Trial Lover 9 (Patreon)

Main Story 8 - The Reason why Kyoko was Glaring

RAW

Today too, I meet up with Hiori under the overpass and we go to school together.

I wonder if word has spread during yesterday that Hiori and I are dating. We are being watched by more students than yesterday. Some of them give us looks of disgust or scowl at us. Worse,

“Why, why is Absolute Zero Lady dating that kind of guy...”

“He must’ve gotten a hold on her weakness, doesn’t he?”

Some of them even say hateful words so that I can hear them. There is no shred of truth to the fact that I’ve gotten a hold on Hiori’s weakness. Still, hearing it stings my heart.

The words they just said must have reached Hiori's ears. Hiori stops and turns a sharp, icy gaze towards the male students who spoke the hateful words. In that instant, they become frightened and run away.

“I was about to say that I wasn’t being held by any weaknesses though...”

“I think the gaze you just gave them was enough to get the message across. Thank you, Hiori.”

“No no.”

Hiori's response just now heals the pain in my heart as if it was medicine on a wound. It was a little scary though.

I vowed to myself that if something were to happen to Hiori, I would protect her properly.

*

School life begins today as well.

Tomorrow is a public holiday, so the atmosphere in class is brighter than on usual Wednesday. Both Kazuo and Shimizu-san also said they were happy that tomorrow is a holiday.

While many students seem to be in a good mood... Himura-san is glaring at Hiori as usual. Sometimes, she turns her glare towards me. Isn’t it exhausting to be in such a bad mood every day? Or maybe she’s the type of person who uses anger as a source of energy? After all, it seems like there are some people in this world for whom anger is the best entertainment.

Although Himura-san was glaring at me, the morning class ended without any problems.

Now, let’s have another fun lunch break.

I grab my bento and water bottle and head to Hiori's seat.

“Hiori. Let's have lunch together.”

“Yes. Let’s──”

“Kamitou. Can I have a moment?”

When I heard that voice, it can’t be... I thought

I turn to the direction of the voice, and see Himura-san standing in front of me. Himura-san has her arms folded and is looking at us with her usual displeased look.

“What is it, Himura-san?”

“There's something I want to talk about with you alone.”

“Alone with me?”

I wonder what she wants to talk to me about? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she started glaring at me yesterday. She was also glaring at Hiori, so it seems highly likely that it’s related to Hiori.

“Hiori. I want to talk to Himura-san. Can I go?”

“...Yes. It's fine.”

“Thank you. Hiori, go ahead and start eating.”

“I understand. Please take care.”

“I'm off... Shall we go, Himura-san?”

“Yes. Follow me.”

I follow Himura-san out of the Year 2 Class 2 classroom.

I am walking not with Hiori, who I started dating, but with another female student. What’s more, that female student is the popular Himura-san. Perhaps because of that, many of the students in the hallways and stairs are looking at us.

We go down to the first floor and go out through the entrance of the Classroom Building B.

“I guess here is fine.”

When Himura-san reached the side of Building B, she stopped. There aren't any people around, and if it’s here, we can probably talk alone.

“What do you want to talk about with me alone, that you’d bring me here?”

When I ask her that question, Himura-san turns towards me. The look in her eyes is quite sharp. It has quite an impact when she glares at me right in front of me.

“...I heard from a friend. Kamitou...I heard that you and Aoyama are not dating officially but on a trial basis?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I've only told my close friends, like Kazuo and Shimizu-san, that I'm dating Hiori on a trial basis. But, since we talked about it in the classroom, there are probably students who overheard it and started spreading it around.

Himura-san points at me, and,

“Dating on a trial basis is insincere. Break up with Aoyama right now!”

She said that in a powerful voice.

I was prepared for some people to object to us dating on a trial basis. But, I never expected that Himura-san, who keeps glaring at Hiori, would say something like that. I don't think it matters who someone she hates ends up dating. Even if it's just a trial.

But Himura-san is telling me to break up with Hiori. Maybe I'm the reason?

Looking back, Himura-san started glaring at me yesterday morning. That was when the news of me starting to date Hiori spread around the school. That means──

“I'm sorry, Himura-san. I love Hiori. I suggested that we go out on a trial basis, and Hiori agreed to it. That's why I won't break up with Hiori, and I can't return Himura-san's affection.”

“Haa? What are you talking about?”

Himura-san said in a very displeased manner. Somehow, the look in her eyes is harsher than ever.

“No, but... didn’t you bring me here and tell me to end my relationship with Hiori because you love me?”

“Aren't you an idiot? I don't have the slightest romantic feelings for someone like Kamitou. The one I love is Aoyama Hiori!”

As Himura-san said that, her face is becoming redder and redder.

To think that she likes Hiori, not me. I'm starting to feel embarrassed now that I know it’s a misunderstanding. Maybe I'm an idiot like Himura-san said. But after seeing her attitude until now, it can’t be helped.

“If you love Hiori, why do you keep glaring at her? The person herself doesn't seem to care at all though.”

“Because  if I don't glare at her, I'll end up grinning! I knew that my expression slackened when I looked at Aoyama normally. And if I tried thinking about Aoyama in front of the mirror, I’d start grinning. I’d hate it if Aoyama saw my face like that and thinks I’m weird...”

“That's quite a cute reason.”

“...Hoe-”

Himura-san let out such a cute voice and glanced at me.

“C-cute?”

“It’s cute.”

I think she's quite a tsundere. I wonder if Hiori would feel the same way if she knew this fact.

“But, didn't you think about what Hiori would think if you glared at her?”

“...I was only thinking about myself. That it's better than being seen making a weird face. But, I'm glad Aoyama doesn't seem to care...”

Himura-san pats her chest in relief.

“Right after the new school year started, it seems that you and Hiori bumped into each other in the bathroom. Hiori said that you might be angry and started glaring at her because of that. She also said you might be jealous of the fact that she received more confessions than you.”

“Is that so? I'm not angry or jealous at all. I've been confessed to many times, but I don't compare myself to Aoyama. Maybe it's because Aoyama is often confessed to by boys, while I'm often confessed to by girls. I only thought that Aoyama is amazing.”

We've only seen her in a bad mood all this time, so it's surprising that she doesn’t compare herself with her at all in terms of number of confessions or popularity.

Also, does Himura-san get a lot of confession from girls? As far as I remember... there are certainly a lot of girls. She has a dignified atmosphere, so I guess that's understandable.

“Still, so Aoyama remembered... what happened in the bathroom. I'm so happy.”

Himura-san said that in a sweet voice and entranced expression. This is totally the face of a girl in love. It's almost as if she's a different person from the Himura-san we've seen up until now.

“That time, Aoyama hugged me as I was about to fall. At that time, I felt Aoyama's warmth and scent. And the softness of her chest even through the uniform. And then, as she looked at me from point-blank range, she said, [Are you okay?]. That's when I fell in love with Aoyama.”

“And that’s when you started glaring at Hiori so that you don’t grin?”

“Th-that's right. Even though I glared at her, seeing Aoyama during class and during breaks made me happy. I thought that I’d confess someday and we’d start dating. ...And then, yesterday morning, I heard that Aoyama started dating Kamitou.”

At the part where she said ‘And then’... Himura-san's tone became lower all at once and the look in her eyes turned worse. The way she swings from emotion to emotion is amazing.

“So... you started glaring at me too.”

“Yes. I'm properly jealous of you.”

“Properly, you say.”

“...Yesterday during lunch, when Aoyama was feeding you her special tamagoyaki, I was so jealous that I couldn't help but glare at you. Wishing that I could take your place. It’s still fine if you were officially dating, but when I heard that it was just a trial, I can't stand it.”

“So, once we were alone together, you told me to break up with Hiori because it was insincere?”

“That's right. If I said it in front of everyone, it would probably cause an uproar. And if Aoyama was here, I might not have been able to muster up the courage to say it...”

“I see.”

If things go well, she will be able to make me and Hiori break up and things will go back to the same situation as before, is that what she thinks? If that happens, the possibility that she will be able to confess and then date Hiori as a lover will be restored.

“I understand your feelings, Himura-san. Still, my reply to you remains the same. I love Hiori, and I'm dating her on a trial basis on our mutual consent. That's why I won't break up with Hiori.”

“Gununu-...”

“I'm happy you said that, Akito-san.”

I heard Hiori's voice from behind. Himura-san seemed to hear her as well, and her whole face turned bright red in an instant.

When I turn around, I see Hiori walking towards us.

When Hiori arrives right next to me, she quickly stops. When I look at them like this, I see that Hiori and Himura-san are not much different in height. Himura-san looks only a little taller.

“So you followed us.”

“Yes. I was curious about why you needed to be alone. Also, I thought maybe I could find out why Himura-san was glaring at Akito-san and me. Then... I didn’t expect you to like me and were glaring at me so that you wouldn't show me your weird face. I thought it was cute, just like Akito-san said.”

“Aoyama said I was cute...!”

Kya-! Himura-san shouted in a shrill voice from happiness. I can see that she really loves Hiori. Also, as I expected, when Hiori found out why Himura-san was glaring at her, she thought Himura-san was cute.

But, Himura-san's excitement only lasts for a short while, and she quickly turns meek.

“Aoyama found out that I like her...”

“...I'm happy for your feelings. But, even though it's just a trial, I'm dating Akito-san. So, I can't respond to your feelings. I'm sorry.”

Hiori said that and bowed to Himura-san.

Himura-san smiles sadly and averts her gaze from us.

“My affection was found out and I was dumped, this must be my punishment for continuing to glare at Aoyama and Kamitou.”

Himura-san's expression turns serious and she looks at us.

“I understand where Aoyama is coming from. Still, I don't think it's a good idea to go out on a trial basis. That’s why, for now, I'll just keep an eye on things. If Kamitou makes Aoyama have painful or sad feelings, then, at that time, I will protect you. I also want to make you happy. That's how much I love Aoyama.”

She said that in a clear tone. For her to say that right after being dumped. I can see that her affection for Hiori is very strong. It makes me want to follow her example.

“I got it, Himura-san.”

“I accept your feelings.”

“Yes. Also, I'm being selfish, but... I-I'd be happy if we could be friends. What do you think?”

Himura-san said in a coaxing voice as she glanced at Hiori. She loves Hiori. So she probably wants to, at the very least, get involved with Hiori as a friend from now on.

“Friends, is it? That's fine. But, please don't glare at us from now on. I don't really mind it, but it's best if you don’t glare at us.”

“Thank you, Aoyama! I'm sorry for glaring at you all this time! ...Kamitou too.”

She said it as if I’m an afterthought. It's better than not apologizing though.

“...I forgive you, Himura-san.”

“I forgive you too. Kyoko-san, please take care of me as a friend from now on.”

“Me too! Thank you, Hiori!”

After saying her thanks, Himura-san hugged Hiori tightly. She is snuggling her face around Hiori's décolletage. They are fellow girls, so it’s probably allowed. Still... I'm jealous of Himura-san. I wonder if Himura-san felt this way when Hiori fed me the tamagoyaki yesterday.

“...Fu-.”

As if sensing my feelings, Himura-san gives me a smug look. It's a little irritating. I thought about pulling her body away from Hiori, but I decided not to do it out of respect for Hiori as she is patting her head.

There was some disagreement, but I got to know that the reason Himura-san was glaring at Hiori was because she liked her, and I'm glad the two became friends. But, I hope Himura-san doesn't stick too much to Hiori that she makes her feel uncomfortable about it.

Afterwards, the three of them exchanged contact information and returned to the classroom.

────

(T/N: If this Himura girl gets too much screen time, I’ll probably drop this series. I don’t like characters that instigate conflict, that girl only glares or gives the mc a smug look, so it should still be fine, but her unapologetic personality is... well, I hate it. Also, if she’s preventing the plot from moving, I also won’t like it.)

Previous | Next