On the way home with Erina-san while doing psychology tests, we arrived at Shin-Koganai Station and saw a familiar brown-haired girl sitting on a station bench, waiting for the train.
“Ah, it’s Yuri! Yahoo!”
“Oh, Erina and... Konuma!?”
Seeing me, Azuma frowned.
“Konuma, are you making the same mistake again...?”
She was probably referring to the ‘Konuma-kun went home on his own, drop dead incident’ from the other day.
“N-No, I invited Ichikawa too, but she said she had things to do.”
“Hmm... is that true...?”
Azuma looked at me with squinted eyes. Well, even if she asks me, I don't really know either.
“...Maybe I should apologize after all?”
“No, it wouldn't make sense if you apologized now, right? She’d probably get even more out of sorts. Amane is a bit troublesome when she's angry.”
Wait, is Yuri-nee-san actually the sharp-tongued type? I didn't think she'd say that about amane-sama.
“Well, only when it comes to ‘Amane’. Because she's a precious friend.”
Probably because Erina-san was there, she gave me a meaningful wink when she said ‘Amane’.
Actually,
“Don't read my mind...”
“Don't let me read it then, Konuma.”
Hehe, she laughed boldly while crossing her arms.
When Azuma crosses her arms, I, Konuma, have no choice but to look away.
“Muu, what are you two talking about?”
Erina-san, left out of the conversation, puffed out her cheeks.
“No, it's nothing.”
“Hmph?”
Along with a dissatisfied Erina-san, we took the train to Musashisakai.
To help soothe Erina-san's mood, I also had Azuma solve the psychology test I did with Erina-san.
For reference, here are the answers and Yuri-nee-san's own comments.
‘1. Red (Sibling)’ was her actual older brother.
“Well, that's obvious. It's accurate, amazing.”
‘2. Pink (Friend)’ was Hazama.
“The band name is Cherry Boys, so I just picked pink, but that's accurate too.”
‘3. Blue (Lover)’ was Yutaka Otomo-kun (the drummer for the Instrumental Music Club).
“Wha, lover!? S-So that's how it is...”
‘4. White (Marriage Partner)’ was... following Erina-san, it was me.
“Huh, lover and marriage partner are different? I just felt like Konuma being pure white was like how he's trying to learn everything from now on. Anyway, don't tell Amane the results, okay?”
...So she said.
I was curious how she lowered her head and made a troubled face when talking about Otomo-kun.
Well, while we were doing that, we arrived at Musashisakai Station, and Erina-san said,
“Erina will wait here for Sakoshu and Kenji to come this way, so I'm going to Starbucks!”
And with that, she left the party.
As a result, it was just Azuma and me.
Then, Azuma said,
“Konuma, I'm really sorry to ask this during this pre-exam period, but... could you come with me for a bit after this?”
She pressed her hands together.
For now, as students of Musashino International High School who go to Kichijoji for everything, we headed to Kichijoji today as well.
I asked her on the train.
“So, what's up? Where do you want me to c-come with you?”
“Umm, it's a consultation about Amane...”
She seemed to overlook my stuttering.
“Ichikawa?”
“Um, do you know what kind of picks Amane uses?”
She asked me while scratching her cheek with her index finger.
“Ho... why?”
“Yeah, it's like a support gift for Rock On. You and Sakohasu can perform, but I can't, so I thought I'd give her a little present.”
Heh... how should I say this, she's as serious as ever... or rather, it's emotional, Yuri-nee-san.
“So, can you go to the music store with me now?”
“Of course.”
“Ahaha, you're unusually reliable. Thanks.”
“The ‘unusually’ was unnecessary.”
Well, it's true that it's unusual. I get it.
And so, we arrived at the music store in front of Kichijoji Station!
“Which one was it again...”
While I was looking for the ones Ichikawa uses...
“Hey, what's this...?”
Azuma called out from the side.
What Azuma was holding was a drum practice item called a ‘Patti Pad’.
It's shaped like red slime, and it's a great item that becomes a ‘practice pad’ anywhere if you stick it onto a desk or something.
While I was explaining that, Azuma took the contents out, ignoring my commentary.
“Uhehe, looks like it has high experience points...”
She said.
This person, for some reason, despite always being tense, is sometimes innocent.
When I stared at her, she seemed to snap back to reality and cleared her throat while looking at me.
“S-Sorry.”
“No, it's fine. Here, these are the picks Ichikawa uses.”
I said, handing her the picks.
“Wow, thanks, Onu—”
She cut herself off and suddenly pulled my arm.
What!?
Without understanding the situation, I followed Azuma's lead and hid in the shadow of a nearby shelf.
“If I'm seen in a place like this, even I'll be killed.”
“Huh?”
“Shhh!!”
When I replied to Azuma’s whisper in a normal volume, I got scolded.
“What, what happened?”
I had no choice but to ask in a hushed voice, and Azuma pointed silently.
Peering through the gap in the shelves.
“Oh crap.”
A short distance away, Ichikawa was picking out some products.
It seemed Ichikawa hadn't noticed us yet.
“This is doubly bad...”
Azuma is probably talking about the awkwardness of being found by Ichikawa when it's supposed to be a surprise gift, and being blamed for being with me at this timing today.
Well, Azuma isn't at fault for the latter at all, though.
“...What should we do?”
“Obviously, we have to sneak out so we aren't found.”
“But, don't you need to buy the picks?”
“No, I want to buy them, but...”
Hmm.
“Then, why don't you just go talk to Ichikawa, Azuma? Say you wanted to look at bass strings or something. In the meantime, I'll buy the picks and leave.”
“Ah... well, that's true, but...”
Azuma bit her lower lip.
“But?”
“I don't want to be ungrateful like that when you went through the trouble of coming with me...”
Azuma said while still gripping my arm tightly. (Probably unconsciously)
This person is unnecessarily serious...
“It's fine, I don't mind...”
“No, it's not okay.”
She shook her head repeatedly.
“I see...”
Then, what should we do?
“And also...”
“Hmm?”
Azuma blushed slightly and whispered.
“...It's a bit fun, like a manga.”
“Huh?”
“It's nothing.”
It’s not that I couldn't hear her, I just didn't understand the meaning of what she said...
I let out a small sigh and said,
“Then, the plan is to hide until Ichikawa leaves the store.”
“...Yeah!”
Azuma replied in a good mood.
I feel like my heart just skipped a beat, but is that just my imagination?
After that, Azuma and I kept walking through the store's blind spots while making sure not to take our eyes off Ichikawa.
“It's kind of like being a ninja!”
“I guess so...”
It wasn't anything cool like that; we were just suspicious people, and I thought the store clerk might get mad at us for our suspicious behavior, but I didn't want to dampen the mood for Azuma, who was unusually excited, so I gave a lukewarm agreement.
After doing that for about ten minutes, Ichikawa eventually bought a tuner and left without noticing us.
Watching her back as she left, we looked at each other and let out a long sigh.
Then, for some reason, laughter spilled out from both of us, and we laughed together.
A clerk passing by had a “What is with these guys?” look on their face. Sorry about that.
Finally, we bought the picks to give to Ichikawa and stepped outside the store.
I waved my hand in front of the ticket gate to Azuma, who lives along the Inokashira Line.
“Konuma, thank you for today. Sorry about before the exams.”
“No, it's fine.”
“Hey, Konuma.”
“Hmm?”
“...Today is a secret between the two of us, okay?”
Azuma, laughing mischievously with her index finger to her lips, was different from the older sister-like Azuma I usually see.
For some reason, at that bewitching smile, I ended up swallowing hard.
“Don't ever tell Amane, Sakohasu, or Erina, okay?”