I'm in Love with the Gorilla Sitting Next to Me - Volume 1 Chapter 5.8

Events are the best way to deepen friendships 8

“Well, guess it’s time to head home. Are you taking the train, Senpai?”

“No, I’m getting picked up by car today, so I’ll head to the station’s roundabout… but before that, could you let me stop by the convenience store? I really want some throat lozenges.”

“Ah, I get that.”

How others perceive it, I don’t know, but when singing, Tora-senpai’s voice was girlishly high-pitched and peppy, and now her voice sounded husky, almost gritty.

After seeing Tora-senpai enter the convenience store across from the building we had been in, I wait outside, not having the spare cash to offer to pay, so I make sure not to get in the way.

Naturally, it’s hot outside. However, perhaps because I had been in an air-conditioned place for so long, the heat feels somewhat pleasant. But that’s probably just for now.

It’s definitely summer weather, and even though it’s nearing 8 p.m. and the night should be cooling things down, just standing here makes sweat bead on my arms.

I wonder if it’s going to be a hot year again. I definitely want to go to the pool, and I should hit the beach too. Summer festivals are a must. Fireworks festivals are great too. Which means, I’ll definitely need to find a part-time job. Preferably one that doesn’t require much thinking, other than customer service, maybe a short-term gig that doesn’t require much thinking.

When I get home, maybe I’ll download a job app and look for something…

“…Saiki-kun?”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard by my name being called, I refocused and saw a familiar face coming out of the building we had just left.

Cool in a light blue short-sleeved long T-shirt, the figure’s muscular arms and thick neck are visible. With short, dark body hair and a slightly gray-tinged, deeply chiseled face, it’s unmistakably a gorilla.

It’s my first time seeing her in casual clothes, but I recognize this gorilla right away.

“Whoa, Gossan!? What a coincidence! What brings you here?”

“…That’s my line. I was at the gym here. I come by occasionally on days when there’s no club activity.”

“Huh, is that so? I wouldn’t have guessed, but it fits.”

A high school girl alone at a gym might seem too hardcore, but it makes more sense than if Gossan had been at karaoke or an arcade alone.

The gorilla, carrying a large tote bag, approaches with a reluctant gait and looks at me suspiciously.

“I never thought I’d run into Saiki-kun on a day off. Are you alone?”

“Nah, I was hanging out with a senpai from school. We’re just about to part ways.”

“With a senpai? From the club?”

“Not from the club, but someone I met recently and found out we have common interests.”

“Going out with a Senpai you just met, huh? …Your communication skills are still as scary as ever.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. What do you mean by ‘as ever’?”

“…You don’t remember how forward you were with me, a complete stranger to you?”

Gossan’s tone is normal, but her voice is clearly annoyed. This could spell trouble later.

But as far as I’m concerned, I don’t think it’s anything special.

“You have to be proactive to get to know someone. Plus, isn’t it normal to talk and hang out to become friends?”

“…Is that how it works? I have no such experiences…”

“Don’t you get invited by senpai after club to grab a bite or take a detour on the way home?”

“…After I declined a few times because I had plans, the invitations stopped. Now that I think about it…”

Oops, what was supposed to be casual conversation seems to have dealt a mental blow to Gossan. There’s a hint of gloom in the gorilla’s expression.

Should I follow up on this? But then, the volleyball team member I talked to in the gym the other day seemed to have a good impression of Gossan, so it’s not like she’s being ostracized in the club. Maybe it’s none of my business.

“By the way, is this senpai a girl?”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

Caught off guard by the question, I reflexively ask back, and Gossan glares at me for a moment before turning away.

“No particular reason. I just thought hanging out with just the two of you seemed like a date.”

“Oh, I see. The Senpai is actually a guy, but people might mistake him for a girl?”

“People might make that mistake. In the volleyball club, it seems like male pairings are popular.”

“…”

“A male senpai, I see…”

What does she mean by ‘I see’? By the way, our volleyball club is all girls. Yet she says male pairings are popular. What’s that about?

As I ponder this, Gossan adjusts her tote bag with her thick arm and says,

“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave. See you next week at school.”

“Yeah, see ya, Gossan.”

Without waving, Gossan coolly walks away, and I let out a small sigh, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. I’m drenched in sweat from just a short time. It seems there are other factors at play besides the heat.

“Man, who would’ve thought I’d run into Gossan here…”

“I see. So that’s the girl in question?”

“Whoa! Tora-senpai, when did you…?”

Tora-senpai, who had peeked out from behind me, was staring intently at the shrinking figure of Gossan.

When did she come out of the convenience store? Already rolling a throat lozenge in her mouth, Tora-senpai twists her clenched fist into my side. It’s subtly painful.

“So that’s the girl? The one you have a crush on?”

“What!? No no, I can’t deny there’s a possibility with her, but…”

Senpai, who suddenly hit me with a critical question, turns around and looks up at me with her cat ears twitching. She seems to have a resentful look in her eyes. But it could be a misunderstanding since she has cat eyes.

“I couldn’t see her face well, but she seemed like a dignified young lady… Is that your type?”

“No, I don’t know what you mean by dignified. To me, she looks totally like a gorilla.”

“Ah, that’s right, you said that… But how does that girl a gorilla… I don’t understand…”

Tora-senpai seems puzzled, but I often think about the power behind those hits whenever I get smacked around.

Well, that’s a joke, and not something I’d actually say out loud. But I really think her hitting power is seriously incomparable to that of an average girl. The swing and natural power of someone who was in the tennis club and is now active in volleyball are no joke.