Trial Lover 54

Sequel Prologue - We Started Officially Dating

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Friday, May 14th.

The strong warmth of the early summer sun and the cool breeze coming in through the slightly open classroom windows feels pleasant.

The Japanese history teacher's voice is so quiet that I start getting sleepy. Fighting against it, I copy the writing on the board.

As I copy the writing on the board, the figure of a female student with a beautiful, well-formed face and long silver hair comes into my, Kamitou Akito’s, field of vision. She is Aoyama Hiori, my lover whom I started officially dating yesterday. In that instant, my sleepiness fades away.

*

*

Since around autumn last year, I had been holding an unrequited love toward Hiori. But, Hiori is a very popular student, mainly among boys, and has been confessed to countless times, and has dumped them just as much. Some students even call her [Absolute Zero Lady]. That’s why, the days went by without me being able to confess my feelings to her.

At the end of last month, we happened to be alone after school, so I mustered up the courage and confessed to her. At that time, Hiori,

“This is different from the confessions until now.”

“When Kamitou-san confessed to me, different from the confessions until now, I felt a slight warmth in my heart. I don't know if this is affection, though.”

Replied like that. So, I suggested that we decide on a duration and start dating on a trial basis, and we became trial lovers.

We ate lunch together during lunch breaks, went on dates after school or at home, and went to an amusement park with our friends. Since we started dating on a trial basis, we spent a lot of time together and made a lot of memories together. Hiori too, she was expressionless when I confessed to her, but gradually she started to smile.

Also, while spending time together, I learned about Hiori's painful past from her middle school days, and although it was by chance, we reunited with the girl who was involved in that past. But, that reunion was the trigger for Hiori to clearly realize what her feelings for me were.

“I love Akito-san. So, will you please... officially go out with me?”

And yesterday, Hiori confessed to me, and of course I accepted.

Thus, we started officially dating as lovers, and we arrived at the present.

*

*

Just looking at Hiori and remembering what happened so far makes me feel very happy. Even when we were dating on a trial basis, there were many times when I felt happy. From now on too, I want to spend many such times with Hiori.

Did she feel my gaze? Hiori turns her head towards me. When our eyes meet, Hiori shows me a gentle smile and gives me a small wave with her left hand. She's cuter than any other girl. Thanks to Hiori's smile just now, my sleepiness is completely blown away. Thanking her for that, I give her a small wave with my right hand.

*

Because I started officially dating Hiori and kissed her in the classroom before the morning ritual, I get bombarded with questions about Hiori during the 10-minute break between classes, mainly from boys. Like what made us decide to go from trial to official lovers. Or whether Hiori and I had progressed to a pretty advanced stage since we kissed at school.

Also, one part of the students asks questions mixed with jealousy, like, “How did you manage to officially date Hiori?” At times like that, my best friend Kuraki Kazuo follows up on me. I am reminded once again of Hiori's tremendous popularity.

Perhaps for the same reason as me, Hiori is also surrounded by girls at break times. That side feels friendly, and Hiori seems happy conversing with them.

*

During class, I am soothed by looking at Hiori once in a while, and during break times, I am bombarded with questions by my friends and classmates, so before I know it, the time for lunch break arrives.

Ever since I started dating Hiori on a trial basis, eating lunch alone with her at her table during lunch breaks has become a daily routine for me. In order to go to Hiori again today, I get up from my seat.

“Aki. I see you're going to Aoyama again today.”

“Of course. I couldn't wait for lunch break, you know.”

“I see. Then, go!”

“Take care. I'll borrow Kamitou-kun's chair again today, okay?”

Before I know it, our classmate and Kazuo's lover, Shimizu Miu-san, has come near us. Until I was dating Hiori on a trial basis, my daily routine was to have lunch with this couple.

By the way, Kazuo and Shimizu-san seemed to be enjoying lunch even when it became just the two of them. Sometimes, they’d look at me and Hiori, and get excited talking about us.

“I got it. Then, I’ll be going.”

I grab my bento bag and water bottle and head to Hiori's seat.

Hiori has already put her bento box and water bottle on her desk, and is currently chatting happily with her friend Himura Kyoko-san.

“Hiori, thanks for waiting.”

“No, no.”

“Then, that's it for me. ...Eating lunch alone together is your daily routine, so you should spend that time alone together!”

Himura-san says that in a voice that everyone in the classroom can hear, and returns to her seat. During the break between classes in the morning, both Hiori and I were talking with various students, which was different from usual. That's probably why she wants us to spend our lunch break the same way as before.

Come to think of it, when we started dating on a trial basis and had our first lunch together just the two of us, didn’t Kazuo raise his voice like Himura-san did just now?

As usual, I borrow a chair from the teacher's desk and sit down facing Hiori.

Like this, I have become accustomed to seeing Hiori right in front of me.

But, the current Hiori is cuter than ever, and looking at her face makes my heart pound. Is it because unlike until yesterday, I'm now officially dating Hiori?

“What's wrong, Akito-san? Your face is slightly red.”

Hiori asks while smiling. Did the fact that my heart is pounding show up on my face?

“I just think Hiori is cuter than ever. I wonder if it’s because we started officially dating. Looking at Hiori’s face right in front of me makes my heart pound.”

“Fufu, I see. I'm happy you think I'm cute. Akito-san is also cooler than ever. We've... started officially dating, right? Thinking about that makes my heart pound too.”

‘Ehe’, Hiori lets out a cute laugh. Her face flushes slightly. I wonder if the blush on my face is the same as her current one.

“Now then, let's eat our lunch.”

“That's right. Itadakimasu.”

“Itadakimasu.”

As usual, I start eating the bento my parents made for me while talking to Hiori.

The contents of the bento aren't much different than usual, but they all feel more flavorful than before. Is this also because Hiori, who is right in front of me, has changed from a trial to an official lover?

“Come to think of it, a lot of people asked me about Hiori during the breaks the whole morning.”

“A lot of students gathered around Akito-san, didn't they? I was also asked a lot about Akito-san, such as how I spent time with Akito-san after school and on holidays. Or what made me want to start officially dating. A-and how far we’ve gone. I think it was because we kissed before the morning ritual.”

Hiori's face turns redder than it was right before she ate her bento. That face is also so cute.

Did the girls who surrounded Hiori during break times ask the same thing? That's probably how big of a shock it was that we started officially dating and that we kissed in front of the students in the classroom. I guess they'll want to ask how far we've gone if they saw us kissing. Not to mention, one side of the couple is the very popular Hiori.

“I’m sure it is. I also got asked similar questions, you know. I gave them a rough answer, including how far we’ve gone.”

“Me too. ...We kissed in the classroom, so everyone wants to know about us.”

“That's right. But, I think it's because the person I’m dating is the very popular Hiori.”

“...Auu.”

As she lets out such a cute voice, Hiori's face turns even redder.

“A-Akito-san is also popular, you know. Because you’re kind and cool. There were many girls who said they liked Akito-san.”

“I-I see.”

I think some of them were just flattering me because I’m Hiori's boyfriend... but I'll honestly take it. Also, being told that I’m “kind and cool” by Hiori makes me happy.

“...Hiori. Actually, I made dashimaki tamago for Hiori today.”

* (T/N: I did a google search, it’s basically tamagoyaki but with dashi mixed in.)

“Dashimaki tamago is it?”

“Yeah. Because I woke up early today. Besides, Hiori has made side dishes for me several times before, but I've never made them myself.”

“Certainly, this is the first time, isn’t it?”

“Right.”

I take out a small Tupperware containing the dashimaki tamago from my lunch bag.

When I open the Tupperware lid, Hiori's eyes light up and she lets out a “Uwaa!” sound.

“The dashimaki tamago are yellow and look delicious.”

“Thank you. Hiori likes sweet things, so I made them sweet.”

“I see. I like my dashimaki tamago sweet too.”

“That’s good to hear. Then I'll feed you.”

“Thank you very much.”

I grab a piece of dashimaki tamago with my chopsticks and bring it to Hiori's mouth.

“Hiori. Aa─n.”

“Aa~n.”

As she says that in a sweet voice, Hiori opens her mouth a little wide. That face is also really cute, so I want to look at it for a while, but I can't keep her waiting forever. With that in mind, I feed Hiori the dashimaki tamago. At that instant, I hear the deep voices of boys saying “Ooh!” and the shrill voices of girls saying “Kya─!” from around us. Still, I only look at Hiori eating dashimaki tamago.

The moment she starts chewing, Hiori smiles happily. She's also really cute when she's chewing.

“It's really delicious. The dashi is nice and the sweetness is also just right.”

“That’s good. I'm happy. I did taste it and made sure it didn't taste weird, but it's my first time making something for Hiori, so I'm relieved.”

“This is very good, you know. It's soft and fluffy. You made such delicious food for me. What’s more, you feed it to me. I'm truly happy.”

“...I'm also happy since you said that much.”

I never thought I'd be the one to make her happy.

After that too, whenever Hiori would eat dashimaki tamago, I’d feed her. Every time I do, Hiori shows me a happy smile. She even finishes her meal.

I'm glad that Hiori is so pleased and happy. I feel blessed as the maker. I want to continue making side dishes that Hiori will enjoy eating and be happy with.

Thanks to Hiori starting to officially date me, eating the dashimaki eggs I made, and showing me her cute smile, this has become the happiest lunch break I've ever had.

────

(T/N: 朝礼 - the dictionary says ‘morning assembly (at a company, school, etc.); morning gathering’ but I already translated 終礼 as ‘closing ritual’, so I translated it as ‘morning ritual’, geez, I kinda regret doing that, maybe I should’ve translated as closing homeroom and morning homeroom? But they use ‘homeroom’ in katakana. Anyone know better translation? ‘assembly’ just doesn’t match in my opinion, because I think ‘assembly’ is like school-wide assembly or something.)

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