CH 1

Chapter 1: The Usual Seat, the Usual Girl

Translated by Dawn

Chapter 1: The Usual Seat, the Usual Girl

“One clubhouse sandwich. Set with a free refill drink.”

Without looking at the menu at all, I placed my order, and as soon as the waitress left my seat, I went straight to the drink corner with my accustomed gait and picked up a clear glass with the store’s logo on it. After adding a little ice, I placed the glass in its place on the machine and pressed and held the standard melon soda. Tasting it carefully, I found it to be a greenish liquid that didn’t taste much like a melon. After pouring it in just enough to keep the bubbling carbonation from spilling out, I stuck the straw in, and returned to my usual seat, taking the same familiar route I had taken when I first came, this time with the same accustomed gait.

Family restaurant, Flowers.

On a Friday night, the restaurant was crowded with people with children and working people after work.

I sipped my melon soda through a straw as I gazed at the scene in the restaurant with a dazed head after my part-time job. The plastic straw turned green and I breathed a sigh of relief as my mouth started to fill up with water.

“It’s still 8:00 pm…”

The current time was 8:03 p.m. Not a very appropriate time for a high school sophomore to be outside. However, for me, it was still “not yet”.

I, Narumi Kouta, would continue to waste my time today as a high school sophomore with a melon soda.

As I was waiting for the menu I ordered, a golden light suddenly flickered in my vision. The color of her long, wavy hair that flashed across my vision was gold, reminiscent of the color of the sun, sunflowers, and other dazzling yet beautiful colors.

On her fingers, the color of her nails was the same as her eyes, a beautiful shade of blue that reminded me of the surface of reflecting water. Although it was hard to tell from this distance, she was probably wearing make-up as well.

She had a firm waist and ample breasts. The uniform of Hoshimoto Gakuen, which I also attended, enveloped her outstanding style, which was as good as a model’s. I wonder why she hasn’t gone home yet, given that her bag is by her side.

Her somewhat cold gaze was fixed on her phone, and she didn’t seem particularly interested in looking at any of the content on it. The look in her eyes, as if she was wasting her time, left a deep impression on me.

“Kazemiya…is she still here today?”

Her name was Kazemiya Kohaku. She was a classmate of mine, so to speak, in the second-year high school D class of the Hoshimoto Gakuen.

The only thing she and I had in common, however, was that we were classmates.

We were neither friends nor acquaintances. We didn’t sit next to each other, we weren’t childhood friends from next door to each other’s house, and we weren’t sworn enemies who had been related to each other in a previous life.

We had only one thing in common.

We were both regular customers of this family restaurant, Flowers.

That was it.

We neither discussed the taste of the juicy beef hamburger set, a standard dish at Flowers nor promised each other that we would conquer the entire menu. We didn’t talk to each other or even say hello to each other.

Always sitting at the same seat, spending time idly, without interacting with each other, without any mutual interference.

We were classmates, connected only by the thin thread of being regular customers, which might or might not exist.

If there was anything that bothered me, it was why she would waste her time aimlessly at the family restaurant every time, but I had no interest in exploring that.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here’s your clubhouse sandwich.”

The menu I ordered was delivered to my seat.

The clubhouse sandwich was carefully prepared even at this busy time of the day.

Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and roasted chicken sandwiched between pieces of golden brown toast were one of the signature dishes of the restaurant.

“Itadakimasu.”

After saying “Itadakimasu,” I bite into it. Immediately, the sweet and sour sauce was spread on my tongue. Yup, delicious.

Continuing on, I silently eat my clubhouse sandwich as dinner while looking at my phone from time to time.

“Gochisousamadeshita.”

I put my hands together while saying that.

The clubhouse sandwich that was delivered to the high school boys’ stomachs gave me a moderate sense of presence and satisfaction.

At this point, it was before nine o’clock at night. A healthy high school boy would have gone home by this time, but unfortunately, I didn’t fall into that category. But that didn’t mean that I was hanging out with a bunch of bad guys.

I just lingered in this family restaurant. That’s all.

I didn’t know much about the management of the restaurant, but I guess the restaurant wouldn’t appreciate a customer who didn’t have a good turnover rate. I felt a little sorry for them and decided to stay at the drink bar.

Not many high school students with limited funds would have the time to stay up this late.

After taking textbooks and notebooks out of my bag and completing assignments, I spent some time on my smartphone browsing my favorite sites and social networking timelines, and the rest of the time playing my favorite social games.

I guess the drawback with this game would be that it was the type of game where the phone was held horizontally, so it would be obvious from the side that the person was playing a game.

And then came ten o’clock in the late evening. This was the time limit for me.

I packed my bags, made sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, took the slip of paper, and got up.

—And. I bumped into Kazemiya, who was also heading to the cash register with a bill in his hand.

I bumped into Kazemiya, who was also heading to the cash register with a bill in her hand.

“….”

“….”

Our eyes met involuntarily with a snap.

Her eyes were a beautiful blue as if I could be sucked into them. Clear blue sky. A mysterious blue sea.

I wonder if it was only a second or two. There was nothing special going on, so I lightly nodded my head and took a step backward.

Kazemiya bowed her head lightly and went straight to the cash register, paid her bill, and left the store. I followed suit, paid my bill, and walked out of the store to find the night sky above me as if to say that the sun had long since set.

As if to ridicule the darkness of nature, the city was filled with the lights of the population. I just stare at her back as she walks majestically in the light of civilization created by human hands.

Her long golden hair swayed with every step she took. Those somewhat forlorn gaits burned strongly in my eyes.

“…let’s go home.”

As I turn my back on Kazemiya, I walk in the opposite direction of her.

Today, tomorrow, and in the future.

We were just two regulars, never exchanging words, never crossing paths.

—That was what I was thinking at the time.