Chapter 4: A Manual for Dating

Sudo said that with a thin smile at the corner of her mouth. The sudden Kyoto dialect was terrifying. Was I about to be served some bubuzuke? Maybe it’s time for me to head out?

Hojo leaned in and asked, “Saki, are you mad?” Sudo blushed and immediately turned her gaze away with a huff.

“N-Not mad at all, okay?”

“No, you’re obviously pissed… Sorry, my guard was down.”

“It’s not like I want an apology…”

“Hey, Saki, look at me.”

Hojo said, grabbing Sudo’s wrist. Sudo turned beet red and yanked her hand away with all her strength.

“Oh…”

For a brief moment, Hojo looked hurt—Sudo’s face showed she realized she’d made a mistake.

“I-I-I-I-I need to cool my head a bit!”

With that, Sudo turned her back to Hojo and dashed off across the beach. Nanase quickly called out, “Sacchan, wait!” and chased after her.

Left behind, Hojo scratched his head in frustration. Seeing my puzzled look, he raised the corners of his lips slightly and shrugged.

“Not going too well?”

“…Yeah. It’s been like this recently.”

◇◇◇

“Sacchan!”

I trampled through the sandy beach in my flip-flops, chasing after Sacchan.

This was the first time I’d seen Sacchan so distraught. It wasn’t rare for her to get angry, but I had never seen her this shaken.

Sacchan suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, clutching her head and squatting down with a groan, “Uwaaah…” Finally catching up, I asked, “Are you okay?”

“Aaah… I messed up again… I’m really the worst…”

I gently patted Sacchan’s back and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Let’s sit down for now, okay?”

I helped Sacchan up and we sat on a nearby bench. Two guys approached us with grins, but Sacchan glared at them, “Do you need something?” They quickly backed off. Sacchan was strong.

Sacchan finally seemed to calm down a bit, though she looked away in embarrassment.

“…Sorry for showing you such a pathetic side.”

“N-No, it’s fine!”

I was surprised, but I didn’t think it was pathetic at all. Peering at her downcast face, I asked,

“Sacchan, what happened? Why did you push Hojo-kun away all of a sudden?”

“…Lately… I just can’t look at Hiroki properly.”

I tilted my head, puzzled. Until now, no matter how many girls swooned over Hojo-kun, Sacchan always seemed indifferent.

“I told you we went on a trip recently, right…? I had mentally prepared myself… But when it came down to it, I got really scared. When he pushed me down, I ended up throwing him off.”

“T-Throwing…?”

“Yeah, a tomoe-nage I learned in high school judo class.”

Sacchan said this with a serious face, and I couldn’t help but imagine it and laugh. I knew it wasn’t funny, but still!

Sacchan grabbed my shoulders, shaking me desperately.

“No, it’s not like that! It’s not that I didn’t want to… It’s just that he’s so smooth that I got intimidated… You know what I mean, right?”

“Umm, I guess…?”

“I apologized a lot, but Hiroki was like, ‘It’s fine if you don’t want to.’ I felt so pathetic. I became so self-conscious that I couldn’t even look at him…”

Sacchan curled up, huddling her knees.

I always thought that for glamorous girls, romance was a piece of cake. But it turns out I was wrong. Sacchan was struggling just like me.

“…I’m actually really jealous and a pain to be with.”

“Huh?”

“I always act all composed in front of you… but that’s not true at all. I get jealous every day and worry about stupid things.”

…Sacchan, the same as me?

I always thought Sacchan, with her wealth of experience, was so composed. I stared at her, astonished.

“I… I thought you and Hojo-kun were always doing well. Going on trips, and much further ahead than me…”

“…Sorry. I wanted to look good in front of you, so I pretended to be composed…”

Sacchan continued, her head down.

“In reality, I don’t have that much experience. I’m always jealous, and it’s not cute. If I keep this up, even you might get fed up with me…”

Sacchan hugged her knees, looking like she was about to cry. Usually, I’m the one being comforted, but today, it was my turn.

I hugged Sacchan tightly. She was startled, but accepted my embrace.

“W-What!? Why all of a sudden?”

“Sacchan, you’re cute!”

“Huh?”

“I’d never get fed up with you! I love you, even with all your jealousy and quirks!”

Sacchan blinked in surprise at my heartfelt words. I hugged her tighter.

“…When you saw my bare face, you accepted it as part of me, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

“It’s the same. Even if you’re not composed or you’re jealous and difficult… I love you for who you are. I think Hojo-kun feels the same.”

Sacchan was quiet for a while, but then she gently hugged me back.

“…Thanks, Haruko.”

Sacchan, who whispered that, wasn’t the flawless, experienced glamorous beauty I once admired. But she was a very cute, complicated girl in love.

tln : a bit late, i was fixing my pc. really took a lot of time and i havent got it done yet. the rest of chapters will be released around next day. sorry for the delay