Chapter 6 – Sunohara Chiharu Dives In
Past 8pm. For some reason, Sunohara was sitting at the dining table of my abode. Without making even a reluctant face after spotting Sunohara who came over at this late hour, Takafumi ushered him in and furthermore prepared his meal.
As the dining table was a 2-person one, we lined up the sofa and gla.s.s table in front of the TV, and for some reason Sunohara, Takafumi and I are having dinner on cordial terms. It’s Takafumi’s specialty today: curry rice.
“Takafumi-kun, sorry about this. The suddenness.”
“It’s okay. Mahiro’s friends are always welcome.”
It really pains me to busy him more than necessary when he’s occupied with reports, a.s.signments and job finding, but Takafumi wasn’t reluctant. Rather, he even seemed happy that I made a male friend.
Sunohara isn’t my friend, but if it makes Takafumi happy, then I shall leave it at that.
“Takafumi’s cooking is very delicious. To think I got to eat such tasty cooking despite intruding at this timing.”
“No probー, if you’re fine with such cooking, drop by anytime to have them.”
“I’d love to.”
I felt intensely disturbed by Sunohara who gave a bright smile as he spoke calmly.
Who is this refined and ikemen exemplary youth? He’s definitely not Sunohara. Sunohara is suppose to speak in a more foolish and irritating way. At any rate, even I won’t treat him unkindly if he behaves like this normally.
Ignoring the two who conversed eloquently, I gobbled down the curry rice. Although Takafumi’s cooking are top-rate tasty, I could hardly enjoy the taste thanks to Sunohara’s presence.
“Sunohara-kun, you’ll be staying over today, right?”
“Will that be okay?”
Despite having made such a racket about wanting to stay over, he’s giving a “Oh no, I can’t possibly do that” unnatural act so late in the game.
“Isn’t there school tomorrow? Leave.”
Sunohara made a downcast face and put his spoon down onto the table after I glared at him a little.
“That’s right isn’t it. I’ll be leaving since it’s late already. Besides, I can’t cause both Mahiro-kun and Takafumi-san anymore trouble.”
“No wayー, it’s fine, it’s fine. Stay over. You’ll end up in protective custody if you go out after 10pm[1], ya. Where does Sunohara-kun stay?”
“About 40 minutes from here, I think.”
It’s currently before 9:30pm. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to Moyori Station. At that rate, it’d easily exceed 10pm by the time Sunohara reaches home.
“Thereー, stay over, I say.”
“Will that be okay?”
“It’s okayー. Right, Mahiro?”
What do you mean ‘Will that be okay?’. I’m feeling not mild, but considerable, irritation at Sunohara who spoke brazenly despite having that intention right from the start.
However, I’m unable to treat Takafumi coldly. I was extremely unwilling but I put up with it somehow and nodded solemnly.
“Are you okay with using my clothes? As for underwear, I have new ones so you can have them. Hang on a moment, alright.”
Takafumi left to get the clothes from his room.
It might have slipped your mind, but I’m still provisionally a girl. How tragic is it that I have to let a male cla.s.smate lodge in my house? Perhaps Takafumi is also steadily forgetting that I was a girl.
However, it’s true that he might be taken into protective custody if he goes out after 10pm, so I can only endure while thinking of it as a tribulation.
“Takafumi-san sure is kind, isn’t he. He’s an ikemen, and seems popular, huh.”
“Don’t know.”
Sunohara completely returned to his usual state and started talking to me in an annoying manner. Ignoring that, I continue to tuck away at my third plate of curry rice today. The third plate of curry rice is one with ample mayonnaise added to it. Adding mayonnaise to curry makes it milder and I feel like I can eat it however much there is.
“Does Hii-chan, like Takafumi-san?”
“I like him. Because we’re family.”
“You know I don’t mean it that way, right, Hii-chan.”
I don’t quite understand the meaning in those words he uttered.
The conversation is progressing with the premise that my love interest is a guy, but what does Sunohara mean? Did he realise that I’m a girl, or is he thinking that I’m gay or bi?
Even if it’s me, I’m also a modern man. Although I won’t say that only romance between the opposite genders is legitimate, be it fortunate or unfortunate, my current romantic interest lies in guys right now. I may have to come to like girls if I have to live as a guy from now on, but that’s something that’s as-yet-unknown.
“I don’t have someone I like.”
“What about meー?”
“Stop joking; take a look at yourself.”
I will never, ever come to like Sunohara Chiharu in that way. This alone is a fact that will never, ever change.
The kind I like is the soothing type. What I like is precisely a fluffy, soothing type who’s refreshing and sincere like Takafumi. I’d like a good person with a personality contrary to Sunohara’s.
“Ehh, the girls call me “Cute!” or “Cool!”, you know. I think I’m a comparatively good catch, thoughー.”
“It’s annoying when you say that yourself.”
“How mean. Hii-chan is about the only one who’d say something like that to me.”
Sunohara can certainly be categorized under ‘ikemen’. However, this sort of annoying statement is a minus to that ikemen-liness.
However, it’s precisely because there are many broadminded women who’re okay with this kind of disappointing ikemen-liness, that he’s being treated as this school’s ouji-sama. Or perhaps anything goes as long as the looks are pleasing.
Sunohara came poking at my cheek with a broad smile, so I shoved that hand away ruthlessly.
“Sunohara-kun, will this be fine? Go ahead and use the bath firstー”
Takafumi, the balm to my chapped heart, finally returned to the living room. Ever since I came to HItotose High School, it is only Takafumi who soothes my heart.
Takafumi handed Sunohara brand new underwear, along with the shirt and sweats he usually wear.
“Thank you very much. I’ll be using the bath first.
This Sunohara, he gave a smile so refreshing that it’s as though the idiotic ouji up until a while ago was a lie. I thought that the people who come to like Sunohara are those who think anything goes as long as the looks are pleasing. But judging from his adeptness at mimicry, it might be that there are many fans of this well-made facade of his.
Sunohara was shown to the bath by Takafumi, and was the first to enter it.
What’s with this situation. How tragic is it that I have to let Sunohara Chiharu, the main cause of my uneasiness, stay at my house right at the start of the week? However, I can only give up now that we arrived at this stage. I tried to calm my heart as I lay sprawled on the dining table.
As I emptied my mind and remained that way for a moment, I felt a faint warmth and weight around the back of my head. This hand is something I’m familiar with.
“Takafumi-kun, what?”
Takafumi knows my personality. Be it happiness or sadness, neither shows on my face.
Sitting beside me, he rubbed my head as he read his textbook.
“I’m rubbing because Mahiro is depressedー”
“I’m not depressed.”
“Then, I’m rubbing because I want to.”
Sunohara has the sort of weighty personality like when you see BBQ meat or cakes, so I’m soothed by the gentle atmosphere Takafumi has, that’s refreshing like mineral water.
I consider the incident about me liking Takafumi in the past as something to stow away, and I doubt I’ll come to like him again, but he’s still a special existence to me even if I factor out the romantic emotions. I reaffirmed it after our first reunion in a long time.
My eyelids gradually grew heavier due to the pleasant weight on my head.
“Where should we let Sunohara sleep, I wonder.”
“Normally thinking, it’d be my room, right.”
“But Mahiro is……”
Yes, Mahiro is a girl. However, to Sunohara, he’s a friend of the same gender as him. It’s annoying but I can only endure for a night and share the same room.
Takafumi looked at me worriedly. Then where are you saying Sunohara can sleep, Takafumi?
It’s already 11pm after we entered the bath in the order of Sunohara, me, then Takafumi. It’s a time when I would normally already be asleep. Takafumi remained in the living room to write his report, and Sunohara and I headed to the room to rest.
I thought the creatures called ‘university students’ would be more refined, but they seem like busy people. It’d be good if there’s something I can help with, but there can’t possibly be anything that I, a high school student, can do. I approached Takafumi hesitatingly, and called out.
“Takafumi-kun.”
“You look sleepy. Nights, Mahiro. Don’t hold back and go rest.”
Takafumi suddenly smiled as he gently rubbed the corner of my eyes.
“Nights.
“N, g’night. Take it easy too, Sunohara-kun. Nights.”
“Good night, Takafumi-san. Do your best.”
It’ll be good if I could a.s.sist Takafumi, just like how he a.s.sists me. Keenly feeling my own inability, I entered the room. At that moment, Sunohara hugged me. I shuddered to the point of getting gooseb.u.mps.
I reflexively made him eat an elbow jab, and when the damage was inflicted, I turned around and gave him a knee strike. I got onto the bed and laid down after giving him, who was crouching down, a fleeting glance. I would have brought out the futon used for guests if he didn’t hug me, but it is that guy’s fault for doing something discomforting. Have fun sleeping on the floor!
I intended to ignore him and sleep, but I couldn’t quite fall asleep due to the sniff sniff sobbing sounds that came from the corner of the room. Still, this sort of behaviour from him originates from his annoying sentiment of wanting me pay him attention. I understand that he’s not truly unhappy. Such behaviour is bound to be ignored.
It’s been 30 minutes since I continued to ignore him. It was when I had gotten used to his sobbing and was dozing off. Sunohara stopped sobbing, and of all things, climbed onto the bed I was sleeping on. And then, he started sleeping with me as though it’s the most natural thing in the world. Furthermore, he was glued perfectly to my back, and the tip of his nose was even placed at my nape.
“…… Oi.”
I’ve been thinking this ever since we met, but the sense of distance Sunohara has towards me is strange.
Despite having declared that he likes Sena, why in the world does he cling to me, his rival, so much? Seriously unfathomable.
“Hii-chan had only been dere-ing at Takafumi-san, so I was jealous.”
“I don’t get your drift.”
“‘Cause, Hii-chan’s my best friend. Be buddy-buddy with me too.”
I tried to shove Sunohara away by pushing his flank with my elbow, but he stuck to me like a koala and didn’t budge.
“Annoying.”
“No way, I’m not letting go.”
“Why?”
As he didn’t budge no matter how much I stirred and struggled, I decided to be obedient and give up.
Sunohara understood that I won’t struggle. He stopped hugging me, and softly grasped my clothes.
“Because Hii-chan refuses to be kind to me.”
“What’s that. You’re always going on about that.”
“Perhaps it’s because you won’t be kind that I want you to be kind.”
Sunohara sleepily let out a long breath and blinked slowly. He tilted his head languidly and gave a sigh.
“Sleep if you’re sleepy.”
Sunohara smiled happily when I tidied the bed sheets.
“Hii-chan is similar to Sena-san, huh. Both your atmosphere and that disproportionate feeling are quite similar, huh.”
“…… I’m similar to Sena-san?”
“Nights, Hii-chan.”
Perhaps he couldn’t hold up his heavy eyelids anymore; Sunohara fell asleep without replying my question.
I’m ‘similar to Sena’. I couldn’t understand anything beyond this from Sunohara who fell asleep. Can’t you go and learn to read the atmosphere if you have the time to yak?
Deep in the night, 11.50pm. For the first time, I slept with someone who isn’t my family. Of all people, it was the boy who comes out on top of my ‘list of people I don’t involved in my life’. I believe this is precisely a past I’d like to forget, and a dark history.