Episode 17 – shopping mall

The long summer vacation for me and Touka finally started.

Since there was no school, I was able to get up later than usual. Thanks to this, I was able to get out of bed without any physical discomfort.

“I love summer vacation!”

With no time to say ……, I decided to start getting ready to go to the shopping mall.

“Wouldn’t Touka have been happier with a place where she could have more fun? But there was something she was looking for. I’m not sure what it is that she’s looking for,…….”

Instead of thinking about anything and preparing it, I choose clothes while thinking about today’s schedule and put my wallet in my bag.

“Well, summer vacation is a long time, so it’s good to go to the mall at least today. We might be able to buy some stuff to play with during the summer vacation.”

The meeting time was 10:00 a.m., as suggested by Touka.

I had breakfast and left the house 15 minutes before the meeting time and headed to the meeting place in perfect condition.

◇

Although I thought I had enough time to get to the meeting place, Touka arrived at the same time as I did.

“Good morning, Tohruka.”
“G-Good morning. Ma-kun.”

I had been staring at her face every time I saw her, but today I didn’t feel her gaze on my face so much. But I don’t think anything else about Touka has changed.

“Is it okay if we go for dinner first when we get to the mall like we did when we went to the movies before?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Then let’s go.”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“No, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Okay.”

I decided to ask her what she was looking for at the mall, which I had been curious about, after we started walking.

“Touka, what are you looking for at the mall?”
“Let’s see…I guess you’ll have to wait until we get to it…..”
“O-okay.”

Seeing Touka giving a wry smile as if she was forcing herself to do it, the conversation stopped and an awkward atmosphere was born between the two of us.

◇

We managed to arrive at the shopping mall and chose a restaurant that we both agreed on, and decided to have lunch.

We arrived at our table and finished ordering.
After ordering, I noticed that Touka was acting a little strange.

“Touka, are you all right? Is there something wrong?”

She looked tired after studying yesterday, but maybe she is suffering from summer fatigue.

“No, I’m fine. I’m sorry I made you worry.”
“If you’re having a hard time, just let me know and we’ll take it easy, okay? It’s summer vacation and you don’t want it to get worse and you won’t be able to enjoy it, do you?”
“hard time huh……..yeah, thanks!”

As we were talking, the items we had ordered after taking our seats were brought in.

Once the items we had ordered were lined up on the table, I decided to start eating.

I put a few bites of rice in my mouth and looked at Touka, noticing her staring at me.

“What’s wrong?”
“…no, it’s nothing.”

Every time I take a bite…… I feel like she’s glancing over at me.

◇

Nothing happened like before, and I was taken to a place where Touka sold what she was looking for.

“Can you tell me what kind of things you’re looking for?”
“Hmmm,…… something to wear?”

What kind of things to wear…… like summer clothes? If so, it’s a little late in the season. ……

“H-here. This is what I’m looking for.”

Before we could continue, we arrived at our destination. There were swimsuits suits there.

“Touka,…… perhaps you wanted to buy a swimsuit?”
“Yes, I did. If you’d like–“
“Are you promising to go with someone or something? not a man ……,right?”
“……, I’d like to go with a guy, at least.”

A guy ……. I didn’t know that Touka was getting along with a guy besides me. She told me she liked me, but with another guy …….

For a moment, I thought she wanted to go with me, but I don’t remember Touka asking me out. So it’s almost certain that I’ve been excluded from that guy.

“I’m sorry. I guess we should go home and break up today after all.”

I didn’t want to pick out a bathing suit to go with another guy.

“Ma-kun, you like swimming pools, don’t you? if you don’t like it. If that’s the case…”
“Hmm? I like it, but why does it come up now whether I like the pool or not? You’re going …… with …… a guy other than me, right?”
“eh …… makes you think like that? There’s no way I’m going. I don’t have any contact with any guys other than Ma-kun. I’m not interested in developing a relationship with them even if I did have contact with them.”

I think I can say that Touka overreacted, and then she began to talk eloquently.

“No, because I haven’t been asked to go to the pool.”

“I was thinking of asking you to go to the pool with me. …… I’m not interested in anyone else but you, so don’t worry. So how about it, will you go to the pool with me?”

I made up my mind when I saw Touka staring at me with cute eyes.
　

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Eh, Why?”
“If I go to the pool, I am sure that I can play in the water with Touka. But I …… don’t want Touka to go to the pool. It’s not like I don’t like Touka. It’s just that I don’t hate you, okay?”

If I go to the pool, I can play with Touka, it’s a fact without a doubt. However, it is also true that Touka in a swimsuit is exposed to the sight of men.

“Anyway, I don’t want to take Touka to the pool.”
“I understand….”

Touka could be picked up. I can’t tell Touka, but it’s better to be aware that various statuses are high.

My phone in my pocket trembled as I was having this conversation.

“I’ll make something up to you instead–“
“Phone’s ringing?”
“I’m sorry, can I pick up ……?”
“Yeah. I’ll wait.”

◇

The caller was my mom, who told me that she finished work early and that my dad was coming home tomorrow, and that she wanted me to buy some ingredients for a BBQ for Touka’s family if we were at the mall.

“I’m sorry. Tomorrow, they decided to have a BBQ with Touka’s family and ours. So, she asked me to buy some ingredients.”
“I see. …… I’m looking forward to it.”

Tomorrow plans have been decided, but I feel that the tension of Touka is a little low.

Maybe the pool thing was a shock? But if you ask me in such a cute way, I don’t want other men to see her…

I have to say something to make up for it.

“Touka, about that pool thing you were talking about earlier–“
“I think I’ll buy some groceries and go home for the day!”
“Oh, yeah. ……”

After that, every time I tried to make up for it, Touka interrupted me and I couldn’t talk.

◇◇◇

“Ma-kun said he didn’t hate me, but I wonder why he didn’t want me to go to the pool. I should have asked him why.”

She looked at the photo of her and Masaki at the pool in the past and muttered to herself in her room.

“I couldn’t even do it. When I first did it, I thought Ma-kun was proposing to me, so I could do it. But now I don’t know how he feels about me, so I’m a little scared of him.”

Touka knew that she was not disliked by him because he had worried about her many times today. However, she is not sure to what extent the affection is growing.

“Let’s try our best to gradually increase the intimacy between Ma-kun and me as a man and a woman starting from tomorrow’s BBQ.”

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