I Got Into a Secret Relationship With a Girl Who Was Out of My League
The moment I stepped off the train, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Escaping from the crowd, I felt a mixture of relief at finally being free and a strange tension that lingered throughout my body, leaving me with a strange feeling.
“…What’s wrong? Why do you look so tired?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“You’ve gotten big.”
“…What !?”
A soundless cry escaped my lips.
What can I say ! ! I didn’t mean to get that big there ! !
But it’s true that I had been deprived for a week since I last saw Nanamori, so it had been building up.
When she pressed herself against me like that and teased me like that, I couldn’t help but react. In other words, it was beyond my control.
We had been together many times before, and our bodies had touched many times before. But feeling that way in such a place was something else entirely.
“Come on, shall we?”
Nanamori cheerfully wrapped her right hand around my left hand again.
And we walked toward the aquarium, being pulled along.
◆
The moment we passed through the entrance gate, the outside noise faded away.
The low-ceilinged interior was dimly lit, with blue light and the quiet sound of water, giving the illusion of being lost in a dream.
“…Wow, jellyfish. They’re beautiful.”
Nanamori, who was standing next to me, stopped and murmured softly.
Jellyfish drifted in the aquarium. Their faintly glowing forms illuminated Nanamori’s face softly.
Her profile, as she gazed up quietly, looked younger than usual, and for some reason, it seemed strangely cute.
“I could watch this forever, couldn’t I?”
“Yeah…this kind of thing is somehow soothing, isn’t it?”
“That’s surprising. I thought you’d prefer something more active.”
“Maybe. But I like this better than a noisy place.”
As Nanamori said that, she leaned naturally against me.
Even though there wasn’t a crowd, the distance between us closed.
The memory of the train ride earlier came back, but it was different this time. I tried to hide the lump in my throat.
“…I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“To the aquarium?”
“Yeah. With someone.”
“You’ve never been here before? Not even with friends?”
“I wouldn’t come here with friends.”
Looking around, it’s true that there are mostly couples and families.
There are probably some friends here too, but definitely not many.
“If it’s Nanamori, anyone would be happy to come with you, right?”
“It’s not just anyone.”
That means…
I find myself hoping for that.
“…What about me?”
When I asked jokingly, Nanamori widened her eyes slightly and smiled softly.
“Who knows. …..Think about it?”
Just seeing her mischievous smile made my heart race.
I was too embarrassed to say anything out loud, so I just looked ahead.
Ahead of us was a large tunnel-shaped aquarium.
I was mesmerized by the sight of fish swimming leisurely overhead. I heard a small “Wow” from beside me.
“There’s another reason I wanted to come to the aquarium.”
Looking up, Nanamori seemed fragile, as if she might break at any moment.
“It’s just like me.”
“…In what way?”
I listened to Nanamori’s story as we walked slowly.
“They seem to swim freely, and they seem to be in a large tank, but they can’t escape this space. That’s just like me.”
Nanamori suddenly revealed her situation. It was probably her own worries as a young lady, and perhaps the reason she had become my casual partner. Those words contained all of that.
“I wanted to confirm if it’s like this from an objective perspective.”
“…I don’t know. I can’t tell.”
That was all I could manage to say. I had no idea what kind of words Nanamori wanted to hear.
“But if there were such a cute fish, I’d definitely want to keep it in an aquarium.”
“What’s that? That sounds perverted.”
She reacted normally. I tried to say something clever but failed.
“Haha, just kidding ! Sorry for making you feel down!”
“If you’re going to laugh, laugh more exaggeratedly. A fake laugh hurts even more.”
“Fufu, don’t be so down. Then, if it comes down to it, keep me as a pet, okay?”
“…That might have a different meaning.”
Isn’t that a bit of an out-there comment?
Well, it’s a bit late now, but…
“Ah !”
As soon as they emerged from the tunnel, Nanamori ran toward the huge aquarium in front of them.
She released the hand she was holding and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“Come on, Yagami kun. Over here! ”
With a hint of reluctance, he headed toward Nanamori, who was smiling innocently.
It seemed to be connected to the tunnel we just came through, and we could see the fish we had seen earlier swimming in the huge aquarium.
There were also stingrays swimming slowly and sharks passing by gracefully. There was even a huge whale that seemed to cover the entire field of vision.
The overwhelming power of it, as if another world were spreading out beyond the glass, left us speechless.
“Hey, that…that fish looks a little like Yagami kun, doesn’t it?”
“Which one?”
“Look, the one with the downturned mouth. It looks just like Yagami kun when he’s sulking.”
“…Do I really look like that?”
Did I really have a fish-like face?
“Sometimes. But not now.”
She chuckled and alternated between looking at the fish in the tank and my face.
Watching her smile, I couldn’t help but think.
We’re just casual lovers, aren’t we? This is just like…
I shake my head as I think about it.
Then I take Nanamori’s hand in mine.
“…..!”
Nanamori’s surprised face is reflected in the glass. I smile slightly as I see it.
…I’ll stop thinking about it.
After all, today we’re supposed to be lovers for a day.
“…Look. The penguin show is about to start !”
The monitor hanging above displayed the show time.
“Shall we go?”
“Sure !”
Whether we’re just casual partners or lovers doesn’t matter. Right now, I just want to enjoy being here with Nanamori.
“Your hands are all sweaty. Is it hot?”
I should have wiped my sweat again before holding hands…
Maitoshi