Chapter 112: Choosing a Workplace!
"What's so impossible about that?"
Luke answered Yui's thoughts about the future. To him, school was merely a stage of life he did not want to skip.
"I probably won't leave Chiba, even for work. But I doubt I'll be the one who contacts everyone first."
"That sounds pretty true to your personality…"
Yui murmured.
"I'll probably be the same," Yukino added.
Yui lowered her head, slightly discouraged, then drew a breath and cheered herself up.
"Ah~ We'll all still have phones, so we can contact each other anytime. Maybe we can even arrange to hang out. We probably won't become complete strangers, right?"
"Hm?"
Luke looked at Yui, unable to understand what had gotten into this idiot. Why had she suddenly become so sentimental?
The kettle finished boiling and clicked off.
By the window, Yukino struggled to support herself on her tired legs.
"But please don't use that as an excuse to message me every day…"
"Eh? D-do you dislike it?"
Yui looked shocked.
"…I merely find it troublesome," Yukino answered bluntly.
Luke could roughly understand how she felt. She did not want to answer, yet basic courtesy made her feel obligated to reply.
Yui's messages were either filled with stickers surrounding a tiny piece of important information, or enormous amounts of pointless chatter followed by a tiny bit of… something.
Luke usually ignored messages like that.
Unfortunately, LINE's [Read] function was disgusting. Once he had suffered through Yui's textual assault, he felt forced to reply.
Also, when had those two begun messaging each other?
Luke quietly stored that information in his memory.
"You message each other every day? Do you even have that much to talk about?"
"Things like, 'I ate a cream puff today,' 'Can you make them?' and 'I want to try the desserts you make.' It's all unimportant."
Yukino spoke unhappily as she picked up the kettle and tea leaves, turning her gaze aside.
Luke nodded deeply in agreement.
"So, when are you making cream puffs?"
"…You might evolve faster if you occasionally used your brain while listening to other people."
Yukino looked speechlessly at the person who had completely missed the point.
Luke ignored her sarcasm.
"The worst part is that her messages are impossible to ignore."
Yukino nodded in agreement.
"If they were unpleasant messages, I might consider ignoring them entirely."
"So… my messages aren't unpleasant?"
Yui hurriedly asked from beside them, staring intensely at Yukino.
"…I never said I disliked them. I only find them troublesome."
Under Yui's passionate gaze, Yukino secretly looked away, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Yui breathed a sigh of relief and threw herself against Yukino.
Yukino turned her face away in displeasure, but only said, "Please let me finish making the tea first, Y-Yuigahama-san…"
"Oh, right."
Yui obediently released her arm.
Luke added, "Yuigahama, next time you message me, don't send so many stickers. Scrolling through them is annoying."
"But don't you think all those little animals are cute?"
"That doesn't justify attaching three stickers to every sentence!"
Luke looked irritated.
"I feel like you're only using me as an excuse to spam your sticker collection for fun."
"H-how could that be…"
Yui hurriedly cried out, then deliberately looked out the window and began humming as though nothing had happened.
Perhaps because of the hot weather, a little sweat had appeared along her neck and face.
'This idiot.'
'I should delete her.'
...
Another class period ended. Three lessons remained before the lunch break.
Break time always made people restless. As usual, the students gathered in small groups, laughing and chatting loudly without restraint.
However, today's atmosphere seemed even livelier than normal.
During yesterday's homeroom, everyone had learned that they would choose their own groups for the workplace experience.
Now they were already discussing who would team up with whom, even though groups and destinations would not be finalized until the day after tomorrow.
Luke should probably find teammates too.
Yumiko would obviously form a group with her friends, Yui and Hina.
That left only Hikigaya Hachiman and Totsuka Saika among the classmates Luke regularly interacted with.
Thanks to his extremely narrow social circle, he quickly decided on his workplace experience partners.
He pushed Hachiman's chair lightly.
"Hm?"
The human observer, who had been propping himself against his desk while watching the other students, turned around and looked at him questioningly.
"Have you found your group members yet?"
"No. I normally wait until everyone else has formed their groups, then let the teacher place me in whichever team is missing someone."
Hachiman answered directly.
Luke froze.
For some reason, that sounded unbelievably pitiful.
After a brief silence, he followed his original plan.
"…Then how about I ask Totsuka-san and the three of us form a group? That way, we won't need to trouble the teacher."
"Totsuka…"
Hachiman looked tempted.
"But he may already have a group. Totsuka is probably quite popular… since he's so cute."
Ignoring that final remark, Luke sighed.
"We won't know unless we ask. I'll do it directly. Totsuka!"
Speak of the devil.
Just as Luke prepared to call him, Saika appeared, walking over on light steps and waving one small hand.
"G-good morning… Did you call me?"
Saika waved to both of them, then looked at Luke.
"Yeah. I wanted to ask whether you've already joined a group for the workplace experience."
"We need groups of three, so if you haven't and don't mind, how about joining us?"
Luke asked directly, while Hachiman looked expectantly at Saika.
"I-I don't mind. Forming a group together would be g-great…"
Saika sat on the empty chair beside them, rested both hands on his thighs, pursed his lips, and nodded firmly.
'Phew~'
Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
He had assumed Saika, as a member of the tennis club, might team up with classmates from the same club.
Forming a group with Hachiman and Saika, both of whom Luke could comfortably speak to, was an excellent result.
This workplace experience might actually become interesting.
Saika remembered something and leaned forward.
"S-so, have you decided where you want to visit?"
"Well… you could say we have, but you could also say we haven't."
Saika looked up at Hachiman from below.
Hachiman shifted his gaze aside.
"Ah~ I don't care where we go. Anywhere other than my own home is the same to me. By that, I mean equally meaningless."
"Oh?"
Saika looked as though he only half understood.
"That sounded rather profound."
"He just means he doesn't care where we go."
Luke explained for him.
"I don't particularly care either. Is there anywhere you especially want to visit, Totsuka?"
Saika raised his eyes and thought for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
"I-I'm fine with anywhere too… as long as it's with you two."
Oh-ho~
They had encountered a major obstacle during the very first step of the workplace experience.
Three people without any goals had gathered together.
"Then let's spend today properly considering where we should go. We don't need to finalize the destination until the day after tomorrow, so there's no hurry."
Luke spoke to them, then added after thinking.
"Since none of us cares, let's at least find somewhere interesting."
"Sure."
"Y-yes."
They agreed and stopped chatting, each considering possible destinations.
Luke was somewhat interested in visiting an anime studio or technology company.
He could use the workplace experience as an excuse to have fun.
Just as he prepared to suggest that—
"I want a sandwich and yogurt for lunch~"
Ignoring Hachiman and Saika beside him, Miura Yumiko walked over and spoke directly to Luke.
"Okay."
Hearing that her order had barely changed from yesterday, he nodded and asked for details.
"What flavor? Is a strawberry cream sandwich like yesterday fine?"
Yumiko thought briefly.
"Hmm~ I guess that's okay…"
Hachiman and Saika watched their exchange.
Yumiko tugged at her hair and glanced elsewhere before casually asking, "Have you already chosen your workplace destination and group members?"
Was she inviting him to choose the same destination?
Wasn't she supposed to go with her friends?
Luke pointed at the two beside him.
"I've already chosen my group. We haven't decided on the destination yet."
"What about you? You're going with Ebina and Yuigahama, right?"
"Yeah, I'm going with Yui and Hina~ But I also wanted to know where you're going."
Yumiko directly explained her thoughts.
"It would be more fun if everyone went to the same place. I kind of want to visit a theme park~"
If their destination was the same, it did not really matter whether they were in the same group.
"Okay. We'll consider it."
"Oh. Then decide quickly."
After saying that, Yumiko returned to her seat. She did not linger beside him and act affectionate while ignoring everyone around them like a stereotypical couple.
A large crowd had already gathered around her seat, eagerly asking Hayama Hayato where he planned to visit.
Hayato behaved as usual. Surrounded by the boys, he wore his familiar smile and gave vague answers, doing his best not to influence anyone's choices.
Luke also noticed Yui's small head emerging from within the crowd. Her hair was still tied in the same bun as she waved at him.
"Heh."
Luke could not help laughing, easily imagining Yui desperately standing on her toes.
After waving back, he turned toward his teammates.
"So… how does a theme park sound?"
"I don't mind. Everywhere is the same," Hachiman answered directly.
"I-I'm fine with it too," Saika added.
Two completely indecisive people.
"…By the way, why has Miura-san been making you buy her lunch every day recently?"
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Hachiman finally asked.
"The tennis match happened quite a while ago, didn't it?"
Saika also stared curiously at Luke.
"Hmm… How should I explain it…"
Luke thought for a moment and unconsciously remembered Annie's earlier behavior.
"That's right. This is school bullying."
Unless something unexpected happened, it would probably continue for a long time.
It might even transform into lifelong bullying known as "love."
…
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