Chapter 44: A Different Flavor
After finishing their shopping trip, Nagino and her companions found a relatively large café in the mall.
The group, set to participate in a school trip in two days, planned to solidify their itinerary today.
Meanwhile, Kuzuzuka and Chika were discussing the potential “curse” that might affect Nagino, trying to find ways and ideas to resolve it.
Among them, Chika’s method was the most straightforward.
Upon learning that Nagino had amnesia, she went to the Hakurei Shrine to ask for a white amulet for health on Nagino’s behalf.
Nagino was very happy to receive the amulet from Chika.
Because in her diary, the last time she was cursed, it was the amulet from the Hakurei Shrine that saved her.
On the other hand, Kanade and Mana nearly jumped out of their seats when they saw the amulet.
It wasn’t until Chika secretly explained to them that it was just a very “ordinary” amulet bought from the shrine and not a “token” from the false deity Hakurei that they calmed down.
“Since this curse targets couples, would it help if Kanade and Nagino ended their pretend relationship?” Kuzuzuka suggested regarding the potential victims of the curse.
“Indeed…” Kanade nodded seriously upon hearing this.
If the curse only applies to couples, then as long as she and Nagino “break up,” wouldn’t that solve it?
“But I think this might be a trap…” Nagino’s raised hand interrupted Kanade’s train of thought.
“If we ‘break up,’ wouldn’t everything the curse states come true?”
Nagino expressed her concern.
If this were to make the curse take effect, it might become challenging for her to recover her memories in the future.
Therefore, she hoped to resolve this curse before the “pretending to be lovers” relationship ended.
After speaking, Nagino picked up the coffee she had just ordered and took a sip.
However, when her tongue touched the bitter liquid, she suddenly grimaced, unable to suppress her reaction and let out a small “ugh.”
Everyone present turned to look at her.
The next moment, a flustered Nagino quickly covered her mouth as if trying to hide her moment of embarrassment.
Her expression was as adorable and surprised as a kitten that had just bitten into a lemon.
“So bitter…” Nagino blinked and quietly said, feeling shy.
What she held was a cup of unsweetened black coffee.
When the waiter arrived to take the order, she had just instinctively chosen it.
But she didn’t expect that she couldn’t drink it at all.
“Is little Nagino a sweet-tooth?” Kuzuzuka laughed to lighten the mood.
Nagino buried her face, reddening thoroughly. Perhaps, to others, she seemed like a child trying to act grown-up by drinking black coffee?
Nagino thought if she chose to add sugar here, she would have lost.
So she tried another sip—
“Ugh…” It was still not manageable.
“Um, um, little Nagino, do you want to drink mine? Let’s switch…” Kanade suggested boldly, feeling sympathy for Nagino trying to hold back.
He had ordered coffee milk.
“I haven’t drunk it yet…” He offered the cup.
Then he added, as if to spare Nagino’s embarrassment, “I just happen to want to drink black coffee…”
Upon hearing this, Nagino’s mind became a complete mess.
—What, what does that mean!? Why does he suddenly want to have an indirect kiss with me???
Nagino’s face was flushed as her head felt like it was bubbling.
—And he said it in such a gentle and considerate tone…
—Could it be that the former Nagino had her heart stolen by Kanade’s unintentional advances!?!
The others present realized Kanade’s suggestion was a bit bold.
But since he appeared completely unaware and the other party was already shyly spinning her eyes, everyone kept silent, watching the situation unfold with amusement.
The only one with a conscience, Mana, had been suppressed by Kuzuzuka and Rin.
Chika, who could stop Kuzuzuka, was currently exhilarated, feeling her nose heat up at the sight of these innocent childhood friends.
“Um, um… thank you…” Nagino forced herself to remain calm and handed her black coffee to Kanade.
While she felt very shy internally, thinking of this as a dream opportunity to get closer to Kanade, she couldn’t refuse.
Nagino was someone who wanted to seize every chance to draw closer to him.
But Kanade seemed still unaware of Nagino’s complex feelings.
He kindly took the black coffee from Nagino and gently pushed his coffee milk toward her.
While Nagino was very concerned about Kanade holding the coffee she had “drunk,” Kanade himself felt pleased to be able to help Nagino.
—Could it be that Kanade is a heartthrob who unconsciously charms girls?!
At this point, pointing it out would only make things more awkward.
So Nagino pretended not to notice anything and took a sip of Kanade’s coffee milk.
It was sweet.
Delicious.
Huh? Does coffee milk taste that good? Nagino felt a little addicted.
Seeing this, Kanade, as if to prove he hadn’t lied earlier, also took a sip of his black coffee.
Unexpectedly—
It was sweet.
“Hmm?” Kanade looked at the cup in surprise.
What was inside was indeed unsweetened black coffee, just like the one Yukino had ordered for him last time.
But why was it that last time he couldn’t swallow the black coffee, but this one tasted so good?
Kanade took another sip.
It was still sweet.
Could it be that the taste of black coffee varies that much between different shops?
Kanade had changed his view on black coffee, and now it might make it onto his favorite drink list.
Meanwhile, Nagino was stealing glances at Kanade throughout.
Each time Kanade’s lips touched the rim of the cup, Nagino’s bright and clear eyes trembled shyly.
Especially her perfectly beautiful face was now as red as if it were on fire.
At that moment, Kanade finally noticed Nagino’s unusual behavior.
His gaze happened to fall on the cup in his hand.
On the other side of the cup’s rim, faintly residual lip prints left by Nagino’s lip balm reflected an alluring sheen in the light…
“Bang!” Kanade, realizing this too late, felt his cheeks blush visibly.
Noticing this, Nagino hurriedly averted her gaze, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything.
Seeing this, Kanade also realized that pointing it out here would make both parties very awkward.
So he could only turn his head away, pretending not to notice… but the black coffee he had just drunk felt even sweeter now.
“Such a pure little Nagino with so much common sense… what a refreshing feeling~” Kuzuzuka murmured, watching the flushed childhood friends in front of him.
The previous Nagino had no sense of distance between boys and girls, too naïve and carefree, making people worry.
But the amnesia-stricken Nagino had turned into a shy and sensitive beauty who understood boundaries.
In an instant, it was hard to decide which Nagino was better.
Watching such a beautiful girl attack her oblivious childhood friend made one involuntarily sigh, “This is youthful love~”
Perhaps in this state…
Kuzuzuka seemed to think of a good idea.
“Speaking of which, since the curse makes the couple’s relationship deteriorate and break up,”
Kuzuzuka gestured, “Then as long as your relationship becomes closer and closer, could it reverse the curse?”
“Eh!?” The shy childhood friends simultaneously let out strange sounds.
“Is that so!?” Yukino and Rin seemed to smell the fun.
“Closer, even closer…” Chika felt she was about to faint, and Mana quickly reached out to support her.
After exchanging shy glances, Nagino and Kanade looked away awkwardly.
Nagino didn’t want to miss any opportunity to get closer to Kanade.
And Kanade, feeling guilt from before and hoping Nagino would quickly regain her memories, couldn’t refuse.
Thus, the proposal was approved.
In the subsequent discussion about the itinerary for the school trip,
everyone pooled their ideas to design a “sweet journey” to “counter the curse” for the two of them.
During this time, the more Kuzuzuka thought about it, the angrier he got, and he eventually couldn’t help but complain about why he had graduated a year early.
He even tried to incite Chika to wear their old uniforms with her and sneak onto a luxury cruise.
“N-No, that’s not possible!” Chika replied a little flustered.
“I can’t fit into my middle school uniform anymore!”
“Is that the point!?”
