I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 71

Chapter 71   New Normal 2

With our trays in hand, we stood in line for about five minutes. The cafeteria had a sort of buffet-style setup, where you could pick whatever dishes you wanted, or you could join a line to order set meals from individual windows. We were in the latter line.

Before this main line branched off, we had to decide where to go. The smaller lines, each leading to a different dish, were just up ahead.

“I think I’ll go for the Tianjin rice line,” Toudou said, heading for the longest one.

“Alright, I’ll come along,” I replied, deciding to stick with him. It had been since fall of sophomore year since I’d had Tianjin rice, so this was a rare treat. Since it usually had the longest line, I didn’t often bother.

The vegetable stir-fry line, on the other hand, was the shortest; you could order in under ten seconds.

“This line’s ridiculously long,” I muttered, a bit exasperated. Toudou twirled his tray around in his hands, something I’d probably manage to hit someone if I tried.

“Didn’t Shinohara tell you to get something nutritious?” he smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, but Tianjin rice has eggs—nutritious enough.”

“She meant vitamins, didn’t she? You know, if you’d followed her advice and lined up for stir-fry, you’d be done by now and have some alone time with her.”

…So that’s why he picked the longest line. I scratched my head and muttered, “It’s not like that.”

“So, why are you and Shinohara so close, anyway?” Toudou asked, just as we finally caught sight of the window for Tianjin rice.

Glancing toward our table to try and spot Shinohara, I realized that the cafeteria was even more packed than before; I couldn’t see the tables at all. Resigning myself, I turned back to Toudou.

“Do I need a reason to get along with someone?” I replied, trying to sound casual.

He just chuckled, giving me a half-smile in response.

“I can’t argue with that,” Toudou said, nodding.

“…Since I get why you asked, I’ll answer,” I continued, wanting to give him a real explanation.

Toudou is the only friend I have who’s in the same year, major, and club as me. We’ve known each other for a while, so I knew he wasn’t just teasing me with his question. If anything, I was curious myself as to why he asked.

“If I had to put it into words, it’s probably because when I first met her, I was still healing from my breakup with Reina. That made our connection pretty intense for both of us, I think.”

I recalled meeting Shinohara—it was right after she’d broken up with her ex, Motosaka, too. We had this unforgettable first encounter, and I’m sure that’s why we’ve gotten so close. I sometimes wonder why she’s so attached to me, but that first meeting must be part of it. Our connection has lasted ever since, and it feels almost surreal when I think about it now.

“Crazy how much one meeting can change things,” Toudou said.

“It happens. You ever had anything like that?” I asked.

He thought about it for a second, then shook his head.

“Nah. I just met my girlfriend in a pretty typical way.”

“Yeah, it’s not that common, I guess. First time for me, too,” I said, giving Toudou a little nudge on the shoulder with my index finger.

Toudou, glancing back at me, suddenly realized he’d left a gap in the line and hurried to catch up to the person in front of him.

“Why the sudden interest, anyway?” I asked.

Shinohara had shown up at our basketball club, Start, more than once, and Toudou had known about my friendship with her for months now. If he was bringing it up now, he must have had a reason.

“It’s just… You two seem to trust each other a lot, but at the same time, it’s like you’re keeping each other at a certain distance. It’s kind of strange,” he said.

“We’re still a guy and a girl, after all. You have to set some boundaries, or it’d get complicated.”

Everyone draws their own lines in relationships. There are boundaries we unconsciously set that we don’t want others to cross. The same goes for me and Ayaka. I couldn’t say I’d thought much about what those boundaries were, but I knew there were certain lines I wouldn’t cross.

Toudou let out a contemplative hum as we continued shuffling along in line, not quite satisfied with my answer.

“I don’t know… Even with that in mind, it still feels off. It’s not like you two are holding back from each other,” Toudou said, his confusion clear.

“Yeah, I guess so. There’s no holding back between us.”

I wasn’t sure if I’d ever tell Toudou this, but Shinohara practically lives at my place every week. There’s no way a relationship like that would have any room for hesitation or distance.

People often say, “Familiarity breeds respect,” but I think if you have the basic morals of a human being, there’s no need to worry about that. Bringing a sense of hesitation or reservation into your home would just make things uncomfortable.

“Well, maybe it’s just because I don’t know Shinohara that well,” Toudou added, finally stepping up to the counter to order his Tianjin rice.

He received the steaming bowl of Tianjin rice, its strong aroma filling the air, and stopped by my side.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to meddle in your relationships, I swear. It’s just pure curiosity, so don’t take it the wrong way,” he said.

I nodded, receiving my own Tianjin rice from the server, the rich scent of the egg yolk teasing my senses.

“I can tell that you and Ayaka are close because it feels like you two have a deep connection. But with you and Shinohara… well, it feels like you’re even closer,” Toudou said, his voice thoughtful.

When it comes to relationships, the depth isn’t determined by time. But for some reason, others sometimes get the feeling that it’s deeper than it might seem.

After hearing Toudou’s words, I simply said, “That was insightful,” and began walking toward the table where Shinohara was sitting.

◇◆

“You’re so slow!” Shinohara complained.

“You said you’d wait for me…” I replied.

“If you’d just lined up at the stir-fried vegetable counter, it would’ve been quick! Making a junior wait for fifteen minutes, seriously,” she said, crossing her arms and scolding me.

Her curry on the tray looked like it had already cooled down.

“Thanks for waiting,” I said.

“Uh, no, that’s not it. If you thank me like that, I’ll look like such a horrible woman…” Shinohara swayed her upper body, embarrassed.

Toudou, watching this, put his hands together in apology.

“Sorry, Shinohara. I was the one who suggested we eat Tianjin rice,” he said.

“Please, Toudou-san, stop. It’s not like that. I was just trying to tease him, but I messed up, and I didn’t mean to get upset at all,” Shinohara explained, looking flustered.

“Are you stupid or what?” I joked.

“Senpai, please be quiet!” Shinohara shot back.

“Why are you being so harsh on me!?” I exclaimed.

Where in this exchange was there any room for hesitation or reserve? I had no idea. But as I thought about it, it seemed like all of this was built on a foundation of trust, and despite myself, I felt a warmth in my chest.

“Anyway, I have a request from the president of the Start basketball club,” Toudou said, clearing his throat.

After saying that, he made a gesture with his hands, signaling that we should listen. We both joined in and put our hands together.

“Let’s eat,” we said in unison.

“Are you even listening to me!?” Toudou groaned.

The sweet, thickened sauce of the Tianjin rice spread across my mouth, and I savored it.

… For a meal you can get for just one coin, it’s no wonder this place is so popular.

I continued to enjoy my food, listening to Toudou’s protests. After a while, Toudou seemed to give up and started eating his Tianjin rice, too.

As I smirked, Toudou warned, “We’ll talk later.”