When I Picked Up A Stunningly Gorgeous Downer-Type Beauty In Front Of The Entrance. - Chapter 75: I'm not interested...

I’m not interested…

Because there was moving work to be done, Sajou-san remained alone at home.

Certainly, the urgency of the move was pressing, but this was her own home, not something she were abandoning.

Since the family was returning in exchange, it would have been fine to have the unpacked items sent later.

It was the first and last high school graduation ceremony. I thought it would have been okay to attend, but Sajou-san’s reaction was lukewarm.

“I’m not interested.”

“I see…”

I asked yesterday as well, and confirmed multiple times before leaving, but it seems her mind hasn’t changed. Well, even if I said I wanted to attend now, the ceremony would already be over, so there’s nothing that can be done about it.

There remains a slight feeling of resentment.

“…I only went to high school because of, you  Rihito,” Sajou-san added as she closed the lid of a cardboard box, seemingly considering me.

“For me, starting a new life is more important than anything else…”

“I see.”

I nodded. A sigh escaped me.

For Sajou-san, it seems that school life was not a chapter of youth or anything meaningful in life, but rather just something unnecessary. While I haven’t asked about her elementary or middle school years even now, I can imagine she hasn’t changed much from then.

She went because she had to. She didn’t show interest in anyone or get involved.

More than that, home was crucial to Sajou-san.

So, high school must have been a period of truancy for her, and she wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t been there.

I can understand, to some extent, that Sajou-san didn’t need it—or rather, didn’t have the luxury to enjoy high school life…

It’s a bit disheartening, I think. It feels lonely.

I haven’t exactly lived a typical high school life either, but eating lunch with Sajou-san, attending classes, and occasionally being scolded—it was surprisingly fun. Even being dressed up as a girl by classmates during the school festival is a good memory now… or at least, I want to think so. Though I still can’t forgive the guy with the pockmarks who confessed to me.

That’s why Sajou-san’s attitude, which seems to say it’s just the passage of time, even touches a chord with me.

I gently place a white flower ornament in her hair that I hold in my hand. Yeah, it suits her.

Sajou-san, with duct tape in hand, stops. She raises her face, her dark eyes looking like they want to say something.

“…You know I’m busy right now?”

“Sajou Hitori-san.”

Ignoring it, I say in a calm voice.

“—Congratulations on your graduation.”

“…………”

Sajou-san’s eyes widened. A strange chuckle bubbled up, followed by a muttered, “Idiot.”

I thought about jokingly saying, “Yeah, I’m an idiot,” but seeing Sajou-san gently touching the flower ornament on her head, I stopped.

There was a tension in her gaze, as if they were holding back bubbling emotions.

Pretending not to notice, I started assembling a new cardboard box.

Most of what I’m packing into the cardboard boxes is mine. There are things I’m leaving behind, but what to leave? It’s difficult to decide. The new place isn’t that spacious, so even if I send them, I might end up discarding them anyway.

Sajou-san doesn’t have many belongings, so packing should be easy… or so I thought.

It used to be like that in the past, but now there’s quite a bit more stuff.

There are more things typical of a high school girl. Clothes, cosmetics. Considering She used to have no interest in fashion despite her good looks, it’s quite a change.

What increased the most were cooking utensils.

It’s become somewhat of a hobby, and now it’s normal to cook without looking at recipes. her speed at shredding cabbage rivals that of a professional chef.

…Well, even though my personal items have increased, each one is for my sake, so sometimes I feel like I’m being crushed by the weight.

I glanced at Sajou-san, frozen with the flower ornament on her head.

Is that what she’s lost in thought about? I’m starting to feel embarrassed.

Above all, I stretched my arms and raised them to indicate that this isn’t the time for moving.

“Should we take a break?”

“…We just got back.”

That’s true.

“Looks like you’re overwhelmed.”

“…Whose fault is that?”

I was glared at. Well? I shrugged my shoulders with both hands raised.

I tried to make coffee and head for the kitchen, but Sajou-san stopped me, saying, “I’ll do it.” It’s quite something to see her still wearing the flower ornament on her head.

“Can’t I do it occasionally?”

“I can make it taste better.”

“That’s true, but…”

Oh well. I leaned on the counter and watched Sajou-san make coffee.

Somehow, I liked watching Sajou-san standing in the kitchen like this.

“What?”

“Just wondering…?”

Sajou-san pressed her lips tightly together.

I thought I might be brushed off as a nuisance, but she quickly started working, perhaps deeming my words meaningless.

As she boiled water in the kettle and lined up coffee beans and a dripper, I watched.

It used to be instant coffee, but she switched to a dripper some time ago and started paying attention to coffee beans.

I’m more of a coffee person, but I don’t have strong preferences. Nowadays, Sajou-san seems to be more particular about the taste than I am.

I think she might buy a siphon or a coffee maker eventually.

She’s inherently meticulous. She probably didn’t have that kind of luxury before, so I think it’s a good sign that this aspect of her personality is surfacing.

Sajou-san, who set the coffee grounds in the coffee filter and dripper while keeping her face down, looked up.

“…What happened to your cheek?”

“My cheek?”

“The bandage.”

As I touched it, there was indeed a different sensation from touching her cheek.

“Oh, that.”

I gently turned my face away. I didn’t really want to be asked about it.

Perhaps she felt guilty about something, her eyes narrowed and her gaze intensified. It seems Sajou-san can’t tolerate me hiding something from her , whatever it may be.

Even if she knew everything, I don’t think it would make her happy.

But trying to evade the issue would only complicate things further. I scratched my cheek. Originally, there was nothing to hide, and I didn’t even want to hide it.

But it’s still awkward to talk about.

“This is… about that thing.”

“So, what?”

“Last night… Sajou-san. you scratched or bumped into something, right?”

“Me?”

She furrowed her brows for a moment, seeming to understand what I was getting at.

Blushing, she looked down.

Perhaps due to agitation, her hands trembled, and some coffee grounds spilled.

“Sorry…”

“No, it’s…”

Somehow, I ended up embarrassing myself, stroking my earlobe and looking in the direction of the day after tomorrow.