On the sports field of Aoyama Saint Academy, Amane Jinguu was, as always, meticulously checking every detail of the sports festival arrangements, making sure that this event would proceed flawlessly.
After confirming there were no problems as dusk approached, she finally relaxed a little and prepared to leave school to go home and practice the piano.
But just then, a conversation between two girls made her stop in her tracks:
“I never expected that Suzuki Yuu would be so clever. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have wasted my time on him.”
“Wasn’t it you, Midori, who said guys like him are easy to manipulate?”
“Well, just look at him—he totally looks like one of those playboy scumbags. Besides, he even said so himself. I thought I could mess with him to disgust Shiraishi Ayaha a little.”
“Do you think maybe he really was a scumbag, but then he met Shiraishi Ayaha and she changed him?”
One of the girls spoke to Ikeda Midori, but their discussion didn’t reach any conclusion:
“No worries. Even if it doesn’t work out with Suzuki Yuu, I’ve got other plans. During the competition, I’ll put a powerful laxative in the water. If she drinks it and still goes up to compete, she’ll make a complete fool of herself.”
They continued scheming, completely unaware that Amane Jinguu had heard every single word of their plan.
A curious gleam flashed in the eyes of the student council president:
“Shiraishi Ayaha… That name is on the tennis match roster, isn’t it?
Judging by what they’re saying, she must be someone Suzuki-kun knows well, maybe even more than just an acquaintance…”
Amane Jinguu’s lips curled in a faint smile, as if she had just come up with a new idea.
By that time, the girls who had been chatting had already walked off into the distance.
Watching their departing figures, Amane Jinguu frowned slightly:
“Come to think of it, if things go the way they want, the student council will have to handle quite a mess, won’t we?”
She was about to call the Disciplinary Committee, but suddenly thought that maybe, just this once, it would be more interesting to let certain people handle this matter themselves.
So she quickly dialed Suzuki Yuu’s number.
At that moment, Suzuki Yuu was carrying medical equipment for tomorrow’s sports festival, having just escaped from the clutches of his troublemaker friends.
Right then, he got a call from Amane Jinguu.
She explained everything she’d overheard.
“As for how they’re planning to carry out their scheme, I don’t know,” Amane Jinguu added at the end of the call.
After he hung up, Suzuki Yuu’s expression stiffened.
He hadn’t expected those girls to stoop so low.
Of course, apart from this incident, something else troubled him even more.
It seemed Amane Jinguu had learned of Shiraishi Ayaha’s existence.
Would this affect Ayaha?
Suzuki Yuu was uneasy—especially with the tennis tournament starting tomorrow.
“Hopefully, nothing bad will happen…”
He comforted himself with a bit of wishful thinking, but by the next morning, when he saw the matchups, he almost gasped aloud.
Shiraishi Ayaha’s name was right there, and her first-round opponent—
[Aoyama Saint Academy Shiina Chisa VS Meinohikari Girls’ High School Shiraishi Ayaha]
When he saw Ayaha’s opponent, Suzuki Yuu was speechless for a moment.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
With a helpless look, he glanced at Shiraishi Ayaha beside him, but her face was as calm as ever.
“Is something wrong?” She noticed the odd expression on Suzuki’s face and asked, curious.
“It’s nothing. I was just wondering if I should ask Chisa to go easy on you.”
“Eh?” Shiraishi Ayaha didn’t get his joke; instead, it sparked a little competitiveness in her. She pressed a fingertip against the boy’s cheek.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Suzuki-kun? I haven’t even played yet and you already think I’ll lose?”
“If it were anyone else, I couldn’t say, but I know exactly how strong Chisa is.”
Suzuki Yuu’s words were unusually serious, and the smile on Ayaha’s face faded a bit. From his solemn expression, she could tell he wasn’t joking.
“Is she… really that amazing?” Ayaha whispered, feeling a surge of pressure. Her mind flashed back to the pretty girl eating pudding in the café the other day.
“She…” For a moment, Suzuki Yuu didn’t know how to describe her, so he cleared his throat and said, “Anyway, just do your best.”
Seeing the boy in front of her so worried, Shiraishi Ayaha suddenly felt a bit happy. She reached out and pinched his cheek in return, beaming as she said:
“Alright, don’t look so glum! This is my match. Even if I lose, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
Hearing her words, Suzuki Yuu was still a little worried but said nothing more. At that moment, he took her hand and said:
“By the way, Ayaha,” he lowered his voice, glancing at the crowd around them, “I have something else to tell you. When we go to the arena, stay with me at all times, and don’t drink water from anyone but me.”
“Eh?” Ayaha had wanted to ask why, but when she saw the seriousness in Suzuki Yuu’s expression, she swallowed her question and nodded obediently. “Okay, I got it. I trust you, Suzuki-kun.”
Seeing her agree so readily, Suzuki Yuu finally felt a little at ease.
But just then, a voice sounded from behind him:
“Yuu.”
Suzuki Yuu stiffened instantly.
He stopped what he was doing almost by instinct and turned around slowly.
Shiina Chisa had already changed into a spotless white tennis skirt and was holding a racket, standing there expressionless as she looked at him.
But her gaze didn’t rest on Suzuki Yuu—it went past him, landing on Shiraishi Ayaha beside him.
“Hello.” Shiina Chisa spoke, her voice soft, yet the noise around them seemed to quiet down a notch.
“Ah, hello!” Ayaha, intimidated by her powerful aura, bowed nervously. “P-please take care of me!”
“The pastries you bought the other day were delicious. I really liked them.”
“Thank you for the compliment…” Ayaha replied cautiously.
“Relax. When we’re on court, just think of it as a friendly match. I’ll probably drop by the café again sometime.”
Chisa’s tone was calm, almost comforting.
Ayaha took a moment to realize what she meant, then forced herself to respond with composure:
“I… I’ll do my best! And the White Birch Café always welcomes you!”
Chisa’s gaze shifted from Ayaha back to Suzuki Yuu:
“Yuu, will you stay with me for a while later?”
Hearing this, Ayaha was surprised and turned her gaze to Shiina Chisa.
Aren’t they just rental acquaintances?
She felt confused, and suddenly a sense of unease rose in her heart.
At that moment, Suzuki Yuu looked at Ayaha at his side, then at Chisa, and replied with a wry smile:
“I’m afraid I can’t this time.”
No sooner had he finished than he noticed a fleeting trace of disappointment and anger in Chisa’s eyes.
But in the next instant, everything returned to normal.
“Alright,” Chisa nodded silently, looking a little downcast, then quickly turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Suzuki Yuu wiped the sweat from his forehead. With things as they were today, he really couldn’t make a choice.
He immediately thought of the person responsible for these arrangements and sighed deeply:
“Amane Jinguu…”