The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
Volume 5
Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsunomanika Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken
Author: Saeki-san
https://twitter.com/saeki_narou
Illustrator: Hanekoto / はねこと
https://twitter.com/hanekoto2424
Buy volume 5 of Tenshi-sama in Japanese here:
Bookwalker JP
CD Japan
Please purchase the official English translation once available:
Bookwalker Global
Amazon
Translation and Proofreading by: angelsama
Editing by: Lil Indi ツ
Side Stories Translated by: Ping
https://hellping.org/angel
Go join our discord server - discord.gg/otonari
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Day After They Started Dating
Chapter 2: Making Their Debut at School
Chapter 3: Interrogation at Lunch
Chapter 4: Changes in Mood and Surroundings
Chapter 5: Something That Can’t be Fixed
Chapter 6: Changes Since Their Relationship
Chapter 7: He Can’t be this Sexy
Chapter 8: Don’t Feed Her
Chapter 9: Summer Vacation Begins
Chapter 10: Too Cute to Say
Chapter 11: A Waterside Chat
Chapter 12: Hometown and Relationship Reveal
Chapter 13: It’s Natural She’s Beside Me
Chapter 14: Encounter with the Past
Chapter 15: A Farewell to the Past
Special Side Story 1: Mahiru’s Wonderful Dream
Special Side Story 2: The Amane Everyone Doesn’t know About
Gamers Side Story: The Things that Changed and Didn’t Change
Melonbooks Special Story: Dissonance of Values
Bookwalker Special Story: Feelings from Afar
Afterword: Author’s Message
Amane started dating Mahiru.
Few words existed to describe such a feeling, but Amane’s heart was
full to the brim with emotion.
Since the day of the confession, Amane had been in a trance and his
body fluttered with joy. Even until he went to sleep and Mahiru went home,
he couldn’t break out of his daze.
Mahiru was Amane’s first love, and she was someone he admired from
the bottom of his heart. Nobody could blame him for being so ecstatic.
For over half a year since they met, Amane had been suppressing his
feelings. While to some, it may not sound like a long time, for Amane, who
was enduring it, it didn’t seem so short.
Shortly after New Year’s, roughly four months ago, Amane realized
his feelings of love for Mahiru.
Some would say that it was a mere four months; others would say it
was already four months. Amane fell into the latter category. Many describe
one’s first love as a bud that will never bloom, but this saying doesn’t apply
to Amane and Mahiru.
Of course, Amane was delighted that his first love bloomed, but since
the confession, he didn’t know how to proceed. He was troubled thinking
about how to face her the next morning.
Amane was so happy, and his mind raced with his thoughts, keeping
him awake. The day after the confession, tomorrow, Amane would have to
greet Mahiru while deprived of his sleep.
✧₊✦₊✧
“…Good morning, Amane-kun.”
When Mahiru entered, Amane was late to give her a reply. Like
Amane, she too had a strained expression.
The day following the sports festival was set as a holiday, so it wasn’t
surprising that Mahiru would come over so early. She always visited
frequently, and the situation between them hadn’t changed much, so he took
it for granted.
The only difference from usual was their sense of distance.
Since they treasure each other, their distance had actually increased.
Usually, Mahiru would make herself comfortable and relaxed. Without
too much thought, she could enter and rest in his place like it were her own
home. Usually, her posture was naturally graceful, but only today did she
seem slightly nervous.
Even so, it was Amane who was tenser. He couldn’t greet her like he
usually did, barely managing to utter a “Good morning” in a faint voice.
They sat on the sofa together at a distance, their bodies further apart
than usual.
“…Um, A-Amane-kun, it seems you didn’t get enough sleep.”
“That’s… I was so happy last night that I couldn’t fall asleep.”
Amane hesitated before admitting softly. Mahiru’s cheeks began to
flush, turning red.
“I-I slept well last night, am I too innocent…?”
“No, that’s a good thing! I couldn’t fall asleep because I was thinking
about a lot of things, just like a kid before a school trip.”
“…You’re very happy too, Amane-kun?”
“Well… of course I am. The girl I love also loves me back, so I
couldn’t be happier. I just couldn’t help but keep thinking about it.”
Amane trembled in joy thinking about how the person he loved saw
him in the same way, it gave him an emotion he never felt before.
However, the stronger his emotions, the more distressed he was
thinking about what was next.
His parents’ relationship seemed to be of little reference value to him.
His parents were much closer than your normal couple, often kissing
in the privacy of their own home for no good reason. Using their
relationship as a benchmark, Amane and Mahiru would surely be
embarrassed.
Amane wasn’t sure how to face his lover. Thankfully, as if to relieve
the tension in the air, Mahiru gave him a soft smile. About to snuggle next
to him, Amane panicked and grabbed Mahiru’s shoulders to stop her.
Suddenly, Mahiru’s expression froze. Amane realized his mistake, so
he withdrew his hand in a hurry, and explained.
“Um, it’s not that I hate you… it’s just that if you get too close to me
right now, I will be so embarrassed and self-conscious and I wouldn’t know
what to do.”
Amane was so embarrassed that he couldn’t help but suddenly speak
formally.
For so long, the distance between them was even less than a fist.
However, since their relationship had now changed, that same distance gave
rise to unstoppable shyness in Amane’s heart.
He wasn’t nervous about it before, but now his understanding and
perspective changed, and he became much more sensitive to it.
“…When I think about how I’m dating you now, I just can’t calm
down. It’s the first time I’ve ever fallen in love…”
“Well, even I’m not as composed as usual… but even so, I want to stay
with you, Amane-kun. Finally, now we have started dating… I think it’s
time for me to face my own feelings.”
Mahiru timidly glanced up at Amane, muttering so in a trembling
voice. Her shy appearance was too much for him, leaving Amane
desperately trying to restrain himself.
“Okay, could you come closer then?”
“…My pleasure!”
Amane’s heart was racing with his urges, and he really wanted to
embrace Mahiru. Careful to not let his reason go overboard, he settled with
snuggling next to her.
That alone made Mahiru incredibly happy. She showed a fleeting and
innocent smile while leaning against Amane’s arm.
They did this before they started dating since they were remarkably
close. However, now that Amane didn’t have experience in dating, he
couldn’t muster up his courage or deal with it as calmly as before.
(…From now on, what should I do?)
(Is it really enough to just snuggle next to her?)
Amane had no experience, and Mahiru was his first lover.
Although Mahiru was in the same position, Amane still wanted to have
some insight and knowledge.
Even though he wanted to take the lead, he was hopelessly
inexperienced.
Due to past events, Amane didn’t show much interest in others. Even
for a man, Amane was the type of person who had fewer desires, so he
never imagined himself interacting with girls. As such, he spent his
enthusiasm on his hobbies and studying instead.
If he played some dating sims, Amane might’ve been able to think of
something, but he didn’t play those either.
Amane lacked the relevant knowledge, only knowing that couples held
hands, went on dates, kissed each other, and slept together if their
relationship deepened even further.
Putting aside holding hands or going on dates, suddenly going in for a
kiss was impossible for Amane. He could try to go on a date, but that
wasn’t the only problem.
Amane wanted to make Mahiru happy. For Amane, his fatal lack of
knowledge made him feel a little desperate.
If it was Itsuki or Kadowaki, they would know how to smoothly lead
their woman.
Amane was now envious of those two in particular.
“What’s wrong?”
As Amane was lamenting his shortcomings, Mahiru noticed his
expression and expressed her concern.
“Ah, um, it’s just…”
“If you don’t mind, could you talk to me about it?”
Mahiru didn’t know what Amane was worrying about. Smiling, she
put her hand on her chest, showing him a confident gesture as if to say
“leave it to me.”
“So, what’s wrong? Are you still uncomfortable with me being too
close?”
“That’s not it, sorry for worrying you.”
After seeing Amane’s serious face, Mahiru mistakenly thought he was
in a bad mood. Amane couldn’t help but think he was acting quite hopeless.
“I was just thinking about something… rather, I’ll tell you, since it’s
about you too.”
“Good, good.”
Mahiru was just as inexperienced as him. Amane wasn’t embarrassed
to ask her since it was the first time either of them dated, and it was a good
idea to discuss things properly with each other.
It was better for the two of them to talk it out, rather than keep the
other worried.
“Say, Mahiru…”
“Yes?”
“We… have started dating, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then, what are we supposed to do now?”
“Eh?”
Mahiru waited for Amane’s question, but she was left dumbfounded.
Amane knew his question would sound silly, but he was completely serious.
“Well, it’s the first time I have dated somebody… and I don’t read
shoujo or romance novels, so I don’t know how things progress.”
“…That’s the same for me.”
Sure enough, Mahiru also had no prior relationships. Mahiru lived in a
position where she wasn’t interested in other people in the first place. After
hearing Amane’s troubles, she showed a slightly troubled look of her own.
“So, what do we do?”
“…Maybe we could hold hands?”
“We often do that already.”
“Spend our holidays together?”
“That’s common for us too.”
“Going out on dates?”
“We’ve also done that.”
“Embrace each other?”
“We do that too.”
It was a pity that Mahiru’s knowledge was similar to Amane’s. The
ideas she proposed were all things they’d already done.
This was understandable, though. If someone asked Amane, “what
should lovers do?” he wouldn’t be able to give an exact answer either.
“What exactly should we do…” Amane thought, sighing.
Mahiru then timidly tugged on his shirt.
Turning around, Amane found that she was blushing.
“…Well, although it’s hard for me to say, it’s really hard to say… but
is it possible we were acting like lovers before we even started dating…?”
Mahiru’s words silenced the two of them.
(When she says it like that, it appears– no, there’s no doubt that we’ve
already been acting like lovers…!?)
The two naturally lived in the same space, held hands, and went out
together, all while not realizing these things were usually what close
couples did.
At the start, Amane may have noticed how they were acting, but he
grew too accustomed to it to ever doubt it was abnormal.
“I-I was also trying my best so that Amane-kun would look at me
more. Thinking about it carefully, it’s true they are only things that lovers
would do.”
“…That’s true, it seems…”
“So, rather than unnaturally trying to change, it’s better to just embrace
each other and spend every day together. Also, there’s no need to suddenly
change how we act. We can just progress at our own pace… well,
continuing as we have done already, isn’t that right?”
The words “at our own pace” slammed into Amane with a thud.
(…That’s right, it’s fine to not act according to others’ expectations)
Amane was worried about the proper behavior between lovers, but he
didn’t need to fret about it. They had a mutual love for each other, so they
would continue to date, so long as that held true.
There wasn’t any need to force a change, the two could slowly deepen
their mutual understanding and nothing more, for the time being.
“Yes. Sorry, I completely lost my peace of mind. This is the first time
I’ve ever dated someone; I don’t know what to do.”
“…Yes.”
“…Erm, in other words… even though I’ll act the same as before, I’ll
express my feelings of love for you even more.”
With determination, Amane held Mahiru’s hand and wrapped her palm
in his. Mahiru’s already blushing cheeks flushed even more. Her downcast
eyes were a sign of her shyness, but she still held Amane’s hand back and
leaned against him.
“Amane-kun.”
“Yes?”
“…That alone makes me very happy.”
“Yeah.”
After Amane agreed with Mahiru’s whisper, he quietly enjoyed the
warmth beside him.
“Amane-kun, please wake up.”
A gentle voice could be heard, calling for him.
Hearing a soft whisper in his sleep, Amane gently groaned and then
lifted his heavy eyelids, slowly opening his eyes.
Amane’s vision was a little hazy due to drowsiness, and an innocent
girl reflected within it, illuminated by the dim light spilling through the
windows.
With one knee on the bed, her body was bending forward and shaking
Amane awake. Her flax-colored hair dangled and swayed about.
“Mahiru?”
“Yes, good morning.”
Amane called out her name for confirmation. Hearing her familiar
voice, he saw her nod her head.
Amane’s mind was still a little confused; he wasn’t in a dream, and
Mahiru was indeed before him. Seeing Mahiru acting naturally, his mind
began to ease, the confusion gradually subsiding.
“…Morning. Why is Mahiru here?”
“Do you not remember what we discussed yesterday, Amane-kun?”
Seeing Mahiru’s frown slightly, Amane muttered “…yesterday…” and
recalled the conversation.
✧₊✦₊✧
“Can we go to school together on Monday?”
On Sunday, Mahiru asked as the two were parting.
She squeezed his hand and anxiously glanced up at Amane, making
the latter a little restless.
The reason Mahiru acted so cautiously was to confirm whether Amane
still wanted to conceal their relationship at school.
The two had discussed it for the time being and decided to make the
relationship public, but Mahiru still seemed a little worried.
“Of course, that’s fine with me.”
“Really, really?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
With Amane’s answer, the uneasiness in Mahiru’s eyes disappeared,
turning into joy.
Her shy whisper, “I’ve always wanted us to go to school together”
made Amane’s heart beat even faster. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice,
her expression only growing brighter.
“Then I will come over to your house in the morning, Amane-kun.
This way, I can cook your breakfast as well.”
“Wow, to have breakfast freshly made by you so early in the morning,
I truly am lucky, Mahiru.”
“It’s just the leftovers from the bento… I also make Amane-kun’s
bento, right?”
“If it’s not troublesome…”
It was already fortunate of Amane to be able to eat her handmade
breakfast, yet even his lunch was now going to be made by Mahiru. Of
course, Amane couldn’t refuse such an offer.
Mahiru’s expression was also relaxed. She didn’t need to worry about
others anymore. Amane looked very happy himself, albeit with a little
embarrassment and restlessness.
(We’re going to school together tomorrow, it seems)
Up until now, to prevent others from noticing their relationship,
Amane went to school after Mahiru.
From now on, that would no longer be necessary.
Amane would be envied if he were to publicly interact with Mahiru at
school, so he was still a little nervous. However, the most important thing to
Amane was Mahiru’s happiness, and he was happy simply to be by her side.
While looking towards Mahiru’s smile, Amane whispered, “I’ll have to
work hard tomorrow.”
✧₊✦₊✧
“…Agh?”
Since he had just woken up, Amane recalled yesterday’s events and
yelled softly.
Besides, seeing Mahiru’s face first thing in the morning was bad for
his heart. Not because he hated it, but because he was just too tempted by
her. He thought he should reconsider asking her to wake him up, at least for
now.
Mahiru looked slightly dumbfounded after seeing Amane’s
appearance.
She wasn’t puzzled per se, but instead felt helpless and wanted to
smile. Amane, embarrassed at the scene, began to purse his lips.
“Why are you so forgetful… okay, go change your clothes and wash
your face.”
“Alright.”
Mahiru would prepare breakfast at this time. Amane resisted a yawn,
straightened himself up from bed, and took off his shirt, before hearing a
shriek behind him.
Pulling his shirt back down, he looked back at Mahiru and found her
trembling, her face turning redder and redder.
“I-I’ve said this before, but please don’t undress in front of me!”
Due to taking his shirt off before her eyes, Mahiru was shaken, and
Amane could only smile wryly at the situation.
“But I’m a man, so it’s okay for people to see.”
“But I have a problem with looking…”
“It’s not that I want to show my body to you, since I don’t want to
force you. But we won’t be able to go swimming in the summer at this
rate.”
(Mahiru isn’t accustomed to seeing the body of men. Just how did she
survive summer classes in junior high…)
Amane wondered, but Mahiru can’t swim, so perhaps she used that as
an excuse to leave.
Mahiru was diligent in character, however, making it hard to believe
she would ever skip classes. She mentioned she chose a middle school that
didn’t require swimming as an elective, so perhaps it was possible after all.
The two made a vague agreement that they would go to the pool in the
summer together. If Mahiru minded too much about his body, Amane would
also start to find it embarrassing. There were often half-naked men all
around the swimming pool, so Amane wondered if she could manage going
there.
“Ugh…I-I will try…”
Mahiru must’ve realized it as well. Upon answering in a muffled
voice, she delicately opened her eyes and gazed at Amane.
Seeing Amane’s upper body, her cheeks flushed yet again, about to cry.
She trembled, muttering “uwah.” Truth be told, however, Amane’s body
shouldn’t have garnered this kind of attention.
To not let his body go to waste, Amane would exercise on weekdays.
Since he was in his second year of high school, he had also done additional
muscle training exercises recommended by Kadowaki, so his body wouldn’t
be shaped like a bean sprout. However, it still wasn’t a body of pure muscle,
and shouldn’t make someone turn away bashfully.
To become a man worthy of Mahiru, Amane certainly exercised more
often, but it wouldn’t become evident without time.
Of course, compared to when he first met Mahiru, his body was
stronger now, and he’d gained some muscle here and there, but it wasn’t
enough to make people stare in wonder.
(Unless she gets used to it soon, it might really become a problem…)
Even though their relationship will deepen with time, if Amane saw
Mahiru’s body now, he too would freeze in embarrassment as a result. In
that sense, they were one and the same.
“Ah… um… well, just go prepare breakfast…”
Amane also began to blush after imagining his partner’s body.
After hearing his words, Mahiru muttered “I’m going now” and
scurried away like a rabbit.
Upon seeing her back disappear behind the door, Amane slammed his
head against the wall, wondering to himself, “What am I doing so early in
the morning?”
The bathroom mirror reflected an unfamiliar self.
Amane wore the same uniform as per usual, but beyond his neck was
vastly different. His figure wasn’t completely unknown, as Amane had
occasionally shown this image to Mahiru before, but it did feel
uncomfortable to him that he wasn’t wearing his usual casual attire.
Fiddling with his bangs, Amane adjusted them to not cover his eyes.
Fortunately, boys didn’t need makeup, but Amane still wasn’t used to
dressing himself up in such a manner.
“Amane-kun…”
A voice called out from behind him.
Peering out from the bathroom mirror, Amane saw Mahiru calling out
to him as she was ready. However, after turning around, he saw her face
was a little conflicted.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Don’t you dislike doing it?”
“Dislike what?”
“Doing that hairstyle.”
“Huh?”
Mahiru hesitated a little, expressing her concern.
In Mahiru’s eyes, Amane always refused to attend school with his hair
styled, so Mahiru seemed worried their classmates would make a
connection between him and ‘that’ man.
Amane, who wanted to do this himself, didn’t hate it at all.
It’s not like he felt no hesitation doing it, but Amane felt that since
he’d decided to stand next to Mahiru, this was the least he could do.
Amane wasn’t particularly handsome, but since both Itsuki and
Kadowaki had reassured him beforehand, he believed there shouldn’t be
any major problems with his appearance.
With this getup, no one would say Mahiru had poor taste - at least,
that’s what Amane hoped for.
“It’s not a nuisance for me. Do you hate it?”
“…I don’t hate it, I just have complicated feelings.”
“Complicated feelings?”
“…Because I might not have you to myself anymore.”
Mahiru muttered such sweet words and shrunk up. Viewing this cute
reaction, Amane chuckled lightly, patting her head while being careful as to
not mess with her hair.
“You want me all for yourself?”
“…Yes.”
In all honesty, Amane had asked jokingly, but Mahiru nodded and
leaned forward against his chest.
Amane wasn’t expecting Mahiru to honestly agree. Although he was
the one that said it, it still made him a little embarrassed. Despite this,
seeing Mahiru rub her forehead against his chest made Amane smile, and he
slowly wrapped his arms around her body.
Mahiru was acting so adorably, so it was understandable for him
involuntarily touch her.
Mahiru was a head shorter than Amane, and her face was buried in his
chest. She clutched Amane’s shirt as if to imply she would never let him go.
Mahiru then raised her head and glanced at Amane, her expression hinting
at her unwillingness to stop.
“…Amane-kun, you are handsome, so many girls will start to
approach you. I’m glad you will finally be seen for who you are, but…”
“Regardless if I’m handsome or not, do you really think I would fall
for any other girls?”
“That probably won’t happen, but I’m still worried…”
“Are you jealous?”
Amane’s sudden words made Mahiru blush in the blink of an eye.
Even so, she quietly hummed and then buried her face in his chest once
more.
She was probably quite embarrassed. Through her flax-colored hair,
Amane noted that her face was red up to her ears.
“How cute…”
“…Baka.”
“Don’t worry, even if someone ends up approaching me, I won’t be
interested in anyone except you.”
Amane didn’t think of other women as possible lovers, so Mahiru
didn’t have to be jealous. Since, of course, there was a lovely and enviable
woman right next to him, who he greatly cherished. It would be impossible
for Amane to look away from her.
It may be extreme, but except for well-acquainted people, Amane
didn’t care about anyone and had no interest in them at all. Therefore,
Amane wouldn’t even glance at such people. The kind of person that would
suddenly approach a man as soon as he became handsome wasn’t someone
Amane would want to be acquainted with.
“…I know. So, I will show everyone that I’m the one who likes
Amane-kun the most, so no one else can cut in.”
“Watch out… I don’t want anyone else to see your cute expressions.”
“You always say these things, Amane-kun!”
Mahiru suddenly became angry. Amane quickly caressed her head in a
panic as consolation, but Mahiru lightly hit him on his chest.
“Amane-kun always says those things so casually, you shouldn’t do
that.”
“Shouldn’t, as in?”
“It’s not good for my heart.”
“I could say the same… sometimes you act so spoiled, it makes me
feel like I’ll die right there and then.”
On the contrary, it was Mahiru’s skin-ship that had the most
destructive power.
Whether it was her soft body that made him feel hopeless when
touching it, her sweet fragrance that overwhelmed him, or even her
innocent and unreserved smile, everything made Amane’s heart pound
wildly.
Even now, Amane’s heart was beating faster and faster because she
was acting so cutely. Mahiru, whose face was still buried in his chest, was
bound to notice it as well.
“A surprise attack is more effective.”
After murmuring so in a low voice, Mahiru pressed her cheek against
Amane’s chest.
“…But, because Amane-kun’s heart is also beating so loudly, I’ll let
you go for today.”
Mahiru was pleased with Amane’s heartbeat. She whispered as such,
before rubbing herself against his chest one more time.
That in itself was also very cute, and Amane almost groaned out loud.
He muttered “calm down, calm down” to himself and stroked Mahiru’s hair
to conceal his growing urges.
After roughly five minutes, Mahiru had finished charging her love.
Mahiru’s face remained reddened, her eyes a little moist. Looking at
her directly was bad for his heart, but since she looked satisfied, Amane
endured his restless mood.
“Let’s go then.”
Since there was enough time, even if they indulged in some physical
contact in the morning, they wouldn’t be late. Even so, Amane felt it was
time to leave, and he said such to Mahiru. She smiled and agreed. “Yes.”
Not knowing if it was a psychological effect, Amane thought Mahiru’s skin
was smoother than usual.
(It’s morning but I’m already tired)
Amane wasn’t annoyed. On the contrary, he was actually a little joyful,
because of this, he could endure his restlessness. If it was the weekend, he
could still dote on her to fight back, making Mahiru so spoiled to the point
of melting, but as it was a school day today, he couldn’t do that.
Mahiru didn’t seem to notice Amane’s fatigue and looked full of
energy.
Early in the morning, Amane already felt distressed and fatigued in all
aspects, but it wasn’t annoying. With a wry smile, he took their bags and
walked out the door with Mahiru.
As this was his first time leaving with Mahiru in their school uniform,
Amane harbored an incredible emotion. He locked the door, briefly glanced
at Mahiru, and found her looking a little uncertain.
Mahiru’s hand was timidly clutching the hem of Amane’s shirt.
“…Shall we hold hands?”
“Yes.”
It seemed Amane was right on point. He muttered “She’s so damn
cute” towards the shy Mahiru, and locked hands with her slender fingers.
She then immediately raised her eyes and cast a gaze saying “I didn’t
mean for Amane-kun to carry my bag”, but Amane whispered, “As the
boyfriend, I should at least do this.” and Mahiru closed her mouth. With her
lips pursed, her behavior looked very cute in Amane’s eyes.
“I feel so embarrassed to hold hands formally like this.”
The two walked out of the apartment and set foot on the road to
school. Since their date during Golden Week, this was the first time they
held hands outside, and Amane felt fidgety thinking about it.
What’s more, Amane wasn’t just a flower protector anymore.
Interlocking fingers with Mahiru with the so-called ‘lover’s knot’. This way
of holding hands showed off an extraordinary sense of intimacy between
them.
Although Amane had held hands with Mahiru several times before, it
still didn’t happen often, making Amane a little nervous.
He was worried about whether he was gripping too tightly or if his
hands were sweaty, but he could see that she had a pleasant smile on her
face.
“Although I’m a little shy, I’m also very happy.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been looking forward to going to school with Amane-kun like
this. After finally achieving my goal, um… how should I put it, I have a lot
of emotions… but I feel very, very happy.”
The two went to school together. Although it was only a trivial matter,
since it seemed to be Mahiru’s long-awaited wish, the expression on her
face was more energetic than usual.
“It seems a lot of Mahiru’s happiness is related to me.”
“U-um, this is because, um… my happiness is being together with
Amane-kun.”
“…I-is that so?”
After he stammered a little, Mahiru smiled softly. This smile once
again made Amane strongly aware of how much she liked him, leaving him
with a warm feeling inside his chest.
Amane tried his best to not show his feelings on his face, but Mahiru
saw right through him and smiled even heartier when she realized his
embarrassment.
“So, starting today, I’ll be feeling like this every day… I really am a
happy person.”
“I think that also applies to me.”
“Then both of us will be happy for a long time! That’s great.”
“Life with peace and tranquility is great.” Mahiru laughed happily,
shortening the distance between the two. This time, Amane was careful not
to irritate her and turned his body sideways to prevent her arm from sticking
to his body, and at the same time patted Mahiru on the head.
He was used to holding hands and walking together, but it was still a
little uncomfortable to stick too close. Of course, the intimate contact
between his girlfriend and himself made Amane very cheerful, but this
action may not look the same in the eyes of others, not to mention Amane
didn’t want to be seen looking so excited this early in the morning.
He carefully kept those feelings in his heart, then squeezed Mahiru’s
hand, and they continued walking to school while locking arms.
It was the morning rush hour, and there were many students and office
workers dressed up around them, showing affectionate looks.
“It feels like a lot of people are staring.”
As the distance to school became shorter, many eyes were cast toward
Amane, causing him to mutter tiredly.
The question of the people in his line of sight was diverse, with some
observing looking like “Who is holding hands with Shiina?”, while others
were mixed with jealousy, envy, and curiosity.
Although he was expected it beforehand, personally experiencing these
gazes was a different story.
Fortunately, not all the emotions in their line of sight were negative,
but Amane was unaccustomed to such sights. Amane had been happily
living an ordinary and humble life, therefore, he couldn’t calm down at all.
“Of course. Amane-kun looks like a completely different person after
all.”
They held hands and walked close to each other to show they were in a
relationship; naturally, the other male students would also witness it.
It was just that the gap, or difference, between Amane’s appearance
during the sports festival and the current Amane was vast. Although no one
directly asked him any questions, he could see that their gazes were filled
with curiosity.
“Is there really such a big difference?”
“Well, your hairstyle has changed, so you already look different, but
more importantly, you straightened your back and changed expressions to
one full of confidence, so the impression you give off is very different.”
“Sorry that I’m normally so disappointing.”
“Please don’t say that… after all, you’ve changed now, Amane-kun. I
like both the usual and handsome types of you, Amane-kun, but I hate it
when you belittle yourself.”
“I don’t want to be chided, so I’ll keep that in mind.”
“That’s good.”
Mahiru smiled at Amane with satisfaction, and leaned her body closer,
while Amane looked around again.
By now, their sights had met with a murderous aura, making Amane
almost freeze. However, after Mahiru shot them an angelic smile, the glares
immediately disappeared.
The angel with the power to stop anyone and anything truly was the
strongest.
In the relatively improved atmosphere, Amane felt prickly, but still
held Mahiru’s hand and looked forward. They were almost at the school
entrance already. Once they entered, Amane would be stared at even more,
causing him to have a headache just thinking about it.
“With all these gazes, how am I supposed to enter our classroom
later?”
“Please just give it up… or do you hate this?”
“I don’t hate it. I’ve decided to change.”
Since the time Mahiru confessed, Amane knew he couldn’t remain the
same as before.
Amane had decided to not embarrass himself being next to her. Instead
of neglecting to face hard work, it was better to prepare for tough situations
in order to be worthy of Mahiru.
Hearing this, Mahiru replied, “…Is that so?” while gripping his hand
even tighter.
“Huh, Mahirun?”
Amane noticed Mahiru’s ears were red and he was about to talk to her
when he heard a voice behind them.
Hearing the familiar voice and nickname, Amane turned his head and
saw Chitose standing there while blinking vigorously.
With a stunned expression, Chitose glanced at Mahiru, then at Amane
who was next to her.
Seeing them holding hands, Chitose smiled with an “oohh~”, walked
over to the two of them, and then suddenly patted Amane on the back.
“Good morning~ Have you finally reached this point, bro?”
“Shut up, will you?”
“Good morning to you too, Mahirun~ It seems things are going well.”
Chitose looked like she was in a good mood, constantly slapping
Amane on the back.
Today, Amane had been receiving curious and jealous sights. The
expression in Chitose’s eyes was pure kindness, which made Amane’s heart
warm.
“Congratulations Mahirun, my efforts haven’t been in vain.”
“Yes, I have discussed many things with you.”
“Mhmm. For example, Amane’s blockheaded-ness?”
“…Mahiru?”
“B-because, Amane-kun truly is a blockhead.”
Hearing what Mahiru said, Amane could do nothing to refute it.
Mahiru had always shown her feelings, but Amane hadn’t been able to
respond to them properly until now, and the responsibility was indeed on
him. Mahiru would inevitably end up consulting with Chitose on what to
do.
Chitose, who had extensively discussed him with Mahiru, commented,
“Well, it’s Amane after all,” which made Amane a little displeased, and she
looked up at him again. She seemed to be observing Amane thoroughly,
since she saw a well-groomed Amane in front of her.
“Oh, by the way, this is the first time I’ve seen handsome Amane~”
“What’s with this name?”
“It’s what Ikkun and Yuuta both said. Hmm, although you’re not quite
as good as Ikkun, you still look pretty nice for a guy.”
Chitose smiled and slapped Amane on the back again, expressing her
thoughts on Amane in her own way. Her words sounded like those of
encouragement, “Even if your looks are different, the person inside is still
the same”, which made the corners of Amane’s mouth relax a little.
“Itsuki is still the best for you, eh?”
“Of course. For Mahirun you’re the best, so there’s nothing to
complain about, right?”
“That’s right. I’m number one for Mahiru.”
Amane didn’t care about being the best for Chitose. As long as Mahiru
thought he was the best, that alone would be enough for him.
He glanced at Mahiru and found her holding his hand, leaning her face
on his arm, and whispered, “…Amane-kun is number one.”
Perhaps since she felt a little bashful of Chitose’s declaration, Mahiru
blushed ever so slightly.
“Good girl~ Mahirun is so cute. If Amane wasn’t here, I’d have
hugged you.”
“Okay, don’t do it while we’re still on the way to school, do it when
we arrive.”
“Wow that’s great, your boyfriend agrees Mahirun. Give me a hug
later~!”
“Uhh, please be merciful…?”
Upon suddenly being asked to hug, Mahiru nodded; albeit bewildered.
Then Chitose walked alongside Mahiru with a smile, seemingly desperate
to congratulate her.
After witnessing the intimacy between the two, Amane looked around.
Perhaps since they were getting closer and closer to school, there were
more students around them.
(…When we enter the classroom, that’s when the questions will start
flooding in)
Imagining the future arriving in just a few minutes, he showed a wry
smile away from the two girls.
After passing into the school building, the surrounding gazes escalated
even further. Although Chitose was also next to them, Amane and Mahiru
holding hands garnered a lot of attention.
Chitose leisurely remarked, “Oh my, so many people are watching,”
but Amane still wasn’t all that comfortable with their stares.
As for Mahiru, since she was already used to it, she continued to walk
graciously. She held Amane’s hand tightly as they walked together,
seemingly to announce their relationship.
“The Angel is with a boy…”
“Shiina looks completely different here…”
“That guy from before? Compared to the sports festival, this is a big
difference…”
…And so on. It was unexpected for them that Amane was the boy who
Mahiru declared was her ‘important person’.
Mahiru didn’t respond to their voices and showed her sweet smile as
the Angel.
“Amane-kun.”
“Yes?”
“We’re entering the classroom now, is that okay?”
As they approached the classroom, Mahiru asked Amane for
permission.
“I readied myself when I decided to show this appearance to them, so
it’s okay.”
“…Is that so?”
“It’ll surprise everyone. It’s only been a weekend since Mahirun
confessed, and you’ve already changed your image.”
Chitose said as such with a faint smile, “I was shocked too,” making
Amane feel slightly regretful he didn’t contact her, Itsuki, and Kadowaki in
advance.
Amane was too embarrassed to talk about the start of their
relationship, so he put it off. However, these kinds of things should be
mentioned to those who’d been supporting Mahiru and Amane since the
beginning.
“…Chitose?”