Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Title: The Careful Sakuraba-kun\n
“Sakuraba-kun.”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..What?”(Sakuraba)\n
It was Monday, and the week had just begun.\nThat day, I had been called out by Yuunagi after school.\nAs soon as I walked into the classroom, she looked straight at me with a really serious expression.\n
“I have a request.”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..So, what is it?”(Sakuraba)\n
A request from Yuunagi.\nIt probably isn’t a good thing, is it.\n
With that thought in mind, I waited for her next words.\n
“……Am I still not allowed to tell everyone?”(Yuunagi)\n
“You can’t.”(Sakuraba)\n
See?\n
“Pleasseeee! I want to let everyone know!”(Yuunagi)\n
“I don’t want that. We promised that remember?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Bu- But……..”(Yuunagi)\n
“Okay, I understand. Then I guess that’s the end for you and me.”(Sakuraba)\n
“Waaaa! Wait! Not that! Anything but that!”(Yuunagi)\n
“….”(Sakuraba)\n
I reflexively sighed.\nThis was always what happened, so why was it so difficult for her to just give up.\n
“Sakuraba-kun…..”(Yuunagi)\n
“……Well for the time being, I’ll hear you out. Why do you want to let everyone know about our relationship? I don’t think there’s really anything good about doing so.”(Sakuraba)\n
If you ask me, standing out, being envied, being scrutinized….all of those things are terrible. She might be used to it, but, even so, I still don’t understand what benefits there might possibly be that outweigh those negatives.\n
“……There is.”(Yuunagi)\n
“For example?”(Sakuraba)\n
“……We can be together more.”(Yuunagi)\n
Looking down, Yuunagi said this with her cheeks dyed slightly red, seemingly embarrassed.\nI quickly averted my gaze, trying to avoid looking too much at that face.\n
After all, Yuunagi is way too cute.\nEven though I don’t have any romantic feelings for her, I can’t help but want to say such sweet words to her. But I couldn’t let that happen.\n
“I really like you……I want to talk with you more and be with you more. But I can’t do that if we hide our relationship from everyone……”(Yuunagi)\n
“Ah, well, you’ll have to put up with that…..”(Sakuraba)\n
“Muuuuu….I’m trying to be patient but…..”(Yuunagi)\n
Sitting in her chair, Yuunagi was shaking her head with a troubled expression.\n
It’s true that if you think about it from her perspective feeling this way is probably inevitable.\nRight now, the only way we communicate is talking a bit after school or exchanging messages on apps.\n
“……I got it! What about being friends? Let’s just say that we’re friends!”(Yuunagi)\n
“……What do you mean by that?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Just what I said. If we act like we’re friends, then we can hang out together at school without a problem right? Plus, if we do this, we won’t have to tell anyone either.”(Yuunagi)\n
“……I see.”(Sakuraba)\n
“Right! Isn’t this a good idea? Let’s do it!”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..No, it isn’t fine after all. I still don’t want to.”(Sakuraba)\n
“Why?!”(Yuunagi)\n
Yuunagi’s bright expression quickly turned teary and sad.\nI realize that she has been thinking about this in her own creative way, but I still had issues with this idea.\n
“We have no connection. You and I are in totally different positions at school, and we’re even in different classes. It’d be unnatural if we suddenly became friends.”(Sakuraba)\n
“It’ll be fine! I’m friends with lots of people and good with everyone, so it’ll be fine!”(Yuunagi)\n
“Even if that’s the case, in the first place, you’ll end up following me around all the time won’t you? It’ll definitely be suspicious if you are constantly talking to a guy that you suddenly got on good terms, who you shouldn’t have any contact with in the first place.”(Sakuraba)\n
“It’ll be fine! I don’t think people care that much about other people!”(Yuunagi)\n
“Normally that’s true. But you aren’t normal.”(Sakuraba)\n
When I said so, Yuunagi’s eyes moistened again, and she fell silent, her mouth forming a straight line.\nI felt sorry for saying that to her, but I think what I said is correct.\nAnd if I’m going to refuse, I should refuse with a firm will.\n
“….”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..What?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Please! Then I’ll only visit you once a day! Just please pretend that we’re friends! It- It will be fine if that’s all it is right?”(Yuunagi)\n
She still isn’t giving up huh……\nYuunagi is usually like this, but today she seems to be even more persistent than usual.\n
“But doing that doesn’t really address your original concern does it?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Uuu…..W-, well that might be true but….”(Yuunagi)\n
“Then that means there’s less and less merit to doing this isn’t there?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Bu- but……that…..”(Yuunagi)\n
Suddenly, Yuunagi muttered something just out of earshot.\n
…..Kind of suspicious.\n
“Hey, are you hiding something?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Eee?! Wh-, What do you mean!”(Yuunagi)\n
“What you’re proposing doesn’t make sense. Maybe there’s some other reason you want me to act like we’re friends?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Guh…..”(Yuunagi)\n
Yuunagi, who looked taken aback, was very easy to understand.\nAs I thought, she’s planning something……\n
“Tell me.”(Sakuraba)\n
“It- It’s nothing…..”(Yuunagi)\n
“It isn’t. Tell me.”(Sakuraba)\n
“Muuuu…….”(Yuunagi)\n
I stared straight into Yuunagi’s eyes and asked in a slightly stronger tone. Yuunagi’s face reddened, and her mouth twisted faintly.\n
I know that her weakness is me.\nI feel bad about doing this, but right now I’m going to take advantage of my position.\n
“…..it’s cause….”(Yuunagi)\n
“What?”(Sakuraba)\n
“Because……! If I don’t make my presence known to the people around you, then the girls who are aiming for you will go after you again!”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..”(Sakuraba)\n
Yuunagi glanced at me from between the gaps in her hands that now covered her face.\nI couldn’t help but scratch my head.\n
I got the feeling that I was doing something really terrible to her.\n
“So that was your real purpose, huh…..”(Sakuraba)\n
“I-, I really also did want to spend more time with you! But…..this might’ve been the biggest reason……”(Yuunagi)\n
“…..I see.”(Sakuraba)\n
“Because! If it’s like that time with Naruse-san again, I……”(Yuunagi)\n
With her face flat on the desk, Yuunagi said this in a fading voice.\n
I almost reached out my hand to stroke her head, but I quickly stopped myself with my other hand.\n
That was close…….\nI had been moving unconsciously and almost blundered.\n
“Haa…….I blurted it out……”(Yuunagi)\n
“……Don’t worry, something like that won’t happen.”(Sakuraba)\n
“It will!”(Yuunagi)\n
“I doubt it…..”(Sakuraba)\n
Raising her head from the desk, Yuunagi glared at me with a resentful look in her eyes.\nI still had more objections to bring up, but now, for some reason, I didn’t really feel like continuing to press.\n
“Please Sakuraba-kun! It’s fine right? Right?”(Yuunagi)\n
“….Hmmm.”(Sakuraba)\n
Yuunagi clasped her hands together and closed her eyes like she was praying.\n
Sure enough, Yuunagi really is a beautiful girl.\nBut more than that, she’s just so cute.\nGetting flustered and wondering about this and that all with the sole intention of not wanting to hand over the person she loves to someone else. In the end, I was moved by such a sight.\n
“…..Oh! Then, how about this!”(Yuunagi)\n
Holding up her index finger proudly, Yuunagi began rambling.\n
I’m sure she’ll forgive me.\n
As I listened to her talk, I had such thoughts.\n
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TLN: Merry Christmas!(well its not actually Christmas yet where I live cause I am West Coast plebeian but yeah). Hopefully I can get another chapter out tmrw or work on the other series I was planning to pick up. As always, lmk if there are any issues with my grammar. I probably missed something since I self-edit.\n
Btw you guys don’t know how much willpower it took to actually translate instead of reading through the new Gimai Seikatsu chapters so yeah I’m going to do that now cya. Also protag please just headpat her. Give into your instincts.\n