I'm in a Messed Up Situation that I Couldn't Care More. - Chapter 53 [Aoi] Lovers Play

Chapter 53: [Aoi] Lovers Play

“Aoi……”

In the dojo late at night, just the two of us.

Koichi stared at me.

He looked anxious, and his eyes were red, as if he had been crying for a while now.

Leaving just the two of us alone like this…

What were Yamaguchi-senpai and Matsui thinking?

Koichi looked like he was about to start crying.

“Koichi! Don’t make that face!”

I shouted at him.

“It’s not decided yet that I’ll disappear.”

“……if you were to disappear, Aoi, I… I can’t bear it. I can’t take it.”

“Don’t say stupid things! It’ll be fine!”

I slapped his back hard.

“Ouch. …It’s the usual Aoi. I’d be happy if you hit me more though…”

I slapped his back and stomach.

Koichi’s body was protected by thick muscles.

Even if I hit him with my strength, he probably wouldn’t feel much pain.

But Koichi made a happy face when I slapped him.

“You can hit me more.”

“You’re a pervert. 

The fake Aoi is more sadistic, so maybe it would’ve been better if you had been taken by her.”

When I said that,

“That’s not true! I hate her.

She looks just like you, but she’s different on the inside. I can tell.”

Koichi said this firmly with a strong tone.

“Aoi. I don’t want you to disappear.”

Koichi caught my hand that was about to punch his stomach and squeezed it tightly.

“I won’t disappear, so rest assured…. Let go of my hand.”

I was actually very scared.

I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to disappear. I’m afraid.

But if I said that in front of Koichi…

He would surely be even more sad.

Right now, all I can do was to put on a strong front.

That’s what I thought.

“24 hours…. If 24 hours pass like this, then it’s your win, right, Aoi?

Then the fake Aoi will disappear, right?”

“That’s how it’ll be.”

“Then, for the next 24 hours, I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“You idiot. Even if you watch me, it doesn’t mean I won’t disappear.”

“It’s fine. I just want to be with you.”

Koichi didn’t let go of my hand.

“Yuuka said that you like me too, Aoi.”

Koichi stared into my eyes, still holding my hand tightly.

When Koichi looks straight at me, my heart starts pounding and my thoughts become scattered.

My face felt hot so I looked down.

I wonder if Koichi’s heart is pounding too.

Koichi always says that he likes me, that I’m important to him.

But why does he say it with a calm face and a serious expression?

If you like someone, shouldn’t you be nervous?

I always feel like I’m the only one who’s nervous when we’re together!

“Ah…… That was Yamaguchi-senpai’s misunderstanding.

She was confused because he had been confined for a long time.”

I unintentionally said something like that out of embarrassment.

The truth is…

The truth is, I like Koichi so much.

“Eh…… Is that so… What……?”

Koichi pouted and looked at me sulkily.

Cute.

He made a face that made me want to tease him.

——————–

I changed out of my training uniform and into regular clothes.

Even while I was changing, 

“Aoi!? Are you there!?”

Koichi kept shouting that towards the changing room over and over.

After I finished changing, we left the university and walked down the night street.

The trains and buses had already stopped running by then.

Koichi still held my hand tightly.

Silence prevailed for a while.

“Aoi. Is it a nuisance for me to be with you?”

Suddenly, Koichi said something like that.

“After all, you don’t like me, right?

In that case, you’d rather be with Yuuka or Matsui-san.

Or your parents, or someone else who’s more important to you.”

What an idiot.

You really are an idiot, Koichi.

Don’t you understand that I risked my life to protect you?

Do you really not understand?

Even though Koichi is more important to me than anyone else.

If my life were to end in the next 24 hours.

The one I would want to spend that time with is you.

There is no one else but Kouichi.

But I was too embarrassed to say that.

“My parents are indifferent to me, as I said before,

……so it’s fine……”

“You mean it’s okay for me to be with you?”

Koichi asked further.

“I… I also want to fall in love one last time…”

I unintentionally said what I had been thinking.

“Eh? Love…?”

Koichi leaned in to look at my face.

“Damn it! Nevermind. Forget what I just said.”

“No! Tell me properly. What do you mean by wanting to fall in love?”

Koichi stopped walking and grabbed my shoulders.

My heart starts pounding again, and I can’t look him in the eye.

“That’s why! I’m the same as Yamaguchi-senpai.

If my life is going to end soon, I thought I wanted to fall in love first too.”

“Love…?”

Koichi tilted his head and looked into my eyes.

“That’s right! Since there doesn’t seem to be anyone else but you, I have no choice!

For the next 24 hours… or maybe just a few hours.

I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend!”

I think my face turned bright red.

But it’s the middle of the night and dark, so he probably didn’t notice.

I wanted to spend time with Koichi.

But I was too embarrassed to be honest,

That’s why, in a panic, I said something like that.

Koichi fell silent after hearing my words.

“Koichi, if you don’t like it, then forget it! I’ll just go home!”

I shouted in a panic.

“How could I not like it? I’ll be your boyfriend. Even if it’s just for a short time, I won’t leave you.”

Koichi said, then hugged me tightly.

Being hugged by him, I felt warm, strong, and reassured.