Sweet Cohabitation Romcom With My Senior Girlfriend and Alcohol Starts At Twenty - Volume 1 Chapter 7.6

Love Calls

“You don’t want to be treated specially, right? Then, you should be honest with someone who is close to you.”

“Are you talking about yourself, Kureha Senpai?”

“Hmm? I’m more likely to spoil you with special treatment~”

“Then, you mean…”

“That’s exactly what I mean~. Don’t worry. Since it might be embarrassing to be sober, why don’t we start with a drink in the evening?”

With that, a large number of canned Chuhai appeared from her bag.

“Sweet, bitter, or maybe sour! I’ve brought a variety, so what will get you going, Yuu-chan?”

“It’s not about what will get me going! What’s with all this alcohol?!”

“Eh? I thought I’d have a drink with Yuu-chan, so I picked these up from the supermarket nearby before coming to your room.”

“You should have called me… Why would you carry all this by yourself…”

“Because it wouldn’t be a surprise otherwise!”

“I’m more surprised by the fact that you carried all this by yourself than by the fact that you brought alcohol!”

Yuu couldn’t hide her astonishment at the many cans of Chuhai laid out on the living room table.

It wasn’t just the sheer number of cans that surprised her, but Kureha’s decisiveness in bringing them all to Yuu’s room without hesitation.

Moreover, these weren’t just ordinary cans of Chuhai; they were all tall cans.

Rich Peach Liquor, Asahi Super Dry, Frozen Lemon, and more—all of them large and long. No regular-sized cans of Chuhai emerged from Kureha’s bag.

Kureha looked thoroughly pleased with Yuu’s expression amidst this situation.

“Well-well, it’s not so bad. Times like these call for a drink, don’t you think? Yuu-chan, you can drink, right? Takashi-kun said you were downing it at the yakiniku place.”

“No, well… I can drink, but it kind of feels like… I’m being smoothly coerced into it.”

“Hmm, do you think so?”

“Well, I’ll go along with it. After all, you’re probably just trying to expose my true self to Takashi and make fun of me.”

“Oh, you caught on?”

“Senpai and I think alike. It’s fine, really, if it’s with Takashi. I’d rather have a drink first since it’s too embarrassing to do it sober.”

“Hehe, of course, I understand~”

Knowing full well that Kureha’s invitation was a trap, Yuu still picked up a bottle of alcohol from the table while muttering to herself, “If I have to show my true face, I can’t handle it without drinking.”

For Yuu, there was a crucial difference between revealing her true self to Kureha and to Takashi.

Of course, there were similarities. Kureha was somewhat shunned for her beauty and proportions, and Takashi was somewhat shunned for dating Kureha.

However, the nature of the estrangement was different.

Was it directed at her own person, or at his status?

And the comments Yuu had received about her true face had always been directed at her.

Perhaps that’s why Yuu could show her complex-ridden true face in front of Kureha.

Most likely, it’s because she trusts Takashi that she’s willing to reveal her true face, “just” by letting herself go with the alcohol.

Kureha’s face showed a look filled with affection, but it didn’t last long.

“But you know, I’m a little worried.”

With those words, Kureha’s expression shifted to one of teasing.

However, Yuu, who had already started drinking her Asahi Super Dry, didn’t notice Kureha’s expression.

She was also too busy munching on chocolate cookies she had taken out of her bag, thinking, “What should I drink next?”

But this distraction wouldn’t last long either.

“What are you worried about?”

“Well, maybe about Takashi-kun’s reaction?”

“I can’t imagine Takashi rejecting me after seeing my true face.”

“No, it’s not that…”

“…?”

“What if Takashi-kun falls for you, Yuu-chan…”

“What?”

Yuu couldn’t help but be shaken by the bombshell Kureha had dropped.

“Hehe. How about that? Did it surprise you a little?”

“Of course it did!!! What’s with that impossible joke!!!”

“Sorry-sorry. It’s just that Yuu-chan doesn’t seem to realize that she’s cute, so I wanted to tease you a bit.”

“Please, stop joking around like that…”

Surprised and accidentally spitting out some beer, Yuu hurriedly wiped it off with a handkerchief while telling Kureha to stop teasing her.

Yuu, who wanted to be cute as a girl and had been working hard to be cute even without showing her true face, found Kureha’s words bad for her heart as she still couldn’t recognize her own cuteness.

“Hmm, I’m teasing you, but I’m not lying.”

Then Kureha said those words seriously.

“…Yes?”

“The anxiety that Takashi-kun might fall for you and the jealousy over your cuteness, both are real. They’re not jokes at all.”

For Yuu, this was uncharted territory. And Kureha’s expression, serious yet somewhat lonely, was also something unknown.

“No, no, no! There’s no way Takashi could fall for me now! Haven’t you seen how he usually is!? He’s totally smitten with you, Kureha Senpai!!”

“But it’s not like he wouldn’t be swayed by other girls, right?”

“Even so, it’s impossible for me. We’re just best friends, nothing more. He must feel the same. There’s nothing for Kureha Senpai to worry about.”

“Really? Are you sure…?”

“Absolutely sure.”

Yuu couldn’t hide her surprise at seeing Kureha so unusually downhearted.

Yet, with Yuu’s repeated encouragement, Kureha regained her spirits and impulsively decided to send a love call to Takashi.

Now it was Yuu’s turn to be flustered upon hearing Takashi’s voice.

***

“What are you up to, Takashi-kun~?”

“Me? Well… I was just spacing out a bit.”

“Are you saying that, but in reality, you were eagerly waiting for a love call from me~?”

“That’s… uh…”

“Ah, I hit the nail on the head, huh?”

“…”