Chapter 66: Happiness Takes a Brief Leave, and the School Trip Arrives!
The two stood side by side in front of the magazine racks, neither especially close nor far apart.
Naturally, Utaha had heard every word of Saku's inner commentary.
Well, it was a little surprising, but it also made perfect sense.
After all, she herself was a character from one of those stories.
From Saku's inner voice, Utaha had learned long ago that this world was an anime crossover world formed from multiple different works.
She'd already gone through the shock back then.
Just as Saku had said, these things had little to do with their lives.
They would keep living the same way.
The sun would still rise tomorrow.
"You picked out a pretty female chef and a pretty female shogi player."
Utaha glanced at the magazines in Saku's hands, her soft voice carrying a hint of teasing.
"Thinking of buying them?"
"Nope."
Saku was admittedly curious whether the food in Food Wars! was really as absurdly good as the series made it look, but curiosity was all it was.
Totsuki Culinary Academy was highly isolated and wasn't even in the same area as him.
Their chances of running into each other were basically nonexistent.
Besides, Nakiri Erina's status was far beyond his reach.
It wasn't as though Saku had any realistic way to meet her.
「I wonder if Totsuki's queen, Nakiri Erina, has already met Soma Yukihira. Has he taught that arrogant girl a proper lesson yet?」
「She probably still doesn't realize that the 'commoner' she looks down on isn't much of a commoner at all.」
「His father is Joichiro Saiba, former Second Seat of the 69th generation Elite Ten.」
「Soma was trained by his dad from childhood and grew up constantly challenging him in cooking battles. How could someone like that be considered an ordinary commoner?」
「If we're being honest, he's basically a second-generation elite too.」
[Precise roast detected. Roast Points +100. Current total: 4,820.]
Saku blinked.
'So roasting people who aren't here really does still give points.'
The reward might be lower without the target present, but something was better than nothing.
...
Erina: 'What?! That commoner is actually... Damn it. I should've realized. How could some ordinary commoner possess cooking skills like that?'
'Jinnai Saku... should I go meet him?'
...
"Since you're not buying them, let's go."
Utaha stared at Saku with open exasperation.
She really had no idea what to do with his habit of mentally roasting people anytime, anywhere.
Once his thoughts finally stopped wandering, she simply suggested they leave.
"Uh, since we're already here..."
Saku suddenly remembered something.
"How can I visit a bookstore and not support Utaha-senpai's novels?"
"Oh, you really don't have to."
Utaha immediately put on a convincing display of modesty.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed Saku and marched straight back toward the light-novel section.
"They're right here."
She quickly found them.
"Two volumes in total."
「Utaha-senpai, I didn't expect you to have such a dishonest side too. Your mouth says you're embarrassed, but your body sure moved fast.」
Two light novels weren't particularly expensive.
At least, they were comfortably within Saku's budget.
"By the way, Senpai."
He picked up both volumes.
"When does your third volume come out?"
Utaha glanced upward thoughtfully.
"I'm not completely sure. I can ask Machida-san when we get back."
She considered it for another moment.
"But I suspect it'll release around the same time as your first volume."
"There's even a chance they'll launch together."
Utaha gave him a meaningful look.
"Machida-san seems interested in promoting the two of us as a pair."
With that, she placed both selected novels directly into Saku's hands and urged him toward the register.
After he paid, the two left the bookstore together.
Utaha's guess was entirely plausible.
The gimmick of a "genius high-school author" was easy to market.
And if the publisher had both a boy and a girl fitting that description, the pairing created even more publicity.
As a cross-promotion strategy, releasing Volume Three of Metronome in Love alongside Volume One of Saku's novel would probably benefit both books.
"Oh, right."
Saku suddenly remembered something.
"When we get home, sign these for me, Kasumi Utako-sensei."
Utaha glanced at him.
Saku continued cheerfully.
"I'll list them online afterward. A signed copy should sell for a pretty good price."
"..."
Utaha was rendered speechless by the sheer shamelessness of the plan.
Other fans would treasure her autograph forever.
This bastard's first thought was resale value.
If Saku failed to become rich someday, then there truly was no justice in the world.
"If you really want to sell autographs..."
Utaha narrowed her eyes.
"Why don't you get Mai to sign something?"
"Her signed photos would probably sell for even more."
Saku stopped walking.
"Hiss..."
He looked genuinely enlightened.
"Utaha-senpai, don't say another word."
"That's actually a great idea."
"I'll try it when I get home."
"..."
Utaha stared at him again.
The worst part was that he was completely serious.
"Don't tell Mai that idea came from me."
It was simply too shameless.
At that point, what was the difference between selling your own autograph yourself?
Utaha wanted no part of the blame.
They continued walking for nearly another half hour.
The afternoon sunlight gradually softened, while the breeze picked up a cooler hint of autumn.
Time spent alone always seemed to pass especially quickly.
Utaha found herself reluctant to let it end.
"Jinnai-kun."
She pointed ahead.
"There's an old crepe shop over there."
"I'll treat you to one. Consider it repayment for buying my novels."
Her tone carried just enough stubbornness to make refusal difficult.
Before Saku could even respond, she was already walking ahead, her skirt swaying lightly with each step.
Saku watched her unusually cheerful back and smiled helplessly before following.
After the crepes, Utaha found several more excuses to keep him around.
She needed to look at clothes.
Then shoes.
Then something else.
By the time the two finally arrived home, evening had already settled in.
Saku had to admit that shopping was physically exhausting.
Still, looking at the brilliant smile on Utaha's face, he somehow didn't feel quite as tired anymore.
Saku had only given himself one day off.
By Sunday, he threw himself straight back into his hectic work schedule.
Mai was leaving too.
She said that since she had some free time lately, she'd signed up for vocal lessons to improve herself.
For the next while, she probably wouldn't be able to stay over anymore.
In other words...
Saku's happy little stretch of cohabitation was temporarily coming to an end.
...
Several more days passed.
Thursday arrived.
It was finally time for the school trip.
Just as Saku had expected, among the second-year classes, only his class and Class F had been assigned the same destination.
Naturally, the two classes would travel together.
Autumn had fully arrived.
The students had all switched to their long-sleeved school uniforms and gathered at the designated meeting area with luggage in hand, chatting excitedly among themselves.
There were exceptions.
Yukino, for instance.
Almost no students stood anywhere near her.
Everyone seemed instinctively wary of the famous Ice Queen.
It wasn't that Yukino was incapable of being pleasant.
The problem was that her presence was far stronger than that of an ordinary student.
Combined with her exceptional abilities, anyone standing beside her naturally became background decoration.
Most people had little desire to serve as the leaves making someone else's flower look even more beautiful.
And so, a strange empty zone had naturally formed around Yukino.
Of course, Yukino herself wasn't the type to lower her pride and deliberately blend in just to make other people comfortable.
Those two factors combined perfectly to create the unusual scene before him.
"Are you one of the chaperones or something?"
Saku walked toward her with a teasing smile.
"Why are you standing all the way over here?"
He might be mentally mocking Yukino's situation, but his own circumstances weren't much better.
Just like her, he barely knew anyone in his class.
Friends were even further out of the question.
In the end, the cold girl standing by herself turned out to be the person at school he knew best.
"Boring."
Yukino glanced at him coolly.
"If your eyes are useless, you can donate them."
Her attitude remained as argumentative as ever.
Still, Saku could hear it.
Beneath that sharp tone was a faint trace of relief.
And happiness.
…