The Issue of Why I'm Frequently Mentioned in Conversations Among S-Class Beauties ~Please Stop Fabricating Things I Have No Memory Of~ (Dropped) - Chapter 16: Café with the S-Class Beauty ②

Chapter 16: Café with the S-Class Beauty ②

Yuna returned to her seat, blushing and looking nervous, just like before she left.

It seemed to be her habit to fiddle with her antennae when she’s unsettled.

On the table, coffee was served following the orange juice. It was the same as what Haruya had ordered. From the looks of it, there was no milk in it, which made Haruya worry if it was okay for her to drink. As a coffee lover, Haruya preferred coffee with milk.

(Well, I can’t just say it, can I?)

If he misunderstood, it would be rude. Especially considering Yuna’s cool and prideful appearance, it would be a “bad move” to suspect her of having childish taste, Haruya judged.

The awkward atmosphere that had been “lost” until a moment ago began to resurface again, so Haruya brought up the topic of “shoujo manga” to stop it.

“Speaking of which… what do you think is going to happen with the new volume that was bought today?”

“Well, um… I think this volume will be about the rival.”

“Oh, that guy… he’s so cool! You know, he exudes this villainous vibe and all! I really admire him.”

Haruya was truly smitten with the role of the rival of the man who would play an active role in the volume of the manga Yuna just purchased. He usually acted frivolous and superficial, but behind the scenes, he had a pure heart, which created a stark contrast with the protagonist, and that was that character’s charm.

“Um, well… I think it might be better to avoid those types of characters.”

However, it seemed that Yuna didn’t have a favorable impression of them, and she glanced at Haruya with her blue eyes nervously.

“Characters like that…well, they have their charm because they’re from the 2D world, you know?”

“I see…”

“And so… I think you should just be yourself… that’s what I think.”

Yuna noticed a slight slip in her choice of words and quickly switched to polite language, her back straightening. She seemed to have a habit of occasionally forgetting to use honorifics. 

On the other hand, Haruya felt bad for making her feel conscious about it. 

“If you’re not comfortable with using honorifics, you don’t have to. We seem to be close in age anyway.”

“No, it’s not that… I’m only 16 years old, so it might not be appropriate for me to…”

She glanced at him and turned her blue eyes apologetically. From her tone of voice, it could be inferred that she thought of Haruya as being older than her. Perhaps she was being respectful and polite, as she seemed to resist using informal language with someone older.

However, Yuna and Haruya were actually classmates, and so there was no age difference between them, although they didn’t realize it.

“Ah, I see… Unfortunately, I’m actually only 15 years old, so I’m younger.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, so, feel free to talk as you like.”

With a light bow of her head, Yuna exhaled lightly. It seemed that she wasn’t comfortable with polite speech either. She fiddled with her black hair as she spoke.

“T-then… I’ll do it.”

“Yes, no problem at all.”

“Ah—, and I’d appreciate it if you’d drop the honorific too.”

“Well, if you insist then, alright.”

“Thank you.”

After this exchange, the two of them switched to casual language. While they still had some distance between them, talking about their shared hobby of shoujo manga made them forget about time and they got absorbed in their conversation.

♦︎♢♦︎

As time passed, the sun gradually set, and before they knew it, it was already nighttime.

Haruya and Yuna hadn’t originally planned to talk until nightfall, but ever since they started speaking casually without honorifics, the barrier between them had disappeared, and they found themselves getting lost in conversation.

“Wow, it’s already this late…”

“I’m sorry for not being mindful of the time.”

“No, I got carried away too and lost track of time. Are you okay over there?”

“I live alone, so it’s not a problem.”

“I see. I didn’t have any plans anyway, so I’m fine too.”

Living alone as high school students, which was unusual for their age. Without the constraints of their parents, they both didn’t have many restrictions on the way they spend their time. However, Haruya still felt guilty about it. He couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t right to let a girl go home alone in the darkness as a young man.

“If you want, I can walk you home.”

“But you’re younger than me, right? It’s okay.”

“Well, still…”

If it were an ordinary high school girl, Haruya wouldn’t have tried to stop her. But Yuna was a very attractive high school girl. And for Haruya, Yuna was like a “friend” with whom he could talk about hobbies.

That’s why he was even more worried than usual.

(In the end, it’s because I talked to her that she’s going home late.)

He not only felt worry, but also a sense of responsibility. Doing nothing here would only further degrade his image as a man. Yuna looked worried and Haruya looked at her with a serious expression, causing her to avert her gaze and twirl her black hair with her fingers.

“…Fine. I’ll let you walk me home.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Why are you thanking me? I should be the one saying that”

“But I said it because of my selfishness. I’m the one who should be grateful.”

“…”

Yuna suddenly looked away and took a sip of the coffee that she hadn’t touched yet, as if trying to cover up her embarrassment.

“Um, that…”

Haruya looked at Yuna with concern as she drank her coffee with gulp after gulp.

Haruya’s concern was rooted in a conversation they had earlier—

“I don’t want you to laugh at me, but… I can’t drink coffee.”

“Huh? Then why did you order it?”

“I, I made a mistake…”

Yes, they had exchanged such a conversation, so it was natural for Haruya to feel anxious as he watched Yuna drink her coffee so quickly. However, after finishing the coffee in one go, Yuna headed straight to the cashier.

Haruya was dumbfounded, but he followed after her.

(Why do I feel like her ears were red? Or is it just my imagination?)