The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 49

“That water slide was so much fun!”

“I ended up going on it three times… and honestly, I could still go for more rides.”

“Well, let’s grab lunch for now. If we don’t eat now, we might lose track of time.”

“It’s past noon, so it’s the perfect time. It’s not too crowded anymore, and we can choose any seat or restaurant we want.”

After playing on the water slides to our hearts’ content, we decided to have lunch at the restaurant attached to the facility.

The two girls went back to the changing room briefly, perhaps to avoid cooling down too much, and returned wearing jackets.

The restaurant allowed dining in swimsuits, but since it was past the busy lunch hour, there were plenty of empty seats here and there.

We settled into a nearby four-person table. To keep our seats and belongings safe, we split into pairs to order food.

While waiting and chatting about summer break and the pool, the buzzer announcing our order’s completion rang before we knew it.

Each of us carried our meals to the table, and with everyone’s food lined up, we began to eat.

I had ordered seafood salt ramen.

It was a dish featuring seafood like shrimp and squid, crunchy vegetables, and a light seafood broth… or so it claimed.

Even though the pool was heated, I must have cooled down enough to crave something warm.

“Doesn’t eating lunch in swimsuits feel a little strange? Even though I put on a jacket, I still feel a bit unsettled.”

“I get what you mean, Hanaba. It’s hard to mentally connect swimsuits with having a meal.”

“Especially in a place like this, it’s not like being at home. You can feel the stares, though I expected that. Thanks to Hakuto and Shinonome-san, no one’s approached us directly.”

“I get why people might look if there are a couple of cute girls around, but it doesn’t feel great, does it?”

“The jackets are supposed to help with that, though I’m not sure how effective they are.”

Shirafuji murmured as she glanced around before letting out a small sigh.

When I followed her gaze, I noticed a few people clearly looking our way.

However, as soon as they realized I had noticed them, they quickly turned away like scattered spiders.

…I guess this face has its uses.

“Still, pools really take a lot out of you. I’m worried about how I’ll feel tomorrow morning—mainly in terms of muscle pain.”

“That’s the price of being out of shape. Why not use this as a chance to start jogging in the mornings with me?”

“…Maybe I should. I’ve been staying in a lot during summer break, and I feel like I’ve gained a bit of weight too.”

“No way! Luna, you’re super slim! Look at me; I can pinch my upper arms!”

Hanaba raised her voice, rolling up her jacket sleeve to pinch her arm.

Her arms were just as slender and pale as Shirafuji’s. Even if she could pinch them, she didn’t look the least bit overweight.

“Am I the only one who still thinks you’re really slim?”

“I agree. I guess the perception differs by gender.”

“Maybe. Girls just want to look cute, you know? Though being slim doesn’t always mean being cuter. What do you guys think about that?”

“…If someone’s too thin, I get worried.”

“I feel the same. Don’t you think being healthy is better?”

“Yeah, definitely. So, let’s eat lots! Luna, let’s trade bites!”

“I don’t mind.”

With that, Shirafuji and Hanaba exchanged bites of their lunches.

It was nice seeing them get along so well.

It was proof that Shirafuji was starting to think positively about getting closer to others.

In the past, she’d deliberately built walls to keep people away.

Before we started our fake relationship, that tendency was especially noticeable. Even after we started, she seemed to maintain some psychological distance, despite acting like a couple.

“By the way, Hakuto and Luna, you’re spending summer break in the same room, right? I can’t imagine what that’s like. What’s living together like?”

Hanaba asked, recalling our earlier conversation before the food arrived.

Shirafuji had mentioned that she was staying at my place for the summer break.

“It’s not cohabitation in the strictest sense, but… if I had to describe it, I guess the only difference is saying ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ in the same space. I’m still not used to that.”

“We already spent most of our time at your place except for sleeping. But I think there’s more to it than that, don’t you?”

“Like what?”

“Seeing each other’s sleepy faces, cleaning and cooking together, drying my hair after a bath, carrying me to bed when I fall asleep during a late-night chat… those little things make me really happy.”

The little things…

Living together under one roof meant there was barely any time apart.

In my small apartment, that was even more true.

I worried she might feel cramped without a private space, but it seemed I was wrong.

“More than anything, having you by my side when I sleep and wake up feels like such a blessing. I’m a bit of a lonely person, you see. When we slept in separate rooms, I sometimes found it hard to fall asleep, worrying that this happy reality might disappear when I woke up.”

“…Is it different now?”

“I sleep so soundly every night that it even surprises me. Though sometimes, I even resent it a little.”

For some reason, Shirafuji gave me a sharp look.

I couldn’t figure out why.

She didn’t seem angry, but it felt like she was exasperated or resigned.

“Hey, Shinonome. This is basically them bragging, right?”

“Yeah, but we asked, and they seem happy, so I guess it’s fine.”