My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 13

 ACT 13 What Remembrance Does That Yearning Cause?



「... So tired...」


The PE class was over, and they were changing clothes in the girls' locker room.

Midoriya Natsu had changed from her gym clothes to her school uniform in the corner, and the moment she finished, she sank to the floor.


「Onatsu-san, are you okay?」

「Ah, thank you, Akami-san. Since I stayed up all last night to advance my storyboard... I've already used up everything...」

「Midoriya-san, are you going to the infirmary?」

「No, Mashiro-san. We only have Homeroom left after this, so I'll last to the end somehow... Besides, I have to deliver the storyboard I completed during lunch break to Haijima-senpai...」


After Akami and Mashiro called out to her, Natsu could only reply with many pauses.

She looked truly exhausted, so Mashiro was a little worried, but,


「Alright, Onatsu, leave it to me!」

「Eh, Kiri-yan-san... ohhh!?」


Kiriko, who had finished changing her clothes, easily lifted Natsu from the floor.

As might be expected from the development that occurred before she could even respond, Natsu's legs flailed as she narrowly managed to keep her glasses in place.


「Ki-Ki-Ki-Kiri-yan-san, wait a second...!」

「Onatsu, you're really light. You have to eat properly.」

「I, I'm aware of that myself, but... anyway, Kiri-yan-san, could you put me down!? I can walk properly by myself!?」

「No way. I can't leave the weakened Onatsu alone, so I'll carry you the whole way!」

「U-understood. I'm very grateful to you for carrying me, Kiri-yan-san. But, this, p-p-p-princess carry, as you'd expect...! A-at least, on your back――」

「Let's go, Onatsu! Kiri-yan Express Delivery flight to our classroom!」

「Uhyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?」


With that, Kiriko immediately lifted up both the bags containing their changing clothes and left the room like a gust of wind while carrying Natsu.


「Even though Kiri-yan moved that much during PE just now... where does she get that stamina...?」

「Truly, it's inexhaustible... ahaha.」


Mashiro was stunned as she saw the two of them off.

At her side, Akami laughed wryly,


「... How nice.」


And muttered that to herself.

Just like she muttered, she looked envious, and Mashiro tilted her head a little.


「Akami, did you want to be carried by Kiri-yan as well?」

「Eh... ah, no, I have a bit of a yearning for the princess carry. I've only seen that kind of thing in store booklet pictures, so after seeing it up close, I couldn't help but...」

「...... Hm.」


Was that how it was?

Mashiro tried to imagine herself being treated like that, but it didn't quite click.

If anything, she felt that rather than being held, doing the holding suited her better.

 ...... Therefore,


「Eh... Shi-Shiro-chan?」


She immediately put her arms behind the neighboring Akami's shoulders and knees,


「Heave-ho.」

「――――!!!???」


And lifted her up.

She was extremely light.


「U-um, Shiro-chan, I didn't say anything about wanting to do it immediately...!」

「Eh? Didn't you yearn to be carried?」

「No, that's certainly true, but...!」


Akami, who was lifted up by Mashiro, had a bright red face as usual.

Natsu, who was being carried by Kiriko earlier, also had a rather red face. Was it really that embarrassing?

She didn't really understand.

... Well, that was a trivial matter, right?


「First of all, I'll carry you like this, but Akami, hold on tight. I battled Kiri-yan in PE earlier, so I'm a little tired.」

「No, if you're tired, you can put me down here...!」

「What are you saying?」


She stared directly at Akami in her arms,



「I want to make Akami’s aspiration come true. It's fine, right?」



After saying that,

Akami's face remained red as her eyes widened in surprise.


「... Ok, please, take care, of me.」

「? I don't really understand why you said it like that, but... well, it's fine.」


She obediently curled up and wrapped her arms around Mashiro's neck to hold on. It felt good.

... Come to think of it, have I seen something like this before as well?

While carrying Akami, Mashiro suddenly remembered.

During her childhood, when she was walking with her mother leading her by the hand, she caught sight of a booklet.

The contents were about wedding ceremonies, and on the cover there was a picture:


―― A bride in her wedding dress.


...... Could it be that Akami's yearning was for that appearance?

In that case, this composition right now is exactly... her thoughts stopped there.


「It couldn't be, right?」


Well, it surely wasn't.

Having made that determination, Mashiro started humming a popular song she had been hearing a lot lately as she carried Akami.


　　☆★★★☆★★


Shiro-chan?

Why did you start humming a currently popular wedding song...!?

Whether I want to or not, it makes me remember the cover of that booklet I saw a long time ago... but since it's Shiro-chan, it might just be something unconscious after all.


However.

 ...... I'm happy.