On the Monday following the date, Kousuke reported the outco of the date to Shido.
"I am so sorry! Itsuka-senpai!"
During the lunch break, after eting on the roof, Kousuke bowed his head in apology without another word.
"Even though Itsuka-senpai helped so much! I still failed!"
"Well, there's no need to be so formal, it's not sothing you need to apologize for."
Shido smiled bitterly and waved his hand. After observing Kousuke's expression, he spoke hesitantly.
"Um, that's really a pity..."
"Mhm, but it couldn't be helped, really."
Kousuke sighed with mixed feelings and said helplessly.
"Thinking about it carefully, I didn't do anything right during the date. I went to the batting cage wanting to show off in front of Ryougi-senpai, but ended up being overwheld by her ho runs instead. I wanted to go to the amusent park for a romantic date, but ended up in a panic after losing the tickets. It was Ryougi-senpai who kept comforting and encouraging the whole ti. If Itsuka-senpai hadn't helped, I wouldn't have even had the chance to confess."
"Cough, cough! What are you talking about? I was at ho watching TV the whole day."
Shido coughed to cover it up.
"Ah, I must have mistaken you for soone else."
Kousuke played along and changed his tune, then continued.
"In the end, we didn't get to ride the roller coaster, haunted house, or Ferris wheel at the amusent park. Senpai just led around to play the whole way. To recklessly confess under those circumstances, getting rejected is a matter of course."
A hint of self-deprecation appeared on Kousuke's face.
"I see..."
Shido chid in, eating his bento, and asked casually.
"Did Ryougi-san say all this to you herself when she rejected you?"
"No, no, this is just my own reflection. Ryougi-senpai didn't say anything like that."
Kousuke shook his head with a bitter smile, took a bite of bread, and said helplessly.
"Ryougi-senpai said... she already has soone she likes."
"Oh... Then did she tell you who she likes?"
Hearing this, Shido's heart skipped a beat, but he still asked, feigning calmness on the outside.
"Mhm... But since this involves soone else's privacy, I'm only telling you because you're Itsuka-senpai. Please don't tell anyone else."
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
Shido replied righteously.
Seeing Shido's guarantee, Kousuke looked around. After confirming there was no one else on the roof, he whispered to Shido.
"Although I don't know her surna, it's a woman nad Shiori. Ryougi-senpai showed a picture of her. She seems to be a woman about the sa height as Itsuka-senpai... What's wrong, Senpai? You suddenly look so disappointed."
"No... It's nothing. Just a bit surprised."
Shido shook his head with a bitter smile.
(Of course. I should have known Yutsuki would answer like that. Otherwise, how could Kousuke be so calm coming to see ?)
Shido told himself in his heart, but for so reason, his feelings were very complicated.
Seemingly thinking Shido was surprised by Yutsuki liking the sa sex, Kousuke didn't doubt him and continued.
"Well, seeing the happy expression on Ryougi-senpai's face when she talked about her, I knew I had absolutely no chance of winning. After all, our genders are completely different. I can't just crossdress to compete with her, right? Putting the cart before the horse aside, pestering her would also be very disgraceful."
"Y-Yeah, that's right."
Shido felt these words piercing his heart and couldn't help but change the subject.
"But I'm really surprised. When you said you were rejected, I thought you'd take a huge blow. But looking at you now, you don't seem that depressed."
"Ah, about that—"
Kousuke scratched his cheek and said a bit shyly.
"Actually, after being rejected by Ryougi-senpai, I was confessed to by another girl."
"Hoh! What a coincidence?!"
Although he already knew, Shido pretended to be shocked.
"What kind of girl is she?"
"Um... The girl I ntioned before, the one who took the lead in teasing in class. We are childhood friends, and we've been at the sa school since middle school. Honestly, I always thought she hated ."
"I see. So did you accept her confession?"
"Well... honestly, at first I thought she was just making fun of . But after talking for a long ti, I realized I had a lot of misunderstandings about her. Thanks to her comforting , I cald down a lot."
Kousuke lowered his head, twiddling his fingers, and said with a blush.
"However... I completely didn't expect to be confessed to. Although I'm very happy, I'm also a bit at a loss. Anyway, I want to start interacting with her anew, and slowly get to know her better..."
"Well, to sum it up. Seeing that you're not depressed because of this, I'm relieved. From now on, do your best!"
"Yes! Thank you very much, Itsuka-senpai!"
...
After school, because Shido was on cleaning duty today, he had Tohka go back to the apartnt first while he cleaned the classroom.
"Done... It's getting late."
After closing the classroom door and leaving, Shido looked out the window. The city and the sky were already coated in a layer of pale red.
(We're almost out of ingredients at ho. I should detour to the shopping district and restock a bit... Hm?)
Approaching the school gate, Shido suddenly noticed Yutsuki waiting for him.
"Yo, Shido."
Seeing Shido, Yutsuki waved her hand in greeting.
"Yutsuki, didn't you go back with Kaguya and the others?"
"Ah, those two kept chattering and won't stop asking about the date over the weekend today. It was getting too annoying, so I ditched them."
Yutsuki sighed tiredly and asked.
"Are you heading ho, Shido?"
"No, I'm going to the shopping district to restock so ingredients before heading back."
"I see. Then can I go with you?"
"Mhm, of course."
Just like that, the two walked shoulder to shoulder, heading to the shopping district in silence.
Ever since he found out his tailing yesterday had been discovered by Yutsuki, Shido always felt a bit awkward facing her. Although he had a lot to ask, he didn't know what to say.
"After school, I saw Kousuke and Sadayuki going ho together."
However, before Shido could speak, Yutsuki brought this up on the way like making small talk.
"Those two? How did it look?"
Shido asked out of curiosity.
"Well, you could say they are still in the adjustnt period. There is still so tension and shyness between them. They seem not to have adapted to the new sense of distance yet, but the atmosphere looked pretty good. There shouldn't be any problems."
"Is that so? That is good then."
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Shido couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Did you know all along, Yutsuki? That the girl nad Sadayuki liked Kousuke?"
"Well, I didn't know about it at first. It's just that I felt soone was tailing earlier, and then you gave a love letter from a junior, Shido. The timing was such a coincidence, so I wondered if the two things were connected."
Yutsuki shrugged.
Actually, Yutsuki only found out the whole story after confirming it with Sadayuki during the lunch break.
At first, although Sadayuki realized Kousuke had a crush on Yutsuki, she didn't take it to heart. She thought that after he confessed, he would be directly rejected by Yutsuki and give up. Tailing Yutsuki was just a kind of "where exactly is this person better than ?" feeling, and also conveniently trying to understand the type of girl Kousuke liked.
However, after Shido got involved, things went sour.
Finding out Yutsuki was going on a date with Kousuke, Sadayuki's ntality instantly collapsed. Her feelings toward Yutsuki gradually turned from unconvinced to hostile. That was why she secretly tailed them on the day of the date, and like she was possessed, took Kousuke's amusent park tickets.
"By the way, after talking to her, I realized sothing. Although that girl Sadayuki dresses up fashionably like a gyaru on the outside, her personality is actually very clumsy and a late bloor. She's clearly had a crush on Kousuke for so many years, but didn't know how to express her feelings. She could only use various thods to tease him, wanting to put makeup on him or secretly paint his nails to catch his attention."
"That's basically on the sa level as an elentary school boy flipping a girl's skirt."
Shido roasted, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. No wonder after so many years, Kousuke not only failed to notice her feelings but even thought he was being looked down upon.
"Well, adolescence is a sentintal age. Doing things that seem incomprehensible in the eyes of others is understandable." Yutsuki chuckled, shrugging helplessly.
"Actually, Sadayuki finally faced her feelings recently and planned to confess to Kousuke. But who would have thought that just as she was about to act, a wild card suddenly appeared."
"...Eh?"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Shido seed to understand sothing, and said awkwardly.
"So you an... if we hadn't interfered. Sadayuki would have directly confessed to Kousuke and then they'd start dating, and there would be no need to go around in such a big circle?"
"Well, looking at the results, that is indeed the case. Also, it's not 'we', it's 'you'..." Yutsuki speechlessly pointed at Shido, correcting his words.
"If soone hadn't been a busybody and butt in to help his junior's love life, so many things wouldn't have happened. The custor service was so thorough you even delivered the love letter for him. Just how generous are you?"
"Ugh..."
Shido was montarily speechless. He wanted to explain, but looking at Yutsuki, he couldn't get the words out.
"Furthermore, helping deliver the love letter was one thing, but you ended up following along during the date. Although Sadayuki's actions were very confusing, you weren't much better, Shido."
"I-I was just worried sothing might happen to you guys on the way. I observed secretly just in case..."
Shido hurriedly explained. But this poor excuse obviously couldn't fool Yutsuki.
"A-At the end of the day, you share the responsibility too, Yutsuki! You clearly didn't like Kousuke, so why did you agree to date him?"
Facing Yutsuki's pitying gaze, Shido's old face flushed red, and he retorted a bit out of embarrassnt and anger.
"Weren't you the one who handed the love letter to ... Well, although I feel like it's not your place to roast , Shido. But indeed, I also admit my actions had flaws."
With a helpless sigh, Yutsuki took a few quick steps, turned around to stand in front of Shido, and asked.
"Or perhaps, Shido didn't want going on a date with other boys?"
"This..."
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Shido froze. After thinking for a while, he turned his head away and muttered softly.
"Maybe... a little bit."
"Yare yare—You kids really are complicated... I understand. Since Shido says so, I won't do this kind of thing again in the future."
"...I always feel like, when you put it like that, I just sound like an idiot."
"Not just 'sound like', aren't you an idiot to begin with?"
"Ugh—"
Looking at the embarrassed Shido, Yutsuki sighed, chuckled, and urged.
"Alright, that's the end of this topic. Let's hurry up and buy the ingredients so we can go ho."
User Comments
0 comments from readers