In the afternoon, Shikime Natsu walked out of his dorm. Mei-Yu Wang had other plans for the afternoon, so the two of them had temporarily parted ways. After Shikime Natsu simply prepared and finished his lunch, he quickly left the dorm, took the elevator all the way down, and rounded a corner—where he happened to spot a girl standing at the vending machine not far away.
She stood before the vending machine, bending slightly at the waist, those trademark dead fish eyes fixed on the dazzling array of drinks inside, as if hesitating over which one to choose.
The girl's face was quite lovely—delicate features, fair skin—yet there was no expression on that face at all, and her whole being radiated an aura of distant coldness.
One glance was enough to make anyone feel she wasn't the approachable type.
It was none other than Himeno Yuki.
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell upon her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. Then he stepped forward, walking in the direction of the vending machine.
Himeno Yuki seemed to sense something and turned her head slightly, those dead fish eyes meeting Shikime Natsu's gaze.
Her expression visibly paused for a moment.
In those normally still, ripple-free eyes flashed a hint of surprise, along with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
"Himeno-san, good afternoon."
Shikime Natsu walked over to her side and greeted her, his tone entirely natural.
Hearing that voice, the expression on Himeno Yuki's face didn't change much.
She looked somewhat reluctant, her lips pressing together slightly before she finally spoke to respond.
"Good afternoon."
Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of coldness, but there was no sign that she meant to refuse conversation.
Shikime Natsu, however, didn't mind her attitude in the slightest. He simply leaned in naturally and stood by her side.
Feeling him draw near, Himeno Yuki's body stiffened slightly.
Her feet shuffled off to the side, pulling out a bit of distance.
The motion was done very naturally, as if she were deliberately maintaining a sense of boundary between the two of them.
Shikime Natsu pretended not to notice her little movement, only smiling as he spoke.
"Honestly, it feels like it's been a long time since I last met with you like this, Himeno-san."
There was a hint of wistfulness in his tone, as though he and Himeno Yuki were quite close.
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki said nothing at all.
Still, she did agree with what Shikime Natsu said—the two of them really hadn't spent time chatting together in quite a while. After all, Shikime Natsu was an extremely busy person, with all sorts of things to do every day and all sorts of people to meet.
Not like her.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, her gaze falling on the vending machine before her.
Someone like her—a shady type—idled about all day doing nothing, forever fading into the crowd. If she didn't actively go seeking out her own presence, probably no one would ever notice her. Well... except for that bunch in Class B.
Thinking this, Himeno Yuki crouched down and pulled the drink she'd just bought from the vending machine's dispenser slot.
It was a bottle of oolong tea, wisps of cold air still curling off the bottle.
Holding the drink, she paused, then turned back around to face the vending machine again.
She fished her phone out of her pocket and tapped the buttons a few times.
"Ka-chunk—"
Another soft sound.
She took another bottle of drink from the dispenser slot.
It was a bottle of orange juice.
Then she turned around and held the orange juice out in front of Shikime Natsu.
"Here."
Her voice was very soft, with a touch of awkwardness.
Shikime Natsu looked at her, somewhat surprised.
His gaze lingered on Himeno Yuki's face for a moment, then dropped to the bottle of orange juice.
"This is..."
"A return gift for that pen you gave me last time."
Himeno Yuki turned her face away, avoiding Shikime Natsu's eyes.
Her gaze fell on the flowerbed off to the side, and her voice continued.
Though in Himeno Yuki's view, the price of this drink couldn't compare to the pen Shikime Natsu had given her—well... of course, if you spoke purely of price, the drink she was giving actually cost more than that pen.
It was just... the two carried different things. What exactly that thing was, even Himeno Yuki couldn't say clearly—in any case, it just felt like it wasn't enough.
Watching this awkward look of hers, Shikime Natsu chuckled softly, then reached out and took the bottle of orange juice.
When his fingertips touched the bottle, he could still feel the faint chill it had carried out from the vending machine.
"Thank you."
Himeno Yuki said nothing at all.
She merely held her own oolong tea, turned around, and stepped forward, intending to leave.
She didn't want to linger here any longer. Being together with someone like Shikime Natsu—a sunny type—always made her feel a little uncomfortable.
And besides... she didn't know what she was supposed to say to him.
Between the two of them, there didn't seem to be any common topic.
However, just as she took her first step, Shikime Natsu's voice rose up from behind her.
"Himeno-san, is there something urgent you have to do?"
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki's steps paused slightly.
She stood there with her back to Shikime Natsu, silent for a moment.
Then, almost reflexively, she opened her mouth to answer.
"No..."
The words had barely left her mouth when a wave of regret welled up inside her.
Why did she have to be so honest?
She should have said she had something very important that had to be done right away, and then regretfully bid Shikime Natsu farewell.
That way, she could have left in a perfectly natural manner.
But now... she'd said "no," which meant that next Shikime Natsu was definitely going to...
Sure enough, hearing her answer, a smile appeared on Shikime Natsu's face.
"Well, since you're not in a hurry, Himeno-san, and it's rare that we run into each other—how about we chat a little?"
The way Shikime Natsu invited Himeno Yuki was, one could say, entirely natural. Well... just like the way that bunch in Class B had invited her back at the start of the term.
Only... when that bunch in Class B had invited her, she'd basically always slipped away partway through with one excuse or another.
As for now... Himeno Yuki wasn't clear on her own thoughts, but as she watched the smile on Shikime Natsu's face, she felt only that a detestable sunny-type halo was shining down upon her.
Blinding. It was truly far too blinding.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then let out a soft sigh.
She turned around to face Shikime Natsu, those dead fish eyes carrying a hint of resignation.
"I do have the time."
She paused, then continued.
"But you might not, Shiki-san."
"After all, Shiki-san has quite a lot of girlfriends these days."
She looked at Shikime Natsu, a complicated emotion flashing through those dead fish eyes.
"Not going to keep those girlfriends of yours company, living the sunny-type life together with them—are you really sure that's fine?"
The last time Himeno Yuki had met with Shikime Natsu, he'd only had a single girlfriend. But now? The girlfriends around Shikime Natsu were only growing in number—in the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, no one had more girlfriends than Shikime Natsu.
What, was this guy planning to turn the whole school into his own harem?
Standing together with someone like that always made Himeno Yuki feel out of place.
Just like a mouse hiding in a corner suddenly caught in the glare of a spotlight.
That feeling was rather unpleasant.
After hearing all this, Shikime Natsu merely smiled, then spoke.
"Aren't I right here now?"
He looked at Himeno Yuki, those pale golden eyes carrying a touch of gentleness.
"Doesn't that prove I have free time right now?"
He paused, then continued.
"Two people who both happen to be free, chatting a little—that's not so bad, is it?"
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki's brow furrowed slightly.
She thought about it, then spoke.
"Between the two of us, there doesn't seem to be anything worth chatting about, does there?"
She looked at Shikime Natsu, those dead fish eyes carrying a hint of seriousness.
"At the very least, I can't think of a single topic I could possibly talk about with you, Shiki-san."
She paused, then opened the oolong tea in her hand.
With a "click," the cap was twisted off.
She tilted her head back and took a sip, the cold liquid sliding down her throat, calming her a little.
She lowered the drink and shifted her gaze away, letting it fall on the flowerbed beside them, avoiding Shikime Natsu.
Then she added another line.
"Besides, we're completely from two different worlds."
Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of distance.
"The gap between a shady type and a sunny type is huge to begin with. There's no need for you to blend into our shady-type lives, Shiki-san."
She paused, then added another line.
"What's more, you don't really have all that much time, do you, Shiki-san?"
She looked at Shikime Natsu, those dead fish eyes carrying a note of admonishment.
"Spending your time on other people would be far better than spending it on me."
She paused, her lips moving slightly, then continued.
"Especially your girlfriends, Shiki-san. They'd surely want you to spend more of your time on them."
After saying all this, Himeno Yuki closed her eyes slightly.
She felt that what she'd said made perfect sense.
These words weren't without reason.
Shikime Natsu ought to agree, right?
After all, everything she'd said was simply the truth.
And by saying it this way, she was giving him a graceful way out.
He ought to take that way out and say something like, "You're right, I'll get going then," shouldn't he?
That way, the two of them could part ways with dignity.
Yet after hearing all this, Shikime Natsu didn't answer right away. He merely kept his gaze on the girl's cold face, watching her slightly closed eyes, watching her slightly pressed lips.
Then he smiled.
"You do make a good point, Himeno-san."
He spoke, his tone carrying a hint of agreement.
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki felt a slight sense of relief inside.
She closed her eyes, thinking to herself that this matter was finally over.
And yet...
For some reason she couldn't quite explain, she felt a little uncomfortable inside.
That feeling was hard to put into words—she just felt a bit stifled.
As if something were clogged up in her chest.
She didn't want to dig into the source of this feeling, nor did she want to think about why she felt this way.
She just wanted to leave here quickly.
To return to that quiet dorm of hers, where no one would disturb her.
And then...
"That said..."
Shikime Natsu's voice rose again.
Himeno Yuki opened her eyes and looked at Shikime Natsu.
There was still that faint smile hanging on Shikime Natsu's face.
He looked at Himeno Yuki, those pale golden eyes carrying a hint of seriousness.
"I'm willing to chat with you too, Himeno-san."
He paused, then continued.
"After all, didn't I say it before?"
He looked into Himeno Yuki's eyes, his tone carrying a note of certainty.
"You, Himeno-san, are also one of the people I care about."
He paused, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
"Is there anything wrong with spending time building a good relationship with someone I care about?"
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki froze completely.
She widened those dead fish eyes, staring at Shikime Natsu, disbelief written all over her face.
It was... that line again.
"Someone I care about" again.
How could this guy say something like that so casually?
Didn't he know just how devastating a line like that was to a girl?
Himeno Yuki finally understood the source of that inexplicable emotion from earlier. It was that line Shikime Natsu had said to her last time—that he cared about her. So when she heard him say something like that, and mistakenly believed he would actually listen to her and go find his girlfriends, that was why she'd felt a bit dissatisfied.
After all, Shikime Natsu had clearly said he cared about her, and then turned right around and made a gesture of not caring. Even if she didn't mind, wouldn't that make anyone irritated?
This was a normal reaction.
Himeno Yuki's cheeks began to burn again.
Himeno Yuki stood there, gripping that bottle of oolong tea in her hand, her whole body a little stiff.
Her gaze started to wander, not knowing where to settle.
Looking at Shikime Natsu's face made her feel embarrassed.
Not looking at Shikime Natsu's face felt somewhat rude.
In the end, she could only shift her gaze toward the flowerbed off to the side.
Those flowers and plants looked especially pleasing to the eye at this moment.
At the very least, they wouldn't say things that made one's heart race.
Watching Himeno Yuki like this, Shikime Natsu continued, smiling as he spoke.
"Besides, even though you say you don't want to chat with me, Himeno-san, you didn't actually just walk off."
He looked at Himeno Yuki, those pale golden eyes carrying a hint of amusement.
"Doesn't that just prove that you don't actually dislike me that much, Himeno-san?"
Hearing this, the expression on Himeno Yuki's face grew even more complicated.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say "It's not like I don't dislike you," but the words reached the tip of her tongue and she swallowed them back down.
Because she realized that she really did seem to... not dislike Shikime Natsu all that much.
Sure, this guy spoke frivolously and did things carelessly, sometimes making people grind their teeth in frustration.
But...
But for some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to dislike him.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then let out a soft sigh.
"Say whatever you like."
There was a hint of resignation in her voice.
"In any case... I can't out-argue you."
Shikime Natsu smiled, but didn't press the matter any further.
He glanced at the orange juice in his hand, then twisted off the cap and took a sip.
The cold liquid slid down his throat, carrying a hint of sweetness.
"It's delicious."
He spoke, his tone sincere.
"Thank you, Himeno-san."
"...You're welcome."
Himeno Yuki turned her face away, not looking at him.
The two of them just stood there beside the vending machine, falling silent for a while.
Himeno Yuki stood there gripping that bottle of oolong tea, not knowing what to say.
Shikime Natsu stood there gripping that bottle of orange juice, likewise not saying anything more.
At this point Himeno Yuki started to feel a bit awkward. Wasn't it Shikime Natsu who'd taken the initiative to strike up a conversation with her just now?
If they were going to chat, then he should say something—instead of just standing here...
Especially with his gaze still resting on her, Himeno Yuki felt that the sunny-type aura emanating from Shikime Natsu was downright terrifying.
Could it be that this guy had run out of words too?
No, that shouldn't be it. Say what you would, this guy Shikime Natsu had plenty of girlfriends. Surely, chatting with girlfriends and all, he'd have prepared plenty of topics.
Surely Shikime Natsu couldn't be the type where, whenever he was with those girlfriends of his, it was all those girlfriends doing the talking?
If that were the case, what would that even look like?
And besides... the last time Shikime Natsu had sought her out, he'd been able to find topics quite easily. Could it be that the setting was wrong this time?
After all, there was only a vending machine here, and surely the topics couldn't revolve around a vending machine, could they?
You couldn't exactly chat about things like "the drinks this vending machine is selling today are different from yesterday's" or "it's better to observe the vending machine from this angle."
Topics like that had absolutely no conversational value—and even she knew that chatting about that sort of thing would definitely kill the mood.
Himeno Yuki's mind, for once, went through a round of brainstorming—though it was mostly snarky commentary.
Himeno Yuki's gaze quietly fell on Shikime Natsu. Could it be that her shady-type aura was too heavy today, and it had infected even this sunny type, Shikime Natsu, leaving him with nothing to say?
No, no, no. Say what you would, it had to be Shikime Natsu's sunny-type aura being too heavy that had gotten her mind wandering in the first place.
"Hey... are you really not planning to say anything? You're the one who proposed chatting with me, right? Letting the conversation die like this—that's not the kind of thing a sunny type does, is it?"
At this moment, Himeno Yuki could no longer bear this atmosphere. Those dead fish eyes locked directly onto Shikime Natsu, a trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
What, was talking to a shady type like her really that difficult?
If it really was that difficult, then he might as well not have struck up a conversation with her in the first place.
It was such a waste of time, and it put her in an awkward spot too—so why bother?
After hearing this from Himeno Yuki, Shikime Natsu smiled, an apologetic smile appearing on his face.
"Sorry, sorry—I accidentally spaced out for a moment just now."
After hearing this from Shikime Natsu, Himeno Yuki couldn't help but freeze. This guy Shikime Natsu could space out too?
But at the thought of him spacing out while chatting with her, an inexplicable feeling rose up again inside Himeno Yuki's heart.
This guy...
"I was wondering—didn't you notice Yamamura-san just now, Himeno-san?"
And just as Shikime Natsu's words fell.
"Bang—!"
A crisp sound came from the direction of the vending machine.
Like the sound of something slapping against a metal panel.
The sound wasn't very loud, but here it seemed especially clear.
____
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