After school.
Instead of going ho, I waited in the classroom for Senior Ayabe.
At first, I thought it would be more appropriate for , as a junior, to visit her, but I decided to stay put in case we missed each other.
However, even after 10, and then 20 minutes, she didn’t show up.
‘She couldn’t have run away again, could she?’
If so, I would have to visit the third-year classroom directly tomorrow.
Slide!
But it turned out my worries were unfounded, as Senior Ayabe eventually showed up.
“Um, sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?”
Her face was visibly tense.
To reassure her that there was no danger, I quickly stood up to greet her.
“No, I didn’t wait long.”
“Is… that so?”
“Co in and have a seat.”
“Okay….”
An awkward silence filled the classroom.
Although I had been stalked for the past few days, this was the first ti we were actually talking, so it was inevitable.
‘Why was she following ?’
Senior Ayabe, a third-year, exuded the vibe of a modern high school girl.
Her perd black hair and upturned cat-like eyes.
The cardigan casually draped over her uniform was truly fashionable.
She seed like a social butterfly in a different way than Rika, and with good grades, too, she seed almost perfect.
As I observed her, she stared back at intently.
Finally, Senior Ayabe was the first to speak.
“You’re not as bad as I thought.”
“What?”
“Well, from the rumors and all, I thought you’d look like so kind of terrifying goblin.”
“……”
Her words were laden with prejudice.
“So, why have you been following these past few days?”
“Ah, about that…”
Embarrassed to answer, Senior Ayabe twirled her hair with her fingers and avoided my gaze.
“Actually, I’m preparing the school newspaper for the last ti for this cultural festival.”
“And?”
“It’s my last cultural festival in three years of high school, so I want it to be more noticed than ever before.”
“You want it to be noticed?”
What did this have to do with ?
But Senior Ayabe wasn’t finished speaking yet and added,
“So, would you mind giving an exclusive interview?”
“…An exclusive interview?”
“I think it’s not a bad offer for you. I’ll give you the chance to clarify the rumors about you that are circulating around the school. Publicly.”
“That is….”
It wasn’t a bad idea, actually.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of the love cody world, but strange rumors about sprouted like mushrooms, even if I just breathed.
Of course, there were rumors based on fact, but they were just a fraction, and most were misunderstandings and slanders.
“I’m honestly sorry for following you around these past few days. Rumors aren’t entirely baseless, so I observed from a distance just in case, to see if an interview would be okay or not.”
I waved my hand at her honest apology.
“It’s okay if you’ve apologized. It’s not like you did anything harmful.”
“Thanks for forgiving .”
“But what exactly do you do in an interview?”
“Just think of it as a one-on-one Q&A in a place like a cafe. If we do it, I’m planning to invest all the newspaper club’s resources into the interview.”
“I see.”
I understood her explanation to be sothing like an interview with a magazine or newspaper.
I’ve never done it before, but I’ve seen it often on TV.
Senior Ayabe asked with a nervous face,
“So, are you thinking of doing the interview?”
I nodded without hesitation.
“I think it would be a loss not to do it.”
She gets her story, and I get the opportunity to clarify the strange rumors circulating in the school.
It was a win-win situation.
“Yay!”
Hearing my response, Senior Ayabe happily got up from her seat.
Then, as if she just rembered, she extended her right hand and said,
“Let introduce myself again. I’m Ayabe Nanaya, a third-year and the head of the newspaper club.”
“I’m Kim Yu-seong, a second-year. I work as a secretary for the Student Council. Pleased to et you.”
I shook hands with her.
“You have really big hands.”
After the handshake, Senior Ayabe said that and smiled warmly.
“I hear that a lot.”
I didn’t notice when she was scared and shrinking back, but she looked quite pretty when smiling.
“Can you give your email? I’ll let you know the detailed schedule soon.”
“Just a mont.”
I took out my phone and exchanged emails with her.
“Okay, that’s all done.”
After fiddling with her phone for a while and nodding, Senior Ayabe handed it back to with a smirk and asked,
“But I noticed your contacts are mostly girls’ numbers. I guess the rumor about you being surrounded by girls isn’t false?”
“What? What do you an…? Did you, by any chance, look through my contacts?”
“Nah, it wasn’t on purpose. I just pressed it by accident.”
Senior Ayabe said this, teasingly.
I realized that the person in front of was not as easy-going as I thought.
After concluding our impromptu negotiation, we left the classroom and said our goodbyes at the school gate.
“I hope the interview goes well for both of us.”
“Yes, I hope so too.”
Senior Ayabe said, “Then I’ll be in touch,” before heading ho first.
Left alone at the school gate, I glanced back at the school before heading to the subway station.
The next day.
“Eek! Ryu-chan, you’re doing an interview with the school newspaper club this weekend?!”
During a al together, Rika leaned forward in surprise after hearing about what happened yesterday.
“It just happened that way.”
Feeling uncomfortable with the emphasis on Rika’s chest, I kept turning my gaze away.
“Isn’t that school newspaper like so weird tabloid?”
“Ah, they must have so limits. They wouldn’t want to face the backlash later.”
Sasha and Karen exchanged opinions in their conversation.
“So, what exactly are they going to ask you?”
Responding to Satoru’s question, who joined us for lunch today, I showed them the chat ssages.
About thirty expected questions were listed, with a note saying to cut anything difficult.
After reading the listed questions, Satoru let out an exclamation.
“Wow, it looks like they plan to ask about every rumor about you.”
I nodded and popped a rice ball into my mouth.
“It’s actually good. I can clarify things properly this ti.”
“To be honest, it’s a bit strange. Even though you have a scary face and a muscular body when you’re quiet, you’ve never really done anything bad. There were no such rumors in your first year, right?”
“I wasn’t as bulky back then.”
“That’s… true.”
All kinds of ominous rumors about started when I rapidly gained muscle in the second sester of my first year.
My reputation as a top student didn’t help much once that happened.
In a way, I gained muscles but lost people.
But I had no regrets about my choice.
“Anyway, I need to prepare well. I don’t want to end up with embarrassing history due to weird answers.”
“Yeah, good luck.”
Satoru, about to devour his pork cutlet rice bowl, asked as if he just rembered sothing,
“Speaking of which, the school trip is coming up soon. Who are you planning to team up with?”
“? I haven’t decided yet.”
“It’s better to decide early. It might be hard to find soone on the day itself.”
“Who are you planning to team up with?”
“? I’m popular. I have many invitations.”
“Co-ed won’t work… because of the lodging. We have to stay in the sa room.”
“That’s obvious.”
I scratched my cheek and said,
“It seems like it’s only you and Ryuji.”
“…You really don’t have friends, huh?”
“Tch.”
It was a biting comnt, but I couldn’t refute it.
I had a few (sa-sex) friends.
Most guys start with formal speech when they et .
How could we beco close in such a situation?
At the gym, I t macho guys with a common interest in muscles, but at school, there was nothing like that.
“It’s fine. I’ll talk to Ryuji, so don’t worry. What are friends for?”
“Satoru…!”
“What? Why are you staring at like that? It’s scary, so stop it.”
“Thank you…!”
I said that, sincerely expressing my gratitude.
Honestly, there was no one else who treated without prejudice like he did.
And having received my thanks, Satoru, looking embarrassed, averted his gaze and then, as if he couldn’t take it anymore, forcibly shoved a rice ball into my mouth.
“Eh! Just eat your al quietly!”
And Karen, who had been listening to our conversation, said enviously,
“I wish I could be in a group with Rika.”
“But you’re in a different class from us.”
“Tch!”
At Sasha’s very realistic remark, Karen grimaced and clutched her chest in pain.
Indeed, it was impossible to change the fact that they were in different classes.
Anyway, realizing once again that many events, such as the school trip, cultural festival, and sports day, awaited in the second sester, I decided to properly conduct the interview this weekend.
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