Chapter 4 A toast to the celebration!!!
The Morning After Successfully Fending Off the Stalker
I woke up to a refreshing morning, basking in the sense of accomplishment. But let me cut to the chase and tell you what happened to me.
—My legs gave out.
I woke up and my legs just gave out. Honestly, it might’ve been the first time in my life that’s ever happened. And yeah, when your legs give out, it feels like your brain glitches. Well, I guess it was a good experience. Not that it’s a piece of knowledge I’ll ever need again.
And the reason my legs gave out? It was because of the endless stream of messages still flooding my phone from LONE.
Mei: Today, I’d like to go to school together!
Yuzu: Ok.
Yuzu: (Sticker of a kitten holding up a sign that says “OK”)
Mei: Thank you so much!
Mei: By the way, is there a specific time we’re meeting?
“Wait, what? I’m actually going to school with the two beautiful girls in the grade? This has to be a dream, right? There's no way this is real...”
I brought my phone closer to my face and read the messages over and over, but the screen didn’t change. It still showed the same chat. To confirm if this was reality, I decided to slam my pinky toe against the corner of the closet—pretty hard, too.
“?! Ow-ow-ow! Crap, I seriously overdid it! That hurts like hell!!!”
The impact was way stronger than I intended. The pain was so intense that I didn’t even care when my phone fell to the floor. Instead, I grabbed my left pinky toe and writhed in pain.
There I was, clutching my toe in agony first thing in the morning, alone in my room. What a pitiful sight. But thanks to that mind-numbing pain, I was now certain—this wasn’t a dream.
Totally not worth it.
“Wait, I’ve got only ten minutes until the meeting time?! Crap, I need to hurry!”
Just as I was panicking, I caught sight of the time on my fallen phone. But the sharp pain shooting through my pinky toe left me completely immobilized. I was still on the floor, writhing, unable to even stand.
Damn it... If only I’d realized this was reality sooner, I wouldn’t have had to suffer like this! I wish I could go back a few minutes and smack some sense into my past self—before he slammed his toe!
Despite my regrets, I wiped the tears from my eyes and dragged my aching foot out of the room. I clung to the stair rail, putting all my weight on it just to get downstairs.
Once I got past the stairs, I thought I’d be in the clear. But I’d forgotten—someone else was home.
“Yo, still waking up late, huh—wait, what happened? Why are you limping like that?”
It was my older brother, sprawled out on the sofa in his pajamas, messing around on his phone. His eyes widened when he saw me dragging my foot and struggling to move.
I shot him a sharp glare as I hobbled toward the bathroom, careful not to aggravate my injury.
“I stubbed my toe. Pretty obvious, isn’t it, you useless jerk?”
The last thing I needed was someone asking stupid questions. I had no time to waste.
But when my brother heard my answer, his eyes widened even more—before he burst out laughing.
“Pfft! Bwahaha! So that’s what that loud bang upstairs was? Man, that’s pathetic! Hahahahaha!”
You’ve gotta be kidding me! Laughing like that just because it wasn’t his toe?!
“This is why I never wanna see you first thing in the morning! Just go to university already, you half-neet loser!”
“Too bad! I don’t have class until noon today!”
“Mother! Oh Mother! Please come back and smack this idiot upside the head!”
“Too late. Mom already left.”
"...N-Next time, I’ll really make you pay! I’ll tell Akari-san about this too!"
"What—?! That’s not fair! Akari’s got nothing to do with this!"
"Shut it. That’s the punishment for underestimating your little brother."
We threw insults back and forth as usual. Still, since my upper body was unscathed, I washed my face, brushed my teeth, took care of my breath, and carefully put on my uniform pants and socks—extra cautious because of my injured toe. Without even grabbing breakfast, I dashed out the door.
Time taken: nine minutes. Time it would take to run to the meeting spot: about five minutes.
In other words...
“I’m totally gonna be late, damn it!!!”
Still, I sprinted as fast as I could, determined to arrive even a little earlier.
"—And that's how it all went down. Yep."
"...Idiot."
"I have no excuse."
"Um… w-well, it couldn’t be helped, right!?"
"Yeah, Himeno-san’s kindness is really soothing my battered heart..."
"W-Wait! My words aren’t that powerful, okay!?"
As expected, when I confessed everything to the two girls after my spectacular late arrival, Yuzu mocked me just as I’d predicted, while our goddess Himeno graciously tried to cover for me.
Well, I was completely at fault this time. Being scolded and laughed at by Yuzu was only natural. Honestly, if she’d smiled and said, "It's okay," I might've been so freaked out that I’d drop to my knees and apologize right then and there.
In reality, I was a few minutes late. By the time I arrived, the two of them were already waiting, and I immediately bowed and apologized.
"Whatever, let’s just go," Yuzu said.
"Yes, everyone makes mistakes. Just be more careful next time," Himeno added with a gentle smile.
"Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind."
Yuzu shot me a brief, exasperated look before starting to walk, her face cool and composed. Himeno, as kind as ever, encouraged me with a soft smile. And me? The so-called bad boy, followed behind them respectfully.
Still though... I mean, c’mon. Anyone would think it was a dream, right? Waking up to messages from beautiful girls asking to walk to school together? No way you’d think that's real.
And one more thing...
"Um… why exactly am I walking between you two? Honestly, it’s super uncomfortable..."
Although I was supposed to be following behind, Yuzu and Himeno had positioned themselves to walk on either side of me. If anyone from school saw us like this, it’d definitely spark a whole new wave of rumors.
Seriously, can we not do this? Couldn’t they walk side by side, and I just trail along on the side or something? That’d be way less nerve-wracking. No? Not an option? Great...
"...I feel like I’m gonna get stabbed at some point."
"Mm. Don’t know."
"Don’t know?! If you’re my friend, at least care a little about my safety!"
"I think it’s fine the way it is!" Himeno added with an earnest smile.
"Himeno-san too?!"
God... it seems I have no allies.
With no other choice, I continued walking to school, sandwiched between the two girls. But from my perspective—and probably anyone else’s—it looked like I was flanked by two flowers. The stares from passersby were painful, to say the least. Even random strangers were doing double, even triple-takes.
Well... to be fair, these two are prettier than most idols or actresses, so it’s no wonder they attract attention.
Still, if people could just stop giving me that "What’s a plain guy like him doing between those two beauties?" look, that’d be great! I don’t know why either, okay!? I even tried switching places, but whenever I stopped, the two of them stopped too! What was I supposed to do?!
"Eh, Eita, you're acting super suspicious."
"Whose fault do you think that is...? Ugh, I’m too tired to even argue anymore..."
As more of our schoolmates started to appear, I resigned myself to the inevitable rumors that would spread. Probably the kind that’d drag my reputation down even further. I mean, if there was a school caste system, I’d be at the bottom of the bottom.
"Alright, I give up. I’ll just stick close to you two and hope I don’t get stabbed."
"Mm, leave it to me. I’m the Iron Wall Guardian."
"Fufu, let’s have lots of fun together today!"
Ah... being invited to hang out by cute girls sure feels great.
But also, Yuzu? What was that nickname, "Iron Wall Guardian"? That’s like... tossing weirdness into an already weird stew. It was so bad, I didn’t even know how to respond.
Just as I was thinking that, a realization hit me like a truck.
...Wait. What am I supposed to do in the classroom when these two aren’t around?!
I buried my face in my hands.
□
"…You're in Some Serious Trouble, Huh."
"...Man, I feel really guilty now, thinking it was kinda our fault for egging you on."
After splitting up with the girls, I tried my best to slip into the classroom unnoticed… but, well, school doors are surprisingly loud when they open and close. No matter how much I tried to blend in, the sound gave me away.
In other words—yeah, I totally stood out.
I’m calm enough now to chat with Kazuki and Kota, but the moment I walked into the classroom? It was brutal. Seems like a lot of people had seen me walking to school with the two most beautiful girls in our grade. The moment I stepped inside, it was like getting hit with a barrage of questions—more like an interrogation, really. It felt like hell.
"...High schoolers starved for romance are terrifying."
As I nervously endured the stares from my classmates, Kazuki gave me a look that screamed, "What the hell are you on about?" and pointed straight at me.
"Dude, you're a high schooler too."
"Shut it. I’m not just any high schooler—I’m one who's starved for romance and dead inside. And you guys better stay away from me unless you want trouble."
"Wow. You're actually a really good guy, huh?"
"Right? You act all tough, but then you throw us a curveball with that kindness. Gonna catch a cold from that mood swing."
I shot them my best delinquent glare and waved them off like I was chasing away stray cats. They just chuckled and headed back to their seats.
And of course, once they were gone, the silence around me felt deafening. Every glance from my classmates burned into me, but the moment I met their eyes, they’d immediately look away. No one dared talk to me. It was a vicious cycle, and I was already feeling like I might cry.
That’s when my phone, which I’d set to silent, started buzzing in my pocket—repeatedly.
Probably just Yuzu messaging me to hang out after school, or asking about the lunch. She only ever messages me, which makes her a bit of a loner too, honestly. (Yeah, I know. The irony.)
Thinking that, I pulled out my phone and checked the notifications.
Yuzu: Let’s have a party.
Yuzu: To celebrate getting rid of the stalker.
Yuzu: (Stamp of a smug-looking cat)
Mei: Sounds great!
Mei: When is it?
Mei: (Stamp of a girl with "Mei" written on her shirt, tilting her head with a question mark over it)
Yuzu: Today.
Yuzu: After school.
Mei: Today? I have a shift at the café…
Yuzu: Then we’ll just go to your café.
Mei: If that’s okay, then I think I can do it.
Yuzu: Eita, you’re coming too.
Yuzu: No choice.
Yuzu: (Stamp of a black cat with a creepy smile)
…Wow. They just went ahead and decided everything without me. Do they even care that I might have plans? And how do you completely ignore the MVP's (me, obviously) opinion? I’d really like to know.
"Hmm... Yep, same old bossy Yuzu."
This level of shamelessness… As someone with a weak mentality, I almost admire it.
I mean, seriously—how did I end up as part of a group with two beautiful girls? That’s kind of impressive, right? Probably living a more fulfilling life than most of those social butterflies… Nah, scratch that. They’re probably off flirting with their cute girlfriends or whatever. Not that I’m jealous. Not even a little. Maybe just a tiny bit. Like, the size of a fingernail.
While I was lost in that totally-not-jealous train of thought, another message popped up on LONE.
Yuzu: Eita, reply.
Panicking, I hurriedly typed out a response.
Eita: Hey, Yuzu.
Eita: Don’t just ignore my opinion.Yuzu: So you're not coming?
Eita: Of course I’m coming.
Mei: So you're coming, huh? lol
Eita: What guy wouldn't come when invited by you two?
Yuzu: I'm not inviting anyone but Eita.
…What exactly is that supposed to mean?
I froze, my thumb hovering over my phone as my mind raced. For once, I didn't care about the stares burning into me from all directions.
If this was a normal conversation between a guy and a girl, I’d definitely think she was hinting at something. And if it wasn’t? Then she was acting way too misleading, and people would probably start calling her a "femme fatale" behind her back.
But this is Yuzu we’re talking about. Yuzu, who looks like she couldn’t care less about romance. Yuzu, who rejected me on the spot without a second thought. There's no way she meant anything sweet or romantic by that. Right?
Eita: …What do you mean by that?
Yuzu: You're the only guy I have on LINE.
Eita: Ah, gotcha.
Yep. Figured as much. Totally knew that already. Honestly, it was so typical of Yuzu that it actually calmed me down. Not that I've known her long enough to call anything "typical," but still.
Eita: By the way, where does Himeno-san work?
Mei: Ah, I’ll send the address.
Mei: (Photo sent)
Mei: Also, sorry, but I’ll have to head there earlier because of my shift.
Yuzu: Okay.
Yuzu: (Stamp of a cat giving a thumbs-up)
Eita: Got it.
Eita: Then Yuzu and I will meet at the place from the photo.
Yuzu: Eita, meet me at the front gate.
...Maybe this girl is just a little clueless.
The main gate is the route almost every student uses to go home. So, if I—currently the talk of the school—stand around waiting there, it's obvious that tons of students are going to see me. And the moment they realize I'm waiting for Yuzu? Yeah, it's not hard to imagine what happens next.
—More weird rumors.
I seriously can't handle any more baseless gossip. So, I have to convince her to change the meeting spot.
Eita: No way.
Eita: It’ll be too noticeable.
Eita: Let’s meet somewhere else.
Alright, how about that?
Yuzu: Okay.
"—Yes! Got it, finally...!"
Relief washed over me so hard I actually pumped my fist in victory. I was genuinely grateful that Yuzu listened to my request so easily. For a moment, hope bloomed inside me.
But I couldn't let my guard down yet. I had to suggest a better place and get her to agree—only then could I relax. Until that happened, I had to stay sharp.
Determined, I looked back at my phone.
Yuzu: The front gate, in front of my classroom, or in front of yours.
Yuzu: Which one do you prefer?
Eita: …Front gate, then.
Faced with that unexpected three-choice ultimatum, I gave up almost instantly.
□
Eita: Sorry!
Yuzu: You're late.
Eita: I just finished, heading over now.
Yuzu: Full-speed sprint.
Yuzu: (Cat glaring sticker)
"This girl seriously loves cats. How many cat stickers does she even have...? She should just open a cat café or something."
When you have something fun to look forward to, time moves way faster than you'd expect. Before I knew it, the school day was over.
As I rushed down the stairs, my phone kept buzzing with an endless barrage of cat stickers from Yuzu. My face twitched every time I glanced at the screen—or when I nearly slipped on the steps.
"Damn it, Yuzaki-sensei... Why’d he have to go off on a tangent today of all days? Though I guess it worked out—I'm missing the worst of the after-school crowd."
Yeah, the reason I was in such a hurry was because our usually no-nonsense homeroom teacher, Yuzaki, had randomly decided to give an unusually long speech during the final homeroom session.
Which is why I was now half-tumbling down the stairs in my rush to get out of here.
"Yuzu's probably pissed..."
The thing about Yuzu is that even when she's mad, her expression doesn’t change much. Instead, the vibe around her gets ice cold, and her gaze could freeze you solid. It's honestly terrifying.
As I was stressing over how to face her, I finally reached the school gate—our designated meeting spot—and, yep, there she was.
Yuzu stood there alone, idly messing with her phone, radiating an unmistakable aura of annoyance. Maybe that's why, despite catching the attention of nearly every student passing by, not a single one dared to approach her.
Still popular but somehow untouchable, I thought as I approached, only for Yuzu to notice me. She frowned slightly, crossing her arms and standing firmly in my path.
"You're late."
"I'm really sorry! But, like, I do have a legit reason this time!"
"You’re treating me."
"Of course I’m not goi—...fine, whatever."
"...Eh?"
What, seriously? Do you not realize how rude that was? What exactly do you think of me?
I mean, sure, it wasn’t entirely my fault, but I'd made her wait long enough. I figured I'd just accept her demand this once, but for some reason, she looked genuinely surprised.
Of course, I couldn’t let that slide.
"You're just lazy. No sense of responsibility."
"Ugh... Okay, sure, but come on! I'm just a high school student! Not like I can toss around cash like it's nothing. You're the weird one for being able to do that!"
"Mei's already there. Let's go."
"Wow. You switch moods fast."
Just like that, the annoyed Yuzu vanished, and she walked off with her usual calm, indifferent expression. Her pace was impossible to keep up with, and all I could do was sigh and follow after her.
That's when I noticed it. The stares. Not just directed at Yuzu—but at me, too.
Feeling uneasy, I tried to eavesdrop on the whispers around us.
"...Isn't that him? That guy everyone's been talking about lately? I heard he's trying to get with Himeno too."
"Seriously? Isn't he afraid of that fan club? Those guys are basically monsters. I'd back off fast."
...Fan club?
Wait. Hold on. Is this school really hiding some extreme, cult-like fan club? The kind you only hear about in idol horror stories? And... the two of them have fan clubs like that?
From the way they were talking, it sounded like these fan clubs actively worked to get rid of anyone who got too close. And they weren’t just rumors—they were apparently feared for a reason.
Which means... me.
"...Yeah, nope. Not gonna think about it."
"Hm? Eita?"
"N-Nope, nothing! Just excited! Really looking forward to today!"
I knew it was pure escapism, but I pushed all those dark thoughts aside. I focused on the happy, fun plans in front of me—anything to avoid the piercing gaze of Yuzu and the looming shadow of whatever rumors were swirling around me.
□
"...So this is Himeno-san's part-time job..."
Lost in my perfect little world of escapism, I stood outside a cozy-looking café that gave off the same vibe as a Komeda Coffee. It seemed like an independent place, the kind I'd usually pass by without a second glance.
But knowing Himeno worked here? Suddenly, I felt like I could visit every day.
Ah, the power of a beautiful girl. If I spread this info around school, would I become a local hero? Maybe Himeno's pay would even go up. Not that I'd actually do it—it'd definitely be a nuisance for her. And if that were enough to raise her pay, I'm sure Himeno herself would've already made it happen. She’s got way more influence than I do.
As I stood there, lost in thought while staring at the café's exterior, Yuzu—clearly running out of patience—grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the entrance.
"Come on. Let's go."
"W-Wait, hold on! I need some time to mentally prepare—"
"Welcome! A table for two?"
"...?"
"Mm."
"Right this way, please."
Before I could even steady my nerves, I was practically dragged inside. And just like that, my paper-thin emotional defenses were instantly shattered.
There she was—Himeno. Wearing an apron and a beret, she greeted us with a sweet but slightly nervous smile. It was almost too much. Maybe it was because she knew us, but the way her cheeks were flushed with a shy pink, yet she still tried her best to uphold her professional demeanor... Yeah. That struggle only made her cuter.
"...Sasaki-kun?"
"Don't mind me. I'll be gone soon enough."
...Okay, that sounded kind of insulting. But whatever. I'll let it slide, just this once. After all, it’s hard to stay mad at a cute waitress. She should be grateful I'm such a forgiving guy.
Tossing out a few half-hearted thoughts to keep myself from totally losing it, I somehow managed to pull myself back from the brink of emotional collapse. We followed Himeno and sat down at a four-person table.
Just as I was about to catch my breath, a man stepped out from the back. He looked exactly like the kind of stylish older gentleman you'd expect to run a place like this. With a warm smile, he greeted us.
"Thank you very much for visiting. I'm the manager of this café—though my name's not important. Just call me 'Manager.' By the way... are you two friends of our poster girl, Mei-chan? So, what do you think of her outfit?"
"It's absolutely adorable. If I could see her like this every day, I'd come here even if it meant crossing prefectures. You've got a keen eye, Manager. I'm ready to follow you for life."
"Nn. Super cute. Perfect for Mei."
"Haha! Right? Right? I had this outfit custom-made just for beautiful Mei-chan. You can't let her wear anything half-baked, you know?"
Man... this guy gets it. Sure, a beauty like Mei can pull off any outfit, but when she's in something truly perfect, her cuteness multiplies by ten. And knowing that? This manager... he’s a genius. Yeah, I'm definitely sticking by his side for life.
"P-Please, stop...! It's embarrassing being complimented so much like this!"
While I was staring at the manager with newfound respect, Himeno was getting overwhelmed by the barrage of compliments from the three of us. Her face was bright red, her hands covering her cheeks, trembling with embarrassment. Which, of course, only made her even cuter.
But... why is it? A mischievous urge was starting to rise in me. I felt like if I pushed her just a little more, I might witness something truly wonderful... My instincts were telling me to go for it.
I glanced at the other two—and sure enough, Yuzu and the manager seemed to be thinking the same thing. Despite this being their first meeting, the three of us exchanged a wordless glance, perfectly in sync.
"Mm. Mei's cute all the time. I wanna take a picture."
"Leave it to me, Yuzu. I brought my DSLR just for moments like this."
"Nice. For Eita, that's pretty impressive."
"Splendid, young man. Now, hand me that camera. I'll take the pictures for you. I used to be a photographer, you know."
"Ah... Ah..."
Before Himeno could even react, the three of us had already decided her fate, ignoring her protests and planning a full-on photo session. The manager, completely on board, even flipped the sign on the door to 'Closed' and locked the café down for us.
This guy... he's just too good of a person.
Thanks to him, we could celebrate freely without worrying about other customers.
"Alright... all set."
"Perfect."
"Now, Mei-chan, go stand next to them."
"A-Um, Manager..."
"Don't worry, Mei-chan. I'll still pay you for this time."
"N-No! I can't accept money for just standing around—!"
Flustered, Himeno shook her head and hands in protest. But the manager just smiled warmly and said,
"It's fine, Mei-chan. This is a special day. I'm not the kind of adult who’d make a high schooler work when they're hanging out with their friends."
Okay, that's... actually pretty unusual. Normally, work's work, no matter the situation. This manager's just too kind.
Seriously, what is this place? I wanna work here too. No, forget part-time—I wanna work here until I retire. This place seems too good to be true. The only downside is that it's privately owned.
I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Himeno, having such a great workplace.
"T-Thank you so much!"
She bowed her head repeatedly, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Haha, it's nothing. I was curious too. Mei-chan talks about you two so happily every day."
"M-Manager...?"
Wait... Himeno talks about us? I'm honored—like, really honored. Just knowing that we're conversation material for a beautiful girl feels like a dream come true.
"Hey, Yuzu... this isn't a dream, right?"
"Mm. Want me to punch you to be sure?"
"Ah! It's real! This world is wonderful!"
Yuzu, deadpan as always, tilted her head and lightly raised her fist as if ready to smack me. Yeah, she looked like she'd actually do it, so I quickly looked away.
"Haha! You kids are really something. But you seem like good friends. I'm glad for you, Mei-chan."
"Yes! They're my precious friends!"
The manager's words made Himeno break into a shy but genuine smile—brighter and more beautiful than any smile I'd seen from her at school.
She must've been feeling anxious, knowing that someone was stalking her. But now, seeing her smile like this, Yuzu and I exchanged a small glance and shared a quiet smile of our own.
Side note: The manager treated us to his handmade coffee, cake, and coffee jelly. Every single thing was absolutely delicious.
——.