Volume 5 Chapter 9

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Chapter edited by: Kashima

♥

The next day.

Sunday afternoon.

Takkun and I headed to the cafeteria in front of the station. We chose a seat in the back of the store, where it was hard for the other clientele to eavesdrop on our conversation.

A few minutes later, the person we were waiting for arrived.

Arisa Odaki-san.

Even today, she was dressed as a fashionable university student of her age.

It was a youthful look I could never flaunt.

Compared to the night before yesterday, today she seemed a lot more polite and calm.

The other day, she seemed quite drunk and lively.

“…Uhm, i-is it true?”

After getting a brief explanation, Arisa-san was surprised.

She looked back and forth at Takumi and I as if in disbelief.

“Katsuragi-san… is Takumi-kun’s current girlfriend?”

“It’s true,” I said.

I clenched my fists under the table and looked at her.

I desperately repressed the impulse to run away and lie. I didn’t care if she looked at me with eyes that judged me as if she was asking ‘Are you really going out with this grandma?’. Because I was probably the only one being paranoid.

Everything is fine, I’m not afraid anymore.

Because I have a reliable boyfriend next to me.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Ayako Katsuragi. A single mother with a daughter in high school and I’ll be 3X this year.”

When I revealed my true identity, Arisa-san’s eyes widened again.

I think she was surprised by the fact that I had a daughter.

“Takkun and I… Takumi-kun and I have a serious relationship.”

“…”

“Sorry about lying the other day.”

“Don’t mind it…”

She still seemed to be surprised, but lightly shook her head.

“R-Rather, I’m sorry for getting surprised now… It’s impolite to react this way…”

“No, it’s fine, I think that’s a natural reaction.”

“…Then, that thing about being her aunt…”

“That was a lie, I’m his neighbor, not her relative.”

“And what about the part of living together now?”

“That one is true. I’m also working in Tokyo for a period of time, so we’re living together in the same apartment.”

“…I see.”

Arisa-san seemed a little bewildered, but suddenly, her expression was filled with guilt.

“U-Uhm, sorry. I didn’t know that and said something inappropriate like me being his ‘ex-girlfriend’… That was a lie, we didn’t really go out… Ah, geez, why did I say that…?”

“I-It’s fine.”

I hurriedly calmed Arisa-san down, who seemed to feel really sorry about it.

“You have nothing to worry about, he already explained to me what happened,” I said, turning to Takkun and he nodded.

He then turned to Arisa-san and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, I already told Ayako-san everything about us.”

“…Don’t worry, it’s fine, you don’t need to apologize. It was my fault for saying something weird, rather, thanks for explaining it.”

Then, she looked at the two of us seriously.

“…Ahaha, it’s weird. I was surprised at first… but after listening to you, I feel like that makes more sense.”

She exhaled and then smiled softly.

“When we met 2 days ago, I thought it was a little weird. I felt that you were too close to be just aunt and nephew.”

With a soft smile, she continued.

“Hey, Takumi-kun, do you remember?” She said, turning to Takkun. “When you rejected my confession, you said you had someone you liked.”

“That’s right.”

“Could it be… that the person you liked was Katsuragi-san?”

“…Yes,” said Takkun, a little embarrassed. “I’ve been in love with Ayako-san since back then.”

“I see, so it was true…” Arisa-san showed an awkward and bitter smile. “I… to be honest, didn’t believe you. I thought, ‘Oh, he’s rejecting me with a textbook excuse.’ After all, you didn’t seem interested in any girls from school, I never saw you speaking with any of them. I thought you had simply told me the usual rejection line just to make me give up.”

“…Did you?”

“But it was true. You really liked someone,” said Arisa-san with a happy smile. “Ahaha, I’m a little happy to know that I wasn’t rejected for no reason, but because you had a proper reason. Fufu, I feel a bit at peace with my memories now.”

She had a calm and satisfied smile on her face.

She really seemed pleased to know the truth about her rejection.

“…Hey, Arisa-san,” I said.

I had to ask.

I was prepared to say something akin to rubbing salt in the wound.

“Do you still like Takkun?”

“…Huh?”

Arisa-san had a perplexed and confused expression.

“Ah, sorry, I asked an unpleasant question. You don’t need to answer, whatever your answer is, it doesn’t change what I’ll say.”

“Uhm…”

“Arisa-san!”

She was about to say something, but I spoke before she could.

I shouted out all the feelings welling up inside my heart.

The reason I asked Takkun to allow me to meet with Arisa-san today was to apologize for lying to her 2 days ago, and to introduce myself properly.

And also…

“I’ll never let you have Takkun!”

To declare war on her.

I wanted to transmit my determination face to face.

“No matter what you think or do… I’ll never let you go out with Takkun. I won’t give him to anyone. I’ll firmly cling onto him as hard as I can and keep protecting him.”

“…”

Arisa-san seemed bewildered.

And Takkun next to me seemed nervous.

“…Uhm Ayako-san,” said Takkun, trying to interrupt me.

“Takkun, don’t step in, this is a problem between women.”

I swiftly stopped him.

I couldn’t stop now.

I had made up my mind and nothing could stop me!

“I heard what happened during high school. Takkun… seemed to have done a lot of cool things I didn’t know about. I understand well your feelings of not wanting to give up after being rejected once. I get why you still have those feelings even after so many years.”

“…Uhm…”

“Oh, you don’t need to say anything, because I know what you’ll say. It’s true… I’m a grandma over 30 years old. I was born in the Showa era and I have a high school daughter, and I’m at an age where I need to start worrying about my figure… On the other hand, you’re a young and energetic university student… Generally, I think you have a higher market value as a woman. 10 out of 10 men would choose you, I think that’s normal. If I were a man, I’d prefer going out with a young university student over a grandma with kids like myself.”

“…Uhm…”

“But regardless, Takkun said I was fine just how I am!”

I shouted my love passionately.

I alleged my love passionately.

The power of love sprouted infinitely within me turned into an invincible driving force and motivated me.

“No matter how passionately you try to seduce him, Takkun’s feelings definitely won’t waver, that’s what I think. And in the unlikely case it would happen, then… I-I’ll seduce him with something more amazing and get him back!”

I’ll fight.

Love isn’t over when you start going out.

The history keeps going after that.

We need to do our best to keep that story going.

Doing the best we can to keep being a good boyfriend, doing the best to keep being a good girlfriend.

Doing the best we can to keep being a couple that walks through life together.

You can’t take it easy and take it for granted that you’ll stay with your couple forever miraculously.

“I’m Takkun’s girlfriend and I want to live with him for the rest of my life, so… I’ll never lose to you!” I said.

I said everything I wanted.

With the intention of it being a surprise attack, I declared war with all I had.

I’m sure that this is the start of a love triangle between her, Takkun and me.

If I had to name it, I’d call it the ‘intense battle arc with the fake ex-girlfriend.’

The current girlfriend and the fake ex-girlfriend were competing for a man in a dramatic love triangle.

No matter how dramatic it is, I won’t lose.

Even if I have a hard time, I’ll fight with all I’ve got and keep being Takkun’s girlfriend…!

In response to my declaration of war, a flame also burned in Arisa-san’s eyes… or that’s what I thought would happen.

“…A-Ahaha.”

She had a troubled look and a distorted smile.

On the other hand, Takkun… was looking down with a hand on his forehead. His cheeks were dyed a bright red and seemed really embarrassed.

“H-Huh…?

What’s with this weird mood?

Somehow… this feels like I messed up again…

“Uhm…”

Finally, Arisa-san opened her mouth.

She seemed to have a hard time saying it.

“I… have a boyfriend now.”

“…That’s right, yes. I’m dating a senpai I met at the welcome party in university… We’ve been dating for around 2 years.”

“I was drinking with my boyfriend 2 days ago. He was in the bathroom when I met up with you.”

“Sometimes we fight, but… well, generally, we get along. He’s working right now, so we’ve been talking about moving in together soon.”

“That’s why… I don’t have those feelings for Takumi-kun…”

“…B-But of course, I really liked Takumi-kun back then. He looked so cool when he helped me… It was a complete shock when he rejected me… but that’s all in the past… I got over it years ago.”

“Uhm… I don’t feel anything for Takumi-kun anymore, so please don’t worry. He really is just a boy I used to like.”

After explaining everything carefully, Arisa-san left the cafeteria.

I paid for her drink as a gesture of kindness.

I couldn’t help but pay it.

For all the inconveniences that I caused for calling her here out of the blue and making her listen to all my delusions.

“…”

“…”

Takkun and I were left in a terrible atmosphere.

I couldn’t do anything but look down and cover my face with both hands.

As if he couldn’t bear the awkward silence, Takkun opened his mouth.

“I-It feels like… I got rejected”

“…”

“I’ll be seeing Arisa again tomorrow at the internship… I wonder what kind of face I should make when I see her.”

“…I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

Uwaaaaaa, this is so embarrassing!

What the hell did I do?!

I was completely out of character for me!

I let my determination flow out for nothing!

I’m so embarrassed! I want the ground to swallow me!

“Ayako-san, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“B-But… I thought that Arisa-san still had feelings for you.”

Well, that was a completely premature conjecture.

Apparently, Arisa-san had gotten over Takkun a long time ago.

She gets along with her current boyfriend… and doesn’t seem to have any interest in interfering with our relationship.

The love triangle wasn’t going to happen at all.

Looks like the ‘intense battle arc with the fake ex-girlfriend’ ended before it even started.

“Rather… Did you already know, Takkun? That Arisa already had a boyfriend I mean.”

“Well, I heard it the first day of our internship.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I-I didn’t think I should bother telling you… I hadn’t talked to you about Arisa at the start, and yesterday and today I was busy trying to explain other things…”

It looks like he didn’t keep it to himself for some ulterior reason.

I knew that already.

I knew that… but it doesn’t matter, say it next time…!

Because I would have acted completely differently had I known she had a boyfriend!

After all, Takkun is… too honest, but lacks some tact.

Sometimes he doesn’t get a woman’s heart…!

“…Uuh, this is so embarrassing. I’m so embarrassed I could die. Arisa-san was completely bewildered, definitely thinking ‘this grandma is crazy,’ I’m sure.”

Seriously, what the heck did I do?

Even though she wasn’t my rival, I took the liberty to consider her my rival, I was hostile to her and then declared war.

I’m sorry.

Sorry Arisa-san, sorry Takkun, sorry everyone…!

“P-Please cheer up.”

Takkun tried to cheer me up, maybe because he couldn’t bear seeing me agonizing over the lethal embarrassment I was feeling.

“That may have been embarrassing… but it made me happy that you declared you were my girlfriend so clearly.”

“Takkun…”

“Well, I’d like you to hold back more in the future.”

“…Yes, I’m sorry. It definitely won’t happen again.”

I apologized again and Takkun laughed.

Finally, the embarrassment had calmed down a little and I put my mouth on the cup to finish the rest of my drink when Takkun talked.

“But you know… it’s a shame,” said Takkun, letting out a sigh.

“What’s a shame?”

“That Arisa doesn’t like me anymore.”

“…Huh?”

“If she still liked me and tried to take me away from you… it could have been better.”

“H-Huuuhh…?”

He’s kidding, right?

I can’t believe he said that… There’s no way, does Takkun like…

“Because if that was the case,” he said with a malicious look while my anxiety was accelerating, “you would have tried to seduce me in an amazing way, right?”

“…”

I was speechless.

A moment later… I realized he was making fun of me.

“I want to see an incredibly seducing Ayako-san.”

A moment later… I had realized he was just making fun of me.

“W-What are you saying? Geez, I won’t do that! I said it in the heat of the moment, it was just a figure of speech!”

“I see, what a shame.”

“…In the first place, even if I tried to seduce you, it wouldn’t be too different from what I’ve done, right? I’ve already showed you a lot of things, from my swimsuit to my maid suit, even the naked apron… What else do you want me to do?”

“Something like… a bunny girl suit?”

“~~! I-I won’t do that! There’s no way I’m going to wear a bunny girl suit!”

“No chance you ever will?”

“Absolutely not! I didn’t mean it as ‘press me and I’ll succumb!’”

After that reply, I exhaled deeply.

Then, Takkun grabbed the bill and got up from his seat.

“Then, should we get going?” he said.

“Yes…” I nodded to his words.

Let’s go home.

To our house.

The house where Takkun and I live together now…

After leaving the cafeteria, we held our hands naturally.

“Should we also head to the supermarket to do the shopping for today’s dinner?”

“Yes, let’s. Uhm… did we decide who’s going to cook today?”

“I was thinking about it, but, why don’t we both cook today?”

“Oh, that sounds nice! Sure, it sounds fun!

“Then it’s decided. Now we need to choose what to cook…”

“In that case… how about gyoza? I’ve seen it before in TV and it’s a fun dish to prepare as a couple.” TL/N: Stuffed pan fried dumplings.

“Gyoza sounds good.”

“It’s decided then. Fufu, what should we put in then?”

“I’d like chicken.”

“Ah, sounds good. All right, let’s stuff them with chicken.”

We walked through the streets of Tokyo, speaking about trivial and mundane things.

Together, holding hands.

I don’t know how it looked from afar, but my heart was full of warmth and happiness.

I really felt like I was living with him.

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