Apparently, the café Sasaki always goes to is three stations away from the university. (In the end, we ended up going.)
It was right after the morning rush hour, so the train was a little crowded. But just as we got on, a seat in front of us opened up, so I let Sasaki sit and grabbed the hand strap in front of her.
Come to think of it… it’s surprising people don’t recognize that she’s Kiraboshi Ayane.
If you look closely at her hair or her eyes, she’d be exposed instantly… but her hair color is darker than when she was active, and the mask hides her mouth. So maybe people just think, “Oh, she kinda looks like her.”
While I was thinking about that and staring at her, Sasaki blinked a few times and glared back.
It’s not like I was picking a fight, though.
We stayed quiet for a while, just riding the train. But Sasaki kept staring at me without doing anything.
Thinking she might want to say something, I opened my notes app, wrote a short message, and handed her my phone.
“You can’t talk here, right? So let’s use notes.”
“Okay, but… why were you staring at me earlier?”
Ah, so that’s what she wanted to know.
It wasn’t for any big reason… Oh, right.
I decided to ask something that had been bothering me since morning.
“You weren’t wearing your headband today.”
When she read that, Sasaki frowned.
“I overslept and forgot to put it on.”
Now that she said it… she did enter the classroom later than me today.
Maybe she’s actually not a morning person.
When I chuckled, she held out her hand like, “Give me that phone already.”
“Don’t laugh, idiot. You overslept too.”
“How do you even know that?”
The moment I wrote that, Sasaki covered her mouth with her hand.
You’re doing that gesture even though you’re not talking?
Just then, the train reached our station.
Sasaki stood up, handed my phone back, and we got off the train together.
“So? How’d you know I overslept?”
“Th-that’s… because… you always sit in the front row, but today you were in the very back.”
“…You…”
I was about to say, *Your observation skills are insane*, when she suddenly smacked me on the back.
“That’s not it! It’s not like that!”
“Wh-what isn’t!?”
“Hmph!”
Sulking, Sasaki went through the ticket gate ahead of me and walked off quickly.
She’s seriously such a pain sometimes.
I bet this personality caused at least a few clashes during her idol days.
I hurried after her past the ticket gate.
“Hey, Sasaki, don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad!”
“Then why are your cheeks puffed up like that?”
Even through her mask, I could see her puffed-up cheeks.
I poked one with my finger, and Sasaki let out a weird noise.
“Puh—!”
“Ahahaha! What was that!?”
“Stop it already!”
“…Come on, if you stay mad, the pancakes won’t taste good.”
“Muuu…”
When her cheeks puffed up again, I poked them one more time.
“Puh—!”
“Makishima… you’re really used to this.”
“Used to what?”
“Handling girls. You were chatting with everyone at the group date too.”
“I never thought about it. My high school was all boys, so I just talk to girls in the same way.”
“I see… Hoshigami—”
“Hmm?”
“N-no! Nothing! Anyway, the café is almost there!”
We walked about ten minutes into a residential area.
A small wooden café stood there all by itself.
On the chalkboard outside, it said:
“Couples Only! Super Fluffy Soufflé Pancake Set”
Sasaki’s eyes sparkled when she read it.
“Makishima! Let’s go!”
“You really get excited over pancakes, huh.”
“Of course! I even had a show called ‘Ayane’s Pancake Tour’ when I was an idol! Pancakes are fluffy and—”
I ignored her pancake sermon—which was passionate enough to fog her glasses—and walked into the café first.
The female owner noticed me and came over. “Welcome—”
“Two people.”
“Okay, sweetie.”
“H-hey, Makishima! Don’t just walk in ahead!”
Sasaki rushed in after me, still mid–pancake speech.
“Oh my, so you’re Ayane-chan’s boyfriend?”
…B-boyfriend…
“N-no, I’m not—”
Before I could deny it, Sasaki squeezed between us.
“Y-yeah! I saw the couples-only item on social media and dragged him here!”
“Oh my~ I see… so this boy is the one.”
Judging from the vibe… these two seem pretty close.
We followed her to a window seat and sat facing each other.
“Here’s some water. Ayane-chan, ordering just the couples set today?”
“And a sandwich too! I haven’t eaten anything today!”
“Alrighty. And for the boyfriend?”
“I’m good.”
The owner left with a smile.
…Yeah, she totally knows we’re not actually dating.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
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