■V2 Chapter 1 ◆Part 5【Restart】 - 【Ex-Escapist Master】

Translator: AJ1703

Editor: Matsu

◆Part５【Ex-Escapist Master】

The next day.

I changed into the school’s red jersey in the classroom like the other boys in my class, and walked gloomily to the field.

It was July and the temperature was rising rapidly.

P.E. class out on the field is pure hell.

And ball games are my weak point. It is impossible for me to be popular with everyone by being very active, so I can only end up accumulating stress.

As I was walking with my back rounded, crushed by depression, I saw a familiar figure ahead of me.

The tall girl walking confidently with her long chestnut-colored hair was… Yua.

She was wearing a white T-shirt with the school name on it and a red jersey with half pants.

The girls have their own changing room in the school building, so they must have just come out of there. The girls had class in the air-conditioned gymnasium that day, so it was much easier for them than for the boys, who were thrown out in the hot, scorching sun. I was envious of them, being able to do P.E class in an air-conditioned room.

I hurriedly averted my gaze when I saw that the sunlight streaming in through the window was causing my T-shirt to become transparent, almost revealing the lines of my upper body.

I found Yua, but I couldn’t talk to her in the school anyway.

It would have been perverted to follow Yua’s back in silence, so I quickly tried to pass her.

“Oh, Nagumo-kun!”

Just as I was about to pass by, I was approached by Ousaki, who was walking right next to Yua. I knew I shouldn’t have tried to pass by Ousaki.

There were a lot of boys around me who were heading to the field just like me, but when I was approached by Ousaki, I didn’t get a hostile look because she was Ousaki. They are not jealous of me because she was famous for being a mad dog with an idol face. Unless there were boys around from other classes or other grades who didn’t know this was her real nature, but fortunately, I didn’t find any for now.

“Rumi and the others are playing volleyball today in the air-conditioned gym, but what are the boys going to do outside in the heat?”

What’s this, did you just call me out to stir up some trouble…?

“We’re going to play soccer. …Is that all you wanna know? I just want to get to the field early so I can check out where the shade is.”

It was unfortunate that the sport we’re gonna play for today was soccer.

There was no particular record to keep, and we could cut corners by pretending to run at random while keeping the number of times we touched the ball low. We could even take a break during the game. So all that remained was to find a position where the school building blocked out the sunlight.

“Heh~. You’re not going to do it, are you?”

Ousaki, in a very silly tone, came right up next to me and gave me an earful. She smelled like sweet candy.

“Don’t you have to show your good side in front of Yua-chi?”

A small voice, so quiet that Yua, who was right next to me, couldn’t hear it, entered my ear canal. It was so freaky.

“…I don’t have the skills to charm people. I’m also not good at ball games.”

“Hmmm, you don’t want to work hard for Yua-chi? If you just sit there and do nothing even if you’re her boyfriend, she’s going to give up on you, isn’t she?”

Guhh, I almost groaned.

Apparently, Ousaki intended to make me the target of constant evaluation from now on.

As Ousaki was getting agitated, a figure grabbed me by the shoulder and intervened between me and Ousaki.

It was Yua.

Although she intervened, she remained silent and did not remove her gaze from the front of the room, which was bizarre or rather… frightening. And even though I was able to get away from Ousaki, there was a sense of intimidation in the air that made me wonder if I should keep going to the field.

Yua usually is the one who is always smiling and putting on her sunny aura at full throttle, so it’s a little scary when she’s this silent… Unlike Ousaki, Yua has to be on the lookout for all kinds of boys, not just those in our grade. In this situation, it is impossible to talk.

“…………”

Yua glanced at me. This time, she turned her head towards Ousaki and shook her chin.

Then, Yua’s cheeks puffed out, and she was about to give me a bump on the forehead.

I guess Yua doesn’t like the fact that I’m having a normal conversation with Ousaki instead of her, because unlike me, Yua wants to be normal in the classroom.

It’s my fault for not being able to talk to Yua because I’m so concerned about my surroundings. I’ll accept a little bumping and pinching. We were right at the corner of the corridor, in the blind spot from the boys.

So, I silently lifted my bangs and brought my face close to hers as if to say, “Go ahead, do it.”

“…………!?”

At that moment, Yua stopped moving. Even I stopped in my tracks.

Yua, who was staring at me intently, began to shake her body and fidget, her cheeks turning red.

“Hey, stop it! What is Nagumo-kun doing creating a world just for him and Yua-chi!?”

A very angry Ousaki stepped in between me and Yua.

“Come on, Yuua-chi, get out of here! Don’t make a woman’s face in front of Nagumo-kun!”

“A woman’s face!?”

Yua asked back in a loud voice.

“That’s right! Rumi was so surprised!”

“No, I’d be surprised too if you looked like that…”

“Ho! You didn’t even realize you were doing it! You just had to show me!”

Ousaki’s accusing gaze, fist raised to the sky, was directed not at Yua but at me with gusto.

Ousaki pushed Yua away from me, and we went down the stairs that lead to the gymnasium.

What was that about…?

I was so concerned about the meaning of Yua’s reaction that I forgot that I even had a depressing class waiting for me on the field.