"Huh...?"
Yuji stood there, appearing completely dazed as if he couldn't process the situation, staring blankly in the direction Natsumi-senpai had gone.
"Oh... what's wrong with that older sister?"
Asami seemed equally lost, gazing in the same direction with a bewildered expression that mirrored Yuji's.
I started racking my brain to figure out how to salvage the situation, but Sara-san, who had been watching the scene with a look of growing displeasure, moved first.
"...Tachibana-san. I have no interest in any man other than Kazunari-san, but since you are his best friend, I have observed you to some extent. I believed you were a decent person... but was I mistaken?"
It seemed Sara-san’s irritation was directed squarely at Yuji. Hit with an aura of "smiling pressure" that felt even heavier than Natsumi-senpai’s, Yuji actually flinched and took a step back.
"S-Satsukawa-san, wait, please hold on! To begin with, she's my cousin..."
Wait.
Did he just say "cousin"?
"......What? Your cousin?"
Sara-san looked just as surprised as I was, her gaze darting back and forth between the two of them.
A cousin... that certainly explained everything. The different surnames, the involvement of the parents, and their obvious intimacy—it all made sense now.
"Asami-san, are you really Yuji’s cousin?"
"That’s right! Yu-kun has played with me since I was tiny. He’s so kind, and I love him to bits!"
It seemed she really was his relative.
Talk about a misunderstanding... I couldn't tell if this girl was just naturally airheaded or if she was being intentionally provocative.
"Hey, hey, Takanashi-kun. Since you’re Yu-kun’s best friend, you can call me Asami as a special favor..."
"You don't need to trouble yourself. Kazunari-san does not use first names with others. Right, Kazunari-san?"
"Y-Yes, that’s right."
Sara-san’s smiling pressure was on an entirely different level compared to Natsumi-senpai's. This wasn't simple jealousy; there was no doubt she was offended for a completely different reason now.
"............Whoa."
Asami let out an involuntary sigh while staring at Sara-san, her eyes fixed on her. Sara-san, however, ignored her as if she weren't even there and went back to glaring at Yuji. I knew exactly what she was thinking. If Asami was just his cousin, Yuji needed to stop standing around and go after Natsumi-senpai immediately.
"Asami, go back to the cafe and meet up with your mother."
"Ehh... are you leaving already?"
I had thought the two of them were out shopping alone, but it turned out her mother was with them. If he had just explained that from the start, Natsumi-senpai wouldn't have had a reason to get the wrong idea.
To get him moving, I decided to take over.
"Yuji, just go. I'll take her to the cafe."
"I'm counting on you."
Yuji seemed to finally grasp the gravity of his situation. Without another word, he took off, running in the direction Natsumi-senpai had fled.
He really is a handful... not that I have any right to talk. I’m fully aware that if I said that out loud, I’d be hit with a chorus of "Look who’s talking."
"That older sister... she’s so beautiful! Are you a celebrity? A model? I’ve never seen anyone so pretty in my life!!"
What happened to her disappointed look from before?
Asami’s eyes were sparkling with excitement as she darted around Sara-san, changing her viewing angle as if she were inspecting a work of art. Faced with this sudden personality flip, even Sara-san seemed unsure of how to handle the attention.
"Haa... your hair is so gorgeous. I’m so jealous! I want to be like you when I grow up..."
She sighed longingly at Sara-san’s beautiful black hair—which I loved—and then sighed again as she swept her gaze over Sara-san’s entire figure. She was looking at her with pure adoration. This girl was truly unique.
"Ka-Kazunari-san..."
Looking overwhelmed, Sara-san called my name as if pleading for an escape.
For now, I should probably put some distance between her and Asami.
"Asami-san, let's head to your mother's place like Yuji said."
Maybe because I used Yuji’s name, she turned toward me and gave a reluctant "Okaaaay." She was surprisingly obedient. It felt like I was dealing with a little kid... Wait, a kid?
As we walked toward the cafe with Asami following quietly behind us, I decided to ask the question that had been nagging at me. I went with a bit of a curveball.
"Asami-san, do you go to school around here?"
"Yeah! The elementary school right over there."
"O-Oh... I see."
The answer came out instantly.
She seemed mature for an elementary schooler, and she was clearly wearing makeup. At first glance, I had assumed she was either our age or just a little younger. I had even suspected that her childish behavior was a calculated act to mess with us.
But then again, there were moments where she seemed genuinely like a child.
"E-Elementary school student...!?"
Unlike me, who had been suspecting as much, the sudden revelation hit Sara-san like a physical blow.
I certainly understood the shock. To put it bluntly, this girl was extremely "mature for her age."
For the rest of the walk, Sara-san seemed unable to recover from the fact that Asami was an elementary school student, frequently glancing at the girl and letting out heavy sighs.
Side: Natsumi
Haa...
I did it. I really messed up.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a calm voice had been telling me that the girl might just be a relative, that it might all be a misunderstanding.
I should have been thinking logically... and yet, I couldn't stop myself. Even with the possibility of a mistake right there in front of me, my body moved on its own.
I don’t want to admit it, but... is this really "it"? To be honest, it still doesn't feel real.
I definitely like Tachibana-kun more than other boys. There’s no doubt about that.
Ever since we met, I felt something about him that was different from the rest. I felt like we were compatible. The thrill of our secret connection regarding Sara and the others was fun, too.
And then, when we met at the pool after that long gap...
Tossing Tachibana-kun around was so much fun that I ended up going overboard. I felt like I was a little kid again. It was such a blast that I actually thought he was special—that he was the first guy to ever make me enjoy myself like that.
To me, Tachibana-kun is someone special I can be myself around, someone who makes just existing fun.
He usually tries to act all tough and stoic, but his reactions when I tease him are hilarious. Even the way he panics is cute. That gap is just irresistible.
Sara is always going on about how cute Takanashi-kun is, and I think I finally understand what she means now.
Tachibana-kun is the only guy I feel this way about. There is no room for doubt: he is special to me.
That’s why seeing him with that girl...
I had never seen Tachibana-kun look like that. That must have been the "real" him. Sure, you treat older people and younger people differently, but still.
Seeing them look more intimate than he ever looked with me was infuriating. He was showing a "raw" side to that girl that he never showed me. It made me so angry, so restless.
That’s why I... wait.
What is this?
I’ve been listing my feelings one by one, but hasn't the conclusion already been reached?
"Seeing him intimate with that girl made me angry." That’s jealousy.
"I think he’s special." That’s my answer.
Even if I hide behind excuses like not quite feeling it yet, hasn't the conclusion already been reached?
In the past, even when Sara said she didn't understand her feelings, her love was obvious. If you asked ten people, all ten would have called it love. It was blatant and easy to understand.
So, I thought that if I ever fell in love, it would be just as obvious. In a way, I believed that as long as it wasn't that extreme, it wasn't "love" yet.
But now... from the moment I acknowledged that conclusion, my heart hasn't stopped racing.
What is this feeling? I’ve never felt anything like this before.
Eh?
Wait... what is this...?
Side: Yuji
Why is it that when it comes to my own life, nothing ever goes smoothly?
I spent so much time getting frustrated on Kazunari’s behalf, but if the old me could see me now, he’d probably laugh and say I’m exactly the same.
However... I feel bad for Natsumi-san, but from my perspective, this is a happy accident.
That was definitely jealousy. If she reacted like that, then she has to be conscious of me as a man.
In other words... this is my chance.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make Natsumi-san truly notice me. Since we don't get many chances to see each other, I have to go on the offensive.
............
That day, when I was worried about Kazunari and went to keep an eye on his date with Satsukawa-san...
I hit it off with Natsumi-san, whom I met by pure chance.
Because we were there for the exact same reason, I felt an immediate sense of kinship despite it being our first meeting... and I think Natsumi-san felt it, too.
Thanks to her assertiveness, we shook hands as comrades.
From then on, we watched over our best friends, reported back to each other, and celebrated their growth together. We felt more like "guardians" or partners in crime than just friends. Having a secret connection behind the scenes was honestly fun.
Though, Natsumi-san was definitely the one enjoying that part the most...
Our main goal was always to watch over Kazunari and his girlfriend, and to step in if anything went wrong.
Because we mostly communicated through messages without meeting in person, and because we viewed each other as "comrades," the feeling of interacting with the opposite sex was muted. We became close in that specific context, so the feeling of being "good friends with an older girl" took precedence over any romantic tension.
But I truly became conscious of Natsumi-san as a woman when we went to the pool.
Seeing her again after that break made me realize all over again what a stunning woman she is. I couldn't take my eyes off her in her swimsuit. I felt like I was getting the better end of the deal just being able to spend the day with her.
She led me around by the nose, but she was having a blast, and I enjoyed being treated that way. It was a feeling I had never experienced before.
That day made me realize just how compatible we were.
Once Kazunari and Satsukawa-san finally got together, we "graduated" from being their guardians. Naturally, our debriefing sessions were supposed to end, but before I knew it, they had turned into time spent talking about ourselves. I found myself looking for things to tell her, jotting down topics in a notebook like a diary: "I'll tell her this next," "I want to talk about this." It didn't take long to realize how much I looked forward to those moments with her... or that I saw her as someone truly special.
I tried switching to a first-name basis to change the dynamic a bit, but she accepted it so easily it almost felt like a letdown. Not being able to see each other regularly was definitely a hurdle. I realized that Natsumi-san was still prioritizing the "fun" of our bond over any romantic feelings.
Since the Yamasaki incident, our group of friends has been hanging out more often. That meant more chances to see her in person. I don't have much experience with women, but I tried my best to make those small opportunities count, hoping she’d start seeing me as a man. It seemed to be working; she had started showing me sides of herself she hadn't before. I knew it would take time, but I thought if I kept at it, eventually...
And now...
How is Natsumi-san feeling?
Did she finally become conscious of me?
If she did... then I...