Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko:Volume7 Chapter1

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Chapter 1 - Ending No. 4: Niwa-san

“Makoto-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“Fu fu fu, how do you like it? I’ve perfectly memorised your name, right?”

Maekawa-san’s smug smile grabbed me right to the core. I wanted to interject, “Well, you still get my last name wrong sometimes, don’t you?” but my mouth just relaxed and nothing came out.

Because of her height, I felt like dating an older girl, which made me feel embarrassed, but I was also infatuated with how cute she was. My busy emotions were a multicolour jumble, as turbulent as a swollen river, but it wasn’t unpleasant. I was enveloped in what could be called a positive sense of impatience, and it was a strange and ticklish feeling.

As Maekawa-san sat with her back straight, she seemed like a single, perfectly polished block of ice placed amidst the chaotic atmosphere of the lunchtime cafeteria. It was a long, slender block of ice that looked like it could melt at any moment, and looking at it made me uneasy, wondering if it would disappear, but it was also true that its unique coldness was addictive.

“As expected, the oyakodon here is sweet. Aah, Makoto-kun, I know you like this kind of seasoning.”

I was caught off guard. Suddenly, a question arose in my mind, so I put the bowl I had been holding down on the table and asked:

“In that case, couldn’t you have just ordered something else?”

I was quite proud of my suggestion, but after hearing it, Maekawa-san paused for a moment, then sighed in exasperation and scratched her forehead. “I don’t really want to say it,” she said, slightly blushing, leaning over to look at me as if covering my eyes, and muttering something.

“I just wanted to eat the same thing as Makoto-kun.”

“………………Guh.”

I almost spat out the sweet sauce in my mouth that was even sweeter than the oyakodon. My nostrils were also in peril.

“Well, nothing really happens just because we eat the same thing, you know. I guess it’s similar to how people feel when they want to believe in something scientific or superstitious, ha ha ha.”

Maekawa-san spoke rapidly and fluently what sounded like excuses. But far from being excuses, wasn’t she just making herself even cuter? “What a troublemaker,” I thought, gripping my chopsticks tighter and with more heat.

“The probability of Mae-tan and I starting a family in the future has increased from 80% to 90%.”

“W-what’s with that sickeningly sweet report? Come on, let’s stop flirting and eat our food.”

I was reprimanded by the person who was helping with the flirting, but I grinned creepily and shovelled down the rest of my oyakodon. He didn’t notice the cold wind coming in from outside at all.

It’s been over two months since Maekawa-san and I started dating.

The moment that I confessed my feelings during the school festival felt like a dream. Especially since I got a positive response.

And it was now December of my second year. I had just transferred to this school; the year was about to change, and just as I was starting to feel uncomfortable still being called “transfer student”, I was lucky to start dating Maekawa-san. After all, Maekawa-san was the only one who called me “transfer student”, and when she became my girlfriend, she changed the way she addressed me. She skipped Niwa-kun to go straight to Makoto-kun. It was kind of embarrassing.

Incidentally, the first time she called me in such a manner, she repeated it about five times. Needless to say, I almost died of excitement about five times. Maekawa-san was becoming a potent drug for me.

“Maekawa-san, you look better in your winter uniform, don’t you?”

“Really?”

Maekawa-san tilted her head, tugging at her sleeve to check.

Maekawa-san tilted her head, tugging at her sleeve to check.

“Even the largest size doesn’t fit me. The sleeves are too short.”

“No, no, that school uniform cosplay is truly worthy of praise.”

“It’s not cosplay… I feel like we’ve had a similar conversation before.”

Indeed. We looked at each other, and both smiled as we remembered that moment. Then, as we were really running out of time, we kept the conversation brief and started eating. As we continued to eat, the sweetness of the oyakodon became addictive. Maekawa-san’s tongue seemed to be getting tired of the sweetness, as she was drinking water more often. I was even thinking that maybe I should skip the oyakodon and order something else next time, which just went to show how incredibly fortunate my everyday life was.

“…I ate too much today.”

After emptying the bowl, Maekawa-san grumbled regretfully.

“Don’t you always say that?”

“So I always eat until I’m completely full. That’s a problem; I’m going to gain weight.”

As she said this, she pulled with a bit of force at her side, which had virtually no flesh on it. Was Maekawa-san trying to pick a fight with all the women out there who were struggling to lose weight? Rather, I believed she should put on a little more weight.

“Well, you see, I tend to gain weight easily if I’m not careful. After all, I have no muscle, right? Heh heh, look at these upper arms. Some people ask me, ‘Did you eat the Gum-Gum Fruit?’ That’s just how thin I am.”

She rolled up the sleeves of her winter clothes, proudly showing off her slender arms. From her upper arm to her wrist, the thickness was almost uniform. Because of this, I got the illusion that they were unusually long. More than that, I wanted to lick her pale skin. No, no, why was I suddenly having this desire? So far, with Maekawa-san, we’ve only gone so far as kissing.

“Can I touch your upper arm?”

“W-what’s with this sudden request? Go on.”

I got up, walked around the table, and massaged the upper arm that Maekawa-san offered. I wasn’t just touching it; I was kneading it. She said he didn’t have much muscle, but perhaps that was why it was so soft. It was cool to the touch, a coolness that was pleasant, unlike that of winter. It felt similar to the texture of Maekawa-san’s earlobe. It was soft and squishy.

“Hey, what are you doing rubbing my arm this hard and breathing this heavily? E-everyone’s watching.”

Who is everyone? Ah, whe meant the people sitting at other tables who created that chaotic atmosphere in the cafeteria. A group of guys sitting together were looking at Maekawa-san and me. I see.

“I’m showing off. In fact, I’d like to loudly proclaim the appeal of your biceps.”

“What kind of declaration are you making with that cheerful face?! That’s enough, upper arms done!”

She forcefully pulled her arm away and pulled down her sleeve to hide it. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, but since the end of lunchtime was approaching, I cleaned up my bowl and other things myself. When I placed the tray on the collection shelf, Maekawa-san quickly gathered her bowl and chopsticks together with mine and arranged them in an easy-to-clean position. She was so responsible with these kinds of things; I was really impressed. She was definitely my future wife.

“Makoto-kun, lately I can’t help but feel that your perverted tendencies have increased. I must take precautions.”

“Well, you see, there’s this stupid couple in the same grade as me. I asked them for advice, and this is what it led to. I used to want to throw stones at them, but that was just a terrible misunderstanding. They’re good people.”

“…I see, I get the gist of it. I’ll make sure to give them a stern warning next time. To not brainwash my boyfriend. What a headache,” said Maekawa-san, putting a finger to her forehead with a sigh. Brainwashing? What an exaggeration.

I just showed a little bit of understanding towards that stupid couple.

“Listen, Makoto-kun. If you become a pervert, I’ll have to become a pervert to match you. But that’s irreversible, so we must restrain ourselves. Understand?”

“Ummkay!”

“Thanks for the super half-baked reply.”

She pinched my cheek. It wasn’t serious, just playful, so we continued walking together.

As I stepped out of the cafeteria, shivering from the cold wind, Maekawa-san, who had let go of my hand, cleared her throat and spoke to me. She was coughing, and I was a little worried she might have caught a cold. Her ears and the top of her nose were coloured in a strange red.

“By the way, Makoto-kun…”

“Yes?”

“What do I need to add in order to make up for the 10% left for a marriage proposal?”

“Bufeeee.”

I felt like a runny nose coming out. We both seemed to have caught a cold, and we were blushing.

Lovey-dovey couples are really wonderful, aren’t they?

As soon as we returned from the cafeteria to our classroom, the lesson began. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to Maekawa-san at the entrance and took my seat. As I hurriedly took out my Japanese history textbook and notebook, I felt a gaze for a moment and looked up. Did she turn her face away immediately, or was it just my imagination? Ryuushi-san, who was sitting in the place where I felt a gaze coming, was facing the blackboard and twirling her mechanical pencil with her fingertips.

“…Am I being overly self-conscious?”

It was only natural, but I’ve grown distant from Ryuushi-san. Contact with her, like hanging out together after school or meeting up on weekends, has drastically decreased. In fact, I couldn’t even remember any such occasions in the last few months.

It was unavoidable, but a little sad. And I’ll get used to it someday and just accept it as inevitable. Human adaptability could sometimes display a cruelly positive outlook.

It wasn’t just my relationship with Ryuushi-san that changed, but also that with the Touwa family. Erio and I had grown somewhat distant, and I could no longer see her innocently running after me calling me “Cousin”. As for Meme-san, she hasn’t changed, I guess? Though, perhaps it was wrong of me to even consider her in the first place.

In that way, I ended up destroying almost everything I had built since coming to this town.

But I had chosen this present moment of my own free will, hoping to drastically change my surroundings. Feeling lonely was one thing, but I must never regret it. Keeping that in mind, I opened my Japanese history textbook and, as an afterthought, turned to look at Maekawa-san. Maekawa-san wasn’t looking at me.

What a pity. Even between lovers, complete telepathic understanding was still difficult.

“What do you want to do after? Should we stop somewhere?”

As soon as school ended, Maekawa-san approached me. She already had her school bag, apparently having finished packing. Meanwhile, I hadn’t even unpacked my desk yet. I wondered what I should do.

It went without saying that I would be spending my after-school hours with Maekawa-san.

“Is there anything you’d like to buy? Or anything you’d like to see?”

“No, I’m good with shopping for now. After all… Ah, right. Makoto-kun, are you interested in speed?”

“Hah?”

What was that about? I looked over and saw Maekawa-san with her eyes closed and her nose puffed out in a smug look. She seemed proud of something. But I was confused and couldn’t grasp what she was talking about until Maekawa-san pointed to her chest.

“After school today, I’ll show you the next world of cycling.”

“Huh?”

“Well, come along. Oh, but you should change out of your uniform. Okay, how about we meet in front of my house in an hour? Not at the izakaya, but at my parents’ house.”

“That’s fine, but what are you so excited about?”

Maekawa-san smiled silently, teasing me. She apparently intended to keep it a secret for an hour. I wondered what it could be as I packed my things into my bag. Anyway, I stood up and reached out my hand.

“Let’s go back to the shoe lockers together first.”

“…Hmm.”

After watching Maekawa-san hesitantly take my hand, we left the classroom together. I made sure not to look left or right. In particular, I made sure Ryuushi-sun wasn’t in my line of sight. Was it cowardly of me to behave like that?

If you gain something, you lose something.

I thought it was admirable that she didn’t try to make everything about herself.

I was advised to change into my everyday clothes, so I went back to the Touwa house and scattered my uniform around. Meme-san was at work, and Erio was minding the shop at Tamura Store, so there wasn’t a sound in the house. The hallway and stairs were cold because no sunlight reached them, and I regretted taking off my clothes so quickly at the entrance. Why was I putting on a stripping show as I walked? I told myself I would have plenty of time if I didn’t rush, but I walked quickly anyway. I picked up my discarded uniform and rushed up to my room on the second floor. Of course, my room was cold too.

The room hadn’t changed since I left this morning. The only difference was the light streaming in through the window that had shifted from morning to late afternoon. There was no sign of anything being moved. My futon, which I made after getting up, was still pristine, and no one had tried to wrap herself in it or anything like that. The futon only carried my smell. Come to think of it, Meme-san has also stopped bothering me at night as often as before. I was no longer keeping pace with the Touwa family. I became an outsider.

I changed into my casual clothes and put on gloves, then tried to sit on the bed for about three minutes to wait until it was time, but I couldn’t wait any longer and left the room. I could just wait at Maekawa-san’s house, probably. As long as I didn’t run into my father-in-law, or rather, Maekawa-san’s father, there shouldn’t be any problem. Whenever I ran into him, he would grind his teeth before I could even open my mouth, and I was always at a loss as to how to respond. And in the end, I would just laugh awkwardly.

As I was putting my shoes back on at the entrance, I suddenly noticed something. The white shoes that had been prepared for Erio, but which she never wore every day, were gone. I looked under the shelves and inside the cupboards, but there was no sign that they had been put away.

“Did she wear them?”

After accepting that fact, strangely enough, the ringing in my ears intensified.

Before I knew it, Erio had started wearing shoes. She must have put them on of her own volition.

I was changing, and Erio was changing too. Without either of us knowing. I was no longer “Cousin” but “a cousin”, and Erio, too, was losing her connection to me to become Touwa Erio. That, too, was a form of change.

It would be a lie to say that I didn’t feel a sense of loss at losing the relationships I had cultivated.

However, it was also true that my values ​​had drastically changed from how they used to be.

Some people found ideals in the circle, while others found perfect beauty in the triangle.

And now I felt love for rectangles, so I won’t look back.

Niwa Makoto, who had completely surpassed the definition of Youth Points, was now heading outside.

“Gaoon, Gyuuuin”

“Duruduruduru”

“I wish they’d stop with the unromantic sound effects.”

Maekawa-san pouted. As I clung to her slender, upright back, I felt an air of authority that completely erased her usual unreliability. However, at the same time, I feared that if I hugged her too tightly, her spine might break and we would both fall, which made me feel relieved, as I thought, “Ah, that’s Maekawa for you.” As we approached a curve, I naturally tightened my arms around her torso. Maekawa-san seemed amused by the amount of force I was using, and a grin spread across her face.

“Makoto-kun, it feels nice to rely on you.”

“It’s refreshing to rely on Maekawa-san, too.”

She curved to the left and headed towards the bridge. She sped along on my moped across the bridge, which offered a panoramic view of the riverbank.

The next convenient item that Maemon came up with was a motorised bicycle.

The next world after cycling was riding a moped with a passenger. I sniffled at the biting wind on my cheeks, and my heart pounded with excitement at my first test ride on the moped, which, while riding, accelerated almost as well as a bicycle.

Maekawa-san had bought a moped with the money she had earned from her part-time jobs and had apparently got her driver’s licence without me noticing. And here I was, clinging to her ridiculously thin waist, in the middle of a two-person ride. Naturally, riding two people on a moped was illegal. And putting someone in the basket of a bicycle wasn’t a good idea either.

“As I thought, since it’s a weekday in winter, nobody is exercising.”

Said Maekawa-san as she looked down at the grounds spread out on the riverbank. Two rugby poles were set up in the shape of an H on the field, and perhaps because of the season, there were no crows scurrying around on the soil in search of earthworms. The weeds had been cut down, leaving the ground exposed in a somewhat painful way, creating the atmosphere of a bleak and desolate place. If I were to go down and stand alone in the middle, I would likely feel it even more keenly.

The river flowing beneath the bridge also has a low water level, and the algae floating on the bottom are reflected in the colour of the water’s surface.

“Ideally, I should have waited until it got warmer before riding.”

After descending the bridge and stopping at a traffic light, Maekawa-san turned around and gave a wry smile. Wearing a helmet only halfway, her eyes and the corners of her mouth were red, and white breaths escaped her. It was only a little past four in the afternoon, but the sunlight was already fading and seemed about to sink below the horizon.

“But you wanted to brag.”

“That’s right. I can’t even use it to go to school, so there was absolutely no opportunity to show it off.”

She narrowed her eyes in displeasure and glared ahead. The traffic light turned green, and she started driving again.

“Speaking of which, transfer student, I mean, Makoto-kun…”

“What is it, Mae-tan-like Maekawa-san?”

“What’s with that ‘like’… I mean, aren’t you cold?”

“I’m happy because I’m hugging you.”

The moped swerved for a moment. Maekawa-san, whose hand had almost slipped, gave a light nudge with her elbow.

“You just needed to answer whether you’re cold or not. I wasn’t asking about your heat source.”

“I wanted to make you feel embarrassed.”

The sight of her was unbearably cute. That was common sense, wasn’t it?

“…Being honest is fine. But it’s time you feel ashamed once in a while, Makoto-kun.”

“I still feel embarrassed when we kiss and do other things.”

“Other things? B-but we haven’t done anything else yet… Come on! Makoto-kun, it really throws me off when I’m talking to you,” grumbled Maekawa-san, sounding somewhat pleased.

The scooter continued straight ahead, leading to the back of the station. It felt like ages ago, but it was close to the place I’ve been to when I went to a job interview with Erio. It was a memory that seemed distant, like “Oh, something like that happened, didn’t it?” A memory that wasn’t very close. It was getting chilly, so I pressed my nose against Maekawa-san’s back. I hugged her tightly, gazing at her long, slender back up close, ignoring her eyes that seemed to want to look into the distance.

“Makoto-kun, maybe someday when you get your driver’s licence, we could go on a trip somewhere a little further away?”

“……Hum.”

“Ah, if you’re not in the mood, I won’t force you.”

“Well, Maekawa-san, I was thinking it would be a shame to lose the opportunity to hug you from behind without any reservations.”

The scooter’s trajectory became unstable again, shifting from side to side. Finally, it came to a complete stop at the side of the road, and Maekawa-san turned around. Her entire face was flushed and discoloured from something other than the winter wind. I was captivated by how alluring she looked.

“Well, about that… Since you’re the one asking, Makoto-kun, I’ll consider it positively.”

“Really?”

“I’m serious. Yeah, really serious, so bring it on.”

“Then bring on your boobs too!”

“Don’t get carried away and say that!”

In a very unusual turn of events, Maekawa-san raised her voice. The moped accelerated again, and Maekawa-san’s momentum exceeded her usual limits, propelling her forward with increasing speed. Looking up at the sky, she abandoned her usual calm demeanour and roared in a manner that was uncharacteristic for her.

“About my breasts!”

“Oh, ooh?”

“I won’t let you touch them until they’re a little bigger!”

Maekawa-san’s bold declaration caused the group of students who were walking around with their heads bowed to look up. Their reaction was like a dog jumping up after its tail was stepped on. Meanwhile, I pressed my forehead against Maekawa-san’s back, feeling her warmth spreading to the tip of my nose, and I was overcome in a strange sense of relief as I thought, “Ah, I’m so glad that person is my girlfriend.”

Although I was asked to wait, it was worth it if it meant I could finally encounter such cuteness.

And at the same time, I feel pity.

Pity for the other version of myself in another universe who wasn’t in a relationship with Maekawa-san.

Maekawa-san, who could even care about my parallel-world self, was truly the best.

We wandered around on a different route than our usual one to school, stopped at a convenience store along the way to eat a steamed bun, and then returned to the Maekawa house. My cheeks were parched and the inside of my nose was freezing cold, but it was fun and worth it.

I guess this is what they call a motorcycle touring date. It was all over now, though.

“Well, you know… Want to come to my room?”

As Maekawa-kun put her moped under the garage roof, she hesitantly pointed to the second floor. It was a very tempting proposition, and I would have probably been up to the challenge had she asked to “Come to my room via the roof”.

There was one thing that was a cause for concern.

“What about your parents?” Or rather, my father-in-law?

“At this time, they are preparing the shop.”

My concern was easily resolved. I decided to come in.

“They used to ask me to come help too, but lately it seems like my mother is being more considerate of me. Is it really that unusual for me to have a boyfriend?”

“Huh, it isn’t unusual?”

The theory that Maekawa-san was a go-getter suddenly emerged. Maekawa-san puffed out her cheeks and replied sulkily.

“It is extremely unusual. Apparently, guys don’t like women who are taller than them.”

“Yeah, there are quite a few people like that.”

“Even you, Makoto-kun?”

“Maekawa-san, doesn’t your appeal precisely come from the fact that you are tall?”

Rather, I couldn’t even imagine a small Maekawa-san. I’ve been looking up at her ever since we first met, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to surpass her in height. But that was a good thing. I liked the tall and frail Mae-tan.

“Hearing you say that makes me feel good, you know. Yeah.”

She was grinning. Far from being malicious, she seemed quite pleased.

“Because of my height, this is probably, well, the first time I’ve ever had a proper romantic relationship with a man.”

“Earthlings really have no taste. Maekawa-san is so cute. Like this,” I said, spreading my arms wide to show how cute she was. Maekawa-san choked, her eyes rolling back in her head.

“Well, Makoto-kun, as long as you have good judgement, then it’s fine, I guess?”

“Marrying my classmate Mae-tan. Second year. Niwa Makoto. My future wife is a dream come true.”

“Don’t read some mysterious essay!”

We went to the Maekawa house, playfully teasing each other. I’ve unfortunately forgotten how many times I’ve been there. But I remember the first time I visited. It was during this past summer vacation, before I started dating Maekawa-san.

I took off my shoes and stepped into the hallway. I checked the entrance to see if there were any shoes that looked like they belonged to his parents, but they seemed to be out. “I’m home,” said Maekawa-san, greeting the empty house as she walked in. The hallway was chilly. “But Maekawa-san, your body heat lingers on my skin, which is how I can endure it.”

I tried to explain. I expected her to yell at me for saying such mysterious feelings, but Maekawa-san turned around, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she glared at me with a sulky expression. She looked sulky and generally sharp.

“The brainwashing has progressed too far. Treating you will be a tough job.”

“Huh? It’s normal, though? Aren’t you warm, Mae-tan?”

“I will allow us being a sickeningly lovey-dovey couple, but I won’t stand for us being a perverted one.”

Maekawa-san seemed to be brimming with determination. She clenched her fist and raised it, shouting “Waah!”, and a few seconds later she almost fell over with a groan, so I caught her as if it were prearranged. With her back still supported, we both went up the stairs to Maekawa-san’s room on the second floor. Something about today’s scene felt a little forced.

Whenever I visited Maekawa-san’s private room, it was always neatly tidied up, a stark contrast to my own room where books I’m half-reading are piled on my desk. When I complimented her on it once, she casually replied, “I’m probably tidying up because you are coming,” and I hugged her tightly. I almost got sued for sexual harassment. I had no regrets hugging her.

Maekawa-san picked up the remote control and turned on the heater. Then, she opened the closet in the back, which was full of cosplay costumes, and threw some kind of mascot costume at me, saying, “You can wear this until the room warms up.” It was blue. I grabbed what looked like the head and spread it open. It was a penguin.

“It’s fluffy and warm, so just trust me and try it.”

“…Are there any other candidates?”

“If you’re into polar bears…”

“…It’ll take the penguin.”

I put it on. Perhaps because it was sized to fit Maekawa-san’s height, the head part was too big and hung loosely at the back. Saying I was wearing a penguin’s skin would be appropriate. I couldn’t reach the fins either, so they were flimsy. I dragged the excess fabric of the costume along the floor like a tail as I walked around the room.

“You’re so cute, Makoto-kun. I’d love to keep you as a pet in my room.”

Maekawa-san, dressed in a polar bear costume with her face peeking out from the mouth, was showering me with compliments. Her 180cm polar bear costume was a perfect fit and quite frightening. When she closed her mouth, she looked like a real bear. “Gao!” she raised both hands to intimidate the penguin look-alike.

Was that really how bears sounded? I had the same question when I saw her crocodile costume.

“Gaaah.”

Deep inside the bear’s mouth, Maekawa-san began to feel dizzy. It seemed as if the bear’s eyes were spinning along with her.

If such a bear existed, I wanted to bring it to the Touwa family too.

I sat down on the yellow cushion that Maekawa-san had prepared. The penguin costume was indeed warm, and as it mixed with the gradually warming heat of the heater, it became as hot as summer. I could feel sweat on my back.

The polar bear facing me placed its hand on its chin and stared around me. Seeing the polar bear and the penguin facing each other made me feel like I’ve become a resident of a charming animal village, which I found quite amusing.

“For a beginner, you’re dressing up much better than I expected.”

“It’s really saggy.”

When I raised my hand, the tip of my fins naturally bowed. Come to think of it, penguins are birds, so they have wings, not fins. Either way, it felt like the whole thing lacked substance. And it was hot.

“How about we go around town together in cosplay sometime? Familiar places might feel fresh and new.”

“We’re just going to be looked at with strange eyes.”

“Well, that’s fine.”

Ha ha ha, I was casually persuaded to agree. I wondered if it was okay, but Maekawa-san’s polar bear costume was so incredibly cute that I wanted to show it off to the world. So, it was fine.

“Ugh, it’s so hot. We don’t need the heater.”

Maekawa-san turned off the heater. Wasn’t this costume putting the cart before the horse?

“Would you like some tea?”

“Hmm, okay. So, do you want to talk about anything? Or play a game?”

I flapped my wings frantically, trying to get her opinion on what we should do. “Let’s see,” Maekawa-san said, her eyes darting around as she pondered. I waited for her to come to a decision, glancing sideways at the bed… Damn, I should have borrowed the futon and picked the Smakin cosplay outfit. That would have been heaven.

Because I could be nice and warm in a futon like the one Maekawa-san used every day.

I had so easily overlooked the paradise option that was right there beside me.

Even so, the fact that I could be this happy made me realise that Maekawa-san was truly great, and I arrived at my usual conclusion.

“Makoto-kun.”

“Hm?”

Reluctantly, I looked away from the bed and turned to face Maekawa-san. She was glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

“W-what’s going on?”

“…You haven’t made any mistakes with Touwa, have you?”

“Mistakes? With Erio? What kind?”

Surely she wasn’t going to claim she was an alien again? “No, no”, Maekawa-san shook her head.

“So, did you cheat on me with Ryuushi then?”

“We haven’t talked much lately. Unexpectedly, things aren’t going smoothly.”

I said solemnly. Maekawa-san, or rather Shirokuma-san, made a pained expression, saying, “Ugh.”

“How about you tell me about how you got eaten by your newlywed wife?”

“I don’t have a newlywed wife!”

I didn’t go so far as to shout, “In fact, you’re the actual candidate as my new wife!” What kind of interrogation was this?

“Makoto-kun, you’re so unfairly popular that it annoys me, so I have to keep an eye on you regularly.”

Shirokuma-san was scolding me. I had so many questions, like how was I popular with girls and why was my aunt involved in that check, but there was something else that I needed to point out first.

“Maekawa-san, do you actually happen to be quite possessive?”

When I pointed this out, Maekawa-san shook her head hastily, as if to say, “No, no.”

“Isn’t it natural to seek that kind of confirmation?”

“Really?”

“Really”, she nodded emphatically. “I see,” I replied, convinced. Shirokuma-san patted my head and said, “Good boy.” It felt like a terribly wrong exchange, but oh well.

After stroking my head, Maekawa-san scratched her own nose, which was deep inside the bear’s mouth. As if she felt itchy.

“For example, err… Makoto-kun, you’re a high school student, so there must be nights when you use books like the kind you bought at the bookshop during summer vacation, right?”

“You found out about that!”

“Well, yeah, I’ve always seen it. It’s not a big deal.”

“Well, for me, it’s quite a problem.”

“Back to the main topic.”

She swept the subject away without my consent. Kumagawa-san sat in seiza position. Seeing a bear sit in seiza position somehow made me feel intimidated.

“So, even though I know it can’t be helped, the thought of you imagining other women’s naked bodies, and… you know, that kind of thing, it kind of annoys me, and I can’t help but bite my pillow in frustration. Do you understand, Makoto-kun?!”

“…… Hum.”

I pondered over Maekawa-san’s explanation, whose nose seemed to have gone completely red. Indeed, as a woman, that was something she might be jealous of. If I’m going to complain, I must respect her feelings.

“Well, I guess I’ll just take lots of pictures of you and paste your face on nude paintings.”

Bam, I was hit hard on the head by the polar bear.

“Who told you to make an aikora?”

Did she want another solution? Hmm, in that case there was only one answer. I brought my wings together with a soft “bom”.

“Okay. Let’s go pick some porn magazines now. How about next time, I invite you to my room?”

After struggling to buy one book during summer holidays, I had been secretly buying a few more and hiding them from my family and friends! Each time there was tension, an encounter, and a story, but I’ll omit those details.

“Huh? …Hah, haaah?”

I managed to surprise her twice. I took Maekawa-san’s slender hand. I couldn’t tell what it felt like to the touch.

Because my hands were wings, and Maekawa-san’s hands were bear paws.

“I’ll only keep one item that you’ve officially approved!”

“You’re saying something completely stupid while flashing such a bright smile!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, let’s begin part two of our touring date!”

With unwavering courage and a radiant glow of hope, we ran forward, our figures unchanged, sprinting along.

“Wait a minute!” shouted Maekawa-san as I grabbed her, and we ran out into the cold air.

The sight of a penguin and a polar bear riding a moped in the twilight really reminded me of a heartwarming scene in an animal village. I wondered if such a scene could be possible if we travelled to the future, perhaps 800,000 years from now, when humanity might have gone extinct.

“I mean, why do I have to go and pick some porn magazines…?”

“To be honest, Mae-tan, I just wanted to see you get embarrassed.”

“Isn’t that bullying…?”

Muttering to herself, the polar bear started her moped. Clinging to her fluffy body with my wings, I asked her a question that had been on my mind. For some reason, it seemed like it would be okay now.

“Say, Maekawa-san.”

“W-what is it?”

“Why are you being so obviously wary?”

“Well, Makoto-kun, it looks like you are about to say something really bad… So, what is it?”

“Maekawa-san, when you’re doing that kind of thing at night, do you ever imagine doing it with someone other than me?”

“Right now I’m a polar bear, so I don’t really understand those kinds of things.”

As if she had anticipated the question, she avoided answering it without showing any signs of distress. Nicely done, Maekawa-san.

The slightly harsh tone she used, indicating that she hadn’t completely ignored the situation, made it even better.

As the polar bear and penguin engaged in what they considered the happiest and most pointless conversation in all of Japan, they arrived in front of the Touwa family’s house. While she parked her moped by the barn, I checked and noticed that Meme-san’s bicycle hadn’t been returned yet. What about Erio? I slightly braced myself and peered into her room on the second floor.

The curtains were still closed, so it probably hasn’t come home. When she’s in her room, she opens the curtains so she can see outside the window. Maybe as an attempt to get closer to the stars.

“Okay, let’s go, Penguin-kun.”

Swallowing hard, Shirokuma-san began to stomp forward. I took the key out of my pocket and let it fall inside the costume. I mean, only the mouth area was open.

Since I couldn’t handle the key properly with my wings, I entrusted it to Maekawa-san. Her polar bear costume, with all five fingers tucked together, shouldn’t be much different, but Maekawa-san easily picked the lock. How skilled.

“I’m just used to wearing a costume.”

“But Maekawa-san, it would be difficult for you to do a part-time job in a mascot costume show, right?”

She’d probably immediately collapse from the heat. Any flashy action would be impossible. Maekawa-san shrugged, and since she wasn’t wearing shoes anyway, we went straight up into the hallway. I lined up my shoes, which I had retrieved from the Maekawa house, in the usual place and then went upstairs. Shaking my head in the silent, heatless space, I realised there was indeed no one at home. Even if there were, I probably wouldn’t be able to get too involved.

“Makoto-kun, it’s been a while since I’ve been to your room. I feel a little hesitant to go inside.”

“What do you mean by hesitant?”

“Maybe because it’s Touwa’s house.”

“…What do you mean?”

As I played dumb, she scoffed and said, “Don’t be silly.” She was really sharp. “I can’t win against her,” I thought as I pull on the penguin’s drooping head and climb the stairs with my head down. I looked down and laughed again at my all-white outfit. Was this the path I’ve chosen? I never imagined it would end up with a penguin.

“So, Touwa isn’t here, huh?”

Maekawa-san murmured with a sigh of relief as she peeked into Erio’s room on the second floor. I felt the same as her, so I simply nodded and hurried to my own room at the back as I responded, “Looks like it.” I rushed in with my girlfriend to pick out some porn magazines. I felt kind of nervous.

“Oh, Makoto-kun’s room, huh? Wow.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be impressed… but I think I remember having that exchange somewhere.”

Maekawa-san paced around the room. I wondered if a polar bear would react like this and stay if it suddenly appeared in a room one day. It was too scary. Maekawa-san plopped down under the light fixture and crossed her arms.

“…So, let’s begin the review of these items. Now, submit them so I can have a look.”

“Ha ha.”

Since the fact that I possessed porn magazines had already been discovered, I felt I could move on. Rather, I decided to enjoy the situation and gleefully presented all the books I had been hiding in front of Maekawa-san. Maekawa-san’s blush, unbecoming of a polar bear, intensified, and the area around her eyes in particular turned a vivid red, as if bloodshot.

I surrounded Maekawa-san with my porn magazines, as if building a wall. Although I only had three. My entertainment expenses were quite high, you see. Maekawa-san glared at me without mercy, even though I was being modest. Combined with her bear stern expression, I shivered slightly.

“When did you manage to keep so many women in your room?”

“I’m a penguin, so I don’t really understand that kind of thing.”

“Hey, that’s my signature line!”

Angry, Maekawa-san began glaring at the covers of the three porn magazines. I angered her further by saying, “The only difference between a picture book and a porn magazine is one character,” and waited for her to make her decision. Of course, I didn’t forget to enjoy watching the expressions on Maekawa’s face as she faced the porn magazines.

Eventually, Maekawa-san looked up, her brow furrowed in exaggerated wrinkles. It looked like she was displeased with something… Was it my taste? Surely she wasn’t upset that I chose women with large breasts? Arrgh.

“As expected, I want to confiscate everything.”

Pointing to each cover one by one, Maekawa-san pouted quietly. Her reaction was cute, so it was fine, but…

“That’s so unfair… In that case, Mae-mon, give me Maekawa-san’s naughty stuff in exchange.”

“Th-that doesn’t exist!”

“I mean, if I just had Maekawa-san, everything will be solved, right?”

My fingers twitched among the feathers. The polar bear let out a threatening “Gahgiii”, trying to keep the penguin from approaching. The polar bear’s howl was different from last time, but I wasn’t afraid, and just as I was about to charge forward, I jumped in surprise at a noise. I heard the front door open on the first floor.

Maekawa-san and I stared at each other, frozen in place. We heard the sound of a door closing, then being locked. And the sound of shoes carelessly tossed off. It was Erio. Tap, tap, the sound of small footsteps coming up the stairs.

The footsteps no longer peeked into my room like before but quietly settled into the next room. The door closed, and I could hear the fan whirring from outside the window, suggesting the air conditioner had been switched on.

“…Welcome back.”

I tried calling out in a low voice from the other side of the wall. But, as expected, my greeting wasn’t returned. That girl, she’s even turned on the air conditioner. Has she stopped wrapping herself in her futon? I hadn’t even noticed.

“Touwa’s back? Well, I guess we shouldn’t make too much noise then.”

I looked at Maekawa-san, who seemed about to say something like, “No, maybe I should just go home.” Maekawa-san smiled awkwardly, lowered her voice, and asked me a question with her eyes downcast.

“Well, you know. Sometimes I wonder, are you fine with me?”

“What?”

“I mean, Makoto-kun… transfer student, if you wanted to, you could have chosen Touwa or Ryuushi, but you chose me.”

She deliberately used the old way of referring to the penguin, trying to find out if it had any regrets. The penguin got angry at Maekawa-san for that.

“Even if it weren’t a penguin, I wouldn’t really understand that kind of thing.”

With my wings spread, it slid closer. Maekawa-san trembled at the sight of the penguin overwhelming the polar bear. I peered into the polar bear’s mouth and, looking at her bewildered expression inside, and poured out my thoughts.

“I like Maekawa-san. Not Erio, nor Ryuushi-san.”

I felt a strong sense of righteousness because I had no regrets about what I said and no hesitation about looking back. Including Maekawa-san’s reaction.

Yes, I chose this future. No matter what, other possibilities could not interfere with who I was now. My past and my feelings worked to lead me to this outcome.

Perhaps somewhere in the universe, there was a part of me that fell in love with someone else.

But that had nothing to do with me, right?

The moment I started feeling differently, that “Makoto Niwa” would no longer be “me”. Even a single subatomic particle.

“That’s how I feel.” Literally.

I delivered my speech impulsively. After finishing, the concept of shame burnt into my eyes and the back of my throat. Something that governed my actions that I had long forgotten. I felt the breath of Youth Points deep within my gut.

Maekawa-san sniffled loudly, then forced a smile from deep inside the polar bear’s mouth.

“It really touched me. The polar bear is so moved.”

“Even penguins can get carried away.”

We both laughed mischievously, trying to hide our embarrassment. It felt like the middle of summer.

“But if ‘this’ means that there are other universes, then there must be a Makoto-kun who doesn’t like me. For example, a ‘transfer student’ who hasn’t gotten together with anyone yet and is taking care of Touwa.”

“It seems impossible to me right now, but maybe.”

“That’s not very amusing.”

Maekawa-san snorted, arms crossed. I glanced at her profile, which was difficult to see, and wondered whether I should hug her or point it out first and decided to say it first.

“Maekawa-san, you’re the jealous type, aren’t you?”

“Ha ha, maybe.”

And then I hugged her. Even with the thickness of the penguin and polar bear costumes, her slenderness was still evident.

In the end, Maekawa-san gave up on confiscating my porn magazines this time (she emphasised it was only for this time), and when I went outside to see her off, the sun was setting and deep night was about to fall. The setting sun, pushed far into the distance, resembled receding waves. The night sky, though continuous with the land, had contrasting colours and was dyed a purple that was almost black, with stars shining like white grains of sand on a beach.

“Good. If you ever add any more women to your room, make sure you consult me ​​first.”

“Okaaaay.”

I guess if I wanted some porn magazines, I’d have to talk to Maeemon about it. I’m curious to see her reaction.

“…Oh, by the way. Makoto-kun, your bicycle is still at my house.”

Maekawa-san, nicknamed Shirokuma-san, straddled her moped and averted her eyes, realising she had made a mistake.

“I’ll stop by to pick it up tomorrow morning before school. Then we can go to school together.”

“Hmm…Okay, let’s do that. Ah, I’ll give you the penguin costume. I hope you’ll wear it often.”

“……Yaaay.”

I lifted my heavy wings weakly. I couldn’t fly like this. Even walking was too much effort for this penguin.”

“Makoto-kun, come here for a moment.”

She beckoned me. I shuffled along, dragging my buttocks across the ground as I approached. Then the polar bear placed its arms around my back and pulled me closer. Its face came closer, and I yelled, “Whoa!” and it bit my face.

Hidden deep within the polar bear, Maekawa-san’s bright red face suddenly lunged at my lips for a kiss.

“…………”

The polar bear’s and the penguin’s kiss lasted a few seconds.

The polar bear’s and the penguin’s kiss lasted a few seconds. The polar bear pulled its face away. Then, it covered its mouth from above and below with its hands, hiding its face. In that position, it began to mumble.

“It’s a goodbye kiss.”

I could vividly feel the blood rushing to various parts of my body. That surge of blood spoke to me. Inside the loose penguin costume, I opened my mouth as if commanded by all the things that were stretching out inside me.

“That’s not enough.”

“Hah?”

“Next, a goodnight kiss.”

I used my wings to forcefully pry open the polar bear’s mouth, which it had been holding down. Maekawa-san was dizzy.

“But the sun has only just set!”

“Just getting an advance.”

I stretched on my toes, placed my arms around Maekawa-san’s head, and pulled her close as we kissed. Maekawa-san seemed to give up halfway through, bending her knees to be considerate of me stretching. I wished I could grow a little taller too. But what if Maekawa-san grew even taller in the meantime?

“…A penguin and a bear kissing is pretty surreal, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s lovely that they are full of love.”

No matter what I said, she could see right through me and know what I really meant. I just laughed it off.

“Hey Maekawa-san, I… err, what’s the matter?”

She narrowed her eyes and stared at me. With that same expression, she repeated my words with a look of dissatisfaction.

“Maekawa-san, huh?”

“Huh, what? Would you prefer Mae-tan?”

She ignored me. Maekawa-san gave a wry smile and shook the polar bear’s head as if to say, “Oh dear.”

“At this rate, will you be calling me ‘Niwa-san’ in the future, Makoto-kun?”

“Huh? You want to be adopted into the Niwa family?”

“No,” Maekawa-san immediately retorted. Kumagawa-san quickly lost her momentum and became flustered.

“I think that once we’re engaged, we should definitely call each other by our first names.”

“We need to decide on a date for the ceremony.”

“That’s not what I mean! So, my first name…”

“Well, I still don’t know it. I don’t know it, I don’t know it,” the penguin said, shaking its wings from side to side. “Ah, really?” Maekawa-san blinked repeatedly, looking disappointed, and then lowered her chin as if she finally understood. Half of the bear’s face shook as well.

“No matter how many times I tried to introduce myself, it was as if some mysterious force was preventing me from doing so, and I always failed.”

“It’s really strange, isn’t it?”

Last time was during the school festival. We both shrugged and looked around. There were suspicious looks from some people, but this time there was nothing that would get in the way of our introductions. To prevent another Niwa-san in the future, we should reveal Maekawa-san’s name now. We both nodded at the same time.

Pushing up the face on top of the polar bear, Maekawa-san clearly emerged from the back of the mouth. With the same gaze looking down at me, she smiled defiantly and moved her slightly chapped lips up and down.

The name her lips uttered was hers.

“I had to postpone it at the school festival, but this time I’ll definitely introduce myself.”

“Yeah.”

“My name is…”

“Guhehe.”

“Cousin, you’re drooling while you’re laughing.”

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