I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her
Shimazaki was drenched from head to toe by a sudden evening downpour.
The expression on her face at that moment was exactly the same as the one I saw on Chihiroโs face when I asked her about it, fighting back tears.
It reminded me of myself back in ninth grade, when Iโd been abandoned by my parents and left all alone.
(Thatโs the first time Iโve ever seen Shimazaki look so vulnerableโฆ)
Maybe I donโt really know her at all.
Even though she was my first love, maybe Iโd actually only fallen for her based on her outward appearance.
Of course, since no oneโleast of all herโever told me anything about her, I had no way of knowing.
But did I ever truly try to get to know her?
Looking back on this past year, I wondered if Iโd been so fixated on making my first love a reality that Iโd overlooked her true nature.
(โฆโฆAnyway, I have Hina now.)
Thatโs rightโIโll learn from my mistakes with Kotone and make sure not to repeat them with Hina.
Thereโs no point in regretting whatโs already happened.
Still, there was one thing that kept nagging at me like a thorn.
(Why was she so persistent about the fact that I changed how I addressed herโฆ?)
Honestly, Iโd assumed Shimazaki-san wouldnโt care at all.
No, actually, since Iโd been the one to insist on calling her by her first name from the start of our relationship, Iโd even thought sheโd be happy about it.
No woman would be happy to be called by her first name without the honorific by a guy she doesnโt even like.
(Even so, I canโt dig any deeper into this.)
There are facts in this world that are meaningless to knowโno, that I must not know.
Above all, even if I found out her true feelings now, thereโs nothing I can change.
Hina is my only girlfriend.
Thatโs what Iโve decided.
(So, I have to forget about what happened during that sudden downpour as soon as possible.)
The reason I lent Shimazaki my umbrella was out of sympathy.
And to repay her for saving me back in our freshman year.
It means nothing more and nothing less than that.
It mustnโt.
ใโ
The front door opened with a clank.
I closed the book I was reading and turned my head to see Hina smiling cheerfully at me.
She was carrying several shopping bags in her hands.
As I stood up and walked toward her, she set the bags down on the floor and suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing herself close to me.
โGive me a โwelcome homeโ kiss!โ
โโฆI sometimes think, Hina, you say those kind of embarrassing lines without batting an eye, donโt you?โ
โWhat, do you mind?โ
โNo, itโs fine.โ
Since she asks so honestly, I can just go ahead and respond without hesitation.
Maybe I actually prefer dogs to cats.
Hugging Hina back, I kissed her.
Iโd thought it would just be a light kiss, but she pressed her tongue into my mouth as if forcing it in.
โSo that wasnโt just a kiss?โ
โIn a broad sense, this counts as a kiss too, right?โ
โIsnโt that a bit too broad?โ
But of course, I didnโt really mind it, so we exchanged a few more intense kisses.
The warmth of her skin and the faint scent of sweat mingling with the muggy heat.
That brought Hinaโs presence home to me in the most vivid way possible.
When we parted our lips, Hina wore a satisfied expression.
I pointed to the shopping bag sheโd left on the floor and asked her.
โWhat did you buy?โ
โA change of clothes and a โliving-together kitโ!โ
โLooks like youโre planning to move in for good.โ
โOh, donโt say that, Your Honor~ Iโll show you right now!โ
Hina picked up one of the bags and went into the empty room.
I could hear the sound of her changing through the door.
And shortly after, she burst out of the room.
โTa-da! What do you think?โ
Iโd assumed they were just clothes, but my eyes widened involuntarily.
It was a pure white bikini.
โWe never actually went on a pool date this summer, did we? So I thought, why not at least get into the spirit of it!โ
โโฆJust to be clear, you werenโt seriously planning to wear that to the pool, were you?โ
The skimpy triangle of fabric couldnโt quite cover the curve of her breasts, and the white underside of her breasts was spilling out.
The thin string draped at the side of her waist and the palm-sized bottom blatantly emphasized the smooth line of her hips.
โThatโs not it! Iโm not some slut, you know!? Since Iโm showing this only to you, Daiki, I tried to imitate the swimsuit of your favorite character.โ
โOh, I see.โ
I remembered that swimsuit scene.
It was a sexy bikini that appeared as a fan service shotโnot your typical swimsuit.
But Hina right in front of me, though her hair was a bit too short, had perfectly recreated that fan service shot.
In short, it was cosplay.
Hina puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.
โYour reactionโs kind of lukewarm!โ
โI donโt think so, though?โ
I effortlessly lifted Hina in a princess carry.
Then I went to the bedroom and set her down on the bed.
โIs it okay if I get that swimsuit dirty?โ
โYeah, of course! After all, itโs a swimsuit meant to get dirty!โ
โSo, did you get permission to stay out tonight? No, you absolutely have to get it.โ
Hinaโs cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded ever so slightly.
ใโโ
The day of the summer festival.
Under strict orders from Asami, the head of the household, Kotone was unable to even move around the house that day.
Asami herself had even taken the day off from her usual job to stay home.
(Itโs about time they arrivedโฆ)
Kotone dressed more carefully than usual and kept her makeup light.
She never dressed casually when interacting with her tutor, but this time, she was putting in extra effort.
After all, this wasnโt an outfit meant to be seen by her tutor.
(I canโt help wearing a yukata, thoughโฆ)
Anyway, her goal right now was to get out of this house and go to the summer festival.
And to somehow put a stop to the progress between Daiki and Hina.
If possible, this time she wanted to hold hands with Daiki as they watched the fireworks together and clear up all the misunderstandings between them.
(โฆโฆIf things keep going like this, I might end up losing both of them.)
Both her beloved boyfriend and her childhood friend of the same sex, whom sheโd spent so much time with.
If that really happened, would I even be able to keep my sanity?
Even Kotone, whoโs always handled everything efficiently, lacks confidence this time around.
(Anyway, I have to do what I can right now.)
Kotone steeled herself and peered into her hand mirror.
Just then, she heard two sets of footsteps coming from outside the room.
Soon, a servant slowly opened the door.
โOhโฆ are you Kotone-chan?โ
A young woman with a healthy, sun-kissed tan stepped into the room.
ใโโ
โWell then, Iโm counting on you.โ
Hina Honjo, dressed in a yukata, smiled at one of the female students.
The student nodded slightly but gave her a worried look.
โHina, are you really sure this is okay?โ
โWhat do you mean?โ
โFujimori-kunโs only date is Shimazaki-sanโthatโs how itโs supposed to be at school. If I make a move, people might say I stole him awayโฆโ
At those words, Hina snorted softly.
โSo, because of that kind of public image, does Daiki have to keep being tied down by an unrequited love thatโll never come to fruition? Heโs been suffering like that for a year and a half already.โ
The girl was briefly surprised that Hina was already addressing him by his first name without honorifics.
Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, Hina was decisive today.
โBesides, Daikiโฆ isnโt the kind of guy whoโs skilled enough to sleep with a girl he doesnโt truly love. Of course, I know Kotone is still lingering in a corner of Daikiโs heart. But thatโs okay. I can wait until that feeling completely fades away. Thatโs how much I love Daiki.โ
โHinaโฆ Wait, hold on. Sleep?โ
Huh? Have things already gone that far?
The female student was so flustered she couldnโt even speak properly.
Hina said with a sly grin.
โWell then, nice to meet you all over again! Make sure to take plenty of pictures of Daiki and me being all lovey-dovey, okay?โ
The two of them, drawn together by the magic of summer, were rapidly closing the distance between them.
It was the first move to spread the rumors naturally.
Maigetsu