There was no one in the school infirmary.
After bringing Iroha Isshiki there, Rei Ao whispered a few words in the school nurse's ear. The nurse gave him a rather peculiar look but said nothing, merely sighing as they left:
"Ah, kids these days… Tsk, tsk."
Then Rei Ao returned to Iroha's bedside. Seeing her eyelashes trembling yet eyes still firmly shut, he couldn't help but smile.
In a soft voice, he said, "Isshiki-san, the school nurse says there's nothing seriously wrong with you. Just get some rest. I'll head back to class now."
"!!!"
Hearing his footsteps fade, followed by the sound of the door shutting moments later, Iroha finally cracked open her eyes, exhaling a long breath.
"Phew…"
She sat up, cheeks burning.
"Ahhh, my plan's ruined!"
Pressing her hands to her feverish cheeks, Iroha felt both embarrassed and frustrated. The plan had been to strengthen her connection with Rei Ao in the infirmary, but at that crucial moment, her own shyness had made her freeze up and keep her eyes squeezed shut.
Why did she get so flustered? Lying in Rei Ao's arms, she'd been overwhelmed by his warmth.
Aside from a previous fluke, it was the first time she'd ever been so close to a boy. She had thought she could handle it, but she'd overestimated herself.
He smelled pleasant and secure, nothing like the sweaty stink she associated with other guys – and his powerful muscles felt unbelievably solid. It was a brand-new experience that derailed her plan completely.
She frowned. "Ugh, guess I'll have to think of a new plan now. How annoying~"
Yet she wasn't discouraged. In fact, this encounter had only strengthened her resolve to "conquer" Rei Ao.
By all measures, he was a prime catch — a guy you shouldn't let slip away. Her mother had told her before: if you meet a good man, don't pass up the chance.
While Iroha wasn't entirely sure whether she actually liked him, that didn't stop her from taking initiative. She recalled how the other girls on the field had looked at her with envy when she gave Rei Ao water, and she found herself smiling.
"What plan is that, Isshiki-san? Mind sharing with me?"
A voice suddenly sounded from behind, making her freeze. She turned slowly, only to see Rei Ao leaning against the wall, arms crossed, smiling calmly at her.
"Eh? Rei—Rei Ao-senpai, w-why are you still here?"
She couldn't figure out how he had managed to appear again after apparently leaving.
Rei Ao merely smiled without answering. He had indeed left a moment ago, only to teleport back in.
"Rather than that, I'm more curious about this 'plan' of yours. Were you faking a collapse just to skip class?"
He deliberately offered her a "bait question."
She bit instantly, bobbing her head like a pecking chick. "Yes, yes! I just did it to skip class!"
"Skipping class is hardly the behavior of a good student."
Walking over and patting her on the shoulder, he added meaningfully, "Still, at least you're not like some other Kouhai who come up with weird schemes to try and 'conquer' me. That would be a real pain."
"Uh…"
Rei Ao's words might not have been aimed at her specifically, but Iroha knew exactly what she'd been up to. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead.
"Gulp… O-of course not. I'd never do something like that to you, Senpai!"
No matter what, she could never admit the truth. That would be social suicide!
"Is that so?"
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow and sighed softly. "Ah well, it appears Isshiki-san really isn't interested in me after all. That's okay. We can just be good friends."
"Huh?"
Iroha went blank. What did I miss? How did we get to the 'good friend' speech so fast?
Absolutely not! She couldn't let her chance slip away. In a bit of a panic, she racked her brain, and right as Rei Ao was about to take his hand off her shoulder, she seized it.
"That's not it, Rei Ao-senpai! I—I don't dislike you. In fact, I like you way more than any other girls!"
"Oh?"
Seeing as he'd guided the conversation to this point, Rei Ao narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, showing no emotion.
"So… this is Isshiki-san's confession, then?"
"Eh? N-no, I—!"
After blurting out such scandalous words, Iroha was now completely tongue-tied. What should she say next? She didn't know!
She was nearly going crazy. Her carefully laid plan had driven her right to the brink of disaster.
If she admitted it was a confession and Rei Ao rejected her, it could ruin any chance of them remaining friends.
Despite her cunning nature, Iroha was still just a middle school–aged girl, so it was normal for her to have naive worries like that.
But if she insisted it wasn't a confession, then they really would be stuck as "just friends." She couldn't accept that outcome, either!
Rei Ao took in every bit of her conflicted expression. He understood perfectly but chose not to expose her. Instead, he gave her a convenient way out:
"Haha, I was only joking. We've barely met a few times, so it'd be too easy if I'd already captured your heart, Isshiki-san. I'm not that full of myself, and I don't believe you're that boy-crazy."
"Ah… haha… r-right…"
She offered an awkward chuckle. But the truth is… my heart really does race around him.
Rei Ao gave a soft laugh. "Still, it's not like I have no thoughts about you at all, Isshiki-san. You're awfully cute."
"Eh?"
Iroha pointed a trembling finger at herself. "Rei Ao-senpai, you mean…?"
Her heart pounded, and a wild guess sprang to mind.
Rei Ao's answer was a gentle smile and an invitation.
"Isshiki-san, would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Ehhhh?!"
Iroha let out the loudest squeal of the day!
~~~
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