The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason

Chapter 60: Fetish Investigation

“Come to think of it, this might be my first time wearing a yukata.”

As the conversation about the album faded and the topic shifted to the summer festival, Shirafuji murmured those words.

I had always assumed that women liked yukatas, but Shirafuji had never worn one before?

“That’s surprising. But there’s no way it wouldn’t suit you.”

“I hope so… But when it’s your first time doing something, you always get nervous, don’t you?”

“Even though your clumsiness has nothing to do with it?”

“…Well, I’d feel bad if I put in all that effort to get ready and it didn’t suit me.”

I could understand how she felt.

But just look at Shirafuji—her appearance speaks for itself. And the one who prepared the yukata was my mother, acting entirely on her own.

Even in the unlikely event that it didn’t suit her, she had no reason to feel guilty about it.

“Have a little more confidence in yourself.”

“Even if you say that…”

“It’s not that you don’t like yukatas, right?”

“Of course not. I’m a girl too, so I do admire yukatas. There’s something special about them, you know?”

These days, hardly anyone wears yukatas on a regular basis.

There aren’t many chances to wear them, and they can be quite expensive.

…Where did my mother even get one from?

Well, knowing her, it’s probably fine.

“Hakuto, do you like yukatas?”

“If it’s a matter of liking or disliking them, then I’d say I like them.”

“But do you like yukatas themselves? Or do you like the various things that come with them?”

“…You mean the atmosphere and the setting that comes with wearing a yukata?”

“Exactly. The nape of the neck, the stray strands of hair, the glimpse of an ankle… Yukatas make all of that easy to see, after all.”

What she was saying wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from a woman caught me off guard.

I couldn’t exactly say I didn’t look.

I was well aware that I had a history of doing so.

If I saw it, I would naturally look.

That was just an excuse, though.

The truth is, I couldn’t help but find those things irresistibly attractive.

“That’s what you call a fetish. It’s not just limited to yukatas—uniforms, lingerie, or even casual loungewear like this fall into the same category. Like when someone bends forward and their collar shifts, showing a glimpse of their collarbone or chest… You like that kind of thing, don’t you?”

“Why are you suddenly making this so specific?”

“I was curious about what kind of fetishes you have, Hakuto.”

Hearing that, it was only natural for my eyes to be drawn to her.

With an enticing smile, Shirafuji hooked a finger lightly into the collar of her loungewear.

Just like she had described, her smooth, fair skin and delicate collarbone came into view.

…No, no, that’s not the point.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Investigating your fetishes, of course. This is important for the future.”

“The future?”

“Wouldn’t it be more effective if I knew exactly how to tempt you?”

If there was ever a time I truly understood what it meant to be at a loss for words, this was it.

If she was going to seduce me, did she really need to announce it so blatantly?

…Then again, considering how easily I fell for it, I wasn’t exactly in a position to talk.

The fact was, her approach was working.

“You shouldn’t go around doing things like that so lightly.”

“You’re right. I teased you a little too much. Even though I know you’re too much of a wimp—ahem, I mean too much of a gentleman—to actually make a move on me, if I keep doing things like this, I might not be able to hold myself back.”

“Seriously. You should at least be aware of how attractive you are.”

“Hearing you say that gives me a little more confidence. Please look forward to seeing me in a yukata. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in a jinbei, too.”

With a soft chuckle, Shirafuji looked eager for the summer festival.

Personally, I’d say seeing a girl in a yukata is much more enjoyable than seeing a guy in a jinbei.

Well, I guess that’s just the difference between men and women.

“Since it’s a festival, there’ll be food stalls, right?”

“Yeah, there should be a bunch. Takoyaki, grilled squid, yakisoba, skewered chicken, chocolate bananas… Festivals tend to be a bit overpriced, though.”

“What about shooting games or goldfish scooping?”

“Of course. If you want to try, I’ll go with you.”

“Definitely…!”

I hadn’t been to many festivals myself.

I didn’t really have any friends, so the only times I went were when Tansui dragged me along.

Even after starting high school, I hadn’t gone to a festival.

“In movies, anime, and manga, festivals always look like a lot of fun, right? Walking around the food stalls, enjoying the atmosphere, and then, at the end, a huge firework display lights up the sky. And of course, the two people who came together grow even closer…”

“…I’d say we’re already pretty close, though? Setting aside that aspect of our relationship, we’re close enough to visit my family home together.”

“That’s true, but that’s not what I mean. The kind of closeness I’m talking about isn’t the friendly kind—it’s the romantic kind.”

She cast a sidelong glance at me, as if scolding me for deliberately dodging the topic.

What exactly was my relationship with Shirafuji?

One thing was clear: we were in a fake relationship.

To others, we acted like a couple.

But calling us merely acquaintances wouldn’t be right either—we were too close for that.

I’d say we were friends.

We were probably close enough to be called best friends.

But we weren’t lovers.

So when she talked about growing closer in a romantic sense… I didn’t know how to respond.

I didn’t dislike the idea.