Epilogue
“Ah, my friends, what beautiful weather we’re having today! Yep, yep, it’s a truly magnificent morning!” I declared.
“Annoying,” Hatsumi muttered.
“It’s literally completely cloudy outside,” Mana pointed out.
“Who gave Shiori drugs?” Hatsumi scoffed.
They could say whatever they wanted!
I was in an exceptionally good mood right now. Because Masato-san and I… Hehehe.
“She’s so annoying when she’s this hyped up,” Hatsumi grumbled.
“And you got to do some hanky-panky with that prince of yours, right? Isn’t that just way too unfair?” Mana chimed in.
“Ah~, are you jealous~? Well, I suppose so… Oh boy, haha, I’m really sorry about that…” I gloated.
“Can I just punch her?” Mana asked.
Mana was asking the other two for permission while popping a vein in anger, but I didn’t care at all.
In the face of an overwhelming victor, the ramblings of the defeated are of no concern whatsoever to me.
“But it’s not like you guys actually started dating, right?”
“Guh,” I choked.
Miaki coldly shot me down, cutting right through my euphoria.
True, it wasn’t like Masato-san and I were dating. We might have engaged in some intense this-and-that which usually happens after people start dating, but we weren’t actually going out.
“B-But, look, we’ve practically established a fait accompli…” I stammered.
“You didn’t even go all the way, so what fait accompli are you talking about?” Hatsumi retorted.
“Guh.”
Well, it couldn’t be helped!! I didn’t even know how to do it in the first place!!
“Thank goodness~. If Shiori actually lost her virginity, I think I would’ve dropped dead on the spot,” Mana said with a sigh of relief.
“Same here,” Hatsumi agreed.
“Man, I really wish I made you drop dead~~~!” I wailed.
Putting these rude folks aside for a moment…
It was currently winter break. Since we had the chance, we decided to get together once before school started in the new year, so our usual group was hanging out at the food court.
Poking at the takoyaki we bought, our casual chatting continued.
“Well, I’m glad for you though. Watching you agonize over it so endlessly was getting annoying,” Mana admitted.
“She’s still annoying now, but at least this feels more like the usual Shiori,” Hatsumi added.
“Is that supposed to be a compliment~? Well, anyway, sorry for causing you guys so much trouble…” I replied.
Mana and Hatsumi both have this tendency where they can’t communicate without spitting a little poison. Still, they were genuinely worried about me, so I made sure to express my thanks properly.
After all, they had listened to all my venting.
“So, does this mean you’ll introduce him to us, then?” Mana asked with a grin.
“Wait, can we?! Is it okay if I get a taste of your prince?!” Hatsumi piled on.
“Of course not!” I snapped.
Laughing, “Whoa, she’s triggered~ lol,” the two of them scattered like baby spiders. It seemed they were going to go buy some drinks.
That just left me and Miaki.
“Thank you too, Miaki,” I told her softly.
“Don’t mention it. But this isn’t over yet, right?” she replied.
“That’s true!”
I had already told everyone the situation. Things had gone well with Masato-san, but I ended up pushing him to make a firm resolution. And from here on out, Masato-san would likely be deciding who he was going to take as his girlfriend.
“If anything, isn’t the real struggle just beginning?” Miaki pointed out.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
I had conveyed my feelings to Masato-san and made him see me as a member of the opposite sex, as a girl. I had accomplished that goal, but in doing so, it erased my previous advantage of being the ‘easy to talk to’ girl.
From this point forward, I was in the exact same boat as Igarashi-senpai, Yuka-sensei, and the others aiming for Masato-san. I had to face them in a fair and square showdown.
‘Struggle’ was an understatement. My opponents were simply way too strong.
“With your previous dynamic, you could have probably stayed by his side until graduation at least… Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked.
“…Miaki, you’re asking that even though you already know the answer.”
“I suppose.”
Her question almost felt like an attempt to make me say the answer out loud for my own sake. That was probably Miaki’s own way of encouraging me.
Very well, then! I shall declare it here and now!
“I don’t care! It’s a head-on battle from here out. If I lose, then that’s that! I’m gonna give it my all to complete the Masato-sama route!” I proclaimed.
I struck a pose and pointed my finger.
Seeing that, Miaki smiled.
“Ew~, she’s trying to look cool, that’s so cringe~,” Mana teased upon returning.
“It doesn’t suit you, Shiori,” Hatsumi agreed.
“Alright, I’m going to violently shake up those sodas for you, so hand ’em over, okay?☆” I threatened playfully.
I chased off the two who had returned at some point.
…I might not look very cool.
But, I was fine with that.
I was going to make Masato-san fall in love with me just the way I was!