CH 65

Famous High School Student is the best as she is

“I guess that’s the case? Well, the others might invite more friends but our number definitely won’t decrease for sure.”

I and Masato are treated as a set, the same goes for Eihashi-san and Ichinose-san. It’s possible but I don’t think Ichinose-san would invite someone new and if someone among us couldn’t go, we all wouldn’t go in the first place.

“Is that so…….by festival you mean the firework one right?”

“I think so…..I mean, there are only fireworks festivals around here right?”

“Yeah. I will probably go with my friends too. Still, that festival is really crowded right?”

“I don’t know since this will be my first time participating but I’ve heard people say that it’s usually crowded though.”

I remember working once a week last summer and spending the rest of the time lazing at my place. It was so hot that I couldn’t bear it without an electric fan after all.

There were some days that I went to the library to study in an air-conditioned room but mostly I spent my time at my place last summer.

By the way, I didn’t turn on the air conditioner at my place because I was worried about the electricity bill. I ended up using an electric fan instead and thanks to that I got out of summer with a surprisingly cheap bill to pay at the end of the month.

“Attending a festival like this makes you hesitate whether you want to wear plain clothes or yukata right. It’s easier to move in casual clothes after all. Still, when it comes to festivals, yukata is the way to go, don’t you think?”

“Hmm….that might be right but I belong to the casual sect myself. Even if I attend one, I would just buy a kebab and walk back home after all.”

“I always buy cheese foodies at the festivals you know! Well, we still have time so we can think about this later!”

“Yeah…….rather, isn’t the rain getting stronger?”

When I said that, the raindrops fell so heavily that I almost couldn’t hear Suzuka next to me unless she spoke loudly. We are not even halfway to my place yet so if Suzuka didn’t offer me to share the umbrella I might actually catch a cold.

This might sound like an excuse but I did prepare an umbrella this morning. I saw the weather forecast and knew it was going to rain so I was intending to carry one with me but I completely forgot about it since I had to hurry.

I often got soaked on weekdays too so I honestly started considering carrying around a foldable umbrella with me at all times. Rather, let’s just buy one when I visit the mall next time.

When I turned to look at Suzuka, I saw that her shoulder got soaked by the heavy rain. On the other hand, my shoulder barely gets wet.

My shoulders are much wider than Suzuka and Suzuka’s umbrella is not a foldable umbrella but a regular large-type umbrella. If we balance the space properly, she shouldn’t get soaked like that.

In other words, Suzuka was secretly leaning the umbrella to my side to cover me.

Being on the receiving end of her kindness, I felt guilty that she had to secretly care for me like that.

“Suzuka, I’m sorry I didn’t notice this earlier. It’s hard to carry the umbrella straight, right? Let me carry it for you.”

“Eh? Th, thank you. You don’t have to worry about that though.”

“No, I’m sharing your umbrella after all. I should have done this from the start.”

Saying so, I took the umbrella from Suzuka. Coupled with the fact that she has to get soaked on one side, it should have been hard for her to hold the umbrella straight up.

We walked almost halfway already so it was my fault for noticing so late.

“…….Seiya-kun is pretty gentlemanly aren’t you. Like how you always walked me home, I have a lot to thank you for, you know.”

“Well, we were going the same way after all. Also, it’s a man’s job to do things like this right. It wouldn’t do if I couldn’t at least do that. Besides, Suzuka is already cute but after your modeling debut, you got even prettier with your makeup right? If you walk home alone then you would be the perfect target for some hooligans trying to pick you up, you know?”

“Th, this is what I talked about! You don’t have to be so……so direct……Uuu…..AHHH!”

Suzuka got riled up for some reason and kept making that UUU, AHHHH sounds. That being said, I don’t remember doing anything that would anger her though. All I did was compliment her after all……..Suzuka should already be used to being called cute right…….

When I took the umbrella, I secretly leaned the umbrella toward Suzuka’s side to prevent the rain from falling on her shoulder but the earlier conversation made Suzuka walked a little away from me.

“Suzuka, if you step that way you will get soaked you know.”

“Eh? Eh, wai-, eh?”

With that said, I pull Suzuka closer. We are now closed enough that our shoulders are touching but with all the shooting we have done together, this distance is pretty much normal.

“S, Seiya-kun. A, aren’t we too close to each other?”

“This much is normal during the shoot though? Besides, your shoulder got soaked because you were trying to cover mine right?”

“……you noticed?”

“Well, yeah……..that being said, it’s my fault for not bringing my own umbrella in the first place…….anyway, if we have to share then this distance should be just right.”

I glanced at her and Suzuka was fidgeting restlessly. Perhaps, being this close is not the problem, maybe she just felt cold…..

“Maybe, I stink of sweat……? I sprinted to the set this morning so I was sweating a lot after all. Is that why you don’t want to get close?”

“Eh?……Puh, Ahahahahahaha!”

“Eh, why are you laughing now……?

When I asked her about the other possibility that came to my mind, Suzuka suddenly started laughing after a brief moment of surprise.

After that, she turned in my direction and sniffed.

“It’s not that! You don’t smell at all! But I guess you’re right. There’s no use worrying after all. Yup! I felt like I just lost because I was conscious about it, you know!”

“Y, yeah…..It felt weird being sniffed at like that though……anyway, if there’s no problem then it’s all good……I guess?”

“Because a lot of things happened today so I started getting conscious about the weirdest thing but that’s not like me right!……also, you can get embarrassed too when you are on the receiving end huh…..”

“I couldn’t hear you well but I think that you being you is for the best right? Suzuka is bright and gentle even without any pretending after all.”

“Yup yup, that’s my strong point!”

Looking like she was satisfied with something, Suzuka returned to her usual bright and confident self.

There were some parts that I couldn’t hear due to the rain but I got the point that Suzuka was saying she didn’t act like herself today.

While we were having such a conversation, we arrived in front of my place.

“Well, see you again this Thursday. Thank you for sharing your umbrella with me. You really helped me out today.”

“You’re welcome! Bye, oh, we will go to the pool together after the shoot this Thursday right!”

“Yeah!”

After saying goodbye, Suzuka left for her place. Today her place is farther from the shoot location. Normally, it would be me who sent her off before walking home myself. It would take too much time if I have to go get my umbrella in my room and walk her back after all.

That’s why I felt like leaving her some parting words.

“Ah, Suzuka!”

“What!”

“I’m looking forward to seeing your swimsuit, okay!”

“Pfft! Baka-!”