Chapter 2
In front of the gymnasium's main entrance, a standoff was taking place between a silver-haired girl—who was smiling in surprise, though her expression was slowly shifting into one of amusement—and a dark brown-haired boy with a single streak of red wine-colored hair in his left side bang. He was completely on guard, like a startled cat, ready to either attack or flee at a moment's notice.
The two remained in that impasse for a few seconds before the girl broke the silence, carefully avoiding any sudden movements that might scare the boy away.
"Ahaha... I apologize for startling you like that. I'm Nanami Yuriko, a second-year student, and also the student council president. I couldn't help but be curious as to why you came all the way to the gymnasium this early since there's still quite a bit of time before the entrance ceremony begins."
"... ... ..."
Yuriko introduced herself as warmly as she could, but all she received from the boy was silence. He continued to stare at her with suspicion, which began to worry her. She feared she might've blown her chance to befriend him. But, to her relief...
"... ... ... I'm Tanaka Takeru, a first-year. And I... hm... just wanted to find a quiet place to... rest before the entrance ceremony. I... thought I could just... wait in the gymnasium..."
The boy introduced himself as Takeru. In stark contrast to his earlier intimidating posture, he now exuded an awkward air, clearly embarrassed by his overblown reaction to Yuriko. Still, his wariness of her lingered.
"I understand. But unfortunately, the gymnasium is off-limits until the ceremony begins."
"Ah... I see... Then... I guess I'll just go find somewhere else to rest..."
"Wait!"
"!?"
"Tanaka-san, if you'd like, I can show you the perfect spot you're looking for. What do you say?"
"Hmm..."
Upon hearing Yuriko's offer, Takeru began to consider his options. After all, he had just met her, so it was natural to feel some apprehension about accepting a proposal from someone he barely knew.
Meanwhile, seeing the pensive expression on Takeru's face—along with his apparent hesitation—Yuriko grew increasingly concerned that he might refuse her offer, potentially losing what could be her only chance to befriend him.
"... ... ... Hm... I... I'll accept your offer, Nanami-senpai."
"You will?! Ah— I mean, very well then. Follow me, Tanaka-san! ... ... ... Hm?"
"?"
Hearing Takeru's acceptance made Yuriko light up with joy for a brief moment. But then she quickly composed herself, realizing it wasn't proper for her to react so openly as his senior. As she turned to lead the way, something about what Takeru had just said caught her attention, prompting her to turn back to him again. Takeru, a bit confused, looked at her questioningly.
"Tanaka-san, could you repeat what you just said?"
"Huh? That I'll accept your offer?"
"No, no—after that."
"... Nanami-senpai?"
"..."
Hearing Takeru call her that—compared to what everyone else usually called her—was surprisingly informal. It was the most casually anyone had ever addressed her, aside from the previous student council president, who was a weirdo in a class of her own.
And of course, Yuriko couldn't let this moment slip by.
"Can you say it again, Tanaka-san?"
"Eh? Erm... Nanami-senpai?"
"Again!"
"Nanami-senpai?"
"One more time!"
"Nanami-senpai!"
"Fufu! Thank you, Tanaka-san."
Hearing Takeru follow her request to repeat her name—growing more confused each time he repeated it—Yuriko couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, overwhelmed with happiness. She reached out and gently patted his head, unable to resist how cute his confused and slightly embarrassed expression looked.
"...!?" Pulls away from Yuriko "I-I-I didn't say you could pat my head!"
"..."
When Yuriko saw Takeru's face turn red as he frowned and covered his head with both hands, she did her best to suppress the urge to break into a wide smile at his reaction.
"Fufu! Sorry, sorry, Tanaka-san. Well, in any case, shall we get going then?"
"... S-Sure."
Takeru looked at Yuriko with mild reproach, mostly because he was now on guard again, in case she tried to pat him a second time. Still, he agreed to follow her, which made Yuriko's beaming smile grow even brighter as she turned and began to lead the way.
.
.
.
It didn't take long for the two to reach a garden, enclosed on most sides by tall hedges. At its center stood a cherry tree, surrounded by benches along the hedge walls and several tables and chairs scattered nearby. Despite its beauty and tranquil atmosphere, the place was completely empty—thanks to its distance from the main school buildings and the natural concealment provided by the tall hedges.
Yuriko stepped into the garden and turned toward Takeru before speaking.
"So, Tanaka-san? What do you think of this spot? Isn't it exactly what you were looking for?"
"Yes, it is, Nanami-senpai. Thank you for showing it to me."
"Fufu! I'm glad to hear that you like it—this is actually one of my favorite spots in the school."
"I see."
"Now please, have a seat, Tanaka-san! Here's a good spot for you!"
Seeing that Takeru liked the garden—and noticing that he seemed to have softened up to her a little—Yuriko sat down on one of the benches and motioned for him to sit beside her. She tapped on the remaining space, which was just wide enough for two people.
"... ... ..."
"! Fufu!"
Takeru hesitated for a moment before sitting next to Yuriko. But considering that she had gone to the trouble of guiding him there—despite having no obligation to—he decided to comply with her request. He sat down where she had patted, which in turn made Yuriko incredibly happy to have someone sitting this close to her on the first day of her second year of high school.
Takeru, on the other hand, didn't show much of a reaction to sitting beside her. However, Yuriko could tell he was still trying to maintain some personal space, shifting toward the remaining edge of the bench. Seeing this, she couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed, so she...
"..." Moves closer to Takeru
"!?... ... ...?"
She shifted toward Takeru, pressing herself against him. His initial reaction was one of surprise at Yuriko's sudden closeness, but it quickly turned into confusion—he didn't understand why she was doing this. In response, he simply slid to the side, putting some distance between them once again.
Seeing him move away, Yuriko pouted, then scooted closer to him again, once more confusing Takeru with her persistence. The two continued this side-to-side shuffle until Takeru eventually ran out of space—cornered between the bench's armrest and Yuriko, who now moved in one final time and locked him in place by hugging his arm.
As she did so, Takeru began to blush, puffing out his cheeks and looking away with an annoyed expression—which only made Yuriko find him even more adorable.
And just like before, her free hand moved instinctively to his head, and she began patting him again. Feeling the warmth of her hand, Takeru tried to pull away, but it was useless—Yuriko's arm hold left him no room to escape. Reluctantly, he gave up resisting.
Allowing her to pet him to her heart's content, he leaned his head slightly closer to her, accepting his fate—but still trying to maintain a show of resistance.
"I-I-I s-s-said t-that I-I d-didn't a-allow you t-to pat my head..."
Unlike before, Takeru's voice was noticeably weaker, worn down by embarrassment. And to Yuriko, that only made it all the more endearing. She replied warmly.
"Fufu, I know, Tanaka-san. But... I can't help myself when you make such cute reactions and responses. And not only that... your hair is really soft and pleasant to touch. Its unique style suits your look so well, I just can't hold myself back..."
As she spoke, she stopped patting him and gently moved her hand down to his long, red wine-colored side bang. Holding it delicately in her fingers, she leaned in—and kissed the streak of hair, like a prince out of a romantic manga.
"...Things like this, Tanaka-san."
"... ... ... !?!?!?"
For a moment, Takeru froze in place at what Yuriko had just done. Then, all he could do was make a face of utter shock as his blush deepened—turning redder and brighter—before metaphorical steam erupted from his head. Moments later, he passed out, his face still growing redder by the second.
"Ah!... I guess I went a bit overboard with my teasing..."
Seeing Takeru suddenly lose consciousness, Yuriko immediately felt a pang of guilt for pushing things too far during their first encounter. But as she looked at his blushing face while he sat beside her, recalling all his reactions so far, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"Still, Tanaka-san... thank you for going along with my selfishness."
She whispered those words near his ear, knowing he wouldn't hear them, then gently pressed her lips to his hair before resuming patting his head. As she did so, she shifted her attention to mentally reviewing her speech for the entrance ceremony.
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.
.
"Hm?... Yawns... ... ... Huh?"
As Takeru slowly woke up, the first thing he noticed—aside from the fuzzy memory of whatever had happened before he passed out—was the soft sensation beneath his head. His groggy mind hadn't yet pieced everything together, at least not until he looked up and saw the sky partially obscured by two large... mountains.
"Ara! You're finally awake, Tanaka-san. So? Did my lap feel good?"
"... ... ..." Looks away
When Yuriko looked down and greeted him with a teasing smile, Takeru finally realized he had been using her lap as a pillow. His face turned red with embarrassment once more as he quickly averted his gaze—away from her smile... and the two enticing "mountains" above.
But he still didn't get up from Yuriko's lap just yet—which was all she needed to understand what his answer truly was. As a reward, she patted his hair for a third time. This time, Takeru didn't even try to resist her pampering; he simply blushed more deeply while remaining silent.
After what felt like ages to him, Yuriko finally stopped patting his head when her phone lit up and began to ring.
"Ah! It seems I need to get going, Tanaka-san. I have to be at the gymnasium early for the final preparations for the entrance ceremony. You can stay here and enjoy the place for a little longer."
"I-I see..."
With that, Yuriko finally allowed Takeru to sit up from her lap, though she didn't miss the small look of dejection on his face. Seeing it made her smile in amusement once again.
"Fufu! Tanaka-san, if you ever feel like it, I'm always open to giving you more head-pats and lap pillows."
"! I-I-I didn't say I liked it or anything!"
"Fufun~ Is that so?"
Feeling a bit cheeky, Yuriko decided to tease Takeru one last time as she stood up from the bench. Almost immediately, she reached out and gave him another quick pat on the head. Just as she expected, he simply looked away in embarrassment.
"Tanaka-san, if you don't like it... then why aren't you stopping me right now?"
"... ... ..."
At her playful provocation, all Takeru could do was blush harder and puff out his cheeks in protest.
"Fufu... Well, this should be enough. See you later at the gymnasium, Tanaka-san."
"S-Sure..."
"Ah! But before that, let me give you a little reward for keeping me company until now, Tanaka-san."
"?... !?"
Before Takeru could react properly, Yuriko leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his right cheek. He froze for a moment before his face turned completely red, his expression a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Meanwhile, Yuriko stuck out her tongue in a cute, teasing manner before quickly making her way out of the garden.
"..."
As she walked, Yuriko felt a bit of doubt about what she had done to Takeru so far and began reflecting on it.
In the end, she reassured herself that everything she did was perfectly okay.
.
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A few minutes later
Along a certain path leading to the gymnasium, the sound of footsteps echoed as a tall figure made her way forward. Her lustrous black hair flowed lightly in the breeze. It was none other than Haruka, her face marked with a pensive expression, clearly lost in thought as she walked.
Nods
As she continued toward the gymnasium, Haruka suddenly noticed someone approaching from the opposite direction. Paying closer attention, she saw it was a boy—slightly shorter than average—with an unmistakably chuuni appearance: a single streak of red hair and heterochromatic eyes.
It was the first time Haruka had seen someone like him at school. Her curiosity was piqued as she observed the boy, who was walking with his eyes on his phone and slightly flushed cheeks as if he was checking something to forget about something else. Then, abruptly, he stopped walking and looked up—right at her.
"..."
"..."
The two stared at each other in silence, neither quite sure what to do. For Haruka, this was the first time someone had looked her directly in the eyes so intently, and she couldn't help but feel a little flustered as she started to overthink the situation and her next move.
But just as she was lost in thought, she noticed the boy slowly shift his leg to the side, as if trying to quietly walk away without drawing attention. Acting on instinct honed during her judo days, Haruka mirrored his movement. However, in her haste to step in the same direction, she moved too abruptly and stomped her foot on the ground, producing a loud thud.
"!" Jumps and raises his guard
"..."
Because of her sudden movement, the boy jumped back, raising his guard and glaring at her with clear suspicion, ready to react to any move she made. Haruka, meanwhile, looked dejected, realizing that her chance of making a good impression might have just slipped away.
But as she observed his reaction more closely, something about it seemed familiar—and then it clicked.
She was just as startled as this boy when I first tried to pet her—because I approached too fast. If I'm not wrong, the way I managed to get close to her was...> Recalling her experience with the stray cat, Haruka began her next move. She started inching closer to the boy with slow, deliberate steps. However, the boy also began to step backward in an attempt to maintain distance. But because he had to move cautiously to avoid falling, he couldn't keep up with Haruka's steady pace. As a result, the distance between them gradually shrank until— Thud "Huh!?" The boy suddenly felt his back bump into something solid. When he turned his head to look, he saw it was a column—one Haruka had subtly guided him toward. "Caught you." "!?" Before he could recover from the shock of literally hitting his back on a wall, Haruka had already closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his waist, preventing any chance of escape. At that moment, the boy resembled a terrified cat too scared to move. The situation wasn't helped by Haruka's intense stare, made even more intimidating by the unintentional, almost predatory grin on her face as she celebrated her "capture." "..." Haruka steeled herself and opened her mouth to speak. "My name is Kurosawa Haruka, a second-year student and the current president of the Public Morals Committee. I have something to discuss with you—starting with your name." Of course, due to her lack of experience in interacting with others—and her nerves—what was supposed to be a friendly introduction ended up sounding more like the opening of an interrogation, complete with an even more intense glare. "... I-I am T-Tanaka Takeru, a-a freshman h-here... A-And even though I look like this, I am not a chunni! And I already stopped with my delinquent act last year!" The boy—Takeru—feeling pressured by Haruka's intense glare and the overwhelming presence of her, let's say, assets, right in front of him, caved in and gave her his name. However, due to his misunderstanding of her intentions, he also blurted out more than he would have liked. "Pardon?" Naturally, Haruka was confused as to why Takeru said more than just his name. Yet, she couldn't get his last words out of her head. A former delinquent? Where had she seen that before? Realizing that this situation mirrored one she had seen in a manga, Haruka became dead set on not letting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. In fact, she was so excited that—for the first time—her perpetually expressionless face broke into a visible smile... albeit a very villainous and terrifying one. Takeru, noticing her sudden shift in expression, immediately turned pale. His instincts screamed that this girl wasn't just weird—she was dangerously weird. The kind of weird that reminded him of his idiotic friends from his previous school. "I see... So you're a former delinquent, is that right, Tanaka-san?" "..." Cold Sweating while looking away "I'll take your silence as confirmation. Now, shall we go somewhere to discuss your past in more detail?" "... O-Only if you let go of me..." "I cannot do that. You'll surely try to run away." "I-I won't..." "Then do you promise not to run away, Tanaka-san?" "Yes, I do..." "Then I'll let go of you now." Even though Haruka didn't sound fully convinced, she honored the promise and released her grip from around Takeru's waist. "..." "..." For a moment, the two just stared at each other in silence. And in the very next moment... "..." Sprints away at full speed "I knew it!" Chases after Takeru at full speed Takeru did exactly the opposite of what he promised and bolted, sprinting as fast as he could. Haruka, who had anticipated this, gave chase without hesitation—though she was a bit surprised by just how fast he was.