From the mont I stood there in nothing but a swimsuit, holding a sign like so sentient advertisent board, I knew this had to be the strangest day of my school life.
The crowd grew thicker with every passing minute. Laughter, whispers, curious eyes, girls pointing—and none of them had a clue what water polo even was. Not that it mattered.
They weren't here for the sport.
They were here for .
Lisa Shiraishi noticed too, though she played it cool. But I could tell from the subtle upturn of her lips and that calculating gleam behind her glasses: this was exactly what she planned.
A beauty trap, huh? But instead of a sultry girl luring in hapless victims, it was —a guy—with a board and toned abs.
Not how I pictured high school club recruitnt.
"Ahem... dear students," Shiraishi-senpai called out, her voice confident but graceful. "If you're interested, please sign up for the water polo club to learn more. Ginjo-san will also join training from ti to ti to support everyone."
Wait, what now?
I turned to glance at her. The way she smoothly tossed out that last part like it was a done deal made do a double take.
She pulled out a stack of application forms like a magician unveiling her final trick.
Girls flocked to her like pigeons to breadcrumbs.
"I want one!"
" too!"
"Give a form!"
Before long, the application forms were gone. Shiraishi's delicate hands barely kept up with the demand.
I just stood there in swim trunks, skin slightly glistening under the warm sun, watching the insanity unfold.
By the end of the recruitnt session, thirty or so forms had been filled.
Thirty!
Last year, this club hadn't even gotten a single applicant.
This year, it was standing room only.
I knew I was good-looking, but... damn. That system reward better be double for this.
"Thank you for your hard work, Ginjo-san," Lisa said softly, the tone of her voice breaking from her usual cool detachnt. Her glasses glinted as her eyes briefly t mine. There was a flicker of warmth there... maybe it was acknowledgnt.
I opened my system panel.
[Assistance Mission Complete: Help Lisa Shiraishi recruit new mbers to the club.]
[Reward: 40,000 yen]
[Target: Lisa Shiraishi Favorability 5 → Reward: 5,000 yen]
[Current Favorability: 70]
Whew.
Balance restored.
But then sothing tugged at .
"Uh, Senpai, what was that bit about helping with training?" I asked, arms crossed. "I don't rember agreeing to that."
Lisa's cool facade cracked for the first ti today. She looked… sheepish?
"That… that was in the mont," she muttered, looking down. "The girls seed so interested, so I may have… used you a little."
Used a little? That was a lot.
"But I'm truly grateful. If you have any requests, I'll do my best to fulfill them."
Now that was dangerous.
I glanced at her: long, snow-pale legs; that crisp uniform stretched taut around her curves; the faint pink flush on her cheeks as she tried to look away.
Her glasses shifted slightly as she nervously adjusted them.
My brain short-circuited for a full three seconds.
"Ginjo-san?"
She tilted her head.
"Ahem. No request for now," I said quickly. "I've got to head to work. I'll wash the swimsuit and return it later."
"No need," she replied. "I'll take care of it."
And like that, I was out.
——
It was just past 5 p.m. Streets had gone quiet. There was no rush hour or any heavy crowds. Students were at club activities, adults still shackled to their desks.
Perfect mont of peace.
I walked under the fading gold of spring sunlight, letting the breeze kiss my skin as cherry blossoms rustled above.
By the ti I reached the convenience store, Kana Kobayakawa was behind the counter.
"Kana? Ahem, Manager Kobayakawa?" I asked. "What are you doing up front? Where's Morikawa?"
Kana smiled, brushing a stray bang behind her ear.
"She had to leave early. Sothing urgent ca up," she said. "You're just in ti. Go change, Sousuke-kun."
I nodded and slipped into the back.
Despite everything, it was always easy with Kana. Like... ho.
When I ca back out, Kana had stepped away from the register and was helping organize the shelves.
We worked quietly together, shoulders occasionally brushing, neither of us saying anything for a while.
Then...
"Grrrrrrgle."
My stomach betrayed .
Kana turned, startled.
"Are you hungry?"
I sheepishly clutched my stomach. "A bit. Skipped lunch and all that water polo chaos..."
"You should've said sothing." She smiled, and the warmth in that smile could lt glaciers. "I've got donuts in the back."
Did she say… donuts?
A strange glint sparked in my eyes. A sugar-crazed beast awakened within . I had beco... Gingami, the Sugar Knight.
Kana returned with a lacy white bag, pulling out a neatly wrapped donut.
I devoured it like a starving ani protagonist.
Sweet. Soft. Perfectly glazed.
Kana giggled.
"You look so happy."
"I am."
She offered another. I accepted with reverence, like it was a sacred offering.
And for a mont, as the sun slanted through the glass and caught her profile in golden hue, I saw her watching —not just looking, but watching, eyes soft and distant.
Maybe... this wasn't just about donuts.
Maybe she was starting to depend on .
That little hug from a few nights ago...
The heat of her hands, the curve of her waist, the way she whispered my na...
Kana Kobayakawa might be just another part-ti manager on the surface.
But there was a woman underneath, one who rembered everything.
Even late at night... when the store was closed... when no one was watching.
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