https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9531ga/90/
Episode 7: Who You Like
It has gotten quite dark outside the window, but inside, we were all bright, cheerful, and lively. We walked down a silent hallway with a pep in our steps and chattering away.
“Ran-tan, you’re the one who made a mistake, so you’ll have to do a punishment game! Or are you going to go back on what you said—?”
“Hoh? When did I make a mistake?”
Ranko tried playing innocent by tilting her head and fluttering her eyelashes at Honoka.
“If you hadn’t bumped into the desk, they would’ve made it all the way to the end! That calls for retribution.”
“Hammer….of Justice…..”
“Hold, you two are scaring me…..”
Honoka and Yuzuriha’s unreasonable words gave me a bitter smile. They were also persuasive enough to get Ranko to think for a second.
“I suppose that makes sense.”
And eventually drag out a short response form her.
Taking that as a yes, Honoka started giggling madly to herself while an evil grin marked its way onto Yuzuriha’s face. I don’t think they intend to get violent.
There was a second where I wondered what the punishment’d be,
“So who does Ran-tan have a crush on—?”
but it’s exactly what I should’ve expected. That doesn’t mean the question doesn’t make me uneasy though. It might be the natural progression after the Pocky Game, but for me, it’s like Honoka is waving a match around a bomb that’s been sitting in middle of the room.
“The person I like….?”
Ranko gave a resigned laugh before delivering a deliberate sideways glance. That pose looks so cute with how it emphasizes her almond eyes.
“Of course, I’ll say.”
“Oh…..? She’s doing it! Who is it?”
“How….is it?”
“What do you mean how….?”
This situation was putting me on edge, but I still had the energy to call out Yuzuriha’s grammar mistakes although Ranko clearly didn’t mind it. She just gave another small chuckle.
“They’re standing right here among us.”
“Eh?”
Saki and I gasped at the same time.
D-Don’t tell me….
She’s going to say it right here and now…..!?
Don’t! If you say it like this, I’ll never be able to play it off as a joke!!!
Even as my inner thoughts desperately begged Ranko not to do this, I watched as her lips moved in seeming slow motion to form the word “Yes”
“It’s myself.”
And all that tension poured out of me in an instant like a popped balloon. Saki must’ve felt some kind of relief from it too because I noticed her wipe a bit of sweat off her brow in relief.
“What—? So you’re just a narcissist?”
“And what’s wrong with being a narcissist? Don’t you love yourself as well?”
“I mean, of course I do. I’m cute and awesome!”
I wasn’t expecting this to go the way of Honoka declaring herself as a narcissist as well. Then again, considering how amazing all these beautiful girls are, maybe it’d be weirder if each one of them wasn’t a narcissist.
“Saki seems like she’d be a super narcissist, so I’m sure she’s in love with herself too!”
With the conversation suddenly focused on her, Saki responded with a reserved, “I suppose,” after seemingly managing to set aside her invisible impatience from earlier. She didn’t deny being a narcissist though….
“If it’s someone I would like~ I guess it would have to be a prince after all~? Someone cool and dependable~ but also surprisingly cute too~!”
“Cute….?”
Yuzuriha wrote her preferences off with that one word and a big grin. She’s probably alluding to her personal preference towards girls like that. The exact reaction I’d expect from a yuri nerd.
“Doesn’t that just leave Yuriha’s turn—!?”
Naturally, my name was next on the list. I’d been trying to think up a good answer this whole time, but the most I was able to piece together was an embarrassed, “I-I wonder….?”
“Hmm, not sure if I’d call that dependable.”
“Y-Yeah”
I hung my head in disappointment. Unfortunately, I still wouldn’t call myself confident or reliable. It hurts to admit, but since I’m aspiring to become a reliable, handsome girl, I’ll just have to keep that pain in my heart and keep striving to improve.
“But I’ve been feeling a little lost recently. I guess if she’s pretty, I’d like to spoil her to my heart’s content?”
“Ah! I’ve heard of that before! What was it?”
“A….gigolo”
“H-Heh”
My answer earned me an assault from Honoka and Yuzuriha. And just what did Saki imagine after hearing what I said to give her a skip in her step? It sure is cute though.
But, if it’s just spoiling like what Saki hoped for….what I want is a little different. What I want most is to put real effort towards supporting those I love. If those people give me something back in return, it’d be my perfect relationship…..but that’s not too different from the answer Saki gave. If I’m not careful and cross that line, I really will become a gigolo. As far as long-term lifestyles for myself go, I’m not a fan.
“And if the person you loved were to become depraved?”
Then Ranko’s serious tone poured a spout of cold water over the comical mood.
“Wouldn’t it be fine?”
But Saki smiled back without missing a beat.
“No matter how far you fall, it won’t matter as long as there is love there….right?”
“Oh! So deep!”
“Feeling….I get it”
Honoka praised Saki for her immediate and confident opinion with Yuzuriha nodding in agreement.
“If I can be with who I love….I would crawl through hell….and eternal darkness.”
“Yeah, people say stuff like that right? Where people are even able to forgive the other person’s crimes if they love them enough.”
The both of them marveled at ideas that you would expect to find only in romance novels.
“But if you’ve realized your wrong doings, isn’t it only right to denounce those actions and strive for improvement?”
But Ranko crossed her arms and shook her head. The look on her face said that she couldn’t understand their opinions as she stated her own truth.
“But isn’t it fine even if that’s what you think? Love is different for everyone~”
“Hmm…..that’s certainly true….”
Despite her words, Ranko didn’t seem very convinced. She opened her mouth again like there was something more she wanted to say, but after seemingly having thought better of it, she closed it and remained silent.
Amidst that momentary stammering, Honoka suddenly turned her eyes towards me.
“What about you Yuu-chan? You’ve been quiet for this! Something you want to say?”
Oops. I was so lost in my thoughts that I haven’t said anything. It’s a bad habit of mine to be too focused on what’s going on inside my head.
“Do I have to always give my two cents on things?”
“But everyone else already has, so you should too! What form does your love take?”
“That’s a hard question to answer.”
I tried sidestepping the matter with an awkward smile, but Honoka wasn’t going to let me go that easily.
“But everyone has their different ways of thinking. I want to know how you think— Or tell us what you like in a person!”
And the conversation’s going back to “What kind of girl do I like?” This is troubling….
But then, a strange rescue boat came for me….or to be more accurate, Ranko, who seemed to be trying out a new venture on the level of Perry’s expedition, interjected.
“The type that Yuriha’s into…..? Let me take a guess. Someone with long, straight black hair and almond eyes. A high, straight nose with a well-defined face…. Oh? Isn’t that me?”
“So is this supposed to be a one-man-play or are we doing a bit…..? There’s a limit to how conceited you can be….”
“Hm? You weren’t talking about how beautiful I am?”
“I wasn’t”
Well, I do have to admit one thing. Ranko is cute. The narcissist who keeps trying so hard to show off her charms is cute.
However she was determined to carry on with an exaggerated laugh.
“Ah, I know I know. You finally came around? It’s because of my sexual harassment.”
On cue, Ranko reached her hand behind me and patted my butt.
“Don’t try and force in a sexual harassment punchline you idiot!”
Not only is she narcissistic, she’s also a sexual harasser….what a terrifying girl.
Experimental Translations 