CH 10.4

“Ryunosuke, you sure ate a lot.”

Hinagata said in amazement as she was looking at an empty curry pot before her eyes.

“…Can you  still eat?”

“Ehh?”

“It’s not like you are giving me little to eat, but if you think about how much a girl eats compared to a guy, you’ll be surprised.”

The lunch she made is enough to fill a girl however it is not enough to satisfy a second grade boy.

“I see. Ryunosuke,  you eat a lot, don’t you?”

Hinata was humming and began to wash the dishes. I tried to help her, but the sink was a little too small for both of us, so my offer was immediately turned down.

While I waited for her to finish washing the dishes, I sat at the table and watched TV.

It tickled me again, and I laughed a little.

“Did you just laugh?”

“No, I just thought it was like we were playing the game of house.”

Fufufu~  Hinagata softly laughed  as well.

When the sound of water stopped and I looked towards the kitchen to see if the dishes were done, Hinagata spoke up as if she had made up her mind.

“If I score more than 20 points in the next game, I want to go out again….”

“What?”

It’s not that I didn’t hear her, but when I asked her back to make sure, she quickly squatted down and hid herself.

“If I score 20 points….”

I heard a whisper.

Ten regular shots. The total score in the previous practice game was a little more than 80 points, so 20 points was about a quarter of that.

I wasn’t quite sure how much of a hurdle that was.

But even without such a hurdle, it would be a simple matter for us to go out.

“Are you sure you can do 20?”

“Indeed, then 15….”

“Twenty it is then.”

“That’s mean…”

Weren’t you the one who said it first?

“Fine. Any number of points.”

“No. Okay, I want that carrot in front of me.”

Will it be alright as a reward for your hard work~?

“It’s…You see…”

Are you fine with me?

Is it a reward for being with me?

Or is it just a distraction?

Does that mean I’m easy to ask out because I’m a childhood friend?

There were so many questions stuck in the back of my throat that I couldn’t say anything.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to invite anyone.”

“Then I’ll invite Sugiuchi-kun and Kura-chan.”

“Well, then, all good…”

“Then it’s decided.”

You wanted to play with a group of good friends. I’m glad I didn’t ask anything weird.

Maybe she just wanted some kind of reason to work hard.

She didn’t plan to stay long, and after washing the dishes, Hinagata started to get ready to leave.

Because of what had happened the other day, 8:30 still felt early.

“I’ll walk you home.”

“….Yeah. Thanks.”

Hinagata put on a pair of loafers and I put on a pair of sneakers; we left the house.

Hinagata started to walk in a different direction than usual, I followed without saying a word.

“What do you want to eat next time?”

“What can you make?”

“Uhmmm…. If I look it up online, I am good with anything.”

For real?

I giggled and then she puffed up.

“Ryunosuke, You don’t believe me?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I was wondering if you are good with anything.”

“I see, you really don’t believe me and the power of the Internet.”

” I guess I don’t.”

It’s Hinagata’s competence that I didn’t trust.

We walked together through the quiet night streets. It was a complete detour to Hinagata’s house.

The back of our hands touched each other, and I felt Hinagata gasp briefly.

I guess popular guys can easily hold hands in this kind of situation. But for me, it’s a little difficult.

The guy Hinagata likes might be me, or might not be me.

The latter is probably more likely, so I couldn’t hold hands with her like a boyfriend in this situation.

“I’ll think about what I want to eat next time. If there’s anything you’d like to make, let me know, I’m always looking for more.

“Okay.”

“You surprised me today.”

“What?”

“You cracked a joke. If you’re so embarrassed, you shouldn’t have said it.”

“What?”

“About the secret ingredient. It’s not love, it’s more like friendship──”

I looked at the quiet Hinagata and immediately realized that I had stepped into a place I hadn’t expected to, and at an unexpected time.

“No…it’s not…..”

The words I was about to correct came to an abrupt halt.

It’s not? What’s different? No, there’s no difference. It’s more like friendship, not love.

So.

So, maybe I wanted you to deny it. That’s what I’ve been hoping for.

I was hoping that Hinagata would say, “No, that’s not it.”

But Hinagata neither denied nor affirmed.

“…..Here’s fine. Thanks.”

With that, Hinagata started to run.

I couldn’t stop her.

It’s my fault that she looks so hurt.

….Hey Hinagata.

If you are shocked by that statement, it means that it was hard for you to be called a friend.

So doesn’t that mean that I’m the one you like?