"Eh?"
Chika shrank back instinctively as she suddenly found herself the center of attention, the collective gaze of the surrounding students pinning her in place. Beside her, Asuna gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, don't worry! This is a regular occurrence. Just ignore them, okay?"
"I-it happens all the time...?"
Despite the reassurance, Chika wasn't used to being the object of such scrutiny. She couldn't quite manage the same nonchalance as Asuna. Still, with the comfort of having Asuna by her side, she kept her hand raised in a small wave, even as she felt the prickle of eyes on her.
Finally, Hachiman's group joined them, and Chika felt her nerves begin to settle.
"Sorry, Nakamachi-san. Cleaning duty ran a bit late," Hachiman said.
"Oh, no, it's fine! Don't worry about it."
"These are my close friends: Kazuto Kirigaya, Rika Shinozaki, and Keiko Ayano," Hachiman said, gesturing to each in turn. "And this is Chika Nakamachi. She was a friend of mine back in high school."
The phrase 'a friend of mine back in high school' sent a warm surge of emotion through Chika's chest. Despite everything that had happened back then—all the awkwardness and the mistakes—he stated it with such simple certainty. It made her truly happy.
"Um, Nakamachi-san, it's nice to meet you!" Keiko said.
"Is it okay if I call you Chika? Good to meet you!" Rika added with a grin.
"Nice to meet you, Chika-san," Kazuto said politely.
"The pleasure is all mine!" Chika replied, her smile widening.
Hachiman then explained the situation, informing the group that he and Chika would be heading to Soleil together.
"Landscaping an entire building... isn't that a massive undertaking?" Kazuto asked.
"Once everything is installed, it's mostly just maintenance and rotating the plants seasonally," Chika explained. "I think it'll be fine as long as we hire some part-time help for the initial setup."
Hachiman nodded along, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Right. Kazuto, you should take the job."
"Huh?! I mean, I don't mind, but..."
"…I was actually joking, but it seems he's actually up for it," Hachiman muttered.
"That was a joke?!" Kazuto barked.
Chika's face brightened as she turned to him. "Haha, well, once I have a better grasp of the details today, I'll be putting out a call for help. I might actually end up asking you. I think the daily pay will be around ten thousand yen..."
"You can use our breakroom, and I'll throw in some free vouchers for our employee cafeteria," Asuna added playfully.
"Wow, that's top-tier service," Rika teased.
Kazuto thumped his chest confidently. "Alright, leave it to me! Here's my contact info—hit me up whenever you're ready."
"Thanks, Kazuto-kun," Chika said.
Rika gave Kazuto a mischievous grin. "Work hard, Kazuto. Then you can treat us all to something delicious with that paycheck."
"You're already planning how to spend my money?! Fine, fine..."
Watching them bicker, Chika felt as though she had been transported back to her high school days. She felt a profound sense of relief seeing that Hachiman was surrounded by such wonderful friends now.
As she and Hachiman prepared to board the Kit, she stole one last glance at the nearby students. She recognized the look in their eyes.
(This... this is exactly how it felt when I used to hang out with Kaori in high school,) she realized. (That mixture of envy and jealousy...)
She turned her gaze toward Hachiman's face.
(So this is the position Hikigaya-kun holds now. He really is amazing... The intensity of these stares is on a completely different level than back then.)
"Hm? Something wrong, Nakamachi-san?" Hachiman asked, noticing her stare.
"Oh, no. I was just wondering if it's okay to just... leave all those students standing there."
"Ah, them... Honestly, those guys just like us a little too much for their own good."
"Haha, I guess that's why I'm getting so many looks just for being with you."
"Sorry. Is it annoying?"
"No, not at all! I was just a little surprised, that's all. Don't worry about it."
(Though, I have to admit, I feel a tiny bit superior right now... but that's okay, right?) she thought with a secret giggle.
"I see. Well, shall we go?"
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