My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 365

"...I witnessed a confession scene."

confession?

"You mean... a confession like 'Please go out with me'?"

"I think it's because... when I saw that scene... I couldn't help but feel scared."

"Fear?"

"I can't believe that someone can become so superficial when they are obsessed with another person—I can't believe that my own heart can be eroded by the same feelings."

Superficial... I can't deny it. I think I did a lot of superficial things in the past in order to date Mizuto.

But why would I have such feelings when I see other people expressing their love for each other...?

"It sounds like... this confession didn't go smoothly?"

"Yeah...that person got rejected. And the one who was rejected seemed to get a little agitated—now that I think about it, given that classmate's personality, they probably calmed down quickly. But I...I really wanted to deny it all, I really wanted to prove to others that I'm not that kind of person...and on impulse, I rushed out from behind the bushes..."

The waves crashed against the sandy shore, gently washing our feet.

"They pushed those two people... into the pool."

This is not a confession, but a repentance.

As long as the other person isn't injured, I don't think this is a big deal. But for Asuhain-san, it's probably a big deal—it might be the first time in her life she's ever been violent towards someone.

After all, no matter how much Asahi-senpai hugged and bothered her, she never used brute force to shake her off.

"Asuha-in-san did that to help that person—the one who was forced to give an answer, right?"

This might just be a comforting remark, but looking at Asuhain's face, I spoke the truth.

"You said before that you were helped by President Hong when you were being harassed and hit on, so you admire her a lot. You just did the same thing this time."

"...Yes, perhaps that's true."

"What happened next?"

"One of them left the pool immediately... I went back to my room to get clothes for the other person, and after we changed, we went our separate ways. We didn't say a word to each other while we were changing... and no one else came into the changing room... The atmosphere was awkward from beginning to end... It made me feel like I had done something wrong and that there should have been a better way."

"So that's it..."

Me too. Even now, sometimes before falling asleep, I still think about what I said to others that day, and then feel like I didn't say it well enough. And it seems like not everyone experiences this, which I still find a bit unbelievable. In this respect, Asuhain and I seem to get along quite well.

"By the way...you just said 'based on that classmate's personality,' which means you know those two people?"

"……know."

"Can you tell me who they are...?"

"I'm very sorry, I can't say that."

Just like my classmate Asuhain, she said it with a firm attitude.

"I think this matter concerns the reputations of those two students... so I can't go around talking about it."

"I see... Well, it's better not to say anything."

"Really? I thought most people enjoyed hearing this kind of gossip."

"What most people think is unimportant. What I mean is, what matters is that you believe this is the right thing to do."

Although I feel like I've been bound by the curse of "common people's thinking" for a long time...

But now I've relaxed and feel that compared to the individual's personality, things like "general," "ordinary," or "common sense" are utterly unimportant.

"Don't worry about what others think. You can say anything you want to do without holding back, okay? For example, if I lose to you in an exam, I have to do something—as long as it's within my power, I'll accept it. Consider it an apology for excluding you in the past."

"You don't need to do so much..."

"I have to do it, otherwise I won't feel at ease... Asuka-in-san, I have something to tell you."

I looked directly at Asuhain-san and grabbed her little hands with both of mine.

"When I lost to you in the final exam, I didn't feel upset at all... because I felt happy, not upset."

"……happy……?"

"After all, I've always seen how hard Asuha-in-class works. I see you flipping through textbooks and taking notes every day... I have to admit you work much harder than me. Seeing how much effort you put in to beat me, I can't feel annoyed at all. My first thought was that I was happy your hard work had paid off."

"But actually, being busy with dating is also one of the reasons," I said with a wry smile.

"So, let me apologize to you. I'm sorry... I took the liberty of giving up being your formidable rival."

I can't regard Asuha-in as a formidable rival.

Because in my eyes, she was just a hardworking friend.

That's not the role Asuha-in-san expects me to be. But even if I deliberately try to play the role she wants, I still can't satisfy her heart.

Therefore, all I can do is apologize.

And sincerely—I asked her to be my friend.

"...Since you put it that way..."

I listened intently as she spoke softly with her head slightly lowered.

"...Can...you?"

"Excuse me, could you repeat that?"

"Just like what you did with Nan... and other girls too... it's like..."

As if carefully choosing her words, Asahiya-kun mumbled through her sentence, then her cheeks flushed a bright, striking blush as she said:

"May I... hug you?"

Oh, so that's what it is.

I smiled and opened my arms.

"Of course, please."

Tomorrow Ye Yuan looked to the right in a panic, then to the left, then back to the right again. After glancing meaninglessly at the sand at her feet, she took a deep breath to calm herself before looking at my face again.

Then she said:

"Hey!"

The shouts were incredibly cute.

The impact I received was surprisingly mild.

I pulled Asahi-no-Yuan's petite body into my arms and reached behind her to hug her.

It is soft, warm, and cute.

This is a girl named Ran Asuhain.

Asuha-in said in my ear:

"Um... Irito-san..."

"Um."

"Although... I can't do it at all."

"Um."

"I might say something that ruins the mood."

"Um."

"I don't know how to talk about... love."

"Um."

"But in the future—would you still be willing to...be my friend?"

"Um."

(Illustration 010)

I nodded without hesitation and answered her:

"This is what I wanted to say. Please feel free to give me your feedback."

Irito Mizuto◆ Congratulations, congratulations (for the girls)

On the afternoon of the third day, just like on the first day, the students returned to the southern part of the island and worked in groups.

Each group can freely decide where to go, but most groups choose Kokusai-dori, which is said to be the most bustling area in Naha City, as their destination, and our group is no exception.

It's described as a bustling area, but it's not as large as Tokyo. It's basically a shopping district with chain stores, specialty shops, and gift shops haphazardly arranged around a straight, two-lane road. If we were to compare it to Kyoto, it might be somewhat similar to the atmosphere of Teramachi-Kyogoku—but here there are no overhead arcades, the vast blue summer sky comes into view first, and the roads are wider.

If I had to name the most distinctive feature of Okinawa, I would say that the trees lining the streets are coconut trees—perhaps because I've never really paid attention to street scenes before.

Everyone decided to fill their stomachs first, so they went into the coffee shop that Kawanami and Minami had chosen beforehand after doing their research.

Opening the menu, a picture of a crepe-like dessert, piled high with whipped cream and topped with an equally high heap of fruit, immediately catches the eye. It's almost as if this dessert exists to fuel a heated battle between cravings and acid reflux.

"Ugh...the calories...the calories are off the charts..."

Looking at the photos on the menu, Isana muttered some mysterious ramblings.

While gently patting Izana's back, Nan-kun spoke to her in a con artist-like tone:

"It's okay... You can indulge yourself today. It's only one day, you won't develop a belly."

"Well... I mean... it's only been a day..."

"I've worked so hard to lose weight... I deserve a little reward..."

"That's what I mean... this is a reward for myself...!"

Before my eyes, I witnessed a scene of someone preparing to regain weight.

Let's just consider today a day of cheating and let her off the hook, but we'll have to carry out the exercise plan thoroughly when we get back. As long as I'm alive, she can forget about living an unhealthy life.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yui and Asuhain were huddled together studying the menu.

"I ordered this one with all sorts of toppings. What about you?"

"I want... uh..."

Asuhain clearly seemed to rarely visit this kind of shop, seriously considering what to order. Yui smiled pleasantly and gently, letting her think it over slowly. They looked more like siblings than Yui and I.

Now, Asuhain has completely opened his heart to Yui, staying by her side constantly. While not as clingy as Isana is to me, she continues to stay by my side without moving when Yui talks to me or Minami, her expression remaining blank the entire time. Only when Yui speaks to her does her expression soften slightly. And Yui seems quite pleased to see Asuhain's reaction.

After battling with mountains of whipped cream and fruit, we left the café and strolled along the sidewalk.

As they passed by shop after shop, Yui kept trying to talk to Asuhain. Asuhain, though a little clumsy, answered each question he found awkward.

Nan stood behind them, watching the two sisters' affectionate expression with a complicated look.

"My...my seat has been taken away...!"

"Don't be so childish."

Kawanami Kogure said in a tone that suggested she was helpless.

"Irito-san, who's usually so well-behaved, is actually trying so hard to get along with people? You should just stay put and offer gentle support from the sidelines."

"So I'm being a good girl now! Even though I'm lonely and envious, being the older sister's daughter feels so cute...!"

"So you only care about the result after all."

Isana and I stood further back, observing the childhood friends' interaction from behind. Suddenly, she whispered:

"Mizuto-kun... I've recently become into yuri (lesbian) fantasies."

"What kind of sudden and unconventional coming out is this?"

"But if I go and ship this, Mizuto will become a third wheel, what do you think I should do?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Don't make me sound like some kind of male protagonist caught in the middle of a lesbian couple. If anything, it's them who like to squeeze me in."

"Hmm... But as far as yuri pairings go, having both characters with huge breasts is a bit... something... it seems a little lacking... I feel like it would be better if there was some contrast between the two... If this were a harem setting, it would be fantastic, but it isn't..."

Seeing Isana burying her head in her hands, deep in thought about a problem that others couldn't understand, I decided to ignore her.

Personally, I think it's a good thing that Jie can make more serious friends. On one hand, it's because these are relationships that Jie herself took the initiative to cultivate, and on the other hand, Nan, who originally held the position of her best friend, was really a bit...unpleasant.

Unlike Minami, Asuhain wouldn't stalk others or try to marry someone he doesn't love so he could become family with Yui. Even if I revealed that Yui and I are dating, given Asuhain's personality, he'd probably be able to calmly accept the fact—

That's what I originally thought.