Title: You’re a little perceptive, Mikura-san\n \nUwaaaaa!\n \nI, I invited him….!\nSh-, sharing an umbrella with Aoto…..!\n \nI was quite bold, if I do say so myself…..\n \nBut, heavy rain, two people, and one umbrella.\nIn a situation like this, it shouldn’t be a strange offer.　\nIt should be a very common and natural flow of events.\nExcluding the fact that I have very clear ulterior motives….\n \nBut I can’t change what’s already been said.\nNow that things have come to this, I’m going to push it as far as I can.\nWell, if Aoto accepts this invitation…..!\n \n“…..Thank you, but I think I’ll pass.”(Sakuraba)\n \nThe moment he said that, I felt my body grow weak.\nI desperately tried to stand firm, trying to keep my wobbly legs from falling over.\n \n“Oh…..I see! Sorry about that! Saying something so weird….”(Mikura)\n \nOh, what an annoying woman I am…..\nGetting excited all on my own and even trying to push Aoto to go along with my desires….\n \nIn the first place, it all makes sense if you think about it.\nNo matter how close we are as friends, it would be absurd for us, who aren’t in a romantic relationship, to share an umbrella.\nThis tendency to interpret things in a way that suits me is a bad habit of mine.\n \n…..But that might just be what love is.\nI hope that’s the case….!\n \n“No, it’s just that your folding umbrella is small, so you’d end up getting wet Mikura-san. I don’t want that to happen either, so just go on ahead and head home first.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“T-, that’s not true! Aoto-kun, you don’t really have to worry about that…..”(Mikura)\n \n“It’s fine, but thank you very much. I have a book on me, so I’ll just read until the rain stops.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“O-, okay….”(Mikura)\n \nAoto said this and went back inside the school building.\n \nW-, wait! Are you really fine with withdrawing here, Yuzuri Mikura!\nI couldn’t get him to share an umbrella with me, but I was lucky enough to meet my beloved Aoto on my way home, so it would be absolutely idiotic to waste this chance.\n \nNow that Yuunagi Shizuno is my formal rival, I can’t keep hesitating like I have in the past. Otherwise, I’ll lose the chance to get what I want!\n \nI’ll do what I do best and use assertive, clever, and well-thought-out tactics to win Aoto’s heart.\n \n“A-, Aoto-kun!”(Mikura)\n \n“Hm, what’s up?”(Aoto)\n \nI caught up to Aoto, who was changing his shoes, and called out to him.\n \n“I-, I’ll also wait around a bit to see what happens. So! Um, we can share our spare time together…..or something….”(Mikura)\n \nWaaaaa!\nWhy can’t I just say it smoothly!\nAll I had to ask was “can I wait with you until the rain stops?”\n \nAm I really this poor at speaking…..?\nI feel like I’ve just been getting more and more nervous in front of Aoto lately…..\n \n“Ahaha, sure. Let’s do that.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“Oh! …..U-, um! Thank you!”(Mikura)\n \nThank you, God…..\nNo, if anything, Aoto might be a god himself.\n \n“But where should we go? If we’re hanging out together, the library isn’t really a great place to go to. How about we go to the classroom?”(Sakuraba)\n \n“Y-, yeah! Let’s do that!”(Mikura)\n \nWe can be alone together in the classroom!\nWhat a stroke of good fortune!\n \n As we headed to our classroom, Aoto walked ahead and I followed closely behind him.　\nWe opened the door and peeked into the room, and, as we had thought, the classroom was empty.\n \n“Wow, the rain seems to be getting stronger and stronger….”(Sakuraba)\n \n“Y-, yeah….”(Mikura)\n \nThe rain battered endlessly against the windows. It felt like we were in the middle of a storm.\nIt felt like it might actually go on forever.\n \nEven after the lights were turned on, the classroom still seemed a bit dim.\nOnly the sounds of the rain echoed, and, for some reason, we were wrapped in a strange atmosphere.\n \n“You know, Mikura-san…”(Sakuraba)\n \n“Hm, uh, yeah?!”(Mikura)\n \n“Hahaha. What’s wrong? You look really tense.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“Oh, no….it’s nothing.”(Mikura)\n \n“Is that so? Well then, let me ask you something, Mikura-san. Have you ever had a boyfriend before?”(Sakuraba)\n \n“HUH!? I, I, I haven’t!! Obviously I haven’t!!”(Mikura)\n \nBecause I’ve already decided that you’d be my first boyfriend!!\nThough I would never tell him that under any circumstances.\n \nHowever! What in the world is with that question?!\nWhat’s the meaning behind a question like that….\n \n“Fufu, well I don’t think it was really that obvious. But I see.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“……Wh-, why would you ask something like that?”(Mikura)\n \n“Hmm, yeah. How should I say this….I was wondering how I could make a romantic relationship break apar–……I mean, go well.”(Sakuraba)\n[TLN: If you don’t get it, basically he just tried asking how to break up but then decided not to]\n \n“M-, making a romantic relationship go well….?”(Mikura)\n \nAoto made an uncomfortable-looking face.\nHe seemed to partially regret asking me that question, but there was also some satisfaction on his face.\n \nBut still, what an unexpected phrase to come out of his mouth.\nA way to make romantic relationships succeed…..Just why would Aoto ask about that…..\n \n…..Wait!\n \n“A-, Aoto-kun, are you worried about your relationship with someone…..?”(Mikura)\n \n“Huh? Oh, no…..I-, it’s about a friend. My friend was talking about how it seems like his girlfriend is about to break up with him, and apparently he doesn’t understand why his girlfriend is unhappy, which is what he was asking me about….”\n \n“Fu, fumu….”(Mikura)\n \nAbout a friend….A friend, huh.\nI definitely thought that he was bringing up romantic relationships because he was thinking about his relationship with Yuunagi.\nBut, according to Yuunagi, Aoto is only dating her because he has no choice, and he actually wants to end their relationship….\n \nThen, considering the circumstances, wouldn’t it be strange for him to ask for advice on how to make a relationship succeed?\nN, No…..Maybe Aoto changed his mind and maybe he wants to continue his relationship with Yuunagi!?\n \nTh-, there’s no way…..please tell me that’s a lie….!\nN- no! I’m sure that it really is just advice for a friend!\nYeah, there’s no mistaking it!\nIf that isn’t the case, I might just die…..\n \n“S-, so what do you think? I don’t really know much about love, so I’m not really sure.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“I-, I’m the same, so I don’t think I’m going to be of much help….”(Mikura)\n \n“I see….”(Sakuraba)\n \n“S-, sorry about that.”(Mikura)\n \n“No, no, it’s fine. If anything, I’m the one that should be apologizing for asking you something like that.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“N, no! Don’t worry about it and just rely on me! We’re friends after all…..”(Mikura)\n \n“Hahaha, that’s true. Thank you.”(Sakuraba)\n \nAoto laughed coolly.\nI was almost sucked into the eyes that peeked out from behind his narrowed eyelids.\n \n“Whoever Mikura’s boyfriend ends up being, I’m sure that they’ll be happy.”(Sakuraba)\n \n“No, that….! Someone like me….”(Mikura)\n \nI could feel my face flush bright red, so I instinctively turned my face away and shook my head.\n \nSometimes Aoto says things like this that make my heart race.\nBut I’m sure that he only says this stuff because he truly believes what he’s saying.\nAnd that’s precisely why his words are so impactful and overwhelm me.\n \nWhen I returned to reality, I found Aoto with a hand on his chin, looking like he was seriously pondering something.\nMaybe his friend’s romance-related circumstances are that important to him.\n \nPlease, please, actually be advice for a friend.\n \nThat was all I could hope for at this point.\n