My Sex Friend Is My Childhood Friend? - 3

Chapter 3: Surprisingly Normal, and That’s What Scares Me

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After that, I started messaging with Mahiru.

We talked about movies and anime. Even when it was something she probably didn’t know much about, Mahiru always replied properly. Apparently, she really was a university student. I only graduated high school, so I didn’t really get it, but she told me all kinds of things—about school, her best friends, and more. I also talked about stuff from work, how I ended up registering for the app (of course, after trimming the details), and about my scummy senpai. I shared quite a lot with her.

Even then, Mahiru never seemed put off. She kept replying with cheerful enthusiasm. She was just a normal girl. No—actually, she seemed like a better person than the party-loving university girls I had in mind. At the very least, she didn’t seem nearly as jaded as the girls I’d hooked up with before.

Messaging with her was genuinely fun. Before I knew it, I’d forgotten about my original purpose, and we were chatting day and night. But from time to time, I’d come back to my senses.

But still, this girl agreed to a sex-only relationship. And I’m thinking she’s a “good girl”? Do I have no eyes or something?  Or maybe… Is this that thing? Like what my senpai warned about—some kind of honey trap? What if, when I meet her, some scary guy shows up? Maybe I’ll be forced to buy something, or recruited into some weird religion, or dragged off somewhere…

Worried, I told Mahiru my concerns honestly. She replied right away.

『That’s not the case at all. But I get why you’re worried. I’m outside right now, so it’s a little noisy, but do you want to try talking on the phone?』

Of course, I said yes. Apparently she was at a drinking party and said she’d call me when the timing was right.

While I waited, I got really nervous.

What if it’s a guy’s voice? What if we can’t keep a conversation going once we’re actually talking?

Eventually, the call came in. Crap—my palms were sweaty. My heart was racing. What should I say first?

“Hello, this is… Unagi.”

…Crap. My voice cracked.

From the other side of the line came the sound of a girl bursting into laughter.

「Ahaha! S-Sorry! Your voice was higher than I expected, it caught me off guard. It’s Mahiru. I’m at a seminar drinking party right now. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I really wanted to hear your voice. I was a little nervous, but I decided to just call.」

After talking for a few minutes, Mahiru said she was heading back to the restaurant and hung up. Since I live alone, the sudden silence left a lingering feeling of nervous energy.

She seemed so cheerful and sweet. Her voice was incredibly calming. But maybe because of that, my anxiety only grew stronger.

Why would a girl like that…?

There must be a reason. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. A few hours later, Mahiru sent me a message.

『Thanks again for earlier. I’m home now. Hearing your voice made me feel relieved too.』

I decided to be brave and ask.

『Sorry, but why would a girl like you reply to that kind of sex-friend ad?』

And just like that, the quick back-and-forth we’d had came to a halt.

Shit. Did I step on a landmine? She seemed like such a great match and I blew it by asking something stupid. I messed up…

I started to feel seriously uneasy. A few minutes later, she finally replied.

『I don’t want to talk about it.』

Yeah…Of course. What was I expecting? She must have her reasons. Asking something like that to a girl who already agreed to a sex-only relationship… I was totally crossing the line. And then, I realized something else.

I was starting to fall for Mahiru.

If I kept talking to her like this, I was going to end up really liking her. And if that happened, it would only hurt me in the end.

I should meet her sooner rather than later.

So, I made plans to meet up with Mahiru.

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