Episode 85: Preparing for the Family Meeting (2)

As evening fell, Mayo-nee and Hikari-san came back with dinner. Until they arrived, Endo and I had remained silent.

I was the one who’d done something so awful it made Endo-san wince. I’m not tough enough to chat casually after doing something like that, and Endo-san looked rather awkward too.

I found myself hoping that Mayo-nee and the others would spot the mark I’d left on her. Yet, at the same time, I was torn by conflicting emotions: whilst I wanted them to find it, I didn’t want to be asked about it.

By the time Endo-san returned from changing, the red mark I’d left was hidden by her clothes and no longer visible, and the parts that couldn’t be covered were concealed with concealer.

From my perspective, looking at Endo-san, it didn’t look like anyone would think she had a hickey.
　Is what I left on Endo-san something she wants to hide that badly?

No, that must be it.
It was something I left there on a whim.
It wasn’t something Endo-san asked for.

I just wanted to do something only I could do for her. I thought that if I did, it would satisfy some strange feeling inside me… I wanted Hikari-san to know about the mark I’d left.

　As I realise my feelings are one-sided, a sharp twinge of pain begins to pierce my chest.

‘Don’t you two seem a bit gloomy?’

　Whilst we were preparing to lay out the food Mayo-nee and the others had bought, Hikari-san spoke up. Neither of us said a word, and an even more tense atmosphere began to hang in the room.

“Let’s have a party! A party!”
“I’ll get the cups, chopsticks and plates ready. Takizawa, will you help?”

　At times like this, Hikari-san’s cheerfulness manages to shift the mood. As if in response, Endo-san returned to her usual self and spoke to us.

“Right then, we’ll get the food ready!”

　We left the room and went into the kitchen, where it was just Endo-san and me, and inevitably, silence fell again. If I don’t break this atmosphere, Mayo-nee and the others will start worrying again. This atmosphere was clearly created entirely because of me.

“Um… I’m sorry about earlier…”
“Earlier?”

　Was Endo-san playing dumb, or was she asking on purpose? She had a look on her face that said, ‘What are you talking about?’

“For doing that strange thing…”

　I’d just done what I wanted to do. However, I thought I ought to apologise in case it was something she found unpleasant.

“—Well then, I’ll forgive you if you let me put one on you too.”

　When I looked at Endo-san, she was smiling happily.
　I couldn’t read Endo-san’s intentions.
　She sometimes says and does things that make no sense.
　Perhaps she wants to get her own back and see me in a bind. That’s the only benefit I can think of for Endo-san putting one on me.

“No way…”

　Even though I knew I’d done something wrong, I had no intention of giving in to Endo’s demand.

“Well then, I won’t forgive you?”

　Even as she said that, her face was still beaming with delight. Does she really want to see me looking so annoyed that much?

“Why do you want to do it?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Pervert…”
“I don’t want to hear that, especially since Takizawa did it just now.”

My heart was pounding, as if pleading with me. Endo-san has never left a hickey on me before. Just hearing her say that for the first time made it hard to breathe.

It’s fine. She’s just going to do the same thing to me that I did to Endo-san earlier.

I undid just two buttons on my shirt.

“If you put it somewhere it can be see, I won’t forgive you…”

With that, Endo-san looked satisfied and pressed her lips against my collarbone. Where her lips touched, I felt a tingling pain, but the heat spread and gradually became pleasant.

　As Endo-san ran her finger over the mark he’d left, I tensed up.

‘We’re a matching pair, aren’t we?’
‘You can’t call this a matching pair.’

　Endo-san was saying something I couldn’t make head or tail of, so I replied in a decidedly low tone. However, paying no heed to that, Endo-san moved closer to me again, so I stopped her.

‘It’s over now.’

　As I said that and hurriedly buttoned up my shirt, her merciless words rained down on me.

‘Not yet. There’s one more thing you did, isn’t there?’

　Saying that, Endo-san wrapped her arm around the back of my head and pulled me closer. That ‘one more thing’ must be the time I bit her neck.

‘Takizawa, your cheeks are red… you’re so cute…’

　She whispered in my ear.
　I’m not cute. They’re not red at all.
　Even if they were red, there’s no way I’d be cute.

　Just as I was about to tell her to be quiet, a sharp pain shot through my ear. It hurt so much I tried to push Endo-san away, but her grip was surprisingly strong, and I couldn’t break free.

“I-it hurts…”

　Endo-san bit down with such force I thought my ear might be torn off. Even though it hurts, having Endo-san so close feels strangely comforting, and the pain has grown familiar to my ear, I find myself not wanting her to let go…

Realising that if this continues, I’ll be swallowed up by my own desires, I pinch her stomach and push Endo-san away with all my strength.

‘We agreed that this would make up for what happened earlier, so just act normally with me.’

I hurry to pick up the plates and cups and head back to the room. I’d forgotten the chopsticks, but I didn’t have it in me to go back for them.

　My ear feels hot… Endo-san’s body heat still lingers on my skin.

　But this, too, will fade soon.

　Even the pain that felt so intense just a moment ago is already beginning to fade.

　When did I become so greedy…?

　Even though Endo-san is just a friend and someone dear to me, I found myself wishing for more moments like this.