Vol. 2 Chapter 38 – Secrets

Secrets

“Reiya-kun, are you maybe tired…?” (Hikaru)

As I sat facing my computer, feeling like death warmed over, Hikaru spoke from behind me.

“Do I look that way…?” (Reiya)

“Yeah, you’ve seemed kind of out of it ever since you got here today…” (Hikaru)

I turned around to ask, and Hikaru nodded with a worried expression.

Three days had passed since then, and it was already Friday night.

There were only four days left until the next meeting on Tuesday, yet I had only filled 20 out of the 100-event quota.

Even if it was just the outlines and not the specific text, 100 was still a terrifyingly large number.

At this rate, simple calculation showed I wouldn’t even reach half the goal by the deadline.

The spreadsheet on my screen was still mostly blank.

Negative thoughts bubbled up about what would happen if I submitted something like this and they were obviously disappointed.

“Maybe. It might just be the exam study fatigue catching up to me now.” (Reiya)

Pretending nothing was wrong, I took a sip of my energy drink.

It was Friday, and Hikaru, having once again won a three-day, two-night stay from her mother, was visiting.

Even though I wasn’t feeling my best, I didn’t want to show her I was too down.

“I see… Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” (Hikaru)

“I’m fine. Anyway, aren’t you going to play any games today?” (Reiya)

“Hmm… I kind of feel like playing something, but…” (Hikaru)

“But?” (Reiya)

“Are you sure you’re not hiding something…?” (Hikaru)

She shifted one body length over on the bed and stared intently at me.

“H-Hiding something…?” (Reiya)

“Something… something you can’t tell me… Isn’t that what’s really making you tired…?” (Hikaru)

She narrowed her eyes, her suspicious gaze peeking through the gap, as if trying to peer into the depths of my soul.

…Could she know?

The truth was, I still hadn’t told Hikaru about working on the game with Taiju-san.

It wasn’t that I was actively hiding it, but if possible, I wanted to tell her about my feelings along with the finished work.

“Hiding…? Nothing comes to mind, really…” (Reiya)

“Reallyyy…?” (Hikaru)

As Hikaru continued to eye me suspiciously, I nodded twice, saying, “Really, really.”

Her intuition seemed sharp in these situations, so opening my mouth might cause me to slip up.

“…What if I told you I heard about it from my brother?” (Hikaru)

“Eh? Seriously?” (Reiya)

“Yeah, I heard it from him directly a little while ago.” (Hikaru)

Her tone suggested she knew it as fact, not that she was bluffing.

Well, if that’s the case, there’s no need to hide it anymore…

“Right… Actually, right now, Taiju-sa—” (Reiya)

“That any guy living alone definitely has one or two dirty things hidden away…!” (Hikaru)

That blow came from a completely unexpected direction, stopping my perception of time.

“…………………………………………No, I don’t.” (Reiya)

Caught between surprise at being blindsided and the attempt to cover it up, my refutation took a fatally long time.

That bastard… He really only says unnecessary things…

“What? What was that pause just now? Is there something you feel guilty about?” (Hikaru)

As expected, she pressed me, her tone suggesting she was already half-convinced.

“N-No, I was just reconfirming that I don’t have anything!” (Reiya)

“Liar! You definitely have something!? Where!? What kind!?” (Hikaru)

Confirming it as 100% fact, Hikaru pressed closer excitedly.

Overwhelmed by her forcefulness, I almost confessed everything, but I have my dignity too.

“J-Just calm down! Let’s be rational!” (Reiya)

“I am calm… Actually, Reiya-kun, why are you so flustered…? Doesn’t that mean there’s something you really don’t want me to see…?” (Hikaru)

“I told you, there isn’t! Nothing!” (Reiya)

“Suspicious… You’re definitely hiding something… Confess now while you still can…?” (Hikaru)

Prosecutor Asahi offered a plea bargain, implying she might still forgive me.

“Th-This is just hypothetical, but… what would you do if I did have something…?” (Reiya)

Out of fear, my words practically admitted guilt already.

“That, I’ll decide after I see it… First, I need to see it…” (Hikaru)

Her eyes were fixed like those of a skilled assassin…

If she found out, something bad would undoubtedly happen to me.

“W-Well then, let me ask you instead… Don’t you have one or two things like that too, Hikaru?” (Reiya)

“Ugh… Well, yes, but…” (Hikaru)

“See, everyone has sacred ground they don’t want others stepping into. So, let’s call it a draw here and agree not to touch each other’s—” (Reiya)

I tried to somehow force a tie—

“Then I’ll be honest!” (Hikaru)

Determined not to let me escape, she charged forward, prepared for mutual destruction.

“H-Honest… about what…?” (Reiya)

“The embarrassing thing I’m hiding in my room…” (Hikaru)

“…Seriously?” (Reiya)

Hikaru nodded slightly, looking embarrassed.

I desperately wanted to know…

I wanted to know, but of course, that would mean I’d have to expose all my own shameful secrets without hiding anything.

However, setting that aside, I couldn’t help wanting to know the ’embarrassing thing’ that the Asahi Hikaru was hiding.

“If you tell me first…” (Reiya)

This might be a path towards mutual ruin, but I couldn’t resist the sweet temptation.

“Okay, I’ll tell you… I… that time Reiya-kun came to my room…” (Hikaru)

As she tried to confess, writhing in shame, I gulped down saliva.

“I hid the… Ro… Fe… that was in my room…” (Hikaru)

“Ro… what? Your voice was too quiet, I couldn’t hear…” (Reiya)

“I said… Ugh… It really is embarrassing…” (Hikaru)

“Embarrassing… You’re the one who brought it up, right? Come on, say it.” (Reiya)

Exhibiting an S-streak unusual for me, I pressed Hikaru, who was squirming with embarrassment.

Ro, Fe… letters with a slightly suspicious ring had already emerged.

Even knowing my turn would come next, right now I wanted to savor this advantage.

“Ughh~… So, that time… when Reiya-kun came over…” (Hikaru)

“When I came over…?” (Reiya)

And so, Hikaru, having resigned herself, finally, finally—

“I hid the autographed poster of Roger Federer…” (Hikaru)

She confessed the name of the legendary tennis player even I knew.

…Huh?

“Roger Federer… you mean the famous tennis player…?” (Reiya)

“Yeah… his autographed poster…” (Hikaru)

When I asked if I’d misheard, she nodded awkwardly.

“…Did you really need to hide that? Is there anything embarrassing about it?” (Reiya)

“Because, I didn’t want you to think I was interested in another guy…” (Hikaru)

What is this cute creature…?

“No, you wouldn’t think that… about Roger Federer…” (Reiya)

“Really…?” (Hikaru)

“Of course… It’s Roger Federer…” (Reiya)

When I assured her he wasn’t an object of jealousy, Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief.

Hiding posters of her father or admired players because she thought they might be seen as objects of jealousy.

I’d thought it before, but maybe she had a rather unique sensibility.

As I felt attracted to that slightly strange part of her—

“…Well then, next is Reiya-kun’s turn, right?” (Hikaru)

The temporary advantage ended, and the time for offense and defense to reverse arrived.

“…Eh?” (Reiya)

“Don’t give me ‘eh.’ We promised that if I told you, you’d tell me too, right?” (Hikaru)

“Well, yes, but… isn’t this somehow unfair?” (Reiya)

“Why…?” (Hikaru)

“Well, because… Hikaru, yours is kind of… different in direction from mine, I mean—” (Reiya)

“I told you, didn’t I? Even though it was embarrassing, I told you properly, didn’t I?” (Hikaru)

She cut off my excuse, pressing me with a strong tone that allowed no argument.

“Well… yes…” (Reiya)

“Then Reiya-kun should also produce the most embarrassing item in this room… Don’t you think?” (Hikaru)

“So, my exam results from the end of the third term of first year are no good…? They were my most embarrassing grades…” (Reiya)

“No.” (Hikaru)

Faced with the two most powerful characters in the world, I had no choice but to surrender completely.