Translator: RaidenTL
Ding-dong!
The clear sound of the doorbell rang in my ears.
Having just carefully finished brushing my teeth, I limped toward the front door.
My pace was slow. Perhaps because of this, the bell rang once more.
Ding-dong!
"Matsuda-kun?"
Miyuki's bright voice… It's so good to hear, no matter when.
I wanted to smile, but the pain in my ribs made it impossible. What a shame.
Somehow, I made it to the front gate and leaned against the pillars on either side as I opened the door.
Click…
"Matsuda-kun, did you oversleep or some…?"
Miyuki, who had walked in with a beaming smile, froze in shock when she saw my swollen face.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Whoa! Miyuki! You scared me!"
Tetsuya, startled by Miyuki as she jumped back in fright.
Their reaction was like they'd just walked into a haunted house. I hadn't expected this.
"Ma-Matsuda-kun…! What? What is this!? What happened to you!?"
Still, it was a relief that her shock immediately turned to worry.
I let out a weak laugh and said.
"Come in…"
"Wh-what happened to your face…? What on earth did you do yesterday…?"
"Just come in for now…"
With that, I dragged one foot behind me, my body staggering as I made my way to the living room.
I placed both hands on the flat bench and grunted as I climbed onto it. Miyuki quickly took off her shoes and rushed over to help support me.
I slowly waved my hand, refusing her help, and leaned my back against the living room wall.
Miyuki then crouched in front of me to check my condition.
"Oh, no… There isn't a single spot that's okay… You have a blister here, too… It looks like it's slightly torn…"
As I stared blankly at a frantic Miyuki, I pointed to the wardrobe in the corner.
"There's a first-aid kit in there. Could you maybe put something on my cuts?"
"This looks like something for a hospital, not a band-aid… O-okay, I get it. Wait just a second…"
Miyuki scrambled to open the wardrobe and find the first-aid kit.
Tetsuya approached, looking at me with a pitiful expression.
I tried to act cool and gestured with my chin.
"Let's go for that haircut another time. I'm exhausted."
"Hey… I don't think that's what's important right now… You're in really bad shape…"
"I'll be fine soon. I'm tough."
At that, Miyuki, who had sat down with the first-aid kit, scolded me.
"If you were so tough, you wouldn't have gotten bruised in the first place…! Can you hold your head up straight?"
"Like this…?"
"Yes, stay just like that."
Taking out an alcohol swab and disinfectant, Miyuki applied the disinfectant to a cotton swab and leaned in close.
Her chest grew larger and larger in my field of vision.
The scent of fabric softener from her clothes wafted over, stimulating my sense of smell.
"This might sting a little."
She could've just used her finger. A shame.
"Okay… Aaaaargh!!"
I was about to answer calmly, but the moment I felt a sting above my eyebrow, I screamed.
Miyuki looked at me as if I were pathetic and said.
"I haven't even properly touched you yet…"
"Didn't you just put disinfectant on it?"
"I did. A tiny bit. So little you can't even tell."
"…Really…? Try again."
"Okay. Try to bear it this time, even if it hurts."
I'll do my best.
"Now, tell me. How did this happen?"
Miyuki asked after a long time spent treating all my wounds.
She didn't just jump to asking if I'd gotten into a fight.
That meant she trusted me, at least to some extent.
I gulped down the water Tetsuya brought me and asked.
"Can you keep it a secret?"
"You mean not tell the professors?"
"That's right."
"So it was related to the academy?"
"Pretty much. Do you know a guy named Shimoyama? Shimoyama Akiro."
Miyuki tilted her head.
Tetsuya, on the other hand, looked slightly terrified at the name.
"Shimoyama Akiro…? Are you talking about Shimoyama Akiro, the second-year senior?"
Tetsuya cut into our conversation.
I said nothing, which was my way of confirming it.
Then, Miyuki's eyes widened as if she'd figured something out.
"Ah…! I think I've heard of him…! That problem child from the second year… What about him? Did he hit you? For no reason?"
"There was a reason. Yesterday…"
I told them everything that had happened after I parted ways with them yesterday, holding nothing back.
In the middle of my story, Tetsuya tried to ask something, but he shut his mouth when Miyuki shot him a stern look.
He shouldn't have tried to butt in so cluelessly. Serves him right.
After listening to my entire story with a serious face, Miyuki spoke.
"So, in conclusion… you refused because you didn't want to get into a fight with students from Inagi Academy, but Shimoyama Akiro used violence? And you just took it, Matsuda-kun?"
"Yeah."
"…I understand. First of all, I want to praise you."
"For what?"
"You held back in a situation where you had every right to be angry. The old Matsuda-kun would have lunged at him the moment he got hit. You weren't just standing there because you were scared of a senior from the same club, right?"
"You think I'd be scared of that shriveled-up skeleton? I just avoided him because he was beneath me."
"Right. That's what I mean. You're definitely changing, Matsuda-kun. I'm so happy."
I'm happy you said that, too.
I tried to scratch my head, feeling a bit embarrassed, but I winced as a sharp pain shot through my ribs the moment I raised my arm.
"Does it hurt a lot? Should we go to the hospital first?"
"What hospital? I felt around, and it doesn't seem like anything's broken. It'll heal in a few days."
"How would you know that, Matsuda-kun? I'm worried, so it would be better to get it checked out."
"I'll go on my own."
"You won't, though."
"So anyway, don't tell the professors, okay?"
I forcefully changed the subject. Miyuki let out a small sigh and said.
"I wish you'd tell them right now… The fact that he hit you… and that he's trying to start a group fight with students from another academy… It's all just too much."
"If I say don't tell them, then don't."
"Why? Why shouldn't I?"
Tetsuya answered for me.
"Matsuda is worried about us getting involved."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Think about it. If we tell the professors, they'll confirm the facts and hand out severe punishments to Shimoyama-senpai and the others involved. What do you think those students will do after they're punished? They'll try to find the person who snitched on their secret plan."
And then, of course, they'd suspect me first for refusing their order and come after me.
If I didn't talk, they'd start harassing the people close to me.
Of course, they don't know that Miyuki, Tetsuya, and I study and hang out together, but I'm being cautious because you never know how things might unfold.
After hearing Tetsuya's explanation, Miyuki bit her lower lip.
"Is that really why you told me not to say anything?"
"You can think whatever you want, but I'll handle the club matter myself. So don't worry about it. I'm telling you this honestly because I trust you two, so you have to trust me too. Even if I don't have much credibility."
I was being sincere.
The moment Miyuki got involved, there was a high chance the incident would blow up.
It was best to use my connection with the club just for affection points and then be done with it, and I was confident I could end it that way.
That's because the third-year leader who practically ran the Supuri club was a somewhat decent guy.
He was the type who appeared in school-life stories with the full aura of a villain, but in reality, he was a pretty cool and decent person.
The type who caused trouble in his first and second years but straightened out a bit by his third year.
He was that kind of cliché character.
Still, a delinquent is a delinquent, so I'd have to be prepared for some fallout when I declare my withdrawal in front of him.
"You'll do that for me, right?"
Miyuki's eyes wavered at my earnest plea.
You saw the determined look on my face that one time before.
So please, just let it go.
Did my wish get through?
Miyuki gave a tiny nod.
"…Okay. I'll do that. And we believe in you, Matsuda-kun. It's your own misunderstanding to think you have no credibility."
For her to say something like that… It's like good fortune just rolled right up to my door today.
I feel an incredible sense of satisfaction.
Maybe… maybe it was a good thing I got my ass kicked…
"Alright then. Let's get to studying."
"How can you study in your condition…? You just rest here, Matsuda-kun. We'll clean up."
"Clean up?"
"There are drops of blood here and there. The floor is tatami, so we need to get rid of them quickly before they stain."
My Miyuki is just too good at taking care of things.
That's why she's so lovely.
With each passing day, the desire to bury my face in her chest grows stronger.
Lying on my side in the corner, not moving a muscle, I must have looked incredibly pitiful and worrisome to Miyuki.
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
She kept asking me that over and over while she was cleaning.
I wanted to go to the hospital alone with Miyuki too, so it was time to drop a hint.
"I said I'm not going… What hospital? It's embarrassing…"
"That's such a useless kind of pride, you know…? What if there's something seriously wrong with you? We're done cleaning, so stop lying there and let's go. I'll call a taxi. Tetsuya-kun, do you want to head home first?"
I knew Miyuki, who hated wasting other people's time, would say that to Tetsuya.
Even if they were childhood friends, she couldn't let him get involved in this kind of meddling.
"Huh? I can go with you…"
Tetsuya, trying to get between Miyuki and me again.
I just wanted to tell him to get lost.
He's a passive guy anyway, so he'd probably leave if Miyuki suggested it one more time.
"No, it's okay. It might take a while, so it's better for you to go home, Tetsuya-kun."
"You think so…? Alright. I'll just finish this up and go."
Listening to their conversation, I grumbled in protest.
"I never even said I was going, and you two are putting on a show."
"Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki's sharp voice, her hands on her hips.
Acting as if I was giving up, I replied in a reluctant tone.
"Fine. I'll go. I'm going. Stop looking at me like that."
"This is the only way to get you to listen."
"You and your nagging…"
I muttered. Once Tetsuya finished cleaning his section, I tossed a comment at him.
"Thanks, Miura."
"It's nothing. Of course I should help. I'll get going now. Miyuki, I'm leaving."
Miyuki, who was checking the taxi's location on her phone, replied.
"Okay. Get home safe. I'll call you later."
Don't call him. Stop giving Tetsuya false hope.
After sending Tetsuya off on his own, we got ready to leave when we got the signal that the taxi was about to arrive.
As I struggled to put on my shoes and pushed myself up from the flat bench, Miyuki asked in a worried voice.
"Do you need help?"
"No. I can walk."
"You were staggering a lot earlier… Here, take my hand."
What?
My ears perked up. As I stood frozen, Miyuki stood in front of me and held out both her hands.
"Take them. You might fall while walking. I'll help you keep your balance."
Miyuki was probably just thinking of helping a friend, but depending on what I said, the atmosphere could change completely.
An opportunity has come, so I have to take it.
Calming my nervous heart, I slowly reached out and placed my hand on top of Miyuki's palm.
Even though she had just washed her hands with cold water, they were still warm.
Does she have a high body temperature?
It would be so blissful to hug her and sleep under a thick blanket in the winter.
As I carefully took steps to match Miyuki's backward pace, I spoke in the most gentlemanly voice I could manage.
"It's warm."
"What is?"
"Your hand. It's warm."
"…Is that so…?"
Miyuki's head dipped so slightly you wouldn't have noticed if you weren't looking closely.
I think a faint blush appeared on her cheeks… I wanted to stare intently to confirm, but I had to hold back.
Instead, I decided to check her state of mind another way.
Looking down at the ground and at our hands, I took one step after another toward the front door and asked.
"How about my hand? Is it cold?"
"…Y-yeah… I think it's a little cold…"
Seeing her answer in a small voice after a slight hesitation, it seemed my intention had hit its mark.
I felt like clenching my fist in triumph, but that would hurt Miyuki, so I just cheered inwardly.
And so, we made our way through the suddenly charged atmosphere, left the house, and got into the taxi.