There was a girl with red hair like a blazing flame.
Included with her burning, red short hair, she had red eyes filled with vigor and a strong will.
*Pyokon* from her head pops out a cute ahoge 1
But I understand she is a beauty who is not inferior to Nina.
She was about a head taller compared to Nina.
Is she a little older than the 16 year old Nina? She’s probably 18.
She wore something similar to Nina in order to conceal her appearance.
She wears a silver plate armor that doesn’t expose any skin like a knight.
Even though there is armor on top of her body I can still tell that her breasts have a magnificent size.
Of course I am not saying Nina’s are small but her’s seems to be one or two sizes larger.
In comparison to Nina, she gave more of a feeling of a mature woman, but now right in front of me she was surprised and completely stiff.
「Aira, I will introduce you kay? This is Yuuto, m-my important person.」
「How do you do, I am Yuuto.」
Aira, who was called out to, opened her eyes widely, shaking terribly and sends a look as if she saw something she can’t believe.
「Eh? Eh?」she floats a question mark above her head as she retreats in confusion.
「Aira?」
When Nina calls out to her, Aira finally starts to move suddenly.
「Ah, e-to, y-yes… how do you do, I am Aira.」
If I do say so, it may be rude, but the Aira that has completed her self-introduction has an unexpected gentle demeanor.
Thank god. It seems like we can get along without any problems.
This first meeting is a little tense but I am relieved the greetings ended without a problem.
「Hey, wai- hold on!? A g-guy? Do you see me and think of nothing? A-and your Nina’s important person, huh, eeh!?」
Or so I thought but there is no such event.
Yeah, well I thought there would be some sort of problem or another.
「Nina, since it may be a bit confusing if I were to tell the story, can you do it for me in my stead?」
「Th-that’s right, even if I were in Aira’s position I don’t think I’d believe it either… please wait for a bit, I will tell you myself.」
Nina says so and then steps forward.
I will be quiet until Nina is done explaining.
So, Aira who had heard everything up till here abruptly stares over in my direction intently.
「You, are called Yuuto, right? What is your goal?」
Just as I thought, or should I say as expected, she doesn’t seem to believe it.
Nina started to talk in order to explain it, but I make a signal to her with my eyes saying leave it to me.
「Certainly, I do have a goal.」
「Fuuhn! As expected! What is it? Money? Or is it equipment?」
Her lonely looking face shows an expression that says,「That’s, right huh…」
Aira turns away as her eyes start to moisten with sadness.
She wipes the tears from her eyes and sniffles in displeasure.
Since I said that.
「My goal is to act lovey-dovey2 with people like Nina and Aira.」
「……Ha?」
After stopping for quite awhile, she released a befuddled voice.
Did she imagine it? Her face dyed red little by little. *Piku piku*, the subtly twitching smile on her lips was impressive.
「Eh, Eeeh? Then even if you approach me, you will be fine?」
Aira’s recovery was quick.
And then in order to provoke me, she brings her face closer.
Then I draw near without any reservations.
Wow, long eyelashes and a good smell… what is that? It’s a slight fruity smell.
「—–eh? Eh, you’re alright…?」
She trembled clearly and presses me for an answer.
「Rather, I have a better proposal.」
I brought my face close with a jerk.
When we become aware it, we were already at the distance where our breaths reached each other.
It’s just a little, but if I were to approach her more, we would be able to kiss.
「Eh… Ah, umm…」
Our gazes linger.
She lets me see her innocent reaction as she goes “awawawa”.
She floats an expression of a little maiden falling in love and *po-* stares in my direction with feverish, upturned eyes.
「Aira, as it is, we will end up kissing.」
「If-if you think you can do it, I’d like to see you try.」
Aira who tries to act brave gives off the feeling of 「S-seriously? Is he really going to do it?」.
Her red eyes moisten in anticipation and her tense heartbeat ticks away with a *tokun tokun*.
Since she gave permission then I will do it freely.
「Well then——」
「!! As-as I thought I can’t- eeh!!」
Aira, whose whole body has become bright red, stopped me.
*Haahaa* while she puts her breath in order, I am pierced with a feeling stronger than earlier.
「Y-you, what do you want! If you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t just simply give in!」
Everything is the truth though.
But, well, that is the normal reaction.
It’s extremely regrettable but she can’t trust a guy she just suddenly met.
…As I thought, Nina seemed easy.
Nina excelled at seeing through people.
On top of that, Aira is the type of person who has trouble sensing subtleties.
Therefore, she has become frightened.
Mentioning that point alone, it would be fine to say she is more scared of my actions rather than Nina.
「A-Aira, calm down.」
「Nina too! W-why do you have confidence in this man!」
I know Aira’s feelings but I don’t understand.
It’s natural. Because I don’t have a past like theirs, where they were continually being abused by their surrounding being called ugly.
Knowing and understanding are different.
Since I only just met Aira, I really can’t say I understand her.
But I think I would like to comprehend her.
Nina shares the same type of past as Aira, so she strongly understands the painful feelings Aira may have.
She tries to convince her, but maybe because she understood Aira’s feelings, she couldn’t say it so strongly.
In the first place, I don’t think Nina, who is timid in nature, can even say anything strongly.
If that’s the case, I’ll have her leave it to me.
「Aira, why don’t we start off as friends?」
「F-friends…?」
I wait for the moment where Aira is caught off-guard and I continue.
「If you say you can’t believe in me then, please learn more about me. I don’t care how many years it takes. I will continue to wait for you forever, but if you can believe in me and think about me from the bottom of your heart, at that time-」
「W-what…」
「Please go out with me.」
「G-go out, you say. Such- a thing…」
「Is it not allowed?」
I bow my head. Everything I have said up till now caused Aira to waver.
She is surely the same type of girl as Nina.
It’s just that Aira is a little scared.
She hides behind forceful words, but her true feelings are certainly different. I want to believe that.
「!! I-I won’t approve of you! I absolutely won’t approve of anything about you so-!」
Aira turns her back on me and rushes out leaving those words behind.
After we were left behind, silence circulated a little between me and Nina.
「I’m sorry, I couldn’t get her to recognize me yet.」
I felt a little apologetic, but it was probably inevitable and I will try to find a solution.
I don’t think we would be able to be on good terms all of a sudden.
It will take some time to slowly close the distance.
「S-such a thing! Please don’t be sorry! Umm… Aira, please don’t be mad at her actions, okay? Aira is just a little scared like I was, it’s just a little bit of nervousness, because I think she surely wants to become friends with Yuuto.」
「I understand. I will try my best because I also want to be on friendly terms with that person, by the way…」
「? What is it?」
「No, umm」
*Pyoko*
What do I do? How should I say this?
From the window『I see an ahoge』
*Pyoko pyoko*
There is a red ahoge shaking like a dog’s tail, that I immediately understood as Aira eavesdropping.
Don’t cover your head and leave your bottom exposed3. The person who did up to here frankly didn’t think about it.
It’s on the exact opposite side of Nina, so she didn’t notice.
「Fumu…」
「Yuuto?」
I tried thinking for a bit.
I can probably use this unexpected situation.
If I think of a way to get on better terms with Aira so suddenly, it’s impossible. Thus, if I try to compromise with her, she will probably be vigilant. Her guard is tough.
If that’s the case I will pretend not to notice her observation and flirt with Nina.
I will show her just how well me and Nina get along on a daily basis.
It is still our first meeting, but if it’s with Nina, I have the confidence to go all day long.
If『that girl』was here, then she would probably make this easier, but since she isn’t right now, I won’t speak of such luxuries.
I prepare myself, and in order to fire myself up, I lightly clenched both my hands.
