All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 5: Seeing Through the Spring Breeze: "Encounter"

The falling speed of cherry blossoms is 5 cm per second.

This makes a rain of cherry blossoms last for quite a long time.

However, at this moment, Yukima Azuma had no time to appreciate this beautiful rain of blossoms.

He stood still, his eyes fixed on the scene ahead. After a long gaze, he could finally see two words resonating within the spring breeze: "Encounter."

At the top of Detective Hill, the girl stood there.

Her pristine white dress gently swayed in the wind, and the white beret lay neatly in her hands.

From above, her gaze met Yukima Azuma's. Her right hand lightly held the hem of her dress, while her left hand tucked stray bangs neatly behind her forehead.

Under the spring sunlight, she looked as though she had stepped out of a painting.

This was the beginning of a love story in a light novel.

Not a metaphor, but in the literal sense.

Yukima Azuma recognized the girl standing atop the hill, both in memory and in reality.

Kato Megumi—a beautiful heroine with no particularly outstanding traits.

Even without distinctive highlights, just interacting with and understanding her would make anyone unconsciously fall for her.

She didn't need stereotypical cuteness; she herself was the embodiment of the most unique charm.

From beside him, a "Wow!" of amazement suddenly rang out.

Honestly, it was a bit unpleasant to hear—a voice resembling that of a fanatical nerd.

Turning his head in the direction of the sound, Yukima Azuma saw a bespectacled boy on a bicycle.

The name seemed to be Aki Tomoya.

Flipping through his memory, Yukima Azuma quickly confirmed the boy's identity.

At this moment, Aki Tomoya was staring blankly at the hilltop, as if turned to stone. The expressions on his face shifted incessantly, clearly revealing that he was deeply engrossed in some sort of fantasy from which he could not extricate himself.

Truth be told, Yukima Azuma harbored no affection for Aki Tomoya.

The reason was simple.

Yukima Azuma had once been involved with Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Even though Yukima Azuma's presence had all but eliminated any chance of Aki Tomoya having a connection with Kasumigaoka Utaha, the irritation remained.

And so...

Yukima Azuma walked over to Aki Tomoya and gave a light kick to the rear wheel of his bicycle.

There was no need to use much force.

Aki Tomoya immediately lost his balance, and the bicycle wobbled back into motion.

Amid a cacophony of yelps, the bicycle with Aki Tomoya aboard staggered off toward the opposite side of the road.

On the far side of Detective Hill was a downward slope. Before long, Aki Tomoya's figure had completely vanished from sight.

Yukima Azuma let a satisfied smile cross his face.

At that moment, Katō Megumi descended from the top of Detective Hill.

"Yukima-san, you're really mean," she said softly.

Her voice was gentle, devoid of obvious emotion, like a feather drifting through the air. Yet, it was incredibly pleasant to the ear.

Yukima Azuma turned around and saw Katō Megumi standing there.

He placed the beret he had been holding onto her head.

Adjusting its position carefully, he tilted his head slightly to ensure it sat neatly and snugly.

Once finished, Yukima Azuma stepped back two paces, his gaze akin to admiring an eternal masterpiece.

"Kato-san, you look so adorable today. This outfit suits you perfectly."

"Thank you, Yukima-san, but I'm just an ordinary person. Compliments like that don't really serve any purpose."

"No, no, I truly mean it."

"Thank you. That makes me happy."

"Oh, so the first thanks is for me returning your hat, right?"

"Yukima-san, where were you headed?"

"I was planning to go grocery shopping. My fridge at home is completely empty."

"Really? What a coincidence. I was about to buy some ingredients too."

The two of them walked up Detective Hill together, chatting as they went.

Neither mentioned the less-than-pleasant manner in which Aki Tomoya had been "sent off" moments earlier.

Katō Megumi showed no sign of reproach or discomfort regarding Yukima Azuma's rather "aggressive" behavior toward the stranger.

In her mind, there was only one simple thought:

'If Yukima-san did that, there must be a reason behind it.'

Interestingly enough, Yukima Azuma and Katō Megumi had been classmates during the last six months of middle school.

After transferring from Tokyo to Chiba and then back to Tokyo, Yukima Azuma had coincidentally been placed in Katō Megumi's class.

Thanks to memories that had "taken the lead," Yukima Azuma quickly recognized Katō Megumi's existence—someone who often went unnoticed in the classroom.

From that point on, the two became friends.

In group activities or home economics classes, Yukima Azuma always chose Megumi as his partner.

Before Yukima's arrival, Katō Megumi usually completed assignments alone or was randomly assigned to groups.

.....

After a shopping trip, Yukima Azuma and Katō Megumi pushed a shared cart to the checkout counter.

When it was their turn, Megumi took the items from the cart while Yukima handed them over to the cashier.

"Huh, what's this?"

Katō Megumi picked up a bag of coffee beans, blinking curiously.

Yukima Azuma took it from her and asked casually:

"Is there something wrong?"

"If I remember correctly, Yukima-san is more of a tea person and almost never drinks coffee," Megumi replied.

"I'm surprised you noticed that much. I thought I'd try making homemade coffee this time."

Hearing this, Katō Megumi stared at the bag of coffee beans for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

After checking out, the two walked out of the supermarket together.

Katō Megumi's home was nearby.

Meanwhile, Yukima Azuma had to head in a different direction to catch the train.

So, at the supermarket entrance, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

After walking a few steps, Katō Megumi turned back briefly, glancing at the bag of coffee beans in Yukima Azuma's hand, tilting her head slightly.

.....

On the train, Yukima Azuma stretched a bit and took his phone out of his pocket.

Scrolling briefly through a shopping website, he quickly selected a DIY coffee machine.

After spending a fair amount of money, he even opted for express shipping.

He currently had enough funds, so splurging a bit wasn't an issue.

Besides, this was a necessary purchase.

Japan wasn't all that big. With expedited shipping, the coffee machine arrived at Yukima Azuma's apartment almost at the same time he did.

Receiving the coffee machine, he carried the package into his apartment.

At that moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha was on the first floor.

She seemed to be downstairs getting some water.

The two made eye contact.

Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly turned away, though her gaze flickered briefly toward the large box in Yukima Azuma's hands.

"What did he buy?"