"You can't kiss me can you?" When I accepted my childhood friends challenge, she unexpectedly softened and is acting like a love-struck girl [Dropped] - Chapter 13 - Realization

Preparatory school classes start around six o’clock in the evening.

And it’s around nine o’clock when the two periods of classes that Ibuki and Airi are attending come to an end.

Usually, the two of them take about thirty minutes to walk home together… But things were going slightly different today.

“Airi, let’s go home.”

“……”

“Are you still sulking?”

In response to Ibuki’s question, Airi turned her face away while pouting, making it clear that she wasn’t in the mood to speak directly to him…

“I won’t talk to someone I’ve broken ties with!… If you desperately apologize, I might consider forgiving you, though.”

She said those words as she puffed her cheeks even more.

Then she looked at Ibuki and gave him a sly smile.

Airi was not a child, so she doesn’t hold grudges over such trivial matters or get angry that easily.

Nevertheless, her attitude is simply a playful act to mess with Ibuki.

She does it because she trusts that Ibuki, of all people, will definitely apologize in the end.

Actually, when she takes this attitude, Ibuki always ends up compromising.

However…

“Sorry, Airi, I won’t apologize this time.”

“Really, whatever…”

“Tell me the truth.”

Not wanting to apologize or give in too quickly, Ibuki pretended to apologize and lightly teased Airi.

She appeared taken aback, but then…

“…Hmph.”

Airi turned her face away as if to say, “I’m still mad.”

Then, she glanced at Ibuki to gauge his reaction.

If she were to put it into words, that expression would say, “Apologize already! You can’t back down!”

Of course, Ibuki is not so kind as to apologize right away.

If Airi’s goal is to trouble Ibuki, then Ibuki’s goal is to trouble Airi in return.

“Well then, let’s go home.”

“…Hmph.”

When Ibuki started walking, Airi made a deliberate snort and followed behind him.

If she wanted to be stubborn, she could have chosen not to go home together… Ibuki couldn’t help but think that way.

However, he worries about her walking alone at night, so if she were to do that, Ibuki would have no choice but to apologize — to give in to her antics.

Now, without speaking anything, they boarded the train and got off at the nearest station to their homes.

The high school and preparatory school that Ibuki and Airi attend are located more toward the “town” area, but their homes are more in the “countryside” – a sparsely populated residential area.

The area around the station is still well-lit and some people could be witnessed walking by, but as they get closer to their homes, the number of people dwindles, and darkness sets in.

“Ah!”

Then, Ibuki thought of something and intentionally raised his voice, pretending to have forgotten something, and stopped.

Airi also obediently stopped and gave him a puzzled expression.

“I forgot something. Wait for me… If you feel uneasy, you can wait, you know?”

“…Hmph!”

Will she hurriedly follow him or continue to be stubborn?

Airi chose the latter. Judging from her usual behavior, Ibuki figured she would be somewhat defiant today.

Now, leaving Airi behind, Ibuki turned back the way they came, and he vanished from her sight just around the corner…

“…Now, what to do?”

Secretly, Ibuki glanced at Airi from around the same corner he disappeared into.

The truth is, he lied about having forgotten something just to tease her.

It was just a little payback with no harm involved.

The plan was to leave Airi there for a while and enjoy watching what she would do when she felt uneasy.

The expectation was that after a while, she would send him a text message like “When are you coming back?”

However…

“…You’re quite determined today.”

Contrary to Ibuki’s expectations, Airi began walking alone toward the direction of their home.

Unable to let her walk alone, Ibuki secretly followed after her.

Of course, he didn’t want to say, “Sorry, I lied,” and be frustrated, so he tried not to get noticed.

But as he carefully followed her from behind, a mischievous idea sprouted from deep within Ibuki’s heart.

“What if I slowly approach and surprise her from behind? What kind of reaction will she have?”

He couldn’t help but think of such a thing.

Though torn between feeling sorry for her and thinking that, since she often acted selfishly and played pranks on him, it might be okay to give her a taste of her own medicine…

‘…Alright.’

Slowly and as quietly as possible, Ibuki closed the distance between Airi and himself, making his footsteps match hers.

As they turned the corner and entered a dimly lit street where not even a soul resided…

“Wooh…..”

“Ahhhh! Ibuki-kun, help me!!!”

—Smack!

Airi threw her bag filled with textbooks at Ibuki’s face at a really high speed.

Now, Ibuki was holding his face that had just taken a strong blow from a bag filled with textbooks and notebooks…

“Ouchhh! That really hurts…”

Ibuki cried out in pain and crouched down on the spot.

He covered his face, touched his nose, and confirmed that there was no nosebleed before raising his head to match her gaze.

As for Airi…

She had a puzzled expression on her teary eyes as she couldn’t quite understand the situation.

“…Eh, Ibuki-kun?”

Though he succeeded in surprising her, Ibuki felt extremely embarrassed by the painful retaliation. Nevertheless, he put on a polite smile and said,

“Ah… yeah, I am your beloved childhood friend.”

“Don’t startle me like that ever again…”

Airi sighed deeply, then slowly closed the distance between them, while glaring at Ibuki.

He had realized after noticing her glare that she was genuinely angry.

“Uh, sorry… I went too far with the prank.”

“…..”

“I apologize… I’m really sorry.”

“…..”

Airi raised her hand in silence and swung it widely.

Ibuki prepared himself to take the hit obediently as he thought that he deserved it.

But then…

“…Enough.”

Airi’s fist lightly tapped his chest, and then she grabbed both of his shoulders, pressing her forehead against his chest as if to headbutt him.

“…Airi?”

In a bewildered tone, Ibuki called her name.

But instead of responding to him…

—Sniff!

She let out a small, teary voice.

And when she raised her head to meet his gaze only to notice that he was looking at her gently and worriedly.

“I was really scared…”

Ibuki had to pat her for several minutes in order to make her calm down as she hugged him tightly like a koala not wanting to let go of him anytime soon.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : Zenon#4120