Ch. 4: Socializing With Classmates

It had been a few days since Yamato and Sayla had started to spend their lunch breaks together.

Ever since they went to the CD store, they haven’t gone out anywhere after school, but having lunch on the roof together had become a regular occurrence for the two.

Today, I was having a nice lunchtime with Sayla.

“Ah, rain.”

As soon as Sayla muttered, a drop of rain fell on her nose, and it immediately started to rain heavily.

“Oh no, let’s go inside.”

“Aah!”

They hurried back inside, but they were both drenched.

Sayla had taken off her blazer and her blouse because they were both soaked, but she seemed to be wearing a camisole underneath them today, which was a relief to Yamato.

“Hmm, the camisole is sticking to me and it feels weird.”

Suddenly, Sayla started to flap the chest part of her blouse.

“Oh, oi, don’t flap your blouse when I’m here!”

“Ah, sorry.”

Correction, Yamato was not at all relieved, in fact, he was thrilled with this.

Yamato sighed as he listened to the sound of the rain as if to shake off his evil feelings.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. I guess we’ll have to switch to the gym for 5th period.”

“Huh? I thought that fifth period was P.E.”

“Yeah. We have to get changed, so let’s go back.”

“Sure, I want to dry my blouse anyways.”

Yamato still gets caught up in Sayla’s pace, in which she doesn’t mind saying what’s on her mind even in front of Yamato.

Therefore, Yamato tried to remain as calm as possible as he glanced sideways at the shoulder straps of Sayla’s transparent camisole.

Due to the rainy weather, both the boys and girls had to play basketball in the gym during 5th period.

The P.E. class was originally two different classes, so there were a lot of students. The court was divided into two halves, one side for the boys and the other for the girls.

Since the P.E. classes are normally separated by gender, most of the boys were eager to show off their good sides to the girls on the next court.

“““Kyaaaaah! Nice~!”””

As soon as the match started, the cheers of the girls echoed through the building.

But the girls’ eyes were not directed towards the boys.

Sayla had the attention of all the girls to herself.

She changed into a gym uniform with short sleeves and shorts, and even though she had just made a spectacular one-handed shot, she brushed her bangs away without changing her expression.

The girls in the gallery became even more excited due to her composure.

The boys were also fascinated by her dignified appearance.

Not only the boys who were not participating, but even the boys who were playing their own game seemed to be curious about her. Even the gym teacher’s words of reprimand did not reach them.

Of course, Yamato was no exception. He happened not to be playing, so he was sitting in the corner with Sayla’s heroic performance burned into his mind.

In this situation where the boys’ class is not functional, there is only one boy who is trying to be popular with the girls.

—That is Shinjo Eita.

“Hey, you guys, you don’t want us boys to continue like this, do you? I don’t want to! We’re in the same place! I want to be pampered by the girls!”

The boys around Eita regained their fighting spirit in their eyes as he inspired them.

(I don’t think I can keep up with their enthusiasm… I’ll pass.)

As usual, Yamato continued to sit in the gymnasium, but he was going to lose his loner status.

“Hey, Kuraki! You should come too!”

Eita beckoned to him with a big smile on his face, and as expected, Yamato was forced to stand up.

“…I’m not very good at sports.”

“Are you sure you want to let the saint take all the glory from us? I mean, Kuraki wants to be popular too, right?”

“Not really, I’m…”

To tell the truth, Yamato also wants to be popular.

And because Sayla was being hyped up so much, the fact that I, a man, wasn’t even participating in the game made me feel pathetic. The only thing I don’t like about the situation is that Eita seems to be using me as a mouthpiece.
[TLN: Mouthpiece is something that is used to fool other people. In this case, Eita is using Yamato as an example to hype others up.]

““““Wow! She’s so cool!””””

Then the voices of the girls rose again.

When Yamato glanced at Sayla, he saw that she had just made a three-point shot.

“…I understand, I’m in.”

The next thing he knew, Yamato was motivated to play. It’s a man’s determination.

“Hehe, that’s what I’m talking about.”

Eita tapped Yamato on the shoulder happily. This was strangely comforting, and his motivation increased even further.

The boys around him were also inspired by them and were now in high spirits.

As a result, the boys also began to take the game seriously. They were communicating loudly, and those who scored were shouting and yelling, it was quite noisy.

After the girls’ game was over, it seemed that they were taking a break, and the number of girls in the gallery gradually increased, which motivated the boys even more.

Eita, who scored the most points with his natural athleticism, seemed to be happy as he was cheered on by the girls.

Yamato, however, was not so good at sports and had yet to score any points.

In addition, he has not been able to communicate well with his teammates. After the incident with Sayla, the attitude of the people around Yamato softened, but even so, Eita was the only one among the boys who talked to him properly. Because of this, he had become a complete burden to the team.

Yamato felt so miserable that he couldn’t help but look at Sayla, who was probably on the court next to him.

However, as the game approached the end, Yamato was given a chance.

Eita sent a pass to Yamato who happened to be standing under the basket.

The basket was right in front of him. All he had to do was shoot the ball as he had learned in class and hit the four corners of the board, and the point would come.

(—I made up my mind!)

Clunk!

However, Yamato lost his aim and shot the ball and it hit the edge of the goal. After leaving an unpleasant crashing sound, the ball rolled silently on the floor.

─ beep beep beep …….

Then, at the worst possible moment, the stopwatch sounded. It was the signal for the end of the game.

Yamato kept his head down and stiffened, unable to look at his teammates.

(Damn, this sucks……. That’s just too awkward……)

Besides feeling sorry for his teammates, Yamato’s mind was freezing up with embarrassment and shame for missing the shot.

“Don’t mind it!”

It was Sayla, who had been watching the game while taking a break, who quickly called out to him.

Her words blew through the gymnasium like a refreshing breeze and softened Yamato’s tense expression.

Her words were followed by words of encouragement from those around her.

“Don’t worry about it”

“It happens all the time.”

Despite his twitching cheeks, Yamato managed to smile and apologized to his teammates, saying, “I’m sorry I missed the shot, even though it was open,” and Eita immediately squared Yamato’s shoulders.

“But that was a close one. If you had scored that goal, Kuraki would have been the MVP today. But we won the game anyways, so don’t worry too much about it!”

Eita said this in a joking tone and smiled at me.

As if sympathising with him, his other teammates called out to him.

“We won, so don’t worry about it.”

(After all, Shinjo is a good guy, isn’t he?)

Somehow, Yamato felt less bitter towards Eita than before.

“I’m grateful to you, Shinjo. Thanks.”

“It’s fine! —I’m jealous that you’re being treated so well by the saint.”

“Well, she’s my friend.”

“Friends huh…”

Yamato and Eita sat side by side outside the court as the next match began.

Eita then whispered.

“Maybe you could just go out with her, you know?”

Yamato turned his gaze on Eita and gave him a cold smile.

“I’ll ignore you if you’re trying to make fun of me.”

“Oh, scary. But I’m glad to see that Kuraki is opening up to me too.”

“No, just what kind of thought process brought you to that conclusion?”

“If you’re still unconscious of it, then you’re a genuine S. So, does that mean that the saint is unexpectedly a M?”

I don’t think it’s right to say that Sayla was a M. On the other hand, I feel uncomfortable calling myself a sadist.

“I don’t think she’s the kind of person who can be summed up like that.”

“Ho? That’s quite an interesting opinion.”

As Yamato looked at Eita, who nodded his head and showed interest, Yamato felt bewildered for some reason.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Does Shinjo, you know, li-li-like Shirase……?”

When Yamato fearfully asked, Eita froze for a moment and then said.

“Pfft… Hahahahaha!”

He started to laugh out loud.

“Oh, come on, you’re laughing too much. The teacher is staring at you.”

“Because you asked me with a straight face if I liked the saint! Ouch, my stomach hurts!”

“Was it so funny that you had to laugh?”

Yamato was not used to talking about romantic relationships with anyone, so he was confused.

Seeing Yamato like that, Eita clasped his hands together apologetically.

“I’m sorry. Well, it’s not that funny. I do think she’s beautiful, and I think she’s attractive. But she’s not my type, so don’t worry.”

“I see.”

“Because my type is Huzita-sensei.”

Huzita-sensei, who Eita briskly said, was a woman who worked as a school nurse. She was an intelligent, mature woman with a lot of femininity, and was certainly not the type of person that the blunt Sayla was.

Although it was a sudden proclamation, Yamato was not so surprised since he had overheard Eita telling his friends about it before.

Just that, Yamato was also puzzled by the timing of this confession.

“Heh…”

“That’s why I’m not interested in anyone else.”

“But you said earlier that you wanted to be pampered by girls.”

“That’s true. When you’re playing sports, it’s more motivating to have girls cheering you on, right? Besides, it simply makes me happy to be cheered at.”

Eita’s character is similar to Sayla’s when it comes to being honest with himself. But their personalities, or rather, their fundamental motivations, are very different.

“…It’s amazing in so many ways. It made me realize the gap between us once again.”

The difference between Eita and Yamato is clear, and Yamato was once again impressed by this realization.

“Is that so? It’s normal. From my point of view, Kuraki is even more amazing. After all, you’ve become friends with that saint.”

“It’s really just a coincidence…”

“I know, I know. You want to say it’s not about love or anything like that. I’m not trying to tease you, so don’t worry.”

As Eita half-heartedly told him to relax, Yamato reluctantly calmed down.

“Well, okay then.”

─Beep beep beep

Then the stopwatch sounded, and at the same time, the teacher called the class back together.

Eita, who had stood up earlier, reached out his hand to him, and Yamato took it and stood up.

“Well, whether it’s love or friendship, it’s all about timing, isn’t it? Of course, I’m not saying that’s the whole story.”

Eita’s words, spoken with deep emotion, somehow left a strong impression on Yamato’s mind.

The reason why Yamato was able to meet and get along with Sayla was also due to good timing.

When I thought about it that way, a lot of things seemed to make sense to me.

“Timing is everything, isn’t it?”

I asked Eita, who was walking in front of me, and he just turned his face towards me.

“No, it’s not. Even if you grab the right opportunity at the right time, if you don’t build trust afterward, the relationship will eventually disappear. The point is that you need to make an effort.”

Eita concluded as if he was talking lightly.

I wonder if I have been able to build a proper relationship of trust with Sayla.

I wasn’t confident enough to say that we trusted each other, but I didn’t think that we hadn’t built any at all.

“…I see, I learned a lot.”

As Yamato mumbled to himself, Eita squared his shoulders happily.

I felt a little depressed, but I didn’t shake him off.

“Bye-bye, Yamato.”

“Ah, oh, see you.”

As soon as it was after school, Sayla said her goodbyes and left the classroom.

It’s been like this for the past few days.

I’m not sure if she’s been busy with something lately or not.

“Oh, are you alone today?”

As Yamato was getting ready to go home, Eita started to talk to him in a frank manner. Yamato braced himself, wondering if he was being recruited for another club activity.

“I’m always alone on the way home.”

“Then you should come with me today—”

“Um, do you have a minute?”

Then one of my classmates interrupted me.

She has chestnut-brown hair in braids and a small, pretty face. She also has a big bosom. She has a gentle smile on her face, as well as a soft tone of voice.

Her name is Tamaki May. She is an honor student with excellent grades and serves on the class committee. She is a beautiful girl who is popular with both boys and girls because of her adorable animal-like appearance and good-natured nature.
[TLN: It should be Mei, but the book had her as Tamaki May, I’ll be going with that.]

Yamato thought that such a popular girl must be talking to someone who is also popular, and tried to fade out quietly, but…

“I have something I want to talk to Kuraki-kun about, can you give me a moment?”

“What?”

“Oh?”

Yamato was shocked by the unexpected appointment, while Eita smiled with amusement.

The rest of the people remaining in the classroom all rolled their eyes in surprise.

May, noticing that she was attracting the attention of those around her, hurriedly supplemented her statement with gestures.

“Well, it’s nothing serious, but! I wanted to ask Kuraki-kun something about the saint.”

Immediately, the people around him said, “oh, so that’s what it is,” and lost interest and scattered. As for Yamato, he was disappointed because he thought he was going to be put through another questioning about his relationship with Sayla.

“That’s fine, although I don’t think we have much to talk about.”

“Yeah, that’s fine then.”

However, May had an uncanny and serious expression on her face. I had a feeling that this could not be explained lightly as “we just happened to meet and hit it off” like usual.

Eita, who had been nodding his head in agreement with the conversation, opened his mouth as if reading the air.

“So I guess I’d better leave you here.”

“I’m sorry, but that would be very helpful.”

“I’m a very thoughtful man after all.”

“Haha, you speak for yourself. But thank you.”

May smiled and thanked Eita, even though Eita was being a bit rude.

The conversation between the two of them was a very natural exchange between friends, and Yamato was showing a misplaced interest in the fact that this was the atmosphere of real life.

After Eita sashayed away, May said, “this isn’t the right place to talk. Can we move somewhere else?”

Yamato wanted to avoid talking about Sayla in the classroom, so he agreed.

“Here you go.”

They moved to a deserted terrace in the school, and as Yamato sat down on a bench, May offered him a can of tea.

She had stopped by the vending machine on the way here, but Yamato had no idea that she had bought one for him as well. Yamato was even more surprised because it was something he always liked to drink.

“Ah, thanks.”

Yamato thanked her and was about to take out his wallet when May stopped him with her hand.

“I don’t need the money. I’m the one who asked you to stay.”

“Well, if that’s the case…”

Yamato understood that if he accepted the offer for free, he would not be allowed to make a half-hearted withdrawal, but he was forced to accept it because of May’s soft demeanor.

Then May sat down next to him, but she did not open her mouth at all.

Unable to bear the strange silence, Yamato opened the lid of the steel can to distract himself.

After Yamato took a sip of his drink, May let out a sigh.

“Well, then, I’d like to get right to it.”

You just purposely waited until I had a mouthful of tea—as he thought about it, he could feel the sweat running down his back because May had brought up the subject at the perfect time.

“Let’s see, what is it..?”

“I’m actually a fan of the saint. I’ve been wanting to get to know her for a long time, but it hasn’t worked out so well… Kuraki-kun seems to be friends with her, so I was wondering how you did it.”

“Huh, ha…?”

“It seems like you’ve been eating lunch together every day lately, and you two seemed to be getting along really well during PE. I’d like to know how you came to be like that.”

May said what she wanted to talk about in a surprisingly fast but smooth manner.

I don’t know if it was because of embarrassment or excitement, but her face was flushed and she seemed to be serious.

Her question was almost exactly what Yamato had expected. However, the earnestness of her words was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he had a feeling that the intensity of her persistence was different from everyone elses.

Yamato had to say something. However, he couldn’t say that the high school students met late at night and became friends because they had hung out all night.

Therefore, Yamato replied with an affectionate smile.

“It’s really just a coincidence. We ran into each other on the street and hit it off when we talked to each other. I’m sorry if that’s not helpful.”

For the record, I’m not lying. I’m just leaving out a lot of information.

“What did you two talk about? If you two hit it off, then you must have something in common, right?”

May’s eyes lit up as she closed the distance between them. Yamato moved to the edge of the bench to get some distance from her.

“It’s nothing important, it’s really just some idle conversations.”

“Yeah, like what?”

“Well, you know…. We talked about our favorite music.”

“Talking about music! What does the saint like?”

Even though Yamato had taken the trouble to move to the end of the bench, May was still coming at him without hesitation. The sweet scent of fruit, which was slightly different from that of Sayla, made it difficult for Yamato to organize his thoughts.

“You’re too close. I’ll talk, but please give me some space.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just…”

May came to her senses and pulled away.

Yamato reluctantly began to narrate the rest of the story, since he knew that what she did was not intentional.

“Like… Vocaloids.”

“Vocaloids, huh? I’m not familiar with that. What else?”

“And then there’s… anime songs.”

When he said that, Yamato regretted his mistake

First of all, this information was false. Sayla wasn’t interested in anime songs when she first started interacting with Yamato, and she probably doesn’t like them that much now either.

And while it may not be a problem if Sayla actually liked anime, there is a possibility that a shady guy like Yamato would be treated like an otaku and made to feel uncomfortable if he professed his love for anime.

However, Yamato’s fears seem to be unfounded.

May didn’t look particularly disdainful, but rather curious, and asked, “wow, what anime songs do you like?”

“One is the opening song of an anime that’s on right now, and it’s about a bunch of weird high school kids, but I think the name of the group that sings it is ‘Ambiguous Friends Group.’ ”

I noticed that May was diligently working on her phone. She was apparently taking notes.

I watched her for a while, and when she finished taking notes, she looked up and smiled at me.

“That’s very informative. I’m going to listen to that song and ask her about it next time.”

Perhaps because she had found a good topic of conversation, May seemed to be very happy.

“Why do you want to be friends with Shirase so badly?”

Yamato was curious about the reason and decided to ask.

She then blinked her eyes and moved away, looking upset.

If I just explain that I’m a fan, it won’t make sense to you?

“I couldn’t agree with you, but I felt that you were a little different from the other students who said they were fans. Your degree of seriousness is different… So, I was curious about the reason.”

She nodded her head and smiled.

“That’s right. If I’m just a fan, I wouldn’t go this far out of my way.”

“No, I didn’t say it was out of your way…”

“It’s okay, I’m aware.”

May sipped her own drink, then huffed and spoke.

“I’ve always wanted to be like the saint.”

…

I’m not sure how to respond to her, but she continues.

“The saint seems to live freely, without worrying about her surroundings, doesn’t she? That’s what I think is really cool about her.”

When Yamato nodded silently in agreement, May suddenly blushed.

“But don’t misunderstand me! It’s not like I’m in love with the saint or anything!”

“I know, I know. You said you admired her from the beginning.”

When Yamato replied in an admonishing manner, May patted her chest in relief.

“I’ve always tried to read the air around me. But, I want to be someone who can stand tall like her.”

“…That’s true, I’d like to learn from that part of Shirase too. Though I’m not sure I’m as good at reading the air as Tamaki-san.”

“Haha, you could certainly be a little more aggressive, Kuraki-kun.”

When a girl says that, it makes me feel miserable.

“You’re pretty unreserved, aren’t you…? Well, I’ll be as diligent as I can be on that.”

Seeing Yamato hanging down, May smiled gently and said, “yeah, good luck~”

Then May cleared her throat to conclude her story.

“Well, I guess that means I’m a serious fan who wants to get close to the ideal person. That’s why I was jealous when Kuraki-kun became friends with saint-san before me, but at the same time I wanted to continue somehow.”

“Ahem,” May said while puffing out her chest. …The size of her br**ts are magnificent for her small frame, which is another reason why she is so popular with boys. In fact, Yamato’s eyes were drawn to it for a moment.

As if to cover it up, Yamato cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry about… that. I thought I knew how popular Shirase was, but having someone like me around her is off putting…”

Yamato was aware of how shameful it was to say it, but he couldn’t stop the words from coming out.

When May heard Yamato’s words, she immediately shook her head from side to side.

“I’m not saying that. I’m sure the saint is there because she wants to be with Kuraki-kun, and that’s not something that other people should have a say in. I was just envious and jealous.”

“That may be true, but…”

As Yamato continued to stammer and falter, May asked slowly as if to admonish him.

“So, Kuraki-kun, if I or someone else told you to stop being Shirase’s friend, would you stop being her friend?”

As soon as he was asked, the answer came to Yamato.

“I won’t stop. I don’t want to stop.”

“That’s right. I’m relieved to hear that.”

Looking at the gentle smile on May’s face, Yamato felt calmer. He had heard that she has a reputation for being a healer, and he didn’t doubt those claims.

“I’m sorry for saying such a strange thing.”

“Seriously. I don’t know why I should encourage you when I’m the one asking for advice.”

Although she said that, Yamato appreciated her meddling, even if it did hurt him.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Haha, you’re always apologizing. If the master is unreliable, the disciples get anxious.”

Yamato’s back itched as May casually mentioned the words “master” and “disciple”.

“When you say master, you don’t mean me, do you?”

“I do! Kuraki-kun, who is already good friends with the saint, is a master from whom I have a lot to learn.”

“No, please don’t call me that…”

It’s good that there are no other students here, but if Yamato agrees to this, May might call him “master” in the classroom. He should avoid that.

“Hmmm… so maybe just ‘senpai’?”

“That’s not what I meant! I’m not in a position to be respected by you!”

“Then we’re ‘comrades’.”

“Comrades?”

“Comrades who think that the saint is noble. You don’t have a problem with that, right?”

“If that’s the case then I guess it’s alright…”

When their new relationship was established, May rejoiced innocently and said, “I did it!”

On the one hand, Yamato thought it was a strange relationship, but on the other, he felt that it wasn’t so bad to have someone to talk to about Sayla.

“Well, I’ll be asking you for help with the saint from time to time! I may even ask you for personal advice if I need it. In return, if you have anything you want to discuss with me, let me know. I’m always here!”

“Well, as long as it’s something I can help with.”

“That’s fine! Oh, we didn’t exchange contact information, did we?”

Then, driven by May’s momentum, we exchanged contact information.

“I think that’s it. I’ll be going home soon. See you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow.”

Yamato also walked away after watching May’s back as she walked away with a somewhat stern look on her face.

(Come to think of it, she never once asked me if I thought Shirase and I were in a romantic relationship.)

At this point, Tamaki May is probably a smart person, or rather, a person with a good head.

The only time she seemed to be a little clumsy was when she was talking about Sayla.

Anyway, I never thought that I would get involved with the popular May in this way.

The same goes for what happened with Eita.

Before I met Sayla that night, I had never dreamed that I would be involved with them in this way. To be honest, even now I almost wonder if I’m dreaming.

However, this is reality. I’m sure of it because it hurt when I pulled hard on my cheek.

Also, what I’ve come to realize lately is that I’ve been too self-conscious.

It’s true that there are people who care about Yamato’s former “truant” status, but there are also people who don’t care about it.

Not only Sayla, but also Eita and May, who were probably aware of the rumors, didn’t seem to be bothered.

Yamato now realized that it was he who had built the wall around himself, assuming that everyone was treating him like a bad person.

After changing my shoes, I stepped out of the school, and the sunset sky seemed unusually wide.

“I’m hungry.”

After muttering to himself naturally, Yamato loosened his mouth and walked away.