Chapter 8
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We entered a café near the station building, placed our order, and I headed straight to the smoking room. Through the glass, I could see Tsubaki drinking tea.
She was as expressionless as ever.
…Well, she’s alone, so it’s natural to be expressionless. There’s nothing disappointing about that.
Still, I want her to smile as much as possible.
Even though she refused, maybe ordering a cake might soften her expression a bit?
…What am I thinking?
With a deep sigh, I exhaled the menthol-scented smoke.
The cigarette was almost done, so it was about time to return to my seat… Huh?
Suddenly, Tsubaki turned around.
Standing in her line of sight was Mishima, wearing a navy cut-and-sew top and white cropped pants.
Mishima was smiling and talking to Tsubaki, who nodded slightly without changing her expression.
They exchanged a few words, and then Tsubaki pointed in my direction. Naturally, Mishima turned to face me, and our eyes met.
…I had braced myself for this, but I didn’t expect to encounter her so soon.
Extinguishing my cigarette, I returned to Tsubaki, who remained expressionless, and Mishima, who waved cheerfully.
“Hey! Kawakami, what a coincidence to run into you here!”
Mishima enthusiastically slapped my back.
It hurt a bit, but considering I had cut off our phone call, she seemed to be in a good mood. Still, it was just as troublesome as always.
“I heard from Tsubaki-chan that you bought her some clothes?”
Without sensing my discomfort, Mishima continued cheerfully.
If only this smile belonged to her…
“Hey, Kawakami, are you listening?”
“Oh, sorry. Yeah, that’s right.”
“Geez, you should have told me! I would have helped you pick out something nice!”
“She can choose whatever she wants to wear.”
“But don’t you think Tsubaki-chan would want a stylish older sister to pick out her clothes?”
When Mishima pouted and tilted her head, Tsubaki took a sip of tea without changing her expression.
“Yes, I suppose…”
Clearly, Tsubaki found the conversation bothersome. Yet, Mishima looked triumphant.
“See, Tsubaki-chan agrees with me!”
“That doesn’t mean you should force yourself into our plans.”
“Come on, we’re friends, right!”
…Here we go again.
Mishima often insists on tagging along whenever I go out, even if it’s a date with a significant other.
Because of this, I’ve had countless arguments with partners…
But I should keep my anger in check.
Besides, this outing isn’t a date, and Tsubaki isn’t my partner. So, there’s no problem if Mishima joins us.
“So, Tsubaki-chan, what kind of clothes did you get? Show me!”
“Okay. Here you go.”
“Let’s see… Hey!”
Mishima roughly tore open the taped paper bag, causing the handle to rip significantly.
“…”
Tsubaki lowered her long-lashed eyes without saying a word.
…This is unacceptable.
“Mishima, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Huh? It’s just a bag, no big deal.”
Without remorse, Mishima pulled out the light blue dress from the ripped bag.
“Wow! Cute! You’ll be super popular wearing this, Tsubaki-chan!”
“No, I don’t think so…”
“Don’t be modest! You must be popular at school, right? Got a boyfriend?”
“No, I don’t…”
“No way! Your classmates have no taste! You should be more assertive!”
“Is that so…”
As Mishima fawned over the dress, she continued her one-sided conversation. I knew it was pointless, but I had to stop this.
“Mishima…”
“Exactly! Just be as assertive as your mom was, and the boys will fall for you!”
“Like my mother…”
――Crash
“Whoa!?”
“…!”
Before I knew it, I had slammed my hand on the table.
Tsubaki’s face tightened, and she trembled slightly. I needed to reassure her.
“It’s okay, Tsubaki. You’re not at fault.”
“…So, you’re saying I am?”
Mishima furrowed her brows, roughly gripping the dress.
Seriously, this girl…
“Touching someone’s clothes without permission and making fun of a deceased mother isn’t okay.”
“But Tsubaki-chan said it was fine! And what I said about Mayuko is true, right?”
“That may be…”
“Why are you still defending her after she betrayed you!?”
…She had a point.
Mayuko betrayed me and chose that man.
Even so…
“Um, excuse me, customers…”
Looking up, I saw a confused waiter standing nearby.
“There are other customers here, so…”
The waiter clearly directed their gaze at Mishima.
Naturally, Mishima’s frown deepened.
“…Why is everyone making me the bad guy? I’m leaving!”
Mishima threw the dress onto the floor and stormed out of the café. Almost all the patrons had their eyes on us.
“…I apologize. We’ll be leaving soon.”
“Oh, no. As long as it doesn’t bother other customers…”
Even if they said it was fine, I didn’t have the nerves to stay after causing such a scene.
“No, really, we should go. Come on, Tsubaki.”
“…Okay.”
Tsubaki picked up the dress, lowering her eyes.
…I hadn’t brought her out to see her like this.