Outsider Syndrome: Everlasting (Bonus Content)

Chapter 3 - "I'll Give It My Best Shot"

Unsurprisingly, there was not a single girl in sight.

As the three of them nonchalantly chatted, I strayed a relative distance, reconsidering my life choices.

If I'd known it would turn out this way, I would've asked Kiharu and Shiina to tag along. It was my fault for assuming it'd be a date to begin with, but, in my defence, Uchiya and Yaotome were such blockheads. Couldn't they read the room?

"Sorry, Tsukahara," whispered Aoyama, pale with guilt as his bickering friends stood in line to grab food tickets.

"I-It's all right!" It was totally far from 'all right.' Why was I lying? "I haven't had ramen in a long time, so I don't mind!"

"Really?" he asked for confirmation.

I forced my lips upwards. "Yep!"

His regret melted into a heart-stopping smile. "Thank goodness. I was so worried. But, if that's the case, that's good."

Due to his blinding nature, my cheeks went up in flames. Uchiya and Yaotome returned, dragging Aoyama off to the closest table.

There were only three seats available.

Yaotome offered to sit elsewhere but I waved off the notion and went to find my own seating. Rather than take up a whole booth to myself, I sat up front at one of the individual stools.

There, I expelled the heavy breath I'd been holding.

"Not gonna order anything?"

I recoiled. The staff had spoken out.

"W-Water!" I squeaked. "Is. . . is fine!"

I craned up my neck. A gasp poured out of me. He looked a bit different with his hair held back by that black headband—arguably more mature—but his cat-like green eyes were an obvious telltale. It was Toru. For whatever reason, Toru was working here.

Needless to say, my jaw dropped five feet.

"Eat something," Toru added, calmly.

"But—"

"On the house. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

My mouth moved, but no sound exited. It took me a hot second to realize why. He stared into the distance, primarily at the three rowdy boys I had accompanied. If he recognized me from the moment I entered the shop, there was a high chance he pieced together the situation. I hadn't exactly withheld my discomfort nor disappointment so I wouldn't put it past someone as perceptive as him.

He must've felt bad for me.

How embarrassing could this get?

A full-blown grin upturned Toru's mouth. He forced me to make eye-contact from across the counter.

"In return," he added in a playful tone, "let me bounce ideas off of you."

I fluttered my eyelids, attempting to string together the meaning of his sentence. "Ideas?"

The regulars of the shop were dining in to their own meals. Also, some of the other staff members were walking the floor, so we were free to talk.

"A birthday present."

Toru's answer flew above my head yet again.

He timidly scratched his cheek. "Kisaragi's birthday is coming up, as you know."

Suddenly, the pieces aligned.

Shiina's birthday was soon. March 3rd.

I'd been so preoccupied with other things lately, I'd nearly forgotten!