What If You Spoil a High School Girl Who Looks Like a Landmine? - Volume 1 Chapter 4.8

Fight a monster with a monster 8

“Ah, are you leaving too, Kusakabe-san? What about the soccer club today?”

“I’m the only one taking a break today… I slightly strained my calf muscle yesterday, so I was told I’m not allowed to participate today.”

Upon hearing my response at the school’s exit after classes, my classmate Chifuji-kun’s mature-looking face clouded over.

“Uh… Are you okay?”

“Ah, totally, totally! It’s not a big deal. It’s mostly due to overtraining and accumulated fatigue. It’s like I got told, ‘You seriously need to rest!'”

“I see, that’s a relief then.”

This time, Chifuji-kun let out a sigh of relief.

He’s genuinely a great guy.

“Chifuji-kun, you’re working your part-time job again today?”

“Yes. I’m going to earn some money.”

“That’s amazing~”

Having such a conversation, we walked together for a while and then parted ways at the school gate.

Chifuji-kun, who seems to live within walking distance, and I, who heads to the station, go in entirely different directions.

… Our school, despite being a college-preparatory institution, also promotes excellence in both academics and sports.

There are many prominent clubs, and it’s not uncommon for students like me to be heavily involved in sports.

On the other hand, because it is still a college-preparatory school, I didn’t know anyone else who dedicated their after-school time to part-time jobs as much as Chifuji-kun did.

He doesn’t seem to be planning on going to college, but he probably has his reasons…

With such thoughts on my mind while walking home, I was suddenly interrupted.

“——Kusakabe-san, it’s been a while.”

That voice and figure almost made my heart stop.

A strange sound came from my throat, something like ‘Hyuu.(sfx)’

The person standing before me, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, was…

“…Raihara-san?”

“Yes. Sorry for surprising you out of the blue. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Raihara Amane. A classmate from junior high.

For a period, she was the manager of our club.

Compared to the image in my memory, her body now has more feminine curves, and her face now also possesses beauty on top of retaining its cuteness from back then.

Without a doubt, it’s Raihara-san.

She’s someone I’m very grateful to and, for some reason, a person I feel trauma about.

“It’s fine, it’s…uh, quite a coincidence. Wait, do you live around here?”

“Yeah, well, it’s not really a coincidence… I came to see you, Kusakabe-san. I figured you commute by train, so I thought I’d run into you if I waited along the route to the station.”

She came to see me?… Why?

After all, since graduation, we haven’t been in touch even once.

…Moreover, after the incident which made it seem like she was driven out of the club, we hardly spoke to each other.

Why now, after all this time…

“…Ah!”

“..? Kusakabe-san?”

There is a reason, right?!

That’s right, I just recently talked about Raihara-san.

“Ch-Chifuji-kun.”

Thump! One step closer.

The moment I uttered that name, Raihara-san closed the distance between us.

In the reddening world of the evening with the setting sun casting dark shadows on her, Raihara-san stared intently at me with her big eyes.

They were like a bottomless swamp, mysteriously deep and dark.

“…are you two close?”

“W-well, uh, … he’s, he’s my classmate.”

“Just a classmate, I see… But I’m glad. It was the right decision to come and ask you for a favor.”

“…What do you mean?”

Ask? Did she just say ‘ask for avor’?

Raihara-san did? …I don’t remember anything like that.

“Actually, I’ve been helped by Chifuji-san, and, …I wanted to, …you know, learn a bit more about him.”

Raihara-san said, with a shy expression.

Considering her stunningly beautiful face, it should unquestionably look cute, but for some reason, I can’t simply see it that way.

“And then, I remembered that Kusakabe-san went to the same high school as Chifuji-san. You know, in our school, almost everyone advances internally using the elevator system, so it was rare, and that’s why I remembered you.”

“Ah, yes…wait, you didn’t come here to be angry, did you?”

“Angry? Why?”

“Well, because I, um, told Chifuji-kun about what happened during our junior high club activities without thinking…”

“…Is that so?”

Wait, did I just dig my own grave? No, did I just put my foot in my mouth?

But, right, Chifuji-kun isn’t the type of person who would spread around that someone told him something like that, is he?

“…I see, Chifuji-san… he knew.”

“I-I’m, I’m sorry… It was my fault…!”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not something to hide… rather, I’m glad you told him.”

…She’s not angry?

Well, I’ve never seen Raihara-san angry in the first place… But the reason I find her intimidating isn’t because she’s probably very scary when she’s mad.

It’s because she’s so kind, so overwhelmingly so.

“But, still… I’m really sorry for talking without permission…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it… But you see, I’m sorry too. I want to ask you to ‘talking without permission’ again…”

“Ah…”

“Could you please do it for me?”

Can I… refuse?

“I’ve been in the same class as Chifuji-kun since my first year and now in my third year. I know him as a classmate, but…”

“I want to hear it, please tell me. I want to know about Chifuji-san from Kusakabe-san’s perspective.”

Moving to a bench in a nearby park and sitting side by side, Raihara-san says in a quiet voice.

“Also, if possible, tell me everything you remember… Can you tell me?”

Can I? This is tough…

“I’m sorry, I don’t have that good of a memory… But, Raihara-san… you like Chifuji-kun, I guess? Just to confirm that…”

“That… yes.”

Really?

She’s so straightforwardly cute… Cute, but also really sultry…

“…What about Kusakabe-san?”

“Huh? No, no, no! I’m not! I’m just a friend. A really good one, at that.”

“I see… That’s good.”

Raihara-san seems relieved.

I’m also glad I don’t have to compete with such a beauty over a guy.

By the way, looking at Raihara-san now, I truly feel that it’s not about whether I can win or lose against her, but that making her an enemy would be a really bad idea.

“As for Chifuji-kun… Like I mentioned earlier, he’s a good guy, isn’t he? He’s kind and considerate, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him genuinely angry.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

She seems pleased.