“Well then, I’m off—” (Kento)
“Ah, um, Shirakawa-kun. Wait a moment…” (Sophia)
The day after I went to the amusement park with Sophia — as I was about to head off for morning practice as usual, Sophia stopped me at the front door.
Unusually for this time of day, she had already changed into her school uniform, and for some reason, she had both hands clasped behind her back.
“What’s wrong?” (Kento)
“Um…” (Sophia)
Sophia wouldn’t meet my gaze, fidgeting restlessly.
Her cheeks were faintly tinged with red, and something about her behavior seemed off.
“Do you have a fever or something…?” (Kento)
“…Baka” (Sophia)
When I showed concern, she pursed her lips slightly in displeasure and muttered something under her breath.
It sounded like she mumbled something in English, so I couldn’t catch it clearly, but judging by her attitude, it was probably an insult.
“Were you upset about something…?” (Kento)
“It was just your imagination.” (Sophia)
Sophia responded curtly, as if nothing had happened, and began putting on her shoes.
Her cheeks were still faintly red.
“Huh? Are you heading out too, Sophia?” (Kento)
Unlike me, who had morning practice, she usually left at a later time.
Even if she had morning duties… this seemed way too early.
“Well, yes… I thought I might be able to study more efficiently at school.” (Sophia)
Now that I think about it… she usually studies even after breakfast until it’s time to leave for school.
She really works hard…
But wait, doesn’t this mean we’ll be heading to school together? Is she okay with that?
“W-What are you waiting for? If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss the train!” (Sophia)
As I kept staring at her, Sophia hurriedly urged me.
Should I apologize for staring…?
As I pondered that, Sophia glanced at my face.
Our eyes met, but she immediately looked away.
However, she kept sneaking glances at me—stealing quick, repeated looks as if checking my reaction.
Should I say something…?
“…Here.” (Sophia)
As I hesitated, Sophia suddenly held out her hand in front of me.
There was something in her hand—
“A bento…?” (Kento)
I recognized it right away.
But I had no idea why Sophia was offering it to me.
“You can eat it… for lunch.” (Sophia)
Noticing my confusion, Sophia added quietly, turning her face away once again.
But that’s not what I want to know.
“But why did you do this again…? I understood that it was a thank-you gift last time, but…” (Kento)
I couldn’t think of any reason why she’d make me another lunch, so I ended up asking her.
“From now on, I’ll make lunch every day… That way, you’ll have more time for your practice during lunch break, okay…?” (Sophia)
I was expecting her to start ranting in English again, but surprisingly, Sophia calmly explained her reasoning.
…Well, maybe “calmly” isn’t quite right. She still had her face turned away, and she was fidgeting with her hair, clearly restless.
“That’s thoughtful of you, but… won’t it be hard on you?” (Kento)
Sophia stayed up late every night studying. Making lunch on top of that would surely cut into her sleep time.
I appreciated her kindness, but I didn’t want to be a burden on her.
“Um… in exchange, I have a favor to ask…” (Sophia)
Unlike her usual tough demeanor, Sophia nervously rubbed her index fingers together and looked up at me with upturned eyes.
It was incredibly rare for her to act like this.
At the very least, this was a side of Sophia she never would’ve shown back when we first met.
“A request?” (Kento)
With her going out of her way to make me lunch and sneaking glances at my expression like this, I asked cautiously, feeling a little on guard.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might ask for something outrageous…
“From now on, I want you to… pick me up after cram school on weekdays, Ke—Shirakawa-kun.” (Sophia)
Contrary to my expectations, Sophia’s request was ten times gentler than I had imagined.
Jessica-san had already returned from her trip, so starting today, she was supposed to resume picking Sophia up by car as usual.
But rather than returning to that arrangement, it seemed Sophia wanted me to continue picking her up instead.
She was probably trying to avoid putting more burden on Jessica-san.
While I felt happy that Sophia was honestly relying on me, there was something else that bothered me more.
Just now… did she almost call me Kento?
It sounded to me like she almost called me by my first name, and that really caught my attention.
After all, she had insisted that I call her Sophia by name, yet she still referred to me as Shirakawa-kun.
Normally, I’d expect her to change the way she addresses me too, but… I couldn’t bring myself to point it out.
Because, while I already knew Sophia was kind at heart and we’d grown closer over the past few days, I still hadn’t fully figured out what might set her off. There was always that lingering impression that she could be difficult to deal with at times.
Simply put, we had only just started becoming friends.
Even if she had only started just seeing me in a positive light, our relationship was still fragile—one careless remark could break the trust we’d begun to build.
I absolutely wanted to avoid making any blunder that might cause her to dislike me again, especially now that things were going well.
So, I couldn’t afford to act recklessly.
“I guess it does make more sense for me to swing by and pick you up on my way home rather than having Jessica-san go out of her way to do it.” (Kento)
Deciding it was best not to mention her choice of words, I chose instead to focus on her request.
In my case, even if I picked up Sophia after my club activities, it would only take a bit of travel and a short wait.
The cram school was about a fifteen-minute walk from the station, so if I thought of it as a quick stop on my way home, it wasn’t much of a burden.
However, Jessica-san had to drive all the way from home to pick Sophia up, which required a significant amount of time and effort.
Furthermore, she must have already been tired from work, so I completely understood Sophia’s desire to let her mother relax at home.
“Y-Yeah…! I thought it’d be better to ask you instead of having Mom go out of her way to pick me up!” (Sophia)
Sophia nodded eagerly, perhaps happy that I had understood her feelings.
As I thought, she really cared about our mother, and that warmth filled my chest.
Not to mention, the fact that she asked me to pick her up instead of walking home alone probably meant she was scared of the dark streets at night.
There were times when, while walking home together, she would grab the sleeve of my shirt. And she had been overly terrified of the haunted house at the amusement park.
Also, with how beautiful she is, she could easily become a target for stalkers.
That was likely why Jessica-san had gone out of her way to pick her up all this time.
“Of course, I’m fine with it. Should I contact Jessica-san for you?” (Kento)
There was no way I would refuse when Sophia had reached out to me, so I readily agreed.
I offered to be the one to contact Jessica-san because I figured if Sophia told her, Jessica-san might feel like she was imposing on me.
It would probably be easier for Jessica-san to accept if the suggestion came directly from me.
At least, that’s what I thought—but…
“Ah… I’ve already told my mom that she doesn’t need to pick me up on weekdays starting today…” (Sophia)
It seemed she had already taken care of it.
Well, it was probably not so much that she wanted to make it harder for me to refuse, but more that she trusted I wouldn’t turn her down.
After all, I’d already been picking her up from cram school before.
“I see. That’s good, then.” (Kento)
“…You’re not going to complain…?” (Sophia)
Did she think I was narrow-minded?
“I wouldn’t complain about something like this. In fact, I’m happy that you trust me.” (Kento)
I honestly expressed what I was feeling.
Upon hearing that, Sophia let out a small chuckle.
“Why are you laughing…?” (Sophia)
I couldn’t understand her reaction, so I immediately prodded her.
“I don’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just that… I was thinking, Shirakawa-kun, you have that side to you.” (Sophia)
It was as if the nervousness and uncertainty she had been showing earlier were a lie, as she let out a warm sigh and gave me an adorable smile.
For a moment, I found myself completely captivated by her beautiful, happy smile.
But I quickly snapped out of it, hastily opening my mouth before she could notice I had been staring.
“What do you mean by ‘that side’…?” (Kento)
“Hmm, I don’t really know how to explain it but… to put it simply, you’re broad-minded?” (Sophia)
Sophia placed her hand on her chin, thinking, and tilted her head as she answered.
It seemed like she had the complete opposite impression of me than what I had imagined.
However…
“Why does it sound like a question?” (Kento)
I noticed her tone rising at the end, which made me wonder why she didn’t speak more decisively.
“It’s just that I was wondering if that was the most fitting description. I don’t mean anything else by it.” (Sophia)
For a moment, I thought she might be teasing me, but it seemed like Sophia had just been unsure.
It really felt like her sharp edges had softened…
“I see. By the way, I don’t need the lunch as a thank you for picking you up, you know?” (Kento)
It seemed like I had been overthinking things, so I steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.
I understood that the lunch was meant as a thank-you for picking her up, but I didn’t think I deserved anything in return.
In fact, I felt happy just being able to walk home with her.
“Haa… I thought you might say that.” (Sophia)
However, it seemed my response didn’t sit well with Sophia. She let out a sigh.
“We’re equals, right?” (Sophia)
“Ah…” (Kento)
Sophia gave me a sly, teasing smile and tilted her head again, and it clicked in my mind what she was trying to say. I couldn’t help but stare at her.
“Then, let me properly thank you.” (Sophia)
With that, Sophia’s teasing grin shifted to a more genuine, joyful smile.
It seemed she had already known I wouldn’t easily accept the thank-you, so she had decided to respond like this.
She really was a bit mischievous, wasn’t she?
“Yeah… I’ll take you up on that. Thank you, Sophia.” (Sophia)
Since we were equals, I realized that her point was correct—that it wouldn’t feel right if I accepted something unilaterally. So, I decided to accept the lunch from her.
Honestly, as siblings, even if it’s out of obligation, I think it would be fine for me to do something for her without her needing to give anything in return… but I decided that prioritizing Sophia’s feelings here would be the best way to maintain a good relationship.
Plus, her cooking is really good, so the idea of getting it every day makes me genuinely happy.
“I’ve made sure the nutritional balance is good, so don’t worry.” (Sophia)
“As expected of you.” (Kento)
Though she had earned a reputation for being cold to others, the truth was that Sophia was someone who could act with others’ well-being in mind. I thought she would surely make a wonderful wife someday.
Though, whether someone worthy of her would come along… was another question.
After that, we continued chatting and headed towards school.
◆
Lunch break――
“Kento, let’s go to the cafeteria already!” (Shouta)
The moment class ended, Shouta came over to my desk.
“Sorry, I’ve got a bento today. Actually… I’m planning to bring lunch from now on.” (Kento)
We usually ate together, so I felt a bit bad as I turned him down.
The cafeteria was always filled with other club members during lunch, so it wouldn’t be an issue if I wasn’t there.
“Seriously? You did this last time too. But hey, why not bring your bento and eat at the cafeteria?” (Shouta)
“I already told you before—it’s too crowded, and I don’t want to take up a seat.” (Kento)
Bringing a bento to the cafeteria wasn’t against the rules, but it didn’t feel right to take up a seat when I could easily eat elsewhere, especially when space was limited.
Besides, I’d rather make good use of my time.
“Right, right. Well, I’m starving, so I’ll go with the others.” (Shouta)
Shouta, clearly hungry, left the classroom with the other club members as soon as he realized I wouldn’t be joining.
Times like this are amusing—despite being in the same class with the same destination, most people stick to their club groups when moving around together.
I guess it’s just easier to be with people you already spend a lot of time with, or maybe it just feels natural to do so.
“Shirakawa-kun, if you’ve got a lunchbox, wanna join us~?” (?)
As I took out my lunchbox and stood up, a group of volleyball club girls, who had already pushed their desks together, called out to me.
They were all grinning mischievously. Clearly, they were just teasing.
“Spare me. That’d be way too awkward.” (Kento)
Being the only guy eating in the middle of a group of girls? That’s like walking into a lion’s den.
Some people might not mind, but there’s no way I could handle that.
“Haha, right~?” (Girl)
“We wouldn’t care, though. Besides, we wanna hear more about Frost-san!” (Girl)
“Yeah, it’s super intriguing, isn’t it?” (Girl)
The girls from the Sports Course were, as always, full of energy.
They didn’t shy away from talking to guys, and they were never hesitant to strike up conversations like this.
Of course, it depends on the person itself, but aside from volleyball, the hard and soft tennis teams, badminton, and basketball members are all generally very cheerful.
Excluding a figure skating girl, who only shows up at school occasionally and gives off a quieter impression, the girls from the sports course are way too energetic for me to handle.
They aren’t bad people, so there’s no concern about them bullying Sophia like the gals from the General Course do.
“There’s nothing interesting to tell.” (Kento)
That was all I said before grabbing my lunch and leaving the classroom to avoid getting caught in the conversation.
“—Looks like he got away, huh?” (Girl)
“Shirakawa-kun may seem easygoing, but he’s got a pretty solid guard. Still, he’s way better than Kurogane-kun.” (Girl)
“Kurogane-kun is scary~ Shirakawa-kun, on the other hand, is kind, tall, calm, and quietly considerate. But… I feel like he draws some kind of line.” (Girl)
“And he seems sharp, too. Speaking of which, Kurogane-kun seems overwhelmingly popular in the other courses, but for us, Shirakawa-kun is way better, right?” (Girl)
“No comparison, really. But lately, it seems like even the girls from other courses are starting to notice how great Shirakawa-kun is. His fanbase is slowly growing, you know?” (Girl)
“Ehh, that’s a problem. We already have a formidable rival in Kujouin-san, the baseball team manager, and now another strong contender in Frost-san just showed up…” (Girl)
“I’m not sure about Kujouin-senpai since they’re just in the same club, but Frost-san lives with Shirakawa-kun. She’ll definitely notice all his good points.” (Girl)
“I mean, if Frost-san actually decides to go for it, we don’t stand a chance, do we?” (Girl)
“………” (All the girls)
For a brief moment, I felt a dark, dejected aura creeping up from behind me… but was it just my imagination?
I turned around, but there wasn’t anyone standing there.
What was that strange feeling just now…?
Even though it nagged at me, I couldn’t afford to waste any more time. I headed to the clubroom to grab a practice bat and made my way to the usual spot behind the school building.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
MC’s popularity phase is starting to show itself. Also, it’s nice to see the two of them getting used to each other.
This chapter is quite short, part 2 is gonna be the last of this chapter. Don’t worry, we’ll get more Sophia next part.
Footnote:
- None