[Kotone and Rin] A little bewilderment lately…

“Kotone-chan! Please listen!”

 

“…What’s wrong Rin? I mean, you’re suddenly so close to me.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. But it doesn’t matter, I’m in trouble!”

 

“… In trouble?”

 

“Yes, … This is a very serious situation. We have to deal with … as soon as possible. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a matter of life and death.”

 

“… So much? What happened? If you’re going to go that far, it must be serious, right?

 

“It’s very … important.”

 

(Very serious face … What’s going on?? There is some shadow in her expression, and I sense impatience. Irritated and grumpy,… and seems to have a variety of negative emotions. It looks like that, doesn’t it? What? Could it be that you and Tokiwagi-kun are fighting and your relationship is about to fall apart!!? If that’s the case, oh no, oh no, …. Could it be my fault!? Because I kept calling him “Chicken” until now, maybe he thought, “I can’t be with Rin who has a friend like that!” I can’t be with Rin who has friends like that! What should I do? If Kenichi were here at a time like this, I’d be able to get a hold of him … I can’t help it, I’d like to talk to Kenichi about it.)

“Kotone-chan?”

 

“Hiya!”

 

“Eh, um. What’s up with that difficult look on your face?”

 

“…Hey, it’s nothing. Anyway, I’m going to record our conversation from now on (in order to consult Kenichi).”

 

“Recording!? It’s fine, but it sounds like an interrogation.”

 

“…Then let me hear what you have to say. It is better not to make false statements. It’s not good for you.”

 

“It really is an interrogation, isn’t it!?!?”

 

“…You know, … you don’t want me to get it exactly right, do you? Unlike Rin, I’m not smart enough to memorize it. I can’t take countermeasures or respond without knowing the content in depth.”

 

“I see… Is that what you mean?”

 

“… Yeah. So feel free to talk. Come on, come on, hurry.”

 

“Then I’ll tell you…”

 

(Wow, …. She is more serious than ever. I tried to change the atmosphere somehow, but it was no good! I knew it was something really bad.)

“Recently, Ainoya-san has been getting involved with Towa-kun a lot.”

 

“……Eh?”

 

(Huh? Ainoya-san is, I think, the high-spirited girl in Kenichi’s class, isn’t she? She’s so close to everyone and so friendly that there’s no end to the number of people who confess to her and end up being mistakenly gunned down … Could it be that?”)

 

“It seems that after school, while I’m floundering, they get involved. It happens every day! The other day, they were interacting with each other during lunch break! I don’t envy her for taking advantage of the fact that they are in the same class. … No, I don’t think it’s true cheating, but they are involved with each other! It’s unfair!!”

 

“… Haaah.”

 

“Sigh!?”

 

“… I lost it worrying about it. It’s just normal jealousy.”

 

“No, it’s not. It’s a new kind of disease that causes a blurring of the mind.”

 

“… Then have your own father take a look at it.”

 

“Muu, Kotone-chan is so cold!”

 

(Jealousy counseling, huh? … Thank goodness it’s still a cute consultation. But from Rin’s point of view, it’s a bit confusing when a girl with more physical contact suddenly arrives. However, it’s difficult to say that it’s a mature response, and if I let her act out in a weird way, she’s going to get emotional and show off…)

 

“… If you’re worried about …, why don’t you just join anyway? You’re always involved after school. Maybe Rin can guard him if she goes…”

 

“That’s a good idea! I’ll do that! I’ll protect you, Towa-kun!!”

 

“Good luck … But if Ainoya-san is there, isn’t … Kanami there too?”

 

“Yes, she is. Towa-kun says she always seems to be helping stop Ainoya-san’s antics, right?”

 

“……I see.”

 

“I’m going to start thinking about how to protect Towa-kun from deceitful women!”

 

“… Good luck. But Rin…”

 

“What is it??”

 

“Rivals pop up from unexpected places. You can never be too careful.”

 

“I won’t lose, don’t worry!!”

 

(Really, you have a cute face and smile and yet you’re so dependable. It makes me want to help you because you’re smiling and you’re so straightforward…)