The case where I was gradually getting buried in the heavy love of my childhood friend who had miraculously recovered from their illness was perfect! - Chapter 17 : Studying For The High-School Entrance Exams!

Rion returned to her daily school life, and almost a month had passed since then.

The time felt like it went by too quickly for me. It was probably because I felt relieved when Rion returned to school, and I started paying more attention to her.

Of course, I never thought this was a bad thing. In fact, being able to watch over Rion closely is a good thing for me.

“Nagi-kun.”

“…..”

Well, but… I kept thinking how fortunate it was. It’s not like I talk to Rion all the time in class, and our seats aren’t next to each other, so our gazes don’t meet frequently. Still, when I catch a glimpse of her sitting slightly in front of me, it reassures me.

“Nagi-kun… Nagi-kun?”

“…..”

Feeling reassured by Rion’s presence was one thing, but the class environment had also improved significantly. That incident involving Ito played a role in this. After that, everyone who had been associating with Ito distanced themselves, and Ito ended up completely isolated in the class, having uncomfortable days.

“…Nagi-kun.”

‘…I thought there might be some resentment from the girls Ito had been involved with, especially considering they seemed to be getting along with Azumi-san and her friends. However, I don’t see any negative feelings towards Rion.’

I asked Azumi-san about it once, but she said not to worry about it. There hasn’t been anything since then, and everything has been quiet.

“You don’t need to worry about Ito. He must have learned by now that things will get worse if he bothers Rion any more than he already has.”

That’s what Azumi-san said, but… she seemed a bit scary at that time. Azumi-san has a sharpness and a kind of… well, a different level of fear compared to Rion. Maybe it’s because her appearance has a flashy, gal-like style.

“Are you ignoring me? You have some nerve, Nagi-kun.”

‘But that doesn’t mean Azumi-san isn’t a really nice person. In fact, all of Rion’s friends are really good people at heart…’

I’ve gotten along with her friends because of Rion, and our connections with them contribute to protecting Rion. So, someday, I want to show them my gratitude.

Now… I was unusually focused on my thoughts at that time.

As a result, I didn’t notice that the girl who should have been studying with me had moved behind me and reached out with her magical hands.

“Nagi-kun.”

“Huh?!”

The hands that reached around from behind, it wrapped around my chest firmly. The fact that Rion, who was just in front of me a moment ago, wasn’t there meant that the hands coming from behind could only be Rion’s.

“I’ve been calling you for a while. Ignoring me will be pretty harsh for you, don’t you think?”

What is she talking about? I didn’t say anything because I was scared to see Rion’s expression at that moment.

But, to be honest, I did hear her voice while I was lost in thought. Well, I don’t think Rion would lie, so I should probably just apologize sincerely.

“Sorry, Rion… I was lost in thought.”

“Lost in thought huh… Does that mean you can ignore my questions?”

“…..”

“Why are you so quiet now?”

No… that’s not it. I was left speechless because of the sensation that her body brought.

‘There’s something soft hitting my back!’

It was inevitable that I’d react this way when her body was pressed so closely to mine, but what’s up with this wonderful feeling?

Rion was behind me, so she couldn’t see my face even if I started grinning openly. But still, I have some pride — I’m not the type of guy who gets all flustered just because a girl’s b*****s touched his back!

“Cough! Anyway, I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’ve been thinking about you, Rion, among other things. A lot has happened since you returned to school, especially with Ito, but everything’s been resolved, and we’ve come this far without any issues. It’s wonderful, and I’ve been feeling that. So, it’s not like I was ignoring what you said.”

“You’re speaking so quickly. Aren’t you focused on something else?”

The more I spoke, the tighter Rion’s hold on me became.

The more she did that, the more I found myself thinking about it, and my cheeks started to burn. Damn, I do consider Rion my precious childhood friend and almost like a cute little sister, but… it’s inevitable for a guy to feel this way when a girl presses her b***s  against him!

‘Rion is generally really smart, and sometimes she exudes an aura that keeps others at bay. But in matters like this, she’s entirely unreserved… Is that it?’

If she’s doing this intentionally, I’d give her a smack on the head, but it’s probably not the case. So, I have to endure this.

Well, I didn’t need to be on guard because Rion soon released me.

“Honestly, we’re supposed to be studying right now, right? It’s fine if you didn’t hear my voice, but not being able to focus on your studies is unacceptable.”

“Sorry…”

“Do you think a simple apology is enough? I’ll forgive you.”

“You’re forgiving me?”

“Would you prefer I scold you? Besides, being gentle in terms of studying while being a bit strict in other areas seems to work well for you.”

“…You really understand me, don’t you? Are you a genius?”

“We’ve known each other since childhood, after all.”

“That’s true,” I laughed.

Recently, the air outside had grown colder compared to when Rion was discharged from the hospital, but today was Saturday, and there was no school.

On such a day off, I visited Rion’s house and spreaded my reference books on the table to study.

“Studying for the high school entrance exams… Alright, let’s put more effort into it!”

“That’s the spirit, but…”

“??”

“Let’s take a short break. I’ll be right back.”

Saying that, Rion left the room.

“Well, in that case, I’ll take a little break as well.”

I lay down where I was and closed my eyes, reflecting on the day.

I didn’t come to Rion’s house today to play; my purpose was to study to pass the high school entrance exams safely. Well, this was my second time taking the high school entrance exams, including my past life, but because the high school Rion and I are aiming for is quite high-level, that’s why we’re working so hard.

‘By being close to home and broadening our future opportunities, of course… but it’s still a high-level school.’

By the way, Akira, Takeshi, and Azumi are also aiming for the same high school. It wasn’t because our friends were going there; it was for our own sakes, so we often encouraged each other to do our best.

“…..”

Lying down, I looked around Rion’s room. If I thought about it, this room was quite familiar to me, but I had never come here while Rion was in the hospital. Nostalgic… and it’s a girl’s room.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

Rion returned with juice and snacks. She had left empty-handed, but I would have helped if she had asked.

“If you had asked, I would have helped you in carrying those.”

“The only purpose you came here today is studying, but Nagi-kun is a guest in this house, after all.”

“I see.”

In that case, I’ll gratefully enjoy the juice and the delicious-looking chocolate snacks.

“Nagi-kun.”

“Hmm?”

As I munched on the snacks, Rion spoke.

“There were some difficult problems, but you’re solving them properly. It seems you’ve firmly understood what I’ve taught you.”

“Well, yeah. I’m learning from Rion-sensei after all, so I want to at least reach a point where I can be confident, if not perfect.”

“Hehehe~.”

Rion chuckled and reached out to stroke my head.

“You’re really working hard. You’re doing great.”

“You’re overpraising me.”

“I told you, didn’t I? More candy is more effective for you when it comes to studying.”

“I can work hard because Rion is here.”

“Is that so? Then please work even harder, Nagi-kun.”

I’ll work hard even without being told. Originally, I hadn’t planned to entrust my entire future to a high school girl, but Rion could see far more possibilities than I could. It was because of that that I wanted to support her and work hard like this. Of course, I’m thinking about the future as well.

“There have been various things, but let’s start by giving our best for our immediate goals. There won’t be any inconvenience for me or for you — everything has already ended.”

“Got it.”

Lately, Rion has been saying some rather cryptic things, hasn’t she? Have I been watching too much anime?

☆☆☆☆☆☆

If you are enjoying the translation, do rate the novel 5 stars on our site and novelupdates.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below! 

Also, if you enjoyed my translation, support me by donating a cup of Coffee through Ko-Fi.
The button is available on the top of the page.

Found any errors or typos? Feel free to contact me on Discord. 

TL : Zenon#4120