The first week after the Sports Festival, the atmosphere on campus gradually returned to calm.
Of course, the topics of discussion left behind by the Sports Festival didn't die down quite so quickly.
In the café at Keyaki Mall, three girls were seated at a window-side table.
It was none other than Class D's trio of gyaru — Karuizawa Kei, Satou Maya, and Matsushita Chiaki.
Karuizawa Kei sat on the side by the window, one hand propped under her chin, her gaze drifting idly over the scenery outside.
Her long golden hair was tied up into a high ponytail, swaying gently behind her head, revealing her fair neck and delicate ears.
A pair of purple eyes, clear and bright, carried a trace of languor, a trace of ease.
She wore a light pink knit sweater paired with a white short skirt, making her look both stylish and adorable.
The corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly, wearing a faint smile, her whole person radiating an air of happiness.
It was the air unique to someone who had pulled off a successful false start.
Satou Maya sat across from her, her long hair dyed a light brown cascading over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly, giving it plenty of layered texture.
A pair of blue eyes, bright and lively, with a touch of light makeup on her face, made her look refined and fashionable.
She wore a white chiffon blouse paired with a light blue high-waisted short skirt, beige high heels on her feet, radiating an aura that was both mature and playful.
Matsushita Chiaki sat beside Satou Maya. Her style wasn't as flashy as that of a typical gyaru; instead, she came across a little like a reserved young lady.
On the table before the three of them sat three drinks. The trio had already been sitting there for a while, their topics starting from schoolwork, then drifting to the upcoming weekend plans and to cute clothes.
Of course, as they chatted on, the topic shifted a little — right over to the Sports Festival.
And once the Sports Festival came up, the central figure of the conversation naturally couldn't stray from Shikime Natsu. After all, among the three grade levels, Shikime Natsu could be said to have stolen the show, directly crushing the third-year star Horikita Manabu and the second-year star Nagumo Miyabi.
Although the legend of Shikime Natsu had long since spread throughout the school, seeing it for real still felt different from merely hearing about it.
Shikime Natsu knocking down the pole with a single kick, and his performance in the 1,200-meter relay, were both remarkably dazzling.
Of course, Shikime Natsu's own looks were themselves a hotly discussed topic — beginning with his looks, then moving on to his personal ability.
"Kei."
Satou Maya picked up the iced Americano in front of her, took a sip, then set the cup back down and looked at Karuizawa Kei, those blue eyes carrying a hint of envy.
"What is it?"
Karuizawa Kei turned her head and looked at her.
"I'm really so envious of you."
Satou Maya propped her chin in her hand, gazing at Karuizawa Kei, her tone tinged with emotion.
"To be able to date Natsu — it's just too lucky."
Hearing this, the smile on Karuizawa Kei's face grew even brighter, her purple eyes brimming with joy.
For Karuizawa Kei, this feeling was quite nice. Even though the three of them were like sisters, it had to be said that Kei was rather delighted about having pulled off a successful false start.
Of course, right now there were still two people who hadn't started dating Shikime Natsu — and both of them were her own close friends. So Karuizawa Kei couldn't act too openly happy.
She could only show a faint sort of delight. As for what exactly counted as faint delight, Karuizawa Kei wasn't quite sure herself, but she could only do her best to perform it — even so, the curve tugging at the corners of her lips couldn't hide the joy in the young girl's heart.
"It's not that big a deal."
She lowered her head, stirring the caramel macchiato in front of her with a little spoon, her voice carrying a hint of bashfulness.
"How is it not a big deal?"
Satou Maya widened her eyes, staring at her.
"Do you have any idea how many girls want to date Natsu right now?"
"Tons of them! Not just girls from our grade — even the upperclassman senpai have already got their eyes on Natsu."
She paused, then continued.
"Especially after the Sports Festival, Natsu's popularity has just skyrocketed."
"Before, everyone had only heard that Natsu was amazing — good grades, strong athletically, with lots of girlfriends around him."
"But that was all just hearsay."
"The Sports Festival was different, though."
"Everyone saw it with their own eyes."
As Satou Maya said this, those blue eyes of hers carried a certain gleam.
"That day on the track, Natsu competed on the same stage as President Horikita and Vice President Nagumo—"
"It was just so cool."
"Overpowering the stars of two grade levels, pulling far ahead, and being the first to cross the finish line."
"That scene — even now when I think about it, my heart starts racing."
As she spoke, Satou Maya unconsciously cupped her own cheeks, an infatuated expression appearing on her face.
And when Matsushita Chiaki heard Satou Maya say all this, her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the day of the Sports Festival. The figure of Shikime Natsu crossing the finish line was still etched in the girl's mind.
Matsushita Chiaki wasn't the type to secretly fall for someone just because they shone in sports; it was only because that person was Shikime Natsu that he had left an impression in her heart.
It was just that... when it came to Shikime Natsu, Matsushita Chiaki still felt a subtle sense of distance in her heart. She wasn't the type who was good at expressing what she truly felt inside, always keeping herself hidden.
Watching Satou Maya's and Matsushita Chiaki's reactions, Karuizawa Kei felt a bit wistful inside.
If she hadn't pulled off her false start, then right now she'd probably be just like them, wouldn't she?
Complicated feelings — wanting to get closer to Shikime Natsu, yet not knowing how.
After all, the number of girls around Shikime Natsu was growing larger and larger now.
Even though Shikime Natsu never put on a stance of rejection, never gave off any signals of refusal, he still somehow left people feeling a little hard to approach.
Especially after the Sports Festival, Shikime Natsu's performance had simply been too dazzling.
So dazzling that it made people feel the distance between themselves and him was growing farther and farther.
Karuizawa Kei thought this to herself, then let out a soft sigh.
"So, Kei."
Satou Maya's voice rang out again.
"Hurry and tell me — how did you end up together with Natsu?"
Her eyes were sparkling, glinting with a gossipy light. Back when Karuizawa Kei had first started spending time with Shikime Natsu, Satou Maya had stared at her in utter shock, asking how she'd managed it — only, Kei had always given ambiguous answers.
"Is there some secret trick?"
"A secret trick..."
Karuizawa Kei blanked for a moment, then thought it over.
"It seems... there's no real secret trick..."
She paused, then went on.
"It just... came about naturally, and then we were together..."
"Naturally?"
Satou Maya tilted her head.
"What do you mean, 'naturally'?"
"It's just... it's just..."
Karuizawa Kei's face flushed a little.
"I like Natsu..."
"And then... it seems he likes me too."
"And then... we just got together."
As she said these words, her voice carried a trace of bashfulness, along with a trace of sweetness.
"So, you don't even know why he fell for you either?"
Satou Maya asked, those blue eyes still full of disbelief — Karuizawa Kei's answer was still the same one.
Right now Satou Maya was rather eager to know what on earth had happened on the cruise ship that had made the two of them confirm their relationship, but... this wasn't quite the time to press Karuizawa Kei.
Having asked again and again only to get this same answer, then clearly... this really was the reason with Karuizawa Kei.
"Mm..."
Karuizawa Kei nodded.
It was just that... precisely because of this ambiguous answer, Satou Maya still didn't know what she was supposed to do even now. Only... the envy in her eyes toward Karuizawa Kei couldn't be hidden.
And at this moment, an inscrutable look flickered through Matsushita Chiaki's eyes as well.
Satou Maya glanced at Karuizawa Kei, then shifted her gaze slightly toward the outside, and a look of resolve quickly appeared in those eyes.
She picked up the iced Americano in front of her, took a sip, then set the cup down.
"Kei."
She called out.
"Hm?"
Karuizawa Kei looked at her.
"That, um..."
Satou Maya hesitated for a moment, then said.
"Could you... help create an opportunity for me?"
Her voice carried a touch of embarrassment, along with a touch of anticipation.
"I want... to spend a little more time with Natsu..."
After finishing these words, the blush on her face deepened.
Hearing this request, Karuizawa Kei was first taken aback.
Then, she gave a soft little smile.
"Sure."
Her tone was relaxed, very natural.
"Really?"
Satou Maya's eyes lit up all at once, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on her face.
"Of course."
Karuizawa Kei nodded.
"But I'm only helping to create the opportunity."
Then, after a pause, Karuizawa Kei continued.
"What happens after that is up to you."
"I know that, of course!"
Satou Maya nodded firmly, a brilliant smile on her face. Satou Maya was a rather proactive person; as long as there was an opportunity, she naturally wanted to seize it well — it was just that... up until now she'd been suffering from a lack of any opportunity.
And now that Karuizawa Kei was willing to create one for her, it was simply wonderful. Truly a good best friend.
"Thank you, Kei!"
"No need to thank me."
Karuizawa Kei smiled, then turned her head and looked at Matsushita Chiaki, who was sitting off to the side.
"What about you, Chiaki?"
She asked.
"Do you want to come along too, Chiaki?"
Hearing this question, Matsushita Chiaki froze for a moment.
Her gaze lifted from her glass of milk and settled on Karuizawa Kei's face.
Those black eyes carried a trace of hesitation.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
But then, she didn't say it.
Within her heart, a fierce struggle was taking place.
Did she want to get closer to Shikime Natsu?
She did.
Did she have feelings for Shikime Natsu?
She did.
But she still had no way to face the true thoughts in her heart.
She merely felt that Shikime Natsu was somewhat special within her heart, leaving Matsushita Chiaki unsure of what attitude she should take toward him.
"I..."
Matsushita Chiaki hesitated, then lowered her head, her gaze falling on the glass of milk before her.
"I don't know..."
Her voice was very soft, so soft that almost only she herself could hear it.
"Chiaki, what are you hesitating about?"
Satou Maya looked at her and asked.
"Don't you want to spend more time with Natsu?"
"I..."
Matsushita Chiaki bit her lip, those eyes flickering with a light of inner conflict.
"I want to..."
"But..."
"But what?"
Satou Maya pressed.
"But..."
Matsushita Chiaki took a deep breath, then lifted her head and looked at Satou Maya and Karuizawa Kei.
"I still haven't figured it out..."
"Figured what out?"
"Figured out... what exactly I feel about him."
After finishing these words, Matsushita Chiaki lowered her head again.
Her fingers gently rubbed against the glass of milk.
Matsushita Chiaki felt that this strange feeling she had toward Shikime Natsu had probably begun with that very peculiar dream she'd had at the very start, a dream in which she'd done all sorts of things involving Shikime Natsu.
And then... during this recent period, Matsushita Chiaki had had more or less the same dream, except the content of the dream was no longer about rising from Class D up into Class A — probably because deep down she herself didn't believe the current Class D could rise into Class A.
The content of the dream had turned into her and Shikime Natsu already being in that kind of relationship, and then doing that kind of thing day after day...
At the mere thought of this, the girl's face couldn't help but take on a flush of shyness again — just what on earth was she thinking about?
But... that dream had been so very real, so real that even after she woke up she'd thought for a moment it had all been true. Only she quickly realized it was fake, and then couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache in her chest.
Matsushita Chiaki sighed softly. What on earth was she doing? Was she the heroine of some youthful-heartache literature?
Why so many wild, wandering thoughts?
"I just feel that he's... somehow a little special in my heart."
"But I'm still not sure exactly what this 'special' is."
"Whether it's liking him, or..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but both Satou Maya and Karuizawa Kei understood her meaning.
"Then let's go together."
Karuizawa Kei spoke up, her tone gentle.
"You don't have to figure it all out right now."
"Just think of it as... a get-together among... friends."
"Spend a bit more time around him, and maybe you'll come to understand."
Matsushita Chiaki lifted her head and looked at Karuizawa Kei.
On Karuizawa Kei's face was that sincere smile.
After hearing Karuizawa Kei say all this, Matsushita Chiaki nodded.
"Okay."
The chances to see Shikime Natsu these days weren't many, so... she should cherish them first, and then determine the emotion in her heart — whether it was because of the dream's influence, or whether...
"Then I'll come too."
"Wonderful!"
Satou Maya happily clapped her hands, the smile on her face growing even brighter.
If all three of them could become Shikime Natsu's girlfriends, that would be great.
"So when are we doing it?"
She looked at Karuizawa Kei and asked.
"The weekend, I think."
Karuizawa Kei thought it over, then said.
"This weekend, Natsu told me he's free."
Karuizawa Kei was quite generous in offering up what should have been time for her and Shikime Natsu to be alone together — after all, one way or another, she had seen through the feelings of both Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki.
If they all became Shikime Natsu's girlfriends, then there'd be plenty more to talk about, rather than it just being her showing off on her own.
"Great!"
Satou Maya nodded firmly, then picked up the iced Americano in front of her and took a sip.
Her blue eyes sparkled with a light of anticipation.
Matsushita Chiaki also picked up the glass of milk before her and took a light sip, the warm liquid sliding down her throat, easing her nervous mood a little.
The current Matsushita Chiaki still didn't know whether the decision she'd made was the right one, but she had already taken that first step.
Watching the two girls' reactions, Karuizawa Kei's lips curved up slightly, revealing a smile.
She picked up the caramel macchiato in front of her and took a sip.
The sweet flavor spread through her mouth, carrying a hint of creaminess and a hint of caramel fragrance — it tasted very good.
She set the cup down, her gaze falling upon the scenery outside the window.
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