The Carnivorous Beast Beauties Are Dying to Devour This Herbivorous Beast Me - 83

Chapter 82: The Summer Festival 6

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From the main street lined with food stalls, we slipped into a quieter side path… I was walking with Sumeragi-senpai, just the two of us, separated from the rest of the group.

“Fufu… Yes, but there’s something I absolutely have to tell you.”

“Something you want to tell me…?”

“Mmhm.”

Sumeragi-senpai smiled as she said that. Her cheeks were faintly flushed. Her usual dignified aura softened, and she looked strangely adorable.

“You went out of your way to pull me aside from everyone else… Is it really that important?”

“Well, I mean… It’s not that they couldn’t be there, but I’d feel too embarrassed to say it with them around.”

I tilted my head at Sumeragi-senpai’s vague words but decided to wait for her. It wasn’t something I needed to rush.

“First, let me say thank you. Thank you.”

“For helping with the food stall? If it’s that, you’ve already thanked me several times—”

“Of course, that too. But no, it’s more than that. From all the preparations up until today, you were always thinking that you wanted me to enjoy myself too, weren’t you? That made me happy.”

“Well, of course. It’s the summer festival, after all. I wanted everyone to enjoy it together.”

“You say that, but it’s not such an easy thing. Even if people want to enjoy events like this, they rarely spare a thought for those running them.”

“…That might be true.”

Looking out at the main street as night began to fall, I saw groups and couples chatting as they strolled along. Of course, for them it was normal that stalls were there—but I doubted even one of them thought about the people working behind those stalls.

“I became student council president because I wanted to make everyone smile. I’ve devoted myself in that way for both the school festival and the summer festival. That made me happy. …Ah, no, of course it still makes me happy, but…”

“Haha, I could tell just by watching you, Senpai. Even though you were so busy, you kept smiling the whole time.”

“Did I…?”

“Yes!”

“Fufu… You really take notice of the smallest things, don’t you? That’s why, when you invited me this time, I was so happy. It made me feel like it was okay for me to enjoy myself, too.”

“That should go without saying. …Actually, I think everyone wanted you to enjoy yourself too, Sumeragi-senpai.”

“R-really…?”

“Yeah. But you always looked so busy, so no one could bring themselves to say it.”

“I am the student council president… I have to set the standard for the other students…”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

“W-what!?”

“You always try to be perfect, Senpai. And since you really can do anything, it makes it even more so… But from other people’s perspective, it’s like you live in a different world.”

“S-so that’s how I came across…?”

“Yes. But honestly, you have plenty of things you’d like to do after setting aside your responsibilities, right? You looked more relaxed back in March, when we went to that café together.”

“T-that was…! I just got carried away, that’s all…”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking sweets or cute things. If anything, it’s harder to watch you suppress those feelings and push yourself for the sake of others.”

“Mmph… I-I see…”

“Ah…Sorry, that was a bit rude of me, wasn’t it.”

“No, thank you for being so honest. You really do notice things… Truly…”

“—Because I’m a squirrel.”

“I don’t think that has anything to do with it… But fine, let’s say it does. Fufu, I see…So, Arisugawa-kun, you think it’s okay for me to just be myself?”

“If anything, that would feel more like the real Sumeragi-senpai. I think people would like you even more.”

“I thought you might say that. In that case… Yes. Just as you said, Arisugawa-kun, maybe I should let myself be a little selfish.”

“Eh…Wha—!?”

Sumeragi-senpai gave a small, self-mocking smile, and in the next moment—before I knew it—I was pulled firmly into her arms, completely enveloped by her warmth. At over 180cm tall and with her…Meter-class bust, my face—and even my whole body—was buried in her softness.

For a moment, I couldn’t process what had happened. But the warmth and sweet scent surrounding me made me recall everything that happened with Seira-san, and I quickly understood everything. Right now, Sumeragi-senpai was hugging me.

“E-eh, ah, Sumeragi-senpai…!?”

“…The truth is, I’ve always been a spoiled person at heart. I wanted to have this kind of closeness too, but no one ever let me. I thought it would be fine if it was with you, Arisugawa-kun.”

“Mmph… But, I’m a guy, you know…”

“That’s why it’s fine… Because it’s you, Arisugawa-kun. These feelings are… Something special—”

“Eh…”

“Arisugawa-kun, just listen to me.”

Her embrace was almost too much for me to handle. The softness, the warmth, the scent—but whether she realized it or not, Sumeragi-senpai gently stroked my head as she whispered into my ear. Her voice carried the same firm conviction as always, but also a faint, almost needy tone. This was probably the truest expression of her feelings.

“…If possible, I too would like, with you, Arisugawa-kun—”

“I finally found you. Senpai, Onii!”

““—!?””

A sudden voice rang out. Both Sumeragi-senpai and I hurriedly pulled away from each other. I turned toward the source of the voice, dreading what I’d see, and sure enough… There stood Chinatsu, arms crossed and fangs bared. She was towering over us like a shrine guardian statue.

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