Episode 17 – Glances and Wanted

“Good morning, Iriake kun”

“Good morning, Iyoki-san.”

Weekday arrives and I walk to school alongside Iyoki-san.

We walk along the street, chatting about nothing.

It’s business as usual. Nothing unusual.

However

“What’s wrong? Iriake-kun. You seem to be in a daze.”

“No, it’s nothing. anyway—”

What I’m concerned about is that I’m attracting a lot of attention from people around me today.

I usually don’t care about my surroundings at all, but I couldn’t turn a blind eye to this discomfort.　

This trend continued when I arrived at school.

“Well, let’s go to the part-time job together today, shall we?”

“I understand. I’ll meet you at the shoe box.”

“Okay! See you later.”

She smiled, waved at me and went into her classroom.

I watched Iyoki-san’s figure, and then I went into the classroom too.

“Ah, Iriake’s here.

“Go ask him someone”

“I can’t. We don’t get along. You should go.”

“M-me? N-no.”

What’s going on?

They were whispering to me, but no one was asking me anything, so I had no idea what was going on.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

I’m not going to worry about this kind of thing, and it’s not like I did anything wrong.

I concluded to myself and quickly sat down at my seat.

♦　♦　♦

The after-school chime rings.

I let out a deep breath, put my textbook in my bag, and looked back at the day.

The number of eyes looking at me was incomparable to before, and it seemed that there were rumors, good or bad, about me.

But since I didn’t ask anyone what kind of rumors they were actually talking about, I didn’t know anything about them.

With all this rumors, no one asked me.

Thinking back, when the suspicion that he was dating Iyoki-san came out in the early days, no one ever asked me, “What’s really going on?” I was never asked.

It seems easy, but at the same time, it seems a little sad.

Well, it is better than being questioned by a lot of strangers.

While my mind was whirling with thoughts, I was ready to go and zipped up my bag.

I mustn’t keep Iyoki-san waiting.

I was about to get up from my seat, trying to get there as quickly as possible.

I was about to get out of my seat when I heard the sound of a pair of slippers.

“Yo, Iriake”

A tap on my shoulder.

I followed his hand and found a fresh young man standing there.

“Suginami-kun?”

“Hahaha, you don’t have to call me ‘kun’. You can call me Suginami.”

“Oh, okay. I understand, Suginami.”

“It’s strange to address Suginami with honorifics! It’s okay. I use it too. We’re classmates, remember?”

“O-Okay, Suginami.”

We only talked for a few minutes, but the distance between us was so tight that I felt like I was right on top of him.

I can’t help but look up at him and wonder if this is Suginami Kento, the popular guy in the class.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t talked to you much, but I suddenly started talking to you.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. What do you want from me?”

“No, it’s more like small talk. …… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Me?”

What is it that you want to ask me?

I’m in the top of my class in my studies, so I guess it would be something related to my studies.

“Now I’m going to ask you something rather rude,…… Iriake, are you dating Iyoki-san?”

When Suginami said these words, I couldn’t help but open my eyes.

It was the first time. It was the first time I was asked directly.

“We’re not dating, though…”

“Eh, really? I thought you were in a relationship.”

“Not at all. Iyoki-san and I are just friends.”

“Hee, I see.”

Suginami put his hands behind his head and smiled.

“Well, there’s a rumor going around right now about Iriake and Iyoki-san.”

“I knew it.”

I knew that if there was going to be a rumor about me in this school, it would probably be about Iyoki san.

“It seems that someone saw you walking hand in hand with Iyoki-san on last weekend’s holiday. Our school idol ! everyone was so excited”

“!!”

I was sure that I and Iyogi-san went home holding hands.

I didn’t expect someone to see me there.　

Well, it wouldn’t be strange if suspicions about dating that had disappeared once surfaced.　

　
“But I guess that was just a misunderstanding. Because you are not dating, you know.”

“Well, yeah.”

It might have been strange to hold hands with a friend, much less a person of the opposite sex, when you think about it.

I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but seeing the reactions of those around me made me realize that I was crazy.
　

But I felt from Iyoki san that she was determined not to let go.

Maybe I was mistaken, though.

“Well, just being friends with that Sae-sama is pretty amazing, Iriake.”

“It’s not like I’m amazing or anything. It’s just that Iyoki-san is so kind to me.”

“You’re so humble, Iriake.”

Suginami was smiling happily.

Suginami has a brightness that I don’t have.

I felt like I saw the reason why he is so popular.

“Well, let me know if you really decide to go out with her.”

“Go out!? Me and Iyoki san!?”

“That’s right. It’s quite common for friends to develop into lovers, isn’t it?”

“Is it common? ……”

I don’t know because I’ve never had a lot of friends.

It’s the first time I’ve ever met someone of the opposite sex, so I don’t know if it’s a common occurrence.

Iyoki san and I dating
　

It’s something that seems impossible, but Suginami thinks it’s possible.

That was something that stuck in my mind.

“You seem to be having a lot of fun talking, Iriake-kun.”

“Eeeeeee?! I-Iyoki-san?”

“Hello, Iriake kun. I’m here to pick you up.”

I was so absorbed in the conversation with Suginami that I did not notice it at all.

Suginami itself is frozen when he sees Iyoki san.

“I’m sorry, Iyoki san. I’m sorry for making you come all the way here.”

“It’s fine. Iriake kun seemed to be having a good time talking.”

“Ahahaha”

Iyoki-san looked at Suginami.

She smiled at me and said, “Let’s get going.”

“Sorry Suginami. We’ll talk later.”

“Y-yeah. Ou.”

I took my bag and left the classroom with Iyoki san.

We walked side by side at the usual distance.

“What were you talking about with that person earlier?”

“That’s …… indeed, I can’t tell you.”

I can’t tell her.

And Iyoki san

Muu, she was not satisfied so I smile to deceive her

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