Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 48: "Whaat!?"

“Whaat!?”

In my opinion, my childhood friend Sagiri may wear the mask of the school’s top beauty, but in reality, she has a very troublesome personality.

Of course, I can say that because I’ve spent so much time with her. If some stranger were to boast about it, I’d be inclined to dropkick them immediately followed by a headlock.

But back to the point, how should we progress from this relationship where kissing has become a natural thing?

“…So, that’s the situation.”

“Um, why am I being bombarded with lovey-dovey talk first thing in the morning?”

“Because you’re sitting in front of me, Kusakabe.”

“P-Please don’t say that as if we’re comrades!”

On Tuesday morning, in the classroom, I was consulting with Kusakabe, the girl with her eyes covered, whom I hadn’t seen since yesterday.

In the sparsely populated classroom and with Kusakabe’s naturally soft-spoken voice, it was unlikely that our conversation would be overheard. She’s the only one who knows the secret of Sagiri and me, making her the perfect confidante.

“So, you were doing that after saying goodbye yesterday…”

With her unique way of speaking, Kusakabe put her hand to her mouth and tilted her head, as if she were a detective solving a mystery.

It was difficult to tell what she was thinking with half of her face hidden behind her long bangs, unlike Sagiri, who was more straightforward.

“Why aren’t you two dating after doing all that?”

“…That’s what I want to know.”

Looking back, that question and that response were essentially a confession.

But was it just liking and loving as friends, or did Sagiri want things to stay the same? I might have just accepted that straightforwardly, but at that moment, I was just caught up in kissing her.

“Um, I quite enjoy hearing about the lecherous desires of my comrades, but as a friend I can say that it’s a bit weird…”

I tried to say something to Kusakabe, who was grinning at the corner of her mouth, but I couldn’t bring myself to. If I said anything, I’d probably end up getting injured or burned.

“Well, I’m curious about not being able to breathe properly from kissing too much.”

Kusakabe had clearly shown growth since our conversation yesterday, but this kind of talk didn’t seem appropriate for a morning classroom conversation.

“Choking and kissing are both expressions of love, you know… hehehe…”

“You’re drooling, you know!?”

“Whaat!?”

Kusakabe let out a unique scream after her distinctive laughter and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Well, well, Comrade, truly remarkable… After getting into choking, you’re now a saliva hunter?”

It’s just like Kusakabe to come up with a teasing nickname without any hint of embarrassment.

“Your repertoire is quite something.”

“Hehehe…”

My sarcasm didn’t seem to get through. It turns out Kusakabe is a similar type of person to Sagiri.

“But stealing someone else’s saliva is a crime, you know?”

“I appreciate the serious advice, but you’ve got it all wrong from the start.”

“Um, well, I mean, your saliva…”

“Stop trying to get my saliva out!.”

“But you… tried to put your tongue in, right?”

“…………”

“Um, Comrade…?”

Completely different.

While Sagiri adeptly pierces through vulnerabilities, Kusakabe is the type to rub salt in the wound. And she does it unconsciously, thinking it’s nothing, unaware of her own inadvertent weapon.

“Maybe she hates me now…”

“W-Why would you think that!? You’ve been doing nothing but gushing all this time!”

“But I was rejected in the end, so…”

“I-If she didn’t like it, she wouldn’t have pursued it afterward!”

“Y-Yeah…? No, you’re right…”

“…Comrade, you can be quite a handful, huh?”

She spat out poison effortlessly.

Well, I guess it can’t be helped.

“How many times do you think I went home, calmed down, and reflected on my actions at that time?”

“Ah, I understand! After I got home yesterday, I was having a self-reflection session wondering if I was being too brazen…”

I couldn’t help but feel a strange sympathy for this unpleasant situation.

I see, so this is what camaraderie feels like.

“Um, is it really okay…?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“W-Well, you’re talking to me so much instead of Yakumo-san… Am I not going to get stabbed suddenly on my way home!?”

“I’m talking to you before Sagirii comes back to discuss something…”

“Oh, by the way, don’t you two usually go to school together…?”

“Well, she’s as capricious as a cat. She was acting like one yesterday.”

“All this lovey-dovey talk happening in the blink of an eye…?”

As I was about to say something, the bell rang.

Before I knew it, it was time for morning homeroom. The classroom was filled with classmates, including Hasegawa and Yuzuru. As I learned yesterday, Kusakabe might have refrained from approaching because she’s intimidated by larger groups. But what’s more concerning is that the person who should be sitting next to me is absent.

“Good morning, everyone. I’ll take attendance now. Yakumo-san notified us that she would be absent due to a cold. Kido-san has recovered, but please be careful as summer colds are going around before the summer break. Now, Akahori-kun.”

“…………”

“Akahori-kun?”

“Ah, yes. Can I leave early to visit her?”

“Yes, of course, you can’t.”

My suggestion was met with a smiling rejection from our homeroom teacher.