Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818622175622114833
“Why?”
Toka looked puzzled. She didn’t seem to have expected me to say that at all.
“If people find out that Asahina Toka has a boyfriend, they’ll say all kinds of things.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Even if I don’t care, the people around me will!”
“Well, I don’t have any friends, so no one will say anything.”
Toka’s expression suddenly changed. She said something sad in a casual manner.
“Well then, Ryo, I’m leaving! Please lock the door!”
“Oh, have a good day.”
mother took her lunch box and left for work.
“Nii san, I’m leaving too.”
“Eh, isn’t it too early for Yuzuha?”
“I feel like it!”
Yuzuha also raised her voice and left for school.
“… Hey, why is Yuzuha in a bad mood?”
“Hmm…”
I guess I’ll have to follow up with Yuzuha when she comes home from school… Middle school girls of that age are difficult.
“… ”
Well, I’m that age too, though.
◇
The two of us walked side by side on a slightly different route than usual.
As we approached the school and passed through the school gate, I felt everyone’s eyes
“Wow, it’s Toka Asahina. She’s started coming to school.”
“The cultural festival the other day was amazing, wasn’t it?”
“It seems like a lot of people are trying to join the drama club because they want to meet Asahina-san.”
It’s different from when she was considered a failure and no one paid any attention to her. It’s clear that the way people look at Toka has changed!
“I’m tired. I want to go back to Ryo’s room…”
But Toka doesn’t notice! Once she enters the school, Toka slips back into her usual apathetic, dried-up high school girl mode.
“I think it’s really good that you don’t waver like that.”
“Are you complimenting me?”
“I’m giving you a big compliment.”
With heavy footsteps, we headed from the entrance to the classroom. As soon as we entered the classroom, our classmates gathered around Toka.
“Asahina-san! You’re coming to school now!”
“For now…”
Toka looked away and replied quietly. The girls who were commonly referred to as being at the top of the class caste system spoke to Toka.
“Your performance at the cultural festival gave me goosebumps! I felt like you were a true genius!”
Laughing cheerfully, a crowd gathered around Toka, like fans surrounding an idol. Considering her popularity, this was probably normal, but it was an unimaginable situation a month ago.
“Asahina-san, would you like to go out with us today?”
A boy who stood out in the class asked Toka. Toka blinked her eyes a few times and furrowed her brow as if she were troubled.
“How about we all go to karaoke or a family restaurant? You worked so hard at the school festival, so let’s have a party to celebrate.”
“Yeah, if Kamiya-kun says so, I’ll go too!”
“Me too!”
The girls around her also got excited. I could feel the atmosphere of “Don’t miss this chance to become friends with Toka!”
“…Eh, I’m not going.”
Toka said quietly. Perhaps because her voice was so soft, no one noticed at first.
“What did you just say?”
“I’m not going. I have a boyfriend, so don’t talk to me.”
Toka blurted it out! In an instant, the atmosphere in the classroom froze! Everyone stood frozen with their mouths open. It was amazing. It felt like she had destroyed everything with just one sentence.
“Ryo kun, let’s go.”
Toka pulled my hand and walked briskly toward her seat.
“Kuga, wait!”
This time, the boys surrounded me!
“I’ve always thought something was suspicious, but how long have you two been together?”
“W-Why it’s me!”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s obviously you!”
The loud shouts of the boys echoed throughout the classroom!
“Did you think we didn’t know? Everyone saw you eating lunch together!”
“I saw you holding hands!”
“I heard you were appointed as Asahina-san’s assistant by the teacher!”
It hurts, it hurts! They’re hitting me on the back and punching me on the shoulder, and I don’t know what’s going on! Until now, I was only concerned about Toka, and I didn’t care about what my classmates thought of me!
“Don’t bully my Ryo kun!”
This time, Toka’s clear voice echoed throughout the classroom. The boys gradually backed away, and the classroom became quiet, as if the excitement from earlier had been a lie.
“I won’t forgive you if you lay a hand on my Ryo-kun.”
Emphasizing the word “my” unnecessarily, Toka sat down at her seat and buried her face in her desk as usual. Everyone in the class was surprised by Asahina Toka’s change.
The second period of physical education arrived in a cold atmosphere. Today’s class for the boys was soccer.
“Kuga, nice!”
“Good job! Kuga, nice pass!”
“Kuga, you’re really agile!”
Until now, I had been concerned about the injured knee and had not actively participated in physical education. But I didn’t care about that anymore! I had to move forward little by little, just like Toka.
“Ah! Suzuki, what are you doing?”
While running on the field, I saw my classmate Suzuki get the ball stolen by the opposing team. Suzuki seems to be a bit clumsy at sports. Seeing him clearly dejected, I hurried over to him.
“Suzuki! Nice try!”
“Ku, Kuga…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay! It’s just PE class, so don’t worry about it! I once missed a shot in front of the girls in middle school. I was so embarrassed that I pretended to tie my shoelaces and ran away.”
“Haha, what’s that?”
Suzuki-kun smiled a little. Yeah, it’s better to talk to someone and move your body than to be afraid of getting hurt and do nothing.
“Kuga, she’s staring at us.”
“Huh?”
Someone called out to me, and when I looked over at the edge of the schoolyard, I saw a group of girls watching the boys’ physical education class. Among them, Toka was sitting cross-legged, staring intently at us. The moment our eyes met, she smiled softly and waved her hand slightly. Perhaps because I wasn’t used to seeing her in her gym clothes, it seemed very refreshing.
“What do I have to do to get Asahina Toka to go out with me?”
Someone’s voice suddenly caught my ear. It wasn’t just Toka. I felt like the way everyone around me was looking at me was changing.
“Isn’t Kuga-kun cool? He’s so kind.”
The voice of a girl somewhere carried on the wind and reached my ears.
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