The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 5: Invited Amidst Troubles

Chapter 5: Invited Amidst Troubles

“…What on earth is she aiming for?”

With a heavy heart, I finished the morning classes and stepped into the lunch break.

As I walked down the corridor leading to the cafeteria, I found myself revisiting the morning’s incident.

“Hey, Souta… Go out with me.”

After Mizushima dropped that bombshell, the bell for the morning homeroom rang, and that was where the conversation ended.

As she left, she mentioned “we’ll talk more about this later”… Honestly, I had no clue what she was thinking.

Was her real target not Ena-chan, but me? After taking Ena-chan away from me, now she wants to date me?

“No good, my head is starting to spin… Argh.”

Frowning, I reached the cafeteria, and in the line of waiting students, I spotted a familiar face.

“Ena-chan…”

She was chatting and laughing with two girls who seemed to be her friends.

She covered her mouth giggling, and at her friend’s joke, she made a troubled face as if saying, “Oh, come on,” looking like she was having a great time.

Ah… Ena-chan is really cute, isn’t she? Can you believe it? Just the day before yesterday, she was my girlfriend.

“…Ah.”

As I stared, our eyes met unexpectedly. She looked surprised for a moment but quickly turned her face away from me. It seems she doesn’t want to even look at me anymore.

“Ah… girls are scary, huh…”

Where did that Ena-chan, who would greet me with a smile and a “Good morning, Souta-kun” at school, go? Maybe, it was all just my imagination from the start.

“Just kidding, haha, ha… haah~.”

Feeling almost like crying, I dragged myself to a different line from where Ena-chan and her friends were. 

Sadly, no matter how down you feel, hunger doesn’t care, especially for a growing high school boy.

“Alright, next!”

Finally, it was my turn, and the cafeteria lady hurried me to order.

“Um, one special croquette bread and one chocolate coronet, please.”

“Ah, sorry! Both just sold out!”

“Eh, oh… okay.”

“We still have some coppe bread left though! What do you think?”

She seemed in a hurry to move on to the next customer. Pressured by her urging, I ended up saying, “Ah, then, coppe bread, please.”

“Of all days to sell out… What a cursed day.”

It was a day that really wore me down.

Holding the coppe bread I didn’t even want, I left the cafeteria. 

As I wandered around the school looking for a quiet place to spend the lunch break…

“Eii!”

“Whoa!”

Something hit my back unexpectedly, and I turned around reflexively. This familiar husky voice…

“Ya, Souta. It’s been a while.”

Sure enough, when I turned around, it was Mizushima. 

She was holding a small plastic bag, which she apparently had thrown at my back just now.

“…What do you want now?”

“I wanted to continue our conversation from earlier.”

Saying that, Mizushima lifted the plastic bag she was holding. It looked like it contained bread and drinks she had bought from the cafeteria.

“Do you want to have lunch together?”

“Ha? Why would I have lunch with you…”

“Come on, it’s a rare offer, right? Me inviting someone to lunch.”

Indeed, it was an invitation from Shizuno Mizushima, a popular model and a charismatic high school girl. 

Normally, any boy, or even girl, would be thrilled to accept. In fact, most would probably ask if they could join her.

But now, this girl was nothing but my rival who took my girlfriend away. The last thing I want is to have a friendly lunch with her.

“No, thanks. Besides, what about Ena… Satomori-san? Shouldn’t you be spending time with your ‘lover’ instead of me?”

Mizushima just gave a wry smile to my biting words.

“Come on, don’t be like that. Let’s have lunch together, okay?”

“…”

“Look, I even bought your favorite, special croquette bread and chocolate cornet. You like these, right?”

“Mm…”

Mizushima showed me the contents of the plastic bag, which indeed had bread for two.

“…Why do you know my favorites?”

“I heard it from Ena-chan before.”

Ena… She talked about that with Mizushima? I wonder if she complained about my taste in food being childish…

“Huh? Souta, why do you look like you’re about to cry?”

“I-I’m not about to cry at all!”

“Hmm. Well, whatever. Let’s just have lunch together. And just a bread roll won’t fill you up, right?”

As Mizushima pushed the special croquette bread right under my nose, my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl. 

Darn it, my appetite should have read the room and kept quiet at a time like this!

“Fufufu, you might say no, but your body tells the truth, Souta?”

“Stop saying weird stuff!”

I took the croquette bread she was pushing towards me.

“I’m leaving as soon as I finish eating.”

“Deal. Yes!”

When I reluctantly agreed to sit with her, Mizushima looked really happy and quietly fist-pumped.

I really can’t figure out what she’s thinking.