Chapter 35 At a Deserted Place

At a Deserted Place

“Today was the first time in my life that I was late for school. What a mess. Yakumo-san seemed to make it on time. Well, it was to be expected at that pace.”

Sou had come to his own conclusion.

After the long first period, he went to break and left his classroom immediately.

As a result of running from home to school, the sweat that had gushed all over his body had subsided, but his throat was still extremely thirsty. His body craved some drink for hydration.

So he went from his classroom to the vending machine on the first floor. The vending machine was right at the entrance. It was where he had met Haruki before.

He walked down the stairs with slow steps and reached the first floor.

He walked through the hallway on the first floor at a steady pace and arrived at his destination—the vending machine right next to the entrance.

There are no students in front of the machine. Unlike before, Haruki is nowhere to be seen.

Before he inserts a coin, he looks at each drink in the machine and examines them carefully. First, he starts from the top row, moving his eyes from left to right to check the drinks. Next, he moves his eyes to the second row.

He looks all the way to the last row.

However, Sou shows no sign of putting a coin into the machine. He hasn’t even taken his wallet out of his blazer pocket. He looks at the drinks in the machine with a somewhat dissatisfied look.

“No good. There’s nothing I want to drink. I’ll buy it at another machine.”

He looks away from the machine in front of him and moves away from the entrance.

Normally he would have bought barley tea without hesitation, but today he is not in the mood for barley tea. He was in the mood for carbonated juice.

Unfortunately, the machine at the entrance didn’t sell them.

“I have no choice. I’ll go to the vending machine near the main gate. It’s a bit far though.”

Still wearing his school slippers, Sou decides on his next destination.

“It’s hot. It’s the middle of April, right? Maybe it’s reasonable heat.”

Exposed to the sun, he walks to the main gate, his feet on the scorching concrete floor.

From the entrance to the main gate, he didn’t see any students or teachers. It was break time, but they were avoiding the heat and spending their time productively inside the air-conditioned school building.

“Oh. That’s it. Please sell carbonated juice.”

He reaches the vending machine near the front gate and takes in the products lined up in the machine.

He quickly found the carbonated juice he wanted. There was Fanta Grape and MOTCH (モッチ).

He took out a folding wallet from his uniform blazer and inserted some coins.

The machine quietly spits out the clicking sound of coins being inserted. He inserts a 100-yen coin, a 50-yen coin, and a 10-yen coin, for a total of 160 yen.

“I think this is a good place. No one will see us here.”

From about three meters away, an unfamiliar male voice caressed Sou’s eardrums. It was a voice that was neither too low nor too high, with just the right pitch and volume. It was a voice that seemed to appeal to both men and women.

Outside the men’s basketball club room, an unfamiliar male student looks around.

The male student has a shaved head that symbolizes the baseball club, but he doesn’t look tough and exudes the vibe of a good young man. Judging from his face, he seems to have a good personality.

The male student doesn’t see Sou in his field of vision.

Although Sou does not know him at all, he is the ace of the baseball team. On top of that, he has excellent batting skills and is the fourth-best player and the main gun.

“Yeah… It’s perfect….”

Behind the male student was a beautiful girl who seemed reluctant and annoying. It was clear from her expression. That beautiful girl was Mizuki.

“I’m sorry for making you come to such a deserted place during the break after the first period. I have something important to tell you today. Will you listen?”

The male student turns around and looks into Mizuki’s eyes with a serious face. He seems to have made up his mind.

“…Yes. Please….”

With her attitude unchanged from before, Mizuki averts her eyes from the male student, lowers her head, and replies nonchalantly.

“This is…a bit…”

Immediately anticipating what will happen next, Sou hides behind the vending machine. While hiding, he peers out a bit out of curiosity. He can’t take his eyes off what will happen next.

He watches silently and takes in the sight of the male student and Mizuki standing opposite each other in front of the men’s basketball club room.

Immediately after that, Mizuki looked up as if she had made up her mind.

But then Sou’s and Mizuki’s eyes meet as she looks at the vending machine.

Mizuki’s eyes open wide. She looks very surprised.

(Oh no. I’ve been found out!)

It was already too late, but Sou quickly hid behind the vending machine.