One day, my best friend suddenly turned into a sickly girl from the TS - Chapter 9: Couples Only

“……?”

Feeling a gaze, I turned around, but there was no one there. Komori, seeing me tilt my head in confusion, did the same.

“No, sorry. It was just my imagination.”

Maybe I’m just being overly self-conscious about feeling watched. Well, lunch break is almost over, and I was about to part ways with Komori when she made a suggestion.

“Ah, right, Senpai.”

“What is it?”

“Actually, I have a younger brother in middle school, and his birthday is coming up soon.”

“Oh, congratulations.”

“Thank you. So, if it’s okay with you, could you give me some advice on what kind of present would be good, from a guy’s perspective?”

…I see. But I doubt my opinion would be of much use.

But since she asked, I have to give it a serious answer.

“…Hmm.”

What would be good for a middle schooler? A game seems like a safe bet, but with a high schooler’s allowance… Hm, it’s not easy to decide.

“…Maybe something tangible would be good? A gift from family would surely be appreciated. Something he can display in his room might be nice.”

“I see… I understand.”

Sorry, my answer was pretty cliché.

Komori nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

“Thank you! I’ll take that into consideration.”

“I’m glad if it was helpful.”

I didn’t really give any real advice, though.

As I parted with Komori and returned to the classroom, I saw Yoru and Kanase talking together at the entrance. The combination of the class beauty and my best friend, who is also a beauty in her own right, is truly a sight to behold.

“…?”

What does Kanase really feel when talking with Yoru?

She’s admired by many not just for her looks but also her personality. A central figure in the class, she had struggled with how to approach Yoru back when Yoru was a boy. She was rejected, but her feelings were certainly not half-hearted.

“Ah, Yuuki!”

Noticing me, Yoru called out.

She ran towards me, incredibly cute… Eh? She didn’t stop and jumped right into me.

“Geez, you’re late coming back.”

“My bad… You seem in a really good mood, huh?”

“Maybe? Perhaps♪”

Yoru looked up at me with a bright smile.

What’s going on? She seems unusually happy, but I’m curious. As I thought this, Kanase approached us.

“Welcome back, Uozumi-kun. Asahina-kun has been talking about you non-stop.”

“…Is that my fault?”

“Who knows. But given the situation…”

“??”

As I stood puzzled, Yoru, still clinging to me, tilted her head. I tried to ignore it, but being this close to her, feeling her ample chest against me… it’s a bit embarrassing. Trying to create some space, I put my hand on Yoru’s shoulder to push her away.

“…Why are you trying to move away?”

“…Is it not okay?”

“No.”

“…Yoru?”

“What?”

…Eh? Eh?

There’s a sense of determination, unwilling to let go, and unusually high spirits. Kanase just gives a wry smile, not looking like she’ll help… For now, I just lead Yoru into the classroom.

“Showing off your lovey-dovey side, huh?”

“Don’t joke around.”

Tanaka teases us with a grin, and I reply.

“What’s lovey-dovey about this? We’re just as close as ever… right?”

Yoru, playing with her hair, says this. Then, Murakami startles her from behind.

“Wah!”

“Whoa!?”

Yoru lets out a surprisingly deep, cute sound… a deep, cute sound, what’s that? Startled, she quickly twists away from Murakami’s touch on her shoulder.

“Idiot! You scared me!”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry!”

Murakami apologizes with a laugh as Yoru, irritated, hits him quite hard on the head.

“Ouch… Aren’t you a girl now?”

“I’m strong even as a girl. Kneel if you understand.”

“A tyrant queen! …But somehow, it’s nice.”

“Gross!?”

Yoru, apparently truly disgusted, hides behind me.

The others laugh at their interaction, and I can’t help but smile. Yoru has become a girl, but our interactions haven’t changed. That unchanging aspect is truly heartwarming.

After school, Yoru and I head into town.

It might look like a date, but our destination is usually arcades or other entertainment venues. Nothing romantic.

“…Oh.”

As we wandered, Yoru noticed a restaurant with a “Couples Only” menu sign.

“We often see these, but we’ve never been involved, huh?”

“Yeah.”

We both don’t have girlfriends, and our outings are usually just with the guys, so we’ve never experienced this. The menu looked delicious, but it seemed unrelated to us today.

“Yoru?”

However, Yoru didn’t move and seemed to be pondering something. After a moment, she decisively grabbed my arm.

“Eh?”

“Hey, let’s try this, shall we?”

“But it’s couples only—”

Just then, a thought struck me. Yoru, sensing my realization, nodded and dragged me into the restaurant. The incredible softness I felt on my arm made my face heat up, but Yoru, knowing or not, just pulled me along.

“Excuse me. We saw the couples only menu outside.”

“Welcome. Please, have a seat in the back.”

“Thank you.”

…Yoru’s got guts.

“Hehe, that was easy, wasn’t it?”

And so, Yoru and I experienced the “couples only” thing for the first time.