Xiao Chun Miura ultimately didn’t take any action.
She just lingered a little longer outside the tennis court, and the girls standing outside the venue—dressed in different school uniforms, a bit younger, probably middle schoolers—had already turned their gaze toward her.
This group of girls had just been speaking words of admiration for “Kondo-senpai.”
If they were acquaintances of Kondo Haruka and later told her they had seen her, that wouldn’t be good.
Besides, even if these two girls didn’t say anything, or left right now, there was no reason for her to force herself to stay.
If Kondo Haruka and Kanzaki Sou were together playing tennis, then for the rest of the afternoon, Kondo Haruka would practically monopolize all of Kanzaki Sou’s personal time.
They’d be together while playing, together during breaks, and even after club activities ended and on the way home from school.
She had neither the time nor the possibility to have an ideal one-on-one conversation with Kanzaki Sou.
Moreover, based on Kanzaki Sou’s attitude during their previous coincidental conversation, there was no need for her to stay any longer.
She didn’t want to see that sharp gaze from Kondo Haruka either.
However, Xiao Chun Miura’s mood when leaving was very clear, with nothing ambiguous about it.
She was simply “unwilling.”
If things were as before, Kanzaki Sou should be working part-time with her at the Library’s front desk right now.
Yet, on the very afternoon when they paused work for the first time, he was with Kondo Haruka playing tennis.
Realizing this, a strong emotion surged within Xiao Chun Miura.
It couldn’t be called jealousy, nor did it have anything to do with possessiveness.
She was just simply “unwilling.”
These past few days, in order to survive in the deadlock declared by the System, Xiao Chun Miura had done many things she wasn’t good at and didn’t want to do.
She didn’t want to get involved in Kanzaki Sou and Kondo Haruka’s relationship, nor did she want to be seen as an enemy or even disliked by people she didn’t care about.
The reason she did all this, the reason she had come this far, the reason she hadn’t given up—
It was nothing more than the hope to keep living.
—I didn’t do anything wrong, so why must I powerlessly head toward a deadlock after being dragged into such an unexpected situation?
It makes no sense.
So, a considerable part of the original motivation behind Xiao Chun Miura’s actions was also “unwillingness.”
Not wanting to die was an undeniable truth, but at the same time, not wanting to die in such an unwilling way was just as real.
Even if it meant social death, the girl was mentally prepared to achieve her goal.
Though she hadn’t completely overcome her inner barriers, Xiao Chun Miura had nonetheless built up a certain resolve.
She overcame her introversion and reluctance to be noticed, and crossed the instinctive resistance she once felt toward certain situations—accomplishing things her old self would never have been able to do.
But now, Kondo Haruka’s lively figure was jumping around in her field of vision.
Objectively speaking, one might think she was a vibrant girl, like a little bunny…
But in Xiao Chun Miura’s heart, Kondo Haruka at this moment only served to make her constantly aware of “Kanzaki Sou’s” presence.
For a while, only one sentence remained in her heart.
—I absolutely won’t let you take Kanzaki Sou so easily.
Even though I’ve already done so much, and thought about what to do next.
Even though I’m relieved to still have hope and that the situation isn’t completely hopeless.
Yet the emotion surging inside me grows stronger, telling me—until I’ve tried my hardest, I’ll never willingly accept any failure.
During the Sports Day, whether or not Kanzaki Sou would get together with Kondo Haruka through that key Goodwill Event—
***
I can’t do anything about it now—because I don’t even know what that key Goodwill Event is.
But, even if Kanzaki Sou follows the Sports Day plot and steps onto Kondo Haruka’s Personal Route in the end, it should only be after I’ve carried out my original plan and still failed to stop Kanzaki Sou…or rather, Kondo Haruka’s actions—only after all that, could I possibly accept it.
—Only then could I possibly accept such a conclusion.
If Kondo Haruka tries to treat Kanzaki Sou as her own before everything is settled…presuming a relationship has already been established,
I will never accept it.
As the setting sun sank below the horizon, its orange glow spread across the layered Sports Ground.
Kanzaki Sou was wiping sweat from the back of his neck with a white towel hanging from the net.
“Sou-kun, thanks for being my practice partner today~”
“No problem. Since you’re participating in the match, and I have nothing to do this afternoon, it’s fine being your accompanying player.”
Sitting on a bench by the court, Kanzaki Sou glanced over at the sound.
Kondo Haruka was also wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Her damp hair was tousled by the dry towel, clinging slightly to her forehead and temples, then brushed behind her ear by her movement.
The chestnut-red curls of the childhood friend girl looked beautiful under the sunset, and her rosy complexion added a moist glow.
If it were an ordinary unfamiliar boy of the same age, he might well have been moved by the sight.
But Kanzaki Sou seemed accustomed to it and was completely unaffected by the beautiful scene.
He just looked at Kondo Haruka, then turned away, picked up a sports drink from the ground, and tossed it to his childhood friend.
“Here.”
“Oh! Thanks~”
The bright smile on the girl’s pretty face was equally heartwarming.
But this time, Kanzaki Sou didn’t even look.
While wiping away sweat, he started scrolling through his phone.
He already knew what Kondo Haruka looked like when she smiled, cried, sulked, or got angry.
Other people might find Kondo Haruka’s reactions rare or special, but to Kanzaki Sou, they were completely unremarkable.
This is what it means to grow up together as childhood friends.
No matter how charming the other person is at times, you don’t constantly keep their attractive traits in your mind.
“Hey, Sou-kun, want to play another quick game? I can go for a bit longer.”
“Still want to play? Today’s training load is pretty heavy…”
Responding while idly checking his messages, Kanzaki Sou glanced at the time on his phone.
“At this hour—normally we’d have finished a long time ago.”
“Well, isn’t it a rare chance to practice with you?”
Kondo Haruka said, “Of course I want a few more rounds.”
“You…”
Kanzaki Sou shook his head helplessly.
That’s how childhood friends are.
Sometimes, even if what they say doesn’t make sense or makes you want to retort, childhood friends are just the type to say dumb things together.
At least, that’s how Kanzaki Sou saw Kondo Haruka.
—Accompanying her in her foolishness was sometimes inevitable.
“Then let’s play one more game and go home. No problem?”
“Okay!”
With that, Kanzaki Sou was about to stand up.
But just as he was about to lock the screen and put down his phone, his hand hesitated, keeping the phone’s screen within his view.
So before he locked the screen, he happened to catch a message at the top of his phone.
The app was LIME.
The sender was [Xiao Chun Miura].
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