Chapter 136: Choosing a Drink!
After a fierce verbal battle and plenty of bargaining, Luke was still the one who went to the vending machine.
This was apparently what Lady Miura Yumiko meant when she offered to treat him.
Luke selected the drinks with a speechless expression.
Just as she had said, the ground around the vending machines had sunk slightly, perhaps from years of students stepping on it, leaving several puddles behind.
He quickly purchased two drinks.
"Why did you get strawberry yogurt?"
The moment Luke returned to the classroom, Lady Yumiko criticized his choice with characteristic willfulness.
"Didn't you say anything was fine? Why reject it after I bring it back?"
Luke stared at Miura Yumiko, who sat in his chair with one arm resting on his desk while playing with her phone.
What a demanding girl.
More importantly, never trust someone who claims they do not care what you choose.
"But understanding his girlfriend's preferences is something a boyfriend should do, isn't it?"
Yumiko lifted her chin and glanced upward at him.
"That excuse again…"
Luke rubbed his head.
"I thought this suited your personality. It's both sour and sweet."
"Hah—what kind of nonsense is that?"
Miura Yumiko protested, then looked away beneath his gaze and muttered, "Honestly…"
"Anyway, what juice do you want? I'll go buy another one."
Luke pointed toward the yogurt.
"Do you still want this?"
"Leave it there. I want… Ah, forget it. I'll come too."
Yumiko stood helplessly, faced him, and folded her arms.
"Eh?"
Then why hadn't she gone herself from the beginning?
"Remember my preferences properly. You always return with drinks that feel slightly wrong."
Yumiko pointed accusingly at him.
So that was the reason.
Luke had thought she had suddenly changed her personality.
"Just make Yuigahama remember this stuff. She's the best at reading the atmosphere."
Luke immediately muttered, "When it comes to running errands and buying drinks, her IQ probably exceeds 130. She must be a genius."
"Hey! Yui isn't my servant!"
Yumiko smacked his head while he spoke nonsense.
"Fine. Then I am…"
Luke sighed.
"Sigh."
Seeing his gloomy expression, Yumiko placed a hand on her hip and released a sigh of her own.
Her hand shifted slightly over the fabric of her pleated skirt.
With a blush deepening on her cheeks, she murmured, "You promised only to touch my calves... Really, now my panties are all bunched up. They were already tight enough, and now they're digging into my skin. A guy's word is useless when it counts."
"…Fine. Let's go."
Luke, the culprit being criticized, continued, "I'll memorize your drink preferences."
"If necessary, I can publish a paper titled Lady Miura Yumiko's Selection of Beverages and Its Significance to World Peace."
"You don't need to go that far~ Bleh, idiot."
Yumiko grabbed his arm and stuck out her tongue.
"Hurry up. I still want to go bowling afterward."
"Though if we bring Hina, she'll probably find some way to claim 'bowling' sounds like a seductive uke."
Luke gave no reply.
Yumiko raised her head and found him staring at her. She frowned slightly.
"Why are you spacing out? Hurry up."
"Could you make that expression with your tongue again? I want a picture."
Luke nodded thoughtfully.
"Mm. It was cute."
"Bleh!"
...
Luke failed to take the picture, and the two headed toward the vending machines.
Along the way, he learned something else.
Whenever he used to see a boy and girl squeezed beneath one umbrella on rainy days, he found it extremely awkward.
Why crowd together beneath such a tiny umbrella? Wasn't it uncomfortable?
They also obstructed everyone walking nearby. It seemed terribly inconsiderate.
However, Yumiko insisted that they share a single umbrella despite the rain being little more than mist.
Only then did Luke realize that being crowded beneath one umbrella actually felt rather pleasant.
Although it was merely a cover above their heads, it created the sensation of being enclosed within a small, independent space.
It was almost as though only the two of them existed, while the outside world disappeared entirely.
Luke could hear Miura Yumiko's slow breathing and feel the warmth of the hand holding his.
The cool air surrounding them only made that gentle warmth feel more distinct.
When they reached the vending machines, Luke finally raised the umbrella slightly.
Miura Yumiko pointed at the different drinks inside.
"When you want to relax, choose this one. When you're slightly tired, choose that one."
"When you're happy, pick something sweeter. For example, this orange juice…"
"How am I supposed to remember all of that?"
Luke began to sweat.
"Read the atmosphere~"
"Being bullied must be difficult."
"What nonsense are you saying now? Act normally."
Yumiko tugged his arm, then lowered her head and spoke quietly.
"Besides… I don't ask just anyone to do things for me."
Seeing embarrassment unconsciously return to her face, Luke nodded.
"All right. I understand."
"A-anyway, letting random people buy your drinks is dangerous. What if someone poisons it?"
"Mm. That would certainly be terrifying."
Luke pointed toward the machine.
"So orange juice is correct right now?"
"Mm."
Yumiko nodded lightly.
...
"Is there anywhere you particularly want to visit?"
Luke held the umbrella against the barely noticeable raindrops and glanced back.
Yumiko was gripping his shirt as she questioned him.
They had planned to visit the bowling alley as she suggested.
"Not especially. Didn't you say you wanted to go bowling?"
Luke asked.
"We've gone bowling several times recently. Let's look around the arcade first."
Yumiko suggested.
"That's fine. Muu Land has plenty of things to do anyway."
They passed beneath a pedestrian overpass.
The cool wind blowing toward them swept away the oppressive humidity.
"True~"
Yumiko nodded.
Muu Land was a comprehensive entertainment center with karaoke, an arcade, bowling lanes, billiards, and even an izakaya.
She frequently visited it with friends after school or during holidays.
The two first took the elevator to the arcade.
The instant they entered, music from countless machines flooded their ears, while the dazzling lights made everything difficult to focus on.
Because the place was so lively, it attracted all kinds of people, including many adults.
The two wrinkled their noses as they walked into the cloud-like haze of cigarette smoke.
(PS: Sorry everyone, I don't usually share much about my personal life, but I'm currently facing a very difficult situation. As you may have heard, Nepal has been struck by a devastating flash flood. It's one of the worst disasters to hit the country since the 2015 earthquake. Unfortunately, I've also been directly affected, as I live here.
Because of this, I won't be active on Webnovel, Wat-tpad, or P-atreon for the time being. Thankfully, I had already scheduled uploads in advance for the next week or two, so you should still receive regular updates.
I'm posting this using my phone with an unstable connection, and I expect it will take me about a week to manage my personal affairs and reach the capital.
Thank you for your understanding, and goodbye for now—I'll be back in about a week, hopefully...)
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