Chapter 57 – Lovey-dovey Test of Courage ②

– … Should we, run far away just like this?

As we held our breath after escaping, Karen brought her mouth near my ear and said so. Both of us leaned on a big tree, but our hands were still joined.

– You guys search there! We will be looking here!

– Right!

… Look, they"ll find us. We have to make our bodies smaller.
Hearing the voices of our pursuers reaching us from the distance, we silently huddled together. That both of us are covered in sweat is transmitted only through the heat within the darkness.

Before coming here, we followed a curving path and outflanked our pursuers.
Although, due to going according to the course until its middle, the ghosts that have been hiding until then have probably seen us, so most likely we will be found before long. Still, that will increase the amount of spectators without doubt.

And then… For the time being, sound of footsteps became distant.
As we slowly returned to the muddy road, a s.p.a.ce between the trees appeared. A faint moonlight was shining on a stump in the center seemingly suitable for sitting.

A place like this. Easily viewable, nice location…

After I suggested to take a sit together, we sat glued to each other. Even though there is enough s.p.a.ce to sit without sticking to each other.

– So beautiful…

– That"s true…

Karen looked upwards with glistening eyes.
I haven"t said anything unnecessary. Giving myself to the atmosphere, I crawled my hand to her lower back. The girl placed her head against my shoulder without saying anything.
Then, after savoring some silence, I jokingly said

– So, isn"t being a boyfriend more or less something like this…?

Nufufu, a laugh mixed with a sigh touched my ear.
As I strongly pressed my hand against the lower back, her face suddenly came close to mine. Our eyes met. Her mouth looks relaxed now, but there is still some sadness present on her face.

What is stirred up inside me right now because of the contact over the thin T-shirt is not nervousness. I"m no longer holding myself back.
Relief and feeling of sufficiency. And also kindness.

– Jun, you"re really a.s.sertive… Is that payback for earlier…?

– That"s right…

– If you do nothing but this… I"ll seriously fall in love with you, you know?

– Fufu… Well, that"s effective…

Chu… My cheek got hot from the kiss that replaced the reply.
I caressed her hair with an intention to retaliate, but instead, my chest started boiling, so it is a double-edged sword.

… Then.

– Oi, there, Ichijou and Tachibana——

A voice came from the thicket, but it was interrupted midway.
Looking at our situation at the moment, it doesn"t seem like they would rudely jump out. That"s good. Just look with envy in your eyes.
I won"t be running anymore. Still, a serious conversation probably doesn"t suit us.
That"s why not daring to poke at the core… I"ll tickle the surface.

– Say. Do you want to, play a game…?

– I want… What is it? What are we going to do…?

– From now on, we will be describing good things about each other and if we start to like the other one even just a little bit more… there will be a penalty

– Well… That"s good… Something like games with Jun, I only have good memories about them…

– Penalty is, doing something that will make the other one happy…

– I"ll play, I"ll play… I"ll make you really happy…

– What"s that. It"s only if you lose.

I felt the tension in the surroundings.
She probably noticed it too. She noticed that for a second the s.p.a.ce around has gulped. We"re being watched. While knowing, we pretended to not know.
But still, I won"t be stopping yet. Even though I know, I"ll further enter the world of only two.

– Then, I"ll start—

… Good thing about Tachibana Karen.
If I were to choose one, I wonder what would I say? Her excessively cute looks? The smile that she always gives to everyone? Her silk-like blonde hair that stands out anywhere? Wrong, that"s not it.
The reason I have accepted her right here and now is because I have understood the truth.

– Karen is, kind. You always tease me, but… you"re kind. You"re so kind, it makes me feel unpleasant and sad.

Being together for so long, I realized.
What I have lost on that day when she disappeared from my sight.

– That"s why I always think how I should be as less displeased as possible. Your kindness even made me kind… Having such warm feeling, it is a first for me. There is no replacement for it anywhere.

She pulled my white T-shirt as if nagging.
Probably because she has been running, Karen"s blond hair was disorderly swinging. Her lips twitched as if she is holding back some words, her eyes so wet, that my feelings are overflowing.

"Don"t worry" … I quickly conveyed that by caressing her cheek with my finger.
"Beautiful", she sure is. But if she was only pretty, I would be only nervous. Honestly, me being anxious because of her looks being too good, is not necessarily a lie. There are times when I complain how it would be better if she had a bit more normal face.

Still. But still.

– If it is about kind people, I"m sure there are other such people. But I think that only Karen can truly reach my heart. Affinity? I wonder how I should call it… I have a feeling that thanks to you, I have become a little more honest.

Being next to Karen is probably good for me.
Better than anyone else… There"s no one else like her.

Did my feelings reach her through those words?
A single tear fell down the girl"s cheek. "Oi, I didn"t want to see that kind of face" … I conveyed that by laughing, but it seems to be useless.

– Haa… I, lost… I"ll give you a lovey-dovey hug…

– Haha… Hey… Fine, I get it, haa…

The warmth that comes from the sense of being glued to each other turned into the happiness inside.
This is ridiculous, there"s something wrong with it. The same old I, am now used to this. Now I"m even smiling while we embrace each other.

Suddenly, a chilly wind took our sweat and all that was left was the warmth gathered by the two in one place.
As we separated, we stared at each other with reluctant eyes.
Inside, someone let a small "Kya…". But I can"t stop anymore. Do you know, right now, I"m already carried away.

– Jun… Were you, happy with my hug?

– There"s probably no one who wouldn"t be…

– Stop… Saying it as if I would do it with someone other than Jun… I don"t want to speak about others.

– Fufu, sorry, sorry. But, this should have been the end of penalty

– Nope, one more time… Jun, you"re not that happy yet

A pa.s.sionate breath at a very close distance paralyzed my ear.
Unintentionally, I also let my breath near her ear. Acting in unison, we confirmed each other"s existence just from our breaths.
When we separated, both of us were full of smiles for each other. Apparently, Karen was satisfied with that and let me go, but the game has not ended yet.

– Mn, now it"s my turn

– Please don"t say anything very embarra.s.sing, okay…

– Noope. Hasn"t Jun come up with this game?

Nfufu, she replied with a teasing smile.
Close. Awfully close. Still, I won"t be keeping distance right now. While directly facing her, I looked firmly into her eyes.

– Ehehe, Good things about Jun? All of them, isn"t it so…?

– If it was a legit answer, I would"ve said so too…

– Look, um… haven"t you noticed? I"m steadily becoming more dere-dere… I mean, I can"t find things about you that would make me turn sullen at all. The more we meet, the harder my heart beats when we see each other…

– Guh…

– There is no other person like that…

Her fleeting teasing smile crumbled.

– You"ve said that you have become kinder after meeting me. Certainly, Jun was a good person from the beginning, you know…? I feel like we can get along even better. Still, it"s still not enough… Jun…

– Karen…

– Being so kind to each other with another person, it"s the first time in my life… Surely, today, we"re getting along better than yesterday… And most likely tomorrow as well…

Thump, my heart beat.
These soft lips are right here. I always wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.

"My first kiss… I forced it on Jun…"

It isn"t unpleasant. Well, I was surprised, but it was in no way unpleasant.
As if I hated even one millimeter at that moment… That kind of thing, it"s absolutely impossible.

I have decided.
That I like Karen, I have decided that myself.
I have already decided.
There was only one thing to do.

– It"s my defeat… This is a draw due to an injury…

Capturing that lips in my field of vision… I steal them in an instant.
Karen"s surprised voice sounded a little, but she immediately relaxed and we leaned on each other. My brain became numb and was about to melt, but I endured.
Rules are rules. If you lose, you have to make the other party happy.

After rubbing in the night, we separated once and there was a dark shadow on her pleading face.
Of course it won"t end with this. For the second kiss I strongly hugged her body. Pa.s.sionate, sweet, painful eternity came to swallow us. I want us to be secluded for a long time. Here, just the two of us, just the two of us until the world comes to an end…

– First kiss was yours, and second, and third too. Starting the fourth and up to the last one, I want all of them to be with you…

– Me too…

– Jun, today we got along plenty, right…?

– Right…

– I want to play this game again… I want to kiss as a penalty…

By the time the fifth one finished, any presence in the surroundings disappeared.
After that, without a care about time, in a place detached from the world, I was immersed in the aftertaste without any words.