We should act as ordinary classmates..
Feeling his hands as warm as a winter stove wrapping around her own, Chifuyu Tsukimi's body, along with her heart, warmed up.
She lowered her head and softly responded.
"Mm..."
After all, he was her only friend from junior high until now.
And since he was so kind to her, she naturally looked forward to meeting her friend at every opportunity
Thus, early in the morning, after preparing a return gift for Fuyumi, Chifuyu Tsukimi arrived at the school early, waiting for him at the entrance of the teaching building.
Thinking of giving him a surprise.
And then to return to class together, laughing and talking.
But when she saw Fuyumi's tall figure, a hidden regret in her heart quietly broke out.
Making her unable to resist playing the childish game she had been looking forward to for a long time.
At that time, she was still thinking that if Fuyumi guessed correctly, she would give him another gift in return tomorrow.
As for the possibility of him guessing wrong...the girl had not considered it.
Because Fuyumi had held her hand before, he should be familiar with the size of her palm.
And since he often sneaked glances at her... "melons," he should also have a rough idea of her size.
This was also the hint Chifuyu Tsukimi gave him while suppressing her shame.
With the expectation in her heart, she tapped her toes and quietly covered his eyes.
Just when she thought Fuyumi would say her name right away.
His drawn-out nasal voice made her heart leap.
As a result, in her anxiety, he mentioned a completely unfamiliar name.
When she heard that name, Chifuyu Tsukimi felt an inexplicable feeling of betrayal.
This feeling came out of nowhere, it was obvious that they were just... very good friends.
It shouldn't have felt like this.
But that feeling of sourness, that discomfort, the suffocating congestion in her heart... spoke of her own existence.
Unable to understand, or perhaps afraid to think further.
Chifuyu Tsukimi attributed this feeling to the disappointment of Fuyumi not saying her name.
Although most of this feeling dissipated under his explanation.
But the disappointment of not having her name called still lingered in her heart.
But at this moment, hearing Fuyumi's instructions and concern.
The disappointment in the girl's heart, along with the chill from the long wait, all dissipated in the warmth of his palm.
It turns out, he already knew it was her, and was just teasing her.
Seeing the idiot Chifuyu looking straight at him, Sasaki touched his face in a pretentious manner.
"Is there something on my face?"
Shaking her head silently, the girl blushed, and her petite little fist drilled deeper into his hand.
As they walked up the stairs step by step, the hands held together by the two gradually separated.
However, the two people's positions were a little closer.
Entering the classroom and seeing a few classmates scattered around, Sasaki Fuyumi and Chifuyu Tsukimi took their respective seats, continuing their conversation.
"Did you ask him last night? About the tutoring."
Stuffing her backpack into the desk slot, the latter turned around excitedly and nodded.
"I asked, I asked, even though Takagi-san still didn't want to take tutoring at the beginning, after I mentioned your method, he agreed."
Hearing her expected response, Sasaki Fuyumi slightly curved his lips.
No matter how bad that guy Takagi was, he was still a normal guy.
He knew how lucky he was to have such a striking girlfriend.
So, regardless of his reasoning, and thoughts, under Chifuyu's threat of "You wouldn't want us to break up because of your grades, right?" he would surely commit to studying for a while.
By the time his grades improve, Takagi himself might not be happy, but Takagi's parents would be happy and Chifuyu would be happy.
As for how long he can persist under the pressure of both parties, it depends on himself.
After all, the time for tutoring isn't magically free; it has to come from the time he dedicates to football practice.
Judging from the way he has been participating in club activities, playing football with his friends is definitely more fun as compared to boring study.
If he performs well, you will be selected into the team and can participate in the big competitions, which can be regarded as a game changer, a meteoric rise.
Isn't that a brighter prospect than becoming a directionless corporate drone after graduation?
Therefore, Sasaki was not worried about Takagi suddenly repenting, studying hard, and then ranking among the best.
The likelihood of that happening was too small..well nearly zero.
Unless he was greatly stimulated.
Otherwise, for a poor student on the brink of expulsion to start studying intensely as if his life depended on it, was even more uncomfortable than killing him.
As for Takagi being chosen for the team and then participating in major competitions, that's Kirishima's talk - no chicken talk..a pipe dream.
If he were capable of being selected, wouldn't it have happened already? Why wait until now?
So, the strategy he proposed was a dead end from the start.
Of course, calling it a dead end isn't absolute; if he turns out to be the kind of student who, after a little persuasion from his girlfriend, stays up all night to study hard, Sasaki would accept that.
After all, if Takagi genuinely loves Tsukimi so much, Sasaki wouldn't want to be a third wheel.
Unaware of the boy's internal calculations.
Chifuyu Tsukimi, whose delicate little face was filled with happiness, continued to share their plans.
"He can only have tutoring on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, three days a week.
The rest of the time, he still has to attend club activities."
"Although we couldn't get him to dedicate himself entirely to tutoring, it's already a big improvement compared to before."
"As long as his grades can be improved, Takagi-san's family will definitely not object."
Resting his chin in one hand, Sasaki Fuyumi watched with a smile as idiot Chifuyu, with her rosy lips moving non-stop, shared excitedly.
It wasn't until she stopped that he finally asked: "Where are you guys having the tutoring sessions?"
"Well... the place inside the school is the study room inside the school library. Outside the school, it's the café opposite the Clover Convenience Store."
"Those two places, huh..."
Hearing the locations mentioned by Chifuyu Tsukimi, Sasaki murmured softly.
Then, without waiting for the puzzled girl to ask further, he propped up his face and said with a smile: "That's a coincidence. I am now the administrator of the library, and I am also working part-time at the Clover convenience store."
"Eh!!!"
The girl screamed in surprise, and then realizing that the sound she made was a bit loud, she quickly covered her mouth, her big eyes frantically scanning the surroundings.
When she realized that no one was paying attention, Chifuyu Tsukimi put down her little hand, caressed her bulging chest, and let out a breath.
As the surprise in her heart dissipated with her breath, the girl excitedly clenched her small fists and looked at Sasaki Fuyumi without blinking.
Facing this silent inquiry, the boy's lips curled into a smile, nodding lightly.
"It's true. You can see me when you go to the library after school in the afternoon."
"That's really great..." Receiving the affirmative answer, the girl's eyes smiled along with her brows.
Her curved eyes and brows resembled a little fox that had just snagged a chicken.
To be honest, she didn't know why she was so happy.
She had not experienced many things and could not find precise descriptions.
If she had to force a comparison with her limited vocabulary to describe this happiness,
It was like during the class division, when she happened to be assigned to the same class as Takagi-san.
And during the rankings, she again happened to be sitting at the same table with Takagi-san.
Although this description might be a bit... imprecise, the joy in her heart was truly genuine.
"Even though we're close to each other during the tutoring sessions, in front of others, we should just act as ordinary classmates, especially in front of Takagi."