93 A Careless Person
It’s another school day.
I’m meeting up with Riri-chan to walk to school, but I can’t stop fidgeting, thinking about yesterday.
After a night of reflection, I feel like I did something incredibly reckless.
It’s like… she saw a side of me I never show anyone, and yet, we’re back to our normal routine.
It feels strange to go about my daily life with someone who knows my… other side…
“Good morning, Suzuuu-na!”
Yeah.
It seems like I’m the only one feeling sentimental.
She’s as cheerful as ever, maybe even more so than usual.
Her skin looks… radiant.
“G-Good morning… Riri-chan. You seem more energetic than usual today.”
“Fufufu… can you tell?”
I can tell without her saying anything.
Her glamorous aura is even more pronounced than usual.
“Look at this.”
Riri-chan bent down and showed me her chest.
I braced myself, wondering what she was showing me so early in the morning, and then I noticed something sparkling around her neck.
“A necklace…?”
“Yeah, the birthday present you gave me, Suzuna. I’m wearing it.”
“Is that why you’re so cheerful?”
“Of course. This way, I feel like you’re always watching over me, Suzuna.”
Riri-chan smiled brightly.
S-So that’s why…
Well, I’m happy. Really happy.
But I thought it was because of… what we did yesterday…
I started to feel embarrassed, wondering if I’m the pervert.
“Hmm? Were you thinking of something else?”
As always, Riri-chan didn’t miss my subtle change in expression.
“I wasn’t.”
“You had a ‘was it the present?’ look on your face.”
“I didn’t.”
She’s spot on.
Riri-chan’s intuition at times like these is so sharp that it sends chills down my spine.
“I also liked your cute reaction yesterday, Suzuna.”
She knows, and she’s moving closer.
As Riri-chan leaned forward to look at my face, her neckline dipped, revealing her chest along with the necklace.
It was quite a sight, and I felt uncomfortable.
“Riri-chan, I’ve been meaning to ask…”
If this continues, she’ll keep teasing me until we get to school.
I decided to interrupt her and make her listen to me.
“Hmm, I’ll listen, but if you’re changing the subject because you’re embarrassed, I’ll ignore you.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
But it’s scary how she can see right through me.
“Aren’t the buttons of your blouse… undone a bit too much?”
“…What do you mean?”
“It’s fine that you want to show off the necklace, but even so, it’s too open. I can almost see your chest.”
If she bends down, her underwear will definitely be visible.
“Eh, but I’m usually careful. And no one really cares.”
Riri-chan replied casually.
But I didn’t like her reaction.
“No, it’s visible.”
“I’m only careless around you, Suzuna. I’m careful at school, especially around boys, so it’s fine.”
She replied nonchalantly, as if I’m worrying too much.
She’s not listening to me at all.
I don’t like that.
Being brushed off like this only made me angrier.
“No, it’s not fine. Even without doing anything, your blouse is too open, you’re showing too much skin.”
“But it’s tight if I button it up.”
“Then button up just one more. You can still see the necklace.”
“No, it’ll slightly cover it. And it won’t… stand out.”
She’s being stubborn.
She usually listens to me.
But when it comes to clothes, she suddenly becomes uncooperative.
I don’t want to nag her about her fashion choices, but…
“It’s not about standing out or not. I’m saying it’s not good that your chest is visible.”
“Why are you saying this now? You’ve never said that before, Suzuna.”
…Hmm.
It’s true that I haven’t said that before.
I thought she was… open, but I never thought about making her button up.
But if you ask me why I want her to now, I have an answer.
“It’s different now. You’re mine, Riri-chan, so don’t dress so carelessly.”
That’s right.
Since Riri-chan is dating me, she shouldn’t show any vulnerability to anyone else.
It’s not good to have her blouse unbuttoned or to expose her legs with a short skirt.
It’s wrong for anyone else to see Riri-chan’s skin.
“O-Oh…”
Riri-chan looked like she had been struck by lightning.
Did my message get through, even a little?
“And that skirt is also no good. Why are you showing so much leg?”
“Well, it’s not like I’m… showing them… it’s… fashion.”
“That’s why I’m saying it’s not good! People will look!”
“Hmm… but it… boosts my mood.”
She’s still saying that after all this?
“That’s why boys stare at you! You’re too careless, Riri-chan, you have no sense of danger!”
“Well… I don’t know about that…”
“…Seriously…”
I’m getting more and more irritated.
Riri-chan’s lack of awareness, the way she’s not listening to me…
She simply doesn’t understand how I feel.
“You’re so stubborn, Riri-chan.”
I was getting seriously angry.
I undid two buttons of my own blouse.
I also rolled up my skirt.
It was clumsy and awkward since I’ve never done this before, but…
Anyway, my skirt was now about as short as Riri-chan’s.
“S-Suzuna…?!”
“How would you feel if I went to school like this, Riri-chan?”
“…N-No! That’s indecent!”
You’re one to talk!
Well, that’s what I wanted her to say.
“Right? Now you understand how I feel. So stop it, Riri-chan.”
“W-Well… I understand what you mean, but… it’s also about… image.”
“…Image?”
“I’m already… that kind of person, so it doesn’t feel out of place, and I don’t think many people care. But you’re different, Suzuna. If a serious girl like you suddenly dresses like this, the gap makes it… sexy.”
“…Is that how it works?”
“Look for yourself.”
We happened to pass by a building with reflective windows, and I could see my reflection.
It definitely looked strange.
“So, let’s fix this.”
“Ah, okay…”
Riri-chan buttoned my blouse and unrolled my skirt.
“There, there, now you’re back to your usual self, Suzuna.”
Riri-chan seemed more relieved than I was.
“So, Riri-chan, will you… dress normally?”
“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”
That’s what someone who’s not going to do it would say.
But I said what I wanted to say, so I feel a little better.
“But I’m happy that you were worried about me, Suzuna.”
“Of course I was. You’re beautiful and cute, Riri-chan, so be more aware of that.”
“Hmm… ahaha… I don’t know how to react to that.”
Riri-chan scratched her cheek, looking truly troubled.
Her face also seemed slightly red.
I’m starting to feel embarrassed, like I said too much.
“Suzuna, you can dress like that when we have a date at home.”
“Why?”
“Eh…? Ehehe.”
Her laugh suddenly sounded suggestive.
“…I won’t.”
She really doesn’t understand.
94 Secrets
“—Fufu.”
As we walked down the hallway after arriving at school, Riri-chan, next to me, was humming cheerfully.
I was feeling down about the upcoming classes, so I wondered what she found so amusing.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Yeah, I am. Thanks to this.”
Riri-chan touched the necklace at her neckline, showing it off.
I’m happy that she likes it, but I just saw it, so is there a need to show it off again?
“Put it away.”
“Cold.”
“Don’t emphasize your chest like that.”
“Not this again.”
Riri-chan’s expression turned sullen.
It seems like even she doesn’t like being told what to do with her appearance.
“It’s not good to show it off like that…”
“Hinase-san, what is that?”
Speak of the devil.
Kanaori Reika stood before us, her eyes narrowed.
“Ugh… Kanaori, so early in the morning…”
“I don’t recall giving you any reason to make that face. More importantly, what is that ornament around your neck?”
Riri-chan instinctively twisted her body to hide her neckline.
Too late, I think.
“I-It’s nothing.”
“Wearing metal accessories is prohibited at school.”
Kanaori-san approached Riri-chan with a stern expression and reached for her neck.
“Hey, don’t touch me!”
Riri-chan brushed her hand away.
“I’m confiscating it. Hand it over.”
Riri-chan continued to hide her neckline, covering it with her own hand.
She wouldn’t give in.
“Why should I give it to you?”
“I’ll hand it over to your homeroom teacher.”
“Then I’ll give it to them myself. You can leave.”
“Do you think I’d believe that?”
Kanaori-san’s gaze sharpened, and her argument was valid.
I don’t think Riri-chan has any room for rebuttal…
“…Fine, fine, I understand. I’ll give it to you.”
Riri-chan let go of the hand she was using to cover her neck, and something shiny flew through the air.
“H-How dare you throw it! That’s indecent!”
Kanaori-san hurriedly caught it.
There was a clinking sound.
“There. I’m leaving now.”
Riri-chan brushed past Kanaori-san.
“…W-Wait, Riri-chan.”
Kanaori-san didn’t stop her, so it must have been the necklace she threw.
…But honestly, I’m feeling conflicted.
“Honestly, that girl… when will she ever follow the rules?”
I bowed my head to Kanaori-san, who was clicking her tongue, and then I chased after Riri-chan.
◇◇◇
“Riri-chan.”
I caught up to Riri-chan, who was walking briskly.
It’s hard to keep up with her when she’s serious about walking fast.
“Ah, Suzuna. She’s not coming, is she?”
Riri-chan looked around nervously.
She seems to be very wary of Kanaori-san.
“She’s not. More importantly, what are we going to do about that?”
It’s the worst that my present, of all things, was confiscated.
“Ah, it’s fine. I’ll get it back eventually.”
It’s true that it won’t be disposed of even if it’s confiscated.
She’ll probably get it back eventually.
But that’s not the issue.
“But you didn’t have to treat it like that, did you?”
She gave up too easily.
She just threw it.
And she’s saying it’s fine because she’ll get it back.
I thought she’d treasure it, so I’m shocked by how carelessly she treated it.
I’m not saying she has to treat it like a family heirloom, but I don’t want her to be so careless with it either.
“Well, it’s mine after all.”
“…”
That ticked me off.
It’s true that it’s hers since it was a present.
But that’s not what presents are about, is it?
She can think that, but I don’t want her to say it or act like it.
My head started to boil.
“I see.”
I brushed past Riri-chan, annoyed.
I don’t want to think about this anymore, or I might say something I’ll regret.
I’ll go back to my seat in the classroom and calm down.
“Suzuna? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
Riri-chan followed me.
What is she thinking, following me like this?
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re suddenly angry.”
Of course, I am. Anyone would be.
“I just realized you’re insensitive, Riri-chan, so I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
I was trying to keep quiet, but my mouth moved when Riri-chan asked.
I blurted out my feelings.
“Why?”
That’s what makes you insensitive.
I thought you were more considerate.
“Wait a minute.”
She grabbed my hand from behind.
Riri-chan is faster and stronger than me, so it’s difficult for me to escape if she seriously chases after me.
But that’s not the issue here.
“Suzuna, are you even listening to me?”
What a ridiculous thing to say after I’ve already made my judgment after listening to her.
“I get it. You’re the type of person who gives up on my presents, throws them away, and forgets about them, aren’t you, Riri-chan?”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“You were wearing it, saying, ‘This way, I feel like you’re always watching over me, Suzuna,’ and the next moment, you just tossed it aside.”
I can’t trust someone like that’s words.
“You’ll just throw me away too when it’s convenient, won’t you? Fine, then just leave me alone.”
I should just throw her away like the necklace.
She thinks I’ll come back eventually, right?
I’ll show her that it’s not that simple.
“Seriously, you’re so quick to jump to conclusions, Suzuna.”
She suddenly pulled my wrist and pressed my face against her chest.
“Hey, stop it!”
“There, there, calm down, Suzuna.”
“Don’t treat me like a horse!”
“You’re like an animal when you’re excited, Suzuna.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
I don’t want to be treated like that by such an insensitive person.
“Look at this.”
She loosened her grip on my head, and my eyes fell on her neckline.
My necklace was sparkling there.
“…Huh?”
“I’ve been hiding it this whole time.”
It’s true that she was covering her neck and twisting her body so Kanaori-san wouldn’t see it.
“…Then what did you give Kanaori-san?”
“Something I had with me. I had it in my bag, just in case, and I threw it at her in the heat of the moment.”
…What’s that supposed to mean?
“So you gave Kanaori-san a different necklace?”
“Yeah, that’s why I wanted to leave quickly before she noticed. This kind of thing happens often, so I’m prepared. I didn’t think she’d actually confiscate it, though.”
So she gave up on it easily, threw it, and didn’t care because it was her own necklace.
“…”
“See? Don’t worry. I’ll treasure the one you gave me, Suzuna.”
She patted my head.
“Don’t treat me like a child!”
“But you are one. You get angry easily and stop listening.”
She’s grinning.
She’s definitely looking down on me.
“Just take it off or hide it. What if she confiscates it again?”
“Ah… yeah, okay.”
Riri-chan reluctantly buttoned up one more button.
You could still see it if you looked closely, but it wasn’t obvious at first glance.
“Is this okay?”
“Ah, yeah…”
She was so against it earlier.
It’s strange that she’s suddenly listening to me.
“…Really?”
“You get angry easily when it comes to me, Suzuna. But you’re cute, so I’ll forgive you.”
And she patted my head again.
“Stop treating me like a child!”
I brushed her hand away.
“That’s what makes you a child. Well, I don’t mind since it’s a side of you you only show me.”
…Hmm.
It’s annoying to be treated like a child, but…
I’ll let it slide since my present made her cover up her exposed chest.
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