The Hide-and-Seek and the Darkness and the First Love (2)
āEh, whyāre you crying?ā
āIām not crying.ā
āā¦ā¦ but, my cheeks are getting wet.ā
Narahashi who grew flustered as tears spilled from his eyes in large drops, wiped his tears with his sleeve. His fair cheeks turned red.
I stared intently at Narahashiās face as his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth became äø shaped.
Heāll be cute if only heās this docile and meek normally. After all, his face was arranged to be quite amorous. Although the Prince, Soutarou and Kaname are also beauties, Narahashi is the refined type.
āShut up. I hate bunny-chan.ā
Even though just up until a moment ago he was all āderedereā, suddenly he became ātsuntsunā[1]. What on earth is going on.
Not even willing to converse, somehow this became incredibly tiresome. Mitsukiās probably worried too and while I want to leave Narahashi behind and return home, I canāt do that. Besides, I want to think of myself as someone who wonāt do such a heartless thing.
No matter how unlikeable I found Narahashi, I canāt just abandon someone whoās crying and return home.
Even though he took on a ātsuntsunā attitude, heās still gripping my shirt so tightly that I canāt move an inch.
As I let out a small breath while wondering what to do, the fluorescent light suddenly went off with a loud ābachittoā.
In a split second, it became pitch dark. I was surprised, but the moonlight entering from the window was enough for one to determine what was where. If itās just this much, thereās no need to panic, huh.
āKaichou, are you okay?ā
āUnā¦ā¦ Hey, bunny-chan.ā
āUn? Whatās up?ā
Narahashi finally got off from my waist.
Iām glad that he got off as my waist and my shoulders were becoming numb. Encouraging my numb muscles, I somehow managed to sit up and leaned my back against the cardboard. Narahashi then adhered himself perfectly to me and sat down.
Even though heās too close, this isnāt the atmosphere where I can ask him to back off. Iāll remain silent and wait for him to speak.
Narahashi watched from the side as I slowly put my shirt in order. I couldnāt find my tie with the vicinity being this dark. Forget it, Iāll search for it tomorrow.
āBunny-chan, you said that I shallowly spoke superficial words of love and that Iām just scared of being alone, right.ā
āā¦ā¦ Ah. I wonāt apologise.ā
Even though I felt sincerely sorry that those words that made him cry, I donāt think I did a bad thing.
Those were veracious words. I worry for the futures of maidens who offered up their bodies to this guyās superficial words of love.
āThatās fine. Itās true after all.ā
āAre you afraid of being alone?ā
āThatās right. Iām scared. Loneliness is a scary thing.ā
The way he spoke was chock-full of sentiments.
The me who grew curious turned to look at Narahashiās face and it just so happened that he was also gazing at me. I reflexively backed away from the surprise of being so close.
āCho, Narahashi-kaichou, youāre too close.ā
āIs bunny-chan afraid of the dark?ā
āNope, just this much is fine.ā
Due to the moonlight illuminating the storage room, Iām aware of my own location. Even if Iām not, I can just feel my way around in such a cramped space.
Narahashi suddenly laughed and thrusted his hand through the gap of my shirt, gently caressing from my collarbone to my chest. Shocked, I moved backwards. Chasing the retreating me, he buried his face in the nape of my neck.
āBunny-chan, youāre cool, huh. Iām scared. Whether of the darkness or of loneliness. Even more so of sleeping alone.ā
Is that why heās sleeping around with people regardless of their gender? Because heās afraid of the dark, heās fine with sleeping with anyone, huh.
While thinking that his actions are in no way forgivable, an interest also surfaced within me, wanting to know what happened to push him this far.
Did I make a face as though I was looking outside? Narahashi lifted his head from the nape of my neck and smiled the way a cat whoās about to cry would.
āDid bunny-chan think that I was some sex fiend whoād sleep with anyone? You thought that, didnāt you. I know that everyone looks at me with eyes like that. But, thatās a misunderstanding.ā
āMisunderstanding?ā
āI wonāt do ecchi stuff with just anyone. I only do them with people I really like.ā
I unconsciously made a dubious face.
After all, even when we first met, he was just about to have sexual intercourse with that flashy girl. Thereās no way that a half-naked girl and a half-naked guy are just straddling for fun. Itās not that I have an excessively dirty thinking, right.
Whatās more, thereās that. Isnāt that girl your lover? Is it okay to say things like Mitsuki is your type in her presence? I donāt quite understand his thinking.
But with the expression Narahashi was making, it doesnāt seem like heās lying. Moreover, it doesnāt matter even if he did lie to me or deceive me with this serious face.
The number of people Narahashi slept with had not even a 1mm connection to my life.
āYouāre making a face like you donāt believe me. But what I said was true. Itās doesnāt matter whether you believe me or not though.ā
āI believe you. If you say so, so be it. Donāt become so abject.ā
āBut bunny-chan hates me, donāt you?ā
Narahashi sucked in his breath as though he was surprised, and his line of sight swam. The way his lips curled as though he was sulking was kind of adorable.
Although I donāt know whether his words struck a chord within me, honestly speaking, I donāt find Narahashi likeable.
Nonetheless, if I have to say what I dislike about him, the only thing is how he spoke superficial words of love to Mitsuki and I. To put things bluntly, I donāt really care about what relationships he has with whomever.
Things like that, I wonder if Narahashi properly understands?
āJa, does kaichou likes me?ā
āI like you. Havenāt I been saying that all along?ā
āThe only thing kaichou likes is my face, right?ā
That I said such a narcissistic thing, please overlook it.
Other than Narahashi commenting that my face was completely his type, I donāt remember him praising anything else.
āI donāt know. But in this darkness, my heartās throbbing crazily. Just the thought of being close to bunny-chan makes my heart beat so fast that my chest hurts.ā
āThatās because youāre scared of the dark, right.ā
āAwawa, perhaps.ā
Narahashi who regained his usual self inhaled a small breath and opened his mouth leisurely.
āButā¦ā¦, if I say that itās not just your face that I like, will bunny-chan fall in love with me?ā
āUn?ā
āI want to get along better with bunny-chan. This may seem like a lie to bunny-chan but from the first time I met you, I really,Ā reallyĀ thought that I like you. But I didnāt tell you because it wasnāt characteristic of me.ā
Narahashi who was crawling on the ground entwined his finger with mine. Unable to either squeeze his finger back or separate from it, I just let him hold it.
āAs I thought, Iām a liar, huh, bunny-chan.ā
Narahashi was really a liar. Even though heās a liar, Iām increasingly starting to find that mostly likeable. Perhaps itās because of its simplicity.
Thinking that way, I laughed slightly.
āIāll forgive you if you stop lying.ā
Saying playful words, I filled the finger he was holding with my intention and gripped his hand strongly.
Although I donāt think Iāll come to like Narahashi yet, itās certain that a part of me was gradually having a favourable impression of him.
As expected, itās important to talk things out. That I quickly re-evaluated him once we started talking, I apologise for that. This is something I should reflect on, huh.
In this less than an hour, just talking to Narahashi made me feel like wanting to know him better. I have a feeling I can befriend him even though I hated him so much before. I think I can come to like him.
āSeems like bunny-chanās not an enemy. Thank goodness. I wonāt lie to bunny-chan anymore. I promise that, only to bunny-chan, Iāll tell the truth.ā
āI see. Then Iāll also promise not to lie. Only as much as possible though.ā
āAwawa, thatās crafty of bunny-chan.ā
Looking at my watch, itās almost 21:00. WeāveĀ spokeĀ until quite a late hour.
At that moment, multiple sounds of footsteps came from the corridor.
āMakotoās bag was still in the classroom so he must still be here. Along with that Student Council kaichou. We have to save him.ā
āWith the kaichouā¦ā¦? So Mako-chanās with kaichou-san.ā
āI understand. Then, Iāll search the classrooms. So Mitsuki-san should go to the 1st school building, Kiritani-kun please search this area.ā
Judging from their voices, they seem like the Prince, Yurino-sensei and Mitsuki.
Did they come to look after waiting and waiting for the me who didnāt appear? Although I donāt know who proposed it, Iām grateful to these three.
As footsteps of two people got further, footsteps that sounded like the Princeās approached us step by step.
Wonāt he notice us if I raise my voice now?
āKiritani, Iām heāāā¦ā¦!ā
āMakoto.ā
Narahashi clung to the waist which I was about to raise.
āKaichouā¦ā¦?ā
āCall me, Junya. Makoto.ā
āEh?! A, hmmā¦ā¦ Well then, Junya-senpai, Iām going to call for help so please let go.ā
Somehow Narahashi seemed to be shy. This isnāt the time to get shy, though.
E, whatās this. Whatās this atmosphere. I got a taste of this before too. Itās the atmosphere when a CG appears.
Were there times where I was swept into CG-appearing events before? No, there definitely werenāt, right?
āItās okay. You donāt have to call for help.ā
āE? Iya, but at this rate youāll be troubled, right?ā
āI wonāt be troubled. I want to remain like this, with Makoto.ā
The atmosphere had sweetened so much that I felt uncomfortable.
He planted his face around my navel and rubbed his cheeks against it. Exactly what does he mean by this.
Eć¼, it canāt be, eć¼ā¦ā¦ isnāt this atmosphere even more dangerous than the atmosphere when I was being pushed down? Will my chastity be safe?