45 - Girls are sensitive to the boys’ stares, but boys are also concerned about the girls’ stares (Patreon)

RAW

Morning. When I arrived at school, the one in my seat instead of Hiuri was Hayashi-san.
Tadashi is scared at the situation that is different from usual.

“Why are you scared?”
“I mean, it just looks to me like you've put your hands on Hayashi-san...”

...Yeah. Damn rumors.

“Is that what’s spreading?”
“You know, you should pay a little more attention to your own reputation. There are already two groups preparing to attack you: the [Support the two of them in order to wish the Black Thorn Princess happiness group] and the [Rinrin Kawaii Supreme Squad].”

It seems that a mysterious troop is making a plan to attack me. I wonder if something like Ghost in the Shell will come... or maybe something like a motorcycle gang will attack me.

“Well, that aside. Try talking to her.”
“Why did you tell me such a scary story before I talk to her?”
“We're on the road together.”
“What road?”
“Because of the study meeting the other day, they got their eyes on me. You might catch flying sparks coming for me.”

It looks like the damage will be split equally between Tadashi and me. Well, that's okay then.

Leaving the scared Tadashi alone, I talk to Hayashi-san.

“Good morning, Hayashi-san.”
“Nn─, good morning boyfriend-kun.”

She was talking the same way as usual, but she seemed to be looking at me sharply. Did I do something to Hayashi-san?

“Actually, I wanted to ask you some questions.”
“Ok.”
“Can we meet after school?”
“Ok... Ok!?”

The gazes of the boys around us are harsh. I can see a future in which I will be beaten up the moment Hayashi-san leaves the classroom.

An after school invitation, huh... I'm in the go-home club, so I have time, and even if I go home, I just do my assignment and go to sleep, so it's not a problem... but this is the first time Hayashi-san invited me, add in her gaze and I end up being wary.

“Okay, then I'll come over after school─”
“Eh.”
“Bye─”

And just like that, Hayashi-san goes back to her classroom. What the hell was that...

Putting that aside, the boys around me are seething with anger. Is this the day of my death...?

...

“Yahho─... why are you so worn out?”
“Don’t mind it...”

It's not like my clothes are messed up. My heart was just worn out.
Also, there was only one person who bumped into me, so my forehead was hurt and I put a band-aid on it. I'm glad there aren't many people who directly put their hands on me.

“Ah, I didn't say it, but Kono-chan is here too─”
“Hello.”

For some reason, Kannazuki-san is also here. And Hiuri doesn't seem to be here.
Could it be that the day of my death has finally come? I heard that girls are sly, but they might just normally beat me up.

“Then, let's go somewhere we can calm down and talk─. Boyfriend-kun, do you have any recommendations?”
“In that case, there is one near the station...”

With me showing the way, we go to a cafe with a calm atmosphere near the station.

It's a place I use as a reference when I want to create a quiet atmosphere in the dream, it's a place I remember because the sandwiches on its menu are delicious.
It's a place known only to those in the know, so we don't have to worry about being seen by our classmates.

“Oh─, so you know this kind of place─”
“I like it too.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”

Apparently, Kannazuki-san liked it. She’s probably the type of person who likes silence, so a cafe like this would be perfect for her.

I ordered a cafe latte, Hayashi-san ordered apple juice, and Kannazuki-san ordered coffee, at which point Hayashi-san's gaze became sharp.

“Actually, we came here today while keeping it a secret from Hiu-chan.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, because I have something I wanted to ask only boyfriend-kun.”

Kannazuki-san is reading a book and doesn’t seem to touch Hayashi-san's topic. Apparently, she is just tagging along.

“Boyfriend-kun, where did you meet Hiu?”
“Where you ask, obviously at the school...”
“Hm───m, I didn't ask that right. How did you two meet?”

This isn’t the usual cheerful Hayashi-san, it’s as if she has the sharpness of a detective.
And yet, that question is one that I find difficult to answer. After all, it was in the dream that we became close. It’s not like I can explain it directly.

“Umm...”
“Ah, wait, I'll tell you that you don't have to say it if you don't want to.”
“Eh?”
“I don't want to pry into boyfriend-kun's affairs after all.”

In spite of that, her gaze is sharp. Even though this is a calm cafe, I feel like I’m in an interrogation room.
Thanks to Kannazuki-san, who is next to Hayashi-san, I'm able to calm down somehow, but I don't want to be alone with Hayashi-san right now...

“Rinrin, Nakano-san is scared. Stop looking at him like that.”
“Oh, did I look that scary?”
“Yes, I thought you were a Yaksha.”

Although I wouldn't go so far as to call her Yaksha, thanks to Kannazuki-san pointing it out, Hayashi-san's gaze softened somewhat. So Kannazuki-san came along to be a stopper at times like this...

“Sorry, I'm just a little worried...”
“About Sakura-san?”
“I think boyfriend-kun also knows about Hiu's family situation, but I can’t have any more betrayal to Hiu.”

Betrayal, huh? At least when Hiuri was born, her parents probably would have been raising Hiuri properly, so in that sense, is the matter about her parents a betrayal?

And I will never betray her. I have to convey that to Hayashi-san too.

“I will never betray Sakura-san... no, Hiuri.”

Well, we will meet in the dream without fail, so I can’t betray her anyway... but knowing Hiuri's circumstances, there's no way I can abandon her now.

“Oh... I'm a bit surprised. Is boyfriend-kun surprisingly the worthy type?”
“I don’t know about that, but...”
“No, I didn't think you had that much spirit. But, well, if that's the case, then that's good. At least, I don't have any doubts about boyfriend-kun either.”

Apparently I passed Hayashi-san's judgment. I don't know what was the right answer, but it doesn’t seem like there's a need to talk about the dream world.

“What do you think, Kono-chan?”
“From the beginning, I’ve been thinking that there won’t be any problems with Nakano-san.”
“I see. Okay then.”

So it's okay. Well, I'm glad I’m not under pressure anymore.

“Ah, but if you make Hiu unhappy, neither I nor Kono-chan will forgive you, okay.”

Hayashi-san said that with the scariest face until now.
She put pressure on me after all. Scary.

......

“So Rinrin said that.”
“It was a little scary.”

Information sharing with Hiuri in the dream.
　I can't talk about this to Hiuri in real life, partly because we became friends at different times, so I tell Hiuri in the dream.

“Well, it's true that the me in real life started to care about Kazuki-kun only recently...”
“If they ask Hiuri, it will create a discrepancy, won’t it?”

It’s a good thing Hayashi-san came to ask me. If she had asked Hiuri, her suspicion would have become stronger.

“But, I think the me right now will be fine, you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“The me in real life right now, I try not to let anything bad happen to Kazuki-kun. Rinrin and the others know that I'm not the type to give in to threats, so they shouldn't come to the conclusion that Kazuki-kun forced me.”

If so, that's good. If I become close with Hiuri using improper conduct, I will be beaten up not only by Hayashi-san and the others, but also by the boys at school. This time, they will directly beat up my body, not my heart.

“Well, no matter how long I'm quarantined, as long as I have a sleeping environment, I can come see Kazuki-kun, so I'm not worried.”
“We can meet from anywhere if it’s in the dreams after all.”

It's the same as the virtual world, so to speak. We can meet from anywhere, anytime, and since we can also recover our bodies while we do so, this is more efficient and cost-effective than virtual.

This is probably something no one can reproduce, so no one can probably use it as a reference.

“But I think it would be better if we match our story to some extent. I don't want Kazuki-kun to be blamed.”
“Can we even coordinate our stories? Just sharing information in the dream is not enough isn’t it?”

In the dream, the only things that can affect real life are residual thoughts at most. She can't convey detailed information.

“You have my contact information, right? Wake up now and call me.”
“Now... it’s three o’clock at night, you know?”
“It's okay. I'll wake up first and wait for you, so contact me properly, okay? Or I'll end up waiting in vain.”

After saying only that, Hiuri was gone. She must have woken up.
Recently, Hiuri has been able to wake up with a certain degree of freedom. Gradually, the things Hiuri is able to do in the dream world are increasing more and more.

Still, contacting Hiuri now is... anyway, I have to wake up. In the dream world, the speed at which time passes changes depending on my mental senses, so time passes quickly if I think for too long.
I open my eyes.

――――

(T/N: I don’t know what Yaksha is. I did some google search, but I still don’t really understand what it is and why it’s scary

A/N: Hayashi-san calls her “Hiu” or “Hiu-chan” depending on her mood at the time.)

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