Part-2 Ch-09 Ep-03

Ah, seriously, I need to hurry and get to Maki’s side, I thought, nodding frantically as I responded.

The first-year girls surrounding me were chatting happily, and it was difficult to refuse them outright. It did not seem like I would be able to escape anytime soon. 

What should I do, I wondered, repeatedly glancing toward Maki, when one of the girls who followed my gaze suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Nagase-senpai, sorry about that. Your friend came to pick you up, didn’t she?”

“Eh, ah, yeah…”

That remark seemed to make the others notice as well.

“Sorry! We were just so happy to talk with you. Well then, see you later. Good work today!”

“Good work!”

“Yeah, good work. Bye-bye.”

The group of girls who had surrounded me only moments ago dispersed in the blink of an eye.

At such an unexpectedly quick conclusion, I reflected that I should have spoken up properly from the beginning.

Or perhaps I myself had gotten carried away by being suddenly surrounded and praised by my juniors.

Either way, I felt relieved that they noticed on their own, and I was grateful to Maki for coming to get me.

Now, at last, I was about to gather my things and head over to Maki, when it happened.

I saw Godaiin-kun, who had stayed behind to lock up the empty classroom, speaking with Maki.

Maki hesitated slightly, but she responded with a smile.

Seeing the two of them standing side by side, I clenched my back teeth tightly.

Inside my head, another version of myself was shouting at me to hurry up and wedge myself between them.

I know.

I wanted to cut in between the two of them immediately as well.

But my feet refused to move.

Maki is already my girlfriend. We are dating.

Maki told me that she likes me too.

And yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, a thought still flickers: wouldn’t it be better if she ended up with one of the capture targets?

The resolve I believed I had made during the sports festival wavers so easily as time passes.

How nice it would be if I could simply say, “This girl is my girlfriend.”

“Um, Nagase-senpai.”

I am being spoken to a lot today.

And judging by the tone, it was another underclassman.

I answered “Yes” in a slightly dejected voice and turned around, only to widen my eyes.

Oh no.

Standing there was Inuino Ken-kun, the sixth capture target.

Inuino-kun is what one would call the junior-type character.

He has a somewhat unreliable side, but he is earnest, energetic, and possesses a puppy-like charm that makes him cling to the heroine and soothe her heart.

In fact, back in my previous life when I played the game, he was actually my favorite.

But now that Maki and I are dating, he was someone I wanted to keep a bit of distance from.

We are on the same sports committee, though.

I sighed inwardly.

Originally, in the game, it was Maki who joined the sports committee.

It becomes an important point of contact that creates events and interactions with capture targets during the second year.

The capture targets she becomes involved with in her second year are Godaiin-kun and this Inuino-kun.

Those events and points of contact arise through committee activities and the school trip that follows.

With Inuino-kun, however, the second year is mostly about establishing familiarity, and it is in the third year that the distance between them truly closes.

I really wish we could have gone on without ever meeting, I thought, forcing a smile toward him.

I am already completely occupied dealing with Rearin-kun as it is.

“Um, sorry. You were about to go home already…”

“Eh, ah, no, no. It’s fine. My friend just started talking to someone else anyway.”

I pointed toward Maki to show him.

He looked so apologetic that I ended up feeling a little sorry for him.

“Thank you. I wanted to talk to you earlier, but you were surrounded by girls, and I got overwhelmed and couldn’t step in. I’m Inuino.”

Yes, I know.

I even know your first name.

Of course, I could not say that, so instead I replied, “Oh, I see. I’m Nagase Mari.”

As I suspected, he had seen me during the sports festival as well.

It seems he participated in the mixed relay as a first-year athlete, and that was how he saw me running in the second-year relay.

“I got really excited and couldn’t take my eyes off you, Nagase-senpai. And then, somehow, I started thinking about you a lot… um, I…”

The moment he said that and took a step closer to me.

“Sorry. Mari has plans with me today. Is that alright now?”

Maki stepped in between us with a smile.

We did not actually make any plans, I thought, but it was probably better not to point that out.

“Ah, sorry. I held her up.”

“No, it’s fine. Well then, I’ll be taking Mari back now.”

“Eh, ah, yes…”

Maki smiled. Sometimes Maki’s smile has a force to it that leaves the other person unable to object.

Seeing Inuino-kun looking so dejected, I could not help but overlap the image with that of a puppy whose ears had drooped.

Ugh, Inuino-kun, your junior energy is overwhelming, and you are far too cute.

“Ah, well then, see you later, Inuino-kun.”

I called out to him gently, and the boy who had been looking downcast suddenly lifted his face, smiling brightly as he said, “Yes! I want to talk with you again, Nagase-senpai!”

“Yeah, sure. See you.”

I could practically see a tail wagging furiously behind him. Hmm. Yes, he really is kind of cute after all. We could not stay in the empty classroom forever, so eventually we stepped out into the hallway.

As he left, Inuino-kun kept turning back again and again to wave at me.

I found it amusing and waved back.

“Haha, he’s cute, isn’t he.”

The comment slipped out before I could stop myself. Beside me, Maki continued smiling quietly as she waved her hand the whole time.