Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

 Chapter 66 Sakakibara’s Thoughts

After finishing Mashiro’s French toast with mixed feelings, I got ready as usual and left the house with her seeing me off as usual.

Mashiro was right, it was raining outside, and I walked down the street to the nearest station with the umbrella she had given me.
Naturally, the sun was hiding in the rain clouds and it was dark in the morning, and I suddenly felt a chill in my stomach.
I wasn’t wearing very light clothes, but I felt a strange and uncomfortable sensation as I walked to work.

When I arrived at the office, I lightly greeted my colleagues and took my seat. Next to me sat my friend who I have known for a long time.
Since we see each other every day, I didn’t pay any attention to him and greeted him, but he didn’t respond to my greeting.

“Eh..W-What’s wrong…?”

When I turned to look at Sakakibara again, he had a look on his face that I had never seen before.
Sakakibara was always mild-mannered, and it was hard for him to lose his gentle expression. Even when he was with his girlfriend, I have never seen him even relax his cheeks.

He may not have a poker face, but he rarely revealed his emotions.
Sakakibara was staring at my face with a frown on his face, as if he was in deep thought.

“I don’t like it when people look at me like that…”

I checked my hair and face to see if there was anything unusual about my appearance, but there was nothing strange.
I made sure to fix my bedhead and had Mashiro checked them out. I’ve washed my face and shaved.
There was nothing wrong with me that I can think of. However, Sakakibara’s gaze remained unmoved.

I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn’t even get ready for work.
The people around me seemed to have noticed Sakakibara’s strange behavior, and a person sitting on the opposite side of me spoke to me in a low voice.

“Satou-san, did you do something to upset Sakakibara-san…?
“No, I don’t think so. Is there anything strange about me today?”
“I don’t think so…Speaking of which, did anything good happen?”
“Eh? Do I look like that?”
“Somewhat, but that’s not the reason, is it?”

I was a little surprised to hear that person say that to me. It would be a lie to say that nothing good has happened.
The fact that I was able to spend a happy time with Mashiro from this morning is certainly a “good thing” that can’t be replaced by anything else.
I wonder if it showed on my face so much that people who don’t usually interact with me could see it…That may be a bit too much of a stretch.

However, as this person said, it is hard to believe that this is what is leading to Sakakibara’s suspicious attitude.
There has to be something more to the cause…and it has to be something pretty big.

In the end, Sakakibara did not respond to me in the morning, and I started my morning work, unable to think any further.
Even in the middle of the day, I could feel the occasional glance from the seat next to me, so I couldn’t concentrate on my work at all.

The suffocating atmosphere lasted until lunchtime, when the tension was broken when I tried to ask Sakakibara out for lunch as usual.

“Hey, Satou.”

Before I could say anything, I heard my name called from the desk next to me.
When I looked up and turned around, I saw Sakakibara looking at me with a more serious gaze than ever before.

“W-What’s wrong?”
“Do you want to have lunch with me?”
“Y-Yes. Of course.”

Despite the strange atmosphere, the only words that came out of his mouth were the usual ones.
Sakakibara told me to go to our usual lunch spot and we spread out our lunches.

Sakakibara had his girlfriend Ayano-san’s bento, and I had Mashiro’s bento.
Both bentos were homemade by our partner, but my bento was disguised as a favor from a neighbor.
I know it’s a bit forced, but I can’t let go of Mashiro’s secret when others only know her as a cat.

“I wonder if it’s the same courtesy lunch today.”
“Y-Yeah.”
“…Satou, you’re hiding something from me.
“Eh…W-What makes you think that?”
“Sir, we have proof, okay?”
“Who even are you?”

I couldn’t help but tsk at Sakakibara, who suddenly started acting like a child in a cop drama.
But inside, I was becoming quite impatient. What I was hiding from Sakakibara, of course, was Mashrio.
As anyone could imagine, it might have been suspicious to ask someone to make my lunch every day. …But why this timing?

“But there’s a real reason.”

Sakakibara proceeded to talk while staring into his lunch box. I thought he started to talk about it as a sign of something, but he started to talk about the details of the date and its contents.

“Last weekend, I went out with Ayano. It was our first date in a while.”

Sakakibara proceeded to talk while staring into his lunch box. I thought he had started talking as a sign, but he went on to tell me the details of the date.
I wondered why I was being made to feel so nervous, and why I was being told a love story. Just as I was about to let out a sigh, I felt my body tense up at one word.

“We took a little trip to the mall.”
“…That’s”
“Yeah. I think Satou’s house is near there, right? It’s a shopping mall there.”
“…”

Now I understand what Sakakibara means by “proof”. Last weekend’s shopping mall, the words are still vivid in my memory.
Because that date and place he mentioned. Mashiro and I were there.

“I’m sure I’m not mistaken, but wasn’t Satou there that day too?”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
“So it’s not a mistake that there was a girl next to you, is it?”
“So you saw it…haa.”

Sakakibara asked the question, the words I had been expecting to hear.
As for the…Mashiro thing, it wasn’t something I was trying to keep hidden forever. I knew I had to tell him in some form or another.
But I kept telling myself that it could wait a little longer. And now, it had suddenly come to me.

“You suddenly started bringing homemade lunch every day, and lately you’re looking even happier than before.”
“There’s not…”
“There is. Even more than when you first got the cat. And to top it all off, you were walking around with a girl on your day off.”
“…”
“So this is what happens when we get many people together…”

You are right, Sakakibara. As expected, I would not be able to deceive him after being told so much.
I don’t think he’s ever noticed that it was Mashiro’s human form…but an explanation was needed anyway.

There was no need to go to the trouble of explaining about Mashiro, but it was inevitable that we’ll end up in the same situation as when the landlord misunderstood us before.
The problem with that was that it would put a burden on Mashiro. I don’t want to impose any more misunderstandings from other people.
Depending on what Sakakibara asked of me next, I’ll have to be very careful in my answers…

“So, let’s have a double date this weekend!”

…Eh?