging by the how the talk was going, I was certain they’d refuse so I was
surprised.
“Like hell I’d let myself get left behind by Kashi any more than this! The
pride of gloomy people can eat shit! Summer in the second year of high
school is a last chance for the springtime of youth! This summer I’ll become
a normie, too! Having dinner at an izakaya where our classmate is part timing
is really cheery people-like, ain’t it! Don’t you think so, Nishi!?”
And I could hear a voice saying “That’s right! That’s right!”
“Uh-uhuh….”
Well, I’m glad that they’ll come.
Thus, me, Ichi, and Nishi were going to have dinner at the izakaya where
Yamana-san was part-timing.
“Bacchus” izakaya was located within the shopping district spreading out in
front of A Station. It’s on the third floor of a multi-storey building full with
restaurants from the first until the fifth floor.
“Welcome!”
As we passed through the curtain in front of the shop, we were greeted by a

high-spirited voice of the employee.
Although the time was still before 6 PM, the inside of the shop was already
lively with many customers, perhaps because it’s Sunday.
“Excuse me, I’m a friend of a part-timer named Yamana-san….”
When I told the male employee who came out to guide us, he let out an “Ah!”
then nodded his head.
“It’s for three people, I see. This way, please”
Where we were led to was a sunken-kotatsu3 table seating where we must

take off our shoes. It’s adjacent to a wall and there’s a partition at the front
and the back. There’s even a paper sliding door on the aisle side, making it
almost like a private room. I informed Yamana-san on LINE that we planned
to come to the shop just in case, so she might’ve saved us a seat.
“Please wait a moment”
The employee left, and we sat down somewhat nervously. We sat down on
the bench-style seat for four people, with me facing Ichi and Nishi.
“Come to think of it, have you watched today’s KEN’s videos?”
“Ah, no, I haven’t. I haven’t even get to watch yesterday’s videos, so I

watched it first”
“Tsk, normies are really so”
“Was Shirakawa-san.. in a bikini?”
“Eh? Yeah….”
“Tsk!!!”
“Fuck you die! Glad you had a good time, huh!!”
“Your inner thoughts are leaking, hey!”
“Forget that, just show me a picture!”
“Did you think I’d show any to you as it is, huh!?”
It was then, when we’re having a talk like that.
“Welcome”
I heard a skilled female employee’s voice, and two mugs were placed in front
of me.
When I looked at her, it was Yamana-san.
“Eh, we haven’t ordered anything yet….”
When Nishi spoke in puzzlement, Yamana-san winked suggestively at him.
“It’s a service♡ Thank you for coming, okay”
In that instant, I witnessed Nishi and Ichi’s eyes turning exactly into heart
marks.
“It’s Ca●pis Soda4. I made it perfectly thick♡ And you won’t find this kind
of drink at home, you know”
“Umm, how about mine…?”
“Ah, you can go order your own. If you put the order on the touch panel
there, the order will be sent directly to the kitchen”
There’s no service for me, huh! Rather, isn’t there a huge difference in your
personality towards those two!?
“How unreasonable….”
While I was ordering a cola using the touch panel by myself, Ichi and Nishi
merrily sipped the Ca●pis Soda in their mug.
“Demon gal really is the best!”
“It’s the era of a demon gal!”
“The outside is that scary but the inside is so kind.. Don’t you think the gap is
so unbearable!?”
“There are so many things you can’t help but fall in love!”
“All hail Yamana! All hail Yamana!”
Those two praised Yamana-san to the moon in high spirit while gulping
down the drink in their mugs.
“Hoooollly shiit!! It tastes so good!!”
“I’ve never had drinks this thick before!”
“Eh, how is it? Is it really that thick? Let me have a sip….”
When I reached out my hand to have a sip, Ichi and Nishi simultaneously
guarded their mugs.
“Nope! This is the thick Ca●pis the demon gal gave only to us”
“The demon gal is the ally of the non-normie! It’s a NO for you!!”
Perhaps becoming so happy that they’re favored, those two proceeded to

chug down their drinks in one breath.
“Well, it’s fine, I guess. I’m going to order the food then”
While feeling a little peevish, I looked at the menu on the touch panel and
chose delicious-looking dishes.
“…This will do for now, I guess? Hey, take a look at this for a…. bit!!?”
It was then, when I looked at them to have them confirm the order I’ve
selected.
“Wh-what’s wrong!?”
“..whuuh?”
“What now, Kashiiii~”
Without a doubt, Ichi and Nishi’s condition was weird. Their faces were
bright red, their eyes were hollow, and their speech was disordered.
“…Aah!”
Then I realized something and I grabbed Nishi’s mug in front of me.
When I took a sip, I was surprised.
“Urgh…. What the hell is this!?”
It definitely tastes like Cal●. She made it considerably thick, and I can sense
its sticky-sweetness, but…. I could also sense the smell of ethanol so strong,
that the faint carbonated water can’t completely disguise it.
Ethanol…. I see, this is….!
“Are you all right, you two? Do you feel sick?”
“Huh? I’m feeling raaather good instead, ye….”
“I know, right~. Demon gal da best~….”
Ichi and Nishi plopped down on the table after that, and they…. slept.
“Zzzz….”
“Fuuu….”
Are you serious.
Rather, they really were able to drink something like that so well, and their
mugs are practically empty. They must’ve been on cloud nine.
But, why the hell were the drinks in their mugs like that…. And when I had
that thought.
“Ah, they’re already asleep”
I found Yamana-san standing next to me.
“Here, your cola”
Then a glass of cola was placed in front of me.
“And these are the potato fries service, okay”
She placed a basket with a mountain of fried potatoes, sat at the table, then
closed the paper sliding door.
“It’s because my senior colleague told me I can take a break when I want”
She made me tense up. And I sat close to the wall, keeping my distance.
“Err, what’s the meaning of this….”
“I mean, they’re a nuisance, right? And I wanted to talk about Runa with just
us two”
“Eh? D-don’t tell me for that reason you….”
“Isn’t it fine. And aren’t those two sleeping so comfortably? Well, we’ve all
made mistakes”
“Mi-mistakes….?”
Is she telling me.. that the drinks were mistakenly made and something extra
was mixed up in their mugs….?
No, there’s no way that’s…. the case, or not, but I’m definitely sure that’s the
case from how she acted just now.
“B-but, even if it’s a mistake, won’t it be a big problem for Yamana-san if the
shop’s management finds out that you let high schoolers drink something like
that…”
“You’re maybe right. But you know, I know the manager’s secret after all”
When she told me that, Yamana-san made a gesture where she made a fist
with one, and raised only her pinky finger. In the past, I saw a relative’s uncle
doing that gesture when referring to “woman”.
Manager, are you having an affair….? And perhaps, are you going to use
that as a blackmail material?
“Yo-you’re amazing, Yamana-san….”
“You think so? Even so it’s a lot tamer than what I’d done, though. Around
here, even delinquents’ balls will shrink up if they hear ‘Nikoru of the north’,
you know”
Wh-what did you do, Yamana-san!?
“An…. and then, what do you want to talk about?”
I was scared and I wanted to get to the point quickly. And when I asked her,
Yamana-san’s eyes turned serious.
“It’s been a month since you’re with Runa, but how was it?”
“Eh…”
When I was wondering what she meant by “how”, she put one elbow on the
table and rested her chin on it.
“Runa is.. relative to how she looks, she’s heavy, isn’t she”
When she said that, Yamana-san’s eyes looked as if she’s staring at a far
distance.
“….The first time I talked to Runa was.. on the day of the entrance ceremony.
I was blankly standing in line at the ceremony, and she called out to me from
the opposite direction. ‘Your nails are cute’, she said”
I knew that they’re close since the first year, but it was like that at the start,
huh.
“On the next day, Runa came to me, showing me her new earrings. She then
said ‘I thought it’d look good on you, so I bought matching ones’. She gave it
to me, then said ‘Will you be my best friend?’”
Perhaps remembering those days, Yamana-san suddenly smiled and looked at

me.
“‘What the..’, It gives you that feeling, right? Don’t you think that’s too
heavy5? Normally you’d back off from that”
I recalled the time when she gave me a matching phone case to celebrate our
one week of dating, and felt that really was Shirakawa-san-like.
“But, Runa is crazy cute, right? And cheerful to boot. That’s why I.. thought
to myself. I was happy, and thought that I also wanted to become best friend
with this girl”
Smiling shyly, Yamana-san stopped resting her chin on her hand.
“People do say ‘it’s heavy, it’s heavy’ like it’s a bad thing, don’t they. You
leave your emotional baggage on someone, and they’ll also leave the same
weight on you…. And if the weight on the scale was exactly balanced,
neither of you would feel ‘heavy’. That’s having a good relationship all
about, right? And that’s how ‘mutual baggage’ and ‘mutual love’ are. Do you
get it?”
“Ye-yeah…”
It’s surprising. I never thought Yamana-san to be the kind of person to talk
about such a thing.
“That’s a cool thing to say, isn’t it….”
“Even ‘Nikoru of the north’ can be poetic, you know”
With a grin, Yamana-san’s expression turned serious again.
“But you know, no matter how much mutual love between us is, she likes
man, and so do I. That’s why, Runa and I can’t be more than ‘best friends’.
That’s vexing… and that’s why I was hoping she would find one soon. The
only man she can sincerely trust and find comfort in… the only man she can
always be with. The ‘boyfriend’ Runa wishes for is.. not a hunk she can brag
to her friends, but a man that… she can connect her heart with”
And before I knew it, I had feelings of admiration towards her and sincerely
listened to Yamana-san’s words.
“Why she’s wishing for that kind of partner is perhaps, because of her family
circumstances”
After muttering those words, Yamana-san raised her brows.
“And yet, the one she dated up till now was nothing but idiots, who were only
cheerful and looked good on the outside. Every morning and night, Runa
always sends a LINE without fail, right?”
“Yeah”
“You don’t particularly hate it, do you?”
“Yeah. The fact that she’s thinking about me, it makes me happy”
Hearing my reply, Yamana-san nodded her head, seeming satisfied.
“That’s what dating someone is about, right?”
I see. I only have the experience of being in a relationship for a month so I

don’t know, but if Yamana-san said so, it’s probably like that.
“But, since her ex-boyfriends were all trash, of course there were nights and
mornings when she couldn’t reach them. And whenever she expressed her
worry about it, they’d tell her ‘you’re too heavy’ or ‘annoying’, you see. I
reeaaaaallly hope they die so bad”
Yamana-san said as if spitting out and with that momentum, she reached for
the mountain of potatoes on the table and brought them to her mouth. Didn’t
you say that is a service for me.
“But, Runa doesn’t speak bad of her ex-boyfriend either, doesn’t she. Not just
her ex-boyfriend, I also never heard her speak bad of anyone”
“Yeah…”
I was becoming hungry, so I also started eating the potatoes.
“And you know, Runa likes people. She thinks that everyone is a good
person, and that there’s no human who is bad at heart. That’s why regarding
her ex-boyfriend, too, she believed it when they said ‘I like you’ on the
surface. She then dated them, got betrayed, and got hurt”
And then Yamana-san stopped her hand that was carrying the potato for a
moment.
“Runa has this jinx called ‘two-months wall’”
“Two-months… wall?”
“A number of boyfriends she’s dated up until now were caught cheating

before two months have passed. Even if that didn’t happen, they’d gradually
give her the cold shoulder then break up after three months, though”
I see… That’s why it’s “two-months wall”, huh.
“Even if she trusts in you, I think that Runa is worried right now. Until two
months pass”
Then, Yamana-san stared at me.
“Can you promise me that you absolutely won’t do anything that will make
Runa worried?”
I was overwhelmed by that piercing gaze… and I nodded deeply, though, not
necessarily because of that.
“I promise. I won’t do anything that will make Shirakawa-san worried”
To me, who promised to her and firmly stared back at her, Yamana-san stared
at me motionlessly for a moment.
“…I see. I’m relieved”
Then she smiled broadly. I saw Yamana-san’s child-like carefree smile, and I
felt that this was the first time that I saw this person’s proper smiling face.
Thus, Yamana-san’s “talk” with me was over, however.
“About this, what’re we gonna do?”
Yamana-san got off from her seat, then pointed at the line up of Ichi and
Nishi in front of her, who peacefully plopped down on the table.
“Even if you asked me that…”
I want to ask her. You’re the one who made them so smashed like this, so take
responsibility… But I’m scared, so I didn’t say it, though…
“Well, by the looks of it, they might not wake up until tomorrow, won’t they”
“That’s a problem!”
“Well, it became like this was also because ‘I made a mistake when making
the drink’, so I’ll figure out something later. If we let them sleep for two or
three hours, they’ll probably wake up on their own then go home”
“Are you sure…? Then, I’ll leave them to you”
Eating alone in front of my dead drunk friends was no fun, so I decided to

leave those two to Yamana-san and then leave the izakaya. In the end, I only
had a cola and potatoes.
I’m worried about those two, but those two were not alone, but together.
They’re also just sleeping and Yamana-san is a classmate, so she’d probably
take care of them in case anything happens.
It was then, when I was descending downstairs while having such thought.
“…!?”
My feet faltered, and I quickly grabbed the handrail.
My field of vision was narrower than usual, and I felt like the world was
suddenly becoming distant.
There’s a fleeting feeling in my chest. I didn’t really understand it, but it’s a
happy feeling.
…Perhaps… it’s because I took a sip from Nishi’s mug, but with just one sip?
“…Crap”
Rather, just how ridiculous is your “I made a mistake”, Yamana-san…
If this is because of just a sip, I can’t certainly say that Ichi and Nishi are
really weak with alcohol. There’s a possibility that I’m awfully weak,
though…
Well, I’ll just go home, take a bath, then go to sleep anyway. And as long as
my parents don’t find out, I don’t think it’ll be a problem… Then it happened
when I had such a thought.
The phone on my pocket vibrated. I took a look and saw that it’s a LINE call
from Kurose-san.
“Why’s she calling…?”
I wonder if it’s because my reply was delayed. But, what should I reply to
her… Despite that crossing my mind, I was feeling more worked up than
usual, so I pressed the accept call button without much thinking.
“Yes, hello”
“Ah, hello, Ryuuto!?”
When I heard the voice, I took away my phone from my ear, and looked at
the screen again.
“Shirakawa-san!?”
“Ahaha, are you surprised? I’m at mom’s house right now, but my phone’s
battery ran out, you see. So I borrowed Maria’s phone”
It’s definitely Shirakawa-san. But I never heard she had such a plan today.
“Ah… Now that you mentioned it, yesterday we used up your battery bank,
didn’t we. I’m sorry too for borrowing it. You didn’t have time to charge?”
“Nn? Ah, yep yep. Well, it’s fine, though. I mean, in this way I can contact
you, too”
“Did you.. get to talk with Kurose-san?”
“Yep. It’s alright, thanks”
She went to her house and borrowed her phone, didn’t she. I guess they’re
now heading in the direction of returning to how it originally was.
“And you see, Ryuuto…”
Then I could feel Shirakawa-san’s voice becoming a little nervous.
“I wanna talk with Ryuuto for a bit. I wanna… meet with you alone”
“Talk?”
I wonder what it is about… And then I remembered what Yamana-san said to

me earlier.
──Even if she trusts in you, I think that Runa is worried right now.
Until two months pass
Come to think of it, even when we’re at Enoshima, Shirakawa-san was also
slightly different from the usual.
──For our two-months anniversary, we can be together like this, too,

right?
I wonder why she said something like that. Does she perhaps.. want to talk
about that?
“…I got it. Shirakawa-san, are you already home? I’m at A Station right now,
so should I go to your house?”
“Eh? No… Umm, I’m.. not ready to go home yet. So, I wanna us to meet at
school”
“School?”
“It’s because I wanna meet with you alone…”
“But at school is… Firstly, can we go in on Sunday at this hour? And I’m in
my casual clothes, though…?”
I looked at my phone before I left the izakaya and it’s already past 7 PM. The
surroundings have also become dark, and a time period when a high school
student has to worry about the eyes of others.
“It’s alright, I’ll figure something out……. Is it a no?”
Before I knew it, Shirakawa-san’s voice had become weak and frail like she’s
somebody else. That worried me, and made me feel like I had to see her as
soon as possible in any case.
“All right, I got it. Then I’ll be heading to school now”
“Okay. If anything comes up, contact this phone… contact Maria’s LINE,
okay”
“I got it”
Nn?, I felt a feeling of discomfort there for a moment, but my head was in a
daze, so I hung up the call without thinking deeply.
“…I wonder what’s going on, Shirakawa-san”
Somehow, I feel uneasy.
──Can you promise me that you absolutely won’t do anything that will
make Runa worried?
──I promise. I won’t do anything that will make Shirakawa-san worried
While remembering the conversation with Yamana-san earlier, I made my

way through the crown in front of the station, heading to the ticket gate at a
quick pace.
When I arrived at school, the lock of the side entrance was opened. There’s
light coming out from the staff room inside the school building, so I wonder if
it’s because there’s a teacher, or Shirakawa-san arrived earlier and opened
it somehow, just like how she said “I’ll figure something out”.
Ryuuto
I’m here
Maria
Come to the gymnasium’s storage room
“Gymnasium’s storage room?”
I think it’s the room inside the gymnasium where they store mats and vaulting
boxes. Then again, why at such a place… Though that crossed my mind, after
coming this far, I had no choice but to go, following what she said
It was dark in the gymnasium, but the door was opened and the storage
room’s heavy sliding door also opened easily.
“…Shirakawa-san?”
There’s only a window inside the storage room, however, it seemed to be far
away from outside lights, so there’s only a small amount of light coming in.
When I looked around inside the dark storage room with my eyes not used to
the darkness, I saw a figure of a person sitting deeper inside.
“Ryuuto”
I heard Shirakawa-san’s voice.
“Ryuuto, come here”
Doing as told, I approached in the direction of the voice.
“What do you want to talk about, at this kind of…”
At the moment I tried to ask, Shirakawa-san leaped strongly into my chest.
“…Shi-Shirakawa-san?”
“Hey, Ryuuto”
Shirakawa-san wrapped her hands around my neck and whispered into my

ear.
“I.. wanna have sex with Ryuuto…….”
“Eh!?”
What did she say!?
──I’m gonna like Ryuuto even more from now on and I wanna touch
Ryuuto more and more, that’s what I feel…. If I have sex when I truly
want to, for the first time in my life, I wondered if it could really make
my body and mind feel good
Even though last night she said that to me, but, is she telling me that her
feelings become changed in a day?
In that case then… but wait, at this kind of place!?
Although such thought crossed my mind, my body has already reacted. The
fact that I was holding on to the horny feelings from last night didn’t help
either, and it helped ignite my lust.
I was feeling good and my head was light-headed, so even though I sensed
some kind of discomfort, I hugged Shirakawa-san’s slender body.
“…Shirakawa-san, are you sure?”
When I buried my nose in her neck, I could smell a girlish, sweet vanilla-like
smell.
“…Yes”
A sigh mixed with a passionate, long breath was blown into my ear.
“…Shirakawa-san”
I embraced her body over again, strongly tracing her as if to check her body
line. Her light-colored wavy hair tickled my nose as if luring me in.
“Ahn….”
As if not able to endure it anymore, Shirakawa-san let out a small gasp.

That’s extremely lewd and so arousing that it sent shivers down my spine.
This was all the first time for me, so if I were to actually take a step to do
something like this, I knew I’d absolutely be flustered. That said, my brain
was in a hazy, light-headed state, and it robbed me off of my awareness
regarding suspicious details, so I was able to act on instinct.
I reached my hand towards the bottom part of her uniform blouse and ran my
fingers over her slightly sweaty, smooth skin.
“Ahn…!”
Shirakawa-san bent her body backwards, and her reaction made her stick
tightly to me. Towards her adorable reaction, I hugged her even more tightly
and tried to feel her.
“…?”
And then, I suddenly sensed a strong sense of discomfort.
──Can you, hug me?
Even now, my whole body still vividly remembered the sensation when I
hugged Shirakawa-san last night. And the elasticity sensation of large, soft
bulges I felt at the time, I couldn’t feel it no matter how hard I hugged her.
…Were Shirakawa-san’s breasts.. always this small?
At the same time, many doubts arose within me.
Was Shirakawa-san, always this small? She’s indeed small and slender, but
now, I feel like the girl in my arms is a size smaller than I remember.
Furthermore, the smell is not the usual Shirakawa-san.
The small sense of discomfort that has been piling up since sometime ago,
finally, turned into something I couldn’t ignore.
And then, the true nature of the sense of discomfort I felt at the very
beginning, little by little, began to take its distinct shape in my hazy mind.
Shirakawa-san went and visited Kurose-san’s house, but why would she
borrow Kurose-san’s phone when her battery ran out? If she’s inside a
house, wouldn’t it be faster to borrow a charger? Moreover, going out alone
while carrying Kurose-san’s phone… would the owner allow such a thing?
As I was thinking all that, the breast of Shirakawa-san, who was in my

embrace, trembled unnaturally.
When I separated our bodies, with an “Ah”, Shirakawa-san pulled her phone
from her breast pocket as if in a hurry. “Saitou-kun” was shown on the
screen. With a fumbling hand, she tapped the accept call button.
“Kurose-san? I’ve locked up the storage room like you said! Kurose-sa…”
The voice coming out from the phone was cut-off there. Looks like she’s in
too much of a hurry that she can’t tap the end call button quite accurately.
I think the voice I heard just now was our class’s Saitou’s, no doubt. He was
a guy who previously carried files of paper for Koruse-san until the staff
room when I and Kurose-san were on class duty.
Shirakawa-san was holding onto Kurose-san’s phone, so it wasn’t

particularly weird if there’s a call directed to Kurose-san.
However… I saw it.
The face illuminated by the light coming from the screen was subtly different
from the face of Shirakawa-san I knew.
“Kurose-, san…!?”
I was so surprised my voice became hoarse.
What’s the meaning of this?
Kurose-san seemed to be wearing a different make-up than what she’s

usually wearing. And she, indeed, looked a little like Shirakawa-san. The
light-colored long wavy hair, too, was Shirakawa-san-ish.
“Why is Kurose-san…?”
My head was in a great panic as to what was going on.
In front of me, Kurose-san froze for a while when she saw my state.
“Where’s Shirakawa-san?”
When I asked her, she let out a small sigh and took the wig on her head. She
then released her tied up hair and Kurose-san’s usual black hair flowed down
beautifully.
“Who knows, I don’t know where Runa is. Isn’t she at home eating the
dinner grandma made around this time?”
“…..”
In other words, Shirakawa-san has nothing to do with this at all, huh.

Understanding that Kurose-san hasn’t done anything to me, I felt a little
relieved.
“How did you….”
To the dumbfounded me, Kurose-san was pleasantly smiling. My eyes have

become accustomed to the darkness inside the storage room, and now I was
able to see few details.
“Me and Runa don’t look alike at all from the outside, but our voices are
exactly alike. Since we were little, even our parents also mistake us when on
the phone. …Hey, Ryuuto!”
For a moment, I felt like I was really called by Shirakawa-san’s voice. Even
though I knew the origin of the voice, I ended up looking behind me.
Why didn’t I notice it. No, it’s not just me, even no one in class has mentioned
it before. Probably, it’s because the tone and wordings she used when
speaking are different, I guess.
I didn’t know, so I ended up coming all the way here thinking that it’s a call
from Shirakawa-san, without doubting it.
“…Why are you doing such a thing?”
“I already told you. ‘I.. wanna have sex with Ryuuto’……..”
Imitating Shirakawa-san’s voice again, Kurose-san smiled.
I remembered what happened earlier, and I trembled.
I see, I… doing something like that with Kurose-san….
This thumping heart and cold sweat, even I wasn’t sure myself from what
kind of emotion it came from.
But at any rate, I at least knew that it’d be bad if I stayed here.
“…W-well then, I will go now”
I turned on my heel and returned to the entrance, but the metal sliding didn’t
budge.
“I had the door locked from the outside. You did hear it earlier, didn’t you?”
“…..”
Saitou’s doing, huh.
“Why…”
Losing strength, I planted my back on the door and sat down.
“Saitou-kun is in the judo club, so he often uses the key to the storage room. I
took advantage of that, and asked him to do it this evening”
I understood that Saitou was easily doing as Kurose-san said because of

ulterior motives. Kurose-san is an idol-grade beauty so it’s not impossible.
But…
“…I’ll go out through that window. Or calling the staff room because it looks
like the teacher’s still there…”
“Are you sure? Even if Runa finds out?”
“Eh?”
“I’ll tell Runa. What Kashima-kun did earlier”
“That was…!”
When I tried to make a rebuttal, Kurose-san knelt down facing me, and
embraced me.
“…!”
“However”
Kurose-san whispered to my ear as I was frozen still.
“If we go all the way, I won’t tell anyone”
What did she say…?
What I remembered were Yamana-san’s words.
make Runa worried?
Earlier, I hugged Kurose-san and got in a naughty mood because I thought

it’s Shirakawa-san.
But, it’s actually Kurose-san… And no matter how many excuses I come up
with, like how her voice sounded like Shirakawa-san’s or like how I wasn’t
sober, it’s the truth that I’m here, alone with Kurose-san and we hugged each
other.
If Shirakawa-san finds out what happened here…
Even as I was in limbo thinking such a thing, Kurose-san tightly embraced
me. Being glued to a soft body, the feeling I had earlier came back. Even at
this very moment, I love Shirakawa-san, but my body slowly became hot,
contrasting my heart.
“…Will you.. keep your mouth shut if we go all the way?
I nervously asked her, and Kurose-san nodded.
“Yep. I won’t tell anyone. I mean, Saitou-kun also doesn’t think that I’m
inside, so it’ll never get found out”
Kurose-san whispered close to my ear, and the hands she put on my back
went up and down as if stroking me.
“If you love Runa that much, then I’ll pretend to be your Runa. …Okay,
Ryuuto?”
Even though I knew it in my head, I went under illusion.
I had a flashback of my horny feeling from last night, and before I knew it, I
was pushing Kurose-san to the floor.
“Shirakawa-san…”
“Ryuuto.. come…”
Kurose-san’s hand entered my shirt.
My head was in a daze and hot.
As long as Kurose-san keeps her mouth shut…
But, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll betray Shirakawa-san.
Thinking about this, feelings of calmness came back to me a little.
But, a thing better than having it exposed by a failed attempt and making her
worried is…
But still, a betrayal is a betrayal.
Inside my head, an angel and a devil were whispering at a dizzying pace.
“Ryuuto…”
I stopped my breath at the moment her voice was whispered close to my ear
──Ryuuto, so warm…. I feel at ease
Last night, Shirakawa-san’s voice resounded with happiness in my ear.
The voice, and also the warmth… it’s certainly alike, however.
The one here.. is not Shirakawa-san.
“Kurose-san”
I came back to my senses. Then I separated myself from her and stood up.
“…One thing, do you mind if I confirm one thing with you?”
I’ve been feeling that something’s slightly weird since sometime ago. But my
head was in a daze, so I couldn’t confirm what it was, though. And finally, it
struck me.
“I thought that the reason Kurose-san was pretending to be Shirakawa-san

and summoning me here, was in order to get revenge on Shirakawa-san,
however…”
Kurose-san resents the fact that, when their parents divorced, her beloved
father took the custody of Shirakawa-san instead of Kurose-san. That was
why she previously spread bad rumors about Shirakawa-san, trying to harass
her. This time too, I think it’s also the extension of that.
“If that’s the case, if me and Kurose-san… umm, if we enter a physical

relationship and never tell anyone about it, wouldn’t it then be meaningless
from Kurose-san’s point of view?”
Kurose-san also raised herself up, sat down on the floor, and looked at me
with upturned eyes.
“…Why do you think so? Are you telling me that I will tell Runa either
way?”
“I mean, if you don’t… is there any gain for Kurose-san? What’s the
point…”
Of seducing a man you don’t even like?
At the moment I thought so.
“…I do love you”
Kurose-san spoke in a whisper.
“It’s because I love you… I just, wanted to do it with Kashima-kun”
“Eeeeh!?!”
There’s no way she… and when I looked at Kurose-san while thinking that in
my head, she’s casting her eyes down and shaking. Even in the darkness, I
could see that her cheeks were tinged with red, and she’s biting her lips so
strongly it turned white.
I found it hard to think that this was all an act.
“I love you… since the time you scolded me when I spread bad rumors about
Runa”
“Wh-why…?”
“…I wonder why. I guess it’s because I felt like you’re being so kind6 to me.
When I was talking about my story, too, you’re earnestly listening to it…”
Kurose-san, who answered me bashfully, then stiffened her expression and

looked up at me.

“As long as you keep silent to Runa, it’d be all fine”
“No”
I shook my head, as I’ve completely regained my senses and my thoughts

became clear.
“Even so, I can’t do any more of this. It would be a betrayal towards

Shirakawa-san, besides…”
To Kurose-san who fixedly looked up at me, I spoke.
“I feel bad for Kurose-san, too”
When Kurose-san heard this, she opened her eyes wide like she was shocked.
And then.
“Is anyone there!? I can hear you talking”
I heard someone’s voice coming from the gymnasium. And with a click, the
lock was unlocked, and the sliding door opened.
Standing there was a security guard with a flashlight, seeming to be on patrol.
“What are you doing at this kind of place? From what year and class? I have
to tell the teacher…”
The moment we heard it, Kurose-san started to run.
“Hey! Don’t run!”
Seeing that the security guard was being undecided whether to chase her or
not, I also started to run.
“Wait, you lot!”
If the teacher were to be informed, not only Shirakawa-san, but the whole
school would know that I was alone with Kurose-san in the storage room.

When I left the gymnasium, Kurose-san was waiting for me and then spoke.
“I’ll leave through the back gate, so Kashima-kun go back through the side
gate”
‘A-all right“
“Bye…”
And as Kurose-san was about to go, she turned around and looked at me.
“…In any case, I love you”
She told me with a smile, and started to run.
“……”
I was left alone, and started to blank out for a moment, however.
“…Crap”
Remembering the security guard, I quickly started to run to the side gate.
It was a long day.
As looked back at the event last night, when I spent it holding hands with
Shirakawa-san hardly getting any sleep, it’s hard to believe that it all
happened practically on the same day.
After I got home, I lay down on the bed in my room and the fatigue came on
pouring in.
I stared at the ceiling while thinking idly. What came to my mind was, as
expected, it was what Kurose-san had said earlier.
──In any case, I love you

Was that.. a confession?
If that’s the case.. should I give a reply?
In the storage room, I told Kurose-san that I couldn’t go all the way, but we
were immediately chased by the security guard and we ended up split up in
an unsettled manner. I felt like I didn’t respond clearly and it bothered me.
Kurose-san…
When I recalled the series of events happening inside the storage room, my
heart started pounding violently.
Kurose-san.. really is cute. I think she could choose any man she wants, and
yet, why me.
Well, I liked her when I was in the first year of middle school, and even now,
if I hadn’t been dating Shirakawa-san… no, there’s no point thinking about
this “what if”.
It’s because right now.. I can’t think of anyone else but Shirakawa-san.
I’ll make it clear to Kurose-san.
With that in mind, I opened LINE.
Somehow not being able to stay lying down, I sat upright on the bed and
tapped the voice call symbol. I felt like it would be rude to turn her down
with just a text.
“…Hello”
Kurose-san immediately picked it up.
“Hello, Kurose-san? Did you get home safely?”
“Yes”
“That’s good. …Umm, about what you said earlier”

“Kashima-kun”
Being called out in a strong tone, I stopped talking.
“I know what you’re going to say. But, I want to hear it face to face”
“Eh…”
“If you say it on the phone, I can’t give up. I won’t bother Kashima-kun
anymore and this will be the last time, so… can I meet you just one more
time?”
The way of speaking just now was Kurose-san’s, but the type of voice was
certainly similar to Shirakawa-san’s. When I thought about it, I was having
even more of a hard time ignoring it.
“…I understand. But, we’re meeting outside, okay?”
When I told her that, as I was wary that it’d end up like it did today, Kurose-
san laughed a little from the other side of the phone.
“I know. We can meet at a park or something”
“It’s getting late already, so can we meet tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Then tomorrow when it’s bright”
Thus, we decided on the specific time and place, then we ended the call.
The next day. It was a day with cloudy sultry weather.
Even after nearing noon, Ichi and Nishi weren’t online in Discord. It got me
worried, so I called Ichi’s LINE for the time being.
I was exhausted yesterday, so I ended up falling asleep even though I was

worrying about those two.

“Hello? Ichi? Are you okay?”
Since I didn’t hear any voice even though the call got connected, I tried to
ask. And in the next moment, it was returned with a sound so loud I thought
my phone would crack.
“I’M NOT OKAY AT AAAAAAAAALL!!”
“…Wh-what happened?”
It seems that something happened, but I’m relieved he’s okay for now.
“That bitch! Calpi● Soda my ass!! There’s no way a Ca●pis would make my
head hurt so much like it’d split open!!!”
“That’s right, what a shit joke!! How dare she play around with a gloomy
person’s pure heart!!!”
From nearby, I could also hear Nishi’s voice.
“Is Nishi there, too?”
“This is my house! Of course I’d be here!”
“Nishi let me spend the night here… ‘You have the nerve coming home at
this hour with your face all red as a high school student’, I was told that and
got punched hard by my old man, you see… and I was kicked out of the
house”
Ichi explained it with a sorrowful voice to the bewildered me.
“My parents were also upset, but I explained it’s a crappy employee making a
mistake in the order. And I managed to get into the house with Ichi,
somehow”
Certainly, whether it’s intentional or by mistake, any employee who served

high school students that kind of drink would be crappy, wouldn’t they…
“So I went to bed, but since dawn I’ve been vomiting and crashing down, and

my head hurts”
“I’ve decided I’m never drinking again!”
“That shitty demon gal!”
“And Kashi was gone since god knows when!”
“Ah, yeah, about that.. I’m really sorry…”
Their resentment was pointed at me, so I hurriedly apologize.
“After you two fell asleep, I didn’t have anything to do. And Yamana-san
told me she’d look after you two afterwards, so that’s why…”
“That shitty demon gal! Looking after someone my ass!! She has the nerves
saying ‘I’m leaving now, so go home’, throwing two water bottles at us and
kicking us out!!!”
“That person is not a demon gal! She’s just a demon!!!”
“I’ll slice her up with my sun katana!!”
“….”
I kind of had a hunch regarding that, but I guess they really weren’t treated
warmly.
It also applies to me, but I’m sorry that it has been a very awful first time at
an izakaya for those two… And as I was thinking that.
“As expected, going to an izakaya is a bad idea”
“Guess so. If you’re aiming to be a normie, we have to go to the sea with a

girl just like Kashi”
“There’s no girls, though. For the time being, I guess it’ll work out if I go to
the sea”

“Yeah, it’s going to the sea for now”
“Next year will be a dark summer of studying for exams, so I’ve gotta have a
look on gals in swimsuit this year”
As if to escape reality, Ichi and Nishi were talking about their future plan.
“…But Yamana-san was worried about you two, you know?”
I told them this because I thought that their impression of Yamana-san

would’ve turned for the worst if I hadn’t, though, but it’s not like it’s a
complete lie.
Last night, I got a text from Yamana-san saying “They made it home safely,
and get them some turmeric7 if it looks bad”.
“Eh, seriously?”
Then Ichi’s tone of voice changed.
“Even a demon gal has a human heart, huh…”
“Going hot cold hot cold like this, ain’t she too much of a gap moe expert?”
“I guess it really is the era of a demon gal”
“This carrot and stick loop is inescapable!”
With Nishi, he exchanged frustrated remarks. I’m glad that they’re such
strong friends.
Thus, I found out they were safe, and then the three of us talked about trivial
things for a while, then ended the call.
After that, I began to change from my home-use-jersey in order to meet

Kurose-san.

The meeting place I’ve decided with Kurose-san was a large park near the K
Station. In the first place, Kurose-san had gone to the same public middle
school as me, so her home was close. And also, her grandpa’s house, which
she came back to, was at the same place as it had been in the past.
When I arrived at the park that was 10-minute walk away from my house, I
found Kurose-san had already come even though it’s still several minutes
before the appointed time.
“Kashima-kun”
When she noticed me, Kurose-san smiled happily. Her face is so cute, and
it’s painful to think about what I will tell her.
I liked her in the beginning and her look is my type, so it makes it even more
painful for me.
But, I have to properly tell her. In order to not make Shirakawa-san worried,
I have to tell Kurose-san clearly.
“Thank you for coming, Kashima-kun”
Kurose-san.. has such a soft smile.
That was not the flattering smile she showed to the guys in class, nor the
malicious smile she showed when she’s spreading bad rumors about
Shirakawa-san, but it was a natural smile she would make in front of her
friends or someone she loved.
Someone she loves… as expected, it’s the truth when she said she loved me,
huh…
“Can we talk while we walk?”
Following Kurose-san’s proposal, we decided to walk along the promenade

inside the park. Under fine weather, the sunlight passing through leaves of
trees would make this place beautiful, but under cloudy weather like today, it
felt awfully bleak. Considering that places where you could spend time
outdoors pleasantly in this midsummer were few, this place was a nice and

cool place with its man-made stream flowing nearby.
“Kashima-kun, I thought you were caught by the security guard”
“I was fine. Looks like he was just talking and never came after me”
“Is that so. I wonder if it’s because he’s a grandpa
The park was located on high ground along the railroads, and our
conversation would occasionally be interrupted due to the sound of passing
trains and planes passing by in the sky.
After interruptions for the umpteenth time, I steeled myself and started to
talk.
“Kurose-san”
And then Kurose-san stopped walking.
“Kashima-kun, you know”
Kurose-san, who spoke up and stared ahead, dropped her gaze to her feet and
softly smiled.
“Until I came here, I had fun. …I felt like I was going on a date, wondering
what I should wear, doing my hair…”
Somewhat surprised, I looked at Kurose-san’s whole body. Kurose-san was

wearing a black and pink gingham check dress. Her handbag and shoes were
black, and although not to the point of gothic lolita, it was overall a
combination of items with girlish taste.
“But, I’ll get turned down. I knew it, but it’s painful, isn’t it…”
Drops fell on Kurose-san’s feet. As I was about to look at the sky wondering
if it’s finally raining, I was caught by her eyes.
Kurose-san was crying. Pursing her lips, she narrowed her eyes as if enduring
it. And from those eyes, large teardrops flowed one after another.

“Guys who have confessed to me so far… and Kashima-kun, too, I wonder if
this is how you felt? I’m sorry, for making you feel painful things, Kashima-
kun…”
“I’m sorry, Kurose-san…”
When I said the same words Kurose-san said, her shoulders went up and
down in a great movement.
I did come here to properly turn her down.
However, I felt like it’d be too harsh to her now if I said more than I already
have. Even with only that, it should’ve been more than enough to convey my
feelings.
I have always thought that I’m not popular and got rejected by the girl I liked
because I’m a gloomy guy with a mob face. But, love is about connection
between people and timing. That’s why, a beauty like Kurose can also get
turned down by an uncool guy like me. There’s even the case where a really
cute and good girl like Shirakawa-san was constantly made to cry by men.
And a guy like me can also date a lovely girl like Shirakawa-san.
You’re unpopular because you’re gloomy, you’re a cute girl so you’d have an
easy life, I realized that such things are nothing but preconceived views.
“With this, I was able to revenge for being turned down in the past”, such a
thing, not even an atom of it crossed my mind, however.
──I’m sorry. I’m.. only think of Kashima-kun as a friend…
I felt like the huge weight that I had been carrying in my heart since that
moment was lifted all of sudden.
“Kurose-san… do you want to sit down and rest for a bit?”
There were many benches along the promenade in various places. To me,
who made the proposal out of concern for the public eyes, Kurose-san
jumped at me so suddenly and quickly.

“…!?”
My body froze solid immediately. And as I tried to separate away from her.
“…hic… uuu…. hic”
Like a child, she’s crying right in front of me. It made my heart ache so I
wasn’t able to do it.
“hic… Kashima-ku… n”
In between crying, Kurose-san squeezed out the words out of her throat with
her utmost effort.
“I’ll be going home soon, so… hic, just for a bit… let me stay like this”
“…I understand”
Kurose-san buried her face in my chest and wrapped her hands around my
back, hugging me and crying as if she’s clinging to me.
I couldn’t hug back this delicate back, however.
Only at this moment, I felt like I wanted to be there for her feelings.

V2: Chapter 3.5 – Runa and
Nikoru’s Long Phone Call
“Nikoru, good job on your part time~!”
“Hey Runa, did you have fun at the sea? The typhoon was terrible, wasn’t it”
“Yep, it really was. But I had fun, I was able to sleep while holding hands
with Ryuuto, too”
“Well, I’ve heard the gist of it on LINE, but you know. That guy, he really is
amazing, huh”
“Ryuuto is serious after all”
“Guess so. That much I’ve acknowledged it. But being an earnest guy doesn’t
mean he won’t cheat, too, you know?”
“Nn… you’re maybe right, but Ryuuto is ‘the last man’, okay”
“Huh? What’s that, a movie? The Av●ngers?”
“Fufu. Anyway, it means I don’t have to worry about Ryuuto”
“Even if you’re saying that, you’re worried, right? Until two months pass”
“…I guess so. I wonder why”
“As expected, it has something to do with your dad, isn’t it?”
“…Nn. Something mom has been telling since I was a little, has always been
somewhere in my heart, you see. ‘There’s no man who doesn’t cheat. A

woman has nothing to do but to endure’, she said”
“But in the end, your mom couldn’t endure it anymore, so she left, right?”
“Nn… But, I think that.. dad really loved mom the most”
“Huuh? In that case don’t cheat on your wife. My old man is the same, too,
though. Why would you have sex with the woman you love only to hurt her?”
“…I also don’t know why”
“I don’t even want to know why. It’s also unnecessary to know”
“…You know, until the previous boyfriend I was dating, I had a feeling about
it from the beginning. The feeling about how this person was probably gonna
cheat on me”
“That was why I always told you that at the beginning, didn’t I. But Runa
always said ‘I want to believe him’”
“Yup. I wanted to believe, but got betrayed… but since I’ve thought ‘I knew
it’ in my head, I’d say it somehow just became clear to me… and the shock
was just barely bearable”
“And yet, you did cry a lot, Runa…”
“Yup… But, about Ryuuto, there’s part of me that truly, truly believes him.
That’s why… I think it’s scary”
“Even if it’s just an unlikely chance, what if he cheats on you?”
“Nn… At that time, I wonder if I’d be able to bear it. …Well, it’s not like that
crossed my mind only with Ryuuto, though”
“I guess so. Anyway, I guess time will tell. A month later I’m sure you’ll be
smiling, thinking ‘I really don’t have to worry about it’”
“You’re right. I will, surely”

While smiling, she looked at the phone placed on the bed in speaker mode.
Alone, Runa gazed and stared fondly at the matching phone case with the
person she liked.

V2: Chapter 4
Since morning, the final day of the first school semester had a somewhat odd
atmosphere.
“Ah, look…”
“Heeh, he looks so plain like that, but not bad, huh…”
When I arrived at school, classmates I’ve never even talked to before were
looking my way and whispering.
Is this about Shirakawa-san? But, it’s been quite a while already since the
coming out of our relationship, so why now?
When I entered the classroom and was about to head towards my seat, Ichi in
his seat saw me and his expression changed.
“Kashi!!
He quickly got up and came towards me, swaying his huge body.
“Morning, Ichi…”
“What the hell have you been doing!?!”
“Eh?”
“Anyway come!!”
After taking me out of the classroom and arriving at a corner of the corridor, I
looked at the face of my friend, without even understanding anything.

“Wh-what’s wrong, Ichi”
“You too, what the hell is wrong with you!? Kashi, are you cheating with
Kurose-san!?!”
“Eeh…!?”
I blanked out.
Of course, I’m not… thinking of cheating. However…
“Who told you that?”
“It’s everyone! Everyone has been talking about it since I came to school.
Even I was talked to by the cheery guys and asked ‘is it for real?’”
“Why would they…”
‘You have something in mind, don’t you?“
Being watched by Ichi’s thin eyes, I ended up involuntarily averting my eyes.
“No, I’m not cheating, but…”
It’s true that I was meeting Kurose-san in private in the period of two days. If
some part of it were cut out and misunderstood then… But, would such
questionable circumstantial evidence led them to conclude “He’s cheating”?
Perhaps…
“Ah, Hey! Hold on, Kashi!”
Without even hearing Ichi’s voice calling out to me, I headed back to the
classroom.
“Hey, did you fuck her!? Did you also fuck that kind of beauty while you
have someone like Shirakawa-san!?!? Damn it!! You fucking fake-gloomy-
bastard!!!”

As I entered the classroom while Ichi’s stomping echoing from the corridor,
my classmates’ eyes quickly focused on me then dispersed.
Shirakawa-san was still nowhere to be found in the classroom.
I headed to my seat and placed my bag there.
“Kurose-san, do you have a minute?”
I called out to her on the seat next to me.
Kurose-san’s shoulders jolted and she looked over here. Her state looked to
be ready to be talked to by me.
“…Sure”
Her face when she answered me looked surprisingly dejected.
We went into a nearby empty classroom.
As soon as I shut the door, Kurose-san opened her mouth.
“It’s not me”
Kurose-san still had a depressed face. I could see that the area around her
eyes looked slightly swollen, as if she had been crying yesterday until late at
night.
“But then…”
“It’s only a secondary thing, my revenge on Runa is. I just.. wanted to be

loved by Kashima-kun…”
As if lamenting, Kurose-san breathed out these words.
“Although that didn’t come true, I wouldn’t do such a meaningless thing…

like to just spread rumors. Even I have my pride”
Judging by the state of her, I don’t think she’s lying.

“…I see, I’m sorry”
When I apologized, Kurose-san made a powerless smile.
“Me too, I’m sorry for pushing you around. And I’ll also block your LINE,
okay”
“…Yeah…”
In the end, I feel like there’s no choice but to be this way.
“Well then… let’s go”
It was then, when I was about to put my hand on the door in order to go back
to the classroom.
“Hey, Kashima-kun”
I was called to a stop. When I looked back, I found Kurose-san was smiling
at me. It’s different from a moment ago. That face, even though it’s
dispirited, it’s colored with a tint of joy.
“In the past, if I had said OK when Kashima-kun confessed to me… Right
now, I wonder if the person standing next to kashima-kun would’ve been me,
instead of Runa”
Kurose-san…
When I kept silent without answering at all, once again, Kurose-san’s smile
turned dark.
“…Just kidding. It’s meaningless thinking about it, isn’t it”
And then.
“Let’s go back”
“Yeah”

Being urged, I replied back and this time, I opened the door.
That’s when it happened.
“Kyaaa!!”
The figure of a person in front of me shouted, and pang!, something fell at

my feet.
It was a phone inside a case that I knew very well, so I quickly looked up.
The one who was there was Shirakawa-san.
And behind her, I also saw Yamana-san standing with an expression that
looked like a hannya mask1.
“Ryuuto…”
With an expression of disbelief, Shirakawa-san was slightly shaking her

head.
“In the past… the girl Ryuuto confessed to and got rejected by was…
Maria?”
Ah.
I was asked.
About the thing I haven’t told Shirakawa-san yet…
“Why… why didn’t you tell me…?”
“I’m sorry, that was…”
“Why are you apologizing?”
With an expression of heartbreak, Shirakawa-san quivered.
“Did you.. do something you need to apologize to…?”

“No, it’s different, tha…”
“I don’t wanna hear it!!”
Hearing Shirakawa-san’s intense voice for the first time, my body froze still
and I couldn’t move.
Shirakawa-san was staring at me with a devastated look, and glints started to

appear from those eyes.
“Why? Ryuuto… I hate this, I can’t … take it”
After saying that, Shirakawa-san turned on her heel.
“Shirakawa-san!!”
Without even turning around at my voice, she ran down the corridor.
I have to chase her!
However, before doing so I tried to pick up Shirakawa-san’s dropped phone

in front of me. And as I was about to pick it up, my reached out hand froze.
There was a photo of me and Kurose-san hugging each other displayed on the
screen that was cracked like a spider’s web. I think the screen was probably
cracked because of the impact when it dropped.
“….”
This is the photo from yesterday at the park. The angle of this photo seems to
be taken zoomed in diagonally from behind me. If it’s like this, you can’t even
know that Kurose-san was crying, or that I didn’t have my hands wrapped
around her body.
Coming back to my senses, I tried to pick up the phone again. However, it

got picked up before I could like as if it were snatched away right in front my
eyes.
It was Yamana-san. Yamana-san glared at me with a furious expression,

moved the phone to her left hand, and made a big swing with her right hand.
“THE WOOORST!!!!”
With a pang, a sharp pain ran through my cheek.
My face turned to the side spontaneously and I understood that I had been
slapped.
“….You fucking asshole…”
Yamana-san gave me a quick glare, then ran after Shirakawa-san.
“…Are you okay? Kashima-kun”
Being called out from behind, I looked back and found Kurose-san with a
worrying look.
“Yeah…”
“Then I’ll be going. You don’t want any more misunderstandings, do you”
Kurose-san then slipped past my side and left the classroom.
After being left alone, I quickly ran out into the corridor. Even if I were to
make chase, I couldn’t even find Shirakawa-san’s figure anywhere.
For the time being, I returned back to the classroom to check, but neither
Shirakawa-san nor Yamana-san was there.
Feeling a tingling on my cheek, I touched it, then I saw a thin layer of blood
on my fingertips. It must’ve been scratched by Yamana-san’s long
fingernails.

Why did it turn out like this… Where, and what I should have done?
During the entire end of term ceremony, those were the only things I could
think about.
From the conversations between my classmates, I’ve confirmed that the

photo displayed on Shirakawa-san’s phone was taken by someone from the
other class of the same year. It appeared that that student was from a different
middle school in K-City, and yesterday, when that student was at a local park
with friends from the same middle school, that student spotted me and
Kurose-san from a distance and took a photo of us. Apparently, since that
student knew my relationship with Shirakawa-san, thinking of it as a scoop,
that student just sent it to friends and as a result, it spread throughout the
school year in a flash.
And there’s an impact of that photo. Even without knowing what kind of
relationship that I had with Kurose-san or what kind of conversation we had
that led to that situation, I could imagine the feelings of thinking that that
must’ve been me cheating if you saw that photo.
Shirakawa-san must’ve been hurt. When that thought came to mind, I felt
guilty.
I have to quickly explain it, and clear up the misunderstanding.
Nevertheless, it’s the truth that I didn’t tell her that the one I confessed to in
my first year of middle school was Kurose-san. I didn’t mean to keep it as a
secret, but it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t tell her.
Yeah, that’s right… I should’ve told her. On the day when Kurose-san
transferred to our school.
But, we ended up sitting next to each other by chance, and I had a lot of
chances to talk to her, too, because of class duty and whatnot… So I
subconsciously thought of not wanting to cause Shirakawa-san any
unnecessary worry, and ended up not telling her. To think that, that brought
upon this situation.

If it’s only just a photo, Shirakawa-san might’ve still listened to me. But,
because I was concealing my past with Kurose-san… She must’ve been
thinking that there’s probably even more secrets.
Including meeting with Kurose-san in a public place, all of my own actions

that I took in consideration of Shirakawa-san, all of it ended up backfiring.
I want to talk to her as soon as possible. Although I’m not doing any cheating
or the like, I want to apologize to her for not telling about Kurose-san.
Despite my feelings, Shirakawa-san never came back.
Finally, the end of term ceremony ended. And even after school, Shirakawa-
san did not come back.
The gray summer vacation has begun.
The next day, I was attending a summer short course at a prep school. It’s a
prep school I wanted to attend when I became a third-year high school
student, and as I also wanted to have a trial-run, I asked my parents to let me
attend a two-weeks course of major subjects.
I had applied for it in May, and by no means that I’d expected that such a
thing would happen with Shirakawa-san… In the first place, it’s a plan that
was decided at a time when I hadn’t even imagined that I’d be dating a girl,
so I had no choice but to attend it.
However, the precious content of the lesson, not even half of it entered my
head, unfortunately. For the time being, I’d just copy what’s written on the
blackboard to my notebook while thinking about Shirakawa-san.
Yesterday, Shirakawa-san disappeared somewhere with Yamana-san while

leaving behind her bag in class, and they must’ve been together. As I wanted
to talk to her, I waited in class for a while even after everyone had gone, but
since there’s no sign of her coming back, I left the school to look for
Shirakawa-san.

And after that, I waited in the vicinity of Shirakawa-san’s house for her to
come home. Given that if I waited at the same place would’ve made the
neighbors suspicious, I waited until it got dark while going back and forth on
the street, or circling the house’s neighborhood. Around 8 PM, I saw a man in
his forties with a well-shaped face entering Shirakawa-san’s house. He’s
probably Shirakawa-san’s father, and I felt like his eyes resembled Kurose-
san’s. And even after it became 9 PM, Shirakawa-san didn’t come back, so I
gave up and went home. I’d thought that I might’ve missed her return, but the
window of Shirakawa-san’s room on the second floor remained dark until the
very end.
Even on LINE, no matter how many messages I sent, they never got a read at
all. And when I tried to call her, ringback tone was the only thing I heard.
Just in case, I also tried to send a message to Yamana-san, but it was never
read as well.
This was the first time we’ve not been in contact for this long since we
started dating. I even started to worry about her well-being, but since
Yamana-san was with her, she should not be in any kind of danger. I had no
choice but to believe so.2
As for the short course, there’s a three hours class in the morning, and
another in the afternoon. And this would go on non-stop for two weeks.
After the lesson was over, I did my homework in the study room3. And when
I left the prep school, it’s already dark outside. In the middle of my way
home using the train, I got off at A Station, and went to Shirakawa-san’s
house. After confirming that there’s no light coming from Shirakawa-san’s
room, I returned back to the station with slumped shoulders.
I continued to live like this every day for more than ten days.
And then, in the afternoon of the summer short course’s final day.
It was when I was getting tired, while slowly sipping the canned coffee on the
desk to fight drowsiness after lunch, and copying what’s on the blackboard to
my note in auto-pilot.

The phone vibrating inside my pocket surprised me. I’ve been like this for the
past two weeks. Well, most of the time it’s just a notification from an app,
though…
Wondering if I still had an app, which app’s notification I haven’t turned off,
I took out my phone. And then, my eyes opened wide in surprise.
What displayed was a LINE message from Ichi.
Ijichi Yuusuke
Hey, your girlfriend’s cheating on you!
You’ve received a picture
“….!!!”
What’s the meaning of this?
It appeared that I’ve received a picture, so I unlocked my phone and opened

LINE.
What I saw in the picture was.
It was Shirakawa-san, without a doubt.
Shirakawa-san was in a swimsuit. Smiling happily, and taking the arm of the
person next to her. That person is…
It was a good-looking man with skin like fresh wheat. And that tall, adult
man wearing a leaf-patterned shirt that suited him, looked at Shirakawa-san
and smiled lovingly.
“No way…”
I unconsciously muttered out, and the students seating next to me gave me a

glance.

Ryuuto
When was this photo taken?
Ijichi Yuusuke
Now! It’s taken just now!
Ryuuto
Where is this?
Ijichi Yuusuke
Chiba!
At a beach in Sotobou4
“Chiba…?”
Why is she there?
What is Shirakawa-san doing with that man?
I was full with questions I wanted to ask, but I was so confused I didn’t know
where to start.
In the meantime, the class continued.
The time was half past one, and there’s still more than two hours of class left.
However, now was not the time for that.

I gulped down the canned coffee clean, gathered up my notebooks and
textbooks and shoved them into my bag, and stood up.
The lecturer on the platform gave me a glance as I was leaving the classroom,
but didn’t say anything. It’s probably because it’s a large classroom with over
a hundred people.
As I was leaving the prep school’s building, I called Ichi.
“Hello? Ichi?”
“Kashi? Aren’t you in the middle of your course?”
“Did you talk to Shirakawa-san?”
“N-no. We’ve only just happened to see them, and she doesn’t know we’re
here”
“We?”
When I asked.
“I’m also heere!!”
I heard Nishi’s voice from the other side of the phone.
“You guys, what are you doing in such a place?”
“Isn’t it obvious, we’re going swimming in the sea”
“Places like Shounan are scary so we came to Bousou!”5
“If it’s Chiba, I feel like even us would be accepted!!”
“So, where’s Shirakawa-san?”
At any rate, I can’t stop thinking about her.
“Yeah, she’s still here. Flirting with a good-looking guy at a beach house”

“…”
“…Could it be that.. you two are already breaking up?”
“Eh…”
At Ichi’s slightly reserved voice, my chest ached.
“…No, we’re not breaking up”
At least, I don’t have the intention to.
But.
But, if something like that happened and I haven’t even been able to contact
her in two weeks… Perhaps, Shirakawa-san is the one who has the…
When such thought came to mind, I was unable to contain myself.
“I’m going there now, so tell me the name of the swimming area”
“Eeh!? Are you serious, Kashi!? How about the prep school!?”
Even after being told so by Ichi, I didn’t stop my feet from going to the
station.
I have come.
Two hours later, I arrived at the station Ichi had told me about. I’ve only been
to Chiba Bay Area, so I was surprised that the atmosphere was more rural
than I expected.
As I was heading to the beach, I got a message from a LINE group.
Team KEN’s Kids (3)

Ijichi Yuusuke
Sorry, the sunburn is too painful so I’m pulling back now…
Even my skin was gloomy orz
Your Nishina Ren
Same here…
Shirakawa-san is at a beach house called “LUNA MARINE”, kay
“Luna, Marine…?”
I feel something fatalistic, and I have a bad feeling about this.
Not long after walking from the station, I saw the beach they told me about.
It’s already almost 4 PM, so the people on their way back from the sandy
beach were noticeable. Perhaps because of this, that it didn’t feel crowded
when compared to Enoshima.
The sandy beach was vast and stretching until far in the distance, and it’s a
beach that gave a sense of liberation. I felt out of place because of my full-
length pants and sneakers, the so called complete town getup. And my bag
with the prep school textbooks was heavy.
I gently walked along the sandy beach trying not to let the sand enter my
shoes while looking at the several beach houses lined up along the roadside.
“LUNA MARINE” was the very last of the beach houses, located at the end
of the sandy beach.
It was then, when I was standing still between it and the beach house next to
it, not being able to muster the courage to approach it right away.
I saw the figure of a person coming out from the backdoor, and my eyes went

wide in surprise.
“Hey, can I go play in the sea for a bit?”
Slender hands and feet, tied up light-colored hair, a familiar bikini that
adorns that glamorous cleavage… and that bright voice…
There’s no mistaking it, it was Shirakawa-san.
In the last two weeks, I’ve been wanting to meet and talk to her.
Not being able to make contact with her, I even worried about her well-being.
And she’s.. right in front of me.
“Shirakawa-sa…”
When I unconsciously tried to approach her, the back door opened again.
“Sure~, Runa”
The one who came out was the good-looking guy in the photo taken by Ichi.
Though he looked young, there’s not a single childishness in it and he’s

probably in his thirties. And his light-colored dyed hair with a permed grown
bangs hairstyle6 gave off a gaudy feeling. He was tall, and I envied those long
muscular arms and legs, which showed his thin but muscular physique even
when he was wearing clothes.
From top to bottom, everything about him was different from me.
When seeing such a man, Shirakawa-san’s eyes lit up.
“Hey, does Mao-kun wanna come too?”
Saying so, she grabbed the man’s arm.
“C’mon, let’s go!”

“No, I can’t. It’s still business hours”
“Eeh, isn’t it fine! There are no more people, you know?”
Seeing Shirakawa-san grabbing the man’s arm and making a spoiled voice, a
stone-like weight piled up in my heart.
“Isn’t it fine! C’mon!”
“No~ope. Go play with Nikoru-chan”
What did he say?, and then another human figure came from the sandy beach.
“Then let’s go, Runa! And don’t trouble Mao-kun too much”
To my surprise, it was Yamana-san who was saying so with a smile. She’s

wearing a black tube-type bikini that suited her slender body and tan-colored
skin.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you, you really do like Mao-
kun”
Even after getting told so exasperatedly, Shirakawa-san smiled happily.
“I mean, we only see each other once in a while. Mao-kun, too, you’re
always going somewhere immediately”
Shirakawa-san, who pouted her lips as she said this, looked like a lovely
maiden in love no matter how you looked at it.
“Somewhere… I mean, I’ve a job”

The man called “Mao-kun” made a wry smile to those two, as if troubled.
If a third person were to see this, it’s just a pleasant scenery of a man and
women on the beach, but to me, the whole scenery appeared distorted, like I
was in a nightmare.
And now, to synthesize what I’ve seen and heard.
For a long time now, Shirakawa-san has had a true boyfriend. And he is
“Mao-kun”. However, since they can’t meet that much because of his job,
Shirakawa-san found herself another boyfriend… and started dating me. I
can’t see it any other way.
And then, Yamana-san also knew this, too.
And yet.
make Runa worried?
She said such a thing to me…
She was all in on it. She knew everything. She’s just making fun of me.
This is too much…
Does.. a gloomy person like me not have what it takes to date Shirakawa-san
after all…?
So the one Shirakawa-san likes is.. a good looking adult, huh…
Until now, whenever I’ve almost imagined about Shirakawa-san’s ex-

boyfriend, I’ve had to kick it out of my head to avoid thinking about it.
However, if a cruel scene was happening right in front of my eyes, I had no
choice but to accept it as reality.
I really am.. getting ahead of myself. I can’t believe that.. I thought that a guy
like me can be a true boyfriend of a girl like Shirakawa-san.

But I.. really loved Shirakawa-san.. I love her, even now.
At this very moment, she’s flirting with another man right in from my eyes.
Accepting reality is painful. It’s so painful it’s unbearable.
The midsummer sun blazing down mercilessly on me, my head was

pounding, and I was even feeling nauseous.
──I.. love that part about Ryuuto.
Were those words and that smile, all lies?
Everything done with me.. all of it was just playing around, huh…
And then, as I was in daze out of too much shock and under the illusion of
falling to the bottom of the earth.
“I said I can’t~! And look, we’ve got a visitor“
Saying so to Shirakawa-san, “Mao-kun” suddenly looked at me.
“Welcome! Would you be entering the sea now?”
“….!?”
When I was called out with a friendly voice, I froze.
Simultaneously, Shirakawa-san and Yamana-sa also looked in my

direction…
“Eeeh!?”
“Huuh!?”
And they were so surprised, as if seeing something unbelievable.
“Ryuuto…!?”

Seeing the state of the three of us, the puzzled face of “Mao-kun” eventually
turned into an understanding one.
“Aah… Perhaps, is he the boyfriend Runa was talking about?”
Perhaps out of composure as being the true boyfriend, the man even smiled
while speaking, and to that man, I glared in silence.
“….”
What a fearless man… He’s different from me, and I can’t believe he was
able to continue dating Shirakawa-san composedly while knowing the
existence of another man.
“I see I see~!”
In addition, he even had a beaming smile on his face.
“By train? It was a long way, wasn’t it? The heat was horrible, too~”
He even has the leeway to make small talk.
Don’t tell me, for this guy, is the thing with Shirakawa-san just playing
around?
To think what, while being the true boyfriend he only thinks of her to that
extent… Unforgivable.
What does Shirakawa-san even like about this frivolous guy?
Yeah, there might be nothing to criticize about his looks, and he may be an
adult, financially capable and tolerant.
…Unlike me…
Not good.
I can’t come up with anything that would help me win no matter how much I
thought about it, and the more I look at the man in front of me, the more

depressed I feel.
It’s already useless.
At this rate, there’s no choice but to withdraw and content myself as the
second man, huh…
And if I don’t want that, I’m going to have to break up with Shirakawa-san,
huh…
Those are.. the only two choices I have left.
And as I felt like crying at the thought of it.
“Since we’ve just met, I guess we should introduce ourself”
The man approached me, and pulled out what seemed to be a card case from
his pocket.
“Are you fine with a business card? Nice to meet you~”
I looked at the business card handed to me, and my eyes widened.

Travel Writer7
Kurose Mao
Kurose!?
I looked up in surprise, and the man announced with an exceptionally

handsome smile.
“Hello! I’m Runa’s uncle! And it seems like my niece has been in your
care~!”
Uncle…!?
Aren’t you…
….kind of… gaudy as an uncle…?
But, based on what I saw on the business card, I suppose that’s the truth.
Guessing from his name and apparent age, I guess he’s Shirakawa-san’s
mother’s younger brother.
This uncle… is nothing like my uncles who get drunk on New Year’s Day
swaying their pot belly while spouting dirty jokes.
“Hold on, you”
As I was dumbfounded by the turn of events, Yamana-san glared at me with a

very bloodthirsty look on her face.
“I don’t know where you heard it from, but who the hell do you think you are
coming all the way here?”
“Stop, Nikoru. It might be different”
Shirakawa-san tried to stop her, but was confronted by Yamana-san.
“Different? And what is different? He’s definitely guilty no matter how you
look at it”

“If it’s someone else, then it might be the case… But if it’s Ryuuto, it might
really be different”
Muttering as if to take it all in, Shirakawa-san looked at me… and averted her
eyes once more.
“Since then I’ve been worrying about it a lot… And finally, I’ve come to
think so”
Shirakawa-san…
Seeing us like this, Mao-san cheerfully started to talk.
“Now now, I’m sure boyfriend-kun was tired after coming all the way here in
this heat, right? You should go drink yourself a cola and rest for now~!”
“Ah…I’m Kashima”
Forgetting to tell him my name, I hurriedly told him mine, and Mao-san
replied with a good-natured smile.
“Kay! So you’re Kashima Ryuuto-kun”
That smile certainly looked a lot like Shirakawa-san’s.
I was taken into Mao-san’s beach house, and to a table seating that looked
like a little raised seating area8 facing the sea. I sat down at the table facing
Shirakawa-san. On top of the table were two complimentary bottles of cola
from Mao-san.
As for Yamana-san, she said she had a part-time job starting at six o’clock,
and just left a moment ago.
“…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that the one who rejected me when I was in the
first year of middle school was Kurose-san”
As I started to break the ice, Shirakawa-san gave a small nod.

“There’s the fact that I didn’t know the relationship between Shirakawa-san
and Kurose-san, and even though it was all over, it might cause you any
worry, so at first, I thought it might be unnecessary to tell you, though… then
I’ve got to know you’re twins. And I lost the timing to tell you”
Shirakawa-san nodded again. Feeling just that much as a saving grace for me,
I continued.
“On the day I and Shirakawa-san came back from the sea… I was confessed
to by Kurose-san”
Shirakawa-san, who had been casting her eyes down, looked at me in

surprise.
“Were you.. close with Maria?”
“No”
I shook my head.
“I was asked about my LINE, though, but we weren’t talking that much. It
seems that previously, when I listened to her story about her spreading
rumors about Shirakawa-san… I was being so kind to her, then she came to
like me”
Talking about this myself felt awkward, so I’d make it brief.
“I tried to turn her down over the phone, but she told me that she couldn’t
give up if I said it over the phone, so we decided to meet at a park… When
we met, Kurose-san ended up crying. …’let me stay like this just for a bit’,
she said. And I think that photo is from that time”
In order to not make it sound like an excuse as much as possible, I conveyed

only the facts in a summary form.
“But Shirakawa-san, who didn’t know that, was surprised… and got hurt. I’m
really sorry”
Shirakawa-san immediately shook her head.

“Me too, I’m sorry. …and Ryuuto’s, not in the wrong, isn’t it”
Saying so, she showed me a little smile.
“Maria’s not in the wrong either… the one in the wrong is the timing, isn’t it”
“That might be so, but… it’s the truth that Shirakawa-san was hurt. I’ve
always been regretting that if I truly think about Shirakawa-san, I shouldn’t
have gone to meet her, no matter what Kurose-san said”
When the morning came, while in class during the summer short course, on
the train on the way home, before sleeping at night… for the past two weeks,
I don’t know how many times I thought of wanting to go back in time.
“No, Ryuuto’s not doing anything wrong”
Shirakawa-san spoke gently.
“Because Ryuuto is kind, I feel like that’s what you’d do. As her elder sister,
I’m happy… that Ryuuto was just as kind to Maria as you are to me”
And then, she looked at me and smiled.
“Thank you, Ryuuto”
Loads on my chest were washed away, and it became a feeling of warmth.
But.
“B-but, wasn’t Shirakawa-san angry with me? And because of that you’re
ignoring my LINE…”
“Ah, It’s different, I’m sorry!”
With a look of sudden realization, Shirakawa-san hurriedly spoke.
“At that time in the corridor I dropped my phone… and the screen was

cracked to bits, and I can’t operate it to do anything at all. When I brought it
to a store to repair it, I was told that if it’s cracked this bad, then the inside
might be broken too, so it’s better to just replace the whole unit. But, that
needs lots of money, right? It’s only about a year since I bought it, too. And I
must discuss it with dad for that kind of thing, too. I couldn’t make a decision
right away, and when I came here, there are no stores around here at all, so I
can’t do anything anymore”
“…Ah…”
Her phone, huh. I hadn’t thought of that possibility. I mean…
“Speaking of LINE, couldn’t you open it on a computer?”
“Eh, is that so? Can I login with the same account on my phone?”
“Yeah, probably…”
“I see”
Saying it as if impressed, Shirakawa-san turned her face towards the sea.
The sun was already setting over the mountain side, so the sea was slightly
dark and it’s starting to feel like evening. I attentively watched Shirakawa-
san’s profile, while watching the distant shadows of surfers riding the waves
then disappearing with a sideways glance.
And then, Shirakawa-san dropped her gaze from looking at the sea to her
hands.
“…Actually, I was afraid to confirm it. Maybe, that’s why I felt glad that my
phone broke”
Then she looked at me, and Shirakawa-san cast her eyes down again.
“I wanted to believe Ryuuto, though… I wanted to believe in you, but before

I realized that there must’ve been some kind of reason and I had to ask about
it, I didn’t wanna get hurt. I mean, there’s no absolute in this world, right?
Even though I’m 99% sure that Ryuuto won’t cheat, then if the remaining 1%

happens… and that’s with Maria, Ryuuto’s first love… when I think about it,
I don’t feel like I can take it”
She, who spoke with a pained face, then smiled softly.
“Since I started dating Ryuuto, I’ve been very happy. Ryuuto is very serious,
you also said you don’t have any ex-girlfriend, or female friends you
frequently hang out with… That was the first for me… and from the bottom
of my heart, I can believe in Ryuuto”
While I was happy she said that to me, I had mixed feelings when I thought
about Shirakawa-san’s ex-boyfriends.
“That’s why, I’m not thinking about if I got betrayed… When I think about
how much It’d hurt my bare heart, I became scared to confirm it”
Talking quietly, Shirakawa-san raised her face.
“But, I feel I can’t stay that way. No matter what Ryuuto was doing, I wanna
keep dating Ryuuto from now on. So I thought I’d better face reality…
Yesterday, I asked Mao-kun to take me to a store in the neighboring town to
have my phone repaired”
“So that happened, huh…”
After two agonizing weeks of not being able to contact her, it seems that she’s
been thinking a lot and had a change of mind. That’s probably why my
apology was accepted so quickly.
“I’m sorry, I must’ve made Ryuuto worried”
I shook my head at Shirakawa-san’s words.
“It’s fine, we’re meeting like this now after all”
“How did you know that I’m here? Did you ask people at home?”
“No, a friend happened to come to this beach, and he told me he saw

Shirakawa-san”

“Eh, really!? You friend… is he maybe, the big boy that’s always with
Ryuuto? Was it Ichiji-kun?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s Ijichi-kun”
Shirakawa-san knew about Ichi, huh. Well, of course she would. The only
ones I can call “friends” are like..only Ichi and Nishi… In the classroom,
whenever Shirakawa-san comes to me when I’m talking with Ichi, Ichi would
immediately say “go ahead” and hurriedly leave, so I’ve never been able to
introduce him, though.
“Eeh, is he maybe still here?”
“No, he left already. He said the sunburn hurts”
“Ah, it sounds bad. I also got sunburnt badly”
Telling me so, Shirakawa-san then put her hand on the shoulder strap of her
swimsuit.
“C’mon look, it’s this bad”
Certainly, the skin under the shoulder strap was slightly whiter than when
compared to its surroundings. Even so, it still looked fair-skinned, so she
must’ve been very pale originally.
“Nope, you’re not that sunburnt”
When I averted my eyes while feeling nervous, Shirakawa-san said, “Eh,

really?”, and let go of the shoulder strap.
“Then that’s great! I’m aiming to be a white gal after all, so I put lots of
sunscreen, but since it’s been everyday, I think I’m bound to get sunburnt”
“…Were you here all the time?”
Come to think of it, I still don’t know why Shirakawa-san is here. I

understood that Mao-san, her uncle, is running a beach house, though.

“Aah, yup, that’s right”
Shirakawa-san then started to explain, as if she had forgotten about it.
“You see, ever since my parents’ divorce, I’ve been visiting my maternal
great-grandma’s house every year on summer vacation. And my great-
grandma lives near here. Meeting mom feels awkward because of dad, but I
think I’m fine if it’s great-grandma. Sometimes mom and Mao-kun would
show up, and it’s quite enjoyable”
“So, the entire summer?”
“No. There’s fireworks and a festival in mid-August, and I have that as the
aim, so about a week or two. And since I heard Mao-kun was gonna run a
beach house on this beach this year, I thought of giving a little hand, but as
expected, doing it for the whole summer is tiring, so I thought about doing it
in August, though…”
When she said that, Shirakawa-san looked down.
“…And there’s the stuff with Ryuuto. Somehow, I just didn’t know what to
do… Nikoru has a part-time job, too, so it’s not like we can be together all
the time, so I was like, Hmmph!!, and came here on the night of the end of
term ceremony in my school uniform”9
I see. So that’s why on that day Shirakawa-san didn’t come back home no
matter how much I waited, huh.
“Were you in school before that? On the day of the end of term ceremony”
When I asked.
“Nn?”
Shirakawa-san raised her face.
“Yep. I was in the chem lab, and Nikoru was consoling me. ‘Should I take a
break from work and stay with you?’, Nikoru said that to me, but as expected,

I can’t be that spoiled”10
If it’s Yamana-san, I think she’d really go that far for Shirakawa-san, and as
I was thinking that, Shirakawa-san put on a serious face and looked at me.
“You see, Nikoru has a dream of wanting to be a nailist”
“A nailist…? Are you talking about people who apply manicures to you?”
“Nowadays it’s gel nails. Nikoru and I are gel people. Gel for the win!!”
“I-I see?”
I wasn’t quite getting it, but Shirakawa-san seemed to be having fun looking
at her nails. The nails with matching patterns to her swimsuit, had become
significantly longer since the last time I saw it.
“After graduating from high school, Nikoru plans to go to a nail school to get
her qualification. But since she has a single mom at home, Nikoru can’t rely
on her parent for money, so she’s getting lots of part-time jobs to earn as
much money as possible while in still in high school to pay for the
matriculation and tuition fee”
I see.
She’s like that, but Yamana-san’s working hard, huh…
“And what Ryuuto’s doing? These past two weeks”
“Eh, aah, I went to summer short course…”
“Aah, you did say it, didn’t you”
It’s nearly the end of the last class. When I heard the story about Yamana-
san, I felt guilty that I had practically skipped a whole period, even though
my parents had paid for the tuition.
“Everyone.. really is thinking about their future…”

Shirakawa-san rested her cheek on her hand placed on the table, and turned
her gaze towards the distant sea. Her profile looked somewhat uneasy.
“Shirakawa-san, what are you going to do after graduation?”
Last time she said she wanted to be a YouTuber, but I guess that’s just a joke.
“Nn? Nnnn…”
She stopped resting her cheeks, and Shirakawa-san looked at me.
“You see, I’m a bit lost of what to do right now”
“Eh?”
When I was wondering what she’s talking about, Shirakawa-san smiled.
“It’s because, my high school’s goal has come true”
“What kind of goal?”
When I asked, Shirakawa-san then shyly showed me what it was.
“ ‘To have mutual love, with someone I think I can be with forever’ ”
Sea breeze blew, and Shirakawa-san’s long hair gently fluttered. Against the
background of the indigo blue sea in the middle of sunset, with narrowed
eyes and a smile on her face, she looked more beautiful than ever.
“…These past two weeks have been painful, though”
Then Shirakawa-san dropped her gaze.
“I thought that If I managed to get through this, I’m sure, that I’ll be able to
trust Ryuuto more and more, love Ryuuto more and more”
With a smile on her lips, Shirakawa-san turned her face towards me.
“Earlier, when I heard Ryuuto’s story… I.. could believe it from the start. I

was like, ‘yep yep I can tell’. It’s so easy that I surprised myself, and I didn’t
doubt anything. I think that’s because Ryuuto was only really, really telling
the truth”
And then, she bit her lips as if to take in a slight bitterness.
“…Arguments with boyfriend, I’ve had that many times… but that was the
first for me. When I thought about it, I suddenly felt like I could see the
future beyond, and not just for two or three months…”
Shirakawa-san…
“…I’ve always.. been searching a palace where I can feel at home”
Suddenly, Shirakawa-san muttered.
“There’s nothing bad with my life now but.. I loved living together with dad,
mom, and Maria. But, dad and mom got divorced, and the family’s all broken
up… I noticed that. The Shirakawa household was a family created by dad
and mom after all. When they broke up, it collapsed. That’s why, I have to
make someone special for myself. I have to, make my own family”
“Family…”
As I repeated some kind of grandiose word that appeared, Shirakawa-san

looked at me anxiously.
“Ah, do you think it’s heavy? It’s heavy isn’t, that kind of thing”
“No, it’s not heavy”
Seeing her reaction, I realized something. By “family”… is it perhaps that

kind of meaning?
In other words… Shirakawa-san is even thinking about a future with me…?
At that thought, my face suddenly became hot, and I got on cloud nine.
“M-me too…!”

I intentionally added strength to my voice, and Shirakawa-san looked at me
with a surprised face.
“I was also thinking.. that I want to be together with Shirakawa-san forever”
When I conveyed it to her in an excited voice, Shirakawa-san’s cheeks also

turned red.
“…Ryuuto…”
And then, a look of realization crossed her face.
“Ah, of course, I’m not trying to get Ryuuto to provide for me right out of
high school, okay!? Going to work or high school, I’ll do either of them”
“Ye-yeah, I know”
What’s this? This is not a dream, right?
A dream is much more realistic than this.
“Haah…”
The back of my throat felt too hot, so I took the bottle of the cold cola and
drank it.
“I’ll have to study for my exams properly…”
Seeing the bag lying horizontally, I grumbled.
Even from our high school, there are several students who get into difficult
universities every year. I was thinking that it’d be simple if I entered an okay
university though AO11, but I’ll study even from now so that I’ll be able to be
good enough to enter a good place through the general exam.
If there’s a future with Shirakawa-san beyond that point, I feel like I can do
my best at anything.
“Because Ryuuto is smart, I think you’ll get into a super good university”

Being told so by Shirakawa-san, I got antsy.
“Eeeh? Well, not at all as it is now… I have to study more”
“Aah, then maybe I’ll go to higher school, too. At this rate, the gap between
us will get bigger and bigger, and the smart girls in university might take
Ryuuto away”
Shirakawa-san making a pouty face is cute.
“That’s not going to happen”
“Eh, then, why are you smiling? Ryuuto”
“…When I think that Shirakaw-san is jealous of me… it makes me happy”
When I told her so, Shirakawa-san blushed.
“Sheesh~! I was seriously thinking about my future course here!”
“Sorry, it just happened”
It was then, when we were both laughing at each other.
“Heey, You twoo~!”
From the kitchen, Mao-san called out to us.
“I’m about to close up”
Before I knew it, the sea had completely lost its daytime radiance. It was only
5 o’clock so the sunset was still ahead, but there were only a few people left
on the beach.
“Ah, wait! I’m gonna take a shower”
When Shirakawa-san hurriedly tried to stand up, Mao-san let oun an “Eh?”.
“Can’t you just change your clothes and do it at home?”

“But, I have to send Ryuuto to the station…”
“Eeh, are you going back? If you don’t have any business to do, why don’t
you just drop by at grandma’s?”
“Ah, I like that! Hey Ryuuto, wanna say hello to granny Sayo?”
“Eeh!?”
“Don’t wanna?”
Being stared at with sparkling eyes by Shirakawa-san, I had no choice but to

go.
“Then, if you don’t mind….”
“Yaaay!”
What a day today is. I was informed of Shirakawa-san cheating on me, whom
I haven’t been able to contact for quite a while, and then I rushed over here.
As I was in despair seeing her flirting with a good-looking guy in front of me,
that good-looking guy is actually her uncle. When we met again, Shirakawa-
san even thought about a distant future with me… and now I got invited to
come to her great-grandmother’s house.
It’s been a roller coaster of a day.
I had this thought while watching Shirakawa-san still in a bikini happily

frolicking.
After that, I got into Mao-san’s minivan together with Shirakawa-san. After
about five minutes of shaking, heading towards the mountain side, we arrived
at Shirakawa-san’s great-grandmother’s house.
It was a house located on the gentle-slope mountain road, a house that gave
off a somewhat nostalgic feeling. It’s two-story building with a tiled roof, and
there was a large garden with thick undergrowth. Even if Mao-san’s car was

parked there, there was still enough space for children to play tag.
“Granny Sayo, I’m home~!”
Wearing a large t-shirt over her bikini, Shirakawa-san walked straight into the
house.
As I was standing in front of the entrance, thinking that I should get the
permission of the house owner first before entering.
“It’s fine, just come on in”
Said Mao-san. And he put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me to enter
the house.
“Oh my”
As I was led into a Japanese-style room that seemed to be a living room, I

saw an old lady with a surprised face sitting on a legless chair. Seeming to
have just heard about it from Shirakawa-san, the “Oh my~” didn’t stop.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kashima Ryuuto, and I’m currently dating
Shirakawa… Runa-san”
“Ooh~”
As one would expect of a great-grandmother, she looked old, maybe in her

eighties or nineties. There were many deep wrinkles on her face that appeared
to have no make-up, and she had a tied-up gray hair, and a simple attire.
When I saw how in a feverish state she was, the more I felt sorry for barging
in so suddenly.
“Oh my, thank you for taking care of Ruu-chan… we don’t have much to
offer, but do you want some tea?”
With that, the great-grandmother raised to a half-sitting posture, and reached

for the tray on the table. There was a tea caddy, a small teapot, and a
mysterious tube with a hole on the lid, which surprised me. So the reason
why Shirakawa-san could make full use of the tea set at the inn to brew tea

was because she knew how to use it here, huh.
“Ah, that’s fine, I’m gonna get some barley tea from the fridge”
With a light movement, Shirakawa-san opened the door of the fridge in the
kitchen.
“Aah, that’s right, young people prefer cold ones…”
“Actually, granny, are you turning off the AC again?”
Mao-san fanned his neck with his hand, and picked up the remote control.
“It’s so hot again this year, you’re gonna heatstroke yourself to the other side,
y’know?”
“I’m fine with just a fan. If it’s so hot for you, you can just turn it on”
When I looked over, I saw an old electric fan in the corner of the room
sending a breeze that was just enough to ventilate the room. There was also a
fan on top of the table with some kind of telephone number printed on it,
which the great-grandmother seemed to be using to bear the heat.
When Mao-san turned on the AC, a lukewarm breeze blew into the sultry
room. Around the time when the room temperature had gone down a little,
Shirakawa-san brought a tray with four glasses of barley tea on it.
“Here. Granny Sayo should drink, too. To hydrate yourself”
“I’m fine, I’ve been drinking tea after all”
Even as she was saying this, great-grandmother reached for her glass.
Perhaps because her great-grandchild had taken the trouble to prepare it.
“Granny Sayo, do we have any snacks?”
“Ooh, we have some peanuts lying in the fridge”
“Haha, that’s so Chiba”

“I mean, it’s given to me”
“That’s fine, I like peanuts”
While smiling, Shirakawa-san brought the peanuts in a wooden bowl.
“C’mon Ryuuto, sit sit”
“Ah, yes…”
Thus, me, Shirakawa-san, great-grandmother, and Mao-san had a chat for a

while.
Shirakawa-san’s great-grandmother was 90 years old, and living alone at this

place. With the support of the neighbors, she’s able to live a healthy life
without any particular problems.
Even so, her daughters got worried by the news of heatstroke deaths among
old people that was covered every year, so they… Shirakawa-san’s maternal
grandmothers seemed to talk over it, and decided that Mao-san would live
here this summer while running a beach house.
Mao-san’s main job was a travel writer, and he usually would travel around
the world to publish his books. He said that he originally wanted to be a
photographer, and that was a calling that allowed him to use his skills. He
was 38 years old, single, and hadn’t had a fixed place to live for a long time,
but he mentioned that he had kept his residence certificate at this house.
When Shirakawa-san was a child, there was a period of time when he was
staying at Shirakawa-san’s house when he was working in Tokyo, so she
seemed to look up to him like an elder brother. I had thought that they were
too close to each other to be just an uncle and a niece, but after hearing their
story, I could understand it.
“…So, when I woke up in the morning, my wallet, camera, and computer had
been stolen, so I was like, whoah that guy’s really dangerous. It’s a small
blessing that only my passport wasn’t stolen because I slept with it wrapped
on my body, no?”

“Foreign countries really are scary~”
Once the introductions were done more or less, the conversation turned into
Mao-san’s experiences abroad. Perhaps because she had heard the story
several times already, Shirakawa-san gave a well accustomed interjection.
“Ah, hey hey Mao-kun, tell that story! The one about confrontation with a
swindler in Macau!”
Said Shirakawa-san in high spirits, and my interest was piqued because it

sounded really interesting.
However, for a while now I’ve been paying attention to nothing but the clock
in the living room on top of the sliding door.
“Eh? That story is long y’know~? Let’s see, eight year ago…”
“U-umm, excuse me”
The time is almost half past six. My parents are probably thinking that I’m at
the prep school today, too, and when I consider the time needed to get home,
I have to leave now.
“I’d better get going now…”
And then, Shirakawa-san let out an “Ah” and looked at the clock.
“I see, it’s already this late, isn’t it…”
Since Shirakawa-san made an blatant downhearted expression, I, too, was

reluctant to part.
“…If you’re going home, I can send you to the station, okay?”
Seeing us like this, Mao-san spoke in a slightly reserved voice.
“Ah, yes… Thank you very much”
It was then, when I was about to get up while looking at Shirakawa-san.

“You took the trouble to come here, so how about staying the night?”
Her great-grandmother, Sayo-san, looked at us and started to talk.
“If you go back now, it’d be late when you arrived in Tokyo. So how about
staying the night here, and going back tomorrow when it’s bright outside?”
“Eeh…”
I wasn’t expecting to be told that, so I got bewildered. In contrast, Shirakawa-

san’s face sparkled.
“Aah, I like that! So how about staying?”
“There’s lots of rooms too in granny’s house, isn’t it~. If you want, why
don’t you stay until the day Runa returns?”
Hearing Mao-san’s joking words, Shirakawa-san’s face became even more

delighted.
“Ah, that’s even better!!! That’s right, let’s go to the summer festival,
Ryuuto! There will be fireworks too!!”
“Eeh!?”
It’s still fine if it’s just for a night, but staying at the house of someone I met
for the first time for more than a day?!?
“A-about the summer festival, when is it?”
“August’s Obon festival is… Err, when is it?”
“It’s gonna be in about two weeks~”
I got even more taken aback when told by Mao-san.
“Two weeks!?”
It’s a bothersome period even at my real grandma’s house. Besides.

“But still, if I stayed here for that long… I’d feel bad about the food expenses
and stuff, too”
“Don’t worry about that. We are given stuffs all the time”
“Thanks to granny’s virtue, food expenses are practically cost-free, isn’t it~”
Sayo-san waved her hand and denied Mao-san teasing words.
“It’s because we’re in the sticks. They all say they can’t finish it on their
own”
Come to think of it, I remember that there’s a cardboard box full of turnips
placed at the entrance.
“Of course, I won’t force you to. You must have your own circumstances
anyway. But if you stay, I think that will make Ruu-chan happy, too. And It
looks like Niko-chan can’t come around that often”
Niko-chan… I think she meant Yamana-san. So Sayo-san has also met

Yamana-san, huh.
“Err… let’s see…”
“You can’t?”
Shirakawa-san looked at me with teary eyes.
If I could, stay under one roof with Shirakawa-san for two weeks…
Of course.
That’d make me happy, too…
“…I’m going to call my parents for a bit”
“Yaaaay!“
When I took out my phone and said that, Shirakawa-san was so happy like

it’s been decided.
Seriously, what a day today is.
Thus, this was how I ended up staying at Shirakawa-san’s great-

grandmother’s house for about two weeks.

Hidden Diary
You’ve got rejected, huh, Maria.
I’ve gotten confessions from various guys since elementary school. If I

wanted to, I could’ve had any number of boyfriends.
Since Runa is an idiot, she’d easily get taken in, start dating, then break up
when it doesn’t work out. And magnificently labeled as a “bitch”.
But, I don’t make mistakes like that.
I know the value of myself as a woman. I’m not a woman who should be sold
cheap.
My first time should be dedicated to a flawless man who deserves me. With
that belief, I have kept my chastity until now.
But…
When I actually fell in love with a man for the first time, those became
whatever to me.
Kashima-kun is not a flawless man at all.
Even so, I wanted to give all myself to him. I wanted to.
Despite that as my only bet, my last chance to be able to turn things around.
I was rejected for everything.

You’re a woman not even worth embracing.
…I became depressed when I considered that.
But a little time has passed since that time, and I started to think that it may
not have been like that.
At least, Kashima-kun didn’t use me to satisfy his own lust.
When I looked at him that night, I could tell that Kashima-kun wanted to do it
with “me”. His sweaty skin, ragged breathing, and his hot spot… even now I
can remember it vividly.
Even after he realized that I wasn’t Runa, he was wavering for a moment. In
other words, it’s because there’s the choice of doing it all the way with me
within him. That means, he didn’t think that I’m an “unsatisfactory” woman,
right
If, for Kashima-kun, I was a “woman who can be embraced”. He could’ve

gone all the way, and if he’d like, even continuing the relationship thereafter
until he got tired of it. I’m sure that there must be plenty of men who would
choose to do that were they in Kashima-kun’s position.
But, he didn’t do that.
Do you love Runa that much?
It’s frustrating when I think about it, though.
The words he told me at that time, is becoming my salvation.
“I feel bad for Kurose-san, too“, he said.
Kashima-kun endured it for my sake. It’s fine to think that way, right?
Either way, It’s hurting me. Being embraced until he got tired of it, or getting
dumped. Right now, I don’t know which is better.
But… I’m in so much pain right now that I can’t think about that at all,

though.
If one day, I could meet another man whom I can love as much as I love
Kashima-kun.
And then, if at that time I could make that person to love me back.
At that time, perhaps, I’d be grateful for Kashima-kun’s decision.
It’s because, then for the first time in my life, I could give all of myself to
someone, who also truly loves me back.
You’ve fallen in love with a good man, Maria.
It was a good first love.
By telling that to myself, I may be able to lift myself up
However, right now, I’m still in so much pain.

V2: Chapter 5
The next morning.
“Ryuuto, it’s morning~!”
I could hear Shirakawa-san’s voice from afar.
The sound of the door being opened, and light footsteps entering the room.
The sound of the curtain being opened.
A dream, huh.
Today’s dream really is a quite good dream.
A dream like this… where me and Shirakawa-san could live under the same
roof.
…Nn?
Under the same roof!?!
“Ryuuto! How long are you gonna sleep?”
“Uwaaa!?!”
When I rose up from the futon, there was a close-up face of Shirakawa-san in
front of my eyes.
“…!”
The distance was so close we could even kiss, and my waking heart felt like
it’s going to stop beating.

Big eyes… cute…
Perhaps as a result of just waking up, my brain has lost lots of vocabulary.
Apparently, Shirakawa-san had just gone down on her knees and peered at
me, trying to wake me up.
“Ryu…”
Shirakawa-san’s cheeks blushed, and she hurriedly turned her face away.
“Ryuuto, it’s morning…?”
Still with a hint of agitation, she told me while sending me glances.
“Y-yeah, sorry…”
When I looked at my phone near the pillow, it was already seven o’clock. If
it’s a summer vacation with no plans, it’s a time where I’d go back to sleep,
but today was different.
Starting today, I’d be helping out at Mao-san’s beach house with Shirakawa-
san. For being taken care of, I volunteered to help in any way I could. So the
three of us would then leave in Mao-san’s car for the opening time at nine
o’clock.
Shirakawa-san was in a t-shirt and shorpants, which looked more casual than
usual. When I looked closely, I could see a swimsuit’s string peeking out
from the collar of the t-shirt, so it seemed she’s wearing it underneath.
“Let’s quickly go downstairs! Breakfast is ready”
Then I followed Shirakawa-san downstairs, who said that to me.
When I got to the first floor, breakfast was already lined up on the table in the
living room, which was also a dining room.
“Ah, excuse me…”

Feeling apologetic, I went to the kitchen and found Mao-san preparing rice
into everyone’s bowl.
“Morning~! Did you sleep well?”
“Ah, yes….”
Yesterday afterwards, Sayo-san ordered a home delivery sushi from her

acquaintance’s store, saying “Since we have a guest”. The welcome party
was prolonged over delicious fresh sushi, and it was around 11 PM that I lay
down on the futon in an available room on the second floor, where I was
guided to. When I looked back at the day where too much was going on, I
had a hard time falling asleep and couldn’t wake up to the alarm, thus leading
to the present.
“Good morning, Ryuu-kun”
And Sayo-san appeared from the bathroom. Looks like she was doing
laundry.
“Good morning. I’m sorry I couldn’t help preparing breakfast….”
“It’s fine. It’s just leftovers put together anyway. And the miso soup was
made by Ruu-chan, you know”
When I looked back behind me at Shirakawa-san, and “Ehehe” she laughed.
“That’s right!”
“Ruu-chan is usually a late riser, though. But because Ryuu-kun is here

today, ‘I wanna do something, too’, she said”
“Granny Sayo!!”
Shirakawa-san turned red, and raised her voice.
Shirakawa-san, you made miso soup for me…
That thought made me smile a little.

“Granny Sayo is lively and a good cook, so when I was little she spoiled me
by making me specialize in carrying plates. But she’s already 90 after all, so I
wanna do what I can, too”
Saying it as if making excuses, Shirakawa-san fanned her red cheeks with her
hand.
She showed her affection frankly when we were alone, but apparently, it’s
embarrassing for her if her relatives found out about her devotion.
And then, the four of us sat around the square table and ate breakfast.
The side dishes were simple, such as Sayo-san’s handmade pickles, dried
fish, and nattou, however, at home I’d finish breakfast with cereal or bread so
this was fresh for me.
What Shirakawa-san made was turnip and seaweed miso soup. There’s
unevenness in the thickness of the turnips, and I needed to put more power to
chew the thicker ones, but that was also somehow lovely.
“…How is it?”
As I was drinking the miso soup, Shirakawa-san asked from next to me. Her
face looked slightly anxious.
“Yeah, it’s delicious”
Shirakawa-san smiled when I replied.
“I’m glad”
That relieved smile on her face was as dazzling as the morning sun.
Today too, the light of the summer sun was pouring down on the beach.
“I want to borrow a locker”

“Yes! It’s 1.000 yen per person with a warm shower”
Perhaps because she’s been helping out for two weeks, Shirakawa-san
handled the customers coming to “LUNA MARINE” beach house in an
experienced manner. As I watched her with a sidelong glance, I was working
at my leisure, wiping the table and repositioning the disposable chopstick
holder.
Many customers came to change clothes in the morning, but once it became
noon, the number of customers buying food multiplied, and gradually the
seats inside the store were filled up.
When it died down, nearing two o’clock, we were called out by Mao-san.
“I’m gonna stock up and check up on granny for a bit, so can you look after
the store for me?”
“Yep, of course! Take care~”
“Go get some rest you two~. And eat anything you like if you’re hungry”
“Yeess!”
Shirakawa-san replied, and I, too, saw him off with a nod.
“Ryuuto, you can have lunch first. I had an ice cream in the back earlier”
“Are you sure? Thanks”
With Shirakawa-san’s consideration, I started eating takoyaki at the corner of

the tatami mat room alone.
That’s when it happened.
“Ah, Runa-chan”
“She’s here again today”
The voice of playboy men startled me, and I looked towards the entrance of

the store.
Two young men with sagging swimsuits and skin, which, if it was a toast,
was far from well-cooked but to the point of overcooked, walked in and gave
Shirakawa-san a nasty smile.
“Wel… come”
Somehow, Shirakawa-san’s smile also turned stiff.
“Runa-chan, are you alone now?”
“You’re also super cute today. Where do you live? Close by?”
With a “Ahaha~” and a smile, Shirakawa-san tried to fend off the barrage of
questions from the men. She sent a glance towards me, and I felt an SOS
from it.
Of course I want to help Shirakawa-san. But…
Scary! They look older too, and outright cheery young people type, or rowdy
even, and the type of people I’m not good with the most.
While I was still hesitating, those two were persistently trying to talk to
Shirakawa-san.
“Whom you like to give a shot1, me or this guy?”

“Eh…”
“A shot! It’s just a giving us a shot”
Perhaps they’ve been drinking, but those two didn’t read the mood, and
started coming on to her in high tension.
“By the way, this guy is a super quickshot”
“Nuh-uh, but I’m super huge”
“….”
This is awful. It’s blatant dirty talk.
As expected, Shirakawa-san’s face even looked troubled. When I saw it,

something sparked within me.
“Excuse me!”
When I got up from the tatami mat, the men got startled and looked at me.
Apparently, they didn’t notice my presence.
“Wou… would you like to borrow a locker? Or is it for a meal?”
It’s my own style of saying “Get out if you don’t have any business here”.
And then, as if to hide their awkwardness, the men grinned and looked at
each other.
“Ah…”
“Are you a part-timer-kun? We’re not customers”
“We’ll come back again, okay, Runa-chan”
Then they turned on their heels, and left the store, however…
“…By the way”

One of them started to talk to Shirakawa-san again.
“Just asking though. part-timer-kun, me, and this guy, who has a shot?”
Huh?
Why am I included…
Perhaps to harass me, or make fun of me, the men were looking at me while
grinning.
Just ignore these fools already. It was then, when I had that thought in my
mind and pursed my lips.
“Him”
Shirakawa-san flatly answered them.
“And he’s my boyfriend”
With raised brows and corners of her eyes, she glared at the men.
This was the first time I saw Shirakawa-san’s seriously angry face.
“Heh?”
“For real?”
The men’s faces looked taken aback.
“Unexpected~…”
“Eh, you’re into that type?”
Then with dampened faces, they left the store this time.
“A bummer~”
“I wonder if there’s a cute girl somewhere”

Perhaps out of awkwardness being turned down, the men made loud and
deliberate voices to each other, then disappeared.
“…Shirakawa-san, are you okay?”
I immediately checked on Shirakawa-san.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help you before they said anything weird…”
“It’s okay”
Shirakawa-san shook her head.
“Me too, I’m sorry for dragging in Ryuuto. They’re customers who have
been coming often since last week. They said they’re university students
from around here”
“Are they always coming on to you like that?”
“No, it’s the first time. I think it’s because Mao-kun isn’t here”
I see. Certainly, if there’s a good-looking adult like Mao-san keeping watch,

I’m sure they couldn’t come on to her so confidently like that. It’s vexing that
they looked down on me because it’s me though, but when I recall the words
Shirakawa-san said earlier, my cheeks slacken.
──Him. And he’s my boyfriend.
She confidently said that even in front of those cheery people. That makes me
happy.
Is it fine that I’m the boyfriend?
Little by little… though, just little by little, I’ve come to be able to believe so.
“….You know, I was just thinking”
Suddenly, Shirakawa-san started to talk with a difficult look.

“The ones who approach me are always those kinds of guys. Why is that?”
Talking as if asking herself, she crossed her arms.
“My ex-boyfriends were pretty much the same way, and if I had to say it,
Mao-kun is also that type, right? Previously I wasn’t really thinking about it,
though… But I’ve been talking to Ryuuto a lot recently, so I felt really
uncomfortable”
I motionlessly stared at her talking.
“Shirakawa-san, don’t you like that type of person?”
Well, the one just now was a little too awful but even now, I can’t get rid of
the feeling that if you’re not a highly spirited, good-looking cheery guy, you
won’t be worthy of standing next to a beauty of a gal like Shirakawa-san.
“Eh? Not at all”
Shirakawa-san quickly replied.
“Actually, I don’t really have a type or anything. There are entertainers I

think are cool on TV, but love is about communication, right? I also can’t
start dating unless the person likes me”
“I see…”
Even if it’s still girls, there are all sorts of love patterns, huh. There are types
like Shirakawa-san, who basically wants to date someone who confessed to
her, wants to get to know each other from there and fall in love, or a type like
Kurose-san, who seems to have the feelings growing inside them.
“That means, that person you fall for is your type… is it different from that?”
When I asked, Shirakawa-san looked at the ceiling with a complicated face.
“Nnnn…”
After thinking for a while, she looked slightly bashful.

“…Maybe. Maybe, someone like Ryuuto is my type…”
She muttered in a small voice, and stared at me.
“Anyway, I love Ryuuto”
Shirakawa-san with blushing cheeks and a smile is so cute.
“Uuu…”
I got flustered so much I unconsciously pressed down on my heart.
And Shirakawa-san stared at the face of such me.
“How about Ryuuto?”
“Nn?”
“…Actually, isn’t a girl like Maria your type?”
Earlier, I actually happened to think about Kurose-san so I got startled.
My chest hurts when I remember the things about Kurose-san. But, when I
look at Shirakawa-san in front of me, I realize once again that I couldn’t
betray her after all.
“Sooo? How is it?”
Shirakawa-san pouted her lips, lowered her brows, and was looking at me
anxiously with her head tilted. When I saw her like that, feelings of love
flooded out of my chest.
As expected, even I have confidence in that. And that is… she’s jealous of me.
Cute…
“Nnnn…”
“….!?”

When I groaned, Shirakawa-san became flustered.
Cute. She’s so cute I could die…
“If we’re talking about type, the neat and clean type is certainly more of my
liking than gal type, however…”
Shirakawa-san shrunk at my words.
Cute.
I want to see her like that more, so I felt like putting her on the spot even
more, but I will feel bad for her if I do something so mean like that.
“Shirakawa… Runa-san is my type, is what I think”
When I told her that, Shirakawa-san’s cheeks turned red.
“Why full name!?”
With her whole face bright red in an instant, Shirakawa-san opened her
mouth.
“I-I also wonder why. I just thought that would convey it better…”
Shirakawa-san was heavily flustered, so I also got flustered, feeling like I had
said something embarrassing.
“You know, Ryuuto. You’re so sly. You’re not a player at all, but you’re
saying something like that so seriously”
Still with redness on her cheeks, Shirakawa-san grumbled.
“And moreover, in the end you’re saying the same thing I’m saying”
“…You’re right”
“Well, it’s fine, though”

Then, Shirakawa-san gave me a small smile.
“We are.. each other’s type, right?”
“That seems… like it, yeah”
If that’s really the case, I’m more than happy.
When our eyes met, I became bashful, I looked down, and, “fufu”, I laughed.
When I checked on her with a glance, she seemed to be doing the same, too.
It’s an embarrassing but blissful time.
“Excuse me, I want to get a drink”
Then, we were called from the entrance. When I looked, I found a customer
standing in front of the icebox at the storefront, where PET bottles were
soaked in ice water.
“Ah…”
“Yeeess!”
Faster before I could move, Shirakawa-san ran towards the entrance.
“The takoyaki is gonna get cold, right? Hurry up and eat”
Her looking back at me and giving me a wink was so dazzling… I think I

don’t mind if this summer continues forever.
After Mao-san returned, we took a break and played in the sea. Shirakawa-
san really was frolicking like a kid, and watching her was also fun for me.
It was then, when we were in the car to get back after closing time.
“Ah, Mao-kun”

On the back seat sitting next to me, Shirakawa-san spoke up as if she just
remembered something.
“Did you buy what I requested?”
“Ah, yeah. For the beef, are you fine with meat pieces?”
“Eh? Meat pieces?”
“What are you gonna use it for?”
Shirakawa-san was asked from the driver seat through the mirror, and she
glanced at my face and looked away.
“Let’s see, nnnn…”
“Well, as long as it’s not for something like a rice ball wrapped in meat, it
can be used for most dishes, right?”
“That’s a relief, thanks!”
“….?”
I wonder what this is about. Is Shirakawa-san going to cook?
After we arrived at the house, Shirakawa-san quickly took a shower, changed

clothes, and swiftly and excitedly started the preparation of something in the
kitchen.
“Oh, Ruu-chan. What’s wrong?”
When she was called out by Sayo-san, Shirakawa-san replied with a smile
full of determination.
“Today, I’m gonna make dinner!”
“Oh my”
Sayo-san smiled, and gave me a look.

“Thank you, I’m looking forward to it”
“I-I’ll help, too”
As I was about to join her in the kitchen because I’ve got nothing to do,
Shirakawa-san stopped me with her hand.
“It’s okay! Ryuuto, just sit down and play some games”
“Eh… o-okay…”
If I was told so strongly like that, I couldn’t help but to think if I should help
her or not.
And then, when I was waiting for Shirakawa-san in the corner of the living
room while playing with my phone.
“Huh? Hey, granny Sayo~?”
“Nn~?”
Being called by Shirakawa-san, Sayo-san, who was sitting at the table

drinking tea while watching TV, stood up and headed for the kitchen.
“Where’s the potatoes?”
“Potatoes? I don’t think we have any right now”
“Eh, didn’t we have potatoes last time!?”
“I think I made it into croquettes the day before yesterday”
“….Aaaaaaa~~”
Shirakawa-san screamed the so-called “oh no!” voice.
“Is there anything left? You weren’t given any?”
“I don’t receive any potatoes, you know. There’s no one producing it around

here after all”
“Eeh~…”
“Do you have to use potatoes? How about sweet potatoes?”
“Nope…”
“What are you making?”
“….meat….”
“Eh?”
“….tew”
“Eh? Meat and potato stew?”
“No, don’t say the word!!”
Hearing Shirakawa-san’s loud voice, I unconsciously stood up and peered

into the kitchen.
“….Ah”
Shirakawa-san’s eyes and mine met, and she looked like she’s about to cry.
“…Even though I thought of making it a surprise~…”
“A surprise? Were you hiding it from Ryuu-kun? I’m sorry, Ruu-chan”
Even Sayo-san got flustered when she saw her like that.
“But, calling it a ‘surprise’ while making it when the person is nearby is

just… Right?”
Being asked for an agreement, I couldn’t help but make a wry smile.
“Shirakawa-san… Are you trying to make meat and potato stew for me?

Thank you”
“…But, there’s no potatoes….”
Shirakawa-san was dejected.
“Want me to buy some?”
When I made an offer to her, Shirakawa-san raised her face with great vigor.
“I’ll go but it”
Seeing us like that, Sayo-san smiled.
“Well, how about both of you go? If it’s the close by ‘Ishida Store’, you can
get there by walking”
Thus, I went out with Shirakawa-san to buy potatoes.
Apparently, there was a small retail store called “Ishida Store” around eight
minutes walk going up the slope along the main road in front of Sayo-san’s
house.
It was before 6 PM in the beginning of August, and it was still bright. The
temperature also didn’t drop that much, and I could feel my clothes getting
sweaty with each step up the gentle slope.
“…Ryuuto, do you like meat and potato stew?”
Walking next to me, Shirakawa-san casually looked up at me as if peering

into me, and asked.
“Eh? ….Yeah, I like it”
It’s the kind of “like”, in which I’d rarely choose it for myself when eating
out, but I’d be happy if it came out as a side dish for dinner.

Shirakawa-san smiled at my reply.
“That’s great! I thought that it’s maybe too cliché, but when it comes to ‘a
dish I want my girlfriend to make for me’ it’s that, right? I was wondering if
Ryuuto would like it, and yesterday I looked up lots of recipes before
sleeping”
Her cheeks were slightly blushing as she told me.
“I couldn’t make it a surprise, though”
I smiled at her, who was making a bitter smile.
“I’m happy even if it’s not a surprise, you know”
I spoke as if to reassure her.
“Everything that Shirakawa-san’s trying to do for me… all of it makes me

happy”
“Ryuuto…”
Shirakawa-san stared at me, and her eyes became moist. And then she smiled,
as if trying to hide her embarrassment.
“That’s natural, right? About doing something for Ryuuto. I’m your
girlfriend after all”
“But for me, it’s not natural… and I don’t want to think it as a natural thing
either”
Living a life with a girlfriend, it’s the first time in my life.
Moreover, a lovely girl called Shirakawa-san became my girlfriend.
Even if one, five, or ten years from now on I can continue to date Shirakawa-
san… Even If someday it becomes a natural thing for us to be together.
“What Shirakawa-san does for me… Umm, for me, it’s always special….”

It’s embarrassing, sloppy, and uncool, but I have to properly say it.
“This feeling… I want to always keep it with me, forever”
Hearing that, Shirakawa-san smiled happily.
“…I see. Maybe because Ryuuto is like that, it makes me also wanna do
something for you”
She muttered and dropped her gaze downwards.
“Hey, can we hold hands?”
“Eh?”
“You don’t wanna because it’s hot?”
She stared at me with upturned eyes, and I shook my head.
“No, let’s hold hands”
I hurriedly rubbed my hands on my pants to wipe the palm sweat.
“Here…”
Shirakawa-san’s slim white hand piled up on top of my offered out hand…

and her slender fingers entwined with mine.
“…!”
I-is this, possibly… the thing called a lover’s bond…!?
Because the holding hands-style when we were on date at the park was the
normal type, this surprise attack made my heart throb, and my body
temperature suddenly soared.
“Hehe”
Shirakawa-san smiled bashfully, and bumped her head on my shoulder once.

“It’s hot, isn’t it~”
“…I-it’s summer after all”
“…Wanna stop?”
“N-no! It’s fine”
Thus, we walked up the summery mountain road holding hands, until we

reached the store.
The “Ishida Store” Sayo-san told me was a small store halfway between a
convenience store and a supermarket (about the size of a convenience store).
There was a huge line up of non-perishable foods like drinks and confections,
but it seemed that there’s also a few shelves with vegetables and meat packs.
“Ah, there’s potatoes!”
Seeing the vegetables shelf, Shirakawa-san ran over to it, and put the needed
amount of them into the basket.
After that, when we were heading to the register where an old man was
sitting idly, Shirakawa-san noticed the drinks shelf
“Aah, I think I’ll get some cola, too”
It’s probably because Sayo-san gave us a thousand yen and said “Just buy it
if there’s anything else you want”.
“Hey, Ryuuto, what do you wanna eat tomorrow?”
“Eh? Anything is fine…”
I was being taken care of and I also couldn’t cook myself, so I thought that’s
a statement with auspicious intent, but Shirakawa-san puffed out her cheeks.
“Sheesh~! ‘Anything is fine’ is what troubles a wife the most, you know?
Don’t you know it’s a buzz in SNS?”

“Eeh!?”
Although I got startled by the sudden “wife”, I reflected on what Shirakawa-

san said, and hurriedly put my head to work.
“Let’s see… How about hamburg steak then?”
“Hamburg steak? How do you make it?”
“Err… want me to look it up?”
“I’ll look it up! …it said with ground meat and onions~!”
We headed back to the vegetables shelf, put the onions into the basket, then
we headed towards the meat shelf.
“Ground meat… Ah, found it”
Then Shirakawa-san picks up the pack. However, when she looked at the
price tag, her face frowned.
“Aah~ expensive! 200 grams cost this much, huh… I guess I can’t buy it
unless I cut back on something”
“Maybe because it’s beef? And looks like ground-beef mix2 is sold out”
I’m not sure myself because I normally don’t go shopping, but I feel like the
meat assortment is bad and on the expensive side, perhaps because of
location issues.
“Well, I don’t mind if it’s not hamburg steak”
“Are you sure? Do you have any others in mind?”
“Let’s see… How about curry?”
“Ah, I like that! Then, I’m gonna buy more potatoes! Is pork fine for the
meat? Because there’s some in the freezer”

“Yeah”
“You see, I’m good at making curry! The onions are fine as is, and there’s
still lots of carrots, soo…”
Shirakawa-san suddenly started shopping energetically.
And then, we used up almost all of our 1,000 yen at the register, and left
“Ishida Store”.
“Let me carry that”
As we started to head back down the main road, Shirakawa-san reached out
for the luggage I was carrying.
At the register, we also got the boxes of tissues that Sayo-san had asked for,
so I had both hands carrying the shopping bag and the tissues.
“It’s light, so I’m fine”
I told her that, trying to show my manly part, but Shirakawa-san made a long
face.
“Nnn…”
When I was wondering what’s wrong, Shirakawa-san looked at me with

upturned eyes and murmured softly.
“But, we can’t hold hands, right?”
“Ah…”
I see. So that’s why, huh…
As I was struck by her adorableness and doing some reflection, Shirakawa-

san snatched the tissues from my hand.
And then she took my hand.

“See, like this!”
Shirakawa-san became even more adorable as she said that happily, and my
slack face almost broke into a grin.
While holding hands, we descended down the mountain road as the sign of
night rapidly approached us.
In each other’s hands were a shopping bag and a bag of tissues.
“…Somehow, we’re kinda like a married couple like this”
Shirakawa-san spoke shyly.
“I… guess so”
I got embarrassed, and I worried about my palm sweat even though it’s so hot
and humid already.
“…Until now, I guess I didn’t understand it at all. What dating is”
Suddenly, Shirakawa-san murmured earnestly.
“Dating someone was… such a wonderful thing like this, wasn’t it”
Then Shirakawa-san looked up at me and her eyes were glistening, without

exaggeration.
I held her hand tightly.
I wish that one day, all of the memories of the men who ever held this hand
will be rewritten by me.
With this feeling, I held it strongly, and gently.

When we arrived at Sayo-san’s house, Shirakawa-san was excitedly standing
in the kitchen again.
“‘Kay, time to make some meat and potato stew!”
“Ah, let me help… too”
“Eh? okay…”
Then Shirakawa-san tilted her head, and thought for a moment.
“…Then, can you peel the potato with the peeler for me?”
“Yeah, got it”
I think I can do that much, and as I was about to wash my hands, Shirakawa-
san smiled at me.
“It’s like what I did earlier, isn’t it”
“Nn?”
“Carrying the luggage together… and now cooking together, it’s so we can
have time for the two of us, right?”
When I heard that, I recalled about Shirakawa-san carrying the tissues so we

could hold hands.
“Ah, yeah, that’s… right”
When I wondered if she noticed how uneasy it’d feel for me to be in the
living room alone, it made me happy.
Shirakawa-san is always thinking about my feelings. She tries to do

something for me. And she gives me a lot of thought.
Because she’s like that, I can wholeheartedly believe that I also want to
cherish her.

Unlike Shirakawa-san, it’s my first time dating someone, so I’m not certain,
though.
But If this is what dating means, then it’s a very wonderful thing.
Are perhaps the public remarks like a woman is bothersome or it’s easier
being alone, that up until recently I also believed in no small amount, traps to
keep the non-normies further and further away from love?
The time I spent with Shirakawa-san was so pleasant and comfortable that it
made me think that way
“Ryuuto, have you peeled the potatoes?”
“Yeah, is this fine?”
“Ah, it’s peeled nicely! Thanks!”
It’s just handing over potatoes, but our hands touched for a moment and
Shirakawa-san smiled pleasantly.
At times like this, the fact that this was Sayo-san’s house and that Mao-san
was nearby setting up the table, I’ve forgotten it, and I dreamed of a life with
just the two of us.
“Wa-want me to peel another potato?”
“Ah, yep, thanks!”
Replying to me, Shirakawa-san then pressed the potato she received from me
on the chopping board with a clumsy hand, and chopped it with a knife.
“…S-say, from now on, can I also help with cooking like this… too?”
When I said it, timidly.
“Eh?”
Shirakawa-san raised her face, and stared at me.

“Ah, yep… okay”
Then she smiled like a sunflower.
“Thanks, Ryuuto”
To think that I’d be able to see Shirakawa-san like this every day for the next
two weeks.
And that excitement filled my heart.
For dinner that day was cucumber and tomato salad made by Sayo-san, miso
soup, chopped horse mackerel made by Mao-san, and then meat and potato
stew made by Shirakawa-san, which I helped make. Apparently, Sayo-san
and Mao-san made the side dishes while we were out shopping.
Shirakawa-san’s meat and potato stew was nothing special, but it’s tasty. And
contrary to the turnip from this morning, the potatoes were too soft and often
crumbled, but the flavor was well absorbed.
“Yeah, it’s tasty… this meat and potato stew”
When I conveyed it to Shirakawa-san, she smiled happily.
“Yaaay! I’m really glad I picked the most popular recipe~!”
That innocent smiling face was so cute, I unconsciously imagined her as a

new wife, and it made me swoon.
In that manner, my eventful summer vacation with Shirakawa-san started.
I would wake up in the morning, go to the beach house to work with Mao-
san’s car, come back, make and eat dinner, and then Shirakawa-san would go
to Sayo-san’s room, while I would go to my private room on the second floor
to sleep.
And on a certain day, after several days of living like this have passed.

Today, Shirakawa-san and I were at home since morning. It’s because of
what Mao-san told us, “Next week is obon season and it’s gonna get busy, so
how about taking at least one day off on the weekday of this week”.
There’s a porch3 on the first floor of Sayo-san’s house. Perhaps because it’s
facing the east, the shade at noon would be just right, so I put down an
electric fan, and I chatted with Shirakawa-san or played games on the phone.
“Ryuuto, let’s eat snacks~!”
After lunch with soumen4 had passed for a bit, Shirakawa-san came with a
spoon in one hand. She said in a good mood, and gave me one of the plastic
cups in her other hand.
“Ah, it’s cold!”
It’s a chilled jelly.
“It’s the one Ryuuto’s mom sent! I put it in the freezer for a bit~! Granny
Sayo said we can eat it if we want”
“Aah…”
A few days ago, a huge cardboard box sent by my parents came. The contents
were changes of clothes I had asked for, an assortment of high quality fruit
jellies addressed to Sayo-san, and a letter of gratitude for taking care of me,
their son,
“Nn~ yummy~! As expected of Sembi●ya~!”
We started eating it side-by-side at the porch, and Shirakawa-san held her

cheek with a happy look on her face.
“Peach is the best! How about Ryuuto’s pear?”
“Yeah, it’s juicy and tasty”
“Sounds yummy! Can I have a bite?”

Saying so, Shirakawa-san then opened her mouth.
“Eh!?”
Is this perhaps… the I-will-feed-you-event!?
Shirakawa-san opened her mouth so naturally, so I had no time to prepare

myself.
With a hand that was instantly trembling with nervousness, I managed to

scoop the jelly… however, I realized immediately that there’s no fruit in it, so
redoing it… and I was finally ready, although slowly.
“Here…”
“Aaan”
With both hands placed on the ground, Shirakawa-san leaned towards me.
Then her chest fit between her arms… and pushed forward, creating a posture
that emphasized her cleavage.
“…!”
What a dreadful angle…!
Nice…!
Maybe Shirakawa-san hasn’t realized it, but it’s bad for my heart so I hope
she stops this posture… Well, I’m happy though, but she’ll know if I get
aroused at this distance, so I can’t stare too much but it’s difficult.
What Shirakawa-san’s wearing today is a tank top with frills on the

shoulders and short pants, a casual outfit compared to her going out clothes.
And the gap created as a result is also very sensational. Nice.
While I was smeared by such worldly thoughts, Shirakawa-san innocently

took the spoon I was holding into her mouth.
“…Yep, this one’s yummy, too!”

With the tension like those gourmet reporters on TV, she held both of her
cheeks.
“Does Ryuuto want a bite, too?”
Getting asked impishly, I jolted.
“…Ar-are you sure?”
“Of course! It’d be wrong if I’m the only one who got it, right?”
She said honestly, and Shirakawa-san scooped a spoonful of her own jelly.
“Here, say aaan”
Shirakawa-san urged me, and the mouth, that I’ve never opened for anyone
but a dentist and otolaryngologist, was timidly opening.
“Ah!”
“Eh?”
Shirakawa-san saw the inside of my mouth and her hand stopped, so thinking
that perhaps there’s an onion somewhere inside, I quickly closed my mouth.
However, Shirakawa-san said something unexpected.
“…Ryuuto, your teeth are cute”
“Te-teeth!?”
This is the first time I’ve been told that. My lower jaw is narrow, and has a
zigzag-like row of teeth, and it’s even enough to give me a small complex.
“Yep, it’s cute, somehow like next-door-neighbors standing in line and

greeting each other”
“…”

I see… You can also view it that way, huh.
As I was admiring Shirakawa-san’s power of imagination, Shirakawa-san

said “Ah” and paused.
“Did you mind it? I’m sorry”
“No, not at all”
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way, okay…”
Shirakawa-san said, as if making an excuse. And then her cheeks blushed

slightly.
“Things I love about Ryuuto, it increased by one again and it makes me

happy”
Shirakawa-san…
If you tell me something like that, I’d also be happy and embarrassed.
Shirakawa-san even turns my complex into a loveable thing.
“…I’m sorry. Here, I’ll feed you the jelly”
After collecting herself together, she once again said “Aaan” and I took the
jelly with my mouth.
Even though it’s just the fruit that’s different, it tasted exceptionally sweet.
Continuing eating the jelly with the spoon I used to feed Shirakawa-san was
somehow ticklish, and made my heart beat fast.
In the meanwhile, the sound of a talk show on TV was clearly leaking out
from the living room with its paper sliding door closed. Apparently, Sayo-san
had a bit of trouble hearing, so the volume of the TV was set to high.
“Aaa, it was so yummy!”

Shirakawa-san finished up the jelly earlier than me, and she held up the
empty cup and spoke.
“It’d be nice if ‘LUNA MARINE’ serves this, too”
“Serving Sembi●ya’s jelly at a beach house? Can we?”
“Don’t know. I guess I’ll try asking Mao-kun”
And Shirakawa-san smiled.
“Or maybe I’ll ask my mom to bring some jelly”
It seemed that Shirakawa-san’s mother also planned to come here sometime

during Shirakawa-san’s stay. Meeting with a mother was different from
meeting with a great-grandmother and an uncle, and just thinking about it
made me nervous now.
“Did Shirakawa-san’s mother say when she will come?”
“No, I haven’t heard from her yet. I heard that Maria won’t come again this
year, though”
“I see…”
When I heard it, there’s a part of me that’s a little relieved.
“…You know, the name ‘LUNA MARINE’ came from our names”
Suddenly, Shirakawa-san spoke in a soft voice.
“At the beginning, Mao-kun was thinking of naming it ‘LUNA MARIA’, but
Maria said ‘I don’t even like the sea, so stop it’, and it’s changed to what it is
now”
I see… The original plan was to use the sisters’ names as is, huh.
“But, the name ‘Maria’ comes from ‘Marine’5, right? So the current name
also sounds good, though”

“I guess so. Mao-kun dotes on me and Maria, so it looks like he wanted to
use our names. When we were living together, Ì’m sure Maria really liked
Mao-kun too, but… since we’ve been living apart, she’s been kinda distant, I
guess. Mao-kun is often lamenting like ‘Maria is so cold these days~’”
“I see”
Similar to Shirakawa-san, I feel like Mao-san is also the type of person who
is well-liked by those around him, so I feel like I can kind of understand why
Kurose-san is tsundere-like.
“Since Maria lives with mom, she can see Mao-kun a whole lot more than I
can, you know. I envy her a bit”
Shirakawa-san smiled, seeming a little lonely.
“But, I can stay with dad in exchange, so I guess it can’t be helped. People
have to choose for something, and can’t have everything after all”
“…I guess, so”
I’m surprised. I’d never thought that Shirakawa-san, who always seems
cheerful and having it all in her hand, would have such a philosophic view.
“For a long time, it seems that Maria would come to like what was not given
to her more than what was given to her”
Not noticing my surprise, Shirakawa-san talked quietly.
“That’s why, I kinda understand why Maria fell in love with Ryuuto”
“Eh…?“
“I think it’s called doubting the goodwill of others? Pulling away when
people said they like you, and turned to something far away. Sometimes I
wonder whether if it isn’t difficult for her”
When I listened to Shirakawa-san’s story, I felt like I could grasp Kurose-

san’s nature more vividly than before.

She truly is the opposite of Shirakawa-san, isn’t she.
“Me and Maria have always been completely different since long ago.
However…I loved Maria”
Shirakawa-san muttered, and floated a loving smile, perhaps thinking about

her younger sister who was away from her.
“Maria is cute, isn’t she”
I waited for a bit but Shirakawa-san didn’t continue, so I reluctantly nodded.
“…I guess so”
And then, Shirakawa-san opened her eyes wide.
“Aah, you still love Maria after all, don’t you!?”
“Eeeeh!?”
No way!
It’s a trap!?!
“…Just kidding”
Shirakawa-san smiled with a face like a mischievous elementary school boy,

which gave me a sense of relief.
“I-it’s something in the past. It’s before I met Shirakawa-san…”
I spoke as if making an excuse, and Shirakawa-san also nodded.
“Yep, it’s in the past, isn’t it…”
As if to persuade herself, Shirakawa-san muttered.
“Ryuuto’s feelings right now are for me, and not Maria. I know it in my head,
but”

And then, she raised her eyes and looked at me.
“I said it before, right? About when I told Ryuuto that whenever I talked
about my ex-boyfriend1 you made a somewhat difficult face”
“Aah, yeah”
I remembered that it’s a conversation we had when we were on the train

heading to Enoshima.
“The reason for it, I feel like I got it why”
And then Shirakawa-san smiled.
“I think I’m probably the same. Because I love Ryuuto now, I guess I’ve
come to want to go back in time and hog the Ryuuto from the past all to
myself, too…”
Looking up at the sky, she talked as if talking to herself. And then she turned
her head towards me.
“Ryuuto, how do you control your feelings?”
“Eh?”
“Like how I have a bunch of ex-boyfriends… If the situation was reversed,

I’m sure I would’ve been jealous. I would wonder if you were dating cuter
girl than me before”
“…Rather than controlling my feelings”
That was something I’ve been thinking about ever since I started dating
Shirakawa-san, so I’ve come up with my own answer.
“What makes me feel uneasy is, I think, caused by my lack of confidence.

But, I’m sure that will be settled by time. As I spend more time with
Shirakawa-san, and our bonds deepen… I think that someday, surely, if I try
to care about your ex-boyfriends or stuff, I wouldn’t even care at all… And
now, I’m waiting for it to happen”

Shirakawa-san was silent for a while, and then.
“…I see”
She muttered.
As I was searching for words to say, Shirakawa-san opened her mouth again.
“I guess so. As time passes, we’ll surely become more comfortable with each
other, won’t we”
She said cheerfully and grinned at me.
And then, her face suddenly turned serious and stared at me.
“Hey, Ryuuto”
“Nn?”
“I think it’s kinda strange for me to say this, but…”
After a short pause, Shirakawa-san continued.
“If you can… together with me, will you be friends with Maria?”
“Wha-what do you mean?”
Not understanding the meaning, I stared at her and Shirakawa-san stared back
at me with a serious gaze.
“I wanna be friends with Maria”
“Eeeh!?”
“It’s because it’ll get rejected if I go the proper way. We’re classmates, right?
Everyone in school doesn’t know about our relationship. That’s why I don’t
think that Maria will be able to ignore it if I pushily come to her saying ‘Let’s
be friends’”

“So while concealing the fact that you two are sisters from everyone, you
want to get closer to her just as a classmate…?”
“Yep. And I want a support”
Shirakawa-san nodded deeply.
“Of course, I think it’s difficult to do it right now. I also think that Maria
needs some time to sort out her feelings for Ryuuto”
“…”
I can only be dumbfounded. What a pushy strategy…
However, Shirakawa-san looked serious. In the sultry summer afternoon,

with sweat running on her forehead, she looked fondly at the distant sky, as if
wishing for something.
“When it’s fall, and by the beginning of winter… I wanna be able to be by

Maria’s side again. I wanna sit under kotatsu, watch TV, and sharing half a
Papi●6 with Maria again”
“Eh, Papi● in winter?”
Shirakawa-san’s talking about crunchy ice cream that I could think of as

nothing but for summer, so I asked back in surprise.
And then, Shirakawa-san looked at me with a surprised look.
“Eeh, you’ve never tried it!? Eating Pa●co under a kotatsu just right after a
bath in winter is the best, you know!”
“Nnnn, if I had to say it, I think i’m in the Yukimi7 faction”
“Uhuh, that one’s good too, though”
“Winter is all about creamy ice cream, right?”
“Aah, now that you said it, I’m starting to feel that way, too~! But I just love

●pico!”
“Now I see”
In the end, it became us telling funny stories, so I still didn’t know how
serious Shirakawa-san was about carrying out her plan.
But, I understood Shirakawa-san’s feelings towards Kurose-san well.
It’s a genuine, much deeper and stronger feeling towards her, that it couldn’t
be compared to the feelings of the men in Kurose-san’s groupies.
I couldn’t help but wish that Kurose-san would quickly notice this great love
for her.
And on another day.
After dinner, on a certain day where the beach house was flourishing even on
weekdays as obon was approaching.
“Ryuutoo! Let’s have some fireworks!”
After I got out of the bath, Shirakawa-san showed me a vinyl packaging. It’s
a variety of handheld fireworks.
“Mao-kun gave it to me! He said we can have it together”
“I got it from my supplier~! It seems to be an old stock, so it might’ve been

damp, though”
Mao-san also came over, and prepared a basket and lighter in the garden in
front of the porch.
“Also here, Runa”
What Mao-san handed to Shirakawa-san was a phone. There’s not a single

scratch on the screen, and it looked completely brand new.

“I went and picked it up just now. It seems that it’s quite difficult to repair,
and they had to send it to a store in Tokyo to have it done, so it took them a
while”
“Eh, but all they did was replace the glass, right?”
“I guess so? It’s cheap after all. Because it’s an authorized store, I was told
they couldn’t give any warranty if it breaks later, though”
“Yaay!”
Shirakawa-san happily went to her room once, and came back to the garden.
“Ta-da! It’s back!”
What Shirakawa-san showed me was her phone inside the matching

“Osausa” case. Apparently, the case was undamaged.
“With this I can take pictures of the fireworks! Yaaay!”
“Do you think you can get good pictures? Light is hard to capture, you know”
At the same time, the preparation continued. And then Shirakawa-san and I
started lighting up the fireworks.
Through the glass8 on the paper sliding door, Sayo-san and Mao-san watched
the light patterns we were making from the living room.
“Huh~? It doesn’t light up that well…”
There were several fireworks that lit up poorly, perhaps because they were
damp after all.
“Let me se…”
And as soon as I got close to the fireworks Shirakawa-san was holding.
WHOOSH!

A spark gushed out from the thin tube.
“Whoah!”
“That surprised me!”
We stared at the fireworks that started to go off normally out of the blue, and
then we looked at each other’s faces.
“… Actually, Ryuuto, you were totally surprised just now”
Perhaps my state was really funny, and Shirakawa-san laughed.
“It’s really surprising you know, the one just now”
“Ahaha, that’s so funny!”
While laughing, she made the gesture of bringing the sparks closer to me.
“C’mon, here~!”
“Th-that’s dangerous!”
“If just this much, it’s not dangerous to have it closer, you know?”
“You’re going to wet your bed if you play around with fire like that, you
know?”
At my words, Shirakawa-san’s face turned serious.
“Eh, really?”
“That’s what my grandma was saying. It’s probably just superstition, though”
“Oh come on”
Shirakawa-san smiled, looking relieved. She must’ve believed it for a

moment. Cute.

“That’s good~, bed wetting at this age is too extreme!”
“Saying something like that’s going to raise the flag, you know?”
“Oh no! Then let’s stop!”
While talking about trivial things, we enjoyed the fireworks.
It was then, after we’re done with the regular handheld fireworks, and we’re
lighting up the sparklers, which were the last thing left.
“…Sparkler fire has an interesting shape, doesn’t it”
While squatting and holding her knees, Shirakawa-san looked at the sparkler
lighting up in her hand, and muttered in a whisper.
“Don’t you think it looks like snowflakes? It’s hot though”
“Aah, it really does. I was thinking it looked like a spider’s web. Regular
fireworks looks like brooms though”
“Aah~. You see, for the regular one I was thinking it looked like susuki
grass”
And then Shirakawa-san let out a small laugh.
“…Speaking of susuki”
Shirakawa-san’s sparkler fell off, and she reached out for a new sparkler.
“Ryuuto’s confession, I still remember it now. You said ‘susuki desu’I like you,
and I thought I misheard ‘Suzuki’. But I was like, isn’t that the wrong
name?”
“Aaa…”
My dark past.
When I made a sullen look, Shirakawa-san looked at me and laughed.

“I thought that you’re interesting. You’re that nervous, but you’re gonna
confess to me”
“That was…”
I should tell her.
Before it becomes hard to talk about it later, like what happened with
Kurose-san.
I don’t want to hide anything from Shirakawa-san anymore.
“Actually a punishment game”
Hearing my confession, Shirakawa-san stopped her hand that was bringing

her fireworks to the candle.
“Punishment? It’s a punishment game?”
“With my friends, we were talking about how we ‘totally flunked’ the

midterm test. And yet my scores were good, so I got the punishment game”
I summarized it in a simple and easy to understand way, but I guess that’s

pretty much it.
“Eh, wait wait”
Shirakawa-san immediately became impatient.
“Then, does that mean Ryuuto didn’t like me at all?”
“No, that’s not it”
I, too, became impatient, and I added more.
“It was a punishment game about ‘confessing to someone you like’”
Hearing that, Shirakawa-san looked relieved.

“I see… Actually, Ryuuto, since when did you have feelings for me?”
“Eh? Let’s see…”
The start of the one-sided feelings were when I lent her my mechanical
pencil, but since way before that, I’ve been one-sidedly watching and
admiring her.
“…Since the first year”
“Eh, even when we’re in different classes?”
“Yeah”
“Why”
“…Because you’re cute”
“Eeeh, aren’t there plenty other cute girls out there”
Despite saying so, Shirakawa-san looked happy.
“Then you should’ve just confessed to me sooner”
“Well…”
I pondered about things before I dated Shirakawa-san, and I smiled wryly.
“I didn’t have any intention to confess. If the punishment game wasn’t there,
probably even now… I think I still wouldn’t confess to you”
Actually, I’m almost certain that I still wouldn’t confess to her until
graduation.
“Eeh? Why?”
“It’s because I didn’t have self-confidence… I also never thought to be given

the okay when I confessed to you”

“But I gave the okay, didn’t I”
“That’s why I was surprised”
What happened on that day in my sixteen years of life has had as much
impact on me as the birth of Christ in human history.
“Eeh…”
Shirakawa-san muttered in disbelief, and held her knees even tighter with the
hand that wasn’t holding the sparkler.
“…But in that case, Ryuuto really cares about your friends, aren’t you”
She smiled at me, and with an “Eh?” I was puzzled.
“Because it’s a promise with friends, you still confessed despite thinking
you’d be rejected right?”
“Yeah…”
“And that’s really amazing. I think you really care about your friends. …
Moreover, you’re serious. It’s Ryuuto’s personality showing all over, isn’t it”
As I’d never thought to be praised for that, I got embarrassed, and went to
scratch my face.
“Well…”
“That’s definitely how it is, isn’t it”
As if she’s understanding something, Shirakawa-san greatly nodded her head.
“Within Ryuuto, there’s a big love or kind heartedness from the start. And
I’m sure that you were giving it to your friends, family… or someone you
care about. And it just so happened that there was no girl to accept it”
While talking, she lit the new sparkler again.

“And no matter how much I wish for true love, no one like Ryuuto had ever
confessed to me… it seems like I’ve been doing everything wrong. In the
way of love”
The sparks, that looked like snowflakes or spider’s web, were illuminating
Shirakawa-san’s hand. She, who had been talking while gazing at the flames,
then raised her face and stared at me.
“…Ryuuto, thank you, for choosing me”
The eyes of Shirakawa-san illuminated by the spark were shaking and wet,
and appeared to gleam.
I want to hug her, I thought.
Hug her, and then… I want to kiss her.
With that in mind, I reached out my arm to her shoulder. But just to be sure, I
looked behind me.
“…..!”
And I saw it.
From the other side of the glass on the paper sliding door, I saw Sayo-san and
Mao-san averting their eyes with incredible energy.
“…..”
If your great-grandchild or your niece is alone with a guy in second year of

high school who is brimming with sexual desire, well, of course you’re going
to be curious.
“…Ah, it fell”
Shirakawa-san raised a regrettable voice. When I looked, the sparkler in her

hand was already gone.

“Ah, looks like that was the last. …Wanna go inside now?”
The sky has been dark for a long time already, but the night of an extremely
hot day was hot and humid, hard to say to be comfortable.
“Yeah, all right…”
I had no reason to be staying out here, nor the pretext to be outside.
I wanted to kiss her…
Actually, we haven’t kissed at all since that one time on top of the boat that
day. We can now hold hands a lot like it’s a routine, though.
Are you fine with this? And no matter how much you want to cherish
Shirakawa-san, aren’t you being too careful?
I tidied up the bucket of fireworks and went inside the house as I was plagued
by such questions.
And that night.
I unusually woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, perhaps

because I was agonizing over it, or perhaps because there was a fear of
wetting the bed because I was playing with fire.
Since Sayo-san’s house was a typical Japanese-style house, I had to walk

around in the darkness. And walking around in the darkness was kind of
scary as it felt like a horror game.
Moreover, the toilet was only on the first floor, so I had to go downstairs
because I slept on the second floor.
And then, after I was done using the toilet while feeling scared inside, and
was about to go back to the second floor.
“…Huh?”

I noticed that the paper sliding door that’s connecting the porch and the living
room was partially opened. Did the last one to go to sleep forget to close it?
This may be a rural town, but it’s dangerous these days… Thus, as I was
going there to close it just in case…
“….!”
I saw the figure of a person on the porch.
I shouted in surprise, but when I looked more carefully, it’s Shirakawa-san.
With the usual casual home wear, Shirakawa-san was sitting on the porch.
I’m feeling tense.
Before going out of the room, I checked that it’s past one in the morning.
Since it’s so early in the morning, Sayo-san and Mao-san are probably
already asleep.
Maybe, we could get into a good mood and kiss… And so, I approached there
with such wicked thoughts in my head.
…However.
“…Shirakawa-san?”
When I saw her profile, my ulterior motive flew away somewhere.
Shirakawa-san clearly looked dispirited.
“…Ryuuto”
Noticing me, she turned to me. I really couldn’t find her usual liveliness.
“Shirakawa-san, is something the matter?”
“Nn…”

Shirakawa-san looked down. Her gaze fell on her phone placed on her lap.9
“Mom said she can’t come this time”
“Eh…”

“She said that this year she’s used several days of her paid vacation to move
out… She said said she’s a temporary worker, and doesn’t feel comfortable if
she takes a break from work in the summer when the company employees
also wanna take a break from work”
While listening, I sat down next to Shirakawa-san.
Apparently, Shirakawa-san’s mother was working at a department store in

Tokyo. I heard from Shirakawa-san that there’s rarely any consecutive
vacation days because of the shift system. And I heard from Shirakawa-san
that it’d be tough for her mother to go here on a day trip, and to also work on
the next day, so she was told that her mother would contact her if she could
make arrangements for some time off.
“…How about meeting her when you get back to Tokyo?”
When I suggested it because I felt sorry for Shirakawa-san, she tilted her
head.
“I don’t know. She has to contact dad if she’s gonna meet with me after I
return, right? She also just split up with the next guy. And because it’s
awkward, she also doesn’t seem to wanna contact him now”
“I see…”
So there’s that circumstance, huh.
“It’s really troublesome”
“Yep. it’s really troublesome, isn’it”
She sighed, and Shirakawa-san didn’t talk for a moment.
“…My mom, she was devoted to dad ever since she started dating dad in the
first year of middle school, until she split up with him”
Before long, she started to talk.
“She gave birth to onee-chan, and then Maria and I were born… Around that

time, dad was caught cheating on mom once. But, mom forgave him. She
loved dad, and because she’s never dated anyone but dad, I heard she wasn’t
confident she could fall in love with another man, even now that she’s
divorced with him. To keep on living on your own is uneasy after all”
I nodded while listening to her in silence. Since until now I hardly had any
experience in listening to someone else’s house’s intricate circumstances, I
didn’t exactly know what to say.
“I wonder if that’s the reason… She was repeating it to us like a spell, ‘Men
will cheat on you’, she said”
Shirakawa-san looked up to the sky with a distant look as if she’s

remembering the past.
“But, it seemed it was not gonna work anymore when he was found cheating
for the second time. When she thought just how much dad swore to not do it
again the first time it happened, she couldn’t believe dad’s words anymore…
In that case she could no longer stay with him, she said”
Nevertheless, I’m sure there’s no one who would criticize her mother. It
pains my heart when I think that that decision tore Shirakawa-san’s family
apart, though.
“I don’t think that dad was serious in his affair. It’s because, dad seems to
still love mom even now”
And then Shirakawa-san looked at me and smiled. It was a pained smile.
“I think that the reason why he took custody of me… was because I look like
mom. I’ve been told that a lot lately. ‘Runa’s becoming more and more like
your mom’, he said. And he looked really happy when he said that to me…
It’s stupid, isn’t it”
It was painful to watch Shirakawa-san like that, and I wondered if I could

shift the subject away from her past even a little.
“Is your dad dating anyone now?”

Shirakawa-san thought a little about my question, then she shook her head.
“Nnn… I think he hasn’t dated anyone lately. Before, he used to be gone on

his days off, but I think they broke up”
“I see…”
“I think it’s because there’s me. Don’t you think having a high schooler
daughter or something would be the most unpleasant thing for the
girlfriend?”
Her usual cheerful tone, now echoed sorrowfully on the porch in the dead of
night.
“As long as I’m at home, dad’s love life is probably not gonna go smoothly. I
feel bad for him, but well… I guess this what you’d call getting his just
desserts”
While frowning, the corners of Shirakawa-san’s lips raised, turning into a

smile.
Even though it’s such a trivial remark, it’s my first time hearing Shirakawa-
san speak ill of others.
When I thought that’s just how complicated her feelings towards her father
was, the cause of her parents divorce, my chest tightened.
“…So, did something happen, Ryuuto? Did you actually wet the bed?”
Maybe because my face looked so grim, Shirakawa-san teased me in a joking

tone.
“I-I made it just in time, all right”
No matter what I say here, it’d be just irresponsible remarks of an outsider.

With that thought in mind, I couldn’t go back to the previous topic anymore.
I had no choice but to go play along with Shirakawa-san.
“I see. I guess I’ll also go to the toilet, then go back to the room”

And then Shirakawa-san smiled, stood up, and waved her hand.
I also stood up… and then.
Mustering up the courage, I took Shirakawa-san’s hand.
“…Ryuuto?”
Shirakawa-san looked at me in surprise.
Remembering the kiss I couldn’t have when we’re having fireworks, the fire
in my chest was lit.
There’s no one watching right now.
There’s no one watching, but…
──Mom said she can’t come this time
When I remembered the lonesome Shirakawa-san from earlier, it pained me.
It’s so painful and unbearable, I just wanted to hug her.
But, for Shirakawa-san… right now is not the time for that isn’t it…?
“…Good night, Shirakawa-san. I’ll see you tomorrow”
In the end, that’s all I could say and I reluctantly let go of her hand.
Shirakawa-san stared back at me, and smiled a little. And then she turned
around, her back facing me.
“…Yep. Good night, Ryuuto”
I felt that the voice coming from her back as she headed down the corridor to
be a little tear-choked.

This summer, I felt like I’ve always been in agony.
At this rate, would the summer end without me ever able to kiss her for the
second time?
But with us spending the day at the beach house and the night at the house,
where Sayo-san and Mao-san were present, there’s no way I could take any
bold action…
And finally, the day of the summer festival had come.
Even in the morning of the day of the summer festival, we went to the beach
house as usual. Tomorrow after breakfast, we would have Mao-san drive us
to the station for our return, so this would be the last day of working at the
beach house.
Around the time when the noon peak had settled down, Shirakawa-san had
Mao-san drive her back to Sayo-san’s house. It seemed that she wanted to
wear a yukata and have her hair done for the summer festival in the evening.
As I was tending the store alone, Mao-san came back, saying “Thanks for
your hard work” and handing an envelope to me.
“Thank you for the two weeks or more. And Ryuuto-kun, you too can leave
now”
“Eh…”
It’s still around three, though. As I was thinking that, Mao-san lightly poked
me.
“I heard today is your two-month anniversary, right? How about you look for
something? Since Runa loves surprises, I think it’ll make her really happy,
you know~?”
“Ah…!”
Now that he mentioned it, it is. My head was full with thoughts of a summer
festival date with Shirakawa-san in a yukata, but it’s been exactly one month

since the day we went to Enoshima.
“And that is your war funds~!”
What Mao-san pointed at was the envelope in my hand.
“….?”
I don’t think I have the right to receive an allowance from her uncle… With
such a thought in mind, I opened it to look because I still didn’t know
whether there was money inside or not. And then I was taken aback as my
eyes suddenly caught the sight of several 10.000 yen notes inside the
envelope.
“This is ….!?”
“Earnings from you part-timing~! That’s the result from having you working
for five hours a day”
“I worked that much!?”
Although I’ve certainly been present from morning until evening, I’d play
around in the sea when it’s not busy, and even if I was at the store, I also
often spent a lot of time just chatting with Shirakawa-san.
“Well, you’ve at least worked for this much”
“No, but… in these two weeks I’ve also been staying at Sayo-san’s house”
Considering the expenses for taking care of me, I’ve been thinking of working
for free as a matter of course. Although I called it working, it’s like a cafe in
a school festival, and I was even thinking that I hoped I paid the favor back at
least a little…
When I confusedly told him so, Mao-san smiled gently.
“By having Ryuuto work for me, I was able to do my stocking and
preparation during business hours, and in turn, I was able to help granny. So,
you’ve done a good favor for all of us. And this is the compensation for it”

His frivolousness was nowhere to be seen, and I could feel sincerity in his
tone.
I think I understand why Shirakawa-san adores Mao-san. Even I, a man,

can’t help but be charmed by him.
I’m glad that Mao-san is Shirakawa-san’s uncle… If this kind of person is my

rival, I will certainly not be able to win.
“…Tha-thank you very much!”
That’s all I could say and I bowed my head. And Mao-san smiled and waved
his hand.
“Go make a jaw dropping surprise! And take care of Runa for me”
After changing clothes and leaving the beach house, I headed for the site of
the summer festival.
The summer festival would take place at a shrine located on a slightly

elevated place on the mountain side. Perhaps because the fireworks were to
be set off from the beach, there were already stands lined up along the beach.
“Even if he told me to make a surprise…”
In a place like this, can I get something that will make my high school
girlfriend happy?
Among the stands, there were not only professional street vendors, but also
local businesses that were setting up their stands like a flea market.
Since it’s the hottest part of the day, the crowds were still small. And alone in
the crowds, as I was checking out the stalls, I caught the sight of a stand at
the corner of the street.

Around five when the heat had considerably cooled down, I walked to Sayo-
san’s house to meet her as I received a “Preparation complete!” from a call
from Shirakawa-san,
“How is it, Ryuuto?”
I was lost for words when I saw Shirakawa-san coming out from the
entrance.
Cute… super cute.
Shirakawa-san was wearing a flower patterned yukata with purple and pink
as the base colors. In addition, she was wearing a similarly colored darker
sash, and smiling while holding a small basket bag. Although her upswept
hairstyle was gal-like flashy, she was dressed in an orthodox style, and
completely different from one of the expected patterns, which was the
courtesan style. It’s perhaps because Sayo-san helped her get dressed.10
“…Yo-you’re cu-cute”
In response to my usual bashfulness, Shirakawa-san let out an “Aah” and

pouted.
“The reaction with the swimsuit was better! Ryuuto you perv! Is yukata not
good?”
“Tha-that’s not true at all! Yo-you’re so cute”
“Nn~ are you sure about that~?”
“Yeah, I am!”
Our banter came to an end when Sayo-san came out from the back. Then we
exchanged some greetings with Sayo-san, and left the house.
Even though the shrine and Sayo-san’s house were on the same side of the
mountain, the direction was different, so we decided to go down to the beach,
and then follow the food stands up to the shrine. Although we must descend
down to the seaside again to see the fireworks, we had no other choice but to

do so if we wanted to fully enjoy the festival.
Worrying about Shirakawa-san wearing wooden shoes, we walked down the

road a bit more slowly than usual.
“Are your feet okay?”
“Yep, all okay. … Ryuuto, you’ve been repeating that since earlier”
I seemed to have repeated the question too many times, and Shirakawa-san
bursted into a laugh.
“Sorry… It’s my first time walking with a girl in a yukata”
On our previous date she’s got a foot blister, and I also didn’t know how
difficult it would be to walk in wooden shoes, so I unintentionally ended up
worrying about her too much.
“Fufu, thanks”
Shirakawa-san laughed happily.
I wonder how long it has been since I’ve been to a festival. I’ve a feeling that
until the upper grade of elementary school, I used to go out to local festivals
at the invitation of my friends.
When we descended to the bottom, the street, where stands were lined up,
was much more crowded than before. Usually it’s a quiet rural town except
for the beach, so where did everyone come from?
“What’s a cheese corn dog? And there are really tons of stands here”
As we started walking, looking at the stands on the left and right, I spoke out
the question I’ve been having since my preliminary inspection here.
“Eh, you don’t know? It’s a snack from South Korea. It’s a snack with cheese
stretching out from the inside and looks really shiny!”
“Like a cheese dog?”

“Ah, yep yep. It’s fried, though”
“And the fried cheese dog is shiny?”
“Yep! There’s some with rainbow-colored cheese”
“Heeh~ my first time hearing it”
“It’s been the staple of food stands for quite some time, you know!”
“Oh, I see”
It seemed that the trends of the food stands at the festival had changed in the
time I hadn’t been visiting one. There was also a bubble drink stand, which
Shirakawa-san liked.
“There’s even a bubble drink”
“Oh, nice! I’m getting thirsty”
“Should I buy one for you?”
“I’ll buy one myself. But I also wanna eat a candied apple, so I must choose
between the two…”
“Let me buy you both”
“Eh, what happened, Ryuuto. Did you win the lottery?”
Shirakawa-san was surprised. While thinking that I usually seemed to be

stingy, I smiled wryly
“I’ve got the earning from working at the beach house from Mao-san”
“Wah? No way! That’s so nice!”
“You didn’t get one, Shirakawa-san?”
“Yep… But I’ve got him paying for my phone repair after all. I’ll try asking

him when we get back”
“I think he probably intends to give you one, you know”
While chatting like that, I bought her a bubble drink and candied apple as I
had a surplus of money.
“Yaay, I’m so happy! It feels like I can get everything in this world! Thanks,
Ryuuto!”
With over-the-top delight, Shirakawa-san nibbled on the candied apple.
“…I heard that the first thing dad bought for mom was a candied apple. And
it’s a local summer festival”
As if she suddenly remembered, Shirakawa-san spoke.
“I wonder what it was for us? I think it’s a bubble drink?”
“Yeah, I guess so”
I remembered the time when we were on Shirakawa-san’s birthday date.
“Mom and dad were someone I admired. They split up in the end, but…
when there was nothing wrong, they were very chummy and looked really
good together”
Shirakawa-san talked in pauses, as she nibbled on the candied apple.
“I said it before though, that I’ve dreamed of marrying the first person I ever
dated, like mom”
And then, she lowered her head even further, and nibbled on the candied
apple.
Her steps gradually became narrow… and finally, she came to a stop.
“Shirakawa-san?”

Wondering what’s wrong, I looked at her face only to be surprised.
There were tears in both of Shirakawa-san’s eyes.
“Ar-are you okay?”
As I was panicking if she was also reminded of something painful about her
parents, Shirakawa-san muttered.
“…Why.. it isn’t my first time”
She muttered softly, and sadly.
“When I see Ryuuto not used to many things, it makes me sad”
“Eh…”
To me, who could only be confused, Shirakawa-san raised her face.
“This isn’t my first time. It’s not in this festival, but it’s not my first time to
walk in a yukata with a man like this… or my first time watching fireworks
together”
Her expression as she talked was contorted in pain.
“I wished it’s my first time…”
Tears were overflowing from those eyes.
In front of me, who couldn’t even let out a surprised voice, she, as if escaping
from the gazes of the passerby, covered her face with both hands.
“Everything I did with Ryuuto, I wished it’s all my first time … I wanna
erase my own memories…”

Shirakawa-san was crying. Her shoulders shook.
“Ryuuto has given me so many of your first times… even though it makes
me happy, and yet… I can’t give you Ryuuto any of my first…”
She’s usually cheerful, but to think that now she’s crying like this.
I was stupefied, but then I remembered something.
“You did give me, plenty of it”
I told her.
“Even though the date location isn’t your first time… If the feelings
Shirakawa-san’s holding when you’re with me is different from any other
time before… I’m happy”
You can’t turn back time. Although one can’t pretend that the past never
happened… I wish you wouldn’t be so heartbroken, regretting the days that
have passed.
Because right now, I truly love Shirakawa-san who is in front of me.
“Ryuuto…”
Shirakawa-san’s wet eyes were wavering.
“Here, let me hold it”
I received the bubble drink cup from Shirakawa-san’s hand, and then linked
my hands with her.
For a while, we were walking in silence.
The cook of okonomiyaki stand, who seemed to be basically on break earlier,

was busily swinging around the spatula in front of a line of customers. A loud
puff! sound was made from a puffed grain stand somewhere, and for a
moment, the people in the surrounding made a stir.

“…I think that I’m contradicting myself, but”
On pause from nibbling on her candied apple, Shirakawa-san began to talk

again.
“There’s a part of me that is glad that I’ve got to date Ryuuto only now”
I waited for her to continue, while wondering what she meant. And then
Shirakawa-san smiled at me.
“If the first time I dated someone was with Ryuuto… I feel like I would’ve
taken it for granted, and missed out on so many wonderful things about
Ryuuto”
She muttered, and then let out a chuckle.
“If anything, you might complain ‘My boyfriend doesn’t touch me very
often, does he not love me?’ or something like that to your friends”
“Eh, pfft…”
When I mimicked Shirakawa-san’s usual way of talking, “ahaha” she

laughed.
“…Previously, when my boyfriend wanted me, I felt relieved. I would think

that I was loved, and that this was the place where I belonged”
Shirakawa-san narrowed her eyes, as if she was grieving for the pain of a
distant day.
“And when I think about it now, on the contrary that means that I couldn’t
feel any love except when it’s naught time, doesn’t it”
I listened to her silently as she made a self-deprecating smile.
“Maybe it’s because I’m the me now that I can understand it. It means that…
Ryuuto really cares about me”
Dropping her gaze a little, Shirakawa san smiled happily.

“When I think about it… I feel that I can think… that my relationships until
now, even though they’re painful, it’s maybe not useless”
My first girlfriend was experienced.
I had thought that only the man who would’ve conflicted feelings about that
fact.
But I had never expected that she would also share the same feelings
regarding it…
That’s already enough.
Looks like it’s about time for me to finally get over Shirakawa-san’s ex-
boyfriend.
“Shirakawa-san, have you tried airsoft?”
“Eh, what’s this all of sudden?”
Shirakawa-san opened her eyes wide to my sudden change of subject, and

then she shook her head.
“Nope. That, what was it again, was it the one where you shoot each other in
the woods?”
“That’s right. Ichi… with two of my friends we keep talking about how much
we want to try it, but the place we want to go to needs a minimum of six
people, and we’re three short… If you’d like, do you want to come? With
Shirakawa-san… Yamana-san, and maybe her boyfriend”
“Ah, Nikoru doesn’t have a boyfriend now”
“I see…”
“But I wanna go! Can I invite Akari? She’s a girl from our class!”

“Ye-yeah, all right”
Despite nodding my head, I felt like I’d said something bad. When I
imagined Ichi and Nishi getting all stiff surrounded by cheery girls, and then
their love-hate towards Yamana-san regarding the matter in the izakaya, and
then getting abused with “You dare showing off with Shirakawa-san, you
fake gloomy!”, later on, I started shedding cold sweat even though it’s hot.
But, I wanted to take her.
I wanted to take Shirakawa-san to a place she has absolutely never been to

before.
“Shirakawa-san, let’s have lots of firsts with me”
Shirakawa-san stared at me intently as I spoke with enthusiasm.
“Before we started dating, we should’ve been living in a completely different

world… so I think we can do as many things as we want if we want to. A
new experience, together with me”
“Ryuuto…”
Once again, a gleam appeared in Shirakawa-san’s eyes.
“…Yep, you’re right. Let’s do lots of first time things together”
Tightly holding our linked hands, Shirakawa-san leant closer to me. The sole
of her wooden shoes made a clunking sound.
“…Ryuuto, I love you”11
As the fruity or floral scent drifted thickly, I strongly savoured the sweet
sound whispered softly in my ear, wishing to always remember it even after I
became an adult.
When we walked all the way down the street filled with stands towards the

mountain road, we found one conspicuous stand on the corner of the street.
“Ah, it’s so cute!”
It was an accessory shop. A tray was placed on a table covered with white
cloth, and rings and earrings with various colored stones were lined up. The
shopkeeper was a fashionable lady with two different colors of hair, who
gave off the impression of being very particular.
“It’s natural stone accessories. I went as far as to Turkey to buy it, and to
make it, so it’s much cheaper than the market price, you know. All of them
are handmade, so they’re all one-of-a-kind”
The lady started talking to Shirakawa-san, who approached with interest.
“Hee~ they’re lovely! But I don’t know anything at all about stones, though”
“Many people start with their birthstone. What month is your birthday?”
“Umm, it’s June”
“Then it would be moonstone”
“Moonstone…”12
Shirakawa-san seemed to have her interest suddenly taken by the name of the
stone originating from her own name.
“Moonstone is this one”
Being shown a sample of the rough gemstone, Shirakawa-san’s eyes

sparkled.
“Wah, it’s pretty!”
It’s a milky-white stone, with a transparent feel like milk dissolved in hot
water, that slightly looked like a pearl, shiny, and mysterious. If I was told
about a moonstone, I had an inkling that it might look like this.

“What kind of design do you have for this stone?”
“Theses earrings for example”
“Earrings, huh”
“Since it’s an ear cuff, people with piercings can use it, too”
“Nnnn… I’d like to have a bigger stone, though. Is there a ring?”
“A ring? A ring is… Aah, a moonstone ring was sold earlier… actually,
huh?”
And there, the lady opened her eyes wide when her eyes met mine.
“Ah…”
The conversation between Shirakawa-san and the lady continued, and there
was no gap for me to start talking. And when I was thinking of talking here.
“Nn, it’s unfortunate. I also thought it’d be perfect fit for you”
For some reason, the shop lady said that to Shirakawa-san, and then she gave
me a wink.
“It’s really too bad… I’ll come again”
“I understand, I’ll probably be here again next year!”
The voice of the lady sent her off, and Shirakawa-san began to walk again
with a regretful look on her face.
“It’s moonstone, she said. It’s my first time seeing it, but it’s really pretty~.
I’d want it if there was a ring, though”
As she said this, Shirakawa-san brought her hand in front of her face, then
spread her five fingers.
“It’s grown a lot, but the ornaments on these nails are called shells, you see.

Because the hue is similar to these shells, I thought that it’d definitely match
it, though”
“I-I see”
My heart was pounding.
Actually… The one who bought the moonstone ring from that shop earlier
was me.
Of course, I didn’t decide for this one because it’s Shirakawa-san’s

birthstone, or that it’s named moonstone. Since I was nervous to talk with the
fashionable shop lady, I just walked by for a few times, glanced at it from a
distance and checked the price, and I made the decision right away because
there was one size fits all written.
When I will tell her.
When I will give it to her…
Since I’ve just got it a little while back, I had no plan or something like that
at all.
“Oh well. Ah, look, look over there~”
Shirakawa-san, who had her interest shifted to something else, would

afterwards talk to me in every chance she got while consuming the bubble
drink and candied apple little by little. And while giving my responses, I kept
thinking about the ring and fidgeting.
“…Ah, but the stone earlier was really pretty, wasn’t it”
After the topic of conversation changed several times, Shirakawa-san came

back to the topic of natural stone accessories.
“If we pass by her again when we get back, as expected, should I take a look
at the ear cuffs? But it’s a little too expensive, isn’t it. It says 5.000 yen. I also
have to pay for my phone… It’d be nice if it’s 500 yen”

“I guess so…”
While chatting like that, we went up the mountain road, and came to the
premises of the shrine.
It’s a small shrine located on top of a steep stone staircase, and I could
imagine that usually it’s quiet. But now there were even stands lined up on
the premises, and it’s a bustling rural town’s local deity shrine.
“Since we’re here, let’s give the shrine a visit”
Led by Shirakawa-san, we threw monetary offerings at the front of the shrine

then prayed.
“What did you pray for, Ryuuto?”
“Nn? Err…”
There’s only one wish in my heart.
I wish I can be together with Shirakawa-san forever
But, that’s too greedy.
So now, I made a wish that was a little bit more sound.
“I wished that I would have a great two-month anniversary with Shirakawa-

san”
And then, Shirakawa-san’s face looked surprised.
“So you remembered…”
“Sorry, I actually wanted to give you a proper present, but…”
Halfway through my words, Shirakawa-san energetically shook her head.
“Just the feeling is fine”

Then, she stared at me with sparkling eyes.
“It’s because, meeting with Ryuuto is the best present I’ve ever gotten”
Like a sunflower, Shirakawa-san smiled.
“Hey, do you want me telling you my wish?”
“Eh? Ye-yeah”
“‘I wish I can be together with Ryuuto forever’”
“Ah…”
My chest was overflowing with feelings knowing that we were thinking the
same thing.
Shirakawa-san stared and smiled at me.
“Even though it’s a punishment game, thank you for confessing to me at that
time”
I should be the one who is saying my thanks.
For coming to the staffs’ parking lot at that time. For giving the confession of
a classmate you’ve never talked to before the OK.
That was the beginning of a miraculous happiness that continues to this day.
“…Ah, Shirakawa-san”
Remembering it, I reached into my pocket.
“And I’m sorry. Actually, it’s not like I didn’t get you any present…”
“Eh?”

To the surprised Shirakawa-san, I handed the felt accessory case. Shirakawa-
san took out the content, saw it, and lost for words at the ring with milky-
white stone on her palm.
“This is …!”
With eyes wide open, she looked at me with her mouth closing and opening.
“No way!? Eeeh!?! When did you buy it!?!”
“A while ago… Before I went to pick up Shirakawa-san”
“Why.. did you get me this…?”
“I thought that this might match Shirakawa-san’s current nails… for some
reason. And something like, shells? I didn’t know about it, though”
While I was talking, I could see something flickering in Shirakawa-san’s

eyes.
So I hurriedly continued.
“Actually, I wanted to give something more proper… if I say it, it’d be rude
to that lady, but I thought of getting you something more expensive at a store
that would put something like a ribbon on the case and put it in a glossy bag,
though…”
Since I’ve got the earnings from my part-time job, I also added that share
from her birthday some time ago… there was that kind of feeling in me. But
in this small seaside town, I couldn’t find any stores of that kind. So I was
just trying to make it in time, and yet.
I would’ve never expected she would be this happy.
“No, It’s more than enough…”
While accumulating tears, Shirakawa-san shook her head.
“This is good for now”

Then she smiled shyly.
“The joy of receiving such a thing, I wanna save it for a long time to
come…”
A long time to come…?
In my head, there was Shirakawa-san in a wedding dress smiling at me.
“…Hey, can you put this on me?”
Asked by Shirakawa-san, the blanked out me came back to my senses.
“Ah, yeah”
I took the ring from Shirakawa-san’s hand, and looked at her to see which
finger I should put it on.
“Nnnn, then here!”
Shirakawa-san presented her right hand to me, and she’s flapping her ring
finger.
“All right”
Shirakawa-san smiled at me, who just slightly regretted that it wasn’t left the
hand one.
“Not yet… okay”
“…Yeah”
My heart became warm, and a smile naturally appeared on my face.
I wonder if it’s fine for me to believe that there really is such a future.
A future where I can be together with Shirakawa-san forever.
If it’s only a wish of mine, I don’t have the confidence it’d happen. But if it’s

Shirakawa-san’s… if it’s the wish of such a good girl, even a god would
probably grant it.
“…Waa so pretty!”
With blushing cheeks, Shirakawa-san raised the moonstone in her right hand
to the sky.
“It’s like there are two moons…”
When she, with blushed cheeks, muttered happily as she compared it to the
round object rising in the evening sky.
BANG!
Dry explosive sounds resounded from all around.
Simultaneously, large flowers of light shone in the still slightly lit sky.
“Eh, it’s already time for the fireworks!?”
Shirakawa-san’s eyes opened wide.
The plan was to watch the fireworks on the beach, but we’re still at the shrine
on the elevated ground. Trying to find a place where we could at least find a
better view, we searched for a place where the trees wouldn’t get in the way.
After leaving the shrine, we went further up the staircase that was split into
two, and found a place with a clear view along the path. Since the flow of
people either headed towards the shrine or the beach, there were no visitors
before us and it was a quiet place.
“Yaay! It’s a secret spot”
The fireworks launched into the sky bloomed exactly at eye level. It’s
comfortable to not have to look up.

“Ryuuto”
Suddenly, Shirakawa-san leant in close to me. She took my arm, and twined
her own around it. At the soft feeling against my upper arm, my heartbeat
rapidly quickened.
“Can we stay like this until the fireworks end?”

Asked with a spoiled, nasally voice, I nervously nodded.
“Ye-yeah”
“Fufu”, I heard a chuckle from my side.
“…If your heart is close to someone, you naturally wanna get close to them,
isn’it. I never realized that until I started dating Ryuuto”
The fireworks were launched continuously at a slow pace. In the midst of

rapidly sinking scenery into darkness, the voice of Shirakawa-san on my side
resounded pleasantly in my ears.
“I love Ryuuto. If this feeling stays with me, I’m sure I’ll… come to wanna
have sex with Ryuuto”
Shirakawa-san…
With my heart beating fast, I looked to my side. Then our eyes met as she
looked up at me.
Shirakawa-san released my arm, and then we faced each other, gazing into
each other’s eyes.
Shirakawa-san shyly everted her eyes away.
When our eyes met again, I told her.
“I love you, Runa”
Her eyes quickly became moist and welled up, then it overflowed, running
down her cheeks.
“Me too”
As if overcome with emotions, she spoke.
“I love Ryuuto, too”

I wiped the tears running on her cheeks, then I brought my face closer to hers.
I watched her large eyes as they closed, and gently placed my lips on hers.
I could hear the sound of the fireworks.
And I felt the warmth of my beloved girlfriend.
Right now, that was everything in my world.

V2: Chapter 5.5 – Runa and
Nikoru’s Long Phone Call
“Ah, Nikoru, hi hi!”
“Hi too Runa! Tomorrow you’re returning here, right? And sorry I couldn’t
go there at all”
“It’s okay, it’s already enough that you came here once! Besides, Ryuuto is
here”
“That’s right, that guy. How’s it after that? Did he reform himself?”
“Ahaha, what’d you mean reform”
“Well, If he ever seems to do something bad again, I’ll strangle him. Tell me
as soon as you get a hint, all right”
“There’s nothing to worry with Ryuuto”
“That’s what you said the other day, but he was meeting with your younger
sister behind your back, wasn’t he?”
“There’s circumstances for that, and in the end it wasn’t an affair after all.
I’ve told you right?”
“Well, yeah, but still”
“I’m happy that Nikoru is worried about me. Thanks”
“…Well, I also don’t think of him as a guy who can cheat with ease, though”

“Yep. Ryuuto won’t do such a bad thing”
“But a ‘change of heart’ doesn’t mean a ‘bad heart’, okay. I think it’s
ridiculous if it’s in a month of relationship, though”
“Ah, there it is, Nikoru-sensei poem of the day”
“‘A change of heart, does not mean the heart is bad. Nikoo”1
“Ahaha, sensei, your tongue is sharp”
“However, even if it’s change of heart, it’s crazy stuff if it’s with your twin
younger sister or something, isn’t it”
“Like I said, the timing was just all bad. We talked about this, right?”
“Well yeah… I could understand it more or less, though”
“…With my previous boyfriends you see, I was always worried every time
we were apart. I’d wonder what he was doing at that time, or if he was with
any other girl”
“And in fact, you’re being cheated on”
“…But, Ryuuto is different”
“And that, isn’t it because you’re always together with him for the last two
weeks? Of course you wouldn’t be worried if you’re not away from him”
“Well that’s true, but I feel like it’d be different from before even once we’re
back in Tokyo”
“In what way?”
“Last time you see, In the end I was weak. I said I believed in Ryuuto, yet I
couldn’t believe him until the end, and I was scared of facing reality, so I ran
away… If at that time I could face Ryuuto immediately, I really wouldn’t
have had to worry about it for two weeks”

“So Runa is strong now?”
“Yep. Probably… even if there’s something happening between me and

Ryuuto in the future, I think I’m not gonna run away again”
“…I see”
“These two weeks, we talked about many things. Like about dad and mom…
or about Maria. And also about my past boyfriends”
“Nn…”
“I think he now knows better than ever before… I also got to hear lots about
Ryuuto’s feelings towards me. That’s why all is a okay”
What Runa was gazing at as she talked was a milky-white ring on the ring
finger of her left hand.
“It’s because from now, even when he’s not nearby, I feel like our hearts are
connected”

V2: Epilogue
“Aaaaah~~ the homework’s not ending!!”
Last week of August, in the still harsh lingering summer heat.
Sitting at the folding table opposite of me in my room with the AC on, Runa
yelled. English homework was placed on the table, leaving behind a
mountain of white paper.
Since our relationship has completely turned into a parents-approved

relationship because of my two-weeks stay in Chiba, we’d be having study
meetings like this every day this week to finish the accumulated homework.
Seeing that my home was an apartment, immediately after the wall was the
living room where my mother was present, so it’s not possible to do any
untoward things.
“It was really fun in Chiba, wasn’t it …”
Runa sighed and escaped reality.
“Granny Sayo said we can come again next year if we want”
“Me too?”
“Yep. Even when preparing for exams, we should go to a summer festival to

relax she said”
“I see…”
I appreciated Sayo-san’s feelings. Moreover, it made me happy when I

thought that she perhaps has recognized me to be the man she wouldn’t mind

dating her great-granddaughter even a year from now.
“Next year, huh…”
I also sighed when I imagined a dark, important summer with nothing but
studying hard.
And then, Runa casually muttered.
“At that time… I’m sure that we…”
With upturned eyes, she glanced at me as if checking me out. And her cheeks
were red.
“Are gonna be even closer than now, aren’t we”
“Eh… Tha-that’s right”
I ended up imagining something naughty, but if I took it literally, there’s

nothing to be bashful about.
However, Runa didn’t miss my turmoil.
“Aah, Ryuuto your face is all red! What were you thinking?”
“Look… even Shirakawa-san’s too!”
“Ah! You’re back using my family name!”
“So-sorry, Shiraka… ah, Runa”
“And that’s almost the full name”
Runa was laughing while giving a quip.
“We-well, that aside… Come on, get back to your homework”
“But I don’t understand it… Ah! But I know this one!”

Raising a cheerful voice, Runa suddenly ran her pen through the paper.
“Ah, isn’t that great”
In order to confirm it, I peeked at her homework.
And what was written was.
He is the last man to tell a lie.
“…It’s about Ryuuto, so I won’t forget it anymore”
In front of me, Runa smiled happily.
“Runa…”
My girlfriend has experiences.
But, that is not important.
Lately, little by little I’ve come to be able to think so from my heart.
“Ah, but I really don’t get this one”
“Which one?”
She pointed at a different question, and I peeked at her homework again.
And then…
“An opening!”
Runa stretched her neck, and then a warm thing touched my cheek
accompanied by a kissing sound.
“…Ehehe, I love you, Ryuuto”
“~~~~~!”
She smiled with a gotcha-face. My face got all red and I couldn’t even raise a

protest to her.
My summer homework seemed like it wasn’t going to end for a while yet.

V2: Afterword
Hello, it’s Nagaoka Makiko. Thank you very much for picking up the second
volume also!
It’s summer! It’s the sea! I know it’s a little early in the year for the
publication of this book, but I hope you can get a taste of summer a little (?)
ahead of time.
I wrote the second volume with the theme “Emo&Ero” in my mind (Please
read in the rhythm of R&B). Setting aside how it was in the real world, I’d be
happy if you could think that you had something like this in your youth. Aah,
how nostalgic… I also have such summer memories… not. It’s because I was
in an all-girls school.
The scene with maria at the park, personally, I find it emo. A girl’s feelings
that is happy to see the person she loves even though she knows what is
going to happen.
There are episodes that are based on real life experiences.
Until about ten years ago, I was working part-time as a tutor at a cram school,
teaching mainly English to high school students, and there’s a student who
said “I’m going to tell Rie“. It’s a real real misunderstanding answer that was
quite desperate, interesting, and impressionable. I wonder what “Tell Rie”
meant.
Anyway, summer is emo, isn’t it. It’s also ero, isn’t it.
Now that going to festivals, fireworks, and swimming in the sea have become
more difficult, has only grown stronger.
Again, I can’t thank the illustrator, magako-sama, enough for the

outrageously wonderful illustrations…! Thank you very much for illustrating
even the small details in the text! (Dear readers, please look at Runa’s nails
on the cover~!)
Thank you again, Matsubayashi-sama, for all your help! Thanks to your
schedule management and various other things, I can concentrate on my work
with peace of mind. I want to keep this momentum going and do my best!
Please let me do my best!
Finally, I’d like to express my sincere attitude to all dear readers who have
supported me since the first volume and read the second volume.
I sincerely, sincerely wish that we could meet again…!
February 2021, Nagaoka Makiko

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V2: Prologue

Within the dream, I was admiring Shirakawa-san being surrounded by many

….That’s right, isn’t it. This is the reality.

The idea of me and Shirakawa-san dating is only possible inside a dream.

I wish this happiness would last forever.

I’m also aware that I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of luck.

I want to be with Shirakawa-san forever.

And everyday, I’m renewing my “love” for her.

Nevertheless, the expression of Shirakawa-san walking next to me on the

“Baaad, super baddies mapo noodles~”1

“….Somehow that sounds delicious, doesn’t it?”

“Sheesh~! How about Ryuuto? Do you feel super confident?”

“Th-that’s not the case, but….”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Actually, is Ryuuto, maybe really smart? No matter how many times I

“Eh, err, that’s not really….”

Right, If I remember correctly, I made a mistake on some important grammar

“It’s seventy-eight or nine…. I think”

However, Shirakawa-san’s eyes shined when she heard my confession.

“How about vocabulary? There’ll certainly be ten questions about

“Eh seriously!? I didn’t even know some of them~…. Ryuuto really is

“Yeah. Only if Shirakawa-san wants to, though. I don’t understand it

Her expression already started to look dark.

“Haah~…. What’s this? It’s totally a stranger to me, though”

“What part you don’t understand?”

What Shirakawa-san pointed to was the following sentence.

He is the last man to tell a lie.

“That, huh. Firstly, do you understand the meaning of ‘tell a lie’?”

It’s worse than I thought.

“Then, do you understand the part before that?”

“‘He’s the last man’….?”

“….What does that mean?”

“Yep…. That’s Ryuuto, isn’t it”

Being told that by Shirakwa-san, I looked at her.

Then she smiled at me.

I became embarrassed and started to scratch my chin for no reason.

Of course I’ve no intention to cheat on her at all, but if she believes me to

“….So with that, do you understand this sentence now?”

“Then, let’s go to the next one”

“Uh, wait a sec”

As I got flustered at the sudden closeness, Shirakawa-san grinned at me.

“This way is easier to read, right?”

“Ye-yeah. Then, let’s continue….”

I tried to hide my unrest and continue with the explanation, however.

Or rather…. This is something I noticed a short while ago when looking to

“Umm…. so, therefore….”

We’re studying, don’t get horny. Endure it, me!

“What’s wrong, Ryuuto?”

“Eh!? No, umm, in other words, you see….”

“….Aah, so that’s what that was all about”

“Ah, let’s see, like the describing of place of in or at, yeah”

After saying that, Shirakawa-san stood up.

“Umm, if you’d like, you can sit there….”

“Well, you see….”

I wasn’t sure how to explain this to her, so I hesitatingly told her.

Shirakawa-san’s cheeks suddenly turned red.

“I-I don’t particularly mind either way….”

With blushed cheeks, Shirakawa-san looked up at me and smiled.

“I’m sorry, that I couldn’t be smart about it….”

Shirakawa-san shook her head while still smiling.

My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

Shirakawa-san smiled embarrassingly.

“C’mon, Ryuuto sit too”