Chapter 38: At the Stationery Store on Shirasaki Street

‘Uhehe… pudding…’

Ssss…

Ah, I think I had a slightly erotic dream.

I still feel like the sensation of that touch is remaining on my hand…

I instinctively put my hand on my chest, then quickly lowered it.

“Ugh…”

What, why am I having thoughts like a boy going through puberty!

I washed my face with cold water to wake myself up in the morning.

It seems like my body is sluggish because I didn’t sleep well last night.

Actually, I tossed and turned last night.

‘Phew…’

Get a grip, Kurosawa Rina!

What I have to do is! Help Aya!

And… not to overstep and arouse Aya’s suspicion.

I checked my smartphone while cheering myself up.

As usual, Aya’s Li○e message, which always comes at the same time, was there.

Aya: Are you ready?

Rina: Yes! I’m ready too.

Aya: I’ll be there soon.

Rina: Okay!

After reading the message, I felt strangely relieved.

Yeah, let’s not think too deeply.

Don’t make a disheveled face in front of Aya,

I have to act as usual!

I walked the way to school as usual.

The morning sunlight pouring softly on the way to school.

And as always, Aya, who arrived first.

Her profile, standing on the side of the road and looking at her smartphone, stood out even from afar.

Her long silver hair shining in the sunlight… it’s like a painting.

Aya, who is quiet as usual.

Aya, who has an elegant gait as usual.

Aya, who has a neat expression as usual.

Aya seemed to have not changed on the outside.

However…

‘She looks somehow, lonely.’

Is it because of the story I heard yesterday?

To avoid making Aya conscious for no reason, I waved my hand while calling Aya as usual.

“Aya! Good morning~”

“Yes, welcome. Good morning.”

As always, Aya was calm.

But I knew.

‘You’re still bothered by yesterday’s events.’

Aya wants to act like nothing happened…

But now, I could recognize her small changes.

“Did you… sleep well yesterday?”

I asked cautiously.

Then Aya momentarily stopped her movements, and smiled slightly.

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

I was a little relieved to hear that, but I still felt uneasy in one corner of my heart.

Aya is a strong person.

But, it’s… dangerous for a strong person to endure alone.

So, we walked side by side as usual.

I didn’t blush because I remembered what happened yesterday.

Being by Aya’s side makes me feel calm too…

“Ayaring~! Rina~!”

Ah, it’s Mizuki.

“Hehe, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I slept well.”

“As usual.”

Mizuki, who had been friends with Aya for a long time, also seemed to sense Aya’s change.

“Ayaring~ Your expression is stiff today? Did something happen?”

“Not really… nothing happened.”

“No~ Ayaring doesn’t have this kind of expression? Hehe.”

With the playful Mizuki, it really felt like the usual way to school.

And I glanced at Aya.

Aya smiling as usual.

Aya was indeed a strong person.

Today was the day of the student council meeting.

When I arrived at the student council room, I saw the usual busy scene.

In an atmosphere where everyone was busy organizing their work.

Senior Tachibana looked up while organizing the meeting materials.

“Ah, right. We need to buy some supplies.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

The student council members looked at Senior Tachibana.

“We need materials to make posters and a few small items.”

“Ah, then the vice president and I can go together.”

The blonde male senior said lightly.

But Senior Tachibana crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Aya and Rina, you go.”

“Yes?! Us?”

I asked back in surprise.

The atmosphere was suddenly turning strange.

“For this kind of thing… wouldn’t it be better for the guys to go?”

“They’re small items, so there’s no need for that.”

The blonde senior said as if it were nothing,

But Senior Tachibana calmly handed us a piece of paper.

“Here, this is the list of items. You need to go to the stationery store on Shirasaki Street.”

For a moment, the air was enveloped in silence.

Shirasaki Street.

The relationship between Takamori Academy and Shirasaki Street is not good.

However, a few individual stores have a partnership with the academy, so the student council was steadily trading goods.

However…

I inadvertently looked at Aya.

The story I heard yesterday…

The fact that the Yukikawa family had a decisive influence in driving out the Shirasaki Chamber of Commerce.

Aya, who knows all this…

Will she be okay?

But Aya quietly nodded as if it didn’t matter.

“Yes, I understand.”

Aya answered Senior Tachibana in a calm voice.

And she looked at me and added.

“Rina. Let’s go together.”

I hesitated slightly and got up.

“…Okay!”

So, I ended up going to Shirasaki Street with Aya.

Shirasaki Street was lively as usual.

Not only Takamori Academy people go there,

It’s not particularly crowded, but it’s not a deserted street either.

And us walking between them.

Two beautiful girls wearing Takamori Academy’s uniform.

One of them is tall, with silver hair and blue eyes, and even exudes a noble atmosphere, Aya.

It was a combination that could not help but stand out.

I glanced at Aya.

‘Are you really okay?’

Yesterday, I saw Aya’s expression waver while listening to the conversation with her sister.

And I remembered.

‘…After that time, you gave up everything.’

It was the first time Aya, who usually didn’t show her emotions, had burst out her emotions towards her sister.

Maybe, she’s still shaking.

So… I asked cautiously.

“Aya… are you okay?”

Aya turned her head slightly and looked at me.

“Huh? What?”

“Yesterday…”

I thought her steps might stop for a moment,

But Aya walked as if nothing had happened.

“It was a little shocking, but I’m fine.”

“Then, are you still planning to go ahead with the night market plan?”

I didn’t beat around the bush for no reason.

It’s better to ask Aya directly.

At that question, Aya’s shoulders stiffened very slightly.

“…Hmm.”

Aya seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.

“For now, I’m going to think about it. I have things to ask… and above all, it’s about my sister.”

“Sister…”

I muttered softly.

It seemed that the Shirasaki Chamber of Commerce was not unrelated to the cause of Senior Reina being half-broken and handing everything over to Aya.

There’s nothing the internet doesn’t have.

When I went home, I searched for the incident that day on my smartphone.

Then, I could find faint remaining articles and blog photos.

Photos of the police coming and going,

The appearance of people buzzing, etc.

I could confirm the faint traces of the incident.

But strangely, the details of the incident were not properly left.

If it were a normal accident, there should be some records left, but it was difficult to find traces as if someone had intentionally deleted them.

I scrolled down and eventually had to come to one conclusion.

‘This wasn’t a simple accident…’

In the end, the president of the chamber of commerce was arrested, and the Yukikawa family pushed it to the end.

I could feel how great their anger was while searching for the incident.

And… now the successor of the Yukikawa family is Aya.

In other words, reopening the night market is a reversal of the family’s decision.

It will be difficult for Aya.

“I hope you’re okay.”

“Yeah…”

Aya’s expression seemed to waver slightly.

I hesitated for a beat, and asked one more question.

“Maybe… did you fight with your sister before?”

What was described in the novel.

And the tension when the two faced each other yesterday.

I knew all of that, but I still wanted to ask one more time.

“…I apologized yesterday.”

Aya answered quietly and turned her gaze.

I was surprised.

This prideful Aya… apologized?

“Eh…? Apologize…?”

“Yes.”

Aya’s voice was a little lower than usual.

I reflexively looked at Aya again.

It was a calm face, but I could see a slightly reddened ear.

It was a cute appearance of Aya being embarrassed.

…Well.

She must have had a lot built up.

My goal was to reconcile the two,

But I didn’t expect reconciliation to be achieved in such an unexpected way.

I laughed softly.

“Aya… I’m glad.”

“……”

Aya didn’t answer.

We walked for a while, and arrived in front of the stationery store on Shirasaki Street.

“Is this the right place?”

“Yes.”

Aya answered briefly and pushed the door open.

I followed her inside, and I could feel the smell of ink and paper unique to stationery stores.

It was a familiar smell from childhood, but strangely, the stationery store I came to with Aya… felt unfamiliar somehow.

‘What is it? Is Rina’s sense of smell better than my past self…?’

I stood there blankly for no reason and looked at Aya choosing something next to me.

Her neat, long silver hair, the gold decoration indicating the student council slightly visible above her uniform, and her lightly tapping stationery with her finger while deep in thought, even her profile…

‘Aya, you’re so pretty even in a stationery store…’

I think I was staring at Aya without realizing it.

“Rina.”

“Ah, yes! What?”

Aya glanced at me, and quietly picked up a small notepad.

It was a cute design of pink and sky blue.

I tilted my head, wondering what was going on.

“We need a notepad for the student council, which one is better?”

“Hmm…”

I looked at both of them quietly, and pointed to the sky blue one, which was similar to the color of Aya’s eyes.

“I think this one is cuter!”

Then Aya chuckled.

“Rina, is blue your preference?”

“Eh?”

“Last time… you confessed a lot, saying you like blue eyes?”

Aya said with a meaningful smile.

I coughed awkwardly in surprise for a moment.

“Uh, uheeng, well, well… I don’t dislike it! What about Aya?”

Aya lightly tapped the sky blue notepad with her finger.

“I prefer this one too. It feels a little more calm.”

“Then we can buy one of each!”

I said with a playful smile.

But Aya blinked at me, and slowly raised the corners of her lips.

“Okay.”

And she picked up another sky blue notepad, and pushed it slightly towards me.

“Then you use this one.”

“…Huh?”

I was momentarily stunned and looked at Aya.

“But, we’re buying it to use in the student council, right?”

“Yes. But since Rina chose it, Rina can use it, right?”

Aya said calmly and headed to where the next item was.

I followed her belatedly, laughing awkwardly.

“Aya, I’m not the student council secretary right now, you know?”

“That’s why you need it more.”

“Huh, what kind of logic is that?!”

I was dumbfounded, but I was smiling.

‘This is the playful Aya that only the protagonist could see.’

Aya still had a calm expression, but that subtle playfulness… she’s definitely teasing me!

I received the notepad, pretending I couldn’t win for no reason.

Aya smiled lightly and moved to pick up the next item.

I looked at her back and scratched my cheek slightly.

“What, Aya! I feel like I’m the only one who lost…?”

Feeling the texture of the notepad remaining in my hand, I felt my face heating up for no reason.

…This is just shopping for student council supplies, right?