Chapter 46 - Summer Storm
(1)
The forty-ninth day.
When we returned to my parents' home, Ako had already moved out; apparently, she would be attending a school near her grandmother's house starting from the second term.
Ever since she showed her face at the memorial service, she had been cooped up in her room.
Apparently, she'd been staying in her room the whole time.
Didn't she move there for her grandmother's sake?
My uncle and the rest of the family left quickly once the memorial service ended.
As we were about to leave, Ako came downstairs to say goodbye.
It seemed rare for her to come out of her room, and my grandmother looked surprised.
My father and mother were asking her about the situation.
However, there was only one answer.
"Because it would be pitiful if Grandmother were all alone."
"Then why don't you come out of your room?"
"I'm with her during meals and such."
"What about your high school entrance exams?"
"I'll take them here."
Ako is smart. She'd probably get in anywhere.
That was how my uncle and the others judged it, and apparently, they sent Ako back to the family home.
She's also resourceful, so she can make friends quickly.
In fact, apparently she spends all day talking on her smartphone.
So that's the reason she doesn't come downstairs.
My parents continued to ask various things after that, but Ako deftly brushed them off.
Just as my parents' barrage of questions ended, Ako suddenly spoke.
"By the way, I have a favor to ask..."
(2)
The station.
Four people were waiting for Ako at the ticket gate.
Me, Airi, Makoto, and Kanna.
Why four people, you ask?
Apparently, Airi is concerned about Ako.
"I absolutely will not let them be alone together!" she had declared, fired up.
As for Makoto and Kanna...
Makoto: "Kanna said she wanted to come."
Kanna: "Because it sounded interesting."
...I don't see a single element here that sounds interesting.
As we were waiting, a girl wearing a white one-piece dress and holding a red suitcase passed through the ticket gate.
Upon spotting me, Ako approached and said one thing.
"Quite a large welcoming party... Nice to meet you, I'm Inoue Ako."
The other three hurriedly introduced themselves.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Tosaka Airi, the one dating Toya-kun."
She's emphasizing that awfully much...
Before I knew it, Airi was clinging to my arm.
Is she already in combat stance?
I hate this kind of love-triangle drama.
However, Ako calmly evaded it.
"So you are... Nice to meet you."
She said this with a smile. ...Though her eyes weren't smiling.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Toya's friend, Otonashi Kanna."
"Same here, Tada Makoto. Nice to meet you."
"Yes, nice to meet you..."
Saying so, Ako grabbed my other free arm.
"Now, please lead the way, Toya-kun."
It hurts, it really hurts. Airi's gaze is incredibly painful.
Ah, I hate this. For now, I'll just have to endure it until we get to the car.
Behind us, Kanna and Makoto were stifling their laughter... So that's why they said they'd come along, just for this moment.
"Ah, Toya. We're going to watch a movie before heading home."
"Give our regards to your uncle! Tell him thanks for the ride."
With that, the two of them vanished into the crowd.
Those guys...
"Shall we go too?"
"Let's go, Toya-kun!"
Is this going to continue for three days...
"I want to sightsee in Toya-kun's hometown."
That was Ako's request.
Naturally, she would stay at our house.
My parents readily agreed.
However, there was one person who filed a complaint.
It was Airi.
Should I have just kept quiet?
No way, there was no way I could keep it hidden for three days.
Immediately after the forty-ninth day memorial service ended, Airi flew over.
"What happened with Ako-san!?" she asked...
I wonder if I'm not trusted...
"Nothing happened, she just said she absolutely wanted to come here before the Obon holiday."
"Come here?"
Airi's expression became grim.
"Where is she staying?"
"P-probably our house?"
"Then I'm staying too!!"
"Wait... you..."
"Maya-san—!"
She had bolted out of the room.
And that brings us to now.
"F-for now, shall we go to the car? This way, Ako."
"Yes."
"Let's go!"
Airi is scary when she's smiling.
I've felt that since about last year.
"Ako, I'm going to contact my parents on my phone, so could you let go of my arm?"
"Isn't it impossible to operate a phone with one hand?"
"Airi..."
Airi reluctantly let go of my arm.
"Hello? Father, Ako just arrived..."
"I see, I'm waiting near the convenience store at the south exit."
"Got it."
After hanging up, both of my arms were restrained again.
Ako wore a composed, chuckling smile, while Airi looked at me with eyes that seemed to be pleading something.
...I just have to endure this until the car.
But God gave me further trials.
The car seats.
Airi put a stop to Ako, who was sitting next to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"That's my seat."
And she pointed to her pouch, as if to say she had prepared for this exact possibility.
"Oh? My apologies."
Ako gave up the seat quite easily.
She still seems composed.
She probably thinks she can move freely once we get home.
That's likely what she's thinking.
But...
"Ako-chan, you'll sleep in my room. Your father will go to the living room," my mother said.
"I'm fine with Toya-kun's room," Ako said normally.
"We wouldn't want any mistakes to happen. So, sleep with me."
"But her..."
Pointing, she indicated Airi, who was triumphantly entering my room with her bag.
"She's fine."
She's fine!? Isn't everything about this wrong, Mother!
"I see..."
Ako said this and stepped back obediently.
She's being awfully compliant.
Airi had been braced for some resistance, but it seemed she had been let down.
(3)
Ako-san is staying at Toya-kun's house!?
I can't stay silent!
I immediately consulted Maya-san.
"In that case..."
And so, I'm staying at Toya-kun's house for two nights starting today.
I absolutely will not let them be alone together!
"I see..."
She stepped back awfully easily.
There was none of the terror from the phone call.
Does she still have some trump card?
While Toya-kun was in the bath, the four of us were watching TV in the living room.
"You're desperate."
"...What is?"
"You're so desperate it's laughable."
"...?"
"I don't dislike the way you struggle so desperately."
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Suffer as much as you can, Airi-san."
"What are you plotting!?"
My voice accidentally got loud.
"Now now, what's wrong, Airi-chan?"
"What happened?"
Ako-san smiled with a smug look.
"Did something happen?"
Toya-kun, fresh from the bath, appeared in the living room.
"It's nothing! Toya-kun, let's go!"
Saying so, I led Toya-kun into his room.
"What is with her! That person!"
After entering Toya-kun's room and closing the door, I screamed.
"What happened?"
I explained the content of the conversation to Toya-kun.
"Aren't you overthinking it, Airi?"
Ugh...
He doesn't understand, Toya-kun doesn't understand.
Just then, Maya-san's voice came through a knock on the door.
"Airi-chan, go take your bath first."
"I understand~"
I took a change of clothes from my luggage.
Toya-kun averted his gaze from me.
Hahaha.
"I don't mind anymore~. Feel free to look if you want~"
"Y-you idiot..."
Saying so, I left the room.
I hurriedly washed my body and shampooed my hair.
However, something impossible had happened.
When I returned to Toya-kun's room, Ako-san was in Toya-kun's room!
"W-why..."
"What's wrong, Airi?"
"Why is Ako-san in Toya-kun's room!"
"Ah, that's because Ako said 'since we're here, I want the three of us to talk'..."
Even so, alone together...
"Airi-san, you've taken your bath. Well then, I think I'll take my bath too."
Saying so, Ako-san left the room.
After the door closed, I pressed Toya-kun.
"Why did you let Ako-san into your room!?"
"Because Ako said she wanted to talk."
Toya-kun spoke with a bewildered expression.
"Even so, I can't believe you'd be alone with another woman!"
"The 'other woman' is my cousin."
"Don't trust people who say 'you can marry your cousin'!"
"You're being a bit too hypersensitive, Airi."
"Why don't you understand? I'm worried!"
I spoke as if appealing to Toya-kun.
"There's nothing going on. Airi is my bride, right?"
Saying so, Toya-kun gently stroked my head.
Ugh...
If you do something like that, I can't say anything.
"Anyway, you must not be alone together!"
"I-I get it."
Click
The door opened.
What I saw after that was an unbelievable outfit.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Her hair was shoulder-length and damp.
And... Ako-san was in a negligee.
(4)
I might be placed in an outrageous situation.
Ako, whose thoughts I cannot fathom.
Airi, who is showing blatant hostility toward that Ako. Was Airi this kind of character?
Silence flowed.
"Would you like something to drink?"
I brought iced coffee for myself, and orange juice for Airi and Ako.
When my mother left the room, Ako sipped the juice.
"Didn't you have something to talk about?"
Why are you showing so much hostility, Airi?
"How far have you two gone?"
Huh?
"We've gone as far as sleeping together."
You're saying that here?
"Hmm, so you haven't crossed the line."
"Of course not. We're still middle schoolers."
"I think it wouldn't be strange to do it even as middle schoolers."
"That's a special case, right?"
"It's normal. Especially if you're sleeping together. Does Toya-kun lack courage? Or perhaps..."
"Ako!! Airi isn't at fault."
"Is that so? If Toya-kun were a normal boy, I think he'd normally do it. It wouldn't be strange if it happened at any time."
Airi looked down.
Did that stab her?
"I don't think Airi-san's defenses are that hard either. In that case..."
"That's not it!!"
I was shouting.
"...What's not it?"
"Airi is plenty attractive... she's told me that anytime is fine. The problem is me; it's just that I lack courage."
I'm saying something pathetic, even for me.
"...How comical. Protecting each other. What a great relationship."
"Say whatever you want about me. It's a fact. But stop speaking ill of Airi."
"I understand. But..."
After that, Ako pressed her lips against mine.
Huh?
No no, that's bad, right?
Airi's eyes were wide with shock.
Bad, this is bad.
The patterns expected to follow this are two: crying or getting angry.
Satisfied with Airi's reaction, Ako stood up.
"I heard tomorrow is early, so I'm going to sleep. Good night."
Saying so, Ako left the room.
(5)
I couldn't say anything back.
Do I have no charm?
Is that it, Toya-kun?
Ako-san dealt a further blow to me while I was depressed.
She kissed Toya-kun!?
Toya-kun didn't even resist.
Is he frozen from the shock of it all?
Or does he not dislike it?
Anger? Sadness?
I don't know, my head is in a muddle.
"Good night."
Saying so, Ako-san left the room.
It's frustrating...
Is this the conclusion Ako-san wanted?
I trust Toya-kun.
But he won't say anything to me.
He did protect me, but now he won't say anything.
I hate this...
At that moment, without saying a word, Toya-kun got into bed.
He's just going to sleep without any follow-up?
I'm hurt, you know?
Then, Toya-kun said quietly.
"Come here."
Eh?
Even though he always disliked it.
With no reason to refuse, I entered the bed, going along with it.
In times like this, is it better to face each other?
Or is it better to have my back turned?
While I was thinking that, Toya-kun gently hugged my back.
And then, a deep kiss...
"Toya-kun?"
What happened? Did you just take the bait from her provocation?
"I'm sorry for lacking courage, I'm making Airi suffer again."
"That's not true."
"I can tell by looking at Airi's face."
Was it showing on my face?
"Sor—!?"
His second kiss.
"I tried imitating her!" Toya-kun said, hiding his embarrassment.
"Because right now, I'm only looking at Airi. I'll work hard so you can be proud of your boyfriend..."
"Thank you... hey?"
"What?"
"Can I sleep like this?"
"Yeah..."
Saying so, he turned off the lights.
Toya-kun, I'm really happy.
Thank you.
Before I knew it, Toya-kun had fallen asleep.
I fell asleep while hugging him.
Tomorrow, she might try something again.
But I just have to be confident.
Toya-kun has changed since that incident.
I'll believe in him.
No matter what happens, I won't waver.
Deciding that in my heart, I too fell asleep.