Precious Friendships (Shizune Bad End, Sisterhood plot) [Ch86 @ 15/1/25: Tastes like chocolate]

[ShizuneFan2019]

I'd say that setting up a relationship in less than a month is fast, but then I remembered the actual timeframe of KS where relationships are basically established in even less amount of time. [\quote]

Yup, I had exactly the same thought in mind when I planned the whole plot. And a relationship in such a short time will inevitably run into multiple issues, which will turn into excellent writing material

Congratulations to your Miki. It will be interesting as hell to see how they'll meet Hisao with Shizune xD

I'm already writing that chapter, and it's going to be awesome. The sheer number of characters and their now extremely complicated relationships mean I need to write carefully and check many times in order to not make a contradiction.

[ShizuneFan2019]

Chapter 85: Shiina, Hicchan, and Sweetie

Mmm… Mmm…

Lying down on my bed with my eyes closed, I allow my body to fully relax, enjoying every thrust of pleasure my boyfriend is offering me.

Sss… Sss…

The pleasure is building up fast, and my valiant attempt to suppress any embarrassing static moan from my mouth fails miserably. I expect my brain to be whited out in a matter of seconds.

My boyfriend leans in and joins lips with me. This implies he’s close to the limit too. I naturally embrace him, anticipating the final moments of our intimate act.

The waves of sensation are so strong that my whole body quivers, and I hug him tight to briefly enter the world of euphoria with him.

Exhausted, I lie flat with my arms spread wide. My boyfriend lies on top of me for a while before rolling to my right side to recover his energy. We promised to have another session later in the evening, but given how strong the ending we’ve just experienced, I might not be able to take another one.

He cups my face and offers me another intimate kiss. Thanks, dear, for giving me a wonderful evening. We haven’t had one for like a month.

[It’s time.]

Really? I turn my head towards the alarm clock. Indeed, we need to get ourselves ready. I can’t believe we’ve already spent so much time on the bed.

[You’re right. Let’s go.]

So I don’t get to enjoy the aftermath to full. It’s fine. I’m satisfied already. We can always repeat the act, provided that we’re able to handle it.

After cleaning everything up, we put on our pajamas (as a regular visitor, he has a couple of them in my wardrobe) and sit in front of our respective laptop computers. We both open the instant message application, and, after I create a chat group, I invite our mutual friend into the group while my boyfriend joins my session. We both grab an apple from the fruit plate and take a bite while waiting for her connection. Soon, a text pops out from the chat box.

{Hi~~}

It should be 7:30 in the morning in America. We only have like thirty minutes before Shiina leaves for school. If she allows, we can engage in a video chat, though I opt not to do it for extensive amount of time because the internet speed here is not ideal, and both the frame jumps and the delay across the other side of the globe make sign language communication extremely awkward for both of us. But there’s another reason for not using sign language, even though it’s my preferred medium of communication. It depends on her school arrangement for the day.

{Hey there, Misha!}

Misha, the name which was essentially equivalent to the word “friend” in my Yamaku years until the exchange student arrived. When I first got to know her, I regarded her use of a nickname in even formal situations a childish decision. One day I interrogated her about her refusal of using her real name of Shiina (at that time I was not yet the Student Council President, so I wasn’t in a position to enforce a rule onto her), but the interrogation concluded without a satisfactory answer. Since then, due to the fact that we share a common interest (i.e. I need a translator, and she wants to become a sign language teacher), I dropped the issue and instead focus on developing a friendship with her, allowing her to use her nickname as requested.

{Hi Shicchan~!}

And, for the same reason, I’ve been willing to endure her use of a nickname on me. It was silly, but at least it didn’t affect my conversation with others during my realm in Yamaku, since I couldn’t hear how my classmates were referring to me anyway. That was until I learned how to lip-read, but by that time Shiina’s already gone. At least people have been addressing me properly since then.

{Hi, it’s been some time! How are you doing?}

When my boyfriend ate with me last week, we engaged in a conversation about Shiina and her use of nicknames. Since we’re now officially adults, it’s more appropriate for us to address each other with first names, especially in formal situations. For our case, the use of “–chan” is too childish to be used in introductions. In fact, one purpose of this morning’s talk is to persuade her to stop using those nicknames in front of others. As for Shiina’s case, I suggested using her original name during the conversation, but my boyfriend objected my proposal for a rather unexpected reason: Apparently “Shiina” will the name of a major antagonist in a soon-to-be released video game* that involves a prosecutor trying to solve cases with available clues and interrogations. I’d like to play that game during the summer break by the way. Anyway, he doesn’t like the idea of associating Shiina with a cold-blooded murderer, so we’re not going to change the way we call her. However, that doesn’t stop me from addressing her Shiina in my mind. (*Note: The name in the English translation is actually “Shih-na”, but the Japanese name is the same. The game was released in Japan in May 2009, which is the same time as this chapter.)

{Hi Hicchan~!! I’m doing great! I just had a parfait for breakfast! Yay~!!}

I still don’t approve of her food choices, and I’m not sure if having those for breakfast is beneficial for the stomach. I’m pretty sure my soulmate is sharing the same thought as mine, so I deliver him a smirk and a light shrug while biting on my healthy apple, which he responds by spreading his hands wide with a helpless expression before typing an encouraging reply without judgment.

{Sounds like you had a wonderful breakfast!}

I last saw Shiina a couple of weeks ago when she visited Japan for my birthday party. She took leave from school, flew here, attended the party, and stayed the night in a hotel (because I reserved my apartment for spending the night with my boyfriend). She then visited Kasshoku the next day, spent some time in the Student Council room chatting with Sakura and my fellow members, and slept in my apartment. She traveled to Saitama for her friends on Friday, spent the whole Saturday walking around Tokyo with me, and returned to America on Sunday.

{So, how was yesterday? Boring classes again?}

{Yeah, but they’re are much better this month! I have more practical sessions!}

Since then, I haven’t really talked to her on the computer, prioritizing instead on Student Council business, studies, and spending time with my newly acquired boyfriend. Even though I no longer constantly need a translator in Japan, and we’re separated by distance, I know that it not an excuse for me to drop contact with my best friend.

{Practicals, huh. Tell us more about it.}

{It’s a school for the disabled, similar to Yamaku. I was assigned to translate lectures to students with hearing conditions alongside one of my classmates Mia, taking turns by alternating between lecture sessions. There’s another classmate, Serena, who alternates the translation task with us, and one of us stays in the academic building standing by after class in case any student needs help outside of classes.}

{I see. Isn’t it more like internship than practicals?}

{Yes, pretty much, except that we only have practicals every other day. We have theoretical sessions when we don’t have practicals.}

{It should be really fun, right?}

{Yup! Though I’m still getting used to switching languages at will. Several times a student caught me using a JSL sign that means something else in ASL.}

This is exactly what I’m worried about. When Shiina was still in Yamaku, we primarily used JSL as the communication medium, and only switched to ASL scarcely when joking or if we needed to convey confidential information that we couldn’t afford to disclose to my boyfriend or staff members. Now that she’s migrated to America, ASL becomes her main sign language medium, and thus several times during our conversations two weeks ago I spotted her signing ASL before quickly changing to JSL. And this is the reason I refrain from clicking the “video chat” button; if we talk in JSL this morning, she’s going to face trouble if she does have a practical session today, which sounds likely since she implied she had classes yesterday.

My boyfriend turns his head towards me for help. Oh yeah, he knows nothing about those abbreviations. I should provide him with a briefing.

[What are JSL and ASL?]

[Japanese Sign Language and American Sign Language. Just like Japanese and English.]

[Ah I see! I never realize sign language itself also has different languages.]

Adjusting my glasses, I give my boyfriend a playful smirk.

[I can teach you ASL if you like.]

My shuddering boyfriend is visibly intimidated by my offer of potentially leaking Shiina-related confidential material in exchange for learning another language.

[No thanks! English is already tough enough for me!]

I nod, satisfied with his wise decision, and return to the computer to confirm my deduction.

{I know. So, are you having practicals today?}

{Yup! And I think I’m with Serena today!}

Yeah, no video chat today, unfortunately. By the way, another reason I always think twice about talking to her in sign language on her duty days is that I don’t want to place her hands additional burden; typing is much less tiring than sign language.

{Great! I wish you all the best in your translations. And your career in general.}

{Thanks, Hicchan~!!}

My part-time roommate turns towards me and gives me a nod, which I duly return. We’re short on time. We should deliver the message across right now, and we reached a consensus in advance that he’ll be the one to initiate the discussion.

{Hey Misha, there’s something in our minds that we’d like to discuss with you, and we hope that you can listen to us.}

{Uh… Sure~!!! Misha can take any advice~ Especially if it’s from Hicchan and Shicchan!!}

Sigh… Too many “-chan”’s!

{Well, I did type the word “career”, didn’t I? I don’t know about you, but when you attended Shizune’s birthday party earlier this month, don’t you also feel like time flies, and we’re already entering adulthood?}

{Yup! And you two can finally consume alcohol! And you’re right, we have our careers to worry about. So, what’s the advice about my career you’re giving me?}

{No, we’re fine with your career choices. What I’m trying to say is, accept it or not, we’re already adults. Officially. Which means we need to behave more like adults.}

{We do, huh. You’re probably right, Hicchan~~}

{That’s why we’re advising you to refrain from addressing us with nicknames in front of others. If it’s just the three of us, we can accept it; but not anymore when we’re with friends or parents. Sorry for being direct, but I hope it’s okay for you.}

As we wait for her reply, he shoots me a doubtful glance, probably hoping for an approval. I give him an assuring nod in response. Shiina told us that Americans tend to be more direct, and I hope she’s gotten used to it.

[I hope she takes it well.]

[I’m sure she will.]

Another reason I don’t want Shiina to use the nickname on my boyfriend is that I’d like to use that nickname exclusively. My relationship with him is not quite the same as hers with him after all.

{Wahahahahaha~!!!!! Okay Okay!! You don’t want me to call you Hicchan in front of your classmates, right? Awwwww~ But Hicchan is so cute!! You look just like a Hicchan!! But~!!! If you don’t want to, I won’t!! I just said I’ll take any advice, so I should stick to my promise, right? Right~!! Wahahahahaha~!!!!!}

A glance towards “Hicchan” confirms to me that he’s sweating hard. He shakes his head helplessly.

[Well, at least she seems to take the advice relatively well.]

He’s right. We’ll inevitably need to keep reminding her when we introduce our friends to her, but at least we’ve managed to bring the message across. Speaking of friends, the Yamaku Festival is a couple of weeks from now. I wonder if she’ll return for the occasion. If so, she’d better address us properly in front of Mutou.

{We’ll be grateful if you do that. By the way, how did your weekend go?}

Two days ago, Hideaki and I traveled to Gifu prefecture to visit mom, and I had Hicchan tagging along with me to greet her formally as her potential future son-in-law. When we informed dad about our short trip, he unexpectedly offered to drive us there and spend some time hanging out with us. It was not yet the appropriate moment to reveal the identity of my boyfriend to him, so I lied to him that we’re going shopping with mom in order to discourage him from joining. Instead, the four of us went on a picnic, and we had a fantastic time on a piece of grassland. Possibly due to Hicchan’s previous effort during my stay in the hospital, my mom treated him with a great deal of respect; the fact that Hicchan’s bought my mom appropriate gift, with my suggestions in advance, helped as well. I’d say Hicchan has been blending well with my family. Well, that’s not accounting for dad, of course. A surprise during the picnic was that Hideaki has improved a lot in his sign language; apparently he has been self-studying really hard, and he has had mom practice with him.

{Wahahahahaha~~~ But man~!! Should I tell Shicchan about it? I don’t know! But Shicchan’s my best friend, right? Right~! I should tell Shicchan!! Okay, okay!!! Wahahahahaha!!!}

The way this girl can directly type what she’s thinking in her simple head is mind-boggling. She’s also completely neglecting Hicchan’s advice, although admittedly we aren’t in a formal situation.

{Yeah~ So~ I went on a date with my classmate.}

A date, huh. Two weeks ago when Shiina was in Japan, she told me she had a date a few weeks prior, the day before I roped Hicchan into kissing me in the Student Council room. That date went well until after dinner.

{A date? Is he handsome? How was it?}

{Sigh… Hicchan, tell me. Are all boys perverted guys who only think about sex? They treat you well, bring you to dinner, watch a movie with you, bring you to a shopping mall, and then they invite you to spend the night with them.}

Oh boy, that’s exactly what she told me about her last date. She had a great dinner with her date (I think she had another parfait or something similar), watched a movie with him, then the boy attempted to drag her into a hotel.

{Well, as a boy I can tell you I’m not. I read an article the other day that says men think about sex with a frequency of once every 43 seconds on average, but no, I certainly won’t go for a new date just to have sex. So, what happened? Did he bring you to a hotel or something like that?}

I don’t think about sex every 43 seconds, but I do have a pretty strong sex drive. I guess boys are not the only gender that can be perverted. Flashbacks of what I did back in Saitama appear in my mind.

{Yeah, he tried to persuade me into spending the night with him in a hotel, but I rejected him. He got a little annoyed, like, he treated me dinner and movie and everything, so he thought I was obliged to go to bed with him. I said no, gave him my share of the cost and phoned Daniela drive me back home. While waiting for her to come, I wish I had driven my own car instead of riding his! Luckily Daniela was free that evening, so she arrived in no time.}

Good job, Shiina. I’m proud of you.

{I think you did the correct thing, Misha.}

{Thanks Hicchan~_… But my previous date ended up pretty much the same way! I don’t know, is it an American thing? The boys here seem to prefer open relationship.}

{Open relationship?}

{Yup~ Like, you can have sex with whoever you want, even if you’ve a boyfriend or girlfriend. Or even a spouse. I asked several of my classmates and friends. Most of them don’t mind this kind of relationship~.}

I never stayed in America, so I can’t judge. Perhaps Misha is the kind of girl who looks easy to be coaxed into bed with an offer of a parfait? Or is it a college-only thing? Young people tend to love more freedom.

{I see, Misha. I’ve never been to America, so I can’t help you on that. Though I don’t think there’s anything wrong with rejecting sex offer from a date; protecting yourself is important. Instead of going on random dates, maybe you should be patient finding somebody who truly likes you. Maybe find a Japanese?}

Instead of controlling the conversation as I usually do, this time I’m allowing Hicchan to do most of the talking because he hasn’t talked to her for quite a while (he last saw her in the birthday party). And I’m still a little tired after the intimacy from earlier, so I’m happy to let my boyfriend do most of the typing for me. But because it’s been quite a while since I last typed, I decide it’s time to chip in.

{So, have you met any Japanese in school?}

After typing, I reflexively try to grab a book from the corner of my desk to study before putting my hand down to focus my priority on my best friend rather than multi-tasking like I’ve been doing all the time.

{No, Shicchan. Most internationals are Chinese, but most of them study either math or computer and are huge nerds who don’t come out of their rooms often (and even when they do, they look dirty without shaving or showering). Many of them are post-graduates by the way.}

Well that’s quite a difference from my impression on Alvin. I guess Hong Kong and mainland China are not quite the same, at least in terms of the people. But I’m sure not all Chinese are as dirty as she describes. We don’t want to make stereotypes, regardless of their nations.

{Misha, you shouldn’t hurry to find a random boyfriend just because everybody around has one. A suitable soulmate is way more important.}

{Hisao’s right. I recommend you to focus on your practical training. If you can become the best sign language teacher in the world, high quality boys will go after you.}

Shiina, I’ll be truly happy for you if you can find yourself a high quality boyfriend, especially since unlike me, you have no disability. At least not a known one.

{Thank you, Shicchan and Hicchan~. I won’t go on random dates any more. I’ll study hard. I’m a student after all. Right? Right! Wahahahahaha~!!!!}

A year ago, that was around two months after she migrated to America for the second time in her life, Shiina told me she went on a trip with friends right before a test day. She promised me to focus on her studies instead of spending time on entertainment. I suppose this forgetful girl has to be reminded of her promise from time to time.

{I mean, Misha, we’re not saying you can’t go on any date. Shizune’s talking about focusing on schoolwork and career instead of rushing yourself into a potentially unhealthy relationship, such as the one you just shared with us. And if Americans aren’t your cup of tea, perhaps you should come back to Japan after you get your certification.}

{Then we’ll be able to see each other again! Frequently!}

{Thank you~!! Actually Nat gave me a similar advice too~. I’m not ruling out the possibility of going back to Japan~.}

That would be excellent! Although she would have to get used to teaching JSL.

{You mean Natalie, your Venezuelan roommate whom we met in the Ocean Park the other day?}

{Yup! Like my case, she prefers a boyfriend who originates from the South American region. At least one with a Hispanic culture.}

{Yeah, I do believe that in general, it’s better to have a partner with a similar background, although we do see occasional successful cases of cross-culture blending from time to time. The pair of Alvin and ‘Nako immediately comes to mind. By the way, ‘Nako is Iwanako in short. I was recalled the other day by a former schoolmate that we all called her ‘Nako in my former high school.}

About “occasional successful cases of cross-culture blending”, I think about Uncle Hiroyuki and Aunt Karla at once; Hideaki told me the other day that the two apparently had to go through a great deal of tribulations. I wish Alvin and his girlfriend all the best if they can go all the way to the red carpet.

{Hmm~ Anyway~ I’ll worry about it later!!! Gotta focus on schoolwork!! And if I do need to return to Japan, I will~!!! Happily~!! Wahahahahaha!!!!!}

{Yup, that’s the correct mindset. Oh yeah, speaking of ‘Nako, I almost forgot. Since we don’t have much time left, I should do this now.}

Looking at the clock, we’ve already chatted for more than 20 minutes. Time really flies when you talk to friends, especially with all the typing and wait. But I wonder what Hicchan is up to. It seems like he’s searching for something on his laptop.

{Here it is. ‘Nako wants me to share with you this little music piece. Remember during the birthday party, the three of us had a reminiscence about the Yamaku Student Council? Turns out ‘Nako kind of overheard our conversation a bit, and, after taking a picture of the three of us, apparently some kind of musical inspiration came to her. Accordingly, she composed a small music piece about the three of us, titled “Student Council”. I’m sharing the midi file to you.}

I can understand why he didn’t share this piece of news with me: From his perspective, I cannot hear it, so he’d rather not mention it. But what he doesn’t know is that I can still enjoy music, just in a different way.

{Yup. I’ve got it~ Let’s hear what Iwa-chan composed for us~}

As Shiina listens to Iwanako’s work, Hicchan turns to me and signs apologetically.

[Sorry that I don’t know how to convey the music to you.]

[No worries. Can you play the music, and let me use your laptop? And if you have it, I want the music score on display as well.]

Unsurprisingly he’s amazed by my willingness to participate in this little event. In my experience, most people, including Hicchan, tend to avoid talking about music in front of me because they think such a topic must be irrelevant to me. I understand that they’re just trying not to so-called “rub salt into my wounds”.

[Really? You can perceive music?]

[Yes, although obviously my experience is different from yours. I mainly perceive the vibrations and the beats. This is why I prefer reading the music score at the same time, as I can refer to the beats while the laptop vibrates.]

[Excellent! I never knew my girlfriend would enjoy music!]

Amused by his reply, I walk over to my boyfriend’s laptop as it displays the music score Iwanako sent through e-mail. Opting to enhance the “hearing” experience, I retrieve a pair of small amplifiers from the third drawer and plug it into the laptop. Hicchan starts playing the music and uses his finger to trace the music score as I place my hands on the two white amplifiers. Even though Hicchan is doing a less than ideal job of tracing the music score, I’m able to get a feeling of what the music “sounds” like:
xxxxxxx- xxxx-xx- xxxxxxx- xxxx--x-
x---x-xx x-x----- x-xx-x-x x----xxx
x-xx---x x-xx-x-x x---xxxx --------

From the vibration I can feel that it is a calm music piece, and beat-wise it’s quite comfortable, but I’ll need Shiina’s input on the quality of the melody.

The chat box on Hicchan’s laptop alerts us there’s a new message, so after the music stops playing, I return to my own laptop to read Shiina’s reply.

{The music’s awesome! I love how calm and joyful the melody is, exactly the feeling when we’re hanging out in the Student Council room~!! Of course, except when Shicchan’s urging us to complete tasks way before the deadline~!! Wahahahahaha~~!!!}

{Yeah, we should have two pieces of music for the Student Council. This one is for the usual chilling out. I’ll ask ‘Nako to compose an exciting one, with the title of “Student Council: Meeting deadlines”.}

Okay, I don’t expect my former subordinates to gang up and tease me like that. But somehow I like the idea of having two themes for my favorite organization.

[You can ask her if you want to. I have no rebuttal.]

{Wahahahahaha~~~!! That’d be great, Hicchan! I’m looking forward to it!}

{I’m gonna do that! Well unfortunately I think it’s time for you to go to school.}

{Oh yeah~ Awwwww~ I’d like to hear more from you two!! I haven’t asked you about the weekend!! But no worries, we can still chat next week, right? Right~!!}

{Sure. See you soon.}

After terminating the chat group, I close my laptop and, deciding to exercise my brain a little before further physical activity, take out a Risk board from the second drawer.

[Let’s play a game before we go for another session!]

After throwing away both of our eaten apples, my boyfriend comes over to kiss me on my forehead before starting to arrange his pieces. But before he can do that, his phone gets his attention; apparently his phone rings. As a potent Risk player, I quickly set everything up on the board before heading towards the bathroom: I need to clean myself up, specifically I’ve got to wipe off his discharge from earlier. I love the warm feeling, and I certainly don’t mind receiving another dose of love in an hour or so.

Man, just the thought of getting that dose makes me lick my lips, my “lower lips” yearning for a round two. But I’ll give my partner time to recover his strength.

Peeking out from the bathroom, looks like he’s done with the call. Let’s play Risk!

[It was ‘Nako. She’s set everything up for the upcoming reunion.]

Ah! The reunion. We briefly discussed the issue last week. I offered to join the reunion to help calming down a potentially high tension encounter.

[When will it be?]

[The coming Sunday. Noon. She’s booked a party room in Midori University. Are you okay with the arrangement?]

Midori, huh. Emi’s other practical training venue and, of course, the university Iwanako is studying in. It’ll be the first time both of us visit that school.

[Yes, I’m fine with it. So, how many will come?]

[‘Nako and her boyfriend, and all four of my former classmates. Apparently Shin will bring his girlfriend. I never knew he got himself a girlfriend; I’m curious.]

A girlfriend? Hmm, my combative spirit awakens and is burning up!

[Then I’ll need to wear my best clothes! I’m not losing to her!]

[The battle of girlfriends, huh. I hope it doesn’t end up with a fight. Physically.]

[It doesn’t always have to be a fight. We can settle things on the game board instead.]

[If that’s the case, you don’t need to pick your best clothes. Just sleep well, or bring a Risk board.]

[Nope. Appearance is very important. If I beat her in terms of feminine beauty, my opponent might get flustered and make the wrong moves!]

[As you wish. I do think bringing a few board games is a great idea. I just hope we won’t end up throwing chess pieces at one another.]

[Seriously, is it really going to be that bad?]

[I have no clue. I’m really nervous. And I still can’t formulate a satisfactory apology of any sort.]

[We’ll worry about it later. But can you tell me about your former schoolmates before we attend the reunion?]

[Yeah, of course. First is Shin who’s bringing his girlfriend. We’ve known each other for a year only, but we were in the same primary school. He always wears a light brown zip-up jacket with black pants and dark shoes, with a sleeveless shirt underneath. He has short hair like an explosion. He always called me a “damn fool”, and I called him a “jerk” in return. He offered me a lot of anime and manga, some of which are still in my possession.]

[Okay, I’ve got an idea. Who else?]

[Then it’s Mai, the girl I’ve known since primary school. She’s quite rebellious and combative. Her parents run a ramen shop, and she loves curry. She usually wears a jacket that’s too big for herself, something like a black polo shirt, and with knee-high boots. Her hair is down to her shoulders and chest, like Hanako. She enjoyed playing arcade games with me.]

[I see. The next one?]

[Takumi. I’ve known him since junior high school. He has a slender build and longer hair than usual boys. He’s usually not very out-spoken, but he can talk a lot if you’re familiar enough with him. I don’t hang out with him too often because he’s closer to Shin than me. Sometimes he can lose his train of thought, resulting in his signature blank stare.]

[Got it. And finally?]

[You met her earlier. Kai. I always called her Shrimp because she just looks so small to me.]

[If you call her Shrimp, then how about me?]

[Hey, that was from years ago! As for you…]

Putting his phone down onto his laptop, Hicchan comes over and cups my face.

“Thanks for reminding me. Misha taught me a word in English: ‘???’. I should start calling you that.”

I can’t lip-read that word, so I take his hands off to create a distance in order to sign properly.

[What’s that word again? In sign?]

[That’s S-W-E-E-T-I-E.]

[When did Misha teach you that word? Didn’t you last meet her in my birthday party?]

[She sent an e-mail to me in private after we told her our news. She suggested me to call you ‘Sweetie’ instead of ‘Shicchan’, even though I never called you ‘Shicchan’.]

Yeah, I can visualize that simple-minded Shiina would assume that others are also using nicknames like she does. ‘Sweetie’ seems a bit silly, but I’m okay with it provided that he uses it in private. It’s funny that the boy who isn’t quite potent in English gets to give me an “English name”.

[Sweetie is fine. Provided that I call you Hicchan.]

My boyfriend freezes for a second before a chuckle turns into a bitter laugh.

“Hahaha… alright, alright. Whatever, sweetie.”

Then, before I can make another sign, he grabs my hands, put them down, and cup my face to join lips with me. Raising my head to take his kiss, I smell the fragrance of fresh apple in his breath. I’m sure I must taste like apple as well. Then, just when I’m about to break away in order to start the Risk game, he pulls me closer and slips his left hand into my pink pajamas.

The closed distance means I can only sign with one hand.

[Don’t you need a rest?]

Hicchan pulls away from the kiss and shakes his head while looking directly into my eyes.

“The apple helped. Thanks a lot.”

So, with the Risk board still untouched, and the glass panda figurine he bought me way back in the Ocean Park staring at us through the reflection of the moonlight, we opt to play the second round of a more physical game instead, a decision both of my pairs of lips will agree with. If time allows, we may even go for a third round; but I’m not planning to stretch ourselves too much because we’ll have a busy day tomorrow. Sakura and Student Council business will be waiting for me, while Hicchan will be in the final stage of his preparation for a JUSC title defense.

Two reunions are waiting for us: Iwanako’s gathering in a few days, and the Yamaku Festival will be the Sunday afterwards. This means I don’t get to introduce Hicchan to my dad until mid-June, when my free time is further restricted due to resuming duty in Tanpopo Education Center.

“Are you okay?”

Oops, he caught me thinking about stuff. Okay, enough brain activity. Back to action we go.

[I’m fine. Lie down, I’ll serve you.]

Chapter 86: Rooftop Adventure

[ShizuneFan2019]

Chapter 86: Rooftop Adventure

After taking a quick shower, I exit the bathroom to see my friends already done.

“Are you going to have dinner with us?”

Oops! Forgot to tell them not to wait for me.

“I’m sorry! I’m booked tonight. See you on Monday!”

“It’s alright. See you on Monday then.”

Waving them goodbye, I take a quick look at my phone, noting that I still have some time left, so I can walk at a slower pace towards the bus station.

I’m relieved that the wound isn’t hurting anymore.

Due to the accident last week, there is a slight modification to the schedule of my exchange program. I’ll be staying here for another two weeks, ending on a Friday. Which is awesome, as I get to hang around with my friends a bit longer.

And I’m glad that, except the schedule change and a few students dropping out, nothing notable was affected by the accident. I still run with trainees as usual, and they still invite me for dinner afterwards. A life like this is enjoyable.

Sadly, everything will end two weeks from now. Then I’ll be back in my hometown diving into more books and taking more exams.

During my visit to the Nurse last Friday, he briefly discussed with me my upcoming schedule after the exchange program. The goal is to graduate before next April. I still need more hours of practical training in addition to several exams which I don’t remember the name of. One of them is coming up in August, and once I return to my college, I will be thrown into a crash course to prepare for it. Then I can take a one-month break before, well, studying more.

And then, after graduating, maybe I can get myself hired by Yamaku. Which is good, at least in terms of job security. And I can see mom often. But Shizune’s words the other day remind me that I can aim higher. A Physical Education teacher has a potential to earn more, although I’ll need to study (damn, books again!) for a teaching certificate. An alternative is a gym trainer, which is also fun.

Or perhaps I can think about what Takumi suggested last week: Becoming a Paralympic gold medalist.

I don’t know! There are so many choices available, I’ve a hard time making my decision! Even though I tend not to worry about these kind of stuff until they come, I’ll eventually have to choose a path, and that might require early planning, according to that damn jerk Nurse.

Yet, everything might change very soon. All my options and the Nurse’s plans might be thrown out of the window if I get myself a boyfriend within two weeks. Well, that is, if I can get over with my trust issues to maintain a relationship long enough until graduation.

I was shell-shocked when Takumi showed up in front of my hotel, fulfilling his promise of escorting me to my hometown. We had a fantastic Friday accompanying each other, eating dessert in the train and walking around the campus after my leg check. During the trip, we hatched an interesting plan of breaking into the roof of Midori University. After the training session with him yesterday, he revealed to me that he has stalked the guards and has garnered enough information to carry out the plan with me tonight. Being an adventurous girl that I am, it is natural for me to accept his invitation.

And it is exactly where I’m heading right now. I’ll first have dinner with this boyfriend material of mine in a school café. Then, well, I trust him because he seems to be the kind who makes a lot of preparations.

I don’t have a plan for it yet, but I might confess to him on the roof. I like this boy. He’s been treating me so well, especially on Friday. He doesn’t seem to mind my loss of legs. And most importantly, he’s interested in me as well. Even though I’m older than him, I think he’s still a great match.

On the other hand, I know I’m leaving this place two weeks from now. I don’t know how well I can do long-distance, even though we’re still living in Japan. Perhaps I can find a job here after I graduate next April, but it will most likely involve studying for a teaching certificate.

I should worry about it later. First of all, I need to not get caught this evening.

---

Peeping into the small window of the door in front of us, I lean closer towards my trainee and whisper.

“Has he not come yet?”

“He’s probably slacking off. Don’t worry, he’s come here for four straight days. There’s no way he’s going to skip the patrol tonight.”

Assuming that nobody has thought about the crazy idea we’re trying to implement, I can understand why the guard is slacking off: It’s a pointless job.

“Alright. Let’s stay alert then.”

We’re now at the end of a corridor of the sixth floor of the Science Faculty. To be more precise, we’re in the small space between two doors leading to the corridor and the stairs respectively. This is the perfect hiding place to wait for the guard because rarely anybody uses this path; the laboratory next to us is deserted, and there are other sets of stairs in the corridor giving access to more parts of the campus. Takumi told me during our briefing before action that he only came across with one lost student throughout his four days of stalking.

During dinner with my boyfriend material, he gave me a briefing on tonight’s mission. Using a map, he introduced to me about the geographic details about the university: Situated on top of a small mountain, the university consists of an administration building in the middle with different faculties scattered around the campus. The Science Faculty, where we’re currently in, is the tallest building, which is to the north of the admin. The track field is to the east, and the amenities building is to the south. We naturally choose the Science Faculty as our target in order to obtain the best possible view.

From his four-day stalking of the guards, he has concluded that the door to the roof is not locked, but you need to push a bar to open it. The alarm will sound if you push the bar, so the guards use a hand-held device to disable it before pushing. They seem to consistently patrol the roof area at 8 o’clock and 11 o’clock in the evening, and for each timeslot every day the guards have been the same persons. The guard responsible for the 8pm shift is easy to take advantage of because once he opens the door, he leaves it wide open (since Midori has been around for a long time, most doors haven’t been installed with hinges to close automatically) and always begins his patrol with the left side. After observing the pattern, Takumi has successfully sneaked through the door without being noticed.

The one uncertainty in this mission is the escape route. Takumi didn’t stay in the roof long enough to figure out another way out, so we’re pretty much relying on the 11pm shift if we can’t find a route downstairs. Which means we might need to spend a maximum of three hours on the roof. I hope we don’t need to do so.

For this excursion, Takumi has brought with us several useful tools. Torch is a necessity as the roof could be dark if there is no light source around. Food and water, to survive if in case something goes south. Folded umbrella, if it happens to rain. A coat for each of us, if the temperature drops during night time. Rope and gloves, in case we need to climb down. A foldable mat that we can sit on. And, finally, masks, which we’re currently wearing, so that we’re less likely to be recognized if we get ourselves exposed during our escape. I also wrapped my golden hair into a bun to further help the cause.

I feel like I’m kind of crazy to follow with the stupid plan, but on the other hand this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m most likely not entering a university, and I’m leaving this place in two weeks.

“Here he comes!”

Reacting to the news, I try to peek closer into the window, but am stopped by my partner as he orders me to wait. Yeah, the guard can also see us from the other side. We can only glance occasionally until he turns around.

“Okay, he’s going up! Prepare to move!”

Now that we’re safe to peek, I can see the guard taking out a device from his pocket and touches a switch at the left wall next to the door. Then he opens the door, leaves it open, and steps inside.

“Let’s go!”

My partner pushes the door open, and we carefully climb the stairs in front of us until we reach the door. After making sure that the guard is out of sight, we step into the roof and immediately head to the right side. There is no artificial light source here, but the moon provides us with enough luminance to signal to each other. Takumi points to a metal box at a corner, and we proceed to hide behind the box.

This is so much fun!

The box is pretty small, which means we must stay very close in order not to be seen. Naturally, we grab each other by the shoulder and are almost hugging, causing my heart to beat really fast. I haven’t had such close body contact with a member of the opposite sex since breaking up with my ex-boyfriend, and my body tells me it loves the warmth provided by this gentleman.

Am I already in love?

The guard eventually comes to our side, and we try our best to stay very still so that we, or our shadows if there are any, won’t be discovered. I hope the guard doesn’t have something like an infrared detector to check the temperature around!

We hear footsteps getting further, and after a while we hear the door closed. Yes! We’ve accomplished the first step of our mission!

Takumi signals me to remain hidden while he goes out to check, making sure the guard is indeed gone. A minute after, he comes back and gives me an okay sign.

“You can come out now.”

“Yes, Takumi! We did it!”

After exchanging high-fives with the boyfriend material and removing our masks, we proceed to explore the deserted place in front of us. There aren’t much here except a few tools and some wires that we need to be careful not to trip over. There is no fence, but a short wall acting as a guard, though it’s very easy to climb over. Carefully positioning ourselves so that we won’t accidentally fall, we take a look at the surroundings.

“What a beautiful view!”

The small lights from all the academic buildings scattered around the campus, plus the lamplights along the roads, form a castle-like view of the university in front of our eyes. I never thought a university could look like a castle! To the north of us (Takumi taking out a compass to confirm the directions) is a children’s park. To the east of us is the track field and a piece of grassland beyond. And to the west of us is a city with obviously more lights. Evening wind blows like a soothing breeze, dissipating some of the heat we gathered during the wait between the doors and the increase in heart beat while hiding behind the box.

Summer is coming fast. And love is coming fast too.

My hand is stuffed with something. It’s a piece of chocolate.

“Have a snack. We could be here for a while.”

“Thanks!”

Takumi takes out the foldable mat from his backpack and spreads it apart. Then he tosses me a can of juice, which I easily catch. Picnic on the roof. This time in a university instead of Yamaku. With someone I like. Enjoyable.

“D’you feel cold?”

“Nope! It’s pretty comfortable up here.”

With the stunning view in front of us, we sit side by side consuming our snacks and drinks enjoying a rare moment together while taking advantage of the fact that nobody will be around.

There’s a question I’ve wanted to ask for some time. Now should be a good chance.

“Hey Takumi?”

“Yes, what’s up?”

“You never told me. What major are you studying?”

“Oh. Didn’t I tell you already? (I shake my head) No? I studied Social Science last year. Now I’m doing Psychology. But I find it really tough because there’s a whole lot to recite.”

“Psychology, huh. Interesting! (Wicked smile) Can you guess what I’m thinking right now?”

Takumi hurries to wave his hands.

“Of course not! I only started last month! And I’m really struggling to understand the concepts. I wonder if I should switch to another major after this term.”

“Uh huh. What alternatives do you have in mind?”

“I’m thinking about social work, but psychology is actually harder to get into, so I’m not sure if I want to forfeit my current major for something that could be easier. In fact, I’ve booked an appointment next week with my career advisor.”

“I see. So, what do you want to do after you graduate?”

“They say that there are two major paths I can take if I continue to study psychology. I can choose to become a psychiatrist, which mainly deals with people with mental disorders. Or I can try becoming a psychologist, which deals mostly with theories and models. There are very few psychologists, which means I might get famous if I become one. But I’m leaning towards psychiatrist at the moment.”

Speaking of mental disorders, the first person that pops out of my mind is Ikezawa. I heard that she had been seeing a therapist before she graduated from Yamaku.

“Perhaps you can become a therapist. Yamaku has one, for example.”

“Yup, I’m considering that path. But, as I said, I don’t know if I can handle it. I’m not giving up just yet though. At least not without a fight. The good thing is that I haven’t taken a big exam yet, so it’s not like I’m already behind in schoolwork.”

“That’s the spirit, Takumi! I’m also the kind who don’t give up easily.”

“You surely are! You’re working so hard on becoming a physical trainer. But how about you? Where do you want to work after you graduate? There are quite a few paths you can choose. Are you going back to Yamaku? Seems like a logical option.”

If I really decide to work in Yamaku, are you going to find a job nearby too?

“I could! Or I can become a Physical Education teacher! I haven’t decided yet!”

But there’s something hilarious I want to share with him.

“I just thought of something really funny. You know, in schools they sometimes do career surveys. They give you a piece of paper, and you can write down your favorite job and the reason. What did you write?”

“Hmm… Yeah, I remember one in middle school. Honestly at that time I didn’t even fully understand what a career means. I might have ended up copying my neighbor, like, pilot? Sorry, I kind of forgot.”

“Three guesses what I wrote at that time?”

“Hmm… If you say funny, it’s probably not something really serious. Astronaut?”

“Nope.”

“How close? Is it warm or cold?”

“Pretty cold.”

“Hmm… Let me see. Funny jobs… Aha! A hiker! You know, climb the tallest mountains in the world and wave a Japan flag on the top.”

“Nope, but it’s of a similar nature. Going on adventures.”

“Okay. Hmm… Ah! A diver! Explore deep underwater caves and go face to face with sea behemoths like sharks and whales!”

“Almost, Takumi! I wrote down ‘Pirate’!”

“Ah, I see! Finding treasure maps, battling against other pirates, and solving puzzles to finally secure the gold and silver deep inside ancient caves in deserted islands. What an interesting career! But why did you choose it, I mean, of all jobs?”

“Well I’ve got the legs for it already, so I just kind of figured…”

“Ah I get it. That’s really cool, Emi!”

“Before the Nurse and I started working on my physical trainer career, I used to be somewhat serious about it.”

“Really?”

The psychology major looks amused as I clear my throat to pretend to be a pirate.

“’Just you wait. I’ll be the terror of the high seas! I’ll show you all!’ I even worked on my pirate voice!”

I spring up and begin swaggering up and down the rooftop shouting orders.

“Yarr, me hearties, give ‘em a broadside with the long guns! We’ll wear their guts for garters!”

“Do you even know what that means?”

His unexpected interruption stops me in my tracks.

“Not really. But it’s all in the delivery!”

Takumi shakes his head in amusement as I sit back down on the mat.

“If we knew each other earlier, I wouldn’t mind enrolling a pirate university with you! If one of those exists, that is.”

We share a laugh as another breeze blows by. The heat we gathered earlier already gone, I’m feeling slightly cold right now, so I brace myself a little bit.

“Here you go.”

The coat he offers me is a bit oversized, but I don’t mind. It’s not like I have another choice. He’s so nice.

Maybe it’s time to push things forward.

Instead of taking the coat from him, I offer him my arm and allow him to come over and put on the coat for me, which he meticulously obliges.

“Thanks, Takumi.”

“You’re welcome. I think I need to put on mine as well.”

As he gets himself dressed, I take a look at my phone. It’s 8:45. We’ve been here for 45 minutes already. Time surely flies when you’re with somebody you like.

“Hey, Takumi.”

“Hmm?”

Once he’s done, I face him directly and, after releasing the bind on my hair so that it returns to a ponytail, put my hands behind my back.

“If you’re going to kiss me, you should probably do it soon. We’ll need to search for an escape route soon.”

Takumi has his mouth hanging open in shock. Even though he might have planned to confess to me here, the psychology major probably didn’t predict me going so direct.

“Uh…”

“You were thinking about it, weren’t you?”

I sit up straight on the picnic mat, bringing my face level with him.

“I’d probably enjoy it, you know? You’re a really… Well…”

He tries to say something, but stops before uttering a word in favor of letting me continue my confession.

“If you hadn’t figured it out by now, I think I’ve developed a bit of a crush on you. You’re going to have to do something about that.”

His blush tells me he probably hasn’t gotten a girlfriend before. Unable to search for another word, he simply grins. Okay, if you have no experience, I can take the initiative. So, I wrap my arms around his neck, and he responds by moving his arms around my waist. His hands are shaking, which tells me he’s really nervous.

But hey, didn’t you plan the whole thing? And the trip last Friday too. Anyway…

His lips taste like… chocolate. Of course, we had that as a snack a while ago. I lean into the kiss, and my arms tighten around the back of his head, making sure that he doesn’t pull away. Not that there’s any danger of that.

There’s a sweet feeling in my gut. The world falls away. There’s just me, and him, and this mat. His arms tighten, drawing my waist closer, and I’m entranced by the feel of him. I inhale his chocolate-flavored scent, my mind trying desperately to memorize everything about how he tastes, how he smells, how he feels.

Suddenly we hear something like a door opening in the general direction of front left, and we break the kiss. It’s obviously not the door we sneaked past earlier, as it’s to my back. With careful steps, we approach the source of the noise, and we hear ruffling sounds followed by footsteps. Before we can find ourselves a hiding place, two youngsters, apparently a boy and a girl, appear in our sights.

The four of us just stand here, surprised about the presence of the other party. I try to search for something to say, but the boy opposite to us speaks first.

“Uh… So you’re also coming to enjoy the evening, huh.”

“Yeah…”

Under the moonlight, I can see that the boy is quite tall, even taller than Hisao, and has a slim build like Takumi. The girl is also tall, slim, with a ponytail like mine. Knowing that they’re probably not guards, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“How did you get here? You don’t happen to have the keys to the hatch, do you?”

“Uh… no. We kind of sneaked in during the guard’s patrol.”

“Wow. Amazing stuff. Deserves a round of applause, right?”

The slim girl next to him smiles in amusement under the dim moonlight.

“Yes, except that we’re not gonna do that. We might get heard.”

My new boyfriend wastes no time to bring up the obvious and crucial topic.

“So, is there a hatch somewhere over there?”

The boy takes a quick look towards presumably his girlfriend before giving us a nonchalant shrug.

“Well, there’s no point saying no, so I’ll spoil it. There’s a hatch over there on the ground around the corner, but it needs a key to open. And I’ve got the key.”

“Really? How did you get the key?”

“As fellow daring roof explorers, I guess I can tell you without harm. My dad’s a locksmith, so I’m good at looking into keyholes and making keys. A quick peep into the keyhole with a torch, remembering the details, then just went to my dad’s workshop and tada, I’ve got myself the roof key!”

So obviously they’ve been using this place as their dating spot for some time.

“Great stuff, dude. Well, I don’t think you two come here to enjoy our presence. Do you mind if we go down the hatch?”

“Sure, why not? But I’m not sharing the key with you, so once you go down, you can’t come back up. Well, at least not until the next patrol.”

“It’s fine. We’ve enjoyed this place long enough, right?”

Takumi turns to me, and I nod in response with a delightful grin.

“Yup! I think that’s enough for us. It’s getting a bit cold here too.”

“Alright then. We’ll collect the mat over there, and then we’ll be on our way.”

“Sure. We’ll see you guys around then.”

Eager to leave the scene to provide the couple full access to their dating spot, we grab our belongings and head towards the aforementioned hatch and climb down, closing the hatch behind us.

Oh well, the torch and the rope didn’t find their use tonight. Nor did my running skill get put to use. I was half-expecting the need to use the rope to climb down to a window on the sixth floor. No such thrilling escape for us.

But we’ve achieved so much up there already.

We carefully climb down the ladder associated to the hatch and, after wearing our masks and making sure nobody’s around, push open a door to find ourselves back in the corridor of the sixth floor.

“Let’s exit the building!”

Yeah, we don’t want to hang around any further. Fortunately this floor is so quiet to the point that you might suspect there are ghosts around, but we take full advantage of the lack of witnesses here by swiftly heading towards the elevator to the ground. After exiting the building, we walk a distance towards the general direction of the school gate before removing our masks for good.

“How was the adventure, Emi?”

“Well, it wasn’t really that exciting, but I loved the time we spent up there.”

Now that the adventure is over, there’s something we need to sort out before I head back to my hotel. We have to address what we were doing before the hatch opened.

“Uhm… Well, if you don’t mind, I think we need to talk.”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

So we find ourselves a bench somewhere nearby to sit on, making sure that it’s not near any bushes or else we’ll be attacked by mosquitoes.

“So… well… I don’t know how to start, but…”

I can save him some struggling time, but it’s quite funny to see him so embarrassed, so I let him gather his words. And he does owe me a confession.

“Dammit! I’ll just fire it off. Emi, I like you! I want to be your boyfriend!”

Even under the dim lamplights, I can see his face blushing like a red apple. His struggle is so hilarious that I can’t help but burst out into giggles.

“Hahahaha…”

As the giggles turn into a laughing fit, my whole body shaking from the end of my amputated legs to my head, my partner scratches his head in embarrassment.

“Uh…”

Alright, alright, I know this is too much, but I can’t resist it. Hahaha…

“Sorry… Can’t… resist it. No, you’re so funny to look at. But, ahem, yeah, welcome aboard, my fellow pirate!”

“Uh… I don’t speak any pirate language.”

“Me neither! It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“No. Uh… I just… I’m not sure what to do or say…”

He’s so funny. I’m most certain I am his first girlfriend.

“You don’t need to do anything. Just give me a kiss.”

“But we’re in a school ground. I don’t think this is appropriate.”

“Wasn’t the roof technically a school ground too?”

“Yeah, but there was nobody around. Except when that couple came.”

“You’re scared of being seen, are you?”

“I don’t know, I just feel embarrassed.”

“Alright then. Bring me outside of the school, then we can do anything we want.”

“Good idea. I can escort you to the hotel as well. It’s getting late, you know.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Accordingly we stand up, and, even though I want to hold his hand right now, based on what he just said, I’ll refrain from it until we’ve exited Midori.

“Emi… you know… There’s something I want to confess to you.”

“Uh huh?”

“I already fell in love with you when I first met you in the track field. But I felt like you’re so pretty and popular, you must already have a boyfriend.”

Even though it’s true that I’m decently popular, both in Yamaku and in my two schools of exchange program, my habit of always keeping a social distance from others had been hindering me from knowing a boyfriend. That was until the accident last Monday, when his touch of warmth electrified me.

“I don’t choose my relationships randomly, Takumi.”

“Which is awesome, Emi. I’m happy to know you.”

“Me too!”

Okay! So, everything went as smooth as we’ve hope for tonight! And maybe there’ll be a change to my future career path as well. But that’s a problem for future Emi. The current Emi should focus on enjoying some male company after missing it for a few years. I’m probably calling off the home trip tomorrow in favor of spending time with my new boyfriend, if he is free.

“Hey Takumi, are you free tomorrow or Sunday?”

“I’m free tomorrow for a date if you want to. About Sunday… oh yeah…”

He turns towards me and gives me a warm smile.

“Uh… Sunday?”

“I’ve got an invitation. Maybe you can…”

Chapter 87: Reunion Shocker