Vol. 1 Chapter 10 – A Bug-Like Situation

Returning to the classroom, Asahi-san was there, acting no different than usual.

“Ayaka, look, look~” (Hikaru)
“What’s with this weird dance…?” (Ayaka)
“Apparently, it’s trending lately. Wanna try dancing it so I can film a quick video? I’ll upload it to my account.” (Hikaru)
“Absolutely not.” (Ayaka)
“Ehh~… I think it’d totally go viral if you danced this, Ayaka~…” (Hikaru)

While preparing for fifth period, she joked around with Hino-san in the adjacent seat.

What was a once-in-a-lifetime confession for a certain boy from Class A was, for her, just another part of daily life.

By the time my slight sympathy for the classmate I’d never spoken to faded, fifth-period chemistry class had begun.

O’s, C’s, H’s—spells known as chemical formulas were being written on the blackboard by the teacher in charge.

However, even with the same combination of information, my brain was already full of data on matchup advantages and disadvantages in fighting games.

There wasn’t even 1mm of space left to cram in such things.

What the heck is a mole? It’s a ridiculously huge number, talk about overkill, mole indeed.

As if my brain, scrambled during the day, was truly my own, I retained absolutely nothing from the fifth and sixth-period classes.

“Alright, that’s it for today… Don’t let your guard down just because Golden Week starts tomorrow… If you guys mess up, I’ll get called in too…” (Toida-sensei)

Our homeroom teacher, Toida-sensei (commonly known as Sloth-sensei), listlessly ended homeroom.

Friday after school arrived, and the forty classmates were released all at once.

The Youth Group, already making plans to hang out or heading to club activities; the Serious Group, already proposing studying at prep school or the library with entrance exams in mind.

Amidst that bustle, as one of the Go-Straight-Home Group delinquents putting away the distributed handouts in my bag—

“Hey, hey, Hikaru, wanna go to karaoke too? We’re going with about six people, including girls from other classes.” (Sakuramiya)

My eyes caught Sakuramiya-san from the A-List Girls Youth Group calling out to Asahi-san.

“Karaoke? Right now?” (Hikaru)
“Yeah, some girls from Aoba Minami are meeting us there too. They specifically asked me to bring you, Hikaru… Please!” (Sakuramiya)

Sakuramiya-san pleaded, pressing her hands together as if in prayer.

She was a rather outgoing girl, which is rare in this school, and I’d heard she often sets up group mixers with boys from other schools.

Since our school is college-prep focused, the ratio of serious students is relatively high, so girls looking to meet polished, party-savvy boys often rely on her, apparently.

From the way she spoke, although not explicitly stated, there were probably boys from other schools at that karaoke outing too.

“Sorry~… I have practice, so it’s probably impossible for me right now~…” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san, holding her long racquet bag, turned down the invitation without a moment’s thought.

“Then when can you go? Do you have any free days during Golden Week?” (Sakuramiya)

However, Sakuramiya-san wasn’t the type to give up there; she pressed on.

“Hmm~… I wonder~… I have plans tomorrow and the day after…” (Hikaru)
“The day after the day after tomorrow!? You have at least one day free, right!? We’ll arrange everything around your schedule, Hikaru!” (Sakuramiya)

If I bring Asahi Hikaru, the quality of the guys will go up a notch or two.

It seemed like such inner thoughts were leaking out.

“Come on? Isn’t it good to just hang out and cut loose with everyone once in a while? They say resting is important in sports too, right?” (Sakuramiya)
“Hmm~… That’s true, but…” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san was also troubled by her persistence.

Everyone knew that, given her personality, she couldn’t refuse too strongly.

“Alright, alright… Don’t be so pushy. Hikaru’s busy with her tournament coming up…” (Ayaka)

And so, it was the usual sight for her best friend, Hino-san, to intervene like this.

“Wh-Why is the Class Rep getting involved…? It’s got nothing to do with you…?” (Sakuramiya)
“Hikaru looked like she was having trouble refusing, so I spoke up for her. If you’re man-hunting, you can just do it on your own, right?” (Ayaka)

True to her name, which evoked the Fire Attribute, even Sakuramiya-san flinched and backed down before her strong will.

Just as Hayato had said, she acted as the negotiator for Asahi-san, who was overly friendly in all directions.

She was like a troublesome elite guard standing next to an already incredibly strong boss.

“Come on, Hikaru. Let’s go.” (Ayaka)
“Ah, okay… So, sorry about that! Invite me again sometime!” (Hikaru)

Taken by the arm by Hino-san, Asahi-san was led out of the classroom.

“Hah… Seriously, her guard is so solid…”
“She definitely won’t come if she senses guys are involved.”
“Maybe she really does have a boyfriend we don’t know about.”
“Who knows. Anyway, isn’t the Class Rep seriously annoying…? Is she acting like her manager or something?”
“I know, right? Being that overprotective is kinda sad for Hikaru, actually.”

Now that they were gone, Sakuramiya-san’s group started saying whatever they wanted.

While I couldn’t exactly jump into the conversation and tell them to stop, it was getting decidedly uncomfortable.

As they badmouthed Hino-san, likely thinking a Gloomy Type like me wouldn’t care how much he heard, I made a hasty retreat, keeping them in the corner of my eye.

Conflicts between girls are pretty scary, I thought while walking down the hallway.

Even if they seem friendly enough usually, apparently, this is what happens when interests clash.

However, Hino-san, who confronted it head-on and showed no signs of backing down, was also strong.

It was a well-known fact that normally, one couldn’t challenge Asahi Hikaru without getting past her first.

“…Or so it should be.” (Reiya)

Stopping midway down the corridor, I took out my smartphone.

Launching the messaging app ‘PINE’, a single message received during today’s lunch break was displayed.

‘Okay, I’ll head over at the usual time tomorrow too, thanks! We’ll continue SEKIHYO!’

What on earth is this bug-like situation, really? I asked myself again and again.

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• Fire Attribute: Ayaka’s name 絢火 contains the kanji for fire (火), and her personality is described as fiery, contrasting with Hikaru’s Light Attribute.