I'm Being Threatened by My Sister's Ex-girlfriend. (GL) - Chapter 12

I have three friends.

One of them is Toudou Akari. I’ve always thought of her as an angel, or perhaps one of their followers. As proof, her light brown hair, which waves gently in the breeze, reflects the sunlight, creating a halo around her.

“Ugh, it’s so hot today!”

Walking down the main street of the large seaside campus, paved with brick, Toudou raised her fist at the sun and shouted, “Go easy on me!” Everything she did was just so adorable.

Toudou Akari.

With an average height, a curvy body, and a sweet voice, she was like a girl made of candy from head to toe. She carefully styled her hair and wore a girly outfit that made her look like a lady vacationing in a resort.

“How many more days till…?”

She twirled around and glanced back, the perfect amount of sweetness like something out of an idol music video. Her flared skirt floated gracefully as the curve of her calves peeked out.

“Summer vacation! Well, almost.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“So, what are you doing for the break, Nishino-chan?”

Summer vacation for university students lasts for about two months. There’s no homework. It’s up to you whether you spend it meaningfully or indulge in laziness.

“I’ve got a few things I’m thinking about.”

“Sounds like you’re going to do something meaningful!”

Whether a 24-hour live stream with no real content would be considered meaningful or not is up for debate. I haven’t even decided on the content yet. It’s reckless, but that’s the kind of thing university students do in the summer. At least, that’s the spirit I want to carry with me.

“What about you, Toudou?”

“Well, I’m going to travel with Raika, go to the beach with her, and do glamping with her too.”

“You two really are close, huh…”

“Hehehe.”

Even as a university student, Toudou Akari managed to pull off a laugh like that without making you think it was childish. She was the type of girl who made everyone around her happy just by smiling.

“Hey.”

She raised a hand when she noticed something.

Following her gaze, I saw a small group of people, a mix of guys and girls, walking by. They all had plastic bags in their hands. They were probably coming back from the co-op store.

One of them noticed us and waved. It was the short-haired girl, Raika. Ninomiya Raika.

She was a proper girl, not a dog in space, or anything like that.

They crossed in front of us, heading toward the club building.

That white building at the edge of campus had always given me a strange sense of discomfort. The dim hallway lit by flickering fluorescent lights, the small rooms filled with folding chairs, and the overwhelming presence of complicated human relationships… there was no escape from it.

I still clearly remembered the day of the entrance ceremony when I rejected all the flyers for clubs and shut myself in my apartment.

“They’re planning to drink from the afternoon,” Toudou observed, narrowing her eyes.

She took out her smartphone from her handbag and started typing something with a soft tapping sound.

“What’s up?”

“I’m just sending a quick reminder. Raika’s a little weak, so I want to make sure she doesn’t get forced into drinking too much.”

“Overprotective.”

“She gets more touchy-feely when she’s drunk.”

She laughed, as if to say it was a bit dangerous.

It suddenly occurred to me.

“Have you ever had a drink with Ninomiya? I think she’s still only nineteen.”

“Eh, uh…”

Toudou lifted her long eyelashes, which seemed to make a “kyaru kyaru” sound, and looked up at me with her big eyes. She then placed her index finger on her lips. What is that, cute angel?

“Keep that a secret, okay?”

She added, almost as if making an excuse.

“On my 20th birthday, we both got really excited.”

They really seem close. Apparently, they’ve been childhood friends for over ten years. From elementary school to university, being inseparable for that long is quite rare—probably SSR-tier in the world of childhood friendships. Out of a hundred childhood friends, that’s like the top 0.5%. If you think about it that way, they might be even more exceptional.

We entered the second cafeteria, bought our meal tickets, and stood in line. I got the daily special, miso-marinated mackerel. UR [Childhood Friend] Toudou Akari grabbed a salad bowl with steamed chicken and an onigiri.

“So, what’s the consultation about?”

“Ah, well, it’s about…” I smoothly started explaining the story I had come up with.

“Actually, I ended up spending the whole day with a junior from high school, but we’re not really that close, and I’m not sure where we should go. By the way, it’s a girl…”

“Did you come up with any lines?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Hmm.”

Toudou stabbed her fork into the raw vegetables and chewed them up. She looked like a hamster.

“So, you’re going on a date with your junior. Sounds nice.”

“No, it’s not a date.”

“Why the polite language…? Well, whatever you call it, it’s kind of cute, right? She’s looking up to you.”

“She’s not cute.”

“Oh… then why did you say yes, Tsuguno-chan…?”

“Well, there were some unavoidable circumstances, you know…”

The message that came four days ago was basically a model example of awkwardly asking: “I don’t have friends and I’m bored, can you take me somewhere close?”

It goes without saying that I’m essentially an indoor person. I don’t join clubs, I don’t work part-time, and I’m a 20-year-old who enjoys speaking into a mic alone at home. I’m naturally a little dark.

Going out… somewhere close. What exactly counts as close?

Don’t give vague instructions to someone who lacks experience. Tell me the destination, meeting time, and even the lunch spot. I thought this, but then again, the other person is a high school student.

The message saying “I’m counting on your sense, Tsuguno-san” really pushed me over the edge. I wondered if I could just take her to Saizeriya. I like dipping the mystery powder that comes with the lamb skewers into Buffalo wings.

“So, you want me to help you come up with a plan?”

“Exactly.”

“Sure.”

Toudou smiled, looking like a heroine straight out of a shonen manga. Her reliability made me want to cling to her.

“But tell me your thoughts afterward.”

“Thanks, that’ll really help…!”

“But it’s surprising. I thought someone like you, Tsuguno-chan, would be used to dates by now.”

“Really? Does it seem like that?”

“Definitely. You’re so pretty.”

Her words, free of sarcasm, almost made my heart flutter. Could she be flirting? No way. She would never do that.

But I did think that too much of a good thing could lead to trouble.