“But still, does that give Remi a reason to avoid me? We’re childhood friends.”
“That’s exactly why, isn’t it?”
Yuzuha twirled her light gold hair around her finger.
“Because you’re childhood friends, I think she cares about you, Yoshiki. That’s how childhood friends are, right? Well, I wouldn’t know.”
“That last comment made everything unbelievable……”
At that statement, which was equivalent to “I take no responsibility,” I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Even so, I’ll definitely use it as a reference.
“I think you can trust it though, even if there’s no guarantee. Yoshiki, you’re about to have a rosy high school life, so if you don’t make up soon, you’ll lose out!”
“It’s not like we had a fight or anything. Well, I’ll try my best for now.”
At my declaration, Yuzuha grinned.
“Yeah. While you’re making up, make sure Hanazono-san doesn’t get the wrong idea, okay?”
“I’ll……keep that in mind.”
Indeed, that’s the kind of mistake I might fall into if I tried to solve things too eagerly.
Advice from the seemingly experienced Yuzuha is really helpful at times like this.
While feeling grateful inwardly, I chased after Remi.
After running a little, I could immediately spot my childhood friend’s figure from behind.
From the third floor where the first-years gather, I caught up to her as she was descending the stairs to the first floor.
“Re……Nikaido!”
“You……”
Perhaps sensing my footsteps, Remi turned around and glared at me.
It was a look that could blow Takeru back dozens of meters.
However, for me, with our long history, it was no damage.
I stood beside her and said in a light tone:
“Sorry, I shouldn’t call your name in front of people, right?”
“Even talking normally isn’t good. Do you understand your position?”
“You’re forgetting too, about putting on an act.”
“I’m not putting on an act, I’m just being ladylike!”
“The fact that you can say that yourself is proof otherwise.”
Remi made an expression of holding back what she wanted to say, and instead let out a big sigh.
“……You got a girlfriend, right? Congratulations, and goodbye.”
“Wait, wait, that doesn’t mean we can’t talk to each other!”
“It’s not wrong at all. Don’t you care about how others see us?”
“I do care, but—”
“It doesn’t look like it, so I’m asking.”
Remi replied as if exasperated and stopped walking.
A few more steps would take us to the courtyard entrance, which hardly any students pass through during this time.
I had felt that way when I was on duty, and apparently that perception wasn’t wrong.
In the still silence, I continued speaking to Remi.
“Then I’ll ask Hanazono too. Whether it’s okay to talk with Remi at school.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
After showing a slight hesitation, Remi opened her mouth.
“When asked like that, some people can only say yes. Especially when you’ve just started dating.”
“Is, is that how it is?”
“Probably. And also——”
Remi was about to continue but closed her mouth.
After a few seconds of subtle silence, Remi finally said:
“……Never mind.”
“What’s that about? Tell me.”
“Well, if you keep dating, you’ll understand eventually.”
Remi shrugged and headed back to the stairs.
I had thought she was going to the courtyard or the staff room, so I called out from behind.
“Hey, what business did you have on the lower floor?”
“The restroom.”
“Eh, why not the third floor?”
“This floor has fewer people. It’s more calming, I guess.”
……That’s the same thought process I had when I was a loner in middle school.
In Remi’s case, it’s probably because of jealousy from others and such reasons.
As I was thinking that, Remi suddenly stopped.
“……Hey, is Hanazono-san cute?”
“……Yeah. She’s really cute.”
“I see. Good for you.”
“Why are you still being cold!”
“Because it annoys me seeing you with that dopey look.”
“Of course I’d have a dopey look, she’s my girlfriend!”
“You’re so loud, I get it……”
Remi let out a weary sigh and climbed the stairs.
……Why does she seem a bit displeased?
You’re the one who sent me off to her.
Thinking that, I chased after Remi.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“Yosshi. Want to have lunch together?”
At Hanazono’s words, the surroundings became slightly restless.
Hanazono, who usually disappears somewhere as soon as lunch break starts, came straight toward me as soon as the chime rang.
At that point, I had hoped “maybe,” but I never thought she’d actually invite me.
“Eh, you mean me?”
When I asked back reflexively, Hanazono blinked her eyes.
Then she smiled softly.
“Yeah. You, Yosshi. There’s no one else here.”
“……Why me?”
“Eh……um? Yeah, I have something to discuss?”
When Hanazono answered, I could feel the interest around us receding.
The reaction was almost audible: “It’s business, right, of course it is.”
While feeling relieved inwardly, I gave a cool response: “Got it.”
Given that we’d decided to hide our relationship, the situation of Hanazono inviting me to lunch could raise suspicions.
I hadn’t put that concern into words, but she seemed to have sensed my true feelings and responded accordingly.
The exchange was like perfect harmony, and warmth settled in my chest.
When we moved to the hallway together, I asked a question right away.
“Hey, wasn’t that pretty risky just now? You don’t usually invite guys to lunch, do you, Hanazono?”
“Eh, it’s fine. I had a proper reason.”
“Well, you didn’t exactly state the reason clearly.”
I said that, but after Hanazono looked up slightly as if thinking, she just replied, “It’s fine.”
“I see. Then, um……should we go to the cafeteria?”
“No. That place has too many eyes on us. And if that senpai I turned down the other day is there, it would be a bit awkward.”
“Ah……that’s true.”
Hanazono had firmly rejected a soccer club senpai when he approached her.
Not much time had passed since then, so if we were seen eating together happily, it would certainly cause trouble.
“So, let’s go to the student council room? We can probably be alone today.”
Alone together.
I want to spend all day thinking about the meaning of calling the two of us “alone together.”
For me, who had never had a girlfriend before, it was such a high-happiness-level way of putting it.
“Alone together……right, let’s be alone together.”
Hanazono blinked and said with a slightly embarrassed look:
“……You can’t do anything perverted, okay?”
“I, I won’t!”
I denied it with all my might.
When we entered the student council room, it was truly empty.
The situation of being alone together made my throat gulp.
But my stomach also growled, drowning that out.
At the sound of my stomach, Hanazono giggled.
“Yosshi, you’re eager.”
“I’m just that hungry. Hey, it’s probably contagious to you too, Hanazono.”
“Yeah, I’m getting hungry too.”
How hungry you get during fourth period greatly depends on whether you had breakfast that day.
Even though I had eaten breakfast properly today, my stomach still growled.
Well, if it made my girlfriend laugh, then my stomach can rest in peace.
While basking in that satisfied feeling, I opened my lunch box lid.
Today’s side dishes seemed particularly luxurious.
……Mom, did you pick up on various things from yesterday?
Then Hanazono peeked her face over from the side.
“Wow, Yosshi’s lunch is fancy.”
“You have a lot of side dishes too, Hanazono. Is that store-bought?”
Hanazono’s was a convenience store bento.
I don’t have many opportunities to eat convenience store bentos.
That’s exactly why the menu items that occasionally appear on our dinner table and get me excited were packed in there.
To my question, Hanazono replied casually:
“Yeah. So mine’s just taking the easy way out.”
“Eh? Why, it looks really delicious! This only has stuff that guys like!”
“Is that so? It’s a bit heavy for girls though.”
Indeed, now that she mentioned it, it was centered around brown-colored dishes.
It was more like a menu that would make guys happy.
“Then, don’t convenience stores have salad-centered ones and stuff? Are you not good with those kinds?”
When I said that, Hanazono had just taken out her chopsticks but stopped completely.
Then she replied in a reserved tone:
“……I, I was hungry. When I invited you to lunch, I forgot that I had this bento today. I was trying to cook this morning, but……I overslept.”
Hanazono muttered as if she felt bad.
Listing words like excuses was unusual for her.
I reacted with “Cooking!”
Making food yourself.
I understand the meaning, but do all girls cook for themselves?
Yuzuha also cooks for herself,, and I don’t find it strange that Hanazono makes her own lunch.
But Remi has her parents make it for her, so I feel like that’s more normal.
“Basically, it’s troublesome to make just for myself. ……Ehehe, it’s unbecoming of a girl to be so lazy.”
Hanazono said embarrassedly.
“No, isn’t it amazing just to cook? I can barely manage cooking rice. Sometimes I mess up pressing the button or put in too much water and get scolded by my mom. Besides, it’s not about being a girl or not.”
“Is that so?”
Hanazono didn’t agree.
But her expression softened, so some of my words seemed to have reached her.
“Yosshi is admirable just for helping out.”
After Hanazono quietly praised me, she opened the seal of her convenience store bento.
Perhaps she had microwaved it beforehand, as it looked just barely edible.
Hanazono seemed a bit embarrassed.
“……Let’s exchange half our side dishes.”
“Eh?”
“We don’t often have that combination at my house.”
Croquette, spring rolls, small hamburger, and spaghetti.
Each dish could be the main course for the day.
For a male high school student who should still be growing, it was undoubtedly a feast.
“But Yosshi’s was made by your mother, right? Is it okay?”
“Yeah. I haven’t touched it with my chopsticks yet——”
Saying that, I picked up a piece of karaage with my own chopsticks.
“Here. Brown for brown exchange.”
“Eh.”
Hanazono looked at the soft-looking karaage with a puzzled expression.
“Also, I’ll give you the broccoli and cherry tomato too.”
“This much? Is it okay?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
I wondered if this might be unwelcome kindness.
Getting a bit worried, I looked over to see Hanazono about to eat the broccoli right away.
Relieved, I also put the karaage in my mouth.
Lunch with Hanazono made the convenience store bento side dishes ten times more delicious.
While I sometimes buy food at convenience stores, this was the first time eating like this inside school.
After Hanazono neatly bundled up the plastic bag that contained the convenience store bento, she put it in her bag.
I need to take a route with trash cans on the way back to the classroom.
I made a mental note of that.
After that,
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