What If You Spoil a High School Girl Who Looks Like a Landmine? - Volume 1 Chapter 2.1

Making Lunch is Legal 1

“Have you ever been here, Chifuji-san?”

“Occasionally, yes.”

A week had passed, and it was Sunday again.

As promised, Raihara-san and I were out together.

“I see. I used to come quite often—back when my sisters were around…”

Raihara-san’s expression clouded over, and her shoulders slumped.

We were at a large shopping mall in the city—a standard option for a weekend in a provincial town.

Indeed, as far as the eye could see, there were many families and couples.

“I’m going to change starting today!”

“That’s the spirit; let’s give it our best.”

“Yes!”

Raihara-san clenched her fist.

Of course, she was dressed in Jirai-kei (Landmine type) fashion today.

“Now, since we’re shopping together, one could imagine a scenario where you ‘act a bit spoiled.’ You might want to take me to stores you like or even have me carry your bags.”

Pretty light as far as content goes, I guess?

Being ‘spoiled’ can mean different things.

It could be the kind of intimacy you’d expect between lovers or simply acting selfishly.

Well, even if it’s just a pretense, it would be too much to suddenly do the former.

(Besides, she probably wouldn’t want to do it with me if she didn’t like me as a man).

So, we decided to first try the latter in various situations.

“Feel free to drag me wherever you want. Where shall we go?”

“Thank you! Then let’s go…”

“Yes.”

” ….. “

” …..?”

” ………… “

“…Raihara-san?”

No matter how much time passed, Raihara-san’s lips remained sealed.

I called out to her without thinking, and upon closer inspection of her expression…

“Raihara-san, a-are you okay!?”

“…Haa, …Haaah, …Haa.”

“Raihara-san!”

Large drops of sweat were visible on her face, and her entire body trembled slightly.

“Ch-Chifuji-san…! I-I’m sorry, u-um… I…I…”

“I?”

“…I can’t think of anything!! I can’t think of any place I want to go for myself!?”

She covered her face with both hands and shouted this with a trembling voice.

“Especially when I think about ‘dragging someone to a place I want to go to,’ it makes it even worse!”

“O-oh, I understand!”

While trying to calm her down, I thought—this might be a rather deep-rooted issue.

In this place where all kinds of stores are crammed in, she can’t think of a place she wants to go to for herself?

“This is where I’m failing… not being independent…”

Living in a world where messages like ‘Do what you want to do; that is what’s wonderful’ are prevalent must be incredibly hard for Raihara-san.

“It’s just the beginning, so it’s natural that things won’t go well. Right… then, shall we start with something that seems easier?”

“Yes!”

“Alright… okay, let’s just go around the stores randomly. Then, please say ‘I’m tired’ when you feel tired.”

This is the simplest thing I could think of.

“I understand! If it’s that, then surely…”

***

“…Chifuji-san.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, um…”

After walking around various stores normally for a while, Raihara-san said,

“What should we do… I’m not tired at all…!”

A different problem unrelated to whether she was acting spoiled or not arose. Hmm…

“No, it’s a good thing. …We have walked quite a bit, haven’t we? Not tired at all?”

“It seems my legs and hips are strong. Maybe because I’ve been carrying my younger sisters and exercising with them since I was young…”

Her Jirai-kei (Landmine type) fashion, giving off a delicate and fragile image, is yet again contrary to her personality.

She really is a person full of gaps.

Come to think of it, she was quite a fast runner the first time she talked to me, too.

“Have you been involved in any sports?”

“Umm, sports… For example, when there was a marathon at school, I just became so concerned seeing the tired faces of the other children running hard!”

“Ah…”

“Especially when I found someone who seemed to be suffering, I would automatically ask, ‘Are you okay? Need to rest? Want some water?’ and ended up getting scolded by the teacher…”

“I see…”

Given that her sisters went abroad for sports studies, maybe Raihara-san has always been quite a physical elite.

Having talent is wonderful. But, if the temperament isn’t suited, competition and contests can be challenging.

“Ah, aren’t you tired, Chifuji-san? Are you alright?”

“No, I’m totally fine. Working at a restaurant is a test of endurance.”

“I see. But please let me know if you get tired!”

Raihara-san right now who is considerate has a very lively face, different from when she was unable to be selfish and was sweating.

“That’s right! Since we’re here, don’t you have something you want to buy, Chifuji-san?”

“Me? I… Ah, I was thinking I have to buy various things to clean my kitchen.”

“Really!? I see…”

With a whoosh, Raihara-san showed that unique smile of hers.

…I have a bad feeling about this.

“Let’s go-let’s go! There’s a good selection on the ground floor! “

“No, um, Raihara-san…”

“It’s gotten quite warm, and the rainy season is coming, so you want to take measures against mold~. I have some recommendations; they’re easy to use!”

The person dressed in Jirai-kei (Landmine type) fashion speaks with the words of a seasoned housewife as she leads me along.

“Please look, as you can see, there are various goods here. The important thing here is to choose ones that suit your lifestyle and habits, so you can clean without any trouble.”

“I-I see.”

“The standards would be around here, but it’s not about what people use, it’s whether it’s optimal for Chifuji-san’s house…, how is the kitchen in Chifuji-san’s house?”

Her explanation is clear and her voice is brisk.

…It feels like she’s completely switched on.

The moment she could use her knowledge for others, Raihara-san’s face sparkles.

I know we’re moving farther and farther away from what we were supposed to do today, but I can’t say that to her.

“Um… well, the washbasin is of this type, and the faucet is just like this.”

“Hmm-mmhm, in that case…”

***

“Alright, I think this much should be okay for the time being…Ah!”

It seemed like Raihara-san finally remembered today’s purpose after I had bags filled with meticulously considered cleaning supplies in my hand.

“I, I’m so sorry! I, I…!”

“I’m sorry too, I couldn’t find the right timing to stop you.”

“No, why am I like this…”

Raihara-san is shaking and lamenting right now.

“This is not good! I have to say, I have to be selfish… Um, ah, I don’t want to take care of others… I just want to do things for m-myself… Uuu~~!”

“R-Raihara-san… But, I’m really grateful for having you accompany me shopping.”

“But I… It’s no good! I have to become someone who has something she wants to do…”

Seeing her face starting to pale, I couldn’t bear it and inadvertently asked her.

“…I mean, is it not okay to want to take care of others?”

“It’s not okay! I have to become someone who can think of something she wants to do for herself, without relying on others… because, because…”

Drooping her shoulders, Raihara-san murmured in a very small voice, perhaps not intending for me to hear.

“…Taking care of others, in the end, it just causes trouble.”

The atmosphere wasn’t one where I could ask what she meant by that.

However, I was to soon understand the meaning of this in an unexpected way.