“It sure is hot, huh?”
Sitting in the passenger seat of Yuuji Kiba’s car, Mari suddenly grew red with embarrassment over trying to start a conversation with such a generic line.
The two of them were heading to an indoor pool that stayed open late at night.
It was about thirty minutes away by car.
There was something scary about having just the two of them sitting quietly next to each other in the small enclosed space of the car.
Mari had been desperately trying to think of something to talk about.
“Yep.”
Yuuji Kiba replied with a smile.
But Yuuji was never the one to speak to Mari first.
He must be really mature, he doesn’t mind staying quiet… thought Mari.
Yuuji was three years older than Mari, the same age as Takumi.
And one year above Keitarou.
Compared to Yuuji, Keitarou and Takumi pretty much looked like little kids.
There was an odd kind of calmness about Yuuji that didn’t match his age, and that was one of the things that attracted Mari to him.
“What were you up to today?”
Ugh… Mari internally grabbed her head. I keep asking generic questions…
“I was doing a little research at the library. I have a test coming up.”
Mari remembered that Yuuji’s dream was to become an architect, and that he was attending school in order to make that happen.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you out when you were so busy.”
“That’s not true. Taking breathers every now and then is important, too.”
Mari felt a little hurt by Yuuji’s words and fell quiet.
So studying is what’s most important, huh… I guess to him this date is nothing more than a necessary break from his studying. But Mari was happy that she was able to get hurt over such a little thing.
She was reminded of just how much she really liked this person.
Yuuji Kiba was a regular at Kikuchi Cleaning.
At first, Yuuji was just a customer that handed his laundry in a paper bag over to Mari.
When Mari saw that his shirts and jackets were all neatly folded up, she felt impressed.
There weren’t many people who folded all their dirty laundry when bringing them to a dry cleaner.
Mari soon looked forward to whenever Yuuji would come by.
She would always end up in a good mood for the rest of the day whenever she saw Yuuji.
She’d think of Yuuji even during the evening and before she fell asleep. She’d think about how attractive he was while laying on her bed.
He’s really clean and tidy.
A really sincere and honest person.
I don’t completely get it, but I feel really nice around him.
One day, Yuuji came by again with his clothes neatly folded as always.
Once Yuuji left, Mari inspected the pockets of his jacket.
It was just part of the process before washing the laundry.
But every time she stuck her hand through the pockets of Yuuji’s clothes, she’d be giddy over the slight sense of guilt she felt.
It was like she was peeking on him.
Most of the time her expectations would be betrayed as her hands ran through empty pockets, but on that day, her fingers happened to touch something.
She jumped. Slowly and carefully, she pulled it out to see what it was.
Inside Yuuji’s jacket pocket was… a pack of flower seeds.
The still unopened paper package had a picture of a purple flower.
Of course, she would have to return it to Yuuji. But at that moment, Mari’s mischievous side started to take over. She cut open the package and spread the tiny seeds onto her palm.
She gently held onto those seeds with a loving grip.
Two months later, Mari headed over to Yuuji’s apartment to deliver his laundry.
Her heart was pounding from ringing the doorbell. Eventually, Yuuji opened the front door and revealed himself to her.
Mari would never forget the expression he had on his face at that moment for the rest of her life.
His gentle-as-ever eyes were wide open and his refined lips were parted in surprise.
Laying at Mari’s feet, as she stood while carrying the laundry at her chest, lined twelve beautiful purple flowers in bloom, each one in their own pot. Mari had raised those seeds and brought them to Yuuji.
It was an all-or-nothing bet.
Yuuji could have been irritated at Mari’s irresponsible behavior.
But he soon understood the situation and made a wide smile.
“Thank you,” he said while bashfully scratching at his head.
And so, the two of them began dating.
Yuuji accepted Mari’s flower confession.
Mari spent the whole thirty minutes of drive to the pool worrying about something to talk about in fear of the silence, and as a result, by the time she was changing into her swimsuit, she already felt absolutely exhausted.
Upon taking off her prized bra, even her chest appeared to be dejected.
But this wasn’t the time to be exhausted. The real date was just getting started.
After changing into the tankini she bought on the same day as her push-up bra, she slapped her cheeks to fire herself up.
Last night, when Takumi and Keitarou were deep asleep, Mari secretly took out her swimsuit and tried it on.
She then took a good look at her body in a mirror.
It was because she was worried about how she’d look in the swimsuit in Yuuji’s eyes.
If only my legs were a bit thinner…
Mari tried tightening up her leg muscles. She felt that made them look a slight bit skinnier. All right, this should work for tomorrow.
After exiting the changing room with her leg muscles tightened up, she secured two beach chairs and waited for Yuuji.
The sight of Yuuji in his swimsuit was so manly that Mari hurried to avert her gaze.
Yuuji didn’t look at Mari much either.
The two of them swam together, slid down slides, and floated around in inflatable floats all while avoiding looking at each other too much.
Upon returning to the beach chairs, Yuuji went to buy some drinks.
Orange juice for Mari, and iced coffee for Yuuji.
Mari was actually more in the mood for iced coffee, which resulted in her looking at Yuuji’s drink longingly.
“Want some?” asked Yuuji, noticing Mari’s staring and taking the straw out of his mouth.
“Yeah.”
Yuuji went to the counter to get a new straw, and then switched it with his own straw before handing the iced coffee to Mari.
You didn’t have to go that far… thought Mari.
She knew he was just trying to be thoughtful, but she couldn’t help but feel like it was a little cold of him.
When Yuuji went to go use the bathroom, two men approached Mari and called out to her.
They were hitting on her with textbook example pick-up lines.
For times like these, she had no choice but to just ignore them.
But the men were stubborn and obnoxious.
One of them even laid his hand on her shoulder, which led her to get up from her chair from being grossed out.
“Do you think you could stop that? That’s my girlfriend.”
Mari was really happy to hear those words from Yuuji who had come back.
Yeah, that’s right, I’m his girlfriend…
But the two men decided to unreasonably pick a fight with Yuuji.
When Yuuji grabbed Mari’s hand and tried to take them out of the place, the men blew up even further.
They shouted things like “don’t fuck with us!” or “you think you’re hot shit?” as they came in with fists swinging.
Yuuji crouched down at the poolside as the two men punched and kicked him.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Stop it!”
Mari tried to protect Yuuji and threw her unfinished orange juice at the men.
At the same time, security came in with their whistles blowing.
“Sorry about today… Are you sure you’re not hurt too badly?”
Mari asked Yuuji as she was dropped off in front of Kikuchi Cleaning.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize over,” replied Yuuji.
“I should be the one saying sorry. It would’ve been way cooler if I took care of those jerks, huh?”
“That’s not true. In fact, you were really cool today. Honestly.”
“Let’s have another date soon to make up for today.”
Mari stood in place until Yuuji’s car disappeared into the darkness.
Kiba really is a great person…
She couldn’t wait for the next day she’d see him.
After dropping off Mari, Yuuji’s car headed down the nighttime highway towards his home.
He felt like he had a good time.
The time he spent with Mari, including even when he got surrounded by those two men, was all really fun.
At the very least, it felt really human.
Yuuji suddenly remembered the fact that he had yet to tell Mari about who he really was, and his chest twinged with guilt.
The whole thing about him attending school to become an architect was all a lie.
That was just a dream he had discarded long in the past.
That girl knows nothing about the real me… But that’s for the best…
Upon driving into a secluded side road, Yuuji heard the cry of a woman.
It was a small cry that wouldn’t be picked up by a normal human.
Yuuji’s car rushed to the scene where an Orphnoch resembling a mantis was attacking a civilian.
The woman had collapsed onto the road, unconscious from witnessing such an unbelievable sight.
Yuuji transformed into an Orphnoch.
Shadow-like veins ran across his handsome face and his body transfigured into the Horse Orphnoch.
A unicorn-like Orphnoch that had a single horn sprouting from the forehead.
Now in his Orphnoch form, Yuuji ferociously charged at the Mantis Orphnoch.
Kamen Rider Novel Translations 