Chinatown - Chapter 4

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Game Research Club Room

Tsumugi: …..?

Makoto: That game is co-op only, which, while difficult, is a lot of fun~♪

Since there’s three of us, why don't we try it at the hardest difficulty?

Sora: Yes! Sora will work together with Yuuki-sensei and Senpai~!

Tsumugi: (Hm, how strange. Sora-kun seems like his usual self. And it doesn’t feel like he’s just putting on an act, either....?)

Sora: Senpai, what’s the matter? You’re giving off a curious “color”...

Tsumugi: Ahaha, of course you’d notice that right away, Sora-kun.

...Um, well I heard that you were really upset, so I thought it strange that you didn’t seem that way to me at all.

Makoto: Huh, Harukawa-kun is upset? I didn’t notice at all, even though we spent so much time together today.

Sora: …..? Sora isn’t upset or anything. Who did you hear that from, Senpai?

Tsumugi: Keito-kun told me about it when I went to the student council room to drop off some documents earlier.

Sora-kun, didn’t you feel dejected when you got told off by him?

Sora: Hmm~, well, Sora did meet Kei-chan-senpai in the hallway. But Sora wasn’t dejected or anything like that~?

Tsumugi: But Keito-kun said that you wouldn’t say a single word to him in response, and on top of that, you had tears welling up in your eyes. It was really weighing on him, too.

Makoto: ...Wasn’t that because of Harukawa-kun’s stomachache?

Tsumugi: Sora-kun, you had a stomachache?

Sora: Yes. Back then, Sora was desperately trying to get to the infirmary, which is why he was running in the hallways. Then, Sora almost ran into Kei-chan-senpai.

He stopped Sora in his tracks and said a bunch of stuff at Sora. But for Sora, it wasn’t the time for that.

By the time Kei-chan-senpai left, Sora’s pain had gotten so bad that he couldn’t even move.

Makoto: Yep yep, and that’s when I happened to pass by.

Harukawa-kun was crouching in the corridor, his eyes full of tears. I was so shocked to find him like that~.

Sora: Yuuki-sensei~ supported Sora and helped him walk, so he made it to the infirmary in the end~. Sora wouldn’t have been able to make it by himself.

Tsumugi: Eeh? But that’s also an emergency in its own right…!

If your stomachache was that bad, it’s no trivial matter. Do you know what caused it?

Makoto: I asked Sagami-sensei the same thing, but he couldn’t figure it out either.

But in all likelihood, his stomach got cold when he was napping outside*.

Sora: It was nice and warm out today, so Sora took a stroll in the garden terrace!

And then Sora got kind of drowsy, so he decided to take a nap in the shade of a tree.

But during the nap, Sora’s stomach started feeling all weird, so he woke up~.

Sora tried to endure it, but the pain kept getting worse, and that’s why he hurried to the infirmary.

Tsumugi: I see, and that’s when you came across Keito-kun. So, the reason why you were so teary-eyed was also…

Sora: Sora’s stomach had been hurting for so long that he didn’t even notice the tears welling up in his eyes.

Tsumugi: So that’s what it was~. By the way, Sora-kun, is your stomach okay now?

Sora: HiHi~♪ Yes, it’s all better already ♪

Makoto: I guess your stomach warmed up from the hot tea Sagami-sensei made for you while you were resting.

Harukawa-kun said he was feeling better, and suggested playing some games, so we came to the game club together. And we’ve been playing games here ever since.

Good thing the stomachache wasn’t caused by anything serious~.

Tsumugi: Hmhm, now I see the whole picture.

I’m relieved to hear that Sora-kun wasn’t upset, and that his stomachache got better. All’s well that ends well ♪

Please be careful not to let your stomach cool down during a nap again, Sora-kun.

Sora: Yes, understood! Senpai, thank you for worrying about Sora!

Tsumugi: Don’t mention it. In any case, everything turned out fine ♪

...Aah!

Makoto: Woah, what are you yelling for all out of nowhere, Aoba-senpai?

Tsumugi: Oh this is bad, I completely forgot about Keito-kun!

Makoto: The vice-president...? Is something up with him?

Tsumugi: Actually, Keito-kun is making Chinese steamed buns in the kitchen as we speak.

Makoto: Wh-, Chinese steamed buns? Why on earth..?

Tsumugi: I-in any case, I need to tell him the truth about this matter immediately. Otherwise he’ll make tons of steamed buns for nobody at all!

Makoto: Uhh. What do you mean, “steamed buns for nobody at all”... I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about…

Sora: What’s this about? Are we talking steamed buns? Sora loves Chinese steamed buns~♪

The ones we had with Shisho~ the other day were really tasty ♪

Tsumugi: Yeah they were, weren’t they~? I remember it like it was yesterday.

Well, I guess that’s exactly why we’re in this mess now to begin with…

Makoto: Hrrm? At this point I’m so confused I don’t even know if you want me to give a funny retort or what. Umm… Seriously, what happened, Aoba-senpai?

Tsumugi: Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything from the beginning. So here’s what happened…

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* It’s a common belief in Japan that a cold stomach is the cause of many stomach problems, including nausea and stomachaches. Apparently it’s not backed up by any scientific data though.