Trial Relationship

"...I'm listening."

I'm actually interested. About this whole "love" thingy.

The whole matter of getting Hoshino out of the idol industry is still a thing. 'Although my intrusive thoughts were telling me to carry out practically evil stuff… just because it sounds fun, I had to hold that urge until I had something definite with me in order to get me out of a pinch in case things went wrong.' I can see that the book virtually grants the holder the freedom of action, which is the main appeal! 'Be patient, Hiro…'

Anyway, the plan is pretty simple. Make her understand love, and use that to get her out from the idol industry.

If you're wondering whether I'm a master at love, the answer is hell no—and that's the challenge.

If it's just psychology, I don't think I'm very terrible at it, so that should be helpful. I don't particularly aware of the benchmark for a genius. I've also thought of some simple plans in building our relationship for this summer vacation.

"How does a trial romantic relationship sound to you?" Hoshino then said something outrageous.

"A trial?" I repeated, frowning.

'That… was better than what I had thought!'

I initially planned to go as a close friend at best, granting her new experiences and earning fate aspects subsequently.

I didn't consider that it would go as far as the "trial romantic relationship." Nor did I expect that she would refuse friendship to the point of possibly keeping her distance from me. After all, I was pretty sure now that the book had a definite influence. Given what I wrote about Hoshino and me, it was inevitable that we would have to be involved. 'If there are no writing tricks in the work, and everything just goes straightforwardly, then there shouldn't be any problems.'

"...that doesn't sound entirely bad," I began, adding. 'Although there's a chance I'll be attacked by your fanatical fans if they find out, the most that'll be affected is you losing your job. I could get out of it somehow."

"What you're considering is terrible! Don't you care about me at all?!"

"You're just a stranger to me."

"As a self-respected human being, don't you feel any pity...?!"

I snorted. "I'm not a self-respecting human being, sadly."

A sudden idea came to my mind at that moment.

"?!"

I grabbed Hoshino's hand, causing her to jolt. She might have instinctively tried to pull away, and stopped when she realized I didn't have any ill intentions.

"W-What?" she asked nervously.

I smiled. "That's a good idea, though... Let's do it."

"Y-you agreed...?" she was visibly embarrassed, her eyes darting everywhere.

I tightened my grip slightly but still keeping it gentle. It caused her to jump a bit. 'If this is already getting to you, there are many things I should be able to do that will be amusing.'

"Of course. There are things only a couple can do, right? Let's do all those things!"

This should count as defying fate much more effectively.

That said, I wasn't so focused on that magical item to miss out on the gem before me.

I raised her hand, cackling. "Is hand-holding too much for the Ai Hoshino?"

"S-Shut up!" she forcibly yet weakly pulled her hand away from mine, her cheeks all flushed. She mumbled something that I couldn't catch.

"What was that?" I asked.

Instead of elaborating, she stuck out her tongue at me in a mocking manner. I couldn't help but let out another laugh.

***

The city isn't really a suitable place to do that, for many reasons. And I have no intention of publicizing our relationship, even if it's fake, and causing trouble for both Hoshino and myself. That's why we decided to do it close to the village. Well, not that it makes the risk completely gone, but at least decreased it drastically. She stayed there for a reason.

Not far from where we live, there are arcades, convenience stores, cafes, and other places, just on a smaller scale than in the city. But that's not our destination.

"Hurry up already..." I complained.

"Wait a... second."

Climbing the two-meter-wide stone steps, I turned to Hoshino, who was out of breath a few steps behind me. There were trees on both sides, not too dense, and several statues along the way. You could hear the sounds of insects all around.

I sneered. "Are you already tired? We're not even halfway there, you know?"

She was sweating heavily, breathing hard, and her legs were trembling. She looked like she could collapse at any moment.

"I-I didn't expect… it to be this tiring," she replied, stuttering.

Her outfit had changed to a dark purple short-sleeved shirt, a white knee-length skirt, and a pair of slippers. All of which give a very simplistic impression. She left her hat and glasses behind at my request. The same with the mask.

My dress was as simple as her.

I wore a short-sleeved white shirt, and an actual short for the walk. It didn't seem odd as I only followed most of what the villagers did.

After returning from shopping for clothes, we went home briefly to store our purchases before discussing our next plan.

Hoshino was immediately drawn to a mountainous area near the village. There was a shrine on the western slope of Seiza, and that's where Hoshino said she wanted to go. Apparently, she had never visited a shrine and wanted to do so now.

Seeing Hoshino's condition on the steps leading to the shrine, I snorted, approached her, then,

"Eek?!" Hoshino let out a small scream as I lifted her in a princess carry. "W-What are you doing, Yoshikawa-kun?!"

"Carrying you, what else?" I replied calmly, then cackled. "This is a normal activity for couples. Bear with it."

"You're not going to throw me down the stairs, right?!"

'How did that thought come into her head?' "I won't."

I started climbing the steps. At the edge of my vision, I could see Hoshino squirming a bit with an embarrassed expression.

"I-I don't smell, do I?"

"...Nah."

"Don't lie…"

I laughed. "I'm not uncomfortable with it. Is that enough?"

Hoshino gave a small nod with a "Hm." She suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, catching me off guard a bit. My reaction must have been noticeable. 

Hoshino grinned. "This is also normal, right?"

I paused, then gave a hollow chuckle. "Yeah."