“Morning, Takanashi!”
“Yo!”
The guys I’d teamed up with for the cavalry battle called out to me as soon as I stepped into the classroom. It seemed their friendliness hadn't been a one-time thing limited to the event itself.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Takanashi-kun. Good work at the Sports Festival.”
“The Student Council duties must have been exhausting, right?”
Two girls from the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club greeted me as well. It was a perfectly normal scene, but one I hadn’t experienced in quite a while. Even the usual loudmouths who always caused a ruckus weren't making as much of a racket as they used to.
Rattle
“Excuse me.”
Hayato walked into the classroom. He headed straight for me and slapped a hand on my shoulder.
“Morning, Best Friend!”
He was awfully high-energy for so early in the morning. Had his personality done a total 180?
“Morning, Hayato. What’s with you this early?”
“What do you mean? I just came by to say hi.”
I later found out that he’d wanted a real "friend" even more than I’d realized. I suppose even a heartthrob has his own share of hardships. When I returned the greeting, he flashed a beaming smile.
...If I were a girl, I’d definitely get the wrong idea. And what was with the girls nearby stealing delighted glances at us?
Since Monday had been a compensatory holiday after the Sports Festival, Tuesday was our first day back. Currently, a small crowd was gathered around my desk.
Was there a freak storm coming today or something?
I sat there chatting with the guys from the cavalry battle—the first time I'd just sat around shooting the breeze like this since starting high school.
“Remember how you snapped the other day? The whole mood in here changed after that.”
According to them, those troublemakers had spent the Lunch Break on the day I lost my temper complaining about how annoying I was. However, their complaints were so pathetic and immature that—combined with the fact that they’d insulted the two girls from the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club who had stood up for me—the rest of the class, especially the girls, started treating them like pariahs.
“True, I don't see those guys acting like idiots today.”
“It’s been like this lately. Thanks to you, things are way more relaxed for us now, and the room is finally quiet.”
It turned out my actions had accidentally improved the classroom environment. So that was why everyone was being so friendly. To be honest, I hadn't given the class a single thought, and I decided to keep it to myself that I wouldn't have cared even if the atmosphere had stayed toxic.
“Hmm, well, if it all worked out in the end, isn't that fine?”
“Yes. To be honest, I was prepared to intervene using the authority of the Student Council or the Disciplinary Committee if I didn't see any improvement,” Sara-senpai added.
She had apparently been entertaining some surprisingly aggressive ideas. Still, this meant I could finally look forward to a somewhat comfortable school life. That didn't mean I intended to let it interfere with this happy time I spent with the two of them, though.
“Now that the Sports Festival is over, we have to start worrying about the tests...”
Natsumi-senpai’s gloomy remark dealt a direct blow to me. I had completely forgotten that exams even existed. Seeing my face fall, Sara-senpai looked at me with concern.
“Takanashi-san? Is something the matter with the tests?”
“No... I just plain forgot about them. Well, I’ve been attending Class properly, so I think I’ll be fine.”
I went to my classes and I didn't slack off. However, in my daily life, the concept of "studying at home" simply didn't exist.
“Are you studying at home?”
Of course she’d ask that. If it were the old me, I would have immediately lied and said I was, but a lie like that wouldn't work on the current Sara-senpai.
“...I’m not.”
I gave her a blunt, honest answer. Upon hearing it, Sara-senpai approached me with a strange smile.
“Good. You were able to be honest with me.”
She reached out and patted my head.
...I occasionally wondered if Sara-senpai saw me as a child. At the very least, she definitely seemed to think I was someone who needed looking after.
“If you’d like, you can ask me for help anytime.”
I had a feeling I’d end up taking her up on that.
Once I finished my Bento and did my daily chore of Watering the plants, I said goodbye to the senpais. As I headed toward the Shoe Locker to change into my indoor shoes, Hayato happened to walk up from the other side.
“Hey, Kazunari. Was today’s Bento good?”
Hayato knew that I ate lunch with the senpais, and he was aware that Sara-senpai made me meals. I had also clarified to him that she and I weren't actually a couple.
“I’ve never had anything from Sara-senpai that was anything less than delicious.”
“My, my. I’m truly jealous.”
As we talked, Hayato opened his Shoe Locker... and several envelopes spilled out.
“Day after day, honestly...”
I suppose this was just business as usual for him. He started picking up the fallen letters.
“Popular as ever, I see.”
I wasn't particularly envious. I only had eyes for Sara-senpai, after all. Thinking I should hurry up and get back to the Classroom, I opened my own Shoe Locker.
Flutter...
“...Huh?”
“Oh, look at that. We’re a matching set.”
The object lying at my feet... was definitely a letter.
Hmm... No matter how hard I racked my brain, I didn't remember triggering any romantic flags. That left a few distinct possibilities:
- They wanted an introduction to Hayato.
- They wanted an introduction to Sara-senpai.
- They wanted an introduction to Natsumi-senpai.
- They actually wanted to confess to me.
- Something else entirely.
I wondered which one it was.