“Hah~ That was so much fun…” (Aya)
Rewinding a bit…
This happened after Aya saw Haruto off from the entrance of her apartment.
Aya hugged a penguin plushie, sat down on the edge of the sofa, and let out a voice.
“I’m really glad everything went well.” (Aya)
Aya was sitting in the spot where Haruto had been sitting before he left.
In that place where his warmth still lingered, she murmured while vividly recalling today’s events.
(Haruto-kun, I wonder when you’ll invite me next…)
Even though he said, “I’ll try to invite you as soon as possible”, he’s a busy person who only has Saturdays off every week.
Even on those days off, he has to do his streams.
Once he gets home, he’ll probably start streaming to earn money.
Because of that, it’s hard to imagine being able to hang out anytime soon.
It’s lonely, but rather than pressing him about it, it’s best to patiently wait for his invitation.
But—
(I can look forward to playing with Haruto-kun again in the future, so I have to stay positive!)
To her, today’s date was enjoyable. She was able to call him “Haruto-kun”, she was able to invite him to her house, and she was able to guarantee a future date. All in all, her first date was a huge success.
“Alright! Considering I’m getting rewarded with a date in the future… I need to work hard at my job too!!… Now then!” (Aya)
After thinking positively while patting the plushie’s head, Aya reached for the bag she brought for the date.
She rummaged through it and took out the matching wireless earphones she secretly bought at the store.
With an unconscious smile on her face, she unboxed them and took them out. Then, she quickly moved to the streaming room to do one thing.
She hooked it up next to the monitor stand with the PC, like an interior decoration.
“Hehe, with this, I feel like I can stream even better than usual…” (Aya)
Maybe it’s because they match, but she felt as if he was cheering her on from nearby.
Truthfully, she wanted to purchase them openly and ask, “Is it okay if we match?” but she hesitated.
(In our current relationship, it might still be seen as too much huh…)
What Aya feared most was being disliked by him.
The reason she insisted on matching them was to create some peace of mind for herself.
Because… she heard that Rina, a reliable, beautiful, kind, and respected senpai, has somehow become close to him.
She also heard that Rina is getting along well with his sister.
Since their relationship has progressed further than hers, she wanted to feel like they were on equal footing.
Today, she avoided bringing up Rina during the date, because she knew she’d end up feeling jealous…
“I hope Haruto-kun will forgive me for being so jealous…” (Aya)
She muttered quietly.
This is something she can’t change, no matter how hard she tries.
Touching the matching earphones, she calmed her heart.
It was then, as she returned to the living room from the streaming room.
Aya’s steps suddenly stopped, and her eyes caught sight of something.
On the table were the plates and glasses they used during today’s meal.
“………” (Aya)
In this space, only the sound of the TV quietly played.
As if struck by a thought, Aya pursed her lips tightly and blinked repeatedly, then hurried over to the table.
To be precise, she approached the glass, touching it with both hands.
At that moment, what flashed through her mind was… the image of Haruto using this glass to take a drink.
The more vividly she recalls it, the hotter her head becomes as if it’s boiling.
Her reason melts away, leaving her unable to think about anything…
As she brings the cup closer to her mouth, her heart beats faster.
“—Wait!! W-what am I doing!? I can’t do something like this!?” (Aya)
She was just about to touch it with her lips.
Her voice trembled as she hurriedly returned the cup to its original position, regaining her composure.
While breathing heavily, she started hating herself after realizing the outrageous thing she was about to do.
“…” (Aya)
She regretted not accepting Haruto’s offer to help with the dishes before leaving if she knew she was going to end up like this.
“Mouu… just how much do I love Haruto-kun…” (Aya)
Her voice quivered with a heartfelt cry.
It was at this moment that she realized that she loved him so much that she couldn’t control herself.
Having attended an all-girls school in middle and high school, she had little contact with the opposite sex, and since this was her first love… it frightened her to see herself acting out of character.
“I need to cool my head…” (Aya)
Aya hurriedly carried the plates and cups to the sink, placing her hands under the cold water flowing from the faucet to cool her head.
The moment she saw the water splashing and hitting the rim of the cup, she was overwhelmed by a sense of ‘what a waste’.
“—Mouuu! Why am I like this…?!” (Aya)
Once again, she fell into self-loathing.
It was the most emotionally exhausting dishwashing she had ever experienced in her life.
“I’m really exhausted… Haa.” (Aya)
Though she managed to finish, she was utterly exhausted.
Just as she was about to sink into the sofa to recover her heavy body, a notification sound came from her smartphone on the table as if it was right on cue.
“!!” (Aya)
Aya had received a promise from Haruto that he’d contact her once he got home.
Thinking it was a message from Haruto, she hurriedly checked the screen, only to see the words “Streamer Exclusive Tournament, Ebe Festival Management”.
“Oh…” (Aya)
Feeling somewhat deflated, it was a message from the tournament management that she had been expecting.
As she checked the email to reply, she suddenly gasped.
“!?” (Aya)
Aya let out a startled cry and dropped her phone from her hand.
The shock was so great because of the team members listed under her team in the message for the upcoming tournament.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I can’t believe she was this close to doing something with the cup. And she still doesn’t know that she has competition in the form of Suzuha so rip.
Next chapter is the last one for this volume.
Footnote:
- None
Aya chan so pervert 😂