Veiled Secret.03: The Truth Behind the Kiss

"Excuse me—Phew..."

After closing the door to the staff room, I let out a massive sigh.

I had only come to pick up a cardboard box, but my homeroom teacher had stopped me and asked if I was troubled by anything in class. Since I was always alone, she was probably just worried about me.

But I—Fuyutsuki Niina—was used to solitude.

Ever since I was little, I had moved around constantly because of my father's job, never made any friends, and spent most of my time alone, so being by myself wasn't something I considered painful.

But—today, the circumstances were a little different. For the first time in a while, I had talked to someone.

That person wasn't just the teacher—it was the person I hated. Sawa Ryogo-kun.

Even though we made a "Prowmise" to get married when we were little, not only did he forget about that, he didn't even remember me. Well, they were memories from when we were four or five, so it couldn't be helped that he didn't remember.

But, today, I was a little angry—

"Actually, someone cheered me on and told me to do my best..."

"Who did?"

"Um... a friend, or rather, my childhood friend?"

—Getting all soft and mushy like that. It was obviously about Segawa-san, wasn't it?

The reason he suddenly got motivated and came to the Disciplinary Committee room was, ultimately, all for the sake of his beloved childhood friend.

That frustrated me, I hated it, and I couldn't help myself.

I was also angry that Segawa-san didn't remember me. Wanting to get revenge, wanting to tear those two apart—to them, I must look absolutely ridiculous for feeling this way.

But once the switch for negative emotions is flipped, it's hard to turn it off.

That's why I decided to be a little mean. After Sawa-kun came to the Disciplinary Committee room, I pretended to put the cardboard box on the shelf, and secretly hid my phone there.

It was a little embarrassing, but I caught my skirt on the shelf and intentionally showed him my panties.

I wondered what kind of pathetic face Sawa-kun was making on the camera. Seeing him get so pathetically flustered over just a pair of panties is—ah, this is bad. Just imagining it is somehow turning me on.

My bad habit. Touching myself alone while fantasizing about Sawa-kun's pathetic face.

I'm still at school, so I have to hold it in until I get home—but I'm already getting wet, so maybe I'll stop by the restroom for just a bit... Sawa-kun has probably already gone home by now anyway—.

After stopping by the restroom and secretly touching myself, I returned to the Disciplinary Committee room.

Clatter—opening the door, I was surprised. Sawa-kun was still there. He was slumped over the desk, sleeping. He must have been exhausted, as he didn't even notice I had returned.

I was astounded. Just when I thought he had suddenly gotten motivated, he was dozing off.

I headed for the shelf, retrieved the phone I had hidden to record, and played back the video.

—Just as I thought. Sawa-kun saw my panties, turned bright red, and got totally flustered.

The way he tried to play it off afterward was so clumsy I couldn't help but laugh.

After that—he was earnestly looking something up on the computer. This serious face of his is also cool—wait, no, I hate Sawa-kun!

But... does he really intend to do his committee duties seriously?

As I was fast-forwarding the video, suddenly, he started to worry about the time.

"...I'll wait. I'll treat her to something on the way home."

...Eh?

I frantically looked at Sawa-kun. He was still sleeping soundly.

"...Treat her, wait, is he talking about me?"

Even though I asked in a whisper, there was no sign of Sawa-kun waking up.

Before I knew it, I was biting my lip. My ears were probably bright red right now.

Honestly, the feeling of "happiness" won out over "hate."

Making sure not to make a sound, I gently approached Sawa-kun.

I tried sitting next to him. His sleeping breathing was cute. He looked somewhat like a little kid, and I felt like I could watch him forever.

I slumped over the desk, just like Sawa-kun.

As I stared intently at Sawa-kun's face as if looking into a mirror,

"Come on, hurry up... and remember,"

The words naturally spilled from my mouth.

"If you don't, I might... end up hating you even more, Sawa-kun..."

Ah, but... I really do love him after all...

There was only one good thing about having a habit of fantasizing. It meant I could stay in love with someone forever. Even if I only had memories from when we were five, we grew up together through elementary and middle school, laughed normally together, occasionally had fights, but then we entered high school, went on dates, kissed, confessed our feelings—.

Fantasizing about that kind of natural progression as childhood friends, and spending time with the Sawa-kun in my delusions, was the emotional support of my otherwise solitary life.

—Hey, Sawa-kun. I'm actually a pretty heavy woman. Does that creep you out?

But, I haven't forgotten the "Prowmise" to get married either. We did our vow kiss, and in the end, I'm leaving it up to you, Sawa-kun, to choose between me and Segawa-san.

And yet, for you to just forget about it is so mean.

It makes me sad to suddenly be taken off the list of options, you know?

Hey, Sawa-kun. Even so, if I said I loved you, would it creep you out?

Will you properly fall in love with me all over again?

If I kissed you one more time, would you wake up as if a spell was broken and remember me?

Of course, I don't have the courage to do that. All I can do is fantasize and touch myself alone. But, I can play a little prank.

I applied lip gloss to my fingertip, and instead of a kiss, I pressed it against Sawa-kun's lips. When I did—

"Nnn... Mio..."

............Huh? Excuse me, I'm Niina?

Even though he was talking in his sleep, for some reason, it made me incredibly angry.

If it's going to be like this, I'll thoroughly... make you turn your eyes toward me!