"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]

Both Airi and Ibuki got along so well that they sometimes quarreled.

It’s an appropriate word to describe the relationship between them.

In fact, Ibuki and Airi often argued with each other because both of them have a high sense of pride and hate losing.

If it’s a small argument, it happens every day. If it’s a minor fight, it happens every three days. If it’s a big fight, it happens once a week. They declare to end their friendship once a month though it never happens.

However…

“…Hey, Airi.”

“…What?”

“I said too much this morning. Sorry.”

After school on the day they had a fight, Ibuki apologized to Airi.

“Yeah…I’m sorry too.” And Airi returned the apology.

This is how their fights usually end in a day. It took about half a day for them to make up today, which is longer than usual, as they usually reconcile in less than an hour.

To both of them, each other is like a part of themselves. Therefore, it’s unbearable to remain in conflict with each other, more so than winning or losing.

“…If we think calmly, it doesn’t matter how the people around us define our relationship, right?”

“That’s right. We are who we are. We just need to stick to that.”

It’s foolish to change their current relationship just because they are concerned about people’s labels or definitions.

That was the conclusion they came to.

“However… just by going home together, why do we look like a couple?”

“Maybe because we have a close distance. Actually, it’s the opposite, we don’t even think about it, so it’s just because we have a close distance.”

“That’s true. I know Ibuki is a boy, but that doesn’t mean I am s*xually attracted to you.”

“It’s impossible to get excited about Airi, but even if I could, there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t feel any attraction to you so it’s impossible.”

And then the two of them simultaneously twisted their faces into a weird smile.

“…Isn’t that a bit rude, the way you said that?”

“That was my line.”

They were angered by the other person’s words. Both of them had a high sense of pride.

Even if they were told they were attracted to each other as someone of the opposite sex, it wouldn’t make them happy or anything… However, if they were to say that they have absolutely no charm as the opposite sex, it would obviously make them feel angry.

…Especially since, there were some instances when they were aware of each other not as only childhood friends but that of opposite s*x.

“I may not look like it, but I’m someone who is popular and beautiful… Surely you’re lying if you say you have no interest at all?”

—Even she couldn’t deny that Ibuki is cool and caring and that various girls from their school are secretly crushing on him.

While thinking about such things, Ibuki asked Airi.

“Do you know the saying that a beautiful person becomes boring after three days? We’ve been together for sixteen years, you know.”

In response to Ibuki’s rebuttal, Airi nodded as if she understood but instead said,

“It’s certainly been a long time since we’ve been together… Oh? But, Ibuki-kun. When we went to the pool the other day, you wouldn’t even look me in the eye… I wonder why?”

“What, did you want me to stare at you?… You were also touching my arm and back a lot and acting all clingy. To be honest, it was creepy… Maybe you like me?”

—I was a little conscious about her, so Airi must have been aware about it too.

Ibuki murmured those words to himself.

“Oh, that wasn’t what I meant… Besides, Ibuki-kun, you worry too much. By the way, it was you who said we should stop holding hands first, wasn’t it? In second grade… Have you been aware of me since then? You’re such a brat.”

“That’s because I didn’t like being teased! Speaking of which… You couldn’t even say your lines properly during the Cinderella play in elementary school, could you? I was the prince and you were Cinderella, right?”

“What, don’t mix up reality and the play! Oh, that wasn’t what I meant…”

“Airi… why is your face red?”

Could it be that he had finally hit the nail on the head?

Ibuki smirked and said. “I-If you’re going to say that…”

“At that time, you were…”

“Even recently…”

“Come to think of it, yesterday…”

“When we were in kindergarten…”

“Also, when we were playing houses…”

[TL/N : Yeah the conversation was broken like this way in raws]

After all, their relationship was a long one.

It started when they were in kindergarten, and it is still continuing…