Trial Lover 4 (Patreon)

Main Story 3 - Starting tomorrow

RAW

We leave the classroom together and head towards the entrance to Classroom Building B. It is quiet inside Building B compared to when we returned to our classroom from the garbage dump site.

I change into loafers at the entrance and leave Classroom Building B. I can see only a few students around, so there won’t be a commotion even if I’m walking with Hiori.

“Hiori. I go to school by bicycle, so I'll go to the bicycle parking lot and pick it up.”

“I understand. Then, I'll be waiting at the main gate.”

“Got it.”

I temporarily part ways with Hiori and go to the bicycle parking lot to pick up my bicycle.

I wonder if Hiori goes to school by train. Or maybe she lives in the area and walks? Kasagaya High School is a metropolitan preparatory school with a reasonable deviation score, and it is a 3-minute walk from the nearest station, Kasagaya Station. Even from South Kasagaya Station on the subway, it is a 10-minute walk, so there are quite a few students who go to school by train.

I put my school bag in the basket and push my bike to the main gate.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No, no. By the way, do you want to meet up somewhere and go to school together tomorrow?”

Hiori asks while looking at me firmly. What a wonderful suggestion! I wonder if she was thinking about this the whole time until I came. If so, that's cute.

“Of course, I do.”

“I understand. Well then, let's go to school together starting tomorrow.”

“Got it. So, where should we meet up? If you go to school by train, I think meeting up outside the station might be nice.”

“I walk to school. I live on the north side of Kasagaya Station. It takes about 10 minutes to get to school.”

“So you walk to school. It's nice that you live so close. I live near Hagikubo Station. It takes me 10 minutes to go to school by bicycle. If I walk, it takes a little over 20 minutes. It's good exercise, so when it rains, I tend to walk.”

“I see. Akito-san goes by bicycle, and there are many people at the south exit of the station when they go to school. So it may be better to find another place. By the way, my house is closer to Hagikubo if you go from Kasagaya Station.”

“I see. In that case, there's a place along the route I usually run through on my bicycle that might be a good place to meet up.”

“Is that so? Then, let's check the place.”

We start walking towards the potential meeting place.

The sight of Hyori walking next to me... I can’t get enough of it. Her side profile is really beautiful. But, I have to be careful not to get too distracted and cause a traffic accident.

Soon after we started walking, we pass by the park where I fell in love with Hiori at first sight. I can see children of kindergarten age playing in the sandbox, and female students from Kasagaya High School chatting and laughing on the benches.

“Akito-san fell in love at first sight when you saw me in this park, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Sometimes there is a cat lazing around in this park. I touch them on my way home. Today is... she isn’t here, it seems.”

“I see. That day... when I was about to get on my bicycle around here, I heard a cat meowing from the park. Then I saw Hiori petting a black stray cat. That’s when I fell in love at first sight.”

“So that’s how it is. It was because of a cat that you fell in love at first sight. When Akito-san directly confessed too, it was because of a cat. It seems cats are the existence that connects us.”

“You could say that.”

I've always been a cat person since I was small, and it seems I'll love cats even more from now on.

Not long after that, we reach an intersection with a street that leads to Kasagaya Station. The area around here is bustling with commercial facilities. If we turn, we’ll quickly reach the station, but we continue straight ahead.

“Have you ever passed through the station when going to and from school?” (Akito)

“I have, a lot. It’s easy to go between the north and south sides of the station. And sometimes I go to a store near the station on the way home. And once in a while, I take a different route to go to school for a change of pace. At that time, I go through that path.”

“I see. Then, maybe Hiori has walked through the place I’m thinking of as a meeting place before.”

If that is the case, then it’ll be easy for Hiori to go there as well.

Since we are moving away from the station, the atmosphere gradually becomes calmer. We can see that this is a residential area. This area is close to the station, so I think it's nice to live here.

“This is the place.”

Around a few minutes after leaving the school gate.

We arrive under a railroad overpass.

“Is it this underpass? It's part of the route I mentioned earlier, the one I take for a change of pace.”

“Then, that’s good. If it’s here, we can wait here even if it rains or snows. Also, the sidewalk is wide so I don't think we will get in the way even if we stand here. In the first place, there aren't that many people passing here.”

“That's true. If it’s here, it's easy to go from home. I think it's a good meeting place.”

“I'm glad you said that. Then, from now on, shall we meet up here and go to school together?”

“Yes. Since we have to be at Kasagaya by 8:30... shall we meet at around 8:10?”

“Got it.”

If that's the case, I guess it's okay to leave the house at the usual time.

“If something happens and it looks like either of us won't be able to come on time, let's contact each other via LIME or something.” (Akito)

“I understand.”

With the meeting place and time decided, starting tomorrow going to school will be enjoyable as well.

We start walking again. We go under the overpass to the north side of the railroad tracks. There is an intersection nearby that I always turn at on my way to and from school.

“At this intersection, I turn towards Hagikubo and go home.”

“I see. Then, we’ll part ways here today. Today... for confessing your feelings and suggesting a trial relationship, thank you very much. Once again, please take care of me.”

“Please take care of me as well. Then, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

After saying that, Hiori raises her right hand until around her chest and gives a small wave towards me. She is expressionless as usual, but to me, she looks really cute.

I also wave to Hiori, ride my bicycle, and start heading towards my home. Cutting through the wind feels so good.

*

Night.

First, while eating dinner, I tell my parents and sister that I am going out with Hiori on a trial basis. I also briefly explain the circumstances that led to such a relationship. When I show them a photo of Hiori I took just before we went home, everyone in my family mutters things like “Ooh,” “A beauty.” and so on. My older sister even says, “I want to meet her~.”

“I’m happy for you, Akito. But, whether it's a trial or official, for Akito, Aoyama-san is your lover and the person you like. You should be sincere with Aoyama-san and cherish her.”

My father gives me some very important advice,

“I'm glad your confession was successful, Akito. I hope you can officially start dating someday. I'm rooting for you.”

My mother gives me words of support,

“Akito, even though it's just a trial, congratulations. You’ve been in love with her for about half a year after all. When you were small, you were always spoiled, saying things like “I want to take a bath together!” and “I want to sleep together!” so it feels a little lonely.”

My older sister gives me words of congratulations, along with episodes that I think she may have misremembered.

Certainly, when I was small, I used to ask my older sister to take a bath or sleep together. But, my older sister is the one that asked a lot more times. Both of those things stopped when I was in elementary school though.

But, ever since she turned 20, she sometimes gets drunk and sleeps in my bed by mistake. In the worst case, she'll say something like, “Aki-chan, become my hug pillow,” and drag me into the bed. As a result, I end up stuck sleeping with her. She might actually feel quite lonely.

After talking about Hiori, we eat dinner in a celebratory mood. They also say that they want to meet her soon. I hope I can tell them someday that we are officially dating.

After finishing dinner, I sent a message, this time to Kazuo and Shimizu-san in the LIME group talk, that I started dating Hiori on a trial basis. Just like when I told my family, I also briefly explained the circumstances.

──Prrrr.

After a short while, Kazuo sent me a message and a stamp.

[Congrats on being able to go out with her even if it’s on a trial basis! Isn't that amazing! It's great that you were able to confess properly! When I did it, I was so nervous even though Aki was there. Aki is a fine man! As your best friend and senior couple, you can always count on me!]

Along with that message is a stamp of a right hand giving a thumbs up. I think this is a blessing that is typical of Kazuo. Also, when Kazuo calls me a fine man, I think to myself ‘maybe I have become a little more respectable’.

──Prrrr.

This time a message from Shimizu-san arrived.

[Congratulations! To think you'd end up dating on a trial basis. I didn’t expect that.]

I wonder if she thought we’d either date or break up? As I was thinking about this, another message from Shimizu-san arrived.

[But, the other party is the popular and famous Aoyama-san. If you date her on a trial basis, there may be some people who will say harsh things about you or hurl abusive language at you. You should be careful about that. Also, even if it's just a trial, she’s still your lover, so you should cherish Aoyama-san! Kamitou-kun is the one who suggested it anyway.]

As Shimizu-san said, the person I am dating is the popular Hiori. Starting tomorrow, I should think that I will spend time differently in many ways than before.

As I was thinking about what kind of reply I should send to them,

[If anyone does anything nasty to Aki and Aoyama, I’ll beat them up!]

Such a message came from Kazuo. Although I don’t want Kazuo to beat them up, his feelings of wanting to help me have reached me.

But, Shimizu-san immediately retorted, saying, [Let's stop with the violence~]. So, I also send [Same as above].

Then, Kazuo sent a stamp of a right hand giving an OK sign. Since Shimizu-san said so, I probably don't need to worry about it turning into violence.

[Thank you, both of you. I'll do my best to make it official. I might even consult the two of you about this.]

I sent such a thank-you reply.

I'm glad that my family, Kazuo, and Shimizu-san gave me positive words and advice about our trial relationship. This will probably support me while I spend time with Hiori from now on.

After that, I work on the assignments given in today's class.

A lot of things happened after school, so today's class seems like it’s a long time ago. Hiori’s figure I saw during class today was very beautiful. To think I’d become a trial lover with Hiori. I never imagined this during today's class.

“Hiori in the photo is too cute...”

While completing my assignments, I occasionally look at the photo of Hiori on my smartphone for comfort.

And then, when I finished all my assignments and thought about taking a bath,

──Prrrr.

My smartphone rings. Maybe Kazuo or Shimizu-san? There was also a Math II assignment that the two of them were not good at. While thinking about that, I check my smartphone,

“It’s from Hiori!”

Wow, isn’t this a message from Hiori?! The moment I saw that notification, the fatigue I got from doing the assignments was blown away.

[Thank you very much for today. I know it's early, but good night. See you tomorrow. If you were asleep, I apologize.]

“How outrageous.”

My voice came out without thinking.

Although it's a message, to think Hiori would say “good night” to me. I'm so moved and happy. It seems I'll have a very nice dream tonight.

[I'm awake. I just finished my assignment and was about to take a bath. Thank you to you too. Good night, see you tomorrow.]

I sent such a reply.

My reply was immediately marked as [read], probably because her chat screen was open.

[Thank you for your hard work on the assignment. I'll be waiting for Akito-san at that place tomorrow morning. Good night.]

Seeing that message, both my body and mind are enveloped in gentle warmth. To think I’d be able to receive such warm words from Hiori while in my own room. That makes me really happy. I wonder if this kind of exchange will become part of our daily routine in the future.

A lot of things will probably happen starting tomorrow. But if I'm with Hiori, my high school life will be more fun than ever. I was convinced of that.

I replied to Hiori, [Thank you. Good night], and headed to the bathroom.

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