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 20 : Dependence and Possessiveness

“…It went by in the blink of an eye.”

I murmured as I gazed at the moon floating in the cold night sky.

Several months had passed since Rion had recovered from her illness, and in a few days, I would take on the title of a high school student, which was my final goal in my previous life.

“…Seriously, it went by so quickly.”

Yes, it truly had. From the moment Rion fell ill until her recovery, I had been fervently praying for her well-being. Even then, time seemed to pass by rapidly.

But once Rion’s illness was cured, the passage of time became even more evident. Spending time with Rion was never boring, and with the impending high school entrance exams, I was constantly busy.

“Use that formula for that problem.”

“That’s the correct way to do it. Well done.”

“You’re amazing, Nagi-kun. You’ll definitely do well.”

Studying one-on-one with Rion had filled my head with her words. I often found myself complaining about how she had managed to influence me so thoroughly.

“Oh, hearing your childhood friend’s voice is like a reward, isn’t it?”

Well, Rion, there are different kinds of rewards, you see…

But, as Rion had advised, a little whip and more candy when it came to studying seemed to work well for me, and I absorbed information even better than in regular classes. As a result, I passed the same high school as Rion.

“…I have no memories from my previous life to help me.”

Although I had lived until my third year of high school in my previous life, the number of years since I was reborn was enough to make my previous life’s memories fade away. Moreover, the level of the high school we both took the entrance exams for was incredibly high. It had truly been a fierce battle these past few months.

“I can’t thank Rion enough.”

Rion had been by my side constantly. She had prioritized her time with me, even when we could have spent time with friends or taken breaks. She had made sure to instill everything I needed.

“…..”

For me, Rion had been a girl I had spent my entire life with. My desire to have a childhood friend like her had never changed, and I was genuinely pleased to have someone like Rion. I was satisfied with the bond we had developed so far.

“…Lately, something has been wrong with me.”

I had noticed a change in myself lately, something I couldn’t tell Rion. If I were to tell her, I feared how she would react.

“…I might be too dependent on her.”

Dependence on someone else is a serious issue, in my opinion. While Rion continued to use strong words even after her illness had been cured, she had become increasingly gentle. She had been kind during our study sessions, and beyond that, she was always genuinely caring. I found myself appreciating her more and more each time.

“There’s nothing as ugly as a man’s dependence… I want to continue watching over Rion. I don’t want to become dependent… Alright.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated as if I were meditating. It was just an image, but I pictured a pink monster called “dependence” appearing in my mind. As I kept knocking it down, I felt the dependence on Rion gradually diminishing.

“…Well, it might not completely disappear.”

I didn’t want to be dependent; I wanted to be relied upon. With that in mind, I lightly slapped my cheek. At that moment, Rion returned, wearing an extra layer over her pajamas to keep herself warm.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back.”

Now, why was Rion here at night? Well, that’s simple. She had taken advantage of the calmness that had come after our entrance exams and had received an enthusiastic invitation from Kurumi-san for me to spend the night at her house. I had no reason to decline, and Rion had eagerly agreed. That’s why I was staying at her house, but it was not without its challenges.

“Oh, why is your cheek red?”

“I was slapping my cheek to get motivated.”

“…What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Rion looked at me with a mix of amazement and curiosity. Then, due to her cold hands from being outside, she suddenly pressed them to my cheek. Of course, I was surprised by the sudden touch of her cold hands, but her close face made my heart race.

“See, it doesn’t hurt now, does it?”

“Rion, it didn’t hurt in the first place…”

“I know that. This was just a prank. Are your cheeks cold now?”

“…Yes, they’re cold!”

I gently held Rion’s hand, which she had pressed against my cheek, and released it.

“So, why did you slap your cheek? As far as I remember, you never had a hobby of hurting yourself.”

“Of course not! Well, I just… I did it to give myself a little pep talk.”

“I see. So, you’re scared of your new high school life?”

“It’s not that I’m scared… It’s a new environment, and isn’t it natural to feel this way?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I don’t feel that way.”

“Well, you’re… you, Rion.”

“I am who I am because you’re here.”

Rion softly said, “Hold my hand.”

Even though her hand had been cold when it touched my cheek, the palms of our hands, now stacked together, felt warm and reassuring.

“As for how the class assignments turn out, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that Nagi-kun will be nearby. If something were to happen to me, you’ll help me right?”

“Huh? Oh, of course.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m not worried. And the same goes for you. If anything happens to you, I’ll help you – no matter what it takes.”

…Lately, I’ve been thinking about this too. It’s a different kind of dependency, but Rion sometimes shows a passionate emotion in her eyes.

When those eyes are directed at me, I feel happy – that Rion thinks about me to that extent.

‘If I were to put it into words… is it possessiveness?’

Possessiveness… no, no, this emotion is no good either!

Dependency and possessiveness towards a girl… Well, while there might be room for a certain degree of dependency and possessiveness in a special relationship, these two emotions seem too ugly and dirty for me right now.

To deceive myself in such a way, I grabbed Rion’s shoulder.

“Rion!”

“Yes!”

Rion opened her eyes wide and stared at me in surprise.

Even though I thought that suddenly doing something like this was uncalled for, I continued speaking with momentum.

“The High-School, for the next three years, I’m counting on you!”

“Huh? Y-yes… for three years… Let’s get along with each other like never before.”

“T-thank you!”

“Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“At night, in this situation where the beautiful moon is watching over us, and you’re grabbing my shoulder, is that all you have to say?”

“Uh… yes. I’m sorry.”

“…I’m going to sleep.”

[TL/N : Damn… that was a nice moment for the confession, looks like we will have to wait for that moment.]

Rion turned away from me, got into bed, and then turned her body toward me, lifting up the blanket to speak.

“Come on, hurry up. You’re slow, Stupid Nagi-kun.”

“……..”

With her cheeks puffed up, should I be embarrassed or delighted by my childhood friend urging me to get under the blanket? Nevertheless, she was using her eyes to plead for me to hurry up, so I should just get in…

“It’s cold.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re so slow.”

“Sorry.”

After that, I continued to apologize to Rion for a while. Finally, the High-School life for both Rion and me began.

By the way, I never did figure out why Ito had completely stopped bothering us after that. He had become as quiet as a different person… Since I couldn’t understand the reason, it was somewhat eerie, but I stopped caring about it soon.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : Zenon#4120