Volume 2 - CH 4.5

Volume 2, Chapter 4.5: The Smell Of Youth Wasn't Necessarily A Good Smell

→ Make an excuse

Speak honestly

Shigure's Story, Part 2.

The content of the SOS call from Shigure was that they needed help buying equipment and other supplies for their club.

They had a practice game tomorrow, and today they were preparing and testing the equipment.

While they were doing so, they found items that were missing, broken, and other else. Currently, only the three of them were acting as the managers of the club, and there were still many things they didn't know yet.

Therefore, they hurriedly tried contacting their senpais for some help, but it didn't go well. They were in trouble because they needed some help with heavy stuff, but fortunately, Shigure had a trump card, which was me.

"Didn't your more experienced managers teach you about this?"

I called out to Shigure and the others who were busy filling up the shopping basket with detergents and other cleaning supplies. Needless to say, I was the one holding the basket.

"When we applied as managers, there was already no one left there."

"There was one student in the third year, but he quit school."

"I regretted it a bit. It was awful, you know? The state of the club room..."

If there were no women present and only men were in charge, the situation would worsen.

I recalled a researcher I knew saying that just by having one female in the department could make a big different in the work environment.

"Geez~, it seemed like they just left it all to the managers involved and they didn't know anything."

"You know~, there were times where even our own advisor was clueless."

It looked like they once had a very capable manager. After that person quit, the club was in shambles, and the consequences were passed on to these girls, the new managers.

"Our third-year senpais aren't very cooperative."

"They were close to graduating, so they must have thought it was troublesome."

"Ahaha. Third-years were hard to talk to in the first place..."

Shigure wasn't currently her, but HIgashimori and Nishibayashi were talking to me without any hesitation.

Neither the second-years nor the advisor seemed helpful, and I felt sorry for them

However, it was amazing that they still didn't quit and instead, did their best even though it was supposed to be their day off.

The soccer team must have been really grateful. If they let go of these three goddesses, I didn't think they would just be regretting it at a level.

"But couldn't they have at least given a hand?! This was for them in the first place!"

"They don't even clean the club room, they don't take out the trash, and the smell! The smell!"

"Ah, ahaha... Well, it is true that I'm not a big fan of that smell, either..."

The three goddesses exploded with frustration. Once they began letting out their complaints, they couldn't stop, as though they had gone through this situation many times before.

The only saving grace they had was that they had friends who they could at least complain to.

"Speaking of that, Senpai is really amazing~. Rather, why don't you join the soccer club?"

"Right, right! It's clean now, and it also smells very good!"

"Eh, you're going to join the soccer club, Ikuto-senpai?! I-I'll do my best to support you!"

I responded with a bitter smile. They probably weren't serious either, so they didn't say anything more.

Only Shigure seemed to be disappointed, wondering if she was actually serious, but I didn't point it out.

"How did you three become managers in the first place?"

"Ah, you want to know about that? It’s not a noble reason. you know?"

"I liked soccer, but there were also good-looking guys at the club."

"I see, that's a very good reason."

""Right?!""

Higashimori and Nishibayashi exclaimed.  In that soccer club with many of their handsome classmates and senpais, there was no more advantageous position than being a manager if you wanted to get close to them.

A cute manager that takes care of you. A manager who was like their own personal assistant, doing their best to help them. It was as if they had already won the game.

"Did Shigure also have the same reason?"

"Um...well, I might have been like that too, at first..."

Shigure's reaction was surprising, to say the least. Shigure seemed hesitant to say, so I thought she was going to deny it somehow.

It wasn't that I was surprised that she became a manager for that reason, but rather because she honestly confirmed it.

"Do we need anything more~?"

"Hmm...maybe garbage bags? Do they sell coolers here?"

"Could be at a sports store? Maybe there."

After wrapping up our purchases, the next step was to head towards the sports store.

My arms were already full of shopping bags, but they still had things to buy.

If that was the case, I'd have them carry the relatively lighter ones and I would those that are heavier.

"Are we going to buy a new cooler box?"

"That might be good. The one we have now is beat up."

"A stopwatch, the air pump is broken, too..."

The more I heard, the more I wondered how long it had been since they were in charge.

I didn't know much about it, but wouldn't an air pump at least should have been a necessity for a soccer club?

They did say I would carry heavy stuff, and it looked like I might have to do my part soon.

"Hey, you girls want to have lunch first?"

"Ah, let's go! I'm hungry, too!"

"Me, too!"

"Also here. Where do you want to go?"

All three agreed, so we ended up having lunch just in front of the sports store.

Since there wasn't any particular place we wanted to go to, we decided to just head into a nearby family restaurant.

They seemed to be in agony over the seating arrangement, but Higashimori ultimately was the one who sat next to me and Shigure across.

They looked at the menu and each chose what they wanted to eat. The girls might take a while to choose...or at least, that was what I thought.

"...Senpai, you're still choosing?"

"Give me a bit more time."

"You look like a very choosy dad..."

"It's a precious outing, and I can't just choose randomly."

"W-what are you troubled about?"

"Pork cutlet set meal, cheese pilaf, curry with pork cutlet, pepechi, or wrapped grilled hamburger."

"""So you still haven't decided yet..."""

After much deliberation, I chose the mackerel miso set. I asked the three what they wanted to order and called for the waiter.

"Mackerel miso set meal, Locomoco Bowl, Seafood Soup Spa...and a Kid's Set Me――"

"―― Senpai!!!"

"... This Omelet with White Sauce, please."

I was joking around a bit, but Shigure kept her sights at me the whole time while we waited. It was cute how she would look away in a hurry when I made eye contact every once in a while.

――――

――

―

After we had our lunch, I was leisurely sipping on iced coffee, but the three girls were nowhere to be found.

They went to the restroom. I didn't know why they had to go together.

Maybe if they all went at the same time, none of them would think the others were taking too long. It could be that they didn't want to be thought of as a girl who took too long to go to the bathroom.

I was a gentleman myself, so I wouldn't point this out... While I was gnawing on my straw trying to look cool, the three came back.

"Senpai, I just met Yukinaga-senpai."

"Yukinaga-senpai? Never thought of her as someone who goes to family restaurants."

"I think she had a date! I didn't see the guy, though."

"Hmm~. Shall we get going, then? Maybe she doesn't want to be seen."

I got up from my seat with the bags. After confirming they were done packing up too, we left the restaurant.

Then, the three of them suddenly raised their voices in a panic.

"S-senpai?! Didn't we forget to pay?!"

"I already did. During your long, restroom break."

"It wasn't long! More importantly, we'll do our share, too!"

"It's fine, I'm your senpai here. Besides, your senpai is rich."

"Eh, but earlier...you were really lost at what to order."

"Let me pay you, Senpai! Are you sure you aren't forcing yourself?!"

Well, I did get surprised that I only had 5,000 yen in my wallet. As soon as I got home, I would have to bow down to my mother for some money so I could continue to keep looking cool.

I wasn't one to shy away from making the most out of my available connections. I didn't care who pointed their fingers at me, and I wasn't about to change my stance on this.

It was my fortune to be born in such an environment, so I had to take advantage of it.

Hehehe...becoming an opportunist. I had the resources, so just my luck.

Well, you might be thinking that it was fine since I was only going to ask a few thousand yen, but I wouldn't stop at just that amount, nor was it about the amount itself.

"I-Ikuto-senpai? Why do you look like you're thinking of something bad?

"You're right, he looks like a villain."

"It's unfair how you still look cool despite that."

I guess it showed on my face. I immediately fixed my expression and distracted the girls.

"It's a reward for your hard work. Well, sorry it it's cheap, though."

"That's not the case! Um...thank you."

""Thanks for the food!!""

"Right, it would make your senpai happy if you smiled cutely like that."

I was able to see three lovely smiling faces, and that alone was enough to satisfy me.

Even if the contents of my wallet were down to 2,000 yen, it was nice that I was able to see those expressions.

Still wearing that smile on their faces, I, together with three of them, headed towards the sports shop, feeling like we had grown closer with each other.

"Hey, Senpai! Like I thought, you should join the soccer club after all!"

"Nah."

"Senpai doesn't have any club activities, right? So, it's fine~."

"Nope."

"W-why? Do you hate soccer?"

"Because you said it smelled."

"""...Well, it does a bit."""

"So definitely not."

After that, we finished our purchases and went to school. Shigure and the others led me to the club building.

This was the first time I had ever been in a club room, but somehow, it didn't smell like youth.

"Ugh?! Eh...it stinks!"

"Eh? Isn't it better today?"

"Yeah, yesterday was a lot worse."

"Ikuto-senpai, you're overreacting~."

"You girls, I think you have gotten numb..."

I steadily carried our luggage in, thinking that if this was what youth smelled like, I didn't want to be a part of this youth.

This workload was really too much for these three women. I told Shigure to not hesitate and keep me posted with their updates.

Lastly, Shigure and the others thanked me and we parted way in front of the club room.

Higashimori and Nishibayashi asked me to give them my number, but I told them to ask Shigure about it and left.

After that, Shigure contacted me again to thank me, but I didn't receive any messages from the other two, so she must have had refrained from telling them.