After leaving the clothing store, we arrived at a hamburger shop in the shopping mall. Since it was lunchtime, the store was crowded, and it was hard to find an empty seat. The staff was moving around busily. Fortunately, we managed to find an empty seat and slipped into it.

“Natsuki, what do you do on your days off?”

Tachibana-san asked while munching on some fries. The fries at this shop weren’t the thin, crispy kind like at Cyberia but were thick and soft, and they were delicious in their own way.

“Days off, huh… I don’t really know. I study, watch videos, play games… and before I know it, the day’s over.”

I felt a little sad saying that. At least working at Cyberia would have been more productive. I was completely wasting the store manager’s kindness who always told me, “High schoolers should enjoy their youth.”

I didn’t think my response would lead to a conversation, but Tachibana-san smiled and raised the corners of her mouth. I wonder why she’s so happy that I’m wasting my day off.

“What about you, Tachibana-san?”

I asked while biting into my hamburger. The juicy meat spread its flavor all over my mouth, and before I could chew, I bit into the second bite. It was delicious.

“I’m pretty much the same. I don’t have any friends except for you, Natsuki.”

Tachibana-san said without any particular sign of disappointment. It sounded like a joke, but I probably wasn’t wrong to think that it was true. Even though she had a lot of fans, I think the reality was that she didn’t have any real friends.

“Eh, isn’t that person super cool!?”

“What should I do, should I talk to them?”

The two women in line near the register glanced at Tachibana-san while whispering to each other. Despite whispering, their voices were loud enough to be heard clearly by her.

I thought she’d ignore them, but Tachibana-san turned her face towards them and away from me. The two women covered their mouths with their hands, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Are you talking about me? Thank you.”

“Ah, ah, yes…! Sorry for making a fuss…”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind being gossiped about by cute girls like you.”

Wow… She’s really giving great fan service. The two women were completely defeated. Other customers in the store also seemed to be watching us, and everyone was looking at our interaction.

“Ah, um… Would you like to sit over there and eat together…? Of course, your friend is welcome too!”

They clearly treated me as an afterthought. Well, it can’t be helped; compared to Tachibana-san, I’m just an ordinary passerby. I didn’t even feel upset about it.

I glanced at Tachibana-san to see what she’d do, and she was looking at me as well. For some reason, she picked up a fry and offered it to me.

“Here, say ‘ah’.”

“!?!”

The surprised voices came from three people: the two women and me.

What the…? Tachibana-san, what are you doing!?

“Natsuki, you have to eat it quickly, or it’ll get cold.”

Tachibana-san said as she pushed the fry toward my mouth. At this point, I had no choice but to open my mouth, and the fry slid in. I couldn’t taste it at all.

“…That’s why I’ll pass. I’m with someone important right now.”

“Ha, hahaha, yes! I’m so sorry!”

The two women quickly ran out of the store.

…I wonder if it was okay that they didn’t order.

“Did it taste good, Natsuki?”

Tachibana-san asked with a smile.

“Sorry, I couldn’t taste anything. You did something like that all of a sudden.”

When I said that, Tachibana-san smiled a little.

“I guess that’s true. Then, let’s try again.”

The fry was once again offered to me. Does Tachibana-san even understand the meaning of this act? I thought this was something lovers do.

“Come on, Natsuki, ‘ah’.”

…Again. She’s teasing me. Tachibana-san was giving me a dramatic, perfect expression. It’s frustrating, but it’s incredibly cool.

“…’Ah’.”

Tachibana-san wouldn’t stop until I ate. I had no choice but to close my eyes and bite into the fry. I closed my eyes because I was so embarrassed that I felt like my face was on fire.

After taking my time to chew and swallow the fry, I opened my eyes, and Tachibana-san was looking at me with a satisfied expression.

“You’re really cute, Natsuki.”

“I don’t understand what you mean at all…”

Being with Tachibana-san feels like experiencing a lot of firsts.

Maybe that’s why… my heart is beating so fast.