I Managed to Bring Down the Entire Family of That Impossible-To-Conquer S-Class Beauty, Completely Filling in Her Outer Moat
โโThe next day.
โHaaโฆโ
I sighed, feeling guilty about avoiding Watarai-kun yesterday.
Even though I’d realized those feelings, I’d avoided him so blatantly.
But I didn’t talk to him much today, so maybe it’s okay.
Thinking that, I sat through homeroom before going home.
โLet’s clean up before going home.โ
Just as homeroom ended and I was about to head out for cleaning duty.
Watarai-kun came over to my desk.
โChinau-san. There’s something I need to talk to you aboutโโ
โWhoaโ! I, I have to go clean up! See!?โ
Hurriedly changing the subject, I tried desperately to dodge his pursuit.
We’re cleaning now, so this should get me out of talking to himโฆ!
โOh, Nozomu! They said the cleaning spot is spotless, so we’re good to go!โ
โTh-the cleaningโฆ got canceledโฆ?โ
A student who had just entered the classroom relayed that message.
Watarai-kun and I were assigned to clean the same corridor.
That area sees heavy student trafficโit’s impossible for it to be spotlessโฆ
As I frowned in confusion, I caught sight of Watarai-kun making a peace sign with one hand right in front of me.
(No wayโฆ he cleaned it alreadyโฆ!? D-does he want to press me that badly!?)
I sweated profusely, my mind racing for an excuse.
Then, a light bulb went off above my head.
โAh! I have to deliver something the physics teacher asked me to carryโโ
โWatarai. Thanks for delivering stuff to the physics lab for Amagiri.โ
โ!?โ
The physics teacher, passing by the classroom, thanked Watarai-kun like that. Above my head, the light bulb shattered into pieces.
When I looked back at Watari-kun, he was now giving me a peace sign with both hands!?
โUm, wellโฆ helping the tea ceremony club girlโโ
โNozomu-chi! Thanks for teaching the beginner tea ceremony in an easy-to-understand way~. Thanks to you, I didn’t have to call for backup~โชโ
โ!?!?โ
The tea ceremony club girl said that to Watarai-kun.
When I looked back at him again, he was making the peace sign with his fingers.
(He’sโฆ he’s anticipated everything! He’sโฆ angryโฆ? Is he maybe really, really angry!? It’s scary how he keeps making the peace sign silently with that deadpan face!!)
Truly, he’s a boy whose hobby is understanding the universe. He handles everything and anticipates it all.
But, I’m getting out of here!
โSorry, Watarai-kun! I have stuff to do at home!!โ
โAh, wait! Let’s talkโ!โ
I bolted from the spot like a rabbit.
My reflexes aren’t half bad. Besides, if I say this much, he shouldn’t be able to chase me.
Believing that in my heart, I dashed to the shoe rack, slipped on my shoes, and sprinted off.
โBy the way, I’ve actually participated in a giant game of tag that used up an entire prefecture, China-san.โ
โHyaaaah!? W-W-Watarai-kun! When did you catch up!?โ
The voice from beside me belonged to Watarai-kun, who had caught up and was now running alongside me without me noticing.
I’ll get caught if this keeps up! Something, anythingโฆ!
โAh! A UFO~~! I meanโฆโ
I shouted desperately. There’s no way he’d fall for such a clichรฉ trick.
โHuh!? A UFO!? Where where!? I’ve only ever seen a Chupacabra and my own doppelganger!!โ
(He fell for itโ!?)
Watarai-kun stopped moving and started looking up at the sky, scanning around frantically.
I should get somewhere else while I canโฆ Maybe dash into that observation tower over there and wait it out.
The observation tower in this city is fairly tall, but to get to the top, there’s only one elevator or the stairs.
Maybe I can shake him off somehow. Thinking that, I dashed into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
‘Top Floor’
The elevator’s voice announced as the doors in front of me opened. At the same moment, my mouth opened too.
โGaspโฆ gaspโฆ Iโฆ I participate in the stair race every yearโฆ! Cough cough!!โ
โW-Watarai-kun!? You look totally exhaustedโฆ!โ
Watarai-kun, looking completely battered, was somehow already waiting for me at the top floor.
Did he actually run up the stairsโฆ!? I stopped a few times, but still got here faster than the elevator!?
โโฆ s-some waterโฆ I’ll go buy someโฆโ
โAh, okay. Go aheadโฆโ
Staggering, she walked straight to the vending machine to buy water.
she pressed the button for the first floor and closed the elevator doors.
(Why didn’t Watarai-kun catch meโฆ?)
It was the perfect chance, but he prioritized the water.
Maybe he’s got some pretty glaring blind spots.
Anyway, this means my escape is definitely successful.
โI’ve run quite a bit already, so maybe taking the train home would be faster.โ
Thinking that, I headed to the nearest station and passed through the ticket gate.
I feel bad for what I did to Watarai-kun, so I’ll explain properly tomorrow. I’ll muster the courage starting tomorrow!
While making that resolution, the train arrived. With many people heading home, it looked like it would be packed.
The train stopped, and the doors in front of me opened. And I grimaced.
โIt’s packedโฆ No way you’re getting away, China-san.โ
โโฆare you a supernatural being? Watarai-kun?โ
โHow rude. Just a regular human.โ
Watarai-kun, who had naturally gotten ahead of me, no longer seemed human at all.
After buying water at the top floor of the tower, he boarded the train one stop before mine?ใBut maybe it’s a supernatural being that chases me no matter whatโฆ
He got off the train and faced me.
But since Watarai-kun got off, that spot wasn’t packed anymore.
โโโDoors closing. Please refrain from rushing to board.โ
I stepped into the space Watarai-kun had been standing in, and the doors closed right after.
โโฆAh!!โ
He let out a pathetic groan, left behind at the station.
Maybe Watarai-kun really is an incredibly interesting person after all.
Rocked by the train’s motion, I got off at the station closest to my home and passed through the ticket gates.
I couldn’t see him anywhere around me. Had he finally given up? Just as I thought thatโฆ
โIs tag over?โ
โWhoa!? S-scared meโฆโ
Watarai-kun, who had been waiting in the tree, called out, and my heart nearly leapt out of my mouth.
โLooks like you didn’t see me up in the tree. Whoops. Well, I’m glad I have back alley exploration and parkour as hobbies. Thanks to that, I managed to keep up with Serichan.โ
โMeowโกโ
Looking closely, my Serinuntius-chan was also there with us somehow. Could it be that Serin-chan led the way through a shortcutโฆ!?
Watarai-kun and Serin-chan climbed down from there and approached me.
โโฆI’m sorry, Watarai-kun, for avoiding you all this timeโฆ I’ll tell you everything, everything!!โ
โHuh? You don’t have to force yourself to say anything.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆHuh?โ
Watarai-kun’s words made me let out a completely absurd sound.
โB-butโฆ you’ve been chasing me all day today, wasn’t it because you wanted to hear the story!?โ
โNah, nah. I said it from the start. โI have something I want to talk about.โโ
โCome to think of it, you did say something like thatโฆ W-why did you chase me around, then?!โ
โBecause you kept running away, China-san!โ
Of course, it was my fault for not properly listening to him.
But I also think Watarai-kun went a bit too far, chasing me around to the point of scaring me.
โUm, so? What was it you wanted to talk about?โ
“Ah, well, China-san. Apparently, about 90% of the ocean remains unexplored. They don’t fully understand how cats purr either. And apparently, they don’t really understand the groove under a human’s nose either.”
โโฆHuh? Um, that’s what you wanted to talk aboutโฆ?โ
“Everything in the universe just keeps turning, even though we don’t really understand it. So, I think it’s okay if I don’t know your secret, China-san.
I don’t understand it now, but I hope someday I will. So, you don’t have to worry about me at all. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”
Ahโฆ As always, Watarai-kun is incredibly kind, capable of anything, and feels so close yet impossibly distant. That’s the feeling.
Maybe we live in different dimensionsโฆ
“โBut. When I went bug-hunting with Akitoshi-kun, when I played games with Chitose-san, when I accompanied Hina-san to take photos, when I went to the aquarium with Nabatame-san, when I ate parfait with Sachiko-sanโฆ Every single time, it was all thanks to China-san that I had so much fun.”
โEhโฆโ
โYou see, I’m a selfish piece of trash who only cares about myself when I’m having fun. So I’ll say it without holding back. When I hang out with China-san’s family from now on, I think I’ll probably feel lonely if she’s not thereโฆ That’s why I wanted her to be there too.โ
Those words retracted what he’d just said about โnot to worryโ before the ink was dry.
But hearing those words from his mouth made me feel deeply relieved. At the same time, something warm welled up inside me.
My lips naturally turned up. Light shone on my shadowed face.
โUmโฆ that’s all. Sorry for chasing you around today. Starting tomorrow, I’ll make sure not to bother you anymore. See you.โ
I thought I’d built a wall between us. I thought you were someone distant.
Hearing Watarai-kun’s words, I felt like I could reach him now.
So Iโ.
โEh, um. China-sanโฆ?โ
โI have something I want to talk about too.โ
I grabbed his hand as he turned to leave.
Because I didn’t want to run away from Watarai-kun anymore.
โโCome to my room now.โ
Maiasa