Bizarre Love Triangle - Chapter 3.4
[…Are you okay?]
When I get anxious and look at her… I feel like Akiha’s face has turned very pale.
Her originally whitish skin was tinged with a bluish-like tint.
Her facial expressions seemed like she was tired, her gait seemed heavy and there seemed to be something she’s bearing under her eyes.
[Are you feeling unwell? If that’s the case, don’t strain yourself too much.]
[……No, I’m all right.]
Akiha shook her small neck after saying that.
[I’m just a little sleep deprived, that’s all. I’m sorry for making you worry…]
I wonder if it was maybe due to Haruka being in a bit too high spirits last night that made her unable to sleep properly?
Well, considering the tension we’ve been experiencing, I’d say it’s understandable.
If that’s the case, I shouldn’t be overly concerned about her condition anymore.
Changing my anxious mind, I held my phone up to the reader of the automatic ticket gate.
After changing trains at Shimbashi and Kanda, we boarded the Yurikamome train.
Whilst dodging the high spirited Sudo’s questions, we passed over the rainbow bridge and arrived at Odaiba.
The first stop was the Venus Fort.
[Oh, this dress definitely looks good in autumn!]
[Really? Isn’t it a little too mature?]
Immediately, the two women went on a shopping spree.
Sudo happily dragged Akiha around, and Akiha followed her, unsure but still not entirely concerned either.
As I didn’t know much about clothing, I just watched them from a distance. It was impossible for me to imitate Shuji who is always picking up bags and giving his opinion from time to time.
…Be that as it may,
[What are you saying! It’s because Akiha is a sombre type of beauty so that much is okay to wear, you know!!]
[Is that so?]
I was watching Akiha choose her own clothes. Just watching her sometimes trying them on her body is pretty fun in its own way…
[Then… I’ll try them on.]
[Yeah, yeah, go ahead.]
With Sudo’s back to her, Akiha headed towards the fitting area.
Taking off her shoes, she entered a small changing room and closed the curtains.
As I was watching her without knowing why,
[Fufufu….]
Sudo abruptly crept near me and started laughing meaningfully.
[Akiha is currently undressing behind that curtain, you know….]
[…You know]
Reflexively, I shouted loudly.
[Are you a perverted old man! Don’t you have any sense of delicacy!]
I was thinking the same thing she was before she said it though…
I felt embarrassed and frustrated, as if someone was peeking inside my head.
[Err, but that’s the truth, isn’t it? After removing her coat and dress, I’m sure she must be in her underwear inside. And you know what? Akiha looks like that but her boobs are splendidly big.]
[Like I said! You don’t need to say that! Give me a break, will you?]
Of course, even I was aware of that myself.
Although the overall impression that Akiha gives off is of a thin & slender-like beauty, I was surprised more than just a few times at the volume of her chest whenever she wears her gym or even just some slender-like plain clothes.
However, I felt that it would be too dishonest of me to be too conscious of Akiha.
I also felt like I was betraying Haruka in a way.
I’m trying hard not to look at her with such eyes as much as possible.
[…You know, Yano]
Suddenly Sudo’s expression slackened.
A slightly maturish smile appeared on her young but well groomed face.
[From a bystander’s view, I feel like you are awfully careful about Akiha…]
[Careful…?]
At an unexpected serious point coming from her, I repeated those words.
[Yeah. It’s like you don’t want to go too far or you don’t want to hurt her in any way. It feels like you’re being a bit over cautious…]
[Hmm…. Ah….]
It’s true that I may be doing such a thing.
It’s one thing for her to try to keep her distance from the people around her, but at the same time, I’m definitely trying not to step into her boundaries too much myself.
[Because of her personality, I can understand why Akiha wants to do so. But you know, she’s also a normal 16 year old girl… And she seems to trust Yano-kun quite a lot.]
[…Oh, really?]
[Yes, I do. Don’t you feel that from Akiha’s attitude?]
[That’s, well… I have]
Certainly, sometimes Akiha has that sort of attitude towards me.
Like ‘I’m glad that it was Yano-kun’ or ‘If it’s Yano-kun, I don’t mind.’
If I understand her words superficially, it would mean that she trusts me a lot.
But I’m not very confident in that regard.
Will Akiha, whose personality is like this, trust others so easily?
Isn’t it just a mixture of my wishful thinking and unrequited love?
[And besides…]
Sudo continued as I was thinking.
[In yesterday’s PE class, we were talking about Yano-kun. She even said that she was really glad he was there…] (T/N : just in case if they don’t know, PE – physical education)
[…Seriously?]
[I’m seriously serious. She said “I was worried about transferring to a new school, I feel like I am doing well now, thanks to him.”]
For a moment, I thought, isn’t it something that Haruka might have said? But then I thought back… yes.
I’m sure the personality at the time of PE was definitely Akiha.
[Seriously, is that right?]
So… maybe I should be a little more confident.
I was careful not to get too close but maybe it might be a good idea to shorten the distance a little bit.
[The first thing to do is to be a little more casual. It’s okay to glance at her breasts or have lewd fantasies about her because she’s the girl you like.]
[No, like I said, don’t say such things!]
[You don’t have to be so mad! That much is normal for a highschool boy, normal!]
[That might be so but don’t say that deliberately! This is a public place…]
[…that’s a serious story]
Abruptly, the tone of Sudo’s voice dropped, and she looked up at me without smiling.
[We are already at…”that age”]
[What do you mean by “that age”?]
[At 16 years old, we are neither adults nor children. When that happens, it’s not like “Yay! We became lovers! What a happy ending!” Or “We promptly kissed” in love either]
[That may be true…]
I couldn’t help but look at her once more.
Sudo may seem like a cheerful person but sometimes she shows some keen thoughts about human relationships. That’s the kind of vivid thinking that makes me afraid of her.
That’s why I’m sure this story isn’t a joke or something said without any consideration to me.
[It’s natural to go beyond that, and that might hurt or maybe something else will happen. The relationship will probably be much more complicated than it ever could have been before. So, don’t deny those feelings or make fun of them lightly…]
Thereupon, Sudo finally smiled slightly.
[I think it’s better to think about it and come to terms with it on your own.]
[Yeah, right…]
Maybe she’s right.
Our love is no longer like a cheesy love story.
It’s possible to betray, cheat, and even lie about things sometimes.
If that’s the case, maybe we should not only suppress our feelings, but also think of ways to understand and deal with them.
[Thank you. I will keep that in mind.]
[Yeah. Anyway, you have to pay four thousand yen for Sudo-sensei’s romance course.]
[That’s too expensive for such a short course!]
Just like that, we returned to our usual arguments,
[What’s so expensive about it!! It’s much cheaper than a prep school!]
[Why is the standard for your prices a prep school! You think you are a popular lecturer or something?]
….Suddenly, I felt ashamed of myself.
Sudo gave me advice by seriously thinking about me and my feelings.
However, I have been creating a character and treating her like a lie all this while.
This relationship has been going on for a long time now, and it’s becoming the norm, but. ….The truth is, this is very dishonest of me, isn’t it?
It’s no different than just lying to someone all the time, isn’t it?
[Isn’t it obvious that I’m a popular lecturer! I’m sure that if there’s such a beautiful lecturer present out there, she will be in high demand for many commercials!]
[That’s the kind of commercial that gets people talking! It’s a pattern that will start appearing in variety shows at this rate!]
Shall we stop it now?
Shall I stop making a character in front of her?
Thinking about it… it’s not like Sudo will change the way she interacts with me in any way if she knows about my true self.
If you take the first step, you’ll be able to get by, don’t you think?
[That’s right! That’s why I want to think about monetization as soon as possible, so when should I start? Now th—–]
[——–Hey, Sudo]
I called out her name in the middle of her rant.
[….Hmm? What is it?]
I’m not sure if she sensed something from my expression, but she nodded her head without a trace of displeasure present in her eyes.
Those eyes were like a small animal gazing at me.
A cheerful and small face that I’m used to seeing everyday.
….It’s all right.
Once again, I think so.
If it’s her, I’m sure that she will come to grips with my true feelings, that’s why just as I opened my mouth timidly…. At that moment.