NOVEL NEXT DramaCD, 4 - The increasing complications of the girls
DramaCD, Chapter 4: The increasing complications of the girls
Both: Ah, erm…!
Honoka: Wh-What is it, Your Highness Aoi? You may go first.
Aoi: N-no, you may go first, Miss Shikibu.
Honoka: Eh? But…
Honoka: Eh, how did it end up like this? How did I end up having tea with Her Highness Aoi in the tea shop?
Aoi: I wanted to save Mr Akagi, but I lost sight of him in all that commotion, and I ended up walking into this tea cafe with Miss Shikibu before I knew it. This may be a good opportunity however.
Honoka: I don’t really have many chances to talk with Her Highness Aoi in school. I think I should brace myself and ask about the relationship between her and Her Highness Aoi.
Aoi: Miss Shikibu has been with Mr Akagi quite often. What sort of relationship do they both have?
Both: E-erm…!
Honoka: Sorry, it happened again…
Aoi: No, I should be the one sorry here.
Waitress: May I ask if you have decided on your order?
Aoi: Ah, yes, milk tea with honey, please.
Honoka: I want Espresso, please.
Aoi: Ah, wait, please switch my milk tea to coffee, no sugar and no honey.
Honoka: I-I don’t want Espresso either. Please give me some milk cocoa.
Waitress: Understood. Please wait for a little while.
Aoi: How embarrassing for me to actually order such a childish thing…
Honoka: I completely lost here. Akagi definitely likes Her Highness Aoi’s girlish charms here.
Honoka: Erm! I’ll like to ask! What do you think about Akagi, Your Highness Aoi?
Aoi: Eh…!? Erm…!?
Honoka: You once dumped Akagi before, right? But you had a date with him during the holidays…
Aoi: D-date?
Honoka: Wo-woah…even as a girl, I find Her Highness Aoi cute when her cheeks are flushed red like that! I guess Akagi likes a girl he inadvertently feels like protecting after all, right?
Aoi: Which date is she talking about? The theme park was because it was Hikaru’s request, and I could not go to the art gallery in the end…
Aoi: You too, Miss Shikibu. You are often with Mr Akagi. Are both of you on good terms?
Honoka: Eh? Are you talking about me?
Aoi: Miss Shikibu’s slowly starting to blush too. They are both very close after all, I suppose?
Honoka: It may look like we’re on very good terms. But to me, I never thought of giving Akagi the benefit of the doubt, and even kicked him and got him angry. I confessed, telling him I ‘like’ him, yet I backtracked and said that I don’t.
Honoka: I-I’m just an ordinary classmate of Akagi’s…
Aoi: But you joined the Japanese Dance club, with Mr Akagi?
Honoka: Eh…that’s…to put it…I’ll be worried if I leave him alone as he is! Anyway, what about yourself, Your Highness Aoi? You’ve been on good terms with Akagi recently. Akagi’s been kind to you, and even concerned about you. He did say that he likes you before…
Aoi: But Mr Akagi is definitely concerned about me because he is Hikaru’s friend. It is not that he likes me…
Honoka: Why is Her Highness Aoi so unhappy about this? Akagi likes her like this, and keeps protecting her. I haven’t reached that level of intimacy. That’s too despicable of him.
Honoka: I see, so that’s how it is. I’ve been finding it strange, you don’t really match well with Akagi, Your Highness Aoi. Akagi’s a clumsy guy with a crude mouth, away frowning and scowling, never able to grasp a girl’s heart. There’s so way he should be approaching you…
Aoi: That is not the case! Mr Akagi is a nice man! A wonderful man!
Honoka: Eh?
Aoi: When we were at the theme park, he was extremely gentlemanly, and held my hand to calm me down!
Honoka: Held hands?
Aoi: With a blushing face, he handed me flowers, and put a necklace on me!
Honoka: Put a necklace!?
Aoi: When I was about to break down into tears, he even embraced me gently in his clutches!
Honoka: Embraced n his clutches!!?
Aoi: H-he really is very earnest with me, taking Hikaru’s place.
Honoka: He-he embraced Her Highness Aoi in his clutches!? That Akagi!!?
“This necklace with a diamond is a present for you. I’ll put it on you.”
“Mr Akagi~!”
“It matches very well with the white tender skin of yours.”
“I-it is embarrassing. Uu, I cried out carlessly”
“Aoi.”
“Mr Akagi?”
“Aoi, I’m the only one who can make you cry. I’m also the only one who can wipe your tears away.”
“Mr Akagi~!”
Honoka: “NOOOO!!! There’s no way that kind of Akagi exists! If it’s this Highness Aoi however, maybe it actually happened like that!! This girlish Highness Aoi is completely different from me who’s always there to give advice!”
Aoi: “Th-that is why I say, Mr Akagi is a very, marvelous person. You are mistaken about Mr Akagi, Miss Shikibu!”
Honoka: I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I—I’m not mistaken about him! I know a lot of good points about Akagi!
Aoi: Eh?
Honoka: Akagi’s always working hard, is straightforward, and is someone worth relying on. When he got involved with you, Your Highness Aoi, Akagi had been groveling to me, asking for advice. He also worked very hard when it was about Miss Kanai, and he was desperate for Shiiko’s happiness!! Akagi has a savage face, and is called a delinquent, but he’s a really, really wonderful guy. I say this with certainly as the one who agreed to give him advice.
Aoi: Discuss?…Did Mr Akagi ask you for advice, Miss Shikibu?
Honoka: Eh, isn’t that the case? ‘Be my Heliotrope’, ‘good to have you around’, ‘you’re a good person’, ‘really reliable’, ‘thanks’, he has been saying all these stuff to me every day!
Honoka: “Woah~ why do I feel competitive against Her Highness Aoi? No matter which situation he was, he was only discussing it with me hoping for advice, and said them when he’s working hard for other girls. Isn’t this proof that Akagi doesn’t think of me as a girl?”
Aoi: “I never knew about this. I thought Mr Akagi is firm-willed and capable, and never would ask others for help”
“What’s the matter, Akagi? You look like you’re suffering.”
“Shikibu.”
“A-ah, Akagi, what’s this out of a sudden?”
“Sikibu, let me hug you for a little longer, stay in my arms like this…I feel like I can get an answer doing this.”
“Akagi…erm, okay, please think about it slowly. I’m your partner after all.”
“Thank you, Shikibu. You’re the only woman I can rely on. You’re the only once who can see my everything.”
Aoi: Mature. It feels very mature, and contrasting that, I have been protected by Mr Akagi all this time. I cannot ease Mr Akagi’s worries like Miss Shikibu.”
Waitress: “Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is your coffee, and here is your milk cocoa…(places drinks) Enjoy.”
Aoi: (Espresso. Mature women able to order such drinks so naturally are who Mr Akagi would rely on. For me, ordering normal coffee is the limit for me.)
Honoka: (Honey milk tea. Those cut enough to order this drink so naturally are definitely the ones Akagi would want to protect. It’s too late for me to copy this now.)
Aoi: Too bitter!
Honoka: Too sweet!
Both: (sighs)