第30話 バカップルの詮索
「......氷室さん、だよな?」
「......氷室さん、だと思う」
千昭と日菜美は互いに目を合わせ、視線の先に映る光景をまだ信じられないといった反応をした。
しかし、何度か瞬きをした後にようやく現実だと認めたらしい。
「朝陽くーん? どーして氷室さんがここに居るのかなー?」
「朝陽さーん? 氷室さんとはどういうご関係で?」
日菜美は今日一で明るい満面の笑みを、千昭はウザったらしいニヤニヤをそれぞれ浮かべて口を開いた。
詰め寄って来る二人に無言の圧力を送るも、効果はほとんどないに等しい。
次から次へと飛び交う質問は見当違いも甚だしいが、中には核心をつく内容も交じっていて無表情を保つのが難しい。
この際、冬華が隣に住んでいることがバレてしまうのは仕方がないとして、問題は、一から百を妄想する恋愛脳二人の詮索をどう避けるかだ。
(こうなるから知られたくなかったんだよ......)
チラリ、と冬華に視線を向けると、薄っすらと見えるビニール袋の中身はレトルトやお惣菜の類ではなく、野菜を中心にカラフルな色合いが見て取れた。
昨夜の忠告を素直に聞き入れ、自炊をしようとする努力を確認できたのは嬉しいが、今は残念ながら手放しで喜べる状況にない。
まさか、良かれと思って促したお節介がこんな形で自分の首を絞めることになるとはと、朝陽の口から思わずまた大きめのため息が漏れる。
理想的なのは、冬華がこちらを意に介せず無表情かつ無言で部屋に帰ることだ。
他人を拒絶し、心を閉ざしている氷の令嬢。その姿を千昭と日菜美に見せれば、二人が想像するような甘い関係は一切ないと手っ取り早く証明できる。
ただ、冬華は一向にその場から動く気配を見せない。
学年一の頭脳を持つ冬華なら、この状況でどう動くべきか容易に想像が付くはずだが、突然のことに動揺しているのか、ビニール袋片手にじっと立ち尽くしているままだ。
そして、学年一の恋愛脳を持つ少女はこの絶好の機会を逃さなかった。
「ねえねえ、氷室さんは朝陽と友達なの?」
「......えっ?」
冷たい風が吹き込む暗い廊下に響く、場違いな明るく弾んだ声。
日菜美からの突然の質問に、冬華は少し目を泳がせた後、答えを返すことなく俯いてしまった。
「日菜美、そこら辺にしとけ。明らかに困ってるだろ」
「えー、じゃあ朝陽が答えてよ!」
「......ただの隣人だよ。夏休みの終わりに引っ越して来ただけだ」
「何それつまんないよー! 実際どうなの......って、あれ?」
日菜美の暴走を止めるために当たり障りのない返事をすれば、バタン、と大きな音がして冬華が隣の部屋へと姿を消した。
ようやく冷静に状況を判断できたのか、その態度と後ろ姿は氷の令嬢そのもので、冬の寒さに増して朝陽は久々に冬華から冷たさを感じ取った。
「むぅー、もっと氷室さんとお話ししたかったのに。朝陽が邪魔したせいで帰っちゃったじゃん!」
「そもそもあっちは喋ってないだろ」
「そ、それはそうだけど、もう少しで話してくれそうだったもん! こうなったら、朝陽に色々聞きまくるんだから!」
「何でそうなるんだよ......」
最悪だ、そんな率直な感想が朝陽の頭に浮かんだ。
興味津々といった様子で目を輝かせる日菜美も大概だが、さっきからニヤニヤと憎たらしい笑みを浮かべて静観している千昭も油断ならない。
これから買い出しに行って、調理をして、食事をして、それからまた遊ぶと予定は詰まっている。
その間、バカップル二人の詮索を逃れ続けることができるのか、朝陽は不安でいっぱいだった。
「氷室さん、最近何か変わったと思わない?」
「俺もそう思う。少しだけ温かくなったっていうか」
「わかるー! 相変わらず孤高の人って感じだけど、前ほどではない気がするんだよね」
一人暮らし用の小さなダイニングテーブルに所狭しと並ぶチーズハンバーグを口に運びながら、千昭と日菜美が口にした言葉に朝陽はもう何度目か分からないため息をついた。
買い出し中と調理中に、耳にたこができるほど氷室さんという言葉を聞かされた。
腕によりをかけたチーズハンバーグを前にいただきますと手を合わせてからは、話題は朝陽への賞賛へと変わったものの、数分もすれば思い出したようにまた氷室さんなので頭が痛い。
「球技大会でブザービートを決められた時、思わず凄いねって声掛けたの。そしたらあなたもねって返って来てさ。しかもちょっと笑ってた気がするの!」
「マジか、そりゃ驚きだな。会話だけならまだしも、氷室さんが笑ったなんて聞いたことないぞ」
「周りも氷の令嬢がちょっと溶けてるなんて噂してたし、これはもしかしてと思うんだよね!」
「日菜美隊長、もしかしてといいますと?」
「ふっふっふ、よくぞ聞いてくれた千昭隊員。ズバリそれは......朝陽くん、君と氷室さんの恋愛関係だよ!」
どこかの探偵のように人差し指をビシッと立てる日菜美は、新しいおもちゃを買ってもらった子供さながら純粋無垢な瞳を輝かせ、小型犬のような愛嬌がある。
ただ、その目に映るおもちゃというのは他でもない朝陽なので可愛らしいなどとは全く思えなかった。
「根も葉もない話をするな。俺はともかく相手が迷惑だ」
「うっ......顔が怖いよ......」
「ったく、睨まれたくなかったら大人しく食事をしろ。せっかく作ったのに冷めたらもったいない」
「そうだね、こんな絶品料理はアツアツの状態で食べなきゃ」
「分かれば良し。ほら、俺のも少し分けてやる」
「わっ、朝陽やっさしー! 流石隠れ男前!」
隠れ男前というワードに疑問が浮かぶものの、とりあえず日菜美の暴走を止めることには成功した。
しかし、そこで追撃とばかりに口を開いた千昭の言葉に朝陽の心臓がドキリと跳ねる。
「根も葉も少しだけならあるぞ?」
「えっ、本当!?」
「......何だよ」
「氷室さんが少し変わったって噂が流れ始めたのが九月の過ぎ頃。丁度、朝陽の隣に引っ越して来た後だな」
「あれ、これはもしかして......?」
「ただの偶然だろ。もしかしねえよ」
氷の令嬢がちょっとだけ溶けているという噂は、朝陽も何度か耳にした。
会話がいくつか続いたとか、表情が変わったとかその程度のこと。
それでも、今までの冬華からは想像がつかない変化だったらしい。
球技大会への参加とMVPの受賞も含めて、再び学校で氷の令嬢の人気は白熱していた。
しかし、その変化が自分の影響などと自惚れるほど馬鹿ではない。
「あと一つ、これは俺の主観だけどな」
睨みを利かせつつ、きっぱりと否定したのをまるで気にせず、千昭が不敵な笑みを浮かべながら言葉を続ける。
「朝陽が氷室さんのことをただの隣人って言った時。氷室さん、多分寂しそうな顔してたぞ」
「あっ、そういえば確かに......。氷室さんが帰っちゃったのもその時だったし」
「だから、恋愛云々は冗談として何かあるんじゃないかなーと思ってね。まあ、無理には聞かんよ。詮索し過ぎるのは良くないからな」
引き際をちゃんとわきまえている千昭につられ、日菜美も溢れる好奇心を抑えて何度か頷いた。
その後は、本当に氷室さんの話を一切せずにごちそうさまと両手を合わせた。
せめてもの感謝の気持ちと洗い物は千昭と日菜美がやってくれるそうなので、朝陽は一人ソファーに寝転がって瞳を閉じる。
色々あったせいで心身ともに疲弊が激しく、気を抜くと眠ってしまいそうになる。そんなあやふやな意識の中で、朝陽は千昭の言葉を思い浮かべた。
――氷室さん、多分寂しそうな顔してたぞ。
ただの隣人、あの場ではそう答えるしかなかった。
それを冬華も分かっているはずだし、気にするような性格でもないはずだ。
ならば、どうして冬華は寂しいと一目で分かるような表情を浮かべたのか。
その答えを朝陽は持ち合わせていない。
(そもそも、俺と氷室の関係って何だ......?)
あの時、日菜美の質問は友達かどうかというものだった。
冬華とは一つ屋根の下で食事を共にし、勉強を一緒にしている。
ただ、友達と呼べる仲かと言われれば疑問が残る。
(あいつは......どう思ってるんだ......)
「お前らなあ......」
「安心しろ、水性マジックだからすぐに落ちる」
「私達が帰る時まで気づかないんだもん、笑い堪えるのに必死だったよ」
結局、一人では解答を導き出せない難問に残った全ての気力を持っていかれた朝陽は居眠りをしてしまったらしい。
何やら笑いをこらえている二人に起こされ、再びゲームに興じた後、いよいよ解散といったところで頬に描かれた三本ヒゲの存在を明かされればもう笑うしかない。
本当に、この二人には振り回されっぱなしだが、嫌な気持ちは全くしない。
そう再認識をすると、朝陽は千昭と日菜美の頭を軽く叩いて外に送り出した。
Ch 30
"...That's Himuro-san, right?"
"...I think so."
Chiaki and Hinami looked at each other and reacted as if they still couldn't believe what they were seeing.
However, after blinking a few times, they finally acknowledged that it was real.
"Asahi-kun~? Why is Himuro-san here~?"
"Asahi-san~? What exactly is your relationship with Himuro-san~?
Hinami opened her mouth with the brightest smile of today, and Chiaki too with an annoying grin on his face.
He sent silent pressure to the two who were closing in on him, but there was little to no effect.
It was difficult to keep a straight face while being bombarded by questions, and the questions were also quite hard to answer.
At this point, it couldn't be helped that they found out that Fuyuka lived next door, but the problem was how to avoid the prying eyes of these two who only thought about nothing but romance in their mind.
'This is why I didn't want them to know...'
When I glanced at Fuyuka, I could see that the contents of the plastic bag were not retort or prepared foods, but rather colorful vegetables.
I'm glad that she took my advice last night to cook for herself, but unfortunately I'm not in a position to be happy about it.
A sigh of relief escaped from Asahi's mouth as he realized that his meddling had ended up biting him in the back.
Ideally, Fuyuka would return to her room with a blank expression, paying no attention to them.
The closed-minded "Ice Lady" who rejected others. If she could show Chiaki and Hinami that appearance, it would quickly prove that they didn't have such a sweet relationship.
However, Fuyuka showed no sign of moving from her spot.
Fuyuka, who had one of the brightest minds in the school, should be able to easily decide what to do in this situation, but she was still standing there with a plastic bag in her hand, probably confused about the entire thing.
And the girl with the most romantic mind in the school didn't miss this opportunity.
"Hey, hey, Are you friends with Asahi?"
"...Eh?"
In a dark hallway with cold winds blowing in, a lively voice that was out-of-place spoke.
At Hinami's sudden question, Fuyuka's gaze wandered a bit and then she turned her head without answering.
"Hinami, just leave it there. You're clearly being a bother."
"Eh... Then you answer, Asahi!"
"...She's just a neighbor. She just moved in at the end of summer vacation."
"That's so boring-!  What actually is it- Eh?"
When I gave a bland reply to stop Hinami's outburst, there was a loud bang and Fuyuka disappeared into the next door.
As if she had finally been able to calmly assess the situation, her demeanor was that of the "Ice Lady" herself, and even more than the winter, Asahi could feel the coldness from Fuyuka for the first time in a long time.
"Boo- I wanted to talk more to Himuro-san but she left because Asahi interrupted me!"
"She didn't even talk to you in the first place."
"Yeah, that's true, but she was so close to telling me! Now that it comes to this, I'm gonna ask you a bunch of questions, Asahi!"
"How did it come to that?"
This was the worst, that was what Asahi thought.
Hinami was one thing, but you also could never let your guard down with Chiaki who had been watching for a while now with a grin on his face.
I have a full schedule, shopping, cooking, eating, and then playing again.
In that meantime, Asahi was filled with anxiety, wondering if he would be able to escape the interrogation of the lovebirds.
"Don't you think Himuro-san has changed lately?"
"I think so too! I feel that she became a lot more softer."
"I know what you mean! She still feels like a solitary person but not as much as before."
Asahi sighed for the umpteenth time at the words of Chiaki and Hinami as they took a bite of the cheese-hamburger steak lined up on the small dining table.
I heard the word "Himuro-san" so often while shopping and cooking that my ear hurts.
The topic of conversation changed to praise Asahi, but within a few minutes, it was "Himuro-san" all over again, which made his head hurt.
"When she scored the buzzer-beating at the ball game, I couldn't help but say to her, 'That's amazing.' She replied to me saying 'You, too.' and I think she also smiled a little."
"Seriously? That's a surprise. Having a conversation was one thing, but I've never heard of Himuro-san smiling before."
"People have been saying that the Ice Lady is melting a little bit, and I think this could be the cause!"
"Captain Hinami, please elaborate."
"Fufufu... you see, Recruit Chiaki. It's all about...... Asahi-kun and Himuro-san's romantic relationship!"
She seemed to possess the innocent eyes of a child who just bought a new toy.
However, the toy in her eyes was none other than Asahi, so he didn't think it was cute at all.
"Don't talk nonsense. Forget about me, but it will be a bother to her."
"Ugh... Your face is scary."
"Sheesh, if you don't want to be glared at, just behave and eat your food. It would be a shame if the food got cold after I cooked it."
"That's true, such an exquisite dish must be eaten hot."
"As long as you understand. Here, I'll share with you some of mine."
"Whoa, Asahi! So kind! You're a real hidden gem!"
Although the word "hidden gem" raised questions, for the time being, I succeeded in stopping Hinami's outburst.
But then Chiaki opened his mouth to give a follow-up attack, and Asahi's heart leapt.
"Well, there's some rumours."
"Eh, Really!?"
"...What is it?"
"It was around the end of September that rumours began to circulate that Himuro-san had changed a bit. It was right after she moved in next door to Asahi."
"Could this be...?"
"It's just a coincidence."
Asahi had also heard the rumor that the "Ice Lady" was melting a little bit.
A few conversations ensued, her expressions changed, but that was about it.
Still, it seemed it was a change that they could not imagine from the Fuyuka of the past.
The popularity of the "Ice Lady" was once again heating up in the school after her participation in the ball game and winning the MVP award.
However, I am not conceited enough to think that the change was due to me.
"One more thing, but this is just my guess."
Chiaki continued to speak with a fearless smile, as if he didn't care about being glared at.
"When Asahi said that she was just a neighbor. Himuro-san probably looked lonely."
"Ah, that's plausible... and that's also when Himuro-san left."
"So I was wondering if there's something to this whole thing. Well, I won't force you to answer. It's not good to pry too much, after all."
Following Chiaki's example of knowing when to back off, Hinami also nodded several times, suppressing her overflowing curiosity.
After that, they clasped their hands together and said, "Thank you for the food," without talking about "Himuro-san" at all.
Chiaki and Hinami washed the dishes as the least they could do, so Asahi lay down on the sofa alone and closed his eyes.
Due to all the things that had happened, he was so exhausted both physically and mentally that he felt as if he would fall asleep at any moment if he was not careful. In such a hazy state of consciousness, Asahi thought of Chiaki's words.
--Himuro-san probably looked lonely.
Just a neighbor, that was what I had to answer at that moment.
I'm sure Fuyuka understands this, and I'm sure she didn't really mind.
If that was the case, why did Fuyuka have a look on her face that showed she was lonely at a glance?
Asahi doesn't have an answer to that question.
'What's our relationship in the first place...?'
At that time, Hinami's question was whether they were friends or not.
Him and Fuyuka shared meals and studied together under one roof.
However, if you ask me if we can call ourselves friends, I do have my doubts.
'I wonder what she thought of us...?'
"You guys..."
"Don't worry, it's water-based, so it'll come right off."
"I was struggling to hold in my laughter because you didn't notice until we were leaving."
In the end, Asahi seemed to have dozed off as all his remaining energy was taken up by the difficult question that he could not figure out the answer to by himself.
After being woken up by the two who were trying to hold back their laughter, we played the game again, and just as we were about to dismiss, they couldn't help but laugh when they revealed the three mustaches on my cheeks.
Really, I'm constantly being pushed around by these two, but I don't feel bad about it.
After reaffirming this, Asahi lightly hit Chiaki and Hinami on the head and sent them outside.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔