Living with the Arrogant Queen from High School is Surprisingly Not Uncomfortable

After the second period lecture ended, I walked alone to the university cafeteria. The other students majoring in the same subject exited the lecture hall in their cheerful groups. As always, even in my university life, I had few friends. But I didn’t feel depressed. With less group activity enforced compared to high school, I was beginning to find it more comfortable to be alone at university.

It was exactly lunch break. The cafeteria was crowded with people attending the university. In this situation, it was a challenge to even find a vacant seat.

It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have a lecture scheduled for the third period. I decided to go to the library and kill some time during lunch break.

The library.

In that place with its unique aroma, I decided to spend some time reading a book. When I was in middle school, I was into self-help books, but after reading several such books, I realized that their contents were all similar, and I found them meaningless and quit. I also don’t read novels much. It takes quite a bit of time to finish one book, and with many things I want to do, it requires a considerable amount of time for me to finish reading.

…Maybe I should leave the library.

I thought for a moment, but then I reconsidered, thinking that the cafeteria was still likely to be crowded. It can’t be helped. Maybe I’ll look at my smartphone.

I was mainly researching articles about cleaning techniques. It’s a good time now. With just one smartphone, you can search for handy cleaning gadgets and cleaning methods.

Oh, this one is good.

I immediately opened an online shopping site and bought it.

…And then, I felt a little regret.

It wasn’t that I regretted buying the cleaning gadget. In fact, I impulsively bought cleaning gadgets before… and Hayashi, who had to receive the package, was quite upset with me.

What do you use this for?

Didn’t you buy something similar before?

Of course, I don’t stay silent when she says such things.

This gadget is used like this. It’s different from the other one. I would explain that thoroughly, but… well, there wasn’t a single time when Hayashi accepted it.

I don’t feel irritated that I was reprimanded by Hayashi, who had nothing to do with my wasting money.

After all, she’s getting angry at me at the risk of being disliked by me, considering my financial situation. Even though there’s a risk of ending up on the streets if one step goes wrong, she still gets angry for my sake. I can’t complain about such a good person. If I complain, I would become like her ex-boyfriend whom I’ve been criticizing in my mind.

But even thinking that far, I can’t stop impulse buying… I’m such a weak-willed man.

I can still cancel it now. But I don’t even think of cancelling, which means I’m beyond saving.

“Well, if she gets angry, it will end there.”

To make matters worse, I was even trying to use such an invincible theory. Seriously, I’m too hopeless to save. Well, not really.

Eventually, lunch break passed while I was looking at cleaning gadgets.

I thought I should go to the cafeteria soon and stood up.

The university cafeteria. I ordered a fried chicken set meal and looked around the now vacant cafeteria. I walked straight to the place that seemed least popular.

“It’s a bit dry and not that delicious…”

The cafeteria’s fried chicken set meal. I was grateful and ate it often when I first entered university, but since Hayashi started cooking for me in my room, I’ve been able to realize that the cafeteria food isn’t that great.

I might as well beg Hayashi to make lunch for me. But I hesitate to increase her burden, so I decide to put up with the cafeteria food here.

A voice echoed in the now relatively quiet cafeteria as the third period began.

The automatic door opened, and a group of four girls entered the cafeteria.

“Hey, Yamamoto-kun.”

One of them called out to me.

I looked up, wondering who it was, and there she was, the person I least wanted to encounter right now. It was Kasahara.

“…Kasahara, huh? How are you?”

“Yeah. It’s the first time we’ve talked at school, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah, right.”

As I’d thought before, although we’d been at the same university for half a year, it wasn’t the first or second time that I’d seen her on this campus. But the reason we’d never had a proper conversation until today was simply because it felt awkward.

…Ideally, I would’ve liked to go through all four years of university without talking to her, but that wish was thwarted midway.

“Akari-chan, who is that?”

“Eh, my boyfriend.”

“Ex.”

She always had this bad habit of speaking in a way that seemed to mock me. Even now, she was waiting for a quick retort from me.

“…Huh, when were you two dating?”

“Back in high school.”

“I see. So right now, he’s single?”

“…Well, I wonder about that?”

“…Uh…”

“I’m Yamagiwa.”

“Eh, why are you using a fake name? Mr. Yamamoto.”

Why, you ask? It’s scary to tell your real name to a stranger, isn’t it? In this internet society, you never know where your personal information can be misused, right? I’m a guy with high internet literacy.

However, the pseudonym I came up with was exposed at the last moment when I could have fooled them.

“…Sorry. Could everyone go on ahead without me?”

Suddenly, Kasahara said such a thing and took a seat opposite me.

“Got it. …See you later, Mr. Yamamoto.”

Kasahara’s friends left the cafeteria.

Across from me, Kasahara sat, chin in hand, smiling and looking at me.