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~ - 47-48

Chapter 47: The Long-Awaited Day Has Arrived

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Today was the final day of the first semester. After finishing the closing ceremony and heading home before noon, I had come to a family restaurant together with Amamiya-san.

“The day is finally here, Murase-kun…!”

“Yeah…!”

The two of us sat facing each other at the table, both wearing delighted smiles. Of course, part of it was because summer vacation would start tomorrow but that wasn’t the real reason. There was something much bigger. We took a breath together and said it in unison.

““The theatrical movie version of That Time I Reincarnated as the Weakest Mage!””

That was the reason behind our smiles. Tomorrow was the release date of the theatrical movie for my favorite anime—That Time I Reincarnated as the Weakest Mage. Together with Amamiya-san, who was also a fan of the series, I would be going to the movie theater tomorrow.

Just how long had I been waiting for this day? I couldn’t help but feel excited about seeing the movie already. And the same was true for Amamiya-san. Her excitement level was clearly through the roof. 

It showed not only in her voice and demeanor, but also in how much food she ordered. Unagi rice, fried chicken, hamburger steak, doria, pizza and more. The table was completely filled with the dishes Amamiya-san had ordered. She always ate a lot, but today she had gone even further than usual.

“Oh, right. About tomorrow… Do you think it’d be okay if we invited Takashiro-san too?”

“Karin-chan? Why?”

“I haven’t told you yet, but Takashiro-san actually likes That Time I Reincarnated as the Weakest Mage too. I showed her the manga at my place before, and she said it was interesting.”

“…Hmm.”

But Amamiya-san didn’t nod right away. She made a complicated expression and seemed to be thinking it over. Unlike with Hina, she was supposed to get along well with Takashiro-san. I had assumed she’d agree immediately, so what was she hesitating about?

“Well… I guess Karin-chan’s fine.”

That phrasing bothered me. She had given permission, but something about the way she said it stuck with me.

“Is there something about it that bothers you?”

“Well, you see… Hehehe.”

Looking amused, Amamiya-san leaned forward and lightly poked the tip of my nose with her finger.

“I’m not telling you~”

“…Now I’m curious.”

“Then I’ll give you a chance. Try eating everything on this table by yourself, Murase-kun. If you do that, I’ll tell you!”

“…………I’ll pass.”

Unlike Amamiya-san, whose stomach was basically a black hole, I was just an ordinary person. I knew before even trying that it was impossible. I was curious, but I had no choice but to give up gracefully.

After finishing my meal with Amamiya-san and returning home, I sat down at the desk in my room. I took out my phone and immediately tried to contact Takashiro-san. But then, a problem arose.

“…How do you invite a friend, anyway?”

Come to think of it, I had never once invited someone out myself. Whenever I met up with someone, the other person had always been the one to make the move. I had always been passive. But this time, that wouldn’t work. I had to take the initiative. And yet, I had no idea how to do it.

“Are you free tomorrow? If you are, wanna go see a movie!”

Hmm… That felt too casual. It didn’t really suit my personality either. Maybe something more polite would be better.

“Now that we are in the height of summer, I hope this message finds you well…”

…No, that was definitely not it. Starting with a seasonal greeting would only confuse her. What was I thinking? Man, this was bad. I seriously couldn’t come up with anything. Too casual was no good, but too stiff was no good either. So what was I supposed to do?

I racked my brain, but not a single good idea came to mind. The fact that people normally did this so easily honestly seemed impressive to me.

“Maybe I should just have Amamiya-san contact her for me… No, that’s not okay.”

It would probably go much more smoothly that way. But that would be way too pathetic. My pride as a guy wouldn’t allow it. And besides… I was the one who suggested inviting Takashiro-san in the first place. Since I was the one who brought it up, I had a responsibility to see it through to the end.

“…Alright. Let’s do this.”

After making up my mind, I launched TOIN and placed a call to Takashiro-san. I still hadn’t figured out what to say to invite her, but at this point I’d just have to improvise.

Just wing it! Whatever happens, happens.

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Chapter 48: My First Invitation

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“Ah—hello?!”

“O-Oh…!”

After the ringtone sounded several times, Takashiro-san finally answered the phone. Just that alone made me feel relieved, but the first thing I noticed was a sense of discomfort. Something about her voice sounded off. Compared to usual, it seemed slightly higher-pitched.

“Your voice sounds different than usual. What’s wrong? Did you maybe catch a cold or something?”

“No, it’s not like that. It’s just… Well… This is the first time you’ve ever called me, Masa. That made me so happy that my voice got weird…”

“I-I see!”

I was glad she was happy about it, but hearing it said so directly felt a little embarrassing. This time, my own voice ended up sounding strained.

“So, what’s up all of a sudden?”

“Um… Hey! You remember That Time I Reincarnated as the Weakest Mage, right?”

“Oh! The manga I read at your place, Masa? That manga was really fun to read!”

“I’m going to see the movie version of that anime tomorrow, and I was wondering if you’d like to come too, Takashiro-san?”

“Huh…? Don’t tell me this is a date? Just you and me, fufufu, all alone?!”

“No, Amamiya-san is coming too.”

“………I see. So Noa’s coming as well.”

Was it just my imagination? The excitement in Takashiro-san’s voice from just moments ago seemed to drop sharply. Was it inconvenient for her if Amamiya-san was there? Come to think of it, Amamiya-san also had a somewhat subtle reaction when I mentioned inviting Takashiro-san.

They were supposed to be close friends, so why… Ah, maybe I got it. They must be in the middle of a fight right now. If that were the case, it would explain why things felt awkward between them.

“If you want, I can listen and help. Just tell me what happened first.”

They were both important friends to me. It might be none of my business, but if they were fighting, I wanted to help them make up. However…

“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about?”

What came back was a clearly puzzled voice.

“Well… Aren’t you fighting with Amamiya-san?”

“Fighting with Noa? I’m not doing anything like that.”

“………Seriously?”

It seemed my guess was completely off. At this point, I had no idea why her voice had dropped like that. I was totally stumped.

“…So, besides Noa, is anyone else coming?”

“Nope.”

“Then if I don’t go, it’ll be just the two of you…”

Takashiro-san muttered heavily and then…

“I’m going too! I’m definitely going to see the movie tomorrow!!”

She answered with an okay in an extremely enthusiastic voice. Takashiro-san must be really looking forward to the movie! If she reacted like that, then inviting her was definitely worth it. It made me happy too.

Alright! I was nervous, but I’m glad it worked out!

Forgetting all about the drop in her voice earlier, I let myself soak in the joy.

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