「Do you know what my hobby is?」
「I don’t.」
「Then I’ll tell you. It’s watching romance dramas.」
「Hee.」
「This situation is just like that, isn’t it?」
The rain had weakened slightly from the earlier downpour that could be described as a bucket being overturned, to a level where you could manage without an umbrella if you were prepared.
As Susami-san said, sharing an umbrella brings to mind romantic scenarios, but unfortunately, the other party is a monster. No matter how cute their behavior, even if their true form is indeed a beautiful girl, it won’t develop into romance.
Therefore, I slam a no against her statement.
However, Susami-san made a “karokoro” (・・・・) sound in her throat.
The ribbon on her uniform slides across the fabric with a sound.
「You-kun, you’re really stubborn, aren’t you?」
「I’m known for my perseverance.」
「I respect thaat. I’m more like a weathercock…」
A weathercock changes direction with the wind, but in her case, she’d probably be blown away if the wind hit her. So I think it’s actually the opposite as a metaphor. However, standing here is someone even more easily swayed than a weathercock――originally, the term “weathercock” was used in a positive sense――Adashino You. Who never says exactly what he’s thinking.
I open my mouth, carefully hiding that I was thinking such things so as not to let it show.
「By the way.」
「On.」
「I’ll hold the umbrella.」
「Is that okay? Then I’ll let you do iit.」
She had been holding the umbrella since we left school.
It’s natural considering ownership, but from an outsider’s perspective and the impression it gives, it’s not exactly a recommended state.
That’s why I assert my claim to the umbrella.
Susami-san handed over the umbrella, saying “Thanks”.
「Now it looks even more like a scene from a romantic comedy.」
「Actually, I’ve never held anything heavier than chopsticks.」
「Like a sheltered young lady.」
「So the umbrella is so heavy, so heavy…」
「This is where you need to try your best.」
Damn, I messed up.
Indeed, when you think about it, with a boy and girl walking together under one umbrella, and the boy holding it, it’s a perfect score.
Out of a hundred people, about a thousand would read it as “Ahh, this is a romantic comedy”.
Even though it’s not a romantic comedy.
She lent me the umbrella out of goodwill, so I tried to return it with goodwill, and it ended up looking like a romantic comedy situation.
「Shall I say “Hang in there, hang in there”? With pom-poms. I can even add a heart mark at the end for you.」
「I’ll pass.」
I don’t want to bring such a hellish scene into this world.
It would be like all the evil in this world.
If you looked directly at it, your SAN points would drop to zero.
Apparently, Susami-san’s house was in the same direction as mine, but a bit further away. So when we arrived in front of my house, she commented, “So this is You-kun’s house. I didn’t knoow”. I wish she could have never known. My address had been revealed to a being more terrifying than a malicious stalker.
I put my hand on the rain-soaked gate and say goodbye.
I try to express my gratitude and head towards the entrance.
At that moment.
「You-kun, don’t catch a cold, okay?」
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「I won’t. That’s why you lent me the umbrella.」
「But your shoulder.」
Saying that, Susami-san pointed to my left shoulder──the one that was soaking wet and transparent to the skin.
「You were sticking out a bit to keep me from getting wet, weren’t you?」
「Well, as a matter of common sense.」
To be given a seat in a mobile rain shelter and then kick out the landlord.
It’s not exactly “the tenant prospers while the main house falls”, but still.
「And you were standing on the road side the whole time.」
「Unn.」
「So I’ll say it again.」
Thank you.
She bowed her head as she twirled the umbrella. I was shaken by her pure, or rather “normal”, sensibility. She’s probably more human than I am.
Susami-san keeps getting farther away.
She occasionally looked back and waved her hand gently.
If you close your eyes to the fact that she’s a monster, it was really like a romantic comedy.
The problem is that the light is too strong to close my eyes, though.
「Haa…」
I let out a sigh full of fatigue.
Somehow, I felt utterly exhausted.
◇
「Iyaー, as expected of Adashino.」
「What?」
「You picked up a new girl, didn’t you?」
Haa… I let out a sigh.
Itou Hiromasa, who sits in front of me, raised the corners of his mouth.
「From what I hear, she’s a refined beauty.」
「Indeed, she’s old-fashioned.」
In the sense of cremated bones.
We’ve had this conversation a few times already, so I didn’t want to continue, but he seemed to have no intention of stopping, speaking clearly like an actor on stage.
「Um… how should I put it, like a Japanese doll or kokeshi, neatly trimmed and cute.」
「A nuns’ cut?」
「That’s it. Anyway, she’s petite and cute, right?」
Petite.
In kanji, it would be “deceased person marbles”.
That’s a lie though.
「She speaks in a soft Kyoto dialect and has a good disposition.」
「Well, yeah.」
「And on top of that, she’s a beautiful girl, so there’s nothing more to say.」
At the very end, a huge problem came up.
There’s plenty to say.
I looked up at the ceiling quietly, crying manly tears.
God, Buddha. Please let me meet a female of the human species.
That’s my only wish.