Pushing open the glass door of the Family Restaurant, a familiar scent mixed with the aroma of hamburger steak and the cool air from the air conditioner hit him.
He led the two girls and familiarly found a four-person booth by the window.
The light here was very good—not too sunny, but bright enough—making it a suitable place for conversation.
"You sit inside." Yanami Anna proactively pulled out the inner seat, signaling Shioyaki Lemon to sit in first, while she sat right next to her, forming a protective stance.
Imaizumi Keita took a seat opposite them and almost immediately raised his hand to call the Waiter.
"One hamburger steak set. Also, a chocolate sundae and two servings of strawberry waffles." He didn't look at the menu, ordering skillfully, "Oh, and bring a pack of tissues and three glasses of water, thanks."
The Waiter took the order and soon brought over the water and tissues.
Imaizumi Keita pushed the water glass and tissues to the opposite side, then leaned back in his chair, not speaking again.
Shioyaki Lemon, sitting opposite, clearly hadn't fully recovered from the sudden defeat.
She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on a small stain on the table, holding the water glass with both hands. The long straw, stirred unconsciously by her, formed a small vortex in the cup.
The food was served quickly. The sizzling hamburger patty, emitting an inviting aroma, was placed in front of Imaizumi Keita.
Two strawberry-decorated waffles were placed in front of Yanami and Shioyaki.
Yanami Anna pushed the steaming waffle towards Shioyaki Lemon, softly reminding her, "Lemon, have something sweet first, you'll feel better."
"...Mm."
Shioyaki Lemon responded dully, picked up a fork, but only aimlessly poked at the waffle.
"I just... don't understand."
She looked at the waffle on her plate, mangled by her poking, and said disjointedly, "Kouki doesn't have many girls around him, so most of the time he's with me. I thought we'd always be like this..."
"I thought, the two of us... would end up together, right...?"
Yanami Anna didn't rush to comfort her, but waited until she finished speaking before confirming:
"So, because Ayano-san basically only spends time with you, you thought he would be with you, right?"
"...Mm."
"And then, when he suddenly said 'I already have a girlfriend' in front of you,"
Yanami Anna continued, "you felt like everything you had always believed in just... collapsed, didn't you?"
Shioyaki Lemon suddenly looked up, her eyes now filled with shock. She looked at Yanami with disbelief.
"...Yes, that's exactly how it feels." Her voice trembled slightly. "Anna... how do you know...?"
She didn't voice the rest of her question, but the confusion in her eyes said it all.
Yanami Anna looked at her, a smile mixed with bitterness and relief appearing on her face.
She took a deep breath, and finally revealed the identity she had always been reluctant to mention again.
"Because..."
"I'm a loser too."
This statement completely stunned Shioyaki Lemon. After a few seconds, she asked, "You... too? Eh? A childhood sweetheart? Anna, did you used to like Hakamada?"
"That's right, it was my childhood sweetheart, Sousuke."
Yanami Anna's tone was calm.
"And even worse than you, Lemon, I not only watched him choose Karen, but was also invited by the two of them to join their date."
After hearing this, Shioyaki Lemon's eyes were filled with eager sympathy, "Eh, so Anna's relationship was like that?"
After she spoke, she realized that Yanami's recent expressions in her mind hadn't shown any pain. Her eyes lit up as she asked,
"Then... later, how did you... let go?"
"Let go...?"
Yanami Anna thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I don't think 'let go' is quite accurate. Because those feelings of liking were real, and the time and effort put into them were also real. It's not something you can just 'let go' of like deleting a file."
She didn't give a direct answer, but offered her own method.
"I just... found a way to make myself not feel so bad anymore."
"First, and most importantly," she raised a finger, "force yourself to reduce opportunities for one-on-one time with that person, and also reduce the frequency of checking their updates. If you don't see them, don't hear about them, it's naturally not as easy to overthink."
"Then," she raised a second finger, "transfer all the time and energy you spent on them to other things. It could be club activities, or other hobbies."
"Also, set some small goals that can be achieved in a short time. For example, improve your rank by a few spots in the next exam, or learn to cook a new dish. Reward yourself well for each one you complete. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and make you feel 'I'm doing great without him.'"
"Finally," she paused, glanced at Imaizumi opposite her, then continued, "find one... or a few trustworthy people to be with you. Don't try to bear it alone, especially when your emotions are prone to fluctuation. Having someone there to pull you through will make a big difference."
These words were clear and logical, all practical and feasible steps.
Shioyaki Lemon listened, a bit dazed, nodding subconsciously.
"Yanami is right."
Imaizumi Keita, who had been silently cutting his hamburger patty, finally spoke. He speared a piece of meat with his fork, put it in his mouth, and added:
"The Literature Club is having a training camp this weekend. Shioyaki, you can join us, just to clear your head. As for finding new hobbies..."
He glanced at the waffle in front of Shioyaki Lemon, which was almost untouched, then at Yanami Anna beside him, who was listening intently.
"Yanami's appetite seems to be growing lately. Perhaps 'tasting delicious food' is also a good option."
"Imaizumi-kun!"
Yanami Anna immediately puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, her eyes filled with the resentment of "Why are you bringing that up again?"
This sudden everyday bickering instantly lightened the heavy atmosphere.
Shioyaki Lemon watched the natural familiarity between the two of them, and the sadness on her face faded a little, replaced by a dawning curiosity.
She connected Yanami's words from earlier with the current scene, and a clear logical chain formed in her mind.
Anna is a loser.
She seems to have become so familiar with Imaizumi-kun after her defeat.
So...
Shioyaki Lemon slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on the man who was looking at Yanami with a helpless expression. With a tone of tentative kinship, she cautiously asked:
"Um... Kin-chan..."
"Were you... dumped too?"
The moment the words fell, Imaizumi Keita's expression visibly stiffened for an instant.
He slowly put down his knife and fork, the metal making a faint clink against the ceramic plate.
Then, he looked up, glaring at the gloating Yanami beside him, and emphasized.
"No."
"I'm just helping Yanami with her troubles because she asked me to."
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