Shono lay lifelessly on the green field.
Satoru shook his hand, then said to Akane:
"Let's go."
"…Huh?" Akane said.
"Hm? Not going back together?" Satoru asked.
"C-Can we go back together?" Akane countered.
Satoru found it strange:
"If I wasn't here to find you, why would I be in this place?"
"Weren't you just passing by?"
"…" Satoru looked at her as if she were an idiot.
Although this green field wasn't far from the school gate, it was still a bit of a distance, and it wasn't directly on the way to the school gate. Who would just happen to pass by a place like this?
Akane also realized it.
"But how did you know I was here?"
"Nonsense, you just posted a picture on social media ten minutes ago."
Akane's face flushed.
Indeed.
The reason she posted the picture was actually to let Satoru discover it, but in her opinion, the probability was almost negligible. She never thought Satoru would come looking for her…
B-Because…
"You didn't even reply to my message…" Akane whispered.
"You didn't reply either," Satoru said.
Akane was stunned for a moment, then quickly pulled out her phone.
Because she hadn't received a reply, Akane had fallen into a state of self-abandonment.
She couldn't even be bothered to look at her phone.
When she pulled it out now, sure enough, Satoru had indeed sent her a message.
"At the Football Team?"
…And, thankfully, she had always saved Satoru as "He" in her contacts, not his real name, otherwise it would have been quite awkward.
Thinking of names, Akane became a bit unhappy again. She pouted, a little sour:
"…Don't you have to go to the Kendo Club today?"
"Didn't go."
"Then why are you coming out so late?"
The dismissal times for each class should be about the same.
"Teaching someone how to correct papers," Satoru smiled. "First place."
Do you understand the value of that? Huh?
"Boy or girl?" Akane quickly asked.
"Girl."
"I knew it! Who is it?!"
Satoru recalled that the timid girl had given him a hair tie before and had also spoken up for him during physical education class. This time, after getting first place, she was also the first to congratulate him.
But, who was it again?
"I'm sorry, I really can't remember her name," Satoru said.
Moreover, the girl had asked about the application questions on the back of the test paper, and he hadn't even seen the name written on the front.
"Anyway, she definitely knows your name," Akane mumbled softly. "Unlike me…"
Satoru looked at Akane's muttering expression, thought about it, and came up with an excellent solution:
"Then you stay here, I'm leaving."
"No!"
Akane immediately hugged Satoru's shoulder: "Don't you dare—"
What's wrong with this guy? Doesn't he know that when a girl is angry, she needs to be comforted!
"What exactly do you want?"
"What can I want, hmph~ After all, I only found out your name today~~" Akane said.
It's like when you ask a girl, "Are you angry?" and she replies, "No, you go be busy," and you go be busy, and then the girl comes back mournfully and says, "You only know how to be busy, I'm not even in your heart."
Satoru's blood pressure was rapidly rising.
"Get to the point, stop playing these games," Satoru glared at Akane.
His eyes held a hint of impatience, a touch of ferocity, and the rest was pure indifference.
Akane, being looked at like this, slightly brought her legs together and twisted her body.
…It's been a long time since I've seen such eyes, so cool…
She loosened her grip on Satoru's arm, only lightly holding a corner of his sleeve: "…T-Then I just want a little compensation, just a little…"
"Hm? What kind? Tell me," Satoru said.
Akane was about to speak, then she felt several gazes focusing on her. She turned her head to look.
It was the members of the Football Team and Arisa, all watching the two of them.
Especially Arisa, who was smiling like some auntie.
After being discovered peeking, they quickly turned their heads away.
Some began to comment on the nice weather.
Some started grumbling about how much homework they had.
And some, to ease the awkwardness, began to pat their teammates' butts.
Akane quickly pulled Satoru and scurried away, finally running behind the spectator stands, to a place with a high wall as cover.
Then Akane let go,
"A-Anyway, it's just… about telling me your name so late… You, you have to compensate me."
"It's just a name."
Satoru didn't understand. What's the big deal? A name is just a code. I can be called Satoru, you can be called Satoru, everyone can be called Satoru. Shouldn't the focus be on the person behind the code?
"Names are very important!" Akane stared directly into Satoru's eyes, her azure eyes filled with determination.
She was doing quite well, but her little ideas were also quite unique. Satoru found it a bit incomprehensible, so he said, "Alright, alright, important, important."
"Perfunctory…"
"Then what do you want?"
"T-Then you have to promise me." Akane's cheeks flushed a bit, and she didn't quite dare to look directly at Satoru's face: "…F-From now on, you'll call me by my name."
"Hm? Akane?"
"…!" Akane looked up, staring at Satoru in disbelief.
He said it! He really said it! And he didn't seem shy at all… He just said it!
"Mm-hmm." Akane nodded vigorously, her face beaming with joy: "I'll call you by your name too."
"Okay."
"…No."
Akane said again, shaking her head: "No! It can't just be a name… I want to call you by a nickname."
She had originally thought that "name" would be enough, but Satoru's nonchalant attitude made Akane somewhat push her luck.
She wanted to go further, all the way!
"Nickname?"
"Like, Takeshi?" Akane tilted her head, thinking of something cuter.
She sought Satoru's opinion.
Satoru smiled brightly: "Go to hell."
It was just too disgusting.
"Then, then what should I call you? Kobayashi Takeshi?"
Satoru sighed. He really wasn't interested in these things. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly had an idea:
"Satoru. You can call me Satoru," Satoru said.
"Satoru? How do you write it?" Akane asked.
Satoru wrote the character for "Satoru" (forest, composed of two trees) on her delicate, outstretched palm.
"Satoru from Kobayashi? Does it have any special meaning?" Akane quickly asked.
"No," Satoru said.
Akane was a bit unhappy. If it had no meaning, then this nickname was meaningless, wasn't it?
Just as she was about to speak, she heard Satoru slowly say: "It's just more important to me."
Akane was slightly stunned, then her red lips trembled for a moment. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.
She just smiled and nodded: "Mm, okay."
Then she began to joyfully wriggle her body: "Satoru… Satoru-chan, hehe, guhehehehe…"
"Don't add 'Takeshi' to everything," Satoru said.
"Hmph hmph~ 'Takeshi' is cuter!" Akane said, wrinkling her nose. "Oh right, oh right, quickly change the contact name in your phone too, quick, quick!"
"Alright, alright," Satoru said helplessly, pulling out his phone.
How should he put it? Since he was already here, right?
As Satoru pulled out his phone, Akane's head leaned over, trying to get a little peek at his contacts.
And so, she saw,
The name "Ayaka-senpai."
What, what, what.
Akane immediately felt dissatisfied. So he had already been calling people by their names for a long time, this guy—
But, Ayaka-senpai probably wouldn't call him "Satoru-chan," would she?
Akane felt a small surge of secret delight.
Then she glanced slightly.
Satoru was still modifying her contact name.
Deleting "Nanao" from "Akane."
Even though Satoru was tall, Akane was also a relatively prominent type. The height difference between them was at most half a head.
Akane only needed to lift her chin slightly to see his pale profile, the high bridge of his nose, and his thick, curtain-like eyelashes.
And, his very calm, slightly upturned, thin lips.
Lips.
Lips.
Lips.
Akane swallowed.
…Lips.
"Okay—" Satoru was about to speak.
When she saw Akane's head charging towards him.
"?"
Satoru subconsciously retreated, but behind him was the cold wall.
After his back hit the wall, his lips were covered by a warm, soft sensation.
A little moist, like sweet jelly.
Akane! Did she want to be a hero for a moment or a coward for the rest of her life!?
Akane loudly questioned herself.
Then she came to the conclusion that if she died, she died, she wanted to be a hero!!
The change in name was very satisfying, but Ayaka-senpai also had it.
The name Satoru-chan made people happy, but after all, it was just a name.
Leaving her own mark on his lips! That's what it was! The way to carry out the royal road!!
So, Akane went all out!
After the girl's burst of courage, she was filled with regret.
What, what if he hates her?
Wouldn't she not even be able to be friends after doing this?
Wuu, wuu waa waa waa waa, as expected, she was too bold, can she, can she apologize now and say "I'm so sorry" to say goodbye?
Just as Akane's heart was filled with thoughts of retreating, wanting to immediately retreat and give a "Honto ni sumimasen" farewell.
Her lips were invaded by something, and then her teeth were pried open.
That thing was also stirring together with her tongue.
Akane's body suddenly felt weak.
Eh…eh? Wai, wait? What's going on?
She just wanted to steal a kiss, how could this kind of development happen?
N-no good.
Her strength seemed to be sucked away along with her saliva.
Akane was at a loss, her legs slumped down like mud.
Immediately after, a hand went around from the front, the palm supporting her back, so that she would not fall to the ground.
And the thing messing around in her mouth was continuing to mess around.
Air, air—
Akane could feel her face burning hot, even without a mirror she could only know what it had already turned red.
At the same time, then a hand first tore off the bow tie on her neck, and then began to probe towards the area of her chest.
Air, air—help—
Akane felt like she was about to suffocate.