Ninth Period: Yamazaki Atsuto’s Secret Base
The next day, during lunch break, in the cafeteria.
The sun briefly came out, but it was raining again, just as the forecast predicted—a quiet, steady drizzle.
“This is so goddamn spicy...! What the hell is this?!” Daikatsu, sitting next to me, dropped his spoon with a clatter onto his plate of curry and groaned in agony.
“That’s what you get for being so cocky and ordering the ten-spice level.” I gave him a cold look. Daikatsu emptied his glass of water in one gulp, breathing heavily as he stared at the remaining curry.
“I-I’m usually good with spicy food! It’s ’cause the sign at the entrance said, ‘Limited Menu! Ten-Spice Curry – Challengers Wanted!’”
The cafeteria at Suishō High offered limited-time menus about once a month. They were often aggressive dishes designed to appeal to students, but this one seemed to be a formidable opponent.
“H-Hey, wanna try some...? I-It’s good, seriously...?” Daikatsu, with tears in his eyes, held out a spoonful of curry.
“No way you’re telling the truth!”
“It doesn’t taste bad! I guarantee it!”
As we were arguing back and forth—
“—...Hmm?”
I glanced outside and saw someone running in the rain without an umbrella.
(Wait, is that—) I stood up from my chair to take a better look.
No mistake. That figure and that bronze hair, noticeable even from a distance... it was Char.
“T-Thanks for the meal!” I finished the rest of my food in one go and stood up.
“Ah! Y-You’re leaving me?!”
“Sorry! You’re on your own!”
“H-Hey! Atsuto! Help me!”
I felt bad for Daikatsu, but I bolted out of the cafeteria.
I ran down the stairs from the fourth floor.
When I reached the staff entrance, a soaking-wet Char appeared moments later.
“Sensei?!”
“Eh, Atsuto-kun?!”
“What happened?! You don’t have an umbrella!”
“It was sunny when I left home! But when I got off the train, it was pouring like this...!” Even as she spoke, droplets were dripping from Char’s beautiful hair.
“Come over here for a second!”
“Eh, A-Atsuto-kun?!” I instinctively grabbed Char’s hand and jogged toward ‘a certain place.’
We crossed the connecting corridor from the main school building to the club building.
On the first floor, lined with cultural club rooms, I pushed open the door of the room at the very end.
“This room?”
“It used to be the Handicrafts Club room. They disbanded last year.”
It was about ten tatami mats wide.
But inside, it was a surprisingly comfortable space, with a bookshelf, a fluffy sofa, and more.
Just between us, this was my secret base, where I snuck off to when I really didn’t feel like attending class.
“W-Wow! There are so many manga here! And a sofa!” Char looked around the room, blinking in surprise.
“Just sit there and wait for me!”
“Eh? Oh, okay.” I left Char waiting and pulled out an old electric heater from the back of the closet.
I plugged it in and flipped the switch, and it began to blow out warm air.
“Haaah... It’s warm... You even have something like this. Thank you, Atsuto-kun...” Char crouched down, basking in the warmth, her cheeks softening with happiness.
“You’re late today, aren’t you?”
“Yeah! I only have classes in the afternoon, so I pushed back my work hours! You’re on lunch break, right?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Sorry, for interrupting your lunch break...” Char clapped her hands together, giving me an apologetic look.
It was just lunch break, and Daikatsu was busy fighting his spicy curry, so I couldn’t just leave Char soaking wet.
I was relieved that the heater was working when—
“Ah! Atsuto-kun!” Char suddenly exclaimed excitedly, pointing at ‘a certain manga’ on the bookshelf.
‘The Executive is a Witch on Friday Night’—a wildly popular romantic comedy for women, depicting the love story between a plain male student and a young female executive at a major corporation.
“You know this one?”
“Yeah, my sister loves it! Have you read it, Atsuto-kun?”
“My sister read it, but I haven’t...”
“Then let’s read it together!”
“Me too?!”
“W-Well, to become the ideal teacher, I need to know about popular manga, too!” Char pulled the first volume of ‘The Executive is a Witch on Friday Night’ from the shelf, her cheeks slightly flushed.
She could read it alone... but I didn’t have a reason to refuse.
“Okay, just for a little bit...”
I cautiously sat down next to Char.
“Ah, sorry! You’ll get wet, Atsuto-kun! I’ll take this off!”
“Eh?!” Char stood up, took off her jacket, and was left in just her dress shirt.
She placed the jacket aside and pressed her body right up against mine.
Char’s warmth seeped through my thin shirt. The swell of her chest brushed my arm from time to time—probably unconsciously. I glanced sideways, and her plump, lightly glossed lips were right there—
There was no way I could concentrate on the manga like this!
“Alright, let’s read.”
“Y-Yes...!” Char opened the first page, completely unaware of my tension.
—Flip, flip.
“Is that okay? Am I going too fast?”
“No, I’m fine...!”
—Flip, flip.
“Heh, puhuhu! This is funny, Atsuto-kun!”
“Heh, hehe... This is good, actually...!”
I was nervous at first, but as we read, I became completely immersed in the world of the manga. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy a manga aimed at women, but this was seriously interesting!
—But.
“Wait...” I couldn’t help but let out a sound when she turned a certain page.
—The ‘first night’ of the dating couple, the male high school student and the female executive.
The two were confirming their love, skin to skin.
I didn’t know there were scenes like this!
I cautiously glanced at Char.
But she was completely engrossed and didn’t seem embarrassed at all.
C-Concentrate, Atsuto! Char is concentrating!
I took a deep breath, waiting for Char to turn the page, when—
“It’s getting a little hot, isn’t it...?”
I looked at Char, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
“E-Eh?! You’re hot?!”
“Yeah. It’s hot in this room.”
As soon as she said that, Char reached for her collar—
—Pop.
“...Phew.” With a strangely sensual sigh, she unbuttoned the top button of her shirt.
Eh? Wait, what?!
“S-Sensei?”
“I... I might not be able to hold back anymore...” Her sapphire-blue eyes pierced right through me.
Was Char serious?
I felt like we were skipping too many steps, but if Char was ready, a man should respond.
“Hey, Atsuto-kun...”
“Y-Y-Yes?!” Char fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand—
“—Isn’t it getting too hot in this room?!”
“..................Huh?” I let out a stupid sound.
Char leaned forward with a determined “Mmm!” and... turned off the electric heater.
“Phew! It gets too hot if you leave the heater on this long in this season!” Char wiped the faint sweat from her brow with a handkerchief and smiled brightly.
Meanwhile, I—
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...” The tension snapped, and I slumped over.
“A-Are you okay?! Did you get sick from the heat?! A-Atsuto-kun?!” Char shook my shoulder frantically, her eyes teary.
I couldn’t tell her that I thought the manga’s plot was influencing her and that she was about to—... not if I wanted to live.
＊＊＊＊＊
—And so, after school on that day.
While my classmates were heading home or to their club activities, I remained in the classroom.
I usually left immediately, but Char had just sent me a Line message.
“Can you hang out tonight?”
After exchanging a few messages, we decided to meet at 7:00 PM at In’ōji Station.
“Hmm. A place to go...” I wondered where she wanted to go.
“What? Aren’t you going home?”
“Whoa!” Benika’s voice came from behind, and I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket.
D-Did she see it?!
“Y-You were here, Benika...?”
“Yeah, well. Anyway, what’s up? You had a troubled look on your face and kept saying, ‘Hmm.’”
“It’s nothing, really...” I scratched my head, forcing a dry laugh.
Benika looked at me suspiciously for a while but finally said, “Whatever,” and started tapping on her phone.
“W-What about you, Benika...?”
“Me? I have a meeting for a photoshoot. ...Haaah.” Benika glanced at me and let out a small sigh.
She seemed a little down.
“That’s unusual. You’re never down about work.”
“I’m not down, I’m nervous! Here.” Benika showed me her phone screen.
What was displayed was—
“Akashi Shiori?”
“Yup. Akashi Shiori-san. Apparently, she’s coming to the meeting today.”
“Seriously?!” I exclaimed in shock. Benika nodded a few times and put away her phone.
—Akashi Shiori.
She was a model who had recently been cast as the lead in a late-night drama, making her a hot topic.
“T-That would make anyone nervous...”
“Right?! How am I supposed to talk to her...?” Benika scratched her slightly red hair, then gave a small, determined “Alright.”
“But I have to do my best... Well, I’m heading out now! See you tomorrow!”
“O-Oh, right.” Benika waved and left the classroom.
I couldn’t believe my friend was working with such an amazing person...
“You’re amazing, Benika...” I muttered to myself in the now-empty classroom.
I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others.
Still, seeing Benika and Daikatsu excelling in their club activities and modeling makes me feel like they’ve gone somewhere far away.
“...No, stop it, stop it!”
I was going to hang out with Char. I couldn’t go with this low energy.
I started killing time with a game on my phone, trying to shake off the sudden feeling of loneliness.
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