Volume 2 - CH 7.1

[Kanade’s Point of View]

Yoshi-chan, you’re too close to Yuu-kun!

Oh, something that shouldn’t hit you is right on your arm!

Nnnn! Yuu-kun, you’re being too flirty!

I’m bigger than her, so if you had told me, I would have let you touch me anytime you wanted!

Right in front of my eyes, Yoshi-chan is spoiling Yuu-kun. I’m a little annoyed at Yuu-kun, who is a little embarrassed but doesn’t refuse.

The truth is, even I want to stick with Yuu-kun, too… I went from anger mode to depression mode, but then I heard some words I didn’t want to hear from Yoshi-chan and I went into cringing mode.

“Well then, Yuuri-senpai, please make me ahhh and eat.”

I’ve never had anyone do that to me either!

Yuu-kun, why are you pulling your arm out and trying to bring it to Yoshi-chan’s mouth? Are you going to make Yoshi-chan eat the food I made for Yuu-kun? I don’t like that!

Ughhhh! I can’t take it anymore! Yuu-kun, no bakaaaa!

Eiii!!!!

Crunch!

Huh, you closed your eyes, so you can’t see who aaahhn, can you?

You look like you’re eating well, but I made that octopus wiener go “aaaahhn!”

I made sure that Yoshi-chan was satisfied with the “ahn” and started eating her lunch properly, and I was able to enjoy my lunch with a mysterious sense of accomplishment.

———

…..Uwaaa.

Why did I do such a childish thing? It’s no wonder Yuu-kun was appalled. But I had never had Yuu-kun do an “ahn” to me either, and I couldn’t stand the thought of him doing it to Yoshi-chan.

After lunch time was over, I returned to my seat and calmly reflected on my earlier behavior, feeling self-loathing. I was too much of an emotional wreck.

I looked at Yuu-kun, who had taken his seat, and saw him and Satoru happily talking about something.

Oh, my God! Yuu-kun is so carefree that he doesn’t even know what I’m thinking!

I was staring at Yuu-kun when he suddenly turned his head toward me and I quickly turned my face away.

Aaahhh. What on earth do I really want to do?

———

I love Yuu-kun. I love him.

And lately, it’s getting harder and harder to put a stop to these feelings. Because the feelings I once locked away when I was in the second year of junior high school have come to the surface for the first time in four years. I didn’t have the confidence to suppress these overflowing feelings anymore.

Until now, I thought that even if Yuu-kun found someone else he liked and went out with that person, it would be fine as long as he was happy.

But after seeing Yoshi-chan today, I realized that I was lying to myself. I don’t want Yuu-kun to fall in love with you. No, I don’t. I don’t want him to like other girls besides me.

From now on, I have to appeal to Yuu-kun, too. If I don’t do that, Yoshi-chan might take him away from me. …… I don’t want that. I’m going to appeal to Yuu-kun aggressively from now on! I’m prepared to play tricks on him if I have to!

All right! I’ll take action after the closing ceremony!

*****

[Yuuri’s Point of View]

The sports festival ended in victory for the white team.

At the closing ceremony, Hazuki reverently received the championship flag, but my heart was not in an uproar. Well, if I had to mention anything about Hazuki, it would be that she had lost some weight. I would hate to see her lose any more weight and have people think it was because of our breakup, so I would like her to eat a lot of rice and get back to the healthy body she had before.

While I was thinking about this, the closing ceremony was over before I knew it. I felt a bit of hate building up at the last minute. Hmmm. I don’t think I’ll feel better if I just go home, so I think I’ll invite Satoru and go have some fun with him.

As I was looking around for Satoru, I received a thud from behind me. Yoshi-chan is here again, isn’t he? I turned around and called out to him.

“Yoshi-chan, you’ve got a lot of people watching you at school, so please don’t tackle me again.”

“Boo-boo, it wasn’t Yoshi-chan, it was me.”

“Kanade! What’s the matter with you tackling me too?”

“I’m sure it won’t be uncommon from now on. Well, I’d like to do the celebration now, so why don’t we invite everyone to a family restaurant?”

It’s going to be uncommon from now on? I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but the launch is a godsend! That’s what I’m talking about! Just in time to clear up this mood I’m in!

“A celebration. Sounds like fun. Of course, I’ll be there.”

“Yay! I’ve already told Kozue-chan, so let’s invite Satoru-kun, Yoshi-chan, and Hanaka-chan, too, and we’ll all go!

“Okay! I’ll call Satoru, and you call Hanaka.”

“Okay, I’ll tell her to meet us at the school gate!”

———

Yoshi-chan and Hanaka were going to a party in their class, so we ended up going to a family restaurant as the usual group of four. As soon as we arrived at the table, we ordered a drink bar for the number of people in our group and made a toast to our fatigue.

“Well, we lost today! It was the last time in high school, so it was a little frustrating, but it was a lot of fun!”

“I know. It was the last time in high school, wasn’t it? I’m going to be sad every time an event is over, thinking that I may never be able to do it again, but I want to cherish every one of them and enjoy them with everyone.”

“You’re so right, Kozue-chan! I think so too! Let’s all enjoy high school together until the end.”

Seeing the three of them happily chatting together, I felt like I was living this kind of youth for the first time. I had always been with Hazuki, so it was the first time for me to celebrate a school event.

“I kind of like it this way.”

Satoru, who had heard my monologue with a keen ear, looked at me with a smirk on his face.

“What is it, Yuuri? What are you talking about?”

“Ah, no. I’ve been to club celebrations, but I’ve never been to a family restaurant after an event like this with my classmates. So now I feel like I’m having a very high-school-like youth experience.”

“It’s true that Yuuri has always been with Sakashita-san. It’s a pity that you guys broke up, but I’m pretty happy that I get to hang out with you like this now.”

I didn’t expect Satoru to say this to me head-on, and I said, “Hey, what are you talking about? That’s embarrassing!” I was so embarrassed that I had to say something. I glanced at Kanade and saw that she looked happy to see me and Satoru having this exchange.

“Yuu-kun, let’s have lots of fun with everyone from now on.”

“I’ve never played with Yamagishi-kun outside of school, so I’d like to go somewhere with him when we have time.”

“What? Kozue-chan, by any chance, are you thinking of Yuu-kun…?

“No! No! No, Kanade-chan. I just wanted to say that I want to play with this group again!”

“That’s right. You mean with this group again, right? Oh, I was surprised.”

Satoru, who for some reason was upset by Kanade’s statement, was overreacting when he heard Tanuki-san’s defense.

Huh? I wondered if Satoru might be in love with Tanuki-san, and looked at Kanade with that thought. Kanade noticed his gaze and quietly nodded her head in agreement, realizing the meaning of his gaze. I see, I feel somewhat happy when I think that Satoru also has a solid youth.

———

“It’s late, so I’ll walk you home.”

When the party was over, it was dark outside. I enjoyed the party so much that I stayed too long. It was a little dangerous to let Kanade walk alone at night, so I decided to walk her home.

“What? Is it okay? Thank you, Yuu-kun. Then let’s go home together.”

Kanade and I are not neighbors because we are in different areas of the city, but Kanade’s house is near the road from the station to my house, so it wasn’t a big deal for me to walk her home.

“Oh, Yuu-kun. You’re busy with club activities from now on until the national team competition, aren’t you?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. I guess club activities will be hard from tomorrow.”

“And since the manager has a lot of work to do, it’s going to be tough for both of us.”

“I guess so. It’s the last chance for us to play in high school, so let’s do our best so that we don’t have any regrets.”

“Yes! And you know, after the final, there will be exams, right? After all of them, let’s have another party, shall we?”

“Oh! I like that! I’ll tell everyone in the club and they’ll be so happy!”

“Oh! No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Kanade is bobbing her head to the side. I thought she was talking about the party for the club’s activities, but she wasn’t. Then what on earth are you going to launch?

“What are we going to celebrate? If you’re not celebrating our club activities, what are you going to celebrate?”

“Well, let’s see. The purpose is to celebrate our club activities, but I thought it would be nice if we could do it alone, not with everyone else. You know, we have been together since our elementary school soccer club, right? So I wanted to have a party to celebrate the end of our club activities at the end of high school. Is that a bad idea?”

“What are you talking about now? Of course, I’m fine. We hung out together almost every day during spring break.”

“Because I had a purpose then, and before that, we never went out alone together because Hazuki-chan was there.”

“Well, if you put it that way, I guess so. Hazuki isn’t here now either, so from now on, let’s just hang out together without any reservations!”

“Yes, let’s play a lot. Let’s play a lot. That is a promise, you know.”

Kanade hugged me with a twinkle in her eye. She smiled and pressed her head against me grimly, which was a little painful, but not unpleasant at all.

Maybe Kanade likes me after all.

Looking at Kanade’s words and actions toward me, I can’t help but feel that way. And I’m aware that I’m feeling that way as I’m doing various things with Kanade.

But if I go out with Kanade, she might betray me too. Once fear is instilled in me, I become very afraid to take a step forward. But I still surrender myself to Kanade’s kindness.

(When did I become so feminine and weak?)