Chapter 184

"What's going on today?"

"What do you mean?"

"There are a lot of people on the field."

"Oh... that? They're holding an admission briefing today."

"An admission briefing? They're doing that now?"

"The first two sessions wrapped up last month, but they didn't advertise them well enough and parents complained. So they added another one."

"Isn't our Academy a lottery system? What's the point?"

"They take applications, too. Half lottery, half applications."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't."

"Idiot."

She teased me, her tone laced with affection.

I chuckled and pulled my wallet from under my desk.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"Going to the School Store? Grab me a Melon Milk, then."

"The new flavor? You had that this morning."

"I want it again. Pick some up for Masako and Honoka too, please."

"Sure."

After leaving the classroom, I didn't head straight to the School Store. Instead, I made my way to the Gymnasium, where the admission briefing was being held.

There was something I needed to confirm.

"Hello, welcome to the Yeboni Academy admission brief—huh?"

A Student Council executive, who had been guiding parents and students with a friendly smile, widened her eyes when she saw me.

"Matsuda Ken? What are you doing here?"

She recognized me instantly.

Then again, there was no way the Student Council wouldn't recognize me, considering I was always causing trouble.

Flashing an awkward smile, I scratched the back of my head and offered a slight bow.

"Hello, sunbae-nim."

"Hi. What's going on?"

"I saw a lot of people coming and going, so I wondered what was happening. An admission briefing?"

"Yeah. But why are you getting closer...?"

She stared at me with heavily guarded eyes, and suddenly, a surge of lust washed over me.

I wanted to corrupt that plain but pretty, makeup-free face of hers.

Taking her from behind in a corner of the Gymnasium with a hand over her mouth would make for a great scene.

"Need any help?"

"You want to help...? I'm fine... Ah, excuse me! You need to go through this entrance, not that one!"

She voiced her suspicions before rushing over to a parent who was about to take the wrong path.

Taking advantage of the opening, I casually slipped over to the desk where the upperclassman had been standing.

'Asahina... Asahina...'

I scanned down the guestbook, repeating Hiyori's family name in my head.

'There.'

When I found the names [Asahina Rion] and [Asahina Ryushin] near the bottom, the corners of my mouth curled up.

These two were Hiyori's parents.

It seemed they had missed the first two briefings and come to this one. That confirmed it.

Hiyori would be enrolling in our Academy next year.

I didn't know if a fun-loving girl like her could get into this prestigious Academy through the application process, but even if she didn't, she would get in through the lottery.

What was she doing right now?

She had hinted at her presence with that fresh lemon scent at the arcade last time. I wanted to see her soon.

"What are you doing over here?"

The upperclassman had finished giving directions and returned to ask me.

I shrugged nonchalantly and answered.

"I just stood here for a moment so the spot wouldn't be left empty."

"Right...? Thanks for the help, but you can't stand there."

Why was she acting so bossy? It made me want to discipline her.

I could probably stick around to see Hiyori's parents' faces, but there was no real need for that.

Obediently stepping back from the folding table, I spoke.

"Got it. Keep up the good work."

"Yeah. Bye."

Lunchtime.

While waiting for Miyuki, who had stepped away to the restroom, I spotted Renka talking with some guy in the corner of the field.

Both had serious expressions, but the guy looked visibly anxious.

He looked just like someone waiting for a girl's answer right after confessing to her.

Renka's face, on the other hand, showed zero emotion. It was almost icy.

Was this one of those extra character confession events meant to make the heroine look good?

My curiosity piqued, I moved silently and eavesdropped on their conversation from the bleachers, hidden by the wall right behind them.

"I'm sorry."

Renka apologized to the guy in a deadpan tone.

The guy gasped and reached his hands out, as if he couldn't comprehend it.

"Why? How come?"

"Because I don't like you. You're not my type."

My guess was right on the money.

The cliché of a random extra confessing and the haughty heroine mercilessly rejecting him was playing out right in front of my eyes.

It was usually used as a plot device to show the audience just how popular the heroine was... Quite a classic move.

Still, it was entertaining. They say nothing is as fun to watch as a fight, except maybe a confession and a rejection, and I was feeling that now.

"Ah... I see...?"

"Yeah. I don't know what kind of misunderstanding you had, but I never had any interest in you whatsoever. So I'd appreciate it if you stopped doing this from now on."

Renka dealt the final, lethal blow to the guy.

She might act cold, but she was usually warm on the inside; for her to act this heartless was surprising.

The guy must have been acting obsessively, whether he realized it or not.

"Right..."

The guy's shoulders slumped. He nodded and trudged away powerlessly.

If he had thrown a fit over being rejected so coldly, I would have had an excuse to step in, but he left quietly. It was a bit of a shame.

Thinking that the thoroughly defeated guy's retreating back looked exactly like Tetsuya's future, I peeked my head out over the bleachers.

Then I looked down at Renka, who was fiddling with her Cell Phone as if nothing had happened.

"President."

"Gyaah!"

She jumped in fright at the voice coming from above her.

I chuckled, waited for her to calm down, and then spoke.

"Got a confession, huh?"

"Y-you heard all that...?"

"Unintentionally, yeah."

"...You really are everywhere. It's annoying..."

"Are you picking a fight with me?"

"Who's picking a fight...! I didn't do that...!"

This reaction was on a completely different level from how coldly she had treated that extra.

Even her expression was different. Delicious, simply delicious.

This was why I couldn't stop teasing Renka.

"If not, whatever. But President."

"What...!"

"What kind of guy is your type, President?"

When I brought up the very excuse she had used to reject the guy, Renka flinched and glared up at me.

"Why are you asking that?"

"I just got curious all of a sudden."

"I'm not telling."

"Tell me."

"One thing's for sure: it's definitely not you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

Was she being serious? Or not?

I wished I had the ability to read minds.

But if I did, there would be no reason to walk this tightrope, and then things would get boring.

I was satisfied enough just being dropped bare-handed into Doki-Aka.

"That hurts. After all the affection we've built up."

"What affection...! There's absolutely nothing like that...!"

"Are you sure?"

"I said no...! Now hurry up and get out of here."

"None at all?"

"....."

Did she realize I was never going to back down at this rate?

Biting her lower lip, Renka forced the words out.

"A-affection between a senior and a junior. Happy now?"

"No affection between a man and a woman?"

"Why would there be something like that?"

"We had a lot of fun at the Hotel."

At those words, Renka jolted in surprise and quickly looked around.

"S-shut up...! And phrase that correctly...! You were the only one who had fun...! Doing terrible things to someone just to satisfy your own urges..."

"You didn't like it, President?"

"I hated it. It was the absolute worst."

"Then I'll try harder to make sure you enjoy it next time."

"Do whatever you... What? Next time?"

"Yeah. Next time."

Flashing my teeth in a wide grin at Renka, I spotted Miyuki approaching in the distance and continued.

"You did good today."

"...Did good? With what?"

"See you during club activities."

"Hey...! What did I do good with...!?"

It wouldn't be fun if I spelled everything out for her.

I intentionally left it vague enough to be misunderstood, so she could overthink it on her own.

Leaving behind a jumping, highly agitated Renka, I walked away.

"Master."

Poking my head out of the storage room, I called out to Chinami, who was crouching in the corner of the Club Room doing something.

"Yes?"

Chinami somehow caught my quiet voice and turned her head toward me.

When I gestured to her, she dusted off the hems of her Training Uniform pants and scurried over to me, her cute little toes pitter-pattering against the floor.

After pulling her into the storage room, I took an item out of the shopping bag I had prepared.

Then I placed it into Chinami's hands.

"It's a gift."

Receiving the thick item, Chinami's eyes went wide.

"This is..."

What I had gifted her were gloves.

Specifically, apricot-colored mittens with only the thumbs poking out.

"I tried to find Momo-sama gloves, but it felt like winter would be over by the time I tracked them down. So I wanted to give you these before it gets too late."

"....."

"Want to try them on?"

Even though I suggested she try them on, Chinami just blinked her large eyes, staring down at the gloves resting on her tightly pressed hands.

Her eyes were brimming with emotion, but complex feelings were mixed in there as well.

After standing blankly for a long time admiring the gloves, she looked up at me.

"Umm... junior."

"Yeah."

"I am really, really, really, really thankful for the gift, but... I think I should only accept the thought."

I figured she would say something like that.

The further our relationship progressed, the more Miyuki would weigh on her conscience.

I pushed the gloves Chinami was holding out back toward her.

"Are you free this weekend by any chance? Should we meet up with Miyuki?"

"Yes...? W-with junior Hanazawa...?"

"Yeah. Let's grab some food together. It's been a while. Ice cream works too."

"B-but..."

"Miyuki said she's down for it."

"Nng... Junior Hanazawa... um... doesn't know that we..."

"Doesn't she know that we did it?"

"Hwaah... Yes... That's right..."

She was startled when I subtly brought up the physical side of our relationship.

I gave a light smile and shook my head.

"She knows."

"....What?"

Chinami was dumbstruck by the unexpected answer.

Gently wrapping my hand around her shoulder, I repeated myself.

"Miyuki knows too. She definitely knows."

"H-how is that possible...? Why...?"

Why, instead of how?

It was a quirky question perfectly fitting for Chinami, but at the same time, it was a completely normal thing to ask.

"I'll say it again, you don't need to worry about that part."

"Huh...?"