NTR Kousuke

Chapter 20

The words that came out of Airi-senpai's mouth were shocking—she said she broke up with Sahori-senpai.

It's not something that concerns me... but still, if a girl in front of me looks like she's about to cry and wants someone to listen, a guy can only stay quiet and hear her out.

"...I'll listen to you, okay?"

Airi "...Is that okay? I want someone to listen to me... No, sorry, I'm the one who said I wanted you to listen."

Airi-senpai had a sad expression, different from her usual self.

But the gymnasium isn't a good place; someone could pass by any moment.

I suggest changing locations.

Being in a public place is a problem, but being alone in a closed room with just the two of us scares me.

The gym prep room? A closed room!

The rooftop? Too hot!

The cafeteria? Too many people!

A café? A café might be good!

We decided to change clothes, get a little away from school, and meet up at a coffee shop.

The shopping for the training camp is no longer the priority...

Airi "Kousuke-kun, see you later!"

Airi-senpai waves at me in front of the changing room.

She's forcing a smile.

"...Yeah."

Waving back feels awkward, so I just nod in return.

...And Ayaka Nagase catches the whole thing perfectly.

I keep my usual expressionless face and pretend not to notice.

Nagase-san approaches me with a gentle smile on her face, but her eyes aren't smiling at all.

Nagase "Lately, you've been getting along well with girls, huh?"

No, no,

"...That's not true."

Nagase-san steps closer, her mouth curving into a frown.

Nagase "That... Tomonaga-san, was it? And Airi-senpai too? Kousuke-kun...?"

Nagase-san is one of the cutest girls in our grade. Her face is so close...!

My heart races, but more than that, there's this uncomfortable feeling like my heart is being gripped tight with a bang!

I take two steps back... no, I can't help but step back.

Nagase-san looks hurt, but she notices something's off with me.

Nagase "...That's mean... Huh? Kousuke-kun? Are you okay? Your face is completely pale!"

Nagase-san hurriedly grabs my arm. Um, can you let go for now?

"...I'm not feeling... too well, I guess? I'll just have some tea and head home... I'm fine."

Nagase-san looks worried, but

"...A guy doesn't want a girl to see him when he's weak."

When I say that, her expression brightens up instantly.

Nagase "So you do think of me as a girl..."

She mutters under her breath, then waves with a smile, saying, "Take care!" before heading off.

Am I afraid of women or something?

I'm getting weird palpitations and shortness of breath...!

Naturally, I start to feel anxious about my own condition.

To Tomonaga-san,

"...Well, I've got something to do today, so..."

Tomonaga "Huh?! What about me? Today?"

It's a half-day off today, right? Tomonaga-san's eyes light up with faint hope.

I point toward the film club's direction—look, your escort is here.

The film club members and my best friend Tanaka-kun are peeking over at us.

Tomonaga "...Eek! It's the captain again!!"

Lately, Tomonaga-san has been calling Tanaka-kun 'captain.' Isn't the captain supposed to be Billy-san or something?

Tanaka-kun approaches with both hands stretched low, swinging them around!

Tanaka "Here we go!! Na-na-na! Na-na-na! Juliet! Diet! Say!"

Tomonaga "Eek!!"

It's Joyman! If Shou were here,

Shou "What the heck is this guy?!"

he'd probably react properly like that.

I think as I see Tomonaga-san off.

Looks like it's Joyman exercise starting today.

☆ ☆ ☆

In the changing room, I wipe off my sweat, tidy myself up a bit, and head to the coffee shop for the meetup.

Airi-senpai is already there and has secured a seat for us.

The shop is about 70% full, and there's a nice aroma of coffee in the air.

I order something like a frappuccino and head to Airi-senpai with a big biscuit in hand.

Airi-senpai is at a less conspicuous seat in the back corner, sipping on a drink that's so loaded with toppings it's practically a parfait.

Airi "So, shall we exchange addresses first? It's fine! I'm free! Super free!"

Being free is one thing, but 'super free'—isn't that tied to some scandalous club incident? A girl shouldn't say stuff like that!

Airi-senpai counts the reasons for exchanging addresses on her fingers.

Airi "We're senior and junior in the club, right? There's the shopping stuff, right? And you and I, Kousuke-kun, are like mentor and student, right?"

Well, that's true.

When I joined as a beginner, the senior who first looked after me was Airi-senpai.

Even now, I consult her about strategies, training points, and body parts to focus on.

Airi "A-n-d, isn't just being a junior I like enough of a reason to exchange addresses?"

She smiles brightly with that Airi smile that captivates the boys in the basketball club.

A mix of excitement and unease hits me at the same time.

Well, I understand the reasons.

But for some reason, I feel guilty... still, I...

No, if I move forward, things might change!

I exchanged addresses with Airi-senpai.

We briefly discussed tomorrow's meeting time, place, and what to buy.

There'll probably be things we remember later or need to add, so I typed most of it into my smartphone.

Airi "...Oh, my drink's gone. How about you, Kousuke-kun?"

We line up together at the counter to order. Around us, there are lots of couples standing close to each other just like us.

Could it be that we look like that too?

If so, I'd be honored... but the mix of excitement and unease leans more toward unease, and I don't feel thrilled at all.

Airi "...Hmm, let's change it up from earlier... Chip Excellent Chocolate Sauce Classic Extra Soy White Mocha Extra Black Cream Frappuccino."

?!

What? A spell?

Clerk "Let me repeat that: Chip Excellent Chocolate Sauce Classic Extra Soy White Mocha Extra Black Hazelnut Cream Frappuccino. Is that correct?"

I don't think I could work here.

All I can remember is 'hazelnut'...

It's got both black and white in it? I don't get it, I don't get it, but it already sounds sweet. I don't hate sweet stuff, but...

Airi "How about you, Kousuke-kun?"

Kousuke "...Iced coffee, black, the non-sweet kind."

Airi-senpai giggles,

Airi "Kousuke-kun! Black coffee is obviously not sweet, you know?"

She smiles mischievously, but I'm already done with sweet stuff for today.

Tomonaga-san too, but girls must be made of sweet things.

Then, we return to the table with our drinks.

That parfait-like drink... isn't it amazing?

And now, onto the main topic.

The story of Sahori-senpai and Airi-senpai. A brief succession.

What I know is that Sahori, a senior by one year, was aggressively pursuing Airi, who had just joined as a manager at the time. After the summer break training camp, they started dating, and I've heard the legend that this planted the BSS (I liked her first) fetish among the basketball club members back then.

The current second-years lamented when they heard about the couple forming,

and because Airi-senpai politely explained it within the club,

everyone shed tears over her sincerity while burning with jealous flames,

Airi explained, and Sahori nearly perished!

Apparently, there was a tense era for a while.

Even so,

Sahori, in his second year, was a bit of a bad-boy handsome type. Cheerful, goofy, and pushy. He had plenty of flaws, but with his natural physical conditioning and talent, he was already the ace by then.

Airi, in her first year, was the idol of the basketball club and everyone's healing presence. With her smile and stunning figure, she was already the most popular girl representing her grade, so they were treated like a hot topic big couple!

Well, since it was before I enrolled, it's just something I heard.

Anyway, Sahori gave off the impression of being a crazy ace who hated effort and was all talk, so I wondered why such a beautiful senpai would be with a guy like that. But since I had Satsuki, I didn't really think much of it.

Why, though? It's definitely Sahori's fault, right?

Because he's selfish? Because he's all talk? Because he's sloppy? Because he's a womanizer?

Because he flatters those above him but is harsh to those below? Because he claims to be 187cm but is clearly shorter than the new captain who's 183cm?

Hmm? I can only think that Sahori got dumped...

Airi-senpai starts speaking bit by bit, little by little.