Chapter 6 : A change in Shiyori

—-PiPiPiPiPi…

“-!!”

“Hihauu!”

I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock ring. I usually wake up before it rings, but it seems that last night I fell asleep later than usual.

I unconsciously stared at the wall next door—and shook my head as if to drive away my drowsiness and sleepiness. Come to think of it, I heard a strange voice just now…?

—knock Knock

I hear some unfamiliar sounds.

The brain after just waking up wasn’t yet processing information quite well, and so, I didn’t actually know what it is.

Does this has to do something with the voice from――

—knock Knock

Again, the sound I heard from before came again. Only then did I realize that it was a knock. It took me a while to recognize because my door rarely gets knocked.

“Fwaai”

[TL notes: Yes~]

I answered with a stupid voice that I myself couldn’t understand because of being half asleep, and headed for the door with bumpy and dangerous step.

“Ah, umm…”

“—……eh?”

And then another silly voice came out of me again.

“Shi… yori…?”

[TL notes: Changing the name of fmc from Hiyori to Shiori.]

“Un!”

Unlike the usual, her long, lustrous black hair was instead let down and flowed back from her slender shoulders.

Her skirt, from where those legs were extending from was so short that her knees, even her knees were completely exposed, with her white and slender legs standing out with the combination of navy high socks.

While the ribbon peeking out from the tightly closed blouse collar, knitted from the summer school vest, still gave out the neat and clean image of the Shiyori she had before.

It was almost like the normal meetup I had with Philia-san when I met her off-line before.

My drowsiness was as if blown away in an instant. At the same time, I could feel her face getting red hot.

What does this all mean?

Why ‘this’ all of a sudden?

Although such thoughts come to mind, after I shift my attention to Shiyori again, who was shyly twisting in front of me, my thoughts were being overwritten by the desire to see more of her.

I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Perhaps the reason you are worried about your butt is because of it being seen due to the length of your skirt? Or perhaps, when you made that weird voice from earlier, actually you fell on your bett that time?

Nevertheless, I thought it was cute.

As my hands moved unconsciously――

“We’ll get late!”

Saying that, Shiyori went straight downstairs to the living room.

I was left with my hands stuck in the air in front of me like an idiot, alone…

When I finished getting dressed and went downstairs to the living room, coffee and toast were prepared on the table. Since Yaeko-san goes to work early in the morning, she basically prepares the breakfast for herself.

So, concluding those facts, this was definitely prepared by Shiyori herself. As for the person in question, she was making clattering noises while washing off the dishes in the kitchen.

I had a lot of things I wanted to ask, but since we were tight on time, I decided to be treated this once instead. She then mutters softly, “I’ll have a small one,” and drinks her toast down with coffee.

…I don’t know but, I felt like this all was just too sweet.

Why did this enormous amount of change happen to Shiyori right this morning?

As I chew my breakfast, I try to swallow the whole situation— her lashes seem really long, those lips look plump and soft, her shoulders were very thin, was all I could even think about Shiyori, the image I saw of her right before.

While complaining to myself about why I was constantly thinking about such things, I was also scratching my head in thought.

“Hey, your bed hair!”

“Eh?”

Before I was already aware of it, she had finished washing off her dishes, and had come to my side with a hairbrush and a sprayer in her hand. Well, I was aware of those bed-hairs due to constant scratching of my head from before.

“Ah, thank y—”

“Please sit down…!”

“-Sh-yo ri!?”

“Pl-Please face forward.”

Saying that, Shiyori immediately circled, sitting right behind me. With a whooshing sound, the brush slowly stroked my hair. Shiyori’s soft hand holding my head was strangely ticklish beyond help.

“I—it’s better if you can stay still there.”

“Y-“

I tried speaking out as a retort quickly, but it rather sounded like an excuse. I involuntarily tried to joke with, “You too,” — but couldn’t. Today’s Shiyori was a beautiful girl with a perfect appearance and nature following her.

It was a completely strange feeling.

It felt as if I was totally at the mercy of a profusely aggressive Shiyori. But for some reason, I felt comfortable and at home.

… but, since we were kind of spending our time quite carefreely, we were about to get late.

“Hurry up…!”

“Haa, haa…”

I scurry along the road to the station. When I glanced behind me, I saw Shiyori desperately trying to follow behind me.

…Even though she just made her hair neat just earlier, it was already all messed up. Such a meddlesome retort started flooding in my mind.

If it was just me, I could have just sprinted my way, and be able to make it into the gates in time.

But there was no option to leave Shiyori behind.

“…keep it up”

“Haa, haa… Un.”

All I could do was cheer and support her. That, on the contrary, had my throat getting frustrated and sore.

“Augh!”

“Shiyori!?”

Perhaps because she was in too much haste, Shiyori had her legs tangled up together. I was immediately able to grab hold of her hand and supported her body before she could fall.

Are you okay?

Are you hurt?

But before having that thought rush into me, I had the thoughts of so small and fragile bombarding in instead.

Her grasped wrist is thin enough to be tightly clenched with my full palm length, and also a little cold. The sensation transmitted through my palms made it appeal furthermore to the existence of the girl named Shiyori as someone delicate and fragile.

“Are you okay there?”

“Ah, thanks…”

“Let’s go then.”

“Un.”