36 – The Prince and the Handmaiden
The record didn’t come out as well as expected.
To suppress his impatience, he took a deep breath and wiped his forehead.
Recently, I haven’t been feeling well.
I couldn’t figure out why, even thinking about it myself.
Body problems? Or mind?
The fact that everything was getting worse was evident from the gradually lowering records.
“…… What. What were you talking about?”
“I didn’t say much.”
“Lie~! It’s the first time I’ve seen the kids in my fan club do that!”
Across the field of vision, I saw him surrounded by members.
I didn’t have a chance to talk to you today.
I mean, he always seemed busy, he was talking to someone.
I saw members and managers cleaning up after practice. While the others finished their work properly and went back to the infirmary, he remained alone and moved the remaining fixtures to the storage room.
Now is the time… I can talk with him alone.
He was the one who always stayed up late and took on the work alone. He was waiting because he knew he was that kind of guy. He doesn’t have to fret. It’s not like he’s running away. Because you can somehow make time to talk just the two of you.
Only two… Why do i care about that
I just wanted to ask the manager what was the reason he came to lunch today.
When I asked that question, there was no need to be hung up on just the two of us.
Actually, it was something I could approach and ask lightly, even in the middle of a side practice.
Nevertheless, I kept waiting for him to be alone.
“Manager.”
“Ah, Sayoko-senpai… !”
My footsteps come to a halt.
I saw him walking into the school following Sayoko.
“……… Ah….”
It’s okay.
I knew that Sayoko wanted to apologize to him.
I heard that you will definitely do that even when you visit the hospital.
Because she hates her ambiguous relationships. She will quickly clear up the misunderstanding and she will become friendly with him.
We’ll become friends.
He slows down and follows carefully.
“…… I’m sorry for all this time!”
“Yes?”
“I keep being mean to you… Because they didn’t acknowledge you as their manager… !”
Lean against the wall and quietly listen to their conversation.
It must be a good thing that Sayoko acknowledges him and gets along well with him.
Why doesn’t it inspire me?
A little more happy… Maybe you should feel good about it.
After spending some time there, I returned to the club room and found the staff gathered in front of the door.
As soon as you face me, you put your index finger on your lips.
“…… Listen. Sayoko-senpai is fine~!”
Are they eavesdropping too?
Oops.
Should we say that being too close is a disadvantage in this case?
If you know each other thoroughly, no secret can be kept.
Even I secretly overheard Sayoko’s apology, so I couldn’t blame them.
“Because it is a big loss to our wealth to collapse from exhaustion after overdoing it….”
“Senior… ….”
“What, what! Am I wrong?”
You can hear their conversation through the closed door.
The members who put their ears on were giggling and listening.
“Aren’t you late for school every day?”
“Yes….”
“Even that is prohibited. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself, so let’s go home right after practice.”
Sayoko, you were that kind of person. Even though he looks tough and tough, he’s actually softer than anyone else and cares about everyone.
The members were happy and had fun tapping each other’s shoulders.
I was thinking of something else.
I see.
If the manager leaves school right after practice ends. After everyone goes… The time I can spend with him who is left alone in the insolvent room… There will be no more
That’s….
A bitter laugh comes out.
Even after missing the former manager, I had a glimmer of hope that I would see him again at that time. That time is gone now.
In the room alone… The canned coffee I handed over.
Watching him roll his pen as he was troubled by the excessive work he undertook by himself.
I even looked at him intently without realizing it, thinking that he was a truly amazing man.
Manager-kun. You really are a bad boy
To make me shake up like this just because I couldn’t face you today.
***
“Whoa…… Whoa…… Ha…… !”
My legs are heavy.
Running alone in an empty playground, I tried to focus only on running.
‘Senior is cool!’
‘I’ll cheer for the competition!’
‘Fighting!’
As if hearing hallucinations, those cheers continued to linger inside me and torment me.
Shake your head to shake them off.
‘I see! I am devoting myself to practice, shedding blood and sweat every day for my goal of winning the gold medal! Well sir!’
Nevertheless, they remained within me without dispersing.
He took a deep breath and let out the accumulated emotions.
‘Don’t laugh… ! I’m asking very seriously… !’
‘Sorry… But….’
But when I remembered that moment, I stopped.
He bent his back and exhaled toward the ground.
‘Seniors are too much for me’
I frowned at the pain I felt as I pressed my knee.
I no longer… It may be too much.
With that in mind, I packed a water bottle and a towel and returned to the club room.
I already knew it, but I didn’t expect it, but no one was there.
The tables were tidy and nothing was hung on the chairs.
I took a chair out of the room and sat down.
I don’t know what I am today.
No, I couldn’t handle the snowball of emotions that had accumulated little by little, and even though I kept running to avoid it, I felt like I was about to collapse under it.
“………… Whoa…….”
While rubbing my forehead and resting on the backrest, the door to the room opened.
“……… Huh?”
I lowered my arm and looked that way.
I wondered if the member who had left something behind came back.
“…… Senior. Hello.”
There was a manager.
“……… ….”
With a book in one hand and a can of coffee in the other, he approached and held out a can.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“……… ….”
“Senior?”
“Why… ….”
I couldn’t speak.
Why?
She must have been told by Sayoko to return immediately after practice.
Why don’t you listen here.
“Senior runs alone until late every day. As the manager, I can’t leave school first.”
He grinned and set the can of coffee down on the table.
I stared blankly at him as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from me.
“And… Today, for some reason, I feel like I haven’t had a conversation with my seniors.”
That’s me too….
“That’s why I stayed because I missed Takase-senpai.”
He said with a mischievous expression and set the open book down on the table.
“……… Senior? Now is the time to laugh or tease.”
“Ah…… Huh.”
I know it’s a joke… My heart, which had been hardened all day today, feels like it melts and flows down at that one word.
“Me too…… I missed you.”
I can’t take a joke as a joke. I got serious
Then the manager scratched his cheek shyly.
“Really. He’s a stiff senior who can’t joke around.”
“I see… sorry.”
“No… Even if you apologize for this….”
He laughed in embarrassment and scratched the back of his neck.
My gaze landed on the book he set down on the table. The phrase written on the cover is ‘Sports Massage’.
“Ah…… I just started reading it today. I was wondering if I could be of any help.”
“Manager-kun….”
“I went to the library after school and borrowed it. I read a little, but it’s still difficult.”
From noble mtl dot com
Coming out of his seat, he stood in front of me and crouched down.
“Can I try it?”
“……… ….”
I lifted my leg slightly. He reaches out and walks through my trouser hem.
As soon as his fingers touched his exposed calf, I trembled slightly without realizing it.
“That, please look at me even if I am clumsy. I learned it for the first time today…. Learn hard so that you can be helpful next time….”
His little white hand touches my lap.
“I will try….”
It was not only lacking in strength, like a massage given by a child, but it also tickled me.
“Okay… here like this….”
My heart softened when I saw him eagerly moving his hands and walking around.
My knee, which used to scream while running, no longer hurt.
Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask him.
Why at lunchtime…….
No, I wasn’t curious about that.
That’s just a justification.
I just wanted to meet him and talk.
I hoped that I could face him and spend time outside of club activities.
It’s not just a senior-junior relationship of club activities… I was hoping for more.
“… How are you?”
I smiled and said to him, who cautiously asked me as if he was examining my intentions.
“Really…… Good.”
“Is that so? Thank god….”
“Whoops… ….”
A cold room filled with silence… It wasn’t cold anymore.
When I look down, he squeezes my leg and moves his hand silently… I smile as I feel the tension and muscles that had been stiffened by the clumsy massage loosen up.
It’s a wish that can’t come true.
I wanted this time to last forever.
“The competition is coming soon… I’m still worried about hurting my ankle in training. Are you all right now?”
“Yes…. I’m okay.”
“Then… Now the other leg too.”
“Then please….”
His hand walks the trouser hem of his left leg.
“Because next week is the tournament… It’s good to practice, but to keep your stamina… Please rest.”
“Yes… don’t mind.”
“It’s just words… Sayoko-senpai was worried too?”
What should I do for him who works so hard for me?
How can I return all these emotions to him?
I was just thinking about that.
“Next week is the tournament… Weekdays are mock exams… There really is no time to rest.”
“It’s a busy schedule.”
“Yes… And on the weekends, even dates.”
Huh?
My heart skipped a beat when I heard those words.
“You… what did you just say… ?”
“Yes?”
“What do you do on the weekend?”
“Ah… ….”
As he lowered his hand that was pressing down on his calf, he said with an embarrassed expression.
“A date. Actually… ….”
So lucky, he told me about her girlfriend.
I feel like my heart is sinking… I kept listening to it.