The Case of Lost Timing (Kotone's Point of View)

“Well, thank you for your hard work.”

Tokiwagi-kun said and patted Rin's head, who was sleeping comfortably.

At times he looked up at the sky dazzledly, a soft expression on his face. His always troublesome and lethargic appearance seems to be a lie.

Every once in a while, when the sunlight tried to shine on Rin's face through the trees, he would hold up a hand to block it out and keep it from disturbing her sleep.

"Sleep tight, I guess. But you're working ... too hard, really."

I could hear him muttering something like that, his voice reaching my ears faintly.

Even though I wasn't the one who was told, I felt my own face heating up as I was hit by the atmosphere surrounding the two of them.

Ah~! What is this sweet atmosphere!?

...My face is getting hot from just watching it!

Complaining like that in my mind, I sighed loudly.

Oh ... shoot.

The timing of my leaving... has lost its perfection...

I ducked down on my knees in the grassy shadows, listening to the pair's conversation.

It's not that I'm trying to eavesdrop or that someone is asking me to play spy.

I was just curious to see how my friend was doing today, so I secretly followed them.

Normally, she would say cheerfully, "I'm going to lunch with Towa-kun!" but she went away in a kind of daze.

That makes me even more curious...

"...Haa. It's not normal to move so fast when you're in a daze."

I blurted out a complaint and sighed.

She was moving so fast that I was afraid I would lose her if I didn't hurry.

I guess she wanted to reach Tokiwagi-kun's location as quickly as possible.

But because of this, I had to act like I was in a spy movie.

... I'm sure people around here looked at me strangely.

After this, if I go back to the classroom, I'm going to be confronted... and there's no time to go back before that.

I thought I shouldn't disturb Rin and hid as quickly as I could, but there was no sign of their good mood ending and I couldn't leave now...

If I stand up, I'll be noticed. On the other hand, I can't just crawl back to the school building.

If I do that, I'd look like a regular suspicious person... Haa.

I'm at a complete loss right now.

I don't want to be in a situation where I have to wait here until after lunch break...

"...It's good to see Rin back on her feet, but that's not the point. But this is a different story."

My best friend who was in bad shape is back on her feet,... and I'm happy about that.

So I don't want to intrude on that upstanding person's time, and this situation won't last forever, so all I have to do is wait.

But if I just wait...

"... My lunch break will be over. I did my best too..."

I glance sideways at the large clock near the school building.

The clock was showing exactly thirty minutes so there was still time before the end of the lunch break.

There is still time.

I have time, but I'm ... in trouble.

I wriggled my hands to distract myself from my restlessness.

If I had brought my phone at a time like this, I wouldn't have had a problem, but ...

As usual I had made a mistake and unfortunately, I had left it in the classroom.

"... Kenichi, are you still waiting for me? I was actually going to invite you to lunch and eat with you..."

Lunch is in the classroom. My phone is also in the classroom.

Why do I always make mistakes at the most important time?

I woke up early to make the bento, and it all went to waste.

Thinking of this, I felt an inexpressible sadness rising up in me, blurring my vision.

I had no choice but to rub my eyes and sigh deeply, "Hah..."

"...Haah. Kenichi baka. And he's a fool, a charlatan, a charmer, a fashionable pe*vert,... a perfect human being,... kind and cool..."

"Isn't that gradually turning into a compliment?"

"Heh, what!?!?"

I heard a voice coming from around my shoulder, and I was so surprised that my mouth let out an unusual sound.

I almost jumped out of my skin, but Kenichi gently held me back and put his index finger in front of my mouth.

Then he smiled at me with his usual fresh smile.

"Shh. You have to be quiet or they'll know, right? After all, it's a nice atmosphere here."

"Oh..., yeah, sorry."

"Hmmm~, but apparently they don't know. Mm-hm, good, good."

Kenichi smiled and nodded.

He looks kind of satisfied...

"... Hey Kenichi. How come..."

"No~ even so, Towa's restraint is decreasing and it's good.  I miss the days when he was so worried about being seen. Right, Kotone?"

"... That's right. Don't interrupt me."

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry."

“… Hmm. So, why is Kenichi here?”

"I was wondering what happened to my best friend who ran away from me in a panic. I thought I'd just keep an eye on him for now. Oh, and this..."

"... Huh. Why?"

"You look like a pigeon that's been hit by a peashooter. I've brought Kotone's phone and bento lunch box. Well, let's just watch that silly couple while we eat our food and refuel!"

Kenichi said, putting the phone on my lap and putting the bento box on my head.

'Why do you have it?' I wondered.

But more than that, I was somewhat embarrassed and frustrated by the current situation, and all I could do was look at him in frustration.

... My not-so-honest and not-so-pretty attitude.

He looked happy for some reason and patted me on the head, even though he saw such an attitude.

He smiled a carefree smile and responded as usual as if he could see right through me ...

I'm happy and want to be pampered, but more than that, I'm ... embarrassed.

I kept my eyes down and gave a small cough, "Kohon".

"... I-I've got a lot of things I'd like to ... to say to Kenichi. First of all..."

"Hmmm. What Kotone wants to ask is, "Why do you have Kotone's special homemade bento?" is what you're talking about, right? Or is it about why I have your phone, or how long I've been here, or how I know where you are, or questions like this...?"

“…Uh, Kenichi can read my mind?"

“Haha. No, no, not at all. I'm not some kind of psychic, so I know what I know and I don't know what I don't know."

"… Doubtful."

"Eh, why would you doubt me?"

"You've always guessed that ... So I wouldn't doubt that Kenichi actually has such supernatural power."

"Seriously, I don't have it. But hey, I told you earlier, didn't I?"

He looks at me with a carefree smile.

I tilted my head, not understanding what Kenichi was trying to say.

"You see, I said earlier, 'I don't know what I don't know', ... well, that's the flip side of 'I know what I know'."

"What do you... mean?"

"That's a bad guess~. What I'm trying to say is that I can understand Kotone after being with her for so many years. We've been together this long."

He ruffled my hair and showed me a proud expression on his face.

He is usually so mature, but this kind of expression makes my heart beat faster because I can see his boyish innocence.

He is usually so cool, but what's with that cuteness?

Ugh, the gap is dangerous...

That's a foul, that face~!!

As I writhe in my mind, he stares at me with eyes that seem to see right through me.

That was embarrassing, and before I knew it, my face began to heat up.

"... K-Kenichi. Speaking of which, did you hear about Tokiwagi-kun's story that happened at the competition earlier?"

“Oh, of course! I heard it was a nice assist. After that, I heard that Wakamiya's awakened her inner warrior really good."

"...Yeah. It was more amazing than usual."

"I wish I could have seen it too! When I did the first aid instead of Towa, people gathered around and ... oh, I knew it was nothing.""

"I'll ... ask you more about that later."

I stared at Kenichi, who was smiling bitterly, and he looked up at the sky with an embarrassed look on his face.

I knew it ...

Kenichi is very popular even though he has a girlfriend,... so I'm sure that students from other classes came to talk to him.

I heard a rumor that the first aid tent was noisy, but that's how it is.

This is why the popular man... looks like he's been approached again.

Hah... I'm not in the mood for this.

... After all, do I need to show off more?

"Your eyes are scary! No, no, Kotone. Maybe it's not what you're imagining."

"... Capital punishment if in doubt."

“Too avant-garde!? I'm just kidding...?"

"... If you can read my thoughts, why don't you read them?'

"Ah, hahaha... be gentle."

I puffed up my cheeks like I was dishonest.

Kenichi then interrupted me by saying, "That's a nice touch, isn't it?" and urged me to look at the two of them, who still had a sweet air about them.

There was no point in continuing the conversation from earlier forever, so I took Kenichi's lead and looked at Rin once more.

She was sleeping and had a constantly disheveled look on her face, as if she were about to say something nonchalant like, "Ehehe~".

"... It's all so debauched."

“No, no, no, it's really nice. Towa also has a very kind face."

"... Yeah. Have you changed recently, Tokiwagi-kun? I don't know how to describe it."

"Well, it might look like that."

"...What's with that implied tone? I don't know what's going on, so tell me what's going on."

"Hmm~ I don't think anything has changed in this case. I think it's just that there are things that he cares about, the essence itself is still the same."

"... Erm. Essence??"

"Yeah. He's helplessly good-natured, twisted, mean, and troublesome. And his perspective is kind of crooked, too!"

"... That's not a compliment, is it?"

"Hahaha! I guess that's true. But I think it's better than a bunch of pretty words. I'm sure Towa will be agree with that if he hears it."

“…Eh, I don't think he should be convinced. If you say that to Tokiwagi-kun, wouldn't he be rather offended?"

"No, no~. No, no."

"... Hmmm."

I reacted in a disinterested manner.

Kenichi somehow looked very happy.

Is it friendship between men?

Or is it because they are truly good friends?

I don't know.

But I was envious of their relationship, which I don't understand, and I reacted in an unkind way.

I don't know if Kenichi knows what I'm thinking, but unlike me, he doesn't get grumpy and looks at the two of them with kind eyes.

"It's that kind of Towa personality that I think people notice."

“…………”

"Towa is not enthralled or euphoric. Well, it's because he is twisted that he doesn't see things through colored glasses. That's why he notices and can act... I recognize it."

"……I see."

"Hmm. Something like that."

A brief silence falls, and Kenichi and I look at the two of them from behind the grass at the same time.

My friend, who was sleeping comfortably as usual, and the twisted one who was giving her a tender look.

I felt embarrassed to see them, as if I could feel the air between them again.

Kenichi next to me was smiling wryly, and when his eyes met mine, he shrugged.

Then he pointed to the bento and chuckled.

"Then, I think I'll eat Kotone's lunch before the two of them get up."

"...Yeah. Eat...but…"

"Yeah??"

"... Well, you know, I'm not that good a cook, so there are times when it doesn't taste... good. So, don't laugh, okay?"

"Haha, is that so? It's okay, I won't laugh."

"... Two words are useless."

"I'm not going to say it. I mean, a clumsy girl works hard in her own clumsy way ... and I'm very satisfied at that point, you know? It's like a moe point that appears in the bento. So whichever way it goes, it's great for me and ... Ouch!?!?"

"…Baka."

As I muttered to myself, averting his face, Kenichi said audibly, "It's good~".

I was curious and looked at him a little, and Kenichi, whose eyes met mine, was smiling a fresh smile and rubbing his pinched cheek happily.

I really think, ... that is unfair in a lot of ways already.