Onee-chan no Midori-kun 10
Sui looks at Ayame questioningly, answering, "What you said...? You said something about... 'fall in love with me instead'."
Ayame immediately blushes from ear to ear.
Sui asks, "Say, could you let go of my hand?"
Ayame (letting go of Sui's wrist): I'm going home.
Sui: Eh?
Ayame: Seeya. Thank you for today. (See you tomorrow.)
Sui: Huh, Ayame…?!
Sui is left standing, watching while Ayame leaves. She asks herself, "Aren't the two of us neighbours?" (Their families' houses are right next to each other.)
Later, back at home, Sui is in the bath.
She thinks, '…Honestly, what was that supposed to mean…? No matter how I think about it, Ayame was being really strange since a while ago. (Even though he's always been kinda strange.)'
Sui ponders Ayame's words again: "I wish you would forget about that person and fall in love with me instead." and thinks, '…I don't think it's likely, but based on the timing...'
She guesses that "that person" refers to Midori and "me" refers to Ayame.
When Sui connects the dots and realizes what Ayame was talking about, she drops her face into the water, thinking, "No no no, it can't be. Ayame, towards 3D people, let alone me? It's too hard to imagine.'
While she dries her hair (Dyson hairdryer 😎), Sui sees on her phone that Ayame texted her, asking for a chat outside their homes.
She thinks to herself that it's awkward because she was imagining weird stuff just earlier. Nonetheless, she still informs her mother that she's going to talk with Ayame outside for a little while.
Near the front door, Sui hears some sounds.
It's Momo, who's heading out.
Sui: Oh, onee-chan, you're going somewhere?
Momo: Yeah. I made plans with Midori.
Sui: …I see. You're busy, so this must be tough. You're going out at this time even though you just came home a while ago. (It's almost 9pm).
Momo: Well, Midori has classes and his part-time job too. I have a hard time finding a time for us to meet. (He's always the one accommodating to me.)
Momo continues explaining, "We've set a quota of meeting up once a week, so I have to make use of whatever free time I have."
Sui remains silent.
Momo: I'll be off, then. (Don't bolt up the door, okay?)
Sui: Ah, okay. Take care.
Sui is silent for a while again, digesting Momo's words: "Quota". She then exits her house to meet Ayame.
Ayame is sitting on the steps outside her house (his sweater says Idols are Precious 😂). Sui calls out to him and thanks him for waiting.
Going to sit next to Ayame, Sui asks him what he called her out to talk about. Ayame presents a double-stick soda-flavoured ice pop. He then opens the packet and breaks the ice pop into two sticks for them to share, saying, "Here. We'll talk while eating ice cream."
Sui takes the ice pop from Ayame and remarks, "Wow, how nostalgic. (Thanks.)"
Ayame: Isn't it? I found it in my refrigerator so I brought one over. Back when we had to run errands for our families, we often used some of the leftover money to buy ourselves ice pops. (Secretly.)
Sui: I even looked forward to run those errands.
Young Sui: Keep it a secret from your mum, okay?
Young Ayame (nodding): Yes.
(The adults actually totally know about their secret. 😂)
Sui takes a bite from the ice pop and goes, "Yummy." Ayame looks at Sui and blushes a little from seeing her happy expression.
After a short pause, Ayame begins, "…Sui. What do you think about dating me?"
Ayame's question stuns Sui and she pauses from eating her ice pop, mouth open, to look over at him. Ayame continues eating his ice pop.
Sui: Hah?
Ayame: Ah, I asked, what do you think about dating me? Meaning, you become my girlfriend. (I don't mean just having you accompany me to go to places.)
Sui: No, I understand what you are saying…
Ayame: …About earlier in the evening as well. Even though I was also shocked and just suddenly went home, it was all my true feelings.
Leaning into Sui, Ayame tells her, "I think that I've liked Sui since a long time ago."
After taking in Ayame's words, Sui jerks back and exclaims, "If you suddenly say something like that, I totally can't keep up with your thoughts, you know?!"
Scratching his cheek, Ayame answers, "Yeah, I guess it was really shocking. I was shocked, too. Thanks to this, I even came down with a fever."
Sui's eyes widen. She recalls Ayame's behavior from Chapter 8 (him suddenly holding her hair and his flushed face).
She narrates: …Eh, then could it be that the reason Ayame has been acting strangely lately, wasn't because of his health, but because he li…likes me?'
Upon making that realization, Sui blushes. She narrates: What's with that? I haven't had the slightest hint of that all this time.
Sui: …You were normal when listening to me talk about Midori-kun.
Ayame: Well, at that time, I hadn't realized… Tch, now that I remember it, I'm feeling annoyed and jealous again.
He frowns and takes a big bite off his ice pop.
Sui processes Ayame's earlier words: "Jealousy" "Annoyed".
She narrates: The current Ayame is so different from the Ayame I know, I don't know what to do...
Ayame then asks, "So, how about it? Even if it's just to forget about that person, do you want to try dating me? There's only pain for Sui if you continue liking him. I feel that my suggestion will be a win-win outcome."
Sui is silent, then answers, "I can't date you."
Sui repeats while looking at Ayame this time, "I can't date you." Ayame is frozen.
Ayame: So flatly...
Sui: That's because, if I dated you with that kind of half-baked reason, what would happen if I'm unable to fall for you?
Frowning, Sui continues, "It would feel like I was… taking advantage of you, Ayame. I absolutely don't want to do that."
Ayame looks touched.
Sui adds, in her shy dere mode, "...Also, you're my important childhood friend after all." Ayame's heart squeezes upon hearing the word "important".
Sui explains further, "Also, it's not just pain I'm feeling. I one-sidedly fell for someone I shouldn't have fallen for. Even though I don't know when I can forget about these feelings, until they disappear, I want to cherish them."
Laughing painfully, Sui says, "I'm such a fool, aren't I?"
Sui: I'm sorry, Ayame.
Ayame: Yes, I understand. Then, I shall one-sidedly conquer Sui in my own way. Just like in my bishoujo games.
Sui stares at Ayame.
Sui: Hah?
Ayame: It's rather sly of me, but now is the best time for me to attack and attack while you're heartbroken.
Sui: No, for you to talk about this as if it's a game...
Sui's ice pop melts and drips onto her index finger.
Sui: Waah- Oh no, the ice pop is melting-
Ayame: …I'm the same. I want to properly cherish these feelings. It's fine if I'm just your childhood friend right now.
Ayame leans towards Sui, holds her wrist and brings her finger to his mouth to lick the melted ice pop off. Looking straight at her while doing it, he continues, "I'll do my best to make you see me as a man."
Sui immediately blushes and looks flustered, going, "Wh- wha- what- ......!", completely dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Ayame gives her a naughty grin.
Sui: What was that! Gross...! (That was the worst...!!)
Ayame (coolly): Your affection level for me just rose, didn't it? There's a similar scenario to this in the game True Love. (I kissed the cream off the character's hand 💖)
Sui: How could it possibly rise!
Sui narrates that Ayame's character change is too much. (Awakened Ayame says of himself: I'm a pretty proactive guy ✨)
On another day at the train station after school, Sui thinks to herself that she's exhausted. She narrates that after that night, Ayame relentlessly attacked her every single day.
Ayame: You're adorable today too. (The tsundere twin pigtail style is the best.)
Sui: What?!
Ayame: Let's hold hands. (Just like last time.)
Sui: No!
Ayame also sits so close to Sui on the train such that onlookers think to themselves that Ayame and Sui must be very close.
Sui thinks to herself, '…Honestly, it's like I don't even know him anymore.'
She narrates: All along, we were childhood friends. I only thought of him as a sibling.'
(Young Sui wraps her scarf around Ayame's neck, asking him why he doesn't have ear muffs or a scarf. Young Ayame says that he forgot.)
Frowning to herself, Sui continues thinking, 'This is really unsettling. Without realizing it, I left ahead of him.' (Ayame's on cleaning duty so he's still in school.)
Someone calls out, "Oh, Sui-chan."
It's Midori.
Sui: Midori-kun.
Midori: Hey-
Midori: You're heading home?
Sui: Yeah.
Midori: I'm headed for my part-time work 😊
Sui (looking away tsundere style): Is that so. Not that I was gonna ask. (I'm not interested.)
Midori: Sure, sure. Tsun today, as always, huh-
Sui tugs on her ponytails, blushing, while thinking to herself, '…Since the barbeque party.', then she suddenly remembers something and goes, "Ah-".
She asks Midori, "That reminds me, Midori-kun, you currently have a promise with onee-chan to meet once a week, don't you?"
Teasingly, Sui continues, "Isn't this great? With this, you won't feel lonely anymore."
Midori: Ah- yeah. Well- that's true, I guess-
Sui: Eh, what, is there still something you're not satisfied with? (You're too lonely?)
Midori: No, no, there's nothing I'm unsatisfied with. I'm just a bit concerned if she might be overworking herself and making herself exhausted.
Sui notices Midori's expression and says, "Midori-kun-", but Midori claps and cuts her off, going, "Okay, okay, let's not talk about my issues anymore. (End of conversation.)"
Midori: Sui-chan, how have you been lately? Is school fun?
Sui (triggered because she's suddenly reminded of Ayame): Eh- Well, it's fun… but various things... I mean... it's kind of difficult...
Midori (teasingly): Whaaat? If there's anything troubling you, onii-san can lend you a listening ear, you know-?
Sui: No! There's no need!
Midori: Instant rejection~ ✨
Sui thinks to herself, '…It's because I somehow don't want Midori-kun to know about this…'
Ayame suddenly appears behind Sui and holds her ponytails, going, "Why did you leave without waiting for me?"
Sui is shocked, thinking, "Ayame...! Your timing...!'
Folding his arms and looking cross, Ayame huffs, "Even though I told you to wait for me to finish cleaning."
Sui: …Ah- I'm sorry. There was a TV show that I wanted to watch, so…
Ayame: Lie. I know why.
Ayame, still holding both of Sui's pigtails, brings his face very close to Sui, saying, "You just wanted to escape, right? From me."
Sui blushes furiously and goes, "Wha-", thinking to herself that Ayame is too close.
Sui: That's enough...! Stop it for now.
Ayame: What? Now, you say...
Ayame realizes that Midori is with them.
Sui narrates: It's not like this has anything to do with Midori-kun. Ayame didn't do anything wrong. Even so, I don't want Midori-kun to see this.
Ayame and Midori's eyes meet. He then solemnly says to Midori, "I like Sui."
Midori goes, "Eh..."
Then, Ayame gives Midori a thumbs up.
Ayame: Therefore, from now on, please feel free to get along well with Momo-nee.
Midori: Eh, ah-
Ayame: Well, that's that. Let's go home, Sui.
Sui: ...Why? Why did you say that in front of Midori-kun?
Ayame: Eh?
Sui bursts out, "Ayame, you dummy--! (I'm going home myself!)"
Ayame: Eh- Sui...?!
Ayame: ???? (Why?)
Midori: ......Ah- I feel like it doesn't matter what I say, but...
Ayame: What is it? (Do you have any words of advice?)
Midori: No, not that.
Midori says, "Earlier, that was probably... a maiden-like reaction."
Scratching his neck awkwardly, Midori adds, "For real, it feels kind of weird for me to be saying this. (Hahaha...)"
Ayame: ......What are you talking about…
Midori: Well, anyway, I'm a little jealous. The way you don't try to be cool, the way you're able to honestly talk about your feelings.
Ayame: Eh? Are you making fun of me?
Midori (waving his hand): No, no, it's a compliment.
Looking at Ayame wistfully, Midori says, "I should learn from you."
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