Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054897729140/episodes/16816452221305300316
“Hmm…but Seiji…”
“…What is it?”
“What did Night mean when he said ‘great adventure’?”
“Ah…she did say that. But when she says ‘great adventure,’ she doesn’t mean a real adventure, does she? Doesn’t it just mean some kind of event?”
“That’s true…you could interpret it that way…”
“…I think we should get out soon.”
“No, we’re not done yet, Lord Seiji. This is…training…for…”
“Hey, Hanzo !?”
After dinner, it was time for a bath, so Hanzo and I were sweating it out in the sauna.
Hanzo seemed to dislike saunas, so he begged me, a veteran saunagoer, to help him overcome his fear.
But this is how it went.
“Didn’t you just hear a loud noise !?”
Hagiya kun and the others had entered the sauna room from the bathhouse.
Of course, they were all naked.
“Hanzo is huge…”
“I never thought Hanzo has an Elysium…”
“No, isn’t that an Excalibur?”
“…Just carry him.”
Hagiya kun and Iijima kun are so vulgar…I’m sorry…
＊＊＊
We carried Hanzo to the changing room and set up a fan next to him to cool him down.
Hanzo, who had come to his senses along the way, said, “I’ll stay here a little longer to cool off. I’m sorry for the trouble” so I decided to get dressed first and take a walk around the facility.
I was thirsty, so I headed to the rest area with a vending machine.
The rest area had sofas, manga, and a ping-pong table, and as the name suggests, it was a place to relax.
There was also a smoking area, but if you tried to smoke there, you’d be in big trouble.
You might even get sent home.
“Nagamine kun !”
“Hm?”
As soon as I arrived at the rest area, I heard a voice behind me.
It was Yoshizaki san.
I always feel like Yoshizaki san appears behind me… .
“Oh, Yoshizaki san.”
“What’s with that lukewarm reaction? Don’t you get excited or anything?”
“Why would I get excited…”
“Sigh, Nagamine kun just doesn’t get it… Well, never mind. Let’s talk about something since we’re here.”
“Eh, sure, why not.”
“So, let’s get some drinks from the vending machine !”
“What’s the deal…”
***
I bought coffee milk and Yoshizaki san orange juice.
We sat on the sofa and drank our juice.
When I glanced at Yoshizaki san, I thought to myself that she was indeed a high-spec girl.
Our class is not bound by any kind of caste system, and there is no bullying, so it’s a peaceful class, but if there were a class caste system, Yoshizaki san would probably be at the top.
She gets along with everyone, is popular with both boys and girls, and is well-liked.
Apparently, Yoshizaki san is the daughter of one of the three major mobile phone companies, Hanasaka.
And she’s a beauty.
She could even be an actress.
But what is it?
Earlier, when Yoshizaki san asked me, “Don’t you feel a spark?” I realized that for some reason, I don’t feel a spark for her.
I do think she’s cute, but it’s not out of romantic feelings or ulterior motives; it’s just an objective observation.
The reason I don’t feel a spark for Yoshizaki san is that she seems to be wearing a mask.
I can’t help but speculate that the smiles and mannerisms she shows to me and others are all calculated and fake.
But more than that, I often get a sense of danger from Yoshizaki san.
Maybe it’s just my imagination…
“Why have you been staring at my face since a while ago?”
“…Huh? Oh, sorry !”
I realized I had been staring at Yoshizaki san’s profile the whole time.
Oh no, oh no, what if she misunderstands?
Yoshizaki san might find it creepy, and tomorrow morning, all my classmates might say, “That guy is apparently in love with Yoshizaki san, lol.” “What? lol. Think about your social status, lol.” …Well, maybe not in our class…probably.
“Hehe, it’s okay~ I’ll forgive you because you’re Nagamine kun !”
“I don’t really understand why you’d forgive me, but thank you?”
It seems I’m safe for now.
Phew, that was close…I almost had to use The World to escape. But it’s useless anyway.
“Hey, Nagamine kun…”
“Hm?”
“For example…”
Yoshizaki san continued speaking in a somber tone, unlike her usual playful self.
“If you had a girlfriend, and you found out that she had a side to her that you couldn’t understand based on your values, what would you do?”
“If there was a side of them I couldn’t understand…”
The first person who came to mind was Karen.
Yoshizaki san’s question, “What would you do if your lover did something you couldn’t understand?” When I applied it to Karen and me, it would be cheating.
In this day and age, cheating might be becoming more commonplace.
It’s clear when you look at the internet.
However, I had always believed that Karen wouldn’t cheat.
Because I believed that, seeing her walking cheerfully with a man filled me with an indescribable sense of anxiety, sadness, and hatred that I still remember vividly to this day.
And now, I’ve distanced myself from Karen.
But if asked if I hate her, I can’t answer immediately.
My feelings toward Karen have become that ambiguous.
Plus, Karen’s unusual behavior earlier…I still don’t get it.
Thinking about it, the best option is…
“To keep my distance for now and figure out how I feel.”
“…You’re not going to break up with her?”
“It depends on the person, but if it’s someone I’m seriously in love with, I’d think about it a little more…”
“Isn’t that too lenient?”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Yoshizaki san’s tone changed.
When I looked at Yoshizaki san’s face, he was narrowing her eyes and looking angry.
It wasn’t the usual masked Yoshizaki san, but a face that revealed her emotions.
“Because if you don’t understand, it means the other person is doing something unforgivable, right? Why don’t you just cut them off right away?”
“Well…”
“You should be more honest with your feelings. You’ll regret it later. Keeping your distance to confirm your feelings? To me, that’s just empty talk. There must be someone better closer to you.”
“What are you talking about…!?”
I felt a sense of madness from Yoshizaki and instinctively recoiled.
But there was more to come.
“Ayame, what are you doing?”
There stood Karen, with an expression of contempt I had never seen before.
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