Editing Absolute Duo:Volume 3 Prologue

==Prologue==


“I, wonder what type of person I will fall in love with………..”



The girl-----Hotaka Miyabi was bad with the opposite sex.

It’s not like she had an inerasable trauma from her childhood…………it’s just that she was bad with strangers and shy. Another reason for it was that she went to a girls only middle school the same as her sister.

Because of that, the existence of males of the same age as the middle-school Miyabi only appeared in stories like drama or manga.

But even if she was bad with them, it’s not like she had no interest in love.

She had always imagined that she would fall for someone one day------like that.

Even though she was not conscious about this, her head turned completely blank when she saw the target of her affections getting kissed----even though it was just on the cheek. To Miyabi, who has only slowly gotten used to having conversations with the opposite sex, a kiss was a very high level action.

The moment she regained her composure, the criticism that came from her mouth was-------a cute shout calling him pervert. Of course, it’s not like there were any bad intentions in it and those were the only words that Miyabi could have thought of in her half-panicked state.

However, she encountered a different kind of emotion in her chest when she recalled the event calmly after some time had passed and it had become night time. As if being covered in a haze, those emotions made it feel hard for her to breathe and at the same time made her thoughts heavier.

Thanks to that, Miyabi felt troubled.

(What is this feeling………)

“Miyabi, I'm turning off the lights.”

“Ah, un………….”

Since she was daydreaming on the bed about the feelings in her chest, it had passed the time for lights out before she knew it, and Tachibana, her roommate and at the same time her <<Duo>>, called out to her.

After Miyabi nodded, Tomoe turned off the lights and the room was covered in darkness.

She closed her eyes. But, the event that happened in the afternoon did not vanish. The image of the boy, who had given her the feelings to make her work harder in Kouryou academy and who was her first male friend, getting kissed.

The haze in her chest would not clear up.

It was there, whether she slept or stayed awake.






The girl-----Tachibana was dense.

Of course, the denseness here was related to the opposite sex-----which meant it was related to love emotions.

She could take care of everything other than love in detail, and was good at taking care of others.

Although she was a little hard-headed, she was diligent, social, and was seen favorably by others.

But she was dense.

It was something created from her environment.

Being born into the martial arts family of the Tachibana style, Tomoe had devoted most of her childhood days training to succeed in the family’s name. Fortunately she was blessed with the talent for martial arts, and the tough training certainly bore fruit even though it was little by little.

However, that became Tomoe’s misfortune. The training of the Tachibana style was to give girls strength.... strength that would make males the same age as them run away barefooted.

Strength was simply something standard to males-----especially teenagers.

The fact of having a girl stronger than them made the teenage males around Tomoe have stubborn hearts. It was so severe that not even one boy could tell their feelings to her even though they had favorable intentions towards her. 

If any one of them had been honest, then Tomoe might have been able to discover love.

………………Judging from the point of others telling their feelings, there were several times she got letters and chocolates from other girls, but that only made her confused.

Anyways-------as a result of being born into the environment she was raised in, and with that talent, Tomoe grew up without knowing about love. Different from Miyabi, one of the reasons was that she had no chance to touch any works that made her yearn for love.

The trigger for a change of feelings was being treated as a girl by a teenage boy she met in Kouryou academy.

Even though it was not like she fell in love, it was just strong enough to show concern over the boy unconsciously.

It was still a small feeling. Her chest rustled the moment she saw him getting kissed, and she crushed the chance to notice this feeling by shouting about how shameless it was------which was done from beyond her senses. 

Even so her story did not stop and still continues on.

Gradually but certainly, she was starting to be attracted to the boy without noticing it.




After a few days passed, the boy------Kokonoe Tooru got discharged from the hospital and was returned back to the girls.





When Miyabi thought about Tooru, her chest ached. It felt itchy and did not calm down.

Strangely enough, those feelings vanished when Tooru actually stood in front of her and she got wrapped in an uplifting fluffy and comfortable feeling instead.

It '''''was''''' the same thing when Tooru called out to her when she headed to the cafeteria alone during the evening.

---Yes, in past tense.

“Eh……Ah, you are going with Tomoe-chan tomorrow morning………..?”

What Tooru had said was, that he would most likely not join her in morning runs for a while because he was going to learn martial arts from Tomoe starting tomorrow morning.

“Sorry. We promised to have her teach me once the <<Survive>> ended.”

Even though he did not make any promise with Miyabi, Tooru felt a little apologetic to her since he ran with her almost every day.

This sudden talk gave Miyabi a shock as she was unconsciously looking forward to running together again starting from tomorrow morning.

---But she swung her head to the side in panic when she saw Tooru’s apologetic expression.

“Th-there is no reason for Tooru-kun to apologize. See, it’s not like we promised to run together………a-and, you would show your face since it’s been a while right? Then, I will run as much as I can and become fast so I can surprise Tooru-kun, fufu.”

Miyabi tried her best to smile and Tooru felt saved when he saw that expression.

“I get it. Alright, I look forward to that day……….. the day Miyabi's lap times are faster than mine.” 

“-----E-eeeeeeeeeeeeh!? To-Tooru-kun, don’t make such an unreasonable demand<nowiki>～～～～</nowiki>”

The atmosphere flowing between them returned back to the usual lively one.

A while after that Miyabi would send looks towards Tooru, who was having fun talking to his friends, several times during dinner and would make small sighs unconsciously each time.

(I see………..With Tomoe-chan, huh………..)

In the end, Miyabi didn't have any appetite for today’s dinner and didn't finish her meal.




The night cleared out and it became morning-----

Right in the promenade between the dormitory and the hall opposite, Tooru and Tomoe were facing each other.

“Well then, we will now begin the introduction of the techniques from the Tachibana style.”

“I am counting on you master Tachibana.”

“St-stop it. It’s true that I am going to be the one guiding, but I am still a novice so I can’t help but feel itchy if I am being called that.”

Tomoe scratched her cheek while looking embarrassed and troubled because of my joke made toward the Tachibana style.

“I’ll say this before we start; the contents I am going to teach you are the basics, so plain and simple training will continue. I am sorry, but please prepare yourself for that. If you want a good sword then forge it from the ore, that is the guiding thought in the Tachibana-----”

“Haha, I got told something close to that by my master before. Well, mine was a tree instead of a sword though.”

When Tooru talked about the proverb he told to Miyabi before, Tomoe made an agreeing nod.

And at the same time, she had a favorable impression to Tooru who understood the importance of the basics which are easily overlooked and forgotten even though it was a normal thing to do.

“Well then, let’s begin. First off please imitate my stances……………yes, like that. Then move your leg-----”

The guidance for the body movements started. Even though he was confused at first, Tooru immediately made an understanding nod.

“------Uuun, I am able to understand the shape but, I have to make my body get familiarized to it in order to use it.” 

After he said that, Tomoe made a small smile while looking at Tooru who was repeating the moves he learned seriously while somewhat having fun.
 
(Fufu, Looks like he will progress fast at this pace.)

No matter what skills it may be, it took time for the body to really get it. However that time changes greatly by the enthusiasm of the heart wanting to learn.

After a while, the guidance for the next technique-----the way of the eight style’s basics started.

“----------That’s about it. If you get used to it then you will be able to combine it with the first moves. I’ll show you an example. I will now get close to you and you thrust your fist out.”

Tooru brought his fist forward towards Tomoe who got close like he was told------and at that moment, Tomoe suddenly spun her body and grabbed his arms before slipping into his chest area.

“And well, this is it. I am saying that I will make a throw here. It’s probably good to add an elbow strike here depending on the situation.”

“………….This is the move I lost to during the <<Fist practice>> a while ago, but I see now. The connection between attacking and blocking is amazing.” 

“It’s Ryuusui<ref group ="3a">Flowing water</ref>. Whether it’s the movements, way of performing, or attack, all of it will flow within as one. Okay, let’s try it out. I will bring my fist forward now, so you try doing the same.”

Tooru nodded and dodged her fist similar to her and entered a throwing stance once he slipped into her chest area together with grabbing her hands but-----

He noticed.

Tomoe’s big and soft breasts touched his back.

“That’s right, that’s the feeling. Okay, let’s repeat that for 10 times. However, you can put more strength in your arm and pull harder this time.”

Tooru’s face stiffened.

The breasts behind him would touch harder the stronger he pulled and would make him more conscious about it.

(Hu-hurry up and endddddddddd!!)

Tooru’s heart got chaotic from the feeling touching his back.

Tomoe thought something different when she saw Tooru like that.

(Umu, it’s a good face. The spirit of wanting to acquire this move as fast as possible is being told.)

“…………Okay, since we’ve gone this way, let’s add in 10 more times!”

Tooru shouted in his heart at Tomoe’s suggestion.




Like that------Tachibana Tomoe deepened her relationship with Tooru through the guidance of martial arts.




There was someone looking at both of them from the tree's shadows.

It was Miyabi.

She would normally be running outside the school in this time slot by now but, she got curious about Tooru and Tomoe today and took up the unfunny action of peeking like this. 

(What am I doing…………)

Miyabi made a sigh when she looked at the objectives of her actions.

Even though she was wondering why her eyes wouldn’t leave them for some odd reason, she continued looking at both of them without getting any answers and-----

“-----!!”

Suddenly, Tooru hugged Tomoe from the back.

---Of course, it was just a demonstration of the combination of the move and the way of performing it and is completely unrelated to the male and female relationship, but Miyabi misunderstood that and took a big breath.

It was only when she saw Tooru and Tomoe’s positions switch and perform the same------the action of repeatedly bringing their body closer and letting go, that she let go of the breath she had sucked in. 

(O-oh I see………That was training…………)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Dokun**dokun* her heartbeat coming from her chest got faster at this surprise.

She took a deep breath to calm it down as much as possible and slowly exhaled. She then repeated this.

Her heartbeat started to calm down and-----

“Haa……….”

Miyabi’s feelings sank together with that, and leaked a big sigh------she then mumbled this.

“How nice…………”

Those were her true thoughts that she had said unconsciously.

It was something pointed to the scene of Tomoe------and Tooru bringing their bodies closer.

(Eh………?)

After she mumbled that, Miyabi felt surprise at her own words.

(Why did I think 'how nice' just now……….?)

Miyabi got bewildered at her true thoughts that had come out unconsciously.

It was impossible for her senses until now to think that hugging a male was enviable. 

Rather, it was something that was enough to make her get embarrassed and look away when she saw males and females-----couples bringing their bodies closer in the city.

But even so, Miyabi continuing to wonder why and------the answer came out.

The answer was shown from the words she said unconsciously.

Yes, Miyabi was envious of Tomoe. She understood herself for feeling envious of bringing her body close to none other than Tooru.

And to find what kind of emotion it was, Miyabi applied the knowledge she had in herself before---- 

(Ah-re…………? That means……….I, might have……..)

She got perplexed when she reached the answer.

However, the answer was shown to be correct by the throbbing heart she got just by hearing Tooru’s voice.

She wanted to hear his voice more.

She wanted to see his face more.

The embarrassment was enough to make her want to die but, she wanted to run to him and hug him.

No matter if Tooru was the first male friend she had gotten close with, there was no way she would hold that kind of emotion towards a friend.

Miyabi mumbled this.

“So, I love-----Tooru-kun, huh…………..”




Like this-----Hotaka Miyabi became aware of her first love.


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==Translation Notes and References==
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