25: I Got My Confession Rejected by Yukinoshita Right Out of the Gate!
[25] 25: I Got My Confession Rejected by Yukinoshita Right Out of the Gate!
[25] “Oh, right—there’s no school tomorrow, so you’ll definitely be free, Tadayanan, right?
I’ll show you something really fun~” Hearing Isshiki’s provocative remark, Yuigahama naturally understood what she was trying to say.
Still, just because she and Tadayana weren’t as close as Isshiki was didn’t mean she couldn’t look for a chance to see another side of her.
She wanted to see that hidden, interesting side of Tadayana for herself too.
“Me…?
Mm, all right.” Curious about this “really fun” thing Yuigahama had mentioned, Tadayana decided to push tomorrow’s part-time job back.
Life couldn’t be nothing but work, work, work all the time.
Your student years weren’t that long to begin with, part-time jobs would never run out, and it wasn’t as if she was that desperate for this little bit of time or money.
If Yuigahama really could come up with something genuinely interesting, then setting aside a whole day for it would be worth it.
“Good.
Then Yukinon’s free too, right?” “Ah?
Yes.” Yukino Yukinoshita had no idea what kind of mischief Yuigahama was planning, but since Tadayana had already agreed, it would be hard for her not to.
Besides, compared to Tadayana, she probably had even more free time.
“And as for you, Isshiki…” “Me?
Me??” Isshiki’s eyes were practically shining with You’re taking me too?
“Maybe not~ Could you lend Tadayanan to the two of us for one day?” “Hah—????
What are you even talking about?” Isshiki looked utterly baffled, like she had no idea what kind of insane nonsense this girl was spouting.
Lend?
Lend her to them?
Why??
“No.
I refuse.
Tadayana finally has some free time, so she should be spending it with me.” “Hey, hey.
The fact that you two can say that right in front of me—what am I, some object without thoughts of my own?
You can actually use the word lend now?
That’s bizarre beyond belief.” “But by my own choice, I accept your invitation, Yui-senpai.
As for you, Isshiki, your opinion is overruled.
From tomorrow morning until afternoon, I don’t want to see you.
Understood?” The moment Tadayana said that, Yuigahama immediately clapped in delight, while Isshiki turned to stone.
She had never imagined Tadayana would actually reject her…
Tadayana had chosen to throw her aside and pick two outside women instead…
After that, Yuigahama took Yukinoshita with her, said goodbye to the two of them, and hurried off to catch up with Hikigaya so they could continue tailing that unfamiliar girl.
…
On the way home, Tadayana was still talking to Isshiki.
“Honestly, sometimes I really don’t understand what goes on in your head.
It’s just one day of not seeing me tomorrow, and you act like you’ve lost your soul.
What am I, your parent?
If this keeps up, then what happens if someday I’m gone before you, or the two of us grow apart, fall out, stop being friends?
What are you going to do then?
Who will you rely on?
You need to be mentally independent, Iroha.” Hearing that, everything Isshiki wanted to say felt like it had gotten stuck in her throat on a fish bone.
After struggling for a while, she finally managed to recover her usual energetic tone.
“Don’t say things that scary.
I don’t want you to die before I do.” “If you really are going to die, then I’ll die before you.
If our relationship ever turns bad, then I’ll be the one to apologize and make up with you.
I’ll stick to you forever, hmph.
You think you can ditch me?
Dream on.
After all these years, you know exactly what kind of person I am.
I might not have much, but the one good quality I do have is persistence.” “And that’s exactly why I’m even more worried.
Sometimes there are things that don’t bend to personal will.
They aren’t the kind of things you can avoid just because you want to.” After saying that, Tadayana felt a warm embrace around her.
“That’s enough.
Don’t say any more.
I understand.
So I don’t cause you trouble, I won’t keep insisting that you spend every bit of your free time with me anymore.
Please trust me.
I’m not that weak-willed a girl.
Iroha Isshiki is strong.” “…” Sometimes, Tadayana really did feel that their friendship might be a little too heavy.
What kind of normal people just made friends, yet somehow gave off the feeling of a parent-child bond mixed with sibling-level devotion?
Maybe that was just what childhood friends were like.
“Mm.
I believe you.” …
The next day, at a café somewhere in Chiba.
When Tadayana arrived at the agreed meeting place, she found Komachi Hikigaya and Yui Yuigahama already there.
“Morning, Tadayanan.” “Oh, it’s Tadayana-oneechan.
Long time no see~ Morning.” “Morning.
You’re here too?
What a coincidence.
So who’s little miss here waiting for?
Are you waiting for Yukino-senpai?
Are you with us today too?” “Mm.” “Well, that’s strange.
Looks like we’re waiting for the same person.” Tadayana found that surprising.
High school girls going out and bringing along a middle school girl really was the kind of thing that made people think odd things.
Was this some kind of cross-generational friendship?
“Wait, Tadayanan, you know Komachi?
I’d been thinking Hikki’s little sister was cute enough to totally wow you.
What a letdown.” “Mm.
She got lost before, and I helped take her back to her brother, so that’s how we met.
Uh…
wait…
this little girl is the ‘surprise’ you were talking about?” “Of course that’s not all.” “I wasn’t lost…
Komachi was just in trouble because onii-chan got lost, so she asked onee-chan for help.
It wasn’t Komachi’s fault…” “…Eh?
Tadayana-oneechan doesn’t know?
About today’s plan?” “Mm.
She doesn’t.” That would have been fine if Tadayana hadn’t overheard it.
“What is this, why so mysterious?
Komachi, tell onee-chan here—what’s the plan for today?” “As for today’s plan, Komachi doesn’t know the details either.
But from what onee-chan here and onii-chan said, it should have something to do with Taishi-kun’s request.” “Taishi?
Who’s that?” “He’s Komachi’s classmate, you know.
His older sister is the person onii-chan and the girls were asked to investigate this time.” “Ohh, that girl they were tailing…
But why call me here?
You mean taking part in solving the request also counts as a surprise?” “It does, but that’s not all.” “Sorry I’m late.” Just as Yuigahama finished saying that, Yukinoshita’s voice reached them along with the sound of the café door opening.
WiseKingOfUruk_