Translator: Alisa
Editors: Dexter
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Chapter 2 My Junior Is Cute, but Not Cute
“Sayu! You passed the entrance exam for Eisei! That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me? Let’s celebrate! I’ll treat you to something!”
It had been a year since I met my junior from middle school. Her name was Yukinami Sayu.
She lived near my house and joined the same basketball club as me. We used to go to and from school together almost every day. Since Sayu wasn’t a morning person, I used to pick her up every morning to make sure she didn’t arrive late for morning practice.
“Ki-senpai, your enthusiasm is off the charts. It’s a bit annoying.”
“Don’t say that. I’m just happy we’re senpai and kouhai again!”
After taking care of her back then, it was unexpected and heartwarming to meet her like this. Well, it was natural to be happy about such things.
“…You’re more happy than I expected. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
Sayu seemed a bit taken aback after seeing me unusually high-spirited.
“Well, I mean, you did your best despite being bad at studying.”
My emotions fluctuated between being moved and nostalgic, finding myself immersed in deep emotion.
“Hey, I studied hard even though I’m not good at it. Now that I’ve passed, I’m on par with you! Stop acting like a senpai forever.”
“My bad. Once I realized it was you, suddenly I was back to the old feeling.”
“Sure, whatever. And did you really not recognize me!?”
Sayu flipped her voice as if she was offended. It seemed my attitude didn’t sit well with her.
“Well, at first, I didn’t notice it was you and I got a bit nervous. You’ve become beautiful.”
Though she was already popular in middle school, she seemed to have gained more feminine charm.
“…Thank you. Ki-senpai, you haven’t changed at all. Still the same. Please grow up a bit. It’s annoying.”
“Haha, your sharp tongue is nostalgic. But it’s been a while. Despite being neighbors, we hardly met after graduation.”
“How long are we going to chat here? You’re treating me, right? Let’s move already.”
Sayu, losing patience, urged me to move. She had always had a slightly short temper. If something didn’t interest her, she quickly shifted her focus elsewhere.
“Sorry, sorry. Let’s head to the station.”
“Wait a sec, Senpai. Where exactly are you planning to take me?”
“Well, if we’re going somewhere, it would be our usual spot,” I smirked confidently.
We strolled along our usual route, passing through the residential area where our houses were and extending our steps towards the station.
“Boo! I was hoping for a celebration at a fancy yakiniku place!”
“Unfortunately, there’s no high-end yakiniku place around here. Do high schoolers even go to places other than chain restaurants after school? Besides, I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I’m fully on board with you treating me!”
Don’t give me that smug look while flashing a peace sign.
“Are you trying to bankrupt me?”
“You can have this cute junior all to yourself. It’s like a date. Celebrating with fast-food burgers is too cheap, don’t you think?”
The place we had chosen was a globally recognized burger joint with red and yellow signs. We each ordered our preferred burgers with a set of fries and drinks. Since our club activities days, we used to come here dressed in our jerseys whenever we got hungry after practice.
“Oh, I see. My modest celebration isn’t enough, huh? Fine, I’ll eat your burger too! Hand it over!”
I reached across the table, attempting to snatch her tray along with the burger.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat it! Ah, don’t take away the fries!”
“Geez, you’re so picky. Just eat without reservations.”
“Ki-senpai, you’d gain weight if you ate for two. We’re not doing club activities like before, so your stomach will plump up in no time.”
She teased me with a gesture like poking my belly with her finger. Reluctantly, I took a bite of my limited-time burger while returning the fries to her tray.
“Wait, how do you know I’m not in the basketball club anymore?”
“You weren’t there during the basketball club’s trial. I guess you’re just a member of the go-home club, huh?”
Intense sports clubs tended to have this mutual monitoring atmosphere, and quitting could sometimes lead to being seen as a traitor. Now that I thought about it, that kind of environment wasn’t really healthy, huh?
“I’ve got my hands full right now. Aren’t you joining the basketball team?”
“Pfft! I’ve retired from the jock life! Don’t keep bringing up the past like that.”
This junior had a habit of puffing up her cheeks cutely and going, “Pfft!” whenever she was displeased.
“What a waste. Unlike me, you here got talent.”
The first time I saw Yukinami Sayu play, her talent stood out distinctly. I remembered it vividly to this day.
In the fast-paced game of basketball, where offense and defense changed rapidly, her strong competitive spirit seamlessly fitted in. She established a versatile play style, effortlessly manipulating both opponents and teammates with her exceptional passing skills and speedy dribbling. As a scoring forward, her daring offensive moves contributed to many victories.
While she was usually a typical girl who enjoyed chatting with friends, her ability to shine brightly on the court created a captivating contrast that had won over many boys.
“I had enough of getting sweaty and exhausted every day back in middle school. In high school, I’ve decided to enjoy three fun years as a ‘High School Enjoyer’!”
Sayu seemed determined about her choice.
Around halfway through our burgers, I finally asked about something that had been on my mind.
“By the way, it’s the end of April already. Why didn’t you tell me you got into Eisei High?”
“I wanted to surprise you, senpai. Were you surprised?”
“Well, yeah, I was. But dragging it out for nearly a month?”
She could’ve informed me when she got accepted, or at least at the beginning of April.
“Why do you assume I should have reported it to you? Do you fancy yourself as a very reliable senpai? You’re overestimating yourself, senpai. You’re not that high on my priority list!”
“That’s harsh. I used to take care of you all the time.”
“Is that referring to the stalking acts that disturbed my peaceful sleep from early in the morning?!”
“I was picking you up for morning practice!”
“For you, senpai, it was the perfect opportunity to escort a beauty in the morning. But I’m not a morning person.”
“Don’t act so proud.”
In the beginning when she joined the club, she often skipped morning practice. Unable to bear it, and perhaps due to living nearby, I started going to pick her up every morning.
“I’ve gotten woken up every day by LINE messages and it made me want to kill someone. And the messages, just three rotations of ‘Wake up,’ ‘Let’s go,’ and ‘Hurry up.’ Is that the vocabulary of a grade schooler?”
“I always waited until you got ready. How many times do you think I helped with the Yukinami family’s garbage during that time? Oh, by the way, is your mom doing well?”
When I rang the doorbell, Sayu’s mom greeted me with a warm smile. Given their striking resemblance, I initially mistook her for Sayu’s older sister. While waiting for Sayu to come down, I would help take out the garbage or chat with her until we eventually became friends. Her hobby was making sweets. I often received homemade cookies and they were genuinely delicious.
“It’s weird that you’re interested in my mom’s updates during our reunion. I seriously question your sanity. Are you into cuteness or mommy vibes? Since when did you become interested in older women?”
“It’s just small talk and casual conversation.”
Why does she get so angry about everything?
“You see, my mom is very fond of you, so when you stopped picking me up in the morning, she was sad.”
“Well, that’s appreciated. Even my little sister wanted to see you.”
“Ei-chan is in fourth grade now, right? Wow, she must have grown and become beautiful.”
“Even if she’s grown taller, she’s still a child on the inside. She’s quite a handful.”
“That’s because she’s spoiled by you, senpai. I’m an only child, so having an older brother is a dream for me. Oh, not that I want you to be my older brother. Just to clarify.”
“No one is thinking that. Ei alone is more than enough for a sister.”
“You’re complaining even though you have such a cute little sister.” Sayu played with the straw in her iced tea.
“When you’re free, come and play with Ei.”
“…Is that okay?” Sayu looked surprised as she glanced my way.
“Of course. We’re neighbors, and we’re both attending the same high school.”
“Alright, I’ll drop by sometime soon.”
“Sure thing. Ei would love it.”
“Hehe, Senpai’s a siscon.” After saying that, Sayu enjoyed her burger with relish. Well, it seemed she was genuinely happy, even without fancy yakiniku.
Sayu finished her burger but unable to finish the fries, so she handed me her remaining fries.
“You’ve become quite a light eater. Back when you were active, you cleaned off your portion in no time.”
“Girls are sensitive about their weight. Don’t make crude remarks, Senpai.”
I spread both mine and Sayu’s fries on the tray so we could share.
“More importantly, does my school uniform look good on me? Eisei’s uniform is incredibly stylish, so I really wanted to wear it.”
“You enrolled just for the uniform? You’re quite the trend follower.”
Eisei High School had undergone major renovations a few years back, which included a complete overhaul of the uniform. They adopted the design of the popular brand “Ikomochi,” creating a simple yet sophisticated blazer. The attention to detail, the emphasis on functionality and durability in tailoring, and the beautiful silhouette when worn by students garnered significant attention.
The uniform became so famous that it contributed to a surge in the number of female applicants. Adding fuel to the fire, the school pamphlet showcased the newly redesigned uniform, worn by the extraordinarily beautiful female student council president. Rumor had it that this legendary figure had played a substantial role in the sharp increase in applicants.
With such legends still circulating, she must be quite the beauty, though probably not enough to surpass Yorka.
“Fashion is important. I want to enjoy these three years feeling good. Anything else you want to say, Senpai?” Sayu’s eyes silently pleaded for compliments.
“You look really good in it.”
“…Surprisingly straightforward praise. It feels a bit off.”
She was a cute junior, but strangely lacking-in-cuteness too.
“Glad you got the uniform you wanted. So, how did you manage to enroll? Through some backdoor channel?”
The casual distance between us took me back to our middle school days.
“Heh! I studied hard and passed, you know! I entered Eisei fair and square!”
“I still can’t believe that Sayu, who used to cry to me before every test, passed on her own. We used to gather like this before every test to study, right?”
Sayu was more of a short-term concentration type, not great at sitting down for extended periods. So, I’d give her key points, and she’d focus on reviewing the potential questions. Despite panicking before every test, she managed to pull through swiftly. Her ability to achieve good results in a short amount of time was quite remarkable.
“Pfft! Why do you underestimate me so much? I got into Eisei all by myself!” Sayu looked proud.
“…Come to think of it, I don’t know anything about you during your third year. Even after I enrolled in Eisei, things got chaotic right away with me being assigned as a class representative.”
No matter what, things wouldn’t stay the same when the environment changed. Daily interactions with familiar faces suddenly stopped, and the new routines quickly engulfed you, becoming the new norm.
“Ki-senpai, as soon as you quit the club, you stopped contacting me. It stayed that way even after graduation!”
She emphasized ‘stayed that way’ excessively.
While I handled official communications appropriately, I wasn’t much for personal trivialities. The frequent texting on LINE started only when I began dating Yorka.
“Huh? You wanted me to pay more attention to you?”
“No way! I have lots of friends! I’m popular with guys too! I don’t have trouble finding someone to hang out with!”
“Sure, sure, I know. If anything, your messages have decreased over time.”
“That’s because, even when I invited you for meals as a breather, you’d be like, ‘Sorry, I want to focus on studying for exams right now,’ in super serious mode. So, I thought I’d be considerate and hold back on the LINE messages.”
“You send me all sorts of nonsense for no reason, though.”
She often sent video URLs late into the night, and I’d get woken up by them.
“I shared those funny and touching videos with you as a break from the grueling exam prep.”
“I started watching even more entertaining videos and ended up sleep-deprived!”
It was a common scenario with smartphones. Once you started watching, it was hard to stop.
“Deal with it yourself!”
Our gazes met, but I quickly gave in.
“…Let’s stop. We both managed to pass, after all.”
“True. Making a fuss would disturb others around us.”
Both Sayu and I took a moment to sip our drinks.
“We never run out of topics when talking, do we?”
“True. Thanks to Senpai, there’s never a shortage of small talk.”
“Is it my fault?”
“Yep.”
Sayu, despite me being her senior, treated me with such a familiar attitude. With her cute face and cheerful personality, she was well-liked by everyone. And her active role in the basketball club attracted the attention of many boys. Some even waited until after the club practice, attempting to confess to her. In such situations, she conveniently used me as a shield. Sticking close to me on the way home prevented those guys from approaching her. This led to some resentment from boys interested in her.
Teammates teased us, calling me Yukinami Sayu’s personal manager. I, a reserve player for the boys’ basketball team, was overtly looked down upon by a senior at the time, who said, ‘For a guy, you’re pathetic.’ Later, I found out he had feelings for Sayu and saw me, who seemed close to her, as an obstacle.
Before that senior graduated, Sayu had complained about being confessed to.
‘Why did you reject him?’
‘It has nothing to do with you, Senpai.’
‘Don’t get so worked up. Oh, do you have someone else you like?’
‘What if I do?’
‘Seriously? Who is it? Someone in our class? Or maybe someone in the basketball club? I’m so curious!’
‘…Should I tell you as a special favor?’
‘Is it okay?’
‘The one I like is──’
“Hello? Senpai, are you listening? You seemed lost suddenly, what’s up?”
The middle school version of Sayu abruptly transformed into the present Sayu. She waved her hands in front of me while leaning forward.
“My bad. Just spaced out.”
“You have a cute girl right in front of you and you can still space out? Senpai, you’re really something.” Sayu giggled as she sat down.
“Yeah, but I’m convinced. It’s always fun when we’re together.”
Sayu’s laughing face turned serious.
“Sayu?”
“Senpai, I like you. Please go out with me.” The underclassman sitting in front of me suddenly confessed her love. I took a quick sip of the remaining cola and placed the cup on the tray.
“…How many times do you think you’ve made this fake confession?”
I was tired of this classic exchange that hadn’t happened in a while.
“I was caught, huh? I leveled up to high school, so I thought it might work now.”
“Work? Seriously? This little devil, you better cut it out before you seriously get hurt.”
“I assure you, Ki-senpai, I won’t use it recklessly on anyone else.”
“Even better if you don’t use it on me either.” I pleaded with a weary voice.
“Come on, since we’re close, don’t take this joke seriously.” Sayu pointed at me and laughed.
Right. Yukinami Sayu was a teasing junior who casually lied and confessed, saying, ‘Senpai, I like you.’ Girls are terrifying.
Since the confession from that senpai back in middle school, I had been teased with fake confessions repeatedly. Despite her innocence, she always managed to catch me off guard.
“I guess that one was a bit too much for my heart since it’s been so long.”
“No way! Your expression just now was priceless.”
“Do you enjoy teasing me?”
“Yes, very much. Playing with Senpai is the best, after all.”
I grimaced at her thoroughly satisfied expression.
“─Sayu, this is my serious request. Cut it out with that stuff. I have a girlfriend now.”
I revealed the existence of a girlfriend. Sayu didn’t respond with surprise or congratulations. Instead, she looked at me with a pitiful expression.
“Even if you’re not popular, boasting about a non-existent girlfriend is just cringe. Don’t put on such airs. We’ve known each other for a long time, and I’m kind, so I’ll let this delusion slide. Good for you, Senpai.” Sayu showed a sympathetic attitude and patted my shoulder.
“It’s the truth! It’s real! She totally exists!”
Bad news. The junior girl didn’t believe that I got a girlfriend.
“Okay, Senpai, that’s your dream. A product of imagination. A delusion from your pent-up teenage years. Your ‘girlfriend’ is a fictional character. No connection to reality.”
“Don’t treat me like such a pathetic person. I genuinely have a girlfriend. Her name is──”
“Arisaka Yorka, right? I know her. She’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t she?” Sayu interrupted my words and casually mentioned Yorka’s name.
“So, even a first-year like you know about her.”
“Well, she’s kind of famous. You don’t come across such a beauty often. It was a hot topic even among the first-year students.” Sayu spoke with apparent disinterest.
“As expected of Yorka.”
Despite rumors of her coming home at morning, the relationship announcement was made just today. The fact that this had already spread to a freshman like Sayu made me realize Yorka’s high level of popularity.
“It’s so strange that a beauty like her is dating a plain guy like you. What kind of weakness did you find in her?”
I could only smile at Sayu’s straightforward impression.
“Wow, what a cliché question. Like I’d stoop to such dirty tricks.”
“Then you’re definitely being fooled. There’s no way such a beauty is dating Senpai. I sense betrayal. It’s a conspiracy theory. A honey trap, maybe!” Sayu concluded on her own.
If Yorka had some tricks to appeal to men, I’d like to experience them. My girlfriend’s charm was all natural. It wasn’t calculated but genuine, and that’s what makes her irresistibly cute.
“Listen up, true love is…”
“Oh great, here we go. The moment someone gets a girlfriend, they start spouting off about love. Not interested.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“Of course, I am.”
The audacious underclassman delivered these words with a smiling face.
“Sorry for getting a lover before you,” I playfully showed my superiority.
“No, it’s just that I have high standards. If I wanted, I could have a boyfriend by tomorrow. Since entering Eisei High, I’ve been confessed to by about five guy. I turned them all down instantly. Ugh, what a hassle. I just want my ideal boyfriend already.”
Sayu unraveled the story of her first month at Eisei. Given her looks and personality, it was only natural. Even I, who had known her for a while, was momentarily captivated by her femininity as a high schooler. However…
“You really haven’t changed a bit.”
I reflected on those days for the first time in a while. Back in middle school, Sayu was frequently confessed to, which led to suspicions such as “Is she dating that senior from the basketball club named Sena?” and I ended up having unnecessary troubles.
Sayu’s fake confessions began with the rather calculating reason of “It’s troublesome for both of us, so why don’t we just say we’re dating?” There wasn’t any alluring start of romance. Sayu enjoyed my discomfort and, getting carried away, repeated her fake confessions many times.
If there was an absolute equation that said men and women fall in love just by being close, it would have been much simpler.
Certainly, we spent a lot of time together. If someone said, “They seem close,” I wouldn’t deny it. However, no matter how close we seemed, Sayu and I were nothing more than a senpai and a kouhai.
“Hey, Senpai, seriously, isn’t this a bit tough? Having a girlfriend who doesn’t match your ‘status’. I think you’ll regret it someday.”
“Is there such a thing as ‘status’ in high school romance? Life is unstable for inexperienced youth. If you’re scared of that, you won’t be able to move forward in life.”
I was trying my best to live in the present based on my experience.
“…I can’t believe I got a bit moved. It’s annoying.”
Sayu was unusually serious. She looked genuinely frustrated.
“Do you respect me a bit more now?”
“Pfft! Senpai, just get dumped already!”
Truly, my junior is cute but lacks cuteness.
Plebian Translation 