「Well, umm...」
Chihiro looked at Suzu, wondering what to say.
「It was intense...」
「Well, Suzu-san knows about it, too. Did she
have any special proclivities?」
「Yes, special. As you can imagine, I didn't
expect it either」
Suzu laughs with a troubled look on her face.
The girls must have known that she was quite a
player in this kind of situation.
In fact, if Chihiro had told them the truth,
everyone would have thought it was a lie.
「For now, it's hard to explain at this stage,
so... please let's just say +you'll find out soon+」
Chihiro, not to be presumptuous, fumbled the
details of the story with such words.
**a
☆ ☆ ☆
That night, Chihiro was in no mood to cuddle
with a girl.
So, he just walks out onto the balcony through
the room next to the living room, which is not used for any special purpose and
is usually used for storing luggage and changing clothes.
In there, he finds a clothesline, the outdoor
unit of the air-conditioning system, and a TV antenna. Only the bare
necessities are placed on the balcony.
As he leans against the metal fence that
separates the inside from the outside and looks up at the sky, he can see the
moon through the clouds.
（How long has it been since I have looked at
the night sky like this?）
Perhaps because of the convenience and
busyness of his life, he tends to spend his evenings indoors. This means that
he does not have a chance to reflect on himself.
（Well, I'm so busy trying to cope with the
fast-changing daily routine that I don't have a chance to look at myself）
He has forgotten. He has missed it.
He could have done it anytime he wanted to.
「It's twilight」
Clatter... Clatter... someone comes out
through the sliding door.
The person who sits next to Chihiro is Suzu,
whose long hair is tied up in an appropriate way and who is dressed in
expensive-looking silk pajamas.
She opens a can of beer in her hand and takes
a sip, pouring the cold liquid down her throat.
「Chihiro-kun, do you want an indirect kiss?」
She offers him a half-drunk beer.
「Well, I'm a little tempted to take you up on
your offer」
Not an indirect kiss, of course, but simply a
mood to escape with drink.
Though Chihiro, who is underage, really
doesn't know if drinking "alcohol" is really refreshing or not.
「Something on your mind?」
「Yes. I'm not sure if this is the right thing
to do」
It's a feeling that has been nagging at him
for some time now.
It is a kind of self-loathing, to put it
simply, that finally took shape after today's incident with Yotsuba.
The things Chihiro has done so far.
He has held girls according to his feelings,
beaten up those whom he did not like, sometimes threatened them with cowardly
means, and twisted their righteous arguments with polemics and emotional
arguments. The situation surrounding Suzu's treatment is just a symbol of
Chihiro's methods and what they mean.
He has pushed adults around, broken their
trust, and put Aika and the others in danger by causing more trouble.
But Aika and the others are fine with
Chihiro's methods. And thanks to their trust or their cooperation, Chihiro is
now able to do what he does, and he does not think that it is excessive.
And, of course, Chihiro has his own ideas and
thoughts about this path.
But now, he has given Yotsuba, an innocent and
pure student council president, a lewd vision.
So, he wonders once again if this is the right
thing to do.
「...Well, you know, I'm thinking about it, too.
Yuu-chan is one thing, but even Yotsuba talked to me about it」
She ignored Principal Ootori's thing.
Well, it seems a bit harsh to a childhood
friend whom she once almost fell in love with, but it's not like there's an
atmosphere to point it out, so just let it go.
Suzu then sips her beer.
「But, I wonder if what Yotsuba is saying is
really a good argument」
「...Well」
Chihiro blinked, unable to grasp the meaning
of what was said.
To him, this former young lady, who is still an
adult woman, giggles and smiles.
「Holding back what you want to do most and
living while trying to fit in with everyone else...is that normal and proper?
But does that make us happy? Or do we have to be happy?」
「......」
「Chihiro-kun, we are not trying to cause
trouble for others. I think Yuu-chan is just overreacting this time」
After all, Suzu is somewhat similar to Maria.
That dark beauty is aware of her loneliness -
she is something foreign to the world, to society, and she is aware and
resigned to the fact that she cannot behave as she wants to.
Therefore, she knows how to get by somewhat
wisely and has found a master named Chihiro.
But Suzu has not given up yet.
This is probably due to the fact that it
started out as a love affair. Many people would not be so convinced if they are
told that they have to stand up after losing someone they love - that they have
to get back on their feet and find a new love.
In Suzu's case, this is combined with her
accumulated sexual desire.
Perhaps it would have been different if her
head was screwed up to the extent that she could explode and find a random
partner. However, in a sense, her upbringing has made her make a rational
decision in a strange way.
**b
「I hate it. I think it's good to have someone
who recognizes and helps me and other girls like Maria-chan. I would be very
happy if it was Chihiro-kun」
「But I don't have the power」
「If you don't have it, just get it」
She made it sound so easy.
Frankly speaking, if Chihiro could do that, he
wouldn't have a hard time.
Well, right now, Chihiro is not looking for
fighting power, but financial power, or connections. More than mere power, it
is not something that can be obtained overnight and without any procedure.
「I wonder. Maybe we can manage it. For
example... there is a virgin girl who is practically the only daughter of a
rich family and is engaged to the principal of the school」
Kurohane Yotsuba.
「You want me to get Kurohane-senpai?」
「That's right」
Train her own sister.
Suzu's expression was calm, even amused, as
she said this.
The remaining beer is all consumed.
「I thought Chihiro-kun had done Yotsuba for
that purpose. It's a classic that a strong sexual experience is unforgettable,
isn't it?」
「It's a standard in manga and novels」
「I've heard that story, too」
With a few jokes in between.
The big sister, who has chosen the path of
corruption, whispers to her companion, the boy, to corrupt her little sister
who still keeps her integrity.
「Yotsuba is going to ask you to make her your
slave. Isn't it exciting?」
Indeed, the invitation was irresistible.
