Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5018if/107/
After the committee activities were over, I joined the basketball team’s practice.
I have been playing basketball since elementary school, as recommended by Reo. I am a good long-range shooter, so I play in a position that allows me to take advantage of that. I’m not good at passing, so I need to practice more.
“Ryoma, good work”
Reo, who is already the team’s ace at the age of eighth grade, approached me.
Reo has grown more than ten centimeters in height in one year.
He’s got a good look, good athletic ability, and top grades in his grade.
Since entering the eighth grade, he has been really popular and is often approached by upperclassmen.
He is not interested in women, so he responds appropriately.
Well, the other day there was an incident where a girl who was dumped by Reo took out a knife and stalked me. I was involved in that incident, and to be honest, I was scared.
“You’ve gotten better again. I think you’ll be able to do well this year.”
“That’s right. Let’s win the next game with my penetration and Ryoma’s three pointer.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After changing into our uniforms, we glanced at the posters hanging in the school building. There were posters inviting students to join clubs and posters announcing the student council. Konohana-senpai was in the picture. She was really pretty.
“Ryoma likes her, right?”
“I was just looking. But it takes a lot of confidence to put your own picture on a poster. It’s just my preference.”
“Long hair, big boobs, and flashy.”
“It disgusts me that he understands me that much. Reo likes girls like me, right?”
“Yeah!”
“Stop saying that with a smile on your face. I’m not very happy about it.”
My best friend likes me too much. The only girls who would confess to Reo now in junior high school are the ones who have one or two quirks. There’s no way they’d be to Reo’s liking.
“I remember the other day, this senior told me she liked me.”
“It’s rare that Reo remembers the girl who confessed her feelings for him. Wait, Konohana-senpai?! Really?!”
“Yeah, it was really condescending.”
I never thought Konohana-senpai would have confessed to Reo… Konohana-senpai is popular and gets confessed to a lot, but there were rumors that she turns them all down. Why would someone like that do that?
“I’m not saying that she likes me, but she told me to go out with her for the experience of dating. She said it was because if it was me, it would be somewhat balanced.”
“Wow,…… she said it”
That’s what I thought after listening to what she said and did to Konohana-san today. I think dating is just another step up for her. Maybe she thought that Reo, the ace of the basketball team, tall and good looking, would not be any less valuable next to her.
“What did you say to her when you dumped her?”
“I’m busy. I can’t.”
“That’s it?”
“I said I couldn’t because I had dinner with Ryoma, played basketball, and hung out with him. Time with Ryoma is more important to me.”
“……so that’s it!”
I thought that Konohana-senpai was treating me with an abnormal amount of hostility. In other words, Reo chose me over Konohana-senpai.
No wonder Konohana-senpai is angry. She seems to have a lot of pride.
I’m sure she would understand if she knew about my relationship with Reo, but she wouldn’t know.
“Ryoma, I want a hamburger steak”
“Yes, yes. Seriously… I wonder if a girl who will accept this spoiled Reo will appear.”
The next day after that, at the next committee activity.
“I’m sorry about my sister the other day. I didn’t expect her to be so rude to Kogure-kun.”
“I know why, so it’s okay.”
Konohana-san, who did not know about the Reo incident, gave a small nod of her head.
“Is everything alright over there?”
“Yes, my sister is always overprotective.”
Konohana-san sighs with a huff.
“I’m sorry for being so weak-minded about this too. I still can’t talk properly with anyone other than Kogure-kun.”
Konohana-san doesn’t seem to have many friends of the same gender. She seems to be always alone and to think that’s normal.
“When I was in sixth grade, my sister graduated and I guess my guard down became lower. There was a boy who kept talking to me. I was weak and couldn’t say anything back, so he pretended to be my boyfriend. There were also girls who were not happy because they thought I was being fawned over, and I couldn’t stand all the malice, so in the end I couldn’t go to school.”
“Such things …… happen.”
“In the end, my sister pulled all the stops and forced them to understand, so it’s no wonder she’s so overprotective.”
I guess that’s Konohana Hina’s situation. That’s why she doesn’t know many people of the opposite sex, or even the same sex. If she doesn’t get close, she won’t get hurt.
“I’m very happy that I could make friends with Kogure-kun. And I’m grateful ….. for saying my novels are interesting.”
Konohana-san smiles at me. That smile made me feel like my heart was about to burst.
Calm down, calm down. If you try to force your feelings here, you’ll end up like the person who hurt her. The end result is what you heard earlier. I’m a fan of Konohana-san’s novels and we’re on the same library board. ……
“I guess we’re like friends.”
“Friends! I’ve never had a friend before, so I’m very happy!”
Suddenly, what I had said got across to her. But Konohana-san smiled happily, so I guess it was a good thing.
After that, I started talking to Konohana-san occasionally outside of committee meetings. If I talked too openly, rumors would spread and I might catch Konohana-senpai’s eye, so I limited it to classrooms or the back of the school building where there weren’t many people around.
Therefore, no one but us knows that we have become friends. In a sense, we have a secret relationship.
I read Konohana-san’s novels and told her what I thought of them, and I shared my knowledge of airplanes with her. To be honest, I think it was a happy time. I think it’s partly because Konohana-san is so cute, but it’s fun, isn’t it?
“Wow ……. Kogure-kun’s little sister is so cute.”
“She’s a real angel. I just can’t get enough of the way she says ‘ni ni’ to me.”
During a break from committee activities, I show Konohana-san a video of my little sister on my phone. She’s only three. No matter what she does, she’s adorable. Me, my parents, and Reo are all melting down.
“I wanted a little brother or sister too. I think I’ll be an unreliable big sister though.”
“That’s not true. I’m sure you’ll be a good and kind sister.”
“I wonder if that’s true.”
As a result of our increased conversation, Konohana-san is now able to converse with me fluently. It seems that she has had more opportunities to talk to people of the same sex recently. Perhaps it’s because of the lively conversations we have had.
Is that too much to ask?
“I’m looking forward to this weekend.”
“Is there anything going on?”
“Hehe, I’m going to see an air show of the Self-Defense Forces.”
“Oh, it’s a show at a Self-Defense Forces base outside the prefecture, isn’t it? My sister said she went to see it.”
“I’m trying to become a pilot. I have to keep it in this area.”
There are no extracurricular activities, and it is the perfect time of year. I have to go back home with my eyes full of them. Of course, this is not my first time. My father took me there once, and Reo and I went there together once. Recently, I’ve been going alone a lot. I don’t want to make him go with me every time. But it’s fun to go with someone.
“Um…”
Konohana-san raised her voice.
“If you want, may I join you?”
“Eh?”
It was a sudden proposal from Konohana-san.
“After all, it’s no good, right?”
“No, that’s not true! But are you sure you want to go to ?…”
“I’m interested in the atmosphere of the air show. I thought it could be a good topic for a novel.”
Some of Konohana’s novels are based on contemporary motifs. I can certainly understand that as a reason. But, but.
“Is you…… house okay?”
“Yes, there are no restrictions on going out. Of course there is a curfew.”
“Like Konohana-senpai.”
“My sister is never at home on weekends, so it’s fine.”
I’m embarrassed to say it, but I have to say it.
“It will be just the two of us, is it okay?”
“Eh? I’m planning on doing that.”
“……”
“…….Ah!”
A moment of silence. Then Konohana-san’s cheeks turn red.
“Ahhh! I didn’t mean to say that, um, um.”
What did she mean by that?
“Kogure is a boy, but Kogure-kun is different. I feel safe when I’m with him.”
I’m really embarrassed when a cute girl says something like that to me. I think that all of our past exchanges have not been in vain. I nodded once.
“Okay. Let’s go together, Konohana-san.”
The day of the air show came. We met up at the station. Of course, we had only met in school before.
I wondered if I would be able to dress appropriately. I was planning to go alone, so I only have clothes that are easy to move around in. …… I should have asked Reo to borrow some clothes.
No, it’s not a date to begin with, so there’s no need to be so elaborate. I came to see a show today. But I arrive thirty minutes before the meeting time. I can’t help it, can I?
“She’s so cute.”
“Do you want to talk to her?”
I heard such voices and had a bad feeling about it.
There was no way she could have arrived earlier than I did. …… Yes, that’s right, that was a no-brainer.
“Ugh …….”
I saw Konohana-san looking troubled after being approached by a man who looked to be about college age. I immediately ran over to her
“Konohana-san!”
“….Ko, Kogure-kun.”
I grabbed Konohana’s hand.
“Sorry, we’re just second-years! Excuse us.”
“Second-years?! We called out to you because we thought you were grown-up.”
Konohana-san is tall and has a nice figure. I almost want to mistake her for someone else, but… I can’t believe it. I head to a place a little away from the meeting point.
“Are you okay?! Sorry I’m late.”
“No, it was my fault for coming too early. I didn’t expect an adult man to talk to me”
“Konohana-san, you look so mature. They were surprised to know that you are a junior high school student.”
“Hahaha ……. umm….. that…”
“What’s wrong?”
”M-My hand…”
It was then that I realized I’d been holding Konohana’s hand the whole time. I felt my blood run cold.
“Whoa! I’m sorry.”
“No, I don’t feel bad about being held by Kogure-kun.”
What does that mean? I feel like I can still feel Konohana-san’s soft hands on me. Then, for the first time, I think I saw Konohana-san’s attire today seriously.
The white one-piece dress is neat and clean. The ribbon that resembles lace also stands out for its cuteness. She looks exactly like a young lady. Each item of clothing she wears seems to be of a different standard.
It looks like she’s really into it, but it’s an air show, it’s not a date, and yes, it’s probably just her normal attire.
“Umm …….”
Konohana-san shouts, looking unsure of herself.
“I was nervous because it was my first time to go out with a boy like this, isn’t it weird?”
“I-it’s not weird! It suits you so well, I was kind of surprised. I’m the one who’s dressed in a very safe way.”
“That’s not true. It’s just like Kogure-kun and it’s very calming. I’m glad that Kogure-kun is the one I’m going with today.”
The sight of her smiling shyly was unbearably cute.
Maybe it was around this time that I fell in love with Konohana Hina.
In the train, while talking amicably, we arrived at our destination, the base, after taking public transportation. It’s a sunny day, and there must be quite a crowd coming. The crowd is growing. In no time at all, a large crowd had gathered.
“I couldn’t believe how many people were going to be at the base.”
“Everyone was looking forward to this day. I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”
That’s how fascinating air shows are. My passion for airplanes is buried there.
“Kogure kun is very lively when he talks about airplanes. I envy him.”
“Konohana-san is also very talkative when she talks about her novels. I’m surprised.”
“I-I see. It’s something you can’t really figure out on your own.”
When talking about her novels, Konohana Hina talks so much that you’d think she was a completely different person.
“Kogure-kun, you are aiming to become a pilot in the future, right?”
“Yes, it’s been my dream since I was a littleboy. That’s why I take really good care of my eyes.”
“I heard that was the case in the past?”
I heard that was the case in the past, but now it seems to be okay as long as they are corrected to a certain degree.
That being said, there’s nothing better than taking care of your eyes. I try to look at things as far away as possible, but lately I’ve been spending more time on my smartphone because I’ve been reading interesting novels!
“Konohana-san’s dream is to become a novelist, right? It would be great if you could get published or something.”
“I don’t know if I can go that far, but my dream is not to get published.”
“Is that so?”
“My dream is to bring to the surface all the stories I have fantasized about in my head since I was a little girl. In reality, I am a timid and helpless child. I want to put out there all the things I want to write about.”
I had never thought of fantasizing about a story. I think Konohana-san is truly amazing when she is able to put it out there, and I hope to read many of her stories.
“I love Hina’s story. I will always support you.”
“!!!”
The color of Konohana-san’s face turned surprisingly red. I’m not sure if I said something wrong. Then I realized.
“Oh! Um…I-I didn’t call you by first name, but by your pen name!
Konohana-san’s pen name and given name were the same. I said it without realizing it.
“I know. ……. That surprised me.”
“I’m sorry, you didn’t like it?”
“That’s not true!”
Konohana-san shook her head widely.
“I was happy. The name Konohana often refers to a superior sister, and it is not appropriate for me, a feeble and outcast person.”
“You’re being too condescending. I think Konohana-san is a great girl.”
“I knew Kogure-kun would say that. That’s why ……”
Konohana fidgeted as if it was difficult to speak. Her behavior was cute, but the words she soon spoke stopped me in my tracks.
“Can you please call me Hina? I consider you a friend, Kogure-kun, so please….!”
Konohana Hina. I wonder if she has always been compared to her older sister, Konohana Sakuya. As far as I can see, I have never seen Konohana-san with a close friend. Recently, she has become brighter and starts talking to people of the same sx, but she still seems to be intimidated by her family background and beauty, and has not been able to make friends. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to call me, a man of the opposite sx, her friend.
I nodded strongly.
“I’m looking forward meeting with you from now on, Hina.”
“Yes! Umm, can I call you by your first name too? I’d like to try it.”
“I don’t mind.”
To be honest, I don’t mind. Hina’s faint but gentle voice echoes.
“Ryoma-kun, it’s about to start, isn’t it? I’m really looking forward to it.”
“…”
I was moved.
I wonder how long it’s been since a girl called me by my name. It must have been since my childhood friend Tsumugi. I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Hina also seemed shaken up. It must have taken a lot of courage for her. I remained calm and collected… Yes, I don’t think it’s possible.
“Let’s have fun.”
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