"What the hell are you talking about?"
"...What are you talking about, Mei?"
Even faced with the blank looks on Eiji and Rika's faces, Mei still wore a smug, self-assured smile.
Especially rare was the expression Rika was showing right now, but as Mei's lover, Mei had her eyes shut and her chest thrust out, so she didn't notice.
"That's why I'm going to teach you some of my charm, you gorilla."
"I'm not a gorilla."
Rika thought Mei was being a little too harsh on Eiji.
Unlike me, Mei isn't only gentle with boys, she also treats them like friends, so it is very rare for her to chew someone out the way she was chewing out Eiji.
If Eiji turned that anger on me instead... I would probably be terrified, but he looks like a calm adult, so he probably wouldn't use violence.
Thinking that, I felt like Mei was even more like a child, and as her lover I really felt sorry.
"So how exactly are you going to teach charm?"
"Heh-heh~. I'm going to teach that immature gorilla with a special method!"
"...Special?"
Eiji and Rika tilted their heads in confusion.
Facing the two of them, Mei gave a snort of laughter, then pointed at Eiji with a finger and declared, "That's right! I'm going to give the gorilla a chance to play with me after school!"
"No need."
"!?"
It was an instant answer.
I was a little surprised too, but Mei was clearly far more shocked.
She only ever showed a cute side in front of boys, but right now she'd gone wide-eyed and slack-jawed, looking incredibly indecent.
But because Mei had taken such a massive blow...
"Y-you're not even surprised that I asked you to play with me...!? Any boy at this academy would be thrilled!"
"Like I said, you don't have any charm to me at all."
"That's infuriatinggggggggg! Unforgivable! I'm absolutely going to make you come with me!"
"Sigh..."
Mei was red-faced and flailing her arms around like a lunatic.
Eiji's cheek twitched; unlike Rika, he usually wasn't very expressive either, but not to this extent.
The person he naturally looked to for help was, of course, Rika, Mei's lover.
"Hey, Onizuka, is this girl your girlfriend? Or your boyfriend? Right? Think of something, fast."
"...If Mei gets like this, she won't listen to anybody anymore."
"...How does a person even turn into that?"
Eiji let out a dumbfounded sigh.
All Rika could do was force a wry smile. Even so, she loved Mei. Love was blind.
"Hey!! What are you saying to my Rika-chan!? Hurry up and come here!!"
Mei, who had somehow ended up standing at the classroom door, shouted at Eiji for talking to Rika.
Eiji shot her a look that said she was a pain in the ass.
"...I know this may be unnecessary to say, but you should think a little harder about dating that one."
"...Mei does have her charms."
"Really? Well, if Onizuka thinks she's fine, then I guess it's okay."
Saying that, he put his stationery into his bag and slung the bag over his shoulder.
Even after saying something so blunt, he still seemed to be planning to hang out with Mei.
Touched by that kindness, Rika narrowed her eyes and wanted to see him off.
But when Eiji saw that Rika meant to stay here, he looked at her in surprise.
"Huh? Onizuka isn't coming? As your girlfriend? Or your boyfriend? You don't mind me being alone with her?"
"...Um, being alone with a man is a little..."
"Ah, I see."
Eiji could tell from the way she looked at him and carried herself that she always kept her distance from men.
No, maybe she was afraid of him, but since she didn't say so directly, he decided to leave it at that.
"...Besides, I don't think Ogiwara-kun would do something like that."
Rika smiled faintly and went on.
Something like that... meaning sexual contact between a man and a woman.
As her lover, Mei obviously wouldn't look at a man as a romantic partner, but if Eiji ever tried to force himself on her, even among men as strong as him, he could easily overpower Mei.
Normally I shouldn't let Mei go out alone with Eiji... but Eiji's kindness moved me, and that let me trust him enough to send him off with Mei.
I also wanted my lover to become good friends with the one man who might actually become a friend.
But...
"...If that's the case, what happens then?"
"Huh...?"
Because Rika didn't quite catch Eiji's muttered words, she asked back.
"Heyyy!! I told you to come here already!"
But before Rika could hear that line again, Mei's shout rang out once more.
Rika also knew that if things didn't go the way Mei wanted, she'd get irritable.
If I kept holding Eiji back, he and Mei would never become good friends.
"Then, see you later."
"...Yeah."
And so Rika watched the backs of Eiji and Mei as they left.
But deep in Rika's heart, a faint unease still remained.
♡
"...I wonder how Mei is doing?"
The following Monday, after returning to Tendo Academy, Rika murmured to herself.
Ever since she'd parted with Mei last Friday, she hadn't heard a word from her.
Usually, as soon as the weekend came around, Mei would call and invite Rika out on a date, but that hadn't happened this weekend.
Still, if Rika reached out first, Mei would always answer properly, so Rika wasn't especially worried...
"...Ah, Mei."
Lost in thought, Rika spotted Mei with her eyes.
"Ah-! Come on! What the hell are you doing?"
"Wasn't you the one who started it?"
"Even so. Ahh, you're so irritating."
"You're the reckless one..."
Mei was with Eiji.
That made Rika feel a little uneasy, but they didn't seem especially affectionate; instead, they radiated the kind of ugly atmosphere you get from a couple that supposedly broke up only a few days ago, which oddly made Rika feel relieved as she walked over to them.
"...Mei, Ogiwara."
The moment Rika spoke up, Mei, who had been glaring at Eiji with a low growl like an injured beast, suddenly broke into an adorable smile.
"Ahhh! Rika-chan!"
"Oh."
Mei leaped at Rika, and Rika managed to catch her.
With those generous breasts and hips, it was hard to support her heavier body.
"Listen to me, Rika-chan! This gorilla is seriously pissing me off!"
"You sure have the nerve to say that."
"...Can't you two at least become friends?"
I held her in my arms and rubbed her head hard while she launched into a nonstop tirade of insults about Eiji.
Eiji also let out a helpless sigh at her.
Really, nothing seemed different from the other day. Even though they'd gone out together, they didn't seem close at all.
Rika felt relieved by that, but she asked one more time...
"Of course not~. A gorilla like that and cute little me would never be a good match."
Ptui - if they weren't inside the school building, Mei looked like she was about to spit on the floor.
Even though she normally played the part of the dazzling, adorable Terui Mei in public, right now her feelings were showing through honestly.
"...Ogiwara-kun, do you understand Mei's charm yet?"
"No, not at all. I don't even know why Onizuka is dating her."
To be safe, I asked Eiji, but his answer was just as caustic as ever.
It looked like the two of them still hadn't managed to become friends.
"...No, you're right. I don't think she's very charming... but I can see she does have some good points."
"...Ghk!!"
"...Really?"
Eiji had come closer, and now he changed his tune.
Rika could have kept her distance, but Mei had her pinned in place, so she couldn't move.
If he understood everything perfectly, that would be a little troublesome, but Rika did want Eiji to understand at least some of Mei's good qualities, so she was still happy inside.
...But for some reason, the Mei clinging to me suddenly went quiet.
Seeing her start to tremble faintly, Rika was surprised.
"...Mei?"
"Ah- Rika-chan! By the way, Teacher Kawamura is looking for you!"
Just as I was about to ask her what was wrong, she suddenly looked up and said it.
Her face was a little flushed. Was it from hugging me?
"...Teacher Kawamura? Got it, thanks."
"What does she need me for?" I thought, but if someone was calling me, I had to go.
After thanking Mei, I gave Eiji a small nod and left them there.
"...Don't touch me in front of Rika!"
"...As long as it's not in front of Onizuka, it's fine?"
"...That's sophistry!"
As I walked farther away, I gradually stopped being able to hear the two of them talking.