Chapter 21: Shock Therapy At The Aquarium


TL: Akabane


***


And then came the day of the camp.


It was past noon on this day, the first day of two days and one night.


After finishing lunch at a family restaurant near the station, we visited the aquarium where we were to meet.


When we were on the train and eating lunch, we said to ourselves, "Akatsuru's life is in our hands. ......We can't let up even for a second!" Yuzu was all worked up, but...


"Hey, you're here!"


"Hi!　Thank you for inviting me here today!"


The moment she met up with Akabane-senpai, she was tickled.


I know how you feel, though.


The god writer who inspired me to become a dyed-in-the-wool otaku was smiling at me.


"Did you not get lost?"


"No, I was fine!　I'm with him, Kohei!"


"Hey. Don't say that I'd get lost if I was alone."


I'm a big fan of Akatsuru-sensei, too. I've been a fan longer than you.


I'm not asking you to lift me up, but please refrain from saying anything that might make me look uncool.


"You got lost a long time ago. You were confidently saying, "This way!" but you were going in the opposite direction."


"That's because I was looking at the map and you were too reserved to talk to me!"


"You were looking at the map so intently that I had to be careful not to interrupt you!"


"I was trying to make conversation with you!"


"You don't need to worry about me!"


"What's unnecessary!　I was trying to make it a fun date!"


"I'm happy with you even if we don't talk!　Aren't you?"


"No, I'm not!　But it's more fun to have a conversation!　You were lost in a train station once!　"I've been here once, I can guide you!" But it took you an hour to get out of the station!"


"That's the station's fault, it's a maze!　I'm sorry you got lost!"


"I don't mind at all!　It was fun, it was like conquering a dungeon!　......What are you doing?"


"I'm recording. I'm recording it because real-life arguments are a good reference for my creative work."


""We're not having a lover's quarrel!""


"You're still breathing perfectly."


Saying this in a funny way, Senpai puts the voice recorder in his pocket.


"Well then, let's go take a look around the aquarium."


"Yes!　I'll stay quietly in the corner so I don't get in the way of taking pictures of the materials!"


"No, you're not supposed to be quiet. We're here to protect her from wasps."


"But I don't want to get in the way of my senpai either."


After all, the purpose of my visit to the aquarium was to collect materials for Akatsuru's award-winning debut manga, "The King of the Seabed."


Originally published in a magazine, I first became acquainted with Akatsuru-sensei through a book. I read "The King of the Seabed" which was included at the end of her first serialized work, and found it so interesting that I intensely hoped that it would be serialized.


Although it was not serialized, both the first and second stories were even more interesting than "The King of the Seabed."


I like the first one, which focused only on the relationship between the main character and his rival and ran all the way to its conclusion, but my favorite is the second one, which was also made into an anime.


I must save Akabane-senpai from death so that I can read the rest of the unfinished manga!


Anyway.


I know you are happy to witness the collection of materials for the divine manga, but I hope Yuzu will regain her composure.


"You don't have to sit still in the corner."


"No, no, I can't get in Akabane-senpai's way......."


"I don't think you're in the way. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more if you two take it easy and look around together, though."


"Thank you for your thoughtfulness!　Then I will!"


No, you can't do that!


You came here to protect Akabane-senpai!


"Then I guess we'll meet at the souvenir corner at 16:00, right?"


Yuzu nods and senpai leaves, digital camera in hand.


Yuzu shakes my shoulder as I watch Akabane-senpai's back as she gets smaller.


"What should I do, Kohei? I talked to the god writer......"


"What should I do? Why do you agree to separate? We need to protect them from wasps."


"There are no wasps in the aquarium. If you keep going like this, you'll be exhausted by the time the show starts."


We were going to head to a hot spring resort in a rich natural setting afterwards.


Yuzuhana was right, if there were wasps, it would be at the hot spring resort, not at the aquarium.


We can't afford to let our guard down, but perhaps we should conserve our strength now in preparation for the real thing.


"Well, let's just take a quick look around, shall we?"


"Yes. Let's take a look around."


We went inside the aquarium.


There was a world of blue. A large aquarium, like a movie theater screen, was filled with blue-white lights, and fish of all sizes were swimming lazily.


Schools of fish swimming as if they were one living thing, sharks leisurely passing in front of the tank. I never got tired of watching the stingrays fluttering in the water and the colorful fish swimming here and there.


"......Kohei, what are you thinking about now?"


"I'm thinking of making my desktop background an aquarium when I get home."


"That's childish ...... but I wonder if you grown up a bit?"


"Grown up?"


"You know, when we used to date, you came to the aquarium on a date, right?"


"Yes, that did happen."


"Do you remember what I said to Kohei at that time?"


"Like, "I'm glad we came to......"?"


"Eventually, I said that too, but not at all. That time, Kohei, I asked if we could stop by a sushi restaurant and go home."


"......That's screwed up, isn't it?"


"Right?　I was so surprised. I thought he was going to say something romantic, but I said I wanted to eat sushi."


"But you were eating sushi like it was delicious. You eat a lot of it. I remember being surprised when I paid for it."


"Yeah, because it was delicious and ....... besides, we were splitting the bill, right?"


"I don't remember that."


"You have a convenient memory. Well, that's okay. Why don't you take a look over there, too?"


"Sure."


Following the pathway, we emerged into a dimly lit space.


A group of illuminated jellyfish were floating around in a large tank.


It was like an illumination. Watching the jellyfish drifting fantastically, I felt that my heart was being healed.


Although the jellyfish did not move in a flashy way, they had a mysterious charm that made me want to watch them forever.


However.


"......That thing."


"What?"


"I'm going to say something weird ...... but why don't we hold hands?"


"What about......?"


With that one word, my attention was diverted away from the jellyfish.


My eyes are not glued to the mysterious jellyfish, but to the embarrassed Yuzu.


The crush that had been settling down with the revelation of Akabane-senpai's identity and the healing effects of the aquarium resurfaces.


"Hey, why are you holding hands?"


"Well, you don't like it, do you?"


"I don't like it, or rather, I don't ...... understand the reason for holding hands......."


"Because ...... I don't feel comfortable when Kohei is around me."


"I'm usually shocked......"


"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. ......See, you celebrated my birthday the other day, didn't you?"


"Oh, yeah. Yes, we did."


"I almost fell in love with you after that."


What about ......?


"Well, by 'like' you mean ...... like as a friend, right?"


"I've liked you as a friend for a long time. It's not that, I almost liked Kohei as a love interest."


"I almost liked him ...... past tense means you don't like him anymore, right?"


"I'm still very much aware of you."


"What do you mean you're still very much aware of me?　You promised to protect our friendship, didn't you?"


"It can’t be helped because my heart is beating fast. ……Even Kohei, don’t you think that I’m a little bit "nice"?"


"Well, that's ...... not necessarily true, but it's ...... true."


"I knew it!　You've been acting strange lately. I thought you were trying to keep your distance from me because you got a crush on me."


"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have thanked me so prettily. I'm doing my best to keep our friendship alive, so don't ask me to hold your hand!"


"I don't have a choice!　I'm so nervous that I can't calm down when I'm with Kohei. ...... That's why I'm holding your hand."


"Why do you do that?"


"Because I'm aware of you as the opposite sex, that's why I'm nervous. If you treat me the same way you treat Sana, for example ...... I'll get used to it. Then I be able to play without being nervous......."


In other words, shock therapy.


If done well, I will no longer be conscious of Yuzu, and we can build a friendship that transcends gender barriers.


The risk is high, but there is much to be gained.


"What will you do?　If you don't want to, that's fine......."


"No, I don't mind."


"Really?　You don't have to ...... if you don't want to, okay?"


"I don't mind. I'm forcing myself, but if we don't get through this, it's going to destroy our friendship."


I know it's going to be crazy nerve-wracking at first, but if we get through ...... this, we'll be the best of friends.


I didn't want to be restless all the time, so I decided to take her up on her suggestion.


When I gently held her hand, Yuzu's hand was sweaty.


"How are you feeling?"


"I'm so thrilled, I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. ......What about Kohei?"


"Me too. All my nerves are focused on my hands."


"Don't make me concentrate too much. My hands are sweating a lot."


"I don't care about that. I'm the one with sweaty hands, and I'm probably more nervous than when we held hands for the first time."


"It's strange, holding hands used to be nothing to you, but now you're so nervous.'


"I guess so. I feel like my love experience has been reset. ......By the way, what did you and Sana do?"


"Holding hands with fingers intertwined, hugging, and changing clothes together......."


"So you want to do all of that with me too?"


"No, not out of the blue. I'm on the verge of just holding hands, so just imagining hugging ...... Kohei makes me nervous."


"Me too. ......But we'll do it sometime, right?"


"As long as Kohei doesn't mind......"


"I don't hate it. That's because I'm so nervous that I feel like I'm going to collapse ...... but you can't cross the barrier between men and women unless you gain experience in love. Well, we have time. Let's take our time and get used to it."


I don't feel at all averse to holding hands with Yuzu, although I do feel embarrassed, as I did when we first started dating.


Holding each other's hands tightly, we enjoy the aquarium to our heart's content.



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