Part-3 Ch-02 Ep-02

"Ah, um, then I’ll cheer you on, senpai. I won’t get in the way; I’ll support you."

"Support…… how exactly?"

At my question, Inuino-kun stopped for a moment, thinking right there on the spot. Somehow, that made it feel like I was the one bullying him.

I started to feel a little sorry for him.

And Maki, who was still held close against me, looked like she was about to explode at any second, so I could not help letting out a small sigh of "haa." At this rate, things were going to spiral completely out of control.

"Um, this is kind of hard to say, but…… I already have someone I’m dating, so……"

I deliberately added the word "already" because he had not directly confessed to me.

Still, it was practically the same as him throwing his feelings straight at me.

When I made my declaration of "I have someone I’m dating," I could feel a quiet stir ripple through the classmates behind me.

Those gazes were probably not directed only at me, but also at Maki, who was standing right here beside me.

When I stole a glance at Maki’s face, her expression was an indescribable mixture of confusion, anger, embarrassment, and something that made me want to ask, "What kind of emotion is that even supposed to be?"

The grip she had on my arm tightened. It was probably mostly to hide her embarrassment, or so I guessed. Maybe.

At the very least, I knew that my own face was burning red right now.

Thinking that the conversation was surely over at this point, I started to say, "Well then, sorry," but Inuino-kun forced his voice out.

"……Even so, is it really no good if I cheer you on?"

"Uh……"

Cheer me on, what exactly did that even mean?

As I thought about that, watching Inuino-kun gather all his courage just to speak, a different feeling quietly began to rise within me. I have always kind of wanted a little brother like this.

I wonder if Mom and Dad could try a little harder, even now. Thinking that way, I felt that maybe interacting with him for a short while would not be so bad.

To be honest, he used to be my favorite character. That was a fairly big factor too.

"W-Well, if it’s just cheering……"

Before I realized it, those words had slipped out of my mouth. The instant they did, Maki, whose mouth I had been covering, bit down hard on my finger. It hurt.

After that, Inuino-kun started coming to our classroom from time to time during breaks or after school, bringing me treats.

"Is Nagase-senpai here?" he would say, poking his head into the classroom doorway.

"Oh, it’s Inuino-kun," Kagami-kun, who had somehow become friendly with him at some point, would greet him.

"That underclassman came again. Here, he said he found some limited-edition snacks or something," Kagami-kun would say as he handed me the snacks he had received from Inuino-kun.

Even when he did not meet me directly, I found it endearing how he would leave drinks or snacks with someone in our class who was close to me and then quietly head off.

"He’s like a loyal Hachiko dog."

Comparing a high school boy to that might be a bit much, but somehow it felt strangely fitting.

The fact that I found myself thinking, "I kind of want a big dog pet like that," showed just how much Inuino-kun’s earnestness was winning me over.

On the other hand, Maki was gradually becoming a little rough around the edges. Surprisingly, she did not show it much in front of me, but when Maki was not around, Seishuku-san came over and told me.

With a sigh, Seishuku-san said, "Wasn’t he your favorite?" showing both understanding and gentle criticism.

"She knows that Inuino-kun is genuinely a good kid and that Nagase-san doesn’t see him as a romantic interest at all, so she feels like she can’t really say anything," Seishuku-san explained, telling me that Maki was actually raging behind the scenes.

Even hearing myself say it, I was surprised that Maki was holding herself back that much.

"I feel kind of bad……"

"Well, it all started because in your second year, Nagase-san took over the sports committee position in place of Ichinose-san, right? That was probably the trigger."

"Uh……"

In other words, she was saying that my irregular actions were the cause. The fact that I had no response to that was painful in its own way.

"You should settle this properly soon. With situations like this, it’s less painful for everyone if you nip it in the bud before the feelings take deep root. For the other person too."

After being told that by Seishuku-san in a gently admonishing tone, I answered, "Got it."

Indeed, maybe I should talk to him again soon.

But still, how exactly was I supposed to gently turn down feelings that were directed at me?

I had absolutely no idea.