Part 156: Smart move

Music: Tender Scenery



"…I want to ignore her, but I guess I can't… More than anything, I'm scared of what she'll do to me if I do ignore her."
I get up with my lunchbox.
I prepare myself for the questioning I'll get from the guys after I get back.

Music: Stop

"Tohsaka. What are you doing here?"



"I-I'm taking a walk! It's natural for me to eat lunch during lunchtime, right?"



She's restless and doesn't try to look me in the eyes.

"Oh, okay. Then you can continue with your walk.
I'm going to go eat in the student council room."
I wave her goodbye and turn around.



"Hey now, Tohsaka. I don't know what happened, but I don't understand it like that. If there's something you want to tell me, go ahead."


""
Tohsaka's looking at me hesitantly.
…Hmm.
Could it be…?

"Did you forget your lunch money? I can't give you my lunch, but I can lend you some money."



"……! You're so wrong, you idiot!!"



After a few seconds, everything resumes as if nothing has happened.

""
…I see. Everyone protected their reality by ignoring what happened.
There's no way that the perfect, beautiful honor student, the school idol, Tohsaka Rin, would scream out the word "idiot" in the hallway.
Therefore, what happened in the past minute was completely erased from their memory.

Yeah, we can't have women with personality. That's just too bizarre.

"……"
…I envy them.
I want to amend my memory from about four days ago.

"So? If it's not lunch money, what is it?"




"Uh… Y-You're having lunch now, right? Do you want to come with me? I know a better place than the student council room."

Tohsaka says so while looking at me from time to time.
…Oh.
She just wants to talk to me because she wants to have a strategic meeting.