The fourth period of physical education had ended. I had just changed from my jersey back into my uniform and returned to the classroom when...
“Takuto-kun~”
Erina-san, also back in her uniform, came trotting over to my seat.
“Erina accidentally brought a ball back with her...”
“Oh, I see...”
In her right hand was a yellow tennis ball. It seemed the girls had tennis for PE today.
Ichikawa and Erina-san both seem like they’d look good in tennis gear. What do you call those? Skorts? Well, in reality, they just wore jerseys and T-shirts.
“...And?” I prompted her to continue.
“I have to go return this to the sports shed, so come with me, Takuto-kun!” she replied with a smile.
“Eh, I was just about to eat lunch though...”
“Lunch won’t run away!”
She deployed some mysterious logic while grabbing my arm.
“Lunch might not run away, but my lunch break time definitely will.”
“Now, now, it’s fine, it’s fine!”
She pulled me with surprisingly strong force, and I stood up from my seat.
Well, the truth was I couldn't really refuse anyway. It was faster to just get it over with rather than resist pointlessly.
“Hooh...?”
As we left the classroom, I thought I heard a voice behind us that sounded like a final boss.
So, Erina-san and I headed toward the sports shed at the edge of the school grounds.
“Takuto-kun, have you been doing well lately?”
“Yeah, I’m fine... why?”
“Hmm, I just felt like the time I spend talking with Takuto-kun has decreased since the second semester started.”
“Is that so?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, she pouted her lips and looked at me as if she were sulking.
“I guess time with Erina doesn't mean much to Takuto-kun. I see, I see.”
“It’s not like that, but...”
“You’re always going home with Amane-chan after school, right? And on the days when Erina and the others in the dance club are off, Sako-sshu is also off, so you have band practice, right? Plus Erina and the guys have Cherry Boys practice too...”
Cherry Boys practice... As a 'cherry boy' myself, I still can't get used to that slightly suggestive expression.
“If you don't play with Erina too, I'm going to become a selfish kamacho, you know?”
“What even is a 'selfish kamacho'...”
“By the time Takuto-kun notices, I'll already be one!”
“Huh?”
By the way, I heard from Taira-chan recently—while she looked quite disgusted—that 'kamacho' refers to the act of wanting attention or a person who craves attention.
While we were talking, we arrived at the sports shed.
I put my hand on the large sliding door of the shed and pulled.
However.
“It won’t open...?”
It seemed to be locked. After moving just a few millimeters, it made a clunking sound and wouldn't go any further.
“Ara-re-re~?”
Erina-san spoke with her mouth shaped like an octopus. Her tone sounded incredibly forced. Is she Conan? Even her gestures were as exaggerated as a stage actor's.
“Then, I guess we have to go get the key from the staff room?”
“Are you serious...” I let out a deep sigh.
“Now, now, Takuto-kun, just think of it as getting to walk more with Erina!”
“Sure...”
My shoulders slumped as I began to trudge toward the staff room. Erina-san followed behind me, trotting along.
When looking at Musashino International High School from above, the sports shed and the staff room are located almost diagonally opposite each other. To put it simply, it’s really far.
“I’m hungry...”
“Now, now, this will be good exercise to work up an appetite, right?”
“Usually, you work off a meal *after* you eat it...”
As I grumbled, Erina-san was humming a tune in high spirits beside me. A candy she’d been favoring lately was rolling around on her tongue.
“Erina’s been listening to YUI lately. Takuto-kun, you like YUI, don’t you?”
“It’s not so much me, but Amane seems to like her. She does covers and stuff.”
“I see. But she doesn't do them anymore, right?”
For some reason, Erina-san was confirming that.
“Hmm, well, there are no plans to do them in the near future. But if you tell Amane you're listening to YUI, I'm sure she'd get excited.”
“Hmm, well, whatever...”
“What, do you two not get along...?”
When I asked, Erina-san calculatedly put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head.
“Hmm, it’s not that we don't get along, but I think Amane-chan doesn't like Erina very much.”
“What’s that about...”
That kind of girl-talk is scary. I guess they don't easily say things like 'Yep! We’re best friends!' as lightly as I thought. Well, maybe saying it would be scarier.
“Sako-sshu doesn't really listen to YUI. She said she likes Oway-sis.”
“Oway-sis...?”
What kind of band name is that? It sounds like some God monster from Yu-Gi-Oh. And the 'way' part sounds a bit like a normie...
“Ehh, Takuto-kun, you don't know them? They're a super famous band in England! Even Kenji knows them!”
“Heeh...”
Setting aside why Erina-san was puffing out her chest about it, I felt a mysterious sense of defeat knowing that Ariga knew them but I didn't... If I lose there, I have no strengths left... Well, whatever.
Talking about bands and such, we finally reached the staff room on the second floor of the school building.
“Okay, Takuto-kun, go get the key.”
“No, Erina-san, you should go yourself.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s the request of a lifetime!”
“You’re going to use that 'request of a lifetime' many more times, aren't you...”
Feeling somewhat unsatisfied, I entered the staff room and asked a nearby teacher to lend me the key.
However, according to that teacher, the key to the sports shed wasn't in its usual spot.
“Eh, but I just went there and it was locked.”
When I protested, they said, “Maybe a student from the track club or somewhere took it and you just missed them?”
What a waste of effort. Talk about a fruitless trip.
My shoulders slumped again as I left the staff room. Erina-san was waiting with her hands behind her back.
“How was it?”
When I explained the situation, she said, “I see! Then let’s go to the sports shed again!” and happily held up the tennis ball.
“You’ve got to be kidding me...”
As we started walking.
“Oh, Konuma and Erina.”
Yuri-neesan passed by, carrying her bass.
“Oh, Yuri. Lunch practice?”
“Yeah, the school festival is close.”
She nodded and pointed upward. She likely meant she was heading to the Instrumental Club room on the upper floor.
“What are you two doing?”
“Apparently Erina-san forgot a tennis ball in the sports shed.”
“That’s right!”
“Hmm... why are you here, Konuma?”
“I’m having Takuto-kun come with me!”
Yuri stared at Erina-san’s smiling face for a few seconds.
After a moment, she chuckled.
“...I see.”
“Yep, that’s right!”
What? What did she understand?
“Konuma, you’re... having a rough time, aren't you?”
Yuri placed a hand on my shoulder. Exactly, I’m hungry.
“That’s not true, right? An in-school date with Erina is fun, isn't it?”
She said that while leaning in close. How calculated...
“A date, huh? Hmm...?”
Yuri tilted her head while looking into my eyes with her large pupils, making me feel strangely uncomfortable.
“A-Anyway, let's go quickly. Lunch is getting away.”
“Geez, Takuto-kun, enjoy yourself more!”
I hurried back toward the sports shed with Erina-san, who was puffing out her cheeks.
“Konuma, be careful. See ya.”
She called out from behind in a tone where I couldn't tell if she was worried or not. ...Be careful of what?
“This round trip is quite a pain...”
“Erina’s having a lot of fun!”
On the way back to the sports shed again, Erina-san laughed cheerfully while swinging her arms.
“Well, imagining Erina-san making this round trip alone is pretty pitiful, so maybe it was good I came along.”
When I let my thoughts slip out, she suddenly clutched her chest as if she’d taken damage.
“Ugh...!”
“What...? Was the way I said that creepy...?”
“No, that’s not it. The angel inside Erina’s heart just...”
She started saying something mysterious.
“Is there even an angel in Erina-san’s heart?” I voiced my honest doubt.
“...Yeah, that just reset it. Nice one, Takuto-kun.”
Her face suddenly went expressionless as she walked on. Her words and expression didn't match at all...
And then, back at the sports shed.
“Please, be open...”
I pulled the sliding door, but.
“Guh...”
As expected, the door stopped with a clunk.
“It’s still not open...”
Of course, because I don't see anyone from the track club on the field...
Erina-san gently touched my shoulder as I hung my head.
“Takuto-kun, I'm sorry...?”
“No, I'm already committed to this... but is the key actually somewhere? I hope it’s not lost.”
“Ah, hmm, I think it’ll be fine.”
Erina-san looked away while smoothing her skirt with her right hand, which wasn't holding the ball. Still, if it were lost, wouldn't that be a big problem?
“Umm, for now, should I just leave the ball with a teacher? As a thank you, I’ll buy you an ice cream at the shop!”
Erina-san made that proposal while breaking into a sweat.
“I don’t need it since I'm about to eat lunch...”
I’m always telling Yuzu not to eat ice cream before a meal, so I can't break that rule myself.
“Then, then, tea! Or juice!”
“Ah, yeah, I’ll take you up on that.”
Since I'm always mysteriously forced to treat her at Mac, this can serve as a return favor.
“Okay! Then, GO to the shop!”
Led by Erina-san’s beaming smile, we headed to the school shop.
...By the way, the shop is located almost directly below the staff room (1st floor), so the distance from the sports shed is almost the same as the staff room. In other words, it's really far.
“Takuto.”
After walking that long path again while chatting about nothing, we reached the shop and passed Sako just as she was leaving.
“You look tired.”
Sako-sshu tilted her head slightly. It seemed she was asking a question.
“I’ve been walking all over the school with Erina-san.”
“Hmm.”
Sako sipped her jasmine tea from a paper carton through a straw, giving a response that made it unclear if she was interested or not.
“So, why is Erina in such a good mood?”
“Because I went on a date with Takuto-kun for the first time in a while!”
“...Hmm.”
Sako’s expression didn't move an inch, but the paper carton she was holding crumpled slightly.
“No, it wasn't really a date...”
“I don't care. It’s got nothing to do with me. Drop dead.”
“...Did you just say drop dead?”
When I asked, she let out a small huff of protest.
“Ah, by the way, Takuto-kun didn't know the name of Sako-sshu’s favorite band.”
“Wait, why?”
Sako glared at me with piercing eyes. Apparently, this was a much bigger landmine than the date talk.
“Listen, the one I like is...”
“Oway-sis, right?”
Erina-san looked smug, as if to say 'Erina knows!'.
Then.
“...What kind of band name is that? It sounds like some God card from Yu-Gi-Oh.”
Sako furrowed her brow by a fraction of a millimeter.
See, Sako-sshu said it too!
“Ehh? Sako-sshu, you said you liked them!”
At that point, I finally realized.
“Erina-san, are you talking about Oasis?”
“Yeah, that’s right!”
Oh, so that’s what it was...
“It’s because Erina’s pronunciation is too good...”
Sako let out a breath with an exasperated look rather than her usual smug face.
“Sigh, well, if Takuto knows, then whatever. See ya after school.”
“Yeah! Bye-bye!”
I still wasn't sure what she was satisfied with, but I waved to Sako along with Erina-san, and then she treated me to tea at the shop.
“Thanks.”
When I thanked her, Erina-san gave a bright smile and said, “Iie~!”
Given Erina-san's native pronunciation from earlier, I wondered if she meant 'No problem' or an affirmative 'YEAH!'. Well, it doesn't really matter.
“Shall we head back to the classroom?” I suggested, feeling like it had been a long journey.
“Ah, Erina is going to the staff room to leave this ball with a teacher before heading back, so Takuto-kun, go on ahead.”
“No, I’ll go with you. I’ve already come this far anyway.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! I have things to do afterward!”
Erina-san waved both hands in front of her chest as if flustered.
“Things to do? Like what?”
“Umm... you’re not supposed to ask a girl about her business!”
“I-I see...”
I don't really get why I shouldn't ask, but for now, if Erina-san says so, I guess that’s how it is.
“Then, I’ll head back first.”
“Yep!”
Parting with the smiling Erina-san, I headed to the classroom alone.
When I returned to the classroom, a slightly pouting angel was sitting in my seat for some reason.
“Welcome back, Konuma-kun.”
“I-I’m back... Why are you sitting in my seat?”
“That took quite a while, didn't it?”
Ignoring my question, Ichikawa looked up at me.
What is this feeling, like I’m being interrogated for cheating... I’m not even dating Ichikawa...
“No, it’s just, the sports shed key was locked, and then there was no key in the staff room, and then I went back to the shed and it was still locked... so I ended up making about two full round trips...”
For some reason, I found myself giving a faltering explanation.
Then.
“Eh?”
Ichikawa widened her eyes and tilted her head.
“There’s no way the sports shed key wasn't there.”
“Pardon?”
What do you mean 'no way'? What does that even mean?
“Because at the end of the fourth period PE, Erina-chan is the class representative, so she said 'Erina will return the key!' and took it with her...”
“Wait, what does that mean...?”
It was so nonsensical I couldn't process it.
“It means,” Ichikawa let out a small sigh and said.
“Erina-chan should have the sports shed key herself, right?”
“............Huh?”
So, you’re telling me Erina-san had the key but made me walk those two round trips anyway?
“Why would Erina-san do something like that?”
“I don't know. Konuma-kun, you were just successfully tricked again...”
“Wait, is it my fault?”
With my brain struggling to keep up, I quietly recalled her words.
『If you don't play with Erina too, I'm going to become a selfish kamacho, you know? By the time Takuto-kun notices, I'll already be one!』
“No way...” I slumped, holding my forehead.
Just then.
“Ah, is the big reveal over?”
The selfish kamacho-san had returned.
“Erina-chan, you’re in a good mood, aren't you...?”
Ichikawa wore a dry smile, likely having gone past exasperation.
Erina-san didn't even look guilty.
“Yep! It was so much fun! Let’s go again, Takuto-kun!”
“Give me some warning next time...”
“What are you talking about?” Erina-san tilted her head calculatedly.
“It’s only interesting because it’s a mystery tour!”