Chapter 282: Coup de Grâce
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 282: Coup de Grâce
“Hello!”
Miyuki greeted us with a bright smile the moment she walked into the cafe.
Renka and Chinami stared at her and me, our sudden appearance leaving them looking bewildered but pleased.
“Hanazawa…? Hi. Matsuda, what are you doing here too?”
“We came to study. I hope we’re not being a bother.”
“Study? Here?”
“Yes.”
“It’s fine as long as you’re not too loud…”
“We’ll stay quiet in a corner. And we plan on ordering a drink at least once an hour.”
“You don’t have to feel pressured to order. But is it just the two of you?”
“No, Tetsuya-kun will be here soon, too.”
“Miura too? Ah… you said you were tutoring Matsuda and Miura. I guess this is it?”
“That’s right.”
Renka’s gaze shifted toward me.
Her eyes seemed to ask why we came here.
It didn’t seem like she was suspicious of anything; she just looked genuinely curious.
Then again, we did show up without any warning, so I guess that’s a natural reaction.
“Hanazawa-san, have you been well?”
Chinami asked, wiping her wet hands. Miyuki replied with a smile.
“Of course. Have you been well too, Nanase-senpai?”
“Yes, I have.”
Chinami’s face was slightly flushed.
Since it had been a while, she seemed to be remembering what happened on Christmas.
Caught up in Chinami’s reaction, Miyuki’s cheeks also began to turn a rosy pink.
“Huh…?”
Renka let out a confused sound as she watched the two of them blushing in sync like twins.
Startled, Miyuki cleared her throat a few times and looked at the menu.
“Anyway… Matsuda-kun, what do you want to drink?”
Finding their mutual embarrassment cute, I said,
“A Strawberry Banana Frappe.”
At that, Renka’s brow twitched and she glared at me.
The Strawberry Banana Frappe was the most annoying drink to make, one I’d never even tried.
Realizing I was trying to mess with her, Renka just mumbled under her breath, probably holding back from cursing me out loud with Miyuki and Chinami right there.
Then, seeing Miyuki had finished looking at the menu, she asked in a sweet voice—the complete opposite of her usual grumpy tone with me.
“Hanazawa, what about you?”
It was as if she wanted me to overhear. Does she know that the more she acts like this, the stricter her “education” will be?
She might even know and be doing it on purpose.
As if asking for more punishment.
“Um… I’ll just have a simple cafe latte.”
“Hot?”
“Yes, hot, please.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll pay. How much is it?”
“It’s been a while, so it’s on me.”
“Huh? You don’t have to do that…!”
“I’ll be very sad if you refuse.”
Renka’s smooth reply left Miyuki speechless.
She wasn’t always this brazen. I wonder if she learned it from me.
“Well… still…”
As Miyuki hesitated, her hand hovering over her wallet, Renka soothed her in that same sweet voice.
“Don’t feel burdened. It’s really okay.”
Did she decide it would be rude to refuse such kindness?
Miyuki put her wallet away with a genuinely apologetic look on her face.
“Then… I’ll enjoy it. Thank you so much.”
“Yep. Take the pager.”
“Okay…!”
Mmm… seeing them get along so well already.
It feels like the future is bright, which puts me in a great mood.
As I was about to head to a corner table with Miyuki, who was holding the pager, Renka called out to me.
“Hey, Matsuda.”
“Yeah?”
“Where are you going?”
“To our table.”
“You have to pay.”
“I thought you were treating us.”
“Not you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? Alright.”
Seeing me about to pay without much protest, she must have gotten nervous. Renka flinched and quickly changed her tune.
“I-I’m kidding. Don’t pay.”
She seemed worried I’d retaliate.
“I’ll just pay.”
“I told you not to…?”
“And I’m telling you I will.”
“I said don’t pay…!”
Finding it funny that Renka was now getting angry trying to stop me from paying, I held back a smile and changed my order.
“Alright. Forget the frappe, just give me a strawberry latte.”
“...Why aren’t you getting the frappe? Is it because it’s expensive?”
“No. I never planned on drinking it anyway.”
“Really…?”
Renka eyed me suspiciously.
She seemed to be trying to figure out if I genuinely didn’t want the frappe or if I was being considerate by switching to an easier drink.
“Junior, Junior. Shall I make the strawberry latte for you?”
Chinami chimed in while Renka was still staring.
I gave her a bright smile and replied.
“Yes. I’d appreciate that.”
“Hehe… I suppose I’ll have to show you my skills, perfected in just a few hours.”
Chinami spoke with a confident air as she took the strawberry syrup from the fridge.
All she had to do was pour milk in and stir, but she sounded like some master omakase chef.
Still, it’s cute, so I like it.
Anyway, the atmosphere is so nice right now… and Tetsuya is about to arrive. It’s utterly deplorable.
I feel like he’s gotten a big head lately from learning boxing… I wonder if he’s going to ask me to spar.
* * *
Miyuki’s face relaxed as she took a sip of the hot cafe latte Chinami had brought over.
Miyuki isn’t much of a coffee drinker, but since it was so cold today, the warmth of the cafe must have put her in a good mood.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah. Do you want a sip, Matsuda-kun?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Why are you drinking something cold, Matsuda-kun? You were just complaining about being cold in the car.”
Did I? I don’t remember.
“I was probably just saying it out of habit. Want some of my strawberry latte?”
“Yeah, just a sip.”
Miyuki took the bubble tea straw from the cup I offered and brought it to her lips.
The sight of her casually putting her mouth on the end of the straw I’d just used pleased me.
I wonder if Renka saw that.
She’d been sneaking glances at our table while working, so it’s possible.
“Greetings, Captain.”
I was enjoying a sweet moment with a giggling Miyuki when Tetsuya’s innocent voice rang out from the cafe entrance. I snorted.
The guy who sprinkles shit on a flower garden has arrived.
“Welcome.”
I made a mental note to give Renka a good whipping for greeting him so kindly, then watched as Tetsuya greeted Chinami.
“Hello, Nanase-senpai. It’s been a while.”
“Hello. Your friends are waiting over there.”
Mmm. My dear Chinami’s voice sounds completely uninterested in the likes of Tetsuya.
To be fair, Chinami has had almost zero interaction with him, so that reaction is only natural, but I’m proud of her all the same.
Unlike Renka, I’ll have to reward her with a heartfelt massage.
Tetsuya looked in the direction Chinami pointed, and upon seeing Miyuki and me sitting side-by-side, he waved a hand.
It might have looked like he was waving to both of us, but it was really just for Miyuki.
His gaze was fixed solely on her.
The idiot, making a useless gesture with that dopey face of his as usual, thanked Renka when she offered to buy him coffee and placed his order.
Just as you’d expect from someone so clueless, he didn’t even refuse out of courtesy.
Of course, I accepted her offer just as readily, but I’m Renka’s master, and I was already planning on buying her a gift in return.
But that guy over there with the goofy look on his face will just accept her kindness without a second thought.
He’s probably deluding himself into thinking Renka might be interested in him.
As my hatred for Tetsuya grew, he approached our table and gave Miyuki a pathetic smile.
“I’m right on time, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, good job. Hurry and sit down.”
“Are we starting right away?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Can’t we rest a little until my coffee comes?”
“What’s this… your procrastinating is just like Matsuda-kun’s.”
Now that’s something I can’t just let slide.
You could pile up every curse word in the world, and it still wouldn’t be as bad as being told I’m similar to Tetsuya.
I’m in a very, very bad mood.
Whether she knew how I felt or not, Miyuki told Tetsuya to sit down and then moved to sit between me and him.
Then, she very naturally picked up the cup in front of me and, just like before, took a sip of the strawberry latte through the straw.
‘Huh?’
Her sudden action made my eyes widen.
I knew Miyuki no longer intended to hide our relationship, but I never expected something like this to happen so suddenly.
For Miyuki, it was probably just a natural gesture.
But for Tetsuya, it would be taken very differently.
To him, an act like this from Miyuki was incredibly significant.
A coup de grâce. His suspicion had just turned into certainty.
Sharing a straw was something even couples had mixed feelings about.
Of course, if two people were extremely close, they might do it even if they were just friends.
But that was very rare, and Miyuki wasn’t one of those rare cases.
Even though she and Tetsuya were childhood friends, she never did anything that could be considered skinship, and she had certainly never done something like sharing a straw with him.
As a childhood friend, she was friendlier and more caring toward him than others, but that was it.
So for her to do something with me that she’d never done with him, and without any hesitation?
Even an idiot like Tetsuya wouldn’t fail to get the hint after seeing that.
“.....”
Just as I expected, the guy’s expression hardened instantly as he watched Miyuki munching on the bits of strawberry that had been sucked up through the straw.
Is he burning up inside? I’ve wanted to peek into his mind before, but never as intensely as I do today.
“What are you two doing?”
Miyuki asked, looking at both of us, stunned for different reasons. I came to my senses before Tetsuya and replied.
“Looking at you.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
At a glance, it was a typical, trivial exchange with a hint of playfulness, but the looks on our faces told a different story.
As we looked at each other, the corners of our eyes crinkling, a sweet atmosphere was clearly flowing between us.
Miyuki is especially lovely today. I want to kiss her right now.
I think I can let her comment about me and Tetsuya being similar slide, just this once.
When we get home after studying today, I’ll have to do whatever she asks.