Aso and I came to a cafe a short walk from my part-time job on the side of the station.
The restaurant has a stylish, adult atmosphere, but these days, smoking is allowed, which is unusual, and the clientele is mostly middle-aged men.
Being able to sit in a private room in the back doesn't make the smoke in the other seats too noticeable, but I was wondering why they chose this place.
Such doubts were soon cleared.
"Phew. A good last-minute meal is nice."
"Um, that's a normal violation of school rules."
"Haha, that's how serious I am."
"On the other hand, I'd like you to tell me where you felt the insincerity."
As soon as he closed the door to the private room, Aso lit a cigarette he had taken from his pocket.
It's not that I know whether other people smoke or drink, but it's not a good feeling to see a fellow high school student smoking a cigarette with confidence.
"So, what is this about talking? Please talk to me now, I smell smoke."
"Uh, sorry, sorry. But I can't smoke it unless it's here. Just hold on to this one bottle?"
"Well, that's okay. But have you been smoking cigarettes for a while?"
"Um, well, I guess I only started smoking recently."
Although he showed no signs of being unapologetic when he smoked, he laughed a little awkwardly at my question.
"The influence of men."
"Hmm, that's pretty sharp. It's true, Aoyama-kun is actually in his second life."
"If it's the second lap, I'll be living more skillfully."
"Haha, that's it too. Yeah, well that's right. I've found someone I like recently. I'm a college student."
"Hmm. Isn't that a good thing. Are you dating?"
"No, what do you mean, sex friend?"
Aso said, taking a deep drag on the shortened cigarette and emitting a loud puff of smoke.
"Cefre, is it."
"That. Of course I like it and go to see it, but I feel like I could do it over there. He also smokes cigarettes, and I started thinking that if I smoked with him, he would fall in love with me, but I couldn't stop."
"So, what do you want to ask me?"
"...Do you think a guy who treats a girl like a sex friend is the worst?"
While putting out the cigarette fire.
Aso uttered these words along with the last smoke he had inhaled.
"...Generally speaking, it sucks."
"It is, right? Knowing how I feel, treating someone like a sex friend is the worst, right? They only contact me when they want to, and they don't usually contact me at all."
At first, I wasn't sure what she meant, as she seemed unusually whiny and impatient.
However, I somehow understood it.
In other words, he probably wants it to stop.
A man who plays with other people's feelings is the worst.
That guy should quit.
Sex friends are a good idea.
"...But if we're both okay with that, then maybe that's fine."
"Huh?"
"No, sorry. However, Aso-san, if you can be with that person, that's fine, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. But.
"If a man's current relationship with Aso is just right and they've met, wouldn't it be okay if he asked for more than he already has?"
As I tell Aso-san, complex emotions run through me that are difficult to explain.
I continued, not knowing what it was.
"Of course, I don't think that kind of guy is a good idea. But you can't hate it if you stop it, right?"
"...Yeah. You're so strangely adult, Aoyama-kun."
"I just thought there was no need to get hung up on the shape. If you don't like it, if it's hard to meet, then you just don't have to meet."
"I know it in my head. Everyone can't be as dry as you."
Trying to light a second cigarette, Aso stopped his hand.
"You don't smoke?"
"I'm quitting. The other day when we were kissing, someone said, "You smell like cigarettes."
"So I'll come see you after this."
"Haha, it really does feel like you can see through everything. Now I don't know which one is my senior."
After putting the cigarette in her pocket, she left the room first.
When I followed him, he had already paid the bill and said, "Thank you for today."
Aso turned his twitching smile towards me and then went away.