Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 3 [Alice Secret]

SS Yogen Emica: A Sleepy Partner

I was leaning against the trunk of the tree, watching as Takanori yawned while laying comfortably on the soft grass.

"Who knows..."

He turned his head to me slightly, giving off that same lethargic expression as always. He was about to yawn again, but suppressed it.

"If you want to sleep, it's okay. I'll be here to watch over you peacefully."

Seeing how tired he was, I pitied him. Part of me wanted to reach out and stroke his head, like he was a cat, but I stopped myself since it'd probably wake him up from his sleepy state, rather than help him fall asleep.

"...somehow, that feels less reassuring."

I laughed at his dry response. To match it, I decided to tease him slightly.

"What? Would you prefer Shinomiya-senpai to say that to you, or something?"

Honestly, Takanori acts like it isn't, but it's super obvious he has a huge crush on Shinomiya. Whenever I see him talk to her, he has a completely different look in his eyes. It's somehow both loving and (almost) lecherous, the way he gazes at her.

When he's around her, it's almost like he regains some of his innocence. His face turns a faint pink and his eyes soften from their usual hard glare. It's quite cute, actually... maybe because it's an expression he doesn't show anyone else. Not even me.

The closest I got to seeing it today was when I was pushing him on the swings. His deadpan voice rose slightly, the pitch a smidge higher than usual. He seemed more relaxed and docile in that moment. A bit more shy, even.

"Whatever..."

Hmm, maybe I shouldn't tease him about Shinomiya... he just looks upset whenever I poke fun at him for it. I guess that's how much he loves her, huh? I felt bad for him, so I wanted to try and cheer him up a bit.

"If you want, you can use my lap as a pillow."

What better way than with a lap pillow? All boys love lap pillows.

I'm sure Takanori is no exception, no matter how much he tries to hide and cover up his perverted side. It's usually the closet perverts that are the worst, precisely because they suppress their sexuality. I know he's just as dirty as the rest of them deep down.

He stared at me blankly and looked away.

"...no thanks."

I sighed to myself inwardly. For a moment, I could see a glint of consideration in his eyes. He seriously thought about taking my offer, but he declined as usual.

Things would be a lot easier if he was just honest with himself. At least thinking about it is a start...

"Your loss."

I let go of my mild annoyance and shrugged. Takanori yawned again, his eyes growing heavy as he turned on his side.

Oh, he's actually falling asleep...

As he closed his eyes, I gently rubbed his back to help him relax. Soon enough, he was fast asleep, snoring away peacefully.

"I guess it can't be helped."

I rolled his body to lie flat on his back and removed his sunglasses so he'd have an easier time resting. It'd be bad if I woke him up by accident, so I did everything as meticulously as I could.

"What now...?"

I clipped his sunglasses to my shirt and stared up at the foliage, wondering how this all happened. At the very least, I'm glad I was able to get his mind off all the stress... he must've been so tired, poor thing.