Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051597934651646/episodes/2912051600501041215
All the morning classes had ended, and the bell signaling lunch break rang out throughout the school.
The students rose from their seats all at once, and the classroom was filled with a buzz of excitement and the aroma of colorful bento boxes.
Seika Hirugami clutched her smartphone under her desk, staring intently at the screen.
She opened a messaging app, and her fingertips trembled slightly as she typed on the chat screen with Achi Hotarou.
“Wanna eat lunch at the Literature Club?”
The moment she pressed the send button, Seika’s heart began pounding like a drum.
(W-w-w-what should I do? If he turns me down, I’ll die of shock!)
She flattened her invisible dog ears against her head, covered her face with both hands, and squirmed in agony.
Her smartphone vibrated briefly, and a short reply appeared on the screen: “Let’s do it.”
(Woohoo! I did it!)
Seika struck a victory pose in her mind and wagged her invisible tail so hard it felt like it might snap off.
Trembling with joy, she grabbed her bag containing her homemade lunch and stood up with a burst of energy.
However, when she glanced at the seat next to her, Houtarou was already gone.
“Wait, wait—”
Near the classroom entrance, she saw Houtarou’s back disappearing into the hallway.
Left behind, Seika let out a dazed cry.
(Maybe he didn’t want to walk with me?)
In an instant, she was plunged from heaven into hell, and she felt like she was about to collapse to her knees in despair.
She walked down the hallway with heavy steps and opened the door to the Literature Club room.
The smell of old, musty paper and the faint scent of dust tickled her nose.
However, there was no sign of Houtarou inside the clubroom; only her best friend, Miyuki Kayano, was sitting at the long table reading a paperback.
“Huh? Achi-kun isn’t here…”
“Miyukin, what should I do?! Achi-kun might hate me now!”
Seika clung to Miyuki with a face on the verge of tears and buried her face on the desk.
Miyuki snapped her book shut and let out a deep, exasperated sigh.
Then, addressing the innocent gal writhing with her head in her hands, she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Haa. Listen, I think he probably didn’t go with you so he wouldn’t stand out in class.”
“…Huh?”
“If you’d walked out of the classroom openly with a boy, people would’ve looked at you funny again, right? He was worried about that, so he went ahead.”
At Miyuki’s spot-on observation, Seika snapped her head up as if she’d been jolted.
Her despair from just moments ago vanished as if it had never existed, and a sparkle returned to her eyes.
“I get it! I’m totally loved! Yay!”
“Haa…”
Seika cupped her cheeks with both hands, flashed a goofy grin, and wriggled her body from side to side.
At that spectacular about-face, Miyuki let out the biggest sigh of the day.
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