CH 3.2

CHAPTER 3 PART 2: A CHALLENGER APPEARS.

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“And, well, that’s what happened, Baron-san.”

After the three-point game was over, I went home and reported the day’s events to Baron-san.

『Why……it looks like you had a very intense day today, Canyon-Kun, I must say. By the way, are you actually a troublemaker?』

Rude. Even though I’m an extremely ordinary male high school student…

But, ever since I started going out with Nanami-san, every day has been a series of surprises and events. If you were to tell this to me a while ago, I would have never believed you.

One of the most beautiful girls in the school confessed and went out with me due to a punishment game. ………Well, it’s a punishment game, but that point is barely believable, I suppose?

However, I’ve been feeling extremely happy about it these past few days. In any case, I could hardly believe it.

『But, well, I guess it has to be the atmosphere of the place, however, you did well. Even though you missed a couple of shots, I can’t believe you almost won thirty to one…it’s a three-point basketball showdown, so the original score should roughly be around ninety to three. Haha, a wide margin is a wide margin.』

“Well, I guess it was the atmosphere and the fact that my opponent had judged he lost.”

Yes…I won that bout against Shibestsu-senpai, but if you were to judge that by a normal score, it would be my overwhelming defeat.

At any rate, I just had one three-pointer.

Before my match with Shibetsu-senpai, I first had him show me a series of twenty three-pointers as a model. Standing by his side, I continuously watched his methods and asked him….as many things as possible to his face.

In truth, my objective was simply to shave off senpai’s stamina little by little. After that, I even got him to coach me on my poor three-pointers, hoping that it would throw his performance into disarray.

Being the leader of the club, he was usually very caring and apologetic, so I was carefully taught how to throw for the time being.

And then, I put all my energy into the first throw at the very beginning…in any case, I just concentrated on getting that first throw- in….and it was accomplished.

It was a complete fluke, and it came on my very first try, but I couldn’t see the upset in my Senior’s eyes.

As if to follow up, Nanami-san cheered me on, and that seemed to have upset senpai.

However, it was the same for me. There was no way I could continue to get lucky, and I missed all of the next nine throws. The last one didn’t even reach the ring.

After all, Nanami-san just decided to cheer me on after scoring one point,

“Cool! Suteki! I like it!”

That upsets you, doesn’t it?

Ah, now that I think about it, was it just me who told myself that I liked it?

…..Was it just a hallucination? Well, but….that one pitch fulfilled my condition for victory.

I was given the handicap that if I scored even one, I would win. At least, at that point, I wasn’t losing. Normally, it would’ve been a draw at best.

If there were any miscalculations at all, it would be that senior made all his three-pointers even though he should’ve been agitated after that. The senior had clinched eight of his victory conditions with time to spare.

After about twenty throws, I fulfilled the victory condition despite following his instructions poorly, and furthermore, Nanami-san rooted for me.

With all this disturbance material gathered, it was astonishing to see that he almost made all of his 30 three-pointers, including the first 20, even though he missed two of them.

I had no experience with basketball whatsoever, so I wasn’t sure, but… if maybe the first 20 points were just a warm-up for him, or that just this many points were only him taking it easy… I’d have to say that he was looking down on me.

Thus, the game was effectively eight to one. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve been less of a draw, even if the handicap was taken away. In fact, what I felt was a sense of defeat.

However, that sense of defeat was blown away by Nanami-san’s words.

“Youshin wins!”

Based on the last condition I gave,『Let Nanami-san herself choose what to do with the result of the game』Nanami-san judged me as the winner.

It was a result too good to be true, but Senior accepted it in the end.

『Really….unfairness is unfairness, after all, if she’s going to be the one to make the final judgement, that means that even if Canyon-kun practically carried out zero shots, he would still win.』

“Well, yes. It was totally rigged.”

If she had been attracted to Senior after the match, though, the result would have been the opposite, no matter the circumstances.

Well, I doubt Nanami-san would have made a choice towards someone who’s she already turned down once before…..But still, it might be just a matter of time.

After all, his three-point shot was so good-looking that even I, a man, couldn’t help but admire it.

Since this relationship was one forged out of a punishment game, nothing more, I didn’t know what would happen…so I was a little worried.

Well, I’m glad my fears were unfounded.

And, Nanami-san’s hug attack at the end of the match was amazing…… She was soft, warm, and smelled good……and her uniform was very revealing, so there was a lot of skin area to touch…….

From there on, it was one set of embarrassment, blushing, and then a little bit of separation. That feeling, I’ll honestly never forget it…after all, it was my very first embrace…

『…..Hey, Canyon-kun. Do you remember the first thing I said to you?』

“The first thing you said to me?”

Baron-san abruptly changed the subject. What was the first thing he said to me? Too many things are said to me every day to narrow it down…… Saying it at this time means……

“About how I’ll have to get her to like me..are you talking about that?”

『Correct. As usual, you’re not so bad at guessing, isn’t that right?』

“Well, it’s the first thing you said to me. So I’ll remember it, as you might expect.”

After talking to Baron-san about it, I chose to go out with her. And…..in my own way, I have made an effort in order to make her like me.…… I think?

But, what can I say….I’m certainly trying to be more careful about what I’ve been saying and doing until now.

Was there something about that that bothered Baron-san?

『About that, you, on the other hand, aren’t you madly falling in love with her?』

With each word on the screen displaying, my heartbeat grew louder and louder. As if he could see through me, that single word he uttered hit right on the mark.

『Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. If you like your girlfriend, I think that’s a very good thing.』

“……Is that so?”

I thought for sure he would reprimand me for that…well, I don’t think Baron-san would say such a thing, but maybe something similar along those lines.

But what he said next shocked me.

『Yes. After all, your girlfriend is madly in love with you, no matter how you look at it. If that’s the case, it’s a mutual love between the both of you. There will be no obstacles or problems.』

“Is she….about me….?”

『No, on the contrary, if she doesn’t like you, I wouldn’t be able to trust all the women in the world.』

Eh? We’ve only been dating….since Tuesday…it’s only the third day, right? How could I have achieved my goal so soon?

But…supposing that’s the case…I’m a little….no. I’m pretty happy.

『I don’t think so….she’s definitely……just toying around with you.』

Suddenly, Peach-san cut into the conversation. No, it’s an online chat, so there was nothing for her to cut into, however, her opinion made my head go cold all at once.

『It’s common knowledge that gals are the types who play around with boys and laugh behind their backs……Your friends were smirking and laughing at you, right? I’m sure they were laughing at Canyon-san because they didn’t think you knew anything about it…』

I wonder what it was, but her words made me instantly feel cold all at once.

Her words were negative and highly filled with prejudice….if I remember correctly, Nanami-san’s friends, Otofuke-san, Kamoenai-san, were grinning at me as they watched from afar.

However….

“Peach-san, I appreciate that you’re concerned for me. But, I don’t think she’s like that. So please don’t say those bad things about her.”

I couldn’t sense any malice behind that smile.

Besides..the girls also said at the beginning that they wouldn’t reveal that it’s a punishment game.

So surely that grin means something else.

『……I’m sorry. I was worried about Canyon-san and ended up going to……』

“No, thank you. That helped me keep my cool. From now on, I’m going to work even harder to make her like me.”

In a way, it was still too early for me to feel conceited.

We’ve been dating for barely three days, and she’s astonishingly easy to please…As long as she’s not the ‘easy heroine’ you often see, I guess it’s best to see this as her acting the part of the ‘ideal girlfriend’.

『……I’m sorry, I’m going to drop out for today.』

With that, Peach-san was gone from the chat.

The way she worded it was harsh, but I’m sure she was just worried about me. Perhaps, she had some unpleasant memories of gal girls.

『I was wondering how you would respond to Peach-san’s words, but I’m glad you took it in a positive way. I’m sorry, I’m sure she didn’t mean it in a bad way either.』

Baron-san followed up to replace Peach-san’s disappearance. I don’t blame her; she probably just felt the same as me.

Afterwards, surely, he will follow up with Peach-san. He really is a dependable guy.

“No, I don’t mind. Besides, she helped cool my head off. I’m going to put in even more effort to increase my likability.

『I don’t think you should be worried about that anymore…well, it’s good to be positive, and there’s nothing wrong with putting in the right effort.』

“Then what should I do for the time being?”

『It would’ve been much cooler if you didn’t have to rely on me there. I mean, almost everything that I proposed to you was just what I got from the internet, so why don’t you just search it up yourself?』

Baron-san always said that his advice was taken from the internet, but is that really true?

As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing a lot of research on the internet, too, though…none of them really seemed to resonate with me.

However, what he said rings true to my heart. It was pretty persuasive too… Therefore, no matter what, I’ll always turn to him eventually.

『Well, okay. Just try to take care of her tomorrow. After what happened today…she might still be a little anxious, so make sure you comfort her there.』

“Anxious, you say…I won, so I thought it would be okay….”

『Hmm……I’m sure she’s worried about how there will be more guys in the future who will challenge you to the same kind of game.』

….Ah, so that kind of thing’s a possibility.

Then…was it rash of me to accept the Senior’s match?

『I only have a faint image of her from what you’ve told me so far, however……I think she’s getting concerned that she’s putting you in danger because of her. So……you lie, bluff at any cost, whatever, just show her you’re fine and reassure her.』

“……I see, you’re absolutely right…..Thank you very much.”

After that, we went home together hand in hand, but…if she really was worried deep down inside…..

I would feel very pathetic for not having felt it.

『Well, with the result of your victory against the basketball’s ace, I’m sure there’ll be various rumours rushing about in regards to that, so tomorrow will surely be filled with peace, I believe at least. Flirt as much as you like. I’m talking about your date on Sunday.』

“You’re right, as for which movie…I’ll talk to her and decide then.”

『Yep, do that.』

I still get nervous just seeing the word “date,” but it was also somewhat comforting.

If she’s anxious…then I’ll think of something nice to say to her tomorrow. I can’t rely on Baron-san for this one.

Even though I’m usually fairly concentrated on my social games, I kept thinking about the words I should say to her tomorrow when I see her.

….By the way, after this, Nanami-san sent me a large number of messages, all of which were praises about me.

Though I was complimented so much, I couldn’t help but feel guilty since I won through dirty means. However….that was blown away by the next sentence.

『Oh, by the way, when she hugged you today, shouldn’t you have at least asked for a kiss on the cheek as a reward for your victory?』

No, I’m glad, but if I did that right there, my heart wouldn’t be able to take it, Baron-san…

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The next day…..I was naive to think that if I won the game, he wouldn’t come back. During lunchtime, Shibetsu-senpai showed up again.

“Hi Misumai, Barato. You two are getting along well today, aren’t you? I’m jealous. Oh, may I join you for lunch?”

“I don’t want to. I want you to leave me alone with my boyfriend.”

“….If you want, the seat next to me is free, Senior.”

The Senior, whose fresh smile was bashed away by Nanami-san, looked disheartened like a scolded dog.

….I felt somewhat sorry for him, so I instinctively pointed out to the seat right next to mine. Turning around, he happily sat down right next to me.

“Youshin…”

“No, look….why don’t we just pretend like we’re the only ones here?”

“Misumai……after being so moved by your kindness, I’m a little shocked by that statement…….”

While saying that, Senior opened up his bento box. It was a lunch box that was twice as big as mine.

Glancing at the contents…deep-fried chicken, hamburger steak, Yakiniku, Tonkatsu….it was a full display of meat and thinly shredded cabbages in the bento box…the amount of rice was also unusually large.

Incidentally, my bento box today was also filled with deep-fried shrimp for the main course. The deep-fried shrimp was also considerably large, and it was as fine as those being served out of a restaurant.

Yesterday, she didn’t ask me about anything, like what I wanted in my bento, so I was looking forward to seeing what it would be, but this was way beyond my expectations.

The thrill of opening up such a Bento box, made me feel like a child again, no matter how old I was.

“In my family, deep-fried shrimp is the standard when it comes to celebrations. This bento box is to celebrate yesterday’s victory.”

I see, so this is why nothing was requested of me yesterday…..Right next to me sat a Senior who lost the game, but let’s not care about him for the time being.

“By the way, Misumai….to tell you the truth, today…I have some business with you.”

“Huh? Then can I finish my lunch first?”

“I don’t mind…….By the way, I would like to ask if you could trade one of your egg rolls for one of my pork cutlets…….”

“I’m sorry, but I must decline.”

I gave him an immediate reply.

Of course, there was no way that I would exchange the bento box that Nanami-san made for me with someone else…that’s just unthinkable.

I guess the Senior was just trying for the sake of it…seeing how his head was drooped in defeat.

“So, Senpai, what did you come here for?”

Nanami-san, who was both unhappy with senpai and happy that I had refused him, asked. Looking at that, a wry smile surfaced on senpai’s face.

“A-Ah, Barato-san…sorry for interrupting the both of you. Like I said a moment ago, I have some business with that boyfriend of yours, Misumai.”

After yesterday’s game, senpai has changed how he refers to Nanami-san from “Nanami” to “Barato”.

Having lost the fight and having given up on her, he made amends for what happened. If possible, though, I would have liked to see that grace demonstrated a little sooner.

“What business do you have with me? Yesterday’s match is already over…at this point, there’s nothing for senpai to talk to me about, is there?”

“Don’t be so cold, please….Well, to put it simply, I want you to be friends with me, Misumai. So I was wondering if we could exchange contact information.”

Why is he talking about such a thing?

“Even though I had a handicap, I respect you for defeating me, the captain of the basketball team. You are a man worthy of her……therefore, I want to be friends with you.”

My victory was based on dirty tricks, nothing more than that…but apparently, that’s considered the result of a proper competition to Senior.

Hmmm, maybe this person is pure, for better or worse. My conscience ached just a little.

“Besides…if I became friends with you, I might be able to get a little closer to Barato as a friend.”

Give me back whatever of my conscience you have left, even if it hurts a little. To say that much, this guy must be honest to a fault. Just as I thought, he’s an idiot.

I hate to say this about Senior, he’s tall, handsome, and the captain of the basketball team, but he’s the personification of a dumb character, this guy.

“….Shibestsu-Senpai is, so to speak, a person who specializes only in basketball….as for everything else, it’s just plain disappointing. However, that’s just what makes him so popular with the girls because it tickles their maternal instincts.”

Suddenly, I heard Nanami-san whisper near my ear. The words that came out of her mouth and her breath hanging over my ear sent a shiver down my spine that was different from surprise.

What is this? What is this pleasant tingling sensation?

I almost dropped my lunch box but managed to hold it back. No, this is too dangerous.

I didn’t realize how much more destructive it was to have a raw, close voice than to talk on the phone….. This indescribable tingly sensation of breath hitting my ears…I think it’s going to become an addiction. I still have that feeling in my back. It seems that I made a new discovery today.

I was alone in my excitement, but Nanami-san didn’t seem to notice.

“That reminds me, Nanami-san….he didn’t tickle your maternal instincts?”

Because I didn’t have the courage to bring my face close to Nanami-san’s ear, I whispered to her in a low voice.

“Not at all… When he confessed to me, he was also looking at my chest. Moreover, it felt a little dirty, so he didn’t tickle my maternal instincts in the slightest, you know?”

That’s a harsh comment.

She laughed and forgave me when I looked at her chest, but why was she so harsh to him?

Well, that’s why I am where I am today, so I should be grateful that Senior was looking at her chest. I looked at Nanami-san’s face again, and my gratitude to Senior strengthened.

“Because of that, Misumai? What do you think? Will you be my friend?”

“Well…..if it’s okay with you, I’d be happy to do it. However, I would never give Nanami-san up.”

“I already know that. I unwillingly set the odds against you yesterday, but I’ll be looking for my next love.”

Looking for your next love…does that mean he doesn’t have feelings for Nanami-san anymore?

However, this person may be trying to blow it out of the water and form a friendship with me as one of the ways to do so.

I think it’s very sportsman-like and manly. It’s something I don’t have.

Then I exchanged my contact information with senpai. I remembered then that my icon was still the same as my game character, but Nanami seemed to be fine with that, so I decided to keep it that way.

Senior’s icon was a basketball.

“I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, so I’ll leave you to it. Oh, Misumai……are you interested in joining the basketball club?”

“No. If I join any club activities, the time I spend with Nanami-san will also decrease.”

This was a line I saw in some work,. I really mean it. To begin with, I’m not very good at sports. That’s why it’s outrageous for me to join any club activities…

“I envy you. If you need anything at all, just call me. I’m available if you need advice, though not always, due to club activities and all, but…you’re welcome to come to play with us if you want.”

“Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you then.”

The Senior left with a fresh smile on his face. After this encounter with him, I realized that he might not be as bad as I had first thought. Am I being too naive to think so?

Some of the female students disappeared from the rooftop as if they were following Seniorpai. Perhaps, Senior might find a new love sooner than he expected.

We saw our Senior off and resumed our lunch.

“Finally, we’re alone. Youshin just might be better off with senpai.”

It was just the two of us…As usual, there were still other people on the rooftop. However, Nanami-san seemed to be a little sulky.

Well, it’s certainly not fun having your boyfriend get along with someone whom you’ve dumped…maybe I shouldn’t have been so considerate.

However, for some reason or another, I can’t seem to hate that senpai.

It could be his character or something, but the way he admitted defeat was similar to something in a Shonen manga, which sprouted feelings of fellowship within me.

“I’m sorry, Nanami-san. Did I make you feel anxious?”

“….I’m not anxious or anything. I just thought that it wasn’t fun at all watching you spend your time together with senpai.”

Nanami-san turned the other way, pouting, looking displeased. What a cute thing to say. But, for some reason or another, she had a hint of anxiety in her eyes as I looked at her.

Maybe this is just my imagination…but isn’t this the right time for me to say the line I was thinking about yesterday?

No…am I really going to say it? Even though I thought of it myself…honestly, it’s a little…..no, it’s quite embarrassing. No, but…it’s now or never.

“Nanami-san. Don’t worry. Even if someone tries to take you away from me like yesterday, treating you like a prize, like what senpai did…I will never let you go, no matter what.”

Ugh…even if I say so myself, this line is just too….

Oh man, I’m getting chills down my spine. No…keep calm….at least, stay calm until you hear a response from her….hang in there….!!

“Y-Youshin…”

I heard Nanami-san’s voice. It was a small voice, where she was mumbling…and then…..

“Pfft…”

She burst into laughter.

“Ahahaha!! Jeez! What’s with that line, isn’t it too cool!? Just as I thought, Youshin is much nicer than senpai, but it’s impossible, isn’t it? You’re red up to your face!”

I placed my hand on my cheeks. Somehow or other, my entire face had turned bright red without me even realizing it. Upon realizing that, my face turned even redder and redder.

….Then I looked at her and saw her laughing…and then I noticed, Nanami-san’s ears were also a bright red.

“….Nanami-san’s ears are also bright red. Are you happy to hear that from me?”

“Isn’t that kind of thing obvious! I mean, what kind of girl wouldn’t be happy to have her boyfriend say something as cool as that?”

Good grief…countered once again. This situation is entirely against me. I don’t think I can win. As we ate our lunches next to each other, my face remained a bright red, along with her ears.

To get counterattacked, just because I made a slight mistake in the timing of what I was going to say, suddenly, she started aloofly nudging me in the flank.

“I think I made a little too much for my bento. Would you like to eat it?”

Saying that in a somewhat monotonous tone, Nanami-san held out her rolled omelette from her medium-sized bento box. In her medium-sized bento box, that rolled omelette was something I particularly liked.

She went through the trouble of picking it up with her chopsticks and offering it to me.

“……Aah, that thing, I thought you weren’t going to do that because of the amount of food in the Bentos?”

“Huh? Well, it can’t be helped, can it? I’m full…and isn’t it a waste to leave that all behind?”

….True, if she’s full, then I don’t have much choice.

I ate the omelette that she offered me. It was a happy taste, and it gently spread in my mouth. Surely, this was her way of thanking me.

That said, this alone was worth the embarrassment…and it made me feel happy.

And then, after finishing my lunch, I handed the Bento box over to Nanami-san…she stuck close to me.

Crossing her arms, she leaned her body weight against me. The weight was comfortable…but it made me feel slightly embarrassed with how the people around were staring at us.

“N-Nanami-san….what….?”

“I guess this is a reward for you saying something so cool? We can stay like this till the end of lunch break and chat.”

“…..What about your friends?”

“Those two are probably excited to have their boyfriends eat their homemade bento, something that they haven’t done in a long time…so they’re probably out of school again.”

“Those two boyfriends sure are a mystery. Well, that’s okay. ….So, let’s just continue talking as it is.”

“Yes!”

Seeing that big smile on her face as she closely snuggled to me, I was glad that I had said that line to her, despite my embarrassment.

“Youshin, you’re so warm. It feels so nice and warm sticking close to you.”

“Nanami-san is warm, too. The weather is nice today. It feels good.”

And so the lunch break passed peacefully.

….Later on, what happened on the rooftop became a much-talked topic among the students, about the man who brazenly said such embarrassing things with a serious look on his face…at that moment, I really regretted it, just a little bit…