“Well, I wasn’t really going to have you treat me from the start, so it’s fine. But aren’t you being just a little unfair…?” I retorted.
Isshiki, however, was rather unconcerned about that. Instead, she smiled.
She softly placed her hand on her bosom and slightly leaned forward, peeking into my face. Her eyes looked as if they were teasing me.
“Being a little unfair makes me more of a girl doesn’t it?”
“Ahh, that so…”
Isshiki’s words were ridiculous, yet strangely convincing. I think it was from Mother Goose about how girls were made of sugar and spice, and all things nice.
That really was true. Though in Isshiki’s case, she had a bit of excess spice in her.
“…I don’t really care, but don’t expect that logic to work with every guy. Today’s especially.”
Indeed, there were serious people out in the world who’d stay merciless for the entire duration of a gamble where everyone would see you get extremely angry from losing at Daihinmin and everyone would laugh and say how funny that is.5
Well, I’m sure guys like Hayama and Tobe could enjoy that kind of enthusiasm and given Isshiki’s appearance and communicative ability, I think she’d be forgiven for most situations. Heck, even I forgave her just now!
In thinking that, Isshiki made a sudden, meek look as if she understood what it was I was trying to tell her. She then waved her hand in rejection.
“No, no, no, I’m obviously not going to do that when I’m with Hayama-senpai. What am I gonna do if he ends up hating me?”
“…Well, I’m sure Hayama would be happier that way, though.”
“Are you for real? Where’d you get that information?”
“Nowhere in particular.”
Since Isshiki had abruptly leaned forward, I shifted away from her accordingly. Isshiki didn’t approach any further and crossed her arms in thought. “It’s not credible if your source is unclear… I don’t think I’ll be able to act that way just yet.”
“What’s the hurry? For the time being, he’s—”
I was interrupted by Isshiki’s sliding movement towards my side.
“That’s why, for now…”
Isshiki stopped her words there and moved her lips to my ears as if to say something secretly with deceiving eyes at the end.
She added some spice smeared with sugar.
“You’re the only one that I’ll act this way with, senpai.”
“You realize that’s like saying it’s okay for me to hate you, right…?” I said, retreating my upper body away from her. Isshiki chuckled.
No matter the amount of sugar you coated jalapenos with, they were still jalapenos. No matter the amount of syrup you mixed with Tabasco, it was still Tabasco.
Unless there’s something nice, nothing would change.
× × ×
After we had some moderate body exercise, I was feeling hungry.
Isshiki who had been walking beside me tapped my shoulders as soon as we left the bowling alley. “Are you a little hungry?”
“Hm, yeah. I guess we should get something to eat.”
“Okay.”
I turned my face to her and answered and she smiled back. But she didn’t say anything more and only continued to smile.
Don’t tell me it’s time for me to pose the question…
I readied myself and frightfully opened my mouth. “Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Anything’s okay with me.”
Th-There it is! She’s the kind of person who’ll say anything’s fine when you ask her if she wants to eat anything!!!
Rumor had it that girls in society measured the levels of manliness in a boy based on their suggestions. The boys were getting tested… But I’d like to interject something.
It is possible that being aware of the fact that boys and girls share a mutual position in testing each other may be the key to success.
I want to send everyone these words.
“When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” (Nietzsche)
Crap, I became overly aware there for a second because of the “Absolute Best Unofficial Offers! kenken’s Journal of “Successful” Job Hunting Experiences at Publishers!!” from the other day. I must calm down and face reality again.
If I wasn’t anything different from the past, Isshiki’s question would’ve caused me to forget myself in anger and turn Super Sayian, but I was now an adult having accumulated all my recent experiences.
“How about pasta? Arrabbiata? Or maybe tagliata?”
“Why is it all pasta…?”
“Except tagliata isn’t pasta.”
It’s thinly sliced beef steak or something like that.
Isshiki’s eyebrow twitched as if she was annoyed by what I said. But she was, of course, barely able to keep her smile from breaking.
Though she looked happy on the outside, she clearly seemed upset inside. And with a prickling voice, she mumbled. “…Duh, but senpai, you sure do have a bad personality.”
“So do you,” I said.
Isshiki moved her index finger to her chin and sweetly tilted her head wondering what I was saying. “I’m told I have a good personality, though?”
Stating that with such a blunt expression showed how strong her heart was. True, she did have a good personality. If it’s just her mentality, it’s probably stronger than the JFA6…
We pondered over places we could eat at as we walked around.
“If you’re okay with anything, then… Saizeriya sounds good.”