Not long after that, Hitomi and I continued to our destination. We’re in a public space so even if we both wanted to prolong that mont, it would be bad if we gathered more attention to us. Affirming our feelings for each other was more than enough at the mont. We could still have more chances in the future anyway. Moreover, with Hitomi opening up more to , I’m certain that I will be hearing more from her. Not just her usual updates about Otoha but about herself.
Anyway, unlike yesterday wherein Eguchi waited for outside, Hitomi and I walked through the door unhindered. No one was around and we weren’t the only ones coming in and out of the place. If we acted cautious, that would just beco more suspicious.
They’re staying in the sa waiting room as yesterday so… we already have a clear destination in mind.
“Lest I forget, I have a ssage to relay to you, Ruki.”
“ssage? From who?”
Upon reaching the corner turn, Hitomi spoke up, bringing up sothing that she probably had just rembered. I glanced at her and found a hint of embarrassnt on her face. If I put my palm on it, I’d surely feel the heat rising up.
If I had to guess, because of our shared mont there, that ssage got pushed to the back of her head, almost forgetting it. As the diligent and responsible chauffeur, she seldom missed anything. If not the first, this could be one of the few tis that she fumbled. How adorable…
In any case, there’s no need to tease her about it at the mont. I’ll be saving it for later use. When we get more ti to spend with each other. That way, I can see more of this woman’s unearthed cuteness.
“... The young lady’s brother, Hidekazu-sama. He has just returned from his trip this morning.”
“Ah…Has he? Wait. Did he ask you to pass his ssage to ? Not Otoha?”
Looks like whatever business he dealt with was already settled. And with his interest in resurfacing upon knowing my reconnection to his sister, I already expected this. However, I wasn’t really looking forward to eting him. I an, Otoha might not be naive but she’s certainly not mature enough to deal with certain issues. But this brother of hers, he’s definitely at the level of Mizuki, if not higher.
He’s been working his ass off to prove himself to their family before coming out with his orientation so… he’s surely going to be soone I have to be careful of.
In any case, why did he ask Hitomi and not his sister? Is it important? No. If it’s Hitomi, she would surely tell Otoha about this first…
“Yes. He believed that it’s better if I relay his ssage to you than his sister.”
“I see. Alright then, let hear it. It’s nothing serious, I hope."
“It is not. He said he paid a visit to the Onoda Family and wanted to talk to you about that said visit.”
“Huh? Wait. The Onoda Family? He’s not talking about my parents, is he?”
“That. I have no idea.” Hitomi shook her head.
Well, she’s only asked to relay his words to … Thinking about it, his business trip was to the south… Did he specifically co to that prefecture? To my parents’ hotown?
Ugh. I guess there’s no refusing this. Besides, I could also inquire with my parents whether they had any contact with that place.
“I see. It’s fine. Is he expecting a reply?”
“Yes.”
Now. How should I reply? The best course of action was to put it off as much as possible. Without knowing what to expect from that talk, I shouldn’t rush into it headfirst. I have to be prepared for it at least.
After thinking for a while, I picked my course of action and asked Hitomi to relay my answer to Otoha’s older brother. The woman nodded and took it as part of her job.
Seeing that she’s slipping back to her usual ‘work mode’, I decided to spend a few minutes more to dote on her before showing up with Satsuki, Eguchi-sensei and the whole Basketball Club.
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Fortunately, having learned from the instance yesterday, we stopped before the door and knocked at the waiting room.
Almost instantly, I heard a lot of activity inside as if they’re rushing to put on their clothes. And when the door opened a small gap to check on who knocked on it, we were t with a Basketball Club mber instead of Satsuki or Eguchi-sensei.
Nonetheless, as soon as the girl recognized , her round eyes widened as pure excitent filled her expression.
She then left the gap open as she turned around to announce to the others in the room, “Guys, he’s here!”
Haa… Who would’ve thought that out of everyone in our school, I’d beco this club’s pressure and tension-reliever. Will soone be able to take up this role if they’re the one who walked in on them half-naked? I doubt it will.
It’s probably because they’re already too familiar with and my relationship with Satsuki that they could treat as soone harmless.
Is it a good thing? Of course. It sounds like a privilege, no?
A while later, more footsteps could be heard shuffling inside and the girl faced again. With a smile of satisfaction on her face, she said, “Uhm. Wait a minute, Onoda-kun. They are… you know?”
“Oh… It’s fine. I’ll feel bad if I walk in on them changing again.”
“What a gentleman. Thank you for coming.”
“You don’t need to. I’m actually feeling honored that I can help be of help to you.”
“That’s too much humbleness, Onoda-kun. Satsuki-chan is so lucky.” The girl awkwardly giggled.
Whatever she ant by that was too obvious. But there’s no point dwelling on that.
In any case, it looked like the girl was only focused on . She didn’t pay much attention to Hitomi beside . But that’s fine, I also sensed that Hitomi was finding this exchange interesting. It’s definitely sothing she seldom witnesses due to her work of being there for Otoha most of the ti.
A few monts passed and soon, the girl widened the opening of the door to let us in.
Without delay, we stepped inside. Sohow, the room was more fragrant than before. Yesterday, I didn’t pay much attention to it but this ti, the womanly scent in the air was too strong to be ignored.
If I have to describe it, it felt like I was entering a flower garden in their blooming season. Everyone looked pleasing to the eye no matter where I turned my head to.
Kawakami-senpai, Kanno-senpai and the other seniors wore a welcoming smile directed at . It’s as though they’re welcoming into their embrace.
Of course, they’re not going to do that. They just stood there, watching my figure with pleasant expressions on their faces. Like I guessed, seeing was probably relieving the tension they were feeling deep inside their chests little by little.
They’re all dressed for the match already. A jersey that exposed their slender arms and hugged their figures nicely and shorts that stopped before their knees, exposing a glimpse of their thighs.
“Mhm. You all look great. If the basketball match has physical appearance as another criteria to score points, I believe you’ll be speeding ahead of your opponents.”
I couldn’t help but blurt out a complint right there which instantly made a few of them bashful.
In any case, the ones who managed to withstand it laughed heartily. Then on the side, I saw Satsuki and Eguchi-sensei either facepalming or laughing awkwardly at what I said.
Of course, Hitomi also had a reaction to it. The woman nudged my shoulder as she tried her best not to laugh.
Thankfully, even if it’s not within my intention, what I blurted out further eases the tension and pressure weighing down on their shoulders.
Before long, Kawakami-senpai as the Club President and Captain stepped forward. She patted my shoulder before saying, “Onoda-kun, on behalf of everyone, thank you for coming. With you here, I feel like we’re going to win this match again.”
Supporting her words, the other mbers nodded before they started clapping.
At this point, no matter how thick my face is… it’s impossible not to be embarrassed.
I scratched my head then put on my usual smile before raising a fist in front of , “Uhm. I’m glad I can be of help, senpai. Everyone will be cheering for you out there. Go and get them.”
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