27 Unspoken Words
What do I do, what do I do…?
My heart is pounding.
Riri-chan must have noticed.
She must think I’m weird.
“S-Suzuna…? What’s wrong? You seem strange.”
“I’m not strange, I’m just as usual.”
Ah, damn it.
We’re alone in Riri-chan’s room.
My flustered state is palpable.
I can’t hide it.
“I’m going home.”
This is no good.
I don’t know how to fix this awkward atmosphere.
The only solution I can think of is to run away.
I stood up.
“Eh, wait, Suzuna. That’s too sudden.”
“It’s not sudden. It’s enough.”
“No, you just got here. You haven’t finished your tea, and there are still cookies left.”
“I’m sorry for leaving them, but they were delicious.”
After saying that, I turned and reached for the doorknob.
“Hey, I’m not satisfied with that dismissive tone…!”
I tried to open the door, but I couldn’t.
Because Riri-chan grabbed my hand.
“Let go.”
Her tightly clasped fingers were hot.
Riri-chan’s fingertips, which I used to perceive as cold, were now quite warm.
“Then tell me why you’re leaving.”
“We’ve played enough, so I think it’s time to go.”
“That’s way too early. Tell me the truth.”
I can’t.
Who could say, “I got flustered after seeing your underwear, Riri-chan”?
Even I don’t understand why, and Riri-chan would be even more confused if I told her that.
“I’m telling the truth. It’s getting late, so I’m going home.”
“You weren’t talking about the time.”
“I am now.”
She wasn’t convinced at all.
Riri-chan is being forceful today.
I didn’t mind that, but that doesn’t mean I have to do everything she says.
I have the right to go home if I want to.
“That’s just an excuse. What happened?”
“You’re being persistent, Riri-chan. I’m going home.”
I pulled my arm, trying to escape Riri-chan’s grasp.
But sensing my resistance, Riri-chan’s grip tightened.
“Then at least look at me properly before you go—!”
She grabbed my shoulder.
I didn’t expect her to be so forceful, and I was easily pulled towards her.
Riri-chan was so close that I could almost hear her breathing.
“Ah… um…”
Our eyes met.
I couldn’t form any words.
I felt embarrassed and… confused.
I didn’t know what to do with these inexplicable feelings.
“Suzuna, you’ve been acting strange. Did I do something wrong?”
“You didn’t, it’s okay.”
“Then why are you saying you’re going home? Something happened, didn’t it?”
“Nothing happened, really. You’re overthinking it.”
Please, don’t try to pry into my feelings any further.
Even I don’t understand them, and if Riri-chan touches upon them, I’ll become even more confused.
“You always hide things, Suzuna. At least be honest with me.”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“Lies, you always try to hide things like this, Suzuna. I know you.”
“You don’t know, you don’t understand me at all, Riri-chan.”
“—Ugh!”
Perhaps displeased by my words, Riri-chan closed the distance even further.
Since my hand was still in her grasp, I couldn’t run away, so I stepped back.
—Thud
My back hit the wall, and I had nowhere left to go.
There was no escape route, only Riri-chan in front of me.
The person who was currently disrupting my peace of mind the most was so close.
This is bad.
Just looking at her made it hard to breathe.
“…Stop… it. Being this close… is uncomfortable.”
“That’s because you won’t tell me the truth, Suzuna. I’ll let you go if you tell me.”
My eyes were drawn to the nape of Riri-chan’s neck, to the exposed skin above her open blouse.
The image from earlier flashed through my mind.
This is strange, this is so strange.
I want to look away, but I can’t because she’s right in front of me.
Well, then I can just close my eyes.
But I kept my eyes open, staring at Riri-chan’s chest.
It’s a contradiction.
My thoughts and actions are disjointed.
“Move away… Being this close… is uncomfortable.”
Even when I tried to escape, Riri-chan held me tighter, and I couldn’t move.
Her intertwined fingers were hot, yet soft.
I hated myself for even noticing such things.
“Why do you hate it so much? Tell me why.”
She keeps saying “Tell me,” “Tell me.”
I want to know! I want to know why it’s so hard to breathe.
“I don’t know, I don’t know!”
“Huh? What’s that? Do you think I’ll be satisfied with that?”
Riri-chan’s voice sharpened.
She thinks I’m trying to deceive her again.
But that’s not it.
“I’m telling you, I don’t know! Something strange happens when I look at you, Riri-chan. My thoughts and actions become jumbled, and I can’t breathe properly. That’s all!”
“—Eh?”
Her voice was filled with surprise.
The strength in her grip suddenly loosened.
I shook off her hand and finally grabbed the doorknob.
“So I’m going home. I’m going home because I feel like I’m going crazy if I stay here.”
“…Okay, I understand. I understand, Suzuna, so I won’t stop you anymore. But don’t run away like that, it makes me sad.”
Riri-chan’s voice suddenly softened.
Where did her forceful demeanor go? Now she looked dejected and troubled.
I don’t understand.
The person who kept demanding an explanation is now saying she’s sad.
Please stop, it’s messing with me.
“…I’m really going home.”
“I know. I’ll walk you out.”
“It’s unnecessary.”
“Just downstairs. You might get lost, Suzuna.”
Don’t underestimate me.
Even if it’s my first time here, an apartment building isn’t that complicated.
But Riri-chan seemed unwilling to compromise. She put on her blazer and started walking.
“Come on, you’re going home, right?”
“…Yeah.”
The person who was trying to stop me from leaving is now leading the way.
Riri-chan is truly incomprehensible.
◇◇◇
We walked down the hallway and got into the elevator.
The ride down felt strangely long, even though it was instantaneous on the way up.
It’s because of this silence.
That’s why I didn’t need her to walk me out.
Riri-chan came even though she knew it would create this awkward atmosphere.
Then she should at least say something.
“…Suzuna.”
As if answering my prayers, Riri-chan finally spoke.
“Yeah?”
“You… don’t hate me, do you?”
“…What’s with that question?”
I did want her to talk, but not about something that creates such an awkward atmosphere.
What is she going to do if I say I hate her?
“Well, you said you couldn’t breathe.”
“…I wouldn’t come to the house of someone I hate.”
“Right, of course.”
“Yeah, don’t say such weird things, we’re friends.”
“You’re right. We’re friends.”
Riri-chan nodded repeatedly.
The elevator finally reached the first floor.
We walked through the entrance and stepped outside.
“See you later.”
I tried to act normal and spoke curtly.
It felt too late, but I wanted to act like nothing happened, at least while leaving.
“Take care, Suzuna. Come over again.”
“Take care” would have been enough.
Why does Riri-chan always say things that suggest a continuation?
If I refuse, it’ll ruin the mood.
“…Yeah, see you later.”
But I responded to her words, accepting the connection.
I don’t want to ruin my relationship with Riri-chan, so I accept her invitation.
Being around Riri-chan makes me feel strange, but so does being away from her.
I think I’m falling apart somewhere.
28 The Student Council President Heroine Speaks Her Mind
In the morning, I opened the window, and the sunlight and gentle breeze caressed my cheeks.
I, Amatsuki Suzuna, started the day feeling refreshed—
“Not a chance…”
I quickly closed the window.
After checking the weather outside, it was blindingly bright and freezing cold. The worst.
I dove back into bed.
My mood was completely gloomy.
I knew the reason.
“I’m telling you, I don’t know! Something strange happens when I look at you, Riri-chan. My thoughts and actions become jumbled, and I can’t breathe properly. That’s all!”
Those were the words I blurted out at Riri-chan’s house.
“Forget it, forget it, forget it, forget it…”
Looking back on it calmly after returning home, I could only cringe.
Why did I make such an abstract, clingy-sounding remark?
I was filled with doubt and self-loathing.
There were plenty of other scenes that made me want to bury my head in the sand.
Blushing just from seeing her underwear, becoming unable to speak properly, unable to make eye contact.
I knew I was socially inept, but I didn’t think I was that bad.
The more I replayed it in my mind, the more embarrassed I became.
My body started to heat up in a bad way, and I felt like I was going crazy, unable to process the embarrassment.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
I buried my face in my pillow and screamed.
The pillow should muffle the sound, so I shouldn’t be disturbing the neighbors.
Anyway, this morning was the worst.
This is how dark history is made.
I couldn’t bring myself to go to school.
“Yeah, I’ll skip. It can’t be helped today. My mental state will collapse if I go.”
This is the world of a dating sim, after all.
I don’t care about Amatsuki Suzuna’s grades.
She might be a good student character, but I, who have already deviated from the route, don’t need to maintain that.
I’ll sleep. I’ll sleep and forget everything.
Hopefully, my memories will be erased, and I’ll be reborn somewhere new.
I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes, trying to suppress the unpleasant memories.
—Ping
…And yet, the dreaded notification sound from my messaging app rang out.
“I’m trying to sleep. I can’t sleep if there’s something bothering me.”
Cursing my timid self, I looked at my phone screen.
“Good morning. Sorry for the sudden invitation yesterday. But I had fun being with you, Suzuna. See you at school.”
It was a message from Riri-chan.
It was as if she knew I was planning to skip school.
And the last part, “See you at school,” bound me.
“…I guess I have no choice but to go.”
Skipping school already fills me with guilt, and I’m not strong enough to sleep soundly while ignoring a friend’s message.
Sighing at my own weakness, I got out of bed.
◇◇◇
“Good morning, Suzuna.”
“…”
“Hey, ignoring me is not allowed.”
“…Good morning.”
After leaving the house and passing through the downtown area, Riri-chan was waiting for me, as usual.
It’s becoming a regular occurrence, even though we’ve never made plans to meet.
“You’re late today. What were you doing?”
“…I was sleepy.”
“Oversleeping? Even you do that sometimes, Suzuna?”
…It’s mostly your fault, Riri-chan.
But she seemed cheerful and carefree, flashing a bright smile.
Her voice was also high-pitched, even for this early in the morning.
It was as if nothing had happened yesterday.
“Hey, you don’t have to wait for me.”
“Why? Let’s go to school together.”
“…No.”
I was about to say, “Because of appearances,” but then I remembered that excuse no longer applies.
Riri-chan taught me that I shouldn’t worry about walking next to her.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Ah, okay…”
Riri-chan took my hand and led me to school.
It felt so… normal that even I reverted to my usual self.
◇◇◇
Arriving at school.
“Yo, Suzuna. Coming to school late again while hiding from me? Do you want my attention that much?”
The protagonist, looking smug, said something incredibly off the mark.
Lately, I’ve been preoccupied with the Riri-chan situation, but the main issue is this guy.
Shindo Minato.
The protagonist of this game has to end up with someone.
But for some reason, three of the heroines have currently achieved the impossible feat of avoiding his route.
I’m trying to figure out how to resolve this situation.
Otherwise, there’s a risk of being forced into the route where Shindo-kun and Amatsuki Suzuna get closer.
So I think.
How can I make the heroines fall for Shindo-kun?
“…But he’s a hopeless good-for-nothing, and they all fall for him anyway. I shouldn’t need to interfere…”
I sighed, not knowing what to do.
“Hey, did you just call me a good-for-nothing?”
“It’s okay, you’re popular even though you are one.”
“That’s not how it works! And retract the good-for-nothing comment!”
“…What should I do?”
“Hey, don’t ignore me!”
◇◇◇
The answer remained elusive as lunch break arrived.
“Suzuna, let’s eat.”
Riri-chan’s advance knows no bounds.
She came to my desk with a bento box.
“Th-Then… let’s go to the courtyard.”
“We can eat here, right?”
—Thud
She placed the bento box on my desk.
I felt an incredible amount of pressure.
“It’s cold today, and I don’t want to go outside every time. We can eat here, right?”
“A… okay.”
Defeated, I sat down obediently.
I heard the sound of the chair in front of me moving.
“Hinase-san, want to sit here? I’ll eat somewhere else.”
“Oh, really? Thanks.”
Shindo-kun gave up his seat, and Riri-chan sat down opposite me, using his chair.
…Such a bland conversation for a protagonist and a heroine.
There’s no romantic atmosphere at all.
Oh well. I’ve given up on the Riri-chan route.
“Riri-chan, are you sure you don’t want to eat with Tachibana-san and the others?”
“Yeah, I said I’d eat with Suzuna.”
“…Are you sure it’s okay?”
I thought she’d be excluded from the group if she acted like this.
“It’s fine. …But if you’re that worried, you can join us too, Suzuna.”
…No, there’s no way I can join that group.
“I’ll pass.”
“Cold. And the reason?”
“I don’t think I can become friends with anyone other than you, Riri-chan, and I don’t want to.”
That’s the truth.
Riri-chan is an exception. I’m not a sociable person.
“I-I see…”
“? Yeah.”
Riri-chan’s voice suddenly became faint.
The change in her tone was strange.
“So, look, I made extra for you, Suzuna.”
“Eh, I told you you didn’t have to…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
As Riri-chan opened the bento box she brought—
“Excuse me, is Hinase Riri-san here?”
A dignified voice echoed through the noisy classroom.
The classroom fell silent instantly.
“Ah, she’s over there.”
One of my classmates pointed to where Riri-chan was sitting, which also meant pointing at me.
“Thank you.”
The girl entered the classroom briskly and stood in front of Riri-chan without hesitation.
A beautiful girl with long golden hair and slightly upturned eyes that gave her a cool impression.
I knew her well.
“Excuse me for interrupting your meal. Hinase-san, I believe you understand what I want to discuss.”
The girl stated matter-of-factly, her tone businesslike.
“Huh? I haven’t said anything, so how would I know?”
Riri-chan replied in a bored tone and with an equally bored expression, clearly annoyed.
“Is that so? Then allow me to be blunt, so even someone with a poor memory like you can understand. I’ve warned you repeatedly that the way you wear your uniform violates the school rules. Do you have any explanation?”
“Your way of speaking is annoying. And that wasn’t blunt at all.”
“Oh, I apologize. I didn’t realize you couldn’t even comprehend such simple Japanese.”
“…Are you picking a fight?”
I know this scenario too.
“You’re the one picking a fight. I’ve told you repeatedly that you’ll face severe consequences if you don’t change your attire.”
“Huh? Why should I listen to you?”
“You seem to be mistaken. This is simply one of the student council’s activities.”
“So the student council is a group of people with too much free time who nitpick about the length of a single student’s skirt?”
A heated exchange of words, the animosity between them was genuine.
“Watch your words. I, Kanaori Reika, will not tolerate such disparaging remarks about the student council.”
Yes, she’s Kanaori Reika, a second-year and the student council president.
One of the heroines.
Leave a Reply to RaidenEi Cancel reply