Beside the sports field, in front of the vending machine.
Clunk!
After Sato inserted the coins, two cans of juice quickly dropped down inside, crashing loudly into the retrieval slot.
Sigh, when would they finally advance into the age of mobile payments...
Sato sighed, then bent down to pick up the two cans of juice and handed one to Yukinoshita Yukino.
Though come to think of it, things were still not too bad. At least the internet was already well developed in this era. If he had ended up in a time without internet in this life, he would probably feel completely disconnected from the world.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the drink Sato handed her, hesitated for a moment, then slowly accepted it.
Click!
After seeing her take it, Sato pulled open the tab on his own can and tilted his head back, gulping down several mouthfuls before letting out a refreshed sigh.
Then he sat down on the stairs beside the vending machine, looking toward the people training on the sports field.
"Didn't you say we were going to practice?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she stared at Sato and asked.
"You actually believed that?"
Sato could not help rolling his eyes at her.
"You lied to me?"
"Is now really the time to talk about that?"
Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino fell silent for a moment before looking at him with a complicated expression.
"You... why did you do that?"
Naturally, Sato understood that she was not referring to this matter, but everything that had just happened in the club room.
"Why? How should I put it..."
"Maybe it's because I've never met a girl with such a bitchy personality before, so after finally seeing one in real life, I just had the urge to step on her a few times."
Sato shrugged as he spoke.
He was not joking.
Honestly, he really had never met this kind of girl in his previous life.
There were certainly people whose personalities he disliked, but he had genuinely never encountered a real bitch.
Not in his previous life, and not in this one either.
In the past, he had only seen girls with this kind of personality on television. Whenever he watched them, he often felt so irritated he wanted to rush in and slap them a couple of times.
Now that he had actually met one, he realized the urge to hit someone was still there. But considering this was reality and violence was impossible, he chose this method instead to make Sagami Minami suffer a setback.
And honestly, this feeling was really great!
Sato felt a sense of satisfaction rising inside him. Today, he had finally experienced what it felt like to smack down a bitchy character.
It was pure satisfaction from the depths of his soul!
"That's all?"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Sato in astonishment.
"That's all. What else were you expecting..."
Sato looked at Yukinoshita Yukino in confusion, then suddenly seemed to realize something as his expression turned meaningful.
"Don't tell me you thought that I..."
"No. Be quiet."
Yukinoshita Yukino spoke coldly, but the faint blush that flashed across her face did not escape Sato's eyes.
He could not help laughing quietly before taking another sip of juice.
That was basically admitting it without being asked. He had not even said anything yet and she was already blushing. So Yukinoshita could get embarrassed too.
Honestly, the reason he had done all this today really was not for Yukinoshita Yukino's sake. The situation she ended up in today could entirely be called the result of her own actions, so he did not particularly sympathize with her.
"Actually, Yukinoshita, you're someone with a really twisted and dishonest personality, you know that?"
Hm?
Yukinoshita Yukino froze slightly and looked at Sato in surprise, her lips parting a little.
"You want to surpass your sister, right?"
Sato suddenly turned toward her, directly meeting those cool and profound black eyes.
Yukinoshita Yukino remained silent.
Sato did not mind. He looked into the distance, toward the clear blue sky, resting both arms atop his knees while holding the juice can in his right hand.
"You want to surpass her, but you're also afraid of her. If Shiromeguri Meguri hadn't brought up your sister's name during that Executive Committee meeting that day, I think you probably would've accepted the position of Executive Committee Chair."
"After all, your sister once organized an exceptionally successful school festival."
"If you could hold an equally successful school festival yourself, it would probably bring you some comfort."
"Stop talking!"
Suddenly, Yukinoshita Yukino's cold voice rang out.
Sato glanced at her but ignored it and continued.
"That's why you agreed when Sagami Minami came to invite you."
"This was a Service Club activity!"
Yukinoshita Yukino pressed her lips tightly together as she stubbornly replied, but she kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Sato's eyes.
"Stop making excuses for yourself, Yukinoshita!"
Sato looked at Yukinoshita Yukino calmly.
"Teach someone how to fish, or simply give them fish!"
"If I remember correctly, you once said that the Service Club's philosophy was the former. But do you think what you did today was the former or the latter?"
Sato's words struck Yukinoshita Yukino like a heavy blow. Her already pale face instantly became even paler.
His words rang loudly in her ears.
Teach someone how to fish, give them the method. Give someone fish, give them the result.
Today, Yukinoshita Yukino had not been assisting Sagami Minami with the work.
She had been carrying all of it herself.
So was that teaching someone how to fish, or simply giving them fish?
In truth, she herself knew the answer clearly.
Looking at the silent Yukinoshita Yukino, Sato sighed softly.
"That's why I said your personality is twisted and dishonest."
The wind blowing in from the sea gently brushed past them. The girl's beautiful and silky hair swayed in the breeze, the fine strands covering her graceful face so that her expression could no longer be seen clearly.
"Hah..."
Sato suddenly let out a long breath and drained the remaining juice from the can in one go.
"Since you already have the desire to surpass your sister, why not be more honest about it? Or do you think your feelings are hidden so deeply that nobody would notice?"
"Yukinoshita, you're far too naive."
Sato looked deeply at Yukinoshita Yukino before turning and walking away.
"Too naive...?"
Yukinoshita Yukino stood there holding the still unopened can of juice, murmuring softly to herself.