Chapter 27: Weekend, just the two of us on a date?!

Time passed by, and it was Friday.

It felt like this week passed by in an instant, since I had the welcoming party yesterday and I’ve been worried about club activities all week.

After tying my shoelaces, I left the house today as well.

“I’m going!”

And… somehow, Aya and I naturally started going to school together.

It’s also because if we go together like this, we can avoid burdensome things (for example, the rush of confessions in front of the school gate, murmurs).

Aya: Shall we go now?

Rina: Yeah!

Since we have Life, we can meet at the exact midpoint if we coordinate with each other like this.

But…

Many students at Takamari Academy come to school by car, but Aya and Mizuki always insist on walking to school.

Even though Aya and Mizuki’s families are among the most prestigious families.

‘Are they both surprisingly simple?’

But when I walk with them like this, that thought disappears as if it were washed away.

Kind Aya, or lively Mizuki.

Their families had no influence between us.

“What are you going to do this weekend?”

Aya asked quietly on the way to school.

I thought for a moment, put my hand on my lip, and tilted my head.

“Uh, weekend…? I don’t have any big plans.”

Then Aya smiled at me as usual.

“Since there’s festival preparation, shall we meet this weekend?”
“Uh, yeah!”

I answered casually.

Was it like this in the novel too?

As always, we met Mizuki at the midpoint and arrived at school, and Friday’s classes passed without incident.

**

And… the weekend.

I came out to Shirasaki Street, the meeting place.

It’s a shopping street a little far from the Takamari Academy area, but I heard that many Takamari students come here.

It’s also a street that the protagonist in the novel often came to.

Today, I wore the clothes that Aya and I decided to match through Li○e.

The combination of the blouse and black skirt that we bought together at the department store last time.

Actually, I didn’t plan to wear this, but I couldn’t refuse when Aya said, ‘Will you wear the clothes I bought you last time?’.

‘My mom asked why I was going out wearing such pretty clothes…’

Looking at this outfit again at the meeting place, it’s a little burdensome.

But since it’s a promise, maybe Aya and Mizuki will wear matching clothes too?!

I adjusted my bag strap and sighed for a moment, when I saw familiar silver hair in the distance.

A calm gait and an always calm expression.

And…

‘Ah, Aya is perfect today too!’

I admired unconsciously and suddenly realized.

‘Huh?’

The presence that should naturally be by Aya’s side.

Mizuki is not there.

“Uh, huh? Mizuki…?”

I don’t see Mizuki, who I thought would naturally be by Aya’s side.

“Just the two of us?”

Aya tilted her head slightly and said softly.

“Yeah, the two of us.”

I barely swallowed the scream that was about to come out.

A feeling of embarrassment enveloped my whole body.

‘Mizuki… or rather, where’s the protagonist!! This is not the development!!’

But no matter where I looked around, I couldn’t hear the familiar lively voice.

Aya was still looking at me with the same gentle smile, and I had no choice but to nod at that gaze.

“Let’s go, Rina.”

I had no choice but to nod.

“Uh-huh… let’s go.”

No no no!

Normally, Mizuki would liven up the atmosphere and make me feel comfortable.

But just the two of us like this… uh, where are we going?

“By the way, where are we going today?”

I opened my mouth awkwardly.

Then Aya answered with a still relaxed expression.

“Well… We’ll talk about the festival and the student council work. I’m also curious about Rina’s opinion as an outsider.”

Uh, that’s not sincere.

I know too. No, I felt it from the beginning.

The way Aya treats me is a little different.

Aya now is definitely in ‘dere’ mode. I don’t know why she skipped the ‘tsun’ mode in an instant, but this Aya is in ‘dere’ mode to the point that the protagonist would be scared.

But, knowing that doesn’t change my answer.

“Yeah! I think it would be good to talk leisurely.”

Even while saying that, I was nervous inside.

I like Aya. I like her so much that it’s a problem.

But our relationship is…

Because I’m not a man like in my past life, I can’t get as close as real couples.

‘So as a friend, as a harmless friend…’

I braced myself not to cross that line.

Aya is being kind as usual, I said.

If I don’t think like that, I might cross the line first.

I’m a ‘harmless friend’.

“It’s lunchtime, so shall we eat lunch first?”

“Yeah, where should we eat?”

“How about a family restaurant?”

“Sounds good!”

The place we went to was a family restaurant that Aya had already made a reservation for.

Actually, it seemed like she suggested it casually, but seeing that a reservation and a room were prepared in advance, Aya was thorough as expected.

As expected, Aya has a plan.

Because of that flawless personality, she’ll collapse while preparing for the spring festival… but that won’t happen as long as I’m here.

“What do you want to eat, Rina?”

Aya, who opened the menu, asked quietly.

I casually scanned the menu and checked the prices first.

‘Something that’s not too burdensome… With Aya’s personality, she’ll definitely pay even if I say I’ll pay…’

“Curry rice?”

I chose a normal menu.

Since it says it’s a recommended menu, it’ll be safe, right?

I looked up at Aya… and her silver hair looked so shiny today.

‘Ah… just the two of us with Aya…’

My heart is pounding.

Aya looked at me with softly shining eyes.

“Curry rice? Is that what Rina likes?”

“Yeah…! Because it’s delicious.”

Aya nodded slightly and looked at the menu.

“The steak and lobster set is good here. Do you not like meat?”

“What… Is that so? But it’s too burdensome…”

I smiled awkwardly and fiddled with my hair with my fingertips.

Aya looked at me quietly and then slightly raised the corners of her lips.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to feel burdened.”

The moment Aya in front of me looked so sweet, my face gradually heated up.

Is this atmosphere really okay?

‘Am I the only one who’s flustered…? Aya seems to be her usual self, am I the only one like this?’

I pointlessly picked up the glass of water on the table and put it down again.

My throat and heart felt dry.

If Aya noticed this appearance of mine… no, Aya would have noticed it already, right?

“Rina.”

“Uh-huh…!”

My body flinched at Aya’s sudden call.

“You’re not sick, are you?”

“Ah, no! I’m not sick, not at all…!”

“I was so surprised when you got hurt during the first PE class.”

“Ah, ah… that’s right.”

When I thought of that time, I felt a momentary tingling sensation in my ankle.

But now I can confidently say that it’s completely healed.

The recovery power of a first-year high school student cannot be ignored.

“So, how is Takamari?”

“Takamari?”

“Yeah.”

“Takamari is… nice, it’s a really good academy.”

“Really? But wouldn’t it be a burdensome academy?”

“Hmm… It was like that at first, but maybe not now.”

“It’s not a normal academy, after all.”

Aya thought so too.

It’s rare to think that your school is not normal… Aya is different as expected.

“How about the student council? You just joined the day before yesterday, but Fujimoto is there, isn’t it a little difficult?”

“Uh, uh? No! It’s okay because Aya is there.”

“Is that so… I’m not that great of a person.”

“No! Aya is great.”

I ended up speaking emphatically without realizing it.

And I suffered a huge internal injury from the next question.

If this were a manga, it would be an internal injury that would cause blood to spurt out of my nose.

“Then… me?”

‘Ah, uh…?’

Well, Aya is…

Aya is… that…

‘RinaRina, get a hold of yourself. If you slip up here, it’s over!’

I waved my hands in a fluster.

“Fr, friend! A very close friend…!”

“I see? That’s a relief.”

Aya added, ‘I’m somehow relieved…’, and there was a subtle sense of disappointment for some reason.

‘Why, why are you relieved?!’

I shouted desperately internally.

Between girls… you can’t cross the line.

This is also an important matter for Aya, what kind of family is Aya’s family?

So, girls and girls… can’t produce an heir.

‘Tha, tha… If you’re going to do the ips thing that appears in yuri works… is it possible? No! That’s not it, ugh! My head must have gotten hot and cooked.’

My head felt like it was going to explode from confusion.

Then Aya quietly burst into laughter.

“Rina, you’re cute.”

I blinked blankly.

‘…What did I do?!’

I carefully looked at Aya, and Aya was looking at me with a contented smile.

“Uh-huh…”

I let out a small groan.

Then Aya tilted her head slightly towards me and whispered.

“I can see that Rina keeps trying to read my expressions~”

“What… me? No! No way…!”

I hurriedly denied it, but Aya smiled even more playfully and said.

“But, I don’t want to tell you my true feelings~?”

Aya’s playful voice was heard.

‘Ah, this is… bad.’

I don’t only know Aya’s true feelings.

It’s all the scenes where you flirt with the protagonist in the original novel.

And this appearance… the mischievous Aya appears… it’s already 8 out of 10 stages of favorability.

Aya was still looking at me and smiling, and I looked at Aya and desperately repeated internally.

‘It’s okay, Rina, you’re a harmless friend. You’re nothing…’

But my heart was beating faster and faster, whether it knew my heart or not.

In the end, I picked up the glass of water and gulped it down, hoping to calm down.