Hey, how was your date with Arisu?"
Shortly after finishing the act with Beni after she finished her shower.
That's what she asked me.
"Not really. In the end, Tanaka-senpai didn't come either, so it was a waste of time."
"Hmm. I didn't go to a hotel or anything."
"There's no way I'm going. He's a serious guy who says he can't imagine dating a guy he doesn't even like."
"But if Arisu had invited me, would I have gone?"
Looking at her, but without losing her expression, she listened in amazement.
"Come on. But I probably haven't been there."
"A kid like Arisu is not the type."
"I don't know what type it is. But you can't just do what you're supposed to do and say goodbye high. That's kind of annoying.
I couldn't help but think about whether to make such a story my sex friend, who I do every day.
But she still didn't change her expression, saying, "So, after all, your sex friend is just right for you."
"...Well, maybe. Because dating and stuff like that is exhausting. Are you different?"
"I don't know because I've never had a boyfriend. But maybe I'm the same."
"Oh, that. I mean, it's late, what should I do? As expected, it's dark around here, so I'll send it to you."
"What's that, even though I have a sex friend"
While saying this, Beni refuses to get out of bed today.
"Hey, can I stay the night?"
"What? I'm fine, but is the house okay?"
"If you say you're staying with friends, that's fine. I'm getting sleepy and I don't want you to send me."
"What is it."
"Well, I'll rent a shower. Please lend me your nightgown and your jersey."
Beni quickly stood up, covering herself with the towel rack that was on her side.
"Is this kind of thing tiring?" And.
After listening, he left the room and headed to the bathroom without waiting for my reply.
◇
"...hmm"
When I woke up, the room was completely bright.
Apparently, he had fallen asleep before Kurenai returned.
He's... gone now.
Well, that's right.
You don't want to show your sleeping face to someone who isn't even your lover.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, today was my day off."
A week flies by these days.
I go to school every day, Beni comes home, and I sometimes work part-time.
That's how weekdays end before you know it.
But weekends can feel longer.
It's fine during the day while I'm at work, but it's been a long night since I got home.
I watch a lot of TV and don't read many books.
Besides, Beni isn't coming either.
Time flies when I'm with him.
Well, I've done most of it.
"Now, wake up."
I put on my messy futon, got dressed and headed to the bathroom.
Then, one of my neatly folded clothes was in the changing room.
"...I guess things like this are a lot of trouble."
He took his toothbrush in his mouth and stared at the clothes he had lent Beni yesterday.
I vaguely thought of yesterday's crimson face.
◇
"Welcome"
The family restaurant where I work part-time near my house is as busy as if it were a separate store during the day on weekends.
Before I can even think about it, the time just passes with me repeatedly serving and serving customers, and doing the dishes.
"Aoyama-kun, if you come down the third table, you can come up."
"Yes, thank you."
I answered the manager's call, cleared the table, and then went to the back of the kitchen.
I suddenly looked at the clock and saw that it was four o'clock in the evening.
Seriously, time flies.
"Thank you for your hard work, Aoyama-kun"
"Thank you for your hard work. Is Aso also up?"
"That. I'm free after this, so I'll just wait."
"Well, that's right."
The person who called out to me in the dressing room behind me was Mariko Aso, who also works part-time.
I'm one year older than him at the same school, but I've only ever spoken to him here.
She is a beautiful woman with lustrous black hair in a ponytail and sharp eyes.
Although he works part-time less frequently than me, he is a year older than me and I rely on him for work.
"Aoyama-kun, you've been working shifts on your days off, but don't you have a girlfriend or anything?"
"There isn't one. Aso-san, you've been working fewer part-time jobs lately, but have you been able to get a boyfriend?"
"Uh, no, that's it."
I got a crisp reply.
Well, I guessed there was something going on with the guy at the forefront, but I dared to interrupt.
"Well, there are a lot of things. Thank you for your hard work."
"Chi, a little bit. Won't you listen to me?"
"What is it?"
"Ha, Aoyama-kun is really dry. If you don't mind, would you like some tea later?"
As she stood on the exit side, listening to what she wanted, she seemed desperate to hear me speak.
In this case, it would be more like asking anyone to listen.
"Well, it's fine if it's gentle."
"Haha, take it easy. Well, let's go to the cafe a little further away."
"Isn't it okay here too?"
"Well, doesn't it seem like the store is going to take all your hard-earned money again?"
"Well, that's true."
"Right. Well, I'm going to get changed, so come out first."
Aso headed towards the changing room at the back.
Normally, I would never accept such an invitation.
I was just having trouble killing time in the evening, so I thought it might be okay once in a while.
I wonder when I started thinking about that.
Suddenly, aware of my uncharacteristic behavior, I left the store and waited for Aso-san to arrive.