Chapter 11: Beautiful Girl Eats a Crepe

The day before the entrance ceremony, I was sitting on a bench in front of the station.

Mom had asked me to return a DVD to the rental shop nearby.

Since my old bike was out of commission, I’d had to walk all the way here. As a result, I’d been on my feet for nearly an hour and was now resting, completely exhausted.

Even getting to high school would mean coming to this same station every day. If it takes me an hour each way, what am I supposed to do starting tomorrow?

Just as I was thinking that, a bus rolled by in front of the bench.

Right—I'll just take the bus! Problem solved.

Okay, let’s return the DVD and head home.

Just as I stood up, a sweet scent drifted through the air.

“Crepes, anyone?”

In a small space in front of the station stood a crepe stand. Well, “stand” might be generous—it wasn’t the kind with seats or an indoor area, just a simple counter where the clerk handed over crepes. Since the weather was nice, a few tables and chairs had been set up outside on the sidewalk.

Alright, I’ll grab a crepe before I return the DVD and head home!

Not that I’m some huge crepe fan or anything. Actually, I’ve never eaten one before. When I was a guy, there’s no way I could’ve just walked up and bought one alone, right? But now—at least appearance-wise—I’m a girl. Buying one won’t make anyone look at me funny.

“Crepes, anyone?”

Still, wow. That clerk sounds totally unmotivated.

At that rate, no wonder there aren’t any customers. Not that I’m complaining—less of a line for me.

“Excuse me—one, please.”

“Yeah, yeah, just pick something from the menu… Ayumu!?”

“Huh?”

I was glancing at the menu when someone suddenly called my name, making me jump.

The familiar face staring at me from behind the counter was—

“Ryoji!? What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I’m helping out a family friend. He had something to take care of, so I’m covering for him.”

“Huh, I see.”

I thought he’d started a part-time job, but technically, we hadn’t even entered high school yet.

“Still, I didn’t think I’d see you here! Destiny, huh? You feel your heart skip a beat too, right, Ayumu?”

“Uh, one strawberry crepe, please.”

“Hey, at least pretend to listen! Being completely ignored stings, you know!?”

Then don’t say weird stuff to begin with.

Ryoji disappeared into the back and began making the crepe with practiced hands.

“Huh, you’re actually good at this.”

“Well, if someone’s trusting me to run the stand, I can’t exactly say I don’t know how to make them.”

Fair point.

In no time, Ryoji handed me a neatly wrapped strawberry crepe.

“I filled it with ten times my usual love, free of charge.”

“That’s too heavy to carry, so I’ll be returning it for a full refund.”

“Man, Ayumu, you’re harsh today…”

Experience had already taught me—back at the arcade—that letting Ryoji get carried away only led to trouble. I must not get swept up in his pace.

“It’s four hundred yen, right?”

“Hmm, friendship discount—let’s say it’s on the house.”

“That feels wrong, though.”

“Nah, just sit over there and take your time. Eat it slow, make it look good.”

“...?”

Even if Ryoji didn’t mind, wouldn’t his uncle—the one who owned the stand—be mad about it?

…Still, I couldn’t resist the allure of “free,” so I did as he said and sat down.

Mmm, it smells so good.

I took a bite.

Wh—what is this!? The smooth whipped cream, the sweet-tart strawberries, and that rich strawberry sauce—!

“So good.”

I realized I was smiling without even meaning to.

So this is a crepe, huh? It feels like I just discovered something amazing. Nakamuraya’s sweet bean jelly is great, but this is a whole different kind of delicious.

I was so happy I found myself lightly swinging my legs under the table.

Another bite.

Hmm. Crepes, huh… not having tried these before feels like a major life loss.

Still, I’m glad I figured that out within fifteen years of living.

As I nibbled away, more and more customers started showing up.

Well, yeah—something that smells this good is bound to attract people.

The tables that had been empty just minutes ago were now packed.

For some reason, everyone was ordering strawberry crepes. Guess strawberries really are top tier.

I finished mine down to the very last bite, not a crumb left.

That was a great experience. Since becoming a girl, over a week had passed—and this was my first genuinely positive one.

Just as I thought about heading off to return the DVD, someone called out from behind me.

“Excuse me, mind if we share this table?”

“Ah, y-yesh—uh, sure!”

Being suddenly spoken to by strangers made me squeak, stumble over my words, and give a weird reply. Don’t expect a loner to hold normal conversations with anyone outside their family!

Apparently, they took my awkward mumble as permission, because two girls sat down across from me.

They couldn’t have been more different from each other.

The first girl had a great figure—curves where they should be, slim where they shouldn’t. She was about ten centimeters taller than me, and her face leaned more toward “beautiful” than “cute.” Her long black hair was tied into a single ponytail. She wore a black-and-white striped turtleneck under a black jumper dress, paired with stylish boots.

The other girl was a bit shorter—though still taller than me—and much more slender, not exactly “well-developed.” You could call her petite and delicate, with the kind of small-animal cuteness that made you want to protect her. Her shoulder-length hair was tied into two short pigtails. She wore a pink overall dress with a light-blue cardigan, and her gray tights covered her legs completely.

Both of them stared straight at me.

Wh-what’s going on? Being stared at by cute girls is making my heart race!

Not to brag, but I’ve never been good at holding eye contact.

“Um… is something wrong?”

“You’ve got some cream on your cheek.”

The ponytailed girl pointed at my left cheek.

“You’ve got something here.”

“Eh!? Where, where!?”

“I’ll get it for you~”

The other girl gently wiped my cheek with a handkerchief.

“Ah, th-thank you very much.”

My face grew hot with embarrassment.

“Aaah, she’s so cute! I wanna take her home, Moeka.”

“Right? I’ve always wanted a little sister this adorable.”

Each of them held a different crepe. The ponytailed girl’s looked like chocolate, while the one called Moeka had a mango crepe. Both looked amazing.

“...Want a bite?”

“Eh? Ah, n-no, that’s okay! I wasn’t staring because I wanted some or anything!”

It was mortifying to realize I’d been caught eyeing their crepes.

“Wow, she talks like a boy! Sakurako, that’s rare—and it doesn’t sound weird at all!”

“When such a cute girl eats a crepe so happily, of course people are gonna stare.”

So the other girl’s name was Sakurako, huh. Not that I’d ever see them again, probably.

“So then, little lady, want a taste?”

“Uh… are you sure?”

“Uwaaah, even the way she hesitates is adorable! Moeka, I think I’m turning gay!”

“Hold on, hold on, Sakurako! At this point it’s not ‘gay’ so much as ‘lolicon!’”

“Um, just so you know, I’m starting high school this spring… so we’re probably around the same age.”

They kept calling me “cute” and “middle-schooler,” and before I knew it, I’d blurted it out.

I mean, come on—I’m starting high school! Not some elementary kid!

“No way! Really!? We’re the same age!”

“Wow, what a surprise. Which high school are you going to?”

So they really were my age. And yet, both of them looked so much more mature.

Now that I thought about it, whenever I looked in the mirror, my reflection did look kind of childish… but seeing the difference up close really drove the point home.

“Uh, Mikawa High.”

“No way! Seriously!? That’s our school too!”

“Crazy coincidence, huh, Sakurako? But if someone like her shows up, the entrance ceremony’s gonna be chaos—especially for the boys.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh my god, Moeka, she’s totally a natural airhead!”

“Sakurako, Sakurako—don’t get too excited or you’ll drop your crepe!”

“Ah! I forgot I was holding it. Oh right—want some?”

“Sure.”

Sakurako held out her crepe, and I took a bite.

Whoa… this chocolate crepe is amazing. The sweetness of the chocolate blends perfectly with the cream.

“Good?”

“Yeah, it’s really good!”

“Gwah—look at that smile, Moeka! What do I do, I might actually lose control!”

“Stop right there, Sakurako! You can’t hog that smile all to yourself!”

Maybe “Stop her, Sakurako!” was Moeka’s catchphrase or something.

“Here, try mine too.”

Moeka offered me hers, so I took a bite of that as well.

As expected, it was mango. The gentle sweetness mixed beautifully with the whipped cream—it was absolutely delicious.

“How is it?”

“Mhm, this one’s great too!”

“Kyaaa! Sakurako, Sakurako, I’m getting butterflies over here!”

Girls really are so lively…

Wait—hold on! They both ate from these crepes too, right? That means… an indirect kiss!? Oh no, this is bad! I just had my first indirect kiss—with girls!

“Oh, by the way, I never caught your name. Mind telling us?”

Oh, right. I’d learned both Sakurako’s and Moeka’s names, but never introduced myself.

“Um, I’m Ayumi Sakura.”

I couldn’t exactly say “Ayumu.” Since I’d already told them we were going to the same high school, I had to stick with the name written on my student ID—or things would get complicated later.

“Oooh, Ayumi-chan, huh? Got it! I’m Sakurako Aizawa—nice to meet you!”

“Ayumi-chan, I’m Moeka Minase! Hope we end up in the same class!”

“Y-Yeah, me too!”

Sorry, but dealing with girls is impossible for a loner like me! I need to retreat from the battlefield immediately!

“Whew, done at last. Huh? Ayumi, you look like you’re getting along pretty well.”

“Wait, Ayumi-chan, do you know the guy working here?”

“Hold up—is he your boyfriend or something?”

Ryoji suddenly appeared behind me, and both Sakurako and Moeka reacted instantly.

“Haha, no way. He’s not my boyfriend—Ryoji’s just an old friend from middle school.”

Since they’d jumped to a weird conclusion, I denied it right away and shot Ryoji a look that said, Don’t you dare say anything unnecessary.

“Well, yeah, I guess you could call us friends.”

“Are you and Sakurako-san childhood friends or something?”

“Ah—don’t use ‘-san’! Call me something cute, like just ‘Sakurako,’ or with a nickname! Or maybe ‘big sis!’”

Yeah, no, definitely not “big sis.” We’re the same age.

“Uh, Sakurako-chan?”

Since Moeka-chan had been saying “Sakurako-chan, Sakurako-chan” nonstop, using “-chan” felt the most natural.

“GOOD!”

“Why English…?”

Sakurako-chan looked absolutely blissful. Seeing that, Moeka-chan leaned forward excitedly.

“Hey, hey, Ayumi-chan—call me too!”

“Moeka-chan?”

“Ahh, just hearing you say my name makes my heart flutter! Your voice is so cute, Ayumi-chan.”

“All right, Ayumi-san! Say my name too!”

Feeling left out, Ryoji raised his hand like a kid demanding attention.

“Ryoji.”

“Dammit! You’re supposed to say ‘Ryoji-chan♪’ there!!”

Well, that was a perfect punchline.

“Sakurako-chan, Sakurako-chan! We should get going or the movie’s gonna start!”

“Ah, you’re right, Moeka. I wanna talk more with Ayumi-chan, but we can’t waste our tickets, so we’ll head off now!”

“See you, Ayumi-chan! Let’s meet again once the new term starts!”

The two of them stood up, waved lightly, and left the shop.

Once those lively girls were gone, the place suddenly felt quiet.

They really were adorable… I wonder if we could’ve become friends. Then again, even if I did have girl friends, I doubt I’d know how to talk to them. I can barely talk to other guys properly.

“So, Ayumi—what brings you to the station district?”

“Oh, right. My mom told me to return the DVD we rented.”

I’d completely forgotten what I came here for. Ryoji’s as reliable as ever.

“Did you walk all the way here?”

“Yeah. I’ll probably take the bus back, though.”

I mean, no way I’m walking another hour home. The bus costs about 200 yen, but oh well.

“Hmm. I’m done for the day, so if you want, I can give you a ride on the back.”

“Really? That’d be a big help!”

“Actually, how about I give you rides from tomorrow too? At least until you buy your own bike.”

What a gentleman.

This is exactly why Ryoji’s so popular—there’s just no getting over that wall between us.
Still, this’ll definitely save my wallet some pain starting tomorrow♪

…Honestly, I even thought about hugging him for a second.

…But yeah, no. Probably not doing that.