Apparently the Gal who Bullies me Likes me

Chapter 10

In the Gymnasium Again after a Long Time 

It is now in the middle of July and the cicadas are starting to sing.

The rainy season, which came late, is completely over, and the days are now hot and humid with a strong sunshine.

The activities of the art club have been getting busier and busier recently.

"I want you to come to the gym after school once in a while so that Rina and her friends doesn't get suspicious."

Tachibana asked me to go to the gym.

If I don't show up every once in a while, Rina might wonder what I'm doing.

And so today is the day that I will go to the gym.

After school, when the classes are over, Tachibana and I are heading to the gym.

Until now, when I went to the gym, my legs were heavy like lead and I felt gloomy thinking that I was about to meet those guys.

But now it is different.

As I know Tachibana will protect me, she is so reliable.

With a rattle, I opened the door to the gymnasium.

The inside of the gymnasium had not changed at all.

The gymnastic boxes and mats that were no longer used in gym class are still there. There was also a sofa that someone had brought in.

I sat on the mat at the end of the room where I used to sit while Tachibana is sitting on the sofa.

Even though Tachibana was there, I still felt nervous when I'm here.

Perhaps seeing my anxious face, Tachibana said

"It's okay. I've made it clear that you are my exclusive servant, and so I don't think they'll make a move on you."

"Yeah, I guess so."

With a rattle the door to the gymnasium opens.

"Wow, Kyoko, you're here already?"

Umezawa and the others went inside the gym.

Umezawa has long blonde hair with her bangs brushed back, and her skirt is so short you can almost see her panties.

The other three girls also had short skirts and key rings on their bags.

I knew it, they were really intimidating.

Including Tachibana, the five members of the well-known gal group are all here and they are all sitting in their usual position

Tachibana and Umezawa are sitting on the sofa, and the other three are sitting on the mat or on the jumping box.

Umezawa finds me sitting on the mat at the end of the room.

"Oi you are here today, too?"

Tachibana then immediately said "Yes, because he's my slave."

So I'm Tachibana's slave? I didn't know that.

Maybe she only said that to protect me from being bullied by them.

When Umezawa heard that she said "Ah, well, slave, go get me something to drink."

That's so sudden but there's no way I could refuse her.

"...Yes."

"Hurry up!"

While Umezawa is pressuring me the other gals around me are laughing.

I then open the door to the gymnasium, then I glance at Tachibana secretly without being seen by Umezawa and the others.

Tachiba is putting her small hands together in front her face while moving her mouth to form the word "I'm sorry" with any sounds.

I then left the gym and is now heading to the vending machines.

It's been a while since I've run an errand for them.

I walk through the courtyard to the tennis court next to the playground where the vending machines are located.

The members of the brass band are practicing in the courtyard. I wonder if they are trombone players there.

I heard a clanging sound coming from the ground. It must be from the baseball team.

As I left the courtyard and passed by the field, the track and field team ran past me in a group.

It was a familiar scene of club activities. A sight that I will only be able to see for the next three years until graduation.

Everything seemed to sparkle when I thought of that.

While I was immersed in such sentimentality, I arrived at the vending machine.

A man wearing the basketball team's practice uniform was wondering which one to buy.

I'm standing behind him waiting for him to finish.

Then the person notices my presence then he turns around.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll be done soon!"

I recognized his face, he's the captain of the basketball team.

Our basketball team is strong and famous, and this person, the captain in particular, must have been so good that he was chosen for the national team. The whole school was talking about the TV interview with the captain of the basketball team.

And this is the guy who confessed his love to Tachibana.

There was a lot of excitement about the birth of a beautiful couple but Tachibana turned him down.

I wonder why she turned him down.

He's cool also he's captain of the basketball team, and he seems kind, so I don't see any reason why she refuse.

I heard the sound of juice falling into the dispenser.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

He said so and then he runs away.

I lost to him in all aspects and it seems there's no way I could win if someone compare us. Oh, but I'm an art club, and if I'm good at painting maybe I would win in that aspect. But that person may be also good at painting, if I lose in that aspect to it's all over.

Thinking about this, I returned to the gymnasium with enough juice for all of us.

When I returned to the gymnasium and opened the door, I suddenly heard

"I told you to hurry up!"

The other gals complained too.

Tachibana also complained but she said it in a small voice.

"... You're late"

You're doing great Tachibana.

I give everyone the juice.

When handing the juice to Tachibana, Tachibana says in a small voice "I'm sorry"

I then move my mouth and say "It's okay." without making a noise.

After I handed the juice to all of them I sat again on the mat.

Tachibana and her friends are drinking  the juice while chatting.

I feel uncomfortable with seeing Tachibana using a different gal tone than she's using when were talking.

When I look at Umezawa's bag, I see that it is unzipped and a luxury brand wallet is peeking out from inside.

I have been thinking for a while that everyone, including Tachibana, seems to have a lot of luxury brand bags and clothes. It is something that a student could not afford to buy and It's also not the kind of thing that a high school student can buy with just a part-time job.

Don't tell me they are engaging in enkou?

I don't know about Umezawa and the others, but I don't think Tachibana would do such a thing.

After all Tachibana's parents are rich, and she probably gets a lot of money from them.

Though that's what I want to believe.

"Ah, I have to go to the bathroom."

Tachibana left the gym to use the restroom.

With Tachibana gone I'm now alone with those gals.

And now I'm really scared.

Tachibana please come back soon.

Even though Tachibana is gone, Umezawa and the others are still talking and are having fun.

In order to make Umezawa and the others forget my presence, I stay still on the mat and hide my breath.

I think I am really good at making my presence disappear.

I assimilate with the mat on which I am sitting and wait for time to pass while convincing myself that I am a mat.

The door rattles and Tachibana returns.

At the same time, I return to being a human, too.

I'm so glad that Tachibana is back.

"It's a little early for us, but maybe it's time for us to go home." Tachibana suggested.

"Ok! Let's go home."

Umezawa and the others then stand up with their bags.

Umezawa then looks at me and said "You should clean up." then she walks out of the gym.

I want to say no but I can't say it.

They left really early today as the sun hasn't set yet and there are club activities going on outside.

It's been a while since I cleaned the gym after they left.

I listen to the sound of the brass band practicing in the distance as I clean up the empty juice cans and the trash from the snacks they've eaten.

After cleaning, I take a rest on the sofa where Umezawa and Tachibana were sitting.

It is softer than I had expected.

The release from tension makes me sleepy.

Let's sleep a little, just five minutes.

I close my eyes and lean my body against the back of the sofa.

I can feel my consciousness is flying away.


...

​
I wake up to the smell of sweet perfume.

I open my eyes.

My vision is blurry, but I know someone is there.

I rub my eyes to clear my vision.

"Good morning."

The voice sounded familiar.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Tachibana.

Tachibana is right in front of me.
​
"Wh... why are you still here?"

"I came back and I said to them that I forgot something. Then I saw you sleeping."

Tachibana then laugh.

"I'm sorry it's because I'm tired and then I just fell asleep." I said that while I smiles shyly.

Tachibana then sits down beside me.

The smell of her sweet perfume becomes stronger.

"I'm sorry for today."

"Don't worry it's fine."

"Oh! That's right you remember what I asked you last time."

She asked me before who is my favorite artist, so I told her about them.

"They're so good, aren't they?"

"Yeah They're really good."

Lately she's been asking me a lot about my favorite artists and TV shows.

After that, Tachibana and I talked about that artist and she also recommended me some songs. We talked a lot that we forgot about the time.

The sun had completely set and it was getting dark.

"It's getting late, we've talked too much, shall we go home?"

I turned off the lights in the gym and headed for the bike shed.

"You're still using your bike? You should take the train soon."

Tachibana still insists on me taking the train to school.

"I'll think about it."

When I arrive at the bicycle parking lot, Tachibana is staring at me as I remove the security chain from my bicycle.

I'm sure this exact same scene happened before.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Yes"

Tachibana then throws her bag into the basket of the bicycle.

Tachibana sits on the back of the bicycle  in front of the school gate then I started pedaling the bicycle.

"It's so heavy."

"What?"

Tachibana is staring at me.

It's also the same at that time.

But now our relationship is different from back then.

At that time, we were the bully and the bullied.

Now...   We are friends.

The weight on the back of my bicycle, which I don't usually feel, was very lovely.

I then escorted Tachibana to her house.

"Turn right here."

I did as I'm told and I turned right.

"Just go straight"

I wonder where is her house.

"Stop, Here! This is my house."

I see a huge mansion in front of me.

I can't believe she lives her.

She is indeed rich.

The entrance is like the entrance that you see on those high class condominium.

Tachibana takes something that looks like a small machine out of her bag and points it at the door.

When she did that the door opens automatically.

I was surprised by that scene then Tachibana said "Thanks for the ride! See you tomorrow!"

I stare at the back of Tachibana's head in amazement.

I then went into our house. Unlike before when I pedal my bicycle I feel that it's really light on the back.

It is fun to be with Tachibana.

I wish we could go home together like this every day.

I guess tomorrow I will go to school by train.

​

Note: In case someone is confused remember we know the reason why Tachibana rejected the captain of the basketball team is because she said that in her monologue in one of her POV chapters.

-Enkou is short for Enjo Kousai and is translated as compensated dating with high school girls.