Episode 305: Hayato’s Resolve

Yuji POV

「Natsumi-san, sorry, I lost.」

For my part, I’ve got no regrets about losing, I gave it everything I had… or so I’d like to say, but unfortunately, a win is a win.

This was a total defeat where I couldn’t even say a word back, and I knew from the start that Kazunari was better at shooting galleries anyway. So the truth is, the frustration isn’t really that bad.

Still, since I told Natsumi-san I’d win, I guess I look pretty uncool.

「You don’t look very frustrated, do you?」

「Can you tell?」

「Well, yeah. I play tennis too, so I think I kind of get how you feel, Yuji.」

「I see.」

「Fufu, well, good work. I’ve never seen you with such a serious face before…」

As she says that, Natsumi-san’s face starts turning red for some reason.

Honestly… she’s usually so aggressive and straightforward, but this shy side of hers is a real man-killer.

Well… it’s because she’s so cute that I end up… you know.

「What is it?」

「Hah?」

「Tell me the rest.」

「Ugh…」

I end up blurting out something mean like that. But I can’t help it, when I’m shown such a cute side of Natsumi-san, even someone like me is gonna react.

「…cool.」

「Pardon?」

「…it was good.」

「I can’t hear you.」

「Uuuugh, I said you looked cool!!! Did you hear me!? Are you satisfied now!?」

Natsumi-san’s just like an instant boiler, her face went past red and turned crimson in a heartbeat.

To be honest, seeing her look this cute makes me want to pull her into a hug right now, but…

It’s obvious that if I did that here, Natsumi-san would completely lose it.

So, we just can’t be like Kazunari and the others.

「Gaaah, I’m never forgiving you. I was gonna forgive you since you worked so hard!」

「Eh, what are you talking about…」

「I’m gonna give you a proper punishment just like you wanted. Your penalty for losing to Takanashi-kun!」

「Eeeeh…」

Natsumi-san’s face is still flushed. Even so, she’s declaring me guilty with a fearless smile, like she’s putting up a front.

Maybe I let my own desires out a bit too much… and that smile is giving me a really bad feeling.

「Now then, I’ll have to think long and hard about what I’ll have you do.」

「Please go easy on me…」

That said, just like Kazunari told me, I’m actually looking forward to whatever Natsumi-san’s punishment might be.

But if I tell her that, it’ll throw cold water on the fun she’s having coming up with my penalty… so I’ll just stay quiet.

But setting that aside.

「Natsumi-san, here.」

I hold out the trophy from earlier that I was still holding.

I focused purely on winning when I targeted it, so I don’t really have a special attachment to it… wait, what is this?

「Um… what is this?」

「…I’m not really sure.」

It looks like a kappa, but it’s wearing round glasses and has a tiny puckered mouth.

I can’t believe I actually won such a weird prize.

「Haa… even though Takanashi-kun seemed to be thinking about making Sara happy even in the middle of a duel.」

「Ugh…」

I can’t even argue with that.

I definitely had the desire to present Natsumi-san with a victory, but when it came to the prize, I prioritized winning above everything else.

Does that mean I lost to Kazunari in that sense too? This really was a complete defeat.

「But well, if you look closely, it might be kind of charming?」

「R-Really?」

「Alright, this guy’s name is officially ‘Yuji.’」

「Whaaaat?」

Seeing my reaction, Natsumi-san laughs even harder.

Is that really… okay?

「Nfufu, well, I’ll dote on him as much as I can.」

「…I feel a bit saved hearing that.」

「You should be grateful to me.」

Why is she being so bossy? Well, I don’t really mind.

Does this mean the punishment has already started?

「But…」

She stops there, her face reddening again as she starts glancing around our surroundings.

I don’t know what she’s checking for, but acting that suspicious is only going to attract more attention.

「Um… well.」

「Yes?」

「…Th-Thanks… Yuji. It made me, well, happy that you worked so hard for me…」

Natsumi-san mutters that in a tiny voice while her face is clearly bright red.

That gesture is so incredibly cute that my heart starts racing all at once.

I can’t take my eyes off her.

「Wait… don’t look at me like that.」

When our eyes meet, Natsumi-san looks flustered and embarrassed, unable to settle down.

This is unfair. It’s way too cheap.

I think I finally understand how Kazunari feels when he rampages in public after being overwhelmed by Satsukawa-san’s gestures.

So this is what that guy is feeling…

「E-Enough already!!」

「Ow!?」

Just as I think Natsumi-san’s moved suddenly, an intense pain shoots through my right shin.

Apparently her embarrassment hit its limit, and she finally resorted to physical force.

I mean… maybe a little less power…

Th-This really hurts.

「Ssssss…」

「Hmph, that’s your punishment for making me do something so embarrassing.」

Maybe she’s covering up her blush, but Natsumi-san’s acting even more aggressive than usual.

I guess… we really aren’t suited for flirting like Kazunari and his girl.

If this happens every time the mood gets good, it’s honestly no joke.

Hayato POV

Satsukawa-senpai really follows her own path.

Even in the seniors’ classroom, she’s the same as always, kicking aside any noisy guys. She’s honest with her feelings, and she doesn’t hesitate regardless of what people around her think.

She only has eyes for Kazunari, no matter what.

And… she handles any hostility toward Kazunari with a level of firmness that’s almost intense.

If someone’s told off that harshly by the Satsukawa-senpai, they’ll probably be too scared of the risk to take any weird actions.

Plus, when she shows her affection for Kazunari that clearly, the people around her have no choice but to realize there isn’t even a one percent chance for them.

Thinking about it that way.

Satsukawa-senpai’s series of actions might look like she’s just being impulsive and ignoring the room.

But it also looks like her behavior in public is actually a clear warning and a statement of intent.

Satsukawa-senpai obviously knows she’s popular and that she gets attention from a lot of people.

And she treats all of that as nothing but a boring, trivial joke that isn’t worth her time.

But she probably also understands that by being with her, Kazunari might become a target for petty jealousy and hostility.

That’s why I think she reacts so fiercely to even the slightest hint of malice toward him.

Of course, this is just my imagination, so I don’t know the truth.

Maybe those ultra-sweet expressions of love she shows without any compromise in public are just because she loves Kazunari too much and wants to flirt.

Maybe that reaction toward other guys is just because Kazunari is so precious to her that it makes her anger that much stronger.

There’s a good chance I’m overthinking it.

But… well.

Even if that’s true, watching Satsukawa-senpai like that makes me wonder.

What should I be doing?

Up until now, I didn’t think I was being a chara-man, and I wasn’t trying to play around.

I’ve always been serious about the tennis I’ve played since I was a kid.

But I’m a guy too, so when girls cheer for me, I end up feeling happy.

However, if someone said that made me look like I was just trying to please everyone…

I don’t think I could clearly deny that.

I don’t have the courage or the guts to be aloof like Satsukawa-senpai. And I don’t have the ability either.

So I’ve always chosen the path of not making enemies. Honestly, I’ve just humored people I didn’t even want to get along with to keep things smooth.

The result of those choices is the dishonorable titles of lady-killer and chara-man.

And being treated like a mascot to draw girls to mixers.

The person who changed me was Kazunari… but I’ll set that aside for now.

Anyway, in this current situation, if I clearly show my feelings for Todo-san, how will the girls I see every day react?

Won’t it be the same as it is for Kazunari and Satsukawa-senpai?

I should’ve realized it earlier, but seeing that incident just now forced me to face the problem.

Even if people call me self-conscious, the reality is there are women who support me specifically as a fan club. I get stopped in the street sometimes. I’ve been confessed to plenty of times, even if it’s not as much as Satsukawa-senpai. I just have to admit that.

Which means any envy or resentment that Kazunari gets from being with Satsukawa-senpai could all be directed at Todo-san if I put myself in that position.

That means the response required of me is the same as Satsukawa-senpai’s.

I can’t be like Satsukawa-senpai, yet I’ve ended up with the same problem. This is all my responsibility for trying to be liked by everyone and effectively acting like I was chasing popularity.

「Yokogawa-kun, what’s wrong?」

「Nothing, it’s nothing. More importantly, here…」

I gently hold out the prize I got from the shooting gallery to Todo-san. It’s a stylized penguin mascot that even I as a guy think is cute. It was actually a prize Todo-san had been eyeing halfway through, so I’d decided I was definitely going to get it for her.

「Eh… but.」

Todo-san hesitates to take it, not reaching out her hand. She’s definitely holding back, so I guess I need to give her one more push.

「It’d be a bit awkward for a guy like me to carry this around, so I’d really like you to accept it. Think of it as helping me out… okay?」

「Fufu, I don’t think that’s true.」

「No, it really is. Do you… dislike it, by any chance?」

I know that putting it like that will make it impossible for the kind Todo-san to refuse.

I know it’s a bit of a low move, but I really want her to have this.

What I really want to tell her is that I got it specifically for her.

「That’s not it at all! But, are you really sure?」

「Of course. I want you to have it, Todo-san.」

I push the mascot a little closer to make it easier for her to take.

At this distance, all she has to do is reach out.

「U-Um. Okay… then…」

「Yes. Here you go.」

Todo-san gently reaches out and takes the penguin from my hand.

She lifts the prize, which she could easily hold in one hand, with both hands and looks at it as a happy smile breaks across her face.

「Ehehe, it’s so cute!!」

She holds it at eye level, then gives it a squeeze against her chest, treating it like a pet or something… if she isn’t an angel, I don’t know how else to describe her.

So…

Todo-san really is a far too cute angel.

「Thank you, Yokogawa-kun! I’ll treasure it!」

「Yeah. I’m happy if you do.」

「Ehehe, I wonder what I should name it.」

Seeing her this happy makes all the effort worth it.

To be honest, I might be happier now than when I win a tennis match.

Yeah.

Seeing Todo-san happy.

It makes me happier than tennis, happier than anything.

So… I’ve decided.

I’m not going to hesitate anymore.

There’s only one thing I can think of to protect Todo-san’s smile.

I have to clearly show just how precious she is to me.

No matter how uncool I look, I have to tell everyone that Todo-san is the only one for me and ask them to support us.

For Todo-san’s sake, I don’t care how pathetic I have to look.

So I’m going to let them hear my true feelings.

I’m going to tell them I want them to accept us.

If once isn’t enough, I’ll tell them over and over.

So that no harm comes to Todo-san.

And I’ll tell Todo-san…

「Kazunari, you did great. Your Big sister’s gonna praise you.」

Hanako-san gives my sleeve the usual little tugs. She wants to stroke my head. Since I already have permission from Sara-san, I have no reason to refuse.

I lower my head to the level of Hanako-san’s face, and her hand immediately reaches out.

And then, stroke, stroke.

「Good boy, good boy.」

Hanako-san strokes my head carefully over and over. Since I’m looking down, I can’t see her expression, but I can feel her kindness through the warmth of her hand.

「…This would’ve caused a scene at my school.」

「…Really?」

「…Yeah. Hanako-san was actually pretty popular with the guys, you know? Especially after that incident ended.」

「…I see. But I guess her being popular is the same at this school too?」

「…Looks like it. She and Marina are being called the W Angels (lol).」

「…Uuuugh, Yoko, you’re so mean!!」

「…Gaaah, the Vice President is so incredibly lucky!」

「…I want to be a little brother too… I want her to stroke my head and hold me…」

「…Wh-What is this feeling, toward that small figure, I…!」

「…Phew, now that those idiots are gone, I can finally look at Nishikawa-san in peace.」

「…Nice… that orthodox beauty is irresistible!!」

「…I only have eyes for Nishikawa-san now! I’ve given up on Satsukawa-san!!」

「Kazunari, where to next?」

「Let’s see, that was the last of the third-year classrooms…」

In order, the next stop would naturally be the second-year floor.

That means Sara-san’s and Natsumi-senpai’s classrooms. And of course, Yuri-senpai, who I’m not great with, is there too.

Ugh, if it wasn’t Sara-san’s class, I’d want to skip it completely.

「Honestly, I think you don’t have to force yourself to visit our class.」

「True. To be blunt, a history research exhibit is just too obvious about trying to boost grades. It’s actually a turn-off.」

Natsumi-senpai is pretty harsh about her own class exhibit. Though I hope she’ll forgive me for being secretly relieved for my own reasons.

「But we have to do our patrol anyway, so let’s at least stop by. We’re going through all the second-year rooms anyway…」

「I don’t even know which classrooms my former classmates are in because of the course splits… I’m looking forward to seeing who I run into.」

「There are a few in my class too, you know?」

「I imagine so. There isn’t much point in aiming for the Special Advance course unless you’re going for a difficult national university.」

By the way, I only learned the meaning of what Nishikawa-san said after I started thinking about my own future studies.

At this school, you can’t get a designated school recommendation from the Special Advance course.

Or rather, it seems designated school recommendations in private high schools often aren’t available for special courses like Special Advance. So it isn’t a particularly rare thing.

The reason is simple, it’s about the school’s university acceptance rates. So for now, there isn’t much benefit in choosing Special Advance unless you plan on going to a top-tier university.

Well, I’m not aiming for Special Advance, so it doesn’t matter to me.

「Now then, Kazunari-san, let’s head to the next classroom.」

「You’re right. Well then, sorry for…」

Ding-dong-dang-dong

Just as I was about to say goodbye and thank the seniors, the chime for a broadcast announcement started playing from the speakers.

Since they took the trouble to use the Contact Broadcast format, there’s a possibility of a problem or an important announcement.

Sara-san must’ve thought the same, because she straightened her expression and looked toward the speaker.

「Yahoooo! Everyone’s idol, Minamin here! Are you enjoying the School Festival!?」

「We’re enjoying it!!!!」I felt like I could hear a dark shout from the guys somewhere.

I didn’t actually hear it here, so why did I think that? I’m starting to hate myself.

「Anyway, this is a business announcement. Following this morning, we’ve received reports of another group of boys behaving strangely… it sounds like they were actually running… Reports of commotions are coming in from all over. But everyone, the broadcast club isn’t a reporting station, you know!」

I can kind of imagine what Minamin’s reporting.

No, no, I have no idea what she’s talking about.

The world is a mysterious place.

「So, here’s the main point!」

Main point?

There’s more important news?

「To the absolute idiot couple on the third floor of the classroom building!!! I told you that your influence is too strong so restrain yourselves, didn’t I!!!! CUT IT OUT ALREADY, YOU PUNKS!!!!」

Whine…

Following a high-pitched feedback noise from the mic, a ridiculous insult burst from the speaker.

That kind of language doesn’t suit you, Minamin-san, so I think you should stop using it.

But the third floor of the classroom building… what a coincidence, yeah.

「…That was a business announcement from Minamin!」

Ding-dong-dang-dong

「…………」

The mysterious announcement ended, and at the same time, I felt an intense gaze from everyone around us.

Feeling a strong sense of dread, I stole a peek at our surroundings.

Everyone, why are you looking at us?

「Honestly… I’ll have to warn Minamin-san again to be careful with her language. Plus, as a business announcement, it was unclear.」

「…Y-Yeah.」

Unclear… no, that’s not the part to critique.

I confirmed the surroundings again while strongly agreeing with Sara-san’s words.

Everyone’s looking at us with dead eyes.

I guess I should apologize in my heart, for now.

I’m sorry, every single time.