Volume 11 - CH 2
It was currently 10.11pm. After walking for around thirty minutes, I finally made it back home from the hospital. Or rather, I made it back to Masamune’s room. Ever since my beloved home burned down back in September, currently in the middle of rebuilding, I’ve been living there. It seems to be done for the most part, so it should be completed once the third term rolls around. That’s why, I’ll only be living here a bit longer—in this flat.
As I stood in front of Masamune’s apartment, I was thinking about that. A lot happened, huh. I lived on the balcony for around a month, the Suzutsuki Revolution happened, Kureha ran away from home, I had my fight with Konoe…and then, the two confessions from Masamune and Suzutsuki.
“…I need to give them both an answer.” I told myself, as I whispered.
That’s right, living here with Masamune, and being neighbours with Konoe and Suzutsuki, it’ll only be like this for a bit longer. That’s why, I need to bring a conclusion to this—before moving back into my original home.
“Alright.”
I took a deep breath, and opened the front door. Masamune should be with Schrö-senpai, so she probably isn’t—
“…Hm?”
Hold on. Schrö-senpai mentioned that Nakuru and Kureha praised her Santa appearance. So, what about Masamune then? Maybe she simply didn’t like the costume, but I highly doubt that, knowing how much of a fashion fan she is. So basically, what if she slipped away from the party mid-way?
Doubts filled my mind as I entered the front entrance, spotting Masamune’s shoes. Guess she was home after all. What will she say after seeing the bandage on my arm, I wonder? She will probably give me an earful out of worry and anger. Either way, I’m starving right now. I haven’t gotten anything to eat since noon. Since Kureha stuffed her stomach with cake at the cafe, there was nothing left for me. Of course, money was also a problem.
Well, there should be something in the fridge, I bet. I walked through the dark hallway without putting on the lights, when I spotted the presence of someone in the living room. Must be Masamune.
“I’m back.” I said, and set foot into the living room.
Immediately after, I was at a loss for words.
“My, welcome back, Jirou-kun.” A dignified voice greeted me—Suzutsuki Kanade.
She’s our neighbour, and a noble lady that looked great with black twin sidetails.
“Welcome back, Jirou.”
The next person who greeted me was Konoe Subaru, a girl crossdressing as a male butler. They sat in the living room like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“……”
Now hold on. What is this situation? Why are those two here? I mean, it wouldn’t be weird for them to stop by, but why this late?
“Ah, stupid chicken, you’re home?”
As I was left bewildered, a voice called out to me from the kitchen. The one who joined us in the living room was Usami Masamune, carrying three cups on a plate. It seems like she was making tea for the group.
“Thank you, Usami-san. But, hurry up, the second battle will start soon.”
“I know that. Also, why was the punishment for the first round making tea for everyone?”
“Sorry, Usami, I actually wanted to make the tea as I’m the butler, but…”
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about it, Subaru-sama! I was the one who lost after all!”
“That’s right, it’s all your fault for losing.”
“Why don’t you show some restraint, huh!?”
“The howling of a loser, I see.”
“Urk…acting like you’re above others again…I won’t lose next time!” Masamune steamed in anger, sitting down at the table. On the table were the seven of hearts, of diamonds, of clubs, and of spades.
“Fufu, would you like to join us, Jirou-kun?” Suzutsuki put away the eight of hearts, and spoke up.
…No. Rather than mixing in…
“What are you folks doing here?” I threw in a retort.
Konoe, Suzutsuki, Masamune, all together. Were they always this close? I mean, I’m fine if they made up, but why are they playing cards here?
“Isn’t that obvious?” Suzutsuki said with no hesitation. “We’ve reached a profound exchange.”
“…Exchange?”
“That’s right. That’s why we’ll be together for a bit longer.”
“……”
Um, what’s this about? For a bit longer? So they’ll be staying over tonight? I don’t mind, but since we have classes tomorrow, I don’t think it would be the best to stay up too long.
“Suzutsuki Kanade, it’s hard to understand with that explanation. Can I just say it?”
“Oh my, do you plan on giving me orders, Poor Lady-san.”
“Shut up! We only played daifugō for one round!”
“To think you’d even become the daihinmin in the game, on top of being poor in reality…”
“S-Shut up, you millionaire wench! Why not give up some of your money in the game at least!”
“Usami, you’re not explaining anything…” Konoe said, putting down the nine of diamonds.
And then, she turned towards me.
“We decided that we’d be living here for a while.”
She threw a bombshell at me……Hold on. That came out of nowhere. Live together? If I were to put that into a meaning, then…
“That’s why…Jirou?”
As I was bewildered, Konoe gave me a somewhat bashful gaze.
“Please take care of us for a while.”
×This might be a bit off-topic, but I don’t really enjoy playing cards. Even a long time ago, we played cards a lot, but that was more of a violent punching game than anything. Like we were out to kill each other. The thrill was crazy at least. But even so, it’s at least better than whatever mess of a situation this is.
“Come on, can somebody explain this to me already?”
We were still sitting in Masamune’s living room. Holding the cards in my hand, I asked with a bit of confusion filling my voice. By the way, this is our third round of playing cards, being Old Maid. As expected, the second match ended with Suzutsuki’s overwhelming victory, Masamune being last again. Challenging this rich lady to a game of brains really is futile after all…But, this isn’t the time for that. According to Suzutsuki, they are playing cards to deepen their bonds since they’re living together, but…
“Jirou-kun, it’s just as Subaru said a few moments ago.” Suzutsuki put down two cards. “We decided to live here in this apartment. There’s a certain reason for that.”
“A reason?”
When I returned a question, Suzutsuki smiled at me.
“Come on, I just confessed to you, right?”
“……”
Um, Suzutsuki-san? Why are you just declaring that so nonchalantly? Not to mention while playing Old Maid.
“So, Usami-san also confessed to Jirou-kun, right?”
“Wha…How do you know about that!?”
“I heard about it from Subaru. Quite a passionate confession, huh? ‘I want to become your family!’, was it? Not to mention that kiss right after…”
“Gaaaaaaah shut uuuuuuuuuuup!” Masamune screamed with a beet red face.
This will probably be seen as Suzutsuki’s third consecutive victory. To think she’d set up such an off-side battle. This isn’t the time to be playing Old Maid, she’s the card nobody wants to hold.
“S-Sorry, Usami, if only I hadn’t told her…”
“…No, you don’t have to apologize, Subaru-sama. She would have found out eventually either way.”
“Exactly. I would have seen through it anyway. Everybody could tell that you have feelings for Jirou-kun.”
“You be quiet already! Also, just continue the explanation!” The nasty rabbit pouted in anger.
“Got it.” Suzutsuki nodded. “Jirou-kun, before you came here, we talked about all sorts of stuff. As a result of that, we decided to live here together—In order to fix your gynophobia.”
“Fix?”
“I mean, you said it at the sports festival, right? With your current condition, you can’t start dating a girl, is what you told us, remember?”
“I mean, I sure did, but…”
On the way home, that’s what I told those three, yeah. But, that makes sense. After all, with my gynophobia, I can’t even properly hold hands with a girl. How would I be able to enjoy love?
“That’s why…” Suzutsuki said, leisurely putting down her last pair. “From now on, the three of us will work together to cure your gynophobia.”
“……”
Even though we were already in December, my entire body suddenly started sweating. Of course, all their previous treatment for me never ended well. Konoe is an airhead, Suzutsuki is a sadist, and Masamune is an aggressive type. Their vectors of treatment are all over the place, it doesn’t even really count as treatment. And now those three are working together? Please, lord help me. They’re about as terrifying as the Black Tri-stars in Gun*am. No doubt, they’ll be using me for their own benefit.
“It’s simple. If we’re all going to help you fix your gynophobia, it would be best for us to live together.”
“I get the reason, but…are you sure about that?”
“About what?”
“I mean…”
Although this isn’t some shoujo manga, both Suzutsuki and Masamune confessed to me, so wouldn’t they bet on bad terms?
“Stupid chicken, were you thinking that we’d create some sort of battlefield here? Of course we wouldn’t.” Masamune took a short break, and continued. “If we did, it would cause a war.”
“……”
Damn. War, she says. This suddenly turned into a battle manga. But, war? There’s no way that…
“Then, let me ask you. Do you want to see us fight for real?”
“Eh…”
“If it came to that, Suzutsuki Kanade surely wouldn’t hold back herself. She’ll surely set up some pranks, and rely on her servants.”
“…”
“And then, I’ll ask for help from the other handicraft club members. The vice prez and Sakamachi surely would help. What do you think would happen then?”
“……”
I tried simulating the scenario Masamune-san just brought up. A fight between Suzutsuki and Masamune…in other words, it’s the Suzutsuki family versus the members of Rouran Academy’s handicrafts club.
“…Hell no.”
I sought out peace. I definitely don’t want to see such a scene, even if I have to die to prevent it. This isn’t just any battlefield, there will be casualties. And the first one will be me trying to stop them.
“Right? That’s why we decided to first heal your gynophobia. We don’t want to have any needless war either.”
“Yeah, not with this kind of condition I’m in.”
So to put a clean end to all of this, I first need to get over my gynophobia, huh. For that, we’ll live together. Still, living together with three girls? This sounds like it could come straight out of a light novel. I’m feeling anxious. Of course, the reason is simple. Konoe Subaru, Suzutsuki Kanade, and Usami Masamune—all of these three are just far too special. They are cute, alright, but I can see a chemical reaction happening with them.
“…Hm?”
Hold on a second. Thinking about it rationally, we can’t sleep in the same room, right? After all…there’s not enough rooms available. This is a high-class apartment alright, but definitely not a space that would allow for four people to live in. Somebody would have to sleep on the balcony, and naturally that would be me. I already experienced it after all. However, it’s December right now. I might die from freezing.
“Don’t worry, Jirou-kun.”
Suzutsuki must have guessed what I was thinking, as she showed me a calm smile. She really looked like she was enjoying herself, alright.
“……”
This is bad. Our Suzutsuki is bad. Eh? What regenerative ability is that? Before I left for the hospital, she was all like ‘I can’t smile anymore’, and yet she now acts like that. I’m the one who can’t smile, alright? Also, whenever she shows me that smile, I just know nothing good will come out of it.
“Subaru, you can skip the game, so would you please explain it to Jirou-kun?”
“Understood, my lady.”
With a racing heart, I looked at Suzutsuki’s butler. And then, Konoe took my hand, saying ‘Let’s go, Jirou’, and stood up…Wait, we’re leaving the living room?
“Over here.”
We walked down the hallway, ignoring the darkness around us as we walked ahead, only for Konoe to turn on the light switch, illuminating the darkness. Immediately after—I spotted a large hole with a 60cm radius right in the wall. From there, I could see the apartment next to ours all too clear.
“………”
…What in the ever-living hell am I looking at. Why’d they open up a goddamn hole in the wall?
“U-Um, Konoe? What is this about?” I pointed at the hole with a quivering finger.
To that, Konoe let out a groan.
“You also think that we should have made it bigger, right? That would have made it easier to pass through…”
“I’m certainly not worried about the size of the hole!”
Why is there a hole here!? No, calm down, me. Is this what Suzutsuki was talking about? Thanks to this hole, they can come inside our apartment whenever they want? It’s like two apartments turned into one big one. Who did this…
“It was a lot of work to open up this hole.”
“So you’re the maniac who did this!?”
“The problem was the wall, it was pretty thick, and…”
“That clearly wasn’t the problem!”
There’s plenty other problems here, alright. Remember that this is a cheap apartment. Are you sure about just doing renovations on your own? I can tell you’d lose in a court case.
“Don’t you worry, the lady has already confirmed everything with the owner.”
“Confirmed…Just what kind of negotiations did she go through?”
“According to her, she ‘used last year’s New Year’s money’.”
“That easy!?”
Also, she can resolve troubles of that level this easily? How much? How much money does she get? Please, bless some of us poor folks with it…For example, a certain classmate of yours had his house burn down (me), and he needs some of that.
“That being said, the problem has been resolved.” Konoe puffed out her chest in confidence.
Damn it, that is quite the severe before-after I’m looking at. Just as Konoe said, the problem of space has been resolved, but…
“…Hm?”
Wait wait wait. Now that I think about it, there’s a much bigger problem than that, right?
“Hey, Konoe, are you sure about living together with Masamune?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“I mean…she doesn’t know that you’re a girl, right?”
For certain reasons, Konoe Subaru is forced to crossdress as a male butler while attending school. And, that secret cannot be revealed to anybody. If they really end up living here with us, then Masamune would eventually—
“—It’s fine.” However, Konoe denied my assumptions. “Usami already knows my secret.”
“…Excuse me?”
Now hol’ up. Basically, Masamune knows that Konoe is a girl?
“On top of that, she promised to keep it a secret. That’s why, no need to worry.”
“R-Really now.”
I was surprised, sure, but also thought about it. If another student found out that Konoe is a girl, she will be forced to quit as a butler. However, if that secret is found out, and the people at the Suzutsuki Family don’t find out, they’re still safe. I’m the perfect example for that. Still, to think that Masamune knew about Konoe’s secret. Maybe something happened while I wasn’t there?
“How do you feel about my reform plan?”
With these thoughts in my mind, we returned to the living room, running into Suzutsuki smiling at me. She’s back. Devil Suzutsuki has been revived. The devil was whispering into my ear.
“My, what happened, Jirou-kun? You look like you’re about to break out in tears.”
“Well, you know…”
What is this. I should be happy that Suzutsuki has returned to normal, and is even more honest with me, but I’m having trouble holding back the tears.
“Now then, since we explained the situation to Jirou-kun, I guess it’s time to stop playing games.”
“Ah, not fair, Suzutsuki Kanade! You plan on running away on a victory!?”
“I don’t mind continuing, but you won’t be able to win against me.”
“Urk…F-Feeling all confident because of two victories…” Masamune tightly grasped the cards.
Stop it, nasty rabbit. It’s impossible to win against Suzutsuki in a gamble. Playing Old Maid made it obvious, but her poker face is unbreakable. At the very least, having any mental warfare with her is no joke.
“Don’t be so frustrated. Or, do you simply want to play games?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you say so two weeks ago during the double date? You wanted to be my friend, right?”
“!”
“Thank you. You really are kind. To think you’d try to prolong this game so that we could get along.”
“~~~! Y-You’re wrong, that’s not what I…”
“That’s Usami-san for you, what a wonderful tsundere act.”
“Don’t call me a tsundere!”
“Then, can I call you Usamin?”
“Wha…!” Masamune opened and closed her mouth in shock.
Can’t blame her. Suzutsuki never addressed her that way. At least not the normal Suzutsuki, the past Derechuki-san did.
“W-W-W-Why would you do that!?”
“I mean, you want to be friends with me, right?”
“Urk…I-I want to be friends with you as well, but…”
“Fufu, Usamiiiin~”
“Ah, why are you suddenly clinging to me!”
“It’s because you’re so cute.”
“Who the hell are you!? Ah, stop, don’t touch me in weird places…!” Being clung to by Suzutsuki, Masamune howled in embarrassment.
This is probably Suzutsuki’s way of expressing affection. She surely must be thankful to Masamune for wanting to be friends…Well, part of it is probably her being playful as always.
“My lady, the night has progressed, so I advise we continue.”
“Ah, you’re right. Thank you, Subaru. Come on, you thank her as well, Usami-san.” Suzutsuki moved away from Masamune like nothing happened.
Having been freed, the nasty rabbit let out a flustered ‘T-Thank you very mush…Shubaru-shama…’, gasping for air. Keep on fighting, Masamune. If you don’t put up with this, you won’t be able to become friends with Suzutsuki. She really loves playing with others after all. Since I’m one of her other toys, I can tell you as much.
“Now then, let’s move on to the main topic.” Suzutsuki called out to me. “We will now begin the very first Sakamachi Summit.”
“……”
Now hold on, what kind of summit is this?
“Don’t give us such a confused look, Jirou-kun. It’s a summit to fix your gynophobia. And, we have only one goal—to cure this gynophobia before the third term starts.”
“The third term…”
If my memory serves right, the third term begins on the 5th of January. Since we’re currently on the 5th of December, it’s roughly one month left.
“That’s right. I think it’s better to decide on a time limit. That raises motivation.”
“Ah, amazing, Subaru. Usami-san just agreed to my opinion. Is she finally opening up to me?”
“No, it’s still too early to say that, my lady. From what I heard, tsunderes can be quite contradictory.”
“Really? What a shame. But, that’s why you want to make them open up, right? I’ll try my best.”
“…Are you guys even trying to take this seriously?”
“Come on, don’t be such a bummer, Usamin.”
“Again, don’t call me Usamin!” Masamune shouted.
Will this be okay, I wonder? The walls here may be soundproof, but what if our neighbours…Wait, they are our neighbours, right.
“Y-You alright, Usami? Your face is beet red.”
“Subaru-sama…I’m happy that you’re worrying about me, but please don’t just join along with Suzutsuki Kanade!”
“Eh? But, I was just acting as always…”
“……”
Masamune stayed quiet for a moment, and then turned towards me, asking ‘Hey, stupid chicken, is Subaru-sama an airhead or something?’. Ohh, so she’s finally realized? However, that’s not the scary part. In fact, Konoe subconsciously is playing along with Suzutsuki’s sadistic tendencies, which causes an odd chemistry. That’s master and servant for you.
“Anyway, let’s continue. For now, our plan is to cure your gynophobia by the time the third term starts. The question is how.”
“Right. In this past half year, we tried out a lot, but we never managed to fully cure your gynophobia…” Konoe started thinking.
Just as she said, we’ve been attempting quite a lot of strategies against my gynophobia ever since we became closer in April. Thanks to that, I’ve started to improve quite significantly, but it feels like the final stretch is lacking.
“……”
No, wait. Just recently—Or rather, today, I found a hint to completely fix the gynophobia…
“Huh? But, I think that his gynophobia has gotten a lot better, right? Even though the stupid chicken carried Sakamachi for quite some time, he was fine.”
“…Ah.”
That’s right. Sakamachi Kureha…after she hugged me today, I feel like my gynophobia has improved quite a bit. My gynophobia basically started because of my fear towards girls…towards the women of my family. But, Kureha was different today. When she clung to me, crying because of her broken heart—she was just a normal girl. Rather than scaring me, I simply felt the desire to protect her. Because I became conscious of that…my gynophobia improved drastically, I think.
“Really? I don’t know why, but…I’m glad to hear that.” Konoe said with a smile.
“……”
That expression made my heart skip a beat. It felt like it’s been a long time since I got to see Konoe’s natural smile.
“After all, the fact that you were able to carry Kureha-chan for a longer time must mean that your gynophobia is close to being cured, right?”
“W-Well, I guess so?”
This whole curing program over the past half of a year, adding together the change of my perception when it comes to Kureha, my gynophobia is improving. Hmmm…it doesn’t fully feel real, but it’s amazing. I had to suffer from this condition for years after all.
“But, that means we have to confirm it right now.” Suzutsuki Kanade opened her mouth, showing a grin, as she looked at me.
“………”
—Run. That single word subconsciously appeared in my mind. There’s only one reason. Whenever I see that rich lady make a face like that, my body instinctively tells me to run away. That’s why I tried to get up from my seat, but…
“Nope. I won’t let you run.”
“!?”
Out of nowhere, Suzutsuki suddenly appeared next to me—Ahhhhhh, why is she suddenly clinging to my arm like that!?
“H-Hey! Suzutsuki Kanade! What are you doing!?” Masamune screamed.
With quivering fingertips, she pointed at Suzutsuki clinging to me.
“Fufu, Usami-san, why are you panicking like that?”
“Because you’re clinging to the stupid chicken like that!”
“I mean, this is the fastest way to confirm, right? Seeing how much Jirou-kun’s gynophobia has improved.”
“I-I get the logic behind it, but…!” Masamune groaned.
I can see where she’s coming from. She’s trying to figure out how far my gynophobia has improved. Even if it means testing it directly.
“………”
I mean, it might sound like she is sacrificing herself for the greater good, but I bet she’s simply enjoying my reactions, nothing more. Look at her face.
“Not to mention that there’s nothing weird about me hugging him like this.” She said with a smile. “After all, I like Jirou-kun.”
“………”
…Somebody tell me. What even is her thought process anymore? How can she say that so easily? Her mental fortitude is no joke. Is her heart made out of diamond?
“~~~! S-S-Suzutsuki Kanade, what are you saying!?”
“I’m just speaking the truth, you know?”
“B-But…”
“Ah, well, to be perfectly honest, it’s more ‘Love’ than ‘Like’, I guess. Because…being this close to Jirou-kun…my heart is racing.”
“Wha…”
“Hey, Jirou-kun…is your heart pounding like mine?”
Eeeeek, she’s whispering into my ear! At the same time, Suzutsuki wrapped her slender arms around my right one…Gaaah, I can feel her breasts! Her soft sensation is being pressed onto me! Even a monk running away from home would be nervous at this!
“Fufu, it seems like your gynophobia really has improved, Jirou-kun. You seem just fine like this, and your nose hasn’t started bleeding.”
“!”
“Maybe I can hug you even stronger now?”
“!?”
“Hey, how are you feeling, Jirou-kun?” She asked me with a sweet voice, smiling like she was enjoying herself.
“……”
Deretsuki-san has recovered. She is like a phoenix. Not to mention that the dere power has gone up drastically compared to before.
“Jirou-kun, I can’t tell if you just stay quiet.” She looked up at me, waiting for a response.
…Ahhhh. Deretsuki-san is no joke. Since it’s been a while, I was once again reminded of how terrifying this woman is. Why not make her a private investigator at the CIA? No matter who, any terrorist would fall victim to her charm. Either way, this situation is bad. Even if this is to cure my gynophobia, being embraced like this right in front of Konoe and Masamune is far too embarrassing. My heart is going to explode before I get to curing anything. I need to make it out of this…!
“Wait a moment!”
There, a sharp voice rang out. Ohh, Masamune comes to the rescue! She can tell that I’m in a pinch, and is moving to rescue me. Please, get me out of here…
“Suzutsuki Kanade.”
However, the second she opened her mouth to continue, I thought my heart stopped for a second.
“It’s not fair that you’re doing it all alone.”
“………”
Now hold on, Masamune-san. What are you…Gaaaah, why are you clinging to my other arm, you nasty rabbit!
“Y-You! Get away!”
“Definitely not!”
“Why are you so stubborn about it!”
“B-Because…” Masamune blushed furiously, and continued. “I also like you, stupid chicken!”
“……”
Oh lord help me. She probably was agitated because of Suzutsuki’s actions, but she sure is aggressive now.
“My, Usami-san, aren’t you quite assertive?”
“It’s…it’s because you were doing this sort of stuff!”
“What’s it matter? I like him after all.”
“I-I do too!”
“Hmmm. By the way, what do you like about Jirou-kun?”
Suddenly, Suzutsuki brought up that question.
““Wha?”” Both Masamune and I gasped in unison.
No no no, what is she asking in such a situation, this damn rich lady?
“W-Why would I have to say that!?”
“I mean, you like him, right? You must have a reason for that.”
“T-That’s true, but…”
“I can say it, you know?”
“……!?” Masamune’s eyes shot open in shock.
“Jirou-kun.”
And then, while still clinging to me, she looked up into my eyes—
“I like how funny you are.”
“………”
Is it just my imagination, or did she just say that the reason she likes me is because I’m funny?
“Whenever I’m with you, I never feel bored. You get wrapped up in all sorts of interesting trouble.”
“…Um, Suzutsuki-san, the reason this trouble happens is mostly related to you, I believe…”
“That’s right, but just ignore that.”
“Like hell I can!?”
That’s the most important part! She better not have forgotten everything she’s done to me so far. Has she gone senile or something?
“But, you always respond to my pranks in the most interesting ways, you know.”
“I’m not responding because I want to, alright.”
“I think we’d be a great combo.”
“You want to become a comedic duo or something?”
“Eh? What are you talking about? I want to become your girlfriend.”
“Please, can you stop saying all of that so nonchalantly!?”
Suzutsuki Kanade is going at full speed ahead right now. What is with her? Her full throttle right now makes the two weeks she took off from a school a joke. Or, maybe she just built up a lot of stress, but it’s not helping me for sure.
“Now it’s your turn, Usami-san.”
“Wha…!”
“I put up with my embarrassment to confess my feelings, and yet you won’t?”
“~~~!”
“Come on, Usamin?”
“S-S-S-Shut up! Don’t call me Usamin! I’ll say it! I just have to say it, right!?” She blushed, and screamed.
Following that, she looked at me with drenched eyes.
“—I-I like how kind you are.”
“……” I grew silent.
Including that, Konoe and Suzutsuki also didn’t say a word. I didn’t think I would get such a maiden-like answer back, to be perfectly honest.
“Because…Even though you complain, you still stay as my friend…and staying with you gives me peace of mind…That’s why I want to be your family, you know…”
“Usami-san, I didn’t tell you to give us such a detailed explanation…”
“Ah…It’s fine! I wanted to tell him about that anyway!” Masamune said, her face beet red, as she looked at me. “That’s why…I love you, stupid chicken!”
“——”
Crap. Seriously, what is going on with this situation…Why are you two girls clinging to me, confessing? Is this all just a hallucination? Maybe I’ve gone crazy for good now? Either way, this is bad. My gynophobia made leaps in improving, but because I’m being attacked like this, the symptoms are popping up again. At this rate, I’ll pass out. Before that, I need to get help—
“—Jirou.”
There, an alto voice spoke up, belonging to none other than Konoe herself. She looked at me, being clung to by Suzutsuki and Masamune. And then—
“…!?”
She suddenly clung to my waist.
“K…Konoe!?”
I was baffled. Normally, Konoe would not do something like that, I’m sure of it.
“—!”
No, calm down. Back in October, I confessed to her, and was rejected. After that, in November, we got into a fight, and distanced ourselves from each other…But, after coming to Suzutsuki’s room, we’ve gotten a bit closer, I think.
“………”
That’s right, there was something I wanted to tell her.
‘Once I’m done talking with Suzutsuki, I need to tell you something as well.’
That’s what I said. And, what did Konoe respond with?
‘I also have something to talk about with you.’
“………”
Something she wants to talk about with me? Is that possibly…
“Jirou, I…” She seemed embarrassed, as she spoke up, still clinging to me.
I could feel my heart shaking at that gesture. And then—
“…!?”
Blood came gushing out of my nose. I guess I reached my limit with that.
“Wah, stupid chicken!?”
“I see, it definitely has gotten better, but being surrounded by too many girls immediately activated it, huh?”
“Hey, Suzutsuki Kanade! Don’t calmly analyze the situation!”
“Right. Our clothes will be drenched by his blood at this rate.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Ah, Usami-san, you were pretty cute just now.”
“Wha…I-I-I’m not happy at all even if you tell me that!”
“That’s Usamin for you~”
“How many more times do I have to tell you to not call me that way!?”
Suzutsuki and Masamune clung to me, causing a ruckus. Um, you two? If you can afford to have that kind of conversation, maybe get away from me first? At this rate, I’ll be sent right back to the hospital, and I really don’t feel like that right now. I’m going to pass out because of blood loss.
“…Are you okay, Jirou?” Konoe offered me a tissue from the tissue box, as she gave me a worried gaze.
At the same time, a bit of regret filled her expression. Just now, what was she about to say?
“………”
That reminds me, after Kureha confessed to her, she said something interesting.
‘I’m sure that—you must have someone you like as well, Konoe-senpai.’
The meaning behind those words…what is it?
“Now then, since we figured out the current state of Jirou-kun’s gynophobia, we have to work hard to cure it from now on. We’re working on limited time after all.” Suzutsuki said, finally letting me go.
…Well yeah, I guess that takes priority right now. This winter will be the final part of my rehabilitation program. Namely, I’ll be living together with Konoe Subaru, Suzutsuki Kanade, and Usami Masamune.
“……”
But, I don’t think it’s that bad of a thing. After all, we’re finally together again, after we had once drifted apart. It’s the noisy but comforting daily life I wished for. So, if it could continue for a bit longer—
“…Hey, Masamune, can you let go of me already…?” I went and said that.
After all, she was still clinging to me, despite Suzutsuki having already moved away.
“…Stupid chicken.”
However, she still kept holding on to me, and continued.
“Go on a date with me.”
“……”
Everyone went quiet when they heard these words. I did, Konoe did, and so did Suzutsuki. Yet, Masamune showed me a serious expression like never before, and continued.
“Go on a date with me on Christmas.”
As I stood in front of Masamune’s apartment, I was thinking about that. A lot happened, huh. I lived on the balcony for around a month, the Suzutsuki Revolution happened, Kureha ran away from home, I had my fight with Konoe…and then, the two confessions from Masamune and Suzutsuki.
“…I need to give them both an answer.” I told myself, as I whispered.
That’s right, living here with Masamune, and being neighbours with Konoe and Suzutsuki, it’ll only be like this for a bit longer. That’s why, I need to bring a conclusion to this—before moving back into my original home.
“Alright.”
I took a deep breath, and opened the front door. Masamune should be with Schrö-senpai, so she probably isn’t—
“…Hm?”
Hold on. Schrö-senpai mentioned that Nakuru and Kureha praised her Santa appearance. So, what about Masamune then? Maybe she simply didn’t like the costume, but I highly doubt that, knowing how much of a fashion fan she is. So basically, what if she slipped away from the party mid-way?
Doubts filled my mind as I entered the front entrance, spotting Masamune’s shoes. Guess she was home after all. What will she say after seeing the bandage on my arm, I wonder? She will probably give me an earful out of worry and anger. Either way, I’m starving right now. I haven’t gotten anything to eat since noon. Since Kureha stuffed her stomach with cake at the cafe, there was nothing left for me. Of course, money was also a problem.
Well, there should be something in the fridge, I bet. I walked through the dark hallway without putting on the lights, when I spotted the presence of someone in the living room. Must be Masamune.
“I’m back.” I said, and set foot into the living room.
Immediately after, I was at a loss for words.
“My, welcome back, Jirou-kun.” A dignified voice greeted me—Suzutsuki Kanade.
She’s our neighbour, and a noble lady that looked great with black twin sidetails.
“Welcome back, Jirou.”
The next person who greeted me was Konoe Subaru, a girl crossdressing as a male butler. They sat in the living room like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“……”
Now hold on. What is this situation? Why are those two here? I mean, it wouldn’t be weird for them to stop by, but why this late?
“Ah, stupid chicken, you’re home?”
As I was left bewildered, a voice called out to me from the kitchen. The one who joined us in the living room was Usami Masamune, carrying three cups on a plate. It seems like she was making tea for the group.
“Thank you, Usami-san. But, hurry up, the second battle will start soon.”
“I know that. Also, why was the punishment for the first round making tea for everyone?”
“Sorry, Usami, I actually wanted to make the tea as I’m the butler, but…”
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about it, Subaru-sama! I was the one who lost after all!”
“That’s right, it’s all your fault for losing.”
“Why don’t you show some restraint, huh!?”
“The howling of a loser, I see.”
“Urk…acting like you’re above others again…I won’t lose next time!” Masamune steamed in anger, sitting down at the table. On the table were the seven of hearts, of diamonds, of clubs, and of spades.
“Fufu, would you like to join us, Jirou-kun?” Suzutsuki put away the eight of hearts, and spoke up.
…No. Rather than mixing in…
“What are you folks doing here?” I threw in a retort.
Konoe, Suzutsuki, Masamune, all together. Were they always this close? I mean, I’m fine if they made up, but why are they playing cards here?
“Isn’t that obvious?” Suzutsuki said with no hesitation. “We’ve reached a profound exchange.”
“…Exchange?”
“That’s right. That’s why we’ll be together for a bit longer.”
“……”
Um, what’s this about? For a bit longer? So they’ll be staying over tonight? I don’t mind, but since we have classes tomorrow, I don’t think it would be the best to stay up too long.
“Suzutsuki Kanade, it’s hard to understand with that explanation. Can I just say it?”
“Oh my, do you plan on giving me orders, Poor Lady-san.”
“Shut up! We only played daifugō for one round!”
“To think you’d even become the daihinmin in the game, on top of being poor in reality…”
“S-Shut up, you millionaire wench! Why not give up some of your money in the game at least!”
“Usami, you’re not explaining anything…” Konoe said, putting down the nine of diamonds.
And then, she turned towards me.
“We decided that we’d be living here for a while.”
She threw a bombshell at me……Hold on. That came out of nowhere. Live together? If I were to put that into a meaning, then…
“That’s why…Jirou?”
As I was bewildered, Konoe gave me a somewhat bashful gaze.
“Please take care of us for a while.”
×This might be a bit off-topic, but I don’t really enjoy playing cards. Even a long time ago, we played cards a lot, but that was more of a violent punching game than anything. Like we were out to kill each other. The thrill was crazy at least. But even so, it’s at least better than whatever mess of a situation this is.
“Come on, can somebody explain this to me already?”
We were still sitting in Masamune’s living room. Holding the cards in my hand, I asked with a bit of confusion filling my voice. By the way, this is our third round of playing cards, being Old Maid. As expected, the second match ended with Suzutsuki’s overwhelming victory, Masamune being last again. Challenging this rich lady to a game of brains really is futile after all…But, this isn’t the time for that. According to Suzutsuki, they are playing cards to deepen their bonds since they’re living together, but…
“Jirou-kun, it’s just as Subaru said a few moments ago.” Suzutsuki put down two cards. “We decided to live here in this apartment. There’s a certain reason for that.”
“A reason?”
When I returned a question, Suzutsuki smiled at me.
“Come on, I just confessed to you, right?”
“……”
Um, Suzutsuki-san? Why are you just declaring that so nonchalantly? Not to mention while playing Old Maid.
“So, Usami-san also confessed to Jirou-kun, right?”
“Wha…How do you know about that!?”
“I heard about it from Subaru. Quite a passionate confession, huh? ‘I want to become your family!’, was it? Not to mention that kiss right after…”
“Gaaaaaaah shut uuuuuuuuuuup!” Masamune screamed with a beet red face.
This will probably be seen as Suzutsuki’s third consecutive victory. To think she’d set up such an off-side battle. This isn’t the time to be playing Old Maid, she’s the card nobody wants to hold.
“S-Sorry, Usami, if only I hadn’t told her…”
“…No, you don’t have to apologize, Subaru-sama. She would have found out eventually either way.”
“Exactly. I would have seen through it anyway. Everybody could tell that you have feelings for Jirou-kun.”
“You be quiet already! Also, just continue the explanation!” The nasty rabbit pouted in anger.
“Got it.” Suzutsuki nodded. “Jirou-kun, before you came here, we talked about all sorts of stuff. As a result of that, we decided to live here together—In order to fix your gynophobia.”
“Fix?”
“I mean, you said it at the sports festival, right? With your current condition, you can’t start dating a girl, is what you told us, remember?”
“I mean, I sure did, but…”
On the way home, that’s what I told those three, yeah. But, that makes sense. After all, with my gynophobia, I can’t even properly hold hands with a girl. How would I be able to enjoy love?
“That’s why…” Suzutsuki said, leisurely putting down her last pair. “From now on, the three of us will work together to cure your gynophobia.”
“……”
Even though we were already in December, my entire body suddenly started sweating. Of course, all their previous treatment for me never ended well. Konoe is an airhead, Suzutsuki is a sadist, and Masamune is an aggressive type. Their vectors of treatment are all over the place, it doesn’t even really count as treatment. And now those three are working together? Please, lord help me. They’re about as terrifying as the Black Tri-stars in Gun*am. No doubt, they’ll be using me for their own benefit.
“It’s simple. If we’re all going to help you fix your gynophobia, it would be best for us to live together.”
“I get the reason, but…are you sure about that?”
“About what?”
“I mean…”
Although this isn’t some shoujo manga, both Suzutsuki and Masamune confessed to me, so wouldn’t they bet on bad terms?
“Stupid chicken, were you thinking that we’d create some sort of battlefield here? Of course we wouldn’t.” Masamune took a short break, and continued. “If we did, it would cause a war.”
“……”
Damn. War, she says. This suddenly turned into a battle manga. But, war? There’s no way that…
“Then, let me ask you. Do you want to see us fight for real?”
“Eh…”
“If it came to that, Suzutsuki Kanade surely wouldn’t hold back herself. She’ll surely set up some pranks, and rely on her servants.”
“…”
“And then, I’ll ask for help from the other handicraft club members. The vice prez and Sakamachi surely would help. What do you think would happen then?”
“……”
I tried simulating the scenario Masamune-san just brought up. A fight between Suzutsuki and Masamune…in other words, it’s the Suzutsuki family versus the members of Rouran Academy’s handicrafts club.
“…Hell no.”
I sought out peace. I definitely don’t want to see such a scene, even if I have to die to prevent it. This isn’t just any battlefield, there will be casualties. And the first one will be me trying to stop them.
“Right? That’s why we decided to first heal your gynophobia. We don’t want to have any needless war either.”
“Yeah, not with this kind of condition I’m in.”
So to put a clean end to all of this, I first need to get over my gynophobia, huh. For that, we’ll live together. Still, living together with three girls? This sounds like it could come straight out of a light novel. I’m feeling anxious. Of course, the reason is simple. Konoe Subaru, Suzutsuki Kanade, and Usami Masamune—all of these three are just far too special. They are cute, alright, but I can see a chemical reaction happening with them.
“…Hm?”
Hold on a second. Thinking about it rationally, we can’t sleep in the same room, right? After all…there’s not enough rooms available. This is a high-class apartment alright, but definitely not a space that would allow for four people to live in. Somebody would have to sleep on the balcony, and naturally that would be me. I already experienced it after all. However, it’s December right now. I might die from freezing.
“Don’t worry, Jirou-kun.”
Suzutsuki must have guessed what I was thinking, as she showed me a calm smile. She really looked like she was enjoying herself, alright.
“……”
This is bad. Our Suzutsuki is bad. Eh? What regenerative ability is that? Before I left for the hospital, she was all like ‘I can’t smile anymore’, and yet she now acts like that. I’m the one who can’t smile, alright? Also, whenever she shows me that smile, I just know nothing good will come out of it.
“Subaru, you can skip the game, so would you please explain it to Jirou-kun?”
“Understood, my lady.”
With a racing heart, I looked at Suzutsuki’s butler. And then, Konoe took my hand, saying ‘Let’s go, Jirou’, and stood up…Wait, we’re leaving the living room?
“Over here.”
We walked down the hallway, ignoring the darkness around us as we walked ahead, only for Konoe to turn on the light switch, illuminating the darkness. Immediately after—I spotted a large hole with a 60cm radius right in the wall. From there, I could see the apartment next to ours all too clear.
“………”
…What in the ever-living hell am I looking at. Why’d they open up a goddamn hole in the wall?
“U-Um, Konoe? What is this about?” I pointed at the hole with a quivering finger.
To that, Konoe let out a groan.
“You also think that we should have made it bigger, right? That would have made it easier to pass through…”
“I’m certainly not worried about the size of the hole!”
Why is there a hole here!? No, calm down, me. Is this what Suzutsuki was talking about? Thanks to this hole, they can come inside our apartment whenever they want? It’s like two apartments turned into one big one. Who did this…
“It was a lot of work to open up this hole.”
“So you’re the maniac who did this!?”
“The problem was the wall, it was pretty thick, and…”
“That clearly wasn’t the problem!”
There’s plenty other problems here, alright. Remember that this is a cheap apartment. Are you sure about just doing renovations on your own? I can tell you’d lose in a court case.
“Don’t you worry, the lady has already confirmed everything with the owner.”
“Confirmed…Just what kind of negotiations did she go through?”
“According to her, she ‘used last year’s New Year’s money’.”
“That easy!?”
Also, she can resolve troubles of that level this easily? How much? How much money does she get? Please, bless some of us poor folks with it…For example, a certain classmate of yours had his house burn down (me), and he needs some of that.
“That being said, the problem has been resolved.” Konoe puffed out her chest in confidence.
Damn it, that is quite the severe before-after I’m looking at. Just as Konoe said, the problem of space has been resolved, but…
“…Hm?”
Wait wait wait. Now that I think about it, there’s a much bigger problem than that, right?
“Hey, Konoe, are you sure about living together with Masamune?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“I mean…she doesn’t know that you’re a girl, right?”
For certain reasons, Konoe Subaru is forced to crossdress as a male butler while attending school. And, that secret cannot be revealed to anybody. If they really end up living here with us, then Masamune would eventually—
“—It’s fine.” However, Konoe denied my assumptions. “Usami already knows my secret.”
“…Excuse me?”
Now hol’ up. Basically, Masamune knows that Konoe is a girl?
“On top of that, she promised to keep it a secret. That’s why, no need to worry.”
“R-Really now.”
I was surprised, sure, but also thought about it. If another student found out that Konoe is a girl, she will be forced to quit as a butler. However, if that secret is found out, and the people at the Suzutsuki Family don’t find out, they’re still safe. I’m the perfect example for that. Still, to think that Masamune knew about Konoe’s secret. Maybe something happened while I wasn’t there?
“How do you feel about my reform plan?”
With these thoughts in my mind, we returned to the living room, running into Suzutsuki smiling at me. She’s back. Devil Suzutsuki has been revived. The devil was whispering into my ear.
“My, what happened, Jirou-kun? You look like you’re about to break out in tears.”
“Well, you know…”
What is this. I should be happy that Suzutsuki has returned to normal, and is even more honest with me, but I’m having trouble holding back the tears.
“Now then, since we explained the situation to Jirou-kun, I guess it’s time to stop playing games.”
“Ah, not fair, Suzutsuki Kanade! You plan on running away on a victory!?”
“I don’t mind continuing, but you won’t be able to win against me.”
“Urk…F-Feeling all confident because of two victories…” Masamune tightly grasped the cards.
Stop it, nasty rabbit. It’s impossible to win against Suzutsuki in a gamble. Playing Old Maid made it obvious, but her poker face is unbreakable. At the very least, having any mental warfare with her is no joke.
“Don’t be so frustrated. Or, do you simply want to play games?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you say so two weeks ago during the double date? You wanted to be my friend, right?”
“!”
“Thank you. You really are kind. To think you’d try to prolong this game so that we could get along.”
“~~~! Y-You’re wrong, that’s not what I…”
“That’s Usami-san for you, what a wonderful tsundere act.”
“Don’t call me a tsundere!”
“Then, can I call you Usamin?”
“Wha…!” Masamune opened and closed her mouth in shock.
Can’t blame her. Suzutsuki never addressed her that way. At least not the normal Suzutsuki, the past Derechuki-san did.
“W-W-W-Why would you do that!?”
“I mean, you want to be friends with me, right?”
“Urk…I-I want to be friends with you as well, but…”
“Fufu, Usamiiiin~”
“Ah, why are you suddenly clinging to me!”
“It’s because you’re so cute.”
“Who the hell are you!? Ah, stop, don’t touch me in weird places…!” Being clung to by Suzutsuki, Masamune howled in embarrassment.
This is probably Suzutsuki’s way of expressing affection. She surely must be thankful to Masamune for wanting to be friends…Well, part of it is probably her being playful as always.
“My lady, the night has progressed, so I advise we continue.”
“Ah, you’re right. Thank you, Subaru. Come on, you thank her as well, Usami-san.” Suzutsuki moved away from Masamune like nothing happened.
Having been freed, the nasty rabbit let out a flustered ‘T-Thank you very mush…Shubaru-shama…’, gasping for air. Keep on fighting, Masamune. If you don’t put up with this, you won’t be able to become friends with Suzutsuki. She really loves playing with others after all. Since I’m one of her other toys, I can tell you as much.
“Now then, let’s move on to the main topic.” Suzutsuki called out to me. “We will now begin the very first Sakamachi Summit.”
“……”
Now hold on, what kind of summit is this?
“Don’t give us such a confused look, Jirou-kun. It’s a summit to fix your gynophobia. And, we have only one goal—to cure this gynophobia before the third term starts.”
“The third term…”
If my memory serves right, the third term begins on the 5th of January. Since we’re currently on the 5th of December, it’s roughly one month left.
“That’s right. I think it’s better to decide on a time limit. That raises motivation.”
“Ah, amazing, Subaru. Usami-san just agreed to my opinion. Is she finally opening up to me?”
“No, it’s still too early to say that, my lady. From what I heard, tsunderes can be quite contradictory.”
“Really? What a shame. But, that’s why you want to make them open up, right? I’ll try my best.”
“…Are you guys even trying to take this seriously?”
“Come on, don’t be such a bummer, Usamin.”
“Again, don’t call me Usamin!” Masamune shouted.
Will this be okay, I wonder? The walls here may be soundproof, but what if our neighbours…Wait, they are our neighbours, right.
“Y-You alright, Usami? Your face is beet red.”
“Subaru-sama…I’m happy that you’re worrying about me, but please don’t just join along with Suzutsuki Kanade!”
“Eh? But, I was just acting as always…”
“……”
Masamune stayed quiet for a moment, and then turned towards me, asking ‘Hey, stupid chicken, is Subaru-sama an airhead or something?’. Ohh, so she’s finally realized? However, that’s not the scary part. In fact, Konoe subconsciously is playing along with Suzutsuki’s sadistic tendencies, which causes an odd chemistry. That’s master and servant for you.
“Anyway, let’s continue. For now, our plan is to cure your gynophobia by the time the third term starts. The question is how.”
“Right. In this past half year, we tried out a lot, but we never managed to fully cure your gynophobia…” Konoe started thinking.
Just as she said, we’ve been attempting quite a lot of strategies against my gynophobia ever since we became closer in April. Thanks to that, I’ve started to improve quite significantly, but it feels like the final stretch is lacking.
“……”
No, wait. Just recently—Or rather, today, I found a hint to completely fix the gynophobia…
“Huh? But, I think that his gynophobia has gotten a lot better, right? Even though the stupid chicken carried Sakamachi for quite some time, he was fine.”
“…Ah.”
That’s right. Sakamachi Kureha…after she hugged me today, I feel like my gynophobia has improved quite a bit. My gynophobia basically started because of my fear towards girls…towards the women of my family. But, Kureha was different today. When she clung to me, crying because of her broken heart—she was just a normal girl. Rather than scaring me, I simply felt the desire to protect her. Because I became conscious of that…my gynophobia improved drastically, I think.
“Really? I don’t know why, but…I’m glad to hear that.” Konoe said with a smile.
“……”
That expression made my heart skip a beat. It felt like it’s been a long time since I got to see Konoe’s natural smile.
“After all, the fact that you were able to carry Kureha-chan for a longer time must mean that your gynophobia is close to being cured, right?”
“W-Well, I guess so?”
This whole curing program over the past half of a year, adding together the change of my perception when it comes to Kureha, my gynophobia is improving. Hmmm…it doesn’t fully feel real, but it’s amazing. I had to suffer from this condition for years after all.
“But, that means we have to confirm it right now.” Suzutsuki Kanade opened her mouth, showing a grin, as she looked at me.
“………”
—Run. That single word subconsciously appeared in my mind. There’s only one reason. Whenever I see that rich lady make a face like that, my body instinctively tells me to run away. That’s why I tried to get up from my seat, but…
“Nope. I won’t let you run.”
“!?”
Out of nowhere, Suzutsuki suddenly appeared next to me—Ahhhhhh, why is she suddenly clinging to my arm like that!?
“H-Hey! Suzutsuki Kanade! What are you doing!?” Masamune screamed.
With quivering fingertips, she pointed at Suzutsuki clinging to me.
“Fufu, Usami-san, why are you panicking like that?”
“Because you’re clinging to the stupid chicken like that!”
“I mean, this is the fastest way to confirm, right? Seeing how much Jirou-kun’s gynophobia has improved.”
“I-I get the logic behind it, but…!” Masamune groaned.
I can see where she’s coming from. She’s trying to figure out how far my gynophobia has improved. Even if it means testing it directly.
“………”
I mean, it might sound like she is sacrificing herself for the greater good, but I bet she’s simply enjoying my reactions, nothing more. Look at her face.
“Not to mention that there’s nothing weird about me hugging him like this.” She said with a smile. “After all, I like Jirou-kun.”
“………”
…Somebody tell me. What even is her thought process anymore? How can she say that so easily? Her mental fortitude is no joke. Is her heart made out of diamond?
“~~~! S-S-Suzutsuki Kanade, what are you saying!?”
“I’m just speaking the truth, you know?”
“B-But…”
“Ah, well, to be perfectly honest, it’s more ‘Love’ than ‘Like’, I guess. Because…being this close to Jirou-kun…my heart is racing.”
“Wha…”
“Hey, Jirou-kun…is your heart pounding like mine?”
Eeeeek, she’s whispering into my ear! At the same time, Suzutsuki wrapped her slender arms around my right one…Gaaah, I can feel her breasts! Her soft sensation is being pressed onto me! Even a monk running away from home would be nervous at this!
“Fufu, it seems like your gynophobia really has improved, Jirou-kun. You seem just fine like this, and your nose hasn’t started bleeding.”
“!”
“Maybe I can hug you even stronger now?”
“!?”
“Hey, how are you feeling, Jirou-kun?” She asked me with a sweet voice, smiling like she was enjoying herself.
“……”
Deretsuki-san has recovered. She is like a phoenix. Not to mention that the dere power has gone up drastically compared to before.
“Jirou-kun, I can’t tell if you just stay quiet.” She looked up at me, waiting for a response.
…Ahhhh. Deretsuki-san is no joke. Since it’s been a while, I was once again reminded of how terrifying this woman is. Why not make her a private investigator at the CIA? No matter who, any terrorist would fall victim to her charm. Either way, this situation is bad. Even if this is to cure my gynophobia, being embraced like this right in front of Konoe and Masamune is far too embarrassing. My heart is going to explode before I get to curing anything. I need to make it out of this…!
“Wait a moment!”
There, a sharp voice rang out. Ohh, Masamune comes to the rescue! She can tell that I’m in a pinch, and is moving to rescue me. Please, get me out of here…
“Suzutsuki Kanade.”
However, the second she opened her mouth to continue, I thought my heart stopped for a second.
“It’s not fair that you’re doing it all alone.”
“………”
Now hold on, Masamune-san. What are you…Gaaaah, why are you clinging to my other arm, you nasty rabbit!
“Y-You! Get away!”
“Definitely not!”
“Why are you so stubborn about it!”
“B-Because…” Masamune blushed furiously, and continued. “I also like you, stupid chicken!”
“……”
Oh lord help me. She probably was agitated because of Suzutsuki’s actions, but she sure is aggressive now.
“My, Usami-san, aren’t you quite assertive?”
“It’s…it’s because you were doing this sort of stuff!”
“What’s it matter? I like him after all.”
“I-I do too!”
“Hmmm. By the way, what do you like about Jirou-kun?”
Suddenly, Suzutsuki brought up that question.
““Wha?”” Both Masamune and I gasped in unison.
No no no, what is she asking in such a situation, this damn rich lady?
“W-Why would I have to say that!?”
“I mean, you like him, right? You must have a reason for that.”
“T-That’s true, but…”
“I can say it, you know?”
“……!?” Masamune’s eyes shot open in shock.
“Jirou-kun.”
And then, while still clinging to me, she looked up into my eyes—
“I like how funny you are.”
“………”
Is it just my imagination, or did she just say that the reason she likes me is because I’m funny?
“Whenever I’m with you, I never feel bored. You get wrapped up in all sorts of interesting trouble.”
“…Um, Suzutsuki-san, the reason this trouble happens is mostly related to you, I believe…”
“That’s right, but just ignore that.”
“Like hell I can!?”
That’s the most important part! She better not have forgotten everything she’s done to me so far. Has she gone senile or something?
“But, you always respond to my pranks in the most interesting ways, you know.”
“I’m not responding because I want to, alright.”
“I think we’d be a great combo.”
“You want to become a comedic duo or something?”
“Eh? What are you talking about? I want to become your girlfriend.”
“Please, can you stop saying all of that so nonchalantly!?”
Suzutsuki Kanade is going at full speed ahead right now. What is with her? Her full throttle right now makes the two weeks she took off from a school a joke. Or, maybe she just built up a lot of stress, but it’s not helping me for sure.
“Now it’s your turn, Usami-san.”
“Wha…!”
“I put up with my embarrassment to confess my feelings, and yet you won’t?”
“~~~!”
“Come on, Usamin?”
“S-S-S-Shut up! Don’t call me Usamin! I’ll say it! I just have to say it, right!?” She blushed, and screamed.
Following that, she looked at me with drenched eyes.
“—I-I like how kind you are.”
“……” I grew silent.
Including that, Konoe and Suzutsuki also didn’t say a word. I didn’t think I would get such a maiden-like answer back, to be perfectly honest.
“Because…Even though you complain, you still stay as my friend…and staying with you gives me peace of mind…That’s why I want to be your family, you know…”
“Usami-san, I didn’t tell you to give us such a detailed explanation…”
“Ah…It’s fine! I wanted to tell him about that anyway!” Masamune said, her face beet red, as she looked at me. “That’s why…I love you, stupid chicken!”
“——”
Crap. Seriously, what is going on with this situation…Why are you two girls clinging to me, confessing? Is this all just a hallucination? Maybe I’ve gone crazy for good now? Either way, this is bad. My gynophobia made leaps in improving, but because I’m being attacked like this, the symptoms are popping up again. At this rate, I’ll pass out. Before that, I need to get help—
“—Jirou.”
There, an alto voice spoke up, belonging to none other than Konoe herself. She looked at me, being clung to by Suzutsuki and Masamune. And then—
“…!?”
She suddenly clung to my waist.
“K…Konoe!?”
I was baffled. Normally, Konoe would not do something like that, I’m sure of it.
“—!”
No, calm down. Back in October, I confessed to her, and was rejected. After that, in November, we got into a fight, and distanced ourselves from each other…But, after coming to Suzutsuki’s room, we’ve gotten a bit closer, I think.
“………”
That’s right, there was something I wanted to tell her.
‘Once I’m done talking with Suzutsuki, I need to tell you something as well.’
That’s what I said. And, what did Konoe respond with?
‘I also have something to talk about with you.’
“………”
Something she wants to talk about with me? Is that possibly…
“Jirou, I…” She seemed embarrassed, as she spoke up, still clinging to me.
I could feel my heart shaking at that gesture. And then—
“…!?”
Blood came gushing out of my nose. I guess I reached my limit with that.
“Wah, stupid chicken!?”
“I see, it definitely has gotten better, but being surrounded by too many girls immediately activated it, huh?”
“Hey, Suzutsuki Kanade! Don’t calmly analyze the situation!”
“Right. Our clothes will be drenched by his blood at this rate.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Ah, Usami-san, you were pretty cute just now.”
“Wha…I-I-I’m not happy at all even if you tell me that!”
“That’s Usamin for you~”
“How many more times do I have to tell you to not call me that way!?”
Suzutsuki and Masamune clung to me, causing a ruckus. Um, you two? If you can afford to have that kind of conversation, maybe get away from me first? At this rate, I’ll be sent right back to the hospital, and I really don’t feel like that right now. I’m going to pass out because of blood loss.
“…Are you okay, Jirou?” Konoe offered me a tissue from the tissue box, as she gave me a worried gaze.
At the same time, a bit of regret filled her expression. Just now, what was she about to say?
“………”
That reminds me, after Kureha confessed to her, she said something interesting.
‘I’m sure that—you must have someone you like as well, Konoe-senpai.’
The meaning behind those words…what is it?
“Now then, since we figured out the current state of Jirou-kun’s gynophobia, we have to work hard to cure it from now on. We’re working on limited time after all.” Suzutsuki said, finally letting me go.
…Well yeah, I guess that takes priority right now. This winter will be the final part of my rehabilitation program. Namely, I’ll be living together with Konoe Subaru, Suzutsuki Kanade, and Usami Masamune.
“……”
But, I don’t think it’s that bad of a thing. After all, we’re finally together again, after we had once drifted apart. It’s the noisy but comforting daily life I wished for. So, if it could continue for a bit longer—
“…Hey, Masamune, can you let go of me already…?” I went and said that.
After all, she was still clinging to me, despite Suzutsuki having already moved away.
“…Stupid chicken.”
However, she still kept holding on to me, and continued.
“Go on a date with me.”
“……”
Everyone went quiet when they heard these words. I did, Konoe did, and so did Suzutsuki. Yet, Masamune showed me a serious expression like never before, and continued.
“Go on a date with me on Christmas.”
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