Chapter 4: Changed Daily Life and Relationships

 

The day after resolving various concerns with Suzuka, his shoulders felt lighter.

Yuuma left home with a spring in his step, though his heart wasn’t entirely settled.

Looking up at the sky, it seemed to mirror his state of mind—a pristine blue without a single cloud.

The familiar streetscape, which should have looked the same as always, somehow appeared different today.

As he approached their usual meeting spot, he ran into the Kuramoto siblings as if they’d planned it.

“Oh, morning, Yuuma! So you actually showed up today, huh?”

“Ah, Yuu-kun, good morning! Are you done with your library committee duties?”

“Ah! Well… yeah, sort of.”

Though his heart skipped a beat when the two noticed him, Yuuma tried to act natural as he raised his hand in greeting. His eyes were drawn to Suzuka.

Unlike her previously messy black hair that she used to just tie up with bed head and all, her hair was now a lighter shade that swayed softly. Her uniform, once worn strictly by the book, was now tastefully styled with a modestly shortened skirt that didn’t cross the line into being improper.

Looking at her again like this, Yuuma couldn’t help but let out a small “wow”—she was undeniably cute.

But that was all. He didn’t feel any particular romantic feelings toward her, not anymore.

Yet here they were, in a relationship they couldn’t tell anyone about. Somehow, it felt like they were sharing a secret mischief, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Noticing Yuuma’s reaction, Kousei’s lips curved into a knowing smirk as he teased:

“Oh? I guess you’re not used to seeing the new Suzuka either, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s like she’s a completely different person, like she transformed.”

“But she hasn’t changed on the inside, you know? She’s still flat as ev—ow ow ow!?”

“Onii-chan, shut up!”

Suzuka puffed her cheeks at Kousei’s words and pinched his side.

Trying to escape, Kousei twisted away and hurried ahead.

Suzuka glared at her brother who had dared to mention her sensitive physical feature, placing her hands on her hips with an exasperated sigh.

As for Yuuma, while watching their interaction, he couldn’t help but recall the unmistakably soft feminine touch he had experienced, and quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought.

Noticing his reaction, Suzuka glanced down at her chest before leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

“Yuu-kun, help me grow so I can prove Onii-chan wrong, okay?”

“Ah… yeah…”

He barely managed to squeeze those words out of his throat. He couldn’t help but be conscious of what had happened yesterday.

Yuuma returned an awkward smile to Suzuka’s mischievous grin, silently chiding her for saying such suggestive things so early in the morning.

 

 

“Ah, Kawai-senpai, you’re actually here today!”

“Yeah, well…”

At their usual station, Riko’s face lit up with relief when she spotted Yuuma.

Then she whispered to him in a low voice.

“So you and Suzu-chan made up properly?”

“Ah, yeah…”

Made up.

That phrase made him flinch for a moment, but he quickly returned Riko’s relieved smile.

Whatever the real situation was, it seemed Riko had been worried about them too.

“Oh right, Kousei-senpai, do you know what your senior at work likes? Like her favorite colors, things she’s into, what she’s obsessed with right now?”

“Ugh, not really…”

“Sigh… You mean you haven’t done any research at all? You must have had shifts together since you made that promise, right?”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

“That’s Onii-chan for you—such a wimp.”

“S-shut up, Suzuka!”

“…………”

The conversation quickly turned to Kousei. This continued even after they got off the train and headed to school.

Apparently, quite a few developments had occurred while Yuuma was absent. Not being fully aware of the situation, he kept his distance and just listened.

Kousei’s emotions swung back and forth as Riko offered advice with exasperation and Suzuka teased and poked fun at him.

Yuuma watched his best friend with a slightly detached smile, thinking how troublesome it all seemed, while glancing around at their surroundings.

Naturally, there were various students walking about in the same uniform, and his gaze returned to Suzuka.

(Suzuka really is quite cute, isn’t she…)

He found himself unconsciously comparing Suzuka to the other girls.

He had thought she became cute after her makeover, but that was just his subjective opinion. Plus, yesterday had been dominated by shock more than anything else.

But even comparing her in this crowd, her appearance definitely turned heads. In fact, he noticed the occasional glances being cast her way.

That’s how objectively attractive Suzuka had become. He felt a slight surge of pride in his old friend’s sister, with whom he now shared this special relationship.

Moreover, Yuuma alone knew what lay beneath that uniform—her well-proportioned, elegant body that no one else knew about, its softness and feel, and the incomparable pleasure they shared.

Yuuma’s expression loosened a bit.

Just then, his eyes met Riko’s, who had suddenly noticed him.

His thoughts must have shown on his face. After blinking in surprise for a moment, Riko’s lips curved into a teasing smile as she whispered:

“Oh my~? Kawai-senpai, were you just checking out Suzu-chan~?”

“N-no, that’s not it… I was just thinking she’s cute compared to other girls.”

“Right!? I knew Suzu-chan had potential—I was sure she’d turn out cute!”

“Yeah, Abunaga’s prediction was spot on.”

“Hehe, and you know what? That makeover was to create an opportunity to make up with Kawai-senpai. We figured the change would definitely get people talking. You little~”

“Well, that’s… um…”

Riko gave him a playful poke in the side, suppressing a knowing laugh.

He reflexively tried to make excuses, though what she said wasn’t exactly wrong.

Of course, he couldn’t openly tell her the real reason—that it was for their first “overwriting.”

When his eyes briefly met Suzuka’s, she had a somewhat troubled expression but still managed a mischievous grin.

Yuuma returned a vague smile to Riko, trying to hide various thoughts.

 

 

At the school entrance, the first and second-year students split up to head to their respective classrooms.

“Morning!”

The moment Kousei entered the classroom, he was immediately surrounded by classmates buzzing about romance talk.

“Hey, Kuramoto! Check this out!”

“Speaking of pancake places around here, this is THE spot, right~? I wanna go too!”

“Yeah, there’s always a line. What are you planning to do after?”

“Um, well, just being able to go to the shop together would be—”

“Dummy, that’s not enough—”

They seemed to be discussing the pancake shop that was to be his date destination.

Their words were filled with enthusiasm. While it might have started from mere curiosity, it was clear they genuinely wanted to support him now.

Apparently, while desperately consulting everyone about his senior from work, Kousei had somehow become an endearing character to them all.

Yuuma observed their behavior with a distant gaze, his mind wandering coolly.

(Is having a girlfriend really that desirable?)

What does it mean to date someone?

You go on dates to get to know a specific person better, spend time together, go through various processes, and then have sex.

No matter how many pretty words you line up, the ultimate goal of high school romance is simply satisfying sexual desire.

It must be something instinctual, as human beings.

Sexual desire stands alongside hunger and the need for sleep as one of the three basic human desires that can’t be avoided.

It’s only natural for that desire to be strong.

That’s why conversations like this were heating up all around the classroom.

Of course, Yuuma wanted to support Kousei.

His best friend was trying so hard—he hoped things would work out well for him. …Though things were complicated when he considered Riko’s feelings.

Still, his detachment from romance had grown even stronger than before, probably because of what was happening with Suzuka.

To Yuuma’s eyes, everyone seemed to be controlled by their sexual desires.

But that couldn’t be helped. After all, it felt incredibly good.

He wondered how many of them actually knew what that felt like.

A twisted sense of superiority welled up in Yuuma’s chest as he recalled yesterday with Suzuka. A sweet ache stirred deep in his body.

Yes, right now, Yuuma had Suzuka.

The pleasure of skin-to-skin contact with a cute girl anyone would envy, connecting deeply, their consciousness melding into one—it was addictive, both physically and mentally. That desire was incredibly difficult to resist. Especially once you’d experienced it.

Moreover, in their alliance, he and Suzuka had promised not to let sexual desire control them—they would act on it whenever they wanted, without holding back or feeling hesitant. Just remembering that promise made desire well up again, even though they’d done it plenty yesterday.

(…Ah)

By the time he realized this was bad, it was too late.

His mind was completely filled with thoughts of Suzuka.

He was restless, totally distracted during class. In a way, he was being controlled by sexual desire.

He furrowed his brow, wondering what to do.

During classical literature class, while listening to an explanation about ancient love letters, an idea struck him. He secretly took out his phone and opened a message to Suzuka.

(…………)

But his fingers stopped there.

What on earth should he say to invite her?

—I’m getting turned on, please help.

Even though they were close enough to understand each other, he knew it would be tactless to write something so bluntly honest.

He pondered for a while.

《Are you free after school today?》

First, he asked about her availability.

Come to think of it, Suzuka probably had her own plans too.

Of course, she wouldn’t reply during class, so he spent the remaining time fidgeting impatiently.

The chime rang, signaling break time.

While trying to maintain his composure, he waited restlessly for his phone to react. One minute felt like it stretched into hours. When Suzuka’s reply finally arrived, Yuuma’s face fell.

《I’m going to Kingyo Mall with Ri-chan’s group today~. There’s this limited-time shop that started yesterday selling decorated Baumkuchen!》

Looks like she had prior arrangements.

He could tell from her message that she was looking forward to it. It would be inconsiderate to try to interfere with that.

Yuuma’s shoulders slumped as he typed his reply.

《I see.》

《Oh, want me to buy some for you too?》

《No, it’s fine.》

He was surprisingly aware of how disappointed he felt. His messages came out curt despite himself.

His enthusiasm dampened but still oddly aroused, he puckered his lips slightly in a sulky expression and let out a small sigh.

Still, there was no point in throwing a tantrum.

Just as he was about to get up from his seat to get some fresh air, another message arrived from Suzuka.

《Ah, could it be Yuu-kun wanted to do it with me again today?》

“…!”

His heart skipped a beat as her frank words hit the nail on the head.

His hesitation lasted only a moment—there was no point in putting on airs with Suzuka. He typed an honest reply.

《Well, yeah, I do…》

《We did it so much yesterday, and you already want to again?》

《What’s wrong with that? It’s fine if you have plans.》

《Ahaha, you’re hopeless~ Hmm… if you don’t mind it being a bit late, I can come over to Yuu-kun’s place. You’ll be alone today too, right?》

《Yeah.》

This time his reply was curt from embarrassment.

He could easily imagine Suzuka grinning on the other end of the phone.

It felt like she was playing him like a fiddle.

 

 

“Kousei-senpai, we’re here~!”

When lunch break came, Riko arrived with Suzuka in tow.

“Yahoo~ Yuu-kun, Onii-chan!”

“Oh, hang on a sec! Let’s go, Yuuma!”

“Ah, yeah…”

After their earlier exchange, Yuuma couldn’t look Suzuka in the face.

As for Suzuka, she was suspiciously cheerful. Occasionally, she’d flash him a knowing smile, as if she could see right through him. She looked like she might tease him with a sing-song “Yuu-kun’s being naughty♪” at any moment.

This continued even while they were eating lunch in the cafeteria and getting excited about Kousei’s situation, making Yuuma feel increasingly awkward.

Just as everyone finished eating, Suzuka suddenly let out an “Ah!”

“I just remembered something. I’m borrowing Yuu-kun for a bit. Ri-chan and everyone else can head back first.”

“Huh?”

“Suzu-chan?”

“O-oh…”

Before he knew it, Suzuka had grabbed his arm and was pulling him along. Her steps were surprisingly light. Yuuma, unable to fully process what was happening, just let himself be led away.

Eventually, avoiding the eyes of others, they arrived at the emergency stairwell at the end of the school building.

Sliding through the metal door, Suzuka quickly checked their surroundings to confirm they were alone. Then without warning, she forcefully claimed Yuuma’s lips, her tongue and legs intertwining with his.

“Mmchu… mm… chu… nnm…”

“Mm… mmn… nn…”

Yuuma was caught off guard by the sudden kiss. Suzuka’s body pressed against his was unusually hot.

Her heat gradually rekindled Yuuma’s sexual desire that had just begun to settle.

Though he knew this was dangerous, Suzuka’s kiss melted his reason. His head spun as he surrendered himself to the sensation.

It felt like he was being devoured.

And yet, he couldn’t pull away.

After what must have been a full five minutes of savoring Yuuma, Suzuka slowly separated from him. A silver thread connected their lips.

Suzuka’s eyes were moist with desire as she gazed at him, her breathing rough.

“Suzuka…”

Having regained a bit of his composure, Yuuma called her name in a reproachful tone, struggling with his thoroughly heated body.

Suzuka playfully flicked her tongue, whispering in a slightly embarrassed but heated voice.

“Well… your reactions are just so cute, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Cute…?”

Suzuka giggled mischievously.

Aware that he’d been acting childishly, Yuuma furrowed his brow in embarrassment, his cheeks flushing.

Suzuka wrapped her arms around Yuuma’s neck soothingly, clinging to him sweetly.

“And also, I was happy. So I got all fired up too, you know? I just suddenly wanted to kiss you.”

“Happy?”

“Well, you said you wanted to do it again so soon after yesterday. Being desired that strongly doesn’t feel bad at all.”

“Is that how it works?”

“That’s exactly how it works. Remember, you ran away the first time. It means my makeover was worth it.”

“Ugh, that’s…”

“Hehe, so wait for me after school, okay, Yuu-kun?”

“Yeah.”

And as if to seal their promise, Yuuma and Suzuka joined lips once more.

 

 

For the rest of that day’s classes, his mind was completely elsewhere.

His thoughts were scattered, thinking only about what he would do with Suzuka after school. Whenever he recalled how she looked yesterday, his desire would start to rear its head, and he had to desperately suppress it.

From the outside, his expression must have looked quite stern and unsettled.

As soon as classes ended, Kousei approached him with concern.

“Hey Yuuma, is something wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“Ah, no, I was just thinking about something…”

“Yeah? If something’s bothering you, I can listen. We’ve still got time before my part-time job.”

“No, no, I’m fine, really!”

“Ah, hey!”

Unable to bear Kousei’s interference, Yuuma bolted from the classroom.

His feet naturally picked up speed.

Even waiting for the train was unbearable.

Though it didn’t matter how quickly he got home—Suzuka would come after hanging out with her friends at Kingyo Mall anyway.

Looking out the train window, he caught his own excited reflection and couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

Getting off the train and returning home, he impatiently unlocked the door and headed to his room.

He put his bag in its usual spot, took off his blazer, and sat on the bed, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

But then he caught a faint trace of Suzuka’s scent from the bed, which only made him more restless.

“…Damn it.”

Yuuma cursed under his breath.

Even he was amazed at how much he was craving Suzuka.

A self-deprecating sigh escaped him as he thought about his lack of self-control.

He flopped onto his back and tried to distract himself by reading the latest chapter of a manga he had bookmarked on his phone app, but the content just slipped through his mind.

Still, he stared at the screen mechanically, trying to suppress his restless feelings.

 

◇◆◇

 

The Kingyo Mall, with its over 200 specialty shops, restaurant district, and even a cinema complex, had an event floor. Suzuka had come with her female classmates to a Baumkuchen fair being held there.

Such events weren’t unusual. She clearly remembered coming to the World Pudding Expo just recently with Yuuma, Riko, and her brother. Back then, her heart had leaped at the sight of all those unique puddings.

But now, she was just filled with a sense of annoyance.

“Kuramoto-san, more guys have been talking to you since your change in atmosphere, but don’t let your guard down, okay?”

“Like that Imanishi-kun who was talking to you in class earlier—he said there’s someone else he’s interested in too.”

“It’s like, because of how you were before, guys find it easier to approach you now.”

“Oh… really…”

Suzuka could only nod along awkwardly to their stream of comments, her face twitching.

They’d been going on about this instead of the Baumkuchen since earlier.

Apparently, they were trying to play matchmaker.

It was true that more boys had started talking to her in class since her makeover.

She wondered if among them was someone these girls had their eye on.

—Ah, this is such a pain.

She had come excited about the rare Baumkuchen, but now her spirits were completely dampened.

This was exactly why she couldn’t get into romance.

To begin with, she didn’t really understand the concept of romance at all.

But it seemed to be something everyone else was deeply interested in.

Her inability to get into it left her feeling like she was missing something important.

Of course, Suzuka had no intention of getting involved with any of the boys in her class. While some of them were good-looking, she couldn’t imagine being lovey-dovey with them right now. Let alone doing anything intimate.

The vulnerable, desperate state she showed during those moments was something she could only reveal to Yuu-kun. To be honest, she still felt a bit embarrassed even with him. It would be impossible with anyone else.

Ah, she wanted to go home soon.

She thought back to Yuu-kun’s message from earlier.

From his words, she understood clearly what he wanted.

She believed she had a good grasp of boys’ sexual desires at this age. Having a brother meant she had a close male perspective, and she often saw boys getting excited over dirty jokes.

She knew perfectly well that Yuu-kun wanted her for her body.

Still, being desired by Yuu-kun made her happy.

For some reason, when Yuu-kun wanted her and they were joined together, it felt like that missing something was being filled.

That’s why she didn’t dislike doing it with Yuu-kun. Rather, she wanted it.

Though she felt like she might be using him a bit conveniently, it went both ways.

Wanting to leave as soon as possible, Suzuka wracked her brain for how to bring it up.

 

◇◆◇

 

After finishing the manga, browsing through some interesting articles, and watching the hour hand move forward one tick.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“…!”

Yuuma sprang up, practically tumbling down the stairs, and opened the door. There stood Suzuka, holding up a paper bag.

“I’m here~ I made up some excuse and just got takeout before sneaking away. Oh, I got some for Yuu-kun too!”

“Ah, yeah…”

“Man, it was more like cake really, didn’t feel like Baumkuchen at all. There were so many varieties, I couldn’t decide~”

“I see.”

As she talked, Suzuka entered the house with a mischievous smile. As she did, a sweet, feminine scent that Yuuma hadn’t particularly noticed before—the same one he smelled when they embraced—tickled his nose.

He gulped audibly.

“What do you want to do? Eat first? Ah, we might need drinks—”

“Later.”

The moment the door closed, Yuuma embraced Suzuka from behind as she was taking off her shoes to come inside.

Surprised by the sudden action, Suzuka’s body jolted for a moment. Then she placed her hand over Yuuma’s after setting down her bag, asking in a gentle voice:

“…Going straight into it?”

“Is that bad?”

“Mm~ well, I didn’t eat much lunch, you know…”

“Oh… I see…”

“Geez, can’t be helped. You really can’t wait?”

“It’s pretty tough.”

“I can feel how hard it is against my butt. Sigh, you’re completely in the mood for it, aren’t you?”

“Suzuka…”

“Hehe, don’t make such a pathetic voice. It’s not like I hate doing it with Yuu-kun. Come on, let’s at least go to the bed?”

“Yeah…”

Suzuka giggled as she turned around and flicked Yuuma’s nose. Her face showed traces of playful mischief.

Though he knew he was being played, Yuuma’s thoughts were completely dominated by desire after holding back for so long. If he had to wait any longer now, he felt like he might lose it.

Following Suzuka’s gentle scolding, she took his hand and led him upstairs to his room.

“Hey, where’s the condom I left yesterday?”

“Second drawer from the top of the desk.”

“Ah, found it. Yuu-kun, sit on the bed.”

“Mm.”

Following her instructions, Yuuma sat on the bed. Suzuka, condom in hand and wearing a knowing smile, positioned herself between his legs and reached for his belt.

“I’ll put it on. Actually, I’ve been wanting to get a good look at a boy’s… wa—”

“Suzu…ka…”

Yuuma breathlessly murmured Suzuka’s name.

Suzuka flicked her tongue across her lips.

Her eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

 

 

Having been teased to his limit, Yuuma completely lost control.

Suzuka lay exhausted with her face buried in the pillow, letting out muffled, tearful gasps between breaths.

“…Yuu-kun, you beast…”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help… well, you teased me so much…”

“Well, I’ll admit your reactions were fun to watch. But wow, you were really going at it.”

“Sorry…”

Suzuka let out a teasing giggle.

Yuuma pulled away sheepishly and made himself presentable, then opened the window for ventilation and sprayed some air freshener as part of the post-cleanup routine.

Suzuka slowly sat up and, still undressed, took a comb from her bag, checking her reflection in a compact mirror as she fixed her hair.

“Ah, my hair’s pretty tangled. Well, Yuu-kun was pretty rough…”

“You’re one to talk.”

“I guess so. I heard it takes girls a while to get used to it, but from the second time on it was totally fine. Maybe we’re just really compatible?”

“Could be.”

They both shrugged their shoulders and shared a small laugh.

Despite it being right after, there wasn’t even a trace of awkwardness in the air.

Though this was only their third time in this purely physical relationship, the atmosphere felt strangely comfortable.

Maybe it was because they’d known each other for so long.

Even though it was just their third time, it felt like they’d always had this kind of relationship.

That felt very much like them—like Yuuma and Suzuka.

Suddenly, Suzuka let out an “Ah” as if she’d realized something.

“Oh right, Yuu-kun.”

“Hm?”

“I just noticed, but like, once you’re done, there’s zero afterglow, right? That’s pretty bad. I’m totally being treated like an object here.”

“…Ah.”

At Suzuka’s observation, Yuuma made a guilty face. Now that she mentioned it, he was being pretty inconsiderate. As Suzuka put on an exaggerated hurt act, he had no idea what to say.

While Yuuma was furrowing his brow and letting out a low groan, wondering what to do, Suzuka suddenly burst out laughing.

“Just kidding, I’m not actually mad. I’m not your girlfriend after all. But that’s the point—you can’t do this with an actual girlfriend. She’ll think you only want her for her body.”

“That’s… probably true. Sorry, my bad. I’ll, uh, keep that in mind.”

“Ahaha, no need to apologize. But well, hmm, that’s the right attitude!”

Suzuka gave an exaggerated nod before starting to fix her disheveled clothes.

Though she said not to worry about it, there should still be some basic courtesy. Yuuma couldn’t help but look uncomfortable.

Having finished tidying herself up, Suzuka carefully packed the used tissues and condom into a plastic bag to avoid discovery by Yuuma’s family, muttering:

“Speaking of which, we’re out of condoms, right?”

“That was the last one.”

“Ugh, and I accidentally scratched it with my nail…”

“We need to restock. By the way, how’d you get the ones we’ve been using?”

“I bought them from the convenience store two stations away, early in the morning. Man, my heart was racing like crazy—I was wide awake that day!”

“Haha, I bet.”

They both giggled at that. Just like normal.

“Well, anyway. Not having any condoms is pretty bad, right?”

“Yeah, we need them. You never know what might happen.”

“Oh yeah, I heard there are flavored ones. Like strawberry and chocolate.”

“What’s that about? I wonder if they leave a smell?”

“Ahaha, who knows? Are you curious?”

“I am curious, but where do they even sell stuff like that?”

“That’s the thing~ It’s not like we can order them online…”

Suzuka shrugged her shoulders disappointedly.

Yuuma gave a wry smile at her ever-present curiosity.

“Well, it’s Yuu-kun’s turn to buy new ones next time.”

“O-oh, right. I’ll get them ready.”

“Hehe.”

Suddenly, a somewhat happy smile appeared on Suzuka’s face.

Yuuma looked at her questioningly.

“Suzuka?”

“Nah, it’s just that I often hear about guys wanting to do it without protection. I’m glad it was you.”

“Of course I’d be careful—it’s you we’re talking about.”

“O-oh, right!”

For some reason, Suzuka’s eyes widened in surprise. Then she made a pleased little noise.

Yuuma tilted his head in confusion, wondering why she was making such a big deal out of something so obvious.