Episode 20 – A Turbulent Summer Festival 4


I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her


The next morning, after weโ€™d ended up having a little photo session with Chihiro, looking through my childhood photo album.

I was asleep, but a delicious smell drifted in from somewhere, and I woke up naturally.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes as I stepped out of the bedroom, I sensed someone in the kitchen.

Blonde hair falling over her shoulder blades swayed lightly against the back of her white summer dress.

The strings of her apron were tied securely, adding a touch of charm to her silhouette as she prepared breakfast.

โ€œAre you making breakfast for me, Hina?โ€

At my words, Hina turned around immediately.

โ€œYeah! I exchanged contact info with Chihiro yesterday, and she taught me the Fujimori familyโ€™s miso soup recipe!โ€

โ€œโ€ฆโ€ฆHow does Chihiro know the Fujimori familyโ€™s miso soup recipe?โ€

Cooking isnโ€™t supposed to be part of a secretaryโ€™s job.

Or rather, when did you two exchange contact info?

Besides, sheโ€™s already making full use of her spare key.

โ€œShe managed to get it from the Fujimori familyโ€™s personal chef! Apparently, as soon as she told him that the young masterโ€™s prospective wife had requested it, he gave it to her right away!โ€

At this rate, isnโ€™t she going to end up getting along better with the Fujimori family than I do?

Well, given Hinaโ€™s friendly nature, I didnโ€™t think it was impossible.

โ€œAhem,โ€ Hina continued proudly.

โ€œI told you, didnโ€™t I? I can make proper miso soup too!โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t think it would happen this fast.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m the type who goes all out when I set my mind to something!โ€

She really knows herself well.

Iโ€™ve known firsthand just how driven Hina is ever since the day we started dating as my second girlfriend.

โ€œBy the wayโ€ฆโ€

I gently placed my hand on Hinaโ€™s shoulder.

โ€œThat uniform apronโ€”it suits you so well, or rather, it really gets a guyโ€™s heart racing.โ€

โ€œReally? Does it make you all stiff?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆHinaโ€™s shoulders are really stiff, just like youโ€™d expect from someone on the volleyball team.โ€

โ€œAh, youโ€™re dodging the question! Seriously, Daiki, youโ€™re secretly a coward at times like this!โ€

Hina set down the cooking utensil she was holding.

Then, she firmly grasped my hand resting on her shoulderโ€”

โ€œYouโ€™ve got to at least do this much, right?โ€

She placed my hand on her chest.

Reluctantly, I found myself becoming the kind of guy who gropes a girlโ€™s chest from behind first thing in the morning.

โ€œNo, thatโ€™s dangerous. While youโ€™re cooking.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s fine. With Daikiโ€™s hands, I wonโ€™t be surprised no matter when or where you touch me. If anything, it makes me feel reassured.โ€

โ€œReassured?โ€

โ€œIt makes me feel like, โ€˜Yeah, I really am Daikiโ€™s girl.โ€™โ€

Hina smiled brightly, turned her face back toward me, and met my gaze.

Ever since meeting my grandfather, she seems to have taken a real liking to the phrase โ€œDaikiโ€™s girlโ€ and keeps emphasizing it excessively.

Since our relationship started as a physical one, she seems to take my desire for her body as proof of my love.

(Well, I guess if Iโ€™m not in the mood, my body instinctively rejects it, too.)

Even the other day, when Shimazaki held my hand, it was the same.

Even though sheโ€™s a beautiful girl known at school as โ€œout of reach,โ€ I was overcome by a sensation of my body growing cold to the core.

I donโ€™t think Iโ€™ll ever be skilled enough to separate sexual desire from love.

โ€œAhh, youโ€™re thinking about another girl right now! Even though youโ€™re groping my breasts! You littleโ€”โ€

How did she know?

Is she a psychic?

No, waitโ€”sheโ€™s the one who let me touch her breasts in the first placeโ€ฆ

Itโ€™s true that Iโ€™d instantly thought of Shimazaki, and since I wasnโ€™t sure if it was appropriate to call her out on it, I stayed silentโ€”but then Hina said mischievously,

โ€œIn times like this, Iโ€™ll teach you how to win over Hina-chan, Your Honor~โ€

โ€œWhat kind of character is that, anyway?โ€

โ€œA helper character from a gal game?โ€

Iโ€™ve read manga and light novels, but Iโ€™ve never played a gal game, so I donโ€™t really knowโ€ฆ

โ€œDo characters like that really talk like that?โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve never played them either, so I donโ€™t know!โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t know eitherโ€ฆ?โ€

โ€œAnyway!โ€

Hina spun around and continued speaking.

โ€œInstead of letting Hina-chanโ€™s sulky voice come out, just make her let out a seductive โ€˜Aahโ™กโ€™!โ€

โ€œโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€

So itโ€™s going to end up like this again, huh?

But my lower half had already been fully primed ever since Hina guided my hand to her chest.

Without saying a word, I slid my tongue into Hinaโ€™s mouth as I pushed her down onto the dining table.

When I pulled away from her lips and ran my hand over her chest, she said in a sultry voice.

โ€œSo I was the appetizer?โ€

โ€œI plan to enjoy plenty of dessert after the meal, too.โ€

โ€œYeah, as much as you want until club practice startsโ€ฆ!โ€

This apartment has many advantages, but its excellent soundproofing is particularly noteworthy.

Iโ€™ve never felt the benefits of that more than I did today.

ใ€€โ—‡

It was time for her to head to volleyball practice, so Hina put her summer uniform back on.

As she tied her hair into a high ponytail in preparation for practice, she said,

โ€œHey, Daiki. You ran into Kotone the day you got back from Tokyo, didnโ€™t you?โ€

โ€œOh, yeahโ€ฆโ€

Given how certain she sounded, she must already have gathered quite a bit of information.

It didnโ€™t seem like a good idea to try to lie and deny it.

It wasnโ€™t like Iโ€™d done anything I needed to hide from Hina, anyway.

โ€œIt seems that not contacting her at all during summer break was a minus in her book. She said she just happened to spot me as she was passing by, so she called out to me. She didnโ€™t come specifically to see me.โ€

โ€œHmmโ€ฆโ€

Hina lowered her head slightly, seeming to think things over carefully.

I took Shimazakiโ€™s words at face value, but could there be some hidden meaning behind them?

Something only Hina, as my childhood friend, would understand.

โ€œWas there anything else?โ€

โ€œI just went straight home. But then a sudden summer shower started. Come to think of it, Shimazaki didnโ€™t seem to have a bag, an umbrella, or anything with her, so I thought, โ€˜No way,โ€™ and went back out to check. And there she was, standing there, soaking wet.โ€

If she caught a cold because of me, Iโ€™d feel terrible about it.

In any case, whether or not Shimazaki-san is my girlfriend, sheโ€™s still someone who helped me out.

No, I just thought it wasnโ€™t strange to lend someone an umbrellaโ€”simply as a human being.

โ€œI see. You really are kind, Daiki.โ€

โ€œWellโ€ฆ Youโ€™re not mad, are you?โ€

Hina shook her head.

โ€œI told you, didnโ€™t I? That I donโ€™t mind being your second girlfriend.โ€

โ€œReally?โ€

There was something missing from Hinaโ€™s voiceโ€”it lacked her usual cheerfulness.

That said, it didnโ€™t seem like she was actually angry, as sheโ€™d said, but at the very least, her expression didnโ€™t look pleased.

โ€œYeah. Especially with Kotone, I guess I canโ€™t really blame youโ€ฆ But, Daiki, thereโ€™s just one thing I want you to promise me.โ€

โ€œJust say the word.โ€

Hina leaned in close and said,

โ€œPlease donโ€™t ever abandon me. Even if Iโ€™m just your second choice. Soโ€ฆ you promise, okay?โ€

โ€œThat goes without saying. If anything, Iโ€™m more afraid that youโ€™ll be the one to dump me.โ€

โ€œProbablyโ€”no, definitelyโ€”I like you many times more than you like me, Daiki.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s notโ€”โ€

She cut me off.

โ€œLately, even during volleyball practice, I keep thinking, โ€˜If I had this time, Iโ€™d rather be with Daikiโ€™โ€ฆ Thatโ€™s all I can think about.โ€

“To be honest, I donโ€™t really want to go to practice right now either.”

Hina said that and picked up her gym bag.


Maigetsu


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