When I Helped Out At My Classy Classmate's Family Home, They Started Going All Out To Close In On Me From Every Angle. - Chapter 23: Coincidence?— 4

Coincidence?— 4

The morning classes ended, and lunchtime arrived.

I grabbed the lunch that Yuri-san had made for me and headed toward Shuuji and Chika.

“Shuuji, Chika, want to eat together?”

“Sorry, Tetsu. I’ve got something I need to take care of today,” Shuuji replied.

“Me too. We both have committee work,” Chika added.

“Oh, I see…”

I felt a bit disappointed, my expectations dashed.

It couldn’t be helped. If they had committee work, then I’d just have to let it go. I quickly shifted gears, thinking about what to do next.

Now, what should I do? Eating alone feels a little lonely… maybe I should eat with someone else.

Just then, Ayame’s voice came from the side, as if she had read my thoughts.

“Would you like to join us, Tetsu-kun?”

And, of course, Mikae was with her.

“I’m sorry if I’m eavesdropping, but I think it’d be more fun eating together than eating alone,” she said with a gentle smile.

“Oh! Takamine-san, can I count on you to look after Tetsu?”

“Yes. After all, Tetsu-kun and I are seatmates,” Ayame replied.

“Perfect! Tetsu-kun, since you’re sitting next to Ayame-chan, it’s a great chance to get to know her better!” Shuuji and Chika both encouraged me to join them for lunch.

I thought Ayame and I had already gotten pretty close, but I didn’t mind eating with her. In fact, I was quite happy about it.

Besides, Ayame had asked me to join her, so there was no reason to refuse.

I nodded and responded to Ayame.

“Well then, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

““Yes!””

As soon as I agreed, Shuuji and Chika cheered like a sports team had just scored a goal.

I turned to look at them, puzzled by their sudden enthusiasm, but they were both acting like nothing had happened.

However, I could’ve sworn I saw them give a quick fist pump…

“Did you just do a fist pump?”

““No, we didn’t! Must’ve been your imagination!””

Shuuji and Chika both shook their heads in unison.

I guess it must’ve been my mistake. After all, it didn’t seem like the kind of situation where they’d do a fist pump.

“Then, if the two of you are going to have lunch together, there is a suitable place for you.”

After deciding to have lunch together, Mikae spoke up.

We descended the stairs and walked down the hallway, with Mikae leading the way to the courtyard.

“Here we are.”

“Eh… this place?”

I frowned. I felt bad for Mikae, but my enthusiasm had completely dropped.

Forgive me, but the courtyard is well-known among the students of Sakurazawa as a “couple’s spot.”

Sure enough, there were multiple couples sitting on benches, wrapped up in each other, with a sweet, almost suffocating atmosphere hanging in the air.

For me, someone who doesn’t have a girlfriend, the atmosphere here was unbearable. It was also an inappropriate setting for having lunch with a girl who wasn’t my girlfriend.

I voiced my concern to Mikae.

“Can we go somewhere else?”

“However, the courtyard is open and has good visibility. It is the most suitable place for guarding Ayame-sama.”

“So that’s why you called it ‘a suitable place’?”

I understood why Mikae had chosen the courtyard. I could see her intention to protect Ayame.

However, I wasn’t about to back down so easily.

“You can see for yourself, but there are a lot of couples here, and they’re all over each other. Don’t you think it’s not the best place for us to eat?”

“What do you mean by ‘not suitable’?”

“Well, I mean… we’re not dating or anything, so it’s kind of awkward, don’t you think?”

“I don’t mind. Please don’t worry about it.”

“You have quite the strong heart!”

I was stunned by Mikae’s nonchalant response. I felt the situation turning against me, and sweat started trickling down my face.

N-No, I can still handle this. There’s no way Ayame would be okay with it.

I suppressed my growing panic and turned to Ayame.

“Ayame, what do you think?”

“To be honest, it’s a little embarrassing.”

Ayame blushed slightly and averted her eyes.

Yes! Ayame’s on my side! With this, I can convince Mikae!

I clenched my fist tightly.

But my joy was short-lived.

“But if it’s with you, Tetsu-kun, I’m fine with it.”

“Huh?”

Still blushing, Ayame looked up at me with a glance. Her deep brown eyes were moist.

Her expression, like a hint of allure, made me inadvertently lose myself in her gaze.

While I was at a loss for words, Mikae stepped in to conclude the matter.

“I believe both Ayame-sama and I are fine with this. In terms of majority, this is the favored option, so what do you think?”

Mikae, with a calm and composed face, and Ayame, with an expression blending embarrassment and expectation, turned their gaze toward me.

In a two-to-one situation, there was no way I could oppose this. It felt like a completely lost cause.

With a sigh of resignation, I gave in.

“Fine. It seems like it’s related to Ayame’s safety too.”

“We appreciate your understanding.”

“Thank you for hearing us out.”

Mikae bowed deeply, and Ayame narrowed her eyes into a satisfied smile.