Translator: RaidenTL
Screech-! Squeak-!
The sound of high-traction shoes rubbing against the gym court.
Sitting on a low vaulting horse placed to one side of the gym, I watched the girls play volleyball.
"Defense!!"
"Got it!"
At a girl's urgent shout, Miyuki, the libero, saved the ball flying in her direction.
Fwump-!
The volleyball arced slowly upwards.
The perfect speed and height for the setter to make a toss.
She's smart... she's athletic...
Is there anything my Miyuki can't do?
She's the perfect childhood friend heroine.
"Nice defense!"
At the cheer from Tetsuya, who was sitting next to me, Miyuki flashed a bright smile and waved.
At a glance, it looked like she was responding to Tetsuya...
...but that wave was definitely for me.
"Matsuda, doesn't Miyuki seem to be in a great mood today?"
Tetsuya asked, a wide grin on his face.
Playing along, I replied.
"I don't know. Can't really tell."
"She was so talkative in the car today, too. Something good must have happened, right?"
She was touching her forehead constantly and being nosier than usual.
"I wouldn't know. I'm getting sleepy, so you go play some basketball."
"But the weather's so sticky..."
As much as I genuinely hate Tetsuya, I couldn't help but agree with what he just said.
It was pouring rain, and the humidity made me not want to break a sweat.
Is the late rainy season here already?
The weather isn't annoying, but having Tetsuya next to me is.
I got off the vaulting horse and lay down in a corner of the gym.
Usually, in a gym like this, the cliché is for a stray ball to fly over and hit me...
The students' faces would go pale as they nervously watched me...
Miyuki would rush over, check if I'm okay, and tell me not to get angry...
And I, though not happy about it, would listen to Miyuki and calm down...
There you have it, a whole rom-com style rehabilitation event, just like that.
As the sound of balls echoing through the gym faded and the students' boisterous chatter died down, I drifted off to sleep, lost in one fantasy or another.
"Matsuda-kun."
A pure voice tickled my ear.
It was strange.
I'm usually a heavy sleeper, but Miyuki's voice calling my name woke me right up.
Poke. Poke.
When something sharp poked my shoulder, I shifted, pretending I was still asleep.
Lying on my side, my back to the voice, I felt a warm breath...
Whoosh...
...right by my ear, and my body shuddered.
I shook my head vigorously and shot upright.
Then I stared at Miyuki and her beaming face in disbelief.
"What are you doing?"
"I blew in your ear, Matsuda-kun. To wake you up."
Look at her, acting so nonchalant... She's gotten bold. Is she starting to take after me?
I said, furiously cleaning my ear with my finger.
"It's lunchtime. Why'd you wake me up?"
"I'm waking you up because it's lunchtime. They said we have to clear out the gym. Hurry up and let's go eat."
You're about to give me a boner.
How am I supposed to stand up like this?
I looked around and saw no one else.
Looks like everyone cleared out as soon as class ended.
I let out a long breath to shake off my drowsiness and grumbled.
"What a heartless bunch. Leaving me here all alone..."
"They were scared you'd get mad if they woke you. You were about to snap at me just now, weren't you?"
"That's because you did something weird."
"I woke you up like that on purpose. I wanted to see how much you've changed from the Matsuda-kun who'd throw a punch first."
What a convenient excuse.
"Where's Miura? Why are you by yourself?"
"A professor called for Tetsuya-kun, so he went to the faculty office for a bit."
"Which professor?"
"You dropped the honorific."
I let out a dry laugh and leaned my head against the gym wall.
Miyuki gave a little smile, sat down next to me, and started smoothing out the pleats of her uniform skirt.
The unique plum scent that Miyuki always has right after a shower was cutting through the gym's damp, musty smell.
A minty fragrance wafted from her still-damp hair, refreshing not just my nose but my spirit.
Plink. Plonk.
The sound of rain hitting the gym windows made the quiet atmosphere feel even more subdued.
"It's raining a lot... isn't it?"
"Yeah. It is."
On days like this, it's perfect to just stay home and fall asleep to the sound of the rain.
I like how the dark clouds hide the sun and make everything dim, too...
"Are you going to wait for me...?"
Miyuki asked, hugging her knees.
I turned my head and asked back.
"The rain doesn't look like it's stopping. What do you want to do today?"
Did she like how my question implied an answer?
Miyuki's face lit up.
"I'm not sure. Should we go to the arcade...?"
"No."
"Want to go to a cafe like yesterday?"
"No."
"....Let's see a movie."
Are those the only date spots you can think of? Hanging out with Tetsuya all the time has pickled your brain.
They're indoors, which is good, but they're not lewd enough.
I need to remodel her tastes, and fast.
"I don't want to."
"What... Then you decide, Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki said, sounding a little pouty.
I smirked, bent the leg closest to Miyuki, and took her wrist, placing her hand on my knee.
Then I started to gently fiddle with her smooth fingernails.
"Ah, what are you doing..."
A cute little protest.
She showed no sign of pulling away.
I continued to stroke her nails in silence, making the atmosphere even more charged, and just as she was about to unconsciously bring her hand to her forehead, I spoke.
"We'll be hungry if we stay out late... Shouldn't we eat dinner first?"
"....Yeah... What should we eat...?"
"Let's eat at my place."
"Your... place?"
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, Miyuki's eyes went wide.
"Let's eat at my house, then figure out where to go. How about it?"
"....."
Miyuki's face flushed bright red.
She'd often come over to my house alone.
She'd bring over lunchboxes during vacation, or come over early before it got too hot just to enjoy the air conditioning.
Casually, without a second thought.
I'd even suggested we start studying together early, and she'd always happily agreed.
But the Miyuki of now was extremely shy and hesitant.
This was a change brought on by the development of our relationship.
Miyuki and I had already shared a lot of skinship.
Just yesterday, we'd kissed in an enclosed space and shared a blush-inducing atmosphere in the car on the way home.
After all that, asking her to come to my house, just the two of us, would naturally make the same words feel completely different to her.
The emotionally charged weather probably played a part, too.
In times like this, all she needs is a little push.
Thinking this, I turned her hand over and intertwined our fingers.
"You told me to think about my health. I don't know how to cook."
"....Are you asking me to cook for you right now...?"
"I'm not forcing you, just asking what you think. If you don't want to, we can eat out."
"I-It's not that I don't want to..."
"There's no food at home, so let's go grocery shopping first."
"Hey... I haven't even decided if I'm going or not yet...? I'll think about it and let you know..."
Think positively.
It's not like I said I was going to do anything lewd, right? I only thought it.
I gave a slow nod in response and stood up as I spoke.
"Let's go eat. I'm hungry."
"Ah, okay..."
"Hmm...!"
Chinami inspected the aired-out howan with a displeased look on her face.
She slipped her hand into the gauntlet and back out, then sniffed it.
Then, she spread her hand wide and held it right in front of my nose.
"Here, take a sniff."
I brought my nose to her small palm and sniffed before speaking.
"It smells a little like alcohol. Should I wipe it again?"
"No, this is good enough to pass. I'm complimenting you on a job well done. Just keep maintaining them like this."
Then why were you scowling just now?
I'll never understand Chinami's mind.
Shrugging it off, I turned to leave the equipment storage room.
But I had to stop when Chinami suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"What is it?"
"Matsuda-kun, what did I tell you to do when cleaning the protective gear on a rainy day?"
"Ah... I forgot the dehumidifier."
"Exactly, exactly. On a gloomy day like this, you have to turn on the dehumidifier."
Grinning, Chinami turned on the dehumidifier in the corner of the room.
Then, as she turned to walk away,
Thump-!
"Ugek!"
She ended up bumping her head right into my chest as I'd moved closer.
But her yelp being 'Ugek!'... it's kind of funny.
It's that classic over-the-top Japanese reaction, but maybe because I'm used to this place, I find it cute now.
Suddenly, I'm curious what her moans sound like.
Chinami clutched her nose, scowling as she scolded me.
"Matsuda-kun...! What are you doing standing in the way?"
"I was on my way to turn on the dehumidifier."
"Didn't you see me turning it on?"
"No, I didn't. I was checking the condition of the gear."
"So you were distracted...! That's dangerous in the storage room, so from now on..."
Chinami's words trailed off.
Because I had placed my hand on the back of her neck.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
Pretending to check on her, I used a concerned voice as I gently massaged the back of her neck with just the right amount of pressure.
"Haaaah..."
Chinami's eyes went unfocused, and a languid sigh escaped her lips.
Does she like massages? I should do this for her more often.
After enjoying my touch for a moment, focus returned to Chinami's eyes.
She struggled, pushing my arm away, then put her hands on her hips and reprimanded me.
"Matsuda-kun...! You can't just touch someone's body without permission!"
"No... Your head snapped back so hard, Master. I was just worried."
"The thought is commendable... but don't you know it's proper etiquette to ask first?"
"I thought I heard a crack... I'll be more careful next time."
"D-Did we hit that hard? Anyway, please be careful. This is the kendo club room. If the director or the captain saw you ignoring proper etiquette... you'd be in for a serious scolding. Understand?"
Etiquette, my ass.
Later on, I'm going to be making out with you and Renka in this storage room, not to mention the girls' locker room and the shower room.
The chair in the director's office looked comfortable... It might be a good spot for when he's not around.
"Yes."
"Good. In that case..."
Just as Chinami was about to say something else,
—Thank you for your hard work, Director!!
The loud greetings of the club members echoed from outside the storage room.
Looks like club activities are over.
Chinami looked at the closed door, smacked her lips, and spoke.
"Club activities are over. What should we do now?"
"We need to collect the uniforms."
"Correct. Well, shall we go?"
"Let's."
"Ah, and Matsuda-kun."
"Yes."
"After we're done collecting everything, could you stay behind for a bit? Since we couldn't practice today because of the rain, I was planning to practice inside the club room. Of course, if you're busy, you can just go."
I can spend the time waiting for Miyuki so productively?
I'm all for it.
I gave Chinami a wide, toothy grin.
"I'm not busy. I'll stay."