I’m Gonna Live with You Not Because My Parents Left Me Their Debt But Because I Like You - Chapter 186 Tanabata SS: The Case of Ai Nikaido

There exists no day of the year more fateful than July 7th, in my opinion – Nikaido Ai. 

On the same day last year, I slipped up and told Yoshizumi, who was sitting next to me, about this, and he looked at me suspiciously and said something like this.

‘What’s wrong with you all of a sudden, Nikaido? Do you have a fever?’

He was so rude. I too had a girl’s heart, right?

‘Think about it, Yoshizumi. Tanabata is the only day of the year when Orihime and Hikoboshi were allowed to meet? Don’t you think that there is no more fateful day than this? They thought about each other, feeling sad that they couldn’t see each other for 364 days. Wasn’t July 7th the most precious day of the year?’

‘I like Nikaido’s way of thinking.’

When I told him the reason, he smiled kindly. As proof, his cheeks were slightly flushed. Incidentally, after I finished, I felt so embarrassed that I couldn’t look at Yoshizumi’s face for a while.

“Eh, Ai-chan. Are you okay?”

As I was indulging in a bit of reminiscing about the past, my friend Akiho sitting in front of me asked me in a concerned voice.

“Eh, it’s nothing, but why?”

“Really? I mean, it’s hard to say that there’s nothing going on when you’ve got a difficult look on your face with wrinkles between your eyebrows and then all of a sudden your cheeks relax and you turn into a smiling face?”

Akiho said with a cheek swab and a nasty smile on her face. I touched my cheek to make sure it wasn’t true. It was weird, it felt like it was burning?

“That look on your face, maybe you weren’t thinking about Yoshi, were you? … … Ai-chan is really easy to understand.”

“No, it’s not. It’s just Akiho’s imagination.”

“If you’re so pissed off, you must be right? Speaking of which, today is Tanabata, isn’t it? ah, I believe there’s a strip of paper at the entrance to this shopping mall, so why don’t we go there now?”

I forgot to mention that Akiho and I were currently at a shopping mall where we often visit with Yoshizumi and Hitotsuba-san. Today was the weekend, and the place was crowded with many families.

By the way, there were only two of us here, me and Akiho. Originally, I was thinking of going to see a movie by myself, but then Akiho invited me to go see her summer clothes. Incidentally, Akiho’s boyfriends, Higurashi and Yoshizumi, were away for club activities. Hitotsuba-san had some business she couldn’t miss.

“Since it’s Kaede, she’s probably preparing for the post-final exams? She had said that before.”

“… Yoshizumi’s grades were improving because she was getting a reward from Hitotsuba-san”

I didn’t think it was for such impure reasons. I failed to see it, Yoshizumi. I said to the boy sitting next to me, who wasn’t there, in my mind. But I guess it was understandable, because who wouldn’t do their best when the person they love says, “I’ll reward you for your hard work”.

If Yoshizumi said to me, “If you work hard, I’ll give you a reward.”

“It doesn’t matter who you’re up against, you can’t lose, right? Just like at a ball game.”

“… Yeah. That’s right.”

I nodded honestly. The day of the ball game. I had almost lost my mind in the first half of the game, so I selfishly asked Yoshizumi to call me by my name. It was just that, but it was more than enough reward for me. I wish I could have gotten a pat on the head as a reward for winning, but I didn’t have the courage to say that much.

“I love that kind of maiden-like quality in you, Ai-chan. You’re more of a princess than a prince, aren’t you?”

“I’m not a princess, I’m not a princess.”

“That’s not true, okay? Ai-chan is a princess enough. That’s why she’s the most pure and innocent of us all.”

“… That’s kind of a compliment or a put-down, isn’t it?”

“No, no, no. Kaede is definitely a princess, but she’s also a carnivore, you know? I’m sure she’s got something outrageous in store for you this time? Someday, the present will be me! I’m on the lookout for that.”

No, no, no, Akiho. I didn’t think even Hitotsuba-san, who loved Yoshizumi, would go that far? I think the most she would do would be to wear a slightly risqué outfit, like a sweater that kills virgins? Even so, I think you were being very aggressive.

“Aah, it’s possible! Or maybe he’s preparing a bubble bath and suggesting that we take it together!”

If Hitotsuba-san heard me talking like this, she would say, “I would never do such a shameful thing!”

I’m going to get angry with my bright red face.

“That’s it, isn’t it. Maybe it’s time for Ai-chan to go on the offensive when the summer season really starts. Maybe we should all go to the pool together during summer vacation? Do you want to show off your swimsuit to Yoshi?”

“I don’t want to go to the pool with everyone because it’s kind of embarrassing. Why don’t we at least have a summer festival? There are going to be fireworks, so why don’t we all go see them?”

“Oh, great! Then I’ll have to wear a yukata! I’m really looking forward to summer vacation now!”

After this, we had a lot of fun talking about how we were going to spend our summer vacation.

On the way home, Akiho insisted on writing and decorating a strip of paper, so I reluctantly decided to write a wish with her.

I have only one wish.

“Please have the courage to tell me how you feel about me.”

It was the only day of the year when Hikoboshi and Orihime were allowed to meet. Two star gods having a wonderful day. Please lend your strength to my cowardice.