In the makeshift waiting area divided by partitions, Amane sat blankly on a chair. She held her smartphone in one hand, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere.
(I wonder what’s wrong with Amane…)
While she enjoyed modeling itself, she simply didn’t seem able to get into the groove today.
Then the photographer poked his head through the partition.
“Amane-chan, you good to go?”
“Y, Yes!”
She hurriedly headed to the shoot location.
(I have to do my best this time…!)
Following the photographer’s instructions, she struck various poses.
…But the result was no different from before the break.
Her state deteriorated gradually. The atmosphere on set couldn’t be described as very pleasant either.
“See Amane-chan, your natural smile is the good part. But today, it’s like, feeling kinda forced yanno?”
“…I’m sorry”
“Nah, I’m not mad or anything. I get that everyone has off days…but we’re also on a schedule here”
“…Yes”
There was an opinion to just press on as is.
But no one felt this unsatisfactory work would lead to good results…even Amane, a high school student herself, didn’t think so.
“Excuse me. I’m just gonna use the restroom…”
“Yeah. I’ll try to think of something too”
In the control room, as Amane grabs her makeup pouch, she leaves the scene.
From the crowd of onlookers, there were eyes watching her intently.
Amane took a deep breath in a nearby bathroom. This secluded place was quiet, in contrast to the bustling outside.
Washing her face at the sink, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
(……This isn’t good. I need to concentrate.)
She had to work hard as a model.
That’s why Izumi made her a special notebook. It would negate his dedication if she slacked off here.
……Though that didn’t really energize her.
(What should I do? Should I quit for today…? But Dad will get mad……)
As she reached for her makeup pouch while thinking this——
Suddenly, someone hugged her from behind.
“Amane-chan♪”
“Kyaaaaaa〜〜〜〜!?”
Amane turned around in a panic……it was Nanao. Her heart pounding, Amane said hurriedly,
“Na, Nana, Nanao-cchi!? What are you doing!?”
Nanao seemed to enjoy Amane’s larger than expected reaction, laughing merrily.
“I came with Izumi-kun to see your photo shoot. It’s rare to see a model’s shoot in our little town—it was so cool!”
“I, is that so……? Oh? But he said he had a part-time job……”
Nanao just smiled sweetly in response.
That expression made a pang of pain shoot through Amane’s chest.
(Could it be that Izumi’s “part-time job” was also a lie……?)
The possibility left a nagging feeling in her chest.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to point it out. Instead, she tried to play it cool.
“D, don’t you need to be with Izumi-cchi?”
Nanao didn’t answer that, either.
With the same cheerful smile, she took a step closer to Amane.
“You like Izumi-kun, don’t you?”
“……!?”
Amane’s face stiffened.
“Wh, what are you talking about!? I don’t like him at all!?”
“Ahaha. You don’t need to deny it so much. Everyone already knows, I think?”
“Ehh!? No way!? Am I that obvious!?”
“……I think you’re the only one who doesn’t realize it.”
Amane writhed in embarrassment.
Yes.
The only one who didn’t know was Izumi himself. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to judge.
(No waaay〜〜! Am I really that obvious〜〜!?)
Nanao just looked at the agonized Amane with pity.
But Amane wasn’t just going to take it.
In a sense, the embarrassment made her snap out of it. She snorted defiantly and pointed at Nanao with a extremely stern expression.
There was no need to put on airs anymore.
Staring Nanao down, she bluntly said what she couldn’t before.
“Besides, Nanao-cchi, you’re quite the unpleasant girl, aren’t you? Are you sure you should be showing me that true nature? Or is that the arrogance of someone who thinks they’ve already won? Not surprising from someone who can shamelessly do ‘chu’ in public!”
“…………”
In response to that damning accusation, Nanao——
Just tilted her head in puzzlement!
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“Eh? What do you mean by ‘chu’?”
“Don’t play dumb! You did it with Izumi-cchi at the station after your date last Saturday!”
For some reason, Amane was the one getting flustered.
Seeing her reaction, Nanao furrowed her brow in thought. Then, realizing what Amane meant by “chu,” she clapped her hands in understanding.
“Ah〜, I see. So that’s why you’ve been acting weird lately, Amane-chan……”
“……Huh?”
Seeing her response, Amane realized something was off.
She didn’t seem to be lying.
Amane asked back hesitantly, still flustered,
“Y, you’re not playing dumb?”
“Nope. That was……”
Nanao took another step towards Amane.
Amane was startled and tried to back away hastily……but her butt hit the sink counter, and her back was against the large mirror.
Her escape was cut off. Yet Nanao moved her face even closer.
(Wh, what〜!? Kyaa〜〜〜!)
And just as Amane squeezed her eyes shut——
Nanao breathed the words into her ear in a whisper,
“Izumi-kun’s ears are sensitive, you see. When I whisper like this, his face turns bright red—it’s so cute.”
“〜〜〜〜〜〜!?”
Caught completely off guard, Amane’s face turned beet red.
“Th, that’s lewd!”
“It’s not lewd.”
“It is lewd! Oh, I see. So that’s why Izumi-cchi falls for it so easily. Approaching guys like that and wrapping them around your finger—how is that innocent at all!?”
“Isn’t that just what Satou-kun thinks……”
Amane pretended not to hear that reasonable rebuttal. She had nothing left to lose at this point. It was sheer desperation.
In response to Amane’s ugly flailing, Nanao said,
“What’s wrong with working hard to get the person you like to like you back?”
Amane was taken aback by Nanao’s words.
They were quiet, but filled with strong conviction.
“I’m working hard because I want Izumi-kun to like me. I don’t want to be told that’s wrong by someone like you who isn’t even trying, Amane-chan.”
“〜〜〜〜〜〜！”
Her gaze, unwavering from the start, seemed to see right through to Amane’s guilt. Realizing this, Amane lightly bit her lip.
(……I’m not working hard.)
That was the truth.
Amane was just a girl waiting around.
Things wouldn’t just conveniently fall into place by waiting for the other person to make a move.
To Izumi, Amane was special but definitely not his one and only.
There was his former fiancée Hakua, his junior in the club Haru, and…….
While he cared for Amane more deeply than most other girls, she wasn’t the sole person he prioritized above all else.
She had realized that when tailing their date.
“I heard about you from Izumi-kun too, Amane-chan.”
“Eh…….”
Whatever shred of fear was immediately dispelled.
“He said you work really hard to live up to your father and classmates’ expectations. You’re such a hardworking person that he wants to cheer you on.”
Those words made Amane’s heart race.
“Izumi-kun does pay attention to you.”
And Nanao looked her straight in the eye and asked,
“Are you really okay with how things are now?”
Amane recalled her memories, gazing into those eyes fixed on her.
——At first, I thought, “This guy seems pretty lightweight.”
Her first year of high school.
Summer vacation.
Amane was at school alone for supplementary lessons.
Her modeling work had increased around then, and she was desperately trying her best……causing her to miss classes more often, and her test scores were terrible.
The teacher in charge of the supplementary lessons told Amane,
“Of course someone doing something as stupid as modeling is a failure.”
Despite having properly received permission from the school to work, why did she have to be spoken to like that?
That teacher didn’t teach her anything at all.
She just abandoned Amane and refused to let her leave until she got a perfect score on the assignments. Even though she hadn’t attended those classes, it was unreasonably difficult.
When Amane was at a complete loss by herself, the one who came was——Izumi.
“What’s wrong, cute little kitten? Why are you crying?”
Amane was wary of this weirdo at first.
But when she explained the situation, Izumi taught her the class content without hesitation, much better than the teacher. And despite Amane not being a particularly fast learner, he patiently stuck with her.
For one week, until all the assignments were finished.
Even on days he didn’t have business at school, he would find some excuse to show up. And in the end, he didn’t abandon her until she completed the assignments on her own.
After it was over, Amane asked,
“Hey. Why did you help me?”
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
