Volume 1 - CH 11

Chapter 10 (previous chapter)

Episode 11: The Fiancé and the Present

"This is ...... again, what can I say? Thank you, thank you very much."

Airisa received the paper bag with a puzzled look.

She was unusually upset for a girl who usually kept her composure.

This was the first time she's been this upset since ...... the first time she got complimented by yuzuru on her cooking.

"I'm happy, even if it is for 'acting'"

Airisa squinted slightly.

It was not the artful smile she usually wore at school, but a natural smile.

Just for a little, just for a moment. ......

Yuzuru's heart bounced.

(......  Good for eyes, but bad for the heart.)

Yuzuru didn't like Airisa's dead eyes, or her artful, unnatural smile.

However, he thought her natural smile was really beautiful and lovely.

"It's not for acting though ....... I got a gift for you, because even though we're faking the engaged, we still have a very close relationship."

"...... Is that how it works?"

"Because we're friends. ......  Or maybe I was the only one who thought we were friends?"

Yuzuru scratched his cheek involuntarily.

If it was Yuzuru's one-sided assumption, it would be quite embarrassing.

Then Airisa shook her head from side to side in panic.

"No, no, ......I'm sorry, I don't know much about that kind of thing. If you ask me if I'm a friend......."

"It's not like you don't have any ...... friends, is it?"

"Yes, I do. ...... If friends are the ones that you eat lunch with and you just give each other a high five, then I have a lot of friends."

Airisa said in a somewhat cold tone.

Her green eyes were dark and stagnant.

"I'm not saying that I've never been to a classmate's house or anything but...... Takasegawa-san is the first person I've ever been this close to."

Airisa was always in close contact with her classmates.

But at the same time she didn't have any special friends.

There was no distinction between the classmates.

But between herself and others, she kept a transparent and solid wall.

"That's the way Airisa Yukishiro socializes."

It's no wonder that she wasn't interested in birthdays because she didn't have any person in relationship to celebrate with.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm not interested in birthdays, as there is no one in my life who would be interested in celebrating them.

"For the first time celebrating with a friend......, So is that an honor for you?

She told Yuzuru to tease, thinking that it wasn't good for the atmosphere to take it seriously.

"That's right. It's a great honor."

Then Airisa lovingly patted the paper bag Yuzuru had given her.

Then she looked up at Yuzuru.

Her cold, inorganic eyes, like the usual frozen lake, got a little warmer ... Yuzuru felt like that.

"In October, I prepare something."

"I'll be waiting with anticipation."

Yuzuru replied.

Airisa gave a small nod and placed the paper bag on the floor.　

But she soon began to fidget ... she held it in her hand again and put it on her lap.

Then she asked Yuzuru.

"Can I take a look inside?"

"Ofcourse, go ahead. I rather want to hear what you think. It will help me in the future."

Considering the fact that they would be in an "engaged" relationship until they graduated from college, it was very important to know what Airisa's interests were right now.

"Then I'll give you my honest thoughts ...... Is this soap?"

Yugen gave Airisa an assortment of soaps.

The set included a nice smelling solid soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a hand towel.

He was struck between lotion, hand cream, and lip balm, but he chose the soaps for the coming summer season.

"This is a famous brand, isn't it? Isn't it expensive?"

Yuzuru could hear the joy and confusion in Airisa's voice.

She not sure if she should be happy to have received something so nice, or she should be sorry ...... for buying her such an expensive item.

"So what do you think? What are your impressions? It's okay if you give me a hard time about it."

"Even though I got a expensive product , I can't look at the evaluation from above .... But I got a much better product than I expected. I feel like that. I never thought I would get such a wonderful thing. "

Airisa's voice was a little bouncy.

Her expression remained calm, but her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"I've never been given one of these before, never bought one, never got to use one. So I'm really, really ...... happy."

After Airisa said so, she sighed a little.

Her Midoritama's eyes gradually lost their light, and began to become cloudy

"I'm the only one. Everyone had them, my  sister-in-law, as well as my classmates."

Little by little, Airisa's eyes began to moisten.

Her voice rubbed up and her body quivered slightly.

Quickly Airisa turned her face down.

Her amber hair hid her expression.

"I pretended not to be interested, but I really wanted one. I was jealous of everyone else, but there was no way I could ask them to buy it for me. ...... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I got a little emotional"

Airisa said, and she turned her back against her Yuzuru.

Her shoulders were shaking  a little.

After a while, there was a loud inhale and exhale.

By the time Airisa turned around again, ...... her expression had regained its usual calmness.

Her eyes were ...... slightly red, though.

"Please dont ask me anything now."

"Fine, I'll not"

He was always ready listen her complain.

He already told her that he is always willing to help if she asks.

He also told her that he would respect her intentions .

And then she told him not to ask anything.

Then he won't.

"For the time being, is it okay to use the same thing next year?"

"Yes. ......, please."

But ...

It would be permissible to give her some reason to fulfill her wishes, or to provide her with an escape.

Yuzuru thought so.

At that night.

As usual, Yuzuru was taking Airisa home.

"Takasegawa-san, I've been thinking about you for a while. ......"

"What's up?"

"When you're in the room with me, you wear a t-shirt, but when you go outside, you put on a jacket. ...... I'm sure it's hotter outside than in your room this season."

Airisa's voice had some thorns to it.

Yuzuru thought that he should be dressed properly as long as he goes out and walk alongside Airisa.

That's why he put on a jacket and dressed up.

However, Airisa seemed to be a little uncomfortable with Yuzuru's attitude.

Of course, there is no way that anyone would want to walk next to her looking so shabby. ......

"In other words, you want me to be fashionable even when we are alone. Is that so?"

"That's right. I think it's disrespectful that you care about people's eyes but not my eyes."

Yuzuru understood what she was trying to say.

In short, she was annoyed that she was not treated like a woman.

"But I don't understand. You don't really like me, do you? Do you want me to care about that even though we're faking......?"

"I'm asking you the other way around, Takasegawa-san. What do you think if I come in a jersey up and down on my unkempt head?".

"No, that would be disgusting indeed. No, but i am not that bad, am I ? I just dress like a normal person. ...... Just throw on a jacket and you're dressed for the occasion...... Maybe this is lame? Like a top and bottom jersey?"

Yuzuru didn't think that his fashion sense is particularly good, but he also thinks that it's probably not bad.

However, when you put it that way, it instantly makes him feel uneasy.

"Don't worry about that. I think it's good."

"Well, ......."

"I can forgive you if you're wearing a jersey. What I have a problem with is not the fashion sense, but the attitude of Takasegawa-san. In other words, ...... you would only fix your hair and put on a jacket when you go outside, right? When you're in front of me, you do 60% of what you're capable of, but when you go out, you do 80% of what you're capable of. ...... That's a little annoying."

When you look at it this way, it is true that Yuzuru's attitude was not good.

Yuzuru thought that this should be reflected ... This time, the strong tone was changed, and Airisa made a bearish voice.

"I'm sorry, I said too much now. I understand ... It's Takasegawa-san's room in the first place, and I think it's Takasegawa-san's right to relax there. I'm in the way. But ... that's right. I'm aware of Takasegawa-san in my own way. "

"... Are you aware of me?"

So Airisa's words were a bit of a surprise to Yuzuru.

"It's not that I'm not interested in you. I'm not a ...... romantic interest, of course. It's just that ...... I am aware that you are a man......  or you're not?"

"No, I'm a man. ...... You make jokes like that too."

"Please don't make fun of me. I'm serious. If I treat you as a man and you don't treat me as a woman, isn't that a bit unfair?"

Airisa says this with her mouth agape.

Her cheeks were slightly reddened by the setting sun.

Yuzuru nodded broadly.

"You have a good point. I'm sorry. I took advantage of your kindness and became insensitive. I'll be careful next time."

"I'd appreciate it if you would."

That day, the distance between Yuzuru and Airisa shortened dramatically.

Yuzuru felt that way.