Hikari Tachibana was lying in bed playing with her tablet when her mother knocked on the door and came in.
-What are you doing?
-Looking at sandals.
Hikari opens the mail order page of a major fashion website.
-Isn’t that where you bought them the other day?
-I need a lower heel.
-This is unusual. You always wear high heels. Do you want to be shorter?
-Something like that.
-Try not to waste so much money.
-Yes.
-Wait a minute…
Hikari scratches her head in embarrassment and looks at the screen of her tablet. It shows her e-book purchase history. There are several bulk purchases of shoujo manga series.
-I didn’t think you’d be so interested in that.
-It is a recent interest.
-It’s like I’ve gone back to a time when I was a teenager interested in love.
Hikari’s mother begins to laugh at such a discovery and continues speaking.
-Don’t worry, the company is doing well thanks to your father. You don’t need to worry about money. You are still a child, so you can afford to be more lenient.
-Mom, I’m not a kid anymore.
-I’ve learned to understand people’s feelings. So I can understand what you’re going through.
-They’re just manga.
-And how are things with Shun-kun?
-I usually talk to him a bit by message, and sometimes we have dinner together.
After these words, Hiraki frowned and continued.
-Although Shun-kun is very annoying at school.
-Why?
-Everyone thinks he’s my boyfriend.
-He just wants to push away all the people who have ulterior motives.
-I don’t want that.
-But you have to be nice to him. He’s your cousin.
-I know, but…
-I’m having dinner with his parents. You should come too.
-I’m busy with club activities.
-I see.
Hikari’s mother left the room after saying that.
At the same time, her cell phone started to vibrate. Shun sent her a message.
Hikari doesn’t open it and throws the phone away. Next, she lies down on the bed and grabs a receipt that was on her bedside table.
It’s from the coffee shop. The date is from when she was with Kirishima and he paid Tachibana and Hayasaka’s bill, but for some reason he didn’t want to keep the paper and gave it to Tachibana.
She then presses her face against the pillow.
He continues to press his face against the pillow and whispers
-President…
She mumbles as she shakes her feet.
-President, President, President, President, President, President, President, President, President.
After a while, Hikari lifts her head.
-I’m running out of oxygen.
