My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 259

When will I finally be able to bring it up with him...? Or rather, how should I explain myself...?

The more I thought about this problem, the more trapped I became, and gradually it seemed as if I was the one hiding from my father-in-law.

"But then again... I've been thinking about this for a while now..."

Lan looked around as she spoke.

"Walking around here, for some reason, it reminds me of the Kamo River. Why do couples all over the world like to run along the water's edge?"

It's true that you can see a few couples here and there. Rinkai Land is one of Kobe's must-see attractions, so this is to be expected. However, besides couples, you can also see families or students like us, so it's not really true that everyone there is a couple as she claimed.

"It's not just couples; humans are naturally drawn to waterside areas. Didn't the four great civilizations all flourish in the river valleys?"

"...Maybe I'm just too observant of couples. If that's the case, it must be what I saw last night..."

"What did you see last night?"

"Isn't that just Irito Mizuto?"

Lan said dismissively.

"Last night at the hotel, I saw Mizuto Irito flirting with Higashi-san. She was touching his face with her hands, and she was hugging him and pressing her chest against him... In a public place like that...!"

Oh? Indeed, those two seem to be dating—hmm? What about Yui? Previously, Ah-Zhang's opinion was that they weren't in a love triangle…

"That's so enviable. It means they're so deeply in love that they don't care what others think."

"How could you say that, President! It would be one thing if it were in your own room, but that's a common room open to everyone! To act like that in a place where you never know who might come by, I don't think that's the behavior of a rational person!"

"........."

My classmate is right.

In a place where you never know who might come by, dressing up as a bunny girl to seduce or seduce a guy is not something a rational person would do.

"I'm so indignant! How could someone like that get second place in the whole grade?! I think he's just a hypocrite with a sanctimonious face; he must be a beast inside! The kind of pervert who gets pleasure from humiliating women!"

I know I was wrong.

As a pervert who forces women to reveal what excites them about me, I sincerely apologize.

"Those with excellent grades, as representatives of the students, should always be mindful of their behavior, know how to respect themselves, and abide by social conscience! Just like the student council president!"

"...What you said makes sense."

I will know how to love myself and abide by social conscience.

Star-edge telescope: Foreshadowing is meaningless if it goes unnoticed.

Ya Shuang did her homework beforehand and chose a restaurant that was so stylish that you could enjoy the sea view from the outdoor seating area.

"Once you get there, it has a completely different charm!"

"Yeah. She's so beautiful that two high school students might hesitate to approach her."

"I saw it online, and the view is even more beautiful at night! It's like the 'Cheers to Your Eyes' kind of view!"

"Shouldn't I be the one to say this line?"

"Then tell me about it~"

"Isn't it cheesy?"

"That's what makes it fun!"

We ate our lunch while chatting about everything under the sun.

"Isn't that what everyone says? When proposing, you must choose a restaurant with a view of the night scene—like that."

"Yes. You're that type too, right?"

"What kind of prejudice does the senior have against Eissa?"

"I think you're not young anymore, yet you still yearn for the plots of shoujo manga."

"That's the ultimate insult to girls! ... But if you say Aisha doesn't yearn for it, you're lying."

"See? You're the type who wants someone to toast to your eyes. Okay, here comes the toast you wanted."

"No... please don't hold the glass in front of Esa's eyes! No need for a physical toast! No physical methods please!"

"So? What happened with the marriage proposal you mentioned earlier?"

"Actually, we arrived at the restaurant where we could enjoy the night view—although it wasn't nighttime yet—and Aisha's impression was... being proposed to in such a crowded place was really embarrassing."

"There's nothing we can do; this isn't a private room or anything."

"It still has to be at home, at home! Around the third year of living together, when the two of you are just hanging out in the living room with nothing to do, you say, 'It's about time we got married, right?' 'Yeah, sure!' Don't you think that kind of thing is really appealing?"

"Okay, it's not that I can't understand, it's just..."

"What's wrong? You're not speaking clearly enough."

"I feel like you've been talking for so long, and it's like you're just trying to find a surprise."

"A surprise? What's so hard to say? How dare you say Aisha wanted a flash mob proposal? That's utterly humiliating!"

"You're the one who's insulting people, okay? Apologize to the flash mob operators."

"...But, senior?"

"Huh? What are you grinning about?"

"What you just said sounded like you were hypothetically proposing to Aisha, didn't it? Aisha only said, 'That kind of proposal is so appealing~', she didn't ask you about your plans for proposing to Aisha in the future~?"

"Would you be satisfied if I made it sound like I was proposing to another woman?"

"Eisa will be angry!"

That's exactly what I think.

I've really gotten used to her tactics. Now, when she pesters me relentlessly, I can react instinctively.

It was precisely because it was an instinctive reaction that he didn't even think about other women for a moment.

"...But the night view is still pretty nice."

Gazing at Kobe Port under a clear blue sky, Asou spoke with deep feeling.

"I feel shy in places where other people are watching... but if it's just the two of you, it's better to go somewhere where you can enjoy a beautiful night view."

"...What do you think would be a better choice?"

"Well, what do you think?"

Ya Shuang smiled meaningfully.

Even though I could feel the foreshadowing being laid little by little, I still didn't notice anything.

Kawanami Kogure ◆ Purely a medical procedure

"Come a little closer—!"

Xiaoyue forcefully pulled me over, causing the phone to make a snapping sound.

"Great job! Excellent for photos! Nothing beats red bricks and tiles!"

We arrived at the red brick warehouses south of the seaside amusement park. This area has transformed red brick warehouses into stylish and sophisticated cafes.

Xiaoyue happily showed me the photos she took in front of the historic red brick house, saying:

"Look! It looks like the cover of Detective Conan!"

Okay, that's right. It would be perfect if he wore that Sherlock Holmes cosplay outfit from the Strange Manor Street.

"...You said this place is great for taking pictures, is there anyone you plan to show this photo to?"

In the photo, Xiaoyue and I are positioned at an angle that perfectly mimics the distance between lovers. If I were to show this photo to anyone else, the disastrous training session would be repeated.

"It won't matter, it'll just be my own memory."

"Memories?"

"You can watch it and think about how much fun you had back then—is that not okay?"

Xiaoyue tilted her head slightly. It was clear she knew this somewhat childish gesture suited her perfectly. Yes, incredibly affected. If she thought this acting would sway me, she was sorely mistaken.

"...There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that you're usually the type who doesn't take pictures while eating, I don't know when you changed your ways."

"The photos of the meal aren't important, but I want as many photos of Kawanami as I want."

"...Ugh."

You can feel the hives gradually covering your arm as a chill sets in.

They even said they wanted more, that they were tired of seeing each other's faces every day, so what was the point of taking one or two more photos now...

Seeing that I was speechless, Xiaoyue gave me a mischievous "hehe" smile.

"Be patient. You see, I'm not going to do anything to you."

She held her hands in front of her face and waved them gently, as if to emphasize that she hadn't made any unwanted advances.

She didn't do anything to me... Yes, she didn't even touch me. She didn't feed me, didn't bathe me, and didn't go to the bathroom with me... Yes, it's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of...

After I adjusted my breathing for a while, the hives gradually subsided.

"Great! Is this what they mean by a good recovery?"

Seeing that my condition had improved, Xiaoyue nodded in satisfaction.

"...You really intend to cure me this way..."

"Once you stop being afraid of me, other girls will be even easier to handle, right? Anyway, there's no more spoiled and arrogant girl in the world than me."

"There's nothing to be proud of."

"Hey hey hey."

Yes, she's right. Actually, after trying it out, I found that I could actually hold on.

Compared to when I completely avoided girls' affections, I seem less afraid of this trait now...

"This is purely a medical procedure!"

After the hives on my arm subsided, Xiaoyue hugged me and linked her arm with mine.

"I only did this reluctantly so that you could be cured! Don't misunderstand!"

"You're so bad at playing the arrogant type. I don't even feel nauseous."

"Hehehe. You can only say such sarcastic things now."

Xiaoyue lightly tiptoed and whispered in my ear as if blowing air:

"(I'm going to love you so much today that you won't be able to straighten your back, so be prepared.)"

A shiver ran down my spine.

I can no longer tell whether this stems from unease or some other, different emotion—

"Phew~♥"

"Oh wow!"

"Haha! Did that give you a little creeps? Did that give you a little creeps?"

I'm certain this stems from a different kind of emotion. Who actually blows air like that?!

Irito Mizuto ◆ Keep your shameful deeds private

I, Isana, and Yume entered the four-seater Ferris wheel car in turn.

After I sat down, Isana plopped down in the middle of the seat opposite me.

"Huh? This... Dongtou classmate?"

This means that Yui can no longer sit next to Isana.

Seeing Yui standing there bewildered, Isana smiled mischievously and said:

"Please sit over there, Yui-chan-san."

...What kind of "successfully pranked someone" expression is that...?

Yui watched as Isana and I hesitated, but the carriage door had already closed and started to rotate upwards.

"...Hey, it's dangerous to stand there."