In the afternoon, it was time for PE. Due to her condition, Utaha naturally wasn't going to participate and chose to stay in the classroom instead.
Just before class began, Ichin went over to Shizuka Hiratsuka's office to get some hot water and made another cup of brown sugar water for Utaha.
"Will you be alright staying in the classroom alone? Do you want me to come back early?"
Taking the thermos from him, Utaha sighed helplessly.
"Ichin, I'm not a kid, you don't need to fuss over me like this. Go to class already."
Ichin smiled and rubbed her head.
"Alright then. Get some good rest."
Not long after, the bell rang. Ichin left with the rest of the students, changed into his gym clothes, and headed to the sports field.
Meanwhile, Utaha stretched her body in the empty classroom. She'd taken a short nap during lunch, so she wasn't sleepy at all now. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a light novel she had bought earlier and began reading quietly.
---
On the field, under the guidance of the PE teacher, the students did a lap around the track and a few warm-up exercises. After that, they were free to engage in their own chosen activities.
Since more than one class had PE at the same time, the school's sports ground was quite lively.
Ichin played a short game of basketball with a few guys and then headed to the vending machines near the music hall to grab a sports drink.
But as he pressed the button to choose his drink, he accidentally hit it twice, and two bottles dropped out.
"…Well, this is awkward. I can't drink two bottles by myself."
Looking at the drinks in his hands, Ichin thought for a second, then decided he might as well give the extra bottle to someone nearby—let fate pick a lucky winner.
He walked back toward the basketball court, only to find that it was completely deserted.
"Where did everyone go?"
Just then, he spotted a girl passing by and asked her. That's when he found out: everyone had run off to the other side of the field to watch a mini-game organized by another class's PE teacher.
Glancing at the empty court, Ichin didn't even need to ask—he was sure they'd all gone to watch the girls play.
"Second-year Class A has PE today, huh? Even if she's cold, the 'Second Young Lady' still draws a crowd."
Smiling wryly to himself, Ichin made his way over to the tennis courts.
He'd learned a little tennis in PE before, but he was still very much a beginner. Compared to that, he was far better at basketball, badminton, or table tennis.
Sure enough, when he arrived, the tennis court was surrounded by a huge crowd. All the guys from his class were there, and even their PE teacher had shown up to watch.
Before Ichin could even squeeze into the crowd, he heard a wave of gasps and exclamations from the spectators.
"Alright, 40–0. Next player, please."
Peeking through the crowd, he saw Yukino catching her breath with a tennis racket in hand. Under everyone's gaze, she stepped off the court to take a break.
Ichin glanced at the scoreboard and raised an eyebrow—Yukino had just completely crushed her opponent. A flawless shutout. As expected of her.
However, despite her strength and the crowd she'd drawn, she still didn't seem particularly close to anyone in her class.
Seeing her walk alone to a bench not far away, Ichin casually made his way over, holding the extra bottle of sports drink.
It had been a while since she last played tennis, and after running earlier, Yukino was now noticeably worn out. She sat down, towel in hand, wiping the sweat from her face.
Suddenly, she felt something press down gently on her head. Startled, she turned around—only to find Ichin standing behind her with a big smile, holding a bottle of sports drink.
"Senpai, please don't sneak up on people like that."
"Hahaha, sorry about that."
Ichin handed her the drink with a grin.
"Here. I accidentally bought an extra one—go ahead and take it."
Yukino didn't refuse and took the bottle directly.
"Thank you, Senpai."
Her aloof demeanor made others too intimidated to approach her or even sit beside her. As a result, the empty seat next to her naturally became Ichin's.
Under the gaze of several people around the tennis court, Ichin sat down beside Yukino. After taking a sip of his own drink, he said,
"I didn't get to see the whole match, but it looks like you're pretty good at tennis."
"I'm alright."
Shaking her head, Yukino added,
"I tend to learn things quickly, so I picked up a lot of miscellaneous skills when I was younger. But because of some health issues, my stamina has always been poor. So, when it comes to sports like tennis, I never got very far—just stayed at an amateur level. I even tried learning Aikido to compensate for my weak physical endurance, but it didn't help much."
"Even so, you're already doing great."
Ichin remarked sincerely, "Not everyone can build great stamina. It's not like everyone can run a kilometer without breaking a sweat. As long as you're healthy and not getting sick all the time, that's enough. But Yukino, it still seems like no one in your class talks to you. Even though I've seen you interact just fine in our group and at the studio."
Yukino followed his gaze toward the tennis court. Many of the students who had been sneaking glances at her quickly turned their heads away, pretending they hadn't been watching.
"And that's exactly why," she said without changing expression.
"While I don't mind socializing these days, I still won't bother with meaningless small talk or being approached by strangers. As for our class—after spending a whole year together, the social dynamics have already been set. Not everyone has the courage to break those unspoken rules. And honestly, I don't care enough to play along with them either. I already have a social circle, and that's enough for me."
"Mm~ I see. Well, as long as you're happy, that's what matters."
Ichin hadn't intended to change Yukino anyway. As long as she was okay with how things were, that was fine by him. Besides, not only he, Utaha, and Eriri cared—Hiratsuka Shizuka also kept an eye on Yukino. So her school life wouldn't be affected too much.
Just then, a few boys from their class came over, calling for Ichin.
He stood up with his drink in hand.
"Alright, I'd better get back to playing. If you're still tired, take a good rest. No need to push yourself—moderate exercise is enough."
"Got it."
Yukino nodded. She had originally intended to mention the investment her sister roped her into, but seeing Ichin already walking away, she swallowed her words.
"Senpai, thanks for the drink."
Waving a hand in response, Ichin made his way back to the boys from his class.
As soon as he got close, one of them slung an arm around his shoulder.
"We'd only heard rumors, but I didn't think you were actually close with Yukinoshita from Class 2. And more than that—she wasn't cold toward you at all! Come on, tell us—don't tell me you two are..."
Ichin kept a calm face.
"You guys are overthinking it. We're just normal upperclassman-underclassman. Her clubroom used to be right next to mine and Utaha's, so it's natural we got to know each other. Also, just because someone looks cold doesn't mean they're hard to get along with. Don't fall into stereotypes."
Then another boy chimed in:
"But as far as I know, you're the only guy in this entire school who can talk to Yukinoshita like that. I seriously suspect there's something going on between you two."
To that, Ichin gave a small pat on the boy's shoulder.
"It's fine if you say stuff like that around me—I won't get mad. But don't go spreading it around, especially don't let Utaha hear it. If she does, I can't guarantee her long-dormant poison tongue won't come back to life."
At the mention of that, the guys immediately shuddered as they recalled Utaha's legendary sharp tongue back before Ichin transferred to the school.
Yeah… probably best not to joke around about that anymore. Life is precious.
...
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