I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 26

We kept walking like that, arms linked, even as some people on the street silently wished for an explosion to happen to us.

“Wow, there are a lot of people lined up.”

“It seems like it.”

Ahead of us was a long line of people. Most of them looked pretty young. For there to be a line like this on a weekday, whatever they were waiting for must be really popular.

“Maybe… a crepe shop?”

Following her gaze, I saw a small crepe shop at the end of the line. The sweet smell drifted through the air, and I noticed people walking by with crepes in their hands.

I’m not actually really a fan of sweets; I usually avoid them. But since I hadn’t eaten anything yet this morning, the smell of whipped cream and strawberries as we passed by made my brain feel almost fried.

“They’re really popular. We have some time, so why don’t we try lining up for a bit?”

“…Sure, why not.”

Her suggestion came at just the right time. I thought to myself that she’s surprisingly a bit of a trend follower, and we joined the end of the line. We were about fifty meters from the shop, so it was definitely a long line. But we’d still make it to our main destination for the day, so it was fine.

“It’s such a long line.”

“It’s probably even longer on weekends.”

We passed the time chatting as the line slowly moved. Since the line stopped whenever someone was ordering, it crawled forward at a snail’s pace. I noticed on the sign that the crepes are made fresh after ordering, which probably slowed things down even more.

But this slow pace made the wait actually feel exciting, building up anticipation for when we finally got our crepes.

“Wow, this line is long…”

“Ah, ~~~…”

Though honestly, with her arm wrapped around mine the whole time, I was more focused on that than the line or my excitement.

“Welcome!”

After what felt like ten or maybe twenty minutes, we finally reached just a few steps from the shop. A young woman in an apron greeted us.

“Here’s the menu. We’ll take your order once it’s your turn!”

“Thank you.”

Following her instructions, we studied the menu together. Featured items and seasonal specials were boldly displayed, while the regular crepes looked a bit overshadowed. There were also drinks and snacks listed.

“What will you get, Itsumi-san?”

“I… I was thinking of something simple, like strawberry… but there’s banana, chocolate, and so many choices.”

Even if I’m not great with sweets, I could still eat a crepe. But I wanted to try something a little different. I couldn’t waste the money I had, so I needed to decide carefully.

“Then, why don’t we share and try each other’s?”

“T-try each other?”

I was surprised and glanced at her arm still wrapped around mine.

“Yes! I’ll get strawberry and whipped cream, so you can get bananas and chocolate. That way, we can enjoy both.”

Yeah, it was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. But at the same time, it was embarrassingly forward.

If I were an ordinary guy, the way I reacted here could seriously affect our relationship in the future.

I mean, how aware should someone be of indirect contact? It sounds dramatic, but I think that’s the key to friendship between a guy and a girl.

“…Alright, yeah. Let’s do that.”

In the end, I agreed to her idea. I had gone back and forth in my head for a bit, but the deciding factor was really her feelings.

“We get to enjoy both! Two birds with one stone!”

She was practically sparkling with pure excitement. Nothing shady or suggestive at all, and just pure.

It’s strange. She’s usually all blush and flirtiness, but for some reason, that side never seems to show up in moments like this. Oh well, if she isn’t thinking about it, then I don’t need to overthink it either.

“Are you ready to order?”

Looking at the menu again, the line suddenly didn’t feel so long.

“Yeah, um… This domestically produced strawberry whipped cream and Jersey milk—”

Prompted by the cashier, I ended up saying the fancy, long product name without messing it up.

Basically, it was just strawberry whipped cream for her and chocolate banana whipped cream for me.

“—That’s it, please.”

I am quietly proud I didn’t stumble over the words. I still thought calling a product exactly by its ingredients sounded a bit over the top.

“Yes! Strawberry whipped cream and chocolate banana whipped cream!”

“…Ah, yes, that’s right.”

Why didn’t they just write it like that in the first place? I grumbled in my head, obviously not saying it out loud.

I thought the order was done and was about to step aside from the line when—

“Would you like to use the couple discount?”

“…“The Couple discount…?””

We both echoed the cashier’s shocking suggestion in disbelief.

Maybe she misunderstood our ‘sharing crepes’ plan as ‘a couple lovingly sharing food.’ Or maybe she just assumed that two young people standing together must be a couple. I have no idea which.

“Yes! We can apply a discount for couples.”

“…Ah, no, it’s fine— “—Yes, please.””

Before I could finish, a sudden pressure wrapped around my right arm. And then I heard her unexpected reply.

“W-Wait, Tatsuki-san…!?”

“Ah, if it saves money, it can’t be helped…”

I quickly turned to her. She was hiding her face, curling in on herself, but her cheeks were bright red, clearly showing she was just embarrassed.

“I mean… but…”

I couldn’t help sneaking glances between Tatsuki and the cashier. We weren’t desperate enough to lie for a discount… though, saving money was nice, of course.

“If you use it, all items are half off…”

Half off…? Well, that’s not too bad…

Wait, half off!?

“Y-Yes! We’ll take a couple discounts.”

“!?!?”

I pulled Tatsuki closer as I told the cashier.

Yeah, no way I could resist half price.

“…Understood! Please wait a moment.”

The cashier said with a cheerful smile as she left for the back. But I couldn’t help imagining what she and everyone around us were thinking.

“Just date already.”

…Ouch, that hurt to hear.

—

“I’m sorry for pulling you in like that earlier.”

“…Really. You have no idea how surprised I was…”

We moved to a quieter spot. Tatsuki finally let go of my arm and picked up her crepe.

After apologizing for the earlier incident, she gave me a sharp, almost accusing look.

“Yeah… that really wasn’t necessary.”

“Exactly. I was shocked about getting half off, but still.”

I knew I should reflect on my actions. Picking the wrong time or place could’ve caused a serious problem.

“I’m really sorry…”

“…Then,”

!?

“Mmm… I forgive you.”

Before I could react, she leaned in and took a bite of my crepe.

She licked the whipped cream off her lips, trying to act casual as she said it while hiding her embarrassment.

I wanted to say, “We were going to share it anyway, is that enough?” but I couldn’t get the words out. It all happened too suddenly.

…Well, what was I supposed to do?

I’m just the type to get flustered in moments like this.

I wonder if she realized she was biting right into the piece I was already eating. I couldn’t even focus enough to notice the telepathy streaming from her.