CHAPTER 32: THE LAST PERSON HE EXPECTED TO SEE

«Damn it, Aoshi... how’d you end up like this?» Ayane grumbles, sitting at the foot of the futon where Aoshi has been resting since yesterday.

They’re alone in the house — Eliss left about half an hour ago for work, though not without plenty of whining. Aoshi had to insist quite a bit to convince her to go and not leave Mr. Tobita in trouble, and that’s exactly why Ayane has stayed this long.

She’d stopped by about two hours ago to drop off the day’s notes, but Eliss insisted she hang around a little longer.

«I just couldn’t work peacefully knowing my beloved Aoshi is home all alone. As much as I love him, I can’t ignore how hopelessly clumsy he is. Would you mind staying here with him for a bit? I trust you, Ayane, so I don’t mind leaving you alone with him — in fact, I’d be really happy if you did. Like hell I’d pay a nurse to take care of him! Those women are all shameless cats in heat who’d use the excuse of changing his bandages to grope my Aoshi!»

Those were Eliss’s exact words before she left for work, and Ayane certainly didn’t need much convincing — though not without a twinge of guilt.

From the way she talks and acts... Eliss really does seem to be in love with Aoshi. Could that be part of the act too? Well, it makes sense. She doesn’t know that Aoshi told me everything — about their fake relationship and her imminent departure — so of course she keeps pretending to be the loving girlfriend in front of me. And yet... that "I trust you" sounded so sincere. The most genuine words I’ve ever heard in my life. Maybe Eliss really is in love with him, even if Aoshi doesn’t feel the same. Or maybe... Aoshi loves her too, despite what he told me. But why would he lie about something like that? It doesn’t make sense...

Ayane can’t get that thought out of her head. The more she tries to understand, the more confused she feels.

«After we split up yesterday afternoon, I was walking through the old industrial district when a car turned the corner and hit me head-on,» Aoshi mutters. «Luckily, it wasn’t going too fast, so I only ended up with a few fractures and some bruises. The doctor said I should be able to start attending classes again in about a week. And like I told you already — the driver sped off before I could get the license plate or even see what kind of car it was, so there’s no point in pushing me to file a report.»

«Still, that black eye doesn’t really look like the result of a car accident — more like... a punch! Aoshi, are you sure some thugs didn’t beat you up and rob you? There’s been all kinds of crazy news on TV lately!» Ayane mutters, staring straight into his eyes — a gaze Aoshi can’t hold for long.

«Ugh, don’t you start with that too!» Aoshi snaps, clearly annoyed. «Eliss already grilled me for half an hour, thinking someone beat me up. As you can see, I still have both my phone and my wallet. It’d be pretty stupid for someone to attack me and not steal anything, don’t you think?»

«Y-Yeah, I guess you’re right...» Ayane murmurs, quietly gathering the notebooks and textbooks scattered across the living room floor and slipping them back into her bag.

«Thanks for staying with me this long, even though I’m sure you had plenty of other things to do...» Aoshi says softly, giving her a bright, sincere smile. «Sorry for the trouble — really, I mean it.»

«Apologize? For something like that...? Don’t be silly, Aoshi! A-After all, we’re best friends, right? Taking care of a friend in trouble is the least I can do... Oh, by the way, I was thinking maybe you could invite Takuma over tomorrow. This morning he told me another one of those pervy games you guys like so much just arrived, and he can’t wait to make you play it too. His exact words were, when you’re stuck in bed, there’s nothing better than a nice erotic visual novel to lift your spirits — and not just your spirits. Ah... honestly, you two are hopeless. I can understand him — poor guy’s probably only ever talked to 2D girls — but you should know better by now. You’re too old for that stuff, aren’t you? And besides, what reason do you have to play those games when you’ve got a beauty like Eliss by your side? Sure, you’re not really dating, but you keep kissing all the time, and I imagine that when you’re alone you also... you know... do those things...» Ayane sighs, sounding both exasperated and embarrassed.

«Why am I even getting dragged into this? Takuma’s the pervert here!» Aoshi grumbles, pretending to be offended — though there’s a faint trace of melancholy in his voice.

Of course... her best friends. How could I ever think, even for a second, that Ayane might feel something more than friendship for me? Besides, if a girl really liked a guy, she’d want to spend time alone with him, right? And this could’ve been the perfect chance for us to be alone together... so why invite Takuma too?

Not that I mind seeing him — he’s my best friend, after all — but if I put myself in Ayane’s shoes, it’s not like she cares that much about Takuma. She only got close to him because of me; by the time Ayane and I met, Takuma had already been my best friend for almost ten years.

Anyway, it’s clear I misunderstood everything. For once, I’m actually glad I never said or did anything that could be taken the wrong way — otherwise I’d have earned myself the most predictable, avoidable friendzone in human history. That would’ve been way too humiliating...

«S-Sure, why not? I don’t mind inviting Takuma. Three’s more fun than two anyway, right? Maybe this time he’ll even get you hooked on eroge,» Aoshi says, trying to sound casual.

«Forget it! There’s no way I’m ever playing something like that! Unlike you two, I actually have a little sister — a real one — and there’s no way in hell I’m playing a game where I have to seduce someone who could practically be my sister!» Ayane snaps, visibly annoyed.

«A-Anyway... fine. I’m sure Takuma will be happy,» she adds, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite match her tone.

From his answer, it’s clear now — to Aoshi, I’m nothing more than a good friend. He doesn’t feel anything for me beyond that. After all, if he liked me even a little, he’d have found some excuse not to invite Takuma, just so we could be alone again tomorrow. I wanted to test him, to use the excuse of inviting someone else to see how he’d react... but I think I’ve found an almost definitive answer to the question, "What does Aoshi feel for me?"

Or maybe... he really is in love with Eliss, even if he keeps denying it. And what chance could a completely ordinary girl like me possibly have against someone like her? When it comes to beauty, we’re on two completely different levels.

Either way, it’s obvious there’s no place for me in his heart. I have to stop fooling myself, stop building hopes out of nothing — or I’ll only end up hurting myself.

«Alright then, see you tomorrow, Aoshi. Try not to move around too much, and if you need any help, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? Just to be safe, I’ll leave my door unlocked, so if you need anything — or even just want to, you know, talk for a bit if you feel lonely — you won’t have to get up and walk all the way over,» Ayane says, standing in the doorway with a worried look fixed on him.

«Thanks again, really — you’re a very special friend, Ayane. I don’t know what I’d do without you, I mean it. See you tomorrow evening, same time. And please, be careful on your way home,» Aoshi replies, raising his right arm slightly to wave goodbye.

«Yeah... a very special friend,» Ayane whispers, barely moving her lips, the words escaping almost soundlessly. She forces a smile, returns the wave, and quietly closes the door behind her.

This house really does feel cold and lonely without Eliss around... Aoshi thinks, staring up at the ceiling. Her boundless energy, those shamelessly provocative gestures — almost to the point of harassment, honestly — even her constant scolding when I don’t fold my clothes or leave the bathroom floor soaked after a bath... it’s like all those things have somehow become part of this place.

And yet, it wasn’t like that at first. During the first few days, she cleaned the whole house from top to bottom without a single complaint. Now she nags me over the smallest thing — even a single sock out of place. In just one month, she’s gone from a doting girlfriend blinded by love to a wife who drags her husband into chores.

But the real question is how I’ve changed toward her. If I could just figure that out, I’d probably understand how I truly feel about her... and what I should do next.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Who could that be at this hour — maybe Ayane forgot something?

«Come in.»

The front door swings open — and Aoshi freezes, stunned by disbelief and fear. His breath stops completely, while his heartbeat roars like an engine about to burst.

«M-Miori...?»