Chapter 25: The Beautiful Underclassman Manager Fell Asleep.

The first half of the movie was packed with comical elements. Kana, sitting right beside Takumi, was laughing her head off, clutching her stomach and even shedding tears as she wheezed with mirth.

As the story shifted in the latter half from comedy to a warm, heartening tale, Kana grew quieter, but Takumi didn’t think much of it.

Or rather, he had become genuinely absorbed in the movie himself.

—Thump.

Suddenly, Takumi felt a weight settle on his shoulder.

“…Eh?”

He casually turned his gaze—and his thoughts came to a complete halt.

Right in front of his eyes and nose was a smooth, glossy cascade of red hair that shimmered softly.

(Ah, it smells nice… Wait, no—!)

“Sh-Shirayuki?”

The only reply was the gentle, rhythmic sound of peaceful breathing: suu… suu…

The girl leaning against his shoulder had fallen completely asleep.

(This… this is definitely bad…)

Takumi was, after all, a healthy high school boy.

There was no way he could feel nothing when a girl—especially one as beautiful and perfectly proportioned as Kana—was leaning against him like this.

On top of that, a sweet, not-too-overpowering fragrance kept tickling his nose.

It felt like receiving a constant stream of light body blows to his rationality, slowly wearing it down.

To break the current situation, he had no choice but to wake her.

However, Takumi didn’t call out to her again. Her sleeping face was simply too serene.

(She must be exhausted…)

When he thought back on the grueling day she had endured, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb Kana while she slept so peacefully.

Still, keeping her in this position wasn’t good for either of them; she would end up with a stiff body.

Takumi paused the movie, then gently lifted Kana’s upper body into a princess carry.

She was slender in most places, yet the parts he touched felt wonderfully soft.

Just how does something stay both toned and this soft…?

While pondering that question quite seriously, he laid her down on the sofa with a cushion as her pillow.

Kana’s breathing remained steady and undisturbed.

She was out cold.

(I’ll wake her after ten. For today, it can’t be helped—I’ll just give her a light warning.)

With that thought, Takumi was about to return his attention to the movie when—

“Takumi-senpai…”

“—!”

Takumi’s breath caught in his throat.

He looked at Kana. She was still sleeping soundly. It seemed she had spoken in her sleep.

His heartbeat quickened.

This was the first time Kana had ever called him by his given name.

Perhaps it was because of the playful teasing she had done with his name during dinner. She always referred to him strictly as “Senpai.”

When they first met, she had called him “Kisaragi-senpai,” but at some point, it had naturally shifted to the current form.

(I wonder why. I should ask her next time.)

Takumi looked away from Kana and restarted the movie.

In the end, even after the film finished past ten o’clock, Kana still didn’t wake up.

“Shirayuki.”

“Mmm…”

“Shirayuki Kanaaa?”

“Nmmuu…”

(Nope, she’s gone.)

He tried shaking her shoulder and lightly tapping her cheek, but she only let out soft groans with no sign of waking.

She seemed to have fallen into an even deeper sleep than before.

(Maybe I should have forced her awake earlier…)

Regretting it now was pointless.

There was nothing more he could do. Continuing the same actions might eventually wake her, but wasting more time would only worry her parents.

“Can’t be helped…”

“Wait here for a bit, Shirayuki.”

Takumi left the room. Even in his loungewear, the air still felt oppressively humid.

He recalled the news mentioning it was a tropical night.

He climbed the stairs to the third floor. From the opposite direction, he saw a woman in a suit walking toward him.

Ruby-like red hair glowed under the moonlight.

Takumi was certain she was the person he was looking for.

“Good evening.”

“…Good evening.”

A faint trace of wariness colored the woman’s face.

“You’re Shirayuki-san, correct?”

“Yes… and you are?”

“My name is Kisaragi Takumi. I’m in the same soccer club as your daughter—”

“Ah, so you’re the ‘Senpai’ Kana always talks about?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see…”

The woman nodded repeatedly, as if everything now made sense.

“Thank you for always looking after my daughter. I heard she’s here again today.”

“Yes. Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask regarding that.”

“What is it?”

The woman looked anxious.

She was probably worried that something had happened to Kana.

“It’s not that she’s feeling unwell or anything, but… Kana fell asleep at my place. I’m very sorry, but could you come pick her up?”

“Eh…? I-I’m so sorry!”

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the woman bowed her head repeatedly.

She introduced herself as Shirayuki Ran.

Takumi and Ran now sat facing each other at the dining table in the Shirayuki household.

“I’m truly sorry for all the trouble my daughter has caused…”

Ran bowed deeply.

Her cheeks and ears were faintly tinged with red. She must have felt terribly awkward.

“Please don’t worry about it at all.”

“Honestly, that girl…”

Ran sighed and glanced toward the back of the house—Kana’s room. She had already been hurriedly carried there by her mother.

“I’m sorry for keeping your daughter here without even greeting you properly.”

Takumi lowered his head.

He had been thinking about it for a while. But since he wasn’t her boyfriend, formally greeting her parents felt strange, so he had kept putting it off.

“No, no. Since my daughter has been imposing on you, we should have been the ones to come greet you first. I hope she hasn’t been too much trouble… though it seems she already has been.”

Ran gave a wry smile.

“Please don’t worry. I was a little surprised when she fell asleep, but she’s been helping with cooking and everything, so she’s actually been a big help.”

“Really? It’s perfectly fine—please tell me honestly if she’s causing any bother.”

Ran gave him a searching look.

Having just witnessed her daughter’s blunder, it was only natural for her to be cautious.

“Thank you. But it’s really okay. Besides, she’s my savior.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Ran’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I was once thinking of quitting soccer, but thanks to her, I’m now able to enjoy it again.”

“I see… So Kana has been doing well.”

Ran’s lips softened into a smile. It looked both happy and somehow a little lonely.

“She really is excellent. She’s thoughtful, and above all, she knows soccer inside and out. Her promotion after just two months since enrolling isn’t surprising at all.”

“She watches a lot of soccer, after all. Though that does make supplementary lessons a problem… Could you also talk to her about that, Takumi-kun?”

“When I did, she looked unhappy and said I was saying the same thing as her mom.”

“Oh my.”

Ran let out a soft giggle.

Unlike Kana’s bold laughter, hers was quiet and refined. Perhaps it was simply the difference between a child and an adult.

“Um, this might be a bit late to ask, but should I write some kind of pledge or something? I am letting her stay over even though we’re not dating.”

“No need for that.”

Ran waved her hand lightly.

The corners of her mouth curved into a gentle arc.

“It’s a bit strange for a parent to say this, but that girl is quite popular, so she’s actually very cautious around men. She hides it behind her friendly personality, though. She would never fall sound asleep in a boy’s house unless she trusted him a great deal. She has a good eye for people… And after meeting you in person like this, I can tell you’re a sincere young man, so it’s fine.”

“Understood. Thank you very much.”

It had only been a few dozen minutes since they met, but it seemed he had earned her trust.

“Takumi-kun. Have you heard that we’re both working?”

“Yes.”

“I usually get home around this time on weekdays, and my husband comes back even later, so we haven’t been able to give Kana much attention. I know this might be presumptuous, but… could you keep her company when it’s not too much trouble for you?”

“If Kana wants that, I’d be happy to. I enjoy talking with her too.”

“Really? Thank you. She’ll be delighted. She talks about you quite often at home.”

“I see.”

Takumi gave an embarrassed smile.

It felt awkward knowing he was being talked about behind his back.

“Since Kana has been treated to dinner here twice already, please come over for a meal at our place next time.”

When Takumi was leaving the Shirayuki household, Ran said those words.

“Yes, I’d love to if I get the chance.”

“Oh? That’s not just polite talk, is it?”

Ran gave a mischievous smile.

It was remarkably similar to Kana’s expressions. As expected of mother and daughter, Takumi thought.

It seemed they had talked longer than he realized. By the time he returned home, it was already past 10:30.

Takumi took out his smartphone and opened LINE.

There was a message from Miwa, the vice-captain of the third string.

It was about the incident with Takeoka that afternoon.

After exchanging several replies, he scrolled back a bit and opened another chat room.

—Sorry for messaging so late at night. Could we talk for a bit now?