Chapter 37: CH 37

Left Hanging

For third period PE we had  track and field exercise. We ran around the perimeter of the school building in the hot weather.

After changing in the boy’s locker room, students entered the school building through the elevator entrance.

At that moment, I saw a group of girls coming from the gymnasium.

I heard that today their gymnastics was indoors. I wondered how their class went. Girls-only classes were like a holy ground for boys.

(No! I don’t have the time to think about that, but… Isn’t right now a good time?)

We hadn’t been able to talk properly since this morning, and since Takane-san didn’t look at her phone between classes, I haven’t had the chance to talk to her unless in person. However, there’s also the possible case that Takane-san leaves the group and comes here–

Just when I thought it was ridiculous, Takane-san, who had noticed my presence, walked towards me.

She was naturally separated from the flow of people going from the hallway to the cafeteria, so she didn’t stand out. I raised my hand towards Takane-san, thinking that now we can talk naturally.

“Ah, it’s Nagisen after all. Have you just finished physical education? We just finished ours too.”

“Na-Nakano. We just finished too…”

“Takane-san, what’s wrong?”

“…Yes, I’m coming.”

She was approached by a girl in the same class, probably still standing out when she came over here. It was a chance for us to talk, but under the circumstances, it was not an option.

“Both Nozomi-chan and Kiri-chan were really amazing. We planned to make a creative dance next time. They were the leader of the group and pulled everyone along.”

“Is that so…? What about Nakano-san?”

“We’re doing it at Nozomi-chan’s place. Ah… Sorry! Just now, Nozomi-chan and Nagisen were…”

“N-No. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t read the air… I got it. Next time, I’ll cooperate so that you and Takane-san can be alone together.” (T/N: It’s back to Takane-san again… Damn this author.)

“You don’t need to worry so much.”

In a sense, Nakano-san had blocked Takane-san – but I was not angry, I was honestly grateful.

In order for Takane-san and I to have time alone at school, it would be better if some of the girls knew what was going on. If Nakano-san could be one of them – wasn’t that convenient?

At the end of the fourth period, after greeting the teacher and sitting down, Takane-san casually handed me a note.

‘Please wait for me in the cafeteria’, it said. We had confirmed with each other that we would bring bentos, and the plan was to have lunch together.

I was a bit nervous because we had barely talked up to this point, but I got up from my seat and left the classroom first. Takadera and Ogishima had said they were going to buy something, so I wished them good luck and sent them off.

When I arrived at the cafeteria, there was a line of students ordering set menus and lunches. With that by my side, I went out to the terrace. Everyone seemed to prefer the indoor seating, but it was only sparsely filled.

(I feel like I’m being watched for a while now… Is it just my imagination?)

After a while, I somehow got that feeling from the hallway again. I had an argument with a senior member of the tennis club, and I wondered if there was a chance that I could get into another problem with him – but, well, that’s for another time.

I sat down at my usual seat and placed my bento on the table. Then, my vision suddenly darkened.

It was someone’s shadow. I thought that someone was trying to sit near here, but the person didn’t seem to move.

“Excuse me.”

“…What?”

The girl who approached me seemed to be a first-year student, and she seemed to be in a different class. We were not in the same middle school, so it was a complete first meeting.

Her shoulder-length hair is slightly curled with playful tips, giving her a bit of a gyaru look – Her slit eyes were sharp, and she was a different type from Nakano-san, even though they were of the same gal type.

I wondered what this girl, who was clearly a people person, wanted from me. Maybe she had made up her mind to sit here and wanted me to leave?

“If you’re going to use this seat here, then… No, I’d rather be here if I can.”

“You were the one who went home with Takane-san from class A, weren’t you?”

“!…”

I had not considered the possibility of a Takane-san’s acquaintance knowing at all. And the way she was looking at me was sharp.

We went home together more than once, so I was not sure when she knew. Either way, it meant she saw me and Takane-san going home together.

“My name is Hina Sakai, and I was in the same junior high school as Takane-san. She was the student council president and I was the vice president.”

“Then I guess that means you and Takane-san are friends.”

“F-Friends is…um… I mean, I admire her. Anyway, what about it? You were the one who went home with Takane-san, right?”

I didn’t know if I should answer this now – if I could, I would like to discuss it with Takane-san first, but the quickest way to explain why we were going home together was to say that Takane-san was my girlfriend.

But I felt that saying that would somehow shock Sakai-san. She might seem feisty, but when she said she admired Takane-san, I could sense her delicacy.

“I don’t know when Sakai-san saw it, but it was probably me with Takane-san.”

“I knew it. …I’m glad I didn’t get the wrong guy.”

“What do you want from me?”

“That’s…”

When I asked her, Sakai-san seemed a little lost, as if it was something she was reluctant to say when it came down to it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Nagito-san… Ah…”

Finally, Takane-san came along. When Sakai-san saw Takane-san, she freaked out and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“U-Um… Ta-Takane-san…”

“It’s been a while. Have you gotten used to class, Sakai-san?”

“Yes, um… I’ve made friends, I’ve run for class committee, and I’m getting by.”

“I see. I also became a member of the library committee. I became a member of the reading club as well.”

“…Not a member of the class committee, and in the reading club as well?”

“Yes. Because I thought I’d done my tennis in middle school.”

Takane-san said clearly. Sakai-san’s profile looked somewhat forlorn.

“Takane-san… Do you have any plans to join the student council?”

“I have to do my work as a library committee member, and I also have club activities to attend to.”

“If you’re in the reading club, there should be plenty of time. Besides, I heard that even if you are a member of the reading club, if you are recommended by the student council, you can come in and out of the student council office to receive training as candidates…”

Sakai-san’s voice was full of passion. From seeing the look in her eyes, I could sense what she had come here for.

Sakai-san probably thought that Takane-san would join the student council in high school. It didn’t turn out that way, and she came to find out the truth behind that – or so I thought.

I thought it’s kind of sad to imagine that she saw us leaving and didn’t talk to us.

“Sakai-san, are you going to join the student council?”

“Y-Yes. I plan to run for election in my sophomore year, but I hope to start as secretary or treasurer in the second semester of this year. So, you too, Takane-san, can…”

“…I’m sorry, but I’m not considering joining the student council at this time.”

“Is..that so…?”

Sakai-san looked at me. Not a reproachful look, but somewhat apologetic – but at the end, I was sure she glared at me a little, and then bailed out to Takane-san and went away.

“Is she Takane-san’s friend from junior high school?”

“Um… We were in the student council together, but we never hung out or anything like that.”

“Is that so? I had an image of her as someone who wouldn’t be involved in student council or something. Appearances can be deceiving.”

“In junior high school, she said she liked the gap between being flashy and serious.”

That’s –  I guess that’s something you didn’t talk about very often unless you have a casual relationship.

“She was a bright person and helped me a lot. Even by herself, I think she has the ability to pull everyone along well that she could be student council president.”

“Takane-san, how was it being on the student council with Sakai-san?”

“That’s…”

Takane-san seemed to be thinking about it a bit. If Takane-san had decided to do something different in high school than what she did in middle school, and I thought that’s a good thing.

Still, when I saw Takane-san and Sakai-san talking, I thought that Takane-san would never decide not to join the student council – even though it was her choice that should have the highest priority.

“…I, with Nagito-san as much as possible…” (T/N: Demnit, proving herself again why she’s the best girl in the series, AFTER RURU-NEE!!!!)

“Ah, there’s Takane-san. Kiri-chan, Takane-san is there!”

“”…!?””

Takane-san looked at me with a ‘what should I do’ look. I wondered if it was “what shall I do” because it’s Takane-san. In any case, I felt that it would be bad if it became widely known that we were dating at the moment. (T/N: Since Takane is prim and proper.)

Before Yamaguchi-san, who called out to Takane-san, came over here, Takane-san greeted her. It was before Yamaguchi-san could see me.

“Takane=san, were you with anyone?”

“…N-No, I was alone.”

“I see. That’s good. I’ve got Kiri-chan and the others over there, why don’t you come? Nakano-san is there, too.”

“Yes, I’m sorry to bother you.”

Takane-san glanced back at me when she saw Yamaguchi-san starting to walk away – she had her puppy-dog eyes that made my heart flutter when she looked at me like that.

Still, it was inevitable that this would happen, so Takane-san gave a small nod and joined Asatani-san and her group.

(Takane-san was really like a puppy… Now, I’m left hanging again.)

I was the kind of person who wanted to have spare time during lunch break, so I was going to indulge myself and start eating my lunch as it was. Then, the image of Ruru-nee when we were making lunch together in the morning flashed through my mind.

‘Onee-chan made egg rolls with all her energy, so please share it with Nozo-chan. Why don’t you ask her to ‘ahhn’ you too?’

She was a sister who had a lot to say, but that kind of lover-like time was an opportunity for another time.

Ruru-nee’s egg rolls had cheese in them today, a taste I fondly remember. After school was the time to be with Takane-san – I thought as I chewed on my white rice.

At the same time, however, the unthinkable thought that what happened twice might happen three times also came to mind, and I couldn’t help but shake my head.

I knew this might seem questionable and I knew I shouldn’t be thinking this – but I didn’t have enough of Takane-san. I didn’t think I couldn’t talk this much even though I was sitting next to her.

I wasn’t brave enough to let it naturally permeate in the class that we were dating – and as I was agonizing over it, I got a message.

[I’m sorry, Nagi-kun, but when Yamaguchi-san suggested inviting Takane-san, I couldn’t say no.]

[Nagisen, I tried to turn the tide somehow, but I shouldn’t tell them that you two were alone in the cafeteria, should I?]

They both apologized to me – I guess they both knew that I was meeting up with Takane-san. That made me feel embarrassed.

I replied to both of them that they didn’t need to worry about it. Since both Asatani-san and Nakano-san were keeping the secret, there was no choice but to call it force majeure.

I was not sure if it’s necessary to go to such lengths to hide it, but it’s just that I was embarrassed about it. But since we were still in the beginning of our relationship, I would like to think that this would change as we get used to each other.