CH 89

Chapter 89: Battle

See you later, I waved to Sara as I left her house and briskly walked to the elevator. A smile was plastered onto my face.

I hit the down button repeatedly, and I even jumped as a kid when it arrived with a ding. I could finally let my smile rest, and take a deep breath. Releasing a heavy sigh. I crouched in place.

“. . .I could die.”

What the hell. What just happened. No really, I can’t keep up with it. I’ve completely stopped thinking.

I kissed. . . Kissed Sara. Even if it was by accident, it’s enough to make my brain nearly melt, but the fact she likes me and is happy that I was her first kiss is surely going to finish me off. Thank you, I could die in peace, thank you very much!

The atmosphere was so good that I almost confessed to her, saying “I like you too!” but I can’t jump on obvious bait. She meant just as a friend! While I like her romantically!

I knew she already liked me and liked me that way, and I guess she was trying to comfort me when I was crying, but I never thought she’d put it into words. Thanks to that, my tears instantly subsided.

I stood up from squatting giggling at the sound of the elevator reaching the floor, and I quickly left the apartment complex. I walked and I walked, before I knew it I arrived at the train station. My head seemed to have cooled down a little and I could slow down my brisk walking.

(It’s because I like Shiori-san. . .I’m happy my first kiss was with you!)

She really is defenseless. If she says something like that in that mood, I would almost misunderstand her. Yes, it was a misunderstanding. Because I haven’t been able to do anything to make Sara’s heart flutter. There is no way she sees me as a love interest. There is no way that I, the sub heroine (aka not the main character) would have it so easy. Having mutual love isn’t that simple. I can’t get carried away by a misunderstanding, I will only end up crying later on.

(TN: I don’t usually put these notes in, I don’t like to, but damn, was that painful to translate. Such an idiot.)

“But is it really. . . a misunderstanding? I wonder.”

Don’t get your hopes up. The world isn’t that sweet, and it isn’t so convenient like my favorite Yuri works. I understand that now.

But if those words weren’t about friendship, I just assumed it was. Just remembering it makes my heart pound, I wonder if I could even sleep tonight as I am. No, it’d be impossible.

Should I go back and make sure? But I’ve already walked far. And then I’d have to have her go out of her way to open the auto-lock door and meet me, and if she did only like me as a friend, I’d feel like dying.

“. . .I should just go home.”

In any case, it was just a misunderstanding. Next time we meet, I could just lightly ask her when I get a chance. By then I’m sure I’ll be able to calmly talk to her.

The next time we meet will be- – -on the night of the fireworks display.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer vacation is finally in its second half.

As expected of me, I have to finish my painting for the art club. Once the next semester begins the preparations for the school festival will probably begin to accelerate, and the number of days when I can help the student council and also go to club activities will be limited.

Come to think of it, the reason why there aren’t many episodes with “Shiori” in the game’s cultural festival event, perhaps “Shiori” in the game was also helping student council work at Yoko’s request? Of course I wouldn’t know, especially now.

So that’s why even though it was the day after I kissed Sara, I had to seriously show up for club activities.

As usual, Aoi was surrounded by other club members, while Koharu quietly painted her painting further away. Yoko, who sat besides me, looked like she’ll begin a sketch soon.

Still this is the usual scene, it was as if yesterday was a dream, and when I focused on the canvas, I noticed that I was running out of supplies.

“Hey Yoko. Do you have masking tape?”

“I don’t have any. Did you forget yours?”

“Yeah, it was by accident.”

It’s not that I forgot, it’s that I didn’t plan to use it.

Recently, masking tape is often used for decorating small items, but in the art club, it’s used to protect areas where you don’t want to paint. Since I rarely used it, it had never been replenished.

Normally I’d just borrow it from someone at random, but now all those I did borrow from are always surrounding Aoi. So it’s a little difficult to approach any of them. Or rather I just don’t want to get close to Aoi.

“I wonder if there is some lying in the prep room.”

“Ah, come to think of it, I think there are some. Should we look together?”

“No, I’ll be fine alone. Thank you though.”

I left my seat, and went towards the preparation room, which was next to the art room.

When I opened the door to the prep room, I had to hold my breath and back away a little due to the stuffy humid heat with a musty smell striking me in the face. The art room is equipped with air conditioning, but the prep room has no such blessing. The only thing that was working was an old ventilation fan, rattling as it whirred away. I doubt the room is actually properly being ventilated.

There is no point in staying in this room for too long. I wanted to find it quickly and go back to the nice cool room. . . However,

“I can’t find it anywhere.”

Easels, canvases, plaster bust. And then even more, there are cardboard boxes, books, and a ton of miscellaneous stuff. The word of keeping a room “tidy” was completely thrown away, and I just started tossing things aside to find what I was looking for. If an earthquake were to happen, I would be buried alive and almost die. How could Yoko even see masking tape in a place like this?

Just when I was about to give up, the door behind me opened with a loud rattling noise.

“Sen-pai~♪”

With a 100% smiling and sweet voice, she called out to me. It was Aoi, the person I wanted to avoid the most, entering the prep room.

I got ready to escape, but unfortunately there is only one exit. And she is blocking it. Crap, I can’t escape!

“. . .What do you need?”

“Oh nothing, I just thought we could be alone, so I chased after you.”

Of course you did!

If I knew this was going to happen, I should have asked Yoko to come with me. Or perhaps I should have just asked to borrow it from someone else from the start. Dangit, I was completely caught off guard!

“Well, I’ll be going back to the art room now, so let me through.”

“Nope.”

The passageway in this room is filled and crowded with miscellaneous stuff, it’s only wide enough for one person to go through. Standing there, she is completely blocking my only escape route. Aoi refused my request with a smile on her face. This girl has a lot of guts.

Ah, I see the masking tape, it’s on the shelf right next to Aoi. If I would have found this sooner, I wouldn’t have had to deal with this happening!

“Before you leave, please listen to my request.”

“. . .What is it?”

“Senpai, please go on a date with me!”

“No thank you.”

After I instantly rejected, her shoulders dropped dejectedly.

Of course I’d reject that. With the exception of Sara, I’d reject- – – also do you have to go on a date with me?

“Please don’t say that!”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’ll pay!”

“That isn’t the problem.”

“Even if just for 1 hour.”

“I don’t care if it’s 1 second.”

I do feel sorry for Aoi as she is staring at me with teary eyes, though she still refused to back down. This really does feel cruel, but it was expected.

Since there was no possibility for this to happen, it is important to completely push back.

This back and forth has been mentally draining me, so I think it’s time to retreat from this. And I want you to also give up.

“Did I do something to make you not like me this much?”

“It’s simply my principle not to go out of my way to be nice to people I have already rejected. So if you could move now?”

As I reached out my hand to push her aside, as she was unable to compromise, she grabbed my arm instead and embraced me. No, well to be more accurate, she is clinging to me.

Stop, I tried to tear off this unpleasant body warmth, but she wouldn’t get off. After arguing back and forth with her to get off, she didn’t. Aoi finally let go of my arm, and clung to me with both her arms wrapped around my waist. After this happened, I can no longer simply escape.

I gave up and stopped resisting. Aoi was breathing a little heavily and was able to take a breath.

“Ouch. . .”

“And whose fault is that?”

“It’s because Senpai was trying to escape.”

“You are so persistent! I won’t run away, so let me go. It’s hot!”

Ah, geeze. It’s extra hot because I’m getting mad!

Aoi stared at me with a speechless expression as she reluctantly separated from me. I started to fan myself with my hand, as Aoi stared at me with a face that looked like she wanted to say something.

“If you have something to say, go ahead.”

“. . . How can I get you to like me?”

“I won’t like you no matter what you do. Like I said before, I have someone else I like.”

“If you are rejected, would you then look my way a little?”

Huh huh huh!? Don’t think you can just say that because you are the protagonist! It’s bad luck!

Koharu said Aoi was good at reading the room, but what the heck? This girl keeps stepping on landmines!

“That question made me not like you even more. No matter how many times I am rejected by somebody, I will never like you.” 

“Eee-h!”

No, why are you making that shocked face? This is the natural thing.

In general, why do you even like me? She hasn’t even properly met Sara. And I am not nice to her. She should be more conscious of Koharu, because she is the main heroine.

– -Huh? Come to think of it, honestly why? I shouldn’t have done anything to make this girl like me. Is it just my looks? Or is the universe drawing her to me? I have no idea.

I was frustrated, all I could ask myself was “why!?” as i stared blankly at Aoi, but then it was blown away by her next words.

“A-ah. Even though I went through great pains to ask Sara-chan for advice, it wasn’t good enough.”

. . . . .Eh?

“Did you just say, Sara. . .?”

My body naturally trembled. I hope she was wrong. Or a desire that she is talking about another Sara, however Aoi answered with a natural tone. “I’m talking about Fujioka Sara-chan.” She politely added “Don’t you both commute to school together?”

Why is Aoi asking Sara for advice?

Why are those two talking without my knowledge? Since when did they begin to know each other? Are those two close enough to talk about something like this? What kind of advice did she give?

Various questions rushed through my head, and I began to go pale.

There are many things I want to ask, but what’s important to get from this. Sara and Aoi are connected.

If those two get along like this, the possibility of getting a “Sara route” will emerge. If it is a route with a happy ending, despite needing 10 billion steps to do it, then it is okay.

But if it’s the bad ending. Sara would be. . !

“By chance I ran into her returning home after buying art supplies. Sara-chan is a super good girl though.”

“Y-Yeah. . .”

Apparently they are getting along, and it doesn’t seem like many days have passed since then.

Even so, why didn’t Sara tell me about this? She knew about Aoi’s confession to me and she even told me yesterday that she would be willing to become my fake girlfriend for the sake of it. What she says and does doesn’t make sense, I don’t understand what she is thinking at all. 

All I know is she gave Aoi some kind of advice, and because of that, it’s a clear sign she doesn’t see me as a romantic interest. . . Yeah, I knew it. I knew it already but, it’s a huge shock being confronted like this. Yesterday I had a little hope, but now it’s gone.

Could it be, could it be that Sara is already attracted to Aoi?

So maybe she was worried about Aoi’s confession because of what my reply would be. If someone you like confesses, of course you’d want to know more. I don’t know why she’d be my fake lover, but perhaps by pretending we are dating it was to prevent Aoi’s love from coming true?

No no no, no way. Sara isn’t the type to think about things like that.

“Sara-chan is really beautiful!”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, Senpai is also pretty. I like Senpai’s looks more!”

“Thank you, but I don’t care.”

“Ouch!”

No, I genuinely do not care.

My thoughts are a mess right now, but there is a limit of what I can do. Regardless, now I have to somehow separate Aoi from Sara. Also I have to directly confirm with Sara how true Aoi’s words are.

I don’t like it, but depending on the situation, it may be necessary to interfere with their relationship.

“Sara-chan seems to also be on good terms with my junior high friend. Now that we got to talk to each other, I think perhaps I should invite her out next time.”

“Stop.”

“Eh?”

Aoi asked back with a shocked expression.

Oh crap. I didn’t raise my voice, but that might have been a little harsher than I meant. In the first place, it’s strange that I, who is just a friend, would interfere with Sara’s friendships.

However, I can’t just leave them alone.

I don’t think she will go on the “Sara route” while her affection is pointed at me. However it’s only a matter of time. If she gets along with a cute Sara, it wouldn’t be strange for her to change course. I won’t dominate her heart forever. Or rather that’s the natural course of action.

“Why not?”

“Because. . .”

It’s because the (Sara Route) will put Sara’s life in danger- – -I can’t say that.

“Of course you don’t want the girl you’re close to and the person you rejected to be friends.”

”You just thought about that.”

“Well, I actually don’t think that’s the case.”

Please don’t read the air right now!

Aoi stared at me with a dissatisfied expression. It seems that she was able to see through my feelings, which made me very uncomfortable, but I can’t lose here. Push no matter what.

“Perhaps Sara-chan is the person Senpai likes?”

“It’s different.”

“Well of course you’d say so. It doesn’t matter anyways. I don’t need Senpai’s permission to ask Sara-chan to hang out.”

“. . .tsk”

That’s true, but I don’t get this grand expression she is giving. What benefit would there be for Aoi if she did such a thing.

“Senpai, you don’t want Sara-chan and I to get along, do you?”

“. . .Yeah, I don’t.”

“Understood.”

Aoi, after giving a big nod, had a satisfied smile.

And then said,

“I won’t invite Sara-chan out, if Senpai goes on a date with me.”

. . .There it is.

I wonder if this girl would be happy dating me this way.

I’m getting angry at how pushy she is, but looking back on it, Aoi in the game was pretty similar to this. She wasn’t on the “Koharu route.” nor the “Shiori route”, but in the early phases of the “Sara route.”- –when she hasn’t opened up yet, there are many scenes where she really follows her around.

It is drawn from Aoi’s point of view, so I ignored it, but seeing it from a realistic view, ambushing in front of the school gate, or saying “I’ll wait for you to come.” after she refuses to go on a date with her. Seeing it in real life, it’s really annoying.

That’s why I’m afraid that if I refuse her, she will go out of her way to do that stuff to Sara as she asks her out. If it develops from there, she could enter the “Sara route.” I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

Ahhhhhh! Why did Sara have to get involved? If Aoi had just told me “I’ll wait for you to come.” I would have made her wait just like she wanted ! !

“. . .You’re the worst.”

“Whatever. So what will it be? You have 30 seconds to decide.”

“Truly the worst!”

I hate this junior from the bottom of my heart. As she smiles at me despite my glares and nasty words, she simply says “Yeah yeah, the worst. You have 20 seconds left.”

But I’ve already realized it.

Even if Sara likes Aoi, even if Aoi gets close to Sara, the only sure way to prevent the “Sara route” I could do is.

. . .That’s right. The “Shiori” route.