After Satoru left—
Whoosh!
A spark flashed at the dojo door.
More precisely, someone dashed in so fast they overshot, screeching to a halt with a squeal of shoes against the floor.
She grabbed the doorframe.
"What happened, Sakura?!"
"Vice-Captain!"
"Vice-Captain!"
"Wait, Vice-Captain, weren't you at a mixer?"
The newcomer was a beauty rivaling Miyajima Sakura. But where Sakura was refined, she was laid-back, her long black hair cascading freely to her waist. Even after sprinting, sweat plastering her bangs to her forehead, her narrow eyes held a lazy glint.
"Ayaka," Sakura said, surprised. "Why're you back? Weren't you…"
Recently, her bestie had whined, "Sakura, your spring's here, but when's my peach blossom gonna bloom? I gotta meet more guys, or you'll leave me in the dust!" True to form, Ayaka had joined a mixer today, boldly declaring, "I'm bringing back some catches, no matter what!" But…
Instead of karaoke, she looked like she'd just run a track meet to crash the dojo.
…Though Sakura had no clue what Ayaka meant by "your spring" (Kase Masafumi).
"Tch." Ayaka flashed her phone screen. "Got a text like this. How could I stay at a mixer?"
"What text?" Sakura asked.
"Said you brought a pretty boy to the club."
A shy female member shrank, guilty—she'd spilled the gossip to Ayaka.
"Oh, you mean Kobayashi…-kun?" Sakura clapped, delighted. "Kobayashi Satoru… Kobayashi Ayaka! Ayaka, you share his surname!"
"No way!"
"Didn't even notice!"
"Kobayashi-senpai's surname is Kobayashi too?"
Unlike Sakura, Kobayashi Ayaka was lively and close with the members, who called her by her first name. Some forgot her surname entirely.
"…Huh?" Ayaka turned to the club. "Where's this 'Kobayashi'?"
"He left," Kato Go said, pointing at the door.
"Cutting out on his first day?!" Ayaka gaped. "Sakura, what kinda treasure did you drag in?"
"N-Not exactly a treasure, heh," Sakura said, scratching her cheek with a shy giggle.
"…I wasn't praising him," Ayaka deadpanned. Seriously? She steps out, and Sakura's so smitten she's ignoring club rules?
Kendo club rule: No tardiness or early exits.
"Kato! Sakura's one thing, but why didn't you stop him?!" Ayaka demanded.
Kato's eyes glazed, staring at the ceiling. I'd need to be able to stop him first…
"Tch, Masafumi-kun," Ayaka turned. "What's this Kobayashi Satoru like?"
She had high hopes for Masafumi. She'd spread the rumor he'd "pluck the untouchable flower." From their talks, she knew he genuinely admired Sakura. A rival should make him observe keenly.
But—
"Heh… hehehe…" Masafumi giggled, shyer than Sakura.
Ayaka: ?!
"Kobayashi-senpai… he's amazing…" Masafumi mumbled, scratching his head. "I wanna be like him…"
Ayaka was floored.
Hey! You're my OTP! Falling apart this fast was bad enough, but both looking smitten by this Kobayashi?!
Snap out of it!
Ayaka took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and whipped out her phone. "Sakura, give me his contact info. As vice-captain, I need to check this guy's character. No shady types in the kendo club!"
Really, I wanna see what god this guy is! If he's rotten, I'll show him there's only room for ONE Kobayashi in this club!
Before today, Sakura never mentioned "Kobayashi Satoru." They must've met recently.
Probably him hitting on her.
Step one: get her contact info…
"I asked, but he said he doesn't use a phone," Sakura said, regretful.
"…What?!" Ayaka choked. You hit on him?!
Wait, wait… True, with Sakura's personality, she wouldn't easily give out her info, let alone let some guy join the club. But—
Ayaka eyed Sakura with a complex, unreadable look.
She hooked Sakura's soft shoulders, turning them both away from the club.
Quietly, she asked, "Sakura, anyone in our class not use a phone?"
Sakura thought hard. "I… don't think so."
"Any high schooler these days not use a phone?" Ayaka pressed.
Sakura pondered again.
"…"
This girl. Ayaka sighed inwardly. Stellar at kendo and studies, a goddess to all, but sometimes clueless about common sense.
Her nudge made Sakura realize. "You mean… Kobayashi-kun didn't want to give it to me, not that he doesn't have one?"
"There's this joke: a girl hits on a hot guy, asks, 'Got Line?' He says, 'No Line.' She asks, 'Your number?' He says, 'No phone.' She tries, 'Your name?' He says, 'No name,'" Ayaka said. She never imagined her goddess bestie would face this.
Sakura's pink lips trembled. "He… hates me?"
Ayaka didn't want to admit it but nodded.
Now she was really curious about this Kobayashi.
…
Satoru lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a half-read book sprawled beside him.
So boring.
No phone in modern society felt like defying the gods…
…
…