My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 21

 ACT 21     This Is Being Given a So-called Trial, Right?


「Shiro-chan, good morning.」


As Mashiro walked to school under a clear sky, which was rare in the June rainy season, she heard the voice of her best friend.

And Mashiro's greatest enjoyment in the morning, the slight weight on her right arm from her skinship――


「........................?」


No matter how much time passed, it didn't come.

When she looked, Akami, her friend and owner of that voice, who had caught up to her a moment ago――was walking by her side.

Not clinging to her arm, merely by her side, at a moderate distance.

... Mashiro's confusion was obvious.


「... A-Akami?」

「Nn, what's wrong, Shiro-chan?」

「What about the usual replenishment?」

「I told you yesterday, right? It's prohibited for a while.」

「――――!」


Certainly, yesterday.

Akami gave Mashiro a doggy massage (see ACT 19), and right after that, Mashiro treated Akami affectionately like a kitten (see ACT 20). She remembered Akami saying『Things like that are prohibited for a while!』to her.

She remembered, but.


「That wasn't limited to yesterday?」

「Yeah. Besides, it's the rainy season right now, so it's been awfully humid, and summer is almost here, so it's about to get genuinely hot; it's just the right opportunity to hold back a little.」

「Wha...!」


Akami replied with a wry smile, and Mashiro was greatly flustered. 　


「E-even if it's hot, it's fine, isn't it? I don't care!」

「Even if Shiro-chan is fine with it, I'm not.」

「How can I get through today without replenishment!?」

「Like I said, yesterday, we replenished 50% more, so it won't decrease for a while.」

「Ah... I don't have enough Akami-onium!」

「Mm, then, compensate with your imagination?」


She was left utterly helpless.

As Mashiro acted in a nearly frantic condition, Akami nimbly avoided her.

In the slightly over two months since she had gotten to know her, in the entire time they had gone to school together in the morning, nothing like this had ever happened before; Mashiro received damage like a gaping hole had opened in her heart, and she collapsed... or at least, was on the verge of doing so,


「Nu... u-understood.」


But somehow, she held her ground.


「Shiro-chan?」

「This is, so to speak, a trial.」

「Trial?」

「In friendship, occasional obstacles are unavoidable. Not just sticking together all the time, but temporarily trying to keep a moderate distance, is the secret to getting along better with Akami in the future.」

「U-umm... well, that's true, I guess?」

「Watch, Akami. I'll overcome this obstacle and become closer with you. Akami will absolutely become unable to live without me!」

「!」


After receiving those words, Akami's shoulders shook as she blushed, but.

Without noticing that, Mashiro took a deep breath... and for just a little, turned off a switch in her mind.


「For that reason, I'll distance myself just a little from you.」

「Sh-Shiro-chan, I'm not that seri――」

「For a little while, please continue to have a moderate friendship with me, Nishina-san.」

「!!!!!!」


They say getting the trappings right was the first step, so Mashiro tried calling her the name she used when they first met.

Akami's eyes opened wide as if she had received a shock, and she turned white. For some reason, it felt like the letters『ZUGYAAAAAAAAN!?』could be seen in the background... but, well, it should be fine.


「Come now, let's hurry. As it is, we'll be late, Nishina-san.」

「Uu... ga... uu...」

「? Nishina-san?」

「U-understood... No-Nogi-san.」


Though she looked like she felt conflicted, Akami seemed like she had started thinking the same way.

This was a trial to become even closer.

They would mutually act to overcome it.

By doing so, Mashiro felt like the future she could see was getting brighter and brighter.


　　☆　　★　　☆　　★　　☆　　★


Now I've done it.

I was still embarrassed by what happened yesterday, so I thought I'd refrain from skinskip for a little and continued the ban, but it ended up like this...!

What a backfire...!

What a self-destruction...!

Like this, my body won't last in a different sense... but in my current state, I don't think my body would have endured even with the usual replenishment... ah, geez, ah, geez!

What should I do?

Shiro-chan, truly, to what extent are you going to throw my heart into confusion?


 ...... But.

In the end, since I love you, I have to overcome this.