When Shirase and I walked around the club fair, I couldn't help but notice the attention we were getting. Shirase didn't seem the least bit bothered by it though.
Anyway, we were set to meet up with my friends. I figured I'd introduce her since I'd already mentioned them a couple of times. Of course, I made it clear first that the person I was supposed to meet up with at the south gate this morning wasn't any of them.
"Kazu-chan!"
There he is. And he's with Keisuke as well.
"Hiro, Keisuke!"
The two of them approached us and said hi.
"This is Shirase Yumina. She sits next to me in class, and I became friends with her this morning."
"Ah! So this Tendou Masahiro-kun and Kazehara Keisuke-kun," she responded cheerfully. "I'm Shirase Yumina. Katsuhira-kun told me a lot of things about you two!"
"Ohh, I remember you! You're that popular girl from Kougyoku Middle School, right?"
"W-Well, I don't know about popular..." Shirase lightly scratched her flushed cheeks.
This girl... I know you're aware of your own status, you little goober.
"I've seen you before too," said Keisuke. "You were cheering for Kougyoku during last year's prefectural finals, right? I remember our guys in Fujitama making a fuss about you in the audience area."
"O-Oh, really? Ahaha, how embarrassing..." Then, Shirase put on a happy face as if she was never flustered in the first place. "Ah, speaking of which, I do remember you, Tendou-kun! You were one of the players for Fujitama, right? You're amazing!"
"Really?! Ehehe, thanks! I'm gonna work even harder this year! As far as I know, Kougyoku High's basketball team isn't the strongest in the prefecture, but they're still solid. I'm looking forward to joining the club!"
"That's great! I don't know much about basketball, but you guys defeated us back then. So it's reassuring that two of the best players from the enemy team will be on our side this time!"
Ugh... Hiro and Keisuke looked at me in anticipation.
"No. I already told you... I won't join the basketball club this year," I said.
"Please, Kazu-chan! We've always been together in basketball since we were little kids! You're just going to leave me all alone in high school?!"
"What do you mean 'all alone'?! I'm sure there will be other first-years."
"Oh, are you not joining, Katsuhira-kun?" asked Shirase.
"Not this time. I want to relax in high school, so I don't plan on joining any clubs."
"I see..." she nodded understandingly. "Is Kazehara-kun going to join a club?"
"No, I won't. Most students from Class 1-A or the Preparatory Class don't plan on joining clubs. Our curriculum is much more brutal than the rest of the classes, so I doubt we'd be able to keep up. The only viable option would be to join a club with no intensive activities and no mandatory attendance," Keisuke explained.
"You guys have it rough, huh?" I commented.
"It's so-so. It's a shame you didn't apply with me, Kazuomi."
"No way. How can I relax if I'm required to bust my ass studying?"
"Eh? Is Katsuhira-kun academically smart?" Shirase tilted her head in curiosity.
"At the very least, he's above average in all subjects, and his English is native level."
"Wow! I didn't know you were such an amazing person!"
"You're exaggerating. My grades fell off a cliff last year and I barely passed the high school entrance exam. I'm not the amazing person Keisuke is talking about."
"Still as hard on yourself as always," said Keisuke. "How about you, Shirase-san? Are you going to join any club?"
"Hmm, I'm still thinking about it."
We continued checking out all of the clubs we passed through while reuniting with some of our friends along the way. Shirase also did the same, and we got introduced to a lot of students from Kougyoku Middle.
When we reached the gymnasium, Shirase and I said goodbye to Hiro and Keisuke.
"We'll head back to our classroom. I'll see you two later."
"Bye-bye, Tendou-kun, Kazehara-kun!"
"Bye-bye, Shirase-san!"
"It was nice meeting you, Shirase-san."
I went into deep thought as Shirase-san and I walked along the hallways. I wondered if I should join any club this year...
"Your friends were very nice," said Shirase.
"Hm? Ah, yeah. I've been stuck with them since we were kids. Those two had always been great dudes," I replied. "What about you? Do you have any childhood friends? Like before elementary school?"
"Oh, me?" she averted her eyes. "I guess so? I don't talk to them that much nowadays though."
"Oho? Suspicious," I grinned. "Well, I won't pry if you don't wanna talk about them."
"Ahaha, sorry..."
"Alright, let's change the topic. What clubs have stood out for you so far? You plan on joining one, right?"
"Yep! If possible, I want it to be a relaxing club."
"There should be a few of those. Which clubs are you looking at right now?"
"It's either the calligraphy club or the literature club."
I laughed bitterly as soon as she mentioned the calligraphy club.
"Don't be fooled by them, Shirase. I heard our school is very competitive when it comes to calligraphy. They almost won the national competition last year."
"R-Really?!"
"Yeah, it's the opposite of a relaxed club. If you don't have the passion for it, you'll get burnt out in no time."
"Sigh... In that case, I guess I'll choose the literature club... But I'm afraid they might think badly of me. To tell you the truth, I rarely read classical literature. The books I own are mostly manga and light novels..."
So you like that stuff too, huh? It's a bit surprising, but I guess girls my age being into anime and manga have become more common.
Wait, that's not it. I thought she'd at least ask me how I knew about the calligraphy club. Why did she just accept it immediately?
"It depends on the members, I guess. Disliking people for liking manga and light novels is a thing of the past, and there's a high chance they're also like you."
"A little club full of otakus, huh? Sounds like a premise for a light novel!" she pondered excitedly.
"It sure is," I chuckled.
When we got to the classroom, only a few students were around. I didn't see Maki anywhere, but Gotou was there, chatting with some guys.
Stepping in with Shirase would garner their attention which both of us already expected. Thankfully, Gotou came to the rescue by approaching us.
"Hey, Katsuhira!" he called as he walked in our direction. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Shirase and I glanced at each other, trying to hold ourselves back from smiling.
"Sure, what's up?"
"It's about Maki-san, actually. Um, can we head out for a bit."
"Can Shirase-san come with us?" I asked before leaning in to whisper. "She's quite attached to me, so I can't just abandon he-ack-!"
Ughhh—! That hurt!
Shirase instantly pinched my side as soon as she heard what I said. This ungrateful girl. I was thoughtful enough to make sure only she and Gotou could hear me, too. How cruel!
"Ahaha. Of course, Shirase-san can come with us since you're okay with it, Katsuhira." Gotou laughed it out softly.
We ended up taking it outside the classroom. Of course, that silly scene made everyone even more curious about my relationship with Shirase.
"So basically, you want me to stop avoiding Maki?" I asked.
"I know you're just being considerate of our relationship, but I don't want to ruin your friendship because of it. You're an important friend to Maki-san, so she's sad that you're trying to distance yourself from her."
Hold, Kazuomi. Do not smirk.
"Are you okay with that?"
"Of course. I know I can trust you, Katsuhira."
"Well, I don't want to upset Maki either. If you're fine with it, then I'll try to act normally from now on."
"Really? Thanks a lot!"
"No problem."
Gotou went back inside, leaving me and Shirase by the door.
"Are you satisfied, my dear witness?"
"Of course," she nodded with a smile. "You read them like a book."
"I told you, kids are easy to read. I'm sure even you can do that much."
"Who knows~?" Shirase smirked in response.
Thank you, Nodoka, Ayame, and Maki... for exposing me to ridiculously pretty faces. If I hadn't developed an immunity to it, then I would've fallen for Shirase right then there. Her smile was immaculate.
"Ah, Yumina, there you are!" Motokawa called out to us. "Wow, you're still with Katsuhira-kun? I'm really starting to doubt you now. You said you just met today, but you ate lunch with him over us and walked around the club fair together. The guys are going crazy! They kept asking me and Akane about you two! It's the first day of school, you know? Are you sure you guys aren't dating?"
"Nope." We gave her a flat denial at the exact time.
"And they get along so well. Maybe Yumina-chan got influenced by my type~," said the other girl beside her. "Ah, I'm Koyasu Akane, by the way. Nice to meet you, Katsuhira-kun."
Her soft voice and gentle demeanor felt refreshing.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Koyasu-san."
Wait, I feel like I've seen this girl before...
"Um... You're staring quite hard," she said.
"It's because you said something about him being your type! Of course, he'd misunderstand!" said Motokawa.
"Ah! You're the girlfriend of Kougyoku Middle's captain," I exclaimed.
"Yep, that's me."
I don't think he's in Kougyoku High though. But judging from her reaction, it seems like they're still together.
"I see. You must've been the reason why he played so well against us."
"Hehe, maybe," she blushed. "Yumina-chan and I have been in the same school since elementary, so we're very close. If you have any questions regarding her, you can ask me anytime! I'm looking forward to befriending her first-ever boyfriend."
"Alright, that's enough. I'm gonna have to stop you right there, Akane. I know you girls were lonely without me, so I'll go with you this time." Shirase grabbed the two of them by the hand before looking back at me. "I'll see you around, Katsuhira-kun! And you're not my boyfriend!"
I guess she can handle the teasing, but only to a certain extent.
————————————————————
I ended up hanging out in the classroom with some of the new guys. And at the end of the day, I decided not to join any club.
When it was almost time to go, I walked out of the classroom before anyone else. I planned on checking on Hiro in the basketball club before going home.
"Ah, Kazuomi-kun!" I turned to see Maki running towards me.
"Hm? What's up?" I glanced at the girls who were with her just now. "Weren't you walking around with your friends?"
"Yeah, I'll follow after them later. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit."
"Sure. Is there a problem?"
"Well, you know... Earlier... Like..."
What's with this girl? Even her sad face is adorable. Can I take her home?
I grabbed her cheeks and messed them around, making her unable to speak.
"Hm-?! Fwat ar yu doin-?!"
"A smile suits you more. How many times do I have to say that?"
I let her go, but she grabbed my hands and put them back on her face.
"Ehehe, it's been a while since you touched me like this."
And I really shouldn't, if we're being honest!
"You sound happy about it."
"Of course, I am!"
"Well, don't be. Doing things like this with another guy will make Gotou mad."
"But you're not just another guy. You're Kazuomi-kun."
"That doesn't make it right."
"If it's so wrong, why did you do it?"
Why the sudden use of cold, hard logic? That's foul!
"Force of habit. I won't do it again," I averted my eyes.
"Ehhh?"
Don't pout now. Just accept it!
"Sorry about earlier, by the way. I won't say things like that anymore," I said.
"I-It's okay! Just make it up to me tomor-"
"Nope. I still won't eat lunch with you and Gotou."
"Why?!"
"Look. I kind of avoided you out of consideration for your relationship, but that might be unnecessary. In the end, you're still one of my best friends. I'll hang out with you like always," I explained. "However! I'll steer clear of being a third wheel if I can help it. I hope you understand."
"Hnng... You're saying complicated things again..."
"Haha, it's pretty simple though."
"Then make me understand why all of that is necessary."
"I'm just putting myself in Gotou's position. If you were my girlfriend, then I wouldn't want another guy to be so close to you, especially if I'm around."
"If I was your..." she muttered something before asking me. "Is that how it works?"
"Well, I don't really know how Gotou feels about these things, so I'm using my own perspective as a basis. I mean, you'd hate it if another girl acted super close and friendly with Gotou, right?"
I glanced behind her and saw a bunch of students starting to exit the building.
"I-I see... I guess you're right about that," she said, nodding with a serious face.
Maki always says that when she doesn't understand something but is too embarrassed to make me repeat myself.
"Yep, so don't worry about it too much."
She continued looking down with a sad face.
"I just can't seem to outgrow myself..." Maki sighed.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you always help me understand a lot of things, Kazuomi-kun. You're so mature. I thought I could finally act like the mature one this time, especially since I finally have a boyfriend..." she sighed even deeper. "But nothing's changed since we first met. I still feel like a kid when I'm with you... even though I'm the older one."
I wasn't always the mature one. Everyone will have their time to grow. Some of us just go through that growth much earlier than others...
"Haha, sure, being in a relationship can make you more mature, but it's not something that'll happen in a week. Just keep doing what you're doing and enjoy having a boyfriend."
"Okay... Ah, speaking of which! Have you seen Shun-kun?" she asked.
"I saw him in the classroom earlier. I thought it was weird though. Shouldn't he be applying for the football club? I heard Kougyoku High's team is pretty strong too."
"Oh, about that... Shun-kun said he felt like he'd had enough of playing soccer in middle school. And that... he also didn't want to spend less time with me."
"Heh, you're blushing."
"S-Shut up!" She pouted before turning around to leave.
She really likes him, huh? That's good. I hope they have a long-lasting relationship.
But man, when is she gonna show up?
"Hey, Maki."
"Hm?"
"Have you played the new installment of that one game we played in the summer?"
"Ohh, right. It was released last week. I haven't had the time to buy it yet, but I think I will on the weekend."
"Do you think it's gonna be good? I might play it myself."
"You don't really play those kinds of games anymore, right? Your brain is just filled with gacha nowadays..."
"Hey, you don't have to speak the truth like that!" I chuckled. "On that note, why don't you play with me again? The rewards for returnees are pretty good, you know?"
"No way! I still get angry every time I remember my last rolldown," Maki had a non-threatening scowl.
"Well, I would've quit too if I was in your position. That's a shame," I shrugged. "Go back to your friends now. You'll see me later in voice chat if I feel like showing up."
"Okay! Bye, Kazuomi-kun!"
She started walking off before hearing my voice again.
"Ah, Shirase-san!"
In front of her was Shirase walking to the shoe locker area. She was with Motokawa and Koyasu, but she hurriedly came up to me when I called her name.
Shirase brushed past Maki who couldn't help but follow the former's figure with her eyes.
"Heya~, Katsuhira-kun! You called for me?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to ask for your LINE. We hung out a lot today, but I still forgot about it. Sorry about that."
"Pfft, haha!" Shirase started playfully slapping my arm. "Then the same goes for me! I can't believe I forgot about LINE."
"Surely not. I'm sure a lot of guys asked for yours."
"Ugh, no way!"
"Um..." Our fun talk was suddenly interrupted by another girl. "K-Kazuomi-kun!"
"Hm? Maki? What's up? I thought you were heading back."
"W-Well, I remembered something I wanted to ask you!"
"Ohh, what is it?"
"Uhh, I... Oh, no, I-I think I forgot, haha!"
Girl, you are not fooling anyone with that...
"Ah, you're Omiya-san, right? I'm Shirase Yumina. We're classmates!"
"Y-Yes, I know you, Shirase-san. I liked your introduction earlier!" Thankfully, it was Shirase who salvaged the conversation before it turned awkward.
"Are you friends with this guy over here?" Shirase asked, pointing at me with her thumb.
"Hey, don't treat me like an afterthought..."
"Yes, we were classmates since our first year in middle school. What about you, Shirase-san? What's your relationship with Kazuomi-kun...?" Maki asked with a smile.
"Oh, me? I just met him today. And as you may already know, I'm his one and only seatmate!"
"I see! You seem to hit it off, huh...?"
Maki, your smile is falling apart.
"Hehe, you think so? We have similar interests, so maybe that's why." Shirase answered, subtly bumping her shoulder against mine.
"E-Ehhh..."
"Hey, Maki. I don't think you should keep your friends waiting."
"Oh, you're right! Sorry for barging in on your conversation!"
"No worries, Omiya-san. It was nice meeting you!"
"Yes! It was nice to meet you too, Shirase-san! See you tomorrow!"
Shirase and I watched Maki scamper away.
"Wow... I feel bad for teasing such a good and honest girl..." she said.
"Yeah, me too. I didn't expect her to be that shaken."
"Oh, really now?" Shirase raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd feel good seeing such a pretty girl get jealous over you."
"Haha, I won't deny your accusations, especially since it's the first time I've seen that side of Maki."
"You've never tried to make her jealous before?"
"What kind of guy do you think I am...?"
"A manipulative scumbag."
"Okay, valid. But no, I've never even thought about doing something like that."
"You did so just now though. And I went along with it since it was part of our deal, right?"
I knew it. She overlooked the outcomes!
"Uh, Shirase, you seem to have forgotten something..."
"Hm? What...?"
"I wanted to use you to make Maki feel anxious, yes. But that's only if I was still avoiding her. I wouldn't have to do that anymore after my conversation with Gotou, would I? I've already restored my relationship with Maki."
Shirase covered her face with her hands after hearing my explanation.
"I feel worse now..."
"D-Don't mind."
"Then why did you call for me while she was around?! You totally misled me! It's your fault!"
"I was about to go home, and I remembered that I still hadn't gotten your LINE. It just so happened that I was talking to Maki when you showed up."
"So it was a coincidence... Ugh... It's fine. See you tomorrow, Katsuhira-kun..." Shirase saw me off with her depressed tone.
"O-Okay, see you tomorrow..."
After meeting up with Keisuke, we went to the gymnasium to wait for Hiro. The three of us walked home together while chatting about our momentous first day in high school.
I met new people and gained an interesting and cute friend. It wasn't as bad as I expected.