There is always a trial waiting before a fun event. The ‘final exams of the first semester’ were the gatekeeper awaiting the students of Aotaka and Suzakura High Schools just before the summer vacation.

The good part of the test period is that school ends around lunch. After the first day of exams, I arrived at Cyberia with my friends. It’s always fun to talk about today’s tests while eating lunch.

…Or so I thought.

“See you, Natsuki. Make sure to take care of the sea, alright?”

Hayato whispered to me and walked to a table in the back. A group of classmates were already seated, and Hayato slipped into the remaining seat. In other words, there was no seat for me.

But it wasn’t that I was being excluded. I sat at a different table that I had been shown to, and opened my smartphone. I hadn’t received any messages from Tachibana-san yet. She should be arriving soon.

Since it was a weekday afternoon, there were only a few groups of housewives with young children in the store, and a quiet atmosphere filled the space. I could vaguely hear Hayato’s voice from the far table. The atmosphere was completely different from weekday evenings or weekends, and it was really refreshing.

The bell rang, signaling the arrival of new customers. Reflexively, my body reacted and I turned to look at the entrance. A group of over ten Suzakura students had spread across the space. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the staff in the kitchen. And without needing to look for her, Tachibana-san was leading the group.

Tachibana-san looked around the floor and searched for me. Our eyes met. Tachibana-san smoothly escaped the group and walked towards me.

“Hey, Natsuki. Did I keep you waiting?”

Tachibana-san sat down across from me. Just that made the surrounding air feel fresher. Lately, I’ve been focusing so much on how cute Tachibana-san is that I almost forget, but she’s still refreshingly cool and charming, like a joke.

“No, I just got here. Really.”

“I see. I’m glad.”

Tachibana-san reached for the tablet to order. As we sat there, the Suzakura students passed by our table.

…I honestly thought we might be attacked. Without realizing it, I straightened my back. But the Suzakura students only glared at me, then quietly went to the back table.

It was a relief, but also a bit anticlimactic. Maybe Tachibana-san had said something to them beforehand.

“I see, we can order a weekday lunch.”

Tachibana-san’s voice had a bright ring to it. Cyberia offers a special set lunch on weekdays, a super discounted deal that includes a main, a side, and a drink bar for exactly 1000 yen. Apparently, they’re not even breaking even on it. Normally, this would cost 1500 yen.

“It’s fresh, right? Normally, with school, I could never order this.”

“Yeah. Well, I’ll go for the weekday lunch. We can decide on the side together, Natsuki.”

Tachibana-san handed me the tablet. I lightly glanced over the menu, but the weekday lunch still looked the most appealing.

“I’ll have the weekday lunch too. What should we get for the side? How about one with french fries?”

“That’s fine. How about sautéed spinach and bacon for the other?”

“Oh, I like that too. Let’s go with that.”

After placing our order, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Hayato about Ruin, and I couldn’t help but scowl. There was no way it was anything good.

‘Are you guys really not dating?’

When I looked up, I saw Hayato and the others grinning at me from their table. I could understand. If I saw two girls from Suzakura, especially ones who seemed close, chatting alone, I’d probably think the same thing.

“What’s up?”

Tachibana-san looked down at my phone. It wasn’t really good manners to look at someone else’s phone, but we were close enough that it wasn’t a big deal.

The problem wasn’t her looking at my phone, but what was written there.

“…I see. So that’s how we’re seen.”

I felt really embarrassed. It was like being caught doing something childish, like one of those juvenile jokes typical at boys’ schools. It spread awkwardly in my heart. Tachibana-san took my phone, typed something quickly, and handed it back to me.

“Eh, wait a second.”

The sound of the message being sent came from my phone. I quickly took it back from Tachibana-san, and there were the words she had typed.

‘Actually, we’re dating.’

I was speechless. I could see Hayato’s table suddenly getting excited in my peripheral vision. Tachibana-san turned around and waved her hand small toward them. A cheer or something similar echoed toward our table.

…This was turning into a big deal.