CH 18

“So, Hidetsugu, what happened with Ando-chan after that?”

After dinner and party. Only men were gathered in the room.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. Did you decide?”

“Yeah, yeah, tell me about it.”

Shuya, Nobukazu, and a bunch of other guys came up to me with smirks on their faces.

”No,  nothing happened …, we just took a normal walk together.”

“”HAH~!!??””

“W-What?”

I was a little flustered.

“Hidetsugu, I always think of you as a manly guy, but … why are you so reserved towards women!”

“Ouch!”

Shuya tackled me, crossing his arms over me.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re trying to get your attention, okay?”

“Like I said,  what are you talking about?”

I said, a little irritated.

“Okay, calm down. Let’s enjoy him getting flustered as much as we can”.

Nobukazu said, calmly.

“That’s true, too. I’ll make a fool of Hidetsugu’s incompetence at best.”

“You guys, you really piss me off.”

“You are the one that is more annoying!”

For some reason, Shuya snapped.

“Damn it, just because you’re a little popular, you’re being like this~…”

“Huh? I’m not that popular, you know?”

“Hey, guys! Bring all the sake you can! Put it next to Hidetsugu!”

“””OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!””

The idiot boys were mysteriously united.

“Hey, you guys, keep it down!”

At any rate, I scolded.

*****

“Hiyori-chan, what happened with Matsuo-kun after that?”

“What?”

After a fun dinner and party. The girls were gathered in the room alone.

“W-what happened after that?”

“You know, you and Matsuo-kun went for a walk alone, right?”

“Did you hold hands?”

“Have you kissed?”

“And confession …… Kyah!”

Everyone was excited and bustling with joy.

“Hey, hey, hey, you guys, calm down.”

Shoko-chan was controlling them.

“So, Hiyo-tan. What happened in the end?”

“W-What do you mean, … we just walked together?”

I said, and everyone let out a sigh of visible disappointment.

“Well, I kind of knew that, but …… HIdetsugu the heck~!”

“Yes, that’s right~!”

“He’s usually so manly~!”

“I mean, wasn’t Matsuo-kun’s body amazing?”

“Right~, I’ve seen it before, but it’s not the same as other guys. He trains differently from the other guys.”

“Wasn’t he on the baseball team in high school?”

“Yes, that’s right. I heard he was a regular on the team.”

“What’s that? He must be very popular.”

“Hey, you guys.”

Shoko-chan controlled everyone again.

“”Ah, …….””

Everyone’s concerned glances were directed at me.

“I’m sorry, Hiyo-tan.”

“I-It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

I said, waving my hand hurriedly.

“I know very well that Matsuo-san is a wonderful person. …”

My face must have been breaking into a smile when I said that.

“Hey, hey, I asked that stupid duo. Hiyori-chan, you’re living together with Matsuo-kun, right?”

“W-We do.”

“How did that happen?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was wondering too.”

“Tell me~.”

Everyone said.

I was a little hesitant, but,

“Actually, ….”

I told everyone what happened to me.

“…That’s why”

Then the room fell silent.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for ruining the atmosphere…”

“Hiyo-tan!”

“Kya!”

Shoko hugged me. But it was different from before. She didn’t touch my body in a sexual way. She just hugged me genuinely.

“It was hard, you did your best. …”

Shoko-chan said, spilling tears. Everyone else cried, too.

“…..T-thank you.”

I also burst into tears.

“I must make sure that Hidetsugu makes Hiyo-tan happy.”

“Yes, yes~!”

“Show your manliness, Matsuo~!”

“He is a strong man~!”

“But when it comes to love, he’s a loser~!”

Everyone laughed at that.

“Don’t worry. I believe that Hidetsugu is a man who will make the right decision.”

Shoko-chan smiled at me.

“Right, Hiyo-tan?”

“U-um,W-well, y-you know…”

“Ahh mou~! You are so adorable~!”

“S-Stop~!”

And so the pleasant night went on.

*****

A tapping sound was heard next to me.

“Waa~, Hiyo-tan, you really are a good wife~! Seriously, you look so good in an apron~!” Ebina said,

“I mean, you probably prepared it on purpose.”

“Fufu~n. Or rather, you usually make Hiyo-tan wear an apron, right?”

“T-that’s… well, that’s right.”

“Hidetsugu was grinning looking at Ando-chan in her apron the whole time~!” Shuya said,

“Ee~~, Matsuo-kun is a closet pervert~!”

“Why!”

When I complained to the girls who teased me, they reacted with a happy reaction, “Kya~!”

“At any rate, Hiyori-chan, aren’t you a seriously good cook?”

“You’re really good with a knife.”

“T-That’s not true….”

Ando-san was completely embarrassed and turned her face down.

“Hey, Hey, You guys~, Don’t interrupt the lovey-dovey couple.” Ebina said.

“Oi, Ebina, Like I said, we’re…”

“Come on, Hidetsugu. Work together with your love as quickly as you can.”

“You guys….”

“M-Matsuo-san. Please fry the vegetables.”

“O-Okay.”

I stir-fried Ando-san’s chopped vegetables. The other guys were watching me with grins on their faces, but I ignored them.

That’s how it went…

“Wa~ that looks so good~!”

The meat was sizzling on the grill.

“Blue skies, blue seas, and beautiful beaches. It’s a great place to have a barbecue.”

“Right.”

Shuya and Nobukazu said,

Yes, we were having a barbecue at the beach right now. There was a space set aside for it. By the way, I was not wearing a swimsuit, but a T-shirt and shorts.

“Here, eat your food!”

“””Itadakimasu!”””

Then everyone placed the meat on a paper plate and ate it.

“”Delicious~!””

They shouted at the same time.

“Hoi hoi, give some to the lovebirds~!”

Saying that, Ebina made me and Ando-san eat it.

“Yeah, it’s delicious.”

“Delicious.”

“This curry looks really good, too!”

“It’s ready.”

“Really? Then, I’ll be the first!”

Ebina said, and Ando-san put rice on a plate and served the curry.

“Here you go, Shoko-chan”

“Thanks! Well then~ ……”

Ebina triumphantly ate some of Ando-san’s homemade curry.

Crunch, crunch.

Then, for some reason, she froze.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I-I’m sorry. Maybe it didn’t taste good?”

Me and Ando-san anxiously inquired.

“… sorry. It was so good, I passed out for a minute.”

“Hahh, what?”

“Yeah~! Hiyo-tan’s curry is really delicious!”

“””Really!?”””

Then, everyone rushed over.

“Curry man, curry man, give me some curry too!”

“Shuya, shut up!”

While I scolded them like that, the curry went around to everyone.

“”Seriously, DELICIOUSSSS~!!””

Such an energetic voice echoed through the air.

“Told you, Ando-san…”

“I-I’m so happy. ……”

She smiled happily.

“Hey, look at that.”

Then something made the beach a little buzzy.

“Wow, she has a great figure!”

“She’s beautiful.”

“I mean, she is …….”

We turned our attention to the center of the commotion.

“”Whoa, it’s Marina Kouzuki!””

The two idiots exclaimed.

“What, Marina-chan!?”

“Seriously~?”

“Where~?”

The girls reacted.

“Hey, who’s that?”

I asked.

“She’s a very popular model~!”

“She’s the same age as us and a sophomore in college~!”

“And she’s got that super-model body!”

“Her hair is so beautiful!”

The girls were excited. I caught a glimpse of the person in my vision. I thought she was tall and slender, and her long, silky hair was very beautiful.

She certainly had a slightly different aura than your average girl. She was wearing a T-shirt over her swimsuit. Still, she attracted more stares than the other girls in swimsuits.

“…Ara, that smells so good.’

Marina Kozuki said.

“Looks like a fun barbecue.”

Then she smiled. Even though she was wearing sunglasses, you can feel the softness in her eyes.

“Kya~! Marina-chan is talking to me!

“C**p, C**p!”

“C-Can I take a picture?”

The girls were completely excited. The boys, too, were all excited.

“I wonder who made this curry?”

“It’s this girl!”

A girl said, pointing at Ando-san. I looked at her standing next to me. Her smile was gone and she was trembling with fear.

“Ando-san? What’s wrong?”

I asked.

“Ah, look who it is…if it isn’t Hiyori”

Marina Kozuki said.

“””EHHH?”””

At those words, everyone widened their eyes.

I looked at the woman, surprised

“You don’t mean ……?”

She took one look at me and smiled.

“Marina Kozuki is my stage name. My real name is …….”

Instantly, the shape of her mouth seemed as if it had been ripped open like a demon.

“–Marina Ando.”

When she told me this, Ando-san trembled. I’m sure of it.

“……I see, so you’re the one …… tormenting Ando-san.”

I looked at her trembling next to me and said.

“Ara, that’s a very insulting thing to say. I adored Hiyori as a family member, you know? She’s the same age as me, but she’s smaller than me. I treated her like a little sister.”

Smiling, Marina Kozuki …. no, Marina Ando said.

“You …….”

I glared sharply at her as I touched Ando-san trembling back.