Just like with the previous incident of her being hit on, Haruya felt he hadn’t actually done anything in particular.
And for catching her when she was about to fall just now too, he had only supported her when she seemed unsteady.
There was even a possibility she could have kept her balance by herself, so Haruya may have overreacted.
But the beauty before him showed no signs of averting her moist, trembling eyes peering anxiously at Haruya.
Seeing that, Haruya understood.
(She’s worried about feeling indebted, huh.)
Admittedly, it wasn’t anything worth putting her in his debt, but…
She was, after all, quite a beauty.
It wouldn’t be surprising for some with impure thoughts to want to get involved with her given the chance.
///
scene transition
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So this was probably her way of settling things.
“…No good?”
Perhaps it was the coercive pressure of her imploring eyes, but Haruya caved.
“O-okay…I get it…”
“Thank you!”
When he nodded, her face lit up brightly and she flashed an enchanting smile.
“Well then, why don’t we both go buy our clothes first.”
“You really don’t have to worry about it so much.”
And so, transient as it was, Haruya ended up spending time with a beauty.
What Haruya regretted was not turning down her request earlier, when they stopped by a family restaurant nearby.
(This is awkward… And my stomach hurts…)
Haruya had come with the girl to Cocomi,
a popular dining establishment with reasonable prices and numerous menu items loved by all generations.
But that is beside the point.
now before him on the table sat doria, pizza, fries, salad, and an awkward atmosphere filled with strange tension.
From the side they probably looked like a new couple on their first date.
“Um, th-thank you again for everything before and today too!”
She was the one to break the awkward silence.
Sitting up straight, she bowed her head formally with a somehow strained expression.
From her posture and tone of voice, one could strongly feel how tense she was.
(It just makes me more nervous when she’s the tense one…)
Perhaps embarrassed, Haruya started fidgeting with his bangs.
He was shy about her seeing his reddened face.
“Oh, no need, really…”
Honestly, his feelings hadn’t changed – he hadn’t done anything worth that much gratitude.
But saying so would presumably just make her repeat “That’s not true!” and deny it.
In other words, the conversation ended up at a standstill.
Therefore, Haruya decided to accept her gratitude sincerely.
However, whether it was because he wasn’t used to being thanked or for some other reason, his response seemed awkward.
Seeing Haruya like that, she smiled slightly.
“Hehe… it seems like you’re turning it into a question. But please, do accept my gratitude. And, as a token of thanks, feel free to eat as much as you want today.”
“No, this is more than enough already.”
Earlier, when Haruya tried to settle for just one item from the Doria menu, she insisted, saying, “Don’t hold back,” and as a result, Haruya ended up ordering not only the Doria but also pizza and potatoes.
By the way, the salad was ordered by her, perhaps out of concern for Haruya’s health.
Her chosen dish was Shrimp and Avocado Genovese Pasta.
It seemed like a popular choice among women, and Haruya couldn’t help but smile a bit.
“Well, if you say so. But feel free to eat without holding back.”
She seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but upon seeing Haruya’s awkward smile, she softened her expression a bit, seemingly understanding.
Having finished saying itadakimàsu, Haru noticed that someone was staring at him intently as he prepared to eat.
Presumably, the girl sitting across from him was waiting for him to taste the dishes laid out before them.
Unable to disappoint her expectant gaze, Haru decided to start with the Doria.
“…Delicious,” he remarked.
“Is that so? I’m glad,” she responded.
The taste of the Doria was creamy and pleasantly familiar.
There was no disappointment with the classic menu.
However, being watched so attentively made Haru nervous.
(Eating while being watched by a beautiful girl feels like a form of torture…)
Haru himself didn’t have much resistance to women.
Moreover, the girl sitting opposite him was a considerable beauty with an impressive figure.
Therefore, being observed by her, with her beauty and curvaceous body, was making him quite uneasy.
“…Um, well, you don’t have to hesitate. Please eat without holding back. Also, the dishes might get cold,”
Although he couldn’t express his true feelings, Haru’s genuine thoughts were more like, [Just eat it! It’s awkward!]
“Yeah, let’s dig in,”
As if she had been waiting for him to say that, Haru felt a slight discomfort.
However, that discomfort disappeared as soon as she began eating the pasta.
Her expression brightened, and her cheeks relaxed as she enjoyed the flavors.
Haru found himself captivated by her, but he shook his head and continued to eat.
After the meal, as he contemplated heading to the cashier, he noticed something.
She occasionally glanced at the special sweets menu,
specifically the Lemon Chiffon Cake promotion.
Probably due to it being a limited-time item, the menu was prominently displayed at each table.
Haru realized she might want to order it.
Most likely, she was giving him a hesitant look, gauging his reaction.
(…If you want to order it, just go ahead and ask.)
He thought this, but she was probably trying to be considerate.
Honestly, he was already full, but Haru decided to be considerate in return.
“…Excuse me. I’d like to order that limited-time item at the end. Is that okay?”
“Huh…”
Caught off guard, her eyes widened for a moment,
then quickly returned to normal.
“It’s okay… Well, then, I’ll order it too,”
she said, slightly lifting the corners of her mouth.
And so, the two of them ordered the limited-time dessert, the Lemon Chiffon Cake.
When it arrived, it looked luxurious, with white sauce and mint garnish. Haru was impressed
—it was his first time ordering dessert at a family restaurant, but it seemed high-quality.
Whether she felt the same or not, it wasn’t evident in her expression, but her eyes seemed to sparkle.
Without further delay, the two of them tasted the Lemon Chiffon Cake.
The refreshing lemon flavor and the sweetness of the cake spread in their mouths, creating an irresistible taste.
Haru inadvertently glanced at her, and she was melting with her cheeks flushed, displaying an enchanting expression.
While he didn’t have romantic feelings for her, a beautiful girl’s smile was always pleasing to the eye. It was a visual treat.
However, when their eyes met, her smile dimmed slightly.
For that reason, Haru felt a sense of disappointment.
“Um, is something wrong?”
She noticed his gaze and tilted her head slightly.
“N-nothing. I just thought the cake was delicious.”
Unable to say he was looking at her smile, Haruya brushed it off with an evasive comment.
For a moment, the girl looked puzzled at the flustered Haruya, but then seemed to remember something she had forgotten. She drew a sharp breath.
“Oh, um…thank you. For being considerate.”
“…………”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Ignoring the silent Haruya, she dutifully continued.
“You went ahead and said you wanted a chiffon cake so I could order it more easily…right?”
“Wha-, what are you talking about?”
“Thank you…!”
Just when Haruya was about to deny it, it turned out she had seen right through him completely.
(I guess I still have a long way to go at being considerate without the other person noticing…)
He awkwardly averted his gaze from her oddly ardent stare.
To dispel the embarrassment, Haruya changed the subject. “By the way,”
“This cake is amazingly delicious.”
“I know, right? I’m pleasantly surprised too. Sweets can be hit-or-miss but this one is a definite hit.”
“Oh, unexpected.”
“Unexpected…? Why do you say that?”
she asked, not understanding his meaning.
“I mean, sorry if this is rude, but you seemed like someone without particular preferences for likes and dislikes…”
To Haruya, she appeared to have been brought up well.
Not because of that but, for some reason he was surprised that he had foods he disliked.
Then she giggled amusedly, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Heehee…what do you mean someone ‘without likes and dislikes’?”
As if to say does such a person exist.
“Things like panna cotta or almond tofu vary a lot depending on the shop. And I also dislike bitter stuff like liver or coffee.”
She said at somewhat high speed.
Looking closely, the corners of her eyes were downturned in a natural expression.
Somehow the tension seemed to have faded away and Haruya couldn’t help but relax his cheeks into a smile.
“Wha-what is it?”
“No, you suddenly got spirited talking about likes and dislikes so it just struck me as endearing.”
Oh, uh, you know… …… I’m sorry.
Embarrassed at being called out, she bowed her head and snuck occasional upward glances, seeming bashful.
“No no, there’s nothing to apologize about. Being able to firmly state your opinions is an important skill, I think.”
“….!”
It was an unexpected remark and her eyes betrayed her agitation.
“That’s…true, huh.”
With a tinge of self-deprecation, she muttered mostly to herself.
Then lowered her face again,
as if lacking the credentials to agree.
Seeing her like that, Haruya couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
(Uh oh…did I step on a landmine? No wait, this is awkward…what am I doing?)
He was filled with regret at having touched on a sensitive area he shouldn’t have.
Out of guilt for triggering her landmine and embarrassment and responsibility from the tension, for the rest of the day Haruya went out of his way to curry her favor, carrying her bags, consciously stepping onto the road side…
“Ah, let me hold your stuff.”
“Um, I can walk you partway.”
Thinking back on sucking up to her so shamelessly, Haruya shuddered.
(What the heck AM I doing? This must have weirded her out completely… Ugh I wanna cry.)
The next day before morning homeroom.
As usual when the S Class Beauties gathered, romance became the hot topic of conversation and they chatted animatedly.
As always, some classmates were eavesdropping, whispering quietly.
Naturally so,
The subject of conversation from S Class Beauty Sara Himekawa was profoundly romantic.
What Sara had shared with the other S Class Beauties – Yuna and Rin – was [I met and went to eat with the guy I couldn’t thank properly for saving me from getting hit on].
“Sara…that’s like totally fate! Amazing!”
“I really think it’s amazing.”
Having sympathized last week over her regret at not being able to thank the one who saved her from getting hit on, Yuna and Rin who had cheered Sara on [It’d be nice if you meet again] were now equally shocked that they met again so soon.
“I was definitely really surprised…but I’m so glad I got to thank him!”
“I’m happy for you, Sara.”
“Yeah…I’m really glad you got to thank him, Sara.”
Sara nodded happily at their replies.
“And that guy turned out to be such an awesome person, considerate and approachable too, a real gentleman!”
“Completely agree. But still, you took the bold step to invite him to eat, Sara… Gotta say, the more I hear the more I wanna meet him.”
“Hey! I reaaally wanna know which is better, my guy I’m interested in or Yuna’s!”
Then Rin and Yuna started probing deeper into what Sara had told them.
Seeing that, Sara’s face flushed faintly in embarrassment.
Noticing, Rin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Hope you get to see that guy you’ve got a crush on again, Sara!”
“Wha-… A crush or anything…it’s not like that!”
Sara immediately rebuffed Rin’s teasing and pursed her lips tightly, but her whole face had turned bright red.
Rin’s words had made her conscious of the guy.
Whether or not Sara was aware of it herself, her reaction from an onlooker’s perspective clearly signaled she harbored special feelings for someone.
She probably wanted Rin to stop going on about this subject, but her reactions were simply too cute that Rin seemed unable to resist the urge to poke fun.
“This embarrassed Sara is way too cute~. If a guy made me feel like that, wow, let’s totally double date! Oh wait, triple date including Yuna!”
“Th…that’s not how it is!”
“So you feel absolutely nothing for him then?”
“Well…I…”
At this point Sara puckered her lips and lowered her head.
“I…I do think he’s charming.”
An extremely tiny voice.
Not wanting her blushing face to be seen, she didn’t meet their eyes but her ears were bright red, impossible to hide.
Rin seemed about ready to burst from wanting to tease her even more, but Yuna who had been watching their exchange silently up to now spoke up.
“Rin, you’re putting Sara in a tough spot so let’s stop there.”
Rin frowned grumpily, going “Ehh~” as she shrugged exaggeratedly, but soon switched to a bright expression.
“Oh all right, that’s a good point. Sorry Sara.”
“Um, as long as you understand…that’s good.”
“Just this one thing though, can you tell us? Did you exchange contact info with that guy?”
“Eh…um…”
Looking perplexed at Rin’s question, Sara clenched one arm tightly, blinking uncertainly.
From that reaction Rin could guess that Sara had not gotten his contact info.
“Well you’ll surely meet again anyway so next time make sure to exchange contact info properly ‘kay, Sara?”
“Th…that’s not…”
Asked to choose between liking or disliking him,
she would pick “like” but still couldn’t decisively say she liked him romantically.
That was likely what Sara wanted to say, but Yuna interjected, cutting her off.
“Just one thing from me. Actually falling for someone doesn’t happen often so…Sara, don’t end up with regrets.”
“Yeah Sara, I’m rooting for you!”
Yuna and Rin were probably conscious of the omiai awaiting in Sara’s background when they said that.
In response to their words Sara tightly pursed her lips,
“That’s not what I meant. …… Really.”
and could only awkwardly look away with a quiet denial.
Now then, some classmates including Haruya were eavesdropping on the S Class Beauties’ talk.
Today too he couldn’t help overhearing in secret while pretending to sleep at his desk.
But this time, too, it was inevitable.
After last week, hearing a story from right by his seat again about an experience remarkably similar to his own, there was just no way he could tune it out.
(Meeting again after getting helped from getting hit on, that’s seriously got to be fate.)
And inwardly Haruya added.
(Then going to eat before parting ways…the more I hear, the more similar it sounds to what happened to me…)
With both last week’s events and this week’s…
Suddenly Haruya grew suspicious that the guy she was referring to was actually him.
…But no way, that would be too full of myself, Haruya rejected the possibility outright.
No matter how alike the stories sounded, the impression given of the guy she described was far too different from himself.
(I went and stepped on the landmine of her trauma, plus all that obvious sucking up I did after…)
Just recalling his pathetic behavior yesterday made Haruya want to retch.
Better stop thinking back on it.
It only made him feel more pathetic. He cursed his own uselessness.
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