Volume 1 - CH 15

It seems that Yuzuru and Arisa had the same intention.

The two went to a nearby soba restaurant.

If you wanted to have soba noodles, you could have ordered them……, but it would have been too expensive.

It would be more reasonable to go directly to the restaurant since it was within walking distance.

“I’ve never been to a soba restaurant before.”

“I see. So that is why you chose soba to eat.”

The choice of Soba restaurant was rather awkward for a high school girl of her age.

A woman might be concerned about the splash of soup.

Yuzuru, who was expecting that she would choose a coffee shop or family restaurant, found Arisa’s choice surprising, but it made sense.

……. or so he thought.

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.”

“Eh, wasn’t it different?”

“I’ve never had anyone take me out to eat before. …… I decided on soba because it’s summer and I thought it would be nice.”

“That’s…… what a coincidence. I also thought it would be nice to have something cool since it is summer.”

For a moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of Arisa’s unhappy family situation, but Yuzuru decided to pretend not to notice.

Now, they sat down at the seat they were shown and looked at the menu lightly.

“I think I’ll try the …… medium duck bowl. What about you Yukishiro?”

“I’ll have the …… soba with tempura. The size is normal.”

After a few moments of ordering, the soba and tempura were placed in front of Arisa.

The tempura includes two prawns and five vegetables, which is a bit much, but considering the …… price, it’s a reasonable amount and variety.

The soba noodles, however……

“The amount of soba is …… wrong, isn’t it? The medium portion is for Takasegawa-san, right?”

Arisa was puzzled when she saw the mountain of soba noodles. 

“Ah here is a little too much, that’s the normal portion.”

“Eh? No, but ……”

And then, looking at the soba noodles in front of Yuzuru, Arisa fell silent.

Then she compared it with her own.

If that is a medium-sized portion, then it is certainly the normal portion. That was what was written on her face.

“Sorry. I forgot to explain. …… Uh, Shall I help you with it?”

“Please do”

In the end, Yuzuru received about half the amount.

“Are you sure you want me to take this much?”

“I’m not that big of an eater.”

Arisa then pointed to the plate with the tempura on it.

“How about some tempura?　One shrimp and one …… vegetable.”

“Then, I’ll have some.”

Yuzuru took a piece of tempura from Airisa’s plate.

Then he picked up a piece of duck meat floating in his soba sauce with his chopsticks.

“How about this?　Would you like some?”

“…… Sure. I’ll have some.”

After exchanging their side dishes, they started to eat the soba.

The volume of soba noodles served at this restaurant was large, but that didn’t mean that the quality was inferior.

The duck soup was rich in flavor and the tempura was crispy and delicious.

“Takasegawa-san, you can eat wasabi, right?”

Suddenly Arisa started to say something like that.

It was true that Yuzuru could eat wasabi without any problem, and he was still smearing it on his soba noodles.

“Yukishiro, you don’t like it…… ?”

“I tried when I was little…….  I haven’t had it since. I was traumatized by the pungent taste.”

The wasabi on Arisa’s plate had not decreased.

Yuzuru thought that if she wasn’t going to use it, he might as well take it himself. ……

“Why don’t you try it now? You might be surprised at how good it is.”

“…… Yeah, I know. I’m a grown-up now. By the way, is it proper to put it on without melting it?”

“I’m not sure. It depends on your personal preference. But in your case, ….if you melt it, you won’t be able to eat it as the spiciness will be spread over the entire soup. So I think it’s better to put in a little.”

“That’s true.”

Arisa nodded her head and put a little wasabi on her soba.

Then she dipped it in the sauce and ate it elegantly with a small mouthful.

“How is it?”

“It’s smelly but tastes good…….!”

Arisa held her nose.

–In an instant, her eyes turned red and started to moisten.

She hurriedly drank all the tea she could manage.

“Kuh… It seems that it was too early for me. …… Please don’t laugh.”

“No, sorry, sorry. It was a little amusing.”

“……You are terrible.”

Arisa puffed out her cheeks with tears in her eyes and turned her face away.

The gesture was — so cute that it would make one want to pat her on the head.

Then, they finished eating their soba.

While they were savoring the soba-yu, Arisa asked Yuzuru. (TN: soba yu:after dish of soba. It’s custom to have it after eating soba)

“Speaking of which, Takasegawa-san. You and Tachibana-san and Uenishi-san are…. acquainted, aren’t you?

That reminded him that Arisa was also there yesterday.

Maybe she had seen and heard Yuzuru, Ayaka, and Chiharu talking.

“That’s right. Did you know those two?　We’re in different classes too.”

Speaking of which, Yuzuru remembered, they had done this exchange a while ago.

And Arisa’s answer to Yuzuru’s question was a little different than before.

“My foster father told me …… that if we were to be in the same class, we should all get along. That’s all he told me before I entered the school. He said that because they come from good families.”

Arisa furrowed her brow in disgust at the thought.

No one wants to be told what to do with their relationships.

It is the relationship between the two families that makes Yuzuru and the two girls childhood friends, and of course, their parents brought them together to get along. But they were never explicitly ordered to get along.

“You don’t have to force yourself to get along with them, but they’re both good people.”

“Yes, they are. They’re cheerful, sociable, and beautiful…..”

Arisa seemed to envy them in some way.　

Arisa is indeed a beautiful girl. But if you ask if she is cheerful and sociable, certainly it is doubtful.

She treats most people equally. But at the same time, she doesn’t make good friends.

She always keeps a transparent, thin, but strong wall between her and others.

“Um, Takasegawa-san…”

“Yes? What’s up?”

“What’s your relationship with those two…..?”

“We’re childhood friends. We’ve known each other since we were kids. And we’re friends. No more, no less.”

I’m related to Ayaka Tachibana. But since we are only distantly related, I’ve never really thought much about it.

“Is that all?”

“Yes, that’s all…… Did you see them as my lovers or something?”

Yuzuru, Ayaka, and Chiharu are indeed very close to each other.

At first glance, it may or may not appear as if they are lovers, but they may appear to be closer than normal friendships. And they are very close.

“No…… it did not look that way. But I wondered if there were such feelings on either side. “

“I agree that they are both beautiful. But I don’t have romantic feelings for them. They are not my type.”

It’s fun to be friends with such a lively type of person, but if you ask me if I want to be a married couple, ……

I don’t think I’d be able to relax at home.

“They don’t like me like that either. They have feelings for someone else.”

“Oh?…… That’s right. There’s no way someone as beautiful as those two will stay single.”

“That’s how it is.”

Well, in the case of those two, the fact that they have that person in common is terrifying.

Yuzuru thought of the face of his friend, who was probably sandwiched between the two of them right now.

Then Arisa asked Yuzuru with her usual expressionless face.

“Was it okay? you turned down the study session invitation.”

It seemed that she had heard the conversation between Yuzuru and the girls.

It was only natural that she could hear them since they were making such loud noise.　

“I had a prior appointment with you.”

It was Arisa who made the promise first.

The priority should be given to her. 

” …………Was it okay to do that for someone like me?”

“For me, it is not about someone like you. I can make it up to them on another day. But I can meet you only on Saturdays. So it is natural that you should be given priority. .Also..”

“Also..?”

“It’s fun to be with you. Is that not good enough?”

For a moment, Arisa looked as if she was taken aback.

Then she shook her head from side to side.

“No, that’s not the case. And I’m having ….fun, too.”

And then Arisa squinted her eyes.

It was a fragile, but very beautiful and loving smile that seemed to scatter if you touched it,…….　

I want to hug her, I want to pick her up,…… such an urge rose in him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Ah, a…… what’s wrong?”

Yuzuru, who had been admiring Airisa’s smile, came back to himself.

Her expression had returned to its usual expressionlessness.

“Not just Saturdays…… Occasionally, can I visit you on other days as well?”

“Whenever you’re free. You’re welcome to come.”

“Thank you very much.”

She was still as expressionless as ever.

However, her eyes had a softer glow to them than usual.