How to melt the ice lady

Готовый перевод How To Melt the Ice Lady / Как растопить сердце Ледяной Леди: Глава 1: "Ледяная Леди" простужена

«Я больше не могу есть, ням-ням…»

Произнесла она ровным, красивым, таким милым сонным голоском и невинным личиком, прямо как у ангелочка.

Глядя на девушку, которая безмятежно спала в кровати, Кагами Асахи задавался вопросом, как же все это произошло…

Рай для студентов или летние каникулы подходили к концу. Был конец августа…

После поступления в среднюю школу «Ледяная леди» Фуюки Химуро заселилась в комнату к Кагами Асахи. Изначально он жил один в этой крохотной комнатке общежития, которое находилось всего в нескольких минутах ходьбы от ближайшей станции.

Фуюки прозвали «Ледяной Леди», но она была не похожа на тех принцесс, которые показывались зрителю в фильмах… Я бы сказала, что это просто слегка утрированное прозвище, которое кто-то придумал самостоятельно, так оно и появилось.

Тем не менее, как и любого прозвища у Фуюки Химуро было основание называться «Ледяной Леди».

Она была поистине… Королевой! Великолепная внешность, образованность и ко всему прочем она обладала хорошими манерами.

Слухи о ней циркулировали каждый день по всей школе, в конце концов они достигли и ушей Асахи.

Заняла первое место как на промежуточных, так и на выпускных экзаменах…

Обедала она всегда в школьной столовой…

Даже получила пятерку по физическому воспитанию!

Во время перерывов ей нравится читать любовные романы.

Родилась в обеспеченной семье и выросла настоящей леди.

О ней всегда будут рассказывать истории. Даже самые тривиальные моменты её школьной жизни останутся в стенах этого заведения надолго. Её популярность была неизмерима, и многие ученики пытались сблизиться с ней. И юноши и девушки, независимо от своего положения, класса или оценок.

Однако, менее чем через полгода после церемонии вступления, никто не смог поладить с ней.

— Пожалуйста, держитесь от меня подальше.

Похоже, она и впрямь сказала это своим одноклассникам… Достаточно ясно и доходчиво, не так ли? Причём в самом начале…

Для Асахи, который был в другом классе, все сказанное её болтливыми однокласничками было не более чем сплетней.

На самом деле он и сам был одиночкой. В нём было что-то такое, что держало всех на расстоянии от него даже без слов.

В результате Фуюки Химуро получила прозвище «Ледяная леди».

Она всегда держала всех на расстоянии вытянутой руки, никогда ни с кем не разговаривала сверх того, что было необходимо, и всегда сохраняла невозмутимое выражение лица. Леди, которая была холодна как лёд, или так думал Асахи.

Это было ближе к концу сентября, когда Асахи начал убеждаться в слухах. Через месяц после того, как «Ледяная Леди» переехала в соседний дом, Асахи неожиданно для себя связался с Фуюки.

После шести часов вечера Асахи возвращался домой, только-только он отошёл от своих приятелей, как встретил «Ледяную Леди» у входа в свою комнату.

Их глаза встретились, они безусловно узнали друг друга, но без какой-либо реакции разошлись в разные стороны… Как бы, само собой… Наверное.

Хотя в глубине души он знал, что не обязан это говорить, Асахи закончил предложение.

Сразу же после того, как Асахи окликнул ее, он вспомнил тот день, когда Фуюки переехала в соседнюю комнату в прошлом месяце.

Тогда Фуюки не сказала ему ни слова, даже не поздоровалась.

Не было никакого способа узнать причину этого, но факт оставался фактом: Фуюки отказалась иметь хоть какие-нибудь отношения с кем-либо и закрыла свое сердце.

Если это было действительно так, то не было никакой необходимости вмешиваться.

Асахи считал, что они должны жить как чужие люди, не разговаривать друг с другом и не иметь ничего общего друг с другом.

Однако сегодня все было по-другому.

Он шёл немного позади Фуюки, её шаги были нетвердыми, казалось она вот-вот упадёт. Ранее белоснежная кожа сейчас отдавала краснотой. Даже если нельзя было сразу диагностировать болезнь, было совершенно ясно, что она плохо себя чувствует.

— Хеей, ты в порядке?

Несмотря на то, что он знал правду, из любопытства не унимался. Ему было больно смотреть на неё. Асахи пытался игнорировать происходящее, но все равно спросил еще раз.

Наконец, Фуюки остановилась, застыла на месте, но затем мягко повернулась, чтобы ответить Асахи.

Её глаза были полны слабости, но взгляд по-прежнему оставался ледяным.

— Я в порядке, поэтому, пожалуйста, оставь меня в покое.

Слова, которые она произнесла, были лишены какой-либо эмоциональной окраски. Тогда Асахи в полной мере ощутил на себе все слухи о Фуюки, и даже отметил это у себя в голове.

Это был первый разговор Асахи с Фуюки, но и его было достаточно, чтобы понять, почему её прозвали «Ледяной Леди».

Она была хладнокровной юной леди, всегда держала всех на расстоянии вытянутой руки, никогда ни с кем не разговаривала сверх того, что было необходимо, и всегда сохраняла невозмутимое выражение лица.

Она соответствовала всем словам, что были сказаны ей и в лицо, и за спиной.

Приближаясь к ней, она делала шаг назад и словно выстраивала вокруг себя толстую невидимую стену.

— Интересно, в чем же причина такого поведения…

Она не могла начать отвергать каждого с самого начала.

Должно быть, что-то случилось в прошлом, что привело к тому, что она превратилась в «Ледяную Леди».

Хотя, это было не то, о чём мог спросить обычный прохожий.

В конце концов, в целях самосохранения собственных нервов стоило держаться подальше от неё, от её жизни и не разговаривать с ней, как она того и хочет.

Асахи так и сделал.

Было ясно, что с ней не всё в порядке, но она не хотела, чтобы в её душе ковырялись.

Идя по коридору, как всегда держась на расстоянии и позади неё, он зачарованно глядел на её блестящие волосы, раскачивающиеся из стороны в сторону.

Фуюки подошла к входной двери комнаты и уже собирался отпереть её, как вдруг…

Асахи заметил, как Фуюки медленно, будто в замедленной съёмке падает на пол.

Она тут же подбежала к ней, но ответа не последовало.

Все было как обычно, но на этот раз Асахи совершенно не знал, как ему реагировать.

Глаза Фуюки были плотно закрыты, телу не хватало сил.

Судя по всему, это была просто простуда.

Но даже в этом случае Асахи не могла утверждать, нужно ведь основываться на специальных знаниях. Если так будет продолжаться, её жизнь может оказаться в опасности.

Холодный взгляд и отталкивающие слова Фуюки внезапно всплыли в голове, но он никак не мог оставить её в таком состоянии, когда она рухнула прямо перед ним.

— На всякий случай, я должен вызвать скорую помощь…

Асахи вытащил смартфон.

Быстро переключил его в режим экстренного вызова, но тут он почувствовал тепло на своей руке, когда попытался набрать комбинацию цифр: один, один, девять.

— Пожалуйста, не… Не вызывай скорую, у меня всего лишь простуда…

Что-то не так… Голос был хрупким и слабым, как будто он вот-вот исчезнет, но её слова были наполнены твердой решимостью.

Палец остановился на кнопке «девять», экран телефона погас.

Прежде чем он успел спросить у неё «Почему нет?», голова Фуюки упала назад.

Она не хотела ехать в больницу. Столько вопросов и хоть бы один ответ…

Её голос звучал совсем тихо, но эта мольба… Мольба, чтобы Асахи не вызывал скорую эхом отдавалась в его голове.

Оторвав взгляд от черного, как смоль, экрана своего телефона, Асахи начал рассуждать

Если она не вызвала скорую помощь, что ей делать в этой ситуации?

Менее чем за десять секунд ему в голову одновременно пришли две идеи.

Его совсем не устраивала ни одна из этих идей, но сейчас оставалось только это. Либо одно, либо другое.

Проведя в уме ускоренную симуляцию своих действий и выбрав один из двух вариантов, Асахи быстро отпер дверь перед ними.

Затем он зафиксировала дверь пробкой и положил руки под спину и колени Фуюки, которая все ещё лежала на полу.

— Прости, мне ничего не остаётся.

Не ожидая ответа, Асахи поднял тело Фуюки.

Это было слегка неуклюже, не очень-то и безопасно я бы сказала… Тащить таким образом «Леди».

Руки Фуюки, которые должны были быть на шее Асахи, свободно висели в воздухе, и если не быть достаточно осторожным, можно потерять равновесие и упасть.

Жар тела, тесный контакт с её телом и слабый сладкий аромат спутали мысли Асахи.

Однако прямо сейчас у него не было времени осознавать всю её привлекательность как члена противоположного пола.

Сейчас Фуюки нуждалась в помощи. Асахи закрыл дверь ногой как можно медленнее, чтобы не беспокоить «Ледяную Леди», которая спала у него на руках.

Translator: Lilo
Editor: Arya

Asahi felt like he had been transported to another world after entering the aquarium.

This place should have been above ground.

If you go outside, you would be able to see the sunshine and feel the gentle breeze of spring.

However, the inside space was different.

It was not an exaggerated metaphor, it could literally be described as another world.

It was as if he was breathing underwater.

The world was so tinted with blue that he had such a feeling.

“…This is amazing.”

Asahi let out a voice of admiration.

He had visited aquariums several times before, but they were all memories of the distant past.

At least, he didn’t remember going since junior high school.

For that reason, it had been a long time since had seen such a scene, so he was quite shocked.

And there was one girl who was more shocked than him.

She was shocked, of course, but also impressed.

“Look, Asahi-kun! The fishes are swimming above us!”

“It’s swimming alright.”

“There’s a ray over there! It looks like it’s smiling happily!”

“Oh, isn’t this Nemo!? He’s so small and so cute!”

“Yep, it sure is cute.”

He couldn’t help but look at her whilst saying “cute.”

According to what he had heard, Fuyuka had never been to an aquarium before.

To be precise, she lost the reason to go with her family.

Fuyuka’s expression was sad as she said this, and Asahi, knowing her background, was secretly thinking of how to entertain her.

“It’s like the Dragon Palace…”

Looking at Fuyuka’s enraptured face as she gazed into the tank and got excited like a child, it seemed that there was nothing for him to worry about.

The worry he felt was overridden by the blue-ness of the place.

It was enough to stay immersed in the blue world and interact with the inhabitants of the sea.

Asahi reconsidered his thoughts as he gazed at the fantastic scene…

He called out her name in a small voice.

But there was no response.

He called out again with a more clear voice.

But the result was the same.

Looking around, he couldn’t find the girl who had been standing next to him a moment ago.

This meant that…

It was what we call lost.

“ Sigh… are you Hinami or something?”

Asahi smiled, remembering the day they went to pay their first visit to the shrine.

The crowd was reasonable, but the locations were limited.

She shouldn’t be too far away yet, and they should be able to meet up with them soon.

Anticipating this, Asahi decided to look for the lost girl.

Less than five minutes after the search began, the lost girl was found.

Two corners away from the original location, the aquarium’s main feature, the tank.

Fuyuka was mesmerized by the whale shark, the star of the expansive space, and Asahi somehow decided to watch from afar.

The background music was pleasant to listen to, and the lighting was dim and blue.

Creatures of all sizes shared a space that mimicked the deep sea.

In the midst of all this, Fuyuka, who was as slender and small as the overwhelmingly large whale shark, radiated a special presence.

People, and the fishes, took a glance at Fuyuka.

And perhaps they shared the same opinion.

Unconsciously, unaware, Asahi muttered quietly.

Various words of praise arrived to his mind, but no other word could be so perfect to describe the sight behold.

She must have finally awakened from her dream.

Fuyuka, who had been engrossed in the other dimension, came back to herself and understood the situation.

From that point on, it was no longer beautiful, but rather, cute.

Asahi heard a faint voice calling his name with an anxious expression.

She wandered around, sometimes almost bumping into people as she passed by.

When Asahi called out to her, Fuyuka’s expression brightened.

“Asahi-kun! …W-what are you doing?!”

“It’s your punishment for going off on your own.”

He lightly tapped or rather stroked Fuyuka’s head.

Perhaps sensing Asahi’s worried look, Fuyuka’s expression immediately changed to one of remorse.

“I’m sorry…I was so engrossed that I didn’t pay attention to the surroundings around me.”

“Is this a bad influence from Hinami? Be careful next time.”

“If you want, you can grab my sleeve like you did at the shrine…or something.”

Fuyuka became a little depressed, so he interjected a joke in a slightly cheerful tone.

“I heard there’s penguin over there, and―”

Asahi was just about to walk away when he tried to regain his composure.

As he moved forward, a force pulled him backward.

When he turned around to see what was going on, he saw Fuyuka blushing and looking down.

And then, he lowered his gaze.

Fuyuka’s thin fingertips were touching his large hand.

“…With this, we’ll never get separated.”

The palms of their hands overlapped naturally and effortlessly.

He could feel the warmth of their skin touching each other.

Asahi and Fuyuka walked side by side through the underwater tunnel, holding hands tightly.

In a world where everything was dyed blue, their cheeks were endlessly red.

The invisible feelings of the two were also certainly connected by a red string.

Koori no Reijou no Tokashikata
How to Melt the Ice Queen’s Heart

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Asahi Kagami—a rather outgoing guy with a tendency to try to help anyone in need—happens to be neighbors and classmates with a girl named Fuyuka Himuro. At school she’s been nicknamed «The Ice Queen» by her classmates, and for good reason: she prefers to keep everyone at arm’s length and seldom talks to others.

Neither Fuyuka nor Asahi have had a chance to interact with each other yet, but Asahi’s tendency to meddle in other people’s business slowly but surely marks the beginning of a relationship that blooms into something more.

(Source: Tentai Books)

More reviews Reviews

Note this is a review of the first volume as of the writing of this review

I went into this light novel after looking for something to fill in the void after finishing all the currently available volumes of The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten.

It did it’s job perfectly.

. One thing I loved about this book was it’s characters.

When I read a lot of story’s there often ends up being main characters who I just can’t stand whether they be far to dense or just plan stupid.

However our MC of this story is a very likeable but realistic main character. He has his flaws and his pros which make him feel very real. Same can be said about the other cast of characters. I also enjoyed how the cast of characters is rather small I’m new to light novels and have noticed some story’s have so many characters that I find tough to remember all the Japanese names that I often get confused however this is not a problem in this story.

The plot of this story is very simple as the description shows however something about it draws you in.

Without spoiling anything there is enough plot lines to keep you engaged and if your like me you’ll find yourself wanting to spend more time with the characters.

Honestly have the art ranked slightly lower than other category’s.

In a light novel art is not as major a factor compared to manga and anime.

Even so I still felt some of the images used for art just looked off somehow.
It is hard to describe. Some of it however was beautiful to look at so it wasn’t all bad. Also art is very subjective so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

My final thoughts are that if your looking for a light hearted light novel with great characters and a engaging plot then I think this light novel is for you.

Am very sad to hear that the second volume did not sell well in Japan and won’t be carrying on moving forward however the author can be proud of the work he has put forth.

Hope you enjoyed my review is my first one and planning on trying to review 100 manga / anime / light novels in 2022.

Translator: Lilo
Editor: Arya

The school that Asahi attended had an extracurricular learning event coming right after Golden Week.

There were two main goals presented by the teacher.

One was to learn about the history and people of the area by experiencing it and interviewing the locals.

The second was to get to know your classmates better by sharing objectives and activities.

“So, it’s basically a school trip, right?”

Her classmates nodded in agreement to Hinami’s sharp remarks.

Takeuchi Shigeru, Asahi’s homeroom teacher, who was explaining the day’s schedule, frowned at the reaction.

“It’s not a school trip, it’s extracurricular learning.”

The atmosphere in the class tightened up at the crisp correction.

He looked clearly unhappy.

Everyone gasped, wondering if they had offended him.

“If I don’t say it like that, they’ll get mad at me.”

The person in question let out a languid sigh and began to complain about this and that.

About the nagging of his superior, the reduction in salary, and the lack of supervision.

“Teacher just started to speak nonsense all of the sudden.”

“Unbecoming of a teacher. But that’s good.”

“Didn’t he give an extra point last year?”

“Yep. Thanks to that I avoided failing.”

Asahi smiled at Chiaki, who gave him a peace sign from behind, and stared blankly at the blackboard.

In freshman year, both of them were in Takeuchi-sensei’s class, or Takezaki for short, so they were already familiar with the scene.

On the other hand, it seemed that Hinami and the other students who were meeting him for the first time were still getting used to his pace.

“Well, I guess it’s a school trip.”

The air in the classroom relaxed at that comment, and Hinami breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally realizing the appropriateness of Takeuchi-sensei, people became noisy.

“Damn, I’m getting off track here. I’m going to continue explaining, so listen carefully.”

Takeuchi-sensei read out the printouts in a tedious manner, while the students listened and chatted.

It was a nostalgic routine for Asahi and Chiaki.

“Last year we climbed a mountain and made curry, right?”

“All I remember was you burning the rice, Chiaki.”

“They said to cook with a pot. If it’s with a rice cooker, I can do it properly.”

“Do you have no shame?”

“There’s no substitute for a good meal… Oh, they’re giving out lunches this year?”

At the right moment, the explanation of lunch started, and they stopped chatting and turned their attention towards the blackboard.

Before they knew it, the word had increased, and there was a surprisingly beautiful array of handwriting.

The purpose of this trip, the history of the area, the snack limit of 300 yen, etc.

The main points were summarized in bullet points that were easy to understand.

In the midst of all this, there were large letters that stood out.

Extracurricular learning: Yokohama

It was a destination that made high school students couldn’t help but feel like they were on a school trip.

The whole classroom was hyped and noisier than usual.

“Then we’ll draw lots to determine the groups.”

The teacher finished handing out the handouts and put the paper bag on the podium.

At that moment, the classroom became even more excited.

“There are forty students in the class. We’ll have eight groups of five, and each group will choose one leader.”

On the blackboard, the outline of the first group, the second group… and the eighth group were written.

Everyone had a thought of their own.

Chit-chat was exchanged here and there.

And then some of them appeared, shouting with complaint.

“Sir, I don’t want to draw lots!”

The one who stood up with a bang was Miyamoto Asuka, a female student with prominent golden hair.

“Do you have any other ideas?”

“Team up with other people you like!”

“That doesn’t fit with the purpose of getting to know your classmates better… or so the higher ups said.”

“What? I wanted to be in the same group as Ryoma!”

“Well, well, well. That’s a passionate love call. Good luck in trying to get the same number.”

Asuka, unable to resist the sound argument, sat down straightforwardly.

Her cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel’s and she was clearly not happy.

There were some students here and there who were dissatisfied with her.

“She’s getting a little carried away.”

“She’s troubling Yamada-kun.”

“She’s getting a little too familiar.”

There seemed to be a definite faction among the girls.

The insinuations and hostile stares.

The person in question didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Hey, Ryoma! Let’s go to Sea Paradise if we’re in the same group.”

“I guess so. I’ve always wanted to go too.”

“Yes! Now, I have to get the same number!”

Ryoma responded to Asuka’s obvious approach with a refreshing smile.

He took a slight glance at Fuyuka, and Asuka might have caught his gaze.

‘Both Miyamoto and Yamada are awesome…’

‘How can I be that honest with myself?’

The frustration that assailed Asahi gradually grew as he faced the two opposites.

“I hope you get to be in the same group as Himuro-san.”

Asahi responded to Chiaki’s teasing call with an unusually straightforward response.

Then, somehow, he looked at the window seat.

By some coincidence, his gaze coincides with the girl he was looking at.

He was glued to those caramel eyes for a while, and eventually Asahi smiled awkwardly.

Fuyuka, on the other hand, gave a very natural and soft smile.

These small events were enough to fill Asahi’s heart with joy.

That was why he was hesitant to make a move.

‘What if, as a result of wanting more, I lose even my current happiness?’

What was right and what was wrong?

Was there an answer at the end of the road he was on?

Would this story really have a happy ending?

No one knew how it would end, and no one would ever know.

“Don’t put back the paper you drew. Also, write your name on your group.”

Takeuchi-sensei immediately called the students to the podium in order of seating, and each one put their hand into a paper bag.

Who was in what group, or if they were with that person, or if they wanted to exchange numbers.

The classroom was getting hype, and each of them was happy and sad about a piece of paper.

, what did you get?”

“Eight. You, Hinami?”

“I’m in the first group. Too bad it’s not the same.”

Hinami, who had come running up to him, slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

Apparently, Chiaki and her were able to get in the same group.

On top of that, she felt down, which didn’t feel bad.

However, her expression immediately changed.

“I wonder what number did Fuyu-chan get?”

“…Stop with the grin.”

After giving her a light bump on the forehead, Hinami went to ask for help from Chiaki, who was chatting with his other friends.

Then, just as he thought he was alone, Asahi heard a voice behind him.

“What did you get, Asahi-kun?”

Fuyuka asked anxiously, looking up.

In his hand, he held a folded piece of paper.

“Since we’re here, let’s show it at the same time.”

“Sounds nice. Shall we open it up on three?”

They both enjoyed such an unremarkable proposal.

Even this moment made Asahi feel very happy.

The two voices overlapped beautifully, unseen in the noisy classroom.

Translator: Lilo
Editor: Arya

“…Say, Fuyuka?”

“What is it, Asahi-kun?”

With the two groups met up for a sightseeing tour of Chinatown as planned, Asahi called out to Fuyuka, who was walking next to him.

“Is it just me or…are you mad at something?”

“I’m not. It’s just your imagination, Asahi-kun.”

Asahi was intimidated by her crisp words.

Fuyuka said it was just his imagination, but her expression said otherwise.

In contrast, Chiaki and Hinami were laughing happily at each other in front. They were chewing on the steamed meat buns they had bought on the way, and were making out as usual.

Asuka, who was all over Ryoma as she had declared, also had a happy smile on her face.

As he was watching her, his eyes met Asuka’s as she suddenly turned around. She began to make eye contact with him like she was conveying something.

“What’s with that?” Asahi smiled.

Fuyuka’s face became even more cloudy when she saw Asahi’s expression.

“…Asahi-kun, you seem to be getting along with Miyamoto-san, aren’t you?”

Fuyuka spoke in a flat voice. Her gaze was fixed on Asuka.

“We get along…? Well, we’ve been talking quite often.”

Asahi replied, remembering that Chiaki had said the same thing to him.

Fuyuka turned her face away from Asahi after listening to him. They’d never even looked at each other once since they met up in the first place.

Fuyuka still looked unhappy and vague. As he was wondering why she was so unusual, Fuyuka’s footsteps came to a halt.

“What’s up? If you’re not feeling well, we can inform the teacher…”

When Asahi also stopped and called out to her out of concern, Fuyuka shook her head.

The others who were in front and didn’t seem to notice anything strange about the two walking behind them.

“Do you just…talk often with Miyamoto-san…?”

Her voice was a little shaky, a change from the flat voice she had used earlier.

Asahi’s eyes met Fuyuka’s for a moment, who had an anxious expression on her face, and she immediately slumped down again.

Asahi tilted his head, failing to grasp the intent of the question.

He didn’t know what Fuyuka wanted to say or what she meant to ask.

Still, he couldn’t get any more hints.

“We’re just regular friends.”

As a result, the answer was bland.

However, it seemed that this was what Fuyuka was looking for.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I was just talking to myself.”

Fuyuka displayed an expression of relief on her face. Her appearance was gentle and calm as usual.

“You two are just friends, right?”

“I guess…but does it bother you that much?”

Fuyuka’s cheeks turned pale as she wriggled her mouth and stumbled over her words.

Fuyuka called out to Asahi. At that moment, he felt his heart jump.

It was a different way of calling, but Asahi knew exactly that it was still calling him.

It was the nickname that Hinami had almost given him, and the nickname that Asuka had come to call him.

“I heard Miyamoto-san say it.”

“I see.” Asahi nodded.

He then tilted his head.

“I thought it would be nice…since you two seem to be getting along so well.”

Fuyuka, whose cheeks had become even redder, looked up at Asahi.

That appearance was very cute and adorable.

Seeing her appearance made him want to tease her.

“Are you jealous?”

As far as Asahi was concerned, it was supposed to be a joke.

Fuyuka would reply to the joke with a joke of her own.

That was what he had assumed.

How should he interpret those words?

Fuyuka smiled as her face turned slightly red.

Once again, Asahi’s heart quietly rumbled, and then he felt a stinging pain.

“On the other hand, you seem to be getting along with Yamada, don’t you?”

“Yamada-kun, is it?”

“…Look, the way you address him changed.”

‘That was pretty pathetic.’ Asahi thought to himself.

However, he just wanted to take this opportunity to ask her something that had been bothering him.

“I suppose, I think we’re good friends because our interests match.”

The pain in his chest sharpened as he heard the affirmation without hesitation.

Ryoma told him that he and Fuyuka often talked about romance novels. Asahi also had seen the two of them discussing their recommendations several times since they’d been in the same class.

She looked so happy and gorgeous in that way.

And Asahi was decidedly bewildered, and his heart ached.

Fuyuka broke the conversation short.

“Only you, I will call on a first name basis, Asahi-kun.”

Asahi was not so insensitive as to not realize what that meant.

In a roundabout way, he was being told that he was special.

As Asahi’s face grew hot, Fuyuka took a step closer to him.

He could sense from her expression that she was in a good mood all of the sudden.

“Were you jealous?”

“I suppose we’re the same in this regard.”

She smiled and lightly flipped herself around to turn her back on Asahi.

“We should go. We’ll be left behind by everyone else.”

“Yeah. We better get going.”

They lined up and started walking together.

Then they walked a bit and stopped again.

“…I don’t see them anywhere.”

“…I don’t see them either.”

As they continued onward, they couldn’t find anyone familiar.

The crowds were getting bigger and bigger, and the clouds were getting darker and darker.

“We might…have been separated from the group.”

One problem gone, another problem came.

They looked at each other and then laughed.