Chapter 4: Way Back

After the classes were over, during the after school period, Yuki went out of his classroom by himself and towards the library room.

He took out a book from his bag, and returned it to the reception counter. It was the book he read that morning, when he was found out by Yui.

Unfortunately he made eye contact with a nearby female teacher,

「Ah! How was it?」

「Well, it was difficult.」

「Fufu, I see.」

For some reason she laughed while grinning.

Obviously I won’t say something like “It was boring because I wasn’t able to understand it.”

I don’t know why but she seems to favor me a little. Like she always talks to me when I try to borrow some books.

Because I didn’t want to be recommended a weird book again, I went out the library quickly and towards the entrance.

「Are? It’s Narito-kun」

When I was about to get my shoes from the shoe box at the entrance, I was suddenly called out from the side.

As soon as I turned around, I saw Yui with her hand up as she approached me.

「Are you going home now?」1

「That’s right.」

Yui smiled a little, passed behind me, and then she started to change her shoes.

Yuki, who had changed his shoes earlier, he went past Yui and towards the entrance.

The weather has been bad since morning, and even then it looked like it was about to rain any time.

While he was looking at the sky,

「Ahh~ I knew It~ It looks like it’s about to rain soon~」

After catching up to Yuki, Yui stood besides him and said so.

Because he was not expecting her to talk to him again, he was surprised and just stood there, looking at Yui.

「Do you just walk Narito-kun? In what area is your house?」

「Around the end of Nakamachi street.」

Yuki usually walks from home to school.

He was using a bike before, but he crashed it when he went to school while sleepy, and since then he just walks to school.

That said, it’s not like his home is far from here. The reason he chose this school was because it was the nearest to his home. Even by walking, it’s only about 30 minutes away.

「Hee~ Is that so. As for me, I am going to the train station, so why don’t we go together until midway?」

Yuki doubted his ears after hearing Yui’s suggestion.

Because she is called a “seatmate killer”, he understand why she talks to him in the classroom, but going home together is different because there are no “seatmates” when going home.

If they were to meet by chance midway that would be understandable, but not if she suggests going home together from the start.

That said, there was no reason for him to refuse, so they went home as suggested.

「It’s so weird that we’re going home together when we haven’t talked to each other until this morning.」2

While walking on the road just outside the school gate, as usual, Yui was just smiling.

When they reached an area that is devoid of their classmates, or people wearing the same uniform as them, Yui stopped being conscious of other people’s eyes.

Yuki said “That’s right.” and after that kept silent.

Yui may have thought that Yuki was silent because it was his first time going home together with a girl, but actually Yuki is a silent person in general.

Maybe feeling that the silence was killing her, Yui started to stare at Yuki’s face, and then,

「Nee Nee~ Say something~」

「Something like what?」

「I don’t care what is it, as long as it’s funny.」

What is this unreasonable request.

“I am not a comedian.” Is what Yuki wanted to complain to Yui, but he gave up and decided to talk about normal things, like a normal person should.

「Let’s see, it’s about the book that I was reading today.」

「Un un」

「I just thought that this super human named Rusanchiman3 looks like Kinniku-man4」

「Sorry, I couldn’t understand a speck on what you’ve just said.」5

Even though you’re the one who said I can talk about anything.

Well, they say that even the professional can’t make a funny story upfront, so I don’t think you can ask an amateur, not to mention a normal person to do such a thing.

“This is great” said Yuki in his mind while basking in his very own satisfaction, but ignoring that, Yui started to talk about something.

「You know, I usually ride my bike, but I walk when it’s raining. Also, isn’t Nakamachi street far? Oh by the way, Narito-kun, do you have an umbrella? Is it a foldable one?」6

「I forgot to bring it today. Well, if it will rain, I’ll just leave it to the future me who’s going to be in the rain. At worst I would just get wet.」

There’s also the option to buy an umbrella from the convenience store on the way, but I don’t want to waste my money on such things.

Yui held her umbrella like a bamboo sword, then said,

「Fuuun~ If it rains, do you want to share?」7

She leaned over as if she was teasing while staring at Yuki.

After getting told that suddenly, Yuki was really confused and couldn’t say anything in return. Seeing that, Yui was overwhelmed with a feeling of victory, some sort of victory.

「It’s the revenge for what happened earlier.」8

「Sorry?」

「It’s the revenge for what happened earlier.」

「Like, sorry?」

While they were not on the same page, finally, it started raining. 9

“Oh it really rained.” After saying so, Yui opened her umbrella and looked at Yuki.

「If you beg me I could let you in.」

「No thank you.」

「Then you’re not getting in!」

Yui made a mocking face and walked away quickly.

The rain is not strong enough that I’d need an umbrella.

Thinking that he should hurry a little, Yuki started to walk faster. While doing that, the feeling of rain has lessened.

Yui, who was able to approach him quite suddenly, lifted the umbrella quite obviously and then said,

「It would be so nice if someone would carry my umbrella for me… Like Narito-kun…」

The height difference between Yuki and Yui is about two fists. Yui’s head is around Yuki’s mouth.

Yui looked at Yuki’s whole body, starting from his feet to his head.

「You’ve got a pretty good style.」

「Is that supposed to be a sarcasm?」

Though the person who said that is the one who looks great.

Yuki’s height is around 174, according to the last physical checkup, so based on that, Yui should be around 160. 10

She has a very long legs, and her arms are quite thin.

I remember being told by Keitaro that she has a great body line or something.

On that note, if Keitaro saw us in this situation, where we’re about to share umbrella, I’m quite worried what he might say about me.

Not to mention all of the boys are quite interested in her, and that fact made Yuki uncomfortable with his current situation. So he walked to the side a few steps to slip away from the umbrella he’s currently under.

「Wait, why are you running away?」

「It’s not raining that strong anyways.」

「Not that hard… Ah! I see~ You’re embarrassed aren’t you~~」

Yui points her finger at me while grinning. I don’t know why but it looks like it makes her happy.

That said, the rain is really not that strong.

「Not raining that strong, that shouldn’t be the case…..」

Yui slightly leans the umbrella and holds her palms up

「It’s really not that strong!」

Yuki’s body straightened for some reason.

While Yuki is looking at Yui saying absolute nothing, Yui’s face started to turn red while folding her umbrella, and kohon, she coughed.

「……Wasn’t that, funny?」

「It was funny, I think.」

「Then laugh! 11 Please laugh even if it’s not funny! I’m feeling really uneasy here. Don’t you know laughing can be very important? Don’t you know it’s really important? Well, you don’t seem to laugh that much Narito-kun.」

「Ah don’t worry, I’m laughing properly in my heart.」

「Why don’t you laugh openly? Laughing in your heart… Aren’t you just making fun of me?!」

「Nope, I’m not making fun of you.」

「Then how about a small smile? Let me see your smile.」

Yui said that with a serious face, while also getting near Yuki’s face.

Of course it will be aggravating to Yuki who’s in this situation.

Why are you so serious about such things, and why do you always try to talk to me?

Those were the questions that were causing discomfort in his heart. But suddenly, a single idea popped inside Yuki’s mind.

「By the way…… I usually read a lot of mystery novel or detective novel.」

「Un un」

「Like what’s the culprit thinking, his plans…. I’m really good at finding out what are those, and I’m really proud about it.」

「Hehee~ So what about it? So suddenly.」

「Should I try to guess what’s on your mind right now?」

「Eh? Mine? Hee~ It sounds interesting, let’s do it!」

Yui was starting to get thrilled.

Not to mention that it was the first time Yuki started to talk about something, so Yui was surprised a little.

Her eyes started to sparkle, and Yuki took that as some sort of signal so he started to say something.

「Here it is…… You… You are playing a game where you’re trying to make the boy who’s seated beside you to fall in love with you.」12

TL: TETWHATISHAPPENING!

ED: Gecko/Filip