Chapter 77: One Week After the Cultural Festival.
It's been a week since the cultural festival.
So much has happened, like the situation with Yukari-san and Satsuki's downfall.
Things are finally starting to return to peaceful days.
As for me, I'm struggling with a severe distrust of women.
Especially when I strongly feel the charm of beautiful or cute women, it hits me hard.
When they get close, I get chills and feel uneasy.
Normally, it's not a problem, and it doesn't trouble me.
Still, it's a symptom that makes me anxious about my future...
Nagase "Kousuke-kun, about the assignment? How did you handle that problem?"
"...Ah, that one, right?"
Nagase-san, who sits next to me, learned about my condition the other day.
Since then, she's been considerate, keeping a bit of distance while still interacting with me daily.
I feel bad for making her be so cautious, but since we talk every day about studies, basketball, and other topics, I'm relieved that I don't have to avoid her or keep my distance.
At today's general morning assembly, awards for the cultural festival mock stores and various other achievements will be announced.
...I wonder what will happen with Yukari-san?
It's time; we all head to the gymnasium together.
We line up in the gymnasium, and after the principal's speech, the student council president takes the stage to announce the various awards and recognitions.
President "Mock store, Best Award goes to Class 1-6! Maid café!"
Ooooh!
Osada-san receives the certificate and holds it up to her classmates!
Class 1-6 is buzzing with excitement!
Then, the Excellence Awards; several classes qualify for this.
President "Mock store Excellence Awards! Class 1-4 Hamburger Shop! Class 1-5 Maid Café!"
For the first-years, it was these two classes.
Our class representative and Kageno-san? went up on stage to receive the certificates!
The class is ecstatic! There's a practical benefit of receiving point cards that can be used at the school cafeteria or store.
The students are buzzing and chattering with excitement.
The student council president finally mentions the beauty contest.
In the recent beauty contest, Yukari Tomonaga received the most votes and was awarded Miss Hokusho, but the film club's exhibit was akin to a personal CM, significantly influencing the voting and causing unfairness in the competition, leading to numerous complaints. Additionally, due to strong requests from the film club itself, after discussion,
President "This year's Miss Hokusho will have no recipient. The Miss First-Year award goes to Yukari Tomonaga."
Ooooh...
Eeeeh...
Reactions vary.
After the assembly ends, I catch a glimpse of Yukari-san biting her lip in frustration and Kuto trying to console her, but I don't feel like speaking to her and return to the classroom.
Officially, Yukari Tomonaga has been stripped of the Miss Hokusho title.
☆ ☆ ☆
Airi "Fufufu! The club budget is plentiful!"
Airi-senpai is starting to recover from the yakisoba trauma.
The yakisoba stall sold out on both days.
Moreover, her own class also ran a yakisoba mock store.
Even after returning to the classroom, Airi-senpai, who had been cooking yakisoba, was nearly certified as one of the school's seven mysteries.
Almost single-handedly... I can't thank Airi-senpai enough.
Airi-senpai said she wants to change the washing machine! And everyone supported her.
After club activities,
Airi "Well, on the way back, I'm going to check out the electronics store in front of the terminal station. Want to come along?"
The club president offers to go too, but I decline and she points at me instead.
...Just the other day, I said I was dating Yukari-san, so it's a bit awkward for the two of us... but Airi-senpai's eyes are saying, 'Come with me!'
I thought I should talk about it, though it felt like someone else's problem.
After changing clothes, we look around at washing machines in a large electronics store in our uniforms.
I have no idea what's good or not.
While looking at washing machines, I quietly talked about what had happened over the past ten days.
Airi-senpai listened without saying a word.
I tried not to cry, speaking expressionlessly, which probably looked quite unnatural.
At some point, Airi-senpai started shedding tears.
Her profile was beautiful.
Because her profile was beautiful, I kept my distance.
I also talked about my fear of women.
Airi-senpai was surprised. For the first time, she said,
Airi "The only girl you were okay with was Yukari-chan... and something like that happened...! ...I broke up over cheating too, so I won't say I understand, but I can empathize with how painful it was... Kousuke-kun, you've done your best."
After choosing a washing machine and leaving the store,
Airi "...I won't tell you to get used to girls or to cure your condition, and I can't say that. Kousuke-kun, what do you want to do?"
I answered honestly,
"...I don't want to feel like this anymore. I want to become stronger, in studies and basketball. Romance isn't everything..."
Airi "That's right, it's not everything. We need to become stronger... That goes for me too. I'll work harder and study more. Let's do our best at the Winter Cup!"
Airi-senpai kept a good distance from me and, as always, was a reliable senior.
From the next day, Airi-senpai became stricter.
Airi "Kousuke-kun, to overcome your physical weakness and develop another weapon, aiming to be a playmaker who can score himself, we're going to retrain you."
It was something we had discussed before.
Airi-senpai kept her distance from me.
It's not like she's rejecting me.
She's supportive and listens closely about practice menus and technical matters.
The footwork drills after practice are tough, really tough!
On top of that, shooting practice was exhausting.
She watches my practice from a distance, hands me drinks, gathers scattered balls, and I feel her thorough and impeccable support.
Airi "If you can't make it when you're exhausted, it's useless in a game, right?"
"...Yeah."
Airi-senpai has become much more knowledgeable about basketball than before.
The practice menu is tough but well thought out.
She told me to speak up immediately if something feels off or if I can't handle it, but I know this is good training.
I practiced with full focus every day.
More than anything, I needed something to immerse myself in to cope with this pain.
Practice, struggle, and achieve results! I believe there's no better sense of accomplishment or stress relief than this.
No matter what others think, I was fighting against myself.