Episode 69: Bonus – The Switch

‘Takizawa, sorry, I’ve forgotten my textbook. Can I see yours…?’

Endo-san speaks to me in a low voice.
We’re in a modern Japanese literature lesson right now, and everyone looks sleepy.

I feel like letting out a huge sigh, but it’s so quiet I can’t even do that, so I quietly push my desk up against Endo-san’s to avoid making any noise.

Since I’d probably get told off by the teacher if I spoke, I decided to communicate by writing on the desk.

‘You forgot your textbook the week before last too, didn’t you?’
‘Sorry, sorry. I always forget my modern Japanese textbook.’
‘I won’t let you see mine next time.’

After writing that and looking at Endo-san’s face, I was angry, but she looked delighted.

Her attitude makes me wonder if she’s forgetting it on purpose.

Looking closely at Endo-san’s face again, she’s so beautiful that my heart starts racing.

　We were sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Sigh… I felt pathetic that I couldn’t concentrate on the lesson because of something like this.

‘This lesson’s a bit boring, isn’t it?’

Endo-san took a mechanical pencil out of the pencil case I’d given her and started poking me with the end opposite the tip.

‘Concentrate on the lesson. Your marks in Modern Japanese are always poor, aren’t they?’

When I wrote that down and showed her, she made a face as if to say ‘Ugh’. Perhaps giving up on messing about, Endo-san starts to concentrate on the lesson.

She tucks the hair by her ear behind her ear and focuses on her textbook.

Endo-san always seems to gaze at the pencil case as if it were precious. And the handkerchief she always brings to school is the one I embroidered for her.

　Every time I realise that something I gave her is being treated with such care, my heart tightens.

I realised I was staring at Endo-san too much, so I decided to concentrate on the lesson myself. Endo-san has started concentrating, which should make me happy, but somehow it feels a bit dull.

I waited until the teacher was writing on the blackboard, then gently poked Endo-san’s cheek with my finger.

　To my surprise, her face turned redder than I expected, which was a bit funny and made me smile.

She’d blushed before when I touched her cheek.

‘Endo-san, you blush straight away when I touch your cheek, don’t you?’

I left that note on my paper and concentrated for the rest of the lesson, but I had the feeling her cheeks stayed red for a while.

It seems I’ve discovered Endo-san’s blush trigger.