15:30.
This time is when most students at most schools join their clubs and listen to the club president's speech.
For those not in a club but choosing to work at a nearby café or convenience store, they would have reached their workplace around this time as well.
Additionally, it's Monday, and the typical office hours haven't ended yet.
Thus, on a bus headed towards the commercial street of School, aside from the driver, there were only a few people.
Among these few, only two young people sitting at the back of the bus seemed like students.
One of them was robust with tanned skin, appearing to work out regularly, but his posture and appearance carried a delinquent air.
He was currently slouched down, legs crossed, holding a smartphone on his lap, typing away.
Beside him, a young man of average build and appearance, unremarkable in every way, sat upright in his seat, holding his phone and turning to his companion:
"Oga-kun… isn't sending a message to Natsu-nre now going to disrupt her club training?"
"Oh?"
The hesitant question from his companion made the yellow hair stop his typing, turning his head towards the ordinary-looking young man with a hesitant face:
"I don't mind, but Yuuta, don't you want to check with Shinomiya-san first?"
"Though asking over the phone is an option, it's definitely better to ask in person for matters like this."
"Or is it that, at the last minute, you're doubting yourself? Even after two days of special training."
"The auntie from the special training was full of praises for you, you know."
Hearing the word 'special training', Yamano Yuta's ordinary face gradually turned red as he waved his hands in denial:
"No, no, it's not about that kind of thing."
"I know it's not about that."
Not exposing his flimsy excuse, the yellow haired donkey put an arm around him like a close brother and whispered in his ear:
"You and she are childhood friends and also lovers, right? That's correct, isn't it?"
"No, that's right."
Feeling slightly uncomfortable with his familiarity, Yamano Yuuta shrank his shoulders a bit, then happily and proudly acknowledged his words.
What Masaru Oga said was true, and there was nothing wrong with admitting it.
Being so ordinary yet having such a beautiful childhood friend, a beautiful lover, and potentially a beautiful wife in the future was definitely something he could feel proud and happy about.
Vanity is a normal psychological trait that everyone possesses.
Especially for someone like him, ordinary in every way but relying on others to receive envious glances, his sense of vanity was a bit stronger than most.
This was also why he was simply provoked by a few words from Oga Masaru and followed him to meet Shinomiya Natsuha.
Because he had no noteworthy traits.
As an exceedingly ordinary student with no remarkable strengths.
He became the object of envy among his male classmates, and his entire grade, solely because he had a beautiful and charming girlfriend.
Thus, he knew the consequences of losing this beautiful girlfriend.
Setting aside the many years of feelings for now.
The most apparent change would be that he would go from being the envy of the male students to a target of mockery, becoming a laughingstock, a toad wanting to eat swan meat.
From 'Damn! You really should die, damn, it's more painful than killing me, ahhhhh!!!' to 'Hey, look, isn't that the guy who got cuckolded?'.
For Yamano Yuuta, who had enjoyed the envious looks from the male students, this was unacceptable.
If nothing unexpected happens, he would still have to stay in that class for another half-year...
To avoid that dreadful outcome.
After Oga Masaru showed him a photo of Natsu-nee being 'intimate' with another guy, he was eager to go and ask her about it.
Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, he couldn't accept it.
They chatted every day, though it was just about trivial matters, Natsu-nee had never shown any signs of annoyance, it shouldn't have changed like this.
While he was thinking this, the yellow hair, who had shown him the photo, contradicted his decision.
His reason was:
"If you go and ask her, and then she shakes her head saying no, saying you misunderstood, he's just a friend, there's nothing between us, we just had a meal together, that'll be enough to fool you, and then she'll continue doing whatever she wants after you leave, and you won't know anyway."
Blinded by anxiety in his heart, Yamano Yuta, upon hearing this reasoning, asked him what he should do.
Masaru's suggestion was: "Conquer her with a man's charm!"
As a novice, Yamano Yuta of course didn't understand his words.
But after being pinned down on a bed by two still-charming aunties from a brothel.
In that moment, he understood.
Following the two days of special training with the aunties and earning their and yellow hair's approval, he then followed him to Tokyo.
Now sitting on the bus, Yamano Yuuta, who was toe-to-toe and a fellow conspirator with Masaru Oga, continued as the latter draped an arm around his shoulder:
"Since you and Shinomiya are already lovers, think about it, how many couples in your class are still like you, who still haven't done it yet?"
It was hard to admit that he was the only one who hadn't done it, so, Yamano Yuta replied:
"Natsu-nee and I agreed that once I transfer back to Tokyo, we can..."
"So you're back now, right? After being apart for so long, as long as she still has feelings for you, she won't refuse."
"Running over and suddenly asking her if she's fallen for someone else will definitely hurt her feelings."
"At times like this, you should comfort her properly."
"As long as you conquer her with your manly charm, do you still fear someone else might steal her away?"
"Oh, oh~"
Feeling that Masaru Oga made sense, and indeed Yamano Yuta did want something to happen with Shinomiya Natsuha, so he didn't rebut.
But he asked a question he had already asked him many times before.
"Why are you helping me so much, Oga-kun?"
"Me?"
"If I were to use a term from the internet, it would probably be 'pure love warrior.'"
"I'm a pure love warrior, chopping down scums one by one, I can't stand those who sneakily undermine others from behind!"
With a righteous expression and words filled with disdain, along with a clenched fist, Oga Masaru felt like a hero about to slay a dragon.
Blinded by his performance and words, Yamano Yuta no longer resisted his arm around his shoulders, and thanking him profusely like a long-lost brother.
Seeing that he fully believed him, the yellow hair patted his shoulder and said:
"Set up a meeting with Shinomiya. Take her out for a meal, watch a movie, clarify things in between, and then show off your charm!"
"Uh-huh!"
These past few days, Oga Masaru had been making decisions and suggestions for him, and Yamano Yuta, now accustomed to this, was about to look down to text.
However, remembering he was unfamiliar with the area around Natsu-nee's Academy, and did not even know which restaurants were good and affordable, he said...
"Oga-kun, I'm not very familiar with the area around Natsu-nee's school…"
Anticipating this.
Or rather, even if he was familiar with the area, the yellow hair wouldn't let him choose the place.
So, hearing this, he smiled understandingly and recommended a good-looking restaurant.
"I often go to this restaurant, the food there is really good and the dishes are affordable..."
After checking the restaurant online.
Finding it was just as Masaru said, affordable and good, Yamano Yuta set the meeting place with Natsuha Shinomiya there.
Then, following another recommendation from the yellow hair, he chose a cinema.
Yamano Yuuta then called Shinomiya.
...
...
Physical energy is limited, and since the primary purpose of school clubs is to cultivate students' interests.
So the school wouldn't make the students train tirelessly like machines once they're at their club.
They also have rest times.
For students, aside from chatting, their free time is spent on their phones.
Watching videos, messaging people they care about, playing games, watching anime, and so on.
Although Natsuha Shinomiya, who was aiming to maintain focus and condition, wouldn't go to her locker to get her phone before training ended, her teammates would.
So when her phone rang, a girl came over to inform her.
Seeing the caller ID on her phone, the girl was surprised.
She talked and called Yamano Yuuta every day, true.
But that was before bed at night.
Calls like this, where he knew she was training yet still called, were rare, or practically nonexistent.
Thinking something must have happened, the girl quickly answered the call.
"Hello, Yuuta-kun~ Did something happen? You suddenly called..."
"Um... It's nothing serious, I just wanted to see Natsu-nee. Can you come out?"
Hearing his vague words, the girl was even more convinced something had happened, so she agreed without thinking.
"Yuuta, are you in Tokyo? Where are you? I'll come to pick you up!"
"Natsu-nee, I'm already near your school."
Then, a location pin from "Yuuta" popped up on the top of her phone screen.
After seeing the location, without thinking further Shinomiya Natsuha accepted his invitation.
Changing from her Aikido uniform into her school uniform, she grabbed her backpack, asked for leave from her club president, and rushed out of the school.