Autumn was busy as usual with the Athletics Meet and the Learning Presentation, you see. Emperor who was the anchor for the baton relay, managed the shocking achievement of pulling the class from last place to 1st place, so itā€™s been really noisy with the squealing of the girls.
*imouto*
*imouto*
ā€œIt was a shame about your class wasnā€™t it, Akizawa-kun.ā€
Akizawa-kunā€™s class had been 1st place until Emperor overtook them. Whatā€™s more, Akizawa-kun was the anchor.
ā€œWe were up against Kaburagi-kun so it canā€™t be helped. Maybe it might have been different if Enjou-kun had joined in though.ā€
The truth is, Akizawa-kun and Enjou are actually in the same class. This time Enjou injured his leg before the Athletics Meet or something, so he couldnā€™t participate in the baton relay or any of the other main events.
ā€œBut you were the anchor, so you are fast too, arenā€™t you. As I recall, you participated last year as well, did you not?ā€
ā€œI only got chosen as the anchor right as it started though, thanks to Enjou-kunā€™s injury. But running isnā€™t a bad feeling. When we enter the middle school section, I want to join the track and field club.ā€
ā€œOh, I see.ā€
I havenā€™t thought as far as middle school yet. To begin with, I guess there isnā€™t anything I want to particularly do. Maybe if I had to say something, then eating a lot of cheap sweets? Uu-ā€¦ Iā€™m talking about myself here, but itā€™s pretty badā€¦
ā€œYou were part of the ball-toss game, right, Kisshouin-san?ā€
ā€œYes. I was first place.ā€
Since ball-tossing was something he could do even with a busted leg, Enjou joined in. Though, with him there, the girls in his class were more interested in getting close to him than the ball-tossing, and a whole different kind of competition began. Because of that, Akizawa-kunā€™s class did really badly. Giving all that a small glance, I diligently continued to toss the balls into the nets, and turned into a ball-tossing machine. Since Iā€™m not all that great with sports I wouldnā€™t have been able to help in the other events, so I had just wanted to try my best in ball-tossing at least. Iā€™m more than satisfied with 1st place in ball-toss.
ā€œFor a while after the Athletics Meet, all these girls kept barging into Kaburagi-kunā€™s class to see him, didnā€™t they? The uproar was really intense, huh? Apparently Kaburagi-kun got angry in the end though.ā€
ā€œIndeed.ā€
But that uproar is an annual occurence. Girls are always in an uproar around Kaburagi Masaya, but after events like athletics meets, the magnitude is on a different level. And he flips out each year as well, so I kind of think they should just learn their lesson already, but apparently a maiden in love canā€™t be stopped.
ā€œThe uproar on each Valentineā€™s Day is also a sight to see, isnā€™t it.ā€
ā€œYeah, that was pretty crazy too! There was even a line of girls in the corridor waiting to give him chocolates, and it ended up as this mountain on his table, you know? Wow, it was crazy~ Someone like me only gets chocolate from Mum, Oneechan and my childhood friend.ā€
ā€œI understand. I too, only gave chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama.ā€
Starting two years ago, I started giving handmade chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama. This year Oniisama tried to be polite about it and told me ā€œIt must have been difficult for you to make it yourself, so just buying me chocolate is fine, okay?ā€ but how could there possibly be too much time or effort for my beloved Oniisama! And whatā€™s more, this year has the all-important exams for the high school section, so I stuffed my prayers for his success into the chocolate as well, along with my love for him. And Oniisama seemed to find it delicious too, so Iā€™m super pleased. Since he seemed so happy about it, Iā€™ll definitely try my best next year as well.
ā€œOh? You didnā€™t give Kaburagi-kun any chocolate, Kisshouin-san?ā€
ā€œEh-? Why would I?ā€
What the heck? What a disturbing idea.
ā€œNo, I mean, I thought for sure that you were in love with him too.ā€
ā€œDefinitely not.ā€
I accidentally gave a blunt denial. This isnā€™t a joke. Just who the heck would pursue such a dangerous romance.
ā€œI see. Ah-, could it be that itā€™s Enjou-kun?ā€
ā€œThat is also not the case.ā€
Um, seriously though. Why are those two the only choices? To begin with, I donā€™t like popular people. Looking at them objectively theyā€™re certainly cool, but if theyā€™re so popular thereā€™s gunna be too many rivals, and itā€™s just scary.
Mm~mmā€¦ But ā€˜romanceā€™, huhā€¦?
Thinking about it, Iā€™ve never had a crush on anybody in this world. Maybe itā€™s still too early for me. In my old life, my first love was my older cousin, wasnā€™t it.
Geh-! Arenā€™t I just like Ririna then? But I donā€™t think I was such a troublesome childā€¦
If I remember correctly, we went kite-flying on new years and he played with me, so I liked him because he was kind to me. The fact that he wasnā€™t rowdy like the boys in my grade gave him a lot of points.
In my old life, when I was in primary school the boys in my grade would do stuff like play hockey with the broom sticks and accidentally hit girls with the ball, or have milk-chugging competitions (which I still donā€™t understand), or steal the sweets that I brought with me on excursions and even tell me ā€œItā€™s cause you keep eating stuff like this that youā€™re a fatty, you knooow!ā€ as they walked off with them, so they really were just a bunch of idiots. What do you mean ā€˜fattyā€™, you stupid brats! My size at the time wasnā€™t ā€˜fatā€™ yet, it was ā€˜plumpā€™! I was just a bit round. When it snowed, I packed some snow into a rock of a snowball and pegged it at those fools. And then immediately hid. They were super mad because they didnā€™t know who did it. Serves them right.
Thanks to that, although there arenā€™t any big idiots like that in Suiran, thanks to the shining presences of Kaburagi and Enjou in our grade, unfortunately the impressions left by the other boys in our grade are weak. Although I think once we get a bit older and their own individuality starts to bloom, thereā€™ll be a few other popular guys in their own right. Endure until then, unfortunate boys.
But still, kind boys, huh? When it comes to boys who are kind, I know basically Oniisama andā€¦
I stared at Akizawa-kun next to me.
ā€œEh-? What?ā€
Akizawa-kun is a nice kid too, isnā€™t he. At cram school heā€™ll talk to me without reserve, and I get the feeling that Iā€™m more myself around him than when Iā€™m with any of the girls at school. And the other day when I was going home, he opened the door for me. Heā€™s a gentleman. His face and brown hair remind me of a squirrel, so heā€™s cute.
ā€œUm, Kisshouin-san? Did I do something?ā€
ā€œNo, nothing of the sort.ā€
I smiled to blow things over.
Akizawa-kun is a kind and very good kid, but for some reason I can only think of him as a ā€˜good friendā€™. ā€˜Friendzoneā€™. I think I can kind of see his futureā”€ā”€
Having no idea of the stupid things I was thinking about, Akizawa-kun took out the learning materials with a smile. ā€¦Sorry, Akizawa-kun.
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