CH 27

“Come to think of it, you haven’t talked to Sasaki in a while, have you?”

“…… Yeah.”

In a way, that question was a topic I didn’t want to hear too much about. I used to talk to Shu about anything and everything, but after the incident on the rooftop, there has been no conversation between Shu and me. The same goes for Ayana, who stopped making eye contact with Shu after she and I started dating.

“……, well, I won’t ask too many questions.”

I said sorry briefly to Aisaka, who stopped asking me, perhaps sensing what I was doing. Since Shu is not often seen talking to other people in the classroom, I don’t mean to say it is my fault, but it certainly bothered me a little.

Aisaka tried to change the subject by talking about something else.

“Well, the final exams are finally over, and all we have to do now is wait for the summer vacation.”

“That’s right. But the baseball team is practicing all the time, right?”

“I guess so. Well, that’s just the way it is.”

The final examinations have just recently come to an end. It’s not that I can’t study, and more importantly, I studied with Ayana, so I can have confidence in myself, although I haven’t seen any results yet. Well, even though we study at either of our homes, we work hard at other things when we are alone together.

[Towa-kun, am I a naughty girl?]

Ayana, who is lying down with me, asked me such a question, and I think it is very naughty of her to make such an appeal when we have a little time and find an opening, if I may put it this way. I’m also a bad guy for holding her as if I’m being swept away by it.

I just shake my head because I had a strange thought while talking with Aisaka.

The only thing that awaits us now that the tests are over is summer vacation,……, but unlike Aisaka, who has club activities, I and Ayana, who are homecomers, have our own reasons for having to come out to school.

“We have to get ready for the gymnastics festival.”

“That reminds me.”

We have to make props and draw pictures to display prominently in our team’s color territory. I think the Art Club is mainly responsible for drawing the pictures, but we have to help out in some way since we’re here at school. Some people were lamenting that their precious break time would be ruined, but personally, I don’t really mind. After all, Ayana is by my side.

“Well, we’ll leave the behind-the-scenes stuff to you.”

“Aiyo. Good luck with the club activities.”

“I know. It would be more motivating if a cute girl said that to me instead of you.”

“Shut up.”

What the hell, I’m not gonna cheer for this guy anymore.

As we were chatting like that, a familiar girl walked past us. She looked at me and Aisaka and let out a surprised “hello” before running over to us.

“Hello! Yukishiro-senpai and Aisaka-senpai!”

“Ou, hello, Uchida-san.”

“Hahaha, since you’re Ayana-san’s boyfriend, it’s okay to call me by my first name, you know?”

“I see. I’ll call you Mari from now on.”

The one who called out to us was Uchida…no, Mari. Like the President, she was one of the people who had a crush on Shu but had started to distance herself from him due to his recent attitude. As a result, Mari had come to talk to him less and less, and now hardly ever came to see him. When she talked to Ayana about it, that’s how Ayana told her about me and our relationship.

“So, can you do me a favor? …Oh, wait, what’s your first name, Aisaka-senpai?”

At that point, Mari turned her gaze to Aisaka and tilted her head. I also looked at Aisaka, who was inexplicably stiff.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“…Ha?! No, no, nothing, nothing. Hello, Uchida-san…”

Why does my tone get smaller and smaller? I was concerned about Aisaka’s situation, but I was more curious about the fact that Mari knew about Aisaka.

“Mari, do you know Aisaka?”

“Yes! As a member of the track and field team, I often see Aisaka-san, who is in the baseball club that uses the same schoolyard.”

“Heh.”

Well, if you think about it normally, it’s not strange for her to know.

“I feel motivated when I see him chasing the ball so hard, and I saw him doing his first running and strength training properly. Although we are in different clubs, it makes me want to tighten up too.”

“I see.”

Mari is talking about Aisaka with sparkling eyes. I wonder what it is. Sometimes I talk with Ayana, but this girl really speaks honestly about her feelings. She’s honest and straightforward, and I think she’s a really good girl, although the only part that worries me is that she might get cheated by a bad guy.

“Oi Aisaka, why are you quiet?”

“…Are you talking to me?”

“Yes I am”

I thought about patting him on the back and asking him what was wrong, but then I noticed that Aisaka’s face was as red as an apple. We have only Mari in front of us, and of course she is the only one with whom we are talking, but Aisaka’s eyes seem to be somewhat avoiding Mari.

Ah, I see. I understood Aisaka’s situation there.

“I told Aisaka earlier that he should work hard during the summer vacation. He said he could do it if it was a girl, not me. Please support him.”

“Oi, Yukishiro!”

“Eh? Is that so?”

Aisaka grabbed my shoulder and Mari looked surprised. But still, this kid was honest.

“Aisaka-senpai, I don’t think I can make a difference with my support, but please do your best in your club! I will do my best too!”

Her cheeks loosened at her friendly smile.

“Really a good girl. Alright, let’s go home…Aisaka?”

Aisaka stared at the sky without moving a muscle, and then he returned his gaze to me as if he had calmed down.

“Yukishiro.”

“What’s wrong?”

Aisaka laughed, looked straight at me, and said something like this.

I got next year’s Koshien.” TL: location of Koshien Stadium, where the Japan National High School Baseball Tournament is held)

“……I see.”

What the heck, it’s already confirmed.

When I returned to the classroom with Aisaka, who was strangely full of motivation, Ayana also asked me if Aisaka was okay about his condition. When I told her what had happened, she clapped her hands and smiled.

“Aisaka-kun loves Mari-chan? Fufu, I’m curious to see where this goes from here.”

As I looked with Ayana at Aisaka who was sitting in front of us, I couldn’t help but feel a tremendous amount of ambition emanating from him. It seemed like the entire class was looking at him in unison.

“Oh, by the way, Towa-kun. When I went to the faculty room earlier, I heard that an external coach will be coming to the track and field club starting next week. Murakami-sensei is going on maternity leave, so they need an additional coach.”

“Heh?”

Outside coach. …… Well, if a teacher is primarily involved in athletics, then there’s nothing for us to worry about.

“He wants you to stay after school for a bit today. They want to talk to you about the design for the sports festival.”

“Got it.”

I was curious about Aisaka, but I figured I should focus on the immediate tasks at hand.

“Towa-kun.”

“Hmm~!”

I was surprised at the suddenness of it, but Ayana, did you forget that this is a classroom?

“You were away for a while, so I’m filling my Towa-kun meter. Gyu ~♪”

It was only a few minutes, but Ayana seemed to have forgotten that we were in the classroom.

In the end, I let Ayana do as she pleased until the next teacher arrived. Since it had become common knowledge that Ayana and I were dating, she had become more open about her feelings. Every chance she got, she would hug me like this, and Aisaka and my close friends would tease me about it. Ayana, on the other hand, had become a confidant for the girls when it came to love advice.

In the end, I let Ayana do as she pleased until the next teacher came to take over our class. Ever since it became known that Ayana and I were dating, she became less reserved. She would often cling to me like this, and I would be teased by classmates and close friends like Aisaka. Ayana, on the other hand, had now become the go-to person for the girls’ love advice.

“I love you, Towa-kun.”

“I love you too.”

When I said this, her face brightened, and she tiptoed to ask for a kiss… but even Ayana seemed to have some self-control.

“You can’t, you can’t, Ayana. You have to hold out until we get home!”

I chuckled as Ayana made a determined fist.