Volume 1 - CH 26

Translated by XenSchwarzer

Edited by XenSchwarzer

Chapter 26(The end of Section 1)

Author’s Note:

I’m sorry to keep you waiting!

This is the last part of section 1.

_______________________________

………..I!

“I’m sorry. I can’t reciprocate those feelings.”

These are my feelings.

“I, I see……….I’m sorry.”

“I don’t like you as a person of the opposite sex. So I can’t respond.”

“I…….get it………………I’m sorry………Just a while……….I’m sorry but is it okay……..for me to cry……..a little?”

“Un, I understand…….”

After saying that, Koyomi continued to cry for about ten minutes. As if she forgot to breathe, she just kept crying, sometimes sobbing repeatedly.

Then, when she stopped crying, she wiped her tears with her hand and looked at me.

Her eyelids were swollen and her eyes were red.

“I’m sorry. For making you wait……..”

“Uun. Are you okay now?”

“Un……It’s a lie. I’m not fine but…..I can endure it.”

“I see…….”

“Hey.”

“Nn?”

“Can we continue to be friends from now on, is it okay for us talk and play together?”

“The “Let’s start by being friends” thing?”

“Un……That kind of thing…………..Is that no good…..?”

“No, that’s okay. If that’s what Koyomi wishes for.”

“Thank you…….”

The silence continues. Koyomi is no longer crying.

When I was looking at that, my mouth silently opened.

“…………………..Hey”

“Nn?”

“Can I ask for one more thing?”

“Eh……………..Un………..”

“Didn’t you apologize for lying to me about the punishment game?”

“?…….U, un.”

“If it’s possible………Can you do so with actions and not just by words?”

“Yeah, you’re right…………..What should I do…?”

“As an apology, I’d like you to play a game with me now. ………… Is that okay?”

“……A game?”

“That’s right, a game…………..but if there’s nothing at stake it would be boring……Un……How about with the condition that the losing side should do a punishment made by the winner?”

“Eh?”

Koyomi opened her mouth while looking puzzled.

“The contents of the punishment game………Let’s see………”

“ーーーConfess to the person you like, and d・a・t・e them for 3 months!”

“Eh, eh?”

“Weren’t you misunderstanding something? It’s true that I only felt bored when I was with koyomi but I never felt tired of you. It was just the right amount of boredom in my life. This past month has been precious to me as well.”

“Is, is that true?”

“Of course. It’s true that I don’t really think much about Koyomi right now. But you see? ……….I want to think that I wanted to fall in love with you. Not anyone else. Even if it’s a punishment game, I’m still glad that it gave us a chance to interact with each other.”

“Bu-, but…….you rejected my confession…….”

“Un. That’s exactly why. I haven’t liked Koyomi yet. That’s why I still can’t reciprocate Koyomi’s confession seriously. I don’t want to do it half-heartedly. But if it’s just a punishment game then I can answer you. I can be your temporary lover with a time limit. That’s why………”

“ーーーPlease make me fall in love with you in these 3 months…”

“Of course this is just a suggestion. If you found someone else you like, you are free to stop and find yourself a new love. Naturally it’s just a period of 3 months. Whether you want to or not depends on Koyomi………….What do you think?”

After saying that, Koyomi sheds a few tears again, wipes them with her hand and looks at me with a determined face.

“What’s the content of the game?”

“Fufu……….Let’s see…… It would just be a charade if one were to lose on purpose, so a game without tricks that can be used is ideal……..Ah!……..How about the [I love you game]? Wouldn’t that be perfect for us right now?”

“U, un!”

Then, the two of us begin to play a game of looking at each other.

“Let’s start with Koyomi first.”

“U, un………………..I love you.”

“Nnー, once more”

“I, I love you.”

“Once more”

“I love you”

“Once more”

“I love you!”

So I’m still not flustered………

This is how it is for now I guess……..

“Then, next is my turn.”

“………..Un”

I stared into Koyomi’s eyes and brought my face slightly closer to hers.

“……….I love you”

When I said it as gently as I could, Koyomi’s face grew redder and redder, and she hastily turned her face away and covered it with her hands.

“On-, once more.”

“I don’t want to. Koyomi already lost.”

“I, I haven’t lost….Once more”

“No”

“Please! Once more!”

“I get it, I get it. I’ll do it later. More importantly, the punishment game.”

“…………..U, un.”

She paused, took a breath while looking at me shyly.

“Ko, Kouyou……..I love you. Please go out with me………”

“Yes, of course!”

“Then, I’ll definitely…………….make you fall in love with me within these 3 months!”

“Un, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Nn? What’s the matter?”

I put my hands on her shoulders, brought her face close to mine, and said as softly and strongly as I could.

“Koyomi, I love you.”

“Whoa, whoa, ……!”

“Fuhaha!……You’re bright red!”

“Why are you telling me this now~!”

“The mood calls for it?”

“N, nn……………Baka!”

“I’m counting on you alright? Koyomi.”

“Un, un. Me too……”

We talked for a while after that and dissolved.

She said that she didn’t need me to send her home because her house was close by.

From Koyomi’s perspective, this might seem a little bit more complicated…..

But, I couldn’t think of anything else.

At any rate, Koyomi and I became lovers again, in a slightly strange way, by lying to each other in a punishment game.

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Author’s Note:

I’m sure there are pros and cons to this outcome, but after thinking about the difference in consciousness between Rekizuki and Momiji, and more importantly, the theme of this work, which lies in the title, I decided that this would be the best point for the two of them to fall for each other.

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