Volume 2 - CH ss - 6

Volume 2, Side Story 6: Bad Selection ~Wasted Effort~

Tendou's POV.

A few days after the meeting about the sports festival committee.

Coming from the inside the classroom, a troubled-looking Jimichi Ikuto walked out looking dazed as my classmates saw him off.

I heard that there would be a gathering of the members. With less than a month until the event, I would like for you to do your best.

"Ah~, I feel lazy... Susumu~, let's do club~."

My friend and fellow club member, Togawa Umi, spoke to me in a nonchalant manner.

The expression on his face was so laid back that it was hard to believe that he was a member on the team for the Inter-High Tournament. I wondered if we were going to lose in the first round this year again...

Normally, I should have gone to our club, but I was bit troubled because I was concerned about something.

It was, of course, about our managers. Higashimori, Nishibayashi, and Shigure previously talked to our advisor about quitting.

To be honest, I was hoping that they would reconsider. Particularly, Shigure's face came to mind.

Shigure had become special to me just by being told that she liked me a little.

Speaking of concerned, there was also Yukinaga-senpai.

We hadn't spoken to each other even once since that time at the family restaurant.

First of all, I had to apologize. I wouldn't be able to continue being Senpai's favorite if I didn't.

―― Look for them

"I'm going to look for our managers."

Like I thought, it wasn't a situation where I should be prioritizing club. I had to meet and talk to them.

That was the reason why I volunteered Jimichi to the sports festival committee in the first place.

Lately, Jimichi seemed to be getting high from being fawned over by girls. I had a fear that he might, in momentum, deepen his relationship with the two of them.

Which was why I nominated him so that they wouldn't be able to meet. During this period where Jimichi was busy, I wanted to shorten the distance with them as much as possible.

"Ah right~, our managers... Want me to go with you?"

"No, you're going to play so you should practice."

"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you."

Umi didn't seem too interested. Maybe it didn't matter to him whether they stayed or not.

I wondered if the rest of them team was like that. Having such thoughts, I left the classroom.

As I did, I thought about which of the two I would go see first.

Shigure and the other managers weren't likely to come to club today. If that was the case, the girls wouldn’t have anything particular to do and might go home instead.

On the other hand, Senpai was always busy with student council work, and there were rarely days where she would get to leave early.

So, I proceeded towards the first-year's floor, prioritizing the managers.

I headed towards the location of Shigure's classroom I was told of before. I passed by many kouhais who were either going to their club or just straight home.

A foreign person like me must be rare. No one approached me, but many of them stared at me with interest.

"...Tendou-senpai?"

"Hello..."

I was almost to Shigure's classroom when I met Higashimori and Nishibayashi. They looked somewhat uncomfortable, but I didn't pay attention at approached them.

"Hey, about your position as a manager..."

"Ah, yes."

"..."

"I heard that you're quitting, is that true?"

"I...guess it is. That's what I intend to."

"...Not officially yet, but I already filled out the resignation form."

It seemed like they still planned to quit. Both of them said little, but their conviction from their words showed their true intentions.

I assumed on my own that they were just hesitating, but if their will was this strong, it might be difficult to persuade them.

"...Shigure, too?"

"Airi seemed lost...but, probably."

Unlike the two of them, they said that Shigure was undecided.

I was a bit relieved that I could still persuade her, then.

"Tendou-senpai, are you going to persuade Airi?"

"Ah, well... I think I'd like to talk to her for a bit."

"If it's Tendou-senpai, you might be able to convince Airi..."

The reason I could was probably because I was the reason she became the manager.

The two then continued with an unhappy look on their face.

"But it wouldn't be the same as before, you know?"

"If only Airi is left. it would be much more difficult."

"Ah, yeah. That might be the case..."

"Actually, I really want to help Airi too, but..."

"If Airi says that she wants to continue, then we can do this..."

After that, the two of them pointed out to me what was wrong with the club and so on.

If they couldn't improve on that, Shigure would definitely quit one day, even if agreed to continue.

There were a lot of things that came to mind. And also, they were right.

I swore to the both of them that I would never make the same mistakes again and asked where Shigure was.

"Airi was heading to the meeting for the sports festival committee, right?"

"Eh..."

The meeting for the sports festival committee...? As soon as I heard, a bad premonition came over me.

I never thought that Shigure would be member of the committee. There no less than 40 students in a class, and Shigure was conveniently chosen among them?

I thanked the two and hurried to the student council office.

――――

――

―

I arrived at the student council room, but it was locked and I couldn't enter.

There were no signs of people, so it seemed like they had a meeting somewhere else.

If so, then the meeting room? I thought of a slightly large room where various meetings were held and ran there.

I arrived at the meeting room, but it was also locked.

Unlike the student council room however, there were signs of people inside, and although faint, I could hear them talking.

I decided to kill time in front of the meeting room, thinking that this was probably the place. I thought about what to say to Shigure after the meeting inside was over.

――――

――

―

How long had it been? I knew the meeting wasn't over yet because I could still hear people talking.

It was a bit overdue. I felt sorry for them, to have such a long meeting from just the first day.

However, I really messed up.

The job of a committee member might be difficult, but I regretted that I could have been with Shigure if I had volunteered.

Yukinaga-senpai, too. As the student council president, I knew she wouldn't be so involved with the committee, but she wouldn't be following them around, would she?

Maybe I made the wrong choice.

"...Hm? Oh, Tendou, what's up?"

I was suddenly called out to while I was staring out the window.

When I turned toward the voice, it was my homeroom teacher, Yokotani-sensei, who was there.

"I was waiting for the meeting to end..."

"Is that so? I think it's still going to be a while? I'll call you if it's done."

"Ah, no...that might not be good."

As expected, it wouldn't make too good of an impression if I went that path.

I decided to wait quietly for the meeting to end, thinking that we could head home together after.

"Well, if you say so... Then, I'll be going, okay? But still, what a pain the ass...―― these staff meetings."

...What did I just hear? Staff meeting...?

I hurriedly called out to Yokotani-sensei, who was about to enter the room.

"S-sensei! This meeting...wasn't it supposed to be for the sport festival committee?!"

"Y-you startled me! What's this all of a sudden?!"

Sensei looked genuinely frightened, but that didn't matter.

I had waited for many hours. And all this time, I had been waiting for the teachers to finish their meetings?!

"The sports festival committee held their meeting at the gymnasium, you know? Well, it must have finished long ago."

"I-it's done...?"

"I-I don't know what this is all about, but cheer up, okay? See ya."

The teacher then knocked on the door of the meeting room.

After a few seconds, the door opened. Inside, I glimpsed about more than a dozen teachers.

After that, I visited the gymnasium just to be sure, but no one was there like Sensei said.

I went home, shoulders slumped.

Sorry I wasn't able to post yesterday. I had exams (and one still ongoing).