CH 49

Lunch break the next day

As Shi-chan had told me, I really didn’t bring my lunch today.

Well, even if I hadn’t brought a lunch, I could have just gone to the store and bought some bread.

It wasn’t just me, but the other boys in the class, and even the boys from other classes and other grades, were watching us from outside the hallway.

Then, Shi-chan took out her lunch box from her bag.

The onlookers and I watched with bated breath.

“Uhm, let’s see, this one is for Takkun.”

As she said this, Shi-chan quickly presented me with a lunch box in a cute rabbit patterned bag, looking a little embarrassed.

As soon as I received my lunch, I heard screams from the boys inside and outside the classroom who had been watching me.

I felt a little superior to these onlookers, and opened the lunch box that was handed to me, impressed.

There was rice, fried tofu, fried eggs, potato salad, and cherry tomatoes neatly laid out on the table.

“I hope it suits your taste…….”

“Don’t worry, my tongue will go along with it.”

While saying such incomprehensible things, I immediately took a bite of the potato salad.

–Yes, it is delicious.

The balance of the seasoning is very good, and it’s just as good as the ones you get at the store.

“Yeah, it’s really good.”

“Really? I’m glad.”

When I commented on the taste, Shi-chan smiled, clasping her hands together as if relieved.

I couldn’t help but notice how cute she was, and my face flustered.

“Oh, is Takuya making his debut as a loving husband?”

“Hey, don’t make fun of me, Takayuki.”

Takayuki, who had been watching our exchange, grinned and made fun of me for being flustered.

By now, Takayuki had come to eat Shimizu-san’s homemade lunch box as a matter of course.

What can I say, Takayuki and Shimizu-san have become more like a couple than boyfriend and girlfriend.

And when I looked next to him, I saw Shi-chan with her hands on her cheeks, swaying and puffy.

She was acting suspiciously today, but she looked happy, so I decided to leave her alone.

“Oh, that’s right! Next week is the start of summer vacation, right? I got this from my parents, why don’t the four of us go out sometime?”

What Takayuki offered me was an admission ticket to a nearby swimming pool.

Thinking that Takayuki’s parents were really blessed with tickets, we each took one.

As I looked at the tickets, thinking that summer was about to begin and that a pool would be nice, I finally realized the magnitude of the situation.

–Eh? I’m going with Shi-chan?

–So that means I’m going to see Shi-chan in her swimsuit?

Seriously? …… I turned next to her and saw that she was staring at the ticket she had received with a slightly troubled look on her face.

This is a face of confusion.

It’s not the same as exposing your swimsuit to the public, no matter how close you are, and if you were to go to a place like that, it would probably cause an uproar. …… When I saw the way she looked, my earlier faint hopes were cruelly crushed.

But now that I was able to eat Shi-chan’s homemade lunch, I felt that I shouldn’t ask for too much.

“Shion, do you think you can do it?”

Shimizu-san, who also noticed the situation, asked Shi-chan as if she was worried.

Then, Shi-chan muttered, “It’s not nothing, but ……” with a difficult look on her face, and took Shimizu-san’s hand and walked out of the classroom, saying, “Can I have a moment?

“Hey Takayuki, it’s fine for you guys, but inviting Shi-chan to the pool is a bit too early…”

“You think so? I think It’s fine?”

“No, no, no, she just left with Shimizu-san, you know. She’s probably asking Shimizu-san to turn it down, right?”

“Takuya is always so negative at times like this.”

When he said that, Takayuki sighed heavily once as if he was taken aback.

What’s with the reaction like I don’t know anything about women’s minds?

This is what a man with a girlfriend can do…damn it.

In the meantime, the two of them soon returned to the classroom.

It seemed that the consultation was over.

Saegusa sat down in her seat, turned her knees toward me, and stared straight at me.

And then.

“If you’re going, I’m going too.”

“Ha?”

Shi-chan’s answer was the exact opposite of what I expected.

I’m sure she’ ll say no, but if she does, it will be to Takayuki, who invited her, not to me. …… Just as I was thinking that the answer was the exact opposite, I couldn’t help but raise my voice strangely.

–If I go, do you want me to go too?

That’s what she just said, right?

“Eh, are you okay with that, Shi-chan?”

“Yes, I’m okay with it.”

Shi-chan replied to my question with a happy smile.

Eh? Are you sure? Seriously?

But then, why did you leave earlier? A new question arose in my mind.

“You don’t have a swimsuit to wear, so I want you to accompany me shopping after school today, okay?”

“Wait! Saku-chan!”

Shi-chan panicked, “Huh? Am I not supposed to tell them?” Shimizu tilted his head slightly.

She said “I went out of my way to leave the classroom because I didn’t want to be heard…….” Shimizu looked embarrassed and her face turned red.

Oh, so that’s why she made that face.

But once I understood the reason, my honest impression was that it was still cute.

“Well, since that’s what you seem to be talking about, I guess we’ll go home together today for the first time in a while.”

Takayuki, reading the situation, put his hand on my shoulder and squared his shoulders.

Well, if that was the reason, I decided to go home with Takayuki today after a long time.

So, you know what they say, hurry up and do the right thing! How about this Saturday?

“So they say, better late than never! How about this Saturday?”

When Takayuki suggested this, everyone’s schedules were free, so we decided to go on Saturday as suggested.

Then Takayuki whispered in my ear, “That’s good,” and slapped me once on the back.

Well, to be honest, I was already looking forward to Saturday, because I was certainly happy to have a summer vacation with Shi-chan.

Because you know what?

It would be a lie not to be excited about going to the pool with the girl I like.