The Schoolโs Top Idol Is Acting Like Sheโs My Childhood Friend for Some Reason and Just Keeps Closing the Distance on Her Ownโฆ?! ~Stop Getting All Gloomy on Me Just Because I Turned You Down!~
โTakahara-kun!โ
โWe’re heading into town after school. Wanna come?โ
After school.
As I was getting ready to go home, Seika Hara and Saki Shinozaki waved at me.
As usual, Hara was grinning, her bright pinkish hair swaying. Shinozaki was leaning halfway against her desk, her sleepy eyes fixed on me.
Over the past month, Iโd grown strangely close to the two of them.
Well, I donโt remember making the first move. It was just that the two girls who hung around Hoshimiya had started finding me amusing and hanging around me on their own.
โNah, Iโm good. Iโve got something I want to do when I get home today.โ
When I replied like that, the corners of Haraโs mouth curled up even more mischievously.
โSomething you want to do? Cuddling with Rino, huh?โ
โNo.โ
โWhoa. Thatโs intense. Totally feels like youth, doesnโt it?โ
Shinozaki chimed in with a laid-back voice.
โI told you itโs not that.โ
โYeah, yeah, donโt be shy.โ
โTakahara-kun, your reaction is so innocentโitโs great.โ
The two of them said whatever they wanted and left the classroom, looking like they were having a blast.
Theyโre still the same cheerful, rowdy bunch.
I let out a small sigh.
Still, I felt a little relieved.
Thatโs good.
If Hoshimiya had overheard that conversation, things might have gotten complicated again.
Flirting with Rino.
If Hoshimiya heard words like that, sheโd definitely take them the wrong way. No, rather than taking them the wrong way, sheโd interpret them to suit her own agenda and use them as evidence of a done deal.
โSeita!โ
โHuh!?โ
My name was called from behind, and I let out a pathetic little sound.
I turned around.
There stood Hoshimiya Rino.
I didnโt even notice when sheโd gotten so close; she was looking at me with a cheerful smile. The after-school light streaming in through the classroom window cast a soft glow on her hair.
Had she been listening?
No, waitโwhere from?
Did she even hear what Hara and the others were saying?
A cold sweat broke out on my back.
Hoshimiya walked slowly up to me. Her smile was gentle. But the gentler Rino Hoshimiyaโs smile is, the more I canโt let my guard down.
โHey, Seita. Do you have time today?โ
That single sentence brought Haraโs voice back to my mind.
Flirting with Rino, huh?
No.
It canโt be that.
Sheโs just asking me to hang out after school. Itโs not about flirting. Besides, I was planning to go home after this and organize my cards. I want to test out the cards I bought yesterday to see if I should put them in my deck.
โSorry. I have plans at home after thisโฆโ
โโฆI see.โ
Hoshimiyaโs smile faltered just a little.
It didnโt disappear.
But the light in her eyes dimmed. Even though the corners of her mouth were turned up, the warmth there seemed to slip away.
โYou have plans too, Seita. I get it. Iโm sorry for asking you out on such short notice.โ
Her voice was quiet.
She wasnโt blaming me.
If anything, the way she spoke suggested she was trying not to burden me.
Thatโs exactly why it stung.
Why is she looking at me like that?
I just want to go home and organize my cards. Itโs not like I dislike Hoshimiya. I didnโt refuse to spend time with her.
Yet, it seemed as though, in her mind, my refusal had been twisted into something slightly different.
Iโm going to be left behind again.
Iโm being rejected again.
That feeling was faintly seeping through.
A sense of guilt began to build up inside me.
โโฆIf itโs just for a little while, sure.โ
The moment I said it, Hoshimiyaโs eyes flickered.
โReally?โ
โReally. I was just going to go home and organize my cards anyway.โ
โThen, please stay with me for just a little while.โ
Hoshimiyaโs expression brightened instantly.
That change was so obvious that I felt like Iโd lost again, just a little.
She took my hand naturally.
It wasnโt the kind of grip where our fingers intertwined. But it wasnโt just a casual tug either. She took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if weโd been doing this for years.
My heart skipped a beat.
โHoshimiya, your handโฆโ
โItโs crowded.โ
โWeโre still in the classroom.โ
โWell, to keep you from getting lost.โ
โWeโre high school students.โ
โSeita, you always wander off somewhere.โ
Hoshimiya said that, but she didnโt let go of my hand.
The gazes of the few people still in the classroom turned toward us.
I decided to pretend I hadnโt seen a thing.
ใโปใโปใโป
The place Hoshimiya had asked me to go with her.
When we arrived there, my eyes widened in surprise.
It wasnโt a cafรฉ the kind of place girls usually go to, nor was it a clothing store or a gift shop.
It was a new card shop that had just opened in the city.
Its sign was right in front of us.
โA card shop!? Why!?โ
โHuh? Well, Seita, you never tell me anything about the cards you play, do you?โ
Hoshimiya said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
โYou donโt even tell me which card shops you go to. So, I looked up nearby card shops online. I heard this one just opened.โ
โYou looked it up?โ
โYeah.โ
Hoshimiyaโs eyes were shining.
Looking into those eyes, I knew right away.
This wasnโt just her being considerate of me.
Hoshimiya was genuinely interested in my hobbies.
She wanted to know what I liked.
She wanted to see what kind of place made me feel at ease.
Those feelings were clearly written all over her face.
โโฆWeโre just looking, though.โ
โOkay!โ
Hoshimiya nodded cheerfully.
We walked right into the store.
It looked like a brand-new shop; the interior was quite nice. White walls and bright lighting. Expensive cards were neatly lined up in the display cases, and there was a battle area in the back. The shelves were packed with pre-built decks, card sleeves, playmats, and storage boxes.
It was my first time here too, but the atmosphere wasnโt bad.
โWow, so this is what the inside of a card shop looks like!โ
Hoshimiyaโs eyes sparkled like a childโs.
She peered into the display cases, looked at the storage boxes, and let out little gasps as she examined the supplies hanging on the walls.
โSeita, are all of these cards?โ
โYes.โ
โEven if theyโre the same card, the prices are totally different, arenโt they?โ
โIt depends on their stats, rarity, and demand.โ
โFive thousand yen for just this one?โ
โYouโd be better off pretending you didnโt see that.โ
โCards are scary, arenโt they?โ
โThey sure are.โ
Hoshimiya nodded earnestly.
The card gamers around them were casting sidelong glances at her.
No wonder.
Just having a high school girl come into a card shop is enough to stand out in some places. And thatโs even more true for a girl with Rino Hoshimiyaโs looks. She wasnโt even wearing fashion glasses. She was in full school uniform. The atmosphere in the shop had clearly changed with her arrival.
โWait, isnโt she super cute?โ
โDoesnโt she look like Hoshimiya Rino?โ
โNo, isnโt that actually her?โ
โIs she here for a photoshoot or something?โ
Whispers drifted over.
Even the shop clerk paused for a moment.
Hoshimiya must have noticed those stares, but she didnโt seem to mind. Or rather, it wasnโt that she didnโt mindโshe was simply more interested in the card shop itself right now.
โHoshimiya-san, are you really going to play card games?โ
โYeah! I want to like the things Seita likes too!โ
Hoshimiya said with a smile.
That smile made the atmosphere around her shift even more.
Several people, both boys and girls, were completely mesmerized.
Top idols really are something else.
Just by smiling, she had the power to draw everyone in the room into her spell.
โSeita, what should a beginner buy?โ
โI think a pre-built deck is best to start with. It comes with all the cards you need.โ
โThen Iโll go with that.โ
โThough, if you want to play seriously, you might want to tweak it a bit.โ
โYou pick it out, Seita.โ
โMe?โ
โYeah. Seita, make my first deck.โ
The way she said that.
I really wish sheโd stop talking like that.
I sensed a few people around us reacting.
I cleared my throat and picked up a pre-built deck for beginners.
โI think this one will be easy to handle. The gameplay is straightforward, and itโs easy to customize.โ
โThen Iโll take that.โ
โThat was a quick decision.โ
โBecause Seita picked it for me.โ
Hoshimiya happily hugged the deck to her chest.
Next, I selected a few cards for customization.
I avoided anything too expensive. It wouldnโt be right to recommend expensive cards to a beginner right off the bat. I chose cards that were cheap, easy to use, and could clearly reinforce the deckโs gameplay.
Hoshimiya listened intently to his explanation.
โWhat about this card?โ
โItโs a card that stops your opponentโs moves.โ
โInterference?โ
โThatโs right. But if you use it at the wrong time, itโs weak.โ
โJust like Seita.โ
โAm I an interference card?โ
โSeita says heโs weak, but sometimes he stops my heart.โ
โPlease stop using such alarming expressions.โ
Hoshimiya laughed cheerfully.
Finally, it was time to choose card sleeves.
Hoshimiya stood in front of the shelf, clearly torn. Cute ones, simple ones, anime-style ones. After looking at various options, she picked up a pale sky-blue sleeve.
โIโll take this one.โ
โThatโs very Hoshimiya-like.โ
โIs it?โ
โYour profile picture was a photo of the sky, too.โ
When I said that, Hoshimiyaโs eyes widened for just a moment.
Then, her cheeks flushed slightly.
โYou remembered that?โ
โWell, it left an impression on me.โ
โI see.โ
Hoshimiya held the sleeve close to her chest.
โIf Seita remembers, Iโll go with this one.โ
Once again, the atmosphere around us took a strangely sweet turn.
I pretended not to hear a thing.
When it came time to pay, I went to take out my wallet.
But Hoshimiya shook her head immediately.
โIโll pay for this.โ
โBut Iโm the one who picked it out.โ
โThatโs exactly why I want to buy it myself. Because I want the thing Seita chose for me to be mine.โ
It felt heavy.
But when she put it that way, I had no choice but to back down.
Hoshimiya bought the pre-built deck, customization cards, and sleeves with her own money. The clerk looked a little nervous right up until the very end.
โปใโปใโป
When we stepped outside, the sky had turned completely to dusk.
Orange light streamed through the gaps between the cityโs buildings. Holding the card shop bag, Hoshimiya took a deep breath in front of the store.
Then she turned toward me.
โSeita!โ
โYes?โ
โLetโs have a match sometime! I want to see your deck!โ
Hoshimiyaโs eyes sparkled with genuine excitement.
The anxiety and gloomy expression sheโd had just moments ago were now almost completely gone. Her face showed pure joy at finally getting to experience something her childhood friend loved.
โAlright. I accept the challenge.โ
โYay!โ
โBut first, weโll have to go over the rules.โ
โYeah. You teach me, Seita.โ
โMake sure you remember them properly.โ
โI will. Both you and the cards.โ
โIโm not a rulebook.โ
โBut youโre important, so Iโll remember.โ
Saying that, Hoshimiya clutched the bag as if it were precious.
Seeing her like that, I couldnโt help but smile a little.
A top idol, buying a beginnerโs deck at a card shop in the city and looking so happy.
A few days ago, I wouldnโt have been able to imagine such a scene.
For a while after that, rumors began to circulate at that card shop: โAn incredibly stunning beauty came in,โ โShe looked like Hoshimiya Rino,โ โNo, it was actually her.โ
Of course, the unremarkable boy standing next to her was mentioned as an afterthought as well.
But I wouldnโt find out about that until a little later.
Maigetsu