"Senpai, I'm sorry. I messed up…"
As the two senior girls in the Service Club packed their things and prepared to leave, Iroha quietly approached Yuu and bowed her head, sincerely admitting her mistake.
"I'm sorry for making the atmosphere so awkward."
"It has nothing to do with you. Yui proposed the match, and I answered the questions. You don't need to apologize." Yuu flicked her forehead once. Then, before Iroha could smile in relief, he used his other hand with added force.
*SMACK!*
"But I still need to settle the score with you for making me the butt of the joke."
"Ugh!" Iroha yelped, clutching her forehead. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. "You said it had nothing to do with me! Senpai, you have no chivalrous spirit, attacking your sweet sixteen-year-old junior like this…"
She hid behind Kanade, who had been silently observing everything. Pointing at him angrily, she said, "President, expel him from school! The reason: brutally attacking a junior!"
"I'm not president yet." Kanade said lightly. She looked at them both. Her expression didn't change much, only the corners of her lips curved slightly, and a faint smile appeared in her pale golden eyes.
"You two have a really good relationship."
"Huh?" Iroha's eyes widened in disbelief. "Me, with senpai? No way, no way! Even if our senpai-kōhai relationship at school and work is better than with others, calling it a relationship—"
Without letting her finish her long, uninterrupted ramble, Kanade said in a soft but clear voice: "Iroha deliberately came to tease Yuu-senpai because she sensed he was in a bad mood, right? To me, that's a sign of a good relationship."
"…"
Her clear, soft lips parted slightly, as if at a loss for words. Before indescribable embarrassment could color her entire face, Iroha rolled her eyes. She raised her chin, pretending to be proud.
"Of course! So, senpai, are you touched? You still have time to pledge your loyalty to your sweet junior and her care, you know? Hehehe~"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so touched." Yuu said, rolling his eyes. Besides her little devil personality, she's also a bit tsundere? This junior really has it all.
The Service Club's lights were slowly turned off. Yuigahama and Yukino approached, carrying their school bags.
Before that, Iroha suddenly muttered in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible:
"Senpai… That question, were you serious?"
Yuu didn't lower his head to see her expression. He only looked at the gloomy, cold sky outside the window.
"Even if I don't want to, I'll have to do it someday."
No explanation, and he didn't need to explain to anyone.
Not knowing how to handle the increasingly complicated situation, he'd just keep being his usual self and do what needed to be done.
The rest was for others to decide.
The group left the special building.
As if nothing had happened earlier, Yuigahama and Iroha chatted. Yukino occasionally responded with a few words.
Yuu and Kanade followed in silence. One was too lazy to talk, and the other was used to not talking.
Yuigahama occasionally turned to pull Yuu into the conversation. But at those moments, Yukino often shut her mouth and stayed silent. She didn't look at him or respond to his jokes.
Her deliberately cold demeanor made Yuigahama try to speak several times, only to be interrupted by Yuu just in time.
The only one worried about that question was Yukino. And Yuu, as if wanting her to misunderstand, deliberately said nothing. He let her keep her distance.
In the end, Yuigahama gave up a bit and didn't want to deal with it anymore.
The pre-class bell rang. Amid the crowd rushing into the school building, Yuu and the two senior girls bid farewell to the two juniors.
Before leaving, Iroha complained unhappily: "Senpai, come visit the café manager sometime."
Yuu rolled his eyes: "You just want me to cover your shifts, don't you?"
Her sneaky plan was accurately exposed. Iroha didn't feel embarrassed. She just giggled mischievously.
"What can I do~ I'm definitely busier than you lately. I have no time for part-time work. Luckily, the manager just hired some new staff. Otherwise, it'd really be a massive HR crisis."
"Good that you're not short-staffed. I'll stop by and check it out when I have time." Yuu replied nonchalantly.
Iroha pouted slightly: "What kind of attitude is that! If you don't want to come, fine. I won't tell you that all the new staff are cute high school girls…"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly realized it wasn't just her and senpai here.
(Uwaawaa, stupid Iroha-chan! Why are you talking without reading the room like this? Do you want to throw yourself and senpai into the fire…?)
Cold sweat dripped down her forehead.
Her voice cut off as if choked. She sneaked a glance at the two senior girls. Iroha put on a serious face, cleared her throat twice with a tense expression, and raised her hand in a salute.
"Well then, that's it! See you, senpai!"
Yukino crossed her arms and nodded slightly.
Yuigahama waved with a smile: "Bye~ Iroha-chan, Kanade-chan!"
Neither seemed to care about the teasing comment she'd just made to Yuu.
Iroha quietly sighed in relief. Kanade beside her also bowed slightly, gracefully, to the three of them.
"See you, senpai."
Then she raised her small face and looked at Yuu. Her gaze was very serious.
"Yuu-senpai, are you free this weekend?"
Iroha: "?"
"I'm free. What's up?"
Yuu showed the same confused expression as Iroha.
Under everyone's gazes, Kanade spoke calmly, her voice wrapped in firm resolve:
"I want to learn how to cook mapo tofu from you. I want to know when you're available."
Iroha: "???"
(No, Kanade-chan, please read the room, aaaaa!)
(Don't say you want to learn cooking at this awkward moment, in front of us awkward people, ugh!)
(Why are you looking at me like 'what's wrong,' I didn't do anything!)
Iroha's cheeks twitched like they were cramping. She screamed internally. The next second, Yuu's nonchalant voice reached her ears.
"Sure. Come to my place on Sunday. Morning or afternoon, doesn't matter."
The veins on her forehead bulged. Iroha kicked Yuu's butt hard—in her mind, of course.
(I #&§, senpai, you're such a jerk!)
(Why did you just agree? Why did you invite a junior to your house to learn cooking—!!)
(Yukinoshita-senpai was so right when she called you reckless!)
(Didn't you see Yuigahama-senpai's confused expression? And Yukinoshita-senpai starting to sneer again, as if your playboy reputation is getting stronger?!)
(A love triangle is bad enough, and now Kanade-chan's suddenly joining in… Damn it!)
After cursing internally while grinding her teeth, before the atmosphere could get even more awkward and give her, a mere bystander, an ulcer from worrying too much, Iroha suddenly raised her hand. With a sharp glare, she announced loudly:
"I'm coming too! Senpai said he'd teach me how to make desserts!"
"Yui-senpai, Yukinoshita-senpai, come along too!"