I’m a Loner, Gloomy Guy Who Accidentally Witnessed the Moment the Top Girl in the Class Got Dumped. I Didn’t Know What to Say to Comfort Her, So I Just Gave Her a Cola and Somehow We Started Having Lunch Together~ - 27-28

Chapter 27: Creating a Date Plan

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Takashiro-san and I closed the manga and faced each other.

“First, let me properly report today’s investigation results.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Right now, Kenzaki is feeling insecure about his relationship with his senpai. I think this gives us a pretty good chance.”

“Yeah! That’s what I thought too!”

“In other words, the distance between the two of them is growing. So this is the moment to go on the offensive.”

“Go on the offensive… You mean, like, ambush him?”

“…No, not that kind of ‘offensive.’ I mean making a move. We need to close the distance with Kenzaki all at once.”

“What exactly are you gonna do?”

“I think it’d be best to be bold and invite him on a date.”

“Seriously!? Th-that’s way too fast, isn’t it…?”

Takashiro-san started fidgeting. She was usually bold, but when it came to Kenzaki, she suddenly seemed to become timid.

“That might be true, but Kenzaki is capable. Even if things aren’t going well with his senpai right now, there’s a chance they’ll patch things up and start dating before long. And the current situation is a chance for us, but at the same time, it’s also a chance for the other girls who have their eyes on Kenzaki. If we dawdle, there’s a real possibility they’ll beat us to it.”

“That’s true. I’m not the only girl after him.”

“Either way, we need to act quickly.”

“…Yeah. You’re right. You really are amazing, Masa! I’m glad I talked to you!”

Takashiro-san’s eyes sparkled as she laughed and slapped my shoulder repeatedly. I could only reply curtly.

“Thanks.”

Being praised didn’t feel bad, but being told that much made me a little embarrassed.

“So, with that settled, let’s come up with a date plan.”

“Now we’re talking!”

After that, Takashiro-san and I worked on the date plan together. However, things didn’t go smoothly. I had never gone out with someone of the opposite sex even once, and I had no experience with dates. Takashiro-san probably hadn’t either… No. I was 99% sure she didn’t have any experience either. Since the two of us were like that, trying to make a date plan didn’t progress easily. We worked late into the night, but the progress was mediocre. We were still a long way from finishing.

“This is pretty hard. We barely made any progress.”

“But that’s just how it is. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

Starting the next day, Takashiro-san began coming to my house every day after school. We worked on the date plan late into the night, taking breaks now and then to chat about stupid things or read manga. Those days continued for about two weeks.

“Done!”

At long last, the date plan was complete. It had taken quite a bit of time, but I thought the quality reflected that effort. It felt a little narcissistic to say it myself, but it had turned out pretty well. If we could just put this plan into action, the distance between Takashiro-san and Kenzaki would shrink considerably.

“We did it, Takashiro-san!”

“…Y-yeah.”

Unlike me, who was overjoyed, Takashiro-san didn’t look very happy. A shadow fell over her expression.

“Thinking that this might be the last time I come here makes me feel kind of lonely.”

“…Sorry. Could you say that one more time?”

She seemed to have said something, but her voice was so quiet that I couldn’t make it out. So I tried to ask again, but…

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Takashiro-san put on a gentle smile. It bothered me a little, but if she said it was nothing, then it probably wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t press her any further.

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Chapter 28: The Pain of Only Watching

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A few days after the date plan was completed. Behind the gym after school, Takashiro-san and Kenzaki were facing each other. I was watching the scene while hiding behind some cover.

Do your best, Takashiro-san!

That was the encouragement I held tight in my chest. What Takashiro-san was trying to do was invite him on a date. To put the date plan the two of us had worked out into action, this had to succeed first. Otherwise, nothing would even begin.

She said she didn’t have confidence doing it alone and wanted me to watch over her. She told me that just before the after-school homeroom began, and that was why I had followed her here. For her, who became instantly timid whenever Kenzaki was involved, what she was about to do now must have taken an incredible amount of courage.

If I could, I would’ve liked to do it in her place, but I couldn’t. This was something Takashiro-san had to do herself. She was probably scared, but I wanted her to somehow push through and do her best. Still, just standing by and watching was pretty painful. Even though I knew there was nothing else I could do, my body refused to accept it.

There has to be something I can do too.

Thinking that way made me restless. While I was fidgeting like that…

“Hmm, hmm. So Karin-chan likes Touma after all.”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. When I turned around, Amamiya-san was standing there.

“Hey there, Murase-kun.”

“…Why are you here?”

“Since around before the after-school homeroom started, I guess. I thought, ‘Murase-kun looks kind of antsy,’ you know? I got curious and followed you. Judging by the situation, are you like Karin-chan’s cheer squad for love?”

“…Correct. You figured it out fast.”

Mai was like that too, but girls really did have sharp intuition. Sometimes it was so sharp it got scary.

“But I’m glad. Lately, Karin-chan seemed pretty close with you, Murase-kun, so I was a little worried.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

If someone like me—an introverted loser—hung around her, Takashiro-san’s value would drop. Was that what she was trying to say?

『You know, if trash like you sticks close to her, it drags down Yuuki’s reputation too. …Don’t make me spell it out. You should understand that much on your own.』

What I’d been told back in middle school flashed through my mind. A sharp, stabbing pain ran through my chest. If that was what she meant, even I would feel hurt. It might be true, but Amamiya-san was someone who had called me her friend. I would be sad to be thought that way by a friend.  I really wanted her to deny it.

“I’m not telling you.”

But Amamiya-san refused to answer. The corners of her mouth, as she said it, were curled into an amused smile.

Hey, isn’t that kind of cruel?

This time, I really wanted to hear the answer. So I wanted to press her on it, but…

“See you later~”

Amamiya-san turned her back to me and skipped away. In the end, the question remained unresolved. All that was left in my chest was a vague, unsettled feeling.

Should I ask her again next time? But judging from how she was just now, it didn’t seem like she’d answer anyway…

While I was thinking that…

“K-Kenzaki!”

Takashiro-san’s voice rang out. She must have been nervous. She stumbled over her words badly, and her voice even cracked.

H-hey, hey, hey, are you okay!?

I switched gears and focused on the two of them facing each other. This was more important right now. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about what Amamiya-san’s words meant.

“So, um…About tomorrow… Are you free?”

“Yeah. I’m free all day.”

“…I, um, want to go shopping in town, so would you c-come w-with me?”

“Sure.”

Yessss!!

Even though she tripped over her words at the most important part, it was a complete success. I screamed in triumph inside my head and threw a full-power fist pump right there. Takashiro-san had to be overjoyed too! —or so I thought.

…Huh? She was only smiling stiffly. She didn’t look very happy at all. Why…? She succeeded in inviting him on a date. Normally, this was the part where you’d be way more excited. But I quickly realized the reason.

She’s nervous. That has to be it.

She was embarrassed because Kenzaki was right in front of her, so she just couldn’t show it. Deep down, she had to be just as thrilled as I was.

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