Volume 1 - CH 2.2

After the introductions of all the members in charge were finished, the department head informed the group about the plans after the consecutive holidays, and today’s meeting came to an end. Although the introductions were made today, the actual survey will not be conducted until the third week of May, which is a long time from now. The first-year students will consult with each other, and talk to second-year seniors to gather information to help them make their choices.

“Makki-san. Would you like to go home with us today?”

I was thinking of going home with my two friends when I was approached by Shiho, who was smiling excessively. Misono was behind her.

“So you were here. I thought you weren’t here because you weren’t with Misono before the meeting.”

“I was here! I was calling her.”

“Sane, Doku. That’s how it is. See you.”

When I raised my hand to greet my two friends, they both gave me a grinning thumbs-up. As I said, it’s not like that.

“Please take care of us.”

“Makimura-senpai. Thank you very much. I’m fine until halfway.”

“It’s not that far from my house, and if you don’t mind, I can take you home.”

“I don’t mind at all. Thank you very much. Please take care of me.”

Shiho is giving a thumbs up beside Misono, who is bowing. You too?

“Shall we go then?”

The general meeting was held after dinner, so even if everything went smoothly, it would take a fair amount of time to get through the meeting. The lights are still on in the research building and night classes are in session, but there are hardly any people on campus illuminated by the outside lights. I walk on such a quiet street with two female juniors.

“Do you two have any idea which division you’d like to be in charge of?”

“I’ve already decided.”

“Me, too. I’ve made up my mind.”

“That’s surprising.”

When I asked him about it lightly and got an unexpected answer, which made me say honestly what I thought.

“Surprising?”

“Why?”

“It’s rare for a student to have a decision at this time of year, apparently.”

In fact, that’s what happened to me, and last year it happened to many others, which is why there is space for consultation.

“Everyone thinks the festival sounds like fun, which is why they joined us, but they don’t really know what their job is yet, do they? That’s why we’re taking a period of time for them to see what it’s all about.”

“Now that you mention it, yes, that’s true.”

“However, we have three weeks to do the questionnaire, and you think we will be able to understand the work in that time?”

“Well, yes.”

The first stage and the refreshment booth are popular because they are recognized. Since they are wanted to have more people, so it is a good thing for them. However, other divisions are not so popular.

Then, what criteria do first-year students use to choose their division? The biggest one is the second-year students who are assigned to that division. The other departments, the Public Relations and Advertising Department and the Event Planning Department, are different because each department is divided into two major divisions, but our Exhibition Planning Department is divided into seven divisions, so the questionnaire survey is almost like a popularity contest among seniors.

“Therefore, I think they generally decide after talking to the second-year student in charge.”

“Sounds like a popularity contest.”

“Well, actually, it’s pretty close, but you know it well, don’t you?”

“Misono had decided on something like that. Combined with Makki-san’s story, I thought that was the case.”

“Did I say that!?”

Misono, who had looked impressed by Shiho’s guess, is flustered by the sudden stray bullet and blushes. I wanted to ask her which division she wanted, but I felt that would be equivalent to asking her which senpai she was interested in, so I didn’t say anything. If I think about it calmly, the girls’ senior influence is probably stronger.

“By the way, the first stage is my choice. Do you want to know what Misono’s choice?”

“……Nah, no need.”

“It’s the second stage.”

The voice that came out as if covering my words was unexpected, and I looked at its owner. I looked at Misono, whose face was still red, and when our eyes met, she said firmly once again, “I want to be in the second stage.” Misono wanted to be in charge of the stage I belong to.

“……I see, Kaori, huh.”

If you think about it, the senior that Misono has had the most contact with is probably Kaori, who was with her at the welcome party. What’s more, she also knows that I was relatively harmless at the welcome party. In some ways, it may have been an inevitable choice.

“Makki-san is really a thing, isn’t he?”

I said that with conviction, but for some reason, Misono looked shaken, and Shiho gave me an astonished voice and look.

“Then, See you tomorrow, Shii-chan. Good night.”

“Take care.”

We got to the bus stop in front of the main gate at about the same time as the bus arrived, and we said goodbye to Shiho, but—

“I’m not going to take the bus yet.”

Shiho said, “I also have something to do ahead,” and started walking in the direction Misono and I were going. Misono and I looked at each other for a moment and then followed Shiho.

“Is she going to Misono’s house?”

I asked Misono, who was walking beside me, thinking there would be no way since she had just said good night to Shiho.

“I don’t know. I thought she was going to take that bus. I don’t mind at all if she comes to my house, though.”

“Maybe She’s going to her boyfriend’s house?”

“Ah, I guess so.”

“Please don’t go into a world that is just the two of you. I’m here too.”

“A World of just the two of us……”

Shiho, walking ahead of us, looked back. In response to Shiho’s words, I muttered, “Is that something that’s popular?” in wonder, and Misono was ruminating over her words beside me.

“It’s because you’re going first.”

When I said this, Shiho and Misono looked at me with surprised looks on their faces.

“Did you just say ‘you’?”

T/N : Tomoki calls Shiho with お前/omae instead of her name. It’s kinda rude

“Ah. I’m sorry. It just……”

I use it toward male friends, but I rarely use it toward girls, except for the rare occasions when I use it toward Kaori.

“No, no. I don’t mind at all. It seems that you are starting to show your true colors now, Makki-san.”

She says so with a laugh, but as for me, it’s a little awkward. Shiho’s friendliness seems to have made me feel a little relaxed.

“How nice.”

“Eh?”

“Ah……”

Shiho and I looked in the direction of the voice that sounded like a small murmur, but the owner of the voice turned her head away and strode away.

“What does she mean, ‘How nice’?”

“That’s not for me to say, is it?”

Again, I was met with a look of dismay. Was it the fact that I called Shiho “you”? I don’t think there are many girls who would be pleased to be called that.

“Look, I’m about to go, so please stop Misono. If you hug her a little harder, she will stop.”

“That’s too high a hurdle. Just call out to her normally.”

“You’re a weakling, aren’t you? Hey, Misono. I’m going this way, so stop!”

When Shiho called out to Misono, who was walking about 10 meters ahead, Misono stopped and slowly looked back at her. She looked a little awkward, but that was a new side to her and it was adorable.

Stopping just under a streetlight, she looks as if she is in the spotlight, and I think she is so picturesque. I even think a silly thought that if I hugged her, it might look like a scene from a TV drama.

“Right here.”

Shiho caught up with Misono a few seconds later and her words made me take a closer look at the area, and I saw a very familiar building on the opposite side of the road from mine. Then I came to an agreement with some of my questions.

“I see. Naru-san, right?”

“Correct. I was hoping to see a little more surprise on your face.

“Naru, -san?”

Misono stopped, and the two-story building that Shiho said this is the place is the apartment where I live. Shiho must have something to do here. I could imagine that she was probably going to visit her boyfriend’s house at this time of night, and since he seems to be an acquaintance of mine, there was only one person I could think of to fit the conditions.

“Narushima Koichi, who lives here. He is one of the Cultural Committee’s seniors who retired last year, and is Shiho’s boyfriend, right?”

“Ah. Shi-chan, you told me your boyfriend is an OB of the executive committee.”

“That’s right. I call him “Kou-kun, though.”

Although he was in charge of a different division, we worked on the same exhibition project and lived in the same apartment, so he treated me very well. Shiho must have been able to find out all my information from him. I’m going to call him “Kou-kun” next time I see him, just to spite him. I’m sure he’ll be pissed.

“I’ll be going then. Bye, Misono. Thank you very much, Makki-san.”

“Yeah. See you then.”

“Good night. Shii-chan.”

With a light wave of her hand, Shiho nimbly walked up the stairs of the apartment.

“Now I know why Shiho said we should go home together.”

“……You mean she wanted to tell us who her boyfriend is?”

“I guess that’s part of it. This is my house, too, you know.”

“Eh? This is Makimura-senpai’s house?”

“No. 205, that’s the room over there.”

Misono’s originally large eyes widened a bit more and she shifted her gaze to the apartment with an agile reaction. Her surprised look was so cute that I somehow even mouthed my room number to her.

Misono mumbled, “No. 205,” and looked at the apartment, then returned her gaze to me a little later. The way she tilted her head a little curiously was also cute.

“It looks like there are only four rooms.”

“There are no rooms 104 and 204. They said it was bad luck.”

Not only here, but there are quite a few apartments that don’t have room number four, which is associated with death.

“My room, no. 204…”

“……I’m sorry.”

When I apologized again for making her feel a bit uncomfortable, Misono giggled.

“But we’re on the same second floor, in the fourth room, aren’t we?”

“Certainly……but.”

I was almost bewitched by Misono’s happy smile with her eyes slightly narrowed, but as a senior, I have to say something.

“For security reasons, you shouldn’t give out personal information to people. Especially since Misono is a girl.”

Although I suppose it could be that she’s telling me where I live, still. A woman living alone has more things to watch out for than a man. Especially since Misono is outstandingly cute, I worry about her even more.

And yet, Misono blinked once.

“Thank you for worrying about me. But I wouldn’t tell it with just anyone.”

Then she loosens her cheeks just a little.

“If it’s Makimura-senpai, there’s no problem.”

“I see…….thank you, I guess?”

“You’re welcome.”

I am glad that she trusts me, even though I am probably regarded as harmless to people. However, coupled with her innocent smile, I feel as if I am being told that I am special, and I clench my fists where Misono cannot see me. I tell myself not to be conceited, and continue the conversation with her, who is still smiling. Thanks to the May holidays that are just around the corner, I have no trouble finding topics of conversation.

“By the way. Is Misono going back to her parent’s house for the holidays?”

“I’m still thinking about what to do. What are you going to do, Makimura-senpai?”

“I’m not going home. I have a part-time job and there is nothing to do even if I go home.”

“……I’ve decided. I’ll stay here.”

Misono, who had said she was not sure about her decision, looked as if she was thinking about my answer for a moment, and then looked up at me after a small nod.

“Why again?”

“I was thinking of going back to my parents’ house and relaxing, but I will have to miss classes next Monday and Friday. So I was wondering what I should do.”

Misono cuts off her words there and averts her gaze slightly from looking up at me. Then she looked up at me again. She opened her mouth with a bashful expression on her face and asked, “Umm,”

“When is Makimura-senpai’s part-time job?

“……Ah, let me see.”

Half because I was fascinated by Misono, and the other half because the conversation had suddenly jumped off the page, I couldn’t react or recall anything, so I took out my phone and opened the calendar.

“Last day of the month, 3rd, 4th, then maybe 7th.”

“Umm, then……”

Her cute expression somehow hardened a bit, and I thought it was similar to the air I felt when she asked me for my contact information last week, but the difference this time was that Misono didn’t look away from me. I was so surprised at the destructive power of her vermilion-tinted cheeks and moist eyes that I almost looked away.

“Would you be willing to have a meal with me on a day that is convenient for you?”

“I’d be happy if you would.”

“Really?”

I nodded at Misono, whose face broke out in a flash from its nervous state, and she gave me a dazzling smile. I had originally thought that Misono’s request would be modest, no matter what she said……and I was going to agree to it.

“The day I just mentioned is not convenient for me, but any other day is fine.”

“Yes! Would you like to have lunch? Would you like to have dinner? What do you like, Makimura-senpai?”

Misono’s high-spirited questioning made me smile, but unfortunately, time was running out.

“Ah. We’re here……”

“There’s still time before the holidays, so let’s take our time and make a decision.”

I smiled and showed her my phone, and she called my name with a smile.

I smiled and showed her my phone. Good night.

“Yes, Makimura-senpai. Good night.”

“Yeah. Good night, Misono.”

If I were talking to someone else, I would probably be too shy to do so. Yet, I can use words like “good evening” and “good night” naturally in front of this girl. Somehow, I felt very comfortable with that.

***

It was the last weekday of April. My part-time job was over, and I would normally change quickly and head home, but on this day I was groaning in front of the mirror in the locker room without changing.

After a two-digit exchange of messages, the date for the meal with Misono was set. We will have lunch at a Japanese restaurant near the station, and then, as she has requested, we will go to Joshi Park, a short distance from the station.

That’s fine, I’m also looking forward to it. The question is, what should I wear on the day? Needless to say, Misono is by far the cutest girl, so even if it is not a date, as long as we are going out together, I can’t just go out as usual. If I don’t pay some attention to my appearance, Misono might look at me lightly, and above all, I can’t stand to be around her. I look in the mirror and wonder what I should do.

I think that I could rearrange my hair a bit differently from what I have now. Misono complimented me on my hair, even though it included my work uniform. I shake my head, my face getting a little hot thinking about that time. I’m still having to think about what to wear, so I need to be calm. Of course, I can’t go there in this uniform, or a suit, whatever the circumstances.

The best person around me to talk to regarding this kind of thing would be Sanne, but it is also somewhat difficult for me to do so. I’m sure Sané would be able to coordinate the outfit, but I don’t think he’d be able to do so without being inquisitive.

“Let’s try to match them up.”

After much deliberation, I came to that conclusion and left the locker room. I was teased with the story that “Makimura-kun made a funny face in front of the mirror,” but I decided to consider it an unavoidable price to pay.