“I’m baaaack.”
I returned to the room with my teeth sparkling clean after brushing them for over ten minutes, accompanied by a toothbrush that felt somewhat worn down. There, I found...
“Takkun, welcome back! Would you like a bath? Or dinner? Or... perhaps a game of cards?”
“Welcome back, Takuto. You’ve already bathed and eaten. Cards are the only option left.”
Just like yesterday, Erina-san and Sako were lounging there in their yukatas.
And sitting right next to them...
“Um, Konuma-kun, welcome back...?”
W-W-What?! Pajakawa-san herself has descended upon us! That pajama look suits her as well as ever! So she was here! I mean, it’s not like I was looking for her or anything! (A mysterious attempt at self-preservation.)
“Is it—is it okay for the President to be in a place like this?”
I sat down, trying to sound as casual as possible while asking.
“Well, it’s under the pretext of monitoring Erina-chan’s behavior, you see...”
Ichikawa said with a bitter smile, scratching her cheek.
“Just Erina?! What about Sakoshu too?!”
“That’s because Erina’s daily conduct is far too poor.”
“I’ve only been in the Rock Club for a tiny bit! There hasn’t even been time to establish any daily conduct!”
“No, the thing Ichikawa-san is monitoring isn’t exactly the Rock Club's discipline.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is...”
Wait, what do you mean by that?
“In that case, shouldn’t the one you're marking right now be Yuri-rin instead of someone like Erina?”
“Totally.”
Ah, Sako is using a normie phrase like 'totally.' That’s the kind of thing that would get Taira-chan angry. ...Wait, which 'that' are we talking about?
“Wait, you two, it’s not like that...!”
““And what exactly is it 'not like'?””
“Goodness...!”
This girls' talk seems immensely enjoyable, but I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Is it because I’m a boy?
And there was one more thing bothering me.
“Um, where did Hazama and the others go...?”
That’s right. For some reason, the other boys were not in the room.
“Ah—well, I wonder if it’s okay to say it here...”
Erina-san had an unusually solemn face, darting glances toward Ichikawa.
“Kenji was called out by a first-year girl to a place called 'Firefly Pond.' The other three went to spy on them.”
Without a care for Erina-san’s hesitation, Sako blurted it out from the side.
“Wait, really?! It’s already past the time we’re allowed to go outside?!”
Ah, now President Ichikawa is going to be cranky...
“Sakoshu, why did you have to say it...?”
“Eh, was I not supposed to?”
“Geez, that part of you is just like Takkun...”
Hey, even I can tell that was something better left unsaid.
“And Sakoshu, stop making that happy face...”
“Not really.”
Erina-san looked exasperated. It’s rare to see Erina-san play the straight man.
As I was inwardly chuckling, the demoness, who wasn't one to just take a hit, looked at me with a grin.
“I guess underclassmen are at that age where they’re interested in upperclassmen boys? I can smell the scent of a junior girl on Takkun too, you know?”
Erina-san suddenly leaned in close to me, making a gesture as if she were sniffing my scent.
“What?! R-Really?!”
Did Taira-chan leave a scent on me?! Does she have that kind of ability?!
“Just kidding! Wow, that was quite the reaction for just a little tease, wasn't it, Takkun?”
Damn it, this person set a trap for me!
““Hmm...?””
The side-eyes from my two band members were painful.
I mean, what did I even do? I just happened to run into my junior and talk for a bit.
“Ahem... So, how did the three of you get in here? I’m pretty sure I locked the door...”
“Tada! I got a spare key from Kenji! He said since they’re always moving as a group of four, they didn’t need four separate keys!”
Erina-san held up the key like it was a legendary hero's sword. Clink!!
“And that can also be called the spare key to Takuto’s room.”
Sako moved the corner of her mouth by a fraction of a millimeter, looking like she’d said something clever. I mean, so what if it can be called that...? More importantly, why did those guys just hand it over without permission...?
“You’re not supposed to give out keys either...”
Exactly, President Pajakawa.
“...So, why was Hazama called out to that pond? Firefly Pond, was it?”
“Eh, you don’t know...?”
Erina-san’s exasperated gaze fell upon me. Stop it...
“Well, you see, Firefly Pond is a famous spot for confessions. They say the success rate is high if you confess there during the training camp. In the summer, when the fireflies are out, the starlight and the firefly glow reflect off the pond in sparkles... it’s a truly fantastical sight. I can certainly see how the success rate would go up in a romantic place like that...”
“I see...”
“You should be able to guess that much from the flow of the conversation. You’re really such a 'Takkun' in those moments.”
Hmm, so there’s such a beautiful place here.
Ichikawa’s lyrical and easy-to-understand explanation helped me visualize it.
...Hmm?
“Ichikawa-san, have you been there before?”
Exactly!!
“...Eh?”
Ichikawa’s eyes began to wander. Beside her, Erina-san was grinning mischievously.
Perhaps unable to withstand the three gazes fixed on her,
“Yes... actually, I went last year...”
Ichikawa confessed.
“Seriously?!”
“No way.”
“Oh My God!!”
So it’s true?! One person was so shocked they switched to English?!
“Wait, you were called out? Or, um, you were invited... right?”
The way she remains polite toward the person who confessed to her—that’s classic Ichikawa-san, the person who even adds 'san' to Tower Records...
“By who?”
“A senior who is currently studying abroad...”
Ichikawa said, looking downward.
“I see! So, did you say OK?”
“T-That is...”
At that point, for some reason, Ichikawa paused before answering.
Just like Mino Monta on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. (Not from my generation, though.)
The sound of the other three swallowing their breath echoed in the quiet room.
“That is...?”
The words slipped out of my lips too.
Ichikawa-Monta bit her lip, wearing a stern expression.
After a short while.
“I turned him down...”
“I figured!!”
I figured!! Correct!! Final Answer!! ...Wait, why am I so happy? And why did you build it up so much, Ichikawa?
“Oh? But if he’s studying abroad, won’t he be in the same grade as Erina starting in September?”
“True.”
Eh, really? So he’s coming back from studying abroad in September?
“Mwahaha, I wonder what will happen? Hey, Takkun?”
“M-Me?”
I have no idea what I’m being asked...!
In any case.
Erina-san seems to be enjoying this quite a bit, even though Hazama is being confessed to. Is she forcing a smile again...?
As if reading my expression,
“Ahaha. Well, Kenji has feelings for Sakoshu, so no matter how romantic it is, there’s no way he’d accept a confession.”
Erina-san gave an answer based only on information everyone already knew.
“It’s not like that.”
Sako looked down, appearing slightly awkward.
“I mean that he loves Sakoshu enough for me to believe that.”
While still smiling, Erina-san stated firmly without trailing off.
I wonder how much pain lies behind that smile.
I—at least I—need to stay close to her heart.
“Alright, Erina-san, let’s play cards!”
“Uhehe, I’ve been waiting for that!”
Erina-san laughed, looking truly happy.
“Why only Erina-chan...?”
“Totally.”
Amidst the chatter, I took the deck of cards from Erina-san and shuffled them.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and it slowly opened.
“Konuma, are you there...?”
Azuma had come to 'call me out.'