First, I returned to my house. I changed into my uniform and slung my bag over my shoulder. Then, I headed back to Miyanoshita's house. "Well then, shall we go?" "Yes!" Walking down the road with Miyanoshita, who is carring her school backpack. We are 30 minutes earlier than usual. Maybe because of that, there are fewer elementary and high school students around. There are, however, plenty of office workers and the like... With this many people around, even if someone follows us, it's unlikely they will pose a direct threat. I can't let my guard down, though. "Ah!" Suddenly, Miyanoshita let out a surprised voice. No way, could it really be the stalker!? "Wow, it's Suzu-chan. Good morning!" "Good morning, Rin-chan!" Miyanoshita has called backup. A new elementary school girl has appeared! Wait... What's going on? "Suzu-chan, you're early today!" "Yeah, I had something to do. But you're early too, Rin-chan." "I have to take care of the flower garden." "Oh, that's right. You're in the gardening committee, Rin-chan. So Today’s your turn?" "Ehehe. The flowers are about to bloom. So, I'll do my best!" "Yeah, go for it!" "I'll make sure lots of flowers bloom!" "If we fill the school with flowers, do you think the teacher will be surprised and praise us?" "Hmm... or maybe we'll get scolded?" "Right? Haha." "But I'm going to do it anyway!" "That's the spirit!" What's this? Such a heartwarming conversation. It's absolutely unimaginable behavior from my usual Miyanoshita... Hmm. Which one is the real Miyanoshita? "By the way..." The elementary school girl turned her eyes towards me. "Um, well... I..." "This person is Naoto-san. My darling! ♪" "Whoa...!?" Miyanoshita dropped a bombshell statement and then clung to my arm. What on earth are you saying to your friend!? At this rate, I'm for sure going to be seen as a lolicon. And then, an incident, and an arrest... "Ah! So this is the boyfriend you were talking about!"

"... Huh?" I was expecting shouts of "This pervert!" or "Gross!" or something along those lines. But instead, Miyanoshita's friend was looking at me with sparkling eyes. "He's so cool and mature." "Right? Right?" "Totally different from the boys in our class. Tall and, hmm... so lucky." "Mmph. Yuuki-san is mine, you know!" "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm a bit disappointed, but I won't make a move." "As long as you know your bounds..." "Oh, I'm sorry." Miyanoshita's friend checked her smartphone and looked panicked. "I have to get going." "Yeah. Good luck with the school board meeting." "Gonna go full power! See you later, Suzu-chan. And make sure to bring your boyfriend next time so we can have a proper chat!" "Huh? Oh... Yeah." "Alright, see you!" With a laid-back tone, Miyanoshita's friend dashed off. I could only stare blankly at her retreating figure. "Did I... survive?" "What were you even imagining, you dummy?" Miyanoshita glared at me with a hint of irritation. "That's my friend you are talking about. She would never say anything weird about you, Yuuki-san, and there's no way she'd report you." "Is that... so? Well, from an outsider's perspective, I..." "There might be some concerns, but I have chosen my friend carefully before talking about stuff. I have been talking to her about you indirectly for a while and she understands the situation well, so there's not goint to be any problems with her." "I see... well, okay then." I feel relieved. Then, a bit of guilt washes over me. I was convinced Miyanoshita had lost control, but... She had been thinking things through in her own way. I didn't trust her at all. Haaa... I feel kind of pathetic. I decided to protect Miyanoshita. However, there things about her i still don't fully trust. Sometimes, I get unsure of how to interact. What's the word for it... inconsistent? I'm still confused about how to deal with it. I'm really pathetic. ...That's exactly why. "From now on, I need to get my act together." "Did you say something?" "It's nothing." Setting aside the issue of whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship with Miyanoshita. I need to make sure I'm a proper friend to her. "Huh? Isn't that Miyanoshita?" Suddenly, I heared a voice.