<Author's Comment>
As I mentioned in the activity report, I am using this weekend to organize future developments!
The reason is that there are too many things I want to write, and if I write them in chronological order, it will turn into an incredible volume.
While I'm organizing things, I don't want to stop updating for too long, so I'll update a short story (part one) featuring Azuma, who won 1st place in the popularity poll!
It's not related to the main story, so I hope you enjoy it in a relaxed way.
Here it is!
“Good morning, Konuma!”
“Oh, morning...”
For some reason, I was standing in front of the Shinkansen boarding area inside the JR ticket gates at Tokyo Station.
For some reason, standing before me was Azuma Yuri-san wearing a white one-piece dress (it suited her).
For some reason, there was a Boston bag in my hand. In Azuma's hand, for some reason, was a small suitcase.
“Um, what exactly is this situation...?”
“It's a dream. A dream where you and I go on a trip.”
“A... dream...?”
“Yes, a dream. ...For me, in two senses of the word.”
“Is that so...?”
I really didn't understand that ‘in two senses’ part she muttered, but for now, it seemed this was a scene inside a dream. A lucid dream, maybe?
“I mean, you're accepting this surprisingly quickly, Azuma.”
“Well, I heard about it beforehand.”
“Eh, from who?”
“Yuzu-chan.”
“Yuzu!?”
My sister's name suddenly popped up, and I let out a startled voice.
Wait, Azuma-neesan hasn't even met my sister, right? A different Yuzu? The one who slowly, slowly goes down the long, long downhill slope? Or the one who says it's okay to move forward without hesitating anymore? (They’re the same band!)
“Well, it’s fine, it’s fine. Let's go quickly. If we don't hurry, we might wake up from the dream. Here, the tickets.”
“O-Oh, thanks...”
Without really understanding, I was handed a ticket by Azuma, who was unusually well-prepared, and we boarded the Shinkansen.
On the Shinkansen, we sat side-by-side in a two-person seat.
Azuma was by the window, and I was on the aisle side.
“Azuma, where is this headed?”
“It's not about which prefecture we're going to or anything like that, so don't worry about it for now.”
“Hmm...?”
Well, I guess it is weirder to worry about geography inside a dream. Yeah, I have to get used to this world-view.
As I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow to switch my mindset,
“Ah, Mount Fuji!”
Azuma happily pointed out the window.
“Oh, you're right.”
Looking over, I saw a magnificent Mount Fuji. (I swallowed the unrefined retort that seeing Mount Fuji narrowed down the Shinkansen line or at least the direction quite a bit.)
“It's beautiful~”
As I stared blankly out the window from my seat past Azuma, she looked at me and slightly furrowed her brow in annoyance.
Before I could think ‘What?’, she grabbed the chest of my T-shirt and pulled, pu-pu-pulled me toward the window—or rather, toward her.
“Since we're in a dream anyway, you don't have to be reserved. You want to see it properly, right?”
“O-Oh.”
Even so, with the suddenness of it, I ended up stretching my neck out, and furthermore, I almost lost my balance and ended up bracing my left hand against the window.
Uh, Azuma-neesan. I understand very well that this is your consideration to let me see out the window, but how do I put it... even though it's like a wall-dong, you're still clutching the chest of my T-shirt, and Azuma-neesan is really close, or rather, Azuma-neesan is the one looking cool here!
I'm in no state to look at Mount Fuji anymore, and for some reason, I feel like Azuma is looking at me instead of Mount Fuji too!?
“...Konuma, the shape of your Adam's apple is beautiful.”
“Y-Yes!?”
I wondered what she was looking at, and it's my Adam's apple!? Is that a fetish!?
“I see, you certainly do have a good voice...”
As Azuma nodded solemnly, I quickly became embarrassed.
“I-It's fine now, I can't see Mount Fuji anymore!”
I pulled back and sat down in my seat.
“Yeah, well, we did pass Mount Fuji... Hey, I have a small favor to ask.”
“W-What...?”
Azuma said while looking at me—specifically at my throat area.
“Can I touch your Adam's apple?”
She asked with an unusually sultry expression.
“Eh?”
And even though I hadn't said yes yet, her index finger slowly, slowly extended toward me.
“H-Hey, Azuma...”
“It's okay, it'll be over soon... Just, look up a bit.”
...Um, what are we doing on the Shinkansen?
With a fearful touch, Azuma poked my Adam's apple with her fingertip.
“Nnh...”
A low voice leaked out unintentionally.
“Eh, does it hurt?”
“N-No, it doesn't hurt... but...”
“I see... It’s kind of a strange sensation.”
While saying that, she traced the surface with the pad of her finger. (Of the Adam's apple!)
No, the ‘strange sensation’ is my line entirely...
While looking up, Azuma's round face peering at my throat entered the corner of my vision. I felt like I could smell a nice citrus scent...
Unintentionally, I swallowed my saliva.
“Hya! It moved like a wriggle!”
Azuma jumped back with a start.
“Konuma, are you okay...?”
She asked with half-worry and half-curiosity, so
“Uh, please, give me a break...”
I raised my hands slightly in a gesture of surrender.
“Ahaha, your face is bright red, that's hilarious.”
“It's not hilarious...”
What is this novel body contact... Wait, is it okay not to put an R15 rating tag on this?
And so.
We got off the Shinkansen, transferred to local lines, and arrived at a certain town in a certain prefecture.
“Wow, it’s such a typical hot spring town!”
“It really is.”
The exit of the station led to a main street lined with pinball parlors, izakayas, ramen shops, souvenir shops, and all those ‘typical’ stores.
“Ah, a shooting gallery! Want to try the shooting gallery?”
As we walked down the main street, Azuma asked with an innocent smile.
“No, I feel like I'll get scolded by someone if I do a shooting gallery with another girl, so I won't.”
“What does that mean...?”
What does it mean? I guess it means I'm getting used to this world-view too...
“Well, whatever. Then, at the souvenir shop, this Pikachu mask—”
“That's also a no!”
I mean, I've never seen a souvenir shop sell masks like that anyway!?
“Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding. Let's just eat some onsen manju! This should be fine, right?”
“Y-Yeah, that's fine, but...”
She said it was a joke, but how much does Azuma actually know...? I need to research the effective range of her <Mind Reading> skill...
“Welcome! This is a manju shop. Which item will you buy?”
“There are brown onsen manju and white onsen manju! Then, one of each, please!”
“Here you go, a brown manju and a white manju!”
Azuma energetically bought two manju from the old shopkeeper who spoke like a shopkeeper from Dragon Quest.
“Ah, then, I'll take one of each too...”
“It's okay, it's okay.”
Azuma stopped me as I tried to buy my own. Why?
“Konuma, which one do you want to eat first?”
“Eh, first?”
“Which one? Quick, quick. It'll get cold.”
“It won't get cold that fast... Hmm, then, brown.”
“Got it, here.”
Saying that, she held the brown manju up to my mouth.
“Hmm?”
“Just one bite! Oh, but don't eat the whole thing in one bite! We're sharing.”
“No, that's why I said my own portion... mgh.”
“Just shut up and eat!”
The manju was pressed against my lips which had opened slightly as I spoke.
Resigning myself, I gently ate about half.
“Is it good?”
She asked, smiling happily with a big sisterly face.
“...Yeah.”
For some reason, that smile was so perfectly fitting that I swallowed the manju along with my breath.
“I see, I see, that's good! Then, this one next!”
Saying that, the white manju was held out in front of me from her other hand.
“I-I'll eat it myself!”
With my face feeling hot, I snatched the white manju from Azuma's hand for now.
“Ah, ho? Oh, you're right, it'sh delicious.”
...I mean, Azuma is naturally eating the brown one now!
While having that exchange, under Azuma's guidance, we arrived at a ryokan.
...I mean!
“What is this today, are we staying overnight!?”
“T-That's how it is...”
In front of the ryokan entrance, even the usually composed Azuma stiffened up.
“Is such a thing even allowed...?”
“Who knows... But probably, it's a system where we won't wake up from the dream unless we stay the night.”
“I see...”
“...I wouldn't mind if that were the case, though.”
“...Eh, what did you say?”
...I didn't hear her! I really didn't hear her!
<Author's Comment>
...And so, my pen got carried away, so it will continue next time! It's the overnight stay chapter!