My brain froze when she invited me to go home together. But Sasai wasn't teasing me, and she even looked nervous.
Even if it was a prank, there wasn't even a friend watching us. All I knew was that Sasai was right in front of me, inviting me. But there was no way I could refuse. If this was real, it would be impossible to turn down an invitation from a beautiful girl like her.
"...Um, okay, it's okay for today... If you don't mind me going home with you..."
Sasai smiled at the words I replied in a trembling voice.
"Y-That's good... Ah, wait a minute, I'll get ready right away!"
As she said this, she was packing her things in her bag, so there was no hint of any ulterior motive. The fact that I was walking home with such a beautiful girl and that she was happy about it was incomprehensible to me.
As she put her blazer back on, she was a genuine, cute high school girl. No matter how many times I see her, she is dazzling and makes my heart beat faster.
"Oh, it's been a while!"
On her way home, which should only be about 15 minutes, Sasai-san stopped by various stores in the shopping district and received something from the store staff each time. She said that she has become friends with many of the store clerks, so she often receives unsold bread crumbs.
It's like something a housewife would do, but seeing her having fun makes me speechless. I envy her sociability, and I was once again convinced that Sasai-san is a different type of person from me. Of course, I'm very happy that she is friendly with someone like me.The school rules at this high school are not that strict, and it is acceptable to stop by to buy a snack on the way home or take a detour. It is common for prestigious schools to have relaxed school rules, but there is no particular prohibition on relationships between boys and girls. Considering the current state of the world, it's probably not the time to prohibit them.
And now, accompanied by her strong-willed girlfriend, I bought some soft serve ice cream and we were eating it together. From the outside, it might look like an after-school date, but of course I shouldn't get ahead of myself.
But when I think that I'm the only one who has Sasai-san's smile all to myself, I can't help but get the wrong idea. I shake off that wrong feeling in my mind and tell myself that we're just friends. Nothing good ever comes from me having selfish thoughts.
"...Ah, Sato-kun, you've got vanilla on your mouth."
When Sasai-san said that, I shifted away from my thoughts and turned my attention back to the conversation I was having with Sasai-san.
"Ah, uh, thank you...um..."
I wiped my lips with my fingers, but no ice cream got on them. Perhaps she had gotten impatient with me, because she stopped and turned back to face me.
"...Excuse me for a second, okay?"
After saying that, Sasai put her fingers on the corner of my cheek, near my mouth, and made a light wiping motion. Then, a small amount of white cream was scooped up on her fingers.
It would have been fine if she had ignored me, but I felt bad. I guess she was worried, but my heart was pounding when she suddenly touched me.
"Hmm..."
Sasai was staring at her fingertips, and she took the cream-stained finger into her mouth. I almost screamed, but somehow I held it in. It might be normal for her.
After licking the cream off, she looked at me with her eyes looking up.
"...L-Look, I was wondering if it was a waste...?"
I thought it would be fine to use tissue if it was such a small amount, but would it be rude to say that? I was excited, but at the same time, I thought she was cute. In my old world, she would undoubtedly have been the favorite of the boys in her class, and yet her expression was constantly changing as she talked to me.
I imagined how fun it would be to have a girl like her by my side. But I was also sure that I was not the kind of boy she could be with.As we left the shopping district and walked through the residential area, Sasai told me that she wasn't confident that she could keep up with her studies.
"You know, I really hate math... I somehow passed the entrance exam here by covering it up with other subjects, so even when I look at my high school textbook, I'm like, 'Wow.'"
In my case, I'm not good at practical subjects, but I'm not that bad at any of the five main subjects. For math, if it's high school content, I think I'll be fine up to Math II B. "Now that I think of it, Sato-kun said that he was pretty good at math. To be honest, even just the current probability unit is pretty tough, so I'm kind of jealous..."
The probability unit we're currently studying is at an advanced level that even middle school students would learn, so if he stumbles here, I think it'll be tough later on. But that doesn't mean I can help him.
Then, in the middle of her speech, Sasai-san stopped again. Looking at me, she said, "Um, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask for something."