Chapter 4

People sometimes have an inner side that they don’t reveal in their daily lives.  

A familiar example would be when someone described as “such an honest person” on the news is found to have committed a crime.  

This hidden inner self could consist of curiosity, weakness, inferiority complexes, pride, or stress.  

Under certain conditions, these elements may be stimulated and grow, eventually manifesting in behavior.  

That was something I once thought about.  

Like now, when I remember how I lose my composure on her bed.  

At this time in the evening, there’s no one else at her house.  

Having come here many times before, Satoru understands that well.  

“…Ah.”  

The curtains are drawn, and the dim room is unlit.  

A sliver of the evening sunlight slips through a gap in the curtains.  

“Fufu. Your mouth says you don’t want it, but once you’re here, you still seek me out properly.”  

“…Don’t say it out loud.”  

“You’re such a spoiled boy, aren’t you?”  

“Right now, I’m in an extremely calm state, so I’m painfully aware of how embarrassing that is…”  

The state Satoru is experiencing now is one that most men biologically go through.  

And there are few moments as agonizing as recalling one’s actions from just moments ago during this time.  

“Have you been struggling with anything lately?”  

“…Not particularly.”  

“I see. That’s good, then.”  

Saying that, she gently embraces Satoru and begins softly stroking his head.  

Her touch is so comforting that Satoru instinctively closes his eyes.  

“You’re scarily kind at times like this.”  

“Oh? I always consider myself merciful, though?”  

“Don’t make fun of me. Most of the time, you’re just messing with me.”  

“That might be true, but doesn’t that show how much I love you?”  

“But that doesn’t really have anything to do with kindness, does it?”  

“Fufu, that’s true. I suppose I’ll have to admit defeat on this one?”  

During this time, both Satoru and Reika seem to take on different personalities.  

Or rather, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that this is when they reveal the parts of themselves they usually keep hidden.  

“…I’ll say this upfront—this isn’t really the time to bring it up. It’s not exactly a hardship, but something a little troublesome has come up.”  

“What is it?”  

“You know Amamiya from another class, right? Seems like she’s taken an interest in me.”  

“Fufu. This really is the worst possible topic to bring up right now. Talking about another girl right after being with your beloved girlfriend?”  

“Ugh, I know it’s bad… But I figured keeping quiet about it would be even worse.”  

“You’re right. I’ve heard about her before. She’s popular with the boys, isn’t she?”  

“I don’t know if she’s actually interested in me. It could just be that she’s interested in someone I know—like Seiya—and is gathering information. But… she did ask if she could get my contact info from him…..”  

Reika’s face is so close to his that their breaths nearly touch, and considering their current situation, he knows full well this is the absolute worst time to bring it up.  

But… this is the only time he can talk honestly about things like this. 

Once they were out in public, they would return to their usual selves, making meaningful conversations few and far between.  

“I see. So, you wanted advice frome me on what to do?”  

“…Yeah.”  

For some reason, an emotion very similar to guilt welled up inside him. Unable to contain it, he buried his face in her body and gave a small nod.  

He realized, once again, just how much of a “spoiled boy” he was. That thought pulled him back toward the negative emotions from earlier, making him feel even more frustrated with himself.  

“Hey, can you look at me?”  

Reika gently cupped Satoru’s cheeks with both hands, lifting his face until their eyes met.  

“As far as I’m concerned, I have nothing to worry about. In other words, I haven’t lost any trust in you. If anything, looking at you right now only makes it clearer how much you’ve been dyed in my colors.”  

“…”  

“Even if you hadn’t asked me, you were planning to handle things in a way that wouldn’t cause unnecessary trouble, right?”  

“Well, yeah…”  

“That’s fine, then. Of course, part of the reason you want to avoid her is probably because she seems a bit easy and not your type to begin with. But more than that, it’s because I’m here, isn’t it?”  

Her perfectly composed face was now adorned with an even gentler smile than usual.  

“And besides… you said it was a topic you shouldn’t bring up, but the fact that you still told me shows that I can trust you.”  

“Hearing you say that helps. Though, I’m not exactly thrilled with the way you phrased it—being ‘dyed in your colors’ and all.”  

“Oh, call it what you like, but you’re already dyed. That’s why you should just do what you think is best.”  

Even though she was expressing her trust in him, her words sounded almost as if she was declaring control over him.  

He couldn’t deny that she had him wrapped around her finger—but even so, he refused to believe he was at the stage of being completely under her control.  

“…In that case, why don’t I take a little more time to dye you further? Looks like you’ve gotten some energy back, after all.”  

“This was supposed to only be an hour…”  

“Oh? Are you really planning to stop in that state? If you insist, I won’t stop you.”  

“Ugh…”  

A moment ago, she had been unusually gentle, but now she was back to her usual teasing self.  

Being provoked this much, there was no way he could back down.  

“Now, come. Let yourself be dyed by me, my spoiled boy.”  

And so, their time together continued once more.

(TL: I really dig her personality, what do you guys think?)