Chapter 16

"Are you okay with the rain?"

When I opened the app, a message from Yui appeared.

I put my phone on the table for a moment and quickly finished the leftover omurice.

"Fine"

I typed this, using my phone instead of a spoon.

Almost immediately, a reply came back.

"Sorry, I couldn't say thank you just now. I'm sorry."

Was it an apology or a thank you?

I was about to point this out, but then I remembered Yui's unusually reserved attitude when we parted, and changed my message.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't seem very well."

We were chatting back and forth, but after I sent that, Yui's replies suddenly stopped.

While I was watching the news on TV next to S Rena, who had started eating her bento, my phone vibrated.

"I said something weird just now, didn't I?"

"I don't think it was weird."

There was another pause.

Incidentally, Yuki's replies are always quick.

Rena had told him that he wouldn't be able to do his job if he didn't reply quickly, so he had trained himself to do so.

"But it was good. Thanks for saying I don't need to worry."

"You're unusually honest."

Another pause.

Rena finished her bento and I thought the conversation was over, but then a reply came.

"Right. I'm just a weak and honest girl... just kidding!!"

I couldn't help but look at the screen twice.

Just as I was about to send "Huh?" another message from Yui arrived.

"You fell for it. It was all a game! Oh, did you maybe fall for the weak Yui?"

I didn't understand at first, but it seemed that her unusually shy attitude earlier was also an act.

I was impressed by how twisted she could be.

"What was that? You got me."

"Why do you sound so monotone?"

I was completely fooled, tapping away while watching TV, when Rena leaned over and peeked at my phone.

"Yuki, what are you doing?"

"Just messaging."

"Who with?"

"Secret."

"Secrets are no good!"

"Friend."

The word "friend" seemed to trigger some kind of reaction in Rena, and she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she brought her phone over and said,

"Let's message each other, Rena and Yuki!"

As soon as she said that, her phone buzzed with a message.

I don't know where she learned it, but Rena was very quick at typing with both hands.

"Yuki goes first, R, from now on!"

"What?"

"It's a word game."

It felt a bit strange to chat with someone sitting right next to me. It was a waste of data.

Meanwhile, another message from Yui arrived.

"I'll return the umbrella tomorrow. And I'll do something to thank you."

The thought of the lunch box crossed my mind.

I wanted to share it with Rena, but I thought it would be presumptuous to say so.

"No, it's fine."

"Hmm? You don't have to be so polite."

"If you don't mind, how about a lunch box?" I was typing this when Rena started urging me to hurry.

I had to deal with Rena first.

"Apple"

"GoRanger!"

"Ink"

"MiDGoRanger!"

"Italy"

"AkaGoRanger!"

"What is this?"

"Yuki, you lose!"

I lost by making a mistake.

I made a bad pass, but it wasn't intentional.

"Next, let's do oden ingredients! Yuki, you go first!"

And it started again, with no end in sight.

"Daikon"

"Kanmo!"

"That's a weird mistake."

While we were doing this, a message from Yui arrived.

"Sorry, were you busy? I'm sorry for the long message."

This was a new situation, so I was a bit confused.

But I had to hurry because Rena was being noisy, so I quickly typed and sent.

"Chikuwabu"

"What?"

"Oh, never mind. Don't worry about it."

I accidentally sent it to the wrong person.

---

At almost the same time, Yui was lying on her bed, looking at her phone and smiling to herself as she read through the messages.

She was so engrossed that she didn't notice her sister had entered the room.

"What are you smiling about? It's creepy."

Yui jumped back in horror, like a heroine in a horror movie.

"Hey! At least knock!"

"So, how was it? The lunch box?"

"It was... super delicious."

Yui said this with a proud look.

Maki looked a bit disappointed and asked,

"Then what?"

"Then... it started raining, and she lent me her umbrella."

"What's that? Does that mean she's not very smart?"

"Haha, you don't get it."

Yui shook her head.

But Maki laughed slyly and said,

"Whatever, Yui is already head over heels."

"No, that's not it! It's just... a bit interesting, so I'm teasing her."

"Does that mean you're too shy to approach her, so you're just playing it safe, hoping she'll eventually fall for you and confess?"

"No, no, no! What are you saying? Stop imagining weird things!"

"Your tone is weird. But if she confesses, will you say yes?"

"Um, maybe I'll think about it a bit..."

"Think about it for the rest of your life."

Maki playfully tapped Yui's head.

Yui swatted her hand away and looked up at Maki.

"You have no right to say that. She said I was cute."

"Doesn't that make you sound easy?"

"I suggested we exchange LINE, and she said yes."

"You initiated it. It's a normal flow."

"Then when I called her by her first name, she started calling me by my first name too."

"Doesn't that mean she looks down on you?"

"Anyway, from the speed of her LINE replies, it's clear she's into it. The lunch box is working like a body blow, slowly but surely."

Yui smiled triumphantly.

Maki suddenly smiled and said, "That's good."

Yui felt like she was being mocked and wanted to kick her out, but she had something on her mind.

"Hey, sis. What's the meaning of 'chikuwabu'?"

"Huh?"

"Like, a flower meaning or something?"

"Flower meaning? I don't understand what you're saying."

Maki looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Go take a bath," she said, and left the room with a sigh.