Chapter 30
“You two go in first.”
After parking the car, I told them that, and Miyuki looked back at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why?”
“There’s still plenty of time before first period, so I’m going to put in some of my volunteer hours.”
“That’s surprisingly admirable of you.”
I waved my hand as if shooing away a mosquito, and Miyuki giggled before walking off with Tetsuya.
I headed to the front gate and saw a security guard sweeping nearby with a long broom.
It was the same man who had been there when I came to clean the bathrooms over the weekend.
I approached him and asked,
“Mister, can I do that?”
“Huh...? Matsuda. Is this for your volunteer hours?”
“How did you know?”
“I saw it while tearing down an old poster on the bulletin board. You used to come clean the bathrooms on weekends during the previous semester, too... You’ve become quite diligent.”
“I’m making an effort.”
“Yes, if you have the will to change yourself, the people around you will eventually recognize your true worth and start approaching you.”
The security guard offered me the broom and continued,
“Just sweep the area around the front gate clean. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dragging the broom along, I went to the front gate, where
“Ah, hello, Matsuda-kun.”
A female classmate greeted me awkwardly, so I raised one corner of my mouth.
Looks like the pen set and notebook bribe I gave her yesterday worked.
“It’s ridiculously hot today, isn’t it?”
“Yeah... It is pretty hot...?”
“Give me that bag of bread you’re holding.”
“Huh...?”
“I’m telling you to hand it over. I’ll throw it away for you.”
“O-okay... Fine...”
The girl’s hand trembled as she held out the bag of bread to me.
I’d deliberately spoken like this because I wanted to hear her say something like, ‘Rough but kind...! So cool...!’ in the future.
But she was such a tenderhearted girl that she hadn’t taken it the right way.
I accepted the ketchup-stained bag and bared my teeth in a grin at her.
“Is it good?”
“.... Cough!”
The girl choked, perhaps because I’d frightened her.
I clicked my tongue and patted her on the back.
Pat! Pat!
“Kehk! Cough!”
I made it worse. I should just get back to cleaning.
I swept inward with the broom and glared at her.
“Go.”
“Yeah... Cough! I’m going...!”
She hurried away from me at a brisk pace.
I’ll buy you some milk at the school store later.
Don’t think too badly of me.
While I quietly cleared away the tiny bits of trash and leaves around the front gate,
“Oh? Matsuda, my junior!”
I heard Chinami’s refreshing voice.
Renka was beside her, looking at me with impassive eyes.
This was why I’d volunteered to clean the front gate.
I wanted to create some kind of connection with them.
My affection level was starting near rock bottom. Like when I’d tried to meet Miyuki over the weekend last semester, I had to do something to create a connection, didn’t I?
I performed the formal kendo bow that Chinami had briefly taught me yesterday.
I stood the broom upright against the gatepost and bent my upper body about thirty degrees from an attention stance, making both of their eyes widen.
Surprised because I can actually bow properly?
Of course you are.
After straightening my upper body again, I said,
“Hello, senpais.”
“I can’t say it was perfect, but it was obvious that you’d practiced hard. Well done, Matsuda, my junior!”
Chinami’s praise gave me a strange boost.
I grinned and gave her a slight bow.
“Thank you, Nanase-senpai.”
“But why are you sweeping the front gate? Are you trying to put in your volunteer hours?”
“Yes.”
“I see...! Work hard, and I’ll see you after all your classes!”
“Yes. Go on inside.”
Chinami waved brightly as she left.
You aren’t afraid of me at all, are you?
As a reward, I’ll give you a piggyback ride.
After asking Chinami’s permission, Renka spoke to me.
“The bogu you cleaned is in decent condition, but you didn’t clean the deeper parts of the kote properly. Since that’s the area most likely to smell, pay more attention to it than the others.”
Her tone wasn’t gentle enough to suggest a complete transformation, but it was definitely softer than yesterday.
If I continued showing her this side of me, I should be recognized as a full member soon.
“Yes.”
“Good work. See you during club activities.”
“Go on inside.”
I wanted to act cocky from the beginning and gradually train Renka, but her affection level was at the very bottom right now, so I held back.
After performing another obedient bow, I picked up the broom once the two of them went inside.
**
During the break after first period,
I was pressing my temples and trying to calm my head before it exploded when the girl who had been eating bread earlier came over and placed a piece of candy on my desk.
“H-here, eat this... Thanks for throwing away the bag for me earlier...”
She said that shyly, then scurried back to her seat.
I sat there dumbfounded for a moment, then opened the bag of candy she’d left behind.
She recognized my good deed.
She’d only been startled earlier, right?
Thanks, bread girl.
As I popped the apple-flavored candy into my mouth and rolled it around, Miyuki came over and asked,
“What’s that? Did Masako give you something?”
I guess that girl’s name was Masako.
Miyuki’s eyes had darkened so subtly that I might not have noticed if I hadn’t been watching closely.
Was she feeling jealous?
I pointed at my cheek, which bulged out from the candy.
“Candy.”
“Why did Masako give you candy, Matsuda-kun?”
“Something happened earlier.”
“What happened?”
“Why are you so curious about everything? If you want to know, lend me your ear.”
I beckoned Miyuki over. When she placed a hand on the desk and leaned her ear closer with a puzzled expression, I whispered in a tiny voice Tetsuya couldn’t hear,
“When I drive you home today, do you want to leave your bag behind?”
Miyuki’s head snapped toward me.
Her eyes slowly shifted to the side.
She must have been mindful of Tetsuya behind her.
After remaining like that for a while, Miyuki moved her lips.
From the shape of her mouth, she was saying, ‘Why?’
I scribbled on the open notebook with my pen, then tilted it slightly so Miyuki could see.
[There’s somewhere I want to go for fun.]
Miyuki’s face flushed when she saw it.
“Ahem...”
She cleared her throat and gave a small nod.
The corners of my mouth lifted when I got her agreement, so Miyuki let out an exaggerated, awkward laugh and returned to her seat.
She’s so awkward at expressing her emotions.
“Matsuda, did you make a dirty joke to Miyuki?”
That was Tetsuya, who had been watching Miyuki’s expression.
He really was an unbelievably clueless bastard.
I regretted ever empathizing with you.
Keep living like that.
“Something like that.”
“Miyuki doesn’t like things like that. Try to restrain yourself from now on.”
You keep building up your karma points. Aren’t you going to end up sobbing your eyes out?
Let’s find out together later whether Miyuki likes dirty jokes or not.
**
“Where are we going?”
After school, Miyuki left her bag at home and hurried back down.
I watched her buckle her seat belt in the passenger seat, then slowly lifted my foot from the brake and answered,
“An amusement park.”
“An amusement park...? Why all of a sudden...? At this hour?”
“Yeah.”
A little farther down the road from Miyuki’s neighborhood, there was a vacant lot with an old carousel standing alone in it.
It had been left behind when the amusement park that used to be there was closed, and the carousel would be dismantled once autumn arrived.
This event would show even more intense physical contact than before, along with a fan-service scene.
The increase in affection was an added bonus.
It was a limited-time event with all three benefits, so of course I had to take advantage of it right now.
Originally, Tetsuya was supposed to discover this place by chance while taking a walk with Miyuki, triggering the date event...
But it should be fine if I drove her here myself.
Why? Because this was the world of Dokiaka, where setups meant for me were scattered everywhere.
I was the protagonist, so naturally the event should occur.
“Are you planning to buy a night pass?”
“Be quiet. We’re here.”
“We’re here...? I can’t even see any rides...?”
Ignoring Miyuki, I parked the car in the vacant lot and opened the door.
Miyuki narrowed her brows and asked,
“What kind of amusement park is this...?”
“If it has a ride, it’s an amusement park. Look at that.”
Miyuki looked in the direction I pointed.
Her mouth fell slightly open when she spotted the carousel in the middle of the vacant lot.
“That’s a carousel...?”
“I found it while driving around alone the other day. Come on, let’s ride it.”
I gestured for her to get out quickly, and Miyuki let out a little laugh before grabbing her phone and getting out of the car.
“It seems like a good place to take pictures. If we do it before it gets dark, the atmosphere should be nice, too.”
She seemed to think it wasn’t working, but there were ways to make it work.
So come on, let’s go on a romantic date together.
I approached the carousel with Miyuki and said,
“Get on.”
“Wouldn’t that be illegal...? There must be an owner...”
“You really make life difficult.”
At my exasperated remark, Miyuki grinned and held out her phone to me.
“Hold this for a moment.”
I took the phone, then chuckled when Miyuki began hopping up and down in front of a white horse.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s too high. I can’t climb up... And there’s no step or anything...”
The event I remembered was unfolding exactly as it should.
Relieved, I walked behind Miyuki.
“I’ll help you.”
Then I reached out with both hands and grabbed her around the waist.
“Eek...!”
She turned around with a cry like a wildcat.
Her face had turned bright red in an instant and was filled with embarrassment.
“Matsuda-kun... Y-your hands...”
“Would turning my head away help?”
“That’s not the problem...”
“Stop acting like a child and hurry up.”
“.....”
She moved her lips as if she had something to say, but soon seemed to give up and placed both hands on the saddle.
Once I saw that, I put all my strength into lifting her up.
As I raised her, my hands came up to Miyuki’s chest, rolling up the front of her uniform with them and revealing her pale skin.
Miyuki’s slender waist viewed from right in front of me...
The deep hollow along her erector spinae was incredibly lewd.
And... I could faintly see the underwear Miyuki was wearing beneath her top.
A beige full-cup bra covering her large breasts.
The design was plain. I’d have to replace it with something sexier later.
“Matsuda-kun...! Use a little more strength...! Why are you so weak?”
Miyuki suddenly began whining.
She seemed entirely focused on climbing onto the saddle, whether or not she noticed me staring at her body.
I used the strength I’d been holding back while admiring Miyuki’s figure, hoisted her onto the carousel horse, then dusted off my hands and grumbled,
“You’re damn heavy.”
Miyuki, who had been fixing her clothes, looked flustered at that and suddenly snapped.
“W-who are you calling heavy...!”
I laughed off her adorable reaction, then ignored her outstretched hand asking for her phone and headed toward the control mechanism standing directly in front of the carousel.
I flashed Miyuki a mischievous grin, then kicked the mechanism as hard as I could while confusion filled her eyes.
KABOOM!
The mechanism made a deafening noise and tilted slightly to the side.
Miyuki was startled by my sudden action and scolded me.
“Matsuda-kun! What are you doing!!”
Then the carousel’s lights suddenly flicked on, and she clamped her mouth shut.
I looked at her and shrugged.
“Machines only listen when you hit them.”
“.... You’re unbelievable... If we get caught, we’ll be reported...”
“Stop being so uptight and let’s play for a little while before we leave.”
“O-okay...”
Whirrrrr...!
The carousel soon began moving slowly.
Miyuki’s face quickly brightened as she grabbed the pole beside her horse.
“It’s been so long... I think this is my first time riding one since elementary school. But isn’t there supposed to be music?”
She’s enjoying herself, but she’s still being snippy.
I snorted and climbed onto the carousel horse beside Miyuki, matching its rotating speed.
At that moment,
“W-whoa...?”
A flustered exclamation burst from Miyuki’s lips.
The carousel had suddenly sped up.
“M-Matsuda-kun...! Why is this thing going so fast...?”
I was surprised by the situation too.
‘This isn’t how it’s supposed to go...?’
The key to this event was riding the slowly moving horses, smiling at each other, and having a serious conversation...
But things had changed a little now.
Could I have kicked it too hard and caused an error?
And was that why a surprise event had occurred?
Considering that the existing events had proceeded without any trouble, that was the only explanation I could come up with.
“Matsuda-kun...! I think we should stop...? C-can I get off...?”
I came to my senses at Miyuki’s frantic question and quietly gauged the speed of the carousel.
It reached a steady speed and stopped getting faster.
At this speed, it was still slow enough to enjoy a date.
But Miyuki was gripping the pole with both hands and looking frightened.
If this continued, we’d end up seeing only the fan-service scene and nothing else... That would be a problem.
I quickly racked my brain over what to do, then decided to take control of the situation as I had during the previous bonus event.
“Are you scared?”
“A little... I’m scared...”
“Then hold this.”
I turned my palm upward and held it out toward Miyuki.
Miyuki flinched, then looked at me with her large eyes.
“.....”
After a short while, she swallowed hard, then reached out and placed her hand over my palm.
Our fingers folded together naturally.
I could feel Miyuki’s hand tightening around mine.
“It’s all right, isn’t it?”
After sitting quietly like that for a moment, I broke the silence in a gentle voice,
“.... Yeah...”
Miyuki answered in a tiny voice.
Perhaps because the carousel’s lights were bright, I could see her complexion clearly.
Her cheeks were as red as strawberries, making it obvious at a glance that her feelings for me had grown.
Right. Even when something unexpected happened, all I had to do was take the lead in the scene.
I’d done this kind of thing plenty of times before, hadn’t I?
The process might have gone slightly off track, but the result was the same or even better.
That was all that mattered.
And so we rode the carousel without saying a word, until the time limit ran out and the machine stopped—even though it never played any music.