CH 11

“Seems like there’s been quite a rumor going around lately.”

“What is it?”

As soon as I arrived at the school, Tomohito told me such a thing.

What, I ask, but I have an idea. I’m sure it’s me and Kasumi? Elementary school and middle school were similar, but is that still the case in high school?

“….Well, Don’t worry about it.”

“I guess. Ignore the outside world.”

Tomohito also started to say this to me because he talked to Kasumi more and more. It was the same with my other friends, but I appreciated it. I was glad that he was treating me as a friend and not just making fun of me like in the past.

“I heard a little bit from Shirasagi san. It seems like a lot has happened, doesn’t it?”

“….Kasumi”

I wonder if she was encouraged to spit it out anyway.

Well, it doesn’t really matter that he knows, and if the other party is Tomohito, it’s not bad if he hears about it at all.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t ask for that much detail. But …… she seemed really happy, you know?　She said she was really happy to be able to talk to you again.”

“….I see”

“Aah, So if you need anything, count on me.”

“Thanks.”

“Ou”

I really appreciate having good friends.

While I was talking with Tomohito, I saw Kasumi talking with her friends in the distant seats. Her expression is as nonchalant as ever, but her cheeks seem to be relaxed, as if she is enjoying herself somehow. As I was staring at her like that, Asahina san noticed me.

“…….!”

“……?”

She tapped Kasumi’s hand and pointed her finger in my direction. Then, Kuramochi san, including Kasumi, and Saeki san, who had not yet spoken to me, all looked at me at the same time. Aside from Asahina san, who was smiling after creating this situation, I and Tomohito were all scared to death when they saw me staring at them.

“…… Hey Kazuki. It feels good to be stared at by the beautiful girls of my class, but this is a little scary.”

I agreed with that statement.

Asahina san fluttered and waved at me, to which I responded, and now Kuramochi san also waved at me. Kasumi turned to Kuramochi san and mumbled something, to which Kuramochi san responded, and then Kasumi sat up.

“Here comes the princess.”

“Seems like it”

Kasumi walked straight to me.

She made sure no one was next to her, pulled out a chair, sat down in it, and stared at me.

“……Mikoto told me. She said she met him.”

“Ah~….”

I didn’t tell Kasumi about it because I didn’t want her to feel worried or weird about it. Kasumi is not angry with me, but is just trying to confirm what she has heard.

“Yeah, well. But we split up pretty quick.”

“Yes. I also heard Mikoto ragging on him. But…He was still the same, and I still hate him.”

“Ahaha….”

“It’s no laughing matter!”

Puffing up her cheeks, Kasumi came close to my face.

I laughed, not because I was making light of what he said, but because Kasumi clearly said she didn’t like it.

“I laughed when Kasumi clearly said she didn’t like it. I felt that Kasumi had come to say it properly.”

“…… Hey Kazuki.”

“Yeah?”

“Kazuki…..Don’t you think of me as if I were your granddaughter?”

“Are you trying to tell me I’m old?”

When I said that, Kasumi said not so much, but puffed out her cheeks again.

Tomohito, who was standing by and watching, first giggled at the sight of her staring at me and not looking away, and before I knew it, Asahina san, who had also come to stand by her, was laughing as well.

“That’s fine, even if you’re like my granddaughter. You’ll always be loved.”

“T-That’s, yeah…..but not that. Not that”

Asahina san hugged Kasumi, who turned her face away with a tsun.

“I think it’s a bad thing to be too close to someone. Well, as for us, we are very happy to see Kasumi’s lovely figure.”

“I’d like to say [Go burnt, Riajuu], but it’s fun to watch. I’m never bored.”

“Oh, you understand right?”

“You, too.”

Why do you guys understand each other?

I took my gaze away from Tomohito and Asahina san, who were strangely in synch with each other, and returned my gaze to Kasumi, who was still looking as twitchy as ever. Then, just as I was about to do so, she too turned her gaze to me. Then she opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“Kazuki, I made up my mind.”

“O-Ouu”

“I’m sure we’ll be going out together a lot more in the future.”

“Well, yes.”

Like shopping, or if Kasumi invites me to go somewhere to play on my day off.

“Then we’ll show that guy …… no, not just him. When we meet other people who have been making fun of us, let’s show them. Let’s show them that we’re okay now.

…… really got stronger, Kasumi.

But I nodded my head and said that’s true. When we meet them again when we are alone together, if they say the same things as in the past, I will just pass them off with a cool face. I am sure that would be the most frustrating thing for them.

“If they try to do something, It’ll be fine. I will protect Kazuki.”

“I think that’s my job.”

“I’m stronger in terms of strength.”

…… I guess so.

To my disappointment, Kasumi’s physical ability is far superior to my own. I thought to myself, [If this is the case, I should have played some sport,] but it couldn’t be helped.

“…… now they both…… right?”

“It seems”

“What’s wrong?”

“What is it?”

Tomohito and Asahina san let out a sigh when they saw the two of us.

Well, time passed and it was after school despite this exchange. I was on my way to the shoe box with Kasumi when it happened.

“………Ah”

“What’s wrong”

Kasumi opened the shoe box and shouted. She put her hand in and took out a letter. Kasumi looked at me, then shifted her gaze to the letter again and threw it into a nearby trash can.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s okay. I looked behind, but it was a boy’s name.”

Is it …… okay?

I headed into town with Kasumi, who didn’t seem to be bothered by any of this, to pick up some groceries. It was a strange feeling for us to be picking out ingredients together, but since Kasumi picked out most of them, I didn’t have anything to say.

“Something like this.”

“Then let’s go home.”

“Yeah”

I walked out of the store with a suitably large shopping bag.

And it was at that moment, after walking for a while, that that guy, whom I had recently reunited with, whom I had never forgotten, reappeared. 

“Hey, Mikoto chan dumped me because of you, what are you going to do about it!”

…… It’s a pain in the ass, really.

I was about to say, “You deserve it,” when Kasumi stood in front of me. I felt her back was smaller than mine, but she looked stronger and bigger than me.

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