It should be fine. Until Tsukiori comes, I just have to continue to pretend to be a small fry with my godlike acting skill. I just have to act like a garbage man who seems to be weak, miserable, and as unreliable as possible.
Dwell on me!! Dwell on me, oh last year’s famous actor!! Come, Academy Award!! Come, Academy Award!!
“Gu… ugh… I lost…! (Academy’s award for best actor as Hiiro)”
“Eh?! Hiiro?!”
On her knees, Lapis approached me.
“So many wounds… W-what happened… Hiiro…?!”
“Sorry Lapis, I lost, I lost miserably without being able to do anything like a small fry I was until Tsukiori saved me, I couldn’t even hold a candle to her, and the one who saved you was Tsukiori, I was very weak while Tsukiori was really amazing, I think Lapis should ask for help from Tsukiori, Tsukiori is the best (rapid talking).1”
“No way…. there is no way Hiiro lost…!”
While looking at me, she whispered with a crying face.
“Dummy…! You, you protected me, don’t you….?!”
Ahan?
She desperately wipes the blood on my cheeks with her hands. And then, her warm hands gently stroked my cheeks.
“There is no way Hiiro lost to those girls….! You, you must have fought while protecting me…. causing you to become so wounded like that… if Tsukiori Sakura didn’t come to help, are you intending to die while protecting me…?!”
“No, ano, can you wait for a moment? The story is completely diff–”
Then, I felt some kind of liquid dripping from somewhere. When I realized it was tears, I was startled and heard a sob leak from Lapis’s mouth.
“You dummy…!! Why did you force yourself just for someone like me…. What would I do if you die…!!”
While crying, Lapis hugged my head.
Wrapped in a soft bulge, I thought that it seems even a princess uses a deodorant. While thinking about many useless things such as ‘Is she fine with her clothes getting bloody?’, a lot of question marks were flying around in my head.
Are? Why?
According to my perfect calculations (Referenced from 『Even a monkey can do Yuri~ Basic~』), Tsukiori should have appeared dashingly when Lapis talk to me.
Then, I will immediately stand up and push the credit of this matter to Tsukiori. After that, Lapis falls in love with her lifesaver, Tsukiori, and I immediately leave with my wounds completely healed.
Happy ending!!
That’s what should have happened, and yet… why does Lapis shed tears for a roadside stone like me? The one who helped you wasn’t me, but Tsukiori, you know?
“L-Lapis? I was, err, that, you know? I lost and couldn’t protect you, you know?”
“Like I said, that’s because you protected me, right…?”
Lapis sobbingly said, while continuing to hug me.
“I didn’t! Rather, I tried to use you as a shield!!”
“That’s a lie! I remember the moment when Hiiro jumped in! Wasn’t it Hiiro who acted as my shield!!”
“Eh, then, I did become a shield, but lost miserably…?”
“That’s because you protected me, right…?”
I don’t understand…. why the heck her favorability toward me, who lost miserably, was increasing instead…?
“…..?”
Maybe this world… is bugged…. ?
“And…”
*Knock Knock*
Knocking a big tree, a dashing Tsukiori appeared.
“Why are you flirting in that bloodied state?”
“Tsukiori….!!”
She cameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Tsukiori cameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! With this, I can win!! Or rather, this is already my win!! I love you, Tsukiori!!
“Tsukiori Sakura…”
Lapis gazes passionately toward Tsukiori.
With excitement, I keep an eye on their movements. With this, Lapis will hold affection toward Tsukiori, and the love of the two will steadily grow–
“Why did you leave the injured Hiiro alone?!”
“”Haa?””
I and Tsukiori looked at each other, while Lapis put me back on her chest.
“Of course, I appreciate that you saved me! But, this is a different matter! Where did you go leaving the injured Hiiro alone?!”
“Ha? What do you mean?”
Hearing that, my face paled, and I hurriedly started to make an excuse.
“I-it’s not like that, Lapis! I asked her to! The people who attacked you ran away, so I asked her to chase them!! Tsukiori is not in the wrong!! Or rather, she is a good girl!! Not only that, she is beautiful and strong, in short, she is the best!! Tsukiori is the best!!”
“Even I would be shy if you said that much.”
While brushing her long hair up, Tsukiori smiled. And while smiling, she beckoned me with her hand.
Thus, I separated from Lapis and went into the shadow of a big tree with Tsukiori– and bowed my head beautifully.
‘Please help me…!!”
“Yes, yes, please tell me.”
Resting her back to the big tree, Tsukiori smiled.
“Lapis was attacked by the people from the devil religion…. so, I accidentally defeated them… if possible, I want her to know that the one who defeated them was Tsukiori…”
“Why?”
“Because I want Tsukiori to get along with Lapis (Despair).”
As if realizing something, she slowly smiled. Then, she whispered with her fingertips on my cheeks.
“Hiiro-kun sure is kind.”
… ha?
“Since I was isolated, you wanted me to make friends, right? It is true that I am unfriendly and my only appealing point is my strength. You thought that without this kind of opportunity I can’t get along with Lapis and everyone, right…?”
… what the heck is this girl saying?
“No, that’s not what I meant when I sa–”
“How many people were there?”
“Yes?”
“The devil religion people, how many were there?”
“Three people.”
“You beat them alone?”
“Eh… Aa, well, it’s thanks to my master, though…”
Pushed by Tsukiori, I’m pushed against the big tree.
With a beautiful smile, she gently leaned over me. Her heartbeat was transmitted to me through her warm body temperature, and I stiffened.
“There were also three people on my side.”
“Eh… you…”
“Un, well, Hiiro-kun’s sister got ambushed by a surprise attack, so I helped her. Their marks are probably from Arshariya… And since she didn’t see me, your imouto-chan might think Hiiro-kun was the one who helped her.”
“Why did you say such a joke (straight face)?”
Oioioi!! In the game, Lapis and Rei would never be attacked at the same time!!
Since Arshariya should have not awakened yet, the activities of the devil religion (Arshariya faction) should be inactive and the number of retainers that can be manipulated should be limited… something is wrong… or rather, why does this girl cling to me…?
“Yes, thank you, the end.”
Apparently, it is supposed to be the way to thank me (is it?).
Separated from me, Tsukiori tucks her hair behind her ears.
“I just have to get along with Lapis, right?”
“Eh…. yesssss!! (The highest volume I have ever muster)”
“Alright. Otherwise, a certain good-natured person will start taking care of me again.”
This is probably the first time. That Tsukiori Sakura gave me a pure smile, without hiding anything, from the bottom of her heart.
“Thank you.”
“Eh… likewise, thank you…?”
After exchanging such a mysterious gratitude, Tsukiori and I returned to Lapis.
The dejected Lapis is glaring at me and Tsukiori. And being glared at, Tsukiori quirked her mouth up just like usual.
“Maybe you don’t hold gratitude toward your lifesaver?”
“B-but, Hiiro was…!”
“Lapis, as I said, I was the one who asked her. And at that time, Rei would be in danger if Tsukiori didn’t chase them.”
“Yes yes, that’s why,”
Tsukiori laughed beautifully and extended her hand to Lapis.
“Let’s get along.”
So you are more or less agreeable to the situation, huh.
Lapis turned away, bushing, and grabbed her hand.
“I-it’s not like I don’t want to… get along with you… and I am properly… grateful to you… after Hiiro, of course…”
While crying, I looked at their interaction.
Really, Yuri is the best…!!
With this, a case was closed.
Although I feel a little unsatisfied, as expected of my 180 Yuri IQ brain, I was able to observe the seedlings of Yuri safely.
After this, Tsukiori and Lapis will gradually develop love toward each other. And then the man who got sandwiched by Yuri… Sanjou Hiiro should never have gotten sandwiched between Yuri anymore.
With a smile, I started walking away while waving at them.
I hope you two will have a happy life… this annoyance will coolly leave…
Just like that, I tried to get back to the ship alone while they didn’t notice, until… Lapis rushes to support me.
“Hiiro, please don’t force yourself!”
Looking at her who was being glued to me, I widely opened my eyes, bewildered.
Why did you support me, not Tsukiori?!
“Hiiro-kun.”
Tsukiori then clung to me from the other side and gently put her arm under my armpit.
“My legs are staggering a little. Come on, let’s walk.”
In despair, my face distorted.
Why did you support me, not Lapis?!
Being sandwiched by two beautiful girls, I finally regained myself and returned to the world of escapism.
This is not good!! In the end, their favorability toward me, ended up increasing this time!!
“Ah… Lapis… Tsukiori… go on without me… go on without me…!”
“Mou, what are you saying?”
The wind blew, gently fluttering the golden hair of Lapis.
“You have to be here with us, right?”
“No… I don’t want to…!! This is… This is not Esco…!! Yuri element, zero…. this is a genre fraud…!! This is a mistake… this is just a mistake…!!”
“Hiiro-kun, did you hit your head? Are you okay?”
“I… I won’t give up… I won’t….!!”
While being dragged by the two, I strained my voice.
“I absolutely won’t give up…!!”
However, perhaps because such voices no longer reach the God of Yuri–
“I can’t leave Hiiro just like this.”
With her cheeks dyed red, Lapis quietly muttered horrifying things.
“So, I will stay on Hiiro’s room… and take care of you…”