The sky had a reddish hue as the sun neared the horizon, signaling the conclusion of the district track meet. As the students from other schools made their way out of the gate, one by one, they prepared to board the bus.
Out of all the students who passed by, eventually only one bus remained, patiently waiting for the final student. It appears that she has made quite a few friends, as several Hachimitsu Academy students were spotted seeing her off and bidding her a heartfelt farewell.
When you consider the situation, they appear to be nothing more than ordinary school girls. I'm still in disbelief that they had actually cursed and spat at Gakuto and Andre, who were just doing their best to protect their bags.
"What do you think, Kiyoshi? They're no different from the girls at this school," Shingo remarked casually, standing beside me. Despite his nonchalant tone, it was evident from his flushed cheeks that he had a genuine eagerness to see things through to the end.
Similar to him, I also had a big black bag full of trash. As part of our duties, we are not only in charge of distributing drinks and towels, but also ensuring that any leftover rubbish is properly cleaned up. Fortunately, these female students appear to be quite disciplined, which is to be expected given the reputation of their school.
Today, our workload seems never-ending. Unfortunately, Joe, who should have been here with us, had fallen first. Despite being aware of the situation, Meiko didn't soften at all and made him work with Gakuto and Andre.
"Yeah, I know that too. You don't have to worry about me and go back first," I replied calmly, not bothering to make eye contact. After the final student boarded the bus and departed from the school grounds, I crouched down and retrieved the empty bottle lying by my feet.
"Are you sure? There's only a little trash left, right? We can get back together," Shingo said, his expression filled with uncertainty. However, once he realised that I had no ulterior motives, he flashed a gentle smile.
"If you happen to run into Meiko, could you let her know that I might be running a bit behind schedule?"
"Don't worry about that, since you are my middle school friend. I'll put in a good word for you," Shingo said as he effortlessly slung the large trash bag over his shoulder. He then walked away. I could even hear him softly humming a tune.
"He definitely doesn't realize how pitiful he looks right now... but clearly he has a little time to relax before Meiko delivers another spiel."
"Kiyoshi, what a surprise to run into you here!" As Shingo's figure faded into the distance, a girl came up to me. Her words sparked a sense of familiarity between us.
As I turned around, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mayumi Tanaka standing there, her face adorned with a warm and welcoming smile. She's one of Chiyo's closest friends, and I have had multiple conversations with her before.
"Today feels more exhausting than usual. Even though I'm just watching, it's like all my energy has been drained," she said wearily.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. By the way, are you alone?" I took turns asking and reciprocating her positive responses.
"Yeah, how about you? Do you struggle with handling everything on your own?" Afterward, Mayumi gestured toward the trash bag I had brought. Based on her look of concern, I could somewhat infer her current thoughts.
Similar to Chiyo, she possesses a charming appearance and her innocent demeanour sets her apart as one of the few students in this school who still shows kindness towards male students. It seems like she was strongly influenced by Chiyo, if I had to guess.
"I'm used to this. It's just that I'm feeling a bit parched. Want to grab a drink from the vending machine with me?"
Mayumi appeared visibly troubled this time. I initially thought she might reject me for the same reasons other female students at this school had given, but I was proven wrong.
"That's alright, but I feel bad for Chiyo."
"What's wrong with Chiyo?"
This is a new experience for me, even though we aren't particularly close. However, her relationship with Chiyo is not shallow, making her more invested in whatever issue she's going to raise.
"Ehh, aren't you two dating?" Mayumi exclaimed, her face filled with surprise.
I finally understood what she was trying to say, but instead of replying right away, I decided to tidy up the area by picking up the remaining trash near the gate. After that, I motioned for her to come with me as I searched for the closest vending machine.
As the sun began to set, I knew I wouldn't get anything even if I went to the cafeteria. Fortunately, there are vending machines conveniently located throughout the school, offering a greater selection, even though they may be slightly pricier.
Moreover, I found myself coming up with reasons to prolong conversations with Mayumi, confident that I could gather valuable information from her.
"Why do you assume Chiyo and I are dating? If I were to see it, our relationship is just ordinary friends," I tried to sound as dense as possible, hoping to encourage Mayumi to share her honest opinion.
She let out a chuckle before responding, "People are cautious around you because they think you're a womanizer, but they wouldn't anticipate you to be so dense."
I quickly glanced at her, and this time, my genuine expression of shock was real. She quickly realised it and added:
"You know, it's not just me who thinks you two are dating. Satou has also noticed the same thing. It's hard not to, especially when we see how Chiyo reacts when your name comes up and how her personality has been different lately. She appears to be completely smitten."
As soon as I caught my breath, we found ourselves standing in front of the vending machine. I carefully selected my purchase, ensuring that I made a thoughtful decision before investing my money. I opted for two cans of cold coffee that offered a pleasant flavor without being overly bitter.
As I tossed one of them to Mayumi, I casually expressed my gratitude with a simple "I wouldn't have noticed this if you hadn't mentioned it."
She didn't immediately drink it, instead casually toying with it in her hands, even as I sat on the bench and enjoyed my drink.
I patted the space beside me and casually asked, "what do you think I should do?"
She didn't seem suspicious, but I noticed her cheeks turning red. It's likely that she felt a bit embarrassed by this situation. Regardless, she maintained a polite distance, neither sitting too close nor too far from me.
Man and woman alone with the rays of the setting sun slowly falling steadily. It's interesting to think about the potential misunderstandings that may have been going through her mind during this moment.
Finally, she offered me some thing valuable to hear, and at one moment, I felt the strong inclination to gently stroke her head. As I watched her cheeks turn a rosy shade, I couldn't help but repeat the action multiple times, almost as a way to show my appreciation for her helpful advice.
I'm scum, ain't I?
When she genuinely wanted to help improve my relationship with Chiyo. Instead, I ended up taking advantage of this situation to hit on her. Yet, I can't help it. She doesn't make any effort to stop me, so I'll continue until I hit the limit.
Eventually, my hand that had been caressing her head moved down to gently stroke her ear. I tried to regain her focus by expressing my disappointment, "It's unfortunate that we have to stop here. It would be great if you could continue where you left off at a later time."
"H-Huh... Y-Yeah, I didn't notice the sky had turned dark. If that's the case, I'll go first," Mayumi, who used to have no trouble conversing with me, suddenly became nervous.
Just before she left, I gave her one last call. "Hey Mayumi... you are a good girl, your advice definitely helped me."
She simply nodded before quickly heading towards the dorm and disappearing completely. As I lounged on the bench, a wide grin spread across my face. Not only that, the figure of Mayumi, who was previously not in my plans, now appeared, and I could no longer underestimate her value.
"I never would have imagined that you would find a lifelong partner, let alone catch the attention of a girl."
A voice I didn't immediately recognize suddenly echoed with a hint of condescension as if it belonged to a member of the Underground Student Council.
Before I could see who it was, she had strolled around my bench - a complete stranger, a girl I had never met before. Still, I couldn't help but sense that familiar aura, just like when I had encountered Mari, Meiko, and Hana.
She didn't seem bothered by my lack of response, as she, too, was observing me. Every now and then, she'd crack a smile as if she stumbled upon something intriguing, but I couldn't care less.
Despite her petite stature, she exuded an undeniable air of authority. However, I must admit, she is pretty attractive. She has chest-length scarlet-orange hair that is tied in two low bunches with burgundy ribbons. Her hair is styled in drill curls with fringe swept to the left side. She is no less than the woman I mentioned just now.
There's something about her mesmerizing green eyes, with their long, curlicue-like eyelashes, that makes me feel like there's more to them. And honestly, that's not a good thing for me.
"I understand that my appearance may have left you momentarily speechless, but that won't do, because I need you to answer my question."
"So, after witnessing the way the Underground Student Council treated you, I'm here to offer a solution. You could say I liberated you from this cruel punishment. What's your response?"
It felt strange when she spoke all that with a trace of superiority yet maintained a confident smile as if she had everything under control. It seemed like she assumed I was in a tough spot and would accept any support she offered.
Even worse, she unexpectedly placed her right foot on the bench as if she anticipated me to lick it. I wouldn't be surprised if her mind was occupied with those things.
"Are you okay with this? I can see your pants, you know." I was like dropping a bomb, catching the girl off guard. She quickly pulled her legs back and pointed an angry finger at me.
"Before you get mad at me. I'm not interested in seeing your panties, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it."
As I was basking in the satisfaction of finally getting back at her for how she treated me this short time, she surprised me by firmly grasping both my lower and upper arms and pulling me up with a forceful tug.
And it didn't end there. My body seemed to become light as she effortlessly lifted me up. I felt disoriented as my surroundings flipped, and that's when I knew that she was halfway to slamming me.
"Ughkkk... Fuck! did you just use the Aikido technique on me?" I recognized the movement she had just now, and I still couldn't believe it when I felt my whole body go numb. She executed that move flawlessly. I could barely move after hitting the ground with such force.
As I was feeling overwhelmed and nauseous, the girl came into my sight and remarked, "What an unpleasant experience. Next time, you will get worse than this."
And just like that, she was gone. Her footsteps grew more distant, but I remained on the ground. I was just glad I didn't throw up, and at that moment, it felt like my body was trying to protect itself as my awareness quickly faded.