Volume 13 Chapter 5 (2/2)

”What? It's stopped!?”

This was indeed an urgent telephone call Sensing the topic of conversation, her great-aunt / landlady Su roo a ribbon of text about train line outages

”I heard there was an accident I'et there on a private railway, but will you be okay?”

”Um”

Despite shi+mako-san's question, Noriko was in athis situation and her one completely blank

She'd been living in Sumireko-san's apartht about how to get so

”I'et a bus from in front of your station to another station on a private line”

”Ah, right”

Su the train line, along with the naet her to various private railway stations There were buses leaving from the north and south entrances that led to train stations for different railroad coly, there were quite a number of ways to slip into the city center Then, just as she was feeling relieved, Sumireko-san wrote an additional comment, ”But it'll take ti dejected

”You should be fine with any of the private railways, just get on a train headed east If you get to a station on the Yamanote line then you can switch over there”

”Understood”

”Calet somewhere then you expect, but there's no rush”

”Okay”

She'd understood everything Norikothrough her mind

”Don't worry, you'll be fine I think I should be able to ed ti late”

”Thanks”

”Well then, I'll see you”

After hanging up the phone, Noriko changed into the su out of the apartment

Su Noriko vacillate over what to wear earlier, and she smiled and said:

”You can do it if you try”

She'd failed

She hadn't known that the JR line was stopped until she arrived at the station

”When's it going to be running again?”

Ma station attendant for an answer and he leaned back slightly and answered, ”S-soon”

Just as she was thinking, ”Yeah, right,” a train really did arrive on the platfor in to Tokyo

”We apologize for the inconvenience”

Belatedly, the announcement that the train had arrived echoed across the platform

The train that had just arrived was full of passengers from the station before, and the one before that, so despite being 10a rush hour

”But the schedule's all er than usual”

The station attendant fro to board the train

”I suppose so”

But she still thought she'd be better off getting on the train The line ahead was clear Even if progress was sluggish, she'd eventually reach her destination It see a bus from here to a private railway station

But the train moved even slower than she'd expected It barely

Whenever she thought she should get off at the next stop and catch a bus, it would move a little Then when she'd think she wouldn't have to get off, it would stopher choice

”Ah, hi, Kenji? I' at all It's so annoying”

A short distance away, in the sa on her cell phone

”I think I' to be totally late, so stay there and wait for me okay?”

(Argh, that's enough)

If you've said what you had to then hang up already Mami launched a psychic attack at the unseen woe to the boneheadedon, her speech only interrupted by her shrill laughter

An old s in irritation, , ”Unbelievable”

His legs ca lady seated next to hiue

The old wo lady scowled in displeasure

The chain-reaction steadily raised the irritation level inside the train

Irritation, a surge of anger, losing patience, annoyance, exasperation

Ma at her would think she was oozing irritation from every pore too

(Ah, Takuya? It's ht be a bit late, so can you wait for me? Because I want to see your face)

In order to shut out the annoyances surrounding her, Ma a call to Takuya-kun It was incredibly stupid, but also a bit fun and made her feel somewhat better

(hello, Takuya? Are you, perhaps, also stuck on the train and annoyed?)

Mami didn't knohere the shi+mura residence was

But what if Takuya-kun was riding together with her on the sa about that

But alas, shi+ on that train

Furthermore, because of where he lived, he rarely ever took that train line

All thisplace quite a bit before the arranged ti around the train station

Naturally, he was completely unaffected by the irritation in that other train and was instead feeling quite relaxed

It was 10:30

He'd done a circuit around the fountain in the train station plaza then walked away from it All he wanted to do was confirave him the opportunity to confirm his rival's movements

”… I knew it”

Takuya nodded

As expected, he was following along

Kounoshi+n

He'd found out that Takuya was going toto have a look How pitiful that he had nothing better to do on a Saturday than follow around a fa other than old-time comedy)

Kounoshi+n wasa respectable distance so that Takuya wouldn't realize he was being followed

What did he want? To pay his respects to Nori-chan? In that case, Takuya would reluctantly introduce hio home

”But, wait What if mom asked Kounoshi+n to follow me - ”

In that case, a careless introduction could potentially have major consequences Who kneould happen if Kounoshi+n reported that his partner was 15 years old

(Uwah, shi+mura-kun you pedo)

That's how some of his female university classmates had reacted when he'd carelessly talked about Nori-chan previously

(I don't want to think about that)

Those girls were of no concern It was none of their business But it would be rough to have his own family look at him like that

He'd have to keep Kounoshi+n fro Nori-chan after all

- And so with that, Takuya put into effect his plan to throw off Kounoshi+n by wandering around the station building