My Sex Friend Is My Childhood Friend? - 46-47

Chapter 46: During the Fireworks Festival

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The day of the Fireworks Festival.  Since driving would’ve made parking a hassle, we decided to go by train. We arranged to meet at the station closest to my place. I arrived at the meeting spot and checked the time.

We still had over thirty minutes to go. I figured I might as well use the spare time to pick up some drinks and snacks. Making good use of the time, I headed to a nearby supermarket.

There, I saw a man wearing a familiar-looking set of loungewear. It was the same one Aoi had picked out. Could it be… That person was Mimura-senpai?

The man was wandering around the snack section, loading up on a big bottle of soda and snacks. His back was turned, so I couldn’t see his face, but his hair was messy. He was overweight, and the way his shirt rode up revealed his underwear. He looked nothing like the senpai I remembered.

It must be someone with the same clothes… Right?

Plenty of people probably had that outfit. It had to be a coincidence. Still, I hesitated, wondering if I should speak up, but just then, I got a message from Mahiru.

『I’m here. —Mahiru.』

I felt a lingering sense of curiosity, but I left the spot. When I returned to the meeting place, Mahiru was there. She was wearing a yukata. She stood there under the clock tower in her yukta, like she was bathed in a spotlight on stage. It was a white yukata with wind chimes and dragonflies, paired with a vermilion obi and a matching drawstring pouch. It wasn’t overly mature, felt true to her age, and suited her perfectly.

That said, it was still only May. Even if there was a fireworks event on this train line, she was the only woman in a yukata. Mahiru noticed me and waved.

“I figured it might be a little early, but it’s so hot today I went with the yukata.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely hot.”

Mahiru dabbed at her forehead with a small towel.

“Yeah. But I was the only one in a yukata, and people kept staring… It was kinda embarrassing.”

No, that was probably because the yukata looked too good on her. Apparently, really beautiful girls tended to be the least aware of their own beauty.

We arrived at the fireworks venue. As expected, it was packed, being so close to the main event. Since we had some time to kill, we decided to enjoy a proper Yokohama date for the first time in a while. We went to Chinatown and ate pork buns, rode the Ferris wheel in Minato Mirai, and by late afternoon, we were strolling near the red brick warehouses together—Mahiru in her yukata beside me.

Tucked under Mahiru’s right arm was a weird panda plushie she had bought in Chinatown. To be honest, I didn’t find it cute at all. But when I immediately shot down her request to get it, she threw a fit as usual, and I ended up buying it for her. She seemed to love it, though, and was already thinking about where to display it in my room.

Honestly, I’d rather she took it home with her…

Every now and then, people passing by turned to look at Mahiru. But most of the ones turning to look were men, so it probably wasn’t because her yukata looked strange. I heard things like, “She’s cute,” and “I should’ve worn a yukata too.” It made me feel oddly proud, as if I were the one being praised.

We wandered around the red brick area for a while, then leaned against the railing along the seaside and waited for the fireworks to begin. Chatting with a beer in hand was genuinely fun. Now and then, the sea breeze blew, lifting Mahiru’s hair. Each time, she’d sweep her hair back with her right hand and tuck it behind her ear—something about that motion was mesmerizingly beautiful.

By the time I finished my second beer, the fireworks show began. Though not a large-scale display, the fireworks here were known for their creativity and had a good reputation. With every burst, Mahiru’s reactions varied—smiling, gasping in surprise, clinging to me. Her expressions changed so rapidly and vividly, just watching her was entertaining.

But when I kept staring at her, she said to me.

“You have to actually watch the fireworks, you know.”

As the show drew to a close, thick clouds suddenly rolled in, the wind picked up, and thunder rumbled in the sky.

Looks like we’re in for some rain.

Since Mahiru was dripping with sweat too, we decided to take a break at a nearby hotel. That night, I’d been so caught up in the fireworks that I barely looked at my phone. Thinking back on it now, I really should’ve checked it at least once.

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Chapter 47: Like I Said, It’s Not Like That

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There are words you must never say.

No matter how close you are to someone, you must never say them. You must not overestimate the strength of that closeness. Because once spoken, those words pierce through the heart and can never be taken back.

Pitter patter pitter patter~

“Mm… nngh, ah…”

Muffled moans echoed through the room like humming. Still wearing her yukata, Mahiru moved her hips on top of me.

“…Haa, haa. Nagi-kun, you’re amazing today… Okay? Give me lots inside…”

Half-asleep, I reached out with my right hand and pulled Mahiru close. With her head resting on my arm, she arched her back and snuggled up against me. Mahiru asked in a sweet, needy voice.

“Do you love me?”

I replied without hesitation.

“Yeah.”

Then Mahiru closed her eyes and pressed her face into my arm.

“…I’m glad.”

I could hear Mahiru’s gentle breathing. She had apparently fallen asleep, so I carefully slipped my arm out from under her and headed quietly to the shower so as not to wake her. As I stood under the shower, I thought things over.

Lately, Mahiru had been seeking constant reassurance about how I felt. Like earlier, she often asked me directly. Why? I didn’t think I had done anything to make her feel insecure… Could it be… Aoi?

Suddenly, I realized I had left my phone out on the table. If the screen was left on, it wouldn’t auto-lock even after a long time. A bad feeling crept over me. I stepped out of the dressing area.

There was Mahiru, wiping her eyes and crying. Beside her was my phone, the screen still glowing. On it was a message that read.

『Nagi-san. It’s your birthday, right? Should I give you my virginity as a present? Do you want it? —Aoi.』

I felt the blood drain from my head. I didn’t know what to do—I felt sick. And then, I was hit with a wave of regret. Recently, Aoi’s messages had started taking on that kind of tone. She was becoming more forward.

I had no intention of entertaining those advances, and I’d meant to set some boundaries, but I’d put it off, thinking she seemed vulnerable, and I didn’t want to hurt her when she was weak like this. I didn’t know what led up to this specific message, but if I had just checked my phone during the fireworks, maybe this worst-case scenario could’ve been avoided.

Even though I knew it was pointless, I tried to explain.

“This isn’t… I mean, it’s not what it looks like.”

Then Mahiru looked at me with a face I had never seen before. Her eyes narrowed in rage, and she smacked the bedsheets repeatedly in anger.

“Nagi-kun, you’re awful! I trusted you!”

“No, listen. She just asked that. I didn’t actually do anythi—”

Mahiru didn’t let me finish. Her voice rose hysterically as she cut me off.

“‘Didn’t yet?’ So you planned to someday? You said she was like a little sister! Are you saying you’d take your little sister’s virginity?!”

From there, it spiraled into a shouting match. I got heated and raised my voice too. But even as I argued, I kept thinking.

We were just happily watching fireworks together… Why are we fighting now?

At some point, I forgot that I was the one who caused this, and I started feeling like I was the one being unfairly attacked by Mahiru. And then, in the heat of the moment—

—I said it.

“I mean, we’re just sex friends, right? So why the hell do you get to say stuff like that?”

The moment those words left my mouth, I regretted them bitterly. And I knew—deep in my gut—that this was something I could never take back. I had just denied everything we’d shared together.

When she heard those words, Mahiru looked at me with her mouth slightly open. Her face filled with crushing disappointment. After that, no matter what I said, she wouldn’t listen. She gathered her things in silence and walked out of the hotel room alone. I didn’t get a clear look at her face as she left, but I had a feeling she had stopped crying.  I was left alone in the room. The room still held the warmth of Mahiru’s presence.

It wasn’t Mahiru’s fault. It wasn’t Aoi’s fault either.

It was all my fault.

Pitter patter pitter patter~

The sound of rain reached even into the room. Sitting in front of me was the panda plushie Mahiru had been holding just earlier, quietly staring at me.

“…How did it end up like this?”

I spoke aloud, as if trying to drown out the loneliness.

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