Chapter 4: Tea
TL: Akabane
***
[So please, meet me here at the convenience store.]
I checked the message I sent.
I also attached map information to that message.
The receiver is Yuki.
Right now, I was in the parking lot of a convenience store about 500 meters away from the school.
It's a convenience store with a green and red logo that boasts the largest market share in Japan.
The parking lot is large enough to hold seven cars, but right now only two are parked there.
One is an old light truck with a haggard-looking uncle spreading out a newspaper.
The other is a red Mercedes Benz, and in the driver's seat is a woman with sunglasses and curly hair, looking rather unapproachable.
Come to think of it, I used to see cars like this when I was in junior high school. I don't remember where I saw it, though.
The time now is just before 17:00.
There are no students around here because I came here before anyone else after school.
Well, to begin with, this convenience store is located on the opposite side of the nearest station of the school, so students from our school rarely come here.
That is why I chose this place as our meeting place.
Today, I'm supposed to have tea with Yuki.
I didn't want to go if possible because I didn't want to be conspicuous and I didn't want to start any strange rumors, but I reluctantly decided to go because Yuki sent me a message that she was determined to have tea with me.
Even if I forcefully refused the invitation, it wouldn't be good for Yuki's impression of me, and it would affect me in the future.
I was sure that this invitation was either a trick by Yuki to trick me or a punishment game with her friends.
Whatever the case may be, this is the first and last time for me to attend such a special event.
So, there are two things I should be aware of during our outing together.
The first is to make sure that no student from my school finds us.
The second is to treat Yuki in a way that she will not dislike me.
For the sake of my future self, I will be conscious of these two things and get through this event without making waves.
And I want to be the kind of person who makes people think that Takarada is not as interesting as he seems and is not even talked about among his friends.
Suddenly, I look up.
I noticed that the light truck of the uncle who was reading the newspaper was gone.
I wondered if he had finished reading news for the evening or if it because he was a little late, but then I heard a voice calling me, "Takarada-kun!"
There was the ever-beautiful Yuki.
Her cheeks were lightly stained, as if she was sweating from her haste.
I felt a little sorry for making her walk such a long way because how much I didn't want to show off.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to meet you this far away."
"It's totally fine! I love walking!"
I was a little relieved to hear her cheerful reply.
I'm sure she was just trying to be considerate.
"So, is there a cafe near here?"
"Yes, there is."
I answered as if I had been there many times, but it was my first time going there.
Because, originally, Yuki had invited me to a cake shop near the school.
But if I did that, the students at the school would surely find out.
So I looked for a cafe away from the school and asked her to have tea there.
"......"
"......"
I looked at the map app to make sure we didn't go the wrong way, and Yuki looked around with interest as if this was the first time she had taken this road.
We walk in parallel, but the distance between us is about a meter. There is no way to get any closer.
"......"
The silence continues.
I don't intend to talk to her, but I feel uncomfortable when the silence continues.
Yuki, perhaps tired of looking at the unchanging road, turned her head and contracted her shoulders in a slightly embarrassed manner.
With such an exquisite atmosphere, we arrived at a cafe.
The name is "Logy."
It has a fashionable exterior with doors and walls made of wood.
"It's fashionable."
Yuki seemed to have the same impression.
"Yes, it is. Then, let's go."
We climbed the three steps in front of the door and opened the door.
Inside, it was a small place, about five tatami mats in size, with only six counter seats and one table for four people.
The walls were decorated with pictures that I couldn't imagine where they had bought them, and an old man with gray hair was standing near the counter, smiling softly at me.
He was probably the master of this cafe.
"For two people? Then, please take any seat you like."
His voice was just as familiar and gentle as he looked.
We sat down side by side at the end of the counter.
The distance between the counter seats is very close, so inevitably, Yuki and I are also close to each other.
I could smell the gentle scent of fabric softener.
I'm too gross, right?
I shook my head to shake off the gross thoughts and turned my attention to the menu list.
The small B4-size menu list included coffee, tea, ice cream, cake, and other standard cafe fare.
"I'll have a café au lait. What about you, Yuki?"
"...... Iced tea, please."
It's funny.
She was so cheerful when we met up, but now she's just downcast.
Oh, maybe it's because she's too close to me.
Do I stink?
Oh no, if I don't do something, there will be an unflattering rumor that Takarada is smelly.
I might actually be smelly.
I silently moved from one seat to another.
That left one seat open between me and Yuki.
Okay, there should be no smell problem now.
But...
"Why are you moving away from me?"
Yuki stared at me.
"Well, I thought you might not want to be next to me."
"That's not true!"
I could see the anger in her eyes.
What, I didn't stink?
"Anyway, come back and sit next to me."
"......Yes. I understand."
Because the look on her face said nothing, so I quietly returned to my seat.
I was hoping that she would say that I didn't stink.
"Well, I'll order then. I'm sorry, café au lait and iced tea, please!"
"They're already ready."
Perhaps because he had heard our conversation, the master had started making the coffee and iced tea before I had even placed my order, and he brought the coffee and iced tea with a somewhat happy expression on his face.
"Oh, thank you."
I sucked the café au lait through a straw.
It's a delicious café au lait with the richness and sweetness of milk accented with a slight bitter taste.
Perhaps it was the tension of having Yuki so close, but I found myself drinking half of the café au lait.
Seeing me like that, Yuki gives me a natural smile.
"You drank too much, didn't you?"
I feel embarrassed by her amused expression and remove my gaze.
"Oh, my tasting is to chug it down first."
I said something I didn't understand.
I wanted to hide my nervousness, but I was too good at hiding it.
"Fufufu, what's with that deception? Why don't you just say you were thirsty like normal?"
"Ah, sure."
"It's interesting, after all."
"Eh?"
"You're a little weird, aren't you, Takarada-kun?"
I'm weird?
It's true that I may be strange in that I'm inferior in every way.
However, the nuance that Yuki just gave me was a little different from that.
And after that, Yuki said something surprising.
"Will you be my friend?"
"...... Ha?"
I could hardly believe those words.
***
A convenience store a short distance from the school.
I was meeting my manager, Hashimoto-san, there as usual.
Hashimoto-san's car was easy to recognize. A red Mercedes Benz.
It hasn't changed since I was in junior high school.
Whenever she picks me up after school, it's always this car.
"Ah."
When I arrived at the convenience store, I spotted Hashimoto-san's car and at the same time, I also spotted a certain someone.
There is no way I could have mistaken him for someone else.
He was Gomi Takarada.
And there was no way I could mistake the person walking beside him.
Hana Yuki. I never talked to her before, but I remember her well because she was very cute.
I saw him and Yuki walking together at lunchtime yesterday.
I was surprised then, but I am more shocked now.
After school, the two of them went to .......
"What's wrong? Tendo-san. You're not going to make it in time for the shoot?"
Hashimoto-san said to me as my mind went blank.
Yes, I have work to do.
I have to switch now.
Besides, I still don't know if they are lovers.
I hurriedly got into the car.
"Okay, I'm going. Let's work hard today. Yuna Tendo is very popular, she's very sought after."
For now, I decided to forget that he existed.
0 Comments