Chapter 41: A Normal Day (1)

As always, Kubota-sensei's voice remained as monotonous as ever, the kind that could make you want to close your eyes just by listening. And to top it off, the subject was incredibly snooze-worthy. I was literally a second away from drifting off.

Luckily, my seatmate wouldn't let me do that.

Akane couldn't resist but pinch my arm to keep me from dozing off. I let out an involuntary "Ouch!" and jumped up from my seat. The sudden disturbance caught the attention of Kubota-sensei, who droned on at the front of the class.

"What's the matter, Kurogane-kun?" he asked, his expression as lifeless as his voice.

I glanced at Akane and then back at the teacher. "Uh, it's nothing, Sensei," I mumbled, returning to my seat.

Once I was seated again, I shot a glare at Akane and leaned in to whisper, "What was that for, Akane?"

Akane replied in her usual cold, almost indifferent tone, her choice of words tinged with sarcasm.

"Of course, Tsubasa-kun, I just thought you might need a little wake-up call. Wouldn't want you to miss out on all the riveting knowledge being imparted to us by dear Kubota-sensei, now would we?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her icy response. "Very funny, Akane. You know I can't stand this subject, and Kubota-sensei's voice isn't helping."

She glanced at me briefly, her expression unchanged. "Oh, I'm well aware of your struggles, Tsubasa-kun. But perhaps one day, you'll discover the hidden excitement within the world of... whatever this is."

I sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing with Akane when she was in this mood. "Right, right. I'll be sure to keep my excitement in check."

For a moment, I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile tug at the corner of her lips, but it disappeared almost instantly. "That's the spirit, Tsubasa-kun. Just think of it as a valuable life lesson in enduring the unbearable."

I found myself wondering why I had thought she smiled at me. Akane rarely smiled, if ever.

The last time I saw her smile was when we were seven, back when our parents were getting remarried and we grew closer. Nowadays, though, I hadn't seen her smile, not even once.

"Kurogane Tsubasa-kun, come up and answer this on the blackboard."

"Yes!" I replied, though I had no idea what Kubota-sensei was asking me to answer. I hoped it wasn't something overly complicated.

As I approached the blackboard, I noticed Ichinose looking my way. I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion. Did she have some suspicion about me? I doubted it, but then again, she had already seen me buying condoms with Natsumi and Chinatsu at the convenience store. It was honestly surprising that she hadn't started spreading rumors about it.

However, her gaze didn't seem suspicious. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt like she had been looking at me more often lately. I just hoped it wouldn't make things more complicated than they already were.

×××

Lunchtime had rolled around, and the three of us—Chinatsu, Natsumi, and I—were making our way up the stairs to our usual spot on the rooftop.

As we ascended, I turned to Chinatsu and asked, "So, what's on the menu today, Chinatsu?"

Chinatsu's eyes sparkled as she replied, "I thought we'd have a little variety today, Tsubasa. I made some homemade onigiri, with different fillings. There's tuna mayo, umeboshi, and even some teriyaki chicken ones."

"Sounds amazing as always, Chinatsu. And what about you, Natsumi?"

Natsumi smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I decided to whip up my famous potato salad. It's got a secret ingredient that makes it extra creamy and irresistible."

We reached the rooftop, and as we settled down, our bento boxes spread out before us, the conversation flowed naturally.

Chinatsu started, "You know, Tsubasa, I was thinking we should plan something fun for the weekend. Maybe a trip to that new amusement park that opened recently?"

Natsumi chimed in, "Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I heard they have this massive roller coaster that's supposed to be a real thrill."

Amusement park, huh?

"That does sound nice. Let's go there on Sunday."

Suddenly, both of them blushed. Sunday. That was a day they had arranged for the two of them to go on a date with me. Which meant... a threesome was in the cards.

"And, uh, well...you know...can we have another... um, get-together, like before?"

Chinatsu and Natsumi exchanged glances, their blushes deepening. Then Chinatsu cleared her throat, trying to regain composure. "Um, Tsubasa, you're really something else, you know that?"

"Well, when you're lucky enough to have two stunning ladies like you by my side, how can I resist?"

Chinatsu chuckled, but her cheeks were still flushed. "You always know how to make us blush, Tsubasa."

Natsumi nodded, her tone teasing, "Yeah, it's like you have a special talent for it."

I chuckled and leaned in closer, lowering my voice, "Well, you both make it hard for me to behave."

Chinatsu and Natsumi giggled, their laughter filling the rooftop. It felt good to see them so relaxed and happy.

Eventually, though, the topic circled back to our unconventional relationship. Chinatsu hesitated before speaking, "You know, Tsubasa, maybe we should consider... your idea."

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. "My idea? Which one, exactly?"

Natsumi rolled her eyes and giggled, "Don't play dumb. The one about... having a more adventurous outing after the amusement park."

Chinatsu nodded, her cheeks still flushed. "Yeah, it might be exciting in its own way."

I chuckled, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Are you both sure about this?"

Natsumi nodded firmly, and Chinatsu followed suit. "Yes, we're sure. But let's do it after the park. We want to have fun there first, right?"

I couldn't argue with that. "Of course, Natsumi, Chinatsu. We'll make it a thrilling day at the amusement park, and afterward, we'll see where the night takes us."

Even though it was only Tuesday, I was already eagerly anticipating the weekend.

×××

Afterward, Natsumi and Chinatsu had disappeared somewhere for a girls' talk, which, as a guy, I wasn't allowed to listen in on. They mentioned that to prepare for our threesome on Sunday, they needed to make some arrangements.

With 30 minutes of free time on my hands, I decided to head to the library. As I walked, I spotted a girl struggling to carry several boxes in her arms, and it looked like she might drop them.

"Excuse me?"

"Wha-!?"

My sudden call startled her, causing the boxes she was carrying to wobble dangerously. I quickly moved to help stabilize them.

"Whoa... That was a close one. I'm sorry if I startled you," I said.

"Uh, yeah. It's f-fine," stammered the girl. She wore glasses, and her hair was braided into twin tails. I suddenly recalled where I'd seen her before. She was a second-year student and the treasurer of the student council.

"You planning to haul those all the way to the student council room by yourself? Don't you think they're a bit too heavy?" I asked.

"I-It's fine. I can handle it on my own," she replied, her head lowered, her expression hidden behind her bangs.

I couldn't help but feel concerned as she continued to struggle with the boxes. "Are you absolutely sure about this? It seems like quite a challenge. I can give you a hand if you'd like."

Still, she didn't immediately accept my offer. It seemed like she was rather shy or hesitant. I gently pushed, "Honestly, it's no trouble at all."

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering, and then she finally gave in. "O-Okay, if you don't mind...that would be really helpful."

I nodded and took some of the boxes she was carrying. Together, we began to make our way toward the student council room. As we walked, I couldn't help but strike up a conversation.

"So, what are all these boxes for?" I asked, nodding towards the pile.

"T-They're documents related to the budget requests from various clubs. The student council is responsible for reviewing and approving them. It's quite a tedious process, but it's important to ensure that the funds are allocated properly."

I nodded, understanding the responsibility of the student council. "Sounds like a lot of work. How do you manage all of this by yourself?"

"W-Well, usually I have some help, but today, everyone's busy with other tasks. I thought I could handle it on my own, but it turned out to be more challenging than I expected."

I nodded, sympathizing with her situation. "Sometimes, things do tend to pile up unexpectedly. It's good that you reached out for assistance when you needed it."

As we continued walking and chatting, we eventually arrived at the student council room. The girl carefully set down the boxes she had been carrying. After a brief moment to catch her breath, she knocked on the door.

From the other side of the door, a soft voice, with a charm that even caught my attention, chimed like a bell in our ears, saying just one word, "Enter."