Chapter 31. The First Snowfall of the Year. (2/2)

Snap.

When I heard a shutter sound go off for the second time, I turned around and verified that Rosa had taken the opportunity to climb down the ladder and sneak out the exit while I'd distracted this girl.

I'd been far enough that Rosa wouldn't have made out anything I'd said to the girl.

"Ah. Uhm. Sorry... I ended up taking another picture of you without permission."

"Haaaah. Well whatever, just don't show it to anyone else. It'd be troublesome if I get in trouble because I was caught up here because of it being seen by anyone else."

"Uh… yeah, sure. Sorry again." She averted her eyes to the side and shied away.

Seeing as my objective was complete I walked back toward the exit and passed by her side without another word.

Just when I thought I was home free, a hand grabbed onto mine from behind.

"Uh. Wait. Sorry if I annoyed you by taking a picture. I'll delete it I promise."

"It's really fine. You don't need to. I'm not one to make a fuss."

"Aren't you leaving because of it though?"

"No, I just figured it was about time to head back."

"But lunch break only just began, right? Weren't you here to watch the first snowfall as well? If it's because I ruined it for you I can leave."

"You really don't need to. I just figured you'd probably rather not be around a gloomy guy like me while watching the first snowfall of the year. It'd probably end up being an unpleasant memory after all."

"No, it's fine. I don't think that at all. Please stay, I'll leave."

"I'll leave."

"No, I will."

"Haaaah. Whatever, let's just both stay. This will just go on forever at this rate." She seemed like the very persistent earnest type and if I tried to leave at this point she would just end up leaving as well and she wouldn't get to enjoy her memory of this year's first snowfall as she'd originally intended.

It seems I'd inadvertently grown acquainted with quite the annoying type. She's too nice for her own good. She probably couldn't hurt a fly even if she tried.

The two of us walked over to the edge where I originally stood alone. She took a few pictures of the scenery together by my side while I watched her in silence.

When she was content with the number she'd taken, she looked them over one by one with an overly satisfied smile on her face. She wasn't trying to hide them either.

"It's like I thought." She mumbled that to herself.

Hearing her curious words, I couldn't help but ask, "What's like you thought?"

"It's a shame."

"Huh? What do you mean? What's a shame?"

"That only my eyes will be able to see the best picture I took today."

"Why would only you be able to see it?"

"What do you mean why? It's precisely because you told me I can't show it to anyone."

"I only said you can't show the first two you took that has me in it. You can show the other ones you just took without any need to worry about that." I seriously didn't understand how she came to that misunderstanding.

"Are you just playing dumb? It's because the first two turned out the best that I'm troubled."

I raised one brow at her incomprehensibly.

"The lone first-year boy under the year's first snowfall with his hand extended out to catch a single snowflake atop the palm of his hand while he muses to himself comparing his life to it in sorrow. You said you don't look good in pictures, but I completely disagree. The air of solitude in the picture is great! Good enough to be a wallpaper I'd be willing to buy. Haha, I might even fall for ya if I'm not careful." She joked while lightly tapping my side with her elbow.

"You'd just have weird tastes if you did."

"Says you. I bet you're actually pretty popular with girls."

"Who? Me? Not in the slightest. Anyway, I think I should start heading back to class. There are only five minutes left for lunch." I didn't bother to say goodbye. I just abruptly turned around and left.

When I was a few feet away she suddenly called out, "Hey, I never got your name."

I just pretended I didn't hear her. I didn't want to become acquainted any further than this.

"My name is-"

"There's no need to tell me. It's not like we'll run into each other or talk again in the future. Besides, I'm pretty bad with names and wouldn't remember even if you told me it anyway." I intentionally cut her off mid-sentence and gave such a hateful reply to ruin any sort of favorable impression she had toward me. It was easier that way. If she disliked me, we wouldn't ever interact in the future.

Receiving the cold response that she had, she didn't know how to respond. I was able to make it to the exit before she could think of what to say back.

It was a relief.

I returned to the classroom and found Rosa seated eating her lunch on her own.

When she saw me she complained, "What took you so long?"

"It was more troublesome to get away than expected. That girl's a pain to deal with."

"I'd expect as much. She is the most popular girl in the school. Even I know about her."

"Most… popular girl in the school?" I raised an eyebrow doubtfully as I repeated what Rosa said. Why don't I have any recollection of such a person? Well, it was naturally because I never cared enough to pay attention to those sorts of things back then. That part of me hasn't really changed though so I guess that's why I still don't know her.

"What? You mean to say you didn't even know who she was?"

"No. I don't pay enough attention to these kinds of things."

"She's quite popular among all years. Both among boys and girls. I've heard among the guys she's the number one girl guys would want to date. Isn't that nice? You got to interact with such a girl." She mocked me with a smile on her face.

"What's even more surprising is that I'm personally acquainted with her myself. You know how I hardly interact with girls in our class?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"She's so outgoing she'd even interact with me more than them. It's sad to say that I recently got her phone number. She'd even try to befriend a pitiful girl like me who can't befriend the other girls in her own class. Haaaah. It's just a testament to how nice she really is. If you weren't my boyfriend, I might have started playing for the other team and wanted to date her myself."

I looked at her with a weird expression.

"What?"

"If you like her so much, do you want to break up so you can date her?"

"Hmm…" she was seriously considering it.

Was my position as her boyfriend so weak that it was suddenly being threatened by not another man but a woman instead?

"No. I'll stick with you. I feel like I'd defile such a pure sweet girl like her if I so much as touched her."

"Right… I had that same sort of feeling when talking to her."

"Besides that, right now I'm looking to be defiled rather than being the defiler."

"Is that really something a girl should be saying?"

"Whose fault do you think that is?" She looked me directly in the eyes as though she were blaming me.

I sat down in my chair awkwardly and awaited the beginning of class.

It was only a bit later in the day during my shift at work that I realized what day it was today. I suddenly understood my bad luck encounter back on the rooftop. That cursed day of the month on Friday that I'd coincidentally encountered such an unreasonably popular girl.

If I'd only been a bit warier of the date, I could have entirely avoided this particular fateful encounter. I cursed myself for my naivety.