V1 Ch-4 part 5【Key】 - ◆Part５【Finally, Their First Encounter, Cheerful Person VS. Another Cheerful Person】

Translator: AJ1703

Editor: Matsu

◆５【Finally, Their First Encounter, Cheerful Person VS. Another Cheerful Person】

After school, Yua had come to the Nagumo house.

“No, when did this happen? It’s like…”

Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Yua turned her head to me, leaned her body against the backrest, and shot me a penetrating look.

“What are you talking about?”

“About Rumi. You’ve suddenly become friends with her.”

Yua mixed it up with something about Ousaki.

Apparently… this is a continuation of the lunch break incident.

“Well, it just happened. I wasn’t born with the blame of not being able to get along with the whole human race.”

“You’re still hiding things. But if Shinji says so, then so be it.”

Surprisingly, Yua was not angry or frustrated.

“Because you promised Rumi, didn’t you? You promised to keep quiet.”

I’m sure I didn’t tell Yua about Ousaki’s promise.

“Shinji is the kind of person who always keeps his promises.”

I wonder what that meant. Am I really such a sincere person?

“Rumi, you know, sometimes she gets mad at the boys in class, right?”

Not just occasionally, but from my point of view, she seems to lose her temper all the time. If you ask her, did she lose her temper? I’m pretty sure she’d already lost her temper before you even asked her if she did.

“I don’t know what the two of you like, but if there is someone who understands Rumi, that’s fine with me because Rumi is a girl with honest emotions, but sometimes those emotions can be misunderstood and could cause a rift. And she often does it for me. That’s why I’m glad Shinji is here.”

Immediately after the Bodhisattva-like smile, a Demi-god peeked out at the edges of her expression. [TLN: Bodhisattva = one who has reached enlightenment but vows to save all beings before becoming a buddha (taken from jisho)]

“It’s not like we’re dating, right?”

“Does this mean that Yua could sense a lovers-like atmosphere between us?”

“Fuun~, it didn’t feel like that though.”

“Well, you know, we’re like bad friends. I guess that’s the closest you can get.”

Yua, who had coined the term “Evil Friend,” swayed back and forth while balancing on her buttocks in a gymnastic position.

“But you know, it’s good that Rumi and Shinji can have fun by themselves…”

Yua said sulkily.

“We’re not like that.”

It’s true, we haven’t shared any hobbies that we would be cautious about revealing to others like Ousaki.

“So I’ll lend you my knees.”

Yua pointed to her knees. The white knees stretching out from her skirt also looked radiant today.

“How did it even lead to this?”

Give me back my innocence, I was seriously thinking that Yua and I have a hobby that we can have fun together.

“If you guys can connect through your hobbies, we can only connect through our bodies.”

“The way you say that…”

“See, you can’t get over the feeling of my legs, can you? You don’t have to hold back, you know?”

She alternates between her legs, encouraging me to put my head on them. Whenever her feet hit the floor, her thighs shake, and I can’t take my eyes off of them.

Yua doesn’t listen to me when I’m like this.

After the incident on the rooftop, there’s no denying the fact that I’m becoming addicted to Yua’s lap pillow.

When I put my head on her lap, she immediately pats my head. It was so comfortable that I vaguely felt glad that I hadn’t refused.

Then I felt a soft touch on my cheek.

“It’s nice that you’re getting along with Rumi, but don’t forget about me.”

She whispered as if she was blowing directly into my ear.

I couldn’t see what kind of face Yua was making right now, as she was sandwiching my face between her knees and chest.

Even though my impression of Ousaki had changed, Yua’s presence was not so thin that I could forget about her immediately.

I was sitting on Yua’s lap like a pet cat, thinking that Yua was worrying about me in a strange way.

That’s when it happened.

I had completely forgotten about it.

I knew there was someone else in the house besides Tsumugi who was coming home.

When the door to the living room opened with unnecessary force, I realized it was too late.

“Shinji~, Tsumugi~, the superstar is back~!”

My Dad, the man who makes me feel uneasy just standing there, is back.

He didn’t have to come home at such a time.

Dad was back at the Nagumo house because he had a match at K-Rakuen Hall the other day, but this was the first time he had seen Yua. I never expected that they would meet for the first time like this.

Dad is a much less delirious person than most fathers.

He didn’t seem to be awkwardly silent in front of us, which would have made it look like we were flirting.

“Sorry, my bad, I’ll wait outside! I’ll be waiting outside until you’ve finished spitting your poisonous mist at her!”

He smiled broadly, as if he had just seen a good thing.

Yua was dumbfounded because she didn’t know what the poisonous mist meant in the first place, but if she did, she would have hated me and Dad.

I jumped up from the couch to correct my father’s misunderstanding and vile comment as he was leaving the living room.

★

I caught my dad in the hallway and tried to get him to come back to the living room, but he wouldn’t listen to me because he kept making the mistake of saying, “No, no, it’s fine, it’s fine, don’t waste this chance.” He kept misunderstanding me and wouldn’t listen to me. Moreover, his smirk was annoying.

It’s impossible to pull a huge old man by force. At times like this, I can only pull his arm in the manner of a hammer throw, swinging a wrestler to the ropes. Just as I had hoped, he ran toward the living room. It’s another occupational hazard.

When he came back to the living room, he sat down on the sofa, as if he had given up.

Yua was sitting across from me on the couch for two.

I put the protein I had just shaken in front of my dad, introduced her briefly as my classmate Yua Takarai, and sat down next to her. It was the only seat available.

Yua seemed to be unusually nervous. She was casually grabbing my fingers so that my father wouldn’t see, and she was shaking a little. The man across from her was someone else’s father, and he had a much thicker body than most of the men I’d met in my life, so it must have been intimidating for her to meet him for the first time.

“She should have just kept going. Why would anyone quit just because their parents appeared? She’s your girlfriend, isn’t she? Don’t be so cold.”

I was about to say, “She’s not my girlfriend, she’s my friend,” but stopped myself.

Tsumugi still thinks we’re lovers.

If I tell Dad the truth, she might inadvertently find out the truth through him.

Dad is not a man who talks too much, even with this kind of personality, but …… the situation is too complicated to explain here, so for now, I’ll just push through with the lover setting.

“Even though you’re my parent, I don’t think you should get involved in your son’s love life. I don’t like to be too open about such things.”

It wasn’t an honest expression of my feelings, just a way to shut my father up, but the way Yua to my right looked at me expectantly and sent me some kind of message with a mixture of strength and weakness in her hand grasping my fingers. I don’t know anything about Morse code though.

“Don’t be shy, don’t be shy now.”

Dad grinned and tipped his protein shaker. That’s why I don’t like to be teased like this…

“Dad, if you’re going to make unwanted innuendos about the opposite sex to adolescent boys, it means you’re ready to be hated, right?”

“I’m not trying to stir things up, I’m happy. This means that you’re no longer a loner anymore. In elementary school and middle school, I was your only best friend, right?”

When he said that, I couldn’t say anything back.

In elementary and junior high school, thanks to my fearlessness as a child, I had friends that I could talk to only in school. However, my friendships at that time were almost entirely within the school.

That’s why the person I spent most of my after-school time with was my father.

When I was still in elementary school, Dad made a contract to only attend matches in Tokyo or big matches in the provinces so that I wouldn’t be left alone at home, which apparently caused a lot of controversy among the fans, but from my point of view, it was a good thing.

Through my father, some of his wrestler friends, who were eccentric, weird, and superhuman, came to see me as a guest, and even though I was a loner, I never lived in a closed society. So I’m grateful for that.

“But what about the overseas expedition?”

Sensing that I was at a disadvantage, I decided to change the subject.

Dad had just returned to Tokyo the other day, and before that he had stayed in Mexico to fight for a local organization.

“I knew Lucha was good. If I were born again, I’d want to be Mexican.” [TLN: Lucha libre = Mexican pro-wrestling]

“Are you going to wrestle when you’re reborn?”

“That’s the only thing that I can do. I don’t have any other job.”

Dad took out a mask from a large bag lying at his feet. It’s the kind of thing that masked men wear. He threw it at me. It’s a souvenir that my father always brings back from Mexico.

“You’re going to study in Mexico and become a Luchador, aren’t you?”

“Don’t say that like you’re planning some kind of reckless variety show.”

I said so as I played with the glittering golden mask in my hand.

“I can’t fly or jump.”

“I see. You’re not going to change your mind?”

Dad looked out the window for a moment, looking forlorn.

When I was a child, my father tried to train me in various ways, hoping that in the future we would stand in the same ring and have a father-son fight, but I eventually gave up. In the first place, I lacked the competitive spirit and fighting spirit before my physique and athleticism, so my father’s wish would have never been fulfilled anyway.

My father never forced me to do anything, but I guess he still had a craving for it, and every now and then he would try to get me into wrestling.

I still felt a little guilty for not living up to my father’s expectations.

“You’re a quiet one, aren’t you, Yua-chan?”

My father’s interest shifted to Yua.

“Oh, really?”

It was unusual to hear Yua’s voice turn upside down.

Dad was right, Yua was concentrating on listening to the conversation between Dad and me, and didn’t interrupt. Well, it’s hard to get into the middle of a conversation between a parent and a child.

My father, who didn’t know Yua as a normal person, would have felt that she was a quiet girl.

I can’t just leave Yua alone and talk to her like this, I think it’s better to start all over again. Yua is a cheerful person by nature. I’m sure she’ll get used to it after a while.

“Why don’t you have dinner with us today?”

I explained to Dad that the Nagumo family was indebted to Yua. While he was away, I had been calling him or sending him messages, but I hadn’t been able to tell him about Yua because it was too complicated.

“But now that your father has come home…”

Yua was reserved, as if she was concerned about the family gathering.

“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Dad being back now? Don’t be so reserved.”

Yua may not be free and may have plans later, but I was willing to force the issue.

“Yua, you know, you’re like… a part of our family now. If you weren’t here after all this time, it would feel strange…”

“Shinji…”

Yua showed signs of hesitation.

“It’s fine, Yua-chan, go ahead and join us. It’s better to eat in a lively atmosphere, right?”

With Dad’s words as the reason for her reluctance, Yua seemed to have made up her mind to join in.

“Then I’ll help you.”

I was going to do it by myself, but it was okay if Yua insisted.

I was about to leave the living room with Yua.

But before I did, I had to tell my father something.

“Dad, welcome back for now.”

“Oh, I’m home.”

It didn’t matter how embarrassed I was, I couldn’t forget to thank him for getting back safely.

Dad is fighting in a dangerous place where one wrong move could result in his death or inability to recover.

This is also my way of showing my filial piety.

It’s a little too small, though.

★

When we left the living room and reached the second floor, Yua spoke up.

“So Shinji is like that in front of his father, huh…”

“What’s up with that, saying something all of a sudden…”

As soon as she escaped the father-son tag, Yua went into teasing mode.

“Nothing, really. I was just jealous of how close you guys are. Shinji’s family must be really close.”

Yua, who doesn’t get along well with her family, made me feel defensive, but she didn’t give off a heavy vibe and seemed to be enjoying herself.

“I mean, you’re treating me like a member of the family. Is it okay if I get carried away?”

Yua’s smile was brighter than ever, so bright that I almost hesitated to look directly at her.

“I’ve been indebted to you for a long time. I can’t say you’re just a complete stranger at this point. If anything, Yua has spent much more time in the Nagumo household than Dad in the recent past.”

If we had a dog, I’m sure it would treat Yua better than Dad.

“So, can I call Shinji’s dad ‘Father-in-law’ now?”

“First of all, you should learn not to be a statue in front of my father.”

“That was… I just didn’t want to disturb your father who hadn’t been home for a while.”

“But it was refreshing to see Yua not talking, so that’s good, I guess?”

As soon as I said that, Yua began to twist and wriggle from side to side.

“So I wonder if you should go into non-talking mode for a little while, Yua-chan.”

I was curious about the mute character of Yua, so I decided to let her do what she wanted.

Yua started to take a deep breath. It seemed that she was trying to hold her breath. Where are you going to dive?

“Oh, Shinji, I’m curious about something, give me that.”

“That was over in an instant, the non-talking mode…”

I was expecting to see a gap between her and the usual Yua, but…

“Because it’s a waste not to talk when Shinji is around.”

Yua’s cheeks relaxed as she picked up a souvenir Lucha mask from my hand.

The mask was a shiny gold color with a white cross on the forehead and a wing-like design around the eyes, but it covered the mouth.

“Can I just wear it like this?”

“Yeah. But it doesn’t have any laces.”

There was a hole in the back of the mask, like a shoelace, and only the top part of the mask had a string running through it.

Apparently, Yua wanted to be a masked man. She slipped on the mask and asked me to tie the laces. She looked like a senior wrestler with a valet.

“If you wear it too tightly, it might rub against your skin and take off your makeup.

“Then loosen it a bit.”

Yua’s voice was so lively that I could see her expression even though her face was hidden.

Does she have a desire to change?

I tried to tie the string on the back of her mask, but she kept her back against the wall and refused to move.

“Yua, turn your back to me or move from there, otherwise I can’t tie it.”

“Can’t you just tie it like this?”

Even though she was wearing a mask, her eyes were open, so I could see that her eyes were crescent moons.

Stretch your arms out in front of you and tie them, Yua demanded.

I have a bit of skill when it comes to tying the straps of a mask, so I can do it without looking at the holes. It’s a skill I learned when I was too busy being a loner.

“Stay put.”

It’s no longer a regular occurrence for me to get caught up in Yua’s whims, and I was getting good at showing off my skills, so I extended my arm to the back of her head.

Because of my position, I was so close to Yua’s face that I could almost smell her sweet breath.

Suddenly, I felt Yua put her fingers under the mask and pulled it up to reveal her mouth.

It was designed to cover the mouth, and as I let my guard down, thinking that it might have been difficult for Yua to breathe since she wasn’t used to wearing a mask, my lips collided with Yua’s lips.

It wasn’t a firm contact, just a little touch of the tip of my lips, but a kiss is a kiss, so I lost my cool remarkably.

“What are you doing to me!?”

I back-stepped and jumped away.

“A reward for tying the string for me?”

Yua, who has pulled up her mask so that you can see her eyes, puts her hand over her mouth and looks amused.

Although I was surprised, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, on the contrary, I felt satisfied, so it was a valid reward. But then again, Yua is a person who certainly does outrageous things.

“…You need to have a lot of confidence in yourself to do that, you know?”

“Well, I’m popular, after all.”

Without a trace of modesty, Yua said so.

Well, no one could be more convincing than Yua in this kind of statement.

“But now we have something that only Shinji and I know.”

I understood Yua’s intention.

It seemed that Yua was still concerned about the lack of common hobbies between us, unlike the relationship I have with Ousaki.

I didn’t expect it to be a kiss, a physical contact, as declared.

I managed to tie the straps of her mask, half in caution and half in anticipation that if I moved my face closer to hers, I would face the same thing again.

“Shinji, you’re not immune to being startled by a little lip contact. If you don’t get used to it more, I’ll be in trouble.”

I don’t know what’s bothering her, but unlike me, Yua is relaxed and seems to want to play with Tsumugi, so she dashes off to Tsumugi’s room.

D*mn it… if only this happened instead, “Hmm? Did the mosquitoes stop?” I should have been able to force my way into her comfort zone or even press my lips back against hers. Well, if I encounter the same scene again, I’ll be too embarrassed to do anything about it…

Yua seemed to like wearing the mask, and was taking selfies with her phone, posing like a warrior hero while showing off to Tsumugi, and even joined Tsumugi in using my bed as a trampoline, they were having a lot of fun together.

Her innocent girl-like behavior was probably due to the elation she felt from the temporary anonymity of having her face hidden.

I tried not to think about it as much as I could… because it would be like I was being conceited to think that my tensions had exploded because of a kiss with me.

“Oi, Yua, I’m about to start preparing dinner.”

“Ah, okay!”

Yua jumped off the bed, ran up to me and took off her golden mask.

She was sweating lightly on her forehead, probably because of all the physical exertion.

Even though her make-up is a little bit broken, she bends her well-rounded face and gives me a carefree smile.

If anything, the moments when Yua shows her true face like this are more special to me, as if she knows something that no one else in the school knows.