Volume 2 - CH 7

Chapter 7: Suzune's Jealousy

No way. ...... Is this really Aoyama Tsukina?

As I gazed at the girl who called herself Aoyama Tsukina in disbelief, she puffed out her cheeks in a miff and glared at me.

"Mamoru Ryutaro, can you hear me?　Oh~ hey, don't ignore me!'

I finally huffed when she said that.

"Sorry ...... but are you really that Aoyama Tsukina?　I'm sorry to say this, but the Aoyama Tsukina I know is more ......"

"She was more plain, she wore bottle bottom glasses, she hid her face with her hair, and she was a picture-perfect literary girl. Isn't that what you're trying to say?"

She anticipated what I was going to say.

"Yes it is."

She looked at me as if I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and for some reason she smiled a good-natured smile and replied, "Sure, I used to be like that."

"But you know what, I've made a break with my past. I decided to live more confidently. That's why I ran for student council."

Well, she was talking to Suzune earlier about the student council election, was she?

"Well, you're in your third year, right? You're in your third year and you're going to vote for the student council, are you planning to stay on until next year's election?"

"Of course I'm graduating. You know what?　If a third-year student becomes student council president, the president nominates a second-year student to be vice president. And after I graduate, the vice president is supposed to be the alternate until the next election. But there doesn't seem to be any precedent for this."

"Wow. ...... I didn't know there was such a rule. I learned something."

I was still unable to believe that the girl in front of me was Tsukina Aoyama.

Yes, she was right. As she had said, she was a simple and picturesque literary girl.

I recall my memory of about two years ago.

--- "Mamoru-kun, do you like to read books?　Actually ...... I like novels too......"

--- "Oh, yeah?　You're writing one too, Mamoru-kun?　We're the same......"

--- "I've read your novels, and they are very cute and nice stories. I wish I could write a story as good as yours......"

--- "Let's go to the bookstore together today and buy a novel and go home. ...... I want to read a book with you and discuss it with you."

--- "Umm, I ...... like you, Mamoru-kun. I'd like to continue reading books and novels with you......."

Now that I think about it, she was a girl much like Suzune back then.

I don't know why I turned down her confession at that time unless I ask myself at that time, but probably I didn't see her as the opposite sex, although I loved talking about books with Aoyama at that time. So when she suddenly confessed her feelings for me, I was surprised and turned her down.

After that, Aoyama and I gradually began to talk less and less, and we grew apart. We were in different classes for two or three years, and our high school has a large number of students. To be honest, her existence had completely disappeared from my memory until today.

Aoyama looked at me with some nostalgia.

"I miss it so much. We used to stop by the bookstore together in freshman year, and we used to write together at Mamoru-kun's house. Was that Miyuki, right?　She's in high school now, right?　How is she doing?"

"Yeah, she went to a different, smarter high school than me."

Aoyama speaks of her memories of the past. From what she told me, it seems that she is indeed the Tsukina Aoyama I knew.

Well, she came to my house a few times, right?

I couldn't believe it, but as I was upset by the reality that I had to accept, she suddenly opened her eyes as if in a huff.

"Oh, by the way, are you still writing novels ...... Mamoru-kun?"

"Oh, me?"

"Yeah, the romantic comedies that Mamoru-kun writes were interesting, weren't they? At least at that time, I'm confident that I was the biggest fan of Mamoru-kun's novels. So, how are you doing?　Are you still writing?"

Aoyama asked that with interest, but I was in a cold sweat at such a casual question.

Of course I'm still writing to rave reviews. Do you see the pretty girl in front of you?　I'm writing a sexually explicit perverted sensual novel with her as my model. Unbelievable, isn't it? I can't believe I'm writing such a sweet and sour romantic comedy.

What a mouthful!

"How about it?　If you're writing one, I'd like to read it too."

Aoyama said.

"Well, um, I haven't been writing much lately. ......"

Aoyama responded vaguely and with a bit of disappointment, "I see."

"What about you?"

I half-assedly twisted the topic into a discussion of Aoyama's novel. But when I asked, Aoyama replied, "Eh?　Me?" Aoyama's reaction is similar to mine from earlier.

"Um, I'm ......."

"Are you still writing? Then, I'm---"

"No, of course I'm not!

She replied as if to cut me off. For some reason, her cheeks turned bright red.

"You know I don't have any talent for writing novels, don't you?"

"That's not true. I liked your novels a lot."

I wasn't being flattering. I liked her novels. I say this now, but at the time I might have even been a little jealous of her talent.

But she said, "Oh, no, I'm not. I'm not talented." She shook her head.

"Anyway, I'm not writing a novel right now!　Oh, by the way, I haven't had lunch yet. Haha...... sorry for interrupting your conversation. I'm going to go now!"

With that, she disappeared from our sight like a rabbit.

I mean, why was she in such a hurry ......? I tilted my head at her strange behavior, but looked at her as Suzune called me, "Senpai ......."

She tilted her head as she looked at me.

"Aoyama Tsukina-san was your acquaintance?"

Oh, come to think of it, I left her alone and talked to Aoyama, but I hadn't explained about her to Suzune yet.

"Aoyama and I were in the same class together in freshman year. We liked each other's novels, so we talked a bit."

I explained, but Suzune raised her eyebrows quizzically.

"It didn't seem like you were just talking a little. Well, and it seems like she was in and out of my Senpai's house, too. ......"

"Oh, that's because we were writing a novel together. What do you call it?　Like fellow writers."

"Oh, really?　It seemed like a more advanced relationship to me."

"No, no, we don't have that kind of relationship. We're just fellow writers."

"Oh, I see. ......"

She may or may not have been satisfied with my explanation, but she turned her head away from me.

But right after that....

"Ow, ouch. ......."

I felt a pain in my shin. Then I remembered. Was I being pervertedly fondled by Suzune until Aoyama came?

"Senpai, this is a continuation of what you just said ......"

Apparently she is continuing what she did earlier, but the Minazuki perverted explorer has apparently started drilling a tunnel with a drill, and her toes are gouging my shins, and it kind of hurts a little .......

"Don't you like pain, Senpai?　I thought she'd be happy about it, so I tried to make it harder. ......"

Suzune said as she turned her head away from me.

"No, no, I'm ...... glad to hear that. ......"

I replied with a wry smile at her well-meaning hurt.

S-Suzune?　Wait, it hurts a little...... ah...... but maybe the pain isn't so bad.......

***

After school, I went straight home to work on my novel again today. From here I just stay in my room and write until dinner is ready. I opened the door and walked down the hallway to the living room to make myself a cup of coffee. The door to the living room was left open, and from the hallway I could see Miyuki in her school uniform sitting on the sofa.

It seems that Miyuki also came straight home without making a detour. She is looking at her phone while sitting on the sofa. Apparently, she was so absorbed in her phone that she did not notice my return.

I try to scare her off by walking into the living room with my bare feet. But as I entered the living room, I noticed something a little strange about her.

She was engrossed in her phone. No, that's fine. The problem was her cheeks. Her cheeks were bright red and she was tracing her lower lip with her index finger. And occasionally, she would wriggle .......

Hey, wait a minute ...... I'm very familiar with such gestures.......

Then, Miyuki noticed my presence and suddenly turned her face toward me. Then, with a jerk of her shoulders, she hid the phone behind her back with great speed.

"Oh, Onii-chan, you're home!"

Miyuki said, clearly flustered and with a tight smile on her face.

"Heh? What's with you being in such a hurry ......"

"Hurriedly?　What are you talking about?"

And, Miyuki clearly misinterpreting something.

As I stared at her, I felt the blood drain from my face.

But I hurriedly shook my head.

No, no, no. It's not true.

Miyuki writing sensual novels?

Absolutely not. She would hate such things because of her personality. It's true that she reads girls' manga to the level of an otaku, but she prefers sweet and sour romantic comedies, not sensual novels. ......

Could it be Suzune?

No, as expected, that's not it either.

As expected, Suzune probably didn't tell Miyuki that she reads sensual novels, and that's not likely based on Miyuki's impression of Suzune.

If that's the case, why was she looking at her phone so shyly like Suzune ......?

"Hm, what happen to you?"

Miyuki tilts her head curiously at me shaking her head.

"No, it's nothing. ......"

I replied, and she got off the sofa. Then, still with her phone tucked behind her back, she turns to leave the living room, never turning her back to me and maintaining a certain distance from me.

"Hey, do you think I'm a bear or something?　What's with that weird walk ......?"

"Nah, it's nothing!!!"

Miyuki ran somewhere as if to escape, making thumping footsteps as she yelled so.