Masashi casually walked to the playground and saw two classes in the middle of PE. From a distance, he noticed a girl wearing a pitcher's uniform and a baseball cap, pitching on the field. Her teammates, however, were all boys.
Masashi found this interesting, so he sat down on the grass by the field to watch her pitch.
Rumi wasn't a pitcher just there to make up numbers. Due to her long, rigorous training, she was in better physical condition than most boys. Every pitch she threw was fast and accurate, on par with any of the boys. Whenever she struck out an opponent, she would cheer excitedly, just like a boy.
This was something Masashi appreciated about her—a pure, clear-hearted nature, much like her eyes.
While other girls were busy buying makeup, necklaces, or scouting for new boyfriends, Rumi's interests were simpler. She'd buy some snacks after school, drag Kazumi and Rumiko to watch boring soap operas in the evenings, and spend weekends practicing swordsmanship rather than shopping.
The nightlife other girls enjoyed was foreign to her. At home, Masashi had never seen her stay up past 11 p.m.
She rarely joined in typical girlish pursuits like flower arranging, gymnastics, or synchronized swimming. Besides tea ceremony, she preferred boyish activities like playing baseball, climbing trees, and fishing—not to mention her passion for kendo.
Many times, she seemed like an overly energetic child. Talking to her about "being ladylike" was pointless.
After nearly half the class was over, Rumi finally noticed Masashi sitting by the field. Like a puppy spotting its owner, she excitedly ran over.
"Senpai, why are you here?" Her ponytail bounced as she ran.
"I'm a student here too, so why shouldn't I be here?" Masashi replied with a mischievous smile.
"That's not what I meant. Don't you have class? Did you skip again?" She looked at him worriedly.
"Right answer, but sorry, no prize." Masashi shrugged nonchalantly.
"Senpai!" Rumi called out loudly.
Masashi rubbed his ear. "Alright, alright. Don't shout so loud—I know what you want to say. But since I already skipped, what can I do about it?"
"Don't you have even a little bit of guilt about this?" Rumi sighed in frustration.
"It's not that serious. I just skipped a few classes; no need to act like I committed a major crime," Masashi replied defensively.
"A few classes? I asked Kazumi, and apparently, you've missed almost half a semester! At this rate, you might actually become my junior!"
"Who cares, as long as I pass the exams. Or do you doubt my ability as your senior?" Masashi almost rolled up his sleeves to prove his point.
But her expression deflated him.
"Alright, I give up. I'll go back to class. See you, kiddo." Masashi waved as he walked away.
"Senpai, do your best!" Rumi raised her hands in an encouraging gesture.
Masashi couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head as he walked away.
After turning a corner and making sure the nosy girl wasn't watching, he headed to the wall by the school's back gate and climbed over it.
"Skipping classes is such a hassle these days—feels like it's taking years off my life," he muttered, chuckling.
The next few days passed uneventfully. One day, as he returned to the classroom after lunch, Masashi found his homeroom teacher there, with students murmuring around him.
"Hey, what happened?" Masashi tapped a boy's shoulder.
"Hey, it's Masashi! He's back!" The student turned around and shouted.
Everyone immediately looked at him, and Masashi hated their "like a monkey in a zoo" expressions.
"Masashi, come over here," said the homeroom teacher.
"Yes, sensei? What's up?" Seeing Mizuta Kazuo timidly hiding behind the teacher, Masashi had a feeling this wouldn't be good.
"Have you seen this pen before?" The teacher held out a gold Parker pen.
"No, I haven't."
"This morning, Kazuo reported that he lost a solid gold Parker pen, so I came here to help him look for it. After checking the students' bags, we found his missing pen in your desk. Care to explain why his pen was in your desk?"
"Oh, really? I'm curious too. Kazuo, can you explain how your pen ended up in my desk?" Masashi shot a cold glance at Kazuo.
"I—I don't know…" Kazuo stammered, unable to meet Masashi's gaze.
"Masashi, I'm asking you, not Kazuo. Please answer my question." The teacher's face was stern.
"Caught red-handed—evidence in hand—what else is there to say?" Masashi shrugged.
"So, are you admitting that you stole Kazuo's pen?"
"Those are your words, not mine. You guys rummaged through my stuff while I was out, found this pen, and claimed I stole it—what can I do about that? Besides, have you ever seen a thief dumb enough to leave the stolen item in plain sight? Whatever, it's no use arguing. Do what you want." Masashi acted like he didn't care.
"You… Alright, I'll report this to the principal immediately. Just wait here!" The teacher shook with anger and left with Kazuo following.
After they left, Nagasaki sighed. "Masashi, I never expected you to do something like this. If you were struggling, you could've told us. I'm really disappointed in you."
Seeing Nagasaki's performance and the scornful looks from others, Masashi couldn't help but laugh. He never thought he'd be in a situation right out of a cheap drama.
It was pointless to stay, so he decided to skip class.
As he was leaving, he suddenly turned back to Nagasaki and said, "Lousy script, terrible actors, boring performance. I guess that's the extent of your taste. A little kid is still just a little kid; no matter how much you pretend to be mature, you're only capable of tricks at this level." With a shake of his head, he walked out.
"Hmph, what an attitude—stealing and still acting so arrogant!" a boy shouted.
"Can't believe Masashi is that kind of person. Never would've guessed."
"I wonder how Rumi will react when she hears about this," another boy said excitedly.
"What else? She'll definitely break up with him."
"Really? If it were me, I'd do that for sure."
"Nagasaki, are you alright? You look pale," a concerned girl asked.
"I'm fine, thanks," he replied with mild disgust.
"Nagasaki, are you angry?"
"It's none of your business." The transfer student clenched his teeth and returned to his seat.
"Gennai Masashi, you'll regret what you said today," Nagasaki thought, his face darkening.