Chapter 172What I Saw There
Sasaki didn't complain about anything, he put on the costume that had just been wrapped in my warmth and turned into a dog. Speaking for myself, I felt a bunch of caterpillars crawling up my spine. The crepe I ate with Ichinose-san and the others caused a tremendous reaction in my stomach. I feel like I can spit out fresh whipped cream from my mouth right now.
Speaking of Sasaki, he actually participated in the riddle competition with a smile on his face that made me wonder what the somber look on his face meant. Although she was here as part of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, he was the most popular, right? Why did he seem to fit in so well when he was wearing the exact same costume as me a while ago? Stop being more like a Shepherd than me.
It was no use for me to complain, Sasaki couldn't let go of his hand either when he was about to ask about Yuki-chan. As I expected, Yuki-chan wouldn't barge in on a situation like this, so I wondered if I should take a break for a while. If she does barge in, I'll have no choice but to manipulate that girl.
When I had changed my costume and back into my school uniform, I went out into the corridor, then my smartphone in my pocket vibrated.
[We've found Yuki-chan.]
♦
On the back side of the eastern school building. As I passed through the gate of the unkempt and overgrown garden, I noticed a pavilion that I hadn't visited in a long time. Wait a moment, Ma'am... ...This place is forbidden to enter for some reason, didn't you know?
As I pushed forward with a bitter feeling in my heart, I found three girls sitting on a circular bench. Yuki-chan, Ichinose-san and Sasaki-san, three complete packages of girls — a middle school girl, a high school girl and a college girl — all sitting in one place. All complete — I think I misspoke.
Regardless of whether Sasaki-san fits into the college girl category or not... ...There are three beautiful girls in a quiet place behind the school building like this... ...I like it. I think it's a refresher for my eyes. I thought I'd just hide here and watch....
"Oh! Sajou-senpai!"
"Oh!"
That didn't work.
There was no way I could hide from them when I was this close to them. Sasaki-san found me just as I could hear my footsteps reaching her. There was a conflict in my feelings between wanting to just watch them and being happy that they found me immediately... ...Stop conflicting, my feelings.
"You're back in your school uniform..."
As for Ichinose-san, she put her hand on the hand of Yuki-chan, who was sitting between her and Sasaki-san, and she let out a sigh of relief as she looked at me in a hurry. Until a moment ago, she was rather quiet towards Yuki-chan, but did something happen while we were separated...?
"Yuki-chan, have you met Sasaki yet?"
"...Sajou-kun."
When I was about to talk to her, Yuki-chan didn't respond to me at all. Instead, it was Ichinose-san who responded by calling my name with a sullen look on her face. It's okay, that Yuki-chan is always sensitive to Sasaki. No matter how many times I bring it up, it will only be a trigger for her to respond to me. Besides, my conversation won't continue unless I ask Yuki-chan.
"...I haven't met Big Bro yet."
Yuki-chan didn't lower her head in despair, instead she stared at the floor a bit further in front of her, as if she was looking up a bit.
Yeah, this is indeed unusual. The standard Yuki-chan I usually knew was always in a bad mood when Sasaki wasn't there, and I was used to that. She would usually swat away Ichinose-san's hand mercilessly. It feels a bit strange to see her here without her saying "Big Bro, Big Bro, Big Bro!" like the swearing in this place when her big bro isn't around.
"Um... ...When we found her, she was walking alone."
When I asked Sasaki-san, she said that Yuki-chan was walking alone normally when they found Yuki-chan. However, Sasaki-san seemed to immediately realize that something was wrong with Yuki-chan. Is it just my imagination or have I only seen Yuki-chan acting strange since we met? Have I never seen an ordinary Yuki-chan?
"Then — Hmm?"
Just as I was about to continue talking, Sasaki-san moved. She moved her hips away from Yuki-chan. That left a one-person distance between Yuki-chan and Sasaki-san. Sasaki-san looked at me as if she was asking me to sit there.
...Eh, sit there? You want me to sit there? From left to right, then we'll sit in a GGBG* formation from the left like that?
(TL Note: G = Girl; B = Boy.)
How strange... ...I was planning to continue the conversation immediately, but then the situation made me stop. There was indeed one seat space for one person. However, if I sit there, I'll be close to the two girls next to me. Um, how about I can sit more comfortably with a greater distance between us....
Having three girls sitting close to me is very, very exciting for me, but it's a bit difficult for my innocent heart to have the courage to jump up and down for joy. No, I was starting to be tempted to jump in, though...
I once had the desire to be sandwiched between Natsukawa and Ashida, but I didn't expect that the same opportunity would arise unexpectedly here, did I?
If I may quote one of the words of a senpai in my life, Sasaki-san should consider the feelings of Yuki-chan's side first for now.
"...Are you just going to stand there?"
"Oh, yeah."
What should I do? I don't know what to do, but I have permission from both sides. I guess the years I've spent living ahead of my time aren't worth anything, right? I'm the one who sucks for thinking too much about the distance between me and the opposite sex...
I shouldn't have used my puberty to say, "I feel embarrassed sitting among girls!". From Yuki-chan's point of view, even though there was distance between the two of us, it seemed like she was reluctant to be looked at from the front by me all the time. My fear outweighed my shyness.
I made eye contact with Sasaki-san while sitting in that space. Wh-Whoa... ...I can feel my luck for this year starting to erode away...!
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
There was silence for a moment, just close contact. I must not be enjoying this moment. It's okay, I know. If anyone was going to be the facilitator between the four of us, of course, it would be me. I can't just stay quiet right now.
"So? What happened?"
"..."
I asked while facing straight ahead. Yuki-chan wouldn't turn around. I felt that something sharp would pierce my thigh if I turned around at this distance. I couldn't do anything bad to Yuki-chan, who used a dark weapon.
There's no answer back from her. I don't think she'll give me an honest answer, so it's okay. Then I'll just guess it then.
"I've been trying to find Sasaki, but I still haven't met him."
"..."
"—But, I've already found him."
"..."
I convinced after seeing Yuki-chan's reaction.
The only person who was the reason that possibly changed Yuki-chan's behavior into a strange one in a short period was Sasaki. Therefore, there was no doubt that she had found Sasaki. The strange thing was the reason why she didn't stay beside Sasaki when she had found him. If it was Yuki-chan, she would usually attack him immediately without worrying...
"...I've never seen him like that before."
"...Eh?"
"Big Bro's face... ...His face is like that."
"..."
N-No... ...I still can't understand the story. At least, I understand that Sasaki made a strange face. Yuki-chan couldn't get close to him because of that face. What kind of face does Sasaki make when he's with a girl for the first time, and he's never shown it before...? ...For example, he's so happy? I'm going to blow this b*stard up!
"What does he look like?"
"Sajou-kun...!"
Ichinose-san probably also felt that she had the same problem because of her feelings of admiration for her big bro. I felt that, perhaps because of their similar circumstances, Ichinose-san seemed to be completely on Yuki-chan's side.
However, somehow I think Yuki-chan's case is different from Ichinose-san's... ...I don't mean to be rude, but unlike Bear-san-senpai, Sasaki is very popular. From what I've heard, it seems like the same thing has been going on since middle school, and I'm sure Yuki-chan knows that her big bro has been fancied by many girls. If he had to turn his face away from something else, it wouldn't be a good thing.
"Big Bro's face turned red when that female fox confessed her feelings for him."
"Wait a minute."
Did I mishear it? I'm sure I didn't mishear it.
I just had to stop myself from admitting a fact that was hard to admit. I don't really want to seriously listen to the bittersweet stories of someone I know who talks a lot, even if it's just a little, unless it's an inner conversation.
"Huh... ...I see."
"Yeah..."
"Wh-Why do you feel depressed too, Sajou-senpai?"
"Never mind."
Finally, there's a girl who admits her feelings for that b*stard. So, why did his face turn red? I'm sure he has another girl he likes, but he's so stupid. He's a promising first-year member of the Soccer Club, he's handsome and popular, but there's no need to react like a fool...! There is no place for people who are not motivated to rise up...! Seriously, Tōjinbō.
"First of all, did you watch that moment in person back then?"
"..."
"That was... ...Yeah, the three of us watched it."
"Eh, Sasaki-san and Ichinose-san watched it too?"
"We found Yuki-chan going behind the school building over there and caught up after her..."
"Eh...?"
Were the two of them peeping? What's more, it's bad, it's at the back of the school and it's just them, the girls. Maybe I was careless for leaving Ichinose-san and Sasaki-san alone like that. From now on, when I go out with the two of them, I'll try not to go far from the two of them.... Hmm, I didn't expect such days to come again and again — No, come on.
Author's Note:
—Come on!!!!!
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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