Is It Tough Being A Friend? Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part4

It was now the next day. A new week began and it was Monday.

As if what occurred at the train station never happened, I continued telling Ryuuga the three sizes of the school's girls like usual.

“Hey, Ichirou. s.h.i.+ori is really just a friend.”

Ryuuga was still trying to make such explanations, but that doesn't really matter.

That scene back then where I was screaming and running away was to fulfill my duty.

That's all it is──a new mission.

Once school ended, I took Ryuuga, who was being sour, to the dojo. The purpose was to peek at Aogasaki Rei changing her clothes.

Such events are essential in the “daily life parts.” Ryuuga would get tired out if it were only just battles. It's necessary for him to have some proper relaxation.

Now, the target this time is Aogasaki, but…she's a swordswoman character and the only heroine that's a third-year student.

She's the tall, attentive, and dignified type of beauty. Her tone of voice and personality are also quite nice. However, she's a heroine/candidate equipped with a certain component of a woman that places her at a cut above the rest, “huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s.” They're voluptuous even when peeking at her from behind, where her ponytail and her nape are visible, quite the force to be reckoned with.

As an aside, Aogasaki is not part of the kendo club. She only comes to the dojo and practices whenever the club doesn't meet, like before and today.

She said her reason was something along the lines of “It wouldn't be fair for me to partic.i.p.ate in students' kendo” but…in reality, it's for the same reason as why Ryuuga is part of the go-home club.

Aogasaki is also a “companion character” that fights alongside Ryuuga. One time, I saw her cut a rampaging dump truck right in half. I pretended not to see it.

“Hey Ichirou, we really should stop. Doing things like this isn't good.”

“Don't chicken out after coming this far. Beyond this window lies a paradise you've only ever seen in your dreams up until now. It's the El Dorado.”

The locker room was next to the dojo. Creeping up to the window from the outside of the school building, Ryuuga and I crouched while being on alert. As expected, the one who appeared after the curtains opened was Aogasaki.

Then we quietly peeked through the window…Since this is the daily life part, there has to some thrilling developments. It's the duty of the friend to produce them. This is what it means to live up to your reputation as a pervert character.

“A, alright, let's go Ryuga. Don't let this slip by. Carve what you see into your mind.”

“…Jeez.”

As opposed to me, who was getting bloodshot eyes, I felt that Ryuuga was in extremely low spirits.

Well, it's not uncommon for a protagonist to have a low libido. It'd be troubling if he was panting in excitement along with me. The amount of dignity this guy is putting on is just about right.

“Sneaking, sneaking…”

I erased all signs of my presence and carefully peeked into the window with caution.

Sure enough, Aogasaki's defenseless back and pale skin were exposed. She had already put on her uniform's skirt, but her bra on the upper-half of her body was still visible.

──Now, it's time to do my “real duty.”

Take a gander. This is my craftsmans.h.i.+p. This is my talent as a friend character.

“A, a, achoo!”

I made a grand sneeze right then and there.

I let it out at full volume as if it were natural, I had been practicing since last night.

Aogasaki quickly looks this way. While covering her chest with the blouse of her uniform, she reaches for a nearby wooden sword.

“Ah! Not good! We got caught!”

Needless to say, this is actually good. It's all going according to the plan.

Lewd offenses often end as just attempts. Then afterwards, the perpetrator gets rewarded with a punch──that's the basic gist of these kinds of episodes.

“Y, y, you people…you scoundrels!”

Aogasaki, who's always calm, gets teary-eyed in shame and in fury.

She's blus.h.i.+ng, her shoulders are trembling, and while I'm talking about it, her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s are also jiggling around. Nice reaction.

She's like those stubborn characters where in a cliched development, they become defenseless against lewd things. She seems to have realized this gap moe. Perhaps this is the wisdom of an uppercla.s.sman? (TLN: Gap moe is when a character acts contradictory to their usual behavior and it's seen as cute)

However, Aogasaki, I must criticize you on one point.

Drop the bra. j.a.panese-style characters like you are supposed wrap themselves with a saras.h.i.+. (TLN: )

“Peeking in on a woman changing is inexcusable! Let me mend your ways!”

“Eek! Make a run for it, Ryuga!”

Thus, the plan proceeds without a hitch, and we immediately get ready to flee. Alright. Now chase after us, Aogasaki. All while showing your lively bouncing chest!

The very moment we try to break into a sprint, something zipped right beside me and pierced into a tree ahead of us.

It was the wooden sword, Aogasaki threw it. What would you do if that had killed me, Aogasaki?

“Do you think you can escape from me?!”

An angry roar suddenly came out from behind, and the back of my neck was forcefully grabbed.

Naturally, it was Aogasaki. She rushed out from the window using her superhuman running strength, and then succeeded in grabbing me within the blink of an eye. She had also caught Ryuuga already using her other hand.

…After a few seconds, Ryuuga and I were kneeling side-by-side. This is where we were about to receive judgement.

“Now then, you people. Have any excuses?”

Aogasaki glared like a shark. For some reason, she was only glaring at me.

“…None.”

“Alright. In that case, choose your fate. Slas.h.i.+ng, stabbing, beaten to death, or getting strangled. Which do you prefer?”

“Seduction, if possible.”

“Still speaking impudently, are you! You…per…vert…!”

Aogasaki starts to forcefully strangle my neck. I want to shoot ectoplasm out of my mouth, but unfortunately I don't have such an unusual ability.

Suddenly, a glimpse of Aogasaki's bra could be seen from her blouse. It seems that in her anger, she forgot to b.u.t.ton up the upper-half of it.

(Not good)

I immediately averted my eyes away from her chest.

The only one who gets to directly look at a heroine/candidate's underwear is the protagonist. It's forbidden for me to look.

No matter what idea you follow, it won't work out perfectly…that's the fate of a friend character.

“Kobayas.h.i.+! I suppose you lured Ryuuga into this!”

“Hey! Not true! Really!”

It's true. However, if I don't do this, Ryuuga won't get a “fan service scene.”

Again, Ryuuga's libido is low. Harem protagonists are often dense herbivores, but Ryuuga is a particularly remarkable case of this.

“Lies! There's no way Ryuuga would propose to peep!”

“It's the truth! Ryuuga brought it up to me! ‘We really should stop. Doing things like this isn't good,' is how I replied! And then he told me about it being El Dorado!

Thereupon, Ryuuga muttered “it's actually the opposite…”

Thank you for the retort, Ryuuga. Indeed, you're not someone that would propose to peep on another.

“Kobayas.h.i.+. Any last words?”

“U, um…when I'm kneeling like this, I can probably see your panties.”

“Die!”

“I was only alerting you!”

Before the finis.h.i.+ng blow can knock me out, I drop down. The one in the supporting role doesn't need to suffer any more than this.

Just pretending to have fainted was my intention, but Aogasaki was being serious.

Bam, bam! Two blows strike my head, I begin to see stars, and then I lost my consciousness at that moment.

Just before that happened, my eyes met with Ryuuga's. He glared at me with a look that had a bit of displeasure.

I suppose he's angry that I pinned the blame on him. Or perhaps he's angry that I saw Aogasaki's bra.

Don't worry. It was practically out of my field of vision. I wouldn't make such a blunder.

So Ryuuga…stop beating me up alongside Aogasaki.

That second blow was you, wasn't it?

About an hour has pa.s.sed.

When I woke up, I was in my bed at home.

It seems that Ryuuga brought me here. My head still throbs and aches, but as expected of battle experts…they skillfully avoided any vital points.

(It's good that I had told Ryuuga about the keys hidden inside the flowerpot at the garden)

As an aside, similar to the situation at Ryuuga's house, my parents both work and rarely come home.

Even so, I can't cook like Ryuuga can, mostly because I don't feel like doing it. Getting meals from the convenience store day and night is fine for me.

“Phew. I did a good job once again today.”

For the time being, I got out of my bed while speaking to myself.

The value of this episode was definitely worth the effort. Despite Yukimiya having made an honest mistake back there, the outcome of this time was superb.

(I wonder if Ryuga enjoyed himself. I thought it was pretty fun at least.)

With a foolish friend involved, the daily life part has to at least be amusing. Especially when the main storyline contains tense supernatural battles.

In that sense, the duty I'm tasked with is a heavy one. This definitely isn't something that would be entrusted to other people.

(I wonder what Ryuga's doing right about now…perhaps he's fighting peculiarities right now without the time to even do homework.)

Well, if need be, I can tutor him. I don't have much motivation when it comes to things for myself, but if it's for the sake of the leading actor, I'm confident that I can handle whatever support is needed.

…While thinking about such things, I then received a message from my cell phone.

Upon checking, it was from Ryuuga.

‘Are you awake? Cool your head down, and I mean that in two ways! Also, don't forget to do your homework!'

As expected, he's a protagonist I can depend on when it comes to being good with retorts.