Her eyes uncontrollably brimmed with a sour sensation, and Yanami Anna forcefully sniffed, suppressing the tears that were about to spill.
She absolutely would not cry.
She had already shed enough tears for that idiot Hakamada Sousuke; she didn't want to cry in this place for another man, especially a scoundrel who had just kissed her and then ran off.
It was too embarrassing.
She haphazardly wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, but the grievance and disappointment of being suddenly pushed away still weighed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
No.
When Imaizumi-kun left just now… he seemed a little strange.
Yanami Anna tried hard to recall.
His breathing had seemed very rapid, his cheeks unnaturally red, and his gaze was constantly evasive, completely avoiding looking at her.
Where was his usual composure in that state?
It was clearly…
A disheveled appearance of fleeing in panic.
At this thought, Yanami Anna's sense of disappointment suddenly dissipated by more than half, replaced by a secret delight, as if she had discovered some incredible secret.
Could it be that…
He was actually very nervous too?
Even more nervous than herself?
Was it because that was also his… first kiss?
This guess made Yanami's heart race uncontrollably.
"Pfft."
Yanami Anna finally couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
So that nasty guy, who always acts like he knows everything and doesn't care about anything, actually has such a pure side to him.
Thinking about it that way, his action of pushing her away just now didn't seem so hard to accept anymore.
It even made her feel that he was a little... cute.
Yanami Anna let out a long sigh of relief, and her mood suddenly brightened.
She slowly packed up her finished and cooled bento box, carefully wrapping it in a cloth.
After finishing all this, she wasn't in a hurry to leave, but instead looked up toward the school building.
For some reason, she suddenly wanted to go to the rooftop of the Old School Building.
She rarely went there before, having only heard from friends that it was the place with the best view in school, where one could overlook the entire campus.
...
The iron door leading to the rooftop wasn't locked, just left ajar.
Yanami Anna gave it a gentle push, and a wave of heat mixed with the scent of sunlight and fine dust rushed toward her.
The rooftop was empty in the afternoon, appearing exceptionally spacious.
She walked to the railing and looked down.
The Sports Field, the school buildings, the Gymnasium... the scenery of the entire campus was laid out before her eyes.
Her gaze was naturally drawn to the three red plastic tracks on the Sports Field.
During the lunch break, the members of the Track and Field Club weren't resting, still undergoing rigorous training.
A familiar figure soon stood out from the group of boys and girls shedding sweat.
Shioyaki Lemon was speeding along the track with an extremely explosive posture, her vigorous figure easily overtaking one teammate after another.
Every arm swing and every step off the ground was full of power and beauty, making her whole person radiate a brilliance that made it impossible to look away.
Looking at Lemon like this, the image of that despondent figure she had seen at the classroom door a few days ago involuntarily surfaced in Yanami Anna's mind.
Even though Lemon was so dazzling and amazing on the Sports Field, she was also a loser in terms of feelings, just like herself.
A wave of inexplicable and complex emotions surged in Yanami Anna's heart.
However...
After Shioyaki Lemon crossed the finish line, she propped her hands on her knees, gasping for breath as sweat slid down her young and energetic cheeks.
Although Lemon began to be gradually caught and eventually overtaken by the taller boys in the second round, she maintained her defiant look throughout.
I can't just give up like this either.
Whether it's being dumped by Sousuke or having my heart race because of that guy Imaizumi, none of it is a reason to stop.
When it comes to feelings, I should be like Lemon running—no matter how tired I am ahead, no matter if I might fall, I have to charge forward with all my might.
Her relationship with Imaizumi-kun is only just beginning now.
Things like "pretending to be a couple" or "lover-style practice"...
Those excuses that are like children playing house are no longer enough.
She wanted more.
Yanami Anna took a deep breath as if she had made some kind of decision, and that sunny, brilliant smile of hers reappeared on her face.
Taking the initiative to deepen her relationship with Imaizumi starts today!
Just as she was secretly cheering herself on, Shioyaki Lemon on the Sports Field seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up toward the rooftop.
But Yanami Anna had already turned her gaze away.
Her gaze fell upon the shade of the trees on the other side of the Sports Field.
There, Ayano Mitsuki and Asagumo Chihaya were sitting side by side, laughing and chatting about something.
...
After that accidental kissing incident, Imaizumi Keita seemed to have truly begun deliberately keeping his distance from Yanami Anna.
On the bench in the courtyard during lunch break, he no longer leaned over to tease her at every turn as he used to, nor did he use various excuses to have intimate physical contact with her.
A polite yet distant safe distance always remained between the two.
In the Literature Club's activity room, he completely put a stop to any form of "whispering" with her.
Most of the time, he sat by the window alone, a brand-new notebook spread out before him as he held a pen, sometimes writing furiously and sometimes frowning in deep thought.
Although Yanami Anna felt somewhat confused and dissatisfied with his unusual behavior, she didn't act as troublesome as before.
Perhaps because of that kiss, or perhaps because of her self-encouragement on the rooftop that day, her mindset had undergone a subtle change.
Even without those intimate contacts that made her heart race, as long as she could stay by his side quietly like this, watching his profile as he thought seriously, and hearing the rustling of his pen across the paper, her heart would be filled with a sense of security.
This feeling was very wonderful and very grounding.
A wordless understanding formed between the two.
Neither of them mentioned the kiss again, nor did they try to define what stage their current relationship was in.
They continued to get along under the name of "pretending to be a couple," enjoying this quiet time alone.
This afternoon, the Literature Club's activity room was as quiet as ever.
The President and Vice President had slipped away early again for some "urgent matter," while Koma Chihana still hid herself behind her books.
Yanami Anna was listlessly flipping through a light novel with a cute cover, but her gaze kept involuntarily drifting toward the figure writing by the window.
It seems... he's writing a novel?
Ever since that kiss, he had always been sitting here writing whenever he had free time.
What on earth is he writing?
Yanami was extremely curious and subconsciously wanted to peek, but in the end, she still spoke up to ask.
"Imaizumi-kun, are you writing a novel?"
"Yeah."
"Can I see it? I'm really curious."
"Be good. I'll show you when I finish the first volume."
Imaizumi Keita didn't even look up as he spoke the words of refusal, causing Yanami to grumble internally.
Humph!
Stupid Imaizumi!
You'd better hope you get a chance to beg me to read it!
But then again, what is he actually writing?
Seeing that serious yet slightly smirking look of his, could he be writing something with me as the prototype...
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