６ She Knows the Feeling of Love
After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I stood before the bathroom mirror to fix my hair. I hadn't cared much about my appearance in middle school, but I was a full-fledged high schooler now. If I wanted older women to like me, I at least had to keep my hair tidy.
“Mmm, I guess this is good?”
In the mirror stood Sora Tochika. Unfortunately, even with my hair fixed, I was a plain-looking guy.
“She likes this guy...? Why?”
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. I never expected that instead of an Onee-san, I’d be confessed to by someone who was her polar opposite. As for why she liked me... that was a tough one.
Then again, I’d never even thought about why I liked older women. It wasn't so much that I sought them out as much as seeking them out was part of who I was.
Take that time I was treated like a molester. If that cop hadn't been a beautiful Onee-san, I would’ve taken the matter to court. Of all things, accusing me of being a creep toward a little kid was ridiculous.
I took pride in being an Onee-san lover. Being suspected of having an interest in little kids wounded my pride. It was unforgivable. Yes, I firmly affirmed my identity as an older-woman enthusiast.
“Wait, what was I thinking about again? Is my brain still not in gear?”
Right... why Chito-chan liked me.
When I thought about it again, even the word “like” was complicated. My “liking” Onee-sans was, essentially, a matter of “preference.” A “like” in the broad sense.
On the other hand, Chito-chan’s “like” for me was like a single arrow aimed at its prey. Even if we used the same word, the emotions behind them were completely different. Why would she point such a straightforward feeling at someone like me?
Maybe that was why I was so bewildered—I just couldn't understand it. I never thought being liked by someone could be this confusing. Was it because while I was used to being doted on by older women, I’d never been liked by a specific one?
Of course, it wasn't just bewilderment. Yeah, it didn't feel bad. Even if I didn't get why she liked me, the feeling itself made me happy. There was no way I wouldn't be happy about being confessed to by a girl for the first time in my life.
The reason I didn't feel a surge of desire to reciprocate Chito-chan’s feelings, though... was it really just because she was so far outside my strike zone?
In the end, it all came back to my love for Onee-sans. I was happy to be liked. But I couldn't return those same feelings.
“My love for older women really is ingrained, isn't it? Sorry, Chito-chan.”
She might be letting out a cute little sneeze right about now.
There was no point in agonizing in front of the mirror, so I went back to my room and pulled a knit sweater over my dress shirt. I headed to the living room and cleared a few morning newspapers from the table, putting them in the rack.
My parents were diligent workers; they’d read the paper and headed off to work early. Up until elementary school, my mom and dad had taken turns making breakfast, but now that I was in high school, I had no intention of being totally dependent on them, so I didn't complain.
I made sure the door was locked, left the apartment, took the elevator down to the first floor, and stepped out of the building. Then, I headed to the “Galaxy Mart”—or “Gyara-Ma” for short—right across the street.
“Morning, Sora.”
“Sup, Luna.”
Luna had just stepped out of Gyara-Ma. Today, instead of her uniform jacket, she was wearing a track jacket and carrying a large sports bag, looking for all the world like a dedicated athlete. Apparently, they didn't have morning practice every day.
Luna trotted over and delivered a low kick to my leg. I responded by bumping my fist against her shoulder. Trading light blows was a childhood habit of ours; there was no deep meaning behind it.
“Getting breakfast at the convenience store too, Luna?”
“This place is basically my refrigerator.”
Luna pulled an onigiri out of her plastic bag. My childhood friend lived in the same apartment building as me, and her parents also both worked. We were in the same boat when it came to preparing our own meals, which was why we both utilized Gyara-Ma in the morning.
“I’m gonna go grab something too.”
“Don’t just grab ‘something,’ buy a lot. Want me to pick for you?”
“I’m not that helpless. Just wait for me.”
I gave her a wry smile, went inside, made my choices quickly, and came back out.
“What? You barely bought anything again. You’re never gonna grow like that.”
“I can’t eat that much in the morning.”
I’d bought an egg sandwich and a carton of cafe latte.
“Well, at least it’s not sweets.”
“Chito-chan was worried about me, so I figured I should eat something a bit more normal.”
“You’re a guy, eat meat! Meat! I could go for yakiniku even this early.”
“I don't think there are any yakiniku places open right now.”
“If I find one, I’m taking you. You always burn the meat anyway, Sora, so I’ll be the one in charge of grilling.”
“Well, you are good at it, and you know exactly how I like it.”
“I know all your likes and dislikes. Though I guess you don't really have many dislikes.”
“I’m picky when it comes to girls, though. I try not to be selfish about anything else to make up for it.”
“Because you’re so picky, I can rest easy—I mean, as your childhood friend! If I were petite, we might have drifted apart! That would’ve been too sad!”
“We’re childhood friends, Luna. Even if you weren't my type, we wouldn't drift apart.”
“I can’t tell if this guy is a tactless or just honest...”
“I’m just saying I don't have to hold back around you, right?”
“I’m not sure how to feel about that either... Come on, let’s head to the usual spot.”
“Right.”
We started walking side-by-side as a matter of course and headed into the park next to Gyara-Ma. Whenever we bought food at the convenience store, it was our habit to eat it here.
We sat together on a bench and started on our breakfast—my sandwich and Luna’s onigiri. Luna had already finished one, so she was on her second. On top of that, her bag seemed to have fried chicken, a frankfurter, and all sorts of other things inside.
“Well, it’s a good thing. I want you to keep eating and growing up big and strong, Luna.”
“Stop that! I don’t want to get any bigger!”
“But you can’t stop eating, can you?”
“Ugh... I-I won’t make it until lunch if I don’t. I wish they’d open the cafeteria before noon.”
“Are you planning on finishing a whole meal in a ten-minute passing period?”
My childhood friend could probably pull it off.
“You eat all that and don’t gain a gram. Better watch out or the other girls are gonna literal stab you.”
“I’m just burning what I eat. Logically speaking, if you exercise properly, you won’t get fat. If people spent the time they use watching diet videos on doing squats instead, they’d actually lose weight.”
“Don’t diss the dieting girls. Though in your case, every calorie really does turn into nutrition.”
I stared intently at my childhood friend sitting next to me. Even sitting down, you could tell how tall she was.
“H-hey, Sora. What are you looking at?”
“I should be asking what you’re hiding...”
I don’t know what Luna had misunderstood, but she tried to hide her chest with her arms. The move only served to lift and emphasize the two large curves instead.
“S-stop. You’re not even interested in your childhood friend’s body.”
“Even if you’re my childhood friend, I’m still interested in a girl’s body.”
“Don’t say it like that! You really are a teactless!”
“Luna, you’re actually a bit lacking in the hip department. Well, I like the slender beauty type, so I guess this works too...”
“Stop appraising your childhood friend! Talking about chests and butts first thing in the morning! This chest is seriously just a hindrance for sports! It’s not even supposed to grow if you’re exercising this much, so what is going on?!”
“Is it so bad? I like big breasts too.”
“D-don’t say things like that!”
During middle school, Luna had been a star attacker for the volleyball club. Every time she leaped high into the air, her chest would bounce—boing!—and it was always a topic of conversation among the boys.
“Isn’t it fine? Big breasts are eye-catching and glamorous. The guys love it.”
“I don’t play volleyball to make guys happy.”
“I guess that’s true... Especially after that happened.”
Damn, I’d let my tongue slip in the heat of the moment.
“Hm? Oh, whatever. Just stay a tactless, Sora. Don’t start being considerate on my account.”
“Got it!”
“Such a good response... only in moments like this do you sound like a jock.”
Because Luna was beautiful and stood out, she’d had a fair share of trouble in her life. Even as her childhood friend, I sometimes hesitated on whether it was okay to tease her.
“Though I guess I care more about height and leg length than breast size.”
“I’m tall and my legs are long. Do you really care that much?”
“You could say it’s the most important factor. Oh, can I have a piece of fried chicken?”
“Just one.”
Luna held out the paper box of chicken with a dissatisfied look.
“Eating this once in a while is great. By the way, Luna.”
“Yeah?”
“Is there anyone you like?”
“Pfft—?!”
Luna almost sprayed her frankfurter everywhere.
“Wha—what are you—cough, cough—saying all of a sudden?!”
“You okay? Oh, and when I say ‘anyone you like,’ I mean besides me.”
“...The nerve it takes to ask that question with that premise is incredible. In a way, I’m almost impressed.”
“No, I was just thinking this morning about what the emotion of ‘liking’ someone actually is.”
“...You surprised me.”
“Is it really that surprising?”
“Sora, you’re always going on about how you love Onee-sans, so I figured you just liked any older woman. I thought your romantic feelings were just... bugged.”
“That’s a harsher assessment than I expected.”
Then again, it was coming from the childhood friend who knew me best, so it was probably reliable.
“So, how about it? You’ve got a lot of connections, Luna, and plenty of guy friends, right?”
“I don’t have that many guy friends! And there’s nobody I like! And I don’t like you either, Sora!”
“Eh............”
“That’s cheating, Sora! Do you actually get shocked when someone says something ‘tactlessi’ to you?!”
Luna glared at me with dissatisfied, half-lidded eyes.
“No, that was actually a pretty big shock.”
“Ugh... s-sorry. I... well, I do like you, Sora.”
“Oh, good. Anyway, never mind, just forget the question.”
“Don’t just brush it off with that refreshed smile! I feel like I’ve been tricked by that smile dozens of times.”
“Come to think of it, Chito-chan said my smile was lovely, too.”
“L-lovely? So Naruse-chan is another victim. Maybe I should start a support group.”
Now Luna was glaring at me with sharp eyes. I hadn't intended to tease her, but it felt dangerous to keep this topic going. Maybe it was because Chito-chan had told me she liked me... I’d started wondering how those around me saw me, and how I saw them.
“Just eat, Sora. We’re gonna be late.”
“Right, right.”
We finished our convenience store breakfast while chatting about mindless things. After properly cleaning up our trash, we headed toward the school.
The high school was two train stops away from our apartment. We could’ve biked, but we both preferred the train. We passed through the school gates, and just as we reached the shoe lockers—
“Yo, Tochika. You got a minute?”
Waiting there was Satsuki Nonoa-san. The flashy gyaru who was Chito-chan’s best friend.
That made two tall beauties I’d encountered already. What a lucky morning.
“Hey, Satsuki. You say ‘got a minute,’ but there’s less than twenty minutes until the bell.”
“So just skip.”
“You say that so casually...”
She was just as delinquent as she looked.
“Listen, asking so suddenly is... and besides, Satsuki-san—”
“You can just call me Nonoa, Tochika. All the guys call me that anyway.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah. But using ‘-san’ makes you feel more like an Onee-san, so I’m gonna go with Nonoa-san.”
“...Hey, Harukawa?”
“Sora is always chasing tall Onee-sans in his heart. Don’t mind him.”
“I see. So it’s like a disease.”
“............”
My new classmate and my childhood friend were having a very rude conversation.
But still, skipping class after only a few days of school...?
Hiura High School is situated right along the coast, just like the name suggests.
Even during class, if you leave the windows open, you can hear the sound of the waves and feel the salty sea breeze.
"See, that’s why skipping on the beach is strictly for amateurs," Nonoa-san remarked as she led the way.
"Amateurs at what, exactly?" I asked.
"At skipping. Teachers do their rounds down there every once in a while, so it’s a bad spot to hide out."
Nonoa-san was acting as our guide. A short distance from the school, there was a patch of high ground that had been turned into a small park. I’d noticed the elevation before, but I’d had no idea a park like this existed.
"A senior told me that climbing the stairs all the way up here is such a pain that only the ones who are really committed to skipping come here."
"Committed to skipping?" I repeated. It sounded like a contradiction in terms, yet somehow, it made perfect sense.
Getting up here had been quite the trek.
"This is a great find," Luna said, looking like she hadn’t even broken a sweat. "Going up and down these long stairs will make for some decent light training."
"It’s definitely not 'light'..." I huffed.
Luna, who had reached the top well before Nonoa-san, actually looked a bit unsatisfied. This is exactly why I can't deal with the athletic types.
"The sand makes it hard to walk and gets all in your shoes, so looking down from up here is the right way to do it," Nonoa-san explained.
"Huh. Wisdom from the upperclassmen, I take it? You’re already making friends with the seniors, Nonoa-san?"
"Don't underestimate the gyaru network," she said with a smirk, flashing a peace sign.
Apparently, when it comes to gyaru, they can bridge the age gap and get close in record time.
"So, what’s this about? You went out of your way to make us skip class for this."
"It’s about you, obviously. You already know that."
Nonoa-san leaned back against the iron railing of the lookout point and turned toward me. Her gaze was heavy with meaning.
"Nonoa-san, you and Chito-chan are best friends, right? Does that mean...?"
"Hmm. Harukawa is here too, but whatever."
"Wait, is this about Naruse-chan being in love with Sora?" Luna chimed in.
"Yikes. You’re surprisingly sharp, Harukawa. Even though you look like you have zero connection to romance."
"You wanna go, Satsuki?" Luna barked. "Volleyball isn't the only thing I'm good at, you know."
"Just kidding! I hate exercise. I survive on my face and my charm," Nonoa-san replied airily.
Sparkles practically flew as Luna and Nonoa-san glared at each other. I couldn’t tell if these two had become fast friends in a short time or if they just plain hated each other.
Regardless—the three of us now shared Chito-chan’s secret.
"Anyway, putting Harukawa aside for a sec... it really seems like she is legit into Tochika."
"Is it okay for you to just come out and say it like that, Nonoa-san? Isn't that too early for you?
"If she hadn't confessed, I'd keep my mouth shut. But she already did, didn't she?"
"How did you even know that?"
"I was on the phone with her last night, and while she was talking about you, she started mumbling about how 『It’s hard for a loli to confess to a non-deli guy.』 She didn't even realize she’d said it out loud."
"Well, there's no misinterpreting that..."
Terms like 'loli' and 'non-deli' aside, if she went that far, there wasn't much of a secret left.
"So, did you come here to threaten me into dating Chito-chan?"
"What exactly do you think a gyaru is?"
"I figured this was the part where a bunch of flashy punks would show up and start pressuring me."
"I don't have any delinquet friends! Harukawa, this guy’s prejudice against gyarus is insane!"
"Don't look at me," Luna sighed. "Besides, even if a bunch of flashy guys showed up, they’d be no match for me. I’ll protect Sora."
"And I will let Luna protect me," I added.
"Don't be so proud of being protected by a girl! Is this that 'diversity' stuff people talk about?"
"I’ll admit that Luna and I are a bit of a special case."
Being protected by a tall, beautiful girl—now that was a heart-pounding situation. Honestly, I kind of wished Nonoa-san would summon some flashy punks. Though, even if Luna was confident in her strength, I couldn't actually let her get into a fistfight.
"Tochika, just... look after her."
"Eh?"
"I'm not saying you have to accept her confession. But the thing is, she is the type who tends to pull away from the boys she likes."
"That is the biggest lie I have ever heard in my entire life."
She’d been incredibly clingy, and she’d even tried to forcibly steal my first kiss. The distance between us was effectively zero.
"It’s not a lie! She is the type to be wary around guys. Especially back in middle school, you know how guys start getting big? She was terrified of everyone sprouting up like weeds; she was shaking like a tiny animal."
"I mean, she is basically a tiny animal..."
"No, I’m shocked too, okay? She has taken a huge shine to you, Tochika. It seems like something happened over spring break, but did you like... save her life or something?"
"I did a little bit of volunteer work, but it wasn't anything that dramatic."
I almost got arrested, but it wasn't all bad since I got to talk to a tall Onee-san. Once again, it hit me just how much I love older women. Even Nonoa-san standing right in front of me was tall, mature, and beautiful—
"Seriously, what did you do...? Hey, why are you staring at me!"
"Is Nonoa-san scared?" Luna asked.
"I’m not scared... Ah!"
"Oh."
Since we were on high ground near the sea, the wind was strong. As an inevitable consequence, a panty flash occurred. Nonoa-san’s skirt was particularly short, so her thighs had been peeking out for a while now.
And then, finally, the wind gave a great whoosh, and her skirt flipped right up.
They were black.
And they were an incredibly sexy shade of black, too.
"Y-You should just go be happy looking at her panties instead!"
"I wonder if Chito-chan wears animal prints or something?" I mused.
"She’s not a brat, you know! She graduated from animal prints back in eighth grade."
"Isn't that kind of late? Luna graduated from them in fifth grade, right?"
"You don't need to share that!" Luna snapped.
Luna is often seen as boyish, but she’s loved skirts since she was little. She said they were easy to move in, but honestly, she used to flash her underwear way too often back then.
"Ah, for the record, I like mature stuff like what Nonoa-san was wearing—black, red, or purple."
"Stop talking about my panties!"
Nonoa-san quickly pressed her skirt down. For a gyaru, she was surprisingly modest. That definitely earned her some points in my book.
"Satsuki, please forgive him," Luna sighed.
"...Harukawa can just call me Nonoa. Anyway, is Harukawa like... Tochika's guardian?"
"I suppose so, Nonoa. Sora is prone to getting into trouble. I have to act as his shield."
Luna stood in front of me, striking a protective pose.
"Hmm, you two really are close."
"Well, Luna has grown into a fine, mature-looking Onee-san, after all," I said.
"I told you to stop looking at your childhood friend with those weird eyes! Nonoa, you should be careful too—this guy is dead serious about his love for tall, mature beauties!"
"Heh... So he’s the exact opposite of her type."
Nonoa-san gave me a suspicious look.
"Maybe she likes Tochika because he’s the one guy who has zero interest in her appearance."
"I don't think there are that many lolicons out there, though?"
"Guys like small, cute things, don't they? Chito was actually super popular."
"She did mention being confessed to by eight people. Can you really call that 'super' popular?"
"That’s just the number of people who actually confessed! There were ten times as many guys who were actually gunning for her."
"Ten times? Isn't that an exaggeration?"
"You can understand why it’s hard to confess to her, right? Those eight guys might have been weirdos, but at the same time, they were heroes."
"Heroes, huh...?"
If you confess to someone like Chito-chan, there’s a very real chance you’ll be branded a lolicon. Since they confessed despite the risk, I guess 'heroes' is a fitting term.
"But there were plenty of guys with normal tastes too. The amazing thing about Chito is her ability to wake the lolicon within guys who aren't even lolicons to begin with."
"...That’s terrifying."
I might end up having a new fetish door forced open by Chito-chan too. She did say some scary things about using her child-like body as a weapon.
"Now, I wonder about that. Sora is a dyed-in-the-wool Onee-san lover..."
"True. My first love was an older cousin," I admitted.
"I heard about that from Sora’s aunt," Luna added. "A long time ago at a family gathering, whenever Sora went missing, they’d find him squeezed in right between all the older girls."
"What a relentless brat..." Nonoa-san muttered, her eyes filled with utter exasperation.
"In middle school, I liked my college-aged tutor, and lately, I’ve been gunning for this cool Onee-san I always see at the cafe," I counted off on my fingers.
"Don't say 'gunning for'!" Luna glared at me.
Luna should know all of this already, yet she looks appalled every time I bring it up.
"Wait? Did Naruse-chan fall for Sora because he has zero interest in her? Isn't that like... a path straight to hell?"
"That’s just how fed up koto is with guys who flock to her because she’s small."
Fed up? That’s a sophisticated word for a gyaru to use.
"Anyway, I don't butt into other people's romances, but if you do anything to hurt her, I will bury you in the sand and kill you."
"We’re right next to the ocean, yet you’re going for the high-effort method."
Murder method aside, I guess this was what Nonoa-san wanted to say. If Luna was my guardian, then Nonoa-san was Chito-chan’s.
"T-Tochika-kun!"
Everyone turned at once.
A tiny face popped up from the stairs leading to the lookout. The person in question—Chito-chan—was panting heavily, looking down at the ground.
"Hah... hah... This is too high. The stairs... are too long... Wheeze..."
”Chito! Why are you here?!"
"Nono’s gyau friends told me..."
Gyau? Ah, she meant 'gyaru.'
"N-Nono... don't say anything weird to Tochika-kun... You're too overprotective, Nono."
"Whoa!"
Perhaps having reached her limit, Chito-chan wobbled—
I rushed over and caught her just before she collapsed.
"Tochika-kun..."
"Yeah?"
"I love yooou~..."
"............"
Squeeze! Chito-chan took the opportunity to cling to me with everything she had.
"Hmm. Even with her pressed against him like that, Tochika isn't getting excited at all."
"Sora is into extremely tall girls, to a fault," Luna noted.
Seriously, stop 'praising' me like that, you two. Chito-chan is cute, and she’s surprisingly well-endowed and soft and girly, but...
As expected, I just can't feel any romantic spark for Chito-chan.
Post a Comment