Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818792439150956875
“Haa…”
“Is something wrong? Why the sigh? Oh, I see—did you not enjoy our date?”
Just past noon, the student council president and I left the art museum and headed to a nearby restaurant.
It was a Western-style restaurant with a slightly more upscale atmosphere than the places we usually went to, and most of the other customers were calm, mature women.
“It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it… it’s just… how should I put it?”
Of course, I felt bad towards the president. Regardless of the reason, since she’d taken the trouble to bring me here, acting like this wasn’t right.
But.
“…It just made me think about a lot of things.”
“Hmm. So that phone call earlier is the reason, then.”
“You figured it out, didn’t you?”
I sliced the Japanese-style hamburger steak on its fancy plate with my knife and gave a wry smile.
She really is sharp, or rather…
“I see. Well, that’s a bit of a relief. Sorry about that, though. Seems I wasn’t very confident in today’s date plan after all.”
She made a gesture like she was patting her chest in relief.
“So that’s the kind of thing the President says. That’s surprising.”
I guess I’d always thought of the President as some kind of perfect superhuman. If we hadn’t spent time together like this, I probably wouldn’t have realized that.
“Can you tell me what happened? Of course, I understand there might be things you can’t tell me, so I won’t force you.”
“No, well… um…”
Honestly, it wasn’t something I could just tell anyone. I hesitated for a moment, but then,
“I am one year older than you, after all. I don’t mean to lord that over you, and I won’t deny that some might see it as just a single year.”
Chairman Sanada paused for a breath and smiled.
“But even if it’s only a small difference, that difference might be useful to you someday, you know?”
It was a persuasive statement. More than that, it felt like his desire to be of help, to be allowed to be of help, came through directly.
That’s precisely why I…
“…Apparently, someone from the university is coming to meet me next week.”
“Hmm. Is that… a scouting offer, perhaps?”
“I don’t know. Honestly.”
I can’t say I didn’t wonder if it might be a soccer scout, but I’m done with that now. There’s no reason for them to approach me. Besides…
“Actually, Hoshikawa University is where my father graduated from.”
“Oh?”
“So, I kinda wonder if it’s just because of that connection… that they’re reaching out to me.”
“…I see. Yeah, I can understand why you’d find it hard to say.”
“Yeah, I guess. Lately, I’ve been feeling really lost a lot.”
I want to talk, I want to hear what they have to say. Honestly, it feels good to be told that.
But, I’m like this…
“──I think you’re doing really well.”
“H-huh?”
Hearing that out of the blue, I couldn’t help but look up from my food and meet the president’s gaze.
“The sports festival. You easily surpassed my expectations. That’s truly remarkable.”
“…That was mostly luck, honestly. And as for the finals, if Amagami hadn’t come to our team, the outcome might have been different…”
“That might be true. But sports, music, academics—it’s also true that none of those can completely eliminate the element of luck.”
But then, President Sanada continued.
“Even if luck is a factor, only those who truly put in the effort can seize the result.”
“That—”
“Oh, let’s leave it at that. Our lunch will get cold.”
Leaving no room for argument, Chairman Sanada twirled her tomato sauce pasta. Then.
“Hayami-kun. Just for today, you and I are a couple, right?”
“Eh… is that so…?”
Well, dates are typically for couples. After all, a couple means a pair of one man and one woman…
“Ah, never mind overthinking it. Anyway, here.”
She twirled the pasta and held it out.
“Huh? What is it?”
“What they call ‘Ahhn,’ I suppose. I’ve never done it or had it done to me, so I’m not entirely sure how it works.”
And then, without further ado, the chairman proceeded.
“—Here. Open wide.”
＊＊＊
“Guh… You’re really rubbing it in, aren’t you, Tsubaki Sanada?”
At the window seat diagonally behind Ren Hayami and Tsubaki Sanada.
Despite being inside a building, the pair wearing suspicious sunglasses watched the scene intently.
“Hey, Hii-tan. Seriously… I think you should take off those sunglasses?”
Nishimiya Aira deftly, yet with practiced ease, cut up the hamburger steak that had been served.
Meanwhile, directly across from her. The girl who’d been facing backward the whole time, Shiramine Hisui
“Grrr… Aira-senpai. Those two… they’re flirting, right? They are, aren’t they?”
“W-well… no! Look! Ren’s just a little silly sometimes! See!”
“…Ren-senpai isn’t silly.”
No good. Nothing she said seemed to matter anymore.
Aira felt incredibly uncomfortable, yet she thought, ‘Jealous Hii-tan is kinda cute.’
“I wanna feed you too, Senpai. Actually, I wanna feed you until you’re stuffed.”
“Now, now, Hii-tan. Calm down? If we get caught, it’ll ruin everything.”
“Guh, I know… but I’m worried. Worried someone might take you away from me.”
“It’s okay, that’ll never happen.”
With a tone of absolute certainty, Aira smiled.
“Wh-why do you think that?”
Hisui pouted her lips and asked.
Then, Aira slowly opened her mouth.
“Because, you know? If he were to fall for anyone, it could only be Hii-tan.”
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