“Izumi-kun, haven’t you finished reading that page yet?”
“Was that the signal for me to turn the page!?”
It was simply too cryptic to decipher.
Haru abruptly opened the window.
The refreshing air filled the library prep room, and finally everyone came to their senses.
“Is this a cabaret club!?”
Haru’s angry retort attacked Nanao.
Nanao just blinked her eyes, going “Wah.” It seems she didn’t really understand why she was being scolded.
Haru pointed at the door of the prep room.
“Next door is the library. Go get your own book!”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why not!? Read your own book!”
“Hmm…”
Nanao had a difficult look as she pondered something.
Wondering what it could be, she turned to ask Izumi.
“But Izumi-kun, this is the first time you’re reading this book, right?”
“Eh? Well, yeah but…”
He had finished the mystery novel from the other day.
So this time, he had brought a new book, but…
“If it’s Izumi-kun’s first time reading this book, I want to read it together too.”
Haru hurriedly interrupted.
“W-Well if you buy the same book…”
“But then we’d read at different paces. Isn’t it fun to share impressions while reading together?”
“But it’s hard to read that way…”
“It’s okay. Izumi-kun is kind, so he’ll wait for me a little bit.”
Haru was desperate.
Because that book – Haru had also been secretly reading it ahead of time!
She was determined to be the first to share the thrill this time… or rather, she was overly clumsy about it, her friend Inori thought. For Haru, reading “together” was a blind spot, clearly cheating in her mind!
“B-But that’s…”
She tried to deny it in her distress, but it was no use.
The outcome was already decided, she could only show her pitiful state. And yet, for Haru, it felt like a do-or-die situation she couldn’t back down from…
But Nanao didn’t read the atmosphere.
With a slightly upward glance, covering her mouth shyly with both hands, she said with a blush:
“I’m greedy, so I want all of Izumi-kun’s firsts?”
“……!?”
Hearing that, Izumi’s face flushed bright red. He opened and closed his mouth, totally unable to say anything.
And Haru, receiving that…
Glared sharply at her, teared up a bit, and shouted:
“If that’s what you mean, I’ll do it too!”
“Eh? Do what?”
“If reading together is fine, then together!”
“Haru? What’s wrong with you?”
Bewildered by this sudden mysterious confrontation, Izumi was perplexed.
And on the opposite side of Nanao, a chair was forcefully pushed towards him. Even if this library prep room was cramped, there was no need to be so crammed together. With a twist of irony, Inori was now the only one who could stretch out comfortably. Well, she was just excitedly trying to film a video on her smartphone…
“C’mon! Senpai, hurry up and read!”
“Hey Haru? Can you seriously explain what’s going on?”
“Geez, you’re so dense! In an FPS, I gave the signal to attack but you’re just standing there like the vanguard ignoring the small chance of victory, which leads to losing overall victory – why don’t you understand that–“
“Sorry! Sorry for being so dense!”
Haru’s heated scolding was more intense than usual today.
Izumi was confused. Haru’s attitude…was clearly off today. She always showed a bit of a brusque demeanor, but today she seemed to be going overboard.
Izumi looked to Inori for help…ah, no good. She was just smiling and making a big [X] sign. Seems she wouldn’t help this time. What on earth is going on…a light sense of despair seized Izumi.
And with an exasperated snort, Haru answered:
“Listen. When I see you together with Senpai Nanase–“
But then she stopped herself mid-sentence.
–What was she about to say?
A whirlwind of intense emotions rushed through Haru’s mind.
Eh? Isn’t this whole situation inappropriate? For me to do the same intimate actions towards Senpai that a girl with romantic feelings for him is doing? In this cramped library prep room? Placing my hands on his lap and caressing him? At that point, isn’t this just outright courtship behavior?
(Eh, uhh…Hah!?)
The moment Haru came to her senses, Izumi’s face was right next to hers. She had gotten so caught up in her heated words that their noses were almost touching!
“……Kyuu”
“Haru!?”
Suddenly, Haru seemed to overheat and faint.
Izumi hurriedly tried to help her up, but Inori stopped him.
“Ah, it’s okay. Haru does this sometimes.”
“She does this sometimes!?”
And with that, Haru’s eyes fluttered open. Izumi thought “It’s just like a computer restarting” but quickly shook his head at the rude thought.
Haru then abruptly sat up, her face red with embarrassment as she gave an annoyed grunt.
“I…I’m going home…”
“Oh. Uh, are you really okay…?”
But she just glared at him with teary eyes, rendering him speechless.
After Izumi fell silent, he saw her walk away. Inori hurriedly grabbed her bag, gave them a slight bow, and followed after her.
“………..”
“………..”
Left behind, Izumi slumped into the chair with a sigh.
“Seriously, what was that all about…”
It was likely the most intense day in the history of the Literary Club. Though reading books had nothing to do with it.
(Did I do something to upset her…?)
No, he couldn’t recall anything. But from her attitude, it clearly seemed like he was at fault somehow…
(Ah, that’s right…)
Izumi remembered Nanao.
“Sorry about that, I don’t know what happened…”
Nanao was smiling cheerfully.
“No, I’m happy I could become friends with such a cute junior.”
“Was that being friends…?”
At the very least, Haru had been barking aggressively like a small guard dog. Well, maybe she’d get used to it eventually…though considering how seriously Izumi thought that, Haru’s calm days seemed far away.
It probably wasn’t good to monopolize the library prep room just to chat idly like this. Thinking that, they decided to leave school early.
As he grabbed his bag and locked the prep room,
Nanao made a meaningful comment:
“Izumi-kun, you’re quite popular, huh?”
“Eh…what are you talking about?”
“Having such a cute junior admiring you like that?”
“…Admiring? That was admiring?”
That was, indeed.
There’s no doubting a tsundere is a charming trope, but taken to the extreme it becomes a weapon. It would be a while before Haru realized that…
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
–In the hallway after school.
Amane was walking alone, plodding towards the shoe lockers.
(So tiring…)
Her mood was dismally low. The usual aura of an idol had completely wilted, nary a trace remaining.
Of course, it was because of Izumi.
She was utterly dejected at how she had faded completely into the background.
Recently, she kept getting shut out from Izumi by Nanase Nanao at every turn, even having trouble getting a word in. Naturally, their after-school study sessions became less frequent, and with Nanase’s constant presence, Amane’s lovey-dovey time with Izumi was in crisis.
Well, she was the only one who had imagined it as lovey-dovey time in the first place!
Amane felt like crying at her own ridiculousness.
In this situation, chances were high she wasn’t even recognized as a romantic rival. To put on a clown act but have no one watch – how miserable!
(And during lunch, it seemed suspicious with the President too!)
Could it be that the “Ice Princess” Hakua was Izumi’s official fiancee?
Dead serious about this unprecedented information, Amane almost got a nosebleed.
And that atmosphere…from any angle, it seemed Hakua liked Izumi. Plus their daily relationship of her making him a lunchbox…
(Ahh geez! What should Amane do, !?)
Amane flailed around agonizing alone in the hallway. Incidentally, she was so distraught that the crucial “ex-” part had gone right through one ear.
As she danced something resembling a cursed ritual (or so it appeared), a voice called out from behind her:
“–You there, female student. You can’t make a ruckus in the hallway.”
“……!?”
Amane spun around sharply.
The source of the sharp voice? None other than the student council president, Hakua! She seemed to be on her way back from post-school council duties.
Noticing Amane, Hakua also paused.
“Oh? Aren’t you…”
“Ah, um…”
By sheer coincidence, two rivals for Izumi’s affection crossed paths—could this be called fate?
While both might qualify as main heroine candidates due to their romantic feelings, whether Izumi himself was aware of them was… well, let’s say it was a close race, like comparing acorns.
Still, it was a classic face-off. For the sake of their honor, let’s call it a clash of titans.
Hakua struck first.
“You’re… Izumi-kun’s classmate, aren’t you?”
“Ah, I’m Amane… Amasaki Amane…”
“I see. Amane-san.”
Hakua’s piercing gaze, worthy of her nickname Ice Princess, fixed on Amane.
“You’re in love with Izumi-kun, aren’t you?”
“…!?”
Amane flinched at the sudden attack.
However, over the past few days, Amane hadn’t just been taking mental beatings from Nanao without learning to fight back. Though pressured, she managed to mumble a retort:
“Y-you’re one to talk! Didn’t you want Izumi feed you that ‘ahh~’ bite?”
“…… What?…!?”
Hakua’s mouth froze in shock,
her perfect student mask shattering completely. Amane had struck her most sensitive nerve, catching her completely off guard.
“W-w-what proof do you have for such a claim…?”
“Wow, you’re so flustered right now…”
“I’m not flustered! And speaking like that to an upperclassman…”
“Oh no, pulling the senior card right after losing? That’s so lame~.”
“Grghhhh…!”
And thus began their “sideline brawl.” Yes, that’s the perfect way to describe it. It wasn’t the main event, which made it even funnier. Just as the clash was about to escalate further, a voice interrupted:
“Haruuu~. Stop being so stubborn already!”
A third party had entered the scene.
Both Amane and Hakua turned to see two first-year girls passing by.
They were familiar faces—Kasuga Haru and Doumoto Inori,
the literature club freshmen Izumi often hung out with.
Haru, with her wolf-cut hairstyle, stomped ahead with a sulky expression, while Inori followed, clearly exasperated.
“It’s Senpai’s fault!”
“No way! Haru, it’s totally your fault~!”
“But Senpai kept flirting and fawning over that woman during club hours!”
“Well, you could’ve tried harder, Haru~.”
Inori sighed loudly, her patience clearly wearing thin.
“At this rate, Senpai’s seriously going to be stolen from you. Didn’t you hear? He said he’s going on a date with her this Saturday~.”
“E-even if you say that, there’s no way I could…”
Haru, now reduced to an emotional wreck, turned red and looked ready to cry. She spun around to retort at Inori—
“Hey, first-years. That sounds like something I’d love to hear more about~.”
“Oh, yes. Won’t you kindly share the details with us, too?”
Somehow, standing ominously behind Inori were Amane and Hakua.
Their intense presence made Haru freeze, trembling. The two exuded an oppressive aura that screamed danger.
For Haru and Inori, it was anything but normal. The pair clung to each other, near tears, as they were cornered by the two fearsome, vengeful “losing heroines.”
Under the overwhelming pressure, Haru and Inori confessed everything. And so, unbeknownst to Izumi, the conditions for a chaotic guerrilla event were quietly set into motion.
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