Chapter 46: A Little Perverted
Following Kaede's gaze, Eriri also saw the figure in the distance.
That sneaky, secretive appearance made Eriri a bit surprised: "A pervert? A peeping tom?"
Shaking his head, Kaede said, "My classmate, Takasu Ryuji."
Looking at his current position and the softball field further away, Kaede naturally understood what this guy was hiding here to watch.
"Takasu Ryuji?"
Eriri naturally knew who this person was; he was one of Kaede's better male friends in class.
In Eriri's mind, Kaede shouldn't be friends with such a... perverted guy, so she asked, "What exactly is this?"
"Hmm... this guy is quite introverted."
The ambiguous words made Eriri blink in confusion.
She could tell that Kaede knew exactly what was going on, and also knew that he wouldn't let her ask out of curiosity, so she could only use her little brain and start thinking for herself.
"Could it be that your friend... is secretly watching a girl he likes?"
Looking left and right, Eriri found that further away were several sports fields: a large playground, a soccer field, and a softball field.
"The girl he likes is from a sports club? Ah~~ So that's it? Who is it, who is it?"
Pulling on Kaede's sleeve, Eriri asked curiously, "I've seen your friend a few times before, and his eyes are indeed quite fierce, but I didn't expect him to be so timid in reality!"
"Emm~~ Don't ask me. It's not good for me to talk about other people's private matters. They trusted me enough to tell me."
"Alright, alright, then I won't ask."
Releasing Kaede's sleeve, Eriri said helplessly, "However, you should still go and tell him. This kind of behavior isn't good. It's fine if we see it, but if others see it, they might think he's a pervert or a peeping tom."
"That's true."
Kaede nodded and said, "Then Eriri, wait for me a moment. I'll talk to him quickly and be right back."
With that, Kaede jogged over and came up behind Takasu Ryuji.
"Takasu, stop being such a creep."
Takasu Ryuji, who was watching the Softball Club's activities from a distance, was startled by the voice from behind him. He turned around, saw it was Kaede, and finally relaxed.
"Oh, it's Asakura. You scared me."
"You should be glad it was me. From anyone else's perspective, what you're doing really looks quite creepy."
"Uh... ahaha~~~" Exposed by Kaede, Takasu Ryuji awkwardly scratched his head and asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you have club activities?"
Pointing behind himself, Kaede replied, "I happened to be helping someone take out the trash, and I saw you acting all creepy. I kindly came over to warn you."
Following Kaede's explanation, Takasu Ryuji noticed Eriri waiting in the distance and immediately showed an expression of envy and jealousy.
"You really move without anyone noticing, you bastard..."
Shrugging, too lazy to offer any explanation, Kaede patted Takasu Ryuji on the shoulder and said, "Alright, stop lingering here. There are better ways to do this, and staying here will easily lead to misunderstandings!"
"I know, I just happened to run into Kitamura when I came down, and we walked together for a bit, and then I couldn't resist staying for a moment."
Takasu Ryuji explained awkwardly, "I won't bother you anymore. I'm heading back now."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
Watching Takasu Ryuji leave, Kaede felt that letting this guy continue to be such a closet pervert wasn't a sustainable plan.
However, this wasn't something that could be solved quickly; ultimately, Takasu Ryuji had to handle it himself.
But how exactly did this guy become so creepy?
Wait, could it be him... No, it must be that Kitamura guy who corrupted him. Yes, that's definitely it!
Turning around and returning to Eriri, Kaede said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head back to the Art Club."
"Mhm!"
First, he accompanied Eriri back to her classroom to grab her school bag, and then bought her a can of apple juice. Finally, the two arrived at the Art Club.
Opening the door, they immediately saw a portrait of a cat-eared girl that Uchimaki Subaru had finished painting.
Besides that, Usami Mizuki and Uchimaki Subaru were standing face-to-face, engaged in an argument.
"Uchimaki-san, the paint is shared by everyone. If you use it up, you should at least say something!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
Uchimaki Subaru apologized, then smiled and said, "But thanks to this paint, I was able to draw such a beautiful wife! And several wives before that too!"
Kaede and Eriri, who had just entered, exchanged a look, showing mutual helplessness.
Uchimaki Subaru's personality is truly unmatched by ordinary people.
Usami Mizuki also saw Kaede and Eriri enter. After greeting them, she told the club president, "Well then, President, Uchimaki-san and I will go buy new paint now."
"Alright, be careful on the way. Here is the budget money."
The president readily agreed, taking some money from the club funds and handing it to Usami. "Just buy the same brand of paint we used before."
"I understand. We'll be right back." Taking the money, Usami looked at Uchimaki Subaru and said, "Uchimaki-san, let's go!"
"Huh? I have to go too?"
"Of course! You're the one who used the most paint!"
"Fine..."
Kaede and Eriri had just arrived, but Uchimaki Subaru and Usami Mizuki immediately left, meaning the club still only had three people inside.
The moment those two left, the president immediately lay down. "Ah, it's finally quiet."
After sitting down, Kaede looked at the president and asked, "President, do you really have to be like this?"
"There's no helping it. Usami is good in every way, but she takes things too seriously, and it's exhausting." The president sighed, resting his hands behind his head. "And whenever she interacts with Uchimaki, things always get rowdy. I feel like my sleep quality has gotten worse recently."
"...As long as you're happy, President."
Kaede glanced at Eriri, who was obediently drinking her juice, smiled, took out his homework from his bag, and started writing.
When Eriri saw this, she remembered her collaboration with Utaha and quickly took out her own homework.
Kaede noticed Eriri performing the same action as him and looked at her curiously.
Eriri said in a very soft voice, "When I go back tonight, I still have to draw the illustrations for love metronome."
He understood. No wonder she was rushing to finish her homework so early.
Soon, the only sounds left in the Art Club were the faint scratching of the two people writing furiously, and the president's steady, deep breathing.
This guy really knows how to sleep.