Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.4

“Come in! Sit wherever you like!”

The person at the counter greeted us as we entered. It was the same old family restaurant I was used to, just a twenty-minute walk from school, in the next town over.

Yanami plopped down in the booth and patted the seat next to her. “C’mere, Lemon-chan. You sit here.”

“Thanks.” Yakishio did so uncharacteristically quietly. I couldn’t help wondering if maybe she’d have had a better chance with Ayano if this were her default setting. “Never heard of this place, Yana-chan.”

“It’s nice, right? No Tsuwabuki students or anything. It’s a bit of a hole in the wall.”

Yanami went straight to scanning the dessert menu. I eyed her. Wasn’t this where Hakamada Sousuke had broken her heart? What sort of person used that same place as a getaway for their friend who’d also just had their heart broken? The mental fortitude on display was insane to me.

“Not gonna order anything?” she asked me.

“I mean, you do know this is…”

“This is what?” She cocked her head.

“N-never mind,” I said. “For the record, I’m not picking up the bill for you this time.”

“I know that. What kinda girl do you take me for?” She pushed the button to signal a waiter. “Bit insensitive to talk about money at a time like this, I think. Don’t you worry, Lemon-chan. It’s on us.”

Yanami accusing someone of being insensitive. How ironic. Also, it didn’t escape my notice that she’d used “us” in that sentence.

“Yeah, sure.” I surrendered. “She and I’ll split your bill, Yakishio-san.” 

“But you don’t have to do that,” Yakishio said.

“Consider it a welcome gift. You’re the lit club’s newest member, so don’t worry about it.”

“You let us treat you today, okay?” Yanami paused and looked up. “Wait, didn’t I just join too?”

“We’ll do you later,” I said. “Excuse me, we’re ready to order!”

I struggled to believe Yanami would have the self-control to indulge responsibly. Case in point: She hadn’t looked at anything but the dessert menu and still ordered a Salisbury steak.

“Medium-size rice, please,” she added.

“You not gonna have dinner at home, Yanami-san?”

“Nothing ruins a diet faster than dessert before dinner. Don’t you know that?”

So dinner before dinner is fine, then? The logic checked out.

Yakishio pointed to something on the dessert menu. “I’ll have a Black Thunder parfait.”

“Ohmigosh, okay, I need that after my entrée!” Yanami blurted out. So much for the diet.

“Large fries and three drink cups,” I ordered. “Again, I ain’t paying for you this time. Just so we’re clear.” I could not stress that enough.

“I know that,” Yanami pouted. “I’m serious, Nukumizu-kun—that right there’s why you have no friends.”

The girls got up to fill their cups. I watched them leave. It was business as usual with Yanami, which was a relief, if a little confusing.

An hour went by. An hour of gripes, complaints, and struggles, and of Yanami stuffing her face with Salisbury steak. Yakishio was smiling more near the end of it, though, so that was good. We’d gotten somewhere at least.

“You can wait outside, Yakishio-san,” I said as we took a spot in line at the register. “We’ll take care of the bill real quick.”

Yanami raised an eyebrow at me. “So you can be nice.”

“I’m not a robot. When a failgirl’s in need…”

“A what?”

Oh, crap. I’d let my filter down and stuck my foot in my mouth. Not good.

“I…ail…gir…”

“You said ‘failsomething.’” Yanami studied me, trying to read my face. “What was it? C’mon, I’m dying here.”

I turned away a full ninety degrees like an animatronic. “No, I said al… Al…Gore. Like the guy.”

“Who’s that? Friend of yours?”

Not likely.

“He’s a famous politician. In America,” I said.

“Where did that come from?”

A fantastic question. I glanced around, desperate for a lifeline, and spotted a poster. “American Burger Fair.” Thank the gods.

Yanami followed my gaze and planted her fist in her palm. “Oooh, I get it. You wanna get burgers next time. Yeah, that’d be fun!”

I wasn’t getting out of treating her now, but that was a small price to pay for smoothing over that little slip of the tongue. Pick your battles and all that.

My turn came at the register. I handed the cashier our receipt.

“Oh, I forgot,” Yanami said. “We never set a price for today’s lunch.”

“Oh yeah. Let’s call it 500 yen. It was pretty good.”

“Nice!” She put her hands together excitedly. “I’ll take it!”

The tab was sitting at 2,367 yen, minus 500 put us at 1,867. Side note: The bill for here ended up being a healthy amount higher than that, all together.

“Hope you’ve got money, ’cause I’m all out of credit,” I said.

“I heard you the first time,” Yanami griped. “Like I keep saying, that’s your problem right there. Oh, I have a T-Point card.”

I put my money in the tray. “That’s me and half of Yakishio-san.”

“Gotcha, so that leaves…” She popped open her wallet and instantly froze.

“What?”

I swear to God if she’s broke again. Surely she wasn’t. Surely she had more than two brain cells to rub together behind those pitiful eyes of hers. She started to tremble. It wasn’t looking good.

“No…”

Yanami looked up and met my eyes. Tiny, wet orbs welled in hers. “Nukumizu-kun. I dunno how to tell you this.”

I could see them. Behind the tears. Two lonely brain cells working overtime.

I quietly pulled out a bill.

Current tab: 2,867 yen.