Chapter 5 Part IV

After he left, I wandered around Keyaki mall for a while again.

Temporarily forgetting about the situation with Tsukishiro would be fine for now.

The problem was the Matsushita that was concealing her presence and hiding behind me over there.

Although I could just ignore her, it would be a problem if she spread the word about the situation between the Acting Director and me.

After confirming that Matsushita was still following me, I decided to wait for an opportunity.

Why was she following me? I needed to confirm the reason for that.

Although this was unlikely, I must also consider the possibility that she was working for Tsukishiro.

I don't know if she was following me from the start, or sometime after that.

From this point alone, I distinguished it clearly.

If there were other issues I needed to consider, it would be where I should talk to her.

It was spring break at the Keyaki mall, and it was still morning, the time with the most people.

If I spoke to her here, it would be too conspicuous.

As I planned how I would start the conversation, I decided to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

One thing to be grateful about is the fact that Matsushita was my classmate.

Even if our conversation was seen by others, it would be regarded as an ordinary talk between classmates.

Speeding up slightly, and turning the corner, I prepared to ambush Matsushita.

If she did not follow me here, I would use Kei to deal with this.

After about 10 seconds, Matsushita turned around the corner to catch up with me.

"Whoah!?"

It seemed like she did not expect me waiting for her here, letting out a surprised voice.

If she wasn't following me, she wouldn't have made such an overreaction.

"What business do you have with me?"

I asked that, while Matsushita placed her hand on her chest to calm down her intense heartbeat.

"What business, what do you mean?… Although that's what I'd like to say, it seems like I've been exposed."

It seems like after seeing my attitude, she determined that using a random excuse in this situation wouldn't work.

But why did she follow me anyway?

That part was what truly mattered.

If she just wanted to greet me normally, there was no need for her to conceal herself and follow behind me.

"Well, there's a reason, so I followed you around, Ayanokouji-kun."

After Matsushita confirmed that there was no one around, she admitted that she was tailing me.

My relationship with Matsushita was not very deep.

But if you observed Matsushita's behaviour, you would find that she was quite alert. This was probably because she didn't want her real thoughts to be seen through, which would also explain the reason she wanted to follow me.

"What do you think the reason I'm following you is?"

This wasn't just a simple question, it was obviously meant as a psychological attack."

It seemed she really did want to ask me something after this.

"I don't know, I don't understand this at all. When did you start following me?"

I would not tell her when I noticed that she was following me.

While answering her questions, I also asked her questions myself.

"Just now, right-"

"Just now?"

In order to prevent Matsushita san from asking extra questions to avoid answering me, I asked her another question.

If she was given the chance, she would definitely ask me "When did Ayanokouji-san notice?"

"When that… Oh right, when you were talking to Acting Director Tsukishiro."

Matsushita-san mixed in lies, but also admitted that she saw me talking to Acting Director Tsukishiro.

Shortly after, Matsushita-san slightly lowered the corner of her mouth. It seems that she noticed her mistake.

Actually, I've already set up a trap here, if she was curious about my relationship with Acting Director Tsukishiro, she would have no choice but to ask me a question about this.

"I saw you talking with Acting Director Tsukishiro, what actually happened?"

"It seems like Keyaki mall is about to undergo renovation, that's why he was asking students which facilities we would be happy with if built, and similar questions. He just chose to ask me by chance.

"Oh? I see…"

Matsushita-san, who claimed to have started following me during my conversation with Acting Director Tsukishiro, might've planned to use information from what happened before the conversation to her advantage. However, it had the opposite effect. Since she saw the workers following Acting Director Tsukishiro, she would most likely believe me.

"So, what's your question?"

I don't have any questions. There's just some things on my mind."

After saying this, Matsushita-san started to reveal the true reason for following me.

About the end of year exam… Ayanokouji-kun was the commanding tower, right?"

So that's it. Having heard this sentence, I understood the reason why Matsushita-san wanted to contact me.

"During the speed mental math event, the answer you gave me was exactly the same as the answer Koenji-kun gave."

It would be hard to say that this happened by chance.

"During junior high school, I did quite a lot of speed mental math, so I'm quite good at it.

"Me too, but you aren't on the level of "quite good", I think that you're good enough to participate at the national level."

As soon as I finished speaking, Matsushita-san immediately replied.

It seemed like she didn't like the fact that I blocked her first move.

"That's just an event that I'm relatively good at. To be honest, I've participated in national competitions before."

"…Is that true?"

"Yes, It seems that the sudden appearance of an event I'm good at led to your misunderstanding.

'But, shouldn't you have mentioned this earlier?"

"That's true, but do you know my personality? I'm not someone who can announce this in the middle of the class. Also, I was given a protection point by chance which led to me stepping up as the commanding tower. Not to mention, our opponent was Class A's Sayakanagi-san. Even if I'm good at speed mental math, I don't know how much I could help, so I felt uneasy."

No self confidence equalled poor communication skills. That was the impression my classmates had on me.

"That…. might be true."

Although she felt that it was indeed trustworthy, Matsushita didn't want to accept it, and took it to the next step.

"I… I saw it. The scene of Ayanokouji-kun and Hirata-kun, talking together on a bench."

She should be talking about the time when Hirata was alone during the Class Vote.

I didn't have eyes on my back, so I didn't know someone was watching.

However, there was no need to panic because of this.

Even if someone saw that scene at that time from a distance, it wasn't something that unexpected.

"Even though I stayed in the distance because I thought I would be discovered if I came any closer, I think I saw him crying."

Witnessing that scene and quickly processing what it meant, it seemed like she collected a certain amount of data.

Matsushita's intentions gradually became obvious.

Judging by her words and her actions, believing that she had nothing to do with Tsukishiro should be fine.

"Back then, during the second day, Hirata returned to class, so shouldn't this be more than just a pure coincidence?"

I thought she was an ordinary student, but she was unexpectedly acute.

It was worth nothing that she was telling these things to me.

It didn't seem like she was here because she couldn't keep those thoughts to herself.

Although it could be labeled as just pure curiosity…

From her subtle actions, you could see that this was just a pretence, so in other words, she had her own private reason for getting involved with this. Judging from Matsushita's words and actions today that were logical, this wouldn't be a sudden whim of hers. Instead, she would have planned this in advance to get into contact with me, and then bring up this topic. Maybe her decision to take action today was because she saw me wandering around Keyaki mall by myself.

"National level speed mental arithmetic, plus your running speed, and on top of that, consoling Hirata during the Class Vote. By considering all these points… Ayanokouji-kun, are you holding back? In fact, whether it be academically or physically, you're more capable than what you are showing, right?"

This was deliberate contact with me, who had a weak existence, and also trying to lead me to say certain things.

It seems she tried to contact me because she doubted my abilities.

This was completely different from the impression I got from Matsushita who had been my classmate for a year now.

I quickly came to a conclusion, deciding to address the main topic.

"Are you doing this because you want me to assist you in reaching Class A?"

"…So you admit it?"

It seemed like Matsushita-san felt a certain amount of dread after my straightforward confession.

"It does seem like I'm indeed holding back."

"Why? Isn't it good to achieve good grades at this school?"

Matsushita-san, who believed she had the upper hand, started to question and criticize me.

"It's because I don't like… attracting attention. If all of a sudden my grades randomly rose, then won't I have to help teach the others? I'm not really good at doing that. The same goes for athletics."

"So that's how it is."

Similar to Matsushita-san who hid her abilities. There were probably some parts of my excuse which was the same with her, resulting in her being able to understand very well. So she believed my words.

"Please make more contributions to the class in the future. If you do actually have the strength, I want you to use it. This is for leading our class to victory. If your strength is genuine and if you have what it takes to be a leader, I can vouch for you, Ayanokouji-kun."

Her thoughts were similar to Horikita's. If you had the strength, then use it honestly.

"I happen to think so too."

"Eh?"

It seemed that she didn't expect me to willingly cooperate with her, so Matsushita-san let out a surprised sound.

"But please do not expect too much from me. I have already exerted around 70-80% of my total strength. Even with all my strength, I don't have the same academic and athletic ability as Hirata does."

Henceforth, I intended to put my school life to the side.

Right now, I have to be accepted by Matsushita-san to a certain extent.

By telling her about how I hid my abilities, it gave her the impression that I had no more secrets.

Then, without even having to mention it to me, I noticed that Matsushita-san was also hiding her strength.

Of course, she would also feel as if she was in a dominant position in this psychological warfare, thinking that they had already calculated my provisional strength.

"Wait, just now, you said you were using 70-80% of your strength… Is that true?"

There should be nothing for Matsushita-san to reference in order to confirm that my strength was above Hirata-kun. However, I was asked, to confirm if it was true or not.

"Mhm."

Even though I nodded my head to confirm, Matsushita-san didn't seem to accept it.

"Then what about the situation with Karuizawa-san?"

"What do you mean?"

"…The fact that she broke up with Hirata-kun should have something to do with you."

"Where did you hear of this?"

"That's what I think personally… I think there has to be some sort of connection."

It seemed that Matsushita-san had already done a pretty thorough investigation beforehand, and that's why she couldn't simply accept it.

The confidence in Matsushita-san's expression suddenly disappeared.

"Why does Karuizawa-san think you're so special… so much that it led to her breakup with Hirata-kun? Please tell me why."

"The reason for that, huh…"

Since I was below Hirata in status, Karuizawa's motives were hard to accept.

"Are you going to say that she doesn't see you as someone special?"

"…I'm guessing that she does."

Hearing what I said, Matsushita nodded gently as she accepted it.

"Sure enough, you, Ayanokouji-kun, need to be more-"

"No… How should I say this, I feel like you're misunderstanding something."

"Misunderstand? But I asked you because I'm extremely confident in this."

"It's true that my relationship with Karuizawa… isn't ordinary."

"That's why I wanted to know about your true strength, Ayanokouji-kun."

"No, that-"

"We got to this part already, so why don't you just tell me anyway?"

"That's not the case, how can I say this, it's a bit difficult to put this into words."

As I was stammering around, my gaze escaped and focused on a faraway place.

Facing Matsushita who still refused to let this go, I had to continue talking.

"It's a bit hard to say. No, well, not really… Well, I feel like it's simply from the influence of from how I conveyed to Karuizawa that I liked her. Instead of saying that I'm special to her, it's better to say that she has a sort of strange awareness towards me."

'Eh…?'

"…Eh?"

The two of us looked at each other.

"Isn't it because Karuizawa-san noticed your strength, and that's why she thinks you're special?"

"That should not be related at all."

"But- I don't think that it's as simple as just conveying your good intentions that would make someone else think you're special."

I shortened the distance between Matsushuta, and grabbed her shoulders.

It seemed like Matsushita didn't expect that I would suddenly grab her, and couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

I firmly caught her gaze and said this.

"Matsushuta, I like you. Please date me."

"What–!"

Matsushita's brain probably panicked for a moment, but I quickly released my hands.

"If you were confessed to like this, no matter what the result was, could you ignore it?"

"It-it's a joke, ah. So that's how it is, so that's how it…ah."

If I let her experience it directly, I could make her understand what I said before without her knowing.

After being confessed to seriously by the opposite sex, as long as you were not extremely averse to them, you would be somewhat aware of them to a certain extent. This was obvious.

"I think her breaking up with Hirata was entirely a coincidence. And I only conveyed my feelings to her after they broke up anyway."

Because I hadn't confessed yet, Matsushita had no way to confirm the truthfulness of the sequence of things.

"… So that's it, that's the situation. I'm sorry I followed you."

"I've got one request, my thing with Karuizawa-"

"I know. I won't tell anyone, no matter what."

It couldn't be said that she accepted my response 100%.

But, this matter can be stopped for a while, as I've provided her with this much information.

After all, the thing between Kei and me, she couldn't just casually talk about it with anyone.

If something related to this made me unhappy and refused to cooperate, it would only hurt Matsushita as well.