Reading Thus

Thus

Ch. 2/3· p.198/597· @art_enthusiast· 植物

Chapter 2

1. Thus.

1. "Miu-chan, Chiaki, good morning!"

1. "Good morning, Eiko."

1. "Ow! Ow!" 2. "You'll startle me, Uta!"

1. "Help me, Miu-chan!"

1. Two weeks have passed since the mutual declaration of war between Miu Hanamura and Chiryo Himuro, and their first clash.

1. To determine the hierarchy between them over the woman they both love, Eiko Takamori, Miu and Chiryo have crossed a line from which there is no turning back. 2. Having reaffirmed each other's feelings for Eiko and their resolve, the two realized that in order to maintain their relationship with this woman and the three of them going forward, they must clearly establish who is superior. 3. Precisely because they think that way...

1. "I'm the first one here~♪"

1. Right now, Miu and Chiryo were irritated.

1. "...And so, great historical discoveries are often made through coincidences or failures."

1. "Alright, Ms. Hanamura, would you read the next part?"

1. "Yes"

1. "When Columbus first landed his ships, he thought he had found a quick passage to India and so he called the inhabitants Indians."

1. Because of Columbus' mistake, we found a new and rich land. A tribute to his great error is the fact that, until recently, the American natives were called Indians.

1. "Today, the original inhabitants of America are called "Native Americans"."

1. ""Yes, very good. Your pronunciation was excellent.""

1. "Now then, next~♪"

1. "Himuro-san, who always makes sure to doze off in my class... I wonder if you'd like to read for us?"

1. "...Umm"

1. "The discovery of penicillin in 1928 was also an accident. Alexander Flemming was doing research on the flu when he noticed that one of his petri dishes had grown mold."

1. "That mold turned out to be penicillin and today it's one of our most important tools in the fight against disease."

1. After all, it is often said that we learn from our mistake ...

1. "...just like Flemming did."

1. "...ke"

1. "Excellent, your pronunciation was wonderful!"

1. "And... there!" 2. "Ahhh!!"

1. "Geez, Chiryo! Go easy on me!!" 2. "I'm already going plenty easy on you, though."

1. ""Damn it, Chiryo...! What an insolent woman...!""

1. ""Now that it's come to this... Miu-chan!!""

1. "...Yes. I've accepted, Eiko."

1. "......I'll have to get a little serious for this."

1. ""Please go easy on me.""

1. "Same... here!"

1. "Himuro-san, I said to go easy on me, but you can be a bit more serious..."

1. "Sorry, did you say something?"

1. "Ding-dong"

1. "Good job, you two~"

1. "It ended in a tie, but it was a great match! Everyone was so moved!"

1. "Now, both of you! Shake hands after the match."

1. "Thank you, Himuro-san. That was a good workout." 2. "Likewise. After all, Uta wasn't enough." 3. "Chiryo~, what do you mean by that~?"

1. Right now, the two of them were frustrated. 2. Academics, sports, intuition, etc... 3. In everything they could compete in within the scope of being female students, they couldn't establish a clear difference from the woman in front of them. 4. Having clearly shown each other their positions and feelings, the two of them spent these two weeks reconfirming that the "draw" they had experienced many times since their three-way relationship began was "just as expected."

1. The longer the stalemate continued, the more heavy pressure it put on the two of them. 2. The fact weighing on Miwa: "Chiryo Himuro spends more time with Eiko Takamori." 3. The fact weighing on Chiryo: "Miwa Hanamura met Eiko Takamori first." 4. Every time they tried to shake off those thoughts, the "duel" of that day flashed through their minds.

1. If a winner were to be decided between them, there was only one way: 'that'. 2. If only they could be alone without any interruptions, they would want to start their rematch right this instant. 3. For the two of them, holding their breath as they wait for an opportunity that refuses to come, stress accumulates with every passing second. 4. And, to make matters even worse. 5. There was one more factor accelerating their frustration.

1. (Eiko, I wonder where on earth she went...)

1. "!" 2. "U-Um! Hanamura-san!"

1. ""You looked like you were having quite a lot of fun, didn't you?""

1. ""Are you jealous, Hanamura-san?""

1. ""...I wonder what you're trying to say?""

1. ""In this day and age, there's no way anyone would use a letter just for a simple message, right?""

1. ""I'm saying, you're acting like quite the social butterfly despite having Uta.""

1. "...Heh"

1. ""Hehe, ahahaha""

1. ""...What's so funny?""

1. "I'm sorry, it's just that your misunderstanding was so terrible."

1. "...Huh?" 2. "Anyway, if you're going to say that, aren't you the one who's worse?"

1. "You made Suzuki-san from Class A cry, didn't you? That wasn't the first time, was it? Did you think I wouldn't know?"

1. "After playing with so many girls like that, I'm surprised you can even show your face to Eiko, you playboy, Himuro-san."

1. ""...I'm honestly amazed that your assumptions have gone this far.""

1. "Imagination? I hit the mark, didn't I?" 2. "Huh? Why are you getting so worked up?" 3. "You're the one who started this fight. Did you forget?" 4. "It's because you're acting like such a clown, isn't it?" 5. "It's because you're insincere and frivolous." 6. "That's why I'm telling you to look in a mirror before you speak."

1. "You coward!"

1. ""I really don't want you to be by Uta's side after all.""

1. "Me too. I can't stand you being by Eiko's side."

1. "You've finally shown your true colors. Your face is bright red, isn't that unlike you?" 2. "You're the one who's been frustrated all this time because you couldn't beat me, right?" 3. "Let go of my hands." 4. "You first."

1. It's going to explode. 2. I can't hold it back for even another second. 3. Just as the two of them were about to give in to their raging fury and swing their fists—

1. "!" 2. "!" 3. "Ah, Miwa-chan and Chiryo, there you are!"

1. "Sorry to keep you waiting~ Shall we head home?"

1. "Uta!!" 2. "Eiko!!"

1. "What happened to that bruise!?" 2. "Well... I just fell down the stairs a bit ago..." 3. "You fell!? Did you treat it!?" 4. "It's fine, it's nothing." 5. "It is NOT fine!!"

1. ""Eiko, I'll give you first aid in the nurse's office. Himuro-san!"" 2. ""I know! We just need to get that slacker school nurse to drive us, right?!""

2. ""I finally found it. It says, 'I'm going straight home after taking Takamori-san from the hospital to her house today, so you guys should go home too.'""

1. "I see. Good work."

1. The infirmary, now empty of its master, the school nurse. 2. The school, where dusk approaches and students have become sparse. 3. In this space, there is nothing to hinder the two of them. 4. If that is the case, there is only one action for Miu and Chiryo to take.

1. "I lost my composure earlier. No matter what I think of you, it shouldn't have mattered to you."

1. "We're even. Because I let my personal feelings get involved with you, too."

4. "Well then, now that we've reconciled..." 5. "Yes, and now that we've cooled off."

1. "........."

2. "...Let's do it, the continuation of that day."

1. "......It doesn't look like you've calmed down, Himuro-san."

1. "You don't exactly look like you've 'reconciled' either."

1. "Fine. As you wish, let's do this thoroughly."

1. The original purpose of this battle was to 'establish a clear standard for who is superior, for the sake of a better relationship between the three of us.' 2. However, just before this, the two of them clashed with red and black emotions. 3. Therefore.

1. "Mmm...♡" 2. "Nn...♡"

1. "Haa...♡" 2. "Mmm...♡"

1. "Haa...♡" 2. "Haa...♡"

1. "Ah...♡" 2. "Mm...♡"

1. "Pffft!"

1. "Haa...♡" 2. "Haa...♡" 3. "Haa...♡" 4. "Haa...♡"

1. "Haa...♡" 2. "Haa...♡" 3. "For someone like you, Himuro-san, you still have such a rough way with your tongue."

2. "I thought that annoying tongue of yours might have improved a bit over the last two weeks."

1. "There's a girl whose face is already turning red from that nasty woman's tongue." 2. "Heh. All I see is a girl who's already out of breath from a rough kiss partner." 3. "If you can't see it, I'll show you." 4. "Go ahead and try."

1. "Mmm...♡" 3. "Mmm...♡ Mmm...♡"

1. "Mmm...! Mmph...!!"

4. "Mmm♡ Mmm♡" 5. "Mmm...♡♡"

1. "Mmph... Mmph..." 2. "Mnh... Mnh..."

1. "Haa...♡" 2. ((Y-You...!)) 3. "Haa...♡"

1. "Uraaa~~~!!" 2. "Aaaaaah~~~♡"

3. ""Haa...! This far...!""

2. "Sigh... I wonder if it'll be just like last time...?"

1. Yes. Up until now, it was a repetition of that day in the public restroom. 3. And from here, it was the stage for a new duel between two people who had steeled their resolve.

1. ""You're not going to say you're embarrassed now, are you?""

1. ""What? Do you want me to stop?""

1. "Hehe, is that how I look to you?" 2. "Well, I wonder."

1. "I'll make sure to remember your face as it is now. Since I might never get to see it again."

1. "I'll forget right away. I don't want to waste any space in my heart on someone like you."

3. "Seriously, how cheeky..."

1. ""...What an annoying woman.""

1. "Yaaaaaaaah! ♡"

1. "Haa...♡" 2. "Haa...♡" 3. "Haa...♡" 4. "Haa...♡"

1. "...Ha, after talking so big, isn't that quite a cute reaction, Hanamura-san, the one so proud of her technique?"

1. ""Himuro-san, for a playgirl, you're so used to touching others and giving them pleasure, but are you perhaps not used to being touched yourself?""