The Me That Is Watching You Isn’t Really Me - 1

The promised day arrived, and I was waiting at the train station a bit earlier than we decided. It's not rare for me to be out with a group of boys and girls on a weekend like this, but it's definitely a first for me to go out with one girl alone. That being said, it's not even a date or anything, so I told myself over and over that putting effort into it was useless. With that mindset, I was waiting for Aotsuki-san.

…Told myself? Why was there a need for that in the first place? Am I going crazy? The more I try not to be conscious about it, the more I become aware of it. That's why I tried to put a lid on my thoughts, and instead thought about the light novel I read a while ago.

The date scene between the protagonist and the heroine was so gooooood! And it was depicted in such livid detail...

Another ten minutes passed, when I saw a one-piece type of clothing flutter in my field of view. It was a classic brown and white…like a brown and white chocolate themed piece of clothing, perfectly fitting the fall atmosphere and weather. It honestly looked great on Aotsuki-san. She's always a beauty, but with a different atmosphere from before, she was more cute than always.

Weird, this isn't even the first time I see her in her own clothes like that. We both weren't wearing our uniforms during summer break after all. But…it feels like Aotsuki-san put a lot of effort into her coordination today…

"…Good morning."

"M-Morning, Aotsuki-san."

I was called out to, and realized that I must have been staring at her like crazy, so I forced out an awkward response.

"…Did you wait long?" "Nah, just got here."

What the heck? That was exactly like the conversation in the light novel. This is like we're actually on a date. If this was a light novel, the protagonist would praise the heroine with a 'Your clothes are really cute'. And even if it isn't, there were many times where I praised Gami with 'Your clothes look good today' or 'You really got good sense, Gami', so that her mood would be at a high from the start. When dealing with a girl like Gami, it's easy and recommended to touch the topic of clothes, but what if it was someone like Aotsuki-san…?

Depending on the person, it could sound like actual sexual harassment, and that could only worsen her mood. Yeah, I probably shouldn't say anything unnecessary. Don't wanna poke a hornet's nest.

"…What are you spacing out for? Let's go." "Ah, yeah."

After being shaken around inside the train for thirty minutes, we arrived at a specialized store for textile arts.

"Wow~ This is my first time coming to a store like this. So many textiles~"

There were those with average patterns, even flowers or stars, some a bit on the soft side, others more rough, it was a different object wherever I turned.

"So, what are we doing about the costume for the mermaid? Sounds pretty tough if you ask me."

"For the lower part, we'll just use a skirt with a mermaid-esque design to cover it up…For the top part…wearing a swimsuit would be too embarrassing, so maybe a camisole would work better?" Aotsuki-san explained, as she went through the rows of textiles.

She had a blue one with lamé design and laces in her hand…It looked like it would be perfect for that.

"Huh, I see. This is pretty interesting, though I doubt I can actually play with this kind of knowledge."

"...…" Aotsuki-san looked up at me for some reason. "So…because it's a camisole, it still shows a lot of skin, and the mermaid skirt just…shows a lot of body lines regarding my waist or …b-butt…you know." She was fidgeting, taking glances at me.

"Ahh, so they're embarrassing after all? But, everybody's wearing a camisole in the summer, so I doubt it's that big of a deal? If you take a long skirt, you can reveal your knees and further up as well. Should be fine."

I tried to reassure her with a smile, but the way she was constantly glancing at me told me that something was off. Even now, she was staring at me.

"So…between these two, which is better?" Aotsuki-san asked, showing me two types of fabric.

"Hmmm, that's a tough question. I really feel like this one here looks like scales, perfect for a mermaid, but I doubt it's easy to make out on stage. This one here is the opposite, it looks sparkly and clear in view, but I don't think it's fitting for the kind of play we're doing…"

"…I didn't ask for that kind of view."

Hm? Why does she sound annoyed? When it comes to girls, there's only a good or bad mood. Perfect example is Gami. I want a quicksave function. Crap, what kind of answer is the right one here? Since she doesn't want to hear that…Maybe she wants my opinion completely disregarding the play?

"Um…are you asking me which would look better on you?"

"..." Aotsuki-san started blushing, and desperately tried to make up an excuse. "I-It's definitely not like I want your attention or anything! … Definitely not, but if you seem so disinterested, it hurts my pride as a

woman!"

"Eh…I wasn't disinterested or anything, I just think that everything would look good on you…"

"…Hmm? I see."

"What are you staring at me for? You're scaring me."

"You're always calm and collected towards everyone, huh…You even called Mikagami-san a beauty before…"

I wonder why, but it oddly feels like she's blaming me about something. If I don't follow up with something, I might just get her angry.

"I mean, I'm not being polite or anything. I do think that you're really beautiful, and your clothes today look great on you. Really cute."

Crap, I went with the flow and blurted out everything I swore to keep quiet at the beginning of the date.

"..."Aotsuki-san's cheeks reddened up again. "W-Why are you saying it now…You kept quiet when we met…"

"...…"

Understanding what her blushing face and atmosphere meant, it was clear what the problem was.

"…So, were you waiting for me to say it?" "As if I was."

Because she gave an immediate answer, I felt the urge to tease her about it. "…But, you were actually waiting, right?"

"Shut up. Nobody would wait for you."

"That surely is subjective." "Shut up, shut up."

"Just because of your different clothes, the air around you is like never. Especially today…your clothes during the summer break weren't as extravagant and charming...Ah."

"Eh?"

"…So the reason you moved the day for our shopping trip to Sunday is because you wanted to buy clothes just for the occasion?"

"!"

On Friday, Aotsuki-san said that she wanted to go shopping on Sunday instead of the initial Saturday. Maybe she wanted to buy some proper clothes because she hasn't gone out like this with anybody in a long time…?

"A-As if I would do that! I've worn these clothes so many times before!" "But, the prize tag is still on them."

"Eh, you're kidding! I-I was sure I removed it…" "Yup, I was kidding."

"...…"

Aotsuki-san's eyes grew wet with embarrassment, and her cheeks turned crimson red.

"Whatever, you idiot." She averted her face, but her ears were still red.

…Ahh, she really is so cute. It felt like this really was a date, but I quickly removed that idea from my head, but because I needed to do that, I only grew more conscious of it, so I yet again was forced to think about light novels to keep my thoughts under control.

Why does it feel like I'm walking in circles? Am I some hamster in a hamster wheel?

"Glad we bought a lot of fabric and clothes, right." "Not wrong, but…isn't that heavy for you?"

Of course, we shared the load of everything we bought, but I definitely was carrying more. I mean, looking at Aotsuki-san's slender arms, I felt worried and guilty if I had her carry the same amount as me.

"Totally fine. What about you? Can you handle it?"

"I-I'm fine. I couldn't let you carry any more than that…" She opened and closed her mouth, seeming like she wanted to say something.

"Something wrong?"

"So, um…that, you know…I want to say it…but I can't…" "That?"

I wonder. What words would she say in such a situation? Maybe 'thank you', or something like that? But, even if she can't be honest most of the time, I feel like even she would be able to say that…She's staring at me, so I think that she wants to get it across with her gaze alone, but it's not really working…

"—Hey, will you give it a rest already!"

I twitched in shock because of the aggressiveness in this voice, but it definitely didn't come from Aotsuki-san. It came from further down the road. However, I recognized the voice.

"Is that…Gami?"

Because of the full streets, I could only tell now, but Gami was standing in front of a cafe, a bit further away from us. Together with her was a woman, who seemed to be in her twenties, and she was just as beautiful.

"Doesn't look that good."

"Hey…maybe we shouldn't be watching them like this…?" "No, but…"

Isn't this my chance to grab a weakness of hers? Not like I'd try to threaten her or anything. I just want some information on the unparalleled existence at the top of the food chain at school. It might be an ace in the hole later down the line. Even now, I'm in a different position as someone who helps

Aotsuki-san, so I want more possibilities.

"…Like I said! I won't accept someone like you! Stop being so annoying!" "Um…I'm sorry, Masuzu-chan, but I really want to get along with you." "And I'm telling you to stop being so pesty!"

What kind of relationship do these two have? Judging from their age, they don't seem to be friends? But, they don't feel like family either. When we observed them from afar, Gami happened to spot us after a while.

"…!? Yafune and…Aotsuki Mifuyuu!?"

Since we were seen like that, we saw no other choice but to approach Gami. I tried my best to keep a natural atmosphere.

"Yo, what's up."

"Why are you two here!?"

"We're out shopping for the culture festival, nothing more." "So…you saw that just now?"

"Ah, yeah. Pure coincidence. Though we couldn't hear what you were talking about."

"~~~!"

I didn't think I was saying anything bad or embarrassing, but Gami's face turned beet red. Rather than pure embarrassment, it was as if she was plagued by regret that she had been seen.

"Ahh, today is the worst! I'm going home!" Gami ran away, leaving behind me and Aotsuki-san, as well the unfamiliar woman.

Maybe that was a bad move after all. I should probably send her a message later.

"Um…are you Yafune-kun?"

The first one to speak up was the woman who called Gami 'Masuzu-chan' just a few seconds ago.

"Eh? Ah, yes, that's correct…"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I heard your name before from Masuzu-chan…" "Is that so…Um, who might you be…?"

"Ah, excuse my rudeness. My name is Mikagami Shizuku." "Mikagami? So you are Ga—Masuzu-san's older sister?" "Yes, that is correct."

Really now…But, despite them being related… "We don't look alike, do we."

Despite neither me nor Aotsuki-san having said anything, she commented these words herself. I guess she must have heard this a lot. Whereas Gami was a beauty with a sharp glare in her eyes, Shizuku-san seemed more the healing type of Onee-san, and definitely cute. The atmosphere she's giving off is cozy, so I can't see them growing up under the same roof at all.

"Just talking while standing isn't the most favorable…so how about I treat you to some tea to make up for that girl's rude reaction?"

"Oh no, I can't have you pay for something like that." Aotsuki-san said that. However, Shizuku-san kept her gentle smile, and continued.

"Fufu, don't be like that. I simply want to talk with Masuzu-chan's classmates, is all…So, please?"

In the end, we entered a nearby cafe. Shizuku-san must have guessed that we were both pretty tense, which is why she first talked about recent TV shows, or popular stores around here.

"The crepe they are selling near here is so delicious, and full of fruits…Ah but, as a boy, you might not be too interested in something sweet like that?"

"Not at all, I love sweet desserts."

"Is that so? I'm not too sure about a man's taste, you see."

"Don't say that, I bet you must be popular with boys, Shizuku-san."

I mean, she's comfortable to have around, and has big breasts. I'm sure that she must be constantly swarmed by boys, but she betrayed my assumptions with a flustered answer.

"I…never dated a man before…"

Eh? So then, she actually is a vir—No, nevermind. Forget about that. I wasn't imagining anything. Also, I didn't say that out loud, did I? I wonder if Aotsuki-san is giving me this stare of contempt again.

"So, we were talking about this crepe store, right? What kind of types do they have? Please tell me more." With a gentle smile, I switched the topic.

Our conversation continued for a bit longer, when Shizuku-san asked. "How is Masuzu-chan at school? How do you feel about her, you two?" Well, it makes sense for the older sister to be interested in that. However,

telling her that 'Your younger sister is the queen of the class, and reigns over

everyone' is not exactly an option here. I should just make up something random with a smile.

"U-Um…I do believe that Mikagami-san is like the queen of the class, reigning over everyone."

Aotsuki-saaaan! You're being too honest here! Since she was blushing innocently like that, I figure she was too nervous to carefully choose her words. Since she rarely talks to people outside class, dealing with 'a classmate's older sister' and 'a beautiful older person', her brain must be in overdrive right about now.

"Ahahaha, that just shows how much dignity she has. Has she always been like this?" I tried to avoid the awkward mood, and switched the topic.

"Ah, I'm sorry…I don't really know about that sort of stuff?" "Eh?"

Aren't you sisters—is what I thought, when Shizuku-san showed a wry smile. "I'm sorry, but Masuzu-chan and I aren't related by blood."

"Eh, so wait…"

"It's a bit of a heavy story…would you hear me out?"

"Eh…I mean, are you sure telling us about that? I feel like it's quite the private matter…"

"I won't force it onto you, of course. I was just quite surprised to see you accept Masuzu-chan's attitude quite normally. I can't blame you for thinking of her as a queen or an absolute ruler. But, how do I say it…there are things you can't understand without knowing the background, right?"

"Meaning?"

"Well…" Shizuku-san seemed like she was desperately trying to search for the right words, and put one finger on her chin as she thought. "For

example…there are people who end up late on another person's important events, such as a birthday party or marriage ceremony, right. Then, everybody would call them a 'cruel person'. However, after they learn that this person helped an elderly who collapsed as they were on the way to the party, they'd be called a 'kind person', right? That being said, if the person who was late stayed quiet about this reason, thinking that 'Late is late, no excuse', then nobody will know, and they will think of them as cruel. This is just an example, but…in this world, a lot of these incidents can happen."

Since Shizuku-san talked in a very serious tone, both Aotsuki-san and I could only listen in silence.

"And, Masuzu-chan is the kind of person who never reveals something about herself. That's why, what I'm about to tell you is probably something you will never hear from the person in question. Of course, it would be best for the person herself to do so. But, she is living within a contradiction of 'We can't get along if they don't know the circumstances' and yet 'By not getting along, they can't know the circumstances', see."

I get what she's trying to say. An example would be Aotsuki-san. If people talked with her, they would know that she's actually very kind, but in order to understand this kindness, they need to talk to her. Since Aotsuki-san is excluding herself, they get the wrong idea that she's scary and cold.

"It's not an easy story. That's why, if you don't want to hear about it, I won't tell you. However, I don't want you to think of her as a bad person. Even if we aren't related, as her older sister…I wish that she's understood for who she truly is. I know that this is just my ego speaking." Shizuku-san tightly grasped her hand in front of her chest.

"U-Um, I want to…hear about it. I'm curious as to why Mikagami-san is always acting like that." Aotsuki-san answered Shizuku-san's determination.

"…Then, I'll tell you. As I told you before, me and Masuzu-chan aren't related by blood. We became sisters because of our parents' remarriage."

"…I had no idea."