Episode 6 - A Beautiful Painted Girl Whispers to Me and Confuses Me

"Knitting, huh?”

　I looked at the printouts handed out in home economics class and muttered to myself. The assignment for the first semester of home economics was to draw a design for a knitting project.

　Lunch break. After receiving lunch from Ayaka, we sat down at our desks to eat together as usual.

　Ayaka was sitting in front of me, and in her hand was a book I had lent her. I was thinking that I could get some money if I drew a picture of a beautiful girl reading or something like that.

　Ayaka looked up from the book, so I turned my attention back to the printout to look away.

　Somehow, I drew a line on the paper. As my hand moves, I slide the pencil… and before I know it, I've drawn a beautiful girl reading.

　I glance at Ayaka and see the beautiful girl in the drawing.

　The beautiful girl in the drawing was quite close to Ayaka.

　I looked for an eraser, thinking that I had to erase it, but at that moment, Ayaka easily took away my printout.

"Hey!”

　I almost shouted, then stopped. If I shouted, I would attract the attention of my classmates. Then, in the worst-case scenario, they would call me a pervert for drawing a girl.

　Meanwhile, Ayaka looked at my drawing and turned up the corner of her mouth with a grin.

“Yuzu, is this me?"

“Umm… well, what do you think?”

[While I drew it while I was looking at Ayaka, it's not Ayaka, okay?]

　It is embarrassing to say it directly, so I muttered it in my mind to tell you.

　Then, Ayaka-san, smiling brightly, took out a binder from her bag and put my printout in it.

“Hey, that's mine…"

　With a silent smile, Ayaka took out her wallet and pulled out a 100-yen coin…

“I want to buy it, I want to buy this painting."

“What…!?”

“I have a precious 100 yen… is this enough?"

　Saying this, she now takes out a 500 yen coin from her wallet.

　Why does my vague drawing supposedly have a price? And with her pocket money nonetheless, which Ayaka says it’s precious to her!

“It’s because you’re good at it, no? So why is it not for sale?"

"Uh… it’s kind of a hassle, so I'll skip ahead and ask, but aren't you grossed out?"

　I did not dare to continue to talk about my drawing.

　Ayaka, who must have read my mind, shook her head.

“I’m happy, very happy. Because Yuzu drew it for me."

"Uhh~ Ohh~ I see”

　When she says it with a soft smile, I know she really means it and it makes me happy too. Realizing this made me embarrassed.

　In junior high school, I drew a picture of a girl who looked like a gyaru and she told me I was gross, it left deep scars in my heart as I was starting to like her a little bit.

　At that moment, Ayaka's face became expressionless.

“Who is the girl?　What kind of relationship are you in now?"

“Uh… I haven't been in touch with her”

“I see.”

　I believe the painting was brought back intact…

　Oh, that's right, my assignment prints! I have to get it back!

"Anyway, I don't want the money. Can I ask you to return that drawing? If you take it home with you, I won't be able to turn in my assignment.”

"No, I don't want to. You can have a new print and I'll keep this one.”

"Ehh… it would be nice if Ayaka could go to the home economics room and get a printout of the assignment...”

　There’s an 80% chance of her following that as it’s a pain in the ass to move for me and a 20% chance to make that as an excuse to reject her. Will she give up?...

　

　The moment I thought that, Ayaka stood up. The sound of her chair screeching into the classroom, the buzz in class stopped for a moment.

“I'm going to get it now, so don't move. If you're not in front of me when I get back, you're screwed."

“Uh, yes.”

　Ayaka-san runs out of the classroom after she blurted those words.

　I was conflicted because I had to go to the bathroom but that's another story.

　*

<Ayaka’s POV>

　The day after the drawing incident.

　After Yuzu finished eating, I put him to sleep. He fell asleep easily when I stared into his eyes and reminded him to sleep. In other words, it was my psychic power.

　Now he is lying on his desk, sooooooo asleep as he breathes softly.

　It seems that the psychic power I used to have as a child has come back. However, the use of psychic powers is limited to Yuzu’s vicinity.

　I don't know why, but I guess it's because Yuzu is special to me.

　Thinking about this, my heart, which had been pounding because of our recent eye contact, pounded even faster.

　Standing on the side of Yuzu's back, I could feel my desire to conquer and monopolize to a greater or lesser degree. To say the least, it was a pleasant sensation.

　I took a measuring tape out of my pocket and gently placed it on Yuzu's hand. I measure his wrist, the length and diameter of the fingers, the width and thickness of the hand… and make a note of all of them.

　Every time my hand touched Yuzu's hand, my heart jumped.

　Yuzu's warm, slightly large hands were the hands of a boy after all.

　I felt nervous when I touched them, but somehow my heart felt at ease. I felt safe.

　I positioned my mouth next to his ear to whisper.

　I don't want to use my brainwashing powers, either with or without principle.

　But it would not be a crime to at least whisper to a sleeping person to make him or her believe.

“Yuzu, your place is only with me, so don't go anywhere alone."

　I say such a thing with a woman’s intuition in mind. To be honest, it's the peak of pervertedness and it's as disgusting as it sounds when I think back on it, but it's a small price to pay if it’s etched into Yuzu's deep psyche.

　Besides, Yuzu is sleeping, so there is no need to worry about being heard.

　It's what we call a "get out of the way" comment. I'm not sure if I really meant it. It's not what I really think. There is no such fact that I am thinking such a thing in a corner of my mind. Yes, it doesn't exist.

--I was so embarrassed that I wanted to get away from Yuzu, but I didn't. The purpose of this was to stop myself from screaming in embarrassment then getting away from Yuzu. To prevent this, I brought my face even closer to his. It is a convenient excuse.

　Let me put it simply. I wanted to kiss Yuzu on the cheek.

　I was too embarrassed to do it.

*

“nnn… it’s cute."

　Home. I look at the portrait Yuzu drew for me, tucked under the table cover on my desk and mutter to myself.

　I'm thrilled to think that this cute little girl, drawn in a slightly manga style, is me in Yuzu’s eyes.

　I guess Yuzu thinks I'm this cute. I was so excited.

“Ayaka, what are you doing being a maiden?"

“Ehh… Akane! Don't look at me!”

"Oh, you're talking in a tone with an exclamation mark after all these years. Is it a boy?”

　Suddenly, my sister came from behind and peeked at my desk. I tried to hide it with my hand, but she forcefully pulled out my hand. Ah I’m done for.

　I could feel my face turning bright red.

“Perhaps you like the man who drew this? Hmmm...that's good, isn't it?"

"Is that so?"

"I think so. He's the type of guy who is unreliable but is the first person to be kind to me, right?

“Why you–?”

“Isn't that the type of guy you like, Ayaka? Have we ever told you that we have psyche powers? If you have a child, it might be inherited.”

“---You're too fast! Baka! Mou…”

　I have yet to reveal to anyone that my psychic powers have been restored only to Yuzu's vicinity. Because that would be like saying that Yuzu is special.

　So I embarrassedly replied with angry sounds at Akane's words and then nodded vaguely.

"That guy was all pouty, wasn't he?"

　Certainly, even when I use my psychic powers, Yuzu is all pouty. It seems he doesn't think my powers are that important. Which makes me angry, he should cherish me more.

“How did you know that–!?”

"Fufun, onee-chan used to be a psychic too, you know? Well, I hope Ayaka’s love will come true, I’ll have to tell Akina later~”

　And it was a big miscalculation that my feelings became known to my family in an instant.

　This was all Yuzu's fault.

　I put all the blame on a guy who was not here.

PS: Akane is… Ayaka’s sister

Akina is… also Ayaka’s sister