86 I'll walk you home

During the long break after the second period in the morning, knowing that Haruno Kasumi would still bring him lunch today, Sasaki was messaging Otome.

[Otome, our class has tests today, so I probably can't have lunch with you guys. Didn't get to review last night…]10:05「Read」

Right after class, the message was marked as read.

Then, the notification 'typing…' appeared above.

Though it was a small matter, the satisfaction of receiving an instant reply from his beloved made Sasaki quite happy.

The more he got to know her, the more he loved her.

[Then we won't wait for you~ Good luck on your test! (Encouragement.jpg)]10:05「Read」

Seeing her message, he smiled and replied.

[Thanks! (Fistbump.jpg)]10:05「Read」

But in his heart, he was thinking about how he would coax her when the results came out.

Otome, like Aunt Kyouka cared a lot about his grades.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have dragged him to school before.

However, the disappointing part was,

Sasaki's previous grades weren't very good.

Only slightly better than Haruno Ayato.

And this time, with his deliberate underperformance, there should be a lot of room for improvement in his results.

'I hope Otome and Aunt Kyoka won't be too upset when they find out…'

Mulling over comforting words in his mind,

Sasaki took advantage of the fact that it was still early and planned to go down and buy a bottle of drink.

And after he got out,

Shinomiya Natsuha, who had been glancing towards him and hesitating since class ended, also followed him out.

Similarly, Katsushika Masaru, who had been sitting against the wall on the right side of the classroom, hesitated for a moment before standing up to follow.

…

In the hallway,

Sasaki had not yet descended the stairs when he heard a soft voice calling from behind.

"Sasaki-kun."

Turning his head, he saw Shinomiya Natsuha jogging to catch up.

Approaching Sasaki, the girl, with her delicate and fair face showing concern, asked in a soft voice after observing his lean but not bulky physique:

"Sasaki-kun, have you found a club to join?"

The latter glanced at the girl, whose cheeks were slightly red and fair and delicate face was filled with concern, and knowing that she was still thinking about this, he smiled and nodded.

"I have. I spoke to Ms. Takamine about it, and she arranged for me to work as a library assistant."

After sharing this,

Glancing at the students walking back and forth beside them, he gestured with his head towards Natsuha:

"Are you heading downstairs too? Let's walk and talk."

The latter, also not wanting to stand at the stairwell and attract attention, nodded and followed by his side.

Glancing at the boy, who was taller than her, she ran her hands through her hair that fell in front of her chest, her voice tinged with embarrassment:

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help…"

Hearing this, Sasaki chuckled softly, his fondness for the beautiful girl growing:

"That's not true at all. It's the thought that counts. Besides, no regular club would accept a ghost member with no tangible contributions, so don't worry about it."

Having left the school building,

By the vending machine at the corner, Sasaki bought two cans of iced tea, handing one to her before softly asking:

"You have something else to say to me, right?"

Seemingly caught off guard that he noticed her hesitation, Natsuha twirled a strand of hair around her ear, then holding the iced tea with both hands, she spoke softly:

"About those two guys who blocked me last time, I had someone inquire about them. They're delinquents from the upper grades, known for being arrogant. If possible, you should head home immediately after school these days…"

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, and sensing she was imposing a burden on Sasaki, she hesitated before adding:

"If you don't mind, I could walk you home."

"?!?"

Sasaki, doubting he heard correctly, took a sip of his iced tea to gather his thoughts.

Then, confirming he hadn't misunderstood, he looked at the girl with an odd expression; looking at the girl's whose cheeks were flushed with shyness, he couldn't help but ask.

"Do you... know what you're saying?"

Obviously he was the one who played the hero and saved the beauty...why did this development seem a little wrong.

However, Sasaki also understood her concerns.

Despite being tall, he wasn't the muscular type, so Natsuha worrying about him getting cornered and beaten up was understandable.

Unaware that Anjou Takaya and others were already hospitalized by the boy in front of her, the girl, hearing Sasaki's surprised counter-question, realized he might feel insulted by the idea of being protected by a girl, much like Yuuta would.

So she quickly clarified:

"I didn't mean anything by it, just..."

Looking at the anxious girl, Sasaki waved his hand, appreciating her concern, and gave her a reassuring wink:

"Of course I'm happy to have a beautiful girl go home with me."

"But really, it's not necessary. Although I haven't practiced any fighting skills, it won't be a problem to beat up a few gangsters."

Feeling that familiar confidence,

Natsuha shook her head in resignation.

But since he had once protected her, she couldn't bear the thought of him being harassed by those guys.

But as things stood now, there was probably no chance of convincing him with just words.

Thus, she wanted Sasaki to acknowledge her own strength.

"Let's have a friendly match then. If you lose, you follow my advice and let me walk you home. If you win..."

"If I win, I'll walk you home!"

The boy declared his condition before she could decide for him, surprising her with his proposition.

Watching her astonished expression, he tossed his finished can of iced tea into the bin and stood smiling at her:

"They initially targeted you and are unlikely to give up easily."

"You might be strong, but it's hard to fend off multiple attackers. If something were to happen to you, all the good I've done would be in vain."

"For your safety, it's best if I personally ensure you get home safely."

"Uh…"

Hearing a boy express a desire to protect her for the first time, the girl was momentarily stunned.

Then, her snow-white complexion gradually turned a translucent, tempting shade of blush.

The tip of her little heart twitched slightly because of his words and smile.

As a girl with a beautiful face and proud figure, not suitable for practicing martial arts, why did she learn Aikido?

Was it because she couldn't read in the Literature Club or find tranquility in Yoga?

No, it was because she had someone she wanted to protect.

Alternatively, it's because the person she cared about lacked the ability to protect her.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have learned those kinds of beatings to torture herself.

If possible, who wouldn't want to be protected by someone they care about?

So after hearing Sasaki's words, her heart naturally felt a little strange.

'If only Yuuta could say something like this.'

Setting aside whether Yuuta was indeed stronger,

Just the thought alone was touching to her.

But him…

'Sigh~'