Chapter 3: My Childhood Friend Is Becoming More and More Tempting
“Yo, good morning, Tsukimi~”
“Morning.”
It’s the morning.
In the classroom of Class 2-B where Kanade is.
A few boys walked into the classroom together.
Upon seeing Kanade sitting in the back row, they all raised their hands to greet him.
This has become Kanade’s usual routine lately.
After entering the second year, his personality has become somewhat more outgoing.
In class, he is in a state where he can talk to anyone.
At the same time, due to his childhood friendship with Nagino, he has become one of the celebrities in class.
Various small circles of boys have invited him to join.
Initially, the boys’ intentions were not entirely pure.
It was less about caring for Kanade and more about caring for his childhood friend, Nagino.
However, over time, as they spent time with Kanade, they found that he was unexpectedly a good guy.
They realized that there was no malice in the way Kanade and Nagino displayed their friendship, and that they weren’t dating yet.
The boys have already considered Kanade a true friend.
Although in all the boys’ hearts, the fact that he had won the “school idol” Nagino’s favor still made him quite envied.
“Tsukimi, you look really pale. Didn’t you sleep well last night?”
A boy named Suzuki, with a buzz cut, sat down right in front of Kanade.
He turned his head to ask.
“No, it’s because of some reasons…” Kanade said, rubbing his eyes.
Indeed, he has been lacking sleep recently.
“Ah, could it be that you watched it too?” Another boy named Tanaka, who wore glasses, joined the conversation.
“Watched what?”
“Of course, it’s the super popular ‘Paranormal Investigation Show.’ I heard they’re coming to our city for a special episode soon~” Tanaka said proudly.
“No, this is the first I’m hearing of it…” Kanade admitted.
The real reason for his recent lack of sleep is the calls Nagino makes to him every night.
He doesn’t know if it’s because they have been placed in different classes now.
Recently, Nagino, from time to time, would call him at night to chat.
Although Kanade once mentioned, “If it’s just chatting, can’t we use LINE instead?”
But Nagino responded in a very weak and anxious tone, “I just want to hear Tsukimi-kun’s voice… Is that annoying?”
After taking a hit to his heart, Kanade could only agree to Nagino’s request.
This made him reminisce about what Mana once told him.
It’s all his fault for spoiling Nagino like this, that he has become someone who can no longer refuse her cute whims.
If it were just chatting at night, Kanade wouldn’t react so strongly.
The biggest problem is.
Recently, Nagino has taken a liking to using the video call feature.
Especially since it seems she got a new phone with a particularly high-resolution front camera.
For Kanade, who is in his puberty, this late-night talking time has become both a reward and torment.
Nagino’s increasingly alluring figure, combined with her innocent and defenseless casual wear.
When the image of Nagino lying on her bed appeared on Kanade’s phone screen.
His heart would turn extremely hot, and he would feel like a deer caught in headlights.
Whether it’s her deep, smooth hair that spread out on the white sheets or the way her chest, adorned in a tank top, bounced along with her laughter.
Kanade would for a moment not know where to look.
At the same time, his mind was filled with devilish whispers:
“This is a video call, no matter where you look, little Nagino won’t notice~”
As a result, every night after hanging up, he couldn’t help but twist and turn in bed, hugging the blanket.
He repeatedly thought of reminding his childhood friend to be a bit more aware.
But thinking, “If I say it, I won’t be able to continue being so open at night…”
Every night he fell into such a struggle until midnight.
So, lack of sleep has already become a common occurrence.
“By the way, I heard that Suzuki recently got a girlfriend~”
While Kanade was lost in thought, it seems the two shifted topics.
“Eh? Me?” Suzuki looked surprised, pointing to his nose.
“No, no, it’s the Suzuki from the next class.” Tanaka clarified.
Then they both sighed simultaneously, “How nice, a girlfriend~”
“If you get a girlfriend, you’ll be able to hold hands with her on the way to school, right?”
“I heard that girls’ hands are small and soft, is that true?”
“How would I know? Us single guys have no way to touch them.”
At this, Kanade’s heart skipped a beat.
He recalled that he had held hands with Nagino on the way to school last year.
Since Suzuki and Tanaka weren’t in the same class as him last year, they seemed to be unaware of this.
“Tsukimi, what about you? Have you held a girl’s hand?”
“W-Why are you suddenly asking this…” Kanade awkwardly averted his gaze.
“Ah! That reaction! Tsukimi, you must have held one! Whose? Could it be—”
Suzuki saw through Kanade’s awkwardness.
“Is it Hoshimiya-chan? Damn! I’m so jealous that you, her childhood friend, could hold hands with Hoshimiya-chan!” Suzuki looked at him with envy and jealousy.
Kanade could only continue to look away, afraid to meet their gaze.
If they knew that not only had he held Nagino’s hand, but that “there” too…
He would be killed.
“Calm down.” Unexpectedly, Tanaka remained very calm.
He shook a finger.
“Tanaka, why are you defending this traitor? Do you—”
“So you should read more books~” Tanaka pushed up his glasses.
“Have you heard of the Westermarck Effect?”
“Wha-What?”
The Westermarck Effect.
It refers to the phenomenon where boys and girls who grow up together do not develop sexual attraction towards each other.
“So, as Tsukimi, who is Nagino’s childhood friend, is less of a traitor and more of our true ally.” Tanaka pushed up his glasses and summarized:
“So childhood friends will always be the underdogs in romance~”
“Ah, I see!” Suzuki seemed to suddenly understand.
Then he patted Kanade’s shoulder.
“Sorry, I misunderstood you and Hoshimiya-chan…”
But then his grip tightened: “So who did you touch? Your reaction surely means you’ve held someone’s hand before, right?”
“Um, Suzuki-kun? Your face is too close—” Kanade hurriedly raised his hand to block Suzuki’s approaching face.
“Could it be that it’s Hinata-san?”
Mana, who is also a top-tier beauty, is quite popular among the boys.
Furthermore, the fact that she has a good relationship with Kanade is already well known among their classmates.
To escape, Kanade gritted his teeth: “It’s Ryou from the next class, Haihara Ryou.”
“…..” Suzuki and Tanaka quickly distanced themselves.
“Just kidding! So stop it, the girls are looking over here, it’s a bit glaring—”
Although Kanade clarified that he was joking.
The whispers that sometimes drifted over from the girls’ circle, such as “Kanade × Ryou” or “Ryou × Kanade,” made him restless.
It seems he will need to be more cautious in the future.
“Well, even though Tsukimi and Hoshimiya-chan are childhood friends, it doesn’t mean there’s anything between them.”
“Right, right, among childhood friends, those who become lovers are few and far between. That super cute angel wouldn’t possibly be interested in someone like us—”
“Ah~ Tsukimi-kun~ Good morning~”
Before they could finish their sentence, a cheerful voice came from behind them.
They turned their heads abruptly.
Standing at the classroom door was the legendary number one beauty in the school, “Hoshimiya Nagino.”
“Ah, good morning, everyone~”
Noticing the attention from other students in the class, Nagino revealed a sunshine-like smile and greeted them.
Students who were in the same class as Nagino last year suddenly had their minds thrown back to the past.
They thought to themselves, if only they could continue being in the same class with Nagino, they could see that dazzling smile and hear her cheerful greetings every day.
Then, Nagino took long strides, her slender legs wrapped in black stockings, and jogged over to Kanade’s side.
Throughout the journey, the motion of her chest caused by running caught the boys’ gazes involuntarily.
“L-Little Nagino… g-g-good morning. Why are you here…?”
Kanade stood up nervously from his seat.
“I just suddenly wanted to see you, Tsukimi-kun… Hehe, just kidding~” Nagino’s face wore a shy expression akin to that of a girl in love.
Her cute, delicate face was dyed with a light blush, making her look alluring.
“Here~” Nagino handed Kanade the bento she had been hiding behind her back.
“I just met Yukino-chan, and she asked me to bring the bento that you forgot~”
“Ah, thank you, you really helped me out…” Although Kanade expressed his gratitude verbally, his gaze kept wandering elsewhere.
“Y-You’re too close…” At the same time, Kanade thought to himself.
Now the sweet fragrance emanating from Nagino kept wafting into his nose, quickening his heartbeat.
If he couldn’t help but look at Nagino’s increasingly cute and beautiful face, or her increasingly alluring body—
Kanade felt that he might someday be dubbed a “pervert.”
For the sake of his reputation, Kanade wanted to explain that it wasn’t his lack of self-control, but that the allure of this girl before him has reached overflowing levels.
The combination of her innocent and adorable face with her curvy, alluring body formed a contrast that no teenage boy could withstand.
“Tsukimi-kun~”
“Y-Yes?”
“Your tie is crooked~” Nagino said as she reached out her hand to adjust Kanade’s tie at the collar of his shirt.
Then, amidst the gaze of the classmates.
Like a newlywed wife, she gently adjusted the tie of her husband who was about to leave.
At this moment, a hush fell over the classroom.
In Kanade’s ears, it was deafening.
