A Story About Seducing My Childhood Friend

Chapter 36: I expressed my thoughts on the rooftop

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I expressed my thoughts on the rooftop

In the morning, I woke up naturally, which was unusual.

I rose slowly, reaching out to the analog clock on the desk.

After turning off the alarm, I got out of bed.

Probably because I had accumulated fatigue.

Yesterday, I had slept all day. Most likely, Aya did too.

I was anxious whether I could wake up today, but I woke up about an hour earlier than the alarm.

I opened the window.

The cool morning breeze feels pleasant against my just-awakened body.

The divine intuition is no longer audible.

Since the moment I made that decision in the classroom on the final day of the cultural festival.

Perhaps there never was a god from the start. It almost feels that way.

…I can’t tell now.

I lifted my face and stretched my body.

The sky was clear. It’s probably a sunny day.

Strangely, I’m not worried about the future with Aya.

Certainty fills my entire being.

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“Ryuji~ If you’re up, can you help me hang the laundry?”

As I gaze at the horizon, my sister’s voice comes from below the window.

She’s been hanging laundry in the front yard since early morning. Mostly her own laundry.

I slowly made my way downstairs.

- - -

I stood in front of Aya’s house.

I have about thirty more minutes until I have to leave, or I’ll be late.

I took out my smartphone and sent a text.

“Are you awake, Aya? It’s a school day today.”

After about three minutes, I received a reply from Aya. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

“I’m awake.”

There were some clattering noises from Aya’s room on the second floor.

She must be waking up and getting ready in a hurry.

I hope she doesn’t come out in her usual casual clothes.

About twenty minutes later, the door swung open forcefully.

And out comes Aya in her school uniform.

When she sees me, her cheeks start to blush.

“Good morn…ing, Boyan.”

“Good morning, Aya.”

I intended to smile at Aya as usual, but for some reason, my smile feels awkward.

It’s probably because her expression overlaps with the words of the message from the night before.

We walk along our usual route to school, maintaining the distance of childhood friends.

Aya seems restless, lacking composure.

My heart rate also seems strangely rapid.

Both of us continue walking in silence.

Normally, even without conversation, it wouldn’t bother us. But now, it feels strangely awkward. Probably because I’m becoming excessively conscious.

Suddenly, Aya stops.

“…Sorry, can we stop by the convenience store?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

She probably left the house without eating breakfast.

“… I forgot to have breakfast.”

Waiting outside the convenience store, I gaze inside at Aya. It looks like she bought an anpan and juice.

“Boyan, sorry to keep you waiting!”

By the time she exits the store, Aya is back to her usual self.

With her typical smile, she approaches me in a friendly manner.

… Our innocent embarrassment seems to have ended in just under ten minutes.

I return her smile with my usual one.

“Do you want to eat here?”

I ask Aya with a slightly nervous expression.

“… Nah, let’s eat at the plaza in front of the station. There are benches.”

“I see.”

We sit side by side on the benches at the plaza.

Among the people being absorbed into the station, there are also students from our school.

Some of them notice us, but hesitate to approach.

Our rooftop kiss seems to have spread quite a bit. Aya not attending the night festival likely fueled the rumors.

I feel like today’s commute won’t involve anyone approaching us.

I let out a light sigh.

Glancing at Aya, I see her enjoying her anpan with relish.

One of Aya’s many charms.

Why does she always eat with such enjoyment?

Memories from elementary school come flooding back into my mind.

Back when I first got to know Aya, during lunchtime.

Since we formed groups by putting our desks together, Aya and I would sit across from each other. Aya would still be happily enjoying her meal with a smile.

Suddenly, I notice boys at the adjacent group horsing around. They throw a cherry tomato onto someone else’s tray and push each other.

For some reason, it bothers me.

Aya, sitting across from me, gazes at those boys… and mutters under her breath.

“Poor tomato.”

Truly, she seems genuinely disappointed.

For some reason, I can’t take my eyes off her profile…

That’s right.

Back then, I…

“Aya, I like you. Will you go out with me?”

The words slipped out of my mouth.

Aya, about to take her seventh bite, freezes with her mouth open.

She turns towards me, her eyes widening.

Why now? I wonder.

I don’t even know why. I had thought I’d do it on the rooftop or in some romantic place.

Before I knew it, I was confessing.

Aya’s face lowers.

Her profile starts turning bright red.

She almost closes her mouth, then manages to trap the anpan between her lips.

“… Yeah, I’m good with that.”

Aya softly replies.

When we arrive at school, there’s an increasing number of eyes directed at us.

Curious glances, whispers between friends, complex expressions that are hard to decipher, various reactions.

Aya, despite her nervousness, looks forward with determination.

I also carry on as usual.

When we enter the second-year classrooms, many students are already tidying up busily.

“Aya, help me set up the desks a bit!”

“Oh, there’s Aya! Let’s take down the decorations together.”

The atmosphere surrounding us is just like usual.

I briefly survey the classroom.

There’s no Tokita in sight.

According to what students are saying, it seems like the committee has some tasks to do.

Being caught up in disassembling the haunted house, the morning seems to pass by in a flurry.

In the afternoon, the homeroom teacher arrives and shouts loudly.

“Hey, today there’s no class! You can leave once you’ve finished cleaning up!”

Apparently, there are still classes and club activities that haven’t finished cleaning up.

Especially students who were involved in preparing and performing at the night festival are many, causing the cleanup to be delayed. Therefore, they decided to make it a self-study day for the entire school.

After we finish cleaning up, I send a message to Aya.

“If you’re not busy, want to go home together?”

A quick reply comes.

“Sure! But I have something to do, so wait for me at the main gate.”

“I have something to do too, so you might end up waiting for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll be waiting.”

As I darken my smartphone’s screen, I mutter to the uninspiring face reflected there.

“Now, time to settle things.”

- - -

I wander through the school building.

I peek into the first-floor meeting room where the committee always had their meetings, go to various classrooms and even climb up to the rooftop.

Thinking there might be a chance, I head to the library.

When I open the door to the library, I spot the back I’m looking for.

Tokita is sitting at a study desk by the window, engrossed in his studies.

A few other studious students are here and there, sitting at tables and study desks.

I walk straight to Tokita among them.

When I stand by his study desk, Tokita suddenly looks up.

“… Oh, it’s Boyan… What do you want?”

There’s not a single reference book open on his desk.

I squat down on the spot and align my eyes with Tokita’s.

Tokita looks away momentarily.

“There’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

I look directly at Tokita and said “I’m dating Aya now.”

“…Oh, sure, sure… Got it. But keep it down a bit, we’re in the library.”

Tokita says in a hushed voice, looking agitated.

He looks uneasy, darting his eyes around.

He looks like a cornered small animal.

“Ah, sorry.”

“… Is that all?”

“Yeah, that’s all I came to say.”

“Fine… alright, got it.”

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Aah…”

Tokita opens his mouth and seems to be searching for words.

Glancing around the library, he suddenly raises his voice.

“I’m counting on you!”

I realize that several people sitting at the table seats turned their attention toward us due to his quite loud voice.

He seems to be striking a pose, looking towards the day after tomorrow.

I say in a voice that only Tokita can hear.

“Yeah, I’ll make her happy.”

Tokita lowers his volume too.

“Damn, you’re so heavy-handed…”

With that, this conversation comes to an end.

I slowly stand up and start walking toward the exit.

I sense that Tokita has dropped his head onto the desk behind me.

Leaving the library, I walk through the corridor.

Honestly, I was prepared to get punched by Tokita.

I thought that if we were in a place where no one could see, taking a hit wouldn’t cause a scene.

But Tokita was surprisingly calm.

Maybe he’s given up… completely.

Walking along, I let my thoughts drift.

It’s not like I met Tokita to lighten his heart.

I wanted to face him, declare it clearly and part ways.

To prevent even the slightest possibility of Tokita becoming Aya’s stalker.

I recall Tokita’s expression from earlier.

… If it were me, would I have given up?

If I were in Tokita’s place…

If Aya’s feelings had drifted away.

If someone told me they were going to take Aya away.

If I were actually deprived of Aya.

If by any chance, I were shown Aya and Tokita’s intimacy.

Most likely, even then, I wouldn’t have been able to give up.

- - -

Heading to the shoe lockers, I spot Aya and her female friends chatting.

I quickly hide behind a corner of the lockers.

Their atmosphere is relaxed and I don’t sense any sense of blame in their conversation.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Aya, don’t worry about it. We’ve got your back.”

“Yeah, right? We’re besties, aren’t we?”

“We talked about this plenty, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, Aya is serious, right?”

“Yeah… I am.”

A small cheer of “Kyaa!” rises from Aya’s sincere voice.

“You’ve become quite the bold one.”

“We’re just going to support you.”

“Don’t worry about the second-year guys or the first-year whispers. They’re just jealous or envious.”

“Yeah, we’re on Aya’s side.”

I see, so there are students who say unpleasant things to Aya.

“Yeah, thanks. I’m… prepared.”

“We’ve heard that plenty.”

“Wow, quite the bold girl…”

“Boyan is amazing, isn’t he, ? How did he turn Aya like this?”

“Now that I think about it, you’re like the perfect couple, right!?”

“Hey, hey, are you really okay with Boyan?”

“Yeah… it’s okay.”

“Hyuu~” “Aa~h” voices of excitement rise.

“W-wait, it’s not like that…”

Seems like a conversation I shouldn’t eavesdrop on.

As I head back down the hallway, I send a message to Aya.

“Aya, can you come to the rooftop? Take your time.”

Quickly, a reply arrives.

“Sure thing.”

Must have been in a hurry while sending that message. Imagining her flustered, I chuckle to myself.

Waiting on the rooftop, I hear the heavy creak of a door and Aya arrives.

“Sorry for the wait, Boyan.”

She must have run here, as she’s slightly out of breath.

“No worries.”

Aya wears a cheerful smile as she comes over to me.

It’s her usual expression, but her eyes seem kinder than usual.

“Wow… it feels great, doesn’t it, Boyan? The sky is so clear.”

“Yeah, it does.”

A cool breeze flows through, regulating our body temperatures, which had risen without us noticing.

For a while, the two of us gaze at the roofs of the nearby houses.

With a gleam in her eyes fixed on a distant landscape, Aya speaks up.

“But, did you know that the rooftop is open?”

“I noticed when I was walking around the school building earlier. I think they forgot to close it after cleaning.”

“You were walking around the school building?”

“Yeah… looking for Tokita.”

“Ah… right.”

Aya doesn’t ask why I was looking for Tokita.

She probably figures out what I was up to and what I conveyed.

A feeling of endearment wells up in my chest.

– I love you.

– I want to marry you.

– I want to be with you forever.

Such words pop up one after another.

Is now the right time to express them?

Is this the best timing?

I wonder how these words would pierce Aya’s heart.

We’ve just started dating, would she be annoyed?

Would I be burdening her with unnecessary pressure?

Come to think of it, during the school trip when I took Aya’s first time, I proposed to her and she said, “That’s impossible”, right?

What if I get rejected again?

What if I ruin the mood?

Such thoughts flood in uncontrollably.

I find myself chuckling wryly at my own anxiety.

Ah, without the support of intuition, I’m this uneasy.

I gaze at Aya’s profile.

Aya has always been making decisions amidst such unease.

While almost being crushed by anxiety.

She’s pushed past it with determination.

Here, on this rooftop…

I take a slow, deep breath.

Truth be told, anxiety doesn’t really exist anywhere.

I feel my body lighten.

“Aya.”

“Yeah?”

“I actually dislike broccoli.”

“Huh…?”

Aya turns toward me, her eyes widening.

“I think I’m quite jealous.”

Staring intently into Aya’s eyes, I speak.

She must have sensed something from my serious gaze. She nods, indicating that she’ll listen to the end.

“I’m also pretty strong in terms of possessiveness… and sexual desire. I want to hold you every day, twice a day.”

“A-All right…”

Aya seems awkward, her eyes slightly averted.

“There’s another thing. I actually don’t like mornings.”

Really!? Aya’s eyes seem to say.

I’ll tell her next time just how much effort I put into every morning.

I let out a sigh.

I’ve revealed all the troublesome aspects of myself.

Probably, we’ll have to discuss a lot from now on.

So…

“I want you to marry me.”

Aya’s short haircut flutters gently in the wind as she turns towards me.

Normally, a high schooler’s proposal might sound like frivolous words said in the euphoria of romance.

If a high schooler were to say these words at the beginning of a relationship, it might come off as too intense, just as Tokita said earlier.

But, it’s different when it comes to Aya.

“Um… right now…?”

Aya says, seeking confirmation. Her eyes are serious.

“No, not right now. In the near future. I’ll make you happy for a lifetime.”

Add that part.

A voice of intuition resonated in my mind.

No, this isn’t intuition – it’s my voice.

That’s right.

Just saying “I’ll make you happy for a lifetime” isn’t enough of a promise.

I convey this with a voice full of conviction.

“…I’m also making preparations for that.”

Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent sleepless nights thinking about how to convince Aya’s family and how to support a household. I’ve been preparing for this.

Aya’s eyes shimmer as she stares at me.

She seems both puzzled and on the verge of tears.

From her expression, I can’t quite figure out what she’s feeling.

Eventually, her small lips part slightly.

“…I’m also possessive… I think. I don’t want other girls touching your hair or anything.”

“Yeah.”

I gently encourage her to continue.

“My first love… was Uncle Ryouji.”

I didn’t know that… I’ll ask for more details later.

“Actually, there are times when I don’t want to smile. There are times when I’m smiling, but it’s not real… and I want you to understand all of that…”

“Yeah.”

“Wha…”

…Huh?

“I’ll make you happy too, Boyan.”

Aya stared at me challengingly.

Her cheeks are still bright red.

Probably, mine are too.

“Yeah, thank you.”

I gently hugged Aya.

She also placed her hands around my waist.

Our body heat rises.

I exhaled a deep breath from my lungs.