Chapter 42 An Unexpected Invitation

An Unexpected Invitation

Irara and I exchange glances.

“Why is Irara here?”

“I just came to buy a drink too… But Kyogoku-kun, hearing that deep sigh of yours, I couldn’t help but wonder… Could it be…?”

“What a coincidence. Seeing the look of despair on your face about what’s ahead, I had the same thought…”

“You haven’t studied for the test, have you?” “You haven’t studied for the test, right~?!”

Our words overlap.

Eventually, we burst out laughing, unable to hold it in.

“Ahahaha! So, Kyogoku-kun, you too!”

“That’s my line. I thought you had everything under control, Irara.”

“Despite how I may look, I’m the type who puts homework off until the last minute.”

“That’s nothing to be proud of… Well, I guess I’m the same way, though.”

Come to think of it, Irara is kind of an airhead—or maybe just unexpectedly scatterbrained.

In that sense, it makes sense she hasn’t studied for the test at all.

“But what should we do? Even if I decide to study now, I can’t see myself suddenly saying, ‘I’ll do my best all alone!’ and actually following through…”

Irara says this as she puts coins into the vending machine.

I hurriedly grab my can of coffee.

“Exactly. If I could do that, I’d have been studying diligently from the start.”

“Seriously! If only there were a teacher to motivate me… Or someone to study with, someone I could work hard together with…”

“They say studying with someone helps you focus. But I don’t really have any friends like that…”

““…Ughhhhh…””

Both of us stand in front of the vending machine, lost in thought.

If only there were someone to study with… That goes for Irara too… Hm?

““…Oh, wait.””

Our eyes meet.

“Kyogoku-kun is right here! Someone in the same boat who can study with me!”

“You’re right! Now that I think about it, for me, Irara was the only choice all along.”

“Hehe, because we’re friends!”

“Exactly!”

How did I miss something so obvious?

Why didn’t I realize it from the start?

“Alright, let’s study together! After school or something!”

“Agreed. Alright, the two of us… the tw…o of us…”

“!!”

I hurriedly avert my gaze from Irara.

R-right. In this case, it’ll just be the two of us studying together.

Not that being alone with Irara is unusual.

In fact, most of the time when I’m with Irara, it’s just the two of us.

But considering this is after the sports festival, things feel different.

All because of that “jinx.”

I’m afflicted by a strange condition.

A condition where I can’t stop being overly conscious of Irara Akari.

W-what a persistent affliction… I can’t find a cure at all.

“S-so, what should we do?”

“Y-yeah, good question.”

In front of the vending machine, we continue our awkward conversation.

―Just then.

“What are you two doing here?”

A girl with headphones slung around her neck approaches.

“Kiriha!” “Kiriha-san!”

Irara and I rush toward Kiriha, as if to say, “We’ve found you!”

“W-what?”

“Hey, Kiriha! Are you free after school?”

“Let’s have a study session together! Two heads are better than one! Three heads are even better at avoiding failing grades!!!”

“Um…”

“Kiriha!” “Kiriha-san!!”

“The pressure is intense…”

Muttering this, Kiriha lets out a wry smile.

After calming us down and taking a step back, Kiriha casually said,

“Sorry, but I prefer studying alone.”

““…N-no way…””

“You two really get along well, huh…”

Kiriha lets out a deliberately exaggerated sigh and buys a drink from the vending machine.

Taking out a bottle of coffee, she glances at the dejected Irara and me and says,

“Well, good luck? Just you ‘two.’”

““!!””

Kiriha walks away.

In the end, Irara and I were left behind, just the two of us.

“…It seems like Kiriha-san can’t join us, so…”

“Y-yeah.”

“S-so, how about… just the two of us for the study session?”

“…Y-yeah, let’s do that.”

And so, it was decided that we’d have a study session with just the two of us.

After school.

Swallowing the awkwardness, Irara and I psyched ourselves up to face the ridiculously difficult test.

Slinging our bags over our shoulders, we left through the school gates.

“Kyogoku-kun! I’m really going to do this today! I absolutely will! All for the sake of avoiding a failing grade!”

“Me too! Let’s give it our all today!”

“Yeah!!!”

Filled with high spirits, we ventured into town, but…

Our first stop was the city library.

“Sorry, but we’re full at the moment.”

“Kyogoku-kun, next!!!”

“Got it!!!”

Next, we went to the café near the station.

“All the seats are taken…”

“The sweets look so good…! Ah! Next!!!”

“Let’s go!”

After that, we headed to a fast-food restaurant.

“No empty seats!”

“It’s packed with high school students studying for tests…”

“N-Next!!!”

We went to a family restaurant, another café, a third café, and then another family restaurant…

“…Nowhere is available?”

“It’s test season for all the high schools, so everyone has the same idea.”

Slumping on the swings in our usual park, we both hung our heads.

Then, raindrops began to fall.

“Let’s take shelter under that roof over there!”

“Yeah!!!”

We hurried under a covered bench and sat there, utterly at a loss.

Everywhere was full, and now it was raining.

Even though we were so determined to study, where in the world could we go…?

““…Sigh.””

Our sighs overlapped once more.

Then, as if something had struck her, Irara suddenly let out an “Ah.”

“Um… you know, this is just a suggestion, and there’s no pressure, but…”

Irara fidgeted nervously as she spoke.

“If you’re okay with it… want to come to my house?”

“…Eh. Eh?!”

My startled voice was quickly drowned out by the sound of the rain.