63.新入生歓迎会⑤〜宴もたけなわ〜 - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

"…Ayaka-senpai." Shinohara stared at Ayaka with a displeased expression. The atmosphere that flowed between them was unchanged from their previous encounter. However, this moment was vastly different from back then. This wasn't my house; there were many people around us. Whether they recognized this or not, both of them remained silent as they gazed at each other. "Ayaka-chan, I'm going to step out for a bit," Natsuki said apologetically from the side. Ayaka smiled at Natsuki and simply replied, "Got it!" Then, she glanced over at me, but Shinohara intercepted it. "Senpai, let's go!" "No, I—" As I started to decline, Ayaka, behind me, shook her head. She probably meant for me to go. "Go where, exactly?" "Hmm... maybe ramen?" Apparently, Shinohara hadn't thought about the destination and squeezed those words out. "I'm already full, you know." "But didn't you recommend that soy sauce ramen to me last time?" Shinohara placed her hand softly on my chest and winked. The distance between us was slightly closer than usual. Natsuki muttered, "Wow, you two are really close." It was natural to think so. Anyone observing would find it unbelievable that there was nothing special between Shinohara and me since the distance was closer than usual. "So, Ayaka-senpai, is it okay if I borrow senpai for a bit?" Shinohara asked, and Ayaka nodded earnestly. "I don't mind. I'm done with him anyway." Ayaka likely meant that I was just a member helping with preparations for the welcome party. However, those words seemed to greatly sour Shinohara’s mood, and for the first time, I noticed a frown creasing her forehead. "What do you mean by that? Apologize to senpai." "It's fine, Shinohara, really—" As I attempted to soothe the situation, Shinohara glared up at me intensely. "It's not fine. Now I understand what Natsuki-san was talking about. Senpai can't go against Ayaka-senpai, can you?" Natsuki shot a look at Shinohara that seemed to say, "Don't drag me into this." But Shinohara appeared completely oblivious and continued speaking. "Senpai seems easygoing at first glance, but in reality, you don't care that much about others. Yet, once you become friends, you think a lot about them." "What are you saying? Alright, alright, let's go get ramen." I grabbed Shinohara's arm and started to move. Surprisingly, she followed quietly but paused as if wanting to add one last comment. "Ayaka-senpai, don't take advantage of senpai's kindness—" "Shinohara-san, aren't you misunderstanding something?" Shinohara fell silent at Ayaka's composed tone. Ayaka bent down and started collecting the empty cans we had left. She didn't even look in our direction. Natsuki hastily followed Ayaka's lead, opening a garbage bag that was close by. Feeling responsible for the mess since we were leaving soon, I stepped away from Shinohara and began gathering the cans. "Misunderstanding?" Shinohara asked, puzzled. Ayaka took the cans from me and gently placed them into the garbage bag that Natsuki held open. "I think I understand this idiot's personality quite well from experience. Shinohara-san, how you interpret his character is up to you. Still, I’ll share one thing—" Ayaka approached and tugged at my ear, a smile playing on her lips. "I’ve known this fool far longer than you, Shinohara-san." Ayaka nonchalantly released my ear. The sting lingered, but it didn’t bother me due to the layered history we had. Whether there was a real need for Ayaka to assert the duration of our acquaintance, I couldn't say. Still, it effectively conveyed my indifference to her earlier comment. Shinohara remained silent at Ayaka's words, but finally, responded with a short, "I see," before grabbing me by the arm. "Senpai, ramen!" "I'm not ramen! Alright, alright, I'm coming!" I gestured an apology to Ayaka before Shinohara eagerly led me out of the park. Looking back, Ayaka's expression as she spoke with Natsuki seemed no different than usual. ◇◆ "So was Ayaka-chan trying to say that she knows Yuta better than anyone?" Natsuki asked as we settled at our regular ramen shop. While Shinohara was off picking flowers, Natsuki mused over the menu. "Well, given the context, that seems about right... I'm having the soy sauce ramen, and the same for Shinohara." "Really? Is that okay with Mayu too?" "Yeah, she said earlier she wanted to try the ramen I recommended." "Is the soy sauce ramen really that good here?" Natsuki called out to a passing waiter, "Excuse me, can we order?" "Three soy sauce ramens, please." "Understood. How would you like your noodles?" The waiter asked, and Natsuki glanced at me. "Let's have two servings firm—" "I'll have mine firm too. Three firm, please," I interjected. The waiter swiftly noted this and called to the kitchen, "Three soy sauce ramen, firm!" Hearing the enthusiastic response from the kitchen staff reminded me of a previous visit. At that time, beside me was— "...I said it this morning too, but you're really living a charmed life, Yuta," Natsuki commented as she prepared a glass of water for herself and poured for a second cup. It didn't feel like she was throwing shade at me—that much was clear. As I stumbled over how to respond to her candid words, a familiar voice spoke up beside me. "Senpai, I want my soy sauce ramen!" "I’ve already ordered. It’s the one I recommended," I reassured her. "Woohoo, thanks a lot!" Shinohara exclaimed, without a hint of change from her usual demeanor. Her typical behavior was reassuring. Just like before, she appeared to revert to normal once others were absent. Watching her and Natsuki laugh together, I felt the same. "Weren’t the two of you planning to eat together? Is it really okay for me to be here?" "It’s totally fine. We're just having a meal, after all." Natsuki replied to my question. Then Shinohara glanced at me mischievously and grinned. "I was planning to share relatable stories from our old part-time job, but since we're here, let's talk about funny senpai stories." "Stop hogging the conversation with stories about me!" Our meal plans seemed open-ended from the start, likely why Natsuki hardly ate at the welcome party, focusing instead on drinking. "Why would we get excited over talking about Yuta, right?" Natsuki laughed. As soon as she said this, three bowls of soy sauce ramen were placed before us on the table. Enticing aromas wafted from the rising steam, and as it happened, a thought crossed my mind. —Natsuki probably doesn’t like me very much. In human relationships, such negative intuitions tend to be spot-on. By the time I realized it, the buzz from the alcohol had faded away. The ramen, which marked the end of the evening's festivities, tasted much blander than usual.