Episode 236: Noticing the Feeling

「Eh…」

Yuji looked stunned, facing the direction Natsumi-senpai had gone as if he couldn’t process the situation.

「Huh… what’s wrong with that big sister…」

Kishiyama-san didn’t seem to understand the situation either. She stood there dazed, staring in the same direction Natsumi-senpai had vanished just like Yuji.

I started racking my brain for a way to follow up, but the first one to move was Sara-san, who had been watching the scene with a look of displeasure the entire time.

「…Tachibana-san. I have zero interest in men other than Kazunari-san, but since you are his best friend, I have kept a reasonable eye on you. I thought you weren’t a bad person… but was I mistaken?」

…Apparently, the cause of Sara-san’s bad mood was Yuji. Hit with a level of pressure that surpassed even Natsumi-senpai’s, Yuji actually took a step back.

「S-Satsukawa-san, w-wait a second, first off, this girl is my cousin…」

Hm?

Did he just say cousin?

「……Huh? Your cousin?」

Sara-san seemed surprised as well, staring blankly back and forth between the two of them.

Cousin… well, that certainly explains everything. Why the surnames are different, why the parents are involved, and why they’re so close.

「K-Kishiyama-san, are you really Yuji’s cousin?」

「Yeah. Yuu-kun has played with me all the time since way back, and he’s nice, so I love him.」

It seems she really was his cousin.

Talk about confusing… I can’t tell if this girl is just a natural airhead or if she’s doing it on purpose.

「Hey, hey, Takanashi-kun. Since you’re Yuu-kun’s best friend, you can call me Asami as a special treat…」

「There is no need for such unnecessary consideration. Kazunari-san will not be calling you by your first name. Right, Kazunari-san?」

「Y-Yes, that’s right.」

The pressure from Sara-san’s smile was on a whole different level compared to Natsumi-senpai’s. But this wasn’t jealousy; there was no doubt she was in a bad mood for a completely different reason now.

「…………Whoa.」

Watching Sara-san, Kishiyama-san let out a reflexive sigh. She just kept staring at her. However, Sara-san ignored her as if she wasn’t even in her line of sight and began glaring at Yuji again. Of course, even I knew what that meant. If Kishiyama-san is his cousin, Yuji needs to go after Natsumi-senpai immediately.

「Asami, go back to the cafe and join your mother.」

「Ehhh… you’re leaving?」

I thought they had come just the two of them, but her mother was here too. If he had explained that, Natsumi-senpai wouldn’t have misunderstood…

To let him go after her quickly, I’ll take care of Kishiyama-san.

「Yuji, just go. I’ll take her to the cafe.」

「I’m counting on you.」

Yuji seemed to understand his situation too. Without us saying another word, he took off running along the path Natsumi-senpai had taken.

He’s such a handful… not that I have any right to act all superior about it. I’m fully aware that I’d get roasted by everyone if I said that.

「Big sister… you’re so incredibly beautiful… Are you a celebrity? A model? I’ve never seen anyone this pretty before!!」

What happened to that disappointed look from a second ago?

Kishiyama-san’s eyes were sparkling as she moved around, changing her angle to stare at Sara-san. The sudden complete change in personality left Sara-san looking unsure of how to react.

「Haa… your hair is so pretty. I’m so jealous… I want to be like this when I grow up…」

She let out a sigh looking at Sara-san’s beautiful black hair, which I love, and then let out another sigh looking at Sara-san’s whole body… she was staring at her dreamily. This girl really is strange.

「K-Kazunari-san…」

Seemingly at a loss for what to do, Sara-san called out to me as if seeking help.

For now, let’s get Kishiyama-san to move along.

「Kishiyama-san, should we head to your mom’s place like Yuji said?」

Maybe because I used Yuji’s name, she turned to me and gave a reluctant「Okay…」as a reply. It seems she’ll listen to reason. It’s like dealing with a child……… a child?

While walking toward the cafe with Kishiyama-san following quietly behind, I decided to take the plunge and ask something that was bothering me. Not a straight question, but a curveball.

「Kishiyama-san, do you go to a school around here?」

「Yeah. The elementary school right over there.」

「A-Ah, I see.」

Ah… the answer revealed itself immediately.

She looked strangely mature for an elementary schooler, and it looked like she was wearing makeup. That’s why, at first glance, I only thought she was around our age or a little younger. To add to that, I had a suspicion that her childish speech and behavior might actually be a calculated act.

However, it felt strangely childish for that to be the case.

「E-Elementary schooler…!?」

Unlike me, who had a faint suspicion, Sara-san couldn’t hide her shock at the sudden revelation.

I understand the feeling… to put it bluntly, this girl is quite「precocious.」

After that, perhaps unable to get over the shock that Kishiyama-san was an elementary schooler, Sara-san kept glancing at her and letting out sighs.

Natsumi POV

Haa…

I did it… I really messed up.

I had a part of my brain that was thinking calmly, wondering if that girl might actually be a relative or if I was just misunderstanding.

Even though I should have been thinking rationally… I still couldn’t stop my own actions. Despite fully considering the possibility of a misunderstanding, my body just moved on its own.

I don’t want to admit it… but is this… could it be? Honestly, I feel like I haven’t quite processed my own feelings yet.

I definitely think more highly of Tachibana-kun than other guys. That’s for sure.

It’s a fact that I felt something different from him compared to other guys since the moment we met. I thought we were compatible. The excitement of having a secret connection behind Sara and the others was also pleasant.

And when we met again at the pool after so long…

Twirling Tachibana-kun around was so fun that I ended up overdoing it. It felt like being a kid again. He was the first guy to ever make me have that much fun, it was a day that made me realize Tachibana-kun really is special.

To me, Tachibana-kun is a special guy that I can be myself around, someone who’s just fun to be with.

He acts like a tough guy usually, but his reactions when I tease him are hilarious. I think the way he panics is cute too. The gap between his usual self and that is irresistible.

Sara constantly says Kazunari-kun is cute, and I feel like I’ve finally started to understand what she means.

Yes, Tachibana-kun is the only guy I feel this way about. There’s no doubt I think of him as more special than other guys.

That’s exactly why those interactions with that girl…

I’d never seen Tachibana-kun like that. That must be Tachibana-kun’s「true self.」Even taking the difference between being older or younger into account.

Seeing them looking more intimate than he is with me wasn’t fun. He was showing a「raw side」to that girl that he doesn’t show to me. It’s incredibly unpleasant, and I feel restless.

That’s why I… wait?

What is this?

I’ve laid out my feelings one after another like this, but hasn’t the conclusion already come out?

「Seeing him intimate with that girl isn’t fun.」

Is this jealousy?

「I think he’s special.」

Is this my answer?

Even if I think about excuses like having no real sense of it yet, hasn’t my conclusion already been reached?

The old Sara used to say she didn’t understand her own feelings, yet she showed clear signs of love. It was a love so blatant and easy to understand that ten out of ten people would have called it that.

That’s why I thought that if I fell in love, it would be like that too. To put it another way, I thought that as long as it wasn’t like that, it wasn’t love yet.

And now… from the moment I realized my conclusion, I can’t stop panicking.

What is this feeling, I’ve never felt like this before.

Eh?

Eh?

What is this… what is this…

Yuji POV

Why is it that when it comes to my own life, things don’t go smoothly at all?

I used to get so frustrated for Kazunari back then, but if the me from those days saw me now, he’d probably laugh and say I’m exactly the same.

But this… I feel bad for Natsumi-san, but from my perspective, it’s a happy miscalculation.

There’s no doubt she was jealous. If that’s the case, then Natsumi-san must be conscious of me too.

In other words… it’s a chance.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance to make Natsumi-san notice me as a man. Since we don’t get to meet often, I have no choice but to go on the offensive all at once.

…………

That day, worried about Kazunari, I moved to keep an eye on his date with Satsukawa-san…

I hit it off with Natsumi-san, whom I met by chance.

Because our reasons for acting were the same, I felt a sense of familiarity even though it was our first meeting… and I think Natsumi-san felt the same way.

Helped by Natsumi-san’s pushiness, we shook hands as comrades.

From then on, we watched over our best friends, reported to each other, and celebrated their growth… I think we felt more like guardians or comrades than friends. It was also true that I enjoyed our secret behind-the-scenes connection.

Though, the one who enjoyed that the most was Natsumi-san…

The main purpose was always to watch over Kazunari and the others, and to follow up if anything happened.

The fact that we only contacted each other without meeting directly, and the fact that we thought of ourselves as comrades, I think that diluted the sensation of interacting with the opposite sex. Perhaps because we deepened our friendship in that state, the feeling of being close older and younger friends took precedence over being close members of the opposite sex.

But, I first became conscious of Natsumi-san as a woman when we went to the pool.

It was also then that I realized all over again, seeing Natsumi-san after a long time, that she is a wonderful woman. I was captivated by Natsumi-san in her swimsuit. I thought it was a lucky break to be able to spend time with a woman like her.

She led me around quite a bit, but Natsumi-san was enjoying it, and I enjoyed being treated that way. I’d never felt like this before.

It was a day that made me feel all over again that Natsumi-san and I are compatible.

Kazunari and Satsukawa-san got together, and we graduated from being their guardians. Naturally, the report meetings ended too, but before I knew it, they had changed into time for us to report about each other. I would find topics and make notes in my notebook, thinking about what to report next or what to talk about, as if I were writing a diary. It didn’t take long to realize how much I looked forward to my time with Natsumi-san… and that I saw Natsumi-san as special.

I tried calling her by her name to seek a small change, but she accepted it so easily that I was caught off guard. The fact that we can’t meet regularly is also a bottleneck. I was reminded again that Natsumi-san prioritized「fun」in our relationship over a relationship as a man and woman.

Since the Yamazaki incident, our group gatherings have increased. So the chances to meet in person have increased too. I don’t have much experience interacting with women to begin with, but I intended to do my best to not waste the few opportunities I had so that Natsumi-san would become conscious of me. Whether it paid off or not, she started showing a different side of herself than before. I thought that it might take time, but if I kept trying, then one day…

And now…

What kind of feelings does Natsumi-san have?

Is she conscious of me now?

If that’s the case… I…