Part-1 Ch-04 Ep-03

 After that, we enjoyed the aquarium to our heart’s content. We looked up at the bellies of the fish swimming overhead in the dome-shaped tank.

In the room where even the floor was made of acrylic panels, we nervously held hands and carefully crossed while watching the sharks glide beneath our feet.

We ate soft-serve ice cream while gazing at the fish beside a massive tank.

Before we knew it, more than three hours had passed.

The dolphin show that Maki had said she wanted to see when we made our plans had already ended without us realizing, so I told the disappointed Maki, “We’ll come again.”

“Ah, but I want to go somewhere far away before summer vacation ends! Like mountains or rivers, somewhere with nature!”

“We have the forest school trip right after summer vacation ends, though.”

“Then let’s just do karaoke~”

“You switch gears fast. But sure, let’s go next time.”

As always, the next promise naturally piled on top of the last. That is how we have always been.

“Hey, isn’t this cute?”

What Maki pointed at in the final shop corner was an alphabet-shaped keychain. It came with an adorable penguin mascot attached.

“It really is cute.”

“Right? Then I’ll go buy it.”

Her instant decision made me once again think how straightforward she truly is.

When Maki returned from the register, she had declined wrapping and was holding the keychains directly. “Here, matching ones,” she said, handing one to me.

“Huh? You bought two?”

“Yeah, yeah. Even though both our names start with M, I picked ones with slightly different designs. Take it.”

She smiled and said it was a memory of today. I accepted the keychain from her. When it rested in my palm, the metal pieces touched and the penguin mascot gave a small “clink.”

Things like “matching”... the way she occasionally does these girlish things is cute too, I thought.

On the way home from the aquarium.

I wanted the new release from my favorite author, so at my request, we stopped by a bookstore together.

I found the book I was looking for, and since I was already there, I decided to restock some stationery, so I separated from Maki and headed toward the stationery section.

After finishing there as well, I began scanning the store, wondering where she had gone.

Since we had come to the biggest bookstore in town, the interior was spacious to match.

We had agreed to contact each other by phone when meeting back up, but I figured I could probably find her if I wandered around a bit. We were only heading home afterward. There was plenty of time.

She wasn’t in the manga section, so I guessed the novels and checked the shelves.

She wasn’t among the literary fiction either, so I went back toward manga again.

Then, in one corner of the light novel shelves set against the wall, I spotted a very familiar back.

I assumed she would turn around soon and started walking toward her.

She must have been extremely absorbed; even when I stood right behind her, she didn’t notice me.

“Maki.”

When I called her name, her shoulders jolted dramatically and she spun around. In a panic, she shoved the novel in her hand back onto the shelf so fast I couldn’t catch the title. All I caught was the phrase “childhood friend...” before it got lost among the other books.

“W-w-w-we were supposed to contact each other when meeting up... um, this is, it’s not...”

“No, no, you’re way too flustered. Just what exactly were you reading—oh... I see.”

“N-no... it’s not like that... um...”

Looking over Maki’s shoulder at the titles in that section, I could somewhat understand why she was so shaken.

Almost all the novels had illustrations of girls with girls on the covers. Some were even depicted in rather suggestive entanglements.

I realized this was what people call the yuri section.

“Hmm, I see?”

“What do you mean ‘I see’...?”

Was there a setting like this?

Even though I have played this game to the point of exhaustion, is there still a setting I never encountered? Impossible. Information like “the heroine likes yuri” would definitely have been unforgettable in the setting documents, and it would have caused at least some stir on social media.

Which means this must be an original feature of this world that did not appear in the game.

“...Mari.”

Maki anxiously pinched the hem of my dress.

Come to think of it, this situation was essentially me barging into a territory she did not want seen by others.

“Sorry. It must have been unpleasant having someone suddenly call out from behind.”

For now, I decided to apologize.

If I hadn’t spoken carelessly, Maki wouldn’t have needed to feel awkward.

“Ah, but I won’t tell anyone about the genre of books, so it’s really no big deal! Maki is Maki. It’s totally fine to like whatever you like.”

Yes.

By the way, I really wanted to ask, “So, do you like girls?” but I restrained myself.

Kagami-kun scolded me about this very thing the other day. It is better to separate the genres someone enjoys from the person themselves.

Otherwise, not just me, but even the existence of the male capture targets would grow shaky.

“...You don’t think I’m weird?”

Maki asked with a slightly uneasy expression.

“I already think Maki isn’t exactly... normal to begin with.”

“That’s not what I mean! Like, creepy... or anything.”

“Huh? There’s no way I’d ever think that about you.”

Please do not underestimate me. I am fully determined to accept everything about this girl. Ever since we were little, the only methods I had to raise her affection stats were praising and encouraging her.

“I’ve been telling you since we were kids, right? It’s fine for you to stay just the way you are. So, are you buying the book or not?”

When I asked, Maki’s face reddened slightly, she looked downward, muttered “...I’m buying it,” grabbed the book so fast my eyes couldn’t follow, and sprinted off to the register. She moved too quickly for me to see the title again.

Watching her back as she dashed away, I thought once more.

I really wish this bookstore had a setting document collection or a strategy guide for this world lying around somewhere.