Even though he was rejected by the two most beautiful girls in his grade, for some reason they seemed to be fond of him Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Life with beautiful girls

Time hadn't exactly been flying by, but a few days had already passed since the celebration at Himeno's part-time job… and now, it was finally June.

June, as everyone knows, is the infamous rainy season. Honestly, is there anyone who actually likes this time of year? I mean, no offense to anyone with a June birthday, but I’m firmly on the anti-rain side.

You know how some people get headaches when it rains because of the low air pressure? Yeah, I’m one of those people. And seriously, it just kills my motivation. Even if there’s stuff I have to do, I end up thinking, “Eh, I’ll deal with it later,” which is honestly a real problem.

“...Rain, huh…”

I know I just spent all that time complaining about it, but right now, it’s not like it’s pouring outside—though it’s definitely more than a drizzle. The sky is heavy with gray clouds, and I feel like my mood is sinking along with it. It’s not even halfway through the school day, and I’ve already let out a sigh.

“Hmm? Eita, you're really low-energy today.”

“Well, yeah, wouldn’t you be? Look outside, it’s raining. Just the sight of it is enough to kill my mood. Go stand on the rooftop, I guarantee you'll catch a cold.”

I gave a low-energy reply to Yuzu, who, as always, was wearing that expressionless face that seemed like it didn’t even know how to feel down.

“But... isn't rainy weather kind of nice sometimes? It feels a little special.”

That unexpected comment came from Himeno, who leaned in slightly, her gaze fixed on me. Seems my desperate plea to stop commuting separately had paid off. I’d given up resisting it. Rumors were already flying around, so trying to avoid them felt pointless.

Anyway, let’s set that aside. Cute girls really are a sight for sore eyes, aren’t they? Not that I could ever say that out loud without getting completely shut down. I kept that thought to myself and let out a soft sigh of admiration at her overly positive take on things.

“Whoa… never thought of it like that. You really are amazing, Himeno-san. Beautiful girls have beautiful souls too, huh? Please, I beg you—use that pure heart of yours to cleanse my miserable, rain-soaked soul.”

“Wha—?! Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden?! W-Wait… are you making fun of me…?”

Himeno’s eyes widened in shock, but she quickly puffed up her cheeks in a pout, casting a suspicious glance my way. Probably still a bit wary after all the teasing she got at the part-time job the other day.

“Hey, I’m not teasing or anything, I promise. So don’t look at me like that. My mental state’s already like soggy tofu thanks to this rain, and one more hit might break me completely.”

“Hmm, that one’s on you, Eita.”

“Why am I the bad guy here just for telling the truth…?”

“Because cute is justice.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“I… I don’t really get what you two are talking about sometimes.”

Himeno looked slightly displeased, like she couldn’t keep up with the reflexive back-and-forth between me and Yuzu. But really, it’s fine if she doesn’t get it. Understanding this nonsense wouldn’t benefit her at all.

—Wait, that reminds me.

“Speaking of Himeno-san getting flustered…”

“Why would that remind you of anything?!”

“Hmm, better not ask. Eita’s just like that.”

“W-What?!”

Hey, hold on a second. Who’s “just like that”? That’s a serious case of projection.

“What do you mean ‘like that’? If we’re talking about who’s hard to understand, Yuzu’s at least a thousand times more confusing than I am.”

“Mmm… that’s… not true.”

“See? You don’t even sound confident about it!”

At first, Yuzu had been stubborn, furrowing her brows and arguing back—but midway through, she must’ve realized how pointless it was after catching my half-lidded stare and Himeno’s awkward, apologetic smile. By the end, all she could do was pull a complicated expression.

I felt a small sense of victory at having, for once, managed to win a verbal spar with Yuzu. Maybe feeling a little sorry for her, Himeno gave a small, wry smile and asked,

“So… Sasaki-kun, what exactly did you remember?”

Hearing that, I put on my best smug expression, ready to deliver my punchline.

“—I wanna watch a comedy movie and laugh my head off.”

“That has absolutely nothing to do with me being embarrassed, does it?!”

“It does!!!”

“Ehh!?!?”

Seriously, this girl is the best—always reacting so honestly, even to my nonsense.

And then there’s Yuzu. Just look at her, standing silently by my side with an unchanging, unreadable expression. It’s like her battery died this morning. Did she even sleep last night?

“...Yeah. I’m in. Mei, let’s go too.”

“Oh, so you are alive.”

“If you wanna fight, I’ll take you on. I’ll splash you in a puddle.”

“Absolutely not. No, seriously—don’t even think about it! I’m sorry, okay?! This kid is way too bold, it’s terrifying!”

Yuzu’s eyebrow twitched as she glanced toward the nearby puddle, then started walking toward it like she was possessed. I quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She pouted slightly, like she couldn’t understand why I was stopping her.

“...Why?”

“Why? Because I don’t want you spending the whole day soaked, that’s why!”

“……”

Thankfully, my words seemed to reach her, and she paused, her expression contemplative. Seizing the moment, Himeno gently took Yuzu’s hand and offered her a sweet smile, finishing off my argument.

“Yuzu-chan, let’s calm down for now, okay? I don’t have work today, and I just got paid the other day, so I have some money too. Let’s go see a movie together! I’m sure it’ll be fun!”

“...Okay. I’ll let it slide, just for Mei.”

Reluctantly, Yuzu backed down, still holding Himeno’s hand as they started walking together. Watching, Himeno and I exchanged looks, then shrugged with matching wry smiles.

Later, we found out why Yuzu had been acting so difficult that morning—turns out, it was the low air pressure.

Seriously? You too?!

□

"Ahh, my mood is as clear as the sky—absolutely perfect! Nothing beats sunny weather!"

"Mm, totally agree."

"Why are you two more excited after school than you were this morning…?"

Obviously, it's because there's an amazing event coming up! And the fact that the rain finally stopped has eased my headache a bit, which is a huge relief.

I looked up at the sky, still not quite painted in sunset colors, and noticed a lingering contrail that refused to fade. I quickly averted my eyes. I didn’t see anything. Nope.

"Seriously though, I'm so glad the rain stopped. Walking with an umbrella is such a pain."

"Mm, totally agree."

"What are you, some kind of ‘Totally Agree’ bot?"

"The ‘mm’ is part of the package."

"...You’re oddly committed to that."

Yuzu puffed out her chest in pride over something that absolutely wasn’t worth bragging about, leaving Himeno and me to let out small chuckles.

She really lives up to the ‘mysterious girl’ title. It's like she experiences the world through a completely different lens. Maybe this is what people mean when they call someone a genius. Or... maybe not.

"Um… by the way, what movie are we going to watch?" Himeno asked hesitantly.

"We haven’t decided yet. We’ll just pick whatever looks good when we get there. That’s the usual way, right?" I replied.

Himeno gave me a long, skeptical look.

"...Even I know that’s not how you’re supposed to do it."

"Eh? But that’s how I always do it."

"What?"

"What!?"

"Mm, too loud."

"What, were you about to suggest we do that game where each person has to shout louder than the last?"

"…"

Hey, come on! It was just a joke! Could you not give me that super serious, annoyed look? I swear I just heard the sound of my fragile heart cracking. If you keep this up, I’ll become a walking corpse.

...Wait, a walking corpse? That makes no sense. How can I be thinking about something and not even understand my own thought?

Apparently, Yuzu’s dead-serious glare hit me with enough force to trigger some kind of existential crisis. My heart might be way too fragile.

As I spiraled into this negative loop, Himeno must’ve noticed how shaken I looked. She leaned in, worry softening her features as she looked up at me.

"S-Sasaki-kun…? Are you okay…?"

"Yeah, totally fine. Probably. I just need, like, three days of sleep to recover."

"...That doesn’t sound ‘okay’ at all…"

"Yeah, fair point. —Ah, looks like we’re almost there."

The moment she got close, my nerves kicked in and I completely lost track of the conversation. Desperate to steer things away, I glanced at the movie theater sign on the outside of the mall and quickly changed the subject.

Himeno let out a soft laugh but kindly went along with it.

"I didn’t expect to be back at the mall so soon."

"Didn’t you say you don’t come here that often?"

"Fufu, that’s right. But this is all thanks to you two—for becoming my friends."

She smiled shyly, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. It was so overwhelmingly cute that Yuzu and I exchanged glances in silent agreement.

"—We’ll cover the tickets and the popcorn."

"Ehh!?"

Himeno let out a surprised gasp as we proudly declared our offer.

□

—There was a time when I thought, “It’s a weekday afternoon, so there probably won’t be many people.”

There was also a time when I confidently assumed, “At most, we’ll have to wait a few minutes in line for tickets.”

Yeah, those were simpler times.

"...Man, I did not expect it to be that crowded."

"Mm. Way beyond expectations."

"Even I, who almost never goes to the movies, could tell that was abnormal..."

Seriously. Of all days, why did the next installment of a super popular movie series have to release today? On a Wednesday, no less! Doesn’t that make zero sense? Movie premieres are usually on weekends, or at least Fridays when most people have the next day off. But Wednesday? That's next-level bold.

And so, faced with this unexpected turn of events, we ended up not in the movie theater, but two floors down, sitting in a nearby Starbucks.

Yeah, it was my first time at Starbucks. What about it? Actually, the only one of us who's been here before is Yuzu. What, are you gonna tell me I’ve been missing out on life? Because if that’s the case, I agree—this cake and donut are ridiculously good. My life has been lacking.

"I always thought Starbucks was just about drinks, but the food’s actually really good."

"Right? I always thought it was all about the drinks, too!" Himeno chimed in, her mood about fifty percent brighter than usual as she happily bit into her donut with a sound that could only be described as "nom."

...Okay, that was cute. Is she really that into sweets? Because honestly, I’d be willing to treat her to another three thousand yen’s worth.

"So, Yuzu. When did you even come here?"

"Mm. Various times. I always try all the limited editions."

"You’re a hardcore fan!"

Yuzu puffed out her chest with pride, showing off her ultimate smug face. Well, it wasn’t much of a face—she just tilted her head a little and lifted the corners of her mouth. But still, pick one: either strike that smug pose or drink your weird beverage, not both at the same time. It's unrefined.

Curious, I asked about the drink she’d been sipping.

"So… is that mystery drink actually good?"

"I tried it earlier. It was really sweet and tasty!"

"Right, Yuzu-chan?" Himeno added cheerfully, turning to Yuzu for confirmation. Still sipping from her straw, Yuzu simply nodded.

"Mm. Favorite."

"Hehe, you look really happy. Do you want to try mine too?"

"Sure."

"Here you go."

"Mm."

Whoa, whoa, whoa—did I just witness a yuri moment blossom before my very eyes?! This is dangerous. This whole atmosphere is dangerously wholesome. My disappointment from missing the movie is completely gone now. Should I have checked the movie schedule beforehand? Yeah, probably.

Himeno smiled sweetly, like a saint, as she offered her drink to Yuzu—though, I’d already given up on remembering the drink’s name. Yuzu took it with a contented smile, her eyes narrowing as she gently sipped from the straw.

And me? I sat beside them, grinning even wider than Himeno, just basking in the warm, fluffy vibes.

"...Hm?"

But then I noticed something—some seriously intense gazes directed our way.

Mostly from… oh. Fellow students from our school.

I guess they, like us, gave up on the overcrowded theater and decided to chill here instead of heading straight home. I get it. I totally get it. I empathize. I sympathize. But please, don’t glare at me like I just stole your lunch money.

"...That guy's way too lucky..."

"For real. We couldn’t even see the movie, wasted money on a gacha pull and lost, and now we can only afford one drink to share here..."

...Oof. Yeah. That’s rough, buddy. I mean, if it makes you feel better, I’ll let you guys keep glaring at me. Consider it my way of paying penance.

"Sasaki-kun?"

"Ah, yeah. I was just reflecting on the unfairness of the world."

"...If you’re not drinking that, I’ll take it."

"Whoa, wait! Don’t just take it!"

Just as I was wearing an awkward expression, feeling like I’d just witnessed the tragic day of some random high school guy, Himeno tilted her head in confusion and called out to me. I responded, only to catch Yuzu quietly reaching for my drink. Without thinking, I lightly smacked her hand away.

Uh, excuse me? Why are you trying to sip my whatever-whatever Frappuccino? I’ve been savoring this because it tastes good, okay? If I drink it all at once, it feels like a waste—and besides, it’s a painful expense for a high school student.

"...You hit me."

"You’re the one trying to drink my stuff. And seriously, how were you planning to drink it?"

Surely, she wasn’t thinking of using the straw, right? We’re, like… opposite genders, you know?

"Straw."

“???”

"Yuzu-chan!? Th-that’s no good! Th-that’s like an indirect kiss!?" Himeno squeaked in a panic, her face turning bright red. Good. Tell her! It's not okay to toy with people like that.

But Yuzu only frowned, clearly unhappy with the interference.

"Why not? It’s not like it’ll hurt anything."

"That’s exactly the problem! And it’s because you say things like that that every guy from our school is staring at us right now!"

"Mm. Let them."

"""???!"""

"Yuzu-chan!?"

With Yuzu's latest bombshell, the whole place went into an uproar. Panicking, we hurriedly left the store to avoid causing any more of a scene.

Outside, Yuzu faced a firm scolding from Himeno. Serves her right.

——.