Chapter 12 – The Drooping Men

20 minutes before morning homeroom starts, Azusa enters the cla.s.sroom the same time as always when she notices something is unusual.

Looking at the surroundings, the girls are whispering to each other, that’s nothing new, but they seem a little more enthusiastic than normal.

The boys have a dazed facial expression. This is also as usual, though their faces are more red than usual.

There’s no common point to what the boys and girls are doing, but there is a common point where they’re glancing.

The boys and girls are looking in the same direction.

Azusa doesn’t need to follow their eyes to know what they’re looking at.

At the spot where everyone is looking, talking happily to Saki whose seat is in front of hers, is the figure of her close friend.

Though this is also as always, it’s different this time.

For now it’s best to observe, she thinks so understanding her close friend is in a very good mood.

Furthermore, her hairstyle is different. It’s in a side ponytail.

Resting her chin on both hands she has a constant smile on her face and her feet are swaying from the knee.

She is talking to Saki while in such cheerful mood.

Azusa quickly takes out her phone and takes ten photos of her cute close friend, after taking a minute long video she goes towards her close friend.

Erika finally notices Azusa when she is nearby, and her happy smiling face grew more potent.

“Good morning, Azusa.”

Azusa immediately hugs her excessively cute close friend, enduring her impulse to rub their cheeks together she returns the greeting with a smile.

“Good morning, Erika, Saki.”
“Good morning.”

Saki returned the greeting in a small voice.

“You seem to be in a good mood, was it fun yesterday?”

While saying so, Azusa sat down on the chair next to Erika that isn’t hers.

“It was enjoyable. Ah! …Azusa, didn’t you tell him anything about yesterday!?”

When Azusa asked, Erika answered in a cheerful voice, realizing something halfway she asked Azusa so in an accusing manner.

Pretending not to notice, Azusa then replied.

“Is that how it was…? But it was fun wasn’t it?

Erika is at a loss for words when asked so.

“Th-that, it was but…”
“It’s all good then isn’t it?”
“But knowing nothing made us confused!”

Erika says so in a furthermore accusing manner, Azusa with a serious face is nodding many times and urges her to speak more.

Erika looks at Azusa with reproachful eyes and talks about the misunderstanding that Ryou’s reward was breakfast, Azusa and Saki who heard that start laughing.

“Ahaha, going with such a misunderstanding, he’s amusing.”

Saki’s shoulders are shaking and her hand is in front of her mouth.

“Suddenly hearing such a misunderstanding was really confusing.”
“Well, seems so. However you went out after that didn’t you?”

Azusa holds down her laughter to ask Erika that, Erika became energetic like a flower which has bloomed and replies.

“That’s right! Thinking about it I did go after all, I completely went! Wonderful, it was enjoyable!!”

Azusa and Saki look at Erika with gentle eyes as she says so in ecstasy.

Then unexpectedly near the three, Azusa notices the figure of someone approaching and turns around. Standing there is Okamoto, a boy from the same cla.s.s with a red face and a restless gaze. Looking at him with inquisitive eyes Azusa asked.

“Okamoto-kun, what’s wrong?”

Okamoto who was asked so had a startled face, looking at Azusa, he then matched eyes with Erika. With eyes matched Erika looks at Okamoto with a curious face. Matching eyes with Erika, Okamoto’s face further reddens and he looks down. However, he then vigorously raises his face as if he has made up his mind, while bowing deeply he says with great energy.

“Please! Fujimoto-san, please go out with me!! I like you! Today you’re even more lovely than usual!! Please!!”

The three beautiful girls, no, all the people in the cla.s.sroom at that time, absentmindedly dropped their jaws, Okamoto who made a grand confession in the cla.s.sroom in the morning was seen.

Before the three girls could say anything, two boys from the cla.s.s other than Okamoto suddenly run over to him seemingly in hurry while voicing complaints.

“That’s unfair, Okamoto!”
“Yeah, acting ahead like that isn’t allowed!”

The ones who ran over to Okamoto while complaining are boys from the same cla.s.s, Kudou and Yoshida. It’s well-known that these three are close even within the cla.s.s. Being blamed by the two, Okamoto lowers his head and says to them.

“Sorry!! However! Today’s Fujimoto-san…is so cute! Too cute!! Therefore I couldn’t endure…”

It was exclaimed in grief.

“Da…, It’s certainly is…!”
“Ah, the hairstyle different than usual is attractive, more than that it’s the shining aura…!”

Kudou and Yoshida says so with a sorrowful expression while firmly grasping their fists, the two match eyes, nod mutually and simultaneously turn their heads towards Erika with a resolved expression.

Although Erika’s expression became further dumbfounded when they turned to her, the two ignore it and bow in the same way as Okamoto who they’re next and simultaneously say.

“”Please, go out with me!!””

It’s unsure if it’s by chance that it was identical words at the identical time, coming to her senses before anyone else in front of that situation, as expected was Azusa.

“..Ha! …hey Erika!”

She says so while poking Erika. Erika receiving that from Azusa suddenly stands up in a panic.

Because of her standing up in a hurry, the chair makes a sharp sound that resounds through the cla.s.sroom, due to that sound several people in the cla.s.sroom came to their senses but no-one spoke.

Meanwhile, Erika says with a trouble face.

“Err…, um…, I’m sorry!!”

Erika bowed while saying so.

The three men who heard Erika’s words raise the head with a sorrowful expression, and Okamoto said.

“…It-it’s impossible after all. …Is, is there someone you like?”

When asked so Erika raises her head which was lowered, while her face reddens slightly she says hesitantly.

“Th-that’s…”

Seeing Erika like that the three’s expressions of sorrow deepens, and Azusa raises her voice.

“There is, someone who Erika likes.”

Erika’s face reddens further due to Azusa’s remark and she turns around in a panic while protesting.

“Hey, Azusa!”
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
“It’s not that! I never said a single word like that!!”

Without hiding her amazed eyes, Azusa says to Erika while resting her chin on her hand.

“Erika, my eyes are not just ornaments. Did you only notice yesterday? If so then you’re slower than I thought~”
“Ugh…”

Azusa’s words about Erika were on the mark, putting Erika at a loss for words with a bright red face. Azusa looks at such an Erika with interest.

While the two were having such an exchange, the existences of the three boys were forgotten and they have a look of resignation, when Kudou says.

“Th-then Fujimoto-san has someone she likes, which guy is the criminal…?”

Recalling the existences of the three, Erika and Azusa turn around quickly, and Erika with a troubled face says distinctly.

“Sorry, I can’t say.”

When Erika answers so, Kudou still hanging on says.

“Th-then, same, is it a boy from this cla.s.s!?”

With Kudou’s remark, the facial expressions of the boys in cla.s.s became mixed with feeling of hope and anxiety.

“Uh…, a different one. I can’t say any further, sorry.”

Saying so while bowing, the boys in the cla.s.s had faces as if the world had ended, the Okamoto, Kudou and Yoshida threesome had faces like their souls have left their bodies, muttering sorry for this morning, the three turn around while placing their arm around each other’s shoulders, let’s get drunk today, they murmur while going back to their seats.

Before the three sit on their seats, this time the girls in cla.s.s excitedly gather around Erika.

“Erika-chan, is there finally someone you like!?”
“When!? Yesterday!?”
“Is he from this school!?”
“Same school year? Or older!?”
“No no, he could be younger.”
“Is it like that!? Hmm, Erika-chan!?”
“Are you going out!?”

Receiving a barrage of questions all at once from the surroundings, Erika glares at Azusa while thinking how to answer these questions, or isn’t it fine to not answer any of them. While pondering so the chime rings and the homeroom teacher enters immediately. The girls reluctantly part from Erika and sat on their seats.

Though Erika was relieved, when thinking that this might continue for the rest of today, she became worried about what to do.