Choose Me Her Baby vol.1

p2
>Good work today!

>Okay, we're heading off first!
>See you tomorrow!

>You did great too, Ran!
>Same to you, Aoi.
>Huh?
>Where are you going?
>I figured I'd take a jog outside before heading back.

>I'll come with you.
>The Queen Cup rematch is coming up fast, after all.

>Not long after Ichigo went to study abroad in America
>and Mizuki-san quit the academy,
>the rematch for the Starlight Queen Cup was announced.

p3
>Lately, I've had my model work and Aoi's had her acting gigs,
>so we've had less time to see each other than before.
>But I'm glad

>that I get to do idol activities with you again, Ran.
>Yeah.
>But now we're once again rivals aiming to become Queen.
>...

>Aoi?

>Aoi!
>Hah
>Ah, sorry!

p4
>What's wrong?
>If you're tired, maybe you should rest for today.
>...I feel like Aoi's been doing this a lot lately now that she's apart from Ichigo.
>Ah, no. That's not it.

>I was just thinking about how it's been a month since then.

>One month since the last Queen Cup,
>and one month since Ichigo went abroad.
>It went by in a flash.
>Yeah.
>It's great that everyone's been so busy.
>The days went by so quickly
>that there wasn't even time to stand still.

>...The moon.
>Just before the Queen Cup season,
>when I took a walk with Ichigo, the moon was just like this.

p5
>Yeah.
>It was around that time you got that movie role, Aoi.
>That's right. The two of us were talking about how nice it was to listen to "moonlight destiny" under the moon.

>"I wonder if we made a promise before we were even born too."
>"Maybe we promised to become idols together."

>I didn't think,
>I'd be able to sing like this.

>Aoi...
>Y'see...

p6
>I've been hiding something from you, Ran.

>Eh...?
>"Romance is forbidden for idols! But one-sided feelings are okay!"
>...You said that before, didn't you, Ran?
>Remember that?

>I've had one-sided feelings
>for Ichigo. This whole time.

p7
>Truth be told, I was thinking about confessing to Ichigo after the Queen Cup.

>...I'm sorry
>for dropping this on you.

>Even though the three of us, you, me and Ichigo, were always together,
>in actuality, I always wanted
>to be something different to a friend to Ichigo.
>I was looking at her in a way that wasn't normal.

>I didn't want to hide it from you since you're one of my best friends, Ran,
>but telling you about it would've just troubled you.
>Even so, I've been wanting to tell someone for so long...

p8
>Eh?
>R-
>Ran...?
>I knew.

>Eh...?
>I've been watching you all this time, Aoi.

p9
>I knew you've been looking at Ichigo in that way.
>What's more,

>I've also been
>looking at you in the same way.
>...No way.
>I'm the one who should be apologising.
>What
>does that mean...?

p10
>Even though I should know best how much you're suffering from being apart from Ichigo,
>I knew that I couldn't become Ichigo's replacement
>so I didn't know what to do.
>We both became busy with our jobs
>even though I should've been by your side supporting you.

>Aoi, I...
>...W-
>Wait, Ran.
>Um.
>Erm.
>achoo

p11
>Sorry...
>You were in the middle of something important.
>I'm the one who should apologise for bringing this up outside.
>Let's head back to the dorm.
>Yeah...

>But I feel better for getting that out of my system.
>Thanks, Ran.
>Ehehe

>Autumn's almost over, huh...

>Thanks?
>Thanks for what?

p12
>Sorry for the wait, Aoi.
>It's fine!
>I just got here myself.

>Just barely missed out on the bathhouse, huh?
>I've been using the shower in my room all week.
>Same here.
>...but.

>To be honest, I'm relieved.
>Ah, Sakura-chan updated her Kirakiratter for the first time in 17 days!
>It's been a while since I've seen her with her hair down...
>If I were to see Aoi naked now,
>I wouldn't been way too conscious about it...

p13
>...

>Hey, um.

>Y-You go first, Aoi.
>No, no. You go first, Ran!

>...

>About what we talked about earlier.

>I was worried that dropping that on you so suddenly
>would've creeped you out or something.
>But y'know,
>I'm happy that we can just talk normally like this...

p14
>...That's why,
>um,

>just like always, I'd like us
>to do idol activities together as friends...

>...Eh?
>Eh?

>You mean that thing
>wasn't what I thought it meant?
>Wah.

>Y'know, that thing
>where you said you looked at me in that way.

p15
>Stuff like k-kissing
>...or what comes after that.
>I wondered if those were the kinds of things you wanted to do.

>...Hey!
>Waah! I hate this!
>Now it sounds like I'm the only one thinking about that!
>Forget what I said! Forget it...!
>This is so not chill~

>Eh? No, that's not what I meant!
>Well, it kinda is, but...
>Wait, what am I saying...!?

>Then do you want out relationship to stay the same, Ran?
>Eh...?

p16
>My feelings of "love" for Ichigo
>are "that kind"
>of "love", y'know...?

>Not just as a friend.
>It's more...
>I dunno...
>...I also
>feel the same way.

p17
>I've been wanting... to kiss you.
>I-I've also thought about going beyond that, if possible.

>But Ichigo is the one you...
>I
>love you too, Ran.

>Huh!?
>...No, not like that...
>It's true that up until now, I've thought of you as my best friend
>and hadn't even considered doing that kind of thing with you.

>But y'know,
>when you were taking your shower, Ran, I did a little thinking on my own.
>...I imagined kissing you and having... sex with you,

p18
>and that's when I realised
>that I don't think I'd hate that at all...

>Eh...?
>So in other words...

>Ran, should we
>try dating each other...?