Chapter 21: Rank #1
Chapter 21: Rank #1
When the last class was over, Yuuki started to prepare to leave early and got up from his seat.
And then Yui, who hadn’t even put away her notes, said,
“Hey, are you leaving already?”
“Yeah. Later.”
That’s all it took for Yuuki to quickly leave, but Yui quickly stuck out her hand and said,
“Wait a minute.”
“What?”
“Just hang on.”
After being told that, I stood there, uncomprehendingly.
Eventually, Yui, who seemed to have finished preparing to leave, got up from her seat.
“I’m done.”
I walked out of the classroom with a twist of my head, still not understanding what was going on.
On the way out, Sonoda almost caught me near the door, but I managed to dodge him and went into the hallway.
“Ta-da!”
It was a schoolgirl with her arms outstretched and in a strange pose — a wild Yui popped out.
“…What?”
“Wanna go home together?”
Yui smiled with her usual smile, and began to walk next to me.
However, because I was so casually invited, I couldn’t help but stare at Yui’s face.
“Didn’t you say you ride your bike when it’s not raining?”
The fact that we’re going on foot in the first place is suspicous.
Although it was cloudy and windy, not a single drop of rain had fallen since morning, and the chance of precipitation in the forecast was almost zero.
“I’ve been thinking about walking lately. I thought I might as well get some exercise. “
“Isn’t that a waste?”
“Huh?”
I said it as a joke, but she seems like she’s taking it seriously.
I followed up by running my gaze from top to bottom of Yui’s body. [T/N: You closet pervert]
“It doesn’t look like you’re getting fat at all.”
“I mean, would you stop staring at me like that?”
“No, I mean, your legs are beautiful.” [T/N: …]
She has long, slender legs, short navy blue socks, and black loafers.
The length of her checked skirt is rather standard. There are some girls who make it quite short, so hers might be above standard.
Yui’s hands quickly pressed on the hem of the skirt, and her face was slightly red.
“Oi! That’s totally sexual harassment, okay?! That’s the kind of thing that’s bad to do now!”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t think I was going to say anything like that in the end.”
“But it’s true, so you can’t blame me for saying it out loud, you know?”
There was a mysterious pause as I replied.
As Yui glances over at me, I say,
“Does that make you happy?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“How complicated.”
“Girls are always complicated.”
I said some kind of line that didn’t suit me very well.
I tried to keep my mouth shut to stop myself from saying anything else.
“I can’t say I want exercise, that was just an excuse, I really want to go home with Yuuki-kun…”
Yui, who was slightly bent forward, turned her usual smug face to look at me.
(So that’s what it was after all.)
I guess she’s locked on to me after all.
As long as I sit next to her, it’s inevitable, apparently.
I wasn’t sure how I should react to this, but in the end, I ended up being silent after that. I wasn’t sure how to respond.
As I walked quietly for a while, Yui muttered something as if she couldn’t bear the silence anymore.
“Yuuki-kun, you’re still full of the AT field, aren’t you?”
“Yeah? I feel like it’s neutralized a lot.”
“Who are the apostles?”
Although Yui often talks to me like that, the conversation was over soon.
And although we were walking together again, we were heading towards the same state of silence as the other day.
Glancing stealthily at the expression on Yui’s face, she seemed to be somewhat listless.
There was no indication that Yui was making any moves on her part. She said before that she would feel awkward if I shut up…
Somehow I don’t understand it well, and I called out myself.
“I’m not in a bad mood or anything.”
“Eh?”
“I’m not very good at talking. And I just don’t react well.”
After saying that, Yui raised her eyes with a slightly surprised look and looked at Yuuki’s face.
And with a slight relaxation of her mouth,
“I know this sounds like a cliché, but it doesn’t make sense to me, does it?”
Despite saying so, Yui’s voice gradually raised.
“As for me, I want to see you get angry, frustrated, and cry more.”
“Isn’t that an attempt to bully me?”
Yui chuckled and held her mouth down as she giggled.
It seems that she is in a good mood, and asks tells me in a bouncy voice as she moves closer to me,
“Hey, hey, let’s stop by somewhere.”
“And where is that?”
“‘Somewhere’ is somewhere.”
Even though I said it myself, I really don’t talk at all.
However, since Yuuki was originally planning to head straight home, he said no to the idea.
“I’m worried about my sister, so I’ll go straight home.”
I don’t know if she was imitating some internet video, but yesterday she threw Mentos into Coke and made the floor sticky.
By the time Yuuki returned, it was already too late. Mizuna said, “My curiosity got the better of me. Too bad! I didn’t feel bad about it, but I thought about being too energetic.”
Mizuna comes home early every time, and boldly states, “I will leave the classroom as soon as possible after class to go home.”
The Going Home club is not a game. Or so she says. [T/N: Mizuna would get along with Sui from Venomous Tongue]
In reality, however, since club activities are compulsory, she was an art club member for the time being, but the point is that she wouldn’t go to club and straight home.
But of course, she wouldn’t talk about such things at length.
When Yuuki said that much, Yui showed an exaggerated nod of her head, and said,
“Fu~n, your sister again… But you haven’t talked much today, have you?”
“…Is there a quota for that?”
“Everyday…”
Yui closed her eyes and gives me a vexed look.
Yuuki dismissed it with, “That’s ridiculous”,
“But as far as I’m concerned I’m just another person among my many classmates…”
“No, no, no. Talking with Yuuki-kun is super interesting. You’re number one in who I find interesting.”
Yui laughed proudly.
When you laugh like that, it’s a sign that you’re cheating.
“Who’s in second place?”
“Second place? E~tto, I’m sorry to have to tell you, but…”
“A ranking without a second place is meaningless. Hence your bluff.”
“I just want to say that bluff. Isn’t it strange to use it in the first place?”
“Then I’m also the one who talked the most among the girls and went home with them most times.” (Yuuki)
“So who’s in second place?” (Yuuki)
“…”
That’s exactly what I’m talking about on short notice.
I can’t remember when I last had a decent conversation with a girl or who it was.
Yui shook her body in a strangely happy manner, then let out a deliberate sigh and,
“I’m beginning to worry about your future, Yuuki-kun. You need to be more sociable… you won’t be able to become a proper adult if you keep going on like this, will you? You don’t have many friends, and you don’t have any… girlfriends. None, right?”
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
The other side bends her head to stare at me with great vigor, so I can’t help but stop and look at her.
Yui blinks repeatedly with a straight face.
“So, do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t?”
They both stared at each other in a questioning manner and froze.
After a few odd pauses, Yui was the first to break the silence. They were busy stopping laughing.
“Oh~, that’s right~. Nothing to be surprised about~.”
“Well, I’m kind of surprised that you sound like my sister.”
“Huh? But your sister knows what she’s doing. I’m sure she’s a good one.”
“No, she’s doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“That’s how it is again.”
It’s very disheartening to be considered more fluffy than Mizuna.
“‘Get a girlfriend’ she said. She’s suddenly become so picky lately.”
“Fufu~n? So, Yuuki-kun, do you have anyone in mind?”
“No, not at all. There’s no way anyone would agree to be my girlfriend if I asked them to be in the first place.”
“Well, that’s right. But unexpectedly… unexpectedly, there might be someone nearby…”
Yui was glancing around restlessly and looked a little strange.
It was so persistent, and when it was so blatant, not even Yuuki could stay silent.
(After all, I have to say it clearly once.)
Thinking that, Yuuki, turns to Yui.
“You know what… let’s really stop this already, okay? You know, the game of making me fall in love with you and all that nonsense.”
When Yuuki said that, Yui looked straight back at him.
The slightly loose mouth tightened up at some point, and she had an expression that was rarely shown.
Yui, who cut off her gaze, took two big steps forward, then turned around and stared at Yuuki in front of him.
I could see her hands, which held the bag under her stomach, were squeezed tightly.
“…I’m not playing a game.”