I Know That After School, The Saint More Than Just Noble Vol 1

Table of Contents
1. Chapter 1 - Encounter With A Saint

2. Chapter 2 - School Life Begins To Change
3. Chapter 3 - Unexpected Sharing
4. Chapter 4 - Socializing With Classmates
5. Chapter 5 - Interacting With The Saint
6. Chapter 6 - The Distance Between Two
7. Chapter 7 - BBQ On The Long Holiday
8. Chapter 8 - Midnight Merry Go Around
9. Epilogue
10. Afterword
Chapter 1 - Encounter With A Saint
That night, Kuraki Yamato learned that the saint was real.
The time was eleven p.m.
After leaving the convenience store, Yamato walked with a mouthful of

steamed meat buns while feeling chilly from the cold air.
Just as he was beginning to regret only wearing a sweatshirt on an April

night, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.
It was a girl from the same high school as him, Shirase Sayla, he was sure of
it.
It was a dark street, and even though it was almost past the curfew, she was
clearly heading towards the downtown area.
She wasn’t wearing her high school uniform, but a stylish casual outfit
consisting of a gray mountain parka and black shorts. If she dressed that
maturely, she might be able to fool the police.
“… no way.”
I couldn’t help but speak my thoughts out loud.
Yamato, who had been promoted to the second grade of high school just a
week ago, had just been placed in the same class as Sayla.
He has never had a conversation with her before, but he has heard rumors
about her.
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Apparently, she is a solitary person who would rather be alone than make
friends. Everyone calls her “Saint” because of her beautiful appearance and
distinctive name.
Shirase Sayla is indeed an exceptionally beautiful girl, so much so that it’s

understandable why she’s given the nickname Saint.
She has lightly pigmented grayish hair that reaches her shoulders and her
large eyes are shockingly beautiful. Alongside that are her long eyelashes, a
well-defined bridge of the nose, and thin, well-shaped lips. Her neat face with
its golden ratio of eyelashes, snow-white skin, and slim figure makes her a
charming beauty.
However, she doesn’t seem to be arrogant; in fact, she is said to have a

natural and easy-going personality. This is said to be the reason why she has
attracted fans of both sexes.
Even if she was actually playing dangerous games at night, he should not get
involved. After all, Yamato had only become acquainted with her recently.
It’s not as if she’s going to become a delinquent. She may be on her way
home from cram school or a part-time job.
However, Yamato was already curious about her.
Normally, Yamato would have avoided anything that would involve him with
other people, but in this case, pure curiosity got the better of him.
I want to find out why Shirase Sayla is heading towards the downtown area at
this hour. Perhaps it was the fact that her profile, illuminated by the pale
moonlight, looked so buoyant that I thought of it before worrying.
Yamato ran to catch up with Sayla as she walked away, slowly closing the
distance between them.
When he finally caught up with her at the entrance to the downtown area, he
made up his mind and called out to her.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?
Yamato thought he affectionately spoke to her, but his voice sounded very
choked up due to his nervousness.
While Yamato was distracted by his tone, Sayla turned around with her hair
softly blowing against the wind.
“Um, what do you want?
The expression on her face, illuminated by the streetlight, was as cold as the
one he had seen at school some time ago. But she doesn’t seem to be wary of
Yamato.
Thanks to this, Yamato was able to relax his mind and admire Sayla’s
appearance once again.
Her face, so mature that it was hard to believe she was the same age as me,
was as beautiful as the rumors said they were.
In addition, she seemed to be somewhat lovable and charming. I’m sure she
doesn’t have any hostile feelings towards me.
Yamato was impressed by the fact that she was a real beauty. It was the first
time he was able to see Sayla’s face at close range, so he felt refreshed.
After a few seconds of staring at her in silence, she looked away as if she had
lost her nerve.
“If you don’t need me, I’ll be going now.”
Sayla said plainly, and started to walk down the street at night again.
Yamato hurriedly opened his mouth to stall her.
“No, it’s ……, um, you’re Shirase-san from the same class, right? I was
wondering where you were going alone at this hour, so I called out to you.
Were you on your way home by any chance?”
“No, I’m just going into town for a visit. My house is that way.”
Sayla, who was pointing in the opposite direction from where they were
going, was somehow imposing and didn’t seem to be trying to make up for it.
Thinking that he might have been mocked, Yamato clumsily tried to reply.
“But it’s not a good idea, is it? It is dangerous at this time, and you don’t
want to be caught in any sort of trouble. I’d appreciate it if you’d just go
home quietly.”
I didn’t want to tell her this, but …… maybe she was annoyed, or maybe she
was just disappointed. Either way, I thought the conversation was over.
“The night is just beginning, so don’t be so hard on me.”
But Sayla didn’t seem to mind at all and continued without a care in the
world.
“I mean, are you coming?”
“What?”
It was a sudden and unexpected invitation. I had thought that Sayla Shirase
was a solitary person, so I was caught off guard.
I wondered what she was thinking about. It may be impossible to decipher

her true intentions from her elusive manner.
But strangely, I didn’t feel annoyed that I didn’t know. I felt as if my

curiosity had been further stimulated.
The world she was looking at would surely be different from the boring
everyday life that I was seeing. Yamato had an unfounded feeling of
foreboding in his heart.
However, Yamato is not used to receiving this kind of offer.
“……But are you sure? It’s the first time we’ve even talked to each other
properly today.”
Although Yamato, who is classified as a so-called shady character, is

confused, yet Sayla responds in an unconcerned manner.
“But you’re from the same school. I feel like I’ve seen your face before.”
“Which means you don’t remember my name.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at remembering people’s names.”
While apologies come out of her mouth, Sayla’s tone was as unconcerned as
ever.
Yamato couldn’t help but smile when he saw how she was going at her own
pace.
“Huh? Did I say something funny?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I’ll go with you. It’ll be a little safer that way.
And my name is Kuraki Yamato.”
Yamato introduced himself while accepting the invitation, and Sayla smiled
and chuckled.
She was smiling with the neon lights of the downtown area behind her, and
Yamato couldn’t help but look at her as if she had a halo.
(Indeed, she looks like a saint when she smiles. No, I don’t know what the
real thing looks like.)
The scene seemed so precious that he felt he could feel the existence of a
saint. And for some reason, he felt a warmth deep in his chest.
“Let’s go then, Yamato.”
Yamato came to his senses when her husky voice reached his ears.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
The first time a classmate called him by his first name, Yamato’s heart was
thumping loudly.
“Wow, this is really something……”
Yamato shouted as he looked around.
The downtown area at night was all lit up with lights, drunks in suits, excited
college students, and touts strutting their stuff on the street.
Naturally, I couldn’t find any students in uniform. It was a completely

different world from the one during the day.
Unlike Yamato, who became suspicious in the face of an unfamiliar scene,

Sayla seemed to be calm as she walked ahead.
“It’s best not to look around too much, you’ll get tangled up in trouble.”
Sayla, operating her phone with one hand, plainly tells me something
horrible.
“Well, you say that ……”
“Come on, this way.”
Yamato’s heart beats rapidly as Sayla suddenly withdraws her hand.
At the same time, he became aware of the palms of his hands touching each
other.
Her fingertips were thin, smooth, and cool.
Just as he was about to feel annoyed by the noisy throbbing of his heart, an
unpleasant mechanical sound drowned it out.
When he looked up in surprise, he saw that there was an arcade in front of

him. As Yamato and the others stood at the entrance, the automatic door
opened and the sound of the machines in the arcade leaked out.
As they entered the arcade, they saw that even though it was the middle of
the night, the game machines were busy making money and working.
“This place is still the same at midnight, isn’t it?”
Yamato said this in a dumbfounded manner, Sayla tilted her head puzzled.
“Really? It’s usually empty at this time on weekdays, so I think it’s pretty
comfortable.”
“Comfortable, yes……”
The number of customers was indeed small. But the absence of middle and
high school students and families made the presence of flashy-looking
college students and lone customers who seemed to be harboring dark
emotions stand out, and Yamato’s heart was not at ease.
And He’s not just talking about the clientele. The biggest source of anxiety
for Yamato at the moment was the presence of the “shopkeepers”. From the
moment he entered the store, there was a male clerk who stared at him
intently.
It was already around 11 p.m., Yamato’s anxiety was about to reach its peak
as he knew that he would be out of the running if they checked his age.
——Squeezed
It was then that he felt the power of Seiyara’s fingertips. Yamato was
reminded that he was still being held back by her.
When he glanced at her, his eyes met hers.
Her eyes twinkled and she whispered slowly with a poker face that made it
hard to tell what she was thinking.
“It’s okay. If you keep your head up, they won’t know you’re in high
school.”
The elusive expression on her face somehow gave a sense of reliability, and
the words she whispered immediately removed Yamato’s anxiety.
If she says it’s okay, then it must be okay.
Such an unfounded sense of security filled Yamato’s heart with comfort.
The two of them then went through a series of games.
They played shooting games, racing games, and rhythm games such as
drumming and dancing, but Yamato was unable to win a single game against
Sayla, and his reputation as a man was ruined.
In the case of combat games, which Yamato claimed to be good at, he was
unable to reduce Sayla’s health gauge by even 10%.
Yamato was barely able to get any results from the crane game, which he
half-heartedly tried, but he was only able to get one small panda keychain.
The results of the games were disappointing, but Yamato was still enjoying
the arcade for the first time in a long time.
He was genuinely enjoying playing games with Sayla.
Perhaps it was because his opponent, Sayla, always gave it her all. That’s
why Yamato was also excited.
In addition to this, the fact that the shopkeepers do not call out to him thanks
to his imposing attitude is probably one of the reasons why he is enjoying
himself.
“Okay, I guess I’ve won again.”
Sayla was not particularly proud of her victory, and she said it without
hesitation.
In the end, Yamato was unable to win the medal game that was to be played
at the end of the day. It was not that Yamato was a bad player, but that Sayla
was too good.
“You’re too good at the game for a saint……”
It’s not that he’s not good at it, it’s just that Sayla’s too good at it.
“I’m not a saint.”
“You don’t approve of that nickname, do you?”
“Of course not. I’m not a saint, rather, it’s the opposite.”
Sayla seemed to be sulking as she said this.
To relieve the resentment of being beaten up in the game, Yamato decided to

tease her a little.
“I’m sure Saints don’t go to the arcade at night.”
Then, Sayla crossed her arms as if she was thinking about something, without
getting upset.
After a while, she seemed to come to a consensus and raised her index finger
in objection.
“But in the sense that it’s keeping the economy going, I guess that counts as a
good deed.”
“No, even if that were true, it’s not something a high school student should
be doing……”
“Well, I don’t mind.”
When Yamato saw Sayla trying to end the discussion curtly, he suddenly
thought.
I wondered if she didn’t feel bad about being called a saint.
“……but Shirase-san looks and feels like a saint, doesn’t she? That’s why
people call her that. And her name also has the word “Saint” in it.”
Feeling a little guilty, Yamato followed up, and Sayla began to examine her
face, using the screen of her phone as a mirror.
“……hmm, I don’t know.”
But after staring at it for a few seconds, it seems that it was only the
conclusion he came to. Apparently, Sayla herself didn’t feel the same way.
“Pfft.”
Seeing her like that, Yamato couldn’t help but blow up because of her surreal
gesture.
Sayla, the one who was laughed at, didn’t seem to be comfortable with it and
tilted her head curiously.
“Yamato is strange, isn’t he? He suddenly starts laughing.”
“No, that’s not what I want to hear from you, Shirase-san.”
“Am I weird? In what way?”
“The fact that you’re so earnest about asking me that……”
“Hmmm. It’s a mystery then.”
Sayla was struggling to think of something to say, and Yamato gave her some
advice even though she was dumbfounded.
“Whether you’re a weirdo or not, it’s okay for you to stay as you are, Shirase-
san. As long as you don’t get caught going to the arcade in the middle of the
night like you did today, I’m sure the people at school will treat you the same
as they always have.”
At school, Sayla is said to be ‘noble in her very existence’, but her current
nightlife is the exact opposite of that. If the people around her found out, she
might be considered a dangerous person.
Therefore, Yamato mentioned it as a way of lightly pricking the needle, but it

seems that Sayla was also very aware of the danger.
“Well, it’s not good to be found out, is it?”
Yamato felt relieved when he saw Sayla answer with a bitter look on her
face.
“So, we should get out of here.”
“Are you leaving already?”
Yamato asked with regret, and Sayla shook her head from side to side.
“We’re not leaving yet. Let’s go.”
Sayla said simply and started walking.
It seems that Yamato and his friend’s night is far from over.
The shorthand of the clock had passed the top of the mountain and the date
had changed.
It had been a while since they had left the arcade, but Yamato and his friend
were still walking around the city.
Since Sayla, who was leading, hadn’t told me where we were going, I felt
like we were lost in the middle of nowhere.
After a few dozen minutes of wandering, they finally arrived. They finally
arrived at a major karaoke chain store, about fifty meters away from the
arcade.
As we were walking to the store, she kept looking at her phone, which has a
map app.
I thought she was used to coming to the city at night, but I might need to
change that perception.
Besides, this area is very close to the school Yamato and Sayla attend. This is
the first time I’ve ever been to a place where you can’t get lost in the middle
of the night…… I wonder if Sayla is extremely directionally challenged.
(Now that you mention it, is it safe to follow this girl……?)
After all this time, Yamato was beginning to distrust Sayla.
There was no way that Yamato’s concern would reach her. Even in the face
of the flashy lighting of the karaoke store, Sayla was undaunted and tried to
enter.
“Wait a minute! Isn’t it a bit reckless to go in here?”
Yamato grabbed Sayla’s shoulders and held her back desperately.
This is because you will be asked to show your membership card at these
facilities first, and if you show it, they will know your age.
If you don’t have a membership card, the representative needs to write your
age on the guest list, and if you read your mackerel at that time, you will
likely be suspected and asked to show your ID.
If it had been Yamato from before, he might have still thought that Sayla
would be able to handle it.
However, this was right after the incident that made him distrust her.
So Yamato held her back, but Sayla pulled a card out of her pocket, held it
up, and said proudly, “don’t worry.”
“I’m fine, I have my sister’s membership card.”
“The Saint……”
The fact that she looks like a saint makes her misdeeds stand out even more,
but Sayla doesn’t seem to be offended at all.
Deciding that it was useless to hold her back here, Yamato decided to follow
quietly.
Upon entering the lobby, the languid male clerk’s face instantly tightened.
Perhaps the sight of Sayla’s beautiful appearance had shaken him out of his
drowsiness.
Leaving the formalities to Sayla, Yamato sat down on a pipe chair at the end
of the room and watched the proceedings from a distance.
Sayla presented her membership card (in her sister’s name) first, so there was
no sign of any suspicion about her age.
After Sayla filled out the form with a smooth and familiar hand, the waiter
said, “Two people, free time at the membership rate.”
Yamato felt a rush of excitement as he realized that they were going to do

karaoke all night.
Right after I thought that all I had to do was move to a private room, Sayla
beckoned me to come over.
Yamato pointed to himself and asked, “Me?” She nodded and continued
beckoning.
“……you can go, right?”
As he walked next to her, he felt the eyes of the shopkeeper on him. Maybe
they were wondering why such a dull man would be with such a beautiful
girl.
The lobby is lit in daylight, so unlike the arcade, you can see the other
person’s face clearly. In such a place, it would not be surprising if they could
see that you were a high school student.
In addition, Yamato’s face is not very mature, even though he says so

himself.
He was dressed roughly in a sweatshirt and denim shorts, and if a clerk who
was even a little suspicious of him came to check his age, he would be out of
the picture.
So, Yamato, full of anxiety, was face down in a cold sweat, feeling as if he
was about to throw up.
“—Hey, are you listening?”
So when Sayla and the others approached him, Yamato’s shoulders shook
with fright.
Yamato, who had been too nervous to listen to the conversation, froze when
he looked at her.
He couldn’t help but admire Sayla’s face, which looked so beautiful up close
in the brightly lit room.
Her fine, soft skin was as white as snow, and her cool expression made her
beautiful face stand out even more.
She really is a beauty. As he looked at her face, Yamato realized once again
that she was really beautiful.
“Yamato?”
Yamato came to his senses when Sayla tilted her head curiously.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening. Can you say it again?”
“I was wondering which drink you’d like. Is there anything else you want to
eat?”
“I’ll have a Coke, then. I’m not too hungry, so I don’t think I’ll need any
food.”
To tell the truth, I was so nervous that I didn’t feel like I could pass solid
food down my throat. So I just picked up a drink from the menu.
“Okay. I’ll have a Coke and Ginger Ale to drink, plus a pile of fries, a mayo
pizza, and some okonomiyaki skewers. Also a big bowl of shrimp crackers.”
“Did you hear what I said……?”
“I heard you. I heard you.”
“Well, I’m not complaining as long as you can eat it all by myself.”
So the two finished their order and moved to a private room.
Even though it was late at night on a weekday, the store seemed to be quite
crowded, and as he walked along the corridor, he could hear singing voices,
some like shouting, leaking out from various places.
Yamato’s relief was short-lived as he opened the door and was shocked to
find that his private room was in the corner, the furthest from the lobby.
Too small. It was just too small. An L-shaped sofa, table, and karaoke
equipment were crammed into a four-and-a-half tatami room, and if they
weren’t careful, their feet would bump into each other.
I don’t know if the clerk was trying to harass me or if he was just trying to be
helpful, but I thought I understood why the room was empty even though it
was a corner room.
“Oh, you’re in luck. It’s so small.”
However, it seemed that Sayla was pleased. The reaction was so unexpected
that Yamato was taken aback.
“What’s wrong? Let’s hurry in.”
Saira didn’t care about Yamato’s reaction and urged him to go inside without
hesitation.
“Yeah, I know……”
When they first entered the room, it was much smaller than they had
expected. Yamato sat in the back of the room, but he felt very close to Sayla.
“Whoa!?”
It was Yamato who made the exclamation.
This is because his feet collided with hers under the table, and he could feel
the warmth and texture of her soft calves.
Now Yamato’s heart was beating loudly, and strange sweat was breaking out
all over his body again.
When he looked at her sideways, she didn’t seem to mind and asked, “What’s
the matter?”
(Shirase doesn’t mind at all, does she? ……. I’m not sure if I’m being too
conscious after all.)
Thanks to the darkness of the room, it was difficult to read each other’s
expressions.
Thinking that this would help him cover his nervousness, Yamato retracted
his foot and then replied with a plain face, “It’s nothing.”
“I see. So, which song do you want to sing first?”
Sayla asked in a carefree tone while fiddling with the remote control.
Yamato managed to calm himself down and decided to ask what was
bothering him as he answered.
“You can sing first, Shirase-san. I’m not sure how you got through it with
your sister’s membership card. How old is your sister?”
“She’s 20 years old. She’ll be twenty-one this year.”
“How did you get through ……?”
“This place is not so strict about such verification. As long as you show your
membership card, they won’t notice if you manipulate your age a little.”
Without taking her eyes off the remote control, Sayla replied without
hesitation.
Whether or not a high school sophomore claiming to be 20 years old is really

“a little” or not, all’s well that ends well. At least that’s what Yamato was
convinced of.
“Then why were you so happy that the room was small?”
“The smaller the room, the more sound it picks up, so you can hear yourself
sing better.”
“I see……”
Beep, beep. The first song comes on after the questions are answered.
It was a Vocaloid song that Yamato also knew, and he was surprised by the
unexpected song choice.
“This is …….”
“I know it. It’s good.”
Sayla said happily, then turned to the screen as the intro began to play.
Her profile looked very lively as she swayed a little in rhythm.
As melody A started quietly, Sayla’s voice echoed through the room.
Instantly, goosebumps broke out all over Yamato’s body.
Her slightly low singing voice was pleasant to the ears, and Yamato naturally
started to catch the rhythm.
As the song entered melody B, the tempo changed to up-tempo and the
chorus started immediately.
“No, no, I’ll pass. I’m too embarrassed to sing after listening to such an
amazing song. That’s why I want to focus on listening today……”
“I want to hear it, Yamato’s song.”
She said this with a straight face, and the feeling that had been shrinking
inside Yamato was roused.
Yamato feels like he can sing now.
—He thought so, but before that.
“I’m going to go to the bathroom. I’ll sing when I get back.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Sayla stood up and leaned her body against the wall at the entrance.
“Thank you.”
After thanking her, Yamato was about to leave the room when he passed her
and smelled something soft and alluring.
“Yamato.”
“Yes!?”
He thought she had caught his excitement at her scent, but apparently not.
Sayla took out a deodorant sheet from her bag and handed it to Yamato.
“You can use this if you want. You look like you’re sweating a lot.”
“Oh, thanks……”
This was said with a straight face, so it didn’t sound like sarcasm, but
Yamato felt embarrassed and ran into the restroom.
I wiped my whole body with a borrowed deodorant sheet to calm myself

down.
Then I suddenly became calm and realized that my current situation was not
normal.
I was visiting a karaoke bar late at night on a weekday with a girl who was
nicknamed the “Saint” at school.
It was unimaginable for me, who had been living an ordinary and boring life.
It was truly an extraordinary situation, but Yamato had a definite feeling that
this special event must be a one-night-only illusion.
That’s why he thought it would be a shame not to enjoy this precious night.
Perhaps it was because he was feeling so uplifted that he did not feel tired or
sleepy at all.
I wondered how good it would feel to put these uplifting emotions directly
into the song. I was getting excited just thinking about it.
All right.
Yamato shouted as if to inspire himself and left the bathroom, determined to

enjoy the night.
When I returned to the corner room, the food and drinks I had ordered had
arrived.
“Welcome back.”
Sayla stood up to greet him, and Yamato went to return to his seat in the
back.
“Ah smells better.”
“Thanks to you……”
Sayla seemed to have checked out the scent as they passed each other, and
she seemed happy. Perhaps she has a smell fetish.
Once they were seated at the table, Sayla said, “Well, let’s eat. Itadakimasu,”
and began to eat the food on the table.
“You have waited all this time without eating, thank you. I’ll pay for it too.”
After saying so, Yamato also reached for the food.
The slightly cooled mayo pizza was much more flavorful and tasty than I had
expected when I put it in my mouth.
“Well, I guess I’ll sing, then.”
I reached for the remote control and put in a famous song that was popular a
long time ago.
“Oh, I know this one.”
Yamato’s motivation was further boosted by the interest of Sayla, who was
chewing on a pizza.
It was the first time Yamato had sung karaoke since the day he attended a
class party in junior high school, but his voice was much louder than it had
been then, and he started to sing with great enthusiasm.
─ ……
And so Yamato finished the song and took a breath.
For the first time in my life, I was singing in front of people without being
embarrassed. I’ve always been shy about singing in front of people because
I’m not very good.
It felt so good to be singing, and I felt like something that had been swirling
around in my chest for a long time had cleared up.
Clap, clap, clap. Sayla applauded.
When Yamato shyly thanked her, Sayla smiled gently and softly.
“That’s good, that was cool. Now let’s do a duet.”
“Yeah!”
They continued to sing until dawn.
It was non-stop. Each of them sang their favorite songs at will.
Sometimes, even though it was not a duet song, Sayla would intervene, which
made Yamato happy.
And so the time flew by. The end was announced by a phone call from the
receptionist informing us that it was ten minutes before the end.
“Yes, I understand…”
As soon as she put down the phone, Sayla stretched widely.
“It’s already over. It’s almost five o’clock, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure it’s around five o’clock. So, let’s get ready to leave.”
Without any particular emotion, Sayla simply started to get ready to leave.
Yamato felt a little sad about this and left his seat.
“I guess so. My throat is already rattled.”
“Hmm, you were shouting a lot, weren’t you?”
“It’s been a while since I did something like this.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were so stumped at first.”
“I knew you’d see it that way……”
“Oh, well.”
The casual conversations he had with her now seemed precious to him.
As soon as they left the room, Yamato went to the lobby and tried to pay the
bill for both of them out of gratitude.
However, Sayla lightly refused, saying that she “doesn’t like that”, so they
ended up splitting the bill.
When we left the karaoke, the sky was already starting to lighten.
The view of the city in the early morning was different from that of the day or
night, and it was somewhat deserted.
The adults walking by in their suits looked stern and seemed to be preparing
for the day ahead.
It’s hard to believe that tomorrow – or today – school will be back to normal.
Besides, the feeling that he was about to end his day a little earlier than
everyone else was waking up was very strange and seemed to be something
special to Yamato.
He was so happy to have someone standing next to him who shared this
feeling.
It’s so fulfilling, Yamato thought wistfully.
“Hey, let’s go eat a beef bowl. It’s cold outside.”
Yamato tried his best to hide the grin at Sayla’s quick invitation.
“You’re right, let’s go.”
She was right, it was still a cold April morning.
We went to a gyudon restaurant together, and I sipped on a bowl of miso

soup from the breakfast set meal, which warmed me up from the core.
[AuN: gyudon = beef bowl]
When we went outside after finishing the breakfast set meal, the cold had
abated somewhat.
Yamato was having a hard time deciding how to express his gratitude to
Sayla for inviting him out this time.
It would have been easy to just say thank you straight out, but he felt that if
he did that, his relationship with her would be over.
But while he was hesitating, Sayla, who was walking in front of him, turned
around.
“I’ll see you at school.”
Sayla waved her small hand as she said a quick goodbye.
“Eh, ah…”
Yamato reflexively responded with a kind of “ah-ah” stutter, and Sayla left
without looking back.
“Huh……”
A sigh spilled out naturally.
There were more things I wanted to say or ask her, but I couldn’t formulate
them properly and it was frustrating not to be able to say them properly.
She told me that we would meet again at school, but I don’t think we will
have anything more to talk about.
Regretting this, Yamato started on his way home.
Chapter 2 - School Life Begins To
Change
“Oh no, I overslept!”
It was around noon when Yamato woke up.
After the event, he went home and went to bed thinking he would be able to
sleep for just an hour, but this was what happened.
The Kuraki family consists of Yamato and his mother, who often goes to
work early in the morning. Therefore, Yamato relied only on his alarm clock,
but it didn’t seem to have any effect on his body after an unaccustomed all-
nighter.
Incidentally, my mother did not blame me for what happened last night
because I had informed her in advance that I was staying at a friend’s house. I
took care of that.
It was already too late to arrive before school started, but skipping was not an
option for Yamato. He quickly finished his preparations and hurried out of
the house.
He pedaled his bike for ten minutes.
As Yamato rode his bike down the usual steep hill, he saw the school
building of Ao Saki Metropolitan High School, which he attended.
I wonder if that saint, Shirase Sayla, is on her way to school. She’s been up
all night as well, and maybe she will be absent.
(I don’t think I’ll be able to talk to her at school. There are other students
there.)
While I was thinking about this, I went through the school gate and parked
my bike at the bicycle parking lot.
I managed to arrive during the lunch break, so I walked to the classroom

among the other students and sneaked a peek inside through the back door.
Then, in the bustling classroom, I saw Shirase Sayla sitting alone by the
window with her cheek in her hand.
Her black blazer-type uniform looked stylish when she wore it properly, and
her white thighs stretching out from her skirt were dazzling.
The air around her was different than usual, and no one dared to approach
her. Everyone kept their distance so as not to disturb her cool profile.
In other words, there was only the usual image of a beautiful, solitary girl.
Therefore, Yamato was quietly disappointed. He knew that what had

happened last night had been a dream, an illusion, or perhaps just her whim.
(What are you expecting?)
Since he couldn’t stay here forever, Yamato decided to go into the classroom.
He quietly walked into the classroom, making his presence as invisible as

possible.
As I sat down in my seat, third from the back in the hallway, one of the boys
noticed me and exaggeratedly said, “Huh?” and approached me.
“Oh, are you going to work as an executive? You’re a real piece of work,
Kuraki-kun.”
The boy who approached me in a light-hearted manner was very handsome.
His name was Shinjo Eita. He had bright brown hair, an amiable face, a
cheerful personality just like he looked, and a height around 180 centimeters.
He was the leader of the class, even though it had only been a week since we
changed grades. Naturally, he was popular.
However, he doesn’t seem to have a girlfriend at the moment, and he has a

crush on the school nurse. One of the reasons why Yamato dislikes him is the
fact that he talks about such things loudly and openly.
“No, I mean, I kind of overslept. Hahaha…”
Therefore, Yamato responded with a fake smile and a laugh as naturally as he

could make it.
“It’s true. I also can’t get up in the morning because I’ve been watching
videos and stuff.”
“Yeah, yeah, something like that.”
“But going to school at noon is amazing. If it were me, I’d definitely take a
day off.”
Eita speaks in a light-hearted manner.
He had no ill intentions and was probably just trying to be friendly to one of
his classmates who was behaving unusually. He was indeed fit to be called
the leader of the class.
However, Yamato was not a fan of this kind of behavior. He knew that Eita
was not a jerk, but he felt uncomfortable just being around him.
A few classmates seemed to have gathered around him, and one of them, a
girlish-looking girl, saw Yamato and opened her mouth curiously.
“Ah, I’m pretty sure he’s that guy. You know, the one who didn’t go to
school last year.”
As she said, Yamato had been out of school the year before. As such, he
could not deny it and was at a loss about how to react.
As Yamato fell silent, the atmosphere around him seemed to deteriorate.
“Hey, hey, don’t say things like that. We were just having a good time, but
it’s going to be awkward now. I’m sorry, she didn’t mean to offend you.”
Then, Eita gave a warning to the gal-like girl and she even apologized to
Yamato.
Yamato kept a smile on his face and didn’t raise his voice. Perhaps it was
because of this that the girlish girl responded, “I’m really sorry, we
sometimes talk without thinking. Please don’t worry about it too much.”
After all, Shinjo Eita was a capable man. He didn’t let the atmosphere
worsen, and he didn’t forget to be considerate of Yamato.
However, whether or not they can become friends was another matter.
From Yamato’s point of view, being involved with someone like Eita is
awkward in itself.
Therefore, Yamato was just praying and thinking.
—That this time would end soon.
At that moment, the noise and bustle around him stopped.
He immediately understood the reason.

“Good morning, Yamato.”
I was surprised to hear a slightly husky voice reach my ears and I turned
around.
Shirase Sayla was standing behind me.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the mysterious atmosphere she created, the students

around her backed away.
But Yamato also felt the same way.
“Eh, yeah…”
“But it’s already noon. Isn’t it too late?”
“No, it’s…”
It was Sayla who approached him, but there was no way that Yamato could
be happy about this.
That was because this was at school, and he was in the classroom. There were
classmates and students from other classes around him. It was impossible for
Yamato to not care about what they saw.
However, for Sayla, all of these circumstances seem to be irrelevant, and she
tilts her head to look at Yamato, who was at a loss for words.
“Is it possible that you’re still sleepwalking? Or have you forgotten what I
look like? Well, not unreasonable. I’m in uniform now.”
“No, that’s not it…”
“That being said, give me your contact information. I didn’t get a chance to
ask you yesterday.”
“Shirase-san, just a minute!”
Unable to help himself, Yamato stood up and ran out of the classroom with
Sayla’s hand in his.
He ran around the corridor looking for an empty place, receiving curious
looks from students passing by.
However, it was currently lunchtime and every school building was full of
students. When Yamato was at a loss, Sayla suggested a place to go.
“How about the roof? I don’t think there’s anyone there.”
“Well, the rooftop is off-limits to… even if we wanted to use it, it would be
locked.”
“I know how to get to the roof. We’ll be fine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Really, really.”
Sayla was not acting proudly of that fact and started to walk in front of me as
if she was leading me. Since he had nowhere else to go, Yamato decided to
follow her quietly.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they found that the door leading to
the roof was still locked.
Just as Yamato was beginning to think that the landing would be a good place
to talk, Sayla kicked the vent at the bottom of the door.
Then, the air vent part came off perfectly.
Sayla went through it without hesitation and then beckoned him.
(Who the heck gave her the nickname “Saint”…)
As Yamato walked out onto the rooftop in such thoughts, the sunlight shone
brightly on him.
He looked down and then looked up to see a clear blue sky above him.
“Feels good ~”
Sayla, who shouted this out, spread her hands and looked comfortable.
The wind was blowing her hair and her skirt at the same time, which made
Yamato feel nervous.
He was even a little worried when he saw how defenseless she was.
Suddenly, Sayla turned around.
Then, while holding her hair in place, she turned her big eyes straight up at
me.
“Did I bother you?”
Sayla asked in a matter-of-fact tone, neither questioning nor apologizing.
She was probably referring to the fact that she had called out to him in the
classroom earlier. Knowing this, Yamato shook his head left and right.
“No, honestly, it was a big help. Although it was a little awkward.”
“I see.”
Maybe Sayla was intentionally helping him.
Even though he thought so, Yamato decided to nail it down beforehand.
“…… But, if possible, I would have appreciated a less conspicuous method.

Shirase-san may not care about it, but I care about other people’s eyes, the
mood, things like that.”
If the incident that had just occurred triggered a strange rumor or rumors, I
might get into trouble.
Yamato understood that it was probably already too late, but he still said it
just in case, thinking about the future.
“I understand.”
Sayla replied simply, and then tilted her head as if to say, “are you done?”
Yamato was relieved that she didn’t seem to be offended, and said something
else that was on his mind.
“But I was happy to be able to talk to you, or rather… I was also hoping to
exchange contact information with Shirase-san.”
“I see. Well, I’ll call you later.”
“Uh, I mean…”
“Anyway, let’s exchange contact information.”
Then she pulls out her phone from her pocket and shows him the screen.
While Yamato was working on the registration, he decided to remind her.
“But next time you call out to me, think about the time and place.”
“Hmm? I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“You know…”
“I’m kidding, don’t take it seriously.”
Yamato’s heart skipped a beat when Sayla smiled at him without warning.
(Every time, it’s just too sudden and surprising.)
This time, though, the smile was more like that of a naughty child than that of
a saint. Anyway, it was still bad for the heart.
She usually had a dry expression on her face, so when she smiled, her
destructive power was immense. Yamato really thought that the smile of a
saint might be one that makes people ascend to heaven.
“But Shirase-san, you can make jokes and stuff too huh.”
“Sometimes.”
“A little more clarity would be helpful.”
“Hmm, I’ll think about it.”
Sayla said she was joking, but it was unclear if she understood what it meant
to read the atmosphere, to think about the time and place when speaking.
However, Yamato felt that he would only be tossed around more and more if
he pursued the matter any further.
It was almost time for lunch break to end, so I was going to suggest that we
go back to class and I turned around to speak to Sayla.
“Um, what are you doing…?”
I noticed that Sayla was lying on her back in the middle of the landing.
Sayla took off her blazer and used it as a blanket and closed her eyes as if she
was feeling comfortable. She was completely in nap mode.
Since she didn’t respond to Yamato’s question, she might already be asleep.
Nevertheless, I need to wake her up.
“Hey, Shirase-san?”
“…Yamato, would you like to join me? It feels good.”
“The bell’s about to ring.”
“Good night.”
“You’re so ready to skip..”
Ding dong dong dong… and there the bell rang.
But Sayla didn’t show any signs of waking up.
Apparently, she was seriously planning to skip her afternoon classes.
“Ugh.”
With a sigh, Yamato also laid down.
He was half-hearted about it, but he knew that he would inevitably be asked a
lot of questions by his classmates if he went back now.
Perhaps it was because I was thinking about this that I casually laid down
next to Sayla.
As Yamato was wondering if he should keep a little more distance from her,
Sayla turned her head to look at him.
“Eh? Yamato’s skipping after all.”
“Somebody looked too beautiful to be real.”
“Well, thank god for that someone.”
“I will when I feel like it.”
After our short exchange, the main bell rang. It’s impossible to go back to the
classroom now…
“Maybe I’ll get called in later.”
“Maybe.”
“They won’t be calling our parents, are they…?”
“I might have to agree with you on that one.”
Unusually, Sayla was frowning. It seems that even the saint can’t help but be
concerned about her parents being notified.
“The classroom must be abuzz with talk about us right now, it must be a bit
of a festival for social media.”
“Hmm~ whatever~”
“You don’t care about that at all do you. You should start to care about that
stuff a little bit, too… I mean, Shirase-san is so popular, I don’t know why
you don’t get along with anyone.”
“Eh? I get along well with Yamato though.”
Sayla said with a straight face. Embarrassed, Yamato turns his back to her.
“Well, that’s true… but you don’t have anyone else you’re close to besides
me. Why haven’t you attempted to make any friends before?”
I asked with my back turned, and Sayla let out a growling “hum.”
“If you’re not comfortable answering, you don’t have to.”
“I haven’t thought about it that much, but I guess it’s because there was no
one I wanted to talk to. I don’t really like caring relationships or anything of
the sort.”
I turned around to see her face as she said this, her hand reaching for the sky
and a distant look of contemplation on her face.
“Then why did you invite me to hang out with you last night? Is it because
we’re both students from the same school and you didn’t want me to find out
that you were out on the town in the middle of the night?”
It was a terrible question to ask, Yamato thought.
But that was the only reason he could think of.
We didn’t see each other last year because we were in different classes, and
even though we were in the same class now, we never talked to one another.
It’s a relationship that she didn’t remember my name properly until I told it to
her last night.
The solitary girl had invited such a person, with whom she had no prior
contact with, to hang out together. From Yamato’s point of view, he could
only think that her purpose was to have him keep quiet about an inconvenient
incident.
“Because… I wanted to talk to you.”
This was why Yamato was startled when he heard the words she said so
casually.
“…”
When Yamato was contemplating as to how to respond, Sayla turned her

head and continued.
“I saw the boredom in Yamato’s eyes. It made me feel closer to him.”
It seemed that Sayla had seen through Yamato’s true intentions from the
beginning.
In fact, Yamato was fed up with the boredom of his daily life, and when he
saw Sayla, who seemed to be in a different world from his own, he felt a
sense of longing for her.
But the “felt closer” part was troubling to him. Was she also feeling the same
boredom as Yamato and longing for a change in her own daily life?
But for Yamato, the fact that Sayla was aware of his feelings and invited him
to play was more than enough to make him happy.
“…Thanks for that. I’m so glad you asked me out yesterday.”
So, unlike his normal self, Yamato was able to express his gratitude honestly.
“Fufu, You’re welcome. I had fun and I’m glad I invited you too.”
Yamato flinched when Sayla said this with a carefree smile on her face.
Seeing Yamato like that, she laughed again.
Sayla Shirase was unpretentious and natural, and tried to communicate

everything in a straightforward manner. Yamato couldn’t help but admire her
because he seemed to be the complete opposite of her in every way.
Is that why? Yamato suddenly felt like telling her something about himself.
He wanted Sayla to know about it.
“…Actually, you know. I used to be a truant.”
“Oh?”
I thought I had come out rather heavily, but Sayla reacted like nothing of
importance was said.
Yamato was a little uncomfortable but continued to talk.
“I couldn’t attend the ceremony because I caught a cold on the day of the
entrance ceremony, and it lasted quite a while. By the time I recovered, it had
been a week. …It made me afraid to go to school.”
“Mmm.”
“After a week, relationships, or groups of people, are formed. And I wasn’t

able to attend the most important first meeting. I just couldn’t bring myself to
go, thinking about how people would see me.”
“Mmm.”
It was a simple affirmation, but he could tell that Sayla was listening to him.
Because of this, Yamato was able to continue his story without hesitation.
“So I took a day off. At first, I thought it would be just one day, but I realized
it was already May as I dragged it out. It was a big holiday to say the least.”
“Mmm.”
“I knew I was in trouble, and I was in a panic. Then I read on the Internet that
the holidays reset all relationships, so I finally went to school after the
holidays.”
“Heh, did it reset?”
“No, it didn’t… Well, of course not. I didn’t even have a relationship to be
reset.”
I thought she would laugh at me, but Sayla didn’t even blink.
She remained silent, just looking up at the sky.
For some reason, Yamato was relieved to see her like that and started to close
the conversation.
“So I’ve been alone since then because people thought I was a bad guy. I
guess the rumors had some weird twists. Well, I can’t explain every single
reason for this embarrassment, and there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
As Yamato finished speaking in a self-mocking tone, Sayla smiled at him.
“But you’re not alone now.”
“Eh?”
“Look, I’m here.”
“…”
Yamato blushed in the face of Sayla, who said such words without
embarrassment.
But he did not feel like denying it.
“…It’s thanks to Shirase-san, I’m graduating from being a loner.”
Sayla didn’t care if Yamato had been out of school in the past or not. She
would never change her attitude because of it.
For this reason, Yamato felt rather refreshed, even though he had just told her
about his past, which could be called his black history.
The two of them lay in the sun together for a while.
It was the chime of the end of the fifth period that brought the slumbering
Yamato back to consciousness.
Hum~ Yamato woke up with a sluggish and lazy body, followed by Sayla,
who stretched widely.
His back hurt, and he let out a moan of pain.
“My body hurts. Next time, I’ll bring something to lay on.”
This saint was planning to slack off in the future as well.
“Well, I guess you’ll have to give up your saintly nickname. You skipped
class with impunity.”
“Maybe. Well, I’d better get back.”
“Ding-pong, ding-pong…”
“I’m calling for some students. Kuraki Yamato-kun from Class 2B. Shirase
Sayla-san from Class 2B. Please come to the staff room immediately. I
repeat…”
Yamato’s face turned pale as he heard the school broadcast, and then he
turned to look at Sayla.
Then Sayla huffed and sighed as she folded her arms with a sullen look on
her face.
“Yikes!”
In other words, it’s pretty bad.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to worry about how others feel now…”
“I’m sorry, I dragged you into this.”
She stuck her tongue out without any remorse.
The gesture was so outrageously cute and adorable that Yamato began to feel
like it didn’t matter anymore.
“Well, I half knew this would happen. I mean, in addition, I skipped out too.”
This broadcast would have made Yamato a well-known name in the school.
After all, he was summoned together with the saint. This is no longer the time
to be worrying about the atmosphere around him.
As I started to think about the future, I gradually began to cower.
As Sayla laughed, Yamato’s cheeks started twitching and she patted him on
the shoulder.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ll take care of it if it comes down to it.”
In such a dire situation, Sayla’s demeanor is so cool that it makes Yamato, a

boy, feel like he has nothing to lose.
“You’re so reliable, Shirase-san, I can count on you even in times like this…
but I’ll take the blame too.”
“I see.”
Yamato tried his best to show his manly spirit, but on the inside he was
scared.
When Yamato made up his mind, Sayla peered into his face and asked.
“Speaking of which, why do you keep calling me with ‘san’? It’s fine to drop
it.”
“Um, not for any particular reason…”
“Heh.”
Sayla went through the vent of the door, seemingly not intending to pursue
the matter any further.
“…Shirase, huh?”
I wanted to call out to her, so I said it out loud.
And then, Sayla peeked out from the vent.
“Did you call me?”
It seemed that she had heard Yamato, and he felt his face burning.
“I, I’ll start calling you by your name from now on.”
“I see.”
After Sayla withdrew her face in satisfaction, Yamato also went through the
air vent.
Yamato tightened his mouth, which was about to loosen, and went with her to
the staff room.
As it turned out, Yamato and she were not scolded so much.
This was because the teachers were strangely kind to Sayla after she blamed
her health condition as the reason for skipping class.
Rather, it was more harder for him to return to the classroom.
After the sixth-period class, Yamato was bombarded with questions from his
classmates.
The questions were all to the effect of, “are you two dating?”
To which Sayla replied, “we’re friends.”
Just the fact that Sayla has a friend seems to be big news, and everyone
around her is in an uproar.
Yamato explained how he had skipped class, as he had told the teachers, and
the situation was resolved.
The next day at school, the stares of the people around me pierced me with
pain.
As expected, the incident of skipping class with Sayla had made Yamato a
celebrity in the school.
The change in the reaction of the people around me was, to say the least,
depressing.
Students from other classes, whom Yamato had never met before, now
visited the classroom frequently, looked at him from a distance and
whispered to each other.
Of course, many of them approached Yamato and asked him about his
relationship with Sayla. The label “former truant” seemed to be powerless in
front of the topic of the saint.
It was understandable that it was easier to talk to the sober Yamato than the
dry and unapproachable Sayla. Even so, if the same questions were asked
over and over again, it was indeed tiring.
By the time the school day was over, Yamato was completely exhausted.
However, there was still something to be concerned about…
“Krakin!”
When it seemed that school was finally over, Eita familiarly nudged
Yamato’s shoulders.
Yamato, who was called by a strange nickname, felt annoyed but couldn’t
help it and smiled.
“Can you please stop calling me that? Just address me normally.”
“Really? I think it sounds nice, Krakin.”
“No, just address me…”
“Okay, Kuraki!”
Eita gave me a smile and an okay sign.
Yamato is not a fan of Eita’s easy going habit… and he is fed up with it, but
he manages to return the okay sign.
Eita had taken an interest in Yamato after the incident with Sayla yesterday.
Unlike other students who like to gossip, he wanted to be friends with
Yamato, so Yamato couldn’t ignore Eita.
However, it was harder than expected to keep up with his easy going nature. I
almost regretted my decision to talk with him.
“Which reminds me, Kuraki is not a member of any club, right? Would you
like to come and play in our futsal club?”
“Sorry, I’m not good at sports, so I’ll pass.”
“I see. Too bad. Our manager is pretty cute, though.”
Eita’s shoulders slumped in deep disappointment.
Like any boy of his age, Yamato was also interested in the topic of cute girls.
But for Yamato, who hadn’t had a single real friend until recently, making
more female friends and eventually getting a girlfriend seemed like a
secondary concern.
It would be the same even if the other party is Sayla.
He even thought it would be foolish to even think about having a relationship
with such a beautiful girl.
More than anything, Yamato had no desire to break up the friendship that he
had made.
For the record, I haven’t talked to Sayla even once today.
I was sure she was trying to avoid talking in public places, but seeing her
dashing out of the classroom without even saying hello made me feel lonely.
“Hey, don’t you have to go home with the saint?”
Eita asked, not coldly, but as a genuine question.
“I didn’t promise her anything today…”
If anything, we didn’t even go home together yesterday.
Yamato took his bag to hide his embarrassment as if he was trying to look
normal.
“All right, I’m going to head home.”
Just as he was about to leave the classroom, Eita bid Yamato a friendly, “see
you later.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
After replying, I left the classroom and naturally started to walk faster.
Since I was able to become friends with Sayla, it should be normal to say
goodbye to her, just like I just did with Eita.
(We’re not that far apart yet, are we?)
After changing his shoes at the shoe locker, Yamato immediately started
running.
It was hard to catch up with Sayla, but Yamato had reached the downtown
area.
He thought that he might be going with Sayla after school, so he decided to

walk to school instead of riding his bike, which backfired.
It was a little different from the direction of my home, but I was determined
to find her.
If you asked what I was going to do after finding her, I hadn’t decided on
anything specific.
I just wanted to have a word with her, that’s all.
As soon as I entered the downtown area, I immediately spotted Sayla.
However, things were not looking good.
Even from a distance, Yamato could see that Sayla was being stalked by a
group of rude men.
Some of them were very strong, which made Yamato’s legs cower.
But Yamato slapped his own thighs vigorously, inspired himself, and started
running.
“Shirase!”
He called out her name loudly, and Sayla turned her head in surprise.
As it was, Yamato stepped in between the men and immediately lined up next
to Sayla.
“What’s with this guy, your boyfriend?”
Yamato replied to the irritated man, shaking his head from side to side.
“No, he’s my friend.”
The other guys started laughing, probably because they saw Yamato
trembling.
“If you’re just a friend, stay out of it. You’d rather play with us than this bean
sprout, wouldn’t you?”
One of the men asked coldly, but Sayla didn’t respond as if she didn’t hear
the man’s voice, and instead poked Yamato in the shoulder.
“Hey, is Yamato’s house over here?”
“No, it’s not, but…… I mean, you’re awfully calm.”
Unlike Sayla, who asked him in an extremely carefree manner, Yamato was
concerned.
When he looked at the man who had been ignored by Sayla with trepidation,
he saw, as expected, that he was very angry, his veins rising on his temple.
I have to do something before the man snapped.
But the police station was some distance away.
The adults around me pretend not to see me, and I don’t feel comfortable
shouting for help.
It’s just a matter of picking up a woman’s hand and walking away, Yamato
thought for a moment, but then changed his mind, because it seemed like they
were not going to let them leave for free.
Poke poke. Sayla poked me on the shoulder again and said,
“So, let’s go”.
“Oh….”
Yamato also started walking as Sayla urged him.
Hey, are you kidding me?
Then one of the men grabbed Yamato by the shoulders. He was the biggest of
them all, and Yamato’s shoulder creaked as he was grabbed.
“Ouch…”
The men laughed in amusement as Yamato’s face contorted in pain.
“Hey, hey, is that guy crying?”
“I think he’s going to sh*t his pants sooner or later.”
The men around me were teasing me and chanting, which made the man grip
my shoulders even harder.
This is not good. It looks like we’re not going to get away with this. When
Yamato made up his mind that he might have to call for help, the man
holding Yamato’s shoulder changed color.
“—Ouch, ow, ow, ow!”
The next moment, the man was crawling on the ground with a pathetic
scream.
Sayla grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it in an instant.
Immediately after that, Sayla waved her hand toward the rear of the men and
said in an inattentive voice, “officer, over here.”
Just as the voice said, there was a police officer heading this way in the
distance.
Unlike the group of men who immediately scattered, Yamato stood there in a
state of mindlessness.
It wasn’t because he was relieved of the pain, or because he was relieved to

see the policeman.
It was the sight of Sayla twisting the man up earlier that was haunting his
mind.
At that time, she had no expression on her face.
Yet, there was certain anger in her. She had a scary but dependable look in
her eyes.
Just remembering Sayla’s face at that time, my heart raced like a throbbing
drum
At that moment, Sayla grabbed his right hand, and Yamato came back to
himself.
“We’re running”
“Eh?”
As soon as he called out, Sayla pulled Yamato by the hand and started
running in the opposite direction of the police officer.
Yamato didn’t understand why they needed to run away too. He just kept
moving his feet so that he would not be left behind by Sayla who was leading
the way.
They continued to run on the streets, and even after passing through the
downtown area, they kept going.
People looked at me curiously as I passed them, but it didn’t slow down my

speed.
(Normally it’s the other way around……)
It was our positioning.
In the current situation, Sayla was the one running ahead, while Yamato, who
was following behind her, had his hand held like a princess in a fairy tale. It’s
not that I’m dissatisfied with the composition itself, but I’m disgusted with
myself for being so weak.
In addition, Yamato started gasping for breath first, and because he didn’t
know where she was going, he felt like he was being taken away.
“Haa, hey, where are we going?”
I asked when we were far away from the city and at the edge of an empty
river or stream. At this point, Yamato’s lungs were at their limit.
Then, Sayla slowly stopped and turned around.
“Haa, haa… I wasn’t thinking.”
The way Sayla wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand
while catching her breath was quite refreshing.
As it was, Yamato couldn’t help but smile as he realized that if he had left her
alone, she would have run until she collapsed.
Sayla, who seemed to have decided to take a break around here, took off her
blazer, rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, and collapsed onto the grass.
Yamato followed suit and lay down next to her. He took a deep breath, his
lungs begging for oxygen, and the smell of greenery filled his nose.
“Phew, we’ve run a long way… where are we?”
“Don’t know.”
“Good grief. You’ve got no sense of direction, yet you’re going ahead
without thinking.”
Then Sayla turns her face to me.
“I’m not directionally challenged.”
“No, you have no sense of direction. Without the map app, you would be lost
even in the neighborhood of the school.”
“I guess so. Isn’t that normal?”
Sayla’s poker face was still the same, but she was not willing to give up.
Yamato thought that he should make it clear here, so he responded forcefully.
“No, it’s not normal. You go to the arcade and karaoke a lot, right? And yet,
you have to open the map app every time you get lost.”
“But you see, that area is so chaotic and confusing.”
“And even now, you’d have to open a map app to find your way back,
wouldn’t you? I’m rather surprised that Shirase yourself wasn’t aware that
you had no sense of direction.”
After saying that, Yamato realized that he had said too much.
Perhaps that’s why Sayla next to me had her back turned before I knew it.
“Yamato, you say mean things too.”
Sayla blurted out, sulkily.
“…My bad. I crossed the line.”
“I don’t mind.”
When Yamato was wondering if he should peek at Sayla’s pouting face,

Sayla turned to face him again.
She seemed to have already returned to her normal state with her usual poker
face on.
I wish I could have seen her pouting face, but I was relieved to see that she
wasn’t that bothered.
“I’m all sweaty and sticky. I need a bath.”
“There’s a river.”
“Hmm, it still looks cold.”
I thought I was joking, but she replied with a straight face. I wondered if she
would have been in there if it was in the summer.
I suddenly realized that Sayla had both eyes closed and was about to fall
asleep.
I was afraid she might catch a cold, so I asked her what was the matter earlier
while I was waking her up.
“Hey, why did we even have to run? I mean, it is a pain to explain to the cops
but…”
“Hmm… we’re in uniform today, and I thought it might be difficult if they

remembered our faces.”
“Makes sense.”
For Sayla, it seems that the police are a much more important target to watch
out for than the delinquents.
In that case, I asked her about one more thing I was curious about.
“Also, you didn’t talk to me at school today. Perhaps you were just looking
out for me?”
Then Sayla raised her upper body and blinked her eyes as she looked at
Yamato.
“What are you talking about?”
Apparently not.
“Was it different?”
“Ahh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about going to the CD store today.”
In other words, it wasn’t that she didn’t care about Yamato, it was just that
she had something else on her mind.
It was very typical of Sayla, she was as elusive as ever.
“That’s fine then.”
When Sayla saw Yamato’s disappointment despite his words, she tilted her
head in confusion.
But it was only for a moment, and She soon remembered another matter.
After clapping her hands as if inspired, Sayla opened her mouth again.
“By the way, I never thanked you. Thanks for coming by earlier.”
Yamato averted his gaze, embarrassed at being thanked so dutifully.
“I didn’t do anything major. I was trembling, I thought I was going to help,

but Shirase ended up saving me instead.”
Sayla was really cool at that time. The way she twisted and turned without
regard to the difference in size was a sight to behold.
She must have learned some self-defense techniques because she was able to
handle them so well. The fact that she can put it to use is amazing.
However, Yamato had a man’s pride and was not inclined to praise her
honestly. Even if he felt that way, he didn’t want to say, “that was cool!”
Sayla smiled and said to Yamato, who was struggling in his mind.
“But Yamato was really cool that time. I’m really glad you came.”
She said what I wanted to say very easily.
From Yamato’s point of view, it was amazing for her to speak

straightforwardly and without pretense, while Sayla didn’t like to feel
embarrassed and wants to hide even after receiving a compliment.
“…Thanks for that.”
The fact that I could barely reply to her made me feel lame. My sense of
inferiority had only grown stronger since then, and I was on the verge of
falling into a light self-loathing.
“Well, I’d better be off.”
Sayla then stood up and stretched widely.
She was not aware of the inferiority complex that Yamato was secretly
harboring. He felt that he was saved in many ways by her refreshing
personality.
And there, as I was watching Sayla’s back as she brushed the dirt off her butt,
I suddenly realized.
(—What was that? Could that be…)
The back of her blouse was transparent, and a thin black line was visible.
…… There’s no doubt about it. It’s underwear.
(No, don’t look. It’s just plain perverted to look at a girl’s underwear.)
Even so, it is the nature of men that their gaze is drawn to them.
But still, black. What a mature color.
“Hmm? Is there something on my back?”
Sayla suddenly turned around and asked curiously.
This is not good. It would be impossible to cover up the fact that I was
looking at the back of her blouse now.
“N, no, there’s nothing on it……”
How should I respond? As Yamato was thinking about pointing out the fact
that her underwear was showing, Sayla seemed to have caught on.
“Is it perhaps, transparent?”
“Heh? No, I mean, well……”
“I have a blazer, so I’m not wearing a camisole.”
With that, Sayla put on her blazer.
“Eh, heh…”
“Okay, let’s go”.
(That’s the end of it!?)
Despite Yamato’s confusion, Sayla started walking as if nothing had

happened.
“Wait, oi, Shirase.”
When Yamato stopped her, Sayla looked back at him curiously.
“Hmm, what?”
“You know, I think you should have a little more shame than that, right? …I
know I’m not in a position to say this, but…”
“I don’t mind if it’s Yamato.”
Sayla said so without hesitation and without blushing.
Does that mean that she didn’t care because she didn’t consider Yamato as a
love interest, or does it mean that she trusts him that much?
Yamato didn’t understand the true meaning of her words and froze with his
mouth open.
Seeing Yamato like that, Sayla said to supplement him.
“I was the one who was careless, so don’t worry about it. More importantly,
it’s getting cold. Let’s get home.”
“If that’s what you mean… I understand.”
It was indeed getting a little chilly, probably because the sun was setting. If it
continues like this, I might catch a cold.
As they started to walk towards the station, Yamato asked a question.
“Is Shirase’s house close to here?”
“Hmm, probably. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk. How about you?”
“That’s how long it’s going to take me too… or maybe 20 minutes.”
“You’re walking today, aren’t you? Yesterday you biked.”
“…I thought I might hang out with Shirase today.”
It’s rare for Yamato to be so honest.
After I said it, I could feel myself getting hot to the ears. It’s not something
I’m used to doing, Yamato thought.
“Ah… I see. So that’s why you were in the downtown area.”
Sayla nodded her head as if she understood what was going on, and then
continued.
“Then leave your schedule for tomorrow after school open. I’m going to the
CD store and I need you to accompany me.”
“Got it.”
After that, we walked in silence and parted ways when we reached the nearest
station.
It had been a long time since Yamato had felt so anxious for tomorrow to
come.
Chapter 3 - Unexpected Sharing
It was after school.
Yamato was fidgety while alone in front of a commercial tower building

located three train stops away from the nearest station.
There, he received a message on his phone.
“I’m on my way.”
The sender was Sayla. There was a CD store on the first floor of the building,
and he was supposed to meet Sayla there.
There is also a CD store near the school, but he didn’t want to go there
because there might be other students from the same high school. It was his
suggestion to meet at a further shop to avoid being misunderstood by others.
Around the building, Yamato could see a few students wearing uniforms
from other schools, and even though he knew it was a different school, it
made him feel even more uncomfortable.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
A husky voice reached his ears, and he turned around to see Sayla standing
there.
Because she had come straight from school, she was still wearing her school
uniform. She must have left the classroom before me, but the time difference
was probably due to her getting lost.
“Sorry for making you go along with my selfishness.”
“No, I don’t mind that you’re joining me. Let’s go in.”
As we entered the store, the shelves of newly released CDs jumped out at us.
There were also a lot of promotional displays, a section for popular songs
decorated with handmade props, and even a section for store clerk
recommendations.
“I thought the CD store near me had a good selection, but this place is
amazing too.”
“Yeah. Come on, this way.”
Yamato’s heart started to beat faster as Sayla casually took him by the hand.
In addition, students passing by stared at him with envy, which made him feel
even more embarrassed.
However, Sayla didn’t seem to notice this.
She walked around the store, seemingly unconcerned about the eyes around
her, like an innocent, excited child. I could see that she really loved music,
and it made me smile.
It seems that she is looking for a new song by an indie band.
The genre of the song was not something that Yamato was familiar with, but
when he saw how happy she was wearing the headphones that played the
music, he became curious about what kind of song it was.
“─Do you want to listen?”
When she noticed Yamato’s curious gaze, Sayla asked him about it.
When Yamato nodded honestly, Saira took off the headphones she was
wearing and put them on Yamato’s head.
As they approached each other, their bodies were close enough to touch each
other, and a soft, sweet scent reached him. Yamato wondered if this was the
scent of her shampoo.
In addition, the headphones seemed to be slightly warm. Yamato’s face lit up
as he became aware of the fact that Sayla had just been wearing them when a
deafening explosion deafened him.
“Whoa!?”
“Ah, sorry, I didn’t turn the volume down.”
Yamato’s head was still ringing from the volume, which was so loud that he
thought it might burst his eardrums.
When I glared at her resentfully, Sayla clasped her hands together without
remorse.
When the volume was lowered, the vocalist’s voice finally came through…
even after listening for a while, Yamato Yamato couldn’t tell if it was good
or not.
It sounded like they were just shouting. There were some parts that sounded
cool, but the barely audible lyrics were rough and not something I could
relate to.
Sayla, who was standing next to me, asked with just a movement of her
mouth, “well?” I had no clue how to respond.
It’s a long-awaited song that Sayla likes. If possible, I want to go along with
Sayla so that Sayla will think I’m a guy with similar taste.
However, I felt that forcing myself to agree with her was not the way to go.
He knew that he would regret it if he didn’t face her straight away.
Therefore, Yamato shoved the glamour into the bottom of his mind, then took
off his headphones and answered honestly.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand it. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been
exposed to much of this kind of music…
“Fufu, sounds about right. I don’t really understand it either.”
Yamato was confused again when he saw Sayla giggling.
“But Shirase wanted to buy this, right?”
“Yes, I did. I was listening to the radio and it came on and I thought it
sounded good.”
“It sounds good, but you don’t really know what it is. So you’re going to buy
it after all?”
“I’ll buy it. I knew it was going to be good.”
“Wow…”
I’m not sure what her values are, or what she likes… Yamato sighs.
Then, Sayla asked a question as she peered into Yamato’s face.
“Is there anything Yamato wants? Any songs you’re interested in lately?”
“Songs I’m interested in, huh?”
Yamato is not a big music listener by nature. There is no band that he has
been following since the indie days, nor is there a singer that he likes enough
to recommend to others.
When I went to karaoke with Sayla the other day, we sang Vocaloid songs,
but that’s just because I like them more than any other genre. I’m not
particularly knowledgeable about music.
If there is one song that has been stuck in Yamato’s ears to the point where
he can’t help but hum it these days…
“Like, that one?”
Yamato was a little embarrassed and pointed.
It was a corner promoting the OP theme song of a certain late-night anime.
It was a radio song sung by a band called Ambiguous Friends Group, and
when I happened to watch the anime, it stuck in my ears and became
addictive.
If it were Yamato, he would never tell a girl in his class what his favorite
song was, but he felt that Sayla would not make fun of him, so he answered.
“Oh?”
As I expected, Sayla didn’t make fun of me but instead looked surprised as

she headed towards the anime section.
There was a music video on the display with a woman in a tuna shirt doing
some kind of dance that Sayla didn’t understand. She was watching it with
rapt attention.
Yamato, who couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the sight, stood next to
her and called out to her.
It’s not that I’m into this group or anything, it’s just that I happened to hear it
and it became addictive…
“It’s an interesting song, so Yamato likes this kind of music.”
Without taking her eyes off the screen, Sayla gave her impressions.
“No, I mean I just like the song… apart from that, I’m not really a fan.”
While Yamato was mumbling, Sayla reached for a CD.
“Eh, you’re not buying that too, are you?”
“Yes. I thought it was kind of interesting.”
“Oh, alright. I’m glad to hear that.”
After recommending it to her, I was surprised that she liked it enough to buy
it. As a side note, I didn’t have the CD either.
“Why don’t you buy it?”
“I’m running out of money, so I’m not buying it today. Sorry for suggesting
it.”
“No worries. I’ll lend it to you when I’m done listening.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
I felt bad about borrowing it, but I reminded myself that it was normal for
friends to lend and borrow things from each other.
“Well, thank you.”
“Mm. I’m going to the checkout counter then.”
“I’ll wait outside.”
After Sayla paid the cashier, we had nothing special to do, so we decided to
go home.
I arrived at my usual station after a long train ride and parted ways with Sayla
as I passed through the ticket gate.
As they parted, Yamato decided to lightly nail Sayla so that she would not go
out at night like before.
“It’s about that time now, so go straight home today, okay?”
“I will. I want to listen to the CDs I bought.”
“That’s fine then.”
“Thank you for today. Bye-bye.”
Yamato waved back to Sayla, who gave a small wave.
Then they turned their backs and started walking.
─Beep, beep, beep.
That night, while Yamato was watching TV in his living room, his phone
alerted him that he had an incoming call.
Oh, it’s my mother… Shirase?
The caller was not his mother like he initially thought, but Sayla.
I gulped, turned off the TV, and sat back down on the sofa.
With trembling fingertips, I tapped the answer button and immediately heard
Sayla’s voice, bringing a pleasant sound to my ears.
“Hello?”
“Hello, what’s wrong?”
I tried to keep as calm as I could, but my voice still sounds strained. Sayla, on
the other hand, continued talking in her normal tone.
“The moon is beautiful. Can you see it now?”
“What? Oh, wait a minute.”
Confused, Yamato went out on the balcony and saw a full moon shining in
the night sky.
“It’s a beautiful full moon, isn’t it? Where are you? Is it possible that you’re
outside?”
When Yamato asked her about it, Sayla replied with a sigh.
“I’m at home. On the veranda.”
“Well, that’s okay then.”
Relieved, Yamato was curious as to why she had called.
“Did you call to report the full moon?”
“That’s part of it, but I also wanted to ask you something.”
“What?”
Then, after a brief pause.
“—We’re friends~, maybe we’re friends~, we’ll still be friends tomorrow~…

♪”
Sayla began to sing.
It was the lyrics of an anime song that Yamato had recommended, and Sayla
sang the rest of the song in a beautiful voice.
She sang the funny but cute phrases without embarrassment, and when she
finished the first chorus, she said, “that’s all for now.”
All that time, Yamato was alone on the balcony in agony and despair.
(Damn, you’re too cute…… did you call me to make me listen to this?)
“Hey, have you been listening?”
“Eh, yeah, I’m listening. I was just admiring how good Shirase is at singing.”
“That’s good then.”
“But it’s amazing that you’ve memorized it already. You were perfect.”
“I had it on loop since I got home and even sang it in the bath, so I learned it
quickly. So I called Yamato in order to sing it to you.”
So that meant that Sayla had taken a bath already.
Yamato swallowed his saliva as he imagined the scene.
“…Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Yamato said something serious so that she wouldn’t be able to see through
his evil thoughts, and Sayla giggled over the phone.
“I dried my hair right away, so it’s fine. The night breeze feels so good right
now.”
“She was right, it was warm for a spring night, and the breeze was pleasant as
well.”
“But Yamato has a tendency to be caring and anxious, don’t you?”
“I’m sorry I’m so petty.”
“And twisted.”
“You’re telling me? You’ve got no sense of direction.”
“That’s not the point right now. Or perhaps I should say I’m not directionally
challenged.”
After arguing like we usually do, we pause for a few moments.
“Pfft.”
Yamato let out a laugh, and Sayla laughed again.
“It’s kind of funny how we argue on the phone. It’s like I’m at home and
Yamato is right next to me.”
“That’s true. It’s just like when we’re face to face.”
Having said that, Yamato’s heart was still beating fast from earlier.
“I kind of feel like going to karaoke. How about now?”
Yamato was about to agree to such an exciting invitation, but he kept his wits
about him.
“No, let’s not do that today. If we go now, we will be up until the morning.”
“Really? I’ll be fine if we just sing for two hours and go home.”
“Will two hours be enough?”
“…Maybe?”
When she replied with a question, it was clear that she was not confident in
her resolve.
“You’ll never make it… I didn’t say it properly, but I’m not a late-night goer
so I will have to decline your invitation, we’ll talk about this another time.
Anyway, if you want to go so badly, we can go tomorrow after school.”
Yamato is against the idea of going out late at night. He was going to tell her
that, but he felt it was not right to talk about it over the phone, so he decided
to address the problem later.
“Well, I can’t stand karaoke in the afternoon, so I’ll pass.”
“I don’t think there’s much of a difference, since you’re singing in a private

room. Besides, it’s cheaper in the afternoon, so my wallet will be spared.”
“It has a different mood. Anyway, I’ll pass.”
Sayla was insistent about singing late at night. She must be very particular
about it.
As we were talking, I realized that I might not get a chance to go to karaoke

with Sayla next time, as she only wanted to go out late at night.
Yamato wasn’t sure if he should object to going out late at night or not, as he
didn’t want to be unable to go to karaoke with her.
“…Maybe we can do karaoke another time.”
“I guess so. Well, I’ve got nothing more to say, so I’d better go.”
“Oh, okay, um. I’m sorry about that…”
“Hmm, why are you apologizing? I don’t understand.”
When Yamato heard Sayla’s voice laughing happily, he patted his chest in
relief.
“I thought that I had made Sayla feel bad by refusing her invitation to
karaoke, but apparently, she didn’t care that much.”
“I’ll see you later.”

　
Sayla finally said, and the call ended.
Yamato stayed on the balcony for a while in a daze, her voice still
reverberating in his ears.
It was lunchtime the next day.
Yamato, a so-called “loner” boy, pulled out his mother’s homemade lunch
box from his bag as he pondered where he would eat today.
“Good work. Can I join you?”
With words of praise, Sayla invited me to lunch.
This is exactly what I was talking about when I say that she didn’t mind
being seen.
After silencing the bustling classroom in an instant, she still tilted her head in
a cute way.
However, if he was too timid, he would only get caught up in her pace more
and more.
Yamato figured that there was no point in fidgeting anymore, so he grabbed

his lunch box and left his seat.
“…Let’s move to a different location then.”
As I was about to leave the classroom, my eyes suddenly met Eita’s, and he
gave me an okay sign followed by a wink, and I felt my appetite diminish
greatly.
There are only a few places in the school where you can eat without being
seen by others.
As a result, Yamato had come to the rooftop again.
Under the pleasant sunny weather, Yamato and Sayla sat down in the shade
near the water tank.
“Oh, what an amazing bento!”
Sayla exclaimed in admiration as Yamato opened his lunch box.
Yamato’s bento consisted of fried rice, fried eggs, meatballs, spinach, and
kinpira gobo.
More than half of the bento consisted of leftovers from the previous night,
but even this was better than usual since sometimes he only has furikake rice.
I guess Mom was in a good mood today.
Compared to Yamato’s lunch box, Sayla’s had a rather sad lineup.
I could tell from the convenience store bag she was carrying that she was
only going to have a loaf of bread for lunch today. And there was only a
paper carton of milk tea, which I must say was not much for a growing high
school girl’s lunch.
“Do you want some? If you are okay with my leftovers from yesterday…”
When Yamato expressed his concern, Sayla happily pointed to the omelet. It
seems that she is not on a diet or anything like that.
“Can I borrow your chopsticks?”
“What?”
Yamato just noticed.
Sayla only had bread from the convenience store, so in this case, Yamato
would have to lend her chopsticks.
Of course, Yamato only has chopsticks for one person.
…So, if this is the case, they are going to have an “indirect kiss”.
Once he became aware of it, he instantly felt embarrassed and was confused
about what he should do.
Sayla nodded once and picked up an omelet with her bare hands, probably
because she saw Yamato’s flustered expression.
“I know it’s bad manners, but please forgive me.”
After saying so, Sayla took a bite of the omelet.
“Hmm, it’s good. It’s quite sweetly seasoned. Did Yamato make this?”
“No, that’s what my mom made. I seasoned the kinpira gobo.”
“Can I have a bite of that too?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Sayla took a bite of the kinpira gobo and said happily, “oishii~” as soon as
she put it in her mouth.
“I’m sorry I offered you a bite, but I didn’t even lend you my chopsticks.”
“It’s okay. Is that the kind of concern you have? I don’t really care. So don’t
worry about it.”
The words that were spoken in a matter-of-fact manner did not seem to
contain any feelings of embarrassment or shyness.
It was hard to tell if she didn’t recognize Yamato as a member of the opposite
sex, or if she just didn’t care about such things in the first place.
“I understand. I’m not going to worry about it anymore.”
So he did his best to keep his composure as he answered.
After that, they continued to eat for a while in silence.
“By the way, why did you invite me to lunch today?”
When he finished his lunch, Yamato, unable to stand the atmosphere, asked
something that had been bothering him for a long time.
“Hmm? There’s no particular reason.”
“R-really?”
“Oh, but you almost said something to me when I called you yesterday,
didn’t you? That might be on your mind.”
He guessed she was referring to the time when Yamato tried to warn her
about late-night outings.
He wanted to continue to go to karaoke with her, and although he wondered

whether he should tell her or not, Yamato decided to talk to her about it.
“I’m sorry Shirase, but I’m against going out late at night. That’s what I’m
trying to tell you.”
“Why?”
It’s not that she was angry or disappointed, but Sayla was genuinely
interested in hearing Yamato’s opinion.
Therefore, Yamato also kept his cool and continued.
“It’s simply because it’s dangerous. You never know what might happen
when you’re a girl alone, and Shirase stands out. Besides, you don’t want to
get arrested.”
“You mean I should bring Yamato?”
“No, it’s still dangerous. Just like the last time when I got tangled up with the
delinquents, there are probably many things I can’t deal with even if I came
with you…”
If I say something like this, Sayla might be taken aback. She might think that
I’m a troublesome person and stop involving herself with me.
But I felt like I was obligated to tell her. After walking around the city at
night, Yamato realized that it was not only fun but also dangerous.
In addition, the incident with the delinquents had made him realize how
helpless he was. No matter how good Sayla was at self-defense, it would be
difficult for her to deal with multiple people at the same time.
In response to Yamato’s concern, Sayla seemed to have her own thoughts.

She tilted her head hesitantly, then leaned her back against the wall and
stretched widely.
“Okay, I’ll try to refrain as much as possible. I’ll try not to go out too late at
night.”
The vague nuance of the words “as much as possible” and “too much” that
came out of her mouth made Yamato feel relieved for a moment, even though
he had a hint of anxiety.
“It would be great if you could do that. I’m sorry, it sounded like I was
lecturing you.”
“No, I could tell you were worried about me. Thank you.”
Sayla gently smiled at him.
Her smile was so cute and endearing that Yamato was embarrassed.
“Oh, by the way, does Shirase always buy lunch at the convenience store?”
To hide his embarrassment, Yamato forcibly changed the subject.
“Uhm. I live alone, so I don’t really cook for myself. I always buy food in the
morning, and I don’t have much appetite at lunch, so the portions are always
small.”
“I see, Shirase lives alone. That explains why you were able to go out so late
at night.”
Yamato realized after he said it that he had once again brought up the topic of
late-night outings.
He was more curious about the reason why Sayla, a high school student, was
living alone and was wondering if it was okay to ask her about it, which led
to a bad decision.
“Yamato was out there too at that time.”
Sayla pointed out with a straight face. However, it seemed that she was not
angry.
“I was hungry and wanted to eat a bun, so I went out to buy one. I was going
to go home right after that.”
He knows it sounds like he was making excuses, but it’s all true. On that day,
Yamato was just going to a nearby convenience store to buy a bun.
It was there that he happened to see Sayla walking around.
“But when you saw me walking alone on the street at night, you couldn’t
leave me alone. You’re surprisingly earnest then.”
“As you saw, I was earnest. Well, I was genuinely curious about you at the
time, so I decided to approach you.”
“Fufu, Yamato’s not as earnest as I thought.”
“Probably”
Yamato thinks that he may have a m*sochistic temperament, that it makes
him happy to be told that he is not earnest… and so on.
Then Sayla looks up at the sky and says with a faraway look in her eyes.
“But I’m really glad that Yamato came along with me at that time. Thanks to
you, I’ve been having a lot of fun recently.”
It’s a virtue of hers to be able to say such things without being embarrassed.
This aspect of hers was dazzling to Yamato’s eyes, and although he admired
it, he could not bring himself to act in the same manner.
Therefore, Yamato hides his embarrassment instead of being honest.
“Well, as long as you don’t break the law, I’ll go out with you any time from
here on out.”
“Then you can accompany me every lunchtime from now on because it’s fun
hanging out with Yamato, plus the food is delicious.”
As if Yamato’s embarrassment was meaningless, Sayla happily made him an

offer.
“I don’t mind, but is it possible that you’re actually after the lunch my mother
made?”
“Ah, was it that obvious? I’ll bring my own chopsticks next time.”
“Totally…”
It was cute that she didn’t deny it. Embarrassed, Yamato had to cover his face
with his hand.
At that moment, the bell rang. Its timing was a relief for Yamato.
“It’s over already?”
“Yeah, let’s go back. I really don’t want to be called out again.”
Sayla gave him a nod of agreement, and then the two of them returned to the
classroom.
Chapter 4 - Socializing With
Classmates
It had been a few days since Yamato and Sayla had started to spend their
lunch breaks together.
Ever since they went to the CD store, they haven’t gone out anywhere after
school, but having lunch on the roof together had become a regular
occurrence for the two.
Today, I was having a nice lunchtime with Sayla.
“Ah, rain.”
As soon as Sayla muttered, a drop of rain fell on her nose, and it immediately
started to rain heavily.
“Oh no, let’s go inside.”
“Aah!”
They hurried back inside, but they were both drenched.
Sayla had taken off her blazer and her blouse because they were both soaked,
but she seemed to be wearing a camisole underneath them today, which was a
relief to Yamato.
“Hmm, the camisole is sticking to me and it feels weird.”
Suddenly, Sayla started to flap the chest part of her blouse.
“Oh, oi, don’t flap your blouse when I’m here!”
“Ah, sorry.”
Correction, Yamato was not at all relieved, in fact, he was thrilled with this.
Yamato sighed as he listened to the sound of the rain as if to shake off his
evil feelings.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. I guess we’ll have to
switch to the gym for 5th period.”
“Huh? I thought that fifth period was P.E.”
“Yeah. We have to get changed, so let’s go back.”
“Sure, I want to dry my blouse anyways.”
Yamato still gets caught up in Sayla’s pace, in which she doesn’t mind saying
what’s on her mind even in front of Yamato.
Therefore, Yamato tried to remain as calm as possible as he glanced sideways

at the shoulder straps of Sayla’s transparent camisole.
Due to the rainy weather, both the boys and girls had to play basketball in the
gym during 5th period.
The P.E. class was originally two different classes, so there were a lot of
students. The court was divided into two halves, one side for the boys and the
other for the girls.
Since the P.E. classes are normally separated by gender, most of the boys
were eager to show off their good sides to the girls on the next court.
“““Kyaaaaah! Nice~!”””
As soon as the match started, the cheers of the girls echoed through the
building.
But the girls’ eyes were not directed towards the boys.
Sayla had the attention of all the girls to herself.
She changed into a gym uniform with short sleeves and shorts, and even
though she had just made a spectacular one-handed shot, she brushed her
bangs away without changing her expression.
The girls in the gallery became even more excited due to her composure.
The boys were also fascinated by her dignified appearance.
Not only the boys who were not participating, but even the boys who were
playing their own game seemed to be curious about her. Even the gym
teacher’s words of reprimand did not reach them.
Of course, Yamato was no exception. He happened not to be playing, so he

was sitting in the corner with Sayla’s heroic performance burned into his
mind.
In this situation where the boys’ class is not functional, there is only one boy
who is trying to be popular with the girls.
—That is Shinjo Eita.
“Hey, you guys, you don’t want us boys to continue like this, do you? I don’t
want to! We’re in the same place! I want to be pampered by the girls!”
The boys around Eita regained their fighting spirit in their eyes as he inspired
them.
(I don’t think I can keep up with their enthusiasm… I’ll pass.)
As usual, Yamato continued to sit in the gymnasium, but he was going to lose
his loner status.
“Hey, Kuraki! You should come too!”
Eita beckoned to him with a big smile on his face, and as expected, Yamato
was forced to stand up.
“…I’m not very good at sports.”
“Are you sure you want to let the saint take all the glory from us? I mean,
Kuraki wants to be popular too, right?”
“Not really, I’m…”
To tell the truth, Yamato also wants to be popular.
And because Sayla was being hyped up so much, the fact that I, a man,
wasn’t even participating in the game made me feel pathetic. The only thing I
don’t like about the situation is that Eita seems to be using me as a
mouthpiece.
““““Wow! She’s so cool!””””
Then the voices of the girls rose again.
When Yamato glanced at Sayla, he saw that she had just made a three-point
shot.
“…I understand, I’m in.”
The next thing he knew, Yamato was motivated to play. It’s a man’s
determination.
“Hehe, that’s what I’m talking about.”
Eita tapped Yamato on the shoulder happily. This was strangely comforting,
and his motivation increased even further.
The boys around him were also inspired by them and were now in high
spirits.
As a result, the boys also began to take the game seriously. They were
communicating loudly, and those who scored were shouting and yelling, it
was quite noisy.
After the girls’ game was over, it seemed that they were taking a break, and
the number of girls in the gallery gradually increased, which motivated the
boys even more.
Eita, who scored the most points with his natural athleticism, seemed to be
happy as he was cheered on by the girls.
Yamato, however, was not so good at sports and had yet to score any points.
In addition, he has not been able to communicate well with his teammates.
After the incident with Sayla, the attitude of the people around Yamato
softened, but even so, Eita was the only one among the boys who talked to
him properly. Because of this, he had become a complete burden to the team.
Yamato felt so miserable that he couldn’t help but look at Sayla, who was
probably on the court next to him.
However, as the game approached the end, Yamato was given a chance.
Eita sent a pass to Yamato who happened to be standing under the basket.
The basket was right in front of him. All he had to do was shoot the ball as he
had learned in class and hit the four corners of the board, and the point would
come.
(—I made up my mind!)
Clunk!
However, Yamato lost his aim and shot the ball and it hit the edge of the
goal. After leaving an unpleasant crashing sound, the ball rolled silently on
the floor.
─ beep beep beep …….
Then, at the worst possible moment, the stopwatch sounded. It was the signal
for the end of the game.
Yamato kept his head down and stiffened, unable to look at his teammates.
(Damn, this sucks……. That’s just too awkward……)
Besides feeling sorry for his teammates, Yamato’s mind was freezing up with
embarrassment and shame for missing the shot.
“Don’t mind it!”
It was Sayla, who had been watching the game while taking a break, who
quickly called out to him.
Her words blew through the gymnasium like a refreshing breeze and softened
Yamato’s tense expression.
Her words were followed by words of encouragement from those around her.
“Don’t worry about it”
“It happens all the time.”
Despite his twitching cheeks, Yamato managed to smile and apologized to

his teammates, saying, “I’m sorry I missed the shot, even though it was
open,” and Eita immediately squared Yamato’s shoulders.
“But that was a close one. If you had scored that goal, Kuraki would have
been the MVP today. But we won the game anyways, so don’t worry too
much about it!”
Eita said this in a joking tone and smiled at me.
As if sympathising with him, his other teammates called out to him.
“We won, so don’t worry about it.”
(After all, Shinjo is a good guy, isn’t he?)
Somehow, Yamato felt less bitter towards Eita than before.
“I’m grateful to you, Shinjo. Thanks.”
“It’s fine! —I’m jealous that you’re being treated so well by the saint.”
“Well, she’s my friend.”
“Friends huh…”
Yamato and Eita sat side by side outside the court as the next match began.
Eita then whispered.
“Maybe you could just go out with her, you know?”
Yamato turned his gaze on Eita and gave him a cold smile.
“I’ll ignore you if you’re trying to make fun of me.”
“Oh, scary. But I’m glad to see that Kuraki is opening up to me too.”
“No, just what kind of thought process brought you to that conclusion?”
“If you’re still unconscious of it, then you’re a genuine S. So, does that mean
that the saint is unexpectedly a M?”
I don’t think it’s right to say that Sayla was a M. On the other hand, I feel
uncomfortable calling myself a sadist.
“I don’t think she’s the kind of person who can be summed up like that.”
“Ho? That’s quite an interesting opinion.”
As Yamato looked at Eita, who nodded his head and showed interest, Yamato
felt bewildered for some reason.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Does Shinjo, you know, li-li-like Shirase……?”
When Yamato fearfully asked, Eita froze for a moment and then said.
“Pfft… Hahahahaha!”
He started to laugh out loud.
“Oh, come on, you’re laughing too much. The teacher is staring at you.”
“Because you asked me with a straight face if I liked the saint! Ouch, my
stomach hurts!”
“Was it so funny that you had to laugh?”
Yamato was not used to talking about romantic relationships with anyone, so
he was confused.
Seeing Yamato like that, Eita clasped his hands together apologetically.
“I’m sorry. Well, it’s not that funny. I do think she’s beautiful, and I think
she’s attractive. But she’s not my type, so don’t worry.”
“I see.”
“Because my type is Huzita-sensei.”
Huzita-sensei, who Eita briskly said, was a woman who worked as a school
nurse. She was an intelligent, mature woman with a lot of femininity, and
was certainly not the type of person that the blunt Sayla was.
Although it was a sudden proclamation, Yamato was not so surprised since

he had overheard Eita telling his friends about it before.
Just that, Yamato was also puzzled by the timing of this confession.
“Heh…”
“That’s why I’m not interested in anyone else.”
“But you said earlier that you wanted to be pampered by girls.”
“That’s true. When you’re playing sports, it’s more motivating to have girls
cheering you on, right? Besides, it simply makes me happy to be cheered at.”
Eita’s character is similar to Sayla’s when it comes to being honest with

himself. But their personalities, or rather, their fundamental motivations, are
very different.
“…It’s amazing in so many ways. It made me realize the gap between us

once again.”
The difference between Eita and Yamato is clear, and Yamato was once
again impressed by this realization.
“Is that so? It’s normal. From my point of view, Kuraki is even more
amazing. After all, you’ve become friends with that saint.”
“It’s really just a coincidence…”
“I know, I know. You want to say it’s not about love or anything like that.
I’m not trying to tease you, so don’t worry.”
As Eita half-heartedly told him to relax, Yamato reluctantly calmed down.
“Well, okay then.”
─Beep beep beep
Then the stopwatch sounded, and at the same time, the teacher called the
class back together.
Eita, who had stood up earlier, reached out his hand to him, and Yamato took
it and stood up.
“Well, whether it’s love or friendship, it’s all about timing, isn’t it? Of
course, I’m not saying that’s the whole story.”
Eita’s words, spoken with deep emotion, somehow left a strong impression
on Yamato’s mind.
The reason why Yamato was able to meet and get along with Sayla was also
due to good timing.
When I thought about it that way, a lot of things seemed to make sense to me.
“Timing is everything, isn’t it?”
I asked Eita, who was walking in front of me, and he just turned his face
towards me.
“No, it’s not. Even if you grab the right opportunity at the right time, if you
don’t build trust afterward, the relationship will eventually disappear. The
point is that you need to make an effort.”
Eita concluded as if he was talking lightly.
I wonder if I have been able to build a proper relationship of trust with Sayla.
I wasn’t confident enough to say that we trusted each other, but I didn’t think
that we hadn’t built any at all.
“…I see, I learned a lot.”
As Yamato mumbled to himself, Eita squared his shoulders happily.
I felt a little depressed, but I didn’t shake him off.
“Bye-bye, Yamato.”
“Ah, oh, see you.”
As soon as it was after school, Sayla said her goodbyes and left the
classroom.
It’s been like this for the past few days.
I’m not sure if she’s been busy with something lately or not.
“Oh, are you alone today?”
As Yamato was getting ready to go home, Eita started to talk to him in a

frank manner. Yamato braced himself, wondering if he was being recruited
for another club activity.
“I’m always alone on the way home.”
“Then you should come with me today—”
“Um, do you have a minute?”
Then one of my classmates interrupted me.
She has chestnut-brown hair in braids and a small, pretty face. She also has a
big bosom. She has a gentle smile on her face, as well as a soft tone of voice.
Her name is Tamaki May. She is an honor student with excellent grades and
serves on the class committee. She is a beautiful girl who is popular with both
boys and girls because of her adorable animal-like appearance and good-
natured nature.
Yamato thought that such a popular girl must be talking to someone who is
also popular, and tried to fade out quietly, but…
“I have something I want to talk to Kuraki-kun about, can you give me a

moment?”
“What?”
“Oh?”
Yamato was shocked by the unexpected appointment, while Eita smiled with
amusement.
The rest of the people remaining in the classroom all rolled their eyes in
surprise.
May, noticing that she was attracting the attention of those around her,
hurriedly supplemented her statement with gestures.
“Well, it’s nothing serious, but! I wanted to ask Kuraki-kun something about
the saint.”
Immediately, the people around him said, “oh, so that’s what it is,” and lost
interest and scattered. As for Yamato, he was disappointed because he
thought he was going to be put through another questioning about his
relationship with Sayla.
“That’s fine, although I don’t think we have much to talk about.”
“Yeah, that’s fine then.”
However, May had an uncanny and serious expression on her face. I had a
feeling that this could not be explained lightly as “we just happened to meet
and hit it off” like usual.
Eita, who had been nodding his head in agreement with the conversation,
opened his mouth as if reading the air.
“So I guess I’d better leave you here.”
“I’m sorry, but that would be very helpful.”
“I’m a very thoughtful man after all.”
“Haha, you speak for yourself. But thank you.”
May smiled and thanked Eita, even though Eita was being a bit rude.
The conversation between the two of them was a very natural exchange
between friends, and Yamato was showing a misplaced interest in the fact
that this was the atmosphere of real life.
After Eita sashayed away, May said, “this isn’t the right place to talk. Can we
move somewhere else?”
Yamato wanted to avoid talking about Sayla in the classroom, so he agreed.
“Here you go.”
They moved to a deserted terrace in the school, and as Yamato sat down on a
bench, May offered him a can of tea.
She had stopped by the vending machine on the way here, but Yamato had no
idea that she had bought one for him as well. Yamato was even more
surprised because it was something he always liked to drink.
“Ah, thanks.”
Yamato thanked her and was about to take out his wallet when May stopped
him with her hand.
“I don’t need the money. I’m the one who asked you to stay.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Yamato understood that if he accepted the offer for free, he would not be
allowed to make a half-hearted withdrawal, but he was forced to accept it
because of May’s soft demeanor.
Then May sat down next to him, but she did not open her mouth at all.
Unable to bear the strange silence, Yamato opened the lid of the steel can to
distract himself.
After Yamato took a sip of his drink, May let out a sigh.
“Well, then, I’d like to get right to it.”
You just purposely waited until I had a mouthful of tea—as he thought about
it, he could feel the sweat running down his back because May had brought
up the subject at the perfect time.
“Let’s see, what is it..?”
“I’m actually a fan of the saint. I’ve been wanting to get to know her for a
long time, but it hasn’t worked out so well… Kuraki-kun seems to be friends
with her, so I was wondering how you did it.”
“Huh, ha…?”
“It seems like you’ve been eating lunch together every day lately, and you
two seemed to be getting along really well during PE. I’d like to know how
you came to be like that.”
May said what she wanted to talk about in a surprisingly fast but smooth
manner.
I don’t know if it was because of embarrassment or excitement, but her face

was flushed and she seemed to be serious.
Her question was almost exactly what Yamato had expected. However, the
earnestness of her words was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he
had a feeling that the intensity of her persistence was different from everyone
elses.
Yamato had to say something. However, he couldn’t say that the high school
students met late at night and became friends because they had hung out all
night.
Therefore, Yamato replied with an affectionate smile.
“It’s really just a coincidence. We ran into each other on the street and hit it
off when we talked to each other. I’m sorry if that’s not helpful.”
For the record, I’m not lying. I’m just leaving out a lot of information.
“What did you two talk about? If you two hit it off, then you must have
something in common, right?”
May’s eyes lit up as she closed the distance between them. Yamato moved to
the edge of the bench to get some distance from her.
“It’s nothing important, it’s really just some idle conversations.”
“Yeah, like what?”
“Well, you know…. We talked about our favorite music.”
“Talking about music! What does the saint like?”
Even though Yamato had taken the trouble to move to the end of the bench,
May was still coming at him without hesitation. The sweet scent of fruit,
which was slightly different from that of Sayla, made it difficult for Yamato
to organize his thoughts.
“You’re too close. I’ll talk, but please give me some space.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just…”
May came to her senses and pulled away.
Yamato reluctantly began to narrate the rest of the story, since he knew that
what she did was not intentional.
“Like… Vocaloids.”
“Vocaloids, huh? I’m not familiar with that. What else?”
“And then there’s… anime songs.”
When he said that, Yamato regretted his mistake
First of all, this information was false. Sayla wasn’t interested in anime songs
when she first started interacting with Yamato, and she probably doesn’t like
them that much now either.
And while it may not be a problem if Sayla actually liked anime, there is a
possibility that a shady guy like Yamato would be treated like an otaku and
made to feel uncomfortable if he professed his love for anime.
However, Yamato’s fears seem to be unfounded.
May didn’t look particularly disdainful, but rather curious, and asked, “wow,
what anime songs do you like?”
“One is the opening song of an anime that’s on right now, and it’s about a
bunch of weird high school kids, but I think the name of the group that sings
it is ‘Ambiguous Friends Group.’ ”
I noticed that May was diligently working on her phone. She was apparently
taking notes.
I watched her for a while, and when she finished taking notes, she looked up
and smiled at me.
“That’s very informative. I’m going to listen to that song and ask her about it
next time.”
Perhaps because she had found a good topic of conversation, May seemed to
be very happy.
“Why do you want to be friends with Shirase so badly?”
Yamato was curious about the reason and decided to ask.
She then blinked her eyes and moved away, looking upset.
If I just explain that I’m a fan, it won’t make sense to you?
“I couldn’t agree with you, but I felt that you were a little different from the
other students who said they were fans. Your degree of seriousness is
different… So, I was curious about the reason.”
She nodded her head and smiled.
“That’s right. If I’m just a fan, I wouldn’t go this far out of my way.”
“No, I didn’t say it was out of your way…”
“It’s okay, I’m aware.”
May sipped her own drink, then huffed and spoke.
“I’ve always wanted to be like the saint.”
I’m not sure how to respond to her, but she continues.
“The saint seems to live freely, without worrying about her surroundings,
doesn’t she? That’s what I think is really cool about her.”
When Yamato nodded silently in agreement, May suddenly blushed.
“But don’t misunderstand me! It’s not like I’m in love with the saint or
anything!”
“I know, I know. You said you admired her from the beginning.”
When Yamato replied in an admonishing manner, May patted her chest in

relief.
“I’ve always tried to read the air around me. But, I want to be someone who
can stand tall like her.”
“…That’s true, I’d like to learn from that part of Shirase too. Though I’m not
sure I’m as good at reading the air as Tamaki-san.”
“Haha, you could certainly be a little more aggressive, Kuraki-kun.”
When a girl says that, it makes me feel miserable.
“You’re pretty unreserved, aren’t you…? Well, I’ll be as diligent as I can be

on that.”
Seeing Yamato hanging down, May smiled gently and said, “yeah, good
luck~”
Then May cleared her throat to conclude her story.
“Well, I guess that means I’m a serious fan who wants to get close to the
ideal person. That’s why I was jealous when Kuraki-kun became friends with
saint-san before me, but at the same time I wanted to continue somehow.”
“Ahem,” May said while puffing out her chest. …The size of her br**ts are
magnificent for her small frame, which is another reason why she is so
popular with boys. In fact, Yamato’s eyes were drawn to it for a moment.
As if to cover it up, Yamato cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry about… that. I thought I knew how popular Shirase was, but
having someone like me around her is off putting…”
Yamato was aware of how shameful it was to say it, but he couldn’t stop the
words from coming out.
When May heard Yamato’s words, she immediately shook her head from
side to side.
“I’m not saying that. I’m sure the saint is there because she wants to be with
Kuraki-kun, and that’s not something that other people should have a say in. I
was just envious and jealous.”
“That may be true, but…”
As Yamato continued to stammer and falter, May asked slowly as if to

admonish him.
“So, Kuraki-kun, if I or someone else told you to stop being Shirase’s friend,
would you stop being her friend?”
As soon as he was asked, the answer came to Yamato.
“I won’t stop. I don’t want to stop.”
“That’s right. I’m relieved to hear that.”
Looking at the gentle smile on May’s face, Yamato felt calmer. He had heard
that she has a reputation for being a healer, and he didn’t doubt those claims.
“I’m sorry for saying such a strange thing.”
“Seriously. I don’t know why I should encourage you when I’m the one
asking for advice.”
Although she said that, Yamato appreciated her meddling, even if it did hurt
him.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Haha, you’re always apologizing. If the master is unreliable, the disciples

get anxious.”
Yamato’s back itched as May casually mentioned the words “master” and
“disciple”.
“When you say master, you don’t mean me, do you?”
“I do! Kuraki-kun, who is already good friends with the saint, is a master
from whom I have a lot to learn.”
“No, please don’t call me that…”
It’s good that there are no other students here, but if Yamato agrees to this,
May might call him “master” in the classroom. He should avoid that.
“Hmmm… so maybe just ‘senpai’?”
“That’s not what I meant! I’m not in a position to be respected by you!”
“Then we’re ‘comrades’.”
“Comrades?”
“Comrades who think that the saint is noble. You don’t have a problem with
that, right?”
“If that’s the case then I guess it’s alright…”
When their new relationship was established, May rejoiced innocently and
said, “I did it!”
On the one hand, Yamato thought it was a strange relationship, but on the
other, he felt that it wasn’t so bad to have someone to talk to about Sayla.
“Well, I’ll be asking you for help with the saint from time to time! I may
even ask you for personal advice if I need it. In return, if you have anything
you want to discuss with me, let me know. I’m always here!”
“Well, as long as it’s something I can help with.”
“That’s fine! Oh, we didn’t exchange contact information, did we?”
Then, driven by May’s momentum, we exchanged contact information.
“I think that’s it. I’ll be going home soon. See you tomorrow!”
“See you tomorrow.”
Yamato also walked away after watching May’s back as she walked away
with a somewhat stern look on her face.
(Come to think of it, she never once asked me if I thought Shirase and I were
in a romantic relationship.)
At this point, Tamaki May is probably a smart person, or rather, a person

with a good head.
The only time she seemed to be a little clumsy was when she was talking
about Sayla.
Anyway, I never thought that I would get involved with the popular May in
this way.
The same goes for what happened with Eita.
Before I met Sayla that night, I had never dreamed that I would be involved
with them in this way. To be honest, even now I almost wonder if I’m
dreaming.
However, this is reality. I’m sure of it because it hurt when I pulled hard on
my cheek.
Also, what I’ve come to realize lately is that I’ve been too self-conscious.
It’s true that there are people who care about Yamato’s former “truant”
status, but there are also people who don’t care about it.
Not only Sayla, but also Eita and May, who were probably aware of the
rumors, didn’t seem to be bothered.
Yamato now realized that it was he who had built the wall around himself,
assuming that everyone was treating him like a bad person.
After changing my shoes, I stepped out of the school, and the sunset sky
seemed unusually wide.
“I’m hungry.”
After muttering to himself naturally, Yamato loosened his mouth and walked
away.
Chapter 5 - Interacting With The
Saint
Yamato was currently on the way home after receiving advice from May.
As he usually cooked for himself, he was pondering what to make for dinner.
Just as he reached the main street, he was greeted by an appetizing aroma.
The rich aroma probably came from a nearby ramen store.
I glanced over and saw a sign saying “Specializing in Seafood Tonkotsu” and
a line of people waiting in front of the store.
Looked like it’s not open yet, but it was incredibly popular. I’ve never had
ramen here, but I wonder if it’s that good.
(Though I don’t think I can afford it.)
I have a lot of leftover ingredients in my refrigerator. It’s much easier on my

wallet to cook food myself rather than eat out.
On top of that, there was that huge line. Even if I lined up now, it would not
be any shorter by the time the restaurant opens. By the time I start eating, it
will be dark.
(Okay, patience, patience.)
Having come up with a reason to leave, I tried to walk past the restaurant.
““Ah.””
I found a familiar face in the line, and our eyes met, and we let out a cry.
“Good afternoon. Is Yamato heading home now?”
The other party, Sayla Shirase, curiously asked me and tilted her head.
“Well, I’ve got a lot going on. Are you eating ramen by yourself?”
“Yes, it’s delicious here.”
A high school girl going into a ramen store by herself may seem like a
somewhat high hurdle, but I guess that doesn’t matter to Sayla. She had the
guts to stand in line in her school uniform.
Yamato did a double-take because she looked so out of place.
This was the first time I’ve seen Sayla outside of school since the day we
went to the CD store together.
It hadn’t been that long, but it felt like we hadn’t talked outside of school in a
while, and I didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
Looking at Yamato, who remained silent, Sayla tilted her head curiously
again.
“Do you want some ramen, Yamato? This place specializes in seafood
tonkotsu.”
“No, I…”
—Grr…
And there Yamato’s stomach rumbled.
The timing was too good, it was like my stomach was answering for me.
“I’ll eat….”
Yamato’s face turned red with embarrassment as he replied, and Sayla burst

out laughing.
“Oh, come on, don’t laugh.”
“I’m sorry, let’s line up.”
With that, Sayla easily exited the line.
“Eh, Shirase doesn’t have to exit the line.”
“But I’m already out. And besides, I want to eat with Yamato.”
Sayla said simply and went straight back to the end of the line.
(This person says these things without hesitation…)
Yamato also got in line at the end of the line, feeling his face getting even
hotter than before.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but everyone in the line seemed to be

fidgeting.
The ramen store opened about ten minutes after Yamato and Sayla started
lining up.
After another twenty minutes or so, they were able to enter the store.
It was a small wooden restaurant with counter seats for only a few people,
giving it the atmosphere of a long-established restaurant.
Yamato and Sayla sat down next to each other and ordered two regular
ramens.
While waiting for the ramen to be ready, Yamato drank a glass of water to
drown his hunger.
“Haa~, water doesn’t fill me up.”

“This place makes it fast, you just have to be patient.”
“We had P.E. today, and to be honest, I’m starving.”
Then Sayla put her lips to my ear and whispered to me.
“By the way, are you okay with money? I know I asked you out earlier… if
you’d like, I can pay for it.”
At first, Yamato was nervous about what was going on, but then he was taken
aback by the unexpected offer.
After a few seconds or so, Yamato came back to himself and gave a small
cough before answering.
“No, It’s fine. I was planning to have dinner at home, but it’s okay to eat out
once in a while.”
“I see.”
Sayla looked relieved. In fact, Yamato was not sure that Sayla was worried
that she was giving him trouble.
To make sure, Yamato made up his mind to ask.
“But it never occurred to me that Shirase was concerned about my budget. …

By any chance, is that why you haven’t asked me out lately?”
“…Well, something like that.”
Sayla traced the rim of the cup and hesitantly continued.
“You said you were short on money the other day. You said something
similar a few times previously as well.”
“Ah…”
It was true, I remember saying something like that several times. In fact, I’m
running out of money right now.

Regardless, Yamato was strangely happy that Sayla was concerned about
him, and he grinned.
“Hmm? Why are you grinning?”
“No, well, I’m just happy…”
“That’s weird. Yamato is strange after all.”
Yamato’s smile deepened as he saw the expression on Sayla’s face, who was
slightly taken aback.
It’s hard to deny that I’m acting weird right now, so I’ll get back to the point.
“—I’m sorry. In any case, I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. It is
true that I am short on money, but it is not as bad as Shirase thought, so don’t
worry.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. If you invite me out, I can keep up with you at least once every two
times.”
“Hmm, in Yamato’s case, I have a feeling that if I ask you out, you’ll go with
me regardless. That’s why I wasn’t sure if I should ask you out.”
Did she think he was very friendly, or that he was a good-natured guy? Either
way, Yamato was relieved to know the reason why he hadn’t been asked out
recently.
“Even Shirase gets lost on what to do sometimes, huh? —Ah, and also lost on
the road often.”
“I’m lost at what to do. I’m not lost on the road.”
It was typical of Sayla to not get upset in this situation. In addition, she
doesn’t admit that she has no sense of direction.
“Hey, Shirase, can you get me some water?”

“…”
“Shirase?”
“Go get it yourself. I don’t want to right now.”
No, Sayla seemed to be annoyed in her own way. Although she said it
plainly, her face was expressionless and cold.
“Ahahaha… You’re right, I should at least get my own water.”
Since he did not expect her response, Yamato was frightened, but took the
pitcher of water and poured it into his cup.
Then Sayla held out her own cup and said,
“Fill mine too. I’ll forgive you if you do.”
Seeing the smile on Sayla’s face, Yamato felt relieved and poured the water.
At that moment, Yamato promised himself that he would stop teasing her so
thoughtlessly.
Not long after that, the ramen seemed to be ready.
The seafood tonkotsu ramen placed in front of him was served with two
slices of chashu, spring onions, and a boiled egg.
The rich aroma of seafood and pork bones in harmony stimulated my

appetite, and I could imagine how delicious it would be before I even put it in
my mouth.
““Itadakimasu.””
I decided to learn the etiquette of the restaurant first and glanced at Sayla.
She tucked one side of her hair behind her ear and picked up a bamboo spoon

to take a sip of the soup.
Then she picked up her chopsticks, blew on the rice noodles, and slurped
them up in one gulp.
She then licked the fat off her lips with her tongue and started eating the
noodles again.
Gulp.
Yamato couldn’t help but salivate.
The way Sayla was eating was so sensual.
In fact, Yamato finally realized that he didn’t care about the etiquette, he just
wanted to see Sayla eat ramen.
I took a sip of the soup before it cooled down and tried it myself. Then, the
rich flavor of seafood filled my mouth. It was a little strong, but not too
overpowering.
Next, I took a mouthful of the thick rice noodles, and with their plump
texture, the flavor of the seafood tonkotsu flooded my tongue.
It was delicious. It’s no wonder that there are lines of people waiting to get
their hands on this. The secret to its popularity is that it is easy to eat despite
its richness.
After that, I couldn’t stop eating. I chewed on a piece of chashu, and then
continued to eat the rice noodles. Next, I ate the boiled egg. Occasionally, I
would take a drink of water to refresh myself and start eating again.
Because of his hunger, Yamato was eating at a fast pace, but he stopped in
the middle of his meal.
Because Sayla, who was sitting next to him, was holding something that
didn’t look right.
“Shirase, that’s…”

“Mmm? It’s garlic. You can add any spices you want here.”
With that, Sayla opened the lid of the jar containing garlic without hesitation.
At that moment, the strong scent peculiar to garlic wafted out of the
container. I had thought that women avoided garlic, but apparently, it was
nothing to worry about for Sayla.
Sayla crushed the garlic one after another and threw it into the ramen at once.
She then took a mouthful of rice noodles without hesitation.
“Mmm~”
The sight of the uniformed JK eating the tonkotsu ramen with extra garlic,
squinting with happiness, gave a strangely soothing effect to the restaurant.
Then Sayla drank up every drop of the soup and said quietly, “gochisosama.”
Yamato was shaken by the scene, but he soon came to his senses, crushed
some garlic, threw it into his bowl, and ate the rest of the ramen.
“Me too, gochisosama.”
“There’s no need to rush.”
“No, this is a kind of willpower.”
As expected, Yamato had no choice but to compete with the girl who had
come with him, as she was more manly than he was in eating ramen.
As Yamato showed such a man’s determination, Sayla, sitting next to him,

remained puzzled.
“Willpower?”
“No, it’s nothing. …We’ve finished eating, let’s leave.”

“Right.”
When we left the restaurant after paying the bill, it was nighttime.
“This feels oddly nice.”
Maybe it was because of the ramen, or maybe because night has fallen, but
Sayla seemed to be in a very lively mood. It seemed like she was about to ask
me to hang out.
Fortunately, it was not too late, so an hour or two of fun wouldn’t be a

problem.
Yamato doesn’t have much money left, but that’s just a matter of
withdrawing his savings. He was in the mood to let Sayla off the hook a little
for worrying about him.
“All right, let’s go to the arcade.”
With his hunger satisfied and in a good mood, Yamato made a suggestion on
the spur of the moment.
But Sayla, standing next to me, had a troubled look on her face.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You look like you’re in some kind of trouble.”
Then, Sayla turned her back and replied,
“I’m sorry, I’m going home today.”
“What? Is there something you have to do?”
“Not really, but…”
It was unusual for Sayla to be so stubborn. Yamato was curious if there was
something she could not say.
“What is it? Is it possible that you’re still worried about my allowance?”

She shook her head from side to side.
Combined with the fact that she didn’t tell him the reason, Yamato became
frustrated when Sayla didn’t turn back to look at him at all and positioned
herself in front of him.
“Hey, what have you been—”
But then he realized the reason why Sayla had said she was going home.
She was covering her mouth with her hands. In other words, she was worried
about the smell of the garlic she had just eaten.
“…It smells”
Yamato also turned his back and apologized, to which Sayla replied in a
whisper, “It’s fine, the feeling is mutual.”
“I think I’m going home for the day.”
“Yeah.”
They started walking side by side, but the distance between them was half a
step wider than usual.
But rather than being reserved, the distance between them was due to their
awareness of each other.
“…I’ve been in there alone until now, so I didn’t know it smelled so bad.”
Sayla murmured in a small voice as if she regretted it.
After all, Sayla is also a young maiden age-wise.
Yamato pretended not to hear her, but inwardly felt the gap between her and
her normal self, and thought that she was still cute and adorable.

After seeing Sayla quickly leave the classroom as soon as class ended,
Yamato hurriedly headed to the shoe locker, where he was approached by
May.
“See you later, Kuraki-kun.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
But May only said a few words to him before leaving.
Still, the encounter was a special event for Yamato. Ever since May had
recognized him as a “comrade” a few days ago, they had been having
friendly exchanges like the one they were having now.
After exchanging greetings with one another, May immediately went home
with her friends, and Yamato watched her back with a peaceful feeling.
“Oh dear~ is this a premonition of love?”
When Yamato turned around at the sound of a chilling voice, he saw a

grinning Eita. It was a depressing sight to see.
“You’ve heard the story from Tamaki-san, haven’t you?”
The day after May and Yamato became comrades, Eita was seen in the
classroom during recess asking May about her interest in Yamato.
“Kee~, you’re not worth teasing~”
“I knew it was just a simple matter. … Isn’t there a club activity today?”
As he said this, Yamato changed his shoes.
Yamato was about to walk away when Eita sighed lazily and began to speak,
“yeah, I’ve got club activities again today~”
“Oh, there you are.”
He was about to walk away again when Sayla appeared and pointed at him.

He thought she had already left, but it seemed that she was still in the school.
From what she just said, it seems that she was looking for him, but he doesn’t
know the reason why.
“I see Shirase is still here too. What’s the matter?”
“I sent you a message, have you seen it?”
“Eh.”
When I took out my phone from my pocket, I saw that I had indeed received
a message from Sayla.
The message read, “Can you come to the rooftop after this?” The message
arrived just a few minutes ago — right in the middle of HR before school was
out. It must have been on silent mode and I didn’t notice it.
“Sorry, I just noticed. I’ll be fine today.”
Yamato immediately changed into his slippers and said to Eita, “See you
later,” and walked off with Sayla.
Although Yamato did felt a little bad when he heard Eita’s lonely voice
behind him saying, “There’s a big difference in attitude between the way you
treat me and the way you treat her, well that’s fine though.”
“So, what brings us to the roof?”
Yamato was on the landing in front of the rooftop, and asked Sayla about her
business.
There were already two sheets of newspaper on the floor of the landing, so he
could only guess that something was about to happen.
“Yamato said he didn’t have any money, so I thought I’d give him a haircut.”

Yamato jerked in surprise when Sayla stated her purpose with scissors in
hand. Apparently, she had brought them all the way from her home for this
purpose.
“Um… I’m sorry, I’ll pass.”
I tried to carry my bag and walk away to show my resistance, but Sayla, with
a comb in her other hand, was full of motivation.
“Why? I thought it was pretty long the last time we had PE.”
“Well, it’s shorter than Shirase’s…”
“So if I cut mine, will you cut yours?”
“No, I’m sorry, please don’t do that.”
At this rate, Sayla might seriously cut her own hair as well, so Yamato
couldn’t help but declare his surrender.
He had no choice but to sit on the newspaper and take off his blazer and shirt,
as Sayla instructed him to.
“You’re not taking off your T-shirt?”
“Give me a break…”
When I refused her last request out of shame, Sayla seemed to reluctantly
give up.
I tucked a piece of newspaper into the collar of my t-shirt and used it like a
cloth.
“All right, let’s get started.”
“Ahh…”
Sayla walked behind Yamato and immediately touched his hair.

The feeling was not comfortable but also wasn’t unpleasant.
“…I’d appreciate it if you don’t cut it too short.”
“I know.”
From Yamato’s point of view, who doesn’t want his face to be seen too
much, it’s better to have his hair as long as possible.
Even so, if it was too long, it would stand out, defeating its purpose, so
Yamato thought he had kept it just the right length. … He didn’t have the
money to go to a barbershop these days, so he may have left it too long.
So, the mist spray, or what I think is mist spray, came out from the container
and made contact with my hair which made it a little cooler. It was
surprisingly authentic that she had even prepared such a thing.
“It’s cold… Why did you say you were going to cut my hair all of a sudden?”
“I told you, I thought it was too long when I saw it in PE.”
“If you could, I’d like you to tell me in advance…”
“It’s a surprise, you know.”
While we were having this conversation, the sound of crunching and cutting
reached my ears.
She seems to be using the scissors properly, but I wonder if Sayla has any
experience cutting other people’s hair.
“Do you often cut your family’s hair?”
“No, I don’t. I live alone.”
“Then whose hair do you usually cut?”
“My own.”

“Your own?”
“Hmm? Is there anyone else?”
“Friends… no, like your boyfriend’s hair.”
Remembering that Sayla didn’t have any friends, it was regrettable that he
had said something like that on the spur of the moment.
Even if she wasn’t bothered by it, Yamato still would have mixed feelings
about his comment.
“No, I don’t. I’ve never had a boyfriend or anything.”
Yamato was deeply relieved to hear such an indifferent answer.
Sayla is very popular, but it was surprising to hear that she had never had a
boyfriend. He had heard rumors that she turned down every confession given
to her, it seemed that the rumors were true.
“O-oh, really?”
“I don’t really understand those things, about relationships and love.”
“O-okay.”
“Mmm.”
It’s true that I can’t imagine Sayla having a specific romantic partner. This is
also true for me.
As the conversation went on, Yamato was prepared to be asked if he had ever
been in love, but she remained silent for a while, only the sound of scissors
echoing in the background. Perhaps this topic was not of much interest to
Sayla.
As the conversation died down, Yamato suddenly realized.
The fact that Sayla had never cut anyone’s hair but her own meant that this

was the first time she had cut someone else’s hair.
“… Is it the first time Shirase has cut someone’s hair? Are you sure you’re
okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ve kind of got the hang of it.”
“You just got the hang of it…?”
“Besides, I have an image in my head of what I want to do.”
After saying that, Sayla positions herself in front of Yamato.
It smells so good when she’s this close, and I can’t help but feel fidgety
because Sayla’s chest is right in front of my eyes. Even from the top of her
uniform, I could see that they’re bulging, and it stirred my imagination in
many ways.
I closed my eyes for a moment to shake off my evil thoughts, and then
Sayla’s hand touched my bangs.
“Yamato’s hair is so silky.”
“It’s hard to set, though, and it’s not very nice.”
“So? I like it.”
Yamato felt his own face burning at the casual compliment.
“Now that you mention it, Shirase’s—”
“Ah, don’t move.”
“Yes…”
A few minutes had passed.
“All right, it’s done.”

As soon as he opened his eyes, he was offered a hand mirror.
When Yamato received the mirror, he checked the appearance and exclaimed
with admiration, “Ooh.”
“I don’t know, it hasn’t changed much. Though I’m thankful for the haircut.”
She smiled as she cleaned up the tools she had used.
“But it’s lighter, isn’t it?”
“Sounds about right. Especially when I shake my head.”
The heavy part in the back was lightened properly, and the bangs and sides
around the ears were cut so as not to be too short.
“Are you satisfied?”
Yamato subconsciously looked away when Sayla looked into his face and
asked him a question.
“Yeah, I think it looks really good. That’s a skill you develop for cutting your
own hair.”
“Fufu, I’m like a hairdresser myself these days.”
Even so, it was an amazing feat, although she’s not flattered, I’m very
satisfied with her work.
“I’d ask Shirase to do this every time from now on.”
“Whenever I feel like it. I had a lot of fun cutting Yamato’s hair, and I’d like
to do it again.”
As they talked, Sayla brushed the hair from Yamato’s neck.
“Okay, I got it all out. You can put your shirt on now.”
“…Thanks for that. I was wondering what was going to happen at first, but I

realized once again that Shirase is capable of anything.”
“You’re giving me too much credit.”
Sayla laughed shyly and rolled up the newspaper with Yamato’s hair in it.
“Did you bring that newspaper all the way from your home too?”
“No, I got it from the art room.”
“Is that why you left the classroom right after homeroom?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“As she answered, she put the newspaper into her bag.”
“Eh… are you taking that home with you?”
“I don’t feel comfortable about dumping it at the school.”
“Then I’ll take it home. It’s my hair.”
“It’s fine. I was the one who cut your hair.”
Strange as it may seem, Yamato was strangely happy that Sayla was treating
his hair as her property, and his mouth naturally relaxed.
“You’re smiling again for reasons I can’t quite make out. Now that I’ve
freshened up your bangs, it’s easier to see your expression.”
I don’t think I should be happy about this, anyway, Sayla seemed to be happy
about it.
“…I’m telling you, there’s absolutely no way. Shirase sees me in a better

light compared to what I actually am.”
When Yamato confidently assures her of this, Sayla shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s not something you realize yourself.”

She sounded very convincing.
“Well, anyway, if we are done, let’s get going.”
“Right. Let’s go home.”
With his hair tidied up, Yamato was in the mood to go out and have fun, but
Sayla was already planning to leave.
We walked through the school, where the number of students had completely
dwindled, and after changing our shoes with the box on the floor, we passed
through the elevator.
When Yamato noticed that they were casually leaving the school together, he
hurriedly looked around, but there were no students around.
As they approached where they normally parted, Sayla opened her mouth.
“You look good with that hairstyle. Bye-bye.”
With that, she waved and left.
Yamato, who was left alone, scratched the back of his head and muttered to
himself.
“I think I’ll try a little harder to style my hair from now on.”
Yamato had been indifferent to fashion, only fixing his sleeping habits, until
now. He decided to take this opportunity to rethink his fashion choices.
The first goal is to be a man who is not ashamed to stand alongside Sayla—
However, this was too high of a hurdle for him currently, so he decided to be
safe and take a step forward to improve his current self.

Chapter 6 - The Distance Between
Two
On a weekend morning, Yamato woke up a little late and noticed a brown

envelope on the living room table.
Next to it was a letter that read, “I’ll give you a special allowance increase, so
don’t get a part-time job.”
Yamato had often asked his mother for a part-time job to solve his money
shortage problem, and this was her answer.
After checking the contents of the envelope, he found a 10,000 yen bill.
Yamato had never asked for extra allowance before, nor had he ever wasted a
lot of money. He guessed that’s why his mother was so considerate.
It’s not that I wanted to work part-time in the first place, so this solves my
problem for the time being. And today is the weekend, I don’t have school.
(I don’t know if I should suddenly invite her on a holiday…)
The only thing left to do was to invite Sayla to hang out with him, but
Yamato was reluctant to do so.
—Buh-buh-buh.
Just then, my phone announces an incoming message.
I checked the sender, expecting it to be Sayla, but it was Eita.
“What are you doing now?”

Yamato replied to such a casual question with “I just woke up.”
He got an immediate response.
“I’m going to Round One with some guys from class, Kuraki should come
too!”
I see, it seems that this is how normies invite others to join them.
The old Yamato would have jumped for joy if someone asked him to hang
out with them on a holiday.
But it’s different now. He has someone else he would rather go with.
Therefore, Yamato replied, “Thank you for inviting me. But I’m sorry I
can’t.”
Eita replied, “Oh! See you later!” After confirming Eita’s reply, Yamato sent
a message to Sayla, saying, “What are you doing now?”
Then, within a few minutes, she replied, “I just woke up.”
If I were to use Eita’s invitation from earlier, it would have been too casual,
so I asked her “Do you want to hang out now? I haven’t decided where yet,
but I’ve got some extra cash.”
This time, she replied immediately, “If it’s after lunch.”
Yamato paused and sent, “Let’s meet in front of the station at one o’clock. Is
there any place you recommend?”
“I’ll think about it,” was the reply.
Just before 1 P.M.
Yamato had been waiting in front of the station where they were supposed to
meet for more than 30 minutes, but now that the appointed time was
approaching, his restlessness was about to reach its peak.

That’s when he was poked in the shoulder from behind.
“Wha!?”
Yamato couldn’t help but let out an indignant squeal.
When he turned around, he saw Sayla standing there in her casual clothes.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m sorry I startled you.”
Her short-sleeved white blouse and black jumper skirt gave her a casual yet
elegant look, and combined with her hair arranged in a half-up bun, her
appearance was just adorable.
In contrast to her usual cool impression, her girlish attire was very much to
Yamato’s liking.
(It’s too cute to look at directly…)
I was expecting her to wear something rough like she did before, so I was
completely blindsided.
Could she be thinking of today’s invite as a “date”? —Yamato was so

uplifted that such a thought popped into his head.
“W-well, you give off a different feeling today.”
Yamato was too flustered to praise her straightforwardly, so he said it in a

roundabout way.
Sayla responded to Yamato’s unkind remark without losing her temper.
“I like to wear whatever I feel like wearing. I’m sorry if it doesn’t match
you.”
“I think it’s very cute! …I mean, the clothes.”
“Fufu, thanks.”

Unlike Yamato, who could not be honest with himself, Sayla seemed to be
happy.
I like to wear whatever I feel like wearing—He felt like that statement is a
privilege that only the most advanced fashionistas are allowed to make, but at
the same time, Yamato thought that it was cool, just like Sayla.
Yamato, on the other hand, was dressed simply in a light gray hoodie and
jean shorts — or rather, plainly. He doesn’t think he could make the same
statement in his current outfit.
“You’re using wax today, aren’t you? It’s something new.”
Yamato was depressed when he saw her outfit, but he immediately became
excited when she noticed the small change.
“I-I’m going to use it from now on. I usually only use it when my sleeping
habits are really bad, but I thought I’d try my best to set it from now on.”
“Yeah, I think it’s good. It’s cute.”
“…Cute? Not cool?”
A feeling of disappointment was born in Yamato, but he regained his

composure and thanked her.
“Thanks. I’ll try to be a little cooler…”
Correction. He hadn’t been able to regain his composure at all.
“Then, let’s go.”
But seeing Sayla’s back as she walked off as usual, Yamato managed to
eventually regain his composure.
So, where are we going today? I’m not going to complain about where we’re
going, since I left it to you to choose the place.

Yamato asked as they boarded the train and sat down.
“We’re going to Jiyu Hiroba.”
“I’m sure Jiyu Hiroba is some kind of manga cafe.”
“Hmm, it’s not exactly like a regular manga cafe. Well, you’ll find out when
you get there.”
It was about five stops on the train. When they arrived at the destination in
front of the commercial building in front of the station—Jiyu Hiroba, Yamato
found it to be quite different from the place he had imagined.
In addition to the functions of a manga cafe, there was also a karaoke corner
and a lounge where you could enjoy both darts and billiards, making it feel
like a small theme park.
“It’s certainly different from a normal manga cafe…”
“I know right? There is no bowling alley, though.”
It may not have as many sporting elements as the other entertainment

facilities, but Yamato, who was originally an indoor person, would enjoy this
facility more.
As I was going through the admission procedure on an unattended machine,

Sayla asked me with her eyes on the screen.
“What should we do time wise? Three, six, or perhaps a twelve-hour

package?”
“No, we’ll go with the normal three hours…”
“Okay, three hours.”
Sayla replied with some regret and completed the procedure.
After that, the two of them went to the drink bar and got a drink and ice
cream each.

“What’s the first thing you usually do in a place like this? I don’t come here
very often, so I don’t know.”
“Well, there are no rules. You can do whatever you want.”
“Y-you’re right.”
For the indecisive Yamato, this was the most difficult thing to do.
Perhaps because Yamato’s emotions were showing on his face, Sayla glanced
sideways at him and pointed to the lounge.
“But since we’re here, why don’t we try playing darts or billiards? It’s easier
than you think, and I’ll teach you how to play.”
“Aah, please teach me.”
So, we decided to try darts first.
There were ten dartboards and seven billiard tables in the lounge, and there
were lots of customers, probably because it was a holiday.
After Sayla explained the rules to me, we started to play.
First, we played a simple point scoring game called “Count Up”. Yamato
threw the dart as he was taught, and it pierced the corner of the board.
I managed to hit it, but it’s not good at all…
“Since it’s your first time, keep throwing.”
“Yeah.”
The rule is to throw three times per round, so Yamato threw two more times,
but each time all he could do was hit the target inaccurately.
I knew it was going to be difficult but… it’s not good at all.
Even though it was his first time, Yamato was still depressed because he had

shown his uncool side.
Even though Sayla saw Yamato’s condition, she didn’t care and called out to
him.
“You should watch how I throw. Just imitate what I do at first.”
She then held up the dart and threw it with a slight flick of her arm, and the
dart pierced the center of the target — a bullseye.
Her movements were smooth from start to finish, and I could see that she was
throwing with precise coordination from her wrist to her fingertips.
“You really can do anything, Shirase.”
“I’m experienced at this. You’ll be able to do this in no time.”
Sayla sounded pretty serious with no sign of sarcasm.
Thanks to her, Yamato was beginning to think that he could do it too.
“I can do it?”
“Yes, you can.”
As she replied, Sayla continued to hit the bullseye with her darts. It was the
third time in a row.
It is very typical of Sayla to not hesitate or cut corners at times like this. If I
hadn’t been used to her, I would have felt deflated again.
“Here, it’s Yamato’s turn now. Try throwing it from the elbow up. Keep your
eyes on the target you want to hit.”
“Aah!”
While picturing Sayla’s elegant form in his mind, Yamato wriggled his elbow
and threw the dart.

However, the dart missed. He was so conscious of his form that he neglected
to control the dart from the wrist down.
“Pfft!”
Just then, I heard an unfamiliar laughing voice reach my ears.
I turned my gaze in the direction of the voice and saw a group of college-
aged men looking at me with smiles on their faces.
One of them spoke to me in a friendly manner.
“I’ve been watching you for a while now, but your boyfriend is a complete
beginner. She’s good at it so it’s not cool if you stay like this. That’s right,
my kind bros will teach you.”
“No, we don’t have that kind of relationship… I mean, I’m in the middle of
being taught.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Your boyfriend will get better faster if we do it
together.”
Apparently, they thought that Yamato and Sayla were lovers. The reason why
they still approached him was probably that he looked so weak. In short, they
were getting a kick out of him.
The men have been looking only at Sayla since a while ago, and their ulterior
motives are obvious.
Sayla, on the other hand, seems to be ignoring them. She didn’t pay any
attention to the men, and asked Yamato, “What’s wrong? You still have two
throws left.”
The men who were ignored by Sayla all wore grim expressions on their faces.
The scene reminded me of the exchange we had with a group of delinquents
some time ago.
In the end, Sayla twisted his wrist, and the sight of the large man crawling on
the ground was truly shocking and unforgettable.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to get away with it this time if it happens again
here. Even if we were safe, there was always the possibility that we would be
banned from the store.
(We need to do something before this escalates…!)
While I was thinking about this and that, one of the guys couldn’t take it
anymore and tried to put his arm around Sayla’s shoulder…
Pulls
Yamato immediately grabbed Sayla’s hand and pulled her close.
Then, with all the courage he could muster, he told them.
“I asked her to teach me how to play darts, it’s fine, so please don’t interrupt
our date. —I’ll call the clerk if you keep messing with us.”
The threat to call the clerk must have worked. The men left, swearing in
frustration.
“Phew…”
When the relieved Yamato took a breath, Sayla sighed in a troublesome

manner.
“Huh. When I dress like this, I get teased quite a bit. Even when I’m in
uniform.”
So, the reason why she wasn’t messed with when she walked the streets late
at night was because of the way she dressed.
That was a new discovery, but there was something else that bothered
Yamato.
He turned to Sayla with a serious face and opened his mouth to call her
attention.
“About that, you know that if you behave like you just did, you’ll only upset

or anger them. I’m not saying you can’t do a little better, but you should at
least try to say no.”
“…Ah, mm, okay. I will.”
The fact that Sayla honestly listened to his opinion made Yamato aware that
he was still holding her hand after all this time.
“…And I’m sorry for suddenly holding your hand. I’m also sorry for treating
you like my girlfriend without permission.”
Sayla slowly shook her head from side to side as Yamato let go of her hand
and then apologized.
“No, thanks to you, nothing happened. Thanks.”
“I-it’s nothing to be thankful for, really.”
When Yamato scratched the back of his head to hide her embarrassment,
Sayla giggled and walked behind him.
“Well, let’s start playing darts again. I’ll teach you how to set up this time.”
Sayla leaned in close to Yamato and put her hands around his waist. In this
position, she touched Yamato’s right hand and carefully lectured him on how
to throw.
Her beautiful voice and breath touched his ears, and her lecture continued in
close proximity to him, so Yamato had no time to comprehend.
“Sh-Shirase, this is really too close…”
“It’s easier to remember if we do it this way. Here, move your arm like
this…”
When I threw the dart as instructed, it successfully pierced the bullseye.
“Oh, I hit it.”

“Yes, don’t forget how it feels now.”
Yamato was so happy that he immediately picked up the next dart, this time
ready to throw it by himself.
“Hey, are you on a date today?”
“Pfft!?”
The word “date” suddenly came out of Sayla’s mouth, and Yamato’s dart left
his hand at an awkward angle.
And the dart, of course, missed the target.
Immediately, Yamato turned his resentful gaze to Sayla.
“Are you joking, by any chance?”
Then Sayla replied as if to argue.
“Yamato said earlier, ‘Don’t interfere with our date.’ That’s why I thought it
was one.”
“I just thought it would be more effective to say that at the time… I

apologized for that.”
“You apologized for treating me like a girlfriend, but I wasn’t told anything
about a date.”
Sayla said with a straight face, and Yamato was wondering how to respond.
(If this turned out to be a date, Shirase would be the one in trouble.)
Did Sayla come when he asked her to go on a date with him? He wasn’t
going to check on that, and Yamato didn’t think that today’s outing was a
date, but imagining the answer made him feel empty.
As if to drown out the emptiness, Yamato let out a small sigh.

“Yamato?”
“…Then I’ll apologize to you. I’m sorry for calling it a date back then. It was
really spur of the moment.”
“It’s not that I wanted you to apologize, but…”
Sayla seemed somewhat unhappy, but Yamato was doing his best to avoid a
misunderstanding.
Since it was Sayla, she probably didn’t intend to have such a deep meaning
when she said, “I wasn’t told anything about a date.”
Furthermore, despite being such a beautiful girl, Sayla has never had a
boyfriend. It is reasonable to assume that she has never been interested in any
kind of relationship.
Therefore, in order to continue interacting with her as he had in the past, he

must not show any ulterior motives — at least that’s what Yamato thought.
This is why Yamato opened his mouth with the intention to deny any
accusations of him doing so.
“I’m sorry for creating such a strange misunderstanding. I really don’t mean
to.”
This was not a lie. In fact, Yamato sees Sayla more as an object of admiration
and respect than as a member of the opposite sex.
It is similar to the feelings May has for Sayla, though perhaps slightly
different.
She sighed as if she couldn’t bear talking about it any longer.
“It’s okay. Well, I guess it’s my turn now.”
Sayla’s expression tightened as if to change her mind, and she faced the
dartboard.

She quickly threw three 20-points triples in a row — the highest score she
could get in a single round, 180 points.
“That’s awesome…”
“Hey, do you want to make a bet now? Throw the remaining six rounds, and
the loser is going to get the winner a drink.”
Perhaps she was trying to relieve her gloom, but she was playing a terrible
game against a beginner. At this rate, Yamato wouldn’t even have a single
handicap.
“You’re going to make me your errand boy…”
“So you won’t take it?”
In the face of Sayla’s provocative smile, the manly side of Yamato dictated
that he could not run away.
“As you wish, I’ll take it.”
Yamato replied vigorously, and Sayla’s smile deepened in amusement.
“So, Ginger Ale is fine, right?”
Yamato made a bitter face as he offered the drink he had poured to the
winner.
“Oh, thank you very much. —It’s good.”
The winner, Sayla, is enjoying her ginger ale with a satisfied look on her
face.
Obviously, the darts match was a dominating victory for Sayla.
Or, technically, it wasn’t even a contest.

“…Even Shirase has a mean streak.”
Even though she overheard Yamato’s whining, Sayla still seemed pleased.
“I’m sorry. I was a little annoyed, and I wanted to vent. I was bullying the
weak, but it was a good stress reliever.”
“You don’t seem to have any intention of hiding your true feelings… My
pride was torn to shreds when you did that to me.”
“I’m sorry. In return, I will teach you how to play billiards.”
Sayla puts the cup down on the round table and grabs a billiard cue.
Sayla makes a scene just by holding the cue in her hand. As was the case with
darts, it seems that she and competitions go hand in hand.
As soon as Sayla stood in front of the billiard table, the people around her
started to glance at her, but when Yamato, who was also holding a cue in his
hand, approached her, their gazes instantly fell away. He was like a charm
against evil.
First, Sayla gave him a brief explanation of the rules.
We were going to play a game called “nine-ball,” in which the winner is the
one who shoots the white ball, called the ‘hand ball,’ and pockets (drops into
the hole) the ninth target ball.
However, you have to hit the balls in order, starting with the lowest
numbered ball, and it is quite difficult.
The first player has to make a break shot, which is a shot at the target balls
lined up in the center of the table, and Sayla seems to be showing me how it’s
done.
Sayla’s appearance as she held the cue was mature and appealing, and her
profile caught my attention.
When she shot the ball with a fluid motion that was beautiful down to the tips

of her fingers, it hit the first of the target balls that were clustered in the
center, and all the target balls scattered vigorously in different directions.
Some of them were pocketed, so it seemed that it was Sayla’s turn again.
But Sayla was not happy.
“Hmmm, I couldn’t do the break ace. I think I made a mistake by wearing a

skirt.”
“What’s a break ace?”
“It’s a break shot that pockets the ninth. I was aiming for that.”
If she could do that, she would have won the game… Sayla was planning to
win the game by attacking first. I felt that I had caught another glimpse of her
competitive side.
“That’s not fair. So that’s why you took the first shot.”
“That’s one reason, but I thought Yamato wouldn’t be able to hit the best
target.”
Either way, it’s not a reason to be happy…
I’m not confident that I can actually hit any of the balls, which is pathetic.
When Sayla pocketed two more balls, it was finally Yamato’s turn.
Yamato tried to imitate her, but he couldn’t get the cue to stick out straight
away.
As Yamato struggled, Sayla began to instruct him closely, as if they were

playing darts.
“Position yourself like this. And make a ring with your fingers.”
“H-Heh…”

“Are you listening? Stretch your arms out more.”
“Y-yes…”
Her breath blows in my ear and a very sweet smell fills my nostrils.
Sometimes something soft touched his back and shoulders, and Yamato felt
that something was off.
(Isn’t this closer than when we were playing darts…?)
Yamato naturally was able to smell Sayla’s body and became conscious of
Sayla’s body that was in close proximity to his.
The touch of her fingertips was soft and smooth, yet cool and cold.
It made his heart beat faster and he also began to sweat.
Sayla proceeded to instruct him without regard to Yamato’s behavior.
“Just keep moving the cue. All right—”
When I moved the cue as instructed by Sayla, I was able to make a solid shot
with a lot of power.
Thanks to this, the ball went straight and hit the target ball of number four.
But Yamato was having a hard time.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go to the bathroom… You can play by yourself.”
“Okay, have a safe trip.”
Yamato hurriedly ran into the washroom and washed his face with cold water
to calm himself down.
(What are you thinking about, me? Shirase is not that kind of person.)
Yamato understands that anyone would be conscious of such a beautiful girl

if she were to get close to them.
Even so, Yamato wants to be as sincere as possible with Sayla.
Therefore, he ran away to calm his mind. It was a strategic retreat.
“…What kind of face should I make when I go back?”
I can’t leave her alone forever. There is always the possibility that she might
get tangled up with some strange people again.
“All right, let’s go back.”
And so, with a renewed spirit, Yamato returned to the billiard room.
“Huh? I’m pretty sure it was here.”
The billiard table they had been using had been cleared and Sayla was
nowhere to be found.
As sweat poured out of Yamato’s body.
“Hey, Yamato. Come here, come here.”
Yamato heard a carefree voice from behind him.
When he turned around, he saw Sayla standing there. She was holding a soft-
serve ice cream in both hands.
“You put away the billiard equipment?”
“Yes. Yamato didn’t seem to be able to concentrate. I also brought this for
Yamato. Do you want it?”
“Yeah, I’ll take it.”
After the two of them left the room, they sat down on a bench in the facility
and ate the soft-serve ice cream.

The rich vanilla flavor was so delicious that it was hard to believe it was an
all-you-can-eat item. However, Yamato did not feel like finishing it.
Sayla, who was sitting next to him, looked relaxed and opened her mouth as
soon as she finished eating the soft-serve ice cream.
“What should we do now? There’s still some time left, and the private rooms
were open, so why don’t we watch a movie?”
The suggestion was very tempting, but it meant that Yamato and Sayla would
be alone in a private room, sitting side by side in front of a computer. There
might even be a chance for them to touch each other.
Imagining the situation, Yamato began to worry if he would be able to keep

his sanity around her.
“I’m sorry… but I think I might be a little tired.”
When Yamato told her that in a strained voice, Sayla acted puzzled and then
said.
“I see. I’ll see you at the movies next time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I don’t mind. Well, we’d better get going.”
“Yeah.”
Sayla stood up vigorously as Yamato threw the rest of the soft-serve ice
cream, which had begun to melt, into his mouth.
They finished the checking out with the unattended equipment and headed
out of the facility.
After that, there was no conversation between the two, and they got on the
train in a natural manner.
When they got off at the nearest station, they had to part ways.

“Thank you for today. It was fun.”
“I had fun too, thanks. Okay, bye-bye.”
Sayla said a quick goodbye and left.
As he watched her walk away, Yamato sighed deeply.
The week was over.
While all the students were excited about the approaching big holiday called
Golden Week, Yamato was the only one who didn’t look happy.
He was still feeling awkward about the day he had spent with Sayla.
The air between the two of them was heavy as if Yamato’s feelings were
being felt by Sayla.
The situation remained the same even after the lunch break, and when
Yamato refused to leave his seat, Eita approached and called out to him.
“What’s with the awkwardness between you two?”
Bonk!
At that moment, May elbowed Eita in the side of the head. And instead of
Eita who fell down, May opened her mouth.
“Kuraki-kun, aren’t you going to have lunch with Saint-san today?”
“No, that’s…”
I glanced at Sayla’s seat, but she was already gone. Apparently, she had left
the classroom first.
Eita seems to have guessed a lot of things, and it’s obvious that May has been
paying attention to him as well. Under these circumstances, Yamato had no

intention of staying in the classroom either.
“Well, I was just about to go.”
Yamato managed to smile as he answered, and May nodded her head.
That’s just fine then. Actually, during the holidays, the whole class is talking
about getting together for a barbecue, and I was wondering if Kuraki-kun
could invite Saint-san to join us.
This barbecue event would be what we call a social gathering. It’s been about
a month since the new class started, so it makes sense that they would take
advantage of the holidays to hold such an event.
However, he couldn’t imagine Sayla participating in such a large gathering,

even if it was with her classmates. That was probably why Yamato had been
entrusted with recruiting her.
“By the way, Kuraki is a mandatory participant.”
Eita added with a smirk. The two of them might be a good pair as May
nodded her head in agreement. It must have been one of them who suggested
the idea of having a barbecue in the first place.
Last year, Yamato would always refuse to participate in class gatherings, but
in the first place he didn’t dislike events like closing parties. Moreover, he
doesn’t feel bad for being told this.
“…It’s fine with me, but I don’t know if Shirase will come.”
“Don’t worry, if Kuraki-kun asks her, she’ll come.”
“That’s right, don’t give up before you even ask her out. And it’s not a bad
deal for Kuraki either. This is a great opportunity to make up with the Saint
properly—Goho!?”
May’s elbow strikes again. Eita, who had been jabbed in the side, was in tears
and pointed a-okay sign at me.

It was nice to be trusted, but Yamato didn’t have the confidence to
reciprocate it.
“Well, I’ll just talk to her and see.”
When Yamato left his seat after saying that, May said as if to add to it.
“Oh yeah, it’s probably going to be the last day of the holiday weekend
according to everyone’s schedule, so let her know that, too.”
“Got it.”
Yamato left the classroom, trying to escape the expectant glances of Eita and
May, or rather, all of his classmates.
He walked up the stairs and arrived at the landing of the top floor.
The air vents had already been removed, so he climbed through them to get
outside.
Yamato slowly approached the figure of Sayla lying on the floor under the
cloudy sky.
As if in response to the sound of footsteps, Sayla’s eyes fluttered open.
“I thought you weren’t coming today.”
Sayla muttered, sat up, and brushed her hair, which was the same color as the
clouds, out of her face.
The expression on her face was blank as if she was in a daze, and her eyes
were still unfocused. Yamato wondered if she was asleep while waiting for
him.
Yamato almost gazed in admiration at the sight of her, but he coughed and
cleared his throat before opening his mouth.

“I’m sorry I’m late, but I was approached by Shinjo-san.”
“Shinjo?”
Sayla tilted her head as if she had never heard of him before. It seems that
Sayla can’t even remember Eita’s name. The most handsome man in the class
has no form in front of the Saint.
Yamato knew she was not interested in other people, but he never imagined
that she would be like this. Yamato was so disappointed that he decided to
mention May’s name next.
“What about Tamaki-san?”
“Oh, I know that girl. That cute little girl.”
Apparently, she seemed to have remembered May, and she seemed to have a
good impression of her. If May hears what she just said, I think she’s going to
swoon with happiness.
“They told me that they were going to have a barbecue with the whole class
during the holidays. They want Shirase to join.”
“Heh. Yamato is going too?”
“I’m thinking of going.”
“I’ll go then.”
When Yamato was appalled by her unexpectedly quick decision, Sayla

tapped the floor next to her.
“Come on, let’s have lunch. I’m already starving.”
It seemed that she had waited for him without eating lunch on purpose. He
was honestly happy to hear her consideration.
“Yeah. —Ah.”

There Yamato realized that he had left his lunch box in the classroom.
He could go back and get it now, but he felt that would be too much of a
hassle.
After much deliberation, Yamato decided to skip lunch today and sat down
next to Sayla.
“I left my lunch in the classroom. It’s too much trouble to go back, so I’ll
hold out for today.”
“I’ll give you one.”
Sayla then offered him one of her yakisoba buns.
“Is that okay? You didn’t buy much for lunch, did you?”
“I have two today, and well, you can say I’m on a diet? So take it.”
Yamato felt that it would be bad for Sayla’s health if she lost any more
weight, but he guessed that’s not what she meant. He decided to accept her
kindness.
“Well, I’ll take it. Thank you.”
“Mmm.”
“Itadakimasu.”
“Me too, Itadakimasu.”
They bit into the bread next to each other and chewed.
Yamato proceeded to eat it, wondering why it tasted so good even on its own.
“Gochisosama.”
“Me too, Gochisosama.”

It was a light lunch as they only had one piece of bread each, but they still
felt satisfied.
Lunch time with Sayla is always like this. It’s not like they’re doing anything
special or eating anything amazing, but it gives Yamato a sense of fulfillment
that makes him regret having to leave.
I hope she was as satisfied as I was — While Yamato was thinking, Sayla
suddenly leaned in close to him.
“H-hey, Shirase?”
“Hold still, I can’t get it off.”
It seems that Yamato had some seaweed on the edge of his mouth, and Sayla
took it with her index finger and put it in her own mouth.
“Wha…!?”
Seeing the shocked and distraught Yamato, Sayla tilted her head curiously.
“What’s wrong? Your face is red.”
(She’s called a Saint, but isn’t she more of a witch who seduces men?)
I was so dumbfounded that I thought about it for a moment, but then I

remembered that the Saint in front of me was not a seducer, but just a natural,
and I quickly changed my mind.
“No, no, it’s okay. More importantly, don’t ever do this kind of thing to other
people. They’ll get the wrong idea.”
“I won’t. Calm down.”
Yamato gradually regained his composure when he saw Sayla placating him
with her usual calm face.
“Phew~… I’m fine now.”

Sayla inquired nonchalantly to Yamato, who was now in a completely normal
state of mind.
“You know, Yamato.”
“What is it?”
“Do you hate it when I touch you?”
The sudden question confused Yamato once again.
But he managed to hold his ground and answer the question.
“Eh, hate it? Of course not.”
“If so, why have you been avoiding me since yesterday? The only other
reasons I can think of are that you made a terrible bet in darts or that you tried
to make a break ace in billiards.”
It was typical of Sayla to speak plainly even in these situations, and although
her reasons were all misguided, I could tell that she was seriously worried
about it in her own way.
I was very happy to hear that, and it made me feel kind of important to her.
What I’ve learned today is that Sayla herself has no qualms about having
skin-to-skin contact with me.
Therefore, the only way to make her feel at ease now would be to have skin-
to-skin contact with her.
It can be as simple as leaning on her shoulder, patting her head, or holding

her hand. These actions will relieve her anxiety.
(Can I do that? Am I able to?)
For some people, it may be an easy thing to do.
However, the person in question is a beautiful flower. And this one is an

ordinary guy with a negative attitude at best.
For Yamato, who had always felt that Sayla and himself were leagues apart,
this was too much of a hurdle to overcome.
Of course, he would hold her hand when necessary, such as in case of

trouble, and in some cases, they could even touch each other more than that.
However, touching her for no reason at all has a different meaning.
This time, Yamato could say that it was to reassure her, but even so, he felt
that if he touched her at this moment, they would not be able to maintain their
original relationship.
Because he doesn’t want the relationship to fall apart — and to protect his
precious relationship, Yamato tells her with words instead of reaching out to
her.
“…Well, you’re overthinking it. I wasn’t avoiding Shirase, and it wasn’t

anything abnormal.”
Yamato is committed to his deception and even smiled affectionately
He knows it was a dishonest response. But he couldn’t think of any other

way.
Sayla looked up slowly and said with a gentle smile on her face.
“I see. Then that’s fine.”
Yamato felt relieved and at ease, yet at the same time filled with guilt.
He forced himself to believe that this was okay.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Sayla said as if she remembered something, and stood up quickly.
“I have to go to my parents’ house on the first day.”

“Are you talking about the holidays?”
“Yes. When is the class barbecue?”
“Well, it looks like the last day.”
“I see, it’s the last day.”
At that moment, he felt Sayla’s expression cloud over for a moment.
“Do you have any plans?”
“Well, yeah. But I’m fine. Maybe I’ll go when I’m done.”
Just as Sayla said this, the bell rang.
What were her plans? I returned to the classroom, curious but unable to ask.

Chapter 7 - BBQ On The Long
Holiday
It was the long holiday that everyone had been waiting for, the so-called
Golden Week.
Even though the long holiday had just started, Yamato still had a blank look
on his face.
The reason was simple: he had no plans to spend time with Sayla.
She had said that she would go back to her parents’ house when the holiday
started, and she didn’t know when she would be back.
Besides, Yamato originally didn’t have a good impression of this long

holiday. A year ago, when he was out of school, he had a history of worrying
about this time of year.
(I wonder when Shirase will come back…)
While I was thinking about this, the days passed by in the blink of an eye.
At last, it was the last day of the long holiday.
The only thing that had happened in the past few days was that Eita had
asked me out a few times. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to go, so I
turned him down.
However, today was the day of the barbecue.
He thought that Sayla would be back on the last day of the long holidays, so
he started getting ready as soon as possible.

“Sooo, haaa…”
He took a deep breath to relieve the tension. He looked in the mirror and saw
his terrible face there.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Sayla’s face, so I’ll be happy to see her
again.
But more than that, I was wondering how I should treat her, and I was very
nervous.
The meeting time was at 6:00 pm. Yamato left the house 30 minutes before
the appointed time and arrived at the rooftop terrace of the commercial
building where the barbecue was to be held, retaining a sense of tension the
entire time.
There was no specific dress code, so I decided to dress roughly in a navy blue
hoodie and chinos, but when I arrived, I found that my classmates were all
dressed to the teeth.
I looked around, but still couldn’t see Sayla.
Just as I was about to prepare myself for Sayla’s arrival, Eita, who was
somehow wearing a replica uniform of the Japanese national soccer team
from a few years ago, approached me.
“Hey, Kuraki. You’ve come.”
“Why are you dressed like that…?”
“Oh, this is it. It’s cool, isn’t it? I need to wear this to get into the spirit.”
Yamato was relieved to see that there was someone else dressed out of place.
“Good evening, Kuraki-kun. You’re not with saint-san?”
It was May who approached me.
She was wearing a beige knit and a cherry blossom-colored flared skirt, a

fashionable and cute outfit.
When placed alongside the gorgeous May, Yamato and Eita seemed out of
place.
“Good evening. I haven’t heard from her since the start of the holidays either.
I wonder if she’ll make it.”
“Yeah. She did let me know she was going to participate, so I’m sure she’ll
be here soon.”
Just as Yamato was worried that she might have lost his way, the door to the
terrace was opened.
What emerged from the door was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, Shirase
Sayla, who was covered in vivid makeup.
Dressed in a long black dress with a floral pattern and high-heeled pumps,
she looked like a lady who would grace a party.
The appearance of Sayla, dressed in such a mature manner, made everyone

unsettled.
Her cold, unapproachable expression was even sterner than that of the
solitary saint she was at school, and it made the air tense.
As Yamato was overwhelmed by her appearance like everyone else, Sayla

glanced at him.
She walked straight over to Yamato and the others, turned to May, and
opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry, I’m late.”
When she said this, the atmosphere around her immediately eased.
May, who seemed to have regained a sense of normalcy, replied, “It’s totally
fine. Thank you for coming today.”

Then, as if Eita was in charge, he cleared his throat and said, “Well then,
everyone, today is the last day of the holidays, but let’s get along with the
new class and get over the May Syndrome! Cheers!” The barbecue began
with these words.
As soon as the barbecue started, the girls flocked to Sayla.
She was taken to the drink corner, where the girls were cackling and praising
her appearance with sparkling eyes.
Meanwhile, the boys, who were left alone, started cooking the meat and
vegetables. After the food was cooked, the boys took them as leverage and
joined in the conversation with the girls. This was Eita’s idea.
“…Uh, I want to talk to the saint, too…”
May seems to have missed the boat, grabbing Yamato’s sleeve and looking
hatefully at the girls in the distance.
“Why don’t you just join them? I don’t think Tamaki-san would have a
problem with that.”
Yamato advised, trying to keep his composure, even though he was unsettled
about being grabbed by the sleeve.
However, May has no intention of leaving her position.
“No, not yet. I have a hunch she’ll be here any minute.”
“Are you trying to use me as bait?”
“Of course not. You said you’d help me.”
It was at that moment that Yamato understood that a girl’s persistence could
be a terrible thing.
However, May’s prediction proved fruitless, as Sayla showed no signs of

coming over to the two.

Sayla was not a normal girl, she would not care how many girls crowded
around her and would come straight to Yamato.
“Umm, is something wrong after all?”
May asked with concern.
Yamato fought off the urge to express his weakness and tried to appear
strong.
“It’s nothing special. It’s probably just that she’s surrounded and can’t get
out.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Although he managed to hold his ground in front of May, Yamato felt as if he

was about to sigh.
“Hey, Kuraki. You should help out too!”
Just then, Eita, who was cooking in the distance, called out loudly to him.
Thinking that the timing was just right, Yamato said goodbye to May and
went straight to Eita’s side.
“…Huh~”
As soon as he arrived, Yamato let out a loud sigh and Eita handed him a pair
of tongs with a big smile. Maybe it was the smoky air, but he felt like he was
going to burst into tears.
“Kuraki is so stubborn. I don’t think she’d make fun of you if you showed
some weakness.”
“It’s fine to be stubborn. Besides, she’s desperate to get along with Shirase. I
can’t be the only one who needs help.”
“Oh, so you can only show your weaknesses to other men.”

“You’re not listening to me at all…”
“I’m listening. I’d be happy to give you some additional advice, you know?
While you’re cooking the meat, of course.”
While Eita hummed happily as he turned over the meat and vegetables on the
stove, Yamato gave him a frustrated look.
“…Shinjo just wants to eat meat, right?”
“No, I don’t. I want vegetables too.”
“I’ll go cook it somewhere else.”
“Wait, wait a second.”
Eita even grabbed Yamato’s arm to hold him back, so Yamato regained his
composure and proceeded to cook the meat.
“So, why did you two fight?”
Eita asks without even looking at him.
There were no other students around, so Yamato opened his mouth as if he

were grasping at straws.
“It’s not that we had a fight. It’s just that things got a little awkward.”
“Ho~?”
“…And, well, I actually have a question for Shinjo.”
“Oh, what’s up?”
“Shinjo has girl friends, right? How much skinship do you usually have with
them?”
“Pfft.”

As Eita struggled to hold back his laughter, Yamato looked at him with
disdain.
“Shinjo, you should eat all the meat and vegetables there. There was spit
flying everywhere.”
“I’m sorry. Don’t be mad. So, you’re talking about skin-to-skin with girls?”
“With girl friends.”
Eita thought about it for a few seconds, then smiled and said.
“Well, it depends on the person. In my case, I’d give them a high five, but
some of them would give me a hug. I guess it depends on the distance.”
“Distance…”
That’s why Yamato asked, because he couldn’t figure it out.
Seeing Yamato’s troubled face, Eita added.
“I think it also depends on the situation. If it’s an event or something, some

people will suddenly become very close, and the atmosphere is also
important.”
“The atmosphere…”
I felt like I was getting more and more confused.
I could sort of understand what he meant by that, but I couldn’t shake my

uneasiness as there was nothing definite to go on.
In order to dispel his uneasiness, Yamato asked more questions.
“If so, do you get any strange feelings during this skinship?”
“Hmph!?”
Yamato looked at Eita with anger and disgust, but Eita seemed to have

something to say about it.
“That was Kuraki’s fault, too! Why are you asking me that with a straight
face man?”
“I’m being very serious here.”
If it wasn’t, Yamato wouldn’t have asked such a question.
This showed Yamato’s mental state is in such dire straits.
Eita replied reluctantly, looking unsure of what to say.
“Well, no matter how much you’re friends, we’re still men and women. If her
breasts hit you, you get nervous and horny, right? Especially if the other
person is cute.”
“I see!”
Yamato responded with a bite, and Eita replied with a chuckle.
“But I guess that’s only for that moment. If you think about that feeling all
the time afterwards, it’s a sign that the thing is about to happen.”
Yamato knew what he was referring to, as expected.
But he denies it.
—This feeling is definitely not “love”.
“…”
A plate of deliciously cooked beef is presented in front of Yamato, who falls

silent with a serious look on his face.
“But in the end, I guess it all depends on the person. So if you don’t want to
regret it, I think it’s best to tell her how you really feel before worrying about
it.”

“Shinjo…”
I didn’t expect Eita to be so accommodating and willing to help me.
(He really is a good guy, isn’t he, Shinjo?)
After reviewing the situation, I was about to take the plate with the meat
when the plate was pulled back.
“You can’t have this, because I’m the one who cooked it.”
“But you just tried to give it to me.”
“No, I was just bragging about how well mine turned out. You’re going to
give it to the saint anyway, aren’t you? Then you should cook your own food
like the rest of them.”
“Wha…?”
“Come on, don’t just stand there. You’ll burn it.”
“Oh shoot!”
It was already too late. One side of the meat Yamato had cooked had been
charred to a crisp.
It seems that the next stock of meat has not arrived yet, so he can’t cook
another one.
In the meantime, some of the boys seemed to have finished cooking their
meat. Some of them were trying to appeal to Sayla, and were glancing at the
girls.
It was obvious that he would be late to the party. It wouldn’t change

anything, but Yamato’s pride wouldn’t allow him to let the other boys get
ahead of him here.
(If this happens, I’m screwed!)

Yamato put the burnt meat he had cooked on a plate, poured the yakiniku
sauce all over it, and walked over.
The taste would be hard to cover up, but he could apologize later and she
would forgive him.
More importantly, he couldn’t stand the idea of Sayla eating someone else’s
meat. This was a matter of prider, not logic.
As I was closing the distance, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around
to see May standing there with a fearsome smile on her face. She looked like
she was planning to do something.
She held out a plate of delicious looking meat and said.
“Why don’t we make a deal? Here is the meat I cooked for her. I’ll give it to
you, and you can give it to the Saint instead of me.”
“Eh, is that okay?”
“Yes. But be sure to ask her what she thinks of the food. Then you can tell
me what she thinks about it later.”
Such a deal would be beneficial for both parties. It’s a great offer for Yamato.
“That’s fine, but don’t you want me to tell her that it was baked by Tamaki-
san?”
“If you tell her that, she might not get it… Just go, quickly, before it gets
cold!”
“Aah!”
More bravely than before, Yamato grabbed the two plates and proudly went
to Sayla’s side.
The girls around Sayla were already drumming their tongues against the meat
they had been given, but it was still a dense crowd.

Yamato stepped in front of Sayla and held out the plate in his right hand.
“The meat is cooked, if you want to have some?”
I told her, my voice trembling with nervousness, and Sayla rolled her eyes.
“Thanks, Yamato. … But isn’t it a bit overcooked?”
When Yamato heard these words, he looked at the plate and saw nothing but
burnt meat on it. It seems that he had mistakenly offered the failed dish that
he had brought for his own consumption.
“No, not this one! I was actually going to give you this one.”
Sayla smiled as I held out the plate that May had given me.
“I don’t care if it’s burnt. There’s a lot of people here, let’s change places.”
“Yeah.”
Everyone around them was transfixed by the Saint’s smile, and no one tried
to disturb them as they sat at a table in the corner.
It was because her smile was so noble that it swept away everyone’s evil
thoughts.
“What are you going to do with the burnt part?”
When it came time to eat, Sayla asked curiously.
“This one I burned, so I’m going to eat it myself.”
“Heh. Then can I eat that one too?”
“Eh? Why?”
“Because I am curious about the taste. I’ve never had burnt meat before.”

“I don’t mind…”
“Okay, I’ll take it from you. Itadakimasu.”
Sayla said and took a mouthful of Yamato’s charred meat.
“…It’s jerky and bitter.”
“Sorry about that…”
“But it’s better than I thought.”
“Well, have some of this for your palate.”
When Yamato offered her a piece of May’s grilled meat, Sayla nodded
happily as soon as she put it in her mouth.
“It’s delicious. It actually tastes like meat.”
“I’m sorry the one I cooked doesn’t taste like meat.”
“Eh?”
Yamato leaked the details, so he gave up and explained.
“In fact, that meat was cooked by Tamaki-san. She gave it to me because she
was concerned about the meat I burnt.”
“Heh. By the way, you were looking at me earlier.”
I wondered if the “earlier” she was referring to was when he was talking to
May before cooking the meat. Sayla was surrounded by other girls at that
time, and it was surprising that she was paying attention to us.
“Uh, that was, uh, …a little strategy meeting.”
“You don’t want to be with me.”
“Huh?”

Yamato blurted out. The look that Sayla was giving him was painful.
But Yamato had a point to make as well.
“No, that was Shirase’s fault too! What are you talking about with a straight
face?”
Having said all that, Yamato felt a sense of déjà vu. He had a feeling that just
recently, someone had made the same objection while making a dumb face.
Thanks to this, for some reason, Yamato was able to regain his composure. In
addition, the advice from Eita crossed his mind.
If you don’t want to regret it, I think the best thing you can do is to tell her
how you really feel before you start worrying about it.
As Sayla ate the meat with a pout, Yamato made a some sort of resolution
and started to speak.
“…There’s something I want to ask you.”
“Yeah?”
“Does Shirase still think that I started avoiding you because I didn’t want to
have skinship with you?”
“Yes. Because when we talked on the roof, Yamato seemed to be faking it.”
It seems that he was not able to hide his feelings at that time.
This time, in order to speak with sincerity, Yamato took a deep breath and
said,
“It’s not like that, it’s the other way around.”
“What?”
Yamato’s head froze because of the unexpected reaction of Sayla, who was
dumbfounded.

As he tried to sort out the situation in his mind, he realized that he had not
said enough because of his nervousness.
“N-no, not that! I just wanted to say that I don’t mind!”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just calm down. I was just a little surprised.”
Yamato doesn’t know if it was just his imagination, but Sayla’s cheeks were
turning slightly red.
Yamato’s face was as red as a ripe apple. Even so, he managed to take a deep
breath again, trying to remain calm.
“—About the skinship thing. I get a strange feeling when Shirase sticks to
me…”
“What kind of strange feelings?”
“Well, it’s not that I have ulterior motives, but I’m still conscious of you. I
mean, Shirase and I are friends, but we’re also members of the opposite sex.”
This explanation was partly based on Eita’s opinion.
As Sayla was quietly listening to him, Yamato explained himself.
“Besides, that kind of feeling can destroy friendships. That’s why I avoided
skinship with Shirase — or rather, I kept my distance from you.”
“I see, that’s what it was. I now understand why Yamato doesn’t consult me
very often.”
The misunderstanding seemed to be over, and Yamato was relieved.
“I’m really sorry for being so selfish and thinking on my own. I’m going to
consult with Shirase more from now on.”
“Yes, that would make me happy, too.”
The smiling Sayla was very adorable.

Yamato gently squeezed Sayla’s hand, feeling embarrassed.
“Fufu, you’re sweating.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about delicacy. I’ll be a little more
careful.”
“That would be great. It’s better than pretending you know what you’re
talking about.”
“Thank you.”
When I put a little more pressure on her hand, Sayla squeezed it back.
But it was more like a handshake than skinship.
The barbecue continued for some time after that.
Yamato was forced to cook the meat again, and Sayla directly told May her
impressions of the meat May cooked, which almost made May faint, but in
the end, it was a fun class party.
The class barbecue came to an end when it was quite late.
The participation fee was quite expensive, and even though his allowance had
just been increased, it was still a painful expense for Yamato.
However, it was worth it for him to repair his strained relationship with
Sayla. Compared to that, the participation fee seems like a free gift.
As we were cleaning up, Sayla approached me.
“I want you to go out with me after we finish, can you?”
Sayla asked me with a face like a child playing a trick.
Even though she was wearing mature make-up, her face still had a hint of

innocence to it.
(How can I refuse if she asks me so cutely and adorably…?)
Yamato immediately covered his face with one hand and tried not to show his
thoughts.
“W-Well, if it’s not too late.”
“Do you have any plans?”
“I’ve got school tomorrow…”
“I see.”
Sayla smiled and walked on.
Even though he had a bad feeling about this, Yamato was determined to
follow suit.

Chapter 8 - Midnight Merry Go
Around
“Hey, Yamato. Do you smell that?”
Sayla asked, leaning in close to him as they walked along the street during
the night.
The faint smell of charcoal from the barbecue filled his nostrils, along with a
sweet fruit-like scent.
“I don’t think it’s a problem. It’s fine.”
“I hope so. But I’m going to go change my clothes. I want to remove my

makeup.”
“…So, where are you headed?”
“My house.”
When Sayla said this, Yamato stopped moving immediately.
“Wha-Wh-wh-wh-wha…”
“I’m just going to change my clothes. I’ll be right back.”
“Eh…ah, I see what you mean.”
Finally, Yamato understood the situation. He had almost embarrassed himself

by making a strange, hasty assumption.
“We’re almost there. That’s the apartment right there.”

It is true that you can see an apartment building — a large tower apartment
building stretching out from between the buildings.
If she was living there alone, then Sayla’s family must be very rich.
The building was so different from Yamato’s house, and Sayla stopped in her
tracks when she saw the whole picture.
“Shirase? What’s wrong?”
As we lined up next to each other, I looked towards the entrance of the

apartment building.
There was a woman standing there.
She was probably in her early twenties. She had a tall, slender body, with
long black hair and black-rimmed glasses, which made her crisp, intelligent
face stand out even more. She was dressed in a long cardigan and skinny
pants that made her look like a mature woman, and even from a distance it
was clear that she was incredibly beautiful.
The woman seemed to have noticed us and was standing with her arms
folded. The expression on her face was somehow grim, giving off an
unapproachable atmosphere.
“Is that person an acquaintance of Shirase’s—w-wait!?”
When Sayla suddenly pulled him, she turned on her heel and started running.
Due to her strong grip on his hand, Yamato had to run as if he were being
dragged by her.
“Oh, hey, Shirase! What’s going on?”
“Change of plans, we’ll just keep going.”
“That’s fine, but Shirase is wearing heels…”
“Ah!”

It was then that Sayla, who was running in front of him, stumbled and nearly
fell.
—Pulls
Yamato managed to pull Sayla to him, but now her body was in his arms.
In other words, Yamato was holding Sayla in his arms.
(As soon as the misunderstanding of skinship is gone, this is what happens…)
Sayla’s body was slender, soft, and slightly warm as she buried her face in
my chest.
I could feel my heart beating really fast. I’m sure it’s because I was running a
while ago.
“…Are you okay?”
I asked, trying to distract myself, and Sayla looked up at me.
“I’m fine. Thanks to Yamato.”
The beautiful eyes of Sayla, smiling up close, reflected Yamato’s own face,
and he felt as if he were being sucked in.
(Close… or rather, you really have a beautiful face, don’t you? It’s like a
doll.)
Her big eyes, her long eyelashes shadowing the eyes, her well-defined bridge,
and the thin, beautiful lips, all of them have a certain kind of beauty, and I
can’t help but be fascinated by them.
“Yamato? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Yamato hurriedly came back to himself and let go of Sayla as she spoke to
him.
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I was just a little dazed.”

“Did you feel weird again?”
“Yeah, yeah, I did feel weird—hey, don’t make me say it…”
That’s exactly how I felt, but I was too embarrassed to state it explicitly.
Then Sayla clasped her hands together apologetically.
“I’m sorry. Then, let’s go.”
“It’s fine to go, but where are we going? Mostly, what’s with that person?”
“I’ll…tell you about that when we get on the train.”
“I guess I need to get on the train now…”
“Where are we going?”
But now that Sayla had said this, there was no point in trying to find out.
Instead of accepting immediately, Yamato refuted with a condition.
“You can’t run as fast as you normally can. Shirase is wearing high heels
right now, and you might make a big mistake the next time you run.”
“All right. I’ll just do a light jog.”
“You’re just going to run…”
I feel like we’re running away from the problem.
In fact, Sayla may have been running away from the woman who had just
left.
Still, Yamato did not have the option of not accompanying her.
“Let’s go.”
He pulled her hand again and she followed him, shrugging her shoulders.

As soon as they arrived at the nearest station, Yamato and Sayla boarded the
train headed downtown.
As it was just before ten o’clock in the afternoon on a holiday, the train was
not that crowded. They sat down side by side on a vacant seat and breathed a
sigh of relief.
“Ah, I was so surprised.”
Sayla spilled her words in a relaxed manner.
“That’s my line, you know. You left like you were running away from that
woman, and I followed you without knowing why.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll explain it to you.”
Sayla gave a small cough, and then slowly opened her mouth.
“She’s my sister. I think she came to lecture me for leaving without

permission.”
With her outstanding figure and beautiful face that could be seen from a
distance, it was understandable that she was Sayla’s sister. Although they did
not have the same facial features, their atmospheres were somewhat similar.
“Is this the sister who lent you the membership card for karaoke?”
“Well, that’s something I borrowed without permission.”
“I didn’t want to hear that… So, when you say leaving, you’re talking about
your parents’ house?”
“Yes. I’ve been over there since the holidays, but I couldn’t seem to get out
of the house for any length of time, so I just left without permission.”
Thanks to that, she was able to attend the class barbecue, albeit late. Perhaps
Sayla’s family had strict rules.

“It must have been tough. But isn’t she too strict, to come all the way to your
house just to lecture you for prioritizing a high school class party over a
family gathering?”
“Well, yeah. But that’s the kind of person she is, she’s not the type to go
against the grain.”
Yamato couldn’t decide if he, a mere friend of hers, should get any deeper
into Sayla’s family situation.
When I was wondering how I should respond, Sayla smiled at me.
“But I think we’ll be okay for a while. Right now, she’s probably stuck in
that area with a car.”
Sayla’s sister seems to have driven a car. According to the news on my

phone, there is a massive traffic jam in this neighborhood due to their U-turn
rush home.
“But is that the problem…? And where are we going now?”
I had no idea where we were going, so I asked, but Sayla paced around like a
naughty child and said, “Don’t tell anyone. You’ll find out when we get
there.”
“I thought you were going to explain it to me when I got on the train.”
Yamato said in an indignant tone, and Sayla replied as if she had no choice.
“We’re on our way to my secret base. You’ll have to wait until we get there
to find out more.”
Sayla said nonchalantly, and then started playing with her phone, as if she
had no intention of talking anymore.
A secret base—the sound of that word sounds very appealing. In fact,

Yamato was beginning to get excited with anticipation.
(What happens, happens)

Yamato thought, not in a throwaway way, but in a positive way.
He felt that with her, most things would be manageable.
Of course, there was no basis for this, but that was how much Yamato trusted
Sayla.
After a twenty-minute train ride, we arrived at our destination station.
As soon as we passed through the ticket gate, Sayla started staring at her
phone.
“…Where do you want to go?”
“Secret.”
“If you don’t even know where the secret base is, I guess I can’t help you.”
Sayla pointed to the direction of their destination without regard to Yamato’s

dismay.
“By the way, it was this way.”
“No, not if you tell me after you check the map…”
Sayla turned away and started to walk.
(Come to think of it, I haven’t walked outside at this hour since the first day I
played with Shirase)
Yamato was walking behind her, feeling deeply moved, when he noticed that
Sayla was heading toward the department store and stopped her.
“Hey, Shirase. It’s already ten o’clock and I don’t think we can go inside.”
The department store ahead was not lit, and it was clear that it was not open
for business.

So Sayla took out her handbook from her pouch bag, held it up, and said with
pride.
“I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
“…No, that’s just a student handbook.”
I put my hand on my forehead because I was getting a headache, and Sayla

grabbed my free hand.
“H-Hey, Shirase!”
“Just follow me.”
When she holds his hand, Yamato can’t help but obey her.
I felt comfortable walking with her pulling my hand like this.
“Okay, I get it! Just follow you, right?”
I didn’t let go of her hand, but rather squeezed it back.
When she got to the back of the building and reached the staff exit, Sayla
showed her student handbook to the security guard, and he saluted her.
He allowed us to enter, and as soon as she was through the door, she pushed
the button for the staff elevator without hesitation.
Yamato, who had been appalled during the whole process, finally found his
voice and asked.
“Hey, what’s this all about…?”
“Well, I guess I’m related to this place.”
While I still had a lot of questions, the elevator doors opened.
“Here, let’s get in.”

She took me by the hand and took me inside, whereupon Sayla pressed the R
button.
“Are we going to the roof?”
“Yes.”
The rooftop here is different from the rooftop of a high school.
This is a department store, and it’s not open for business right now. It’s a bit
of an anomaly.
As Yamato shrinks from the bizarre situation, the elevator begins to move.
It went up to the top floor without stopping and arrived at its destination, the
roof, in the blink of an eye.
The door opened with a squeak of arrival, revealing total darkness.
“H-hey, are you sure we’re in the right place?”
Yamato looked scared like a mob character in a B-grade horror movie, and
Sayla smiled in amusement.
“It’s the right place. It’s dark, so watch your step.”
After saying that, Sayla started walking again, pulling Yamato’s hand.
The only source of lighting in this room was the green light of the guide
lamp.
As they walked, Sayla turned on the light of her phone, but it still wasn’t
enough lighting.
However, a short walk brought us to a service entrance that connected to the

outdoors.
Sayla took out a key from her pouch bag and unlocked the door.

The door opened with a clattering sound, and a night breeze blew in.
As soon as I stepped outside, my vision lightened up.
The moon overhead was hidden by clouds, and the surroundings were still
dark due to the tall buildings, but it was still somewhat better than indoors.
It was too dark to see clearly, but I could make out the silhouettes of several
objects in the distance.
“Could this be…?”
When Yamato’s mind had an idea of where they were headed, Sayla
separated her hand from his.
“Oi, Shirase? Where are you?”
The sudden loss of the faint warmth caused Yamato to look around, unable to
hide his agitation.
“This way.”
He heard Sayla’s voice from a little far away, and as he turned to look in that
direction…
Bang.
I thought I heard something that sounded like a machine working, and the
area instantly became brighter.
I couldn’t help but cast my eyes down at the glare, but I soon got used to it.
What filled my field of vision was an array of attractions illuminated by

many small light bulbs.
In other words, this was a rooftop amusement park.
“Welcome to my secret base.”

Sayla, who was standing in front of me, said with a happy smile.
“…Amazing. Amazing.”
This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing. I had lost my words.
Under the night sky, the multicolored light bulbs illuminated rides that
resembled animals, go-carts with characters, a small Ferris wheel that was
probably the main attraction, and most importantly, an opulently built merry-
go-round.
All of the attractions created a melancholic retro atmosphere, and I felt as if

my tear glands were being stimulated just by looking at them.
Sayla, who was standing in the middle of such a space, proudly spread her
hands and smiled.
“I wanted to show this to Yamato. I’m glad I was able to.”
Her smile was gentle, but it also looked lonely.
Worried, Yamato moved closer until he was within touching distance of her.
“I’d like to thank you for showing me such a beautiful view. But Shirase
must be a really capable person to be able to own something like this.”
Sayla slowly shook her head from side to side.
“This department store was originally owned by my grandfather. And this

amusement park is no longer in business. The park was closed on the last day
of Golden Week two years ago.”
That meant that this place was no longer open to the public. It’s a miracle that
it still exists.
“Even if it is, it’s amazing. To have such a great person in your family.”
“That’s right. In that sense, it’s amazing.”

“Yeah. Do all these attractions work?”
“No, the Ferris wheel doesn’t work, but the smaller rides do if you pay for
them, and the merry-go-round is well maintained, so we can ride it together.”
“Let’s go for a ride!”
Yamato wanted to cheer up Sayla, who looked somewhat lonely, so he

invited her loudly.
Sayla nodded her head with a smile.
“I’m going to get it ready, so please wait for me.”
After saying so, she went into the private room for the staff set up beside the
merry-go-round.
The merry-go-round is amusement equipment where horses move up and

down on a rotating floor, and it seems that you need to turn it on via the
control console.
Sayla seemed to have finished what she needed to do, and as soon as she
came out of the private room, she pulled Yamato’s hand and started to run.
“It’ll be moving in ten seconds, so let’s get on.”
As Sayla urged him to mount, Yamato stepped onto the caramel-colored

horse in front of him.
The merry-go-round began to move as Sayla rode beside him on the white
horse.
The speed of the ride was quite fast, and the breeze felt good. It was as if I
was riding a real horse through the orange lights, which naturally got me
excited.
“Haha, it’s really fun!”
Sayla smiled like an innocent girl. She seemed to like the merry-go-round

very much.
Although there was no background music playing, Yamato’s brain was filled
with a peaceful tune. That’s how cute the excited Sayla was.
(I didn’t think a merry-go-round could be so enjoyable…)
Yamato’s brain was in a state of complete excitement as he enjoyed the bliss

of watching the joyful Sayla riding next to him.
It was over before he knew it, and when the wooden horse stopped moving,
Sayla said with a twinkle in her eye.
“Hey, do you want to go for another ride?”
“…I’ll be watching from close by, and Shirase can ride again.”
“Okay.”
There was only one reason why Yamato didn’t want to ride again.
He wanted to watch her excitement from outside the fence as well.
The merry-go-round began to move again, and this time Sayla, riding in the
carriage, looked very happy and excited.
A quick snap.
At that moment, Yamato took a picture of Sayla with his smartphone camera.
Then, Sayla noticed him and made a peace sign at him.
Another snap.
After capturing the scene on his phone, Yamato felt an incredible sense of
happiness.
(I couldn’t help but take a picture, but I’m glad Shirase doesn’t seem to
mind…)

Sayla waved, and Yamato waved back as he took a series of pictures with the
camera on his phone.
The second merry-go-round was over in the blink of an eye, and Sayla came
back as if she hadn’t ridden enough.
“I never get tired of this merry-go-around, no matter how many times I ride
it.”
“You really like it, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah. —By the way, you took a lot of pictures. Send them to me
later.”
“Ah, yeah, sure.”
I was wondering what I would do if she asked me to delete them. Although,

even if she asked, I probably wouldn’t have done so.
Sayla then walked around, touching the go-carts and melody pets (the official
name for vehicles that look like animals), and headed straight for the vending
machines.
Yamato, who was following behind her, looked at them and asked.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride that animal thing?”
“Yes. It’s a children’s ride and if I get on it, it might break.”
“No, I think you’re okay. Though I’m not sure about myself.”
“Fufu, I’m pretty sure Yamato would break it if he rode it. Which one do you
want?”
Sayla asks me in front of the vending machine. Apparently, she’s going to

buy me a drink.

“I’ll have a canned coffee with a little sugar to match the mood. A warm
one.”
“Are you trying to say that this place is austere? I don’t mind.”
When Sayla pushed the button for the low-sugar coffee, Yamato also put in a
coin and asked.
“Which one do you want?”
“Mou, that makes no sense.”
Sayla looked annoyed, but quickly smiled and replied, “Well, I’ll take black.”
“You’re competing with me…”
Feeling as if he was being treated like a child, Yamato was annoyed and
pressed the button for the black coffee (unsweetened).
Sayla took two cans of coffee from the outlet and offered the low-sugar one
to Yamato.
“Thank you. By the way, Shirase is so mature to be able to drink coffee

black.”
“…Well, yeah.”
There seemed to be a pause before she answered, but it was probably my

imagination. The combination of Sayla and black coffee was strangely
familiar to me, so much so that it was hard for me to imagine her disliking it.
When I opened the lid and drank a cup of coffee, I was greeted with a hint of
sweetness and a bitterness unique to coffee.
(It’s been a while since I had a cup of coffee, but I think I can drink this
black.)
Sayla, on the other hand, as soon as she took a sip of her black coffee gagged
in disgust.

“…Ugh.”
Sayla stuck out her tongue and narrowed her eyes as if it was bitter.
Yamato was struggling to hold back his laughter. He knew that if he treated
her like a child, she would try to drink it all.
It was surprising that Sayla could not drink black coffee, but I guess
appearances are deceiving.
Perhaps because Yamato didn’t laugh out loud when he realized this, Sayla
didn’t seem to want to force herself to drink it all.
Sayla turned her eyes away, looking embarrassed.
“I can’t drink this. But it would be a shame to throw it away, so I want

Yamato to drink it…”
“Eh, but, that’s the one you already drank out of…”
It was nice to be asked to do something like this by Sayla, but it meant that
she would have to kiss him indirectly. This is a difficult request for the naive
Yamato.
While the naive Yamato was pondering, Sayla asked him directly.
“I don’t mind, but does Yamato mind?”
“It’s not that I mind it. It’s just that I’m a guy, so I tend to worry about things
like that…”
“I see, okay.”
When Sayla was about to sip her black coffee again, I couldn’t resist and
changed my mind.
“…Nevermind, I’ll drink it. I don’t want Shirase to overreact.”
“Thanks.”

Sayla thanked him with a smile and handed him the can of black coffee.
There was a thin layer of lipstick on the mouth of the drink… As soon as he
saw it, Yamato’s heart began to beat intensely.
However, now that he had received the can, he couldn’t back out.
After taking a deep breath to shake off any evil thoughts, Yamato drank it all
in one go with determination.
“…Hmm.”
…His first indirect kiss had a bitter, adult taste to it.
My heart was still beating fast, and my face started to heat up when I became
aware of it. I try not to let my agitation show on my face, but I don’t think I’ll
be able to regain my composure for a while.
Just then, I noticed Sayla glancing curiously at the other can in my hand, the
can of low-sugar coffee. I guess her thirst had not been quenched yet and he
was simply curious to see what it tasted like.
“Do you want some…? As long as you don’t mind that I sipped some.”
Since Yamato had already kissed her indirectly, he was able to offer it to her
with some resistance.
“Yes, I’ll drink it.”
Sayla happily took the can and started drinking without hesitation. After all,
Sayla didn’t seem to care about the indirect kiss, and Yamato felt miserable
thinking back to what he had just done.
It looked as if Sayla was distorting her face slightly, but I’m sure it was just
my imagination.
—Potsu.
Then a raindrop fell on my nose. Apparently, it had started to rain a little.

“Do you want to come inside?”
“No. If we’re going to take shelter from the rain, let’s go over there.”
Sayla pointed to a small Ferris wheel set up in the corner.
“I thought that thing didn’t work?”
“It doesn’t work, but you can go inside.”
Sayla led the way and opened the entrance to the gondola on the boarding
position.
“Look.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever been on a non-working Ferris wheel.”
“Weird?”
“No, not at all. I just thought it was an unusual thing to do.”
This was the first time for Yamato to ride a Ferris wheel alone with a girl.
The fact that his first experience was on a stationary Ferris wheel made him
have complicated feelings.
But it wasn’t that he didn’t like it. In fact, he was rather grateful for this
precious experience.
“Then let’s get in. The rain is getting heavier, and you might catch a cold if
you get wet.”
Indeed, the rain was getting heavier than it was before. I didn’t feel bad about
getting caught in the rain, but I didn’t want to catch a cold, so I followed
Sayla into the gondola.
As we sat opposite each other, I noticed how close we were.
“It’s pretty cramped, isn’t it?”

“Right. I didn’t think it would feel so cramped either.”
Apparently, it had been a while since Sayla herself had ridden this Ferris
wheel.
“…The floor won’t fall out, will it?”
“It’s fine. It’s designed for families and couples to ride.”
“H-Heh…”
When the word “couples” came out of Sayla’s mouth, Yamato became
strangely aware of Sayla.
Since I had kissed her indirectly earlier, I subconsciously looked at her lips
and then awkwardly turned my face away.
But I was still curious, so I glanced sideways, and our eyes met perfectly.
“Is there something on my face?”
“N-No, it’s fine. If I look suspicious, it’s because I’m nervous… This is the
first time I’ve been on a Ferris wheel with a girl.”
I was trying to cover up my blunder, but I was in such a hurry that I ended up
digging my own grave.
As I fumbled around, feeling sorry for myself, Sayla suddenly smiled at me.
“It’s alright, I’m the same. I’m nervous too.”
“Eh?”
Yamato was dumbfounded by this unexpected revelation.
Looking at the window on the facility side, Sayla continued.
“My grandpa told me a long time ago. ‘If Sayla has a boy in her life, you
should ride with him. You’ll see a very beautiful view.’ I wondered if this

was what he meant, and I started to feel restless. It’s funny, isn’t it? The
Ferris wheel doesn’t move anymore, so you can’t see the city.”
Sayla spoke in a somewhat melancholy and nostalgic manner.
Yamato also looked out the window and was fascinated by the fantastic sight
of the rain drops and countless lights.
“Yeah, It’s beautiful.”
“Good. Looks like we’re seeing the same thing.”
I turned my gaze back to Sayla, and our eyes met again. She had a carefree
smile on her face, a complete change from earlier.
In this way, Shirase Sayla is always willing to be direct with me.
This trait of Sayla’s is one Yamato admires and cherishes at the same time.
—He holds her dear.
With this renewed realization, Yamato decided to step into her situation.
“When I think about it, I know almost nothing about Shirase. Even though
we’ve been spending so much time together. Like what she likes, how she
spends her time when she’s alone, and even… about her family.”
When Yamato said this without averting his gaze, Sayla rolled her eyes in
surprise.
After pondering for a while, Sayla slowly opened her mouth.
“If you ask me, we haven’t really talked about it much. Where should I
start?”
“Anywhere, just as long as Shirase is willing to talk about it.”
Hmm, Sayla groaned, and then continued as if she had just finished thinking.

“My favorite thing to do is karaoke, and when I’m alone, I play games, read
manga, and listen to music. I also like ramen. I dislike coffee with no sugar in
it.”
Listening to her like this, most of the information was something that Yamato
knew.
Yamato rarely asked her questions, but as they spent more and more time
together, Sayla was showing him more and more of her true colors.
As for what she didn’t like, she was talking about now.
As Yamato listened to her, Sayla continued without hesitation.
“My father runs a trading company, and my mother assists him. My sister has
been traveling around the world, but she recently came back to Japan. My
grandfather used to be the owner of this department store, but he quit two
years ago and left the management to my father, who now lives in the
countryside.”
Yamato was very surprised to hear this explanation.
Her father was the president of a trading company, which meant that Sayla
was the daughter of the president.
Since a high school girl was living alone in a high-rise apartment building, he
naturally thought that her family must be wealthy, but it seemed that they
were a very influential family. This might have something to do with the fact
that the teachers seemed to not pay a lot of attention to Sayla when she
skipped class before.
“Your father is the president of a big company, Shirase is amazing.”
“It’s not amazing. It’s not even my own achievement. Because right now, I’m
still just a kid who can’t do anything.”
Sayla looked very pained as she said this. I almost hesitated to go any further.

But it shouldn’t be a bad thing that a child can’t do anything. At least for
Yamato, it was normal, and Sayla, who felt frustrated about the matter, was a
rarity.
Yamato thought about it and decided to ask her more questions.
“Can I ask you why you’re living alone?”
He wondered if it had anything to do with her family.
Sayla answered with a small nod.
“I started living alone because… I don’t want to be compliant, probably. It’s

basically like running away from home.”
I wonder if by “be compliant” she means compliant to her parents. It seems

out of character for Sayla, but if her current state is the state after she
changed, then it makes sense.
I can understand why she is not on good terms with her parents right now.
This is something that Yamato would never have imagined before he asked
her.
“I can’t imagine Shirase being under behest. If she changed by her own will
and became the way she is now through her own effort, then she’s amazing.”
When Yamato said this from the bottom of his heart, Sayla smiled happily.
“Thank you. I’m glad you said that.”
Then Sayla turned her head down and started to talk nostalgically.
“By junior high, I was studying all the time and rarely had time to play. So
when I was having a really hard time, I would come here and relax.”
Being the daughter of a company president and spending all her days
studying is a picture of a high class young lady.

It is understandable that she would describe it as “being compliant.”
However, knowing what Sayla is like now, it is difficult to imagine what she
was like then.
It is typical of Sayla to visit these types of places to relax, though.
“To be honest, I can’t even imagine how difficult the experience was for you.
But I can tell that Shirase has many memories in this place.”
“Mmm. I have a lot of memories here, and this is an important place. —But
this is over now.”
Sayla lowered her voice and said the word over.
She looked so lonely that Yamato couldn’t help but stand up.
“It is true that the business is already closed, but this place is still here. Why
don’t you come back here from time to time like this? If you want, you can
invite me. I’ll always go out with you if my schedule is free.”
No matter how much I tried to cheer her up, Sayla’s expression did not
change.
Hence, I can’t help but guess what is happening to this place.
“…Is this place… going to disappear?”
She nodded her head.
“When?”
“They’re going to start remodeling next week. That’s the longest it is going
to stay”
Sayla said in a light-hearted tone of voice, but I guess she had something on
her mind as her expression remained cloudy.
“Can’t you do something about it?”

“I can’t do anything. I couldn’t bring in any customers. It has stayed for two
years longer than it should have, and that’s more than enough for me.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. I’ll miss it, but I can live without it now.”
It seems that Yamato had misunderstood the situation.
It seemed that Sayla had already made up her mind about the destruction of
this place.
This is why she came here today, for her final visit.
“I see. It’s okay then.”
“Yes.”
“But are you sure you want me with you?”
When I asked that, Sayla looked up and made eye contact with me.
“Of course. I wanted to show Yamato a place that means a lot to me.”
“Shirase…”
Sayla really cares for me a lot.
He was very happy about that. As Yamato bathed in his happiness, he asked
himself if he could deserve to be so happy.
I wanted to reciprocate this feeling, I had come to this thought.
“I wish there was something I could give back to Shirase.”
Yamato said as he sat back down again, and Sayla took out her phone.
“In that case, here, you got this for me.”

The phone’s case had a panda key chain hanging from it.
This is something that Yamato won when they went to the arcade and gave it
to her as a gift. He had noticed that she was using it before, but he felt
embarrassed when she mentioned it again.
“No, that’s a little different…”
“It’s a memory. It’s important to me.”
Yamato almost felt even more embarrassed when she said it so plainly.
“You may be right, but it’s a matter of pride on my part. …I feel like I’m the
one who’s always on the receiving end from Shirase.”
Sayla seemed to have reconsidered, thanks to the fact that I told her I was
serious.
Then, Sayla seemed to have a flash of inspiration.
“You should take me to an amusement park sometime. I want to go to a

really big one.”
“Oh! Sure.”
“I also want to go on a trip. I want to go to a hot spring and I also want to go

to the pool in the summer.”
“Oh, okay.”
The requests came out more readily than he expected.
All of these requests sounded great for Yamato, but the only thing that
concerned him was the financial aspect.
“I’d like to visit Yamato’s house, too. I’m curious to know what kind of place
you live in.”
“No, that’s…”

“I can’t?”
Yamato’s chest tightened up as she asked in a cute, pleading way.
“W-Well, if you want to…”
“Yay. I’m looking forward to it.”
If such a thing would make Sayla feel better, it would be a small price to pay.
When Sayla looked out the window and poked Yamato’s knee, Yamato also
looked out the window and saw that the rain had almost completely let up.
“I think we should leave now.”
“I guess so.”
“…It won’t open.”
Sayla tried to open the gondola door, but she seemed to be having a hard
time.
The lever on the inside of the gondola was rusty and didn’t seem to go down
easily, so Sayla stood up and tried to put her weight on it.
The gondola swayed unsteadily as Sayla stepped on it. It was almost as if she
was getting slightly intoxicated.
“Hey, do you want me to take over?”
This is when his manly side came in and Yamato offered to take over, but
Sayla half-heartedly said, “No, I’ll open the door,” and refused.
Yamato was watching with a smile on his face, thinking that she had a
surprisingly childish side.
“Ugh~~ Haa—”
—Clank.

There, the lever suddenly dropped, and Sayla, who had lost her stance, fell
toward Yamato.
She landed directly on Yamato’s lap. Sayla had sat down on his lap.
(Th-this isn’t good…)
Yamato felt the soft touch of Sayla’s buttocks directly on him, which made
him feel uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, are you okay?”
“It’s not okay. It’s…”
I was in agony, and I was sweating like crazy.
Seeing Yamato’s condition, Sayla immediately stepped aside and clasped her
hands together apologetically.
“I’m really sorry. I know it hurts. Can you stand up?”
Sayla held out her hand to him, and he took it, but he had to bend down to
stand up. It was a boy’s dilemma.
The gondola door opened for the first time, but instead of feeling relieved,
Yamato felt awkward.
As soon as they left the gondola, Sayla nodded her head in affirmation.
“I knew the lever was rusty. You can clearly see it from the outside.”
“The next time you have to do something that requires a lot of strength, leave
it to me. Shirase is a girl, you know.”
“I’ve taken aikido and I’m confident in my strength.”
It seems that Sayla had some knowledge of martial arts. I wondered if it was
part of the lessons she had taken up until junior high.

Even so, it is one thing to have a martial arts background, and another to have
simple arm strength. No matter how strong Sayla was in aikido, Yamato as a
man would have more arm strength.
Therefore, it is necessary to firmly point out the facts here.
“Even if that’s the case, make sure you rely on me. I don’t want Shirase to
get hurt.”
Although I said it in a cool way, it was really to prevent events like the one I
just described.
Yamato exaggerated his explanation, and Sayla, unawared, nodded

reluctantly.
Then, Sayla suddenly looked up above her.
“It’s stopped raining.”
Sayla was right, the rain had stopped completely.
The wet floor was reflecting the light from the bulbs, which added to the
fantastic atmosphere of the place.
As Sayla walked through it, she looked back.
“But the floor is wet, so be careful not to slip.”
Normally, it would have been the man’s role to warn her like that.
But he was getting used to being led by Sayla in this way.
“Shirase, you are really cool.”
“Eh?”
Sayla tilted her head curiously. It was sudden, so it was understandable that
she was surprised.

As if to explain his reasoning, Yamato continued in a sincere manner.
“You’re always taking the lead, very straightforward, and not afraid to tell
anyone what you think. In a pinch, you can be more dependable than I could
ever be as a man. …I really think it’s very cool.”
Despite all the reasons I’ve given, Sayla frowned, looking unconvinced.
“You’re not happy?”
“It’s like, I just showed you something uncool, and now you’re praising me.”
It seems that she is still reeling from the Ferris wheel incident. This is a
matter that Yamato does not want to dig up too much.
“And…”
Sayla added.
“Isn’t Yamato the one I’ve always counted on in times of need?”
Even though it was said so casually, Yamato had no idea what she was
talking about whatsoever, so he didn’t feel as if he was being forced to be
flattered.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to force yourself to care. …It hurts instead.”
“It’s not. And it still is.”
“What do you mean?”
Sayla was unusually reluctant to speak, but she said it as if she had made up
her mind.
“I was actually afraid to come here. I felt like I was going to lose a lot with
this place being removed.”
She looked straight at Yamato and continued with a blank expression.

“But since Yamato came with me, I was able to find the courage. …See,
Yamato is dependable, and I’m not cool at all.”
By the time she finished, her eyes were downcast.
He had never imagined that Sayla thought that way, so Yamato replied while
his face was on fire.
“Well, that’s not why Shirase isn’t cool. She was able to rely on someone,
and she was even able to summon up the courage she needed in the end.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. Shirase is a cool person. I guarantee it.”
Sayla looked puzzled in front of Yamato, who had said it without hesitation.
Then she took a few steps forward and looked at the merry-go-round.
“You know I was riding a white horse just now, right?”
Is this related to the story of a prince on a white horse? Indeed, the white
horse suited Sayla very well.
“Well yeah. It’s frustrating for a man, but it fit you more than it fit me, and
you were so happy while riding it.”
I thought I had praised her, but she looked annoyed.
“Shirase?”
However, when I called her name, she immediately smiled and turned around
to look at me.
“The next time we ride together, Yamato should ride in the front.”
Sayla’s back was illuminated by the lights as she said this with a big smile on
her face.

It looked like a halo, and I couldn’t help but think of the day we first talked.
(After all, she looks like a saint, doesn’t she?)
Yamato smiled and replied, remembering the events of a few weeks ago.
“Oh, if you want to ride together, of course I’ll ride in the front. I’ll be the
next prince on the white horse!”
“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it.”
I felt embarrassed after I said it, but I didn’t regret it because I could see her
happy face.
Sayla doesn’t look so lonely anymore.
I guess it’s because we promised to make new memories together in the

future.
“Thank you, Yamato.”
“Yeah, thank you too.”
After thanking each other, Sayla said, “I’m going to go turn it off,” and
walked off to turn off the circuit breakers that connected to the lights in the
area.
“Are you ready, Say-chan?”
Just as I thought I heard such a voice from indoors, a beautiful woman with
long black hair — Sayla’s sister appeared.
“Eh, you’re here.”
Sayla frowned, looking unhappy.
Sayla’s sister approached her slowly.
“I only just got here, though. Anyway, did you think that if you ran away, I

wouldn’t know where you were hiding? You’re the kind of sister who makes
me go through a lot of trouble.”
“The one who’s chasing me is just as bad…”
Sayla gave her sister a decapitating blow. While Sayla turned away from her
sister in a sulky mood, Sayla’s sister said with a sigh.
“You’re still talking too much. And what time do you think it is? It’s the time
of day when kids aren’t supposed to be out, do you know that?”
“…”
“For starters…”
“Umm.”
And then Yamato interrupted her.
I was well aware that I was an outsider, but I didn’t want to just stand by and
watch.
Sayla’s sister seemed to become unhappy at the interruption of her sermon,

but then she looked at him sideways with a puzzled look on her face. She
seemed to be waiting for Yamato to continue what he was saying.
Making up his mind, Yamato said without averting his gaze.
“I go to the same school as Shirase, and my name is Kuraki Yamato. And,

well, today’s incident was not only Shirase’s fault, but I am also responsible
for it. So please don’t scold Shirase too much.”
After she finished listening to Yamato’s words, Sayla’s sister asked with a
blank expression.
“Are you her boyfriend?”
“No, I’m not…”

“So a friend. —I’m her sister, Shirase Reika. It’s late, so I’ll take you home.
We can talk about the rest in the car.”
With that, Sayla’s sister, flashed me a wink.
This time, Yamato was more puzzled than he was at the start, but he and
Sayla followed her quietly.
“Oh, so Yamato-kun is the same age as Say-chan. I thought you were

younger than her.”
In the car driven by Reika. For some reason, Yamato is seated in the
passenger seat and is being questioned excitedly by Reika, who seems to be
very interested in their relationship.
“Hahaha…do I look that young?”
“No, no, it’s just that my little sister is old-fashioned!”
“I don’t want to hear it from you, nee-san.”
Sayla interjected from the backseat in frustration.
But the atmosphere in the car was not tense at all. The nerve wracking
exchange on the rooftop of the department store seemed to be a lie.
Reika had a different personality from the impression given by her

intellectual appearance, she was boisterous and extremely cheerful. To put it
bluntly, she was the type of person Yamato was not fond of.
For this reason, Yamato felt even more awkward, but Reika was unconcerned
and kept on asking questions.
“Yamato-kun and Say-chan had never even talked before they were in the
same class. Are you aiming to be her boyfriend?”
“I’m not aiming for it. And I’m not that presumptuous.”

“Pfft, Say-chan is thought of so highly. Then she doesn’t have many friends,
does she?”
Yamato replied, wondering how much he should tell her.
“Not many, or maybe it’s just me. Everyone thinks Shirase is a solitary
saint.”
“Pfft! Say-chan, a saint? …Today’s high school students are interesting. So

this unsociable oddball is a saint~ It’s true that this girl is perfect, if only in
appearance.”
“I’m going to sleep now, so please lower the volume of your voice.”
Sayla, who was sitting behind me, was completely unhappy at their
conversation. Yamato felt a little remorseful, wondering if he had talked too
much about this.
For a while, a strange silence prevailed in the car.
“Look, she’s already asleep.”
Reika suddenly opened her mouth while I was still thinking, and I saw that
Sayla was indeed breathing softly in her sleep behind me.
It was a rare opportunity to see Sayla’s sleeping face, and it was soothing to
see how cute she was.
However, Yamato immediately turned his gaze to the person next to him and
asked.
“Um, aren’t you supposed to be mad at me?”
This was something that had been bothering me since before we got in the
car.
In the first place, what does Reika think of Sayla? From the conversation in
the car, it didn’t seem like they were on bad terms, but I still couldn’t make a
conclusion without hearing her side.

“I’m not mad at you. Earlier, I was just giving her the bare minimum of an
adult sermon.”
“I see. If that’s the case, why were you waiting in front of Shirase’s house?”
“Of course I was there to lecture her. She didn’t even listen to her parents,
and she left the house without permission.”
“But it was to attend a high school class party. I even made reservations for
her at the store beforehand.”
“I don’t care what’s going on over there. At least, my parents don’t. Our
situation comes first, and it’s up to us to decide what to do. That’s the kind of
parent we have.”
There was a part of Yamato that wanted to say that such things were arrogant
or selfish.
But first, I was curious about Reika’s somewhat outsider attitude. It was
Reika herself who had come to give the lecture, but she seemed to be saying
that she had other intentions.
“Onee-san, whose side are you on?”
That was the question that naturally came out of my mouth.
Reika seemed a little surprised, but quickly smiled.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side. It’s that, I’m just here to do what my father
and mother told me to do. Say-chan—my sister, still held their expectations.”
“Expectations?”
“Yes. You may not know it, but this girl is really amazing. She’s always been
talented at piano, ballet, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, aikido, you name
it, she’s done it. It’s the same with her studies. If she had really put her mind
to it, she would have easily been accepted at any high school. She’s what we
call a genius who can do anything.”

This was information that Yamato did not know either. He thought he knew
that Sayla was good at everything, but it seems that she was a “genius” far
beyond his expectations.
Looking across at the appalled Yamato, Reika continued in disgust.
“But being a genius can be lonely at the same time. It’s normal to be afraid of
things you don’t understand. And when this lonely girl lost the place in her
heart, it’s only natural that she would be led astray.”
The “place in her heart” that Reika mentioned must have been referring to the
rooftop amusement park in the department store where they had just been.
And in this case, the “loss” must be referring to the closing of the park two
years ago.
When I think of it that way, I can understand why Reika is talking as if it

were a good argument.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to deny Sayla’s eagerness to have fun.
“It’s true that Shirase may be different from ordinary people. But I won’t
leave unless Shirase rejects me. Also, if Shirase really tries to go astray, I will
stop her.”
When Yamato told her straightforwardly and half rivalrous manner about his
feelings, Reika smiled gently.
“So you’re saying that you’re going to be her special place this time?”
“It’s not like that. There is no substitute for that place, and I just want to be
involved with Shirase myself.”
For Yamato, continuing to be involved with Sayla is the first “thing” he has
found that he wants to continue to do.
Yamato is not the kind of person who would give that up so easily.
When she heard Yamato’s statement that could be considered a declaration of

his determination, Reika sighed heavily.

“That’s just the kind of embarrassing thing you two to say to each other
earlier. You really are great ‘friends.’ ”
“Um, from where have you been listening from?”
“Who knows. I hope this doesn’t end up being a youthful indiscretion.”
Then the car stopped. It seems that we have arrived near my house.
“Hey, Say-chan. Your boyfriend’s leaving.”
“You don’t have to wake her up.”
It’s a little awkward for Yamato to have Sayla wake up now, since they were
just talking about something he didn’t want her to hear.
“…Mmm~, already there?”
That’s when Sayla woke up.
Perhaps it was because she had woken up from sleep, but her face was rather
red. She was still sleepy, and wouldn’t even look at me.
“I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“No, thank you for today. See you tomorrow.”
Sayla then leaned forward and touched Yamato’s cheek.

“O-Oh…? See you tomorrow.”
Thinking that she might still be sleeptalking, Yamato gets out of the car.
Then the window opens and Reika says with a meaningful smile.
“Well then, take care of my sister in the future. I’ll see you again. Good
night.”
“Ah, yes, thank you for giving me a ride today. Good night.”
…Yamato’s true feeling was that he didn’t want to see Reika again if
possible.
As he followed the departing car with his eyes, he saw Sayla waving at him
from the rear window.
Yamato naturally waved back, and when the car was out of sight, he let out a
sigh.
Too many things had happened today alone, and I felt so tired. I felt like
collapsing into my bed right now.
“I have school tomorrow, huh?”
I immediately regretted saying that, but when I thought of Sayla’s parting

words, “see you tomorrow,” and the touch on my cheek, I felt a whole lot
better.
Last year, on the last day of the consecutive holidays, I was so anxious about
going to school for the first time the day the holidays ended that I couldn’t
sleep at night.
Compared to that, I can confidently say that I feel very content now.
“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Yamato said as if getting into the spirit and started heading in lightly.

Epilogue
The next day.
The atmosphere in the classroom after the holidays was rather cheerful, as we
had just had a barbecue on the last day.
“Krackin~!”
“Good morning, Shinjo.”
It was the same as before, but Yamato found it less annoying than before.
“Good morning~!”
“Good morning, Tamaki-san.”
As May greeted her many friends, she greeted Yamato with the same smile.
He was honestly happy she greeted him the same.
“Good morning, Yamato.”
“Good morning, Shirase.”
Sayla also greeted me as usual.
She had her normal poker face, and she did not show the slightest hint that
anything happened between them last night.
(What did she talk about with her sister after I left?)
Yamato was curious and decided to ask her during their lunch break.

“So, were you okay?”
I asked as soon as I met Sayla on the rooftop after lunch break.
She looked up at the cloudless sky with a dazzling glare and answered
vaguely.
“Eh, What do you mean?”
“I mean, your sister gave you a sermon after that, didn’t she?”
“Oh, she asked me a lot of questions about Yamato. She was pretty
persistent.”
“Haha… Well, that must have been tough for you.”
“My sister seems to have taken a liking to you, and to be honest, it’s really
annoying.”
“It’s a pain for me too…”
““Pfft,”” we both laughed.
“By the way, I heard from your sister that Shirase is amazing in many ways.
Are you going to join any clubs or something?”
“I won’t. I would have less time to play if I did.”
It’s a very straightforward reason.
“What about Yamato?”
Sayla asked, chewing on a piece of yakisoba bread.
“I’m not joining any either, I was in the go home club in middle school. But
if Shirase wants to do something, I can think about it.”

“Hmm, I’m not going to join any club. By the way I want to eat some ice
cream.”
“That’s too sudden… though, it’s hot today.”
Sayla took off her blazer and laid down on her back.
“You know, Yamato?”
“What is it?”
“What do you think it means to go astray?”
“Eh?”
Yamato’s heart skipped a beat when he was suddenly asked that question.
It was the same word that Sayla’s sister, Reika, had said to him.
He wondered if she had heard the conversation in the car.
“Were you awake at that time?”
“For about half of it.”
Yamato held his head in embarrassment as he was told honestly.
At that time, Yamato thought that Sayla was sleeping soundly, so he had said
something quite drastic. He was aware of how drastic his statement was.
He was so embarrassed that he wanted to crawl into a hole, to think that she
heard such a bold statement.
“Hey, are you listening?”
Yamato took a deep breath as if to calm his mind, and turned his gaze.
“Yeah, it’s about going off astray, isn’t it? That’s…”

I was about to say that late-night trips to the arcade and to karaoke are good
examples, but Yamato’s gaze fell on one detail.
Sayla was lying on her back, and the hem of her blouse was up, revealing her
white stomach.
Her stomach was well toned and had a nice line, and her small belly button in
the middle was very cute.
I swallowed my saliva at the blissful sight, as if it was announcing to me the

arrival of early summer.
“Uh, something like that.”
I was dumbfounded, so I turned my gaze to her face and found myself eye to
eye with Sayla.
I’m pretty sure she knows I was staring at her stomach.
Unable to think of a good way to mend the situation, Yamato decided to

continue.
“That’s right, that’s how it is. Impure sexual exposure is one of many
immoralities. It’s okay in front of me, but don’t bare your stomach in front of
other people.”
“Oh, it’s open again.”
“Bad.”
Sayla said with a sigh after pulling the hem of her blouse down tightly.
“Okay, I won’t show it in front of anyone but Yamato.”
“You know, the way you say it, it sounds kind of naughty. …Even in front of
me, you should be careful. I’m a man, after all.”
“I know. Yamato is a boy, right?”

When he saw Sayla smiling and chuckling, Yamato sighed heavily this time.
“I don’t know if you really understand.”
Even as he said this, Yamato was excited as he thought of the future.
Of course, I will be careful to not lead Sayla astray from the proper path,
myself included.
The summer with the Saint is coming.
What kind of scenery will we be able to see together? I couldn’t stop the
excitement in my heart just thinking about it.

Afterword
It’s been a while. If you’re new here, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Tozuka Riku.
Thank you very much for picking up a copy of I Know That After School,
The Saint Is More Than Noble.
This work is a coming-of-age romantic comedy that depicts the sometimes

relaxing and cozy, yet exciting interactions that began after an encounter one
night.
I hope you can feel the sweet and refreshing atmosphere unique to
adolescents in this work, even if just a little.
I’d also be happy if you could enjoy the interactions with the heroine of the
story, Sayla, both her noble and not so noble parts.
The illustrations are also a highlight of the story, and the character design of
Sayla is very cute and adorable, and the other characters are also very
attractive. I think the illustrations alone are worth picking up the book, so
please feel free to read on.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude.
I would like to thank my editor and everyone who was involved in the
publication of this work. I look forward to working with you again in the
future.
I would like to thank Takubon-sama for the illustrations. Thank you very

much for coloring this work with your wonderful and precious illustrations. I
look forward to working with you again in the future.
And to the readers. Thank you very much for reading this work. I thank you
from the bottom of my heart. I will continue to do my best to make you enjoy
this story, so I hope you will support me. Thank you for your support.
Thank you very much for reading this far.
I hope to see you again in the next volume.
April 2021 Tozuka Riku

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Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1 - Encounter With A Saint

The time was eleven p.m.

After leaving the convenience store, Yamato walked with a mouthful of

Just as he was beginning to regret only wearing a sweatshirt on an April

I couldn’t help but speak my thoughts out loud.

Shirase Sayla is indeed an exceptionally beautiful girl, so much so that it’s

However, she doesn’t seem to be arrogant; in fact, she is said to have a

However, Yamato was already curious about her.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?

“Um, what do you want?

“If you don’t need me, I’ll be going now.”

Yamato hurriedly opened his mouth to stall her.

“The night is just beginning, so don’t be so hard on me.”

“I mean, are you coming?”

I wondered what she was thinking about. It may be impossible to decipher

But strangely, I didn’t feel annoyed that I didn’t know. I felt as if my

Although Yamato, who is classified as a so-called shady character, is

“Which means you don’t remember my name.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at remembering people’s names.”

“Huh? Did I say something funny?”

“Let’s go then, Yamato.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Wow, this is really something……”

Yamato shouted as he looked around.

Naturally, I couldn’t find any students in uniform. It was a completely

Unlike Yamato, who became suspicious in the face of an unfamiliar scene,

“Well, you say that ……”

“Come on, this way.”

Yamato’s heart beats rapidly as Sayla suddenly withdraws her hand.

Her fingertips were thin, smooth, and cool.

When he looked up in surprise, he saw that there was an arcade in front of

“This place is still the same at midnight, isn’t it?”

When he glanced at her, his eyes met hers.

If she says it’s okay, then it must be okay.

Such an unfounded sense of security filled Yamato’s heart with comfort.

The two of them then went through a series of games.

He was genuinely enjoying playing games with Sayla.

“Okay, I guess I’ve won again.”

“You’re too good at the game for a saint……”

“I’m not a saint.”

“You don’t approve of that nickname, do you?”

Sayla seemed to be sulking as she said this.

To relieve the resentment of being beaten up in the game, Yamato decided to

“I’m sure Saints don’t go to the arcade at night.”

“Well, I don’t mind.”

I wondered if she didn’t feel bad about being called a saint.

“……hmm, I don’t know.”

“Yamato is strange, isn’t he? He suddenly starts laughing.”

“No, that’s not what I want to hear from you, Shirase-san.”

“Am I weird? In what way?”

“The fact that you’re so earnest about asking me that……”

“Hmmm. It’s a mystery then.”

Therefore, Yamato mentioned it as a way of lightly pricking the needle, but it

“Well, it’s not good to be found out, is it?”

“So, we should get out of here.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“We’re not leaving yet. Let’s go.”