The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
“Saeki…”
“Yes?”
“I’ve said this several times already, but… do I really not have to pay?”
Early October.
Summer was over, and autumn was just around the corner, so I started preparing for the new season.
I didn’t have to work early in the morning, but I woke up early anyway, so I made a more elaborate breakfast than usual and invited Amagi to join me.
Barley rice, miso soup, red snapper tempura, cold chawanmushi, salad, pickles, and more.
If I were alone, I would never go to this extent in the morning, but since there was someone to eat it, and her reaction was so good, I couldn’t help but go all out.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re already covering more than half the cost of the ingredients, so I can’t accept payment for my labor.”
“But you make my lunch almost every day…”
“It’s just a hobby. …Oh, did I bother you?”
“No, no! It’s a huge help! Thanks to Saeki managing my nutrition, I’ve actually lost a bit of weight lately!”
“Is that so? Well, I’m glad.”
“Can I give you a kiss as a thank you?”
“Of course not!”
“You’re so cheap!”
It’s been a month since I started hanging out with Amagi.
I thought she would get tired of me eventually, but she’s still the same every day. I’m happy that she likes me, but that’s why it’s dangerous, and my heart never gets a break.
“Stop talking nonsense and eat quickly. We’ll be late.”
“Okay!”
She eats heartily and elegantly.
I really like the way Amagi eats.
…Oh, I can’t just stare at her, I have to eat too.
Soon after, Amagi put her hands together and said, “Thank you for the meal!” I finished eating a little later, and while she was washing the dishes, I got ready for school.
“Wait! I’ll do that!”
“Eh? Oh, then… please do.”
Just as I was about to tie my tie, Amagi snatched it away from me.
She stood triumphantly in front of me, humming happily as she worked.
Tying someone else’s tie. Seeing her enjoying herself so much, I thought to myself, “That’s nice,” but I couldn’t find any other words to describe it.
What is this feeling? This emotion?
But I can’t think of anything else to say except, “That’s nice.”
It’s difficult to put into words.
“This is like a newlywed couple, isn’t it? Hehehe.”
She tightened the tie and continued, “There, it’s done!”
She looked at me, smiled broadly, and then lowered her face.
Suddenly, she hugged me.
“Whoa!? What are you doing all of a sudden!?”
“Saeki Charge! Arisaki-chan will die without Saeki-min, which can only be obtained from Saeki!”
“Don’t bring up meaningless settings! Hey, get off me…!”
She was soft. Warm and smelled good.
It was too much information to take in first thing in the morning.
I struggled to escape before my blood flowed to strange places, but she was too strong, and I couldn’t get away.
“Get off me!”
“…”
“…Um, Amagi-san?”
“…”
“Are you okay…?”
“…!”
Normally, she would just cling to me a little and then let go.
But today, something is off.
When I speak to her, she doesn’t respond, instead tightening her grip on my back. For a moment, she glances at me, her eyes filled with anxiety and tension.
“…Hold me tight.”
Normally, I would refuse such a request.
But this time, my body acted before my mind could think.
Her slender body. Thanks to her daily training, I could feel the slight elasticity of her muscles. Her body heat.
And a slight tremor.
I don’t know why, but I wanted to do something to help her.
I couldn’t do anything, but I decided to hold her tightly for now.
Someone walked down the hallway of the apartment building.
The clock ticked.
After some time had passed, Amagi tapped me on the arm, and I finally let go.
“Okay, I’m all charged up! Let’s go to school!”
“…Amagi san.”
“Hmm?”
“Is something wrong…?”
Until just a moment ago, she was clearly acting strange.
Just because she’s feeling better now doesn’t mean there’s no problem. I had to ask her about it.
“Hehe, it’s a secret. I’ll tell you next time!”
“But…”
“What’s the matter? You’re such a nosy guy. Should I tell you the size of my breasts too?”
She laughed mischievously and deliberately emphasized her chest.
When I looked away, she said, “Let’s go!” and headed for the front door with her bag.
…If she doesn’t want to tell me, there’s no point in forcing her.
With a slight sense of unease, I left the room too.
With the midterm exams of the second semester approaching, the fifth period class was self-study.
Perhaps because it was after lunch, some students were dozing off.
I fought off sleepiness and stared at my notebook.
“Hey!”
“…What? What’s wrong?”
The prince of this school, sitting next to me.
My friend since elementary school, Subari
She poked my cheek with the end of her mechanical pencil and smiled so brightly that it was almost ridiculous.
“I’ll give you the right to solve this problem. You should feel honored.”
“You can just say, ‘I don’t understand, please explain,’ but you make such a big deal out of it…”
“You’d be happy if I said it like this, right?”
“That’s only for Subaru’s fans. It’s awkward when you do it to me. If you have a question, just ask.”
“…………”
“…………”
“…Mashiro.”
“What?”
“I don’t understand, so please explain it to me.”
“Sure, I’ll do that.”
She moved her chair closer to my desk and brought her textbook.
She’s asking me for help, but in the past two regular exams, Subaru’s grades were better than mine.
In her busy schedule of coming to school between work, I wonder how she manages to find time to study…
All of this is for the sake of her “prince” character.
I truly think she’s superhuman.
“Ah, hmm, I see. Thank you, Mashiro. As a reward, I’ll pat your head.”
“No, only Subaru’s fans would be happy about that…”
She said that, but Subaru ignored her and gently patted my head.
I’m not happy at all…
“But you’ve become quite studious in a short period of time. Are you better than me in the midterm exams this time?”
“The problem was that I was worse than Subaru, who is working. Amagi-san is teaching me, so I’ll work harder than ever this time.”
As I said that, I looked out the window at the playground.
Amagi’s class was currently having physical education class. They were playing soccer on the field. Even from this distance, her blonde hair stood out.
“She’s cute, isn’t she, Arisaki-chan?”
“Yeah.”
“…You answered right away?”
“Eh? Oh, well… I guess so…”
“Hahaha. You’re completely in love. It’s great to be young.”
“It’s not like that… I just think so as an objective fact. Besides, she’s not just good-looking, she has a great personality too.”
“Yeah, she’s a really good girl. I heard she recently snapped at a senior at the agency who was talking badly about me.”
“…Eh?”
“She should have just let them say what they wanted to say. And she went out of her way to confront a senior… It’s so frustrating. She’s so smart, she should be more calculating.”
Her tone was somewhat dismissive, but a soft smile appeared on her face.
I’m sure she must have been said some pretty harsh things.
I could easily picture Amagi’s angry face, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Amagi is the kind of person who says what she wants to say and does what she wants to do.”
“…I see.”
Subaru’s expression as she gazed at the field was somehow lonely and envious.
I vaguely understood the meaning of that gaze, and that’s why I lost my words.
Subaru let out a small sigh.
Her handsome face, which seemed to force you to stare at it, trembled slightly, revealing her age-appropriate youthfulness.
“I can’t beat her…”
A very small voice filled with resignation and a hint of freshness.
Suddenly, our eyes met, and we both blinked rapidly.
Her cheeks flushed red.
“…Did I say that out loud?”
“Yeah. Did you say you can’t win? Were you competing with Amagi-san? If it’s a competition in studying, then it’s probably impossible. You’re not on the same level.”
“…”
“Subaru?”
“…Shut up. Don’t look at me, idiot. You’re stupid, Mashiro. You’re a fool.”
“Eh…”
She returned to her desk as if fleeing, hurling relentless insults.
For some reason, her cheeks were red, and she looked away, fidgeting with her hair uncomfortably.
Did I do something wrong…?
Amagi-san was also acting strangely this morning. I really don’t understand girls.
Well, never mind.
Study, study. If I don’t get good results here, I’ll feel bad for Amagi-san.
“…Huh?”
I thought I heard something like a scream coming from outside the window.
It wasn’t just me who noticed it; many of my classmates sitting by the window looked outside.
A group of people in gym uniforms were gathered in a corner of the playground.
The teacher came running at full speed, and I could sense that something was wrong.
“Mashiro, that…”
“…!”
Subaru, who had also noticed the commotion and was looking at the playground, let out a serious voice.
I noticed it too, and felt a sudden chill in the pit of my stomach.
At the center of the crowd.
A girl was lying on the ground, drawing the concerned gazes of everyone.
It was Amagi.
◆
[You’re so cute, Arisa!]
I was dreaming.
[Arisa is the cutest girl in the world!]
I was dreaming.
[Arisa is my treasure!]
I was dreaming about old memories.
[I’m going to get even cuter!]
The reason I became interested in fashion was because of my mom.
My mom was always fashionable, beautiful, and cute, and she attracted everyone’s attention. So I wanted to be like her.
When I wore cute clothes or had a cute hairstyle, she would smile and be happy, and that made me happy.
Even though she was busy with work day and night, she enthusiastically supported my fashion choices, and I loved that time.
[Mom is in this book! Mom was a model!? That’s amazing!!]
[Just a little bit, as a part-time job. It’s not that big of a deal.]
[It’s amazing! It’s super amazing! I want to be like Mom too!]
When I was in elementary school, I found an old fashion magazine at my mom’s parents’ house.
My mom, who was young at the time, was featured on the front page, and she seemed to be shining brighter than anything I had ever seen before, which made me interested in modeling.
And then…
From that day on, my mom started to act a little strange.
[Don’t wear miniskirts. Don’t wear makeup. You want to be a model? No way!]
She criticized everything I did, and every time we argued, we couldn’t have a normal conversation.
Mom herself stopped dressing up, and before I knew it, she had put all her clothes and accessories away in the back of the closet and stopped smiling.
I still wonder why it turned out this way.
I’ve always loved Mom so much.
She’s always been my idol.
“…”
I lay down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in the afterglow of my dream.
During gym class, I collapsed from severe dizziness and was taken to the infirmary.
I had a fever of 38 degrees. I was sent home immediately and have been here ever since.
“…!”
I rolled over and closed my eyes.
My head hurts. I have no energy. My body feels hot, yet I feel chilly.
And above all, I feel lonely.
This is the first time I’ve gotten so sick since I started living alone. Because of that, I can’t shake the excessive worry that I might die like this.
I don’t want to rely on Mom. I’ll definitely end up hearing her sarcastic remarks.
But I don’t think I can get through this situation on my own.
I can’t take it anymore, and tears well up in my eyes.
—Ping.
The intercom rings.
Dragging my heavy body, I hurry to the front door. When I look through the peephole and see who it is, my heart suddenly feels lighter.
“Ah…♡ It’s Saeki… ♡”
When I opened the door, Saeki was standing there with shopping bags in hand.
From school to the supermarket, and from the supermarket to this apartment.
He must have been in a hurry, as there was a light sweat on his forehead and he was slightly out of breath.
“Um… Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine! I’m totally fine――Cough! Cough cough!”
“You’re not okay…”
“Hehe… Well, maybe not so good…”
“I bought some sports drinks and jelly drinks. Please take them if you like.”
“Is that okay? Hehe, you’re so kind♡ Thank you♡”
I gratefully accepted them and closed the door, saying, “Bye!”
But I stopped when I noticed Saeki’s face, which seemed to want to say something. When I looked at his face, he quickly looked away.
“Saeki, what’s wrong…?”
“No… it’s just…”
He said hesitantly, as if he were unsure.
His wandering gaze finally turned toward me.
“Should I stay with you? That is, if it’s okay with you, Amagi-san…”
I was happy. I thought so from the bottom of my heart.
However, now was not a good time.
I am a selfish woman, and I only want to do what I want to do, but I still have some sense of reason.
“Thank you. But the midterm exams are coming up, and if you catch it from me, it’ll be a big problem. Shouldn’t you focus on studying right now?”
If Saeki doesn’t rank in the top ten in his class on the exam, he’ll have to go back to his parents’ house.
He’s half-heartedly accepting my kindness, but it’s all to maintain his independent living.
If he gets a bad score because of me, it’ll be a complete reversal of priorities.
I can’t afford to be selfish with him right now.
“I’m fine! See you later!”
I said it with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, then reached for the doorknob again.
With a loud bang, Saeki forcefully entered the entranceway.
He wrapped his arms around my back as I stumbled backward, supporting me so I wouldn’t fall. He looked apologetic, but his eyes were filled with a resolute determination.
“…I’m sorry. I said the wrong thing.”
“Huh…?”
“Please let me stay with you. I’m worried… This is my selfishness. I’m really sorry.”
His gaze is intense.
The hand supporting me is tight, a little painful.
But that’s incredibly pleasant.
The chill disappears. Instead, another heat rises, making my whole body tingle.
I mustn’t let myself be swept away. I must be firm and say it again. I must tell him to go home, that I’ll be fine on my own.
That’s for Saeki’s sake. If I want Saeki to be happy, that’s what I should do.
I know that.
I know it, but my mouth won’t move.
Unconsciously, my hand reaches out and grabs his clothes. I look up at him, as if begging for help.
“Um… is it okay if I come into the room?”
To that question—a question I should have refused outright—
I nodded without hesitation.
Ugh… Saeki, you’re so sneaky.
I love you.
Maiban