Chitose-kun Wa Ramune Bin No Naka Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part3

「'Sup, morning!」

Upon opening the front door of Year 2 Cla.s.s 5, I raised my hand casually, saying this in an almost unnaturally loud, cheerful voice. I still didn't know who would be in the cla.s.sroom, but in the first place, it wasn't a greeting directed at anyone in particular. If I had to say, then it was a good morning to the new cla.s.s.

「Ah, it's Saku. Good morrning! You too, Ucchi～!」

As if to suppress the mood of a restless cla.s.sroom that had yet to settle down, soaring from the back came a well-carrying reverberation like the first j.a.panese nightingale of the morning. As for the owner of this voice, Hiiragi Yuuko, in contrast to those lovable, childish gestures, no matter how far removed from society a human being might be, they would understand from one glance that today she was yet again emitting an overwhelming princess aura.

A hairstyle that must have taken triple Yua's time to arrange, a balanced body which embodied the delusions of a male high schooler, and a cheerful expression that would no doubt stand out strikingly even among an idol group to which dozens of others belonged. Similar to the circ.u.mstances of a newborn baby, she would be excused for her whimsical behaviour because of just how natural it was for her to be pampered by others.

These kinds of people sometimes exist. Like the heroine of a story, surpa.s.sing the measures of 'self-important' or 'presumptuous', and simply receiving the unconditional "that is how they should be" of affirmation.

Incidentally, she's the one the others in school arbitrarily decided to authorize as my "legal wife".

「Yuuko…… Kazuki and Kaito too. What the heck, it's the full line-up.」

「Morning, Yuuko-chan. Morning you two.」

As Yua and I each said our replies, we walked towards the circle created by Yuuko and the others. As if natural, s.p.a.ce for two people quickly opened up.

「Yayy, we're together again～」

Yuuko raised both hands for a double-high five, so I slapped my hands against hers, upon which she immediately grasped them tight.

「Is Saku glad too?」

「Of course. Had I been separated from Yuuko, from now on I would have had to head to school every day with my steps heavy and my head hanging.」

A super airhead of a tease. That would be my a.s.sessment of Yuuko. This level of skinship was an everyday occurrence, and she probably gave similar greetings to Kazuki and Kaito next to her.

In the first place, she never even considered the possibility of being disliked or hated by others, so was in close proximity with anyone she dealt with. For guys like us who were used to girls, we could simply brush it off, but because of how she did not play favourites and interacted in the same way with even the plain kind of guys, there was an uncountable number of them who had made some big misunderstanding, confessed in high spirits, and were then promptly rejected by a「????」face full of question marks.

The kind of character who you might expect to be greatly loathed by other girls over a single misstep, and yet, perhaps because of that severely natural lack of self-interest and the consistency of her att.i.tude in dealing with both boys and girls, she had settled into a position at the top of the female caste without much resistance.

As I was thinking about all of this, I noticed Yua looking at me with reproachful eyes.

「He says that, but you know, this guy was practically skipping about as he ogled the new first-year girls.」

Hearing that, Yuuko clung to Yua's arm suspiciously.

「Ehhh, really? Even though he already has us. Saku's grooss.」

「……Yua, you're upset because the reaction differed from the one for you, right? That's what it is, right?」

Just as I was giving myself over to the blissful feeling of chit-chatting with two cute girls, accompanied by a yell of「Sei!」, a hand-blade sunk into my flank. That hurt.

「Sorry 'bout that, just thought it was about time I got a shot in.」

The owner of the voice, or perhaps more importantly, the hand-blade, Asano Kaito spoke laughingly. A second year, but already the ace of the boys' basketball club. He's a simple idiot with an energetic sports-oriented disposition.

End of story. Ikemen taller than me can go bald.

「You gotta agree that was good timing. If you don't cut in at the right moment then this married couple plus mistress comedy act can get pretty long.」

With a shady grin, Mizushino Kazuki picked up the conversation. As for this guy, he's a second year but already a core member of the soccer club. He might always seem easygoing, but the truth is that he's calculating and black-hearted.

End of story. Ikemen whose type subtly overlaps with mine can get that ripped off.

「Saku, it kind of feels like there's some unpleasant comments leaking out of your head?」

See what I mean? This guy's strangely discerning when it comes to this kind of thing.

「Nah, I was definitely not just thinking how great it would be if the disturbances getting in the way of my harem could be broken into their prime decomposition and left alone in solitude. By the way, if you don't hurry up and correct the 'mistress' part you snuck in there, you might also end up making your debut in the school's underground site sooner or later.」

Upon my saying this while looking sideways at Yua, who was giving Kazuki a dry look, all members burst into laughter at practically the same time.

Kaito smilingly swung an arm over my shoulder.

「What's this Saku, did ya get something written about you again? Hm?」

「Oi, just why do you sound so happy?」

「But of course I am. Don't you think the world would be an unfair place if a guy like you who's making girls cry at every turn wasn't balanced out in some way?」

「If so, then they should be writing the name of that guy over there. It's totally unfair, d.a.m.n it.」

When I said this, Kazuki responded with a pretentious look on his face.

「Too bad, but I'm not one to make them cry like Saku does. I properly love them all in equal amounts.」

「Shut uup, stuuupid.」

After putting an end to the banter with Kaito and Kazuki, I cleared my throat forcedly.

「Well, anyhow, this marks the reunion of Team Saku.」

「Yuuko Hiiragi Angels.」

「Kaito Dynamite Bombers.」

「Kazu Creative Agency.」

「YUA5.」

「Right, given that difference in musicality, time to break up!」

Once again, we all lightly b.u.mped our fists together.