Chapter 116 - What Does Senpai Think Of Me?

Yesterday, after I talked with Ryuhan and assuming from the way he was acting all familiar with Senpai, I judged the possibility of him being the ex-boyfriend that Tsumen and Gaisen were telling me about.

But after I came home, I recall it was during the evening that I got a text from Kizhashi. Of course, we couldn't talk at school because we weren't that close, apparently.

I knew that I told her to gather intel about Senpai, which she did quite exquisitely. Judging from her clumsy and obnoxious behaviour, I didn't expect her to be this good at this.

So from her, I got to know some useful and also some miscellaneous information about Senpai, like Naoto didn't like wearing nail polish in both arms, so she only wore it on her right arm. 

I was a bit concerned about how she even got to know this information. This was such an useless piece of intel at the same time it was impressive too. Maybe she wasn't that bad of a choice after all.

Also, I absolutely assumed the wrong person was Senpai's ex-boyfriend. When Kizhashi told me that it was Vivian, I wasn't much shocked because he was actually a more appropriate candidate.

Now that I think about it, judging from the way he was calling her by her first name and the tone and his gazes, everything makes sense. That's why he wasn't fazed when I asked her out in front of him.

I was walking towards the cafeteria with Tsūmen and Gaisen since we enjoyed eating there rather than in our class. As the thoughts of the previous day were running wild in my mind, distinct possibilities were rising and dying in the instance.

"So Saishi, how's things going with Senpai?" Tsūmen chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my neck.

"Huh?" I looked at him in confusion albeit, I knew that he was about to tease me.

"Don't Huh me!"

"No, like seriously, nothing going with her to be honest." I said with a subtle nod.

From the past few targets, I have realised that telling about the love interest to my friends was a good idea since it helps in a better exposure. Still, at first I was hesitant about this entire ordeal, but I've realised some things.

"So you're also like Tsumen at the moment." Gaisen's gazes shifted from me towards Tsūmen, who now had a cheeky smile on his face.

"Huh! You don't belong here, anti-virgin Chad." He claimed and pointed his finger towards him.

Gaisen, after looking at him for quite a few moments, replied in a confused tone, "Did you insult me or praise me?"

"It's up to you, how you take it." Tsūmen laughed as he let go of me.

"Ah Tsūmen, set aside Kosaki-san. What about Matsushita-san?" Gaisen said a smug and narrowed eyes which clearly had no intention of stopping.

"Wha… what? Why Matsushita-san?" Tsūmen's eyes grew wide for a moment as he looked up at Gaisen, confusion and surprise was clearly illustrating on his face at the sudden mention of Kana's name.

"I don't know, you two have been talking too much lately." Gaisen said with a wide smug on his face. 

"We always talk a lot." Tsūmen rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"No you don't." 

"Well, if you focus on other things other than Kizhashi-san, then you'll know." Tsūmen retorted straight to the point, and I chuckled at this.

"Oooof!" Gaisen laughed at that, while giving a momentary glance.

Yes I knew about their truth, but he needs to stop looking at me every time someone mentions their relationship. If he isn't subtle about this, some perceptive person can easily find out that something is fishy.

"Anyways, so yeah Matsushita-san may not be as beautiful as Kosaki-san but she is a good person." I commented and it was from what I have seen. 

Though I may not know Kosaki that well personally, from what I've seen, she doesn't look like someone who would ever reciprocate his feelings let alone respect them. Though judging her like that may be shallow.

"Saishi knows too, see." Gaisen patted my shoulder with a huge grin as I was in his team too.

"Saishi shut the…" Tsūmen was about to curse the heck out of me but I interrupted him.

"Well, it's true though… I noticed it too." I said with a vague shrug.

Looking at both of us talking about him and Kana, he looked at me with a surprised expression and asked hesitantly, "Seriously? I actually had no idea about it."

"The heck bro!?" Gaisen face palmed himself. Knowing Tsūmen, he isn't very perceptive about these things so even if Kana did flirt with them some time, he won't know.

"Tsūmen being the intellectual person he is." I shook my head from left to right slowly in disappointment.

"Peak intelligence." Gaisen chuckled.

Tsūmen opened his mouth to say something but ended up complaining with a sigh, "It's not fair, you two are ganging up on me."

We were now in the cafeteria, walking towards an empty table, when I heard someone yell out my name. All of us turned our heads towards the direction of the voice.

"Oi Sakamaki!"

Since the cafeteria was already really crowded and a lot of noise was around us, it took a bit of time to find out the source of the voice. As soon as my eye met with the person, a huge grin formed on his face.

"Who's that!?" Gaisen asked me in confusion.

"Oh shi…"

"Isn't that Tsubakihara Senpai sitting beside that dude?" Tsūmen said, narrowing his eyes, and then shifting his gaze onto me.

"Pretty sure it is." I nodded.

"Why is that dude waving at you as if he knows you?" Gaisen asked, since none of them knew I was friends with Ryuhan. Not actually friends, but still a good level of familiarity I would say.

"Because he indeed knows me." I said with a sigh. I wasn't expecting that they would be in the cafeteria since every time I met them, they were in their club only.

"..."

"..." Three of us shared a look of confusion, as I walked towards their table. Tsūmen and Gaisen followed me too.

"Aren't they from the Kendo club?" Tsūmen asked as their club was right next to Kendo club too, so it wasn't a big deal.

"Yes, I don't understand why, but they have taken a liking to me." I said with an awkward smile as Ryuhan's eyes were locked on me, as if he would blow my head off any second then.

"Eh? For no reason?" Gaisen narrowed his eyes.

There wasn't any point to hide the truth from them, so I said, "Probably because I held my own against Vivian-senpai." 

"You did what?" Tsūmen yelled at me. I didn't mention that I was literally about to knock the heck out of Vivian if Naoto wouldn't have interrupted.

"It wasn't my fault… Jeez, don't look at me like that." I shrugged since it was Vivian, who started the fight.

"Oi Sakamaki, here!" Ryuhan waved at me and patted the empty chair next to him as a gesture for me to sit there.

"Hello, Ryuhan-senpai." I greeted him with a smile. Ryuhan and Naoto were sitting next to each other and on the other side of the table, Yuna and Vivian were sitting next to each other.

"Are these your friends?" Ryuhan asked, shifting his gaze to Gaisen and Tsūmen.

"Yes." I nodded.

"This loser have friends?!" Vivian, who was busy stuffing food inside his mouth, looked at me and asked with a chuckle.

"Vivian!" Yuna hit him on the head.

"Ouch!" Vivian glared at Yuna, who smiled at us. Well, from what I saw yesterday, Yuna is definitely a free spirit and someone who can lighten up your mood if you're down.

"Hello Loser's friend…. wait aren't you Yukimura from the Archery club?" Vivian said, pointing at Tsumen with his index finger and narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah it's me. Hello… I guess?" Tsumen said hesitantly within an awkward smile while rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Oi brat!" Vivian shot at him. That startled us. Ryuhan looked up at him with half a noodle still hanging from his mouth.

"Eh?" Tsumen's eyes gazed at Vivian and then at the other members of the table nervously, who were also looking at him.

Vivian, after a moment of intense silence, said in his hoarse voice, "Tell your club members to not put their trash in front of our club door."

The nervousness on Tsumen's face washed away as he heard Vivian's predicament and the corners of his lips rose into a cheeky smile. With an element of surprise in his voice, he asked, "Oh… they still... do that?"

"Why the heck would you throw trash in front of someone else's club?" Hearing his part of the argument, Gaisen's eyebrows rose, and a frown formed on his face. 

"No… I mean…" Tsumen was about to explain something as he rose the index finger of his left hand and his mouth as about to move but his eyes gazed at us and our expression was more than enough to make those words stop in his throat.

"..."

"..."

Feeling awkward from the situation, his eyes shifted towards Naoto, who was eating her lunch, rather than taking part in the useless conversation that was going on. To change the topic of the conversation, he asked, "Senpai… how do you like our friend here?"