Yanami Wants More, More

Her eyes uncontrollably welled up with a stinging soreness, and Yanami Anna forcefully sniffed, pushing back the tears that were about to spill out.

She refused to cry.

She had already shed more than enough tears over that idiot Hakamada Sosuke, and she didn’t want to cry here for another man—especially a bastard who had just kissed her and then run away.

That would be far too embarrassing.

She roughly wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, but the grievance and loss from being suddenly pushed away still weighed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

No, that’s not right.

When Imaizumi-kun left just now… he seemed a bit strange.

Yanami Anna tried hard to recall it.

His breathing had seemed very rapid, his cheeks unusually red, and his eyes kept darting away, completely unable to meet hers.

Where was even a trace of his usual composure in that 모습?

It was clearly…

The look of someone fleeing in a panic.

Thinking of that, the sense of loss in Yanami Anna’s heart suddenly faded by more than half, replaced by a quiet delight, like she had discovered some incredible secret.

Could it be that…

He was actually very nervous too?

Even more nervous than she was?

Was it because that was also his… first kiss?

That thought made Yanami’s heart start racing uncontrollably.

“Pfft.”

Yanami Anna finally couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

So even that nasty guy who always acted like he knew everything and didn’t care about anything had such an innocent side.

Thinking about it that way, being pushed away earlier didn’t feel so unacceptable anymore.

It even made her feel just a little bit… that it was kind of cute.

Yanami Anna let out a long breath, and her mood instantly brightened.

She unhurriedly packed up the lunchbox she had finished eating, carefully wrapping it in a cloth.

After doing all that, she didn’t leave right away, but instead lifted her head and glanced in the direction of the school building.

For some reason, she suddenly felt like going to take a look at the rooftop of the old school building.

She rarely went there before, only hearing from friends that it was the place with the best view in the school, where you could overlook the entire campus.

…

The iron door leading to the rooftop wasn’t locked, just loosely closed.

Yanami Anna gently pushed it open, and a wave of warm air mixed with the scent of sunlight and fine dust rushed toward her.

The rooftop in the afternoon was completely empty, making it feel especially vast and open.

She walked over to the railing and looked down.

The athletic field, the school buildings, the gymnasium… the entire campus scenery spread out before her eyes.

Her gaze was naturally drawn to the red rubber running track on the field.

It was lunchtime, yet the track and field club members weren’t resting and were still training diligently.

A familiar figure quickly stood out from among the sweat-soaked boys and girls.

Shioyaki Lemon was sprinting down the track with explosive power, her agile figure easily overtaking one teammate after another.

Every arm swing and every push off the ground was full of strength and beauty, making her radiate a brilliance that was impossible to look away from.

Watching Lemon like this, Yanami Anna couldn’t help but recall the dispirited figure she had seen a few days ago at the classroom doorway.

Despite being so dazzling and impressive on the track, Lemon was just as much a failure in love as she herself was.

A complicated, indescribable emotion welled up in Yanami Anna’s heart.

But still…

After Shioyaki Lemon crossed the finish line, she bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily as sweat slid down her youthful, energetic cheeks.

Although in the second lap Lemon gradually got caught up to and eventually overtaken by taller boys, she never lost her defiant expression.

I can’t just give up like this either.

Whether it was being dumped by Sosuke or getting her heart racing because of that guy Imaizumi, none of it was a reason to stop moving forward.

When it comes to love, I should be like Lemon when she runs—no matter how tired it gets ahead, no matter whether I might fall, I have to charge forward with all my strength.

Her relationship with Imaizumi-kun had only just begun.

“Pretend couple,” “lover-style practice”…

Excuses like children playing house were no longer enough.

She wanted more.

Yanami Anna took a deep breath as if making up her mind, and the bright, sunny smile that belonged to her returned to her face.

Taking the initiative to deepen her relationship with Imaizumi would start today!

Just as she was silently cheering herself on, Shioyaki Lemon on the field seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up toward the rooftop.

Yanami Anna had already turned her gaze away.

Her eyes landed beneath the shade of trees on the other side of the field.

There, Ayano Mitsuki and Asagumo Chihaya were sitting side by side, laughing and chatting about something.

…

After that unexpected kiss, Imaizumi Keita really did seem to start deliberately keeping his distance from Yanami Anna.

During lunch on the bench in the courtyard, he no longer casually leaned over to tease her or used various excuses to engage in intimate physical contact like before.

A polite yet distant safety gap always remained between them.

In the literature club room, he completely put an end to any form of whispered “private talk” with her.

Most of the time, he sat alone by the window, a brand-new notebook spread open in front of him, pen in hand—sometimes writing furiously, sometimes frowning in deep thought.

Although Yanami Anna felt confused and dissatisfied with this unusual behavior, she didn’t pester him like she used to.

Perhaps because of that kiss, or perhaps because of the self-encouragement she gave herself on the rooftop that day, her mindset had subtly changed.

Even without those heart-pounding, face-reddening moments of intimacy, just being able to quietly stay by his side like this—watching his serious, thoughtful profile and listening to the soft scratching of his pen on paper—was enough to fill her heart with a sense of peace.

This feeling was both strange and grounding.

A tacit understanding formed between the two of them.

Neither of them brought up the kiss again, nor did they define what stage their relationship was currently in.

They continued to spend time together under the name of a “pretend couple,” enjoying this quiet time alone.

That afternoon, the literature club room was as quiet as ever.

The club president and vice president had slipped away early again for some “urgent matter,” and Komari Chika was, as usual, hiding herself behind a book.

Yanami Anna absent-mindedly flipped through a light novel with a very cute cover, yet her gaze kept drifting toward the figure writing by the window.

He seems to be… writing a novel?

Ever since that kiss, whenever he had free time, he would sit here and write something.

What on earth is he writing?

Yanami was extremely curious and instinctively wanted to sneak a look, but in the end she spoke up to ask.

“Imaizumi-kun, are you writing a novel?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I take a look? I’m really curious.”

“Be good. I’ll show it to you after I finish the first volume.”

Imaizumi Keita rejected her without even lifting his head, making Yanami grumble inwardly.

Hmph!

Stupid Imaizumi!

You’d better have a chance someday where you beg me to read it!

But seriously, what is he writing anyway?

With that focused yet slightly mischievous smile of his, don’t tell me he’s writing some embarrassing story based on me?!