Tsun'na Megami-sama to Darenimoienai Himitsu no Kankei Chapter 2 part 1

Chapter 2 – Neighbors Can Be Study Partners [part 1]

 

“Yeah, not bad. I’d say... it’s pretty tasty.”

“Is it too spicy?”

After school, while I was cooking at home, Yukimiya showed up just like she promised and said that with a straight face.

Come on... yesterday you even sang a whole curry song, remember? (Lyrics and music by Yukimiya Hyouka, by the way.) You totally enjoyed it, didn’t you?

She’s so bad at being honest.

“But... you looked happy too, right? I could tell from your reaction.”

“No. There’s nothing to be happy about. Whether it’s homemade curry or freshly cooked rice, I don’t care about any of it. I’m not happy at all.”

“There’s no way that’s true.”

At least look into my eyes when you say that!

Her eyes were already full of hunger. It was obvious. Too obvious, Yukimiya.

Well, since her dinners are usually just cup noodles or store-bought stuff, I can totally understand

“Anyway, I came today to return your Tupperware... Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

When I glanced at the Tupperware she handed me, it was cleaned perfectly. She probably used a ton of soap to scrub off the oil. Next time, I’ll teach her the hot water trick to make it easier.

Just as I reached out to take it, Yukimiya’s nose twitched. Her eyes drifted toward the inside of my room.

“Eh? Oh, today I made steak and potato salad. The supermarket had a half-price meat sale.”

“Steak... potato...”

—Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Her stomach...

When I smiled at her, she quickly turned her face away.

“Not me.”

“I didn’t say anything, though. Anyway, I made an extra portion for you too. ...Want some?”

“…………………………………No thanks.”

“Wait a second...”

That didn’t sound like a real ‘no’ at all.

Smiling wryly, I took out another Tupperware I’d already packed and placed it into a paper bag.

Steak, potato salad, and baguette. Plus, I grabbed some cherry tomatoes for balance. Though honestly... potato salad isn’t really a salad when you think about it.

I adjusted the portion so it wouldn’t be too much for her.

“Here, take it.”

*Gulp* “...Th-thank you...”

Her swallowing sound was loud enough to hear. Her eyes were glued to the paper bag like a hungry cat staring at food. Just seeing her like that made all the effort worth it.

“Uh... I hate cherry tomatoes though.”

“Don’t be picky. You won’t grow big if you—”

“What did you say??”

“...Slip of the tongue.”

I didn’t even say anything specific! Why is she so defensive?

Feeling the weight of her cold stare, I started to panic. She let out a sigh and looked down.

“Yeah, yeah... I’m the one getting the food here... I shouldn’t complain... I’ll eat it... I’ll try...”

“Okay. If there’s leftovers, just bring them back tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

...Somehow, this really feels like I’m feeding a hungry stray cat.

But this can’t continue forever... Oh, right.

“How about I make dinner for you for a while, if you don’t mind?”

“Really!?”

Whoa—she’s too close...!

Her eyes sparkled like crazy. She leaned in with a super bright expression. Just her face though... just her face was cute.

When I pulled back a little, Yukimiya coughed awkwardly and turned away, maybe embarrassed by how close she got.

“W-well... if Yatsuhashi-kun insists on offering me food... I guess I won’t refuse—”

“But in return, you’ll need to help pay for the ingredients. Also… you’ll have to learn how to cook too.”

“...Huh? Me... cook?”

“Yeah. I can’t keep making food for you forever. Plus, once you learn, you can cook whatever you want whenever you want. By the way... do you have any favorite foods?”

“...Karaage.”

“Karaage, huh...”

“What? Something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Judging by her reaction to yesterday’s curry, today’s steak, and now karaage... she really likes kid-friendly foods.

“Hmm... Yukimiya, do you like cookies?”

“! ...Yeah, I do.”

Oh? Nice reaction.

“What about chocolate?”

“Love it.”

“Macarons?”

“Love them! Love them!”

“Cake?”

“Super love it!”

“Too bad. I can’t make any of those.”

“!?”

The excitement on her face completely collapsed like she fell off a cliff. This side of Yukimiya... you’d never see it at school.

I’m sorry... please stop glaring at me like that.

“Haha... I’ll learn how to bake someday. You’ll learn to cook, I’ll learn to bake. Let’s practice together.”

"...Fine. But nothing too expensive, okay? I’m on a tight budget too."

“I know. I don’t have much money either. We’ll go budget-friendly. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to handle household chores too.”

What kind of ‘young lady’ worries about money anyway?

“Also... just in case, let’s exchange messaging app IDs. It’ll make things easier. You can tell me what you want to eat that way.”

“If you abuse it, I’ll hang you.”

Huh? Hang? What does she mean by ‘hang’? My neck? That’s scary...

Anyway, after exchanging IDs, the name ‘Hyouka’ appeared on my phone.

Somehow... this was my first time getting a girl’s contact info.

Even if it’s just Yukimiya... it still made me kind of happy.

“Well then... Let’s work together from tomorrow on.”

“Okay, see you.”

After saying that, Yukimiya quickly returned to her own apartment.

She probably couldn’t wait to dig in. I mean... it’s steak. Not something you get to eat every day. Even I only buy beef when it’s on sale.

After going back inside and prepping my own meal... a thought hit me.

Now that I think about it... does this mean I’ll be seeing Yukimiya every single day?

At school, we’re in different classes, so we’d only meet in the hallways.

That helped keep my stress low... but now... am I digging my own grave? Facing her cold glare every day sounds exhausting.

…Though, when we cleaned together yesterday, it wasn’t that bad... maybe it’ll be fine.

I want to believe everything will be okay... Everything... will be okay... right?

...No point worrying now—Eh?

“Lovely steak makes me happy~♪ Potato salad joins the party too~♪ Crispy-crunchy baguette on the side~♪ But, but, no thanks to the tomatoes~♪”

“Ah... there she goes again.”

Now it’s a steak song... this must be her habit. Singing about food when she’s happy.

As I listened to her cute little song coming from next door, I sat on the sofa and started my dinner.

Even though there was a wall between us... it felt like we were eating dinner together.

That simple thought... warmed my heart a bit.

 

◆◆◆

 

“Hey, hey, Hazuki! Yoo-hoo, Hazuki!”

The next morning on my way to school, Junya ran up to me at the school gate, full of energy.

Ugh... Annoying. I was already tired from yesterday. I really didn’t want to deal with this first thing in the morning. And stop grabbing me! It’s too hot!

“......Ah, good morning. How are you? You seem pretty hyped.”

“Hahaha! I’m fired up right now! I really thought I’d be single forever!”

“No way... You found a girlfriend?”

“No! Not yet... Ugh! Stop giving me that ‘what are you talking about’ face!”

Seriously... anyone would think he actually got a girlfriend. So what’s he so fired up about?

“Haa... Listen, Hazuki. Back when we were at an all-boys school, the chances of getting a girlfriend were near zero. No girls around to even meet! But now! No matter where you look, there are girls! The air smells sweet! How could I not be excited?!”

“............”

“Hey, don’t keep stepping back like that!”

Man, this guy’s hopeless.

“You’re overreacting.”

“No I’m not!"

Honestly... guys who only ever talk about girlfriends probably won’t get one.

Girls would definitely avoid someone acting like this...

Even if I told him that, Junya wouldn’t listen. He was way too fired up.

“Fufufu... There’s still two years left in our high school life... I’ll show you! I’ll get a girlfriend!”

“Good luck with that~”

"...Come on, can’t you get a little more hyped?"

“It’s not like I don’t care… I just don’t wanna make a big deal out of it.”

“Wow! That’s why you’re still a virgin!”

“I don’t need to hear that from you!”

“I’m a virgin too! But I’m not like you—pretending you don’t care when you do.”

Ugh... I want to punch him. This guy’s so annoying.

But honestly, at this rate, with us talking about girlfriends and virginity like this, it’ll stay just a dream forever. Look... even the girls around us are giving us weird looks.

“Look, look! That’s real ‘guy friendship’ right there...”

“Which one made the first move, you think... the brown-haired one?”

“Honestly... I think he’s more like the one being chased.”

“Eh, so the black-haired one’s the ‘top’?”

“ “ “Fufufufufu~” “ ”

Are they... really watching us like that!?

Junya didn’t notice. He still had his arm around my shoulder, chatting away like always.

Damn it... At this rate, I won’t ever get a girlfriend. All because of him.

“Enough! Get off me!”

“Eh? But this is normal for us Kuroba boys, right?”

“You know... if rumors start that you're into guys, not only you—I'll get dragged into it too! Neither of us will ever get a girlfriend!”

As I changed into my school shoes at the lockers, Junya suddenly shifted topics.

“By the way... How’s the ‘Goddess’?”

“...What about her?”

I tensed up at his sly grin.

By ‘Goddess,’ of course he meant Yukimiya Hyouka.

Suddenly bringing her up... did he find out that we live in the same apartment building? No, no way.

But Junya didn’t notice my unease and kept smiling.

“There was that Student Council meeting the day before yesterday, right? How was she? Is she really like the rumors say? Cool, perfect, elegant, and all that?”

“...Pfft!”

“What’s so funny?”

Oops... couldn’t help it. Which part of her is ‘cool and elegant’? Cool... sure. Like minus 100 degrees cool!

…Though, at home, she’s pretty cute. Enough to flip that first impression upside down.

“Junya... let me just say this. Rumors are just rumors. You’re better off keeping your fantasies to yourself.”

“Heh...? You’re saying some deep stuff, Hazuki.”

“Because you’re an idiot.”

“Hey!?”

We kept bickering like that as we headed up the stairs toward our classroom.

Then... from the top of the stairs... a girl came down.

The first thing that caught my eye... her legs. Beautiful and shapely, showing under a short skirt.

As I looked up... she wasn’t wearing a blazer. Her sleeves were rolled up, and a few buttons near her chest were undone, giving a glimpse of... well... more than Yukimiya for sure. Though... probably not a good thing to think about.

Higher up... bright blonde hair. Pretty rare at our school. Her bangs were swept to the side, and the tips curled inward.

Her makeup was bold. Total gal style. But her face... had this graceful beauty too.

In short... a beautiful gal. Completely different from Yukimiya.

If this had been my first time seeing her, I probably would’ve been super nervous.

But... it wasn’t.

She’s from Shiramine’s Student Council. The same girl who attended the joint meeting two days ago.

Even though she’s in the Student Council, she’s still so flashy... that was kind of surprising...

While I was staring at her like an idiot... she noticed me... and gave me a confused look.

Well... maybe I should say hi since we’re both in the student council.

“Ah… um, good morning.”

“Oyoyo? Yeah, good morning.”

The mood was really relaxed. Since she also went to an all-girls school, I thought she would say something formal like “Greetings,” but she was much more casual. Because of that, I felt less nervous too.

…Wait, where’s Junya? He was just next to me, right?

When I looked, Junya had quietly gone up the stairs ahead of me. He turned back to me with a very tense face.

“H-Hazuki. I’ll go… first.”

“Oh, okay?”

Why was he stuttering? Oh right. Since we both came from all-boys schools, we’re still not used to talking to girls after just one year here. I’m the same, but after spending time with Yukimiya these last two days, I’ve started getting used to talking with girls.

If this keeps going, having a girlfriend might stay just a dream... Good luck, Junya. I’m rooting for you.

I thought that quietly as the gal girl watched Junya leave and tilted her head.

“Heh, what’s with that? He’s way too nervous, isn’t he?”

She said it with a serious face, no smile. That gal girl is kind of scary.

"I'm not making excuses for him, but even if he seems awkward, he’s really trying hard to get a girlfriend."

“Really? But if he keeps this up, it’ll be hard to get a girlfriend among the elegant girls at Shiramine.”

Yeah, I know that.

The pretty gal girl walked down the stairs and got very close to me—too close! Her face was really pretty and she smelled nice. When I looked down… wow, I could see a deep valley calling!

I quickly looked away, and the gal girl looked annoyed.

“Hey, Hazukichi. Looking away from an old childhood friend isn’t polite, you know?”

“Huh? Hazukichi?”

I turned to her immediately when I heard that nickname.

Only childhood friends called me that.

Yatsuhashi Hazuki. From Hazuki to Hazukichi.

That means we went to the same kindergarten.

............Who is she? I can’t remember. She has makeup, blonde hair, and... wow, big breasts! Really big! But I wouldn’t say that out loud.

“Err… sorry, we’re both student council members, right? What’s your name?”

“I introduced myself yesterday!”

“Sorry, I was so nervous I didn’t listen.”

This is serious. It’s my first time talking to a girl in a year. I don’t know how to act and I feel like throwing up.

The pretty gal girl sighed like she was impressed, then looked at me sharply.

“Really… Hazukichi, you haven’t changed at all. So maybe you’ll understand if I say this? I’m Yocchan.”

Yocchan? …Ah... Ahh!!!

“Yocchan! Kurotsuki Youko!”

“That’s right! The correct answer!”

The pretty gal girl is Kurotsuki Youko, nickname Yocchan.

It’s true. We went to the same kindergarten and same elementary school until third grade.

We never met again after she transferred… I never thought I’d meet her here again.

Kurotsuki smiled widely, then quickly went back to a sharp look.

“Geez, you’re so slow to notice. I knew it was you the moment I saw you at the student council meeting two days ago. And you always rush home whenever I try to talk.”

“S-sorry.”

Even though she said I was slow, even if I heard her name properly, I might not have recognized her. She looks so different now.

For us childhood friends, Kurotsuki Youko was...

“You used to be quiet, gentle, calm, gloomy, cried easily, didn’t like boys, and always followed me around like an introverted anime character—”

“That’s rude! I could cry, you know!?”

I didn’t mean to insult her. That’s just how she was.

Ouch! Don’t kick me! Sorry, sorry!

“But still… you’ve really changed. I never thought you’d become a gal.”

More than that, I’m surprised she became so pretty. She changed a lot.

“Hehe~ I thought if I kept sulking, nothing would change. Maybe this is a high school rebirth.”

“At an all-girls school?”

“My parents only let me come here. Since middle school, I learned makeup and exercise to shape my body, so I look good from all angles. How’s this? Sexy and cute, right?”

Kurotsuki posed to show off her figure.

She really looked good… but I didn’t know where to look when my childhood friend was posing so sexily.

“Oh? Why? Your face is all red, Hazukichi.”

“No, anyone would be—”

“Hehe, you’re still innocent, huh? Cute~”

Don’t tease me...

While I was struggling where to look, some girls passing by looked at us and whispered.

“Look at Kurotsuki-san’s inappropriate clothes again...”

“Especially in front of a boy, posing like that...”

“She’s trying to seduce him.”

...What did you say?

When I glared at them, the girls got scared and ran away.

“Hey, stop making that face, Hazukichi. You look like a fighter. But it’s okay for me...”

“No, even if you’re okay, I can’t accept it. People who judge only by looks are not good. I can yell at them if you want.”

“No need!”

Kurotsuki pinched my shirt and smiled like it didn’t bother her.

She really is like the sun.

“I like who I am now. No matter what people say, I don’t care.”

“...If Kurotsuki herself feels that way, maybe it’s okay”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, just call me Yocchan like before, okay?”

She looked unhappy when I called her Kurotsuki and made a really grumpy face. But even so...

“We’re not little kids in kindergarten or elementary school anymore. I can’t just go around calling you *Yocchan*. So I’ll stick with *Kurotsuki*.”

“Ehh, I don’t mind if you call me Yocchan, though...”

“Nope. Don’t underestimate the pride of a teenage guy who just escaped from an all-boys school.”

“Wait, are you seriously proud of that? Hee~”

“You little—”

“Hehe, just kidding. That’s so like you, Hazukichi.”

Ugh, don’t hit my back. It hurts.

Seeing Kurotsuki’s carefree smile made me forget her flaws. She used to smile like that sometimes. Even with all the changes, some things didn’t change after all these years.

And don’t pat a guy’s back carelessly! I might fall in love!

I laughed and looked away. Kurotsuki looked behind me and said, “Ah!” like she saw someone she knew.

She looked happy. That person must be close to her.

I turned and saw Yukimiya Hyouka.

My face froze.

Kurotsuki greeted her cheerfully.

“Hyouka-chan, hey!”

“Vice President Kurotsuki, good morning. Please greet properly.”

“Yeah! Good morning!”

“Good. …And also to President Yatsuhashi.”

“…Good morning.”

Why does she act so differently with Kurotsuki than with me? Well, I guess that’s normal between classmates and guys.

“So Kurotsuki is vice president.”

“Cool, right? What do you think?”

“You can’t judge someone by looks alone...”

“Hah!? Even Hazukichi isn’t fit to be president!”

“I’m president because I have influence, okay?”

That’s a lie. I became president because no one else ran. Also, my grades got better because of it. Well, just for a moment, let me be proud. I want to look cool, after all.

While Kurotsuki and I joked around, Yukimiya looked confused.

“You two seem close. So… Hazukichi?”

“We’ve known each other since kindergarten! We even went to the same elementary school until halfway through, so yeah, you could say we’re childhood friends. That’s why I call him Hazukichi. Oh! Hyouka-chan, you should call him that too! Maybe you two will get closer—”

“...No need.”

Her answer was sharp like a sword.

The mood got cold, like the last few days were just a dream.

Yukimiya glanced at me, sighed softly, then left. Seriously? Just looking at someone and sighing is too harsh!

“Looks like it didn’t work, huh? Maybe because of what happened at the last student council meeting… I wanted you two to get closer.”

“I’m fine like this.”

“No way! We go to the same coed school now, so we should be close!"

Close… huh. If I got close to a pretty girl like that, maybe school life would be more fun, but it’s hard. Besides, I don’t really get along with her personality. She’s like a beautiful flower with sharp thorns.

Just then, the bell rang for class to start. Kurotsuki looked like she wanted to say “Oops.”

“Ah! I have to go to the toilet! See you, Hazukichi! We’ll talk later!”

“O-okay. See you.”

Kurotsuki jumped down the stairs, even though she wore a short skirt.

I wanted to say things like, ‘Don’t jump around in a short skirt’ or ‘Girls shouldn’t talk about going to the toilet,’ but I had to hurry to class so I wouldn’t be late.

The day passed peacefully (though lessons were so fast my brain almost shorted out), and it was time to go home.

There was no regular meeting today, so after class, I got ready to leave.

Starting today, I have to teach Yukimiya all the house chores. I need to go home and prepare everything.

As I thought that, Junya, who was ready to go, came over.

“Hey Hazuki. Want to hang out after school? Since our schools are far from home, let’s walk and eat ramen.”

“Ah… sorry. I probably can’t go anywhere after school for now.”

“Because of student council?”

“More or less.”

“Ha… okay then. If it’s about Shiramine and student council work, I guess it can’t be helped.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, take it easy~”

Junya waved, said “See you,” and left with his friends humming happily.

I wish I could go too. But I promised Yukimiya and can’t break that on the first day.

Also, eating out means spending more money. Since I live on my own and rely on my parents for money, I have to be careful about how much I spend.

The school has a cafeteria, but Shiramine’s food is expensive. Even the cheapest dish is over 500 yen. I was surprised. It really feels like a cafeteria at a fancy all-girls school.

Yukimiya seems to eat in the cafeteria with her friends every day. She must have no money problems. That makes sense since she comes from a rich family.

Since I rely on my parents for living costs, I have to save money… and study. If my grades drop, I don’t know what they’ll say.

Feeling a bit jealous of friends free to hang out, I got determined and headed home to wait for Yukimiya.