Chapter 59: Overwriting Memories
[Its a story about a chocolatier whos been in unrequited love with a woman for 12 years. The woman is already married, but shes having marital problems. So, she throws covert advances at the chocolatier, who once loved her, trying to use him... Its that kind of drama. I played the role of a somewhat mischievous married woman, giving off a somewhat materialistic vibe.]
As the actress briefly introduced the drama she starred in, the host, with a playful demeanor, inquired,
[A romantic drama then?]
[Its a bit... Well, its about an affair, so...]
[When I do it, its romance, but when others do it, its an affair - that kind, right?]
[Uh...?]
The actress was taken aback.
The studio audience burst into laughter, enhancing the lively atmosphere on TV.
As I was watching a variety show with Miyuki,
Thump. Click.
She touched my nail with the tip of her nail, making me chuckle.
You said to watch TV, but youre not even interested?
Matsuda-kun.
Yes?
Take care of your nails.
All of a sudden?
Theyre pretty but too rough.
Turning the TV volume down as low as possible, I lay down beside Miyuki.
She then caught my messy bangs between her index and middle fingers, tugging them downward gently.
Playing with my bangs as if she were a hairstylist, she said,
Matsuda-kun.
Yes?
Feeling sleepy?
No, are you?
Im not either.
You should still try to sleep. Its tough if you mess up your day and night cycle.
From the way youre saying it, Matsuda-kun seems to switch his day and night frequently. What do you do at night?
Her intention to slyly probe into my past was all too evident.
Looking outwards, with a shrug of my shoulder, I retorted,
Want me to tell you?nove(l)bi(n.)com
Yes, Im curious... No, actually... Im not curious...
She hastily tried to shake her head in denial. Seeing my teasing grin, she seemed to feel a subtle anxiety.
Too bad.
Dont... dont get any weird ideas...
What weird idea? Like the one youre having right now?
What are you talking about...!
Miyuki, biting her lower lip with her front teeth, tightly gripped the hem of my t-shirt.
It reminded me of her demeanor during our first experience.
Twisting her body as if uncomfortable and showing signs of embarrassment, she continued speaking.
Ah...! The cultural festival is over, when do you want to come for dinner?
Whenever youd like.
Mm, but Matsuda-kun.
Yes?
Im cold.
She could just ask for a hug, but she always has to beat around the bush. I wonder when our Miyuki will ever be frank with her feelings. Shes so fox-like.
Cover yourself with the blanket. Ill close the window.
.....
Kidding. Come here.
As I chuckled and slid my hand under Miyukis neck, she naturally nestled into me, making my arm her pillow.
Holding her close, I spoke.
What do you want to do after you wake up tomorrow?
Ill see how I feel first and then decide...
Did it hurt a lot? Does it still hurt?
She was gradually trying to replace the memories she had with Tetsuya with our moments.
It was a positive sign. Miyuki was trying to overwrite her memories with Tetsuya by superimposing them with our memories.
Can you walk?
Maybe...? I think Ill be better after a bit of rest...
Dont push yourself. Lets just watch a late-night movie. Tomorrows a holiday anyway.
Im fine with anything. But... can I rest my feet on your lap when were watching the movie?
Do whatever you want today.
Can I lean my head on you too?
Just dont cross the line.
Amidst our playful banter, we arrived at Miyukis house.
Standing in front of her front door, she looked back several times before finally unlocking it and entering.
I wanted to flirt longer, but given her physical state, it cant be helped. She needs proper rest.
With a hint of reluctance, after seeing Miyuki off, I drove towards the city center.
Upon parking in a public parking area, I walked through the bustling crowd, opened my messaging app, and tried to find Chinami by syncing the contacts.
Found her.
Among the few contacts listed, there was a profile picture that was unmistakably Chinamis even at a glance.
The photo is as expected. It matches her personality quite well.
The nickname is also Momo, which means peach, combined with an honorific suffix to make it [Momo-nim].
Cute. If we get closer, I might want to call her that.
[Sensei, what are you doing?]
Not long after sending the message, I received a reply from Chinami.
[Ah, its you, Matsuda hubae-nim. I was about to eat.]
[Rice?]
[Yes, how did you know?]
[Just had a feeling.]
[Hubae-nim, do you have a really good intuition? Impressive!]
I was teasing... but she took it at face value.
Following was an emoticon of a peach character clapping its hands.
Staring blankly at the mischievous character, I tapped on my screen.
[Is that a peach character in your profile picture? You like peaches that much?]
[Yes. I even had some as an appetizer today.]
[Dont people usually have it as a dessert?]
[I do it this way. Of course, I plan to have some as dessert too.]
Come to think of it, Chinami is the perfect character for a sub-heroine in a visual novel.
The sort of character who lacks self-awareness, often showing her innocence... infused with moe elements, portraying an innocent charm
[It must be a pity that peach season is going to end, right?]
[There are still plenty around, so its okay. But what brings you to message your sensei? Curious about kendo?]
[No, just checking in as your student. Given our mentor-student relationship, its only right.]
[Of course. What are you up to, Matsuda hubae-nim?]
Obviously, as your student, Im doing something grand - like planning to conquer Renka and showing her to you...
It must be too grand from your perspective... the unbeatable ace yielding to me. Of course, you wouldnt believe that, but seeing Renka, dressed up in the corrupted assistant costume, lying down to serve me, youll soon realize the reality in shock
And when you see Renka, who has always been elegant and lofty, break down, some kind of sadistic nature will be awakened, and youll tell her in an innocent tone that Renka-chan is trash, that you are disappointed and as shell vehemently deny, Ill keep fucking her from behind, leading her to climax...
This is quite an intriguing fantasy.
[Im out shopping for a bit.]
[What do you plan to buy?]
[A little bit of this and that. Should I get peach ice cream for you?]
[Appreciate the thought, but I have plenty at home. Im off to eat.]
[Enjoy your meal.]
[Thank you, Matsuda hubae-nim. Enjoy your shopping.]
After ending the conversation with Chinami, I headed to the stationery store.
There, I started selecting items one by one that Miyuki might like.
*
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