"I will help you change everyone's impression of you," Onodera said, saying those words as if they were a declaration.
"Can I have a matcha and also anmitsu?"
"Yes."
As the waitress wrote his order, Onodera's gaze remained fixed on Ishigami, her silence forbidding. She had made a grand statent, yet this guy was more interested in the sweets.
At that mont, they went to a Japanese sweets restaurant near their school. After they t, they went directly sowhere for their eting, and this shop caught his eye as it was his first ti trying Japanese sweets.
As soone with a sweet tongue, it would be impossible for him to ignore this chance.
"By the way, are you really treating , Onedera-san?"
Nevertheless, it surprised him that she was going to treat him, but as she said so, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Yeah, just order what you want."
Most of the students in their school were wealthy and comprised 1% of the high-inco citizens. Naturally, Onodera's parents were also part of such citizens, and as the first daughter of the jewelry company owner, it was impossible for her to be poor, so treating Ishigami to this sweet shop was nothing for her.
"Thanks." Ishigami thanked Onodera and then asked, "By the way, have you tried a Japanese sweet Onodera-san?"
"Now that you ntion it, I haven't." When she heard such a question, Onodera realized that she hadn't tried Japanese sweets.
"Then, you should make an order."
"What did you order?"
"Anmitsu and matcha."
"Are they good?"
"I am not sure. I just followed the recomndation since, like you, I have never tried the Japanese sweet."
"..." Onodera looked at Ishigami speechlessly, realizing how much guts this guy had. Trying sothing new wasn't easy for so people, and they needed a lot of ti to make a small decision, but naturally, she wasn't one of those people. "Then, I will order the sa, but I will get an Earl Grey ice cream."
After all, there was sothing that she wanted to discuss with Ishigami, which was more important than a re sweet!
Still, she didn't mind eating a sweet or two during their conversation.
"By the way, I am sorry for forgetting to chat with you on LINE before." Nevertheless, Ishigami apologized as he had forgotten to remind Onodera when he finished with his problems.
"No, it's fine." Onodera shook her head and asked, "Is the student council busy?" Her expression was better when she heard Ishigami's apology; then, she asked whether she had caused him trouble by inviting him so suddenly.
"It's fine. There is so work, but it isn't sothing that I can't handle."
While there were many things that Ishigami wanted to do, all of those things could be pushed aside for a while.
"Once again, I am sorry." Onodera apologized for both taking his ti when he was busy and for mocking him during class.
"Don't apologize repeatedly. It's fine. You have even treated to sweets, too."
Probably because it was a habit of every person in this country to apologize repeatedly, Ishigami also understood Onodera's action.
"Thanks." Onodera smiled, and then Ishigami asked, "So, what is it again? Do you want to help ?"
"Yes!" Hearing his question, she nodded repeatedly. "I want to help you!"
"For?"
"So, your impression on everyone will change! You want to change, right? I will help you!"
Ishigami looked at this excited girl strangely and asked, "Why?"
"....."
Onodera was stunned and fell into silence for a while, but she also understood that her action was weird in Ishigami's eyes. She had previously mocked him, and after all of that, she told him that she wanted to help him.
If he didn't think of her as a strange girl, then it was impossible.
Or rather, did she appear creepy in his eyes?
However—
"I... don't know why, but I can see that you really want to change. While I know you might not believe , especially when I hurt you with my an words... I regret my actions and words toward you. Maybe it might be just satisfaction, or maybe because I just want to apologize, but believe , I just want to help you..."
Onodera wasn't sure what kind of expressions when she said all of that, but her expressions were so mixed with many. Frankly, she even wondered why she even took a lot of trouble to help him.
Was it due to the guilt in her heart?
Or was it due to his conviction of wishing to change, which he had shown her previously?
Unlike her, who was so childish, she listened to the rumors and then looked down on the people in the rumors as if she were a higher being than them.
When she saw his eyes, who just calmly looked at her and told her "thank" after she said such an things, she felt like... she had woken up. It was like cold water was poured on her head.
It might be late or might even be seen as creepy by him, but even so, Onodera wanted to help him.
"Onedera-san."
"Ye-Yes."
After saying all of that, it would be impossible for Onodera not to be nervous and unable to et his eyes, but his gentle voice sohow made her gain courage and t his eyes timidly.
"Thank you."
"Then..."
"But I am sorry. You don't have to help ."
"Eh?! Why?!" Onodera was stunned by his unexpected answer. She thought that he would agree, yet why did he reject her?
"Let's say you want to help ; what will you do?" Ishigami asked while looking at Onedera in doubt.
"Er..." Onodera thought for a while and said, "I will tell you that you have changed, and you are not like in the rumor to everyone?"
"..."
"...what? Why are you in silence like that?" Onodera felt nervous sohow, wondering whether she had said sothing wrong.
However, Ishigami wasn't in a hurry to answer Onondera's question as their order ca.
"Your order is ready."
"Thanks." Ishigami thanked the waitress politely, to which she responded with a cute smile.
"...." Onodera was in silence, then snorted at the waitress, who seed to be trying to seduce Ishigami. "What bad service... is she a waitress or a hostess?"
"She did a good job. Her smile healed from your thoughtless help."
"Huh? What's wrong with my help?"
Watching her confusion, Ishigami sighed helplessly and said, "Let's say that you told them that; what will their response be?"
"Er..." Onodera thought for a while, seemingly confused, so Ishigami added, "Do you think they will nod and agree with you?"
"..." Onodera.
"Instead of having their opinion of change, I seem like a child who can't join the group and just begging to join with your help. While they might smile outwardly, what will they think inwardly?"
"....."
Onodera's EQ wasn't low, especially when she had many friends, so she understood his words clearly. While they might smile and welco Ishigami due to her words, inwardly, they disdained him and even talked behind his back. Instead of helping him, she would make his situation worse.
"Moreover, I want to change not because of everyone. It is for myself. I don't need anyone's acknowledgnt to show that I am better and I have changed."
If one wanted to change due to everyone's acknowledgnt, Ishigami would snort, thinking that it was a shitty reason to change!
Ishigami didn't want everyone's acknowledgnt as he didn't want to beco Hokage, but then again, he also had to admit that his past was as horrible as Uzumaki Naruto's. However, unlike Naruto, he wasn't so desperate, and his status wasn't as sensitive as Naruto, whose status was comparable to a nuclear weapon.
Moreover, instead of begging those people, he wanted them to regret or beg him as they had alienated him.
Still, his answer made Onodera fall into a daze, thinking that Ishigami really had changed, and this change made her unable to look away from him.
"What's wrong? Is there sothing on my face?"
"No..." Onodera shook her head softly, feeling slightly hot on her face, and said, "But you really have changed."
Or rather, did she just know him better?
She wanted to know him better sohow.
"Is it sothing bad?"
"No, it's good."
"Then, go eat. The ice on your anmitsu will lt if you don't eat it soon."
"Ah, why didn't you tell ?!"
"I just told you, right?"
As Onodera pouted, she scooped the Earl Grey ice cream on her anmitsu. 'It's sweet, 'she thought, but sohow, not only her tongue but also the sweetness also remained within her heart.
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