Greetings.
Why do you look so surprised?
What?
You thought I was dead?
Who said I was going to die? Don’t kill me off on your own.
I’ll kill you, hey, god.
But to be fair, it wasn’t like I came out unscathed.
“Uuuh, I’m so sorry, Kou-chan.”
“How many times have you apologized today? I’ve heard it at least a hundred times.”
“But still—”
“And I’ve told you a hundred times too, that was my own carelessness. I twisted my ankle because I stepped on the pen I dropped.”
After I elegantly saved Marimo, I completely lost my balance.
At that moment, I heard an ominous sound coming from my foot.
Next thing I knew, sweat started pouring out of every pore, followed closely by a wave of pain charging at full speed.
Didn’t they teach you not to run in the hallways?
It took me five minutes just to catch my breath after confirming Marimo was okay.
The silence in those moments must have really worried her, and I honestly regret putting her through that.
Afterward, I pulled out my phone and called for help from Onigawara-kun.
My foot still had some feeling in it, and although the pain was pretty bad, I was fairly sure the bone wasn’t broken.
But I decided it was best not to try standing on my own, so I made the call.
Even though the spot was fairly secluded, lying sprawled out on the landing like that was bound to attract attention, and with Marimo’s worried face next to me, I didn’t want to make things worse.
When I explained the situation to Onigawara-kun, he responded with a confident, “I’ll be right there.”
In less than a minute, I heard what sounded like an earthquake approaching.
Good, at least I won’t draw any attention now.
“Senpaaaiiiii! Vooooooo!”
Or maybe not.
“Are you alriiiight!? Vaaaaaooo!”
So much for that.
Onigawara-kun’s voice was as loud as a plane taking off, and soon rumors that the vice president had died started racing through the school.
Please, I beg of you all, stop running in the hallways.
That’s all I ask.
“Kou-chan, are you thirsty? Want some juice?”
“Kou-chan, do you need to go to the bathroom? It’s fine, even the boys’ bathroom!”
“Kou-chan, want me to lend you my shoulder? Or should I carry you on my back?”
Every break, Marimo was buzzing around me like a nervous mother cat who’d just had kittens.
I need to make something clear here.
I didn’t break any bones, okay?
Just to be safe, I went to the hospital afterward.
A sprain.
And a light one at that.
The doctor gave me crutches and said, “Use these for four or five days,” but it’s really not that serious.
The recovery time is just one week.
The doctor even said I could start playing soccer again after a week.
So, it was a minor injury that could almost be mistaken for a soccer-related one.
Even so, Marimo couldn’t stop worrying, and even during lunch, she refused to leave my side.
“Hey, I’m fine, just go already! The vice principal’s calling for you! Sorry I can’t go with you, but—”
“But, but, what if you need something, Kou-chan?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll eat in the student council room. Karin or Onigawara-kun will be there, right? I’ll ask them if I need anything.”
“Uuuuh! Promise me! Don’t overdo it, okay!?”
Finally, she’s gone.
Honestly, I thought she’d stopped letting her guard down lately, but now she’s even taking care of me.
Maybe there’s something wrong with her after all?
With these thoughts in mind, I headed to the student council room.
“Ah, Kouhei-senpai! I’ve been waiting for you!! How’s your foot?”
“Oh, it’s totally fine. Taping is amazing, isn’t it? Medicine is great.”
“Really? That’s good to hear! Then, shall we head to the courtyard and have lunch there?”
“Sure.”
I had received a message from Karin this morning.
It said, “Let’s have lunch together today!”
Knowing that Marimo had something to do, I stopped by the store to buy some bread.
“You see, hehe, I found a secret spot in the courtyard! It’s quiet, and there’s just enough space for two! It’s almost like a couple’s seat… ehehe.”
Karin, walking ahead of me, seemed genuinely excited.
“…Why are you here?”
Then I saw her expression cloud over in an instant.
“Huh!? …Excuse me, Saeki-san, but why are you here!?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Karin, with an intimidating presence.
It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?
“Now, now, Karin. No need to get mad. Let’s all eat together, shall we? Right, Onigawara-kun?”
“Oh, Kirishima-senpai! Please, come on over. It’s a bit cramped, but you’re welcome. This spot is really convenient because it’s quiet. I tend to scare people, you know. Haha.”
“…Good grief. Kouhei-senpai, you’re too nice! …But that’s also one of your good points.”
And so, the three of us sat down on the grass.
“…Isn’t this a bit cramped?”
It is cramped, right?
Because Karin said earlier, there’s only space for two.
“Sorry, it’s because I’m so big.”
“That’s right! Shrink down or something!”
“…Hey, why are you two sitting on either side of me?”
A reasonable question.
“Well… sitting next to Saeki-san is a bit…”
“I don’t want to sit close to anyone but Kouhei-senpai!”
I understood their reasoning.
I understood it, but I still have something to say.
Because of my sprained ankle, I have to sit in an awkward position, and with the two of you so close, well, it’s hard to say, but…
—I can’t eat!
I have a suggestion that might be constructive. Want to hear it?
I’ll move out of this space.
Then, I’ll face you two.
Wouldn’t that create a more comfortable environment?
“Wait a second, senpai… Whoooah! Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing!?”
“That’s right! Were you trying to stand up just now!?”
Just lifting my hips a little caused a commotion.
“No, no, I wasn’t at all! Haha, come on, don’t be silly, you two. Haha.”
I realized there was no escape.
“Kirishima-senpai, is that yakisoba bread? It’s popular, but you managed to get one. This is the first time I’ve seen one.”
“Well, when people saw my foot, they made way for me. It’s nice when people show that kind of consideration.”
I’ll let you know now, I’m about to make the wrong choice.
Please understand.
“Oh, Onigawara-kun, your bento is cute! That’s a character bento, right!? It’s Pikachu! I love Pikachu. I remember back in the day, a classmate of mine, Aoyama, evolved his Pikachu into Raichu without asking me, and—”
At this point, I sensed an intense anger behind me.
I slowly turned around, like a rusty tin robot, to find…
“Oh? Onigawara-kun, did you make your own lunch? Wow.”
“K-Karin-san!? What’s wrong!?”
Karin smiled at me.
But it wasn’t her usual smile; there was something sinister about it.
“Senpai? What do you think of girls who are good at cooking?”
I need to get out of here.
That was my immediate conclusion.
But as I tried to move, two strong arms held me back.
“Wait, senpai, please don’t leave me!!”
Wait, this is going to continue?
I won’t say anything bad anymore, so please help me, hey, god!!