56
“What’s this? It sounds exciting. What’s going on?
I looked up to see who was talking, and it was Mihara.
“Mihara…”
“Yup. Hey there, Tsujimura-kun, Totsuka-kun. You guys were talking so loudly that I got curious and came over here.”
Mihara approached us with a cheerful expression, and I couldn’t help but frown.
“It’s nothing. Totsuka was just getting excited all on his own.”
“Hey, Tsujimura. That’s not fair, is it?”
Totsuka hurriedly looked at me, but unfortunately, I wasn’t wrong.
He had been making plans and getting excited all by himself, without even bothering to ask me.
As a result, he had attracted someone we didn’t even invite, so it was only natural that I would be curt with him.
(…It’s not like Mihara saying that was the reason or anything…)
I don’t know if we could call each other friends yet, but for some reason, I felt embarrassed to have Mihara see me talking to someone I could at least call an acquaintance.
Mihara didn’t seem to notice my subtle discomfort, and she sat down in her seat with a casual smile.
“Ahahahaha. I see. Well, those things happen. I do it all the time, so I understand. I’m often told that I talk too much on my own.”
She seemed to be planning to join our conversation, and she spoke to Totsuka in a cheerful voice.
Mihara was good at communicating, and she used that skill to show her face in various groups, but she didn’t seem to belong to any particular group yet. That’s probably why she sometimes came to talk to us during break time.
Maybe she was just being considered, but I didn’t feel like asking her directly.
“Ah, yeah, there are times like that. You know, when you get all excited and just start talking without thinking.”
“Exactly. And then you get scolded for talking too long. It’s a bad habit, but it’s hard to break. I can’t seem to control it. It’s impossible, honestly.”
“I know, right? Me too! Man, we might be kindred spirits!”
Totsuka and Mihara seemed to hit it off.
Or rather, it seemed like Totsuka was just getting excited because a girl was talking to him.
As a result, I was completely left out, but I’m not sure if they even noticed.
I didn’t want to interrupt them, but I had a problem that was more fundamental than that.
(It’s hard to know when to join a conversation with three or more people…)
If someone spoke to me, I could join in naturally, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it on my own.
It was probably just because I’m not very good at communicating. The problem was that even though I lamented that fact, I also found it easier this way.
Maybe it was because I had spent so much time alone, but I felt more at ease just being there than talking to someone.
(If I can just spend my break time watching the two of them talk, then that’s not so bad, right…?)
Is this way of thinking a kind of escape… No, let’s think positively.
I’m not being ostracized just because I’m not part of the group.
I’m just not used to this kind of situation yet. At the very least, it’s definitely better than before.
(That’s right, it’s okay to take it slow. If I can just gradually learn how to stand up to Misaki…)
Surely, I’ll find a way to break out of this shell someday… As I was thinking about that,
“Excuse me, Tsujimura-kun. Can I talk to you for a second?”
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder.
“Whoa!”
“Oh, sorry. Did I startle you?”
I reacted with a start to the unexpected sound, and then I heard an apologetic voice.
I turned to look, and it was one of my classmates.
“W-well, no. I’m okay, but…”
“Really? Well, you see, Suzuka-chan wanted to talk. I was called over too, but would it be okay if I sat in the front seat?”
“Oh, yeah. I think that’s fine too…”
I think her name was Matsush*ta. I don’t remember talking to her myself, but I’d seen her talking to Mihara quite often in class, so that was probably how they knew each other.
I’m not sure when she called her over, but there was a pause in the conversation, and now the two of them were looking at us.
“Thank you. Well then, excuse me.”
Matsush*ta seemed like a very polite girl. She thanked me and sat down in the seat.
I felt a bit more favorably towards her because of that, but then she muttered, “Oh, that’s right,” and turned her gaze elsewhere. She waved her hand and said,
“Hey, Yuka-chan, why don’t you come over here and chat? Apparently, they’re talking about something interesting.”
In that instant, I felt a cold sweat run down my back.