CH 41

41 - Who we're to each other

I'm just a regular guy and a nerd gamer, so there's no way I could give proper thoughts.......

In any case, the unveiling of the new costumes ended with me just saying it was cute.

After that, the five of us, including Nonoa-chan, had a casual conversation and finished the day.

The original plan was for Rinka, Nonoa-chan, and I to spend the day off together, but it's nice to have a day like this once in a while.

It is a different matter, however, if the existence of Kiyokawa can be considered positively.......

No, it's not that I dislike Kiyokawa.

I just wish she would be a little more tolerant of me.

I also wish she would do something about her subtle harshness.

She's a neat and tidy young lady with a reputation for being kind to everyone, but her words are harsh only to me.

So I get a little pissed off and argue back....... It's a negative chain of events.

I want to get along with Kiyokawa somehow.

"It's best if I can just get along with Kiyokawa normally without having to do anything difficult." (Kazuto)

What should I do to make that happen.......?

Kiyokawa thinks that I'm a womanizer.

The reason why she thinks I'm a womanizer is that Rinka, who hates men, is in deep love with me.

In addition, it's also because Kurumizaka-san has complete faith in me.

In other words, she has doubts about my humanity.

The other reason is...... she's keeping an eye on me because someone was about to catch out my and Rinka's rendezvous.

"No good, on second thought, maybe Kiyokawa's right." (Kazuto)

Time will probably take care of the womanizing thing. It's easy to see that I don't have a relationship with women.

It's just that Rinka, who is very affectionate towards me, and Kurumizaka-san, are special. ......It makes me sad to say it myself.

In that case, the problem would be the our almost caught-out relationship.

It was irrefutably my fault. But in fact, Kiyokawa is naive enough to only monitor us.

"The only way is to steadily build up trust......." (Kazuto)

It takes 20 years to build up trust, but only 5 minutes to lose it.

There is even a quote like that. If I want to be trusted by that Kiyokawa, I have to work hard.

"Let's just go play a game while thinking about it!" (Kazuto)

I click on the icon of Black Plains with my mouse without hesitation.

I'm so impressed with myself that I'm a complete nerd gamer.

"Has Rin logged in...... she hasn't, Sturm Angriff has not either." (Kazuto)

I mutter to myself as I check my friend list. I don't have any proof, but I'm pretty sure neither of them will be logging in today.

I also check the login status of my other friends.

......was there.

Only one person is logged in. It is Masked☆Aaya-san

As I'm thinking about whether to talk to her, she sent me a nicely-timed chat, "Want to do dailies?". And without hesitation, I immediately reply, "Let's do!". She immediately sends me a request for a party, which I accept.

[It's been a while, Kazu. How are you?] (Masked☆Aaya)

[I don't feel so good. I've been through some pretty rough times lately.] (Kazu)

[Is there a reason for that? I don't mind listening to your story.] (Masked☆Aaya)

I see, just a chat before doing the daily. It's not bad.

I chat with Masked☆Aaya-san about the recent events, including today.

Of course, I don't mention my personal name or identity.

[Isn't it awful? Kazu's junior girl. She's a real a**hole.] (Masked☆Aaya)

I'm talking about Kiyokawa. When I tell her that I was being watched by a junior (Kiyokawa) while keeping it a secret that Rinka and the others are idols, she was acting like some kind of stalker and tailing me.

[I don't think she's a bad guy, though......] (Kazu)

[No, it is terrible. She unilaterally treats Kazu like a womanizer and tails him around in school, right? Definitely a bad girl.] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Well, I mean, there are some certain circumstances, too...... I can't tell you the details, though.] (Kazu)

[Why the tone of yours is defending that junior? I mean, I'm surprised that Kazu in real life had a girlfriend.] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Right? I'm surprised too.] (Kazu)

[What the heck... awokwokaok LMFAO.] (Masked☆Aaya) (PTW/N: sorry, just joking around)

I've kept Rin's true identity a secret from Masked☆Aaya-san.

So I haven't told her how I came to have her as my girlfriend.

[I know it, Kazu is popular, after all~. Right~.....] (Masked☆Aaya)

I feel like she's saying it with some kind of ruefulness.

[What's wrong?] (Kazu)

[Nothing in particular. Considering what happened in the guild days, I thought it made sense that Kazu would be popular.] (Masked☆Aaya)

Guild days...... It was a time when I (a middle school student) and Aaya-san were members of the same guild.

One day, there was an incident in the guild centered on Aaya-san, a female player.

That was a really tough time.

The incident started with the idea of having an offline meeting.

It all started when Aaya-san refused to have an off-line meeting because of her policy of withholding information about her real life.

Apparently, the guild members were starving for women and were desperate to invite her to an offline meeting.

Of course, Aaya-san didn't mean to do that, then they ended up arguing about something, and somehow I got involved in the commotion....... Before I knew it, I was in a position to defend Aaya-san.

Well, objectively speaking, the crazy ones are the people in the guild.

They must have been crazy to forcibly invite her to an offline meeting.

So, it was inevitable that I would take Aaya-san's side.

As a result, Aaya-san and I left the guild and became unaffiliated players......

Since then, we have been active as independent players without belonging to a guild.

[So, is everything okay with Aaya-san? I mean, that handsome guy.] (Kazu)

[It's not okay at all. That guy might be a lolicon.] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Seriously? A two-timing guy, then a lolicon as well, how terrible!] (Kazu)

[Ah, about it, he wasn't two-timing. I've been watching him lately and I figured it out. Also, he seems to really like my senior who looks like Rinka-san.] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Heeh. But he's a lolicon, right?] (Kazu]

[Probably. He was trying to put his hands on her younger sister (1st grader).] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Oh, man! Let's exile him to a deserted island!] (Kazu)

[It's still a possibility, okay? I haven't confirmed that he's a lolicon yet, though.]  (Masked☆Aaya)

[He's definitely a lolicon! Let's get rid of that handsome guy!] (Kazu)

[......you really hate handsome guy much, yes.] (Masked☆Aaya)

I can see Aaya-san has a dumbfounded expression on her face. I've never seen her face before, though.

I mean, I've heard such a story before. And it's like what I experienced today.

But in my case, I only proposed to Nonoa-chan in a playing. And I didn't put my hands on her.

After all, that lolicon handsome bastard and I are polar opposites.

After that, we forget about the dailies and just complain about our real-life things.

Aaya-san curses my junior (Kiyokawa) as a terrible girl, and I curse that lolicon handsome bastard.

The chat of ours is very lively.

[......I got a feeling that the junior of Kazu is kinda familiar, somehow. I wonder if it's just my imagination.] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Is there someone close to you who looks like her?] (Kazu)

[I don't know if I should say it "close to me", but....... No, the situation is completely different from this one.] (Masked☆Aaya)

Aaya-san, who seems to have solved the problem herself, continued to send me a chat.

[What kind of life does that girl usually lead?] (Masked☆Aaya)

[She seems to have a busy life, but I don't know much about her.] (Kazu)

The only thing I know about Kiyokawa is her reputation on the Internet.

I don't know her friendships and I also don't know her standing in the school.

And I, realize that now.

I don't know anything slightest about Kiyokawa.

[Oh no! The date is about to change! I should go to bed! Good night, Kazu!] (Masked☆Aaya)

[Good night!] (Kazu)

Aaya-san is logging out. So I am.

"I wonder what kind of girl Kiyokawa really is." (Kazuto)

She's a neat and tidy young lady and rich. She is a popular idol. And she is also the background leader of Star☆Mines.

So what kind of standing does she have in the school?

Up until now, I've only thought of Kiyokawa as an annoying presence who keeps monitoring me, and I've never been interested to know her real self.

But after chatting with Aaya-san, I feel like I want to know more about Kiyokawa.

"......Let's do a little investigation." (Kazuto)

If you want to get to know people, it's not a bad idea to start by gathering information.

Tomorrow is reverse, I'll be the one who monitors her...... No, I mean, I'll observe Kiyokawa.

I'm rather curious to see what the school life of a neat and tidy idol is like.