I Was The One Who Saved You That Day - Chapter 53
Volume 2 Chapter 53: Fate of the Glass
Perhaps if I kept rambling like this, before I knew it, it would be past 10 in the evening, and someone would say, “Let’s work hard on studying again tomorrow.” But, as expected from a top performer, the conversation settled, and the two of them placed textbooks and notes on the table, transitioning into study mode.
“Arima and Hinano, the formulas you use here are different.”
About ten minutes into studying, Arima and Kurokawa, who were stumbling in the exact same spot, were pointed out by Atami with an exasperated expression.
Currently, everyone is studying mathematics together, and Atami, being proficient in the subject, smoothly solves problems.
“Haha~ We stumble at the same places, don’t we?”
“When it matches this much, it seems challenging to find where it doesn’t.”
I also answered with a smile, lured by Kurokawa’s cheerful words.
And so, as always, Atami, feeling left out in this situation, became somewhat sulky. However, it’s something you wouldn’t notice unless you paid close attention, so she’s probably making an effort not to show much emotion. A sigh occasionally escapes her.
“Alright, alright, instead of flirting, let’s focus on studying.”
With an expression half-teasing and half-amused, Atami clapped her hands twice before saying that.
“I-It’s not flirting! Jeez, don’t tease me like that, Atami-chan~”
Kurokawa, perhaps not used to being teased like this, blushed deeply before protesting. Atami lightly patted her shoulder and fixed her gaze on her.
The movements of her eyes and body seemed like she was desperately trying to avoid eye contact with me.
“Oh, um, yeah. That’s right.”
Even for Atami, Kurokawa’s reaction seemed unexpected, and she looked surprised by her friend’s unusual behavior.
Despite having no interest in romance, being teased like this seems embarrassing. Maybe she hasn’t had close relationships with boys until now. I’m used to this kind of teasing to some extent because of Yufu.
After having regained composure in just a dozen seconds, Kurokawa, after briefly glancing at me, said, “Well, let’s study hard!” while keeping her eyes on the textbook. Then she started writing diligently in her notebook with a pen in hand.
After seeing Kurokawa’s reaction, I turned my gaze to Atami.
“Shall we?”
“…Yeah.”
After exchanging such brief words, Atami and I also turned our attention to textbooks and problem sets.
My emotions seem to be moving in various directions, and I already feel mentally exhausted. If I were to suggest stopping studying here and doing something else, I wonder how they would react.
Until 10 o’clock at night, we diligently went through our exam studies.
In terms of concentration, it was somewhere between a family restaurant and a library. We exchanged occasional conversations, but topics other than studying didn’t come up at all.
It felt like everyone was waiting for someone to bring up a topic other than studying, but in the end, everyone remained focused.
“Mmm, surprisingly, we could concentrate, right?”
She was stretching herself and passionately appealing with a bomb held against her chest (from my perspective, or rather, from a male perspective). Kurokawa relaxedly leaned back on the sofa.
I seem to unconsciously idealize Kurokawa in some way, as I felt the value of the parts she touched increasing.
“I used to wonder if telling my mom that I’m ‘studying with friends’ would really help me concentrate, but wouldn’t she doubt it? I want her to see this scene! We worked really hard!”
Kurokawa sought agreement as she was confidently expressing this from Atami with a “hey,” and then took a sip of apple juice poured into a glass.
“But what if Arima is around? You didn’t say anything about having boys, right?”
“It’s okay because we’re staying at Atami-chan’s house! Probably!”
Kurokawa was pulling her thumb up and once again took a sip of apple juice. Maybe she was thirsty.
As I was inspired by Kurokawa’s generous drinking, my throat also started to feel dry. So, I reached for the cup nearby—huh?
“Um, it’s a bit difficult to say, but isn’t that one mine?”
On the table, there are three cups: one with orange juice and two with apple juice. Obviously, the orange juice is Atami’s, but currently, there is no cup near me, and there is only one cup remaining near Kurokawa. The cup she’s holding is another one.
Kurokawa, frozen with the cup in hand, and Atami, looking bewildered as she alternates her gaze between the two cups, both seem to be puzzled.
“A-Awawawawa!? S-Sorry, Arima-kun! I’m sorry! W-What should I do—should we exchange it, or should I disinfect it!?”
After understanding the situation, Kurokawa, whose face turned bright red with a thud, was speaking as if she were the one with the problem rather than me. Perhaps what needs disinfecting is not Kurokawa’s mouth that touched my cup but my own mental state. Should I bring some mondamin from the bathroom?
“No, I should be the one apologizing—or rather, what is Atami doing?”
For some reason, Atami had smoothly slid her cup of orange juice towards me.
“Oh, um, since you didn’t have anything to drink, I just thought of giving you mine! I’m not thirsty anymore, and my stomach is already full! Come on, your throat is dry, isn’t it?”
There’s still plenty in the fridge, so it’s not really a problem.
It seems that Atami was concerned about my thirsty throat, but rather than that, she should worry about things like indirect kisses… It feels awkward to say it, but it seems like I’m the only one conscious of Atami.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks.”
So, I decided to accept her kindness as it is.
I avoided looking at them and drank the orange juice Atami gave me, afraid of how the gazes of the two girls might change.