Actually, the Hungry Gyaru Who Eats a Lot Was Being Cheated On, so I Decided to Win Her Heart (And Stomach) From Her Jerk Boyfriend - 56

Chapter 56: Drifting Along with the Hungry Gyaru

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After the three of us briefly discussed it, Shizuku and Sasamoto came to an agreement, and we decided to play in the lazy river. Normally, you would think an attraction like this is exactly the kind of place you head to first, but considering that this group, myself included, had completely different opinions right from the start, expecting anything “normal” from us was probably the wrong choice to do in the first place.

“…Suou-kun, you’re not thinking of something rude, are you?”

“Must be your imagination. More importantly, you two have to be careful not to flip over.”

When we reached the lazy river and I prompted them, Shizuku and Sasamoto both answered, “Okaaay,” in unison, then floated their inner tubes onto the water and carefully lowered themselves into the holes. While they did that, I entered the water from the nearby steps and grabbed the ropes attached to their tubes so they would not drift off in some random direction.

Just like the pool we had entered earlier, the water was only about as deep as my solar plexus, so there seemed to be no problem standing and walking normally. Walking backward while being careful not to bump into people or walls, I glanced at the two of them relaxing with their bodies supported by the tubes. Both wore thoroughly satisfied smiles.

“Is this good enough?”

“Yeah, perfect! Thanks, Suou-kun.”

While Shizuku gave a firm thumbs-up, Sasamoto lounged comfortably and said to me.

“Sorry for making you handle the reins. Want to switch after one lap?”

“It’s fine. For my own peace of mind, I’d rather have my feet touching the ground.”

Even with a tube, I would rather not float on the water again. If we switched, I would be too anxious about possibly drowning at any moment. I doubted my mental state could handle it. Besides, someone like me floating around in an inner tube would look ridiculous anyway. Sasamoto tilted her head slightly at my reaction, but after a short while she began glancing around restlessly.

What is she looking at?

I wondered, but given our earlier conversation, it was easy to guess. As expected, the people she was looking at were mostly guys around our age, maybe a little older. Shizuku seemed to have noticed Sasamoto’s behavior too and let out a weary sigh.

“Natsuki, you’re being way too aggressive. Do you want a boyfriend that badly?”

“Of course I do! I want to have youth like you and Suou!”

“Youth, huh… it’s not really anything that grand.”

The moment I said that…

“Huh????”

Her voice dropped low with almost tangible pressure. Sasamoto shot me a resentful glare.

“Suoo, are you seriously saying that?”

“I-I mean…”

Instantly, the pressure around her intensified. Apparently, I had just stepped on some kind of landmine.

“Unbelievable… you were just flirting and being all lovey-dovey together a minute ago.”

“What do you mean lovey-dovey… And it’s not like you saw what we were doing.”

“I don’t need to see it! One look at Shizuku’s happiness-is-bursting-out-of-her aura and it’s obvious!”

Pointing at Shizuku, Sasamoto shouted. At that moment, Shizuku’s body jerked in surprise. She nearly lost her balance, and my heart skipped a beat, but after confirming she managed to steady herself, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Oh, sorry.”

“…It’s fine, but you’re buying me a churro later.”

“Ugh… fine, I guess that’s fair.”

She does not seem that different from usual, though.

The words almost slipped out, but I held them back. If I said that, it felt like things would become troublesome. It was wiser to keep unnecessary comments to myself. Besides, Sasamoto had known Shizuku longer than I had. It would not be strange if she could sense changes that I could not.

“Anyway, inviting her over, eating together, going on a shopping date… that’s nothing but pure youth.”

“…When you put it that way, I can’t strongly deny it.”

Objectively speaking, maybe that did count as experiencing youth in a normal way. If a guy and a girl went shopping alone together, most people would assume it was a date. Still, even if you were not dating, guys and girls could go shopping together. Shizuku and I were like that.

Wait, she knew about that day?

When I glanced at Shizuku, her cheeks were red, and she was awkwardly looking off in the opposite direction. From the look of it, rather than her voluntarily telling them, it was more likely she had been thoroughly interrogated when I was not around.

Well, on the bus ride here they ended up knowing about the fact that she had been visiting my house. Maybe in the process, she also admitted that we had gone shopping together.  That said, it was not something we needed to hide desperately. Shizuku must have told Sasamoto and the others honestly because she felt comfortable sharing it with them.

If that was the case, I would match her openness.

“But the reason I went shopping with Kushina was because my sister basically forced me out of the house. So it’s not what you’re imagining, Sasamoto.”

“…Oooooh, I see, I see.”

The reply I got back was clearly half-hearted. Without even trying to hide her exasperation, she looked back and forth between Shizuku and me, then let out a big sigh. She seemed to mutter something at that point, but I ignored it and continued walking through the pool, letting myself drift along with the current.

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