LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 20 - Hope
Carrying a bag containing a game console and software, and having purchased fresh cream as well, the two left the shopping mall.
In the average comfortable weather for May, Haruya and Akiba were walking towards the station.
“May is almost over, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s surprising. Two months have already passed since we started school. When June comes, by mid-July, it’ll already be summer vacation, right?”
“Yeah. I hope I can…um…spend time with Haruya during summer vacation.”
“Let’s go to the beach.”
“Yeah!”
“Summer is coming soon.”
“Summer is coming soon.”
The two gazed up at the sky, sharing the same thoughts about the upcoming season.
The May sky is blue. But with Akiba by his side, and Haruya by her side, it doesn’t feel lonely.
Light, thin clouds are slowly drifting across the blue sky.
By the time summer arrives, perhaps towering cumulus clouds will float in the sky.
What kind of relationship Haruya and Akiba will have as they walk under the summer sky…no one knows yet.
Haruya’s house is located in a very typical residential area.
“I’m home~”
“Excuse the intrusion…”
When Haruya and Akiba entered the house, a bullet came flying as usual.
“Game! Big brother! Akiba-chan!”
“Always game first, huh…”
Slightly exasperated, Haruya handed over the bag containing the game console and software.
Hikari took it with sparkling eyes.
“Make sure to follow the rules set by mom and dad.”
“I got it! Thank you, big brother!”
“You’re welcome.”
Looking at the genuinely grateful Hikari, Haruya felt glad that he had bought the game for him.
“Well, some of the money was from Akiba…or rather, Akiba’s sister.”
As Haruya was thinking this, he looked at Akiba, who was waving her hand in a dismissive manner.
As the two took off their shoes and entered the living-dining area, their mother was cooking in the kitchen.
Haruya put the fresh cream they had bought in the refrigerator.
“I’ll put away the fresh cream.”
“Thank you. I’m making beef stew tonight.”
“Oh, that’s unusually fancy.”
As Haruya peered into the pot, the beef stew full of large chunks of meat was spreading a delicious aroma.
A baguette was also cut and placed on the counter.
It was still a bit early for dinner, but Haruya was already feeling hungry.
“I got a good deal on some nice meat. Akiba-chan, feel free to eat if you’d like.”
“Really? Can I?”
“Of course. Your father’s not here today, and we’re just the three of us, so it’d be nice to have dinner together.”
“Thank you very much…!”
“I was worried about what I would do if I had to face her parents suddenly, but seeing only her mother, whom I’ve met before, I might still be able to stay calm…maybe.”
Today, Haruya and Hikari’s father is on a business trip and not at home.
For Akiba right now, that might be just right.
“Can we play games until dinner is ready?”
“That’s fine. But come right away when I call you.”
“Okay! Big brother, Akiba-chan, let’s play a game!”
“Then…shall we go to my room?”
“What!? Going to Haruya’s room all of a sudden…!?”
“Go go! Let’s go! Akiba-chan, let’s go!”
Being pulled by Hikari, Akiba started to go up the stairs.
As Haruya was about to follow her, his mother, who was cutting vegetables, called out to him.
“Haruya.”
“What’s up?”
His mother stopped her hands and looked at Haruya’s face with a solemn expression.
But in an instant, her expression turned into a mischievous smile.
“Good luck.”
“Ugh… annoying…”
With a roll of his eyes at his mother, Haruya went upstairs.
Upon entering his room, Akiba and Hikari were sitting cutely on the floor.
“I’m glad I’ve been keeping my room clean…! But the fact that Akiba is in this room is too strange if I think about it…!”
“So this is Haruya’s room…! It’s so neat…! So Haruya lives here…”
“I’ll go get some snacks and juice!”
As Haruya crossed paths with Hikari, who was clattering out of the room, Haruya began setting up the game console he had taken out of the box by connecting the cables to the monitor in his room where he usually plays games.
“We have exactly three controllers, so we can all play.”
“Yeah. It’s a good thing they had a campaign.”
“It was lucky. The controllers alone cost quite a bit.”
“True.”
While they converse calmly, their hearts are beating wildly.
It’s only natural that they would feel something when they are alone in a room, even if it’s temporary and they are aware of each other.
“Alright, the setup is complete.”
Haruya turned on the power to the monitor and confirmed that there were no issues with the operation.
Then, he sat down next to Akiba.
“Something about Akiba today seems a little different… I feel like she’s cuter than usual…”
“Akiba, has anything changed recently?”
“Huh!? N-no, nothing at all!?”
“I see. I just felt that your atmosphere was a bit different today.”
“Is that so? Ahaha…”
“I can’t just act as usual once I’m aware that I like him…!”
Akiba was also trying to act as usual as much as possible.
Whether in terms of speech or attitude, her efforts should have kept her mostly unchanged.
But the man who noticed her subtle changes was Haruya Natsukawa.
“Was there something strange about me today…?”
“No, nothing strange. It’s just, you seem…um…cuter than usual today.”
Hikari, who had already obtained snacks and juice and had been watching through a gap in the door, murmured.
Seeing both of them become silent with red faces, and judging that nothing more interesting was likely to happen, Hikari entered the room as if she had just arrived.
“I’ve brought snacks and juice! Let’s start the gaming tournament!”
“Oh~ let’s do this~”
“I’m looking forward to it~”
As the two tried to act more composed in front of Hikari, the first “Mushroom Kart Hikari Cup” had commenced.