57. Invitation
I successfully made it through the summer cold and was allowed to be reunited with Natsukawa, but I still had to catch up with everything I missed from the classes, so my suffering wasn’t done just yet.
Math is seriously bad…
While half of my soul was about to leave my body from exhaustion, noon arrived, and I suddenly felt a sharp impact on my butt. It seemed like Ashida kicked the bottom of my chair.
Don’t just go laughing like that, Ashidaaa! Instead, how about you lend me your notes───Hey, why are you pulling on them!?…. Strong. Are you that against lending me your notes!?
As one of the baseball brats nearby complained about us being loud, I realized that I had forgotten to buy food for lunch. Hence, I left behind Ashida who desperately clung to her notes, and stood up with one coin in my hand. [TN: Either 100 Yen or 500 Yen, which is about 1$ or 3.5-5$]
Right when I stepped out of the classroom, the other ladies in class, with their super miniature lunch boxes, had already formed groups, eating lunch. The biggest group out of these were the normies─── revolving around Natsukawa. It was starting to look more of a cult.
I told Ashida ‘I’ll just get something random’, and headed to the school cafeteria.
After fighting for and winning some rare sweet bread at one of the stands in the corner, which looked like a tiny convenience store, I looked for a place to eat at.
I’d rather not eat outside when it’s this hot after all…
“Ah, there he is!”
“Eh?”
As a result of that, I wanted to evacuate into the corner of the school cafeteria ───only to encounter the Inatomi Appreciation Group (Provisional). Encounter basically referred to them spotting me. I didn’t even realize that we basically ended up sitting next to each other.
…..Well, not like I mind though? Haah, what a nice smell.
But, you know, the gazes of everybody around us……
“Umm……you pulled me here for a reason, right? If not, then I don’t exactly see us being this close……”
“Ehh, you think so?”
I mean, don’t you think so, Inatomi-senpai…?
I was seated at the four-seat table, next to the wall, with Mita-senpai on the other side of me, not allowing me any possible escape. Sitting across from me was Inatomi-senpai, clearly enjoying herself. Despite us having barely known each other.
……We haven’t even talked that much, so why are you looking at me with those sparkling eyes…?
“How did you raise her impression of you like this…? You, did you use some pay-to-win item?”
“That’s not fair, Sajou.”
“I doubt you even understood what I was saying.”
Inatomi-senpai’s childhood friend, Mita-senpai, narrowed her eyes as she gave me an envious, jealous gaze. Shinomiya-senpai threw in a complaint herself, but clearly seemed confused about what was ‘pay-to-win item’ that Mita-senpai mentioned.
If you could buy that in real life, I would’ve bought that no matter how expensive that must be. Even if I’ve to pay in installments!
“I heard from Rin-san. Is your fever better now?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling much better now.”
I took off almost two days in order to properly recover after all. Thanks to that, I could play all sorts of games, hehehe.
For some reason, seeing how happy that small Senpai of mine was, I couldn’t shake off this vague feeling that something was off. That being said, the shacking red ribbon was very cute.
That’s very cute, but what am I supposed to do here? Prostrate myself? I mean, this one next to me and that one next to you, are giving off some crazy pressure. I do treasure my life, so could you not show me that scary smile?
“Mmmm! Anyway, there’s a reason I pulled you all the way over here. I wanted to talk about this a bit earlier, but you happened to collapse, so it couldn’t be helped.”
“Okay…..?”
It seemed like Shinomiya-senpai got into a serious mode, because she gave off the air whenever she was acting as the disciplinary committee president.
This feels like I’m being interviewed right now… No, really, this is getting scary, can I just leave?
“Let me get straight to the point─── You, won’t you join the disciplinary committee?”
“Heeh…?”
I accidentally let out a dumbfounded voice.
Met with this unexpected request, I looked at the other two. Mita-senpai was just staring at Inatomi-senpai like always, whereas Inatomi-senpai just looked over somewhere with a smile.
Excuse me, but they’re not interested at all? Can I just join that side of the world? No?
“This humble self doesn’t fit to be in such a high-caliber organization.”
“My duties will end in the coming fall, but I have yet to find a male junior that would fit the disciplinary committee. There were quiet a number of female students who came over to check it out, but I always got the feeling they were just there to play around.”
“Yeah, I can see them having ulterior movies. They were probably after the status only.”
……They both ignored my initial refusal message, huh? Won’t you at least throw in a retort? Also, Mita-senpai suddenly participating in the conversation isn’t fair at all, especially at that timing… Minimum-senpai, please realize, it’s because you are staring at me like that, that I’m receiving this treatment!
Are they, dead set on having me join in?
It had only been three months since I started attending this school, so it didn’t really set in yet, but there were way too many events in the second term, such as the culture festival, followed by the sports festival, even the regular students would be busy, let alone those who were in a club or the festival committee. And the disciplinary committee? That even sounded like too much hard labor.
“And, then I ran into you. As Kaede’s younger brother, I can put my trust in you, so just like when you gave me some advice, I want you to support the disciplinary committee.”
“But, that’s still in the second term, right?”
“That’s correct. That’s why I want you to start thinking about it now. The disciplinary committee wants you.”
Uhh, what a passionate love call (confession)……! Was I ever this wanted by anybody before!? I can feel the part that’s been thirsty for love within my chest screaming ‘If you insist… then!’. I-if you want me that much then maybe I should accept……
“Looking forward to working with you, Sajou-ku—”
“Waheeh!?”
“Kya……!”
The me who didn’t want to have anything to do with troublesome things was about to lose, when Inatomi-senpai suddenly pushed her body forward, grabbing my hand. In shock, I let out a strange shriek, and pulled back my hand. Right after that, Inatomi-senpai showed a wry smile, giving me a saddened gaze.
“Sajou…..You bastard.”
“Hey…. You.”
“Eek, awawa───wa!?”
“Fueh!? Sajou-kun……!?”
In a second’s time, the two Senpais started glaring at me like the Hannya (mask) you would see in the Noh performance. In a panic, I grabbed Inatomi-senpai’s hand again. I wrapped it inside my two hands, which had me feel her soft skin, only to end up as me adding fuel to the fire. [TN: The Hannya mask used in Japanese Noh theater, representing a jealous female demon.]
“Ah, no, this is……!”
“S-Sajou-kun….. y-you’re being so forceful……”
“Sajooooo……”
“Huooo…….”
I heard Shinomiya-senpai’s malicious voice, together with Mita-senpai making a kung-fu-like movement as if she was a master of martial arts. And, the atmosphere started to grow tense.
Eh? No way, the disciplinary committee members can do that kind of things?
“W-wait! I’m still feeling a bit dizzy, so───”
I would have never imagined I would get headlock-ed and my leg held up at the same time, more so by two female Senpais.
◆
“Your mouth’s open.”
“……It’s a Badger game.”
“Where did that come from!?”
I felt a bit of pain around my neck, together with a lingering soft sensation at the back of my head. Especially the second one didn’t vanish even after I made it to the classroom.
Mita-senpai…… I definitely won’t forget about this. That softness is completely overwriting any pain!
As I was reminiscing about the incident from a few minutes ago, Natsukawa passed by in front of me. Since I was still spacing out a bit, I must have said something weird. When Natsukawa gave me a bewildered expression, I was about to fall for her. Oh right, I already did.
“W-What do you mean by that?!”
Oh yeah, definitely ran my mouth.
Natsukawa started to get angry. Even so, maybe because I just got over my cold, she seemed quite considerate despite that. I didn’t see that big of a problem, because it was just a cold, but since I collapsed in front of her eyes, I guess I didn’t have much right to argue here.
That said, when we’re cleaning the classroom, please don’t say ‘I’ll hold that for you’ towards a boy like me. Yamazaki will grin at me, and more than that, it’s not good for my mental.
“Y-You know… I was just saying how much of a beauty you are?” [TN : Reason below at the end]
“W-What are you on about…”
Natsukawa put one hand on her hip, avoiding her gaze.
Ahh, I can’t get enough of this ‘Can’t be helped’ gesture. Very good indeed.
Now that I got a good look at her summer uniform, I could see her long white arms reaching out from her sleeves. And I just wanted to keep looking at it.
M-My heart won’t stop beating fast…
…fast beating? Oh my, another summer cold…? (Female-like voice)
“You, that…”
Right when I was agonizing to myself, Natsukawa gave an annoyed comment, and approached me.
“W-What……?”
“Your hair…… Why is half of your head so ruffled up?”
“Oh……”
Ruffled? Must have happened when Mita-senpai had me in a headlock──Mita-senpai…… Soft sensation….. fuhehe…. This is bad, if some police saw my face right now, I’m sure they will arrest me. S-Shouldn’t show this to Natsukawa. Let’s look down while fixing my hair—
“Jeez, good grief, stay still for a second.”
“Eh…..?”
As I was trying to fix my own hair, Natsukawa grabbed my head with both of her hands, somehow she got irritated. She rubbed it here and there, presumably trying to fix my curls that stood off. After a bit of time passed, she freed me with a ‘Good’ in a satisfied tone.
“Here, we’re done.”
“Ah, yeah…… umm…”
“What?”
…..Eh, why’s she acting like this was something totally normal? Does she not think of that as special? We’re boy and girl, right? Aren’t we at the age where this kind of skinship would have our hearts racing?
If that’s the case, can I just ask for this every day? Yeah no, that can’t be right? It’s that Natsukawa we’re talking about. Not the type of person to easily sell herself like that, right?
To be honest, I wouldn’t want you to have your guard down like that.
“So…… is 5000 yen enough?” [TN : About 35-45$]
“I don’t need that!”
I got that for free…? Ah, did she just do it subconsciously? Is she that type? Really, this is why girls are so troublesome!
This must be, ’cause too much of Ashida’s negative influence! To subconsciously make the boy’s heart skip a beat like this!
Alright, I’m never washing my hair ever again… ah, damn it, my wax!
TN: Badger game (美人局) is written with the kanji for beauty (美人). That’s why Sajou tried to play it off by saying beauty.
TN: Join my discord channel if you want.
