Yumemiru Danshi wa Genjitsushugisha ch 4

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4. Average person’s declaration

“I like you. Please go out with me.”

I confessed my feelings toward Aika with a very cool face that I could make (Intention).

When it came to confession that someone said to their loved one, usually it was that word, or something similar. But, by how many times I had said it, my words might sound like just common words in Aika’s ear now.

Anyway, while carefully observing the beautiful girl in front of me, I took a sip of the onion soup. I was so nervous that it didn’t have any taste in my mouth. It didn’t moisten my lips at all.

… Sorry Mom, I used 2 packages of your favorite instant soup powder.

“Ha, Haaah!? What are you talking about?! There’s no way I’d go out with you!”

Yeah, I knew it. As expected,

“Hey… since when did we start calling each other by our names?”

“What the hell, what’s with the sudden shot questions….. Calling by name? If I remember correctly, since we got into high school───Ah, don’t call me by that so casually! Everyone will misunderstand it you know!”

Yeah right. It must be annoying from Aika’s perspective.

Acting as if I’m her boyfriend, even though I’m not.

“…….Right, that’s right.”

This is the reality. That I have always turned away from. I’ve been always in a dream world, I kept dreaming since I was in middle school. From that dream, I couldn’t wake up until I heard the explosive sound of a soccer ball hitting a wall. And you, the mirror, you’re too cruel. R-18, that’s the rating that should be put on you.

“Well… it’s my bad, I’m sorry, Natsukawa”

“It’s too late for───eh?”

Aika, no, Natsukawa was blankly looking at me who just called her by her family name so suddenly.

Of course, she’s surprised by it. She did ask me to stop it so many times, but only now have I listened to what she said.

Natsukawa just stood on the spot without moving while pointing at me. Such a posture was so strange that it made me smile. Perhaps, it would be better to say that I grinned and failed to hide it.

Even if I ‘take a look in the mirror’, my love for Natsukawa won’t change. Even if I have to gaze at her like fans looking at their out-of-reach idol, I’ll proudly do it. Just because I start to see the reality, I won’t deny all of these feelings

That’s why, this greedy feeling that I have is unacceptable.

“Even if you hit me, I wouldn’t flinch, in fact, every hit would make me miss you more. If you think it normally, I really am a weird, crazy guy, right?”

“Eh, eeeee… S-suddenly, what are you talking about…”

“Of course, that is───”

“I’m homeー”

As I tried to continue my words, I heard a lazy voice and the living room door was opened vigorously. It was my sister, a university examinee this year, who just came back home like some delinquent. She threw her bag and took off her cardigan.

“Welcome back, Sis. But, don’t surprise me like that, please take it easy.”

“Huff… I’m seriously tiーred. Wataru get me something to dri──hm?”

My older sister, Kaede, jumped onto the sofa as soon as she came back. I couldn’t hide my sigh in the ruggedness that didn’t fit the name. [TN: Kaede (Maple leaf) in Japan, symbolizes elegance, beauty, and grace, That’s why the MC said her behavior doesn’t suit the name.]

Perhaps… one of the reasons I fall in love with Natsukawa is that I grew up seeing such an older sister. As expected, modesty is important.

When I was thinking about such a thing, it seemed Sis had discovered the existence of Natsukawa.

“Wa-Wataru brought a girl with him?”

Can’t you say it in better words? And, do you need to say it that loud? I think it could be heard by our neighbors. Please, don’t spread the misunderstandings even more…

A few seconds later, my mother who picked up my older sister from the cram school heard her voice and came inside like a storm. When she saw Natsukawa and me sitting across the dining table, she hung her head down and sighed.

Don’t say that Mom thought I and Natsukawa had done something because of Sis’ words…

“Don’t say something that could easily be misunderstood, you idiot!”

“Ouch!? B-But……!”

Oh, ooooh. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Mom angry. Certainly, her shout was unusually loud.

After Mom hit Sis’ head, she corrected her messed-up fleece and began to put an awkward smile on her face.

“G-good evening. Are you Wataru’s friend?”

“That’s not the normal way to talk to a high school student, isn’t it?”

“Could you Shut Up for a moment!?”

Mom sure is unusually emotional today. Both, she and Sis corrected their posture and observed Natsukawa, staring from top to bottom.

This sister and mother of me, and even me too? We might look like a really rude family.

Oi, stop it! Your eyes are like someone evaluating a product, you know! Could you stop it, please?!

“Even so, she’s super cute, isn’t she?! Don’t say, she’s your girlfriend!?”

“Of course, that’s not the case, oh my stupid daughter! Look at them! Somehow… they don’t look like ‘that’, right!?”

See at Aika Illustration

“Right! No matter how, she’s just too good for Wataru!”

It’s good that their judgment is correct, so I can explain it faster, but really, both of them just keep talking whatever they want huh? Are you two really my family members? It’s not like I’m a relative’s son and they hide that fact from me, right? No, now that I think about it, they’re always like that. And I’m not angry about it at all. Seriously, I sure have a mind of steel.

But well, I’m sure now she knows what I wanted to say.

“───Or so they say. Natsukawa. It seems I didn’t notice such a simple thing until now. Even though I should be able to understand immediately after thinking about it a little.”

“Eh……?”

“The more you say it, the more I realize it. If you dislike it so much, I won’t get closer to you anymore. Human relationships usually work that way, right?”

I’m sure, somewhere in me always feel off about all of this. Sure, I like Aika Natsukawa. However, I can’t imagine myself and her dating. Why is that?

No matter how much I try to imagine, it doesn’t seem like we are in balance. With how much our gap in appearances… I can’t keep humiliating myself by imagining a cruel scene.

At least now, I can accept the idea that there’s a natural disparity in the world like the face and the nerve of someone since born. That’s why, now I’m finally aware of my own appeal───I’ve finally woken up from a long dream, and am able to face back the reality that I have left behind.

“That’s why, I’m going to try to do what’s ‘natural’ to do, and try to read the situation and the mood. I’ll try to calm down my usual self, so please take care of me from now on too.”

“T-Take care of me, huh?….. Y-You…..”

That said, some mob characters are in their youth too. Even if they aren’t beautiful girls like the heroine of a drama, like Natsukawa. But I should be able to enjoy my school life as long as I can get someone who’s on the same level as me.

So, there’s one thing I can do now, and that’s to ask Natsukawa, who has a power level of about 50… no, 60 times more than me, to help me.

“───So, Natsukawa, isn’t there one girl among your friend who suits me?”

“What…!? 〜〜mmmh!!”

“Hm? huh…?”

Natsukawa was shaking her shoulders. No matter how I looked at it, it looked like she was angry. I was just a normal citizen, so, I didn’t dare to move when being glared at by a beautiful girl.

Anyway, I thought her gaze would be colder than this, but…

“───You’re the worst!!!”

“Uwah!?”

I thought she would hit me, so I hurriedly prepare myself for it. However, Natsukawa didn’t hit me. Instead, she stretched herself from the dining table with both hands and quickly headed toward the entrance. I tried to chase after her in a hurry, but her steps were so quick.

“O, Oi! Natsukawa!”

“Shut up! Idiot!”

Even though I finally reached her, Natsukawa shook my hand and went ahead as usual. The last thing I saw was her figure turning around the corner and running away with all her might.

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