Chapter 28: CH 28

Your chest is so warm, Aizawa.

Translated by Dawn

Edited by Dawn

Your chest is so warm, Aizawa.

“Well, then…you should go on a date with me sometime.”

“….Eh?”

Mizutani added quickly to my blank stare.

“Because the other day I told Natsuki and the others that I had been on many dates with Aizawa. I have to experience it properly at least once.”

“Y-yeah, you said that…”

The theory made sense to me, but…would that be okay?

I mean, it was a different translation from the double date the other day, wasn’t it?

I glanced at Mizutani’s face and saw that she was smiling teasingly.

But her eyes weren’t smiling.

“Don’t tell me you are going to say no. Even though you were going out with Satomi on Sunday?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good.”

Mizutani nodded in satisfaction and resumed peeling the apples.

After a while, she casually said.

“But, it’s not like you, Aizawa. To accept such a challenge.”

Ah, here it is.

I knew we had to talk about this at some point.

When I turned my body toward Mizutani, she must have sensed that I was going to have something formal to say.

Mizutani straightened her back.

I finally said the words.

“I can’t be Mizutani’s boyfriend all the time. You might have someone you like.”

“I don’t think…that’s likely.”

“But you can’t say for sure that it won’t happen. In the first place, it is not healthy to continue this relationship for a long time. Then we have to put an end to it somewhere.”

“…..”

“If I beat Yamamoto in this match, he promised to stay away from Mizutani. If Yamamoto keeps his promise, Mizutani should be fine without me. That’s why I accepted the match.”

“…Maybe so. I think what you’re saying is correct.”

Mizutani looked down for a moment and then looked up.

Her eyes were like the surface of calm water.

“But in the first place, do you think you can win the match?”

“No, that’s why…he seems to be pretty good at studying. I found that out after I accepted the match too.”

“…That’s bad. What are you going to do?”

“I guess I’ll just have to study like a normal person.”

“Can you win if you just study like a normal person?”

“…It’s not whether I can win, I’ll have to win.”

When I said it like a main character in a shounen manga, Mizutani looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

“In other words, you’re not confident.”

“…that’s what it is.”

Mizutani sighed and continued peeling apples in silence for a while.

Then she finally opened her mouth.

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

“Eh…are you sure?”

“If Aizawa wins, Yamamoto won’t approach me anymore, right? So basically, I have to cooperate with you so that Yamamoto wouldn’t win, no?”

“…Well, in theory, yes.”

The conversation was interrupted once there.

Mizutani’s apple peeling was coming to an end.

Her hands were as dangerous to watch as ever.

She was not only peeling the skin but also shaving off a lot of the fruit.

Because of this, the apples were starting to take on a rather awkward shape.

“I’m done.”

After lying in bed for a little while, Mizutani said this and held out a paper plate to my bedside.

I looked and saw an apple cut into bite-size pieces and placed on the plate.

“Aizawa, can you feed yourself?”

What did she mean by that question?

If I were to answer that I couldn’t, she wouldn’t feed me, would she? That would be very intriguing, but…

“Don’t worry, I can eat it by myself.”

In the end, I answered honestly.

It wasn’t like I was afraid or anything. It was the truth.

“Do your best then.”

I received a paper plate and a fork from Mizutani.

The fork was from my house.

I tried to go to the living room to get it, but Mizutani stopped me and she brought it to me.

I stuck the fork into the piece of apple.

I felt Mizutani’s eyes on me.

“…what is it.”

“…nothing.”

Mizutani glanced at me, although soon looked away.

…Well, okay then.

I put one in my mouth and ate it crunchily.

The sourness and sweetness of the apple spread in my mouth and felt refreshing.

“Delicious.”

“…Thank god. I was afraid of what I would have done if it had failed.”

At my words, Mizutani patted her chest in relief.

What do you mean, “failed”? These are fresh apples.

After eating a few apples, I handed the plate to Mizutani.

Mizutani took the plate and put it aside.

“…well, isn’t it about time?”

“…what time?”

Mizutani tilted her head slightly as she said that while looking at her watch.

This girl was definitely doing that on purpose.

“I mean, shouldn’t you go home?”

“I know you’re planning to send me home early so that you can resume your studies. You still have a fever of 38 degrees.”

“…I won’t. I’d be an idiot if I did that.”

“But you are that idiot.”

“…..”

I couldn’t find the words to say back, so I had no choice but to keep quiet—

“Ah, that’s right. I’ve got an idea.”

“…!?”

Suddenly, Mizutani placed her head on my chest.

Her luxurious blonde hair spread out in a swoosh.

“Um, Mizutani-san? I have a cold, you know? You shouldn’t sleep on my chest…”

“I don’t care. If it’s Aizawa’s cold, it’s fine. Besides, if I do this…you won’t be able to wake up, will you?”

Mizutani turned to me and smiled.

I could feel her scent and temperature all over the area we were in contact with.

It was as if an empty place inside me was rapidly filling up.

“I could get up if I wanted to.”

“Yeah, well, try it then.”

Mizutani smiled provocatively.

But I didn’t have the guts to move Mizutani out of the way.

In the end, I could only look away.

Staring at the stain on the wall, I endured the various temptations that welled up.

Then, Mizutani muttered something to me.

“Your chest is so warm, Aizawa.”

“…that’s great.”

Please stop.

If you say anything more like that, I get my hopes up.

That you’re not acting, that you’re serious. Somewhere in my heart.