Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 6 - Chapter 4.2

Five days had passed since the start of my serious training.

After finishing the morning practice, I found myself a few minutes walk away from Toyohashi Station at a bakery called Bon Senga.

This place is known for its retro coffee corner, which apparently hasn't changed since my parents were kids.

Sitting in front of a buttercream bread and a cream soda, I reflected on today's intense training.

The first day, the president had far outstripped me, but after reviewing videos and photos to correct my form, I finally managed to almost catch up to her.

The afternoon is for independent practice. I should go over the strength training menu, then maybe go for a light run.

As I sipped the ice cream from my cream soda, planning the afternoon, Tsukinoki-senpai entered the shop.

Her outfit is simple- a knit sweater and a light jacket.

She sat opposite me, crossing her legs encased in slim pants.

"Sorry for the sudden call. Did you have something else planned?"

"It's okay. I was just heading home from school. Didn't you say Tamaki-senpai would be joining us?"

"He forgot to pick up his transfer notice and rushed off to the city office. He'll be here soon."

Tsukinoki-senpai ordered coffee and castella from a kind-looking waitress, then pulled a card from her pocket.

"Here, this is my new address. Come visit anytime."

"Thank you for going through the trouble. You could have just emailed."

"I wanted to tell everyone from the Literature Club directly."

Seemingly embarrassed by her own words, she deliberately removed her glasses and started wiping them.

"I thought about going to the club room, but it's surprisingly hard to enter the school once you've graduated."

"Is that so?"

"Because either standing out in casual clothes or wearing a uniform after graduating would be like cosplaying, right? Even I don't dare to cosplay and go back to my old school."

"...Yeah, well, maybe occasionally going back to school in uniform isn't so rare?"

"Under what circumstances would you go back to your school in cosplay unless you're shooting a sketchy video?"

I agree, but I've had my reasons during that whole incident in Momozono Middle School.

"Have you contacted the other first-years from the Literature Club?"

"You're the last one, Nukumizu-kun. I also met Yakishio-chan the other day."

She put her glasses back on and gave me a teasing look.

"...Are you curious?"

"Well, yes, considering the upcoming match."

The match with Yakishio is tomorrow, Saturday. She is in top form, according to Yanami.

"I'll be staying at Prez's house the night before. I don't quite understand it myself."

"Hokobaru's? Her place is in Ikobe, right? Why go all the way out there?"

"She wants to make final adjustments while monitoring my condition. It seems Sakurai-kun from the student council will also stay over."

"The match is on Saturday, right? Shintaro and I are leaving Toyohashi the day after that."

The conversation paused for a moment as the waitress brought us the coffee and castella.

I bowed my head in thanks as Tsukinoki-senpai took the desserts.

"I'm sorry. Things have been so hectic that I haven't even properly celebrated your new start."

"That's alright. I actually feel relieved. I'm going to be gone anyway-"

She said this as she poured milk into her coffee and stirred it silently with her spoon.

"It gives me a bit of peace to see your generation striving in places I can't reach."

Tsukinoki-senpai showed a fleeting, melancholic smile.

"Nukumizu-kun, you started as a ghost member, didn't you? And now you've taken on the role of club president. You've been supporting Komari-chan, and now, maybe, you're supporting Yakishio-chan, too?"

"I wonder. Maybe I'm just the right person because I have no ties to the track team."

Tsukinoki-senpai smiled mischievously as I tackled the melting cream soda.

"Is that all? Maybe there's a chance, you know?"

"No way, we're talking about Yakishio and me here."

"No, no, unexpected pairings happen. Why would she ask you out on a date if she has zero interest? Sometimes people don't even realize their own feelings."

Typical of her, always the same. I sipped from the straw and chuckled.

The idea of Yakishio, a top figure in the school social hierarchy, having romantic feelings for me seems too far removed from reality.

Tamaki-senpai also talked about me having a popular phase, but he's pretty shit when it comes to romance.

...Wait. Though her insides are utterly rotten, Tsukinoki-senpai is indeed the same gender as Yakishio.

Maybe she sees things from a girl's perspective, different from me or Tamaki-senpai.

"Are you serious? That Yakishio has, I mean, that-"

"Ah, uh…"

Tsukinoki-senpai, who had been deep in thought, clasped her hands together and bowed her head seriously.

"No, sorry, I was just speaking offhand. Yakishio-chan is kind of hard for me to figure out, too."

"...Ah, got it."

Right. I decided to focus on my cream soda in silence.

-The senpais will leave Toyohashi and start new lives this weekend.

Although Nagoya is in the same prefecture, it's not a distance where you can casually drop by.

I'm definitely going to miss them. But at the same time, I realize how much the future beyond this farewell is growing inside me.

Yakishio's choice, the future of the Literature Club, and myself as a second-year student-

Why am I going to such lengths to challenge Yakishio? Or why did I order a cream soda, which isn't really my style-

Various thoughts swirled through my mind, and I continued to stare at the fine bubbles in the soda, feeling somewhat restless.

*

On Friday afternoon, with the competition looming the next day, I found myself on the grounds of a middle school to which I had no connection.

Prez Hokobaru's old school, Municipal Sasayuri Middle School, is surrounded by fields of cabbages.

The scent of the sea mixed with the wind unmistakably signaled that I was in a different environment.

I seem to have quite the connections to middle schools lately.

A young woman in a tracksuit is chatting with Prez. It must be one of the school's teachers.

Sakurai-kun stood next to me as I went through the second set of radio exercises.

"Sorry for dragging you all the way out here today. Hiba-nee doesn't listen once she's made up her mind."

"It's okay. I'm used to it with the Literature Club."

We exchanged a wry smile, and Prez walked over to us as she removed her bench coat.

"Alright, that's enough bad-mouthing me. Let's just check our movements today without overdoing it."

"Well, if that's the case, there's something I would like to try."

"Oh? Do tell."

Prez listened quietly to my suggestion and nodded emphatically.

"Then, let's give it a try. Hiroto, please record the action near the goal."

"Got it. Good luck, Nukumizu-kun."

With that, Sakurai-kun ran towards the goal area.

He's a good guy. Maybe the only normal one around me.

...Seriously, why do I only get a bunch of weirdos around me?

I feel like only the weird ones are left now that the relatively normal Tamaki-senpai has graduated.

"What's up? You're staring at my face."

"Oh, nothing. Let's just start running."

...Yeah, I suppose Prez could be considered on the "normal side" comparatively.

*

We headed to Prez's house after two hours of "light adjustments".

I was surprised at how little fatigue I felt.

Prez's house was a large, old Japanese-style single-story building with several storage sheds scattered throughout the spacious yard.

I walked across the yard while following Prez and looking around curiously.

"What does your family do?"

"We manage a few small fields and also work with the cooperative. My parents are at work right now, so I apologize for not being able to host properly."

As Prez slid open the front door, several pairs of shoes were lined up in the spacious entryway.

I knew she lived with her parents, but I wondered if there might be another young woman living here, too.

"Welcome back, Prez!"

Teiara-san, wearing an apron, came bustling from the back of the house with her slippers flapping.

"Eh, why are you here?"

My honest question slipped out. But instead of scolding me, Teiara-san puffed out her chest with pride.

"As vice president, it's only natural that I support the president. Come on in, everyone."

"Don't be shy. Come inside. Hiroto, can you show Nukumizu-kun around?"

"Yeah. Nukumizu-kun, this way."

Sakurai-kun led me to a Japanese-style room about ten tatami mats in size.

It connected to a veranda by the window, old but maintained a clean and calm atmosphere.

"Is it okay to use such a big room?"

"My grandparents moved downtown, so we have spare rooms now."

"Come to think of it, Prez and you are cousins, right?"

Sakurai-kun nodded as he set down his belongings.

"However, the other rooms are full of stuff, so this is the only one that's tidy."

I see. Sakurai-kun is also staying in this room. I have trouble sleeping with others around…

Well, I can't be too fussy. I put down my bag and stepped out onto the veranda.

The view from the window revealed a garden with a persimmon tree.

I always dreamed of spending my retirement sitting on a veranda, soaking up the sun, and sipping tea…

Lost in thought, I stepped forward and suddenly felt a squishy, raw meat-like sensation under my foot.

"Shikiya-san!?"

Indeed, what I had stepped on was not raw meat but Shikiya-san.

Shikiya-san, who had been lying on the veranda, rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"Sorry! I didn't expect anyone to be here."

"...It's okay. …Veranda, …warm."

Shikiya-san looked up at me curiously as she slowly stood up.

"Nukumizu-kun...? Why…are you here?"

"I'm here for a training camp to prepare for tomorrow's match. But what are you and Basori-san doing here?"

"A camp...sounds fun, right…?"

Yeah, the conversation is still a bit off. As I was wondering how to respond-

"Hiba-nee loves it when lots of people gather around. She gets really excited during Obon or anything like that." [TL: A festival dedicated to honoring the spirit of one's ancestors.]

Sakurai-kun came to my rescue, explaining things.

To put it simply, Prez liked having people around and ended up calling the entire student council.

Shikiya-san, still swaying slightly, pinched the hem of my tracksuit.

"Cook…food…together?"

Huh, food? Oh, right-

"I saw Basori-san in an apron earlier. Isn't she cooking?"

"Her food…subtly not delicious..."

Is that so? I had a feeling, anyway.

"But Prez's with her as well, right? Her cooking's-"

Crash! A noise came from the back of the house.

Sakurai-kun silently left the room following Teiara-san's scream.

...Come to think of it, isn't Prez a bit of a klutz in everyday life?

Wasn't this supposed to be a training and rest camp in preparation for tomorrow…?

I sighed and followed Sakurai-kun while still being pinched by Shikiya-san's grip on my tracksuit.

*

Dinner was over by 6 PM. Now I'm doing the dishes.

Teiara-san's wiping the washed dishes dry next to me.

Unusually quiet, Teiara-san hesitantly started a conversation.

"...Nukumizu-san, you're pretty good at cooking, aren't you?"

"Not really, but I cook a bit since both my parents work."

The initial plan was a hotpot, but Prez ended up tipping everything over, so we had to start from scratch.

Thankfully, we had a lot of cabbage, so I made some quick pickles and used the ground meat from the freezer to make "unstuffed" cabbage rolls.

"Just a bit, huh? You were also making kinpira with carrot peels in between the main dishes."

"There was time while waiting for things to heat up."

Kaju would have made at least two more main dishes in the same amount of time and even prepared dessert for after the meal. I still have much to learn.

"The miso soup Basori-san made was, well, tasty too."

"...Usually, I can make it a bit tastier."

"Well, aside from forgetting to make the soup stock, it was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"...I usually make it properly."

Yeah, I should stop rubbing salt in her wound.

Teiara-san took the dishes I handed to her silently.

Prez entered the kitchen after we finished doing the dishes and wiping down the sink.

"Alright, let's get the bath done before my parents return. You should go first since you're our guest today."

"Is it really okay for me to go first?"

"You're our most important guest today, but could you go in with Hiroto? Sorry, we have a lot of people today."

"Eh!?"

For some reason, Teiara-san was the one who screamed in surprise.

Trembling, she inched closer to Prez.

"I-Isn't that somewhat against public morals!?"

"Why?"

Teiara-san's face turned bright red at Prez's simple question.

"But, is it really okay? The two of them, in their birth suits, in a closed space!"

"That's absurd. Of course, they will be naked. They are taking a bath, you know?"

That's a total shutdown. I chimed in awkwardly.

"Well, I don't really mind…"

"Nukumizu-san!? No, but-"

Teiara-san, who was shivering with wide eyes, seemed to make up her mind and nodded.

"Then I'll join too!"

…What is she even saying?

Even I was dumbfounded by the absurdity of it all, and it seemed the others had overheard the commotion. Sakurai-kun, who had been there unnoticed, placed a hand on Teiara-san's shoulder.

"Calm down, Basori-chan. You can't go in with us, you know?"

"B-But I want to see- I mean, something serious will happen if I don't supervise, right?"

Hey, how about we just tie up this woman and throw her into a locker?

Sakurai-kun, the embodiment of patience, continued without changing his expression.

"It's okay, Basori-chan. You can go in with Hiba-nee. Is that okay with you, Hiba-nee?"

"Eek!? B-Bathing with- Prez!?"

Teiara-san's eyes widened even further, and Prez put her arm around her.

"So you wanted to take a bath with me, huh? Alright, Basori-kun, let's go together."

"What! Wha...?"

Sakurai-kun whispered to me softly as Teiara-san began to tremble again.

"Now's our chance. Let's go quickly."

"Eh? Ah, yeah…"

So this is how you handle Teiara-san. Sakurai-kun is impressive.

I marveled at him as I made my escape from the situation.