Chapter 2 - Sara Happiness
The next day after exchanging contacts with Sara, Haru had already grown accustomed to not being interested in the class. The weather was clear and refreshing, with high temperatures. The S-Class beauties in the class were still engrossed in love talk.
"Huh, you were able to exchange contacts right away after that?"
"It's like an amazing fate, Sara..."
Sara's conversation with the other S-Class beauties was simple and brief. She didn't mention anything about the rooftop or the fact that Haru was a student at the same high school. She only told them that they exchanged contacts. But naturally, if she were to mention that...
"Huh, what happened? How did you end up exchanging contacts?"
It was inevitable that they would ask about the details. Rin, who loved talking about love, pressed Sara for answers, but Sara hesitated and said, "That's... a secret."
Yumena and Rin both opened their eyes wide and froze. Sara's shy demeanor made her cheeks blush slightly. Perhaps it was because Sara's gesture was too cute. Although Sara's words were like confessing her feelings for him, she was not aware of it herself.
"I see, I see. Then I won't ask for the details."
Rin nodded several times with a satisfied smile. Yumena also smiled and seemed happy.
Sara feared that if she told them that Haru was a student at the same high school, both Rin and Yumena would be drawn to him. But she couldn't help wanting to talk about him. She had always felt left out when it came to conversations about the opposite sex and had always been alone. Perhaps Rin and Yuna understood Sara's feelings because Yuna gently placed her hand on Sara's head.
"Don't worry about me and Rin. You don't have to be cautious around us, Sara. Just talk about what you want to talk about... If Rin gets too curious and goes too far..."
At that moment, Yumena turned to Rin and pinched her nose.
"Let me handle it and punish her."
"Ow, ow! That hurts... Yunena-rin."
After Yuna let go of her, Rin held her nose for a while and then nodded with teary eyes.
"But yeah, you're right. We're friends, so don't worry too much, Sara. You can talk about whatever you want whenever you want. In fact, you're always welcome."
Upon hearing Rin and Yuna's words, Sara showed a gentle smile.
"Thank you very much!"
"Alright, let's get back to the topic... You exchanged contacts, right?"
"Yes, that's right, but..."
"After exchanging contacts, you're wondering what to do next, right?"
"...Y-Yes."
And so, the S-Class beauties discussed what to do after exchanging contacts. Meanwhile, Haru pretended to be asleep but was consciously listening to their conversation. Deep down, he couldn't help but scream.
"Huh? Isn't this strange? My favorability hasn't dropped at all with this kind of situation..."
In fact, his favorability seemed to have increased.
"...I need to lower it more during lunch break."
Haru asked the other S-Class beauties about what to do after exchanging contacts, but if we go back a little in time, Sara had actually sent him a message last night. The message said, "If it's okay with you, could you come to the rooftop during lunch break tomorrow?"
Therefore, Sara asked the other S-Class beauties to confirm if her choice was correct.
"By the way, don't you recognize the name Asai Yuu?"
When Haru eavesdropped on the conversation among the S-Class beauties, he heard Sara's words.
"Asai Yuu"
After finishing the morning classes, it was lunchtime.
Haruya, in a less crowded place, tidied his hair and took off his glasses before heading to the rooftop.
Carrying his sandwich for lunch, Haruya opened the door to the rooftop and was greeted by a clear sky and a pleasant breeze that welcomed him.
Normally, when he went up to the rooftop, his mood would brighten, but today his gloomy feelings couldn't be lifted. The reason was clear. Sarasa, whose shining hair swayed, was there.
"Ah, Asai-san. Thank you for coming."
"Thank you, Himekawa-san."
It seemed that Sara had called Haruya out under the pretense of having lunch together.
Taking a seat away from her on purpose, Haruya sat down, but Sara went out of her way to move closer and sit next to him.
Haruya smiled wryly, but Sara responded with a gentle smile.
"...You don't have to be so nervous. And you can call me Sara by my name if you want."
(No, it's just a nuisance ☆)
If only he could say such things aloud... but he couldn't assert himself strongly, probably because he was a coward.
(...I'm so pathetic.)
The fact that he couldn't call her "Sara" by her first name was only because he felt embarrassed.
Feeling the regret of his own incompetence, Haruya opened the wrapping of his sandwich.
"...Let's eat."
He put his hands together and greeted before taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Is it from a convenience store?"
"Well, yeah."
"Do you usually eat convenience store food?"
"Living alone, cooking is a hassle... so it ends up like this."
"Well, I understand. I live alone too, so I can relate."
She said that with a wry smile and a stiff expression.
(Is she disappointed to know that I'm lazy?☆)
From Sara reaction, Haruya felt a definite response. It was a sign of his rating going down.
"I usually skip cleaning and just eat whatever... That's me."
In response to Haruya's continued statement, Sara lowered her head and then clenched her fist.
Looking at her bright expression... it seemed she was trying to act tough.
(That's a good reaction. It's proof that my favorability is dropping...!)
Haruya inwardly expressed his joy, but it seemed like Sara had made up her mind about something as she turned to face Haruya.
"...If it's okay, would you like to eat my bento?"
"Huh?"
Haruya unintentionally let out a dumbfounded voice.
Why... that was the first question that came to his mind.
Seeing Haruya's confusion, Sara seemed to realize that she hadn't explained well and started talking.
"I actually called Asai-san here with that intention. I realized that I couldn't properly thank you, Asai-san, for saving me, and also for caring about me. You even behaved so gentlemanly last weekend. I can't just not show my gratitude."
It was all a misunderstanding, and as for last weekend, Haruya felt responsible because he had accidentally stepped on her landmine, so he tried to compensate by carrying her bags and being considerate.
Therefore, there was no reason for her to be grateful... but.
Before Haruya could say "no," Sara preemptively shut him down.
"Asai-san acted with me in mind... Am I wrong?"
She looked at him with a confident expression.
Haruya couldn't deny her hopeful feelings, and he ambiguously averted his gaze.
(...Even if I say it's wrong, it's kind of a torture, isn't it?)
(Upon closer inspection... There are many couples around here.)
This is the famous fountain in the middle of the station. It's a popular meeting spot, but for some reason, today there are more young couples than usual. It's unusual for a weekday, especially. As Haruya thought about it, Nayu also seemed to have noticed and commented on it.
"It seems like there are a lot of couples today."
"Yeah, it looks that way."
Indeed, there were several couples walking by, their arms linked together.
"...We might look like a couple to others, too."
I wished she hadn't said it in such a seductive and alluring voice.
My heart unintentionally skipped a beat.
(...Doesn't Nayu feel embarrassed saying that?)
That's what Haruya thought, but maybe it's the composure of an adult, because he couldn't sense any signs of her being flustered. While feeling self-conscious, Haruya looked Nayu, who was fidgeting with her hair, and she murmured apologetically.
"...By the way, I'm sorry I didn't dress up today. Haru-san is all stylish, but..."
"No, there's no need to worry. And I don't really see a reason to apologize."
"...Isn't it a bit rude to not dress up when the other person is stylish? That's why I'm sorry. I just came in casual clothes."
From Haruya's perspective, who had dressed up, it wasn't something he was particularly concerned about, but it seemed different to her. Nayu said she came in casual attire, but her outfit today actually suited her quite well. It was a relaxed style, but her own charm still stood out.
"...I don't think I dressed up particularly well today."
"I think it suits you... a slightly boyish style."
Loose-fitting clothes with a bit of room. It was a casual style, but to Haruya's eyes, it looked fresh and charming when worn by a beautiful woman. Of course, he couldn't directly say things like "cute" or "beautiful" to her...
Blushing, Haruya scratched his cheek and gave his honest opinion about her outfit.
"...Ah, is that so? Haru-san, I didn't know you liked this kind of style."
Her voice still carried a mischievous tone. After widening her beautiful eyes, she continued speaking from her lips, shining with a glossy luster.
"Thank you. Haru-san, you still look great..."
She probably said "still" because Haruya's attire didn't deviate from his usual fashion, which consisted mostly of white and black. While being praised didn't feel bad in itself, the presence of many couples around made Haruya feel somewhat strange. To divert the situation, he asked Nayu.
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go eat?"
"Last time, we went to a family restaurant... But there's a popular café near the station recently."
For a moment, the café they frequented as regular customers came to Haruya's mind. He wondered if Nayu was also a regular there, just like him, and his heart skipped a beat. However, as soon as he heard "near the station," he shrugged his shoulders.
"I heard their sweets are delicious. So, if you're okay with it, how about going there? But if there's somewhere else you'd like to go, I'll defer to your choice."
When it comes to a café, there's no better place than the one they regularly visit as regular customers.
Haruya thought to himself, but as soon as he heard that there was a good reputation, he was immediately interested.
"Well, let's go there."
"...Alright, let's go."
Nayu, as if wanting to lead the way, went ahead. Haruya followed her and they began walking towards the coffee shop.
***
An offline gathering, known as an "SNS" in Japanese, refers to when people who have met online through social media or other internet platforms gather in person due to a common hobby. However, between Haruya and Nayu, there were some "rules" established for their "SNS."
One rule was to share and discuss their recommended shojo manga (girls' comics) with each other.
The other rule was not to pry into each other's private matters.
Because of these two rules, Haruya and Nayu ordered their food at the coffee shop as usual, and then shared their thoughts on shojo manga. Haruya also recommended some shojo manga to her.
They got absorbed in discussing shojo manga for about twenty minutes, and then the conversation paused temporarily.
"...By the way, Haru, I heard you prefer black coffee."
As Nayu sipped her coffee, she suddenly mentioned that.
Indeed, Haruya always ordered black coffee at coffee shops to savor its aroma, richness, and flavor. He was currently enjoying the aroma of his coffee.
"Nayu, aren't you a black coffee person?"
Haruya thought that due to Nayu's mature image, she might also enjoy her coffee unsweetened.
"I'm not really a fan of bitter flavors."
Nayu said in a self-mocking manner and tried to add some milk and sugar to her coffee, which were placed at the edge of the table.
That's when Haruya couldn't help but interrupt her.
"The black coffee here isn't that bitter, actually. Why don't you take a sip?"
In Haruya's honest opinion, the black coffee here was relatively easy to drink. He casually suggested it, causing Nayu to initially furrow her eyebrows, but then she took a deep breath, seemingly making up her mind. After that, she slowly opened her mouth.
"...If Haru-san says so, I'll give it a try. First, let's enjoy the aroma... like savoring the coffee, right?"
She deliberately crossed her legs, struck a confident pose, and even though her eyes were slightly narrowed behind her sunglasses, it was clear that she was trying to give off a "cool" vibe. It seemed as if she was saying, "Isn't this how extroverted people act?" with her prejudiced behavior.
With her crossed legs and leaning on one elbow, Nayu boredly gazed out the window. Her artificiality was slightly off-putting, but her demeanor had its own charm.
Haruya keenly felt her sophisticated career woman-like aura.
"Well... but my choice of outfit may be a failure."
Nayu murmured as she casually flicked her loose hoodie. It was as if she was saying, "But isn't it something like this?" as she turned her gaze toward Haruya.
Then, with a cool gesture, she brought the coffee to her lips--
"Hmm, surprisingly it's not b--uuuugh!"
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and made a bitter expression. The cool facade she had displayed until now collapsed in an instant.
The composed image of a "mature woman" was no longer there.
She stuck out her tongue slightly and glared at Haruya with a resentful look.
"I-it's... bitter. Haru-san, you liar!"
"No, I really thought the black coffee here was easy to drink..."
"Don't laugh."
-
The next day during lunch break.
Sara and Haruya, who had come to the rooftop right away, were sitting next to each other and having lunch just like yesterday.
Haruya had planned to deliberately not eat Sara's lunch in order to lower her favorability towards him. However...
"Oh, thank you for coming again today."
She's really considerate.
"I wasn't confident in my cooking, but since you enjoyed it yesterday, could you please eat it again today?"
She's being so modest.
Haruya couldn't refuse Sara's request to "not eat" her lunch.
(Damn it, I'm such a wimp... Oh, by the way, the food is delicious.)
For the sake of the food, Haruya couldn't lie and say it wasn't delicious...
"...So, how is it?"
Sara anxiously asked...
"It's delicious, really delicious."
Haruya could only give an honest response. But deep down, he cursed his own incompetence and clenched his fist tightly, leaving marks on his palm out of anger towards himself.
Upon seeing Haruya's reaction, Sara misunderstood that he was deeply moved by her cooking, and she smiled with satisfaction.
(As expected, Asai-san does things that would make me happy...)
In the midst of this misunderstanding, Haruya decided to propose a date out of desperation. The reason being that according to Nayu, a fellow manga enthusiast who taught him yesterday, spending more time together on a date is the surest way to improve his overrated image.
Since the lunch strategy had failed, Haruya carefully chose the timing and asked Sara.
"Uh, um... I want to get to know Himekawa-san more. So, um, would you go on a date with me this weekend?"
Nervously, Haruya proposed to Sara with a trembling voice.
Sara was taken aback by Haruya's unexpected proposal.
"Eh..."
Her eyes widened, and she blushed as she tried to understand the meaning of Haruya's words.
Her heart pounded, and Sara felt her body heating up.
"Well, if it's okay with me... P-please."
"Ah, sure. Thank you."
For a moment, Haruya was afraid of being rejected, but thanks to her positive response, he let out a sigh of relief.
(I was nervous about asking her out on a date, what should I do?)
Recalling his own awkwardness in inviting her, Haruya's whole body started to feel hot.
Anyway, that's how Haruya and Sara's date was set.
---
On the day of the date.
The weather was perfect, with clear skies stretching endlessly... It was the perfect weather for a date.
Haruya, dressed stylishly rather than in his usual gloomy appearance, hurried to the meeting place to avoid being late. But it had to happen at that moment.
"Mommy, where are you?"
While crossing the park, which was on the way to the meeting place, Haruya heard a small girl's voice asking for help.
(...The people around will surely help her somehow.)
But relying on others like that wouldn't be good. In fact, several people had the typical mindset of pretending not to see or observing from a distance.
Without hesitation, Haruya approached the little girl.
He crouched down to be at eye level with her and looked into her eyes.
"B-Big brother, who are you?"
From the looks of it, the girl seemed to be around four or five years old.
First of all, Haruya was relieved that she didn't start crying or making a scene.
"I'm Haruya Akasaki. Uh, call my name Haruya... What's your name?"
"I'm Miyu."
"I see, Miyu-chan."
"Yeah, call my name Miyu"
Haruya shook his head vigorously, trying to change his consciousness.
"...Do we have today's plan decided?"
Sara stood next to Haruya, asking with hopeful eyes.
"Yeah, it's decided, so leave it to me."
"Okay! Thank you..."
When Haruya gave her a refreshing smile, Sara nodded and smiled back gently.
(If I can entrust her with leading the date, she'll be mine. I'm sorry, Himekawa-san... But my evaluation will definitely drop after today.)
While inwardly smiling wickedly, Haruya and Sara walked shoulder to shoulder toward their destination.
"Himekawa-san, haven't you had lunch yet?"
It was already past 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
It was the perfect time for lunch.
"No, not yet."
"Alright, then let's go have lunch first."
"I was just getting hungry, so thank you."
And so, the two of them proceeded to have lunch.
On the way to their destination, the streets were crowded, possibly because it was a holiday. The street with stylish cafes, in particular, had a large number of couples.
"...T-There are a lot of couples here,"
Sara murmured in a small voice.
"Well, it's the weekend, after all."
"Yes... I wonder if we look like a couple from the outside?"
"Who knows."
To be honest, Hinata's true feelings were that they probably didn't look like one.
There was a clear distance between Haruya and Sara. They didn't hold hands or lean on each other's shoulders like a couple.
They simply walked side by side, keeping their distance. The couple walking ahead of Hinata and Sara occasionally held hands with a distance that seemed like their shoulders might touch.
(Well, if they're a couple, that's probably the kind of distance they would have.)
Haruya wore a wry smile as he followed Sara's gaze and she timidly spoke up.
"...I-Is it normal for couples to be so close?"
Sara blushed and looked embarrassed.
"Well, I think it looks like a couple if it's around that distance."
Haruya casually replied, and Sara closed the distance between them by one step.
A faint citrus scent wafted into Hinata's nostrils. It was a distance where their hands might touch while walking.
When Hinata instinctively looked at Sara standing next to him, she spoke somewhat shyly.
"I feel embarrassed with that kind of distance... s-so, this is enough."
Sara lightly pressed their fingers together and smiled modestly.
(Huh, what is this adorable creature?)
With flushed cheeks and cute gestures, she was both blushing and charming.
Her actions were endearing, making Haruya involuntarily murmur, "Cute."
He immediately scolded himself internally, saying, "No, that's not it!"
The purpose of today's date was to lower Sara's favorability towards him. If he praised her as "cute" or anything similar, it would backfire, so he had to try not to think of her as cute.
While trying to maintain his composure to hide his agitation, Haruya asked Sara, "B-But why do we need to have the distance of a couple?"
"...I looked around, and I didn't see any other opposite-sex pairs with the same distance as us... S-So, I wanted to blend in with our surroundings."
"Is that so? I wonder."
Honestly, Haruya thought it was unlikely they would be seen as a couple. There was a clear distance between them.
However, saying it wouldn't work might make him seem like he was trying to hide his embarrassment... It seemed like it would be counter
"If it's okay with you, could you teach me some tips?"
"Well, I think the key is not to be too scared. It feels like you're unable to skate properly because of your heightened sense of crisis."
Indeed, it's noticeable that smaller children can glide smoothly on the ice compared to adults. Children don't pay attention to the possibility of falling, but as adults mature, they constantly consider the risk of getting injured. It may be obvious, but in skating, it's actually less risky to skate faster than to skate slowly.
"...That being said, I think it's best to skate boldly, so can I go ahead and skate first?"
Haruya suggested this to demonstrate proper skating technique, but Sara shook her head slightly.
"N-No, that won't work."
"............"
Sara must be anxious about being left alone, but if that happens, Haruya won't be able to move freely either. He pondered over what to do, and then Sara, as if presenting a great idea, grabbed the hem of Haruya's clothes.
"Um, I want to get used to skating first, so would it be okay if I skate with you leading?"
In other words, she's too scared to skate alone, so she wants Haruya to hold her hand and help her get used to it. That's Sara's true intention.
"Well, I'm not really experienced at skating either. Plus, even with protective gear, isn't it still dangerous?"
"Even if we stick close to the wall... please?"
Though she was modest, she pleaded desperately. To be honest, Haruya didn't quite understand why Sara wanted to skate so badly. Maybe she's curious and wants to try it, but it's not the best reason to challenge something scary. Intrigued, Haruya decided to ask Sara.
"...I'm fine with it, but is there a reason why you're so determined to do this?"
"B-Because the children look like they're having fun skating. I think it'll be fun once I get used to it."
"...I see."
When he looked around, he could see that the children were enjoying themselves while skating. Sara added with a furrowed brow and tightly pursed lips,
"I don't want to settle for not being able to do what children can do!"
Sara puffed up her cheeks for a brief moment, showing her competitive side. Then she quickly returned to her usual expression.
"...Pff."
Seeing Sara's unexpected side, Haruya unintentionally let out a smile.
"Y-You don't need to laugh..."
"Sorry, sorry."
Sara, who seemed more childlike than he thought, pouted with puffed-up cheeks, but soon she lowered her eyes and grabbed the hem of Haruya's clothes.
"Well then, excuse me."
"Alright, let's start by slowly skating along the wall."
"Y-Yes."
As Haruya watched Sara, who was slightly nervous, he also started to feel a bit embarrassed. And so, the practice of skating with Sara's roller skates began.
(If she can't even skate at all, the competition won't be fair... I have no choice, reluctantly, I have no choice.)
---Roll, roll, roll.
On the rink, there was a beautiful girl with flaxen hair flowing smoothly as she glided.
Since the skating rink was indoors, her graceful skating and beauty easily caught people's attention. Many users were captivated by her beauty and elegant movements.
"I did it! I did it. It's fun, Asai-san."
"You catch on quickly"
It seems like an attempt to hide embarrassment...
"Thank you..."
She said in a barely audible voice, lowering her gaze.
"Ah, would you like to try that?"
Sara abruptly changed the subject, making him realize the awkwardness of his own statement as he looked in the direction she pointed.
Subconsciously, Haruya narrowed his eyes.
"Are you okay? It looks quite scary," he asked.
Sara had pointed to a horror-filled shooting game. Although he had never played it, it was evident from the appearance of the cabinet that it was terrifying.
"Are you scared of scary things?"
"I can handle it, but what about Himekawa-san? Girls usually have a hard time with this kind of thing," Haruya inquired.
"I've never played such a game, so I want to give it a try," Sara said, grasping her own chest tightly.
Her nervousness was evident from her gesture. Sara tensed up and held her breath.
Like when they were roller skating, Haruya realized that Sara had a surprisingly adventurous mindset.
"Are you really okay?"
"I'll be fine..."
After confirming once again, Haruya and Sara entered the box-shaped cabinet together.
After taking their seats and operating the screen for a while, Sara picked up the gun placed in front of her. She looked closely at it with great interest and then nodded to herself.
"I see. So, we shoot zombies with this," she said, her voice trembling slightly. Despite her trembling voice, Sara had a curious expression in her eyes.
"Oh, this game can measure our heart rates," Haruya remarked.
"So, we'll be able to see how scared we were." Sara looked at him with an anxious gaze.
If their heart rates were measured, it would reveal how scared they were, no matter how much they tried to hide it.
In other words, this game seemed to be designed to expose cowards.
"Shall we make a bet?" Sara confidently proposed.
"Of course. The one with the higher heart rate loses," Haruya agreed.
"Alright!"
"I've been losing every time so far, so let me win this time," Haruya said.
"As you wish."
And so, the two of them began their gun shooting game.
The impression Haruya had after playing this type of game was that it focused more on startling the players than on horror and fear.
Although they didn't scream out loud, their bodies involuntarily trembled when a zombie suddenly appeared in front of them, as the cabinet was designed to shake.
However, when a large number of zombies attacked, their faces were highlighted in close-up shots, so the horror aspect was also significant. If Haruya had been alone, he would undoubtedly have felt like running away.
"Ah, it's shaking! I didn't sign up for this!"
"Asai-san, I can't... I can't defeat the zombies."
"I-I don't want to see the screen anymore... I'm closing my eyes."
Sara's reactions were adorable and cute, and fortunately, the fear was somewhat masked by them.
After completing one play, the results of their heart rates were displayed on the screen.
Haruya saw the results and made a small victory pose, calling out to Sara.
"Himekawa-san, it looks like I won."
(I won, I won... in a horror game)
He inwardly chuckled, but at the same time, he felt his own patheticness being emphasized once again.
"Ah, um... Himekawa-san."
"...I-I'm... fine."
Despite her insistence, her complexion clearly showed that she was not fine at all. After leaving the cabinet, Sara sat on the spot, hugging her legs.
"Hey, Miyuu, I'm Haruya, right?"
Miyuu's mother spoke the correct words as a parent.
"Yes, Haruya oniichan."
Normally, Haruya would have been touched by the somewhat sulking way she called him "oniichan," but he wasn't in the right state of mind to be affected by it now.
Haruya inwardly held his head in despair, repeatedly letting out sounds of hopelessness.
(...What should I do about this... It's impossible, it's over.)
Haruya's mind replayed his earlier fabricated statement.
"You see, I'm a cheerful guy, right? So, I have a nickname based on being a 'clear and sunny guy,' and I'm called 'Haruya'," he said.
Due to this haphazard reasoning, he ended up being called "Haruya oniichan," revealing that it wasn't just a nickname.
Although Miyuu's mother should be considered the main culprit... he couldn't blame her. He couldn't blame anyone.
Oh no, this is bad, were the three words that filled his mind repeatedly.
"Ah, it seems like we're running out of time, so we should say goodbye now."
"Bye-bye, Haruya... I mean, Haruya oniichan."
Checking the time, Miyuu's mother and Miyuu immediately left the scene.
Only Haruya and Sara were left behind.
(Well, I had a good time today, so let's go back!)
As Haruya tried to walk away, his clothes were tugged.
"W-Wait... Asai-san, I mean Akasaki-san."
"..."
The awkward atmosphere filled the air as his real name was revealed.
And at the same time, it was exposed that he had been using a false name.
There were probably many things she wanted to ask, but Sara first brought up the lateness issue.
"Um... I've been thinking about what you said, but was today's lateness not because of something normal... but because you helped Miyuu-chan when she got lost?"
"Huh? Oh, well, yeah, kind of."
"You should have told me..."
After confirming just that, Sara smiled satisfactorily and started walking ahead.
"....Huh?"
Haruya unintentionally let out a dumbfounded voice.
He thought he would be questioned further about other things.
"Well, it was an unexpected harvest, but don't worry, I'm not angry about using a false name," Sara reassured him.
"...Sorry, there are various circumstances."
He didn't want to stand out in class. He didn't want any trouble involving the school.
That sentiment dominated Haruya.
"Yes, I understand, so please don't worry..."
Sara said with a warm, humane smile. However, Haruya couldn't find any comfort in it.
After all, his future school life was at stake.
However, the only thing Haruya could do... was to pray that he wouldn't have any unnecessary contact with Sara at school.
(...Sigh, I'm really counting on you, God...)
Haruya could only pray to God in his heart.
***
The next morning.
Haruya, who hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep, arrived at school with an even stronger sleepiness than usual.
After returning from the date yesterday, Haruya had begged Sara several times, "Please don't reveal my true identity, no matter what! I'm begging you!" and received a message saying, "I understand, lol." However, it wasn't a small enough problem to be relieved by that.
When he arrived at school, Haruya was listening attentively to the conversations of the S-class beauties more than usual at his seat, but from what he
And when Haruya became convinced that they were talking about him and interjected, he became aware of his face getting slightly warm with embarrassment.
At that moment, the door creaked open, and a loud voice reached their ears.
"Hey, take your seats!"
It was their homeroom teacher, Toki Yamiakari.
She was a mid-20s Japanese language teacher, standing at 165 centimeters tall, which was quite tall for a woman, and she looked sharp in her suit.
Although it was still ten minutes before their regular homeroom class started, Meika stood in front of the teacher's desk and told her classmates who were chatting to take their seats.
"We have a cultural exchange event with another class today, as the final class. Let me explain that."
The early homeroom class was probably influenced by the explanation of the cultural exchange event with another class.
(Oh... I've never heard of that...)
(An exchange with another class... sounds really interesting.)
(There aren't many opportunities to interact with students from other classes, so I'm looking forward to it...)
The students looked at Meika with eyes full of anticipation.
While Haruya casually brushed off the teacher's explanation, more interested in Himekawa's actions, he summarized the key points of the cultural exchange event with another class into three things:
- Gather in the gym within the designated time.
- Interact with students from other classes in a rotation format (although they might end up with students from the same class).
- Engage in effective communication for three minutes.
These were the rough outlines of the event.
The students were still excited and interested in the cultural exchange event with another class, but Haruya didn't pay much attention to it.
He underestimated the significance of such an event for himself.
(I'm more interested in Himekawa's movements... I can't help but wonder...)
Haruya glanced at Sara, who was sitting near him, and sighed inwardly.
***
After finishing the morning classes, it was lunch break.
Haruya made sure no one was around and headed to the rooftop, where he had decided to go to freshen up.
Going to the rooftop during lunchtime had become a habit for him.
Upon opening the door, he felt the fresh air and a sense of relief, but Haruya's current state of mind was filled with impatience and despair, among other negative emotions.
"Ah, Asai-san... I mean, Akasaki-san."
As he approached with heavy steps on the rooftop, he immediately spotted Sara.
She turned around and greeted him with a bright smile, waving her hand cheerfully. "Over here! Over here!"
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Haruya hesitantly walked towards Sara.
Although it was not yet clear whether his true identity had been exposed, considering that his real name was already known... it was only a matter of time.
Until now, Haruya had refrained from sitting next to Sara and instead kept his distance, as he didn't want to lower Sara's opinion of him and lose her interest. But now, he chose to sit next to her of his own accord.
It was what was expected of him now.
The only thing he could do to lead a peaceful school life was to try not to spread rumors as much as possible.
In other words, to make Sara promise to keep it a secret.
There was no other choice. With that in mind, Haruya turned to face Sara and...
"Can you promise not to tell anyone about me? Please."
He pleaded earnestly, his eyes filled with determination, and Sara nodded with a nonchalant expression.
"As I mentioned in yesterday's message, I won't do such a thing."
"But..."
Though he thought, "
To summarize... Haruya's expectations ended up being wrong.
The total number of students involved in the interaction was four.
Although it's not clear how they will rotate—up, down, left, or right—it can be simply said that they just need to overcome four crises.
Due to the large number of students, the probability of encountering Sara is extremely low.
Therefore, Haruya never expected to encounter Sara. However, let's see the result.
First person.
Haruya encountered a male student from another class.
He seemed to be interested in FPS games. His name was Miyamiya... or something like that. Haruya only remembered being one-sidedly talked to about games.
Although it may be frustrating to deal with his own memory, Haruya didn't have the luxury of time at the moment.
Next, the second person.
This time it was a female student from another class. They couldn't get the conversation going, and the atmosphere died.
(Sorry... for ending up with someone like me.)
While inwardly apologizing, Haruya let out a relieved sigh, thinking it was good that he didn't encounter Sara.
And then, the third person.
Once again, Haruya encountered a female student from another class, who pointed out the length of his hair.
He remembered her saying "That's funny, that's funny" all the time. Haruya thought, "You're just saying that randomly."
And finally, the fourth person.
At the end, a tragedy occurred for Haruya.
Yes, the girl he faced in the last rotation was none other than Himekawa Sara.
"Nice to meet you...! I'm Himekawa Sara."
"N-Nice to meet you... My name is Akazaki."
While inwardly resenting the gods, Haruya behaved with a low voice and tried to avoid being seen.
He even changed his name to "Akazaki" instead of "Akasaki" as camouflage.
However, it was still a desperate measure...
"Sorry, your voice was a bit low, so it was hard to understand. You're Akazaki, right?"
It seems she still hadn't realized.
"Yes, please."
"Please."
Although he actually wanted to escape without asking, he couldn't do that.
While sweating nervously, Haruya continued to interact with Sara.
"Your hair is really long, Akazaki... Do you like having long hair?"
"Y-Yes..."
"I see, but it must be quite difficult to take care of long hair, right?"
"Yes, it is."
And while trying to pass the time with small talk, something happened.
"That stain..."
Sara's eyes widened and she froze.
"Ah, I spilled something on it earlier on the rooftop..."
Because he was speaking softly, Haruya had forgotten about it.
Casually answering himself, his face turned pale.
On the other hand, Sara widened her eyes and trembled.
"...W-Wait. W-We're in the same class?"
"............"
"............"
And both of them fell into silence.
Haruya was in a daze, feeling like it was all over.
As for Sara, she blushed and could only lower her head.
...But Haruya, despite his racing heartbeat, managed to speak.
"No, we're different people... It's obvious that we're different people."
Then, he puffed out his cheeks and leaned forward.
"That's... impossible."
He couldn't bluff his way out this time.
On that day, an awkward silence lingered between them until the end of the interaction session.
* * *
(I never expected we would be classmates... It's so embarrassing.)
What happened afterwards.
After the interaction session ended, Sara, overwhelmed by embarrassment, escaped and threw herself onto her
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