Chapter 32: Present
Translator: Soafp
“See you at school.”
“Yeah, be careful.”
I had two umbrellas with me, a folding one and a regular one, so I offered to take her to the station, but Miyamoto-san said it would be a bad idea, so she agreed to just lend my umbrella.
When Miyamoto-san opened the door, the weather had recovered from the previous day, just like the weather forecast on my cell phone, and it looked like a normal rain.
“Well, I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
“Be careful”.”
Waving her hand in the air, Miyamoto-san said so, and I raised my hand in return and sent her off.
“….Fuu”
I let out a big breath as the door closed with a clank.
What can I say, I was nervous …….
I went back to my room and looked around inside and somehow felt a little lonely.
……I think Miyamoto-san was here a while ago, right?
When I think about it, I feel as if the sweet scent that wafted softly through the air when Miyamoto-san came into the umbrella earlier still lingers, and I feel somewhat embarrassed.
…… Let’s read a book.
When trying to correct the disorder in my mind, the book I had just put out on my desk caught my eye.
It was recommended to me and I was curious to see how interesting it was. It was recommended to me by a stranger. It must be a book that she really thinks is interesting.
I opened the book with higher expectations than usual.
It’s Monday after the weekend. I eat breakfast as usual and make my bento using the leftovers and side dishes I’ve made.
…It’s time to get out of here.
Looking at the clock, it’s almost time for me to leave.
–Pilon
…… Hmm? A message at this hour? Who on earth could it be? …… Maybe it’s Yuki?
The cell phone on my study desk beeped a notification. Miyamoto-san and Obata-san have never sent me messages at this hour, my mother has turned off her notifications, and my father and sister would never send me a message. It was unusual for Yuki to send a message at this hour too, but, well, it was probably Yuki.
After putting my lunch in my bag, I looked at my cell phone and my expectation was wrong. At the very beginning of the notification, there is “Mizuki Miyamoto.”
…… Miyamoto-san? What is it? At this hour.
When I opened the app, I found a new message on my conversation with Miyamoto-san: ” Are you home?” was newly displayed in the message.
Ah, …….
I somehow understood when I saw it. She was probably coming to return my umbrella. …… which means …….
I went to the front door with my bag and opened the door.
There, as I expected, was Miyamoto-san. Miyamoto-san seemed to be adjusting her hair with the reflection of her cell phone screen, and when our eyes met, she hid her face from me very quickly. …… I may have done something a little bad. I should have answered after I replied.
“Ah, good morning, Miyamoto-san.”
“G-Good morning. ……”
“Uhm, umbrella, right?”
“Yes, here, thank you so much.”
She was holding my umbrella in her right hand, so I said so, and she handed it to me with both hands.
“Uhm, …….”
“Yeah?”
“Uhm, …… here, this is for you!”
Saying that, Miyamoto-san hands me a small paper bag.
“Eh, ……, that’s, thank you.”
“Please take it” I could almost hear her voice pleading with me to accept it, so I accepted it, but I couldn’t thank her with just an umbrella.
“Uhm, ……Such a thank you for just one umbrella is just. ……”
“N-Not that big of a deal, you know. No, I’ve given it a lot of proper thought. ……”
The bag is small, and the items inside are even smaller, so I guess it’s not a big deal in the sense that it’s not that expensive. I wonder if it is a key chain or something like that, if it is this big and looks like this.
“Uhm, …… Y-yes! Just think of it as a little present. ……”
“A present …….”
A present. I was a little surprised to hear this word, which I hadn’t heard in a long time. I’m not sure if I’ve received a gift since I was in elementary school. I used to give something to my sister every year, but last year I couldn’t do it, so I didn’t give her anything. My sister’s, Haruka’s birthday is November 18. This year ……I won’t be able to give it to her this year either.
“Thank you.”
“Y-You’re welcome. …….No, I should be saying thank you.”
Miyamoto-san, who smiles like that, is a very pretty girl to begin with, but she looks even prettier.
“Can I open this?”
“Sure. I hope you like it. ……”
After hearing her reply, I carefully opened the bag and took out what was inside.
As expected, it was a key chain with a cute fox holding an umbrella.
“You know, that’s a keychain of my favorite character. ……”
“You also had the stamp from the messaging app. Thanks …….A keychain, I’ll put it on this.”
I take out my house key and put it on.
It’s strange how a key that was just an unimportant tool earlier becomes a little more enjoyable to use.
“Thank you.”
“Yes!”
Miyamoto-san replied happily as he thanked me, showing me the key with the key chain attached.
“Then, let’s go to school.”
“Ah, right. It’s already this late.”
I looked at the time on my cell phone and saw that more time had passed than I had expected, so much so that I would not make it if I did not leave immediately.
“By the way, when is your birthday, Ishikawa-kun?”
“Eh?”
“Birthday. See, I wanted to give you a present or have a birthday party or something.”
When we were walking together on the way to school, Miyamoto-san suddenly said something like that. I’m a little troubled when someone says something like that to me in a happy tone. No, it’s the first time someone has asked me that and I can’t help it because I can’t say it myself. …… No, if it’s a birthday, I would normally say my birthday. ……?
“J-June 4……”
“June huh…….”
June 4th. And now we are in the middle of July.
“Eh, your birthday for this school year already passed?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Miyamoto-san, who confirms the obvious, seems to be telling me with her eyes alone, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Chapter 31: A Friend's House, Mizuki Miyamoto's Point of View – Soafp Translation
July 11, 2022 at 12:23 am[…] chapter 32 […]
nika77722
July 11, 2022 at 12:40 amThanks for the chapter. Glad things are slowly progressing between them
some mob
July 11, 2022 at 1:00 am…….Things are progressing nicely, if we always exclude childhood friend(not worth the time).
Heh heh i really want read the family’s POV now that the issue of birthday was brought…..i can already felt their pain…..*nice smile*…………….
Ehm, seems that things are going good and all but plot-wise there is not that much progress, i mean, the real problem isn’t being tackled-THE TRAITOROUS CHILDHOOD FRIEND-….the other childhood friend?…she is just annoying amd not woth the bother, just defeating the backstabber will solve that thot issue as well.
Sadly, the MC doesn’t seem very keen to solve it but that’s what Yuki is for…the girls? well, i think they won’t act unless Shota get’s harassed……eeehh…..well, i got the hope his friends will do something about it, eventually…..
DesMb
July 11, 2022 at 1:36 amI expected this but I can’t help but feel disappointment that it isn’t Miyomoto’s friend that the author is pairing the MC up with.
Ah well…
Gatts
July 11, 2022 at 3:58 amThank you for the chapter !
Dragon[that can]fly
July 11, 2022 at 4:02 amYe I really wanted friend to be the love interest, it would’ve been a nice change from the shy/calm beautiful girl that always seem to be the FL in these stories. Although the first impression was bad, it was clearly coming from a reasonable thought process and she did apologise when she realised she misunderstood. Plus she always seems to be taking care of him, always asking if he’s ok, coming to his rescue and clearly sticking up for him when she realised that girl was stressing him out. Miyamoto? I’m sorry but she hasn’t really gotten as much screen time and interaction with him so far – just their meeting, her pursuing him out for lunch and to become friends, and then pretty much nothing until this umbrella scene so far. Author really has to step it up for her if I’m going to be satisfied with this pairing. Some cliche romantic scenes are not going to cut it.
But who knows, we’re still in the beginning so maybe they’ll make it up (although I’m still disappointed she won’t be FL)
Simak
July 12, 2022 at 3:08 amAs usual, I root for the girl who will lose. Too bad Obata.
Thanks for the chapter.