My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 258

Did these girls go shopping together, buy the clothes, and just wear them here? Maybe their previous outfit, which was considered a fashion disaster, became popular, or maybe someone was critical, so they had no choice but to buy this one. But—

"……Hi."

After I slightly raised my hand in greeting, Ya Shuang brought her handbag to her lap and said:

"Learning to read aloud—"

The tongue was clearly tied in knots.

After a moment of stiffness, she said, "Please, please wait a moment," and turned her back to me.

"Hoo-hah..."

His shoulders bobbed up and down dramatically several times.

Then, she turned to me again, a mischievous smile on her face, and repeated:

"Senior! You're so slow! You made the girl wait; you're going to lose points!"

I really admire her ability to maintain this style even after making a fool of herself. I can't help but feel a deep respect for her.

"It's just a matter of who's closer to the entrance. We're all in the same shopping mall."

"Oh, making excuses, huh? I'll deduct one point from your score."

"So, why are you the one giving me a score? Should I give you a score too?"

"That suits me perfectly, then go ahead and hit it. Senior, what score did Aisha get today?"

With a confident expression, Ya Shuang put her hand holding the bag behind her back.

Oh, I see... She probably wanted me to compliment her outfit today.

"Clothes make the man, gold plating makes the Buddha"... that's a bit too old-fashioned. So, let's—

"Landmines can be detected."

"What kind of praise is that!"

I'm congratulating you on clearing Mines so cleanly; it's a compliment, of course. As long as he's wearing this outfit, no one will guess that this guy is actually a monster with a huge need for self-esteem.

Ya Shuang deliberately pursed her lips (though she didn't quite manage to avoid any landmines in her behavior), and with a snap, took a step towards me.

"Senior, didn't you notice? There's a central concept behind this outfit—..."

"Huh? How would I know that..."

...No, wait a minute.

Only after she pointed it out did I realize that the overall outfit looked somewhat familiar. Why? Had I seen it in a magazine or somewhere else? A brown knitted sweater paired with a bluish pencil skirt—

what.

It's the same color as my jacket and jeans today.

"Hehe, did you notice?"

Ya Shuang smiled smugly and walked over to me.

"We're wearing matching outfits, senior."

"...Is this a new prank trick you've come up with?"

"How rude! At least Aisha didn't dress the same color as your jacket. She was afraid of being too deliberate and making her senior dislike her."

"Ah—I've found the blind spot. Then I just need to pull up the front of my jacket to cover my shirt."

"So those are matching couple outfits, senior."

"You're determined not to let me go, aren't you!"

Ya Shuang swayed her shoulders and chuckled softly.

Seriously, buying new clothes just for this purpose? That must be a lot of money for a student.

—I'm serious.

do not know why.

The serious tone in which this guy spoke to me yesterday came back to mind.

"Senior."

Ya Shuang spoke in a tone that couldn't be definitively dismissed as a joke, yet it was also impossible to be certain that it came from the heart:

"Now there's a girl next to you who, just to see you, abandons her usual principles and takes the time to dress up beautifully... Don't you think you're not giving her enough compliments?"

……hateful.

I can't be heartless to the people who spent money on me.

"You look great in this. You should always dress like this."

“…………!”

Ya Shuang suddenly covered her mouth with both hands.

"What's wrong?"

"No……"

Her gaze darted around, and she turned her face away, concealing her expression, and said:

"I just feel...unexpectedly happy."

His tone revealed only joy, without a trace of teasing.

—I'm serious.

That voice from yesterday flashed through my mind once again.

Kawanami Kogure ◆ Treatment Begins

"Hey! I told you to wait!"

Xiaoyue pulled my arm and kept walking forward until we could no longer see Irito and the others, then she finally turned to face me.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"You even asked me what's wrong! What do you mean by a date? I've never heard of that!"

"Because I didn't say so."

Xiaoyue let out an affected "ee-hee" laugh and said:

"That's strange, did you ever say you hate surprises?"

"This isn't a surprise, it's coercion, okay?"

Seriously, what if the East Head takes this opportunity to attack Irito? Besides, I had a feeling that the two from Irito's family seemed a bit cold towards each other today...

"Okay, okay, don't be so angry. Didn't I help start it?"

"Huh? What's with the introduction?"

"If it's first Senior Asahi and the others, and then we go on dates too, won't it be easy for others to follow suit?"

“…………!”

Could it be that she deliberately brought up the date for this purpose...?

Xiaoyue hugged my arm tightly and said:

"But I really meant it when I said I wanted to go on a date with you."

"...How could you—"

"What would you do if I said that?"

The hives that almost broke out disappeared instantly upon seeing Xiaoyue's smug smile.

If she says that... no, which one is it?

"It's okay, it's okay, don't worry so much, I'll help you get used to it gradually!"

"You said you'd let me get used to it gradually...?"

Is it that exposure therapy I mentioned before...?

Xiaoyue didn't answer my question, but her face was full of a ulterior motive.

"So, where should we go? It's a rare opportunity, let's enjoy a long-awaited date, Kawanami."

Hearing that she didn't call me "Xiao Xiao" (a childhood friend) but rather "Kawabo" (a more distant term), I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, I know without anyone telling me that this sense of peace actually proves that a huge doubt lingers deep within me.

Irito Yume ◆ Unexplained Fear

"Ah! Mizuto-kun, look! It's that one, that one!"

"Which one?"

"That's it! The one where you can put your feet up when you're gazing at the sea!"

"...That's not for putting your feet down, it's for hooking onto the ship's ropes."

"Oh, right! I just found out..."

I stood behind them, quietly watching Dongtou, who was playing with her feet on the equally spaced posts on the shore, and Shuidou, who was watching her closely to prevent her from accidentally falling into the sea.

What...what should I do? I can't talk to him...

It was all for nothing that Dongtou helped me create this opportunity... Just now, the three of us went to the bookstore in the mall and chatted for a long time, but I only talked to Dongtou until the very end...

Honestly, why am I being so neurotic! It was just a slightly naughty touch on his hand! Back in junior high, I even went to his room determined to lose my virginity!

This is worse than an elementary school student; it's more like a kindergartener's behavior... It's the regressive behavior of a child in love...

How did I become so neurotic? Is it because I live with him? Because I'm in an environment where there are plenty of opportunities to do things if I want to? Or is it because I accidentally saw Shui Ti's naked body in the bathroom last time?

...I don't know either. There are just too many possibilities.

Since I like him and want to date him, my approach should actually be considered low-key—unlike the student council president, who wore a bunny girl outfit to seduce her senior... Well, actually, I also think her approach was a bit unusual.

I envy Senior Ya Shuang so much... I envy how strong she is inside, and how she never gets discouraged no matter how many times Senior Xing Bian deals with her carelessly.

Isn't she afraid?

I was terrified. Before I started dating Mizuto, whenever we met during summer vacation, I was always afraid that my words or actions would make Irito dislike me.

Even now, I still shrink back, I'm still afraid... But this time it's not the fear of being disliked. Being disliked by him has long been a fundamental premise between us.

But if that's the case, what am I afraid of?

What am I lacking right now?

"Yuri-kun, Yuri-kun."

Just as I was lost in thought, my classmate from the east came over to talk to me.

Dongtou pressed down on his hair, which was ruffled by the sea breeze, with one hand and pointed to a certain spot with the other.

"Want to go ride that?"

"what?"

In the direction the student from the east was pointing, there was a huge Ferris wheel.

Hong Lingli ◆ Student Council President Leads Disruption of Discipline

What...what should I do? I can't find a way to talk to him...

Later, when they all went on dates with their female classmates, the same group as yesterday—Xiaosheng, Lan, and Azhang—was left to continue their stroll.

In other words, this is an excellent opportunity.

There is no better opportunity than now to defend my pathetic and disgraceful escape last night.

"Wow...that's amazing, President! This is the first time I've ever seen a real luxury cruise ship!"

Lan, with her petite frame, looked up at the cruise ship docked in the harbor, which seemed to tower into the clouds.

We thought it would be interesting to wander around since we were near the seaside, so we walked around the harbor... Unexpectedly, Lan seemed to be visiting a harbor for the first time. She looked around with great interest and shared her thoughts with me with great emotion.

As an upperclassman, being admired by a lowerclassman is a happy thing, but it also means I've lost the chance to talk to Joe. Joe has completely returned to normal and has become part of the background. Passersby on the street will probably just think of us as an upperclassman and Ran, a pair of high school girls.

Just like when we were strolling through the Strange People's Mansion Street, there was a chance for me to exchange a few words with him... but unfortunately, this time the matter couldn't be resolved with just a few words.