Chapter 216: Shima is Not Honest

As I look around the stadium, there is no sign of Claudia-san or the devil doll.

（What in the world was happening…）

I mutter to myself.

The two of them suddenly appeared and suddenly disappeared. I don’t know what’s going on.

（I doubt they could have just hit it off and gone off to play somewhere, though…）

Looking down at the field, I see that the women’s 200m race is in progress on the track.

After the men’s 400m, the women’s 400m, in which Saori-chan is competing, is supposed to start.

I unwillingly drew a lot of attention earlier, but no one was looking at me anymore.

（Oh man, I’m tired all of a sudden…）

Almost at the same time I sit down on the back of the plastic and sighed, I saw Saori-chan running towards me from the stairs.

「Onii-chan!」

「What’s wrong? Isn’t the 400 meters about to start?」

I asked, to which Saori-chan replied in a fidgety tone.

「W-well… O-onii-chan… you seemed to be surrounded earlier」

「Oh, you saw it, huh? Actually, when I tried to take a picture of Saori-chan running, I was mistaken for a voyeur…」

「I see…」

「Yeah, that’s why I couldn’t cheer for you, I’m sorry」

「Eh, no, don’t worry about it! Speaking of which… where’s Fujiwara-senpai?」

「Hmm, Saori-chan, did you saw Fujiwara-san was here before?」

「Eh? Ah, umm… well, you know, she kind of eye-catching, and she looked like she was with Onii-chan earlier」

「Yeah, she stands out, doesn’t she? That blond hair of hers. Fujiwara-san said she was there to support her friend, but she seemed to have gone away while I was surrounded. Maybe she’s at her friend’s place,」

「Oh, I see…」

Saori-chan suddenly looked relieved.

「But, is Onii-chan okay? Did they hurt you?」

「No, I’m fine. Thanks to an acquaintance who happened to be passing by and proved to me that there was no such thing as voyeurism, I was fine」

Then she looked at me with a subtle expression on her face, like she was trying to figure out my expression.

「They were… women, right? The two of them」

（I guess she saw them, too…）

「Yeah, one of them was a classmate of mine, but they had left」

As soon as she heard “they’re left”, her expression brightened up for some reason.

「I’m so glad… Onii-chan is popular… But I wonder if Onii-chan could have a lunch with me」

She smiled softly and seemed to be full of cuteness like a small animal.

（So cute, So cute…）

I can’t help but think that anyone who could betray this girl would be a real devil.

「Don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise. I’m really looking forward to your lunch, too」

As soon as I said that and she lowered her eyes with a happy expression, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

「Hey! You are Kijima, right? It’s been a while! It’s me, it’s me, Shima Natsumi, remember me?」

That’s Natsumi Shima, a.k.a. “Why(Nande) not(yanen)?”.

（Hey hey, Shima-san! I told you to pretend to be someone else, but why are you talking to me like that?）

「Eh, ah? Uh, yeah」

Saori-chan also looked a little surprised and asked Shima-san.

「Shima-senpai, are you acquainted with Onii-chan?」

「Yes, we know each other. We were in the same class in the first year. We sat next to each other, and we were pretty close! Right, Kijima?」

「Eh, well, y-yeah…」

（W-what the hell is she thinking?）

Even though I stared at her, she didn’t seem to be intimidated, on the contrary, she distorted her mouth as if it was a good thing.

「I see(Hoka), I see(Hoka), he is the beloved “Onii-chan” Moribe was talking about… So you were talking about Kijima, huh…」

「S-Shima-senpai!」

Saori-chan shouted loudly, and Shima-san shrugged her shoulders and waved her hand.

「No, no, just kidding, just kidding, don’t look so scary」

Then she shouted toward the stairs.

「Hey, Ui-chan, Kijima is here. You remember him, right? We were in the same class with Kijima!」

And then…

「Hmm!? Ohhh!」

Tashiro-san came walking toward us from the stairs, acting like a frightened little animal.

「Ah, oh, i-i-it has been a w-while, Confine-… Ki-kijima-dono」

「…Dono?」

Saori-chan tilted her head suspiciously, and Shima-san turned her face away, trying hard not to laugh.

Yes, Tashiro-san is the type of person who cannot perform as an actor.

She looks like a goblin who suddenly starts speaking human language, as often seen in fantasy.

I think because she thought this was a bad idea. Shima-san said something like a follow-up with a wry smile.

「Well, it seems that this area have been getting noisy, so we came to check」

「Oh, I see. It seems that Onii-chan was mistaken for a voyeur when he tried to take a picture of me」

「Oh, I get it. Well, that’s what people think when they saw a guy like him holding a smartphone」

Shima-san points at me with her finger and shrugs her shoulders.

（Okay, Natsumi will be punished later!）

Almost at the same time I decided so in my heart–

「H-hey, Shima, you’re talking too much!」

「That’s right, Onii-chan is popular guy!」

Tashiro-san and Saori-chan confronted Shima-san, and she hurriedly changed the subject.

「Ahaha, well, well. Anyway, shouldn’t the participants of the 400m race must gather soon? Moribe」

「Ah, yes, t-that’s right」

「Well, I know you’re worried about Kijima, but you need to concentrate on the game. Come on! We’ll stay with Kijima for a while. Then nobody will bother him!」

When I opened my eyes in surprise, Shima-san gave me a wink.

「Are you sure?」

「I don’t(Kamahen) mind(Kamahen). Anyway, our turn is the last one in the morning, so we’ve got a lot of time on our hands」

Then Saori-chan turned to me and smiled.

「That’s good, Onii-chan, I feel a little relieved now」

「Ah…yes」

「I’ll do my best. Please support me」

「Oh, Leave that to me」

「Okay, I’ll be going」

Saori-chan ran off, looked back at me before the stairs, and waved happily.

I watched her go down the stairs and gave Shima-san a blank stare.

「…Hey」

「What’s with the scary face?」

「I told you to pretend to be someone else」

「I did. But I can’t help it. Look at her. Ui-chan’s on the verge of exploding because you’re flirting with one girl after another」

When she said so, Tashiro-san was sitting on the seat next to me, looking up at me with moist eyes.

「Oh, I’ve missed you Confinement King… I couldn’t stand the thought of you in the same stadium…」

Tashiro-san’s cheeks flushed, and Shima-san shrugged.

「Right? Ui-chan’s mood is getting worse and worse since you’ve been neglecting her since the summer vacation started, and it really annoys me. Ui-chan misses you every day」

「Oh… I see. Is Tashiro the only one who misses me?」

「O-ohh, of course!」

「I see, heh~…」

「What are you trying to say?」

「No, nothing…」

Then, Shima-san turns away.

「You meanie… If you say I want to be with you… of course I do」

I could see that her neck was turning red.

（She’s not honest… but that’s what makes her cute）

「But I promise to support Saori-chan」

I said with a wry smile, and Tashiro-san nodded broadly.

「Of course. But after the 400m run, Moribe will move to the second stadium to accompany Takasago」

「Hmm? What do you mean?」

When I tilted my head, Shima-san stuck pointing her finger at my nose and spoke.

「From the time Moribe finishes her run until the 3,000 meters we’re competing in, the time is reserved! That’s what I’m talking about」