Ordinary I and Extraordinary Them Chapter 22

“About Minato, huh… Let’s see.”

I wonder if he was thinking about it. After a brief interval, Yuuto answered clearly.

“That guy, for the better or worse, never tells a lie.”

That one sentence… Yuuto’s answer for the reason of staying with me, was just that. That was the only reason, for being my friend.

The cla.s.smates, who received such short explanation and thinking the answer to be insufficient, just fell silent.

“O…Only that?”

After a short while, one person among them asked, as if voicing out everyone’s opinion.

“That much only.”

Yuuto sent back a short reply.

Eh? Truly just for that reason only?

Though it was about me, I had only been listening and not thinking, but the other students must have been thinking like that.

However, they didn’t ask any further questions. Perhaps, looking at the expression of Yuuto, they might have perceived something.

From inside this private room, s.h.i.+zuku, Kirasaka and I, could not see Yuuto directly and understand, but surely it should have been that.

Due to a casual question asked by a student, the atmosphere had changed to something serious like a funeral.
Certainly, for next few days, the person who raised this question at the beginning, will be treated from the surrounding as the instigator, who created this unpleasant atmosphere in the celebration party. “At that time, it would have fine, if you had not asked that question”, etc.

Depending on the situation, I wonder if in the future, I, the subject of the question, would be blamed for this subtle mood.

Nevertheless, it was naturally Yuuto, who changed this situation.

“Now, then… The long awaited food will get cold, so everyone should start eating quickly.”

After Yuuto turned towards everyone and declared so, gradually the conversations started returning among the students. Though, it took time for the friendly chat between students to resume, inside the store.

“s.h.i.+nra-kun doesn’t really tell lies?”

Kirasaka, who had heard Yuuto, asked while looking at my face.
With hair tucked behind her ears and strangely putting out a captivating appearance, she looked at me with a dubious expression.

I feel bad for Yuuto, but I do tell lies.

As I try replying, s.h.i.+zuku next to me, suddenly stood up.

“It is true! Minato-kun doesn’t tell lies! Since he says whatever he thinks, he doesn’t tell lies!”

“…Do you realize that you spoke a very rude thing, just now?”

Not I, but s.h.i.+zuku, who says whatever she thinks, replied to Kirasaka across the table, with a feeling of superiority.
I had thought about this during the test study period as well, but is s.h.i.+zuku not someone, who expresses what she thinks?

While I received a mental attack from an unexpected spot, Kirasaka became strangely convinced with s.h.i.+zuku’s words.

“Certainly, s.h.i.+nra-kun says what he thinks, immediately.”

“That’s right! However, there is no one like Minato-kun, whose real intentions are so easy to understand!”

Are you praising me… or making fun of me? The conversation, which was difficult to respond to, continued also after that.
In the end, s.h.i.+zuku spent most of her time together with us, in the private room and only returned to our cla.s.smates, when the bill was brought out.

By the way, when leaving the private room, s.h.i.+zuku went out normally. While I used the strategy of hiding behind the shop a.s.sistant, like an elementary school student and was able to get out without being seen.

With Yuuto leading more than 30 people simultaneously outside, the inside of store was quiet.
After confirming that everyone had went out, Kirasaka and I, left the store.

“If it was like this, won’t it have been fine, even if we had not partic.i.p.ated?”

Kirasaka expresses few words, while leaving the store.
Since wrinkles had formed on her clothes due to sitting for a long time, she adjusted them lightly with her hand.

“Because we were only drinking black tea, inside the private room.”

I had been sitting in that perfect position for a while, to avoid touching s.h.i.+zuku. While enduring the pain in my joints, I stretched my body greatly.

There were very few people around. Checking the time on smartphone, it was around 9 PM.

It was not too late, considering high school students but there were usual cla.s.ses for tomorrow as well.
For that reason, most of the students had dissolved from the group, in front of the store.

It seems that few students, under the name of an after party, went to Karaoke.
s.h.i.+zuku and Yuuto had been invited as well before leaving the store, but seemed to have refused.

“Is it better, sending you back home?”

Even though it wasn’t necessary at all, just to make sure, I asked Kirasaka.

“Even though, it is an attractive proposal, I would have to hold back this time…. I want to reserve the enjoyment for weekends.”

While refusing as such, Kirasaka started going in the opposite direction from me.

Why I felt it is was unnecessary, was because I had seen a long car stopping, a bit ahead.

I wondered, whoever tried to make a move on the girl, surely would not be able to see the morning sun…
While having this feeling of dread, I decided to return back to home, in the opposite direction.

“You were slow.”

After advancing a bit from the store, on the side of road illuminated by streetlight, I could see Yuuto leaning on the telephone pole, waiting for me.

“Were you waiting?”

“I wanted to talk for a bit.”

“…I don’t swing that way, you know?”

Without stopping in front of Yuuto, I replied while walking. Yuuto also started walking next to me.
While waiting for Yuuto to bring the subject, unexpectedly I could hear a small laugh, coming from him.

“…What are you laughing about?”

“No, it is different. I was thinking, as expected, you are the easiest to communicate with.”

While laughing in a way, which cannot be normally seen in school, Yuuto stopped in front of me.

“Since, you do not give me any preferential treatment!”

“What are you talking about? It is natural. Why should I give special treatment to a guy in the same year?”

Is he an idiot… I lightly struck Yuuto’s head.
Without avoiding the strike, “Yes.. As expected, friends have to be like this.”, Yuuto said in an incomprehensible manner.

“Wouldn’t it have been better, sending back s.h.i.+zuku instead of me?”

“Ah… That’s right.”

I had a feeling that this guy’s love won’t bear fruit.