Chapter 21

「Nn… morning already…」

After Asaki walked me home last night, I must have been more tired than I thought because I fell asleep as soon as I got home.

I still feel a bit groggy, but stretching helps wake me up.

I thought I might have overslept, but when I looked at the clock, it was just past seven, so I was relieved that I wouldn’t be late.

For now, rubbing my bleary eyes, I headed to the bathroom to wash my face.

「Ah, Shou-chan, good morning. I’ve prepared breakfast on the table, so eat it after you wash your face.」

「Okay…」

I replied as I passed through the living room… No, wait.

「Something wrong?」

「I don’t think I’m the one who’s out of place here.」

She looked at me with puzzled eyes as I shook my head, thinking I might still be dreaming.

「Why are you here, Natsu?」

I couldn’t figure out why she was in my house, so I decided to ask her directly.

「Well, school’s starting today, right? So I thought we could go together.」

「Ahh, that’s why…」

I understand the reason, but I think she’s being a bit too proactive considering it was just yesterday.

「And, um… after I got home yesterday. I heard from Okaa-san about Otou-san.」

「Ahh…」

It’s probably about the day I returned. Come to think of it, we parted ways yesterday, agreeing to discuss the details another day, so I hadn’t talked about that yet.

「That’s not something Natsu needs to worry about. It’s true that I wasn’t there when it mattered.」

「But…」

「Well, let’s talk about it in detail after school. Thanks for coming.」

She probably feels guilty, but honestly, she’s not responsible for any of it. Besides, I don’t have any particular feelings about that day anymore.

「Yeah, let’s go home together today.」

「Hmm? Don’t you have club activities today?」

「It’s fine. I was thinking of quitting anyway.」

Natsu casually stated this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

「But weren’t you chosen as a representative athlete?」

「It’s okay, I was just going with the flow… A-Also, I thought it would be scary if something like yesterday happened again, so I want to be able to go home with Shou-chan… Is that bad?」

「No, it’s not bad… Well, if Natsu is okay with it, I have no reason to oppose.」

Certainly, it would be troublesome if another Amano appeared. I understand why Natsu might feel anxious. Still, can she really quit kendo, which she’s been doing for years, so easily?

「Then hurry up and eat!! If you take too long, we’ll be late.」

「Right, since you went to the trouble of preparing it, I’ll take advantage of it.」

We cut the conversation there, and I went to wash my face in the bathroom before returning to the living room.

On the table, there were sandwiches and café au lait prepared.

「Shou-chan prefers café au lait, right?」

「Yeah, you remembered well.」

「It’s only natural since we used to live together.」

「True enough. Then, itadakimasu.」

It feels like we’ve been apart for a long time, but I it’s only been a year and a half. I recall.

The sandwich was simply filled with lettuce, ham, and egg. It was just the right lightness for breakfast, which I appreciated.

While I ate breakfast, Natsu watched me with a pleased smile.

「Aren’t you eating, Natsu?」

「No, I ate at home.」

So she had breakfast at home, got ready for school, came here to prepare my breakfast… Isn’t she waking up way too early?

「Isn’t that waking up too early? You don’t have to go to such lengths for me…」

「I was already waking up early for club activities, so it’s fine. Come on, finish eating so we can go to school.」

I wonder if that’s really the case. It was a reason that I could somewhat understand, but not entirely.

That said, I didn’t want to make Natsu late, so I finished the remaining sandwich and washed down the café au lait. The right amount of sweetness and warmth made me feel relaxed.

「Thanks for the meal. I’ll go change quickly then.」

「Okay, I’ll clean up while I wait.」

「I feel bad…」

「It’s fine. I’m doing it because I want to.」

「I see, thanks.」

I thanked Natsu and returned to my room to change into my uniform.

I felt like I was forgetting something, so I checked my pockets and rechecked my bag, but my wallet and house keys were there. I pondered what I might be forgetting, but remembering that Natsu was waiting, I grabbed my bag and returned to the living room.

「Sorry to keep you waiting.」

「I’m done here too. Got everything you need?」

「Yeah, I checked.」

「Then we’re good to go. Shall we?」

She prompts me with a somewhat buoyant voice, and we leave the house. Of course, I don’t forget to lock the door.

On the way, I asked Natsu about the events that had happened recently.

The more I listened, the more I realized that Natsu hadn’t been fond of Amano, and I could see Amano’s obsession with her.

As I listened, I thought that her not strongly denying things had probably led to various misunderstandings. She seemed to be aware of this herself, but I hope she’ll be more careful in the future.

「But why didn’t you clearly deny it?」

I thought asking about the reason for not denying it might help avoid the same situation in the future, so I asked.

「Eh, y-you see? I’m kind of, you know, popular? …Or so it seems.」

She seemed reluctant to say it, but apparently, since entering Kujou Academy, the number of boys confessing to her had gradually increased, to the point where she was being called out and confessed to almost every day during lunch or after school.

She was getting fed up with it when the incident happened, and since Amano started hanging around, the number of confessions from boys visibly decreased.

「So, um, we were not actually dating, and if it means fewer confessions, I thought a rumor might be okay…」

「Ahh, I see…」

Well, indeed, if you ask ten people, all ten would say Natsu is cute.

Her black hair, unchanged since childhood, has grown longer, reaching about the middle of her back.

Her eyes aren’t exactly droopy, but they are slightly large and convey kindness, with slightly long eyelashes that can make anyone’s heart skip a beat. I was no exception.

She’s also grown taller and developed a more feminine figure, which is different from my memories.

Standing next to her, I was taller, so my tiny pride was secretly preserved.

「Well, from now on, even if you reject them, you need to be clear about it.」

「Uhh… I know…」

Perhaps because I hit the nail on the head, Natsu’s expression twisted a bit as she pretended to sulk.

As we continued our lighthearted conversation, the school gate came into view.

「Good morning, Natsuki… Eh, mmm?」

「Ah, good morning, Haruka-chan. Something wrong?」

I felt someone approaching from behind, and it seemed to be a friend of Natsu’s.

I glanced over and recognized her as the girl who sits behind Natsu.

Feeling a bit of a troublesome vibe, I tried to distance myself from Natsu while erasing my presence… Oi.

Whether she noticed my attempt to escape or not, Natsu had grabbed my sleeve.

「Umm, who’s this?」

「What are you saying? He’s in the same class.」

「Ah, nice to meet you, I’m Chihara.」

「Chihara… Chihara… Ah! The transfer student from last week!!」

「Yeah, that’s right, the one──」

「The one who’s not Amakake-kun!!」

What’s with that? Isn’t that harsh?

「Haruka-chan, that way of remembering is a bit…」

「Ahaha, sorry, sorry. But you see, Chihara-kun? You don’t really have the impression of talking with the other classmates.」

She said it without a hint of remorse. Well, I understood that Daiki’s presence was too big, but I didn’t think my existence wasn’t even recognized.

It’s definitely Daiki’s fault. I’ll punch him later.

「And you know, last week you were wearing glasses, right? Today you’re not, so it was even harder to recognize you.」

「Ahー… damn it. I forgot.」

So that was the discomfort I felt while getting ready. Well, it should be fine during the day.

「Come to think of it, Shou-chan, you didn’t wear glasses in the past, right? And your bangs are kind of unnecessarily long.」

「Don’t call them unnecessary. Well, that’s… I’ll talk about it when we get home.」

「Eh? What, what? What kind of relationship do you two have?」

──Light Novels──

──Read Here──

She probed curiously about our relationship. I thought she was a bit too familiar, but not unpleasant, so I decided to let Natsu do the talking while I stayed quiet.

「We’re childhood friends. We were apart for a while, so it was a surprise to meet again.」

「Heeー, that’s quite a coincidence. But is it okay? Won’t Amano-kun get angry if you’re friendly with another boy?」

At the mention of Amano’s name, Natsu’s shoulders twitched slightly.

She glanced at me for a moment, but I only nodded slightly, conveying that she should handle it herself.

「Like I said before, my relationship with Amano-kun isn’t like that. Besides, I’ve never dated anyone.」

「Ahh, I thought that was just you being shy… but it was true?」

「Yeah, it’s true. I hate being misunderstood, so I thought I should be clear.」

「I see. If that’s true, the boys might get all excited again.」

Is Natsu really that popular?

「It’s okay!! Shou-chan will protect me!!」

「Take care of your own business.」

Of course, I’ll protect her if something like yesterday happens, but honestly, I can’t take responsibility for matters related to her privacy.

We’re both high school students now, after all.

「Ehー, Shou-chan, you’re stingy!!」

「I’m not stingy.」

「You’re mean!!」

「I’m not mean either.」

「Unn, so you’re childhood friends. Natsuki calls you by your first name… By the way, Natsuki, were you always like this?」

To me, this is the real Natsu, but I guess you could say she was putting on an act before. I did think she was quite reserved.

「Until now, um, I was desperate with studies and tired from being confessed to every day…」

「And now you’ve returned to your old self because Chihara-kun came back.」

「I guess that’s how it is? Yeah, probably so.」

She probably needed to confirm it for herself too. Natsu nodded strongly as if convincing herself.

「Heeー, that’s nice. I wish I had a childhood friend like that.」

「Ahaha, but our case might be a bit special.」

The two of them didn’t seem to notice, but I, who was walking while being held by Natsu, felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails.

「Oi, who’s that guy next to Nanami? It’s not Amano, right?」

「Really, has Nanami ever come to school with a guy in the morning?」

「Wait, isn’t Nanami-san holding his sleeve? What’s going on?」

And so on, as Natsu attracted attention, just being next to her would have been one thing, but the problem was that Natsu was still holding my sleeve.

Of course, I heard Amano’s name, but there seemed to be more hostility or questions directed at me.

「Ah!! I know that guy. He’s the transfer student from last week.」

「Ahh, the one who’s always with cute girls during break time.」

「Haa? Why is a new transfer student already with cute girls?」

Then, the topic of Hikari and Asaki coming to me during break time was added.

Yeah. Those two stand out. Thanks to them, I’m in this mess, damn it.

In the end, my sleeve was held until we reached the classroom. Or rather, was it necessary, Natsuki-san, to re-grab my sleeve after changing shoes at the shoe locker?

Naturally, the attention continued even after entering the classroom, and I was finally released when I sat at my desk.

That didn’t mean there were any enthusiasts who dared to talk to me, though.

「Oh, Shougo. You’re already at it.」

──No, there was one.

And what do you mean by “at it”?

「Ahh, Daiki. Thanks for yesterday.」

「Being thanked so honestly feels creepy.」

I silently punch him in the head.

「Oi, he hit Amakake.」

「Who does he think he is, hitting Amakake-kun?」

「Poor Amakake-kun… I want to pat him.」

To the last person, I think it’s impossible because you’re probably not tall enough? Or rather, isn’t the hostility towards me increasing?

It was a usual thing, so I acted without thinking, but for those who don’t know my relationship with Daiki, it must seem strange.

I wonder. Normally, would they think I’m one of Daiki’s followers?

No way, I don’t want to be this guy’s follower, there’s no benefit in it.

Looking at Daiki, he was mouthing “serves you right”. Gununu, should I punch him again?

But I decided against it, as it would probably cause another commotion.

The murmurs subsided when the teacher entered the classroom, and the scene unfolded much like the previous week.

The only big change was that during break time, when Hikari and Asaki came to me, Natsu also joined the conversation.

This caused a stir among the surrounding students, but I had reached a state of resignation and ignored the surroundings while talking with them.

Of course, the topic of Amano came up, and at first, Natsu reacted every time his name was mentioned, but by the afternoon, she seemed to have gotten used to it and decided not to worry about what was happening around her.

There were also rumors that Amano had withdrawn from the academy, with various speculations like he couldn’t stay because Natsu rejected him, or he suddenly had to transfer due to his parents’ work. Various rumors were spreading.

Well, there was no need for us to go out of our way to tell the truth, so we pretended not to know.

──And after school that day.

「Shou-chan, let’s go home together!! Ah, Okaa-san said let’s have dinner together, okay? So I’ll come to your house later, okay?」

With Natsu calling out to me, it was the final blow.

「O-Oi. Nanami said she’s going to that guy’s house…」

「Ah, I heard. In reality, Nanami wasn’t dating Amano after all.」

「Seriously!? Then I still have a chance!!」

The surroundings grow increasingly noisy, and the male students swarm towards Natsu.

「Nanami-san, I’ve liked you for a long time!! Please go out with me!!」

「Ah, you sneaky bastard!! Nanami!! With me!!」

「You weren’t dating Amano!? Then let’s start as friends…」

「Eh? Eh?」

While Natsu is confused, male students, as if releasing all their pent-up frustration, confess to her one after another without regard for anyone watching.

「Ah, there’s Shou-nii!! Let’s go home togetherー!?」

「Shou-niisama. Let’s go home together today as well.」

As if to add fuel to the fire, Hikari and Asaki arrive.

「Oi, not just Nanami-san, but those girls too.」

「What’s going on, damn it!! Amakake I could understand, but why him!!」

The classroom has become a cauldron of excitement, and the chaos shows no sign of abating.

「H-Hikari-chan and Asaki-chan too, with Shou-chan, I──」

「Then let’s go together with Natsuki-oneechan too──」

「Ah, that’s a good idea. I don’t mind how many people──」

The three of them talked as if the hostility directed at me was irrelevant.

「Seriously, you’re quite popular, Shougo.」

「You shut up.」