CH 24

Mob High School Student was surprised

The day before yesterday, I was roped into a study session on my way home but I know that I can’t just wait for the day to arrive like this.

A study group with girls will cause rumors no matter who I am with but this time it is Eihashi-san and Ichinose-san.

It might be fine if there is another man in the group but as I am the only one it is more likely that it won’t go so smoothly for me.

I thought up some countermeasures since yesterday but unfortunately, I couldn’t come up with anything that can let me survive peacefully.

“——-you know, on the latest issue…..wait, Oi, Seiya, you okay there man? I think you have been absent-minded since yesterday, you know?”

It seems that Masato noticed that I have been worrying about something since yesterday. If it’s Masato, I might be able to talk to him about it. If I consult with him I might be able to…….wait?

As expected, the study group itself is the problem but the most problematic point is that I am the only man in the group. But isn’t there another man standing right here in front of me!

“….hey. Can you show up at the eating area on the second floor of the city library next Saturday around 12.30 with study materials?”

“…..the heck is that specific request…….you need my help with something?”

Seeing his expression was saying, ‘How the heck was that the answer to my question?’ I grin at him.

Even though he can see that I am trying to get him involved in something but he only thinks that it’s funny. That being said, for me, this is no laughing matter.

But this is the only time that he can laugh about it…….!”

“Yeah. if you are willing to help me, I will give you a can of juice as a reward.”

“Oh, so there’s a reward huh! Alright, I can work for a drink!”

Hmph…..he fell for it. He can’t take it back now.

“Well, you see. Actually,…..I ended up agreeing to have a study session with someone this Saturday.”

“Hmm, with who?”

“Eihashi-san and Ichinose-san.”

“Hou—-ah!?…..cough! Cough! How the heck did you end up with those two!”

Masato shouted so after he spewed out the bread he was eating. It seems that he was quite shocked.

Fortunately, we didn’t stand out since our surroundings were quite noisy.

“We have to go back around 1,200 minutes ago……”

“Cut to the point and keep it short.”

“Ah, sure.”

His eyes are serious. It seems he can’t take a joke right now so let’s get this done as soon as possible.

Short and to the point…..huh.

“When I studied at the library after school yesterday, I ended up walking home with Eihashi-san and Ichinose-san and before I knew it we ended up agreeing on studying together this Saturday.”

“……hey, you know that human beings possess this little thing called free will right?”

“That’s a given right?”

“……Haaa……”

What did Masato want to say? I have always used my own free will. It’s my free will that I chose to attend high school and it is also my free will to live as a mob.

For him to bring up such an obvious thing…….I see! So even without getting the juice, he will still help me huh!

“Thank you, Masato! As expected of my best friend!”

“Thanks a lot for thinking of me as your best friend! I think of you as my best friend too you know! Even so, I think that you misunderstood something earlier so let me ask you what you thanked me for earlier!?”

Nn? Did I misunderstand something? Ah, I see, right, Masato is also a man after all.

No need to mention Eihashi-san, Ichinose-san is pretty beautiful herself.

So he wanted to thank me instead for inviting him to the group huh. Will he buy me a can of juice I wonder?

“I got it, but since you are helping me here I’m fine with a 100 yen canned coffee you know.”

“What the heck am I treating you for! You said you happened to walk home with them and got roped into a study group!? What about your free will!…….rather, I won’t help you with only a can of juice alright!”

“No way……you……are you really a man?”

“Don’t ask me such a question with an astonished expression like that! And don’t just pull away from me either! I don’t swing that way alright!”

“…..you don’t have to scream so much you know…..?”

“And whose fault is it!”

Masato is out of breath even though his expression is saying that he still doesn’t have enough. It is rare for Masato who usually takes things at his own pace to get upset like this. Well, I have no regret.

“Seriously…..it’s not like you and I have any business being around Eihashi-san and Ichinose-san right…….”

“That’s rude, I do think that the two of them are cute you know?”

“I think so too! Seriously, I meant that the other party is the transcendental beauty of our school alright……”

Come to think of it, I remember Masato said that he is satisfied just by admiring her from afar huh.

That being said, even if Masato thinks of Eihashi Reika as a transcendental beauty, I know that she is just like any other ordinary girl.

I am a mob because I wished to be one but does Eihashi-san be known as the transcendental beauty because she wanted to be one?

Even right now, she is sitting at her seat while gathering the admiration from the people around here…….wait? She’s gone?

No, it seems that the eyes are gathering somewhere else right now. Eihashi-san is the only one in this class who can gather so much attention.

Let’s see where they are looking at…..eh, is it just me, or are their attention gathered this way?

No, to be exact, their eyes are gathering at something behind me………

“—san? Seiya-san?”

“Wha….Y, Y, Yes, Ma’am?”

Taken by surprise, I ended up using a stiff reply. On the other hand, my voice went a pitch higher so it was a little embarrassing.

……Eihashi-san seems to have been behind me. No good, even though she was calling my name, I didn’t notice her at all.”

“Fufu, you can’t hear anything else when you are absorbed in your thoughts right.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about something earlier……that aside, do you have business with me? Eihashi-san.”

I think that I did a good job replying to her. Still, I didn’t have to worry about this yesterday. Rather, ever since the day I got called out by Ichinose-san in the library, I haven’t received any extra attention from her at all.

However, since she started talking to me like this, she must have some business with me.

“Uhh, I finished reading the book I borrowed yesterday so I want to return it. Can I trouble you to lend me the second one?”

“Eh? You finished the whole volume?”

“Yes, it was more addicting than I expected so I couldn’t stop reading it. I ended up reading it during lunchbreak too……”

Saying so, Eihashi-san handed me the bag with the book she borrowed from me inside. Don’t tell me, the reason why I didn’t feel her eyes on me yesterday was that she was reading it?

But it was only the day before yesterday that she asked me to give her a teaser to help her reading motivation. I never thought she would finish reading it so soon.

I know that you can’t stop reading this one once you started but honestly, I am happy that my teaser has such an effect on her.

“I can understand how you can’t put it down after you start reading it….. Alright, should I bring you the second volume tomorrow then?”

“YES! I’m a little worried since the test is just around the corner though.”

Perhaps she felt very happy at the thought that she could read the continuation soon, her smile held a lot of destructive power. It was well-known that Eihashi-san borrowed a book from me a while ago so there is no one causing a fuss about this.

“Right……….it might be because of these books that I can’t concentrate at home. Ah, that’s right, at tomorrow’s study group, can my friend, Masato also attend?”

“Shiraki-san is it?…..I don’t mind but Akira-chan……I don’t think that she would mind so it should be fine. I’m sorry for getting your hope up but if she isn’t okay with it I will let you know okay.”

“That’s alright. Well, I hope that she gives us an okay. Alright then, I will see you tomorrow.”

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

I didn’t think that Eihashi-san would come to talk to me so I planned to have Masato show up at the library by chance. Well, since she came to talk to me, I can ask for permission to have him join us normally.

…..there’s a possibility that she might refuse but I thought that it would be okay since I was not given any special treatment to participate in the first place. I did think of a plan in case she refused though.

“And that’s it, I’m counting on you okay?”

“A can of juice won’t cut it anymore you know?”

“I just treated you to ramen the other day right?”

“Well, I guess I will let you off with that……”