Episode 5 - A Beautiful Girl Who’s Not Good At Asking Me Out, Comforts Me With A Matching Pump.

“Yuzu, do you plan to go somewhere for Golden Week?"

"Hmm, I'm going on a trip abroad to celebrate entering high school. What about you, Ayaka?

"I'm not going anywhere”

“Then can I buy you a souvenir, Ayaka?”

　During break time. I was chatting with Ayaka while turning my body and putting my arm on the backrest like people often do when talking facing their backs.

　Let's pretend we don't hear Ayaka's envied mutters.

　Golden Week will start this weekend and I’ll have a trip to Hawaii~! or not… but I’ll have a trip to Cambodia. The reason is simple and clear: my parents already visited Hawaii before I was born. However, I don't understand why this trip is to celebrate entering high school.

　...Well, I'm looking forward to it more than Hawaii because it feels more like an unknown place.

“As I'm the one who is getting souvenirs, I want Yuzu to be given to me”

   I guess that I should just let her say whatever she wants.

    I inwardly nodded my head and secretly glanced at her to see if she was embarrassed, she then kicked the bottom of my chair.

　Ayaka's cheeks are red, so she probably kicked it to hide her embarrassment… but I want her to take care of her own toes.

　See, she's frowning. I guess it really hurt.

“Yuzu, can I glare at you?”

“I'm very sorry"

    I lowered my head and immediately apologized.

　The two of us developed a common understanding that glaring = hurts my heart.

In other words, how much I kept teasing Ayaka till she glares at me, that's how much it’ll hurt my heart.

　By the way, Ayaka was quite cute when she was embarrassed... 

　Perhaps this thought made my heart throb in pain bound by Ayaka's glare. Seeing me in pain, Ayaka's cheeks relaxed a little, and her mouth formed a smirk.

　Before Ayaka says anything, I whispered "sadist" in a small voice.

　By the way, she didn’t hear that.

“When are you coming back?”

“What? Oh, the 3rd of May, I think? So I’m free on the 4th, 5th, and 6th.”

“I didn't hear that."

　My heart started to hurt again as I said to myself, "You clearly heard me, didn't you?” You're abusing your psychic powers. I'm going to sue you.

　Ayaka turned her red face away from me and said while swinging her legs.

“I see. Well, maybe when you're free… never mind.” 

“...[Kohon!-] Ah~ the 5th of May, Children's Day, let's go somewhere and have fun~?”

　Ayaka was startled by my exaggerated words, so she may suspect that I was acting.

　I was also a little surprised but kept going.

“Hmmm… Shinjuku? Shibuya? Harajuku? or somewhere else?”

“I think Shibuya is the place to go if you want to have fun there…”

“I see, thanks for the advice Ayaka. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to go there. I'm not sure if that's a meeting place or not. Speaking of meeting places, Ayaka?”

“What is it…?”

Ayaka turns away from me and then looks sideways toward me.

　Is she trying to look uninterested? But her fingers on the desk are happily tapping in rhythm- don't stare at me by surprise!

　I protested strongly in my mind but continued the conversation anyway.

“I'd like to know at what times you think a girl would be happy to meet up. I’d like to know for reference”

　My deliberate almost successful strategy of asking her in a roundabout way took an unexpected turn.

　I think it was my shyness in adding the last part "I’d like to know for reference", that was the cause of the problem.

“What do you mean by ‘for 'reference'?”

“What?”

"Are you going out with a girl? With who?”

“It’s…”

What are you talking about? If Ayaka-san can read minds, she should understand even more. Other than going out with Ayaka…

Ayaka turns her head away from me with a sullen look on her face that made my heart leap with a thump.

“If Yuzu were to go out with someone else, I wouldn't want that.”

　I'm sure you definitely like me, don't you!? Why are you jealous of that? You’re too cute to be jealous!

　I screamed a few more things into my mind and took a deep breath. Ayaka's ears were bright bright red as if she had heard all of my heart’s cries.

　But whether she was still pouting or just pretending to be pouty, Ayaka's cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel.

　Now, how should I calm down this bashful Ayaka…?

　There was only one answer.

“Hey, Ayaka. Do you..."

“What is it?”

“On May 5th..."

　To appease Ayaka’s jealousy, I should invite her to hang out with me. That way, there would be no room for Ayaka to be jealous.

　The reason why I didn't directly ask her from the beginning is that I was too shy to ask her to hang out with me.

[ As I'm going to give you a souvenir, why don't you come to Shibuya? I'll meet you in front of Hachiko. At what time would you like to meet? ]

　I'm sorry, Ayaka! I didn't have the guts to ask you out! I'm afraid of the mental breakdown I'd have if I asked you out and you said no!

　I shouted such an excuse, which was not even an excuse, in my mind and looked at Ayaka.

　Ayaka's cheeks, which had somehow deflated, puffed up again, and she mumbled something about how there was no way she would refuse.

　Then she sharply glared at me, got up from her seat, and quickly said,

“10:30 in front of Hachiko. Cowardly Yuzu”

　That quite hurt.

*

"Hey Ayaka, listen."

"What's up?"

While walking home, I talked with Ayaka. I'll tell her about the strange incident that happened this morning.

"So this morning, I was eating breakfast while trying to put on my socks, you know?"

"That's bad manners."

"I was in a hurry, so I was watching TV while trying to put on my socks, okay?"

"...even worst manners."

"I was watching the weather forecast! If it's going to rain, I need an umbrella, right? So I put my foot in my sock and pull it up, right? Then I felt something strange."

Ayaka tilts her head at this point. It seems she tries not to read minds during conversations like this.

I'm very happy because she seems to be enjoying our conversation.

"I thought it was strange, so I pulled on the sock and then... "

"And then?"

"I heard a rip, and I thought, 'What the?!' So I looked and saw... "

"Hurry up and tell the punchline. If you don't, I'll read your mind."

Threatening me like that is against the rules. I mentally scold Ayaka for rushing me to tell her the punchline.

"I saw that it was my glove!"

"...lame."

"Ah, sorry... well you see, that was my favorite glove."

" ...I see. Sorry, you must have regretted that."

My mental state turned into shambles again. 

I was so broken that Ayaka comforted me by gently patting my shoulder, it was very soothing.

Also, I felt like I was being comforted in a way that was like a matching pump, but I decided not to worry about it.

By the way, Ayaka had a face of an shrewd saleswoman gloating over her successful evil sales scheme— (the rest is omitted)