Volume 2 - CH 2.6

Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight

Part 6

“Whoa—!”

On the first floor of an apartment building in the middle of a residential area, there was a sign for Nanaya.

Passing through the curtain with “七”— the number seven, the ice cream counter was in front of us. In the glass-walled freezer case, there were a dozen flavors of ice cream lined up in two rows.

Well, half of them are green tea flavored, though. 

I patted Hiura on the head, who was romping excitedly, and looked at the sign nearby. I ran through the lists of flavors and their prices.

“I’ll have sesame and the fifth. Minato?”

“Seventh and a strawberry. I don’t want to get rid of Gyokuro tea, though.”

“Hm, that’s a good combo of sweet and bitter.”

Beside the two experienced professionals, Hiura and I groaned simultaneously.

Which one to eat—no, which one to give up, that was the question. The green tea flavors, from one to seven, were arranged by ascending thickness. It was nothing short of the name “Nanaya”, the store was indeed obsessed with green tea.

“I’ll have triple.”

“What a coincidence, me too.”

“Third, Hojicha, and milk. You get something other than that.”

“But I want the third…”

Hiura didn’t bulge, so I had to go with fourth. She had a sweet tooth, so I’ll let her.

And then…

◆　◆　◆

“Thank you for your patronage～”

With a pleasant Kyoto dialect call behind us, we left the store with our ice cream. 

In the end, I decided on fourth, Hojicha, and chocolate. I had a hard time choosing, but I was confident this was the ultimate balance. The brightly colored ice creams looked so perfect I had doubts about eating them.

Fujimiya snapped another picture of me and Hiura itching to eat. As expected of a selfie expert, she was skillful.

Our next destination was already decided, so we went on leisurely.

“Delish—!”

“Hiura, keep it down.”

“Delish–”

Can you say anything other than that?

But the truth was, I knew exactly how she felt. “Delicious…”

Not only the tea flavors, but all of them were extremely good. For one, it was thick, the strong aroma and the kick of every bite. The aftertaste was refreshing too. It was as if it was a food of gods. 

“The taste never changes.”

“Yaa, I wish there’s one in Shiga.”

“Hurry up, set up one in Shiga, I’ll allow it,” muttered Hiura.

Ah, here it is, Hiura-sama’s permission. Please, open one already.

“Minato, give me the seventh, trade with my sesame.”

“”Kay, here.”

With the fluidity of comrades, they quickly shared half of their flavors.

“Akashi, we’re doing it too.”

“Oh, okay…”

Trade, the crystallization of human wisdom and rationale. And it was the very thing Hiura said earlier, our strategy. 

We followed the other two’s example and scooped the ice cream. Yes, for this reason, we both got three different flavors. With this, we have obtained six flavors each.

What a genius.

“Hoh? The fourth’s really more bitter than the third! Still delicious!”

“Ah. The third’s sweet… I don’t think anything will top Hojicha, though.”

This was beyond satisfactory…

Unlike Hiura, I wasn’t fond of ice creams, but this was something I could get used to.

“Akashi-kun, Hiura-san, you’re trading…?”

Fujimiya suddenly whipped around and asked incredulously while Minato just froze.

What’s happening…

“We are. Top stratagem, right?” Hiura sniggered proudly.

She dug another spoon of my chocolate. Hey, let me have my Hojicha.

“That’s… indirect kiss, right? No, it’s an indirect kiss.” Fujimiya’s smile became a plastered one. 

Minato’s eyes hooded as she slurred, “Insolence.”

There’s the samurai again.

But, indirect kiss? No, well, it is, but…

“Ah, that. Haven’t thought about it. Do you, Akashi?”

“Eh? Uh… at first. You did it so naturally, it feels idiotic if I’m the only one minding…”

Whatever the reason, the rate at which she stole my drinks and sweets threw me off balance. 

“I mean, you girls are going to, no?” Hiura began to shift the blame.

Surprisingly, Minato stood up, “We’re women?” 

“Oh, double standard? Aren’t your grades the fourth place in our year? That doesn’t sound logical.”

“Not everything needs to be equal. You’re the Illogical one here.”

Whoa… Minato’s not holding back. And a match with Hiura to add… Well, she just slapped Yamabuki a few weeks back, this much should be expected.

“Okay, okay… I get it, but can you be a little more self aware?”

“Of what?”

“Of your insolence.”

Um, why the obsession with “insolence”

“Uhhh, let’s eat before the ice cream melts…”

Fujinami clapped my shoulder. “Akashi-kun.”

“Hiiiee! My pardon!”

Hiura, Fujinami, Minato, I’m surrounded by scary women…