Do You Like Romantic-Comedy Protagonists? - Chapter 22: Do You Like Suda Toki? 2

Chapter 22: Do You Like Suda Toki? 2

“Hey, Toki, didn’t we play dodgeball in elementary school?”

“Dodgeball? Nostalgic. Yeah, we did. What’s up?”

“Might vary by region, but at our school, the two strongest kids did rock-paper-scissors. Winner picked first for their team, loser picked next, and so on. By the end, the picking got sloppy, and since I wasn’t great at dodgeball, I was usually left last. Thinking back, it’s a microcosm of society. The weak get left behind.”

“There you go, being all cynical. Classic Akaishi vibe.”

“What’s ‘Akaishi vibe’?”

“I’ve got a funny story like that too.”

“Mine wasn’t funny.”

“We’re lifelong buddies, right? ‘Lifelong’ means you can’t escape, but saying ‘damn lifelong!’ shifts the vibe, doesn’t it?”

“‘Lifelong’ is for unwanted ties, so ‘damn lifelong!’ means the same. You want the bond to break, but it won’t.”

“Seriously? That’s not funny at all.”

“Your stories are usually neither here nor there.”

Akaishi and Suda bantered over lunch.

Students ate, took cherry blossom photos for SNS, then silently ate while on their phones.

Akaishi gave them a cold stare.

“They snap cherry photos for posts, then ignore friends to stare at phones. Taking pics with friends but eating alone with screens—what’s friendship anymore?”

“There’s that Akaishi vibe! You’re being judgy again. People are different. I think it’s cool.”

“You love that stuff. Festivals, flower-viewing—how many times have you dragged me?”

“You act like you hate it, but you go wild at festivals!”

“That’s just making the most of it!”

“Excuses, excuses~”

“Maybe an excuse.”

In front of Suda, Akaishi readily corrected himself.

Suda was his opposite.

He loved socializing, unlike Akaishi, and enjoyed things like SNS posting.

Yet, they clicked oddly well.

Suda glanced away from girls taking photos and pointed elsewhere.

“Some guys are just goofing off. People are different.”

Akaishi looked where Suda pointed.

Three boys played, two shirtless, one waving a uniform jacket like a matador teasing them.

“That’s pretty dumb.”

“Haha, it’s funny. We’re kinda like that, right?”

“Us too!?”

“Hahaha.”

They laughed together.

Akaishi and Suda were as close as could be. With Suda, Akaishi was unfiltered, his speech casual.

“Oh, I heard a rumor about you recently.”

“My rumor…? That I’m a cyborg or something?”

“You’re a cyborg?”

“Nah, I’m not.”

Pointless banter.

“Not that. You and… who was it, that wild girl… uh…”

“Hachiya?”

“Yeah, her! Heard you two are dating.”

“Another weird rumor…”

No clue who started it or why.

“Whoa, Yuu, are you actually dating!?”

“Is ‘Yuu’ my name or ‘you’?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Fair. No way, totally off.”

“Can’t imagine you with Hachiya-san,” Suda added, laughing brightly.

Who spread that rumor, and why?

Probably just a prank.

“Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”

“Yep.”

They nodded in agreement.

“Oh, Yuu, I posted today’s cherries on Tweek. Check it.”

“When?”

Akaishi opened Tweek on his phone and checked Suda’s post.

Suda

The school’s cherries scatter before you know it.

(Tap to view image)

Akaishi tapped, revealing a photo of the cherries.

“They’re not scattered yet!”

“Hahaha.”

“When’d you take this?”

“When you weren’t looking, real quick.”

“Are you a pro?”

“Caught me… Got me there.”

“Are you a pro?”

“Second time doesn’t count!”

“Haha.”

Akaishi closed Tweek and turned off his phone.

“Let’s head back.”

“Yeah, time’s almost up.”

With 10 minutes left in lunch, they returned to their classrooms.

※

Ding-dong-dang-dong.

“Stand, bow.”

“““Thank you!”””

The day ended, and cheerful student farewells echoed.

“Hey, what’re we doing today~?”

“I wanna hit karaoke~”

“Totally get that~ But purikura’s cool too, right?”

“““Yeah~!”””

Students planned their after-school fun.

With few friends in class, Akaishi quickly packed and left.

“Hey, wai—”

“Kyouko, what’s up?”

Hachiya tried to call Akaishi, but Sakurai patted her head twice.

“Ah…”

Blushing from the unexpected touch, Hachiya’s face heated.

“Club time, right? Let’s go, Kyouko.”

“Uh… Yeah, but I’ve got something to do with a teacher, so I’ll come later. Go ahead, Sousuke.”

“If she says so, let’s go. Your main wife’s waiting.”

“No main wife here!”

Takanashi cut in, and Sakurai headed to the broadcasting club with the others.

“I gotta hurry…”

Hachiya stuffed her bag and chased after Akaishi.

※

Akaishi’s high school valued freedom but was serious about education.

Akaishi was studying math diligently at a desk outside the staff room.

Mid-study, someone tapped his shoulder twice.

Removing his earplugs, he looked toward the tap.

“Akaishi, got a minute?”

Hachiya stood there, bag by her face, as if hiding.

Akaishi ignored her and returned to his math.

“Hey, Akaishi! I’m talking to you!”

“Shut up! This is by the staff room! Don’t drag me into your antics! Be quiet!”

He scolded Hachiya’s loud voice in a whisper.

He aimed to avoid rom-com scenarios and disturbing others.

Akaishi continued.

“You didn’t want me involved, so I’m staying out. Go away.”

Coldly, he dismissed her.

His pride forced him to say it. He didn’t need to worsen things with Hachiya needlessly.

Staying late to study today was partly a shallow hope that Hachiya might seek him out to reconcile.

“Sorry about that… I got carried away and said that stuff. Forgive me! You get how I feel, right?”

Hachiya’s attempt to reconcile satisfied Akaishi.

His pride wouldn’t let him apologize first.

If she’d let him go here, he’d never have sought reconciliation.

“Well… That’s all. Keep supporting my love life!”

“…Got it.”

Akaishi agreed readily.

“Then… I’m really going…”

As Hachiya started to leave,

“Hey, Kyouko-chan and Akaishi-kun!”

Suijou appeared from down the hall.