On the way to school, Kondo Yuuichi and Amamiya Iori walked ahead as usual, while Shimizu Ken chose to slow his pace and lag slightly behind.
"By the way, Iori, my mom asked you to come over for dinner tonight," Yuuichi said.
"Tonight? But..." Yuuichi's question seemed to make Iori hesitate.
The two were childhood friends and lived very close to each other, so it wasn't unusual for them to eat at each other's homes. Shimizu Ken watched their conversation quietly from behind.
Although Yuuichi didn't seem to have noticed yet, it was clear that Iori's mood had soured. While it wasn't easy to tell from her expression alone, Ken could see it in her eyes. The way she looked at Yuuichi now was completely different from how she looked at him; her eyes could only be described as lifeless.
Finally, Iori used the excuse that she "wanted to buy something after school today, so maybe next time" to decline Yuuichi's invitation.
Yuuichi's expression naturally turned unhappy. "So that's more important than coming to my house?"
"Uh..."
Yuuichi's words put Iori in a difficult position. Ken, listening from the side, felt that Yuuichi's way of asking was not good. He placed a hand on Yuuichi's shoulder and interjected, "Iori can have her own plans sometimes. Even as childhood friends, it's best not to pry too much."
"Th-that's fine, I understand." After understanding Ken's words, Yuuichi obediently apologized to Iori, though his unhappiness was still evident on his face.
After that, the three of them spoke very little on the way to school.
"I'm sorry, Shimizu-kun." Iori slowed her pace and walked behind them to apologize to Ken for ruining the mood.
"It's okay, don't worry about it." Ken replied.
Shimizu Ken had initially thought Yuuichi wouldn't dwell on such a small matter, but instead, the sulking Yuuichi rushed ahead alone. Shimizu Ken and Iori, left behind, shared a wry smile.
"Actually, I was lying to him just now," Iori said.
"Hm...?" Ken looked at her, surprised. She stuck out her tongue slightly.
This meant she had lied... Although he was a little surprised, Shimizu Ken didn't think Iori was the type of person who would never lie. After all, it was natural for humans to lie occasionally. He himself had lied countless times throughout his life. Still, he found it quite strange that Iori would lie to Yuuichi.
"Sometimes I just want to be alone. Of course, having you around makes me happier than anything else," she added.
There she went again. Whenever Iori said something with a hidden meaning like this, Ken was reminded of yesterday's phone call.
"No matter what you are like, I like you. Back then, I accepted you not out of pity, but because I wanted to stay by your side, to support you, so I gave myself to you."
Just as Ken was resolving to ask Iori what she meant by those words, she spoke first.
"Shimizu-kun, can I hold your hand?"
"N-no, that's..." Iori's sudden proposal left Ken stunned.
"If holding hands feels too shy, we could link arms instead?"
No, you should do that with Yuuichi... Ken thought at first. But after a moment's consideration, he lifted one arm, creating space, and said, "Come on, didn't you want to link arms?"
"Then I won't hold back!"
Iori didn't hesitate and linked her arm with Ken's. Held tightly, it was naturally difficult to break free, and she pressed her body against him. Besides the sweet, feminine scent, Iori's well-endowed figure made the sensation quite soft as she pressed against him so boldly. Ken had agreed to let her link arms as part of his verification. Normal friends would absolutely not do this. It was clear that Iori's attitude had been strange these past two days. It wasn't just the way she closed the distance between them when they were alone, or how she had previously called him "master." It seemed he would have to investigate this matter further.
Although he had agreed to let Iori link arms for the sake of verification, Ken still felt a sense of unease, as if he had done something he shouldn't have.
Immediately after, a blinding white light flashed behind them, confirming his unease.
The white flash was fleeting. When Ken turned around forcefully, he saw nothing but a few normal pedestrians.
"Shimizu-kun, what's wrong?" Iori asked, looking uneasy at Ken's sudden turn. She tightened her grip on his arm as if afraid he might run away.
"No, it's nothing. Let's keep walking..."
Was it just his imagination...
Notes:
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.
• Kondo Yuuichi - Original main protagonist; timid; Iori’s childhood friend; freezes despite push.