Chapter 71: Your Purity Is Too Low!
Miura Yumiko held her phone, her fingers swiping back and forth across the screen. No one knew what she was looking at.
At least, to outsiders, she really did seem like she no longer cared about the matter.
"She says she gets it." Luke called out to Yuigahama. "Let's go."
"Wait, I never said that—!" Miura's cool expression suddenly shifted, and a trace of panic appeared on her face.
"Hm? Isn't that what you meant?" Luke looked at her in confusion.
Based on what he knew about her, he didn't think his guess was wrong.
"I…" Miura faltered for a moment, unable to answer. Yet her eyes stayed fixed on him, fierce and glaring, while her face looked like a tomato that had just burst open.
Now he could be sure. He had guessed right just now.
She was clearly the one who wanted to hear her friend's true feelings, yet when it came time to actually hear them, she got embarrassed instead.
Honestly—
Your purity is too low, Miura-san.
"Hmph, whatever." In the end, Miura lowered her head and went back to playing with her phone in a huff, silently accepting his translation of her words.
No one continued talking. Everyone in their group was trying to find a way to gloss things over.
Yuigahama stood there, clutching the hem of her clothes, wanting to speak yet hesitating. She raised her eyes and glanced at him, looking like she was about to say what was in her heart.
"Just say it. I'll leave this to you." Seeing her like that, Luke walked out of the classroom.
He had noticed someone familiar lingering by their classroom door just now.
When he stepped into the hallway, the flow of students made it feel even more damp and stuffy than the classroom.
He looked at the person beside him, his gaze sweeping upward from below. Those slender legs, black indoor shoes, and standard uniform skirt all matched together perfectly.
Yukinoshita Yukino, beautiful despite her flaws, stood upright beside the classroom door with her arms crossed. She had the air of someone warning strangers not to come near.
Are you a guardian statue or something, Yukinoshita?
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Yuigahama-san invited me to have lunch with her, but then she stood me up without a word. Naturally, I came to see what happened." Her voice was cool, though from the way she acted, it didn't seem like she cared that much.
"Oh… Then why didn't you go in and talk to her just now?" Luke glanced into the classroom, where Yuigahama was speaking honestly to Miura.
"I saw someone trying to play hero and deal with that noisy mountain queen, so of course I wouldn't miss the scenery." She spoke calmly, her gaze sweeping over him before landing on the cat pendant visible on his chest.
Mountain queen?
Thinking about Miura's furious yet cute expression, Luke felt that if she knew Yukinoshita had called her that, she would definitely start a fight with her.
Mm. For some reason, he was a little looking forward to it.
"That's because it was too scary…" He lightly scratched at his hair, which had already grown to half the length of his pinky again. It was time for a haircut.
"Everyone in class, who's usually so noisy and annoying, suddenly went quiet. It felt strangely uncomfortable. I couldn't even read my manga, and the bread started tasting bad."
Though it didn't taste good in the first place.
As he spoke, he turned his gaze back into the classroom.
Yukinoshita regretfully pulled her gaze away from the pendant and closed her eyes, as if listening to the conversation inside.
Their talk had already reached its final stage.
Yuigahama spoke haltingly to Miura. "I might not really understand it… B-but I think being able to speak without hiding anything and staying true to yourself is really amazing. It made me feel like trying to match everyone else is kind of ugly… S-so I also want to live through my own efforts like those two, without lying to myself just to fit in with others…"
"So I don't hate you, Yumiko. So… can we keep being friends?"
There was no pause at all.
Miura closed her phone and spoke lightly.
"Mhm~ Is that so? Sure."
It was like someone had finally breathed out in relief. Some of the weight pressing down on them seemed to disappear.
Luke turned to Yukinoshita and said, "Let's go. I'm starving. Besides, eavesdropping on other people isn't exactly good…"
Even though they had already heard the whole thing from start to finish.
Yukinoshita put away the satisfied smile she had shown after hearing Yuigahama speak her true feelings. She pushed herself off the wall, her shoes tapping softly against the hallway floor as she headed toward the place she and Yuigahama had agreed on.
"I don't believe we invited you to lunch with us," she said, looking at the person beside her.
"Eek! How heartless." Hearing those chilling words, Luke immediately protested, though his steps did not stop. He kept looking straight ahead.
"Is that so?" Yukinoshita brushed the hair resting on her shoulder behind her back. "And here I was, originally planning to agree to someone's request to have lunch together."
"Really?" He clicked his tongue regretfully. "By the way, Yukinoshita, what kind of delicious food did you prepare?"
Yukinoshita had no interest in answering someone who was blatantly pretending not to hear her.
She sighed softly. "Honestly, if you need medical help, I suggest checking your hearing with an ear specialist before seeing a psychiatrist…"
"Wait a second, Yukinoshita." Luke stopped where he was and interrupted her sarcasm. "I remember Yuigahama saying before that she wanted to make her own bento, right…"
Yukinoshita also stopped and looked at him.
"Is there a chance… that she made one this time, and then…"
He voiced a horrifying possibility.
"She'll share it with you."
Yukinoshita fell silent. Her slender body, thin as a plum blossom branch, began to tremble faintly alongside the pattering sound of rain striking the windows.
It seemed she did not know what Yuigahama had prepared.
"I-I think I'll pass." He made his decision and turned around—
"Hellooo, Yukinon~~~ Sorry! Something happened in my class…"
Yuigahama appeared behind them, slightly out of breath.
Whenever a person made up their mind, an accident would always appear.
Yukinoshita turned her head away, not looking at Yuigahama, and also not letting her see the conflicted expression on her face.
"If something happened, why didn't you tell me on your phone?"
"Because it happened so suddenly. I thought it would be solved quickly."
Yuigahama had already exchanged contact information with Yukinoshita the last time they went to the pet café.
"Then I'll forgive you this time. Don't let it happen again."
While the two of them talked, Luke quietly lifted his foot. He still had bread he hadn't finished, and he couldn't waste food…
"You're here too!"
Yuigahama suddenly "realized" he was there. She walked up beside him and said softly, "Thank you for speaking up for me earlier."
"Let's have lunch together!" she said loudly, slapping both hands against his back as her eyes curved with excitement.
Her lively appearance completely swept away her earlier gloom.
Lunch itself was not a problem. He didn't want to eat bread either, but he couldn't give up the most precious thing humans had: life.
With his accumulated virtue, he was supposed to live to a hundred.
So he asked Yuigahama, "What dishes are there?"
Yuigahama looked upward and tapped her chin with one finger. "There are octopus-shaped sausages…"
A classic. Easy to make. Hard to mess up. Very good.
"Tonkatsu~"
Same as above.
"Tamagoyaki~"
Also same as above.
"Pickled plums, and sushi too." Yuigahama said happily. "Because I told Mom I'd be eating bento with friends, she packed a lot of extra food for me."
A grand slam. Luke nodded in satisfaction. Yuihama is so healthy and well-developed; her mom's cooking must be incredible.
…
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