After Practicing S*x With My Childhood Friend I Don’t Even Like, I Started Becoming Popular With Beautiful Girls. However, for Some Reason, My Childhood Friend Starts Acting Cold - Chapter 38 - True Feelings

Chapter 38 – True Feelings

Meanwhile——Men’s baths.

“Guhh… bloop bloop bloop…”

I was captivated by the incredibly alluring melody coming from the women’s bath, separated only by a thin wall, while I was in the midst of sinking into the bath.

They sound so intimate… Is it heaven over there? Utopia???

Is that where the most beautiful lily flower in the world is blooming!? (T/N: Because yuri is closely associated with lily.)

But I think this is good.

Because Himesaki is usually so far from anything erotic, aside from her boobs, it makes it all the more exciting.

“I have not a single regret…”

I put my thumbs up, while falling to the bottom of the hot tub.

Thank you.

This is my first and last thank you to Saiai Kanade.

Thank you very much!

“Bloop, bloop, bloop…——Guhooo!?”

Just as I was about to cross the path to the afterlife beckoned by a beautiful woman, with the best feeling, I was yanked back by the head, returning to reality.

“What are you doing? Are you really going to die?”

“It’s okay… I didn’t get a peek, but this is good enough. Tell everyone I was happy.”

“I won’t…”

Shin chuckled in disbelief.

Doesn’t this guy feel anything after hearing that sweet voice just now?

“You…seem dried up…”

“I’m not dried up!?”

When he shouted, Shin coughed to mend his voice, perhaps conscious that it would reach the women’s bath.

“I like girls too, but I don’t know if the girls at the school can see me that way.”

He soak himself back in the bathtub and muttered quietly.

So you’re saying that Mister Handsome here has opportunities to get involved with women outside the school?

Well, it’s true that Shin is more of a cute, beautiful boy, and I think he’s more popular with older people…

Once again, the nakedness of the situation (ugghhh) made me feel empty and beyond jealous at the difference between me and Shin…

“Hah…”

I exhaled and re-sink into the bathtub.

I’m a 75 points man myself, but in front of Shin, I’m just a supporting role.

I should calm my mind by replaying Himesaki’s moans in my mind on endless loop. Wait, that’ll just arouse me!

All right, I’m calm now.

I’m in a normal mental state.

“Ah, by the way.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“No, not you, Shin.”

I turned my head towards the women’s bath and called out in a louder volume…

“Hey, Kohaku? Are you there?”

“…What?”

After a while, there was a reply.

It’s a voice that doesn’t hide even the tiniest bit of annoyance.

Kohaku’s voice was quiet, but since there were no other customers, it’s quiet enough that I could barely hear it.

“Senpai! What is it!? Are you coming to the women’s bath right now!?”

“That invitation is wonderful, but I’ll get caught, so I’ll refrain. Also, thank you for earlier. I’ve had enough, please stand down.”

“Boo!”

If Saiai’s there, the conversation will not progress, so please back down for now.

“So, Kohaku? Are you okay?”

“…What are you talking about…”

“You get hot easily, don’t you? If you feel like you’re in trouble, don’t go with the others and get out early, okay?”

“…! Mind your own business…!”

“Ooww!”

A bucket flew over and hit me clean in the head. 

“What are you doing!? I’m just worried about you!”

“Shut up. Shut up already.”

“You…!”

“…Hmph.”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!”

A bucket, shampoo, and so on flew at me, so I gave up and ended the conversation.

“Hah… Seriously, what the hell…”

In the past, there were times when Kohaku’s family—mainly her grandmother—would bring her to the public bath.

Being a grandma’s girl, Kohaku tried to keep her grandmother company during long baths and quickly ended up getting all red and overheated. It’s a memory I still hold onto.

I used to fan her with a fan.

I tried saying that because I remembered it, but I regret it a little now.

But I’m sure they heard what I was saying, and Tachibana-senpai and Himesaki would be more considerate.

“Haha. You two are like siblings.”

“Huh… She’s too cheeky for her own good.”

She doesn’t listen to anything I say.

This fickle black cat, she moves away, gets closer, then moves away again… I have no idea what she is thinking. 

I have a lot of respect for the old grandma who had Kohaku wrapped around her finger.

“But Kohaku-chan, she’s changed a bit. The way she is at school and in front of Suzume.”

“Huh? In front of me?”

“In middle school, you hardly talked to each other at school, right? I had no idea you two get along so well.”

“We don’t get along.”

Well, it’s true that the chances of us speaking may have increased dramatically.

But every time we do, there are more things I don’t understand…

“Kohaku-chan is trying to change, isn’t she?”

“Right.”

“Great.”

I nodded at Shin, who was smiling.

Let me give you an example, even if I try to live seriously now, I don’t think it’s possible.

Kohaku passed the exam at the top of her grade, but if I were to set my sights on trying to be number one in my grade, it would be impossible for me to do it.

I don’t have the tenacity.

There are certain conditions and aptitudes to be able to become even popular in the class.

And yet Kohaku is also trying to break out of her shell at the welcome party and take on new challenges.

“That cat of mine is a surprisingly hard worker.”

“But despite this and that, you end up caring. And then, she whimsically escapes, and now Suzume’s depressed, right?”

“What’s that? I don’t get it. I’m just being pushed around.”

When I denied it, Shin laughed it off.

“I wish that person was as——as Kohaku-chan is…”

“Huhh? What did you just say——”

As I was about to ask about Shin’s murmur,

The bathtub in the center rose with a roaring sound.

“Wha-what the!?”

“Phewww…”

Suddenly a man——a small boy——emerged from the bottom of the bathtub and slowly took a deep breath with his hot and scalding body.

“A-Ai!? Huh, why are you here!? You’ve been submerged the whole time!?”

Yes, it was Tachibana Senpai’s younger brother, Tachibana Ai, who emerged from the bath.

“Eh…? Oh, Amakawa-senpai. I often come here.”

“O-Oh… Is, is that so…?”

The extremely flat response is quite surprising. 

Well, Tachibana-senpai brought us to this bathhouse, so it’s not surprising that her younger brother goes there.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been thinking about myself.”

With a face dripping with hot water, the Tachibana boy——Ai spilled his words leisurely as if flickering the flame that lay deep in his eyes.

“About my true feelings. About what I really want. About what I really desire. Why did I choose that person? It’s been stuck in the back of my mind for a long time.”

It seems like he’s answering my question, but in fact, his words seem to be directed towards himself.

And behind those eyes is my childhood friend.

Silently, Ai’s heart blazes.

“…So you got your answer?”

“Yes. It’s okay. Now I finally understand…. Then I’ll get going now.”

“Yea-yeah… Take care. See you tomorrow at the welcome party…”

Ai, hinting at an extraordinary determination, walked without hesitation and disappeared into the dressing room.

“Haha… Looks like we weren’t the only ones here, after all.”

“Yeah… You’re right…”

Shin and I looked at each other, wryly smiling in amazement.