Yukinoshita POV
I put the key in the lock, and after hearing the sound of the insurance,, I entered the club.
I walked to my usual spot and proceeded to sit down, taking out the literary work I'm currently reading before placing my suitcase next to my chair.
The cat-shaped bookmark indicated the last page I stopped at. Without further ado, I began to read.
After a few seconds, I lifted my gaze only to notice the empty seat next to the table. I didn't realize that I had reached a point where their presence became commonplace for me.
Tsurumi-kun is the only member of this club, he should at least be able to arrive early, although punctuality was never one of his strong points.
Setting that aside, I focused on my book, but my mind could only remember how Tsurumi-kun had made fun of me on Monday.
Maybe it would be good to review what I know about this guy, that way I'll take into account the important points that maybe I missed, after all my job is to rehabilitate him and correct that wrong way he has of thinking and doing things.
I brought my hand to my chin to ponder more deeply.
If I had to define Tsurumi-kun, many words come to mind, such as braggart, unethical, immoral, caveman, cruel, and many more. But the word that best defines him is strange.
He always seemed to live up to this adjective, being someone who appears not to want to do anything, yet ends up doing it. He claims not to care about others, but I've seen him help others. Above all, he said that interacting with others is meaningless, which is a lie, as on Monday I saw him conversing with other girls as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Moreover, his way of doing it showed complete confidence.
That's why I couldn't help but be surprised to see him act so casually.
When I first met him, I thought he was someone who had no friends, someone who lacked the ability to empathize with others to form what we call friendship. But I see I was wrong because, for him, this sentiment seems unnecessary when dealing with others, but it's different from not being interested in others. It's very strange, even to me.
I understand that friendship is a relationship of affection, sympathy, and trust that forms between 2 or more individuals who are not family. But dealing with him during this time, I can be sure that he doesn't have those emotions with the girls I saw him talking to.
One might think it's a formality he uses to interact with others, but his ability to do it informally and confidently denies this. He even talked on equal terms with a senpai, something I would hesitate to do even if that person were close to me. Showing respect to elders is part of the basic manners we're taught.
The more I think about it, the harder it is to understand this aspect of him because in other respects, he's quite easy to read. Whether it's his actions or decisions, they are usually easy to deduce, though sometimes he can be inconsistent too. He's truly strange.
The first time we met was a defeat for me. I never thought I could lose at something I was certain I could never lose.
That day, I went to buy a Pan-san plushie, which was suddenly announced. It must have been to prevent fans from queuing up early to get it.
So, once I heard about the sale, I hurried to the nearest Pan-san store, located in a shopping mall relatively close to my apartment. Once inside the store, I quickly went to get one, and luckily, the store clerk told me there was still one left.
I tried to grab it quickly, but I got distracted by looking at other Pan-san merchandise. Since the store was empty, I thought that taking a few seconds to look at other things wouldn't affect me. That was my mistake.
When I tried to take the plushie, it remained in place as if an external force was holding it back.
It was impossible for Pan-san to refuse to come with me, so I dismissed that possibility. Therefore, I decided to approach and look closely. It was a wise decision since I noticed another figure on the opposite side.
That person was the one responsible for holding back Pan-san. To prevent the plushie from being damaged, I decided to speak up and ask that person to let go of it since I had picked it up first.
But to my surprise, that person firmly refused, and from their voice, I could tell it was a guy, yet he wouldn't release Pan-san.
Or so I thought until I heard that the plushie was going to be a gift for his little sister, who was seriously ill in the hospital. That revelation made me let go of it out of surprise.
I've been a fan of Pan-san since I was a child, so I understand better than anyone how important it can be. Thus, when I heard that the little girl would want that plushie before it was too late, I hesitated. I love Pan-san very much, but I wouldn't be so selfish as to take away another child's happiness.
I thought what I did was an act of kindness and charity, and it was, but his next words shattered those thoughts.
What kind of person could be so vile and shameless as to lie about such a matter just to get what they want?
That's why I walked to the other side, facing a boy with black hair and crimson eyes. He was dressed in a simple manner, yet there was a look of happiness on his face, as if deceiving me like that was something to be proud of. A heartless and deceitful person; that was the first thing that came to my mind, someone who doesn't belong in society.
Although now that I remember, maybe I exaggerated a bit, but as always, I was right in assuming that, because it was indeed like that.
I confronted this guy for lying about such an important matter, but he didn't pay attention and just said that since he clarified it in the end, technically it wasn't a lie.
What kind of person could say that with such a serious tone and then claim that everything was a lie?
I felt indignant, and luckily, that guy was also a student at Sobu High, so I could say something about it since I found it unthinkable for people like him to be part of Sobu High.
Although my words were simply ignored, and the worst part was when he said something so unpleasant like asking me to accompany him to his apartment, and he would give me the Pan-san plushie.
If there were a graver word than indignation, I'm sure I would have used it.
I closed my eyes and started reproaching him for his behavior. I didn't want to keep seeing that kind of person.
And, as usual, when I opened my eyes, I noticed he was already gone. As I walked and reached the checkout, I saw him leaving the store. That guy had deceived me. For the first time, I felt like an idiot for falling for such an obvious provocation.
I started walking to catch up with him, and of course, I called him to stop him.
Once face to face, I reproached him for his behavior, but as usual, he just didn't care, and to make matters worse, he started using Pan-san as if it were a ball.
That was the last straw, so I decided to challenge him to a competition of Pan-san-related questions since he claimed to know more about Pan-san than I did, which only made me smirk.
Once we clarified the rules of the competition and the punishment for the loser, I began with the questions.
It was surprising that he could handle the first questions as they were easy to answer, but I remained calm because it was impossible for him to know more about Pan-san than I did.
However, as we went through more questions, doubt started to creep in. He answered each question as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
To ensure my victory, I decided to use a question with a double trap; asking for Pan-san's real name.
The most obvious answer would be "Pan-san the panda." But if he was a true connoisseur, he would know that Pan-san is inspired by a children's book called "Panda's Garden." And that was the second trap because that children's story is inspired by a researcher's diary he wrote for his son, called "Hello, Mr. Panda."
I was fortunate to have read that book as a child, and it helped me a lot in mastering English, so I was sure that few people would know the answer to that question.
And when he gave the wrong name, I couldn't help but smile in victory because that guy who acted so pretentious and arrogant had lost. All that was left was to correct his mistake and take Pan-san's stuffed animal.
But it was too early to celebrate because he mocked me and said the correct name. Even in the end, he was arrogant and taunting.
I'm a person who likes to win, so I couldn't believe that I had lost in a game that I myself set up.
While I was processing this, he made fun of me, saying the same things I had thought. In the end, I just accepted my defeat since he beat me under my own rules. Of course, a person like him could have cheated by having an earpiece where someone else on a computer was looking up the answers, but it was just me trying to justify my loss.
As a person of my word, I promised to fulfill any reasonable request he made, though anything outside common sense would be rejected.
He looked thoughtful, but during that time, I heard him saying he wanted to go on a date with me.
Since I was a child, I have always been the center of attention, so receiving proposals from other guys was common. Thus, him asking this wasn't absurd.
If it were a different situation, I would have rejected him without thinking, but since I lost, I had no choice but to accept.
At first, he responded as if he had no idea what he said, someone totally absent-minded, speaking their thoughts out loud. So, I didn't hesitate to look at him with some pity.
While he tried to make excuses, I had to ask for his name since he knew mine, but I had no knowledge of his. Although I'm a person who knows most of the students at Sobu High, I couldn't recall anyone like him.
Tsurumi Raiden was his name. Even when I tried to think about that last name, nothing came to mind.
After clarifying what we were going to do on our date, we went to a pet store. Tsurumi-kun went in to buy some toys for his pet, while I headed to the kitten area, where a small black one caught my attention.
My mother always opposed the idea of having pets, and my apartment doesn't allow animals, so I gave up on the idea of having one. But that didn't stop me from looking at photos and videos of cats, as well as coming to admire them at pet stores.
Once I'm living independently, the first thing I'll do is look for an apartment that allows pets.
While playing with the little kitten, I felt like I was being watched. When I looked in that direction, I noticed Tsurumi-kun holding his phone as if he was taking pictures of me.
The first thing I did was to clarify that taking photos without someone's consent is a crime, and I would have a valid reason to report it to the relevant authorities.
But his response to that was that the little kitten reminded him of his own cat. A very vague answer to deny his wrongdoing, but he handed me his phone, where I was immediately drawn to a folder called "Kuro."
Without hesitation, I went in and saw a large number of photos of a black cat. It must be about 2 years old, as it looked quite young and energetic.
Unaware, I got absorbed in looking at all the pictures. It was incredible to see the different poses and expressions of his cat; it was as if the cat thoroughly enjoyed its owner's company.
Once Tsurumi-kun snapped me out of my little trance, I returned his phone.
After that, it was the first time I noticed something strange about him because his behavior towards me took a complete turn. He reminded me of some guys who tried to talk to me but seemed so nervous that they could run away at any moment.
In that manner, we continued our way, headed to the food court, and ordered something to eat. It was surprising that he was willing to pay for my part, but I declined his offer. I'm not a damsel who needs others to do everything for her.
With our food ready, we sat down at one of the tables to eat.
During that time, Tsurumi-kun seemed in the clouds, a totally different person from the arrogant and egocentric type I had known just minutes ago.
After I teased him for a bit, he used both hands to punch his face. A completely strange act, but if I related it to him, it was normal.
He returned to his "normal" behavior, and the next thing on the agenda was going to the movies. I was pleased with that because the new Pan-san movie had been released a few days ago, and unfortunately, due to a glitch in the cinema's system, I couldn't get tickets for the presale.
I was excited to watch the new movie, but when he mentioned he was interested in watching another film, I thought we would end up in separate theaters. However, since I mentioned earlier that he should take the lead on the date, I could only accept my own words. I wouldn't back down from my own words. I decided at that moment that I would come back to watch the Pan-san movie another day.
But to my surprise, we stopped where pan-san's movie was going to be shown. He mentioned earlier that he already had two tickets, and since he said he wanted to watch another movie, I instinctively related it to those tickets being for the other movie.
Seeing his expression of victory for deceiving me like that was frustrating, but since I would have the opportunity to see the Pan-san movie, I ignored it.
As expected from the other Pan-san movies, this one was truly enjoyable and fun, with the right amount of action scenes.
It was truly a masterpiece. I wouldn't be surprised if it received an Academy Award.
Once we left the theater, it was already nighttime, so we decided to take the train to head home, although Tsurumi-kun mentioned something about escorting me to my apartment because the streets are dangerous.
I trust my Aikido skills enough to disable any attacker, plus the area where I live is safe, so I wouldn't need to use them anyway.
But since we were still on our date, I accepted his offer.
After leaving the station and walking for a few minutes, we arrived in front of my apartment.
Although it was an impromptu and unexpected date, it was entertaining, I couldn't deny that.
He also responded that way, and without further ado, we said goodbye, as we hardly had any other reason to speak to each other again. But as I took the first steps, he called me.
Turning around, Tsurumi-kun threw a bag at me, and when I opened it, I saw the Pan-san plushie we had argued about when we first met.
Considering all he went through to keep it, him giving it to me without hesitation was strange. I really don't know what goes on in his mind.
His words about the plushie being like a post-date gift felt out of place, but since he gave it to me, I wouldn't reject it.
Besides, even if he asked for it back later, I wouldn't return it. Those were my words before saying goodbye.
Once inside my apartment, I changed into more comfortable clothes before starting to prepare my dinner.
After having dinner and washing the dishes, I went to my room to find a place for the Pan-san plushie.
The new model was really cute, as expected from a special edition.
My shelf was already full, and I didn't have enough space on my desk, so I placed it on the right side of my bed, alongside my other Pan-san franchise plushies.
It still looks perfect there, blending in perfectly with the others.
I felt happy to have obtained the plushie, but I still felt like I owed something to Tsurumi-kun.
He won the plushie fair and square, so he should have given it to me out of pity. That was something I couldn't allow.
Although he denied it, I wouldn't feel at ease until I repaid him in some way. An equitable exchange, but I couldn't think of anything.
What could a highly selfish, arrogant, egocentric person, who is a dead weight to society, possibly want?
Even after thinking about, it for a while, I couldn't come up with an answer.
Losing my consideration for others a long time ago, I couldn't think of anything to give him. With no other option left, I called my older sister.
This was my last resort, even though I searched the internet, I couldn't come up with a suitable idea, so I hoped my older sister might have an answer to this.
That was my mistake; consulting her about it. I never attributed any kind of relationship with Tsurumi-kun, but Nee-san started making assumptions way out of place. Nevertheless, I did manage to get an answer; a bento.
With the response obtained, I ended the call since Nee-san's ramblings lacked all sense. Even now, she remains like that.
An international dish was Nee-san's suggestion. So, I decided to search online for a dish from another country and found a long list of options. One particular dish caught my attention. It had a simple presentation, but the preparation method was rigorous, requiring skill for a seemingly straightforward result. Taking it as a challenge, I decided to choose that dish.
The next day, I cooked the dish and packed it in my bag. It was a pleasant experience, and I enjoyed testing my skills while cooking it.
While heading to school, I realized I had no idea which class Tsurumi-kun was in. However, if someone knew, it would be Hiratsuka-sensei. So, during lunchtime, I took the bento and went to the teachers' room, where I found Hiratsuka-sensei smoking in her office. Despite my repeated admonitions about smoking, she continues to ignore me.
Hiratsuka-sensei gave me the information I wanted, so I said my goodbyes and headed to Tsurumi-kun's class.
Once there, I approached the door to find him. My target was a boy with black hair and crimson eyes, a simple appearance, for someone with many negative traits.
I didn't find him at first, but there was a boy with those characteristics, except for his eye color, which was brown. Upon closer examination, he looked remarkably like him.
I approached him and called out his surname, and as expected, he had the same voice and rudely responded. There was no doubt.
We exchanged some words before leaving the classroom since Tsurumi-kun mentioned that having rumors circulating would be troublesome. It was strange since, for someone like him, being noticed by others should be a good thing.
Without further ado, I handed him the bento I prepared. He initially refused to accept it but eventually took it. As he mentioned that going back to his classroom with it would be problematic, I suggested going to a more private place, the club room, just to level the playing field.
Once in the club room, we sat down to eat. Tsurumi-kun, as expected, was very rude before starting to eat.
A part of me had expectations that he would enjoy the lunch. I trust my cooking skills, but personal taste can differ.
It was the second time I saw him act strangely. For no apparent reason, he started crying, and his face showed a pained expression.
I tried calling out to him, but he didn't react. I thought there might be something wrong with my food, so I shouted his name, and only then did he react and made a lame excuse about something getting in his eye.
But as he didn't show any sign of wanting to say more, I didn't ask. I had no right or reason to inquire about it.
After that strange situation, Tsurumi-kun finished eating with much enthusiasm, and to my surprise, he knows how to say thank you.
We exchanged a few more words before Hiratsuka-sensei burst into the room.
Hiratsuka-sensei is the one who gave me the recommendation and permission to form this club, as well as extending the time to recruit more members. Several weeks had passed, but I couldn't find suitable members.
So, it was a surprise when she suggested that Tsurumi-kun join, something he refused without hesitation. I had to agree with him since, during the time we interacted, I was sure he had no interest in helping others and was only concerned about himself.
When it seemed that Hiratsuka-sensei would continue insisting, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunchtime.
Tsurumi-kun left, not without verbally provoking me. Seriously, that boy is unbearable, and he did it before I could refute his words, leaving me with a mouthful of words, which was extremely rude.
Hiratsuka-sensei gave up on him joining the club since she couldn't force him to.
That was what I thought that day, only to realize the next day that she actually could.
I thought I wouldn't encounter him again, but Hiratsuka-sensei brought him to the club, and the worst part was that she said he would join as a member.
Although I wanted to object, she said I couldn't rehabilitate him, that I couldn't change his horrible way of thinking. It was a blatant provocation, but Hiratsuka-sensei said with such confidence that I couldn't do it, which annoyed me.
So, I decided to fall for her provocation and accept Tsurumi-kun as a member of the club.
When Hiratsuka-sensei left, it was time to start Tsurumi-kun's rehabilitation. But, as expected, he ignored it and just sat down to read.
Luckily, Tsurumi-kun managed to guess what the club was about, which made things easier.
The most relevant part of our conversation was the reason why he wasn't interested in helping others. He saw it as unnecessary effort; people should be able to do things on their own, that's what he said. I tried to make him understand that those of us who are capable should guide the less fortunate, but he scoffed at the idea, even when I mentioned part of the reason for doing so. He said he had gone through the same thing, which was hard for me to believe since he looked very ordinary, with no reason to attract attention from others. Still, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, knowing how cruel and immature elementary school kids can be.
One notable thing about our conversation was how he mentioned everything without a care in the world, a total lack of concern. It made me wonder if having that kind of attitude back then would have changed things, but it's impossible to change the past, so I discarded that hypothesis.
Another thing I took into account was that he has good instincts since Tsurumi-kun noticed many things about Hiratsuka-sensei. Even the worst people have some positive qualities to some extent, and in his case, he has good instincts.
I won't deny that it was fun lecturing Hiratsuka-sensei, an idea that Tsurumi-kun came up with to teach her a lesson.
After that, we concluded our first day at the club.
The next day, Tsurumi-kun showed up at the club. I had my doubts that he would do so, and his vague response was to be expected.
After exchanging some words, we decided to move a table from the back, and to my surprise, he was able to move it on his own. Perhaps he has more muscle than brain; that would explain many things.
We joked a bit about each other, but when he mentioned the size of my chest, that was crossing the line. As if that had anything to do with a person; there's nothing wrong with my slow development. At least that's what I read when I researched it.
Based on the few interactions we had, I can say he's a rascal. He even said something as ridiculous as if he wanted to do something to me, he would have done it already. Although it might not seem like it, I'm strong enough to take him down, and after a brief exchange of looks where each of us waited for the other to make the first move, he backed off.
If he had tried anything, the only viable option would have been to teach him some manners. Strength is not an infallible factor when dealing with others; it also depends on technique.
After that, we each went back to our own activities, and that's how the time passed until we had a client.
Our client was a boy from our grade, Koyama-kun. Of course, I made sure to tell him not to expect anything from Tsurumi-kun, to which he only grumbled.
Koyama-kun's request was something common that happens in schools, a case of bullying. He wanted us to take care of the boys who were intimidating him, but unfortunately, the service club doesn't work that way. We don't solve the problem for the person; we guide them towards a possible solution so they can handle it themselves.
My solution for this case was to accompany Koyama-kun and have him confront them. If things got out of hand, then we would intervene. This way, he could gain more confidence and the courage to make decisions for himself. Initially, Tsurumi-kun opposed my idea, but he eventually accepted it. Koyama-kun was also somewhat hesitant but agreed.
With everything set, I went to hand over the keys of the club while Tsurumi-kun mentioned something about talking a little more. At that moment, I should have suspected his strange concern for him.
We followed Koyama-kun to the place where he met his bullies. The situation unfolded just as I had thought, and I was only to see how it would develop.
To my surprise, Tsurumi-kun approached them and intervened. Everything that happened could only be described as someone stronger intimidating others. I clenched my fists as I watched how he handled the situation; not only did he disregard my words, but he also prevented Koyama-kun from resolving the issue on his own, completely disregarding the purpose of the club.
Koyama-kun thanked us for everything and left, but there was nothing to accept that gratitude for. I didn't hesitate to reproach Tsurumi-kun for his actions, to which he replied that my idea wouldn't have worked and that he had his own way of handling things. We argued before finally parting ways.
His behavior can only be attributed to someone immature, someone who, even though he claimed to have been bullied as a child, didn't hesitate to do the same to solve the issue. I can't trust people like him.
With all that in mind, we met again the next day for the club's schedule. As expected, we couldn't avoid arguing; I couldn't approve of his violent way of solving things.
After our discussion, we each focused on our tasks until Shiromeguri-senpai entered the club.
Shiromeguri-senpai's request was if we can help move some boxes from the student council to other clubs. It wasn't complicated, but before I could respond to her request, Tsurumi-kun volunteered to do it first.
I didn't trust him with this task, so I decided to accompany them.
Once at the Student Council room, I took some boxes and carried them to the locations indicated by Shiromeguri-senpai. Luckily, Tsurumi-kun went with her, so I could be sure he wouldn't do anything stupid.
I had no problem on my part; I perfectly completed the delivery of the boxes.
When we returned, I waited a few seconds before they both arrived. From their expressions, it seemed that there were no issues, but if there were, I would have to apologize to Shiromeguri-senpai for any inconvenience caused by one of the club members.
As the bell rang, indicating the end of club hours, we still had to take three more boxes to one of the gymnasiums. Tsurumi-kun decided to carry them alone.
I don't know if he's foolish or acting like it, as he carried all three boxes as if it was nothing, even though the third box obstructed his view.
So, I took that box and carried it with me. We exchanged a few glances and reached an agreement.
We began heading towards the gymnasium after saying goodbye to Shiromeguri-senpai. Our journey was quiet and peaceful.
Once we placed the boxes in their proper place in the storage room, we had finished everything and could return to the club. However, before we could leave, I overheard some other boys securing the door, thinking that nobody was inside.
Instinctively, my mind recalled a certain past event, but I tried to remain calm.
I exchanged a few words with Tsurumi-kun just to make sure I wasn't alone.
Unlike that previous time, I wasn't in the dark, nor was I alone. I wasn't a little elementary school girl who would cry and panic when locked in a dark place without knowing if I could get out.
Thinking about it was my mistake because the light in the storage room started flickering until it completely went out, leaving everything in absolute darkness.
The fears and terrors I thought I had overcome long ago overwhelmed me. No matter how hard I tried to calm myself, fear gripped my entire being.
My body trembled instinctively as I remembered that incident from years ago. The fear of being abandoned and trapped returned to my mind.
But just when I was about to succumb to that fear, I heard Tsurumi-kun's voice, reminding me that this time I wasn't alone. It wouldn't have mattered who it was; I'm sure I would have acted the same way.
Even though I couldn't see, I guided myself by the sound of his voice. Once I felt he was close, I slowly held onto the hem of his shirt.
Now that I think about it, despite our initial argument, he acted as if nothing had happened. I must thank his carefree attitude, as another person might have tried to distance themselves, but he didn't. He held my hand and guided me to what seemed like a pile of mats where we sat down.
The inherent fear in me wanted to take over my mind; memories of being locked in the school storage room by other girls were so vivid that they flooded my mind.
I didn't know how long I had been locked in, but when I woke up, one of the janitors found me. Since that time, I've been afraid of dark and confined spaces, places where I'm certain I can't get out.
But even so, I felt somewhat at ease having someone beside me; the warmth of his hand holding mine was enough to keep me grounded in reality. With every passing minute, my mind tried to instill that fear in me.
If we stayed like that, someone would eventually find us, so I tried to calm myself. Normally, I would think of solutions to get out of such a situation, but in that state, my mind reverted to that of a fearful little elementary school girl.
At that moment, Tsurumi-kun got up from my side, breaking the grip I had on him.
He said a few things we had argued about earlier, and I thought he was going to leave and leave me alone again.
I tried to apologize to him, not because I was wrong, but because I didn't want to be alone, even if I had to swallow my pride. The fear was greater than my pride.
"I'm just someone who solves things by force, so you should be glad that I'm that kind of person; otherwise, you'd never get out of this place."
His words confused me; I didn't understand what he meant by that until I heard him walking and stopping, and a few seconds later, I heard the loud sound of the door being destroyed.
He kicked the door of the storage room open. How did he come to think that was the best solution? Is he some kind of caveman to believe that was the only way to get out?
Those were my thoughts once I was back home, but at that moment, I was just grateful to him.
Once outside the storage room, all those fears and terrors disappeared. The reason for that was the person who didn't hesitate to destroy private property.
I couldn't help but reprimand him for that, but still, I thanked him.
While I reflected on everything that happened, I heard Shiromeguri-senpai's voice; she had come to this place because she couldn't find us in the club room. It's quite humorous that if we had waited a few more seconds, Shiromeguri-senpai would have found us. I internally laughed at this.
Tsurumi-kun outright lied about his reasons for doing what he did. It's strange to think that he could be afraid; his carefree demeanor shows that he couldn't care less about something like that.
We said goodbye to Shiromeguri-senpai, mentioning that the Service Club would be there for her anytime since we left her in charge of dealing with the destroyed door issue.
Back at the club after packing our things, I decided to ask him why he lied to Shiromeguri-senpai. He could have simply told her that I was afraid of being locked in, and he acted based on that knowledge.
But his response contradicted my previous thoughts; he mentioned that he also feels fear, which is a human trait. That's why sharing such things with others might create a sense of vulnerability.
His words sounded as if they came from someone else, not him. I suppose on certain occasions, he can behave like an ordinary person. Additionally, I had to admit that force is sometimes necessary, not always, but there are situations where humans won't reach an agreement, or someone else might try to harm us.
I couldn't come up with that answer because of all the anger the events of the previous day had caused me.
But, just as he acted responsibly, he quickly shifted the conversation to the size of my breasts. Seriously, that guy is so immature.
We finished our conversation, and each of us went our separate ways, but before he disappeared from sight, I called out to say goodbye.
Even though it was just a small display of generosity, he showed that he could empathize with others, a significant step forward. So, I decided to at least acknowledge him as a member of the club. Something I didn't do before, thinking he would eventually stop coming.
Even now, I consider him a member of the Service Club, more than an animal but less evolved than early humans. I have plenty of evidence to support this.
After that day, our interactions felt more natural. We had regular exchanges of words, although I always had the upper hand in each one, and he showed his pettiness by using my breasts as a way to attack me, as if something like their size could define a person.
After one of our many conversations due to a lack of clients, we finished the club's hours.
After saying our goodbyes, we went our separate ways.
On that particular day, there was a storm, so when I saw the news in the morning, I made sure to bring an umbrella. Hence, when I felt a few raindrops, I decided to use it.
My journey home went smoothly, except that I stopped to observe a scene I thought would be unlikely to see.
I saw Tsurumi-kun under a store awning with some children, an unusual sight.
As I listened to their conversation, I noticed that he was scolding them for not having an umbrella in the storm.
At times, it got quite intense, but I know when he's serious, and I didn't detect that tone in his voice, so I kept watching.
To my surprise, in the end, Tsurumi-kun gave them his umbrella, and after saying goodbye, he calmly stayed under the store awning.
For someone who said that helping others makes no sense, he did it without anyone asking.
Deep down, he may have a kind side.
That day we were trapped, he helped me. So, I took this opportunity to return the favor and share my umbrella until we reach the nearest train station; that should have been enough.
After a few exchanges, he seemed like a little child when he understood my words, but eventually, he reluctantly accepted it.
I must say that even though he acts arrogant most of the time, sharing the same umbrella made him very shy. It was amusing to observe.
The journey should have gone smoothly, but when we were close to the train station, he grabbed me and reversed our positions.
It surprised me for a moment, and I thought I had underestimated him, but when I heard the sound of water and a car speeding by, I understood.
He used himself as a shield to protect me from the splash of the car.
Tsurumi-kun stood in the rain, but he nonchalantly mentioned that we could just go home in that state. Anyone else would have been annoyed or cursed in such a situation, but he acted in a way that defied all logic.
Just when I thought I no longer owed him anything, he protected me from getting wet on a stormy day. Seriously, I can't understand what goes on in his mind.
Leaving him in that condition would only make him sick, so I suggested going to my apartment so he could take a bath and dry his clothes. It's easy for people to get sick from being soaked in a storm, especially with Japan's weather.
At first, he refused, but being direct and leaving him no other choice, he reluctantly agreed.
He can behave very differently in various situations.
Once in my apartment, I showed him the bathroom and the dryer. As I didn't have ingredients for dinner, as that's what I'd usually do on my way home, I had to go buy them.
Leaving him alone could be risky, but after spending so much time together in the club, I realized that he would never do anything that contradicted his own logic, like taking something without permission from someone who's doing him a favor. Besides, if necessary, I could easily overpower him, so I wasn't worried.
I went to the nearest supermarket and made the purchases. After finishing, I returned to my apartment, and to my surprise, I was greeted by a sight.
Tsurumi-kun was half-naked in my living room, and if that wasn't enough, Nee-san was there with him
Initially, I thought about using some physical flaw he had to tease him, but when I saw his torso, I knew it wouldn't make sense. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd say he doesn't seem like someone who's in shape.
Nee-san mentioned finding Tsurumi-kun wandering in that state in my living room, and knowing him, this was true.
After telling him to go back to the bathroom and wait for his clothes to dry or I'd throw him out like that, I went to the kitchen to store the ingredients.
Nee-san asked some off-topic questions that I ignored.
Since I had two guests, I started preparing dinner, and while doing that, I could hear them chatting as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
To my surprise, Nee-san was more herself, avoiding that perfect girl appearance she always puts on. They talked a lot before I arrived. The way they did it showed that. Knowing how strangely Tsurumi-kun behaves, he probably realized Nee-san's true self.
After interrupting their conversation, which they included me in without my permission, we proceeded to have dinner.
Our conversation was about simple things, like how Hiratsuka-sensei is doing, and how the service club was going.
At the end of it, with Tsurumi-kun helping to wash the dishes, he borrowed my umbrella and left.
As usual, Nee-san asked unrelated questions, so I just ignored her, but if I had to highlight something, it would be the last thing she said before leaving.
"I'll tell you something, Yukino-chan. People like Tsurumi-kun can be described as peculiar. It's hard to know what they're thinking on certain occasions, and they can change their way of acting. So be cautious with him. And if any problem arises, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll take care of teaching him a few things."
Normally, I would ignore Nee-san's words, but this time, she said it with a serious tone. Did she notice something I didn't? But when I asked her, she didn't respond.
I decided to take Nee-san's words to heart and be more cautious with him.
But the next day, he was absent from class, and if I had to relate it, he must have fallen sick.
I doubt a simple cold could affect him, so I just waited for the next day when he returned as if nothing happened.
He returned the umbrella to me and said not to blame myself because he got sick. He claimed that even if I hadn't intervened, he would have gotten sick from waiting under the shop awning out of boredom.
We had a brief conversation about siblings in general, and he mentioned that Nee-san was terrifying, something I agreed with him on.
The days passed normally, and we didn't have any more clients, so our afternoons consisted of sporadic conversations and reading our books. Of course, Hiratsuka-sensei visited us on some days, and those situations always ended with Tsurumi-kun lecturing her, and I joined him in this.
That's how the cultural festival arrived, and I only met him once during that time because Hiratsuka-sensei warned me the day before that the student council would need a hand preparing for the opening speech, so I didn't hesitate to help them out.
Hiratsuka-sensei recruited Tsurumi-kun for security during the cultural festival. I'm sure she had to chase him down to make him accept it because I can't imagine him doing it without any complications.
After that, I didn't run into him, but I heard that he and Hayama-kun dealt with some troublesome students from another school, which is easy to imagine.
The cultural festival ended without any incidents, and the following days were calm, except for the day before the sports festival when we had a client.
Nakamura-san, a member of the volleyball club, and apparently also a delegate for Tsurumi-kun's section, visited us. Her reason for coming was to force Tsurumi-kun to participate in the events taking place the next day, and as expected, he adamantly refused.
Since her request was straightforward, I decided to handle it and asked Tsurumi-kun if he wanted to obey Nakamura-san. When he declined, we fulfilled our role.
On any other occasion, I would have refused to even listen to the request of someone who enters rudely and starts giving orders, but knowing the other club member, I'm sure he did something to annoy her.
After her insistence, Tsurumi-kun decided to challenge her to a competition.
I'm aware of the difference in stamina between men and women, and when it comes to Tsurumi-kun, I doubt his physique could achieve much just by sitting. Although, just thinking about it, I can't imagine him training and putting in effort.
With both parties in agreement, we headed to the athletics club, where they were getting ready for the sports festival.
It wasn't difficult to convince them to let us use the place for a few minutes; in fact, it was quite easy.
The competition ended with Tsurumi-kun's victory. Even when he gave Nakamura-san an advantage, she couldn't beat him. This also confirmed that he excels in all physical aspects.
If I were in Nakamura-san's shoes, I would feel overwhelmed and extremely annoyed to lose against Tsurumi-kun. I say this because I've been through that experience myself.
"Why do you refuse to be the best at something you're good at?" Nakamura-san asked.
After spending more than a month with him in the club, I can understand, so I answered on his behalf.
Tsurumi-kun has nothing to prove to anyone; his carefree attitude goes hand in hand with that.
Although sometimes it seems like he does, it's only because he has some interest. The rest of the time, he doesn't pay attention to others. In summary, he's a peculiar person.
After calling herself an idiot for overestimating Tsurumi-kun, Nakamura-san left.
Back in the club room, we talked about why she always seeks to win, which reminded me of the volleyball tournament final where the Sobu High team lost. I just mentioned what I knew, and when the bell indicating the end of club hours rang, we said goodbye.
For the sports festival, I signed up for the tennis competition and also served as a substitute for the basketball competition. I'm someone who doesn't like to lose, so I had no problem accepting to participate in the tennis tournament. Although there were other girls who belong to the tennis club, during physical education classes I never lost to them, so I was the best option.
I would have liked to participate in more competitions, but I'm not known for having great stamina, so I settled for those two, making sure to win.
The early rounds of the tennis competition were straightforward, and before I knew it, I reached the final. With time on my hands, I watched the other match to see who I would be facing. My attention was drawn to the girl who was pressuring her opponent. If I recall correctly, her name is Miura Yumiko, a first-year student. She's usually seen surrounded by a group of girls. Her game was good; she didn't give her opponent any breathing room and pressed her until the end, resulting in her victory. I thought our final encounter would be evenly matched, so I started thinking about some tactics to make it easier.
Before the final began, I went to the water fountain to freshen up, and to my surprise, I bumped into Tsurumi-kun. It was strange because the day before, he mentioned that he wouldn't participate, but seeing him here contradicted that. We exchanged a few words before saying goodbye. He even wished me luck in my match, though I knew it was his wish that I'd get injured and not go to the club. I really have a lot of work ahead of me.
On the tennis court, the final started. Perhaps I overestimated my opponent because I won with a perfect score: 3-0. Since it was the final, we used the rules the professionals use.
But I must say it was strange; that girl seemed very unfocused, and her movements were clumsy, so I had no trouble defeating her without much difficulty.
After my victory, I changed and went to watch the other events.
In the afternoon, the basketball competition started, but as a substitute, I mostly watched from the sidelines. If I had to highlight one person, it would be Kawasaki Saki, a girl who belongs to Miura Yumiko's group. Her movements and maneuvers were smooth, even when facing girls from the basketball club; Kawasaki-san surpassed them. However, it was a shame that she was the only one on her team scoring most of the points, as the others tried to keep up but couldn't.
In that way, our section faced theirs in the final. If it were a professional match, she would have been the MVP of the competition.
The first half of the match was closely contested. In my section, the other girls decided to block her every move, but she still managed to outperform them.
In the early minutes of the second half, her team took the lead as she accomplished most of the things. No matter how much we tried to block her path, she managed to prevail over the others. Her performance was truly admirable.
Unfortunately, if she had a more coordinated team, we would have lost from the beginning. With five minutes remaining, some classmates and I joined the game.
In a short time, we equalized the score, as even Kawasaki-san, couldn't be everywhere, so we easily surpassed her teammates.
With only a few seconds left until the end of the match and the score tied, a teammate passed the ball to me. As I approached the basket, Kawasaki-san tried to intervene, but I still managed to score the winning point, leading my section to victory.
Many factors contributed to our win, including the fatigue she accumulated from playing in all the matches and making 90% of the points. If we had faced her at the beginning, I'm sure we would have lost.
With my part in the event finished, I focused on observing the remaining events; there were only a few before they announced the winning section.
I heard that Hayama-kun won the relay race, one of the events that awarded a lot of points.
But all of that didn't matter since my section came out on top. Shiromeguri-senpai congratulated us all since the student council president was busy with other things and couldn't attend.
It was a great effort from everyone in my section, and as class J, exceptional performance was expected.
When I looked at the results of the other sections, I noticed that Tsurumi-kun's section ended up in last place. A result expected from someone who simply refused to participate. Perhaps he only came that day to continue bothering Nakamura-san; I should scold him for that.
And so, the sports festival came to an end. Both the cultural and sports festivals were entertaining, a great job by the student council.
On Monday, club hours were normal, although Tsurumi-kun was extravagant. His attitude was more persuasive, and at times, he ignored me to later interrupt my reading; he was clearly doing it to annoy me. After saying our goodbyes and handing the club key to Hiratsuka-sensei, I ran into Tsurumi-kun at the school entrance.
We chatted at the entrance before a girl interrupted us, Ebina Hina, one of the girls who belongs to Miura Yumiko's group. It was strange to see Tsurumi-kun interacting with her so informally, as if they had known each other for a long time. For a moment, she stared at me intensely. We exchanged words before they said goodbye because they had somewhere else to go. The weirdest thing was that the girls who accompanied her were second-years, but they treated her as if she were their superior.
When I thought about asking him how he knew her, another group of girls approached us. I recognized the president of the cooking club, accompanied by the other members. Among them, a certain girl caught my attention: Yuigahama Yui, the last girl from Miura Yumiko's group. Their group is well-known at Sobu High; not only do most of the guys always talk about them, but Miura-san's reputation is striking. Her dominant attitude and disinterest in dealing with people outside her group are known. There are rumors that she slapped another girl in the school cafeteria, which made headlines among the students. As her group of four girls stands out already, it's not difficult for them to be well-known.
It was surprising to see how Tsurumi-kun conversed so cheerfully with Yuigahama-san; he even teased her, and Izayama-senpai joined in.
I couldn't believe he was doing all that; it was a facet I didn't know. Normally, he behaves as if he doesn't care, and even interacting with others doesn't interest him. Tsurumi-kun mentioned things like other people going to hell and more of that rubbish, but his behavior that day contradicted those words. After a while, the group of girls left, though Yuigahama-san's farewell was peculiar.
What's a "Yahallo"? I looked up the word on the internet, but there was no clear answer.
In the end, all the time I wasted with Tsurumi-kun turned out to be a way for him to annoy me, treating me like some kind of stalker. What is going on in his head to think up such nonsense? After saying our goodbyes, each of us went our separate ways, but I didn't forget how he treated me that day.
The following days, nothing noteworthy happened, just the two of us in the club, talking and reading.
While I was contemplating all this, I heard the door open, and Tsurumi-kun entered as usual.
"Yo."
"I think I told you that's not a greeting."
"People have different ways of greeting, specifying that it doesn't count as a greeting is a form of discrimination." He said with an arrogant smile as he took a seat.
Since Monday, he had become more arrogant in his responses. Trying to imagine what goes on in his head is impossible, although most of the time, it's just nonsensical stuff.
"I didn't think you would include yourself as a person. Is that progress?" I scoffed.
"Are you degrading me to an object again?"
"Objects have a purpose, and in your case, I doubt that's true."
"Tch."
As I had my hands under the table, I didn't hesitate to clench my fists in a sign of victory. No matter what he does, he won't win against me again.
''So, Yukinoshita, what do you think?''
''It's the first time someone asked me something like this, so I wouldn't know how to respond.''
A few minutes ago, we had a client, a first-year boy who came to seek advice on how to confess to a girl. The normal thing would be to simply express his feelings, right? But when I replied like that, he said he wanted to do it in a way to ensure she wouldn't reject him, which didn't make much sense since it all depends on how the other person feels about you. Since neither Tsurumi-kun nor I had an answer, we asked him to come back later to give him an answer.
''Is it that the great Yukinoshita Yukino believes that simply saying what you feel in a confession is enough?''
''Did I make a mistake?'' I asked. I doubted that was the case because it's enough to just say what you feel.
Tsurumi-kun put on a mocking smile. ''For someone popular, it's surprising that you answer like an old woman.''
I raised an eyebrow at his words. ''So how would you do it? In fact, can someone like you even try to correct me?''
''Although it may not seem like it, some of the novels I read cover those types of topics, so I'm well-versed in the subject.'' He said with pride.
''Can the trash you read be useful?''
''At least behave like someone of my age.''
''If that were the case, I doubt Hiratsuka-sensei would force you to join.''
''I understand, I understand. I'm still someone who, in your eyes, shouldn't be part of society.'' He gave up, which he does when he doesn't know what else to say.
''But with no other options, you can at least say what you thought, as it's better than nothing.'' Perhaps some of the rubbish he reads every day could be useful.
''It's easy. He's looking for a dramatic way to confess, something that guarantees the other person will accept his confession, so I suggest a kabe-don.'' He said with great certainty.
''Kabe-don?'' It's the first time I've heard this term.
''It's easier to do than to explain.''
''Then show me.''
''As you wish, Ojou-sama~'' Tsurumi-kun got up and then approached one of the walls. He used his right arm to slam it against the wall, creating a collision sound.
''Is that a kabe-don?''
''Exactly.''
''I should remember not to have hope in your words.''
I don't understand how simply hitting the wall could influence anything. At most, it would startle the other person, but that would be it.
''It's different when you're on the receiving end, or so I think.''
''Don't say things you don't have a basis for.'' Does this guy only know how to say nonsensical things?
I stood up from my seat and moved in front of him. Maybe he could be right, so it was worth trying. After all, I can't think of any other method.
''Then, show me.'' I said while looking into his eyes.
Normally, I wouldn't trust something as vague as this, but when it comes to things related to confessions, I'm not the best person to talk about it.
"Is the great Yukinoshita volunteering? It looks like it's going to rain today." He said mockingly.
"To say you're wrong without confirming it would be a contradiction, so I'm going to prove you wrong." I said in a serious tone.
"I see." Tsurumi-kun said.
He slammed his arm against the side of my head and reduced our distance, but I didn't feel that anything had changed.
"So, is that all?" Even though the sound was meant to surprise the receiver, expecting it didn't make any difference.
"Maybe it only works on normal people." He said with a certain mocking tone, as if I wasn't a normal person. I'm sure I'm more normal than he could ever be.
"What are you implying?" I said with a calm but chilling tone.
"Who knows, mayb-"
Before he could continue speaking, the sound of the door caught our attention.
"Yukinoshita, I'm coming in."
I noticed that Hiratsuka-sensei entered the club, but there were also two other girls with her.
"It looks like you're having fun, aren't you, RAI-DEN-KUN!?" She exclaimed.