A Kid You Can’t Leave Alone?

“What do you mean by ‘make up for it’?”

After school that day, I met up with Kinoshita at the bookstore where we met yesterday.

She tilted her head, still looking exhausted.

“First, I just want to check—do you want to go home and sleep?”

“Huh? There’s no way I’d go to sleep this early…”

The time was just past three in the afternoon. The exam period started today, and club activities were banned.

What students need to do now is go home promptly and study for the tests.

Depending on how tired Kinoshita was, I was considering canceling our plans… but it seems this earnest girl never considered spending the first day of the exam period sleeping.

“Then, if you don’t mind, would you like to spend some time with me?”

“Spend time…?”

Kinoshita looked puzzled.

But then, as if realizing something, she spoke with a hint of frustration.

“Sorry. I know it might be rude for someone like me to refuse your invitation. But unlike you, Goda-san, I don’t have the luxury to play around during exam period.”

Hmm, my wording was bad!

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean we’d be playing around.”

“Huh… but you just said…”

“By ‘spend time,’ I meant studying for the tests together.”

For a moment, Kinoshita looked blank.

“…? Studying is something you do alone.”

Ah, right… she looks like she’s never studied with someone before!

“Well, let’s just go. Which direction is your nearest station?”

“My nearest station? I get off at Shibasaki.”

I just needed the direction, but she’s so careless!

“You shouldn’t mention your exact station. Since you’re going home alone, you should be more careful.”

“Oh… s-sorry.”

“It’s not something to apologize for… so how about Kokuryo?”

Shibasaki, huh. She lives close enough that I could run there from my house.

Not that it matters right now.

So, we took the train from a station near our high school and headed to a station where there wouldn’t be many of our classmates. There’s a food court near the station, and it’s within our commuter pass range.

“For studying, shouldn’t we go to a nearby library?”

“You can’t even talk quietly in a library.”

Also, I don’t want to be seen by our schoolmates.

“Is that how it is…”

“Sorry for dragging you along.”

“No… it’s just…”

On the train, Kinoshita leaned against the door while I held onto a strap in front of her.

When she looked up and our eyes met, she spoke with a troubled expression.

“Why someone like me?”

“You mean, why did I ask you?”

When I asked back, she nodded slightly, looking unsure.

I see. The main reason was to talk to Kinoshita, but now that she mentioned it, I didn’t have a specific reason for inviting her to study. It just felt natural.

We could have gone to a fast food place or even just hung out. But inviting her to study felt right, given it’s exam period and she wouldn’t likely be up for playing around.

I also need to prepare for the tests. To be perfect, I don’t want to waste time. Subconsciously, I didn’t see studying with Kinoshita as a waste of time.

Now that I think about it, Oji, who always competes with me for test rankings, also mentioned Kinoshita as a rival. So her good grades were probably ingrained in my mind.

As I glanced down at her, she seemed to be waiting anxiously for my response.

For someone who says “someone like me,” her self-esteem must be quite low.

“I didn’t think it through much, but I figured I could rely on you, Kinoshita.”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t want to mess up on the tests either, and I thought I could discuss any uncertainties with you. There wasn’t anyone else in our class I thought could do that… and it shouldn’t be a disadvantage for you either──”

I almost mentioned my top ranking, but stopped myself.

“I see… I can…?”

She placed her hand on her chest and muttered, her words filled with various emotions. I couldn’t accurately gauge what she felt, but it sounded like a mix of many feelings.

When she looked up at me again, her eyes had a bit more shine.

“I can’t promise I’ll meet your expectations, but…”

She smiled awkwardly, no longer questioning the “studying together” event.

“…I’ll do my best.”

She muttered softly, clenching her fist.

†

The venue for our study session was the food court in a commercial complex.

We got off at a station where only local trains stopped, then walked for about five minutes along a main road, minimizing the chance of running into acquaintances, which I liked.

“By the way, that was surprising.”

“What was?”

When I looked over, Kinoshita, walking slightly apart from me, glanced up.

“I thought Goda-san would always be partying with friends in some downtown area.”

What a crazy image from those innocent eyes. A daily party?

“If I did that, my allowance would be gone in three days…”

“Allowance? So, you’re not secretly a top host in Shinjuku? With your photo on a big billboard next to a promotional truck?”

What???

Calm down, Ryoma Goda. The perfect man wouldn’t tolerate having such a ridiculous image.

“If I did that, my parents would cry. …So, what’s your image of me? A top host? On a billboard?”

“S-sorry. I was thinking, ‘he doesn’t seem to be there’…”

“What do you mean? Were you looking for me on host billboards or something???”

What an odd tour.

“No, it’s not that! I just meant it’s surprising to see you getting off at a small station to avoid acquaintances!”

She explained desperately, flustered. I wasn’t mad, though.

Still… surprising?