61 Treated Like a Child
“…”
“…”
The silence is heavy…
Riri-chan is looking away, not making eye contact with me.
And I’m frozen, unsure of what to do, watching her.
I’m starting to calm down, thinking I might have gone too far.
“R-Riri-chan…?”
Riri-chan’s shoulders twitched.
“Wh-What…?”
She replied, still facing away from me.
“Um… are you okay?”
I think I might have overwhelmed Riri-chan with my confusing emotions.
But it’s also true that I felt like I was losing it if I didn’t do something.
So right now, I’m a little calmer.
Now that I’ve calmed down, I’m realizing I might have gone too far, but…
“Well, I was just wondering… what you were thinking, Suzuna…”
“What I was thinking… I was just punishing you for making me angry.”
Hearing that, Riri-chan finally turned to face me.
She pointed at her left breast.
“This. Why did you do this?”
It’s probably about the bite mark, even though it’s not visible through her blouse.
“I told you, it was a punishment.”
“You didn’t have to go that far, did you?”
“I did.”
“Why? It hurt.”
Despite saying it hurt, Riri-chan’s voice didn’t sound angry.
It sounded more like… confusion.
“It wouldn’t be a punishment if it didn’t hurt.”
“Do you usually give your friends painful punishments?”
“Is it wrong to give your friend a painful punishment?”
“It is, normally.”
But even as she said that, Riri-chan didn’t seem genuinely upset.
And yet, she also said this wasn’t something you’d do to a normal friend.
So that means I’m in a different position from Tachibana-san and the others.
That might make me a little happy.
“You bit me pretty hard.”
“I held back. I actually wanted to bite harder.”
And I wanted to bite other places too.
I don’t feel that way now that I’ve calmed down, but…
I really did think that earlier.
“…Suzuna, are you… actually a sadist?”
Riri-chan seemed genuinely bewildered.
She probably wasn’t expecting that kind of response.
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have done that otherwise…”
Is that true?
But I don’t want to hurt anyone else.
I just… couldn’t feel at ease unless I left a mark on Riri-chan.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to punish, Riri-chan.”
“I’m not a masochist, you know.”
I know that…
But I’m relieved that Riri-chan isn’t angry.
“…So, what now?”
“What do you mean?”
Riri-chan didn’t seem to understand my question.
“Are we going to continue studying?”
I pointed at the notebooks and textbooks on the low table.
I feel bad for letting the tea she made get cold.
Riri-chan blinked, looked at the table, and then back at me.
“Is that even possible?”
“…No, I guess not.”
The study session ended there.
◇◇◇
It was late at night.
I decided to go home.
I packed my study materials into my bag, stood up, and headed for the door.
“I’ll walk you home.”
Riri-chan stood up too.
“It’s fine, I’m not a child.”
I won’t get lost on the way to the elevator or the entrance.
There’s no need to be so overprotective.
“You’re basically a child.”
“Huh?”
It doesn’t make sense to be treated like a child when we’re the same age.
I think we’re both still somewhat children and somewhat adults.
It’s not right to be unilaterally treated like a child.
“A non-child wouldn’t bite someone’s chest just because they’re angry.”
I was momentarily speechless.
“You can’t express your emotions unless you physically lash out, can you? It’s fine, I understand.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her condescending tone threw me off.
I was the one in control earlier, but now that some time has passed, Riri-chan is back to her usual self, and I feel like I’m the one being tamed.
“I’ll accept your childish behavior, Suzuna. I’m like a mother to you.”
“…”
I’m starting to want to bite her again.
But if I do that, I can already imagine Riri-chan saying, “There, there, you’re such a child,” as if she understands me perfectly.
So I’ll hold back.
“…That was a punishment.”
My frustrated words trailed off and probably didn’t reach her.
◇◇◇
I left the apartment, walked down the hallway, and got into the elevator.
Only the impersonal whirring of the motor echoed in the elevator as we descended.
“Suzuna, what are you eating for dinner tonight?”
She’ll probably say something if I say instant ramen.
“…I’ll probably buy something at the convenience store.”
“Seriously, it’s always that, isn’t it?”
So it’s the same thing after all.
Either way, I’m labeled as someone who doesn’t take care of herself.
“Of course.”
“I don’t know what’s ‘of course’ about that, but I’m worried.”
Riri-chan sighed, looking exasperated.
She’s been treating me like a child this whole time.
“I’m fine.”
“With that skinny body? You’re not eating properly, are you?”
“I am. My body type is just… my constitution.”
“…Are you being sarcastic?”
Riri-chan looked me up and down resentfully.
I was just stating a fact; it’s Amatsuki Suzuna’s body type, after all.
But for some reason, it sounded like sarcasm to Riri-chan.
“Why would you say that?”
“I’m putting in so much effort… and this is what I get…”
Riri-chan compared her body to mine.
In terms of slenderness, Amatsuki Suzuna is definitely thinner.
But Riri-chan isn’t fat; she just has a healthy figure.
If anything, Amatsuki Suzuna is too thin.
“You’re overthinking it.”
“Hmm, slender people sure are carefree.”
…She sounds jealous.
What happened to treating me like a child?
Riri-chan is the childish one now.
“I like your figure better, Riri-chan. It’s cuter.”
“…What do you mean, ‘cute’?”
“Soft and… cute.”
I recalled the feeling of Riri-chan’s legs when I touched them earlier.
Compared to that, my stick-like legs are bony and unattractive.
“Stop remembering that!”
Riri-chan waved her hands dismissively.
…Well, she’s right.
I shouldn’t have said that in front of her.
We arrived at the first floor while chatting about nonsense.
We went through the entrance and stepped outside.
“I’ll make you dinner again sometime.”
“…It’s too much trouble, so it’s okay.”
“No, I’m worried about your health, Suzuna.”
Is she really that worried about me that she wants to be my mother?
Well, Riri-chan’s cooking is delicious, so I don’t have a good reason to refuse.
“Sometime.”
“Yeah, I’ll make you whatever you want.”
Riri-chan smiled happily.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
We waved goodbye and parted ways.
62 Things Seem Normal, But They’re Not
During class.
The teacher’s monotone voice and the rhythmic tapping of chalk against the blackboard induced drowsiness.
Since it was close to the test, I tried to fight off the sleepiness and focus on the lesson.
“Zzz…”
However, Shindo Minato, the boy sitting in front of me, had completely succumbed to sleep, his face buried in his desk.
Seriously, this guy.
This is hardly the behavior of someone who asked me for help studying yesterday.
As a heroine, the correct course of action would be to wake him up and trigger an event.
But I don’t want to increase my intimacy level with him, so I decided to leave him alone.
◇◇◇
Break time.
Riri-chan was chatting with Tachibana-san and her other female friends.
Riri-chan was the center of attention, with the others gathered around her.
I watched Riri-chan from afar.
I wonder what they’re talking about.
Riri-chan was nodding along, occasionally laughing happily.
It’s normal for her to get along with others, so I don’t intend to say anything about it.
But her laughter seemed different from when she’s with me.
She seems to have more fun when she’s talking to me.
I had that pointless thought.
◇◇◇
Lunch break.
“Suzuna, it’s lunchtime.”
“Ah, okay.”
Riri-chan came to my desk with her bento box.
Shindo-kun was sleeping at his desk today, so Riri-chan borrowed a nearby chair and sat next to me.
I wonder how long he’s going to sleep…
“Here, eat.”
She opened the bento box and handed it to me.
Hamburg steak, tamagoyaki, tomatoes, and stir-fried vegetables.
It looked very colorful and appetizing.
“I’m happy, but I feel bad that you’re always making lunch for me…”
“Don’t worry about it. Making lunch for one person or two people is the same amount of effort.”
“That might be true, but…”
Even so, I don’t think it’s healthy to have a friend make lunch for you every day.
“If I don’t do this, you’ll just eat sandwiches every day, right? That’s not good for you.”
Lately, Riri-chan has become increasingly motherly.
What does she want, taking care of me so much?
“There’s also the cost, you know.”
Even if the effort is the same, the cost of ingredients is doubled.
I feel bad about burdening her.
But I’m also hesitant to give her money, so I’d prefer if she just stopped making lunch for me altogether.
“You can pay me with your body.”
But Riri-chan ignored my concerns and said something strange with a grin.
“My… body…?”
Does she mean… that?
But no one would want my body; I don’t have any feminine charm.
Riri-chan, with her womanly figure, is the one in demand…
…My gaze naturally drifted up and down Riri-chan’s body.
“Hey, that’s not what I meant.”
Riri-chan, noticing my gaze, twisted her body to hide her chest.
Her flustered reaction told me she knew what I was thinking.
“Anyway, don’t worry about my bento! Just eat, Suzuna.”
That makes it sound like she’s feeding a pet.
“That makes me your pet, Riri-chan.”
“It’s fine, be my pet.”
She actually agreed.
There’s no way you can have a human as a pet.
And what would she even do with a pet like me?
◇◇◇
P.E. class.
Volleyball again, apparently.
The teams were the same as last time, and I joined a group of people I’m neither close to nor dislike.
Riri-chan was with Tachibana-san and her group again.
My volleyball performance was… adequate. I didn’t excel, but I didn’t drag the team down either.
Thanks to Kanaori-san and Riri-chan’s coaching, I can now receive the ball, so I’m much less of a burden.
My team won our first game and waited for the next match.
I quickly retreated to a corner of the gymnasium and sat down.
Even the people I just played with would leave after the game since we’re not usually in the same group.
I dislike this awkward atmosphere, but I also don’t want to be with them all the time.
Maybe it would be more comfortable if I had friends at times like these.
“Here, Riri.”
“Leave it to me!”
The next game was Riri-chan’s team’s turn.
As always, she excelled with her exceptional athleticism.
Watching Riri-chan enjoy playing sports—
“Because I like you.”
—I remembered her words from last night.
That ambiguous statement, implying she liked either Shindo-kun or me.
Come to think of it, Riri-chan hasn’t really talked to Shindo-kun properly yet.
I did ask her once if she was interested in him, and she immediately denied it.
But she didn’t say that in front of Shindo-kun.
The other heroines clearly stated they weren’t interested in him, right in front of him.
Thinking about it, Riri-chan might actually have feelings for Shindo-kun, even if she doesn’t say it.
Then is there a possibility that she likes me?
Would Riri-chan like me, someone who isn’t the protagonist, or even a boy?
Riri-chan also said that her “because I like you” was a joke.
So there’s a chance she doesn’t feel anything at all.
“That’s the end!”
—Thud
The sound of the volleyball hitting the court.
Riri-chan had successfully scored a point with her attack.
“Riri, you’re as athletic as ever.”
“That’s because Kaede gives me good tosses.”
I felt a pang of discomfort watching that scene before.
But I don’t feel anything now.
The bite mark I left on Riri-chan’s left breast…
As long as that mark remains, I can feel at ease, like she belongs to me.
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