Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094101424177/episodes/16818622176152303135
“Kasugai? Yeah, Kasugai.”
The next day, when Oritomo and I entered the classroom, someone called out to us from below.
I looked down and saw a head of swaying blond hair.
“Wha!? I’m scared…”
“Kasugai it is. No doubt about it.”
Startled, I stepped back, and Orimoto, with a suspicious look on her face, compared me and the blonde—Michikusa Inori.
Then she said one word.
“What are you doing, Kasugai kun?”
“Nothing—”
“What?”
Orimoto, me, and Michikusa spoke in that order.
That’s right, that’s right….
Michikusa couldn’t see Orimoto. It was unnatural for him to react here. I cleared my throat.
“Nothing, I just felt like eating natto roll.”
“Natto roll. I kind of understand that feeling.”
“—What?! Natto roll…!”
I resented Orimoto for laughing at my lame excuse, but Michikusa was just nodding along.
“But there’s no natto roll.”
“It’s fine. …So? What do you want so early in the morning? Actually, we’ve never talked before, have we?”
“No, we haven’t. This is our first time.”
With heavy, sleepy eyes, Michikusa nodded. I raised one eyebrow.
“Hey, Inori! Can’t you see me!?”
Orimoto called out her name wisely in her ear, but she ignored her completely.
Orimoto has a clear, resonant voice.
Even if she was called out to, she couldn’t possibly remain calm, but Michikusa was still spacing out.
“Did you help me yesterday?”
The unexpected words made my heart skip a beat.
My heart jumped twice, three times.
“When I was surrounded by those two idiots…”
“…Ah, that time.”
Orimoto, sitting next to me, clapped his hands in agreement. A high-pitched popping sound echoed through the classroom.
“Oh, I see. You called to saved Inori and Serina senpai, right? Good job.”
Orimoto nudged me in the ribs with her elbow. It hurt a little, but I tried not to show it on my face.
I’ll definitely complain about it later.
“I was watching around. Kasugai was on the phone—did you call the police?”
Finally, I understood.
Does this mean gratitude?
I was scared. If it was about stalker-like tracking, there would be no excuse.
The location was the entrance to the classroom.
If someone noticed us, there would be no place to escape.
But if it was gratitude, there was no need to hide it. I just contacted them on a whim; it wasn’t a big deal.
“The police arrived at the right time.”
“…Not really, I just made a phone call.”
“Kasugai kun, you have that kind of personality, don’t you?”
I glared at her, wondering what kind of personality she was talking about.
“You’re not pushy. Normally, if you help a beautiful girl like this, you’d ask for a reward, right?”
Like me ! Orimoto said proudly, puffing out her chest.
I knew it. She really is an idiot.
Ignoring Orimoto’s words, Michikusa bowed her head. Her small body shrank even further.
“Thank you. That’s all.”
Michikusa hurried back to her seat.
I also returned to my seat. Then, Orimoto whispered in my ear in a teasing tone. It was a rather mean-spirited gesture.
“You do what you have to do, Kasugai kun.”
Orimoto adjusted her position while occasionally talking to me so as not to bump into other students.
If she bumped into someone, they would just give me a strange look.
It was to avoid unnecessary trouble.
“Ah, Kasugai. One more thing.”
“What?! W-what is it now?”
Suddenly, Michikusa appeared again.
My voice caused the class to fall silent for a moment.
Please stop, I don’t like this feeling.
However, Michikusa didn’t seem to care about my feelings at all and began to talk confidently.
“Serina was there, so it was okay.”
“…Serina…you mean Senpai?”
“Yeah, Serina is amazing at martial arts. So it was fine. But thanks, Kasugai. You’re not so bad.”
Saying that, Michikusa finally settled back into his seat.
How should I handle this information?
Was reporting it to the police actually a hindrance?
Would it have been better to just leave it alone?
“Inori is just laid-back. She was genuinely grateful. She bites back at people she dislikes.”
As she wandered through the maze of her thoughts, a lifeline appeared.
Glancing to the side, I saw Orimoto staring at Michikusa. …Michikusa was asleep.
Indeed, she was laid-back.
“I don’t think you need to worry about it.”
“…Did it show on my face?”
“Yeah.”
─────
“Hmm. I’m torn.”
Michikusa was comparing bread at the school store.
“Oh, Kasugai. Which one do you think is better?”
“Which one is better…”
Two pieces of bread were thrust in front of me.
A cream bread and a chocolate croissant.
Both are known for being extremely sweet, and since I’m not a huge fan of sweet things, I’m at a loss for an opinion.
“Inori likes sweet things.”
“…So, what does that mean?”
“I want to eat both.”
I was taken aback. What the hell?
The bread was thrust out again. Maybe it’s because I’m too careless to think that I should just eat both without hesitation.
──But more than that,
Why am I being spoken to so casually?
According to Orimoto, it doesn’t seem like I’m disliked.
But it’s not like we’re having a lively conversation either. …As expected, she’s just going at her own pace.
“Just eat both.”
“My stomach can’t handle it. Inori doesn’t eat much. …And Keiichi is out somewhere today.”
“Keiichi…ah.”
Keiichi—I see.
Because of her slurred speech, I couldn’t picture his face.
It’s unlikely that it’s someone else, but…
“…Keiichi, you mean Sera?”
“Yes. When I can’t finish my food, I push it onto him. Keiichi eats a lot, so it’s perfect.”
“You’re just sugarcoating the fact that you’re cleaning up leftovers.”
Michikusa, who is surprisingly unforgiving when it comes to the person he loves, begins to grumble, “Ugh, ugh.”
Then she takes another bite.
“Kasugai, which side are you on?”
“……First of all, I don’t eat sweets that much. Either one is fine.”
“…….What?”
Michikusa trembled in shock.
Her hands shook as she gripped the pastry.
Then she let out a huge sigh.
“Not eating sweets is like losing 80%, no, 90%, no, 100% of your life.”
“Then my life is already over.”
“Anyway, it’s a shame.”
With that, Michikusa hurried off to the purchasing department with an expression that was impossible to read.
When she came back, she forcefully said,
“Try this. It’s amazing.”
She pushed a piece of bread into my hand.
The label read, “Deluxe Extra Large Fruit Cream Overload.” It was a rather alarming product name.
When was this product added?
“What is this calorie bomb? It’s not even food, it’s like the title of a V-style band’s song.”
The lack of punctuation is the point…right?
Holding the Deluxe Extra Large Fruit Cream Puff, Michikusa said to me.
“If you eat it, you’ll fly.”
Michikusa made a peace sign with her fingers.
“—Yeah, Inori will do that too. Today is cream puff and chocolate croissant day.”
“Wait, it won’t fit in my stomach.”
I was torn between a cream puff and a chocolate croissant.
I stared at the bomb in my hands.
Fruit spilling out. Whipped cream smeared everywhere. Its presence is overwhelming.
It’s beyond a snack.
This is practically a main course.
“It’s okay. With Inori now, it’s no problem.”
“Where does that unfounded confidence come from?”
When I asked, Inori paused for a moment, then murmured softly, “I have to.”
“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll find Keiichi. Serina would be fine too. It’s bad to waste food.”
“I see. Well, just eat it all.”
“Good luck.”
I never expected him to use the word “good luck” as a response. She must have a peculiar way with words.
Michikusa Inori. A mysterious girl.
Cute, but with a unique worldview.
“Well then, Kasugai. Tell me your thoughts.”
“Hey! I’m still eating—-she’s gone. ……Should I even eat this?”
Hesitation.
Resignation.
Today’s lunch is a dessert-like main course.
A calorie-laden imposter disguised as bread.
“…What?”
When I lifted my head after slumping my shoulders, I felt the piercing stares of envy and malice from the guys.
─────
When I told her about what happened at the school store, Orimoto immediately launched into a relatively coherent argument.
“Inori is super popular with the guys.”
“…I guess I’ve earned some resentment. Even though I was the victim who got tangled up with Michikusa? That’s just a scam, isn’t it?”
“Come on, don’t let it get to you.”
It’s common knowledge that Michikusa is close to Keiichi.
But it seems her popularity hasn’t waned, and perhaps they were annoyed that I was talking to her.
“Does it matter who talks to whom?”
“Everyone else hasn’t reached the level of enlightenment that Kasugai kun has yet. It’s that age where you get attached to people.”
“Using energy on others is inefficient.”
“…..Is that something Kasugai-kun would say?”
Orimoto smiled slightly.
“Speaking of which, Kasugai kun, I told you I don’t need to eat, right?”
“Oh, did you figure something out?”
“Yeah, that’s right! It seems like sleeping resets everything—appetite, physical condition, and more!”
“….Reset.”
In the world of books, there are techniques to captivate readers by repeating the same day over and over.
But this is reality. There’s no room for optimism.
“I wish I could reset things with Keiichi too.”
“Let’s continue this another time. Why do you always create such an awkward atmosphere?”
“You’re the only one I can talk to about this.”
“….Listen.”
Does Orimoto think of me as a convenient person to vent to?
“I’m counting on you. —Hey, are you listening, Kasugai kun? Hey, are you listening?”
“Yeah, I’m listening, I’m listening.”
Well, it’s annoying, but not enough to get angry about.
I half-listened to the conversation, peeled off the wrapper of a sweet pastry-like bread, and took a bite.
(…This is kind of tasty.)
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