The Girl Who Sweats Easily And The Boy With Bad Posture - Chapter 6

In the end, I couldn’t sleep much last night.

It’s because closing my eyes brings on a wave of loneliness.

I’ve maintained my distance from others all this time, just because of my smell…

Even though I knew people were talking behind my back…

It’s all that guy Asou’s fault.

That guy…

Asou…

“…Uah…nnh…Asou…ooh…”

My eyes fill with tears once more.

This is no good.

I can’t stay like this…

I got myself ready and left the house earlier than usual.

☆

When I arrive at school, I open my shoe locker with my loafers in hand.

There, the indoor shoes I’d left in the library yesterday were neatly placed there.

Asou must’ve done this…

When I took out the indoor shoes, a note was tucked inside.

_Ichinose-san, I’m sorry.

Just that one line was written.

Why is he apologizing?

The fact that he’d gone back to calling me ‘Ichinose’ made me feel lonely.

When I opened the classroom door, Asou was there…

Asou was alone in the classroom, messing with his phone.

There was no one else from our class around…

If I’m going to talk to him, now’s the only chance.

“…Ah, Asou…”

I finally managed to squeeze out a voice.

The awkwardness is overwhelming…

Then Asou stopped messing with his phone and turned to face me.

“…Ichinose-san… G-good… morning…”

Haaah…

So distant.

The Asou Naoyuki I hate was the one standing there.

That’s not it…

I want to see the you from yesterday…

I suddenly got really mad…

Even though you messed with my heart that much…

How can you keep such a calm face?

Before I knew it, I slammed my hand on Asou’s desk.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?”

Different from before, my voice burst out from deep inside.

And then…

“Yesterday, you did all that to me… so much… and completely messed me up…”

Asou listens without saying a word.

“Then… I didn’t know what to do, and when I tried to read your novel, it was gone…”

“…Ichinose-san?”

“And… you… called me without honorifics… and I… I… uuuhhh… waaah…”

A wave of emotions came pouring out…

I let the words spill out without holding back…

And then, the tears started flowing…

“…Sorry…”

No…

I don’t want an apology…

That’s not what I want to hear…

“Mai…”

Eh?

Just now…

What did you just say?

“…Mai… I’m sorry… about yesterday… it’s just that…”

“…That’s not fair…”

“Huh…?”

“Is that how it is…? Are you messing me up again? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday…”

I didn’t know what to do anymore, so I ran out of the classroom…

☆

In the end, I found myself in a bathroom stall…

“Haah…”

What am I getting all hysterical for…?

What was I expecting from that guy Asou?

A wave of futility washes over me.

__Bzzz bzzz

My phone vibrates…

When I opened the message, it was from an unknown address.

To be precise, it’s a sub-address… used for replying to inquiries.

□■□■□■

Message content

I want to talk.

I want you to come to the library.

Asou Naoyuki

□■□■□■

It’s from him.

Now of all times…?

Even though I felt disappointed, part of me still hoped for something from Asou, who had sent the message.

☆

__Library

The place where that guy Asou licked my feet yesterday…

Asou was already standing there…

“…What?”

My tone was cold and mechanical.

“…Thanks for coming.”

“What do you want?”

“Um… I’ve lost the ability to write…”

Eh?

What?

Lost the ability to write?

The excuse was so absurd I just stared in disbelief.

“…I was going to post yesterday… but it didn’t feel right.”

Wait a second, what?

Huh?

“…I was supposed to be writing Sweaty Girl Ai with you, Ichinose-san, as the model… but I can’t anymore.”

You’re talking about your novel now?

Isn’t that crazy?

“…Mai, yesterday you were just… too cute… and you smelled so amazing… I got so excited I couldn’t control myself…”

“Wait a minute!! What are you talking about?”

It was so confusing I had to cut him off.

“Huh?”

“Don’t just say ‘Huh?!’ What does that have to do with me?”

“It has everything to do with you…”

Asou was calm as he looked straight into my eyes…

“Nothing like this ever happened before… but… everything about you, Mai, was so overwhelming… my writing suddenly felt hollow…”

“So… are you saying this is my fault?”

“Of course not!!”

“Then what are you trying to say?”

I ended up raising my voice…

“…I want to write about you, Mai.”

Asou keeps his eyes on me.

His face is incredibly serious as he stares at me…

“Me…? But haven’t you been writing about me this whole time?”

“It’s different!!… I want to write the real Mai… not some made-up version…”

Me…?

He wants to write me?

“Your expressions, your scent, even your embarrassing moments… I want to write all of it, Mai…”

No way…

Why would he want that?

Do you want to write about me just to humiliate me?

“That’s why… I want all of you, Mai…”

Just one word, from Asou…

I heard it loud and clear…

__Want

Not “I like you”…

Not “I love you” either…

Just “I want you”…

Once more, a spark was lit within me…

“Wh-What…? I-Is this supposed to be a love confession?”

It feels like a repeat of yesterday.

I stammered, my heart pounding like a drum, heat spreading through my body…

“…I’m warped.”

I learned that the hard way yesterday.

Love and romance don’t suit this guy Asou…

If I had to describe it, the closest would be…

Maybe “Subjugation” is the word…

And yet, my heart’s skipping a beat.

Even though this man is trying to dominate me…

“If I don’t make all of you mine, Mai… it’s no good…”

“…That’s messed up.”

“Yeah… I know it’s not normal…”

Asou slowly began walking toward me…

Like a spider closing in on prey caught in its web…

Slowly… deliberately…

“…N-No…”

Even as I resisted with words, I knew I couldn’t get away.

My legs wouldn’t move.

Then suddenly…

“Caught you…”

Asou had wrapped me in his arms…

Chapter length 2640 characters.