Chapter 7:
The next day - a Saturday.
As it was a weekend, I was planning to sleep until around noon. But at around eight o'clock in the morning, my smartphone rang, and the sound of its vibration woke me up easily.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and complained, "Hmm... what's the matter...in the morning?"
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I operated my smartphone. A message had arrived and it was from Riko. Seeing it, my consciousness instantly woke up.
Yesterday, while I was waiting for the train to go home, I had thought that I would never see Riko again, but I was proven wrong.
‘I'm free.’
I wanted to make a better reply, but unfortunately, I couldn't think of anything. If I tried to force myself to be cool, I was bound to get ripped off soon. If that's the case, I should just be natural and not pretentious.
The message was immediately read as if she had been waiting for my reply.
‘When I told Ami-san about Asakura-san, and she said she wanted to meet you. Would you like to come to my house?’
‘Okay?’
She asked me the same thing yesterday, but I refused because I thought it would be rude to suddenly visit her at home. However, this time, it was probably Ami-san, not Riko, who asked me to come to her house. It does not look good to turn down an invitation two times in a row...
‘Your home is…’
...you?
I thought something was wrong, so I immediately erased the text. But "you" is also strange, and I don't want to use her last name "Soma" ...So, the only thing I can think of is "Riko", which is her first name...
‘Where is Riko-san's home?’
Using "san" for high school students, …Wait, but calling them by her first name is not very friendly ...Well, whatever. Send.
It's just like puberty, I chuckled.
She immediately sent me her home address and a map. I've only known Riko for a short time, so I don't know much about her, but she seems to be a serious and reliable person. I'm sure the high school she goes to is a place with a high deviation score.
Riko was wearing a classic sailor suit. I thought it was a public high school, but I guess there are many private high schools with sailor uniforms.
‘What time should I visit?’
'Anytime is fine.’
‘I'll be there around 10:00.’
"Okay."
I laughed at how formal we are with each other.
I've never had the opportunity to talk to a high school student, so I can't grasp the distance between us.
I put my smartphone on the bed and took a shower. After putting on some fresh clothes, I ate my toast with a cup of coffee. I check the weather forecast to make sure the chance of precipitation is zero percent. While brushing my teeth, I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror.
It's not like I'm going out on a date. When I went out on dates, I used to worry about what to wear. Now, I don't worry about what to wear. Maybe it's because it's not a date, or maybe it's because I don't care about what I wear anymore...
I replied, "I'll be there around 10:00," but arriving after 10:00 is not a good impression. I should leave the house soon so that I can arrive early. Trying to be early is a good habit I've acquired since becoming an adult.
After finishing my preparations, I left the house.
I thought about buying some snacks, but I couldn't find anything that looked good, so I gave up. I guess I don't have to be so careful.
I thought to myself, "Anyway, this is a strange situation.”
I met my ex-girlfriend's daughter and was invited to her house. I feel like I'm having a strange dream. If it were a dream, I would have woken up somewhere appropriate, but since it was real, there was no way to wake up. I wonder where this reality is heading.
I was lost in thought on the train, looking out the window at the shifting scenery.
...To be continued!
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Translator Corner:
Thanks for reading my translation works.