I Was Reincarnated as a Mob, and After I Kept Listening to the Losing Childhood-Friend Heroine’s Complaints, I Somehow Maxed Out Her Affection Rating - 25

Chapter 25: Kaede’s Conflict

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Kaede’s POV

The moment we arrived at the department store, I was already heading straight toward the roll cake shop.

“Come on, hurry up.”

“You want it that badly?”

“Got a problem with that?”

“N-No, ma’am.”

While we were saying things like that and walking, suddenly Shouma stopped.

“…Ah.”

“What?”

“No, the new volume’s out…!”

His gaze was fixed on the bookstore. A new volume of a shounen manga was stacked in a big display.

“Yes yes, I get it. Stop by on the way home.”

“Nope, impossible. I’m buying it now. I’ll be right back!”

“Hey—Shouma!? Get back here!”

He completely ignored my attempt to stop him and took off running. Well, that was just like usual for Shouma. But still… Huh? What even was that? If it were Yuuta-kun, he would absolutely put me first. My stomach twisted with a sudden wave of completely irrational anger. So sudden it scared even me.

Wait, that’s the part I’m mad about?

I sighed inwardly at myself and crossed my arms while waiting. Two minutes later…

“Look! Isn’t this cover amazing!?”

“I don’t care… Also, did you really need to run?”

“I wanted the first-print bonus band.”

“Otakus sure have weird priorities…”

After that, on our way to the roll cake shop…

“Oh, a new gacha series.”

“Huh!? Hey!!”

Stuff like that kept happening.

“A limited-time poster exhibit!? I wanna see it!”

“Haa!?”

More and more. His talent for detours was in full force. 

Normally I’d just go, “Here we go again,” and let it slide… So why am I getting annoyed today of all days?

I didn’t know what that feeling really was. But even though I could usually tolerate it, for some reason today it made me irrationally angry…

“We’re here.”

“…Phew, finally.”

We finally arrived at the sweets shop. How many detours had he made? Seriously. Inside, the soft pink and wooden tones were cute, and the seats were semi-private and relaxing. I sat down across from him and opened the menu.

“I’m getting the chocolate roll.”

“I’ll get the strawberry.”

“You never change, huh.”

“Right back at you.”

After ordering the roll cakes and once the staff left, the air at the table should have become a little sweet.

“Come to think of it, you’ve always liked chocolate, huh, Shouma.”

“Hm? Ah… yeah. Nothing beats chocolate.”

I tried starting a conversation, but he gave me a halfhearted reply while his thumb slid across his phone. His eyes were completely glued to his screen. His thumb kept moving nonstop.

“…Another location-based game?”

“No, it’s not that. Today’s the last day of the event, so… Hold on… Alright, base secured.”

“…”

Haah…This was the exact same old Shouma… Normally I’d just roll with it. But….

…Yuuta-kun would never touch his phone like this. My chest warmed, like anger simmering just under my skin. Trying not to show it, I took a deep breath and bit my straw. Shouma didn’t notice at all. Even though I was clearly making a weird face, he just smiled at his screen. That cluelessness slowly ate away at me. Right then, the cakes arrived.

“Whoa, it’s here! The chocolate roll…!”

“…Let’s eat.”

The moment I pressed my fork into it, a sweet aroma spread. Normally that would’ve lifted my mood. But somehow, the flavor felt distant.

“This place’s roll cake really is the best! Right? Kaede—”

“…Yeah.”

“Your energy’s so low!”

“Is it?”

“It is!”

Shouma laughed while eating. Same as always. The time spent with Shouma that hadn’t changed since forever. But… Something felt off. The discomfort just wouldn’t fade.

“Hey Kaede, is the strawberry one good?”

“Yeah. It’s good.”

“You definitely said that like it wasn’t good.”

“It’s your imagination.”

“No, it’s definitely not.”

He joked around with a smile. Usually, I enjoyed that kind of harmless teasing.

…But I wasn’t enjoying it. The moment I realized that, my stomach ached sharply. It wasn’t that Shouma was doing something wrong. He really was the same as always. And yet…I’d stopped enjoying this familiar “normal” with Shouma.

I finally realized it. So clearly that I couldn’t pretend anymore. I just…I just wanted this time to be over already. Something the me from the past would’ve never thought this.

When I set my fork down, quiet certainty settled in. I was comparing him to Yuuta-kun. Even though I didn’t want to. I still did. And that truth hurt the most.

“…Ahh, I’m soooo tired…!”

After parting with Shouma at the department store and getting home, the moment I walked in the door, I kicked off my shoes and dove into bed. Even the pain of the pillow slapping my face didn’t matter compared to the sense of “It’s finally over…”

“Seriously, isn’t today mentally exhausting? Can a single plate of sweets really count as reconciliation…?”

Making up just by treating me to roll cake… Well, that was just like him, and probably his limit. The problem was what came after.

“…Why was I comparing him to Yuuta-kun…?”

I was the most surprised by the words that slipped from my own mouth. There was no need to compare anything. Yuuta-kun had only listened to my complaints. He wasn’t part of some messy, romance-adjacent situation…Or at least, he wasn’t supposed to be.

“…Why can’t I stop thinking about Yuuta-kun…?”

I stared up at the ceiling. My heart thumped louder than it had all day. With each beat, my thoughts sped up.

What… What is this? Dependency? No. Definitely not. …Because—

“…What if it really isn’t different…?”

My tiny whisper sounded oddly loud in my room. I pulled the blanket over my head. I wasn’t tired anymore, not really. Instead, something in my chest kept fluttering, making it impossible to sleep. The identity of that feeling…I didn’t want to name it yet. Because the moment I did, I felt like something would change and that terrified me.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー