Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093076684326416/episodes/16818093076713401431
“Ken, there you are.”
There was only one person who called Takeru ‘Ken’.
Slowly, I looked up and checked the direction I heard the voice, and as I had foreseen, there was Akari.
Her eyebrows were lowered, her lips were tightly knit, and there was a glimpse of anger in her expression.
“Wha…..why are you here, Akari?
A lot has happened, but in the end, I never told Akari that I was having lunch in the old school building. So why is she here?
Akari’s shoulders were a little up and down, and she seemed to be sweating a little despite the chilly weather. Nevertheless, it seems like she was running, looking for Takeru
Akari ignored Takeru’s question and walked up to them, and then glanced at Chisato.
“…So Chisato chan was…..Ken’s new friend?”
Chisato, who was called by name, replied without changing her expression.
“It’s been a while, Sato senpai.”
Takeru’s understanding could not catch up with him.
Akari’s sudden appearance. And from the way they seemed to know each other, even though Takeru had not introduced her, it seemed as if they had originally known each other.
Takeru wonders if there was any connection between the two, but nothing in common comes to mind.
As Takeru was sorting through the information, Akari’s gaze returned to him.
“Well, that’s enough. Ken, I wanna ask you some questions, can you lend me your face for a minute?”
Akari pointed to the school building with her thumb and said in a hushed voice. The way she called out was that of a delinquent.
Takeru was afraid that she would get even more angry if he refused, so when he calmly tried to sit up, Chisato spoke up.
“Takeru was having lunch with me right now. Can’t you do it after that?”
At Chisato’s words, Akari’s eyebrows twitched.
Then, with one cheek twitching, she turns to Chisato with a drawn-out smile.
“T-Takeru…Chisato chan, he’s a senior, alright? Shouldn’t you call him Shiota senpai?”
Akari’s appearance was so powerful that it sent chills down Takeru’s spine, but Chisato retorted in a discouraged manner.
“Takeru doesn’t belong to the same club as me and Sato senpai, so I don’t think we need to be particularly conscious of hierarchical relationships. ‘Takeru’ asked me to call him that.”
Chisato said, emphasizing Takeru’s name.
Chisato and Akari were in the same tennis club. This was surprising since she loved books and had no idea about exercise.
If they were in the same club, it is understandable that they know each other, but what is the bleak atmosphere surrounding them?
Chisato’s words were met with a glare from Akari, who looked at Takeru as if to confirm the truth of the matter.
Takeru is intimidated by her power, but manages to answer.
“Y-yeah, I did ask Chisato san to call me that. I don’t really care what she calls me…..?”
Akari then holds her head, shakes her head from side to side, and mumbles in confusion.
“Ken calls Chisato chan ‘san’….what kind of relationship both of you had…..?”
Akari seems to be confused about Takeru and Chisato’s relationship.
When you think about it, it is understandable.
Takeru and Chisato have no connection at all.
If it weren’t for Chisato, who happened to be hungry in front of Shiota Diner….. and the extra bento that Akari refused to receive, this strange contractual relationship between the two would not have been born.
Akari looked lost for a while, then sighed as if she had given up.
[Okay, I’ll ask here] Akari said as if she had made up her mind, looked at Takeru and Chisato in turn, and opened her mouth a little nervously. [Um…maybe the two of you are dating…?]
Takeru couldn’t help but blurt it out. Certainly, if the two of us were having lunch alone in such a deserted place, it couldn’t be helped that people would misunderstand us that way.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to deny it, Chisatp put her hand in front of Takeru and stopped him, answering Akari’s question instead.
“If Takeru and I were dating, would it be necessary to tell that to Sato senpai?”
[ [Wha….! ! ] ]
Takeru and Akari’s eyes widened in astonishment at the same time.
What did you say ! Takeu tries to deny it, but Chisato continues speaking before he can.
“Because Sato senpai didn’t tell Takeru that you were dating Yasaka senpai.”
Takeru is confused because he cannot understand Chisato’s words.
I haven’t been told that Akari was dating Yasaka senpai…..?
What is Chisato san saying? No doubt Takeru heard it from Akari’s mouth, and he must have explained that one to Chisato.
Takeru opens his mouth to correct Chisato’s words.
“Chisato san, I heard about Akari and Yasaka-senpai starting a relationship directly from Akari’s mouth as I told you last month, remember?”
“You know, Takeru, it wasn’t long after I entered the university that Sato senpai and Yasaka senpai started going out. “
Chisato’s words made Takeru look at Akari’s expression, and Akari’s face contorted as if she had been hit in a sore spot.
It was only last month that Takeru found out that Akari and Yasaka senpai were dating. If what Chisato said was true, Akari had kept quiet about it from Takeru for almost half a year.
“I-is that right, Akari?”
“That…that’s…..!”
Akari remained downcast and did not answer Takeru’s question.
If this is true, Akari’s behavior seems strange. With her personality, if she had a boyfriend, she would immediately brag about it. It is unthinkable that she would remain silent for six months.
After a few seconds of silence, Chisato narrows her eyes and says sharply.
“Insurance, I guess?”
“N-no, it’s not ! ! !”
Akari suddenly shouted loudly to deny Chisato’s words.
Insurance….Takeru had no idea what she was talking about, but Akari seemed to react strongly to those words.
Akari continued to speak, glaring at Chisato as she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.
“…..You’re the worst, Chisato chan, saying something like that…….!”
“………”
Chisato, however, was not to be outdone and silently glared back at her.
The air has gone hellish, but Takeru, who has no idea what the word ‘insurance’ means and doesn’t understand why Akari is so angry, doesn’t know how to intercede.
Beep, beep, beep.
At that moment, Takeru’s phone rang. It was the alarm he had set for himself just before the start of third period. It is a dreadful alarm that signals the end of a pleasant lunch, but only today it sounds like a bell of salvation.
Chisato silently looks away from Akari, hands Takeru the bento, which she had already eaten, and sits up to gather her things.
“Well, I have third period, so I’ll be going now. Takeru, thanks again for today’s lunch.”
“Y-yes…… You’re welcome……”
Chisato said that and left as if nothing had happened.
After Chisato left, Akari hung her head and started muttering something. Takeru becomes worried and calls out to her.
“…..Erm, Akari? Are you okay?”
However, as if Takeru’s words hadn’t reached her, Akari kept her head down, looking far away and muttering something.
“……Chisato chan is terrible……absolutely no good,……because Chisato chan is……”
Not good, it seems nothing Takeru said was heard.
Takeru sighs, gives up on calling out to Akari, puts away his half-eaten lunch, gathers his things, and sits up.
Then, as he passes Akari, he remembers something important and calls out to her.
“Ah, that’s right. I’m not dating Chisato san, so please don’t spread any strange rumors.”
If I didn’t say this, there was a possibility that I would cause trouble for Chisato san.
Then, these words seemed to have reached her, and Akari grabbed both of Takeru’s shoulders and shook them.
“R-really !? That’s not a lie, is it !?”
Takeru flinched at her uncanny power as he answered.
“I-it’s true. That’s why I want you to stop causing any more trouble to Chisato san. Also…please don’t come here anymore. Today was…..I really didn’t like it.”
The latter part was said in an angry tone. Then, avoiding looking at Akari’s face, he shook off her hand and rushed off to his third period class.
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Hm. At first I thought this was one of those classic Zama bss with an insecure unrequited love mc and a dense childhood friend. But it turns out his crush probably knows he likes her and wants to keep him around in case her relationships fail.
that’s even worse.
What does Zama bss mean? Bss probably for Boku ni Sarete Shimashita but the Zama?
BSS is some form of ntr that roughly translates to ‘Even though I liked her first”, basically the mc’s crush gets taken away from him and it’s supposed to evoke a feeling of ntr even thought they were never together in the first place. Idk what zama translates to but I remember people saying it’s a tag from syosetsu where the people who treated the mc like crap gets their karma/comeuppance and they regret doing it in the first place. An example of Zama is “Mind Swap”, you can find it on novelupdates.