Vol. 2 Chapter 14 – Jealousy and Level Up (3)

‘Happy Happy Happy’

Having finished the last school day and work shift of the week, I returned home and was laughing my head off watching meme videos.

‘Chipichipichapachapa Dubidubidabadaba’

Perhaps due to the sense of liberation from safely reaching the weekend, I found myself laughing stupidly at stupid videos.

Confessed to, suddenly becoming one of the most famous people in school, even getting an image change.

It had been a series of unfamiliar days, but I was gradually starting to remember that the real me was someone who spent time in this hopelessly decadent way.

Leaving the video playing on the sub-monitor, I decided which game to play today on the main monitor.

If I downed a high-caffeine energy drink now, then surely, with Chipichipichapachapa, I too would be Happy Happy Happy.

Thinking this, I started to stand up, but my phone chimed with a notification.

“…Hm? What’s this?” (Reiya)

Picking it up and checking the screen, I saw a message from Hikaru.

‘Finished with work?’ (Hikaru)

Reflecting on making her wait too long yesterday, I quickly typed a reply.

‘Finished, just lounging around at home now.’ (Reiya)
‘I just finished practice too.’ (Hikaru)

‘Good work. So, you’re home now?’ (Reiya)
‘Booo… Incorrect! You have two more chances to answer. Answer correctly to win a luxurious prize!’ (Hikaru)

Somehow, a quiz as sudden as those on morning info shows had started…

‘In the car on the way home?’ (Reiya)
‘Boooo… Incorrect! One chance remaining.’ (Hikaru)

‘I have no idea… Any hints?’ (Reiya)

Whether I needed to take it seriously was debatable, but being presented with a game format made me tackle it earnestly.

‘Hmm~… Okay, big hint!!’ (Hikaru)

The message she sent with that text included a photo.

A selfie of Hikaru in a hallway I vaguely recognized.

…Huh?

My mood synced with the cat displayed on my computer screen.

But without panicking, I calmly placed my phone on the desk.

No way… I thought, yet with a feeling close to certainty, I crossed the room.

Passing the washing area, I reached for the entrance door.

“Correct~!” (Hikaru)

Standing on the other side of the opened door was Hikaru, beaming.

“…What are you doing?” (Reiya)
“I suddenly wanted to see you, so I came.” (Hikaru)

So she came…

“…Could it be, did something happen with your family again?” (Reiya)
“Nn-nn, I got permission from Mom properly today, so it’s okay!” (Hikaru)

She said this with a bright smile, completely cloudless.

Given the similar situation to before, I thought she might have fought with her family again, but apparently, it was really just a surprise visit.

“Well, that’s good, but… what’s with that bag?” (Reiya)

I noticed Hikaru was holding an unusually large bag with both hands.

It wasn’t the racquet bag she usually carried, but the kind you’d take on a trip.

At my question, she paused for a moment as if thinking, ‘Hm?’, then—

“Three days, two nights!” (Hikaru)

She lifted the bag to her chest and declared this with her brightest smile.

It took me a moment to process the meaning of her words.

“Um… You mean you’re going to spend two nights in my room starting now…?” (Reiya)
“Yep!” (Hikaru)
“Yep, you say… That’s honestly a bit sudden and problematic…” (Reiya)
“Sorry… But before… when you said you wanted to be together even one second longer, it made me so happy… I thought it would be nice if we really could be together even one second longer…” (Hikaru)

She said this, blushing and looking up at me.

—DING DING DING!!

Referee stoppage, my TKO loss in the first round.

“Did you really tell your family?” (Reiya)
“Yep, if you don’t believe me, you can ask my brother.” (Hikaru)
“…Okay, well, come on in for now.” (Reiya)

Deciding I should choose my words more carefully from now on, I welcomed her inside.

“Excuse me~!” (Hikaru)

As if it were her own home, Hikaru took off her shoes and entered the room.

I locked the entrance door and followed her back into the room.

She placed her bag beside the bed and sat down on the bed as usual.

Today was unexpected, but I had anticipated she might come tomorrow, so I had hidden anything unnecessary.

“Alright then… For the brilliant Reiya-kun who answered correctly, I shall bestow a present!” (Hikaru)

As I felt crushed by great anticipation and anxiety, Hikaru spoke up.

“Ta-da~!!” (Hikaru)

She took something out of the bag she brought and placed it on the table.

“What’s this…? A magazine…?” (Reiya)
“This month’s issue of Nanateen!” (Hikaru)
“Nanateen… Isn’t that a fashion magazine for teenage girls?” (Reiya)
“That’s right. Here, take a closer look!” (Hikaru)

Urged on, I also sat on the bed and looked at it up close.

The cover declared in large letters, ‘Sporty Fashion Special Feature for the Height of Summer.’

Above the text stood several teenage girl models.

Among them was a figure I recognized well.

“…Is this you, Hikaru?” (Reiya)

I pointed to one of the girls in the center of the lineup.

Though she was dressed up even more than usual, it was unmistakably her.

“Yep! My first cover debut!” (Hikaru)
“Wow… Being on the cover of Nanateen, isn’t that pretty amazing?” (Reiya)

I asked again, looking at Hikaru, who was smiling proudly.

I wasn’t familiar with it, but even I knew the name Nanateen as a famous fashion magazine for teenage girls.

Its cover… and the center position at that, wasn’t that a place reserved only for a handful of chosen women?

“Well, the concept of the special feature happened to suit me, so maybe I was just lucky.” (Hikaru)
“No way, I don’t think luck alone could do it… I mean, aren’t these spots usually filled by exclusive models?” (Reiya)
“Hmm… Maybe so. All the other girls are.” (Hikaru)

Hearing that, I looked again at the cover featuring the five girls.

As expected of exclusive models for a major magazine, they all had excellent figures and well-defined features.

If they attended high school, they would undoubtedly reign as queen bees of the caste.

However, even mixed in among them, Hikaru didn’t look inferior at all.

If anything, she seemed to stand out even more… or was that just my bias showing?

“Anyway! This is going to be lined up in bookstores nationwide later this month! How about that!?” (Hikaru)
“Nationwide… That’s incredible…” (Reiya)

Having my existence become known nationwide was inconceivable from my standpoint.

“Incredible… is that all…?” (Hikaru)

Though I expressed my frank admiration, she seemed somewhat dissatisfied for some reason.

“Is that all, you ask… It’s so amazing, I can’t think of any other reaction besides ‘amazing’.”
“Muu… Isn’t there anything else?” (Hikaru)
“…Anything else?” (Reiya)

I tilted my head, wondering if there was some other emotion I should be expressing here.

“Look, for example… This will probably… not just be in bookstores, but lined up in lots of convenience stores too, right…?” (Hikaru)
“Probably.” (Reiya)

Though I’d never picked one up, I remembered seeing them on convenience store shelves.

“Then, lots of guys will probably see it too… And maybe they’ll even pick it up and look inside, right…?” (Hikaru)
“Well… some people might.” (Reiya)
“What kind of thoughts will those people have~… Will they think I’m cute, or pretty~… As for me, I’d be happy if they did~… But I wonder what Reiya-kun thinks about that~… is what I’m saying.” (Hikaru)

Hikaru said this in a slightly exaggerated tone, glancing repeatedly at me to check my reaction.

Could it be, this… she’s trying to make me jealous…?