Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 244: The Goddess Who Has Softened.

The Goddess Who Has Softened.

This morning’s homeroom was mainly to confirm the details of the upcoming Parents’ Day this Saturday.

The observation period will cover the third and fourth periods, but as of now, it’s still uncertain how many parents will attend. However, based on the school’s usual pattern, there’s a high chance a considerable number will show up. That means I can likely avoid the awkward situation of my parents being the only ones standing out in the crowd. I’d heard that, in general, high school class observations don’t attract many parents, so in that sense, this school might be a little unusual.

“Ugh, I really don’t want them to come.”

“Same here… maybe they could just skip it, even now.”

Listening to the grumblings, it seemed that more of the boys were reluctant about it. The girls, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind as much…

As for me, if I’m being honest, I also lean toward the “I’d rather they didn’t come” camp. But since I know sara-san is looking forward to it, in the end, I’m forced to accept it.

“Your mom’s coming, right, Kazunari?”

“Yeah. Actually, given the circumstances, there’s really no choice but for her to come.”

“…‘No choice’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well… sara-san’s been looking forward to meeting my mom—”

Before I could finish, Hanako-san, who had been listening with a curious expression, suddenly burst into soft laughter, as if something amusing had just struck her. I couldn’t imagine what part of the conversation had been funny.

“Do you… call your mother Okan?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I do.”

“I see… that’s so boyish. Cute.”

…Cute?
Apparently, what amused her was the fact that I called my mother Okan. For me, that’s just how I’ve always addressed her; I’ve never thought twice about it. If I called her “Mama,” I’d understand getting teased, but for a guy, Okan feels like a pretty standard choice.

“Ah, my Okan is coming too…”

“It’s kinda embarrassing when she shows up…”

“My mom’s coming as well, but she said she wants to meet your mother, Kazunari. She told me to ask you.”

“… …”

Of course, it’s normal for mothers to greet each other. If it were just the standard “Nice to meet you” kind of exchange, I’d have no problem with it. But given that Hanako-san’s mother and mine have already had a somewhat complicated conversation before, I can’t help but feel a twinge of unease.

If, by some chance, the topic of “siblings” comes up, I can already see the trouble brewing—me getting grilled at home until I spill every last detail…

…It’ll be fine, right?

“H-Hanasaki-san, is your mom coming too?”

At some point, Yamakawa had drifted over to join the conversation. It was blatantly obvious, from the air of tension he carried, that he was hyper-aware of Hanako-san. To be honest, it was a little funny to watch.

“She is. Why?”

“N-no reason… I was just curious…”

…?

I’d thought Yamakawa had calmed down recently, but apparently, talking to her one-on-one still makes him nervous. That easygoing, cheerful demeanor he shows when chatting with us disappears entirely in moments like this.

“Sigh… he really can’t make up his mind, can he?”

“He’d be better off just taking the hit and moving on.”

It seemed Kawamura and Tanaka had been listening nearby. Judging from their tone, they were already assuming Yamakawa would be completely shut down. That’s a bit pitiful… though, watching Hanako-san’s reaction, I have to admit, I agree with them.

“N-no, never mind! Oh, but… lately you’ve been calling Takanashi by his name—”

“…? Kazunari’s special. What are you trying to say?”

Perhaps frustrated by Yamakawa’s vague, halting manner, Hanako-san’s voice took on a sharp edge. That alone was enough to make Yamakawa visibly deflate, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Match over.”

“More like… why hasn’t he given up yet? Hanasaki-san already has Takanashi.”

“That’s got nothing to do with me.”

Why is my name even being brought up here?

Yes, I’m her friend, and I know the wounds she carries, so of course I want her to meet someone who’s right for her. And if Yamakawa’s feelings are genuine, I have no intention of interfering.

But if Hanako-san feels bothered by it, that’s another story entirely.

“…Yeah, you’re right. It’s his feelings, after all.”

“Still… maybe we should talk to him.”

With that, they patted the downcast Yamakawa on the back and guided him back to their seats.

The next class was my least favorite—P.E.

At this school, boys and girls are generally taught in separate locations, but P.E. is held jointly between two classes. Today, the girls had already been assigned the gym, which meant we boys were, of course, outside on the field.

The possible activities from there… well, if it was a ball game, I’d be thrilled. Soccer, for example, can actually be fun, even in class. But the worst-case scenario—marathon running—was something I genuinely hoped to avoid.

After changing, we stepped onto the field at almost the same time as the other class we’d be joining. Just as we crossed paths, one student broke away from the group and jogged straight toward me. Naturally, it was Hayato.

“Kazunari, something on your mind?”

It seemed he’d noticed something in my expression. And honestly, he wasn’t wrong—perhaps it really was showing on my face.

“Nah, just hoping today’s lesson isn’t something awful, since we’re outside.”

I wasn’t trying to hide anything, so I said it outright. Hayato just smiled and nodded in understanding.

“Still hate P.E., huh?”

“Not hate—just not good at it. You’re used to this stuff from club activities, though.”

We’d been through enough P.E. classes together for me to know that Hayato excelled at sports in general, not just tennis. Compared to the rest, he stood out easily… and as for me, there was no competition at all.

“Well, compared to my club training, it does feel easy. If you ever want, you could come join us for practice after school.”

“No way. I’ve got student council… and even without that, I’d pass.”

“Shame. Offer’s open, though.”

I knew he meant it sincerely, and I appreciated that—being invited like that by a friend is always nice. But sports clubs and I just don’t mix.

“H-hey, she’s looking over here!”

“N-no way, I’m getting pumped now!”

“Idiot, she’s not looking at you!”

“Like she’d look at you either!”

While I was talking with Hayato, some of the guys around us suddenly started getting excited about something. They were all looking toward the school building, and as more people joined in, my curiosity got the better of me. I followed their gaze.

“Kazunari… look.”

Hayato spotted it first and pointed toward the third floor of the building. Following his finger, I saw a group of figures by the windows—several women, watching us from what seemed to be the area where the music and home economics rooms were located.

“Ah.”

Among the small group, I instantly spotted a woman whose presence outshone everyone else’s. Even from a distance, there was no way I could mistake her for anyone else—because she was my beloved goddess.
It seemed that sara-san was looking straight at me, and she immediately noticed when I met her gaze. A radiant smile bloomed across her face, and she gave me a small, gentle wave.

“Whoa… I’ve never seen Satsukawa-senpai smile before.”

“So the rumors are true—Satsukawa-senpai’s softened lately.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that too.”

“Seriously?! Think I’ve got a chance?”

“Man… if a girl like that became my girlfriend, I could die happy.”

It looked like sara-san was trying to tell me something. She opened her mouth slowly, deliberately, shaping each word with care.

G…d…lu……ck……?

I couldn’t make it out perfectly, but if I filled in the gaps in my head, it probably meant—“Good Luck.”

I decided I’d gotten the message, and to show it, I waved back. sara-san seemed pleased our silent exchange had worked; this time, she waved back with both hands.

“H-Hey, was that… maybe…?”

“Yeah, I saw it too. What’s going on…?”

“Nah, it’s just because they’re both in the student council.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s it. Nothing deeper than that, right?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Alright! Warm-up time! Everyone, gather up!!”

I’d been so absorbed in our long-distance exchange that I hadn’t noticed the teacher had arrived on the field. The bell hadn’t rung yet, so there should’ve been a little time left—but once the teacher started calling us in, I had no choice but to end things here.

As if to mark our last exchange, I gave sara-san a big wave. In return, she brought her clenched fists up near her chest and struck an adorably earnest fighting pose. Surely, that too meant “You’ve got this!” The gesture was so disarmingly cute, I had to fight the urge to keel over from the impact.

“Where do you people think you’re looking?!”

The teacher’s shout wasn’t aimed at me alone. Looking around, I noticed plenty of others staring up at the upper floors of the school building, dazed.

No doubt they’d been mesmerized by sara-san as well—but the truth was, she’d been communicating with me. Part of me wanted to tell them it had nothing to do with them. Of course, I didn’t actually say it… but still, this felt—

…

…

“Hah… hah…”

sara-san’s encouragement had me fully charged and ready to go… but, as unpleasant hunches often prove right, today’s lesson turned out to be the worst possible scenario. If “falling from heaven to hell” needed an example, this would be it. The sheer whiplash made me feel that perhaps this was how the universe kept itself balanced—in the cruelest way possible.

Today’s PE class was no metaphorical hell—it was the real thing: long-distance running.

And to make things worse, even in this already grueling situation, some people insisted on chatting with me as if on purpose.

“Hah… hah… Hey, Takanashi, I heard Satsukawa-senpai’s been friendlier lately.”

“Hah… hah… What’s it like in the student council?”

“Hah… hah… I guess that’s true, but… what about it?”

“So it is real! Yes!”

As if I could hold a proper conversation in this state.

As for sara-san’s supposed change, from what I’d seen in the student council room, there had definitely been some improvement—but not toward men in particular. I didn’t know what these guys were so excited about, but it was definitely not good news for us. That much was easy to guess. And that thought brought a certain plan back to the forefront of my mind.

…

…

By the time class was almost over, the field looked like a battlefield strewn with the fallen—myself included. We’d been run to our limits, and no one had the strength left to stand.

Our demon of a teacher, looking satisfied with his work, cheerfully announced that we’d end class early—as if it were some kind of favor—and strode off. The fact that I was actually glad about it frustrated me. Judging from the glares at his back, I wasn’t the only one.

Lying there on the ground for a while, one thought rose to the surface:

I’d dirtied my gym clothes, and I felt bad about it— bad because I’d be facing sara-san later.