Beep, beep... beep, beep...
I feel like... despite getting a good night's sleep, I'm still exhausted.
Well, a lot really did happen yesterday.
Now then, time to get up and get ready.
.........
Come to think of it, I got my first RAIN message from Senpai last night.
She was just confirming if I could come to the flowerbed during the lunch break today, but that meant I was welcome to go, which made me happy.
We’d already exchanged contact info, but I hadn’t had a chance to use it yet, and I certainly didn't have the courage to reach out for something as simple as idle chatter.
But the fact that Senpai reached out first meant that we’d become close enough to at least message each other casually.
It still hasn't quite sunk in that I'm on those terms with the Goddess.
I kept an eye out as I walked to school, but as expected, Senpai was nowhere to be found.
She’d mentioned seeing me with Mio-chan once or twice, so I’d found myself hoping we might run into each other...
After arriving at school, I changed into my indoor shoes and headed for the classroom.
Going into the classroom was a drag.
Even if things had changed with Senpai, it didn't mean my class environment had improved. My underlying concerns hadn't just vanished.
Slide.
When I stepped inside, the group that usually caused a ruckus was surprisingly quiet.
Come to think of it, I hadn't heard their shouting from the hallway earlier—I only just noticed.
Right, those guys were connected to the idiots from yesterday.
Maybe something happened involving them... not that I cared.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I realized the hallway was becoming noisier instead.
No, it wasn't my imagination; there was a definite commotion out there.
Slide.
"Excuse me."
Wait, Senpai? She actually came here?
She had a look on her face that seemed a bit irritable at first.
I watched her, wondering if those guys were bothering her again, but I was apparently mistaken. The moment our eyes met, she beamed at me.
The sheer destructive power of a smile from the usually expressionless Senpai was insane...
She walked straight toward me.
"Good morning, Takanashi-san."
"G-good morning, Senpai. Is something wrong? Did something happen?"
"No. Since I didn't see you this morning, I thought I’d come say hello before homeroom..."
"I-I see. I'm sorry you had to come all the way here."
Good god, everyone was staring at us... People were even watching from the hallway.
I could see guys who looked like they'd been staggered by that smile.
The destructive power was just too high. Senpai had probably never made a face like that at school before.
Actually, even I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Hehe... is something the matter?"
Senpai, seemingly oblivious to the chaos she was causing, tilted her head to the side.
So cute...
"N-no, it's nothing! I guess I was just happy you came to see me, Senpai."
"I apologize for barging in so suddenly. It's not as if I had any urgent business... I simply wanted to see your face and talk for a moment. Ah, it wasn't intended as an afterthought, but regarding what I asked on RAIN yesterday about the lunch break..."
"Yes! That’s fine! We don’t need to talk about that here!"
I cut her off before she could say anything else.
Discussing that here was a bad idea, and personally, I wanted to keep it between us... for several reasons.
"Whoa, did she just say RAIN?"
"What's the deal? Why is he with the Goddess?"
"The Fan Club isn't going to let this slide."
"I've never seen her smile like that. What the hell is going on?"
This was going south fast.
And what was this "Fan Club" anyway?
"Satsukawa-senpai! Good morning! Since you're here, why don't you come hang out with us?"
"Yeah, talk about a lucky morning! The guys are all here... come over this way..."
Some idiots decided to push their luck and address her.
In an instant, the smile Senpai had for me vanished.
Her face returned to its usual mask—actually, no, she was glaring at them with pure ice.
"Can you not see that I am in the middle of a conversation with Takanashi-san? Are you incapable of understanding how rude you are being, despite being high school students? It is distasteful."
"No... well..."
"We just..."
"I see no reason why I should be addressed so familiarly by total strangers."
I had to step in before this got out of hand.
These guys were exactly the type of people she loathed.
But had she always been this sharp with them?
"Senpai, we're going to run out of time, so let's leave it at that. You can just ignore them."
"......My apologies. I lost my temper because they interrupted my conversation with you, Takanashi-san."
"No, I'm glad you feel that way."
"Takanashi-san..."
She gave me another genuine smile.
Given how things were just a few days ago, I felt a rush of emotion.
Seeing her smile like that, those guys probably thought they actually stood a chance.
"I'm sorry, Takanashi-san. Our surroundings are quite a nuisance, so I shall see you again later."
She said it... she clearly called them a nuisance.
"Well then, excuse me."
With a final smile, she turned and left.
" " " " "............" " " " "
The fact that no one spoke to me was probably because they still didn't want anything to do with me, but for once, I was grateful for the isolation.
Still, considering what might happen next, I definitely needed to talk to Senpai about this.