General 20.2

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Chapter 20.2. After School At The Family Restaurant With Classmates

[I have something to do with my friends after school today, so please go home first.]

Alright, I've also contacted Mina, so everything's set.

"Hey... Hinoura-san."

Since we hadn't decided on a specific meeting time or place after the training, I waited at the school gate and managed to find Hinoura-san safely.

"...Follow me about 5 meters behind."

"Why?"

"I'd rather not be seen with you and become the subject of rumors."

Oh... Could it be that I'm disliked?

I thought we had become a little closer during the training just now.

As instructed, I silently followed behind Hinoura-san.

"Wow."

"What's so surprising?"

Hinoura-san and I were inside the family restaurant.

I was staring curiously at the touch panel terminal handed to us for ordering, finding it quite novel.

"These days, instead of placing orders with the waitstaff, you order with this. It feels like a karaoke place."

"You're quite clueless about technology."

Hinoura-san, with a somewhat bewildered expression, said as she drank the juice from the drink bar I had brought while I was absorbed in the touch panel ordering terminal.

"Well, you see, I grew up in nature during my childhood."

"Chied Kohou the 2nd-year top student, aren't you childhood friends? Wasn't she from a rural area? If she's from afar, she'd be living in the dormitory."

"Well... uh, I moved around a lot due to various transfers."

I gave an awkward reply.

Oops. I tried to mislead her about my background but ended up digging myself into a hole.

She's really clever, especially since she's such an outstanding student.

"Anyway. Come on, show me your smartphone already."

"Yes."

Fortunately, there wasn't any further pursuit, so I breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's this? Is this a newly bought smartphone? There are only pre-installed apps. You're even worse at handling smartphones than my dad."

"That's embarrassing. I only got this smartphone recently."

"I see. Well, there are households with that kind of education policy."

No, it's just because I've been living in places with no reception.

"First, you need to install various apps."

Grumbling, Hinoura-san operated my smartphone for me.

"There we go."

"Why are you sitting at the next table?"

Hinoura-san protested to me with a flipped voice.

"Huh? I can't see the screen if I sit across from you."

"Stop bothering me! Just move away!"

"But, the way to operate..."

"Ugh, fine! If you're in trouble again, I'll do it for you, so stay away for now!"

Does she really hate having me sit next to her so much?

It seems like I'm quite disliked.

Well, I defeated her in the duel, and the training just now. Although it was a split-second decision, I hugged her from behind.

Yeah, there's really nothing about me that would make her like me.

But...

"Hinoura-san, you're still a good person."

"H-Huh?"

"Even if you dislike me, you can't just ignore someone in need. That's the kind of person you are."

"I-I don't dislike you or anything!"

"Really?"

"You're my rival! Nothing more, nothing less! Got it?!"

"Even if you're a rival, you're still a good person for helping them. That's why Hinoura-san is a good person."

"S-Sto-op... Don't say things like 'good person'! It's making me feel weird!"

As I expressed my honest feelings toward Hinoura-san, our pasta, lasagna, and hamburger arrived, so my attention shifted there.

At that moment, neither I nor Hinoura-san noticed the sound of a plastic glass getting crushed from a seat behind us.