The hamburger shop has two floors. The store is on the first floor and the second floor is the dining area.
Perhaps since it was the morning of a rest day for everyone, there weren’t many customers.
Most of the seats were empty.
I went to a four person table with Shirousa-san and we sat across from each other/on opposite sides.
I was hungry, so I ordered a morning set that could fill my stomach.
Shirousa-san hated the idea of me treating her, so she stubbornly said, “I only want water,” and didn’t order anything.
I thought of getting the milk tea Hina drinks all the time for her, but I would be too pushy if I forcibly treated her so I gave up.
She can drink water for free; if she wants something, I can just get it for her.
“This is my cola. If you want it, you can……”
“Don’t need it.”
“You can eat my fries too……”
“Don’t need it.”
After such an exchange, I reached out to my breakfast while being crushed by the fact that I’ve been completely rejected.
I feel bad for eating by myself, but I lost to the hunger in my stomach and bit into the burger with tomato and lettuce inside.
Well then, how should I break the ice?
Is it better to ignore the topic and just start with some small talk first?
But if I stray too far from the topic, the sun will set.
Shirousa-san was looking down at the cup and seemed to be lost in thought.
Even though she’s only using one hand to hold the cup, it looks like she can crush it at any moment.
“I heard from Miyuki-kun just now.”
As I started talking, she looked over at me.
“Did Shirousa-san start training for Miyuki-kun’s sake?”
“It’s none of Amachi-kun’s business.”
It was an immediate reply.
“You’re right, but……”
I don’t know how I should continue this conversation.
As I thought, it’s impossible for me to start with small talk.
It’s troublesome to think about it, and Shirousa-san wouldn’t want to waste her time unnecessarily either.
Directly asking her is the best choice.
“I can’t say it well, so I’ll say it as it is. It seems like Miyuki-kun thinks that Shirousa-san is forcing yourself to train so you can protect him.”
“That kid is…..?”
Seeing Shirousa-san making an expression I don’t usually see, I smiled wryly as I continued.
“And so, he showed me the photo of Shirousa-san when you were younger before you started your training. But he boasted to me, saying that you were really cute. He said that was originally his sister’s appearance.”
“That’s……”
“‘I want to see her original appearance,’ he said.”
Shirousa-san was frowning and looked sad.
She seemed to be very perplexed.
“Is the reason you’re training exactly what Miyuki-kun thought it was?”
“……It’s your fault.”
“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
I was glared at for a second there, but I couldn’t hear what she said.
There seems to be a profound reason.
It’s bad to ask about it against her will, so I will not pursue it any further.
“Will you stop training?”
“I can’t do that!”
I felt a strong will of ‘that’s the only thing I will not give up’ in her prompt reply.
What made her like this?
However, seeing her like this, I understand Miyuki-kun’s feelings somehow.
It sounds like she’s overdoing it. Rather, she seems really tense.
I want her to be more relaxed and I’m sure Miyuki-kun wants to see her smile more.
Since it has come to this……I might offend her and Miyuki-kun will probably be mad at me, but I’ll talk about it.
“I’m going to talk about something painful, but……”
I prefaced my following remarks.
“Miyuki-kun’s classmates were making fun of Shirousa-san, saying you were brawny.”
“Eh.”
To put it badly, I’m informing her that Miyuki-kun is being made fun of because of her.
If Shirousa-san knew about this, she would feel hurt. And Miyuki-kun would also feel hurt if his sister is hurt.
There’s nothing good about this.
Which is why I feel like a bad person for telling her this.
But I think it will make Shirousa-san change for the better.
I’m a coward for using Miyuki-kun’s feelings against her and driving her into a corner, but……
“Miyuki-kun got angry and almost got into a fight because he loves Shirousa-san.”
“No way……That kid is being made fun of because of me?”
She’s probably really shocked.
When I saw her in a daze from the shock, I felt sorry.
“Sorry, I said hurtful things.”
“No, thank you. Even though I wanted to protect him, because of me……”
“Miyuki-kun is a strong kid. He got so angry for his sister.”
“Is, that so……”
I could tell that she was depressed from her drooping well-trained shoulders.
“You should listen to Miyuki-kun’s request.”
“You mean to stop training?”
“Well, I guess so. You say it’s to protect him, but there are many other ways to protect him too. Why don’t you try to ‘change your way of protecting him’?”
Listening to my words, Shirousa-san looked down and was thinking of something.
I patiently waited for Shirousa-san to start talking.
After a while, Shirousa-san looked up straight into my eyes.
Her face looks like she made a decision, but……
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Don’t go close to Miyuki.”
“Eh, me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like it.”
She’s making it sound like I’m someone dangerous, but……am I imagining things?
Did she find out that I wanted to kidnap her brother?
“But I made a promise with him to be his friend.”
I looked at Shirousa-san dejectedly.
I was going to cry already.
“……Then, you can only talk to him when I’m there and if you have business with him, you gotta go through me. If I can protect him like this, then I’ll be reassured.”
You’re really treating me as a bacteria.
Or a stalker.
“Be sure to go through the manager,” kinda thing.
“……I don’t really understand, but sure, I got it. If that can convince Shirousa-san.”
There are some parts that I’m not satisfied with, but if it can make Shirousa-san and Miyuki-kun get along with each other, then that’s fine.
I want to cry though!
I never thought that she would hate me so much!
I felt hungry from being sad.
I’m eating out of stress.
“I’ll get something to eat again. Shirousa-san……”
“Don’t need it.”
“Of course!”
You don’t need food that’s bought by bacteria!
I ran to the first floor crying to get another burger.
When I returned with a freshly made hamburger, someone was sitting in the seat where I was sitting.
She’s talking to Shirousa-san.
I wonder if she’s also her friend.
She has twin tails with pink hair, but she seems familiar……
When I got closer to them, I heard their conversation.
Rather than conversation, it was Shirousa-san being called names one-sidedly.
“It can’t be helped if it’s Sakurai-san, but why are you, a gorilla that doesn’t even look like a girl, together with Amachi-kun!”
“We met by chance.”
“Lies! You say that, but aren’t you actually pretending to not care about being near him!? You couldn’t even give that towel to me! The time you picked up my phone accessory too, you knew Amachi-kun was there and pretended to be kind, right? You did it on purpose so I would be hated by him, didn’t you!?”
“You’re wrong.”
“Even though you’re a girl, you’re so muscular that it’s disgusting! Don’t go near Amachi-kun from now on!”
I couldn’t see her face, but she sounds like the mean girl from before.
She’s quite selfish and she’s saying such mean things.
I swiftly sat in the seat next to the mean girl.
“No, I’ll be troubled if you told her to not go near me without my consent.”
As I objected to it while looking at her, the girl seemed to be unaware that I was coming back and her body froze.
“Shouldn’t you apologize to Shirousa-san? Imagine how hurtful it is being told ‘You’re disgusting,’ by someone.”
I said as I unwrapped the wrapper of the burger I bought.
“Didn’t you learn that you shouldn’t do things that you don’t like to other people when you were younger?”
“I, I……”
She looked quite agitated and was tearing up, but I won’t be sweet to her unless she apologizes to Shirousa-san.
Previously, she left without thanking her too, so let’s make sure she apologizes to her this time.
“No, I was wrong. To avoid further misunderstandings, I will never talk to Amachi-kun ever again.”
“Eh, wai-…..I feel really sad right now……!?”
Shirousa-san bravely declared her last farewell and left.
“That’s why she stands out so much!”
“No, I honestly think so from the bottom of my heart. If you want, I don’t mind writing an oath.”
“To that extent!?”
Excuse me, but I would like to talk to Shirousa-san!
I still have the promise just now, and if I can’t talk to Shirousa-san then I can’t talk to Miyuki-kun either.
I don’t want that!
“Well then, Amachi-kun should send her back. I’ll go back alone.”
“Wait a minute.”
Shirousa-san ignored me and left the store.
”
”
“Amachi-kun, I……”
The girl next to me was trying to say something, but I had to go after Shirousa-san.
“Sorry, I’ll be going. Ah, eat this. I haven’t taken a bite yet.”
I handed her the unwrapped burger, and hurriedly chased after Shirousa-san.