Chapter 35 – The Quarrel and the Dog and the Wolf (2)
“Ikuto-kun!”
“Ah, Makoto-san.”
Ikuto and the delinquent student are confronting each other in the middle of downtown.
The delinquent high school boy has a height close to 190cm and in addition to that, is robust. On the other hand, Ikuto is more or less 165cm and has a bean sprout-ish build. It’s just like an adult and a child.
“Ikuto-kun, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you very much.”
First and foremost, it seems like he hasn’t been beaten up.
I looked up at the delinquent student adjacent to Ikuto. Large. Larger than Soutarou by a great, great deal.
“Erm……”
“Aa?”
“The area that was splashed by coffee, is it alright?”
The question just now, I was thinking it might be silly, but it was just as I thought.
This guy, clicked his tongue imprudently and started trembling! It’s been a while since I met someone clearly larger than me ever since my body became like this. I reaffirmed that beings this large are this scary.
I withered in the presence of males with large bodies when I was female, too. I’ve returned to my original disposition.
“Of ‘cos not, right.”
“That’s right, isn’t it. My bad. The question just now was silly.”
“You, again…… is it your hobby to poke your nose into others’ disputes?”
This person, did he say ‘again’?
By ‘again’, does it mean that I had once poked my nose into his dispute?
Nothing comes to mind even when I eyeballed his face. Did I have such an unpleasant-looking acquaintance? Junya comes under this if you’re talking about someone who’s a bad influence, but Junya isn’t this sort of delinquent. That guy is more frivolous and isn’t as intimidating.
“‘Again’……? Have I met you before?”
“Forget it if you don’t remember.”
Forget it if I don’t remember, is it? Well then.
“‘I shan’t remember it’…… is what you’re thinking right, Mako.”
“Geh, Subaru.”
“What do you mean by ‘geh’. And towards your girlfriend tooー”
The one who abruptly appeared from behind the delinquent student was the high and mighty Subaru-sama.
She sleekly donned a white sailor uniform with black lines, the Private Atlas Academy’s summer uniform for girls. The bishoujo Subaru-sama appeared with a tender smile on her face. I have no doubt that she’s grinning in her heart.
Her mind is probably in the middle of pairing people up ecstatically. I don’t care already.
“‘Girlfriend’? Who are you talking about. I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Hm, was it so?”
The chuckling Subaru is a beauty. She’s a beauty but it’s kind of dubious.
Suddenly remembering that the two of us were chatting away while neglecting Ikuto and the delinquent, I turned towards them. Then I realised that the delinquent was staring at Subaru with a red face. Well well, he was staring hard enough he could bore holes through her.
A rugged grizzly-like guy is blushing. Eh, what’s this? What’s this?
Subaru also appeared to have noticed; her eyes widened into perfect circles as she stiffened. What does it mean when the author herself is flabbergasted? In the first place, is this person a ‘character’ from Dokidoki Renai Kak.u.mei Revolution?
I strode towards Subaru and whispered in her ear.
“This guy, is he a ‘character’?”
“Y-yeah. Technically a hidden character. Think back, don’t you recall? He was one of the delinquents who was bullying Prince in the first encounter, remember?”
“This guy bullied Prince?”
There’s no way I would clearly remember the faces of the delinquents who bullied Prince.
I tried my hardest to recall, but I totally couldn’t remember what kind of faces they had. However, now that she mentioned it, there may or may not have been a red-haired large-bodied guy.
“No, no. He may look like that, but he’s actually quite a diligent child. In the original story, it should have been Mako and Mitsuki-chan who were there at that time. And then, Kaburagi Kazutoki should have fallen in love at first sight with Mitsuki-chan who happened to be there and tried to save Prince.”
This imposing delinquent is probably Kaburagi Kazutoki.
Digesting Subaru’s words, the Kaburagi who should have fallen for Mitsuki, who should have been with me when I tried to save Prince, fell for Subaru in place of Mitsuki.
“What if you go out with him?”
It’s rare for Subaru to feel disturbed. I grinned and teased her.
However, it seems like something like my teasing was only at the level of a puppy’s nibble to Subaru-sama. Without warning, she froze the surroundings with a dark smile.
“I will never cooperate with you again if you talk so impudently.”
“I apologise, Subaru-sama.”
“Very well.”
I looked at Kaburagi once again. As expected, he was blushing and fidgeting as he threw glances at Subaru.
It’s unlikely that he’ll attack a person who seems like the friend of the woman he likes, so Ikuto should be safe for now. That makes me relieved.
However, the problem is ahead of that. Something like the character of an otome game liking its creator, Subaru, is that viable?
“But, Subaru, what will you do?”
“Whichever way, it’s impossible to go out with him and so forth. He’s my character after all! I’m completely aware of what kind of personality he has and what kind of approach he will make.
“That’s right, huh.”
I think Subaru mentioned before that going out with her own character is like going out with her own children.
Unsettled, Subaru took a step back. It’s been a while since I saw such a troubled Subaru. It’s a little cute. It seems like she’ll hit me if I say that though. So I won’t.
Neither Subaru nor I are able to come up with a good plan. Both of us simply stood there quietly. The issue changed from Coffee Incident to Dokidoki Subaru Revolution before I knew it.
Just as I worried about what to do, Kaburagi approached us without a word. The intimidation is incredible.
“… Name.”
“Ehh, ah, m-me?”
Kaburagi nodded.
“I’m Yurino Subaru. A 2nd-year at Private Atlas Academy’s high school division.”
“I’m a 2nd-year at Kuzuha Minami Technical High School, Kaburagi Kazutoki.
I pretended not to hear Subaru muttering “I’m well aware of that”.
“Un, best regards.”
Kaburagi was bewitched by Subaru’s certain-kill business smile. He energetically grasped Subaru’s hand and spoke a shocking phrase with a red face.
“I like you.”
The atmosphere froze with a crackle. Subaru’s expression, in particular, froze.
Nonetheless, she was the high and mighty Subaru-sama. She immediately gave a wily angel smile and tugged at my arm.
When I squirmed a little, she held me so firmly that I can’t get out of it. A voluptuous chest, different from Mitsuki’s, was pressed against my arm. Then she spoke a phrase even more shocking than Kaburagi’s.
“I am truly sorry. I am going out with this person. Right, Makoto-kun?”
“Hah?! What are you saying. There’s absolutely—”
Subaru gave me a fierce glare. It appears that she won’t cooperate with me ever again if I say that we aren’t going out. There isn’t really any demerit even if Ikuto and Kaburagi misunderstands that Subaru and I are going out. I guess it’s fine to coordinate with Subaru.
After letting out a small sigh, I returned my gaze to Kaburagi. I tried to give a smile as natural as possible but my face cramped up despite my efforts. It’s Subaru, y’know. It’s Subaru who’s my close friend in the real world, y’know. The thought of saying she’s my girlfriend at this point makes my skin crawl so much that the words wouldn’t come out. The words wouldn’t come out, but I have to force them out.
“My bad. That’s how it is.”
The high and mighty Subaru-sama was beside me, and in front of me was the man who’s the grizzly or perhaps a beast like the Thailand wolf. He’s so fearsome that my cold sweat couldn’t stop flowing.
“‘Makoto’, is that what ya called?”
It was a very low and deep voice. Being glared at by his sharp sanpakugan, I unintentionally let out a hiccup.
What should I do if he challenges me to a duel? I might die if I’m beaten by such a large guy who’s 10cm taller than me and has a steel-like body.
But I cannot waver here. I raised my face properly, and tried to retain a normal mental state as much as possible.
“That’s right. Sakurai Makoto, 2nd year in Izumino Gakuen’s High School division.”
“…… Does Subaru-san like this kind of guy? This kind of, lanky person with black hair, and a lack of presence?”
“Eh? Ehh, let’s see. I might like a person with black hair.”
Do I appear like a lanky person with black hair from a 3rd person’s perspective? Slightly complicated feelings rose up.
“Sakurai Makoto.”
Having my name called, I turned in Kaburagi’s direction. He’s seriously glaring at me. Scary.
“I’ll definitely not lose.”
Leaving just those words, he quickly departed.
Dumbfounded, the remaining 3 people simply stood rooted on the spot. Ikuto was the first to return to his senses. He adjusted his posture, in a hurry to chase after Kaburagi.
“Oi, I’m coming with.”
“It will be fine. Besides, he doesn’t seem to be a very scary person. Rather, it’ll be more dangerous if Makoto-san comes along.”
“…… That’s true. Can’t deny that.”
Kaburagi undoubtedly dubbed me as his rival thanks to Subaru. Just like what Ikuto said, I think it’ll be more dangerous if I went along with him.
“Well then, Makoto-san, Subaru-san, see you.”
“Aa, take care.” (Makoto)
“Goodbye, Ikuto-kun.” (Subaru)
Sending Ikuto’s running figure with our eyes, the two of us gave a sigh at the same time.
Subaru appeared worn-out like never before.
“Good for you; you’ll probably never meet again. You go to different schools after all.”
“Nah…… even though he looks like that, Ichigo-chan is the puppy and devoted type so I think he will come all the way to Atlas to see me. Also, I think he’ll come and repel you off too……”
Subaru staggered without focus and leaned on the vending machine.
“Ichigo-chan?”
“Artist-san and I had been calling him Ichigo-chan because ‘Kazutoki (一期)’ is written like the ‘ichi go (一期)’ from ‘ichi go ichi e (一期一会)’[1]. Well, leaving that aside, this is bad~! Ah geez, Mako will be my boyfriend for the time being! Okay, right!”
“I don’t really mind but what should I do? I’ll do as you say if you’ll tell me what to do.”
He’s a puppy and moreover the devoted type with those looks? You really can’t judge a book by its cover, huh.
Subaru placed her hand against her chin contemplatively, then pointed her finger at me abruptly.
“Kindle[2] me more then. I want to be kindled even more by MakoSou and Rik.u.makoー”
“What the heck. Isn’t that completely unrelated to the matter before?”
“I’m going to cover up the unerasable stress with moe. I really want to see the breeder Mako a.s.saulted by the dog, cat and rabbit. 3 creatures surrounding Mako who was stripped naked…… that’s too stirring. Crossovers are nice. The pet shop employee Mako getting a.s.saulted by the three who transformed into half-animals after the shop closes sounds good…… hm so who should be felled?”
I, the pet shop employee, being a.s.saulted by the dog-earred Soutarou, the cat-earred Riku and the rabbit-earred Junya?
What a joke. I don’t intend to fall anyone, and as if I’d get a.s.saulted in the first place! Even if by chance I get a.s.saulted, I’ll escape with everything I have.
Where did that troubled-looking expression of hers just now go? Subaru’s eyes were shining.
There’s probably repulsive delusions churning around in her head.
“Yep yep, a battle for dominance between the dog and the wolf is pretty good too, now that even Kaburagi appeared. A battle of pride with Mako in the middle. How delicious. Both are strapping carnivorous-type boys, so Mako won’t be able to raise his hips the next day, won’t he.”
There isn’t even a hint of the bishoujo just now on Subaru who is laughing “Guhehe” vulgarly.
Regardless, I’m glad that Subaru has regained her cheer. Let’s leave it at that.
It’s incredibly concerning that the reason she regained her cheer was because of her BL discourse starring me, but well, they are delusions. They are, to the end, delusions.
More importantly, I might be the one who’s in a more serious situation. I came here leaving Soutarou in anger. I one-sidedly said whatever I wanted and left the family restaurant. I didn’t do anything wrong. That was Soutarou’s fault for saying something like leaving Ikuto be. I’m not in the wrong.
However. Will Soutarou smile at me as usual when I go to school tomorrow?
p.r.i.c.k p.r.i.c.k, my heart was in pain. I pretended not to notice that.