#299
When the class began, it seemed like the usual daily routine had returned during that time… or so I thought.
In the middle front of the classroom, Kanazaki Shizuku directed a gaze filled with anger, or rather, something close to resentment, in my direction. This was unrelated to the ongoing class.
Shielding herself with a textbook from the teacher’s line of sight, she cast a sharp, almost hostile, sidelong glance in my direction.
“…”
The reason is self-evident. The sweet, lovey-dovey act performed in the midst of the class naturally spread to those students who arrived later.
Though Shizuku arrived a bit later due to helping Miura in the home economics room, she quickly learned about the situation from the girls. Subsequently, her gaze transformed into something terrifying.
It’s not like I specifically asked her to do that.
Even if I were to tell her such a thing, it wouldn’t improve her mood.
“The princess seems angry.”
“Not because of some queen’s prank…”
Kirasaka jokingly retorted, and I responded with a sigh.
As the chime signaled the end of the class, lunch break began. Students, liberated from the class, started their various activities.
I considered taking out my lunchbox to enjoy lunchtime, stretching my stiff body with a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears.
“Minato-kun, let’s have lunch together!”
“Sure, but…”
With a very eager tone, Shizuku called out and leaned forward. Inadvertently, I arched my back in response, and my gaze naturally turned to the side.
What about Kirasaka?
Normally, she would assertively adopt a posture of sitting together, but this time, she closed her eyes and spoke.
“This time, I’ll leave it to Kanazaki-san. She let me do as I pleased in the morning, after all.”
“Kirasaka-san can be careful too…”
“I’m just not as foolishly earnest as you.”
For a moment, a glimpse of friendship was revealed, but still, it was these two.
They smiled, but beneath that smile hid their dark feelings toward each other, making me shudder. Their eyes met for a moment, but Shizuku tugged at my sleeves and got up from her seat.
Even though we are going to eat lunch, I don’t think we’re doing it in the class. In that case, the destination would be the rooftop. I walked behind her without asking anything.
Passing students exchanged words with Shizuku, who responded casually while walking. Once they realized she was leading me, they wore expressions that conveyed understanding but couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“Isn’t it about time you let go of my hand?”
“No, this is a kind of restraint. I can’t let our precious lunch break be disturbed.”
Without changing her expression or paying any attention to the whispers around us, Shizuku advanced. However, her hand holding mine felt tense.
Opening the door to the rooftop and moving to a place where the building shielded us from the wind, we both sat down, leaning against the fence.
Shizuku, too, took out her lunchbox with one hand and began her lunch preparations.
I also opened my lunchbox and placed it on my lap, raising my gaze.
Above us, a large cloud spread out, seemingly reflecting my emotional state.
However, I couldn’t let Shizuku deal with the awkwardness.
I clasped my hands together as usual, then began my lunch alongside her.
Next to me, Shizuku confirmed that I reached for my lunch with chopsticks and muttered a word before starting her meal.
Without words, we simply sat shoulder to shoulder and ate together.
Is this really okay?
Will she be satisfied with this? That was what I thought, but unintentionally, the exchanged glances were gentle and cheerful.
After finishing our meal and moistening our throats with green tea, Shizuku eagerly took something out. It was a package different in shape from before, a small box wrapped in passionate red paper.
“Here you go, Minato-kun! I did my best this year too!”
“Thank you, I’ll savour it as I eat.”
“Yes! Please enjoy it now!”
Shizuku held out both hands, gesturing as if saying, “Please, go ahead.” As expected, she wanted me to eat it on the spot and give my impressions.
Maybe it was a natural reaction for the creator. Fortunately, I wasn’t already full from the bento. I peeled off the red wrapping, slowly opened the lid, revealing six cute white solid forms shaped like bears.
Even I, with my limited knowledge of colours, could tell. It was white chocolate.
Picking up one and putting it in my mouth, the moment I bit down, a texture reminiscent of a snack attacked me. Before I knew it, I had brought the second one to my mouth.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yeah, the sweetness is just right, and it’s delicious.”
Answering truthfully, Shizuku blushed slightly and showed a happy smile.
I wonder if I’ll nosebleed tomorrow from consuming too much sugar.
Well, let’s consider it as if I consumed several days’ worth in a single day, even though I don’t calculate calories. With a decision made, I moved my hands, which hesitated to bring more to my mouth.
While eating three or four, Shizuku started to tidy up her own lunch.
Once I finish eating this, I’ll clean up and spend the rest of the time at ease.
As I imagined the upcoming time and organized my schedule in my mind, the unusual sound of a student entering the rooftop reached us. The dull sound of the door, laughter, and the sound of indoor shoes hitting the ground mixed together.
Various sounds intertwined, and the footsteps approached us in the direction where Shizuku and I were sitting.
Generally, students stayed away from the rooftop in summer and approached in winter.
Judging by the voices, it was probably a pair of female students. It wasn’t strange for them to come here.
Shizuku, without any sign of panic, casually directed her gaze toward the voices. Two students appeared in my field of vision. They had faces I didn’t see often, perhaps students from a class on the third floor.
However, they seemed to know Shizuku well, as they raised their hands and greeted us.
“Oh, it’s Kanazaki-san.”
“Heya!”
“Hello, sorry for intruding.”
Shizuku politely responded, and the two girls turned their eyes towards us. Their gaze, from my toes to the tips of my hair, was so scrutinizing that it felt uncomfortable.
It was as if we were being appraised.
…Actually, they were probably appraising us.
What kind of person is the boy accompanying the beautiful girl next to them?
Then, the two of them twisted their mouths into a sneer and laughed in a minimal voice that wouldn’t reach Shizuku’s ears.
I won’t get angry about such things anymore. Those emotions were left behind long ago.
Even after passing by us, they looked back multiple times, shaking their shoulders while laughing. The feeling that welled up inside me was guilt.
Maybe I’m the one being laughed at.
But there’s a person who is being laughed at because of me.
That’s the guilt I felt about this fact.
The two girls sat down in a place away from us, but the rooftop was small, divided by fences, so there was still some distance, and their conversation could be heard to some extent.
Even if someone says it’s unnecessary, I connected the earphones I had in my uniform pocket to my smartphone and handed them to Shizuku.
“This is a song I’ve been into recently. Give it a listen.”
“It’s rare for Minato-kun to share his preferences.”
Shizuku tilted her head curiously, suddenly wondering what was going on. She put on the earphones I offered and pressed the play button at a moderate volume, closing her eyes to concentrate on the music.
“I wouldn’t be able to introduce something like this.”
“Indeed… Kanazaki-san might be a bit different too.”
Soft laughter and suppressed voices reached my ears.
As I leaned back, the stretched bangs obstructed my view of the sky.
Tastes vary from person to person.
Therefore, I neither deny nor affirm it.
The opinions of unfamiliar girls were the correct answers in the definition of taste.
Because I didn’t care, I let the words around me be, but because of that, someone might get hurt.
In the truest sense, there were a few people who could comfort me.
“Minato-kun? I feel like I’ve heard this song before.”
“Well, there’s more to it… so just keep listening.”
“Is that so?”
Having heard my words, Shizuku returned the earphones to their original position.
This is a problem I have to solve.
Because of one person named Shinra Minato, someone who should have no reason or need to be laughed at is being laughed at.
There is nothing more humiliating than this.
But even if I understand, even if I think about it, all I can do now is not let the voices of the girls reach Shizuku. Just such a trivial thing.
“I wonder if I should cut my hair.”
I sighed, blowing away the strands of hair that hung over my eyes, but my voice would never reach anyone.
<BBX> : Some character development at last! 😭
Sorry for the late update, my hdd broke down, I needed to get a replacement before doing anything, glad it was in warranty tho.
BrutalBot Tl 