Volume 1 - CH 2.2

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“Ah…..!”

Lunch break.

As I was about to eat the bread I bought from the store, I heard a voice coming from the hallway.

“Eh? Shimotsuki-san?”

There she was, her mouth agape as if she had something to say.

“K-ki….k-ki, k-ki, k-ki….”

“Come with me.”

With that said, she quickly left the classroom and headed somewhere else.

At any rate, I did as I was told and found Shimotsuki-san waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. In her hand held a pouch large enough for a lunchbox.

（Does this mean……that we should have lunch together──）

It’s no surprise that this was the case in such a situation.

Nevertheless, Shimotsuki-san shouldn’t be seen eating with someone like me; however, the distance between us was too great for me to talk to her.

I walked up to her, hoping to close the distance between us.

But she further moved forward. Thanks to that, I wasn’t able to talk to her.

Before I knew it, we arrived at our destination.

We ended up at the back of the school building, where there was no sign of anyone at all. The ground was covered with gravel, yet it wasn’t such an uncomfortable space to be in.

Unlike the sunny schoolyard full of students, this place was very so quiet, probably because it was in the shade.

In an inconspicuous place like this with just the two of us, we may be able to eat dinner together──As I was thinking about that, I suddenly noticed that Shimotsuki-san looked a little strange.

“…………”

She has been quiet for quite a while now, staring at me with a jittery look in her eyes.

“Uhm, is there something wrong?”

“….Yeah, there’s definitely something wrong.”

Her reaction was that of someone cold. The innocent self of Shimotsuki-san from yesterday was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was her usual, cold, expressionless self.

However, due to the lack of people in the area, her shyness was not apparent. On the contrary, her tone of voice was smooth, unlike when I first approached her earlier.

“Nakayama-kun. I’m a little angry.”

A cold, sub-zero voice, devoid of any emotion, echoed through the back of the empty school building.

“Do you know why I’m angry?”

Her indifferent manner of questioning scared me quite a bit…no; it scared me quite a lot.

But the beauty of her face left me breathless and filled me with a sense of awe.

“Nakayama-kun, we’re 『friends』, right?”

It was a fact, so I nodded a little.

But then, she asked me something unexpected.

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

…………Hmm?

Perhaps, this was the reason for her anger…is that it?

“That’s terrible. You’re my friend. You can talk to me. In fact, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. I was expecting Nakayama-kun to wag his tail like a puppy and say, “Good morning, Shimotsuki-san!” But to think that Nakayama-kun would ignore me like a stranger. I think Nakayama-kun isn’t aware enough of his friends.”

It was as if she was talking to a toddler who had done something wrong.

Shimotsuki-san reprimanded me in a calm tone.

“By the way, why was Nakayama-kun behaving like a stranger? Since you’re a good boy, can you tell me properly?”

Good.

Shimotsuki-san seems to be the type of person who would give me proper time to explain myself.

Of course, I didn’t stop talking to her for no reason.

“Shimotsuki-san, you see…I’m quite a shy person, and I thought it would be better for you if I wasn’t seen talking to you in public.”

I didn’t want to make her stand out.

When I told her that, Shimotsuki-san puckered her lips in annoyance.

The expressionless girl finally showed some emotion after a long time.

“So it’s like that, huh…if you were really thinking about me that much, I can’t be angry, can I?”

Apparently, her anger eased a little.

Even if I can’t explain it well enough, this girl, she can read my intentions.

“But you know what? The loneliness of not being able to talk to Nakayama-kun is much worse than the fear of standing out. So it would be nice if you could talk to me.”

As she said this, her expression gradually melted.

Earlier, she seemed to be dominated by anger, but as soon as she understood my intentions, she loosened her cheeks, looking somewhat delighted.

“But, I’m glad…when I became your friend, I thought, maybe you don’t like me? I was worried. So I got angry in a weird way.”

“I didn’t know that Shimotsuki-san was like this when she got angry.”

Her face was expressionless, indifferent, and as cold as ice.

She felt unapproachable, just like the Shimotsuki-san of that day.

But…

“I-I’m sorry. I know I’m a bit of a pain to deal with. I can’t control myself whenever I’m near you, Nakayama-kun…but e-even so, will you be my friend even if I’m like that? Y-You won’t hate me, will you…?”

Shimotsuki-san was honest only in front of me.

She looks appropriate for her age…No, a bit young and innocent, straight-forward, and a bright girl is what she is.

There was no way I could dislike Shimotsuki-san when she was like that.

“No, I won’t. I may not be able to perform well in various things, but I’d be happy to be your friend, Shimotsuki-san.”

Once again, I conveyed my thoughts.

When I did so, Shimotsuki-san held her cheeks down as if embarrassed.

“──Just as I thought, Nakayama-kun is very kind and nice. He’s even willing to accept my selfishness.”

…I’m still a little concerned about being treated as a child, though.

Shimotsuki-san’s behaviour was reminiscent of an older sister, which made me smile a little bit.

“But that’s the thing. Since we’re friends, don’t you think it’s a little cold to be calling each other by our last names…m-maybe if we called each other by our first names, we could get to know each other better, y-you know?”

Shimotsuki-san was no longer angry.

She began tugging at my clothes as if she wanted to be bothered.

“H-Hey, Nakayama-kun. W-why don’t you call me by my first name? I think it’s nice since we’re c-close friends and all.”

“F-first name…I see.”

I did as she asked and called out her name.

“Shiho.”

“──── N-no.”

But for some reason, it was rejected.

You’re the one who asked for it.

“W-well, maybe it’s still a little too early, heh-heh…my face is starting to get a little hot.”

Her pure weight skin shined a deep vermillion red.

“Let’s wait a little longer before we call each other by our first names, okay? After I’ve calmed down a bit..?”

Shimotsuki-san seems to get embarrassed easily if someone calls her out by her first name.

I guess she’s a pure girl.

Hmmm….no.

She was blushing──

◆

“Well, shall we eat then? I’m starving.”

Perhaps remembering that she was hungry after feeling refreshed, Shimotsuki-san took out a cute bento box from the pouch she was carrying.

“Hmm? Nakayama-kun only eats bread for lunch? Moreover, melon bread’s not for lunch. It’s for dessert.”

“Yeah, I guess I eat this all the time.”

“That’s no good. A balanced diet is important, as they say on TV. If my friend, Nakayama-kun becomes unhealthy, I’d be sad, so please be healthy, okay?”

Shimotsuki-san sat next to me as I sat on the right step of the stairs.

The distance between us was almost zero. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t confused when I saw Shimotsuki-san leaning in so close to me to the point that our thighs were touching.

“Look at this, Nakayama-kun! Doesn’t the bento box my mum made for me look delicious?”

But Shimotsuki-san seemed to be enjoying herself.

I’m the only one who’s conscious of it, and yet, Shimotsuki-san acted natural, like nothing was wrong at all.

I tried to keep my composure and continue with the conversation.

“U-Uhm, yeah, it certainly looks…amazing. It looks really good. There’s also a lot of meat in it too.”

Looking at the bento box that Shimotsuki-san was holding, I could see that there were hamburgers, bacon, and octopus-shaped wieners, all neatly lined together. It was also beautifully browned, so you could tell at a glance that these weren’t some processed foods bought at some random market.

Furthermore, the nutritional value of the dish was well thought out, with green and yellow vegetables included, such as green peas and bell peppers.

It was a bento that showed a lot of care, time and love.

“I love meat, so my mom always adds more……oh, would you like to try some, Nakayama-kun?”

“No, it’s too good for me.”

“Hmm? It’s rude of you to shy away from your friends…do you think you can’t eat the food my mom makes? I will never accept that!”

Then, Shimotsuki-san lifted a whole hamburger steak and held it out to my mouth.

“Here, eat up. Aah…?”

……Well, now, I’m in trouble.

What should I do?

Regardless of how close we are as friends, don’t you think this seems a little too close?

I wonder if this was considered normal for Shimotsuki-san’s 『friends』.

If that’s the case, refusing might hurt Shimotsuki-san.

When I thought about it, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed, but I didn’t feel like rejecting it for some reason.

“Nakayama-kun, hurry up!”

The tips of her chopsticks were shaking as if her fingertips couldn’t handle the weight of the hamburger.

I don’t think I can make her wait any longer.

(I’ll be normal too.)

I was thrilled, but I was careful not to show it on my face as I took a bite of the hamburger offered to me.

“How is it? Is it good?”

“Of course.”

It tastes good──I think.

No, to be honest, I’m too nervous to know for sure.

In the first place, this was the first time a girl’s ever done this for me. I’ve had close relationships with Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, but I don’t recall ever doing something this loverlike.

“That’s it. Yeah, I have a good feeling about this.”

As naturally as possible, I expressed what I thought.

If people knew that I was nervous one way or the other, they would think I was creepy…with such anxiety on my shoulders, I would try my best to hide.

But she could see right through me.

“Hmm? Nakayama-kun, you’re so nervous. Were you that happy to be 『fed』by me?”

Shimotsuki-san laughs mischievously.

“But I’m not nervous, though?”

I tried to play it off somehow, but it seemed useless to do so against Shimotsuki-san.

“Have you forgotten? I have good hearing, so I’m aware that Nakayama-kun’s heart has been pounding for quite a while now.”

……I forgot.

By the way, Shimotsuki-san has very good hearing.

“Jeez, Nakayama-kun…I feel like I’m going to go crazy if you’re that conscious of me.”

Shimotsuki-san whispered shyly as she patted me on the shoulder.

“Ah〜. Sooooooo embarrassing!!!”

Maybe all that teasing was just a front she’d put up?

Shimotsuki-san doesn’t seem used to the opposite sex very well, considering how red her face is.

“But then again, I’ve always wanted to do something like this, so I’m glad I’ve got to experience this.”

She also seemed to be having a lot of fun, and strangely enough, I didn’t even feel that bad.

“…It would be nice if you could go a little easier on me.”

“I can’t do that. After all, there are so many things I wish to do when I have a friend. Nakayama-kun will help me a lot, right?”

Then, Shimotsuki-san began eating her lunch with gusto as if to hide her bright red face.

She had a small mouth, but the way she ate with her cheeks puffed out made her look very much like a squirrel.

I couldn’t help but relax my cheeks when I saw her like that.

(Oh, I’m laughing again.)

Whenever I’m with Shimotsuki-san, my mood really seems to brighten up.

It makes me feel happy, even though I’m just a mob character.

But thanks to Shimotsuki-san, it looks like the future will be very different.

（Even in the classroom, I should try to talk to her as much as possible….!）

I have to make it an effort to have fun with her so that we can continue our good relationship.

The negative feeling I had from before whilst I was in the classroom disappeared, and now I was feeling very positive. It was all thanks to Shimotsuki-san.

I wanted to take good care of Shimotsuki-san, who had made friends with me, a mob──that’s what I thought.