CH 38

While Shinozuka-san was performing a card magic tricks for Shi-chan. Kaede, who was sitting right next to me, stared at me as if peering deep down into my eyes.

And after a moment of silence, she said, “Hey, Mi-kun.”

“What is it?”

“Do you like Shinozuka-san?”

“**Cough** What’s with that, why are you asking something like that all of a sudden?”

The straightforward question made me choke on air unintentionally. Luckily Shinozuka-san didn’t heared her as she was engrossed in showing magic tricks to Shi-chan.

And as Shinozuka-san is a little far from us, Kaede was asking really daring questions and it was bad for my heart.

“I’m going to take that silence as a yes.”

I glanced at Shinozuka-san who was still concentrating on her magic tricks, and Shi-chan’s exclamations of admiration only boosted her confidence and she had a beautiful smile on her face.

I’m sure she won’t be able to hear much until any of us talk loud enough for our voices to reach there, and the bustling sounds from our surroundings only helped us.

“You can tell just by looking at us. We both are out of balance, she is like a shining star in the night sky and me who has a mob-like appearance.”

“I’m not asking you that. What I’m asking is how you actually feel about her. And don’t belittle yourself, you are good looking.”

“Oh… Thank you for praising me.”

“Hmph, I was just telling the truth.”

“Kaede honestly praised me which was indeed rare coming from someone like her who has a Tsundere like personality. And it was good that she was slowly being more honest with herself.

“Enough with that, now tell me the truth. What is really going on?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that question.”

“You’re indecisive as always. A coward they say?”

“Ugh… Don’t me right where it hurts.”

It was an undeniable fact that I couldn’t really understand what I really feel or what the person in front of me feels.

I’m aware of it myself, but when someone points it out like that it really hurts.

“Well that’s how Mi-kun is, right?”

When I was inwardly damaged by her harsh words which showed me reality, she stood up and went to where Shi-chan was.

“Well then we are going back. We can’t bother you on your date anymore.”

“Ah… onee-chan wait!”

Kaede tried to pull Shi-chan with her and leave this place. But Shinozuka-san raised her voice in concern.

“If Kaede-chan and Shi-chan are alone, why don’t we have fun together? Isn’t it better that way, Segawa-kun?”

She looked at me and asked for my consent. I didn’t expect such a proposal coming from her.

I thought that it would be hard for her to go to an amusement park with someone she just met, so I was a little reluctant to agree with it. But, if she is fine with it then I don’t have any problem either.

“I guess it will be fine.”

It seems that Kaede and Shi-chan came to the amusement park alone. And I was worried that something bad might happen to them, because no matter how smart they were, in the end they were just middle schooler and from kindergartener.

“That’s right onee-chan.”

Shi-chan lifted her head and looked at Kaede with an expectant gaze.

After blinking her eyes she calmed her breathing faced Shinozuka-san and said,

“Y-You’re a good person… May I also call you Mizuna-san?”

“Of course!”

“You don’t have to use honorifics either.”

“Ok, Mizuna-chan…”

Surprisingly Kaede seemed to have a change in her attitude with Shinozuka-san and now she was trying to be on good terms with her. 

But she surprisingly opened up to her very quickly. The same was the case with Sakuramiya-sensei as well.

I’m a little worried about her future. I hope she doesn’t fall for some strange guy…

While I was worrying about Kaede’s future, Shinozuka-san raised her voice as she remembered something.

“Ah, we were in the middle of eating our lunch. I’m really sorry Segawa-kun.”

“It’s not a problem.”

Our lunch was originally interrupted because of the sudden intrusion of Shi-chan. But it’s not something that she should apologize for.

Shinozuka-san sits down right next to me and gently holds my right hand. Quickly holding the chopsticks in her hand, she grabs a slice of hamburger steak from the lunch box and brings it closer to my mouth.

“Well then, ahh…”

“Are we still going to do that?”

It was a little embarrassing to do it in front of Kaede and Shi-chan but Shinozuka-san didn’t seem to worry about it at all.

“I think the after effects of the roller coaster would have faded by now.”

“…No actually it came back when I was showing magic tricks to Shi-chan.”

Why does it look like she is clearly lying to me?

While I was perplexed, Shi-chan tugged on Kaede’s hand sleeves and gestured her to come near her and then she murmured something in her ears.

“Hey onee-chan, if this continues you will be in trouble. I’m worried that she might snatch Mi-kun away from us. She is kind and beautiful and also knows how to do magic tricks. And they also look compatible with each other.”

“Compatible…”

Shi-chan said something to Kaede to which her face was turning pale every passing second.

And when I glanced at Shinozuka-san with the hamburger steak still in her while she waited for me to munch on it, I didn’t let her wait and fearfully grabbed it with my mouth.

“Is it good?”

“Umu… It’s delicious.”

Why are you suddenly honorifics, Segawa-kun?”

“No, it was not intentional.”

My face turned red due to embarrassment and I averted my eyes to not look directly at her, but what greeted my sight was a sulking Kaede.

“Hey Mizuna-chan, Mi-kun can eat properly with chopsticks so you don’t have to go through the trouble of feeding him.”

She was indeed right, as I am a pure-blooded Japanese person. I know how to use chopsticks properly.

But Shinozuka-san laughed embarrassedly and lied to them why she was doing it in the first place.

“Actually there are some certain circumstances… that is why I am feeding Segawa-kun.”

But Kaede easily looked through her act and after clasping her said,

“I see… so that’s how it is. No matter how you say it, that is clearly a lie.”

“Haha, well I’m telling the truth. I can’t really do anything if you don’t want to believe me.”

“Heeh, then why not let him eat on his own, if he will have any problems then I’ll help him.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Why don’t you understand? I said I will take care of him.”

“No, that’s a seed I had sown. So isn’t it right to reap it myself?”

Why is there a slight air of tension when they were getting along fine moments ago.

I was puzzled by the sudden turn of events when I noticed that Shi-chan had a bad expression on her face. That mischievous smirk on her face said that she was definitely thinking of something bad.

But before I could deter her, she opened her mouth to speak.

“I think it would be better if Minato-nii decides who he wants to feed him.”

“Shi-chan⁉”

“Well, shall we do that, Kaede-chan?”　

“Yes, why not?”

And now all the spotlight was on me, as I was given the right to choose the one who will feed me the lunch.

Inwardly I decided to reprimand this devious little girl later.