Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817139558660048790/episodes/16818093084725474697
I saw Arase off to the bottom of the apartment building and waited for a cab.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t do everything the way Fujibayashi wanted me to.”
“I don’t mind. I didn’t think mother would listen to your suggestion.”
“But she does have a point, you know. If you skip school too much or get low test scores, you will get a failing grade. You don’t want that, do you?”
“That’s …… true, but…”
“So you’re going to have to work a little harder on your studies, too. I’ll go along with you.”
I don’t know. The question was growing inside me.
Arase always talks about it as being a hassle. But today, I wondered why he was so willing to help me.
“Why are you helping me so much? You always seem to think I’m a pain in the ass.”
“Well, it’s a pain in the ass, that’s for sure.”
“Then why?”
“But lately I’ve been thinking. I think it’s not so bad. You only live once, and it’s better to enjoy it without worries, right?”
“….. What’s that?”
“And it’s not true that Fujibayashi is the only one who won’t go to the beach. Yuri and the others have also asked you to go to the beach with them, so I try to convince you.”
Arase’s words filled my heart with indescribable emotion.
I’ve never had a friend who would say something like this to me.
The only people who would say anything were those who only looked at my appearance, believed rumors, and said whatever they wanted to say.
I noticed that I had something on my cheek.
“Hey! Fujibayashi!?”
I realized it was a tear when I saw Arase’s impatient appearance.
I hurriedly wiped it away with my hand.
My makeup was ruined, and it was terrible.
“There is nothing wrong! Don’t look at me!”
“O-ou…..”
“……….”
“…………”
We are silent for a while. It was awkward.
And just then, a cab came and stopped at the platform, and the door opened automatically.
“……I’m going home, then.”
“A-Arase!”
He was about to get into the cab, but I had something to say, so I stopped him.
I didn’t want to say goodbye to him in this awkward situation.
“The sea.”
“…… Eh?”
“I’m going to go, help me study.”
“…… Oh, yeah. I’ll help you. I promised Fujibayashi’s mother I would.”
“She said she’d have Arase take responsibility for me if you couldn’t, but she’s my mom, so I don’t know what she’ll do. She said we’d have my life together, but what’s that”
“T-That’s ……”
Arase also looked confused. It’s about that mother. Don’t be surprised if she make unreasonable demands.
“Well, in order to prevent that from happening, I have to work hard!”
“Seriously, please.”
Arase said with an earnest look on his face. I was amused, as usual, to see Arase’s troubled face, even though it was my mother’s fault.
But it’s bad enough that the cab will wait. Let me tease you one last time.
“And you’re being too cool.”
“I’m not trying to be cool.”
“Even though You’re a virgin.”
“Ugh! Hey, you. ……”
“Look, the cab’s waiting for you. Hurry up and get in.”
Arase looked at me with a grudging look before getting into the cab.
After getting in, I knock lightly to open the window.
The driver took notice and rolled down the window.
From there, Arase said, ‘What is it? Do you still have something to say?’
I approached the window and spoke into his ear.
“But thank you…… I was so happy. If you keep your promise, I’ll give you my virginity in return.”
“—!?”
The cab carrying the red-faced and surprised Arase leaves and goes away.
“Haha, that face is hilarious.”
I returned to the apartment where my mother was waiting for me in a good mood.
Arase did so much for me. I had to work hard, too.
“Welcome back. I hope Ito-kun got into the cab safely.”
When I returned to the apartment, my mother had already opened her computer and was working on some documents. I was beyond amazed and dismayed to see her still working even though she’d had a few drinks.
“Yeah…. just left.”
“Yes.”
“……”
“…….”
mother said that little, took one look at me, and started reading some material again.
“Hey. Can I go to the beach if I pass the last test of the remedial class?”
“…… ocean.”
“Yeah. I promised my friends.”
“Suit yourself. I told you, if you can keep your promise, you can do whatever you want.”
She still acted as if she wasn’t interested in me.
“Why did you do me this favor?”
“There is no reason. As long as you think rationally and make a promise, there will be no problem even if you fail. That’s just what I decided.”
“!”
She always does things rationally. I knew that this person was not looking at me.
I was frustrated with myself for having expected this.
“You’re doing that again…”
“If anything, you’re motivated. I think that’s enough.”
“….!”
I still don’t know what you’re thinking. Is that a rational decision?
No, I can’t. We’re going to get into another fight if we keep talking like this. I’m going to take a bath and go to bed today. I have to go to remedial classes tomorrow. I definitely won’t lose to mother.
“Sana.”
I was about to leave the living room when I was stopped.
I sighed and turned to my mother, expecting another verbal abuse.
She is still struggling with some documents and operating the computer without making eye contact with me.
“Be careful not to cool it down too much with the air conditioner”
“I know.”
She treated me like a child. I was a little bit happy to hear her words of concern for me.
◆
The next day, I woke up right on time for my alarm.
My mother had already left the house, and as usual, I was the only one in the house. Silence was in the air.
I woke up much earlier than usual, but I couldn’t believe she was already gone. ……
What time does she leave?
I had never really paid attention to how busy and hardworking my mom was.
“Ah It’s so strange.”
It’s summer vacation and I’m getting up early and putting on my school uniform. I looked at myself in the reflection and laughed a little.
Then I got a call from Arase. He called to see if I was awake and if I was going to make-up classes.
“Good morning. Are you awake?”
“I’m awake.”
“I hope so. ……Fiuh”
“Stop it. You yawning makes me sleepy too.”
“You should know that I’m only getting up for this.”
“I’m sure you were so horny from what I said last night that you couldn’t sleep.”
“I’m going to turn off …….”
I was satisfied with my success in winning over Arase, and headed straight to school for remedial classes.
I don’t usually take classes properly, so I don’t really understand the contents of the supplementary lessons.
I was too busy taking notes.
There were not that many students taking remedial classes, so we were all in the same grade and gathered in one class.
In the front was Arase’s friend Sasaoka?
He was talking with a girl sitting next to him.
It was somewhat casual, but rather than a friendly atmosphere, they seemed to be checking each other out.
Then, after the make-up class was over, we went home. I was very tired just in the morning because I was doing something I was not used to doing.
But I still have tutoring ahead of me.
Once that’s over, I’ll go study at Arase’s house. Hey ……, not much freedom after all? I was thinking that it would be better than being locked up in the house, but I decided to put up with it.
When I returned home, I found my mother there, even though it was unusually early in the afternoon.
And beside her was a young man. He was probably a tutor.
“This is Sudo-kun, your tutor.”
“My name is Sudo Akira. Nice to meet you.”
The brown-haired man who introduced himself as Sudo looked like a nice young man.
He is polite, tall, and good-looking. My first impression was that he seemed to be popular with women.
“Sana. Say hello.”
“Fujibayashi, Sana.”
“Sorry, Sudo-kun. This girl is so unsociable. I have to go to work now, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes, leave it to me. I’ll be responsible for watching her study.”
“Wait a minute! Are you sure it’s just the two of us?!”
Alone with a stranger. Isn’t that just plain impossible?
“There’s nothing to worry about. Sudo-kun is not what you think he is.”
“But that doesn’t mean ……”
“……Haa. Wada-san, the helper, will be coming in a little while, so please be patient until then. I’m sorry, Sudo-kun”
Wada-san is a nanny who occasionally does things around the house. She is a woman in her forties who cleans the house and sometimes cooks dinner for me.
Even so, she does not come every day.
“No, I am sorry for not being considerate. Sana-chan, I’m sorry too. I’ll try not to make you uncomfortable as much as possible.”
“……”
“I’m going to go now. Study properly.”
mother said nothing more than that and left.
“Then, after lunch, let’s go study. I’ve already eaten, so I’ll borrow some space and wait for you.”
The tutor, who introduced himself as Sudo, looked a little uncomfortable, but he borrowed another desk in the living room, opened his laptop, and began to work on something.
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