Be careful with the laid-back beauty who took a liking to me. Otherwise, it will be too late! - Chapter 27: Are You, Perhaps, Feeling a Little Jealous?

Chapter 27: Are You, Perhaps, Feeling a Little Jealous?

“Sa-chan, are you okay!?”

“I’m fine… just feeling a bit tired, that’s all.”

The next day, Saaya was feeling better and came to school.

When Maruyama-san noticed her, she immediately ran over and hugged her tightly.

“I was so worried about you! I don’t know if you’re feeling well enough to eat, but here, have this. It’s a custard cream puff from the shop near the station.”

“Wow, it smells amazing! Thanks, Yuina.”

Saaya gratefully accepted the custard cream puff from Maruyama-san but decided not to eat it right away, setting it aside carefully on her desk.

“Aren’t you going to eat it now?” I asked, watching her as she placed the treat down.

“I’ll save it for dessert after lunch… Oh, and I’m really looking forward to the éclairs later today.”

She spoke with sparkling eyes, clearly excited about our plan to visit the café after school.

(That’s some serious custard love…)

I couldn’t help but feel a strange, competitive spirit—like I had to match her enthusiasm for custard.

As we continued talking about the éclairs, Asahi, who overheard us, joined in the conversation.

“I’ve had the éclairs from the shopping district too. They’re really good.”

“Wait, are you a fellow éclair fan, Kubo-kun?”

Saaya, visibly excited, turned to Asahi with a beaming smile.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, but I don’t dislike them. Maruyama-san told me you really love custard, right?”

“Yup, I absolutely love it!”

“Then I’ve got a special custard dessert to recommend to you. I’ll send you the details later.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing! I can’t wait!”

“As for you, Hinata, you should let Saaya know about it too. It’s a great spot to visit together.”

Asahi and Saaya’s conversation flowed naturally. Although I wasn’t worried about anything happening, I couldn’t shake the slight feeling of unease creeping up inside me.

Maruyama-san, who had been observing me quietly, suddenly sidled up to me.

“Hey, Kawai-kun, could it be… are you feeling a little *jealous* right now?”

“Jealous? What do you mean?”

I vaguely remembered hearing a similar word before, but this one was new to me.

“Hehe, I’ll keep it a secret for now. Oh, look! Good morning, Akari-chan!”

“Good morning, Yuina-chan. Oh, good morning to you too, Kawai-kun.”

“Good morning, Shiina-san.”

Shiina-san greeted us with her usual gentle smile, and somehow, it felt a little different from usual.

“Ah! Did you change your hairpin? It’s really cute!”

“Thanks, Yuina-chan. I’m glad you noticed.”

Shiina-san smiled shyly, her fingers lightly brushing her new hairpin, and for a moment, her gaze met mine. We held each other’s stare for just a brief second before her smile returned, brighter than ever.

—

During lunch, I told Saaya I was heading to my locker to grab a textbook, leaving her to enjoy her dessert time.

As I walked down the hall, I happened to glance toward the vending machines in the corridor. There, I spotted Shiina-san standing a little away from the machines, looking somewhat troubled.

“Shiina-san?”

“Huh!? Oh, Kawai-kun.”

Shiina-san hadn’t noticed me coming and was visibly startled when I called out to her.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re having trouble.”

“Um… I want to buy a drink from the vending machine, but…”

I followed her gaze and quickly understood the issue—about ten boys were gathered around the vending machine, and among them was Hagiwara.

(Ah, I see…)

Approaching that crowd would be intimidating for anyone. But since I knew Hagiwara, it wasn’t a big deal for me.

“Shiina-san, I’ll get the drink for you. What would you like?”

“Are you sure…? I don’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. That many people hanging around would make anyone hesitate.”

“…Thank you. Could you get me some barley tea?”

She handed me 150 yen from her wallet, placing it in my hand with a small smile.

“Sure, leave it to me.”

I took the money and made my way toward the vending machine. Thankfully, since I’d recently gotten to know Kousaka, he helped clear the way, allowing me to purchase the tea without any issue.

“Here you go, Shiina-san.”

“Thank you, Kawai-kun.”

Shiina-san accepted the barley tea with a small, appreciative smile.

“Well, I should get going now—”

“Wait, Kawai-kun!”

As I turned to leave, she called out, stopping me in my tracks.

“Here, as a thank-you.”

She handed me a small chocolate bar.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome!”

I waved goodbye to Shiina-san and returned to my classroom, finding Saaya collapsed on her desk, having just finished her custard cream puff.

(She hasn’t done this in a while…)

“Saaya?”

“Ah, welcome back, Hinata… Yuina and Asahi went somewhere…”

“Somewhere… Oh, how was the cream puff?”

Since Saaya had been eagerly looking forward to the dessert all morning, I figured it must have been a delicious treat.

“It was really good. By the way, would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I’m making braised pork belly.”

“Braised pork belly… That sounds great. If it’s alright with you, I’ll come over.”

“Of course! Oh, and by the way, earlier, I saw you talking to Shiina-san. I happened to pass by while going to the restroom and noticed you two were chatting. What were you talking about?”

I was surprised. Saaya had been in the classroom, so how did she notice me talking to Shiina-san? Well, it wasn’t like we were discussing anything secret.

“She couldn’t get a drink from the vending machine because Hagiwara and his group were in the way, so I just bought it for her.”

“Hagiwara, huh… Maybe my scolding wasn’t enough for him last time?”

Saaya’s expression suggested she was ready to give Hagiwara another stern talking-to, so I quickly added more context to the story.

“No, no, Hagiwara didn’t do anything. He was just there. Nothing happened to Shiina-san.”

“Nothing happened… Alright, if you say so.”

It wasn’t clear if she fully believed me, but I hoped that would calm things down. Hagiwara, my apologies in advance—watch your back for a while.

—

After parting ways with Kawai-kun, I sat down on a bench in the courtyard, taking a quiet moment to enjoy the breeze.

“He’s so kind…”

I had only wanted to get closer to him, but every time we talked, I found myself getting more and more nervous.

Sipping my barley tea, I closed the lid and noticed Ohara-san passing by in the courtyard. Our eyes met, so I smiled and waved.

“Ohara-san!”

“Hm? Shiina-san, what are you doing here?”

Although we didn’t speak much, I knew her well enough as a classmate.

“I was just enjoying a bit of fresh air. Would you like to sit with me?”

Patting the empty spot beside me, I invited her to join, and she nodded quietly, sitting down next to me.