CH 1.5

"You are..."

“So, here?”

“Yes. It’s a blind spot. Over here.”

I was brought to sit on the stairs leading to the roof.

However, our high school roof is always closed.

Therefore, no one comes up here.

It should be a common choice, but it’s fine.

Sitting beside each other on the steps, we opened our boxes together.

“Oh…!”

“It looks pretty good,” I said.

Meat, vegetables, eggs & fish.

There was a very well-made bento with a perfect balance of colors and ingredients.

It was definitely different from the convenience store bento.

I haven’t tasted it yet, but I feel it’s going to be good.

“Here.”

“Hmm…? Oh… Thanks”

I received a stylish chopstick case which was crimson, and I clapped my hands.

“Itadakimasu.”

“Itadakimasu.”

“Try having a bit of tamagoyaki.”

(TN: Tamagoyaki- A Japanese dish made from egg.)

“Un… It’s delicious”

It can be called the most delicious tamagoyaki I’ve ever eaten.

“Well…really? Thank you for your praise.”

When I said that, Tachibana smiled faintly with a face that seemed to be satisfied.

Cute and delicious.

The chopsticks moved forward with no intention of stopping, and everything easily went into my stomach.

It was probably the best lunch I’ve ever had.

“… It was delicious. Gochisousama.”

(TN: Like Itadakimasu, but used after eating.)

“Thank you for your compliment, I really appreciate it.”

I pack the lunch box and return it to Tachibana.

After receiving it, Tachibana finished eating her own meal.

“Thanks for that day,” she said.

“No… it’s okay. I did it because I got annoyed.”

“It’s disgusting, isn’t it?” 

“What he said, yes.”

…

Before I knew it, I was able to talk naturally with Tachibana.

It may be due to the delicious rice.

But I felt like I didn’t care about the reason.

“He should be happy that I heard him out,” she said.

“…hmm.”

“I even refused, but still…” she said. “He had the guts to talk about why. Why did I reject him, and then even complain?”

“…Mhm”

“That’s really selfish,” she said. “That’s why I was…”

“Yes …”

I noticed Tachibana has a strange face.

Uh oh, I talked too much in vain.

That seemed really rude.

I find such stories annoying.

“Uhhh… yes, I agree?”

“No. Sorry, I just started babbling and asked for a random explanation.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, I mean…”

“Kusuba-san, you are…”

At that moment, the chime of the bell sounded, which drowned Tachibana’s words.

It seems that the chimes can be heard really loudly here.

This is it, the time I had been waiting for.

I jumped up and looked towards Tachibana.

“Bye,”I said, “Thanks.”

I went down the stairs leaving her with only 2 words.

That was the sign of the ending.

The relationship between me and Tachibana has now ended.

I shall not talk about it anymore.

That is the path I choose. The “right” way in life.

So I didn’t even leave anything behind, nor did I listen to those lines that were drowned in the chimes.

—————-

“…just like me,” finished Tachibana, but there was no one to hear her.