The buffet’s 90-minute time slot ran out while we were laughing and eating. We paid and stepped outside.
“Got to talk a lot today.”
“Yeah — thanks to Yuki-senpai, it was fun.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Yuito, you’re lucky to have such a beautiful older childhood friend.”
Kenji, Shou, and Kaito were all in full lovestruck-dope mode — completely fallen.
I’ve seen plenty of guys get taken in by Kano. (Every one who’s confessed has been demolished, though.)
“All right, we’re heading home —”
“Hold up. Yuito’s still mine.”
She grabbed my right wrist.
“Aw, I wanted to go home and study for tomorrow.”
“Not happening.”
“We’ve already eaten dinner — there’s nothing more to do!”
“No backtalk. Borrowing Yuito, see ya.”
She turned to the three. Help me out, guys — say something clever to stop her —
“Knock yourself out.”
“Boil him, fry him, whatever.”
“Catch you later, Yuito.”
“H-hey?!”
They walked off and abandoned me. Is this the so-called fragility of male friendship?
“Friends approved. Let’s go.”
”…Yes ma’am.”
Realizing escape was futile, I came quietly.
“So where to?”
“Hmm, where?”
“You’re going to drag me along with no plan?”
She’d thought of nothing.
“Stellabucks. Want a Stella drink, it’s been a while.”
“Fine. Then we go home, deal?”
“I will give that positive consideration.”
“That sounds exactly like someone with no intention of keeping a promise…”
We headed for Stellabucks. The chain’s popular with young women — there’s always new-menu chatter at school — but I’d never been.
So today was my Stellabucks debut. We arrived and got in line.
“I’ll get a Caramel Frappuccino. What about you, Yuito?”
”…What’s the recommendation?”
“Stellabucks Latte for beginners. The most basic menu item.”
“That one then.”
I didn’t actually know what was in it, but I have no real picky-eating issues, so it was fine. We reached the front.
“Grande Caramel Frappuccino with chocolate sauce and chocolate chip custom, and one Tall Stellabucks Latte.”
She ordered smoothly. I was lost.
“What are Grande and Tall?”
“Sizes. Not S/M/L — Short, Tall, Grande, Venti.”
“Huh. That’s stylish.”
“And there’s a system to add toppings as customizations.”
So the chocolate sauce and chips were add-ons. Total newbie here. We took our drinks at the pickup counter and got a four-seat booth.
“How does it feel to lose your Stellabucks virginity?”
“Just regular, I guess? Don’t drop virgin out of nowhere — startles me.”
“Don’t tell me Yuito got excited being called a virgin?”
“That’s not what I —”
I would never admit out loud that her virgin-graduation line did, in fact, hit very hard.
“By the way — why are you sitting on my side?”
“What do you think?”
”…I have no idea.”
She’d taken a four-seater and was sitting next to me. Across the table was the obvious choice.
“The answer was: I wanted to be touching you.”
“H-hey, stop!”
I protested as she pressed against me. People around us were staring. Part of me wanted her to stop. Part of me was, traitorously, thrilled.
“I’ll let up. They’re finally here.”
”…What?”
I followed her gaze — and there were Suzuno, smiling as usual, and my brother, wearing his jealousy openly.