Chapter 5

Day 5

＃　＃　＃

「Good morning♪」

「Ahh, morning.」

Yesterday, this kouhai cornered me in a trap again, and I couldn’t feel better no matter what.

To say it simply, my mood was bad. It seemed like my aura was so sullen to the point that my mother asked me「Did you get dumped?」the moment I reached home.

I made a new deal with Kouhai-chan on LINE last night. I proposed some conditions to her.

When asking a question that was considered as the promise, we will have to use the phrase「today’s question」. Of course, the「today’s question」phrase can only be used to ask one question per day. All other questions will be answered based on free will. I checked and confirmed those three points, and sent it to her.

She sent me an OK sticker in a second, so Kouhai-chan was worried about it too, right… Un, let’s just think like that.

「You know, today is Thursday, senpai.」

「Yeah, it is Thursday, huh.」

If I pass through today and tomorrow, the weekend break is waiting for me. It’s not only that I don’t have to go to school, I’m also grateful that I don’t have to keep up with this bothersome kouhai.

「Err, senpai. The first time we started talking was on Thursday, you know? Today is our one-week anniversary, so can you be a little bit happier?」

Today is September 21st. The day when this girl gave me my dropped item from behind was on September 14th. A week has certainly passed. While playing squid game1 , chatting with this girl, and listening to the lessons, the time passed by in a blink.

「How fast.」

「Eh? So it means talking to me is too fun, to the point that it feels like a blink of an eye? Thank you very much, I am very happy to hear that! 」

「No, I haven’t said something like that, but……」

「But?」

「Well, it’s true that the conversation is fulfilling. Thanks for that.」

Tricking and being tricked, Entrapping and being entrapped.

I think this week has been interesting, regardless if it was meaningful or not.

「Hee? Ah, I-is that so, then I’m glad……」

＊　＊　＊

Ahh, I was surprised.

Senpai said that kind of unexpected thing seriously with such a serious face, his nature sure was bad.

「Nn? Ahh……」

Senpai’s face still look somewhat difficult, and he focused his eyes on me.

「What happened?」

「No, I said『fulfilling』just now, but I also learnt about its noun scientifically in my school lesson, you know.」

「Yes?」

「But,『having a fulfilling time』is what people usually say, right? So I wonder if『fulfill the time』and『fulfilling time』have literally different meaning.」2

When I thought that he will say something unexpected again, he started talking about something so ridiculous with the same serious face. This is why this person is interesting.

I replied to him with a yawn.

「Senpai, it doesn’t matter. That topic is too unimportant, to the point that I start to get sleepy.」

「Oi, that’s too cruel! Do you have a problem with the way I talk?」

「There is a saying that is really suitable for this situation, right? Waste of a fractured bone without any worth.3」

「If I fractured my bone, it’s not only tiring, but very sad as well, isn’t it…4」

「Yes…… Senpai, it seems like calcium is very good for treating bone fractures. Please have a lot milk or dried sardines for your health.」

「Err, it’s not like I really have any fractured bones, you know……」

＃　＃　＃

「I came up with this after talking about milk.」

Kouhai-chan, who was leaning on the train door, corrected her posture and stared at me.

「This is『today’s question』. Senpai, what is your favourite drink?」

「You only changed a word from yesterday’s question, eh.」

「Does that even matter. Please answer my question quickly.」

「My favourite drink, huh…」

I suddenly remember the slightly sweet and sour taste that I couldn’t drink anymore.

「Natural juice　Super delicious　Millions of peoples favourite　Kanji? Katakana? It’s N.A.T.S.U M.I.K.A.N!　Nn~ Delicious!5」

「What happened to you suddenly? Do you want to get off the train?」

「Stop making serious face only at this kind of timing! That’s my favourite drink’s catch copy, just take out the initials.」

After taking out the first syllable from each of the line, it will become「Natsumikan」. Well, the last letter sounded like a foul, though.

「It is JT’s released『Hinyari Natsumikan Jelly』.6 」

「What is that, I never heard of it.」

「Well, it is normal if you don’t know. JT has already withdrawn it from the drinks, and they don’t sell it anymore.」

「Haa……」

「There used to be a JT vending machine on my way back from playing tennis, and I was always looking forward to buy them every week. Grabbing 120 yen tightly, I would buy it and shake it with a few times with a specific count, and drink it in a gulp……」

「No, I don’t know what kind of drink it is…… Eh, tennis!?」

She grabbed my shoulders and shook them. If this is the world of fiction, there will definitely be developments, such as the train shakes both of us and we end up falling into each other. Unfortunately, this is the real world. I gripped the handrail firmly.

Because she moved a lot, I could smell a lush scent from her. I don’t have any fashion knowledge, so I don’t know if this is the scent of her shampoo or perfume.

「Is it that surprising…… My parents said that it would be better for me to have some exercise, that’s why I went to a nearby tennis school just for a while.」

「Since senpai looked like you never did any exercise, I was really surprised.」

Well, I myself am aware of that. Even though I am a male, my skin is clear white after all.

「By the way, I can play tennis too, senpai. I used to play it as a club activity in my junior high school.」

「Isn’t that for serious players…… You’re amazing…」

「Did you get a better opinion of me now?」

「No, it’s just that you have the atmosphere of a player that will join a major competitor club.」

「What kind of atmosphere is that……」

Your atmosphere is the type of student in a superior school caste.

Refreshing hairstyle, big and beautiful eyes, and nice dressing-style in uniform.

If we are in the same class, we won’t have any point of contact beyond recognizing each other’s name, or so I thought without being able to say it out loud.

＊　＊　＊

I told him that I talked too much already, and took My Bottle7 from my bag.

I didn’t particularly decorated it with anything because even if I put a sticker or something, they would peel off when I washed the bottle. It’s still the original pink color. Inside, there is the barley tea I prepared at home. After all, it’s not good for the body to drink a lot of caffeinated stuff.

「『Today’s question』. What is your favourite drink?」

「Do you want to drink this?」

After I opened the lid of the bottle, I offered it to senpai.

「Oi, what are you doing? I won’t drink it!」

「Is that so…… Ah, are you getting embarrassed? You’re shy to have an indirect kiss with your unfamiliar kouhai! or something?」

「……Yeah.」

Silence.

「Is that wrong?」

Senpai looked like he wrung out those words in embarrassment. His face became very red. Unconsciously, I thought he was a little cute.

…I hope he didn’t notice how my ears become very hot here.

「It’s… not wrong.」

That’s right. I offered this to him because he will reject it anyway, but because his reaction is like that, I became very embarrassed instead.

「Ah, I’ll answer your question now. I like wheat tea, it’s mineral-rich and caffeine-free. Don’t you think that it is a drink that was made for girls? The name also sounds very fashionable when you say it English, right? ‘barley tea’ or something like that!」

That’s why it can’t be helped that my speech become a little bit faster after that. Surely, that’s the reason for these feelings.

The things I know about my senpai⑤

It seems like he likes the『Hinyari Natsumikan Jelly』