“Aoi-san, you’re still no good at PE, huh?”
“I can run a bit, but they told me to take it easy for a while longer.”
Inside the gymnasium, I gaze absently at my classmates playing basketball during the lesson from under the stage.
The ones who stand out the most are, as expected, Kiritsuki and Tomiya, but in moments like these, Kaori shines just as brightly, holding her own.
While Kaori might lose to Kiritsuki, who’s in top form from the sports club, in terms of stamina, she seems to surpass her in explosive power and raw athletic talent.
“What about you?”
“I think I twisted my ankle earlier. It’s not swollen or anything, so I’m just taking a break for now.”
“Be careful, not that I’m one to talk.”
Honestly, I’m the last person who should be saying that.
My risk management is just too pathetic.
Whether it’s sports or romance.
When did I start convincing myself that no one could ever like me?
If I think about it calmly, even though she’s my childhood friend, a kind girl like Kaori, who treats everyone the same, has always given me a bit of special treatment, and there was even a time when she relied on me a lot.
Just because two girls have shown me affection doesn’t mean it’s something to freak out about.
From that thought, I came to a single conclusion.
It seems I’m afraid of being liked by someone.
Of course, I worry that letting someone like me might bring some kind of harm, but more than that, I think I’m terrified of disappointing someone who once said they liked me.
That’s why I’m happiest when relationships stay at the level of playful banter with friends or at a comfortable distance where I don’t have to overthink things.
When I interact with people, I have a bad habit of looking for their flaws before I notice their good qualities.
So I view people with the assumption that they have those flaws. By accepting that, I avoid building expectations.
Since I don’t want others to have expectations of me, I put up a mental safety net to ensure it doesn’t hurt even if I’m seen in a bad light.
It’s not like I was always aware of this; rather, I consciously trained myself to think this way.
So that I could feel at ease even if people disliked or judged me.
Besides, the first person I could truly call a friend was Tomiya.
Ironically, despite spending so much time with him, he’s such a genuinely good guy that I couldn’t find any real flaws in him.
Maybe it’s because we’re so different that we could connect, even if just a little, and were drawn to each other. There’s no room for jealousy between us.
“Aoi-san, can you play basketball? I can barely manage to dribble.”
“Ball games… or rather, team sports in general, aren’t my thing. I’ve always been bad at ‘cooperating.’”
Group activities and communal living are also things I struggle with.
The only time I managed to handle them well was the second half of last year.
That’s why, ever since I learned about the school trip coming up in September, I’ve been secretly hoping that day would never come, like it’s some kind of mistake.
During the school trip in my third year of middle school, there was group and free time.
Right after free time started, I went to the bathroom, and in less than a few minutes, I came back to find myself completely abandoned in an unfamiliar place. I’ve never felt my spine freeze like that moment, even now.
“So you’re better at individual sports, huh?”
“Maybe, since I don’t have to worry about others.”
I used to think I was pretty good at going along with people, though.
“I’m not really good at sports in general.”
Sorry, Miyajima, but that’s obvious just by looking.
I won’t say which part, but it’s painfully clear that some physical traits put you at a disadvantage.
“That said, if you ask if I’m good at academics… that’s a tough one.”
“Oh, really? I had this image that you were good at studying.”
“I love language-related studies and think I’m pretty good at them, but everything else is below average.”
“Isn’t that fine? If you can confidently say you’re good at languages, that’s something.”
That alone means you’re confident in scoring high on at least two subjects in tests, and language studies will probably be really useful in the future.
Wouldn’t that give you an edge if you aimed for a job at a foreign company? Not that I know much about it.
“By the way, midterms start tomorrow, right? How’s your prep going, Aoi-san?”
“Hm? Well…”
Even after Kiritsuki said something that felt like a confession, she’s still helping me study for the tests.
I don’t have much choice but to accept it. I mean, I can’t make any progress studying alone.
I did ask Kaori again if she could help, but it seems impossible until the finals.
Unfortunately, as soon as finals are over, summer break starts.
It’s rare for me to rely on Kaori this much, so what terrible timing.
Since that day, there’s no doubt that Kiritsuki, who was already close, has gotten even closer.
“Thinking about the finals, I’m making more progress than ever before.”
Since there are no club activities during this period, I’m really grateful that she’s been helping me study until late after school.
“Things are going well, huh? Is it because you have a good teacher?”
It seems she’s already figured out that Kiritsuki is tutoring me.
“…Probably, yeah.”
Maybe because I’ve been focused during the test period, my parents have been coming home earlier or taking paid leave to spend more time at home.
Thanks to that, Kohaku has been in good spirits lately.
When it’s just me and her at home, she’s noticeably less lively, and seeing that so clearly has left a mark on my heart.
On top of that, Kiritsuki is genuinely thorough when it comes to studying, so aside from Kohaku’s situation, everything’s going smoothly.
As for that, I’m starting to feel like I have to give up.
The reason I’m sitting out of PE today is to resume practicing kagura dance starting tomorrow.
I really need to get my stamina back, and since midterms mean we get to go home after the morning, the timing works out.
But that means I’ll have to see Hino Hana again.
It’s just a matter of sooner or later. If that’s the case, it’s better to talk to her properly and get it over with.
I’ve learned the hard way that feeling awkward around Hino Hana, someone I used to interact with so freely, is exhausting.
“Sandra~ I’m stepping out, wanna join us over here?”
Out of the blue, Kiritsuki, who was dominating the court in the back, called out to Miyajima during a halftime break.
“Oh, sure, I’ll join!”
A few girls on the opposing team from the same court looked visibly relieved.
And no wonder—Kaori’s the only one who can actually keep up with her.
If Kaori’s resting due to stamina issues, the rest of the team just gets toyed with by Kiritsuki.
Swapping with Miyajima, Kiritsuki plopped down next to me.
A faint citrus scent tickled my nose, one I’ve grown oddly used to.
There’s a bit of sweat on her forehead, but it doesn’t seem like she brought a towel or anything.
“Here, use this.”
I pulled a handkerchief from my jersey pocket and handed it to Kiritsuki. She glanced between the handkerchief and my face before muttering a quiet thanks.
“Oh, how thoughtful. Thanks.”
“You seem pretty relaxed.”
“Well, yeah, I’m holding back.”
“That’s you holding back? Even with some girls from the basketball team out there?”
“It’s all about, you know, skill and… vibes?”
I’m pretty sure she’s using “vibes” wrong.
I don’t know about skill, but the fact that Kiritsuki, a track athlete, is better at basketball than the basketball team is undeniable.
She’s got springs in her legs that you wouldn’t expect from a long-distance runner.
Suddenly, I felt a weight on my shoulder.
Glancing over, I saw Kiritsuki leaning against me like a cat seeking affection.
“…What are you doing?”
“C’mon, it’s fine. No one’s looking.”
“Kaori’s looking, though.”
“Wha—?”
Kiritsuki hurriedly lifted her head, and at the end of her gaze was Kaori, staring straight at us while casually playing.
Maybe she’s distracted, because even while talking to Miyajima, she kept sneaking glances our way.
“…Kaori’s always watching you every chance she gets, isn’t she?”
“She’s been like that forever. Probably just a habit.”
“Huh.”
Despite bringing it up herself, Kiritsuki gave a half-hearted reply. Even though Kaori and a few others were stealing glances at us, she leaned against me again.
“It’s hot, get off.”
“Just take off your long-sleeve then.”
She’s the one who was just running around; why do I have to strip just because she won’t move?
“…You’re sturdier than you look, Himura-kun. Kinda lean and ripped?”
“You’re imagining things.”
I don’t even train, so there’s no way I’m ripped. If anything, I’m probably looking frail since I’m cutting weight.
“Hey, midterms start tomorrow… what’s the plan for today?”
“My parents aren’t home, so I’m heading back early.”
“Gotcha. Well then—”
“Sorry, but save that for after finals.”
“Ugh, fine… guess it can’t be helped if you’ve got stuff to do.”
Muttering softly, Kiritsuki stayed quiet after that, leaning against my shoulder until the class ended.
☆Afterword──────────────────
Woo, Kiritsuki-san’s totally smitten~.
Due to multiple requests, I’m currently working on a character list.
I’m still figuring out what format would be easiest to read, so I’m experimenting.
Also, thank you for 8,000 follows!
By the way, among the title abbreviations we were collecting, “TakaLove” felt the most fitting, so we’re going with that.
Thank you so much for all your suggestions.
