Chapter 37: An Invitation from the Cool Senior Manager.

“That startled me. I never expected to run into you somewhere that isn’t the closest station for either of us.”

“I know, right? I found myself doing a double-take.”

“I felt an improper gaze upon me,” Reiko said with a smirk.

“Hardly. My ‘Junior Prowess’ is maxed out. I’d never look at a senior with those kinds of eyes.”

“Fufu, you’re finally starting to say it yourself. I’m glad to see my daily education is bearing fruit.”

“Thanks to you.”

Takumi and Reiko shared a lighthearted laugh.

“Shopping for daily necessities?” Reiko asked.

“Yes.”

“Must be tough.”

“Same for you, Senpai?”

Takumi glanced at the basket Reiko was carrying. It was filled with various kitchen supplies.

“Well, I don’t live alone, so it’s not as demanding as it is for you, Kisaragi-kun.”

“But don’t you have a younger sister and brother? When you factor in looking after them, it honestly seems tougher than living alone.”

“Haha, not really. Fortunately, both my brother and sister are growing up to be good kids.”

“Isn’t that because they have such a great role model to look up to?”

“Oh? Do you want a head-pat for that?”

Reiko wiggled her fingers playfully. Takumi let a small smile touch his lips but shook his head.

“I’ll pass.”

“What a shame.”

“You shouldn’t tease your juniors too much.”

“Look who’s talking. Haven’t you been teasing Kana-chan quite a bit lately?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s ‘quite a bit.’”

“I see. So you have a bit of a sadistic streak.”

Reiko chuckled softly.

“Is it really that obvious?”

As far as Takumi was concerned—aside from when they were alone—he didn’t feel like he was picking on Kana that much in front of others.

“It really is. Though, it’s heartwarming to watch.”

“That’s a little embarrassing to hear.”

“Fufu… By the way, is Kana-chan doing okay for the time being?”

Reiko’s expression shifted, and she changed the subject. She was likely referring to the friction with Takeoka.

“Yes. Or rather, things might have finally reached a turning point.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yesterday morning, Takeoka-senpai apologized to us.”

“What…?”

Seeing her eyes widen in surprise, Takumi recounted the entire situation.

“…I see. It is something to be happy about, but it feels a bit unnatural. I wonder if there was some sort of trigger?”

“Maybe. His vibe was completely different from how he’s been lately. If anything, he seemed more like how he was when I first joined the club.”

When Takumi first joined—about a year and four months ago—Takeoka hadn’t been nearly as unruly as he’d been recently. If he had been, there was no way he would have been chosen as captain.

“Is that so… He was at least tolerable back then.”

“What was he like when he first started?”

“Takeoka? Let’s see… He always had an arrogant and short-tempered side, but compared to recently, or when you guys joined, he was vastly better.”

“Is there a reason he went off the rails?”

“Well, there is one major reason.”

Reiko’s gaze grew a little distant.

“Takeoka had a girlfriend he’d been dating since middle school. But she grew fed up with him struggling to get promoted, and she eventually became infatuated with Nishimiya, who made the first string right away.”

“Nishimiya… As in Nishimiya Makoto-senpai?”

“The very same.”

He was a core player on Sakura High School’s first string, a third-year with looks that rivaled a professional model. While Seiji had a following, it was said that seventy percent of the girls who came to watch the first string’s games were there just to chase Makoto.

“She supposedly told him it was embarrassing to have a boyfriend in the third string, and that Makoto-kun was cooler. That was her reasoning.”

“That’s… pretty brutal.”

“Yeah. From there, he gradually started acting out, and now things have escalated to where they are now. Mind you, just because he has that in his past doesn’t mean I have any intention of justifying the things he’s done.”

“Right. But didn’t the bad rumors about Takeoka-senpai only start popping up fairly recently?” Takumi asked. Specifically, within the last two months.

“True…” Reiko trailed off, her tone turning hesitant.

“Aizawa-senpai?”

“No… This is purely my own speculation, and it doesn’t change the fact that Takeoka is in the wrong, but… Kana-chan might have been a factor.”

“Shirayuki-san?”

“Do you remember? Takeoka was making moves on Kana-chan right from the start.”

“Ah, now that you mention it.”

Digging through his memories, Takumi recalled that among all the new members, Takeoka seemed to single out Kana to talk to.

“But she didn’t bite—she wasn’t swayed by him at all. Ah, no pun intended.”

(T/N: Reiko uses “nabikanakatta,” which contains the sounds for “Kana.”)

“I know.” Takumi smiled slightly. (When you talk naturally, the sound ‘Kana’ actually comes up quite a bit.)

“For Takeoka, who had been dumped because he couldn’t get promoted, being ignored by a girl who was talented enough to earn an unprecedented promotion must have bruised his ego. On top of that, Kana-chan ended up getting attached to a player who didn’t exactly get along with Takeoka.”

Reiko flashed a knowing grin.

“…Are you talking about me?”

“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. You’re the only player Kana-chan is attached to.”

“Well, I guess so.”

Takumi gave a vague nod. He didn’t want to be arrogant and assume he was special, but it was a fact that she felt most comfortable around him.

“Or maybe she just looks down on me as an easy target.”

“There might be an element of that, but I don’t feel like she’s that kind of girl.”

“Yeah.”

“Right? Say, Kisaragi-kun.” Reiko’s serious gaze pierced through him. “I know you’re probably sick of being asked this since yesterday, but are you two really not dating?”

“No. We’re completely ‘white’—totally innocent.”

“…I see.”

After staring intently at Takumi’s face as if searching for a lie, Reiko let out a sigh of relief.

“Wait, was saying ‘white’ (masshiro) a pun on Shirayuki (White Snow)?”

“No, not at all. Good catch, though.”

“Fufu, you can give me a head-pat for that if you want.”

“Are you into getting head-pats recently?”

“My younger sister is in fifth grade, and she begs for them all the time.”

“What is that? That’s incredibly cute.”

“I’m not giving her to you.”

“I don’t want her… or well, I can’t exactly say that.”

“Oh? So Kisaragi-kun is a lolicon after all?”

“Please stop. That’s character defamation.”

After poking fun at Reiko, Takumi glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Haha, sorry… By the way, Kisaragi-kun, are you free after this? Since I’m alone today, I was planning on eating out. Would you like to join me?”

“That’s a very kind invitation, but I’m sorry. I already have plans for later.”

“Is that so… I thought I’d treat you to celebrate your promotion to the second string, but if you have plans, there’s no helping it.”

“Whoa, really? I’m so sorry.”

(I ended up turning down a genuine gesture of kindness.) Takumi felt a pang of guilt and bowed his head again.

“Don’t worry about it. It was just a passing thought.” Reiko laughed and waved her hand dismissively. She then brought her hand to her chin, her expression turning slightly thoughtful. “But it’s a good idea, even if I say so myself… How about another time, then?”

“No, I couldn’t impose like that.”

“Is the idea of being alone with me that unpleasant?”

“Eh? No, not at all!”

When Takumi shook his head vigorously, Reiko looked relieved. “I see.”

“It’s just, having you pay for everything feels a bit awkward.”

“Don’t worry. I’m only offering this once, and I’ve always kind of wanted to play the part of the generous senior treating her junior.”

Reiko gave him a wink. When a cool person does that, the destructive power is incredible, Takumi thought with admiration.

***

After promising to go out for a meal another time, Takumi said his goodbyes to Reiko.

As they parted, she had asked, “High schoolers are noisy enough about a guy and a girl eating together, so can we keep this a secret?” Takumi, who had already dealt with enough rumors just from walking home with Kana, agreed without a second thought.

When he returned home and stepped out of the bath, Kana arrived at his apartment. As soon as she entered, she declared energetically:

“Right then! Let’s head over to the Shirayuki house!”