Volume 2 - CH 21

Chapter 21: A Poor Girl's Little Pleasure

TL: Akabane

***

After that, Aoyama slept in the infirmary for a while after calling in sick to her part-time job. She had a fever of 38° Celsius, and it must have been quite painful. She let out a soft exhale with sweat on her forehead and said, "Mm......" which caused the Great Buddha of Agony to start uploading her.

Hey, stop it ...... I want to watch over her with a more unholy feeling than Mother Teresa right now. Yes, you're a pussycat. Let's be quiet in the infirmary.

Really, my sexuality is fine.......

But after two hours of waiting while somehow preventing Great Buddha from opening his eyes, she woke up. She said, "I have to go home soon." She left the infirmary dragging her heavy body, and I, who was indeed worried, decided to follow her. Perhaps it was fortunate that she had slept a little, she managed to walk alone for a while after leaving the school gate, but her walking pace gradually slowed down, and finally she stopped and repeatedly breathed roughly.

"Are you sure you're okay?　Maybe you should have your family pick you up......"

I worry about her, but she still smiles painfully and says weakly, "No, no, I'm fine ...... aha ...... ahaha......." she try to make a strong fist.

No, you don't look okay at all.......

"Besides, my mom's probably still at work......."

When she says that, my memory door opens. That's right. That's how her house was. I had forgotten all about it because I hadn't interacted with her in a while.

Her mother was the only one in her house. I don't know why, but it must have been that way. Her mother works late every night to support the family. Of course, if it were her daughter's big event, her kind mother would drop her work and come to pick her up, but I somehow understand why Aoyama hesitates to do so.

"I'll be fine. I'll manage to get home if I take a break and walk."

"But..."

"Besides, you still have a lot of writing to do, don't you?　Good luck with your work, and I hope you write something interesting."

She seemed to be feeling sorry for me. Apparently, she doesn't like to cause trouble for others.

"I see. Well, good luck going home. I'll go home and write now." Yeah, I don't have the guts to say that.

So I have no choice but to help her.

"Hey, Aoyama."

I was determined, and crouched there with my back to her.

"M-Mamoru ...... what's wrong?"

Aoyama tilts her head as if a little upset. I tell her to get on my back and she rolls her eyes as if a little surprised.

"You mean ...... piggyback?"

"Yes. It's a piggyback."

"Oh, you mean I'm going to be given a piggyback ride by Mamoru?"

"What else? As expected, it would be too much of an aftertaste if you fell down afterwards. I can't guarantee that the ride will be comfortable, but it should be somewhat easier than walking."

With that, I urged her on, "Here." She looked around and hesitantly said shyly, "Ha, I'm embarrassed......"

"You can't turn your back on me, can you?　Besides, with those glasses on, no one will even know you're Aoyama."

I said, and she agreed, "Well, sure......" She was still hesitant, but then she made up her mind and said, "Wait a minute......" and parted her hair back to the left and right and braided her hair in the back at a tremendous speed.

Apparently, it was her own disguise. Thanks to this, she was transformed into a nostalgic, sober high school girl.

This is cute in its simplicity.

As I was thinking, she muttered quietly, "I'm embarrassed, so don't look at me too much......." then she put her hands on my shoulders and hugged me tightly from behind.

Noooooo!!!

Immediately after that, something inside me (Great Buddha) almost wakes up.

This is not good, Ryutaro. You were kind of cool here, in a racy kind of way, weren't you?　You were able to create a cool character, even if you had to say so yourself, right?

I'm afraid the Great Buddha is going to ruin everything.

Disappointed with Buddha, I put my arm around her thigh and stand up.

"Oh, let me know if it's too heavy......."

Perhaps because of gender, but it seems that girls are creatures who are concerned about their weight. But Aoyama is not heavy. Rather, the Great Buddha on my head is heavy.

At any rate, relying on my memory, I started walking toward Aoyama's house. Fortunately, there were no students around, so we were hardly exposed to the public.

But still.......

Soft.......

As usual, Aoyama's body is generally soft. She may have relaxed a little by being piggybacked by me, or she may have relaxed a little by resting her chin on my shoulder and breathing roughly, repeating, "Haa...... haa......." Her breath sometimes rests on my earlobe and makes me feel like I'm losing strength. And every time she does, the Great Buddha of Complication almost opens his eyes. I feel the touch of her sweaty blouse around the nape of my neck, but strangely, I don't feel any discomfort.

And then, The Buddha's eyelids twitch.

Carrying her is not physically painful, but it is strange that I feel like an ascetic monk. I think I understand a little why Shota was enlightened.

***

In the end, I managed to reach her home with her on my back. In the meantime, the Great Buddha has safely opened his eyes and seems pleased with himself.

When I dropped her off in front of the unflattering tin-roofed apartment in front of me, she bowed her head to me, her cheeks bright red, whether from the heat or from the shame of being piggybacked.

"Um, thank you......."

"Have a good night's sleep."

"Eh?　Um ...... yeah ......."

Aoyama responds vaguely to my words.

"Perhaps there's a reason you can't sleep?"

When I asked her that, she laughed bitterly.

"Um, look, I have to make dinner now......."

"Eh, huh?　You're making dinner too?"

"Yes ...... because mom doesn't come home until late and we all get hungry......"

It appears that Aoyama is not only working part-time, but is also responsible for all the household chores by herself.

"When in the world are you writing a novel,......?"

"After I'm done with the housework and put my sister to bed, so I guess ...... at midnight......."

What a hard schedule. And this girl has recently started posting two chapters to compete with mine. No wonder she's running a fever and falling ill.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to go that far to write......"

I said to her, but she quietly shook her head.

"Because writing novels is the only thing I enjoy ....... besides, I get paid for that site, even though it's only a little. My sister's birthday is coming up soon, and I've promised to buy her a present........"

Aoyama says that happily.

I wonder. She's so good, it makes me cry.

What a healthy girl she is. While I'm doing my perverted work, she's working hard for her family. Even though I'm seriously doing perverted work for my novel, but I feel so guilty.

While I am making Suzune lick candy strings, she is working at the cat cafe, and while I am sorting pervert trophies, she is cooking dinner for her sister and mother.

Oh, man, I can't ...... put it into words, but ...... I'm so bad.

I'm kind of too dazzled by Aoyama to see it.

I said, "Anyway, take care of yourself." and tried to leave the place as if to escape, but Aoyama stopped me, "M-Mamoru......"

When I turned around, she was still smiling painfully and pointed to her apartment, "I don't know if I can thank you for this, but please have some tea."