I'm in Love with the Gorilla Sitting Next to Me - Volume 1 Chapter 6.6

Secrets are meant to be revealed 6

“I know it’s last minute, but actually… that… um…”

Tora-senpai struggles to speak. This must be the cancellation route. I need to find a way to respond without making Senpai feel bad…

“…Since it’s my first time… could you please be gentle…”

(TLN: The first time here probably refers to do it with someone not from her family.)

——Her frail voice appealed, and I thought my head would short-circuit.

Wow… there are really people who say things like this in reality…?

This is a presumed beautiful girl saying this, for me, and even though she’d probably have preferred more buildup, she’s pushing herself.

After all this, there’s no way I can back down. For Senpai’s sake, I have to do it.

My heart is pounding so loudly that it feels like it’s about to leap out of my mouth.

But no more hesitation.

Even if my legs are shaking with tension, even if my breathing is so erratic it feels like it will stop, I head straight for Tora-senpai’s lips between my hands——or at least, that was the plan.

Suddenly, I heard a loud bang, and I involuntarily opened my eyes.

“What…?”

“Hyaah…!?”

The close-up view of a brown tabby cat with wide eyes was as shocked as I was. The fact that our lips were mere centimeters from touching was surprising, but what I should be most concerned about now was the sound from before.

That was undoubtedly the sound of the rooftop door closing. I’ve been here many times, so I know. When it opens, it feels a bit heavy, but when it closes, if you don’t hold it, it shuts with quite some force due to the wind; it made a similar sound when we came in.

Reflexively, I turn to look at the entrance, and there——no one is there.

I rush to the door and open it to look inside the building. Though I couldn’t see anyone, I could definitely hear the sound of someone running down the stairs.

I thought about chasing after them, but before I could, Tora-senpai, who had come closer, grabbed my shirt and said,

“D-did someone see us!? I don’t know who or where they are from, but they might have seen us about to kiss!”

“Probably. No one was there when I opened my eyes, and the angle makes it likely that they didn’t see Senpai’s face.”

“I-is that so? Then maybe we can bluff our way through it… maybe…?”

“Let’s hope so… My face was probably seen, so I just hope it wasn’t a classmate.”

“Hmm… Should we go look for them now?”

“What should I do… I can’t even tell if they’re a guy or a girl, and there are absolutely no hints.”

I didn’t hear the sound of the door when someone entered the rooftop. So, I have no idea how long they’ve been up here. Maybe they were hiding and taking a nap during lunchtime or something.

If only I could have seen even their silhouette from behind. But then again, half of all the students in school—that’s not a small number to narrow down.

“…For now, should we just call it quits for today?”

“I don’t mind, but… won’t it be serious if they saw your face?”

“It should be fine if they’re not someone I know… at least, that’s what I’d like to think. I’ll check with the club members later.”

“Hmm… understood. If anything happens, feel free to reveal my involvement.”

“Huh? Senpai, you haven’t had your identity exposed, right?”

“I’ve said it before. You and I are in this together. I won’t let you take the fall alone.”

Tora-senpai, with her cat ears perked up, looked seriously cool as she spoke. My respect for her just kept growing.

“Got it. But well, unless they take some action, there’s nothing we can do, and they might just keep it to themselves, so let’s stay optimistic.”

“Yeah… sorry about that. It was reckless of me to suggest it.”

“No no, don’t worry about it. We’re in this together, right, Tora-senpai?”

“…Yes!”

She really was worried. I could hear a hint of relief in her voice.

…But seriously, what should I do… I hope nothing comes of it.

As I braced for a potentially explosive issue before an eagerly anticipated plan, I secretly sighed without letting Tora-senpai notice.

◇ ◆

Having been faced with a major issue but with no way to deal with it and a promise to meet Gossan, I decided to head home first.

With my spirits not at all lifted, I stopped by a bank ATM on the way to withdraw almost all my balance, then went home. With a little time to spare, I took a shower to cool off physically.

After spending some time in my room feeling restless, it was about time, so I headed to the station where we were to meet, taking a train I usually don’t use. A few minutes after exiting the ticket gate and waiting in front of the spacious station entrance, a gorilla with a commanding presence, though blending in with the other fireworks spectators, appeared.

“Gossan, over here, over here!”

“Sorry, did you wait?”

“No, I think it’s still before our meeting time. More importantly, you’re wearing a yukata. That’s definitely very summery.”

She was wearing a light blue yukata with hydrangea patterns, which had quite an atmosphere to it. She’s tall and stands out. If she didn’t look like a gorilla, she’d be perfect.

I was wondering how to compliment her without lying when Gossan adjusted the collar of her yukata with her thick fingers,

“I got it from my grandmother last year. I haven’t had a chance to wear it since.”

“I should have worn a jinbei or maybe the happi coat I got from doing fire patrol before.”

“It’s fine as it is, we are just going to watch fireworks.”

That’s true. Gossan wasn’t dressed up. She just chose an outfit suitable for watching fireworks.

…But yeah, despite the major problem, my mood lifted a little.

“So, which way is the shrine?”

“It’s over there. It seems like most people are heading towards the riverbank, so it shouldn’t be too crowded.”

“Okay okay. Lead the way, then.”

Before I could ask, Gossan started walking, and I joined her side by side, heading up the hill towards the shrine. She was wearing geta, not sneakers, so I thought I should be careful with the pace, but Gossan moved on as if to say she didn’t need such consideration.

As we talked about a minor incident that happened in class today, after a few minutes, we could see a torii gate that seemed to be the entrance to the shrine.