Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 8: "Worried, aren't you?"

“Worried, aren’t you?”

“Renji, where’s the next volume of this manga?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s on the desk.”

“Ah, right. Thanks for that.”

“Yeah.”

A peaceful weekend.

“Renji, what’s for lunch today?”

“Hmm, how about yakisoba?”

“Sounds good, it’s summery and hot. Oh, and go easy on the veggies.”

“Don’t be picky. Veggies are good for you.”

“Ugh, stingy.”

“I’m not stingy. Veggies are expensive.”

A tranquil everyday life.

“Renji, Yuzurun will be back at school next week.”

“Oh, really. Hasegawa was feeling lonely, so that’s good.”

“Summer colds are tough. I should be careful too.”

“Well, first, how about you do something about that light clothing?”

“That’s fine; we’re close, aren’t we? Or, does it bother you?”

“…………”

“Renji’s into naughty stuff.”

My childhood friend, dressed lightly, is lounging in my room on a Saturday morning.

Peeking out from the manga she’s reading, she sends a mischievous gaze, occupying my bed. Behind that book, there’s no doubt her mouth is curled into a smile.

The baggy, worn-out white T-shirt is much larger than what Sagiri would normally wear, hiding the navy-blue shorts she wore underneath. The loose fit makes it look like she’s not wearing anything at all. No boy can ignore the long, fair legs that peek out from beneath the shorts.

It can be called sloppy or casual, but the regrettable lack of defenses from the school’s most beautiful girl is displayed perfectly.

It’s extremely irritating to the eyes.

“I-I’m just worried…!”

“Hmm?”

Cheerfully, my childhood friend sprawls out on my bed.

Our relationship is easygoing, built on a long-standing friendship and a lack of reservation. …There’s no way that I’m conscious of this. This is a beautiful girl lying on my bed, looking up, and she’s on her back! 

Her long white hair is spread out on the bed, and her eyes looking up at me seem somewhat seductive, and even though she’s on her back, her large chest is making a statement, and due to the loose T-shirt, it looks like she’s not wearing anything at all!

“Worried, huh?”

“W-Well, of course!”

“Worried, aren’t you…?”

“Well, obviously!”

She used to be frail in the past, although now she has grown up healthy… perhaps a bit too much. It’s natural to worry about a childhood friend who used to be delicate. Yes, it’s only natural. There’s absolutely no ulterior motive behind it.

“You’re worried, huh?”

“Yeah… How many times are you going to make me say it!”

“Hmm, maybe a thousand times?”

“The sun’s going down!”

So, if I don’t pay attention, it will just be another one of our usual meaningless exchanges. Sagiri teases me, and I respond.

Such heart-pounding gestures are lurking all over our everyday life. No, it’s more accurate to say that they have been lurking.

My consciousness has unequivocally been rewritten by my childhood friend, who is exposing this defenseless sleeping figure.

“Then how about curry for dinner today?”

“Are you planning to eat until night?”

“Today, at my place… no one’s around.”

“Don’t use cryptic lines for dinner.”

Yes, it’s been like this for a long time. Always like this. I should just be aware of it.

“You got a little excited, huh?”

“…It depends on the situation.”

“You’re quite the romantic, Renji.”

“…Shut up.”

She laughs teasingly, still lying on her back. I wonder where I should look. The difficulty in finding a place to look is precisely this, and my thoughts are constantly in disarray.

“Renji, do you like romantic situations?”

“Don’t think about that.”

“But your embarrassed face is so cute.”

Being aware of her, she starts to say such things nonchalantly. My heart won’t stop pounding.

“Hmm, the romantic side of Renji that only I know…”

It was probably because he was distracted by her.

Before I realized it, it was already too late, and it felt like some kind of switch had… flipped.

“…Ah.”

Sagiri’s slightly open mouth closed tightly.

“Hey, my best friend.”

Since the other day, I have been forcefully made aware of it, and there it was, the new appearance of my childhood friend.

“Isn’t this room cold?”

A provocative gaze is directed at me.

“T-That’s why I said you’re dressed too lightly! Seriously, can’t you just turn off the air conditioner?”

However, I am not the same as before, constantly being toyed with like Sagiri. I’ve grown too. As if avoiding that gaze, I reach for the remote control.

I shouldn’t lose to such a simple temptation that can be solved with just this.

“…Warm me up.”

With just that single phrase, everything was overturned.

“Come over here.”

My childhood friend, who had turned over in bed, pats my bed lightly.

“At this rate, you’ll catch a cold, you know.”

The most beautiful girl in the school laughs.

“Worried about me, are you?”

Like asking, just come over here already.

“Hey, best friend?”

What should I do, what should I do…!?