I Tried to Verify What Would Happen if I Revealed to My Junior Who Always Mocks Me for Being a Virgin That I Am Actually Experienced - Chapter 4 - Is It true? Senpai!
Chapter 4 – Is It true? Senpai!
“Sorry to keep you waiting. …Well then, let’s go home.”
I was idly gazing at the sky in front of the school gate when Akanami-san, who had just finished changing her clothes, said so casually and started to walk quickly.
“…Yes.”
I responded appropriately and followed her back.
“Anyway, I have to ask, why are you talking to me in a respectful manner?”
“……”
When she said something like that out of the blue, I was at a loss for words. We used to talk more casually in the past, that’s for certain. And we are in the same grade, so there’s no need to talk respectfully.
But…
“You don’t like it when people get too familiar with you, do you?”
“…Yes, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean you have to talk respectfully. It feels weird and I don’t like it. …And quit calling me Akanami-san. Just call me Kyoka like you used to.”
“…If you say so, then I’ll stop.”
“I’d appreciate it if you did. …Well, we don’t really talk like this anymore anyway, so it doesn’t really matter either way.”
The red sunset illuminated Akanami-san’s… Kyoka’s profile. Her face is much more mature than the Kyoka I remember, and I felt a little sad.
“…I’d like to ask you too, why did you ask me to go home with you just now?”
“…Just a whim. I didn’t have any plans after school today.”
“Hmm. Well, okay.”
I really don’t like the situation, but I can’t bring myself to say it to her face. Because it’s probably mutual.
“…Also, just to make sure, is it true that you and Rei-chan…did that? I mean, are you guys still…on good terms?”
“No, it wasn’t Rei. …I’ve hardly spoken to her since then. Just like us two.”
“…I see.”
“……”
“……”
And soon, an awkward silence descended. Neither Kyoka nor I made eye contact, and we just kept walking forward… After all, looking at each other’s faces would surely remind us of bad memories.
“Hey? Naoya.”
Suddenly, Kyoka stopped and looked straight into my face. I knew that her face had become much more mature than before, but there were still traces of her old self in some places and it made my heart ache.
“What?”
But I didn’t show such thoughts on my face and just stared straight back into Kyoka’s eyes.
And Kyoka, she—
“Are you still—”
Then, unexpectedly, as if to interrupt Kyoka’s words, rain came pouring down from the sky.
“Oh, damn it.”
“…Worst timing.”
We then ran to the eaves of a nearby shrine and stared resentfully at the sky. …Of course, that didn’t stop the rain.
“……”
Not necessarily because of that, but I looked at Kyoka who was standing next to me.
Kyoka was soaked in the rain, her shirt was sticking to her skin and her large breasts and the underwear covering them were showing through…
….Hmm. Pink, huh? I stared at it for as long as I could without being noticed, and then slowly let my gaze wander off into the sky.
“Did you just look at my breasts?”
“……”
Apparently, I stared for too long.
“Actually, I like the rain. When you look at it like this, it’s like the sky is reaching out to you, doesn’t it look so beautiful?”
So I tried to play it off.
“…Scum.”
However, Kyoka took no notice of my words and turned her back on me to hide her body. It appears that my attempt to deceive her has failed.
“…Here.”
So, not exactly as an apology, I took a towel out of my bag and draped it over Kyoka’s head.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a towel… Ah, don’t worry, I didn’t use it, okay? I skipped PE today. Anyway… I’ll give this to you. It’s a hassle to have a conversation when you give it back.”
Saying that, I also turned my back on Kyoka.
“…I won’t thank you for this.”
“Sure, I don’t care.”
“……”
“……”
And again, a heavy silence descended… Well, we’re childhood friends who haven’t talked in years, so there’s plenty to talk about if we want to.
But if we talk strangely and become strangely friendly, it will truly become troublesome. We have to be careful to be friendly with each other so that we don’t remember something unpleasant at a moment’s notice and feel awkward.
It’s much easier to just avoid getting involved in the first place than to go through all that trouble.
That’s why we’ve kept our distance for years without talking to each other.
“……”
“……”
That’s why, right now, the only sound that could be heard was the rain.
“…You still have that with you?”
But suddenly, such a voice echoed from my back, mingling with the sound of rain.
“Well, yeah…”
I replied and picked up the keychain attached to my bag.
Keyring in the shape of a blue cherry blossom petal. Legend has it that in this town, in autumn, the cherry blossoms are as clear and blue as the sky, and that when you see them, any wish you make will come true.
This is a cheap key chain based on such a legend.
“……”
And this keychain is filled with very precious memories…
This is proof that us three are always going to be best friends! So you have to wear it forever and ever! It’s a promise!
We made a promise like that long ago.
…However, there is no cherry blossom keychain on the bag of the person who said so.
“I’m sorry, I don’t hang it on my bag.”
Kyoka then looked away somewhat awkwardly.
“It’s fine… Like you said, we’re not kids anymore. You don’t have to keep your old promise strictly… Even Rei’s not wearing it anymore.”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
Maybe it’s because I wear such a thing that I can never forget my old trauma. …But for some reason, I keep this keychain hanging on my bag all the time.
“…Well, it doesn’t matter”
From then on, we just kept silent and stared at the rain. It was a short time, less than half an hour, but for some reason it felt very long.
Then, before I knew it, the rain stopped.
“Well then, I’m just going to run home.”
“Yeah, see you.”
“……”
“What, you’re not going home?”
“……”
Although she said she was leaving, for some reason, Kyoka stopped and looked at me with a grudging look on her face.
“…I don’t know if I’ll ever speak to you again.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“…Seriously, you… No, forget it. …I’ll see you around.”
With that, Kyoka ran off towards her house.
“…Now then, I should get home too. Ah, but first, I have to call that Tenzaki…”
I muttered to myself and took my phone out of my pocket… But before I could make a call, a voice suddenly echoed.
“You’re not the only one keeping the promise, so don’t get all self-righteous!”
Kyoka deliberately came back right in front of me, shouting those words, and then ran off again. As she did, she showed me the blue cherry blossom keychain that was hidden inside her bag.
“…When she does something like that, it’s easy to misunderstand. Maybe Kyoka still likes me—”
—W-Why? Why did you do this…? D-Don’t come closer! Don’t get any closer!!!—
But interrupting my silly thoughts, past traumas flashed back in my mind.
“…Well, there’s no way she likes me. Even if we made promises of marriage back in elementary school, it was just childish talk after all.”
I exhaled heavily and picked up the phone again. And then, I called Tenzaki.
The call took less than a second to get through. And Tenzaki immediately shouted these words after the call connected,
“I knew it, senpai’s first partner was Kuzukane Rei! I heard it right from the person herself!”
“………Huh?”
Tenzaki’s words were completely out of my expectation, so I could only reply with such a stupid comment.