CH 42

The Main Heroine is Full of “Cute”



When the firewood was put in the fireplace, the flames rose.



Shimotsuki was staring at the flickering flames.



“…………”



What on earth is she thinking about?



I went to get some more firewood and came back just now, but she didn’t seem to notice me.



She was sitting in a gymnastic position, looking at the fire.



I thought, what a great …… sight.



Cute girls are attractive no matter what they are doing.



Even just looking at the flames, I feel an attraction that makes me want to take a picture of her.



The flickering flames reflected off her silvery-white hair, giving off a faint glow.



Her cheeks, which were redder than usual, were also cute.



This must be the person who was chosen.



Shimotsuki is the kind of girl who can be admired by the protagonist. How could she not be attractive?



“……… The horse that was mistakenly burned in the fire made a ‘hihihi’ sound. Fire, only to …… ugh.”



But what she was thinking was a bit silly.



I wish she wouldn’t think such silly things with such a sorrowful face. I suddenly felt ashamed of myself for admiring her.



Okay, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.



“… Shimotsuki, I’m back.”



I pretended to have just arrived and put down the firewood I was carrying.



Shimotsuki looked at me as I put the extra firewood on the fire.



“Nakayama-kun, can I suddenly tell you a funny story?　You know ……”The horse that was mistakenly burned in the fire made a ‘hihihi’ sound. Fire, only to …… ugh.” It’s funny, isn’t it? I’m afraid of my comedic talent. ……!”



I guess she was pretty confident about her skills.



She looked pretty smug.



“…………Ummm…”



To be honest, I had trouble responding.



I had heard it before, and if anything, the joke wasn’t even funny, so my cheeks tensed up. I wondered if I should laugh at her, so I ended up with an expression that I couldn’t really understand.



“Oh, what? Isn’t it funny? Or did Nakayama-kun not understand this joke? Well, the sound of a horse is ‘hi-heen,’ right? I combined it with the word “fire”. Also, you want to cry because you were burned by fire by mistake, right? I also added the sound of a ‘squeal’ to it.”



I’m sorry to say that she’s trying her best to explain, but that’s not the point.



Maybe this is it. …… Maybe I should tell her how I honestly feel.



I don’t want to contradict Shimotsuki too much, but I think it’s good for friends to tell others what they can’t do.



That’s why I said it clearly.



“I’m sorry … it was dull.”



“… !!!!”



Then Shimotsuki instantly puffed up her cheeks and stood up vigorously. She looked like a blowfish.



“Silly, silly, silly. You have no sense of humor if you can’t understand my best comedy. If a professional comedian were to listen to it, he or she would probably burst out laughing. You can’t help it, Nakayama-kun……”



She seemed to be unhappy, but it was strange because Shimotsuki seemed to be enjoying herself somehow.



“What a surprise. I’ve always dreamed of fighting with my friends like this. …… I think it’s like number 200 on my list of things I want to do with my friends. And friends can get along better after a fight like this, right? I’m so glad I got to be friends with Nakayama-kun. ♪ “



It’s not a fight, but more of a joke, but if she called it a fight, then it was a fight.



I let it slide.



“…… Oh, what? Why don’t you say anything? I’m not sure if you’re really depressed because you think I’m mad at you? I’m just kidding, Nakayama-kun. …… Okay, okay, I’m not mad at you, so don’t be scared. Come on.”



…… And yet, the distance between us is as close as ever.



In addition, I suddenly noticed that Shimotsuki has been touching me a lot lately.



I think it’s called skinship……, and she’s still trying to act like a big sister and pat my head, but she’s too short to reach for my head, so I’m forced to pat her back.



There were many things I wanted to say to her.



But her gestures were so cute that I was too embarrassed to say anything back.



“I’m not depressed…….”



That’s all I managed to say. But Shimotsuki smiled mischievously and poked me on the cheek.



“Huh? But your face is red. Is it possible that you’re embarrassed? You’re turning red from being stroked by your sister, aren’t you? Oh my god, Nakayama-kun has a cute side too. …… It makes me want to tease you even more.”



Please don’t do that.



Even I’m not used to being teased by a ridiculously cute girl like Shimotsuki. When a girl like that teases me, I get too embarrassed to do anything about it.



“Oh, please, take it easy on me.”



When I raised my hands in surrender, Shimotsuki smiled softly.



The smile that seems to make everyone who sees it happy makes me admire it again.



“Ehehe ~”



I’ve never seen such a cute girl in my life.



She was like a concentrated version of “cute”.