During the summer break of my second year of high school, I think I studied the hardest I ever have. I studied so much, far more than any summer break before. After all, if I score over eighty on every subject in the post-summer periodic exams, I get a reward from Haruto-kun. “Alright, I’m going to hand back the tests now. Come get yours when your name is called.” At the math teacher’s words, I clenched my hands tightly under my desk. To ensure I’d get the reward from Haruto-kun, I had studied thoroughly since summer break, and it had paid off—every test returned so far had been over eighty points. Now, if this math test is over eighty too… “Next, Tōjō.” “Yes.” Called by the teacher, I walked nervously toward the podium. Just as he was handing back my test, the teacher spoke to me. “You worked really hard on this test.” I took the test from the teacher and immediately checked the score. Written there in red pen was a ninety-seven. The moment I saw that score, I almost jumped for joy right there. Ninety-seven!! I got my highest score ever on a math test! After returning to my desk, I checked the score one more time. Yes! Now I can get my reward from Haruto-kun! As I was praising myself for studying properly and putting in the effort, the teacher called Haruto-kun’s name. “Next, Ōtsuki.” “Yes.” I reflexively followed Haruto-kun with my eyes as he walked from the back of the classroom toward the podium. “Well done, Ōtsuki. A perfect score.” “Thank you.” At the teacher’s words, a murmur of “Ooh” rose throughout the classroom.
Haruto-kun lightly bowed his head in response to our classmates’ reaction and returned to his seat. That’s just like Haruto-kun… getting a hundred is amazing. And he doesn’t show it off, either. Haaah, my boyfriend really is too wonderful… Oh, that’s right. If Haruto-kun is top of the grade again on this test, I have to give him a reward too. I wonder what kind of reward Haruto-kun will want? My heart beat a little faster as I thought about what kind of reward he might demand. What is it that Haruto-kun wants me to do for him? Maybe he wants me to pat his head? Haruto-kun’s hair is soft, so it feels really nice to stroke. I recalled the time I gave Haruto-kun a lap pillow during our lover practice and stroked his head. Or maybe, something else… l-like a reward kiss? The moment that thought popped into my head, I felt my face flush hot. At the same time, I remembered the Hokky Game I played with Haruto-kun the other day. He suddenly pulled me close with a serious look in his eyes, and then kissed me. Remembering the sensation of Haruto-kun stealing the Hokky from inside my mouth, I couldn’t bear it and buried my face in my test paper, writhing in embarrassment. “Ugh…” “…What are you doing, Ayaka?” As I was quietly writhing on my desk, Saki, who sat diagonally behind me, called out in an exasperated voice. “Eh? Ah, just, Haru… ah, no, nothing.” I almost said Haruto-kun’s name and hurriedly shut my mouth.
It would be a disaster if the name “Haruto-kun” slipped out of my mouth in the middle of the classroom like this. “Hmm? That sounds suspicious.” “N-No, it’s nothing!” I shook my head desperately, trying to avoid Saki’s probing gaze. “Hmm? Well, I won’t force it out of you. Though I have a pretty good guess, Ms. Secret Pervert Ayaka,” said Saki with a smirk. “G-Geez, Saki!!” “Hey, Tōjō. Class is in session. Be quiet.” “Y-Yes… I’m sorry…” Because Saki was teasing me, I accidentally raised my voice and got a scolding from the teacher. Feeling my face heat up with embarrassment, I bowed my head and then glared sharply at Saki behind me. Saki held a hand up to her face and mouthed “Sorry, sorry.” Honestly… lately, between Shizuku-chan and Saki, everyone’s just teasing me… After puffing out both cheeks to show my protest to Saki, I faced forward and focused on the lesson so I wouldn’t get scolded again. After math class was P.E., so I headed to the girls’ changing room with Saki to change. “So, how were your test results? Did you reach your goal?” “Yeah, I got over eighty on every subject. Actually, these might be my best test results ever.” “Ooh! That’s awesome! I guess having an excellent tutor really paid off, huh?” “Yeah, I think so.” When I replied, Saki laughed and said, “You look super happy about it.” “So, since the test period is over and you safely achieved your goal, Ayaka, how about we go to karaoke and have a big celebration?” “That sounds great!” My eyes lit up at Saki’s suggestion. Just as we were about to discuss which karaoke place to go to, we were surrounded by the girls in our class. “Hey, hey, Tōjō-san. You were smiling really big during math class earlier. Were you thinking about him?” “Eh? Ah… no, that was just because I got a good score on the test.” “Tōjō-san, you’re dating him, right?”
“That’s a secret.” “Is he a student at this school?” “I wonder~?” I deflected the usual barrage of questions with a polite smile plastered on my face. Then I made eye contact with Saki to say, “Let’s talk later.” Saki nodded back, “Roger.” Later, when P.E. class ended and we returned to the classroom, my gaze naturally drifted to a specific point in the room. The seat in the back row by the window. Haruto-kun’s seat. While I’m at school, I’m careful not to consciously follow him with my eyes. But inevitably, my eyes reflexively seek him out. Especially at times like this, when coming back from another classroom, or conversely, when Haruto-kun leaves the classroom, my gaze just won’t listen to me. Once again, ignoring my superficial will, my eyes locked onto Harutokun. And then, they narrowed. To my dismay, several students were gathered around Haruto-kun, and troublesome enough, there were girls mixed in among them. Those girls were tempting Haruto-kun with sweet voices. …Or at least, it felt like they were! “Ōtsuki-kun, getting a hundred on the math test is amazing!” “No, this time I just happened to study the same problems that were on the test beforehand.” “Ōtsuki, are you top of the grade again this time?” “I don’t know. We haven’t gotten our report cards back yet, so I can’t say.” “I bet you’re top of the grade, Ōtsuki-kun!” “Haha, thanks.” “Maybe I could get you to tutor me sometime, Ōtsuki-kun…” “Ah… well, if it’s during break time or something…” “Really?!” Oh no! This is going to be a disaster!! The eyes of the girl talking to Haruto-kun have completely turned into heart shapes!! Or so it feels!! But Haruto-kun is handsome, smart, perfect at housework, considerate, and kind, so it’s only natural she’d fall for him. Actually, it’s more of a mystery how he didn’t have a girlfriend until now.
If a bundle of charm like Haruto-kun tutored them one-on-one, any girl would fall in love! As Haruto-kun’s girlfriend, I have to stop that at all costs!! …B-But… how… If I talk to Haruto-kun here and now, everyone might find out that “he” is Haruto-kun… But if I leave it like this, Haruto-kun will be with another girl… Ugh… Ah, but… thanks to Shizuku-chan’s strategy, I have a slight connection with Haruto-kun now! So it shouldn’t be unnatural for me to talk to him a little bit… A-Alright!! I’m going to talk to Haruto-kun!! I made a tight fist and, resolving myself, approached Haruto-kun’s desk. “…Haru—Ah, uh, Ōtsuki-kun.” I almost said “Haruto-kun” and hurriedly corrected myself. Haruto-kun and the students around him looked at me with surprised expressions. Haruto-kun’s surprised face is kind of fresh… cute… “Aya—Tōjō-san, what’s up?” “Ah, um… actually, I got really good scores on this test, and I was thinking maybe it was thanks to you helping me study at the study session the other day, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Is that so? I’m happy you got good scores too, Tōjō-san.” Haruto-kun quickly composed his surprised expression and gave me a smile. His smile was a little distant, and combined with him calling me “Tōjō- san” like when we first met during summer break, I felt a bit nostalgic. It felt like he had returned to the Haruto-kun from when I first called for housekeeping. Wow, the difference in distance between the Haruto-kun now and the Haruto-kun back then is so clear. I can really feel that becoming Haruto-kun’s girlfriend has truly brought us closer. That fact made me so happy I had to fight the urge to hug Haruto-kun right then and there and rub my cheek against his chest. “…Tōjō-san?” Haruto-kun called out to me suspiciously as I trembled slightly, desperately suppressing my desires.
“Ah, sorry. Um… only if you’re free, Ōtsuki-kun. But, um… I was thinking, how about the group from the study session the other day go for… a karaoke celebration?” “Karaoke?” The moment I invited Haruto-kun to karaoke, the classroom fell silent as a grave. But I tried my best to ignore the silence and continued. “Yeah… Me, Saki, Ōtsuki-kun, Akagi-kun, and Shizuku-chan, the five of us. What do you think?” Thanks to Shizuku-chan’s strategy, inviting Haruto-kun to karaoke shouldn’t seem unnatural! Besides, it’s not just the two of us, it’s a celebration with all five, so there shouldn’t be any problem! Fists still clenched tight, I waited intently for Haruto-kun’s reply. After checking the state of the classroom for a split second, Haruto-kun gave me a smile and answered. “Sure. Let’s all go to karaoke then.” “Okay!” I nodded with a smile at Haruto-kun’s reply. At that moment, I felt like the classroom filled with the sound of whispering voices. ※ ※ ※ The moment Ayaka invited Haruto to karaoke, the classroom was filled with a buzz. Haruto glanced around the room for a second, gauging his classmates’ reactions, then immediately put on a pleasant smile. “Sure. Let’s all go to karaoke then.” Ayaka, who had said she wanted to keep their relationship a secret due to past trauma, had taken the initiative to talk to him. As her boyfriend, he couldn’t help but respond to her courageous step forward. At Haruto’s ready consent, Ayaka said “Okay!” with a beaming smile and returned to her desk. The moment she was gone, the students around Haruto immediately bombarded him with questions. “Whoa, Ōtsuki! Karaoke with Tōjō-san, seriously?!” “It’s a group thing, you know. Tomoya and Aizawa-san are coming too.” Haruto answered with a wry smile to the boys asking him with wide eyes.
“Ōtsuki-kun, since when did you become such good friends with Tōjō- san? What sparked it?” Next, the girls asked with sparkling, curious eyes. “Sparked it… well, Shizuku is good friends with Tōjō-san, so maybe that’s why.” “By Shizuku, you mean Dōjima-san from the first year, right? What’s your relationship with Dōjima-san, Ōtsuki-kun?” “Actually, I’ve been going to a karate dojo since I was a kid, and Shizuku is the master’s only daughter.” When Haruto explained his relationship with Shizuku, the boys who heard it took on serious expressions. “If I join that dojo too, maybe I’ll have a connection with Tōjō-san…” “The Dōjima Dojo is always recruiting new students, so if you’re interested, want to come watch sometime?” The Dōjima Dojo had taken care of him since he was young. For Haruto, seeing the dojo, which was like a second home to him, prosper was a very happy thing. “Hmm… I’ll think about it. Let me talk to you about it later.” “Roger.” Haruto continued to be grilled with questions. He skillfully dodged the barrage while mixing in invitations to the Dōjima Dojo. After school. As soon as homeroom ended, Ayaka came to Haruto’s desk with Saki. “Ōtsuki-kun, about the karaoke we talked about earlier, is this place okay?” Saying that, Ayaka showed Haruto the screen of her smartphone. Displayed on it was the homepage of a famous chain store in front of the station. “Yeah, this place is fine.” Around the same time Haruto replied, Tomoya also came over. “Ah, is Akagi-kun okay with this place for karaoke today too?” “Hm? Okay!” Tomoya peered at the smartphone screen Ayaka held out and gave a thumbs-up. “Are we heading straight to karaoke?” “Yeah, that’s the plan.” Saki nodded at Tomoya’s question. Haruto then remembered Shizuku. “Ah, I have to contact Shizuku too.”
“I already contacted Shizuku-chan. She said she’s waiting in front of the school gate.” “I see, then let’s go quickly.” As they exchanged words, the classroom, which had been filled with the noise of after-school chatter moments ago, fell strangely quiet. Everyone was probably eavesdropping on their conversation. Many eyes followed Haruto’s group as they left the classroom. Haruto left the room, doing his best to ignore the gazes that seemed filled with various emotions. After meeting up with Shizuku, the group headed to the karaoke shop in front of the station. Guided by an employee into a private room, Shizuku spotted a flyer on the table. “Hm, a heaping french fry discount campaign… Senpais, let’s go with this.” “Oh, nice! Nice! I’m in!” Saki nodded while looking at the campaign flyer Shizuku was pointing at. After confirming that everyone else nodded in agreement, Shizuku promptly ordered the french fries. While Shizuku was ordering via the intercom by the door, Tomoya picked up the air conditioner remote. “Ladies, would it be alright if I lowered the temperature a bit?” “I’m fine with it. Saki and Shizuku-chan?” Ayaka nodded and then asked Saki and Shizuku. “I’m fine too.” “The room temperature will rise with our passionate singing, so it’s fine.” “Roger. Lowering the AC temp then.” Tomoya lowered the AC temperature after getting permission from the girls. Haruto placed the karaoke remote in the center of the table and spoke. “Who’s going to sing first?” At Haruto’s question, everyone looked at each other. After a brief silence, Saki raised her hand. “Me, me! Okay then, Ayaka, let’s sing together!” “Okay. What should we sing?” “Let’s see…” Saki pondered what to sing while operating the remote.
Ayaka sat next to Saki and peered at the remote with her to choose a song. “Let’s go with this one.” “Okay.” After agonizing over the song selection for a while, the two entered the song. The song title and intro appeared on the screen mounted on the wall. “Ooh! Nice!” Tomoya cheered to liven up the mood. Following him, Shizuku, jangling a party tambourine she had produced from who-knows-where, cheered “Yaaay!!” The mismatch between Shizuku’s liveliness and her usual deadpan expression made Haruto smile. Same as always, Haruto thought, and while he was thinking, the song’s intro ended and Ayaka and Saki began to sing. Their harmonizing voices were quite good, and Ayaka’s voice in particular sounded pleasant to Haruto’s ears. Perhaps not yet used to the atmosphere, Ayaka sang with a slightly embarrassed expression, which was very cute, making Haruto want to hug his adorable girlfriend. Feeling that impulse, he listened intently to Ayaka and Saki’s song, and when it ended, he applauded loudly along with Tomoya and Shizuku. Saki responded to the applause of the three by raising a hand and saying “Thanks, thanks,” while Ayaka smiled shyly with an “Ehehe.” “Okay, who’s singing next!?” Saki asked and raised her microphone. “Alright! Maybe I’ll go next!” Tomoya spoke up. He received the microphone from Saki and put in a song by his favorite rock band. In contrast to Ayaka and Saki’s song choice earlier, intense drums echoed through the karaoke room. Since Tomoya played in a band, he had a good sense of rhythm and pitch. Saki let out an impressed “Ooh” at his singing voice. “Akagi-kun, you’re a good singer.” “Tomoya has been playing guitar since elementary school, and he’s in a band with students from other schools now, so his musical sense is high.” Haruto explained to Saki, who was clapping along to Tomoya’s song. “Heeh, so Akagi-kun’s a bandman.” “He’s all fired up about performing on the volunteer stage at the school festival this year.” “Is that so? That’ll be fun.” Saki showed interest in Tomoya’s band activities.
“If you tell Tomoya you’re looking forward to the school festival stage, he’ll be really happy. Though if you overdo it, he’ll get carried away.” “Ahahaha, true. I can imagine Akagi-kun getting carried away.” Haruto and Saki exchanged words in the shadow of the passionate singing. When Tomoya finished singing, everyone applauded. “That’s rock, Tomo-senpai.” “Yeah! Gotta make your soul tremble when you sing!” Tomoya grinned at Shizuku’s words. “Then, next I shall make my soul tremble.” Saying that, Shizuku took the microphone from Tomoya. She must have already entered her song, because as soon as Tomoya’s song ended, the intro for the next song began to play. “Eh? Shizuku-chan, you’re singing this?” Hearing the intro, Ayaka looked surprised. The song Shizuku chose was by a male rock band with charismatic popularity among the younger generation. It had a fast tempo and a lot of English lyrics, making it quite difficult to sing. However, Shizuku gave a thumbs-up to the surprised Ayaka and began to sing. She matched the fast tempo effortlessly and handled the English lyrics with ease. However, despite her powerful singing voice, her expression remained almost completely blank as usual. Noticing the gap, Ayaka whispered to Haruto. “Hey, Haruto-kun. Shizuku-chan is kind of… amazing in a lot of ways.” “Shizuku is quite a character. That’s one of her good points, though.” At first glance, Shizuku was a black-haired beauty, expressionless and quiet. However, contrary to her appearance, which could be described as a Yamato Nadeshiko, her true personality was quite comical. “She looks super cute and cool because she’s so deadpan, but the moment you talk to her, she starts joking around and teasing you. Since she’s the daughter of a dojo master, is she really strong at karate too?” “She’s strong. Now that I’m in high school, I probably wouldn’t lose thanks to the difference in size and strength, but up until middle school, Shizuku was stronger than me.” “She really is amazing. Shizuku-chan is.” Muttering in admiration, Ayaka applauded loudly when Shizuku finished singing. Shizuku, having finished her song, exchanged a fist bump with Tomoya, who praised her with “Nice, Shizuku-chan!”
“Then next, please go ahead, Haru-senpai.” Saying that, Shizuku handed the microphone she was holding to Haruto. “Thanks. Okay then, um… what should I sing…” Haruto took the microphone and operated the remote to check the recent popular songs. Seeing this, Tomoya snatched the remote from Haruto. “Hey, hey, what are you doing, Haru!” “H-Hey, Tomoya, what are you doing?” “Don’t ‘what are you doing’ me. You have that one specialty you absolutely can’t skip.” “Eh? What, what? Do you have a song you’re that good at, Ōtsuki-kun?” At Tomoya’s words, Saki looked at Haruto with great interest. “Ah, no… I wouldn’t call it my specialty, exactly…” Instead of Haruto, who mumbled evasively, Tomoya nodded vigorously. “Haru’s a great singer! You’ll understand once you hear this song.” Saying that, Tomoya operated the remote and put in the song he claimed was Haruto’s specialty without asking. “Ah, hey, Tomoya!” “Go on, Haru! Show Tōjō-san and Aizawa-san your singing ability!” At the same time Tomoya said this, the song began to play. Hearing the incredibly emotional intro, Saki looked a little confused, saying “Eh?” Haruto, on the other hand, gave a small sigh of resignation at the song playing, shrugged his shoulders, brought the microphone to his mouth, and took a singing stance. Then, the intro ended and Haruto began to sing. True to Tomoya’s claim that he was a “great singer,” Haruto’s pitch was spot on, his rhythm perfect, and his relaxed singing voice was indeed skillful. Furthermore, his deep vibrato and the unique singing technique known as kobushi1 were also perfect. Watching Haruto sing, Saki spoke with amusement. “Eh? Ōtsuki-kun’s specialty song is… enka, of all things?” “See? Haru’s a great singer, right?” “Well, he is good… but it’s kind of funny. Right, Ayaka?” When Saki looked at Ayaka next to her for agreement, she found her staring intently at Haruto. “Haruto-kun’s singing voice is wonderful…”
Seeing Ayaka completely captivated by his singing, Saki gave a wry smile. “Oh boy, I guess for Ayaka, it doesn’t matter if it’s enka or whatever…” Saki’s slightly exasperated words were drowned out by Shizuku’s shout of “Yo! Haru-senpai, number one in Japan!” ※ ※ ※ Haruto-kun’s singing voice echoed through the karaoke room. Is this what they mean by “ear candy”? The enka song he was singing was a very famous one, and I’d heard it a few times on TV music programs. The lyrics expressed a bittersweet, yet passionate and intense love. When I imagined Haruto-kun singing those lyrics to me, an emotion I couldn’t quite put into words—like a heat rising from the depths of my heart, or a shiver—welled up inside me, and my heart naturally began to beat faster. I wish I could listen to Haruto-kun’s singing like this forever… But my wish was in vain, and Haruto-kun’s song ended in about five minutes. As I applauded him enthusiastically, wishing I could have listened more, Saki spoke to me with an amused expression. “Man, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone sing enka at karaoke.” “It’s my first time too, but Haruto-kun looked really cool doing it, didn’t he?” “Well, he was pretty good. But I just thought it was kind of funny seeing a high school student in uniform singing enka… wait, is your face red, Ayaka?” “Huh? I-Is it? …Maybe it’s a little hot in here.” If I told Saki that I was projecting myself and Haruto-kun onto the lyrics of the enka song, she’d definitely tease me again. “Hmm? Should we lower the AC temperature a bit more?” “N-No, I’m fine. Ah, I’m going to go get a drink.” Trying to escape Saki’s probing gaze, I picked up my cup, which was about a third full of juice. Just then, Akagi-kun brought a microphone to Saki, saying, “It’s your turn next, Aizawa-san.” “Thanks. Hmm, what should I sing next…” Seeing Saki deliberating over the remote, I spoke up as I stood.
“Want a drink, Saki? I can bring one for you while I’m up.” “Nope, I’m good. I’ll go myself after I sing.” “Okay. Does anyone else want a drink?” I asked the other three if they wanted drinks too. “No, I’m good.” “Me too.” “Ah, I would like a drink. Let’s go get them together, Aya-senpai.” Haruto-kun and Akagi-kun shook their heads. Then, Shizuku-chan stood up holding her empty cup. “Want me to get yours for you, Shizuku-chan?” “No, no, it would be far too presumptuous to ask my senpai to fetch me a drink.” “Do you really think that?” “Of course not. Not even a speck of me thinks that.” “Geez!” I puffed out my cheeks at Shizuku-chan, who declared this as if it were obvious. But somehow, I had expected her to say that, so a smile quickly returned to my face. “Then let’s go together. Shizuku-chan.” “Aye-aye, sir.” Together with Shizuku-chan, who gave a half-hearted salute, I left the karaoke room and headed for the drink bar. The drink bar was located at the end of the hallway outside the room, next to the elevator hall. As we were walking towards it, Shizuku-chan called out to me from behind. “Aya-senpai.” “Hm? What is it, Shizuku-chan?” “Thank you for inviting me today.” Seeing Shizuku-chan bow her head and say that, my guard went up a little. For this girl to honestly bow her head, it must be a prelude to some teasing! “What brought this on all of a sudden?” I braced myself slightly and asked, and Shizuku-chan paused for a moment before speaking.
“For today’s karaoke, you were the one who invited Haru-senpai, right, Aya-senpai?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Since you’re able to talk to Haru-senpai at school now, I thought I, the third wheel, would be dismissed and cast aside.” “I wouldn’t do something cruel like that!?” I immediately denied Shizuku-chan’s words as she spoke while staring at her empty cup with her usual blank expression. Perhaps finding my reaction unexpected, Shizuku-chan tilted her head to the side. “Is that so?” “Of course! Because thanks to you, Shizuku-chan, I was able to make a connection with Haruto-kun at school too. I wouldn’t just say ‘you’ve served your purpose, toss’ to someone who’s practically my benefactor!” “…You’re very loyal, aren’t you, Aya-senpai?” “Even if it wasn’t me, I don’t think anyone would be that cruel…” “Surprisingly, there are people who can do cruel things without batting an eye, you know?” “Did something happen in your past, Shizuku-chan?” When I asked that, Shizuku-chan let out a fearless, practically expressionless chuckle. “Fufufu, that’s a secret. A woman with a hint of darkness in her past is cool, after all.” “Is it?” Giving a wry smile at her words, I poured orange juice into my cup from the drink bar. “Either way, you’re still my benefactor, Shizuku-chan. And besides…” I gently lifted my filled cup and looked at Shizuku-chan. “You and I are besties for life, aren’t we?” When she first spoke to me, I was bewildered by her sudden proposal to become “besties for life.” But after interacting with Shizuku-chan a few times since then, I realized that while she has her quirks, she’s a really good girl. At first, confusion was the stronger feeling, but now I genuinely want to be friends with Shizuku-chan. Putting those feelings into my smile, I beamed at Shizuku-chan, and she pouted slightly as she set her cup under the drink dispenser. “You’re unfair, Aya-senpai.”
“Eh?” “Being beautiful and having a good personality… it’s unfair. Plus, you’re huge.” “Huge?” Not understanding the meaning of Shizuku-chan’s last words, I tilted my head. Seeing me like that, she shrugged her shoulders. “Haaah, Aya-senpai. Are you unconsciously pressing those dangerous weapons against Haru-senpai? Are you aware of your own size?” With Shizuku-chan giving me a flat stare as she said that, I finally understood what she meant. “I-I-I-I wouldn’t do something like that!” “Really?” “R-Really!” Shizuku-chan eyed me with suspicion for a while as I desperately denied it, muttering “Hmm,” but eventually she looked away and picked up her cup filled with ginger ale. “Aya-senpai.” “W-What is it?” “…I look forward to continuing being besties for life.” “Ah… yeah, same here. Shizuku-chan.” Shizuku-chan was expressionless as always, but there was an air of shyness about her. Maybe I’m starting to become able to read the subtle changes in Shizuku-chan’s expression. Just as I was feeling a little happy about that, Shizuku-chan raised her cup towards me. “A toast to eternal friendship.” “Fufu, cheers.” I raised my cup too and lightly tapped it against Shizuku-chan’s. Unfortunately, since the cups were plastic and not glass, it made a dull clunk sound. When I let out another laugh, I felt like Shizuku-chan smiled too. Having refilled our drinks, we walked back to the karaoke room side-byside. “Oh, by the way, thanks for the snacks at the study session.” Shizuku-chan and our friends had bought a lot of snacks for the study session. And they had left all the leftovers, saying it was thanks for letting them use the room.
“Not at all… Ah, I believe we left some Hokky, but after we left, did you properly play a rich and intense Hokky Game with Haru-senpai?” “Fueh?! Eh, ah, no, um…” “Eh? …Did you seriously play the Hokky Game, just the two of you?” Shizuku-chan probably meant it as a joke, but having the unexpected truth hit the nail on the head, I found myself stumbling over my words. “N-N-N-NO… WE… DIDN’T.”
“Aya-senpai… I have doubts.” “Ugh…” “Well then, shall I have you tell me in great, painstaking detail what kind of Hokky Game you played with Haru-senpai? You little pervert, Ayasenpai.” Shizuku-chan stared at me with eyes like a bird of prey that had just captured its quarry. “I-I’m not a pervert…” “Yes, yes, I’ll listen to your excuses inside this closed room. Please, step inside.” Saying that, Shizuku-chan opened the door to the karaoke room. Inside was what felt like an interrogation room from hell for me. “Saki-senpai, Aya-senpai has an interesting story to tell.” “Eh? What, what?” Saki, who had just finished singing and handed the microphone to Akagikun, looked at Shizuku-chan with keen interest. Ugh… the number of interrogators just increased to two. “Ayaka? What’s wrong, standing there in front of the door?” Haruto-kun stared at me curiously as I hesitated to enter the room. “…Haruto-kun, I’m sorry.” “Eh? What are you apologizing for?” Haruto-kun gave me a puzzled look at my sudden apology. Just then, Saki, having been whispered to by Shizuku-chan, broke into a wide grin. “Ayaka-saaan, come on, come on, hurry up and come sit over here,” Saki said, patting the sofa next to her. “…Okay.” I gave up any futile resistance and obediently plopped down next to Saki. “My, my, Ayaka-san, you’re quite aggressive, aren’t you? Oh, and Ōtsukikun, I’ll be asking you for your side of the story later too.” “Eh? What are you talking about?” Seeing Saki’s smirking face, I felt my face flush red with shame. Harutokun, still not grasping the situation, looked blankly at us. After that, in the intervals between everyone’s songs, the two interrogators, Saki and Shizuku-chan, exposed the full extent of the Hokky
Game between Haruto-kun and me. As expected, I was teased thoroughly by everyone…