The last day of summer vacation.
Sara-san was coming back today...
Would she come to see me today? Or would it be tomorrow?
During our phone call yesterday, she told me it would depend on when they left, as she didn't know the exact time yet.
"I will try to rush them as much as possible."
"Sara-san, I’m happy to hear that, and I really want to see you soon too, but please don't push yourself."
"...That is precisely what is impossible. To be honest, I am at the limit of my patience. After hearing your voice, Kazunari-san, I want to hold you as soon as I possibly can..."
Ugh...
I knew it wasn't good for me, but when she said things like that, it made me want to lean on her.
She mentioned that if it ended up being late, she would come by tomorrow morning instead.
If possible, I really wanted to see her today, though...
Thwack!
"Game set! Match won by..."
The umpire's call rang out, announcing Hayato's victory.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Hayato-kun!"
"Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"
Yeah, this was a perfect case of déjà vu.
I didn't have anything better to do, and being at home just made me feel lonely because I couldn't stop thinking about Sara-san, so I had come to cheer for Hayato.
Since the venues for the boys and girls were different today, Natsumi-senpai wasn't here.
Well, this wasn't my first time watching a tennis match, so I'd gotten somewhat used to it, including the rules.
Perhaps because it was the final day of summer vacation, the number of girls who had come to cheer for Hayato had increased even further.
I heard that a magazine he'd modeled for as a reader model had recently gone on sale, so that might have been the reason.
This match would help kill time until evening. If I went home after this, maybe I'd be able to see Sara-san right away.
I want to see you soon... Sara-san.
"Come visit again soon!"
"Bye-bye!"
Seen off by my relatives, I left my father's family home.
Finally... finally... finally, finally, finally, I could go home.
We were departing now, so considering the time, I probably wouldn't be able to stay at Kazunari-san's house for very long.
Still, even if it was only for a short time, I wanted to see him.
They say that feelings of love can overflow, and surely that was what I was experiencing now.
At the same time, however, I felt a sense of urgency.
Even from the brief time I heard his voice over the phone, I could tell he was feeling lonely.
He was waiting for my return all by himself in that house...
That was why I wanted to see him quickly and pamper him as much as possible to make up for the time we were apart. And... I wanted to be pampered a little bit, too.
"Nfufu~ Sara-chan, is something the matter?"
"No, did something happen?"
It was Mother who had instructed me not to tell Father, yet why did she go out of her way to point it out?
If it were alright to tell him about my relationship with Kazunari-san, I would report it at any time, you know?
"Sara, you mentioned you were worrying about the Student Council. Are you perhaps thinking of running for Student Council President?"
That's right, I had used that as an excuse on the spur of the moment.
"Yes, I suppose that is a possibility..."
That was a lie.
To be honest, I no longer had any interest in being the Student Council President, let alone the Vice President or even having the title of a Student Council Officer.
If I could be happy with Kazunari-san, I didn't need anything else.
However, if I were to force myself to find a reason... if holding a position could provide some benefit to Kazunari-san's future school life, then I suppose I wouldn't mind continuing. That was about the extent of it.
"Ufufu... back then, I was the Student Council President, and you were the Vice President, wasn't it?"
...I knew that my parents were alumni of that school, but that was the first time I had ever heard that.
"Hayato-kun, you were so cool!"
"See you at school tomorrow!"
"Yeah, thanks for coming to cheer for me today!"
"Takanashi-kun, see you too~"
"See you in the classroom tomorrow!"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
The fan club members from school seemed to remember me, and the two classmates who always showed up were there as well.
"Hayato-kun!"
"Look over here!"
Everyone was taking pictures with their smartphones.
The people calling out to him were likely the regulars who came to every match.
"Kazunari, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Oh, good job! You were a big star again today."
Flashing a handsome smile that didn't show a hint of fatigue, Hayato—who was a world of difference from someone like me—approached.
"Thanks for the support!"
"I was just bored because Sara-san wasn't around."
That wasn't just to hide my embarrassment; it was the honest truth.
I wasn't sure how he took it, but Hayato still looked happy.
"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad you came to cheer for me."
Wow, as expected of a refreshing handsome guy.
You should be saying that to Natsumi-senpai, not me.
"So, are you done for the day?"
"Yeah, we've been dismissed, so let's head home."
I'd heard it was a dismissal on-site, but was it really okay for him to head home with me?
What about his club teammates...? Well, if he was fine with it, I guess it was okay.
I packed my things and stood up.
As Hayato lined up beside me and we prepared to leave, voices still called out.
"Hayato-kun, see you later!"
"Bye-byee!"
"Yeah, thank you!"
Hayato conscientiously returned the greetings.
I suppose things like this were the secret to his popularity.
But more importantly than that, I was thinking about Sara-san!
Once night fell, Sara-san should be coming home... I was sure of it.
"You look happy, don't you, Kazunari?"
"Well, yeah."
I was so happy I felt like I was about to grin. Seeing my expression, Hayato smirked.
"Even if it's been five days, don't let Satsukawa-senpai pamper you too much, okay?"
That might be impossible...
Hurry up and become night...
"Excuse me, Hayato-kun! Please take a picture with us!"
Just as they called out to Hayato while he was talking to me, they pushed their way between us.
They were quite bold, to say the least.
"Sorry, I'm talking to my friend right now," Hayato declined, his mood clearly souring.
"Ehh? Then your friend... is?"
Initially, her tone was that of a total "burikko," but the moment she was rejected, her voice turned incredibly sharp and displeased.
............
...Wait, why does that voice sound familiar?
I felt like my heart was thumping violently against my ribs.
My brain and my ears were screaming at me to deny it.
It's a lie. There's no way. It's just my imagination.
It had to be.
In my desperate desire not to know the truth, I wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.
"Hayato, I'll go ahead—"
"No way... What a massive coincidence that Kazu-nari is Hayato-kun’s friend."
I heard a voice filled with an extreme, dripping nastiness.
Why... why are you here?
"Hey, don't ignore me when your childhood friend is talking to you. I'm so happy we could meet after such a long time."
How can you even say such a ridiculous thing?
I never wanted to see you again.
......Yuzuha.