Lunch Break without Shimizu-san 1 

“Oraa, here comes Onē-chan! Everyone, make a way!”

On the night I met Hondō at the shopping mall, I was reading a comic book in my room when Ai, in her pajamas, barged in.

“Didn’t I always tell you to knock and say something before entering someone’s room?”

“Forget about that for now! Tell me about your way back home!”

Ai points her index finger straight at me. When will she ever knock before entering a room?

“Why are you acting so high and mighty?”

“Because I’m actually are. Don’t you dare underestimate the Vice President of the Student Council!”

“Don’t try to assert your authority over your own sister at home.”

“I’ll be careful next time. Anyway, what happened with Daiki-kun after that?”

Ai, whose talent for derailing conversation is second to none, seems to have not forgotten her purpose.

“What do you mean? We just went home normally.”

“Hmm-mmh.”

Ai looks at me suspiciously. 

“W-what is it?”

“Kei-san, I know who you are, okay?”

“Know what?”

“It was raining when you both left. And Kei-san, you didn’t have an umbrella, right? How did you manage to come back home without getting wet?”

“Guu…”

Why is it that Ai’s memory is so sharp only at times like this? I wish she could put that memory to good use in her studies.

“I think you came back home before Mom and Dad arrived, so it must have been raining while you were on your way. Your clothes and bags didn’t get wet either. In that case, I have a hypothesis…”

” …stop beating around the bush and just say what you want to say.”

“Fine. I’ll be direct. You’re using Daiki-kun’s umbrella, don’t you?”

Why is it that only at times like this Ai’s reasoning is so brilliant?

“What do you think, Kei? Is there any mistake in my hypothesis?”

“…No “

Even if I were to say that her hypothesis was wrong, the truth would eventually come out after some flaws were exposed. 

It would be less tiring to admit it from the beginning. 

“Oh, the truth revealed! Kei, you’re doing the “sharing an umbrella” thing, huh?”

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is a big deal! Who initiated it?”

“…I did.”

Although it was Hondō who first proposed lending the umbrella, it was my remark that led to us sharing the umbrella.

“Kei, you… the passive Kei?”

“I can’t help it! I didn’t want to get wet!”

Nothing special, it’s just that. And yet, Ai smiles mischievously.

“I see. Because your precious dress and the stuffed toy you won are both very important, you didn’t want them to get wet, huh?”

“I never said anything like that!”

“But that’s how it is, right?”

“…I didn’t say you’re wrong.”

Ai keeps grinning and looking at me warmly. 

” Yay, I received Kei’s rare dere moment!”

“You’re so noisy. Just go back already.”

I point at the door, but Ai looks at me with a somewhat exasperated expression.

“The night has only just begun, you know? Besides, I haven’t heard all the details about sharing the umbrella.”

“There’s not much to say. There are no more details beyond the fact that I walked home with Hondō.”

“Don’t say that. What did you talk about on the way back? Tell Onē-chan.”

I recall the conversation on the way home today. I don’t want to talk about Hondō’s past, so I’ll tell you what else we talked about…

“He said things like ‘It’s fun being with you,’ ‘I’m happy to see a different side of you,’ and ‘I get nervous when we share an umbrella.'”

“Daiki-kun, he’s more aggressive than I expected! Does that mean there’s something between you two?”

Ai can’t hide her excitement. I don’t know if it’s possible for people to get so excited about other people’s love stories, though I don’t have any examples other than Ai. 

“He didn’t mean it that way.”

Although he may not be lying, I have serious doubts about whether Hondō sees me as a love interest.

“I doubt it. I don’t think he would tell a girl he is not interested in that she is beautiful, give her a stuffed animal as a gift, or tell her he is nervous when they share the umbrella together. 

“He does! He also called you cute when choosing clothes, didn’t he?”

I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy imagining him saying that to other girls.

“Based on what I saw today, I don’t think Daiki-kun is that kind of person. Hmm, I should have asked if he’s conscious of Kei as a girl.”

“What scary thing are you trying to do?”

It gives me chills just thinking about it.

“I’m just kidding. Anyway, did Daiki-kun take Kei home in the end? ” 

“…no.”

“No? But I didn’t see any umbrella that wasn’t yours, so you must have arrived at Daiki-kun’s house first and borrowed an umbrella to come back, right?”

Why is it that her observations are so perceptive only at times like this? 

“The rain stopped halfway.”

“What do you mean?”

“The rain stopped while we were walking home together, so I ran home alone.”

“Why? Why would you do that, Pretty Girl? “

“I can’t help it. I’ve been through a lot today and I’m at my limits! ” 

Today with Hondō that started with an unexpected encounter was too intense for me.