CH 24

"I guess people will change when women are involved..."

Kenichi, who now regularly came to sit next to me during the break, murmured so with distant eyes. Since he was a handsome young man, his 'lost in thought' expression looked very photogenic. Knowing that made me irritated.

"Why do you come here every lunch? Don't mind me and get closer to your girlfriend."

I underlined the parts I didn't understand in the previous class. The Social Goddess' hadn't retracted her order.

Hmm.

The number of lines had decreased from before. It's certainly because the Goddess was good at teaching people.

"Get closer, huh? I guess we're not lovey-dovey like Towa. You two are so energetic from the morning."

"Our relationship is not like that."

"Really? But I'm really surprised when I saw Towa and Wakamiya together this morning! What happened? Tell me, I'll keep it as a secret. Or you can tell me how did you two first meet!"

"I don't want to talk with a chatterbox."

"So cruel!"

Kenichi had a wide circle of friends. He had an overwhelming ability to start something. Even at the same level as the Social Goddess.

Well, that didn't mean he had a loose tongue. On the contrary, he was an upright man who keeps his promise.

Still, his 'know-it-all' behavior made me feel like I lost to him, so I won't tell him that... That's all I got to say.

Besides, I also didn't know the answer.

What made me suddenly get involved with Wakamiya? Why was she being so nice to me?

She acted like she was driven by a sense of mission, but I'm still not sure about that.

"But you're together at night, right?"

"What...?"

I made a surprised face to hide my upsetness.

"Well, some people told me that they saw you two walking together at night."

"Hmm. That's definitely when we went home together by chance after I finished my part-time job."

"In two consecutive days?"

"...Yeah, two days in a row..."

I averted my eyes from Kenichi.

I didn't expect that we would be seen consecutively...

"Really, just admit it already~"

"There's nothing to admit. At all."

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I'm not."

Even if I denied it, I still couldn't wipe off the grin of Kenichi's face. What a tough battle.

"How stubborn. But to be honest, I'm glad that there's another person who understands Towa's good points."

"Huh. Anyway, just go somewhere else already. You're bothering my study."

"To think that I'll hear those words from your mouth... The power of love is amazing."

"Listen to me! Ugh, stop bringing that topic to everything. You're acting like a gossipy girl."

I sighed and checked my homework for the next class. By the way, I already finished doing it yesterday. This would be the first time I turned my homework since I entered high school...

"Towa, let's be serious now... What actually happened yesterday and today? You denied being close to her so much before, didn't you?" Kenichi asked, his face suddenly turned serious.

I honestly replied, "I just learned... that I can never win against a girl."

Yes, man will never win against a girl's tears... Definitely.

"Hmmm. Well, I actually thought that your attitude yesterday is 'not good', so I'm happy with this change."

"Sorry 'bout that."

"You have to apologize to Wakamiya about what happened yesterday... no, wait..."

Kenichi put his hand on his chin and started thinking.

I continued my task, watching him from the corner of my eye.

"Let's prepare a present for her!"

"Huh? Why does it become like that... I already apologized, okay?"

"You don't get it, Towa~ It's easy to apologize. Men tend to think, 'I already said sorry, so that should be it, right?' But that's actually bad!"

I didn't understand what Kenichi wanted to say. It's not over even after I apologized?

I put my pen on the desk and pondered. "So I have to prepare something as a reconciliation item?"

"Ahh! You really don't get it, huh~ If you do that, she'll definitely think, 'You give me this thing to move on from the problem, right? How insincere!'"

"Haa... Then tell me what should I do. Do you mean I have to apologize again without giving anything?"

"Ehhh... I'm at fault here. I have to teach you to learn a woman's mind first, Towa." Kenichi said, exaggeratedly shrugging his shoulders like an American comedian.

Hey, why would you expect me to understand a woman's heart... I wasn't that experienced to have that ability.

"The correct answer here is 'secretly prepare something to thank her.'"

"Not to apologize?"

"Naturally, it's better to give her things as a token of gratitude than as a apology. Just think about it. Do you think Wakamiya will accept it if you give her an item after you declare that it's your reconciliation item?"

"No... I don't think she will..."

Wakamiya and I hadn't known each other for a long time. However, I could imagine her saying, "I don't need it" if I gave her something to show my feelings.

Wakamiya wouldn't ask for things as compensation or reward.

Somehow, I was convinced of that.

Eventually, she would end it with a single phrase, "It's just me being nosy, don't worry about it."

Then——

"Kenichi, I thought about it, but... I don't think she'll receive it even if I give it as a token of gratitude, you know?"

With a bold smile, Kenichi looked like he had been waiting for my answer. "My, Towa! So you get it!!"

"Haa. If you know that, why are we back at the starting point now? What's the point of our conversation so far... Ugh."

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry!"

Kenichi had a carefree and refreshing smile. He's really handsome...

"But then, it's not completely useless, is it?"

"You're wasting my time... Just tell me the conclusion already."

"Yes, yes. Towa sure is impatient~"

"Who cares."

I sighed. Return the several seconds I had used to think, "What should I give to her?"

"Well, well, no need to be angry! I'm not lying when I talk about 'thank you' and 'prepare things secretly', so the time you devoted to thinking about the gift isn't wasted."

"Don't read my thoughts so naturally!"

To be honest, I don't think I'm that easy to read...

Ahh, but other than Kenichi, Wakamiya could also predict my actions...

Maybe I just hadn't noticed that I was simple-minded...?

"For the time being, the conclusion is Wakamiya's birthday. Give her a present on that day."

"Then say that from the beginning..."

"Is that so? But Towa, if I tell you to prepare a birthday present, you'll say, 'it's weird if I suddenly gift her things. I don't need to do that.'"

"I-I won't say that."

"Look, you're stuttering."

I clicked my tongue and rested my chin in my hand.

"But now that you know that you need to convey your gratitude, you have something to apologize, and you know when is her birthday... You have to choice but to do it, right?"

"Stop instructing me in a roundabout way..."

"But it's effective for Towa."

"I guess so..."

I sighed again.

Haa, I had been dancing on Kenichi's palm all the time, hadn't I?

I looked up in resignation and dropped my shoulder.

"Okay, I give up. I don't really know what should I give as a present... so help me."

"Yeah, leave it to me!" Kenichi said with a toothy laugh, raising his thumb.

In the end, I spent my whole lunch break getting taught a lot of things by the handsome guy.