The Girl Who Sweats Easily And The Boy With Bad Posture - Chapter 86

Dad, who works at city hall, usually comes home around 6 p.m.

It’s now 6:30 p.m….

A sushi box was firmly held in Dad’s hand.

“Welcome home, Dad.”

I greet Dad while still sitting on the sofa.

But Naoyuki, who had been sitting beside me, suddenly stood and bowed deeply.

“Uh… Nice to meet you… I-I’m… Asou Naoyuki.”

Dad shot him a sharp glance and then spoke.

“You can raise your head… I’m Mai’s father… Ichinose Kentarou.”

Silence lingered for a while after that.

Then Mom came into the living room carrying a salad.

“Kentarou-san, don’t just stand there. Give me the sushi and go take a bath.”

Mom took the sushi and forcefully pushed Dad out of the living room.

Releasing a deep breath, Nao dropped into the sofa.

“Phewww… I was so nervous.”

“After kissing me so lewdly, you’re saying that?”

“Of course… but when it suddenly goes quiet like that.”

I had no doubt about that.

“Yeah… I bet Dad’s nervous too… honestly, he’s hopeless.”

Seeing my exasperation, he gave a little “Fufu” chuckle.

Laid out on the table were sushi, a towering mound of fried chicken, and an absurdly huge salad that looked like something for a rabbit.

Mom’s way too enthusiastic, and Dad’s way too nervous.

“Seriously, my parents are just…”

I quickly grabbed a piece of fried chicken from the platter and popped it into my mouth.

“Hey… Mai… are you sneaking a bite?”

“It’s fine if I do it!! You definitely can’t.”

As I kept chewing, I glanced sideways at his sulking face…

“What do you think you’re doing snacking already?”

I let my guard down.

As soon as Mom entered the living room, she scolded me.

“Uh, it’s just a taste test… before letting Nao eat it.”

I messed up by trying to cover it with a half-hearted excuse.

“Hmm… So you’re eating away all by yourself without giving any to Asou-kun… huh?”

Mom’s stare is piercing. I’ve completely backed myself into a corner.

That was when it happened.

“Uh… well… actually… I was the one who asked her to feed me… mouth to mouth…”

Out of nowhere, Nao lowered his head and bowed to my mom.

That excuse is way too out there, even for him.

“…Asou…kun?”

Even my Mom looked totally baffled.

“Sometimes… um… she feeds me… her lunch too… right, Mai?”

Um, no… Don’t drag me into this with a ‘right?’

“…That’s… a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

My Mom looked completely exasperated.

“Listen, Asou-kun… protecting someone… and spoiling them are not the same thing, okay?”

“…Even so…”

“Mai… aren’t you… being too dependent on your boyfriend? Seriously.”

“Uuuu.”

I couldn’t come up with anything to say back.

“Eh… no matter what I say, it won’t matter, will it?”

Saying that, Mom went to the kitchen to get a beer.

“…Nao… why did you do that?”

“Hm?”

I leaned in and spoke softly to him.

I was confused why he went out of his way to make things messy when it should have just ended with me getting scolded.

“…Why did you say something like that?”

“Why, huh? …Maybe because… I didn’t want to see you get scolded, Mai?”

“…Nao…”

I guess Mom was right after all, huh?

I’ve become dependent on him.

I realized that I believed he would always take care of things when something happened.

Even though I’m supposed to be his other half…

I had been relying on him completely.

“…Mai?”

He suddenly called out to me.

“Eh?”

“You were overthinking things again, weren’t you?”

I really can’t hide anything from him…

“…You think you’re the one leaning on me, right? …But no… I’m the one who depends on you.”

“What? That’s not true…”

“It was thanks to you, Mai… I was able to move forward… that’s why I can’t help but depend on you.”

No…

It’s the same for me too…

Because of you, I was able to move forward.

Because you gave me those socks that day… I’m where I am now.

“…In the end, the two of us are the same.”

I whispered softly to myself…

“Mai…?”

I don’t think he heard me.

“It’s nothing… Nao… do you want barley tea or juice?”

“Alright… I’ll take the barley tea.”

I stood up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen.

“Got it… just wait a second.”

Chapter length 1832 characters.