Chapter 4: Towa wondered if there was definitely something going on here.

[Serving is serving.
Master uses my body until he is satisfied.
Thinking about that… ahhh!!]

‘Service is service.
You get to use my body until the master is satisfied.
When I think about it …… ah!”

Ayana’s words during the lunch break and that image of her imagining something and getting excited was something I couldn’t get out of my mind.
After all, Ayana was back to her normal self after that, and she was like an esper when it came to the side dishes in my lunch box, which I wanted to have a little bit.

　I didn’t like the way she looked at me, but she was very happy when I took a bite of the side dish she was offering me and told her it was delicious.
I wanted to see her smile, and more importantly, I was happy that she was happy like that.

[I’d like to make lunch for you, too, if that’s all right.]

[I don’t know if that’s a good idea.
One of my mom’s favorite things to do in a day is to make lunch.]

[…… Muu.]

　Ayana’s bento was very tasty and I almost nodded at her suggestion, but I couldn’t nod if I happened to wake up early and saw my mom happily making bento in the kitchen.
She makes lunch boxes for me every day, which is truly a form of free love, and I am truly grateful for it.

After pouting for a moment, Ayana softened and smiled when I told her that it was okay.
She said, “Really?” and seemed to understand.
She also added that if I wanted her to make it for me, I could ask her anytime.

Now, it’s after the lunch break, where many things were on my mind.
However, time had flown by, and it was just after the closing ceremony.
I usually walk home with Shu and Ayana, but he was taken away by Iori, who appeared again just after the ceremony.
I couldn’t help but think that she was a woman with a lot of drive, as she appeared like a storm and disappeared just as quickly.
However, it seems that some people around me…those who hold negative feelings towards Shu, particularly those who are close to Iori, did not find it amusing.

“Isn’t Sasaki getting too cocky lately?”

“Yeah, what’s up with him? How come he’s so close to Honjo-san?”

“Should we teach him a lesson?”

I could hear them since they were speaking loud enough.
It was a group of guys with well-defined facial features and seemingly high pride.
Ah, I see.
They’re jealous of Shu’s relationship with Iori, who is a beautiful woman, even more so than themselves.

It’s up to each person to like whoever they want, and it’s not something others should meddle in.
I thought about just leaving them alone, but things seemed to be getting more dangerous, so I approached the group to intervene.

“Hey, don’t get so worked up.”

“Yukishiro….”

The guy who turned around was named Somiya, I think.
I spoke loud enough for him and the other guys to hear.

“It’s up to each person to like whoever they want.
Outsiders shouldn’t meddle, but I understand that getting physical won’t lead to anything good, either.”

These guys aren’t stupid.
They definitely find it annoying that Shu is popular, but they understand that taking it out on him won’t do them any good.
They just want to release their unjustified anger.
There might be someone in this group who likes Iori, but if they take it out on Shu, they’ll only anger Iori.

“…Yeah, we know.”

“But to think that guy…”

The jealousy towards Shu still hasn’t disappeared, even though the momentum from earlier has died down.

To be honest, when I approached him earlier, I was afraid that he might hit me, but upon further thought, Towa is a central figure in our class.
His excellent looks attract both males and females, and his outwardly kind personality endears him to many.
And to top it off, his efforts to protect Shu as his best friend are seen favorably by our classmates.
…Well, I have my suspicions that they might have already done it, but that’s beside the point.

“Don’t take your frustration out on others due to jealousy.
Don’t lower your own value with such trivial things.
We’ve been in the same class for a while now, and I know that you guys are good people.
With your good looks and decent personalities, I’m sure you attract girls, right?”

It’s not entirely true, but I make sure to lift them up as well.
Well, it’s probably because of Towa’s communication skills that I can talk so easily.
It was written in the game too, but Towa’s communication skills are abnormal.
At first glance, he looks like an ikemen with many friends and great consideration for others.

As expected, the interruption seems to have calmed down Somiya and the others.
I thought everything was going to be alright, but then another voice interrupted us.

“Saying bad things about someone will never lead to good results.
We’ve been in this class for a while now, and I, along with everyone else, think that you guys are important classmates.”

“Otonashi-san…”

The one who interrupted us was Ayana.

After giving me a smile, Ayana returned her gaze to Somiya and the others.

“Shu-kun… to put it kindly, he’s not very good at interacting with people.
However, he’s been childhood friends with me and Towa-kun for a long time.
We also have a desire to protect him, and we don’t want you guys to make choices that you’ll regret later.”

Ayana’s words were very polite.

Being looked at straight in the eye like this and being told all of this, it’s hard to even feel like arguing.
Apparently, Ayana’s smile got to her.
Is it my imagination that not only the boys but also the girls are staring at Ayana?　No, it’s not my imagination.
Ayana is a scary girl.

“I don’t know the details, but I’m glad that Honjo-san is concerned about Shu-kun.
It’s not just us.
There are other people who can see the good in Shu-kun.”

Ayana smiled softly as she said this.
Somiya and the others standing in front of her blushed and looked down at the same time.
Apparently, Ayana’s smile got to her.
Is it my imagination that not only the boys but also the girls are staring at Ayana?　No, it’s not my imagination.
Ayana is a scary girl.

“……Gohon!　Well, it looks like we got off on the right foot, so Somiya and the others!　How about you guys go out and sing karaoke?　It’ll be refreshing to sing a song at a time like this!”

Ayana’s friend, a girl, called out to them, and they all nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere of the place was no longer so noisy, and everyone was back to their normal routines.

“Ayana, you’re a natural”

“No, no, we are not completely unrelated to this situation, ….Haa, how annoying.”

It was probably partly because Ayana came along that things came together the way it did.
Ayana and I and Shu are best friends, and some people would take that as an offense.
But seeing Ayana like that, I don’t think anyone would want to harass Shu.
At least I think this class is safe now.

The class is now sparsely populated, and Shu will probably spend some more time with Iori.
There’s nothing for us to do after school, especially since we’re not involved in any club activities.

“What about you, Ayana?　Do you want to go home together?”

“Yes!　Why don’t we hold hands and go home?”

“…… that’s a bit.”

“Oh, if you’re embarrassed, we can just cross our arms, okay?”

This is why you should do that kind of thing with Shu……

“……………”

“What’s wrong?”

“…..Nothing.
Ah, right”

Let’s check it out.

I carried my bag on my back and headed for the shoe box with Ayana.
I passed by the school gate and spread my free arm out to Ayana as the crowds thinned out.

“Come now.
Let’s cross arm?”

“!　Excuse me.”

　Ayana intertwined her arms with mine without any hesitation at all.
Since her arms were firmly intertwined, it was naturally difficult to remove them, and on top of that, Ayana pressed her body against him as if to say she needed more.
In addition to the sweet fragrance unique to women, the soft sensation of Ayana’s body being boldly pressed against him was made even more noticeable by her well-shaped figure.

Normally I would be soaring, but this was part of the validation in a way.

(…… I would have never gone this far with a normal childhood friend.
I knew there was “something” going on.)

　It appears that I will have to do a lot of research after I get back.

“……Hmm?”

“Ah….Fufu.
Towa-kun♪”

　…… So cute

When I felt someone’s gaze, I turned my face and saw her.
She really has high destructive power.

On the road from then on, Ayana would be very attentive, and if she saw someone from the school in sight, she would move a little distance away, and if she couldn’t see them, she would pull herself together again.
But every time she tries to move away, I wonder what …… it is that I hear like a click of her tongue.

“Good points about Shu-kun… as if there are any, Idi~ot.
A precious childhood friend? I’ve always hated that guy.”