Building a Yuri Harem~ Ch. 74

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9531ga/74/

I Don’t Like Carbonation

After we left the vending machine, Honoka seemed a little embarrassed. She was staring intently at the drink in her hand.

“It feels like my gift from before has been returned….”

“Sure sure”

Is she talking about last weekend when she and Yuzurin left for the vending machine to get me a drink? Because Yuzurin is the one who paid for both of them. Your memory isn’t the best, is it Honoka? Well, nobody seems to be taking any of it seriously, so it’s nothing for me to mind either.

“It’s nothing you need to be concerned about. It’s an exchange between friends….right?”

“I know that! There’s formality even under the desk pad! ….Hmm?”

“Are you trying to say ‘Good manners even between friends’?”¹

“That’s it~”

I might have my work cut out for me getting her ready for this test. Ignoring the airhead-chan who was tilting her head and thinking her slipup over, I opened the door to the classroom. Our three friends looked engrossed in what they were reading, but when Saki somehow noticed us, she quietly waved us in. I guess she didn’t want Yuzuriha to break her concentration. Such an attentive girl.

Unfortunately that concern was wasted since Yuzurin’s lip curled into a pout, and her head began moving around almost immediately after. Did she run into a problem she couldn’t do?

She shut her eyes tight, mewling as she stretched out her limbs in a grand way. I looked her over up and down before circling around behind her while her eyes were still shut. And then, when her body relaxed….

“Okay, here’s yours~”

“HyaAaAaAaA!”

I got to hear a cute little scream as I pressed the cold drink against her face. She turned around in her chair with tears in her eyes. That red in her cheeks and surprise in her eyes made this completely satisfying.

“Sorry, I didn’t think you’d be that surprised. I thought Yuzu would want some sugar to help with your studying.”

I’m not sorry. I will do it again. Even as I raise the bottle to appeal to her, I’m already thinking about my next betrayal.

Just as was expected, since she hadn’t gotten to eat much for lunch today, she seemed happy at first, but that happiness soon turned to disappointment. What could….

“I, don’t like carbonated drinks…. I can’t….accept your kindness”

Her face scrunched up with clear regret. Right now probably isn’t the right time for me to marvel at how expressive this girl is.

“Ah, my bad. I wasn’t considerate enough. I know there are some people who aren’t good with it.”

“Sorry….”

“It’s nothing to apologize for. I went and did it on my own. If anything I’m the one who should apologize.”

There’s nothing that can be done if she can’t drink it. I twisted open the lid thinking I’d just have to choke it down myself, but Honoka quickly jumped in with an “Uuh, Uuh, Uuh!” and an arm raised in the air. What is she thinking about now….

“It’s that you’re not good with it right~? Then we just need to get you used to it little by little~!”

“Eh? No….”

“We can get rid of all the carbonation if we just shake up the soda! Do it, do it!”

Hah~. This is bad. You can see the punchline coming straight from left field. And yet, the three mature members of this club could only stand back and watch with bated breath. What? No, it’s not like we’re just waiting because we think it’d be funny to watch. Honoka is actually right here, and it’d be better for Yuzuriha to get used to drinking carbonated drinks than to not….

Yuzuriha reluctantly gave in to Honoka’s cheers and did what she said. It’s honestly cute how she still goes obediently with Honoka’s jokes despite looking clearly dissatisfied. Oops, I shouldn’t start laughing…. Saki and Ranko were also standing back, trying to hold their own laughter in. Such naughty girls.

Yuzuriha was forced to her feet at Honoka’s insistence and taken to the back of the room, (a space with no desks or furniture), and she started shaking the bottle. She’s following along with Honoka’s movements, even going so far as to start headbanging when Honoka started that as well….you don’t need to go that far.

“All right! If you’ve shaken it that much, it’ll be just fine! Now, pop open the lid and take a drink!”

“M-Mmm….”

Although Yuzuriha was a little unsteady, she still slowly put her hand on the lid of the bottle. We were all standing there in wait while suppressing our smiles, but a strange tension was running through all of us. I figured I should keep a handkerchief in my hand to help her clean up as soon as it’s done, but then I saw that the other three already had their own handkerchiefs in hand….wait, even Honoka has one out behind her back. She’s the one driving this joke, but she’s making sure to ready herself with the follow up.

Saki and I shared a look and nodded. In that moment, I heard the snap as Yuzuriha broke the bottle’s seal….

“U-Uwaaa!”

The bubbles rose up and overflowed out from the bottle like we all expected. “Hand it to me!” I shouted while covering the top with my mouth to avoid a big mess from forming on the ground at our feet. Meanwhile Saki had taken her handkerchief and started wiping down Yuzuriha’s hands as her free hand rubbed Yuzuriha’s back to calm her down. Ranko took her own handkerchief to start wiping down my wet hands, and Honoka used her handkerchief to wipe up what had spilled on the floor. We knew what was going to come out of that bottle in advance, so our response was well-coordinated.

“Ahaha~, sorry sorry! But it’s going to be easier to drink now, so give it a try! Pass it over Yuu-chan”

“Yes, yes”

After we finished wiping off the spilled soda from the outside of the bottle, I handed it back over to Yuzuriha at Honoka’s urging. The person in question had her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s because of the joke that had been played on her, yet she still obediently took the soda from me and put it to her mouth. She took a long drink….and held it there, swishing it around like a plumped up hamster. She then slowly squished her cheeks and cleared her throat.

“….Mm. It crackles, but….I can drink it. It’s delicious….”

“Isn’t it? I’m happy to hear you understand just how delicious pop is! If you can never drink any soda, you’ll be wasting half your life!”

“No, you wouldn’t lose even 10 percent….”

My goodness. It’s true that soda can taste wildly refreshing when you take out the carbonation, but Honoka-chan has a personality that loves to exaggerate everything.
However that over the top personality is great at sweeping Yuzuriha away who decided to take another long sip of pop. She once again gathered it together in her puffed out cheeks. She probably thinks she’s weakening the carbonation even more drinking it that way. Maybe she’s right, but looking in from the outside, I can only think about how cute she looks.

“From now on….little by little, I shall defeat you. I will destroy you.”

“Huh!?”

Yuzuriha formally declared war on all carbonated drinks. I guess, it’s good to be positive.

“I’ll give you the rest,” Yuzuriha handed the bottle back to me, probably since I had taken a drink from it already after the spill. However, even though she gave it to me, Yuzuriha kept staring at the bottle in a daze. Did I do something wrong?

“Huh? Do you want it back?”

“No….just go ahead and drink….”

“Okay?”

After I put the bottle to my lips and took my own sip, Yuzuriha slowly returned to her previous studying. Wait, was she conscious of having an indirect kiss with me? This wouldn’t be our first, and I promise you it won’t be our last. So cute.

All of us began reviewing some old assignments together after that. Saki returned to teaching Yuzuriha while I helped out Honoka, but Ranko-chan stayed standing a bit aways from us. The way she kept fidgeting with her fingertips hidden behind her back is irresistibly cute. After a couple minutes passed though, I had to wonder what was wrong.

Before I could ask, she pointed towards the leftover soda left on the desk, and

“S-So….whose is this now?”

What? She was there when Yuzuriha and I talked about it….why would that make her so fidgety? And is she excited or panicking?

“Hm? Do you want it? Yuzuriha and I are both done with it, so go ahead and take it for yourself if you want.”

“Eh….who drank from it?”

“Me and Yuzuriha?”

I pointed to myself and Yuzuriha in turn. Our two red mark girls were desperately trying to solve whatever problem they were on, so they weren’t really paying attention to our conversation. Saki however was watching Ranko from the corner of her eye while silently pointing out a mistake on Yuzuriha’s paper.

“I-I see. Then, I suppose I could take a drink….?”

“No need to be so formal about it.”

It was refreshing to see Ranko so on edge, and it got me to giggle when she jumped after I poked her in the shoulder. I’d like to poke her again and again, but I need to hold back for now. Ranko slowly moved the bottle to her lips, and it gave me a smile seeing her stop just before taking a drink.

“Something wrong?”

“N-No”

“Go ahead and take a drink then”

Ranko-chan’s attention became even more focused on the tip of the bottle. So then….? No, I don’t think there’s any doubt at this point. She’s fighting with herself over whether or not something like this is safe or not.

“Are you that conscious….over something like an indirect kiss?”

I came up close and sexily whispered into her ear. A deep red spread from her ears all the way down her neck, and her whole body began to shake. She’s so cute!

“No, that’s not….”

“Fufu, just joking”

I whispered into her ear once again. A bit of tension left Ranko’s body, and as she relaxed, the bottle fell from her lips slightly. That was when a small hand came over from the side.

“Let me have a….drink”

Honoka came out of nowhere and snatched the bottle from Ranko’s helpless hands and drained the bottle until her cheeks ballooned outwards. Oh? Is that jealousy? Or maybe she is just still thirsty.

“Oh”

Ranko looked disappointed since she was too slow to act, but she quickly returned to her usual cool look as if she didn’t care. Well, it’s not like anyone would be blaming you for feeling sad about it.

By the way, Saki has been tutoring Yuzuriha this whole time with a smile on her lips yet no joy in her eyes. She might’ve understood what I was doing this time. It’s cute when she gets a little jealous, but since I’d really like to avoid having things get messy when I draw them in to a harem, I should tread carefully.

But I should look at the positive side sometimes too. Yuzuriha, Ranko, Honoka, and Saki….I could definitely feel that each of them are paying special attention to me in their own ways. It might be time for the next step. I’ll try making my move on everyone.

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1. A small verbal slip between the two saying. Shitajiki no naka ni mo girei ari is what Honoka said. Shitashiki na kani morei giari is the real saying. 

Chapter 73 ⊥ Chapter 75