Chapter 16

### Chapter 16: Hoping to Get Closer (4)

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#8

“...Eat with us? Me, with you guys?”

“U-um... I thought you might be alone.”

“Well, I am...”

Not only Yurie was surprised by the sudden proposal.

It’s not unusual for a friendly Rubia to invite a classmate to have dinner together. It’s entirely possible and not strange at all.

But the person she invited was me.

...I feel like she’s paying special attention to me. Even after what happened earlier today, I didn’t expect Rubia to make such a suggestion.

Is this okay?

I’m not sure if I can even eat with her face-to-face.

Of course, it’s not just Rubia here. The awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere of a one-on-one dinner, where I might choke on my food, probably won’t happen. Hopefully.

Still.

To be honest... it’s uncomfortable.

Of course it is. It’s not easy to sit and eat with a childhood friend who was sobbing in front of me just a few hours ago.

Even Rubia is carefully gauging my reaction.

If I go in there, she’ll probably look at me once, take a bite, look at me again, and take another bite. No matter how the conversation flows, it’s unlikely to be a warm and friendly meal...

I don’t think there’s a need for us to eat together.

Just looking at Yurie, I can tell she can’t bring herself to stop Rubia, but she seems to be hoping with all her might that I’ll reject Rubia’s invitation.

More than that, Yurie, this kid.

Maybe we should have a sincere talk someday and give her a proper lesson in etiquette for dealing with classmates.

She acts like she doesn’t want to be treated like a child, but she behaves more childishly than anyone. Really. She throws tantrums when she doesn’t like something.

Since Rubia is making such a request, it’s hard to refuse outright, so I decided to bring up Yurie as an excuse.

“Is it okay? She might feel uncomfortable.”

“Huh?”

Rubia turned to look at Yurie beside her.

Her expression was definitely not good.

“...Did something happen? Between the two of you?”

When Rubia asked with a worried look, I shrugged lightly.

“I’m not sure. It seems like she doesn’t like me.”

Rubia blinked a few times.

“...What? Really? Is that true, Yurie?”

“...”

Does she think I’m saying something unnecessary? Yurie glared at me for a moment, then finally turned away and spoke softly.

“I don’t like her. She’s annoying. She just touches people’s heads without permission, and it’s just frustrating.”

“Touched... your head...?”

Rubia said, slightly surprised.

Yurie, thinking that Rubia’s reaction was supporting her, continued in a more confident tone.

“Yeah! I completely ignore her, you know? She acts like I’m her little sister and tries to be overly friendly. Even when I tell her not to talk to me, she keeps bothering me. It’s so annoying, and I can’t stand it.”

At that point, I interjected.

“Hey, hold on. You were the one who was prickly first. What did I do wrong? You’re making me seem like a complete weirdo.”

“What? Did I say something wrong? From my perspective, you are weird.”

“Sigh... You’re one to talk. Who was the one using their powers on a stranger on the first day of school? What if you had hurt me? And, if you didn’t like me, you could have just said so properly. What’s with this attitude?”

Yurie, shaking her golden hair tied with a black ribbon, pouted.

“I don’t like your face or your voice. Got it? I don’t like guys, especially not your type...”

“Yurie.”

“...What?”

Just as our argument was filling the dining hall corridor with a faint echo.

Rubia cut Yurie off.

A cold chill filled the air.

When I turned to look, there she was.

With a tight-lipped, complex expression, Rubia frowned slightly and spoke in a firm, cold voice, looking down at Yurie.

“Is what Edgio said true?”

“What... what is...?”

“That you used your powers on Edgio.”

In other words, Rubia was angry. It was a rare sight, and quite refreshing.

Yurie, already small in stature, seemed to shrink even more as she stammered and tried to defend herself.

“Well, um... she really made me angry. ...And, my powers disappeared in the middle, so it’s like I didn’t use them at all...”

“Still, you did use them, right?”

Under the pressure of Rubia’s cold tone, Yurie quietly nodded.

“...Y-yes...”

Rubia’s tone became even stronger.

“No matter the situation, that was the wrong thing to do. You almost put a classmate in danger. If something had happened to Edgio, what would you have done?”

“...”

“You almost caused an accident on the first day of school. No matter how much Edgio might have annoyed you, that was absolutely unacceptable. I’m disappointed in you, Yurie.”

What?

She seemed angrier than I expected.

I didn’t think the careful Rubia would use such strong words to express her disappointment...

Yurie, clearly shocked, bowed her head deeply like a child who had been scolded by their parents for a mischievous prank.

“...Yes... I’m sorry, Rubia...”

What can I say?

It’s pitiful, but also kind of cute.

If Yurie had animal ears, they would probably be drooping right now.

Rubia shook her head firmly.

“No, you shouldn’t be sorry to me. You should be sorry to Edgio. Apologize to Edgio, Yurie.”

“...”

At that point, Yurie was completely defeated.

I appreciate Rubia standing up for me, but Yurie’s expression is concerning. I’m worried that this might just make her dislike me even more.

Putting that aside for a moment.

Seeing Yurie, who always found fault with my words and actions, being completely subdued by Rubia’s sincere scolding, a warm feeling started to rise inside me.

Soon, Yurie’s tiny voice began to rise.

“...S-Sorry...”

“...?”

Her rosy, trembling lips moved.

Yurie seemed to be in deep conflict.

Would she swallow her pride and follow Rubia’s words to apologize to me, or would she refuse to bow her head to me and risk losing the goodwill she had just gained with Rubia?

She probably doesn’t want to do either.

It’s a truly difficult situation.

You should have been nicer to your friends. This is all your karma. Accept it, kid.

With Rubia watching, Yurie bit her trembling lips and finally managed to utter a few words.

“S-Sorry... S-Sorry...”

“Speak up, Yurie. And look up.”

“...”

Rubia urged her sternly from the side.

Clearly not expecting the situation to unfold this way, Yurie’s soft cheeks and ears were flushed red. Intense shame must be raging inside her.

So upset and angry, tears were welling up in her eyelashes. It almost looked like I was making her cry.

Hmm...

Now that I see the tears, I feel a bit guilty.

Have I seen enough of her reaction?

Why, I wonder.

Honestly, I don’t really care.

After all, I didn’t suffer any harm. In fact, I got to see Yurie’s powers in action and even got a small revenge. From my perspective, there’s nothing to hold a grudge over.

Whenever I think about it, I find it rather amusing when she gets angry.

Most importantly, if Yurie’s prickly, cat-like attitude becomes too docile, it might lose its charm...

I kept my arms crossed, watching the situation.

Then, I sighed deeply.

“Alright, Rubia. People make mistakes. Since nothing happened, it’s fine, right? I wasn’t really angry anyway.”

“...!”

Yurie stopped talking and looked up slightly at my words.

She seemed a bit surprised, perhaps thinking I would definitely laugh and insist on her embarrassing apology.

Rubia raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

“No, Edgio. This is something Yurie needs to apologize for...”

“Rubia.”

“...”

I called her name quietly.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened. And Yurie’s not entirely wrong. I did keep talking to someone who didn’t want to talk to me, so it’s understandable that she would dislike me.”

“...”

“You also got a bit too excited. Calm down. We can resolve this through conversation without you getting so involved.”

Rubia looked slightly dazed at my words.

“...Getting involved... I just...”

Then she bowed her head with a complex expression.

...Why is the atmosphere so solemn again?

This is frustrating. Really.

I understand. Rubia was probably upset because I was almost in danger.

If it had been someone else, she might have just mentioned that it was the wrong thing to do and left it at that.

There was no need to push Yurie this far. It’s not like Rubia to do this.

For me, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant situation. I appreciate the special attention, but it’s not a feeling I particularly enjoy.

The atmosphere between the three of us became strange, and Stella was fidgeting, unsure of what to do.

Her beautiful, star-like eyes were rolling around.

She must have been looking forward to having dinner with her new friends, but now it’s a bit awkward because of me.

I feel bad about that.

I can’t let her eat dinner in this uncomfortable atmosphere because of me...

I need to wrap this up somehow.

I can’t keep living like this with Yurie, so I decided to take the first step.

From my experience, this approach might be the best way to get closer to someone like Yurie.

“Hey, Yurie.”

“...”

Yurie turned her gaze away, avoiding my eyes.

I softened my voice and spoke.

“If I’ve been bothering you a lot, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve done anything to deserve such strong dislike, but I admit I was a bit annoyed by your attitude. I didn’t realize you disliked me so much.”

“...”

“...Still, I understand your personality. If you have something to say, you should tell me so I can improve. Of course, if you don’t like my face or voice, there’s nothing I can do about that... If you really can’t stand to even look at me, there’s nothing I can do. But do you really dislike me that much?”

“...”

After a moment of silence, Yurie slowly shook her head.

I smiled lightly and continued.

“Is that so? I don’t dislike you. When I said you looked like a cute little sister, I really meant it. You’re very pretty and cute. If it made you feel belittled, I apologize. It was my mistake for not considering your feelings. I’m sorry.”

“...”

Did my sincere apology get through to her?

This time, she slowly nodded.

Are you really the same age as me?

Why do you always make me want to pet your head?

I turned to Rubia for a moment and said,

“If you had talked to Rubia, you’d know I’m a bit of a worrier. Don’t be too upset just because I got angry for a moment. If you apologize properly, I won’t dislike you for something like this.”

“...”

“I’d like to try to get along with you. I don’t dislike you, and if you don’t dislike me, let’s shake hands as a sign of making up. You don’t have to say anything; if you feel sorry, just shake hands with me. It’s easy, right?”

“...”

After finishing my words, I extended my hand slightly to Yurie, who was still avoiding my eyes.

How did a simple dinner invitation turn into this? At least it’s fortunate that there’s no one else in the corridor. If someone else had seen this, it might have been a bit embarrassing.

I kept my right hand extended.

On the other hand.

Yurie’s red eyes kept darting to the side, avoiding my hand, but as I remained silent, her gaze slowly returned to its original position.

I didn’t rush her.

I just waited patiently.

“...”

“...”

How long did the silence last?

Finally.

Yurie’s small, pale hand, about half the size of mine, slowly rose and eventually intertwined with mine, sharing its warm touch.

But that wasn’t the end.

Yurie spoke softly.

“...Sorry.”

“...!”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

But I hadn’t.

Yurie’s blushing face was proof.

Her cheeks were even redder than before, probably from embarrassment.

She didn’t say anything more, just tightly closed her mouth.

That was enough for me.

I gently wrapped my hand around Yurie’s and gave it a short shake.

“Thank you, Yurie. Let’s try to get along from now on.”

“...I don’t know.”

She quickly pulled her hand away and stuffed it into her uniform pocket, looking at something else, just like before.

Even though I told her that.

I still can’t shake the feeling that she’s like a cute little sister. How can a girl my age be so cute?

“Rubia.”

I spoke to Rubia, who had a complex expression.

“...Ah, yes.”

Rubia looked up, snapping out of her thoughts.

“Thank you for the invitation, but it’s okay if you guys eat together today. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to join. Stella... right? Stella seems a bit shy, and eating with an unknown boy might be uncomfortable for her. ...What? No?”

As I spoke, Stella quickly shook her head.

Does that mean she’s okay with it?

More than that, her strong denial made me a bit surprised.

While I was thinking about how to reject her, Stella, blushing from shyness, placed her hand on her chest and spoke quietly.

“...I... I want to... get to know Edgio... ...Eat... together...”

The first time I heard Stella’s voice, it had a soothing, deep tone that would be perfect for falling asleep to at night.

Neither Rubia nor Yurie had seen Stella speak, so they looked at her with wide, surprised eyes.

Well, Rubia is one thing, but Stella saying that...

The only one left is Yurie.

“...”

As I looked down at Yurie, she turned her head to the side, as if saying, “You decide.”

This is a bit...

I nodded reluctantly.

“...Alright, I get it. Let’s eat together.”

It took about ten minutes to decide to eat together. It would look strange if I backed out now and ate alone. I have no choice.

With that, the situation was settled.

“S-So, shall we go... guys?”

With a somewhat awkward smile, Rubia, who had nodded, led us into the dining hall.

...A little while later.

As we picked out food from the buffet and placed it on our plates, I came to a conclusion about the suspicion I had been harboring.

“Hey, Yurie. What’s this? It looks like black beans, but it smells different. It’s a bit fishy... Is it expensive?”

“Don’t make a fuss, idiot. Have you never had caviar?”

“Huh? Caviar?”

“It’s beluga caviar. I don’t know if it’s expensive. Don’t ask me. But if you don’t know it, it’s probably not that common.”

“Wow, you’re really a precious princess of a country, aren’t you? Your knowledge of high-end food is impressive.”

“...Shut up.”

While the others might not know, I could tell.

I had my doubts, but it seems I was right.

“...”

Rubia, who had initially invited me to join them, now looked like she wasn’t in a very good mood.

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