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~ - 58-59

Chapter 58: My Role

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“So I don’t look strange. Thank goodness……”

With one hand pressed to her chest, Runa-chan let out a relieved breath. Phew, I managed to calm her down somehow. I felt relieved as well, just like Runa-chan, but then…

“Um, I’m sorry for making you push yourself.”

She bowed her head politely. What escaped my mouth as my eyes widened was a dumbfounded, “Huh?”

My thoughts couldn’t keep up with this unexpected turn.

“Today, Onii-san, you looked like you were suffering the whole time, so……”

…Damn it. I messed up. I didn’t want to come to the pool in the first place. I had been careful—or so I thought—not to let that feeling show. But it seemed Runa-chan had seen right through me. What a blunder on my part.

“Being here with someone like me is boring, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not like that. Being with you is fun, Runa-chan. You’re easy to talk to, and being together with you feels comfortable.”

“H-hau……”

Runa-chan let out a high-pitched sound and pressed her open hands against her cheeks. The skin visible through the gaps between her fingers was flushed bright red. What suddenly came over her? That said, the conversation was only halfway over. Leaving the mystery unresolved, I continued with the rest.

“It’s just that I’m not used to places like this, where there are so many people. It’s embarrassing to admit it, but I’m a little nervous. How about you, Runa-chan? Are you totally fine?”

“No, I’m the same. I keep noticing everyone’s stares, and I haven’t been able to relax at all.”

Yeah, yeah, I get it! I totally get it! Runa-chan really was just like me!

“But when I thought about being able to go to the pool alone with you, Onii-san—ah, no, that’s not what I meant!!”

“Y-yeah……”

I responded awkwardly as Runa-chan waved both hands frantically in front of her face. Between that and everything else, Runa-chan was acting a bit different than usual today. She must be incredibly nervous for her to be like this.

“Well, um… I was really looking forward to today. I’m bad with places like this, but it’s my first time coming somewhere like this with someone outside my family.”

“……If that’s the case… Alright.”

With a smile, I took Runa-chan’s hand and started walking. What lay ahead was the lazy river.

“Ah—um! Onii-san?!”

Runa-chan was completely startled when I suddenly grabbed her hand. She looked around in a panic, totally flustered.

“We already came all this way. Just standing around here is boring, so let’s get in the pool.”

Runa-chan, like me, wasn’t fond of pools. Even so, she had been looking forward to coming here. Then I wanted to live up to her expectations. I wanted to make today something she could say was “fun,” not “boring.” That was probably what I had to do. That was my role here, so I gave it my all to ensure she could have the best experience. 

Dragging her by the hand toward a pool I didn’t even want to enter was something I had to do.  The lazy river was extremely popular, packed with people. Compared to the poolside, the density of people shot way up. And every single one of them looked like the type who’d shout things like “Whee!”—nothing but extroverts. I hesitated for just a moment, but I couldn’t back down now.

I already decided I’m going to do this! What is there to be scared of?! Let’s go!

Steeling myself, I stepped into the water while still holding Runa-chan’s hand. But almost immediately…

“Kyaah!”

With a cute scream, Runa-chan clung tightly to me. Her large chest, completely mismatched with her innocent-looking face, pressed firmly against my body.

W-w-w-wait!?

With something like this happening, there was no way I could stay calm. Even if she was a middle school girl, the two soft, squishy sensations threw my mind into utter chaos. I had completely fallen into a state of panic.

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Chapter 59: A Familiar-Looking Group

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“Dyu—! D-d-d-did something happen?!”

“I-I’m sorry! The crowd suddenly got really dense, so I just… Ugh…!”

Clinging tightly to me, Runa-chan squeezed her eyes shut. Her shoulders trembled violently, and she looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

This is where I need to get a grip. This isn’t the time to panic!

There was no one else I could rely on. Which meant I had to do it myself. Seeing how frightened Runa-chan was actually helped me regain my composure.

“I-I’m sorry! I’ll let go right away!”

“You don’t have to force yourself. You can stay like this as long as you want.”

I was worried about the eyes around us, and honestly, I’d prefer not to be clung to forever. But for now, this was fine. First and foremost, I needed to calm Runa-chan down. That was the highest priority.

“Just like I thought, Onii-san really is a kind person after all…!”

Runa-chan’s expression, which had been so frightened moments ago, suddenly brightened. As she looked straight at me, her eyes sparkled with light.

I’m not that great of a person! Don’t look at me like that!

I was glad I’d accomplished my top priority, but my ingrained self-deprecation made me feel unbearably awkward. I honestly envied people who could just accept praise like this.

Some time passed after we entered the lazy river. The trembling in Runa-chan’s body had completely stopped. Her expression had stayed bright ever since. Perhaps because of that, Runa-chan had stopped clinging to me. That said, we were still holding hands.

Holding hands with a girl for this long was pretty embarrassing. To be honest, part of me wanted to let go. But this was probably necessary. Runa-chan must still have some lingering fear. The way she’d panicked earlier was far from normal. She might look cheerful now, but completely erasing that level of fear couldn’t be easy.

The fact that she was still holding my hand like this was proof enough. That was why I didn’t let go of her small hand. Reassuring Runa-chan was far more important than my swelling embarrassment.

“Shall we get something to eat soon?”

It was already past noon. It was the perfect time for lunch, so we got out of the pool and onto the poolside. Still holding hands, we headed toward the concession stand.

“Hm? Those guys over there…”

A group of young people standing a short distance away. I recognized a few of them. Class 1–3 classmates—more specifically, members of the top-tier social group that Hina belonged to. They’d probably come to the pool together as a close-knit group.

Which meant… Could Hina be here too? I focused my gaze on the group. But I didn’t see her anywhere.

…That was close. If someone saw me holding hands with a middle school girl, I might get mistaken for a lolicon. After finally repairing our relationship, I really didn’t want things to take a turn where she put distance between us again.

“I’m glad she’s not here.”

“And who exactly are you talking about?”

A voice I recognized and the one I least wanted to hear right now. It came from directly behind me.

No way…!

Turning around with a chill running down my spine, I saw her. Standing there was the childhood friend I absolutely wanted to avoid running into at this moment…

Hina.

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