Act 3: Icha-Icha Triathlon

A Friday in late October, about two weeks after my cohabitation with Nanami began.

The midterm exams are over, the results are out, and all that's left is to wait for the rankings; today──the sixth-period World History class has been changed to a long homeroom, and a student-led discussion was being held.

The topic is the cultural festival.

「We will now begin the discussion about the cultural festival.」

Kondou, a member of the culture committee serving as the moderator, calls out in a serious tone from the podium. Beside him, Komori-san, also a culture committee member, stands with a piece of white chalk in her hand.

「First, I will explain the schedule for the cultural festival.」

Kondou pushes up his glasses and looks down at the materials in his hands.

The cultural festival will be held on a Saturday two weeks from now. Students will come to school at the usual time, and it will be open to the public from 9 AM. The end time is 4 PM, but since there's cleanup, we'll be leaving after 5 PM.

And from today until the cultural festival, the sixth-period class will be canceled and used for festival preparations. If that's not enough time, we'll have to stay after school.

「Next is about the attractions.」

「Yes, yes! Question, question! Can the attraction be anything?」

The gyaru, Ikeda-san, said, raising her hand. Kondou must have been given it at the culture committee meeting, as he read from the materials in his hand.

「First, about the venue, it seems that class attractions are limited to the classroom. The gym will be used for cultural club presentations and events, and the grounds will be a parking lot for general visitors.」

Komori-san, serving as the scribe, writes a summary on the board, "Only the classroom can be used".

Classroom-only, huh. The high school I went to until recently had its cultural festival in June, but at that time we could also use the grounds, and there were many stalls. My class opened a shaved ice stand, and since it was a midsummer day even though it was June, we made a considerable profit.

If it's limited to the classroom, stalls that use water or produce smoke will probably be difficult. Voices of disappointment can be heard from all over the classroom, and the girls sitting near me also go off on a tangent, saying,

「That limits what we can do.」

「Goldfish scooping is probably outー」

「Where do you even get goldfish from?」

「And how much is one fish?」

「I don't knowー. And why are they called goldfish when they're red? Do you know, Nanami?」

「It's because they're a symbol of good financial fortune.」

「Amazing, Nanami. You really knew!」

「Quiet downー.」

Yokota-sensei, who had been watching quietly from the corner of the classroom to respect the students' autonomy, called for attention. When the room quieted down, Kondou resumed his explanation.

「Before we decide on an attraction, first is the budget. The budget for each class has been set at 20,000 yen. With that in mind, please raise your hand if you have a suggestion for an attraction.」

The boys raised their hands, each trying to be first.

「Yes, yes! I want a miko cafe!」

「I'm all for a maid cafe!」

「A nurse cafe would be better!」

「A sister cafe!」

「Let's do a pajama cafe!」

「A police cafe! A police cafe!」

「How about a gyaru cafe!」

It's like a fetish presentation. The boys are all voicing the outfits they want the girls to wear.

I thought the girls would be put off,

「Senseiー. The boys are being pervertsー」

Ikeda-san's joking tone turned it into a gag, and the girls giggled.

The teacher just said, "Discuss it thoroughly so you have no regretsー". After Komori-san finished writing down the list of fetishes, Kondou looked around the classroom and said.

「Do the girls have any opinions?」

「I'm fine with a cafeー」

「I also vote for a cafeー! It feels like a cultural festival!」

「It's a good deal if you think about getting to wear cute clothes for freeー」

「Butー isn't the budget not enough?」

「A pajama cafe would be free, free!」

Numabuchi, who had proposed the pajama cafe earlier, took the opportunity to appeal. The one who put a stop to that was Matsui of the maid faction.

「Maid outfits are cheap too! You can get them for under 2000 yen if you buy them online!」

Why does he know the price? Everyone probably thought it, but it would be tactless to ask. He's probably looked it up because he likes it──that's all there is to it.

「2000 yen a piece, huh. Then we can buy about five of them.」

「We could form shifts of five people and take turns wearing them?」

「So that means we have to work for almost two hours, huhー. That's pretty busy.」

「In exchange, the guys will do all the back-end work, right? If you think of it as working for about two hours and having the rest of the time free, it's a pretty good deal.」

「What should we guys do in the back?」

「If it's a cafe, maybe prepare drinks, or bake pancakes?」

「What about the equipment?」

When asked, Kondou looks through a document.

「Open flames are strictly forbidden, but hot plates will be provided to each class upon request. However, it's forbidden to serve raw items that spoil easily, like dairy products.」

「We can make pancakes, but we can't use whipped cream. That won't look good for the 'gramー」

「Butー isn't chocolate sauce fine? If we write messages or draw pictures with it, the customers might be happy.」

「If there are no other suggestions, can we confirm the cafe? ...Is that okay? Then let's move on to the vote!」

And so, the sixteen boys and twenty girls──a total of thirty-six people──voted by a show of hands.

The results are as follows.

Miko Cafe... six people.

Maid Cafe... ten people.

Nurse Cafe... two people.

Sister Cafe... one person.

Pajama Cafe... ten people.

Police Cafe... one person.

Gyaru Cafe... six people.

The maid cafe and the pajama cafe were tied for first place.

My seat is in the back of the center row, so I have a clear view of who voted for what.

The ten people who voted for the pajama cafe were all boys. There are sixteen boys. The six who wanted a cafe other than the pajama one each cast a vote for the remaining six cafes.

In other words, the pajama cafe is popular with boys, and the maid cafe is popular with girls. There are four more girls than boys in our class, so if we move to a final vote, the maid cafe will win.

Is that why? Kondou, the moderator who cast a vote for the pajama cafe, said, "Before we move to the final vote, we will have a representative give a speech so that there are no regrets!"

There are no objections, and first, Numabuchi, who proposed the pajama cafe, goes up to the podium.

「Pajamas have a dream! A dream of being able to see the girls' pajamas──their post-bath appearances that we don't usually get to see! You guys get it, right? The romance of pajamas!」

Numabuchi sends a passionate gaze to the boys. It seems his strategy was to first rally the male votes, except for Matsui, the proposer of the maid cafe.

The boys seemed moved, but the girls smiled wryly.

「Isn't he dreaming too much about pajamas? I just wear sweats.」

「I still wear my middle school jersey.」

「Well, it does seem fun like a pajama party, though.」

「Butー isn't it just plain embarrassing?」

「The guys will also be participating in pajamas as back-end staff, so the embarrassment is halved! In other words, the pajama cafe has a sense of unity that the maid cafe doesn't! Furthermore, as I said earlier, the costume cost for the pajama cafe is zero! With the money saved, we can procure higher-quality ingredients and provide our customers with even more delicious food! That's all!」

As applause echoes, Numabuchi steps down, and in his place, Matsui takes the podium.

「To be honest, I think the pajama cafe is a good idea too! I agreed with almost everything Numabuchi said!」

Perhaps because he is in a superior position to the pajama cafe, Matsui's statement praised his rival. Or is he planning to switch sides to the pajama cafe? If so, all the boys would be for the pajama cafe, and with three more votes from the girls, the pajama faction would win.

「The one thing I want to say here is this. You guys, if your parents ask, "What are you doing for the cultural festival?" can you say "A pajama cafe"?」

That statement was the clincher. I can only see the back of their heads from my seat, but I'm sure "too embarrassed to say" is written on all the boys' faces.

We moved on to the final vote, and the maid cafe won by a landslide.

Komori-san draws a flower circle above "Maid Cafe", and just as I thought the discussion was over, Kondou brings up a new topic.

「Next, I would like to discuss the "Inter-Grade Contest".」

What's that?

「Yes, yes! What do we do in the Inter-Grade Contestー?」

Ikeda-san asked a good question. Kondou reads from the materials in his hand.

「The theme for the Inter-Grade Contest changes every year. Last year it was the "Best Gyaru Contest", the year before that the "Best Macho Contest", and the year before that the "Best Jeanist Contest".」

An event unique to Hazakura High, huh. It sounds interesting that the theme changes every year. If it overlaps with my free time, I'll go check it out.

「What are we doing this yearー?」

asked Ikeda-san.

「This year, it's the "Best Couple Contest".」

said Kondou.

「「......」」

Nanami and I look at each other.

The name of the event gives me a bad feeling.

The classmates all turned to look at us at once, getting excited, saying things like,

「Look, they're already gazing at each other!」

「The first-year representative is decided!」

「This is a guaranteed win!」

「Do your best, Hayakawa!」

Driven by anxiety, I called out to everyone.

「B-But, there might be a lot of candidates from other classes, right? There might be couples who really want to participate, and if so, we'd have to compete for a spot. Nanami and I aren't good with conflict, so in that case, we'd be fine with graciously giving up our spot...」

「It's okay. It says that one couple per class can participate. Are there any other couples in this class who want to participate?」

When Kondou asked for a show of hands, the classroom fell silent. Not a single person so much as twitched a hand.

「As such, since there are no other candidates, Hayakawa and Kousaka's participation is guaranteed.」

Immediately, they start getting excited again,

「Congrats on participating!」

「We'll definitely come to cheer you on!」

「Well, even without our support, you two are a shoo-in for victory!」

「You've been in love for four and a half years after all!」

I-It's no good... The path to declining participation has been completely cut off...

It's been almost three weeks since I transferred to Hazakura High──. The way people look at us has also calmed down. So far, no one has found out about us living together, and while we are sometimes called out to in the hallway, "You two are as close as ever!", "The happy aura is off the charts!", we're not a big sensation like on the first day. We'd hold hands like a couple on the way to and from school, share an umbrella when it rained, and cuddle up on a bench in the courtyard... We tried our best to act like a couple, and thanks to that, our lie hasn't been exposed. I thought we could live a peaceful school life as a normal, everyday couple.

And yet, now a Best Couple Contest... If we participate in this, we might be in the spotlight again. More than anything, it's incredibly embarrassing.

If it was just saying something like "We're a coupleー" on stage, I could barely stand it...

「What do the participants in the Best Couple Contest do?」

I asked Kondou fearfully.

「The events are "Let's Tell Each Other Our Love", "Let's Reenact the Confession Scene", and "Be as Lovey-Dovey as You Want, Icha-Icha Time".」

What a terrible lineup. It's full of nothing but embarrassing events.

Even though we're not really dating, being all lovey-dovey in front of a large crowd is just too much...

「Haru-kun, what should we do...?」

Nanami turned to me with a face that looked like she was about to cry. It's clear she doesn't want to participate.

But Nanami has been telling everyone how much she likes me until now. From the outside, she's one half of a silly couple. Now that I've joined and the silly couple is complete, it's no wonder everyone thinks "Of course you'll participate!". If she were to refuse to participate now, it would be inconsistent with her past statements. And since I've gone along with Nanami's lie, I can't refuse to participate in the contest either. We will almost certainly have to participate.

Still... I want to make one last stand, hoping for a slim chance.

「W-Wellー. Whether we participate or not depends on the time of the event... the work content hasn't been decided, but we have to work as back-end staff for the maid cafe.」

「Of course we'll adjust the schedule so it doesn't overlap with the event!」

My hope was crushed.

That's all the resistance from me.

「B-But, is it really okay for us to do it? No one raised their hands earlier, but maybe they were just being considerate of us...」

Next to me, Nanami said with a lack of confidence. It seems Nanami has also decided to make her last stand.

「Don't worry, you and Nanami are the only couple in our class. Right?」

In response to Ikeda-san's question, voices rise from here and there, "We're not datingー", "I'm looking for a boyfriendー".

「But, Haru-kun and I have been together since before we can remember. We had a long-distance period, but we started dating when we were in elementary school... isn't that more like a long-married couple than a young couple... I'm worried we won't be able to give the kind of couple-like reaction everyone is expecting...」

Her argument was along the lines of "Is it right for a professional to enter an amateur tournament?" If we participate with this, we'll have to show off some masterful flirting. It's truly a double-edged sword.

I wonder what the result will be...!

「It's fine, it's fine! Just be lovey-dovey as a married couple!」

「I'll definitely come to cheer you on!」

「Let us have some of your happiness!」

「Don't mind us, you can be as lovey-dovey as you want! We're not jealous anymore!」

「Heyー heyー what time is the Best Couple Contest?」

「It's the finale of the events in the gym, so it's from 3 PM to 4 PM at the latest.」

「Then, let's make our cafe's last order at 2:30 PM, shall we? Then we can all go cheer!」

「I agreeー!」

「No objectionsー!」

Ah, this is impossible. Sucked into an atmosphere where it's impossible to say we're withdrawing now, we ended up signing the participation form on the spot, mustering all our strength to say, "I'm looking forward to it", and "I can't wait".

◆

After school that day.

Nanami and I came home to the apartment via the convenience store.

We had been cooking for ourselves every day, but today we had things to do, so for the sake of time, it was frozen food. We put the fried rice and pasta in the freezer and sat down on the sofa.

Nanami lowers her eyebrows apologetically,

「I'm sorry, Haru-kun. Because of me, you've gotten into another troublesome situation...」

「Don't apologize. It's not Nanami's fault. There was no way to predict that there would be a Best Couple Contest this year.」

「...Will you forgive me for saying the long-married couple thing too?」

「There's nothing to forgive, I'm not mad. So you don't have to apologize. Let's talk about something more constructive instead.」

Saying that, I take a notebook and pen from my school bag.

The topic is "What to do about the three events of the Best Couple Contest".

「Express our love to each other, reenact the confession scene, and be lovey-dovey... right?」

Nanami confirms the three events shyly.

To add to that, we were later informed of things like "You have three minutes", and "The order of appearance is from the youngest grade and class". In other words, we, who are in Class 1-1, will be the opening act.

After homeroom, when we went to submit the participation form to the culture committee chairman, he was pleased and said, "With you guys as the opening act, the contest is sure to be a hit!" That's a lot of pressure.

However, sorry to disappoint everyone who is cheering for us, our ideal is to come in last. If we end up winning after a huge build-up, we'll be in the spotlight again and become the center of attention every day. If our fake couple status is exposed because of that, it would be a disaster.

That said, we can't not be lovey-dovey at the contest. If we slack off, people might suspect we're a fake couple.

So, I want to be moderately lovey-dovey on the day, end up in last place, and return to our daily lives without drawing strange attention.

Well, since everyone else is a genuine couple, we probably won't win even if we do our best.

「Well then, we now have to fabricate some lovey-dovey episodes that never happened... First, for the "lines of love", I think we should refer to Nanami's past statements.」

「Past ones?」

「Until I transferred here, you were going around saying "I like Haru-kun", right? I want to reuse those statements.」

And so, I grip my pen,

「Tell me what you said.」

"Eh", Nanami's eyes widened. Her smooth white skin gradually turned red.

「Does that mean... I have to tell Haru-kun the things I like about you that I've been telling everyone...?」

「That's right. Tell me everything you've said to people, as much as you can remember. I'll take notes, so slowly, word for word.」

「...Do I really have to say everything?」

「You do. Otherwise, there will be inconsistencies.」

"Uhh..." she groaned embarrassedly, but as I instructed, Nanami began to recount her past statements as if trying to remember them.

「What I often told people was... I like Haru-kun because he's kind. I also like that he can be a little mean sometimes. I like that he takes the lead. I like when he pats my hair like an older brother. I like that he makes me feel positive. I like that when we split a cake, he gives me the bigger piece. I like that we get along. I like that it's fun to be with him. I like him so much I want to be by his side always. I love Haru-kun... I think that's about it?」

W-What is this... a new kind of shame play?

I can't stop my face from getting hot.

The reasons for "like" that Nanami talks about are all strangely real. The episode about splitting a cake and giving her the bigger piece is something we actually did as kids. How much of it is a lie and how much is what she really thinks...

Even if it was all a fabricated lie, there's no way I can't be embarrassed when she's saying she likes me so much like this.

「That's all I can think of right now...」

「You can think of more right now... are there still more? Things you like about me...」

「Yeah, I think I said a lot of other things. ...So, which ones are we going to use on the day?」

「Let's see... let's use everything what just came up.」

「E-Ehh? Everything? W-Why?」

Perhaps it's embarrassing for everything to be used, as Nanami has a reluctant look on her face.

「Because we have three minutes. To make the Icha-Icha Time as short as possible, I want to use up time here.」

「I see... you're really thinking, Haru-kun.」

It seems that, like me, the Icha-Icha Time is a major hurdle for Nanami. She immediately understood and asked shyly,

「So that means Haru-kun'll say a lot of things you like about me too?」

「No, I'm just planning to say "I like you a hundred times more than that".」

「Isn't that unfair!? Haru-kun's answer is too short! This is embarrassing for me alone!」

「It's not unfair at all. There's a reason for this.」

「A reason...?」

「I don't know all the lies you've told people so far. If I were to say some lines of love, they might not be consistent with your past statements. That's why it's better for my lines to be short.」

Forcefully concluding, I write "I like you a hundred times more than that" in my notebook.

Alright, that completes the first event.

Next is "Reenacting the Confession Scene". As a prerequisite, I haven't confessed, nor has she, so this will be a complete fabrication...

「Nanami, have you ever told your friends something like "This is how the confession went"?」

If she has, we'll have to reuse that to avoid contradictions.

「No. Even when asked, I've always brushed it off with "That's a memory just for me". ...Ah, but I did say "Haru-kun was the one who confessed".」

「So that means I'm leading the confession scene reenactment.」

「I'm sorry...」

「It's totally fine.」

Since Nanami was the main one for the lines of love, it's balanced. And fortunately, or unfortunately, we supposedly started dating when we were in elementary school. If it's an elementary school-like confession, I won't have to think of such embarrassing lines.

「I'll think about it, so give me a little time.」

「Okay. Do you want something to drink?」

「I'd like some hot cocoa.」

"I'll have some tooー", Nanami said, starting to boil water. Without a good idea flashing in my mind, a mug was brought to me with a "Here you goー".

"Thanks", I said, taking a sip of the hot cocoa and sending some sugar to my brain... but still, nothing comes to mind.

「How is it? Have you had any flashes of inspiration?」

「Not exactly a flash, but... how about something safe like "I like you. Please go out with me"?」

Nanami made a difficult face. She didn't seem to like it.

「Hmm... that's the classic confession, but it's so common it almost seems fake... it might not be very "us".」

「Not "us"... I did feel a sense of dissonance saying it myself. It's impossible, but if I were to confess to Nanami, I don't think it would be in such a formal way.」

「Knowing Haru-kun, you'd probably say it casually while we're having a fun conversation.」

「Ahh, that sounds like me.」

As expected of my childhood friend, she knows me well.

It's true that if I were to confess, I'd get embarrassed and, to show I'm not nervous, I'd probably say it casually while we're playing. Let's think along those lines.

「For example, let's assume we're playing a game──. While saying "I like this character, I like this one too", how about I confess with "But the one I like the most is Nanami"?」

Nanami frowned. She didn't seem to like this one either. "It's better than before", she said, prefacing her comment,

「If I were my elementary school self, I don't think I would recognize that as a romantic confession. I'd probably just say "Thank you" sincerely. I mean, I never even imagined dating anyone... Also, if Haru-kun were told the same thing, you wouldn't think of it as a confession, right?」

「I probably wouldn't have. ...So, it has to be a line that even an elementary schooler who is clueless about romance would understand as a confession...」

For example, adding something like "No, no. That's not what I mean. This is a confession. I like you. I love you. Not "like", but "love"," is a bit lame, so I want to avoid that.

Given my personality, I probably wouldn't try to force us to start dating that day. Next time, I'll make sure she understands it's a confession on the first try──I'd probably be determined to do that, and then continue playing with Nanami as a friend that day.

「...Seems difficult?」

「I'll think about it for a bit.」

I bring the still-warm cocoa to my lips and think.

A way to make a casual confession that would also make her understand "I'm being confessed to" in one go...

Like me, Nanami would probably never dream of being confessed to by someone she grew up with like a sibling. Even if I say it with love, if it's just words, it might be taken lightly. In other words, I need to make Nanami prepared for "I'm about to be confessed to" before I actually confess.

An obvious way is a kiss. If I say I like her after a kiss, she would understand it's "love" not "like".

But, kissing isn't very elementary school-like. And, kissing someone you're not even dating has a criminal scent to it.

In the end, we started dating, so it's not a problem... but I don't want the audience to have the impression that "Hayakawa Haruki is the kind of guy who kisses before they're even dating".

In that case, I have no choice but to skillfully create the mood with words. If I create a "I'm about to confess" feeling with some fitting lines, Nanami should prepare herself mentally.

「Looks like you've thought of something.」

「Yeah. This should work.」

I write our lines in the notebook.

With the script ready, Nanami and I decided to try a read-through.

...After the read-through, a brief silence fell in the living room... Nanami smiled with satisfaction.

「...This has a sense of reality to it.」

「It suddenly became confession-like, didn't it? Did you feel any dissonance with your lines, Nanami?」

「Not at all. The timing is just right, and I thought it was very good.」

「I'm glad you liked it. Now, what to do about the third event...」

"The third event..." she mutters to myself, and a blush spreads across Nanami's cheeks. She looks down shyly,

「We're going to be... lovey-dovey?」

「Since we're participating in the contest, we have to.」

「You're right... How long will we do it?」

「A little over a minute. Let's try it for a minute and thirty seconds for now.」

I set the timer on my smartphone to one minute and thirty seconds and press Nanami for confirmation.

「The being lovey-dovey is just an act. It's just an act, and I want to avoid making things awkward with Nanami.」

"I know", Nanami nodded.

「We've just gotten used to living together and have been having fun every day, I don't want things to get weird with Haru-kun.」

「Yeah. That's why, for the Icha-Icha Time, let's just make it something that happened in a dream.」

「In a dream...?」

「That's right. For the next minute and thirty seconds, you and I are going to be lovey-dovey. But once that minute and thirty seconds is up, we'll just say the flirting was a dream we had while we were napping. We didn't actually flirt in reality. We just had a realistic dream. And since it's the content of a dream, we'll forget it right away... see, aren't you getting sleepy?」

Nanami giggled.

「Haru-kun, are you trying to hypnotize me?」

「Did it seem like it?」

「It did. It's nostalgic. We used to play at hypnosis with a pendulum made from a five-yen coin and a string.」

「Yeah, we did that. When you swung the pendulum saying "You're getting sleepy", and I pretended to really fall under hypnosis, you got scared and cried.」

「Because Haru-kun wouldn't wake up. Even when I tickled you, you wouldn't even flinch...」

「I was holding it in really hard.」

「If you were just holding it in, you could have just woken up right away...」

「My mischievous side got the better of me. I do feel bad about it. But, you like that part of me too, right?」

My mischievous side got the better of me, and when I brought up the lines of love, Nanami said, "I don't like embarrassing teasing..." blushing.

"Now then", I steer the conversation back on track.

「Before we get lovey-dovey, hypnotize yourself.」

「Y-Yeah. ...I'm getting sleepy. For one minute and thirty seconds, it's a dream world. A dream world I'll forget as soon as I wake up. When the alarm rings, I'll forget it all, clean and clear...」

「...You got it? In the dream, we can do whatever we want to each other. Nothing will be awkward. Because we'll forget.」

「I'll forget... I'll forget... I'll forget...」

「If we're half-hearted about it, it will seem strangely real. It will be more dream-like if we go all out.」

「Go all out...」

Nanami says to herself with drowsy eyes and a sleepy voice. "Here we go", I say with a look, and Nanami nods her head up and down.

I touch my smartphone screen, and the countdown begins──

「Heyー, heyー」

The one to move first was Nanami.

She straddles my lap to face me and puts her hands on my shoulders. Shaking my shoulders,

「Heyー, Haru-kun, pay attention to me~」

「Later. I'll pay attention to you later.」

Understanding the situation in an instant, I respond with an ad-lib. Nanami pouted her lips as if sulking.

「Ehh, you said the same thing earlier~」

「Just a little longer. The TV drama is almost over.」

「Watch me instead of the drama~」

Still on my lap, she hugged my face tightly.

My face is pressed against something soft, and the sweet scent of fabric softener fills my nostrils.

I tap Nanami's back,

「I get it, I get it. You're so pampered, Nanami.」

「Ehehe, thanks~」

Nanami sits down next to me with a plop. I put my arm around Nanami's delicate shoulders and gently pulled her closer. As I was stroking her silky black hair, Nanami buried her cheek in my chest and wrapped her arms around my stomach.

Beep, beep, beep, the alarm rings, and we quickly pull apart. My heart is pounding so loud it's deafening. My face is burning hot, and I'm starting to sweat now. I used to be able to stay calm when she hugged me, but to get this excited over Nanami...

It's awkward to look at Nanami's face... but what just happened was all a dream, a dream. The alarm rang, so I have to erase it from my memory!

「...Hey, how was it? Do you think the dream you just had is good enough, Haru-kun?」

「Hmm... I don't remember, but I feel like I had a proper lovey-dovey dream, so I think this is fine... What do you think, Nanami?」

「Me too... I feel like it was really embarrassing, but I think this dream is fine.」

I was also mortified. I said to go all out, but I didn't expect her to be so bold... I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the soft sensation pressed against my face.

「Hey, Haru-kun...」

「What is it?」

「Haru-kun... would you hate having the same dream you just had every day?」

「...Every day? Not just on the day of the cultural festival, but be lovey-dovey every day?」

「Y-Yeah. I'm anxious about facing the real thing as we are, so I thought it might be better to have the same dream every day starting today. It's just embarrassing, and it's not like I hate being lovey-dovey with Haru-kun... ah, of course, I don't mean I want to have the same dream because I want to be lovey-dovey──a-and of course, I don't mean that I actually hate being lovey-dovey...!」

Regretting having said something so embarrassing, Nanami's face turns red and she starts to panic.

She probably doesn't even know what she's saying anymore, but what she's saying is perfectly reasonable.

Although Nanami just displayed an impeccably lovey-dovey performance, she was only able to do it because we were alone.

The real thing will be in front of a large crowd. Just imagining it brings up an incredible amount of shame. If we continue with this anxiety, we might fail on the day──and people might think we're fakes. To convince the audience that we're a genuine couple, we should practice.

「I don't remember what the dream was about at all, but I feel like I'm going to have the same dream every day. Are you okay with that, Nanami?」

「Y-Yeah. I don't remember the content of the dream either, but I feel like I'll have the same dream again at the same time as Haru-kun. ...But, from next time, I think I'd like to have the dream after taking a bath.」

「After a bath...? Why is that?」

「That's... because I feel like I was sweating in the dream... and because of that, I feel like I couldn't hug you as tightly...」

「Eh?」

So if we practice after taking a bath, she'll hug me even tighter than before...?! My face was already pressed against her, but if I feel any more softness, I might get so flustered that I forget my lines...!

But... if we practice, we might get used to it by the day of the event, and I don't want Nanami to worry about her scent.

「I don't think I noticed any smell of sweat, but I feel like I'm going to have the same dream after taking a bath next time.」

「Thank you...」

「You're welcome... though it's strange to be thanked for a dream. Anyway, the content for all three events is decided, so we should be able to get through it somehow.」

「Yeah. I'm nervous, but I'm starting to look forward to the cultural festival.」

「Me too. We'll go around the festival together, right?」

「Of course. ...But, will our break times overlap?」

「I'm sure everyone in the class will be considerate and adjust the schedule. They're all supporting our love so much.」

「You're right about that. When I think about it that way, I'm glad I pretended to be dating Haru-kun. Thanks to that, we can be together every day.」

Nanami is looking at this situation positively. Whether we cry or laugh, the way people look at us won't change. Our cohabitation will continue until we're third-years. It's hard for me when she feels guilty and says, "It's all my fault", so it's a help when she looks at our pretend-couple game in a positive light.

Pikoon, my smartphone made an electronic sound.

It was a message from Kaa-san.

「She says she'll be here after 8 PM.」

It had been decided a few days ago that Tou-san and Kaa-san would be coming.

My allowance day was approaching, and when I asked if they could transfer it like the living expenses, they said they wanted to see my face after so long, so they would give me my allowance in person.

Today is that allowance day.

「Can I finish dinner quickly and take a bath first?」

"Of course", I tell Nanami, and we each start our tasks. While Nanami was bringing in the laundry and filling the tub, I was preparing the fried rice and pasta.

◆

And so, just past 8 PM.

The doorbell rang, and when I opened the door, Tou-san and Kaa-san were standing there.

「It's been a while.」

「Haruki, have you been well?」

「As you can see, I'm doing well.」

Saying that, I invite them into the room.

Then Nanami stood up from the sofa and smiled, saying, "Good evening."

Nanami is in her pajamas, but I'm still in my uniform. I want to soak in the tub for a while, so I've decided to take a bath after they leave.

「Good evening. Nanami-chan, you're as beautiful as ever.」

「The room is also clean and tidy. Are you two cleaning it together?」

「I do the laundry, and in exchange, Haru-kun cleans. We take out the trash together when we go to school.」

「Are you cooking?」

「Well, yeah. We were busy today, so we had frozen food, but we usually cook together. Right?」

「Yeah. Starting with keema curry, we've made meat udon, fried rice, yakisoba, stir-fried vegetables, and a hot pot with pork belly and Chinese cabbage...」

「We're talking about trying our hand at hamburgers soon.」

「We want to eat some hearty meals too. And, once we get used to cooking, tonkatsu!」

「Fried food takes a bit of courage after all.」

My parents smile.

「We're glad to see you're living happily.」

「Are you going on dates?」

「Dates... we've only been to the nearby mall.」

「Every day is a date at home, right?」

「I see. Dating at home is nice too, but you should take her out somewhere once in a while.」

Saying that, Kaa-san took an envelope out of her handbag. "Thank you", I said, accepting the envelope and checking the contents...

「Is this right?」

My allowance was 5,000 yen, but the envelope contained 20,000 yen. They've been paying my smartphone bill until now, but does this mean I'm supposed to pay it from my allowance from now on? Even so, 20,000 yen is too much...

「I talked it over with your father. We thought with an allowance of 5,000 yen, you wouldn't be able to take Nanami-chan on dates. So, your allowance will be 20,000 yen every month from now on.」

「20,000 yen every month!? I-Is that okay?」

「Don't hesitate, just use that money to entertain Nanami-chan.」

Not only a new place to live, but they're even providing date money. If we were truly in love, this would be an incredibly blessed situation.

In reality, we're not dating, but I'm happy to receive 20,000 yen every month. The exam period is over, so I'll take Nanami out tomorrow.

「Thank you. I'll use it wisely.」

「Thank you very much. I'll have a good time with Haru-kun.」

"You're welcome", they said with smiles,

「Well, we've seen your faces, so we'll be going now... but if you're ever in trouble, just say so.」

「If you're short on money, tell us right away. Don't hesitate. Well then, Haruki, Nanami-chan, see you later.」

They were about to leave, but it felt wrong to just take the money and say goodbye. It's not exactly a sign of gratitude, but we decided to see them off to the parking lot.

Still... Tou-san and Kaa-san were strangely nice today. Well, they're always kind parents, though.

We waved at the departing car and, after returning to our room, I asked Nanami,

「Is there anywhere you want to go?」

「Anywhere is fine?」

「As long as we can have fun within a 15,000 yen range.」

I wouldn't mind spending the whole amount on Nanami, but there are quite a few manga I want coming out next month. I also have to pay for stationery and haircuts from my allowance, so I want to save 5,000 yen.

「In that case... I think I'd like to go to a maid cafe.」

「To a maid cafe?」

「I've always been interested, and I thought it might be a good reference for our customer service. ...Is that not okay?」

「It's fine. As an otaku, I'm also interested in maid cafes. It's also a place that's hard to go to alone.」

When I showed enthusiasm, Nanami's face brightened up.

「Right! That's why I want to go with Haru-kun~」

「Alright, then it's decided. We'll go to a maid cafe tomorrow... I want to take a bath, so sorry, but could you look up a few maid cafes that look interesting?」

「Okay! I'll find a good one!」

Nanami excitedly picks up her phone.

At that moment, an electronic sound suddenly rang out. The source was my smartphone.

I picked it up to find a message from Kaa-san. Given the timing, there must be something she forgot to tell me earlier.

「...Eh?」

I opened the messaging app, and the moment I read the text, I let out a cry of surprise.

Nanami looks at my face with concern,

「What's wrong?」

「...This.」

I show Nanami my phone screen.

Displayed there was an apology from Kaa-san.

『Haruki, I'm sorry. There's actually one thing I have to tell you. Your father was supposed to be in this town until April of the year after next, but the schedule has been moved up, and it looks like he'll be returning to his old workplace next April... I was actually planning to bring it up earlier, but seeing you and Nanami-chan so happy, I couldn't bring myself to say it face-to-face... your life together might end earlier than planned, so I'm truly sorry. We'll come to apologize again another day.』

Nanami, after reading the message, looks at me sadly.

「Haru-kun, you're moving away again next April...?」

「Yeah... it looks like I'll be moving again.」

「I see...」

Seeing Nanami's expression darken even more, I spoke in a tone that forced my tension up.

「But... well, maybe that's for the better.」

「Eh, why...?」

「Moving next April means the period we have to act as a couple has been shortened by a year, right? If the period is shorter, the chances of being suspected as a fake couple will also decrease, and if we just do our best for another five months, you can use the excuse that we've gone back to a long-distance relationship──you can get our peaceful school life back. Isn't that a good thing?」

「That's true, but...」

Nanami looked sad and seemed to want to say something, but she didn't put it into words.

Still, I can guess what Nanami is trying to say.

Like me, Nanami must have started to see this fake relationship in a positive light. And she must have started to enjoy the daily life of meeting her best friend, who is like family, every day like in the old days.

I can understand the feeling of not wanting to lose that.

But the most important thing is that Nanami's lie doesn't come to light──that we keep the secret until the end, without hurting or saddening anyone, and return to the form of a long-distance relationship.

That's why Kaa-san's message should be interpreted as good news.

「For now, I'll reply to Kaa-san, "It's sad to be apart from Nanami, but since it's a matter of circumstances, you don't have to apologize".」

「Yeah. Please do that. It's not Haru-kun's parents' fault. Please tell them "Nanami isn't worried about it either".」

"Got it", I nod and reply to Kaa-san.

And after a few back-and-forths of "I'm really sorry" and "We're not worried at all", I ended the exchange and said, as if to pull myself together,

「Then, I'm going to take a bath. After that, we'll talk about the maid cafe. We'll choose the best maid cafe from the candidates you've found, and tomorrow we'll have a blast!」

「Yeah, you're right! Let's have a lot of fun tomorrow!」

Nanami's voice echoed with energy, not to be outdone by me. I smiled at her and headed for the bathroom.