Chapter 56 - Lovey-dovey Test of Courage ①

Like that, main event, namely test of courage, started.
The briefing for the couples this time is a scary story around the bonfire. Finishing the routine event after some time, couples enter one after another and…… exit with a scream.

– Kyaaaaaa!

… Somehow, it seems that non-normie ghosts burdened with sorrow are serious beyond imagination.
I have seen many times how couples who entered the forest would scream and run out while holding their sides before long. During extreme cases, boys had mud b.a.l.l.s against their faces. Apparently, a war to explode normies has started.

"… Go explode normies. Though relatively seriously, let"s get you guys surprised."

"Ahaha… Do your best, Ichijou-kun…"

These were the appearances of Nakamura and Komatsu when we were entering the forest.
Just as announced, ghost army of these guys in white clothing have achieved a lot of war results. Well, everyone getting a laugh is the goal, so it"s not serious even if we get either surprised or get chased out, but… speaking of me, my mind is not calm.

In just a bit, we"ll get seen. No, it is absolutely necessary to show them.
That different from the couples who are there just to enjoy it, the two of us have different circ.u.mstances.
I… like her. I have ended up saying it. If it was like usual, I would probably say "I was made to say that by the flow of the conversation" and look for a way to escape.

But only this, I don"t want it to be a lie.
I want to take responsibility for my own words. I"m not going against my feelings by any means.
That thought pushed my urge more than usual.

… I want to join hands with this excessively cute girl right now.
… I have to properly let her know that this feeling I receive is definitely not a one-way feeling. I have to ease her mind.

– Jun… Will you, protect me…?

– Isn"t it just for fun…

– Still… Will you protect me?

– Humph, it"s only obvious…

– What"s that… Aren"t you unusually cool…

Even at that period of time I was thinking of the words that I ought to say to Tachibana.

It is probably because… I continued to run away.
The reason that everyone doesn"t want to see me as Tachibana"s partner is probably that I have been constantly turning my eyes away from the surroundings.
That is why this time, even if it is accompanied with an unthinkable embarra.s.sment, it is a chance to let everyone know. How we become. What feelings I have. To what extent am I sincere, serious, and well, it is unbearably embarra.s.sing, but…

– Let"s go…? To the lovey-dovey test of courage…

So, us, two old offenders, naturally took the roles of the key performers.
We walked in on the muddy forest road. It was silent for a little while. No, it is still silent even while we are walking in the inner segment of the inner segment of the course.

– n.o.body… is there, huh

– … It"s not like that? It"s just that everybody has turned into a ghost and are looking at us. That"s why, if we flirt too much, we"ll get in trouble, you know? Ehehe…

Guys from the cla.s.s probably don"t know, but I"ve been walking her home every day, so our experience differs.
We"re used to being trapped in the dark of the night.
That"s why, even if it is dark and we can"t see other"s faces, if our words get interrupted, somehow we calm down feeling the usual distance.

Despite fidgeting when we first started walking, both of us slowly got closer and in a gentle voice considerate of each other,

– Hey? We ended up saying that we"re going out, right…?

– …Ye-, yeah. Moreover, I was the one to say it…

Her good mood is getting relayed just from her tone of voice.
However, it is different from her usual teasing mode.
Should I say that it was a bit more calm… a nice mood. No, speaking of it, it was always like that. Even that Tachibana Karen on the road at night, who got tired after having played with the bookworm, would get silent. Twilight and starts have the charm that can make any girl silent…

My role as the one who walks together with her, is most likely to not spoil this mood.
Luckily, we"re not on the way home right now. Separation is not approaching yet.

– Was it… unpleasant? Saying that I"m your girlfriend because of the flow…

– It wasn"t a lie, right? You were the girlfriend until we left the hut…

As we walked next to each other, our steps matched as if we have arranged them beforehand.
We got closer on the muddy road and as our hands unintentionally touched, we joined them just like that. And then we stopped.

– Hey…? Everyone in the cla.s.s already thinks that we are going out…

– It doesn"t feel like we can make a correction, right…

– That"s true…

– …… It"s about time, I start calling you Karen

I could hear nothing but the sounds of insects.
As our hands entangled, the girl covered the clasped hand with her other hand. I put my free hand on the shoulder of the important person.

– … Karen

– Jun, I want to cling right now… It"s fine, right…

– Yeah…

Karen placed herself on my chest.
I tried to calm her excitement by gently brushing her back, but I couldn"t hope for much effect. While my chest trembled because of her disordered breath, I moved my hand even more subtly like a brushing wind.

– Is it really not unpleasant? That everyone thinks that we"re going out…

– If it was unpleasant, I wouldn"t say you"re my girlfriend

– From now on, you"ll always be my boyfriend in the cla.s.sroom, you know…? Even though you were a one-day boyfriend…

– Let"s get made fun of ourselves a lot… It"s fine to let everyone enjoy themselves like that…

– Jun… Jun… I"m so very happy… I feel like crying…

A ray of light was falling on the tiny pair from the gap between tall trees. I gave myself to the mood as it was… No, nothing will change like that. Instead, I firmly gazed at the girl before my eyes.
As I did so for a long time, she finally seemed to calm down. She let out a long breath together with a lovely laughter.

– Ehehe… Somehow, haven"t we made a… turn-around?

– Haha, what? Turn-around?

– "Cause you know… Until now, we"ve been getting along hundred times better comparing to our time in library…

– Hmm… Well, that is, true…

Well then, isn"t it fine to continue doing just like until now. That girlfriend"s hundred times better.
Just as I was about to put that into words, I felt a stabbing gaze. A gaze of outrageous envy. A stupid zombie-like voice sneaked out of the darkness near us.

– Ugh… Ichijou… Even though he"s a bookworm…

– Explode… Explode…

– Separate immediately…

We"re being watched. Starting now, everything, we as we are, is going to be seen.
But what do I care. I don"t worry about other"s stares at any time. If you want to look, look as you like. You guys have probably seen an extremely obstinate bookworm. I will do what I want.

– Well then, isn"t it fine to continue doing just like until now. Getting along hundred times better with "girlfriend", compared to the library…

– Ah, Jun… What happened…?

– Fufu… Some things happened today and I was broken

I broke through, felt refreshed and smiled broadly.
I tightly grasped her hand. Unfortunately, we can"t afford to get caught by the camp of non-normies right now. I still have things that I have to do. But there are too few spectators for that.

– Let"s run away together

– Kya…

– Like I"ll let you escape, Ichijou is the only one I won"t let off!

– Your face will be covered in mud…!

As if rushing out, we ran off.