Chapter 5: Happiness come after Injury
“Sora-kun, morning!”
A June morning, where the humid heat was already beginning to feel unpleasant. I opened the front door after being summoned by the intercom to find a familiar face waiting outside.
“Yeah… Morning, Yua.”
A black-based wolf cut with only the nape dyed red, paired with a male student’s blazer. I returned the greeting to my childhood friend, Yua Yushiro, who had appeared in her usual attire, though I couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated.
“Weren’t you ready yet? Your hair is a total mess.”
“My hair isn’t done, but I’ve finished eating and changing. Believe it or not, I’m getting ready faster than I used to. I figured you’d be coming today anyway.”
It had been about a week since I invited Yua to the Tsuzuki household. Ever since that day, she had made it a daily routine to ring my intercom every morning before heading to school.
“Seriously, I don’t know how you manage to wake up so early every single morning…”
“Grandma wakes up early, so I end up waking up from the noise, I told you.”
“Even so, you don’t have to go out of your way to pick me up. You can just go on ahead.”
“It’d be bad if you were late, right? You’re so weak in the mornings, Sora-kun!”
“I am weak in the morning, sure, but I’m not a primary schooler anymore, you know…?”
Back when we had group commutes in elementary school, I was a habitual offender when it came to being late. The reason was always oversleeping, and Yua, who was in the same group, would come to my house to wake me up and accompany me to the meeting spot every morning.
However, that was years ago. While I’m still not a morning person, at this age, I almost never late anymore and manage to lead a decent enough life.
“We go to the same high school and live close by, so isn’t it more fun to go together?”
“But if we commute together, we’ll stand out…”
“Standing out is a good thing! After all, you’re going to protect me at school too, right?”
Due to the trauma of past bullying, she was still afraid of interacting with people—on the way home after dinner at the Tsuzuki house, I had made a promise to protect Yua at school.
However, on that day, I never would have imagined that we would end up spending our mornings together like this. Moreover, it hasn’t stopped there—we now even head home together after school.
Every day, as soon as we arrive at the station nearest to the school, the cold stares of her entourage, the “Yu-s,” gather on me. Even though I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m subjected to the sound of tongues clicking from all directions. Currently, I’ve taken on a role closer to a bodyguard protecting Yua from those extreme fans, but rather than protecting her, it feels like people are lining up to inflict harm on me.
“Just come inside and wait for a second. If we keep talking here, we really won’t make it in time.”
“True. Do you want me to set your hair for you?”
“If people think I’m getting too full of myself, I’ll probably get stabbed, so I’ll take a rain check on that.”
“Stabbed?”
“…Never mind, just my own issues.”
I ushered Yua into the entryway and hurried to the washroom alone.
☆
After being swayed by the train and getting off at the station nearest to the high school, we walked down the school path side-by-side. Perhaps because I was with Yua, the surrounding students kept their distance; instead, I felt the metaphorical fingers of numerous girls stabbing into my back as they whispered, “Who is that guy with Yuu-sama?”
“I’ve been dealing with this for days now, but I just can’t get used to it…”
Those gazes persisted even after we passed through the school gates, slowly grinding down my mental fortitude. Curious about her reaction, I caught a glimpse of Yua out of the corner of my eye. Despite being the center of so much attention, she carried herself with total composure.
I suppose after being exposed to the eyes of so many people for so long, she simply got used to it. While I thought that being too handsome must be a burden, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy at the same time.
“Why the long face? Is something wrong… Sorato?”
Changing her way of addressing me from “Sora-kun,” Yua peered into my face to check my expression.
“Don’t lean in so close all of a sudden. I’ll lose my self-confidence.”
“By what logic?”
Does she really not understand how handsome she looks in her cross-dressed form? She seems aware that she draws people’s eyes, but she apparently believes the cause isn’t her own features, but rather the “novelty of a cross-dresser.” There is nothing more enviable than an unconsciously handsome person…
“When you’re with someone with good looks, most guys feel like their own appearance is being compared to them, and they get a bit depressed.”
“Preferences for looks vary from person to person; I don’t think you need to worry about it.”
“That’s a line you can only say because you have an appearance with universal appeal.”
“I don’t really have a ‘universally appealing’ look, do I? If anything, having a wolf cut with just the nape dyed red is more on the subculture side.”
Yua twirled the tips of her hair around her finger, innocently delivering a blow of emptiness to my heart.
“Being liked by one person you want to be liked by, is worth much more than being liked by everyone. Besides, no matter who you are, there’s bound to be at least someone who likes the way you look.”
As she said that, Yua suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me toward her. Moving forward as I was, I lost my balance and leaned my body right against her.
“By the way… I really like your face and body too, Sorato.”
“——!”
The sweet, low-pitched voice whispered right into my ear caused my entire face to heat up instantly. When I pushed back against Yua’s shoulder, she was wearing a mischievous smile. Please stop doing “handsome” things out of the blue. It’s bad for my heart.
“You didn’t have to pull away in such a hurry. Honestly, you’re hurting my feelings.”
“I didn’t pull away because I hated it. …Anyway, we’re parting ways here regardless.”
While we were talking, we had arrived at the school entrance in the blink of an eye.
“See ya, Yua. Though I’m sure you’ll be coming to Class 4 again during lunch break anyway, right?”
I asked her that as I turned my back and walked toward my own shoe locker.
“That’s the plan. Though, we’ll actually see each other before then today.”
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to come over during regular breaks too…? Spend those ten-minute breaks in your own classroom, okay?”
“No, no. For P.E. today, our classes are doing the fitness test together, right?”
“Ah. Right, come to think of it…”
Yua’s comment reminded me that at the end of the last lesson, the P.E. teacher had announced that classes 4, 5, and 6 would be doing a joint fitness test for both boys and girls next time.
This would be the first time we’d attend the same class in high school, but since the subject was P.E., I could easily imagine the scene where yellow cheers from the girls would flock to her.
“Let’s both do our best. I’m looking forward to seeing you look cool, Sorato.”
After switching into my indoor shoes, Yua waved and headed toward the stairs. I gave a reserved wave back and watched her walk away.
“I feel like she just put a ton of pressure on me at the end there…”
Usually, P.E. is separated by gender, but for fitness tests, the lessons proceed with classes and genders combined.
If it were just guys, it would be one thing, but with Yua there, I can’t afford to look pathetic. —Plus, there’s one person in my own class I can’t help but be conscious of.
…It looks like I have no choice but to take this fitness test seriously.
☆
“Once the girls finish the fifty-meter dash, it’s the boys’ turn, huh…”
Sitting in the waiting line inside the athletic field’s track, I waited for my turn with a gloomy expression.
Second period, the fitness test during P.E. class—while P.E. is among my relatively favorite subjects, this part is something I just can’t bring myself to like.
In a fitness test where the results of each event are displayed in numerical values and rankings, one’s athletic strengths and weaknesses are proven in a visible way.
Thanks to playing soccer through elementary and junior high, I don’t have any events I’m particularly terrible at, but the strange tension while waiting for measurements has always bothered me.
And while the format of this year’s test is no different from last year, my personal state of mind is vastly different.
“Woooah! Saho-chan is seriously fast!”
“She really can do anything, not just look cute.”
Saho Minakata—the class idol, and a girl I admire.
Her presence here is the biggest reason my heart refuses to settle down.
Ever since that incident in front of the girls’ restroom, I haven’t been able to speak to Minakata-san even once. Until recently, she would occasionally approach me when I was alone, but our connection was superficial to begin with; not talking doesn’t exactly hinder my school life.
Even when our eyes meet, nothing happens. Perhaps due to the awkwardness of our previous confrontation, Minakata-san immediately averts her gaze from me. Honestly, it’s pretty painful.
Though the suspicion of being a “prowler” was cleared, the emotional damage of being blatantly distanced by the person I admire is substantial.
That said, an admiration once held isn’t easily erased. While there’s a high probability she already has a bad impression of me, I can’t afford to stand out for the wrong reasons during this test and make that impression even worse.
“They really are big…”
I accidentally muttered something that, if overheard, would not only get me instantly cancelled but would likely result in me being forbidden from even breathing the same air as her.
Minakata-san was sprinting down the fifty-meter track—and my eyes naturally followed the way her chest swayed behind her gym clothes like waves.
…This is bad. Any more of this and I won’t be able to run, let alone stand.
I closed my eyes for a while, trying to compose myself and erase that vivid imagery from my brain.
Meanwhile, the girls’ fifty-meter dash proceeded smoothly. The girls from Class 4 and 5 finished their measurements, and Class 6’s turn was nearing its end.
“Next! This is the last of the girls… Meguro, Yamazaki, Yushiro, standby!”
The P.E. teacher called out the final group of girls.
“Yushiro… It’s Yua’s turn.”
Hearing that surname, I finally opened my eyes. In an instant, yellow cheers from the female students rained down upon the starting line. The area was swallowed by high-pitched squeals, and I instinctively covered my ears.
The “School Prince” gave a modest wave to the waiting line—which had essentially turned into a spectator stand—and offered a slightly bashful smile.
“She’s a total superstar, that one…”
Looking at her again, she was emitting that same extraordinary aura as always. A white short-sleeved shirt with her surname embroidered on the chest and bluish-purple shorts—unlike the usual uniforms, the gym clothes were the same design for both boys and girls. Because every student there was wearing the exact same thing, Yua’s prince-like, radiant appearance seemed to stand out even more.
Under the passionate gazes of the girls and the envious stares of the boys, she placed her hands on the starting line and pulled her left leg back. Then, at the signal of the whistle, the three runners burst down the track simultaneously.
Her form was beautiful, with a straight back and her black hair—red at the tips—fluttering behind her in the wind. Compared to Minakata-san, there was less “swaying,” but I was still mesmerized by the gallant beauty of Yua’s sprint.
Before I knew it, she had finished the fifty meters and was returning to the waiting line. People around were shouting things like “As expected of Yuu-sama!” and “First place is so cool!” praising her with almost exaggerated enthusiasm.
“So, why are you sitting next to me?”
Wrapped in those cheers, she sat down beside me without a moment’s hesitation.
The cheers instantly turned into a ripple of restless murmuring, and I was pelted with cold glares from every direction.
However, when Yua held her index finger to her nose and let out a soft “Shh,” the surrounding voices died down as if by magic. Her “Prince Power” is truly terrifying.
“I just came to report my results. Is that a problem?”
“I don’t want to stand out more than necessary during class, so I’d prefer if you did that later.”
“Then, so we don’t stand out, how about I whisper it in your ear?”
“How is making it look even more suspicious going to help?”
Actually, it was already too late for that.
“So, what was the actual result? I saw you take first place by a wide margin, so I know you were fast.”
“Seven point one-two seconds. Apparently, that’s first place among the girls in our grade so far.”
“That’s even faster than I imagined…”
Isn’t that faster than the average time for the boys? Honestly, I’m not sure I can beat Yua’s record even if I sprint with everything I’ve got. To have those looks and be athletic on top of it—she’s really a heartbreaker in every sense of the word.
“…You used to be slower than me.”
“Maybe it’s the result of running every day for the volleyball club in middle school? But really, this time was just a fluke.”
“There’s no such thing as a ‘fluke’ when it comes to foot speed.”
“Well, there is a trick to running fast. If the conditions are right, you get significantly faster.”
“Then tell me what it is. Is it something I can put into practice right now?”
“You can do it immediately, but it might only work for me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
A trick that only works for Yua? Is she using some kind of self-suggestion? I’ve heard that the power of belief can be surprisingly effective.
“—Boys, assemble! Line up in order of your student ID numbers and start getting ready!”
Just then, the P.E. teacher’s voice boomed across the schoolyard, directed at all the male students.
“Well… my turn is coming up, so I’ll see you later.”
“Wait a sec. I’ll tell you my secret to running fast, just in case.”
“…What kind of secret?”
“Fufu, well, you see…”
“Don’t play hard to get, just spit it out.”
As I stood up, Yua rose as if to follow me, bringing her lips close to my ear.
“…It’s because I was constantly conscious of the fact that you were watching me, Sora-kun.”
“Wh—…”
After whispering that, she pulled away and gave a little giggle.
“Don’t tease me like that. Not with people so close by…”
“I didn’t mean to? I just wanted to see how you’d react.”
“That’s exactly what teasing is!”
“Sorry, sorry. Then, maybe I should give you something as an apology for making fun of you?”
“No, it’s not something I need an apology for, but…”
“In that case, if you beat my time in the fifty-meter dash, I’ll give you a reward.”
“A… reward?”
“Yep. If you can beat me… let’s see, I’ll grant any one wish you have, Sorato.”
Yua placed a hand lightly on my waist and peeked up at my face from the side.
“There’s no merit in that for you.”
“If I get to see you looking cool, that’s merit enough for me, isn’t it?”
“Don’t say such embarrassing things with such a straight face.”
I really wish she’d said that while wearing her girl’s clothes.
I scanned her from head to toe in her gym kit and took a moment to think.
“…If I win, you’ll really do whatever I say?”
“Of course. Though, I don’t exactly plan on losing, you know?”
“What did you say!?” Even knowing the person is a girl, having a guy with such a handsome face say that to you is irritating.
“Look, rather than worrying about that, it’s already your turn. …I’ll be watching to see you look cool, Sorato.” As Yua gave a teasing laugh, I muttered, “Making a fool out of me,” and turned my back to her.
When my turn to run came around, I pushed through the gallery—who had clearly been eavesdropping on my conversation with Yua—and stood at the starting line. I placed both hands and my right knee on the ground, focusing every bit of my awareness on the moment the whistle would blow.
At the P.E. teacher’s command of “On your marks,” I raised my hips, and at “Get set,” I glared at the finish line fifty meters away. Immediately after—along with the sound of the whistle—all three of us, myself included, burst down the track simultaneously.
Hah, hah, hah…
Wait. Isn’t my pace actually pretty good? There was no one ahead of me, obviously, and even glancing sideways, the runners who were supposed to be on either side of me weren’t in my field of vision. The two guys running with me were definitely members of sports clubs, and their results from last year’s fitness test shouldn’t have been that bad. At this rate, I might actually beat Yua’s impressive record.
Feeling a sense of confidence, I twisted my neck to the side and sent a proud look toward Yua in the waiting line. How’s that? Are you watching!? I haven’t lost yet— I thought. She noticed my gaze and responded by waving her hand back and forth.
“Ah…”
—It’s because I was constantly conscious of the fact that you were watching me, Sora-kun. —If I get to see you looking cool, that’s merit enough for me, isn’t it? —I’ll be watching to see you look cool, Sorato.
Fragments of my conversation with Yua from before the race resurfaced in my mind. I hadn’t given it a second thought because I had started running out of sheer stubbornness… but the moment I became conscious of Yua watching me, tension surged through my entire body. The more I felt a desperate need not to look uncool, the more my concentration slipped away.
“Wait, hang on… Whoa!”
And so it happened—far from beating Yua, I ended up grandly exposing my uncool side to almost every student from the three classes present.
My legs tangled beneath me, and I took a violent tumble onto the dirt. I tried to push myself up immediately, but the runners on both sides had already streaked past me. Realizing I had no chance of winning, I slumped back and stared up at the sky in dejection.
“Hey, Tsuzuki! You okay!?”
By the time the other two had finished their run, the P.E. teacher came jogging over to me.
“That’s some heavy bleeding on your right knee. Can you stand?”
“Yes, somehow… Ouch.”
“Alright, we’re going to the nurse’s office. I’ll give you a shoulder, so for now, give me your hand—”
“Wait, Sensei.”
The teacher’s hand was outstretched, but his words were cut short.
“Y-Yua…?”
Standing before me was Yua, who was supposed to be in the waiting line. I stared at her with wide eyes, unable to fully process the situation.
“Is something the matter, Yushiro?”
“I’ll take Tsuzuki-kun to the nurse’s office myself.”
“No, but that’s…”
“The girls have already finished their measurements, and if you go, Sensei, the class will have to stop.”
“Then I should ask one of the boys who finished running. Yushiro, don’t worry about it and get back in line—hey, wait! Yushiro, what are you doing on your own!?”
“Hey, hey, hey! Wait, seriously, wait a second!”
I added my own shout to the P.E. teacher’s bewildered voice. Furthermore, from the direction of the waiting line, a cacophony of ear-piercing shrieks erupted.
“It’s fine, Sensei. I’ll take responsibility for looking after Tsuzuki-kun.”
Yua didn’t even pretend to listen to the teacher’s words, opting for a forceful breakthrough—by suddenly picking me up in a bridal carry as I cowered on the track. Dumbfounded by her actions, the teacher reluctantly conceded with a “Fine, I’m leaving him to you.”
“Let me go! I can walk, so put me down!”
“You couldn’t even stand up from the pain, right? Don’t worry about it; for now, just let me take care of you.”
“I’m worried about everyone watching us!”
That said, if I thrashed around recklessly, I’d just end up falling and adding to my injuries.
Monopolizing the jealousy of every female student present, I was carried to the nurse’s office in Yua’s arms. Being carried bridal-style as a second-year high school student was the height of embarrassment.
☆
“Looks like the teacher isn’t here.”
When we finally arrived at the nurse’s office, a sign hanging on the door read “Out.” We peeked into the staff room, but there was no sign of the school nurse, and we had no idea where else to look. However, when we returned to the nurse’s office and I experimentally slid the door to the side, I realized it had been left carelessly unlocked.
“The door is open, so why don’t we do some first aid ourselves?”
“At our school, entering the nurse’s office and rummaging through supplies without permission is technically forbidden, you know.”
“Ah—ah—I can’t hear you! I just transferred here and haven’t learned the rules yet, so I don’t know aaaaany-thing.”
“…You’ve got a lot of nerve, surprisingly.”
“The old Sora-kun used to have a personality pretty much like this, though.”
Yua walked straight inside and lowered me onto a bed, using it as a chair. After running some water over her hands at the sink, she began lightly washing the sand and dirt off my knee.
“Ah… that stings.”
“Hang in there. If we don’t wash it properly, it’ll get infected.”
While speaking, Yua carefully wiped the area around the wound with wet gauze. She moved with such practiced efficiency and gentleness that it made her comment about “not knowing the rules” feel like a total lie.
“You’re remarkably good at this. Is this also something you picked up while you were in the volleyball club?”
“That, and the fact that I used to get hurt pretty often back when I was being bullied. Eventually, I just got used to treating myself.”
As she mentioned her past with a lonely smile, my chest tightened. I had promised to protect her so that she wouldn’t have to experience that kind of pain again—and yet, here I was, the one being taken care of.
“Sorry… I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting you.”
“Fufu. It’s okay. Seeing Sorato try his best to look cool for me was enough to make me happy.”
Yua took a bandage out of the first-aid kit and applied it to my knee with a satisfying snap.
“There, all done!”
“Thanks, Yua.”
“You’re welcome. …By the way, about that ‘reward’ we talked about earlier.”
She leaned in close, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous light that made my heart skip a beat.
“You lost the race, but… since you worked so hard, I’ll still give you a special prize. Would you like to know what it is?”
“Ehehe. …Was that maybe a bit out of character for me?”
“A-Ah… yeah. For you… and for me too.”
I couldn’t look directly at Yua’s blushing face while my heart hammered against my ribs. Her “handsomeness” was so overwhelming that I had a momentary hallucination that maybe I could actually be into guys. It was a foul-play level of destructive power. I was getting embarrassed just by being near her.
“But still, you know? I never thought you’d take such a spectacular tumble right after I waved at you. You were doing so well until the halfway point.”
“Don’t say it. I’m the one who’s most aware of that.”
“Could it be that you got nervous because you were conscious of me watching you?”
Yua peeked at my expression, teasing me slightly. Having been hit right where it hurts, I averted my eyes and sulked quietly, muttering, “Leave me alone.”
“Oh my, that reaction makes it look like my guess was spot on. …But, if my actions led to you getting injured, I can’t help but feel a bit responsible.”
“There’s no need for you to feel responsible. It was my own carelessness.”
“I do, though. Especially after seeing how you were acting before the race… I ended up being a little mean to you.”
Before the race? Did I do something?
“Well, since it ended up like this, how about I present you with a reward? Think of it as a ‘You Tried Your Best’ award that doubles as an apology.”
She continued before I could even voice my confusion.
“No, I don’t need it. I’m not a primary schooler.”
“Eh, really? Don’t people usually appreciate rewards no matter how old they get?”
If I were a member of the “Yuu-s,” I’m sure her proposal would have made me jump for joy.
“…Actually, to anyone else, this entire situation would probably be considered a ‘reward.'”
“Being injured is a reward…? Are you a total masochist?”
“I am not!”
I had managed to lead her into a strange misunderstanding.
“Come on, since we’re here, just tell me what you want. Before the race, you were so fired up that you went out of your way to double-check, asking, ‘You’ll really do whatever I say?’ remember?”
“That was just… the heat of the moment, I guess. It was more about wanting to win than actually wanting a wish granted…”
I rattled off a response to Yua’s prodding, but realizing I was starting to sound like a sore loser making excuses, I scratched my head in shame. Finally, I gave in and voiced the wish I had been thinking of.
“…I was going to ask to see you wearing the girls’ school uniform.”
She looked surprised. “Is that all?” she asked back.
Averting my eyes, I gave a single, firm nod.
“I see…”
Yua nodded, her voice turning soft and gentle.
“If that’s your wish… I’ll think about it.”
The expression on her face, caught in the corner of my eye, had softened just a little.
☆
After receiving first aid, we rested in the nurse’s office for a short while before returning to class. Because of my injury, I was forced to sit out the rest of the period, spending a boring stretch of time vaguely watching my classmates’ measurements from the corner of the schoolyard.
When the chime rang to end the lesson, the P.E. teacher called me over and explained that the items I missed today would be made up during the next class. Since the fitness test is spread out over several sessions anyway, it looks like I won’t have to do the measurements all by myself. …Well, putting that aside.
“I’ve been completely left behind…”
When I tried to head back to the classroom from the athletic field, I was once again painfully reminded of my standing in class.
Despite getting injured so spectacularly, not only was there no dramatic development where someone waited for me after I finished talking to the teacher, but I hadn’t even been offered a single “Are you okay?”
The only person who had tried to wait was Yua, but when the teacher called me over, I told her, “This might take a while,” and made her head back to class ahead of me. Feeling a hollow sense of emptiness at my utter lack of popularity, I walked back toward the main building alone and dejected.
“Wait… huh?”
But the moment I passed through the entrance of the main building, a stupid sound escaped my lips. I rubbed my eyes hard with the back of my hand, doubting the very existence of the person in my field of vision, wondering if my exhaustion was causing some weird hallucination.
“Tsuzuki-kun, are you done talking to the teacher?”
However, the girl in front of me was undoubtedly the “real thing.”
“Why are you still here, Minakata-san…?”
Right in front of the shoe lockers just inside the entrance—Saho Minakata, still dressed in her gym clothes, was standing there for some reason.
“What do you mean ‘why’? I was waiting for you, Tsuzuki-kun.”
“For… me? What about the other classmates you’re always with?”
“I asked them to go on ahead, so it’s just me.”
I froze, unable to think of this as anything but a dream. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t find a single reason why Minakata would wait for me, and my thoughts began to spiral in a negative direction, wondering if I had unconsciously done something terrible to her.
Did she realize I had been staring just a little too long at her swaying chest while she was doing the standing long jump and the side-to-side steps…?
“—I am so sorry.”
“Eh? E-Eh!? Why are you apologizing…!?”
As I bowed my head in an instant, Minakata waved her hands frantically in a flustered panic.
“I thought… maybe you caught onto my misdeeds and were planning to turn me into the staff room?”
“Did you actually do something bad, Tsuzuki-kun?”
“No, I’m innocent. I just… apologized as a way to prove my innocence.”
“Apologizing out of nowhere actually makes you look more suspicious, you know?”
With that, Minakata covered her mouth with her hand and let out a bright, “Hahaha!”
My heart gave a massive thud at the sight of her smiling at me for the first time.
“You’re actually a really funny person, aren’t you? I’ve talked to you a few times before, but I had no idea.”
“I-Is that… so?”
Judging by her demeanor, it didn’t seem like I had accidentally messed anything up.
“So, did you have some kind of business with me?”
“Well, you took such a huge spill during the fifty-meter dash. I was just wondering if your injury was okay.”
“Ugh…”
Having her bring up that pathetic display made me want to cover my face. …And yet, I never imagined she would actually worry about my injury. My emotions were being pulled in a dozen different directions by a mix of shame and joy.
“…Whoa. The blood is really soaking through that bandage.”
Minakata crouched down to eye level with my right knee, her brow furrowing as she murmured to herself.
“I-It’s really not that big of a deal! Skinning my knees was a common occurrence before I got into high school!”
“Did you play a sport or something?”
“S-Soccer… I played in elementary and middle school.”
“That explains why you were the fastest of the three until the halfway point! Even though the guys you were running against were in the basketball and baseball clubs… That’s amazing, Tsuzuki-kun!”
Getting strangely excited, Minakata began to hop and cheer as if she were the one who had been winning.
“You were… watching me run that closely?”
“Yeah, of course! I wouldn’t remember it this clearly otherwise.”
“I-I see.”
I thought being praised for foot speed was something that ended in early elementary school, but maybe it still holds some weight even as a high schooler. While it’s embarrassing that she saw the exact moment I fell, I don’t care about that anymore. The fact that Minakata-san was watching… that fact alone sent my heart racing.
“…Oh, right. You’re pretty close with Yuu… I mean, Yushiro-san, aren’t you, Tsuzuki-kun?”
“Yushiro? You mean Yua and me?”
“Yeah. Since they even carried you to the nurse’s office and all.”
Being suddenly asked about Yua caught me off guard, and my reaction lagged for a second.
“Well, I guess we’re close? I mean, she even came over to my place for dinner the other day.”
“! Ah, right, you two are childhood friends, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. …Wait, did I ever tell you that, Minakata-san?”
“I didn’t hear it from you directly, but, you know… rumors.”
Yua is popular enough now to have multiple fans throughout the school, so I suppose it’s inevitable that talk about her relationships would circulate. If possible, I’d like to avoid my name coming up as an “associate,” but given how much time I’ve been spending with her lately, that’s probably asking too much.
“Tsuzuki-kun… actually, I’ve been wanting to apologize to you for a long time.”
“Eh? To me?”
“Yes. …I’m truly, deeply sorry!”
Minakata bowed her head low, offering a clear, formal apology.
“Whoa, what’s wrong, Minakata-san!?”
“On the day Yushiro-san transferred in… because of my misunderstanding, I treated you like a prowler when you were in front of the girls’ restroom. I’ve let the days go by without apologizing until today…”
She began to speak in a halting voice, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.
I found myself in a complete panic, glancing around restlessly, unsure of what to do as I faced her in such a state.
“F-For now… please, look up.”
At my gentle urging, Minakata rubbed her eyes with her fingers and slowly raised her head. Her nose and the corners of her eyes were tinged a soft red, and a thin veil of tears shimmered in her gaze.
I hadn’t even cared about the fact that I hadn’t received an apology—if anything, I had practically forgotten about it—but for her, it must have been a heavy weight on her heart.
“I don’t think anything of it, so please don’t worry. There’s no reason for you to be troubled over this, Minakata-san.”
“But… I won’t be able to settle my conscience if I leave things like this.”
“——!?”
Softly, the tips of her fingers brushed against my arm. It was only for a fleeting instant, but I reacted with excessive intensity to the physical contact from the person I admired.
“Ah… sorry! I did that without thinking! And I’m still a bit sweaty from P.E. too…”
Seeing my reaction, she took several steps back to create some distance.
“N-No! It’s not like I disliked it! …Wait, that’s not right. Saying I didn’t ‘dislike’ it makes me sound like a creep… I really don’t mind, and if anything, I’m probably the one who’s sweatier!”
The unfamiliar rhythm of talking to my crush had sent my adrenaline through the roof, and words were spilling out of my mouth like a stream of desperate excuses. At the sight of my pathetic display, Minakata let out another smile.
“…Somehow, I feel relieved.”
She interlaced the fingers of both hands and spoke with a hint of bashfulness.
“We haven’t really interacted much until now, but… I think I’d like to talk to you a lot more, Tsuzuki-kun.”
Faced with a series of expressions I had never seen from her before at such close range, my sense of elation continued to climb.
“If it’s okay with you… would you want to go out somewhere together on a weekend when we’re both free?”
“Together… as in, just the two of us, Minakata-san…?”
“Right. I thought if I could treat you to something delicious as an apology for making you feel bad with my misunderstanding… would that be a problem?”
Minakata tilted her head anxiously, looking up at me through her lashes.
This is a so-called “weekend date” invitation, isn’t it?! I never thought such a major event would ever arrive in my life…
“It’s not a problem… I’d definitely love to go!”
“Really?”
Upon hearing my answer, Minakata’s face brightened instantly, and she gave a cute little hop while pressing her palms together.
“I’m so happy…! I was so nervous, wondering what I’d do if you turned me down…”
To have this much “idol-tier” charm yet remain so modest… the more I talk to her, the more her appeal hits me.
“In that case… here, let me give you this. It’s my LINE ID, so add me later. I wanted to give it to you in the classroom, but I was too embarrassed to do it in front of everyone…”
“O-Oh, sure. I’ll add you as soon as I change in the locker room.”
Contact info… the magical string of characters that lets me connect with Minakata whenever I want—something I’ve wanted for so long. I took the memo she held out, staring intently at the ID written on it. I felt as if the warmth from her hand was being transmitted directly through the paper.
In the midst of that moment, the chime for the start of the next period echoed through the school, snapping me out of my daydream.
“We got so carried away talking.”
“Y-Yeah, we really did…”
“And we’re both still in our gym clothes, too.”
Minakata scratched her head with her fingertips and gave a troubled laugh.
“Well, I’ve given you my contact info, so let’s talk more on LINE.”
“Yeah, definitely. We’ve gotta change and get to class.”
“Mhm… Sorry for keeping you here so long.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it! See you later, Tsuzuki-kun!”
With a light wave of her hand, Minakata-san jogged off toward the girls’ locker room. Left behind in the entrance hall, I stood there for a while, clutching the small scrap of paper as if it were a national treasure.
“Is this… really happening?”
I pinched my cheek. It hurt. It wasn’t a dream. I, Sora Tsuzuki—a guy who usually blends into the background—had just been asked out on a date by Saho Minakata. On top of that, I now had her LINE ID.
I felt like I was floating on air as I headed toward the boys’ locker room to change out of my dirt-stained gym clothes. However, as I reached for the handle of my locker, a sudden chill ran down my spine.
Wait. What about my promise to Yua?
I had told her I would protect her at school. If I go out with the class idol, the rumors in the school are going to explode. The “Yuu-s” already hate me for hanging around Yua; if they find out I’m also getting close to Minakata-san, I might actually get “stabbed” like I joked about earlier.
But more than that… I wondered how Yua would feel if she knew.
“I should just focus on changing for now,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head to clear the thoughts.
I pulled my phone out of my bag and carefully typed in the ID from the memo. The profile “Saho” popped up with a picture of a cute latte art heart. My thumb hovered over the ‘Add’ button, trembling slightly.
I don’t have a single reason to explain my private life or who I’m hanging out with to her since she isn’t my girlfriend, yet a vague sense of obligation was making my heart race with urgency.
“U-Umm…”
However, this wasn’t a matter I could settle on my own. Minakata-san might not want others to know she’s going out with me, and even if it’s Yua, reporting it carelessly didn’t seem right.
“…Yua? What would you think if I said I was ‘going out with a girl’?”
I tried to be indirect, avoiding the specific name while still conveying that I’d be meeting a girl on the weekend—but after thinking it over, I realized my phrasing sounded incredibly self-conscious.
“Heh. So, a girl asked you out on a date?”
My attempt at being indirect backfired, making the situation even more obvious. With just that one question, she instantly grasped the circumstances I was in.
“Are you hiding who it is on purpose? It’s pretty plain to see from your reaction, though.”
“Wait, you even know who it is!?”
“Yeah. You’re the type who’s very easy to read, Sora-kun.”
“For curiosity’s sake, who do you think it is?”
“The most likely candidate would be… Saho Minakata-san, I guess?”
Correct… I knew I was someone whose face gave things away, but how did she pin down the specific name so accurately?
As soon as she confirmed my expression, Yua tilted the corners of her mouth upward.
“I’ve been watching various things since we started spending more time together at school. Other than me, there wasn’t a single person you were interested in besides Minakata-san.”
“You really are observant… seriously.”
“It’s because I’m interested that I’m watching. …Just like you.”
“? What did you just say…?”
Yua had muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t quite catch it.
“Hmm, nothing! So, you were asking what I’d think if you went out with Minakata-san, right?”
“Since you’ve already figured out who it is, I can’t deny it… that’s exactly right.”
I nodded while holding my head in my hands. She hummed, “I see,” and thought for a few seconds.
“…I think I’d say ‘Congratulations.'”
“C-Congratulations…?”
My thoughts froze for a few seconds at Yua’s choice of words. Seeing that I couldn’t keep up, she added an explanation.
“I mean, looking at how you usually act, Sora-kun… even if it hasn’t reached the point of ‘love’ yet, you have feelings of admiration for Minakata-san, don’t you?”
It seemed that even though I tried to keep it a secret, everything was perfectly transparent to her.
“Minakata-san is very girly and cute, after all. Even from my perspective as a girl—ostensibly—I can totally understand why you’d admire her. To be asked on a date by a girl like that is really amazing!”
“But the only reason we’re going out is as an apology because she mistook me for a prowler in front of the restroom that day. It’s more of a coincidence than…”
“Whatever the reason, it’s still a chance, isn’t it?”
“I-It’s not like it’s a ‘chance’ or anything—”
…Wait, what?
Why am I piling up denials against Yua’s words? She’s giving me her blessing, saying “Congratulations” to the idea of me and Minakata-san going out together. And yet, why can’t I just accept it gracefully?
“Have a good time, okay, Sora-kun?”
“…”
Seeing Yua’s composed, effortless smile made my chest tighten painfully.
“Y-Yeah…”
I don’t want you to go on that date. I want you to turn down the invitation. I don’t want you to stay in touch with her.
Maybe, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had been expecting—no, definitely expecting—her to say those kinds of things to me.
Even if she hadn’t put it into words, I expected her to show at least some sign of disapproval.
In the ten or so days since our reunion, Yua had shown me a significant amount of affection—I was sure of that much. That was exactly why I felt this way. Perhaps I had grown conceited. What I was doing right now was a despicable act—I was testing Yua’s feelings.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at her face as she walked beside me. How could I be so pathetic and indecisive when she was being so straightforward and refreshing? Between the shame of my own ego—hoping that she would hold me back—and the overwhelming guilt I felt toward her, my vision began to blur.
The fog that had settled in my heart showed no signs of clearing, even after several minutes had passed. For the rest of the walk home, I found myself completely unable to find the words to speak to her.
