71話 新しい日常② - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

We picked up our trays and stood in line for about five minutes. There were several queues: some for customizing trays with options like a buffet, and others, more segmented, for ordering set meals at specific counters. We lined up in the latter. Before this thick line branched out, we had to decide where to queue. The finer lines that spun out from the main line were fast approaching. "I'm thinking of getting in line for the Tenshinhan." Saying this, Toudou headed toward the longest queue. "Okay. In that case, I'll join you." Since we were together anyway, I decided to follow Toudou. It's been a while since I've had Tenshinhan, not since the fall of my second year. The line for Tenshinhan is always the longest, so I usually don't bother with it. The least popular is the vegetable stir-fry set meal, which you could probably order in less than ten seconds. "This line's ridiculously long, huh." I muttered in frustration, and Toudou spun his tray skillfully with both hands. If I tried that, I’d probably bump into someone. "Didn't Shinohara tell you to eat something nutritious?" "It's fine to indulge once in a while. Tenshinhan uses eggs, so it's nutritious." "Shinohara was talking about vitamins, wasn't she? If you'd followed her advice and queued for the vegetable stir-fry, we would've ended up alone together due to the shorter wait." …So that's why he lined up for the meal that would take the longest to get. I scratched my head and gave a nonchalant response, "It's not like that." "Hey, why are you so close with Shinohara?" As the Tenshinhan counter finally came into view, Toudou asked. His words made me want to glance over to Shinohara's seat, but the cafeteria was even more crowded now, making it impossible to even locate any tables. I gave up and returned my gaze to Toudou. "Do you really need a reason to be close to someone?" When I replied with a plausible-sounding answer, Toudou gave a wry smile. "Can't argue with that when you put it like that." "…Since you want to know, I'll give you an answer." Though we met at university, Toudou is the only friend with whom I share the same age, faculty, and club. It's not like our friendship is new, so I could tell there wasn't any teasing intent in his question. This made me curious about why Toudou was interested. "If I had to say, it was probably the strong impression we made on each other when both of us were nursing wounds from breakups. For both of us." As I recalled how I met Shinohara, I strung the words together. At that time, Shinohara had just broken up with Motosaka, which resulted in an intense, unforgettable encounter for both of us. At times, I wonder why she has grown so attached to me, but it's no doubt due to how we met. Our relationship, sparked by that collision, continues to this day. In hindsight, it feels quite surreal. "Can a meeting really change things that much?" "There are cases like that. Haven’t you ever experienced something similar, Toudou?" Toudou seemed to ponder my question for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. The way I met my girlfriend was pretty ordinary." "I see. Well, it was a first for me too, so it's not exactly common." I commented while poking Toudou's shoulder with my index finger. Distracted, Toudou had left a gap in the line and hurriedly caught up with the person ahead of him. "Why all of a sudden?" Once the gap closed, I asked Toudou. Shinohara's visits to the basketball club "start" have far exceeded a single occurrence. Toudou must have had a reason for asking now, several months after becoming aware of my relationship with Shinohara. "It's just this weird vibe; you both seem really close but also like you keep a certain distance." "That's because we're a man and a woman. Without boundaries, things could get risky." Everyone draws boundaries in relationships. Lines they won’t cross, whether consciously or unconsciously, are defined between everyone. My relationship with Ayaka is no exception. Though I can't pinpoint a specific line I want to keep uncrossed, I'm sure there are ones we both consciously respect. Amidst the sluggishly moving line, Toudou let out a thoughtful hum. It wasn't the answer he was looking for. "Even factoring that in, there's still something off. You two don't seem to be holding back with each other." "Yeah, no hesitation between us." I don’t know if I'll have an opportunity to tell Toudou, but Shinohara visits my home every week. In a relationship that comfortable, there’s no room for hesitation. "Familiarity breeds contempt" is a saying I've heard often, but as long as one maintains the minimum of human decency, it’s nothing to worry about. Having a relationship that involves hesitation at home is something I’d find rather suffocating. "Maybe it's just because I don't know Shinohara-san well enough." After saying this, Toudou finally reached the counter to order his Tenshinhan. Receiving his Tenshinhan, steaming with a strong aroma, Toudou paused beside me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to meddle in your life relationships, Yuu. It’s just idle curiosity, so don’t worry about it." Hearing Toudou say that, I also received my Tenshinhan from the staff. The rich aroma wafting from the eggy surface tickled my nose. "The connection between Ayaka-san and you is obvious, you’re both in sync deep down. But with Shinohara-san… you seem even closer." Time doesn’t necessarily define the depth of human relationships. But it seems such an impression can be conveyed to others. After telling Toudou, "That was insightful," I headed towards the table where Shinohara was seated. ◇◆ "You're so slow!" "You said you’d wait…" "If you’d queued for the vegetable stir-fry line, you'd have been done in no time. Making your junior wait fifteen minutes, jeez." With her arms crossed, Shinohara grumbled at me from the side. Her curry, sitting on the tray, looked like it had long gone cold. "You waited for me. Thanks." "Y-You're welcome. I mean, no, wait. If you thank me now, I’ll feel like the bad guy or something…" Shinohara swayed her upper body uneasily. Seeing that, Toudou clasped his hands together towards Shinohara. "I'm sorry too, Shinohara-san. I convinced him to get Tenshinhan." "Please, Toudou-san, stop. It's just… I meant to tease, but it ended up wrong. I wasn't mad at all." "What, are you dumb or something?" "Senpai, please be quiet!" "Why are you so harsh on me!?" What part of this junior is even remotely hesitant? But then again, if I consider that this interaction stems from mutual trust, I can't deny it gives me a warm feeling in my chest, even if I don't want to admit it. "I have a favor to ask of you two, as the head of the 'start' club." Toudou announced and cleared his throat. Shinohara and I looked at each other and then clapped our hands together. "Thank you for the meal." "Aren't you going to listen to me!?" The thick sauce spread through my mouth after such a long time. …It's no wonder this is popular; getting a dish like this for just a few coins. I savored the Tenshinhan while listening to Toudou's protests. After a while, Toudou seemed to give up and began enjoying his meal as well. I smirked, and Toudou, noticing, warned me, "We'll talk after this."