Chapter 21: I'll Leave Coolly…

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Translator: Soafp

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Since the girl named Misuzu they met at the arcade said she wanted to talk with Sora, the three of them headed to a nearby crepe shop. They looked at the menu and made their orders.

“I'll have a hamburger crepe and a coffee.”

“They have that? …Uh, I'm still kinda full. I'll go with a half-size banana cream.”

“Banana Mont Blanc, with extra strawberries and chocolate sauce.”

Ginji, Sora, and Misuzu ordered in that order and waited. They were sitting at a table—Sora sat across from Ginji, with Misuzu next to her. Ginji tilted his head, wondering if the seating arrangement was okay, but of course, he couldn't say anything to the them and kept quiet.

“Uh, I guess I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Misuzu Umigami. You can call me Suzu.”

“I'm Ginji Momoi. Just call me Ginji. Are you two friends?”

“Um, Suzu was my friend back in middle school.”

Sora seemed a little nervous, but she could talk better than she usually did when speaking to unfamiliar boys at school. Ginji figured Misuzu must be someone Sora was used to.

“‘Was'? That's kind of cold. We talked a lot, didn't we?”

“Ahaha, yeah. Suzu always talked to me.”

“‘Boku (I)'… huh. Anyway, why were you two at the arcade in suits?”

Ginji looked at Sora as if asking for permission to explain. She quickly nodded.

“We were helping out Aika-chan. It's at a hotel, so we had to dress like this.”

“I kinda overheard that at the arcade. But really, you should quit being her little servant. I'm sure there are tons of people who'd love to do it.”

“I already did… well, technically, she told me I wasn't needed anymore.”

“What!? The princess did!? Back in middle school, she made you do everything except for drawing… Wow. So you're free now? Let's hang out more. Oh! Let's exchange contacts. Ginji too!”

“Me too?”

“Well, you're Sora's good person, right?”

“S-Suzu… N-no, that's not it. Ginji's more like… a lifesaver or something…”

While Sora fidgeted, Ginji put on a smug face.

“We're buds.”

He said confidently. Misuzu glanced between Sora and Ginji, then made a “T” sign with her hands.

“…Time out.”

“Eh?”

“Wha?”

“Alright, Sora, come with me.”

Grabbing Sora's hand, Misuzu dragged her off somewhere.

“…Am I in the way?” Ginji muttered, crossing his arms as he watched them leave.

Misuzu pulled Sora into a hallway near the restroom and immediately pressed her.

“Wait—Ginji doesn't know you're a girl!?”

“Eh? I told you at the arcade, right? I asked you not to say anything.”

Sora averted her eyes under Misuzu's looming pressure.

“You did, but… wait, are you hiding it at school too?”

“Yeah. I'm pretending to be a boy at school too.”

“This is straight out of a manga! What about P.E. and the bathroom!? And the teachers!?”

“The school knows. You know, back in middle school… stuff happened, and because of that, Aika-chan said I wanted to live as a boy, and it kinda… stuck. For P.E., I change in the student council room, join the boys' activities when I can, and just observe the others. The teachers treat me like I'm made of glass… And I can use the shared student council bathroom…”

“Whoa… I see. Since our middle school was connected, most of the students just moved on, right? So no one else from our class is at your high school.”

“Even if they were, I didn't have many friends… You were probably the only one I really talked to.”

“That's some serious stuff. So—what's the deal with Ginji? Huh? Huh?”

Misuzu leaned in close. When she said Ginji's name, Sora blushed and her nose turned red, making Misuzu grin mischievously. Then Sora's phone rang.

“W-Wait, it's from Ginji.”

Trying to escape, Sora looked at her phone.

“If I'm getting in the way, I'll slip out. Just give me a signal.”

Misuzu peeked over Sora's shoulder to read the message.

“So… he thinks he's being considerate, huh?”

“…But I'm a “boy”, and to Ginji I'm just another guy…”

Sora spoke flatly and robotically, staring at the screen. Misuzu gently patted her back.

“There, there. Don't worry. I'll check what kind of guy Ginji really is. I may not look like it, but I've got a good eye for men.”

“Eh? N-no, that's okay—”

“Don't be shy. Now come on, let's head back.”

Dragging Sora by the arm, Misuzu pulled her along back to their seats.