Chapter 35 - XX for a day ②

Still, Tachibana Karen"s boyfriend for a day?
This was an enormous challenge. First command I received was to walk with linked arms like a couple, but I got a game over with my ego broken after the first 10 meters.

Skin on our arms rubs all over against each other just from walking like this. I"m about to go crazy from the heat filling my entire body.
And when my hand trembles from nervousness… there it is.
She absolutely notices such things. On top of noticing she also makes a move.

– We are nervous together… We need to have a rest

– … It"s too early no matter how you put it. We have only just started walking away from the station.

– Look, that bench… I want to flirt there…

– Flirt…

– Too late♪ Hey, let"s… do something that will make us even more nervous? Like a boyfriend and a girlfriend… okay?

Tachibana"s soft right hand moved restlessly in my left hand.
As if her mood has completely recovered, she looked right into my eyes with a provocative smile. I met her gaze as she would get angry if I turned away anyway, although today she is even closer than usual. Let alone smell, we"re at a distance where we can hear each other"s" breath.

When we sat next to each other on the bench, I felt as if my heart was about to come out of my chest. This girl directly brought her body close to mine, hugged my left arm with both of her arms and started snuggling…

Her delicate hair touched my shoulder.
At the end of our glued arms, our hands were still joined.

– Bookworm ingredient, it"s still not enough… Why couldn"t we meet for three days, ooh…

… Aren"t, aren"t we going too far?
Ev-, even for a girlfriend, normally there should be a line here! We are common high school students, you know…

These words were on the tip of my tongue, but then I met eyes with my girlfriend for a day sitting extremely close.

– Girlfriend for a day… Girlfriend…♪

Grin, grin. Seriously, always like the Sun.
This girl, why is she so happy…

Although she does keep updating her best record of happy mood every day, just for today her level of being naughty is different.
The look she gives and the voice she uses feel dreamy like molten chocolate.
What kind of face should I make? Today is not the only day I ask myself this question. Still, right now my face is stiff from nervousness and embarra.s.sment.

Yet at the same time, I can"t tell her to stop.
Her happy appearance truly warms up my chest. That is why a guilty conscience rises within me just from the thought of pouring cold water over her.

– So, what should the boyfriend do…

– It"s fun when you act shy and mumble… And on the other hand, I will cling to you and act lovestruck… You should have fun as well, you know?

– T, Tachibana… As expected, I"m getting… awfully nervous or something…

– … Do you know why you are feeling nervous?

– Haa?

Tachibana completely put her weight on me and,

– Falling in love, you"re just enduring not to do it, you know? Isn"t it okay just fall in love with me already♪ Aren"t we boyfriend and girlfriend? Let"s just both turn into fools?

– T, Tachibana… You…

Love. Falling, in love? I… with her? No, certainly not…
Both… into fools. If I give up protecting myself with nervousness… Next moment, what will happen?
……. And at her next words, bubble of nervousness burst inside my chest.

– Groan! Today "Tachibana" and "You" are not allowed. Next time you call me that I"ll earnestly hug you…

Rotten bookworm on the bench with his left arm tightly held.
Immediately after the start of the penalty game, a lethal dose of nervousness. .h.i.t the brain.
First thing that arrived was the dizziness inside the head. Pa.s.sing through the feeling of light-headedness… I strangely calmed down. And together with a flash of a great idea, bookworm limiter was swallowed by the abyss.

… Just how many days do you think I have been together with her?
It is obvious what will make Tachibana pleased.
That"s why I have to say it. Even though it is embarra.s.sing, I have to…
Yeah, this girl, she will probably be pleased after all…

– Um… It"s good that I met you… Tachibana

– Ah! Right now, "You" and "Tachibana", you said them both!?

– …I didn"t……

Both with red faces, we looked at each other.
I made a displeased face just as always, but it"s no use already. Feeling funny, we both burst into laughter at the same time. Tachibana started cackling and weakly poking me around my chest.

– Haha, I didn"t say… So just now, it didn"t count… Hahaha

– Fufu… Idiot… Do you want to hug with me so much?

– Hey, I didn"t say. Aa, stop. Don"t come near…

– Jun, you dummy…

Tachibana put her arms around my back… and tightly squeezed them.
Her abundant blonde hair rubbed against my chest. I felt as if my heart would get out of my chest, but as the warmth was transmitted, I soon felt my nervousness dissolving at the same time.
With my whole body wrapped in a sweet and tender feeling, a whisper sounded close to my ear.

– Mm… Hug, feels so good. I feel so relieved like this…

– Oi, it"s about time you let go. We"re absolutely getting watched.

– Today"s Jun is kind and easy-going. … Jun, you"re happy to be lovey-dovey with me, isn"t that right?

– Not really… Well, I did think that I wanted to meet a little…

– Hey… Jun, hug me back? I don"t want to be the only one hugging…

– … Well, I was the one who started this… Like, like this?

– Ah, so kind…

When I lightly rubbed the back of the young lady, Tachibana squeezed even tighter.
It seems our presence corrupted with fluffiness was perceived with pain as there were obviously stabbing glances thrown at us from all directions.

– Your girlfriend for a day, it"s so much fun…

Like I care.
They should understand. Right now, I"m caught up in the moment. My senses are completely numb.

With dam of nervousness burst, I feel as if soon blood will gush out of all the holes in my body. This time, the warmth provides not only shyness, but also a peace of mind.

However, as a matter of fact, this mission of pleasing Tachibansan is still not over,
I can"t believe myself, but I have prepared this final attack. Most likely I will regret it tomorrow, but this soft feeling inside my chest is commanding me to say it as it is.

– ……Karen

– Ah…

Blonde girl made a painful look.
I"ve felt regret the very moment I have said it, and yet it seems that she hasn"t failed to hear it.

– One more time…

– …… I don"t want to

– No, please. Come on, please…

Too much of her warmth is being received through her clinging body. Please. Should I say literally, far from getting weaker, that effect is getting stronger.
This, if this was seen by someone who knows us, this would be the end…

– K, Karen…

– Jun. Jun♪ Jun? Ehehe… another one

– ……… Karen

– Pa.s.s… Haven"t you become boyfriend-like… There, there

Pat, pat. My head was tousled by a soft hand.

– d.a.m.n, why did I have to say it…

Since I have entered second year, the only thing I"ve done is making Tachibana happy.
First, I didn"t know anything and this girl was only having fun as she pleased.
Before long, I started feeling relieved seeing her like that.

Now, I more or less understand what I can do to make her happy.
Stepping on this flirting mine myself, I am the strange one.

– Haa… It may be hopeless already. Our date has just started and I can"t stop flirting. I want to be like this forever…

– Unh, it seems I got a little carried away. Sorry.

– Seriously this… I was the one who said I will make you fall madly in love with me! If I"m mad in love, then there"s no difference from the usual…

– U-, usual…?

– No, dummy, it"s nothing…!

Just like that, making each other blush, we sat on the bench for about an hour.

Time flew by. After getting up with much difficulty, we wandered the street in front of the station with no particular aim.

It was a day that gave a feeling of the summer vacation beginning.
Summer day with a clear blue sky.
Naturally, the road in front of the station was crowded with various families and single working adults.

And then, there were many pa.s.sing couples clinging to each other just like us. Every single one of them seemed to get along with each other. Seeing that, Tachibana strongly hugged my left arm with an angry face. What on earth is this compet.i.tion, you?

Until now, I haven"t though anything of the couples that I saw. From the beginning I firmly believed that they were irrelevant to me.

But now. Now, there is a girl walking next to me.
A girl with bright long hair, satisfied smile and lovely laugh.
Loved by everyone, she would usually be surrounded by lots of friends.
Normally, she is the type I wouldn"t even speak to despite being in the same cla.s.s and despite having neighboring seats. A girl like that is being together with me in great mood like this.

At any rate, girlfriend for a day. It sounds weird.
We have a relationship like that while today continues, but tomorrow it will return to normal. In that case, how should I deal with it starting next day. I"m troubled as I can almost smell the awkwardness.

– Hey. Where should we go after we have a meal…?

My girlfriend for a day whispered to me.
Honestly, I had no ideas. Actually, I should have thought of something as well, but probably because I always have no plan and just get swayed by her after school, I got used to it.

– How about… movie?

– No… Movie is not good. Your face, I won"t be able to see it…

– It"s Sunday, it"s packed everywhere. To have a nice time without a hurry for he two of us, there"s only bench…

As if realizing something, Tachibana"s smile gradually widened.
With a really suspicious mischievous look, she suddenly pulled my left arm.

– Nishishi, I came up with a good idea. There might be one thing I want to do with you.

And then, she made a surprise attack.
Still hugging my left arm, Tachibana stretched her neck.
On the cheek… I felt the soft touch of lips.

– Chu… Iiidiot. For the teasing just now, I will be shifting from defense to offence… alright?

When I noticed, her red-colored face was several centimeters apart from mine. Only the sweet tender feeling was left on my skin.

– Hey?  Just now, did you hate it…?

– … Even as a girlfriend… That"s going too far!

– But, did you hate it?

– … I …… didn"t hate it… probably

– Yay, then one more time…… mm, chu… Ehehe, let"s go?

Within one month "loner" part of the bookworm loner was stolen by this girl. I couldn"t measure the distance between me and Tachibana Karen.
We may be getting along too much, I actually understand that myself.
That she may be just playing with me, I"m actually afraid of it at times.

In any case, my penalty service as a boyfriend for a day has only just started.