Insensitive Bocchi-kun ~Reluctantly Heading to School Today~ [Dropped] - Chapter 32: Zoo ①

Chapter 32: Zoo ①

I didn’t hear… 

Zoo wasn’t supposed to be part of the school trip schedule, right?

“For now, everyone, go around in groups and come back here in two hours.”

I can hear the teacher’s voice, but… 

Group activities all of a sudden?

Seriously…?　

Yes, right now I’m at Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido. 

An unexpected irregularity right from the start is really bad for my heart… 

I just arrived in Hokkaido, and my excitement level has already hit rock bottom. 

Sigh…

And as I suspected, it turned out like this after all. 

Now, there’s no one around me as I walk through the zoo. 

Completely alone. 

Yes, I’ve been completely abandoned by the people in my group…

They didn’t hesitate to abandon me… 

I can’t help but feel like even the animals in the zoo are looking at me with pity… 

I expected this to be the worst-case scenario, but actually experiencing being abandoned is still empty… 

And it’s even more empty because it’s the very first activity of the school trip.

However, it’s even more empty to purposefully search for the ones who abandoned me… 

In this situation, it’s much more meaningful for me to enjoy the zoo by myself without any worries. 

But I’m not particularly interested in animals… 

I truly have no interest…

And then, before I knew it, I found myself sitting on a bench in the food court, absentmindedly indulging in a soft-serve ice cream while holding my smartphone…

“…”

However, even if I was abandoned, if the teacher were to find someone as uncooperative as me, they would definitely try to bring me back to the group.

I just don’t want that…

I still don’t really understand it myself… I remember that Shibuya-san, who came to my part-time job before, didn’t recognize me as Kento Mamiya.

So, as a desperate attempt… I changed my glasses to contact lenses, put on the hat I had brought just in case, and tucked my bangs into it.

Fortunately, we’re allowed to wear casual clothes during the school trip, so maybe I won’t be recognized as myself even more.

Seriously, I can’t comprehend it, but I really don’t want to be recognized like before.

With such thoughts in mind, I sit on the bench with faint hope in my heart and gaze absentmindedly at the sky once again. 

It’s blue…

And I want to go home quickly…

“That guy is quite handsome, isn’t he? Maki, try talking to him.”

“No, he’s too good-looking. It’s impossible.”

“He’s really my type though.”

“Is he a model or an actor? He must be a celebrity.”

As I gaze at the sky, I can hear the excited voices of girls.

They seem to be having fun.

Or rather, handsome guys are unfair, really.

Such a stark contrast to lonely me…

Being adored by girls like that, life must be enjoyable.

Ah… I really want to go home.

By the way, this soft-serve ice cream is delicious.

Maybe it’s because we’re in Hokkaido?

Or rather, there’s seriously not a single cloud today.

It’s the perfect day for a school trip…

Sigh… I feel exhausted.

Even though my heart is clouded…

All I’ve been doing is sighing since earlier.

Wait, seriously, there’s still another hour left?

Sigh…

“M-Mamiya-kun.”

Huh?

“Uh, whoa…”

When I turned my face towards the direction of the voice I suddenly heard from up close, there was Saya Yamamoto…

“W-what are you doing?”

I was genuinely surprised.

Well… Yamamoto has come to my part-time job several times, so it wouldn’t be strange if she recognized me.

But it was so sudden that I was surprised either way.

“Mou… That’s my line, you know.”

Well, she’s right, it might be her line. 

I’ve been abandoned, so there’s nothing I can do…

“By the way… What about the others?”

“Who knows?”

“Who knows…?”

What does that mean?

“Well, Alice-chan got tired or something and started feeling unwell halfway. I was taking care of her in the infirmary until just now, and she came to me with a face on the verge of tears, saying ‘I’m fine now, so please enjoy the zoo.’ Then I found you while I was wandering alone, and here we are. I told her it’s okay, but… when Alice-chan gives you an expressionlike that, you can’t do anything but listen to her, really.”

“I see…”

I hope Alice is okay…

“So, do you not have to go back to the group?”

“Uh… yeah. I guess it’s okay.”

No, this is actually a problem.

“I don’t know why, but isn’t this actually a problem?”

“Are you really saying that, Mamiya-kun?”

“…”

No, I can’t say that.

“But, anyway, Mamiya-kun, you’re… looking cool.”

“Huh?”

Yamamoto in front of me blushes and stares at me intently. 

Unconsciously, I avert my gaze from her. 

W-what does this sudden change mean…? 

Where did that come from?

“So, um, what are you going to do until the meeting time, Mamiya-kun?”

Well, I guess I’ll just space out.

“I’ll be here…”

“Huh? You’ll… stay here the whole time?”

“Yeah… the whole time.”

“I see…”

Ah, so that’s why Yamamoto should just go back to her group for now.

And seriously… please don’t stare at me like that.

And why does she seem a little happy? Is she… trying to start a fight?

“But again, why don’t we go around the zoo together? It’s a school trip, after all…”

“Huh?”

Before I know it, she gently wraps both hands around my hand holding the phone.

“Uh…”

And she still doesn’t take her gaze away from my eyes. 

Why?

“Mamiya-kun. Please.”

The girl in front of me, with a serious expression and cheeks tinted with embarrassment, says those words. 

And she doesn’t break eye contact with me… 

Ah… it’s intense.

“Yeah…”

And unconsciously, a single word escapes from my mouth… 

My body feels… strange.