I Was Reincarnated Into a Romantic Comedy World, so I Tried My Best to Make My Favorite Heroine Win, but for Some Reason, All the Flags Point To Me Instead! - Chapter 23 - At the Coffee Shop

Chapter 23 – At the Coffee Shop

The two of us entered the cafe.

The cafe, with its large glass windows overlooking the city, was crowded with couples.

This is bad. Standing here just the two of us, it makes us look like a couple.

If someone were to see us here——

“Let’s sit here.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Breathing with a cold sweat, I sat down with Momozono-san at a table by the window with a good view.

We ordered parfaits together, and looked at the online shopping site on my smartphone.

“Look at this site. All the dresses are 1500 yen each. It might be a good idea to get different colors for the girls’ costumes here, too.”

“You’re right. They’re probably a bit thin, but maybe we could add some panniers or frills.”

“How about this witch costume?”

Momozono-san showed me a sexy witch costume with a deep slit at the leg and a low neckline.

H-huuuhhh??!!! Momozono-san is going to wear that!? No, it’s good…it’s really good…!! But I wouldn’t know where to look… And it’s a play for children, remember?!

“Isn’t this a little too sexy?”

When I pointed it out, Momozono-san’s face went red.

“O-of course, I’ll make it more modest when I wear it! I could layer it with a blouse that has lace…”

“Oh, I see. In that case…”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Well, I would have liked to see a sexy Momozono-san, too.

“Here is your peach parfait and banana cake. Please enjoy.”

Then the items we ordered were brought out, so we decided to put an end to our browsing of online shopping sites and enjoy the dessert.

“Ah~ it’s so delicious.”

Momozono-san took a bite of the peach parfait and smiled, clutching her cheek.

Too. Cute.

It’s unfair that even a gesture like this can be cute.

I gulped down my water to hide my flushed face.

“Plus, the view is nice. This is my first time here and it’s nice.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

I stared out the window.

The cafe had large windows that overlooked the entire streetscape of the town we live in.

The cityscape stretched on, with a surprising amount of detail for something inside a manga.

Come to think of it, I wasn’t born and raised in this town, and my only knowledge of it is fragmentary from manga, but for some reason I have a perfect grasp of the town’s geography.

On the contrary, I even have a vague memory of going to elementary and junior high school here. What on earth is this all about?

As I was staring blankly outside, Momozono-san suddenly asked me.

“…Takeda-kun, did you not want to go out with me?”

“Huh?”

Oh, maybe she misunderstood because I had been quiet and looking outside the whole time?

“No, that’s not true! I’m so happy I could come shopping with you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really!”

But despite my desperate denial, Momozono-san looked down with a slightly sad look on her face.

“But you seemed a little reluctant when I first asked you out…”

Huh, no, that’s not true. Why would Momozono-san think I didn’t want to go out with her——

Ah, was it because I tried to invite someone else when Momozono-san invited me to go shopping for costumes?

I hurriedly made an excuse.

“W-well if we’re alone, weird rumors might start spreading. I thought that would bother you, Momozono-san.”

“Is that so? I don’t mind that at all, though.”

Momozono-san looked a little sulky.

No, it would be troubling if Takanashi got the wrong idea.

After all, Momozono-san is the girl who is born to be the heroine of Momogaku, she’s born to be with Takanashi.

“Anyway, it’s not like I don’t like being here with you. In fact, I’m actually really happy.”

“…I see.”

Momozono-san smiled happily.

Thank goodness.

It seems she’s convinced now.

And so, somehow, Momozono-san and I finished our shopping, just the two of us.

◇　◇　◇

“Oh, I want to go to the ball, too.”

Yuu-chan, dressed in a Cinderella costume, looked up to the sky.

Momozono-san appeared in a witch’s costume, accompanied by a “shalalalala” sound effect.

“I will grant you that wish.”

Damn, she’s too cute. A witch as cute as this is, it’s unfair!

Suppressing my emotions, I called the cut with an extremely calm tone.

“Cut! That’s all for today.”

“Whew, good job.”

“That last bit was good.”

As I was calling out to everyone, Mikan came over.

“Hey, hey, don’t you think Yuu-chan’s acting has improved a lot?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely different from before.”

It’s true, before her voice was so quiet we couldn’t even hear her, and her acting was monotone.

But recently, she’s been able to speak a lot louder, and although her acting is still a bit monotone, it’s gotten a lot better.

This should be fine to show in front of people.

“She worked hard for you. Praise her.”

“O-oh, yeah…”

I don’t think she did it for me specifically or anything…

“Well, I’m surprised Yuu-chan has improved, but what surprised me the most is that.”

“Yeah, that.”

Mikan and I both looked behind at the same time.

In the corner of the clubroom, Yamada, dressed in a red dress, was just finishing up her lines with Yuu-chan.

“Hah! There’s no way someone as clumsy and slow as you could go to the ball! Just stay put and clean the toilets like the loser you are! Ohohohoho!”

Mikan and I looked at each other as Yamada laughed out loud.

No way! The wicked stepmother role suits Yamada too well!

I never would have thought Yamada had such talent for acting…

And so, rehearsals for the play reached the climax, and finally, it was time for the performance.