Chapter 2: Progress 3

Chapter 2: Progression 3

While looking at triangular shape pink fabric with small ribbon as if like a single sakura blooming, though it's not something you can see often, but you can often see them when you glimpse at woman's skirt.

"What are you staring at so intently?!"

Pow! My head was hit. Surprisingly, it made a satisfying sound, even though it was my own head...

"Hey, Kuromine! I'm seriously gonna hit you."

"You already hit me though?"

"Well, the next one won't be like that!"

"...I'm sorry."

I was scolded with such force that I obediently lowered my head.

No, this was an accident. I didn't intentionally look.

After returning home with Hoshimiya, we spent the time lazily, without any particular activities.

Then, around 9 p.m., I could hear the sound of rain starting to fall from outside.

Noticing the clothes left hanging on the balcony, I hurriedly collected them, and in my right hand, I found a pair of panties clenched tightly.

"Give it back already!"

Hoshimiya, who had completely lost her temper, forcefully snatched away the panties...

"Listen, Hoshimiya."

"...What?"

She glared at me sharply. Scary!

"Well, Hoshimiya, when a man and a woman live together, I think there's nothing we can do for this kind accidents to happen."

"But there's no need to stare so intently, right?"

"............"

"Now, you're staying silent? That's why boys are...!"

"Well, if we're going to start talking like that, Hoshimiya, you were staring at my boxers shorts too."

"T-That's because... I was doing the laundry and ironing..."

"And you were pulling and stretching them, playing around, right?"

"............"

"Why are you staying silent?"

As if protecting herself from my gaze, Hoshimiya bowed her head and tightly held her own panties in both hands.

"Hoshimiya?"

"I-It's fine, really. You're a guy, after all."

"Isn't that gender discrimination?"

"B-But! Kuromine, you wouldn't mind if I touched your boxers, right?"

"Well, it was definitely embarrassing, but..."

"Huh?"

"But well, since Hoshimiya is fine with it, I thought I didn't need to mind too much."

"I-I see... Uhm, well, from now on, maybe we should discuss various things, including matters like this."

Hoshimiya was right. While we had established roles and rules for our life together, we had been avoiding discussions that would make us conscious of our genders, like the situation we just experienced.

Part of it was because we had been considerate of each other, but perhaps due to getting accustomed to this lifestyle, we had let our guard down a little. It was the first time I had touched Hoshimiya's underwear so boldly.

"By the way, how long should I stay here?"

I suddenly remembered that we hadn't decided on such matters.

"It depends on the stalker, right?... Do you still want to live with me, Kuromine? Or... do you not want?"

"............"

"Kuromine-kun?"

It would be sad if I said I didn't want to... Her anxious expression conveyed such feelings. I wondered how I should answer.

Personally, I wanted to continue this current life together. That's what I thought.

But what about Hoshimiya? She didn't show any signs of hesitation to live with me, but I still didn't know her true feelings.

Moreover, I still didn't know who Hoshimiya liked. It seemed like she herself wasn't aware of her romantic feelings either. Well, the person she likes seems to be me as Kana mentioned.

But it's better not to jump to conclusions until I confirm it with her.

What if Hoshimiya's crush is... "Eh? The person I like? It's Hori-kun from the next class! He's handsome and the ace of the soccer club, it's great, right?"

............

I wish that handsome soccer player would just disappear. Well, I understand that he's cool and all.

BTW, Horikawa is a fictional guy in my imagination.

"If you don't want to live with me, just let me know. I don't want to tie you down after all..." Hoshimiya said.

"I don't mind. I want to live here with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Delicious food comes out, and you're very kind."

"You sound like a pet. Your statement is at the pet level."

"...I was joking. Living with Hoshimiya is actually quite enjoyable."

"I-Is that so... Living with me is enjoyable... Hehe."

Hoshimiya couldn't help but smile happily. Sh-She's so cute...

As I watched Hoshimiya, feeling my heart pounding, the ringtone from my phone in my pants pocket suddenly rang. I took it out and checked the screen. It was a call from Haruno's mother.

What could it be? It's quite rare for a call to come from Haruno's mother.

Curiously, I tapped the answer button.

"Hello?" (TL: Actually 'どうされましたか?' means "What's up" or "What's the matter" but it's kinda impolite if I used those words comparing to the Riku's words. So I decided to delete them. Let me know how make those words more polite.)

"Riku-kun? Is Haruno there with you?"

"Haruno? I'm not at home right now... I'm not with her."

"I see... Haruno hasn't come back yet. I can't contact her either..."

"It's almost 10 o'clock. Still not back..."

"I've contacted Haruno's friends too, but no one seems to know... I wonder where she went."

The tension was rising. Could she have been involved in some kind of incident?

Just thinking about it sent a chilling sensation through my veins.

"Thank you, Riku-kun. I'm going to the police to report it."

"Okay..."

Even after ending the call, my heart was restless. I couldn't help but worry. Lately, I hadn't talked to Haruno at all. That's why I couldn't help but wonder what she was up to.

Basically, I feel anxious when Haruno isn't by my side.

Recently, my life with Hoshimiya has been fulfilling, and I hadn't felt such anxiety... but now...

"What's wrong?"

"Haruno still hasn't returned home. It seems she's not at her friend's place either."

"That can't be... It's raining quite heavily outside."

"...Sorry, I'll be right back."

"Are you going to look for Harukaze-san?"

"I don't think I'll find her running around by myself... But I'll still go."

"I understand. But I think you should postpone it for now.... Oh! that umbrella, use it. Be careful, Okay."

I said "Thank you" and hurriedly made my way to the entrance.

I grabbed the umbrella and swung open the door, rushing outside.

It was darker than I had expected, making it difficult to gauge the intensity of the rain.

However, the sound of rain pounding on the roof of the bicycle parking area indicated that it was quite strong. It would be painful if it directly hit my skin.

"It's raining like this. I don't think she'd be outside, but..."

Was she at some store, or perhaps at the house of a friend, that her mother didn't know about?

As the worst-case scenario, could she have been involved in some kind of incident?

"...!"

I couldn't shake off the unpleasant thoughts. If, if... something happened to Haruno...!

I leap down the apartment stairs. While having umbrella in my hand, I started running without caring if my feet got wet.

My shoes were soaked, and water seeped into my socks... But that didn't matter.

First, I would take the train to Haruno's neighborhood.

Then, I would systematically search through the places I had in mind...

"...Huh?"

As I sprinted, jumping over puddles and running along the side of the road, I witnessed a peculiar sight.

Underneath a lamppost, someone was sitting. A person huddling her knees drawn close to her body.

The lighting was dim, making it difficult to see clearly, but the aura gave off a feminine vibe.

However, her presence was so faint that it almost seemed like a ghost.

It was not normal for someone to be sitting alone like this on a rainy night.

Under normal circumstances, I might have approached and initiated a conversation. But now, Haruno took priority.

I kept running without stopping, briefly glancing at the person, and... I almost tripped as my feet got tangled.

"H-Haruno!?"

"...Riku-chan?"

Sitting beneath the lamppost, exposed to the rain without any defense, was someone familiar to me from childhood.

Of course, Haruno was completely drenched. Her hair clung tightly to her head, and her uniform, soaked with water, looking heavy. But above all, it's her eyes.

The once sparkling and bright eyes were now clouded, like murky glass balls. She had the gaze of the dead, eyes of a dead person.

"Haruno... What... What are you doing here? What are you doing?"

"I wonder... What am I doing?"

"Haruno!"

I knelt before Haruno and firmly grabbed her shoulders.

They were incredibly cold, and I could feel a faint tremor.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, I held the umbrella over Haruno's head.

The rain were like shotgun pellets, shooting down on my body.

The pain was so intense that my face contorted, but I couldn't afford to worry about that now.

"Riku-chan, you're getting wet."

"I don't care about that! What about you, Haruno? What are you doing here?"

"I... I wonder what I'm doing..."

"Did something happen?"

"Well, if you could call it that... Maybe."

"Haruno?"

Then she stared at me intently, her bluish-purple lips, began to speak. (TL: Circumoral cyanosis is when only your mouth or lips turn blue. It often occurs when your blood vessels shrink in response to cold temperatures.)

"Today, I realized many things... and I've been thinking about a lot of things..."

"Okay, Okay... But for now, let's find a place with a roof..."

"Riku-chan, are you happy?"

"...Huh?"

"Being with Ayana-chan... Are you happy?"

"Huh... What do you mean?"

I truly didn't understand. I didn't understand the meaning behind that question or its intention.

Everything was so unclear.

"At first, I thought... If Riku-chan still liked me, then... that would mean your gonna ignore your own feelings, right?"

"What...?"

"I'm sorry for saying something so awful... I'm sorry for saying, I don't see you as opposite sex... If I were in your position, I might even... die..."

"..."

How powerless those words were, filled with such conviction.

Were the drops flowing from Haruno's eyes rain or tears, I wondered.

"...If being with Ayana-chan makes you happy... then forget about me... Please..."

In a fleeting voice, Haruno spoke those words and slowly closed her eyelids.

And in the next moment... her consciousness faded away, and her limp body slumped down.

"Haruno? Pull yourself together! Haruno!"

...

Haruno didn't respond...

Only the sound of umbrella in rain echoed.

◆◆◆

I left the umbrella behind and I carried Haruno on my back and sprinted with all my might to Hoshimiya's apartment.

I didn't have the time to bring it back now.

"Hoshimiya! Haruno, Haruno...!"

"W-What's wrong... Harukaze-san!?"

Seeing us appear at the entrance, drenched from head to toe, Hoshimiya raised her voice in surprise.

"Haruno was near the apartment! And... sitting in the rain!"

"Kuromine-kun, calm down. We need to warm up Harukaze-san's body now. I'll bring a towel."

"Yes! Please!"

After watching Hoshimiya rush into the bathroom, I sat Haruno in the hallway and leaned her against the wall.

"Haruno, are you okay!?"

"...Mmm?"

Haruno's eyelids opened faintly. It seemed like she couldn't grasp the situation, as her gaze wandered aimlessly. Nonetheless, I felt relieved that she regained consciousness.

"Thank God! I was worried you wouldn't wake up!"

"Where is this?"

"Hoshimiya's house."

"...Ayana-chan's house?"

"I brought a bath towel... Oh, you noticed, Harukaze-san."

"...Ayana-chan..."

"First, it might be a good idea for her to take a bath. She might catch a cold if we leave her like this."

"Y-Yeah! Haruno, let's get your clothes off!"

"─Huh?"

If we leave Haruno like this, she might catch a cold.

A cold is a scary illness. We need to do something quickly!

I placed my hand on the uniform Haruno was wearing and hurriedly unbuttoned it.

"K-Kuromine-kun!? What are you doing?"

"R-Riku-chan's ecchi!"

...Huh?

Hearing the panicked voices of the two, I finally understood what I was doing.

I had already unbuttoned a few buttons of her shirt, exposing Haruno's chest.

"Stop it! Kuromine-kun, stop it! Taking advantage of a weakened girl like this...!"

"I-It's not like that! Hoshimiya said to take a bath!"

"She might have said that, but there's no need to undress her here! And, Kuromine-kun, you don't need to undress her!"

"Well, um, her clothes are wet, so it would be better to take them off quickly... Wait, huh?"

I had already lost track of what I was saying and what I was getting flustered about.

"...Riku-chan, you're way too flustered..."

"...I'm sorry."

"You're always been like this... Whenever I slightly feel unwell... You always end up crying and doing strange things..."

"...I'm sorry."

All I could do was apologize. There's no one else but Haruno for me.

"It might sound like an excuse, but I can't forget the fear of losing my family."

And now it feels like I might lose Haruno too.

"Harukaze-san, can you stand up?"

"...Yeah. I'm a bit dizzy, though."

"Ah then, let me support you."

"Kuromine-kun, wait in the room. Consider it an order."

"Wait, Hoshimiya. I'll take care of Haruno."

"Standby!"

"I'll also—"

"Sit!"

"...Yes."

Like a scolded dog by its owner, I slumped and sat in place. There was an incredible aura about Hoshimiya right now. It's hard to put into words, but she was dependable.

Besides, in my current state of minor panic, I can't help Haruno. I'll leave it to Hoshimiya this time.

Chapter 2 Part 2 End

Open for Correction. Kofi 👇

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