His Childhood Friend is a Beautiful, Reclusive Girl, So He Spends His After-School Hours in Her Room (But He’s Not Her Boyfriend!) - Ch. 96: Before The Call (Yuika POV)

Night has fallen.
Souta went home and now I was in great agony.
Who was to blame, of course?

“It was all Souta’s fault!”

Popping the pillow on the bed and I began hitting the pillow over and over again.”
An one-two and hook and straight.

It would have been best if I could have hit Souta, but I couldn’t, so I hit the pillow instead. Because if I touched Souta feeling the way I felt yesterday and today, my heart would explode into thousands of pieces!

Yes, everything is Souta’s fault.
Because mom had him in her palm and he screamed that!

“Yes, totally! Guh, ugh, nnn…”

“UGH,” my head overheated again and I plopped face down on the pillow.
It’s not fair, Souta is really not fair.
That man should be stabbed someday. I should have used my sword to stab him in the abdominal muscles.

“Ah, speaking of abdominal muscles. Souta’s abs were so muscular and cool… no, no.”

I bobbed my head, my face still in his pillow.
I should not be talking about his good parts, but about Souta’s bad parts. And what I’m going to do about it.

Yesterday, Souta said something outrageous in the living room.
He said it so loudly that I could hear it all the way in my room.

The contents were, umm…who was his first love, what was his marriage proposal plan, what was he going to do in a house with a view of the sea for the rest of his life, and so on.

“A house with a view of the sea, right? I remember I said that when I was a kid. He even remembers that kind of thing…Ah goodness~!”

I furiously flapped my legs on the bed.
Just remembering it made me squeamish. It was too much, I think I’m going to die of squeamishness.

“But, even so, everyone.”

I looked up and spoked to the figures arranged on the sideboard of my bed.

“That man doesn’t have any awareness. He’s throwing out such passionate words, making our hearts heat up and heat up, and he doesn’t even know that his words are getting through!”

Cute beautiful girl figures scream at the top of their lungs.
Only in my brain, though.

“Let it be done! Let it be done! Let it be done! Let’s have a festival to punish the dense man!

Mm-mm-mm…absolutely.
The dense man who always raises my flag every day but never collects it should be tied up and his collarbone should be flattened. …Well.

“That’s not how it works, and that’s the hard part…”

I sighed and lay down limply.

For example, if I told Souta that I heard everything, he would turn red and get flustered.
But I was sure he would assure me that he meant what he said.

After that, there would be a dazzling lovey-dovey atmosphere.
It was going to be super fun.

“…However.”

There was no happy ending.
Because Souta would step in.
No matter how lovey-dovey the mood is, in the end, Souta would say, “But I’m not your lover.”

…We are not lovers because I think that’s what it should be. Souta can’t do anything about it, and the decision lies within me.

“Why is my childhood friend so heroic at times like these?”

While talking to the figure, I poke the turret on his head.

For example, if I were to say from the bottom of my heart that my happiness is to never leave my room, Souta would say without a second thought, “Oh, I’ll feed you for the rest of your life.”

But deep down in my heart, I have always thought, “I can’t go on like this.”
Because he know that, Souta doesn’t want to make me his girlfriend at the end of the day.

“I’m sure he really wants to go out with me right now and do all kinds of dirty things to me.”

I flicked the turrent.
I nuzzled my face into the pillow and sighed again.

…In other words, I have to accept it.

I have heard what Souta said, and I can’t get it out of my head.
Souta’s earnest words gave me another boost, telling me that I can’t go on like this.

So, it’s time for the cooling down period.
I had no time for lovey-dovey actions, so I was in a completely defensive posture, covering myself with a futon all the time Souta was around today.

I would shake my head to tighten up, then I would shake my head again, and repeat the process.

Souta would ask, “What’s your favorite anime this season?”, or “Well, Iori is on a school trip starting today,” and every time he spoke to me, I said, “Shallap you!” I silenced him with the fluent English I learned from anime.

Well, Iori’s school trip was important information.
I would get worried if I didn’t hear any noise from the next room.

“Iori is in Kyoto by now…”

I laid back on the bed and laughed.

I hope you didn’t get lost in Kyoto. The city is a grid of streets, so it’s hard to escape, and before you know it, people from shrines and temples will show up and surround you.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about Iori. Unlike my time when Souta was building a harem, I am sure he is in love with Aoi. Maybe he’ll make a promise for the future with the momentum of the school trip, and then Aoi will be my…”

I got out of bed with a jump

“Yes! If Iori and Aoi get it on, she’ll become my sister-in-law! …Wait!? Could it be that the secret thing that Souta has been doing lately is… Y-Yeah, no way! How could you keep all the fun to yourself! Nuwah, I won’t allow it!”

I rubbed my hair with rage!
The pillow was peeled off and thrown out. The pillow flew through the air and fell with a spin.

You, shall, die!
Tomorrow I will make Souta as beat up as this pillow

…I’m a little out of breath.

Suddenly.

The door to the next room opened with a “gee” sound.

“…Eh?”

I blinked my eyes, I was still on the bed.
Strange.

Iori was on a school trip and my mom and dad’s bedroom is on the first floor.
And it was already quite late at night. I don’t think my mother came to clean up.

Naturally, I hushed my breath.
Then I heard a voice. It sounded like someone was talking to someone on the phone.

“…Sorry. For calling you out of the blue. I really wanted to apologize to Aoi. This is… very end.”

It was Iori.
I was stunned.

My brother, who was supposed to be in Kyoto, had somehow returned to his room.
He also… sounded quite depressed.