I Just Want a Single Ending [63]

Something feels off.

Reading over her latest message, Kamigawa Saku frowned slightly, reflexively analyzing it.

It was clear from her tone that Chihaya Anon was bothered by him going to the movies with Ikuyo Kita.

But why did she care?

Was she just letting him know that he could invite her to things like this in the future?

Or was she jealous and questioning him because of it?

Or maybe it was a bit of both… or maybe none at all?

Kamigawa leaned toward the idea that it was a mix of both.

If she didn't care at all about his friendship with Kita, she wouldn't have messaged him about it in the first place.

Still, it probably wasn't as intense as outright jealousy.

They hadn't known each other for that long, and he hadn't done anything to make himself "likable" to her—at most, he'd left a decent impression.

Seeing a guy she was friendly with suddenly spending time with another girl would naturally make her take notice.

And if it was just a mild interest, there was no reason to worry.

In fact, if there wasn't any friendliness between them, that would be strange.

After all, no one would genuinely want to be friends with someone they disliked.

As long as he managed things carefully and kept that friendly feeling from growing into something more, it would be fine.

With a general plan in mind, Kamigawa began typing his reply.

Kamigawa: I was going to invite you, but I figured you'd say no, so I didn't ask. Next time, I'll definitely invite you!

When he'd gotten the tickets, he really had thought about all his friends, Anon included, so he wasn't exactly lying here.

---

In the theater as she waited for the movie to start, Chihaya Anon read Kamigawa Saku's explanation, falling into deep thought.

According to him, after he'd received the tickets, he'd been considering who to invite when Ikuyo Kita had offered to accompany him. He hadn't turned her down.

Thinking of it that way, it really didn't seem like it was Kamigawa's doing.

At the very least, it wasn't as though he'd been determined to go to the movies with Kita specifically.

In a situation like that, anyone with a sense of politeness would have accepted the offer.

It was a request from a friend, after all—not something easy to refuse.

So, really, it was all Ikuyo Kita's fault!

Maybe she'd even planned it, purposely giving Kamigawa the tickets just so she'd have an excuse to watch a movie with him.

And she'd even bought the so-called "couple's combo" popcorn.

Who would've thought that the cheerful, sunny Ikuyo Kita could be so sneaky!

Of course, this was just her imagination, an ungrounded suspicion.

She still trusted Kita was a good person.

But what was she supposed to do about this?

After hesitating a moment, Anon began to type.

Anon: When's the "next time" going to be?

Kamigawa's response came quickly.

Kamigawa: Not sure—it'll depend on when I get the chance.

Anon pressed her lips together thoughtfully, then continued typing.

Anon: Then how about tomorrow?

Kamigawa replied:

Kamigawa: But don't we have practice tomorrow?

Anon: After practice. Let's go to karaoke.

Anon: Didn't I mention before that I'd sing for you sometime if we had the chance?

---

Her last message jogged Kamigawa's memory—she had said something like that when they'd been deciding on a vocalist for the band.

He'd assumed she'd just been kidding, but apparently, it had actually been a promise.

As he pondered, the system prompt appeared:

[Accept]

[Decline]

Kamigawa selected his response.

Kamigawa: Sure, I'll look forward to it!

After all, it was just karaoke with a friend—no problem.

[Stamina +3]

Seeing him agree so readily, Anon felt satisfied.

Alright, she'd let him off the hook for not inviting her to the movies.

She glanced up at the screen, which was starting to roll the movie, and quickly sent him a final message before putting her phone away.

Anon: The movie's starting. Talk later. See you tomorrow!

Kamigawa: Got it. See you tomorrow!

Once he'd sent his reply, Kamigawa slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Noticing the end of their conversation, Ikuyo Kita turned to him with an eager expression. "So, how'd it go?"

"No worries. Anon didn't misunderstand, everything's fine," Kamigawa reassured her briefly.

"That's a relief."

With that, Kita seemed completely at ease.

They finished the popcorn together as they continued strolling through the park.

After they'd circled the park, Kamigawa glanced at the time and realized it was almost noon. Turning to Kita, he asked, "By the way, are you hungry? Should we grab something to eat?"

"I'm still pretty full from all that popcorn," Kita replied thoughtfully. "But if Kamigawa-senpai is hungry, I'm fine with going along."

"I'm not too hungry either. I just thought I'd check with you since it's getting close to lunchtime."

"No need to worry about me."

Kamigawa passed her the choice. "So, what should we do next? Anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you for help with something else."

Kita lifted her gaze to meet his, looking a bit shy.

"Oh? What is it?" Kamigawa's interest was piqued.

"Well, since Gotoh-san has been teaching me guitar lately, I thought it would be nice to get her a little gift as a thank-you," Kita explained. "I'm just not sure what she'd like, so I thought maybe you could help me pick something out."

"Of course, I'd be happy to help!" Kamigawa agreed readily, finding no reason to refuse.

"So, what did you have in mind?"

"At first, I was thinking of getting her a new outfit, but I noticed Gotoh-san doesn't seem to change her clothes much…"

Kita recalled Gotoh Hitori's consistent choice of her pink tracksuit, even when playing guitar at the café, and decided against that idea.

Kamigawa nodded. "True. No matter where we are, she's always wearing that pink tracksuit."

It was hard not to wonder if she even owned anything else.

"So now I'm thinking maybe I could get her some accessories she might use," Kita continued.

"Something like hair clips?"

"Exactly! She does wear hair ties sometimes."

She was referring to the yellow and blue ice cube hair ties holding up Gotoh's ahoge.

"I think she'd love that idea," Kamigawa complimented.

"Then, Kamigawa-senpai, would you come with me to the accessory store?" Kita invited with a smile.

---

✧ Webnovel Readers, It's Holiday Time! ✧

Starting Dec 2nd, I'll be posting FOUR chapters a day for a whole week! 🎁 Let's celebrate the season together with lots of reading fun! (≧▽≦)

As always, thank you SO much for your support! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ You guys inspire me to keep going, and I'm so excited to share even more novels with you all. Let's make this a story-packed season!

Oh and before the month ends can you please leave a review? I want the translations to have a rating before December!

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check!

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