Forget-Me-Not ②

The day after going to the beach, I headed to Hanekuren Library as usual.

The only difference from usual was that someone was waiting for me there.

I arrived thirty minutes earlier than the designated time, but the person was already waiting.

Dressed in a straw hat and a white one-piece dress, her appearance alone drew the attention of everyone around.

“You’re already here, Takamine-san. Good morning.”

“…”

She looked at me without a word.

Or rather, she glared at me.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“…Shiranui-kun, what did you promise me before summer vacation, again?”

“Uhm, I had promised to let you read my novel.”

Her sternness made me instinctively use polite language.

“I’ve been waiting for you to contact me the whole time, though?”

“N-no, I was busy because I was going to the library almost every day to read and write.”

“You look pretty red for someone busy, though? That’s a sunburn, right. You definitely went to the beach.”

“My little sister happened to invite me just yesterday…”

“Shiranui-kun, you were going to forget the promise unless I contacted you, weren’t you?”

“No way, I had no intention of doing that!”

“I was waiting the whole time…”

“I… I’m sorry, Takamine-san. How can I make it up to you?”

She held up her index finger in front of my face.

“Buy me a cup of tea. And keep your promise. I’ll forgive you with that.”

“Okay, but, I don’t really know a place that serves good tea. Do you know one, Takamine-san?”

Confirming that I had accepted the condition she presented, she finally showed a gentle expression for the first time that day.

“Yeah, I know a place. A store that Shiranui-kun doesn’t know.” TL noteIt’s a pun because “Shiranui” and “shiranai” sound similar but mean different things

“Is that a pun?”

“Isn’t it funny?”

“Ha ha, I wonder about that… Anyway, let’s go there.”

“Okay. Then follow me.”

Takamine-san led the way.

We walked in silence for a while, which she, herself broke.

“…seriously, I really was waiting, you know?”

“I apologize for that.”

“And yet you were carelessly playing at the beach.”

Saying that, she poked my cheek three times with her finger.

A sharp sting ran through me three times.

“Ouch, that hurts, Takamine-san.”

“That was punishment. For playing at the beach and neglecting your promise with me.”

“I’m ashamed. I got engrossed in various things… No, that’s a poor excuse. I don’t have many friends, so I’m bad at inviting people, or rather, I didn’t know how to ask you out, Takamine-san.”

A guy wouldn’t want to show his uncool side in front of the girl he likes.

This is what all ordinary boys probably think.

I’m the same.

But right now, the feeling of not wanting to lie, even if it meant honestly admitting to being bad at inviting people or having few friends, took precedence.

“…Then you’ll have to get used to inviting me first.”

“Huh?”

“…Ah, here it is.”

Perhaps self-conscious about what she had just said, she lightly blushed and pointed to a coffee shop called ‘Poem’, which was likely our destination.

Even that look of her was picturesque.

I was once again made aware of the beauty of the person in front of me.

Watching her enter the shop, I finally realized I had been spacing out and hurried to follow her.

Inside, the air was filled with a unique savory aroma, a mixture of coffee and tobacco.

Jazz music played softly, and the master was brewing coffee without even glancing at us as we entered.

“Oh, the two-seater here is open. Let’s sit here, Shiranui-kun.”

From Takamine-san’s demeanor, it seemed like this wasn’t the kind of place where staff showed you to a seat like a family restaurant.

“I didn’t know there was a coffee shop like this here.”

“It’s in a pretty tucked-away alley, you know? My friend told me about it. What do you think?”

“It has a unique smell, but yeah, it’s calming. It’s a nice place.”

“Right? I thought for sure Shiranui-kun would say that.”

The sulky expression from before was gone, and her full smile made my own mood mellow.

“I know what I’m ordering, but Shiranui-kun, you don’t know the menu, right? Here you go.”

Saying that, she handed me a relatively small, handmade menu.

“What are you going to drink, Shiranui-kun?”

“I was going to order coffee, but I’m confused because the menu content is different from what I expected.”

I had imagined a menu that simply said ‘Hot Coffee’ or ‘Iced Coffee’, but what was written there were names of coffee beans like ‘Kilimanjaro’ and ‘Mandheling’.

“Ah, I kind of get it. It’s hard to know which is good when you’re suddenly shown coffee bean names, right?”

“I’ve never paid attention to coffee bean varieties in my life.”

“Oh my, if it isn’t Hana-chan. Welcome.”

“Ah, Yoko-san!”

The woman who suddenly called out to Takamine-san seemed to be an employee of the shop.

“You had a stylish straw hat, so I didn’t recognize you at first, but it was Hana-chan. You look lovely, it suits you.”

“Yo-you think so?”

Ehehe, she smiled happily, her cheeks flushed.

The female employee, who had been watching her with a maternal look, noticed me and looked at me with equally kind eyes.

“And you are? Are you Hana-chan’s friend?”

“Ah, yes. I’m Shiranui Amane, in the same class as Takamine-san.”

“I see, Amane-kun. That’s a quite unusual name. I’m Yachiyo Yoko. My name is a bit hard to say in full because of the repeating ‘yo’ sound, fufu. It’s perfectly fine to call me by my first name. Oh, right, have you two decided on your orders?”

“I’ll have an Iced Milk Tea, but what about you, Shiranui-kun?”

“Um, I’m not very knowledgeable about coffee beans, so do you have any recommendations?”

“Well, coffee has various personalities, and what suits a person varies… How about this one? I think it’s a relatively easy one to drink.”

“Then I’ll have that, hot.”

“Hot ‘Guatemala’, then. Is that all?”

“”Yes.””

“Understood. Then take your time and relax.”

Yoko-san said that and headed towards the kitchen.

“Shiranui-kun, do you like coffee?”

“Hm? Yeah, I do. It calms me down to drink it.”

“Heh~ So mature.”

“Do you dislike coffee, Takamine-san?”

“Yeah, it’s bitter, so I can’t drink it. That’s why I prefer sweet and delicious tea.”

“That’s why you’re having Iced Milk Tea. Oh, right, my novel. I haven’t finished the short story I’m currently writing, so I brought some of my previous works. How about that?”

“Eh? Something you wrote before? Un, I want to read it, I want to read it!”

“Since I thought you’d like romance novels, Takamine-san, I focused on those among my past works and brought them.”

I took out several notebooks from the paper bag I was carrying.

“But well, please don’t have high expectations. Many of them were written when I was quite less skilled than I am now.”

“I want to see Shiranui-kun’s writing from his less skilled days, too. Like, the process of growth, how your writing style changes.”

Honestly, this person always says things that make me embarrassed.

“Oh? Are you blushing, Shiranui-kun?”

She looked at me with a mischievous smile.

“Of course I’d blush when someone says something like that.”

She throws me off my rhythm.

I really can’t deal with her.

“Alright, here you go. This is probably the oldest work I brought today.”

“Thank you~ Speaking of which, it just occurred to me, Shiranui-kun, how long have you been writing novels?”

“Hmm, I’ve lightly written since I was a kid, so I don’t know the exact time, but probably since my second year of middle school.”

“So you’ve been writing for about three years now. That’s amazing. I kinda want to read Shiranui-kun’s very first work.”

“That’s the one I absolutely don’t want anyone to see, so I’d have to politely decline that…”

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Hot Guatemala and Iced Milk Tea.”

Yoko-san brought our orders.

“Wow, thank you, Yoko-san. I was getting thirsty, and it’s hot outside.”

“It’s certainly been particularly hot lately. Amane-kun, was hot coffee alright for you?”

“Eh? Ah, yes. The air conditioning is on inside the shop, and I prefer it hot.”

“I see, that’s good then. Coffee refills are free, so just let me know anytime.”

“Eh~ only coffee is free, that’s unfair~ Make the milk tea refills free, too!”

Ignoring Takamine-san’s slightly sulky expression, I took a sip of the coffee that was brought to me.

——————Delicious.

It was completely different from the instant coffee I drink at home.

No, I’d say comparing them is wrong, as the aroma and flavor of this coffee were that good.

“Huh? Shiranui-kun, you’re not putting in any sugar or milk?”

“Un, well, I generally don’t use much.”

“Eh~ That’s so bitter, I could never drink it like that.”

“Well, Hana-chan, you’re like a child who throws a tantrum for free milk tea refills, so.”

“I-I didn’t say it like that, Yoko-san!”

“Hahaha.”

Yoko-san’s dramatically exaggerated imitation was funny, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

I took a second sip.

“By the way, are you two… in a relationship?”

“Eh!?”

“!!”

I choked on my coffee, which I was about to swallow on the second sip, because of that outrageous question.

“cough, cough.”

“A-are you okay, Shiranui-kun?”

I am not okay.

It hurts terribly.

“Moh—Yoko-san, now Shiranui-kun is choking because you said something weird”

“Oh? So you’re not dating?”

“That’s right! Shiranui-kun is aiming to be a novelist, and I asked him to let me read his novel!”

“Oh, a novel? You’re right. Amane-kun, you have quite an interesting hobby.”

“Cough, thank you very much.”

“Shiranui-kun, are you alright?”

“My… throat hurts a little.”

“Just wait for a second, I’ll bring you some water now.”

Yoko-san temporarily left the area.

“I-I’m sorry, Shiranui-kun. Seriously, Yoko-san just had to say something strange, it’s so troubling, right?”

She laughed shyly.

“Haha, ri-right.”

Seriously, what a bomb Yoko-san dropped.

I was suffering from a double whammy of the pain from choking and this awkward atmosphere.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Amane-kun. Here’s your water.”

“Thank you.”

I swallowed the cold water I was handed.

“How is it?”

“It’s a little better. Thank you.”

“Oh no, it was my fault for asking something strange. Ah, and also…”

Then Yoko-san quietly leaned in close to my ear.

“...I’m rooting for you.“

“Huh?”

“Well, enjoy your time~”

“Ah, Yoko-san! What did you say to Shiranui-kun!?”

Yoko-san left without heeding Takamine-san’s stop.

That person keeps dropping bombs until the very end.

Her saying she was rooting for me meant she was aware of my feelings…

Am I too obvious, or is she just sharp?

I secretly wished for the latter.

I suddenly noticed the lovely girl in front of me was looking at me with a slightly pouting expression.

“W-what is it?”

“Mm~ I’m curious what she said. Tell me, Shiranui-kun.”

I couldn’t possibly tell her.

“I’m sorry, can I plead the fifth on this?”

“Eh~ I’m curious! Come on, tell me~”

“No, it was nothing much. Really.”

“Then tell me~ Come on, please~”

After that—

It wasn’t until the first cup of coffee had cooled that I was finally able to deflect Takamine-san, who was trying every trick in the book to get me to reveal Yoko-san’s whispered words, and forcibly shift her interest back to my novel.

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