《My shadow shy with you!!》 Chapter 1 - Time Time It is a shiny summer day. Atsuo is lying on his bed and watching a fan hanging on the ceiling. The ceiling is barren and looks like a desert. His room also gives the same impression because there is a cactus plant in his room window with a little white color flower. A thick layer of dust on the books and unironed clothes lying on the floor with other items. When children disobey their parents'' orders. They punish them by any means necessary. Today the sun is behaving like a frustrated parent and showering its angerness on earth in the form of sweltering heat. Due to the sweltering heat outside, the room inside is also burning and gives the same feeling of a desert. According to Wikipedia¡­. ¡°A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life.¡± He is half asleep; Last night he couldn''t sleep properly. He doesn¡¯t know whether it was due to heat or his thoughts. Even now he having the same thoughts. The thoughts hurt him a lot and He feels pain in his chest whenever he thinks about them. But the same thoughts come again and again and he asks the same questions again and again.... ¡°I need something! I don''t know what I''m looking for, any food, memory or person? Every day when I went to sleep I felt empty. I need something but I am not able to figure out how and from where I can get the thing that my heart requires to fill the emptiness.¡± Due to laying in bed for the long time, he feels like someone is roasting him in the sand. He tries through his legs and arms many times, but the sand got hotter than before. Over time, his body changes color, becoming dark and darker, just as his heart burns daily for something he seeks. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He is waiting for someone, who can help him and bring him out from the sand pot. He is screaming one thing again and again... ¡°Somebody, please help me. I am here!¡± After some time he back in reality. Today is the last day of summer vacation and school starts next Monday. He got up from the bed and made his way to the window. He is at home waiting for dusk as the sun is scorching outside the window. Even though heat is on the top he can see some amount of wind dancing over the leaf of the trees, birds are taking shelter from trees and playing from one tree to another and some of them are drinking water and playing in water feeders but still, his heart is full of sadness and finding something that can cheer him up! Day after day, evening after evening, and night after night passing and he is burning himself. he knows one day he will turns down in the ashes. But don¡¯t know when that day will come. In the end, depressingly asks himself.. ¡°Is anyone in the world exist who can help me? If I think back to my childhood, there was a time when I never had this kind of emotion. The entire summer was spent playing with friends, eating ice cream and watermelon, and watching fireworks in the town. I can''t remember the names or faces of the friends I used to play with. The only thing I can recall is having a joyful heart. If I ever felt lonely and empty as a child, I don''t recall it.¡± After waiting for some time, he got impatient and started grumbling and finally screaming in anger¡­ ¡°Why is the evening taking so long today?¡± he has to wait a little longer for the evening. After some time, Atsuo decided to watch anime until the evening. By the way, Atsuo loves watching anime shows, the reason is anime girls, Atsuo thinks anime girls are cute and caring. Don''t think he''s a pervert! He grabs some snacks from the fridge and goes back to his room to watch the anime until evening. Chapter 2 - Evening Evening 5:15 PM ¡°What am I doing in the river? I don''t know how to swim. I will sink, someone helps me. I can''t breathe anymore, I''m sinking.¡± In the meantime, he heard a voice seems to talking to him slowly and lovely that he never heard at all. At that moment he find himself filled with joy. The same feeling he enjoyed in his childhood. He was about to pass out but he can remember the voice trying to say to him¡­. ¡°Please hang on there and wait for me.¡± And suddenly he falls out of bed and wakes up from his dream. Atsuo screamed and said¡­ ¡°ohh! It was a dream. i thought, i will definitely die today.¡± He takes a deep breath and his body is covered with sweat. He pick a water bottle, but it''s empty, so he goes to the kitchen to drink water. He hadn''t realized when he falls asleep while watching anime. He still thinking about the dream. ¡°I can remember that voice. It seems to me that was a girl''s voice, but I''m not sure. I never had such dreams in life. What did that dream mean?¡± He washes his face, changes his clothes and is ready for a shrine visit. On his way to the shrine, he stops at a nearby supermarket to buy some snacks. Before he buys anything, he checks the balance he has with him. Then he buys some snacks and drinks. The way to the shrine is not very crowded, only a few people are on the street, some children are playing and some families are also going to the shrine. The sky is full of clouds and due to the orange color, it is looks very beautiful. The orange color of the clouds turns them into delicious fluffy cotton candy. His eyes shining and his mouth is full of water and he wants to eat them. Eventually, he reaches the shrine and closed his eyes to pray. He prays to God daily and as always he begins to pray¡­. ¡°Do you want to help me? I am waiting for a very long time please show me the way to fill my loneliness and emptiness. Otherwise, I have not a single reason to live I want to end this miserable life. What I have done wrong? If I did something wrong, tell me and I will correct that mistake. As far as I can remember, the only mistake I made was caring for others, and being nice to others.¡± During that moment tears start to fall out from his eyes. He try to control himself, finished the prayer and wiped out tears with his hands. On the way to the exit, he saw a girl fall, hurt herself and start crying. There are many people there, but nobody cares about the poor child. He thought she was separated from her parents or friends. So, without hesitation, he offered the girl help. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Are you alright kid? Let me help..¡± He gently picked up the girl and carried her to a nearby bench. He has some water and tissues with him. Since the girl got a few scratches, he decided to clean that area with water and wipe it with a tissue and advise her to get some medicine at home. She smiled and they start a conversation. ¡°Are you separated from your parents or friends?¡± ¡°No¡­ They are waiting for me inside the shrine. I don¡¯t have any practice of wearing a kimono so I fell.¡± She giggled and replied. ¡°Ohk, that¡¯s great. In that case i think i should move now.¡± ¡°Thank you for the help! You are so caring, I also want a husband like you.¡± She give a cute look and replied. He smiled and neglected what the girl said and start walking. ¡°Wait.. Wait.. handsome boy¡­¡± She try to stop him. She smiled thank him again and while leaving gave him an omamori. ¡°Good Luck charm for love.¡± He smiled put Omamori in his pocket and exit the shrine while thinking.. ¡°Why did she give me this? I don''t think I will get any love in my life¡±
He finally reached his destination, he sat on the bridge and began watching the river water flow. Now the sun has completely set so there is darkness everywhere but there is visibility due to some street lights. He can hear the voice of the flowing water. Since he''s alone, the sound gets clearer and clearer over time. The voices of the leaves of the trees refresh him and also the noises of nocturnal insects give him a different feeling. The moon is yellow and its reflection on the river is easy to see. After a long time, he feels happy because of the scenery. He wants to draw this scenery, but he''s not very good at it and he doesn''t have any drawing tools at the moment. He closed his eyes and began to remember everything that had happened to him in the past. ¡°I''m Aikawa Atsuo. A junior high school student. I''m useless to family, friends, and everyone else. I see myself as tissue paper for others. The person with no family, no friends and no one to take care of me. I also left some of my friends who care about me because I don''t want any trouble for them. But things used to be different. There was a time when I loved many of them. But over time, love is replaced by hate. I pray everyday but no one is willing to help me, so I think today is the last prayer of my life. Thank you God! Here I come¡­¡± He got up and without thinking about anything, closed his eyes and with a proud expression on his face, jumped into the river. He fall in the river like a knife on butter and began to feel the water. He can see the moonlight on the river''s surface, it looks beautiful to him. He was never experienced anything like this in his life. The omamori pops out of his pocket and begins to hover above him. The omamori [charm for love] seems useless to him since today is his last day, but he is happy because he was able to help the little girl. Due to the moonlight, the omamori also seems magical to him. He has trouble breathing and loses control of his body. His lungs are getting heavy and his eyes are about to close. He begins to lose consciousness. At that moment he heard a voice, the same one he had heard in the dream. ¡°Please hang on there and wait for me.¡± He can see that someone is coming to save him. The person trying to reach out and grab his hand. Chapter 3 - The Voice & Tears The Voice & Tears The girl pulled him out of the river and tried to draw water out of his stomach. He''s still unconscious but the girl tries to wake him up. She keeps hitting him on checks and trying to wake him up. After a while some water ran out of his stomach and he regained consciousness. But he''s still lying on the floor and the girl is sitting on her knees watching him with concern and a sad face. She started conversation with him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked with concern. ¡°Yes, I am alright¡± ¡°Please take your time, i am here with you.¡± she smiled and replied. ¡°Don''t worry, I''m fine now. I think I should go home.¡± ¡°Yes, I will help you. I''ll keep you company all the way to your house.¡± She offered help with a slight smile on her face. ¡°No, you should go home!¡± He replied and walked towards his home. Walking just a few steps, he lost consciousness and fell near the river. The girl tried to wake him up, but even after many attempts, she failed. She ended up searching his pockets and found a photo ID. So she carried him to the address mentioned therein.
[Next Day Morning] Brrring! Brrring! Brrring!.... ¡°Someone please turn off the alarm?¡± He wakes up and tries to shut down with his hand, but he''s still in dreamland so can''t reach the alarm. ¡°Hey! Are you awake? Good morning! Breakfast is ready, please come and have something to eat.¡± He heard a girl''s voice from the kitchen. ¡°Where am I and who is she?¡± He wondered confused because he lives alone. He looks around and confirms that he''s still in his own house. Before he answers anything, she calls again for her to come to breakfast. He gets up from the bed, washes his face with clear water and after brushing his teeth goes to the kitchen. When he enters the kitchen, he finds the same girl who saved him last night, setting up the dining table. His brain has many questions and he starts questioning the girl. ¡°Who are you? what are you doing in my house Why did you save me yesterday?¡± While serving the food, the girl answered very politely..... ¡°I am Ogawa Hikari. After you fell near the river last night I brought you home . How can I let someone die before my eyes? Now eat something, we have plenty of time for the interrogation.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Without thinking twice, he just sat down for breakfast and ate a few bites and froze. ¡°Great! Very tasty¡± For many years he is eating packaged foods, but after eating home-cooked food, he could not hold back the tears and eventually began to flow from his eyes. She got up, gently wiped his tears with her handkerchief and asked him¡­ ¡°you need seconds?¡± Atsuo was shocked and started thinking: ¡°Why would a stranger do this to me? What are their intentions behind this kindness?¡± ¡°If you can''t swim, then why did you jump in the river?¡± with a straight smile, she asked him. ¡°Is this girl dumb?¡± Atsuo thought in mind and break his silence. ¡°Are you crazy? Who swims in the river at night?¡± ¡°Yes, I know that was a suicide attempt. I don''t want to embarrass you, so I just decided to play dumb.¡± She answered embarrassed. ¡°Yes it was and you ruined my plan¡± ¡°It''s not my concern, but if, can you tell me why you''re done that?¡± He gritted his teeth and tossed his hand on the table with an angry face and replied¡­ ¡°Ahh..This has nothing to do with you. Now I must find a new way to die peacefully¡± She was scared, but after gathering some courage, she closed her eyes and after some humming told him what she wanted to tell him. ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°Ahhh¡± ¡°You seem to me to be a good and strong person who cannot give up life so easily.¡± Atsuo was shocked at the moment and wasn''t able to answer her as he hadn''t been complimented in a long time. She looks beautiful Each of her words is so deep that they pass through Atsuo''s chest without physical pain. ¡°You should enjoy every single moment of life because it is precious!¡± ¡°Everyone''s life is not precious¡±, he replied with a sad expression on his face. ¡°What happened to you that makes you this way? Look, you have a life and now you have to make it valuable or trash it¡± - she''s trying to cheer him up with words of encouragement. ¡°Could you tell me what happen to you?¡± - She desperately asked again. ¡°The thing is I''m done with life and the people around me. There was a time when I cared about others and that made me happy, but now I don''t care about anything in the world.¡± He answered her as politely as he could. He bows to her and thanks him for everything she has done for him. "Hey, don''t do that," she humbly told him not to do that again and asked¡­ ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± He made a clean face and said I will look for a new way to do this. She laughs. ¡°As you answered all my questions I think we''ll see each other soon¡±. After saying that, she left the house. Chapter 4 - We are in the same class?/Are you going to sit here? We are in the same class?/Are you going to sit here? The next morning he wakes up to get ready for school. After the bath and wearing the school uniform, he went to the kitchen. He searches the entire fridge, but only finds a few stale vegetables. Suddenly a question came to her mind. ¡°If the whole fridge is empty, how did she make breakfast yesterday?¡± After looking around the kitchen, he finds a grocery bag. There are still some snacks in the shopping bag, for example some sandwiches and bread. ¡°Oh... so yesterday she bought groceries to cook. Looks like she went to shop before I wake up and bought some snacks too. I have to pay him next time.¡± ¡°Ghezz, I can''t face that girl again.¡± He felt depressed for a while. He pushed aside her sadness and her thoughts about the girl, took another look in the fridge and found a jam bottle. He ate a sandwich for breakfast and decided to bring lunch on the way to school or to buy it from the school canteen. He closed the door and leave for the school. He leaves the house in time so that he can reach school without haste and buy something in between. He tries to buy something for lunch at a convenience store. He ended up purchasing an orange juice box and bento box. ¡°This is entirely my fault. Last week, I neglected to bring a snack for lunch. I''m not sure how to express it, but I was supposed to pass away the day before yesterday, there''s no reason for me to make a purchase. If I put it another way, that girl is at fault and as a result, now she owes money from me, and I must pay that debt. Gheez, That''s so perplexing.¡± He is frustrated because of these things but continues his journey to school. Eventually, he reaches Ichikawa high. He can see the numerous groups of students talking about the summer holiday, some love birds met after a long time so they''re having their own quality time with their partners. ¡°The whole thing makes me sick. I think I should move to the classroom.¡± He headed toward the classroom but someone try to stop him from behind. ¡°Hii, Good Morning! Aikawa. Please wait, Let us walk together.¡± Kitamura Toru & Fujino Ryoko two of his friend ask him to wait for them. He turned around to see them and ignore them totally. He does this always but even though they want to be friends with him. He made it to the classroom and sit on his bench i.e. on the last second bench near the window. All students seem very happy meeting each other after a summer break. Some of them are sharing souvenirs with each other. Even his class has some couples who are engaged in their talks and some students are making a mess around the class. The Class bell rang and all students starts taking their seats. After some time his homeroom teacher arrives and class starts. The teacher writes the problem on the board and begins looking for someone who will solve it. No one is willing to help answer the question even after waiting a long time. Even the best students in the class are finding it difficult. ¡°Although I know you were on vacation, have you forgotten what I taught you before the break? Since no one is willing to assist, I will have to select someone from among you. Would you mind trying to solve this problem, class representative? The attention of the entire class is directed towards the class representative or the pupil with the best academic performance in the class. "I''m sorry, teacher I tried but I couldn''t solve the problem," uttered the student representative with a crestfallen face. ¡°Okay, it''s alright Please take a seat. Let''s choose another person. Ohh!! I can see, someone has come to the class after a very long time. If I remember correctly, you''re on vacation before summer break begins. Hi, Aikawa It''s been a while since we last met. Can you help me solve this question?¡± Sumida Takashi his homeroom teacher is very gentle and kind. He asked him to solve the question. He is one of the people who can really care about Atsuo. As a teacher he know Atsuo doesn¡¯t make friends so he tries to be frank with him as much as possible so he can¡¯t feel lonely in class. The attention of the entire class is directed to him. And Students start talking about him. ¡°Why the hell, the teacher asked him to solve the question? Is he more intelligent than the class representative? I think he is not in the class''s top ten students, is this any kind of joke?" Atsuo got up from his seat and went to the board. With a little persistence, he managed to solve the problem. Those who do not know him well, they are left in shock in the class. ¡°Yes, this is the correct answer. You did a great job.¡± Sumida Takashi appraised him with a smile. Atsuo is a smart student who is good at studying. He could be the top student if he wrote all his answers, but he only answers the questions that he needs to pass the test. His teachers are aware of this. He has his own reasons for doing this and he doesn''t feel ashamed about it. After a while, it was time for lunch and the bell rang. All the students are leaving the class for lunch. Some are going to the playground, while others are going to the cafeteria. He likes going to a quieter place, so he often goes to the roof during his lunch break. He sees some classmates around the class representative and they are trying to make him provoke him about what happened today. ¡°Did you see him today? Is it possible for him to find a solution without committing any errors? I believe that you are the best person to solve that problem.¡± He doesn''t worry about this silly thing because he trusts his class representative and knows they won''t be fooled by tricks like this. Just before leaving the classroom, a girl approached him. She looks frightened by Atuso. ¡°Could you help me in solving this problem?¡± she asked in a frightened voice. This doesn''t happen every day because most girls are afraid of him. This girl was brave to ask for help. Since there are very few people, nobody noticed their conversation. ¡°What should I do? While I am inclined to assist her, involving a larger number of individuals from the class may infringe on my privacy. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. You can ask the class representative about this problem. I''m confident that he can figure out this issue and will surely assist you.¡± He shouted at her to move out of his way. Without saying a single word she moved away from him. He went up to the roof and was going to begin eating his lunch. Someone touched his shoulder from behind. At that moment, he felt really scared. It was like his heart was about to jump out of his mouth. ¡°Hey! Good afternoon! Happy Monday!¡± ¡°Ogawa! What the hell you are doing in my school?¡± he freaks out and asked surprisingly. "Ohh, I think we''re in the same class." she said happily with a smile. ¡°What? But from when? I have never seen you in my class before, and you were not there today even today." ¡°I am a new student who started attending this school while you were on break. I don''t know, how so you did not notice me. I was there before you arrived at school today. Would you like to grab lunch with me? It seems like you don''t have any friends, but that''s okay because we''re in the same class and I can eat with you every day. If you want, you can also have some of my food.¡± After hearing all these Atsuo freaked out. He has a lot of questions in his mind but he cannot resolve any of them. ¡°So what if she is in my class? There are a lot of girls and she is one of them. I think I should don¡¯t need to take more tension on this topic. But what happens if she tells anybody else in class about the suicide attempt? At first look I don¡¯t think she will do that but I can¡¯t take any chance and for now, it is better to have lunch with her. Because if she tells anybody and if the information will reach the police I will be in big trouble.¡± He thought about it and decided to have lunch with her, but he doesn''t want to show that he is scared. ¡°Do what you want. I am good until you don''t interact with me in class.¡± ¡°Ohh.... It appears that conversation with girls is a challenge for you.¡± Keeping hands behind the back she replied. ¡°Haa.. What she is talking about?¡± he thought in his mind and after lunch headed back to his classroom. Atsuo feels nervous in class, because she is constantly staring at him with smiles. Now he knows she is in class so, he can''t ignore her either. ¡°I hope you''re all aware that the new seating arrangement will be implemented starting today and I have already notified you through a note. Please help me out by cooperating with it. I will give the new seating chart to the class rep. and you have to sit where you are assigned.¡± Mr. Sumida made an announcement. The teacher''s announcement made him very worried and he can''t stop overthinking about it. ¡°I never receive any note from him regarding the seating arrangement. What should I do about this? I already have one problem in my head and now I have to face another problem. What if I have to sit in the middle of a group of girls? What would happen, if I''m assigned the front row seat? More than that what would I do if my window seat will be taken from me?¡± All these thoughts made him more anxious. ¡°Would you mind looking into this?¡± Mr. Sumida handed over the seating chart to the class rep. ¡°Yes, Sure i will do that.¡± class rep. Nodded his head and replied. After that, Mr. Sumida went to the faculty room. "Listen to me guys, we don''t need to leave the classroom all at once. We''ve organized it in a way that it won''t be time-consuming. If I quickly explain to you, we''re going to Swap the places. I will tell two students to Swap the positions in class." The Class rep started explaining the new seating arrangement to them. The students initiated the swapping of seats one after the other. He hasn''t had his turn yet, but he''s worried about it. While he waits, he notices that one couple is separated. The boy doesn''t show his feelings on his face, but he can tell that the girl is feeling very sad. Another girl sitting next to her and tries to make her feel better, and after a little while, the sad girl starts to feel happy again. The change of seats caused problems not only for the couple but also for other students who had been sitting together for a long time. "Now there are only three rows left, so everyone else can go now. " The class representative informed all students. After a while, he noticed that all the seats around him were filled with girls. The seat to his right was also taken by Ogawa. ¡°What¡¯s happening in my life? Two really bad things happened in just one day and it is like a nightmare. A group of girls surrounded me and the scary girl is now going to sit next to me daily.¡± He was upset but he realized something.. ¡°Wait a second, my seat is not swap yet, so i still have some hope.¡± "I believe this is the final seat rotation, and it seems that you have all secured your new seats, so feel free to depart," stated the class representative after pausing to take a breath. Upon being informed by the class representative about the new seat arrangements, Atsuo expressed his impatience by stating, "Hold on, there seems to be an oversight as my seat assignment has not been mentioned. A new seat has not yet been assigned to me." ¡°Indeed, there has been no alteration made to your designated seating arrangement. You are expected to remain seated in your designated spot exclusively. When arranging seats, Mr. Sumida wanted me to keep you in your current location as he recalled that you have a fondness for this window seat.¡± The class representative expressed enthusiasm and joy by flashing a happy smile and giving a thumbs up gesture. ¡°Ohh.. he did this for me. Although he had the intention to offer assistance, fate was not on my side, resulting in two negative incidents.¡± As he realized the situation, a sorrowful expression appeared on his face. "Hey Aikawa, it''s awesome that we''re going to be seated together in class. I''m thrilled to have you as my partner," she exclaimed, beaming with joy and her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hello, Aikawa My name is Nakano Mitsuru and I''m delighted to have you sitting next to me," nervously, the girl seated next him attempted to initiate a conversation. He completely zoned out, resting his head on the desk, lost in his own thoughts. "Why is this happening to me? I am in big trouble. What''s going to happen next? How do I deal with these girls every day? Previously, I was surrounded by only male individuals, and thus I never confronted any problems with them. They never attempt to cause any trouble with me. Since they are now females, I have to be careful when communicating with them. Yelling at them is no longer an option as they may become upset and potentially report me to the teacher if I make any mistakes. Above all, if Ogawa discovers this, she may disclose my suicide attempt to the teacher. What should i do now?¡± ¡°Come, Aikawa, get up. Aikawa, are you there? Why are you sleeping here? The sun has already set. It''s time to wake up because I have to depart for my residence.¡± Mr. Sumida tries to wake him up. ¡°Mr. Sumida, What are you doing here?¡± In a drowsy tone while rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand he asked. ¡°I think I should ask you this question.¡± Mr Sumida inquired with care and a smile. "I dozed off while pondering something," he lazily responded. ¡°It was brought to my attention by your class representative that you were sleeping in class. I came here to wake you up and also, Ms. Moriko brought a gift from her trip and asked me to give it to you. She wanted to give it to you in person, but she won''t be at school for a while, so she asked me to pass it on to you. I think it''s time for you to go home now.¡± While passing the gift to him, Mr Sumida responded. "Alright, I appreciate it greatly. I assure you that I won''t make the same mistake again. " He humbly lowered his head and expressed regret before departing to his residence.
Chapter 5 - A day in the life of Ogawa Hikari! A day in the life of Ogawa Hikari! "Hey Nakano, would you mind if I join you on your way home?" she asked while sitting in front of Nakano and resting her face on the bench with a friendly smile. "Of course, you can come with me. I''ll be happy to have you, Ogawa," she said with a smile, interrupting her bag arrangement. "Would it be possible to stop by the bookstore on our way home, if that''s okay with you?" she inquired, after arranging her belongings. With enthusiasm, she suggested, "It would be great if we could also get some refreshments such as candies and ice cream from a nearby store situated close to the book store. " ¡°Haa.. Haa.. Sure! We will do that.¡± With controlling her laugh she replied. While conversing with her they reached the shoe locker at the entrance and started changing their shoes. "May I inquire as to what item you would like to purchase from the bookstore?" she asked curiously while changing her shoes. She smiled and said, "I want to buy a book." ¡°Don''t play dumb with me, Nakano!¡± With a pouting expression on her face, she uttered those words. "Haa¡­Ha¡­. My apologies, I was merely joking. I am planning to purchase a manga. With a smile on her face, she chuckled and said, "You may refer to me as Mitsuru." "Ohh..... Is it okay if I use your first name? I feel a bit embarrassed." she asked nervously. "Sure, why not. If you are feeling shy or uncomfortable about something. I''ll start calling you by your first name now, Hikari," She responded right away without any hesitation. ¡°Mitsuru, what type of manga do you love to read?¡± ¡°I love all kinds of manga but a slice of life, romance and LitRPG are my favorite genre. Do you also love to read the manga?¡± ¡°Yes, I am more into anime, but I enjoy reading funny manga too.¡± ¡°You should try reading a slice of life or romance story sometime. I can lend you some books if you want to read them.¡± They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn''t realize how much time had passed and ended up at the bookstore where they began browsing through all the different books. "Wait a moment, I think my book might be on a different shelf." "Sure, I''m going to try some books too, I''ll wait for you right here." After a short conversation, Mitsuru went to another shelf to look for her book. Meanwhile, one book caught Hikaru''s interest. "Wow, this poster is adorable. I haven''t seen it before," She said, "Let''s try this book out," and then she picked it up and began reading it. "It''s quite interesting." After reading a few pages, she just got lost in a book and forgot about the time. "Hey Hikari, did you finish shopping? Have you decided what to buy? Are you paying attention to me? " Mitsuru asked Hikari several times, but it seemed like Hikari was lost in her thoughts. In the end, she tapped her friend to bring her back to reality. "What do you need, Mitsuru? Please don''t interrupt me while I am reading," she said seriously. ¡°Miss Hikari Book Store is not a place to read. If you like the book, you should buy it and read it at home.¡± Mitsuru spoke like a teacher. "You''re behaving like an older sister, Mitsuru." She said flirtatiously. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Yes, I''m older than you and also a big sister, I know how to control little kids like you." she said proudly and with a smile. "So, instead of calling you Mitsuru, I think it''s better if I call you big sis," she said with a smile. "I can let you do it outside of school if you''d like," Mitsuru said with a pleased expression on her face. They were talking when a girl who works in the bookstore interrupted them. "Hey girls, If you have made up your mind about what to purchase, I am willing to offer my assistance in making the payment. It would be great if you could speak more quietly so you don''t disturb other customers. " she kindly suggested. "Sorry for the trouble, we''re going to the payment counter," they said while feeling embarrassed and apologizing. They bought the books at the cash register and left the store quickly. The staff asked them nicely, but they are still afraid of the other customers. Hikari asked eagerly, "Where can we go now?" ¡°Ohh.. we can go home now,¡± Mitsuru replied while teasing her. She said with a sad face like a child, "You promised to have snacks on our way home." "Yes, I''m joking didn''t mean to make you upset. " She teased her while saying, "Let''s eat some ice cream. On the following corner, they found an ice cream cafe and entered there. "What do you want to order, Hikari? " "I''m not sure, I want to eat everything," she said with a puzzled expression. She said teasingly, "Oh no, don''t eat all of those at once. You will gain a lot of calories if you do." She said sadly, "You''re right, but even if I ignore the calories, I can''t afford to buy all of this at once. " ¡°Haa. Haa.. That is correct, but for now, decide fast. I am going to order the chocolate ice cream parfait.¡± she replied while asking the staff for taking her order. ¡°You are so fast. If this is the case, I will order the five-flavored large ice cream parfait with extra chocolate chips.¡± with the mouth-watering face she replied. In a short time, the staff bring their food and they start to have their snacks. After they ate the first piece, they both felt good and full of energy. Meanwhile, Mitsuru realized something important and she paused while eating to ask a question. "Did you look in your wallet before ordering?" ¡°Yes, I have enough money to buy food and pay for it.¡± She said confidently without stopping eating. "Did you bring money to buy the book you got from the store?" she asked, sounding worried and suspicious. After hearing this Hikari''s spoon fell from his hand and she froze for some time and started calculating in her mind. After gathering some courage she try to little peep in her wallet and her face turned white. Mitsuru asked with concern, "What''s wrong? Can you say something?" "I forgot about the money for the book and now I don''t have enough to pay for it," she said sadly, with tears in her eyes. ¡°Why are you making a face like this? Don''t worry, you''ll be okay as long as you''re with your big sister. I''ll pay for you and consider it as a treat," she said calmly and showed that she cared about Hikari. ¡°Thank you big sis Mitsuru, you are a lifesaver¡± she replied with a smile come on her face. ¡°You don''t have to say thank you, I had a lot of fun with you.¡± "Can we go eat croquettes now, big sister?" she asked eagerly. "Don''t be naughty and try to trick me. Once we finish what we''re doing, we are going home." She gently tapped their head and scolded them sternly. ¡°Ohk.. big sis, but you need to drop me home today.¡± with her grinning face she asked. ¡°Ohh...What a cute little sister I got, let me drop you home today." She smiled and replied. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go home¡± she desperately grab her arm like a child. "Wow, Hikari, you''re very adorable, even more than my little sister," Mitsuru says while trying to pamper her. "Are you available this weekend, Mitsuru?" she asked with interest. ¡°This question comes from nowhere, I don¡¯t have any plan as of now¡± she replied after thinking for some time. "Do you want to stay at my house from Friday to Sunday?" she asked with a happy expression. She smiled and said, "We can do that if your parents are okay with it." After a while, they went in separate directions. Mitsuru offered to drop her home, but Hikari said she didn''t need it because she lives nearby.
Chapter 6.1 - Sleepover Sleepover [Friday Afternoon at Mitsuru Home] ¡°Mitsuru, Hurry up!! We are already late. You should have packed this stuff yesterday only.¡± Hikari said impatiently to Mitsuru while eating cake. "Yes, you''re correct, but I didn''t do it because I had homework to finish and was engrossed in reading manga at night. Don''t be concerned, we have two whole days to do many things," she responded as she packed her belongings in a bag. ¡°So, you didn''t pack because you were too focused on reading that manga. I''ll forgive you just this once if you give me an extra slice of this cake." She said it with a drooling and eager look on her face. ¡°I can do that. I brought that in enough quantity and if you want we can carry some of that at your place.¡± Mitsuru replied affirmatively with a smile on her face. ¡°Yeah, you can do that. But I''m curious - do you always bring sweets in large quantities?¡± She asked after taking a bite of cake. "No, I discovered a new store close by and they are giving a big discount on those items. They also let me try them before buying. I really enjoyed this cake, so I ended up buying more than I needed." She said this while laughing. "Ohh I think we should go back to the store again this weekend. " After thinking for a moment, she said while nodding. ¡°Yes, we can do that and look, Hikari, I have finished packing.¡± She said, "After you finish eating your snacks, we can go to your house," as she put her manga in her bag. "Yes, it won''t take long. Can you get me another cup of tea," she asked as she finished her tea. "Yeah, Give me a moment, I''ll pour you more tea" she said as she poured the tea for her.
[At Hikari Home] "Welcome, I''m glad you''re here. " As she opened the door, she greeted her warmly. "Thank you for inviting me over," Mitsuru said as she took off her shoes. "I''ll get some snacks for you," Hikari said and quickly went to the kitchen. Mitsuru thought to himself, "This girl really likes to eat a lot." She then said, "Wait a minute, we just had snacks at my house and it hasn''t been that long." "Ohh, if that''s the situation, let''s wait until evening. But first, come with me and I''ll show you my room. " She took hold of her arm and brought her inside the room. ¡°This place is really beautiful. You did a really good job cleaning and arranging your room.¡± She had a spark in her eyes when she complimented her. ¡°No..No this is not a big deal,¡± she replied with a smile. "I have a question. What is this soft toy that looks like a turtle? I can see it on most of your things," she asked, feeling confused. ¡°You are talking about Mr. Kappa. This is the cutest thing I have ever seen. People of all ages love it and if you have watched that TV series since childhood, he is a part of it.¡± She responded happily.. "Um It''s adorable and it seems like you really love Mr. "Kappa is the theme of all your things, such as a blanket, teacup, and other items in the room. " ¡°Yes, You will find Mr. Kappa in another part of the house also. This is the most adorable stuff I love. Do you have any favorite soft toy characters?¡± she asked with excitement. ¡°No, I don''t have any favorite character, but I enjoy playing with stuffed animals.¡± She picked up the stuffed animal and answered while cuddling it. ¡°Oh.. I see, So Mitsuru, what are we going to do in the next few days?¡± "I thought you had already figured everything out before asking me to come," she said with a poker face. ¡°No.. Actually, this is my first night over with a friend, so I don''t know what to do." She replied with an unpleasant face. "Don''t worry, We are in the same boat. For now, let¡¯s talk about something." Once she realized that Hikari was also a newbie, she felt better and responded with words of encouragement. ¡°What do you think we should talk about?¡± ¡°Start talking about yourself. Speaking of which¡­ Where are your parents?¡± ¡°Actually, I live by myself.¡± with a grin on her face she replied. ¡°But you told me you have permission from your parents for a night over at your house.¡± "Yes, they both work and often go on trips, so I asked for permission over the phone." ¡°Ohh.. Means you tricked me?¡± ¡°No, I am telling the truth. But I thought that if you find out about it, you might refuse," she said sadly, with her head lowered. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°This is what you think of me. But let me make this clear, if I want to say no to you, I can say no in any way. The point is that I also want to go to my friend''s house. I don''t have a lot of friends at school, but when the seating arrangement changed, I came across you.¡± she replied with disappointment. ¡°Mitsuru! Thank you!¡± ¡°No, you don''t need to say that. I want to have nice friends that I can talk to and share things with.¡± When she replied, she felt the same as Hikari. "Don''t you have any other friends? I believe you have been at this school for a while." ¡°You can watch me talking to other people, but I am not really close to them. They are only a group of individuals, nothing else. It''s not their fault. I never made an effort to become friends with them. Not just me, but a lot of students in our class have known each other since elementary school. And some of the teachers who used to teach us in elementary school are now teaching us in high school. I heard that Aikawa and the class representative have been classmates since elementary school. I haven''t had a chance to be friends with them before, but now I think that because of this new seating arrangement, I will be able to make new friends.¡± While lowering her chin onto the table she replied. ¡°Are you sure? I never saw Aikawa talking with anyone in class from the day I joined the school.¡± Hikari asked seriously. ¡°Even though I have been here since elementary school. I never saw him talk with anyone except sensei. I heard many awful things about him but I don''t know if they are true or rumors.¡° She replied with a blank face. ¡°What do you mean by awful things, Mitsuru?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether this is correct or not but I heard he is a member of one of the gangster groups, he picks fights with others and doesn''t know how to behave with others. I never had a conversation with him but due to the seating arrangement I ended up sitting around him so I don''t have any choice. Sometimes I need to talk to him but it seems like he does not have any interest in talking with others.¡± ¡°Oh no, I think this is not good, and I don''t believe he is that type of person. We should not spread rumors like this. I don''t know a lot about him, but I see that he is kind to others. He has his own reasons for not talking to others.¡± ¡°Perhaps you are right, but only he really knows the truth. Even the boys in our class are scared of him, so they don''t dare to bother him.¡± ¡°Yes, I also noticed this too but our class representative is very brave. However, both of them hardly speak unless it''s necessary because of his responsibility as class representative.¡± ¡°Yes, I noticed that during the class arrangement day. Aikawa was so defenseless on that day.¡± They both engage in this discussion and don¡¯t realize when the sun starts to set. But after some time something happened. ¡°Grrrrr¡­Grrrrr¡­.¡± . ¡°Grrrrr¡­Grrrrr¡­.¡± . . "Why do I feel hungry all of a sudden?" Hikari wondered, placing her hands on her stomach and asking herself. ¡°Because it is evening already.¡± With a smile on her face, Mitsuru replied. ¡°Ohh.. let me bring some tea and snacks. After that, I have to start preparing dinner soon.¡± Hikari said as she headed towards the kitchen. After some time, she returned with tea and snacks and resumed their conversation. "What are you planning to make for dinner today? " ¡°I haven''t made up my mind yet. If you want something special, I can give it a try for you." "If you are sure, I want to eat fried shrimp." "Fried shrimp, Let''s take a walk to a departmental store to purchase shrimp and some other ingredients. Do you need anything else from the store?" Hikari replied to her while looking at some advertisement brochures she had on the table. "That dog is adorable. I really want to play with him, but the old man scared me with his appearance," Mitsuru said when they saw a dog and after that she felt like a child who dropped her popsicle without even getting a taste. After having tea and some snacks they left home for the market "Why are you looking sad all of a sudden? Listen to me, I know you don¡¯t get to play with the dog, but I promise you''ll get fried shrimp, so cheer yourself up. I''ll get you something from the store if you stop giving me that expression," Hikari tried to make her feel better. They didn''t spend a lot of time at the department store and returned home after two hours. Two hours is not a lot of time because Hikari didn''t want to leave the store no matter what. This happened because today there was a sale on many products and she didn''t want to miss out. So, she ended up buying more than she planned. "What happened to you at the store? You started acting differently. I thought we would leave once we got the shrimp. But I got distracted for a moment and I lost you. I looked for you for about half an hour and then I found you in another section of the store." Mitsuru said as she lay on the floor due to exhaustion. "I apologize for my behavior. I got a bit carried away because of the discounts." She responded with a little bit of embarrassment on her face. After a while, Hikari went to the kitchen and Mitsuru went with her to assist. "It looks like you enjoy cooking. You always bring delicious bento to class too." "Yes, I really enjoy cooking from the beginning and it''s difficult to buy bread because it''s crowded during the break, so I prefer to make my own packed lunch. " She said as she started with dinner preparation. "Yes, it''s true I only make bento when I have time in the morning. Otherwise, I always eat at the school canteen or buy snacks from the supermarket. " "Yes, I also do the same thing sometimes, but it doesn''t happen often." ¡°By the way, I never saw him eating anything during the break.¡± ¡°Whom?¡± ¡°The monster..¡± ¡°The monster? Who is the monster?¡± ¡°Ohh I forgot to mention this to you earlier. In school, everyone calls Aikawa "The Monster".¡± "Do you call him in the same way too?" ¡°I never called him by this name, but this thought comes to my mind. I don''t remember why people call him a monster, but I have heard this from a lot of classmates and even from senior students.¡± You should ask him the next time you get a chance to talk to him," Hikari said, playfully teasing her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. He will kill me on the spot and suck my blood.¡± ¡°Now, You are overreacting to the little things. Looks like you are talking about the bloodthirsty beast.¡± "I''m sorry, but it is true that no one has the courage to talk to him when it comes to girls. Except for Fujino." ¡°Who is Fujino?" ¡°Fujino Ryoko is dating Kitamura Toru, who is friends with Aikawa. I have noticed the three of them talking together.¡± ¡°Ohh.. I don¡¯t know a single thing about this. Now all preparation is done, now we need to just fry them and we can eat them.¡± Hikari replied as she finished with her work. Hikari arranged plates and started eating while continuing her conversation with Mitsuru. After eating they decided to go to the bathhouse.
Chapter 6.2 - Sleepover [Bathhouse] Sleepover [Bathhouse] [At Bathhouse] "Do you come here every day? " Mitsuru asked Hikari as she was getting undressed in the changing room. "No, only once a month to unwind. " she said while wrapping a towel around her unclothed body. She picked a hair band and said, ¡°Ya that makes sense, Bath houses are no longer cheaper. Do you want me to wash your back today?¡± Mitsuru asked as she was tying her hair. "Yes, of course, but as a friendly gesture, I''ll also wash your back," Hikari answered with a smile while grabbing her bathing products. They both entered the shower area and Mitsuru started scrubbing the back of Hikari. ¡°Is this alright, Please tell me If I am going too hard?¡± ¡°No this is alright, it is so relaxing. I don''t want to stop this ever. The water temperature is perfect and the scent of soap is so good. Just scrub a little bit lower.¡± She turned his face and replied with amusement. Mitsuru started scrubbing the lower back and replied with a smile ¡°Aye Aye captain! Your skin is so smooth and your body is in perfect shape for your age.¡± ¡°You think so, I don''t know because there are many girls out there and they maintain a better figure than me. If I have to compare with you I don¡¯t think we have much difference.¡± She responded with a smile and said ¡°I think I am done now, let me wash your back now.¡± They both switched their places while continuing their conversation. ¡°You think we don¡¯t have much of a difference but If you get a chance to ask a boy, then ask him he will answer you properly.¡± ¡°I know only one boy in class, so I will ask him next time.¡± ¡°You know a boy in our class? Tell me his name?¡± with a teasing tone Mitsuru asked Hikari. ¡°Stop teasing me, you already know him. I will ask Atsuo.¡± ¡°Idiot, You ruined my mood. The person with whom no one wants to talk even for class purposes. You want to ask him what the difference is between us.¡± She turned back and softly punched her on the head and replied while pouting her mouth. ¡°Sorry Mitsuru - San, Let¡¯s move to the other topic.¡± ¡°I am going to forgive you this time as a big sister but next time be careful with your words. You should never joke about this thing ever. If he finds out anyhow I don¡¯t know what will happen next. Let''s forget about this subject for now. Have you ever met Miss Moriko at school?¡± ¡°No one in school ever told me anything about her.¡± ¡°Yeah.. that may be because she is on break before the summer and has not come to school yet. But that teacher is attractive. She looks really pretty and fit, especially compared to other teachers at school.¡± ¡°Is she really that beautiful?¡± Hikari asked as she kept scrubbing Mitsuru¡¯s back. "She is a kind person who treats girls well and is always willing to assist them. You will see her again when she returns to school.¡± She replied as she started scrubbing her hands by herself. Suddenly Mitsuru turned back and said with dissatisfaction ¡°Hikari, will you scrub a little bit harder? I can''t feel anything and please use that other shampoo. I love that one.¡± After some time they entered the bath area and picked one spot to sit and relax. ¡°After a whole week of hard study; sit in a bath and relax with your best friend. That is called life.¡± She said as she closed her eyes to relax. ¡°Haa. Haa..I remember that I never saw you studying hard in school because you were always distracted in class thinking about Aikawa. And when you''re at home, you spend most of your time reading manga.¡± She laughed and said while unintentionally crushing Mitsuru¡¯s pride. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You''re so mean. You are phrasing this like a romance story. I don¡¯t want to ask him about anything but I don''t have any choice. He sits just behind me and I have to pass him papers and other stuff. But you don¡¯t know I am so afraid while doing this.¡± She pouted and replied with a sad face. ¡°Sorry, Seems like you are having a very hard time due to those rumors.¡± ¡°I don''t know if they are rumors or the truth. Right now, all I can do is act well so I don''t make him angry. If I make a small mistake, I could die.¡± She was happy till now and trying to relax, but while saying this her happiness turned into sorrow. ¡°Don¡¯t feel depressed about that, we are here to relax and forget about what happened last week. So, stop whining and cheer yourself up and have some fun. Another important thing is that we shouldn''t reach a conclusion without any evidence. Anyone will become mad if he/she finds out we are talking rubbish about him.¡± She cheered her up and showed her disagreement in the form of a suggestion. ¡°You moron!!, Do you want me to become his victim and set an example for others? After that you will get enough evidence.¡± She felt offended, So she just smacked a soft punch on Hikari''s head and replied in anger. ¡°Ahh, Sorry if I made you feel like that, I am just saying that you shouldn''t overthink about that, all things are going to be okay¡± She apologized to her immediately with deep regret and tried to explain what she wanted to say. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°So let¡¯s get back to the locker and go home. I think this is enough for a day.¡± She stood up suddenly and said as she covered her naked body with a towel. ¡°Aye Aye captain, We stayed much longer than expected. Can you pass me my towel from the basket¡± She replied and stood up immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s have some milk on the way back to the entrance.¡± She suggested as she covered her naked body with a towel and untangled her hair. ¡°Count me in for milk, nothing can test better than milk after a good relaxing bath.¡± After hearing about milk she started drooling and replied with a smile on her face. They come out of the bath and go back to the locker room for change. After that, they are on their way toward the vending machine to buy milk but Mitsuru grabs Hikari''s hand and hides behind the chair. ¡°What happened? Why did you grab me suddenly and the most important question is why are we hiding?" Before Mitsuru gets a chance to reply she starts freaking out and floods her with a lot of questions while keeping her voice low. "Don¡¯t tell me there are stalkers following us! What will we do now? I noticed on the way to the bathhouse that someone was following us but I thought I was overthinking.¡± She tried to act calm but anyone could tell by looking at her face what was in her mind. ¡°Could you please stop freaking out first? Stay quiet for some time. He is there, if you talk too much he might find us.¡± she whispered while placing her finger over her mouth. ¡°But who is there?¡± ¡°The Monster is outside and buying drinks for himself.¡± Hikari punched her on the head and said with anger ¡°How many times do I have to explain the same thing to you? Don¡¯t call him a monster in public, you scary cat! If he finds out you are behind these rumors then you will be dead for sure. Let me take a peek and check if he is still there or not.¡± ¡°Ouch! Sorry, I will never make the same mistake again. Go ahead and check, he is wearing a T-shirt with a monster logo on it and probably buying the drink called Monster.¡± She replied as she caressed her head after Hikari punched her. Hikari inspected the area carefully but she failed to find him anyway. ¡°Hey, Mitsuru, please come out. I don''t see anyone who looks like the person you described. I believe you have mistaken someone else for Aikawa. This happened because you''ve been thinking about him a lot recently.¡± She stood up and tried to look around for the person who was described by Mitsuru, after taking a look she called Mitsuru. ¡°I don¡¯t know but he was there just a few minutes ago and bought the monster drink. But what you are saying is also right, this may be my imagination. Sorry, I will take care onwards.¡± She replied with a confused and long face. ¡°Why the long face again? This will ruin the taste of milk.¡± Hikari tried to cheer her up. Mitsuru smiled and after having milk they both headed back home.
[At Hikari¡¯s House] After coming from the bathhouse Hikari started laying down the futons and Mitsuru also joined her. She turned off the light and they lay down on their futons. ¡°Why aren''t you sleeping on your bed?¡± Mitsuru asked as she flipped her side towards Hikari. ¡°I thought it would be better if I slept alongside you. So we can talk properly,¡± she replied as she flipped her face towards Mitsuru. ¡°Hikari Chan, you are so thoughtful. But what are we going to do tomorrow?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check out the shop you suggested to me. And after that, we can go shopping and if you want, let''s go to a movie. Tomorrow will be a fun day.¡± She replied with excitement as she drooled from the thoughts of dessert. ¡°I am totally in for all the options but, is it possible for us to do it all in one day?¡± ¡°I think we will be able to pull this over and Even after this, we will have some time left on our hands.¡± ¡°So instead of visiting the shop first, let¡¯s start with a movie, after that we can go shopping and at the end, we can visit the shop.¡± ¡°Sounds good! After having breakfast we can go for a movie and while shopping we can have lunch outside and for evening snacks the shop is right there.¡± ¡°Seems like this girl is more interested in food rather than other stuff.¡± Mitsuru thought about that and replied with a smile so that she would not upset Hikari.¡°This seems like a great plan to me. And while returning home we can pick stuff for dinner too.¡± ¡°Shoot! I totally forgot about dinner, thanks for bringing that up.¡± ¡°No Problem! But Today¡¯s day was great, I enjoyed it a lot thanks to you Hikari.¡± ¡°Haa.. Haa. Instead of enjoying it, you were worried about Aikawa most of the time.¡± She said while teasing her. ¡°Yes, you are correct. I don¡¯t know why I held a conversation about him so many times today. But that person is a mystery.¡± ¡°Person, Are you not going to call him ¡°The Monster¡±? ¡°Stop teasing me again and again. I don¡¯t want to do that, but there are a lot of rumors about him, so I can''t help myself. I don¡¯t have courage like you, who can talk normally after hearing all those rumors.¡± While keeping her eyes closed and tightening her fist she yelled as she lost her temper. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I have one thing in mind. As he is in class for a long time he must be aware of all those rumors. This is really tough for him, but he still goes to school without feeling scared.¡± Hikari said as she petted Mitsuru¡¯s head. ¡°Hmm. Nowadays even for a small rumor, people stop coming to school but if he comes after all of this then you can say he has some guts.¡± She replied sadly. ¡°Let me ask you one more question. Have you told me about all the rumors or are you still hiding something from me?¡± After thinking for some time Mitsuru replied ¡°Yes, there are some more. He lives by himself alone. He is working as a bar attendant in a nearby area.¡± After hearing that she was shocked and replied in anger ¡°What? Wait a second, You guys are totally hopeless."I don¡¯t think school will allow him to do that job. People should think before spreading the rumors.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I didn''t tell you before. Also, I have one good rumor about him. I don¡¯t know how much of this is true because I never saw his marks in the top scorer¡¯s list. They call him a genius who can beat the class rep. And the person who always scores full in all tests.¡± She was shocked and after taking a pause she replied, ¡°Ahh, Scholar, Please Stop Giving me a surprise like that. I think as this news is good, it doesn''t have many supporters.¡± ¡°Bingo, Most of the people don¡¯t believe this. But we can''t do anything about this now. So let¡¯s go to sleep because we have a lot of plans tomorrow. Good Night!¡± She replied while yawning. ¡°Good Night to you Mitsuru¡± After saying good night both closed their eyes but Hikari was still thinking about Atsuo. ¡°Is he trying to suicide because of these reasons? It must be very hard for him.¡± After thinking for a while, She felt bad about him but due to exhaustion, she didn''t realize when she fell asleep. Chapter 6.3 - Sleepover [Shopping Mall] Sleepover [Shopping Mall] Hikari wakes up early as usual. Even though she doesn''t want to wake up early on weekends, she doesn''t have any choice. She wants to prepare a good breakfast for Mitsuru. She is sitting on her futon and rubbing her eyes. She is drooling at night and it is visible by a mark of saliva on her face. We can say that even early in the morning she looks hungry. Her hair is totally messed up but she tries to comb it by hand but fails.. Mitsuru is still in sleep so she tries to keep her profile low and comes out of the room. She washed her face and after brushing her teeth she started combing her hair. After combing, she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Mitsuru and herself. ¡°What am I going to cook today? Let¡¯s check the fridge." She opened the fridge and started looking for ingredients she could use. "I have a lot of eggs so I can prepare an omelet rice. Also, I have some bread so I can serve toast with tea and this will be okay for now. So let¡¯s start preparing for this before she wakes up.¡± After giving thought to the ingredients she decided on the menu. After deciding on the menu she started preparing the breakfast. She plugged in her earphones to listen to music while cooking. Along with that she is humming the song slowly and dancing with it. After she finished cooking, She started to do a little bit of cleaning the home as Mitsuru was still asleep and there was a penalty of time left to leave the house. After some time Mitsuru wakes up and comes to the kitchen to see Hikari. ¡°Why are you up so early? I think we still have a lot of time to go.¡± She asks while rubbing her eyes. ¡°Yes, I understand, but I had to make breakfast, so I chose to wake up early and do these tasks beforehand so that we wouldn''t be late.¡± He replied while cleaning the dust from the table. ¡°You are a good girl! In this kind of situation, I prefer to have breakfast outside.¡± He rubbed his eyes, then gave a huge yawn and replied. She laughed loudly and said, ¡°I think you prefer to eat outside because you can''t cook by yourself.¡± ¡°I just woke up and you started teasing me. You are hopeless and now you are literally behaving like a younger sibling of mine.¡± Mitsuru replied in frustration while taking a seat on the chair. ¡°As you are my big sister, I have the right to tease you.¡± She replied as she continued her cleaning. ¡°FYI, I can relinquish all your rights at my sole discretion.¡± She was annoyed and replied with a smug look. "If you do that, I won''t cook for you anymore." ¡°Don¡¯t become bossy all of a sudden. I can order food online and if required I can visit a nearby restaurant.¡± She shouted and replied. The room ended up in silence for a few minutes. They both stared at each other without any expression on their faces. After that Hikari started walking toward Mitsuru. The environment started to become more and more intense with the passage of time. She came closer to Mitsuru, Hikari tried to control herself but after waiting for a few seconds she burst into laughter and after watching this Mitsuru also failed to control herself and joined her. ¡°You put on a great show. At first, I thought we were really fighting but in the end, you lost control of your emotions.¡± ¡°Finally busted! But it is better to eat something before heading out. You should clean your teeth and in the meantime, I will start serving breakfast.¡± Hikari replied as soon as she stopped laughing. ¡°Yep, I will be back in ten minutes.¡± After breakfast, they both got ready for the movie and left the house.. ¡°So are we going on a date today?¡± Mitsuru asked while teasing her. ¡°Date?¡± Hikari asked with surprise. ¡°Yap, You are dressed very well today. In a white shirt and black jeans, I can see your real beauty. Even though you behave like a child, your choice of color is mature.¡± ¡°Thank You So much Mitsuru-San. I also feel the same for you. Your black shirt and ping jeans look unique¡± She was embarrassed with Compliments and replied in a quiet tone. ¡°Ohh! If you love this you can borrow it from me or we can buy something like for you today.¡± ¡°I want something like this but in a different color and the cloth should be comfy.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I will help you choose the best outfit.¡± They continued their chat while walking. After a while, they reached the movie theater. Due to the morning, that place was not very crowded but It took some time to decide which movie should they watch. "Which movie do you want to watch?" While Scratching her Chin Hikari asked Mitsuru. After looking at the posters for a while she replied, "I''m into all the movies except anime movies." ¡°Hah, did I hear something wrong? You Don''t want to watch an anime movie. ¡± ¡°Yeah, I do love manga and other stuff but I am not an otaku.¡± She replied sincerely. ¡°If we eliminate anime movies from this list. We will left with a short list.¡± After taking a closer look at the list hikari replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go for this horror movie then.¡± After a peek, Mitsuru pointed out her finger on a movie and suggested with excitement. ¡°H..h¡­h¡­, Do you want to go alone?¡± After giving a serious look Hikari replied. ¡°No, We will go together. It will be fun and you will enjoy a new experience.¡± Mitsuru Replied with a straight smile on her face. ¡°Byy...Count me out!¡± Hikari thought Mitsuru would try to force her so she replied and tried to sneak out. ¡°Hey, Don¡¯t try to run away leaving me behind. If you don¡¯t want to go to a Horror movie we can watch something else. What about this emotional movie a story between a pet and owner.¡± Mitsuru grabbed Hikari''s hand to stop her from running away and suggested the new movie. After that Mitsuru visited the ticket window and brought the tickets for the show and they headed toward their screen. [After Movie] ¡°A movie with a very emotional ending. Even now I can¡¯t hold my tears. I cried a lot during the ending.¡± While wiping her eyes Hikari replied in a tearful voice. ¡°Yap, A great movie for sure!. After All, We made the right choice. This movie is based on an anime. I never watch that to date but now I will give it one try. But you were a crybaby there for sure. I don¡¯t know what would happen if we decided to go for a horror movie.¡± Mitsuru replied and started teasing her. ¡°What you''re talking about? I am not a crybaby and not scared of ghosts.¡± Hikari tried to defend herself. ¡°Haa...You are not just a crybaby but also a liar. Just admit this already if we would have decided to watch a horror movie, We have to leave the movie in between because of your fear.¡± Mitsuru didn¡¯t want to lose the chance of having fun so she continued teasing her. ¡°Haa...Haa. Drop the act already. You don¡¯t have to act strong in front of me. If you are making fun of me because I am scared of ghosts. I do know a person, who just freaks out with the name of one human. I can¡¯t imagine you can manage to watch the horror movie alone.¡± Hikari laughed and responded to Mitsuru while defending herself. ¡°I suppose that person is me but you should not put this like that. I will prove myself. I am going to watch the movie myself you just wait and watch. I will finish the whole movie in no time.¡± Mitsuru felt offended and responded, trying to protect his pride. Mitsuru brought one ticket for a horror movie and entered the screen room without Hikari. As Hikari was alone she decided to stroll the nearby area for a little while. She knows it will not take more than twenty minutes. After fifteen minutes Mitsuru comes out of the screen room with tears in his eyes. She looked terrified, Hikari offered her some tissues so she could wipe her tears out. ¡°I told you earlier these movies are not made for us. But you acted like a stubborn kid and tried to watch the movie alone and now you look like a traumatized.¡± ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to prove to you I have no fear of Aikawa. I will never do this again.¡± ¡°To some extent, this is also my fault. I will never let this happen again. I will join you next time if you try to do this silly thing again.¡± ¡°Thanks you so much Hikari. I am feeling better now and we should keep moving now.¡± Mitsuru grabbed Hikari¡¯s hand and responded. ¡°Yap, let''s move to the new spot and also find something to eat. After this horror movie, I think you burned all your calories.¡± Hikari responded and cracked a joke to make Mitsuru feel better. They stopped at the cafeteria to have some refreshments. In the meantime, Hikari asked where they were going next. Mitsuru suggested visiting some shops nearby she visits whenever she comes here. ¡°Do you want to buy anything specific?¡± After taking a sip from the drink Mitsuru asked with curiosity. ¡°Nope, I Just come here for window shopping but if I find anything interesting. I will purchase that stuff for sure.¡± Hikari took a bite of the burger and replied while grabbing her drink. ¡°So, Let¡¯s walk around each floor and if we found anything interesting then we enter in that shop.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good plan to me, but we must visit the bookstore, perfume store and clothing store for sure.¡± ¡°Please add the DVD store to your list, I want to buy an anime movie DVD.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish with the refreshments and have some fun while strolling in the mall.¡± After having refreshments they started walking around the shopping mall. They tried to visit as many as shops possible. They visited many clothing stores, book stores and a soft toy store and tried many things there. Hikari tried some clothes and bought one pair that looked like Mitsuru clothes. Also she purchased a Mr. Kappa soft toy. Mitsuru purchased some new manga she found in the bookstore. They both are so engaged that they don¡¯t realize till evening. In the end, Mitsuru noticed that and suggested heading back to the last stop and they headed toward the cake shop as planned. Chapter 6.4 - Sleepover [Cake Shop] Chapter 6.4 - Sleepover [Cake Shop] "How far do we have to go?" she asked with a childish expression on her face while she tried to lean on Mitsuru. She was exhausted from the day''s errands at the different shops. "Can you see the shop on the right side after two blocks?" "Ahh... I don''t think I can make it. I''m gonna pass out from hunger and exhaustion by the time we get there. Care to give me a piggyback ride?" "Ha... Ha... Ha... Are you a toddler? I allowed you to call me whatever you want, but sweetie, I am not going to do that for sure," Mitsuru replied, barely controlling her laughter. "Can¡¯t you see how many people are waiting outside the shop? We came in the evening hoping it would be less crowded, but it¡¯s still super busy." "Agreed, but it is less crowded than in the morning," Mitsuru nodded with a smile after seeing Hikari¡¯s facial expressions. Feeling drowsy and rubbing her eyes, Hikari said, "Am I dreaming or imagining things due to exhaustion? What''s Aikawa doing there?" "I think you''re seeing things because you''re tired. Let¡¯s buy some cake and head back to the house," Mitsuru replied, maintaining her composure. "Look at the entrance, he¡¯s there," Hikari insisted, pointing towards the entrance. Mitsuru thought Hikari was just hallucinating, but as soon as she laid eyes on Aikawa, her soul seemed to leave her body, and she started dreaming like she was on her way to the gates of justice. After a few seconds, she came back to her senses. She grabbed Hikari¡¯s hand and looked for a hiding place nearby. She saw an advertisement banner and tried to hide behind it. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Are we hiding from him again? How many times do I have to explain to you that he is not your enemy or a criminal?" Hikari replied in frustration, stepping out from behind the banner. "Stop, Soldier! The danger is still out there. You are young and don¡¯t know how the world works. You should wait here. I will check the situation outside, and we will leave our base only if it is safe," Mitsuru said, her tension causing her to lapse into manga dialogue. Now Hikari was really pissed. She grabbed Mitsuru''s cheeks and replied in frustration, "Cut this crap and move your butt!" "Ah... Stop pulling my cheeks, it hurts! And I am not going out until he leaves," Mitsuru replied, bearing the pain. Hikari was not ready to listen. She grabbed Mitsuru''s arm and started pulling her out. When they finally stepped out and looked towards the shop, Aikawa was no longer there. Hikari was upset, but Mitsuru felt relieved. They headed to the shop. Once inside, Mitsuru scanned her surroundings for any countermeasures. The aroma of sweets quickly began to fade Hikari¡¯s frustration, making her feel relaxed and rejuvenated. "Good evening, ladies. What would you like to have today? We have a wide variety of cakes, bread, and other items. Would you like to taste anything?" the shop attendant greeted them. "Yes, I¡¯d like to try that chocolate cake with banana on top. What¡¯s special about it?" Hikari asked with a gentle smile. "We use imported chocolate, so you''re going to have a very exquisite taste," the shop attendant replied while serving her a piece of cake. After taking a bite, Hikari felt amused. It was as if she had completely forgotten why she was fatigued a few minutes ago. As expected, the item turned out to be delicious. They both ate until they were full and Hikari regained enough energy to return home. They also purchased some pastries for later. On their way home, they stopped by the market to shop for dinner. As Mitsuru insisted on having Italian cuisine, Hikari bought some ingredients for pasta, pizza, and some side items. After purchasing the ingredients, they headed straight home, talking about the fun they had had throughout the day. Chapter 6.5 - Sleepover [Dinner] Chapter 6.5 - Sleepover [Dinner] [At Hikari¡¯s Home] "Finally, we''re back. I''m totally exhausted for the day. If I didn''t have those cakes in the shop, I would have passed out on the way home, and you would have had to carry me all by yourself." "What gave you the idea that I would have carried you if you passed out? I''m the kind of person who would have left you there by yourself. The most I would have done is drag you out of the road so you don''t cause any trouble for others." Mitsuru laughed and replied. "Why would you do that? Don''t you think it''s a little harsh?" Hikari replied with disappointment. "No, it''s not. You''ve created some delusions in your mind, and I''m clearing those up for you," Mitsuru said as she sat at the dining table. "Oh, it is so! I think I just came out of all my delusions, and I''m not going to cook because I''m tired. Let''s take a break, and I''ll put water on to heat up so we can have my spicy cup noodles." Hikari replied with a smile after sitting in front of Mitsuru. "I don''t want to eat those noodles anymore. I''ll take my words back. If you had passed out back then, I would have carried you home." Mitsuru replied with an unpleasant face. "Haha, I was just kidding. I also can''t eat just noodles." Hikari laughed. "Let''s do it together so you don''t wear yourself out all alone. This is the least I can do for you, for preparing my favorite food." "Thanks for your concern; you''ll be a great help in the kitchen." After taking some rest, they both started preparing dinner. Hikari began with pasta while Mitsuru started making pizza. They had also bought bread from the bakery to serve with the pasta. As requested by Mitsuru, Hikari used lots of cheese in the pasta. Even though she was exhausted, Hikari''s smile while cooking made it look like nothing was wrong and she was full of energy. With Mitsuru''s help, they were able to pull this off quickly. Once the preparation was complete, they started eating. Mitsuru took her first bite and immediately fell in love with the taste. Even though it was spicy, she wanted to eat more until the last bite. Showing her empty dish, she asked, "Can I get seconds?" Her mouth was still drooling with flavors. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Yes, of course," Hikari replied with a smile while serving her. "I need extra bread too, Hikari," she asked again, and Hikari, smiling, served her. " The delicate and sweet flavor of cheese mixed with spicy chili makes it mouthwatering. After finishing the pasta, the bread with the leftover sauce tastes even better than the pasta itself. The same goes for the Teriyaki Chicken Pizza. After eating it, I can say my taste buds are reborn," she praised Hikari''s cooking, even though her mouth was stuffed with pasta. "Don''t exaggerate. Eat as much as you like," Hikari replied humbly. "I need one more slice of pizza. Or, if you don''t mind, give me something to drink too," Mitsuru asked after finishing the last slice of pizza on her plate. In response, Hikari smiled and brought a whole pizza for her along with some cold drinks. "Hey Hikari, there''s some cheese left on your mouth. Come close, let big sis wipe it off." "I can handle this by myself," she replied and tried to lick the cheese with her tongue. "Captain Hikari, if you can hear me, the target is just below your lips. Please knock it out," Mitsuru instructed in the tone of a military major. "Roger that," Hikari replied in the same tone and wiped off the cheese in one go. After finishing eating, Hikari started cleaning the plates while Mitsuru took charge of cleaning the table. Once she was done with her work, Mitsuru insisted on helping Hikari lay down the futons. After some time, they were done with the work, and Hikari took Mitsuru to the balcony. They both enjoyed the starry night together and forgot about all the exhaustion of the day. At that moment, Mitsuru asked, "Tomorrow is the last day after all. What are we going to do?" "But as for me, you are going to leave on Monday after we return from school," Hikari replied with a sad and low voice while gazing at the stars. "Oh, yeah. But Monday will be a school day, so we''re not going to fool around here and there." "Yep, you''re correct. There will be a lot of homework on Monday after all. But for tomorrow, I have some plans already, so don''t you worry." "Oh... you decided already, so please tell me!" she asked eagerly. "Haha... Not going to tell you, I''ll give you a surprise tomorrow," Hikari replied with a laugh on her face. "Okay, I love surprises, so I''ll wait for that." After talking for some time, they felt exhausted and sleepy. In the end, after saying good night, they both fell asleep. Chapter 6.6 Sleepover [A foolish act] Chapter 6.6 - Sleepover [A foolish act] [Morning At Atsuo¡¯s House] Brrring! Brrring! Brrring! He wakes up to the sound of the alarm clock. He pulls his hand out from under the blanket and stops the alarm. Feeling refreshed, he realizes that getting a full night''s sleep, instead of staying up late watching anime or playing video games, was a wise decision. It''s not that he doesn''t want to play or read. The real reason he decided to go to bed early was that he was completely drained, both mentally and physically. Atsuo¡¯s mental energy had been utterly depleted over the past week, leaving him uninterested in games and manga by the weekend¡¯s end. After turning off the alarm, he gets out of bed and walks to the window to open the curtains. As soon as he pulls them aside, sunlight floods into the room, banishing the darkness in an instant. "Today is Sunday, and I don''t have any part-time work. So instead of eating packed food, let''s cook something at home," he thinks to himself as he walks to the wash basin to wash his face. While washing his face, he reflects on how he spent last week at school. This is precisely why he hasn''t scheduled any part-time jobs for today. He just wants to relax so he can handle school better next week. The new seating arrangement had him facing the girls around him, and with Hikari sitting right next to him, he''d felt frustrated all week. After thinking it over repeatedly, he screams: "What the hell is wrong with my life?" "That girl is messing with you, boy, and she¡¯ll soon mess with your life even more," a lonely voice emerges from his shadow. "Hmm, you¡¯re right, Mikage. But where have you been all last week?" "I was here the whole time, and watching you in that situation made my week," Mikage said. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "You¡¯re cruel as hell. I was suffering, and you were enjoying it? Why did you bother coming today? You should have stayed away, because the problem isn''t resolved yet, and you''ll have lots of fun seeing me like this," Atsuo said while wiping his wet face with a towel. "That is true, but I don''t want to lose my pawn," Mikage replied in a very low voice. "What did you say?" "Nothing, I''m just here to tease you, boy." "Oh, I understand. So I think you should go now because I don¡¯t want to spoil my mood," Atsuo said, hanging the towel. "Darkness is the enduring truth. Light may come and go, but in the pursuit of light, you may lose sight of it altogether. Yet, no matter what happens, darkness will always find you," Mikage said before leaving. "Here he goes again, dropping some badass lines at random moments without explaining the meaning," Atsuo muttered. He then went to the kitchen and put some bread in the toaster. He started the stove to warm up the milk and began searching the drawers for something to eat. In the meantime, he heard the doorbell. He turned off the stove and headed to the entrance to open the door. After opening it, he froze with shock and fear. [10 Min Before] "Could you tell me where we''re going?" Mitsuru asked, making a sulky face. "Show some enthusiasm, Mitsuru! Once we get there, you''ll enjoy it," Hikari replied, continuing to walk. "But give me some hints, I can''t take this anymore. My sixth sense is telling me something is wrong," Mitsuru responded with concern. "We''re almost there. Just two or three more houses and you''ll get your surprise." After some time, they arrived at their intended destination. Hikari rang the bell, and they waited for someone to open the door. "Who lives here? And why are we here? You promised me a surprise," Mitsuru desperately asked, firing off questions. "Once the door opens, you''ll get all your answers," Hikari replied politely. The door slowly creaked open, and upon seeing the person''s face, Mitsuru froze with the fear of death. Chapter 7 - Unexpected Guest/Are you a friend or trader? Chapter 7 - Unexpected Guest/Are you a friend or trader? [Present] Hikari stood with a straight smile on her face. Meanwhile, two people were frozen and spaced out. One was Aikawa Atsuo, shocked by the fear of his secret being revealed. On the other side, Nakano Mitsuru was in shock because her worst nightmare of facing Aikawa had come true today. "I think I should run away from this place right now. He won''t even notice me, but I cannot leave Hikari behind," Mitsuru thought as she tried to take a step backward. "Why in the world did she bring me here? Is she offering me up to him? Is she really doing that?" Her fear created delusions in her mind, but believing in her friendship, she tried to hold herself together. "Just calm down, Mitsuru, she can''t do that. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens next." Finally, she decided to stay. Due to the intense pressure and stress of the situation, Atsuo started seeing Mikage. "Haha... Hey boy, long time no see. I told you this girl was going to mess up your life. And for you, things are different. You''re like a magnet because you attract problems yourself," Mikage said, laughing at the situation. "Go and die already, you nasty pest," Atsuo retorted angrily, turning his head quickly. His voice was filled with such anger that Mikage could feel it. "Okay, boy. Enjoy your time with the lovely girls. I''ll come tonight to check on you. But let me warn you, keep your distance from that girl," Mikage replied before disappearing into the shadows. "Hi, good morning!" Hikari said with a smile on her face after a few moments. After snapping out of their daze, both Atsuo and Mitsuru came back to reality and screamed simultaneously, "What the hell are you doing here?" "Ahh... Where am I supposed to be if not here? This is my house. I think I''m the only one who should be asking that question," Atsuo responded angrily, thinking that his peaceful day was about to be ruined and his secret exposed. "Your house!!" Mitsuru felt completely screwed. She was speechless. "Does Hikari not know whose house this is? Or if she does, why did she bring me here?" She found herself with a lot of questions swirling in her head. "I brought her here. Let''s go inside and talk. We might bother the neighbors," Hikari interjected, offering her suggestion. Atsuo was in a tough spot. Even though he didn''t want to let them in, the fear of what Hikari might say and the potential complications with his neighbors left him with no choice. "Yes, alright, let''s go inside," he replied. After all, she knew his weaknesses, so he allowed them into his house. "Yep, let''s go inside and spend the rest of the day here," Hikari said enthusiastically, holding Mitsuru¡¯s hand as they walked into the house. Mitsuru was confused. She had no idea what was going on or why the "monster" was obeying Hikari¡¯s every command without hesitation. ¡°Please have a seat. I''ll be back in ten minutes," Atsuo said. He thought the gas stove might still be on, so he excused himself to check on it. Additionally, he was starving and considered finishing his breakfast while talking with them. He returned to the kitchen and realized he had turned off the stove before leaving. He started the stove again to boil the milk. The toast was already out of the toaster. As the milk was about to boil, he worried about what he would serve them. It felt wrong to eat alone in their presence. He remembered the cookies he had received from Miss Moriko and decided to serve them along with the untouched bottle of juice he bought last night at a huge discount. Once the milk boiled, he poured it into a cup and applied jam and butter to the toast. After that, he left the kitchen and headed towards the room. Meanwhile, Mitsuru was impatiently waiting in the room with Hikari. She had many questions in her mind and wanted to ask Hikari, but she found the place inappropriate as Atsuo might overhear their conversation. She decided to wait and ask all her questions after returning home. He opened the door, put the snack tray on the table, and offered them something to eat. He sat in front of them and started eating his breakfast. "So tell me, what are you doing here?" he asked while taking the first bite. The room fell silent, and the crunch of toast could be heard clearly. "Oh, it''s very simple. She was hesitating to talk to you and wants to become your friend, so I brought her here so we can spend some time together and build a bond of friendship," Hikari said, picking up the glass of juice and taking a sip. "I don''t know what you''re trying to pull, but I have a request: please stop messing with me. At least leave me alone on weekends. She has friends she can talk to whenever she wants. Why are you bugging me all of a sudden?" Atsuo replied harshly, clearly annoyed. "But she''s sitting right in front of you. Don''t you think having one more friend would be great? Besides, there are so many rumors about you that she''s scared to talk to you," Hikari replied, picking a cookie from the plate. "Rumors? Scared of me? Yes, that''s correct, and that''s how I want it. If she''s scared of my name, she''s like everyone else in class. This is how things have been for many years, and I don''t see any problems with it. You don''t understand how peaceful my life was before this new seating arrangement. You guys are interfering with my privacy, and it''s annoying," Atsuo said while taking a sip of milk. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "You don''t have any issues with that? People are talking trash about you. I know you''re not like that," Hikari responded seriously. "Who cares about what they say about me? Honestly, I''m happy with it because I don''t have to do anything. The privacy I love comes without any effort," he replied with a smile. "He can smile?" Mitsuru thought out loud after seeing him smile. Realizing what she had done, she quickly covered her mouth with both hands, still wondering, "How can Hikari be so comfortable talking to him?" "Yes, of course, I can smile. You shouldn''t take every rumor seriously. But who cares as long as I get what I want? I''m okay with these rumors. And as for friends, I don''t want any. If you need more friends, there are three more girls sitting around me. You can try to make friends with them," Atsuo replied while taking a huge bite of toast. "Why don''t you want friends?" Hikari asked, smiling. "It''s very hard to understand the human heart, and even harder to identify real friends. This is why I don''t want any friends or family. Now, if you''re done with your interrogation, you can leave." Although he was fully pissed off by the conversation, Atsuo tried to remain calm as he replied. "Hey, Hikari, he seems a bit angry now. I think we should take our leave," Mitsuru interrupted, trying to stand up and leave the house. "Hey, wait. Don''t leave me alone. Just wait a little longer," Hikari said, grabbing her hand to stop her from leaving. "She¡¯s right. I think instead of pissing me off, you should follow her advice and leave now. It''s Sunday, after all. Let me have some relaxation, and you both should have fun too." Atsuo tried to control himself, knowing he could push both of them out of the house if he wanted to. "We want to have some fun with you, which is why we came here," Hikari replied with a smile. "I know you''re having a lot of fun pissing me off, but if you leave now, you can take the rest of the cookies I have in the kitchen," Atsuo said, trying to bribe her, knowing Hikari''s weakness. "Are you sure?" she asked, drooling. "Yep." "In that case, I''ll leave immediately¡ªonce you hand me the cookies and become friends with Mitsuru," she replied sarcastically. Hearing her words, Atsuo''s happiness melted away like ice cream in the sun. He screamed in anger, "Stop that crap already! And stop acting nice! I don¡¯t know what ulterior motive you girls have behind this friendship stuff, but just give up and leave me alone." "You talk about friendship and friends, so tell me, Hikari Ogawa, what is your definition of friendship? Who do you call a friend? Can you trust them blindly? To me, friends are nothing more than traders who want to take something from another person in the name of friendship. They drain that person until there''s nothing left and then leave them once they have nothing more to offer. Now, if you have your answer, leave me alone." After hearing all this, she replied politely, "I think you don''t yet know the real meaning of friendship. Friends are more precious than any treasure in the world. They are the ones you can trust with your life, even with your eyes closed. They may tease you, fight with you, and even stop talking to you at times, but they will never betray you." "So this is your definition of friendship. It is good and pure, but you haven''t seen the real world yet. All these ideals will blow up in one shot." After screaming, his anger subsided, and he responded to her calmly. Even in this situation, she picked up another cookie and, while taking a bite, replied, "I don¡¯t think there will be any difference between them." "Whatever, finish the snacks and leave my home. I have so many things to do," he replied with an irritated expression. He never thought the girl was so stubborn. Despite all his attempts, she replied, "I am not leaving now. Let''s wait a little longer." Even though the girl was stubborn, he matched her stubbornness. He countered her with a question, "Tell me, Ogawa! In my life, there''s no place for friends, but you want to be friends with me. So tell me... What do you want from me in return?" She stopped in the middle of eating. She tried to answer his question but didn''t have an answer. After thinking for a while, she decided to leave for now. "Hey Mitsuru, I think we should go back home now. I don''t have your answer now, but I will reply to you soon." They both thanked him for his hospitality and left the house. Mitsuru had so many questions in her mind that she wanted to ask after reaching home, but she couldn''t control herself and asked them while they were on their way home. "Would you mind telling me how you know him?" "Yes, I met him once before he came back to school." "How do you know his home?" "The day I met him, I helped him carry some stuff. Since he wasn''t aware of me as his classmate, he didn''t hesitate to take my help." "Oh... that''s all? Are you not hiding anything from me?" "No, when I helped him, I found him very kind. When you told me about all the rumors, I thought someone should help him." "Yes, I can say he¡¯s not as bad as the rumors suggest, but I was scared to death when I was in his house. Please never do that again. For a moment, I thought you were handing me over to him as a sacrificial offering." "A sacrificial offering? Haha! Your thoughts are hilarious. But I can say your perspective should change for sure." "Yes, now I don''t have to hide, even if we cross paths in public." They reached home and, as it was the last day of the weekend, they enjoyed themselves and ate a lot until night. After saying goodnight to each other, they went to sleep. Even though Hikari lay with her eyes closed, she was thinking about what happened today and contemplating the answer. "He asked a difficult question. I have to think of the answer soon. He''s in pain and doesn''t want to ask for help, which is why he tried to commit suicide. I have to find the right answer before that idiot makes any mistakes again," she thought to herself. After thinking about it for some time, she fell asleep without realizing it. Chapter 8 - Distance/Cleanup Duty Chapter 8 - Distance/Cleanup Duty "What was that, and why did she bring another girl to my home? I know I''m not in a position to decline anything, but I have to find a way to restrict her. Otherwise, she might start bringing other people as well." After they left, he continued worrying about what had happened today and how to prevent it from happening again. "Should I just keep myself away from her so she causes fewer problems? But she can still come home anytime, and I have to sit beside her in class. If I avoid her and she notices, she might tell someone about my suicidal incident." He pondered these thoughts, trying to come to a conclusion. He sat there all day, crumbling the toast and sipping cold milk, without realizing that the sun had started setting. When the evening rays touched his face, he muttered, "It''s evening already. How much time did I spend thinking about these things? And I also missed lunch today because of that," he realized as his stomach started growling. "I wasted my whole day, and now I need a heavy dinner. But what should I eat?" he said with a confused and sad face. Just eat your thoughts because you won''t be able to fulfill your hunger with meals alone. It''s important to think about something, but after a while, you need to stop and reach a conclusion. I know it''s hard, and you may not get the desired result, but in the end, you''ll learn from it. Next time, you''ll be more careful or whatever. I am not opposing you being wrong. It is hard to choose one thing out of many options and thoughts, and those who make that decision alone without expecting anything from others are strong and courageous. Those who decide alone consider the worst outcome they can have if the decision goes wrong, and that is why I respect them. They are ready for the worst and aren''t afraid of the outcome. They know they can deal with the outcome they get, and that¡¯s why they make those decisions. I know you also made some decisions thinking that way, and your current situation is the outcome of what you decided back then. So why are you hesitating to stand against the result of your action? You don¡¯t have any right to just doze off and blame the time now. Just give your best shot again and try to deal with the situation you are in instead of moping over the dinner choice,¡± Mikage said harshly. "Oh, so you finally showed up after the whole day." "Yeah, I told you I would come by tonight to check on you. I was watching everything silently, seeing how that girl is running you around her finger. You are really in big trouble, and I even feel a chill around that girl. I can''t imagine how far she will go and what her intentions are." "I knew that from the very beginning. I can only see one path. From tomorrow, I have to start finding new ways to kill myself again," Atsuo replied, leaning his head on the table. "You are a big moron. This situation happened because of your stupid decision to kill yourself in the first place. Now, you want to go and create a big problem for yourself again." "I know you told me that at the time, that I was going into big trouble." "You don¡¯t know what the future holds for you. She is like a light I have seen many times, but I am not sure whether she will be there for you till the very end or lose herself and you in darkness," Mikage said quietly, with sadness on his face. "Can you be a little bit louder? I didn¡¯t hear a single word you just said," Atsuo asked, lifting his head from the table. "Nothing, I just said if you really want to die, you should stick with that girl. If things go the way I see them, you''ll die more than once. I think it''s time for me to head out," Mikage laughed and disappeared as if he was never there. "Hey, what does that mean? You can¡¯t leave me behind every time like this. It¡¯s all your fault! Last time, you said something weird like this and left, and I thought you were talking about dying," Atsuo shouted several times, but Mikage was gone before he finished his rant. Atsuo remained in the same condition for a while, and eventually, he ate something and fell asleep, still thinking about everything that had happened. [Two Days Later at School] "This is the last window, and after that, I have to run to my part-time job," Atsuo told himself, feeling annoyed. He had to leave for his part-time job but was stuck with cleaning duty. He wasn''t annoyed because of the cleaning duty or the possibility of being late for his job. He was annoyed because of the team he was assigned to. After last Sunday''s mental harassment, he took a break from school for two whole days, hoping things would be less messy and to give himself time to recover from the awkwardness he had faced. Today is Wednesday, and he came in a good mood, hoping that everything had settled down with those two girls. But all his hopes were crushed by the class representative. "This would never have happened if he had told me everything earlier. He is always such a moron. During the break, he told me I had cleaning duty and assigned me to clean the windows and the board, but he didn''t mention the most important information¡ªthat these two girls would be joining me." Due to his frustration, Atsuo was putting a lot of pressure on the window as he thought about it. "Hey, Aikawa! Don''t put too much pressure on the window. It might break and hurt you," Hikari said as she engaged in a broom fight with Mitsuru. This only pissed him off more. First, they were slacking off from their duties, and now she was giving a lecture on safety while having a broom fight. "Watch yourselves first. You both are doing nothing, just slacking off the whole time, and now you''re playing with a broom. It might hurt someone," he replied, his face showing clear annoyance. "Who told you we were slacking off the whole time? We''re just trying to have some fun while working," Hikari replied, delivering her winning strike. The final strike went wrong, and the sweeper that Mitsuru was holding slipped out of her hands. After spinning in the air a couple of times, it dropped on Atsuo. The moment it hit him, Mitsuru was scared to death and immediately hid behind Hikari. "Ouch! If you''re not slacking off, then what is this? Could you girls be more careful? You just gave me a full lecture on safety, so what is this? Before giving lectures to others, you should follow them first," Atsuo said angrily, throwing the cloth on the floor. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "So...so...sorry, it was unintentional," Mitsuru stammered, replying from behind Hikari. "Yes, you should be. I already know you don''t have the courage to do that intentionally," he replied with a fierce smile. "Yes, we can agree on that. But it''s not just her; I don''t think any girls in our class have the courage to talk to you after hearing so many rumors," Hikari found it odd. Despite being totally pissed off, Atsuo was controlling himself very well. So, she replied with a smile to make things easier. "If you think that way, and if you observe then you are correct, then I will love it if things continue that way," he replied with a serious look as he picked up the cloth from the floor. "Thanks for the compliment! I''ve been good at observation since childhood," she replied with pride, feeling she had handled the situation properly. "What? When did I compliment you? I think instead of taking it, you should start your work. It''s almost time for our teacher to come for inspection," he said, annoyed, as he started to clean the last window again. Despite being totally pissed off, he didn''t want to do anything that would lead to more trouble. After this commotion, the girls also started working seriously, so he decided to forget about the incident and focus on his own work. The sincerity they showed did not last for very long. After ten minutes, they both started a new game, playing catch with cleaning clothes. Hikari stood at one entrance and Mitsuru on the other side. When they started, the cloth was clean, but as they missed a few catches and it hit the dusty floor, it became dirty. They had no idea what was going to happen next, as they were having the time of their lives. "Mitsuru, try to catch this. I''m going to throw it at full speed," Hikari said enthusiastically as she threw the cloth ball. In their enjoyment, they didn¡¯t realize when they became serious and started playing intensely. "I''m not going to hold back either," Mitsuru replied with the same enthusiasm. "Ugh... they are not going to listen to me. Let them do what they want. I don¡¯t want to get in their way. Let¡¯s finish the work so I can join the shop. I''m assigned to board and window duty, so it won¡¯t affect me if they slack off," Atsuo thought to himself. He watched both of them but knew deep down that they wouldn''t listen to him, so he tried to ignore them and focused on his own work. He had just finished with the window and was about to leave the class to dispose of the dirty water. The girls were covering most of the class, but there was still some space available behind them, so he tried to sneak through that narrow space. "Behold, Hikari! Now you are going to face my super ultra fireball," Mitsuru shouted, mimicking one of her favorite manga dialogues. "Are they still in grade school? Nowadays, even grade schoolers are more responsible than them," Atsuo thought as he passed through the gate. In the meantime, Hikari missed the super ultra fireball thrown by Mitsuru. Hikari tried hard to catch it, but an accident happened. The ball hit Atsuo''s face badly, and he collapsed. The dirty water he was carrying spilled everywhere, and some of it splashed onto the blackboard he had cleaned earlier. [After 20 Minutes in the Infirmary] "What¡¯s going on with me? Where am I? Why does my head feel heavy and why is there pain below my right eye?" Atsuo put his right hand on his head as he awoke, still feeling drowsy but with a lot of questions on his mind. "Ohh... finally you woke up! Now I can breathe a sigh of relief. I was so scared," Hikari said, putting her hand on Atsuo''s with a relieved face and watery eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? Why am I in the infirmary? And why are you crying while holding my hand?" he asked, snatching his hand back in embarrassment. His cheeks turned a little red; after all, a girl holding his hand was an experience he had never imagined. "So, you don¡¯t remember what happened to you in the classroom?" Hikari gently wiped away her tears and asked. There was a slight quaver in her voice, indicating she had cried a lot before he woke up. "If I think about it, the last thing I remember is carrying the used water to dispose of," he said, scratching his chin as he tried to recall the events. "Let me tell you what happened after that. We were playing catch with the washing cloth, and while you were passing by, I missed the catch, and it hit you directly. You collapsed after that. We called Mr. Sumida for help, and he brought you to the infirmary. You''ve been unconscious for about twenty minutes now," Hikari explained, standing up from the chair and placing her hands on the bed. "So where is she? Did she run away out of fear, or did she pass out the moment your so-called ball hit me? Do you think she''ll come to school tomorrow, or will she stay away for a whole month?" he laughed with a devilish grin, raising his hands in the air. "No, no... She is in the classroom right now for cleanup duty. Mr. Sumida punished her for throwing the super ultra ball. Once she finishes the work, she''ll come to you for an apology," Hikari explained. "So, why is she the only one getting punished? You were involved too. If I''m being honest, you''re her partner in crime," Atsuo asked while changing his position to sit up. "Yes, we both are at fault, but since she was the one who threw the ball so hard, she got punished. The teacher told me to stay here to look after you," Hikari laughed and replied. After a brief conversation, the infirmary turned silent again. They both just sat there without uttering a single word. After some time, Atsuo decided to leave for home. He stood up from the bed, picked up his school bag, and made his way to the door. After taking a few steps, he noticed something unusual. "What is this strange feeling?" "Why am I not feeling comfortable?" "What is the issue?" After questioning himself several times, he realized the issue and screamed. "Who the hell did this?" "Why am I in the girls'' PE uniform? This is so embarrassing!" "Most importantly, who changed my clothes?" Since Hikari was the only person around him the whole time, he turned towards her even before she could reply and defend herself. He had tried to control himself until now, but he finally lost his composure. His eyes turned reddish. "I tried my best, but you don''t want to lose any chance to piss me off. I''ve ignored many things until now, but this time you crossed the line, girl." Despite seeing him completely mad, Hikari wasn''t scared at all. She took a few steps forward, patted his shoulders a couple of times, and replied. "No worries, you can return it whenever you want. This is my uniform. When the ball hit you earlier, the dirty water you were carrying spilled all over, and the uniform you were wearing got drenched. We tried to find spare clothes but had no luck. Fortunately, I accidentally brought my PE uniform today. The teacher suggested it was a good idea to change into the clothes we had, and he helped us change your clothes," Hikari replied with pride and a big smile on her face. "How am I supposed to go home in this? If someone sees me in a girls'' uniform, they''ll think I''m a pervert," Atsuo replied sadly, his anger subsiding after hearing that the teacher was involved. "I don''t think so. There''s not much difference between the girls'' and boys'' PE uniforms. It''s not like you''re wearing a girl''s skirt. I think the only difference is the pockets. So you can easily sneak out without anyone noticing," Hikari replied positively after thinking for a while. "I''ve got a new idea. Just wait a second. Take this. You can borrow my PE jacket, and after that, no one will be able to tell whether you''re in a girls'' or boys'' uniform," she said, picking up her PE jacket from her bag and replying quickly with utmost confidence. "Hmm... It''s embarrassing to wear a girls'' uniform, but it''s better to use this instead of getting caught by somebody on the way home," he replied, totally embarrassed but realizing he had no other choice. He hadn''t even realized when he calmed down from his anger. He grabbed the PE jacket from the girl''s hand and walked away from the infirmary without uttering a word. "Hey, goodbye! See you tomorrow," she shouted loudly in the hallway with a smile on her face. Even though she was shouting, he just turned around once before leaving the place without answering her.