The "regular spot" Miyama had mentioned turned out to be a weathered old candy store near the station.
"A—A candy store?! Not Snoto or something like that?"
"Yep! Candy stores are super cheap, right? That means I can eat tons of snacks, so I love them!"
I—I see... Miyama really has had a tough time of it, hasn't she?
"I've been coming to candy stores since I was in elementary school, you know? There used to be one near my house, too, but it closed down. So this one near the station is my go-to now!"
"Huh. So you come here after your shifts?"
"Yeah! I usually buy about ten Umyaa Sticks or Kinako Sticks before heading home!"
I see. So Miyama’s busty figure was essentially built out of cheap candy...
In that case, we should immediately start feeding mountains of cheap sweets to middle and high school students nationwide.
A Super Busty Society. This should be a matter of Important National Strategy, a project for the entire country to tackle.
"Ryouta? Why the sudden serious face?"
"Oh, no, I was just thinking about some political matters..."
"Politics?! You really are amazing, Ryouta, thinking about such difficult things."
"Ah, hahaha."
That was close... I almost got caught thinking about something completely degenerate.
Having successfully smoothed things over, I followed Miyama into the shop.
As I pushed the sliding door open, a wind chime tinkled. An elderly man, presumably the owner, walked slowly from a back room to the register.
"So this is... a candy store."
Traditional starch syrup, hand-shaped gummies, and those tiny, colorful mochi cakes—it had everything that defined an old-school candy store. They even had lottery drawings, string-pull games, and darts.
Faded flyers were plastered on the shop windows, and there were even arcade cabinets that looked like they might barely still work. Looking at the price tags, most of the sweets were only ten to thirty yen. It was so cheap it was hard to believe we were living in an era of soaring prices.
Everything felt so nostalgic. It was impressive that a space like this still existed.
"Is this your first time in a candy store, Ryouta?"
"No, back in elementary school, I used to ride my bike quite a ways to get to one..."
"Oh! So you’re used to them?"
"Y—Yeah. But I haven't been to one in ages."
Back in elementary school, when I was a Wafer Kid, I used to scavenge for them at the neighborhood supermarket or candy stores whenever a series I was an oshi of released a new set.
Feeling nostalgic, I reached for a sentai-themed wafer on a slightly higher shelf. Proportional to the height of the shelf, the wafer was a bit pricier than the other items at a hundred yen. Judging by the dust, it didn't seem to be selling very well.
"Oh, are you going for a wafer, Ryouta?"
"Ah, no, I was just looking."
"Wafers are great, aren't they?"
Miyama seemed unusually fond of them. I figured most people who bought them weren't after the snack itself, but the bonus item inside.
"I have very deep memories when it comes to wafers."
"D—Deep memories?"
"Yeah. Like I told you before, my family was really poor when I was in elementary school, so I could only buy snacks once in a long while."
Miyama took the sentai wafer from my hand and began to speak wistfully.
"On the days I couldn't buy anything, I’d sit on the red bench in front of the store and watch everyone else eat. But one day, a boy with a blue bag in his hand suddenly sat down next to me and gave me a wafer!"
"A... boy with a blue bag."
Come to think of it, I felt like I’d heard a similar story somewhere before. Listening to her, a sudden, fuzzy sense of déjà vu washed over me. I felt like I’d heard this recently... or was it just my imagination?
"Apparently, the boy just wanted the sticker, so he gave the wafer part to me. I was so happy back then..."
As Miyama spoke, her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Was she really that moved by a single wafer?
"I was always bullied just for being poor, so I’d never had a kid my age be kind to me before. I think that boy was from a different elementary school, but from That Day on, I’ve always loved him. That’s why I didn't have any interest in other boys until high school. I couldn't even bring myself to get a boyfriend."
"I—I see."
Good god, I’m so jealous of that guy...!
If Miyama is still in love with him, then if they ever reunited, they’d definitely start dating. He'd have an all-access pass to that incredible body! Winning the heart of a busty beauty like Miyama with a single wafer... I was beyond envious. If he’s never going to show his face, I wish he’d just swap places with me... though a lecherous guy like me probably couldn't be like that "prince."
Crying on the inside, I ended up buying that wafer and a random bottled ramune. Miyama, meanwhile, bought ten Umyaa Sticks.
"Hey, hey, since we’re here, let’s sit on the bench outside and eat!"
"O—Oh."
At Miyama’s suggestion, I sat down on the long red bench in front of the shop. Eating snacks at a candy store with a friend... this was an experience I never got to enjoy back in elementary school.
"Mmm~, Umyaa Sticks are so umyaa!"
Miyama opened her mouth wide and crunched away. Crumbs fell onto her massive chest, slightly staining her uniform. A bust so big the crumbs didn't even make it to the ground... truly magnificent.
"Mufu~, you really can't beat an Umyaa Stick."
Watching Miyama from the side as she frantically stuffed one big, thick "Umyaa Stick" after another into her mouth, my own "umyaa stick" was gradually getting thick, too—
"Ryouta? What have you been staring at?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing! Wait, crap!"
Panicking, I accidentally opened the bottled ramune while looking away. The foam sprayed out all over my hand.
"Ugh, I'm all sticky."
"Geez, what are you doing?! Ryouta, you're hilarious~"
Miyama giggled as she pulled a pack of pocket tissues from her bag and handed me a couple.
"Here, wipe your hand. You don't want to stay all sticky, right?"
"O—Oh. Thanks, Miyama."
She really was kind. At first, I thought she’d feel nothing but disgust for an otaku like me, but as we spent more time together, we’d somehow become this close.
But since Miyama had her Wafer Prince, she probably didn't see me as a man. The same went for Yuria and Kuroki. Even if we’d become friends, both of them had boys they fell for in the past. Yuria had her Prince Who Gave the Manga, and Kuroki had her Prince Who Saved the Cat.
By the time anyone reached their second year of high school, they’d usually already had their first love and had someone they liked. A girl who would fall for a weak male high schooler like me at this stage... they were hard to come by.
"Sigh..."
"Ryouta~, I want to eat a wafer too~"
"A wafer? Sure, sure. I only want the sticker anyway, so you can have the wafer."
I opened the packaging, took out the sticker for myself, and held the wafer out to Miyama. I held it out... but she didn't take it. She just stared.
"Huh?"
"............!"
"H—Hey, Miyama?"
"Um... it’s just, that kind of overlapped... or rather, that was the exact same line."
"What?"
"I—It’s nothing! Thanks for the wafer!"
Miyama snatched the wafer from me and ate it in one big bite.
"Cough, cough! Oh no, I inhaled the crumbs and choked."
"See, that's what happens when you eat so fast. Here, you can drink my ramune."
"Th—Thanks, Ryouta."
Miyama took the bottle from me and gulped it down.
"Phew, haah! I feel alive again. Ryouta, you’re a lifesaver!"
"Hey now, you're exaggerating just because you choked a bit."
"No. I think you really are a lifesaver, Ryouta... probably."
"?"
Instead of her usual innocent grin, Miyama wore a slightly more mature, quiet smile as she handed the bottle back to me.
"Thank you—Ryouta."
"Eh, ah, yeah."
Miyama seemed a little strange just now. She looked as though she had unburdened herself somehow.
Setting that aside, this bottled ramune... wasn't this an indirect kiss chance, the first one since Snoto? Yuria had gotten in the way last time, but if I drank this... I’d finally get to... kiss... Miyama!
I checked my surroundings and took a long swig of the ramune. The mild carbonation stung my throat, and my lips practically trembled with excitement.
I did it. The one Miyama shared her first kiss with wasn't the Wafer Prince! It was me, Ryouta!
"Ryouta..."
"Hmm?"
As I was losing myself in my pathetic virgin thoughts, Miyama spoke up.
"Um... n—never mind, it’s nothing!"
"Eh? What is it?"
"Anyway, it’s nothing! More importantly, hurry up and finish the ramune so we can go home. Walk me home, okay?"
"I don't mind, but..."
"Ehehe, yay!"
Miyama had looked like she really wanted to say something earlier. I just hoped it wasn't about the indirect kiss. That was all I could think about as we set off.