Returnee 79

Chapter 79 Those Stubborn People

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 ”Hey, Shuu. Don’t you think this pajama is cute?”

 On a Sunday afternoon,

 I was at a big shopping mall 2 stations away from home with Ayano.

 In the loungewear section of the mall, Ayano held up a pair of matching pajamas with a cute bear print and said that to me.

 I told her to pick whatever she wanted since I was buying things we needed, but I never expected her to suggest I wear those.

 Are you going to tell me to wear that?

 ”Huh? What do you plan to do with that? You know I don’t wear pajamas, right?”

 ”Come on, it’s good to have at least one for sleepovers, right? Please?”

 ”Even so, that’s a bit much…”

 ”Really? I think it’s cute, and it would look good on you!”

 ”Where do you get that idea? Ugh… Just do what you want.”

 The reason I was even doing this was honestly to keep Ayano happy.

 But I’m not trying to hide the fact that I’ve been with Kyouka.

 I’ve already told Ayano that I brought Kyouka to my place, and if she had a problem with it, I told her to stop dating me.

 I know she doesn’t complain about it, and I can’t deny I’m taking advantage of that.

 The real issue is with Kyouka.

 I’ve already admitted that I had a past with Ayano, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Kyouka suspected that we might still be involved. If Kyouka was completely into me, that wouldn’t be a problem, but having another girl in the picture right now isn’t a good idea.

 Now is still a stage where I have to be careful.

 Also, I need to prepare a place for Kyouka to escape to when she finds out about Katsuji’s cheating.

 Of course, bringing her into my room, which is messy with Ayano’s stuff, is not a good idea.

 That said, I’m not trying too hard to hide everything.

 With Ayano, Ayaka, Yukari, and Naoko, there are 4 other girls in the picture.

 I don’t think I can keep this a secret forever, and I believe it’s only a matter of time before it gets found out.

 ”Excuse me. I want this and this, but do you have this LT size in stock?”

 ”It’s the men’s one, right? Please wait a moment.”

 ”Okay.”

 ”Ah, yes, we have it. Is this the right one for you?”

 ”Ah, yes. What should we do? Should I try it on just in case?”

 ”No. The size should be fine as it is, so it’s okay.”

 There’s no need to check if it fits.

 I have no intention of wearing these pajamas at all.

 If this makes Ayano happy, then it’s a cheap purchase, and I’m just going along with it.

 Maybe sensing that I’m reluctantly going along with my girlfriend’s whims, the female clerk gives us a look as if she’s watching something cute.

 That kind of response is much better than the clerk at the bedding section earlier.

 It seems she thinks we’re a couple of college students about to start living together, even giving us advice for our new life.

 Well, it’s not surprising she thinks that since we’re buying a double bed.

 Besides that, I’ve been buying a dresser for Ayano, a small wardrobe, and a TV, gathering all the new living supplies to get rid of Ayano’s stuff from my room.

 I told Ayano that we could use the empty room next door as a room for 2, and that my room would be my personal space. She probably has an idea of why I suddenly said that.

 Well, she hasn’t complained about it, and right now, she’s happily focused on shopping.

 I think Ayano is okay with it. My room is at a level where it’s not just a few strands of hair from a girl.

 Even if I invite Kyouka to my room, I figured I could just barely cover it up like this.

 ”I’m going to the bathroom, so while I’m gone, think about if you need anything else, Ayano. And please take care of the bags too.”

 ”Okay. Got it.”

 After finishing the checkout at the loungewear section, I said that to Ayano and headed to the bathroom.

 I had already arranged for delivery for the big items, but there was still quite a lot of stuff.

 Because of that, Ayano was really worried about the payment, but the amount didn’t matter to me at all.

 In fact, I struggled to explain where the money came from, and I had to make up an excuse that I had been saving my New Year’s money from relatives every year.

 Well, it should be fine.

 Even if it’s a bit of a stretch, Ayano never doubts what I say.

 It’s probably not about whether she believes me or not; she just takes it as it is to avoid upsetting me.

 She even accepted my request to stay at her own house until I call her when she comes back from school.

 In return, I made a big concession by saying she could stay over on weekdays if I’m in a good mood.

 ”Tch. Not again…”

 While thinking about that, I finished my business in the bathroom and returned to Ayano, only to let out a small click of my tongue.

 Right in front of me, 2 flashy young guys were talking to Ayano.

 But this was nothing new.

 Whenever I went out with Ayano around town, there was a high chance that she would get approached by guys looking to hit on her.

 It made me wonder if Ayano was giving off some kind of pheromones that attracted men.

 If she had been her usual tsundere self, like I remembered, those guys probably wouldn’t have come near her. But with her already eye-catching looks, she now had this flirty expression that might be drawing them in even more.

 I could understand why those clueless guys were gathering around, but for me, it was just a hassle.

 ”Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayano. Let’s go.”

 The guys were probably around our age too.

 They were in casual clothes, just like us, so I couldn’t say for sure.

 One had blonde hair, and the other had a nose piercing, which gave off a typical vibe.

 Anyway, if I paid attention to every guy like that, it would never end.

 In a place where no one could see, I could use violence to shut them up, but doing that in a shopping mall would just cause a scene.

 So, I pretended not to notice them bothering us and called out to Ayano.

 Ayano, on her part, seemed completely uninterested in the two guys. The moment she saw me, she stood up straight from the chair she was sitting in.

 ”So, have you decided what else you want to buy?”

 ”Um, I wanted a sofa for 2, but if it’s too expensive, I’m okay with just getting some cushions.”

 Even in a situation like this, if they see a couple, they usually back off.

 It wouldn’t be surprising if they at least clicked their tongues.

 But there are always those who don’t care and try to mess with us.

 It seems these guys were that type, grinning as they circled around us and blocked our way.

 ”Hey, wait a minute. This girl is talking to us right now.”

 ”It doesn’t look like she’s having a conversation, does it? Besides, she’s my girl. Sorry, but go bother someone else.”

 They must have known that already, saying things like this.

 It just shows how much they underestimate me.

 Sure, I might have a hairstyle and outfit that give off a studious vibe, and I’m tall enough, but I’m not exactly built.

 After coming back to this world, I’ve returned to my skinny self, and I’m trying hard to gain some muscle, but it doesn’t change overnight.

 I often get looked down on, like they think they can intimidate me.

 ”Huh? What are you acting tough for?”

 ”Haha. You say she’s your girl. Just so you know, acting cool in front of a girl can lead to trouble.”

 ”Come on, give me a break. I’m not acting tough, and I don’t want to get into a fight with you guys at all.”

 Looking around, I noticed passersby were listening to our conversation and starting to throw curious glances our way.

 So far, it hasn’t turned into a big scene, but the blonde guy’s angry shout was starting to attract a bit of attention.

 I know this kind of attitude is why I get looked down on, but if I act too strong, it’ll just provoke them.

 In the end, no matter which choice I make, it all depends on the other person. I can only hope they back down quietly…

 ”Hey? What’s with that cocky attitude? Come over here!”

 Maybe he thought it would be bad to cause a scene here.

 The blonde guy spat that out and tried to drag me somewhere else.

 For a moment, I saw a worried look on Ayano’s face, but she seemed to trust me. It looked like Ayano decided to leave it to me.

 ”Hey, is it okay? Your boyfriend is about to get beaten up, you know?”

 Just as he said that, the guy with the nose piercing reached out to touch Ayano’s body──

 ”Ugh…”

 My fist hit the nose piercer right in the face.

 ”Y-You bastard!”

 The nose piercer let out a pained sound and held his face.

 Seeing that, the blonde guy instinctively grabbed my collar.

 At this point, there was no turning back. Someone was trying to lay hands on my girl, and I couldn’t care less about the people around us.

 I needed to take care of these two quickly before the security showed up and get out of here.

 That’s what I decided as I was about to punch the blonde guy too, but he raised his voice to call someone.

 ”Yuuichi-kun, Nobuo-kun. This guy is being a pain, can I take him away? Huh? Yuuichi-kun?”

 While grabbing my collar, the blonde guy casually turned around to look for someone.

 I recognized that name and saw a familiar face in the direction he was looking, stopping my raised fist just in time.

 ”Oh, Nobuo-kun. There’s a girl here that you might like, so how about joining us?”

 That was definitely Higuchi Nobuo, Yukari’s younger brother.

 In the lingerie section, I see Nobuo desperately pretending to think hard while holding something in one hand, but it’s clearly women’s underwear.

 Well, since Nobuo is good-looking, he might not be treated like a pervert, but he definitely looks suspicious.

 I mean, with all this commotion happening so close by, there’s no way he hasn’t noticed us.

 ”Hey, Nobuo. What’s going on here?”

 I can’t believe he might be trying to tease us after spotting us.

 But Nobuo and I aren’t that close, and I’m pretty sure he thinks of me as someone he wants to avoid.

 When I called out to him, the blonde guy looked completely confused, and Nobuo, on his part, seemed to not hear me at all, still staring down at the women’s underwear and heading toward the register.

 ”Nobuo, don’t ignore me. These guys are your friends, right?”

 When I called out again, Nobuo jumped a little, surprised.

 He slowly turned around, and it looked like he finally realized what was happening as he came closer, but his face was twisted in a strange way.

 ”Isn’t that Kaburagi-kun? What are you doing in a place like this?”

 ”That’s what I want to ask you. Did you tell them to do this? You’re not getting back at me for what happened last time, are you?”

 ”Huh? W-What are you talking about? Who are these guys? Are they friends of yours, Kaburagi-kun?”

 Maybe he sensed something was off, or perhaps he was shocked by Nobuo’s weak attitude, but the blonde guy let go of my collar.

 From what I could see of the blonde and Nobuo, it didn’t seem like this was something Nobuo had planned.

 ”It’s these guys, these guys. They tried to mess with my girl,”

 ”Eh? Really? Those guys tried to mess with Ayano-san? What a bunch of idiots, right?”

 I could see Ayano next to me narrowing her eyes at Nobuo’s words.

 She must have been shocked by what Nobuo just said.

 It was clearly a ridiculous line, and it was obvious that Nobuo had noticed us from the start.

 ”I told you before, Nobuo. If you try to mess with my girl, I won’t let it slide.”

 ”Ah, yeah. Of course, I know that. There’s no way I’d do something that stupid.”

 ”Then what are these guys doing here?”

 ”I-I don’t know. They look like unfamiliar faces, maybe they’re from another school. Right? You guys have nothing to do with me, right? If you say you know me, I’ll seriously mess you up.”

 ”Ah. Y-yeah.”

 The blonde guy answered nervously, clearly feeling the weight in Nobuo’s words.

 The guy with the nose piercing finally looked up, but it seemed he quickly understood that Nobuo and I were connected.

 They seemed to realize that the situation they caused was going in an unexpected direction.

 ”Don’t play dumb. Just now, this guy called your name. And he also called Yuuichi’s name. That guy is probably involved too, right?”

 ”Ah, yeah, right. I remember now. These guys are acquaintances of Yuuichi, and we just met over there a moment ago. I was just invited by Yuuichi to go look for girls…”

 ”So, where is this Yuuichi guy?”

 ”Uh, I don’t know either. J-just wait a second, Kaburagi-kun.”

 Having said that, Nobuo started contacting Yuuichi on his smartphone.

 At first, his excuses sounded pretty suspicious, but he probably wasn’t lying about everything.

 Nobuo knows about Ayano too. Even if I happened to be away at the bathroom, Nobuo wouldn’t think to go talk to Ayano.

 ”Huh? What are you talking about? You already got on the train to go home? We were just together a moment ago… Huh? Don’t mess with me! You ran off by yourself! You’re from the same school! Why do I have to clean up your mess? Just wait a second, Yuuichi. Ah, he hung up on me. Damn it!”

 After shouting insults at the person on the other end of the phone who seemed to be Yuuichi, Nobuo finally opened his mouth to me with a resigned look.

 ”Kaburagi-kun. Um, it seems like Yuuichi suddenly remembered something and went home.”

 ”Huh?”

 ”Ah, he said you can deal with those guys however you want. The blonde one is Aida, and the one you punched is Muto. They were the ones bothering Ayano, and Yuuichi and I had nothing to do with this.”

 ”So you want me to believe that?”

 ”It’s true! If you want, Yuuichi even said he would give you their home addresses.”

 ”Eh? N-Nobuo-kun…”

 ”Shut up! You guys stay quiet! Seriously, what a ridiculous thing to do!”

 I was shocked that he easily abandoned his friends, but it seems like Nobuo and Yuuichi didn’t actually encourage them.

 Nobuo looked pretty anxious, so it seems that before he and Yuuichi could stop him, the blonde guy with the nose piercing acted on his own.

 ”Ugh… Fine. I get it, so just take these guys somewhere already.”

 ”Ah, thank you, Kaburagi-kun. I’m really sorry for bothering you.”

 I said that and waved my hand at Nobuo and the others like they were stray dogs.

 Nobuo was overreacting, but I wasn’t that angry.

 As long as he didn’t do it for revenge, it shouldn’t be a problem.

 ”Well then, shall we go back to shopping?”

 ”Shuu, you were really cool.”

 ”Huh?”

 ”Because you protected Ayano. And I was really happy when you said she was mine…”

 ”Just don’t get carried away. I didn’t make Ayano my girlfriend or anything.”

 ”Yeah, I know. Just being by your side is enough for me.”

 With a melted expression on her face, Ayano wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me.

 The aura around Ayano exploded like a mix of pink [love] and pink [desire].

* * *

 ”Nobuo-kun, was that guy really that dangerous?”

 ”Ugh… You guys.”

 ”But, there was only one of him, right? If 3 of us teamed up, we could’ve handled it…”

 ”Know your limits. There are some people in this world you should never mess with.”

 ”Well, there are crazy people who pull out knives when they get angry sometimes.”

 ”That’s not the point! Enough already. Since we’re at it, I’ll just say it all── you guys have noticed that Yuuichi has been acting strange for a while now, right?”

 ”Huh? You mean when Yuuichi took a break from school and started saying that fighting was less important than girls?”

 ”Yeah. Actually, that was because he got beaten up by Kaburagi-kun. Yuuichi was neutered by a real mad dog and turned into a Chihuahua.”

 ”That go-getter Yuuichi…?”

 ”This time, he was the first to run away. I thought it was strange when he suddenly disappeared. Plus, it was 4-to-1 when we fought Kaburagi-kun. We even had Shintarou on our side.”

 ”Seriously? I thought Shintarou had never lost a one-on-one fight…”

 ”That was before he met Kaburagi-kun. Plus, Kaburagi-kun has executives from the Rindou group backing him up. You guys were almost about to star in a homo video.”

 ”Huh?”

 ”Kaburagi-kun is versatile. He has this hobby of making the guys he beats up lick a p*nis and then enjoying expanding their buttholes. You know what happens to you after that, right?”

 ”So, that’s how it was. Shintarou know Kaburagi-kun, right? Can you tell him on our behalf that we’re really sorry?”

 ”Huh? I don’t care. You and I are strangers. Ask Yuuichi or something. I’m sure he’ll refuse, though.”

 ”What… Nobuo-kun…”

 The blonde with the nose piercing looked at Nobuo with pleading eyes.

 Higuchi Nobuo, leaving the two of them behind, walked towards the station, escaping from the shopping mall.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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