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32. Invitation
“Party?”
“Yeah…. Could you please accept my request?”
After that, I followed Shino-san and arrived at the courtyard. The request that Shino-san spoke while sitting on the bench installed there was an invitation to the party. When I heard the story, she said she need to bring a man as a partner.
Shino-san looked at me as if she prays with her hands around her chest.
“Please. I will do whatever, anything I can to repay this!”
….Anything? It was a really attractive word….. No, no, I should not react to that, right now I should answer her request first.
“Shino-san, please don’t say something like that.”
With that said, I put my hands on Shino-san’s shoulders and stared at her.
“If Shino-san is in trouble, I’ll gladly help you.”
I stopped the words there for a moment, then turned my serious expression into a smile, and smiled at Shino-san.
“Because Shino-san is my important friend.”
Shino-san, who heard the words, was surprised and her face turned red.
And she thanked me with a stunned expression.
“Tha, Thank you-“
It was like she had a nice dream while her eyes still opened. Her eyes were out of focus.
…..Are you alright?
“Shino-san? Shino-san?”
“Ah!”
Shino-san’ face became normal, perhaps because she finally regained her consciousness in response to my call.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t expect to get such a reply.”
“No, as I said, Shino-san is my important friend, so if you’re in trouble, it’s normal if I want to help, right?”
“Um, thank you”
With tears in her big eyes, she thanked me.
“But I don’t have any clothes to wear to the party….”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll prepare everything for you.”
“What?”
“Of course, I was me who asked you to come to the party. So, I’ll prepare everything from clothes to accessories.”
Shino-san said that to me with a smile.
“Well, I want you refrain from choosing something that is too flashy …”
“It’s okay! Don’t worry! I’ll carefully select the ones that suit you, Kohaku-kun.”
“Really, I think a suit is more than good enough.”
“It’s okay! Don’t worry!”
With a smile like the sun, she kept telling me ‘It’s okay! Don’t worry!’.
It was strange because when I heard that word, I felt that it was not okay and it made me worried.
……..No, Shino-san must have understood what I want! Yeah, Let’s think it like that. After all, that’s better for my mental health.
Anyway, I’ve decided to go, so I’ll do my best to be her partner without caring so much about the outfit!
“Then, I’ll pick you up on the day, so stay home!”
“Hmm? You’re going to pick me up?”
“Yeah, the party will be held at the hotel, so let’s go a little early. I’ll give your clothes, so change your clothes at the hotel.”
Mm? What! You just said that I’ll not know what will I wear until the day! I’m really worried…
“Aaa～, I’m really glad, if Kohaku-kun refused, I don’t know who I’ll ask.”
“What about the boys in other classes?”
“Ugh!”
Shino-san made a weird face.
“… Hmm, I haven’t know them yet.”
Well, it hasn’t been so long since we entered school.
I gave a word of comfort to Shino-san who looked a little depressed.
“After a little more time, everyone will get used to the school life and get to know each other.”
“Really? The other boys, they seemed to be difficult to approach and…”
Shino-san also said something in a very low voice.
“As long as Kohaku-kun is near me, that’s…”
Her voice was so small that I can’t hear anything she just said…
“Sorry, I couldn’t heard it Shino-san.”
“Ah! I’m sorry! It’s nothing.”
“Re-really…?”
Well, whatever?
However, Shino-san’s face, who just said it was nothing, suddenly turned red.
She might have said something embarrassing……. if only I listened to it better, I could have responded! I regretted it a little, but it can’t be helped.
Maybe she regained her composure, the redness has come off from Shino-san’s face, so I’d asked her what was in my mind.
“A party… how it looked like? I don’t know much about etiquette…..”
Shino-san thought a little about my question and then returned the answer.
“Because it’s a standing party, you don’t have to worry about etiquette, but there are many older people, so you should be careful about how you speak.”
Shino-san continued her explanation.
“Well, I don’t think Kohaku-kun need to talks much, so it’s gonna be okay. but you can’t just follow anyone when you got invited! Do you understand!?”
Oi, Am I a kid!?…. And Shino-san continued.
“Kohaku-kun, I’m worried that you’ll be deceived and ‘eaten’ by some older girl somewhere because you’re so kind.”
Perhaps she thought of the scene, her expression darken…. even though she was the one who said it.
“That’s right! I’ll give you a knife for self-defense, so in case of emergency, stab her and run away!”
…Why do you come to that conclusion!
“No, I’ll refrain from something like knife…”
“Hmm? It’s okay you know, because men are allowed to carry it for self-defense.”
…I know! I’m taught about that by my maid at home! But I don’t want to!
Looking at the clock, it was almost time for the class to start.
“It’s about time, let’s go back to the classroom.”
“Ye-Yeah.”
She replied as if she hesitated a little.
When I asked what happened, Shino-san shook her head and said, ‘Nothing.’
And she connected the words with… ‘it’s just that…’
“I wanted to stay alone with you a little longer…”
…… Yeah, she was a person who sometime said something cute.