CH 18

The weather has been dry and sunny lately, but today it’s cloudy. According to the forecast, it’s supposed to start raining around noon. I carry a folding umbrella, but somehow I feel a bit depressed.

As I was walking to school in the morning, Makabe rushed to my side and said,

“You’re a bit unrefined today, Izuma.”

“Is that what you’re supposed to say instead of greeting me !?”

Instead of greeting me, he told me that I’m unrefined–lame, that’s what he meant by it.

“Your back hair is bouncing.”

I should’ve fixed my sleeping habit, but it seems that my hair, which was stiff like bushes, seemed to have sensed the hint of rain and was in a bad mood. I held the back of my head.

“Hunchback.”

I straightened my back.

“Buttons fastened tightly all the way to the top.”

I loosen my tie and undo the first button.

“Could you put your free hand on your waist while you’re in that state?”

“Like this?”

“Yes, sexy.”

“Don’t make me do anything stupid !”

-but yes, I’m a bit lame…..

I just had my hair style pointed out to me the other day by Yua’s brother as well.

In my case, however, I’m aware that there’s a problem before that. I don’t know what kind of formality for a hairstyle is, and I don’t know how many different kinds there are.

Yua once laughed at me and said, [You don’t know much about girls.] but I don’t even know much about boys.

“……”

“What’s the matter, you look depressed. switch back like you always do.”

He’s beckoning me like I’m some kind of action actor.

I stared at Makabe. He has bangs down to his eyes, glasses with fingerprints on them, a pale face, a wry smile, and a lanky figure. He is about the same size as me, or even worse than me. It would be impossible to get the basics of high school fashion out of this guy.

I sighed and shook my head.

“You’re not good enough…….”

“Why did you suddenly give up on me….?”

Makabe was discouraged.

How can I get rid of my lameness? There are ways to gather information from the Internet and fashion magazines, but I think it would be faster to ask someone that knows about it.

Yua’s brother would be very knowledgeable, but I don’t have his contact information, and I don’t think it would be right to ask Yua herself if I wanted to become a man worthy of her.

I can only think of one other person in my limited circle of friends.

I decided to wait until after school and ask about it.

◇ 

I waited at the stairs near the entrance, and the person I was looking for came down.

It was Ishimizu san. Fortunately, Yua wasn’t there.

“Ishimizu-san–“

Two people who seemed to be her friends were following behind her.

Ishimizu san nodded with a gentle smile to her friend who was talking happily in a cheerful voice. The other friend suddenly hugged her and in return, Ishimizu san tickled her side.

A joyful laugh echoed through the air. I backed away as if doing a moonwalk and hid behind a wall. I didn’t have the courage to break into that sparkling space.

Ishimizu san glanced at me, but walked straight to the front door, chatting with her friend.

I sighed.

–I’m going to have to search the Internet……

I changed into my leather shoes and walked to the front door.

“Senpai”

A voice called me from the side.

It was Ishimizu san. And she was alone.

“Ah, eh? Where’s your friend?

“I told them that I had forgotten something, so I came back alone.”

So you’re saying that you guessed that I had something to do with Ishimizu san and went out of your way to came back to me?

–Eh….? What the heck…….

What a nice and thoughtful girl.

“You look pretty similar.”

“Eh, what?”

“You were imitating the stalker, weren’t you? It looked real. But next time, do it when my friends aren’t around.:

“No, no, no ! I’m not doing that though !?”

“Eh? Then, was that real?”

Ishimizu san furrowed her brow, but soon broke into a condescending smile and patted me on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry.”

–IHer thoughtfulness is painful…..

Is this also because I’m so uncool? If I want to stay by Yua’s side, I can’t be like this.

“I want to ask you something, Ishimizu san…… How can I be normal?”

“What do you mean by normal?”

“At least, to the point where I won’t be mistaken for a stalker impersonator just because I hesitate to speak to you.”

“You’re really concerned about it, aren’t you? I’m sorry about that, okay?”

“I want your honest opinion.”

“Okay.”

Ishimizu san puts her finger on her chin and moved her gaze from top to bottom and bottom to top, looking at my whole body.

“I wonder what it is. Hair?”

“Hair?”

“You have a rather large amount of hair, but I feel like it’s all grown out, so maybe that’s why you look suspicious.”

–Suspicious…….

Although I told her to be frank, I was a little hurt.

“A person’s appearance is their entrance.”

“Entrance……?”

“If the entrance is dirty, no matter how attractive the inside is, people won’t come in, right? It’s the same thing.”

I see, that’s certainly true. But she didn’t need to mention the fact that I was dirty in a roundabout.

“So what exactly should I do?”

“Buy some magazines or styling products and do some research.”

“I don’t even know what to buy.”

“You’re at that level, huh…..”

“I’m going to go buy some hair styling products, if you don’t mind, would you tell me?”

“Eh, no way. It’s going to be some drama where someone witnesses us shopping together and gets into trouble with love and friendship. I’ve seen it 30 million times in one of my dad’s manga.”

“No, we don’t have to go shopping together. –Oh, right, exchanging contact information.”

“That’s the kind of thing that makes people jealous, [You’ve been in touch with her without telling me, hmmm…..] I’ve seen it 300 million times.”

Although she’s shifting the blame on his father, Ishimizu san is probably quite the otaku herself.

“I mean, why don’t you ask Yua?”

“Then there will be no meaning.”

Ishimizu san chuckled.

“Hee. So you want to surprise Yua. Hee.”

“W-what, it’s not that special.”

“Well, fine. Seems like you two are on good terms.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“But if you want to make Yua happy, I think you should listen to her opinion. She would be surprised if you suddenly change your look.”

It’s true that when Yua changed her look, I was more surprised and taken aback than happy. 

“I guess so…….. I’ll try that.”

I left Ishimizu san and headed back to the school building. According to her, Yua was still in the classroom having a chat.

I contacted her on the chat app and met her at the special classroom building. When I told her about the incident, she thought for a moment and then suggested it.

[Then, would you like to come to my house?]

–……Eh?