CH 46

I'm an undesirable boyfriend anyway.

Translated by Dawn

I’m an undesirable boyfriend anyway.

It was late at night in late July, at the height of summer.

I was lying on my bed in my darkened room, staring at the LIME chat screen.

The windows of my room were closed and the air conditioner was on.

Summer was still summer, even if it was late at night.

……yesterday, or technically, the day before yesterday.

I was on my way to take Mizutani home when I ran into her mother.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it, whether I was sleeping or waking up.

I wondered if I could have done something more.

Even though it was a family matter, I could have tried to do something a little more.

However, there was no use in continuing to wrestle with me endlessly like that.

So after that, I sent Mizutani a LIME to ask, “Are you okay?”

The message was displayed at the bottom of my chat history with Mizutani.

But there was no reply.

In fact, the message was not even read.

I felt uneasy and thought about sending a follow-up message.

But there was a possibility that nothing, in particular, had happened to Mizutani and that she was simply busy during the day. In that case, Mizutani would check the LIME notification at night.

I stopped sending additional messages, thinking to the point that if she had received a message from me at that time…she would surely become uncomfortable.

But, in the end, I hadn’t received any reply until now.

When the message was still unread, I began to think that something must have happened to Mizutani. Mizutani wasn’t the type to respond immediately, but she wasn’t particularly slow in replying either…

“Uwaaa!”

Then, unexpectedly, the “Are you okay?” message was read, and I couldn’t help but shout out. I covered my mouth in a panic and looked around the next room. Fortunately, I didn’t wake Mai up.

—You’re kidding, right? At this hour?

I was confused, putting myself on the shelf for being awake at such a “late hour,” when I received a reply from Mizutani shortly after. “Sorry, can we meet now?” The message was read immediately.

That’s right. I had just opened my chat history.

But I wondered what Mizutani would think.

“This guy waited for me in the middle of the night…!” She might be shivering right now.

No, I felt like she would.

Objectively speaking, I was pretty creepy right now.

…Well, what’s the use of dwelling on such things?

What had happened couldn’t be helped now.

What I should be doing right now was replying to Mizutani’s message.

I hurriedly typed, “I can meet you, but where?” After a short pause, Mizutani sent me an address. Apparently, it was a park near Mizutani’s house. I replied with a simple, “Okay,” and jumped out of bed in a hurry.

After changing into jeans and a shirt, I opened the door to my room.

I turn the knob and open the door slowly so as not to make any noise.

Once outside my room, I looked around the hallway to my right and left.

It was strange how the inside of a house looked a little different late at night than it does during the day.

I put on my shoes as I was, opened the front door as quietly as possible, and walked out.

After locking the door, I searched the map app for the address sent to me and ran to my destination.

Mizutani was much closer to the park than I was, so if I did it normally, I would get there first.

Although it was late at night, it was summer, so it was not cold (in fact, it was usually hot and humid), but I did not want to keep her waiting for a long time.

When I reached a T-junction, I stopped running.

If I turned at this T-junction, I would be at my destination. In other words, Mizutani could be there.

It would be embarrassing for Mizutani to find out that I had run this far.

I took a pause to catch my breath and then turned at a T-junction.

It was the first time for me to go to the park, but I knew immediately where I wanted to go as soon as I turned the corner.

Because there was a girl with bright blonde hair standing at the entrance of the park.

“Aizawa!”

She seemed to have found me on the other side and waved at me.

Mizutani was wearing a white one-piece dress with a cardigan over it.

The one-piece dress was called a negligee, I think.

I guess it was just a nightgown, but it looked much more fashionable than my own clothes.

I lightly raised my hand in response and approached Mizutani.

When I was a few steps closer than I could see her expression – she was smiling – Mizutani opened her mouth.

“It’s been a while since yesterday, Aizawa.”

“The day before yesterday, to be exact. We’ve already crossed the day.”

“It doesn’t matter which day it is. …Let’s sit down for now.”

Mizutani pointed to a bench set up at the back of the park.

I nodded and entered the park alongside her.

I went to the bench and sat down alongside Mizutani.

But this situation was like a couple of delinquents in a story.

If we were discovered by the police, we would surely be taken into custody.

I looked at Mizutani next to me and our eyes met.

Mizutani was smiling at me in some way. I had a bad feeling about this.

“Aizawa, I know you’ve been looking at LIME. You read my message in an instant, and I’m glad you replied so quickly.”

She hit a sore spot early on.

But I was learning from my past experiences.

I’d have thought of an excuse by the time I ran all the way here.

“Well, it just happened. Speaking of which, you didn’t reply to me today, Mizutani, but when I looked to see if my response had at least been read, I saw that it was at the time…you replied.”

“Hmmm, so that can happen. But I’m surprised you’re up at this time of night.”

“…I don’t have any plans for tomorrow, I’m in the middle of a long vacation. It’s not surprising that I am up at this hour; I’m not a grade-schooler who goes to bed at 10:00 a.m.”

“You’re right. You’re a high school student.”

“…the way you just said that it sounded really strange and deliberate.”

“It’s just your imagination.”

Mizutani shook her leg happily.

What is this feeling of being danced on the palm of my hand… As my face cramps, Mizutani poked at the painful spot.

“Ah, and, you arrive quite early. You’re sweating a lot…did you run, by any chance?”

“…I’m sweating even if I don’t run in this heat. I’m a sweaty person.”

“Hmm, I’ve never heard of that before. ……I’ll give you this for now.”

Mizutani offered me a lace handkerchief from the pocket of her cardigan.

I thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to wipe my sweat with it…but I didn’t want to refuse, so I decided to use it gratefully.

“I’m sorry. I’ll wash it and give it back, this handkerchief.”

“Okay, give it back tomorrow night at midnight.”

“Okay…wait, why is it only at midnight?”

Let’s leave aside the fact that we were supposed to meet again tomorrow without hesitation at this point, but the time frame was tricky. When I quickly asked that, Mizutani answered with a difficult look on her face.

“It’s tough during the day. My mom is watching me.”

“She’s watching you…Are you okay?”

“I’d like to say I’m fine, but I have to admit it’s stressful.”

“Well, that’s true…”

But in a way, it was amazing that she was that thorough.

Apparently, Mizutani’s mother really didn’t want me to get involved with Mizutani.

Mizutani sighed and continued.

“My phone is confiscated too, so I’m sorry for all the delays in replying…I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

“No, no, no, it’s no wonder you’re in such a situation. How could you contact me when your phone was confiscated?”

“I had an idea where it was hidden. I sneaked it out when my mom was asleep.”

“…I see.”

So that was why the reply came late at night.

If it was right after bedtime, there was a chance she was still awake.

But I didn’t know Mizutani would do that.

I thought she would be more obedient to that mother.

“Do you find it surprising?”

Mizutani asked as if reading my mind.

“Well, honestly yes.”

“I know. It’s surprising even to me. I can’t believe I did such a stupid thing. Before I met Aizawa, I would have just obeyed my mother.”

“You don’t listen well to others. The way you put it, it sounds as if I had a bad influence on you, Mizutani.”

“…I think you are right when you say so. I wonder if my mom’s judgment wasn’t a mistake at all.”

“Yes, yes. I’m an undesirable boyfriend anyway.”

At my joke, Mizutani shook her shoulders and laughed.

From Mizutani’s mother’s point of view, I guess it looked like it was not a joke.

“Hey, Aizawa. I don’t feel comfortable asking this, but…can you come here tomorrow and onward? It looks like my mom is going to be strictly supervising me during the day for a while…and seeing Aizawa’s face makes me feel a little bit safer.”

After a short laugh, Mizutani said in a formal manner.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I looked away from Mizutani.

“…I was free during summer vacation anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Or rather, it’s too late now when I’m being summoned here in the middle of the night.”

“I guess that’s true.”

Mizutani giggled.

I hope I helped her smile, even if only a little.

From the bottom of my heart, I thought so.

…But when I saw Mizutani’s face, I felt relieved and started to get sleepy too.

I quietly bit down on a yawn so Mizutani wouldn’t see it.

Then Mizutani tapped her knee with a plop.

“What was that gesture?”

“Because you were yawning just now. It’s a ‘do you want to use my lap?’ gesture.”

I glanced at Mizutani’s knees. Thin legs wrapped in a negligee.

I honestly think it was attractive…but I didn’t want to answer “yes” honestly at this point, because I felt like I was admitting defeat.

“…It’s fine. I don’t feel sleepy at all, to begin with, and even if I did, I’d usually sleep sitting up. I smell like sweat right now.”

“I don’t mind the sweat…but if you’re not sleepy, do you want to talk some more?”

“Sure. But my head is not working right now, so Mizutani should be the one to talk.”

“…Aizawa, you’re sleepy after all, aren’t you?”

Mizutani was stunned.