Chapter 420: Uniquely Lovely
Chapter 420: Uniquely Lovely
“Hayama?”
Himekoji came out of the locker room and saw Hayama standing there as if waiting for him.
Hayama quietly glanced inside the locker room before relaxing his brows slightly.
“Yeah, Mihara-kun, hurry up. Gym class is about to start.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
What’s going on…
Did he really have a time where he went to gym class with someone like Hayama?
It just felt incredibly weird.
But considering Hayama just helped him out big time, Himekoji couldn’t say no.
Plus, Hayama waiting here was probably to stop them from doing anything too wild inside the locker room…
Hayama truly was careful and thoughtful. Putting looks aside, he had plenty of good reasons to be popular.
Of course, he definitely wasn’t popular with Himekoji.
Because, just walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Hayama meant Himekoji got strange looks for no reason… way more than usual.
“Wah! It’s my favorite Hayama x Himekoji pairing again! The super proper, popular top with the twisted, terrible pervert bottom! Just thinking about it makes me drool… Heh, hehehe…”
Why was Ebina so loud?!
Himekoji could hear her from far away.
He desperately wished he hadn’t heard.
Himekoji’s face darkened. He felt like dying. In this situation, he stole a glance at Hayama.
Being the other victim of Ebina’s forced shipping, maybe he’d find the same awkward misery on Hayama’s face? That’d be some comfort, Himekoji thought.
Sadly, the result disappointed Himekoji greatly.
Hayama wore his usual picture-perfect, gentle smile.
As if he hadn’t heard those words at all…
This guy must be deaf!
Himekoji could only come to that conclusion.
“Kina, I disagree! It’s totally the opposite! Hayama and Himekoji? Clearly, it’s perverted top with perfect bottom!”
Unbelievably, there was even someone among the girls who could chat with Ebina.
Fangirls are scary!
Remember this speaker! Stay away from her and Ebina next time!
“Seriously, guys? What’s the point of arguing top and bottom? Hey, could you pretty please give me your posters? It’s unfair to just tear down the posters stuck in the lockers and take them!”
“No way, that poster’s mine!”
“I’ll pay! Can’t I just buy it?”
“Nope!”
“My bento! I’ll trade Akito-kun’s Heart-shaped Bento!”
“Ememmm… Well… I’ll think about it…”
…
By the time Hayama and Himekoji reached the field, the gym teacher had already started calling names.
Multiple classes together, boys and girls not separated. This gym class really felt like a large lecture.
But there didn’t seem to be anyone from the Fine Arts Class around. Himekoji didn’t see Mashiro in the crowd.
While Himekoji was still looking around the field, the gym teacher finished roll call and started announcing the lesson:
“Alright, everyone. Just pick a partner you like and do ten minutes of warm-up exercises. Then we’ll start the main lesson.”
Even a running class needed partners?
It was something you could do by yourself…
Fine. Totsuka’s the only choice, right?
He really couldn’t find another boy to partner with.
Himekoji turned his head, and surprisingly found Hayama looking straight at him—Hayama had been standing right beside him this whole time.
“Wah! They made eye contact! Are they really getting together?!”
“Confirmed by the look: It’s a pairing for that!”
“Today? Could it be?! The gorgeous scene we’ve been dreaming of—Hayama and Himekoji helping each other stretch and limber up?! I’m shaking!”
P-pairing for that?!
Himekoji shuddered violently and took a step back.
Hayama seemed to have heard the girls this time too. He gave Himekoji an awkward, helpless smile.
“I should… probably find someone else.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Good, good.
Himekoji breathed a sigh of relief.
He decided to stick to the original plan and find Totsuka.
But because of that little delay? Himekoji suddenly realized Totsuka had already paired up with someone else…
Seriously?!
If things went on like this, he’d be left alone again, awkward and lonely?
Just as Himekoji felt awkward by himself…
“Akito—”
Someone called his name from behind.
He turned around without thinking, making eye contact.
It was Eriri, waving cheerfully at him as she jogged over from the girls’ side.
But…
Hadn’t she been mad at him at lunchtime?
Why did she look so happy now…
“Akito, let’s do the warm-up together!”
“N-no, wait. You’re… with the girls, right?”
“It’s a running class today. No boy-girl groups.”
“Even you say that…”
But, you’re the only girl who ran over to the boys’ side?
And this felt even worse than partnering with Hayama!
Suddenly, the attention on him doubled!
At least when with Hayama, the most that happened was girls glancing his way with keen interest.
But now, even the boys were staring!
“Sawamura! It’s Sawamura! She actually teamed up with Himekoji?!”
“No! Impossible! I refuse! Sawamura must be blackmailed by that Pervert! Ah, my dream girl…”
“But Sawamura’s smiling so happily… Doesn’t seem threatened at all.”
“No! I won’t listen! Lies! All lies! That’s not Sawamura’s real smile!”
“Dammit! I thought he was a hero in the locker room just now, even admired him! He already has an inflatable doll, why must he prey on other girls?!”
“Yeah! Didn’t he say that inflatable doll was his wife?! This is cheating! Cheating! You bastard! Scum!”
The boys ground their teeth, furious and indignant.
Even among the girls, similar grumbles could be heard.
“Bastard! Scum! Spouting nonsense about only liking me… and Mashiro… then turning straight around to flirt with another girl?! Trash! Disgusting! Punk! Pervert!”
Nanami, noticing the scene from afar, glared fiercely, mentally gathering the harshest insults she knew.
Yuigahama and Miura, standing beside her and only catching the last part, nodded in sync, agreeing wholeheartedly.
“Brothers! Since Himekoji has no honor, don’t blame us for being ruthless! He stole my wife! We must retaliate! We’ll steal his wife! To the locker room! Steal his inflatable doll!”
“Yeah! You’re right! I agree!”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go! Hmph! I’ve always wanted to see what that inflatable doll looks like!”
The boys reached instant agreement and readied to move. But unfortunately, a snag hit them –
“Wait… what did you just say? ‘Steal your wife’?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“What about it?! Did you just call Sawamura your wife?!”
“Sure did.”
“You sure did?! Are you freakin’ serious?! Forget the doll, boys! Beat him up first! This guy’s an even bigger scumbag than Himekoji!”
“Do it!”
“Hit him!”
“Sawamura is clearly my wife!”
“Shut your filthy mouth! She’s my wife!”
“Bullshit!”
The “Steal the Inflatable Doll Alliance” crumbled instantly over Eriri, descending into fierce infighting.
The loser outside school… was unquestionably the winner within its walls.
Adored by many…
……
“Um… S-Sensei did say we could pick anyone we like as teammates… b-but! That’s not… not why I’m here! It’s definitely not… definitely not because I like you!”
Hey, hey, why are you looking away blushing then?
And you totally didn’t need to bring that up!
I wouldn’t have thought that way if you hadn’t said anything!
This left Himekoji feeling incredibly awkward too, his own cheeks burning hot.
With all his attention focused on the flustered Eriri before him, Himekoji barely noticed the surrounding drama.
So—
This was textbook tsundere, straight off an assembly line.
Yet… the unique “dere” cuteness radiating through her tsundere façade? That was something no mass-produced copy could ever match.
A one-of-a-kind, utterly unique cuteness.
The only one possessing it… belonged solely to Eriri.
……