Chapter 13: Michikusa Inori is My-Pace to the End

「Kasugai? Yeah, Kasugai.」

The next day, when Orimoto and I set foot in the classroom, a voice called out from below.

Looking down, I see swaying golden hair.

「Uohh?! ──T-That scared me...」

「It's Kasugai. No mistake.」

When I stepped back in surprise, Orimoto looked between me and the golden hair──Michikusa Inori──with a dubious expression.

And one word.

「What did you do, Kasugai-kun.」

「Nothing in parti──」

「Nothing?」

Orimoto. Me. Michikusa, we opened our mouths in that order.

That's right, that was it.

...Orimoto's figure isn't visible to Michikusa. Reacting here would be unnatural. A cough.

「Nothing, I just got a craving for natto rolls.」

「Natto rolls. I understand that feeling a little.」

「──Wha?! Natto rolls...!」

While resenting Orimoto for laughing at my poor excuse, why is Michikusa also nodding so obediently?

「But there are no natto rolls.」

「That's fine. ...So? What do you want this early in the morning? Also, we haven't talked before, have we?」

「Yeah, we haven't. This is the first time.」

With her heavy sleepy eyes unchanged, Michikusa nodded. I raised one eyebrow.

「Oii! Inori! Can't you see me?!」

Orimoto is earnestly calling Michikusa's name in her ear, but she's splendidly ignored.

Orimoto has quite a carrying voice.

There's no way anyone could remain calm after being shouted at like that, yet Michikusa is still spacing out.

「Yesterday, did you maybe help us?」

At the chain of words, dokkun.

My heart jumped twice, three times.

「When those two idiots surrounded me.」

「...Ah~, that time, that time.」

Orimoto next to me claps her hands in understanding. The sharp clapping sound echoed through the classroom.

「Hou, that's what it was. You called the police and helped Inori and Serina-senpai, right? Not bad.」

Orimoto annoyingly elbowed my side. It's slightly painful and I try not to let it show on my face.

I'll definitely complain to her later.

「Inori was watching the surroundings. Only Kasugai was making a phone call──did you call the police?」

Finally I understand too.

This is gratitude, isn't it?

I was scared, thinking it might be about my stalker-like tailing, I would have had no excuse.

This place too. The classroom entrance.

If Michikusa makes a fuss, there'd be no escape.

But if it's gratitude, there's nothing to hide. I just called them with the flow of events, it wasn't anything major.

「The police's timing was good.」

「...I just made a phone call.」

「Kasugai-kun has that side.」

What side, I glare.

「You're not pushy. Normally when you save such a beautiful girl, you'd demand thanks, right?」

Like me! Orimoto says proudly, puffing out her chest.

I figured as much. This girl really is an idiot.

While I'm ignoring Orimoto's comments, Michikusa bowed her head with a small motion. Her petite body shrinks even further.

「Thanks. That's all.」

Michikusa totters back to her seat.

I also go to my seat with the flow. Then Orimoto whispers ticklishly in my ear. It's somehow a mischievous gesture.

「You do act when it matters, Kasugai-kun.」

Orimoto was adjusting her position while talking to me, being careful not to bump into other students.

Even if she bumps into them, she'll just get strange reactions.

To avoid unnecessary trouble.

「Ah, Kasugai. One more thing.」

「Uoih?! W-What is it this time.」

Nonchalantly, Michikusa appears again suddenly.

The classroom's chatter stops for a moment at my voice.

Stop it, I hate this feeling.

However, Michikusa doesn't seem to care about my feelings at all and boldly begins connecting the conversation.

「Serina was there, so it was okay.」

「...Serina... you mean Kanzashi-senpai?」

「Yes, Serina is amazing at martial arts. So it was okay. But, thanks. Kasugai, not bad.」

Saying this, Michikusa finally settles into her seat.

How should I handle this information?

Was calling the police actually in the way?

Should I have left them alone?

「Inori is my-pace. That was her properly showing gratitude. She bites people she doesn't like.」

A helping hand when I'm wandering in the maze of thought.

Glancing sideways, Orimoto was looking at Michikusa. ...That Michikusa was sleeping.

I see, certainly my-pace.

「I think you don't need to worry about it.」

「...Was it showing on my face.」

「Yeah.」

─────

「Mu. Hard to decide.」

Michikusa was comparing breads at the school store.

「Ah, Kasugai. Which do you think is better?」

「Which is better...」

Two breads thrust toward me.

Cream bread and chocolate cornet.

Both are famously ultra-sweet, and since I'm not an extreme sweet tooth supporter, I'm troubled when asked for my opinion.

「Inori likes sweet things.」

「...That means?」

「I want to eat both.」

I was disarmed. What the heck.

The bread thrust forward tremblingly. Maybe thinking "just eat both if you can't decide" is too rough.

──Rather than that.

Why is she talking to me so casually?

According to Orimoto, it doesn't seem like I'm disliked.

However, we're not close enough to chat about daily life either. ...As expected, my-pace.

「Just eat both.」

「My stomach, won't fit. Inori eats little. ...Keiichi also went somewhere today.」

「Keiichi... ahh.」

Keiichi──I see.

Because of her lisping way of speaking, his face didn't come to mind.

The possibility of it being someone else is slim, but,

「...Keiichi, you mean Sera?」

「Yes. When Inori can't finish eating, I push it on him. Keiichi eats a lot so it's just right.」

「You rephrased leftover disposal nicely.」

Michikusa, who's surprisingly merciless toward her crush, begins groaning "Unn, unn".

And then firmly again.

「Kasugai, which side are you?」

「...First, I don't eat that many sweet things. I'm not on either side, either is fine.」

「......Wha.」

Michikusa trembled with a shocked expression.

Her hands holding the sweet bread are shaking.

Then she let out a huge sigh.

「Not eating sweet things means you're losing eighty percent of life, no, ninety percent, no, you could say one hundred percent.」

「That means my life is already dead.」

「Anyway. What a waste.」

Leaving those words, and then, with a "humph", Michikusa busily heads to the school store with an unreadable expression.

Before long, when she returned, she forcibly—

「This, try eating it. It's amazing.」

I was handed one piece of bread.

The label reads "Deluxe Extra-Large Fruit Fresh Cream Drown In It". A menacing product name.

When was this product added?

「What is this calorie bomb? This isn't even food, it's like a visual kei band song title.」

The lack of punctuation is the point... maybe?

Toward me holding the Deluxe Extra-Large Fruit Fresh Cream Drown In It, Michikusa says.

「When you eat it, you fly.」

Michikusa made a V sign with her fingers.

「──That's right, Inori will get that too. Today isn't a cream bread and chocolate cornet day.」

「Wait, it won't fit in your stomach.」

She had been torn between cream bread or chocolate cornet.

I stared at the bomb in my hand.

Overflowing fruit. Fresh cream slathered everywhere. The presence is extraordinary.

It's beyond the realm of light meals.

This is practically a main dish.

「It's okay. The current Inori is no problem.」

「Where does that baseless confidence come from.」

When I asked, after pondering for a while, Michikusa quietly murmured "No matter what".

「If it doesn't work, I'll hunt down Keiichi. Serina is also acceptable. Wasting food is evil.」

「I see. ...Well, finish eating it.」

「Good luck.」

I never expected to use "good luck" as a response, she has strange word preferences.

Michikusa Inori. A mysterious girl.

She's cute, but has a unique worldview.

「Well then, Kasugai. Let me hear your thoughts.」

「Oi! I haven't even eaten it yet──she's gone. ......Should I eat this?」

Hesitation.

Resignation.

Today's lunch is dessert-like main food.

A calorie incarnation masquerading as bread.

「...What?」

When I looked up with drooping shoulders, the gazes of guys filled with envy and malice stabbed into me.

─────

When I told her about what happened at the school store, Orimoto immediately developed a reasonably sound theory.

「Inori is really popular with boys.」

「...So I've earned resentment. Even though I'm the victim who got dragged into it by Michikusa? That's like insurance fraud.」

「Well well, if you worry about it you lose.」

It's well known that Michikusa is attached to Keiichi.

But her popularity apparently hasn't dimmed, so they were displeased that I was talking to her.

「Isn't it fine whoever talks to whoever?」

「Everyone hasn't reached enlightenment like Kasugai-kun yet. They're at the age where they get interested and like people.」

「Using energy on others is inefficient.」

「...Is that you saying that?」

Orimoto laughed quietly.

「Speaking of which, Kasugai-kun, I told you I'm fine without eating, right?」

「Ah~, did you figure something out.」

「Yeah, that's right! It seems like various things get reset when I sleep. Appetite, how my body feels!」

「...Reset.」

In the world of books, there's a narrative technique of repeating the same day.

But this is reality. I can't be optimistic.

「I wish I could reset with Keiichi too.」

「Let's continue this next time. Why do you always create these hard-to-respond-to atmospheres.」

「Kasugai-kun is the only one I can talk to about this stuff.」

「...Listen here.」

Am I thought of as a convenient complaining partner by Orimoto?

「I mean I'm relying on you. ──Eh, are you listening, Kasugai-kun? Hey hey, are you listening?」

「Ahh, I'm listening, I'm listening.」

Well, it's annoying but not enough to get angry about.

Half-listening, I peeled the wrapper of the ultra-sweet sweets-type bread-type main food and took a bite.

(...It's actually a little tasty.)