Chapter 15

“Hey.”  

“What?”  

“I can’t concentrate at all.”  

I can only think of this as harassment.  

Even I’m not bold enough to concentrate on studying in this situation.  

Yuki grinned, the corners of her mouth lifting.  

“Oh? Are you nervous being alone with such a beautiful older girl?”  

“It’s annoying when you keep staring at me.”  

“Isn’t that a bit too blunt? …Hey, you said you don’t have a girlfriend earlier, so that means… are you a virgin, Naito-kun?”  

I burst out laughing at the unexpected question.  

When I wiped my mouth and looked back at her, Yuki was waiting for my answer with an innocent, childlike expression.  

“I’ll make it clear, I’m not a virgin.”  

“Oh? Really?”  

“I graduated in middle school with Tenga-san. A few of my friends said they graduated with her too.”  

“…What’s that? Were you being toyed with by that person?”  

“We didn’t really match, so I threw her away after one use.”  

“That’s… the worst.”  

Yuki’s expression toward me becomes more and more severe. What was meant as a joke now seems hard to backtrack from, so I revealed the truth.  

“Do you want to see? A picture. Look.”  

I searched on my phone and displayed the image of the item.  

When I handed her the phone to show her the screen, Yuki blinked in surprise.  

“What is this?”  

“Well, you know, Tenga-san?”  

Yuki quickly pulled her hand away. The phone dropped onto the carpet and bounced.  

“What are you doing?”  

I picked up the phone and glared at her. A sharp gaze was returned.  

“Uh, well… sorry about that.”  

I felt a sense of danger. I quickly apologized.  

It’s a bit hypocritical for me to be so strict with others’ dirty jokes when I do it myself.  

“By the way, do you understand what it is just from looking at it?”  

“Shut up.”  

She told me to shut up. It seems like it’s better to drop this topic now.  

I shifted my gaze back to the textbook on the table. Yuki was silent for a while, but then…  

“Well, still, for the first time… isn’t it better for both people to be beginners?”  

She leaned in, speaking in a teasing tone, as if she was getting back at me. I wonder what she means by that.  

Deciding to ignore it, I kept my focus on the table, but Yuki pulled back, letting out a sigh.  

“Sigh. I guess I’m just bothering you, so maybe I’ll go home.”  

“Goodbye. Take care.”  

I just raised my hand to wave. It’s still light outside, so she should be able to go home on her own. I’d been worried it would drag on and I’d have to see her off, so I was relieved.  

…But even though I thought that, Yuki showed no signs of leaving.  

“Hey.”  

When I turned around, she was staring at me with a face that seemed like she wanted to say something.  

Yuki had somehow sat in a formal kneeling position on the cushion. She didn’t seem to be joking anymore. The serious atmosphere she suddenly gave off made me feel uneasy.

“…What is it?”  

“Well… I’ve been helped with a lot of things, but in the end, I never properly thanked you…”  

She said, her eyes wandering and her tone hesitant.  

“So… you know?”  

Yuki leaned forward, placing her hands on the ground. She looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes.  

The collar of her shirt is slightly lifted by the weight of her chest, revealing her collarbone. The gentle curve, when seen up close, has more volume than expected. I lifted my gaze, which had started to lower, and asked again.  

“Know what? What do you mean?”  

“Are you making me say it? You should know.”  

Yuki said in a low tone, almost whispering.  

“Come on, hurry up.”  

Without fully understanding what’s happening, my hand was taken.  

Yuki forcefully pulled my arm towards her, bringing it closer to herself.  

I let it happen, and my palm lands on the roundness on top of her head.  

“…What’s this about?”  

“Well, I gave you the right to pat my head as a reward, right?”  

She says it so matter-of-factly, and I’m left taken aback.  

Still, I figure it’s better than things going in a weirder direction, so I patted her hair with my palm. Well, it’s already weird enough, but…  

Yuki slightly tilted her face upwards and closed her eyes just a bit. After making a pleased sound, she opened her mouth.  

“Say that Yuki is a good girl.”  

“Why?”  

“Say it.”  

She opened her eyes and gave me an intense look.  

It seems like it won’t end until I say it. Since it’s a hassle, I decided it’s better to just go along with it.  

“Yuki is a good girl.”  

“Yuki is cute.”  

“Yuki is cute.”  

“Yuki is a genius.”  

“Yuki is a genius.”  

“I’m in love with Yuki. I’ll do whatever you say from now on.”  

“What are you saying?”  

I pulled my hand from her head and poked her forehead. If it weren’t for that, I might have ended up repeating something even stranger.  

“Ahh,” she said, closing her eyes and leaning back, before sitting back down with her legs folding. She then leaned her shoulder against mine again.  

“I liked it, you know? It felt really good.”  

“Well, thank you.”  

“I’m not joking, I’m serious.”  

“Is that what you call a serious joke?”  

“Then, should I prove it to you?”  

Just as Yuki said that, she suddenly closed the distance between us. Her lips pressed against my cheek for a split second. The sensation was fleeting. When I realized what had happened, Yuki was smiling right in front of me.

[TL: urayamashi…..ugh]