Chapter 2 (2/2)
“Welcome back~ You’re so late! Where’ve you been?”
“Does it really matter?’
Skillfullyhis way past the two seated on the floor, he headed for the desk in the back of the room
In his hand, he held a shopping bag froe bookstore a station away It was a bit too thick to be a ht another new reference book
‘Now that I think about it, histo take summer classes’
Natsuki had overheard that when herrooer brother, as still a first year in high school, had boasted about going to suh Yuu rarely showed that studious side in front of her for so for the entrance exams pretty seriously
“Is it really okay for you to be wasting time over here on a weekend?”
As he put down the paper bag and his wallet on the desk, Yuu asked this in a joking manner
Natsuki tilted her head in confusion at the sudden question
“But you’re a special exception And anyway, don’t I always come over on weekends anyway?”
“……Whatever you say,”
As if embarrassed by his own question, Yuu’s reply came out as a mumble
Froht’ve just been because he’d just co it out, and just laughed a bit in response
“So, what’d you come here for today?”
Yuu turned around again, and asked this while standing in an i stance
“I was thinking you could maybe help me with my homework,”
As Natsuki laughed aardly, both Yuu and Hina sounded surprised as they asked in unison,
“So, not for the games…”
“It wasn’t for the games?”
“You guys are so in sync! No, of course not!!”
That ames!
Those words of protest made it up to her throat, but she worried the reply would just be so plain, like “Yeah,” so she decided to keep it to herself
But when she really thought about it, she had a feeling that half the tia utensil
‘In that case, I’ll just have to prove it to him…!’
Natsuki held up the otten, and thrust it towards him like evidence
“Look! There’s only one problem done, see?”
“Well, don’t brag about it What ae?”
Laughing wryly, Yuu reached for the folding table Regardless of what he said, it looked like he illing her help her again today, too
Natsuki picked up her school supplies, and Hina also stood up to make room
“Well, I’ll leave you two alone now,”
Hina smiled impishly, and Natsuki felt an inward chill
‘Wah! If she words it like that, Yuu’s going to notice so for sure…’
She glanced tirinning widely
“Don’t you want to do homeith us, too?”
“…Onii-chan, at this rate, you’re going to struggle for life”
“Hah? Is that supposed to be a prophecy?”
Unable to disagree hat Hina h
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
After an hour passed, there was only one problem left on the worksheet
She’d thought that it ood teacher Even Natsuki, as really quite bad at ic
‘Heto university at this rate, huh…’
Natsuki was also studying her hardest to get into a vocational school, but having good grades froer brother to be ato become an honor student from the recommendation entrance exam
Yuu had also said that he was ai for a public university for the same reason
Whether it was a private school or a public school, he said he wanted leave the options open for Hina
‘Even though we’ve never talked, or even thought about that sort of this before then…’
Still, the topic about their career paths had inevitably come up
The underclassman that had confessed to Yuu, too, must have been pressured by the fact that they wouldn’t be able to see each other anyraduation came They would only be able to see each other in person every day while they were still in high school
“……By the way, did you hear about that thing on Monday?”
Yuu must have noticed that Natsuki had lost concentration, and broke the silence by asking this
Natsuki shrugged at the worksheet that she’d stopped writing on completely, and put down her mechanical pencil
“You ot the text fro for so”
As they started speaking again, Natsuki felt her mood plummet
Natsuki liked Haruki’s movies as well, and had helped him out with props a number of times in the past
However, this ti on a er scale
“……I wonder if I should even go to theat all…”
“H well?”
“No, that’s not why… You guys are looking for a picture that’ll be like a key for your ht? In that case, I feel like Miou and Akari would beone,”
Natsuki forced out these words for the sake of preserving the quality of the work, but Yuu didn’t seem satisfied, and merely tilted his head
“It’s true that Hayasaka and Aida draw really well, but we’re not professionals, so we don’t really know much about technique or artistic values We just want a picture that fits the ie of the heroine, that’s all”
Although he sounded calhed heavily on her
Natsuki didn’t argue it any further and just mumbled a quiet, “I see…” in response
“And anyway, I like your drawings”
“……Eh?”
“When you draw people, they look really expressive, and when you draw backgrounds, they kind of sparkle, you know? I think it’s nice Just looking at them cheers you up”
“F-flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere”
“Co you starting now, after all this time we’ve known each other already~”
Seeing how easily Yuu laughed about it, Natsuki bit down on her bottom lip and looked down
If she didn’t do that, she felt like she
‘He says that to h he can be insensitive, but still acts nice around anyone…’
It was always Yuu’s words that gave her confidence
Even when Natsuki couldn’t see her own good points, Yuu would see them for her And he would word it all so nicely, and compliment her
“You draw coht? Don’t just show them to Hina Let me read them too sometime”
Before she could even thank hi
Nodding without really ain
‘I’ him my comics is kind of…’
If she wanted to go professional, it would be good idea to start showing her comics to people around her
Thanks to the help of some friends she’d made on the internet, Natsuki had been able to su a few others While at tie her, but tell her how she could improve
However, if she were to show them to Yuu, it would be a completely different story
Part of the reason was because the co was shoujo, but it was also because the hero clearly resembled a certain “someone” And even if he didn’t notice that, Natsuki still wouldn’t be able to stand it
“……I’ll give it soht,”
Natsuki soed to reply Yuu smiled and answered back,
“Let me know as soon as possible”
As expected, a guy that could read the at else
‘He’s so considerate when it coh…’
As she looked at Yuu s the waters a bit
She took a ss, and asked casually,
“Hey If… If I happen to get a boyfriend, ould you do?”
“Well, this is rando to do with your comic?”
“Who knows?”
Natsuki forced a grin, and Yuu sighed as if it couldn’t be helped
“Well… As your rehearsal partner, I’d have to cheer you on, right?”
“……nn”
She kneas her own fault Because she’d made it sound like she had someone else
Despite this, Natsuki was so shocked that she couldn’t breathe right
Yuu didn’t seem to think much of Natsuki’s silence, and started to read the reference book he’d bought
“If it’s you, I don’tmy brother over, Nacchan”
Hina’s words repeated in her head, and Natsuki answered back mentally
That it was impossible for her
But still, being unable to give up, Natsuki said to Yuu, asn’t looking this way anymore,
“Thank you It’s reassuring to know you’ll be there for me”
As if surprised by the late reply, Yuu paused in turning the page of his book
“…Do your best”
Even though he didn’t take his eyes off the reference book, Yuu’s face was kind
“I will!”
Natsuki answered cheerfully this ti out in pain