CH 7

Chapter 7: Arisa Arisugawa Wants To Be Praised

Time flies by quickly and it’s the weekend.

Today is the day I made an appointment with Arisugawa.

Mio was worried that I was feeling depressed in the morning, but when I told her the reason, she was surprised and helped me get ready in a tense manner.

“Even though you’re going out with Arisa-san, as my brother, your taste is truly devastating!” I almost cried when Mio made such an emotionally painful comment.

Because of this, I coordinated my clothes and hairstyle with what Mio said was the latest fashion trend.

The reflection of myself in the mirror looks somewhat better than usual.

I don’t look like the dead-eyed high school boy who is being questioned by the police anymore.

As I was killing time in front of the station where we were meeting, playing with my phone, I felt a change in the air around me.

I put my phone away in my pocket and turned my attention to the silver haired girl walking leisurely towards me, Arisugawa.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kyosuke Sato.”

Arisugawa’s beaming smile is a complete change from her usual smug smile on her face, and all eyes around her are on me at once.

They must be thinking ‘Why is such a man together with Arisugawa?’

They probably think I’m out of balance or that they’re better looking than me.

I think so too, and if I could, I’d like to live a peaceful life away from Arisugawa.

“……I’m not waiting for you. It’s not like you came late because you got lost..”

“I don’t get lost on the way to the station. Are you making fun of me?”

“I was worried about you. I was afraid you’d go into a strange alley and get tangled up with some weirdo.”

There was once an incident in which Arisugawa got lost and got tangled up with a group of bad people.

As it turned out, they were all killed by Arisugawa, who claimed her actions as self-defense.

Arisugawa, who is as beautiful as a flower on the outside, is as likely to attract bad intentions as goodwill.

Today, too, I was bracing myself for the possibility that …… it might happen again, but it seems my fears were unfounded.

Arisugawa : “More importantly, is there anything you have to say to me?”

Kyosuke : “You’re talking about how great it is to come …… without getting lost?”

Arisugawa : “If you want to die, please say so. It’s not …… that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to at least compliment the girl walking next to you on how she looks, don’t you think so?”

Arisugawa said as she turned away, her cheeks reddening slightly.

Today’s attire is naturally not the school uniform, but Arisugawa’s personal clothes.

The calm brown shirt has a feminine design with a small ribbon on the chest and loosely puffed cuffs.

Her slender black stocking-clad legs peek out from the fabric of her black skirt, which swings above her knees.

The heels of her laced-up boots clicked in the wind, and her flowing, lustrous silver hair shimmered in the sunlight.

Her style is not only good, but also suits her very well in spite of her simplicity.

I’m not afraid to say this to her……

But if I said it, she would probably spat out, “It’s disgusting.”

On the other hand, I still have to fulfill Arisugawa’s unspoken request for “praise”.

It is too difficult for someone like me who has never had a girlfriend in my life.

I turned my head to the fullest for a few tenths of a second.

“……Well, that’s good.”

I had to suffer through a lot to come up with something that could not be called a compliment, even if it was very unsympathetic.

But think about it and see.

‘What’s so good? I don’t know how many words a mob like me can say.’

And most importantly, I’m talking to Arisugawa.

There was no way I could say anything bad.

As I nervously braced myself, Arisugawa’s expression slipped away, then she sighed deeply and rubbed her brow.

It seems that the situation where the hand comes out before the mouth was averted.

Arisugawa : “I wasn’t expecting much, but isn’t this just too much…..?”

Kyosuke : “It’s the result of two or three ideas in my head, taking into account what I do on a daily basis. Just accept it.”

Arisugawa : “Please don’t use that tone, it’s annoying. I would have dented your nose if we weren’t in public.”

Kyosuke : “Please use words rather than violence…….”

I don’t know if she’s angry because of my flat tone, but at least Arisugawa does what she says.

I saved my life at a busy train station.

Arisugawa : “More importantly, I’ll go quickly. Don’t let me waste my precious time.”

Kyosuke : “Yes, yes……”

Turning on her heels, I walked a little behind her into the station, not knowing where she was going.

She got off the train at Harajuku.

A popular place for the young …… I’m obviously out of place.

Also, there are too many people and I’m going to get drunk.

“Arisugawa, don’t get lost.”

“It’s just a matter of you leading the way.”

“You want me to hold your hand?”

“I’ll put a collar on you.”

“I’m not a dog, okay?”

We walk through the crowd, joking and conversing, and breathe together to the entrance of the station.

I was mentally exhausted. 

If I could, I’d like to sit down and rest somewhere, but it doesn’t look like …… she’s going to let me do that.

“There’s no time to rest. We have less than five minutes until the rendezvous.”

“You should move with more time to spare?!”

“I’m not good in the morning.”

“I know, but rendezvous…..?　I didn’t hear anything about that.”

“That’s because I didn’t tell you.”

Aren’t you treating me too harshly?

If I had to choose between working with a half-asleep Arisugawa or attack at the last minute, the latter is certainly better for my mental health.

Then, let’s hurry on.

“So, where is the place?”

“It’s a coffee shop called Paradise Lost. Oh, please give me directions. I don’t want to get lost.”

“What?! I don’t know where it is!”

“You’re bothering me. Please be quiet.