第82話 もしもし
一緒に中華街を回ろうと、二班で合流した矢先にはぐれてしまった朝陽と冬華。
暫く辺りを捜索してみたが、同じ学校の生徒は見かけるものの、目当ての友人を見つけることはできなかった。
「......電話、でませんね」
耳から携帯を離した冬華が困り顔で呟く。
連絡先は日菜美だったのだが、反応はなかったようだ。
単に気付かなかっただけか、それとも充電が切れてしまったのか。何にせよ、団体行動中なので早く合流しなければならない。
日菜美からの折り返しを待つ手もあるが、それだといつになるか見当がつかなかった。
「とりあえず千昭にかけてみるわ」
「お願いします」
メッセージアプリから千昭のアカウントを探し、朝陽は電話のボタンを押す。すぐにコール音が鳴り始め、やがてガサガサとした雑音に切り替わった。
「繋がったっぽい」
朝陽が小声で伝えると、冬華は同じく小声で「よかったです」と呟く。
「もしもし?」
「こちらの電話番号は現在使われておりません」
「......は?」
抑揚のない男性の声が聞こえ、それっきりプツンと電話は途切れてしまう。
朝陽が反応のない携帯を呆気に取られて見つめ、その様子を冬華は不思議そうに伺った。
「どうしました?」
「それはタイミングが悪いですね......。吉川さん、いつの間に番号を変えたのでしょう」
「いや、あいつとは昨日電話したばっかだし、変えたなら俺らに教えるだろ」
「それなら何故......」
「さっきの声、完全に千昭だった」
少しだけ声を変えていたが、実際に携帯から流れる機械音には程遠い。それに電話が切れる直前、特徴的な日菜美の笑い声が聞こえたので確信犯だろう。
どうやらバカップルの悪戯心を刺激してしまったらしい、と朝陽はそっとため息をつく。それから冬華と相談し、他のメンバーに電話をかけようと話していると、タイミングを図らったように朝陽の携帯から着信音が鳴った。
「誰からですか?」
「宮本」
正直に答えると、冬華の目が細くなり、僅かながらに頬が膨らむ。
何か言いたそうだったが、今置かれている状況を顧みたのか、冬華はコクリと一度頷くに止まった。それを電話を取れという促しと捉えた朝陽は、着信ボタンをスライドして「もしもし」と決まり文句を呟く。
「あっ、かがみん? 今どこいる?」
「千昭たちと合流した場所に戻って来た」
「おっけー、りょーかい!」
向こうからかけてきたこともあり、明日香とは電話と話が通じるらしい。
しかし、どう合流しようか相談しようとしたところで何やら風向きが怪しくなった。
「下手に動くとすれ違う可能性あるし、そっちは動かず待っててほしいんだけど......あれ、聞こえてるか?」
「......ん? あー、うん」
曖昧な返事に、朝陽は嫌な予感がよぎる。
「お前らがいる場所を教えてくれ」
「......あれ、今喋った?」
「だから、お前らがいる場所を――」
「あっれー、おかしいなー? 電波が悪いのかなー、全然聞こえないやー」
明らかな棒読みに、朝陽の顔に青筋が浮かび始める。
「お前の声ははっきり聞こえるんだが?」
わざとらしいとぼけ方に、朝陽は悪ふざけを誤魔化す日菜美と似たものを感じた。つまりは確信犯というわけだ。
「おい、宮も――」
「後でまた連絡するからそれまで二人で楽しんでって!」
朝陽が問い詰める前に、電波が悪いとは思えないクリアな音声を通して明日香が早口でまくし立てる。次に朝陽が口を開こうとした時には既に電話は切れていて、代わりにまたしてもため息をつくことになった。
電話が切れる間際、今度は龍馬の声が聞こえた気がしたが、内容までは把握できず。朝陽は何の収穫も得られなかった携帯電話を一旦ポケットに戻した。
「その様子ではダメだったみたいですね」
「後で連絡するから、それまで二人でだってさ」
明日香の言葉を伝えると、冬華は何故か少し表情を明るくさせた。
「どうする?」
「まだ他の奴に連絡するか、それとも二人で暫くぶらつくか」
班行動中なので、複数班での行動は許されど、はぐれて少人数での行動となれば話は違う。先生に見つかれば面倒くさいことになるし、他の生徒に見つかればもっと面倒くさいことになるに決まっている。
そういった場合を冬華も考慮しているのだろう。右手を顎に当てて、考える素振りを見せた冬華は、やがて晴れやかな顔で口を開いた。
「せっかくですし、どこかのお店に入りませんか?」
その誘いは、朝陽にとって願ってもないものだった。
店内なら先生の巡回もないだろうし、知り合いと出会う可能性も低くなる。
「いいね、俺もそう言おうと思ってた」
偶然か必然か訪れたこの機会に、冬華ともう少し二人でいたいという思いは当然あった。
朝陽が言葉を返すと、冬華は嬉しそうにやんわりと笑う。
それから携帯で良さそうなお店を探した二人は、カランカランと音を立てて扉を開けた。その先に、見知った顔がずらりと並んでいるのを見て、一瞬その場の時が止まる。
「......ふふっ」
最初に笑ったのは冬華だった。
次に日菜美と明日香が、そして千昭が続く。
朝陽も呆れたように笑みを浮かべ、龍馬はどこか安心したような表情を見せた。
「合流出来ましたね」
「そうだな」
意図せず目的を達成して良かったはずが、朝陽はその偶然を少しだけ残念に思った。
しかし、今日はもう十分すぎるほどに嬉しいことがあった。
「日菜美、千昭、宮本、お前ら後で携帯チェックな」
普段通りに切り替えた朝陽の言葉に、指名された三人はブーブーと抵抗を見せる。
いつの間にか、皆が笑顔を浮かべていた。
そんな楽しい浮かれた雰囲気は、校外学習の終わりまでずっと続いた。
Ch 82
Just as they met up with the others in Chinatown together, they got separated.
After searching the area for a while, although they saw students from the same school, they couldn't find the friends they were looking for.
"...They're not answering the phone."
Fuyuka took the phone away from her ear and muttered with a troubled face.
Her contact was Hinami, but there was no response.
Maybe she simply didn't notice, or maybe her battery had run out of charge. Whatever the reason was since they were a group performing activity they had to meet up as soon as possible.
They could wait for Hinami to call them back, but they had no idea when that would be.
"I'll call Chiaki for now."
"Please do so."
Looking for Chiaki's account from the message app, Asahi pressed the call button. Immediately, the call started ringing, which soon switched to a rustling noise.
"Looks like it's connected."
After Asahi whispered, Fuyuka mutters in a similar manner, "I'm glad."
"Hello?"
"This phone number is no longer in use."
"...Ha?"
He heard a man's voice, and then the call disconnected right after.
Fuyuka watched in wonder as Asahi stared at the unresponsive phone in dismay.
"What's the matter?"
"That's really bad timing... When did Yoshikawa-san change his number?"
"No, I just phoned him yesterday, and if he changed it, he'd tell me."
"Then why...?"
"That voice earlier was totally Chiaki."
He changed his voice slightly, but it was far from the actual mechanical sound coming from the phone. And just before the call was cut off, Asahi heard Hinami's distinctive laugh, so he was sure it was him.
He sighed softly, apparently having provoked the mischievous spirit of the couple. Then, as he and Fuyuka were talking about calling the other members of the group, Asahi's cell phone rang, as if it had been timed just right.
"Who is it from?"
"Miyamoto."
When he answered honestly, Fuyuka's eyes narrowed and her cheeks puffed out slightly.
She seemed to have something to say, but Fuyuka, perhaps looking at the situation they were in, only nodded once. Taking this as an invitation to pick up the phone, Asahi slid the call button and muttered a cliche, "Hello?"
"Oh, Kagamin? Where are you?"
"We're back at the place where we met up with Chiaki and the others."
"Roger that~!"
Asuka seemed to be able to properly communicate on the phone and talk unlike the other two.
However, just as they were about to discuss how to meet up, something went wrong with the wind.
"If you move, we might pass each other, and I'd like you to stay put and wait for me...Hmm? Can you hear me?"
"...Hm? Ah, yeah."
The vague reply gave Asahi a bad feeling.
"Just tell me where you guys are."
"...Wait, did you just say something?"
"I was saying where are you--"
"Hmm? This is so weird-- Is the signal bad--? I can't hear you at all--"
A blue streak began to appear on Asahi's face hearing the obvious monotone voice.
"I can hear you just fine, though?"
In the deliberate way she blurted it out, Asahi felt something similar to Hinami, who was trying to cover up a prank. In other words, an accomplice.
"Hey, Miyamo--"
"I'll call you later, enjoy yourselves until then!"
Before Asahi could question her, Asuka spoke up quickly through a clear voice that didn't seem to have a bad signal. The next time Asahi tried to open his mouth, the call was already disconnected, and he sighed again instead.
Just as the call was about to be cut off, he thought he heard Ryoma's voice this time, but he couldn't make out the content. Asahi put the phone back in his pocket, having gotten nothing out of it.
"I guess it didn't work out from what it seems."
"She said she'll call me later, so it's just the two of us until then."
When he told her what Asuka said, Fuyuka's expression brightened a little for some reason.
"What do we do?"
"Do you still want to call the others, or do you want us to hang out for a while?"
Since they were in a group activity, they were allowed to act in multiple groups, but if they got separated and had to act in small groups, it would be a different story. If the teacher found them, they would be in trouble, and if the other students found them, it would be even more troublesome.
Fuyuka must have taken such a case into consideration. She put her right hand on her chin and pretended to be thinking, but eventually opened her mouth with a radiant face.
"Since we're already here, why don't we visit one of the stores?"
That invitation was something that Asahi could not have wished for more.
If they were inside a store, there wouldn't be any teachers patrolling the area, and they were less likely to run into anyone they knew.
"Sounds nice, I was about to suggest it too."
Whether by chance or due to the inevitability, Asahi had a feeling of wanting to spend a little more time with Fuyuka.
When Asahi replied, Fuyuka smiled softly and happily.
Then, after searching for a good-looking store on their phones, they opened the door that made a chime. Time seemed to have stopped for a moment as they saw familiar faces lined up ahead of them.
"...Fufu"
Fuyuka was the first to laugh.
Hinami and Asuka were next, followed by Chiaki.
Asahi also smiled in dismay, and Ryoma looked somewhat relieved.
"We managed to meet up."
"I guess so."
It would have been nice to have achieved his goal unintentionally, but Asahi was a little disappointed with the coincidence.
However, he had more than enough to be happy about today.
"Hinami, Chiaki, Miyamoto, I'll be checking your phones later."
The three nominees displayed some resistance to Asahi's words, who had switched to his normal routine.
Before he knew it, everyone had a smile on their face.
Such a joyful and buoyant atmosphere continued all the way to the end of the extracurricular learning.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔