Walking through the sparsely crowded mall, the two of them fell into a temporary silence.
Her first 'date' with a girl, and she didn't feel anything special—yeah, right!
No matter what, Amaori Renako was an incredibly cute girl. Going out alone with such a cute girl was a first in her life.
And besides—she was sticking way too close!
"What's wrong, Asakura-san? I feel like you keep spacing out."
What do you mean 'what's wrong'?!
Amaori Renako had been walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her, their arms brushing against each other from time to time.
With every step, she could hear the faint rustling sound of their school uniform fabrics rubbing together.
Even without intentionally trying to smell it, that light, fresh, and soft scent clinging to Amaori always lingered at the tip of her nose. Somehow… it bred a flustering sense of intimacy.
But she couldn't just bluntly say, 'Don't stand so close to me.' It was probably all just her own overactive 'yuri brain' acting up. If she said it out loud, she'd only make the atmosphere more awkward.
"I-It's nothing, it's just… it feels a bit hot today, doesn't it?"
"Hot? I think it's fine though."
You idiot! I'm hinting that you should move a little further away!
How did someone this dense even survive in the 'Quintet'? If she were in Amaori's place, the center of all that attention, Asakura Mio herself would probably be too awkward to function.
"Amaori-san, why were you so insistent on coming with me?"
Seeing that it was truly impossible to get Amaori Renako to create a bit more distance through hints alone, she gave up on the idea and resigned herself to walking closely beside her. She'd try to chase away the wild thoughts in her head with some small talk.
Hearing this, Amaori Renako thought for a moment before speaking in an uncertain tone.
"Huh? Well, of course, because breaking your glasses was partly my responsibility…"
"That's not what I meant. Even if you wanted to pay for it, Amaori-san, I could just tell you the price later. There was no need to specially accompany me here."
"Y-You're right… but… I guess, I probably wanted to get along better with you, Asakura-san… At school, you're always alone, and it sometimes reminds me of myself back in middle school…"
"Huh?"
"It's nothing! Just talking to myself, please don't mind me, Asakura-san!"
Saying she didn't mind at all was impossible.
What Asakura Mio knew about Amaori Renako was limited to the occasional flustered and clumsy moments she showed within that small group. But what kind of girl Amaori truly was, she didn't really know.
She had no idea what Amaori Renako was like before, her personality back then, but she could tell Amaori wasn't a girl who liked or was skilled at socializing.
But if you were to say the two of them were similar in some way, Asakura Mio completely disagreed.
Because—no matter which of the other four you looked at, you could see they all held a special kind of care for Amaori Renako.
It wasn't the romantic 'girl x girl yuri love' from her fantasies, but a genuine feeling of regarding her as an incredibly important person… a kind of feeling she herself had never experienced.
"Speaking of which, Asakura-san, you went to the same middle school as Ajisai-san, right?"
Perhaps because they'd just touched on the topic of middle school, Amaori Renako steered the conversation towards middle school matters.
Mentioning Ajisai made Asakura Mio space out for a moment. Noticing the curious and searching look Amaori was giving her, she snapped back to attention.
"Ah—" She deliberately drew out the syllable a little, buying herself time to adjust. "How did you know about that?"
"I heard it from Ajisai-san."
"It's true, that's how it was…"
Since the other girl already knew, denying it would just be strange, so she reluctantly admitted it.
Originally, Amaori Renako had just asked casually, but seeing Asakura Mio's reaction, she grew a bit more curious.
"So, Asakura-san, you didn't become friends with Ajisai-san back then? I heard you were in the same class and got along quite well."
That matter… was something she really didn't want to talk about…
Fortunately, they had just arrived at the entrance of the eyeglasses store inside the mall. Asakura Mio quickly changed the subject, her tone slightly exaggerated.
"W-We're here! Let's hurry up and pick out some glasses! Otherwise, we might not have time to do our homework later!"
Amaori Renako was taken aback for a moment, about to say, "But there isn't really that much homework, is there?" when Asakura Mio stepped ahead, gently pushing her from behind and guiding her into the store.
The previous topic was forced to a halt because they had practical matters to attend to.
This eyeglasses store was very familiar to Asakura Mio. The shop was plain and unadorned, but this was where she had gotten her very first pair of glasses as a child.
"Oh, if it isn't Mio-chan. Long time no see."
"Yeah, it's been a while. I'd like to get my eyes checked again, and maybe pick out some new frames."
"I see. You mustn't neglect protecting your eyes just because you're studying so hard."
As if it was because of studying hard… Her nearsightedness was clearly the result of sneaking under the covers late at night with a flashlight to read yuri novels and manga.
It had absolutely nothing to do with her grades! She was, at best, average in school; wearing glasses and being a good student were two completely different things!
"I'll go get the examination equipment ready then. Just a moment."
Watching the store owner leave, the two of them stood somewhat awkwardly in the shop for a while. After a moment, Amaori Renako spoke up softly.
"Asakura-san's given name… 'Mio' rolls off the tongue much easier than the family name… Can I call you Mio-chan?"
Asakura Mio—it was true that just 'Mio,' a name with only two syllables, was easier to say, but—No!
Don't suddenly try to upgrade their relationship from ordinary classmates to first-name basis!
The only people who called her that were family and familiar elders. People her own age only called her 'Asakura.' Being called by her first name by such a cute girl… It was just too embarrassing!
But… she could also sense the sincerity in Amaori Renako's words. Although the question was direct, the other girl's eyes also held a clear, shimmering shyness.
She wanted to close the distance but didn't know what degree was appropriate—even though Amaori Renako didn't say it outright, Asakura Mio could somehow feel that was what she was thinking.
This was probably Amaori Renako's unique brand of kindness.
Noticing that she didn't have many friends, and arbitrarily categorizing the two of them as 'the same type,' she instinctively wanted to pull her into the circle of 'friends.'
But still! If only she could direct more of this kindness towards getting along with the other members of the 'Quintet,' that would be far more appreciated!
Please don't focus any more attention on her!
--+--
Asakura Mio Image(1)
Asakura Mio Image(2)
T/N: Asakura Mio Image(3 - Fanart cause i was bored)