Chapter 2

And here is the second chapter.

This chapter is a safe one, just a bit of adult theme.

*****

Saturday. 82 days left until our final showdown.

It was night time right after dinner, Fuwa and I had agreed to meet up in front of the station. I got messed up pretty badly by Fuwa last week, so I felt pretty lucky that this rather unusual meeting started at night. It was nice to get a whole day of rest, but the idea of Fuwa letting me take a break from her crazy requests is very unsettling.

Well, whatever. I can never understand what goes on inside her head, so there’s no point in wondering. Instead, let's carefully appreciate my choice of outfit for today. It required a lot of effort, but the results were pretty satisfying if I say myself. I feel like no one can defeat me right now.

I chose to wear my newly bought two toned one-piece along with the designated bottom. Of course the bag is that one, the 30,000 yen one. I also carefully picked my shoes and other accessories to ensure that my outfit looked nice.

While waiting for her in front of the station, I could feel people's gaze on me. This one might be my best creation this year. It's cute, right! With this, not even Fuwa can deny my charm. When I imagine the face she’ll make the moment she sees me, it puts me into a great mood.

Fuwa arrived right in time.

"Hey, Marika."

She looks even more stunning than she does in school. She has on a simple eye shadow that emphasizes the shape of her eyes. For her clothes, she chose a sleeveless blouse paired with a tight skirt to emphasize her figure. She’s wearing 7-cm heels that synergize well with her handbag. Her appearance tonight closely resembles my mental image of a ‘Lady of the Night’.

She coordinated everything perfectly, and it made her look more gorgeous than anything I’ve ever seen before. Is this what they called adult's casual fashion?

"Ugh...Fuwa."

Ah, her appearance tonight is so discouraging. I looked like a high-school girl that ‘s trying and failing to look mature, pathetic but cute, but Fuwa nailed the adult image perfectly. 

Fuwa’s eyes scanned me from the top of my head to the tips of my shoes. For some reason, she looked really happy.

"You are so cute, Marika."
"Ah, okay. Thanks...."

I can’t help but feel embarrassed if you compliment me so straightforwardly, geez!

After accepting her compliment, I fold my arms while nodding to myself. Yes, Fuwa is right, I am cute. Compared to her, my adult charm might be close to zero, but it’s just because we are different. Yup, that's right. It doesn’t mean she won this time.

"W-well, of course. You also look pretty nice, Fuwa."
"Yes, thank you."

Fuwa thanked me with her usual simple smile. Now that I think about it, she put on more make-up than usual, because it's night time. From my observation, I concluded that she chose a matte foundation, coral-pink for her cheek, and a sensual color that fit her lips perfectly. I see. This will be a good reference for further study.

"What is it?"
"Nope, nothing..."

I unconsciously stared at her, and, realizing that, hurriedly pulled my gaze away from her.  Now’s not the time to get nervous because of Fuwa. Once I arrive at home, I’m going to browse for some light-colored foundation.

We ended up walking side by side.

Not to be weird, but somehow this situation reminds me of the very first porn I watched with Fuwa. That one with a cute university student and a beautiful actress. Geez, what am I thinking. I started questioning my own brain.

"Hey, where are we heading?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you in advance."
"Really, anything related to you scares me..."
"Okay then, I'll tell you. We are heading to the store where I do my part time job."
"Eeh? You are doing a part-time job? Where? What kind of place is it?"
"I will show you later, look forward to it."
"It's just a part-time job right? Why are you putting on airs like that? Well, I guess it’s not a problem."

We waited for our train on the platform. The train stopped and then we stepped inside. After 20 minutes on the Keio line, we arrived at Shinjuku. We exited into the bustle of the night in Shinjuku via the East Exit.

Since it was a Saturday night, there's a lot of people here. It makes me dizzy.

"For you to choose a part-time job in Shinjuku, you must love pushing yourself hard, huh."
"Is it? Actually, the main reason I work there is because it's a store that an acquaintance introduced to me."
"Hmm, that's nice. If only I had someone I can really trust to refer me to a good place to work. My last part-time place was so awful. The creepy manager kept touching my hips or my shoulders whenever he greeted me. He also liked to talk about my skin, like, high-school girl's skin sure looks nice to touch huh~ or something like that. He really was the worst. I tried to endure for a while but his creepiness was so over the top that it broke my creep gauge."

I tried to tell her like it was a funny story by imitating the creepy manager's voice, but Fuwa only ended up staring at me with her passionate gaze. I wonder what the problem was.

"That’s terrible. It would be great if you could crush those kind of people"
"Well, that was in the past. More importantly, this situation...for Fuwa to comfort me like this. I'll say this, throughout my whole life, you’re the only person who’s touched me everywhere in that manner."
"The way you say it is so arousing."
"Pervert."

I replied to her remark with disgust. Fuwa kept walking like nothing was bothering her. This girl, she treats me like a little kitten who likes to bite their owner playfully...

"If you are that concerned with your next working place, want me to introduce you to my place?"
"Umm, if the atmosphere is nice, I think I’d be okay with that. But your working place, it's not a family restaurant or something like that, right? A place that would demand you to keep smiling, that doesn't suit you at all."
"Good guess, but you’re incorrect. If it's something like a smile for a customer, of course I can do that much."
"That's a lie. It's a business smile, you know?"
"I can do it."
"Do it then, quickly!"

I just wanted to tease her, but it looks like she took it seriously. Fuwa furrows her eyebrows for a moment and then throws her gaze toward another direction, her cheeks reddening. As I thought, she can’t do it. Ah, it's been a while since my last victory over her.

"Well, for now, I think my workplace is something that you'll like."
"I'll look forward to it."

We walked through a few alleys and she stopped her steps in front of a certain store. It's a bar with a retro feeling. This kind of bar is okay for minors as long as they don't serve them alcohol, right?  I’ve researched these kinds of places before! It's also okay for minors to work here as long as their shift ends before 10:00 p.m.

More importantly, I'm excited because it’s my first time coming to this kind of store. Ignoring Fuwa, who’s standing beside me, I place my hand on the door knob and open it. I took a step forward, the inside had a nice and comfortable atmosphere, at least it did, until I moved my gaze and froze, shocked. There were two women kissing, right at the bar.

"This is the lesbian bar where I work."
"As if I’d like something like this!!"

Somehow, I managed to pass through and take a seat right at the end of the bar. When I looked at my surroundings, I saw that everyone was flirting with their partner. Over there, right there, ah, even there. They flirted so casually, holding hands, hugging, even kissing like the ladies at the bar...

Maybe it’s because it’s dim here inside the store, that's why the customers here just do whatever they want and enjoy their time. Why am I even here...I feel so out of place...

"You over there, are you a high school student? Why are you here? Looking for a partner? Or simply want to enjoy the atmosphere?"

Unexpectedly, a staff member approached me. She had short hair, giving her a refreshing appearance. She had a petite body and a small face that made her body proportions look well-balanced. I felt like I’ve met her before, or maybe she looked like some actress?

"Um, that's not the case. Iー"
"Ahaha, that was a joke. I'm sorry if I startled you. You are Aya-chan's friend, right? She's getting ready inside, you can drink this while you wait for her."

The lady showed me a friendly smile and placed a cocktail in front of me. 

I observed the cocktail before me. The liquid is transparent, with two lines crossing each other, one red and one yellow. The combination of the three colors made the drink beautiful. But wouldn’t the store get into trouble if they served something like this to minors?

"Oh, don't worry, it's a non-alcohol beverage. This place has a lot of customers with various circumstances."
"Ah, so that's the case."
"Yup, that's why I have a lot of confidence in this one, it's my original drink, you see. This is a special service for an adorable customer like you♡"

The lady in front of me casually said her line with a charming wink. My heart tightened for a moment right there. What was this, she's so damn cute, I want to befriend her, but...

"Umm, excuse me. Are you also a lesbian....?"
"That's right. This bar is not a flashy one and certainly not interesting enough for tourists. That's why it's uncommon for men and straights to come here."
"...Straights?"
"Ah, straights refers to people who attracted to opposite sex. You are one of them, right?"
"Well if you say it like that, I am. To be honest, I don't really understand same-sex relationships..."

I understand well that it would be rude if I bluntly say "It can't be!" to this lady, but I was still pretty frank with her. Having a conversation with a bartender at the bar counter somehow made me feel like an adult.

The lady looked like she was reminiscing about something from the past, something nostalgic, judging by her lovely smile.

"You are very honest. Back then, I also felt the same, I didn't understand, why were some people attracted to people of the same sex? Why would you date another girl? But one day there was something that triggered the change inside me. I’ve been a lesbian since then, I guess. What about you? What makes you attracted to boys?"
"Eh?"

She suddenly directed a question to me, it was kind of unexpected, and I was taken aback. 

"Ummm...why, I wonder."
"Was your first love a boy?"
"Ah, yes, that's right. I think it was back in the 5th grade. He was the most popular boy in my class, he was probably my first love...Um, that's why I'm attracted to the opposite sex, I think? Girls liking boys is the norm, right?"

Ah, I went and said it. Me and my loose mouth. I hurriedly covered my mouth with both of my hands. The lady before me just laughed gently.

"When you are still young, of course you are very concerned about what's normal and what's not. You will seek approval from people around you, care about what the society thinks about you. That's why I decided to open this bar, as a place for the girls that think they aren’t normal."

Just after the lady finished speaking, the sound of a bell echoed inside the bar. A beautiful woman in a suit came inside and waved her hand in our direction. The bartender in front of me suddenly smiled radiantly when their eyes met. 

"I think Aya-chan will come soon, please enjoy your time here."

The bartender lady left after saying that and headed to the beauty that came earlier. It reminded me of a young maiden in love waiting for her beloved sweetheart.

I kept looking at two of them until something clicked in my memory. 

"Eh, those two, could it be..."

I remembered the first porno I watched with Fuwa, the one with a university student and the director. The beauty who came in just now was the director and the bartender lady was the university student. Just how old is that AV?!

Damn, I got nervous. This is not an everyday occurrence, right? Meeting and talking with an AV actress. Damn.

I tried to calm myself by drinking the cocktail in front of me. Ah the sensation of water passing through my arid throat feels so nice. It was such a shame that in my current state I couldn't really taste the cocktail’s flavours, I could only taste the sweetness. It simply passed through my mouth straight to my stomach, what a waste.

"Sorry for the wait."
"Hyaa!"

I jumped in my seat with a shriek. The one who appeared suddenly from behind me is, of course, Fuwa. She suddenly appeared, wearing a white shirt that was covered with a coat. She also wore a tie and long black trousers. Her long hair is neatly tied into a ponytail. If I didn’t know she was Fuwa Aya, I may have fallen in love at first sight, simply because she was so captivating. 

"Fu-Fuwa..."
"What? That's a weird expression you’re making there."
"No, um...that suits you...I don't really understand though."

She grinned playfully while looking at me. That smile, it reminds me of the bartender lady from before.

"It's an honor."
"Uuu...anyway, what is going on with this store? Why is someone from an adult video here...?"

I asked her in a very low voice.

"This store is actually owned by Karen-san. She was working as an AV actress for the sake of collecting money to start her own bar, and also experiencing societies while she was at it. A lot of regulars here are Karen-san's fans.”
"Why would you show me an AV that starred your boss?! Are you a pervert?!"
"Well, Karen-san always said that she gets excited whenever she thinks about the fact that the customers have already seen her in that messed up state."
"Is she a pervert?!"

Fuwa got into her bartender mode and walked into the bar counter. She calmly walked in my direction and stood in front of me, who was still busy trying to process this whole thing.

"My dear customer, may I get your order?"
"Well...a glass of water, I guess."
"My specialty cocktail then."

Fuwa took a shaker and shook it skillfully. Huh, judging by her movement, she has probably been doing this for a long time. She worked diligently, so unlike her usual behavior that it made my heart beat even faster. This is so weird.

"Aah, Aya-chan, you’re at the counter tonight!"
"A beauty as always, huh, Aya-chan."

The customers who were sitting at the nearest table to the counter greeted Fuwa in a high-pitched voice. Huh, isn’t that kind of tone normally used to flirt with someone?

I glanced back at Fuwa, and she just returned the greeting with a grown-up smile. That was her usual natural smile. Heeh, so she really can serve her customers.

"...So, I guess you are pretty popular, huh."
"Am I? This is normal though."

Did she just imply that her popularity is normal? Fuwa, who gets spoiled by a bunch of older women, and me, who is doing my best to reach the top caste in our class. I can’t really decide which one is better, but I already taste the usual bitterness of defeat. Ugh...

On top of that...

"So you usually go by Aya rather than Fuwa here, huh."
"That's right."

Looking closer, the nameplate on her chest was written as "AYA". I watched the conceited Fuwa get called here and there by these ladies, and for some reason, I didn't like it. 

In that event, let's shake things up a bit, shall we.

I rested my chin on my hand and muttered something just loud enough for her to catch.

"Then, I think I should call you Aya from now on."
"...."

Aya clumsily released her grip from the shaker and it dropped, hitting the floor. The sound was loud enough that the other customers realized what just happened. From the table behind me, I could hear the voice of one of the regulars.

"For Aya-chan to make that kind of mistake..."
"Yeah, that's rare."
"Is something wrong, Aya-chan?"

I coaxed her, emphasizing the "Aya-chan" just a little bit. She looked at me, astonished.

"Just call me whatever."
"Okay, Aya."

Hmm, after saying it out loud, I think I like Aya better, and it felt more natural. Besides, she’s called me Marika since the beginning, so this much is alright, I guess. This made us seem equal.

"...Yeah, yeah."

Seeing her getting this agitated just because I called her by her given name felt so amusing, even though it was something so simple. The murky feelings inside me had vanished. Well, what I seek is a complete victory anyways. This was one win and a loss, huh. Back to square one, I guess.

After a while, Aya put a garnet-coloured cocktail in front of me. I could smell the enticing scent of orange pear. For now, I’ll just forget about Aya, the cocktail she made is innocent. I proceed to pick the glass and enjoy the cocktail. 

My throat is getting spoiled by the refreshing sensation. The after taste that lingered on my tongue was a new feeling. This cocktail was just like Aya in certain meanings.

"Somehow, this cocktail resembles you."
"...Does it?"
"Yup."
"I see."

She laughed innocently. Even though it was Aya, she couldn’t help but get excited when her original cocktails were praised. Seeing this side of Aya, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that she's cute, just a little bit though.

...If only she could be that honest in her everyday life.

"Hey, what if we did a bartender café during the school festival? It would be a hit. By using your looks, we can fish a lot of customers from other schools, both boys and girls"|
"Not interested. Besides, I'm already content with this."
"...It's not about me, right?"
"Who knows,"

Aya shrugged her shoulders when Karen-san finally came back to the counter, "You look like you’re having fun today, huh?" Karen-san smiled playfully towards Aya. She calmly replied with a simple, "That's not true."

Hmm, so she properly used Keigo here.

After that, I spent my time watching Aya, who was doing her best as a bartender. I had nothing else to do anyway, maybe just checking my phone for once in a while. 

Aya looked content with her job, judging by her easy-going smile, walking everywhere to deliver customers’ orders. Usually, she is the one who is all bossy and asking me to do this and that, it's sure nice being a customer.

When I considered taking her picture, she frankly rejected the idea. I still took her picture in secret, though. After all, it was the side of her that has nothing to do with school or when spending time with me. I'm looking at Aya inside my phone screen, and she looked like someone from a completely different world, an adult world.

Inside this dim store, no one else knew me except Aya. I liked going to school because school let me become a proper person with a lot of friends to have fun with. This is a bar, so it’s expected that I dress up a little, but somehow the atmosphere was so relaxing that I wanted to change into a pair of pajamas.

"I think my workplace is something that you'll like."

I remember her words earlier while watching her earnest face from afar. I took my glass and drank the rest of it. I put it back on the counter and stared into the empty glass.

"...This makes me nervous."

Being surrounded by girls that prefer other girls, it felt like I was trapped in a very odd situation. I tried to calm myself down by closing my eyes and letting the jazz melody soothe me. It made me want to melt together with the tune.

"Hey."

Someone was calling for me. I opened my eyes and there I found a blonde who looked like a half, was staring at me. She had a different kind of beauty than the kind exuded by Japanese people. She casually sat on the chair beside me.

What's with this girl. Let's see, today I met AV actresses, Aya in her bartender mode, and then this rare blonde that reached me out. As expected of Shinjuku. I frantically searched for any English vocabulary that I could use to greet this blonde. Betraying my expectation, she casually spoke Japanese.

"My name, Astalotte. You?"
"Ehhh....It's Sakakibara Marika."
"Oh, that's a nice name."

She replied with a radiant smile, just like the sun. A bright smile that reminded you of a flower field. But why did she talk to me...

"Umm...?"
"It's my first time seeing you here so I called you out. This place doesn't really have customers the same age as me anyways, so it's nice seeing you here."
"Well...I was kinda invited by my friend today..."

I looked around to search for Aya, judging by her absence, she’s probably on a break or at the restroom. The thought of being alone was greatly discouraging. Wait, this doesn’t mean that I can’t do anything without Aya, okay? It doesn’t matter whether she's here or not, not a problem.

Astalotte laughed innocently, what is that smile, is she trying to make me fall for her? Nice attempt, but too bad, I'm attracted to the opposite sex. I will admit that she's super cute though.

"Do you come here often?"
"No, today is my first day."
"Oh, then let's become friends, Sakakibara Marika...Marie...Well then, Marie is it!"

She grabbed my hand and enveloped it with both of her hands while shaking it up and down. She sure is friendly, and a bit forceful. When I held her hands in mine, they felt a bit smaller than mine. She might be younger than me.

Aa, but this, is this what they called 'flirting'? Could it be that she's hitting on me right now? If she is, I bet the past me would get upset by her move. Right now though, I feel like I could tolerate these kinds of things, there were a lot of people in this world after all.

Besides, Astalotte is super cute, I feel honored that I could catch her eye. It was a bit vexing that this version of me is the result of Aya's work.

"I come here often, so just call me if you see me here next time. Nice to meet you, Marie!"
"Yep, it's also nice to meet you, Astalotte."

After that, she stood up from her chair. In one swift movement, without giving me time to put up my guard, she moved her face closer to mine and gave me a peck on my lips.

Eh. Wait. Eh?! Mouth-to-mouth! Out of the blue!?

"Wha wha wha...."

That girl, just like it was a very natural thing to do, just walked away while waving her hand, "Then, until next time!"

She was like a storm. It was so shocking and sudden that I couldn’t get angry.

Hiie.... they said foreigners treat kissing as a simple greeting, was this that…?

Astalotte's lip, they gave me a very different sensation compared to Aya's kisses. But one thing they had in common was their lips were very soft. It seemed like girls' lips were softer than boys' lips. Was that the cause for why there are girls who prefer girls rather than boys...? No, no, that was too simple a reason...

"I'm done. Sorry for keeping you waiting, let's go home."
"Hiee."

Aya who was back in her casual clothes looked at me with a questioning look.

"Is there something wrong?"
"Umm, no, nothing."

I couldn’t say it. There was this girl named Astalotte that kissed me on the lip earlier, I couldn’t say it to this girl. My guts were telling me that if I said even one word about it she would get angry and I’m the only one who she would direct it at. It wasn’t even my fault that Astalotte kissed me out of nowhere.

Wait, we aren’t dating or anything, right? So I had no obligations to report anything that happened to her....yep, that's the way it is.

"...Marika, was someone trying to flirt with you when I was away?"
"That's impossible!"
"Hmm..."

Aya kept gawking at me, she wouldn't stop even during our walk toward the station.

During our night walk, the streets still buzzed with a lot of people. Saturday, 10 p.m, it must be the peak time for Shinjuku because of how crowded it is over here. During our walk to the station, Aya casually held my hand because it seemed like I would be lost in this sea of people, she wouldn't let me go even after that. 

The way she held my hand carefully, rather than treating me like a kid, it's like...she was treating her important person, or something like that. Wait, no. What was I thinking? She's Aya the big bully, as if she would do something like that.

"Until when will you hold my hand? We're close to the station you know."
"You are not used to Shinjuku after all."
"...But what if someone from school sees us? It would be a pain to come up with an excuse."
"There's a lot of people here, that's just not possible."
"Uugh..."

That's logical. There are too many people in Shinjuku during the weekend. No matter what you do or what kind of conversation you have, no one can see or hear you clearly. We kept walking closer to the station with our fingers intertwined, just like lovers. 

"I love Shinjuku during the night. With this amount of people, there would be no one who knows me or pays any attention to me."
"Isn't that...pretty lonely?"
"It calms me down. No matter what kind of person I am, even though I'm different from others, I can still be myself."
"You can feel pressured by others?"
"Of course."
"Hmm..."

She was being so honest it felt weird. It has been a while since I saw those worn-out eyes directed on me.

"Am I simply a pervert inside your head?"
"Not just a pervert, you’re an odd pervert."

While crossing the huge intersection, Aya took a deep breath as if preparing herself for something.

"In school, I try to act normally. But I think I did it poorly and ended up with no friends. That's why I always thought that you are amazing, Marika."

I didn't show it on my face, but deep down I was very surprised by her confession.

"Eh? M-me?"

Turned out that she did mind the fact she doesn't have any friends. That was so surprising. It was bad for my heart. Stop showing this vulnerable side of you out of nowhere, could you.

Even though the street was filled with the boisterous noises, all I can hear right now is Aya's voice.

"Marika is always acting as the center of the class. Whenever something interesting happened, you were always there. I bet that you will do good even in some unfamiliar place. Even in Karen-san's bar, just by sitting at the corner of the counter you instantly captivate my eyes. It seems like wherever you go, you will make those places become the place you belong. That's kind of cool."
"..."

Aya didn’t look at me while saying that because she’s so focused on avoiding any contact with other people. But that was for the best. Because I'm sure, right now, my face is bright red.

What's with this feeling?

I’m supposed to hate her.

Just from a single compliment, just by getting a blunt approval from her, I suddenly feel like I'm filled with warmth. 

"That was the opposite of me. I never tried to reach out and find my own place. I'm okay with having just one place where I belong."
"The Aya I know in school,"

My mouth moved on its own. I still didn’t have any specific words for her, but I couldn’t stop this feeling. I just let the words flow from my mouth.

"You are not normal. You exude a strong 'Fuwa Aya' aura, well, that was my personal view though. But that was not a bad thing, that's, you know, kind of cool. Unlike me, who tried her best to fit myself with people around me, you are just being you. I can't become like you..."

I used to think that she's annoying.

But, these words that came from my mouth were my true feelings.

"How should I put this, um, there's a lot of people like me. But people like you, they are pretty rare. It's nice, right, staying true to yourself. You can't think since you don’t fit anywhere, you don’t belong there, that was wrong. Of course it's okay for you to be your usual self. Besides, you already paid for the school, and you already had your own desk."

Hearing my words, Aya giggled softly.

"...What is it"
"Nope, just thinking that you are comforting me right now. Marika is very kind, is what I think."

That unexpected honey-like voice made my brain freeze, I couldn't think of a reply.

"T-that's not what I...Hey, just so you know, I always treated you as my rival."
"Me? Why?
"It's annoying to say the reasons so I won't say it. But I won't accept if you suddenly said something like a declaration of defeat like that. I want to beat you properly.”

After receiving my barrage of complaints, Aya responded with another giggle. Why did she look so happy? I don't get it. I was being serious.

We finally freed ourselves from the crowd and arrived at the Keio Line platform and waited for the train to arrive. Aya naturally let go of my hand. I could feel her lingering warmth in my hand. Girls' bodies are nice to touch, so that's a given. 

"Well then, let's talk about our showdown."

It's here, the tiger inside me has awakened after hearing that.

"This time, I made you visit a place where girls who are attracted to girls is the norm. What do you think?"

I recalled what happened today. I tried to arrange word by word for an answer.

"I do understand that in this vast world, those kinds of people exist. Even Karen-san, she's a lovely person. But that's why, I'll still say this, it can't be."
"Hmm,"

Aya stared at me like I was some kind of fascinating mystery.

"Care to explain?"
"In the end, those kinds of people exist, it's common sense, right? It's up to them if they want to fall in love with same-sex or opposite-sex, it's none of my business. Also, it's not like I have any right to say something like ‘hey that's not a normal thing to do, just stop’."
"Uh-huh."
"...It's just a matter of choice. Those people are homosexual, meanwhile I'm a heterosexual. That's why, for me, it can't be. That's it."

The train had arrived, we stepped inside while Aya was still observing me. She looked like she was enjoying our conversation and it made me a bit flustered.

"I see, so you're still saying stuff like that."
"I'm not being obstinate, really. I just said whatever’s inside my mind. Even though you’ve already done a lot of things to me, it won't change my way of thinking"
"No, it changed."

Aya denied my words. I couldn’t accept this, so I showed her my annoyed expression.

"Why? I always said the same thing though?"
"That's the way you concluded things. But your train of thought had changed, like the way you view the whole thing."
"In the end I reached the same conclusion, ain't that the same thing?"
"It was not the same, you are clever, so you should understand."

Huh, she suddenly praised me. What did she want? I got more agitated and stared at her. 

"Marika is always thinking things through. You are not some closed-minded person that won't accept anything other than what you believe. You properly accept what you see and analyze it to reach your own conclusion." 

Aya said it with confidence like she understands me better than I understand myself. Her words encouraged me a lot, not something I expected from someone that sounded so negative just a while ago. 

"By reading manga, you slowly understand how same-sex relationships worked. The AV acted as a catalyst to widen your imaginations. When you came to the bar, you had direct interactions with those people. It was one step at time, but it affected the way you look at us. Don't you realize? The way you said ‘it can't be’ got weaker each time."
"That's..."

Karen-san, Astalotte, also the bar's customers were filling my head. When I met them directly, of course I couldn't reject them obstinately. If I did that, it meant I rejected their existence and I didn't want to do that. Aya included.

Aya slowly brought her face closer to my ear and whispered, "....Even now, you must be thinking that there's nothing wrong with girls dating each other, right?"

"...No...No! No, nope, no!"

I forgot that we were inside a train right now. I unconsciously raised my voice.

"Nope, no. That's not the case, definitely."

The feeling of touching other girls, the softness of their lips and hands, those were calming. But that was because we were girls that there was this sense of comfort by touching each other. Nothing good could come from girls dating each other. The kisses, the touches, those kinds of things are impossible. 

If you want to fall in love, do it with someone of the opposite-sex. This is true, definitely.

But if someone asked me why I would think something like that, I didn't have a definite answer. Because that's the norm, that's how it should be...These kinds of answers made me sound like I only stick to the rules without any basis to form my own opinion. 

"I still think it's impossible for girls to fall in love with other girls."

I once again made my point. 

As if she expected my reaction, she looked at me with a bemused expression while laughing, just like a bully. 

"Okay then, that's it for this stage. The next time we meet we'll begin the 4th stage of your training."
"...You won't give up huh."
"Of course."

She once again caressed my head slowly. This girl really is looking down on me, huh. Annoying.

"At this pace, it seems 100 days is too easy huh."
"You...."

82 days left until our final showdown. Once again, my fighting spirit was burning passionately. Just a while ago, I thought that her bartender mode was cool, and after our talk I felt like we could get along better, but that was wrong! As I thought, I really can't stand this girl!

This woman who treated me like a plaything, a big bully with overflowing confidence. She keeps making me dance in the palm of her hand.

This whole thing annoys me. Finally, the train arrived at my station. Without looking back, I stepped out and left her inside the train.

"I definitely won't lose to someone like you."

*****

The 3rd and 4th chapter will divided into two parts because their lengths are twice this chapter. Don't forget to support the author.

For more detailed info about the novel click here

Credit:
TL and everything else: Meatbun
Proofread: totorbanana

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