Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.5

Intermission:

A Hands-On Lesson in Passion

‹‘‘OKAY, COME ON. YOU GUYS SAW THE WAY THEY looked at each other.”›

Only the harsh fluorescents above illuminated the dark nurse’s office. Konuki Sayo made a note of something, voices playing through her earbuds.

‹“I feel a connection with you, Lemon-chan. The kind I can’t really describe. I’m rooting for you, girl.”›

‹“That means so much to me, Yanami-san! I feel like I can take on the world now!”›

She circled Nukumizu’s name in the center of the page and drew a line connecting Yanami and Yakishio’s.

“Quite the triangle.”

The video recording had been a bust, but her audio equipment had gone unnoticed.

She pondered the conversation. The girls sounded friendly, despite what their complicated relationship would imply. Though 

parts of the dialogue baffled the nurse, it was clear that there was no aggression between the rivals. This led to two possibilities, which Konuki noted down: Nukumizu and Yakishio were getting off on the thrill of going behind Yanami’s back, or Yanami was in on it and the relationship was open.

Konuki twirled her pen and added one more: Yanami was aware of the infidelity but was actually into it.

She shuddered. My, this is too much, even for me!

For how average that Nukumizu boy looked, he had quite the system in place. In Konuki’s time, two-timing (sometimes even three-timing) more often than not ended in metaphorical bloodshed. High school was awfully early to be learning concepts as advanced as these.

“I’m getting old.”

The air conditioning hummed to life. Konuki leaned back in her chair and looked up, thinking back on times long gone.

Something crackled outside, like feet hitting dirt. At any other time, she would have thought nothing of it, but it was late at night. Konuki stood, flipping the switch in her mind into teacher mode. No student had any business being there at this hour.

She squinted into the darkness, out at the athletics field. A girl was crouched on the track, ready to fly, then she bolted forward so fast she nearly blended into the night. Konuki almost forgot to scold her. She threw on some slip-ons and hurried outside.

“You there,” she said. “What are you doing out here this late?” It was then that she realized just how much of a coincidence this was. “You. I remember you.”

“Oh, Sensei. You’re still here?” The girl didn’t sugarcoat her own surprise. “On a Friday night?”

“Adults are busy.” Typically not with listening to questionably obtained audio, but she kept that to herself. “And I could ask you the same thing. It’s after nine, young lady.”

“Just had the itch to run. The team was off today, so didn’t get a chance.” She took a sports drink out of her bag and chugged it.

“Well, off you go. You should be home. Do you need me to walk with you?”

“Can I just do one more sprint? A quick hundred meters. That’s all.”

Konuki gave a lopsided smile. “Haven’t had enough?”

The girl smiled back. “I’m feeling it this time.” She stared across the pitch-dark track, eyes fixed on the finish line. Sweat dripped off her face. “This is gonna be the one. I can feel it.”

Konuki found herself picturing a different childhood. Maybe if she had been a little more like this girl, things could have been different. “All right,” the nurse said. “Go. Run.” Not that she had any regrets. “And don’t look back.”

The young, tawny girl just had this way about her.

“Never do!”