When I Said, “I Want a

Beautiful and Rich

Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Colored Illustrations
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 1 – A Woman
Named Tendou Tsukasa

The first time I heard the name of a girl named Tendou

Tsukasa, I remember thinking: uhuh, I guess a beauty is as
good looking as the name suggests.

The next time I heard that name, the story about her family
came, and I think I was impressed with, “whoah.”

And then on the third time, “huh?” I questioned back, lost

for words. That’s natural.

And from then on, even if the topic about her came up
again, I’d just respond indifferently, like with “uhuh” or “I
see.”

To sum it up, a girl named Tendou Tsukasa is an outrageous

existence who is a beauty recognized by everyone, came
from a venerable and wealthy family, is a promiscuous
woman who would sleep with a man who even has a lover
without a care, has so many enemies or is so unguarded
that such rumors spread throughout college, yet she’s
spending her days with a smile without really minding
those.

That’s why when I heard recently that she got engaged,

“well that’s another poor soul,” I felt sympathy.

After all, Tendou Tsukasa is being distanced by both men

and women within campus and doesn’t seem to have any
friends. In fact, all the people I happened to see around her
are hangers-on either looking for sex or money, and despite
all that, the person in question seemed to be spending her
days merrily.

It is only natural to think that despite how good looking she

is or how loaded her family is, there probably really isn’t any
man who would want to go for a marriage with her.

So I thought: if that’s the case, the fiancé is probably either

completely unaware of her circumstances, has been tricked,
or has some other compelling reason, what a poor soul.

“This is Tendou Tsukasa-san, your fiancée.”

“Nice to meet you.”

However, Tendou Tsukasa’s fiancé is none other than me.

“—Ah yeah.”

For some reason, me.

In a banquet hall of a hotel facing Hakata Bay, a landmark

of Fukuoka, amidst the gaze of each other’s parents,
siblings, and Tendou’s grandmother, the words ‘how can this
be’ were swirling in my head at the sight of her in her dress
with her head bowed in a beautiful posture.

“Please! Don’t tell Grandmother the rumors about me!!”

A day after the shocking meeting; to my horror, the miss

Fiancée, who apparently has been passing herself as a
decent young lady to her relatives, came to beg me upon
catching me on campus.

On terrace seats with a refreshing early summer breeze

blowing through, I shook my head composedly as I stared
straight into the desperate eyes of her, who sat across from
me. “Impossible.”

“Heeeey!?” Shrieking, Tendou raised her prettily groomed

eyebrows.

Her slightly slanted eyes are light brown, and her dainty
featured face looks mature, maybe because of make-up.

Her gentle curly hair is reddish brown; though not in line

with her too flamboyant of a history of love affairs, her
fashion is usually giving off a slightly mature, elegant, and
stylish impression.

I don’t know what kind of style it would belong to, but to be

honest, based on her outer appearance alone, it’s quite to
my liking.

If only it’s not Tendou, I want to try to go with it a little.

“Nah it’s really impossible, I’m thinking of explaining

everything and declining the matter.”
“Wait hold on, there’s something about me you’re not
satisfied with!?”

“Your sexual morality, I guess…”

“You know, I have a good face as you can see!”

“And the part about not listening to what others say as

well.”

“My family is rich, too! I’ve got a good figure, and a really
great face more than anything!”

“Haah…”

I don’t and can’t deny it, but just how much is she gonna
insist on her good face?

Certainly, she’s beautiful enough that when she’s

desperately begging for a favor, it makes me feel good from
the illusion of greatness that I’ve got, though.

“Guys normally would be happy to be engaged to someone

like me, don’t they!?”

“No, as expected, I don’t want to be engaged to someone

who looks like she would sleep with five people in three
days.”

“How rude! Even at most it’s about three people in two

days!”
“Yikes.”
I meant it as a joke, but looks like that kind of type really
does exist. Actually, the sensibility that can make her say it
is first of all already incompatible with me.

“And you know, everyone compliments me that I’m good in

bed! I also like pleasing guys, and it might not be obvious,
I’m the type who does my best in bed!”

“That’s the thing, Tendou.”

Even for an instant, can I have you think even a little about
the meaning of letting the partner you are engaged to to
hear such a blatant sexual matter?

“Why? A partner who’s good at sex is a happier thing, right?

Are you different, Iori-kun?”

“That’s just not necessarily the case for everyone.”

If this was a high school student couple or something, this

could cause a lifetime trauma, alright.

Even me, I got engaged to Tendou without knowing

anything, and if I find out about that technique and spirit on
my first time, it wouldn’t be weird if I become impotent from
shock.

“Speaking of which my name, you remember it.”

“Why are you thinking I won’t remember my fiancé’s

name…? We also greeted each other the last time we met,
and we’re even taking the same classes to begin with, and
we even have talked a little bit, haven’t we…?”

Tendou has a point, but I wonder why… that I feel a little

pissed when she makes a face that says: what are you
saying?
“Well that’s true, but for now I want you to stop calling me
by my first name.”

“Why?”

“I don’t like it. I got teased a lot that it’s woman-ish.”

“Then it’s the teasing that’s bad, right? And isn’t ‘Iori’ a
conventional male name? Like Miyamoto Iori; I even saw it
in historical dramas.”

Then Tendou asked if the kanjis are the same, and then I
nodded to her.

What she’s saying is right, but the problem is that such a

sound argument is not going to work with someone who
says ‘for some reason’ it’s feminine.

I’m a college student, and getting all pissed going ‘what’s

wrong with “Iori” being a man’s name!?’ is just no go…

“The kanjis are the same, but well please call me by my

family name.”

“By sound alone isn’t ‘Shino’ more feminine?” She mutters,

“well fine by me, though,” and her expression turned
serious.

“Anyway, let’s have a more serious talk, shall we? Listen a

bit to what I have to say, and then in the end what are you
dissatisfied about, Shino-kun?”

“Your history with men.”

“I can’t do anything if you brought that up!”

“Whoah you’re snapping back…”

“It’s justifiable, and consider my circumstances a bit.”

“Uhuh, I do think that even criminals have been through a

lot.”

“Also stop treating me like a criminal, I’m not doing anything

that bad.”

“Are you okay? You didn’t have an adultery with a professor

or something?”

“I’m sure I’ve caught no one having one. And in the first
place I didn’t.”

“Or like fooling around with a middle schooler.”

“I didn’t! Just what do you think I am!?”

“A woman who will sleep with anyone?”

“YOU – ARE – WRONG! I have a reason!” Bam bam bam –

Tendou protested, banging the table.

Hmmm, she’s being hysterical but it doesn’t look out of

place so being a beauty sure has its perk; this ‘lil
personification of lookism.

“I mean, my family is rich but it’s veeeeerrrry old-fashioned,

you know? No regards at all for my wish, it was decided
since I was born that I would be married to a partner of my
grandmother’s choice, so you’d think I’d be married off to
an older greasy middle-aged man or an ambitious brutish
glasses guy, right?”

“Just why did you think a partner like that would be

chosen?”
“If that happens, someone like me, a strong willed and high-
proud-looking woman, would of course be put through
humiliation of getting me to succumb sexually, right?”

“You started to sound like a high schooler with wild

delusions there…”

“Then of course I’d want to feel good by casually making

guys who would pamper me as a partner and having light
love-pretends while I’m still a free woman, right!?”

“I so very can’t sympathize with that.”

“Besides sex does feel good! You will even forget all the bad
things midway! But well, it’s true you’ll feel a little empty
afterwards, though…”

“Tendou, you’re an honest person, huh…”

“Are you feeling like being silent about it now?”

“I’m not.”

“Aah geez…! And also, even I chose my partners

accordingly, you know?”

“I heard you also take a bite on someone with a girlfriend,

and might get stabbed one of these days, though.”

“How rude, I only choose guys aiming for sex, and I’ve never
once invited anyone with a girlfriend. Even so, no matter
how amazingly beautiful I am, men like that will cheat on
you sooner or later.”

“I wonder if you have a point…”

“On the contrary, I’ve always turned down anyone who

seems serious about me, or virgins who have never dated a
girl before. Wouldn’t you feel bad for them if they get
insecure?”

“Now I’m not really sure if you’re a bad girl or what… By the
way, are there any virgins you’ve known for a long time and
on good terms with?

“Eh? Let’s see, I have a classmate from middle school I talk

to a fair amount, though… What, were you jealous? I’m not
like that with him, okay?”

“Nope, not at all.”

Tendou was sulking a bit like: What’s with you.

But I see; so she’s a wild, beautiful female friend who

absolutely won’t sleep with anyone who would’ve done it
only with her, huh… this is probably causing emotional
trauma.

I quietly wept in my heart for the virgin whose name I don’t

even know.

Huh? But will I be on the bad side at this rate? Looks like my
reason to refuse has increased.

“Well, I understand the gist of your circumstances. Right, as

for my impression… aren’t you imprudent?”

“Stop the harassment with logical arguments.”

“How dare you say that to me who is receiving harassment I

don’t even understand at this very moment.”

“Why does asking a little favor from my fiancé count as

harassment.”
“‘Cause you’re relentlessly trying to stop me from wanting
to break off the engagement, I guess.”

“I don’t have a choice! Grandmother is reeeeeaaally scary,

you know!? Now if I were to be the cause of the immediate
breakup of the engagement for me then…!”

“Then?”

Looking at Tendou’s pale face, it seems this is not a bit of a

joke.

Well even if I think about it normally, it might be a ‘I’m

sorry’ situation if it only causes anger.

If it were to be too awful, maybe I could be a little more

flexible regarding the reasons even if I’m going to decline
the matter.

“Death…?”

“Just why.”

That’s just too exaggerating. That’s already beyond scary or

anything like that now.

Just what kind of reign of terror is being practiced in the

Tendou family if they even hold the right of life and death?

“She’s just that scary! For example, if I become completely

uncontactable after a mention that I’m going overseas, no
outsider would know even if I’m dead, right!?

“Eeh…?”

Putting the credibility of it aside, it seems that Tendou

herself seriously seriously believes that even elimination-
like isolation from the current reality like that wouldn’t be
surprising.

But if something like what she just said actually happens, I’d
just think, ‘oh, she must’ve found a man overseas,’ you
know? Probably.

“Then can’t you stop the engagement by saying it yourself?

It’s not gonna hurt to try, and I don’t mind if you say a few
bad things about me for the sake of it.”

“There’s no use saying anything to Grandmother. She’s old

fashioned, and even if you’re a true sadist who loves to see
a girl getting messed up, she’ll just tell me to put up with
it.”

“Don’t just say someone’s a sadist willy nilly; what’re you

gonna do if it causes misunderstanding?”

“Besides, I also have an interest in this engagement from

the beginning.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I mean if the partner is you, we can have a normal student-

like romance from now like having a date after classes, a
home date on days off, and a short trip together during
summer vacation, right? Not some kind of a sex slave
behind the decorative status called ‘wife’.”

Somehow she just started talking about kinda cute things

there.

The unpleasant later half is I think the result of paranoia,

though.

“Uhuh, even up till now you could’ve done those, right?”

“There’s no way I can be irresponsible and go out with
someone knowing that it’ll be torn apart, right? It’s just
gonna be hard on both sides if things get serious, and if it’s
just gonna be a moment of playing pretend in the end then
—so I went with only a physical relationship with a casual
partner.”

Urg, I’m lost for words and regretted asking about this
personal stuff a little.

She really is imprudent and I can’t help but wonder about

that moral outlook, but I see, I’ve ended up swallowing it up,
that Tendou certainly got her own way of thinking and
circumstances.

No, although the heartburn is strong despite swallowing it

up, I don’t think I’d be able to digest it very soon, though.

“Hey Shino-kun, would you give this engagement a little

more serious thought?”

And then as if saying ‘this is the time,’ Tendou put her fair,
slender, delicate, and then somehow smooth hands on my
hands on the table, followed up with an upturned, hot gaze.

“Not gonna fall for it.”

“?”

Upon expressing my unrest, what I got in return was a

quizzical look.

Also, the way she tilted her head was cute.

“Well but, I do think it’s still a lot to bear if the number of

people my potential marriage partner has been with is in
three digits.”
Somehow I managed to find a way out while scolding myself
for almost losing control.

I’m hesitant even if it’s at a lovers stage, but this is an

engagement. If things go further, I would be spending the
rest of my life with Tendou Tsukasa, something I can’t take
on thoughtlessly.

I don’t really understand but my instinct is telling me:

Things ahead are gonna be hell, dude.

“Is that so… just wait a minute.”

As I prepared myself for what she might say next, Tendou

pulled out her smartphone from her bag, and then repeated
swiping it all the while murmuring something.

“—…, —…, —”

Wait, she said a teensy ‘eighty nine’ midway there, this

woman.

“—Yep, it’s all right. As expected, even I didn’t get to three

digits, so don’t worry, okay?”

“No, midway you did say ‘eighty nine,’ didn’t you?”

“Wasn’t it just you mishearing ‘eighteen, nineteen’?”

“Weren’t you just so naturally saying the ‘tee’1 part?”

“You’re just like a detective, Shino-kun. But you’re just

thinking too much; something like that is to each their own,
right?”

“Right…”
That might be true, but is she trying to say that it’s perfectly
clear if there’s over 20 in the first place?

That’s not awful, but even so that’s not the kind of number
where you would just say ‘all right, then.’

“Nope, I just can’t. It’s putting me off.”

“Why!? Look, just for the record, being a virgin is not that of
a good thing, okay!? I’m saying this because I was once, but
I’m for sure a better woman now!”

“Well yeah, every woman at some point was once a virgin,

right…?”

And then don’t lump all the non-virgin-woman in the world

together with someone with 90+, or so I protested in my
mind.

“Also even if the number of people is high, almost all of

them are one-night stands, so the frequency itself isn’t even
that much! Having sex for a hundred times for example,
even if you’ve only been with one person and then have
been dating for two years, it would definitely exceed that,
right!?”

“How should I know?”

“You can figure it out with just a little math, right!?”

As if a virgin would know that; c’mon, give me the formula.

Actually, is it really gonna be a hundred times?

“Arrgh geez!” Having lost all of her slightly composed, sexy

mannerism she had until just now, Tendou continues,
looking like at her wits’ end. “Also, and also, umm if you are
like, if you are concerned about the outer look, don’t worry,
okay? I’m all in good condition! Umm, and like the color and
shape are on the beautiful side!”

“Please spare me the graphic stuff.”

Just what are you making me hear…

“I also don’t have any weird habits; if you like, wanna go to

the toilet or something now to check?”

“I’m gonna beg you again; please stop, just please.”

Is this what a rich, beautiful young lady would do!?

Vulgar, huh. So vulgar talk, huh.

I somehow managed to hold back my gaze—drawn to

Tendou’s chest as she leaned forward—from almost going
towards the area around her lower back across the table
top.

“—Y-you’re right. I myself even thought this is a bit

improper. I’m sorry.”

Perhaps having just barely noticed it despite having made a

virgin taken aback, Tendou pulled herself back and, “ahem,”
cleared her throat.

“Errr, so, right… Let’s take a calm moment and ascertain

why we got engaged in the first place. Shino-kun, did you
hear anything about this part?”

“Let’s see… If I remember correctly, I think my grandfather

saved your grandmother at some point or another. Then, he
was told that she would do anything to thank him, so he
asked her to marry him, but your grandmother already had
a partner for her, so it turned into, ‘instead if you’d like, our
child then.’ But since my dad married my mom, it became
like, ‘then let’s bring this to the next generation,’ I think…”

Thinking back, she’s so terrifying, Tendou’s grandmother;

willing to make life decisions without regards for the wishes
of her daughter and grandchild.

Is she a god? What was she gonna do if the sexes weren’t

the right one?

“Yeah, that’s right. I know about those too; I’ve been told
about it often. But, since the matter with me has progressed
this time, doesn’t that mean you wanted the engagement,
Shino-kun?”

“Aah, it’s just maybe, but the other day when my dad asked,
‘isn’t it about time you get a girlfriend?’ I said, ‘I want to,
but I can’t get one.’ So, when I told him my type of
preference was ‘a rich beauty,’ he replied like, ‘leave it to
me,’ so I guess that’s why…”

“The whole story is worse than I imagined!! Also just why

are you complaining about having been engaged to a rich
beauty then!?”

“I mean there’s an attribute ‘love to fish men’ attached that

I totally don’t want…”

“I already explained earlier there is a reason for that, didn’t

I!?”

“You did, but I just couldn’t take it in. To begin with, it’s hard
to imagine how such a light conversation could turn into
something like this, isn’t it?”

“That is true, but it’s actually happening!”

Tendou’s voice, which was once again rising up, was
gathering curious gazes from the surroundings.

As someone who has led a life without a lot of attention, I

feel a little distorted sense of superiority now.

Well, the truth is that we’re having a talk about something

awful, though.

“Geez, now just be silent, get engaged to me, marry me, get
into the grave with me! If you don’t want to, at least give it
a grace period, then give it a suitable reason, and decline
it!”

And we’ve been talking about this and that, but isn’t that
actually a roundabout way to go about it I wonder?

It was a matter happening after both families gathered on

such a grand scale, too. And I’m scared of my mother and
little sister if I make a mistake in the way I treat girls.

“Hnnn, if it’s just that then… And there’s what looks like a
victim side to you as well.”

“Will you get into the grave with me!?”

“Wrong, you can tell it’s the latter from the flow of the
conversation, right? What’s up with your language skills?”

“Tsk.”

Hey, she clicked her tongue there, this young lady.

I can feel my slight sorry-feeling is fading away with great

momentum.

“Haaaahhhh…”
I gave her a damn big sigh in return, and then Tendou
blatantly frowned and began, “how could you sigh in front of
me,” mumbling like so.

“But you know, I’m just thinking something like this would
cause less hurt if it was settled early on.”

“It’s gonna be a fatal wound for me if it’s early on—besides,

are you sure? Taking the position I mean. During the grace
period you might think you’re glad you got engaged to me,
you know?”

“Hahah.”

“You just snickered, didn’t you…!?”

Leaving aside Tendou’s amusing joke, looks like for the time
being I will have to accompany her at least with an assistant
apprentice candidate fiancé mindset.

Although it was absolutely impossible to predict, it seems to

have been sparked by an idle chat between me and my
father, and if I disregard Tendou after begging to me this far,
and then she really goes missing, as expected, I would have
a bad conscience about it.

Well, I also don’t mind if it just takes six months if it’s gonna
be long; it’s not like I’m obligated to do anything anyway.

“Well, this might be a short relationship, but best regards

once again, Tendou.”

“Never once have any guys so far treated me crudely…!”

When I offered my hand for a handshake to Tendou, who

was making a dissatisfied face, she for some reason
entangled that fair hand of hers on mine in lovers hand
holding.

“…What’re you doing?”

She, whose face is extremely above average as I thought,

was staring at the hands; and I could feel my palm slowly
starting to sweat when her delicate hand softly grasps my
palm several times.

“There’s a saying you can tell a lot about compatibility when

you clasp your hands together, isn’t there…”

So in other words, doesn’t that mean you’re a partner so

awful for me that it makes me sweat?

And then after a brief of silence, Tendou Tsukasa smiled

bewitchingly.

“—Hey Shino-kun, how about we head to a hotel for a bit

now?”

When I silently called up the Tendou family’s number on my

phone and showed it to her, she apologized while on the
verge of tears.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 2 – Daily Lives
With a Fiancée

“Hey Shino-kun, I have something important I wanna talk

about.” Finishing a bowl of Sichuan dish noodles from the
campus cafeteria, which is ill-suited to her attire and face,
Tendou Tsukasa initiated a talk with me.

She is an extreme beauty with dainty looks, someone with

quirky character where she self-acknowledges it and
moreover would say it herself, a possessor of problematic
sexual morality having a history with more than 90 men
while still a student, and a woman with circumstances who
just the other day, although I was a little reluctant, became
the fiancée of me, Shino Iori.

“—Can it be tomorrow?”

“Come on! Didn’t I say it’s something important!?”

And, she is also a possessor of character that’s strangely
not causing me discomfort despite her slightly hysterically
raising her voice and lifting up her brows, but instead,
encouraging the manifestation of a new fetish of: Let’s tease
her a little more.

A while has passed since I’ve assumed the cover of acting

as an assistant apprentice candidate fiancé of Tendou
Tsukasa, but even now, new discoveries about her never
ends.

“Okay I will hear it, but I want you to at least let me enjoy
my lunch.”

“What, you want me to do the ‘aahn’ thing? I don’t mind,

though.”

“You’ve made a great mistake if you thought every man

would be delighted with that, alright? I’m talking about
letting me concentrate on the food.”

I wonder where this self-confidence came from. It’s the face,

is it?

“I think that attitude of yours that’s cold towards me like

that is the mistaken one, though… And also, how’s the katsu
curry at lunch together with a girl?”

“If you’re saying that, how’s the Sichuan noodles over

there?”

“Saying that I don’t have any charm at all to talk about is

just spiteful.”

“Then I’ll go with that also.”

“It’s just not like that when saying ‘also’.” In a bad manner,
Tendou Tsukasa sighed a big one with her chin resting on
her hand on the table.

Despite being full of pride that she herself is a beauty, and

while at it, often speaking self-assertively one way or
another, and yet unexpectedly and surprisingly, Tendou is
someone who is strangely easy to talk to.

Well it’s probably because she’s exaggerating those

elements, but this young lady seems she could do well in a
hostess bar or something, or so I thought as I put the last
piece of katsu into my mouth.

When I sank my teeth into the soft, thick batter, which has
been soaked in roux, and bit it off into two right at the fatty
part, a devilish umami flavor slowly began to overflow. Yep,
the sweetness and saltiness of the fatty meat is just
excellent.

I thoroughly enjoyed that bite, which marked the finale of

my lunch.

“—Thanks for the meal.”

“You’re eating so heartily there, well.”

“Mmrg.”

Somehow feeling a sense of defeat despite Tendou having

said such a thing sincerely, I refreshed the inside of my
mouth with a cold drink, and picked up the tray of mine
along with already tidied up hers.

“I’m gonna go return these.”

“What, I can do that much myself.”

“It’s fine, just hold on to the seat for me.”

I leave my seat, and with a curt, “the early bird catches the
worm,” getting the better of Tendou who was trying to say:
Then I will.

Actually, the cafeteria is not so packed that I’d have to

worry about the seat. It is a comeback to the earlier
implication from her that I got no tact.

Even though she’s surely popular enough that she’d be used

to something to this degree, which can’t even be called a
good look, the small “geez” coming from her sounded
awfully delightful.

“—Look, he’s coming back now. Don’t talk to me anymore, I

don’t wanna get misunderstood.”

And when I came back from the dishes dropping point,

Tendou was just indifferently chasing away a playboy-
looking duo. This was only in just dozens of seconds, how
amazing.

It’s not my concern when and where she’s talking to whom,

but the rude gazes directed at me are slightly unpleasant.

When I stared back silently, the hunk-looking duo grinned,

and then walked away while amused about something.

“Hmph,” I snorted without thinking.

“I’m sorry.”

I replied to Tendou, who looks unusually dejected, being

careful not to let it sound angry. “—It’s fine. It pissed me off,
but it’s not your fault.”
“Umm, I was just teased a bit about the engagement, and I
know there’s no persuasiveness in it no matter what I say,
but don’t misunderstand, okay…?” Tendou, whose face is
very pretty, was now behaving in a meek manner, but it
somehow felt off.

Maybe because she’s a cheery one, but I feel like Tendou’s

charm is more pronounced when she’s laughing, angry, or
getting carried away.

Would it be more like her if she rather went all smug? Like:
Well? If you have a good face, you’d continuously get
approached like this, you know?

“No well, I don’t care about that. I was just pissed off at

them for staring at me.”

“Come on! That answer is just odd!!”

Tendou raised her eyebrows at my honest words, but

considering her history with men, it was just too late for
that, huh.

If I worry about her being approached somewhere I don’t

know, I’m probably gonna fret about it every minute. It’d be
very bad for my health, and there’s also no reason to.

“You know, Shino-kun? I’ll say this for the record, but I’m not
sleeping with anyone anymore since I got engaged to you.”

“Eh, are you okay? Are you not getting backed up?”

“A bit… No! That’s not it! Just a little see me in a positive

light, give me credit, I don’t like it but show some suspicion
or something! Have interest in me!”

Hmmm she’s beautifully going along with the joke.

“No, it’s just tyrannical to bind the actions of a fiancé who
plans to break it off, isn’t it? And also, what I’m bothered
about is the numbers you’ve racked up, so just because it
won’t get updated anymore, it’s no reason to see you in a
new light.”

“Stop the logical-harassment! Being nice like earlier and just

having it dropped is just too much to take! What, do you like
driving me up the wall!?”

A selfish aspect like this is just so rich-young-lady-like, I

think (prejudice).

And when she started talking like a virgin about how she
was being treated nicely just from me putting away the
dishes, I felt a little pity for her, like: She really has gotten
nothing but physical-only relationships, huh.

“Even assuming that’s the case I do think it’s you paying for
your own mistake, but I don’t mean to, you know?”

“In that case just say that latter half… Uuwh, to think that
it’d come back in this way…”

Tendou ruffling her hair while pouting was looking

outrageously good.

I checked the clock on the wall to see how much time was
left until the break ends while thinking: Every single casual
gesture gives off a picturesque feel like in a drama or
something, it’s so unfair, huh, this world is.

“Have! More! Interest!” Having seen it to be a fault, Tendou

protested while, bang bang bang, banging the table.

“Sure sure, so ‘what’ does come back in this way?”

“I mean how you reacted to my past. You see, in general
there were three reactions from guys. Either get disgusted
thinking that I have loose morals, look down on me thinking
I’m an easy lay, or make fun of me while having obvious-to-
see ulterior motives.”

I can clearly imagine it in my head like, ‘well, I guess that’s

how it’d be,’ especially the last one.

“But you don’t have any ulterior motives, and I think you…
don’t look down on me, too? You also don’t… hate me,
right? It’s hard on me to be treated like this by someone like
that.”

I nodded my head for the time being while thinking: You

seem very unsure in the middle there.

“Well of course you’re free to do what you want, Tendou. In

the first place it’s mutual back-scratching, those numbers
are also attributed to men. On a side note, I won’t be your
fiancé for long anyway.”

“That part is still up in the air!”

Personally, it’s almost final, you know? That’s why I’m

putting up with the current moment after all.

Actually, after all that’s said she still hasn’t given up on the
engagement, huh. She got great guts.

“—Ah, but on second thought, if it breaks off between you

and me, wouldn’t you not be forced into any unwanted
engagement anymore? If you can survive safely, I’m sure
you’ll be able to fall in love freely after that.”

“I, for one, find this engagement desirable, though… And,

even you someone who’s not so fussy get put off, do you
think I can have a proper love relationship at this stage?
Also I certainly did say it, but don’t make any implication
about the possibility of death.”

Ain’t that just you paying for your own mistakes; and I got
enough sympathy to not voice it out.

“Then how about dating someone far away who doesn’t

know anything?”

“Shino-kun, you can come up with a cruel idea so naturally,

can’t you…”

“How rude.”

Well yeah I would feel a little sorry for the other party if it
comes to be like that, but can’t you just hide it?

It’s not like the men and women in the world dating knowing
everything about each other’s past anyway.

“So, if that’s all you wanted to talk about, can we go now? I

wanna get some sleep before afternoon classes.”

“Fufufu, I’ve never had a guy cut the talk short on me for a
reason like that before…!”

She’s making a face like her pride got injured, but there’s
also a part of me that finds that kind of reaction from
Tendou amusing, making me do it. Not gonna say it, though.

“I haven’t finished my business with you at all, so give up on

napping.”

“Eeh…”

“And don’t look so displeased like that. Shino-kun, can you

take out your phone for a bit?”
“Eh, don’t wanna, but what’re you gonna do?”

“If you’re willing to ask then why did you say no first!? You
see, I put a location app on my phone, so can we set it up so
you can see it on your end?”

“Why do you even want to do that?”

“It’s to prove that I’m not doing anything like cheating, and
not just with words.”

“We’re not dating, so there’s no cheating or anything, isn’t

it?”

Having her face twitched for an instant, Tendou pulled out a

small paper bag from her bag with the app still displayed,
seemingly intending to pretend she didn’t hear it.

It was placed on the table, making some kind of a hard and

light clank sound.

“And then this, I’ll set it up so you can control it.”

“What’s that?”

“…Chastity belt for women. The kind that can be unlocked,

with a smartphone…”

“Huh.”

Aha-ah? I take that you’re an idiot, Tendou?

“What? If you’ve got something to say just say it.”

“Tendou, was your head dim?”

“Just say it straight that I’m an idiot! I did think, ‘certainly

when I think about it calmly, I’m nuts?’ you know!?”
“Thank god, I’m sure you can still turn back since you still
got self-awareness.”

“Argh geez! I mean Shino-kun, you’re thinking that I’m quite

wild about sex, right!? I figured if I didn’t do this, you
wouldn’t have faith in me!”

Wild about sex, you’ve chosen yet another quite pretty

words there.

And then the way you talked about it just makes it seem like
that’s not true.

“Nah, if you tell me to believe you I’ll believe you. In the first
place, if it’s necessary to go this far, wouldn’t it be
impossible from the beginning?”

“Yeah, I do feel you’re right about how to get you to have

faith in me. That’s why please go a little easy on me, choose
your words a little more carefully.”

“And if I get lied to, I’m just gonna turn my back on you. The
whole matter will also go quicker anyway.”

“Also stop stabbing me with a ruthless dose of reality after

beating me with a sound argument! I’ll cry here!”

“Can I take a picture?”

“—Shino-kun, do you have a human heart?”

“How rude.”

I do have it usually, it’s just that it’s going out for a bit right
now.

“But I see, bullying a beauty is fun, huh…”

“Hey, have you got a sad thing or anything happening in the
past involving girls…?”

I ended up getting pitied.

“Nope, there’s none, though. But here I am, able to feel glad
for the first time to be engaged with you.”

“That doesn’t make me happy in the slightest bit.” With her

chin resting in her hand, Tendou let out a big sigh while
looking away.

Yep, this is a little obvious that I overdid it.

“Sorry, Tendou. I went too far with my joke.”

“……………”

When I bowed my head, Tendou’s light brown eyes caught

me with a sideways glance.

As I was thinking, ‘her eyelashes are long, and her eyes sure
give an amazingly strong impression,‘ she blinked
repeatedly, and then sighed with a lighter feeling than
before.

“…It’s fine, in the end it’s me paying for my own mistakes

after all.”

“But still, I’m gonna be careful next time.”

“Why can you say that even with me, but don’t want the
engagement…?”

Because of what happened just now, I didn’t say anything

about what I really thought, which was: I guess it’s because
you’re sleeping with more than 90 people.
No, I also did get carried away without a doubt, but wasn’t it
also caused by Tendou, someone with a character that’s
slightly asking for it and is full of things I could poke fun at?

Let’s move on before I start saying unnecessary things.

“—So for the app, should I also just install it? It’s not a trap
or anything like knowing my location information as well, is
it?”

“Ah, yeah, that part depends on the setting so it’s fine… but,
are you sure?”

“It’s fine, it can be useful in case you get in trouble anyway,

it can also help searching your phone in case you drop it or
forget it.”

I do believe that Tendou indeed has been choosing her

partners, but when seeing the two earlier, and considering
the impression towards girls that until now men have been
able to lay, some kind of trouble is possible to occur.

Although I’m acting with the cover of a fiancé, turning a

blind eye to it is bad for my conscience.

“…Hey Shino-kun, honestly you’re a little mean, but actually

don’t you want to marry me? In that case, such elementary
schooler-like behavior isn’t very good, you know?”

“Hah – hah.”

Tendou really loves to joke around, isn’t she?

“You snickered again…!”

With a face like she’s about to grind her teeth, she went
through the setup step by step.
When I tried to launch it after it’s complete, it’s even more
accurate than I thought. It seems I’d even be able to know
which building she’d be in if she’s on campus.

“But with this it would mean your privacy is getting

exposed, are you fine with that still?”

“It’s fine, I’m intending to stick around with you as much as I

can from now anyway. First of all, you’re not interested in
anything like what I usually do, right?”

“Certainly, not at all.”

“This man…!”

If it’s enough for her to get mad when get taken on like that,
she shouldn’t have set it up herself, though…

Anyway with this one of the business is taken care of.

The problem is in the one other paper bag.

“So, what about that?”

“………For the time being, can I have it just set up?”

“—Wait a sec.”

Thinking about it calmly, can I put a chastity belt control

app on my phone?

Wouldn’t it be a thing where I’m not gonna be able to make

any excuse when someone sees it??

“So, what sort of thing is that in the end? Ah, you don’t have
to take it out, let’s just not take it out of the bag.”
“What sort, umm lets see, it’s made of stainless steel, the
interior is silicon, T-shaped, with a lock each for the belt part
around the hips and the, umm, chastity part, that sort of…”

“So, what’re you gonna do about daily life?”

“I-I can use the restroom with it on, but I was thinking of
contacting you to have it taken off only at bath time…”

I understand taking it off when, well, on bath time, but I’m

not sure if she can use the toilet with it on like that. If the
structure is where you can let it out but not put it in, it
seems like it can cause rashes… no, let’s stop thinking too
deeply.

“So, wouldn’t that mean I’m gonna have to control it

everyday before you take a bath?”

“I’m, starting to think it’s not that of a great idea…”

It seems like it’s gonna be tough to sleep with it as well.

“I feel like it’s meaningless if I don’t know if it’s really for

bath in the first place, though.”

“That’s—right, wanna make it a video call?”

“Everyday I’m gonna be shown you going for a bath, huh…”

“No need to look so sour for that part, isn’t there!? Be happy
instead! If anything it’s more embarrassing for me to be
seen without makeup!”

“The problem is the no-makeup, huh…”

Isn’t being seen naked usually the worse one? Or so I

thought but welp, as expected from boasting about it,
Tendou’s figure is great, so I guess it’s not a problem.
Hmmm, it feels like she’s so used to showing off.

“As expected, let’s just go without that. There’s no end to it

when the intervention goes that far.”

“You’re right, it’s also gonna be a huge load on you, and it’s
also counterproductive if I’m seen as a troublesome
woman.”

“Nah, it’s too late to worry about the last part, though.”

“Hey Shino-kun, it really is fine to be a little bit nicer to me,

you know?”

“I think I’m being nice to you here, though.”

Even today we had lunch together, and I’m even properly

responding to the conversation like this.

I wish you to not expect a delicate attentiveness any more

than this from a virgin who never had a girlfriend.

“Well, feel free to point it out if I ever end up doing things

you really don’t like. I will also be careful to not end up
doing it as much as possible.”

“Somehow like, that way of putting it is just slightly

unfair…”

Tendou, she seems like she’d fall for a bad guy upon them
toning it down here, isn’t she.

I looked at the clock on the wall while giving unnecessary

thoughts, and find that lunch break was also about to end.

When I noticed, the number of people in the cafeteria has

decreased considerably.
“Tendou, we’ve gotta get going soon. Where’s the next
class?”

“Eh, ah, it’s time already? It’s in building 5”

“Then let’s go together halfway, we can go now, right?”

“Yeah.”

Leaving the cleanup of the table to her, who has started

wiping with a dish towel dutifully, I went to bring the
condensating cups to the return slot.

“I’m back.”

And when I was wiping my wet fingers on the butt of my

pants on my return, Tendou smiled wryly with a towel she
pulled out of her bag.

“—Shino-kun, that’s bad manners.”

“I live in a different world than you high class young lady.”

“What do you mean, I’m a fiancée who’s going to the same

college, aren’t I.”

“It does sound like a good relationship when I hear only

that, and yet.”

When we left the cafeteria, I noticed people walking around

at a fast pace, maybe because I was similarly at leisure.

Even though we’re engaged, we are not dating nor are there
any feelings, so despite walking side by side, of course
there’s no holding hands nor linking arms. There’s a subtle
distance.
“If you accept it there’s no need for the ‘when I hear only
that’ or ‘and yet,’ though?”

Certainly, objectively, that’s also one way to look at it, and

Tendou is also not as bad a girl as I first thought.

But, the count of 90 people is really just… I feel a hopeless

difference in the sense of values, and I’m getting reluctant
even to walk halfway there.

“Also, Shino-kun, I’ve been thinking.”

As I was brooding it over, Tendou pulled me by the sleeve.

Under the early summer sun, her light-colored hair glistens.

“Yeah?”

“If we live together, wouldn’t a chastity belt not even be

necessary?”

With her index finger placed on her lips, Tendou Tsukasa

smiles as if to say: It’s a good idea, right?

“Yep. Then see ya.”

“Heeey—!?”

I ran leaving that place behind, and was later on protested

in tears.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 3 – First Time
X Experience

“Shino-kun, can we meet now?”

It was immediately after the last class of that day that my

vibrating phone was showing a message notification from
Tendou Tsukasa.

I’ve already read it before I even thought about pretending

not to see it, so I suppose I can’t even ignore it now, and I
sent a reply giving my OK.

“Shinocchi, not going home?”

“Sorry Kamiyan, I got a call so I gotta head out a bit.”

“Ah, Tendou-san?”

“You got it.”

“You’re doing it!”

“Stop it, that quote.”

A friend in my circle who imitated a live steamer he seems

to be obsessed with lately asked, “how’s it for realsies?” in a
slightly lowered voice.

“For realsies… What’s with that way of speaking also for

realsies.” I chuckled at the too light of a question, but I can
tell from his face that he wasn’t asking simply out of
curiosity either.

“I mean, you know.”

Anyhow Kamiyan a.k.a Kamiya Daisuke looks sloppy and is

one of the few understanding friends that I have who calls
me by my family name—a good person in other words; quod
erat demonstrandum.

“Isn’t the rumors saying ‘bout Tendou-san incredible? Like

not sounding like someone we virgins can handle, but you
just suddenly got engaged. You sure you’re not tricked or
something?”

“So direct, but well, I got what you’re saying.”

However, even that Kamiya was saying this about Tendou’s

notoriety. Moreover, there are also aspects where I can’t say
that it’s unjust suspicion.

Tendou’s reputation within campus is not a malicious

misunderstanding or anything like that; it’s mostly true
facts. Even me, I surely would’ve thought the same before
the engagement.
“It’s a bit complicated, but the engagement is family
circumstances so I’m not tricked. Besides, Tendou’s not such
a bad girl, probably.”

“Serious? Ah, so the rumors involving men fake news? I

guess they must’ve been jelly cuz she’s a beauty.”

“Nope, that part is not exaggerating for real, though.”

“What is ‘not a bad girl’?”

“Exactly.”

Even if it’s retorted with ‘isn’t it contradicting?’ or

something, there’s just no other way to put it, I guess…

And now that I’ve got to know Tendou’s nature, I don’t mind
defending her a little bit, but I’d have to go into a fair
amount of personal circumstances to explain it in detail, and
also it seems a little too much to do so without the presence
of the person in question.

Oh my fiancée, you sure are someone hard to deeply touch

upon.

“Anyway there’s nothing to worry about, but thanks.”

“Well all right then in that case. Wait then, you’re marrying
into a rich family, huh. Already settled a life winner there.
What about the wedding? I guess you’re gonna wait till
graduation?”

“Hmm nah, I’m gonna have the engagement itself called off.
Tendou was so insisting so right now I’m just reluctantly
tagging along, but well, I guess it’ll be until fall at most.”

“What do you mean?”

For a while after that, Shino Iori savage hearsay was
whispered about among my friends, and I think it was
probably my fault.

When I was heading to the location I’ve been told, Tendou

was with girls, which was rare, really rare.

She was sitting on a wooden deck, and three people were

having a deep talk about something while standing around
her.

For a moment I thought that maybe she was being

subjected to kangaroo court or something, but the voices I
could hear were calm.

Welp, I have the image that girls would be smiling even

when they’re in a fight, though (prejudice).

“Tendou.” I got no courage to gallop my way into the center

of it; that said it’s also embarrassing to be seen flustered by
others, so I called out to her from a little distance away.

“Ah, Shino-kun.” Having noticed me, Tendou lightly raised

her hand up, and all the girls with their backs on me now
turned to me all at once. I bowed my head amidst the
pressure of the unfamiliar group of girls.

“Hi.”

““Hello.”” Two people in casual outfits returned a greeting,

but a blonde in a jacket just gave me a little sharp glance.

Eh, she’s just plain scary, though. Why’s she acting like that
to someone she met for the first time?
She, who has a bit of a Tendou-like vibe, immediately looks
at me from top to bottom and snorts.

“—What?”

“Nothing? …Then Tsukasa, we’re leaving now. Later.” The

blonde, who had truly acted rude to me, looked away from
me as if she had lost interest with that, and then in a
complete reversal, spoke to Tendou in a gentle voice. I tell
you what, I’ve got your face saved in my head already.

“Okay, bye-bye.” With a face different from the usual, one

that is intended towards friends, Tendou looked just slightly
childish.

After seeing off the trio on their loud and merry way, Tendou
made a slightly apologetic face.

“I’m sorry. Eri is, always like that with guys whenever it
involves me.”

“Ah… I see.” And then I’ve also got your name memorized,
blonde haired Eri.

Considering Tendou’s past, I’m sure there also have been

lots of good-for-nothing men, so this is the embodiment of
friendship, huh.

Welp in that case I get it, but even though it’s not like I
wanted it, I’m a proper assistant apprentice candidate
fiancé, though. Or maybe the hard look was precisely
because of that reason.

“Well that’s fine, it’s not something you have to apologize

for in the first place. That aside, you’ve got female friends,
too, huh.”
“Hey, that way of speaking is just plain rude.”

“Well I mean, I’ve never seen you with one before.”

“Wasn’t that just because I was often with guys?”

“—Ah, I see.”

And they’re bunches who are wholeheartedly looking for sex

to boot. I don’t think there are any who are just that bad in
our college, but I guess normal girls wouldn’t want to get
actively involved unless they’re of the same kind.

“And then you yourself were not that interested in me, I

suppose.”

“Rather than ‘not that interested,’ I guess it’s ‘not at all’.”

“I’ll hit you.”

“Sorry, my bad,” I apologized on the spot since she said it in

a for-real-tone low voice. “Uuh, so what do you need?”
starting afresh, I tried to ask Tendou, and then Tendou made
another indescribable, complicated face.

When an impressively beautiful person makes that kind of

face, it’s making me restless like, ‘huh? Have I done
goofed?’ but I’m not gonna bend to undeserved pressure. So
I hope she will quickly reply.

“My, I can’t call you unless I need something?”

“Eh? Yep.” I deeply nodded without thinking, and Tendou

froze up.

“…Fu, fufufu. You’re saying things like that? Don’t be like

that, you’re ALWAYS free anyway so you don’t have any kind
of plans, don’t you!?”
“Why so cruel.” What a thing to say. Welp, it’s generally like
that, though. “No but, I was thinking of going to a net cafe
downtown; with a friend.” To be specific, I was thinking it’s
about time to start reading a certain nationwide-known
pirate manga since the volumes I haven’t read have piled
up.

“Do you have a friend, Shino-kun?”

“How could you call me rude just earlier…”

“I know, this much talking back is fine, right? And so, what
kind of imaginary friend is he?”

“Wrong, don’t just go ahead of yourself trying to spin my

friend as the product of fantasies. Also why did you say ‘he’?
You think I only have guy friends?”

“Oh, was I wrong?”

“You’re not, though…”

Even I have at least one or two female… friends… I’ve got

like high school classmates or acquaintances, but if I’m
asked whether they’re friends, it’s questionable, huh.

Directing a sidelong glance at me, who was grinding my

teeth and shaking in humiliation from not being able to talk
back, Tendou carefreely got up.

“Then let’s go.”

“Eh, where to?”

“You were planning to go to a net cafe, right? If that’s the

case I’ll accompany you in place of your friend.”
Tendous’s expression, which was like saying ‘happy?’ is of a
face that is extremely above average, and at the same time
evokeed a rebellious spirit that says: Don’t let everything go
her way.

“Ah, well, no thanks.”

“Why!?”

At the reception desk of the net cafe we had arrived at after

succumbing to Tendou who stubbornly wouldn’t listen in the
end, I once again understood how it would mean to be
accompanied by Tendou in the public eye.

As if to say ‘is this guy for real?’ the eyes of the employee
seeing me, when I said back “aren’t separate seats better?”
to her who had requested a couple-seat, were cold.

I see, certainly as someone you see for the first time she
maybe is just a woman with a good face, but in reality she’s
an article with quite the circumstances!

Furthermore, I was overcome, and we got the couple-seat in

the end. I am, weak (today’s second defeat).

“It’s my first time coming to a net cafe, but it feels brighter

than expected, doesn’t it,” having said a princess-like
statement and not even knowing my inner thought, Tendou
was looking around with curious eyes. Somehow she looks
kinda having fun.

“Nah, it varies from place to place. For the affiliate here it

just feels like this.”
I’ve never been there, but among them there seems to be
places remaining that are giving a cramped, dark, smoky,
and underground feel.

“Uhuh.”

“Hold up Tendou, you’re going too far.”

“Ah, there?”

Perhaps because of curiosity, she had walked past the

booth, and I stopped her.

From around us, I could hear conversations between men

and women who seem to be couples talking with a slightly
lowered voice, and the secretive-like atmospheres, which
are different from mere liveliness, is somewhat unsettling.

I opened the sliding door, and a slightly large-ish sofa for

two people welcomed us with a bang. The PC and TV were
placed on the table, and there is a footrest under it; there is
literally plenty of room to stretch out your legs.

“—Somehow, it feels kinda lewd, isn’t it?” Having sat on the

sofa ahead of me, that was the thing that Tendou said as
she looked around inside the booth.

“Isn’t it just bad that that thought comes out just because
it’s a private room?”

Well, I kinda thought about something similar as well, but

not that explicit.

Moreover, Tendou was just kinda like, ‘ah, looks like you
could secretly do it here,’ and it’s just strangely graphic. Is it
prejudice?
“Is that so? I think I heard high schoolers are using it instead
of a hotel, though.”

“Just why do you know so much only about things like that…
I’ll scream if you do anything weird, you hear?”

“Are you really saying that line…?”

With your abundant track records, you’re the one fanning up

the sense of danger, though.

Well, and continuing this subject any further also seems to

only lead to more nonsense.

Wanting to quickly get to my purpose quickly, I put my bag

down on the sofa without entering the booth.

“Alright, I’m gonna go get books, so come check around,

Tendou. You know how to use the drink bar, right?”

“It’s okay, I’m not that ignorant about the world. It’s similar
to a family restaurant, right?”

“Yeah, and then the safe for valuables is there. I won’t be

using it, so you can go set the numbers yourself.”

“Nn, okay.”

“Well then,” I said and turned around, and then she returned
back a, “have a safe trip.”

Whether it’s calculated or spontaneous, whatever it is, it’s

sneaky. I will not be swept by it (will of steel).

When I returned to the booth holding the last volume I have

read for a quick re-read, for now three volumes I haven’t
read, and then a cola, Tendou was still nowhere to be seen.
While thinking, ‘I would’ve liked to be on the aisle side
where I could run away immediately, though,’ I took up
position on the deeper side of the sofa. As I was flipping
through the already-read volume while recalling the story,
there’s a knock on the door; Tendou has come back with a
magazine and a cup.

“I’m back. You’re back early, Shino-kun.”

“…Welcome back.”

Like earlier, I wonder what she’s thinking, bringing out this

strange cohabitation-like feel…

A fresh smell of citrus fruits drifted gently from Tendou, who

has taken a seat with a light ‘pomf’ sound next to me.

With that as the trigger, it makes me strangely conscious

once again that we two are alone in such a small space, and
it instantly makes me feel a different kind of pressure from
this good-looking girl.

“Tendou.”

“Ye~es?” Tendou slightly tilted her head while tucking back

her hair, which has fallen off when she looked up, behind
her ear.

Why does every single thing she does always turn out
picturesque?

“Please don’t come past this here; it’s my seat and all.”

“Hey, isn’t that reaction just weird?”

When I said it while pointing out the border of the sofa with
my finger, her beautiful face turned stern in one go.
“Well, ‘cause it’s necessary. If you lean on my shoulder, put
your hand on my thigh, or caress my hand, I’ll call the
place’s employee, you hear?”

“I mean it, why are you talking like a girl having her guard
up!?”

I got yelled at in a whisper, but it’s precisely because you

seem you’ll attack with guard-penetrating offensive without
batting an eyelid that I’d have to have it nailed down
immediately.

I might get laughed at for being overly self-conscious, but if

I neglect it, the seams will come apart. I don’t really get it,
but I’m sure about it.

“Actually if you got no plan to, it’s not something you’d

backlash against so much.”

“…I mean, it’s just rude. In the first place about what you
just mentioned, you don’t like it that much?” She looked
away, and it convinced me that my worry wasn’t unfounded.

Rather, well, I have such a piled up faith that it would be

unnatural for this Tendou Tsukasa to not be plotting
anything inside a booth with a couple-seat. What is faith?

Well, from the exchange just now where Tendou, an honest

person, didn’t even once say clearly that ‘she won’t,’ it’s
gonna be a sure thing…

And then for a while, we both looked down at our own book
to wait and see what the other might do; the finishing
outcome of truly fruitless faints where I’d reach for the cup
in order to concoct an alibi that ‘I’m not looking,’ was that I
finished my cola before even finished reading a single
volume.
At the same time, the cup that Tendou placed on the table
made a light sound clearly indicating that it was also empty.

“Tendou”

“Ye~es?”

“It’s fruitless so let’s call a truce. I will believe you, so

promise me that you won’t do anything weird.”

“—Right, I wasn’t planning to from the start, but I promise.”

The stifled laughs coming from the surroundings were as if

they were directed at us.

At the very end of the conflict, where there would be

nothing to gain even when winning, what we obtained in
exchange for the feeling of wasted effort was some degree
of mutual understanding and a moment of peace.

For example, like the manga I’m reading right now, Tendou
also got to know of the plot from borrowing it from a friend
back in middle school, or like the magazine she is reading is
a women’s magazine that even I know the name of.

“So, you read stuff like that too, huh, Tendou.”

“Yeah.”

Of course it isn’t a magazine where it would be weird if

she’s interested in it, but somehow it feels unsuitable for
Tendou, who is persisting in her own way in addition to
being a wealthy young lady.

“I don’t buy it myself since there’s Grandmother’s eyes, but

now is a rare chance.”
“Aah, I see.”

That’s why I could accept that reply. It’s probably like

wanting to eat nothing but instant food banned at parents’
home once starting living alone. …Is that it? I feel like it’s
different.

“By the way Shino-kun, between this and this which make-
up do you prefer?”

“Well, I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask, though.”

Firstly, I don’t even know how they differ!

“It’s fine, just give back your impression.”

“In that case, I guess the first one…”

“Uhuh,” Tendou said, but I just said it by looking at the

model rather than the make-up, though… Wait, is it possible
that this was the same person?

“In that case…” Tendou smiles a smile resembling that of a

predator of the feline family and places the magazine just
right at the boundary of the sofa so that I also can easily see
it.

It’s hard to end the conversation by like, ‘I’m not interested

anymore,’ since I was the one who initiated the
conversation.

Not sure why she’s smiling when reading that, but putting
that aside, she got an interest in a magazine that she
usually doesn’t have the chance to read.

“Then what about this matching? How is it?”

The first thing that caught my attention at the page shown
were the prices of various items written next to the model.

“Eeh… Why is it that expensive just for pants? The digits are
different, but the shoes are strangely cheap. Is this a typo?”

“Of course it’s not, also that’s not the part you should be
looking at, geez… By the way, I thought you might like
something like this, though.”

The first thing I’d been shown was, if I had to say, giving off
a stylish feel that seemed to suit Tendou, whereas the next
thing she pointed out was a girlish outfit that was a total
contrast.

On the catchphrase even the word feminine or whatever

was written.

“You have made a great mistake if you’re thinking that all

unpopular guys like long skirts.”

“It’s not like I was, but why are you self-torturing, I

wonder…”

“And then for this one, aren’t just the sandals and bag
strangely expensive? Why is it unbalanced like this?”

“It’s mule, and that’s just how it is. So, which do you think is
better?”

“Hmmm… Don’t pants suit you better?” I answered while

tilting my head, thinking: I totally don’t get fashion.

And then to me, “that’s helpful,” Tendou replied with a

suggestive smile.
And after that we also talked as I absorbed the three
volumes I’d prepared; afterwards, my phone vibrated
indicating the time.

“The time is almost up, but I’m going back now.”

“Eh, it’s already three hours? Okay, but can you have a
psychological test with me? There’s this feature, you see~”

“Psychological test, huh…”

Girls sure do like that, don’t they. Well, plenty of guys also
do, though.

“Can I give the answer two years later?”

“You’d also definitely forget it then; answer in three

seconds.”

“There’s not even time to think…”

“What a not so great reaction. Well I won’t force you if you

don’t want to, though.”

“Nah, it’s fine, it’s not like I absolutely don’t want to.”

I’m just kinda, not so fond of the very thought of testing and
categorizing people’s minds. It’s just my naive opinion,
though.

Well there’s also still time before we’d have to pay the
extension fee, and I urge her to go ahead while I tidy up the
booth.

“Is that so? Then—”

The first thing Tendou brought up was the story of two

lovers living on the opposite side of a river.
The woman who was worried about her lover’s safety during
a flood tried to cross to the other side of the river despite
knowing the danger, but the first boatman demanded a
large sum of money so she passed him up. In heartrending
grief, she complied with the second boatman’s demand to
cross the river with her body as the price.

But her lover found that out, was raged and bid his farewell
to the woman. Then another man who had seen the whole
thing showed up in front of the heartbroken her, and the two
got together—

“These two, on top of not understanding each other, they

also just don’t talk enough considering they’re lovers. They
seem like they’d break up over something anyway even
without this whole thing.”

“That’s reasonable, but that’s not the point. Guys sure do

like butting in like that, don’t they.”

If anything, wasn’t that a serious reply?

“So, err the most forgivable and unforgivable person, was

it? I guess the forgivable one is the boatman who demanded
money, and the unforgivable one is the man who showed up
in the end.”

The boatmen and the couple each have their own reasons
and arguments, but the last man is just, giving off the
impression that he was purposefully turning a blind eye
simply to get intimate with a woman. Crooked, isn’t it
crooked?

“This claims that it’s ‘to know what you find important.’ In
your case Shino-kun, it looks like home & family are
important, and money tends to be made light of.”
“Ooh.”

It doesn’t feel like it’s obviously off the mark, but I wonder if

such a psychological test like this is anything great…

“By the way, Tendou, how’s yours?”

“Mine is, the forgivable one is the woman, and the

unforgivable one is the woman’s lover…”

Welp one way or another I’ve been feeling her answer would
be like that (prejudice).

“And so, the analysis?”

“What’s important is love, and morals are made light of…

Morals, huh.”

“Ah…”

Truly an answer that makes you think about lots of stuff…

Actually morals and love, can they be at odds with each
other? Isn’t love without morals already just desire?

“Err…” Tendou looks complicatedly awkward, but I’d like her

to give it some thought and start asking questions.

In a sense, I’m also the victim here.

“L-let’s go to the next one, okay? Let’s see, the person you
like showed up in your dream. However, a part of their body
is missing. Where is it? Please choose from the eyes, hands,
legs, and heart.”

“There’s still more…?”

“I’ll make this the last one, so answer at least one more
question with me.”
“Aww… then…”

It’s gonna be difficult in just about everything without eyes.

Without hands also looks like it’s gonna make day to day life
rather hard. If there’s no legs you can manage with an
artificial one or something, and if there’s still hands, you can
somehow make it up with a wheelchair. In case of no heart,
doesn’t that make it ‘the person I liked’ already?

Actually I ended up thinking things like this. Psychological

test, you, I’m not so fond of not being able to quickly come
up with an answer also.

Or maybe it’s a question that takes into account even

thinking about something like that.

“—Well, the legs, I guess?”

“So the legs. As for this, it says it shows the kind of

possessiveness you direct at them. You’re the type who
wants to monopolize freedom. So it’s like, you always want
to know what they’re doing.”

“Eeh? I feel like it’s the same with eyes and the like, though.
That’s not wrong, is it?”

“C’mon, there’s just no end if you start bringing up

something like that.”

I ended up getting rebuked by Tendou with a wry smile, but I

do think that without a doubt the legs would have the
smallest impact on day to day life compared to the rest.

I knew it, we don’t hit off, psychological test! (The second

time; in a short time).
“Besides, look, isn’t a location tracking app installed on your
phone?”

“That’s something installed because you wanted it to. I

haven’t opened it since the first day it’s installed, y’know?”

I want you to stop generating harmful rumors; I’m even

willing to sue, okay?

“—By the way how’s yours, Tendou? For that question.”

“Mine? For me it’s heart. Looks like it’s societal

possessiveness. The type that’s like wanting to get married
and hog them by themselves.”

“That’s a serious one…”

“Oh my, we’re engaged so it’s not like it’s a bad thing,
right?”

“Yeah sure, alright it’s time to pack it up and go home.”

“Hey, why did you look so displeased just now!”

For mental health reasons, I think it’s better if she doesn’t

hear it, though…

I avoided doing the unnecessary of saying ‘were you

assuming me as the person you like?’ which could lead to
needless problems, so I wish Tendou would also conduct
herself just a bit more cleverly.

By the time we left the net cafe, the sun had completely set.
There were many people in suits going home from work on
the street to the Nishijin Subway Station where I’m
accompanying her, thinking that it would not be a good idea
to split up on the spot even though the distance isn’t that
great.

Perhaps it overlapped with the train arrival, but we’re

avoiding the river-like crowds of people and making our way
down the stairs.

“Somehow I’m feeling crazy tired…”

“Your impression of being in a small space for three hours

with a beauty like me is only that?”

I held back saying, ‘It’s because it was with you, though,’

and just waved my hand.

“This reaction…!”

Speaking of, I wonder why Tendou is so lively. Is it the

difference between the cheery and gloomy people?

Her face looked like she’d go, ‘grrrr,’ but when she looked at
me, she relaxed and smiled softly.

“But, today was fun. Thanks.”

“Ah, you said it was your first time to a net cafe, didn’t you?
In that case well, glad to hear that.”

She just followed me on her own, but it’s making even me

feel better if I got told this than to have been told that it was
boring or something in the end.

“Look, I told you before, right? That I wanted to go out after

classes also.”

“Ah, yeah, you did, I think.”

Come to think of it, even a net face is something she should
be able to go to with friends, but I wonder if she had strict
curfews or something back in high school. And as I thought
this, something caught my attention.

Something something and so on after classes is, come to

think of it, in what kind of setting did I hear it about again?

“Until here is fine. Before the ticket gate it’s crowded and
all.”

“Ah, sure.”

Before I could remember that, Tendou stopped in front of

the ticket machine.

“Thanks for seeing me off, then see you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing, see you tomorrow.”

On the noisy station premise, even though Tendou wasn’t

speaking in an especially loud voice, I was able to hear her
words strangely well.

“Let’s go somewhere else for our next date.”

“Eh.”

Eh, this was, a date?

“Ah—”

In a daze, I saw off Tendou as she went and disappeared

beyond the ticket gate with no time for me to stop her.

At that time, finally, I remembered the remarks that Tendou

had said previously, which was along the lines of: If she’s
engaged to me, we can even go on a date after classes.
And then today, if seen from from an outsider, well, it was
probably almost like a date at a net cafe.

At least, even myself cannot dismiss it as just nonsense.

“Ehh… What in the hell has she done…”

Having finished the first date of my life unknowingly in a

surprise attack, I went home after a stress eating.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 4 – Desire and
Stuffs

“—Please do lewd things,” was the first thing that the Miss
Fiancée, Tendou Tsukasa, said to me with a cornered look
after taking me out to a bench spot without signs of others
within campus, saying she had something important to talk
about.

“Huh?”

“Please, do lewd things!” and then after glaring with a

slightly wet eyes and resenting look at me, who had
groaned reflexively, she repeated the same words with a
raised volume. I sincerely hope she stops that.

“No, just now I wasn’t asking you to repeat it.”

“Shino-kun, don’t you think of anything after making a girl

say so much!?”
“I’m categorizing you and women in general in a different
category in my mind. Also, you said it on your own, and I
didn’t make you say it, didn’t I?”

Also, I thought the way she said ‘lewd things’ was kinda
cute.

If remember right, she has been saying things about sex

pretty frankly, though.

“That kinda thing isn’t important right now!”

Whoa not so calm there—I thought in my brain while

somehow recovering from the shock of the terrible sexual
harrassment.

Hold on, I would truly be arrested if the roles were reversed

here. This world is unfair, isn’t it?

“Err, so you’re saying you want to be let to have sex with

someone even if it means breaking off the engagement?”

“You’re wrong! No matter how you look at it, you can tell by
the flow I want to do it with you, right!?”

“Eh, it’s just no way, though.”

“Don’t say it’s just no waaaaay!!” stomp stomp stomp,

Tendou stomping the ground since there’s no desk. Is she
maybe a rabbit?

“You see Shino-kun, if it’s ‘don’t wanna,’ it’ll just make you
feel down, but when you say ‘it’s just no way,’ it takes force
of will to recover! I just wanna cry from helplessness!”

“Even if you’re saying that to me…”

Over there you look very energetic, though.

“You see, in general if you go with such word choice, even if
you’re going out with another girl, it’s gonna be an
immediate breakup, okay? Girls won’t even forget that kind
of attitude!”

“I surely have been enlightened.”

Also, that way of speaking is kinda making it sound like I’m

dating you, so stop it please.

“You’re so indifferent! Why!? Why you don’t wanna do it!? A

beauty is asking you, you know!? Usually you’d be happy, or
if not, at least just agreeing, right!?”

Still the same confident-looking woman as ever. Well, what

she’s saying now is probably as close to a fair argument she
can get for once. If invited by a beauty, well of course most
men would be happy. However, one part of virgins is
excluded.

“‘Cause I don’t feel like doing that, I guess…”

“Then when will you!? What to do to make you will!?”

“Alright, come down a little bit, Tendou. Just why’re you so

excited?” I tried to mend the course of her attitude, which
was rather unprecedented.

“It’s ‘cause you’re so indifferent, right!?”

Even though it was an absurd request to begin with, I ended

up getting nervous when she’s this excited, and we couldn’t
even have a peaceful talk.

“I mean, all you’ve been telling me is ‘you want to do it’. If

you just let me hear some kind of actual reason, I’ll even
think about it.”
“Uwh…”

Well, if Tendou tells me that’s a withdrawal symptom from

sexual addiction or something, I’d have no choice but to
contact her house to have them take her back, and then act
like a stranger from then on, though.

“Umm… ‘cause it’s close… okay?” with a red face somehow

different from anger, Tendou, unusually, mumbled slurring
through her words.

“Eh, what’d you say?” When I asked her back to repeat it

normally, not just pretending, she glared sternly at me. Just
why.

“…My pe…period is close, so I’m in that kinda mood! Also, I

haven’t done it for so long; it’s been so long so I’m a bit
stumped myself! Got a problem!?”

“Aah, ummm… In short, you’re in heat?”

“There’s a slightly better way to put it, right!?”

Nah for something like that, I guess none. I mean, the bad
guess wasn’t exactly off the mark either.

I think I vaguely understand that periods are like causing

hormonal imbalance and stuff and so on; anyway a struggle,
but I wonder if this one with Tendou is also in that
category…

I have no idea; I totally have no clue about girls.

“Hey, it’s enough already, right? I’ve honestly talked about

it, so umm… come on, with me…”

To Tendou, whose face is bright red—

“Right,” I muttered in my mouth, “in the meantime, how
about you go for a quick run somewhere around there?” and
suggested so with a smile.

“Good job. You’re fast on your feet, huh, Tendou.”

“…Shino-kun… you’re.. totally not… gonna be popular…”

“What a thing to say, so cruel.”

It’s a crime listing out the facts like that, okay?

The sight of Tendou running on the field already attracted a

lot of attention.

Although there are people messing about in their free time

and members of the sports club doing running, it would be
conspicuous if Tendou Tsukasa, someone rumored within
campus, were jogging or running by herself in sportswear
(apparently, she was originally planning to go to a gym).

And while at it, she also got a beautiful running posture.

“The cruel one… is you… gosh no more…”

“But didn’t it help dampen it? Here.”

Sublimating sexual drive with exercises is a basic technique

taught in health and physical education after all. I’ve never
put it into practice, though.

“I don’t wanna thank you, but thanks…” Tendou returned a

thanks with a truly dissatisfied look and complicated tone of
voice to me, after I presented a towel and drink (both hers)
to her, who looks like she’d collapse any moment now.
“I thought it’s the best way in my own way, though.”

“‘Cause, there’s absolutely a better way to do it… Shino-

kun, at least appreciate this effort, okay? If not, my enduring
will all be for nothing.”

“I think it’s natural to be able to control your own sex drive,

but sure.”

“Can’t you do without any unnecessary preface?” Perhaps

very tired, Tendou’s words got slightly snappy.

Considering she’s someone who boasts on her good face,

it’s probably not amusing either to be declined by her fiancé
even if it’s temporary. Guess I shouldn’t poke fun at her any
longer.

“Sorry, but it’s the truth that I couldn’t think of any other
way.”

“…Why? You don’t wanna do it with me that much?”

“Well I mean, I still want to turn down the engagement.”

If I was just like, ‘I’m not going to take responsibility, but if

she lets me do her, then be my guest,’ it would be worse
than the rumors of Tendou.

And if I were to add more to this, I got the confidence that

I’d surely catch feelings if it got like that.

When thinking like a virgin, someone like your first partner

is probably as unforgettable as my first love (Yumi-sensei of
the nursery school whose smile was just so lovely).

“So like, I wonder why you’re so serious on just a certain

part, Shino-kun…”
“As for me, I believe I’m a serious one overall, though.”

“Uwh~~,” she groaned, seemingly unable to accept it, but

her anger seems to have subsided somewhat.

“Actually, since you’re the one who invited me, I thought it’d
be a little more lighthearted. But I just can’t believe it’d be
so serious you’d get angry like that.”

“Why? I’d never say something like that no matter how

casual it was. Not to mention, to have you with me.”

“Well I mean, wasn’t the way you invited me just so crappy?

At first I thought it’s bad joke, you know?”

Being blunt even has limits, or I should say, if a man really

said that, he’d be caught and then the end after all.

Hold on, going by the recent trend, is there a chance that

even girls are offenders? But I wouldn’t gain anything at all
if for argument’s sake that’s how Tendou got caught…

“I mean, do you think that I, someone who has only ever

played winnable game against casual partner aiming to
have sex from the very beginning, am capable of any skillful
love tactic!?”

“Err…”

Just as I was giving it many thoughts, here came a really

intense frankness.

Also, I think that kind of perspective that sees something

like that as a love tactic or something was just something
else.
“Whatever happened to the good-at-romance-ish
composure you occasionally showed?”

“Come on, let me at least put on a little airs.”

“If possible, I would’ve liked you to keep on acting that way,

though…”

Lies or truth, the degree of Tendou’s no-goodness is getting

higher and higher in my mind. It’s just not all right if she
seems to look more likable than just looking like some bad
girl.

“You just won’t let me, though… Ah, but that sure got me
sweating…”

“You did run pretty hard after all.”

I turned my gaze away from Tendou, who started pulling and

flapping the chest part of her clothing to send in the wind,
and I heard a deliberate, damn huge sigh.

“I heard you can borrow a shower room in building two, you

know?”

“Oh really—wanna go in together?”

“Ha – ha, why?”

“You !”

When I replied to the joke with a laugh as usual, the towel

got thrown at me. I somehow managed to snatch it up
before it fell to the ground.

“Whoa there.”
Although Tendou’s face looks miffed, why would she think
that someone who refused to have sex with her would
accept taking shower together, or maybe she’s just trying
saying it.

When I held the towel to her while thinking ‘I guess I’ll give
the towel a sniff,’ it was snatched from me.

Hmmm, so violent.

“Thanks to you I’m sweating, so I’m gonna take a shower

now.”

“Take your time.”

Maybe to snide, she said something that sounded like it’s

filled with hidden meaning, but I suppose there’s not gonna
be room for misunderstanding considering she has just run
on the field.

Even so, in order to avoid the curious gazes that have

gradually gathered up, I too quickly left that place at a quick
pace.

“—Eh, you were waiting for me, Shino-kun?” when Tendou

asked me as she came out of the training center that has
the shower room adjacent to it with her phone in one hand,
there’s not even a slight time difference when the ‘where
are you?’ message from her floated up on my screen as I
was playing a game to kill time.

“Yeah. I got no class in this period to begin with, and now I

wasn’t especially sleepy either.”
Well, thanks to me taking lightly how much time a girl would
take to shower, I found myself with quite a bit of free time
on my hands, though.

“Hmmm, I see,” said Tendou with a quite listless voice, and

she looks somewhat refreshed.

Her light colored, long hair has some loose curls to it. Well, I
suppose just drying this is a hard time already.

Come to think of it, I feel like a little while back like her
make-up was a little more flashy; I wonder what’s going on
with that. Ah, somehow it smells good.

“What is it?”

“Nah, I just thought you look a little refreshed.”

“Yeah, a little. I mean, I did it alone while showering.”

“Cough!”

Vulgar! That’s vulgar, Tendou!!

“Cough, cough…!”

Seeing me who just choked up unintentionally, she smiled a

slightly impish smile.

“Ooh, even you get shy huh, Shino-kun.”

“—Of course I do. Just what do you think I am?”

“Lately I guess there are times when I think maybe you’re a

cold-blooded, breaking off engagement machine.”

“My purpose is so limited, huh… So limited that I wanna

question the manufacturer’s sanity…”
“By the way, what’re you imagining that got you choked
up?”

“AAAAAAH, I DON’T HEAR ANYTHING I HEAR NOTHING!”

Stop, that attack is effective on me, please stop. I’m trying

to not think deeply here.

At any rate, since we got engaged and started interacting

with each other, Tendou Tsukasa, who was ‘an outrageous
beauty with somewhat outrageous sexual morality,’ is
somewhat thoughtless and an outrageous beauty, has a
sense of values that’s just incompatible with me in some
way but isn’t someone a pain to be together with, and turns
out to be a no-frills girl where if she were a female friend, I
would wanna go hip hip hooray openly for being able to get
to know with one another.

“I knew you’re an innocent one, Shino-kun.”

When I get to know deeply into sexual activity of someone

like that, it’d be hard to handle no matter what. It is
especially bad when I’m in the winning position of an
arranged future called being a fiancé.

So please stop acting flirtatious at once like that.

“Fufu.”

“Don’t think you’ve won, okay…”

After having a suppressed laugh in good humor, the good-

faced devil Tendou wiped the tears coming out from the
corner of her eyes. Hold on, isn’t she laughing a bit too
much?

“—Hey.”
“What?”

Seeing me replying sulkily, Tendou once again started

laughing.

“Say, Shino-kun, why are you going out with me?”

“I’m not going out with you, that’s a misunderstanding. I’m

just someone with a temporary surface identity of being a
fiancé.”

“I don’t mean that way. You know it, don’t you.”

Basically, it seems to be about waiting for her to shower,

having a meal together, and those things.

Certainly, well, I guess it’s also not good to be ambiguous

about the reasons for those things and strangely raise
Tendou’s hope.

“Ah, yeah. So the other day, I called home to check a little

with my dad about the engagement. I asked why didn’t he
tell me I’ve got a fiancée… rather, why didn’t he tell me
there’s this engagement talk.”

“Sure.”

“And then he went and told me, ‘if you knew you had
insurance, you probably wouldn’t make an effort to get liked
by girls, so I kept quiet’.”

“Is-is that so?”

“That’s such a cruel thing I’ve been told ever since a girl
said, ‘I kinda hate you, Shino-kun,’ to me when I was in
elementary school…”

“Errr, that’s… yeah, gotta hurt.”

I guess this is the first time I’ve seen Tendou at a loss for
words like that. Fufu, I wanna die.

And even though I didn’t know about the existence of a

fiancée candidate, I’ve made it this far without a girl liking
me, haven’t I.

So I guess, like, it’s just already fate for me to be unpopular,

I guess.

But well, if someone asks whether I’ve put importance and

effort into being popular in life, I can’t say I have, so I guess
it just can’t be helped (show of courage).

“Then well, it seems he sent a refusal to your home when

my older brother got a girlfriend, and he apparently thought
that I probably would also get one one of these days,
though…”

In short, probably he as a father wasn’t positively

supporting this anachronistic engagement talk either.

But as I’m about to turn 20 without any girlfriend, he

thought he would fail to honor the Tendou’s family by
keeping quiet about it the day I ended up talking that I
wanted a beautiful and rich girlfriend or something.

“Well, as you know I’ve never got a girlfriend or anything

like that, so I guess here we are now.”

“I see.”

That said, when I tried protesting once why he decided to

keep quiet about it, he even told me this, ‘a guy who only
says he wants a girlfriend but won’t act won’t be able make
a decision even if you give him a choice. If anything, thank
them for their willingness to agree to it and myself.’ That
damned old man.

You dare act all high and mighty just because you got
yourself a beautiful wife (mother) and built a happy
family…!

“Well how do I say this… For you it’s… disappointing, wasn’t

it?”

“Laugh and tell me I’m a disappointing man instead—sorry,

it’ll be painful if I’m told that.”

“Of course I wouldn’t say something like that.”

Hnnng, kindness is painful, too.

What have I even done to have to suffer like this? Is this

crime for being unpopular? Isn’t the punishment a bit
heavy?

“—Well, so you know, no matter the circumstances, as of

now we are engaged, and it’s like I’m somewhat to blame
and cause inconveniences as well. My decision to turn it
down was the result of your own choice to make light of
your future fiancé, so I don’t feel sorry, but I just think it’s
wrong to just leave you alone… What’s wrong?”

As I accurately and honestly with good intentions told her

my feelings, she, who was just a short time ago seemingly
sending me sympathy, was hunching forward and pressing
down on her chest.

“…Hey, I thought I understood it myself that it’s me paying

for my own mistake, but when I’m told that so bluntly again,
it’s too sharp and cuts deep.”
“I see. Well, then there’s also how you seem to have few
friends apart from your hangers-on, though.”

“I do have friends! The other day you saw Eri and the
others, right!? Well I can’t say I have a lot, but I feel bad if
they’re thought to be the same kind, so we just don’t see
each other on campus much! Actually be considerate a bit!
I’m suffering, aren’t I!?”

“Ah, I see. Sorry, you also got it rough, huh.”

Also, her lung capacity is amazing. She seems like she’d be

great at a marathon.

I wonder why, I was remembering things and feeling down

just a moment ago, but I guess it’s surprisingly get-overable
when there’s someone who seems to be suffering more than
you. It’s a shock therapy where both have too much to lose,
though.

“Your apology! Is light! Uuwh~…”

I stopped myself from asking her, ‘in your case, don’t you
just have to not play around with men?’

“Uuwh… Uuwh…” Having been sending glances at me while

looking to be suffering for while, Tendou eventually gave up
and straightened her posture as she couldn’t get any further
reaction.

“Haahh… Hey Shino-kun, about ‘making light of’ part from

earlier, umm, does it make you angry in the end?”

“Nah, I’m not angry. It’s not like you knew that the partner
was me, I also didn’t know that there’s a fiancée candidate,
so it’s not a reason to be angry.”
“I mean If I had known my fiancé was you, I wouldn’t have
done those things in the first place, you know?”

Again with such a suggestive statement.

Not gonna fall for it.

I know that’s simply you saying you would’ve given a

normal romance with your fiancé a go had they been of the
same age!

“It’s just, well, as for the description of what actually

happened, saying that I was making light of my fiancé is
correct, I think.”

Well, speaking of ‘in the first place,’ I do think it’s wrong to

have an engagement that’s not of the person in question’s
own wish, though. Considering that, is Tendou in any fault?

As I was pondering over it, she muttered a small, “yeah.”

Even though she has finally showered and was refreshed,
she got a bit down now.

I wonder if there’s a slightly better way to word it. I also

might’ve lost my tactness because of the damage just
before.

“—But you know, the engagement will be off in any case,

and besides, if the surroundings got the illusion that you’re
going out with me properly in the time until the breaking off,
the way they look at you might change, you know?”

For something I just thought up and said, it’s a rational one

if I say so myself.

If she were to stay quiet for a reasonable period of time

after the engagement, it wouldn’t be weird if the
surroundings’ evaluation of what Tendou calls as ‘wild about
sex’ to change even.

Furthermore, if the reason for breaking off with me were to

be her past history with men, it should be perfect as the
motive for reform even when looking from the outside.

In other words, the situation Tendou is in will turn for the

better in the near future—is that a too optimistic view, I
wonder?

“—Umm, can you do anything with the unchanged goal to

break off the engagement, and the word choice ‘illusion’?”

Anyway, as for the Miss Fiancée, she doesn’t seem to like it.

The low ‘muu’ groaning together with reproachful eyes was

a perfect mix of seriousness and acting.

“I don’t think so.”

Nonetheless, I can’t yield since it seems I’d be KO’d if I

make any further compromise.

After I said that while shrugging my shoulders, Tendou’s

eyes became glazed.

“…Hey Shino-kun, as I thought, how about we just go get

married? Come on it’s okay right, it’s just for a bit.”

“There’s nothing ‘just for a bit’ at all about marriage, isn’t

there? It’s all or nothing, okay? Usually.”

“If that’s the case wouldn’t it still be better to take

everything than have nothing at all? What do you think?”

“Sometimes it’s also better to disinherit in case there’s a lot

of debt…”
“Will it really turn into debt when you’ve never had a
girlfriend so far? Besides, wasn’t the deciding factor for the
engagement when you begged and cried to your father in
the first place? Despite all that you’re just so pampered.”

“Wha, I didn’t beg and cry! Just like I explained some time
ago, I just said I wanted a beautiful and rich girlfriend simply
because I was asked!”

“That’s also, well, something I’d question, though… But you

know, think carefully, Shino-kun; a beautiful girl with a rich
family and a very nice face and figure who would marry you
is right here, you know? Are you sure you want to miss this
chance?”

“Somehow you’re being pushy, so I guess I wouldn’t mind

missing it…”

“Your stubbornness is also pretty strong, isn’t it…” After

sighing deeply, Tendou clapped her hands together as if to
make a restart. “Then Shino-kun, how about a date with me
next weekend?”

“The talk can’t connect with ‘then,’ though; why did it get to
this?”

“Aren’t you kinda making light of your fiancée? Leaving me,

someone who seems to have few friends and no one seems
to want to keep company, alone for the weekend.”

“Muu…”

Even if I wanted to say something back, that’s some cleverly

said words I can’t fight against.

While at it, that’s very dirty; bringing up marriage first and

then a date next. It’s the basic skill of negotiation called
‘door-in-the-something’ or whatever where you compromise
after putting the big one on the table.

“—Weren’t you not capable of making any tactic? Tendou.”

“My, I’m pretty sure I asked ‘do you think I’m capable?’
though—so that’s how you took it, I see,” she said with a
daring smile that truly suited her.

The strong light dwelling in her slanted-looking eyes even

makes me believe that, perhaps, everything that has
unfolded up to this point today has been her trap.

“Besides, didn’t you promise there would be a ‘next’?”

“Wasn’t that just something you said on your own? And I

didn’t even mean that day to be a date in the first place.”

“Oh, are you gonna decline? So you want me to have a

lonely, no-plan weekend alone.”

“Guh…”

Well, supposing that’s the case, it seems to be more wrong

to have failed to see this.

Continuing from the prior case with the net cafe, this is
another complete defeat for me. I knew it, she is good-at-
romance.

“—Well, as long as I can go home before dark, sure.”

“You sound like an elementary schooler with a curfew…

Well, I don’t really mind, though.”

With the least resistance I can make, I reminded her that I

won’t stay the night or stay out late.
Tendou, on the other hand, nonchalantly agreed to it as if
she was expecting it.

“It’s gonna be exciting, don’t you think?”

“…I guess you could say so, and also couldn’t say so.”

“What’d you even mean?”

My last useless struggle so easily went down the drain.

Thus, me, Shino Iori, was to spend the weekend with Tendou
Tsukasa, just as she had anticipated.

As usual, the date itself was rather fun (elementary-

schooler-grade impression).
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 5 – What to
Do With Your Name?

“Iori~in, ah, oopsies, you with your girlfriend?”

“Wrong, it’s fiancée. You probably know already, but she’s

Tendou Tsukasa-san.”

“O-oh yeah? Err…”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yeah…”

“So, what do you want?”

“Ah, nah, it’s nothing urgent on second thought. I don’t

wanna interrupt you either, so I’ll get back to you later. See
you later, Iorin, and Tendou-san.”

“I see, see you later.”

“Yes.”

“—Ah, found you, Iori~in. You know, about the last

assignment—”

“Oh, Shinocchi, about the circle’s next regular meeting, wait

whaaa, Tendou-san!?”

“Oh, Kamiya~an, Iori~in…”

I, who had decided to have lunch on an outdoor bench since

it’s one of the rare clear days during the rainy season with
the nice Miss Fiancée who’s accompanying me even though
I didn’t invite her, have decided to immediately regret that.

The reason was that my friends, who were showing up one

by one with a totally half-assed pretext, scattered away with
a totally unnatural surprise at finding Tendou next to me.

Rather, no matter what business they got it’s all things they
could’ve just asked through the phone. As to why they
deliberately came to me directly, I don’t even need to think
deeply about it.

“…Hey, Shino-kun.”

“Sorry, those guys are all after you, Tendou. I’ll make sure to
tell them how they got no shame to pull such a lame stunt,
and that it’s creepy on top of being totally obvious.”

“That’ll just make my reputation worse, so can you please

stop? I’m used to guys giving me looks anyway, so I don’t
mind,” however without seemingly taking offense, said
Tendou, who today got her light brown hair up in a ponytail,
and it’s giving complicated feelings.

“I see.”
A beauty is just different, isn’t it? I don’t admire them so
much, though.

“That’s not what I meant. Since earlier, weren’t your friends

calling you in a very cutesy way?” And so the situation
turned into a more inconvenient direction for me.

Those guys were totally being so uncalled-for.

“Aah, yeah. I sure do hope they all die a gruesome death, or

never get a girlfriend their whole life.”

My first name, Iori, although it’s not a venerable one, it’s

originally a traditional male name.

You can look up ‘Azuma Hyakkan’ for more details, but

nowadays it’s not uncommon for these kanjis to be used in
women’s names, and it seems to be considered as feminine
instead by people of my generation.

Even though it’s not to the point of bearing grudge against

my parents’ naming, it’s often not pleasant thanks to this.
And so I don’t like to be called by my first name.

“Isn’t it weird that those two on the same level…? Not that,
they called you by first name, didn’t they? Then I’ll also—”

“About that, I’ve told them to stop many times but they just
won’t.”

“Hey I will also—”

“On that matter, it’s a godsend since you stopped after only
just a single one, Tendou.”

Tendou is repeating a motion unbecoming of that fine,

beautiful face of hers, opening and closing her mouth like a
goldfish I thought that her charming pink lips are somehow,
kinda lewd.

“Sheesh, what a bunch of superficial friends. They should

just die a gruesome death with blood spurting out of every
pore of their skin.” Except for Kamiyan.

“…I see.” Anyway Tendou made a small groan and gave up

on going any further, perhaps sensing my strong
determination. “By the way, isn’t the punishment just
heavy? Actually, aren’t you angry for real? You hate it that
much?”

“Nah, I’m not angry at all. It’s gonna be hell if I get angry,
you know?”

“But I feel like you’re sounding about the grumpiest I’ve

ever heard till now, though?”

“Oh – come – on – that’s – just – your – imagination.”

“You’re now saying in broken speech, though?”

Nuh-uh, I’m really not angry at all, you know? I just a ‘lil bit
absolutely won’t forgive them.

“—Hey Shino-kun, I just can’t help but think it’s unfair,

though,” Tendou spoke up after brooding over something
throughout. This was when she had finished about half of
her walnut bread during lunch with bread, which is unusual
for us as we didn’t pack for lunch since it’s a sudden
decision.

Moreover, unlike me who’s taking a big bite, Tendou—a

natural, orthodox young lady except for her history with
men—is eating at a slow pace while taking bite-sized pieces
in a good manner.

“It’s so sudden, what’s up?”

“What’s with not letting your fiancée call you by your first
name, even though your friend does?” And then the topic
that should’ve been over for me personally was brought up
again.

Somehow I feel like Tendou is slowly learning the way to

bring up a topic that is hard for me to disregard.

That said, this time she isn’t at fault, so I’ve gotta be careful
to not be harsh with my tone as much as I can.

“But y’know, even you asked ‘what’s with that,’ it’s just like I
said earlier, they’re just the bad guys who’re calling
someone else ‘Iorin’ as they please even though I don’t
allow them.”

“What’s with labeling someone the bad guy for just calling
you by nickname…? By the way, what do you think if I call
you by your first name?”

“I guess I’d think, ‘I see, so you’re that kinda person, huh’.”

“You’re sounding like something out of Hesse’s work…”

“Huh, I thought it was Emil’s.”

“Why? you mean Emil who made ‘Jugendgedenken,’ right?

That was Hermann Hesse.”

“‘Beneath the Wheel’ one?”

“That’s right. Why that’s the one you remember?”

After I replied with, “I just do,” Tendou takes another bite of
her bread while tilting her head looking somewhat baffled.

“By the way, Michael Ende was the author of ‘Momo’ and
‘The Neverending Story,’ okay?”

“I see.” Somehow I feel like I’ve heard the name ‘Momo’ a

lot in book reports.

Then as I was thinking, ‘she sure is eating so

sophisticatedly,’ Tendou’s hands stopped moving.

“Hey, don’t try to mislead me. So Like I said, why can’t I call
you by your first name?”

You’re just digressing on your own, and I wasn’t misleading

you, alright?

With that in my heart, I chew the pirozhki I’ve stuffed a

mouthful of into my cheeks.

Honestly speaking, the price of the bread at the campus

store is very reasonable, and although it’s amazingly greasy
particularly when it comes to the deep-fried bread kind, it’s
still boyish-like and not bad from time to time.

“Hey Shino-kun, I guess that way of eating looks like bad

manners, or that it’s tickling one’s motherhood, but it’s
touching a complicated spot on girls, okay?”

I nod at Tendou’s words, which sounded rude and gracious,

and swallow my piroshki.

“—Like I said, it’s not like I’m saying you can’t. I just told
you to stop.”

“But if I do, my favorability will go down, right?”

“Well, I suppose I can say the possibility of that is high.”

“So pompous. Why? Aren’t you and I in a relationship? It’s

fine, isn’t it? It’s just your first name.”

“If you think it’s such a great relationship, why don’t you try
believing in the bond?”

“You’re talking big! Uuwh~ …Do you hate it so much?”

“I wonder why you can figure out such a thing, but couldn’t
foresee the drawbacks from laying 90 people…”

“And stop throwing that at me at every opportunity you see.

We weren’t even talking about any of that.”

Actually, even if I leave it as an exception since I hate it

from the bottom of my heart, is calling someone by their
first name really something to get so worked up about?

Following what Tendou said before how she found the

engagement with me desirable, she seems to be trying to
get closer to me by making full use of many tricks, and it’s
hard to understand why Tendou is being so insistent that
she’s taking risks.

“I’ll say this since it’s written all over your face, but there’s
stuff going on on my end, too.”

“O heh?Oh yeah?”

“Have a little more interest! Don’t start eating melon bread

while we’re still talking!”

When I appealed with my gaze like, ‘shouldn’t you stop

talking during meals instead?’ Tendou, maybe grasping
some point to it, made a small “muu” groaning sound and
also began to concentrate on her meal.

While I’m om-nom-noming on the melon bread with yet

another cheap taste, I’m locking my eyes on her fingers and
lips, which I find to be hot somehow, with a sideways
glance.

“I do think it’s really rude to be staring at a girl eating.”

“HoheeSorry.”

“Like I said, don’t talk while eating.” Despite speaking

harshly, Tendou’s expression is immediately losing its
harshness, and I’m becoming more and more suspicious by
the day that maybe she’s hopelessly weak for a slovenly
man.

It’s aggravating that I’m admitting that I’m one, though.

Since it couldn’t be helped, afterwards I finished eating the

melon bread while gazing at the blues that are showing the
sign of summer extending high in the sky.

And then in the moment of post-meal idleness, Tendous’

voice makes waves once again. “—Then on the contrary, the
contrary, okay? Call me by my first name, Shino-kun.”

What’s ‘on the contrary’ even.

Tendou’s words sure can be beyond my comprehension from

time to time.

“Tsukasa-san?”

“…Why did you add ‘-san’? Weren’t you calling me ‘Tendou’

rather roughly?”
“Well, I’m just thinking of adjusting the shortened distance
and all.”

“Why!? You can just leave it shortened!” bang bang, Tendou

banging the table.

I think this hitting on the desk or the ground when excited is

not a good habit. It’s subtly astonishing.

And by the way, maybe because her hair style is different,

today Tendou seems more active than usual and a little
childish, but since she originally appeared a little calm and
mature, this means it balances out to zero, and there’s a
sound ‘classmate feeling’, which is a little troubling.

“Errr, calling a girl by their first name without any honorific

is kinda like, thinking ‘she’s mine,’ and also seems
arrogant.”

“But, I’m your fiancée, though? Going by the right course,

I’ll be your wife, though?”

“Nah, if we go by the right course, you’ll be a stranger in

several months. I mean just because someone’s married, I
don’t think it’s like you’ll be like an owner or something.”

“Don’t put a negative outcome like breaking off an

engagement on the right course; what, were you that much
of a feminist, Shino-kun?”

“Nah, I’ve never had a girlfriend, so my abilities for

movements like those are just helplessly low.”

“Don’t know if that’s self-torture or something, but what an

obscure statement… but so far haven’t you been calling me
‘Tendou’ very roughly?”
“If you’re putting it that way, I guess I might just welcome
not calling you by your first name roughly from now on.”

“Muu~…”

Even though the Miss Fiancée still looks dissatisfied, I’m

calling her by her first name as requested, so could I get you
to compromise around here?

“Then how about just call me ‘Shino’?”

As I was thinking, ‘it sure feels like a young lady and her
servant when putting it into practice,’ Tendou’s complexion
became all the more strange.

“Don’t wanna.”

Did I hear you say it like a little kid?

“I’m saying I want you to be closer to me, but the effect will
be different if it’s like that, right?”

Ah, so she’s thinking about that, huh.

Seeing Tendou’s unusual stubbornness, I prepared myself to

have a frank talk.

“Look here—you better not take a virgin too lightly1.”

“What do you mean? I mean, I’ve never taken1 a virgin’s,

though.”

“Excuse me??”

This young lady just went butting in with one hell of a dirty
joke, I can’t even.
“Sorry, stop it, don’t look at me with those eyes, I know it’s
my fault! I’m so sorry!” so she said while also grumbling in a
small voice like, “I mean, you’re just,” or, “I’ve also never
said anything like this before,” which I wish she’d stop.

In the first place, I wasn’t saying any dirty joke(probably),

and it’s also an unsavory blame shifting.

“Anyway! What do you mean!?”

“You’ve made a great mistake if you thought you could get

away with anything with a vigor like that.”

“What! Do! You! Mean!”

“Okay okay, I’ll talk.”

A beauty’s angry face truly has a strong pressure.

And then I’m weak to pressure.

“Umm, you might haven’t noticed it, but talking about all
kinds of stuff like this, and even when there’s nothing
happening in particular, my favorability towards you is
increasing bit-by-bit, Tsukasa-san.”

“What do you mean even when there’s nothing happening,

we’ve already gone on several dates, haven’t we? Also, I
see that using ‘-san’ is a done deal.”

“Nah, dates don’t count, okay?”

“Just what would count if you left that out? Does se… well
so, what’s bad about that?”

I don’t bother to take a jab at the fact that she cut herself
short mid-sentence with an ‘oh crap!’ look at her face, and I
guess Tendou still doesn’t get anything at all.
“Don’t know if it’s alright, but at this rate if I end up
misinterpreting that we together have a good
relationship…”

“Currently no misunderstanding or anything we’re engaged

with a promised future, right? A good relationship after this
is already husband and wife, you know?”

“If I’m misinterpreting it! Probably one of these days I’ll end
up touching like, your cheeks, hair, or ears suddenly without
thinking.”

“If that’s what you wanna do, it’s not like I mind you
touching wherever you want, though… ”

Eh, seriously?

“…Ah, no no no, I don’t want you to misunderstand. It’s not

like it’s like this just because it’s you. This is a condition
where your sense of distance would act up due to sexual
desire and love maltruniton from thinking ‘won’t it be kinda
nice to be with a girl?’; this is a disease that is, indeed,
peculiar to a virgin!”

“I admit, it might be a bit creepy to pin the cause on

therebeing a virgin.”

“Right? That’s why it’s necessary for me to continue to

discipline myself to maintain an appropriate distance. For
that reason, I must adamantly refuse to call you without
honorifics.”

“I did think the creepiness was a bit too overboard, but

you’re surprisingly unperturbed, aren’t you.”

“Nah, probably I’ll cry quietly later. It hurts a lot.”

Why does one have to be born a disgusting virgin.

And why do we lament that?

If I could just keep on living unwaveringly and accepting

everything, I’m sure I’ll be feeling as bright as this sky. The
sky is beautiful.

“Okay it’s my bad, I’m sorry! Don’t speak in a serious tone!

Don’t make that distant look, look at me! Look, I’m not as
creeped out as I said I was!” Tendou said, holding my hand
that’s dangling loosely, having lost power. As usual, her
hands are smooth, and mysteriously soft for being so dainty.

This is what I’m talking about, okay?

Thinking that shaking it off may also be too much, I open my

mouth again to distract my awareness while feeling my
hand slowly oozing out sweat. “As you said you were, that
means isn’t it the reality you’re slightly creeped out?”

“You’re not gonna believe it even if I say ‘not at all,’ right?

And also, I don’t wanna say something like this, I tot-tally
don’t wanna say it, but—you see, do you think I’m gonna
get shaken by this and that of a guy after all this time?”

“Nuh-uh, not at all, though? You’re right it’s too late for that,
hahah.”

“I knew that would be your reaction, but it’s irritating…!”

“Owowowow.” The back of my hand got pinched real hard.

It’s still better since she didn’t sink in her nails, but it’s still
pretty painful.

It’s like: urgh, it’s turning so red.

“—Wait, aren’t your nails a little plain today?”

“You’ve been looking at a person’s hands so much earlier,

but only now?” While emphasizing on the ‘now’ and raising
her brows, Tendou‘s expression is growing cold.

Tendou’s nails were previously grown long, and done with a

brighter red or with metallic nails, but now they’re trimmed
somewhat short, with a few tiny stones lined up on glossy
pale pink.

“If it’s so flashy, isn’t it gonna look out of place next to

you?”

“It’s not like you have to match me, and you can just do it
as you like so it’s fashionable.”

Rather, it’s me, who would sometimes even get flak from
my gentle younger sister who is considered plain and
reserved, and Tendou, who got too good of a face; there
shouldn’t be anything that can be pulled off to make us look
like a good match, however.

“But being too flashy isn’t your thing, isn’t it?”

“That’s true, but isn’t doing your nails, in particular,

something you do for yourself?” After I said this, I noticed:
Ah, I sure was being unnecessary.

And not surprisingly, Tendou smiled a smile that looked

astonished, troubled, and yet happy in some way. That
expression of hers was as radiant as today’s clear sky.

“I’m saying these nails are for me currently.”

“I see.”
As I’m trying to make sure not to think about the meaning of
her words, the fingers that have been gently stroking the
back of my pinched hand smoothly slide between my
fingers.

Isn’t this the modus operandi of domestic violence?

“—And by the way Shino-kun, don’t you think lately I’ve got
a bit of a different air about me?”

“I do think you’ve always been at this, you know?

Unreservedly closing the distance and touching someone’s
hands.”

“It’s a different topic, but is it true that guys find fetishsm

about the nape?”

“Well I think it’s a rather major taste bud, but aren’t the
front and the back connected?”

“Then—my skirt today, what do you think?”

As usual, those words were sudden, but they got a hard-to-

fight magical power.

“How should I even…”

If you’re asked for your thoughts, It’s gotta be natural for

your gaze to swim there.

That’s why if my eyes got drawn to Tendou’s gleaming fair

legs positioned evenly in good manners as she’s sitting
down on the bench, it shouldn’t even be something that
ought to be blamed by anyone.

Although she’s flamboyant for her good looks and history

with men, I actually don’t really remember having seen her
in a mini-skirt, also partly due to fashion trends.

Despite that, today she’s in a mini-skirt, boldly throwing out

those long, slender beautiful legs, with a somehow-pretty
lap, also shiny skin, and also somehow-tight ankle.
That said, it doesn’t feel like a blatant attempt to flirt, but
together with today’s kinda sporty hairstyle, it’s coming out
as stylish.
I’m not a fashion critic so it might be off the mark, but that’s
how it struck me.

However, there’s no change in the beautiful legs open bare

in mini-skirt. Isn’t that just lewd?

“—I suppose that’s a response more eloquent than words.”

Tendou’s merry declaration of victory got shoved at the
speechless me.

It’s vexing, but after staring so intently to this extent,

anything I say will just turn into excuses.

“…Come to think of it, everyone’s probably coming to check

out your legs, I guess.”

“Guess so, but like I said I’m used to getting attention. That
aside, the important one is to have my value, that it also
looks good on me, reaffirmed by you.”

For her, that’s probably a tactic that’s not even to the point
of giving everything she got.

It stands out simply because of Tendou’s attractive legs, and

as for a mini-skirt, it’s a very ordinary length.

And for a shorter one, you can probably find plenty of them
on campus alone if you look for it.

“…It’s not like you have to go out of your way to show your
legs to appeal; no matter what outfit you’d look good in it
anyway, and I know well you’re good looking.”

Nevertheless, Tendou in a mini-skirt is too stimulating for

me, not to mention that I was just told earlier it’s okay to
touch, which makes it even worse.
“That’s why Tsukasa-san, you can just go ahead and dress
however you like.”

In the first place, she got legs so beautifully slender that she
can make an appeal even with pants.

After showing my complete defeat at the consecutive

defeats following the weekend date, I slurped away the last
few remaining carton milk, finishing it.

“Is that so? Then maybe I should save this for only in front
of you.”

“You don’t even have to bother to show it to me, though…”

And then while I was grimacing at the milk’s outrageous

lukewarmness, I completely missed Tendou’s tiny guts pose
hidden behind her merry words.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 6 – A Rather
Scary True Story

“Hey Shino-kun, there’s this story I’ve heard from a friend

—” Tendou Tsukasa started talking on the way home after
the last class of the day, and I just go, “sure,” and nodded
while thinking in my heart: I see, Tendou’s story, huh.

I, Shino Iori, am serving as the assistant apprentice

candidate fiancé of her, who is final boss-like existence for a
virgin, for having an absurdly beautiful dainty face, having a
model-like body who’d look good in anything she wears,
being a natural young lady who’s not a lot these days, and
boasting a notorious, dreadnought-class near triple-digit
person count experience.

If I were a battle-race prince, I’d be clattering my teeth and

uttering despair.
“Hey, you’re not listening, aren’t you?”
“Wrong, you got it totally wrong. I’m just being a little
absent-minded.”
“You’re not listening,” Tendou got sulky, and grabbed my
elbow to strongly drag me to a bench. She got slender arms
but surprisingly strong.

“Tsukasa-san, I gotta get home before dark.”

“It’s okay, the days are already getting pretty long, and
that’s not something a boy1 about to turn twenty should
say, don’t you think?”

If she’s saying that, am I at an age where I can be called a

boy in the first place?

In the meanwhile I got urged to sit, and Tendou sat next to

me, sticking close, and intertwining her arms with mine as if
saying: you’re not going anywhere.

“—So, there’s this story I heard from a friend.”

“Sure.”

Anyway, she’d never separate once it got to this, so I got no

choice but to give up.

Well, but then there’s not gonna be a problem with the rest
of my schedule, so she’s probably doing this with an
understanding of my circumstances in her own way as well,
but if that’s the case it’s frightening, isn’t it?

Well if push comes to shove, running away is gonna be fine

since the differences in our leg strength and feet, I guess.
Unlike me who wears sneakers in general, Tendou’s is
always fashionable and not suited for running instead.

“So the other day, it seems this friend of mine had a girls-
only meetup with a friend.”
“Sure.”

I nodded while guessing: About the Friday before last, isn’t

it?

Actually, what’s the meaning of talking about the events of

the day I’m also aware of like it’s gossip?

“Ah, before that, are you comfortable with scary stories,

Shino-kun?”
“If it’s not scarier than finding out that a notorious girl on
campus became my fiancée, then no biggie.”
“Well even if you’re not comfortable with it, just bear with
it.”
“Why did you ask?”

Also, did you just casually acknowledge an engagement

matter isn’t scary?

In the world in general it’s a pretty horrifying experience,

alright? Probably.

“So, that girl has a lover who’s somewhat very possessive,

and so like, it’s been a while since she’s gone out to hang
out at night.”

It’s a classic to talk while covering it up in a true story-like

ghost story, but it’s another shameless, self-serving
alteration of the facts. Or maybe it’s a sad pretense.

“Oh really?” When I passed it up with a warm feeling,

Tendou’s nicely trimmed eyebrows twitched.

“Errr, and so you know, that girl accidentally got herself

drunk on too much alcohol she’s not used to yet. Going
home alone’s gonna be dangerous so she decided to call her
lover to pick her up, it seems.”
“I sure regretted not ignoring that past-eleven worrying
call.”
“And so, the lover came to pick her up.”
“The one you went with was, Eri-san, was it? I got stared at
hard by that blonde girl, you know…”

It was like that the first time we met, but she sure is kinda
seeing me as hostile.

Moreover it’s a situation where both were brought about by

Tendou, but I wonder if I can have her put in some words.

“Ah, and speaking of which, have you properly apologized to

Eri-san? Seems like she’s also gotten a bit of a hard time
from looking after you and all.”
“Hey Shino-kun, I told you in the beginning it was about a
friend of mine, didn’t I?”
“So you’re not gonna let your own disgraceful behavior get
pointed out, huh…”

What a terrible excuse.

That said, there’s no benefit for me to prolong the talk, so

when I urged her by saying, “continue,” Tendou stroked her
own lips with a somewhat sullen expression.

“—Also, it’s Minase.”

“Huh?”
“Eri’s family name. You’re gonna get glared at again if you
call her by her first name, you know?”
“Ah, roger. It’s Minase-san then.”

Certainly, she seems like she would at least say: I’ve got no
reason to be called by my first name by you, though?

I don’t really know why Tendou deeply nodded her head like
going, ‘alright!’ though.
“Well so you know, that day was the weekend, and the two
are lovers, it’s also already late, moreover the girl’s home is
much farther away than his home, also than the nearby
hotel, you see.”
“I’m horrified.”
“We’re not there yet. Actually, there’s nothing scary about it
all, right!?”

To think that my chastity was in danger without me knowing

it. Eh, could it be that she got herself dead drunk with
calculation to that extent put into it?

Do I have to grasp with each and every detail where I’d be

called to from now on?

Nah, I suppose it’d be safer to ignore the call from the

beginning. Let’s do that.

“And so, her lover just took her home in a taxi, you know?
What do you think?”
“I think he got a decent sensibility, though…” Unlike Tendou.
“Why!?” Tendou, however, protested my words that I said
neither in jest nor in self-justification.

“Eeh…? Well I mean, the girl was dead-drunk unconscious,

right? I think it’s more normal to take her to her home rather
than to his home or a hotel, though.”
“…Is that so?”
“‘Cause if things went that way, it’d be that date rape thing,
right? It’s a crime, you know?”
“Eh, but they’re both lovers, you know? It’s not a
relationship where there’s gonna be any problem with doing
lewd stuff, you know?”
“Isn’t having proper consent the right thing exactly since
they’re lovers? I think there’s no need to do anything when
she’s dead drunk and couldn’t even give consent, though.”
Seeing Tendou who began to look up for something on her
phone while saying, “wait huh?” I renewed my mind that I
absolutely won’t go out drinking alone with her even if there
would be an opportunity in the future.

“—Well let’s just put that aside.”

I knew it, or maybe I should say as I thought, Tendou didn’t

seem to have changed her mind.

There sure are hard-to-fill difference in sexual moratlity

between the two of us…

“Well Tsukasa-san, date rape in a very close relationship

might not be applicable to rape crime etc. in Japan, but I’ve
passed on the information with my understanding, okay?”
“Let’s put that, aside! Actually can you stop talking like I
would do something like that!? There never has been and
never will be any such reality!”

Well indeed, there probably was never any reason for

Tendou in the first place to have to obsess over someone
who wouldn’t take up on her invitation. Before me that is.

No good, that means I can’t have any sort of peace of mind,

can’t I.

“And so, there’s still more to the story. Ah, Shino-kun, what
are your plans after this today?”
“I wanna get home before dark.”
“There’s none, I see. That’s great.”

Fufu, she’s not listening to me.

In the sky I looked up to, the curtain of evening has been
slowly rising to cover the daytime blue.

The eastern sky is painted with deep, deep dark blue, and
tiny stars are glittering. Seeing that bright color of the night
that can’t be seen much in the dark skies of winter, I
thought: Ah, looks like summer’s just around the corner.

“Hey.” As I was immersed in a sentimental mood while

escaping from reality, hands were placed on both my
cheeks to hold my face, and whoop, made to turn towards
Tendou.

It was a hand movement as gentle as that of a hairdresser

when getting a haircut. Also, it smelled good.

“—So you know, my friend’s lover took her home in a taxi,

and requested the occupant of the house who welcomed
them to take care of her, it seems.”
“I never thought I’d hear the words ‘occupant of the house’
outside of fiction and news…”

Tendou was called ‘young ladyojou-sama,’ so maybe it’s the

live-in housekeeper or something.

And about the building of the Tendou family that looks like
it’s a samurai residence, we’re in the 21st century, alright?
That caught me off guard.

“And so about him, you see. He defended my friend who

was dead drunk, and mediated it like, ‘it’s the fault of me,
her lover, I’m sorry,’ it seems”
“Yeah, sure. I’d say without doubt your friend was thankful
for that.”

I don’t mean to emphasize the favor I’ve done, but it’s true
that I’ve put the effort to slightly adjust the story to fit the
situation for Tendou who more or less appears to be
behaving as a proper young lady at home.

“Yep, yep, that’s right, and so apparently my friend’s family

was telling her to invite him to her home again because
they wanted to apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Eep!”
“In this case, what do you think is the right way for my
friend to invite her lover to her home?”
“Nope nuh-uh impossible really impossible absolutely
impossible for certain it’s impossible.”

The dining together at the hotel with all our family members
already made me want to puke, but to be invited to such a
gargantuan residence is so impossible that I shudder just
imagining it.

Moreover the conversation at that time proceeded almost

entirely under the lead of Tendou’s parents while I just gave
my greetings, and also Tendou’s grandmother in question
didn’t step forward.

To ask me to deal with that alone, moreover in the

opponent’s homeground is just so unreasonable it’s not
funny. It’s a big load to carry no matter how I think about it.
I’ll die.

“Tell this to her for me that going out of their way to thank
him is just too much of an exaggeration and they better
reconsider it.”

Receiving my fervent appeal with an unimpressive, “I see,”

Tendou cleared her throat softly. “And so Shino-kun. It’s
totally off-topic, but how about a dinner together at my
home next Wednesday?”

“Don’t wanna!! It’s totally not off-topic at all!!!”

She said that as if nothing happened, but so far there hasn’t
been such a blatant trap.

It’s also gonna be rather hard to make any refusal when

you’re diving deep into the opponent’s homeground, and
moreover when it comes to an apology. I can also imagine
the giving of engagement gifts to tie the knot happening in
just one breath if I’m careless.

It’s just cowardly to exert the pressure from your parents

just because I won’t yield.

“How can you say that, until just now it was my friend’s
story, remember?”
“Don’t lie to my face! Then why am I invited to your home
for dinner!?”
“It’s Tanabata that day, isn’t it? Every year we decorate
bamboo in our garden and have soumen, and so it led to us
talking about also bringing you for it.”
“Eh, so rich people also eat soumen.”
“You’re surprised there? It’s not like it’s weird even if we eat
it, right?”

When I thought, ‘well it’s certainly a traditional food,’ but

then I remembered her eating Sichuan dish noodles, and I
agreed with her.

“Somehow I feel like I’m being agreed to in a slightly

unpleasant way, though…”
“No, I didn’t. So, how should I refuse it?”
“Why’re you consulting on how to refuse? C’mon it’s fine,
we’re just gonna eat soumen.”

That’s a lie. It won’t be just that, something very bad is

definitely gonna be waiting for me.
“It’s all right, there’s really nothing to it. We’re just gonna
have some meals with my family. It’s gonna be just for a
bit.”
“Amazing, the feeling of wanting to believe it isn’t coming
up at all.”

I wonder why in this world there are girls who would end up
getting brought back home with this logic. Nah, I guess
that’s just reciprocal back scratching.

“Ah, that’s right. How about I wear a yukata to welcome you

that day?”
“You have my honest respect for being able to say that like
it’s a perk.”
“Thanks?”

Really, I wonder just how much self-confidence she got in

her own face.

Speaking of whether or not I want to see her in a yukata, it’s

the truth that I somewhat want to, though. Also if the
content isn’t Tendou, I want to have a walk together in a
geta that would go clack-clack, though.

“Well sorry, but that day I have urgent things to do so no

can do.”
“You sure did come up with a blatant half-hearted
excuse…!”

Tendou got mad, but I really want her to think this through.

At this rate if I’m thoughtlessly being invited to Tendou’s

home, and I fall into a situation where I could neither move
forward nor backward, I might be forced to announce on the
spot that I’m breaking off the engagement.

I wonder if she understands that part there.

Welp, she probably doesn’t I suppose.

“Then Tsukasa-san, are you also okay if it turns into me

telling them then I’m breaking off the engagement?”
“Eh…”

Despite her visibly angry face, Tendou was enjoying

annoying me and now, sure enough, she stiffened like, click.

That was a stiffening so beautiful that I’d like to add a sound

effect already.

“…Eh, wai, you ca… death—?”

Again, huh.

“Well, don’t you think that your grandmother would restrain

herself in front of a guest?”

No, maybe she’d order her to take responsibility by

committing suicide on the spot? In present day Japan? In the
21st century?

And as I was thinking, ‘also that’s not gonna be any

consolation at all,’ Tendou rebooted.

“—Fu, fufu, stop with the bad joke, I mean, you also
wouldn’t want to do something like that while surrounded by
my family, right? The real scary one is Grandmother, but my
father’s face is also scary, you know?”

That assessment of her own parents makes me want to

scratch my head, but he’s certainly someone with a real
punch in him.

“Well I sure don’t wanna get assertive, but if things seem

like I’d be made to get married if I’m staying silent at that
time, even I’d get desperate, you know?” And when I
continued with, “that’s why I thought it would be fair to tell
you this in advance,” Tendou, maybe sensing my
seriousness, suddenly pulled herself even closer to me and
pressed this soft and tender sensation on my—whoops hold
yourself together boy, don’t think too much about it, ah, but
it really is considerable—arm.

“Shi-Shino-kun? Don’t you think we should get to know each

other a little more deeply before rushing to conclusions?”
“Not much.”

The elephant in the room is the discrepancy in sexual

morality, and that’s a rather unchangeable problem, and at
the same time the more I get to know her the more I’d keep
getting bonded to Tendou, so we should keep more distance
instead. Essentially.

I wonder if this is a situation brought upon by my lack of

virtue, which ended up giving her strange expectations in
the time we’re associating like this and that.

“Tha-that means you think about it for a little, doesn’t it?

Also even if the engagement with me is broken, I believe
you’d just be told to take my second older sister instead!
You can’t escape from the Tendou family!”
“Is your family a great demon lord or something?”

Actually, that’s my first time hearing that.

Tendou is the youngest child of three sisters, and I’ve heard

the eldest sister is married.

From everything I’ve heard so far, it’s looking like Tendou

has been raised as a fiancée candidate for the Shino family,
so I was so sure that the second daughter was out of the
picture, though… No, the more I think about it, the more I
wonder just who is that grandmother? It’s your grandchild’s
life, you know? Aren’t you doing as you please too much?

It’s another family’s matter, but it sure is not so funny…

“Well it’s true Ryou-neesan is a virgin, though? And unlike

me she’s a genuine sheltered girl, so it might be convenient
for you, but!! Isn’t that a little too much!?”
“Well, of course I’m not that insensitive. I’ll make them
pretend the topic never existed somehow by saying
something like, ‘I’ve felt guilty about getting engaged with a
lackluster resolve while I was with Tsukasa-san’.”

Well there are also simple facts mixed in about here, so it’s
not a lie.

Also quit revealing the second daughter’s personal

information in the midst of this mess. It’s gonna be awkward
when I meet her.

“—I see, so you’re serious… Geez, now that it’s come to

this…” Perhaps noticing that neither seduction techniques
nor tears had any effect, Tendou separated from me, folded
her arms, and began to brood over something, mumbling.

Even as the red, blood-like afterglow of the setting sun went

away, and only the blue of the night remained dominating
the sky, Tendou was still brooding it over, racking her brain
and occasionally exchanging messages with someone.

“Tsukasa-san, can we go home now?”

“Wait a little longer… I don’t mind if we continue this in your
room, though.”
“All right, I’ll wait then.”
“Hey, can’t you agonize over it a bit more?! Usually you’d
be happy to have a girl with a nice face like me coming to
your room, right!?”
“Nah, it’s simply a mess, and not in a condition to invite
someone over.”
“~~~~, and stop being being uncautious from time to time
like that.”
“Just what do you want me to do…”

She sure got high-class young lady mentality in such a place

(it’s personal opinion).

And then after some “uh-huh uh-huh,” Tendou finally raised

her face up from the screen after going through message
exchanges for the umpteenth time.

“—What you’re worried about is whether they might take

the opportunity of you coming to our home to progress with
the marriage talk, isn’t it?”
“Well, sort of. I think it’s also not good to turn down an
invitation that has a good reason.”
“Then just let yourself be invited this time. I’ve requested
my sisters and gotten their cooperation to make sure the
talk doesn’t go in that direction.”
“Ah, so you’re explaining the situation to your sisters?”
“I wasn’t. It’s still better with my second older sister, but if
my eldest sister finds out, as expected I’ll die. But I suppose
it’s understandable for a college student to feel pressured
into going to the home of his lover’s parents.”
“You’re not a lover, but a fiancée, though.”
“Are you fine if the talk moves forward then?”
“Sorry, my bad.” I obediently apologized from the
penetratingly cold voice.

But that we’re not lovers is also a fact, okay!? (In whisper).

“—In any case, it’ll certainly be fine if my two sisters are

going to cooperate. Grandmother probably wouldn’t say
anything to rush it anyway.”
“So, can I trust your word on that?”
“It’s all tied up, so sure. And if it still turns out to be iffy, do
whatever you want, Shino-kun.” Tendou continued, “I won’t
hold any grudge,” with her eyes like seriousness itself.

To say, ‘allowing me to go that far is just scary, so no,’ is I

guess gonna be too unreasonable.

“—All right, I’ll go. And if you have any dying wish, I’d be
here to hear it, alright?”
“Stop it, it’s a bad omen! I’ll hold grudge against you the
rest of my life if you drob a bomb when nothing happening
at all!”
“Nah, I won’t. By the way, what should I wear? I guess
formal wear?”
“You can wear casual clothes. I think you’d better not wear
jeans with a t-shirt, though.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have the guts to visit that residence
looking like that…”

Come to think of it, I think I haven’t been to a girl’s home

ever since elementary school, haven’t I?

While feeling nervous in a double meaning, I took out my

phone to report it to my parents just in case.

I suppose it’s also necessary for my parents to be prepared

in case I do mess up, and not Tendou.

“Ah, and Shino-kun, there’s one more important thing.”

“Nn, what is it?”

When I looked up from the screen, Tendou was showing a

stiff smile that I’d never seen before.

“I’ll say this because I think it’d be fair to tell you this—
Grandmother, she’s taken quite a liking to you, you know?”
“Eeep!”

It’s the most horrified I felt today.

—And so, I was treated to a delicious soumen at Tendou’s

home on Tanabata night.

After having a generally peaceful and harmonious dinner,

we were gazing at the bamboo and night sky, and while at it
I disposed of a tanzaku written with ‘engagement gift by the
end of the year’ in a handwriting that looked like Tendou,
and then safely returned home.

Later on, she got very angry at me.

 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 7 – Summer
Festival Transition!

Before the class that overlapped with Tendou Tsukasa’s

choice which is only two in a week, “hey Shino-kun, where
do you wanna go this summer?” I got asked so by her who
I’m in a temporary engaged-relationship with.

“—I’m not thinking about it.”

“Is that so? As for me, I’d like to have you see me in a
swimsuit at the beach or pool, but if you want to, I don’t
mind going camping in the mountains or something.”

And then in the end it wasn’t my imagination, that Tendou

seemed to be taking it as natural that we would be going
out together during the coming summer vacation.

“Nah, I’m not thinking about going somewhere to spend the

summer with you.” And so when I clearly corrected that
error in the perception, her dainty beautiful face got covered
by the cloud of sullenness.

“Why?” Her voice was low, as to be expected as we’re in the

classroom with others.

In exchange, her eyes looked very dangerous.

“I mean if we’re going out during the summer vacation,

seems like it’s gonna be a stay over, or coming home
late…”

“And so why don’t you like that? Come on, at least doing
something we don’t normally get to do.”

If I let down my guard like that, it seems like the ending

called ‘engagement gifts’ would immediately be lying in
wait for me, I guess.

“Besides, it’s not an everyday opportunity to be able to

make any summer memories with a girl who has a good
face like this, don’t you think?”

And then as usual, her confidence towards her extremely

above standard face was immense.

“But seems like things that can’t be undone will happen, so

no thanks…”

“Why! Even you’d find it better to go together with a cute

girl if you’re gonna go out somewhere anyway, right!? I’ll
even wear a swimsuit of your liking!” Tendou shouted in a
whisper, maybe finally unable to hold it anymore.

I’ve thought hard about it, but she sure is shrewd.

“Well, it’s not like I’ve gotta rely on you. Setting aside the
swimsuit, if I go lower my head even I could find a girl who
would go with me… probably… definitely……”

Would I be able to somehow if I prostrate on the ground…?

Nah, it’s impossible for me who can’t even declare I got a

female friend.

There’s the last resort of begging my little sister for help,

but seems like I’d get scolded (despair).

“Is there a choice in you to indulge in my kindness rather

than fretting and making such a sorrowful face…?

“Only if it really is just kindness, that is.”

Don’t forget the Tanabata that dumped me with horror

experience, alright?

“And also, leaving me your fiancée alone, and going out with
another girl is just plain strange, right? Did you forget about
what you yourself said before about making light of
something etc.?”

“T-that’s just a metaphor.”

And I would appreciate it if you stop speaking in a voice so

scary that it surpasses that.

I also don’t think I have any reason to be criticized by

Tendou who got unusual sexual experience, but after getting
engaged, she has stopped playing around with men, exactly
as she’s said.

And I also don’t think it’s fair to pull up something from the
past there.
Although feelings-wise I’m an acting assistant stand-in
apprentice candidate fiancé, my engagement with Tendou is
official, so if I do anything careless, it wouldn’t be weird
even if it gets brought to a civil court for a breach of
contract.

“Huh? Then there’s a possibility that I’d have to live a gray

dull youth while I’m engaged to you…?”

“I wonder why you’re so stubbornly refusing to go out with

me… We’ve been on several dates already, aren’t we?”

Because it’s bad to give any strange expectation about the

future as long as I haven’t changed my mind, alright?

I wonder if I should also tell her this.

No, can I just handle it more businesslike in the first

place…?

“Geez—if you’re so concerned about the time you return

home, how about going to the shopping district festival near
my home for now? It’s famous for the high quality food stalls
since there are lots of restaurants, and it ends at nine at
night. Moreover, if it’s now it comes bundled with me in a
yukata.”

When I was troubled with my reply, a specific new proposal

came up. It’s a considerable compromise, but at any rate,
she sure is coming assertively at me today.

I wonder if Tendou also wants to have summer memories

after all.

“Say, isn’t there a love hotel just around the corner there?”

“There is none! …Yup, none.”

Thank god, it wasn’t the Tendou who would know all the
locations of all love hotels within her homerange.

However, a total lack of contact during summer would also

be unreasonable, and it’s probably gonna look unnatural to
Tendou’s family.

I suppose I should compromise around here.

“All right, so long we’re all disbanded by nine at night, then

sure.”

“You sound like a high schooler worrying about curfew…”

“I mean, it’s gonna be troubling if I get dragged into the

dark place or something…”

“Like I’ve said, that concern is usually the reverse in man

and woman, right!?”

Welp, so it panned out that way.

And then on the day of the festival, “ooh…” an involuntary

gasp of admiration rushed out of my throat at the sight of
Tendou standing at the rendezvous point.

On Tanabata night she was in casual clothes in the end

because of circumstances or something, so this is the first
time I’ve seen her in a yukata.

“Ooooh…”

The white yukata was refreshingly painted with light blue

ripples and goldfish, and the vibrant red obi gives off a bit of
a striking and crumpled impression.
Ohoh? This is probably a tailfin image1, isn’t it?
(noncommittal).

The hair that’s much curlier than usual was pulled and
casually tied into one in a low position on the back of her
head, creating a just right casualness.

On her right hand is a tall, sturdy-looking traditional fan

made of bamboo frame affixed with cloth, and on her left
hand is a drawstring purse tossed into a knitted basket-like
bag.

Her feet are, of course, in geta. It’s the practical kind where
the soles aren’t very thick, and the strap is a warm-color
temari pattern. The pedicure on her feet is also spot-on.

“Shino-kun, your impression?” Asked by Tendou, I looked

from head to toe, and then once more from the bottom to
the top.

How should I say this, she’s like the perfect example of ‘the
lover in yukata you want to go to the festival with.’

“You’re very cute, it’s like it’s not you, Tsukasa-san.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s kinda nice, very nice…”

“Well it seems I’m being complimented so it’s fine, though…

By the way, I see you’re not in yukata, Shino-kun.”

“Ah, yeah.”

In this case, it makes me feel a little bad that I came in here

in a complete, casual style of t-shirt, jeans, sneakers.
My thinking of not getting too enthusiastic backfired.

“Well, I don’t have a yukata in the first place.”

“How about making it? It might even be fun for a guy to try
wearing it once in a while, you know?”

“Nah, I’m still in my growing period so it’s gonna be a waste

if I can’t wear it anymore.”

Also, I strongly feel the echoes of the rich in the way that it
wasn’t ‘how about buying it?’

“Don’t you lie, you’re already not at an age where you can
grow any taller, right?”

However, Tendou sure is subtly excited. Me too, though.

This is also due to the festival music, and the enthusiasm of

the people increasingly appearing here and there in the now
car-free shopping district.

“Weh…”

Still, this yukata sure is somewhat highly destructive…

“See? it turned into a good summer memory, didn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“—Somehow when you’re honestly pleased with me like

this, it’s just making me feel uneasy.”

That’s sad.

But well, in actuality Tendou is so beautiful that I can

understand even the triumphant look on her, and given the
situation, now I’m feeling that it’s not even an
overstatement to say that a guy who can go to a festival
with a girl in yukata is the real winner.

That means have I also finally become a winner of life

today…?

“And so Shino-kun, is there anything in mind you wanna

eat? Starting half past six, there’s also dancing and other
programs on the stage at the entrance on the other side of
the street, though.”

“Nnnn, I must say I’m not really interested in that kinda

thing. I figured we could just walk around and pick up things
that catch our attention.”

“Let’s do that then.”

“Ah, do you mind if I take a shot of you in yukata before

that?”

“Sure, but if it’s only from the neck down or something, I’m
gonna get mad, okay?”

“You’re so untrusted huh, me…”

“How about trying looking back at your own usual act for a
bit?”

Despite her sharp tongue, Tendou posed with a perfect

smile when I pointed my phone at her. Hmmm, this feeling
of knowing how to present herself, it’s very peculiar to
beautes, I say.

“I’m pissed.”

“With what even! Just now there was nothing to get mad
about, was there!?”
“Sorry, it just happened.”

But I never knew I got such weakness for a girl in yukata.

Hmm, I think I’ll use this as a home screen…

“Hey Shino-kun, why’re you looking at the picture more

enthusiastically than at me?”

“Well, I just thought dropping down about one dimension is

just right.”

“That really is unpleasant…”

“—Starting from now, we will hold the Saturday Night

Market in Kawabata Shopping Arcade—”

As Tendou raised her brows, the speakers announced the

opening of the event.

Cheers and applause were sparse, but I felt like the

apparent temperature rose all at once.

“Well then, shall we go? The queues will grow everywhere if

we don’t hurry.”

“Yeah. Ah, Tsukasa-san, I’ll hold the bag.”

“Thanks, then can you also hold my left hand while at it? We
wouldn’t want to get separated after all.”

“—Well, I guess so. There’s this crowd as well.”

Switching the bag that’s heavier than I thought to my left, I

wiped my right hand with the bottom of my jeans, just in
case, before grabbing Tendou’s hand.
The slender hand of hers, who showed a slight subtle
expression, was a little hotter than ever.

“—This so good.” Picking up two or three foods for starters,

we decided to fill up our belly at the end of the street.

Only today there’s also no ‘that’s bad manners’ scolding

from Tendou.

The beef steak skewers in front of the yakiniku restaurant

were thick and very filling.

The simple salt and pepper seasoning, and the oozing juices
and fat make it an irresistible delicacy for sweaty bodies on
a summer evening. Hmmm, it makes me want white rice.

The price was okay, but well, I suppose you shouldn’t be

saying boorish things in a place like this.

“—Hey Shino-kun, I certainly asked whether you’ve got

anything in mind, but why suddenly things like takoyaki and
yakisoba?” However, the Miss Fiancée in yukaya holding a
takoyaki container was exuding a slight hint of discontent.

Even though it’s Tendou who suggested sharing with mine

since she said one person portion is too much for her.

“Eeh, isn’t that the standard?”

“Just look at my yukata. You’re not trying to be mean, are

you?”

Certainly a white yukata seems like it would stand out so

much if it gets stained, but in the first place at a festival,
isn’t the risk level pretty much the same regardless due to
eating and walking around?

“No, I’m not. I was hungry, and I just chose what I wanted to
eat.”

“It’s fine if that’s the case, though…”

“Well, I kinda thought it’s gonna be funny if you get some

dried seaweed stuck on your teeth, though.”

“Excuse me!?” Whoop, pushing the takoyaki to me, Tendou

took out a mirror from the bag.

Hmmm, even the manner she’s checking her teeth is

naturally elegant. That’s a natural high-class young lady for
you.

If it’s me I would bare my gums as hard as I could like a

chimpanzee, though.

“Whoah.”

“Ouch.”

And then immediately after, I felt a slight bump on my

shoulder. In the moment of trying to take a peek at Tendou,
it seems I ended up bumping into someone.

“Apologies.”

“I’m sorr—wait huh, it’s you, Shino. You came?”

“Huh, it’s you, Ogura. Hey yo.”

We raised our lowered heads at right about the same time,

and there I saw a familiar face.
Ogura Kana, a very sporty girl with tanned skin and short
hair, was a high school classmate. She’s an active type who
has always had a noticeable tan since those days despite
being in the basketball club, and our relationship is that
although we’re in different college departments, we would
at least make small talk whenever we see each other.

The girls accompanying her also got short-cut hairstyles, so

maybe they’re circle friends.

“Come to think of it, I remember you saying your

grandfather’s house was around here.”

“Yup, and so what’s happening here, Shino? Don’t tell me

you, a man, are coming to a festival alone? What a lonely
guy.”

As I was about to tell ‘you’re wrong’ to Ogura, who was

laughing a little meanly as if she’d found something funny, a
rigid voice I’ve never heard before was coming from my
side. “Good evening, Ogura-san. Excuse me, but Shino-kun
is on a date with me today.”

“…Ooh, so you’re with Tendou, heh.”

I could already tell at this moment that they’re

acquaintances, but I understood in my heart, not my head,
that these two’s relationship isn’t at all friendly.

It’s clear to see from Ogura’s blatant attitude, but the eyes
of the girls accompanying her are also a bit sour.

Welp, no doubt it’s gotta be about Tendou’s involvement

with men in the past.

My god, this takoyaki is so yummy! (running away) – please

quit this now (true thought).
“Say, Tendou, whenever I see you you’re always with a
different guy, aren’t you? Today it’s Shino?”

“Yes, did you come here with your friends, Ogura-san? It’s
also cosy to be with girls only, it’s nice, isn’t it?

“—What? What’re you trying to say?”

“Oh my, I didn’t really mean anything else, though. I’m sorry
if I offended you.”

But then again, they’re both strong-willed. A crash is

inevitable, I say.

And then as I finished my takoyaki and moved on to my

yakisoba, I was met with a cold stare from Ogura’s friends.
Well y’know, you think I can do something about this?

Even if I were to mediate them, wouldn’t it just spread the

fire like, ‘Why are you taking that side!?’

And as for the result of the close investigation concerning

Tendou’s sneer in response to Ogura’s snide remark, it
seems the problem is that in the past Tendou slept with a
guy named Matsuoka-paisen of the basketball circle who
Ogura used to be in love with, but Tendou said she later
learned that that was him having an affair, and in the first
place he was dating the manager, his classmate, so it’s
barking up the wrong tree.

I see, so there’s a couple of good-for-nothing characters in

the story!

“But this is so unusual, I thought you’re not aiming for

someone like Shino, you know? What kind of change of
heart have you got after dragging around nothing but good-
looking guys?”
Can I have you stop dissing my look with stray bullets?

But well you know, it’s not like I’m trying to make a brazen
claim that I’m good-looking or something.

“Oh, Shino-kun has a lot of great points, you know? If you’re

thinking he’s a dull man, that’s perfectly fine with me as
well.”

“Huh? It’s not like I’m saying things like that, though?”

Hmmm, it’s an outbreak of a catastrophically super strong-

willed women’s great war. Ogura’s accompanying girls and
the others are already completely pulling away as well.

And then Ogura being Ogura, she’s sending glances at me,

but even if I don’t know the details, the fact that Tendou was
sleeping with someone in the past is not surprising at this
late in the game. Sorry I’m not living to your expectations.

“And you know, Ogura-san. He’s going out with me while

knowing everything, so there’s no need for your
unnecessary concern, you know?”

I’m your fiancé, though, and we’re not going out. I wanted
to complain about that truth alone.

…This situation between the two of them, it sure seems like

a bitter assertion if I say so myself. And Tendou is wearing a
yukata and very fired up as well.

“Oh, I see… Buttering up to guys is your forte after all. So

did you also seduce Shino? Well done!”

“Right, I mean look, I have a good face, so I guess I get

fawned over by guys without even realizing it—but Shino-
kun is the kind who also looks at what’s inside, though.”
Excuse me, ladies, I wonder if you can stop using someone
as a material to one up each other and as a beating stick?

Of course I don’t wanna get dissed, but getting excessively

praised also makes me antsy.

“Well, maybe it wasn’t amusing to you, who’s always into

taken guys and even approaches a guy on a date. I’m so
sorry if I’m offending you.”

“You!! Try saying it again!”

As I was thinking, ‘how long is this hell gonna last?’ Ogura

roughened her voice at Tendou’s over-the-line remark. She’s
reaching for the tea bottle she’s holding.

Ah, that’s not good.

Hurriedly I pulled Tendou’s hand, and broke in between

them with my back to Ogura.

Immediately after, splash, the sound of water arose at my

back.

“Kya!”

“Ah!?”

“—Yikes.”

The voices, each of them different from one another.

The sensation of my t-shirt sticking to my back and the tea

soaking all the way to my underwear is pretty gross.

You sure have given a grandiose splash.

But fortunately, Tendou in my arms looks to be safe, and the
expensive-looking yukata has been protected. If it had been
dirtied, it probably would’ve been very disastrous for either
of them.

“Hey Kana, stop it!”

“That’s going too far! I’m sorry Shino-kun, Tendou-san.”

“What? I-is it my fault now!?”

You’re damn right (jumping on the bandwagon). Yeah well, I

believe both are at fault, though.

There’s a bit of an empty area on the street already with

people surrounding us at a distance. If they keep on
quarreling any longer, the organizer would surely be
reported and everyone would be mad.

When I released Tendou from my hug while thinking ‘It sure

is helping that Ogura’s company has cooled off,’ her fair
face was turning red with anger.

“Ogura-san, you’re so—!”

No good, this one isn’t calm at all.

The one splashed by the tea was me anyway, so she doesn’t

have to get so angry.

“It’s fine Tsukasa-san, you’re provoking her on purpose,

aren’t you? You were saying too much, and of course it’s
gonna turn out like this.”

“But…!”

“Shino, why were you protecting a slut like—”

“Ogura.”

Somehow I heard several whimpers.

I wonder if my voice was a bit too harsh, but I just can’t stay
silent at the word just now.

“Don’t mind about the tea, I was the one who arbitrarily
took it upon myself anyway. I also understand that you have
something to say to Tsukasa-san. But don’t call her that in
front of me.”

“—Why.” The word spoken by Ogura, who looked like she’d

been punched, wasn’t likely to elicit a satisfactory answer.

Regardless if that’s an undeniable fact, I don’t think it’s right

for anyone to be insulted and called a slut in public, but it
probably wouldn’t get through to her as she is hostile to
Tendou from the very beginning.

“Coming here to have fun here and then quarreling is also

boring, right? She’s certainly saying things too far, but since
you’re trying to pour tea, let’s just call that even.”

After lowering my head to the surrounding people, saying

sorry for causing commotion, the flow of people
immediately began to normalize.

“Tsukasa-san, let’s go.”

“—Okay.”

I pulled the hand of Tendou, who’s now awfully quiet, and

left the scene. When I looked back for one last time, Ogura
was clenching her fists, still looking as if she still wanted to
say something.
§

“—I’m sorry.”

And then upon entering the side road of the shopping

district, Tendou, who had been led by the hand, spoke up.

It was a truly dejected voice that almost got me to burst into

laughter.

“It’s fine, really. You don’t have to apologize, Tsukasa-san.”

Even I’ve got people I don’t get along with, and although
there’s an aspect of her paying for her own mistakes, I
suppose she in particular has many of those people.

“Well, you’re being so belligerent from the start was a little

unexpected, but what happened?”

“I don’t mean to make excuses, but… usually she’s also not

that blatant, so it just got ticked.”

She, who looked apologetic, didn’t seem to lie. Rather, if it

was handled in that fashion on a regular basis, there
would’ve been a knife fight in campus already.

I wonder if she’s also got splashed with water when enjoying

a festival.

And it’s not like I’ve got a lot of damage anyway. Well, let’s
just forget the trivial stuff.

“Although it’s with me, you’ve just got triumphant from

being accompanied by a man after all. I was watching and
thinking if it’s better not to interrupt poorly, but I should’ve
stopped it sooner, shouldn’t I? Sorry.”
“No, that’s exactly something you shouldn’t apologize
about. It’s our problem after all.”

Ogura as well, she seems to be the laid-back type usually,

but in reality she seems highly emotional.

Welp, it’s no doubt that there’s also problem in Tendou’s

past conduct, though.

“But I think it’s not ‘although it’s you,’ but ‘because it’s you,’
though.”

“Eh, why?”

I’ve also got subtly dissed by Ogura, but I’m not a good-
looking guy you’d be jealous of here.

“—I mean, if someone you consider close to you seems to

be close with someone you hate, it wouldn’t be amusing,
right?”

“Aah, that direction, huh.”

It’s that ‘don’t get close to 〇〇-chan’ thing, huh. Is she an

elementary schooler?

But in that case, things were already set here for them to
quarrel no matter what, is that right!? Alright, it’s not my
fault either. It’s a problem on fate’s end who made them
meet here.

“Anyway Tsukasa-san, you’ve got a towel? I just feel kinda

gross.”

“Nn, I have. I’ll wipe it off for you, so turn your back here.”
Although I tried wiping it with a handkerchief once on the
way, the extent was too wide so it was not finished.

“Then please.”

When I turned my back to take up on her offer, suddenly my

shirt got rolled up, and I got wiped directly, and I went,
“Uwaah.”

“I’m really sorry, Shino-kun.”

“I’ve told you it’s fine, besides I’ve also thought it’s not bad
to have a girl splash water on me for once in my life.”

Kinda lady-killer-ish, eh? If anything, it’s no-good man, huh.

“—The heck? If you had told me, I would’ve done it for you
with all my heart anytime.”

My shirt got rolled down, and when I turned around to her

saying, “It’s done,” Tendou was back to her usual confident-
look on her face. Also, I was somewhat relieved.

Coming to a long-awaited festival, only to get into a quarrel,

get dispirited, and then go home is just terrible.

“It sure is scary that my face might get splashed. Also,

probably giving a slap suits you better, Tsukasa-san.”

At my escaped loose lip, I felt Tendou’s eyes light up.

“Oh, is that so?”

On the neck of the yes-man me, her arms suddenly wrapped

around it, and my head got pulled down lower.

I thought ‘eh, am I gonna get hit now?’ and in the next

moment, something soft touched my lips.
“ !?”
Point-blank-range fair skin and downcast eyes, the heat of
Tendou pressing her body against mine, and something soft
nuzzling against my lips seared the fact that we’re kissing
vividly into my brain.

“—As for me, I think this one suits me better, though?” Then
she separated from me, only to look bashful like a little girl.

A little kid at the edge of my vision, who seemed to have

witnessed it by chance from the street, was covering the
mouth with outstretched hands like a child actor in western
movies.

—Afterwards, there should’ve been something or other

happening until we disbanded at nine, but my memory was
awfully fuzzy, except for the fact that my first kiss was
faintly sauce-flavored.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 8 – The Battle
of Every Girl’s Soul
(Shopping Date)

When she first saw her college classmate who would later
on be introduced as her fiancé, Tendou Tsukasa suddenly
remembered about a dog kept by an elderly couple in her
neighborhood when she was a child.

The white-furred, mixed-breed dog given a simple name of

‘Shiro’ was a large, docile old dog fond of children.

He was often brought outside, which is unusual these days,

and was always sitting like an ornament in its usual spot in a
parking space that was no longer used by the elderly couple
who had given up their driver’s license.

He was friendly—he would raise his head simply whenever

children on their way to and from school passed by in front
of the house, and when called out, he would wag his tail or
make a small bark.

Perhaps because of his advanced age, his movements were

slow, and it was rare for him to come to within touching
distance through the fence, but nevertheless, Shiro was
very popular with the children, and its owner, the old
couple, was also letting him do whatever he pleased even
though it would’ve been very noisy every morning and
evening.

Tsukasa was one of the children fascinated by him, and

although she had gotten uncomfortable with dogs after
being barked at by a Doberman at her relative’s house, only
the docile Shiro was special.

Tsukasa, who despite being very young understood that she

liked Shiro because it was Shiro, didn’t pester her family
member to get a dog, and was simply satisfied with just
gazing at the docile old dog twice a day on her way to and
from school.

However, children are a whimsical being, so there was a

time when Tsukasa would just pass by Shiro’s house without
stopping for a week or so because she got absorbed in
something that she can’t remember now.

And during that period, he died, having been over eighty

years old if he had been a human.

It was after a week of gazing in wonder at the empty

parking space that the wife told her that his last moment
was as if he had fallen asleep.

Of course, there was no way that the death of the aging

Shiro had anything to do with the whim of Tsukasa, who was
just one of many children passing by the house.
However, the very young girl was left with some sense of
guilt and a small regret.

—That perhaps Shiro was gone because she’d taken her

eyes off him.

Not as serious as a trauma, but still, a small wound was

certainly etched in her immature heart.

Then there was the arrival of her fiancé, whose impression

somewhat overlapped with that old dog.

Born in fall and hasn’t even turned 20, and yet has a dried-
up vibe which she couldn’t wrap her head around, and
although she later learned that he is unexpectedly talkative
and can be quite odious, that still did not change her first
impression of him.

If Shiro was the only exception among dogs that Tendou

Tsukasa was not good with, the exception among men,
including the fiancé figure whose face also couldn’t be seen,
is Shino Iori.

Tsukasa, who has passed the period of being called a little

girl and has long since become an adult in appearance,
inside and out, and in sexual experience, nevertheless
thought of this, half compelled due to her past experiences:

That she must keep an eye on this person, no, this time for
sure, she has to keep him close by.

“Tsukasa-san, over here.” A strong sunlight and a listless

voice greeted Tendou Tsukasa as she got off the bus in front
of a domed stadium.
Towards the young man waving his hand, Tsukasa walked
with steps filled with the utmost suspense as she unfolded
her parasol—while wondering how much this kind of fine
technique would get through.

“Good morning, did I make you wait?”

Even though it’s still in the morning, shadows were cast on

the sidewalk tiles, and the temperature difference from the
air-conditioned interior of the bus was immediately causing
sweat to break out on her back.

“Mornin’, and nah, I just got here early.”

“You could’ve waited inside instead of out here, it’s hot,

right?”

“Ah, I guess you’re right. Well, I’m all right here, and there’s
also a shade.”

“Are you sure? Say it if you start feeling sick, okay?

Heatstroke is a scary thing after all.”

“Okay.”

While having such conversations, they’re walking up the

pedestrian bridge connecting directly to the shopping mall
they’re aiming for on the other side of the street.

Amidst the hotness that even the heat of the inhaled into
her lungs feels languid, Shino Iori, however, is completely
natural that he’s even looking absent-minded like usual.

He, Tsukasa’s fiancée, is slightly taller than average, has a

solid frame but thin flesh, resulting in his lean figure making
her build all the more stand out.
His facial feature is plain, and although not to the point of
being especially handsome, it gives off a mild impression.

‘Sleepy-looking fine young man’ said by her eldest sister

should be an adequate assessment—but then, that
impression isn’t accurate as far as the content is concerned,
however.

When the automatic door opened, the cold air that’s like in a
different world was blowing through tickling their bodies
substituting for the hot air from the outside.

The shopping mall that was opened three years ago in fall
still greeted them with a dazzling brilliance.

“So, from where do we go?” And then Iori suddenly went

into errand mode even though this is a holiday date.

Raising her eyebrows, Tsukasa thought: You’re supposed to

start by talking about clothes lightly and compliment the
other person’s sense of fashion, or at least show interest
and concern.

“Before that Shino-kun, your impression?”

She’s unwilling to ask in such a direct manner, but this

fiancé would probably never make a spontaneous remark
his whole life unless she is repeatedly imprinting it like this.

As evidence, Iori opened his mouth after making a curious

look.

“—Summery, high-class young lady-ish?”

Even though it’s a commentary so simplistic that it’s hard to

tell whether it is praise or not, something even an
elementary schooler might be able to say, it’s better than
not showing interest.

Well probably he’s wanting to say it’s elegant (or maybe

prim and proper) with a seasonal touch.

Today Tsukasa’s wearing a light blue collared shirt one-piece

with simple double-strap sandals on her feet; a mature and
cute style of fashion that should be of Iori’s taste.

Setting aside his expressive power, his impression, well,

should be an appropriate one.

“It’s like that, but thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Thinking, ‘but is there anything that can be done about this

expression that’s like saying “it can’t be helped”?’ Tsukasa
sighed in her mind. Good grief, what an odious person.

“So, from where do we go?”

She wants to protest for being asked once again with the
same words as well, but there will be no end worrying about
fine details with him.

“Let’s go shopping for you first, Shino-kun. I remember you

want to check up on shoes, is that right?”

Despite saying it like a question, she actually firmly

remembered it.

After all, if it weren’t for the ‘I need a new sneakers’ reason

that she’d managed to conjure out of his reluctance, this
date, and the plan beyond it, might not have been possible.
“I don’t mind leaving it for later. It’s gonna be quick
anyway.”

“Then why not go for it first? If we’re done with your

shopping, I don’t have to worry about the time, don’t I?”

“Eeeh…?” Iori looked truly baffled at Tsukasa’s pretense so

that she could understand her fiancé’s taste even if a little.
“Well, I don’t really mind, then err… to the third floor, I
guess.”

“Sure.”

And as soon as they arrived at the shoe store, he went

straight for the sneakers shelfs, looked from one end to the
other, and picked one up.

Aside from the brand logo on the side and the use of cork on
the heel part, this is a simple beige sneaker with no worth
mentioning features.

He glanced at the price tag, called the employee, took two

or three steps to try the shoes, and easily made the
decision, “I’ll buy these.”

The time it took to inspect it was so short it’s shocking. It

may or may not have taken ten minutes.

“Shino-kun, I didn’t mean to rush you, you know?”

“Eh, well, I just picked one normally, though,”

When she asked whether she had made him uncomfortable,

he replied in his usual tone.

In addition to being bad at lying and faking with it all

showing on his face, Tsukasa also understands that he’s far
too much of a stranger to flattery and currying favor.

“Is that so? In that case, okay then…”

In other words, for him shopping follows the general rule of

‘choose what you need within your budget,’ and probably
isn’t an amusement.

The sneakers just bought as well, he’s definitely picked it up

without even thinking about which outfit he would wear
them with.

Tsukasa was convinced: So that’s why he’s always dressed

subtly mismatched, I see.

Today he’s wearing a shirt that fits his shoulders but it is too
long, making it look oversized; the pants he’s wearing as
well, it’s a slim design, but the unraised hems are too over
the ankles.

Iori’s attire, born out of indifference and apathy, is a bit

sloppy, to put it bluntly.

However, if she were to point that out at this stage, it’s

quite capable to draw the attention of other girls, so it’s
probably good to have him improve after burying and
cutting down any obstacles—

“Now then, it’s time for my turn.”

And just like that without even voicing out her inner
thoughts, Tsukasa took Iori’s arm.

The objective is the specially set up swimsuit sales floor—

it’s a battleground inevitable to achieve her ambitions
during this summer.
§

“—So Shino-kun, do you wanna go to the beach? The pool?

Or maybe the night pool?”

Asked by Tsukasa on the escalator going down, Iori,

standing one step below, looked back with only his face.

“Say, does that really have to do with choosing a swimsuit?”

“Yeah, I mean each one has slight differences in things to

do, right?”

“Well, I guess. Then let’s rule out the night pool.”

“Oh, you’ve been there?”

“Nah, I haven’t, but I can’t live in that kind of partygoers

space.”

“That’s just no way…”

“Nuh-uh, if someone like me steps into that kinda space for

people with fulfilling lives, things are gonna get so ugly, you
know?”

She held back from wanting to say: What kind of outlook is it

to not be having a fulfilling life when you have a fiancée that
most people would be envious of?

“Specifically, what’ll happen?”

“—Death?” Despite tilting his head, Iori’s expression and

tone of voice were very serious.

After getting down the escalator, Tsukasa took his arm again
as he asked where the direction was by giving her a glance.
For a moment, he stiffened and tried to distance himself,
but she tightly gripped his hand and leaned in, bumping into
him.

“Oh come on, you’re overreacting.” She continued the

conversation, while dragging him who got relaxed as if in
resignation.

“Nah… And then well, on the off chance I’m having fun, it’ll
go until late, so going home seems like it’s gonna be
bothersome.”

“At that time we can just go stay the night, can we? Within
the city most of them are hotel pools, you know?”

Hearing what Tsukasa said in an especially affable way as if

to say that it’s a good proposal, Iori shook his head with a
blatant look of disagreement on his face.

“That’s why we’re ruling it out… Well when I think about it,
is going to a beach that seems like it’s gonna turn into a
short trip also gonna be tight, I wonder? Momochi is close,
but it seems to have a lot of people, so I’d rather avoid it.”

“I guess so. Excluding Momochi, it’s gonna be on the far

end, and if you want a beautiful and quiet place, don’t we
have to go as far as Itoshima? If you’re really fussy about it,
the best thing would be to stay overnight outside the
prefecture, though.”

“Impossible.”

Tsukasa was expecting it, but she was momentarily

speechless at the intensity of that single word.

Iori would sometimes lament that he’s not popular with

girls, but that is him paying for his own mistakes.
From Tsukasa’s observation, there should be a fair number
of girls who have interest in him, both in the past and in the
present.

However, his own strange mischievousness, and the

personality that would sometimes respond with no mercy at
all are probably what’s making them hesitant to make an
approach.

She’s also not an exception to that, but if he were to make

an exception for her, it would help her with the lessened
rivals, however.

“Hey Shino-kun, I’ve told you before, but stop with saying
‘impossible.’ I’ll cry, you know?”

What she said jokingly was, at the same time, undisguised

true feelings.

If the situation calls for it, even it wouldn’t be weird for

Tsukasa to lose heart one way or another.

If it wasn’t Iori, she would’ve given the cold shoulder,

severing any feelings once and for all.

“Nn, all right. Then I guess it’s gonna be a seaside park

pool, Uminonakamichi one.” Unclear whether he
understands it or not, Iori continued the subject in an
indifferent manner.

“—I guess so, it seems there’s also a lot of people there, but
on a weekday maybe there will be few families coming.”

Enduring wanting to sigh, she pulled on his arm as he

stopped on his tracks right after they got in front of the
swimsuit sales floor.
“You’re just refusing your fate this late in the game, Shino-
kun.”

“I didn’t want to meet a fate like this…”

That said, that resistance was also short-loved.

There are many pairs of girls on the sales floor, but couples
aren’t uncommon either. It’s very clear that being flustered
right there would be much more conspicuous.

“Now then, it’s time to pick the swimsuit you want me to

wear in an outdoor pool with lots of people.”

“No, isn’t it better to go with what you like?”

“One-piece? Or would the separate one be better?”

“C’mon, listen to me.”

“Then do you wanna see my navel? Do you want people to

not see?”

“Can I have you stop making it harder to answer?”

“I guess it’s gonna be a bikini then.”

“The exposure’s just increasing, and I don’t get why you

said ‘I guess’.”

And his easy-to-understand thought is not a bad thing at a

time like this.

“My, I mean it’s hard for you to answer because you wanna
see my navel, right?”

Iori’s having his guard up, one way or another not smooth
with his replies and also bad at socializing, but at the end of
the day, that’s probably because he feels the charm in
Tsukasa.

She got the conviction regarding it in that response alone.

“Hey, is the smaller sized one really better in a guy’s view?”

“—Leaving that aside, I think it’s better not to worry about

showing through, slipping off, and stuff like that.”

“Is that so? Okay.” Tsukasa smiled and accepted Iori’s

earnest and serious-sounding ‘request.’

“—How is it?”

And then Tsukasa probably won’t forget Iori’s expression the

moment she got out of the fitting room her whole life.

The moment she broke into a smile at his repeated attempts

to say something then just to close his mouth, “you look
beautiful, though?” Tsukasa burst into laughter from being
told that in a sulky voice and moreover with a serious
expression.

“Pft, ahahaha.”

A mystery why he would have to look so annoyed, and yet

his words and gaze are honest.

After Tsukasa finished laughing for some time, Iori took out
his phone still looking sour. “Tsukasa-san, can I take a
picture?”

“…Sure, but save taking a thorough look at it when you get

home, okay?” She made a preemptive move, not wanting to
be made to feel complicated like the time with the yukata.
Still with a complicated look, Iori nodded, once again greatly
satisfying Tsukasa’s self-esteem.

“Also we can’t have you get mistaken for making peeping

photos, so can you lend me your phone so I can take it
myself?”

“Ah, guess you’re right.”

Then she returned back to the fitting room, and took several
pictures in a sexy pose without being vulgar.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks…”

After receiving his phone, he scratched his head with a

difficult face.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I thought of this after these were taken, but doesn’t that
seem kinda accident-prone?”

The swimsuit Tsukasa has chosen is a triangular-shaped

white bikini.

The cloth size itself isn’t particularly small, but the top’s
strings are thinnish; the bottom as well, it’s considerably
thin on the side. Iori’s concern isn’t un-understandable
either.

Be that as it may, it would be a young man and woman

going together to a pool.

They probably wouldn’t be competing in timed swims, and

probably wouldn’t be playing wrestling at their age either. If
at all, she’d ask him to accompany her for a night-wrestling
to make up for it, however.

“It’s gonna be fine, as long as I don’t swim seriously.” Even

after a mention of this from Tsukasa after she guessed his
inner troubles, Iori is faltering with his words.

“No, that’s true, but there’s also, like, a water slide and
stuff,”

“Of course you and I are going to slide down together, right?
You can just help me at that time, can’t you?”

“No no no no no c’mon, that’s already a huge step for an

accident.”

Of course, Tsukasa also doesn’t want to expose herself in

front of the public, but if it’s to get this stubborn fiancé to be
more conscious for herself, a little bit of taking a risk is still
tolerable.

“I think it’s cuter like this, though.”

Well even if a calculation like that were to be left out,

accidents happen even if you are careful, and probably just
don’t wear a bikini if you don’t want that.

“I would like to beg you to make it a little more moderate,

please.”

However, Iori, who’s not the concerned person, seems to

mind it that much.

When he becomes all formal-ish is usually when he’s at his

wit’s ends.
That he is troubled, and that he is worried about Tsukasa is
probably true.

It’s also not a bad feeling for Tsukasa, but at the same time,
it’s certain that she was asked for a compromise.

“Say, Shino-kun, can I take that as you’re requesting it as a

fiancé?”

“Ugh…”

Hence, she thinks that a little bit of bargaining should be

okay.

If he says ‘I’m not,’ it would become Iori’s personal request,

and if he says ‘that’s right,’ that would be an
acknowledgement of her status as his fiancée.

No matter how it turns out, as the fiancée of him who likes

to add ‘temporary’ or ‘for the time being’, it would probably
become a trigger to stimulate his self-consciousness of
Tsukasa even if a little.

And then after a good dozens of seconds had passed, Iori

gave up with his shoulders dropped.

“That’s right.”

“I see, it can’t be helped then. I’ll go get another one since

you insisted.”

“Thank you…”

Towards Iori who said his thanks with dead eyes, Tsukasa
showed a wholehearted smile.

“I can’t wait to go to the pool.”

“……Right.”

Iori, who acknowledged it in a worn-out voice, in the end

also took out his phone even with the next swimsuit.

In contrast to him who looked somewhat tired, Tsukasa

enjoyed that day’s date from start to finish, and went home
very satisfied.

And then that night Tsukasa’s room was filled with seductive
voices and the sound of a sheet being stirred.

Tsukasa, who sees sexual desire as beyond control, doesn’t

hesitate to use her fiancé to help her relieve it.

“Nn…”

Especially since the summer festival where he hugged her,

her fantasies of being held in those arms or that chest has
indeed been progressing well.

His bony, muscular arms were unexpectedly strong, and his

thin but wide chest got the feel of lean, tight muscle. The
warmth of another person’s body she hasn’t felt for a long
time now makes her feel hot down to the core of her body.

“Iori-kun…”

She wants him to open wide those always sleepy-looking

eyes and look at her.

She wants him to call her name with that slightly high-
pitched, childlike voice. Over and over again, passionately,
repeatedly—
That wish so far hasn’t been fulfilled. Nor is there any
prospect of it.

Once Tsukasa realized what was once given to her as a

matter of course, however, is not so from the one she truly
wants, she felt a certain elation accompanied by an
unfulfilled hunger.

It’s good luck; after all, the partner is her fiancé even
though it was decided by her house.

Conversely, his small and firm refusal that has continued so

far didn’t come across as misfortune.

After all, Iori’s occasional display of impartiality and

resoluteness taught that the reason lies in Tsukasa’s
decision. To take that as misfortune would be too much of a
lack of reflection.

And that fact, on the other hand, fueled her fighting spirit
even more.

This is a challenge.

A difficult, and for that reason, worth challenging battle—to

be the one and only ‘exception’ to Shino Iori, who is
stubborn but seems frail, obstinate but seems easily
swayed, and harsh and yet kind.

And she already understood the reason why she felt that
way.

Tendou Tsukasa is in love.

That was unmistakably a joyous thing.

 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 9 – It’s Mostly
the Summer’s Fault
(Extended Special)

The smell of the sea, strong sunlight, and then a girl looking
out at the ocean while holding down her hat swayed by the
wind.

The centerpiece of this summer landscape that’s like a

drawing of a ferry landing scene was someone I, Shino Iori,
am working for as an apprentice stand-in candidate fiancé;
Tendou Tsukasa.

“—It’s a bit hot, but it’s great the weather is nice, isn’t it?”

Wearing a camisole and hotpants and freely exposing those

long arms and legs, putting on a thin cardigan on top, along
with a straw hat and a large jute bag, Tendou turned to look
at me with a smile clearer than today’s sky.
“…Right.”

The reason why the reply seems boring, even if I say so

myself, was not because I got hit by the Miss Fiancée’s face
that’s more dazzling than the sparkling water surface, but
simply because of seasickness.

“—Still feeling sick? We could’ve used the train or bus if

you’re bad with boats, though.”

“I haven’t gotten on one much, so I didn’t think I’d get this

sick…”

Even the less than 20-minute route cutting through Hakata

Bay in a north-south direction from Momochihama to
Uminonakamichi was enough to knock me off my feet.

I’m thankful for Tendou’s concern as she strokes my back,

but as the kind of man who is weak to being treated kindly
when I’m weakened, I also kinda want her to stop.

Especially at this point in time after I’ve gone on dates and

dates with her, gotten kissed at the summer festival, and
admired her in a swimsuit that’s almost as good as half-
naked, that is; setting aside when we’ve just got engaged.

Wait, doesn’t this make me have to take responsibility

already?

“—All right, let’s get going.”

“No need to rush, we can go after you get better, you

know?”

“I don’t want you to treat me kindly.”

When it came to my true feelings involuntarily leaking out
big time, like it was natural, I got met with a wondering look.

As always, no matter what expression, her face looks good; I

can also understand why she’s making an appeal out of
that.

“Nah, the wobbly feeling is clearing up, and I think I’ll feel
refreshed after taking a shower or something.”

“Is that so? Don’t force yourself, and be sure to tell me if it

gets rough, okay?”

It’s Tendou who’s the one suffering the trouble of me

throwing up or collapsing, and it’s natural to be considerate
as a traveling companion, but still, the attitude of not
making a single displeased face really is increasing
favorability.

“I’ll be careful.”

When I stood up and held out my left hand, Tendou happily

pulled me with her right hand and settled down next to me
with twirling, dance-like steps.

“—Isn’t it hot being that close?”

She, who has a certain aspect where she thinks it is natural

for a man and woman to hold hands or link arms when
walking together, has recently taken up my left as her
regular spot.

“You know, Shino-kun, when you get a cute, lightly-dressed

girl clinging to you, you should make a more happy face,
you know?”

“I see.”
That sure is a manner I don’t know.

In fact, like the soft feeling touching my arm, or her fair

neck I’m curiously stealing glances at because of her hair
being tied up, and then like, the somehow good smell is
somehow making the heat seem like a trivial matter,
though.

Well, the best of all is the destructive force of her extremely

above standard face unleashed at point-blank range,
though.

Maybe because it’s for going to the pool, but Tendou is

wearing make-up with a slightly different flavor than usual,
and she has a childlike, innocent smile on that mature,
dainty, beautiful face of hers.

When I see that, I can tell how much she is looking forward
to this day.

Even if I don’t intend to pay for the consequences, I couldn’t

turn completely into a heartless, breaking-off-engagement
machine that could do anything to cloud that.

“I can hardly wait, Tsukasa-san.”

If that’s the case, I probably should not make any gloomy

faces, and heartily enjoy this day as well.

“Yeah.” Tendou’s voice seemed happy and excited, perhaps

my feelings have been conveyed.

Slowly, the temperature is rising the more as the sun rises

higher, and the silhouettes scattered about around the
poolside are gradually decreasing in that area.
“It’s so hot…”

The vigor I’ve regained thanks to refreshing myself by

washing my face is being robbed bit by bit in the time I’m
waiting for Tendou to get changed.

“Sorry for making you wait, Shino-kun.”

Around the time I started to think of going back in to wash

my face again, Tendou Tsukasa called my name, breaking
through the buzz of the poolside.

“ ”

Then she came into my view, and I got speechless.

The white bikini with sexy gaps between the weaves, called
crocet or something, was, as requested, considerate enough
towards a virgin in terms of coverage area and accident
rate, but its destructive power when seeing it now under the
sun was beyond imagination.
Even the images taken when trying it out couldn’t even
bring out a third of the charm. Even the red key band of the
rental locker is giving an accent, making Tendou Tsukasa
just dazzlingly beautiful.

“…! …!?”

Even when I’m unconsciously looking around, and the

people who seem to be waiting for their companions and
those who have joined up and are heading to the pool
occasionally look at Tendou, they don’t seem to pay much
attention to us.

Eh, why? Isn’t a girl of this caliber unusual?

“Shino-kun? Why are you looking around first before calling

out to me?”

“Eh, well, say, is this legal?”

“…Heatstroke? Or are you still feeling sick? Is your head

okay?”

I got told horrible things so casually.

That happened, but right now, the sight of Tendou in a

swimsuit is so cute that I can forgive her no matter what she
says to me.

Also, I wonder if my head boiling is why I heard the

‘heatstroke1’ part awfully slow.

“No, sorry, I’m okay,” I said to her who’s sending me fishy

eyes, and then I repeatedly took a deep breath.

I must say that my head is hot probably not just because of

the sunlight…

“All right, I’m cool now. I was a bit surprised is all.”

“At my charm?”

“Yeah.”

“I-I see…”

Only now I can’t say anything even towards that self-

confident attitude that normally would make me want to say
something.

By the way, why do the men around look so composed? I’d

be staring hard if it were me, all right.

“Then stop looking around like that. Your impress—”

“It’s crazy cute, very cute, looks ultra good on you, thank
you, Tsukasa-san.”

“Eh, okay…?”

I said my thanks while tightly gripping both of her hands

and shaking it up and down.

I do think that my excitement is a little odd myself, but

Tendou who is unusually blushing at words of praises is also
unlike the usual, which is odd, so all of this is probably the
summer’s fault

“Well, so long as you’re happy with it…”

“I’m crazy happy, super happy, ultra happy.”

“Hey, aren’t you a little bit too excited? You’re really okay,
right?”

“How rude.”
She always seems to want me to praise her, yet this is
what I’ve got now that I’m voluntarily doing it, huh.

She could’ve been more thankful, and yet is Miss Beautiful

Lady thinking that by smiling a little bit the average person
will always spit out as much praise as they can?

That’s exactly right.

“And stop making those different faces. Geez, if you’re not

feeling sick, then let’s go.”

Suddenly pulled by Tendou in a swimsuit who’s essentially

half-naked, I let myself, actually half-naked with only
swimming trunks, be pulled towards the pool in a snuggle-
up-close position.

“Say, Tsukasa-san; you have fair skin, huh…”

“Really after all this time? I’m exposing it to the sun for you,
so be thankful, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. And then, thanks.”

“…You’re making things awkward!”

“Oouuch!”

My naked back got smacked by the kinda flustered Tendou.

Although I feel like we’ve been considerably making merry,

the surroundings still don’t seem to mind us so much either.

It seems the world is much more overflowing with idiotic

couple than I expected.

§
While riding along the flowing pool while bouncing up and
down—the result of me going under the water following the
helpful suggestion of ‘how about cooling down your head a
couple of times while at it, Tendou?’ is my head regaining its
usual sharpness.

“~♪”

Bouncing while humming like that, I saw Tendou’s crochet-

knit, short camisole worn over her top being softly
expanded under the water, and then I slammed my head
into the water in search for more clarity.

“…Shino-kun, the water is splashing so can you stop that?”

Tendou, apparently not wanting to get too wet from the neck
up, kindly told me while floating around with my arms and
shoulders as support. Well, I suppose it must be rough if her
hair gets wet.

“You pardon, m’lady.”

“Look who’s talking…!”

While letting out a sigh, Tendou made a loop from right to

left, circling along my bouncing shoulders. Since some time
ago, she seems to be playing, trying to see if she can circle
around without putting down her feet somehow, but I’m
shuddering when my shoulders are touched directly by her
slender fingers, so I want her to stop.

I’m glad I wore an innerwear that emphasizes on complete

fit.

“Shino-kun, you’re acting weirder than usual, but did you

like me in a swimsuit that much?”

“Yup.”
As Tendou probably meant it as a joke, she muttered
“eeh…” in a small voice and froze. Hmmm, I hate my overly-
honest self.

“—You did say the night pool would kill you, but wasn’t the
normal pool also going above your tolerance?”

“I’m starting to feel that way a little.”

Her words towards me sounded exasperated, but there’s

absolutely no room for objection.

Somehow without me realizing it, I’ve gotten used to the

good quality of her face, and furthermore, I must’ve gotten
completely careless with the yukata before.

No matter how you look at it, Tendou Tsukasa originally

shouldn’t be an existence a guy who has never dated a girl
before can come to the pool together with.

I thought I knew she has a slim waist, beautiful and tight

legs, and a tight butt, but she also got a substantial pair of
boobs. And I can’t possibly come in contact half-naked.

I wonder why I didn’t notice that when we went shopping for

swimsuits…

“These days AED should be well prepared anyway, so tell

me if your heart’s about to stop beating, okay? I will give
you artificial aspiration.”

And like that compared to me at my wit’s ends, that mouth

of Tendou was so incessant, seeming to have sensed my
unrest.

“Is it okay to give a wet person an electric shock?”

“Who knows… Ah.” I quickly pulled Tendou towards me as
she was about to bump into someone drifting from behind.

“Sorry, sorry,” a young man about our age apologized

lightly with one hand raised.

“That’s close, but well, guess can’t be helped with this many
people.” I also responded by raising my right hand.

“There sure are a lot of people now.” And when I returned

my gaze towards Tendou, for some reason she’s blankly
touching my chest. It’s kinda ticklish. “Tsukasa-san?”

“—Ah, sorry. I was just thinking you’re pretty muscular,

Shino-kun.”

Although for an instant I got tempted, wondering what

would happen if I totally without shame touch Tendou’s
chest and say ‘it’s pretty big,’ it will only make my situation
worse without doubt.

That was a horrifying summer’s trap. And then inequality

between men and women.

“Hey, Shino-kun. I got a bit tired, so can you piggyback

me?”

“Eeh…”

“Why’re you making a displeased face!”

“Even if you told me that…”

Well, sure, there are many guys carrying a girl on their back
and splish splashing their way through the water while
making them squeal, I guess? But is she telling me to do
that?
What would you do if the ground contact area to the
happiness of my back becomes severe and I get atrial
fibrillation?

“Let’s get out of the water for a bit instead if you’re tired,
we’ve also been in the water for pretty long.” Then right
after, opportunely, the person in charge called out for us to
come up out of the pool for the break period.

“Ah… You’re right.”

I pulled Tendou’s hand and headed for the poolside. Her

movements were a little sluggish, maybe it’s unexpectedly
not a lie that she was tired.

Even though my body was chilled down, I was still moving

about under the sunlight; I figured it would be good to have
some water, so I bought some drink along my toilet trip, and
what I caught in my eyes when I got back was the sight of
Tendou being talked to by someone just like last time.

The difference from last time is that it’s a group with a mix
of men and women, and for some reason Tendou also seems
like having a hard time cutting the talk short.

“Tsukasa-san.”

“—Ah, Shino-kun.”

My impression of the group that turned their heads together

with Tendou to look over here was ‘looks like normie bunch.’

It seems to be a group of three men and two women, and

probably college students.
Based on their vibe, their school year is probably a little
higher than ours.

“Tsukasa-chan, is this the Boyfriend-kun you talked about?”

“Ah, yes, err.”

Then a leader-like, fine, muscular but thin man did not even
greet me, but asked Tendou over-familiarly, so I’ve got a
rough idea of his character.

Well now, what should I do to get this over with here? It’s
also true that making a scene is no good, though.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Shino, Tsukasa-san’s fiancé… And

these people are?”

I guess I would have them return home with at least the

common sense that greeting people first is important.

I purposely and boldly revealed my position, so I’m gonna

ask them the same.

“These are acquaintances of my second second older sister,

this is—”

Tendou was sincerely introducing them to me, so I’d at least

bow my head, but I went to forget their names as soon as I
heard it.

It’s probably unlikely that I’ll ever need to identify them in

the future anyway, and I don’t want to retain any personal
information about these rude bunches in my memory today
especially.

From the way Tendou’s talking, it doesn’t seem like they’re

her older sister’s close friends anyway, and it sounds good
to just ignore them in the first place, though… Ah, I wonder
if the fact they’re not close makes cutting the talk short
hard instead.

“Man, I was just wondering what’s going on since Tsukasa-

chan was alone. So, won’t you also come with us, Boyfriend-
kun?”

“So we’re gonna be preparing for a barbecue after this, but

one person suddenly called it off so like, it seems we’re
gonna have too much meat and stuff.”

I did say I’m her fiancé and not her boyfriend, though!?

Moreover, what do you mean with that ‘also,’ are you

treating me like an add-on to Tendou? I don’t really mind if I
seem that way to others, but isn’t it rude to say it?

Also, one absence means it must’ve been a girl, balance

wise, and so they invited Tendou wanting to fill up that hole.

But if they’re missing one person and gain two, this time it
probably wouldn’t be enough. What a lame excuse.

It doesn’t seem like he got any wild scheme to do anything

to Tendou either; this might be how partygoers are like, but I
wonder if they would ask out a girl on a normal date.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m afraid I will have to

decline. I have also been told by Tsukasa-san’s parents to
properly escort her ‘as her fiancé,’ and it’s our precious
date, so…”

Since they’re her older sister’s acquaintances, they probably

know a little about how the Tendou family is also rich, and to
be blunt here, there should also be no reason to hang on in
a group of men and women.
And the fact that Tendou also doesn’t say anything should
mean it’s okay to decline anyway.

“Aah, that so? Man, you’re so straight-laced, huh, Boyfriend-

kun.”

The fine, muscular but thin man has his mouth twitching up
un-amusedly, but I don’t give a damn.

“Yes, I have been entrusted with their precious daughter,

so… Well then, everyone, please enjoy yourselves—Tsukasa-
san, let’s go.”

“Ah, okay—then if you’ll excuse me.”

“Just come to us if you change your mind, okay? Tsukasa-

chan.”

It won’t change, so just keep your woohoo yahoo to you and

your friends at most.

While thinking ‘if possible, I hope they‘d dive deep into

midsummer-second-rate-horror-film-like development where
they’d get lost on the way back from the pool only to have a
homicidal maniac appear,’ I pulled Tendou’s arm and left
that place.

“—Shino-kun, how far are we gonna go?”

And as I kept continuously going forward to some place with

fewer and fewer people, I found ourselves at a very far edge
without realizing it.

“Ah, sorry, I just, without thinking.”

When I quickly released her hand and turned around,

Tendou looked like she wanted to say something.
Thinking ‘maybe I got a bit too overbearing,’ those gazes
were making my slightly pissed off self to cool down.

And regret, self-hatred, and those kinda stuff came crashing

in.

“Hey, Shino-kun.”

“Well, I guess I just got irritated he didn’t introduce himself

to me and were just talking to you, and in the first place I
introduced myself as your fiancé and yet boyfriend, like, the
attitude that’s like belittling by calling me a boyfriend is just
not pleasant, like, I feel bad for your older sister, but I guess
they’re just kinda rude peopl—”

“I haven’t said anything, though?” The voice of Tendou

suppressing a laugh sounded happy, grrr. “Moreover, what’s
with that talkativeness? It’s like you’re making excuses, isn’t
it?”

“That’s not true, though!?”

“It’s a great mistake if you thought you could fool me with

that vigor, you know?”

Ah, somehow I feel like I’ve said that before…

Arbitrarily feeling as if I was being cross-examined by those

light brown eyes staring fixedly at me, I unintentionally
added some more in fast-talking.

“—it’s like being dumped on with cold water, it wasn’t funny.

I got irritated at that guy being overly-familiar by like,
calling you with ‘chan.’ I don’t really understand why
myself… Will this do?”
“C’mon, don’t sulk. It’s not like I was trying to get you to say
everything either.”

And then in a low voice, “but,” Tendou continued, and

jumped into my chest. “I also wanted it to be just the two of
us today, so thank you for taking me out of there.”

“Ah, yeah.”

The sensation of crochet-knit top that feels unexpectedly

snug, and ‘something’ soft underneath it being pressed
against my naked chest.

Her slender arms wrapped around my back, her soft cheeks

touching around my shoulders, her unwet, light brown hair
in front of me.

Sweat’s slowly oozing out from the place in contact with

Tendou.

After a short while raising and lowering my arms like an

idiot, troubled where to place it, a kid saying “Mommy!”
seems to have been watching from somewhere and was told
“no, don’t do that,” and along with that voice, my readiness
was set.

“Ah…” Tendou’s escaped breath tickled my neck. The body

of her I hugged back from above her shoulders was slender,
however very soft, and above all, warm.

And just like the hunch I confessed some time ago, my

desire for more and more would grow bigger if I ever touch
her once.

My right hand followed the line of her beautiful back down

to her waist, and my left hand went up as it traced the nape
of her neck to touch her snug, braided hair.
Even while letting out a ticklish breath from time to time,
Tendou still didn’t refuse my movements.

“Shino-kun…” An ardent voice breathed out from her pale

pink lips called out to me.

I don’t think there’s any hint of rejection there.

As the thought that I’ve been allowed to touch came to

mind, I couldn’t stop anymore.

The feeling of hugging someone with my whole body for the

first time since I was child brought out great comfort, and a
strong desire exceeding that.

As I was led along by that, I hugged Tendou’s slender, soft

body more strongly.

“Nn…”

Snuggling up her whole body close and writhing around

frustratedly, Tendou entangled her leg with mine.

—I want to touch more, I want to be touched more.

Only after it was satisfied did I know that I had such a

hunger inside me.

A void that surely cannot be filled by a person alone.

Tendou is surely feeling the same, and above all, she

already knows this, and must have been enduring it all this
time till now.

For the first time, I understood a part of Tendou Tsukasa’s

past in the truest sense, and I was so clearly jealous that I
can no longer even deny it.
Of those men before me, who have touched this beautiful
woman.

I do understand that I don’t have any qualifications to think

about such an impudent thing, as I have been pushing her
away to keep my distance from her all this time.

But even so, I was envious, I was jealous, I was hateful of

those guys whose names and faces I don’t even know.

“Nn, hey, it hurts…”

“Ah, sorry—”

Maybe I put too much strength as Tendou spoke up while

groaning, so I hurriedly released my arms and pulled away,
somehow managing to kick away the reluctant feeling to do
so.

Taking a deep breath, she made a troubled smile.

“…I thought I was gonna get crushed in a hug.”

“Sorry, I got too caught up…”

There’s no excuse, but even so, it’s also embarrassing to

reveal my childish inner feelings.

“You know, I’m not that robust. All the more so since you’re
unexpectedly strong.”

“I’m reflecting, sorry.”

“Nn, then be more gentle next, okay?”

Smiling with both hands spread out, Tendou was more

dazzling than the sky today, and I couldn’t understand right
away what that meant, or what was being asked of me.
She muttered a small “geez,” stretched up, and gave me a
kiss—just a light touch on the lips.

And then finally my brain worked, and I tried to hug, but as

if to say ‘time’s up,’ she quickly dodged my hug and turned
around.

“Well then, let’s go back to the pool now. I’m starting to feel
hot.”

“Eh, ah, okay—”

She smiled full of liveliness, and the sun’s approaching the

highest point of the heaven.

The dazzling summer days were about to get into full swing.

“Hey, Iori-kun, do you like yakisoba?”

During lunch in a big tent after a swim, Tendou called me by

my first name for the first time ever since we got engaged
and I couldn’t immediately point that out; the reason was
that I just stuffed my mouth with a mouthful of yakisoba.

“—Howaeh?why?”

And as the result of prioritizing continuing with the

conversation, I completely lost the timing to ask for a
correction, and in the first place I’m also realizing that I
don’t dislike her calling me by my first name anymore.

“I mean, I remember you’re also buying it in the summer

festival, right?”
“It’s not like there’s any deeper meaning to it both in that
time or today, though…”

I don’t hear much about people not liking yakisoba in the

first place either, or rather, I feel like it’s the kind of food
you’d end up eating at a time like this.

As I was seriously pondering about it, Tendou, who for some

reason had chosen to sit next to me instead of in front of me
in the 4-person table, made a mischievous smile.

“Iori-kun”

“—What?”

“Say, can I have a bite of that?”

While thinking ‘I suppose the main issue was to confirm

whether or not this calling by first name can go on’ or ‘do
you have to stick that close to me?’ I straight up offered the
yakisoba container.

“You’re not gonna feed me?”

“Nah, it’s just hard with noodles.”

While also being self-aware that my line of defense was

slowly being forced back, I still can’t exactly decide whether
or not I should fully surrender.

After I pointed out a legitimate point, “I see,” said Tendou,

picking up a bite modestly without even persisting that
much.

“By the way, is just that enough? Aren’t you usually eating a
bit more?”
The yakisoba isn’t that much in quantity, but what Tendou
ordered was a set of two, even more small-ish fried onigiris.

Since she had me share a bite of this as well, that it looks so

insufficient for lunch.

And the kinda sad part is, unlike the yakisoba with its
vegetables, it’s just carbohydrates.

“It’s better than not being able to move from overeating,

right?”

“Well, that might be true, but still.”

Personally, I’m hungrier than I thought, to the point I’m

worried whether just some yakisoba will be enough, though.
Having a great fuel consumption sure is nice.

“And you, Iori-kun, your stomach’s gonna stand out if you

eat too much, you know?”

“Right, that’s why don’t eat, eaepp.” My side got pinched,

making me let out a ticklish, funny voice.

I was about to protest with ‘what are you doing?’ but I held
my tongue when I saw the expression of Tendou hiding her
navel with reproachful eyes.

“I think it’s a bad habit of yours, you know? Saying

everything you think like that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind…”

When I was glancing at Tendou’s slimmed down stomach

while thinking ‘even I wouldn’t have been aware of it you
didn’t mention it, though,’ she let her body lean against me,
bending forward out of her chair.
“Say aaah.” And together with a happy voice, she made a
smile on that extremely above standard face of hers, and
brought the yakisoba to my mouth with the chopsticks.

Acting calm as I possibly could, I slurped it up.

“Tasty?”
“……” I nodded silently while om-nom-noming it.

The yakisoba, as usual, had a cheap taste; the kind where

you’d feast at a place like this with its slight oiliness and
sauces with excess salt content.

Though, it’s not something this Miss Fiancée should be

boasting about with a triumphant look.

“Tsukasa-san, your lips are oily, you know?”

“ Iori-kun, say aaah, c’mon, aaaaaah.”

“Eh wai, it’s too soon, too soon—!”

Into the mouth of me, who had said it with a slight desire to
tease and a defiant heart, yakisoba was being shoved one
after another without even a moment to swallow. It was
kinda fun to be idiotic couple.

To the flowing pool again after lunch.

Currently, the beautiful Miss Fiancée has shoved her butt

into a rental swimming ring, and turned into a pool-floating
young lady throwing out her long and captivating legs,
showing it off.

My role is a pilot maneuvering the swimming ring on the

side to keep it from bumping into someone.
After noon was supposed to be the waterslide according to
the plan, but this was the result of dejectedly leaving from
the cruel, 50-minute waiting time for two people.

“I wonder if I was a bit negligent in my research.”

“In the end, it’s a weekday but still summer vacation after
all…”

“Well, give it a bit of time and the number of people is

gonna decrease anyway; I guess we can try going back
there again later.”

At this period of time the heat is at its peak, but probably

that goes for the crowd as well.

It’s still hardly the time for people like us who have been
here since the morning to go home, and there must be
people coming here after noon as well.

If we wait a little longer, the people coming from afar or

those who have been here first thing in the morning are
probably gonna leave anyway, and we should be able to get
at least one slide before returning home.

Well, if we’d gone for it immediately after the admission to

this place, the waiting time would probably have been much
shorter, though.

“You’re right, it’s the rare opportunity to snuggle up close

after all.”

“If it’s two people, looks like we’ll slide down using a
swimming ring made for that, you know?”

“But we wouldn’t know what would happen after landing on

the water, wouldn’t we?”
“I’ll go ahead and remind you, don’t pull my pants down in
the middle of confusion, okay?”

“I won’t. Who do you think people are?”

“You should go look back a little on your past speech and

conduct.”

“Geez.”

Tendou, who is, like, certainly gonna look good holding a

cocktail glass decorated with a slice of fruit, is looking really
joyous despite pouting, and being talkative just as much.

Maybe thanks to that, I’m also getting used to the sense of

distance that has been crammed in, getting back to my
normal groove. Maybe.

It’s also irritating to keep getting poked fun off, so let’s

counterattack to the extent not dampening the mood, or so
I’ve been thinking, but then Tendou’s swimming ring was
about to bump into children playing around staying in the
current, so I gave it a tug to correct its course.

A man looking to be the guardian made a slight bow, and I

returned one back, and glanced at the direction the current
is going.

“Thanks, Iori-kun.”

“Nn.”

Then Tendou, who seems to have decided to call me by my

first name all the way, went to stroke my head.

The sensation of her fingers shoved in between my hair was

awfully erotic.
However, could this situation possibly be hinting what is to
come in my life as it’s being led along…?

“Well, feel free to get sun-dried while chilling your butt as

much as you like, Tsukasa-san.”

My imagination got a little scary, so I changed the subject to

shove it away.

“Words.”

“Nah I mean, you know, isn’t it hot elsewhere?”

Tendou, making a display of her white arms and legs with

white bikini on a swimming ring, can almost float her butt
from the water’s surface, and only the ends of her thrown-
out hands and feet are being splish-splashed in the water.

Her body being exposed to the sun to the utmost seems like
it’s hot, too. Since she’s also taken this posture, of course
the eyes of the men on the poolside have become so
obvious, and it’s slightly not funny.

But at the same time, I’m feeling a kinda strange sense of

relief like, ‘if a beauty like this were flowing in the pool, of
course you can’t help but watch, I guess.’ It’s like, I guess
I’m not the only one.

“Are you curious?” Zrrrt zrrt, and then after such a fricative
sound, splash, the water leapt.

Having slipped off from the swimming ring, Tendou jumped

after being in the pool all the way to the top of her head,
and went to put the swimming ring from my head with that
momentum.

“Here!”
Of course it got caught by my shoulders, and all that’s left in
the end is a pathetic frilled-neck lizard.

“What are you even doing… Rather, didn’t you not want
your hair to get wet?”

“We’re gonna ride the slider in the afternoon anyway, and I

went to relieve your worry by submerging in the water,”
Tendou said and smiled while wiping her wetted face.

Her bright, loosely curled hair that’s in updo today is

clinging to her skin, and water is dripping down her fair skin.

Just seeing that makes my heart hump loudly.

I tried to unsteadily approach her, who’s more dazzling than

the water’s surface gleaming in the afternoon soon, and I
pushed Tendou away with the swimming ring on my neck
whose existence I’ve accidentally forgotten.

“Buwah.”

“Ah, sorr …Pfft.”

Although she seemed to have just barely prevented a direct

hit with her arms, I couldn’t help but end up bursting into
laughter at Tendou’s shriek that I’ve never heard before.

“Excuse me, Iori-kun…?”

“No, sorr, it’s not on purpose.”

When I right away removed the swimming ring from my

neck to avoid any possible further tragedy, Tendou was
sending me a resentful gaze while holding down her long
nose, maybe it got hit.
“Nn.” And then quickly she held out her fair hand as if
demanding something.

“Well, I said I’m sorry.”

“Nn!”

“……Yes.” Losing to the pressure, I obediently held out the

swimming ring.

Aiming just at my head and not my face with the turned-

sideways swimming ring, I think Tendou was being kind.

“—Well then, let’s go for one lap for now.”

“Are we seriously doing this…?”

And then the atonement sentenced by Miss Fiancée was to

carry her on my back and make a lap through the flowing
pool.

Somehow Tendou is so fixated about it, but if anything, I

wonder if this isn’t just her happy about a man giving a girl
in a swimsuit a piggyback …

“What? We’re in the water, so it can’t be that heavy, right?

Well, I’m light to begin with, though.”

You shouldn’t have told me to carry you on my back if you

mind about your weight; though, even I’ve got the enough
judgment not to say it.

No matter what Tendou might think, she should be in the

light category, though. Even so, she’s over 160 cm tall, so
she should have a fair amount to suit it—

“Let’s see, for someone your tall, roughly it should be fifty

—”
“I’ll hit you.”

“Ah, okay.”

I heard by far the scariest voice I’ve ever heard.

I guess I should say, as expected, or that’s natural, but

guessing weight seems to be over the line.

Do I, really not have any judgment after all…?

I wonder why I ended up making an unnecessary adventure.

“Iori-kun, drop down a little.”

“Okay.”

To me who’s obediently obeying, “hya!” Tendou leaned over

after psyching herself up.

—Ah, this is a bad one.

For an instant, my reason rang an alarm. Before I could put

it into words, she’s pushing her body against me with a jerk,
perhaps adjusting her position; naturally, her boobs were
squished by my back.

The only thing blocking both sides are two pieces: the thick,
thin bikini and camisole on top of it.

“Geez, I’ll fall off, so hold my legs properly.”

“Okay.”

I put my hands on the backs of her thighs, which were

holding down my body between them like straddling a
horse, and raised them up.
When I shook Tendou’s body the way I would reposition a
luggage on my back, she wrapped her arms around my neck
and positioned herself snugly. I guess as predicted, the
ground contact area with happiness was amazing.

It was also like that when we hugged each other from the
front, but the sensation of my back gradually getting wam
sure is insane as well…

“Now then, let’s go.”

“Huwey.”

I got whispered close to my ear, making my back jerk up

involuntarily.

Accidentally, something held firmly in place under the

innerwear under my swimming trunks also jerked up.

“Iori-kun?”

“I-I’m fine, all good. I’m going now.”

I immediately took a step forward out of conviction that it

sure is gonna be okay now if I’m moving my body. Since the
direction is to go with the flow, I’m not feeling much
resistance, and Tendou isn’t so heavy either, in fact.

There’s no problem other than my complexion and mental

composure.

As I was desperately splish-splashing forward, Tendou, who

had been raising her voice and frolicking going ‘kya kya,’
suddenly raised her body further and pressed her right palm
against the center of my chest.

“…Iori-kun, your heart’s beating fast.”

“Well, I mean I’m not used to this kinda thing.”

In fact, this is beyond not being used to it.

From puberty onward, I almost never had contact with

women outside of my family, and even the last time I gave
my pestering little sister a piggyback just like what I’m
doing now was in middle school.

And of course we were wearing proper clothes at that time.

“Would you believe me if I said, ‘me too’?”

‘No (I’m not really sure ‘cause the boobs)’ is my honest

feelings, and since we’re talking about Tendou who got
sexual experience with 90 or so people, it’s probably a
statement tied to ‘your heart’s beating fast’ rather than ‘I’m
not used to this,’ but honestly right now I’d be troubled
being told something difficult.

“For so so long, I’ve also always wanted to do something like

a normal date like this”

“That’s—yeah, can I take it you’re happy?”

“Yeah.”

While dividing my attention to the conversations, my legs

continued to walk through the flowing pool, avoiding people
at will. Actually if I’m not doing that, I wouldn’t know what to
do anymore.

“That’s why ”

With Tendou’s slender hand still resting on my chest, my

heart continued to beat fast for reasons other than just
exercising.
I wonder if maybe she’s palpating me because she’s worried
I might collapse.

“That’s why?”

“—Thank you, that’s what I’ve been wanting to say.”

I doubted whether that was truly what Tendou actually

wanted to say.

Ever since the surprise date at the net cafe where she’d said
‘that was fun,’ one way or another we’ve been going out
together a fair number of times after all.

However, as a virgin who has never had a girlfriend, there’s

no way I can understand the underlying true meaning.

“If anything, maybe that’s something I should be the one

saying. You know, like I’m going to a festival or a pool with a
beauty like you, Tsukasa-san; I’m sure I’ll be able to brag
about it after the vacation.”

Well, we both know there’s not gonna be many people on

campus envious of that, though.

“—I see”

Tendou’s voice as she briefly responded was small and frail.

So as not to be drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the

summer pool, I strained my ears to ensure I don’t miss a
single word. After all, I just knew she’s trying to tell me
something important in such a carelessness-inducing
situation.

“Then in the end, you did think you’re glad we got engaged,
didn’t you?”
It’s not the usual self-confident voice, but one that is laced
with a slight anxiety.

“Yeah.”

On my back, Tendou bursted slightly into laughter at my

frank and concise reply.

“—Says the one who snickered at me when I said that you

might.”

“Hahah, I don’t remember.”

“Geez, stop that already, okay?” And then “you’re so awful,”

Tendou continued, and went to lightly bite my neck.

A little bit of her usual self is back in her voice.

“Oww oww that hurts.”

As I was yelping, a kid of about middle school age went to

pass by me with an incredible face.

While thinking, ‘I bet we’re totally turning into an annoying

idiotic couple,’ just for today I would love them to cut us
some slack.

I mean, that’s how summer mostly is anyway.

“—Hey, Iori-kun. Walk a little slower, ‘kay?”

“All right.”

I took my time making a lap on the pool that shouldn’t be

particularly long.

Thinking, at the same time, that I want to be touching her

for many more times to come.
§

Maybe because there had been ups and downs, not only
physically but also mentally, by the time we left the pool to
catch the boat to return home, we’re already dead tired.

While waiting at the park’s entrance for the shuttle bus

heading to the ferry landing, Tendou relaxed and went to
lean on my shoulder.

Her fair skin is a little red, maybe from continuous exposure

to the sun.

“Tsukasa-san, you can go to sleep if you’re tired; I’ll wake

you up when the bus comes.”

“….Yeah.”

Although I was also yawning, her reply was somewhat

absent-minded.

The sun is setting in the west, dyeing the sky with its last
rays of light, and the sounds of insects are echoing
everywhere, as if to lament it.

Couples laughing happily, families with children tired from

playing carried on their backs—amidst the summer dusk,
with its long stretches of shadows of people on their way
home, we were silent for a short while.

“—You see, Iori-kun,” Tendou broke the silence as she

gradually put strength on our linked hands. “It seems a
hotel near here runs a night pool.”

“Ah, I didn’t know.”

The resort hotel visible from the ferry landing, huh.

It got ocean view, so it’s not strange if they run a night pool,
I suppose.

But it’s that time period of the year, so I guess it must be

crowded without doubt.

“And you know, I looked it up in the changing room, and it

seems there are still rooms available, and so—” As I’d been
thoughtlessly thinking with my head, I got speechless at the
following words and the look on her face. “Actually, you
know, I brought another swimsuit. So, since we’re already
here, I thought maybe we could stay the night—what do you
think?”

Right now, Tendou has an alluring expression I’ve never

seen before, no, probably she purposely did not show it to
me till now.

The feelings I have for her that I’ve become aware of over
the course of the day today, and the obvious sexual
expectations to go along with that.

I certainly did think that, if I’m allowed to touch her, then all
the way to the end would be before long.

However, the moment the path to that point was concretely

laid out, I woke up as though icicles had been stabbed into
my back.

We’ve kissed, we’ve also hugged each other, and probably

reached double digits in dates; that’s why I’m sure for
Tendou it’s natural to think that soon it’s gonna be sex next.

But that‘s precisely what represents what lies between us

more than anything else.
In the time I was lost in her soft touch and dreaming of the
future, Tendou was looking up hotel reservations. What was
someday for me, was tonight for her.

This is probably no indication that she’s being especially

hasty.

We are at an age where we would almost be considered an

adult, and above all, we are in a relationship of being
engaged to one another.

Go on a date, stay in a hotel together, and have sex.

There’s no obstacle or problem whatsoever there.

However, I got completely frightened by that reality

thrusted at me.

It made me realize once again that that is what experience

with 90 or so people is all about.

This is not a trap, nor a strategy to seal the engagement;

Tendou simply wants to make this one day more special to
her, and probably desires to have sex with me as the cherry
on top.

“Hey, Iori-kun—”

Tendou’s fingers squeezed hard, as if to express her inner

anxiety.

Even though I knew that much, I was scared.

Of whether or not I really would be able to properly perform

such a ‘natural’ act for her.

Of whether or not I would disappoint Tendou if I can’t do it.

Considering her behavior up to now, it was surely nothing to
think too seriously about. Even so, I couldn’t stop my fear of
failure, and eventually chose to postpone the problem.

“—No, but, I haven’t prepared anything, and wouldn’t it also

be a waste to eat it all up in one day? You know, we’ve still
got a lot of vacation time left.”

I was never good at lying. Tendou probably also knows this

after our relationship over the past few months.

That’s why I exerted my best, to not let it show on my voice

or on my face.

“—Yeah, you’re right.”

“So, you know, let’s come back together another time.”

Cheerfully, and carefreely. Hoping that she would simply

think that I’m just a thickheaded man missing the perfect
opportunity.

“All right, another time, on the next opportunity then”

“Yeah, let’s look forward to the next one, shall we?”

“Yeah.”

Even so, Tendou’s smile really looked a little lonesome, and

then we parted on our way home with little to no
conversations, as if today up to that point had been a
dream.
—The next day, I received a call from my father back at
home, saying that the Tendou house had approached him
about breaking off the engagement.
Immediately after hearing about it, I sent a message to her,
which never got a read no matter how much time passed.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 10 – Tendou
Tsukasa Was My Fiancée

Tendou house is the so-called landowner family lineage, was

originally a merchant family in Hakata that rose during the
Edo period, did well during the Meiji period and expanded its
business, were able to ride out the postwar disorder in
comfort, and nowadays apparently has become so rich that
they own several multi-story buildings in the center of the
city.

By the way, the impressive mansion that I thought looked

like a samurai residence is simply old, impressive, and
traditional, and doesn’t have anything to do with samurai,
apparently.

Well, no matter the details, the people in Tendou house

originally should have been a resident of an alien world for
Shino Iori, a person born into the common people from the
very beginning.
Until I got engaged to a girl named Tendou Tsukasa thanks
to the connection from my grandfather’s era that is.

The approach to break off the engagement which I’d been

told through my father the day after the pool date is
probably not by her own will.

I certainly do have my suspicions that I may have slightly

hurt her feelings by refusing the night invitation, but it
doesn’t seem like that would be enough for Tendou to
request to break off the engagement, and above all, her
grandmother shouldn’t allow it.

If that’s the case, the cause is first of all due to the fact that
Tendou’s behavior has become known to her family, and the
reason why I can’t contact her is that, even if there’s no
death, she could have her phone taken away from her, be
thrown into a confinement room for criminals or lunatics or
something. I wonder if they have such a room.

I’m certainly the one who, first of all, couldn’t accept

Tendou’s sexual experience and considered breaking off the
engagement, got completely swayed during the grace
period before giving my refusal, and for all that, is now a
wuss who chickened out when it came to going to stay the
night the other day.

While that may be true, I can’t just sit back and let them do
whatever they please, dictating someone’s life that goes
like, ‘you want a girlfriend? Very well, in that case feel free
to take my grandchild as your wife. I’m sure you’ll be very
pleased with her’ and ‘ah, she had bad behavior, so let’s
consider this never happens.’

—In the first place, I’m the concerned party in this

engagement, so this is my legitimate right.
I, who had been telling myself (it’s just like that even if it’s a
fact, though) that and marched into Tendou’s house to have
a direct talk, was walking down a corridor facing the garden
while going “waoh~” at that mansion that’s so splendid as
ever that it’s astonishing.

A glass door separates it from the outside, where an

authentic Japanese-style garden has been built, and the
floor bathed in dazzling sunlight pouring in from the outside
is getting hot, but the air conditioning is on.

“This way, please. Madam, I have brought Shino-sama to

see you,” A middle-aged lady, who seems to be a maid, had
guided me, stopped in front of a room and went to kneel
down.

From beyond the traditional Japanese sliding door with a

glass window behind the sliding bottom half, “please, come
in,” came a calm reply.

I stepped into the room and bowed in my own way since I

don’t know the etiquette, while experiencing something that
you can’t really get in an ordinary household: having an
older person open the door for you.

“Excuse me.”

At the center of the about 19 m² Japanese-style room,

there’s a shiny-black, profound wooden low table, and a
white-haired woman in a plain, but expensive-looking white
kimono waiting.

“Iori-san, I am terribly sorry for the trouble of having you

visit on this occasion.”

The white-haired woman, Tendou Tsukasa’s grandmother—

Tendou Chitose-san with graceful gestures turned towards
me and deeply bowed her head.

It was a courteous, but nevertheless, exactly a strong

preemptive attack for me, a youngster.

“Ah, no, umm, I’m also to blame for barging in on you at

such short notice.”

“No, it is originally something I should have come to you to

explain, and I apologize for my rudeness.”

“N-no, not at all, that’s, don’t mention it…”

I’ve got vigor in saying this and that, but in the end the
burden in dealing with a wealthy senior is just heavy for me,
a mere student. And even more so if the person comes out
politely.

I reservedly took a seat as urged, and by the time I reached

out my hand for the expensive-looking teacup with my
trembling hands and sipped the tasteless-due-to-
nervousness tea, my tempo had already been completely
taken control.

“—First of all, I would like to state clearly that the reason I

have taken the liberty of requesting the annulment of the
engagement is entirely due to my grandchild’s behavior. At
no point it is your fault, Iori-san.”

“Ah, yes.”

“As you may already know, Iori-san, as a member of the

Tendou house, I cannot send such a licentious girl to be wed
to others.”

“Uh, yes.”
“Moreover, she was so shameless as to cry and beg to you
in order to protect herself, and then try to advance the
engagement while keeping her own past deeds in the
vague.”

“Ah, well, I suppose so.”

“Moreover at this point in time, she even fought back,

saying that there was no problem since the love is now
mutual; it is the utmost pathetic. And I regret that as a
grandmother, I have not been good enough.”

“Huh, that is, indeed…”

I do think it would be the end of the line if she said that, but
well, Tendou certainly has that kind of thing going for her,
doesn’t she… I’m sure she absolutely was questioned, and
then said it as it was.

“As such, I apologize for the inconvenience, but would you

please consider the matter with Tsukasa as it had never
occurred? Of course, I will be doing everything possible to
ensure that you do not suffer any further losses as a result
of this matter, Iori-san.”

“Err…”

Huh? Isn’t this talk over already?

Overall, I totally get it, and it just sounded so right; there’s

not even a gap to interject here.

I see, this is how Tendou felt when she complained about me

giving logical harassment, huh…

It sure is ironic that I can understand Tendou’s feelings now,

thanks to Tendou.
“Umm, I do think what you are saying is fair, but…”

“Of course, this alone may not be enough to convince you. I

would have her apologize in person, but she has yet to show
any signs of remorse… This might be piling shame on top of
shame, but I would like to ask for a little bit more time.”

“No, that apology is not necessary. It’s just, I think that,

prior to this, she had her own peculiar conflict, however…”

“Thank you very much for your kind words. Certainly,

engagement driven by the house may not be in keeping
with the times, and I also understand Tsukasa’s inner
discontent. However, to be outwardly obedient while
secretly immersing herself in self-indulgent pleasures is a
betrayal to all involved. I would not be doing any favors for
my grandchild if I were not to speak sternly here.”

“Ah yes, that is so, isn’t it.”

Checkmated.

Well, to have your parents arbitrarily decide your fiancée is

certainly up for debate, but it’s also true that it’s another
issue when it comes to whether or not that it’s then okay to
do anything in the back

Once I recognized that it’s absolutely impossible to flip the

narrative anymore from here on, the memories of these past
several months with Tendou were coming back like a
revolving lantern.

Looking back, she was smiling a lot in my memory. Although

I was greatly moved by that, I also kinda ended up thinking,
‘whatchu smilin about in this situation right now.’
“—I understand, it is fine with me to wipe clean my
engagement with Tsukasa-san.”

“I am very sorry, but would you not mind doing so?”

“Yes. Both my father and grandfather have also told me it’s

only if I could agree to what would be said—well, in the first
place, there’s also some misunderstanding between me and
my father judging from how this came to be.”

It was originally an engagement decided like an accident,

caused by my unpopularness and my father’s pushiness. It’s
not something to regret just because it’s canceled.

In the first place, I didn’t come here today for such a life-
support plan with no prospect of success.

There’s another issue I really need to do, an issue I have to

take care of.

“There’s just, one thing. Since this time it has turned out
this way, how about no longer trying to tie both families
with your past with my grandfather as the reason?”

I said it. I DID say it. Now there’s no longer turning back
here; I wanna go home.

I’m already feeling the air getting heavier to the point where
it’s kinda hard to sit face to face.

Even so, I really couldn’t just leave while ignoring this one
matter that has swung around my, and more importantly
Tendou Tsukasa’s life.

“—For someone still young, it may be rather hard to

understand, but the favor I have received from your
grandfather is enormous. It is a matter in which the honor of
the Tendou house is at stake. For the fact that Tsukasa has
caused trouble, I cannot simply say ‘yes, I understand’.”

Although Chitose-san’s voice wasn’t so harsh the wind

would go, fwoosh, I could feel the pressure in her voice.

I see, so this is why Tendou is so afraid of her grandmother,

and I could understand not through logic, but emotion.

And then after another observation, I found a lot of

similarities in her facial features with her grandchild, Tendou
Tsukasa.

In particular those slightly slanted eyes, and the powerful

will of light that can even seem daring dwelling in them.

Her body is small and thin, but her posture is good; even in
her old age with her hair having turned white and wrinkles
carved on her face, she’s a person still exuding beauty.

She must’ve been a beauty in her youth for sure. It’s no

surprise my grandfather would propose for a marriage, I
guess.

“—Regardless of the misfortune of your grandchild going

astray in desperation because of it, is it?”

“I believe that the problem with Tsukasa is a matter of her

own nature. I suppose you can’t really call it misfortune.”

“But, isn’t it true that it was the existence of a financé that

has cornered her?”

“Ryou was in the same position and is living an upright life.

Actually, I hear that in the past you yourself have been
remonstrated for calling Tsukasa imprudent, however.”
Yes, and to be honest, I still feel the same way.

If anything, the more I’m listening, the more that thought is

being reinforced, isn’t it. I wonder why in the world I’m
doing such an extremely futile thing as defending Tendou.
No, not yet.

“I also think that there must have been other ways. But
Tsukasa-san was terrified that she might die if she ever
angered her grandmother. Well, that might be an
exaggeration, but it’s the truth she felt that much pressure.
Could a person who has been cornered to that point really
make an upright judgment?”

“…That, may indeed have been an issue on my part as well.

Tsukasa just always has had a bad habit of being selfish
because of her appearance, and each time I had to give her
a stern scolding after all.”

Wouldn’t getting scolded be a no-brainer then? Just why is

Tendou shooting people in the back like this?

If continuing the engagement is impossible, then arranging

the conversation while appealing to the emotions is also a
failure.

I’ve imagined and prepared for it, but this is going the way
where I feel my helplessness acutely. Had this been a battle
to get Tendou back, I surely would’ve been despaired by
now.

“So, umm, why didn’t you tell her about her fiancé’s details?
Whether it’s me, or my older brother who has rejected it, it’s
very far apart from the pessimistic image she had of her
partner. If she had known, it would’ve been, umm, different,
I believe.”
In my case, my father’s thought was so that I wouldn’t be
unpopular, but from the side of Tendou house, there doesn’t
seem to be much reason to conceal information about her
fiancé.

“—Indeed, perhaps I should have let Tsukasa know as she

had a strong wrong impression.”

Well, if Tendou had known that we brothers were her fiancé

candidates, however, I might also have been fatally
wounded from being compared to my older brother and
given a face that’s like saying, ‘this one, huh.’

Even though it’s painful enough that it makes me wanna cry

just from imagining it a bit, even that should not be a
disadvantage from the side of Tendou house.

“However my daughter, Tsukasa’s mother who had

interactions with your father since early childhood wasn’t
chosen. Of course I don’t begrudge any of that, but it is also
true that that girl who had completely intended to get
married to him was terribly depressed at that time.
Reflecting on that, we had decided not to discuss the details
with my grandchildren until after the engagement was
desired by your side.”

“Ah, eh, is that so?”

“Yes. Of course I’d also told my daughter that in the end it

was only if the other side desired it, but even so, if the
person she had been holding feelings for since childhood did
not choose her, there would still be a pain in the heart.”

“That’s… how should I say this, I can sympathize.”

This was unneeded concern for me as someone unpopular,

but my older brother actually got himself a girlfriend, so I
suppose it isn’t a wrong policy.

But so to speak, a father who kept silent about dumping his

own childhood friend fiancée!!

I’ve been thinking that I was causing Tendou inconvenience

because of my unpopularness until now, but isn’t this in the
first place all becoming complicated because of what’s
happening in the time with our parents?

Well yeah, if both the mother and daughter were given the
cold shoulder, it would also relieve the trauma of the
mother, and the pride as a woman would simply get hurt; I
also understand that it’s a thoughtful judgment for the
Tendou house.

But I totally would’ve loved it for my father to at least

explain everything up to that point!!

There have been too many people shooting me in the back

since some time ago. I’ve got no ally, huh…

“—How-however, isn’t that still exactly what illustrates the

problem in this matter? Didn’t both Tsukasa-san, and her
mother, have to take on unnecessary hardships by having
their lives dictated around by the engagement matter?”

“No, that is incorrect. It is not unnecessary, it is par for the

course, Iori-san. If I hadn’t been saved by your grandfather,
I would not be here today, neither would the house. Having
been born into the house of Tendou, then it is our natural
duty to return that favor we have once received, you
know?”

It was a calm, and yet resolute declaration.

I suppose Chitose-san is not just another heartless,
descendant engagement machine.

However, the inability to fulfill a past promise, and the fact

that it still hasn’t been fulfilled, is making this person
obstinate.

In that sense, perhaps she is just another tragic victim who

was unable to choose her partner of her own will.

Good grief, it’s a complicated, back-breaking story for me.

“—I understand, I also understand your dislike of not being

able to fulfill your promise.”

“I am happy to hear that you could understand.”

That said, from the very start, I have never thought I could
do anything with my words alone to move someone older
than myself. I don’t have that much faith in my intelligence.

The important thing was the understanding of the details,

situation, and above all, the pledge.

The duty one must fulfill as a person born in the house of

Tendou.

And naturally, Chitose-san herself should be no exception to

what she has said.

“—So this time, I have come up with my own basic solution.

If anyone from the house of Tendou is to be married to a
man from Shino, there is one who is now single, having
been predeceased by his wife five years ago. He is called
Shouzou.” I offered my phone, which I’d secretly put in call
while I was talking, on the table. “Here you go.”
“ ”

Without uttering any words, Chitose-san was looking

alternatingly at my face and at the phone as if it’s
something she’s seen for the first time.

My grandfather didn’t participate in the first meeting

between me and Tendou, saying he wouldn’t poke his nose
into his grandchild’s issue.

It was a bit mysterious, but this reaction of Chitose-san was

probably the reason.

“As you may have known, it is my grandfather. By all means,

please have a talk between you two.”

On my second urge, her trembling hand finally reached for

the phone.

Tendou’s grandfather seemed to be much older than

Chitose-san, and I have heard he passed away before
Tendou was in elementary school. More than ten years
should be sufficient for a mourning period.

Then this would certainly become a more immediate way for

Chitose-san to return the favor, rather than having to restart
this matter with me and the second daughter Ryou-san, or
to further drag out this matter to the great-grandchildren’s
generation.

It’s gonna be hard to refuse anyway, and she should at least

be willing to listen.

“Hello—” It was a calm voice. “Yes, yes, it has been a

while…” At the same time, it was a voice filled with an
unfathomable great emotion.
To be honest, to the point I’m feeling bad for listening from
the side.

So, while they’re talking, I decided to enjoy having a cup of

tea of I’ve left alone.

“…Please spare me the jokes, I’m completely a grandmother

now.”

Gosh, this yokan1 is so good. The tea is also aromatic.

That’s a loaded family for you (escaping).

No, for real, it’s so awkward it’s kinda painful to listen to.
And above all, my grandfather’s also amazing; like, judging
from her reactions, he seems to be saying something
sweeter than the yokan.

How come my father, older brother, and now my

grandfather, except me, are not awkward around women…

“Yes then in the near future, yes, yes… yes, until then.”

Chitose-san sighed quietly, after what seemed like a long

but short phone call.

Even though I could reason my way through things, I felt

that it was filled with feelings accumulated for months and
years, that I, a mere youngster, would not be able to truly
understand or sympathize with.

“—From the start, is this what you’ve been aiming for? Iori-
kun.”

It was a somewhat softer voice, with a human touch

different from the one up until earlier.
The wry smile, seeming both astonished and impressed,
reminded me of a girl I know of very well.

I noticed the sophisticated lingering smell from the phone

I’ve received, and I somehow ended up feeling guilty
towards both Tendou and my grandfather.

“Yes, I suppose. If it all started with my grandfather, I just

thought it might be the right thing to have the matter
settled among the two of you.”

“You young people sure can come up with some great

things, like dragging out your grandfather.”

“I was desperate as well, so, well, there you go.”

Honestly speaking, I can’t even imagine what people with

grandchildren think of each other.

However, even if that ends up being a friend-like

relationship, it should be much more healthy than trying to
unite us, who originally had nothing to do with each other.
Just that.

Well, when I’m given a look that says ‘I haven’t thought of

that idea,’ it makes me wanna make a smug face, though.

“—And so, it was not just out of kindness that you have
suggested a way to repay the favor, was it? What could you
be wishing for, Iori-san?”

I thought my inner feelings were completely showing on my

face, but I didn’t get especially confronted, thanks to that
so-called adult composure there.

I’m glad the talk went off without a hitch.

So here finally for sure, I can broach the subject I wanted to
say the most.

“—Could you please not scold Tsukasa-san too much for

everything done so far?”

“Oh my—”

My ex-fiancée, who was pushed around because of family

circumstances, is notorious for heavily boasting about being
a beauty, rich, and having good figure, but has innumerable
cute sides.

I probably would not have had a connection with her if it

weren’t such a thing, but she’s an outrageous girl who has
slept with nearly triple digits men simply because of such a
thing.

To be honest, I still think she’s an idiot, I also don’t really

know how much the person in question is or isn’t regretting
it, but it must be harsh to be condemned by her family for
that.

“And, please, if possible, respect her freedom from now on.”

Even though I’m a pathetic fellow who ignored the invitation

to stay the night and couldn’t even stop the annulment of
the engagement, I wanted to do at least this much for the
girl I fell in love with.

“Understood, you have my promise. Iori-san, you are truly

thinking of my grandchild—will you be going to meet
Tsukasa?”

“No, I do have an interest in the confinement room, but I will

leave for today with this.”
“I see… Confinement room?”

Since she tilted her head, regrettably there doesn’t seem to

be any confinement room.

Well, we’re no longer engaged, and I also don’t know what

to do if in this situation I get told ‘you two young people can
take your time,’ and to be honest, it’s also troubling to have
the matter at the pool day get brought up.

Well, Tendou will probably just call me if I she needs

anything.

We will also see each other at college once summer

vacation ends anyway. And we can have a talk any time.

“Thank you so much for the yokan. The tea was also great.”

“I’m afraid it’s not any hospitality—are you really sure you
don’t want to go meet Tsukasa?”

“Yes, we can also meet at college. I apologize for barging in

so suddenly today.”

“I see, please feel free to visit again anytime.”

“Yes.”

Having said that, I think that maybe there won’t be an

opportunity for that.

Chitose-san seemed to want to say a few more things, but I

once again said my thanks for the yokan and left the room
with a pretty refreshed feeling.

When I returned to the corridor from which I’d come with the
maid’s guidance, Tendou’s mother was waiting at the front
door looking reserved.
With the sense of accomplishment and exhaustion after
completing a difficult job, I don’t really remember the few
words we must have exchanged.

Once I stepped out of the front door of Tendou house, with

its nostalgic-like smell of old wood and earth, I was greeted
by fierce sunlight and the noisy cicadas.

There was a white cumulonimbus rising in the dazzling blue

sky as I looked up with squinted eyes.

The day that Tendou Tsukasa was no longer my fiancée was

truly a hot, typical summer day.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 11 – She Has
Experience With Almost a
Hundred People, and She
Seems to Love Me So So
So Much

Two days after I’d marched into Tendou house and settled
the long-standing engagement issues involving both
families, the summer troubles of nineteen-year-old Shino
Iori, a.k.a. me, were not over yet.

It was early in the morning when the intercom of my room

rang, as I was somewhat enjoying the extravagance of idly
spending my days, still with no contact from Tendou.

“—Huweh?”
The visitor I saw through the peephole was an angry-looking
Tendou Tsukasa herself, with a traveling carry bag on her
side.

As I was troubled like, ‘what to do,’ the no-tolerance barrage

of ping-pong ping-pong, which is kinda inappropriate for a
high class young lady, began. What’s she gonna do if I’m
not here?

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Iori-kun!”

And what was awaiting for me after opening the door after
resolving myself was a sudden, powerful slap.
Together with a—pang—dry sound, an impact echoed down
to my bone.
“Eeh…?”

Isn’t this cruel?

“Whachu, whararchu, what are you! Trying to do!?”

Without regard to my dumbfounded state while holding my

cheek in pain like my head could’ve been blown off, Tendou,
who seemed to hide her embarrassment from fumbling with
her words twice by charging herself with extra anger, glared
at me.

She’s already totally completely angry, and it’s packing so

much punch that I can even see a hannya mask on her, but
even so, she’s still a dazzling beauty even today.

“On top of Grandmother lowering her head to me, I got told

to do as I like from now on, and even though my entire
family’s thinking I’m gonna reconcile with you again, you
haven’t contacted me at all in these two days! My family’s
also increasingly seeing me with pitying eyes, and even this
morning I got an apologetic apology from Grandmother who
was about to go out on a date with your grandfather!”

“Say, isn’t that partially not my fault?”

I found it to be extremely pitiful, though.

No, she sure can endure sitting on thorns like that well; isn’t
her mental state too tough?

And then my grandfather, his action’s just too fast. Is that

guy, for real?

“Whose fault is it but yours!”

“I’m sorry, I get it, it’s totally my fault, but just lower your
voice a bit.”

Thus, Tendou’s anger got even more intense because of my

thoughtless words.

If we were to have such a quarrel at the front door, other

residents would wait no time to complain, or call the police.

“Keeping up appearances or me, which is more important!?”

“You’re starting to talk about something quite troublesome

there…”

I guess, well yeah, it might not seem like a big deal to the
invincible Tendou, who got relatively little left to lose after
her dissipation got found out by her family.

But I think keeping up appearances is important, y’know?

“Le-let’s get inside for now, come on.”

I got no choice but to pull her by the arm to get her into the
room. I got subtly resisted, so this is a good case to call the
police, isn’t it? Let’s pray no one is watching.

But I wonder what exactly is in the carry bag that makes

quite a heavy sound when put on the floor. I hope it’s not a
murder weapon or torture device, though.

And, somehow or another, after much coaxing and serving

her barley tea, I had her sit down on a chair, and I sat down
on the bed facing her.

Today, Tendou is wearing a summer sweater and skinny

jeans that’s giving off a somewhat casual and fresh feeling,
and her hair, curled more strongly than usual, got tied up
into one on the side.

As I admired her, ‘she sure looks totally good no matter

what she’s wearing,’ Tendou opened her mouth after putting
the now half-empty glass of barley tea back on the table.

“—Iori-kun, do you know why I’m angry?”

You’re starting to sound like a bothersome girlfriend, you

know that? What are you? A nasty, moral-harassing
company boss?

I read on the internet that if you strangely apologize, or give

half-hearted reasons here, you’d get bombarded even more.

I know it all too well.

“I dunno.”

And so after being honest, a red tinge appeared on Tendou’s

usually fair face.

“Of course it’s because you never contacted me!”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

A surprisingly simple and understandable answer came, and

I got bewildered on the contrary.

I see, so it was plainly my fault, huh…

“Wait but I sent you a message the day after going to the
pool, but it didn’t get read, and there’s also no reply after
that; what happened to your phone?”

“—I dropped it in the bath water and it broke.”

“Eeh… That just means you can’t be contacted then. Isn’t it
unreasonable to get angry?”

“Stop logical-harassing me.”

“Far from harassing, I’m a domestic violence victim who got

slapped in the face, though.”

“What? Isn’t it fine just a little bit? Didn’t you say before you
wanted to try getting slapped?”

“I didn’t, I didn’t say a word about any of that.”

Please stop making things up, I just said that something like
that would suit you.

“Also Iori-kun, you and I aren’t in any kind of domestic

relationship.”

“Well that’s true.”

But I wonder why… when I got told that, it did a little bit of
damage to my mental organ…

“Besides, you could’ve just called my house if you really

wanted to get in touch with me, and in the first place, when
you came to my house to have a talk, you got asked by
Grandmother if you’d go meet me, didn’t you?”

“Uwh…”

That’s indeed true.

I’ve lost my vigor, however, Tendou went to calmly ask me

without being overbearing.

“—Hey, why did you, just go straight home that day?”

“Nah, I just, couldn’t get my thoughts straight on what
we’ve talked… I’m sorry.”

“I see, so what about now? Have you got it straight? You

think you can talk?”

“No, sorry, not yet…”

“I see.”

And thereafter, silence fell between us just like the time on

our way home from the pool.

The difference from that day was that a bus wouldn’t come
to change the situation even if we continued to stay silent.

As I was thinking ‘anything, I have to say something,’

Tendou spoke up once again.

“—That, really is because of my past, isn’t it?”

“…Well, I suppose you could say that.”

Thinking it’s for Tendou, I could resolve myself to come into

her home to have a talk with her grandmother.

It’s also true that I’m honestly happy to see her lively face
again today.

My idle mood is also becoming a bit excited that she’s in my

room.

Then, if I were to say whether or not I could make a redo of

that time now, I still can’t make up my mind.

Nor letting out what has always been nagging at my chest

ever since.
That’s why, it’s a natural development for Tendou Tsukasa to
make a move ahead of me who’s so irritatingly troubled.

“—If, if it bothers you so much, then you can just take up

like the nine-hundred one-thousandths of my sexual
experience! Why can’t you just do that!”

“Eeh…”

What’s with that wild solution?

There’s just too much heavy work involved.

“It’s not about numbers, isn’t it?”

“It’s all about numbers! I mean if I had done it with one or

two people only, would you have gotten so troubled!?”

“Now that you’ve put it that way, it’s certainly true, but…”

“Come on, if we do it three times a day during summer

vacation, you’ll quickly forget about other men!”

“I feel like I’m gonna die from drying up due to too much
sex.” Also, please wrap your words a little more nicely.

“Or what? Are you telling me to wait until you’ve done it

with ninety-eight people, too?”

She’s just nonchalantly coming out about it, but it’s closer
than I imagined in reaching that mark…!

“Well, I feel like I’d probably end up going all in with

someone along the way if I tried that.”

If unlucky, I’d fall in love with the first person I have sex with
and the challenge is over, alright?
“In that case! Right now! You should just go out with me!”

“Eeh…? No, I don’t get that at all.”

“You’ve gone on so many dates with me and even allowed

kisses, so you must have feelings for me too, right!? And if
you’re gonna fall in love with someone you have sex with,
then just do it with me! Or what? Will you go out with me if
we don’t have sex instead!?”

“I feel like I’m gonna die from being gnawed from having
suspicions that I might not be satisfying you, so impossible.”

“Then what? What am I supposed to do? Will you talk to me

someday if I wait? Just tell me clearly what you’re thinking.
Getting dumped with half-cooked feelings like this, I, just
don’t know anymore…!”

“Tsukasa-san…”

And I saw Tendou Tsukasa’s tears, one unlike any I’d seen
before.

The crying face with frowned brows and quivering lips was
the last thing I wanted to see, and yet this was
unmistakably my fault.

“Sorry—umm, I’m just scared. If we have sex, I feel like I’m

definitely gonna mind about your past even more than I do
now.”

In that case, I will have to face the truth that I didn’t want to
spit out, the truth that I didn’t want to put into words. Even
if it disillusions her, even if she scorns me; but if that’s what
she wants then.
“I’d think, ‘aah, she did this with someone other than me,
she showed this face to someone other than me.’ Before
long, I’d wonder where I ranked among the ninety-nine men,
and look for the shadows of other men in everything you did
with me—I feel like I’d definitely even start talking selfish
stuffs, like ‘why you didn’t you take care of the body that
was supposed to become mine?’” Because I’m a virgin—
swallowing down the reason I got called a creep some time
ago, I continued. “And so, if it got to that, I think I’d probably
end up hitting you.”

Since it is all the past that has come to an end, the only
person I can complain to is Tendou herself.

“That’s the only thing that I, don’t want to do.” Immediately

I noticed—yeah, in the end it seems I’m only thinking about
myself.

The reason I don’t want to hurt her is that I don’t want to

admit that I’m such an unsightly, insufferable human being.

I’m sure there are people who are small-minded, and I’m
sure there are also men out there who can go out with her
without even caring.

But no matter what I did, no matter what I thought, that was

something I couldn’t seem able to stand.

No, how can you stand it?

Why is it weird to think of wanting to have your lover all to

yourself?

I know that’s already impossible, yet I can’t give up; why is

that bad?
Doesn’t everyone wish to cherish the girl they love with
their own hands?

Even if it can no longer be fulfilled in the perfect form,

there’s nothing that can stop my mind from thinking so.

Despite knowing how selfish, self-righteous, and childish

that thought was, I couldn’t stop myself from doing it. That’s
why, at the very least— “Because I, don’t want to, show you
my ugly side, Tsukasa-san.”

Even so, I can no longer willingly distance myself. That’s just

how much I’ve been attracted to the girl named Tendou
Tsukasa.

That’s why, if our relationship naturally comes to an end

with the fact that the engagement matter has been dropped
as the reason, even so it’s fine, I thought.

And if our relationship, neither from me nor from her, comes

to an end then—it can’t be helped.

That was my sole, and utmost attempt to put up a strong

front.

“—Even now? Do you actually feel that way? Do you want to

complain to me about the stuff that I did?”

“No, probably, I still don’t feel that way right now. At least,
not that I’m aware of.”

But I no longer even knew anymore if that’s even the truth.

“Do you think I’m dirty? That I’m a dirtied woman?”

“I don’t”
“Do you no longer have interest in me now that I’m not your
fiancée?”

“That’s, not true.”

“—I see. Then it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Huh?”

“Right now you don’t feel that way about me, right? Then
it’s fine. It’s no use worrying about something that hasn’t
happened, and it’s also the truth that I didn’t take care of
myself in the first place.”

“Besides,” Tendou continued, and moved next to the bed.

Her soft hand lay on top of my clenched fist on my lap.

Then she gently caressed my cheek with her other hand.

“You see Iori-kun, you got angry at Ogura-san at the

summer festival, right? You know, I was so happy. I even
thought to myself that it’s unavoidable to get called names,
but I see that it’s not like that for you, that you care about
me more than I do about myself. That’s why—”

Her soft lips touched the corner of my eye.

The smell of Tendou that I haven’t felt for the first time in a
while filled my nostrils; the scent that has always made me
feel restless whenever I was conscious of it is right now,
only now is it something I found very comforting.

“Don’t cry. It’s alright, I’m sure you will always be treating
me kindly from now on.”

“No, I’m not crying, what’re you talking about?”

“…You stubborn.”

I wasn’t crying, but it seemed to have caused a

misunderstanding, so I wiped my eyes and blew my nose.

Tendou, who should’ve been the one crying, already has her
expression completely back to how it always has been, even
though her eyes are red. And there’s a faint hint of being an
S dwelling in those eyes.

“And you know, you have never been that good looking to
begin with, Iori-kun.”

“How cruel.”

I feel like crying for real.

“Also, you’ve already said plenty of horrible things to me,

you know? Like, that I’m a woman who would sleep with
anyone, or that I look like I’d fool around with middle
schoolers.”

“Urgh.”

I can’t complain about that one since I’m aware of it and it is

a genuine fact.

“Fufu.”

As I was at a loss for words, Tendou at last laughed happily.

Her soft body was coming to rest its weight on me.

Her body heat transmitted from where we touched each

other was much higher than I imagined.

“And Iori-kun, how about you try following your

grandfather’s example a little? He’s even accepting that
kind of a woman who rejected him, married another man,
and even has grandchildren, you know?”

“What a way to put your own grandmother.” That’s really

not good, alright? “Also, it’s painful to get compared to
another man, so I want you to stop…”

“What about you calling your own grandfather ‘another

man’ then?”

“I saw a horrible subject changing.”

“I can say the same to you.”

Losing to Tendou’s gushing push, I collapsed onto my side

on the bed.

Just like that, I blankly gazed at the room’s wallpaper.

“—Tsukasa-san, are you really fine with that?”

To be honest, I have no self-confidence whatsoever to be

kind like she told me.

As a virgin, I am, in other words, a man who has never been

chosen by anyone, never been wanted by anyone so far.

Girls have always been a distant existence, which was

precisely why I was able to be kind.

No, all I knew how to do was to be kind.

I’ll put aside for a moment the fact that, from Tendou’s view,
it apparently wasn’t the case.

That’s why there’s no other man who is as unbelievable as

myself.
Not to mention, I can’t even imagine what I would be like
after I ended up changing.

“I’m telling you it’s fine,” Tendou answered my abstract

question without even the slightest hesitation.

I wonder if that strength is because she’s used to coming

into contact with people, I wonder just how much she’s been
hurt and hurt until now.

“Besides you know, if you start thinking of concerning things

and even start putting it into words, and if I can’t put up
with that then—”

“Then?”

“At that time I’d say ’I see, so you’re that kind of person,’
and break up with you, so don’t worry.”

“Eeh…?”

As I was bewildered by her words that sounded like payback

from some time ago, “It’s so simple,” Tendou said casually.
“It’s certainly me paying for my own mistakes, like you
know? And I’m also reflecting. Even so I don’t see any
reason why I have to become a constant punching bag from
now on. That’s why if you become someone who would
continue blaming me like that, I’ll break up with you.”

That’s, well, only natural.

I have no objections; I love Tendou, so I might mind her past

and say cruel things, but I’m not gonna say nonsense things
like, ‘it can’t be helped, so just put up with it.’

In the first place it just doesn’t have to turn out that way,
then it’ll be fine.
“Isn’t it kinda light in many ways…?”

“I mean, it’s something that hasn’t happened, right? It’s

weird to get serious instead, you know?”

“Maybe so, but still.”

“Not ‘maybe,’ it is so. Hey, Iori-kun, if you’re still feeling you

want me even if only a little, can you give your best? If you
want us to continue to stay together, I will also make an
effort to accept you no matter what, just as you would have
done for me.”

“…Effort, huh.”

Giving my best to accept Tendou with all her past, and

Tendou will also make an effort to accept me.

When she puts it that way, it seems simple enough.

If you might get hurt and hurt, in a sense, it is wise and

honorable to keep your distance.

And if both sides can agree on that, then so be it.

But if you think that you can’t accept that past, and that
pains you, yet still want that person, yet you still want to be
together, then the only way is probably to put in the effort.

Flop, I turned over and lay on my back. The ceiling couldn’t

be seen due to Tendou immediately hanging over me.

Occupying my field of vision, she is much more radiant than

the fluorescent lamp’s light behind her.

“And also, Iori-kun, Shino Iori-kun? You know, I have a good

face. On top of that, I have a great figure, and my family is
also rich.”
“I know.”

I wonder what appeal she’s trying to make at this stage.

“Also you see, I love you very, very much.”

“…You do?”

“I do, so much that I broke my phone out of sheer shock at

my invitation getting rejected after all.”

“I had no idea, like at all.”

“Right? So you know, don’t you think it’s too much of a pity
to miss out on a girl this cute?”

“Tsukasa-san, I don’t think it’s that good to immediately use

yourself as bait like that, you know?”

“Oh my, why is that?”

“‘Cause it makes me want to get caught without thinking.”

“That’s just what I’m trying to do.” Haah, I sighed at that

happy voice of hers. “Hey, don’t sigh.”

She pinched my cheek, and I finally resolved myself.

Tendou Tsukasa is so much of a beauty she’s wasted on me,

has cute smile, is actually also smart, a rich person, has an
immensely great figure, is stylish, extremely pushy, has a
vulgar number of people she has experience with,
possesses a sense of values slightly incompatible with mine,
but however—even so she certainly seems to love me so
much after all.

“Tendou Tsukasa-san.”
“Yeah.”

“Me, too. I love you, too.”

“—Thank you, I’m very happy.”

I can feel that my heart, which has been repeatedly stabbed

by my self-awareness’s blade that’s telling me ‘what’re you
trying to pretend to be right off the bat there, you virgin?’
got recovered in the blink of an eye with a quick word from
Tendou.

“You finally told me.”

—Yeah, I guess I wasn’t as complicated of a person as I
thought I was.
“Me, too. I love you so so so much.”

So to be accepted by someone you love is such a happy and

heartening thing, huh.

“What’s with all that expression?”

“I can give you two more ‘so’ if you like, you know?”

“Nah, I got the message loud and clear.”

Neither the regrets of the past nor the worries of the future
could be felt only in this present moment.

“—Tsukasa-san.”

“Yea~ah?”

“For now, I wonder if you would go out with me again,

starting from lovers.”

“—Of course, I’d be happy to.”

That smiling face of hers that’s like smiling through tears

was the most charming one I have ever seen until now.

And Tendou went to hug me and place her lips on mine.

“Don’t refuse this time, okay?”

Without a time to reply, she put her tongue in without

reservation, and what followed was also amazing.

Today, I got my very first ever girlfriend.

A summer day, it was indeed a hot day.

 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 12 – One That
Burns Beautifully

Through the gaps in the curtains, many streaks of light were

shining through.

I wonder if the flickering of those was due to the laundry

hanging to dry on the balcony swaying in the wind.

It’s something that suddenly occurred to me in the closed

room with its light off, in the midst of heat that I can feel
even with the air conditioning on.

The ones emitting heat are myself, and Tendou Tsukasa

pressing her naked chest against me in my arms.

“Nn… n, nnn… hahh, ah… fhuu, fhuh, nn…”

Mounting on top of me as I’m sitting cross legged, she was

obscenely dancing in the so-called sitting face-to-face
position.

Bouncing herself up to rub up and down, turning her hips in

circular motion two or three times once it’s gone in deep,
and then shaking her hips back and forth to rub the pubis,
and lifting herself up again.

She’s not raising her voices as loudly as in porn, but the

breath escaping her from time to time is making this so real,
and its heat and ticklishness are intensifying the feeling of
sex.

“Nn… Hey, Iori-kun… am I, making you feel good?”

“—Yeah, well, I think, it’s gonna come out already.”

As for the perfect and amazing technique, I’m honestly

feeling too much of the accumulation and experience
behind that, and I hope she put in a bit more consideration.

“Nn, I’m glad… let it out, whenever you want, okay?”

Even so, the reason my body and mind can remain unwilted
was because of her sincerely happy smile, entranced voice,
and simple embrace—different from the ever-changing use
of her hips—which is precisely why I can feel her feelings.

“Iori-kun, nnh, Iori-kun…”

While calling my name like having a feverish dream, Tendou

rubbed her upper body as if clinging to me with all her
might with her arms wrapped around my back.

Despite the clumsy, almost childlike expression of love, her

lower body went to move skillfully, finely stimulating my
penis like a different creature, even in the highly snug,
constrained position.
“Tsukasa-san, that’s, too…!”

“Nn… It’s okay, don’t hold back… ‘kay?”

I moaned at the brain-destroying pleasure, not knowing if

I’m happy or not.

It’s been two days since I finally got my very first girlfriend,
Tendou Tsukasa, who became my girlfriend after going
through a kinda unusual, backwards way of things, from a
fiancée to a girlfriend.

She’d showed up with a carry bag for our reconciliation and

declared a week of stay over after the matter was settled,
and we have been having sex everyday as she had planned.

The sexual intercourse—in which there’s no need for Tendou

to play innocent at this stage, and in which I’m receiving her
lead as for me I should be able to make her feel good faster
if I have her teach me the basic—has been a continuous
series of new discoveries.

For example, the fact that Tendou is apparently a D cup

that’s closer to an E cup.

That she has a mole right next to her left nipple and is a
little bit bothered by it.

That that part of hers is of a pretty color like she once had
self-stated.

That it is uncensored really is too intense for a virgin.

That after much muddying, I received an evaluation that she

thinks my size is above average.
That I got scolded by her in a kinda for-real-tone as she
indeed got embarrassed from being asked this and that.

That Tendou is certainly good in bed and brimming with

servicing-spirit, and it feels so good that on the contrary it
makes me can’t think of any unnecessary things, which
helped me.

—That the more we do it, the more strongly my desire for

her grows.

“Sorry, Tsukasa-san. I want to, be the one moving, when I let

it out…”

“Nh, nnh… Is that so…? Then, put me down slowly… Ah.”

When I kissed Tendou, who stopped her movement as she
looked reluctant, her face instantly softened.

And while taking care not to let her hair get rolled up, I
slowly moved her upper body down to the bed while we’re
still connected, turning into a normal position.

Tendou, facing upward, shook her twin hills that’s faintly

shining in the dim light, wriggling her fair, naked body to
adjust the position so that I could move more easily.

“So, Tsukasa-san, how should I move?”

“Nn, you can just do it as you like, though…”

“Nah, I also want to make you feel good while at it.”

And mine seems it could go bursting at any time, too.

“—Geez.”

Making a troubled face mixed with bashfulness that I

haven’t seen much, Tendou suddenly raised up her knees
and lifted her hips slightly, and then took both my hands to
guide them to her own lower abdomen.

That’s absurdly hot.

“—Over here, towards the belly; can you rub it like you’re
lifting it? And then I want you to move in small motions, not
big ones.”

“Nn, all right.”

The skin I touched was sweaty and hot.

There’s the feel of thin fat, and the surprisingly well-

developed abdominal muscles; further beneath it, there’s
my penis welcomed by her inside.

I know it, but it was a mysterious sensation.

“But Iori-kun, yours is exactly the shape I feel good with, so

don’t get too intense, okay? Or I’ll start making voi, hyah!”
And the words said to me with a blushing face instantly
made my head also hot, and I got more erect inside Tendou,
which surprised her who was arching up. “—Why?”

“No, it’s gonna be like that just now.”

Even if she’s looking at me with quizzical eyes, it surprised

me instead that it wasn’t on purpose.

Squeeze, getting squeezed by the inside of Tendou, the lust

that had temporarily abated flared up.

As I was about to move my hips, she went to hold out both

her hands towards me.

“I don’t wanna like this. While kissing… ‘kay?”

“Ah, yeah.”

When I brought down my raised upper body, her slender

fingers stroked my neck, and then her arms entwined
around me. My lips lay on top of hers as I was being pulled
in.

Inserting my arms underneath her armpits so as not to

squash her under my full weight, I slowly draped myself
over Tendou.

“Nnh… nfhuu… chu… fhu, ah…”

While struggling not to not to bump her teeth, I matched the

movement of her tongue.

The soft, ticklish sensation was running rampant in my

mouth, and the saliva I slurped felt sweet.

“Hey, you can move…” Her whispering voices made my

head boil. I began to move my hips with fluffy feelings.

My movement constrained by entangling arms and legs

turned into short strokes as requested despite me still
lacking in experience. Or perhaps, knowing this, she asked
for a kiss.

“Nnh, nn, nn, nhh, ahh…!”

My just slightly pained chest was immediately overwritten

by her coquetry.

“! Tsukasa-san…!”

What I sensed in my still not many experiences in sex was

that, the major difference between masturbation and sexual
intercourse was apparently not the genital stimulation.
Not to say that the inside of Tendou’s vagina isn’t better
than the hand or something—if anything I feel I’m gonna let
it out soon, though—and first of all there shouldn’t be any
man who can’t get pleasure from masturbation.

That’s why, I think that what makes sex feels better than
masturbation must difinitely be the difference in the
stimulation towards the brain.

Seeing and hearing wise, you can see women naked and
also hear naughty voices even in videos.

“Nn, ah, hey, Iori-kun… ah, Iori-kun, are you, feeling good,
too…?”

However, there’s no heat there. Neither smell nor weight

can be felt.

“—Yeah, it feels, really good.”

The moist eyes of Tendou Tsukasa calling me with flushed

cheeks, that heat she emits, her sweet nasal voice, the
indescribable obscene smell of sweat and other bodily fluids
mixed together

“Nn, yeah, I’m, glaad, ah—ah, ah…!”

The warmth transmitted through skin overlaid with skin,

that softness, the weight of the girl you love that you can
certainly feel.

What drives me crazy more than anything else is not just

the feeling inside of her vagina. It was the ‘actual feeling’ of
embracing Tendou Tsukasa that I can feel with all of my five
senses right now.

“Tsukasa-san, Tsukasa-san…!”
“—Hya, geez… Nnh!”

Lick, I licked her cheek.

Maybe it’s foundation, but I picked up a bit of a powdery

texture, bitterness, and saltiness of sweat on my tongue.

Even such a thing is exciting me to the point I don’t

understand anymore.

“Ugh…!

“Ahn.”

Throb, a shiver ran through my crotch.

An uncontrollable feeling of pleasure slowly spreads before

reaching ejaculation.

The desire to keep going on and on, and the desire to

unleash this quickly are fighting each other.

“Nn, it’s okay, Iori-kun. Let it out, inside me—”

She must have sensed such a sign before ejaculation.

Tendou whispered sweetly in my ear as she clung to me

even harder.

“—! Tsukasa-san, I love you, I, love you….uuwh!”

“! yeah, yeah… Me too, I love you, tooo!”

In the fervor of pleasure, we childishly whispered our love to
each other.
I thrusted my penis into her innermost depths so deep to
the point I wished our hip bones would just fuse and never
get separated, and reached ejaculation.

Squeeze, hugged tight by Tendou, I stopped my movement.

“Ah, ah, nnh…! Iori-kun’s is, coming out—”

Throb – throb, Tendou’s hips quivered in concert with the

pulse worthlessly expanding the condom inside her.

I don’t know what the pleasure is like for girls, but she
conveyed her own pleasure through that response and voice
of hers. That was a sensation no inferior to the pleasure of
ejaculation.

“Fhuu…”

“Ah… Iori-kun. Stay like this, a bit longer, ‘kay?”

Sensing that I was about to raise my body, Tendou’s arms

stopped me.

“Nn, all right… Hey, Tsukasa-san?”

When I put more strength into my arms to at least avoid

putting my weight on her, I got pulled from below with even
more force.

“Never mind that; just, don’t move away yet…” Tendou said,
laid her lips on mine and blocked any objection by crawling
her tongue in. When I, accepting it, relaxed and rested
myself on her soft body, she let out a small, happy voice.

After cleaning up the used condom and the hip area wet
with Tendou’s love juice, I poured water from the plastic
bottle I’d prepared down to my throat, and a pleasant
sensation beyond my expectation went to permeate my
body.

“—Tsukasa-san, water?”

With her back to me, also having been cleaning up the

mess, she looked back over her shoulder.

The dainty line created by her fair back down to her lower
back, and the beautiful curves of her languidly thrown out
legs and butt reminded me of Dominique Ingres’ famous
nude painting.

“Nn—can you make me drink?” When I brought the bottle to

her mouth while thinking she’s going at it again saying
pampered young lady-like things, her well-groomed,
beautiful brows furrowed discontentedly. “Not like that,”
Tendou said and softly poked her own lips with her finger.

The alluring gesture made my penis, which is still feverish

from having already been overworked plenty, rise up again.

Why is it that every single thing she does makes for a

perfect picture?

“—For real?”

“For – real. Hey, quickly.”

Losing to the happy smiling face strangely giggling for some

reason, I sipped from the bottle.

Then I placed my lips on Tendou’s lips who’s making a

waiting-for-a-kiss face while closing her eyes, and slowly
poured the water in.
“Nn fuah…”

The sight of her fair throat moving to swallow must’ve been

very sensual; when I finished making her drink while
regretting a little that I couldn’t see that, Tendou slowly
opened her eyes.

My gaze was caught in a point-blank range with her slanted

eyes harboring mischievous light.

“Thanks.”

After turning into a smile, she lightly pecked my lips

together with a kissing sound

Frankly, it’s a pampering act to the max where it might kill

me if I was in my natural mood.

“Say, doesn’t this just make it lukewarm?”

“Come on, I just wanted to try it once.”

Is that the delusions of guys in puberty, I see?

Tendou, who hadn’t been able to possibly get serious with

someone despite having a dreadnought-class sexual
experience, seems to just have a strong yearning for idiotic
couple-like, or rather, kinda childish-like flirting.

As for me, I’m totally willing to go along with that, but I have
to admit it’s making me feel embarrassed.

“Iori-kun.” Pomf pomf—if it’s just getting invited to get next

to her as she lay there still naked, I guess it’s still tolerable,
though

When I lay on the bed wearing only my underwear, Tendou

took my right arm and used it as her own pillow.
Turning our bodies sideways, we took a face-to-face
position. Squeeze, Tendou’s naked body with her breasts
squashed making a cleavage was a huge temptation to the
eyes even with the post-nut clarity.

“—Hey, how was it?” And she threw a super blazing fastball
into the start of the pillow talk.

“It felt really good, but…”

Isn’t that originally from an experience difference

standpoint, something I would persistently ask, and
disillusion her?

Having said that, I wouldn’t know the extent of the truth

even if I did, and rather than making me start doubting
everything with that, it would be much better to simply
believe in her reaction during the act.

As I was thinking, ‘even though with that in mind I’m trying

not to ask, why,’ Tendou brought her face to my chest, and
put a hickey around my collarbone.

“Tsukasa-san, what are you doing all of sudden…”

“It’s your punishment for thinking about something else

while we’re talking.”

“Immediate execution without even a deliberation, like, the

judiciary is just not doing its job there.”

I wonder if the Tendou house is a family lineage reigning

with terror for generations.

Well, I guess it’s still reasonable since it’s a place where I

can just hide it if I put on a shirt…
“More importantly, looks like you’re getting used to it, but
how’s your impression about not being a virgin anymore?”

“Nnn~…” I wonder if this is something a girl would ask, too.

The fact that I was a virgin used to be quite a mental

burden, but only several times of sex didn’t change me
drastically.

Neither did the mystery of the universe called ‘girls’ get

solved, nor did I get an unfounded self-confidence that’s
like, ‘I’m not virgin anymore, man!’

I’m still bothered by Tendou’s past even, and I also can’t get
rid of self-deprecating thoughts no matter what.

“Not much, I don’t think there’s anything changed,

though…”

I wonder if something that I can say has certainly changed is

the fear of the unknownsex.

Well, the first time, it was a spectacular accidental discharge

and failure to insert like it was planned, and afterwards,
when I couldn’t really get the main body in, Tendou, as if to
say ‘what’s with this?’ gave me a full erection with that
amazing technique of hers, and if you lost your virginity in a
cowgirl position in a reverse rape-like fashion, I feel like it’s
only natural for you to have nothing to be afraid anymore,
though.

Well after that, I no longer do anything like putting myself

on guard at Tendou’s invitation, and I’m honestly happy
when I get a sign from her wanting to do it.

“Hm~mm… Did your first partner become special and

stuff?”
No, that’s already from the beginning.

Tendou smiling and grinning is odiously cute (neologism),

and I find it a bit annoying to tell her honestly.

It’s annoying, though.

“It sure did.”

“Fufu… Nn—”

However, I wonder if the fact that I find it more important to

convey my thoughts and feelings to her than my
stubbornness is another change due to the fact that I’m not
a virgin anymore.

Also, she probably went to kiss me because she’s happy,

but this is not the time to insert any tongue in, is it not?

“I feel like now I don’t understand you even more, though,

Tsukasa-san…”

“Is that so? That’s good.”

“Just why?”

“What do you think of feeling like you understand someone

just because you’ve had sex with them a little?”

As I was thinking ‘I see, that’s understandable,’ Tendou

moved her hand downwards.

I braced myself for a moment thinking that she would touch

my crotch, but what she targeted was my left hand.

While squeezing and putting strength into the fingers

intertwined in lovers hand hold, she brought those hands to
the front of her chest.
“—How about you, Tsukasa-san? How’s having sex with
me?”

“Happy.”

“Eh?”

As I was puzzled by the short, simple answer, and the voice

giving off a disproportionate amount of feeling, Tendou
guided my hand she’s holding to her own cleavage.

“To you I might seem acting like it’s all nothing special, but
my heart is always beating so fast. Moreover, it feels really
good, and I’m just so happy you’re always giving your best
to make it good for me, it makes me think I want to do
everything I can to make you happy.”

The palm of my hand pressed against the center of her

chest is certainly feeling the strong beating of her heart.

And also the literally happy face; that also conveyed to me

that it was Tendou’s true feelings.

“So you know, I’m happy having sex with you, and I love it.”

“Yeah, glad to hear that… I’m honored.”

“Geez~, what’s with that.” Just when I casually tried asking,

I ended up getting a counterattack heavier than expected.
“Also you see, with you, I can also focus on the sex because
I don’t have to worry about the rubber getting removed
midway.”

And I also got dashed by strong cold water.

I think you didn’t have to say that in the timing just now,
though!
“Ah, in two meanings, okay?”

She did make a follow up, but Tendou doesn’t understand a

virgin’s heart at all. No, I also can’t understand a maiden’s
heart, and I’m not a virgin anymore to begin with, though.

“What do you mean?”

“It means that you won’t do such a thing, and that if you
want to, I don’t mind you doing it raw.”

“—I see.”

Also, I wonder what I should say.

I suppose it’s a compliment that I’m sincere, but it also

sounds like it means I can’t do that; I don’t know if I should
be happy she’s accepting me, or if I should warn her to stop
me even when I start bringing up messing around like an
idiot since we’re still students.

“Ahn!” When I fondled her boobs for now to gloss it over,

Tendou jokingly squirmed her body.

While escaping from reality, thinking like ‘I have grown up

as well’ at the act that I probably absolutely could never
have done before, I went over her words again, sorting them
out in my mind.

—Happy, huh.

Even now, the irritation and anxiety from before we started

dating hasn’t disappeared, and I can’t say with pride that all
of Tendou is mine, but even so, I was certainly feeling the
happiness in this new relationship as well.
So, if we both can feel the same way, then my troubles
surely must be truly trivial, and surely we are unmistakably
happy right now.

“Iori-kun…” As I was absentmindedly basking in such deep

emotions, Tendou raised a frail voice.

“Nn, what?”

“If you’re touching that much, it’s gonna make me wanna

do it…”

Only after what she said did I realize that I have been
fondling Tendou’s breast while lost in thought this whole
time, and that before I knew it, there’s a crisp, stiff, and
pointed sensation on my palm.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to—” When I tried to deny it,

Tendou’s eyes glinted.

There’s only one thing in what that, which speaks louder

than words, is insisting: take responsibility.

“Err—umm, wanna do it again?”

“Yes, of course.”

The smile on her face reminded me of a carnivorous animal

facing its prey.

The third sex that day was, in any case, also amazing.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 13 – Summer
Day, Reverberation

—Aah, today sure is another summer sky.

I absentmindedly gazed out the window at the contrast

between the white of cumulonimbus and the blue sky.

The sound of cicadas that’s noisy even when separated by

the windowpane, and the dazzling sunlight that seems to
make me sweat just by looking at it caused my thoughts to
drift off into the empty sky.

The heaviest object in the world is the body of the woman

you have ceased to love; I think it was a Frenchman who
said that.

Then I wonder if this weight I’m currently feeling in my arms

is representing that of happiness.
“Iori-kun.” My wandering thought was interrupted by the
voice of Tendou Tsukasa calling out to me.

Having lost any reservations on the fifth day of her stay, and
currently enjoying her summer, small-cohabitation life to the
fullest, she was assuming a total feel-at-home appearance,
wearing tight hot pants and freely exposing her fair
beautiful legs.

Right now as I’m sitting on a legless chair, she’s leaning her

back against me, and filing her hand fingernails that are like
prettily lined up seashells.

“Yeah?”

“You see, I’m thinking of going home tomorrow.”

Relief and regret fought each other in such an exquisite

proportion that even I couldn’t tell them apart.

“I see, all right.”

“Yeah.”

Given that Tendou’s mood didn’t get spoiled even after I

gave her my okay, at least on the surface I didn’t seem to
look happy.

“Come to think of it, was it okay for you to stay for

consecutive nights like this in the first place?”

Even though we were engaged just a little while ago, and

currently in a relationship of lovers, the Tendou house is an
old-fashioned, rich house. However much of her
dreadnought-class sexual experience where I’m the 99th
person became known to her family, I wonder if she would
be allowed to stay over in a man’s room in a premarital
status.

“Grandmother gave me tacit consent, and my mother and

older sisters also told me ‘go take him down!’”

“Eeh…”

What’s with the Tendou house? Is it a family lineage of

predators?

Does, like, being rich also with a good face equal apex
predators?

Looking back, I feel like the women of the Tendou house

shared a lot in common in terms of their facial looks; not
just the grandmother-granddaughter, but even the mother-
daughter, and then sisters.

I knew it, they’re carnivores (despair).

“—Wait, how about your father?”

In the Tendou house, which seems to have taken in a

husband for two generations in a row, the speaking power
seems to come from Tendou’s grandmother first, Chitose-
san; then eldest daughter, Tendou’s mother; and then next
is her father who’s married into the family.

That being said, aren’t male parents generally just verbal

about their daughter’s relationship with the opposite sex?

“No matter what’s going on in his mind, my father can’t go

against Grandmother and my mother after all.”

“Tragic.”
“Oh my, you sure you can say that?” Tendou looked back at
me with a mischievous smile in response to my
unintentional voicing of sympathy. “I heard about it the first
time the other day, but my mother was dumped by your
father, right?”

“I don’t know about that way of putting it, but… well, I heard
it’s something like that.”

But, how would that actually connect with me?

“To summarize, okay? To my father, you’re the son of his

wife’s first love, the former fiancé and current lover of his
cute youngest daughter, to make matters worse, you’re
someone who introduced a man to his mother-in-law he’s no
match for; so someone who could pose a great threat to
many things—”

“Eep!”

Even one of them each seems like it could cause some

thought to bud, but if three of them are combined, isn’t it
triple yakuman already? An arch enemy?

Even if I don’t have that intention, it seems like it could be a

further beating down depending on Chitose-san and her
mother’s attitude, and furthermore, that does look like a
very likely scenario.

“I’ll tell you this because it’s only fair to tell you—Iori-kun,
my father is seeing you as an enemy, you know?”

At the words of her that said that her father was especially
soft on her, I hoped that Tendou’s father’s status in the
family would always remain low.

§
“—So, you know, here’s the main issue. I think I would love
to eat the meal you made tonight.”

“Eeeh, a pain.”

“Don’t say that. You know, I’ve come all the way here for a
stayover but I still haven’t eaten your home-cooked meal,
right?”

Certainly, we have made do with ready-made foods like

supermarket prepared-food, convenience store boxed-meal,
pizza delivery, and ready-made pasta sauce and cooked rice
or boiled pasta at best, but isn’t that because of the
schedule Tendou has set up in the first place that’s like
having a minimum civilized life as a person in between sex?

“Isn’t that the part where you would be the one to make it,
Tsukasa-san?”

All guys in the world probably have at least a universal

longing for their lover’s home-cooked meals, but I’m also
not an exception to this.

“Nope, I’m still practicing.” But Tendou’s reply was curt.

She’s someone who grew up as a wealthy young lady, but

looking at these five days or so, she has normal life skills,
and there was no episode about her making unpalatable
food coming out even in past talks

In the first place, custom-wise, she’s supposed to be raised

to be a good wife and wise mother instead if it’s an old-
fashioned family.

“Well, but it’s not like I’m a good cook myself either,
though.”
“But guys get extra points just for being able to cook, right?
And generally girls just get points deducted if it’s not
delicious to eat.”

“That sure sounds like a statement some group is gonna

protest…”

“Ah, probably a common view, though.”

Well, it’s probably not that Tendou herself thinks that way,
but that’s the way it’s viewed, and although I don’t think it’s
complete delusion, it also seems a bit absurd that because
of that the ball is thrown at me and lover’s home cooking is
becoming distant from me.

“I don’t really mind that kinda thing, though.”

“What I want is future satisfaction, rather than immediate

likability.”

“Can’t you also just show the process of you getting better
and better?”

“There’s a point there, but it’s not my branding strategy.”

Branding, here came out another word that sounded

extremely conscious about appearing interesting.

So Tendou is thinking the value of her own face and stuff is

just that tremendous in many things, I see? Speaking of me
alone, that’s exactly right.

“And also, I want you think that sex is not the only thing I’m
good at. Let me try to look good at least.”

“Urgh.”
And then came out another exquisite making-happy-and-
stinging remark.

If this is what she’s been aiming for, Tendou might actually

be a splendid, extreme sadist.

If I had to say, it’s possible that she’s simply an insensitive

heroine, though.

“ Wouldn’t that kinda thing be ruined if you told me?”

“I believe you will still think of me as an admirable and cute

lover after all.”

What a lie, it’s just an inducement telling me to absolutely

think that way.

Is there even a way to apply a pressure like this?

“Hey, don’t you think so? Iori-kun.”

I understand that, but in front of her smiling face that’s

extremely above standard, as someone with a crappy
scraping bottom of the barrel level in regards to love, all I
could do was to announce my complete surrender.

“Yes, I’m happy to have an admirable and cute girlfriend,

citizen.”

“Very well… Citizen?”

Actually, I don’t know what to do about myself, who is

already, like, kinda recently starting to enjoy being rolled
around in Tendou’s palm a little.

“—For your information, I really can’t make anything

elaborate, okay?”
“No problem, I’m not picky so whatever is fine.”

“Then is curry fine?” Immediately after, any expression

disappeared from Tendou’s face.

The blank expression of her, a beauty, looked somewhat

man-made, and it was truly a summery horror.

“If you’re telling me you like your girlfriend to smell like

spices on her last night of sleepover, that’s also fine with
me, though?”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Her voice was also crazy chilly.

Tendou, who seems to actually feel at home, in these five

days always smelled good with the exception of right just
after sex, and she would remove her makeup just before
going to bed and wake up earlier than I do; anyway she was
also trying not to show her no-makeup face.

From her point of view, who’s making that kind of effort, I

guess it just means that even though she cannot not eat
curry with me for a lifetime, it probably won’t be today.

Also, the way she said ‘sleepover’ is cute and unfair.

“Err, then the fridge is probably also empty, that means I’ll
think of the menu while shopping, so…”

“……”

“I-I’m thinking something like going shopping to buy meal

ingredients together is giving off a cohabitation feel, it’s
nice. What do you say?”

“Very well.”
The presentation result: I managed to get pardoned safely.

With white clouds staying in the distant west sky, the

afternoon sunlight pouring down from the clear sky was
exceedingly dazzling, and suited the expression ‘intense.’

Looking ahead as I crossed a two-lane one-way main street,

I could see road mirage under a car going away down the
long straight road.

“It’s so hot…”

“True, maybe it would’ve been better to wait until it gets

slightly cooler,” Tendou said, but at the same time, she
looked to have more composure than me.

Even in a casual outfit of wearing just a t-shirt and hot pants

with a white, long-sleeved summer hoodie (mine) and a cap
(also mine) on top, she’s giving off a feeling of coming to a
resort rather than casually going shopping in the
neighborhood, that’s why a beauty is just unfair.

“You’re looking like a dog that got fed up midway when

going for a walk, you know? Iori-kun.”

“I don’t know about that, but I just know I just got told a
terrible thing…”

It’s not an expression you would use for your boyfriend, is it

not?

While wondering just what kind of face I’m making right

now, we somehow finally reached the supermarket.
In front of the entrance, shaded by the protruding rooftop,
people on their way home from shopping were making
dispirited faces as if they were hesitant to step out into the
sun.

“There, there.”

“Thanks…”

Tendou went to fan me with the hat she’d taken off as a fan.

It would’ve been literally sprinkling water on a hot stone if it

was outside, but once we’re inside the store, the air was
cool and the effect immediately doubled.

“Iori-kun, wanna use a cart?”

“Nah, no need. It’s not gonna be that much if it’s for two…
By the way, what will you buy?”

“Right, I guess some daily necessities I wanna keep in your

room?”

Ah, so she’s also gonna keep coming to stay.

“…Just that much I guess we don’t really need it.”

“Okay, here.”

That I was a little late in my reply because I was both happy

and embarrassed was completely visible to Tendou, and she
smiled at me like truly having fun, but I’m also starting to
understand that it would only amuse her if I get worked up
here.

“…I think side-by-side is gonna be a nuisance, though.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

After saying my minimum resistance to her, who tried to
have us hold the basket together where I thought she was
going to hand it to me, she spun around to my left and
linked arms with me, as if she had expected it.

I know this, this is the type of couple where the

surroundings would look at them coldly.

“So, are you gonna decide what to make?”

“Aah, yeah, I’m clear with that.”

As I renewed my decision to at least finish the shopping

swiftly, a pile of bitter green ones piled up in the vegetable
corner leapt into my eyes.

Alright, I’ve decided on the main dish for you.

The problem with cooking for yourself when living alone is

simply the amount of it; vegetables in particular, unless you
plan your menu well, either you will have too much left and
it goes to waste, or you will end up eating only that for a
while.

That’s just annoying that I just tend to buy side dishes or

convenience store boxed meals for one person, but if it’s for
two people, I don’t have to worry about it that much.

“Bitter melon so it means chanpuru?”

“Yeah, it’s self-taught but it’s also summer-ish; it’s not

something you want to eat a lot by yourself as well, so I
thought it’s just right.”

“Ooh.”
It’s easy too, in general you just chop, season, and stir-fry
them. I’ll keep quiet about this part.

“Ah, Tsukasa-san, are you okay with bitter melon?”

“Yeah, I’m fine with bitter stuff.”

As I was thinking ‘…It’s like, a virgin spirit is just deeply

ingrained in me for picking this up, but like, there’s also the
way she said it,’ Tendou muttered a small “ah.”

“—Umm, Iori-kun, I don’t mean in a weird way, okay? Like

coffee and also chocolate, I prefer them on the bitter side.”

“Yeah sorry it’s okay Tsukasa-san you’re not at fault at all

this is already just me being a genuine disgusting virgin…”

“I-I see? But you’re not a virgin anymore, you know?”

It wasn’t the degree of feeling awkward when someone is

concerned about you; I wonder why I am like this…

To distract my mind, I went to mindlessly pick up firm tofu,

eggs, and other ingredients.

As expected, Tendou also seems to be at a loss for words,

maybe troubled to deal with this, but right now no matter
what she says it would only widen the wound so I’m grateful
for that.

Next is pork, bonito flakes, I think that’s about it.

“Iori-kun, have you been properly looking and choosing

that?”

“Eh? Yeah.” Then when I checked again to be sure, I found

that both the eggs and tofu got plenty of time left on the
expiration dates. “It’s all right, rather first of all, there aren’t
any eggs left near the expiration date, and with tofu, I think
they put a sticker that says ‘clearance goods’ on it and put
it on a different shelf, though… Could it be that it was
something expensive?”

Although occasionally there are some with ridiculous prices

because of added value I don’t really understand, I wonder if
I’ve been choosing those without knowing.

“No. it’s not like that, but because I just had the image of
people living alone being frugal, like checking the prices
more and stuff.”

“Ah… I see.”

I didn’t expect to get pointed out by Tendou who was born

into a wealthy family, but it certainly seems more typical
that way. It’s just that in my case, I basically spend almost
all of it on food expenses, though…

“I’m getting by okay each month, so it’s all right.”

“I don’t mind doing household bookkeeping for you, you

know?”

“Nah, I’ll accept just the feelings.”

With the current condition where the balance of power is

clearly crumbling, I want to avoid having my wallet taken
control. Not being able to leave Tendou is still all right, but
further decline in our relative position is not good.

I mean when I think about it, it sure is possible I was also in

danger from having my stomach captured with food…

Maybe I was bad for thinking that, but I ended up

misreading the flow of people and meeting them head-on in
the aisle.

“Ah, excuse m—”

“Shino, can I have a minute?”

“Heh?” When I looked up at the familiar voice along with a

sense of deja vu, I saw Ogura Kana standing there, whom I
haven’t seen since the summer festival.

She, who looks more suntanned maybe because of the

season, has a very rigid face.

“Iori-kun, what else do you need?”

“—Ah, let’s see, thinly sliced pork belly, the small pack one,
and also bonito flakes.”

“All right, I’ll wait at the entrance if I finish up first, okay?”

Unbothered by me who was scared thinking that a great war

Z of catastrophically super strong-willed women was about
to begin, Tendou took over the shopping basket and left
without exchanging a single word with Ogura.

“I have something to talk about, so come here for a bit.”

Ogura as well, without even a glance at her, said over the

shoulder without any preface and turned around and started
walking.

While thinking, ‘so they’re both ignoring my will awfully

naturally, huh?’ I followed that obediently.

“We sure met at an unusual place, huh.”

“On my way home from the library, I came to buy some

water but then I saw you two,” Ogura said and walked
outside empty-handed. It took me two seconds to miss the
air conditioning.

Perhaps that it’s something she doesn’t want others to hear,

and so she finally turned around once reaching a spot away
from the people staying in the shade waiting for the traffic
light.

“—Say, are you gonna marry Tendou? I heard you’ve got

engaged or something.”

“Nah, the engagement was called off, right now we’re

normally dating.”

Ogura, whose face relaxed a little bit at the ‘called off’ part,
grimaced at the words that followed after. I see, this is not
just because she hates Tendou, but to some extent there’s
also something involving me.

Still, the fact that she left us alone, that means Tendou
probably judged that some talking was OK, though.

“I see… In that case, I want you to take a look at something

for a bit here,” Ogura said and held out her phone. And what
I saw on the screen was a naughty image.

Excuse me??

“—You know, that’s been going around like ‘isn’t that

Tendou?’ like that.”

“Huh??”

While feeling unpleasant sweat breaking out, I took another

good look at the image.
In what appears to have been photographed in a hotel-like
room, a young woman is taking a sensational pose on a bed
with her eyes covered by her palm and her shirt rolled up,
exposing her bare breasts.

Thump, my heart is beating strongly.

The fair skin and loosely curled light brown hair is similar to
Tendou, and the overall slenderness is also similar.

It’s a bit hard to make a judgment with the upper half of the
face hidden, but I can’t say that the smiling mouth and the
nose bridge don’t look similar.

“For your information, I’m not spreading it. Just that I

thought I should let you know either way.”

“Aah, yeah—I see.” While listening to Ogura’s somewhat

distant voice, I stared intently at the screen.

“………So, how is it?”

And, together with a relief, I let out my breath.

“—Nah, it’s just a different person.”

“How can you know?”

“If you look closely, Tsukasa-san’s breasts aren’t this big,

and look, there’s also no mole.”

“Oh yeah? So you saw Tendou naked? Ooh”

“—Ah.”

Did I get too shaken and slip out something bad?

No, but well this much is normal for college students in a
relationship, so it’s all safe!

“Mo-moreover on a second thought, she also said she

confiscated their phone every time she did it so she
wouldn’t get photographed like this. She said wouldn’t let
them take such an eager shot”

“…And you didn’t think of anything when you got to hear

that?”

“I’m a bit down as I say it right now…”

Just what sin have I committed that I’m made to step on a

landmine at a place like this? And as I was feeling down,
Ogura deliberately let out an audible sigh and put away her
phone.

Her raised face is as refreshed as if she’s no longer haunted.

“Then I’ll deny it if someone ever asks me, but probably I’ll
give you cold eyes after vacation, okay?”

“Well, Tsukasa-san’s also paying for her mistakes there, so it

just can’t be helped.”

“You’re the boyfriend, right? Just why’re you going out with
one like that…”

“Well, stuff…”

As I was thinking ‘I guess because I love her,’ Ogura let out

another one damn huge sigh, and one-sidedly declared the
talk was over.

“Ogura, thanks for letting me know.”

When I called out to her as she’s walking back inside, she
turned around and stuck her tongue out with her usual
smile.

“I’m telling you, I hate Tendou sooooo much. I also hate you
already for being eaten by one like that. Don’t talk to me
ever again, you hear?”

“So cruel.”

I also had enough brains not to retort with ‘yet you’re the
one who talked to me today.’

Although her words were harsh, there’s no unpleasantness

in Ogura’s expression; after all, I felt that she must’ve been
able to remove something that had been nagging at her all
this time today.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Chapter 14 – Easy
Cooking

“Okay, then today I’m thinking of making bitter melon

chanpuru among chanpuru.”

—I wonder what in the world I’m doing right now.

In the passage from the front door to the room where

there’s just a cooking stove and a sink lined up along the
wall where it’s a little laughable to call it a kitchen, I dove
into my memory with a cramped smile at Tendou who was
holding up her phone.

When I’d said ‘sure’ when she’d said she wanted to record a
video of me cooking, she’d also unreasonably requested of
me to make it like video commentary while at it, and when
I’d brushed it off like ‘impossible,’ I’d gotten reproached
about how I’d refused it, and I’d found myself having to
excitingly respond to that request.
As for the conclusion, isn’t our power balance finally going
down bad?

It will instantly turn into a widespread theme once you can’t

refuse a cute girlfriend’s request, and actually Tendou’s face
quality goes beyond cute, so I also feel like there’s not much
I can do about it, though.

“Iori-kun?”

And Tendou’s also beautiful even with that puzzled face.

She sure is a woman with an utterly good face. And my

taste isn’t so good if I say so myself.

What’s she really gonna even do with recording my

pointless cooking video?

“Ah yes, let’s see, first is…”

Well it’s not like she’s gonna upload it online, so I just

resolved myself to go with it half-heartedly.

“Cut open the bitter melon, gouge out the inside, and then
scatter it and sprinkle salt.”

“Words.”

Chop chop chop, the knife’s making a satisfying sound on

the chopping board.

Bitter melon is not too hard or too soft; it’s taking me no

effort at all to thinly slice it. I wish those pumpkin and
tomato bunches would follow its example a bit (past two
defeats).

“Next dress the tofu with paper towels and hug them with a
weight, lock it up in the fridge to drain the water for about
an hour, and then tear off the tofu by hand.”

“Like I said your words.”

Even though the water content is reduced, the coldness of

the tofu will reach deep into the fingers holding it. So, just
quickly tear it off and be done with it. This is a process you
definitely don’t wanna do in the winter.

“And then cut up the dead pig’s meat into thin—”

“You’re totally on purpose now. Why’re you saying it in an

unappealing way like that?”

“Welp, it happened…”

It was hard to say that it’s because Tendou’s reaction was a

little amusing.

But man, she sure is skilled at retorting; I wonder if it’s part

of a wealthy young lady’s etiquette.

“Also, the video I originally referred to roughly had this kind

of vibe to it, too.”

“Why did you use such a horrible one as a reference out of

all the cooking videos out there…?”

“It’s fate, I guess…” Also it’s not horrible.

While having exchanges like that, I put the thinly sliced pork
belly seasoned with salt and pepper into the heated up
frying pan, followed by throwing the bitter melon and tofu.

The truth is that it seems the bitter melon and tofu should
be cooked browned in advance, but I’ll have her think that
this is just the kind of cooking a man living alone is doing.
It’s also bothersome anyway.
“After seasoning it with seasonings adequately, it’s finally
time to crack in the eggs.”

So as not to lose out to the growling exhaust fan and the

frying pan, I raised the volume of my voice a little.

Then it’s time for the finishing touches while twirling the
frying pan to give it a good mix.

Even while startled by the repeated indications of it

overflowing, maybe because the bitter melon was kinda big,
I managed to complete it without any droppers.

“Then serve, sprinkle the bonito, and it’s complete…”

Transferring the steaming hot bitter melon chanpuru to a
large platter, I turned to Tendou with a triumphant look on
my face. “Dig in!”

Then, having put down her phone, she gave a picture-

perfect smile as usual.

“Thank you, Iori-kun. It was very empowering. I will also

make a dish for you one of these days.”

“Ah, yeah, I’ll look forward to it.”

—Huh? Was I not subtly dissed here?

And after watching, while breaking into a smile at the

cohabitation feel, at Tendou doing the dishes as a thank you
for the cooking, we decided to watch a foreign drama on a
laptop along with having a rest after a meal.

Tendou said that English audio with subtitles in two

languages can be a way to practice listening, but with a
historical drama, I wonder if the expressions aren’t dated.

In the first place she, who’s leaning her back to me, isn’t
that enthusiastic, and it’s also practically just a substitute
for a BGM for me now.

“—So, what did Ogura-san end up talking about today?”

then Tendou spoke up, seeming to have completely lost
interest ten minutes after the start.

“Eh, now you’re asking me that.”

“It’s because you’re just keeping silent all this time even
though I’ve been waiting for you to talk to me about it, don’t
you think?”

I was completely sure she didn’t want to hear about the

conversation with Ogura.

“Errr, I got shown a naughty image, and she said to be

careful since that’s become a rumor if that’s you or not,
Tsukasa-san.”

“—Haahh, so she’s being a busybody with a friendly face at

someone else’s man again. Even though that’s why she’s
distanced.”

There was more to Tendou’s words than mere antipathy

towards Ogura.

“Wait, again?”

“She’s close with guys, right? So, she seems to be telling

talks between girls like it’s none of her business, so she has
a pretty bad reputation, you know?”
Since Tendou continued with, “might be ironic for me to say
it, though,” I laughed “haha,” and got glared at.
Unfathomable.

“Also she’s not quite aware of it, and too direct in the way
she tells it so it seems she’s getting under guys’ skin, too.
Wasn’t it like that even in high school?”

“Ah…”

Now that she mentioned it, there’s certainly something

popping up in my head.

Ogura being Ogura, she’s making a group, and moreover

she’s sports-minded so it hadn’t felt like she’d been left out,
but it’s not like I hadn’t felt that sometimes the girls had
been sour with her or that she’d been talked about by guys
behind her back.

“She probably also asked you in a way trying to make you

believe it like ‘isn’t that me?’, didn’t she?”

“Certainly, now that you mentioned it it might be.”

It’s absurd to think that Ogura’s motive is righteous

indignation at the wide spreading of misunderstanding
about Tendou, and if I had to say, maybe the aim could be
about wanting to make me open my eyes.

As for this, she must totally hate Tendou, huh. Totally a pain.

And on the contrary, it’s also rare for Tendou to speak ill of
others this much. Their compatibility is really bad, huh.

“Good grief, even though it’s pointless doing something like

this.”
“Well, I can tell it’s not you anyway when I took a closer
look.”

“Iori-kun?”

Eh, what? Why is she making scary face like that?

“You denied it right away, right?”

“Eh, yeah, I said it’s a different person since the breasts

were bigger than yours.”

Tap tap tap tap, her prettily manicured fingernails tapping

the table.

It’s a movement that clearly shows her feelings were hurt.

“Didn’t I tell you before you can rest assured because I

wouldn’t let anyone take a shot of me like that? Did you
forget?

“It’s not that I forget, but you know, it just looked similar at
a glance, so I was like, ‘could it be’.”

“I – O – RI – KU – N?”

Bang bang, the banged low table screaming.

It was Tendou’s bad habit that I got to very rarely see lately.

“No, I mean, look, there’s also a possibility that you got

photographed without being aware of it.”

“What, was the image like something taken secretly?”

“Nah, it was totally in a pose for the camera, though.”

“Then you can tell it’s not me, right!? Or did you think I was
lying!?”

It’s a little awkward to get asked that so directly.

Tendous is basically honest, and I know that she’s been so

sincere with me to the point that I want her to be a bit
considerate instead, especially about her men-related past,
but something like this is just emotional issues…

“No, I think it’s true there, but… is it really something to be

so bothered about when it took a bit of time to confirm it? I
clearly said it’s not you at the end, you know?”

I ended up spitting words that sounded like an incoherent

excuse.

“I hate it when that woman thinks you don’t trust me!”

“That woman…”

“What else? Anything else you’re not telling me?”

“Errr… that after vacation I’m totally gonna get looked at

with cold eyes, something like that.”

“What did you answer?”

“I said that’s you paying for your own mistakes, so it can’t

be helped.”

“Why! Are you! Not! Defending me there!?”

So she said, but that’s simply a sincere fact, though.

“It’s seriously too late now for that kinda thing, too; to begin
with, have you ever been the type to mind that much about
what people think or rumors?”
If so, I think it’s strange that she’s been letting her bad
reputation spread so much like that, though.

“It’s not like that; to think that you also think so, it seems
like you think it serves me or something, and it’s irritating!”

“It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“It does!”

Hmmm, a girl’s situation is totally complicated and

mysterious. There’s so much I don’t understand that it’s not
enough just to stop being a virgin. I also feel like I’ll never
understand Tendou for the rest of my life, though.

“In the first place! I don’t even let you take any naughty
photos, so there’s no way I would let any other guys do it!”

I wonder if I should be happy about that. Also, I think that

the swimsuit and yukata were pretty naughty, though.

Having roared, Tendou began to tap her phone furiously,

disregarding the bewildered me. As I was watchfully waiting
like letting the sleeping dragon lie, immediately, bang, the
table got slammed again.

“And it doesn’t even look similar!”

What was thrusted out at me was the same image Ogura

had shown me.

“Just who sent this to you.”

“My face isn’t round like this, and aren’t the things like the
skin obviously altered to begin with!?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

When compared to the person in question, I feel like they’re
indeed not so similar.

“Also you said it’s bigger than mine, and these breasts are
like, obviously filled with stuff! What even is this hard and
unnatural shape!?”

“I see…”

But maybe it’s just infuriating her as Tendou was getting

more and more heated up.

As I was raising my both hands saying, “calm down, please

calm down,” she separated away from me, and in a truly
manly fashion, tossed off her clothes and got into her
underwear. It was an ardent, lewd red top and bottom.

“Tsukasa-san?”

What is she even doing; and was she wearing something

like this today under that flight clothing?

“So that you won’t mistake me for someone else ever again,
I’m gonna have you burn me into your retina and
hippocampus now.”

“Eeh… No no no, I told you I’m not mistaking you.”

I held down her arms as she was about to strike some kind
of erotic pose.

After grabbing both her wrists, I realized that this is totally

giving an impression of me about to strike her if looked from
an outsider.

“Hey, why are you stopping me?”

“I wonder why.”
After what she said with a sulky look, I felt that there’s also
no particular reason to stop her other than it’s immodest.

No doubt we’re gonna have sex after this anyway…

“—You know, Iori-kun, I hate to be mistaken for another

woman, and I also hate that you leave a gap open to
someone like Ogura-san. You understand?”

After pondering over her unusually dispirited upturned eyes

with high level of moistness and her words, I suddenly came
to a realization.

“Could it be that you’re jealous, Tsukasa-san?”

“I am, is that bad?”

“Nah, rather than bad, I guess I’d say unexpected…”

Somehow I have been under the impression that the one

who was jealous was always me, and that Tendou had
nothing to do with such a thing.

Perhaps that was conveyed to her as the sour atmosphere

softened a little after she let out a sigh.

“—Hey Iori-kun, why do you think this matter came up in the

first place?”

Isn’t it because your history with men is awful??

“Well of course, isn’t it harassment against you?”

“You’re making a face like there’s something else you

wanna say, though…”

Ridiculous, I was so sure I had it safely placed in the second

channel of my mind.
“Do you think an image claiming that it might be my nude
circulating is gonna turn into harassment in the first place?”

“Hahah, certainly.”

“~,~,~,~~~!” And turning-into-young-lady-bangbanging-

the-desk-three-times Tendou, so angry after setting it up
herself.

I totally can’t tell if she has a strong or weak mentality.

“So I’m telling you! In any case this means it’s a rumor
aimed not at me, but you, Iori-kun!”

“Aimed at me? What’s the point in even doing something

like this?”

“No one would find it funny if an image claiming it’s their

lover’s nude is circulating, right?”

That’s certainly true, but still.

That sure is a very roundabout way for harassment.

“Or like wanting to delusion you, and make you break up

with me.”

“That’s exactly what I’m feeling at this point, but well, in

that case the source of this matter is—”

“Gotta be a girl.” “A guy, huh.”

We looked at each other’s faces like, ‘hmm?’

“Isn’t the plan to cut down my mental health in order to

make you single, Tsukasa-san?”
“Supposing that happened, it doesn’t mean they’d be able
to immediately become this and that with me right? And
leaving that aside, isn’t it easy to comfort and topple you
who’s broken up with a cruel woman?”

You little, completely making me sound like I’m an easy

man.

Just because that’s true, there are some things you can say
and some things you can’t, alright?

“But Tsukasa-san, there is one big hole in that reasoning.”

“What is it?”

“I am—unpopular to anyone but you.”

“I wonder if it’s progress of just having made me an

exception there…”

It’s cute that she’s subtly happy, but I think it’s time for
Tendou to get dressed.

It’s a sight for sore eyes so I’ve been staying silent, though;
or so I thought but then obliquely she squeezed her breasts
close together.

That’s naughty, grrr.

“But you know, if you say that, there are three things you’re
overlooking, Iori-kun.”

“There’s three even.” Even though two is plenty already.

“I suppose the one most likely is pure kindness. Can you

declare that there isn’t a single girl who’s thinking ‘let’s
wake up Iori-kun who got ensnared by an evil woman’?”
“I can’t declare there’s none, I guess…?”

It’s probably mixed with personal grudge, but Ogura is

exactly that kind, too.

“The next one is almost the same; I suppose it’s simply a

girl who likes you.”

“I think that possibility is slim, though.”

If there is an active girl like that, sounds like she would’ve

been approaching me until now.

It’s not like I’m wishing for there to be any, so please stop
the reproachful eyes like reading my mind, Tendou.

“—And lastly, a girl who thinks, ‘I want to steal Tendou

Tsukasa’s man’.”

“Eeh…? The heck with that?”

“Exactly as you’ve heard it. Simply for hating me, revenge,

or anything else… Well, no matter what the motive is, I
guess it’s the worst possible match for you.” Continuing,
Tendou said, “it’s not like they’re doing it out of feelings for
you either,” and was making another kind of complicated
face.

“Does someone like that exist?”

“They’re normally around, you know?—let’s see, for

example for guys, a girlfriend who is a ‘beauty’ or has ‘big
breasts’ is something to be proud of, right?”

“Well, I guess something like that is what they’d be envious

of.”
“In girls’ case, besides looks there’s also like ‘smart,’ ‘rich
family,’ ‘talented in arts or sports’ and so on; there’s just
more targets for status of being a lover. And especially when
it comes to college students.”

“Aah…”

Now that she’s told me that, I sure can see how we guys are
just prisoners of our sexual desires.

So this reason is why Tendou never misses to appeal to me

that she is a beauty with a good figure, huh.

For the fact that she’s also occasionally bringing up her

family’s deep pockets, somehow I also feel like she’s already
that kind of character, though.

“That’s why the so-called truly ‘popular’ also becomes a

pride, and because of that, simply being ‘someone else’s
boyfriend’ comes into demand among a certain group. So,
when it becomes the lover of a beautiful and rich girl with a
good figure like me, see?”

“So I’m that kind of trophy, huh.”

Then girls being girls, it was another terrifying story.

Well, Tendou even went out of her way to bring it up in the

end, so probably it’s simply limited to a portion of like, love-
for-brains or carnivorous type, though… right?

“…For the record, I’m not that type of person, okay? Iori-
kun.”

“Well yeah, for you, ‘Tendou Tsukasa’s boyfriend’ is just a

fact of life after all.”
Without thinking I ended up making a wry smile to her
who’s giving a subtle probing-like eyes.

“That’s not what I mean, though.”

“It’s all right, I know exactly what you’re talking about…

probably.”

And at the same time, I became desperate not to think

unnecessary things. Don’t even think about whether having
a big something or good at sex was a criterion for the past
Tendou (desperate).

“I said that before you ‘no strings attached’ was my

maximum priority, right? Everything was just playing.”

Like that, what’s in my heart got easily found out by her.

Haahh, and after having inflicted a mental damage with a

small sigh, Tendou’s right hand traced my shoulder and
neck with a graceful movement, and went tapping my
cheek.

“—I wonder when you will gain confidence, Iori-kun?”

“Heheh, as long as I also have no honor.”

“Words.”

It’s relieving that I’m not being criticized for being pathetic
and stuff, but I’ll still ask to be overlooked in this regard; it’s
what’s called ‘even if a guy’s virginity lasts three days, the
virgin spirit lasts for a hundred.’

“If there’s something similar happening again, trust me next

time, okay?”

“I’ll do my best.”
“Geez,” she muttered as her extremely above standard
beautiful face was coming closer, which I‘ve gotten totally
used to (I’m not saying my heart isn’t beating fast).

Then, the situations where I’m misled by someone’s agenda

would probably become less and less eventually, just as she
hoped for.

“Nnh… nn… fhu, uw…”

Her lush lips moved to pick at mine, and her soft tongue
wildly slid in and out of my mouth repeatedly.

I responded as best as I could to the passionate kiss that

made me picture her mischievous smile.

Schlop schlop, after making numerous watery noises,

Tendou finally pulled her face away.

A silver thread stretched across our lips, and then broke.

“Fufu…”

Having made an expression that’s making me believe that

it’s totally on purpose, Tendou’s cheeks are vermillion, and
eyes are moist.

I’ve got the conviction that I probably will never get tired of
seeing both her waiting-for-kiss face and after-kiss face no
matter how many times I see it from now on.

“We’re done talking now, right? —Now then Iori-kun, make

sure you burn all of me; every last bit of me into your eyes,
okay?”

Tendou Tsukasa smiled with overwhelming bewitchment, her

soft weight came leaning on me.
Of course, there was no room for me to make a choice.

—Tendou was a little meaner than usual that night.

I think I’ll keep quiet about how I felt where she’s maybe
also got something like this going for her.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Epilogue – Summer
Has Passed, One That
Doesn’t Pass

The sound of cicadas in the early evening had passed its

peak before I knew it, and as if to take its place, the cries of
Autumn insects could be heard coming from here and there
among the plants.

The heat still hadn’t gone away, but the season was
certainly about to change.

“Finally those cicadas have quieted down a bit, huh.”

“You’re right,” said Tendou Tsukasa, walking next to me and

squeezing on our intertwined fingers. “From the way you
talk, you don’t like cicadas, Iori-kun?”
“Yeah, ‘cause they’re a bit too much doing whatever they
please.”

“Words.”

“I think it’s a great mistake to think that you’re allowed to

do anything if you’re gonna die soon anyway.”

“Like I said your words. They’re that kind of creature, right?

They’re just doing their best for courting.”

“Like, if a virgin’s continuously screaming ‘someone please

go out with me. I will die immediately if not, okay!?’ isn’t
that too annoying?”

“Why did you go out of your way to personify it? Geez.” Now
with an amazed face, Tendou swung our still connected
hands in a big swing.

Even an ordinary scene, like a walk home from the

supermarket, would instantly become a captivating portrait
the moment Tendou Tsukasa was placed in the center of it.

As I was stealthily burning every single moment of it into my

memory, her smile changed its nature to something a little
mean.

“As for me, it wouldn’t bother me if you put your love into
words for me as passionately as the cicadas do, though.”

“It appears that my eyes just speak louder than my mouth,

so I think that should be plenty.”

Even though we’re in a relationship where we have already

laid bare many things to each other, it doesn’t mean the
bashfulness has completely disappeared.
Can’t say anything about unconsciously putting it into
words, but my blood sugar level hasn’t risen high enough to
be able to spit out sweet words regularly.

Tendou didn’t even seem to be displeased with such useless

struggle—if anything, her expression was increasingly
making more of an impression of a predator, and she
entwined her arm and pressed her soft body closer.

“Hey, a caught fish also needs to be fed, you know? If you

don’t properly take care after it, then—”

“Then?”

“It might jump out of the tank on its own.”

“You called that a fish, but it’s not something cute like a
goldfish, but something like an arowana, don’t you think?”

Or it could be a lungfish. Anyway, unmistakably the type

that would not merely die after jumping out of water the
tank, but one that would go on a rampage and leave a trail
of carnage in its wake.

Seems like it could just bounce itself back into the water if it
prefers. It’s strong.

“But you know, Tsukasa-san, I don’t think I’ve ever

neglected you enough to warrant being told I’m not feeding
you in the first place, though.” Just as I finished saying this,
the streetlight suddenly came on.

Tendou’s excessively good face, which was just entering the

shadows of dusk, got clearly illuminated.

“I guess that’s true.”

Her expression was a smile; one I’ve gotten used to seeing,
and when she’s thinking about something not so good.

Well, no matter what it is, her charm is not one bit cluded,
though.

“You are always following me with your eyes after all, Iori-
kun.”

“—Well yeah.”

She said it proudly, but I had no choice but to nod because

that is in fact true.

From around early summer to the rainy season, and then

summer adorned with ups and downs—every sight of
Tendou in these several months has been vividly etched in
my memory.

The many places I’ve gone out with Tendou, the time we’ve
spent together, and even the several days period when she
wasn’t present where the lights seemed to have gone out
from the world; I think I will never forget it my whole life, the
season I’ve spent with the first girl I’ve ever loved.

Along with all of the expressions she has shown.

“—Iori-kun, were you listening to me?”

“Sorry, I was being absent minded.”

“Geez, that’s a bad habit of yours.”

And that will surely be the same for the seasons to come.

I have such a feeling that is stronger than a hunch,

something close to a conviction.
Tendou stopped her swinging hand, intertwined her arm,
and leaned her supple body against me.

“Tsukasa-san? It’s kinda hard to walk, though.”

“You see, guys would normally be happy with this, you

know?”

“Ah, I feel like I haven’t heard that in a long time…”

Fall will be here soon.

And even in that season, I’m sure that Tendou Tsukasa will
be by my side.
 When I Said, “I Want a
Beautiful and Rich
Girlfriend,” a Girl With
Circumstances Showed
Up: Afterword

Nice to meet you, I am Komiyaji Chiji

Thank you very much for picking up “When I Said, ‘I Want a

Beautiful and Rich Girlfriend,’ a Girl With Circumstances
Showed Up” on this occasion.

This work is serialized in “Midnight Novels,” a website that

publishes adult-oriented genres of “Shosetsuka ni narou”
(please be aware of the age restriction of the site when
browsing).

However, since it seems the overwhelming majority

probably doesn’t know about it, I will briefly explain: One
day, the protagonist suddenly got a sexually experienced
fiancée.

At first, the protagonist distances himself from her due to

differing senses of values.
However, while they are together, he becomes more
attracted to his fiancée.

It will just become a spoiler from here on, so please read the
text.

In other words, it is a romantic comedy that is a reverse of

the role of orthodox shoujo manga, where Shino Iori (virgin),
an unpopular protagonist written in the context of an
innocent and earnest heroine, while sometimes rebellious
and sometimes at a loss, falls in love with Tendou Tsukasa
(non-virgin woman), a heroine in the lineage of an
experienced, wild, and self-centered hero, …That is an
appropriate postscript, so please enjoy this story as a story
of a bitter virgin bumping into a confident non-virgin woman
and being pushed around.

To conclude, I would like to give my thanks.

ReTake-sama, Illustrator.

Thank you very much for your full response to the

unreasonable request of “the best strong-willed beauty I
could think of.”

I think many of those reading this now were attracted to the

woman with the nice face on the cover.

Kawaguchi-sama, the editor in charge.

I am very grateful to have been contacted for this work,

which is not well known to the public, and to have been
entrusted with so much faith as a newcomer author even at
the time of working on it.

And above all else, I would like to thank all the scarce
readers from the web version and new readers from the
book version who have picked up this work.

I hope everyone also enjoyed the story of Iori and Tsukasa.