"Huh, isn't this Shiraishi-kun and Saiki-kun? Seeing you guys even on a holiday, what a coincidence?"
The voice came from Kubo Nagisa. Right now she was wearing a reddish-brown long-sleeve top and short pants as she walked toward Saiki and the others.
(Yare yare, didn't expect to run into her even on a day off.)
"Hello, Kubo-san."
Kubo Nagisa walked up to the bench, gestured for Shiraishi to scoot over a bit to the right. After Shiraishi moved aside, she plopped down right next to Saiki, clasped her hands together, and asked, "So, are you two hanging out together on your day off? Or is this just a chance encounter? What are you guys out doing?"
[I just came out to buy some stuff.]
Shiraishi Junta looked at Saiki Kusuo and answered, "Me today? What did I come out for again?"
"I originally came out to buy a game. On the way I saw someone handing out tissues and wanted a pack too. As expected, he didn't give me one. Now I'm thinking about how I can get him to hand me one."
In his memory, Shiraishi Junta reached out beside the person, didn't get it. He danced around in the crowd, wasn't noticed. He knelt down with both hands stretched forward in pleading, still didn't get it.
Finally, he happily concluded that it was better to just ask directly.
(Yeah, your conclusion is correct.)
[That must have been tough. So what game did you end up buying? That was your main goal, right?]
Shiraishi Junta beamed with pride as he pulled out a pack of tissues. "Yeah! The sense of accomplishment after finally getting the tissues was enough to make me head straight home."
"Shiraishi-kun ⊙_⊙"
(Shiraishi, you absolute guy.)
"Ah, right."
Kubo Nagisa took out her phone. "Since we ran into each other so coincidentally today, let's take a photo."
[I'm not really interested in photos. You two go ahead. I'm heading home.] Saiki stood up to leave, but his arm was grabbed.
Saiki glanced over and saw Kubo Nagisa looking up at him pitifully, her eyes seemingly sparkling with unshed tears.
Then Kubo Nagisa looked toward Shiraishi Junta.
"Ah, um, Saiki-kun, maybe just take one photo."
[Fine, just one then.]
Saiki sat back down, reached over, and hooked his arm around Shiraishi's neck. [This way you'll be in the frame too.]
Kubo Nagisa held up her phone, turned it around, adjusted the angle so all three could fit.
"Hmm, it still feels a bit cramped. Saiki-kun, scoot a little closer… mm～ still not enough."
(Too close.)
Then Kubo Nagisa tugged on Saiki's collar, leaned her head against his chest, and in front of the three of them—click.
"Okay, done."
[So can you get up now?]
Saiki looked down at Kubo Nagisa, who was still rubbing her head against his chest.
"Yup～ yup."
Kubo Nagisa stood up and looked at her phone. She smiled. "This is a photo of the three of us. How could you two not have one? Let's add each other as friends."
Shiraishi Junta: "Me too?"
Kubo Nagisa looked at Saiki. "Of course. Not a single one left out."
The three of them exchanged contact information.
Kubo Nagisa turned to Saiki Kusuo. "Saiki-kun, is this the first time you've added a girl's contact info since coming to this school?"
Saiki thought for a moment. [Ah, yeah… that's right.]
Kubo Nagisa grabbed Saiki's shoulders. "Look into my eyes." She stared straight at Saiki for a full two minutes before blushing and averting her gaze.
"D-don't look at me like that."
Saiki: …
(Yare yare, weren't you the one who told me to look?)
Women are seriously impossible to understand. No matter how things looked in Kubo-san's eyes just now, in Saiki's eyes, he had basically been staring at a skull. Not blinking for two whole minutes? Staring at a skull was no problem at all.
Kubo Nagisa glanced sideways at Saiki. "Since we've added each other now, how about we all go hang out together next time?"
[We'll see about next time.]
Kubo Nagisa: …
Shiraishi Junta: … I'm not going, I'm not going.
[Alright, time to head home. Let's go, Shiraishi.]
"Bye bye." Kubo Nagisa watched the two of them walk away.
That night, Kubo Nagisa came out of the bathroom wearing pajamas, steam rising from her body, a towel on her head. She walked into her room, opened her phone, sent the photo they took that afternoon to Saiki and Shiraishi, then set the one of herself leaning against Saiki's chest as her wallpaper and stared at it.
Kubo rolled onto her bed, tumbling back and forth, giggling to herself.
On the other side, Saiki lay in bed looking at the photo that had been sent to his phone.
[Yare yare.]
He could already tell that Kubo-san seemed to have some feelings for him, but Saiki completely couldn't understand why it had come on so suddenly. He couldn't comprehend it at all. No way to analyze it.
…
[What's wrong, Shiraishi?] Saiki looked at the dejected Shiraishi.
"Today in P.E. we have a long-distance run. I'm the type who's really bad at sports."
[I see.]
(Extremely low presence, athletic ability well below average… this feels way too familiar.)
When Saiki and Shiraishi reached the familiar crosswalk on the sidewalk, they saw two familiar people again.
"Good morning, Saiki-kun, Shiraishi-kun."
[What a coincidence! Shikimori-san and Izumi.]
Saiki looked at the two familiar people in the same spot, same time as always.
"Good morning!" Shiraishi poked his head out from the side to respond.
[Didn't expect this! You two are finally starting to notice Shiraishi too.]
Izumi and Shikimori both shook their heads and laughed. "Nope, we were just guessing. I mean, you're always walking to school with Shiraishi every day, but we didn't actually think he'd really be here. Hey, Shiraishi-kun."
"Ah…" Shiraishi was speechless.
Saiki patted Shiraishi on the shoulder to comfort him. [Don't take it to heart. This is exactly your charm.]
"Are you trying to comfort me, Saiki-kun?"
Saiki looked at the two people in front of him. (Why are these two always together? Since when did they get so close?)
Shikimori: "We just happened to run into each other, right, Izumi-kun?"
Izumi Yuu: "Yeah, exactly, that's right."
[Probably true. I got here at 7, didn't expect Shikimori to come out so early just to wait for Saiki.]
(If you have that much free time, wouldn't it be better to sleep in a little longer?)
Shikimori took out her phone and stepped forward. "Hey～ Saiki, I'm the first girl (female friend) you met after coming to this school, right?"
[Not girlfriend, female friend.]
"Then since we've known each other for so long now, is it okay if we exchange contact info?" Shikimori unconsciously grew nervous, clenching her fists.
[If this keeps going, Kubo-san might end up adding Saiki's contact first. At the very least, I want to be the first. He probably won't refuse, right?]
(She already added him.)
[Sure, okay.]
With that, the two added each other on LINE.
Shikimori turned her head, clenched her fist, and smiled. [Yes!]
Izumi Yuu and Shiraishi Junta clapped from the side. "Nice one, Shikimori-san." Those two had already exchanged contacts long ago.
"Um, Saiki, am I the first girl you added since coming to this school?"
[That—yeah, that's right.]
Shiraishi looked at Saiki with a puzzled expression. [Really?]