After Saionji-san departed for our house a short distance away in a big car with the name ” Restaurant Sakura” printed on it, I helped out at the restaurant for a while, but after lunchtime, the number of customers had decreased considerably.
When I saw Saionji-san coming back to the store with my mother, I couldn’t help but stare at her. She was wearing the same jersey I had worn in junior high school. The embroidered “Sakura” on the chest was tattered and the color was faded. Some parts of it were worn out.
“M, mom!”
“What is it? Oh, this? You can’t wear it anymore. Yuria-chan’s clothes are torn from the shoulders up, so I’ve decided to have her wear this home today.”
It got dark in front of my eyes.
“What are you dressing Saionji-san in…?”
I think her father was an executive at a famous fashion brand or something. That girl ….is wearing such a trashy piece of cloth …that could be cursed by the gods of fashion.
“eh? You can’t wear it anymore.”
“That’s not the point!”
“I’m sorry, Sakura-kun. I’ll clean it and return it.”
Saionji-san apologized for some reason, so I stopped pursuing the matter further.
“How are your feet?”
She had a large bandage on her calf and a bandage on her ankle.
My mother answered the question I asked Saionji-san.
“There are a few scratches and I guess it’s just a bruise, but it’s swollen. Yuria-chan, I just gave you a compress, so go to the hospital later.”
When my mother came back, I left and went to my part-time job after collecting the cart that was tied to the sign. Fortunately, all the tofu I had put in that morning had been sold. I briefly explained the situation and was allowed to leave for the day, and went back to the store.
When I returned to the restaurant, Saionji-san was eating the Mackerel Miso Set Meal. I thought vaguely, “oh it’s mackerel miso,” and looked at her again.
Hmm?! Saionji-san is eating mackerel miso!
Why didn’t they serve tiramisu or something! I went to complain to my mother.
“Why are you making Saionji-san eat mackerel miso?”
“Oh, Yuria-chan chose it.”
Saionji-san nodded and said, “It’s very good,” smiling with a very cute face. Of course, it’s not for me, but for my father who made it and my mother who took care of her.
Saionji-san was a slow eater, but she seemed to enjoy it very much. I could see that she was savoring every bite of the vinegared squid and cucumber. This made the chef quite happy. There were no other customers, so my father was sitting behind the counter with his cheekbones in his hand, looking very happy.
In the confusion of the moment, he said, “Saionji-san, you should have some of this, too,” and served her some more pumpkin salad.
Wow, girls don’t eat that much. Dieting. It’s like calorie control. …… I mean, a pumpkin salad in a rundown restaurant like this. …… I was slightly taken aback when she said, “Itadakimasu” in a small but clear voice, and ate that too.
I realized that my image of the girl and Saionji-san was a little off from reality.
She ate all of her food very neatly, drank all of her tea, said, “Thank you for the food,” and exhaled.
“Yuria-chan, let me take you home.”
As her mother grabbed the car keys from the wall, a group of customers came in with a bang.
“Can everyone sit?”
“Ah, I’ll move the chairs now.”
“I’ll do it.”
I managed to arrange a place for the number of people in the small restaurant, and when I looked at Saionji-san, she stood up and bowed her head in front of my mother.
“Thank you for the food. My legs seem to be fine now, so it’s fine! Thank you very much.”
She glanced at the customers as she said this, so I guess she had some idea that my parents were the only ones running this restaurant.
“Ah, Then Souji, take her home.”
“Eh, but Sakura-kun is busy, too…”
When she was about to refuse, my mother said, “Don’t be reserved! You can’t go home alone today!”. So We left the store together.
“Thank you. Actually, I really didn’t want to go home alone.”
“I’ll take you home.”
“Thank you. But my house is right next to the station. I can get by from the station.”
I was worried about her, but when she said that, I felt like a pervert who wanted to follow a girl home, so I had to say, “Okay”.
For the time being, they just put a compress on it, but it seemed to have calmed down after the treatment, and Saionji-san seemed to be able to walk slowly with the other leg on its axis.
The summer afternoon sun was strong, and we chose to walk under the sparsely shaded greenery. The sound of cicadas was annoying.
After a while, Saionji-san took a small glance back at me.
“That… About what I told the people of ‘Society for the Protection of Sakura Souji’…”
“Gu~buh”
I choked up.
What is that? That bizarrely lame name for a group. I wanted to ask a lot of questions. But as I looked at her, she continued on as if I knew what she was talking about.
“There’s been a lot of misunderstandings… for some reason, people say things like I have a lot of boyfriends and that I’m secretly seeing Sakura-kun and so on…”
“Ah, there was that kind of rumor huh? That annoys me, even though I didn’t know about it.”
It’s a pity that someone like Saionji-san would get into a rumor with me. Then again, I could go around telling people that Saionji-san hates me so much that she won’t even let me in her sight.
“I don’t hate you, Sakura-kun…”
Saionji-san said in a whisper.
My heart skipped a beat.
That said, I could tell that she doesn’t like me either, so I could only reply “yes” for now.
“Hey, earlier… isn’t it true… about having fifty boyfriends?”
“No, I don’t have any.”
“E~e~h!”
To my surprise, Saionji-san looked embarrassed.
Apparently, she was embarrassed that she didn’t have a boyfriend, so she said in a flustered, excuse-making tone.
“But there’s someone I’ve been interested in lately… Yeah, there is someone I like. It’s a one-sided love though.”
There was no sense of mystery or anything, and I was left out of the loop when she told me about her love life.
“What kind of guy does Saionji-san like?”
I was surprised to find that Saionji-san was surprisingly normal and strangely easy to talk to, so I asked her easily.
She put her hands on her cheeks and dyed it crimson, saying, “Eh?” as if a face came to mind when she was asked.
Wow…You really like him, don’t you?
I think the person who made her give this look is lucky.
“He’s interesting, kind, and …… then, then.”
Saionji-san was grinning and folding her fingers. Super rare. (TN: Like gacha)
Some sort of adult elite who can work, maybe.
He is the president of an IT company and travels between Japan and overseas. He is so handsome that people who see him fall over and he has been in Hollywood movies. He’s so smart that he’s never scored anything but a hundred on a test. He’s a good speaker, and people can’t stop laughing when they listen to him, and he attracts people. He is kind and wealthy. Suitors are pouring in from all over the world. This is the story of a hyper handsome man from a world I’ve never heard of. I wanted to ask her a lot of questions, but I felt it would be rude. So I decided not to.
Instead, I somehow felt like saying something about myself.
“I also have a crush…”
“Eh, a crush?”
She looked very puzzled and made an unexpected sound.
“If it’s Sakura-kun, why don’t you just say it quickly …… they won’t turn you down.”
“I don’t think so. We have a very delicate relationship, and I don’t want to ruin it. …”
“That’s amazing. It’s so difficult huh. Could she be a princess with a different identity?”
“No…”
I felt like I was being imagined in a very misguided direction.
But I didn’t think I would have to talk to this person about my first love, which I had only told Yabusaka. I’m having a good conversation.
Maybe I’m getting used to girls now that I’ve talked to Hiria-chan so much. If I can keep this up and act like a normal human being with other girls, I think I’ll be able to live a little easier.
Besides, when you know that you and the other person both like someone, you don’t have to worry about being disliked because of a strange misunderstanding, so the strange caution that only a man and a woman can have is softened. That made it even easier for me to talk to her.
“Sakura-kun, are you going to confess?”
“No, I can’t yet. What about you, Saionji-san?”
“I’ve been wanting to tell him lately….”
“I see. I’m sure it will work out. Good luck with that.”
It seemed that Saionji-san would not be easily shattered, and I encouraged her very irresponsibly.
I just realized that Saionji’s voice is a little bit similar to Hiria-chan’s. Although Hiria-chan’s voice is a bit higher and brighter, I think they have the same kind of voice.
I’ve never had a proper conversation with Saionji-san, and I’ve never really listened to her voice, so I never noticed. A great discovery. Maybe that’s why she’s so easy to talk to.
“Sakura-kun, You too…”
“Eh.”
“Do your best too, Sakura-kun”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Saionji-san and I have become friends.
We are in a similar situation and it’s easier to talk to her than I thought. In addition, it was fun to be able to talk about the person I like, which I can’t talk about with Hiria-chan.
After Saionji-san departed for our house a short distance away in a big car with the name ” Restaurant Sakura” printed on it, I helped out at the restaurant for a while, but after lunchtime, the number of customers had decreased considerably.
When I saw Saionji-san coming back to the store with my mother, I couldn’t help but stare at her. She was wearing the same jersey I had worn in junior high school. The embroidered “Sakura” on the chest was tattered and the color was faded. Some parts of it were worn out.
“M, mom!”
“What is it? Oh, this? You can’t wear it anymore. Yuria-chan’s clothes are torn from the shoulders up, so I’ve decided to have her wear this home today.”
It got dark in front of my eyes.
“What are you dressing Saionji-san in…?”
I think her father was an executive at a famous fashion brand or something. That girl ….is wearing such a trashy piece of cloth …that could be cursed by the gods of fashion.
“eh? You can’t wear it anymore.”
“That’s not the point!”
“I’m sorry, Sakura-kun. I’ll clean it and return it.”
Saionji-san apologized for some reason, so I stopped pursuing the matter further.
“How are your feet?”
She had a large bandage on her calf and a bandage on her ankle.
My mother answered the question I asked Saionji-san.
“There are a few scratches and I guess it’s just a bruise, but it’s swollen. Yuria-chan, I just gave you a compress, so go to the hospital later.”
When my mother came back, I left and went to my part-time job after collecting the cart that was tied to the sign. Fortunately, all the tofu I had put in that morning had been sold. I briefly explained the situation and was allowed to leave for the day, and went back to the store.
When I returned to the restaurant, Saionji-san was eating the Mackerel Miso Set Meal. I thought vaguely, “oh it’s mackerel miso,” and looked at her again.
Hmm?! Saionji-san is eating mackerel miso!
Why didn’t they serve tiramisu or something! I went to complain to my mother.
“Why are you making Saionji-san eat mackerel miso?”
“Oh, Yuria-chan chose it.”
Saionji-san nodded and said, “It’s very good,” smiling with a very cute face. Of course, it’s not for me, but for my father who made it and my mother who took care of her.
Saionji-san was a slow eater, but she seemed to enjoy it very much. I could see that she was savoring every bite of the vinegared squid and cucumber. This made the chef quite happy. There were no other customers, so my father was sitting behind the counter with his cheekbones in his hand, looking very happy.
In the confusion of the moment, he said, “Saionji-san, you should have some of this, too,” and served her some more pumpkin salad.
Wow, girls don’t eat that much. Dieting. It’s like calorie control. …… I mean, a pumpkin salad in a rundown restaurant like this. …… I was slightly taken aback when she said, “Itadakimasu” in a small but clear voice, and ate that too.
I realized that my image of the girl and Saionji-san was a little off from reality.
She ate all of her food very neatly, drank all of her tea, said, “Thank you for the food,” and exhaled.
“Yuria-chan, let me take you home.”
As her mother grabbed the car keys from the wall, a group of customers came in with a bang.
“Can everyone sit?”
“Ah, I’ll move the chairs now.”
“I’ll do it.”
I managed to arrange a place for the number of people in the small restaurant, and when I looked at Saionji-san, she stood up and bowed her head in front of my mother.
“Thank you for the food. My legs seem to be fine now, so it’s fine! Thank you very much.”
She glanced at the customers as she said this, so I guess she had some idea that my parents were the only ones running this restaurant.
“Ah, Then Souji, take her home.”
“Eh, but Sakura-kun is busy, too…”
When she was about to refuse, my mother said, “Don’t be reserved! You can’t go home alone today!”. So We left the store together.
“Thank you. Actually, I really didn’t want to go home alone.”
“I’ll take you home.”
“Thank you. But my house is right next to the station. I can get by from the station.”
I was worried about her, but when she said that, I felt like a pervert who wanted to follow a girl home, so I had to say, “Okay”.
For the time being, they just put a compress on it, but it seemed to have calmed down after the treatment, and Saionji-san seemed to be able to walk slowly with the other leg on its axis.
The summer afternoon sun was strong, and we chose to walk under the sparsely shaded greenery. The sound of cicadas was annoying.
After a while, Saionji-san took a small glance back at me.
“That… About what I told the people of ‘Society for the Protection of Sakura Souji’…”
“Gu~buh”
I choked up.
What is that? That bizarrely lame name for a group. I wanted to ask a lot of questions. But as I looked at her, she continued on as if I knew what she was talking about.
“There’s been a lot of misunderstandings… for some reason, people say things like I have a lot of boyfriends and that I’m secretly seeing Sakura-kun and so on…”
“Ah, there was that kind of rumor huh? That annoys me, even though I didn’t know about it.”
It’s a pity that someone like Saionji-san would get into a rumor with me. Then again, I could go around telling people that Saionji-san hates me so much that she won’t even let me in her sight.
“I don’t hate you, Sakura-kun…”
Saionji-san said in a whisper.
My heart skipped a beat.
That said, I could tell that she doesn’t like me either, so I could only reply “yes” for now.
“Hey, earlier… isn’t it true… about having fifty boyfriends?”
“No, I don’t have any.”
“E~e~h!”
To my surprise, Saionji-san looked embarrassed.
Apparently, she was embarrassed that she didn’t have a boyfriend, so she said in a flustered, excuse-making tone.
“But there’s someone I’ve been interested in lately… Yeah, there is someone I like. It’s a one-sided love though.”
There was no sense of mystery or anything, and I was left out of the loop when she told me about her love life.
“What kind of guy does Saionji-san like?”
I was surprised to find that Saionji-san was surprisingly normal and strangely easy to talk to, so I asked her easily.
She put her hands on her cheeks and dyed it crimson, saying, “Eh?” as if a face came to mind when she was asked.
Wow…You really like him, don’t you?
I think the person who made her give this look is lucky.
“He’s interesting, kind, and …… then, then.”
Saionji-san was grinning and folding her fingers. Super rare. (TN: Like gacha)
Some sort of adult elite who can work, maybe.
He is the president of an IT company and travels between Japan and overseas. He is so handsome that people who see him fall over and he has been in Hollywood movies. He’s so smart that he’s never scored anything but a hundred on a test. He’s a good speaker, and people can’t stop laughing when they listen to him, and he attracts people. He is kind and wealthy. Suitors are pouring in from all over the world. This is the story of a hyper handsome man from a world I’ve never heard of. I wanted to ask her a lot of questions, but I felt it would be rude. So I decided not to.
Instead, I somehow felt like saying something about myself.
“I also have a crush…”
“Eh, a crush?”
She looked very puzzled and made an unexpected sound.
“If it’s Sakura-kun, why don’t you just say it quickly …… they won’t turn you down.”
“I don’t think so. We have a very delicate relationship, and I don’t want to ruin it. …”
“That’s amazing. It’s so difficult huh. Could she be a princess with a different identity?”
“No…”
I felt like I was being imagined in a very misguided direction.
But I didn’t think I would have to talk to this person about my first love, which I had only told Yabusaka. I’m having a good conversation.
Maybe I’m getting used to girls now that I’ve talked to Hiria-chan so much. If I can keep this up and act like a normal human being with other girls, I think I’ll be able to live a little easier.
Besides, when you know that you and the other person both like someone, you don’t have to worry about being disliked because of a strange misunderstanding, so the strange caution that only a man and a woman can have is softened. That made it even easier for me to talk to her.
“Sakura-kun, are you going to confess?”
“No, I can’t yet. What about you, Saionji-san?”
“I’ve been wanting to tell him lately….”
“I see. I’m sure it will work out. Good luck with that.”
It seemed that Saionji-san would not be easily shattered, and I encouraged her very irresponsibly.
I just realized that Saionji’s voice is a little bit similar to Hiria-chan’s. Although Hiria-chan’s voice is a bit higher and brighter, I think they have the same kind of voice.
I’ve never had a proper conversation with Saionji-san, and I’ve never really listened to her voice, so I never noticed. A great discovery. Maybe that’s why she’s so easy to talk to.
“Sakura-kun, You too…”
“Eh.”
“Do your best too, Sakura-kun”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Saionji-san and I have become friends.
We are in a similar situation and it’s easier to talk to her than I thought. In addition, it was fun to be able to talk about the person I like, which I can’t talk about with Hiria-chan.
