My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 11

 Act 11     Is This a Good Model Pose?


「This is bad, this is bad...!」


In the morning, with 15 minutes until the start of class.

When Mashiro, Akami, and Kiriko entered the classroom, their classmate Natsu Midoriya was seated at her desk in the corner, frantically running a pen across a piece of paper.

Her pigtail braids were bouncing around, and the gaze from the depths of her thick glasses was busily running around the page.


「Good morning, Onatsu-san. Why are you so frantic this morning?」

「Yo, Onatsu, did you forget your homework?」

「Eh? Aah, Akami-san, Kiri-yan-san, and Nogi-san too. Good morning. There is nothing left undone for my school homework, but this homework is in trouble...」


While Natsu responded to Akami and Kiriko's greetings, her hand didn't stop working.

So Onatsu-san is Natsu's nickname? I see, it fits her quite well, Mashiro thought.

However, in contrast to Mashiro's laid-back assent, Natsu seemed full of impatience.


「Midoriya-san, what are you doing... wait, is this a manga?」


When she looked out of curiosity, the page Natsu was quickly moving her pen across was apparently a manuscript for a manga. It wasn't a finished product, but looked to be at the stage of a rough draft?


「Shiro-chan, Onatsu-san is a mangaka.」

「Is that so?」

「Ah, no, Akami-san, I'm not yet in a position worthy of that title; I'm still training as a doujin.」

「But the other day, you were delighted about becoming the apprentice of the third year Haijima-senpai, weren’t you? She runs a major doujin circle.」

「I'm like a gatecrasher. Haijima-senpai ordered me to do a small storyboard assignment, and the deadline is after school today...!」

「You seem to have it rough. Onatsu, is there anything we can do to help?」

「Kiri-yan-san, I appreciate the sentiment, but I have to do all this work personally. If you wish to assist me, it will have to be another time.」


As she replied politely, Natsu looked awfully busy. It seemed that every minute and second was precious.

Thinking that talking to her any further might be a nuisance, Mashiro and the others were about to turn back to their own seats,


「Ah... however, Akami-san, and Nogi-san. Just 10 minutes of your time after lunch is fine, so could I request assistance from you during the break?」

『?』


When Natsu called out to them like she had just come up with something, Akami and Mashiro tilted their heads.

Also, Kiriko looked dissatisfied and said『Wehー, I alone am excluded?』



Anyway, at lunch break.

Mashiro and Akami enjoyed their boxed lunches together in the courtyard, then returned to the classroom as instructed when there was 20 minutes left until afternoon classes.


「Just a little more, a little more...!」


Natsu was working in exactly the same position she was in before Mashiro and the others left.

That brought up the question of whether she'd even had lunch, but there was a carton of milk and a small box of Calorie Mate near her, so it looked like she simply finished it super quickly.


「Onatsu-san, we've come to assistー!」

「Aah, I've been waiting for you two.」

「Midoriya-san, what should we do?」

「Alright, I would like the two of you to stand there and act as models.」

「Models?」

「The height difference between Akami-san and Nogi-san makes you two the perfect models for the composition of the most important scene.」

「I see. So what kind of scene is it?」


When Mashiro asked, Natsu's eyes gleamed behind her glasses,



「ーーA kiss scene.」



And she announced that plainly.


「Eh... ki-ki-ki-kiss scene...!?」

「Me? With Akami?」


Akami (as should perhaps be expected) turned bright red, and Mashiro was a little bewildered.

Was she telling them to suddenly kiss here? Even though they were both girls?


「Ah, no, I'm not saying you should actually do it. If you could kindly just put your foreheads together, I'll supplement the rest with imagination.」


Perhaps she had predicted their reaction, as Natsu added the actual request.

I was surprised for a moment, but... I see, if that's how it is, Mashiro was immediately convinced.


「E-even that alone is quite embarrassing...!」


Akami seemed to lack the resolve to go through with it, and her small body squirmed. Cute.

But unfortunately, there was no time to dawdle or let her calm down, so Mashiro took a deep breath,


「So then, Akami, let’s do it at once.」

「Eh, eeh!? W-wait, Shiro-chan, my mental preparedness is still...!」

「Look, Midoriya-san looks like she's in a hurry, right? Let's help her.」

「U, uu......」


Akami was still idling, but Mashiro didn't pay any mind to that and bent forward a little,


「Hiu!?」


Grabbed her shoulders a little strongly,


「Hau!?」


Furthermore, she pulled her chin up a little,


「Heave-ho.」

「――――!!!!!」


And with a thump, she touched her forehead to Akami's as if she were measuring her temperature.


「Oh, a little overbearing; what a title winning move! Please stay like that for three minutes!」

「Roger. This posture may be tough, but I'll try my best.」

「Th-three minutes...!?」


Akami opened her eyes wide, then closed them tightly and stiffened. Perhaps due to being awfully nervous, her breathing was shallow and rough. Was she alright?

For Mashiro, maintaining that position was difficult at first since she had to bend forward to make up for the height difference with Akami, but,


「... Hmm.」


Unexpectedly, it didn't take long for her to get used to it.

She even had the leeway to enjoy the feel of Akami's forehead.


... In any case, Akami is really cute.


While looking closely at Akami's face, which was still tense and stiff, Mashiro suddenly thought that.

Her baby face, her big eyes (that were currently closed), her slightly round cheeks... her minutely trembling, cherry blossom colored, shapely, soft-looking lips.

When she was asked to do a kissing scene, Mashiro had been at a loss for a moment, but what would happen if she actually kissed her?

Her desire to give it a try was so strong that any sense of discomfort about the strangeness of doing that when they were both girls became inconsequential.
 

Regulating her breathing.

Closing her eyes.

The breathing on her own nearly overlapping――

　


「Ok, I'm done. Thank you for your hard work!」



Then, Natsu announced that her work was finished.


「Fu, fuhi～, that, that was a long time...」

「Ah......」


Akami's eyes spun in circles as she immediately sank to the floor, her face separating from Mashiro's. It looked like she wouldn't be able to move for a while.

...... What was this murky feeling that existed in Mashiro's chest?


「Oh, thank you very much, both of you! Thanks to you, I was able to draw something good! This is an overwhelming title winner!」

「... Is that so. That's good, Midoriya-san.」

「Mm? Nogi-san, what's wrong? You seem a little depressed?」

「It's in your imagination. I just thought that I wanted to model a little longer.」

「Haa. Then, if I need help in the future, can I rely on you?」

「Nn, that's fine.」

「Ooh, an immediate decision. Thank you, Mashiro-san!」


Seeing Natsu joyfully thank her, Mashiro felt glad that she had accepted her request. Also, for some reason she was suddenly called by her first name, but it didn't feel bad.

 ...... At the same time,


She felt a bit like she had taken a prank too far...


She was secretly remorseful that at that time, she had harbored wicked feelings towards Akami.

She had to be more serious when doing favors; she felt that immediately acting according to her curiosity without thinking about Akami's feelings wasn't good.

She had to firmly draw a line.

That new mindset germinated inside Mashiro.


　　☆★★★☆★★


Oh my, my heart was really pounding.

However, thank you, Onatsu-san...!


Nevertheless.

At that time, when she was right in front of me, Shiro-chan's atmosphere felt slightly different from usual.

Was it just in my imagination?