CH 65

65 – With Siblings Ishida

The next day, I decided to turn down lunch together with Touko-senpai and went to eat ramen outside with Ishida.

The reason, of course, was because of the thing with Meika.

I ordered the chashu-men and Ishida ordered the large ramen with extra vegetables.

The server took our meal tickets, and I started the conversation.

“By the way, that New Year’s Eve Hatsumode. You disappeared there on purpose, didn’t you?”

Ishida looked caught off guard, but immediately laughed bitterly.

“No, I didn’t do it on purpose. When I noticed, I just found myself separated from you quite a bit.”

“And then to go all the way around the back of the park by yourself… that’s unnatural.”

“Hmm, well. That was intentional.”

“Why did you do that?”

“You know that Meika likes Yu, right?”

Ishida’s backhanded question silenced me.

Ishida’s backhanded question silenced me.

“I didn’t think Meika was that serious either. Before the last X-day, “Yu and Toko probably won’t get together, so why don’t you try to attack her? I said something like that lightly.”

“Why did you think it was impossible for me and senior Touko to get together?”

“That’s right. No matter how long it took, there was no word from Touko-senpai about the “last partner”. It didn’t seem like there was a chance. Even Yu yourself thought it was impossible, didn’t you?”

“Well, …… There was also such an atmosphere.”

“When Yuu first started dating Karen at university, Meika was also very gloomy. But this time, maybe because I gave her weird expectations, she was really depressed when I told her that Yu and Touko had hooked up. She didn’t even talk to me for a while.”

“And yet you brought her with you to Hatsumode?”

“Yep. When I said I was going to Hatsumode with Yu, Meika insisted that she wanted to go with me. When I asked her why, she said, “I want to talk with Yu. So I thought I’d make time for the two of you to talk alone once.”

I sighed instead of replying.

It’s not hard to understand how he feels about his sister. ……

“I’m sorry, Yu. I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”

“Well, if that’s the case, it’s probably a good thing. ……”

“But, Yu. What’s the real story?”

“What’s the real story?”

“It’s with Touko-senpai. Is your relationship going well?”

“Well, things are going well.”

“You mean, we eat lunch together smoothly, go home together sometimes, and exchange messages on social networking sites?”

I glared at Ishida.

“That’s middle-school dating, right? Nowadays, even high school students are more advanced. This is not a college student relationship.”

“Shut up. I have a lot of plans too. After the exams are over and we have spring break, I’m planning to go have more fun with Touko-senpai. ……”

“Where’s all the fun? TDL is about the extent of it, right?”

I was so off the mark that I couldn’t say anything.

“I, too, left Yu alone with Meika because I know she’ll bw “safe and secure” you.”

So the ramen I had ordered was served.

I said as I took my first sip.

“So today, I’m going to meet with Meika for an hour in the evening.”

“Really? Again, why?”

“I made to promise. We went to the karaoke bar together yesterday.”

Ishida’s eyes rolled back.

“When did you two become such good friends?”

“Don’t get me wrong. We were not alone yesterday. There was another person. I was summoned by her.”

“The other one? Who is she?”

“She’s a classmate of Meika’s. She calls me ‘En-chan. Do you know her?”

“I’ve heard that name before. She and Meika have been good friends since middle school.”

“Do you know the girl’s real name?”

“I don’t know that much. I don’t check my sister’s social circle at all.”

“Her real name is ‘Sakurajima Enka.”

“Sakurajima? What? Is that…?

“Yeah, Touko’s sister.”

Ishida’s chopstick-carrying hand stopped.

He looks at me with a surprised expression.

“Is that true?”

“It’s true. You and Touko went to the same junior high school area, right? If the two sisters are the same age, it’s no wonder they know each other.”

“I’ve never even heard of her having a sister.”

“I’ve only just found out about it myself.”

“But how did Yu get to know Touko’s sister? Did she introduce you to me?”

“No, she didn’t.”

I told him about the other day.

“What, are you serious? That story!”

Ishida was absolutely mortified when he heard the story.

“I’m serious. I was careless, too. She’s a very eccentric girl.”

“Well, that’s still not something I would expect a high school girl to do. I thought that Touko-senpai was good at manipulating people too, but that girl has an extra element of “geekiness” to her. She’s terrifying.”

“It’s true.”

I sighed for the umpteenth time.

All I could do was sigh when I thought about Enka.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not going to ‘break up with Touko-senpai,’ as the girl put it, are you?”

“Of course not. Who would break up with you over something like that?”

“If that’s the case, I think you should talk to her about it as soon as possible.”

“I think so myself. But I’m scared when I remember her confident tone. ……”

At the very least, even Touko-senpai would not feel good if her boyfriend and her sister kissed, even if it was just a trap.

I can’t say for sure that she won’t turn the tables on me.

“Well, well, just do what Yuu wants in the end. I’ll support you as much as I can. ……”

Unlike Ishida’s usual style, his words faded out.

This guy is running away from me this time.

I turned down the chance to go home with Touko-senpai and hurried to Funabashi station alone.

…. What the hell am I doing, man?…

With this in mind, I headed for the connecting walkway to Keisei station, where I was to meet.

Meika was waiting for me in front of a convenience store.

“Hello, Meika-chan.”

“Hello. Yu.”

She greets me, as usual, in a shy way.

Me and Meika-chan went into a nearby coffee shop.

We both ordered a cake set.

“……”

After entering the restaurant, Meika-chan was silent.

When the cake and tea were brought out and I said, “Well, let’s eat,” she just nodded her head and would not touch the cake.

…… Something that’s not easy to do. ……

I looked for a topic.

“Meika-chan, what do you do for club activities?”

“I’m on the track team, just like in junior high.”

“You went to Ichikawa Joshi Gakuin, right? Is it fun to go to an all-girls high school?”

“Yes, it’s fun.”

“I see. Good for you. Ha ha ha.”

Damn, I can’t keep up the conversation.

Until now, I had never noticed any affection for me, nor was I aware of Meika-chan as a girl.

Besides, there was Ishida, or Enka, or someone else.

The silence was painful and an hour of this would be torture.

I’m going to …… Say something weird and make them hate me. ……

Even the thought of such a thing passes through my mind.

On the other hand, how is Meika doing? ……

She was fidgeting as if she wanted to say something.

Basically, she is looking at the table, but sometimes glances up at me.

Sometimes she seems to be trying to say something, but doesn’t say it out loud and goes back to fidgeting.

…… Huh, I’m really tired ……

I looked at my watch.

Another hour is about to pass.

“Meika-chan. Shall we go soon? It’s already been an hour, and I have to go shopping for dinner.”

My parents are dual-income earners and come home late, so I have to cook dinner tonight.

I grabbed the slip of paper and tried to get up.

“Oh, umm!”

Suddenly, Meika-chan let out a loud voice.

I involuntarily stared at her.

Meika-chan had a bright red face.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what to say. Even though Yuu-san made time for me to come here,…… I could hardly say anything,…… I’m so sorry!”

She bowed his head repeatedly as he said this.

I felt sorry.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about that. If you’re suddenly put in a situation like this, no one can talk about what they want to talk about. There’s no need to apologize.”

Meika raised her red face.

“Are you sure? Yu, are you mad at me?”

“I’m not angry with you. Don’t worry about it. You can talk to me again when you calm down.”

Hearing those words, Meika’s eyes looked at me as if she was clinging to me.

“Then, well, will you meet me this coming Saturday?”

“What?”

“umm! I’ll come prepared to speak properly this time. Please, an hour, no, even 30 minutes!”

Meika lowers her head again.

I’m concerned about the eyes around me.

A high school girl is making a bright red face, bowing her head again and again, desperately appealing for something.

I wonder if I am being looked at as a dangerous guy.

“I get it. All right, lift up your head. You don’t have to do that much.”

When Meika looked up, her eyes were moist.

“Saturday, let’s just have lunch together. It won’t take up much time, but is that okay?”