“M, m, m…Nakano-kun?! You, how come you’re here?!”
Facing the boy standing outside the pavilion with an umbrella, Miura Yumiko was full of bewilderment. She never thought she would run into Nakano Yu here!
“Came out to run an errand. You, on the other hand… you’re quite injured, Miura-san.”
Nakano Yu glanced at Miura Yumiko’s ankle without changing his expression. He saw the girl’s white, tender calf was red and swollen, and even had a hint of bruising.
This kind of injury, while not life-threatening, would definitely hurt.
“It’s just a minor injury. It’ll be fine after some rest.”
Hearing this, Miura Yumiko hurriedly pulled up her socks, enduring the pain, and spoke in a strong and determined voice.
“Hmph, that’s good. Then I’ll be off. Miura-san, head home as soon as you’re feeling better. Iban Street is pretty close to here, so don’t go missing or anything.”
Seeing Miura Yumiko being so tough, Nakano Yu raised his eyebrows and said, before turning around and leaving with his umbrella.
Upon hearing this, Miura Yumiko’s face changed. They had just discussed the Iban Street disappearance case yesterday! She didn’t think much of it then, but hearing Nakano Yu mention it, fear suddenly took root in Miura Yumiko’s heart.
Her ankle was twisted. If she really ran into a bad guy, she wouldn’t be able to run, let alone stand.
“Wait, wait! Nakano-kun! Bridge, bean, bag! Please wait!”
Realizing this, Miura Yumiko lightly bit her lower lip and immediately called out to the boy, seeing that he wasn’t too far away.
“Anything else, Miura-san?”
Hearing her call, Nakano Yu stopped and turned to look at the girl, asking.
“That… please, please stay with me for a little bit… just until my friends come…”
Miura Yumiko’s cheeks were slightly red as she spoke. She had already sent messages to her friends, but they hadn’t responded yet. Miura Yumiko didn’t know if they would come to look for her.
“Hmm, that’s the right attitude. Your friends? Are they Yubihama-san and the others?”
Seeing Miura Yumiko lowering her stance, even using honorifics, Nakano Yu was slightly satisfied and returned to the pavilion. He put away his umbrella and asked.
Yubihama Yui, also known as Dango, was a member of the popular group. She was also a good friend of Miura Yumiko, though they weren’t in the same class. They occasionally saw each other hanging out together.
“No, Yui and the others are still at school. It’s Hirata-san and the others.”
Miura Yumiko shook her head and said. The Hirata-san she was referring to were her classmates who had abandoned her at school today under the pretext of not having enough umbrellas.
“Oh? I think I ran into them. They seemed to be at a café.”
Leaning his umbrella against something, Nakano Yu picked a spot to sit down. Hearing what Miura Yumiko said, he reminded her.
He had just gone out to buy groceries when he saw those two at a café having snacks. He didn’t see Miura Yumiko then, so he thought they were going to find Hayama Shuuji. He never thought they would be alone here, crying.
“What?!”
Hearing this, Miura Yumiko, who had been smiling just a moment ago, burst out in disbelief, looking at the boy with a face full of disbelief. It seemed she couldn’t believe what the boy had said.
Nakano Yu glanced at Miura Yumiko. Seeing her losing her composure, he said:
“Maybe I was mistaken.”
Nakano Yu didn’t want to get too involved in this matter, after all, it was something between Miura Yumiko and those two girls.
“… I understand.”
After a moment of silence, the anger in Miura Yumiko’s heart mysteriously vanished, replaced by boundless grievances. She didn’t understand why she was treated like this. After all, she had been pretty good to them.
Looking at Miura Yumiko deeply, Nakano Yu didn’t say anything. For a moment, the pavilion fell silent.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain started to lessen, showing signs of continuing throughout the night.
Just as Nakano Yu was figuring out what to cook for dinner, the faint sound of sobbing reached his ears again. This time it was very close. Nakano Yu could clearly tell that the owner of the crying was Miura Yumiko.
Turning to look at Miura Yumiko, Nakano Yu saw that her face was covered in tears. It was no longer sobbing. She was crying!
“Nakano-kun, do you think I’m stupid?”
Noticing Nakano Yu’s gaze, Miura Yumiko turned her head, and after a moment, she took the initiative to talk to him.
“Yeah, ridiculously stupid.”
Nakano Yu nodded, not hiding his words at all.
As the words fell, Miura Yumiko turned her head back in disbelief, looking at Nakano Yu. She never thought Nakano Yu would answer her like that.
She thought that even Nakano Yu, seeing a girl crying, would say a few comforting words, but… what was the deal with this guy?!
“You… Nakano-kun, I think I understand why you’re handsome but don’t have a girlfriend.”
Miura Yumiko opened her mouth, almost swearing. Fortunately, she managed to control herself and didn’t ruin the sad atmosphere.
“But that doesn’t stop people from liking me.”
Nakano Yu shrugged his shoulders, looking arrogant. To be honest, he received more love letters than Miura Yumiko. He just mercilessly threw them in the trash without hesitation. After a while, no one dared to confess to him anymore.
“You… me! Ugh, what if I said I like Nakano-kun?”
Gritting her teeth, Miura Yumiko rolled her eyes and suddenly thought of a good way to tease Nakano Yu. She opened her mouth with a bombshell.
This was Miura Yumiko’s confidence. In all of Soubu High, she was known as the “Flame Queen”. Her looks needed no further explanation. Plus, she exercised regularly, making her figure far superior to her peers.
She wanted to see what Nakano Yu would do when faced with such a confession!
“It’s your business if you like me, Miura-san. Whether I respond to you or not is my business. The world won’t stop spinning just because of me.”
However, Nakano Yu’s reaction was destined to disappoint Miura Yumiko. The boy’s nonchalant expression and the words he said left Miura Yumiko dumbfounded.
Seeing Nakano Yu’s indifferent reaction, Miura Yumiko didn’t know what to say for a moment.
“What kind of reaction is this? Shouldn’t he be surprised when faced with a confession from a beautiful girl? Why… is he so calm? Could it be that Nakano Yu is…?”
Just as Miura Yumiko was secretly musing, suspecting Nakano Yu’s orientation, the boy stood up and said:
“Okay, I can’t keep wasting time with you. I’m leaving.”
Hearing this, Miura Yumiko’s eyes narrowed, and she quickly snapped out of her thoughts, wanting to ask the boy what to do about her, but then she remembered that she didn’t have much interaction with him. A chill ran down her spine, and she didn’t speak.
Just as Miura Yumiko was waiting for the boy to leave with his umbrella, Nakano Yu handed his umbrella to Miura Yumiko.
Then, under Miura Yumiko’s puzzled and shocked gaze, he crouched down.
“Come on, I’ll carry you.”
…
Chapter 2 of today!