ODL – Chapter 72 – Souma-san’s Patience Increased by 1

[Hiyori’s PoV]

I’ve been having a hard time lately.

“Hiyorin, what’s wrong? You look troubled. ” (?)

As I was staring at a message from Ruin, I was approached by a voice. When I looked up, I found Endou Reina aka “Rena-chi”, a fellow voice actress from the same unit as me in Zanimasu, watching over me with a concerned expression.

“Rena-chi… no, it’s nothing.” (Hiyori)

I quickly closed Ruin and put my smartphone away.

It was almost 8 PM on a Thursday, which was the usual time for the Zanimasu live broadcast. I had to start getting ready for it soon.

“What’s up? Perhaps, your boyfriend?” (?)

Fujimi Akina aka “A-chan”, another member of my unit, peered at my face from behind. A-chan, who always energetically takes the lead during our live performances, also possesses high energy offstage. She was like a bright beaming sun.

“A-chan, it’s not like that at all, okay?” (Hiyori)

Certainly, the message I was looking at was from a guy, but he’s not my boyfriend or anything.

“Really? Hey, Hiyorin, didn’t you notice? You’ve been smiling a lot while looking at your phone lately.” (Akina)

“Oh, I was actually thinking of the same thing.” (Reina)

“Huh, really…?” (Hiyori)

“Yeah, really. You look so happy, that I thought you must have gotten a boyfriend.” (Akina)

Was I smiling like that…? I didn’t even realize it myself… I should probably be more careful about showing it on my face.

“I really don’t have a boyfriend. It’s just that I have a little bit of a concern…” (Hiyori)

“A concern?” (Akina)

“What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it?” (Reina)

I glanced at my phone inside my bag. The message I was looking at until a moment ago was the source of my concern. The message with a photo had the following written on it:

“(This is what we are having for today. If you want, I can save some for you. What do you think?)” (Souma)

“You know… I feel like I’ve gained weight recently.” (Hiyori)

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[Souma PoV]

When Hiyorin returned home from the Zanimas live broadcast, we were having dinner and sharing a drink together.

“Hey, what do you think? Have I really gained weight?” (Hiyori)

“Well, even if you ask me that…” (Souma)

For some reason, my hand was resting on Hiyorin’s belly. The soft sensation through her thin loungewear was spreading in my hand, and to be honest, it was quite unsettling.

“Please, tell me honestly?” (Hiyori)

Hiyorin continued to press my hand against her belly with a serious look on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and it was clear that she was a bit drunk. I mean, she wouldn’t do something like this normally, right? If she did, my self-control would be in trouble.

“Even if you ask me to be honest… I don’t really know how slim you were originally.” (Souma)

In our live performances, Hiyorin usually wore outfits that showed her midriff, but I couldn’t recall just how slim she was. I’m embarrassed to admit that during her live performances, I tend to focus on her face, chest, and legs…

“Hmm, but I don’t think you’ve gained weight at all. You’re still really slim.” (Souma)

“That’s a lie, isn’t it? Souma-kun, you’re just being considerate, right? Here, look carefully!” (Hiyori)

“Wha-?!” (Souma)

Hiyorin lifted her loungewear almost up to her chest as if to prove her point. I instinctively averted my gaze, but I couldn’t help but have a lingering image of her skin burned into my eyes. Why on earth would she start doing something like this out of the blue!?

“Hey~ I really have gained weight, haven’t I…? Don’t look away, please, look properly.” (Hiyori)

“Guh…!” (Souma)

With both of my hands tightly held, I had no way to escape. I reluctantly shifted my gaze towards Hiyorin. An area of her skin was slowly coming into view, and my blood was rushing inside me due to a natural bodily reaction. Calm down, me.

I desperately tried to distract myself by imagining the underside of a cicada while focusing on Hiyorin’s stomach. This was my last line of defense against the drunk Hiyorin. Thinking of something this unpleasant was a sophisticated method of calming yourself down, but to be honest, it wasn’t even that effective.

*Gulp…*

Hiyorin’s stomach can be described as a snowy expanse of skin, it’s incredibly beautiful, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The imagery of the cicada had completely vanished by this point. If we were to say that Mafuyu-chan’s physique represented a mechanically sculpted beauty, then, Hiyorin’s physique was straight up an exceedingly natural and animalistic beauty.

In other words, it was incredibly erotic. That’s just my impression, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this is what the most preferred body type by men was like. No wonder her photo collections sell well.

“So how is it…? I think I’ve gained some weight around here.” (Hiyori)

“Huh?!” (Souma)

Hiyorin gently placed my hand, which she had been holding, on her waist.

“Ugh… I guess I really have gained weight, haven’t I?” (Hiyori)

Misinterpreting my complex expression as a yes, Hiyorin’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. I quickly released her hand, taking a few steps back on impulse. I had no idea what I might do next.

“Haah… haah…” (Souma)

My blood was racing through my body at an incredible speed. Honestly, it felt like my head was about to explode. If things continued like this, I had a feeling that I might do something regrettable in the not-so-distant future. Hiyorin had no idea how appealing she was.

“I did think that I might be going too far… but your cooking, Souma-kun, is just too delicious… I can’t help myself…” (Hiyori)

Hiyorin sat down on a chair, reached for the potato salad appetizer I had prepared, and then washed it down with a glass of beer while wearing a happy expression. Although it didn’t seem like the actions of someone concerned about their weight, I couldn’t help but feel touched by Hiyorin’s words.

My cooking is too delicious, huh… 

“Hiyorin-san, please enjoy your meal without worrying. You haven’t gained any weight at all.” (Souma)

The heat that had taken over my body had completely subsided without me realizing it. No matter how many times I heard it, being told that my cooking was delicious made me happy.

Hiyorin listened to my words and let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief… I was worried about what to do if I gained weight before the upcoming live performance…” (Hiyori)

“Live performances…?” (Souma)

Zanimasu’s next live performance hasn’t been announced yet. Should I be expecting something soon…?

This question would soon be answered.

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Hiyorin lifted her loungewear almost up to her chest as if to prove her point.

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Thanks for reading!

Did Hiyorin just leak the next live performance? Well, I mean she’s drunk so it isn’t the weirdest thing.

P.S. I almost fell asleep translating these long descriptive paragraphs, so sorry if it’s off. Although my sleep schedule probably played a part in it. I’ll re-edit this tmr.

Edit: A bit late but I finished re-editting it

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