Chapter 21

“Well then, I’ll walk Shizuna home.”
“Okay~. Bye-bye, Shizuna-chan.”
“Yes, goodbye, Chisa-san.”

Leaving Chisa behind in the room, Ryuichi led Shizuna outside.

“…I’m kinda jealous.”
“Of her staying over?”
“Yeah. I want to spend the night too, but… I’ve got school tomorrow.”

It seemed Shizuna was envious of Chisa staying behind. Naturally, since she still had school the next day, they had to take that into account. Well, that said, Chisa had university classes too, but her lectures started later than Ryuichi and Shizuna’s, leaving her with plenty of free time in the morning.

“Come to think of it, what were you two talking about while I was in the bath?”
“Ah, well…”

Shizuna explained what she had talked about with Chisa.
Chisa had suggested that attacking Ryuichi with a different persona might fire him up, so she had proposed trying out some gyaru fashion. Hoping it would make Ryuichi excited, Shizuna had apparently agreed.

“Don’t do it.”
“Eh?”
“You’re fine just the way you are.”

As he had told her before, the current Ryuichi preferred her looking modest and quiet over anything too flashy. While the flashy Shizuna he had seen in the manga had its own charm, her current clean and demure look still suited her best.

“I’ve been dyed in his colors…”
“The Shizuna Souhei-kun used to know doesn’t exist anymore, you know?”
“Fufu, because he’s stolen away both my body and soul.”

Even now, he could vividly recall that seductive, dissolute version of Shizuna… Well, it wasn’t terrible. But that wasn’t truly Shizuna. She was Shizuna, yes, but it was a form warped by pleasure, reflecting Ryuichi’s raw desires.

“Do you like me just the way I am, Ryuichi-kun?”
“Yeah. Seriously, don’t go trying to change yourself all weirdly. I like you way better right now.”
“…I see, so that’s how it is.”

Hearing him say that she was fine just as she was, she smiled happily. She leaned closer to Ryuichi right then and there, wrapping her arms around his thick, broad arm and pressing it against her chest.

“Well, anyway, I wasn’t actually planning on becoming a full gyaru—it’s more like a temporary change. Trying to be a little different from usual sounds fun, though.”
“I suppose so…”

Well, if it was just a temporary change, it wasn’t a big deal, Ryuichi nodded. Even so, no matter what kind of mental shifts she experienced, he didn’t want the current Shizuna to change. That was precisely why he vowed to keep a close eye on her so no drastic changes would take root.

(……Wait, who am I kidding right now?)

I’ll watch over her future? He chuckled quietly to himself, thinking how he sounded just like an actual boyfriend. He had accepted Shizuna’s affection, but unfortunately, Ryuichi still didn’t harbor genuine romantic feelings for her. He knew full well that their current relationship was twisted by societal standards, but since Shizuna was the one wishing for it, there was nothing strange about Ryuichi playing along.

“By the way, Shizuna, do you even know what a gyaru is?”
“…Um…”

Gyaru style… well, there were certainly plenty of flashy girls in their class. Shizuna would presumably end up looking something like them, but her idea of a gyaru seemed a bit outdated.

“Hold on…”
“Hold on?”
“Choberiba!”¹
“……………”
“S-Say something!”

Ryuichi was left utterly speechless by a slang phrase that had peaked some twenty years ago. Seeing her face turn bright red right in front of him, his shoulders shook as he let out a chuckle.

“That’s way too old school, seriously.”
“B-But even if you tell me to be a gyaru, I had no idea what it actually meant!”
“Heh.”
“Jeez!”

As Ryuichi kept chuckling, Shizuna puffed out her cheeks and lightly tapped his chest with a balled fist. It was a clear display of embarrassment and frustration, yet the gesture was impossibly cute.

“Well, that’s fine. Just stay the way you are; that’s all I’m gonna say.”
“…Un.”

Hearing Ryuichi put it that way, she looked convinced, wearing a soft expression.
The two of them walked together down the darkened street. It was a gloominess a bit too bleak for young people to be roaming around in, yet because Ryuichi was by her side, Shizuna wasn’t the least bit scared. Or rather, she was staring intently up at his face, meaning she probably wouldn’t even notice if a suspicious stranger popped out.

“…Hey, Ryuichi-kun.”
“What?”
“There’s a small park nearby. If you don’t mind, can we stop by for a bit?”
“I don’t mind.”

With no particular reason to refuse, he nodded to her request. It might make them a little late getting back, but Chisa surely wouldn’t mind. Still, just as a precaution, Ryuichi sent Chisa a quick message on his smartphone.

“Here we are.”

The spot Shizuna led him to was quite small for a park. It had almost no playground equipment aside from a single set of swings, but naturally, with no sign of anyone else around, it was a wonderfully quiet space. Led by the hand, Ryuichi sat down on a swing beside her.

“So? What is it?”

He had wondered if she just wanted to spend a bit more time together, and while that was certainly part of it, she clearly had something else on her mind. Shizuna looked hesitant to speak, and it was immediately obvious she was struggling to ask him something.

“Just ask whatever’s on your mind. I’ll answer to a certain extent.”

If it were anyone else, Ryuichi wouldn’t have gone this far. It was precisely because it was Shizuna, because they had grown close enough to skip the formalities and share a physical bond, that he offered. She cast her gaze downward for a fraction of a second before meeting his eyes head-on.

“…I heard from Chisa-san. About Ryuichi-kun’s family… um.”
“Ah, that.”

So Shizuna had been curious about his family background.
She already knew his parents had passed away, but she didn’t know how things had actually played out. To Ryuichi, it was a topic he’d rather not dredge up, but it wasn’t as though learning about it would change anything for him now.

“Well, compared to normal households, it was absolute trash. Wanna hear it?”
“…I want to know about you, Ryuichi-kun. No matter what kind of story it is, though of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry.”
“If anything, I’m the one who wants to ask if you’re sure, since it’s not a particularly entertaining story.”

At his question, Shizuna simply murmured that she was fine.
Nodding at her response, Ryuichi began to speak. He told her about a childhood where he received zero love from his father and mother, how the two of them died and left him to be taken in by his paternal grandparents who treated him like a plague victim to be kept at arm’s length, and how that led to him living alone today.

“……………”

As Ryuichi had said, it was hardly an entertaining tale. He couldn’t spot a single trace of regret from her for having asked, but he could tell she was biting her lip, looking pained all the same.

“Hey now, why are you making a face like that…? Well, I suppose that’s just how kind you are, Shizuna. Don’t look like that over some deadbeat’s sob story.”
“Ryuichi-kun isn’t a deadbeat… absolutely not!”

Ryuichi isn’t a deadbeat. Shizuna’s voice rang out loud and clear as she denied it. In the absolute silence of the midnight park, her words echoed far. The eyes staring back at the dumbfounded Ryuichi were filled with fierce sincerity, making it abundantly clear just how genuinely she faced him.

“… You really are pure light itself, aren’t you? Makes me feel like I’m being illuminated no matter how dark it gets. You’re something else, Shizuna.”
“If I… can illuminate even just Ryuichi-kun, then that’s enough for me.”
“You’re illuminating me plenty. At least, way more than that filthy streetlamp over there that looks like it’s about to die out any second.”

In the direction of Ryuichi’s gaze, a streetlamp flickered weakly, its light on the verge of blinking out entirely. Shizuna let out a wry smile at his extreme comparison, then immediately pressed her body against his once more.

“That’s why I’ll say it as many times as it takes. I’ll stay by Ryuichi-kun’s side for as long as I can. Because that’s what I want to do. I decided it with my own will, and no matter what anyone says, I’m not changing my mind.”
“…Is that so?”
“Un.”

Almost unconsciously, Ryuichi pulled Shizuna into an embrace.
Beneath the slightly chilly night sky, the warmth radiating from her body felt comforting. She’s figured out another piece of me, Ryuichi thought, gazing up at the starry sky.

“…Though it’s still not enough.”
“Hm?”
“I still don’t know nearly enough about Ryuichi-kun. That’s why!”

Pulling back slightly from Ryuichi, Shizuna flashed a mischievous, conspiratorial grin. It was a remarkably lovely smile, but because it clearly signaled she was plotting something, Ryuichi wisely refrained from getting completely captivated by it.

“From now on, I’m going to get a lot more involved with you!”
“O-Oh…”
“Be prepared, okay?”

Her eyes shone with fierce determination and an overflowing, unstoppable affection for Ryuichi.
Taken aback by her sudden momentum, Ryuichi gave a vague response, but then flashed a grin just like hers and made a counter-proposal.

“Shizuna, you got any plans this weekend?”
“Not really, but…”
“Wanna head somewhere?”
“I’ll go!”

It was an instantaneous decision, yet both of them were smiling. And just like that, their plans for the weekend were officially set.