◆ Chapter 2: Middle School Arc, Part 1
"I'm home, Onee-chan."
Aoi hung her school bag on the hanger and
approached me.
"Let me give you some water now."
Aoi had become a middle schooler.
Her hair had grown longer, and her once
plump figure had matured within just a year. She had blossomed into a beautiful
girl, causing even relatives to hesitate before casually patting her head.
Perhaps it was the effect of the middle school uniform. Young people always
look adorable in uniforms, don't they?
If she continues like this, she will become
a flawless beauty in a few years. I'm looking forward to it. I just hope she
doesn't meet a ridiculous end, like being mesmerized by a young yuri couple and
falling into a manhole.
Anyway, I'm so fortunate to be able to
witness my sister's growth up close!
And I am loved by such a sister.
Being doused with water from a watering
can, both my body and soul melt.
"How is it? Does it feel good?"
Ahh, I feel rejuvenated. Aoi's smile is angelic.
The trio of close friends from elementary
school all went to the same middle school. Chiharu joined the track and field
club, Aoi joined the handicraft club, and although Izumi is in the going-home
club, she remains a bookworm.
And believe it or not, I, Ueda Hana, have
also grown.
Behold my secret technique, the Second
Vision, release---
And with a snap, the scenery changed.
This room is slightly larger than Aoi's.
There's a large bookshelf filled with numerous manga and novels.
A cream-colored blanket is laid on the bed,
and the interior design and coordination exude a somewhat mature impression.
Unlike Aoi's room, there isn't a single stuffed animal. Furthermore, although
there's a TV and game console, there are hardly any signs of use.
The door opened with a click.
The one who returned with a sigh was a
beautiful girl with her bright hair tied up, exposing her forehead. Yes, it's
Mizuhara Izumi, who had become a junior high school student.
Do you understand now?
I have gained the ability to spy on the
private life of a beautiful girl who is not even my sister, a complete
stranger.
What an... immense joy I have experienced
after death...
"Ah, I'm home, Onee-san."
Izumi comes over with a British brand
watering can and waters me.
Ah, thanks to this, the pleasure of being
bathed in water is doubled! My indecent side! It's being thoroughly cleansed
and rinsed away!
Haa…haa... being watered twice a day is
dangerous... I feel like I'll submit to Aoi and Izumi, and become a mere
disgraceful female plant, seeking only pleasure.
So, why did this happen? It's because of
the plant cuttings.
When my mother took me to a florist, saying
it was time for pruning to help me last longer, Izumi requested a young branch.
Having my branches trimmed felt good, akin
to getting a haircut at a beauty salon, but planting the cut hair and having me
grow from it is slightly horrifying. Plants are incredible.
And so, by multiplying into two, my
consciousness is shared, allowing me to observe the situation in Izumi's room.
Furthermore, this provides me with a temporary refuge in case Aoi overwaters me
and causes my roots to rot.
Izumi's daily routine is always consistent.
"Well, let's finish this first."
Upon returning home from school, Izumi
starts her homework.
Even on days without homework, she appears
to be preparing and reviewing for the next day. After that, she has dinner, and
once she has taken a bath, she uses her computer in her room or reads a book.
As the size of this house suggests, Izumi
seems to be an Ojou-sama from a good family. In addition to attending several
other lessons, she still goes to the same cram school as Aoi.
"Phew, good job."
Stretching, Izumi closes her notebook with
a snap. It seems she's finished.
Living together with Izumi (though I'm the
only one who thinks so) has been mostly fine, but there is one problem.
Izumi leaves the room and completes her
dinner-bath routine, but when she comes back...
What a sight it is – she's only wrapped in
a bath towel!
"Ouch, hot, hot."
This girl doesn't bring her clothes to the
changing room and instead changes in her room!
Even as a middle schooler! Unbelievable!
Of course, when she takes off the bath
towel, there's the naked figure of a beautiful girl with a supple and firm
body, and it's a live changing scene right in front of my eyes. This happens
every night. Is this heaven?
While I'm a fan of girls' love stories, I
actually don't have much interest in girls' naked bodies. Nevertheless, it's
inevitable that I would be tempted if a delicious fruit is dangling in front of
me.
Naturally, I'm restraining myself from
looking now, but how long will that last...? I don't trust my own self-control.
After all, I died acting on my desires...
However, because I taught Aoi to be modest,
she stopped doing this kind of thing quite early on...
Damn it, what a useless thing I did when I
was human!
It's now June, a little while after
becoming a first-year middle school student.
Lately, Chiharu seems to be busy.
Having lost the excuse of visiting Aoi's
room to kiss her under the guise of a sick visit as Aoi's body matured and she
stopped getting sick, Chiharu's visits have become much less frequent.
However, there seems to be another reason.
"She said the club activities are
tough but interesting."
That's right, she joined the track and
field club.
Chiharu in the track and field club suits
her well. She exudes a gazelle or flying fish kind of vibe.
"She's always loved moving her body.
On the other hand, it feels like we're the odd ones, doing crafts together in
our room on Sundays."
"Ahaha, that might be true..."
Aoi and Izumi were sewing together in Aoi's
room. They were making stuffed animals with the materials they bought in the
morning.
The sweet feminine Izumi and the equally
stunning black-haired, long-haired beauty Aoi are captured together in the same
frame - is such an exquisite sight. Almost feels like a yuri flower garden.
Anyway, let's put aside my outrageous
fantasies for now.
While looking at the sample magazine spread
out on the desk, Izumi occasionally tilts her head, and Aoi offers her advice.
Ah, "You do it like this here," she takes her finger and intertwines
their hands, ah, ah.
"It must be tough for Chiharu-chan and
the teachers to practice even on the days off."
"Right? Middle school is so different
from elementary school. Suddenly, there are seniors and junior hierarchies and
stuff. It's pretty much a hassle, I'm glad I didn't join a club."
"Hey, the handicraft club is full of
friends, you know?"
"That's because of your personal
virtue, Aoi-san."
"Eehh, I don't have anything like that.
I'm not doing anything special."
"Listen to this, Onee-san."
She suddenly changed the subject, and I was
surprised.
What is it? I'll listen, I'll listen.
"Aoi-san has become a popular person
in middle school. She's fluffy and friendly, so she's liked by boys, girls, and
teachers alike."
Really? That slow Aoi is popular? Well,
that's a good thing.
"It's not like that. Izumi-chan, on
the other hand..."
"No, I'm already tired of that kind of
thing. Hanging out, gathering, aiming for a higher position in the class and
maneuvering skillfully! I got tired of that in elementary school. Here in
middle school, I'm retired, retired! I'll just relax with the people I get
along with."
"Retiring in middle school is too
early, you know?"
'Hahaha' Izumi laughs with a withered
smile. Spending a relaxing day with Aoi on her day off, Izumi indeed looked
happy.
Then, she placed the stuffed animal on the
table.
"It's done, this is
Mini-Aoi-san."
"You were making that!?"
Indeed, it captures Aoi's features well,
with her black hair, round eyes, a slightly open mouth, and an irresistible
urge to protect her.
I want one too.
"Today is the birth of the Aoi-san
series. From now on, we'll gradually expand the lineup and aim for
commercialization."
"No waay..."
"I'm kidding. I won't do that. I
wouldn't be able to have Aoi-san all to myself then."
Izumi chuckled and stroked Aoi's hair.
Aoi, being stroked by someone her own age
and just letting it happen, truly has the dignity of a pampered cat. It's
amazing, my heart is pounding.
I used to pet her a lot too, so she's this
way probably because she's used to touching and being touched by her sister.
"It was a bit surprising," Izumi
said softly. "I thought the two of you would join the same club at the
time when Chiharu-san decided to join the track and field club and when Aoi-san
decided to join the handicraft club."
"Well, that's..."
Aoi smiled awkwardly.
"There were various reasons."
"Really? I didn't know. Was there
something?"
Asked by Izumi, Aoi hesitated for a moment
and then said.
"At that time, Chiharu-chan said she'll
join the handicraft club too if I did, but…"
What's that? Onee-chan doesn't know that.
"Chiharu-chan always went along with
us, didn't she?"
"I think that's a matter of
perspective..."
It's true that Chiharu stopped playing
outside after the time I became a houseplant.
I wonder if Aoi was always worried about
that.
"So, I told her she doesn't have to
hold back on doing what she wants. I knew Chiharu had been cheering me up by
staying with me when I was feeling down. I told her not to push herself."
Izumi's face stiffened.
"Did you say that? And what did
Chiharu do?"
"She said, 'if Aoi says so, I
understand.'"
"Didn't you feel anything?"
"Feel anything...?"
Aoi was puzzled as to why Izumi was
pressing her so hard.
"I want to be with Chiharu-chan too,
but... I've already had enough time with her. It's a waste for Chiharu to be
with me any longer. Chiharu-chan looks so cool when she's running."
"That's…If you say that to her...
Chiharu has no choice but to do her best, right...?"
Izumi raised her eyes and lightly slapped
Aoi's cheek.
"Ah... Sorry… for not telling you,
Izumi-chan."
"No, it's fine, you don't have any
obligation to report to me. I was just taking out my frustration."
"Frustration...?"
"I'm going home."
Grabbing the stuffed animal tightly, Izumi
stood up.
"I have some frustration to take out
on Chiharu-san too."
Izumi looked sulky.
"Um, are you angry, Izumi-chan?"
When Aoi timidly asked, Izumi shook her
head.
And, for some reason, with a hurt expression
on her face she said,
"I'm not angry. I just wanted to
believe that Santa Claus exists in this world. So, it's just my
selfishness."
Alone, Aoi continued making the stuffed
animal with a blank expression for a while. However, her hands were completely
different from before, not making any progress.
"I wonder why she's
frustrated..."
I don't know either.
What did that mean?
The inner workings of a first-year middle
schooler like Izumi's heart might be more mature than mine. Well, that's true,
I'm just a simple plant in the first place.
I peek into Izumi's room using
my Second Vision as she arrives home.
"Seriously."
She angrily threw her bag down.
Hiiek, this is the first time
I've seen Izumi so blatantly upset.
She takes out her smartphone
and starts calling someone, but the call doesn't connect. She clicked her
tongue.
The person on the other end
must be Chiharu, who's likely still at club activities.
"...In the end, it doesn't
matter what I do, right?"
Her voice was a little lower in
tone. It seemed like her head had cooled down now that she's alone.
"It's really just...
taking out my frustration. ...How pathetic."
Izumi said as if disgusted at
herself as she opened the closet.
Inside the closet is her
treasured bookshelf, where she keeps her Marmite collection - Izumi's
collection of yuri books. She reaches for one and flips through the pages, as
if to reconfirm her own feelings.
"..."
After some time, Izumi is
called for dinner and leaves her room.
Curious, I tried to reach for
the manga she had thrown, but it was impossible. I can't enjoy any fictional
works at all. All I can do is quietly peek at the secret lives of beautiful
middle school girls. Being a houseplant is tough.
And, of course, when she
returns, Izumi is wearing only a bath towel.
Crap, the naked body of a
beautiful girl... I feel like I could photosynthesize more efficiently with her
dazzling skin than in sunlight.
Izumi dries her hair roughly
before lying down on her bed, still wrapped in the bath towel. Uwaah, a lot
could be seen from this angle - I'm the one who's embarrassed!
With me turning my leaves red
(not really), Izumi made a phone call again.
"Hello?"
« Hm, what? »
This time it connected.
"Is now a good time? I
have something to talk about."
« What's with the sudden call?
We can talk at school... Somehow, you sound scary. »
As expected, the other person
is Chiharu.
Whether she's tired or just
wary of Izumi's mysterious pressure, Chiharu's voice didn't sound cheerful.
Still, it's nice to be able to
hear the conversation clearly. Houseplants have good ears. Or maybe they're
just picking up vibrations instead.
"I went to Aoi-san's house
today."
« What kind of report is that?
So, you two are close, huh? »
"...Yeah, we're very
close. We have sex every day."
Chiharu choked spectacularly on
the other end of the phone.
Izumi, who said that, remains
expressionless.
« Y-you… »
"It's a joke. I couldn't
help it because you just sounded like it's someone's problem."
A sense of relief floated in
the air.
« ...You...you never change, do
you...? »
"Aoi-san told me that you
joined the track and field club because of her."
Chiharu sighed.
« It's not like that. I was
originally already thinking of joining the tennis or the track and field club.
Handicrafts just doesn't suit me. It's a hobby for girls like Aoi. I said I
might join because of her, but it was just a whim. »
"Don't you care about
Aoi-san anymore?"
« Aoi is Aoi. She's always the
same to me, no matter how much time passes. »
"Did you stop liking
her?"
Chiharu doesn't answer that
question.
Ignoring Izumi's provocation,
she replied with an emotionless voice.
« ...Aoi and I are middle
schoolers now. We talk in class like normal. It's not like we have to be
together all the time. »
"Hee, reallyy? Is that so??"
« You're weird... »
"Ah No, I just thought 'so
your feelings for Aoi-san were just like that'."
« I wish you wouldn't twist
things like that. »
Annoyed, Chiharu emphasized.
« Aoi is an important friend. I
still think that way. And it's not like it's your business. Are you that
unhappy that I chose a different club from Aoi? »
"That's not it. It's about
leaving Aoi-san alone after she withdrew because she thinks that being around
you might be a bother to you. Isn't that sad? She's been worried that her
friend might be bothered by her, and you didn't clear up that uncertainty.
Isn't that strange? Or are you saying she really was a bother?"
She said all of that in one
breath.
Izumi's words sounded like she
was genuinely worried about her friend.
But I felt something more than
that.
Beyond just being kind or
meddlesome, Izumi was somehow fixated on the two of them.
It might be more about their
relationship than the two of them themselves.
Chiharu, who had been silent,
said as if making an excuse.
« ...Aoi hasn't had a fever
since she entered middle school. She's become stronger. It's fine now. »
Izumi bit her lip tightly.
"That's, not good."
Izumi, who always had a
carefree smile, looked like she was about to cry.
"I thought, if it's the
two of you... I..." Her voice trailed off, barely audible.
There was a brief pause.
« Sorry, I was told to take a
bath. »
"...Is that so?"
Izumi took a deep breath.
"Sorry for taking up your
time."
« It's fine, it's just that.
You're my friend too, and... »
Chiharu says with a somewhat
hoarse voice.
« Thank you for worrying about
Aoi. »
There was a genuine affection
in her words.
"...Not at all."
« See you tomorrow at school. »
"Good night."
The call ended.
Izumi lay down on her bed,
looking up at the ceiling with her hand on her forehead.
Her face looked terribly
troubled.
Does Izumi want her childhood
friends to get closer?
Is it because she likes yuri
stories like me?
But for a mere hobby, she seems
to be quite distressed.
After changing into her
pajamas, Izumi took the stuffed animal out of her bag, placed it carefully on
her desk, and sat on the bed.
I wonder what Izumi, who stares
intently at the Aoi doll, was thinking.
As a plant without brain cells,
no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find the answer.
Whenever Izumi came to Aoi's
house to play, she showed her usual expression.
However, when she was in her
room, she sighed a lot.
With Izumi still being troubled
by something, time passed.
As I continued to be with them,
still dealing with feelings of restlessness, they advanced into their second-year
of middle school. Over the past year, Chiharu hadn't come to visit Aoi's room
at all.
It wasn't long after spring
began that Izumi finally took action.
It took her nearly a year to
make up her mind. What could her plan be?
"Alright."
Izumi suddenly began to make a
phone call to somewhere.
Unexpectedly, the person on the
other end was a boy.
"Hey, Miyamae-kun. I'll
help you with that request you've been asking for, but with conditions. Yes
that right, a one-day date with Aoi-san. I'll set it up for you."
Eh, wait, hold on!
Is Izumi really going to let a
boy get close to my Aoi?
Isn't that taboo for a yuri
fan?! Hey!
"However, you have to
follow the route I designate at the specified time and act like lovers during
that time. Huh? Is that too difficult? That's fine, isn't it? With this, you
can live the rest of your life with hope because even after being rejected, you
have dated Aoi-san at least once!"
Ah, is this that Miyamae-kun?
The cram school boy who
confessed to Aoi during elementary school?
"Sounds good, right? I'll
contact you about the schedule later. Yes, please look forward to it. Alright,
bye."
Ignoring whatever the other
person said, she ended the call with a click.
Izumi let out a deep, deep
sigh.
"I'm sorry, Aoi-san,
Chiharu-san..."
She put her hands together and
bowed in the direction where Aoi-chan was.
What are you trying to do,
Izumi...?
"But this is the only way.
If I don't do this, I... I..."
Izumi's voice sounded like it
was on the verge of collapsing, as if she was seeking salvation from the two of
them than scheming something.
And two weeks later, in Izumi's
room.
"―How did this
happen?!"
Izumi returned home, looking
pale and panicked.
"I only did exactly what
you told me to do!"
There was another person, a
timid-looking boy with glasses. He must be Miyamae-kun.
He was wearing a suit with a
bow tie, like what children wear for Shichi-Go-San. Does he usually cosplay as
Conan-kun? Or is this what he wears on a date?
Izumi stomped her feet in
frustration.
"I don't understand why
Chiharu changed her practice route just for today! And why is there road
construction? Haa?!"
"Hiik!"
Miyamae-kun backed away from
the furious Izumi.
"Ugh, this is the first time
I've been in a girl's room in my life, but I'm not happy at all... Mizuhara-san
is so scary, especially today..."
"Just looking at you makes
me angry."
"That's too harsh... I
felt the piercing gaze of a demon watching me from behind during the date... I
was getting ahead of myself thinking someone like me could create a memory with
Ueda-san even once."
While looking down at the
crumbling, crying Miyamae-kun like he was a pig,
"That is exactly true.
Aah… I can't keep Aoi-san waiting downstairs forever... But Chiharu-san
couldn't answer her phone because she's at club practice! If it comes to this,
I'll call the school pretending to be her mother... but I can't find an excuse
to invite her over...!"
Izumi seemed completely
panicked, with sweat appearing on her forehead.
To summarize the situation:
Miyamae-kun and Aoi went on their date, while Izumi was tailing and monitoring
them.
Now they briefly come back to
Izumi's house, and Aoi is waiting at the entrance.
Izumi really wanted Chiharu to
witness the date, but it didn't seem to go as planned.
This is the whole picture of
the plan that took a year to execute.
I don't really understand, and
it doesn't seem to be going well at all... But hang in there, Izumi-chan!
"In that case... Is that
okay?! I'll go to school to get Chiharu-san, who's in her club activity. Until
then, please create a nice atmosphere with Aoi-san! And when I come back,
confess your feelings or make a move on Aoi-san! Then, Chiharu and I will stop
you by punching you!"
"Being able to savor the
time alone with Aoi-san and then getting punched by girls...?"
Miyamae-kun gulped down his
saliva. Izumi's eyes turned from looking at him like a pig to like an insect.
"…Fine then. I feel sorry
for Aoi-san having to breathe the same air as you, but if it's for my
objective..."
"We're always breathing
the same air in our cram school classes anyway."
Don't worry, Izumi-chan! I'll
ventilate this room!
But uh, the carbon dioxide from
a boy, the poisonous gas he exhales, is corroding me...
Ugh, it's painful, it's sad...
But all of this is for Aoi...
I want Aoi to breathe only pure
and gentle oxygen, so I have to sacrifice myself to protect her purity... Aoi,
your Onee-chan will do her best...
As Izumi left, saying "Bye
then," Aoi replaced her.
She was wearing a white dress
today. Extremely cute. Her hair was tied up in a cute way, maybe because of the
date. Too adorable.
"Um, it seems Izumi-chan
went out. She said she'd be back soon, though."
"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-yeah,
it seems so!"
Miyamae-kun desperately nodded
while adjusting his glasses.
I can't believe you managed to
go on a date with Aoi with that level of nervousness!
Aoi smiled, looking troubled.
"Well, until she comes
back, let's borrow a game and play."
"Huh? Oh, yeah! That's a
great idea!"
He was completely led by Aoi,
who was naturally a cat to the core...
Did Izumi want to bring Aoi and
Chiharu together? Maybe she wanted to show Aoi dating with a boy to make
Chiharu jealous.
That seems like the most
natural explanation.
What I don't understand is
Izumi's motive. Why go that far? Could she be an extreme shipper? A disease
where she'd die if her favorite characters don't get married? That's pretty
sinful.
In Izumi's room, Aoi and
Miyamae-kun sat side by side playing a game. They're playing Mario Kart using
the Wii U, not the Switch.
Izumi herself didn't play much,
and it had become a console almost exclusively for when Aoi visited. Aoi seemed
to enjoy playing on the big screen as we didn't have a TV in our room. Having a
TV in your room is nice.
On the other hand, Miyamae-kun
couldn't concentrate on the game at all, as he was too concerned about Aoi
sitting next to him.
To begin with, Aoi's reflexes
were terrible, so she was awful at the game. It was a match between two
terrible players.
"It's fun, but difficult,
isn't it?"
"Y-yeah! Super evil
difficulty!"
Not really. It's just 50cc.
After finishing another race,
Miyamae-kun put down his controller.
"H-hey, Ueda-san?"
"What is it?"
His voice was trembling, enough
to make me feel nervous.
"...Do you have someone
you like right now, Ueda-san?"
Aoi hesitated, perhaps feeling
the unusual tension.
"...I don't think so, probably."
"Probably?"
"Yeah. I'm not really good
at understanding that kind of thing. I haven't grown at all since I was in
fifth grade."
Aoi laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I'm still a child, so I
don't really understand likes and dislikes, dating or not dating... I'm sorry,
Miyamae-kun. I know you gathered the courage for today."
"N-no! I'm sorry for
making you worry! But..." Miyamae-kun persisted, unable to give up. "There
are people you enjoy being with, right?!"
"Well, everyone is like
that for me. It doesn't matter if they're boys or girls, talking to everyone is
fun. You too, Miyamae-kun."
"But there must be someone
who's your first or second choice! It's weird to think everyone's the
same!"
"First or second..."
Miyamae-kun argues
passionately.
"Someone you worry about
when they're not around! Someone whose sad faces you don't want to see! Someone
who make you feel lonely when they're with someone else! There must be someone
who makes you feel that way, right?! Don't you have someone like that?! Don't you?!
Even if it's not me!"
Aoi's lips moved just a tiny
bit.
"...Maybe... there
is...?"
That was a voice probably only
I could hear.
A blush spread across Aoi's
cheeks.
However, the heated Miyamae-kun
didn't notice and grabbed Aoi's shoulder.
The soft shoulder of a girl!
"If there's someone you
like, Ueda-san, I can give up! But if you keep saying you don't know, you don't
know! I can't help but think that maybe one day I'll have a chance! If you're
going to reject me, do it properly! Don't leave me with hope!"
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't
mean it like that."
Fear seeped into Aoi's face as
she looked up at Miyamae-kun.
Hey, wait, isn't this getting
out of hand?
"Hey, Ueda-san! If that's
the case, why am I not good enough?! Is it because I'm a coward?! An anime otaku?!
A guy who can't say cool things in times like this?! Tell me!"
"Ow, Miyamae-kun, that
hurts."
I could see the force in
Miyamae-kun's hand gripping Aoi-chan's shoulder increasing.
Oh no no no.
Aoi is in a crisis!
W-What should I do?!
Can't I use 'Leaf Cutter!' or
something?! Can't I come up with a secret technique that can sever this boy's
carotid artery?!
Unfortunately, no secret
technique came to me.
All I could do was watch
Miyamae-kun, who was breathing heavily, press Aoi-chan.
Somebody, anybody! A prince! A
prince! Please save my princess!
Bam! The door was flung open.
There it was!
"Die, you beast!"
Izumi-chan!
Her swinging bag made a clean
hit on Miyamae-kun's face. He tumbled and rolled, stopping when he hit the
wall.
Unintentionally, Miyamae-kun
had followed Izumi's plan and went too far.
Although it wasn't Chiharu who
came to the rescue, in that moment, Izumi was like a prince.
After Miyamae-kun come to his
senses, he performed an impressive dogeza in front of Aoi, and with Izumi's
cold words, "You're a nuisance, go home." he was kicked out of the
house.
As a side note, Miyamae-kun
later shaved his head to show his remorse, and after being forgiven by the
gentle Aoi, he willingly became Izumi's errand boy.
From here on, no male
characters, including Miyamae-kun, appear in this story again, so please
completely forget about him.
Anyway, after Miyamae-kun left,
Izumi hugged Aoi tightly.
"I'm really sorry, Aoi-san... It's my fault for being shortsighted and putting you in danger... I should have made him wear a golden headband[1]..."
"Um, it's okay... I was a
bit surprised, but I'm fine."
Aoi smiled, trying to reassure
Izumi-chan.
Ah, seeing that made me feel
both happy and lonely.
Aoi, who had been crying when I
died, had overcome her sadness and become such a strong girl.
A girl who cares about others'
feelings and is kind.
Maybe Chiharu felt the same
way. That's why she realized Aoi had slipped from her grasp and tried to walk
her own path.
Seeing the smile in front of
her, Izumi pursed her lips.
She rested her head on Aoi's
chest.
"Can I talk about myself
for a bit?"
Aoi stroked Izumi's head.
"Sure."
Izumi clenched her fists
tightly.
And she began to speak.
"Ever since I can
remember, I've liked girls."
At her confession, Aoi seemed a
bit surprised.
But still, she said nothing and
continued to stroke Izumi's head.
Izumi continued, hesitantly.
"The first person I ever
fell for was a friend's mother. I hardly remember her now, though... Then, I
started reading various books and discovered a genre called yuri. All the
stories within them were beautiful, and I was envious. However, I matured early
and realized quickly that I was strange. At school, when I was together with
girls[2], weird rumors would spread
about me and I got made fun of. I hated being such a timid person who cared
about those things…"
"I made up my mind in
fourth grade. Until I graduated from college, I wouldn't tell anyone that I
liked girls and would live my life hiding it. I thought I would endure it
twelve years until I became an adult. But when I was ten, thinking about twelve
years later seemed so far away, like a future I'd never reach. And then, I met
Aoi-san and Chiharu-san."
"I thought maybe these two
would understand me. They both held special feelings for each other, and they
were my ideal. At first, just being near them was enough. But I panicked as
they gradually drifted apart, I feel frustrated... They didn't do anything
wrong... I'm just a terrible person. I no longer have those pure feelings from
back then, I was just looking for an accomplice to live with for the rest of my
life."
Izumi, revealing her heart's
cry, shed tears.
Crying and clinging to Aoi's
chest.
"I thought I'd endure it
forever. But the swelling feelings were painful... I couldn't tell anyone...
I'm sorry for involving you, Aoi-san, and for trying to use Chiharu-san... I'm
really sorry. I won't do anything weird ever again. I promise. So please don't
hate me, don't think I'm disgusting. I'm sorry for being so selfish. I want to
be by your side, Aoi-san. Please let me be your friend."
After Izumi's long monologue.
Aoi gently stroked her back.
"It's okay, I was just a
little surprised. I don't think you're disgusting, Izumi-chan. I won't hate
you."
"But, but..."
"I think it's fine for a
girl to like another girl. Someone close to me... seemed to be like that
too."
As she said that, Aoi glanced
at the houseplant(me).
Hey no, that's not it. I just
liked yuri books... It wasn't about liking someone...
In any case, it's a shocking
fact revealed three years after my death: my sister knew I was into yuri. I'm
really shaken, but now is the time to focus on Izumi-chan.
Even with these words from Aoi,
Izumi still couldn't stop crying.
"…I'm sorry… Aoi-san..."
Aoi desperately tried to figure
out what to do.
How could she reassure Izumi?
By telling her they would
always be friends, as they had been up until now?
Could she give convincing power
to those words?
A little hesitant, Aoi placed
her hand on the sniffing Izumi's cheek.
"You see, this is a charm
that a precious person taught me."
No way.
"A charm...?"
"Yeah, it's a charm that
makes you feel warm and brings you energy. When I was feeling down, the person
who was always by my side uses this charm to convey to me that I'm not
alone."
Aoi might think it's just a
charm, but...
Are you really going to do that
to Izumi? Seriously...?
Won't that... lead to something
critical...?
Izumi looked surprised too.
"Is that...?"
She started to say something,
and then closed her mouth.
Instead, in a soft, pleading
voice, she asked, "Is it okay? With me?"
"Yeah. Because seeing my
precious Izumi-chan crying makes me sad too. So, I'll prove it properly, I
won't ever hate you, Izumi-chan."
My goodness.
Aoi, you devilish middle schooler.
Entrusting her heart to the
words offered by the black-haired beauty, Izumi closed her eyes.
And then...
Aoi gently kissed her forehead
with a soft "chu."
"Ah..."
After staring into each other's
faces for a while, Izumi seemed to have realized something and covered her
forehead with both hands.
"A-Aoi-san..."
Her voice trembled.
Seeing Izumi acting so
flustered made me feel a strange sensation as well.
Though it was her first time
initiating the kiss, Aoi was used to receiving one on her forehead, so she
gently stroked Izumi's head.
As if she were a confident,
experienced person...
Izumi looked up at Aoi with
teary eyes.
"Aoi-san... I..."
"It's okay, it's okay –
kya!"
Izumi intertwined her fingers
with Aoi's and leaned her weight on her.
Aoi lay down on her back on the
floor, as if she had been pushed down. Her glossy black hair spread out on the
carpet like blooming flowers.
"Can I... do the charm
too?"
"Y-Yeah... It's okay, go
ahead."
Aoi seemed composed, but her
body was tense.
However, the flustered Izumi
didn't notice.
Her face turned bright red, and
her breathing became rough. The girl who had told herself to endure for twelve
years received a kiss on her forehead from a lovely maiden.
As a result...
"Aoi-san... Aoi-san,
Aoi-san..."
While supporting her weight
with both arms, Izumi leaned over Aoi...
And then, she pressed her cute
lips not on Aoi's forehead, but on her lips...
"Ah..."
Aoi couldn't help but let out a
small sound.
It was a kiss on the lips.
For Aoi, it was her second
time, and for Izumi, it was probably her first.
But it didn't stop there.
Izumi showered Aoi's lips with more
kisses, as if pecking at them.
With a feverish expression,
over and over again.
"Aoi-san, Aoi-san... Aoi-san..."
She unleashed her emotions, as
if completely losing control.
"Izumi-chan..."
After the eighth kiss, Izumi
got up with a blissful expression on her face.
Making sure not to put her
weight on Aoi, she sat on her waist in a girl's seating posture.
She traced Aoi's lips with her
finger.
Her expression seemed full of
lingering affection, and yet, lovingly caring.
"Aoi-san's charm really
worked."
"Ah..."
Aoi, with her face turning red,
smiled.
"My head... might be blank,
too..."
That smile reignited Izumi's
feelings.
"Aoi-san..."
Izumi pressed her finger, which
was tracing her own lips, inside her mouth, savoring their softness. Just as
she smiled seductively, she suddenly realized something.
Her moist eyes gradually came
back into focus.
A moan, like the sound of a
rapping, escaped her mouth.
"A, a, a, a..."
"Izumi-chan?"
As the still-pinned Aoi let out
a puzzled voice, Izumi jumped up like a rabbit.
Then, she prostrated herself on
the ground.
"Ah, um, this is, like...
I lost control for a moment! I-I'm sorry! What have I done...!"
Seeing Izumi suddenly become
embarrassed, Aoi, who had sat up, also blushed and looked down, her hand
between her inner thighs.
"U-um..."
But, not wanting to leave with
this awkward atmosphere, she mustered the courage to speak.
"...It's okay, I'm glad
Izumi-chan is feeling better. You're my precious friend, after all."
—Friend.
Hearing that, Izumi got up and
affixed a forced smile to her face.
"Ah, ahaha, y-yes, that's
right, ahaha..."
"Ehehe."
"Ahaha."
"Ehehe..."
Aoi looked as if she had just
experienced her wedding night, while cold sweat poured down Izumi's back...
Aoi left, saying 'Bye' while Izumi
maintained her forced smile till the end as she saw Aoi off.
Then, the moment she returned
to her room.
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
She tore at her hair and dived
onto the bed.
It seemed she had used up all
her strength to keep up appearances in front of Aoi.
She rolled around.
"God! Buddha! Yuri Goddess!
Please erase today from everyone's memory!"
Unfortunately, I'm just a
houseplant, so...
"Aah! Aah! What have I
done?! What have I done to Aoi-san?! Aah! Aah! How can I face school
tomorrow?!"
Izumi frantically pounded the
bed.
Soon, she wore herself out, and
her hits gradually weakened.
With a long, deep sigh...
"I... I want to die... I
want to disappear from Aoi-san's memory as soon as possible..."
She pulled the blanket close,
curled up, and pulled it over her head.
Not being able to breathe, she
came out right away.
Stretching her limbs and
looking up at the ceiling, Izumi's eyes seemed to be lost in a daydream.
"My precious... friend,
huh?"
There was a hint of
listlessness and loneliness in her voice.
Aoi couldn't possibly like her.
She's just allowed to be by her side. It's too much to hope for more. That's
probably what she was thinking.
But the sensation was etched
into Izumi's mind.
"Aoi-san's lips... They
were so soft..."
In the empty room, her whisper
was absorbed like a droplet of water hitting the ground.
At that moment, the phone rang.
Izumi froze when she saw the
screen.
After hesitating for a moment
whether to answer it, she picked up the smartphone.
"Ah... um, hello?"
« What's going
on? I heard you came to the club room today. »
"Well, that's, uh, you
see..."
The caller was Chiharu.
"Should I say sorry to you
and... that everything has been settled?"
« Nn, I see.
That's fine then. »
"hnn, hmm, hnn,
hmmm..."
« What's with that
groaning? »
"I'm currently battling my
own guilt... Especially since the talking partner is you, Chiharu-san..."
After all, the charm partner
must be Chiharu-san, right...? Izumi mumbled, moving her mouth away from the
receiver.
That's right Izumi-chan, you
kissed her partner.
Two girls are fighting over my
little sister... That's exciting...
The concerned Izumi seems to be
at her wit's end.
On the other hand, Chiharu
sounded exasperated.
« Really...
You're up to something again, aren't you? You're in middle school now, you
should graduate from that sort of thing... »
"I'm sorry, but my
emotional faucet has gone crazy today, so please save the lecture for later.
More importantly, I have a question."
« You might
not want to hear this, but if you don't fix that self-absorbed side of you,
Izumi, you won't make friends. »
"I don't talk like this
with everyone! Anyway, what does Aoi-san mean to you, Chiharu-san?"
« That again? »
"I'm serious this
time."
Izumi's voice was dead serious.
« ... »
Perhaps that seriousness came
across, as Chiharu could be heard taking a deep breath on the other end of the
line.
"To me, Aoi-san
is..." But Izumi interrupted. "So, if Chiharu-san is
Sei-sama..."
« Uh...
Uh-huh? »
"Then Aoi-san is like
Shimako-san? Shiori-san? Or something like Yumi-san?"
« First of
all, I'm not that cool, but... »
"It's just a hypothetical,
an example."
But Chiharu must have thought
she had to answer it seriously. After contemplating for a while, she replied.
« I don't
know. It's difficult for me to compare her to someone else like what you just
did. To me, Aoi is Aoi. She is my sister, friend, childhood friend... and
Hana-chan's little sister. »
"Then,"
Izumi took a big step forward into
Chiharu's inner thoughts.
"Have you ever thought of
her as a lover?"
« ... »
There was no response for a
while.
Izumi waited, as if praying.
I couldn't tell which answer
she desired, though.
Eventually, Chiharu gave her
answer.
« There's no way. We're both
girls, after all. »
The moment she heard that, I
noticed something tense inside Izumi snap.
"I see, thank you. I
didn't mean to take up your time."
« A... »
Chiharu's voice was hesitant,
as if she wanted to say something.
However, even though Izumi knew
this, she didn't press her further.
She had already heard Chiharu's
answer.
"Well then, good
night."
« Nn... good night. »
The call ended.
Izumi tossed her smartphone
onto the bed, groaning "Ugh!" as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Chiharu, you idiot."
She slapped her own cheek, and
then added another line.
"I'm... such an
idiot..."
I think it was on this day that
Izumi must have made some kind of resolution.
Around the time Izumi deeply
regretted her impulsive actions and finished her meaningful phone call with
Chiharu.
Aoi, too, had returned home and
is sitting in front of her study desk with a dreamy expression.
"A lot of things happened
today, huh..."
Yeah, I know...
Though, you almost forgot about
Miyamae-kun.
"Hey, Onee-chan."
Although Aoi speaks so
naturally, my voice still won't reach her.
Even if it doesn't reach, I
want to smile at Aoi.
'What's up, Aoi-chan?' Like
that.
"...Since we entered
middle school, everyone started talking about boys they like. In elementary
school, we didn't have such awareness at all. It happened so suddenly. And I'm
often asked about it too, but I don't have anyone in mind... When I say that,
everyone calls me a child... Am I strange?"
Not at all.
I try to flutter my leaves, but
I can't do that either.
Aoi looks sad.
"I wonder if it's weird
for me not to have someone I like by now... But what is love, I wonder..."
I wonder what it is.
I don't know either.
But if someone were to ask who
I like the most, I'd say I like Aoi the most.
Aoi let her scattered thoughts
drift away in her monologue.
Her voice gradually carried a
hint of moisture.
Huh? wait, what?
Aoi, who had been sentimental
just a moment ago, now seemed...
"...Izumi-chan..."
Her voice was sweet, like a dog
calling its master's name.
Aoi's face, lying on the desk,
was flushed enough to be seen from a distance.
"Chiharu-chan's charm...
I'm glad it worked, but I feel like the one on my lips is different..."
Aoi closed her eyes.
Remembering Izumi's expression,
as if on the verge of bursting, she let out another heated sigh.
"Still, it felt... a
little nice."
Even though Aoi was still a
second-year middle school girl, her words were so alluring it made my heart
race.
"I still don't understand
love or dislike... But I felt good just by pressing our lips together... Am
I... a naughty girl...?"
This is...
"I can't tell Izumi-chan…
or Chiharu-chan… about this..."
Hearing my real sister say words
like that, an incredibly guilty feeling welled up inside me.
While watching Aoi's troubled
expression for a while, I also relished the joy of being born into this
world...
However, the feeling of
naughtiness I was about to experience was far beyond this...
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