I had a hard time falling asleep that day, possibly due to all the tension of tomorrowās confession, when Barato-san would confess her love to me.
Even at school, my mind was still somewhat in a daze.
The classrooms were empty and quiet, nearly lulling me to sleep.
It was then someone called out to the absent-minded me in the early morning classroom.
Turning my head in the direction of the voice, the first thing I saw were thighs, which were visible through a skirt.
ā¦..No, no, no, remember, you have to look at their face.
āH-Hey, Misumaiā¦..could I have some of your time after school today?ā
Looking up, the voice was, as expected, Barato-sanās.
Her long fluffy brown hair swayed left and right as her voice trembled slightly.
āAh, Yeah. Thatās fine, Barato-san.ā
āThank you. Then, Iāll see you later after school.ā
In the early morning classroom with almost no students, Barato-san said to me.
She looked casual yet somewhat nervous, probably because she knew what would happen later on.
After saying that, she went back to her two friends.
I donāt like being late, so I always come to school rather early, but today, for someĀ reason, Barato-san arrived just as early as I was.
Perhaps she came in the early morning so as to not cause a ruckus?
Her two friends didnāt look at me in an unnatural way but instead rubbed Barato-sanās back as they encouraged her, saying,
[you did your best, Nanami-chan, you did your best ā¦ā¦!]
If I didnāt know what was going on, I might have misunderstood the scene.
It may look like she had the courage to speak with me.
But as a matter of fact, sheās not very good at dealing with boys, so she would most likely feel nervous towards any boy.
From that point on, we never talked again until after school.
I was basically alone or just talking to my classmates while she hung out with her friends and the other girls in her class.
However, it was impossible for me not to be aware of her, as I would sometimes glance at her.
I wonder if it was the same for her, as there were times our gazes would meet.
And every time it did, she would turn her face away in a panic, with her cheeks dyed redā¦If I hadnāt known this was a punishment game, I might have misunderstood this.
She must be nervous. Iām nervous too, but thanks to Baron-sanās advice, Iāve been able to keep my cool, somewhat.
Before I knew it, school was over, and the fateful hour was now upon me.
āMisumai-kun, could you come with me for a minute?ā
In the empty classroom after school, where there was only the two of us, Barato-san said that to me.
Her friends werenāt here at all.
Since it was a punishment game, I thought she would confess here in the classroom, but it seems like sheās going to change the location.
We didnāt say a word to each other, as I kept quiet and followed her.
I was supposed to be calm, but with every step I take, I seem to be getting more and more nervous.
And with every step she took, she would move her hips, making her short skirt sway from right to left, drawing my eyes towards itā¦Hey, wait, stop! Remember what Baron-san told you yesterday.
ćLook, women are much more sensitive to stares than men think. When accepting a confession, you must look her straight in the eye. Donāt let your eyes wander around to her cleavage, her legs, or herā¦ā¦body.ć
I started to calm down when I remembered Baron-sanās advice.
We continued to walk on in silence until we arrived at the back of the school building.
There was no sign of anyone else, and there was no chanceĀ of anyone seeing us.
However, the lack of popularity makes this place dangerous in the sense that no one will notice it, and the various wood scraps and other materials placed there makes it physically dangerous as well.
āOkayā¦thenā¦I guess this is the right placeā¦.!ā
She mumbles something to herself, then stops and turns to face me. The spinning momentum of her body caused her skirt to swoosh about, and I couldnāt help but admire it.
That gesture alone was enough to make my heart jump, but I have to remain calm. This was a punishment game confession, donāt get me wrong. But even though I know that, I canāt help but feel nervous just being in this situation.
āThank you for coming, M-Misumai-kun. I haveā¦something I want to sayā¦actuallyā¦you know what Iām going to sayā¦right?ā
She took a long step away from me and began talking.
I donāt know if that ādistanceā is meant to serve as a warning to meā¦or a sign that sheās not used to menā¦but Iām just going to keep quiet and listen to her until she finishes before responding.
āIām sorry, but I donāt usually talk to youā¦Barato-san, so Iām not very sure why you invited me out here. I donāt have a lot of money on me or anything, you know?ā
āIām not trying to mug you or do anything like that!ā
[I donāt know anything about this punishment game.], or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
So I joked about it and purposely pretended that I had no idea what I was being called out for.
For the time being, I wasnāt sure if I could get away with it, but as far as I could tell, it was fine.
āUmā¦wellā¦thatā¦ermā¦.Iā¦Iā¦ā¦ā
Stuttering constantly, she tried to get her point across. The person standing before me looked like a young woman about to make a courageous confession. It was hard to believe this was a punishment game confession.
Even though this whole thing was a lie, I couldnāt help but feel a little nervousā¦yet I still looked her straight in the face and didnāt avert my gaze from her eyes.
However, the more I looked, the more I became aware of it, and my eyes began to swim.
Remember, Baron-san told me that if such a thing were to happen, I should look up a little instead of looking down.
If youāre looking down, you would be looking at her body, but if you were looking up instead, then you wouldnāt be able to see her body, soā¦lookupā¦lookup.
Following the advice from yesterday, I raised my gaze a little higher.
And because of that advice, I was able to see it, but at the same time, it also surprised me.
āI-I like youā¦M-Misumai-kunā¦.soā¦p-pleaseā¦.go out with me, Iād likeā¦to go out with youā¦ā
As soon as I saw this, I started running towards Barato-san before she could even finish her sentence.
I mainly play video games, watch videos, and do strength training while Iām at home.
Can I make it? But the distance between us both is rather farā¦
Iāve never heard of strength training making your legs run faster, and Iāve never actually tried ārunningā before, but even so, I have to make it. Even if you donāt have the courage, you have to believe in yourself! Make it happen!!
What I happened to see was a large bucket peeking out of the window in the school building. Iāve heard about buckets being used for sweeping and cleaning. That must be it. The edge of the bucket was now starting to peek out of the window bit by bit.
The moment I saw this, I instantly remembered that this was a place where students sometimes throw out the bucketās contents because they donāt want to bother with throwing away the dirty water after cleaning.
And now, underneath that bucket, was Barato-san. If I donāt do something soon, sheāll be covered in sewage.
The moment I thought about that, my body moved involuntarily.
Being exposed to water doesnāt necessarily mean youāre going to suffer a monstrous injury. Itās only a matter of getting wet and covered in sewage.
Some people might say itās a deserved punishment since sheās confessing to me because of a punishment game.
But I, for one, donāt think so. Even though this was a punishment game confession, she was still embarrassed nonetheless, and plus, she was also giving it her all just to string that sentence together.
I know this whole thing of hers may very well be an act. But even so, she was trying to find the courage to confess to me despite her inexperience with men, and as a resultā¦I just canāt bear to see her getting covered in sewage like this.
āEh? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!????ā
Barato-san screamed the moment she realized that I was closing in on her, but I disregarded that fact and shielded her.
Thank god, I made it!
Just as I was feeling a little relieved, cold water slammed down on my back and spread all over my body.
That hurt more than I thought it would!
Itās cold, itās dirty, and it hurts!
The cold water that had soaked into my uniform had taken away all of my body heat at once, leaving my body cold and shivering.
Damn it!
Donāt use such cold water for cleaning!
Use something more lukewarm next time!
And, donāt throw it out of the window, for godās sake!!
āEhā¦.? Ehā¦..!? W-What!? Whatās this!? Is thisā¦water!? Whyā¦.!?ā
Suddenly, the woman who had closed her eyes finally got a grasp of the situation and looked around underneath me.
I looked at her and wondered if I had soiled the back of her shirt because the ground was not covered with pavement or if my slightly disheveled clothes were a disgrace to her eyes.
[Tl Notes: dirt ground basically]
Then, before I could say anything elseā¦something heavy hit my head.
At the same time, a bucket entered my field of vision.
Apparently, the person who had emptied the bucketās contents was startled by Barato-sanās scream and dropped the bucket.
Hey, hold on to it, will you?
There was a little bit of water left inside the bucket, and the water that spilt from the bucket had soaked into the groundā¦.thank goodness, if that had hit her, she might have been hurt.
It was then I looked down at Barato-sanās face and noticed a red dot on her cheek.
Is she hurtā¦.?
āAre you okay, Barato-san? Are you hurt?ā
āIāmā¦fineā¦no wait, are you okay, Misumai-kun!?ā
āHuh? Yeah, Iām fine, just a little wet and cold, thatās all. Along with some minor injuries, I guessā¦ā
āMinor, thatās not minor at all! Your headās bleeding!ā
When she told me that, I realized that I had cut my head with the bucket that hit me, and the red spot on her cheek looked a lot like my blood.
āAh, sorryā¦I didnāt mean to stain your clothes with my bloodā¦but you arenāt wet, right, Barato-san?ā
āEnough about me! Your the one with theā¦!!ā
Those were the last few words that I heard.
The instant I stood up to try to separate myself from Barato-san, my body started shaking. It seems that the impact of the bucket landing on my head was far greater than I expected. A feeling of dizziness struck me as soon as I stood up, and my body immediately collapsed.
āMisumai! Misumai!?ā
I heard a voice screaming my name in concern just before I lost consciousness.
I assumed the first thing Iād see when I woke up would be heavenā¦but no, the first thing I noticed was the infirmary ceiling, and it was a ceiling Iād seen before, so it wasnāt hard to figure out where I was.
Hold up, why am I in the infirmary?
Letās seeā¦Iām pretty sureā¦Barato-san called me outā¦and confessed to me in the punishment game.
Oh, thatās right, a bucket fell on my head.
āMisumai-kun!? Thank god your okay!!ā
I heard a girlās voice coming from my side as I was thinking. It was the voice of the girl who had summoned me earlier, Barato-san. Did she carry me all the way here to the infirmary?
āAh, yeahā¦did Barato-san carry me to the infirmary? Thank youā¦I was pretty heavy, wasnāt I?ā
She didnāt respond to my words, but she was so happy that tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Iām sorry that I made you worry, but at the same time, Iām also a little happy that your worried about a guy like me.
ā¦But you donāt have to worry about me anymore. Iām glad Barato-san is okay, for the most part. At any rate, she was still in her usual school uniform and didnāt seem to have changed her clothes.
āUhm, Barato-san, are your clothes dirty? You arenāt injured, are you?ā
āYeahā¦thanks to Misumai-kunā¦Iām fineā¦wait, enough about me! Is Misumai-kun okay!? There was a lot of blood, and you were also soaked by filthy water from the bucket. There could have been some germs in the bucket of water as well. Are you feeling sick by any chance?ā
Was I really bleeding that much? Oddā¦I donāt feel any particular pain at the moment, maybe because I was already treatedā¦the bleeding on my head was already patched up,, so that could be why?
Well, a little bumpy and sore, maybe? But thatās about it. Iām not really feeling anything else at the momentā¦so, yeah, I should be able to get up.
āIām fine. But Iām glad youāre not injured.ā
As I sat up in bed, I smiled at her, but she turned away her head from me immediately and looked to the side.
Eh? Did I offend her in any way? I donāt think there was particularly anything to be upset about.
She looked somewhat bewildered and opened her mouth, looking away.
āAhā¦M-Misumai-kunā¦could you go to sleep for me? T-That would be a littleā¦moreā¦pleasing for meā¦.ā
She glanced sideways, her face flushed. I thought something was wrong, and when I looked down at my own bodyā¦I found out thatā¦I was wearing nothing on my upper body. I was nakedā¦I was buck naked!! No, wait, Iām wearing some pants underneath.
Even though just the upper half of my body was visible, the fact that a girl was looking at me naked for the first time made my face get hotter by the second.
āI-Iām sorryā¦..! For showing you something so unsightlyā¦!!ā
In a hurry, I hid myself under the sheets of the bed.
āEhā¦noā¦.uhm. Misumai-kun is surprisingly muscular? A thin macho guyā¦.? Ah, wait, no!! Donāt misunderstand. Itās not like I took a closer look at you or anything!?ā
I donāt really hang out much with my friends, and all I do while Iām at home is play video games or do some muscle training, so I guess you could say that my body was rather well toned.
Though I initially thought that doing this wasnāt practical at all, it seems that it came in handy for the first time.
I was embarrassed that a woman had seen me naked for the first time, and Barato-san was also embarrassed when she confessed to me that she had seen my body, so we both fell silent.
An awkward silence ensued between the both of us, that wasā¦until the school nurse came in.
āWhatās the matter with you both, turning all red like that? You werenāt using the infirmary as a meeting place, were you?ā
The nurseās words, which broke the silence between us, made both me and Barato-san blush even more. However, before we could even say anything else, she continued.
āHere, schoolboy, Iāve brought you a change of clothes. Iāve also packed up your dirty clothes for you, so you can just take them to the cleaners later on and wash them yourself.ā
The nurse had apparently brought me a change of clothes.
I had a lot to say, but I was still somewhat relieved that the nurse broke the silence between us. As I took the time to change my clothes, I caught wind of Barato-san temporarily leaving the room.
The clothes that the school nurse had brought me was our school uniform.
I was told that the school always keeps a change of clothes on hand for such an occasion. And as such, I was glad I didnāt have to go to school or take classes alone in my gym clothes.
While I was putting on my school uniform, the nurse told me what had happened.
Apparently, I was taken to the infirmary by a male teacher, who Barato-san had called out after I had collapsed.
As it turned out, she couldnāt carry me well due to my head injury and all, and she decided that she couldnāt do it alone, so she ran into the staffroom without batting an eye, saying that there was a boy who was injured and requested for help.
Youāre pretty calm, Barato-san.
If I were in your position, Iād pretty much be in a panic to try and carry that person over myself.
Also, they still couldnāt identify the individual who threw the sewage water out of the window.
There werenāt any surveillance cameras in the school, so it would be impossible to identify the individual. At most, what the school could do was just issue a stern warning to each class.
Well, not like I care about any of that.
āYou should be thanking the girl. Sheās been watching over you ever since you were taken to the infirmary. Itās good to be young, isnāt it? You get to experience youth, after all.ā
The moment he said that my cheeks naturally heated up. For the time being, I chose not to respond to his words and continued to change my clothes in silence.
āThat head injury of yours wasnāt too serious, but I fixed the cut. Are you feeling any better? If you feel any painā¦..or wobblinessā¦ā¦I suggest you go to the hospital immediately.ā
When I finished changing, I noticed some gauzes on my head. But other than that, I didnāt feel any pain, nausea, or any form of discomfort. My head was clear and conciseā¦Maybe I donāt need to go to the hospital after all.
Iāll just tell my parents that I got hurt when I get home.
āNow that your boyfriend has finished changing, you can come over. But youāre not as naive as you look, are you? Considering how red you look.ā
The teacher called over Barato-san and swapped places with her. When she came in, her face was still a shade of red.
And no, Iām not her boyfriendā¦but she did confess to me, albeit in the form of a punishment game, so I wonder if Iām in that position?
āI-Isā¦Misumai-kunā¦Okay?ā
āYeah, Iām fine, Barato-san. I heard that you called for a teacher. Thanks a lot.ā
āMmmā¦..t-thanks for protecting meā¦Misumai-kunā¦.ā
Protect?
No, I was simply just trying to shelter you from that bucket of water. Itās not that big of a dealā¦.though I am a little embarrassed to hear you say that.
There was a strange silence between the both of us. Letās seeā¦what should I talk about in such a situation?
ā¦.Remember Baron-sanās adviceā¦
Wait.
In no way were I given advice about what to say if someone hurts themselves during a conversation.
Then what should I even say to kickstart such a conversation!?
āā¦R-replyā¦.ā
āHuh?ā
As I was desperately trying to remember the advice I got yesterday, and I realized that there was nothing given in the advice about what to do in this kind of situation until Barato-san muttered āreplyā.
Reply?
āI confessedā¦my feelingsā¦to Misumai-kunā¦so I was wonderingā¦whatās your replyā¦to thatā¦do youā¦remember?ā
As she ran her fingers through her light brown hair, she tilted her head just slightly away from me.
Her cheeks were slightly tinged with a hint of vermillion red.
We were both turning red quite a bit today.
ā¦..Oh yeah. I didnāt say anything about it because I ran up to her before she could even respond.
I had forgotten entirely about the reply because I had assumed that I had already accepted the offer. I guess I was temporarily confused because I was hit in the head.
Barato-san was squirming around anxiously.
Although she looked like a flamboyant gyaru-type girl, her appearance was like that of a pure and innocent girl. Could it be that this was her true self?
Letās seeā¦Iām sure Baron-san said it. When you give a reply, you should look straight into the other personās eyeā¦look herā¦in the eyesā¦goshā¦this is pretty embarrassingā¦be brave, me.
āYeah. Iām not sure why you chose me, but if itās okay with you, thenā¦I look forward to working with you, Barato-san.ā
My reply turned her anxious-looking face into a smile.
Her smile resembled a flower.No, it was more akin to a field of cherry blossoms. Even if this whole thing was an act, just being able to see this smile alone makes me feel lucky as a man.
But even a smile like that could give me the wrong idea. This was a punishment game, so I had to be careful.
A small smile appeared on her face for a moment, but it soon faded. And then, she puffed out her cheeksā¦and muttered something.
āNanamiā¦ā
āWhat?ā
Itās her name.
Yeah, I know, but why did she mutter out her name?
Before I had time to wonder, the answer came quickly.
āNanamiā¦call me Nanami from now onā¦since weāre already going outā¦Iāll also be calling you by your first name, Youshin.ā
Itās the kind of gesture that any man would definitely follow if someone said something so cute with an upturned gaze. The gesture itself was incredibly bruising, or rather, foully cute, to a manās heart.
In all honesty, calling girls by their first names is a form of anti-social behaviour.
Iāve always considered someone like her to be from an entirely different dimension from me.
But now Iām going to say it.
My only concern is that I wonāt be able to say it well.
āErmā¦.y-yeahā¦u-understood. Nice to meet you, Naā¦N-Naā¦.Nanami-sanā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I could say it.
After a great deal of effort, I managed to say it. And after I said it, I realized that this was a hell of a lot more embarrassing than I thought. It makes me feel all mushy inside. Ugh, I wonder if Iāll ever get used to this.
āYeah, nice to meet you, Youshin-kun.ā
She smiled at me like a flower again. Yes, this smile makes me want to do my best. Call me by name, and Iāll do my best.
I extended my right hand towards her. Though this was not something that Baron-san had advised me to do, I somehow decided to hold out my right hand and ask for a handshake.
She was a little hesitant at first, but she still returned my handshake. For the first time in my life, I shook a girlās hands; her hand was soft, warmā¦and very small.
āWhatās the matter with you both? Ohā¦you werenāt his girlfriend just yet, were you? Wow, Iāve seen some good stuff. Tis is youth, after all. Congratulations, boys and girls! But remember to keep it high school style, okay? And make sure to use contraceptives when you do it, kay?ā
We hurriedly let go of our hands when we heard the words of the school nurse who had sneakily peeked into the room.
Her face turned a bright shade of pink, along with mine, when we heard the nurseās words.
What the hell is this teacher saying all of a sudden!
āSenseiā¦isnāt this the part where you condemn me for doing it in the first place?ā
āItās the other way around, kiddo. Itās because your in high school that we have to give you the right sex education. Because if we tell them not to do it, theyāll want to do it even more. And if we tell them to do it, theyāll do it right away.ā
The teacher replied to my protest with a cool face.
Well, the chances of that happening to me and my āgirlfriendā in a one-month long relationship is zero to nothing, but Iāll take the advice of an adult with open arms.
Iāll keep this in mind, along with the advice that Baron-san gave me.
Then, after checking on me, the teacher told me that I could go home, so the both of us went home together.
While we were walking home together, Barato-sanā¦no, Nanami-san remained somewhat quiet. I also didnāt know what to say in such a situation, so our converstation would inevitably be short and awkward between.
Even when I spoke to her, Nanami-san was somewhat absent-minded, dazed, as if she was in some kind of fever.
I wonder what was going on?
Even now, I regret not asking Baron-san what I should talk about in this kind of situation.
It was the very first time I went home alone with a girl, so I was undoubtedly nervous. Then it occurred to me that maybe Nanami-san was just as nervous as I was.
I was silent, thinking it would be better for me not to talk to her, but eventually, Nanami opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
Heyā¦letās get involvedā¦likeā¦exchanging phone numbers, apps, something that can make phone calls? Do you have an app for that?
āAh yeah. I hardly ever use them, but I do have them.ā
āif youāre not using it, then why do you have it in the first place?ā
āYou can get items and information if you register for official games through these apps.ā
Hiding her mouth behind her phone, Nanami laughed strangely. I wondered if she was going to make fun of me, but what she did was rather unexpected.
āSo Iām the first one? Iām so happy that Iām the first one who you registered with.ā
What a cute reaction. That surprised me.
Then I asked Nanami how to do it, and we exchanged contact information. A cute dolphin icon appeared in my app, and next to it was a name written in hiragana, āNanami.ā
Iāve never seen such a cute icon before.
During our exchange, I expected her to be more against it since this was a punishment gameā¦but was it just my imagination, or did she seem strangely happy about it when we exchanged contacts?
I really donāt understand the female mind.
If this was all an act, I have a feeling that sheāll be able to make a living as an actress right away.
After that, the tension between us slowly dissipated, and Nanami and I continued our conversation, albeit a little awkwardly. It really was just a simple conversation, only with a little probing here and there from the other party about their daily lives. But I was surprised to find myself enjoying the conversation.
As the saying goes, time flies when youāre having fun.
Eventually, the time had come for us to part ways.
As far as I could tell, Nanami and I would be separated at the station, so even though we were going home together, we werenāt really going home together.
On the verge of parting, I told her, āSee you tomorrow, Nanami-san,ā and she smiled back and said, āSee you tomorrow, Youshin-san.ā
After we had parted at the station, I headed home alone. I donāt know why, maybe it was the look on Nanamiās face, but I felt strangely lonely even though I was going home alone as usual.
I was fine with this until yesterday.
As I was thinking about this, I soon reached home. From there on, it was business as usual: my parents came home, I ate dinner, got dressed appropriately, and booted up the game.
Up to that point, that was my usual routine. However, there was one thing that was different that day.
āSo, how did your confession go? Come on. You donāt have to hide it. tell me all about it, Canyon-san.ā
The moment I settled down and entered the chat room, this was the very first thing that Baron-san said.
Judging from his text alone, I could already tell that Baron-san was grinning behind the screen.
[He should already know how it went.]
But well, in return for the advice Iāve received, I was supposed to give him a report on how things wentā¦and since heāll be giving me future advice on what to do, I should at least give him something.
āWell, I received the confession as planned, along with some various things that happenedā¦ā
āOh, various things? Iād like to hear more about these āvarious thingsā that youāre talking about.ā
Yeahā¦I knew he would say that.
In the meantime, Iām going to play the game while writing about the details in the chat, from the story of how I saved her to the story of how we went home together.
But I omitted the part of how sheād seen my naked upper body. I donāt want them to get the wrong idea. I had nothing to be ashamed about.
Hearing my report, Baron-san sent me a joyful reply.
āWell, thatās youth for you. Iād never thought that youād be able to save a woman from a pinch, but itās fate. Are you like that? A hero who has the qualities of everything?ā
No, Iām just a loner who enjoys doing muscle training and social games. Saving her was merely a coincidence.
āBut on the way back together, I felt lost. We both fell silent ⦠I had no idea what we had in common, so I regretted not asking Baron-san what I should say beforehand.ā
āTo rely on me for such topics, Iām not impressedā¦well, in that case, you should try listening to her first, instead of talking about yourself.ā
āItās just too hard, I think, and thatās why Iām strugglingā¦ā
Even though youāre asking me to listen, Nanami hardly said anything herself, and from the beginning, she seemed to be somewhat distant herself, no matter what I said.
My only hobbies were muscle training and playing social games, so it would be boring for her if I were to talk about thatā¦ā¦though the conversation between us became somewhat exploratory as we approached the station.
Well, I enjoyed the exploratory conversation, so thereās that.
āThe first thing you should do is ask her about her hobbies, show that youāre interested in her, and then expand on the topic. If you make a mistake, donāt just talk about yourself.ā
Not knowing what I was going through, Baron-san continued to give me advice.
Asking her about her hobbiesā¦come to think of it, I really donāt know anything about her. The only thing I know is that sheās a girl who confessed to me in a punishment game, nothing more than that.
I think Iāll start from there, as Baron-san said.
āYou sure know a lot of things, donāt you, Baron-san? Were you pretty popular back then in school?ā
āNo, itās all from the internet. It was nearly impossible for me to be popular when I was a student. You can find out as much information as you want in todayās world. Itās so convenient.ā
Return all the admiration I had for you, Baron-san.
But yeah, Iām sure thereās plenty of information about that on the internetā¦should I start looking into it from now on?
āā¦.I donāt think itās going to work outā¦.you should break up with her, Canyon-san, while you can before you get hurtā¦ā
Peach-san typed out a few words. I could tell from her text alone that itās a kind of writing that conveys a sense of vindictiveness.
She was probably worried about me, as she was always opposed to my relationship with Nanami. I was grateful for her thoughtfulness, but I couldnāt afford to bring myself to say goodbye to her right now.
And also in the sense of self-preservation. Even just thinking about it, having the title of the man who rejected Nanami is just downright horrible.
āWell, Iāve already physically hurt myself by cutting my head, so I donāt think I can hurt myself any further than that.ā
āEhā¦.? You got hurtā¦.?ā
Peach-san reacted to my joking banter. I added that I had hit the bucket and cut my head slightly and that she had carried me to the infirmary because I had collapsed.
āCanyon-san, you got hurt trying to save her? I didnāt hear about that earlier. Are you okay? Hitting your head is dangerous. You have to go to the hospitalā¦this isnāt the time to be playing games.ā
āā¦Isā¦your headā¦really okay?ā
Both Baron and peach-san seemed to be worried about me. Baron-san appeared to be a little upset since I didnāt tell him about that detail in my explanation further.
I told them that I didnāt feel sick and wasnāt in persistent pain, so it was fine, but they both strongly reminded me to go to the hospital if I felt that anything was wrong.
ā¦.Hmm, I think Iām fine, but now that they mentioned it, Iām starting to get a little nervous. When my parents get home, Iāll talk to them about it.
When I told this to Baron-san and the others, they reluctantly accepted my proposal.
To think that they were this concerned about me, I feel really grateful.
āWell then, now that youāve successfully accepted her confession and started datingā¦letās set some goals for the week.ā
āGoals for the week?ā
Baron-san said something strange.
What do you mean by goals for the week? Whenever I had a question, Baron-san would immediately post the answer on the chat.
āLetās make it your goal to hold hands with her by the end of the week. Thereās nothing wrong with that since youāre a man and a woman in a relationship. Oh, and donāt be unreasonably pushy, okay? You can only do it if she acts like she wants to hold your hand.ā
Baron-san suddenly presented me with such a huge hurdle.
Holding hands with a girlā¦Iāve never done anything like that before in my entire life.
Ahā¦butā¦
āYou shook hands with her today, but that doesnāt mean we held handsā¦..ā
āIt canāt be helped. Since holding hands is too high a hurdle, how about only doing it on the way you go to school and back?ā
Such a hurdle presented for me was already more than enough.
Holding hands on the way to and from school is a situation that Iām sure most boys would love to be in, but how do I even get that level of closeness?
And I donāt even have a best friend that I can rely on to tell me what a girl likes.
The reason itās so hard to find love in the real world is because it canāt be expressed numerically, and even if it could, that number would be invisible.
I really have no idea what Iām supposed to do.
āYouāre thinking way too hard. Weāll do this on Friday. How you want to earn her favorability, I leave it up to you.ā
Fridayā¦todayās Tuesday, so I only have three days leftā¦or two days if you exclude today. Isnāt that a little too much to ask for?
Besides, you have to tell me how to do it. Donāt just leave it all to meāIām begging you.
Just as I was about to reply in the chatā¦I received a well-timed message from Nanami.
Sure, we exchanged contact information, but I didnāt expect to hear from her on the first day, and I immediately displayed that message out of reflex without being mentally prepared for it.
When I saw the message on the app, my eyes widened.
āSince weāre dating, letās go to school together tomorrow. Can you meet me at the station at 7:30?ā
The message I saw was instantly tagged as read. If I hadnāt displayed the message, I might have been able to discuss it with Baron-san without the message being read, so I panicked and reported this back to him immediately.[duality check]
āIām in trouble, Baron-san! She sent me a message to come to school with her tomorrow. What should I do!?ā
āWhatās the big deal!? Itās already been decided that itās OK! Come on,Ā just reply!! And make sure you reply in a way that conveys youāre happy to be going to school with them!! Donāt just reply curtly. Quick!!ā
Baron-sanās response to my panic was swift.
A sentence that conveys happiness? What does that even mean!? Sorry, but Iām no expert in writing. I canāt express my happiness in writing!!
After the message was tagged as read, I pondered about the text for a little while. What if she thought that I hadnāt read it?
No, no, no! You canāt just twist something like this! If you canāt think of anything else, just get straight to the point! Go, go, go!
āIām so happy to be going to school with you, Nanami-san. 7:30 a.m? Understood. Iām looking forward to it.ā
I know this sounds very stiff, but this is the best I can do for now. I canāt compose anything more sophisticated than this. This is my honest feeling.
I was anxious to see what she would think of me, and soon my message was read. And Nanami-san was quick to reply to me.
āIām looking forward to it too.ā
That was all that she wrote back to me, but I wondered what it was. I couldnāt stop my cheeks from smiling. Well, this was the first time that a girl said that she was looking forward to going to school with meā¦so itās no wonder Iām smiling.
āIāll be meeting her at the train station tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. What should I do, Baron-san?ā
āā¦I wish youāll start thinking for yourself a little bit, butā¦yeah, if youāre going to be meeting her at 7:30 a.m., itās best if you get to the meeting place a little early, letās say, 7:00 a.m?ā
Isnāt that a little too early? As if to answer my question, Baron-san continued.
āItās better to be a little early. Itās a lot better than being late. Being late ā¦ā¦is the worst thing you can do. Even if you donāt intend to, it will make people think that you are disrespecting them. Andā¦ā¦.ā
āAndā¦.?ā
Baron-san paused for a minute before continuing to tease me.
āWouldnāt you like to see your lovely girlfriend as soon as possible?ā
Lovely girlfriendā¦.the moment he said, my cheeks started flaring up.
Once again, I was told that Nanami was my girlfriend, even though it was only for a monthā¦and when I realized it, I couldnāt stop my cheeks from smiling again.
āOkay, Canyon-kun. You need to get her to like you from now on. Soā¦give her priority over anything else. Oh, and donāt worry about any in-game events. Weāll take care of it. Just leave the team to me, and you can focus on getting to know her first.ā
Iāve been prioritizing social games more than anything else in my life, and youāre asking me to change my priorities? How could I do that?
The game was also in the middle of an event, and I wanted to keep goingā¦More importantly, I donāt want to give my team a false sense of security by pulling outā¦Iām grateful to Baron-san for saying that, but I feel a little bad at the same time.
āIt would be ideal if she could enjoy the same gaming hobby as youā¦but letās leave that aside for now. You should get to know her first. Well, itās okay. You could say love makes a person weak. If she likes you, she will surely do it with you.ā
Thatās trueā¦If Nanami-san and I played the game together, Iām sure that would be pretty fun.
I try to imagine it a little, butā¦no. My poor imagination skills canāt quite picture the scene.
Still, Baron-san was right. I should leave much earlier than usual tomorrow.
āI understand. Iām going to leave early tomorrow. So Iāll go to bed now. Good night.ā
āYeah, good night. I hope it all works out for you.ā
āTake care, Canyon-san.ā
The last message from Peach-san seemed to indicate that she was still worried about me.
I canāt really turn towards Baron-san or Peach-sanā¦heck, I donāt even know where they live or what they look likeā¦I thought to myself as I tried to fall asleep while thinking about Nanami-san, whom I would be going to school with tomorrow.
Butā¦
Tomorrowā¦meetingā¦with Nanami-sanā¦going to school togetherā¦with herā¦Nanami-sanā¦.Nanami-san is my girlfriendā¦
As I lay in bed, I could hardly face reality. I turned off the lights, but I couldnāt get any sleep since I kept looking at the messages on my phoneā¦
Iām sure Iāll have trouble sleeping tomorrow.
I felt strangely excited, and it took me almost an hour longer than usual to fall asleep, which made me realize how simple I am.