After that, we didn’t bump into the girls from our class inside the mansion.
That was because we only chose attractions that the girls had already passed through.
After safely escaping the storm-like chaos of the ninja mansion, we realized quite some time had passed and decided to have lunch.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll treat you.”
At Satoru’s question, the girls exchanged glances, showing expressions of consideration.
“Umm~ I’m fine with anything.”
“Me too!”
“Same here.”
“How about pork cutlet?”
“Umm… Isn’t that too greasy for lunch?”“How about ramen?”
“I don’t like greasy food.”
“Ugh! How about soba?”
“Eating something cold suddenly might upset my stomach…”
“……”
Satoru became speechless due to the continuous rejections from the girls.
Note that when girls say “anything,” it usually means “I have a few things I want to eat, but I don’t want to state my opinion. I want to seem considerate, so you just ask.”
It’s distinctly different from how men use “anything.”
“Then, how about we go to the food court and decide there? We can’t keep standing here.”
Unable to watch any longer, Ryuji’s suggestion ended the stifling situation as Kobayashi, the girls’ leader, agreed, “That sounds good!”
In the meantime, Satoru, completely exhausted, staggered over and asked me,
“Yu-seong, do you think I can get a girlfriend?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“You get along better with girls than other guys.”
“……”
It wasn’t wrong, so I couldn’t argue.
Like most tourist spots, Toei Uzumasa Eigamura (Movie Village) had various restaurants, tea houses, and a food court.
However, as the prices at regular restaurants were too high for students like us, we naturally headed to the food court for lunch.
“What do you want to eat? Just say it. I’ll treat you.”
“Wow!”
Satoru, trying to impress the girls, pushed his sunglasses up on his head, pretending to be a cool guy.
“So, are you treating us too?”
“Are you crazy?”
But he was merciless towards his friends.
‘Of course.’
As expected, we all dispersed to buy our own food.
“Ryuji, what are you going to eat?”
“I don’t know? I’m not very hungry right now, so maybe I’ll just grab a hot dog or something. How about you?”
“Something cheap and filling.”
“…Is there such a thing at a tourist spot?”
“That’s why we need to start looking now.”
After saying that, I headed straight for the food court.
But my slight hope was quickly dashed.
“Expensive…”
Even the water was exorbitantly expensive, perhaps due to being in a tourist area.
Even considering labor and rent costs, there seemed to be a hefty premium for being a famous tourist spot.
Working in the same food industry, knowing roughly the cost of food, it seemed all the more expensive.
“Ugh.”
Still, I couldn’t skip a meal, so I was pondering alone on what would be the best value for money.
“Oh! Ryu!”
Suddenly, the voice of the last person I wanted to encounter right now reached my ears.
“R-Rika?”
Ryuji, following my lead, turned pale.
Currently, the girls were moving around in groups.
In such a situation, if Rika appeared, it was only natural that Yamaguchi would follow.
“Sakamoto is here too!”
As expected, the others followed in one after another.
With the situation reaching this point, I instinctively realized things were going south.
“Ah, hello.”
As I waved awkwardly in greeting, Rika approached with a puzzled look.
“What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“Oh, really? Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the sun too much?”
Despite my efforts, my voice kept trembling.
I looked off into the distance, trying to hide my awkward gaze, and asked.
“But what brings you here all of a sudden?”
Sasha then replied, as if it were the most obvious thing.
“What a foolish question. We came to the food court to eat; what else?”
“Is that so?”
Ahahaha.
Laughing awkwardly, I began to rack my brain for a solution.
‘What to do? What to do? What to do?’
Then, the Class President, who was observing the situation, spoke up first.
“Since we’ve met like this, why don’t we all eat together? Where did Satoru go?”
At the mention of Satoru, who was supposed to be with the girls, Ryuji, taken aback, hurriedly answered.
“Ah! The restroom! He went to the restroom!”
But that was clearly a bad move.
Yamaguchi, who was quite perceptive, began to look at us with a suspicious gaze.
“Why are you both acting like that? Did you do something wrong?”
“Wrong? What do you mean?”
“You haven’t been able to meet our eyes since a while ago. Ryuji, if you confess now, I’ll reduce your punishment from three hits to one.”
“……”
Gulp.
A strange tension filled the air as the net of suspicion tightened.
Ryuji and I exchanged glances.
‘What should we do?’
‘Should we run away now?’
Just then…
“Onii-chan! Is it still a long way before you finish buying?”
In the midst of this tense standoff, a cheerful voice rang out.
“!!!”
Startled, I turned around to find Satoru, as pale as we were, surrounded by girls, looking at us.
His eyes seemed to say,
‘Have we been caught?’
Uh.
“Onii-chaaaaan~?”
Yamaguchi reacted first.
Mimicking what Kobayashi had just said, she glared at Ryuji with an angry expression.
“You seemed to be avoiding us since yesterday; was this the reason? Ryuji?”
“No, it’s not like that; I didn’t mean to…”
“Enough! You seem busy playing with kids. I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy your meal and life alone!”
Hmph!
With that, she turned her head away, arms crossed in anger.
It was a cliché scene straight out of an old drama, but the effect was significant.
Ryuji immediately began to plead with Yamaguchi.
“I was wrong! I’m sorry, Maya!”
Seeing this, Chiaki and Mahes shook their heads, as if floating in the air.
「It’s a case of reaping what you sow.」
「Honestly, I knew it would end up like this.」
Watching the two of them, I realized I wasn’t exempt from the fallout.
“Kim Yu-seong, don’t you have anything to say?”
“It’s all because of Satoru.”
“You didn’t have to do it. What, would you die if you didn’t?”
“……”
It was a sound argument, and I couldn’t rebut it.
“Ryuji, I’m disappointed.”
“This is a bit too much for me too…”
With the continuous criticism, my shoulders shrank even more.
When I was being verbally bashed from all sides…
“Hey, Auntie, who are you to keep scolding our onii-chan?”
“Auntie?”
Yamaguchi, taken aback by Kobayashi suddenly stepping in and calling her ‘Auntie’, stepped back with a shocked expression.
But she soon regained her composure and yelled.
“Who are you calling Auntie?! I’m only 17!”
However, Kobayashi, who seemed to always have a sharp tongue, was relentless.
“Oh, I’m sorry, ‘Older Sister’. Your clothes are so unfashionable, I thought you were just some lady on the street. Why do you dress like that? It’s confusing for those who see you.”
“Wh-what?”
Yamaguchi, unable to regain her composure from the continuous verbal attack…
“How dare you speak like that to your ‘Older Sister’!”
Karen tried to help Yamaguchi, but Kobayashi quickly dismissed her with a glance and a comment.
“Step aside, kiddo. Can’t you see the ‘older sisters’ are talking?”
“K-kiddo…”
Kobayashi’s words quickly knocked both of them down.
This girl, she’s no ordinary person.
But Yamaguchi, recovering from her dazed state, immediately started her counterattack.
“Sorry, but Ryuji was only hunting you because of Satoru over there. He never had any intention of actually pursuing you.”
“I knew that from the start. And what does it matter if I like him? You’re not the type who believes that both people have to like each other for a relationship to start, are you?”
“Ugh.”
Yamaguchi looked at Kobayashi, who doesn’t miss a beat in her retorts, with a disdainful expression.
The tension in the air was palpable as the drama unfolded before our eyes.
Even passersby had stopped to watch.
“So, what are you to him that you keep ordering him around? Are you his girlfriend or something?”
“I’m Ryuji’s childhood friend!”
“So what if you’re childhood friends? It’s not like you’re dating, right?”
“This!”
Finally, apparently thinking the situation couldn’t be resolved by words, Yamaguchi’s hand went up.
“Stop!”
It was then that Ryuji, who had been watching the situation, hastily intervened.
Thud!
“Yamaguchi! Why are you doing this?! You’re not the kind of person who hits anyone!”
“Ryuji! Are you taking her side over mine?!”
“That’s not what I mean!”
Ryuji, grabbing Yamaguchi’s wrist, spoke firmly.
However, Yamaguchi, apparently shocked by Ryuji yelling at her, stood there with wide eyes before shaking off his hand and running away.
“Yamaguchi!”
Karen and Rika followed Yamaguchi.
“Tsk… Idiot.”
Ryuji, who had inadvertently let Yamaguchi go, muttered and turned around.
“I’m sorry, Kobayashi. She’s not usually like that. She must have gotten carried away in the moment.”
“I’m okay.”
“But you know you were too harsh with your words, right? I hope you’ll properly apologize to Yamaguchi when you see her later.”
At Ryuji’s stern words, Kobayashi hesitated, then nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere quickly turned chaotic.
Afterwards, Ryuji asked the class president who was still there.
“What do we do now?”
The class president then sighed, as if in disbelief, and said,
“Go after her.”
Otherwise, she’ll get even more upset.
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