Chapter 23 – …Bugs?

…I should probably contact Mana now to let her know I can’t walk home together today.

The sooner the better.

【Mana, sorry, but I can’t walk home together today. Something urgent came up.】

Thinking that, I sent that message.

【Why? What is it? I’ll help too!】

Then, a reply came at a speed unthinkable for being in class.

…I can’t exactly tell the girl I just went on a date with yesterday that I’m going on a date with another girl.

【It’s something I can do by myself, so I’m fine.】

【I’m asking what it is. Also, even if I don’t need to help, I’ll wait for you anyway.】

Even if she waits, I’ll be on a date with Yui, so I can’t walk home with Mana.

…Or rather, I’m acting exactly like a scumbag trying to hide his cheating from his girlfriend.

That’s not it. Obviously, if I were still in my original world where polygamy wasn’t okay, I wouldn’t be doing this, you know? It’s only because of this world.

And the reason I’m hiding from Mana that I’m going on a date with someone other than her is simply because Mana might be a yandere. For now at least, I’m planning to tell her eventually and get her permission for my relationship with Yui, so it should be fine… probably.

【I can’t tell you what it is yet. Also, you don’t need to wait. I feel bad about it, so I want you to wait at home, Mana. I’ll give you my house key, so let’s hang out when I get back? Our houses are right next to each other, so it’s fine even if it gets a little dark, right?】

While thinking about various things, I typed out that long message and sent it to Mana.

【…Got it.】

Then, after quite a bit of time, right when the bell rang, a reply came back.

Considering her reply speed until now, Mana must have been troubled about various things. Whether to accept it, or force me to tell her what the errand was.

…I’m really glad she chose the former. Seriously.

【But I’m coming to see you now.】

【Ah, okay. Got it. I’ll wait outside the classroom.】

【I’m fine with going inside though?】

If Mana comes into the classroom and asks again what errand I have, Yui might react, so sorry to Mana, but outside is better.

Thinking that, I pretended not to notice Mana’s last message, said a word to Yui, and left the classroom.

At that time, as expected, I got a ton of stares, but whether because they didn’t want me to hate them, no one followed me.

“Yuuto!”

“Mana, been a while since earlier.”

“Y-yeah. But you could’ve waited inside the classroom, you know?”

“I felt like standing. If I’m in the classroom, I have my own chair, so I’d end up sitting no matter what.”

Coming up with a somewhat plausible reason on the spot, I said that.

“I see. …Hey, Yuuto, can I hold your hand?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah. Sure, but why?”

“…There are a lot of bugs around.”

“…Bugs?”

“No, never mind.”

While saying that, Mana happily grasped my hand and squeezed it repeatedly, as if confirming the sensation by tightening and loosening her grip.

…I feel like there was a slightly scary atmosphere, but she’s cute, so whatever.

Chapter 24 – A Little Before the Date

During that break, Mana squeezed my hand and even hugged me, but time passed safely and it became after school.

“Yui, let’s go.”

“Y-yes!”

Wanting to get Yui out of school before Mana found us, I said that early.

Then, for some reason switching to formal speech, she nodded eagerly.

…Well, there’s no doubt she nodded, so let’s hurry up and go.

“By the way, did you decide where we’re going?”

After successfully leaving school, I asked that while holding hands with Yui.

“Huh? Ah, s-sorry. I didn’t think about it.”

“Really? Then let’s figure it out together.”

“I-is that okay?”

From my perspective with knowledge from my original world, leaving everything to the girl makes me feel something indescribable internally, even if I don’t show it on my face, so I’m actually grateful.

Of course it’s okay.

“Of course it’s fine. Figuring out where to go with you sounds fun too, Yui.”

“Y-Yuuto-kun… I-it might be creepy, but is it okay if I hug you?”

And so, while trying to look up places on my phone since I didn’t really know what was around here, Yui said that with her face red all the way to the tips of her ears.

“S-sorry! N-never mind… I-it was a joke, so don’t worry about it, okay?”

Before I could nod, Yui—thinking she’d said something incredibly creepy—turned pale this time and emphasized it was a joke with a forced smile.

“Yui, don’t take it back on your own, okay?”

“Huh?”

“I was just about to hug you, and now you’re telling me it was a joke? I can’t hold back anymore.”

“Huh, ah, aah…”

Saying that deliberately, I hugged Yui. She turned red like before, and whether because she was happy, she hugged me back hard enough that it hurt a little.

I think it must be tough turning red and pale like that, but thanks to Yui’s jirai-kei appearance, even that becomes a gap that makes her look incredibly cute.

…Well, even without makeup, Yui would obviously be a beautiful girl no matter how you look at it.

“There, there. Yui, you’re cute.”

Perhaps because I was thinking that internally, I ended up blurting that out while patting Yui’s head.

…Crap. I just patted her head and called her cute, but is that okay?

I think Yui’s affection for me is quite high, so I think it’s fine in that sense, but would an oblivious person do something like this? …That’s what I’m most worried about.

“Ah, Y-Yuuto-kun…”

…Judging by Yui’s current state, it seems okay.

I can see emotions mixed with happiness and embarrassment showing through, and maybe because of that, it seems fine for now, so whatever.

I’m happy to be touching a beautiful girl like Yui too.

“I love you…”

And so, while hugging Yui and continuing to pat her head, I caught Yui’s voice—small, but definitely saying that.

…That was probably words that slipped out before she realized it, rather than words she meant to say to me, so it should be fine to pretend I didn’t hear it, right?

I’m planning to take responsibility properly, but I think it’s still too early.