Chapter 22

“It’s already five. I’m hungry; let’s head back.”  

“Then let’s hit the McDonald’s we passed earlier.”  

“Isn’t it about time for dinner? Aren’t you eating at home?”  

“Mom doesn’t come back on Friday nights. I always make my own dinner.”  

Apparently, her earlier mention of cooking wasn’t just her showing off—it was true. While that worked for Yuki, I wasn’t exactly flush with cash. These days, even burgers aren’t cheap.  

“Nah, I’m just gonna head home. I don’t have much money anyway.”  

“It’s fine; I’ll treat you.”  

“For real?”   [TL: gigolo]

Once again, food lured me in.  

By the time we left the park, the sun had started setting. We returned to the main street and entered the fast-food restaurant just as its lights came on.  

We stood in line at the counter, waiting to order. Just looking at the menu made my stomach growl. It had been a while since I’d eaten out. I hesitantly asked Yuki for confirmation.  

“Uh, you really sure about this?”  

“Yeah, order whatever you want.”  

“For real?”  

Maybe because my reaction was funny,Yuki laughed and showed me her phone screen. It was some kind of e-money app, showing a balance in the high five figures.  

“See? I’m rich, right?”  

“What even is that? That’s a ton of money. It’s got a sketchy vibe.”  

“It’s my allowance in exchange for the no-SNS rule. Mom says if I have money, I won’t do anything bad.”  

“No, you definitely could. And didn’t you already?”  

“I can use it however I want, but she knows exactly where and how I spend it.”  

“Wow, that’s… advanced.”  

“Mom’s smart. She earns a ton. She even rents a place in Tokyo and manages some kind of store or something.”  

Apparently, it was the type of place where wealthy men drink with women. I didn’t ask for further details.  

At the counter, I ordered a ridiculously huge burger, along with a side menu item. After Yuki paid, we moved to a table.  

The restaurant still had plenty of open seats, but the atmosphere suggested it would get busy soon. We sat across from each other at a two-person table. I bit into my burger as I watched Yuki nibble on fries.  

“Hey, if your parents see you used money on this, won’t they be like, ‘How much are you eating?’”  

“It’s fine, just this much. I’ll just be honest.”  

“What do you mean by ‘be honest’?”  

“I’ll just tell them I treated a junior boy who’s head over heels for me.”  

“What kind of situation is that?”  

She was going to spin some nonsense and create all sorts of weird misunderstandings. But the fact was, here I was, broke and being treated to food by a girl.  

“You must be so happy to eat so much~.”  

And there it was, her condescending tone. I just muttered, “…Thanks for the meal,” but now I was feeling pretty pathetic.  

As I avoided Yuki’s smug expression, my eyes fell on a “Help Wanted” poster on the wall.  

“Maybe I should do part-time again. Working here wouldn’t be bad.”  

“Huh? You don’t have to get a job.”  

“Why not?”  

“Because then you won’t have time to hang out.”  

“C’mon now.”  

It’s not like I signed up to be her playmate.  

“Either way, I’m broke.”  

“I’ll cover everything for you.”  

“That’s just being a gigolo.”  

Yuki burst out laughing, clearly amused. Even as a joke, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that kind of conversation.  

Then, a voice came from beside our table.  

“Huh? what are you doing here?”  

I looked up to see two girls standing in the aisle with trays in their hands. They were wearing our school uniforms. Their eyes weren’t on me but on Yuki.  

“…What?”  

Yuki glared at them with a low voice. She had been so cheerful just moments ago, but now her demeanor shifted instantly.  

The girl who had spoken suddenly widened her eyes as if realizing something and quickly forced a smile. “Ah, s-sorry to bother you~,” she stammered, hurrying past us.  

Now it was my turn to ask.  

“What was that about?”  

“No idea. Probably mistook me for Miki, like a certain someone did.”  

Apparently, “a certain someone” referred to me.  

Ah, so they were Miki’s acquaintances. That made sense. Yuki, however, didn’t look amused as she aggressively sipped her drink through the straw.  

“I get mistaken for her a lot, and it’s seriously annoying.”  

“Still, there’s no need to glare like that.”  

“Come on, if that was really Miki, they’d totally start teasing her, wouldn’t they?”  

Their hair was dyed, and they did have a bit of a flashy vibe.  

I guess being a “princess” comes with its share of unwanted attention. Even if someone became her boyfriend, it’d probably be a hassle to deal with all that.  

“So, Miki’s got quite the reputation, huh?”  

“She doesn’t actually have that many friends. At school, she acts like she’s super popular, but on her days off, she hardly ever leaves the house.”  

“Huh, really?”  

“Yeah. She spends all her time blowing money on weird mobile games or reading weird manga. She’s pretty much an otaku, you know?”  

Miki’s image kept shattering piece by piece.  

Maybe she’s got her own struggles to deal with.  

Yuki seemed to feel uncomfortable with the attention inside the restaurant and didn’t linger for long. The moment I finished eating, she nudged me to leave.  

After I grabbed my bike and wheeled it over, she quickly took the lead again, stepping in front like she was in charge.  

“Alright then. Let’s go.”  

“Go where? The station’s that way.”  

“Huh? Isn’t Knight-kun’s home this way?”  

“…what do you mean?”