Episode 24 – I like you! Please go out with me!
Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818622170980614031
…I thought they were trying to use a former celebrity to make it easier to understand.
I’m pretty sure the teacher said they were short on first-year members. There’s no better publicity than being on TV. Just having Asahina Toka in the club is enough to attract a lot of people next year.
“Asahina-san, she definitely won’t say she’ll do it, will she? I know she’s always sleeping in class and always late. That’s why I thought I’d ask Kuga-kun for help.”
I was a little… no, quite annoyed… she hasn’t been late lately. she doesn’t sleep in class anymore. They’re trying to use the old Asahina, but they don’t know anything about the current Asahina.
“I respect Asahina’s wishes. So I can’t answer that.”
“Why? Aren’t you and Asahina-san dating?”
“No, we’re not.”
“Then what kind of relationship do you and Asahina-san have?”
“…I’m sorry, I have to go now. But I’ll make one thing clear. I have no intention of supporting something that doesn’t benefit Asahina. I don’t know if I am in charge of something or not, but I will definitely protect her.”
I heard a suspicious voice from behind me, but I left the drama club anyway.
Damn, I feel really bad. In the end, it’s the old Asahina Toka. She’s still attractive enough now.
…Anyway, what about my relationship with Asahina? How should I explain it to other people?
Friends? In a broad sense, yes, but it’s a little different.
The owner and pet she mentioned before? That’s definitely not it.
Manager? That feels close, but…
“I like you, Asahina-san! Please go out with me!”
Ugh! As I walked along feeling annoyed, I heard an unbelievable voice from above.
Is this the roof? The entrance was locked, but from the top of the stairs, I could hear an unfamiliar male voice and a familiar female voice.
“Why me?”
“Because I like Asahina-san…”
…It seems Asahina is being confessed to again. Even though I knew I shouldn’t listen, I couldn’t tear myself away from the spot.
“You know, right? That everyone’s been talking trash about me.”
“But… you’ve changed a lot lately, and it’s pretty well-known!”
“…”
Asahina’s voice stopped. I could feel a slightly heavy atmosphere.
“Everyone says you’ve gotten so much cuter, Asahina-san! So please go out with me!”
“Well, I have someone I admire…”
“Eh? What’s suddenly gotten into you?”
“That person doesn’t judge others based on their reputation. I think he would clearly say that the good parts of me, both now and in the past, are good, and the bad parts are bad.”
“Huh…?”
“If that person hadn’t told me that, I wouldn’t be here today. In fact, I think I wouldn’t have come to school this much if that person hadn’t been there.”
“…”
“So—”
“Could it be that Asahina-san, that person—”
I felt like I shouldn’t ask any more, so I dashed away from the scene. I forgot about my knee and ran as fast as I could.
Ahhhhhhhhh! I don’t know why, but I feel like screaming. I feel like crying too. Respect… Asahina, you felt that way about me…!
The feelings I had been trying to suppress toward Asahina welled up inside me. That’s why I couldn’t refuse to hold hands with her at the festival, when I was nursing her, and even today! I could have shaken her off if I had wanted to!
“Haa… haa…”
I was out of breath. My knee hurt a little. But thanks to that, my muddled head cleared up a little.
At first, I didn’t feel that way. I just wanted to help Asahina, so I spoke to her.
So, if…
If the day comes when I think Asahina’s rehabilitation has been successful, then I…
I…
“Is it okay to tell Asahina?”
◇
I ate my lunch next to Asahina’s empty seat, feeling restless. Is she still at it? I wish she would come back soon…
“Ah! you are already eating!”
Just as I was thinking that, Asahina came back.
“Because Asahina wasn’t here.”
“Sorry, I was being confessed to.”
“Dwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
You idiot! Don’t answer so casually! It’s a pretty sensitive topic!
“Asahina, aren’t you suddenly too popular? Two people today alone!?”
“…”
Asahina suddenly fell silent. I don’t understand why she’s silent here.
“…worry you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want want Ryo to misunderstand… So I lied when I said I turned them down during class! It was just one person today!”
“Haaa!?”
Asahina was acting strangely. Well, I guess I was too today…
“Why did you lie…”
My voice was smaller and weaker than I had expected.
“B-but… Ryo-kun was making a weird face!”
“A weird face?”
“…It was like he was sulking, or looking down…”
I wanted to crawl into a hole. I thought Asahina was the type to show her emotions on her face, but it seems I was showing mine just as much.
“What was Ryo-kun like then?”
Oh, damn. That was the main point… Should I tell Asahina about the drama club? I definitely want to avoid hurting Asahina like last time…
“By the way, was it a guy or a girl who called you out?”
“It was a female senpai…”
“Then don’t go there again.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Asahina’s face fell. I think she probably looked the same as I did earlier.
Well, what should I do…
“…I’m sorry, I’ll tell her.”
“Tell her what?”
“I thought she would hate it, so I was hesitating whether to tell her or not. But I’ll tell her properly.”
I decided to tell Asahina everything about the drama club. I felt it was wrong for me to decide whether or not to tell her based on my own judgment. If I cared about Asahina, I should think about the future together with her.
“…Huh, so that’s what you were told.”
Asahina’s reaction was more normal than I had expected. I thought she would get angry or upset, but she seemed calm.
“What are you going to do?”
“Let me think about it.”
“That’s surprising. I thought you’d refuse right away.”
“I really don’t want to, but if I refuse, I feel like I’ll be causing trouble for Ryo-kun again.”
“Don’t worry about that! Let’s think about it together.”
“Ryo-kun…”
“You always say that two people can double the good things and halve the sad things. I may not be reliable, but let me carry some of the burden you’re carrying. As your mentor.”
“What’s a mentor?”
“I don’t really know either!”
Us two looked at each other and suddenly laughed.
“Well then, Ryo kun. I’ve got a bit of a crisis right now…”
“A crisis? What happened?”
“The midterm exams are coming up.”
“Oh.”
I havenn’t forgotten. As Asahina said, the first regular exams of high school were just a week away.
“I might be in big trouble.”
“That bad…?”
“I’ve never taken notes until Ryo-kun asked me to. Heh heh.”
“That’s nothing to brag about!”
“I still don’t understand anything in class. If this continues, I’ll fail.”
“Oh no…”
I’m not particularly good at studying either, so I didn’t say anything, but I’ll have to add this to my training notes. I have to prevent her from failing!
“Then let’s have a study session. Want to stop by the library on the way home?”
“That’s a good idea, but we don’t have time, do we?”
“Well, with only a week left, all we can do is cram…”
“That’s right! So…”
Asahina hesitated before speaking.
“…How about we have a study session at my house?”
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