Chapter 11 – The Blonde Gal Next to Me Is Surprisingly Caring
—After school.
I was sitting on a bench tucked away in the corner of the schoolyard, reduced to ashes. A gust of wind could blow me away… No, I kind of wish it would.
Right in front of me, the baseball club was sweating it out in practice, all fresh and energetic. Watching them give it their all only made me feel more pathetic for sitting here like a pile of ash.
“Haahhh… It’s all over…”
Ever since the hugging incident this morning, Tsukishiro-san hadn’t even looked me in the eye.
Why does nothing go right? We finally exchanged contact info, had a decent chat going on LINE, and I was ready to give it my best…
“…Seriously, that was painful to watch.”
“Uwah!? Takase!?”
I looked up to find Takase standing there, arms on her hips, looking down at me with a face full of exasperation.
“That was just… no. Not only did the conversation crash and burn, you ended it by hugging her? What were you thinking?”
“I-It wasn’t on purpose! That was an accident…!”
“Tsubasa, you’re really hopeless with girls, huh? You look cool, so why?”
That question felt familiar. I think Shun said something similar…
“Looks have nothing to do with it. I’ve just never really talked to girls much before.”
“Ahaha. That’s hilarious. You’re like a disappointing ikemen.”
“That’s right. I’m a socially awkward loser. I even embarrassed Tsukishiro-san…”
“Aah—sorry. That was harsh. Cheer up, okay?”
With that, Takase plopped down next to me.
It’s strange. I used to think she was scary, but now we’re talking pretty normally. She’s easy to get along with, no pressure. That’s probably just who Takase Ai is.
“…But seriously, what should I do?”
I dropped my gaze to my knees. I didn’t have the energy to look up.
“I just want to talk to Tsukishiro-san like a normal person… but I can’t even do that.”
Takase stared at my profile and twirled her ponytail around her finger.
“…Hey, Tsubasa.”
“Huh?”
“You like Rei, don’t you?”
“Wha—!? W-Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden…?”
“No point hiding it~ I can totally see it~ Actually, anyone could.”
I had no words. Silence was all I could manage.
“Then—how about we practice? Your ‘girl talk’ skills.”
“…Huh?”
Her sudden suggestion made me let out a dumb noise.
“Training! It’s training!”
Takase puffed out her chest—big and hard to ignore.
“I hereby name it—‘Popular Guy Conversation Masterclass’!”
“That name’s so lame! And I’m not aiming for anything that grand!”
“You gotta aim for something before you can start, right?”
Takase gave me a mischievous smile and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry! I’ll whip you into at least a ‘guy who can hold a normal conversation’!”
“…Isn’t that bar super low? Also, why are you even helping me like this?”
When I asked, Takase stopped smiling for a moment and looked past the fence. Her usual brightness dimmed just a little.
“Back in middle school, there was this one kid in my class—kind of like you, bad at talking. But no one ever talked to him… I was scared too, so I just watched from afar. Then one day, he transferred out. I felt so lame for not doing anything.”
A breeze stirred her golden hair. Her profile looked more mature than usual.
“That’s why—I can’t just ignore you now. I don’t want to regret it again.”
This girl—she’s a gal, but she’s seriously a good person! I’ve been way too prejudiced against gals… You really shouldn’t judge people by appearances.
I’ll learn from her. That monster-level communication skill of hers!
And so, I began my intensive communication training—under the guidance of Takase-sensei.
—The next day.
Takase called me up to the school rooftop.
I climbed the long staircase and pushed open the heavy door. There she was.
“Tsubasa, you’re sooo slow!”
“S-Sorry. Shun invited me to check out the basketball club…”
Takase was leaning against the rooftop fence, arms crossed, waiting.
She was wearing black-rimmed glasses—no idea where she got them—and the lenses caught the sunlight, giving her a different vibe than usual.
“What’s with the glasses?”
“These? Just for show~ I’m the teacher today, so I brought them for the mood.”
She poked her finger through the lens playfully.
Blonde hair, glasses… all she needs is a lab coat and she’d be perfect!
No no, what am I imagining? I need to throw those thoughts off the rooftop like a proper high school boy.
“Alrighty, time for the first-ever lecture of ‘The Road to Becoming a Master of Flirty Conversation’!”
“…You’re really doing this, huh.”
“Okay? First, there’s something I want you to understand.”
“W-What is it…?”
“The number one trait of a popular guy—confidence!”
“C-Confidence…?”
“Yup! Girls don’t open up to guys who seem unreliable. They’ll wonder, ‘Is it safe to be with this guy?’ and get anxious.”
I remembered how I always acted weird around Tsukishiro-san.
“On the flip side, confident guys seem dependable. Even if they mess up a little, they’re like ‘Eh, no biggie!’ and keep their cool. That kind of guy is fun to talk to.”
“…I don’t have any confidence at all…”
“That’s why we practice!”
Takase tapped my forehead with her finger.
“Tsubasa, you’ve got the looks of an ikemen, so just talk with confidence and you’ll be fine.”
“Eh, r-really…?”
“See? That ‘r-really…?’ kind of timid talk is the problem!”
Takase pointed sharply at me.
“Okay, from now on, talk while thinking ‘I’m a dependable guy!’ in your head!”
…A dependable guy…?
That phrase brought to mind all the light novel protagonists I’d ever read.
Cool in battle and romance, unfazed by any crisis—perfect ikemen heroes. I’ve always admired them.
But the real me—
I tried to act like a “cool and composed guy,” but it always backfired.
Even when I talked to Tsukishiro-san, I’d end up looking away. I’m not dependable—I’m just a pathetic chicken.
…Still.
If I keep running away now, I’ll never change. Time to commit.
“Let’s start with a simple greeting. Say ‘Good morning’ to me.”
“Eh, t-that’s it…?”
“Just that! But do it seriously!”
I took a deep breath, puffed out my chest—
“G-Good morning!”
“…Your voice is fine. But your eyes are darting all over!”
“Guh…!”
“When talking to girls, eye contact is key!
If your eyes meet, she’ll feel like ‘He’s really looking at me,’ and that’s reassuring.”
“Next—be a good listener!”
“A good listener…?”
“Yup! With girls, the ideal talk ratio is about ‘listening:talking = 7:3’!”
“Seven to three…”
“Being a good listener doesn’t mean staying silent. You need to nod and ask questions that show interest.”
“Nods and… questions?”
“Exactly! Like, if I say ‘I went to a café yesterday~’ what would you say?”
“Uh… ‘Oh, really?’…?”
“Wrong~!”
Takase puffed up her cheeks and made a big X with her arms.
“The right answer is—‘Oh, what did you eat?’ Ask something! It keeps the conversation going and makes her think ‘He’s interested in what I’m saying!’”
“Remember when you asked Rei about her phone case? Kumami-san, right?”
“Ah—!”
I suddenly recalled how Tsukishiro-san’s eyes sparkled as she talked about Kumami-san.
“She talked… so much!”
“Right? Girls love talking about what they like to people who ask.”
“…I see…”
“Okay, time for a conversation simulation with me!”
“Eh!? R-Right now!?”
“Of course! We’re going till sunset~!”
And so—
I kept nodding and asking questions about Takase’s stories in a relentless training session.
Before I knew it, the rooftop was bathed in twilight, and my throat was bone dry.
“Alright, that’s it for today!”
Takase clapped her hands, satisfied.
“Tomorrow’s the real deal. Try talking to a girl in class!”
“T-The real deal…!?”
Even if it’s not Tsukishiro-san, talking to a girl feels like a final boss battle to me.
Training went okay, but when it’s for real, I can only see myself freezing up.
“H-Hey… Tomorrow, I might… die…”
My trembling voice echoed emptily across the rooftop at dusk.