Chapter 36: Physical Education Class

Renji Kamisaka paid no mind to Shiina Mahiru's strange expression, which seemed a mix of annoyance and confusion. He continued to read the light novel in his hand, the pages of "Love Metronome" rustling softly in the quiet classroom. Suddenly, a brief vibration from his pocket signaled an incoming message.

He clicked on his phone to see. It was a message from Misaki Kamiigusa, who rarely contacted him during school hours.

Misaki Kamiigusa: "Renji, has Jin Mitaka moved out and left Sakurasou?"

Renji Kamisaka frowned. Jin Mitaka? That guy really is troublesome.

Renji Kamisaka: "Huh? Really? I'm the owner, why wouldn't I know about this?"

Misaki Kamiigusa: "Ugh... I guess Sengoku-sensei forgot to tell you." There was a faint hint of frustration in her message.

Renji Kamisaka: "So, Senior Misaki, do you want to look for him?"

Misaki Kamiigusa: "Why bother looking for him? That guy left without saying anything. He never thinks about improving himself." The message continued with a clear tone of resentment. "I even sent him your plan to motivate him. I can't believe Jin was so busy dating his girlfriend that he didn't care about making animation at all."

Misaki Kamiigusa's words were filled with resentment. The most outrageous thing was the fact that Jin Mitaka's repeated infidelity was reported, and the issue was brought to the student council table of Suimei University of the Arts High School. As more and more people learned about Mitaka Jin's reputation, it instantly crumbled. And Mitaka Jin was quite resolute. He dropped out of school and now no one knew where he had gone. Disappearing without a trace deeply hurt Misaki Kamiigusa. She had also produced some animations based on the plans provided by Mitaka Jin. In the end, this man just abandoned her. As she thought about it, Misaki Kamiigusa's eyes welled up, and Renji could even sense it from the text messages.

Misaki Kamiigusa: "Renji, I want to drink."

No matter how thick-skinned she seemed in the eyes of others, Misaki Kamiigusa was just a sweet girl full of passion. She would cry from sadness if she was abandoned by the person she had cherished for so long and her efforts to achieve her dreams were betrayed. Facing the news about Misaki Kamiigusa, Renji Kamisaka thought for a moment and comforted her:

Renji Kamisaka: "Senior, don't worry, I'll come back and drink with you tonight."

Misaki Kamiigusa: "Alright, then you have to come back early."

Renji Kamisaka: "No problem!"

Unexpected. Tonight, my invincible skill in plundering gold can be used again. Renji smiled faintly. Misaki Kamiigusa said she wanted to drink. It was clear she just wanted to indulge herself because she was sad. The truly happy one, of course, was Renji Kamisaka. It was better to let Misaki Kamiigusa cry just this once, because in the future, Mitaka Jin would completely fade from her memory. Replacing him would be beautiful memories with Renji Kamisaka. Recalling the events of that night, Renji Kamisaka couldn't help but feel a little thrilled.

Class F today was still very harmonious. The students played their respective roles in their own little circles, singing praises for their own youth. After the second class, there was physical education. The schoolyard was very spacious; it was impossible for there to be only one class. Other classes also held physical education activities.

As class representatives, Renji Kamisaka and Shiina Mahiru went to the sports equipment room first to move the necessary equipment. The theme for Class F's physical education today was volleyball practice. So they needed to provide a basket of volleyballs for the students to practice with.

Renji Kamisaka originally wanted to move them himself. But the angel—Shiina Mahiru—refused to do nothing and said that as class representative, she also had to contribute. Thus, a situation arose where the basket of volleyballs was carried by two people, one on the left and one on the right. When men and women work together, the work becomes less tiring. The two walking together also made for a beautiful sight, attracting several envious glances.

After the physical education teacher led the students in warm-up exercises, he asked all students to practice volleyball. Since it was a free team formation with two people per group, as soon as the teacher finished speaking, several boys and girls came to invite Shiina Mahiru.

Shiina Mahiru showed a hesitant expression and unconsciously glanced at Renji Kamisaka, seeking a hint. Renji Kamisaka immediately understood. So he took the initiative to stand up and said with a smile:

"Excuse me, Shiina-san accepted my invitation before class and wants to practice volleyball with me."

His words made several boys stare at him in disbelief, and their tones turned sour.

"Why is that? And you even had a reservation?"

"Renji is so sneaky! As a class representative, you often act together with Shiina-san, so why don't you let us do that?"

"That's right, Shiina-san, please join me!"

"No, please follow me!"

Shiina Mahiru fell silent. With so many people inviting her, it was difficult for her to choose anyone without hurting the feelings of others. So, she smiled awkwardly but politely and said to the people who invited her:

"Sorry, I already promised Renji. It would be very bad if I broke my promise, right? I'll team up with you next time if I get the chance."

Shiina Mahiru showed an embarrassed expression, and several boys and girls immediately felt ashamed. Asking someone to break their promise was indeed too much. They had no choice but to reluctantly give up the idea of teaming up with Shiina Mahiru.

Hachiman Hikigaya, who was about to invite Renji Kamisaka, looked constipated. There were many small groups in the class. Of course, there were some people who didn't fit in, and Hachiman Hikigaya was one of them due to his personality. Whenever there was an activity that required teamwork, this type of person who worked alone looked very awkward. Since no one invited him to play, it would be very embarrassing for him to play volleyball alone. This meant being disliked. It would attract strange attention. I thought I could find Renji Kamisaka to pair with, but this guy doesn't follow the rules and immediately invited the most popular princess, Shiina Mahiru! Hachiman Hikigaya was very envious. After all, he didn't dare to invite such a captivating girl.

Renji Kamisaka ignored the embarrassed Hikigaya and instead smiled and invited the beautiful angel. "Shiina-san, let's go over there to practice."

"Okay." Shiina Mahiru agreed with a smile.

So when it came to teaming up with unfamiliar classmates, she preferred to team up with Renji Kamisaka. At least she was a little surprised. I didn't expect him to actually help me. In the current situation, whoever she chose would upset the other invited people. To explain it in a broader sense, whoever you turn down, you offend.

Don't underestimate the psychology of high school students. Sometimes, isolation and gossip start from small things. For example, Sayu Ogiwara; she was just a little colder and a little prettier. The boys whose date proposals she rejected didn't say anything. But the girls who had a crush on those boys were displeased with Sayu Ogiwara and spread rumors everywhere that Sayu Ogiwara was a hussy, which led to Sayu Ogiwara also becoming a target.

Ahem, back to the topic. After Renji Kamisaka and Shiina Mahiru formed a team, they practiced volleyball together. The combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman was truly enviable. Some people were also jealous. But Shiina Mahiru and Renji Kamisaka were unaffected, busy passing the ball with surprising coordination.

After physical education class, Shiina Mahiru and Renji Kamisaka put the volleyballs back in the equipment room, and class was over.

The last class of the morning was Shizuka Hiratsuka's Japanese class. It's worth mentioning that Shō Tobe, the unfortunate boy with conspicuously long hair, was caught playing with his cell phone in class by Shizuka Hiratsuka. The natural result was that he was used as an example to scare the monkeys and taken to the office where he was severely punished. Of course, the phone wouldn't be confiscated. She just asked him to write a self-criticism. When he returned, Shō Tobe had a sad face and complained to Hayato Hayama. On the first day of school, Shizuka Hiratsuka told students not to play with their phones in her class. Why didn't you listen? Writing a self-criticism was secondary. For high school students, the most important thing was shame. Every time Shō Tobe looked up, he could see the mocking expressions of his other classmates. Shō Tobe didn't deserve sympathy. Renji Kamisaka just watched him for fun.

At noon, he walked towards the library carrying his lunch box. It was a quiet afternoon. Of course, it would be nice to enjoy lunch with Sumireko Sanshokuin, who was also quiet. After all, Renji Kamisaka didn't plan to eat lunch in the classroom. Too noisy.

However, the library was closed today. He called Sumireko Sanshokuin to deliver the message. The girl replied that the library was currently introducing new books and was still undergoing renovations, so it would take about a week to reopen. She was currently on the rooftop enjoying the fresh air.

The rooftop? The famous school dating spot. Renji smiled amusingly. Must go.

Upon arriving at the rooftop, he saw a girl with twin pigtails and glasses sitting on a bench that had appeared out of nowhere, looking at him with a smile.

"Come here and sit down," Sumireko invited, patting the spot beside her.

"So, where did this bench come from?" Renji asked, pointing at the sturdy-looking wooden bench.

"Of course, I bought it. Fast delivery, free shipping," the girl explained with a smile. "Originally, I wanted to put it in the library, but suddenly I received a notice to do renovations, so I had to put it here, on the rooftop."

Renji Kamisaka had a strange expression on his face. "You're a girl, and you brought the bench here yourself?"

"Fool, how could I?" Sumireko Sanshokuin rolled her eyes at him, her tone sharp but with an amused smile. "Of course, I asked the courier to deliver it. Do you think a girl like me has the strength to carry a bench to the rooftop?" She chuckled, shaking her head.