School attendance day

“Why do they hold it on such a half-baked day, our school attendance day?”

From the seat in front, Akito calls out to me in a languid tone.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but agree with him.

It’s still early in summer vacation. Calling us back when things are just getting started feels like nothing short of harassment…

“Well, for those of us in clubs, we’re here every day anyway, so it doesn’t feel all that different.”

“That so? For me, just whether I can wear my tracksuit or have to put on the uniform makes a difference.”

Hayato and Makoto naturally join in on the conversation between Akito and me.

“The damage to us non-club folks is pretty catastrophic…”

And Akito doesn’t seem particularly bothered by it.

So, here we are, an unusual group gathered around a desk.

The people around us seem to notice something’s off, but they don’t appear to care too much.

Well, it’s not like I’m hanging out with an idol like Aisa, so even if we stand out, it’s not like anyone’s throwing hostility our way.

“So, first half of summer break—did you actually go on a date with Takanishi?”

“Yeah, yeah, we wanna hear all about that!”

You guys…

Akito and Hayato seem to get along great when it comes to this topic, all buddy-buddy with their excitement. I glance at Makoto for help, but his face practically screams I’m curious too.

I’m completely surrounded…

“Nothing special happened.”

“Oh, so monopolizing the Takanishi sisters and hitting the beach isn’t a big deal, huh?”

“You…”

I glare at Hayato’s smirking face, but he brushes it off like it’s nothing. I owe him a bit from that day, so I can’t exactly snap back too hard and end up clamming up.

“Not bad, Kouki!”

“Come on, spill it all! Where else did you go, what did you do?!”

Akito and Hayato’s teasing is getting louder, so I had no choice but to say something to calm them down.

“Just… spare me in the classroom, alright?”

◇

Lunch break.

I’m surrounded by the three of them on the balcony, which is open as a lunch space.

By the way, no one explicitly says it, but it’s an unspoken rule that this spot is reserved for the top dogs of the school caste.

Naturally, I’d never set foot here before, so just being here is making me all fidgety.

“So, you guys still aren’t dating?”

“I mean, was there ever anything that made you think we were dating?”

I turn to Makoto’s comment, but honestly, I only started talking to Aisa recently. Before that, it was just, y’know, occasionally locking eyes and getting glared at.

“No, but seriously, we’re kinda shocked.”

Why is even Hayato piling on… and then Akito jumps in for the kill.

“Right? Told you my eyes don’t lie.”

“I dunno, Akito, your eyes seem pretty unreliable most of the time…”

At this point, it’s obvious our relationship’s more than just getting glared at. Resigning myself, I decide to share what I can from everything that’s happened.

But our recent interactions, well, when you tell your classmates about it, sure, we’re close for a guy and a girl—

“It’s just that it keeps feeling more and more like family.”

“Yeah, I can see that…”

“She’s got that main wife energy.”

“Family-approved, too.”

Exactly. Well, it feels like there’s something else to it, but still. This vibe keeps throwing me off.

But if this is the kind of connection Aisa wants, I don’t want to mess with it—that’s my honest feeling.

“Let’s make this clear. Kouki, do you like Takanishi or not?”

“Well…”

How do I even answer that…?

Sure, Aisa’s cute. Anyone would say so.

What I feel for Aisa right now isn’t negative by any means. But somehow, it feels so natural, like something you’d take for granted with family.

In the end, even I’m confused about my own feelings.

All I know is I don’t want to go back to how things were in middle school. That’s it.

Lost in thought, Hayato seems to get the wrong idea.

“Or maybe… you’re into the little sister instead?”

“Oh, I see…”

“Stop it, stop it!”

I don’t have the mental space to even think about Manami!

“Anyway, let’s eat already. We’re gonna run out of time.”

“There he goes, dodging the question…”

“Fine, we’ll call it something to look forward to after the break.”

“Nah, let’s talk a few times during the break.”

For now, with time running out, I managed to brush it off vaguely, but it’s settled that we’ll hang out with this group a few times during summer break.

Honestly, they’re a fun bunch, so aside from all this grilling, I’m actually kinda looking forward to it.