Part-3 Ch-01 Ep-02

After finishing Studying, we were on our way home from the library.

As the two of us walked side by side through streets tinted by the colors of sunset, Maki suddenly spoke up, as if something had just occurred to her.

“Why is it no good if we study at one of our houses?”

Caught off guard by Maki’s innocent question, I stammered, “Ah, uh, ehh… well, because…” unable to come up with a proper answer right away.

Yeah, I knew she would ask eventually.

After school, Maki often suggested, “Want to come to my house?”

It would be closer for both of us, we could study without holding back, take breaks whenever we wanted, and there would be unlimited drinks and snacks anyway.

From Maki’s perspective, since she already came over to my house almost every week, suggesting that we study at either her place or mine probably felt completely natural.

But every time, I turned her down with excuses like, “No, let’s go to the library instead,” or, “Let’s go to the food court at that mall over there today!”

For me, going to each other’s houses required a certain degree of mental resolve.

Not only because it posed a threat to my chastity, but also because I knew that I would end up getting distracted by Maki.

After all, I am a high school girl right in the middle of puberty too. There was no way I would be able to keep my hands to myself, let alone focus on studying.

If I failed my university entrance exams because of that, what would happen then? Would that be my responsibility?

So, aware that my face was growing red, I confessed honestly in halting words, “When it’s just the two of us, I, um, end up paying too much attention to you, Maki. Or rather, I can’t concentrate.”

In truth, Maki was good at switching into full concentration mode, so she would probably be fine, but I was different.

Once my focus broke, it took a long time to regain it.

And sometimes, when Maki stared intently at me just to kill time, the atmosphere between us would quickly drift into that sort of mood if we were alone.

See, even now, she could not hide the grin spreading across her face after hearing my confession.

“I see, I see. So Mari likes me that much, huh.”

Looking delighted, she shamelessly relaxed her cheeks, stopped walking, reached out toward me, and patted my head.

Even in the middle of the street like this, she could create such a sugary atmosphere.

If we were alone together in a closed room, my heart would not be able to withstand it.

Even on days off when she came to wake me up, she would seize every opportunity to plant kisses on my nape or cheeks, and try to slip her hand inside my pajamas.

In fact, she had slipped it in.

“Well, if Mari can’t concentrate, then I suppose there’s nothing to be done about it.”

Surprisingly, she backed off cleanly, yet for some reason her expression looked glossy and faintly proud.

She must have been incredibly happy that I was so conscious of her. She really was an easy girl to read.

Still, even so, the fact that I ended up glancing at Maki from time to time no matter where we studied was unavoidable to a certain extent.

Wanting to be together so that we could study together, yet finding it difficult to study because being together made me too aware of her. What a dilemma, I thought to myself.

✧✧✧✧✧

“So, what do you think I should do, Seishuku-san?”

“What do you mean…?”

During PE class, while waving and cheering for Maki, who was playing on the opposing basketball team, I consulted Seishuku-san.

Since we were in the same class this year, I planned to make full use of her abilities.

She herself seemed quite motivated as well. Every day, she told me that day’s fortune or lucky item, faithfully fulfilling her original role in the game.

Whenever she asked, “Is there anything troubling you? Or anything I can help with?” I could sense a hint of resolve behind her tone, and it felt as though she was very aware that this was our final year.

“For improving concentration, how about trying the Pomodoro Technique?”

“…That doesn’t really have anything to do with fortune-telling. That’s just a study method, right?”

Surprised by such practical advice, I looked up the details on my phone. Apparently, it was a technique where you study in short bursts, taking five- or ten-minute breaks every few dozen minutes to maintain focus in manageable increments. It seemed unexpectedly effective, so I quietly thanked her.

“Also, Asahina-kun sometimes studies while wearing earphones.”

“Eh, that’s a good idea.”

I should try that next time.

As I mentally jotted it down in my internal notebook, Seishuku-san suddenly let out a soft “Fufufu” laugh.

“What is it?”

“It just feels like this is a completely normal conversation between high school girl friends.”

Seishuku-san smiled shyly, looking just like a girl her age. When a cute girl smiles, she is still cute.

I could not help but feel that there really was a kind of nourishment that could only be obtained from a cute girl’s smile.

That aside, though.

“Yes, cause we are already friends, right?”

I asked about the part of her comment that had caught my attention.

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

“……….”

“Wait, don’t tell me only I thought we were friends only from my side, and for you, Seishuku-san, it was just a business-like relationship…?”

If that were the case, I would be genuinely offended.

I trusted Seishuku-san quite a lot, to the point that if I had something to consult about Maki, I would go to her, and she had always helped me at critical moments. Now that we were finally in the same class, I wanted to grow even closer to her.

Even if she could be a little mysterious at times.

“Ah, no, that’s not it… Yes. We’re friends… right.”

In response to my words, she blushed faintly and bit her lip tightly.

“…Yeah, Seishuku-san really is cute.”

Mm-hmm, since we were finally in the same class, we had to get along well.

As I looked at her slightly embarrassed expression, I nodded, feeling warm and content inside.

“Um, Nagase-san, Ichinose-san is staring very intently at you from over there.”

“Huh?”

When I quickly turned my gaze toward the court in the middle of the match, Maki was looking straight at me with an expressionless face.

While waving back at her to convey, “It’s nothing,” I forced a strained smile onto my face.