The Salty Princess Told Me That I Was a ‘Convenient Keep’, so I Tested What Would Happen if I Introduced the Most Beautiful Girl at Another School as My Girlfriend
“Would you like to come with me to Spain?”
That day. He called me out of the blue and said something like that.
“What are you talking about out of the blue?”
At first, I couldn’t understand what he meant. Because he had abandoned me, and I had abandoned soccer. I gave up on being a professional long ago, so why would I go abroad now?
“I don’t understand. What do you mean, you’re going to Spain to go sightseeing with me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just asking if you’re serious about going pro again.”
“…………”
What are you talking about, man? I gave up the pro game because you said I couldn’t do it. I gave it up because I didn’t want to hear you yell at me. And now you want me to go pro again?
“Of course, I’m not going to force you. It’s your decision. I won’t do anything to cut off your living expenses just because you say you don’t want to.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m just…..”
“I’m going to be back there sometime this month. So you have until then to decide what you’re going to do.”
“Wait a minute. I’m not …… comfortable with that kind of talk out of the blue. I have my own reasons.”
“I understand your feelings.But I’ve been through a lot myself.
When I came here, I realized that I am still immature as a leader. I was putting too much of myself into you.”
“……….”
That cool-headed man, like a robot, had his own thoughts, too.
Maybe that cold-hearted, robotic man had his own thoughts about it. My father’s words no longer had the same sharp edge as before. So I couldn’t say anything.
“Well, of course, if you say you have no regrets about leaving soccer, then I won’t say anything. The decision is yours.”
He said what he wanted to say and hung up the phone. He was still the same person who didn’t listen to what other people said, but I felt like his aura was a little different than before. …Well, that’s not really important anyway.
“I’m not a professional now, what are you talking about?”
It’s been a year since I’ve even touched the ball properly. Even though I started earlier than others, a year at this important time is important. In the first place, I quit soccer because I wasn’t good enough. And yet, now…
“Unwillingness, huh?”
……I can’t say that I don’t. I’ve been playing soccer since before I was old enough to understand. When I was a child, I often fantasized about becoming a professional. I never doubted that I would become a great soccer player like my dad.
But going overseas means I won’t be able to see Sakaki-san or Koga-san anymore. If I want to become a professional now, I won’t have time to play with girls. I’ll have to devote everything to soccer again. If I’m serious about becoming a professional now, I need to be prepared for that.
“What do you want me to do? ……”
I don’t have an answer. But I can’t stop thinking about it. I continued to think about the future alone. I guess that’s one of the reasons I got a fever and couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about it.
Then the other day, I received a message from Sakaki-san and Koga-san.
It seems that while I was sleeping off the flu, Dad had come back to this house once. He left again with his own words, saying, “I’ll be back in a week, so you’d better decide what you’re going to do before then”. Three days have passed since then. In four days, my father will be back home. I had to give him an answer by then.
“I have to get some clarity on Sakaki-san and Koga-san, too. ……”
Anyway, my fever was gone and I was back to normal. I’ve missed three days of school for some reason, and today is a holiday …….
“Athletics Festival, huh?”
Today is the sports festival. My fever has subsided and I’m feeling great. I also have a three-legged race with Sakaki-san, so I think it’s best to focus on that for now. I change my thoughts and leave the house.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
I looked up at the cloudless blue sky and started walking quickly.
◇
I arrived at school for the first time in almost a week, including weekends, and was greeted noisily by my classmates and friends.
They said things like, “We’ve been worried about you,” and “We think you’ve actually been skipping school and playing around”. I responded with appropriate words. I was a little happy to hear that they were concerned about me for some reason.
After that exchange, I changed into my gym clothes and looked for Sakaki-san.
“I still hadn’t thanked her for the other day.”
I don’t remember much about that time because I had a really bad fever. I do remember that Koga-san and Sakaki-san carried me to my room. I sent them a message to thank them, but I thought it would be better to thank them in person.
“I mean, where did Sakaki-san go? ……?”
It was a little before the opening ceremony of the gymnasium. I walked around the field alone looking for Sakaki. I was sure I had seen her in the classroom that morning, so she couldn’t have caught my cold and had a day off.
“…Wait, that”
There, for the first time in a long time, I spot that man.
He was about a head taller than the others. He had shiny black hair and fair skin. The man is Miwa Kozaburo, a childhood friend of Sakaki san’s, whom I had heard had not been coming to school for a while. He is the same as usual, with exaggerated gestures like an actor in a play,…… no, no.
“He’s kind of avoiding …… me, isn’t he?”
I don’t know what kind of position Miwa-kun usually holds in class. But from the way he talks and the rumors I’ve heard, I assumed he was popular. But right now, he seemed isolated in class.
“…… hmmm? What, it’s you.
Have you come to ridicule me too?”
Miwa-kun noticed me and twisted his mouth in self-mockery. I was a little lost for words before opening my mouth.
“There’s no reason for me to laugh at you. I just thought you looked like you were in a bad way.”
“Ha, after what I did to you, you’re worried about me? You must be a very kind man.
Or are you just fooling everyone by pretending to be a good guy like that?”
“You seem to have more energy in your sarcasm than before. I feel like there was more weight to your words before, but now it just looks like you’re trying to do too much. ……If you have any problems, I’m here to help you, okay?”
“…… you’re either a nice guy or you’re not, I don’t really know. Well, I don’t really care. I’m sorry, but I have no taste for showing weakness to men.”
Miwa-kun turns his back on me. The opening ceremony is about to begin, so where is he going? He starts walking slowly towards the back of the school building.
“Miwa-kun, you still don’t seem very energetic, do you?” “But you know, he tried to force himself on that princess, but apparently got rejected.” “Is that why you were absent from school? Isn’t that kind of lame?” “Yeah, it’s what you’d imagined.”
I can hear people whispering such rumors. …Miwa-kun is Miwa-kun, and he must be going through a lot of trouble. I don’t sympathize with him, and I’m not going to try to help him, but there’s no need for me to hurt him now.
I’m going to start walking in the opposite direction of Miwa kun
“…I hope that he will stay quiet and behave like this.”
Miwa-kun has a lot going on, so if he gets involved in some weird way again, I’ll be devastated. …Well, it seems there’s no need to worry, but Miwa-kun seems to be very attached to Sakaki-san. I should probably be a little more considerate of him too.
“But for now, I’m going to …… look for Sakaki san.”
There, I finally spotted Sakaki-san. I immediately tried to call out to her, but it seemed like she was talking to someone. …No, I recognized the person she was talking to.
“Well, I thought your relatives and such would be able to come to support you.”
My parents would never come, but the person talking with Sakaki was a familiar face.
“Oh, isn’t that Ochiha san over there? Good day to you! Oh-ho-ho!”
There was no way I could have misheard that laugh. It seemed that Amaneko-san, Koga-san’s senior and Miwa-kun’s sister, had rushed over to support her brother. And it was no surprise that she was there as his chaperone.
“Yaho, Ochiha-kun. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better!”
Koga-san laughed.
“I agree with you on that, but even you didn’t have to come all the way to the gymnastics festival …….”
Sakaki-san narrowed her eyes.
And so began the fun-filled gymnastic festival.
Maiban