Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

Autumn was busy as usual with the Athletics Meet and the Learning Presentation, you see. Emperor who was the anchor for the baton relay, managed the shocking achievement of pulling the class from last place to 1st place, so it’s been really noisy with the squealing of the girls.

*imouto*

*imouto*

“It was a shame about your class wasn’t it, Akizawa-kun.”

Akizawa-kun’s class had been 1st place until Emperor overtook them. What’s more, Akizawa-kun was the anchor.

“We were up against Kaburagi-kun so it can’t be helped. Maybe it might have been different if Enjou-kun had joined in though.”

The truth is, Akizawa-kun and Enjou are actually in the same class. This time Enjou injured his leg before the Athletics Meet or something, so he couldn’t participate in the baton relay or any of the other main events.

“But you were the anchor, so you are fast too, aren’t you. As I recall, you participated last year as well, did you not?”

“I only got chosen as the anchor right as it started though, thanks to Enjou-kun’s injury. But running isn’t a bad feeling. When we enter the middle school section, I want to join the track and field club.”

“Oh, I see.”

I haven’t thought as far as middle school yet. To begin with, I guess there isn’t anything I want to particularly do. Maybe if I had to say something, then eating a lot of cheap sweets? Uu-… I’m talking about myself here, but it’s pretty bad…

“You were part of the ball-toss game, right, Kisshouin-san?”

“Yes. I was first place.”

Since ball-tossing was something he could do even with a busted leg, Enjou joined in. Though, with him there, the girls in his class were more interested in getting close to him than the ball-tossing, and a whole different kind of competition began. Because of that, Akizawa-kun’s class did really badly. Giving all that a small glance, I diligently continued to toss the balls into the nets, and turned into a ball-tossing machine. Since I’m not all that great with sports I wouldn’t have been able to help in the other events, so I had just wanted to try my best in ball-tossing at least. I’m more than satisfied with 1st place in ball-toss.

“For a while after the Athletics Meet, all these girls kept barging into Kaburagi-kun’s class to see him, didn’t they? The uproar was really intense, huh? Apparently Kaburagi-kun got angry in the end though.”

“Indeed.”

But that uproar is an annual occurence. Girls are always in an uproar around Kaburagi Masaya, but after events like athletics meets, the magnitude is on a different level. And he flips out each year as well, so I kind of think they should just learn their lesson already, but apparently a maiden in love can’t be stopped.

“The uproar on each Valentine’s Day is also a sight to see, isn’t it.”

“Yeah, that was pretty crazy too! There was even a line of girls in the corridor waiting to give him chocolates, and it ended up as this mountain on his table, you know? Wow, it was crazy~ Someone like me only gets chocolate from Mum, Oneechan and my childhood friend.”

“I understand. I too, only gave chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama.”

Starting two years ago, I started giving handmade chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama. This year Oniisama tried to be polite about it and told me “It must have been difficult for you to make it yourself, so just buying me chocolate is fine, okay?” but how could there possibly be too much time or effort for my beloved Oniisama! And what’s more, this year has the all-important exams for the high school section, so I stuffed my prayers for his success into the chocolate as well, along with my love for him. And Oniisama seemed to find it delicious too, so I’m super pleased. Since he seemed so happy about it, I’ll definitely try my best next year as well.

“Oh? You didn’t give Kaburagi-kun any chocolate, Kisshouin-san?”

“Eh-? Why would I?”

What the heck? What a disturbing idea.

“No, I mean, I thought for sure that you were in love with him too.”

“Definitely not.”

I accidentally gave a blunt denial. This isn’t a joke. Just who the heck would pursue such a dangerous romance.

“I see. Ah-, could it be that it’s Enjou-kun?”

“That is also not the case.”

Um, seriously though. Why are those two the only choices? To begin with, I don’t like popular people. Looking at them objectively they’re certainly cool, but if they’re so popular there’s gunna be too many rivals, and it’s just scary.

Mm~mm… But ‘romance’, huh…?

Thinking about it, I’ve never had a crush on anybody in this world. Maybe it’s still too early for me. In my old life, my first love was my older cousin, wasn’t it.

Geh-! Aren’t I just like Ririna then? But I don’t think I was such a troublesome child…

If I remember correctly, we went kite-flying on new years and he played with me, so I liked him because he was kind to me. The fact that he wasn’t rowdy like the boys in my grade gave him a lot of points.

In my old life, when I was in primary school the boys in my grade would do stuff like play hockey with the broom sticks and accidentally hit girls with the ball, or have milk-chugging competitions (which I still don’t understand), or steal the sweets that I brought with me on excursions and even tell me “It’s cause you keep eating stuff like this that you’re a fatty, you knooow!” as they walked off with them, so they really were just a bunch of idiots. What do you mean ‘fatty’, you stupid brats! My size at the time wasn’t ‘fat’ yet, it was ‘plump’! I was just a bit round. When it snowed, I packed some snow into a rock of a snowball and pegged it at those fools. And then immediately hid. They were super mad because they didn’t know who did it. Serves them right.

Thanks to that, although there aren’t any big idiots like that in Suiran, thanks to the shining presences of Kaburagi and Enjou in our grade, unfortunately the impressions left by the other boys in our grade are weak. Although I think once we get a bit older and their own individuality starts to bloom, there’ll be a few other popular guys in their own right. Endure until then, unfortunate boys.

But still, kind boys, huh? When it comes to boys who are kind, I know basically Oniisama and…

I stared at Akizawa-kun next to me.

“Eh-? What?”

Akizawa-kun is a nice kid too, isn’t he. At cram school he’ll talk to me without reserve, and I get the feeling that I’m more myself around him than when I’m with any of the girls at school. And the other day when I was going home, he opened the door for me. He’s a gentleman. His face and brown hair remind me of a squirrel, so he’s cute.

“Um, Kisshouin-san? Did I do something?”

“No, nothing of the sort.”

I smiled to blow things over.

Akizawa-kun is a kind and very good kid, but for some reason I can only think of him as a ‘good friend’. ‘Friendzone’. I think I can kind of see his future──

Having no idea of the stupid things I was thinking about, Akizawa-kun took out the learning materials with a smile. …Sorry, Akizawa-kun.

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