Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 60: "Mmm..~~."

“Mmm..~~.”

Sagiri led me to a space at the top of the stairs, not the faculty room, but a small area before the door to the rooftop.

As she finally let go of my tie that she had been pulling, granting me freedom, I knew exactly what we would do next.

“You…!”

“Hm?”

“What…?”

All the questions that came to my mind about what had just happened in the classroom were instantly drowned out by Sagiri’s smile.

In the dim space before the heavy door that remained closed, she approached me with outstretched arms, her smile shining like the sun. Against the cold wall, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would be cornered. 

Sagiri stood before me, her hands behind her back.

“Mm…”

Looking up at me, lips slightly parted, and eyes closed. I knew what she wanted by her expression. But my mind was filled with questions.

“Mmm…~”

For now, I decided to go with the flow and kissed her first. Her lips in the morning were moist and soft… Wait, no!

“What’s wrong with you!?”

“What do you mean?”

Despite the kiss, my thoughts remained unchanged, so I decided to ask the most important question. But Sagiri just stood there, looking at me with a puzzled expression, still holding onto my shoulders. Suppressing the urge to focus on those lips that had just been against mine moments ago, I continued speaking.

“You… hugging me in the classroom… You never did that before, did you?”

Since we started kissing, Sagiri had been showering me with affection, but only when we were alone. There was a clear boundary—we never did anything like that in places where others could see us, like the classroom or club room.

“Did you not like it?”

“I-it’s not that, but… What about you?”

Straightforward.

“I didn’t mind at all! Because I’m with you, Renji!”

“R-Right…”

That was too straightforward. I couldn’t say anything more. It might just be my bad habit to feel happy when she says things like that.

But… I mean, who wouldn’t be happy to hear that?

“But… Did we really need to sneak out of the classroom?”

“Mmm…~~~”

Before I could say anything else, our lips met again.

The chime of the bell echoed through the dim space. Amidst that sound, our lips slowly parted.

“…Because with this face, I don’t want to show it to anyone.”

I couldn’t tell if she was referring to my face or her flushed one.

But from the start, I was defeated. With a face like that, saying something like that, there was nothing I could do but forgive her.

I, too, thought that I didn’t want to show that face to anyone else.

***

After dashing back to the classroom amid the chime, we went through the homeroom before classes began.

It was a morning class held just before summer vacation, and during that short time, there was no gossip or questioning from my rumor-loving classmates about what just happened…

The reason? Well, it’s because Sagiri wouldn’t leave my side.

“Hey, Renji, I forgot my textbook, can I share your desk?”

“…Sure, but that’s unusual.”

“Yeah! I forgot everything for today!”

“Everything!?”

Even during homeroom.

“Hey, Renji, what do you think would happen if we held hands under the desk?”

“W-Well…I wouldn’t be able to write in my notebook properly, I’m right-handed, so…”

“I’ll write for you?”

“T-Then, is it okay?”

Even during class.

“Hey, Renji, where are you going?”

“Huh? Uh, just… to the bathroom…”

“Then I’ll come too! We’re best friends, after all!”

“You’re coming with me!?”

“Just to the entrance!”

“I-I-i guess, f-fine, then…?”

Even during break time, it was the same.

With my heart still racing, before I knew it, it was already after school. I took a deep breath in the cramped clubroom and then…

“What’s up with her!?”

“I have no idea, but it seems tough, Akahori.”

I vented my frustrations.

In the farthest corner of the special classroom building’s first floor, was the former storage room. It was the clubroom of “Selfhood Research Club,” where Hasegawa and I were.

It was just the two of us guys after a long time. Sagiri and Yuzuru were on cleaning duty, so it was a rare chance for us to nurture our friendship without any worries.

“…Finally free, but isn’t Sagiri acting strange today?”

“Well, you’re not exactly normal either.”

“…”

A  friendship seemed to be on the brink of collapse already.