Episode 39 – A Day Without The Goddess ( During )

After the teacher arrived, I secretly looked at my phone and saw that Ichikawa san had contacted me.
Apparently, her father had temporarily returned from an extended business trip overseas.
That’s why she took the day off.

I was a little relieved.
I wondered what I would do if they found out she was staying out overnight and asked me to come and greet their parents.

So today I am free for lunch for the first time in a long time.
Maybe Naka and I will eat together for the first time in a while.
To be honest, I’ve come full circle and now my eyes are bright. I feel like I can do anything now.

As I was thinking about this, Tohno san next to me called out to me.

“K-Komiya kun! w-would you like to have lunch with me today?”
“Eh?”

I was also confused by the unexpected invitation.
Why is it suddenly again?….
Although my schedule is open only for today, it is natural for me to decline the offer considering Ichikawa san’s situation.

But how can I refuse? In front of these innocent eyes.

“Of course it’s not just the two of us! I’m inviting Fujimoto kun and Suzu chan too!”

Then, perhaps sensing my confusion, Tohno san hurriedly corrects her statement.
In response, Suzu spoke to me from behind.

“That’s what is going to happen. Come on, I’ll go first”
“Aside from Naka, Shinozuka san is……”
“What ?!”
“Well~Let’s go to the cafeteria and have lunch for the first time in a while! Because yesterday you suddenly went somewhere. I’ll buy you dinner instead of yesterday’s birthday present.”
“…Well if that’s what you mean.”
“Wait a minute! What? Did you have a birthday yesterday?

She didn’t know, did she? Well, of course. I didn’t tell her. I don’t think this girl would look into it on her own.

“So that’s why you were together with her yest—-Ouch !?”
“You never learn, don’t you! just shut up for a minute!!!!”

Once again, I mercilessly clamp down on Suzu’s mouth as she is about to say something.
Then she turns away so that the two people behind her can’t hear her.

“P-Puhaaa, what the hell are you doing!!”
“I told you that in the morning, didn’t I?”
“….!! Ah yeah.. It’s a secret”

“(Ah but wait? Perhaps that’s what she stayed for yesterday? Come to think of it, when I looked up that thing, when a couple has a birthday…..)——-Tsu!!!!!”
“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly she started mumbling and talking to herself.

“(Eh, impossible, is that it?! Eh, after I did that!? I-it’s a lie….After I was satisfied….E-Embarasing….)”

Suzu suddenly turned red and stiffened beside me. It seems she did not even hear me calling out to her.

“W-Wait a minute !! Yesterday !! What did you do yesterday ?! are you doing that with that gir—”
“No, I didn’t do anything !! I didn’t do it, I promise you!

She continued, about to say something outrageous, and then I interrupted her.

She put too much knowledge like that just yesterday. Where is the pure …… stupid Suzu that believed in storks until yesterday?

“H-Heeee. Yeah…Does that mean you’re still a virgin?”
“Haven’t heard that expression in a while. …… Well, I am.”
“Hee…..Heee~!!”

What a pain in the ass. There are plenty of people who don’t have that experience.
Are you that happy that I have no experience? Or maybe you’re one of those people.

“(Hmmph. Then I guess I haven’t lost to that woman yet! Then I will be the one who take Youta first…Wait what am I thinking !?)”

“Shall we go to the cafeteria?”
“Shinozuka san, are you sure you want to be alone?”
“It’ll be fine”
“Aren’t you treating Suzu chan kind of crappy?”
“It’s your imagination”

I left Suzu twisting around behind me and headed for the cafeteria with Tohno san and Naka.
I don’t doubt that Ichikawa san will forgive me if Naka is with me, although I can’t help but feel a little guilty.

◆

The cafeteria, which I hadn’t been to in a long time, was crowded with people.
Until now, Ichikawa san and I had eaten together, so this feeling was fresh and nostalgic.

We were lucky enough to find and secure an open seat among them.
Each person purchases a meal ticket before receiving their food and taking it to their seat.

I accept my oyakodon, too, and head for my seat.

Then Tohno san’s food seemed to be ready ahead of her and she was already sitting down.
And a strange man is standing next to her, talking.

The man was a bit shallow but solid looking and had a good face.
The word “manly” would be more accurate than “good-looking”.

What is it? Picking up girls? At school?

However, as I looked at Tohno san’s face from a distance, she did not look that uncomfortable. I could just tell that she was confused.

And when I approached, the person who had noticed this waved peacefully to Tohno san and left.

“Who is the person?”
“Ah Komiya kun. That person is…Nishino san, a senpai from middle school”
“So that’s it. You guys are pretty close ?”
“Eh? Ah~yeah ? I think [close] is the right term…”

Nishino san?
Still, he seemed somewhat crisp.
It’s not that I hate him.

“I-In fact, he confessed to me the other day…..”
“Eh !? Confessed ?!”
“Y-your voice is too loud….”
“S-Sorry”

I screamed out. I knew it was only the person I had a crush on, and I was upset when she told me that such a manly man had confessed his love to her.

Tohno san looks embarrassed.

“Ee-to So what happened?”
“I-I refused”
“I-i see”
“….yeah, So it was a little awkward.”
“I-I understand..”

It is a mixture of indescribable emotions.
Is this just curiosity?

“Why did you say no to him?”
“……..I-I had someone on my mind.”

She mumbled this quietly as she glanced at me.
I guess I was a little too curious.
She’s embarrassed, isn’t she?

…… I guess it is her childhood friend after all.
Even that senpai is cool enough. I guess she likes him a lot, her childhood friend.
Senpai, Amen

…….Well I guess even Tohno san is popular.

“L-let’s stop this discussion ! I want to talk about tomorrow !”
“Tomorrow?”
“Eh? You forgot?”
“Ah, no, I don’t ! Et-to What am I supposed to do tomorrow?”
“During the day, Can you come to the front of the station at 13:00? Since we’re here, I thought we should all hang out and then celebrate!”
“The front of the station right? Roger !!”

I haven’t had many friends celebrate like this, so it’s kind of refreshing.
But still, who will everyone be?

“Hey, who else is coming?”
“Eh !? T-that’s a…secret! Look forward to it!”

Secret…Something like that has been happening a lot lately. Is it an epidemic…..?

“Ah yeahh, alright”

Later, Naka with his udon noodles and Suzu came back with a set meal that cost 3,500 yen, which she thought no one would even order, and everyone enjoyed their lunch.

“Then again, you didn’t go anywhere right away today.”
“Eh?”
“Well Ichikawa san is on break, she said something happened…..?”

The air in the room froze.

“Just kidding !!!”
“…………”

Naka was very sharp.