“This should put an end to any further investigation, right?”

Saying that, Tachibana-san smiled. Of course, I couldn’t smile. I didn’t have the luxury to do so.

“I heard you’re troubled by a leaking roof? Then I’ll take care of the roof for you,” she said, or at least that’s what it felt like. Starting tomorrow, I would be bombarded with questions from my classmates.

“Is that okay? Will you be alright with that, Iori?”

What really concerned me was this. Would Tachibana-san be okay with being seen as my girlfriend? It’s not that I want to downplay myself, but honestly, having someone like me as her accessory feels totally mismatched.

“Do I look like I’m upset by it?”

I couldn’t see any trace of that, which confused me. I actually wanted to tell her to reconsider.

Tachibana-san probably wasn’t interested in romance and was acting out of lightheartedness, but the people around us wouldn’t think that way. Even her fans would be shocked if they heard she had a boyfriend.

“You can’t, Iori. You need to take better care of yourself. Otherwise, you’ll regret it when you find someone you truly like.”

“I thought about it thoroughly, though. Or do you not have confidence that you can make me happy, Natsuki?”

“It’s not that. Everyone in Aotaka will think I’m your boyfriend, you know? Are you really okay with that—”

Before I could finish, something was shoved into my mouth, causing me to stumble over my words.

It was hot, crispy, and perfectly salted, with a hint of basil—it was Cyberia’s signature dish, fried potatoes.

Just as it was brought to the table, Tachibana-san offered it to me. To anyone watching, it probably looked like a couple having a cute moment.

“I don’t mind. I don’t care if people think I’m your girlfriend, Natsuki.”

Her expression was unusually serious. It made me unable to grasp her true intentions. It was a little different from her usual teasing attitude.

I slowly chewed the potato in my mouth. Even in this situation, it tasted delicious. Cyberia’s fries were truly exceptional. Normally, the taste would get lost in the chaos, but not here.

“Yeah, it’s still delicious. You should have another one, Natsuki.”

Saying that, Tachibana-san stuffed another potato into my mouth. It felt like a cigarette being flicked out of my mouth—though it was funny, I couldn’t bring myself to laugh.

Glancing towards the back table, I saw Souta and the others watching us, eagerly. They probably thought I was getting fed by my girlfriend. I couldn’t even look at the Suzakura High table because I was too scared.

“By the way, I want to ask you, Natsuki. Don’t you mind being seen as my boyfriend? I may not seem very feminine, but—”

She didn’t sound self-deprecating, just matter-of-fact. Her attitude made me blurt something out without thinking.

“There’s no way I’d mind. And I don’t think you’re not feminine, Iori—” munch!

Suddenly, a chunk of potato was shoved into my mouth, making me freeze. As I swallowed, tears welled up in my eyes. Tachibana-san deliberately looked away, gazing out the window. A large truck rumbled past the road in front of us.

“…Why am I so weak when it comes to you, Natsuki?”

I think Tachibana-san said something, but it was drowned out by the truck’s noise. So instead of asking her to repeat, I dipped my fried potato into a pool of ketchup. The acidity of the tomato perfectly cut through the greasy oil, and I kept reaching for more. Whoever first paired fried potatoes with ketchup was a genius.

After that, we casually talked while finishing our late lunch.

For instance, I was envious that Aotaka was already covering vectors in Math B, while Suzakura hadn’t gotten there yet. But on the other hand, I was relieved to hear that Suzakura had advanced to quadratic equations in Math II.

While chatting like that, I started to think maybe becoming a couple with Tachibana-san wouldn’t be as outrageous as I imagined. Maybe it wasn’t such a huge deal.

Tachibana-san was known as the “Prince of Suzakura.” Honestly, I agreed with that title. She was a super-prince that everyone noticed.

But the girl sitting right in front of me, Tachibana Iori, while a bit different, seemed like an ordinary high school girl to me. At least, that’s how I felt.