Vol 1 Chapter 19 (1/2)

“Tea party…?”

“Yes.”

Shortly after home room had ended, Arisugawa-san had come to my seat and invited me.

“We will start it shortly hereafter, so if it sits well you, by all means, please come!”

“It’s right now?”

“Yes. It’s not that big a matter. It’s just a modest thing we’re holding in my room from time to time.”

And then Arisugawa-san suddenly quickened her pace.

“T-That is, even if I say in my room, it’s merely a usual thing and there’s no deeper meaning behind the invitation, yes?”

She put her index fingers on top of each other and rotated them like knitting needles.

“Yes, indeed. It would be a shame, but we could repeat it…”

“…?”

“Yes, yes, we can always repeat it!”

Toujou-san joined in on the whole fun from the right.

“But today’s invitation was deliberate—— mugu—”

Arisugawa-san covered Toujou-san’s mouth.

“P-Please pay it no heed, yes?”

“Ah… yeah.”

“Might there be something to obstruct you? Do you happen to already have plans?”

Arisugawa-san enquired with somewhat upturned eyes.

“Well, not really, but…”

“…! T-Then, by all means…!”

Well, true, I’m a bit curious too.

“Well then, I’m taking you up on…”

Arisugawa-san’s expression immediately started to sparkle.

Suddenly, something strongly pulled on my sleeve.

“W-Wait a sec! What are you doing?!”

It was Aika.

She went as far as to proclaim that and stiffened right after.

Everyone in the cla.s.sroom was ogling Aika.

Aika-sama is far from her usual self—— That kind of surprised atmosphere was clearly hanging in the air.

Taken aback, Aika regained her senses and casted her eyes down.

“Aika-sama…?”

Arisugawa-san asked evidently surprised too.

“…………”

Aika had turned her regular weirdo-mode on.

“Is there something you wanted to tell Kimito-sama?”

Trying to relax her, she inquired with a gentle expression.

“…………Ehm………… t-today…”

There are times when I wondered why she ended up like this, but stuff had probably happened. Seemed like once her att.i.tude snapped in, there was no breaking out, huh?

Suddenly, she pulled me up on my feet.

“W-What now?!”

Like that she dragged me into the corridor.

Everyone kept glaring from inside the cla.s.sroom.

Aika whispered into my ear.

(W-We’ve got club activities, right?!)

“…Ha?”

“Don’t ‘ha’ me! The preparations for my ‘Commoner Party’! There’s no time for tea parties and smirking like an idiot!”

“Who’s smirking like an idiot?”

(You were, right?!)

“I wasn’t! And on top of that, it’s not that urge——”

(W-What’s with you?! You wanna go to Arisugawa Reiko’s room that much?!)

“Wai—, you’re clinging too close!”

(It is urgent! We have to return at once and figure out the plan!)

“…………”

Yeah, she probably would wanna break out of the status-quo as soon as possible, if even just a day sooner.

…Jeez, there’s no helping it, I guess.

“Alright already.”

I said and left Aika behind; I then returned to the cla.s.sroom.

Arisugawa-san was looking my way, seemingly perplexed.

“Sorry, Arisugawa-san. I have plans with her already.”

I pointed to Aika, who was facing the other way in the corridor.

“…………She…………”

“Sorry, I hope you’ll invite me again regardless, okay?”

It took her a little while…

“Please, do not worry about it.”

Arisugawa-san expressed her usual unclouded smile.

“I’ll pray that you can tend to your business with Aika-sama in good health.”

…As expected of Arisugawa-san. Even her reaction to being refused is all too perfect, I was a bit moved.

When I turned my face to the sound of the footsteps I was hearing, I saw Aika leaving promptly.