While bantering, we walked side by side. To make at least a minimal show of manliness, I held the tote bag that contained her lunch box.
Things seemed to go pretty well, but I was having a slight problem. I completely missed the opportunity to stop using honorific speech with her. When we first met, I totally thought she was my senior, and even though I know now that we’re about the same age, it’s hard to just stop. It’d be fine if she said “You can speak casually with me,” but for some reason... it just feels right this way.
In no time at all, we reached the station.
“So, I guess we part ways here?”
“Um... shall I escort you home? It’s gotten pretty dark.”
A suggestion made from the goodness of my heart—is not what that was. It’s true I was worried about her, but the number one reason I said it was that I wanted to be with her more. Even if it was just one minute longer—
“Thank you. But I’m okay. My house is close to here.”
“Is that so...?”
“Yeah. So, I’ll just be going.”
“Okay... Hey.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll see you next time.”
There had to have been a ton of better lines to use. However, for someone like me with no experience in romance, even after using all of my courage that one line was the best I could muster. Orihara-san momentarily looked confused, but she smiled kindly and said:
“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”
From deep inside my chest welled up an indescribable joy. Even if it was just something said to be polite, even if it was a “See you later” that meant “If I have time I will,” I was happy to be told something that made it sound like we would meet again.
Orihara-san lightly waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd of people. I watched her go, my face slightly red.
“...Well, guess I should go home,” I said to myself as I headed towards the platform for the train to take me home. It was like I awoke from a dream. Someone as pretty as Orihara-san made a boxed lunch just for me? It seemed like a dream, but it was definitely reality. I mean, I had the tote bag and lunch box to prove it.
“Wait...”
Oh no, I forgot to give it back. What should I do? Should I hurry and run after her? Wait, no, in this type of situation isn’t it more polite to wash it before giving it back? But she said she makes her lunch every morning, so she was probably planning on using it tomorrow... At any rate, it’d be best to go after her and just make sure.
I spun on my heel and went back the way I came, searching for Orihara-san. I’m pretty sure I saw her walking in the direction of the coin lockers... Oh, there she is. From the inside of the crowd I could see Orihara-san from behind.
“Or—”
I started to call her name, but I panicked and stopped because she was just about to go into the women’s restroom. Probably not the right time to call out to someone. For the time being, I figured I’d wait for her. I was pretty close, so I decided to put some distance between me and the restroom and wait.
However, even after ten minutes Orihara-san still didn’t come out of the bathroom. A suit-wearing woman who seemed like an office worker, a lady and her young daughter, a girl from my school; a lot of girls went in and out, but among them there wasn’t a single person wearing a uniform from Tourin Girls’ School.
Another ten minutes passed and she still hadn’t come out. Did I miss her? As you’d expect, there was a limit to just how long I was willing to observe the entrance to the girls’ restroom and I was just about to hit it, so I sent a message to Orihara-san. I thanked her for today and told her about how she forgot her lunch box. A reply soon followed, and from the message it seemed that she had already left the station.
Which means... I guess I missed seeing her exit the girls’ restroom? I mean, it wasn’t like I was focusing the entire time I was looking, and it wouldn’t be unusual if I just didn’t realize...
Still, there was something that didn’t sit well with me and felt off... but all of that was blown away by the next message.
“Sorry to cause you trouble. Would it be alright if I had you return it the next time we hang out?”
It seems like—without having to work for it—I got a promise to hang out again. It was almost scary how well things were going.
❤
“It looks like you’ve been up to some pretty interesting things while I haven’t been around. Still, I’m happy; it looks like spring has finally sprung for you, Momo.”
My friend Kanao Haruka’s response was eloquent, as expected. We were in the usual empty classroom eating lunch. Lately, Kana had been eating lunch with his new girlfriend, but today it looks like he decided to come eat with me and Ura.
“Don’t be a stranger. Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you got a crush on her? We’re close friends, aren’t we, Momo?”
So he said, being supportive with that smooth smile of his. Even if he did want to help, it didn’t seem like this guy who can naturally pick up girls on the street and me with no romantic experience could fundamentally have anything to talk about. The difference in our experience was so vast, it made it seem like his advice wasn’t going to actually be advice.
“As your friend, I’ll do my best to assist. After all, if Momo has a girlfriend, then I’m happy as well. If it goes well, let’s go on a double date.”
“Hey Kana, don’t drag Momo onto that hellish path overflowing with love addicts. Momo and I will love no one, be loved by no one, and proudly walk the path of the introvert.”
“Seems like your path is the one that’s hellish,” Kana interjected as he giggled at me and Ura.
Kanao Haruka, a good looking guy with even facial features and a slender build. His hair was dyed blond, and it was so smooth it was irritating. His eyes were clear, and his looks overflowed with a sense of coolness. He was social and could get along with men and women of all ages. It’s said that even though only about a month had gone by since school started, he had already exchanged contact info with seventy percent of the school’s first-year students. He’s a pretty boy who had gone beyond being a womanizer and was at the level of a con man. Just like Urano Izumi, he was one of my childhood friends.
When Kanao Haruka, aka Kana, was a kid, he had been relatively gloomy and reserved and was always reading a book by himself in class. However, after a middle school career that was a heaven resembling hell, he became one of the most extroverted extroverts.
“If Momo fell in love at first sight with this Hime girl, she must be cute, right? Do you have a picture?”
“No, I don’t. And you’re being too familiar calling her by her first name.”
Not even I had used Orihara-san’s first name yet. That’s just like an extrovert to do. What nerve, suddenly calling a girl by her first name!
“Okay, what about her Instagram?”
“She said she doesn’t use any social media ’cause she doesn’t understand things like that.”
“That’s pretty rare for a high school girl these days.”
I’ll give him that. Nowadays even a borderline introvert like me has an Instagram account. Though I just randomly look at other people’s pictures without uploading anything of my own...