CH 24

“Ageha, let’s go on a date.”

“……!”

Lunch break. Unlike yesterday, there were more people on the rooftop, and as I sat on a bench spreading out my lunch, I said to Ageha, who was sitting next to me.

However, there was no reply.

I turned my gaze to her, feeling ashamed of the fact that I had already established the pattern of asking a girl out on a date and being ignored.

“Uh…”

The chopsticks that hold the octopus sausage are shaking, and the mouth of Ageha is puckering as she looks at me.

“Ageha…?”

“What do you mean, ‘date,’ that’s…?”

“You know, I promised on Christmas Day that we would go on a date after you finished taking the entrance exam. After all, you didn’t get it yet, right?”

It was on Christmas Eve when Ageha confessed her feelings for me.

On the train to the shopping mall, she asked me out on a date with her, and I told her that I would go on a date with her after I finished my exams.

Of course, it was a proposal out of concern for her studying for the exam, but it was also a clever attempt on my part to put off the problem.

I had thought that she would ask me out after the exams were over, but I guess she was busy buying high school uniforms and other things.

At the time, I was just fooling around, but now I can ask her out without hesitation.

In fact, the words fell out of my mouth much more easily than I had expected.

A spring breeze rushes across the rooftop.

When the wind died down, she looked somewhat disappointed as she put the octopus sausage in her mouth, then munched on it and dropped both her shoulders with an obvious grimace.

“Yeah, yeah, no matter how much it’s spring, that’s not true…”

“Oh, what…? Oh, maybe you don’t want to go or something.”

Once you get to high school, you will probably meet someone new.

So it is not surprising that she may have found someone else she is interested in.

It is normal to seek a new love rather than someone you’ve been rejected by once.

But if that’s the case, I can’t just sit back and let it happen.

I think to myself, who am I to shake it off, but I’ve got to stop doing nothing.

Involuntarily grasping the chopsticks tightly, Ageha panicked and shook her head.

“No, no, no. I’m going! I’m going!”

“I see.”

…Good.

I let out a small sigh so that Ageha wouldn’t notice, and continued to talk while pretending to be calm.

“When shall we do it? It’s almost Golden Week.”

It’s a big holiday weekend this year, with ten days off.

I’m very late, but it’s also a celebration of passing high school, so it might be okay to go a little farther.

While I was thinking about this, Ageha whispered, “I want to do that.”

“That?”

“Yeah, that. Something I can’t do unless I’m in the same high school as Haru-kun.”

“……?”

When I tilted my head, she smiled mischievously.

◆

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Haru-kun!”

After the classes were over, I was waiting at the corner of the busy main gate, when I saw Ageha running up to me from the school building with a smile and twin-tailed hair swinging.

I’m still a little unaccustomed to the uniform that Ageha has become a little accustomed to wearing.

I ignored the glances I felt around me, and asked her to catch her breath.

“Why didn’t you just meet me here? Why didn’t you just go through the entrance?”

“Heh heh, it’s more like a date in uniform, right?”

“… No comment”

After that, Ageha said she wanted to make a stop on her way home today, still in her school uniform.

In short, it was a simplified version of a school uniform date.

I have heard of couples going to a large amusement park in their school uniforms, but I am not sure if a side trip can really be called a date.

“Shall we go then?”

“Uh-huh.”

At the urging of Ageha, we set out on foot.

It was not our usual way home, but the opposite. We walked toward the front of the station.

I peeked in on Ageha, who was humming a tune as she walked next to me, and asked,

“Is it really okay to just hang out in front of the station? Since it’s also a celebration of your acceptance, shouldn’t you have done it on a day off or something?”

“It’s okay. I can go out with Haru-kun in uniform because I passed the exam.”

“It’s fine, but…”

I don’t really understand how the whole thing is different because I usually wear uniforms together on the way to and from school, but I have no complaints as long as she seems to be having fun.

The only thing is that I would have liked to have gone on a little outing with her…

I’m not complaining at all.

After a short walk, I found myself in front of a station that I was already familiar with.

It was not so well maintained until about three years ago, but it has changed a lot in the past few years, and there is even a beautiful roundabout.

Indeed, looking around, I see men and women wearing the same Yodogishi High School uniforms walking side by side.

“Oh, there it is. Haru-kun, over there!”

As I was scurrying around, Ageha found something and grabbed my hand and pulled me to her.

I hurriedly take a step with her.

Ahead of us, we see a food truck, mainly yellow in color.

There seemed to be quite a line of people.

The signboard beside the truck suggests that they are selling tapioca milk tea, which is very popular these days.

“It only opened two weeks ago! It’s my first time here.”

“I don’t know if it’s possible, but were you planning to go today even if I didn’t ask you out?”

“Nah, I don’t know what you mean.”

While blowing a poor whistle, I stare at Ageha, who turns away.

If that was the case, I could have gone on a date some other time if you had said so earlier.

“It looks like there are quite a few people lined up, so sit over there, Ageha. The most popular item on the menu is fine, right?”

“Uh, yeah. Oh, money.”

“It’s okay. It’s also a celebration for your passing today.”

While holding back Ageha who was about to take out her purse from her bag, I quickly joined the line without saying yes or no.

After standing there in a daze, she sat down reluctantly on a round bench surrounding the trees in the roundabout.

After all, it was my first time drinking too.

After standing in line for about five minutes, it was my turn.

The waiter asked from inside the car, “What would you like to order?” I looked at the menu list.

“Gohyah…!”

The most popular was the standard royal milk tea with tapioca.

The price was a whopping 550 yen. What? That’s a lot of money for a drink.

… No, no, I can’t make the clerk wait here.

“Two royal milk teas, please.”

I ordered and took the money out of my wallet.

Holding the cup in both hands, I turned back to Ageha, who looked up at me and chuckled.

“Welcome back.”

“Here you go, the most popular and standard one.”

“Thanks!”

Ageha happily received it with her legs brazenly and placed it directly on both of her knees.

I sat down next to her and put my bag down.

We both looked at each other and chuckled as we realized we were looking at each other for the right moment to drink.

“Shall we drink?”

“Yes.”

When I said that, she smiled happily and put her mouth on the straw.

I followed suit.

The chewy texture of tapioca goes into my mouth along with the slightly sweetened milk tea.

…Well, I don’t think it’s as delicious as I thought.

I might have expected it because it’s popular, but I think normal milk tea is fine for this.

“Mmm, yummy!”

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

I couldn’t help but let out a voice.

At the sound of my voice, Ageha tilted her head in a “what?” kind of way.

I shook my head furiously and said, “It’s nothing.”

…. Well, they say everyone has their own tastes, and if Ageha is happy, that alone is worth the tapioca.

This tapioca is delicious. I’ll invite Ageha to come back and try it again.

◆

“Nn…?”

As I entered the doorway and took off my shoes, I felt a burr, and my phone in my pants pocket trembled.

I took it out and looked at the screen to see a nyan from Saijo-senpai.

‘I wonder if you are free tomorrow after school. I need to talk to you.’