Chapter 15

Autumn was as busy as ever with the sports festival and the academic presentation. However, during the sports festival, the class, which had been in last place until the anchor, the Emperor, took over, surprisingly surged to first place, causing a great commotion with the girls' shrieks of excitement.

"The relay was disappointing, wasn't it? For Aizawa-kun's class."

Aizawa-kun's class had been in first place until they were overtaken by the Emperor.

Moreover, Aizawa-kun was the anchor.

"It couldn't be helped with Tachibana-kun. If Enjo-kun had participated, it might have been different."

Actually, Aizawa-kun is in the same class as Enjo.

This time, Enjo had injured his foot before the sports festival and couldn't participate in the relay or other major events.

"But you're the anchor, and Aizawa-kun is pretty fast, right? I remember you participated in the relay last year, too."

"The anchor position was a last-minute change because Enjo-kun was injured. I don't mind running. I want to join the track and field club when I move up to the middle school."

"Really?"

I had never thought about what would happen when I moved up to the middle school.

To be honest, I don't have anything I particularly want to do. If I had to say, maybe eating snacks?

Ugh... I'm pathetic.

"Kichijouji-san, you participated in the ball toss, right?"

"Yes, we came in first."

Enjo participated in the ball toss because he could do it even with his injured foot. However, the girls in Enjo's class were more interested in being near him than in the ball toss, so Aizawa-kun's class's ranking was poor.

I ignored the commotion in other classes, diligently picking up and throwing balls, turning into a ball-throwing machine.

Since my athletic skills aren't great, I wanted to at least do my best in the ball toss.

I was satisfied with winning first place.

"After the sports festival, the girls swarmed Tachibana-kun's classroom, causing quite a commotion. In the end, Tachibana-kun got angry."

"Yes, that's true."

But that happens every year.

Girls always gather around Tachibana Masaya, and the commotion gets even bigger after events like the sports festival.

I think he should learn by now, but apparently, girls' love can't be stopped.

"The Valentine's Day is also a big deal every year."

"Indeed, it was amazing! There was a line of girls with chocolates in the hallway, and his desk was piled high with chocolates. It was incredible. I only got chocolates from my mom, sister, and childhood friend."

"I only gave chocolates to my father and brother."

For the past two years, I've been giving homemade chocolates to my father and brother on Valentine's Day.

This year, my brother said, "Homemade chocolates are a lot of work, so store-bought ones are fine," but I wouldn't skimp on the effort for my beloved brother!

Especially this year, with the important internal exam for the high school, I made affectionate homemade chocolates as a prayer for his success.

My brother enjoyed them, so I was very satisfied.

Since he was so happy, I want to do my best next year too.

"Wait, Kichijouji-san, you didn't give chocolates to Tachibana-kun?"

"What, why would I?"

What's with that unsettling idea?

"No, I just thought Kichijouji-san might like Tachibana-kun."

"I don't."

I denied it without hesitation.

No way. Who would do such a terrifying thing?

"Is that so? Ah, maybe Enjo-kun?"

"No, not him either."

Why are those the only two options?

Generally, I don't like people who are so popular.

Objectively, they are handsome, but being so popular means too many rivals, which is scary.

Hmm, but someone I like...

Come to think of it, I've never had a crush in this world. Is it my first love, me?

In my previous life, my first love was my cousin's older brother.

Ew! This is the same as Riruna.

But I wasn't such a troublesome child...

I remember he was kind and played with me, like flying kites during New Year's. He wasn't rough like the boys in my class, which was a big plus.

In my previous life, the boys in my elementary school class would play hockey with brooms during cleaning time, hitting balls at girls, have milk-drinking contests, and steal my snacks on field trips, saying, "You're fat because you only eat this kind of stuff!" What do they know! I wasn't fat; I was just a little chubby.

I'm cute and chubby.

I hit one of those fools with a snowball I packed tightly on a snowy day and hid immediately. He was furious but couldn't figure out who did it. Serves him right.

Fortunately, there are no such fools at Suiran, but there are two outstanding boys, Tachibana and Enjo, in my grade, so the other boys are somewhat overshadowed.

I think as we get older, the other boys will develop their own personalities, and some will become popular too.

Hang in there, unfortunate boys.

But, a kind boy...

The kind boys around me are my brother and...

I stared at Aizawa-kun next to me.

"What, what is it?"

Aizawa-kun is a kind boy.

He talks to me casually at cram school, and I feel more like myself when I talk to him than with the girls I usually hang out with at school.

The other day, he opened the door for me. He's a gentleman.

His face is cute, like a brown squirrel.

"Kichijouji-san, did I do something wrong?"

"No, nothing."

I smiled and brushed it off.

Aizawa-kun is a very nice boy, but for some reason, I can only see him as a good friend.

I felt like I could see Aizawa-kun's future position as just a "good friend"...

Unaware of my thoughts, Aizawa-kun was smiling and taking out the cram school materials on his desk.

...Sorry, Aizawa-kun.