Chapter 8: Romance Warning

Keep your voice down. But make it clear.

「──Hey, am I really necessary? I'm definitely not necessary, right? If I can go home, I'm going home.」

「I won't say you can go home.」

「My bed at home is waiting for me!」

After school, I was dragged out.

For some reason, I—Kasugai Koutarou—was appointed as Orimoto's partner, assistant, errand boy, and meal provider.

「And I still haven't agreed to this partner thing!」

「That's a decided matter, please.」

「Do you know the phrase "right of refusal"?」

The mission is to solve the problems plaguing the beautiful girl—Orimoto Suzuka—who was cut off from the world and can now only be seen by me.

(...Why me? Really, why? We're strangers, right? Eh, isn't this weird? No way, right?)

No matter how much I questioned myself, it couldn't overturn the fact that I had been designated as her partner.

As for why I was chosen for, or perhaps forced into, such an important role, I can only call it the flow of events. And it can only be described as bad luck.

「Limited sweets that everyone's sharing... gunu, gunununu!」

「Hey, are you ignoring what I said? I see, so I can interpret that as I can go home and sleep──」

「That won't do. Look at that.」

When I try to leave, my collar is forcibly grabbed and I almost stumble.

While enduring it, resignation settles in a corner of my mind.

When I look up as instructed, there's a funky store interior with a pink theme. Lots of katakana. Low consciousness. That kind of atmosphere.

At least it's not a store I would frequent; the main purpose is for Orimoto to conduct surveillance and observation.

「──They're eating so happily.」

「Yes, that's the problem! They're all sharing limited sweets parfaits togetherー.」

After school, at a nearby mall.

A group radiating a sparkling aura.

「Haah~! I want to die~! Why are they having fun without me? I mean, rather than having fun, they should remember me first?!」

「Stop the emotional roller coaster.」

「But Kasugai-kun, wouldn't you feel upset too if your close friends were having fun without you??」

「I don't have friends. I won't lose this argument.」

If we could visualize facial deviation values, this would guarantee shocking numbers. The scene spread before us was Sera's harem assembled in full force.

「Oh, this one's a new item.」

Sera slides his finger across the menu while smiling cheerfully.

He looks good wherever he is.

I even get the illusion of a halo behind him.

「──Keiichi, Inori wants to eat this.」

「Inori, you really love sweets. Got it, then let's order this one too.」

「Thanks.」

The girl—Michikusa Inori—murmured toward Sera while harboring sleepy eyes.

Even from overhearing, their closeness is clear.

Michikusa Inori is a second-year high school student in the same class as Orimoto and me. Always sleepy and goes at her own pace. What reflects in the sunlight is bleached golden hair. Above all, she's a beautiful girl famous as Orimoto's best friend.

Standing alongside Orimoto, this beautiful girl representing their class appears to be happily waiting for sweets.

「Ah, my shortcake came.」

「That's the shortcake I ordered though.」

The shortcake the waitress placed in front of me with a soft thud has a strawberry sitting cutely on top.

Orimoto casually draws it toward herself.

In front of her. A strange behavior.

「What are you, a suspicious person?」

「Muh, dishes I hold become invisible, so the first move is important~」

「At least pay me back.」

「Yes, sorry.」

Orimoto, sitting across from me, honestly bowed her head. She seems aware that she's causing me trouble.

Now, how much should I have her pay me back?

Me, sitting somewhat far from the table where Sera's group has taken position. Alone. Just one man alone.

No sign of anyone I'm waiting for.

It's not particularly that I'm viewed with suspicion or strange looks, but it's somewhat uncomfortable.

Orimoto has no hesitation.

She continues speaking without waiting for my response, and if I react to those words, we might be found out by Sera's group and the surveillance would fail. I even need to come up with unnecessary excuses. The difficulty is insane.

Just being able to infiltrate the store was a blessing.

「I thought Inori and I were best friends.」

Orimoto pouts, puffing out her lips.

「Sure, we were competing for the same guy. Even so~ this isn't right~」

「It can't be helped if they can't see you.」

「It's not just that they can't see me, I've been erased from their memories too?! That's just...」

Using abstract expressions, Orimoto looked slightly lonely as she poked at her shortcake.

Whether they can't see the fork she's gripping, or can't see the cake on the tip. This non-everyday experience full of convenient coincidences was still a continuous series of things I can't understand.

「Isn't it really that Kasugai-kun is the cause? ──You're actually a dangerous psychic or something.」

「You read too much manga. No way, no.」

「Right... Haaah.」

Since it's actually different, I can't affirm it.

Orimoto keeps glancing at Sera's group while eating her cake in small bites.

「I'll absolutely make him remember me.」

But what to do about it?

Let me organize things once.

Orimoto, triggered by something—maybe the rejection was the trigger, but there's no proof.

Anyway, she's treated as if she doesn't exist.

And currently there are no solutions at all.

No matter how many nights pass, Orimoto is still Orimoto, existing there but not existing. She was an ambiguous and hazy girl.

「How about doing something outrageous?」

Orimoto blinked at my suggestion.

「Something outrageous?」

「Yeah.」

For example, I prefaced—

「Like suddenly smacking Sera.」

「I don't think violence is okay?!」

「Like suddenly undressing Sera.」

「That's a bit──no no, that's not good! That kind of thing might be a bit too early!」

Orimoto, whose cheeks flushed slightly, shook her head vigorously left and right. What is she imagining?

「...Sorry, I meant like taking off his jacket, that level.」

「Wha?! Kasugai-kun, you meanie!」

「I'm working out strategies for you. Don't complain. I could cut our connection here if I wanted.」

It was meant as a joke.

「Ah, don't.」

A smile. But cold.

「Did I say something wrong...?」

「Mm-mm, it's fine.」

The atmosphere reset there.

When I look to see what's up, there's just the figure of Orimoto happily finishing her sweets.

「I command you, my partner Kasugai-kun!」

Eventually, after finishing eating, Orimoto declared grandly while wiping her mouth with the provided napkin.

「I want you to ask Keiichi directly!」

「......Oi, you don't mean you want me to go ask him if he remembers you, do you?」

I'll thank you for it! she begged.

As an action, it gets a passing grade. The problem is my will, and how I would even talk to Sera.

Eh, isn't this basically an impossible request?

I thought about it a bit, but I don't need to go that far for her. I'm not interested in being partners, and there's no benefit to taking on this trouble.

If this would let me date Orimoto! then there might be some value, but the chances of that are zero.

Also, romance is the ultimate pain in the ass.

「Impossible.」

「Please.」

「Impossible.」

「Please!」

「...Hey, think about it.」

I rested my cheek on my hand.

「Sera and I are strangers.」

「Well, you know, somehow or other.」

「If I could somehow get to know him, I wouldn't be rejecting this so hard. …Put more thought into it.」

Orimoto begins debating "this won't work, that won't work" with somewhat worrying huffing and puffing. The topic is Sera Keiichi.

Like me, she prefaced with "for example" and expressed her thoughts.

「Try bumping into him at a corner.」

I shook my head.

Is this the opening of a galge? Rejected. Even if we were to do it, that would be the heroine's job. Why would two guys have to collide?

「Pretend to be an old friend.」

I shook my head. I don't have a single fragment of memories with Sera. It would fall apart instantly.

And so──taking considerable time that wasn't short, Orimoto and I searched for the optimal solution.

I don't know which of us thought of it first.

「Couldn't we just ask normally?」

「I thought we could just ask normally.」

Asking normally is probably unexpectedly difficult, but if I put my mind to it, it's not impossible. If I dress it up with some random excuse, it might be easy.

However, even though I suggested it myself,

──I don't want to do it. That's all there is to it.

「...But well, even though I said it myself, I don't want to do it. That's all there is to it.」

So much so that I ended up saying it out loud.

I don't want to do it. I prefer peace, the path ahead is definitely going to be turbulent. This is why I dislike extroverts and prefer being alone.

I wouldn't go so far as to condemn building relationships as evil, but I do want to be released from this quickly.

「...I know I'm making an unreasonable request, and I'm really sorry to Kasugai-kun.」

「Hou.」

「I know, if I decide on specific thanks, will you accept? A give-and-take relationship.」

「Specific?」

When I say this, Orimoto smiles and says "Yeah".

I'm still a male high school student.

Improper thoughts briefly sprouted, and I withered them. Too quick to develop. No matter how attractive the proposal might be, there's no way I would nod──

「──Well then, for thanks... I'll listen to one request of Kasugai-kun's, anything. How about it?」

「...Hah.」

「Anything, you know? Like treating you to yakiniku, helping with studying, shoulder massage, stuff like that's fine too?」

「Are you an elementary student?」

Her repertoire is exquisitely childish.

「Don't you have anything you're bad at?」

「I'm weak in the mornings. Bad at studying. Bad with stuffy extroverts, especially ones no one's watching.」

「That's totally me, right?」

「Just your imagination.」

After Orimoto glared at me with suspicious eyes, she clapped her hands together as if she'd suddenly thought of a great idea.

「I might have thought of something good.」