Chapter 132 – The Usual Faces

Amane looked towards the voice, and found the faces he expected.

One of them was a frivolous handsome chap, and the other was a pretty tomboy. They were the faces he usually spotted at school.

“Why are you here, Itsuki?”

“No, I wasn’t stalking you. It’s really a coincidence. I’m not that curious.”

Itsuki denied it with a serious look. That truly might be the case.

Truth be told, given their personalities, if they were really stalking, they would have helped her the moment Mahiru was wooed. Given the timing, it appeared they found Amane and Mahiru after the latter were reunited.

Chitose’s expression too showed that they did not mean it.

“Well, we heard that you two would go to the pool this week, but we didn’t expect to meet on the same day at such an open place. Sorry to disturb this world of your own~”

“…I say.”

Since it was a coincidence that they met, Amane had no intention to grumble, but when Chitose gave a leery ribbing at the very end, he glared at her.

Despite that, since she was wearing a swimsuit, it would be rude to look at her skin. He merely stared at her face instead.

She was wearing an orange separate swimsuit, and might have noticed Amane’s stare as she giggled. “Yaa, you perv~” she fidgeted about.

She knew that Amane was not looking at her body, but she still fooled around. Amane gave a long sigh and gave Itsuki a look that basically complained “Deal with her already”. He then got a reply that went “she’s really energetic in the summer”. It seemed he had no intention of stopping her.

“Goodness me.” Amane looked dumbfounded, and turned towards Mahiru. She had zipped up the rashguard to cover herself from the flirting men, but it seemed that zipping to the neck left he really hot.

She zipped down to the chest, letting air in, and Chitose blinked away.

“Hm? Mahirun?”

“What is it?”

“…Eh? Are you wearing that swimsuit?”

“That swimsuit?”

“Hm, isn’t there a black string ouuo”

Chitose’s voice tailed off vaguely as Mahiru had covered her mouth.

Mahiru straightened her back, reached her hands towards Chitose, and froze, perhaps having noticed Amane’s stare.

“…Nothing at all.”

She shook her head, her face was flushed.

“So there’s another one.”

“Ah, no, e-erm…it is embarrassing to wear that in front of everyone.”

“Well, there’s a chance you’ll end up naked. So you’re going to wear that when alone with Amane? How cuteeemmmmmmm”

“Chitose-san, please be quiet.”

“Okay~”

Again Chitose’s mouth was muffled by Mahiru, and she did not seem apologetic.

Amane was shocked that Mahiru would actually purchase a swimsuit that would be embarrassing to her if she wore it in front of everyone, but once he remembered that she said she would wear it when the two of them were alone, his heartbeat ran wild from the boldness she showed.

“…Is it that dangerous?”

“Dangerous? Actually, given Mahirun’s nice body, I think it might look like there’s too little fabric on her.”

“Chitose-san.”

“But I think Mahirun might really get angry if I continue. You should see it for yourself, Amane~”

“I-I will not show him!”

Mahiru was red like a ripe apple as she refuted this. He felt some pity, but sensed that it was to be expected.

If Mahiru really disliked it, Amane obviously would not say that he wanted her to wear it. It would be a lie to say that he did not want to see his girlfriend like that.

Chitose’s tone seemed to infer that it was not something that bared that much, but could emphasize Mahiru’s fine curves.

Already, Amane was having issues looking at Mahiru directly. If that swimsuit actually revealed more, he was actually relieved that Mahiru refused to wear it.

Nevertheless as a man, Amane really wanted to see it.

Perhaps there was a look of pity on Amane’s face, for Chitose leered away once she saw that, and Mahiru glanced at him discreetly.

“You’re not going to show it to him?”

“…We can negotiate.”

Mahiru whispered back, put on the rashguard hood, and lowered her head to avoid Amane and Chitose’s gazes.

Even though it was not shown, one could imagine her face seemingly scalded.

“…Chitose, don’t tease her too much. You don’t have to worry about me too much, Mahiru.”

“But Mahirun’s cute though.”

“Isn’t that a given?”

“Ohhh, you’re a natural…”

Since Mahiru had always been cute, Amane naturally replied so, and Chitose gave him a dumbfounded look.

Amane did confess that Mahiru was cute, long before they were dating, so there should be nothing to be surprised about. It seemed both Itsuki and Chitose were both taken aback though, for their eyes widened greatly.

“Man, aren’t you doting on your girlfriend, Amane…and you said that you wouldn’t have a lover, or talk about romance or anything…”

“Shut up.”

“Well~ this is what they say about love changing people~”

“You looking down on me? Everyone agrees that Mahiru’s cute, so it’s obvious that I think my girlfriend’s cute, right? Don’t you always boast about how Chitose’s cute, Itsuki?”

Ever since Amane got to know Itsuki and had Chitose introduced to him, he had to listen to Itsuki brag about his love life. He did not think he was any better at bragging than Itsuki.

This isn’t weird or anything, so he thought, and gave them a dumbfounded look. They sighed, and shrugged.

He was incensed by their attitude as he glared at them, and Itsuki merely gave a wry smile.

“But I think you better stop.”

“Why?”

“Looks like Shiina-san’s in trouble.”

Amane turned to Mahiru, wondering why she was mentioned, and found that she was grabbing the hood, covering herself as she shivered. It appeared she was really embarrassed.

It appeared she was embarrassed to be praised in front of anyone. Amane panicked, and she lifted her head slightly towards him; it appeared there were tears coming out.

“…This is a virtue and a flaw of yours, Amane-kun.”

She murmured, and covered herself within the hood again. Amane was at a loss of what to do, and could only wait until Mahiru recovered from her embarrassment.