We were able to meet up with Suzuki after school thanks to Asamura asking Sakakibara Daiki to text him and set it up. Sure, it was Sakakibara Daiki who did most of the work, but I will never directly thank him for anything. If there's any angle I could take that would allow me to not give him any credit, I will happily take it.
Still, why'd he tell Suzuki to meet with us near the school entrance? Just having the ace baseball player here already attracts way too much attention.
"Thank you very much for agreeing to meet us here. I would also like to apologize for being unable to introduce myself to you until now. My name is Kurebayashi Reina. Thank you once again for everything you've done for us."
She gave such a heartfelt and respectful introduction that it even made the boisterous Suzuki flustered.
"H-hey now, no need for such a formal intro. And you don't need to thank me for anything. I feel like I'm the cause of this whole thing, so think of it as my way of saying sorry."
"Please, do not say such a thing. The fault lies with me. I know I apologized back then, but allow me to once again express my regret for injuring you."
"Hahaha! That's all in the past now, so don't worry about it. I'm more so frustrated with myself for not being able to dodge that ball in the first place. So really, don't feel sorry or anything."
As this give and take of apologies is taking place, Asamura suddenly came bursting in-between them like a child that wasn't given enough attention.
"Okay, let's stop the sorrys right there since it's now my turn! Hi hi, Suzuki-senpai! I'm Asamura Asuka, a classmate of Daiki's. It's nice to meet you!"
"There we go! That's much more like it, Asamura-san! Your high energy would make you fit right in with the baseball club! How bout it? Wanna join as a manager?"
"I'm already in a club, so I'll have to say no. But thank you for offering, senpai!"
Asamura and Suzuki talking like this makes them look kinda like siblings. They're both naturally peppy, loud, and annoying. But now with introductions out of the way, Suzuki then turns his attention to me. Gotta say, a tall and buff dude walking up to me like this is kinda making me feel really intimidated.
"Sugiyama-kun, I want to thank you the most. Because of what you did, I finally got a clear answer from Inoue-san."
"What, did she steer into the rumors or something?"
"No, she actually denied the rumor to anyone who asked her about it. She made it clear to everyone that she never received any confessions from me nor did she ever say yes to me."
Oh… That's gotta suck for him. Her saying that basically means that there won't ever be a world where him and her are a thing. He just got his heart ripped out and torn into pathetic little pieces. It reminds me of something that happened to me back in junior high. We were assigned to random partners for a social studies project and I ended up getting partnered with the prettiest girl in class. Of course, I was super stoked about it and we actually worked well together during the project. But when the other girls in class asked her if we were a couple or something, she flat out said "Never in a million years. He's just my partner, that's all."
I remember feeling so devastated that I didn't utter a single word to anyone for the entire month. The worst part is that she didn't even bother to initiate a conversation with me despite the silence. Well, not that those kinds of memories matter. In the end, I'm going to die and I won't have to remember any sad or painful memories ever again. Such is the reward of death.
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that. But at least you got your answer, huh?"
I tried to say that with as much empathy as I can muster. But instead of a solemn or depressed look, Suzuki is actually smiling and acting kinda bubbly. Did the rejection finally break his mind?
"Yeah, I did! We're actually going out now! I told her to come here so she can meet you guys as well."
What he said garnered looks of confusion from Asamura, Kurebayashi, and me. What the hell is he talking about?
"... Wait, I think you missed a couple of steps there. You told us she denied the rumor, right?"
"Yeah!"
"So how does that equate to you two now going out?"
"Oh! Right, sorry about that. She actually said one other thing. She said that if I actually did confess to her, she would be so thrilled. So, I confessed on the spot and she said yes!"
"Wow! That's great, Suzuki-senpai! Congratulations!"
"Indeed, that is splendid news."
"Hahaha! Thanks! I couldn't have done it if it weren't for your plan, Sugiyama-kun. You're a real one."
Suzuki pats his hand on my shoulder. He probably considers this a light tap, but I feel like my shoulder is close to getting dislocated.
"D-don't mention it… I really didn't do anything. It's just how things ended up going, I guess."
"Yep, that may be. Still, thank you… Oh, looks like Inoue-san is coming! Here, let me introduce you—"
Suzuki's words got cut short by the sheer shock of what we saw. Walking down the pathway leading to the school's entrance is the baseball club's manager, Inoue Saori. When I first saw her in the dugout, she was wearing a jersey and had her hair tied in a neat ponytail. I couldn't exactly get a good look at her face, but I could still tell that she kept a clean and proper appearance.
But looking at her now, it's like she's just gone through the twelve labors of Hercules. Her hair is visibly disheveled and her uniform is scruffy looking. I would think that this might be how she usually is if not for the fact that Suzuki is also looking pretty surprised. But never one to be stunned for long, he shakes his head and calls out to her.
"H-hey, Inoue-san! Over here!"
Inoue, who was initially downcast, lifted her head up at the sound of Suzuki's voice. It was then that I saw the slight red mark on her right cheek. Noticing us staring, she quickly covered her cheek with her hand as she got closer to us.
"H-hello, Suzuki-kun. Sorry I'm a bit late, I just had something I needed to take care of first."
"Don't worry about it. More importantly, what happened to you? You're looking really rough."
Dude. Bro. My man. You don't ever tell a girl that she's looking rough. You're just asking for a breakup with that line of dialogue. Go ahead, get down on your knees and beg for her forgiveness right now!
"I'm fine… I just tripped while I was out in the field. It's nothing serious."
"Oh, uhh okay then. If you say so… Oh right! These are the underclassmen I told you about. You remember Daiki-kun, right? Well, these three are friends of his!"
Suzuki points his finger at the three of us. Seemingly taken off-guard by the ever-shifting mood of this ridiculous situation, Kurebayashi could only bow in response while Asamura salvaged the situation by immediately engaging in conversation with her.
"N-nice to meet you, Inoue-senpai! Gotta say, Suzuki-senpai sure knows how to choose! You're really cute!"
"Eh? I wouldn't say that I'm cute at all… And I honestly didn't expect Suzuki-kun to like me…"
"It's not about the looks! For me, it's about her caring personality! She's like the mother of the baseball club and I absolutely like that about her!"
Bruh, you gotta stop digging your own grave here. Just agree with Asamura and tell Inoue that she looks cute. Seriously, even I could tell that that's the right move here.
While they continue to talk, I glance at Kurebayashi, who is standing quietly on the side. She has an expression that looks like a combination of worry and shock. And yeah, it's not like I don't get why she's like that.
Judging from how Inoue looks kinda beat up, it seems that Miyoko has already begun her reign of terror. I could sense that Kurebayashi wants to tell Suzuki about this, but I shake my head slightly to give her a sign that it's a bad idea. The fact that Inoue didn't outright tell Suzuki about it means that she was likely threatened by Miyoko. So even if we tell Suzuki, Inoue would likely just deny it.
Despite my warning, Kurebayashi, with a determined look on her face, steps toward Suzuki. This girl's altruism knows no bounds.
"E-excuse me, Suzuki-senpai. You and Inoue-senpai wouldn't happen to be busy today, would you?"
"Well, we were planning on going out to eat. But we haven't decided on where exactly."
"That's fortuitous! Then, how about we accompany you to a cafe in the commercial district? They have some lovely desserts and delicious tea. Also, we would love to hear more about the confession."
"Oh, that sounds good! Is that okay with you, Inoue-san?"
"Y-yes, that's fine with me."
"Okay then! Lead the way, Kurebayashi-san!"
And with that, Kurebayashi, with Suzuki and Inoue in tow, heads off. I start to walk in the opposite direction but feel someone violently grab the back collar of my shirt.
"And just where do you think you're going, SU-GI-YA-MA-KUN?"
I don't need to turn around to recognize Asamura's voice. I can also feel the macabre aura she's emitting right now. I feel like I'm in a situation where if I say one wrong thing, I'll end up in the hospital.
But I do have to admit, the way she said my name just now kinda flipped a switch in me. Am I actually an M?
"O-oh, you know… School's over, so it's time for students like us to go home."
"You heard Reina-chan. We're going to the cafe with Suzuki-senpai and Inoue-senpai."
"I can't. You see, I've reached my quota on sweets for this month. So, even though I want to, I can't go with you guys or else I'll go over my sugar limit. You know how it is, right?"
"Pretty sure the cafe has black coffee. You got any other lame excuses?"
"... No."
"Good! Let's get going then!"
She cheerfully said as she started to drag me toward the group ahead. I take out my phone and send a quick text to gramps to let him know I'll be home a bit late. Looks like this is going to be a long afterschool tea time.