Chapter 14: Shopping (Part 3)

“Is... something wrong?”

I called out to Souta, who had murmured my name.

“…No, I just remembered that my best friend used to order the exact same thing as you.”

“I-I see…”

Good. It doesn’t seem like he’s figured it out. I mean, there’s no way he’d recognize me just from the way I ordered a hamburger.

“What kind of friend was he?”

To me, that was a lighthearted question. I thought it might make for a fun tease after I revealed the truth someday.

I was wrong.

“He was my childhood friend, my best friend… or at least, I thought so until that day. But I never noticed what he was struggling with… Damn it, what kind of best friend was I?”

Seeing Souta’s face twist in pain as he said that, I was left speechless.

“…Huh?”

…No, seriously, how did it come to this?

That doesn’t make sense. I wasn’t struggling with anything!

Okay, sure, I had your typical high school guy worries—like how to get girls to like me—but we talked about that kind of stuff all the time, didn’t we?

“I know it’s sudden… Sorry.”

Saying that, Souta stepped out of line.

Hey, aren’t you going to order your hamburger…?

I instinctively reached toward his back, but my hand just floated there and eventually dropped back down.

『Ikuto-san…』

I had completely misunderstood.

To Souta, I was someone who had fallen off a ferry a year ago and gone missing—in any normal sense, I was presumed dead.

I received my order and returned to my seat without any of the usual excitement.

Yuna was already there, sitting alone and eating her ramen.

“You were gone a while… Did something happen? Are you okay?”

Yuna noticed something was off and asked out of concern.

I switched to telepathy to reply.

『…I saw Souta.』

『Souta-niichan…』

『Hey, Yuna. So people really do think I’m dead, huh?』

『…Yeah.』

Thinking about it, it was only natural. I’d fallen off a ferry and had been missing for over a year. It would be stranger to think I was still alive.

『It seemed like he really regrets something about my death. But that accident was just my own carelessness… Do you know anything about it?』

『If Souta-niichan is feeling regret, it might be about that. Around two months after you disappeared, a rumor started spreading at school. It said you liked a girl in class and confessed during the school trip but got rejected… and that drove you to jump.』

『What kind of ridiculous rumor is that…?』

『The girl in question came forward. She said something like, “If only I’d accepted his confession…”—like a confession of her own guilt.』

I had absolutely no memory of anything like that.

『She seemed really shaken up, and Souta-niichan was really worried about her. Nowadays, they’re practically an unofficial couple… Thinking back on it, maybe she made the whole thing up to get closer to him. I’m not really sure, though.』

『I see…』

That would explain his behavior earlier.

By the way, I asked Yuna the name of the classmate I supposedly confessed to, but it didn’t ring any bells at all. The school trip had happened only two months after we started school. I hadn’t even memorized all my classmates’ names and faces yet.

…For now, I decided to put this matter on hold.

Whether or not they used me to get together, if things were going well for them, I didn’t really mind.

And if someone else could be there to support Souta and ease his unnecessary regrets, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

『…You really are too kind, Onii-chan.』

When I said that, Yuna replied with those words.

『…But didn’t you believe that rumor either?』

『Nope. That girl was totally not your type. Even Hisui-nee didn’t buy into it.』

『I see… Wait, what exactly is my type supposed to be?』

『A slightly petite, hardworking girl, right? That’s the kind you like… or am I wrong?』

『…You’re not wrong.』

How does she even know that? My little sister is terrifying.

『Alicia really seems to be exactly your type, huh.』

『…!』

You didn’t have to say that!

“A-anyway, let’s eat. Gotta eat it while it’s still warm…”

Thinking so much made me even hungrier.

Just then, Mom returned holding her bowl of udon.

“Sorry for the wait… Oh, you haven’t started eating yet?”

“Well, stuff came up…”

“It’s fine. Let’s eat.”

“““Thanks for the food.”””

Alright, let’s refocus… Starting with the teriyaki burger.

『Wow… The sweet and spicy sauce is so rich and bold. And the long fried thing is really salty and addictive. Since both have such strong flavors, the crispness of the cola really stands out—what a dangerously good combo!』

Glad Alicia seems to be enjoying the junk food. You know how sometimes you just need this kind of flavor.

Alright, time to finish the rest in one go.

…Or so I thought, but after finishing the first teriyaki burger, I started to feel full. By the time I was halfway through the next burger, I felt sick.

『Urgh… I don’t think I can eat any more…』

Just like Alicia said, my stomach had already reached its limit. One and a half burgers, plus about half the fries and cola were still left.

『Why’d you order so much, Onii-chan…』

Yuna slurped her noodles as she scolded me. Telepathic conversation really comes in handy during meals.

『I mean, I used to eat this much without any problem…』

『You’re a girl now, Ikuto. Of course you can’t eat the same amount you used to.』

Mom and Yuna looked at me, clearly exasperated.

『I’ll help you, and so will Mom. Let’s pack up the leftovers to take home.』

『…Thanks. That’d be a big help.』

I can’t eat the same amount as before.

Feeling how much I’ve changed, even from something like this, I let out a small sigh.