122 - Ayaka Tōjō's Struggles⑥

RAW

Haruto’s singing echoed throughout the karaoke room.

Is this what people mean when they say their ears feel blessed?

The enka song he was singing was a famous one—I’d heard it a few times on TV music programs. The lyrics portrayed a bittersweet yet fiery love story.

When I imagined Haruto singing those lyrics as if they were directed at me, I felt a warmth bubbling up from deep within, an indescribable mix of emotions that made my heart race.

I wished I could listen to his singing forever...

But, to my dismay, Haruto’s performance ended in about five minutes. Feeling a tinge of disappointment, I clapped enthusiastically.

Then Saki turned to me with a playful grin.

“I’ve never seen anyone sing enka at karaoke before,” she teased.

“It’s my first time too, but I think Haruto was amazing!” I replied earnestly.

“Well, it was good, but still... seeing a high schooler in uniform singing enka—it’s just amusing. By the way, Ayaka, your face looks kind of red.”

“Huh? D-Does it? Maybe it’s just a little hot in here.”

If I told her I was imagining Haruto and me in the song’s story, she’d definitely tease me mercilessly.

“Should we lower the AC temperature a bit?” she offered.

“N-No, I’m fine! Oh, I’ll grab a drink!” I said quickly, grabbing my glass, which was about a third full, to escape her questioning gaze.

At that moment, Akagi walked over to Saki with a microphone. “Your turn, Aizawa-san.”

“Thanks. Hmm, what should I sing next...” Saki muttered as she browsed the song list.

I stood up and asked, “Saki, want me to grab a drink for you while I’m at it?”

“Nope, I’m good. I’ll grab one after I finish singing.”

“Alright. Does anyone else need something to drink?” I turned to ask the others.

“No, I’m good,” Haruto said.

“Same here,” added Akagi.

“Oh, I could get a drink. Ayaka-senpai, let’s go together!” Shizuku stood up, holding her empty glass.

“I can grab yours for you, Shizuku.”

“No way! It’d be terrible of me to make my senior fetch my drink.”

“Do you really feel that way?” I asked skeptically.

“Of course! Not even a little bit,” she replied with a straight face.

“Hey!” I puffed out my cheeks in mock annoyance but couldn’t help smiling. Somehow, I’d expected this response.

“Alright then, let’s go together, Shizuku.”

“Aye aye, captain!” she said, giving a halfhearted salute as we left for the drink bar.

The drink bar was at the end of the hallway, near the elevator. As we walked, Shizuku called out from behind me.

“Ayaka-senpai.”

“Yeah? What’s up, Shizuku?”

“Thanks for inviting me today,” she said, bowing her head slightly.

Her sudden sincerity made me a little wary. This girl never acts straightforwardly without an ulterior motive.

“What’s with this sudden gratitude?” I asked cautiously.

Shizuku paused for a moment before speaking again. “You were the one who invited Haruto-senpai today, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I thought that now that you can talk to him at school, I’d be seen as a nuisance and cast aside.”

“I’d never do something so awful!”

I immediately denied her words, and she tilted her head in genuine surprise.

“Really?”

“Of course! Thanks to you, I was able to connect with Haruto at school. You’re my savior! There’s no way I’d toss you aside like some tool I’m done with.”

“...Ayaka-senpai, you’re surprisingly loyal.”

“Surprisingly? I think most people wouldn’t do something that mean.”

“You’d be surprised. There are plenty of people who do terrible things without batting an eye.”

“What kind of dark past do you have, Shizuku?”

She let out a sly chuckle. “It’s a secret. A mysterious woman with a shadowy past sounds cool, doesn’t it?”

“Not really,” I said, laughing as I poured myself some orange juice.

“Anyway, no matter what you say, Shizuku, you’re still my savior. And besides...” I turned to her with a smile, holding my glass carefully.

“We’re best friends, right?”

I remembered how she’d declared that we should become “forever besties” the first time we spoke. At first, I was taken aback by her boldness, but as we spent more time together, I realized that, despite her quirks, Shizuku was a wonderful person. Now, I genuinely wanted to be close to her.

When I smiled at her, she pouted slightly and began filling her glass with ginger ale.

“You’re unfair, Ayaka-senpai.”

“Huh?”

“You’re gorgeous, kind, and now you’re even saying sweet things like that. It’s unfair. And... you’re so... big.”

“Big?” I tilted my head, not understanding her point.

She gave me a sideways glance and smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re unaware of the havoc you’re wreaking with your... assets? You’re not... unintentionally smothering Haruto-senpai with them, are you?”

“W-Wha—! I-I’d never do that!” I stammered, flustered.

“Really?”

“Really!”

Her suspicious gaze lingered for a moment before she finally looked away, picked up her filled glass, and faced me.

“Ayaka-senpai.”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Let’s stay besties forever, okay?”

“...Of course, Shizuku.”

Though her expression remained neutral, I sensed a hint of shyness. Maybe I was beginning to understand the subtleties of her expressions. That thought made me smile.

Raising her glass toward me, she said, “To eternal friendship.”

“To eternal friendship,” I echoed, clinking my plastic cup against hers. The dull sound made us both laugh.

With our drinks refilled, we headed back to the karaoke room.

“By the way, thanks for the snacks during the study session,” I said. “You left so many behind.”

“No problem... Oh, I left some Pocky, too. Did you and Haruto-senpai enjoy a game of Pocky together afterward?”

“Wha—! W-Well, um...” My face burned as I struggled to answer.

“Oh? So you did play Pocky Game?” she asked, her voice full of mock surprise.

“I-I didn’t!”

“Liar.”

“Ugh...”

“So, how’d it go? Tell me every detail, Ayaka-senpai,” she said with an amused glint in her eye, like a predator cornering its prey.

“I’m not telling you anything!”

“Come on, into the interrogation room,” she teased, opening the karaoke room door.

To me, it looked like the gates to a den of relentless questioning.

“Guys! Ayaka has a juicy story for us!” she announced.

“Oh? What is it?” Saki perked up, her curiosity piqued.

Ugh... and now there are two interrogators.

“Why are you just standing there, Ayaka?” Haruto asked, puzzled by my hesitation.

“...I’m sorry, Haruto,” I muttered.

“For what?”

Before he could get an answer, Saki called me over with a mischievous grin. Reluctantly, I took a seat next to her, bracing myself for what was to come.

As expected, Saki and Shizuku grilled me about the Pocky Game until I was red-faced with embarrassment. Haruto, clueless as ever, just watched in confusion.

Needless to say, I became the center of everyone’s teasing for the rest of the evening.

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Ayaka's Struggle: The Interrogators Are Too Strong...