I started dating a cute girlfriend I met during my eighth grade days when we reunited in high school. - Chapter 22

Translator: AJ1703

Editor: Matsu

(**Shinya’s POV**)

“Wait a minute, why do you have to do this match? Shinya shouldn’t be in it.”

“Can I go home now? I want to play social games…”

　Somehow, the outside world is noisy, but the bell has rung for the match. I’ll show them the power of the Knight of the Black Dragon.

“I’ll give you the lead. Go ahead.”

“I’ll go first. The food is delicious. Moreover, she is very attentive to adjusting the taste according to the eater’s preference. It’s a witch’s greatest skill.”

“I know what you mean! Have you tried Beni-Anesama’s homemade cookies? They are superb. I don’t really like sweets, but she went out of her way to make unsweetened cookies for me, even though I’m not fond of them.”

“Seriously? How nice. I want to try them.”

“Fufu, now I’m next. She’s cute because she’s not as cool as she seems.”

“Oh, I totally understand that. When we went to the aquarium, she acted cool, but when she saw the penguins, she was so excited. I’m actually taking some pictures.”

“Beni-Anesama is so cute!! And you have a big smile on your face. What a lovely girl.”

　And so the exchange continued for about ten minutes. We were both running out of material, but I felt a mysterious sense of solidarity between Zhu and me.

“Huh, you’re really good…”

“You too…”

　We praised each other as if we recognized each other as rivals and shook hands without thinking. She calls herself Beni’s Genus, so I understand she’s pretty tough.

“Fuaaaa~. Kill me… please kill me…”

“Oh, it’ll be easier to go around here if we use this organization. The system of self-destructing others is simply revolutionary.”

　I’m not sure why Beni is lying face down on the table when I look around. Okita seemed to be completely uninterested in the match and was doing his rounds of the social game.

“Beni, are you all right? Have you been cursed by the enemy?”

“Beni-Anesama, are you unwell? The curse… of Tiamat that I once received is still on me…”

“You two are actually close!! I’m not a fan of that kind of praise. I don’t know how to react when someone just compliments me in front of me like that!”

　As I was smiling at Beni, who was also embarrassed and angry, she glared at me. But she had a red face, so it wasn’t overpowering. I also made eye contact with Zhu, and her eyes also said, “Beni-Anesama is so cute.”

“Now you know how much I care about Beni…”

“Yes… I do understand the depths of your feelings for Beni-Anesama. However, I’m still not sure whether I fully trust you just yet, as I have seen you walking around with other women.”

“Wait a minute, Zhu-chan… I thought you promised not to say that… No, you see, Tanaka-san, it was Saito-san who was walking with Shinya. They’ve known each other since childhood, so that’s the reason why they sometimes walk together…”

“Yes, it’s okay, I know now. To make up for it, I visited his house… time stop…”

“You’ve definitely seen my stuff!!”

　Beni’s face turned red as she remembered what she had seen in my room. I’m ashamed of myself! And that was just borrowed from Anshinin…　

“Well then, let’s have you swear here that you will take good care of Beni-Anesama. And finally, you will kiss your vows.”

“Huh?”

“What are you talking about, Zhu…?”

　Zhu’s words flustered us. What is she saying about a kiss? That’s what couples do, right? I looked at Beni and our eyes met, but she immediately looked away. I couldn’t help but pay attention to her lips, which were bright red. Her lips were glossy and smooth, probably covered with lip balm.

“It’s a little too much of a joke.”

“You two have a contract, right? Then wouldn’t it be okay to at least kiss?”

“That’s true, but…”

　Beni looked at me for help. What is she going to do? I don’t think we can really kiss. It’s my first kiss… and I’m not sure if it’s Beni’s first kiss… Of course, I want to kiss Beni, but I only want to kiss her after I confess my love to her.

『Stop playing social games and listen, I’m going to pretend that Beni and I are going to kiss, and at the right time, you can say that it’s too early for middle schoolers or something and cover Zhu’s eyes.』

『Okay, if we’re going out, I think it’s okay to do it normally.』

　I whispered into Beni’s ear, making sure Okita nodded.

“For now, I’m going to act like I’m going to kiss you, and I want you to go along with it, but don’t worry, I won’t actually do it.”

“Eh? Yes, that would be nice…”

　Beni and I stare at each other. When I saw that Beni had closed her eyes, I gradually brought my lips closer to hers. I’m really starting to get excited. I really wish I could kiss her.

“That’s shameful!”

“Shinya, that’s dangerous.”

　Whoa, whoa, whoa, that was really dangerous!! Something came flying between me and Beni. There’s a fork stuck in the wall. If it actually hit me, I’d be in trouble. When I looked at Zhu, she was staring at me, breathing hard. She looks like she’s about to attack me. If Okita hadn’t been holding her back, she would have attacked me.

“What are you doing!? You’re the one who asked us to kiss!”

“What are you talking about, I asked you to kiss as a pledge, of course a knight kisses the back of his hand when he pledges allegiance! What are you going to do if you kiss her on the mouth and Beni-Anesama gets pregnant!?”

　Oh, that kind of kissing, I had completely misunderstood. I’m sure she wouldn’t force me to kiss her in a public place if I was thinking normally… No, wait. She said something that caught my attention.

“You can’t have a baby with a kiss…”

“That’s absurd, Beni-Anesama taught me that a long time ago. My middle school teacher told me something I didn’t understand, but I’ve forgotten all about it.”

“Oi… Beni.”

　Beni averts my gaze with a cold sweat. She’s telling me the truth…

“I can’t help it… I can’t properly explain it to elementary school kids. I don’t have Time Stop DVDs like you…”

“Forget about that please…”

　She finally started talking about DVDs… Well, if it’s just a kiss on the back of the hand… no, it’s still bad enough… While I was wondering what to do, Okita showed his phone to Zhu. She looked curiously at the phone, but then her face turned red and she glared at Okita.

“Suspicious person, you pervert!”

“Gohaa~…”

　Okita was gouged in the face by the red-faced Zhu. What did he show her? This guy… and Zhu went straight out of the cafe.

“Wait up, Zhu!! Shinya, take care of the physiologically unfit person who is collapsing.”

“Oh, okay. Are you alive?”

　I called out to Okita, who was holding his face. I looked at his fallen phone and found a website called “How to Make a Child” on it. What the…? Seriously, this guy. Did he just show this to a middle school student? Is he a hero or something?

“Well, there comes a time when a girl has to grow up.”

“You really are a pervert, aren’t you? But what was that girl all about in the end…?”

　Okita was trying to look cool, but what he was doing was sexual harassment. And with that, the battle with the witch’s genus is over. I realized that I hadn’t solved anything in the end. The reason why we are a couple in disguise is to make it easier for the class to cover up Beni’s otaku antics, so it doesn’t matter if Zhu and Okita find out about it…

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(**Beni’s POV**)

“How shameful, oh how shameful was that…”

“Well, that’s what adults do to make children, just as God once made man out of the earth.”

　I walked out of the cafe and caught up with Zhu, who smiled at me when I finally finished coaxing her.

“Does Beni-Anesama do that sort of thing with the Knight of the Black Dragon?”

“No, I don’t!!”

　If I had a boyfriend one day, I might do something like that, but I can’t think about that right now… I can’t even stop the time yet… But if Shinya really wanted to kiss me in a better atmosphere, I doubt I could have said no…

　I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I’m starting to feel embarrassed. I should probably think about something else right now. It’s bad enough for Zhu…

“It’s been a long time since Beni-Anesama and I have met like this.”

“Yes, I have missed you.”

　Zhu hugged me as if she was spoiling herself on me. Her breasts feel so soft! Feeling a little frustrated, I enjoyed the long-overdue reunion with my genus.

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Translator’s Afterword: I took up 2 new light novels before posting this. “How Could You Like Another Girl When You Already Have A Cute Fiancée Like Me?” and “She Was Actually My Stepsister. ~Recently, The Sense Of Distance Between Me And My New Stepbrother Is Incredibly Close~”. They’re both romance novels so I hope you guys give it a read too, thanks!