Chapter 357 - Pinch
(1)
"Good morning, Toya-kun!"
"Good morning, Airi."
After performing the morning ritual, I get out of bed.
Airi is already changed.
It seems to be her will that I shouldn't hug her while she's changing.
I'll obediently comply.
After eating breakfast, I pour some coffee and return to the room.
Then I relax, drinking coffee while watching TV.
A message from the Watanabe-han men's gathering comes through.
Naturally, Airi tries to look.
Seeing that message, I instinctively hide it.
Naturally, Airi urges me to show her.
"I can't show you this today."
"There are no secrets between husband and wife!"
"But you have things you don't want me to see too, right?"
"I don't!"
"Don't you have secrets between women?"
"So that means it's a secret between men?"
"That's right."
"Absolutely not! Show me!"
Hiding it any further is impossible.
I look at the message. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who tried to resist.
Makoto is frantically deleting messages.
"Don't say that kind of thing here! Delete the message right now!"
"My wife will see it. Hurry up and delete it!"
"I told you not to drag us into this kind of thing, Makoto."
Kiritani-kun, Kimoto-senpai, and Watanabe-kun are saying that.
Anyone can see that Makoto is the ringleader, right?
"Toya-kun? What did Makoto-kun say?"
Airi's interrogation begins.
"Airi, I have something I want to ask you, okay?"
I try to change the subject for now.
"What?"
Airi's voice is clearly in a bad mood.
"The promise that the after-party would be mixed gender... does everyone know about that?"
"I only told you, Toya-kun. The others don't know."
"I see..."
So that's why they did this.
"You won't get away with trying to dodge the question! What did Makoto-kun say!?"
It'll come out anyway, so I guess it's fine. The others are probably talking too.
"Well, he said, 'Cover for me and say I went to a men's gathering. I'm going to a soccer club mixer'..."
Airi tried to type a message with lightning speed, but her finger stopped.
"No secrets, right? I'll show you too, Toya-kun."
Airi shows me her phone.
"Makoto-kun seems to be going to a soccer club mixer."
"That idiot..."
"What should we do? He's clearly planning to cheat."
"...Leave him be."
"Is that okay?"
"Someone said it, right? Once you're a working adult, you'll get invited to drinking parties more or less. I'll trust Makoto."
"If Kanna says that's fine, then we won't say anything, but..."
"Kanna-chan, rely on us if it comes down to it. I'll get you a lawyer and squeeze a ton of alimony out of him!"
"I pray it doesn't come to that."
Kanna seems kind of down. ...Is she giving up?
"I wonder if Kanna is okay?"
Airi is worried.
Should I ask her during lunch break?
(2)
"Sorry, everyone. Our idiot dragged you all into this again."
Kanna apologizes.
"It's not something Kanna-chan needs to apologize for. The bad one is Makoto-kun."
Emi-san seems angry.
Well, all the women seem to be, actually.
"My husband didn't hide it; he tried to protect Makoto-kun!"
Kana-san says.
"I told him so many times not to drag the Watanabe-han into this..."
Watanabe-kun sighs.
Incidentally, it seems Kiritani-kun was the first to confess.
"So, what are we doing today?"
"We'll do it as planned. None of the other men are hiding anything, right!"
When Kanna says that, everyone says they aren't.
I'm eating my lunch.
Kitamura-san is also eating her lunch.
The women seem to be having a strategy meeting.
We'll meet up at the after-party as planned.
We'll interrogate Makoto tomorrow morning.
That's about it, right?
"Aren't you tired of keeping him on such a tight leash?"
Kitamura-san asks.
"I think the problem is with the person who can't be trusted not to do something unless they're on a tight leash."
Saki-san says.
"Have you ever wanted to put Kuribayashi-kun on a tight leash?"
"Rather, I feel like I'm the one being leashed. Not that it feels bad."
When Emi-san says that, a surprising answer comes back.
"He sends so many messages from morning till night. And he calls me morning and night to say good morning and goodnight."
Kuribayashi-kun is surprisingly attentive.
Kuribayashi-kun is eating his lunch next to Kitamura-san.
It's simple, but I can tell it's Kitamura-san's homemade lunch.
"But still, is going to a soccer club mixer really that bad?"
When I say that, I get all the women's stares.
"The basketball club has mixers too, right? Hey, Tasuku."
"Y-yeah, that's right. Though we have chaperones."
"Chii-chan, have you ever thought it was a pain?"
"No. Sho only plays with me."
"Toya, your point is off."
Kanna says.
"The problem is going secretly and sneakily. Isn't that proof he has a guilty conscience?"
"Kanna-chan is right. Like I said before, the problem is doing it sneakily."
"Then, it's fine if he doesn't do it sneakily, right?"
"He's already doing it, isn't he?"
I send a message to Makoto.
"Makoto, the women already know. You'd better confess honestly."
A reply comes back from Makoto immediately.
"Seriously! I'll contact Kanna right now."
Kanna's phone rings, and she answers.
"Hello... You complete idiot!!"
After a while, Kanna hangs up.
"He says he was begged to come. He's confirmed to go pro. With that face of his, he's probably being used as bait for the women."
"Are you okay with that, Kanna-chan?"
Emi-san asks.
"I've got no choice but to trust him from here on out."
Saying that, Kanna finishes her lunch.
"Thanks for the meal, Misato. It was delicious today too."
"It's mostly just microwaved stuff, though."
"I could feel your love, Misato. That alone makes me happy."
"Well, if you say so."
Kitamura-san says that, but she doesn't seem displeased as she puts away her lunchbox.
"Well, I need to get going, it's about time."
When Kitamura-san says that, everyone starts to move.
"See you this evening, then."
(3)
"Alright, for today's women's gathering, let's talk about Kuribayashi-kun's actions."
When Ai says that, the women's gathering begins.
"Can we really solve anything by talking about it in the first place?"
"We're the Watanabe-han. We make things work."
When Kitamura-san says that, Emi answers.
"Kitamura-san, you want Kuribayashi-kun to make the first move, right?"
Ai says.
"Well, yes..."
She drinks her oolong tea, looking uninterested.
"So, that means you want to kiss him?"
When I say that, Misato looks down and blushes.
So that's how it is.
"The rest is a matter of the situation. For someone Naru's age, there are lots of options, like under the illuminations or in a Ferris wheel, but..."
"Situation, huh~"
When Sakura-san says that, everyone is thinking.
"Haruto thought about it. He took me to an observation deck. He said it would be a memory for life."
Shiratori-san says.
"As for me, I want to get this settled tonight."
Ai says.
"How are you going to do that!? Don't tell me you're planning to force it at the after-party!?"
"Don't you think doing it while watching the sunrise is pretty nice?"
When Emi says that, Ai answers.
"So, you mean make him drive her home?"
"It's cliché, though."
"Aren't you sleepy in the morning? I can't let him drive in such dangerous conditions."
Kitamura-san argues with the two of them.
"Well then, maybe Shiratori-san's idea is the way to go."
"Send them home from the after-party and go for a night drive?"
"Kuribayashi-kun probably hasn't been drinking yet."
"I'm fine with my place."
Kitamura-san answers, looking annoyed.
"That's it!"
I said.
"What do you mean?"
Kitamura-san asks. She seems to have shown some interest.
"Kitamura-san, have him stay over at your place tonight! Then he'll definitely do it! He might even go all the way!"
"I'm not mentally prepared for that yet..."
"If you enter his area of expertise, he'll take the lead. Just leave the rest to him. At the very least, he'll kiss you."
"Airi, that's a great idea!"
Ai seems to agree.
"But I don't have a spare futon at my place. And my bed is a single."
"That's fine. Two people sleeping in a single bed. It's the perfect situation. It doesn't even have to be in the bed. Have him hold you along with your dreams in that single bed."
"Is that really how it works...?"
Kitamura-san seems doubtful.
"The rest is, we need a little action from Misato's side."
Kanna says.
"Right, pressing your body against his might help loosen his tension too."
"I don't mean it in a weird way. Just something like placing your hand on his is enough."
Emi and I say.
"Well, I might be able to manage that much."
"Not 'might be able to'! You will do it! The first move is crucial! Especially if the other person is shy. You have to create the mood."
Mika-san says.
"How was it with Kosei-kun?"
"Kosei did it without saying anything. He seemed sensitive to that kind of atmosphere."
When Naru says that, everyone goes "Ooh~".
"Tosaka-san's idea might be good. Nature is the most important thing. Men get timid when it comes down to it. Even more so than you'd think for a guy who's used to women."
But once they start rolling, they won't stop, Satomi-san adds.
"What about you, Tosaka-senpai?"
"I made the first move myself. I did it suddenly in front of his house."
When I say that, everyone is surprised.
"I think it was the day Kanna transferred to our school. I wanted to assert that Toya-kun was mine."
I explained what happened that night to everyone.
Kanna also talks about how it was back then.
"It means decisiveness is important too. If he won't do it just by waiting, you have to make him want to kiss you himself."
Kanna says.
"Well, that's pretty much decided then. After the after-party, she'll have him stay over! And she'll initiate hand contact herself! If he still doesn't do it after this, we'll teach him a lesson."
Emi says.
"Should we create the mood at the after-party? I think some preparation is necessary."
"Yeah."
When Ai says that, everyone agrees.
"Speaking of the after-party, do the guys know about it?"
Akira-san says.
"I told Toya-kun~"
"I discussed it with Watanabe-kun too~"
The others say it's a secret.
I wonder what they, who know nothing, will think?
"But having the after-party together is a good idea. It's less stressful for both sides."
"There's no need to have them separate in the first place."
Satomi-san and Ai are saying.
"Misato! You're deciding tonight! No, just sending the pass properly is enough!"
Ai says.
"Understood. I'll do my best."
Kitamura-san says.
"Well, let's put this matter aside for now. Does anyone else have anything?"
Ai asks everyone.
After that, everyone talked about whatever they wanted.
Things like how Kisaragi-kun won't move to the next step, or about Takatsuki-kun and Chitose-san.
It seems Takatsuki-kun and Chitose-san did it while we were on the trip.
Apparently, he suddenly took her to a hotel.
"I didn't feel bad about it. I was nervous, though. It felt like, 'Finally, it's happening.'"
It seems Takatsuki-kun leads things well.
I wonder if Mirai and the others are doing okay?
"Yamato-san was troubled. She said she wants a child soon, but if she takes maternity leave now, the work won't get done."
Mirai says with a laugh.
"I don't know what Shu-chan is thinking. I wonder if he doesn't want a child?"
Umi-chan is worried.
As everyone talks like this, time passes quickly.
"Should we head to the after-party soon? I want to get into the room before the guys."
Ai says.
"Right, I want to see the surprised look on the guys' faces."
Emi says.
We left the shop and headed towards the karaoke place.
(4)
After finishing the first party, we head to the karaoke place.
Kiritani-kun is the same as always.
He's looking around the shop.
"Watanabe-kun, where's tonight's after-party?"
"I thought I'd play it safe and go with karaoke this time."
When Kiritani-kun asks, Watanabe-kun answers.
"What's wrong, scared of your wife?"
"Well, yeah. If I piss her off any more, she might seriously shove divorce papers at me."
"Give me a break, Eita. Everyone's been inconvenienced by your actions."
Kimoto-senpai said.
For me too, pissing Airi off any more isn't a good idea.
"That's why your wives walk all over you! I'll handle it firmly!"
I don't think you should say things like that, Kiritani-kun.
"Well, even if it's karaoke, let's blow away all our frustrations!"
Kiritani-kun's bravado lasted only until he opened the door to the room.
Seeing the faces of the women who had entered the room first and were waiting, his face twitched.
That was everyone except Watanabe-kun and me.
Ishihara-kun and Sakai-kun seemed to sense the danger.
"We've been waiting for you~, Watanabe-kun."
Ai-san says.
"Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting."
Watanabe-kun says.
"What's wrong, Eita? Don't just stand there, come over here."
Kiritani-kun is opening and closing his mouth, pointing at Ai-san.
"You settled things at the first party, right? Then there's no problem with having the after-party together, is there?"
"Yeah, no problem at all."
Watanabe-kun says.
"Well then, let's get this night going, shall we? Eita."
Kiritani-kun is forcibly made to sit next to Ai-san.
The rest of us also sit next to our respective partners.
Kitamura-san seems nervous, or so I feel.
Ah, I see. They talked about the kiss.
"Airi, how did that talk go?"
"I thought up a good plan~"
"Oh, what kind?"
"Well~..."
Airi whispers in my ear.
"That might be good."
"Yay~, praised by Toya-kun~"
Airi happily clings to me.
Looking around, everyone is flirting in their own way.
Feeding each other, sharing drinks. Everyone is enjoying themselves.
Kitamura-san too, timidly picks up a piece of fried chicken and brings it to Kuribayashi-kun's mouth.
"Thanks, Misato."
"N-no..."
Now I can see it clearly.
Expectation, anxiety, and longing.
She's nervous.
It was the women who started moving.
"Kitamura-san, you've had Kuribayashi-kun stay over at your place before, right?"
"Yes. I have."
When Airi asks, Kitamura-san answers.
"Well, what about the reverse?"
"Huh?"
"Have you ever stayed over at Kuribayashi-kun's place?"
"Yes, I have. He seems to keep his life pretty organized; it was clean and tidy."
"Well, then there's no problem~"
Airi says.
"What do you mean?"
"Today's Saturday, so why don't you have him let you stay over? That's fine with you, right, Kuribayashi-kun?"
"I don't mind, but is it okay with you, Misato?"
"...I don't mind either."
Kiritani-kun and Ai-san are the same as always.
The others are singing too.
Kitamura-san and the others start singing too.
Kitamura-san seems to prefer older songs.
And they're male vocal songs.
So naturally, she's singing with Kuribayashi-kun.
These two will be fine.
I was sure of it.
What bothered me more was Kanna.
She's looking at her phone, looking anxious.
"What's wrong, Kanna?"
"Ah, I can't get in touch with that idiot."
Did something happen?
After drinking, singing, and making a racket until morning, everyone went home on the first train.
We saw Kitamura-san and Kuribayashi-kun off.
"I hope things go well for Kitamura-san and the others."
"You're confident about it, aren't you, Airi?"
"What about you, Toya-kun?"
"With that much preparation, they'll probably be fine, right?"
"Right~"
Airi seems to be in a good mood.
"Hey? Toya-kun."
"What is it?"
"Will you kiss me when we get home?"
What's with her all of a sudden.
"I'm in that kind of mood."
Was she affected by those two?
"Is just a kiss enough?"
"Yeah... you're probably tired too, Toya-kun."
"Okay, fine."
"Yay~"
I'm sure everyone else is being begged for the same thing.
Thinking such things, I went home, took a shower, and then satisfied Airi's demands to my heart's content in bed.
(5)
This isn't the first time I've stayed over at Junichi-san's house.
It's happened many times.
But today, I was nervous.
Is this the Watanabe-han's charm?
Everyone in the Watanabe-han says,
"That nervousness will be soothed by Junichi-san."
Junichi-san brings me some tea.
"Coffee was no good, right?"
"Yes."
I received the tea from Junichi-san.
Junichi-san is pressed close to me.
Is he making the first move?
Is he still wary of me?
Everything seems to be progressing just as the Watanabe-han planned.
The only thing left is my own heart.
I steel my resolve and grab his arm.
He notices this and looks into my eyes.
Naturally, I too found myself gazing at him, as if drawn into his eyes.
He places his hand on my cheek and brings his face close to mine.
I close my eyes.
A soft, warm sensation on my lips.
I was hugging him.
That time felt very long.
And then, suddenly, it disappears.
I've finally taken a step forward.
The Watanabe-han is truly a strange group.
A group that helps you overcome one obstacle at a time.
Even I can have a love life like a normal person.
"Sorry, for being so sudden."
"It's fine. It's only natural for lovers, right?"
Why can I only talk like this?
"I'll sleep on the floor, so you use the bed, Misato."
He doesn't need to worry.
I let out a small laugh.
He has a very serious personality.
That person of mine set my fate's pendulum in motion.
I am moving.
So I say it.
"You'll catch a cold sleeping in a place like that. Let's sleep together."
"...Is it okay?"
"It's too late to worry about that now."
"Thank you."
He didn't do anything to me.
It seems reaching the destination is still a ways off.
(6)
Crap!
That's what I thought when I woke up.
The woman sleeping next to me was naked.
I was naked too.
I was drunk and don't remember.
Nothing happened.
I want to believe that.
I look in the trash can.
No condoms thrown away.
It ended as an attempt.
I look at my phone.
It's overflowing with missed calls and messages from Kanna.
How should I make an excuse?
For now, nothing happened.
That much is certain.
The woman I was sleeping with woke up.
She's the woman I hit it off with at the mixer.
When I said I was going home early, she said she'd come with me and...
I trace my memories.
Yeah, nothing happened.
For now, I'm relieved.
But that's just self-satisfaction.
If she says something happened, the facts are overturned.
And the fact that I slept with her doesn't change.
"Good morning, Makoto-kun."
"Good morning, Shimomura-san."
I greet her for now.
"Hey..."
"Last night was fun. Thank you very much."
Fun? She means the drinking party, right?
"No, don't worry about it. Should we get going soon?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Saying that, she puts on her clothes.
I put on my clothes too.
When I leave the hotel and try to leave with a "Well, then," Shimomura-san grabs my hand.
"Since we're here, how about breakfast together?"
"B-but I need to get home early..."
"Your wife is waiting, right? At this hour, it doesn't matter. Taking a little time won't hurt."
She has a point.
"Well then, should I grab a bite and head home?"
"Yes."
After eating a morning set at a coffee shop in the shopping arcade, we parted ways.
I thought of an excuse on the train home.
The after-party got lively and it turned into morning.
That's common for the Watanabe-han.
I'll go with that!
I get home.
The chain lock isn't on.
I'm relieved.
I quietly enter the house.
Kanna must have been out late too; she seems to be asleep.
Or so I thought, but I was naive.
"You're pretty late, Makoto."
"Ka, Kanna."
"Where did you go?"
"The, the after-party place got lively..."
"You didn't go to any weird places, did you?"
"I didn't, I promised, didn't I!"
I'm not lying.
"Why didn't you answer when I called?"
"I got caught up in the fun and didn't notice."
"I see... If you're going to be late, at least contact me."
"Got it, sorry."
"Well, I'm going to sleep."
"I'll sleep too, I'm tired."
"...You look pretty good for being tired."
A woman's intuition is sharp at times like this.
"I'm still young, you know. This much doesn't faze me."
"Is that so?"
"F-for now, let's just sleep."
"Yeah, I guess so...?"
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, goodnight."
Saying that, Kanna falls asleep.
I was consulting the men's group about what to do from now on. That was a huge mistake.
(7)
"Toya-kun, it's lunchtime~. Wake up~."
I wake up to Airi's voice.
"Airi, did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I'll make us some lunch."
"Something simple is fine."
"Instant ramen is okay, right?"
"If it's that..."
"With an egg added, right? I know~"
Airi says that and leaves the room.
I check my phone just in case.
There's a message in the men's group.
Everyone is telling Makoto to delete the message immediately.
What happened?
I trace the history.
I'm speechless.
That idiot...
Is he asleep? There's no sign of him deleting the message.
This is getting nowhere.
I call Makoto.
"Hello~ Toya, what's up?"
"What's up? Not that! Delete the message right now! Did you forget the women can see it!"
"Ah, that's right! Sorry, I'll delete it now!"
I look at my phone and confirm the message has been deleted.
"So, what should I do!"
"How should I know!"
If he causes a mess like that, Airi's dad might come knocking.
"...Nothing happened, right?"
"Not that I remember."
"Then just pretend nothing happened. Don't ever tell Kanna!"
"I know that much. Ah, Kanna woke up, so I gotta go."
"Calm down, it's not time to panic yet."
"I know, see ya."
The call ended.
But it seems I had made a fatal mistake too.
"Is something wrong with Kanna?"
Airi had come back into the room.
"What about you, Airi?"
"I came to call you because lunch is ready~, but you didn't notice me."
"Ah, sorry. The noodles will get soggy. I'll be right there."
Then we eat lunch in the dining room.
"So, did something happen with Kanna?"
"Ah, Makoto came home in the morning and she seems mad."
I'm not lying.
"Ugh... Toya-kun, you're hiding something again, aren't you?"
"I'm not hiding anything."
"You're lying. She wouldn't get mad just because Makoto-kun came home in the morning. She already knew he went to the mixer yesterday."
"Yeah, you're right. Kanna wouldn't get mad over that. It must be Makoto's imagination."
"What did you mean by, 'Calm down, it's not time to panic yet'?"
"I just felt like saying a line from a manga."
"The fact that you're giving away things like that means you're hiding something."
Airi's intuition is sharp.
"Show me your phone later. You guys were talking about something in the men's group, weren't you?"
"Ah, yeah, sure. There's nothing there."
Makoto deleted the message. I just have to play dumb now.
I help Airi clean up and then go back to the room.
Then I show her my phone.
Airi looks at the men's group messages without hesitation.
"'You're slow, idiot'? What does this mean?"
Who sent that unnecessary information?
Kiritani-kun... He got caught, huh?
And then, when she traces the log, it stops abruptly where Makoto deleted the message.
"Toya-kun, what did Makoto-kun say?"
"I don't remember."
"Liar! You said 'Delete the message quickly' too!"
Ah, crap. I should have called him first.
"The other guys are saying it too. 'Delete it quickly before the women see it'... What did Makoto-kun do that would be bad if seen?"
"Well, everyone has things they don't want others to know, right?"
"Ugh... You said we wouldn't have secrets between us as a couple!"
"It's really nothing serious... Ah!"
Crap!
"I'll decide if it's serious or not, so tell me what you know!"
That idiot Makoto, now I'm in a mess too, aren't I?
Just then, Airi's phone rings.
It's probably the women's group.
The other guys were being interrogated too, right?
And one of them talked.
Something like that?
The one who talked was probably Kiritani-kun, right?
Looks like I was right.
Airi shoves her phone at me. It shows a message from Ai-san.
It's a screenshot, perfectly captured.
"'Crap, I woke up and was sleeping naked with a woman. I think it was just an attempt, but this is bad, right?'"
Why do Makoto and Kiritani-kun so easily post such heavy content in the men's group?
Think about the people who get dragged into it.
"Toya-kun, want to explain from the beginning?"
"I really don't know! I saw that message when I checked my phone after waking up!"
"...So that's why you called Makoto-kun."
"Yeah."
"Makoto-kun is the bad one, but you're no better, Toya-kun! Why did you try to hide it from me!?"
"I have a sense of friendship too, you know! You hide things from me too, Airi!"
"Ugh... I don't hide bad things!"
Crap, Airi is seriously angry.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
I don't want to ruin my precious birthday with this atmosphere.
"Airi, let's calm down? I'm the bad one here, right? I'm sorry."
Apologizing without any cheap tricks is the best.
"Why didn't you just tell me honestly from the start!?"
"I'm really sorry! But I knew you'd get angry if I told you, right?"
"You knew I'd get angry even if you didn't tell me, didn't you?"
"I won't hide anything anymore."
"Really?"
"I promise."
"...It's weird for us to fight over Kanna's business, isn't it? I'll forgive you this time."
I barely managed to save my skin.
"But why was he sleeping with a woman he didn't know?"
"He met her at the mixer, right?"
"Ugh... As I thought, Toya-kun is forbidden from mixers! You have to take me with you!"
"Don't worry, I won't get invited anymore. And if I do, I'll refuse."
"I'll trust you on that. Don't be tempted by the food."
"In that case, I'll go eat with you, Airi."
"Yay~"
Everyone hated Makoto that day.
It seems all the men had their phones checked.
I was naturally inspected too.
I was told later that Airi was still on the lenient side.
And this incident wasn't the end of it.