My Childhood Friend, Who I Made a Promise To Spend the Future With, Dumped Me... But Ever Since I Started Dating a Beautiful Girl From School, My Childhood Friend Has Been Acting Strange - Episode 21

It was after school, the end of the day.

As Tōma Suzuki finished preparing to leave, he decided to head over to Suzuhā Kamiya, who was in the same classroom.

They had planned to go home together today, and by the time Tōma spoke to Suzuhā, she had already finished getting ready.

Inside the classroom, Saori Azusa was chatting with someone else, so she didn’t see Tōma and Suzuhā together.

Wanting to avoid any trouble that might come from interacting with Saori, Tōma hurried Suzuhā along, and they left the classroom to head home.

Their destination now was Suzuhā’s house.

“By the way, is your house in that direction?”

As they left the school and walked along the road near the town, Tōma pointed into the distance.

“Yeah, I have to go through the town to get home. So it’s actually pretty far.”

“That sounds rough. Isn’t there a bus you can take?”

“I thought about commuting by bus, but the timing just doesn’t work for me. So I figured I might as well walk.”

“That makes sense. Buses run on a set schedule, so you can’t always use them at a convenient time.”

Tōma nodded in agreement as he listened to her explanation.

“I also considered riding a bicycle to school.”

“A bike, huh? That sounds like a good idea.”

“Yeah, but I’d have to walk it for about half the way. I have to go through the town, and there are a lot of pedestrians, both in the morning and on the way home.”

“That does sound like a hassle.”

“Exactly. And in winter, when it snows, I wouldn’t be able to ride it at all.”

“That makes sense.”

“And since I’m not in any clubs, I figured walking is a good way to get some exercise.”

“That does sound healthier.”

“Yeah. What about you, Tōma? Do you take a bike or bus?”

“The roads I take are mostly residential, so there aren’t any buses. It doesn’t take too long to walk, so I just go on foot.”

“That’s nice. It must be convenient living close to school.”

“So why did you choose this high school, Suzuhā?”

Tōma turned the conversation toward her.

“All the high schools were kind of far from my house, but this one was the closest. Back in middle school, though, I lived much closer.”

“Oh? But in this area, there’s only one middle school—the one I went to.”

Tōma had never known Suzuhā in middle school. In fact, she hadn’t even been a student there.

“Oh, I moved here when I started high school.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yeah. Now, I live with my mom at my grandparents’ house.”

“It must’ve been tough moving. Wasn’t it hard leaving your middle school friends behind?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to leave them, but there wasn’t anything I could do. But now I have you, Tōma, so it’s fine.”

Even though it must have been difficult, Suzuhā answered with a smile.

“Well, let’s put that aside for now. Before we head to my place, why don’t we stop somewhere and buy something? There are department stores and restaurants on the way home. Some places offer takeout too.”

“That sounds good. Do you have anything in mind?”

“Hmm, how about donuts? They’re easy to eat like a snack.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“There’s a donut shop just a little further ahead.”

As they walked through the center of town, the evening crowd had grown, making the streets busier.

Soon, the donut shop’s sign came into view.

“There it is! Let’s go in.”

Suzuhā grabbed Tōma’s right hand and pulled him inside.

The shop had an eat-in area and was relatively spacious.

Right near the entrance, a glass display case showcased the donuts.

With more than 30 varieties, Tōma found himself struggling to decide.

“What are you getting, Tōma?”

“Let’s see… I think I’ll go with an old-fashioned donut.”

“This one?”

Suzuhā pointed at a donut with tongs.

Tōma nodded, then took the tongs and placed the donut on a tray.

“Yeah, that one. And maybe a strawberry old-fashioned too.”

“The one with pink strawberry chocolate on the edge?”

“Yep. You should pick something too. It wouldn’t be fair if I’m the only one choosing.”

“Then I think I’ll get donut pops.”

Tōma glanced at the display again and realized that the item Suzuhā mentioned wasn’t visible in the case.

“Donut pops?”

“You know those small, round donuts? They come in a circular box.”

“Oh, those! I think I had them before.”

He remembered his younger sister, Emi, bringing some home after shopping with their mom.

“Do you want some too? If you do, I’ll order extra.”

“Are they not in the display?”

“Nope. You have to order them directly. So, are those two enough for you?”

“If you’re getting donut pops, then I’m good.”

“Alright, let’s go pay.”

They headed to the register together.

“Will that be all for your order?” the cashier asked.

“Yes. You’re good with this too, right, Tōma?” Suzuhā confirmed.

“Yeah. I’ll pay for it today.”

“It’s fine. I’ll cover it.”

“But—”

“Then let’s just split it.”

“If that works for you.”

They checked their wallets and agreed to split the cost.

“Have you decided on a payment method?” the cashier asked.

“Yes, we’ll split the bill,” Suzuhā answered.

The total came to 1,200 yen, so they each paid 600 yen.

The cashier placed their donuts in a paper bag, then packed it into a plastic bag along with the box of donut pops.

After hearing the cashier’s polite “Thank you very much,” the two of them left the shop and continued their walk toward Suzuhā’s house.