When I reached my desk, Natsukawa still hadn’t arrived at the seat behind me. In her place, Ashida had settled there, chatting with an unexpected visitor.
“Yo, that’s a rare pairing.”
“Ah, Sajocchi. Mornin’～～～… wait…”
“…Are you okay?”
Standing beside Ashida was Class Rep Iiboshi-san. She gave off hidden extrovert vibes and never hid her likes or dislikes. She was the one who had created the class group chat and had no problem quietly ostracizing girls she didn’t like, which made her somewhat intimidating. It was also very like her to have handled all the behind-the-scenes arrangements for the Cultural Festival after-party.
“Well, I’m fine. I’m here at school acting normal, aren’t I?”
“I see… If Sajocchi says so, then okay.”
“Take care of yourself, Sajou-kun.”
“Will do. I’ll burn those words into my memory.”
“Good.”
“What’s with that power dynamic?”
It looked like the pecking order had already been decided. Without thinking, I had unconsciously struck the pose of someone singing a national anthem. This was bad. I couldn’t see any future where I came out on top against Iiboshi-san. Even if things somehow turned into a fight, I could already picture a man in a deep navy suit poking his head out from the back wall with a casual “Yo.”
“Anyway…”
Iiboshi-san gave a nod and returned to her own seat.
After seeing her off, I set my things down on my desk. Since this was my first day back after the Cultural Festival, I hadn’t been able to leave any study materials behind. Haa… It was heavy.
“What were you talking about with Iiboshi-san?”
“Hmm? How should I put it… about the cause, I guess?”
“The cause?”
“…Yeah.”
“…Ah.”
Ashida jerked her chin toward the seat in front of mine—Okamo-chan. She sat perfectly still, staring blankly at her desk. I see. So the girls were worried too. Looked like Iiboshi-san was trying to do something about it.
“…Well, it’s an unavoidable path. The only thing you can do is take your time and move on.”
“Ohh, people with experience really are on another level.”
“I haven’t moved on yet, though…”
“You’re dragging it out~”
“Shut up.”
Don’t underestimate me. I’ve already dragged my heart around the entire city once.
If I had kept my distance, things might have turned out differently… but unfortunately, my proximity to Natsukawa left me with no room to forget her. I was running at full gachikoi distance while still acting like one of the girls. If she so much as touched me, the propeller in my heart would spin hard enough to move a ship.
“Natsukawa hasn’t shown up yet, huh. She’s running unusually late.”
“Yeah. Haa, I haven’t seen Aichi all day. I need to recharge soon.”
“Oh? Then allow me to partake in the feast as well.”
The moment I said that, Ashida shot me a sticky glare. This girl… Don’t tell me she’s planning to monopolize Natsukawa all by herself!
“You got to see Aichi yesterday anyway, didn’t you, Sajocchi!”
“W-well… huh? What do you mean by ‘anyway’? What kind of image is that? Do you still think I’m secretly stalking Natsukawa or something?”
It’s not even “still.” I never secretly stalked her in the first place. I followed her around openly and brazenly. I was seriously a nuisance to everyone around us. I’d love to see the look on Nee-chan’s face back then. It must have been terrifying.
“——Ah, speak of the devil…!”
Ashida stood up with a delighted grin. When I followed her gaze, I saw Natsukawa walking into the classroom. Run, Natsukawa. You’re about to be absorbed.
“Aichi, morning! You’re on a different schedule today!”
“Kyaa!? Wait…!”
Shh! Ashida shot up and closed the distance. Using illusion magic on par with my own, she sprouted a Golden Retriever-like tail, latched onto Natsukawa’s arm, and swung it with all her might. It was unnatural how her skirt didn’t flip up. Since I couldn’t see any panties, I had to disqualify the performance.
“Morning, Natsukawa.”
“Ah… um, good morning.”
When I greeted her, Natsukawa gave me a somewhat awkward reply. This atmosphere… Was it the same as with Shirai-san and Okamo-chan? No way…! Was Natsukawa also depressed about Sasaki!? No, no… ——There was no way. Natsukawa had never made that lovestruck face in front of Sasaki. She had never done it with me, either. I had never seen it.
After my heart raced for a moment imagining the worst possible outcome, Natsukawa timidly spoke to me.
“Um… did you leave home earlier than usual today…?”
“Hm? No, I got a ride today. So I was actually a bit later than usual, I think.”
“Ah… right, of course. With that injury and all… yeah…”
“…?”
Natsukawa’s words were unusually hesitant. It sounded like she had let out a small sigh. Talking to me seemed to make her shoulders slump even more, which stung. Wait, this isn’t my fault… right? Did something unpleasant happen?
“…Is your hand okay?”
“It’s fine. I’m making sure not to move it unnecessarily.”
“Yeah… I think that’s for the best.”
“Aichi? You look a little down.”
“Eh? N-no, I’m not.”
“Huuuh…?”
“W-what…?”
Still clinging to her, Ashida stared at the side of Natsukawa’s face with a suspicious look. Too close. If Natsukawa turned her head at that distance, they would touch. They were definitely going to touch. If something like that happened right in front of me, my brain would burn——or maybe it would ignite? Go on…! Do it—!
“Well, this time it can’t be helped, right?”
“W-what can’t be helped…?”
“Nothing~?”
“Kei…!”
“?”
……? What was this? It felt like only Ashida and Natsukawa were on the same wavelength. I couldn’t follow at all. Something only Ashida could sense that I couldn’t understand…? Just what was the difference between me and——Ah…!?
I’d leave this matter to Ashida! Just because the person you liked was troubled didn’t mean you had to dig into everything. There were domains a guy shouldn’t carelessly step into. Yeah. I would leave Natsukawa alone until her mood improved.
“I’m counting on you, Ashida. At least I have some tact.”
“No, you’re clearly misunderstanding something. And it looks like you’re thinking something gross.”
“Let’s watch our language. I’m an injured person, you know? Be gentle with me.”
Using my injury as a weapon… Hmm, this could work. For someone like Ashida who communicated through verbal fistfights, this was how I would shut her up. Honestly, when my mental state dropped, the pain felt worse. Yes, this was the one brilliant method to turn my injury into an advantage.
“——That’s right~ We have to be gentle with the injured, don’t we?”
“!?”
“!?”
A soft sensation suddenly enveloped my head as I sat sideways in my chair. The scent of perfume—or rather, a sharp, sweet-and-sour citrus aroma—filled my nostrils. It reminded me of the dizzying feeling I had as a child when I entered a room thick with the smell of alcohol at a relative’s gathering. This scent…
“Y-you’re…”
“The one when Sajocchi was taken to the hospital…”
From the direction of their gazes and their reactions, I realized someone was hugging me from the side. When I glanced down to my lower left, I saw what appeared to be a girl’s short skirt and the breathtaking legs extending from it. What is this, heaven?
“——O-Onitsuka-senpai…?”
“Pinpon! Correct! How did you know~?”
“By your voice and… this perfume scent.”
Just as I expected, the person hugging me was Onitsuka-senpai—the former gal I had first met in the Health Room. I think when we were leaving the hospital, Nee-chan had called her “Tamao”… I felt like I had heard that before…
“It smells nice, right~?”
“Ngh… wait…”
The strength of the embrace increased, pressing my head even harder against her stomach. It seemed this senpai didn’t see a guy two years her junior as a member of the opposite sex. Or maybe she was trying to see how I would react when I got flustered from touching a girl. Either way, her sense of personal space was completely broken… Was it because she used to be a gal?
“Mhm, mhm——just as I thought.”
“W-wait…! What are you doing!”
“I’m being gentle, of course~? With Kaede’s super cute little brother.”
“With… your big sister…?”
“Kaede and I are best friends, you know~”
While hugging me, Onitsuka-senpai ran her hands over my body through my uniform. It was exactly like how Ashida always clung to Natsukawa. This must be what they called hasuhasu. I see… So this was how it felt to be on the receiving end… Now I understood why Natsukawa would blush and not shake her off even while pretending to hate it.
Jeez… Stop it! (More please.)
“You too…! How long are you going to let her do that…!”
“Hah… Uh, that’s enough, really.”
“Sajocchi, you perv. You horny dog.”
“Ugh…!”
Crap…! I had been too honest with my desires…!
Even though I wasn’t the one initiating the hug, having Natsukawa and Ashida right in front of me—not to mention Okamo-chan, who had probably suffered a recent heartbreak and was sitting directly ahead—and doing something like this at gachikoi distance with a girl in a classroom full of people was way too dangerous…! I needed to create distance immediately!
“——Eh, no way.”
Can’t be helped then… If you’re going that far, I guess I have n——wait, why?
The warmth of her body pressed even more firmly against my cheek.
I had learned from Shinomiya-senpai that the status of “little brother of a classmate” could bypass the usual wariness between genders to some extent. That was why I figured she would casually talk to me and tease me even without much prior interaction… but even if she didn’t see me as a guy, wasn’t this going a bit too far?
If she actually liked me, I could understand it. But unfortunately, almost all the time I had spent with her had been filled with the smell of blood and iron. I didn’t think there had ever been a moment where I showed her anything but a face twisted in pain that would make someone fall for me. Besides, if she fell for me under these conditions, her tastes would be questionable. Maybe she actually hated Nee-chan and was setting up a honey trap…
“W-why…!”
“Ehh~? Just ‘cause.”
“Wha…!? ……!!”
The soft sensation, the warm body heat. The sharp, piercing gaze of a beautiful girl looking at me with disdain. The countless eyes turned our way and the hostility from the boys watching from afar.
Heh… What is this, hell?