Lunch break arrived, and I pulled the meal I’d bought at the convenience store out of my bag. As I stood up and looked toward Ichinose-san, I felt a piercing gaze stabbing me from just in front of her.
Th-This is going to be a hard walk...
Ashida sat in her seat, facing forward but tracking me with a half-lidded stare. We’d planned to eat outside on this perfect day for an outing, so she was clearly unhappy with me for bailing on them. As proof, my phone was buzzing with a flood of Moai emojis from her. What kind of emotional expression was that even supposed to be? The fact that she was using emojis instead of stickers made it feel way too real. Crap... Ashida’s face was starting to look more and more chiseled.
I couldn’t even turn my head to the right. I wondered what kind of look Natsukawa was giving me from right in front of my eyes... A scornful gaze? Was it a jito-me? Wait, a jito-me from Natsukawa? Isn’t that, like, super rare? Do I have no choice but to look now...?
—Glance.
"..."
Sh-She was looking up at me with a scornful gaze...?!
Th-That’s adorable...! Even for me, someone who had been subjected to her exasperated expressions countless times, this was a first! Even as an expert in the Natsukawa Department, I was no match for this. Anime girls didn't stand a chance! The real you is the best!
"............What?"
"Heh?! Ah, no... it’s, it’s nothing."
"...I see."
Damn... What was this? I felt my heart throb more than when she treated me kindly. Shouldn't I normally be hurt when she acts cold? Had my mental resilience been forged too much by Nee-chan? To the point where a little bit of psychological damage felt like a massage... What the hell? I’m practically built for show business...
Even if I craved that reaction, I didn't intend to sour her mood for no reason. I should just head over to Ichinose-san’s spot and get out of the classroom quickly. If I lingered too long, I felt like Ashida was going to start looking like nothing but a Moai statue.
"Ah—hey, um..."
"Eh? Wh-What is it?"
"About that... would it be bad if... I came along?"
"Came along—you mean Ichinose-san and me, plus you and Ashida?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"..."
Came along... came along... came along...
The words echoed in my head. In Natsukawa's voice, of course. And it wasn't a delusion; she had actually said it to me. If this were a soundproof room with no one else around, I would have jumped for joy and smashed through the ceiling while screaming at the top of my lungs. More than anything, the fact that Natsukawa hadn't shown any rejection toward me lately was dangerous.
...Calm down. Don't get used to this, Sajou. Even if Natsukawa has no ill intent, this is a trap. A guy’s misunderstandings start from stuff like this. Be thoughtful. If I just nod without thinking, I’m liable to get burned.
I suppressed my surging excitement and tried to think calmly.
First, there was Ichinose-san. From her part-time job experience, I thought she’d gotten used to dealing with customers, but that was strictly because she was in Work Mode. I suspected her shy nature probably hadn't changed much. If I asked if it was okay for Natsukawa and Ashida to join us, she probably wouldn't say "no," but she might not actually be very keen on the idea...
Especially with Ashida. It wasn't that she was noisy enough to make people uncomfortable, but there was no doubt she was an extrovert. Ichinose-san knew that, so I worried she might feel restless just by her being there. I felt like she wouldn't get used to it unless they interacted in a different environment, like at the bookstore...
"Hmm... I’ll go ask."
"I-I see..."
◆
"I'm so hungry~ My stomach was growling the whole time during class."
"Really? I didn't hear it."
"You didn't? Then that’s good."
"Um, excuse me..."
When I headed toward Ichinose-san’s seat, she was already surrounded by Shirai-san and Okamo-chan. Between the two of them, Ichinose-san was flustered, looking like she wanted to say something. Maybe I was too late... It didn't seem like Ichinose-san would come over on her own; it looked like those two always approached her first. But seeing her make friends who were so nice to her made this papa want to cry—wait, I'm not her papa, am I?
They say three women make a market, but I felt a sense of calm from these three. Both Shirai-san and Okamo-chan were the types to giggle quietly, and Ichinose-san was refined enough to either smile or hide her mouth. It seemed like a pleasant atmosphere... To be honest, I was starting to feel like this would be better for her than having lunch with me. Actually, please let me join in too.
"Oh? Sajou-kun?"
"Ah..."
"Ah—... should we skip it for today?"
"! N-No...!"
When I spoke from a bit of a distance, Ichinose-san stood up abruptly. Mm, agile movements. The experience she cultivated at her job was paying off. The day I’d grant her the title of Intermediate Level Part-timer was close. First Form—Time Card Slash!
"Eh, eh? Is something going on?"
"I had a promise to eat with Ichinose-san today."
"What? I haven't heard anything about that."
"I'm really sorry."
I reflexively gave a genuine apology to Okamo-chan, who looked like she couldn't believe it. I bet she wanted to be close with Ichinose-san... If I suddenly snatched her away while she was asserting her friendship every day, she’d obviously want to complain. It reminded me of how, back in elementary school, I used to collect eraser shavings every day while doing homework to make a nice piece of kneaded eraser, only for Nee-chan to throw it outside as far as she could, which made me snap. When I tried to attack her, she put me in a Mexican Surfboard and made me cry.
"Ehh~ No. Mina-chan is mine."
"No, she’s mine."
"Eh."
"Eh, ah, r-really...?"
When she said "Mine!", I got a bit defensive myself. It’s not like I seriously thought of her as mine, but the length of time we’d been involved and the number of times she’d relied on me were different. No matter if my opponents were Okamo-chan or Shirai-san, I felt like I couldn't yield yet when it came to who was closer to her.
"Well, I’ll return her soon. Can't you let it slide just for today? Look, it seems like Sasaki is free right now."
"U-Um."
"Then, shall we go, Ichinose-san... Ichinose-san?"
"——Y-Yeph..."
Huh... something seemed off.
I had seen Ichinose-san get bright red and freeze up in front of customers countless times when we first met, so following that same logic, I took her hand and moved her a short distance away. This happened occasionally for reasons I didn't quite understand, so for now, I just needed her to calm down.
"Are you okay, Ichinose-san?"
"Y-Yes..."
I waited for Ichinose-san as she placed a hand on her chest, trying to settle herself. Had there been such a nerve-wracking moment...? I didn't want to poke a hornets' nest by prying carelessly, so I decided to just wait for her to calm down.
◆
"Ichinose-san, have you decided where to eat today...?"
"Ah... um, I was thinking... the Resource Room in the Library..."
"The Library... Ah, right, Ichinose-san, you became a Library Committee Member. But won't there be other committee members from different classes? Is it okay to eat and drink there?"
"Um... we're allowed to eat in the Resource Room... There’s a senior there, but that senior brought their close friends too..."
"I-I see..."
When I asked the now-calm Ichinose-san, she seemed to have already decided on a spot. I couldn't hide my surprise at it being a more secluded place than I’d expected. Judging by Ichinose-san’s attitude, that senior was probably with friends of the same gender... Wouldn't the story change a bit if she suddenly brought a guy along?
"Ah—... so, um. Ichinose-san."
"?"
"Well... I think you called me over because you had something to talk about. Is it okay if I bring other people? If it’s something you don't want others to hear, I’ll turn them down."
"Eh... um, 'other people'...?"
"Natsukawa and Ashida..."
"..."
Ichinose-san fell silent, her mouth slightly agape. I wasn't doing anything wrong, yet I felt extremely awkward. Wait, was it something wrong? For Ichinose-san, bringing other people—especially people she never usually talked to—to a place where we were supposed to eat as a pair might be a devilish act.
I didn't think the Resource Room in the Library was large enough for many people anyway, so I should probably turn them down after all. Thinking calmly, being one guy with three girls would be awkward for me too.
"Ah—... on second thought, I’ll tell those two—"
"I-It’s okay."
"Eh?"
"I... I also thought I’d like to try talking to them once..."
"Eh?"
Wait... Ichinose-san wanted to try talking to Natsukawa and Ashida...? You’re telling me Ichinose-san said she wanted to talk to people she doesn't usually speak with of her own accord...? Isn't that cause for a celebration with red rice?! I have to go buy some sesame salt!
"I-I understand. I’ll go tell them."
"Y-Yeah..."
Ichinose-san... you’ve really grown... I'm seriously about to cry. I was worried that she’d end up alone reading books all the time again once we were in different classes in our second year, but at this rate, I don't need to worry. She’s gradually getting used to Okamo-chan and Shirai-san too; I'm relieved.
"Natsukawa! Ichinose-san said it’s okay for you two to come—Natsukawa?"
"..."
When I returned to Natsukawa after getting Ichinose-san’s permission, Natsukawa was looking away with a slightly pouting face. She was staring out the window, looking a bit grumpy. It seemed like she was in a bad mood for some reason. Right next to her, Ashida was holding her face as if to say she’d messed up.
"Eh? What’s up, Ashida? Did you get into a fight with Natsukawa or something? You should apologize right away."
"Sajocchi... I heard everything, you know?"
"Eh? Oh... "
............Oh?