Chapter 11: Do You Like Rom-coms?　１

The next day, Akaishi arrived at school on an earlier train and was idly looking at his smartphone inside the school building.

A new contact had been added: Hachiya Kyoko.

She had even given him her phone number “just in case of emergencies.” This was the first time in his life he had a same-age girl’s contact information, yet it was purely for business purposes — to help with her romance. He felt a little depressed about it. He didn’t have any special feelings for Hachiya, but as a normal high school boy, he couldn’t say he felt zero happiness either.

At Akaishi’s school, bringing phones or smartphones was not prohibited. As long as they weren’t used during class, it was allowed. However, many students used their phones during breaks and after school. An unwritten rule had spread among the students: “It’s fine as long as the teachers don’t catch you.”

It had been about a week since they entered the second year.

By early April, Sakurai — who perfectly embodied the rom-com protagonist — had already firmly established his position in the classroom. He was looked upon by the other students with a mixture of fear, admiration, and hostility. The fact that several of the school’s most beautiful girls were gathered in the same class and were supporting him gave him invisible but enormous influence.

Ding-dong-ding-dong.

Once again, the usual light and cheerful bell rang, signaling the start of class.

“Hey~ Everyone, homeroom is starting so sit down~”

With a noticeably unmotivated voice, their homeroom teacher Kanna entered the classroom.

“Alright, here are today’s announcements~”

There wasn’t anything particularly important. As usual, Kanna read out the notices. While listening, Akaishi gave her a suspicious look, wondering if even their homeroom teacher had feelings for Sakurai.

“That’s all for today’s announcements. First period is the student council candidate speeches, so everyone head to the gym now~ Dismissed~”

Since it was early April, the student council president election was being held. After announcing the end of homeroom, Kanna left the classroom and returned to the staff room.

“First period is just the student council speeches? That’s easy.”

“Yeah, we don’t have to study, so it’s great~”

The students chatted casually as they moved into the hallway. Akaishi followed them out. Most students from other classes had already started heading toward the gym, so he blended in with the crowd and began walking. However, the moment he took his first step, someone grabbed his sleeve.

“Hey, Akaishi! I need to talk to you!”

“Right now……?”

When he turned around, Hachiya was standing there. She whispered into his ear.

“I forgot to submit today’s morning assignment. Is there any way I can use this to get closer to Sousuke?”

“This isn’t the time to be saying that……”

Akaishi sighed.

“Then go catch Sakurai right now and head to the staff room to submit it. The teachers should all be heading to the gym, so it should be empty.”

“But I don’t have a reason to invite Sousuke! How am I supposed to get him to come with me?!”

“Any reason is fine. Sakurai will come anyway.”

Akaishi was certain. No matter how trivial the reason, the rom-com protagonist would follow the heroine. Judging from Sakurai’s personality, he would definitely tag along.

“Hurry up and get away from me. If someone sees us together it’ll cause a misunderstanding. Go.”

“F-Fine, I’ll try!”

Hachiya left Akaishi and turned around to look for Sakurai. Akaishi continued on toward the gym.

“Sousuke! Sousuke!”

“Hm? What’s up?”

On the way to the gym, Hachiya spotted Sakurai and grabbed his sleeve.

“I forgot to submit the assignment that was due this morning, so I’m going to turn it in now……”

“I see. Good luck.”

Sakurai gave her encouragement. But that wasn’t what Hachiya wanted. She hid her face up to her nose with the notebook in her hands and looked down slightly.

“I want you to come with me, Sousuke……”

“Wha………… Why me?!”

Sakurai openly showed a shocked expression and took a step back.

“Well… um… you know! If you’re there, you can help me if something goes wrong! Like if someone’s there, you can make up an excuse that I had a question for the teacher!”

“Would that…… work? W-Well, I guess it might. The teachers probably aren’t there right now anyway. Let’s submit it quickly and head to the gym!”

“Y-Yeah! Let’s go quickly!”

Hachiya took Sakurai with her and headed to the staff room.

As expected, the staff room was empty and wrapped in silence. However—

“The door is locked……”

“Why?!”

Because the teachers had all left for the gym, the door was locked.

“Hey Kyoko, what now?”

“What should we do……”

Hachiya paced around in a circle. She had finally managed to be alone with the boy she liked, so she didn’t want to turn back now.

“Huh…… Kyoko, isn’t the window above the door open?”

“……Eh?”

Following Sakurai’s words, Hachiya looked at the small window above the door.

“It really is……”

The window was slightly open. Hachiya guessed that a teacher had forgotten to close it properly.

“Sousuke, then let’s get in through that upper window!”

“For real?! But how?”

“Th-That’s……”

After pretending to think for a moment, Hachiya said:

“Sh-Shoulder carry! You’ll give me a shoulder ride!”

“Wha………… You……!”

Sakurai’s face turned red and he leaned backward.

“It can’t be helped! There’s no other way right now!”

“B-But…… me giving you a shoulder ride……!”

Sakurai weakly protested, but—

“Shut up! We’re doing it! Hurry up and give me a shoulder ride!”

“Y-You’re seriously doing this……”

Hachiya pressed closer to him, bringing their faces near each other. Overwhelmed, Sakurai’s cheeks grew even redder as he nodded.

“Hey Sousuke, if you look up I’ll never forgive you!”

“Sh-Shut up! I know that! You’re the one who suggested this in the first place!”

“Ugh………… Shut up! Do something about your shaky legs!”

Sakurai and Hachiya, who had successfully done the shoulder carry, were arguing in the empty hallway. Whether due to lack of strength or on purpose, Sakurai was wobbling and couldn’t get close to the window.

Hachiya’s skirt was short. Her bare legs were wrapped around Sakurai’s head, and the direct sensation of her skin was transmitted to his cheeks.

“You…… Your thighs are surprisingly soft despite how you look……”

“Wha…… Hey……! Don’t check the feel of my legs at a time like this!”

Suddenly hearing Sakurai’s comment about her legs, Hachiya’s face turned red all the way to her ears and she repeatedly bonked him on the head.

“Hey…… Stop hitting me! It’s dangerous!”

“It’s your fault for saying perverted things!”

Breathing heavily with excitement, Hachiya looked down at Sakurai with unfocused eyes.

“Al-Alright…… Here we go……”

“If you look up I’ll kill you!”

Sakurai placed his hands on the door. Hachiya opened the upper window and slipped into the staff room.

“You didn’t look, right?!”

“O-Of course…… I didn’t look……”

She could only trust Sakurai’s conscience, but Hachiya realized part of her actually wanted him to look, causing steam to rise from her head.

“Okay, I’ll open it from inside.”

“Thanks.”

Once inside, Hachiya unlocked the door from within and let Sakurai into the staff room.

“Ah, there it is!”

The forgotten assignment was for English class. The English teacher also happened to be their homeroom teacher, Kanna. Hachiya slipped her worksheet into the middle of the stack of English workbooks on Kanna’s desk and completed her mission.

“Phew…… Thank goodness, it worked out.”

“Good job, Kyoko.”

“Kyaa!”

Sakurai suddenly grabbed Hachiya’s shoulder while she was still tense, causing her to let out a short scream.

“H-Hey! Don’t suddenly touch me like that! You scared me!”

“Ahaha, you’re such a scaredy-cat.”

Hachiya glared at him with flushed cheeks while Sakurai responded casually. Just as the two of them were about to leave and reached for the door, a strange sound — neither from Sakurai nor Hachiya — echoed inside the staff room.

Chapter 11_ Do You Like Rom-coms