Side Yuji
"Natsumi-san, I’m sorry. I lost."
As far as I was concerned, I had no regrets. I had given it everything I had... or so I told myself, but a loss was still a loss. It was a complete defeat that left me speechless. Besides, I had known from the start that Kazunari was better at the shooting gallery than I was. Because of that, the sting of defeat didn't actually run that deep.
However, since I had bragged to Natsumi-san that I would win, I looked rather pathetic.
"You don't seem very frustrated, do you?"
"Can you tell?"
"Well, yeah. I play tennis, so I can kind of understand how you feel, Yuji."
"I see."
"Hehe. Well, good work out there. I'd never seen you with such a serious expression before..."
As she said that, Natsumi-san's face gradually began to turn crimson.
Honestly... she usually acted so tough and blunt, yet this shy side of hers was a real man-killer. It was because she was so cute that I couldn't help but tease her.
"What was that?"
"Eh?"
"Please, tell me the rest."
"Guh..."
And so, I ended up letting some teasing words slip out. But it couldn't be helped; when I was shown such a cute side of Natsumi-san, even I had my limits.
"......ol."
"Yes?"
"...It was cool."
"I can't hear you."
"Ugh, I said you looked cool!!! Did you hear me?! Are you satisfied now?!"
Natsumi-san was like an instant water heater; her face went past "crimson" and turned beet-red in an heartbeat. Seeing her look so adorable, to be honest, I wanted to tell her that I wanted to hug her right then and there...
But if I did that in a place like this, it was obvious that Natsumi-san would end up in a terrible state. In other words, we couldn't be like Kazunari and his partner.
"Gaaaah, I'll never forgive you. I was going to let it slide because you worked so hard!"
"Wait, what are you talking about..."
"Just as you wished, I’m going to give you a proper punishment. A penalty for losing to Takanashi-kun!"
"Eeeeh..."
Natsumi-san still had a red face. Even so, as if putting up a front, she declared my guilt with a fearless smile. Perhaps I had been a bit too honest with my own desires... and that smile gave me a very bad feeling.
"Now then, I’ll have to think long and hard about what I’ll have you do."
"Please go easy on me..."
That said, just as Kazunari had told me, I was actually looking forward to whatever punishment Natsumi-san came up with. But if I told her that, it would throw cold water on her while she was having so much fun thinking up a penalty for me... so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
However, that aside...
"Natsumi-san, here."
I held out the prize I had been holding to Natsumi-senpai. Since I had aimed for this prize solely with winning in mind, I didn't have any particular attachment to... what even was this thing?
"Um... what is this?"
"...I'm not really sure."
It looked like a kappa, but it was wearing swirl glasses and had a puckered mouth. I wondered how I could have possibly picked such an unrecognizable prize...
"Sigh... Even in the middle of the match, it looked like Takanashi-kun was thinking about what would make Sara happy."
"Ugh..."
When she put it that way, I couldn't argue. Of course, I had wanted to present Natsumi-san with a victory, but regarding the prize itself, I had prioritized winning above all else.
In other words, in that sense as well, I had lost to Kazunari... This was a complete defeat in every sense of the word.
"But well, if you look closely, it might have some charm?"
"D-Do you think so?"
"Alright, this guy's name is officially 'Yuji'."
"Eeeeeh."
Seeing my reaction, Natsumi-san laughed even more joyfully. Was that... really okay?
"Hehe. Well, I'll dote on him as much as I can."
"...I feel saved hearing you say that."
"You should be grateful to me."
Why was she being so condescending... well, it was fine. I wondered if this meant the punishment had already begun.
"But..."
After pausing there, Natsumi-san's face reddened again as she began looking around restlessly for some reason. I didn't know what she was checking for, but I felt like acting so suspiciously would only draw more attention...
"Um, you know."
"Yes?"
"...Th-Thanks... Yuji. I was, um, happy that you worked so hard for my sake..."
While looking clearly beet-red, Natsumi-san muttered in a small, quiet voice. That gesture was so incredibly cute that my heart began to throb all at once. I found myself unable to look away...
"Hey... don't look at me like that."
When our eyes met, Natsumi-san seemed flustered and restless with embarrassment. This was unfair. This was just too cowardly...
I felt like I finally understood Kazunari's feelings—how he would writhe at Sara-san's gestures and lose control even in public. So that was how he felt...
"E-Enough of that!!"
"Gyah!?"
Just as Natsumi-san moved vigorously, an intense pain shot through my right shin. It seemed Natsumi-san's embarrassment had exceeded its limit, and she had finally resorted to forceful action. Or rather... I wished she had held back a little more. That hurt way too much.
"Tsuuu..."
"Hmph. That’s your punishment for making me undergo humiliation play."
Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, Natsumi-san took an even tougher stance than usual. As I thought... a lovey-dovey relationship like Kazunari's didn't seem to suit us. If this happened every time the atmosphere got good, honestly, it wouldn't be a joke.
Side Hayato
Satsukawa-senpai really was a law unto herself. Even in an upperclassman's classroom, she acted as she always did—kicking aside any noisy boys regardless of who they were, being honest with her feelings, and showing no hesitation in her actions no matter what the crowd thought.
At all times, she looked only at Kazunari. And she dealt with any hostile acts toward Kazunari with an intense, uncompromising firmness. Being told off so harshly by the "Satsukawa-senpai" would make anyone fear the magnitude of the risk, preventing them from making any reckless moves.
Furthermore, once she had shown such clear affection for Kazunari, the people around them had no choice but to recognize that not even a millimeter of a chance remained for them.
When I thought about it that way... Satsukawa-senpai's series of actions might have seemed like a mere lack of social awareness or simple selfishness at first glance. But those actions in public actually looked like clear deterrents and declarations of intent.
Satsukawa-senpai was aware that she was popular and that she received affection from an unspecified number of people. And she considered all of that to be trivial, beneath her notice, and didn't give it a second thought. However, she likely also understood that by being with her, there was a possibility that low-class jealousy or hostility would be directed toward Kazunari.
That was why I suspected she reacted so fiercely to even the slightest hint of malice toward him. Of course, this was just my imagination, so I didn't know the truth. Those sugary-sweet expressions of love that lacked any compromise even in public might just be because she loved Kazunari too much and wanted to flirt. Her attitude toward other boys might just be because Kazunari was too precious to her, making her anger that much stronger. There was a good chance I was overthinking it.
But... still. Even if that were the case, watching Satsukawa-senpai made me wonder... what should I do?
I hadn't intended to act like a womanizer or a player until now. I had faced tennis, which I had done since I was a child, with sincerity. But I was a man too, so I naturally felt happy when women cheered for me.
However, if someone asked me if I had been a people-pleaser because of that... I felt like I couldn't clearly deny it. I didn't have the courage or the guts to maintain the kind of aloofness Satsukawa-senpai had. Nor did I have her ability.
That was why I had chosen the path of trying not to make enemies. I had smoothed things over even with people I didn't particularly want to be friends with. The self-inflicted result of that was the dishonorable titles of "womanizer" and "flashy guy." And being treated as a sort of "attraction" to draw female guests to mixers.
The one who had been able to change me was Kazunari... well, I’ll set that story aside for now.
Anyway, in my current situation, if I clearly showed my affection for Todo-san, what kind of reaction would I get, especially from the female officers I saw every day? I realized it would be the same as Kazunari's situation with Satsukawa-senpai.
I had actually noticed it on some level, but after seeing what happened earlier, I was forced to face that problem again. Even if people called me self-conscious, the fact was that there were women who specifically cheered for me as a fan club. I was sometimes called out to in town. I had been confessed to a fair amount, even if not as much as Satsukawa-senpai. So, I had to honestly admit that.
In other words, the envy and jealousy directed toward Kazunari because he was with Satsukawa-senpai would, in my case, likely all be directed toward Todo-san. This meant the response required of me was, naturally, the same as Satsukawa-senpai's.
I couldn't be like Satsukawa-senpai, yet I had ended up with the same problem. This was all my responsibility for having put on a good face to those around me, which resulted in me gaining a sort of popularity.
"Yokokawa-kun, what's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. More importantly, take this..."
I gently held out the item I had won at the shooting gallery to Todo-san. It was a deformed penguin mascot that even I, as a guy, thought was cute. Actually, it was a prize Todo-san had been eyeing halfway through, and I had decided that I would definitely get it for her.
"Eh... but..."
Todo-san didn't reach out, as if hesitating to accept it. She was definitely being modest, so I figured I had to give her one more push.
"As a guy, I'd be troubled if I kept it, so I’d really like you to have it. Think of it as helping me out... okay?"
"Hehe. I don't think that's true."
"No, it really is. Do you... dislike it, by any chance?"
I knew that if I put it that way, the kind-hearted Todo-san wouldn't be able to refuse. I was fully aware that it was a bit cowardly, but I really wanted her to accept it. Deep down... I wanted to tell her that I had won it just for her.
"That's not it at all! But, are you really sure?"
"Of course. I want you to have it, Todo-san."
To make it easier for Todo-san to take, I pushed the mascot out just a little further. It was within a distance where she could take it just by reaching out a bit, so at this point...
"U-Um. Okay... then..."
"Yes. Here you go."
Todo-san gently reached out and firmly took the penguin I was holding. She held the item, which could easily be held in one hand, with both hands as if it were precious... and a joyful smile broke across her face.
"Ehehe, it's cute!!"
She held it up to her eye level, then hugged it tight against her chest as if she were doting on a pet... If this wasn't an angel, I couldn't think of any other way to describe her.
That was why... Todo-san truly was an adorably cute angel.
"Thank you, Yokokawa-kun! I'll treasure it!"
"Yeah. I'd be happy if you did."
"Ehehe, I wonder what I should name it."
Since she was this happy, it made my hard work feel worth it. To be honest, I might even be happier than when I won a tennis match.
Yes. Seeing Todo-san so happy... made me happier than tennis, happier than anything.
That was why... I had decided. I wouldn't hesitate anymore.
There was only one thing I could think of to protect Todo-san's smile. I had to clearly show just how much I cherished her. No matter how uncool I looked, she was my only precious person, and I just had to appeal to everyone to bless that.
For Todo-san's sake, no matter how pathetic I had to appear, it was nothing. So, I would let them hear my true feelings, my heart. I would tell her my feelings and ask for recognition. If once wasn't enough, I would appeal to her again and again.
So that no ill effects would reach Todo-san. And I, to Todo-san...
"Kazunari, you did good. Big sister is going to praise you."
Hanako-san gave her usual appeal, tugging at my sleeve. She wanted to pat my head... and since Sara-san had already given her permission, I had no reason to refuse.
When I lowered my head to about the level of Hanako-san's face, her hand immediately reached out. And then, pat, pat...
"Good boy, good boy."
Over and over, Hanako-san carefully patted my head. Since I was looking down, I couldn't see her expression, but from the warmth of her hand, I felt like her kindness was fully coming through.
"...If this were my school, it probably would've caused quite a stir."
"...Really?"
"...Yeah. Hanako-san was actually pretty popular with the boys, you know? Especially after that incident ended."
"...I see. But I guess her being popular is the same at this school too?"
"...Seems so. Looks like she and Marina are being called the Double Angels together (lol)."
"...Uuugh, Yoko, you're so mean!!"
"...Gaaah, I'm so jealous of the Vice President!"
"...I want to be a younger brother too... I want to be patted and hugged!"
"...Wh-What is this feeling? Toward that small figure, I...!?"
"...Phew, thanks to those idiots being gone, I can finally look at Nishikawa-san to my heart's content."
"...Nice... she feels like a proper orthodox beauty, I can't stand it!!"
"...Nishikawa-san is all I have left! I've given up on Satsukawa-san!!"
"Kazunari, where are we going next?"
"Let's see, we've finished all the third-year classrooms..."
Going in order, the next would naturally be the second-year floor. That meant Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai's classrooms were there... and of course, Yuri-senpai, whom I was not good with, would be there too.
Ugh, if it weren't Sara-san's class, I would definitely want to skip it.
"Honestly, I don't think you need to force yourself to drop by our class."
"True. To be honest, a history research exhibit is so obviously aimed at boosting internal grades that it's actually a turn-off."
Even though it was her own class's exhibit, Natsumi-senpai's words were quite harsh... that said, I hoped she would forgive me for feeling secretly relieved for my own personal reasons.
"But since we have to patrol anyway, let's at least stop by. We're going to go around all the second-year classrooms anyway..."
"I don't know which classrooms my former classmates are in because of the course divisions... so I guess I can look forward to seeing where I'll run into them."
"There are several in our class too, you know?"
"I suppose so. Unless you're aiming for a top-tier national university, there's not much point in forcing yourself into the special scholarship course."
By the way, the meaning behind Nishikawa-san's words was something I had learned only after I started thinking about higher education. Apparently, at this school, you can't get a designated school recommendation in the special scholarship course. Or rather, it seems that designated school recommendations in private high schools are often not available to special courses like the scholarship one. It isn't a particularly rare story.
The reason was simple enough: it was a matter concerning this school's university advancement rate. Therefore, the current situation was that unless you intended to go to a top-tier university, there was no advantage to choosing the scholarship course.
Well, I wasn't aiming for the scholarship course, so it didn't concern me.
"Now then, Kazunari-san, let's head to the next classroom."
"Right. Well then, excuse us..."
Ding-dong-dang-dong
Just as I was about to say my goodbyes and thanks to the seniors, the rhythmic sound of an announcement broadcast began to flow from the classroom speakers. Since they had specifically used the "announcement broadcast" format, there was a possibility that a problem had occurred or there was an important message.
Sara-san seemed to have considered the same possibility as she tightened her expression and looked toward the speaker.
"Yahoo~! It's everyone's idol, Minamin~! Are you enjoying the Rinka Festival!?"
"We're enjoying it!!!" came a dark, murky shout from some guys somewhere. I hadn't even heard it in this room, so why did I think that... I really hated myself for it.
"And so, this is a business announcement. Following this morning, we've received reports of another group of boys engaging in eccentric behavior... it seems they were actually running... there have also been reports of commotions in various other places. But everyone, the Broadcasting Club isn't a reporting station~."
I could kind of imagine what Minamin's report was about... no, no, I had no idea what it was. Strange things certainly did happen.
"So, here's the main point~."
The main point? Was there still something else important to say...
"You super stupid couple on the third floor of the classroom wing!!! I told you to restrain yourselves because your influence is too strong!!!! Cut it out already, you punks!!!!"
Screeeech...
Accompanied by a high-pitched noise like microphone feedback, an unbelievable verbal abuse burst from the speaker. I didn't think such language suited Minamin-san, so I thought she should stop using it. But the third floor of the classroom wing... what a coincidence that was, yeah.
"...That was a business announcement from Minamin~."
Ding-dong-dang-dong
"............"
As the mysterious business announcement ended, for some reason, I felt a tremendous gaze from those around me. Feeling a deep sense of foreboding, I secretly looked around...
Everyone, why are you looking at us?
"Honestly... I'll have to warn Minamin-san again to be careful with her language. Besides, as a business announcement, it was unclear."
"...Y-Yes, I suppose so."
Unclear... no, that wasn't the part to criticize. While strongly agreeing with Sara-san's words, I checked our surroundings once more. Everyone was looking at us with cold eyes.
I had no choice, so I decided to apologize in my heart for now.
I'm sorry, every single time...