Summer Vacation Arc: 61 Love and Café

Summer Vacation Arc
61 Love and Café

One day around lunch time.

Meru and Maiko were walking together around the crowded area in front of the station.
Today was the long-awaited day for Meru and Maiko to hang out.

“Maiko-chan, you’re so fashionable.”
“Really?”

Meru spoke earnestly, looking at Maiko.
Today, Maiko was dressed in a casual look that seemed as though it could be published in a magazine, so fashionable that even Meru who had no interest in fashion could tell.
Plus, Maiko was already tall and had a good figure.
On the other hand, Meru was wearing a T-shirt and culotte pants in a look that was neither good nor bad.

“It would be good if you dressed up, too. It would definitely suit you.”
“I’m bad at picking out clothes on my own.”

Whatever it said about her as a girl, Meru wore clothes that she had had for a long time, so she didn’t really understand the notion of “There are clothes I want” that girls often talked about. Even the clothes she was wearing now were picked out and paid for by Maiko when they went out previously and happened by a cheap sale.

“A girl like you…”

Maiko muttered with a dumbfounded expression. However, having seemingly thought of something suddenly, Maiko tapped her fist against her hand.

“I’ll pick out some clothes for you.”
“Eh?”

Maiko said and pulled Meru to a boutique in front of the station.

“Uwah…”

Meru entered the store and retreated.
The adorned clothing and everything else was too cute for Meru.

“Hey, Meru, what are you doing? Hurry up and come.”
“Nooo, this is too cute for me, and…”
“It’ll definitely suit you! Believe me!”

Overpowered by Maiko’s confidence, Meru went to her side.

“If you use makeup, you’ll definitely be cute.”

Maiko said while matching clothes to Meru.

Meru recalled the time she was at La Faust Academy. It’s true that everyone said she was cute with the makeup. Only Hayate didn’t say it.

“Hmm. I think it probably didn’t suit me.”

Meru took everyone’s words as just empty flattery while taking Hayate’s reaction as his true feelings.

“I wonder. When it relates to yourself, you’re always extremely harsh. Ah, how about this?”

Maiko passed over some clothes to Meru. Seeing Meru standing there with her head tilted, Maiko heaved a heavy sigh.

“Go try it on.”
“Eh? Ah, I see.”

Meru swept her eyes around the area, found a fitting room, and trudged over to it. She greeted the staff member there and entered.

“This…I wonder if it will suit me…”

Meru looked the clothes Maiko had passed to her over again and murmured.

There was a blouse with a white base and pale, floral pattern, with frills from the armholes to the shoulder. For the bottom, there was a beige flare skirt.

Meru hesitated briefly about putting them on, but since Maiko had gone to the trouble of choosing them for her, she resolutely wore them.

Shhk.

Meru opened the fitting room’s curtain.
Maiko and the staff member were standing in front of it, and both of their faces lit up with enthusiasm.

“That’s great!”
“It really suits you!
“Ehh…”

Meru looked at herself in the mirror. She felt that the clothes were too cute in contrast to herself.
When she said so, Maiko shook her head and said, “It really suits you.”

Certainly, she definitely wouldn’t buy clothes like these if it wasn’t a time like this.

“Then, I’ll take them.”

Meru said a little embarrassedly. Maiko looked incredibly happy upon hearing Meru’s words, and Meru was satisfied with just that.

“It would have been good if you changed your clothes.”
“No, no, I’m good like this today.”

Meru had returned to the clothes she wore in the first place. The cute clothes she had bought were in a paper bag.

They were at a café for a light lunch.

Meru had a sandwich and a café au lait, while Maiko had gotten pasta and coffee.

“Are you staying in contact with those good-looking executives during summer vacation, too?”
“Ahh, yeah. We went to the beach recently.”

When Meru said that with a calm expression, Maiko’s eyes widened and she whispered, “I’m jealous…” quietly while twirling her pasta around her fork.

“Meru, is there anyone you like among the executives?”
“I like everyone.”
“Not that way…”

Maiko put a hand to her head and sighed.

“I’m talking about liking someone as in love.”

When Maiko spoke, Meru smiled a little helplessly.

“I’ve never been in love, so I don’t get that kind of thing.”
“Even though you’re that popular?”

Meru knitted her brows and returned Maiko’s comment with a question of her own, asking, “Who are you talking about?” Seeing Meru like that, Maiko put her hand to her head and sighed once more.

“Don’t the executives only treat you specially?”

It was something the wife at the beachside hut had also said. Meru let out a small breath.

“I’m not special. I’m just a little good at doing my job, so I can be with them.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”

Maiko didn’t think that was likely. However, there was absolutely no way Meru would recognize that, so she didn’t pursue it further.

“How about you, Maiko-chan?”
“Me?”

Maiko was surprised when Meru turned her question back on her. Maiko nodded with a slightly reddened face as she slowly twirled her pasta.

“Um, Meru, what do you think about Takimoto?”
“Takimoto-kun? He’s pretty funny and a good guy… Maiko-chan, is Takimoto-kun the one you like?”

Looking incredibly embarrassed, Maiko nodded again. Meru’s eyes widened in surprise.

“He’s not my type at all, and he’s really annoying, but…I think I like him.”
“I see…”

Meru brought her café au lait to her mouth, still surprised.
As far as Meru could remember, Maiko and Takimoto were always fighting with Meru in between them.

“But, you know? I think Takimoto likes you, Meru.”
“Bufu!”

Meru accidentally spit out the café au lait she was drinking. Thankfully, it all returned to her cup, and Meru hurriedly denied her.

“There’s no way. To Takimoto-kun, I’m someone he goes to to fill his stomach, or only when he needs help.”
“It’s exactly because of that that I think you’re wrong.”

Maiko drank her coffee while smiling bitterly.
Meru stared at her. When Maiko noticed that, she tilted her head to the side.

“Hey, Maiko-chan. It’s definitely impossible, but in the unlikely event that Takimoto-kun does like me…what would you think?”

If that was the case, Meru would become an obstacle to Maiko.
Maiko looked at Meru who was smiling uneasily with a serious face.

“I wouldn’t like it. It would be really painful.”

Meru closed her eyes, having heard what she expected. However, Maiko continued to speak.

“But, you know? If his partner was you, Meru… If Takimoto chose you, I might be able to know that I wasn’t mistaken…that he is a good guy after all.”

Maiko said and smiled.

“Well, it’s because it’s not confirmed that Takimoto likes you that I can say all these pretty things, though.”

And then Maiko savored her pasta.

Meru smiled watching her.

There was no one who would say, “I’d break our friendship off,” in front of the person in question. Meru asked knowing that. She knew that it was unfair of her to do so.

Despite that, Maiko spoke harshly, and left her with the words she wanted.

Even if they were just empty, pretty words, she was content with that right now.

“I hope it turns out well.”
“I have a bad habit of always complaining when I see his face, so I have to fix that.”

Maiko sighed heavily.
To Meru, she looked several times cuter than usual.

She had heard somewhere that girls get cuter when they fall in love.

“Love, huh…”

She wanted to know what it felt like to fall in love.
It was just a little, but that desire sprouted in Meru’s heart.

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<TLN>
A very sweet chapter. Also, I’m the same way as Meru with clothes oops. I wear whatever I have until it’s falling apart ahahaha. Hope you enjoyed!

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