08 Cold Fingertips
“I’m cute…?”
Hinase-san’s statement was wrong.
Let me reiterate.
Amatsuki Suzuna is plain.
Black hair deliberately styled in pigtails, thick-lensed black-rimmed glasses.
Her uniform buttoned all the way up, her skirt a proper length below the knee.
And to top it all off, no makeup, no effort to dress up.
No matter how you look at it, she’s unremarkable.
“Hinase-san, do you know the meaning of the word ‘cute’?”
I don’t know in what sense Hinase-san was using “cute,” but I think it’s a bad habit to use it for everything.
“I know what it means, and look.”
—Touch
Without any warning, Hinase-san touched my cheek.
Her fingertips were cool, leaving only a trace of coldness.
“Wh-What?!”
I flinched and recoiled.
Being touched so suddenly startled me.
“As I thought, your skin is soft, and you’re so fair with fine pores. Super beautiful skin.”
“Th-That’s because I don’t go out much. And I don’t wear makeup, so my skin doesn’t get damaged.”
Someone like Hinase-san, who wears makeup every day and is always going out, probably puts a lot of stress on her skin.
In contrast, I do nothing, so my skin is stress-free. That’s all it is.
“So you’re saying it’s for your skin’s sake? You’re such a hard worker.”
“H-How did you come to that conclusion…?”
Her thinking is too positive.
Or am I just too cynical…?
I often get confused when talking to Hinase-san.
“Let me touch it.”
Hinase-san’s finger reached out again.
“No.”
I clasped my hands together to block her fingertips.
Hinase-san’s fingertips were still cold.
It might be because we’re outside, but being touched by such cold hands isn’t pleasant.
“Your hands are warm, Amatsuki-san.”
I think it’s just that her fingertips are too cold, but relatively speaking, mine feel warm.
Hinase-san stared at my hand gripping hers, seemingly savoring the warmth.
“Yours are cold, Hinase-san. I’ll freeze to death if you keep touching me with those hands.”
“That’s an exaggeration. It just means my heart is warm.”
“So you’re saying my heart is cold.”
I have a feeling she’s right.
“The way you’re so guarded is also cute, like a cat.”
Hinase-san is tall, so compared to her, I’m short.
So maybe my small stature and hunched posture make me seem like a small animal.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Say ‘meow.’”
“I’m not saying that.”
Hinase-san’s words and actions were nonsensical.
“Forget it, let’s just go. Where are we going?”
I was also getting tired of the stares from those around us.
I’m sure some of them were eavesdropping on our conversation.
Even though Hinase-san is obviously the beautiful one, it’s uncomfortable to be the one being called cute.
“Eh, but you don’t seem very enthusiastic, Amatsuki-san…”
“That’s not true. Let’s go somewhere you recommend, Hinase-san.”
“Is it okay if it’s something I like?”
“Yeah, anything you like is fine.”
Or rather, I don’t have any preferences.
I’m the type of person who just eats and drinks whatever’s available.
It’s better to leave it to Hinase-san.
“Okay, then this way.”
She returned the grip on my hand.
I followed Hinase-san.
Her fingertips gradually warmed up, as if my body heat was transferring to her.
◇◇◇
The place Hinase-san took me to was a cafe.
The space was mainly wood, with potted plants here and there.
Soft orange lighting created a gentle atmosphere.
“…Unexpected.”
I blurted out without thinking.
“Eh, really?”
“Yeah, I thought you’d go to a more flashy place, Hinase-san.”
“Flashy?”
“I don’t know, like a party place with lots of ‘woo-hoo!’”
“What’s that? That’s hilarious.”
Hinase-san laughed and sat at a table by the window.
I followed her and sat opposite her.
The sofa was a muted green fabric, slightly fuzzy with long fibers.
…I’ve never been to a place like this before.
Hinase-san sat down without talking to the waiter or anything. She must be used to this.
I felt the gap between her world and mine even more keenly.
“What do you want to drink, Amatsuki-san?”
She handed me a menu, and I looked it over.
There were a lot of coffee and tea options, but I don’t really like either.
“…Orange juice, please.”
“Seriously?”
Hinase-san seemed surprised by my choice.
“Eh, is that weird?”
“No, it’s not weird, but… Sorry, do you not like this kind of place?”
It’s not that, but I’m not adventurous with drinks, so I’ll just order juice.
“Do you want anything to eat?”
“…What’s good here?”
There were various items on the menu, but I didn’t know what to choose.
“The scones are good. But the pancakes are probably the most popular.”
Here we go, pancakes.
A food whose true identity, bread or cake, is unknown.
But looking at the picture…
“They look delicious.”
“You’ve never had them before?”
“No.”
Not at a fancy place like this.
“No way, seriously?”
Hinase-san seemed surprised again.
“But I’m not sure I can finish this by myself.”
Judging by the picture, the pancakes looked quite large.
“Ah, I know! Why don’t we share?”
Hinase-san’s voice brightened as if she’d had a great idea.
I don’t really understand, but she seems determined to have me try the pancakes.
“Hmm… I’m fine with it, but are you okay with that, Hinase-san?”
“Eh, I’m fine, but why?”
“From the way you were talking, it sounded like you could finish it by yourself.”
“…It’s fine. Actually, it’s better that way. Otherwise, I’ll just keep eating forever.”
Hinase-san’s demeanor suddenly darkened.
I wonder what’s wrong. She seemed to feel guilty about eating.
…She ate quite a bit at lunchtime too. I wonder if she’s worried about it.
But she’s plenty thin, she doesn’t need to worry.
“Excuse me, can we order?”
Hinase-san raised her hand and called the waiter.
He was a young man with refreshing short hair.
…They look good together.
A handsome cafe waiter and a beautiful gal.
A very good match.
“—Is that all?”
“Yes, please.”
After taking our order, the waiter returned to the counter.
Hinase-san, having finished ordering, turned her gaze back to me.
“Hinase-san, is that… your type?”
“Wait, isn’t that a little sudden?”
“Eh, is it?”
“The timing is terrible.”
Well, that’s true. Normally, I wouldn’t ask.
But honestly, I know Hinase-san’s type.
It’s Shindo Minato.
But I was curious about what kind of person she likes after deviating from that route.
“You’re famous for not dating anyone even though you’re so popular, Hinase-san. I’m sure there were plenty of cool guys, weren’t there?”
“Hmm… how should I put it? I don’t really get the whole ‘cool guy’ thing.”
Well… she likes the unremarkable protagonist, after all.
Maybe looks aren’t important to her.
“Then, what’s the deciding factor?”
“Let me see…”
Hinase-san pursed her lips in thought, then quickly relaxed them.
“Someone who cares about me and protects me, I guess.”
“That’s a wide range…”
“Maybe. What about you, Amatsuki-san?”
Eh, me…?
I’ve never been in love.
I don’t really know, but if I had to say…
“Someone who takes the lead.”
I’m shy.
So I’ve thought it would be nice to have someone who understands that and helps me.
But I’ve never thought someone like that would like me.
“I see. That’ll be fine then.”
“…What is?”
Hinase-san nodded in understanding, which I found a little strange.
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