Chikasugiru Karera no, Juunanasai no Tooi Kankei [LN] V1 Chapter 5.9

Chapter 5 - The Taste Of Rain And Sweat

The chime rang.

A feeling of relief and freedom immediately began to fill the classroom as the person in the back of the room collected the exam answers, following the instructions of the teacher.

With this, the three-day test schedule was over. I let out a sigh of relief and lightly rolled my shoulders, which had been stiffened by studying and tension.

Club activities would resume on this day. It was cloudy outside, but no rain was falling. It hadn't rained yesterday either, so the ground should be in good condition.

"Let's go, Sakamoto."

Nagai, carrying a gray enamel bag slung over his shoulder, came to my desk. I nod and quickly pack my bags.

We left the school building after the test and headed outdoors to the baggage area traditionally occupied by the soccer team. I change into my soccer shorts, take off my shirt, and change into my training wear. Then I put my feet into my spikes.

The club members were already out on the field kicking the ball. Tachibana was also there, carrying a stack of red cones from the equipment bin. Yuriko was still nowhere to be seen.

"Izumi-san, did she say anything about how the test went?"

Nagai, who had changed into a white uniform, asked me this as he pulled out a pair of spikes from his bag. I turned my head toward Nagai. He looked the same as usual. I guessed that he had brought it up as a casual topic of conversation.

"Yeah. She said she did it well," I replied.

"I see. I was a little concerned that I might have bothered her studies."

The feeling of jealousy that I had felt the other day, though I couldn't clearly identify it, began to smolder in my chest again. I tried to suppress it and said,

"I don't think she was bothered at all. She said she enjoyed it."

"Good, then," he said, sounding relieved.

When I looked at the ground, I saw that Tachibana had put the cone down on the ground once, perhaps because she was tired. The first-year students around her were so engrossed in playing the passing game that they did not notice Tachibana. 

"Nagai, let's help Tachibana with the preparations."

When he looked at Tachibana, who was heavily carrying a cone by herself, he said, "Yeah," and he looked up and nodded his head. After waiting for Nagai to tie his spikes, we went out to the field and ran to Tachibana.

"I'll help you."

Nagai took the four stacked cones from Tachibana as if to lend a hand. Tachibana looked very happy and said, "Oh, Nagai-senpai. Thank you very much."

"The first-year guys didn't help me out. As expected of Nagai-senpai, you are very kind."

"No, Sakamoto was the first one who suggested it."

Tachibana looked at me with a dubious look and said, "Sakamoto-senpai?" She looked at me.

"Are you eating something strange, senpai? Maybe you've been studying too much and you're going crazy?"

"Is it so weird that I'm the one who's being considerate?"

"I mean, Sakamoto-senpai was always giving off an aura of 'I'm not going to talk to anyone'. The other day, when we were on the bus for a tour, you were listening to music in your earphones while everyone else was in high spirits."

"I don't give off that kind of aura."

Nagai gave a small wry smile at the exchange between Tachibana and me.

"But Sakamoto has been getting better lately."

"With this?" Tachibana said with exaggerated surprise.

I was trying to be considerate to Tachibana and said, "I'm going to get the rest of the cones and markers from the equipment shed," and headed for the shed where the soccer team kept the balls and cones.

We went through our usual practice routine, and in a corner of the field, Yuriko was kicking a ball with Tachibana. Tachibana was kicking the ball poorly and getting excited, while Yuriko was mostly silent.

An hour or so later, when everyone was sweating in the July heat. Black rain clouds drifted in with a damp wind.

Soon the rain began to fall in drops. It was a big drop of rain that looked like it was going to be a heavy downpour. We were in the middle of shooting practice, so we decided to stop our club activities immediately, put away our equipment, and return to the roofed luggage area.

I gathered up the ball with a few other members of the club who were nearby, grabbed it in both hands, and ran to the equipment shed. Meanwhile, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and thunder rumbled in the distance. "Gee!", Tachibana, who was carrying the bib, freaked out, looking like she had just blown her usual burikko attitude, and Yuriko snatched it away and said, "Akari, go back first,". "I'm sorry!" Tachibana replied and ran toward the school building.

T/N : burikko, woman or girl who acts cute by playing innocent and helpless

Several boys, including myself, collected and put away the balls scattered all over the field, and Yuriko also put away the bibs and markers on the shelves. After cleaning up, the club members left the equipment shed and ran joyfully and happily in the heavy rain, which was blurring their vision. I stood at the entrance and looked up at the sky, thinking that it would be better to stay here if it was raining like this.

Covered by thick clouds, the ground is as dark as night. In addition to the sound of rain hitting the ground, there were occasional rumbles of thunder that shook my stomach. The weather forecast didn't say it would rain like this. It must be temporary. Maybe this downpour would stop soon.

With that thought, I returned my gaze from the sky to the ground and noticed Yuriko standing right next to me. She was looking up at the sky too. Her hair and clothes were soaking wet from the rain. The white fabric of her clothes was tightly clinging to her shoulders, revealing the color of her skin. Furthermore, the color of her pale blue underwear also rose to the surface, along with the bulge in her chest, and I reflexively looked away.

"This, maybe we better stay here for a while."

When I said that, Yuriko didn't reply, only moved her eyes to look at me. Then she stepped one step forward and grabbed the handle of the sliding door of the shed.

Yuriko moved the badly-placed door noisily and forcefully, and closed it with a slam. The shed, which had no electricity, was completely dark. I could barely see Yuriko with only the faint dim light leaking through the narrow gap between the roof and the wall. She looked back, crossed her arms, and stared at me from the front.

"What's wrong?"

Pressured by her unusual atmosphere, I asked her.

"......Kenichi, you are so kind to Izumi, but so harsh with me. Why?"

I was terribly perplexed when she suddenly started talking about Izumi, as if to ask me a question. I heard a loud noise like a rumble of the earth, as if lightning had struck somewhere.

"What? What do you mean, "strict"?"

I said in a loud voice, trying not to be drowned out by the sound of the rain echoing inside the shed.

"You call me 'you'. And when I eat meat, you say things that piss me off, like I'm getting fat.

T/N : Kenichi calls Yuriko "omae", while he calls Izumi by her name

 

"Because that's......"

"That's, what? Why do you always so kind to that girl?"

"It's not like that."

As if ignoring my words, Yuriko took a step forward. Then, she laid both her hands on my chest. She suddenly put her weight on me, and I almost stumbled backward.

"Hey, don't push me."

"Quiet, shut up."

Yuriko put more weight on me. Just as I was about to shout, "That' s enough," Yuriko straightened up and raised her face to the same position as mine.

At that moment, the taste of rain and sweat spread in my mouth, along with a warm sensation.

Our wet lips touched, and Yuriko's lukewarm breath entered my half-open mouth. Our tongues touched each other slightly. Yuriko's tongue was surprisingly soft inside my mouth.

Time stopped. Only the sound of the rain, pounding hard against the roof of the shed, continued to echo through the air.

How long had we remained in the same position? Was it a moment or was it seconds?

Then, with a thud, I felt a strong push on my chest. I staggered, my whole body drained, and slammed my back hard against the shelf behind me. I choked and coughed a few times, and Yuriko looked at me angrily.

"Because that's how it is."

Then she turned on her heel, untying her hair, which was tied in one knot. She opened the door and ran out under the rainy sky, which had become somewhat lighter. Her wet hair fluttered heavily, dropping drops of water like raindrops on the concrete floor.

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