Chapter 58 - Self-Introduction

We walked with linked arms in the completely silent forest. I don"t know how much time we have spent in the dark, but it got late at night at this time. We can"t be like this forever.
Naturally, just like on the usual way home, we walk slowly.
If only this time could continue forever. I understand. I and Karen too, have probably always thought like that…

Slowing our pace even more, we tightly intertwined our arms.
As our sideway glances met, she lightly smiled and happily laughed "Nufufu"

– Ghosts, they disappeared, right…?

– Ye-, yeah…

She whispered in a lovely quiet voice and I smiled back as well.
While I still felt a bit awkward, I turned away before my smile, which I couldn"t maintain for even two seconds, was erased from my face. Even if the distance got so short… I"m still not done.

– Is that because we have been seen doing this and that…

– Hmm? This and that…?

– The two of us, together, umm…

– We"ve kissed… Four times even…

– H, have we done so much?

– We totally became normies. So happy…

Today only, four times with Karen…
I noticed that I got drunk from the atmosphere and not being able to immediately digest it, stopped. With Karen, a kiss, four times, in front of the cla.s.s to boot. Although it was by no means something casual and it"s not like I didn"t understand what I was doing, but…

– They call it a test of courage. But it was us who made everyone scared♪ Did we put them off…?

– Uhh, I have just realized some things just a moment ago and even felt terrified…

– What-what? Now you"re getting embarra.s.sed?

One more time…?
We stood at place and met eyes within the silence. The interval between the words increased and the longer I stood silent, the more boldness appeared on Karen"s moderate smile.

– Come on… How many times will it take for you to get used to?

– …… Whatever

– Hey, Jun? One more time, want to kiss…?

Truly typical of herself, blonde girl lifted her eyebrow full of confidence.
Well, much less first time, since we already came to fifth time, I can"t say there will be no sixth time. Right now I"m even feeling comfortable while we"re pressing our bodies like this. Even though in the beginning, I felt that nervous just from joining hands.

– …… I want to

– Dummy, I"m glad… Mn… chu

While glued, I slowly savored the silence.
However, it was a painful moment. As our lips separated, we exchanged smiles and continued walking.

… There was another reason I thought how it would be good if time like this could continue forever.
As if reflecting that, as we got close to the entrance of the forest, our pace quickly became slow. My, quicker than Karen"s.
Thinking of what can occur next, I couldn"t be as simple-minded as her.

– We have to properly speak with everyone already

– … Eh?

– Not enough has been spoken yet. And we have been seen…

In several minutes we won"t be able to stay as just the two of us.
Until now, it has always been just us two. In the library, as well as in this forest. There was no need to mind our surroundings.

But we have already been seen.
Ichijou and Tachibana. Inside the dark forest we even kissed… It turned into showing our relationship by action. I probably can"t leave it unsettled as it is.

– I"ll be making an introduction to everyone? Saying that Jun is my boyfriend ♪

– … No, that"s my duty

– Jun…?

She turned to me with a worried face.
We approached the original forest entrance. If we return there, I will once again become her boyfriend. A boyfriend who is a background character guy obviously unsuitable for the most cheerful girl of the cla.s.s…

In fact, facial expressions of the cla.s.smates who were waiting for us were various.

As we walked, they raised cheerful voices.
However, there were not only looks of curiosity and blessing directed at us. There are those with bitter smiles, those who are silent and have bewildered faces, different overall.

– They have finally kissed, right…? I, I still doubted my own eyes till now…

– Ichijou doing that kind of thing…

– ……

They opened a road for the two of us while in a daze and I walked side by side with grinning Karen.
And then, at the end of this path to figurative stage, Hyoudou Yayoi standing with a hand on her waist.

– Fufu… I didn"t think you would go that far

– … Me too

– Ehehe, how was it? Weren"t we lovey-dovey…?

– Nahaha, when is the ceremony? But seriously… how long have you been dating?

I looked away because of that question.
This is repeating myself, but to be accurate, we"re not dating. I still have not said the essential phrase. But still, as we are certainly boyfriend and girlfriend for the cla.s.s, I wonder what would be the right reply.

However, it seems that n.o.body will be satisfied with silence anyway.
Displeased Hyoudou squinted and continued.

– Everyone is starting to get interested. What kind of person it is that stole everybody"s Karen? Though, it"s fine if you want to conceal that… Ichijou?

– I"m already not hiding anything, right? I understand it myself. That I have to clear up some things

It is a weird feeling. Several months earlier, I couldn"t care less about something like cla.s.s.

– Well, how should I say it…

Anyhow, as I turned around, everyone was dead silent.
Karen worriedly approached, but in the end I stopped her with my hand. There would be no meaning if she made the explanation. Just who is partner of number one gyaru-c.u.m-idol of the cla.s.s? What kind of guy did she settle on after rejecting boys of the school?

Everyone is waiting for my speech with bated breath.
That atmosphere informed me about the intensity of the attention.

– I, Ichijou, uh…… am Tachibana Karen"s boyfriend

Whole group of about 20 people got noisy.

– There might be plenty of guys who think, why the likes of Ichijou. By the way, the subtle talking behind my back just earlier, I"ve heard all of it. Every single time I pretended that I haven"t. I mean, I don"t really have any complaints. It"s natural to think why is it a guy who is basically only studying in the corner. I too, couldn"t care less about everyone. Well, I guess we are same in this regard…

Still, that as well, is now over.
In any case, I can no longer live in solitude. I am taking responsibility of protecting the person important to me. Perhaps, I"ll not be able to become suitable for Tachibana Karen right away. That is something that cannot be helped. Starting now, there"s nothing but becoming suitable for her.

However, for this reason, there is only one thing that I can say at the moment.

– That"s why today, I will throw my words right at you for the first time. Tachibana"s boyfriend is an incorrigible bookworm, otaku who only plays games when at home. To add up, an ex-loner and a guy who was youth"s loser and member of the go-home-club. Unfortunately, that is reality

This was, in a sense, my first self-introduction.
My closed up self is getting released. I felt like I faced the cla.s.s for the first time. Also, the manner of that facing was unmistakably a declaration of war.

– Those who have objections… say it to my face. I"ll take you on. However, don"t do stupid things like talking behind my back ever again.

Thinking about it, it is exactly how Komatsu-kun has said it.

"Even if you were alone, Tachibansan got along with you… right?"

For this reason, it"s late to try keeping up appearances.
There is no choice but to believe in my own self which she liked and got closer with.

Thus, I will not be saying to them that I want their approval.
But even if you do not approve of me, I"m ready to take you on at any time. Furthermore, I"ll make you approve of me someday. I abruptly gripped the hand of the blonde girl who stood next to me and put my intention into words.

– But be careful, don"t confuse me with the mob that confessed to Tachibana only on the surface until now. In regards to the feelings for her, I…. don"t feel like I"ll lose to anyone.

Silence.
However… clap, clap. As I thought "Were they put off again?", a clap sounded and then a second, gradually they became concentrated.

– Yo, bookworm! Lady-killer!

– What loser, speaking sharply however you want… Fufu

– Don"t show off. Explode right away! lol

With her hands still joined with mine, Karen was pleasantly smiling next to me.
The shirt was sticking to skin in the night air. It may be called a test of courage, but my liver is getting crushed in more ways than one. 1

… Still, this is only the beginning.
I"ve come this far in order to clear the misunderstanding, but I still haven"t said the important words. Also, this boyfriend-girlfriend arrangement can be invalidated anytime without the gazes of the cla.s.s. The essential part is still suspended.

As summer holidays came to end, I felt relieved.
That a long journey has started at last.