The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
โHere you go, this is for Saeki.โ
โThank you.โ
It was just before 9:00 p.m.
Having won the game I loved, I went to a nearby convenience store to ask Amagi-san to buy me some ice cream.
I bought a Papico, left the store, and immediately opened it.
I melted it with the warmth of my hands and ate it little by little on my way home.
โIt’s melting too fast! My hands are getting hot!โ
โThat’s normal. The trick is to hold it tightly.โ
โReally? Hmmโฆ I always eat this slowly.โ
I squeezed it and sucked on it.
I tried various things, but I wasn’t satisfied, so I frowned.
Suddenly, our eyes met.
Amagi smiled wickedly and snatched my Papico at lightning speed.
โHey, wait a minute!โ
โHehe! Here you go!โ
She took mine without hesitation and offered me hers instead.
The quantity had increased, butโฆ no, thisโฆ
Hesitating, but unable to throw it away, I cautiously put it in my mouth. It was cold and delicious, but my body temperature rose.
โMmm! Papico is definitely chocolate coffee flavor!โ
โU-umโฆโ
Leaving me still shaken by the indirect kiss, Amagi-san spotted a stray cat and ran off, shouting, โNyanko!โ
The stray cat naturally ran away.
She watched its back sadly and returned slowly.
Seeing her dejected expression, I forgot my tension and smiled.
โDo you like cats?โ
โYeah, I have one at my parents’ house! I want to see it again soon.โ
โWhy don’t you go back during the upcoming three-day weekend?โ
โNoโฆ my parents’ house is awkwardโฆโ
At that moment,
a ringtone sounded.
Amagi took her smartphone out of her pocket and checked the screen.
โIt’s my momโฆโ
It was a bitter, cold voice she had never heard before.
She bit her lip lightly, narrowed her eyes, and furrowed her brow.
She made a dark, adult expression.
โShouldn’t you answer itโฆ?โ
When I asked, she looked at me with a startled expression.
Suddenly, she forced a smile, her face lit up with a mixture of emotions. โIt’s okay, it’s okay!โ She hung up the call and put her smartphone back in her pocket.
โIt’s just a lecture anyway! My mom is so strict that she won’t even let me dress fashionably! She’s always nagging me about not wearing makeup or wearing short skirts! And what’s even more confusing is that she’s the one who taught me how to put on makeup and dress fashionably in the first place!โ
โShe taught you herself, and then she told you to stop?โ
โYeah! It’s totally nonsensical, right!?โ
โBut you’re allowed to live alone and do modeling, so she can’t be that strict, can sheโฆ?โ
โI relied on my grandmother to handle all the paperwork! My mom seems to hate me, so I don’t want to talk to her! I hate her forever!โ
She says it in a dismissive tone.
I look at her.
Amagi.
I see her wavering gaze, her twisted mouth, her fingertips touching the pocket where her smartphone is, and I think to myself.
โUm.โ
Do you really think so? I start to say.
She interrupts me with an โAh!โ
โBy the way, who won the โI love youโ game with Subaru?โ
โHuh? Umโฆ I don’t rememberโฆโ
I tilt my head, trying to recall the memory.
I revisit the exchange in that dark, cold, confined space.
โWell, I won, but it ended in a weird way.โ
โWhat do you mean, โweirdโ?โ
“We kept going back and forth, and it didn’t resolve. Then she just said she was bored and it was fine if she lost, and left me there.”
โHuh. Private Subaru is pretty moody. She cares about her fans and is generous with fan service, so I can’t imagine that at all.โ
โHe thinks it’s okay to treat her carelessly. She won’t get angry.โ
โโฆMaybe she was just embarrassed and didn’t want you to see that?โ
โNo wayโฆโ
Subaru probably thinks of me as a younger brother.
Since she doesn’t treat me as the opposite sex, she’s probably just bored.
โHey, Saeki.โ
When I turned toward Amagi-san after being called, she suddenly grabbed my cheeks with both hands.
Her palms were cold and damp from the condensation on the Papico.
Under the still-hot September sky, it felt incredibly comfortable and joyful.
She smiled her usual mischievous smile and gently parted her cherry-colored lips.
โI love you.โ
A sudden confession.
I’m told โI like youโ on a daily basis, but this was the first time she’d ever said those words.
It had more impact than I’d imagined, and I couldn’t help but smile.
I pushed away Amagi’s hand and took a step or two back.
โW-what are you doing all of a sudden!? You’re scaring me!โ
โHeheheโก You’re blushing, you’re blushingโก Okay, Saeki, you lose! Now you have to give up your title of โunbeatable man in the I love you gameโ!โ
โI don’t remember ever receiving such a meaningless title, and besides, the game is already over, right!?โ
โI never said it was over just because I lost once!โ
โThere’s no way that nonsense would fly!โ
โSaeki!โ
โW-What is it!?โ
โI love youโกโ
โ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ!! Please stopโฆ!!โ
โYour face is redโก So cuteโกโ
Amagi-san flits around me, teasing and playing with me.
Passersby glare at us, wondering what we’re doing. Someone gasps.
But Amagi-san doesn’t care.
No matter how others see us, no matter what they say, she only has eyes for me.
It’s embarrassingโฆ but also a little pleasant.
โI love youโกโ
โI saidโฆ!โ
โI won, so can I have that outfit when we get home?โ
โNo way!โ
We walk down the fun-filled night street.
I follow her carefully from a little behind.
Maiban