The String of Balls -

Episode 11: The Path of Love with No Known Destination

“Also… I’m dating Kotonoha. I’m sure you can understand by now… not as friends, but as lovers.”

Only in the sentence…no, that’s not fair…

“Is that so? Eh, but, you say you like me…”

When Moon looked at me confused, not understanding what I meant, I told her the truth.

“It’s just a trial, it’s for a limited time, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll give up completely. He confessed to me with lines that sounded familiar. It’s strange, right? Even the confession lines were so similar, I wonder if twins are even that similar… right, Kotone?”

She tilted her head and smiled at Kotone.

I haven’t forgotten. I’ll ask you about it later…but don’t show it.

“Th-Kotonoha? Ah, are you angry after all…?”

Kotone flinches and hesitantly opens her mouth as if to gauge my expression, and I let out a deep sigh.

There’s no need to be so scared… I don’t look that scared. I’m really stupid… hehe.

He turned his gaze back to the sentence, tightened his slack face and spoke clearly.

“…But I was the one who accepted it. I’m… dating Kotone.”

“I… well… then… congratulations… I guess it’s okay…”

…I knew it.

I knew it, but it still hurt my heart. There’s no way he’d be jealous. Fumie is… just a normal girl.

“…Yeah, thank you.”

I wonder if this is the great idea Kotone was talking about.

Maybe if they were jealous…

I’m sorry, I tried so many things but it didn’t work. But I think I’ll try my best to be by your side as a friend again someday.

I don’t want to let everything Kotone has done for me go to waste…I can’t imagine it happening right now, but maybe I’ll be able to recover rather easily after some time has passed.

“You too, Kotone…thanks.”

“…Hmm? Kotonoha, why do you have such a refreshed look on your face? Nothing is over yet, you know? You shouldn’t try to leave the stage when the curtain hasn’t even risen… Hehe…”

Huh? What’s with that smile… I’m starting to get worried…

Can I go home now, I’ll make up with you properly.

“Um, Kotone?”

“Look… the audience is eagerly waiting in their special seats. Shall we start the show now?”

Kotone glanced at Fumie from the side and gave a defiant smile.

I haven’t heard anything though…

“Eh? Um, what do you mean by opening..

What is this woman talking about?

“Hayama-san, we’re going to exchange a passionate kiss like loving lovers do, so would you just stand there and watch in silence?”

What is this woman talking about?!

“Hey! Kotone?!”

“Kotonoha, I’m not kidding. Please trust me.”

No matter how you look at it, this is a joke!

…I can’t believe how serious he looks…

Hmm… I guess I’ll just listen, just listen…maybe.

“K-Kawasaki-san? Um, that’s…”

No, it’s weird after all! Look, I’m already quoting the sentence! I was poisoned by a pervert!

That kind of thing is something you do when no one is around… No! It’s not something you should show to other people!

“I’m serious. I don’t have any impure motives for wanting to kiss Kotonoha. Not. Seriously? I swear on you, as your bl00d twin brother.”

If it’s denied multiple times, it just makes it seem even more suspicious.

I can swear to my brother, didn’t you just call him scum?

As the saying goes, three heads are better than one, so if we start talking now, surely we can find a reasonable landing spot?

I’m sure Kotone has thought about it in her way, but rather than deciding on her own…

“…If you say so…yeah, I get it.”

The sentence is so cute…

I’m sure I’ve been deceived. I’m worried that I might get caught up in some shady scam in the future.

Also, it’s okay for me to kiss Kotone, just a little bit…

“Hehe… then… Kotonoha… come on.”

As Kotone said this, she sat down in the chair in front of Fumie and patted her knee, inviting me to come over.

Even if you can easily fool Fumi, you won’t fool me. It’s not because I’m wary that I have few friends. …It’s not because I’m wary, it’s just because I’m dark.

“Hey, are you really… um, planning to kiss me? You’re not trying to show off to Fumi or anything, are you?”

“Are you doubting me again? Oh, how sad… my heart aches… To be doubted by the person I love…”

“I get it! I get it! Ah, seriously… if it’s a lie, I’ll break up with you…”

“…I can’t say for sure that there isn’t some feeling like that in the back of my mind, just the tip of my pinky finger…But I’m serious.”

Ugh…how can you have such a serious look on your face…

There’s no point in keeping quiet and finding out, so I’ll believe him since he was honest with me… and it doesn’t seem like he’s lying.

…Hmm…how did it come to this…

“…So, what should I do?”

“You can straddle my waist, facing each other from the front… embracing Jizo… do you understand if I say face-to-face sitting position? Hehe…”

It’s annoying to have to do what a grinning pervert tells me to do, but…

I never thought I’d have to quit the stage, or rather, jump off the stage at Kiyomizu Temple.

Glaring at Kotone, he did as he was told, straddled her, and then lowered his hips heavily.

“Don’t complain even if it’s heavy…”

“It’s not heavy at all. It’s warm and comfortable, I’m happy to feel Kotonoha.”

This guy is a womanizer…I’m sure he does it with others too.

On the right edge of my field of vision, I can see the person I love, watching with bated breath.

In front of me is a beautiful woman. She’s foul-mouthed and perverted though.

Kotone put her arms around my back and pulled me to her, tightening her embrace…she turned her sharp eyes towards me and slowly leaned her face closer…

「That’s close! There’s more to it than that… like… being mentally prepared, right!?」

“Oh… I’m so sorry. I couldn’t control my excitement and did it.”

Fumie…she didn’t say anything…It’s okay, I get it.

You don’t care who I kiss, you don’t care, do you?

“Hayama -san, are you ready? Stay still and　stay quiet. If you do that, you might be able to be with Kotonoha again.”

“Uh, yeah… I get it…”

“Kotonoha, I want you to stick closer to me… your hips forward, that’s right… hehe… put your arms around my neck…”

So close, so close! Beautiful eyes and a nose, just a stone’s throw away!

I was sulking and trying to kiss her in a fit of desperation, but it was no use!

“Uh, uh, wait, um… really? Are you going to do that?”

“What are you saying now? If you make me wait any longer, it might not end with just a kiss…”

“There’s no way I’d do something like that!”

Is he an idiot?! Is it possible for there to be a fine line between an idiot and a genius?!

“I don’t want to show you naked to other people either… and I’m sure you’d prefer it to be just the two of us for the first time, right?”

“Shut up! Shut up! I’ll! I’ll kiss you!”

“Hehe… I see, what a shame. Kotonoha, you only need to think about me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes… I guess that’s fine…”

How can I concentrate on kissing someone I like?

Ahhhhhh come on! I’ll do it! Just do it!

“Don’t worry, once we start, you’ll get hooked right away… you love me so much, after all…”

Don’t read my mind! And don’t assume my feelings!

…I’ll do it! I won’t let anything go the way this pervert wants!