Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 8 - Chapter 2.4

4

Miwako had other business in the area, so they split up at the station, and Sakuta spent an hour riding back to Fujisawa.

Naturally, he filled the time with English vocab.

It was past two by the time he reached his destination. He stopped in the electronics store, browsed the bookstore, and killed a little more time before heading home.

Since he’d lied about having a shift today, he couldn’t get home too early.

After a ten-minute walk from the station, he reached his apartment building.

“I’m home,” he called as he stepped in.

A pair of shoes sat at the entrance. Not his or Kaede’s. Girls’ shoes, the heels neatly placed together.

They belonged to Mai.

He locked the door, took off his shoes, and poked his head into the living room.

“I’m back,” he said again.

“Hey,” Mai said softly. She pointed at Kaede, who was sound asleep on the kotatsu. “She was up late studying last night. I figured it was time for a break and some tea, but the moment I looked away, she was out like a light.”

Mai had two cups ready in the kitchen.

“She’s been pushing it. Make sure she sleeps right.”

Kaede working hard was a good thing, but it would never do if she made herself sick. And trying to study while nodding off wasn’t very effective.

“Got anything to cover her with? I don’t want her getting chills.”

“There’s a blanket in her room.”

“Good idea.”

Mai wasted no time, heading right on in and coming back with a small blanket. She gently laid it on Kaede’s shoulders, making sure not to wake her.

Sakuta went to his own room to change.

He put his bag on his desk and took off his clothes, top and bottom, leaving him in his drawers.

And just as he got to that stage, there was a knock on the door.

“Coming in, Sakuta.”

Before he could say anything, Mai opened the door and stepped in. When she saw him nearly naked, she rolled her eyes at him, closing the door behind her.

“Get dressed,” she said, exasperated.

“I must protest, Mai.”

“What?”

“You’re the one who opened the door before I answered.”

“True.”

“Eek,” he deadpanned.

Mai utterly ignored this, sitting down on the edge of the bed. The very bed upon which he slept.

Was that a sign she was good to go? He rather hoped it was, but instead, she put a bored look on and said, “Have fun at work?”

“Uh, no? It was real busy—need you to comfort my weary bones.”

He opened the closet to fetch some clothes. He took out some sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt and sensed her gaze on him. He turned back toward her.

“What?”

“So where’d you actually go?” Mai asked, legs crossed.

“What do you mean, ‘actually’?” he tried.

“Instead of this lie you’re telling me about a shift at work.”

Her tone was getting frostily polite. He couldn’t tell how sure she was, but her expression and tone made it sound like she wasn’t just fishing. She seemed like she already knew.

That alone meant nothing. She’d been an actress most of her life.

And there was no point trying to match her talent, so he just took the orientation pamphlet out of his bag.

“This.”

He handed it to Mai.

“Ah,” she said, glancing down at it. But then she looked back up, glaring at him. “But why was it a secret from me?”

“I didn’t want to make you have to lie, too.”

“But I’m better at it?”

He wasn’t talking about technique here. Mai was well aware of that but phrased it like that anyway. That left him without an escape.

“Okay, I didn’t want it to be just Kaede who’s been in the dark. That’s why I kept it from you, too.”

This was the honest truth, but it only deepened her frown.

“If you put it like that, I can’t torment you.”

“Since you’re such an accomplished liar, pretend you never knew about this.”

“Fine. When it comes time to tell her, I’ll be on her side, and we’ll torment you together.” Mai was finally smiling. But then she asked, “So when are you gonna tell her?”

She handed him back the pamphlet. He took it and returned it to his bag. Best if Kaede didn’t see it yet.

“I want her focused on the prefectural exam, so after that.”

“It’s gonna hurt.”

Mai glanced at the door, toward where Kaede slept.

“She wants you fully in her corner. You’ll be in the doghouse for a while.”

But somebody had to plan for contingencies. And while she was busy studying, that had to be him.

“I’ll need you to comfort me, then.”

“Can’t. I just promised to take her side.”

“Aww.”

“I couldn’t bear losing Kaede.” Mai smiled, clearly joking.

“Mai, I want you thinking only of me.”

“I always am.”

She got up from the bed and stepped closer to Sakuta. Her hand came up, and the tips of her fingers touched his chest.

“I’m glad the scars are gone.”

“Mm?”

“On your chest.”

Three big claw marks running from his right shoulder to his left side. Adolescence Syndrome resolved, the issue causing them was gone, and Sakuta was no longer visibly scarred.

“I feel like less of a man without the wild vibe they gave me.”

“Fair.”

They could joke now because it had all ended well.

“You’ll make yourself sick standing around without a shirt on.”

“But we haven’t even done anything yet!”

A hint of a smile crossed Mai’s lips, and she ran her fingers down where the scar had been.

“Ohhh!”

It tickled, and he made a weird noise.

And just as he did…

“Sakuta, you’re home…?”

…the door opened.

Kaede poked her head in through the half-open door and froze. Her eyes had found them. Sakuta in his underwear and Mai’s fingers stroking his chest.

“……”

There was a solid two-second pause, and then Kaede quietly shut the door.

“Kaede! We’re not—”

It was rare to hear Mai yelp like that. She ran out after Kaede.

He could hear her muffled voice yelling “I swear!” through the door.

Sakuta finally put some clothes on.