The toilet is located at the corner of the second floor where the training rooms are.
Nobody comes to this floor unless there’s club practices, so I don’t feel anyone’s presence here.
It’s a perfect place to clear one’s mind without having to meet anyone.
“Sighh……”
I sat on the toilet seat and sighed.
“Why did she end up liking someone like me?”
As I descended from the second floor, I heard two familiar voices.
While the voices were familiar, I was surprised to hear them speak quite harshly about the subject.
I was flustered and thought I had to stop them from fighting. But after I overheard their words, I unconsciously stopped in my tracks and hid somewhere.
“I’m such a hopeless person……!”
Even now, I’m running away from things.
When I returned to the classroom, Kaede was there and Hina was off somewhere.
I don’t know what kind of face I should make in front of them now, so I’m afraid to meet them.
“That doesn’t mean I should hide in the bathroom forever.”
The first period started already, so let’s just skip that. What should I do after that?
I want to go home.
I want to slowly think about things without seeing anyone today.
It doesn’t matter if I skip once.
“Okay, I’ve decided. Let’s go home.”
Immediately after first period class ended, I joined the swarm of classmates flooding the hallway and was able to retrieve my bag without Kaede noticing.
I left the school building, sneaking away like a ninja.
“I really don’t want to see anyone.”
I muttered with my back facing the entrance.
I was out of the school building, but I couldn’t relax until I got out the school gate.
It did seem like Hiiragi would be near this area.
I looked around while I hid behind the flowerpot, and as expected, Hiiragi was doing his job here.
He was crouching as he dug the soil.
He wore his working clothes and had a towel wrapped around his head.
Speaking of, did his injury from being hit with a shovel by Kaede heal yet?
As far as I could tell, he seemed to be fine.
I hid my presence so as to not be found by Hiiragi and stealthily snuck by him from behind.
“I should be fine now!”
I passed through the gate and immediately relaxed.
I was able to get away from the people I didn’t want to meet and felt relieved.
I feel completely hopeless right now.
“Oi.”
“!?”
My shoulders jolted from the voice that was clearly directed at me.
I thought I was found by a teacher and timidly looked back……
“What’re you doing in this kind of place?”
The handsome ice user wearing the Hanashikien’s school uniform was standing there.
Why did I think that his voice was a teacher’s?
It was Natsuhi-senpai.
“Really, don’t scare me!”
“You’re the one who got scared by yourself.”
“Well, you’re right, but……Did Natsuhi-senpai just arrive? You overslept?”
He was carrying his bag, and it seemed like he just arrived.
“I’m not like you. I had something to do. You’re……going home?”
He’s not a teacher, but it feels a little awkward since I’m trying to skip school.
“I just don’t feel well……”
“But your brain has always been strange, though?”
“What do you mean by that!”
“You seem healthy right now.”
“Ah……”
His cold gaze hurts.
Even though he probably knows that I’m skipping school, he still insists on knowing. What kind of S is this?
“Anyway, I’m going home today! Goodbye!”
I don’t have enough strength to deal with Natsuhi-senpai’s violence right now.
I started walking in the direction of my house.
Then, Natsuhi-senpai came along and followed behind me for some reason.
“What is it?”
When I looked back to see if he had any business with me, he stood beside me.
“You’re not feeling well, right? I’ll walk you home.”
“Eh? It’s not like I’m a girl or anything, I’ll go home by myself.”
Or rather, he was supposed to know that me being sick was a lie……
Natsuhi-senpai, who left me confused by the unexpected development, started walking forward.
Speaking of, this person was President’s younger brother.
Once he talks, he won’t listen to me or take back his words.
Let’s obediently listen to him.
I jogged to catch up to him and walked beside him.
“You, did something happen?”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t answer the sudden question, so I glanced at Natsuhi-senpai, but his beautiful face was looking ahead.
“The idiot was walking with a serious face, for once.”
“What?”
“I’m talking about you just now.”
That……there were unnecessary words included, but was he worried about me?
Natsuhi-senpai’s words are always harsh but he can be a considerate person.
He’s reliable like big brother, and his kindness has helped me several times.
There’s no doubt that using the Natsuhi-senpai card is a good choice when I’m in trouble.
Since he’s worried about me, should I act spoiled and ask for advice again?
As I snuck a peek at his face, our eyes met for a moment.
It seems like he’s waiting for me to talk.
……Since it’s come to this, let’s just talk about it.
“Does Natsuhi-senpai have someone you like?”
“……Who knows. You?”
There was a pause, does that mean he can’t answer clearly?
I wonder what the person Natsuhi-senpai likes looks like.
I’m curious.
If I think about it, she might look like “Yamato Nadeshiko”, a daughter of someone with proper manners.
“I……I don’t know. But there are people who tell me they like me.”
“You mean the girl who came to pick you up from the Student Council Room the other day?”
“Huh?”
Ahh, he meant Sasaki-san.
“I don’t care about that.”
“Hah?”
“You don’t need to mind that.”
“I-is that so.”
It’s weird to count that as a girl.
To be exact, it’s a fujoshi.
“Then, the person who sticks to you even though he’s a guy?”
……He’s probably talking about Kaede.
I laughed bitterly at Natsuhi-senpai’s way of saying things.
“Oh, well……that’s……”
“But it’s not like you like men, right?”
“That may be true, but……”
It might not be a story about a person who hates homos.
Natsuhi-senpai looked grimmer as time went by.
“I don’t care whether they’re a man or a woman, I just want to think of how to answer them as a person……”
As I timidly peeked at him to see how he’ll react, he glared at me with a sidelong glance.
I’m sorry.
“It may be disgusting for Natsuhi-senpai, but……”
“You’re right.”
“……Excuse me.”
I made a mistake in my choice.
I was so spoiled that I got carried away; but, now that I think about it, this isn’t supposed to be something I should talk about with Natsuhi-senpai. I’ll reflect on myself.
An awkward silence fell between us.
I thought of changing the topic and talking about something else but I couldn’t think of anything.
Natsuhi-senpai was also silent.
The time passed as we silently walked on.
“Sighh……”
I sighed quietly.
Natsuhi-senpai still looked grim……I can’t stand it.
I’m starting to feel sorry to have him send me off.
As I was about to tell him I should go alone, Natsuhi-senpai opened his mouth to talk.
“……That was how it was supposed to be.”
“Eh?”
“The continuation of our conversation earlier.”
Earlier?
I talked about something Natsuhi-senpai was disgusted by and apologized for it……it should’ve ended there.
“I don’t feel disgusted, if it’s you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t mind if you’re that type of person.”
“‘That type’? Ahh……Eh? You mean you’re fine with me being a homo?”
“Exactly.”
How should I interpret that?
I’m not sure if that’s something good or bad.
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to ask that. However……the other party can only be me.”
“What?”
I thought it was something I couldn’t understand, but……I came up with one possible interpretation and stopped in my tracks.
But there’s no way……
“W-what does that mean?”
A while later, Natsuhi-senpai stopped moving as well.
When he turned around, his face was as beautiful and expressionless as ever.
“You won’t understand unless I explain it for you?”
“I don’t understand! I don’t understand at all!”
Then, Natsuhi-senpai approached me indifferently.
Despite my raised guard, he reached a hand out and touched my cheek.
In the midst of all this anxiety, he did such a thing to me……What should I do?
“!?”
As I considered running away, my cheek suddenly started to hurt.
The hand that was supposedly touching my cheek was pinching me with all his strength.
“Id hurds, id hurds!”
“That’s why, I’m telling you to include me in your options. You idiot.”
Then he let go of my cheek and placed his hand on his waist, making him look graceful.
It’s as if he’s a model.
……What’s with this guy.
“Was that possibly……a confession?”
“Yes.”
It was like that after all.
But I can’t believe that Natsuhi-senpai confessed to a guy.
How can someone who just confessed be so calm and look so graceful standing like that?
I can’t believe it……I just can’t believe it!
“Didn’t I tell you that I hate these kinds of jokes!?”
If I remember correctly, there was a time where I asked him, “Are you confessing?” at the sea and almost got ‘umi-don’ed, but……
“I’m saying this because it isn’t a joke, you idiot. Don’t just stand there, let’s go.”
“Eh, ehh……Isn’t this too normal!? Is this real? Rather, who are you? Are you a fake!?”
“Shut up! Just walk already! Really……You’re really an idiot. However, I think I’m more of an idiot for liking this side of you. I don’t think I’m sane.”
The yelling is real, but he must be fake.
No, but this dishonest attitude seems genuine.
What’s going on?
He just said that he liked me……
My face is getting hot.
I don’t know how to act in front of him anymore.
Huh, how do I walk again!?
(T/N: AWWW I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE, Y’ALL MY CHEEKS ARE NUMB FROM SMILING!!! HE’S SO FLUSTERED HE DOESN’T EVEN REMEMBER HOW TO WALK, I-
E/N: -am dead. Thank you for attending my “funeral”.)
“What, you can’t even do the most simplest things anymore?”
“It’s all Natsuhi-senpai’s fault!!”
Even though I’m so confused over here, why is this guy not flustered at all?
I went after Natsuhi-senpai who started moving forward while feeling irritated.
It’s strangely embarrassing to walk by his side, so I continued walking behind him.
Natsuhi-senpai stopped moving after a while.
When I noticed, we arrived at my house while I was confused.
Is it better to invite him in?
But it’s troubling to be alone with him in this kind of situation.
While I hesitated, Natsuhi-senpai opened his mouth.
“I’m going back to school.”
“Ah, okay……Thank you very much.”
I was relieved that this tension was over.
When I was seeing him off in front of my house, Natsuhi-senpai—who was heading back to school—turned around and came back in front of me.
“About what I said just now.”
‘It’s probably about the confession.’ While I was thinking of what he was going to say, my guard was up again.
“Use that small brain of yours to carefully think about it. After doing that, come to me.”
Saying so, he turned around again and started walking nonchalantly.
But I caught a glimpse of it.
Natsuhi-senpai’s face, which tends to be hidden by his long bangs on one side, was a little red……
“That person sure is scary……”
What’s with this tsundere confession?
That was dangerous……If he wasn’t a man, I would’ve lost it immediately.
He’s a man, but my throbbing heart felt so heavy that I was about to die.
Why did this happen?
I just wanted him to listen to my worries……
“This is stupid……My worries……Are increasing!!”
I wanted to be alone as soon as possible, so I hurriedly tried to unlock the door, but I was shaking.
I seem to be more shaken up than I thought I would be.
I somehow managed to enter the house and closed the door.