♤
"Ya-ho."
After school.
Aso-san was waiting for me at the main gate, as I tried to leave quickly.
"Hey there."
"We sure have been seeing each other a lot lately."
"That's because I was waiting for you, Aoyama-kun."
"Well, I figured. So, what's up? If it's about the other day
"What are you doing this Saturday?"
"What do you mean…? Come to think of it, we both have the day off this week, don't we?"
"Yep. Monthly inspection day. The manager's only coming in the morning, but he was all excited about a date with his girlfriend for the first time in a while."
"Good for him."
"So, what about you, Aoyama-kun?"
"I…"
Times like this make me regret not having a hobby I can mention off the top of my head.
Back in middle school, I was so into baseball that weekends didn't matter, so when someone asks what I do in my free time, nothing comes to mind.
"Right, so you're free."
"No, I—"
"If you have to think about it, that means your schedule's that open. Want to come shopping with me?"
"Shopping?"
"Yeah. The thing is, I have to go buy something a friend asked me for that day, but there's a limit of one per person."
"So you want me to come along so you can buy two?"
"Exactly. I'll treat you to a meal, so it's fine, right?"
"… As long as it's not like last time."
If that ex-boyfriend of Aso-san's sees us together and starts harassing us again…
I'm honestly afraid I might punch him for real this time.
"Well, that's probably okay."
"Because I threatened him the other day?"
"That's part of it. But I heard a while ago that around this season, he said he'd be on a seminar trip or something."
"I see."
"So that's why—please, I'm begging you!"
"You could just refuse that request, you know."
"Ugh, but she asked me back when I was still dating that guy. I was feeling full of myself and said 'sure, no problem,' so it's hard to back out now."
"Why don't you go with that friend instead?"
"She has club activities. Seriously, do you hate shopping with me that much?"
"It's not that…"
"Then it's settled. I'll text you the time and details later."
With a "See ya," as if to say "flight is the better part of valor," Aso-san hurried off.
"Jeez."
"Hey."
"Huh… whoa!"
"What? Don't look so shocked when you see my face."
As I stood there dumbfounded, watching Aso-san disappear into the distance, someone called out to me.
I turned around to find Yuzu standing there, looking a little pouty.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Nothing. I was about to head home and saw you. It's okay to talk to you at
school, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Come on, let's go home. We're heading the same way anyway."
"… Yeah."
Yuzu usually leaves early, and today she'd gotten up and left the classroom right away, so I'd thought she was already gone.
But asking where she'd been or what she was doing would be tactless.
She'd probably just say, "Jealous? Gross."
We went out the main gate, and Yuzu followed me.
Now that I think about it, this was the first time we'd walked home together like this. The unfamiliar atmosphere of the route home made me a little nervous.
"… Hey."
"Wh-what?"
"You don't have to be so restless. Or is there someone you'd be in trouble if they saw us together?"
"There's no one like that."
"The person you were talking to at the gate—that was Aso-senpai?"
"You were watching? Yeah, it was her."
"She's pretty. Do you like that type?
"Don't say stuff like Yumekawa. Why do I have to be suspected just for talking to a girl?"
"Because—"
"Because?"
"… Nothing. You just looked like you were having a lot of fun with her."
"She's always like that. Just now she was just asking me to go shopping with her on Saturday."
"… I see. So you won't be here on Saturday."
"Well, I don't think it'll take that long."
"Hmm. What are you going to do that day, then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Should I not come over?
"… What do you want to do?"
"I'm the one asking."
"…"
If I said I wanted her to come, I felt like she'd think I was just a guy who wants to do it every day.
Not that I don't want to.
But that's not it.
"Well… maybe I'd like you to come."
It's just that I want to see her.
I couldn't bring myself to say that much.
"Okay. Then tell me the time later."
Yuzu said flatly, and walked on ahead.
I followed a little behind her, and soon enough, my apartment came into view.