Kicked Out of the Bottom Soccer Team, I Found My Strength Thanks to My Beautiful Junior Manager. What Began as a Simple Act of Kindness Turned into Her Coming Over Every Day.

Chapter 17: The Beautiful Junior Manager Cornered by the Third-String Captain.

The staff room at Sakura High School was open to students returning keys from club storage rooms and sheds during certain hours.

“…As expected of you, Senpai, noticing that the owner had forgotten about the key…”

Having safely returned the key, Kana slipped on her outdoor shoes while praising Takumi’s keen observation skills. Although the sun was beginning to set, the heat still lingered heavily in the air.

“—Oi, Kana.”

A rough voice called out just as they had walked a short distance from the staff room. Kana desperately fought to keep her expression from twisting and forced a smile.

“What is it, Takeoka-senpai?”

“You’re done with everything, right? Then let’s go somewhere.”

“…Excuse me?”

Kana furrowed her brows. What on earth was he talking about?

“Um… go somewhere?”

“It’s obvious. We’re going out to have fun.”

“Ah, no… I’ll have to decline. I already promised to go home with Senpai.”

“…Kisaragi?”

“Yes.”

The only person Kana referred to as “Senpai” without a surname was Takumi. For all other male upperclassmen she used their family name plus “senpai,” and for females she used their given name plus “senpai.”

“Hah, you’re pretty cautious, aren’t you, Kana?”

“…What do you mean?”

Kana’s irritation was steadily growing. She always tried to keep a smile on her face while acting as manager, but even that was on the verge of collapsing.

She had never held a favorable impression of Takeoka. To put it plainly, she harbored outright disgust toward him. After all, he was the very person who had tried to force Takumi out of the club.

When Takumi had told her that Takeoka ordered him to quit, Kana had declared, “If he were standing right in front of me, I would kill him.” Of course she wouldn’t actually do that, but if she had witnessed the scene, she probably would have swung at him.

Even during today’s practice, Takeoka had repeatedly called her over for trivial reasons, interrupting her enjoyable time with Takumi. Her frustration had already reached a high point. On top of that, being subjected to this incomprehensible nonsense made her anger perfectly understandable.

However, Takeoka interpreted her reaction as her being shaken because he had seen through to the depths of her heart.

“Hah, you don’t have to hide it. You’ve been targeted by countless vulgar men before. That’s why you’re sticking close to a spineless loser like Kisaragi, right? Because it’s safe.”

Kana’s brows furrowed deeper.

(Eh? What is this gorilla even saying?)

Oblivious to her exasperation, Takeoka continued with a smug expression.

“I understand why you’re wary of me. But don’t worry. I’ve never forced myself on anyone without consent. So you don’t need to be on guard. Just be honest, Kana.”

“Um… I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say. I’m not particularly wary of you, Takeoka-senpai, and I think I’m being quite honest already.”

“…I see.”

Takeoka muttered in a low voice.

(Just as I thought—she likes being pursued aggressively.)

—Convinced of his victory, he grinned.

“—!”

A chill ran down Kana’s spine.

The moment she realized Takeoka was moving toward her, his face was already inches away.

“—?!”

He grabbed both of her wrists and leaned in even closer.

“With that innocent-looking face, you actually like it when someone gets a little forceful, don’t you, Kana?”

“Hah…?! W-Wait, what are you doing?!”

(Eh, what?! Seriously, what the hell is this?!)

Pressed against the wall of the school building, Kana desperately tried to shake him off. But the difference in strength between a girl manager barely over 150 centimeters tall and a male soccer player exceeding 180 centimeters was painfully obvious.

The only resistance she could manage was turning her face away as far as possible.

“I told you, I won’t force anything. Just be honest, Kana.”

Takeoka whispered into her ear with a sleazy grin. Her whole body trembled with revulsion.

“Oh? Are your ears sensitive?”

“N-No! Let go of me!”

(Scary… Disgusting! Senpai, help me…!)

The exact moment Kana screamed internally—

“—What exactly do you think you’re doing, Captain?”

“…Ah?”

Takeoka’s grip loosened. Kana seized the opportunity to wrench her hands free and rushed straight to the owner of that voice—Takumi.

“Senpai!”

Seeing Kana’s eyes glistening with tears, Takumi offered a gentle smile and nodded.

“It’s okay now. Hide behind me.”

“Yes…!”

(He really came…!)

Kana slipped behind Takumi’s back and clutched tightly at his shirt.

“Tch. I was just getting to the good part… You’re in the way, Kisaragi. Get lost.”

“Captain, you should step back. Shirayuki is scared.”

“Hah. Just because she relied on you a little, you’re acting like her boyfriend? That kind of misunderstanding is the last thing girls want, you know?”

Takeoka dropped his mocking smile and glared at Takumi, continuing in a low, threatening voice.

“—Kana isn’t yours. Disappear. Now.”

“You’re the one who’s misunderstanding, Captain. I’m not pretending to be her boyfriend or anything. When a junior is in trouble, helping her is only natural for a senior.”

“Hah. You only help when it’s a girl in trouble, right? There are guys like you—deluded types who think they have to be nice to every girl no matter what. Listen up. Women actually like it when a guy is a little pushy. You don’t understand that, which is why you’re still a virgin. Right, Kana?”

Kana didn’t respond, remaining hidden behind Takumi’s back.

“…You understand now, don’t you? Captain, please stop bothering Shirayuki any further.”

“Hey, hey, didn’t I tell you not to misunderstand? There’s no way Kana would seriously fall for a scrub like you. She’s just enjoying the back-and-forth with me—”

“You’re the one who’s misunderstanding, Takeoka-senpai.”

Kana’s voice cut him off, carrying clear anger.

“…Ah?”

The sleazy grin on Takeoka’s face twisted.

“…Oi, Kana. Stop using Kisaragi to play around. If you keep pissing me off, you won’t like what happens. This is your last chance. Be honest.”

“…Haah.”

Kana let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Do I really have to spell it out for you to understand?”

“Ah? Yeah, you like it when guys are forceful, right?”

“No. People like you, Takeoka-senpai, are honestly just physically repulsive to me.”

“………………Huh?”

Takeoka’s face froze in a comically dumbfounded expression, like a pigeon that had been shot with a peashooter.