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 2: The Third-String Captain Lies in Wait for the Beautiful Junior Manager.

“He had such a pathetic look on his face, that Kisaragi guy.”

Takeoka strolled leisurely across the school grounds, his lips twisting into a smirk as he recalled the expression on Takumi’s face when he had ordered him to quit.

“That one’s heart is completely broken now. If it were anyone else, maybe not, but when I tell them to quit, they have no choice but to leave. Kana won’t be interested in a weakling who gives up halfway either. Once that happens, all I have to do is slowly close the distance. Women are simple—they fall easily if you keep showing them affection. Ahh… I can’t wait to get my hands on those tits and knead them…”

Imagining Kana writhing under his touch, Takeoka’s smile deepened. At the same time, his conversation with her from that morning replayed in his mind.

‘You don’t have a boyfriend, right? Then there’s no need to hold back. The guys you’ve been with before might’ve been boring, but I won’t bore you. After all, my experience is on a whole different level.’

‘I’m a little busy lately… I’m sorry.’

He had tried boasting about his past experience with women, but Kana’s defenses remained firmly in place.

“She’s wary of me right now, but that’s only because she’s starting to see me as a man. She’s probably been hit on countless times already. Who knows—she might actually be hoping for someone to make a bold move. I’ll keep that as Plan B.”

Kisaragi would quit the team. And eventually, Kana would become his. To Takeoka, that outcome felt completely inevitable.

Confident in that belief, Takeoka spotted a glimpse of reddish-tinted hair near the main gate and his smile grew wider.

(She’s here…!)

He had been waiting for Kana. He had a rough idea of when her supplementary lessons ended, and this was the perfect timing to make it look like a coincidence.

“Hey, Kana.”

He called out to her in a deliberately low, rough voice.

Kana stopped in her tracks, looking slightly startled, then turned around.

“…Ah, Takeoka-senpai. Hello.”

“Yeah. You heading home now?”

“Yes, I just finished supplementary lessons… Has the third-string match already ended?”

Takeoka nodded heavily, deliberately exaggerating his expression.

“Yeah… it’s over. Well, it went pretty much as expected.”

He snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Kana’s brows furrowed slightly.

“As expected?”

“Kisaragi’s mistake cost us the game. His movements were even worse than usual. I tried giving him some encouraging words, but… he’s done for. His eyes were completely dead. That’s proof his spirit is broken.”

“…I see.”

Kana’s voice trembled ever so slightly.

(…No, she’s just being too soft-hearted.)

Takeoka told himself, calming the slight unease stirring in his chest. He then continued speaking in a slow, deliberate tone.

“You should stop hanging around with a spineless guy like that. People who throw in the towel halfway never succeed at anything.”

“……”

Kana’s eyebrows twitched, but Takeoka didn’t notice and continued smugly.

“He’s a coward who doesn’t even have the guts to make a move on you, so it’s easy, right? But herbivore-type guys like him are just weak men who lack confidence in themselves. That frail, wishy-washy type doesn’t suit you at all.”

“…I’m not that impressive of a girl.”

Kana replied in a suppressed voice, then immediately added without pause:

“Well then, I’ll take my leave here.”

She gave a small bow and began walking in the opposite direction from where Takeoka was headed.

Takeoka called out to her retreating back.

“You walk home, don’t you? Want me to give you a ride?”

“No, I have something to do. Excuse me.”

Kana bowed once more and continued walking away without looking back.

Takeoka didn’t call out again. He simply let out a scornful laugh.

“Hah… What a difficult woman.”

But soon, a confident smirk returned to his lips.

“Well, whatever. There’s still plenty of time.”

***

A short while after parting ways with Takeoka and turning the corner, Kana pretended to check her watch while discreetly glancing behind her with just her eyes.

(…He’s not following.)

The moment she confirmed no one was there, she broke into a full sprint.

Rain began to fall almost immediately, growing steadily heavier until it became a downpour.

She had an umbrella, but running at full speed made it impossible to keep the rain completely off her. The unpleasant sensation of her hair and clothes sticking to her skin was uncomfortable, yet right now, none of that mattered.

Even as she splashed through puddles and rainwater seeped into her shoes, Kana didn’t slow down for even a second.

(Senpai…!)

What surfaced in her mind was the expression on his face when they had spoken briefly before her supplementary lessons.

‘I’ll do my best not to fall asleep during supplementary lessons, so please do your best in the match too, senpai!’

When she had said that, he had smiled gently and replied, ‘Let’s both do our best.’

Kana had felt relieved seeing him smile when he had seemed so down lately, but now she wondered if she had unintentionally forced him to put on a brave face.

Ever since she enrolled four months ago, she had been supported so much by his thoughtful and considerate nature.

This time, it was her turn to support him.

(There’s no one who loves soccer as much as senpai does…!)

Kana ran straight past the apartment building that was her home without sparing it a glance and headed for the park ahead.

Then, spotting the familiar purple hair on the bench near the entrance, she squeezed out the last of the oxygen left in her lungs.

“—Senpai!”