Slipped Tongue

Monday.

It's Akira's first day of school after two weeks off. After breakfast with his mother and five sisters, they head to the train station.

The train car wasn't very crowded even though it was a Monday.

The government has issued a migration policy for anyone who moves to a predetermined village. They will be given accommodation, a house, land and some money.

Tempted by the government's offer, many people in big cities like Tokyo choose to move to the countryside. As a result, Tokyo is not as busy as it used to be.

Ichika and the others got off at a different station, and Akira got off at the next three stations.

Leaving the station, Akira meets some students in uniform from Teiko Junior High School, he doesn't know them, so he doesn't say hello.

Walking all the way to school, he didn't meet any of his acquaintances.

Changing shoes, he headed for his class.

Arriving in front of classroom 1-A, he pushed open the door and his classmates saw him.

"Yo, Akiracchi, long time no see. Finally you go to school!"

Kise raised his hand and approached him with a smile.

"Good morning, Ryota. How did the match go in my absence?"

High five with Kise, Akira asks about the club. After all, the basketball club participates in the spring championship.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm there, whatever you want is fine." Kise patted his chest and raised his chin showing off.

"I see. Good to hear." Akira patted Kise on the shoulder and went to his seat, which was in the back row near the window.

Putting down his bag, he sat down on a chair and his seatmate greeted him.

"G-Good morning, Nakano-kun, are you alright?"

"Morning, Shinju. I'm perfectly fine, thanks for asking."

"You're welcome."

Seeing Akira looking as usual, Shinju was also happy for his recovery.

Hitori opened the back door and entered the classroom. Due to her shy nature, she doesn't interact with other classmates, but she has friends. So, no one paid attention to her arrival.

Walking while lowering her head, she sat down on her seat and didn't notice Akira.

"Good morning, Bochi. Have you made any friends?"

"Ah, g-good morning, Akira... Sorry, I didn't know you were already at school."

Hitori was surprised by someone who asked her to chat suddenly, seeing him as Akira, she felt relieved.

"Nothing has changed, everything is still the same..." Hitori answered pessimistically.

"During my absence, has anyone bullied you? Let me handle that person for you."

"T-There's no such person, everyone in class has been very nice to me. Akira don't act rashly."

Hitori hurriedly explained, she was worried that her childhood friend would cause trouble.

"You're not lying, right?" Akira narrowed his eyes.

"I do not lie." Hitori shook her head left and right many times.

"That's good, if someone is bullying you, don't hesitate to tell me, because we are childhood friends."

Making sure Hitori wasn't lying, Akira said seriously.

"Friend..."

That word echoed in Hitori's mind, and her brain created a small theater in her mind.

"She hasn't changed at all." Akira smiled amusedly.

He knew Hitori must be daydreaming about something.

"Good morning, Akira. You are healthy?"

Akira saw that Miharu had been standing beside him without him noticing.

"Morning, Miharu. Everyone asks that, do I look like a sick person in your eyes? I'm completely healthy! Look at my biceps."

Rolling up his sleeves, Akira showed off his muscles.

"En, Akira looks very healthy."

Miharu turned her gaze to the side with the same blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, right. Thank you for delivering the assignment printout, it really helped me."

While Akira was in the hospital, Miharu visited him every day using the excuse of giving him a printout of the assignments the teacher had given her.

He had to admit, the method the girl had used was quite cunning.

"It's not a big deal, I'm glad I could help Akira. Ah, no, I mean as childhood friends, it's only natural to help each other."

Realizing her words were too ambiguous, Miharu, who had thin skin, felt very embarrassed by her own words.

"You are so cute when you are embarrassed, Miharu." Akira seduces.

"C-Cute..."

Miharu held her cheek and felt very happy to be praised by him.

"You cheated, Miharu."

"Hyaa!"

Who knows when Shouko appeared behind Miharu, and squeezed her waist.

"S-Shouko, don't touch there, it's ticklish."

"This is your punishment for teasing Akira."

"N-No, I can't stand it... Pufft hahahaha..."

Tickled by Shouko, she finally couldn't hold back her laughter.

Seeing the interactions between the two of them getting along, Akira was glad that they weren't enemies.

He was not an airhead, and was aware of their feelings for him a long time ago. The reason he never did anything perverted to the two girls, was because they were too young!

No matter how lecherous he is, Akira will never touch an underage girl.

"Women's skinship is very pleasing to the eye, if a man did that to me, I would strangle him." Akira smiled and said lightly.

"Hah Hah Hah... Why is that?"

Miharu escaped from Shouko's evil hands and asked curiously while panting.

"If skinship like that was between men, people would think they were gay."

The one who answered was not Akira, but Shouko.

"So that's it, I just found out." The innocent Miharu has broadened her horizons.

"By the way, Akira isn't gay, right?"

The LGBT movement in Japan has recently normalized, some cities have even legalized same-sex marriage.

Shouko is worried that the boy she likes might turn out to be gay. If that happened, she would have absolutely no chance!

As for why she was suspicious, it was because Akira had never dated a girl, which made her doubt his sexual orientation.

Shinju and Hitori silently listened, they also wanted to know the answer to that.

"🤬"

The corners of Akira's eyes twitched, veins bulging on his forehead. According to him, a girl doubting his sexual orientation is a disgrace.

"By heaven and earth, I am a straight man who likes women. Even I'm not a virgin anymore—Cough, Cough Cough..."

Because he was too emotional, Akira unconsciously said things that shouldn't be said.

"Can Akira repeat?"

Shouku's tone is very cold, the look in her eyes is very piercing, and there is a tendency to blacken.

Even a gentle and kind girl like Miharu wasn't much better, there was disappointment and sadness on her face.

Sitting at the front, Hitori squeezed her skirt and her chest hurt.

Shinju glanced at Akira and felt uncomfortable.

Because Akira's seat was at the very back and the sound wasn't too loud, plus there were lots of people talking in the classroom. Classmates did not hear what he said.

"I..."

Akira broke out in a cold sweat. He regretted being too impulsive, and now he had to endure the death stares of the girls around him.

As if the heavens were helping him, the sound of a bell rang.

*Ding Dong*

"Ahem, students are about to start." Akira cleared his throat.

"We'll continue this conversation later, don't run away."

Giving a warning look, Shouko went to her seat. Her good mood had been ruined.

Miharu bit her lower lip, and left without saying anything.

"Congratulations, Master. You're causing trouble yourself."

A voice of sarcasm sounded in Akira's mind.

"Sigh~ so this means your mouth is your tiger. I'm so unlucky."

[Author's note: your mouth is your tiger = Words can become "sharp weapons" so they can hurt others if not guarded]

If Akira had the ability to go back in time, he would use it this time. But this isn't entirely his fault, he lets slip because Shouko doubts whether he's normal or not, which annoys him.

"Forget it, it's better to be honest. Once I lie, I will continue to lie to cover up the previous lies and end up lying."

He's not a coward like the protagonist of RomCom, he has made a firm decision to confess that he is no longer a virgin even though he ends up receiving a few slaps later.