Chapter 43: A Sensation Yet a Confusion Regarding Romantic Relationships...
Chika put down the needle and thread in her hand and looked at her fingers.
"Well... I've noticed that you often collect things related to Niou-senpai, is it because you... like..."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Asuka's denial was quite resolute, as if she wanted to distance herself from something dirty.
"That guy has lived next door to me since he was a child. Rather than liking him, it's more like he's a nuisance I have to take care of."
Chinatsu: "But doesn't your senior have a lot of photos of Niou-senpai's matches in her club cabinet?"
Asuka: "That was for researching the design of tennis club merchandise. Besides, I know about that guy's embarrassing childhood bedwetting incident, how could he possibly have those worldly desires..."
Upon hearing this, Yuzuki looked up and smiled mischievously: "Oh? So what kind of boy does Asuka like?"
Asuka paused slightly in her movements: "Tall, with a pure temperament, possessing extreme contrasts, gentle yet powerful, responsible, and resilient..."
"I think I know who you're talking about." Risa, who had been silent all along, put down her pen, stretched, and said, "Finally finished. I'm exhausted."
Chinatsu moved closer to Risa, her eyes lighting up immediately: "Wow! Risa-senpai is drawing another series featuring Captain Yukimura and Vice Captain Sanada this time."
Risa rubbed her sore shoulders: "The Concept Store marketing department said that the 'Child of God' and 'Emperor' series are quite popular, and they want me to produce more of them."
On the iPad screen, Yukimura Seiichi gracefully holds his racket, surrounded by irises; while Sanada Genichiro appears serious yet gentle, against a backdrop of dark bamboo shadows.
“However…” Chinatsu tilted her head and tapped the screen lightly with her finger, “Why are all of Yukimura-sama’s merchandise so perfect, even the chibi versions are as beautiful as works of art, while Sanada-sama’s merchandise has so many quirky versions?”
Risa shrugged: "With Yukimura's face, have you ever seen him look bad?"
Jieyue teased him, "Is it true that you've never been ugly, or is it just that some people see beauty in their eyes and have a filter on it?"
Risa smiled: "Does anyone dare to draw Yukimura-sama ugly?"
The activity room fell silent for a second.
“Besides, the contrast between Sanada’s appearance and his personality is the real selling point.” Risa twirled her drawing pen. “Look at this ‘Emperor’s Wrath’ series. He looks serious but is wearing bunny ears. It sells three times as well as the regular version.”
Asuka: "It's common knowledge that Lord Yukimura is cunning. No matter how badly you draw, he'll just smile and say, 'That's interesting,' but he'll write it down in his little notebook as soon as he turns his back."
Asuka: "In comparison, although Sanada will directly punish you with his iron fist and chase you around the track ten times, at least he will vent his anger and then move on."
Chika suddenly realized.
"Speaking of which—" Asuka drawled, her eyes fixed on Risa, "Risa-chan, you and Yukimura-sama...did you go back together yesterday?"
Risa was stuffing her iPad into her bag when she heard this and looked up in confusion: "Huh? Akaya's here too."
“But didn’t Kirihara-kun run away first?” Chinatsu immediately chimed in, and the three exchanged a knowing glance. “Someone saw you two chatting for a long time in front of the station~”
Risa tilted her head, trying to recall: "Oh, because Yukimura said the newly opened crepe shop was having a promotion..."
She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as the three people in front of her simultaneously gasped. Yuzuki covered her mouth, Chinatsu's crochet hook fell to the ground with a clatter, and Asuka's glasses reflected an eerie light.
"—So it's a date!" the three of them said decisively.
"No!" Even though she said no, Risa's ears still turned red.
Asuka pushed up her glasses and asked tentatively, "Risa-chan, didn't Yukimura-sama give you jasmine flowers last week? You're the only girl in the whole school who gets that treatment."
Risa zipped up her backpack: "Yeah, you guys were there too. He said it was extra from the gardening club."
Chika's eyes widened: "...That's a jasmine flower! Its flower language is 'You are mine'!"
Risa blinked blankly: "Huh? He probably gave it to me because he knew I like jasmine. I used to receive flowers from people all the time... uh, I used to receive flowers from people all the time, nothing special."
In her past life, Risa would receive various flowers after each work session, with jasmine being the most common, because everyone knew she liked it.
Moreover, her parents often bought flowers for her when they were still alive. So she didn't feel anything special about Yukimura giving her flowers, but now that her friends have brought it up...
Chinatsu: "Risa-senpai, do you know that when Yukimura-senpai looks at you, his eyes are so gentle they could melt an Arctic glacier?"
Risa blinked: "Is it because he's gentle to everyone?"
“He wasn’t this ‘gentle’ when he rejected Nanashima-senpai’s confession last week,” Asuka said quietly.
Yuzuki added, "And he never asks girls out alone... except for you."
Risa: "But he said it was to buy crepes for his sister, I really just did it on the way..."
Yuzuki sighed, "...Risa, do you know how high the mortality rate is for the word 'by the way' in romantic comedies?"
Asuka pushed up her glasses and calmly added, "By the way, Yukimura-senpai's definition of 'by the way' last time was to have Vice-Captain Sanada 'by the way' return the love letter."
Risa feigned ignorance: "So he's just afraid of trouble?"
The trio: "Didn't you ever consider that it might be because he likes you?"
Risa: "......"
"Don't joke around!" she laughed, shaking off the joke. "Don't he and Sanada often discuss things alone? Yagyu even mentioned receiving a bonsai from Yukimura. And..."
Risa suddenly fell silent.
The trio's eyes fell on her, their expressions saying, "Are you serious?"
She lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt.
If you could still deceive yourself and treat it as an illusion before, now that your friends have pointed it out so bluntly, even the most oblivious person should understand.
That boy who's sharp and ruthless on the court, yet always smiles gently at her... likes her?
Risa gently bit her lower lip. Although her body was the same age now, deep in her soul, she could never ignore the eight-year gap between them.
She dared not think too much about this sentiment, much less respond to it.
The activity room fell silent for a moment. Only the chirping of cicadas could be heard outside the window.
"......"
The trio exchanged a helpless look and silently lit a candle for a certain minister in their hearts.
“Speaking of which—” Risa suddenly looked up, breaking the silence with a light tone, “Asuka, the person you like is Chotaro Ootori of Hyotei, right?”
Yuzuki choked on her tea: "Cough, cough... Did you just say Ootori Chotaro?"
Chika's eyes widened: "Is that the first-year student who speaks so gently and has an amazing serve?"
Asuka's face flushed red to her ears: "You...how could you..."
Risa smiled slyly: "The clues are too obvious. Tall, pure in temperament, gentle yet powerful—aren't these the signature traits of the Phoenix Lord?"
Chinatsu suddenly realized something and punched her palm: "Ah! No wonder Asuka-senpai stayed to watch the last friendly match!"
Yuzuki didn't let her off the hook either: "No wonder someone's ears turn super red every time 'One Ball to the Soul' is mentioned~"
Asuka buried her face in her hands, her exposed ear tips burning red: "...I just...I just admired his tennis skills..."
"Have you exchanged contact information?" Risa asked, leaning closer.
Asuka shook her head violently: "How could that be... We've barely even spoken a few times..."
"Then I'll help you create opportunities for the next friendly match~" Risa winked. "Don't worry, the gentle type like Feng Jun is the easiest to win over. You just need to—"
"Wait!" Asuka interrupted hastily, adjusting her glasses. "No need for special arrangements... I can just watch from afar..."
Risa suddenly leaned close to her ear: "But... that amulet with the character 'phoenix' embroidered on it that's sticking out of your bag, you got it for the New Year, right?"
Asuka froze on the spot, her ears turning bright red: "That's...that's..."
"You're aiming for 'a guaranteed win on your serve,' right?" Risa grinned mischievously.
"...Please help me!!!" Asuka lowered her head in utter despair.
Risa suppressed a laugh: "It would have been so much better if you'd been honest from the start~"
Asuka then realized what she had said, and her face instantly turned bright red.
She abruptly released her grip, struggling to straighten her glasses: "That was... a temporary mental disturbance caused by the heat..."
"Yes~ Yes~" Risa replied with a smile, then turned to Chinatsu and said, "Remember to add the 'Hyotai Hou-kun Limited Support Project' to the club's plans~"
"Risa!!!"
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