Volume 2 - CH 5

Chapter 5 - Connecting (Part 1)

It has been a week since the Valentine's Day party ended.

There are only a few days left in February.

But the cold showed no sign of abating, and I was unable to leave my bed.

The clock is about to strike ten o'clock.

I have some errands to run at the university today, so I should be getting up soon.

Eventually, after playing with the futon for about ten minutes, the phone on the bedside table shook with a burble.

After turning over, he brings the phone closer to his hand.

When I opened the line, the talk section, which I had not yet read, came up at the top.

"...... everyone's doing fine."

I see an active group line of high school friends, and I can't help but mutter.

Even though it is still mid-morning, the number of notifications keeps growing.

Just as the dozens of notifications came down from above, the screen went dark.

It's the usual incoming call.

After some hesitation, I went out and was greeted by a cheerful greeting, which I did not expect in the morning.

"Senpai!"

"Shut up!"

"Why?"

Getting a wake-up call from a cute junior of the opposite sex must surely be a senior event.

But now I was more interested in relaxing and lazing around in the morning than being that happy.

"Senpai, please be a little nicer to me, I gave you chocolate. See? Come on, senpai, say hello in the morning."

"Good morning, see you later."

"Wait, wait, wait!"

A loud voice rings out over the phone.

I involuntarily pulled my phone away from my ear and scowled.

"You don't have much to do, I'm sure."

"I didn't mean to make a long call in the morning. I didn't call with the intention of making a long phone call in the morning either. I just wanted to talk to you before my part-time job."

Shinohara's sultry tone of voice makes me feel slightly guilty.

I reflected on my own uncharitable response to a junior who just wanted to greet me in the morning, and raised my upper body.

"Oh, yeah. No, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like talking to Shinohara on the phone..."

"But I changed my mind. Senpai, I'll call you for another hour."

"Why the hell not?"

"It's my nature to want to go after people when they're being evil!"

I can see Shinohara puffing up.

I think she has the cutest face in my imagination, and that irks me unnecessarily.

"All right, pause for five minutes."

"Do you know what a pause is, senior? That means my request was enough."

"Then enough is enough?"

"..... will give you a break on that one."

When Shinohara reluctantly agreed, I lifted the corner of my mouth.

"This is the door-in-the-face."

"The door ...... Ha! You've conspired!"

It's payback for what they did to me before.

But I didn't suffer any damage from it.

"The Petulant ......"

"I haven't heard that word in everyday life in a long time. Look, you have nine minutes."

"I can't even talk if you rush me like that! What were you doing just now, senpai?"

"I just thought I'd check in with you guys on social media to see what you've been up to."

When he said it, Shinohara sounded as if he had heard something unexpected.

"I'm surprised that seniors usually start looking at their timelines in the morning."

"Well, sometimes. Maybe you know someone you haven't seen in a while."

In fact, social networking sites can be a catalyst for reconnecting with those who had been on the verge of estrangement.

I'm not a fan of social networking, but it certainly has its advantages.

Perhaps Shinohara had an idea of what he was talking about, but his words were muddled, "Well, if you ask me, that may be true".

"Well, let me follow you on your social networking sites."

The mouth, which had been opened to make a sigh of relief, clamped shut at the sudden request.

"Why would you do that? I didn't really post anything significant."

"I think it's strange that you call them but don't follow them on social media," he said. Normally, the order is reversed.

"It's ......."

If you ask me, that may indeed be true.

It is rare for students nowadays to only connect with each other on line, at least after knowing each other for two months.

The fact that such talk has not occurred until now is probably because the timing was simply not right.

"Do you post anything you don't want people to see?"

"No, I don't. All right."

With that said, I copy the ID of my account.

I don't have anything that Shinohara says I need to be seen, and I have no problem telling you about it. My account is not worth keeping secret.

When I sent the ID, Shinohara responded with an 'oh' and then laughed.

"Heh, heh, thank you."

"No, not at all."

A follow-up notification rings immediately.

If you check, the icon is the back view of Shino himself. Only her silhouette is visible in the evening sun.

"I'm a social networking icon, man."

"It's natural, isn't it? It's a symbol. At least the image of the icon should be stylish."

That being said, I look at my icon.

I made eye contact with an ugly-cute local character.

Come to think of it, I changed my icon in a drinking game and it has remained the same ever since.

"..... senior, you should change your icon."

"No, I don't like it because I feel like I'm losing."

I had planned to change it eventually, but as soon as they said I should change it, I wanted to refuse. Shinohara said, 'Well, it's up to the senpai,' and exhaled.

"I've sent you a follow request. Please approve it."

Shinohara's account is set to private and requires approval from him in order to see his posts.

If this application is not approved, you will not be able to see the submission.

I thought I had said something quite normal in light of that, but what I got back was surprising.

"I don't like it."

"Huh?

"I don't want to. I want to see my seniors posts, but I don't want them to see mine."

"I'm not going to give you my account and you're not going to give me yours. I'm not going to tell you how to set up an account and you're not going to tell me how to set up an account."

It's not that I really want to know Shinohara's account, but this makes me feel like I'm missing out on something.

"But, on the other hand, there is such a story."

"Then I'm going to bed."

"I understand. What is this? Don't hang up on me so soon!"

...... where the heck does this guy's desire for a phone come from?

How could he try to call until the last minute, even though it was before his part-time job?

I would have preferred to stay in bed on the day of my part-time job, avoiding any unnecessary physical exertion.

"Moo. Do you swear you won't make fun of me?"

"I won't. I won't. I'll swear to it if you want. I'll swear you in if you want."

"I don't need it. I don't have time for this."

"Why are you suddenly so calm?"

Checking my watch, I see that the appointed time is ticking away.

I wasn't measuring the time, but Shinohara seemed to be watching closely. He is a very disciplined guy in a strange way.

"Look, I'll let you through!"

With a theatrical dialogue, the application for follow-up is approved.

Instantly, Shinohara's post filled the screen.

The first thing that caught my eye was a close-up photo of Shinohara, who exudes a melancholy atmosphere.

Her bangs are crumpled and permed, making her look a few steps more mature than usual.

Perhaps it is a photo from a salon modeling session.

"It's beautiful."

The words leaked out of my mouth.

If I had to classify them as either beautiful or cute, Shinohara would be the cute type.

In this picture only, she is definitely a beautiful type.

"...... Well, well, yes. I'm beautiful."

"What the hell?"

"No, um, I thought you were teasing me. ...... senpai sometimes say things like that honestly, don't they? It's good that they don't always say it, but sometimes they do."

Shinohara's reaction makes me feel somewhat embarrassed.

The words came out without conscious thought, but from the side, it might have sounded like a seductive remark.

As I looked at Shinohara's account to cover my embarrassment, I noticed something.

"You don't have many followers, do you?"

Shinohara has only eight followers. For a sparkling college girl, this seems a little low.

"I only tell people I'm close to. The only heterosexuals I have in my followers are my seniors."

"Oh, yeah."

An account for close friends only.

As soon as I hear that, my gaze is drawn to Shinohara's post on the screen.

It is not because the other party is Shinohara, etc.

It is nice to visualize favoritism in this way, no matter who it is from.

"..... ten minutes elapsed! Okay, I'm off to get ready for my bite!"

Shinohara said, and the phone went dead with a poof.

He is still a stormy one.

I check my watch and see that I still have three minutes to go before the appointed time.

"...... has only been going on for seven minutes!"

Muttering, I pinched my cheeks, noticing that the corners of my mouth had turned up before I knew it.

I 'liked' Shinohara's post. button and I threw my phone in the air.

◇◆—Shinohara Side—◇◆

There are times when I want to pour something unhealthy into my body after a hard day's work.

I was on a break from my part-time job, slurping noodles at a nearby ramen shop, immersed in a sense of immorality.

"......"

My favorite tonkotsu ramen.

It's something I rarely eat in private, but now I can tell myself that it's a reward for working hard at my part-time job.

Still, I use my appetite to overcome the petty feelings of guilt that inevitably spring up when I think about my weight.

"Welcome!"

The shopkeeper's loud greeting sends a wooden spirit through the restaurant.

The restaurant had a good reputation among part-time workers.

I suddenly got curious and looked at the restaurant's food log.

"Three-two."

Not bad, but as a favorite restaurant, I would like to see more.

I take a picture of the ramen I'm about to eat in the hope that it will help my reputation as much as possible.

"On an account that you share only with those close to you, you post a picture and a sentence that says, "The ramen at this restaurant is really good! and a picture of the ramen and a text that reads, "The ramen at this restaurant is really good!

As for the food log rating, well, I'll do that later.

"Uncle, I'll have the shoyu ramen."

The customer sitting next to me hands the waiter a meal ticket.

She is a young woman.

Glancing to the side, she looks both cute and calm.

It is unusual for such a woman to wander alone to a cozy ramen shop.

Perhaps it is because it is a cozy restaurant that it is easy for a single woman to enter.

There was no one else in the restaurant but me, so I am sure I could have easily entered.

As I was inwardly happy that I could contribute to the sales of this restaurant, my phone on the table shook with a jolt.

The screen shows 'yuta hasegawa sent me a like! has arrived' is displayed on the screen.

I was just looking at the timeline.

The phone shakes again and a second notification appears on the screen.

"Yuta Hasegawa: I used to go to that ramen shop for a while! I recommend the shoyu ramen!"

When he saw the notice, his mouth relaxed.

Social networking accounts that I only share with people I can trust.

The first time I taught the opposite sex, I was a senior.

Mayu Shinohara: Followers 240 Followers 3684

University freshman#19

Hobbies: Visiting cafes ▽Special skills: Sleeping zzz

This is my ostensible account.

Occasionally, I get scouts for salon modeling, etc., so I keep this as a source of income.

Also, I'll give this account to the people I want to keep close there.

I feel like I want to transmit my daily life, but that kind of thing should only be seen by people who are really close to me.

But there is also such a thing as socializing.

So, if you have two accounts like I do, it is very convenient to use them differently.

One is an account to connect with friends on social networking sites.

One is an account that transmits one's daily life only to those who are really close to them.

I can't believe I'm not the only one who does this, I really think social networking is a large part of everyone's consciousness.

But, well, it's not so bad.

Social networking is a meaningful tool, at least for me, because I can have fun just by getting notifications from seniors.

I think of this and put my finger on the water pitcher to take a drink of water.

The timing was at the same time as the person next to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

I retract my finger in a panic.

There are six seats at the counter, but only three pitchers.

"No, thank you."

The woman hesitantly hangs up her finger and pours water from a pitcher into a cup.

When I went to accept the pitcher, the woman shook her head.

"It's okay."

"Yes, thank you."

I offer him a cup and ask him to fill it with water.

Two young women alone in a cozy ramen shop.

Perhaps the unusual situation has created a strange sense of camaraderie.

That would be interesting if that were the case. We have a few minutes left before the end of the break, but I'd like to talk to you for a moment.

But it would be a nuisance to the people on the other side, so I keep this feeling to myself.

If it's only one way for me to feel camaraderie, it would just be a nuisance.

As I was thinking this, to my surprise, the woman next to me started talking to me.

"This place is delicious."

"Huh? Oh, yes. It's delicious."

Startled, his voice hardens.

Perhaps sensing this, the woman smiled softly.

"I'm sorry for the suddenness of it. It's just so rare for me to be alone with someone my own age."

That's what I felt earlier too.

The tension relaxes and the corners of his mouth turn up.

"I know, right? And to be sitting next to each other at the counter is just hilarious."

"I have not been here for a long time, but it's still good. I haven't been here in a while, but it's still delicious."

The woman who says so is eating shoyu ramen.

It was something my senior had recommended to me earlier.

"The shoyu ramen also looks delicious. I just got a recommendation from a college senior for shoyu ramen, and I'm really looking forward to it."

I said, and the woman stopped her chopsticks.

"I ate there once when someone I knew recommended it to me. I used to go to this restaurant for a while."

The woman looks indescribable.

The atmosphere was originally unsuitable for this restaurant, but it looked even more buoyant.

I am glad I am the only customer in this store.

But, maybe I don't look good in this store from the side either.

"Um, you're probably a college student, right?"

I asked the woman and she nodded.

"Yes, I go to a women's college nearby. I go to a women's college nearby. Sophomore."

"I'm a year older than you. I'm a freshman."

I said, and the woman gave a small laugh.

"I stopped using honorifics halfway through because I had a feeling that was the case."

"Ha-ha-ha, did they know?"

I naturally smile, too.

This older college girl combines a secure atmosphere and will be easily liked by younger students.

I, as a homosexual, am also made to want to be friends with this person.

I haven't felt this way about an older person since I was a senior, though of a different gender.

Hasegawa-senpai, who accepts the existence of me, but does not act in any deep way to be accepted by me.

The most comfortable person for me to be with these days.

The relationship is slowly deepening, with people lending me their keys and exchanging social networking accounts (...... These two hurdles are very different, and I am (I am aware that there is a big difference between these two hurdles).

I sensed from this woman an atmosphere somewhat similar to that of such senior.

"May I ask your name?"

"Me?, i Aisaka Rena. May I ask your name, too?"

"My name is Mayu Shinohara. I work part-time at a store near this ramen shop."

"Heh, a friend of mine works near here."

"I see! The world is so small!"

When we exchanged names, I felt like I was instantly closer to this person.

This is the moment when the relationship has elevated from stranger to acquaintance.

Sometimes I feel the moment when this relationship changes, but right now it seemed remarkable.

"And Mayu? That's a pretty name."

"Reina, too, has a beautiful name."

It was funny, and we both laughed.

It's a combination that I would consider incongruous for a ramen shop, but it's this strange connection that makes it somewhat enjoyable.

"I'll have shoyu ramen next time, too. It's a recommendation from a trusted senpai."

"I'll eat this next time too. It's a recommendation from someone I was with."

Rena gives me a kind smile and then begins to eat as if in a panic, saying, "Wow, the noodles are getting longer".

As I was smiling at such a situation, even though I was younger than him, my phone shook again.

This time, the call was not from a senior, but from a part-timer.

A customer came in and asked for an early end to the break.

"Uh ...... I have to go. Unfortunately."

The expression on their faces clouded as if they were about to form a new connection.

Perhaps sensing this, Rena smiled and said.

"Next time you see me at this restaurant, we'll exchange contact information?"

I was a little bit afraid that it was going to be the next one.

"Yes!"

I replied cheerfully and left the restaurant.

It is uplifting to connect with new connections.

I open the social networking site with a buoyant feeling.

"Like!" to my senior post and I headed to my part-time job.

This current feeling alone will help me get through my busy part-time job.