(Sutamai) Short Story, DGS July 2018

[nhp]

Do you like men who wear glasses?

 

Summary: At a bar counter set up inside a serene cafe, the two who normally don’t wear glasses were sporting a pair as they engaged in conversation…...

 

Characters: Kagura Aki & Otani Hatori.

 

 

Otani: You look good with glasses, Kagura.

 

Kagura: And you as well, Hatori. Though your face looks as if you’re scheming something even more so than usual. 

 

Otani: How cruel you are. I’m not scheming anything of any sort.

 

Kagura: (I wonder about that……)

And? You said something about the topic this time being “men who wear glasses”.

 

Otani: Yep. There are many women who love a pair of glasses after all. 

You might even be able to say that they’re already an item of love.

 

Kagura: You’re going so far as to say that when they’re only glasses?

 

Otani: Oh, what’s this? Are you perhaps appalled?

 

Kagura: Of course. Love sprouting from glasses? How utterly ridiculous.

 

Otani: But even you use them as an accessory in your photoshoots, right?

 

Kagura: I don’t use them for the sake of making people fall in love or anything.

They’re simply a tool to just put on an “intellectual” air…… 

 

Otani: Yeah. I think the effect of glasses is that staged “intellectual” aspect.

That, and the “gap”.

 

Kagura: “Gap”?

 

Otani: That “gap” where men who normally don’t wear glasses wear them.

 

Kagura: I’ve heard about that before but is there any credibility to it?

 

Otani: Yep. I often hear talk of people loving that sort of disparity.

Simply put, I’m sure there are people who love glasses, but the biggest effect from wearing a pair are probably those two.

 

Kagura: Hmmm. And? How exactly are you supposed to utilize glasses as an item of love?

 

Otani: Let’s see now. Like, wearing them only at night to give off a sense of being in one’s private time.

 

Kagura: (For him, isn’t having someone you can show your private life to the number one most irrelevant thing?)

 

Otani: How would you put them to use, Kagura?

 

Kagura: Glasses aren’t meant to be worn as a bargaining tactic. I wouldn’t use them.

 

Otani: It’s the same thing with the accessories used in photoshoots. Try thinking about them as an item to effectively enhance your features.

Let’s see…… For you, Kagura, you would wear them while working so wouldn’t it be good to show off your side profile?

 

Kagura: Only about the staff would see something like that.

 

Otani: Well now, are you sure?

 

Kagura: Well…… For better or worse, something like that might be a good thing for you, Hatori. 

 

Otani: Oh? Whatever do you mean by that?

 

Kagura: Because from what I can hear for a while now, it sounds like you’re aiming to hit all the bases. 

 

Otani: Haha. In the first place, I won’t be able to pull it off unless I’m looking for love, right?

 

Kagura: In your case, you make everything out to be a game so you honestly are the worst.

 

Otani: Hmmm. So I take it that you don’t play around, Kagura.

 

Kagura: Excuse me?

 

Otani: Well then, how are things lately?

 

Kagura: Wait, what…… That has nothing to do with this.

 

Otani: Sure it does. It matters, you know?

 

Kagura: Whether I’m playing around with her or not, that’s not the sort of relationship that we have…… 

 

Otani: Oh? No one said anything about “her”.

I was simply wondering if you play around with fashion or not. Like with wearing glasses and such.

 

Kagura: …… You really are the worst. Despicable.

 

Otani: You think so? It’s just the usual playing around with words now.

 

Kagura: With the way that you are, you probably do the same things to her.

 

Otani: For example?

 

Kagura: Like purposely bumping into her or creating unavoidable circumstances where you bump into each other. 

Although this seems to be different from your usual methods of fooling around?

 

Otani: So that’s where you’re coming from.

 

Kagura: So? What’s the situation?

 

Otani: Hmmm. How I toy around with her is different.

It’s amusing to see her outdo and throw off my expectations with her erratic behavior and reactions. 

 

Kagura: …… I won’t argue with that. But aren’t you concerning yourself over it too much?

Or rather, it’s oddly rare of you to show this much interest.

 

Otani: Really? Though at most, I only intend on being a good friend.

It’s not as if I’m taking it seriously.

 

Kagura: You mean “for now” that is.

 

Otani: !

(I almost want to return those words right back at him…… with something like “it’s oddly rare of you to be so taken by her, Kagura”.)

 

Kagura: Well, whatever. But do put yourself in the position of the person involved.

 

Otani: Uh-huh. You give quite the fascinating reactions as well, Kagura. 

 

Kagura: Pardon?

Why are you saying weird things?

 

Otani: I wonder if this is also due to her influence?

 

Kagura: Hey, cut it out. Of course that’s not it.

 

Otani: Ahaha. She really is amazing to be able to make you react like this.

 

Kagura: The same can be said for you as well. She’s made you persistent to this point after all.

 

Otani: Say, with the kind of girl that she is, don’t you think of wanting to surprise her?

 

Kagura: What do you mean by “surprise”?

 

Otani: Let’s go and see her next time while wearing glasses.

 

Kagura: Even if it is her, I don’t think that she’ll be shocked by something like this.

 

Otani: It’s her we’re talking about here? Even if she isn’t taken aback, aren’t you curious as to what she’ll say?

 

Kagura: …… 

(It certainly seems like she’d try her hardest for no reason just to compliment us.)

 

Otani: Yep, so it’s decided then.

 

Kagura: Don’t go deciding that on your own. It’s not like I’ve agreed or anything…… 

 

Otani: Then maybe I should go ahead and keep her smile all to myself.

 

Kagura: ……! 

 

The both of them naturally repositioned their glasses, and all the while picturing her smiling face, their conversation became even more heated.