Volume 7 - CH 9

My first day working as an executive member ended. Then again, this also concludes most of my general work for the rest of the festival. Tomorrow, Sasaki-kun will be the one patrolling through the festival like I did today. Except for the closing ceremony in the evening, I’ve got most of tomorrow completely free. And it’s all thanks to the other seniors from the executive committee and Wataru that I get this much freedom.

“Um, is there anything else I can help with?”

“Ah, Natsukawa-san! We’re pretty much wrapping things up over here, so it’s okay!”

“I see…”

“Thanks for the help today!”

I took off the committee armband and returned to being a regular member of class 1-C. Since I barely helped with my class’s Riddle Tournament either, I offered to help clean stuff up, but they also were close to getting everything done. When I looked, I spotted a familiar back. When I last saw him, he was wearing some cosplay (or dog costume, as he emphasized it), but now he’s back to his regular uniform. I approached him and spoke up.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, Natsuka—Wah!”

“Ah…!”

As Wataru turned around, he almost leaped backward. It took me until that moment to realize I had moved up uncomfortably close toward him. I panicked and took a step back. The blood instantly rushed to my head, but I couldn’t carelessly fan myself some air because he’d realize. I just prayed that I wasn’t blushing too severely and looked away from him.

“Um, sorry…”

“Ah, no, it’s fine.”

An awkward mood filled the silence, but reaching this point, it was pretty much a common occurrence. That simply showed how much my relationship with Wataru changed. And weirdly enough, I didn’t dislike it too much and felt no fear. To get back on track, I repeated the same question as I looked into his eyes when Wataru awkwardly scratched the back of his head and explained with a bashful expression.

“…I was kicking Sasaki.”

“What are you doing?!”

I looked past Wataru and spotted the person in question, wearing the same costume as Wataru had a few hours prior. He seemed exhausted and out of energy, as he sat on a chair right next to the wall. He gazed down at the floor with a gaze of emptiness, ruining his fairly handsome face.

“Hey, wake up, bastard.”

“H-Hey! You can’t do that!”

Wataru used his foot to attack Sasaki-kun’s leg with rhythmical attacks. He said he was kicking him, but I don’t think it really hurt all that much. That being said, I won’t allow him to be this cruel. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

“Welp, I guess I’ll leave it at that…”

“Geez…Why is he like this? Did you…”

“No, no. He’s been like this since the start. That’s why I was playing with him.”

“That’s the one time you should have lied.”

According to what Wataru explained to me, Sasaki-kun already had his mind full of something else, only for his little sister to constantly hover around him. And the same goes for Wataru, he had his fair share of a little sister experience, now letting out his frustration on the older brother. He’s not doing any playing…

“And where’s his little sister?”

“No clue. Probably thinks Sasaki went home, so I’m trying not to think about her.”

“…Huh?”

Wataru’s face suddenly became awfully serious. It sounded like he was keeping it vague on purpose. And right as I thought that I felt a chill run down my back. I felt a fierce gaze coming from outside the window…maybe? But when I looked around, I couldn’t find anybody that could be the perpetrator. Maybe it was just my imagination…?

“So…what should we do about him?”

“Contact the animal shelter, I guess?”

“I’m being serious here!”

“Ouchies.”

Whenever Sasaki-kun or Yamazaki-kun are involved, Wataru immediately starts joking around. Even if he was a dog, sending him off to an animal shelter would be far too cruel. I know he’s not serious about it, but I still rammed my elbow into his side.

“…Um, I can look after him.”

“Huh?”

That’s when I heard a voice from behind us. To think we’d find a guardian candidate this quickly. Saitou-san looked over at us with a worried and hesitant expression. She probably just finished helping at the tea club’s exhibition, as she still carried a bag with clothes over her shoulder. I wonder, it felt like she was looking directly at me…but, I felt no hostility whatsoever.

“…I see, I see.”

“Huh?”

Next, I heard Wataru’s faint mumbling. It sounded like he finally understood something, but I had not a single clue what that could be. I don’t even get why Saitou-san offered to look after him. Were they good friends? Maybe it’s similar to Wataru and his connections? Like Wataru, who had suddenly been talking to a lot of girls and spent time with them, which I had no idea about?

“Um…why are you giving me such a stare, Natsukawa…?”

“No reason…”

I was working the whole day as a committee member, yet he was walking around with Ichinose-san and that middle school student, having all the fun by himself. I may have given him a sharp gaze because of that, but it’s not like I particularly care or anything.

“Um…”

“Ah, my bad, Saitou-san. Sasaki, yeah? Give him like two walks a day with enough food and you’ll be fine.”

“Sasaki-kun isn’t a dog…”

“A serious reply? Really…?”

“It’s because you keep being rude…Ah, h-hey?”

I was mid-sentence when Wataru suddenly placed his hand on my back. My heart rate spiked instantly. I couldn’t even look at him and just gazed straight ahead of me. All I could do was open my mouth to convey my confusion.

“Just put up with it.” He whispered into my ear, pushing me past Saitou-san.

Once we stepped out of the classroom, he then put his hand away, which gave me back my freedom.

“G-Geez…”

I didn’t hate it, but when he suddenly touched my body, it just made me freeze up all over. This is bad for my heart, so I really wish he’d not do that. And since all of this happened too quickly, I couldn’t even find the right words to say anything.

“I was just trying to read the mood. Sorry about that.”

“R-Read the mood…Huh?”

That’s what that was? I suddenly felt hasty. I don’t know if that’s because I’m a high school girl, but I just can’t help being interested in other people’s romances. Hence, I looked at Wataru, asking for details. He showed an expression as if he just failed at something important and scratched the back of his head. Seems like he’s got no plans telling me what all of that was about. I was still curious so I took a peek inside the classroom, revealing Sasaki-kun after his recovery, acting awfully flustered in front of Saitou-san.

“…God damn hottie.”

“Hey.”

There’s no way he just said that while these two were indulging in such a sweet atmosphere. Personally, I wanted to support them simply after watching them like this. And yet, I had no way of knowing just why Wataru was so bothered by this. Also, what about Wataru, anyway? He’s giving Sasaki-kun an awfully condescending look right now, but I heard about him walking around with three other girls, which included Sasaki-kun’s sister, the entire afternoon. Wouldn’t all the other boys be jealous of him? Also, is it really fair to compare them here?

But once I started thinking about it, I grew curious. How did he spend the rest of the day, surrounded by girls? I’d very much appreciate any kind of detail I could get.

“Say—”

“Aichi, let’s get married.”

“Waaaah?!”

A sudden proposal caught me off-guard, together with a passionate embrace. When I looked towards the warmth engulfing me, I spotted Kei rubbing her face against my waist. A sweet scent of citrus fruit drifted up towards me. She had probably taken a shower after her club practice was over.

“Mmmm!”

“H-Hey…!”

Kei knows that I have a little sister, which is why she sometimes comes at me like this, begging for attention. And she seemed extra exhausted today, as she showed no signs of letting go. I don’t really get it, but since she began making sounds that didn’t even sound like words, I practically gave up.

“Ashida, you—”

“Shut up.”

“……”

Wataru was given absolutely no chance to even talk.

*

Our homeroom teacher Ootsuki-sensei came into the classroom and started talking with a group of girls, seemingly having fun. I guess we’ve been freed for the day, with no homeroom class waiting for us.

“Kei, should we go home?”

“Sure…”

If Kei had any more strength left, she’d probably talk with our other classmates, but she seemed awfully sleepy today. We even walked down the passing hallway that offered no windows, and I was thinking that the cold breeze might wake her up, but that wasn’t the case.

“…?”

“Hm…?”

I grabbed Kei’s hand, about to stand up when I heard noises coming from the entrance of the passing hallway. It seemed like somebody was approaching us. Through the glass door, I could see a faint glimmer of the person’s face.

“Sasaki-kun…?”

“Hmh? Sasakichi?”

“Didn’t you give him a different name before?”

Kei tends to change the way she calls Sasaki-kun on the regular. But that didn’t matter, as the entrance door opened. It looked like Sasaki-kun was pulling somebody along, who however didn’t seem too motivated to obey. Could it be Saitou-san? I thought for a moment, but I turned out to be wrong.

“Oh, it’s Sajocchi.”

“Yeah…”

Pulled along by Sasaki-kun, Wataru reluctantly walked ahead. Judging from his expression, he really didn’t enjoy this situation. I wonder what happened?

‘Please, Sajou! You’re the one person I need!’

“?!”

“?!”

…What? In one simple sentence…it sounded like a passionate confession. The moment we heard that, Kei and I rushed to the wall of the spiral stairs. Was that even the correct decision? We pretty much ended up hiding by doing this. And even if we used the spiral stairs to move down another floor, those two would probably spot us mid-way. Now we’re practically stuck here. But most importantly, I had to calm myself down. While my heart raced aggressively, Sasaki-kun’s words were on repeat inside my head. They were wonderful no doubt, but no matter how many times I rubbed my eyes, he was still talking to Wataru…A boy. They’re both boys.

“Huh? Wha…What is going on…?!”

“I don’t know…!”

Kei also blinked in confusion as she asked me with a quiet voice. I guess that one line from Sasaki-kun completely woke her up. Then again, I’m the same. My eyesight was sharp, even though it had been a tad bit drowsy before. At the same time, the footsteps from Sasaki-kun and Wataru stopped at around the same place as where Kei and I just sat to enjoy the breeze. Kei went on all fours to crawl along the wall, trying to see what was going on.

“H-Hey, if you do that…!”

“Say what you want, but you’re doing the same thing, Aichi!”

“Ah, um…”

I approached Kei to stop her, only to realize that I was glued to the wall right above her. Weird…I just ended up in this position without even meaning to. This isn’t good, I can’t become some ill-mannered woman, or it’ll rub off onto Airi…However, this position was tough. I placed my hand on Kei’s back in order to see it easier.

‘What the hell is that supposed to mean…I was just about to go home, y’know?’

‘Just…Just a bit, please!’

‘Gross…’

Wataru broke free from Sasaki-kun’s grasp and gave him a sour look, as he sat down on the concrete steps. Even though Sasaki-kun was practically begging, Wataru showed absolutely no interest. This is probably how their relationship truly works. But if Sasaki-kun really cares for Wataru, then I wish he’d be a bit nicer to him…

Then again, whatever I may be thinking right now doesn’t matter, as I still couldn’t fully understand this situation unfolding in front of me. All I knew was that there was definite relief inside of me when Wataru didn’t agree immediately. If he did, I don’t think I would’ve made it home safely today.

“Sasakichi’s serious face…It’s gotta be that, right?! It has to be, yeah?!”

“Hey, they’re gonna hear you, so keep it down!”

We exchanged a few words with whispers. Kei’s excitement showed no signs of cooling down, despite being half-asleep a few seconds ago. Luckily, the breeze passing through the hallway covered up our voices, so Wataru and Sasaki-kun didn’t hear us. Sasaki-kun waited for Wataru to sit down and took out a vinyl plastic bag from his student one, offering it to Wataru.

‘Here you go.’

‘Oh…Wait, it’s just nutritious jelly?’

‘So what, you gonna be picky?’

‘Well, at least it’s not cold.’

Wataru seemed to remember something as he looked up at the ceiling, opening the lid. Since he sat down, it seemed like he had no more intention of running away from Sasaki-kun. Maybe he simply didn’t like being dragged along like that…No, what could it have been? A boy his age just confessed all of his feelings, so could a normal boy really stay calm about this? I’d definitely be terrified.

‘Hey…can I sit next to you?’

“…?!”

‘Why?! Just sit in front of me!’

‘I mean, it’d be awkward this far apart when it’s just us two…’

‘…Literally, don’t ask me. Just sit down…’

‘Sorry, sorry.’

Sasaki-kun sounded oddly tense, which made Kei’s back twitch. Even I swallowed my breath, when I saw that Sasaki-kun had sat down next to Wataru, who showed a disgruntled expression as Sasaki-kun awkwardly smiled at him.

“Aichi…this is…pretty good, right?”

“Huh? What is…?”

“I mean, the mood between them…”

“No way.”

“Ah, don’t hate me!”

I know the meaning of Boys’ Love, but I never felt any sort of interest in that. That being said, Kei seems to be fully immersed in this situation with that as its basis. I’m not particularly disgusted or anything, I just don’t think this is anything to blush over like she is. I think it’s normal to be happy for guys who are talking with each other and getting along…Though, are they getting along?

Either way, Wataru sat further away from us than Sasaki-kun. At the same time, Kei let out a somewhat heated sigh. I think she’s sensing something special about the distance these two currently share. I feel like I’m starting to understand a bit…Like, looking at this as one type of friendship, then maybe…

‘So, what do you want? Something about me giving you advice?’

“Huh?”

“Wha—Eek!”

“Ah, sorry.”

We reacted at approximately the same time, but Kei’s back moved down a bit, like she was disappointed. Since I put both of my hands on her to support myself, I somehow got away without topping over. That was close, my head almost poked out from the corner…I got my position under control, but Kei still looked dejected. Her expectations were betrayed, huh?

“Man, just advice?”

“Wh-What’s the big deal…?”

If anything, these two not ending up in that relationship is what I prefer anyway. Personally, I’m relieved that the chance of them becoming a thing is virtually zero now.

‘So…don’t tell anybody, okay?’

‘…Saitou-san confessed to you, huh?’

‘Wha…?!’

“!”

“!”

That single statement had Kei move her entire body forward again. That being said, I wasn’t much better. I knew we shouldn’t be doing this. Eavesdropping during such a delicate conversation isn’t something I would want to do. However, there was no way out of this except to sit still. So, this can’t be helped.

‘H-How do you know that?!’

‘I heard that you got summoned by a girl this afternoon. The rest I just guessed.’

‘S-Sure, but…she didn’t say a thing…!’

‘You think I’m that dense I can’t read between the lines?’

‘Urk…!’

Wataru complained with a somewhat envious tone in his voice, leaving Sasaki-kun at a loss for words. Unlike Wataru’s clear, normal voice, Sasaki-kun grew silent, sounding almost uncertain. Shouldn’t you…be congratulating him a bit more? Oh, so that’s what that before was about? I remembered the time when Wataru put his hand on my back, pushing me out of the classroom. He said he read the mood, too. If he knew about what happened, then it’d make it easier for him to draw that conclusion, I guess.

‘…Yeah, she did.’

Sasaki-kun nodded, almost as if he was confessing himself. His tone and expression sounded bashful, but also complicated at the same time. As a member of the tea club, Saitou-san is pretty cute. And yet, why isn’t he happy that such a girl confessed to him?

“I knew it. Sasakichi, he…”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Oh yeah, Kei suddenly went all docile. Normally, Kei would be bursting with excitement after hearing that revelation, but now she just gave Sasaki-kun a sympathetic yet difficult expression. Since she’s got a lot of friends, she might know something about what’s going on here.

‘So, you want advice on how to protect Saitou-san from Yuki-chan’s devilish hands, yeah?’

“Huh…?”

‘Hell no! What kind of image do you have of my sister?!’

‘An aggressive absolute guardian.’

‘What the…I mean, you’re not entirely wrong, but still!’

This isn’t taking the direction I expected it would. I mean, I knew that Sasaki-kun had a rather clingy younger sister. I heard about that when working with the committee. And he said he’s having trouble getting her to become independent but is it really that bad? If anything, isn’t it his fault that he can’t deal with his little sister’s feelings of love? I’d welcome her with open arms. That’s right, Airi can always be with me, no matter how old she gets.

“A-Aichi…? You’re pressing…down on my…back…Guh!”

Ah, my bad.