MTLNOVEL Chapter 51
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Walking together at night like this.”
While carrying Kasahara on my back, I walk the night streets. A delicate voice from Kasahara’s mouth near my ear reaches me.
Suddenly, I look up at the night sky.
Unlike the countryside, the residential areas in the city center do not offer a clear view of the starry sky. Although I never appreciated the starry sky when I lived in the countryside, I deeply realized that one only notices the value of something once it’s lost.
“Was that so?”
“Wow, that’s harsh. You’re saying things I couldn’t imagine you saying during high school.”
“Well, we’re not lovers now.”
“…Ahaha. How fickle. When we were lovers, you used to wait for me at the train station platform until I arrived.”
“Well, yeah. Speaking of which, you once twisted your ankle during PE. You came to the station closest to the school alone, dragging your foot.”
“Oh yes, I remember. Your face was pale back then. It was worth it.”
“So, you hurt yourself just to tease me? That’s pretty crazy.”
“Isn’t it? I was eager to see you as soon as possible, so I pushed myself.”
I fell silent.
Was it just those times she wanted to see me as soon as possible?
Or maybe…
Thinking it’s better not to go any further, I look down for a moment. Then I lift my face.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You hardly ate anything earlier.”
“It was a mixer, you know. I didn’t want to appear unladylike.”
“But you ended up leaving after the first round. They seemed a bit pitiful.”
“It’s fine. I just didn’t want you to see me in an unladylike manner.”
Once again, I lower my face. My current facial expression is probably not something I should show to Kasahara.
“….Should we stop somewhere to eat?”
“Oh, then I want to eat ramen.”
“Hey.”
Where did all the talk of being unladylike go?
“Come on. It’s hard for a girl to go into a ramen shop alone. If I’m with someone who looks like a boyfriend, it’s a bit easier.”
“Is that so.”
I reply curtly.
…Speaking of which.
“Don’t you need to pretend to be drunk anymore?”
“No, I’m fine now.”
“…Even if you wanted to leave the mixer early, you didn’t have to pretend to be drunk, did you?”
“Huh, didn’t you want to leave the mixer early too?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Eh, liar. You were having a great conversation with Irino-chan.”
“That’s one thing. This is another.”
“….Oh, really?”
“You don’t believe what I’m saying, do you?”
“No, that’s not it?”
“You’re not believing me.”
Kasahara always uses warm and friendly words. I shouldn’t believe her words. That’s something I know from dating her for just three months.
“I’m serious. I’m heartbroken because of someone right now. I’m not in the mood for a new romance.”
Come to think of it, Kasahara pretending to be drunk was really good timing in that context. If the conversation had continued and they had proposed a second round, I might have gone along with it. Just for the sake of talking about working out.
“….I wonder who that ‘someone’ could be.”
“Who knows.”
A period of silence.
Only my footsteps resonate in the residential street.
“Hey, if you’re not drunk, you should get down now.”
“Huh.”
“……I see.”
“Hmm.”
“……Now that I think about it, there was a ramen shop in front of the station.”
“Let’s go there, then.”
“Alright.”
Still carrying Kasahara, I walked down the street.
We reached the nearest station to the university ten minutes later. I didn’t put Kasahara down until another five minutes had passed, once we’d reached the ramen shop in question.
Unlike her, I had eaten quite a lot at the tavern earlier.
Because of that, I was fairly full, but I felt a little less so with her sitting next to me.
“You’re able to eat a normal serving?”
When purchasing our meal tickets, I asked Kasahara about her order.
“Yes. Oh, but… if I can’t finish it, will you eat the rest?”
“……uhh.”
“Okay?”
“……Alright.”
“Yeah. If I leave any, it will be like an indirect kiss.”
“I suppose so.”
Feeling flustered, we took our seats side by side at the narrow counter of the ramen shop.