119話 親友エンカウント
河川敷
去年は......同じ高校に受験しようって話で盛り上がったっけ。
俺の学力ではけっこう厳しめの偏差値を誇る高校だったけど、二人に喰らいつくために必死に夏休みから受験勉強したっけな。
「今年は、どんな話になるのやら」
なんて軽口を叩いてみて、重くのしかかった何かを胸から吐き出す。
例年とは違い、楽しみという感情は湧いてこない。
緊張とはまた異なる興奮にも似た感覚を引きずりながら、高鳴る心臓を抑え、川沿いの道を歩く。
「集合場所まで......あとすこし、だ......」
約束の場所は、会場から少しだけ離れたコンビニの駐車場だ。
そこで一旦集まってから、屋台へと繰り出し、最後は河川敷の階段で腰を落ち着けて花火観賞をする。これが俺達にとって恒例の流れとなっている。
集合場所であるコンビニまで、家の立地方面的に一度屋台通りを俺は歩かなければならない。
そんなわけで夕闇迫る夏空の下、人で賑わう屋台通りを一人でテクテクと歩を進めているのだけど。
「............」
すごく見られる。
道行くいろんな人々に。
「ねぇー! ママ! あの女の子すっごく可愛いー!」
「あたしも、あの子と同じ浴衣が欲しい!」
「こらっ、静かにしなさい。おねえちゃんが困っているでしょう」
なんてはしゃぐ微笑ましい子供たちもいれば。
「おい、今の女子、見た?」
「まだ少しちっこいけど、かなりの美形だったよな」
「外人さんだよね」
「銀髪で浴衣とか反則だろ。やばいよアレは......」
「芸能人かよ」
「いや、それ以上だろ」
なんて高校生ぐらいの男子たちが、ヒソヒソと通りすぎた後に
ふぅ、やれやれだぜ。
まったく、もって――――。
とっても恥ずかしい!
内心で強がって、どこ吹く風を装うにも限界があった。
だから自然と、目を合わせないように俯きがちな歩き方になってしまう。
早くチョコバナナが食べたいとか、かき氷をシャクシャクしたいとか、じゃがバタでホクホク、ラムネでシュワっとしたいとか、何だか今年はわたあめ? 四角い袋のようなモノを持ち歩く人々が多いなー、とか。俺もわたあめ買おうかなとか、そんな事をひたすら考えながらやり過ごした。
「よし、ついたぞ」
そしてついに、集合場所のコンビニへと到着。
「ふぅー......すぅー......はぁぁぁああ」
深呼吸をしつつも、チラッと周りを
っち、パリピめ。
こっちは一世一代の大勝負を控えているというのに、とんだ浮かれ具合だ。
と内心でディスってはみても、男性陣の方はヤッフゥー! しているでもなく、どちらかと言ったら女性陣のテンションが高めな気がした。
っち、モテ男の余裕ですか。
冷静でクールなイケメン共ですか。
そのグループは女子三人男子二人の合計五人で、コンビニ前にて立ち話をしているようだった。リア充オーラ満載なことだ。
ったく、こちとら男三人でこれから花火大会だっていうのに、少しはあやかりたいもんだ。
まぁ、でも。
こっちも大事な友達にカミングアウトする重大イベントが控えてるわけだし。
それを乗り越えさえすれば、スッキリ気分で今年もきっといい花火が見れそうだ......二人なら、うん......大丈夫なはず!
そんな親友たちへの期待や、自分の覚悟、色々な思いは――
リア充たちの中に顔見知りがいたと気付いた瞬間、粉々に砕け散り、消え失せた。
五人グループのうち、男子二人は......長身で眼鏡イケメンと魅力的な笑顔イケメンの、
俺の大好きな茜ちゃんは薄いピンク色の浴衣を見事に着こなし、周辺に建つ屋台の明りにぼんやりと照らし出されていた。その可憐さに脳天をガツンと叩かれた錯覚に陥る。
「なにが、どうなって、あの五人が......?」
そんなぶしつけな視線に気づいたのだろうか。
彼女と目が合ってしまった。
「あれ? もしかして学校で会った、シスターちゃん?」
キョトンと、俺を見ながら確かにそう言った。
彼女が見ている方向、こちらへゆっくりと視線を流し、止めた。
二人は俺を見て......。
ジーッと俺を眺め、次に茜ちゃんへと視線を移し、また俺を観察。
「は? えっ......?」
「じんた......んん? えーっと......」
二人は口を開き、そして閉じた。
その後、目をごしごしとこすり、夢でも見ているのでは? と自分のほっぺをつねっていた。親友たちの動きがシンクロしている。二人の表情も同様に、唖然、疑念、確認ときて、そして再び疑念に戻り、
二人の顔も俺の内心も。
まずいまずいまずい。
二人にカミングアウトしないと!
と、あの場で自己申告しなければならない。
今! このタイミングで! しかも直接、面と向かって言うなんて! 親友たちへのカミングアウトと同時にソレをやってのける!?
「ごめんね、みんな! それに、こっちから誘ったのに宮ノ内さんもごめん。今日は一緒に花火を見てる場合じゃないかも」
すぐに早口で謝る
だけど、俺の脚は止まらない。一刻も早く、この場から立ち去るためには、全力疾走しかない。浴衣だと走りづらいので、膝元までまくしあげる。見てくれなんて構っていられない。
「え、どうしたの朝比奈くん?」
「ちょっと、どこにいくのー? 花火始まっちゃうよ!?」
「んん、仏くんは?」
名前も知らぬ女子二人と、茜ちゃんの戸惑う様子が見なくても手に取るようにわかった。それでもスピードを一切
121 119 Stories Best Friend Encount
The annual fireworks festival takes place in the riverbed.
Last year...... I was thrilled to talk about taking the same high school.
I was in high school with such a tough deviation in my academic performance, but you desperately studied for exams from the summer vacation to get eaten by both of us.
"What are we talking about this year?"
What a light slap and spit something out of my chest that was heavy.
Unlike the usual years, the sentiment of pleasure does not spring up.
Reduce the rattling heart and walk down the path along the river, dragging a feeling that is also similar to the excitement that is different from the tension.
"Until the rendezvous point... and then..."
The promised location is a convenience store parking just a short distance from the venue.
So once we get together, we roll out to the stall, and at the end of the day, we settle down on the riverbed stairs to watch the fireworks. This has become the norm for us.
I have to walk down the street once in terms of the location of the house to the convenience store, which is the meeting point.
That's why I'm on my own tech walk down a bustling street of people under a summer sky with darkness looming.
............
It looks amazing.
to all sorts of people on the road.
"Hey! Mom, that girl is so cute!
"Me too, I want the same yukata as that kid!
"Come on, be quiet. You must be in trouble."
What a shabby smiley bunch of kids some of them are.
"Hey, girl now, did you see that?
"It's still a little tiny, but it was pretty beautiful."
"You're an outsider, right?"
"You have silver hair, yukata, that's against the rules. Oh, my God, I..."
You're an entertainer.
"No, it's more than that."
What high school boys whisper after going too far with hissocks.
Huh, boy.
Not at all, not at all...
So embarrassing!
Strengthened inside, there were limits to pretending to be wind blowing anywhere.
So naturally, it becomes a leaning walk away from the eye.
Do you want chocolate bananas soon, shake up the shake ice, or do you want to shuffle with butterflies, lamb, or something this year? A lot of people carry things like square bags, etc. I spent a lot of time thinking about buying me some too.
"All right, here we go."
Finally, we arrive at the convenience store at the rendezvous point.
"Phew... sooo... ahhh"
Take a deep breath and peek around.
Eh, parippi.
This one says he's holding off a generation of big fights, but he's floating around.
and even though dis on the inside, yahoo for the men! I didn't, and when I said one thing or the other, I felt the tension in the women was high.
Eh, can you afford a hot guy?
Are you both cool and handsome?
The group had a total of five women and two men, who seemed to be standing in front of the convenience store. It's a rear-filled aura.
Damn, the three of us are going to have a fireworks show, but I want to give it a little credit.
Well, but.
We're also holding off on major events that are cumming out to important friends.
As long as we get over that, I feel refreshed and I'm sure we'll see some good fireworks this year...... if we're both, yeah...... we should be fine!
The expectations of those best friends, my readiness, all sorts of thoughts...
The moment I realized there was a facial acquaintance among the rear chargers, I smashed it to pieces and disappeared.
Of the group of five, the two boys were... long, good-looking glasses and attractive smiling good-looking, shaking nights (Koya) and evening glow (Yuki)...
My favorite Xi wore a light pink yukata beautifully and was blurred out by the lights of the stalls built around her. I fall into the illusion of brain-weather being slapped with a gut by its pity.
"What happened, those five...?
Have you noticed such a bumpy gaze?
I got eyes on her.
"Is that it? Maybe we met at school, Sister?
Kyoton and I did say that looking at me.
I slowly glanced this way in the direction she was looking at and stopped.
You two look at me...
Jeez, he looks at me, then he shifts his gaze to See-chan, and he observes me again.
"What? What...?
"Hindi...... hmm? Erm..."
The two opened their mouths and closed.
Then you rub your eyes in a mess, even in your dreams? and I was connecting my own cheek. My best friends' movements are synchronized. The two expressions were similarly bewildered, suspicious, confirmed, and returned again to suspicion, stunned (just in time), at exactly the same pace, something was already messed up.
Both of my faces and my insides.
Not good, not good.
We need to cum out to both of you!
And I have to declare myself on that occasion.
Now! At this time! And I can't believe I said it directly, face to face! Do the sole at the same time as the cumming out to my best friends!?
"Sorry, guys! Besides, I invited you from over here, and I'm sorry about Mr. Miyano. Maybe not if we're watching the fireworks together today."
I can hear Evening Fai apologizing quickly.
But my legs don't stop. As soon as possible, in order to get away from this scene, the only thing left to do is to walk as fast as possible. Yukata makes it difficult to run, so I give it to the knee. I don't care if you look at me.
"What's wrong, Asahina-kun?
"Hey, where are you going? The fireworks will start!?
"Mmm, where's Buddha?
I figured it out so that I wouldn't have to see the confusion between the two girls whose names I didn't even know and Sy. Still keep running to leave the vicinity of the convenience store without slowing down any speed.
I Became a Beautiful Girl, but I’m still an MMO Junkie
美少女になったけど、ネトゲ廃人やってます。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-became-a-beautiful-girl-but-im-still-an-mmo-junkie/
Adventure Comedy Fantasy Gender Bender Mystery Psychological Shoujo Ai
Accelerated Growth Adapted to Manga Age Regression Alchemy Appearance Changes Appearance Different from Actual Age Beautiful Female Lead Chuunibyou Curious Protagonist Cute Protagonist Demi-Humans Disabilities Doting Older Siblings Fairies Famous Protagonist Fast Learner Friendship Loli Male to Female Misunderstandings MMORPG Multiple POV Mysterious Illness Older Love Interests Overprotective Siblings Past Plays a Big Role Past Trauma Pill Concocting Popular Love Interests Race Change Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0170db/
星屑ぽんぽん