LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 14
Shizuna’s heart has been in a constant state of unrest ever since lunchtime.
“You’re obviously a woman I’d take to bed. Happy now?”
Those words Ryuichi had told her kept echoing in her head. She had to concentrate on the class, yet if she let her mind wander for the slightest of moments, those words would begin resonating in her head again non-stop. Shizuna’s cheeks were red and she let out a sad sigh; seeing this, her friend sitting next to her seemed to be concerned and called out to her.
“…Shizuna, are you okay?”
“…Huh? Oh, sorry.”
Shizuna came to her senses at the sound of her friend’s voice. She now realized that she had apparently been in such a daze that those around her were worried for her. With a smile, Shizuna assured her friend that she was fine and returned to copying the words on the blackboard into her notebook.
…However, Ryuichi’s voice started echoing in Shizuna’s brain again. And by the time Shizuna realized, she found that she hadn’t been copying the words on the blackboard.
“Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun Ryuichi-kun”
“…What on earth has come over me?”
Her notebook was filled with Ryuichi’s name. Just as Shizuna was stressing over what on earth she was doing, the bell sounded, signaling the end of class.
“…Haaah.”
Well, it couldn’t be helped; not after what he’d said during lunchtime.
Last night, she’d talked with Sakie after she came back from the bar about Ryuichi. Sakie apparently had no intention of telling Shizuna any of the deeper details, but when she asked Ryuichi, it was different; he’d told her everything.
Her mother had had such a beautiful smile on her face and looked so happy that Shizuna couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her make such a radiant smile. She was very happy to see her beloved mother finally enjoying herself, but at the same time, Shizuna felt a pang of jealousy in her heart.
“…Haaah.”
She could feel a prickling feeling in her heart just thinking about it. She wanted to do those kinds of things with Ryuichi herself; she wanted him to carve out the pleasures of being a woman unto herself, too. Those kinds of naughty desires crept up in her mind. Naturally, Shizuna writhed in agony on the bed afterwards… but there, she arrived at a thought.
“…Am I in love with Ryuichi-kun?”
The moment she muttered that, her heart pulsed loudly again. Unable to stop the pounding of her heart, today arrived, and when she met him at school, the pounding reached its climax.
“Fufu. ♪”
Remembering those events made Shizuna smile. It wasn’t an uncomfortable or bad feeling, but rather a heart-warming sensation that was almost addictive. She wanted to stay like this forever.
“Hey, Shizuna; you’ve been weirdly grinning for a while now. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“…I-I’m okay.”
Oops, not good, Shizuna thought as she did her best to keep her lips in place. Shizuna, who was having fun talking to her friends until the next class started, naturally turned her attention towards Ryuichi. He, too, seemed to be enjoying himself with his friend…well, actually, he seemed to have a somewhat annoyed expression on his face, but nevertheless, they seemed to be getting along as well as ever.
“…Love…huh.”
Love. Truthfully speaking, Shizuna had no experience with it. The person she was closest to that was a member of the opposite sex was definitely her childhood friend, Sohei. He had always been by Shizuna’s side, and although he was certainly unreliable in some ways, there were also times when she thought she had to take care of him.
“……?”
Suddenly, Shizuna felt a gaze on her and looked in that direction. There, she found Sohei, and he was staring at Shizuna. He was smiling happily when their eyes met, but Shizuna took her gaze away from him without reacting in any particular way.
“…I’m going to the bathroom for a bit.”
“Alright. See you.”
Shizuna wanted to calm down a bit anyway. She headed for the restroom and heaved a sigh as she entered a stall. The other students using the restroom were noisy, but it was enough to calm her down. When she finished using the restroom and went out into the hallway, Ryuichi and Makoto were walking in front of her, as if they too were just returning from using the restroom.
“…Shall I play a little prank? ♪”
She slowly approached his back, avoiding detection as best as she could. Just as she was about to poke him in the shoulder, Ryuichi unexpectedly turned around. However, it seemed that Ryuichi hadn’t turned around because he noticed Shizuna was there, and was therefore surprised to see her behind him.
“You… Were you trying to sneak attack me?”
“N-No! I was just trying to give you a little fright…”
“Really? I didn’t peg you as that kind of person. So you do those things too, huh.”
Indeed, Shizuna has not done this kind of childish thing for a while. Or rather, she had not done it at all since she became a high school student. She was merely following the mischievous spirit that had sprouted in her unexpectedly when she saw Ryuichi.
Shizuna was wondering why she had done that when she received a small shock on her forehead. Ryuichi had lightly flicked her.
“This is punishment for your attempted prank, alright?”
“…Ah.”
Unlike the fierce look she had seen in his eyes during lunchtime, Shizuna thought she saw the face of her father, who had died when she was a child, in his eyes that were somehow filled with tenderness. For Shizuna, the only man she could clearly rely on was her father. He loved Shizuna, loved Sakie, and was the mainstay of the family.
The death of her father was very devastating not only for Sakie, but also for Shizuna.
“……”
Since then, Shizuna has never been spoiled by anyone like a child. She even started catering to Sakie instead; she tried her best not to inconvenience her in order to be considerate of her. But now, Shizuna wanted to be spoiled by him…just a little bit. She wanted to embrace the large, wide back of the dependable Ryuichi; she wanted him to hold her in those big arms of his.
“…Y’know, Makoto.”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe I’ll pass on that place today, after all.”
“Oh? Alright. Tell me if you change your mind. There are tons of girls waiting for you.”
“Sure.”
With a wave of his hand, Makoto walked away. Shizuna had no idea what their conversation was about, but knowing Ryuichi, she could hazard a guess as to what the general outline of their conversation was.
“…Just now, was that…?”
“Yeah. We were talking about a party that me and Makoto used to go to a lot. He invited me again this morning, but in the end I decided against it.”
“Oh… I see.”
The slight feeling of uncertainty in her chest disappeared.
Shizuna had truly been plagued by many emotions since she met Ryuichi. She was close to getting an answer, but she was afraid that if she admitted it, she would change. She was afraid that she would only be able to think about Ryuichi, even more than now.
“So, is something on your mind? You don’t seem to be looking too good.”
“…You can tell?”
“Sorta?”
“…Fufu, the heck is that?”
It was true; she was in a sentimental mood thinking about her late father. In this respect, she was similar to Sakie: she sometimes felt lonely like this, even though she had already gotten over the past. Perhaps it was because he’d sensed that in her that he’d said something like that despite having no concrete evidence.
“…Ryuichi-kun.”
“Hmm?”
“Today…would you like to come to my house?”
“What?”
Surprised, Ryuichi blurted that with his mouth wide open. Shizuna herself did not know why she said this. She just wanted to be with him, even if just a little. She wanted to talk to him, to be close to him, and…to share some time with Ryuichi.
“Dinner!”
“Dinner?”
“I’ll make you dinner! Hamburg steaks, anything you want!”
“…Gulp.”
The sound of gulping could be heard from Ryuichi’s throat. Last time, Shizuna had made him the meat and potato stew, which Ryuichi had finished off with great relish. Shizuna had felt a definite response that time. She wanted to see the smile that Ryuichi had shown her then, and she also simply wanted him to eat the food she had made.
“I’m sure you and my mother have a lot to talk about, don’t you? I don’t mind! In fact, I’ll even be listening next to you!”
“No, don’t…”
Perhaps Shizuna herself didn’t know what she was saying because she was trying to bring Ryuichi to her home no matter what. The desperation was clear on Shizuna’s face, and Ryuichi sighed…then, he nodded.
Shizuna’s face immediately brightened, and she gave a wide smile, like a big flower blooming.