Silent Kohinata: Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Father or a Lover?

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Monday, before morning homeroom.

"Hey, did you give the other cat to Kohinata?"

Keiichi said that while looking at the school bag hanging from the side of my desk. Nine times out of ten, he was looking at the calico cat strap. I wasn't trying to show it off, but I wasn't hiding it either, so I'd expected someone to notice eventually.

I don't usually put any accessories on my bag in the first place, so even Keiichi probably found it strange just seeing something hanging from it.

Now that I'd actually attached it, it was easier to pick out my own bag, so it wasn't bad. I had no idea what other people would think when they saw it, but generally speaking, other people pay only about a tenth as much attention to us as we think they do. There was probably no point worrying about it too much.

But damn it, Keiichi. If he'd just been smirking at a time like this, I could've brushed him off. Why the hell did he look genuinely impressed? How was I supposed to react to that?

"Not bad, Tomoki. Just a little while ago, you couldn't even talk to girls properly, and now you're giving them presents."

"Don't tell me you... were watching from somewhere?"

"Hmm? I watched you playing the crane game from the shadows, but I didn't see you actually give it to her. Judging by that reaction, though, I nailed it, right? You were leaning forward and totally focused, and you're not the type to want something like that for yourself."

"Keiichi, you're definitely a fan of mine, aren't you?"

"Well, I might have that side to me."

"That's where you're supposed to deny it! That's embarrassing!"

What if someone hears you and more weird rumors start!? What if they make a doujinshi about us!? You really think there's demand for that!?

Keiichi brushed off my rather loud outburst with a carefree "Hahaha." The thoughtless ease of his laughter made me sigh.

"Haa... Just for the record, I was planning to give both of them to Kohinata. She just said she didn't need two."

It's not particularly rare for guys to attach keychains or straps, but when I do it myself, it feels strange for some reason.

Thanks to that, on my way to school I felt like I was getting strange looks not only from people in my own grade, where rumors about me extorting people and the like had spread, but from other grades too. I knew there was no reason to care, but I still couldn't help noticing.

"Ah, I see. And since it's a waste to throw away the extra one, you attached it yourself—is that it? But that's the strange part. Tomoki would definitely be too embarrassed to say something like, 'I want matching ones with Kohinata'... I feel like if Kohinata didn't take it, you would have just given it to someone else."

"Shut up. I've got my reasons."

If I told him I'd put it on because Kohinata asked me to, Keiichi might get the wrong idea about how she felt. That probably wouldn't be good for Kohinata.

"Anyway, we're not talking about this anymore."

Maybe because I made it clear I was ending the conversation, Keiichi didn't press any further. He only gave a simple "Hmm" while looking at my face. I could tell he was thinking about something, but asking would probably just make me dig my own grave, so I decided to leave it there.

Kohinata should be here soon. As I idly watched my classmates stream into the room, someone noticeably smaller than everyone around her finally entered the classroom.

As usual, boys and girls all around Kohinata greeted her with "Morning" as she pattered toward her seat. She really was popular.

On the school bag slung over her shoulder, in addition to the rabbit strap she originally had, the black cat I gave her yesterday was dangling alongside it.

I'd wondered what I'd do if I were the only one who put mine on... but apparently I'd worried for nothing.

As I watched Kohinata with a sense of relief, she looked at me too. Then, keeping her eyes on me, she passed by her seat, broke into a slight jog, and came pattering over to us. It was somehow heartwarming, like watching a puppy.

"Morning, Kohinata."

When I greeted her, Keiichi followed with a "Morning." She nodded twice.

Then she turned sideways and held out her school bag as if showing it off to me. If she had a speech bubble, it would probably read, "I put it on!"

"Haha, I'm glad you liked it."

Kohinata nodded over and over, even more vigorously than usual.

Then she stepped forward and leaned in. Apparently, she was looking at my school bag.

"I put mine on too. Look."

Since the cat happened to be hanging where Kohinata couldn't see it, I flicked it with a finger to show her the calico.

She crouched down right there and started poking the calico cat on my bag, then brought her own bag closer so the two cats could touch. I couldn't say I didn't understand the impulse, but if someone asked whether this was normal high school behavior, I'd have trouble answering.

With me, Keiichi, and some of our classmates watching, Kohinata spent a while letting the two cats "communicate," then let out a satisfied fusuu through her nose.

Then Kohinata stood up and stared straight at my face. For some reason, she gave my shoulder a tiny tsun with her index finger before returning to her seat.

...Huh? What was that just now?

"………………"

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"………………"

Keiichi and I watched her small back retreat in silence. No, we'd both completely frozen. Even the classroom felt quieter than usual.

I had no idea what Keiichi was thinking, but I was desperately trying to figure out what Kohinata's 'shoulder poke' on her way out had meant. Maybe because my heart rate had shot up, I couldn't think straight.

I needed to reset for a second.

With that in mind, I turned to my friend in the next seat to talk about something else, only to find Keiichi staring at me dead seriously. His expression was unusually solemn, and there was some strange pressure in his gaze that kept me from speaking.

Then Keiichi closed his eyes, gave a slow, magnanimous nod, and muttered, "You look like a couple who just started dating."

My shout of "We're not!" echoed through the classroom that morning.

I had ended up getting a shoulder poke from Kohinata, the school's beloved darling, right there in the morning classroom.

If nobody else had been around, I wouldn't have had to say "ended up," but there had been a few witnesses besides Keiichi, so that wording was unavoidable.

And as the saying goes, you can't stop people from talking. In no time, word had spread through the class that Kohinata and I were pretty close.

I'd been afraid that once the class found out I was close to Kohinata, people would resent me for it, but their reactions were nothing like I'd expected.

'Wait, are Sugino and Kohinata dating?!'

'Now that you mention it, they've been eating lunch together lately. Well, if it's Sugino, I'm not worried.'

'Wait, they have matching straps! Whoa, that's so nice.'

'Not bad for a guy who's terrible with girls, Sugino. Congrats! Invite us to the wedding!'

'Damn it... I'm jealous of guys with girlfriends... That's it! I'm going to pick up girls!'

And so on. They were making some pretty wild assumptions, but not one classmate said anything negative.

I did make sure to deny it, saying, "It's not like that," but I wondered how many of those smirking classmates had actually believed me... I'd be happy if even half of them understood.

"I have no idea how to react to looks like these..."

After being thoroughly toyed with by my classmates, I laid my cheek on my desk and grumbled.

If they were the usual curious or disgusted looks, I could've just sighed and ignored them.

"Now, now. It's way better than being hated, right?"

"I just wish people wouldn't look at me at all."

"Not happening. Give up on that."

Keiichi laughed, hahaha, and slapped me on the back. Coming from a guy who got featured in magazines, that carried a lot of weight. Guess giving up really was my only option.

For her part, Kohinata was surrounded by squealing girls and trembling in her seat.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Lunch break.

I had some reservations, but in the end, the four of us ate lunch in the courtyard just like usual.

If we suddenly stopped eating together now, it'd look like we were letting the rumors get to us, so acting normally was best.

"See? I told you you were worrying too much, Tomoki."

As soon as we sat down on the picnic sheet Saejima had spread out, Keiichi said that. He might've been right. Maybe I'd been treating Kohinata a little too much like a special case.

The rumor that Kohinata and I might be a couple had apparently spread in no time, but while I was getting more warm, favorable looks, I hardly noticed any disgust.

As popular as Kohinata was, it wasn't as if she had an actual fan club or anything... Maybe because I was so used to being disliked, she had seemed even more dazzling to me.

"Well... aside from people getting the wrong idea, there weren't any problems."

I shot Kohinata a flat look as I said it.

When our eyes met, she huffily looked away toward the upper corner. For some reason, she'd been avoiding my gaze ever since what happened that morning.

If I judged by her gestures alone, I'd say Kohinata was in a bad mood, but her red ears completely gave her away. She even seemed to be puffing her cheeks slightly, as though she were sulking.

"Kohinata, you said 'it was fine' yesterday. If you're giving up, I'll take the strap off."

At that, Kohinata whipped around in a panic and shook her head furiously. So taking it off was definitely a no-go. Then what had been the point of acting so cold until now? Was she just trying to hide her embarrassment?

Saejima watched our trivial exchange with her arms crossed. Then she nodded along with a cheerful "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm" and smiled happily.

"Rumors and facts are two different things, so let's just ignore what everyone else thinks! Though I guess there's always a chance the rumor could become true~"

She capped that off with an ihihi laugh that, even being generous, couldn't be called pretty. It was the laugh of a veteran who could blend right into a circle of gossiping aunties.

"Come on, Saejima, not you too—"

Just as I was about to complain to Saejima in exasperation, I noticed my phone vibrating in my chest pocket. A chat notification only buzzed once, but right now the vibration just kept going.

"A call? Who could it be?"

I paused the conversation and checked my phone.

The name on the screen was 'Kohinata Shizuka'. It was Kohinata's older sister.

"For some reason, your sister's calling me. I'll answer."

When I told Kohinata, she tilted her head with a puzzled expression. Keiichi and Saejima were looking at me curiously too. I had no idea what this was about, but I didn't want to keep her waiting, so I tapped the 'Answer' button. What could she want?

"……Hello?"

【Oh! Long time no see, Tomoki-kun~. It's lunch break right now, right? Can you talk?】

"It's been a while. If you're calling me, is it something urgent?"

【Urgent, super urgent! —Oh, by the way, sounds like you had fun on Sunday. Asuka was so cheerful yesterday that even her big sister was surprised! Did you two kiss?】

"Like hell we'd do that, you id—w-we didn't do anything. S-so what was the urgent business!?"

That was close. I almost forgot she was older than me and insulted her.

【Tomoki-kun, you don't work on weekdays, so you're usually free, right?】

"Huh? Yes."

【All right! Hey, if you don't mind, could you take Asuka to your place like last time? My boyfriend wants to come over today, so could I ask you to look after Asuka until around nine? Please? I'm begging you!】

Ah... I see. So that's what this was about. She wanted some time alone with her boyfriend and would feel awkward with her little sister in the house.

The last time we hung out, we hadn't had much time and had only managed to play Life Maze. If the four of us played games together, the time would fly anyway. Judging from last time, we probably wouldn't run out of things to do.

Hanging out with Kohinata and Saejima was fun in a different way from hanging out with just the guys, so I was all for it. But this wasn't something I could decide by myself.

"Give me a moment. I'll ask Kohinata—Asuka-san."

With that, I explained the situation to Kohinata. She nodded as if she had no problem with it. I would've turned Shizuka-san down if Kohinata seemed reluctant to come to my place, but apparently there was no need to worry.

"Got it. If the time changes, just message me."

【Thanks! As long as you have Asuka's consent and use proper contracep—】

I hung up in a panic. What the hell was she saying in broad daylight...?

And doing something like that with Kohinata—yeah, no. Better not imagine it. It'd be rude to her.

After quietly steadying my breathing, I looked at Saejima and Keiichi, only to find both of them awkwardly avoiding my eyes.

"Why are Saejima and Keiichi looking away?" I asked them, tilting my head in confusion.

"Well... I normally don't have work on weekdays, but the client needs me today, so I kind of have no choice."

Keiichi scratched his head and gave a wry smile. Saejima added, "I don't usually have plans either, but some relatives are coming over today, so we're going out to eat..." then let out a dry "Ahahaha."

…………Yeah. However I looked at it, this was entirely my fault for not checking with them first.

They were both usually free on weekdays, so I'd just assumed their schedules were open. Saejima aside, I hadn't expected Keiichi to be unavailable...

"Ah... Kohinata-san, looks like it'll just be the two of us. Are you okay with that?" I asked with a wry smile.

She nodded to say it was fine. But the movement was clearly unlike her usual self—a stiff little nod that made her nervousness painfully obvious.

School ended, and the four of us headed home.

Although we spent lunch together, that was about the extent of our interactions at school, so this was actually the first time we'd walked home together among the crowd of other students.

The last time we hung out at my place was after cleaning the cafeteria, and there had only been a few people around, so we hadn't stood out much. Today, though, it was right after homeroom, so naturally there were plenty of people.

"Seriously, it's a lifesaver that Keiichi and Saejima are here. If we walked home together while being misunderstood like that, we'd never be able to stop the rumors."

I sighed as I glanced sideways at the Ousei High School students who occasionally looked our way.

What were all those looks for? Were they looking at Kohinata and feeling soothed, admiring Keiichi the model, glaring jealously at Saejima and me for walking home with them, or gossiping about me because of my bad reputation? It was impossible to tell. There were just too many eyes on us.

Well, given today's circumstances, it felt like there were plenty of onlookers curious about my relationship with Kohinata.

"We're going the same way anyway, so don't worry about it. If you're that worried, want me to pretend to go into your place with you? I've got enough time for that, at least."

"I'm fine with that too~"

Seeing how fed up I was, the two of them offered that out of consideration.

I appreciate their sentiments, but I really can't have them go that far just to ease my anxiety.

"Do you want them to do that, Kohinata? We'd make sure nobody else noticed, of course."

I didn't want to decide for her, so I asked Kohinata too.

Still walking with her right hand and right foot moving forward at the same time, she turned toward me with a rusty, creaking motion that practically begged for a gigi sound effect, then shook her head.

Kohinata might seem indifferent to romance, but even she was apparently nervous about entering a guy's home alone. She'd been like this ever since lunch.

Looking at Kohinata, I muttered, "Are you really okay...?" then told Keiichi and Saejima I appreciated the thought.

For now, I'll just have to make sure her awkward movements don't cause her to trip.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Fortunately, by the time we reached my apartment building, the Ousei High School students were nowhere around, so Kohinata and I got inside without incident. For some reason, an image of an adulterous couple sneaking into a hotel flashed through my head. Not that I had any experience with that, of course.

"Sorry to leave you alone, but I'm going to change into loungewear. Feel free to drink some tea and relax, Kohinata. We have plenty of time until 9 o'clock, so make yourself at home."

Sitting primly at the kotatsu in front of the TV, Kohinata nodded at my words. She seemed a little less tense, but she still glanced around from time to time, unable to settle down. If anything, she looked more restless than the first time she'd come over.

I gave her a wry smile, went to my room, and quickly changed into a tracksuit.

Changing out of my school uniform—my outside clothes—and into something I wore around the house helped me relax a little. Maybe there really was something to "starting with the form," though I had a feeling I was using that expression wrong.

When I returned to the living room, Kohinata had set her phone on the kotatsu. Noticing me, she kept her head lowered and turned the phone around. On the screen was this:

【I'm inexperiencededed.】

"………………Uh."

I was at a loss for how to react.

First, should I point out the two extra 'ed's? Or that she hadn't followed it with 'but...'? Or maybe that this wasn't something you said when visiting a friend's house in the first place?

For now, I played it safe and replied, "Just relax."

Kohinata slowly nodded at my answer, so apparently I hadn't said the wrong thing. Thank goodness.

I let out a quiet breath, relieved to have cleared the first trial. Then I realized another trial was already waiting for me in the room.

"...Ah— yeah. Right, I see..."

Kohinata was sitting facing the TV, shifted to the right along the long side of the kotatsu. In other words, there was an empty space on her left just big enough for one person.

Kohinata had probably just sat where she'd sat the last time she came over. I'm sure she'd done it half-unconsciously.

But the situation was obviously different from last time, Kohinata-san. Crap, what was I supposed to do...?

If I sat where Saejima or Keiichi had sat last time, she might think I was avoiding her. To be perfectly honest, sitting next to Kohinata made me feel nothing but embarrassed and happy; there wasn't even a micron of dislike in me.

After agonizing, panicking, and getting thoroughly confused, I somehow ended up sitting directly across from Kohinata.

"………………Hahaha."

No, no, what the hell am I doing!? I can't play games with the TV right behind me!

Maybe she found my behavior strange, because Kohinata blinked at me with a puzzled expression. As I broke into a nervous sweat under her gaze, our feet touched beneath the kotatsu.

It was only the lightest brush, barely enough to call contact, but I could feel the softness and warmth of Kohinata's foot through our socks. My body temperature seemed to shoot up several degrees at once.

Kohinata and I twitched at almost the same time. Our eyes remained locked.

"Ah, hahaha... Just kidding. I can't play games from here, so I'll move over there."

When I said that, she finally seemed to realize that I was coming to sit next to her—she shrank her small frame even further, then gave a faint nod.

As I pulled myself out from under the kotatsu, she gave my calf a couple of little pokes with her foot. That was probably her way of hiding her embarrassment.

The first night I'd ever spent alone with Kohinata.

Of course, like proper high schoolers, we were supposed to call it a night at the perfectly wholesome hour of nine. Whether a guardian-free setting like this could really be called wholesome, though, was debatable.

And Kohinata was sitting under the kotatsu beside me, only five centimeters away.

It was a distance where we would touch if we shifted our bodies even slightly, and telling me not to be conscious of her was like telling a dog not to drool when a steak is placed in front of it. In other words, it was "impossible."

After we'd played the racing game for a while, I discovered that Kohinata was the type to lean her whole body into every turn.

I could probably watch her fluster every time she bumped into me forever, but at this rate we'd both get mentally exhausted. So, time to switch games.

When I started to get up from the kotatsu to change games, Kohinata jolted in surprise. I could understand her being wary when she'd come to the home of a guy who lived alone, but actually seeing her react like that still made me a little sad...

"You don't have to be that wary. I won't do anything—if you're scared, want to move to the other side?"

As I said that while crying on the inside, Kohinata lightly pinched the fabric of my tracksuit and shook her head. Her expression was as blank as ever, but the frantic speed of her head shake gave away her desperation.

"Then we'll stay here. Still, two hours until nine... Games are fine, but how about we watch a movie instead?"

After shutting off the game console, I asked her.

With just the two of us, our game options were fairly limited.

She seemed reasonably good at games, but in a straight competitive game I had a huge advantage as the owner. The racing game we'd just played narrowed the gap somewhat with the items you picked up during the race, but I still won most of the time.

If Keiichi and Saejima were here, the rankings would shift around more, but with just the two of us, that wasn't happening.

If I were playing against another guy, I wouldn't care about crushing him, but having to hold back made the game a little tiring for me too.

I'd been going easy on Kohinata, but I wasn't deft enough to hide it, so there must have been plenty of obvious moments. I could only hope I hadn't put her in a bad mood.

"Got it. I'll bring a few over, so pick whichever one you want."

After Kohinata nodded, I started pulling movie cases at random from the drawer. Most of them had been brought over by friends I'd known since elementary school, Keiichi included, and they ranged from famous blockbusters to B-movies.

I pulled about ten at random from the hundred-plus collection and showed her the covers. "See anything you want to watch?"

She started studying each cover and title intently.

Nodding or tilting her head, Kohinata looked over all ten cases. Eventually, she slowly pointed at one particular DVD.

"Let's see... 'Neko Neko Panic'? Huh? ...What the heck is this? I haven't seen it either."

The case she pointed to featured a staggering number of anime-style cats drawn on it. I had absolutely no idea what kind of movie it was, but I could at least be sure it wasn't a famous work. I'd never heard of it.

"Then let's give this one a try."

At that, Kohinata looked at me with eyes full of anticipation and nodded eagerly.

But seriously, what was this movie...? Someone had apparently brought it over, and then it had sat there gathering dust because I never got around to watching it. Well, I hadn't seen it either, so I could watch it fresh with Kohinata. Maybe it worked out after all.

With that thought, I put the DVD in.

Then I got us drinks, made a quick trip to the bathroom, and we were ready.

This "Neko Neko Panic".

Judging from the title and cover art, I expected it to be a warm, slice-of-life kind of movie. I hadn't read the synopsis because it seemed like it would give away the plot, but it was probably something like that. It looked like a B-movie, so there was a chance it'd be boring, but that was part of the fun.

I moved next to Kohinata, slipped under the kotatsu, and eagerly pressed play.

The movie opened with a cat bed scene.

No, no, no, no! What kind of movie is this!? It's even got a faint mosaic censor, and somehow the cats' meows sound erotic! Who the hell brought this dangerous thing into my house!?

I glanced sideways at Kohinata. She was blushing in embarrassment with her face lowered, but apparently she was curious, because every so often she peeked up at the screen. We'd just gone to the bathroom, so her fidgeting had to be because she couldn't settle down.

Neither Kohinata nor I could bring ourselves to say, "Let's stop this movie," and so the film continued.

The story was a full-on war between groups of cats over territory. Or maybe I should call it a turf war dressed up as an actual war?

The cats casually used machine guns and rocket launchers right in the middle of the city, fighting on while the humans around them yelled at them. The bullets and explosives were nuts and pollen, though, so nobody was actually dying in this war.

The protagonist cat, Mouse Destroyer, had one line—'So this is my last silver vine... Damn, that's rich.'—that hit me harder than it had any right to, but overall my verdict was still, "What the heck was that?"

For the record, Mouse-kun wasn't dead. He said that while being held in a police officer's arms. And his last silver vine had just been confiscated by the police.

I somehow made it to the end, but beside me, Kohinata had her forehead on the kotatsu tabletop and was sound asleep. Given what the movie was like, I couldn't blame her.

"It felt long, but it was surprisingly short... it's still only 8:30."

After sitting through the entire credits, I turned off the TV with the remote.

With the room quiet, I could hear Kohinata breathing more clearly.

"Her forehead is going to turn bright red."

I smiled wryly at the classmate sleeping beside me.

I wanted to slip a pillow or towel between her forehead and the kotatsu, but I didn't have the nerve to casually touch a sleeping girl. That had nothing to do with me being bad with girls.

I planted my hands behind me and looked up at the ceiling.

Now then... what was I supposed to do for the next thirty minutes? Come to think of it, had Shizuka-san messaged me? I'd been too distracted by the movie and Kohinata to check my phone, so maybe a chat had come in without me noticing.

Just as I reached into my pocket for my phone...

"H-hyiiiiiiih."

A bizarre yelp escaped me. Without any warning, Kohinata had suddenly tipped over and rested her head on my thigh.

Then she wriggled around, apparently found a comfortable spot, and went right back to breathing peacefully in her sleep.

With each regular suu-suu breath, warm air brushed my thigh. This was bad in all kinds of ways.

"K-Kohinata-san? I-I think this is seriously bad!?"

I called out to her in a panic, but she seemed deeply asleep and showed no sign of waking.

To add to that, while there wasn't a problem from my line of sight, if someone looked from the opposite side, they'd have a full view up her skirt. Where did her sense of caution go!?

Should I wake her even if it meant touching her? Or keep calling her name?

But wait. Kohinata might want to pretend the fact that she'd fallen asleep on a guy's lap had never happened. Which meant I wasn't allowed to know this had happened in the first place.

"I see! I just need to sleep too!"

Even I knew I'd reached a nonsensical conclusion, but if Kohinata woke up before I did, there shouldn't be any problem. And if she buried the whole thing deep in her heart, this lap pillow would effectively never have happened. Peace!

I set my phone's alarm to maximum volume for ten minutes later and placed it near Kohinata's ear. Then I let myself fall backward and lay down. The vibration from my movement must have reached her, but she still showed no sign of waking.

"Sleep. I need to actually sleep. If I'm just pretending, she might see through it."

With Kohinata's warmth and weight on my thigh, I slowly lowered my eyelids—then my phone buzzed. My eyes snapped open and I grabbed it.

"Shizuka-san!? It's not even nine yet. Can she go home already!? Wait, what am I supposed to do if that's it!? Blast the alarm now and pretend to be asleep!?"

Muttering under my breath, I quickly checked the chat screen. The sender was Shizuka-san, just as I'd expected.

But the message was the exact opposite of what I'd expected.

【Sorry, Tomoki-kun! Make it ten after all!】

It was a notice that Kohinata's stay had been extended.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

The humans had gone quiet enough that the wall clock took over the noise with a steady tick, tick, tick.

I looked toward the sound. The minute hand was pointing straight at the nine. Apparently this endurance test would continue for another seventy-five minutes. Whether that was good luck or bad luck was something only I could say.

"…………She's light."

Now that I'd calmed down a little, I propped myself up with my hands on the floor and absently gazed at the back of Kohinata's head. Once again, I felt the weight and warmth resting on my thigh. Not family, not a lover, but the warmth of a classmate I'd only met a short while ago. I wondered if people with cats or dogs felt this kind of warmth every day.

According to Shizuka-san, Kohinata doesn't speak because she's shy.

And her expressionlessness came from losing her father two years ago.

At first glance, her silence and lack of expression seemed related, but apparently they came from entirely different places. Maybe it had been necessary for me to learn that.

"Maybe Kohinata sees me as something like a father."

Maybe she was unconsciously trying to fill the hole that had opened in her heart. That was the thought that occurred to me.

"Maybe the way I talk or carry myself is similar to her father."

Or maybe my lecturing had struck some chord with her. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember ever seeing anyone get angry at Kohinata. Saejima was probably the closest.

As I seriously thought it over, some of my embarrassment and nervousness faded. What was I getting so carried away for?

If Kohinata was looking for a father figure, then I shouldn't be thinking of her romantically.

Of course, this was all just my own speculation, and I had no way of knowing whether I was right... but Kohinata had lost family and been hurt. I didn't want her to have to feel any more pain.

If the astronomically unlikely possibility that cute, popular Kohinata actually saw me as a guy was real, then this conclusion would be completely wrong... but thinking about that was pointless.

A little physical contact and sharing dessert after dinner weren't enough to make me so full of myself that I'd think, 'Could she actually like me?' I was pretty sure she didn't hate me, though.

"I'll wake her when it's time. ...I don't need weird little tricks like alarms or pretending to sleep. Kohinata probably doesn't think anything of me anyway."

Feeling like her guardian, I gently ran my fingers through Kohinata's hair. It was silky smooth and pleasant to touch, without catching on my fingers once. She might hate it if she found out, but if she did, I'd apologize honestly.

I consciously pushed the protectiveness that had started turning into romantic affection back to what it had been.

If my feelings damaged my relationship with Kohinata, it wouldn't help her when she was finally showing signs of getting better. It would also betray Shizuka-san's expectations of me.

"Don't worry. I never expected to fall in love so quickly anyway. I'll stay by your side, at least until that hole in your heart is filled again."

Besides, thanks to her, I was gradually getting over my discomfort around girls too. We were helping each other.

I wondered just how long this relationship would last.

Did I want it to continue, or did I want it to end soon...? Even I, one of the people in it, couldn't decide.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

"Hey, wake up. Fifteen minutes to go."

I called out near Kohinata's ear as she slept peacefully on my thigh.

At my voice, Kohinata curled up tightly like a cat. The movement hit my numb leg and forced a mysterious "Nngh" out of me—a sound I never wanted anyone to hear.

After I called to her a few more times, Kohinata unconsciously attacked me by rolling around on my thigh, then finally squirmed upright. She looked at my pained expression through sleepy eyes and tilted her head in confusion. Her eyelids weren't even half as open as usual.

"I'll walk you home—but give me a second. My leg fell asleep."

I pointed with my chin at my still-tingling leg. Through half-lidded eyes, she looked at my thigh, then my face, then my thigh again.

Then, with enough force to practically make a boff sound, Kohinata's face turned bright red. Her eyelids flew all the way open.

"…………!!"

Kohinata flailed her hands in a total panic, but still no voice came out. And she was supposed to be expressionless—wait, was she really expressionless right now...? To me, she actually looked panicked.

"Don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone, and lending you my lap is no big deal. Besides, with a movie like that, I can't blame you for falling asleep."

When I said that with a wry smile, Kohinata looked down and gave a small nod. Then she glanced at the clock on the wall and froze stiff.

Ah, right. Kohinata didn't know about the extra hour either.

When I told her about Shizuka-san's chat asking to extend the time, Kohinata started flailing in panic again. She'd probably realized she'd slept much longer than expected.

"I told you, don't worry. And you don't have to be embarrassed. You were facing the kotatsu the whole time, so I didn't even see your sleeping face. So, um... could you do something about those hands of yours smacking my leg peshi-peshi?"

At that, she jerked backward in surprise. Then, for reasons I couldn't begin to understand, she started rubbing my thigh with both hands. How did we get here?

"That tickles too, so stop! Actually, this might be worse!?"

At my words, Kohinata panicked again—and her hands went right back to smacking my thigh peshi-peshi.

And so, thanks to Kohinata's rather rough treatment, the feeling returned to my numb leg, and I safely walked her home.

[Illustration: p229.jpg]

Translator's Notes

Translator's Notes: None