"...President, what's with that alcohol?"
"Hm? Oh, this is a bottle I had stashed away."
"That doesn't seem like something a college student should be doing."
"You, who's been downing sake, shouldn't be telling me that."
Matsuda, who had somehow ended up drunk next to Hinata, was moved aside, and Hayasaki poured shochu into an empty glass.
"So, what's the situation over there?"
She pointed at the two who were continuing their lap-pillow intimacy with just their eyes.
"It seems like regular care, according to Lisha-chan."
"Is that level of skinship normal overseas? Or is it because she's young? Or both?"
"I don't know. But it seems it's not her first time."
"Well, it seems like there might be a need to report this."
Hayasaki said while laughing heartily. However, she knew very well that Yuusuke, with whom she had been friends for over a year, was not the kind of person to make women cry. So, it was a joke she could make.
"But still..."
"What is it?"
Hinata also poured shochu into her glass and took a sip. The sweet and slightly peculiar aroma slowly spread in her mouth.
"Yuusuke is a good guy, but why do both Tsukiko and you fall for him?"
"Wha—!?"
Hinata inadvertently swallowed the shochu and choked as Hayasaki's words suddenly burst out of her mouth. The alcohol that had been poured down her throat burned and stung her throat.
"What, w-what are you saying? What are you talking about?"
"If you get so flustered, it's like you're admitting it..."
"That's because President suddenly says weird things!"
"Alright, alright, I get it, my bad."
Hinata gave a resentful look at the President, who raised her hands in surrender. However, that wouldn't stop Hayasaki, especially when she had been drinking.
"But isn't it strange? Tsukiko is clearly a high-class young lady with her looks, she can choose any guy she wants, and Lisha is the same. Why do they both gather around him?"
Hayasaki stirred the shochu while reminiscing about a year ago. When Isumi Tsukiko entered this university, it caused a huge commotion, regardless of gender. Confident young men one after another approached her only to be elegantly rejected, and the girls who were jealous of her popularity and dared to give her trouble were all soundly defeated.
When Tsukiko joined the Literature Club, it led to a chaotic situation. The number of new applicants for the Literature Club, which was usually good if it had ten members, swelled to nearly fifty. They even had to conduct interview tests, which were unheard of in previous years.
Because of this, they even spread a rumor on the Literature Club's Social Media account, saying, "The rumor that Tsukiko is joining the Literature Club is a hoax." So, they somehow managed to bring the situation under control, but looking back on it now, group psychology is a terrifying thing.
The Literature Club itself naturally became tumultuous. Fast-moving guys tried to spit on Tsukiko and were repelled, and guys who were not immune to women fell into a severe case of love sickness. The situation was chaotic, to say the least.
Ultimately, things settled down thanks to Yuusuke and Tsukiko getting together. However, at that time, it was truly astonishing. It wasn't that Tsukiko was dating a guy; rather, it was that the guy was Yuusuke.
In the end, they broke up, but with the arrival of new student Hinata, who was clearly conscious of Yuusuke, and the sudden appearance of Lisha, it was evident.
"But he doesn't look like the type who would be that popular."
"I don't know, really."
Hinata, who had somehow regained her composure, took a sip of shochu. Whether it was due to the alcohol or for some other reason, her face turned red as she spoke.
"Senpai is a good person, you know?"
"Oh?"
Hayasaki's mouth curled up into a sly smile.
"But if we're talking about good people, Souji does a lot more. He looks good, and he's strong, so he's reliable."
As Hayasaki counts Souji's good points, Hinata's expression changes to one of disinterest.
"Is that so?"
As Hayasaki counted Souji's good points, Hinata's expression gradually turned less pleased.
"...Senpai is also dependable in his own way."
"Hmm, like what?"
"Well, for example, he never leaves anyone in need, and he rarely refuses my requests..."
"That's because if Hinata asks, most guys would agree without a second thought."
Hinata's lips were sealed. She was aware of that to some extent.
"But what was the reason for getting close to Yuusuke in the first place? Before I knew it, you two were often together."
"The reason, huh?"
The reason. Hearing that word, Hinata's hazy mind began to recall.
...
...
It was just a few months ago, during the welcoming party for new members of the Literature Club.
Hinata's parents doted on their only daughter, and she had attended all girls' schools from elementary to high school. Perhaps due to the excessive interference from her parents or maybe because of the stress caused by her innate communication skills, Hinata gradually began to long for coeducation.
She dyed her hair, created a character that would appeal to boys, and it was all a departure from her previous self, as well as a step toward her aspiration. In a sense, Hinata's plan had succeeded. From the first day of school, she made many friends regardless of gender and successfully joined the Literature Club, which she had been interested in. She could get along with anyone, and she was living the free and lively life she had admired.
However, there was one miscalculation on Hinata's part; she did not recognize the 'male' creature correctly.
'Hey, Yukari-chan, can you handle alcohol?'
After a considerable time had passed since the welcoming party began, a young man sat down in front of Hinata. He had chestnut-colored hair, wore piercings, and had a friendly smile on his handsome face. He was a third-year senior, if she remembered correctly.
Hinata was indeed drinking a cocktail at that time. Since starting college, she had been accompanying her father's evening drinking more often, and she had become accustomed to alcohol. But now, she had received the cocktail without knowing who had ordered it.
'Well, there aren't many freshmen who can drink much, so...'
Hinata nodded vaguely, and in the meantime, the young man had taken a seat next to her and started speaking fluently. Although Hinata's communication skills were undoubtedly top-notch, the young man was also an experienced player in the Literature Club, known as a 'skilled person' when it came to social drinking situations. Moreover, the environment demanded experience with alcohol, so Hinata found herself drinking more and more without realizing it.
'Hey, Yukari-chan, are you okay?'
Before she knew it, the young man had sat down beside Hinata, and his arm was around her shoulder. It was a different sensation from a woman, a firm muscular touch, and a deep voice whispering in her ear. Due to the effects of the alcohol she had consumed in a short time, her thoughts weren't working properly.
Hinata's eyes darted around, trying to escape the man next to her, but the Literature Club members who were drinking alcohol were talking in their own groups, and when some of them noticed the man next to her, they quickly looked away.
This senior was powerful among the third-year students. What would happen to their position in the club if they disturbed him? It was a survival strategy in any community for someone like Hinata, who had just entered university. Atmosphere was important. Only those who could sensitively perceive the dominating atmosphere of a place could survive while living among people. If they didn't like that, they had no choice but to become the one who could manipulate that atmosphere. And Hinata, who had just become a university student, didn't have that power. That's the whole story.
However, Hinata didn't know. No, she had never met him before.
'Oh, there you are! Why are you sitting alone in a corner? Let's drink together!'
There were people who didn't care about such an atmosphere.
'Yu-Yuusuke, what are you doing?'
'Senpai, why do you look so unhappy? Come on, let's have a drink!'
Holding a glass of beer in one hand, a flushed Yamamoto Yuusuke appeared and sat down beside the third-year senior. Perhaps he didn't have the courage to put his arm around her shoulder in front of others, but his hand was quickly removed.
'Let's drink!'
'What? I'm talking to this girl right now. Can't you see that?'
'Is senpai saying you can't drink with me!'
Despite the obvious displeasure on the man's face, Yuusuke engaged him without hesitation.
All eyes in the vicinity turned to Yuusuke's voice, and the man left with a click of his tongue.
With a disgruntled expression, Yuusuke watched the man's back as he walked away.
'Hmph, if you want to seduce a woman, you should go straight for it without relying on alcohol.'
Saying that, Yuusuke sat down beside Hinata and slumped over. His face was bright red, and his breathing was shallow. It was clear that he had drunk too much.
'Um, are you okay?'
'...I'm not okay. I feel like throwing up.'
Hinata, who had clearly been drinking more, was in a worse state. It seemed even lifting her head was difficult, so she kept her eyes on Hinata while her face remained buried in her arm.
'I'm Yamamoto Yuusuke. And you?'
'I'm Hinata.'
'Hinata, huh... Nice name.'
Ah, Hinata realized she was being misunderstood. Hinata was her last name, but she was often mistaken for her first name.
Normally, she would correct it on the spot and be done with it, but...
'It feels warm and calm.'
'...Yeah, I guess.'
'Yeah, they say a name reflects a person's character. But you don't have to be so nice to someone like that.'
Saying that, Yuusuke laughed and then slumped onto the table with a blue face.
It seemed like he had come to her rescue, but it was a rather unflattering sight. Watching his actions made Hinata feel foolish for trying so hard, and she couldn't help but laugh.
'That's right, Senpai. Hinata feel the same way.'
To others, it might have seemed like a trivial incident, but for Hinata, this event was where it all began.
Later on, when Yuusuke found out that her last name was Yukari, he would be left dumbfounded, but that's a story for another time.
...
...
"So, that's how it happened, and since then, I've been talking to Senpai more."
"Haaan."
"What's wrong with that annoyed face?"
"Ohhhhh, nothing, really..."
As Hayasaki pretended it was nothing, she clearly had a smirk on her face. She was obviously finding this amusing.
"If you have something to say, I'm all ears, you know?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing..."
"...Even though the President hasn't mustered the courage to ask Souji-san out on a date."
"Wha?! W-What are you saying!"
This time, it was Hayasaki's turn to choke on her words when Hinata muttered them. There was no way Hinata wouldn't notice Hayasaki's feelings, even if it had only been three months.
With the tables turned, Hinata immediately followed up.
"Are you in a position to laugh at others? I made a promise to go out with Senpai."
"N-No, I'm not just sitting around doing nothing!"
"Souji-san is quite popular, you know. Many first-year girls have their eyes on him."
"Ugh! You know, Yuusuke is under the same roof with Lisha now!"
"Ugh!"
Both of them clutched their chests in response to the sharp pain.
And then, regardless of who initiated it, they both lifted their heads and said at the same time.
"Let's just stop."
"Yeah, let's."
They weren't really romantic rivals. Arguing about it here would be a waste of time.
One was the leader of a club that gathered eccentrics, and the other was a social powerhouse who had wormed her way into the heart of her social circle only a few months after starting university.
But both of them were purebred products of girls' schools. Two people like them coming head to head wouldn't lead to any brilliant solutions on how to win their respective crushes, and all that would happen was that the sake bottle was getting emptier.
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