Chapter 55: I can’t run away this time.

“小 Aoi? Is something the matter? Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?”

The first to regain her composure was Jingū Amane, who immediately responded and gestured for her to come in.

Hasegawa Aoi took a few steps back, but her eyes remained fixed on Suzuki Yū.

“No… It’s fine, really.”

She stammered out her words, but Jingū Amane still stood up, smiling as she walked over, about to pull her inside.

“Sorry for bothering you!”

With a loud “bang,” the door was slammed shut, followed by the hurried sound of running footsteps.

Suzuki Yū was still a bit bewildered, but after a moment he finally realized what had happened.

He looked at the girl beside him, eyes wide, and asked in disbelief:

“Was her coming here also part of your plan?”

“If I said it wasn’t, would you believe me?”

Jingū Amane smiled wryly, as if she too felt a bit helpless.

Seeing this, Suzuki Yū stood up, about to go after Hasegawa Aoi.

But just then, he was suddenly pulled back. He turned around to see Jingū Amane holding onto him.

“President Jingū, what are you…”

“Until this guidance is finished, you’re not going anywhere.” Her tone was light and teasing.

“But Hasegawa-senpai, she…”

“Other than being club friends, do you and she have any other special relationship?”

Just as Suzuki Yū was about to argue, Jingū Amane cut him off.

“Uh…” Suzuki Yū was momentarily speechless.

“If there’s nothing especially important between you two, then why go to so much trouble? Suzuki-kun, you should know—trying to satisfy everyone is impossible, you know~”

A heavenly smile suddenly spread across Jingū Amane’s face, but she spoke with a devilish, infectious cadence.

“This…” Suzuki Yū suddenly felt his throat go dry.

“In that case, Suzuki-kun, why don’t you fulfill my request first? After all, I am your employer. At the very least, you should finish my guidance before you leave.”

Seeing her pull out the agreement again, Suzuki Yū knew he couldn’t escape.

He had no idea what Jingū Amane was plotting now, but he was certain it was nothing good.

But right now, it wasn’t the time to be thinking about that.

With a sigh, Suzuki Yū sat back down on the piano bench, restoring the distance between them to how it had been before.

“A wise choice, Suzuki-kun.” She spoke softly, as if praising an obedient student.

“Well then, shall we continue? Your hand position for the C major scale was still off just now.”

Her hand once again covered the back of his, her tone gentle as she began to explain.

Hasegawa Aoi almost fled back to the Music Club’s activity room—only here did she feel safe.

The moment she saw that scene just now, her emotions were like riding a roller coaster: first shocked, then angry, then disappointed, and now, just plain sulking.

She didn’t even know why she was so angry, but just picturing Suzuki Yū and Jingū Amane sitting together made her feel annoyed.

“Was she…teaching Yū-kun piano just then?”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

If it’s about learning, she could teach him too!

Does Suzuki Yū not trust her?

That guy, he’s always humiliating her—so infuriating!

Originally, after seeing the Journalism Club’s article today, she had planned to go to the Student Council to clear things up with Jingū Amane and clear Yū-kun’s name.

But the moment she entered, she witnessed something so stifling.

So the Journalism Club’s article wasn’t wrong at all!

She thought to herself, finally drawing a firm conclusion, and mumbled:

“He really is…such a jerk!”

Thinking this, Hasegawa Aoi flopped down on the sofa, ready to continue gaming.

But she just couldn’t focus; the character she was controlling kept dying repeatedly.

As time passed, her emotions gradually calmed. The sulking faded, replaced by unwillingness, grievance, and even a bit of fear.

She found herself unable to make sense of her feelings. Just moments ago, she was so angry, yet now she desperately wanted to see Suzuki Yū.

In the end, no matter what Suzuki Yū did, it was his own choice—it really didn’t have much to do with her. At most, they were just good friends in the same club.

Thinking that, Hasegawa Aoi felt even more conflicted.

Her mind drifted, recalling the times she’d spent with Suzuki Yū lately.

For no reason at all, the thought of their mountain hike popped into her head.

If, in the future, she never saw Suzuki Yū again, what would happen?

She didn’t dare imagine.

Tossing the controller aside, she lay on the sofa, covering her eyes with her arm, and muttered:

“Seems like…I really can’t bear to part with Yū-kun…”

The moment that thought appeared, Hasegawa Aoi startled herself.

“Can’t bear to?”

She shook her head hard, trying to shake out such a ridiculous idea.

Wasn’t it the handsome guys in her games she liked? Or the muscular hunks from those magazine covers? Who did Suzuki Yū think he was? Just a decent-looking, somewhat clever, infuriating, and always attracting girls “jerk” of a junior!

But…

Thump, thump.

Her heart was pounding. Could it be…?

“No, no, no, impossible!”

Hasegawa Aoi sprang up from the sofa, grabbed the controller, and tried to throw herself back into the game. But the blood-red “YOU DIED” on the screen was more glaring than ever.

“Damn it!”

Irritated, she turned off the game, pacing restlessly around the activity room.

Finally, she slumped back onto the sofa with a sigh, her mind a jumble.

She had never been good at thinking about these things.

Right now, with Suzuki Yū still absent from the activity room, her thoughts began to drift elsewhere.

“Come to think of it, maybe I misunderstood Yū-kun. What if Jingū forced him to stay? Didn’t they have some kind of rental agreement…?”

At that thought, she paused, a new idea suddenly popping into her head:

“Could I make Yū-kun sign a contract like that with me, too?”

Her heart beat faster and faster. Once that idea formed, she couldn’t let it go.

“But how would I even bring it up?”

With that thought, she sank back into frustration.

Besides, Shiina Chisa and Jingū Amane both come from such ridiculously wealthy families. Her family was rich too, but there was just no comparing to those two.

Based on Suzuki Yū’s selection criteria, would she even qualify?

Just the thought of competing with those two made her lose confidence.

But she really did want Suzuki Yū to stay by her side…

With that in mind, she quickly cast aside her earlier timid thoughts, her eyes now brimming with determination like a warrior heading to battle:

“No, no matter what, I absolutely can’t run away this time!”

And just as she was silently making up her mind, the door to the activity room was pushed open.