Chapter 26: Only You Are the Exception

Chapter 26: Only You Are the Exception

Actually, Yatsuno Gen had remembered something Miura Akihiko had mentioned to him before.

There was a senior from the kendo club who paid a lot of attention to Kazama Sakura.

Mm, it seemed to be this person.

In truth, Yatsuno Gen could quite understand boys of this age getting jealous and competing over a pretty girl. He could not say they were boring or that they were putting their thoughts where they did not need to.

Nor was there any need to blindly condemn and belittle girls for not keeping the relationships around them perfectly clean.

Because this sort of demand was not something most boys and girls could achieve. If human nature did not love conflict, then there would be no such thing as war.

If you did not think of fighting for good things, and instead always hoped that even if you did nothing, the other party would firmly choose you and even give up something better for your sake, that was a kind of arrogance, and also a kind of extravagant hope. No such rule existed in this world.

Most of the time, it was merely a fantasy found in novels.

However, that did not mean Kazama Sakura was the kind of girl Yatsuno Gen was talking about.

For example, right now.

Yatsuno Gen merely calmly met the other party’s gaze, while Kazama Sakura beside him, after a brief moment of surprise, immediately said,

“Sorry... It may not be very convenient.”

Kazama Sakura’s voice was not loud, but she spoke very clearly. She raised her head to meet his eyes, without the slightest hint of coy reluctance.

Instead, it made the girls around them feel somewhat puzzled.

“Eh, I remember now. Didn’t they say this senior was pursuing Kazama?”

“T-This means she’s refusing him, right? Could it be because of Yatsuno-kun?”

“Although, well, Yatsuno-kun does seem better-looking, he also looks too delicate. And I heard Yatsuno-kun is an orphan, right? Is Kazama...”

Kazama Sakura did not seem to hear these discussions. She had simply made the choice she thought was right in a very short time.

Or perhaps this was not a choice at all.

Because aside from the boy beside her, she did not want any boy to sit on the other side.

Watanabe Ga clearly frowned, but he, who prided himself on having a strong heart, did not give up because of that. Instead, he looked toward Yatsuno Gen, whose expression remained calm.

“There shouldn’t be any problem if I sit beside you, right?”

Yatsuno Gen smiled.

“As long as you don’t find it awkward, of course there isn’t.”

“...”

Watanabe Ga could not help tightening the hand at his side slightly.

Of course he understood what the other party meant.

Look, she already does not want you to play third wheel here, yet you still insist on coming over. Isn’t that a bit shameless?

Unfortunately.

His life principle was that the things he wanted had to be fought for with all his might, and so far, there really had been no goal he had failed to achieve.

So he truly forced himself to sit beside Yatsuno Gen.

All at once, in the eyes of the bystanders, the whole atmosphere seemed to become interesting.

After all, they were not the people involved. What psychological burden could there be in watching a spectacle?

It seemed to be the most melodramatic love triangle. Could they just start fighting already?

Kazama Sakura had a bit of a headache. She did not understand what Yatsuno Gen meant by saying that. Did he not understand what she meant?

Why did he have to invite trouble?

Could it be because of that competitiveness between boys, where he had to face things head-on at a time like this to prove he was not a coward?

No.

Yatsuno Gen was not that kind of person at all.

The fact that he could go straight to the office and face Yamazaki Jihei for her sake meant he did not care about so-called conflict at all, nor was he afraid of putting himself at risk.

Then what was it for?

Watanabe Ga paid no attention to any of this. After sitting down, he immediately took some beer from the side.

Then he looked coldly at Yatsuno Gen beside him.

“Drink?”

Yatsuno Gen looked at him in feigned surprise.

“I thought Senior Watanabe would challenge me to a duel through kendo. So you’re planning to compete in drinking instead?”

“...”

The corner of Watanabe Ga’s eye twitched.

He took a shallow breath.

“Using an area I’m good at would be meaningless. I just think this is fairer.”

He directly opened two bottles of beer, placing one in front of Yatsuno Gen and keeping one for himself.

“How about it?”

His provocation became even more obvious.

Yatsuno Gen grasped the bottle, then looked at him and said, “There was never any such thing as fairness in matters like this to begin with, and whether I drink or not won’t represent any result. I think you understand that.”

“Of course I understand. And I know you too. You’re very famous.”

“Really? More famous than you?”

Watanabe Ga gave a cold laugh.

“Of course. After all, many girls only look at faces and don’t care about certain other qualities or hard skills. Some things can’t be decided in a short time, but most of the time, time proves everything.”

Kazama Sakura found it a little unbearable to listen to.

What was all this nonsense?

No, she had not intended to make things this troublesome. Besides, she knew that Watanabe Ga liked her and was pursuing her.

She had also directly rejected him before.

Was drinking this alcohol really necessary? Was this that strange desire for victory between boys?

“Senior Watanabe... I think I made myself very clear before. Between us...”

“Wait.”

Yatsuno Gen pressed down on Kazama Sakura’s leg.

His large hand covered the soft yet firm flesh of Kazama Sakura’s thigh. He had not actually done it on purpose, only subconsciously thinking her hand was there.

But it seemed that was not the case.

Kazama Sakura also froze, her eyes widening as she looked at the boy.

Then her gaze moved downward. Her cheeks quickly flushed, and an unknown, ambiguous emotion began brewing in her eyes.

All of this seemed to be the expression of shyness, yet she still did not remove Yatsuno Gen’s hand.

Only when the boy calmly withdrew his hand did he say,

“This is a battle between men, right, Watanabe?”

Yatsuno Gen looked over. The corner of Watanabe Ga’s eye was twitching.

Do you think I did not see you directly touch her leg just now just because you moved your hand away now?

Damn it, even I do not hold a sword that casually and naturally!

But things had reached this point, and there seemed to be no way to retreat. After all, in everyone’s eyes, he had already issued a declaration of war, and the other party had accepted.

Even if Kazama Sakura’s preference would not change because of this matter in the end.

At the very least, he had to make Yatsuno Gen suffer a little.

He revealed what he believed was a cruel cold smile, then looked at Yatsuno Gen and said coldly,

“Using kendo would be bullying the weak, but you’ll understand that the so-called advantages you have amount to nothing in front of me.”

He gripped the beer can tightly, as though gripping a familiar sword hilt.

Then he raised his head and drank it down in large gulps.

By comparison, Yatsuno Gen’s movements were much more refined, not so exaggerated or beastlike.

However, his drinking speed was not slow at all.

However much the other party drank, Yatsuno Gen drank the same.

Kazama Sakura was almost going mad with anxiety.

Lunatics!

It had not been easy for her to call him out, and it was not like she only wanted him to come to the KTV. She had prepared quite a few activities afterward!

If he got drunk, would today not end right here?

Were they sick?!

And what kind of battle between men was this? Could drinking alcohol count as a battle? Was that not a bit too chuunibyou?

But Kazama Sakura truly had no way to stop all this, because not only were the two drinking without any regard for anything, as though only the two of them remained in the entire private room,

But the boys and girls around them had stopped singing too. Their eyes were burning, even fanatical, as they watched this side and wildly cheered them on.

“Go, Yatsuno-kun, you can do it! Do you want me to drink for you?”

Which green tea bitch was that? Get out!

“Senior Watanabe is amazing! He even crushed the beer bottle after finishing it!”

Then why not drink the bottle too?

“Wow, both of them are going all out. No, wait, can they drink with their clothes off? Then put their arms around each other’s shoulders and stare into each other’s eyes...”

Fujoshi are not allowed at the dinner table either!!

This drinking contest seemed endless. Originally, the people in the private room had not drunk much, and the senior who had organized this group outing had still been somewhat worried.

Now, seeing this scene, she nodded at Kazama Sakura in satisfaction.

“Very good. None of the alcohol we ordered today will go to waste. Kazama, you did well. We’ll invite you next time too.”

Kazama Sakura:???

Beer indeed did not hit as hard as whisky or baijiu, and it took effect more slowly.

Most of the time, it mostly bloated the stomach.

So basically, a person’s beer tolerance often depended purely on body size.

To be honest, after three or four bottles, because he had drunk so quickly and urgently, Watanabe Ga was already having a hard time.

But when he found an opening to glance at Yatsuno Gen, the other party was still drinking in a calm and effortless manner, with the same number of empty bottles placed on the table as his.

So he gritted his teeth and drank two more bottles. Because he could not go to the toilet, and even more could not throw up, after that bottle, he was forced to stop.

His eyes were somewhat red, though it was unclear whether he had choked or whether the alcohol had simply gone to his head.

He felt that if he moved even slightly now, he might spray the alcohol out. Yes, directly spray it out.

Like a fountain.

There was no need to say how embarrassing the consequences would be. Moreover, people were taking photos and videos right now. Whether the entire school forum would later be filled with images of him turning into a fountain was hard to say.

So he truly could not force himself any further.

Until he saw Yatsuno Gen lightly set down that bottle.

Then he opened another bottle. Looking at Watanabe Ga’s unconvinced eyes, he smiled and said,

“I actually think bravely expressing your affection and pursuing the person you like is a very good thing.”

“...You haven’t won yet.”

Watanabe Ga did not like the other party comforting him from the position of a victor, because that was usually something he did.

Damn it, why had he chosen a drinking contest?

Unfair, unfair. Rematch!

Then, right in front of him, Yatsuno Gen directly finished that bottle, and then, as though nothing had happened, opened another under Watanabe Ga’s gradually horrified gaze.

He said,

“Actually, I had absolutely no need to have this so-called drinking contest with you today. I’m not that much of a chuunibyou person either, and besides, competing through alcohol isn’t exactly healthy competition. But...”

“What...?”

He furrowed his brows tightly, even his breathing becoming heavy.

Kazama Sakura did not want Yatsuno Gen to keep drinking, because there was no need to continue. Even if he looked completely fine, who would be fine after drinking this much in one breath?

He was only forcing himself to endure, right?

After all, he was such an arrogant person.

She wanted to reach out and stop him, but Yatsuno Gen moved faster, finishing it in one go again, then calmly placing the empty bottle on the table.

Together with the bottles he had finished before, it was arranged very neatly.

Only then did he look at Watanabe Ga and smile.

“But I don’t want Sakura to think that my attitude toward her is indifferent.”

“...”

Watanabe Ga could not say a word.

He suddenly felt a strong sense of defeat.

This sense of defeat had not appeared in a very long time. It was from when he was learning kendo and facing his older brother.

At the time, Watanabe Ga had thought he was already a genius, but only after truly crossing blades with his brother did he understand.

His brother’s kendo was above his own. It was a crushing blow from a higher dimension, a completely different realm.

And now, in this strange area,

He actually felt that this boy named Yatsuno Gen, who in his eyes had only a pretty face for deceiving girls,

His feelings were on a completely different level from his own.

Compared to him, Watanabe Ga seemed more simple, childish, and even selfish.

Yatsuno Gen said those words very softly, and Kazama Sakura did not hear them clearly.

She only saw that after Yatsuno Gen calmly stood up, Watanabe Ga beside him said nothing, merely lowering his head in silence.

The boy looked toward her.

His expression was perfectly fine, still carrying that lingering smile that made people both love and hate him.

“Sorry. I drank a bit much, so I may have to leave first. Will you see me off?”

“...Of course.”

Kazama Sakura held back the impulse of her heartbeat beginning to go wild.

She stood up, then boldly extended her hand and held the boy’s arm.

It was like the gesture one should make when supporting a drunk person, but only she herself understood the reason for doing so.

She did not want others to think she was using the battle between two exceptional boys to raise her own reputation and satisfy her vanity.

She hoped they would understand, and that Yatsuno Gen would feel it too.

She had always been brave and firm.

Once she chose a path, she would walk it straight without wavering.

Before her, only Yatsuno Gen was the exception.