A/N: In this chapter, I mention a breakfast and burger joint called Saints. They're a real restaurant located just a 5-minute walk away from Tonosho Junior High! With that in mind, enjoy the chapter!
Nishikata wasn't the kind of kid who needed much to feel comfortable. His room was sparse, with only the bare necessities to keep him occupied during the day and restful at night. His closet was located in the right corner, at the back of his room. His bed, covered with a dark blue bedsheet atop a white bedsheet, was located on the opposite end of the room. Finally, his dark brown, wooden writing desk was behind his bed. He knew that some of his friends would consider his room sparse, but he was content with what he had.
He was also the kind of kid who didn't need much to be happy. To the right of the door was a single wooden bookcase filled to the brim with his 100% Unrequited Love collection. He even had the latest volume of 100% Unrequited Love at a corner on his writing desk. His TV, propped up by another wooden shelf, was attached by a single cable to a Playstation 4 console. He also had a collection of Dandy movies tucked away inside the shelf where his TV sat. Altogether, his well-loved gaming console, movie collection, and manga volumes were more than enough to keep him entertained.
Nishikata laid on his bed back first, wearing a white T-shirt, dark blue denim jeans, and white socks. He grabbed his white Sony Xperia phone beside him and checked the time. 11:50 am, she'll be here soon, he confirmed. For the past 5 minutes he had been swiping his phone left and right through his apps. The constant swiping did little to calm his nerves, so instead he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Even so, the looming encounter continued to provide him a great deal of trepidation.
He curled his shoulders forward and caved his chest inwards. He turned his gaze away from his phone while tightening his grip on it. A light grumble passed through his mouth. Unlike past meetings, it wasn't Takagi he was concerned about. In fact, he found himself daydreaming about her after their shrine visit the other day. Every now and then, he would feel tingles through his fingers whenever he recalled the moment he held hands with Takagi that day.
Then, in the midst of his unease, a tingle pricked his fingertips. The sensation caused Nishikata to jump up towards the wall with a screech. Flapping his hands, he flung his phone a few inches in front of him. A series of rapid breaths then passed through his mouth. What was that just now? I'm not even thinking about her! In fact, I have something else on my mind right now!
Nishikata took a minute to slow his breathing. He clenched his chest with his right hand and closed his eyes. An image of his companion wearing her cyan cap seeped into his imagination. The image caused his eyes to pop open and him to cover his face with his hands. What's with me? This isn't something I should be thinking about right now! There are more important things to worry about right now.
After slapping his face a few times, he released a sigh. Maybe I should check and see if Nakai sent any updates. With narrowed eyes, he crawled towards his phone and retrieved it from the bed. He turned his phone back on and swiped to his conversation with Nakai. Hmm, nothing here. While his search yielded no new updates, he reread the message that Nakai sent him while at the shrine two days prior.
Hey Nishikata. Mano-chan and I wanna hang out at the new burger joint this weekend. Seems like Mano-chan wants to chat about Houjou-san and Hamaguchi. I think you and Takagi could be of help here.
Nishikata scratched his temple and furrowed his brow, pondering the meaning of Nakai's words. Still, he knew one thing. Whenever Mano wanted something done, there was no way anyone could back down. He still remembered the series of vibrations buzzing from Takagi's phone after they finished their heart-to-heart. Each buzz announced the string of messages she received from Mano-chan.
Takagi-chan! We need your help! Please have lunch with us this weekend! Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun are in trouble! Oh yeah! There's a new burger joint a few minutes away from school! Let's chat there!
Nishikata replayed Mano's blabbering voice with each of her messages. Each remark made him slump his arms against the wall and massage his temples. Takagi-san told me that communication was important, but I don't see how Mano-chan can help us with Hamaguchi. The thought forced a sigh from his lips. His original plan was to find a way to help Hamaguchi by himself. Instead, he was getting ready to meet with three of his closest friends about the very matter.
A groan passed through his lips. He glanced at his writing desk, spotting a grey notebook on his writing desk. He crawled on his bed towards his desk and got off his bed. He grabbed the notebook before returning to his bed. On the grey cover was inscribed four letters from the Latin alphabet: MNNT. This is the exchange diary that Takagi prepared with Mano-chan and Nakai. Propping himself against the wall, he opened the notebook and turned to the last page with an entry. His eyes opened wide.
Ahh! Good thing I noticed the diary! I was supposed to give this back yesterday! He formed an image of Mano berating him for not bringing back the exchange diary on time and shuddered. Even if she does get mad, she'd probably get even angrier if I didn't bring back the book, he grimaced. That said, today would be a good day to give this back to them, Nishikata noted as he tapped his chin with his finger.
With the exchange diary on hand, he turned on his phone and swiped to check the time once more. 12:00 pm. She should be here any moment now. I'd better check to see if she's already here. With midday arriving, he peered beyond the large window at the back of his room. He turned his gaze towards the street below, observing a girl wearing a cyan cap walking up to his front door.
Oh, she's here! I'd better go get the door! With a gasp, Nishikata snatched his exchange diary and his smartphone from his bed. With a flash, he zipped out of his bedroom and to the staircase. He ran down the wooden staircase and made a sharp right turn at the bottom of the stairs. Just as he slipped on his grey sneakers at the front door, he heard a buzzing ring from the door. He reached for the doorknob and opened it to see his familiar companion standing outside with a gentle smile.
"Hey Nishikata, I heard quite a commotion from out here. Is everything all right?" Takagi asked, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Oh no, everything's all right. I'm here in one piece after all!" Nishikata replied, his sheepish chuckle accompanied by a gentle head scratch.
"If everything's all right, then I suppose the noise came from you coming down the stairs so quickly," Takagi posited, releasing a chuckle from her lips. "I have to say, I haven't seen you this excited to see me since the Summer Festival, Nishikata."
The Summer Festival. The night when he and Takagi held hands for the very first time. The same tingles he felt ten minutes ago returned to his fingers. Nishikata loosened his jaw and turned towards his hand. He felt his eyes soften as he turned away from his tingling hands.
"Nishikata, are you all right?"
Nishikata let out a frightened scream. Takagi drew her face so close to his that they were mere centimetres away from touching. "I'm fine, but I didn't expect you to be so close!" he replied, turning his head away from Takagi and gritting his teeth.
Takagi let out a jovial laugh and replied, "I thought you wanted to hold my hand, so I walked up to you."
Nishikata stammered for a response, but couldn't formulate one. He tugged his T-shirt collar and chuckled, his body growing hotter by the second. Gee, she really likes the idea of holding my hand, huh? The thought caused his heart to race and small sweat drops to form on his forehead.
Why do I like this so much?
Before he could contemplate further, Takagi took a step back and pointed at the exchange diary he was holding. "Oh Nishikata, is that the exchange diary you're holding?" Takagi's question left him off-guard again. He flinched in place, lifting his left foot and drawing his hands close to his chest.
"Umm yeah, it is. Did you want it?" Nishikata chuckled, releasing his hands from his chest and narrowing his eyes. Oh, this could work. I can give the diary to her so-
"Oh no, I don't need it. After all, I thought our original plan was to have you give it back to them yesterday," Takagi replied. With a smirk, she continued, "It seems you forgot!" Takagi then laughed, causing Nishikata to reply with a disquieted growl.
He replied by closing his eyes and releasing a huff from his mouth. Well, at least I tried. He shook his head and shrugged. Returning his gaze towards Takagi, he rubbed his chin with his right hand. It occurred to him that Mano and Nakai never gave the name of the burger joint where they would eat lunch. "Takagi-san, where is the burger place that Mano-san and Nakai want to go?" he asked.
"You haven't heard? It's just down the road from school. It's called Saints Breakfast and Burgers. I heard that a lot of our classmates like going to Saints on the weekend. They've gotten so popular that they decided to open early just so we can enjoy a good breakfast before school starts," she replied with a smile.
"That's pretty surprising to be honest. We have so many sōmen noodle shops. To think there would be a burger shop here," Nishikata contemplated. "It's a little strange."
"Well, I think it's a good idea for something new to pop up once in a while," she noted, tilting her head and placing her index finger on her chin.
"Sure, but I'm still not much of a burger person. I'd rather have my chicken karaage for lunch," Nishikata replied, letting his fingers draw a circle in the air.
"But this is the first burger store we've ever had here. Have you really ever had a burger before?" Takagi questioned. Her eyes glistened with the brightness of the sunny day. Before Nishikata could reply, she continued with a gentle giggle, "With the way your face is scrunched up, it doesn't sound like you have."
"Well, I'm just wondering why we can't grab lunch somewhere else, that's all," he pouted while stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. A brief pause hung between the two. Nishikata stood, turning his face away from Takagi's gaze. With each degree his head turned, he noticed Takagi shuffling her feet in step with his face. Ugh, she doesn't want to leave me alone about the burgers, doesn't she?
"It'll be all right, Nishikata. I think once you get a bite of a burger, you'll enjoy it very much," Takagi consoled with a gentle rub of his back. Her hands delivered soft tingles down his back that jolted him back upright. With a gasp, he glanced back at Takagi, who let out an endearing laugh. "Besides, the extra meat will help your muscles grow even more!"
"Darn you, Takagi-san!" With Takagi taking her first steps, he reached his hand out and sprinted towards the breakfast and burger joint.
After about a 20-minute walk through Tonosho's streets, Nishikata and Takagi arrived at the breakfast and burger joint. Nishikata noted the wooden sign above the entrance to the restaurant. The strange drawing above the restaurant's name intrigued him. Strange. I've never seen anything like that in Tonosho before. Pointing at the sign, he turned and asked Takagi, "Is that what a burger is supposed to look like?"
"Yep! I've eaten burgers when I traveled to Okayama and they're delicious! That's why I was sure you would enjoy them too," Takagi replied with a gleeful grin on her face.
Nishikata nodded in reply. He then walked by the restaurant's window and peered into the building. He noted the woodiness of the restaurant. He saw a wooden counter, hardwood flooring, and even wooden tables and through the window pane. He also noticed what he assumed was a waitress crouching behind the counter to search for something. However, he saw no customers. He squinted his eyes to be sure. Looks like no one's in there right now.
After a confirmatory nod, he walked back to Takagi. At least no one will be eavesdropping on us today.
"What are you waiting for, Nishikata? Let's head in and let Mano and Nakai know we're here," Takagi asked, interrupting his train of thought. He flinched his leg back a few inches and gritted his teeth.
"Oh, right. Let's do that," he shook his head in reply. He let out a sheepish chuckle before walking into the restaurant with Takagi in tow.
As he opened the door for Takagi, he heard the sound of a bell jingle. Once she entered, he noticed a sign stand and walked up to it beside Takagi. The sign was written with soft, golden kanji strokes atop a cool, black background. Please wait for someone to seat you, the message read. Following the sign's prompt, he stood by the sign with Takagi following closely behind.
"Welcome to Saints! For how many?" A waitress sprung from underneath the counter. Nishikata gasped, his hands moving towards his hips. He observed the box of bottles that the waitress carried. Its bright-coloured labels and bubbly liquid intrigued him.
"There will be four of us today," Takagi raised her hand, answering before Nishikata could utter a word.
"Oh, there will be four? Come right this way!" With a beaming smile, the waitress motioned the pair towards one of the wooden tables situated by the side windows.
Nishikata arrived at a square table large enough to fit four people, with Takagi beside him. As he took his seat beside Takagi, the waitress handed out a laminated menu filled with pictures depicting the selection of burgers and sides available to order. After setting down the exchange diary beside his chair, he picked up the laminated menu. A first pass of the menu left Nishikata scratching his head.
There's a chicken burger at least. It seems close enough to chicken karaage to me.
"It looks like you really want the chicken burger, Nishikata," Takagi chimed in, peering above his shoulders.
"And what's wrong with that? I still want my chicken karaage," he pouted, crossing his arms with narrowed eyes.
"Trying something new is a good thing, Nishikata. Like you racing to catch up with me at the end of White Day with your chocolate. I thought it was very heroic of you," Takagi reassured. Nishikata turned towards Takagi and squirmed. Seeing the light blush growing on her face made his face turn red as well.
"You thought it was heroic?" Nishikata stammered. Even after the candid conversation they had at the shrine, he still couldn't fathom why Takagi was so nice about White Day.
"Of course, it was! You ran longer and faster than Sanae-san! All just for me," Takagi giggled back. "I think that's more than enough to consider you heroic."
Suddenly, his stomach growled. Clasping his hand against his stomach, his face grew into a deeper, tomato red as Takagi's laughter coursed through the restaurant. He was fortunate that no other customers were in the restaurant right now.
"Wow, Nishikata, you really are hungry! Go and have the bacon and egg burger!" Takagi instructed with tears streaming from her laughter.
Nishikata winced with narrowed eyes. At least no one else was there to see it. Eager to regain his composure, he shook his head and turned back towards Takagi. He rolled his eyes seeing that she took a few sighs to regain her composure. "Sure; it's obvious I'm really hungry, too," he replied with a nod.
"Great, so why don't you give it a go and tell us how it tastes?" Takagi beamed, gently clapping her hands.
Just then, the same bell jingle Nishikata heard when he entered Saints rang again. He turned his head towards the door. A familiar set of voices then rang through his ears. A squeaky, girly voice, in particular, stuck out to him.
"Hey, Takagi-chan, Nishikata-kun! Thanks for getting a table for us!" Mano hollered from the restaurant's entrance. Nishikata responded with an awkward chuckle, observing Nakai patting her back.
Mano and Nakai made their way to the table where Nishikata and Takagi sat. Mano wore a cyan hoodie supplemented with blue denim jeans. Meanwhile, Nakai wore a black sweater along with loose, black jeans.
Nishikata felt a light blush returning to his face as Mano arrived with a giggle. "It's so good to see you both again!" she exclaimed, taking her seat opposite Takagi.
"Likewise! It's been way too long. I think the last time we've done something like this was the time we went to the water park," Takagi greeted the other couple with a warm smile.
"You're right! That was over a year ago, I think!" Mano exclaimed.
"It sure was. We have so much to catch up on," Nakai added, raising his hand. "I'd love to hear more about what you did for White Day, Nishikata," he continued with a smile, taking his seat beside Mano.
"Wait, Nakai-kun! We also have to talk about Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun!" Mano turned towards Nakai and quipped with a chuckle.
Nishikata replied with a lone, bashful chuckle. For a topic so serious and personal, Mano-chan seems all too happy to talk about it. He cringed, clasping his knees together. In any case, it looks like this will be a long double date. He shifted himself in his chair and checked for the time with his phone. 12:45 pm. Well, this will be a long double date.
The waitress walked over to the table where the four of them sat and handed out two more laminated menus for Nakai and Mano. With a nod of thanks, the pair held the menus up and surveyed its contents. The pictures of the juicy beef patties sandwiched between buns left a strong impression on Mano, who let out a squeal of excitement.
"These burgers look so good!" Mano raved. She turned towards Nakai and poked his shoulder as she continued, "Nakai-kun, be sure to get the biggest burger! I want you to enjoy yourself and get all big and strong!"
"Mano-chan, I don't think that's how it works, but-"
"What do you mean? You haven't been eating enough meat as of late!" Mano interrupted Nakai, who raised his hand trying to explain himself. "Go and get the bacon and egg burger! You need to bulk up!"
"Ahh okay okay! I was planning on getting that, actually," Nakai stammered, his palms outstretched towards Mano pleading for calm.
Taking the hint, Mano turned towards Takagi and Nishikata and asked with a gleeful smile, "Takagi-chan, do you know what you're going to order?"
"I haven't decided yet, but I think Nishikata is going to try the bacon and egg burger, same as Nakai." Takagi replied, pointing at Nishikata.
"I think I'll go for the bacon and egg burger with coleslaw," Nakai affirmed, stumbling through the word coleslaw as he squinted at the menu.
"Those are all good choices by the looks of it! But I think I'll go for the standard burger since it's my first time here," Mano nodded, pointing at the menu option with her right finger.
Takagi nodded in reply and with a smile. "Perhaps I should go for the standard burger too."
"Great! Looks like we can send our orders in now," Mano exclaimed with a beam. She called the waitress over and the group of four made their orders. One by one, the waitress took their requests with a warm smile, giggling when Mano pumped her fist up in the air when she took her order. After writing down their requests on an order pad she went back to the kitchen to retrieve four glasses of water for the table.
Nishikata turned to Mano and folded his arms on the wooden table, he took a sip from his water and furrowed his eyebrow, "Mano-chan, I'm still wondering why you chose us to talk about Houjou-san and Hamaguchi. Doesn't this seem like something you two could talk about yourselves?"
Mano nodded and affirmed his request for an explanation, "Nishikata-kun, the reason I asked you and Takagi to come today is because you also interacted with Hamaguchi-kun earlier this week."
"I definitely haven't forgotten what happened to Hamaguchi that day. It was crazy how strangely he was behaving," Nishikata replied, tapping his cheek with his right hand.
"We were just talking about Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun the other day too. I was wondering whether you learned something new too, Mano," Takagi added. She placed her elbow on the table and propped her head with her hand.
"I did, but it wasn't that great," Mano's smile briefly turned into a frown and her eyes narrowed. The incident with Houjou hadn't escaped her notice. But she shook it off with a shake of her head. "Still, I asked you to help because you two also know a lot more about relationships than even Nakai and I do," she continued, her giggles returning to the fray.
"After all, you two have been a couple for a while. We thought you could help out." Nakai cocked his head to the side with a light grin.
Nishikata gasped and coughed as if he were choking on his food. He blushed with stuttered speech, avoiding Mano's curious gaze. "Umm, Mano-chan I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken," Nishikata stammered, shifting his posture awkwardly.
"What he means to say is," Takagi put down her water glass and tilted her head with a grin, "We're not a couple, actually."
Mano's jaw dropped to the table. Her arms remained flat at her sides, her mouth twitching at the revelation. Mano put her hands to the sides of her face before bellowing her dramatic response, "What do you mean?!" Her words pierced through the air of the restaurant, causing the other three to jump in their seats.
"Oh, that's interesting! It seemed really obvious to me that you two were dating," chuckled Nakai.
Nishikata jerked his head forward and placed his hands on the table. "It's still true, even if it's surprising to you both. We're not dating," He trailed off, finishing his sentence with a gulp in his throat. A pink hue formed on his face.
Takagi released a light chuckle from her lips. "Well, it's actually more complicated than that. We're not just friends, but we're not dating yet," clarified Takagi. She nudged Nishikata with her elbow.
"Yeah, that's right. We're kind of in between." Nishikata blushed while scratching his head.
"Ohh, interesting," Nakai retorted, letting a pause simmer into the conversation. "I didn't expect that, honestly," Nakai continued with a chortle, placing his hand to his stomach.
"That makes sense, I guess." Mano furrowed her eyebrow and put a hand to her chin. "But could you still help us out?" Mano asked with glistening eyes, her hands folding in her lap.
"Oh, sure, we can." piped Takagi, turning towards Nishikata and giving him a second nudge with her elbow. "After all, I think we could really deepen our relationship further by doing this," Takagi pressed on, giving Nishikata a wide smirk.
"Takagi-san," Nishikata grumbled, trying to hide blush on his cheeks with his left hand. "I'm really not sure how this will help us or them," he contemplated. Trying to avoid Takagi's gaze, he rubbed his temple with his hand. He turned his gaze towards the restaurant. Perhaps the food would come soon.
"Here is your food! Sorry about the wait!"
Nishikata peered through the side of his hand to look up towards his right. He saw a polite waitress bowing towards him. He then caught a savoury scent of smoky, charred beef and the mouthwatering smell of fried oil in his nostrils. He looked down, observing the egg snug on top of the beef patty. The yellow yolk oozed from the burger, an inch-long puddle resting on the plate. The burger's finishing touches came from two slices of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and two strips of bacon placed underneath the top bun. The bacon added to the umami flavour with its porky saltiness. That's not to mention the aroma of crispy fries adorning the plate beside the burger. The fries sat there, as if they were reminding him that the burgers weren't the only delicious offering on the plate.
"This looks incredible!' Nishikata drawled out, his mouth practically dripping with saliva. The burger left him so entranced, he forgot about his grumbling with Takagi before entering the restaurant.
"I can tell going to Saints was a good idea. Like Nishikata's burger, my bacon and egg burger looks tasty!" Nakai added with a chuckle of his own. His meal provided a similar offering that augmented the scent of grilled meat around the table.
"Well, everybody's food seems to have arrived, and I can't wait to eat my scrumptious burger!" beamed an eager, famished Mano.
Seeing everyone else beginning to bow their heads, Nishikata followed suit. With a quick word of thanks to those who prepared the food, he opened his eyes to grab a large, ravenous bite out of his burger.
"Mmmmmm!" Nishikata closed his eyes and tipped his head back. The taste of juicy beef melted in his mouth.
"Slow down Nishikata, you don't want to get a stomach ache," he realized quickly that Takagi was the one giggling to his ears. He looked up at Takagi, his mouth dripping with egg yolk. "You must be really enjoying that burger if you're not noticing the yolk on your chin," she chuckled, her words filling with warmth as she pointed towards his chin.
Feeling the yolk drip through his chin, he grabbed a napkin and wiped off the egg yolk. With a blush, he then glanced at Takagi's plate. Her burger was already subjected to a few bites, but not much more yet. Turning back towards his own burger, he glanced at Mano's and Nakai's burgers. Looks like I ate the biggest chunk of my burger so far. I didn't expect to eat my burger this quickly. Nishikata thought with a grimace and narrowed eyes.
"Don't feel bad about eating at your pace, Nishikata. I think it's awesome that you're enjoying your burger so much," Takagi reassured him with a pat on his shoulder.
"Yeah, Nishikata-kun! I'm really glad you're enjoying the burger so much!" Mano concurred with an open smile on her face before taking another bite of her juicy classic burger.
"If anything, I'd say I'm extra glad you love burgers so much after trying them for the first time," Nakai-kun added before chowing down on another piece of his bacon and egg burger.
"See? It's not a bad thing, Nishikata. This is the best burger I've had but I've never been as enthusiastic as you about burgers," She poked him with a giggle and proceeded to dab her ketchup-stained mouth with her napkin.
"Are you sure you two aren't a couple yet, Nishikata?" Nakai pointed at Nishikata, teasing with a chuckle.
"You two sure behave like a couple for someone claiming they're not being one yet," Mano chimed dreamily.
Their observations did not fall on deaf ears; Nishikata was left to squirm with a furrowed brow. In hopes of shrugging off the embarrassment, he took upon himself to eat another bite of his burger. This is so embarrassing… Maybe once we're done eating, we can finally get to talking about Houjou-san and Hamaguchi some more.
"Mmmm that was so tasty!" Mano declared. She closed her eyes and rubbed her stomach with a wide, contented smile on her face.
"I'm stuffed! That burger was better than I could have ever imagined!" Nakai followed suit, slouching slightly. He rubbed his stomach with a satisfied sigh.
"That was a delicious classic burger," Takagi said with a peppy smile. "Thanks Mano and Nakai for telling us about this restaurant. We should come back here again for another lunch."
"I agree! I hope more people come here more often too!" Mano quipped with a swipe of her finger over her plate.
Nishikata spoke no word after finishing his burger. Instead, he clasped his hands against his napkin and wiped them off of any oils that stuck. He shifted his feet back and forth and fidgeted with his smartphone in his pocket.
"Nishikata, I know you loved your burger very much, but did you want to talk about Hamaguchi-kun and Houjou-san now?" asked Takagi, who noticed his uneasy demeanour.
"That would be nice. As delicious as the burger was, I'm still worried about Hamaguchi. He hasn't been doing great lately," Nishikata nodded with a mild frown.
"I know how you feel, Nishikata-kun. As much as I don't like Houjou-san, I wouldn't want to wish emotional pain on anyone," Mano shook her head, bowing her head down.
"So, what got you so worried about Houjou-san, Mano?" Takagi asked, turning her attention to Mano with softening eyes.
"Well, it began at the start of the school day after White Day. Do you remember when Houjou-san gasped when we heard that Hamaguchi-kun was in the nurse's office?" Mano asked, waving her hand towards Takagi to motion for an answer.
"I remember that. I found it a bit odd since Houjou-san doesn't usually express herself like that," Takagi noted, tilting her head slightly.
Mano turned to Nakai and screeched, "See, Nakai-kun?! I'm not going crazy here!"
"Ohh I see, I see!" Nakai replied, affirming her observations. "But until I heard about what happened to you at library duty, I wasn't sure what to make of Houjou-san's strange behaviour," he continued with a shrug.
"Wait, what happened during library duty?" Nishikata asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It was horrible, Nishikata-kun! I was getting really excited about the latest edition of 100% Unrequited Love, and Houjou-san snapped at me!" Mano bemoaned her fate to the others sitting with her.
"Are you sure it wasn't because you annoyed her by talking about that manga too much?" Nishikata asked back, probing her response with a sweaty half-grin.
"No; she told me to stop, so I switched topics and talked about how amazing Nakai-kun was!" Mano answered, shaking her fists.
"That doesn't sound much better," Nishikata groaned, shifting his gaze at an angle away from Mano.
"But that's not the end, though! I asked her how her White Day went, and that's when she lost it," Mano's voice trailed off as she finished her retelling.
"Was there anything she said that stuck out to you?" Takagi inquired, retaining her calm demeanour with a soft smile.
"Well, I asked her about her gasp and whether it was related to Hamaguchi-kun in any way," Mano answered with a sigh and drooping eyes.
"Was there something about her response that made you feel really sad, Mano?" Takagi asked, a frown forming on her face.
A moment of pause descended to the table, broken only by a single sigh from Mano. "Well, it was what Houjou-san said. She said she wasn't in love with Hamaguchi-kun, and that she hated him because he was such a brute," she explained with sagging shoulders and her face turned away from the others.
"A brute?" Takagi released a light gasp from her lips. Turning to Nishikata, she prodded him with her finger on his shoulder, "Nishikata, perhaps you should explain what you know about what happened to Hamaguchi-kun that day."
Nishikata turned to Takagi and responded with a decisive nod, as if he gained a new insight. Mano and Nakai turned to Nishikata, giving him his undivided attention. It was as if Nishikata beheld the keys to a new clue that would unlock the relational puzzle that lay before the group.
"I was getting my shoes from my cubby at the getabako a few minutes before class started. All of a sudden, I saw Hamaguchi behind me, drenched in water. When he fainted to the ground, I was shocked. I immediately ran for the nurse's office and called the nurse for help. The nurse got over to Hamaguchi and told me that he would be fine. He ended up missing his morning classes, I think."
"Really?! That's crazy!" Mano replied, placing her hand over her mouth. "Did something happen between Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun on the way to school that day?" she pondered, rubbing her left shoulder. "Do you think they got into a fight?"
"I don't know, to be honest. I didn't come across Houjou-san or Hamaguchi on the way to school," Nishikata answered with a shrug.
"It's clear something happened between Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun either on that morning or the day before," Nakai noted, tapping his chin with his finger. "Hamaguchi-kun seemed fine while we were at school on White Day, remember Nishikata?"
"If that's the case, then something happened on White Day," Mano drew a quieter tone in her voice, turning away from everyone else.
"I think at this point we have some idea of what happened between the two of them," Takagi chimed in. "It's very possible that the two had some sort of a falling out either on White Day or the day after. That said, now would be a good time to talk about what we can do to help," Takagi concluded with a nod.
"Well, what can we do? If they really did break up, they'll be feeling really hurt," Mano sighed with a frown.
"Has everyone noticed that Hamaguchi-kun and Houjou-san have been far lonelier as of late?" Takagi asked. She rested her head on her palm and looked around to note the others' responses. Nakai let out a half-hearted whistle, Nishikata twiddled his thumbs, and Mano provided a deflated expression.
"No one?" Takagi's pitch rose slightly in gentle disbelief.
"It's not that we didn't notice, Takagi-chan," Mano responded, shuffling her feet.
"In that case, it's pretty clear what we should be doing: we should be approaching Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun," Takagi declared with a look of concern on her face.
Nishikata and Nakai nodded at each other. It had been a few days since they had any contact with Hamaguchi.
"Sure, we can do that," Nakai affirmed with a thumbs up. "Right, Nishikata?"
"Yeah, it's as good an idea as I can think of. I'm just not sure what to talk about, Takagi-san," Nishikata nodded with a stutter.
"But didn't you hear my story, Takagi-chan? They don't want us talking to them! Worse yet, she hates me!" Placing a strong emphasis on the word "hate", Mano groaned, as if she was begging for leniency.
"I understand, Mano. That's why I'm going to speak with Houjou-san, too," replied an assuring Takagi.
Mano turned towards Takagi, forming a weak smile. "You're going to help, Takagi-chan?" she asked.
"Of course, Mano. You're my friend, and you care a lot about Houjou-san, even if she was mean to you," Takagi answered with an assuring smile.
"Thanks, Takagi-chan. That means a lot," Mano replied, following up her thanks with a gentle nod.
"You're welcome, Mano," Takagi acknowledged. "Now we shouldn't force a conversation when there's none. But at least we can try to let them know that we care about them."
"I think supporting both of them is what we should be doing most of all." Nakai chimed in, smiling sincerely as he spoke.
"That's a good idea! And then we can report to each other how things are going through our exchange diary!" Takagi added, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Just then, Nishikata's head jerked up, as if a lightbulb inside him turned on. He grabbed the grey notebook he placed under his leg and handed it over to Mano. "Sorry, Mano-chan, for not giving this back earlier, but here you go. You can use this to come up with ways to talk with Houjou-san."
Mano's eyes perked up. Retrieving the grey notebook from Nishikata, she gave a nod and thanked him, "Thanks Nishikata-kun. We can definitely use this to write how things have been going together, right Nakai-kun?"
Seeing that Mano turned towards him, Nakai met her gaze and nodded in turn, "Great idea, Mano-chan! Let's do that then!"
"It's safe to assume we're all in agreement then? We'll find a chance to speak with them and write about it in our exchange diary," Takagi looked around to confirm the group's plan. She was met by a round of nods. Their plan was ready to go.
"Bye, Takagi-chan! Thanks again for coming!" Mano-chan waved at Takagi and Nishikata, walking away with Nakai.
Nishikata stood still with Takagi on the roadside in front of the restaurant. The sun continued to shine two hours after midday passed. Like the sunlight on his face, the entire lunch experience weighed on his mind. For one, the scrumptious burger made him want to try even more burgers in the near future. Perhaps he could visit for breakfast or stop by on another weekend for a delicious burger lunch.
But those thoughts would have to wait. "Those burgers were really tasty, weren't they, Nishikata? Weren't you glad that you decided to give Saints a try?" Nishikata flinched when Takagi's voice broke his still, meditative pose.
"Yeah, I really enjoyed it!" Nishikata responded with a decisive nod. "Thank you, Takagi-san," he trailed off, gazing towards the ground. He couldn't help but feel squeamish. Just an hour earlier he balked at the idea of having a burger, but with Takagi's teases he ended up enjoying himself. Perhaps her teases weren't all bad, he thought.
"Now I get to see you grow big and strong as you supplement your push-ups with plenty of meat," Takagi's giggles caused Nishikata to cringe. She was back to her teasing self once again. But it didn't last long either. "In any case, I hope that our conversation today helped you feel better about Hamaguchi-kun," Takagi spoke.
Noticing Takagi shuffling herself closer to him, Nishikata felt his heart beating faster by the second. "It did help, Takagi-san," he reassured. "It's just surprising that Mano-san knew something about Houjou-san that ended up helping us."
"That's what friendship does, Nishikata. Most of the time, we can't do things by ourselves. In fact, when we talk with others about something, we end up learning something new from them in an unexpected way. That's what I meant when I said I wanted to learn everything about you. I want to hear from you and to know you more by learning how you feel and act. I can't know you in full without listening to you."
Takagi's explanation left him speechless. It was never something he was ever told or taught. All his life he was content to wander through life on his own. It was only when Takagi jumped into his world that he found himself being more open about himself to Takagi and the other people around him. Since when did Takagi-san get so philosophical?
"I do wonder if Houjou-san and Hamaguchi-kun understand this fact," Takagi added with soft, narrowed eyes.
"Perhaps Houjou-san and Hamaguchi may need a gentle push. We're going to start that plan up after the weekend's over," Nishikata replied, snapping his fingers together, adding emphasis to his sentence.
"I think it will be more complicated than that, Nishikata. But I do suspect that they will need to learn how to know each other better," Takagi-san speculated.
"What makes you say that, Takagi-san?" Nishikata replied, scratching his chin. His wandering pupils betrayed the confusion he was trying to hide behind his confident retort.
"Well, you were once like this not so long ago, Nishikata. Perhaps you could give them some helpful pointers?" Takagi quipped, leaning forward to smirk at him.
Nishikata gasped, his jaw dropping as he narrowed his eyebrows. His look of bewilderment and confusion plagued his round face.
Is that really true about me? His thoughts echoed in his head like a clanging gong.
Nishikata felt like a bubble ready to burst as he held his breath, causing his cheeks to turn red. He clenched his hands into fists as he felt his trademark words rise up from his throat, ready to explode.
"Darn you, Takagi-san!" his scream echoed across the street, along with the high-pitched laughter of Takagi. The pair started their walk towards home, satisfied from the plan put into action.