Chapter_31

"Hello, Seiji-san."

"Hello, Kanata-san."

Kanata and I exchanged a polite greeting after we bowed at each other in courtesy.

We were in the Home Economics club's room. There were only two of us.

Speaking of Haruka and Sana…

"Sana won't be able to meet us here today. When I visited her classroom, she just handed over my lunch box and told me that she was busy. She told me that she would send a message to you."

Kanata nodded and said, "I have received Sa-chan's message concerning that matter."

I nodded in return before going on. "Meanwhile, I met Hiragi-sensei on my way here. She said that she is needed somewhere else. Apparently, a student needs to consult something with her."

"I see…" Kanata accepted my words with a curt nod.

To be honest, Haruka never met me. She had texted me, though. She also told me to tell Kanata concerning her absence.

I could not speak about having Haruka's contact information in front of Kanata. She would become suspicious if she found out about me exchanging messages with Haruka.

In public, Haruka and I were only a teacher and her student. No more, no less. We were also not relatives. Hence, if someone discovered that we had each other contact information, such a thing could raise some awkward questions.

At least, I wanted for Kanata to fall in love with me first and under the effect of my 'Harem Protagonist' ability. Afterward, I would have the courage to tell Kanata about me, Haruka, and Sana.

Speaking of Haruka and her meeting, I was not concerned about the student that consulted to Haruka. After all, Haruka had told me that it was a girl.

"Well, then. It is just two of us, huh? I am in your care, Kanata-san."

Since it was only us, I decided to use this chance to get close to her.

"I am in your care too, Seiji-san."

Afterward, Kanata and I took our respective seats and began our lunch.

In the beginning, it was a bit awkward because Kanata was silently eating her lunch. She seemed not interested to start a chat. Hence, I had to initiate a talk between us.

"So, you have Sana's contact info?"

"Yes?" Kanata turned her head to me and seemed confused by my sudden inquiry.

"Would you mind if I ask your contact information?"

Kanata blinked before nodding. Afterward, she took out her cellphone from her pocket.

"…infrared or bluetooth?" asked Kanata as she showed her flip-phone to me.

"Let's do that." I nodded in agreement.

At this time, exchanging contact information between cellphones often used either Infrared or Bluetooth. It was more convenient than verbally giving your contact information, which was not only phone numbers but also an email address to exchange messages.

After we exchanged our contact information, I named her contact 'My Gamer Girl.'

I knew that it was pretentious of me, but I could not help it. After all, I had years of memory about Kanata being my girl.

Afterward, Kanata and I chatted while having our lunch.

The first topic of our chat was the videogames that we had played. I used the original Seiji's memory and my experience playing videogames with Sana to be an excellent conversation partner for Kanata.

We lapsed into silence after our lunch ended.

There was still a short while, around 15 minutes, left before the lunch break ended.

"By the way, what was the activity of this club in the past?" I began another chat with Kanata.

"…we cooked…we made snacks…we sewed…we made a lot of different things."

"I see," I nodded; so far, we only spent our time to eat lunch together, "Then, are you good at stuff like cooking and sewing?"

When I asked her that, Kanata's expression slightly twisted, and then, she turned away her head. Somehow, she seemed ashamed and strangely hurt…

I felt like I had unintentionally stepped on a landmine. Inwardly, I wryly smiled at my mistake. It could be fixed, though.

I remembered something similar to this discussion in the original work. It was the impetus of 'Sana's Food War' event.

I wondered if that event would happen here. Anyway, I put irrelevant thoughts aside and concentrated on our talk.

"…I thought that I would practice, so I entered last year. However, I'm still bad with it…" Kanata said with a low voice.

"I am sure that you will get better if you keep practicing…"

"…do you think so?" Kanata turned her head to me and looked a bit hopeful.

"I think so," I replied and firmly nodded to Kanata.

"Seiji-san, may I ask you a question?"

"You have asked one."

I jokingly replied, and Kanata gave me a cute pout and a resentful gaze. Then, I raised my hands in the universal surrendering gesture.

"My bad. But, I couldn't help it. I wanted to tease Kanata-san because you seem aloof and distant."

Kanata seemed surprised. "Do I really seem aloof and distant?" She curiously asked.

I nodded and said, "Yeah. You were. By the way, you look cute when you are pouting."

Her face flushing, Kanata turned her face to hide her embarrassment. That was useless, though. I had seen Kanata's embarrassed face.

Honestly, Kanata's embarrassed face tickled my sadistic side. I wanted to get more reactions from her.

But alas, our time was limited. Perhaps, I could tease Kanata more at another time.

"Anyway," my voice grabbed Kanata's attention, "what did you want to ask?"

Kanata was silent for a few moments before saying, "…what does Seiji-san think about girls that can cook, sew, and do normal girly stuff?"

I wondered why Kanata asked that. Was she asked that for herself? Was it for Sana? Or perhaps, both?

I was not sure because of Kanata's flat expression. She was hard to read…

Anyway, I was going to answer Kanata's question.

"A girl that can do such things is good. Personally, it is not the most important requirement for my type, though."

Kanata gave me an intense, demanding gaze. She was silently pressuring me to elaborate.

I realized that Kanata wanted to hear about my type since I mentioned that.

For an introvert, Kanata could assert herself when she wanted. What a formidable girl…

Still, I did not know for whom she wanted to know about my type…

Oh, well. Either way, I would answer her question.

"Do you want to hear about my type of girls that I like?" I asked Kanata.

Her face flushed, and then she turned away her head again.

"I have no specific preference. As long as the girl likes me, and I like her too, it is fine."

Kanata made a thoughtful face after hearing my answer. Then, she nodded.

"…thank you…" Kanata said with a low voice.

"You're welcome." I refreshingly smiled at Kanata, eliciting an awkward reaction from her.

Kanata turned her face and concentrated on packing up her lunch box. She did not even spare me a glance.

I followed Kanata's example, and a few seconds later, we heard the bell that indicated the end of the lunch break rang.

Afterward, Kanata and I left the club's room together. Since our respective classrooms were located on the same floor, we headed there together.

"Hey, Sanada. I saw you with a girl before! Who was that?"

Fujimoto asked me before the class began. Apparently, he had seen me walking together with Kanata.

"None of your business," I curtly replied.

Afterward, I ignored Fujimoto when he tried to make me talk to no avail.

***

"So, what did you do at lunch break?"

I threw a question at Sana as we walked home together.

"H-Huh?! S-Sana did nothing suspicious! Really!"

I was taken aback by her tense reply. I turned my head to Sana and saw her agitation.

(Suspicious…)

To be honest, I wanted to begin a chat since I was bored by our silent walk. I never expected Sana to react like a cat that got its tail stepped.

"Sana, just what did you do?" I narrowed my eyes as I stared at her.

We did not stop walking even though I was trying to make her talk.

"H-Hmph! Sana isn't obliged to answer!"

Sana crossed her arms and turned away her face.

As I thought earlier, Sana was acting suspiciously.

(Just what did she do?)

I was curious and doubtful. However, I understood Sana's personality after spending our time together since I transmigrated as Sanada Seiji and returned to the past.

I could not force Sana. If I did so, she would lash out in return. She was also quite stubborn when she already set her mind…

"If you don't want to tell me, then forget it…"

We lapsed into silence until we arrived at our parents' house.

There was nothing noteworthy from our arrival to dinner time.

After dinner, Sana and I went to her room for our study session. When we were in the middle of our study session, she was distracted and could not focus on her study.

I could not hold on to my curiosity. I wanted to know!

But alas, Sana's headstrong personality made it impossible.

After the study ended, we had some games as usual. Thankfully, Sana returned to her usual self.

I returned to my room at 9 PM and had a phone call with Haruka.

"I am curious why Sana was distracted. It was unusual."

I complained to Haruka. I had confided to her about my Sana's strange behavior today.

Haruka took her sweet time to reply. When she replied back, she sounded hesitating.

[Seiji, actually, I want to speak about something important.]

"What's it?"

[I told you that a student had consulted to me at lunch break, right?]

"Yeah? What of it?"

[Well, you see, that student was Sana-chan.]

Haruka's confession made me speechless. I never expected them to meet behind my back.

(Actually, I should have expected this. Haruka and Sana are not two-dimensional characters. Even though this world is fictional in my old life, this world is where I live now.)

After ending my thoughts, I anxiously asked Haruka, "So, did something happen between you two? Did you fight? Who started the fight? Was it you? Was it Sana?"

I could not help but ramble in my anxiety.

[Nope. We never fought! Just what kind of girls do you think we are?]

"Well, putting Sana's obvious headstrong personality aside, you are also headstrong when you set your mind in something. No matter how I see it, you two would likely have clashed."

[That was rude! But, I digress. We have a discussion until we came to an agreement.]

"What kind of agreement?"

[We agreed to have a truce.]

"A truce, was it?"

Somehow, I was not surprised. Admittedly, I had a hunch that Haruka and Sana would share with each other instead of fighting for my attention.

Such an outcome was impossible in real-life. After all, modern women had their self-respect, and they would not agree to share their man just like that.

However, I had a cheat that subtly helped me in this case. It was 'Harem Protagonist.'

Haruka and Sana were qualified to be under the influence of the 'Harem Protagonist.'

They loved me. I knew that Haruka and Sana were dearly and deeply in love with me. Hence, the 'Harem Protagonist' ability of mine would influence them to take the sharing route instead of living without me.

"So, you two agreed to share?" I asked after a short while.

[Hm~. Sharing with each other aren't the words I would use. It is like this, we agree not to interrupt or sabotage each other when we are with you!]

"Okay."

So, that was why Haruka called it a truce.

Haruka and Sana had not agreed to share yet. However, they would not undermine each other when they were with me.

(That was better than nothing, I suppose. With time, I am sure that Haruka and Sana will agree to share with each other openly.)

After that, Haruka and I changed our talk to a lighter topic and talked until midnight. Afterward, we ended our call, and I went to sleep.