The Heroines Want to Confess.

Chapter 133: The Moth Flying Into the Flame

When Sakurai Saki arrived at the classroom, he realized that it wasn't just Miko-chan who had caught a cold.

Recently, as the temperature had gone up, more people were getting sick. With the change in season, one had to pay attention to their health. Of course, those with superpower didn't fall into that category.

How could someone as a Esper still lose to a virus?

Aside from being allergic to pollen, Sakurai Saki had no other weaknesses.

"Good morning! Toyosaki."

Today, there was no Favorability level display floating in the air. The view was very clear. But that was already a thing of last week.

May 20th. Today is Thursday.

The weather was rather clear. Tomorrow's event would not be affected.

For the sports festival, the event he had signed up for was volleyball. His team had gathered six members. Hayasaka Ai and Shinomiya Kaguya had also signed up for the girls' volleyball team. Kaguya seemed somewhat unwilling—she wanted to compete in the same sport with boys team.

Sakurai Saki looked up at the blackboard. While writing notes, his pen ran out of ink, so he quickly replaced the ink refill from the pen tip. His movements were fast, much quicker than the traditional way.

'That Wish ticket from before—I wonder what those two will do with it.'

Before the midterm exams, he had promised the five Nakano sisters that he would grant a wish for the two with the best results—of course, only within the range of what Sakurai Saki could accept.

Thinking of the Wish ticket that Nino had taken out last time, the pen in Sakurai Saki's hand froze in midair.

Right now, if Nino returned the one she borrowed before, Miku would have two Wish tickets.

What kind of request would Miku make? Sakurai Saki was very curious about that.

"Sakurai-kun, this question..." The homeroom teacher, Masaki-sensei, called him to stand up.

She had noticed that Sakurai Saki was doing something else.

Sakurai Saki looked up at the question—it was a problem about calculating the slope of a straight line.

After answering simply, he sat back down.

These questions—he had already studied them on his own before. The notes were just to reinforce his memory. Studying without using superpower, to Sakurai Saki, was actually very interesting.

...

Lunchtime.

Sakurai Saki and Hayasaka Ai were having lunch on a bench in the small courtyard beneath the classroom building. It was a spot where no one else came.

"So, lately you've been helping President Shirogane train for volleyball?"

The two were talking about Shirogane Miyuki's volleyball skills.

Sakurai Saki had been helping him train for nearly a week.

Luckily, his volleyball wasn't as hopeless as his singing—still salvageable.

Later, Sakurai Saki heard from his friend Kazamatsuri Gou that he had helped Shirogane train for a while last year. That's when Sakurai Saki realized—there's no such thing as a peaceful world; someone is just shouldering the burden in silence.

Thank you, Kazamatsuri-kun, for your silent dedication, which made Shirogane Miyuki's volleyball skills slightly more average.

Otherwise, Sakurai Saki's body might've been wrecked by now.

Kazamatsuri: ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

"He's already graduated. All his skills are well-honed. Shirogane is the type of diligent genius—if he puts in the effort, there's nothing he can't do," Sakurai Saki said with admiration.

Unlike him—he didn't even need to try. And even when he succeeded, it didn't feel like an achievement.

He wasn't bragging. He was simply stating a fact.

"Ah~" Hayasaka Ai picked up a piece of tempura and fed it to Sakurai Saki.

(づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ♡(ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)

Sakurai Saki swallowed, then leaned over to look at her bento. "Ai-chan, you're only eating this much? Aren't you hungry?"

Fujiwara Chika ate a lot at lunch every day—more than most of the boys.

Yet she was always full of energy and never seemed to gain weight.

"Girls have to maintain their figure," Hayasaka Ai explained.

"That's tough. Is it worth it?" Sakurai Saki sighed.

For the sake of appearance, girls would do anything.

Even in winter, you could see girls wearing tights, exposing their red, cold thighs—yet still smiling.

What terrifying creatures.

"To catch your eyes, of course it's worth it." Ai-chan winked at him with her right eye.

Hayasaka: (˶•̀᎑-˶)~♡

"I already like you enough, there's no need for that."

Sakurai Saki shoved a sausage octopus into her mouth.

"What's there to be shy about?" Ai-chan swallowed the sausage and exaggeratedly said, "We've already done everything, what do they call that again, old married couple?"

"...Even an octopus can't shut your mouth."

Hayasaka Ai's gyaru form—so blunt and unreserved—was a bit too much for Sakurai Saki to handle.

She was a terrifying fastball machine.

"Love you~"

Hayasaka Ai teased him.

"Alright, alright, I get it, stop saying it already."

"Love, love~ Love you the most~" Hayasaka Ai was mid-sentence when she saw a kouhai passing through the courtyard.

Hayasaka: ( ˶o˶˶o˶) !!

She froze for a few seconds, then slowly lowered her head.

Sakurai Saki: "What's wrong? Shy now?"

That kouhai girl glanced at them, then bashfully ran off.

"See? You scared her off."

Hayasaka Ai, embarrassed and annoyed, placed her hand on Sakurai Saki's waist and gently pinched the soft flesh.

Sakurai Saki expressionlessly continued eating.

People with superpower have no weaknesses. Sorry, you can't break through my defenses.

Knight girl, please train for a few more years.

...

The two didn't take long to finish lunch. Sakurai Saki checked his phone, and on the way back to class with Hayasaka Ai, he made a stop at the restroom.

After that, he relaxed his body.

The next moment, after a slight headache and discomfort, Sakurai Saki opened his eyes again.

This was the side effect of today's ability—it was supposed to kick in much earlier, but Sakurai Saki had been suppressing it for over an hour.

'The infirmary?' He looked around and got his answer.

It was the infirmary of Shuchiin, and the supervising teacher wasn't there. Lucky.

"Haa~" A soft sigh came from nearby.

Sakurai Saki recalled Iino Miko's face from that morning.

Lots of people really were getting sick lately.

"Tachibana-sensei~"

A gentle female voice—she was calling out to Tachibana-sensei, the school nurse.

"Miko?" Sakurai Saki felt the voice was very familiar.

"Sakurai-senpai?"

Sakurai Saki pulled open the curtain—and it really was her.

"Senpai, why are you here?" Iino Miko asked as she tried to sit up.

"Came here to skip work." Sakurai Saki lied.

Though to be fair, he really had come here to nap in the past.

That was around three or four months into the start of last year, when he still wasn't ready to be a student—when Shirogane Miyuki had pulled him out of a pit.

Back then, he lived however he wanted, doing whatever felt comfortable. His part-time job took up a lot of time, so he needed to nap at noon. He didn't care what others thought. Even now, that hadn't changed much—but at least Sakurai Saki had learned to put up a front.

"Want some water?" Sakurai Saki liked teasing this cute kouhai-chan, but since she was sick today, he'd spare her—for now.

"Mm." Miko's little face was slightly red from the fever.

Miko: (˶˃ᆺ˂˶)

"High temperature?"

"Just a light fever, I feel much better now." Iino Miko's speech was slightly slurred.

Girls were way cuter when they were sick—and Miko was probably ten times cuter.

Sakurai Saki found a disposable paper cup nearby, then picked up the water jug and poured her a cup.

"Sakurai-senpai, that's Tachibana-sensei's stuff."

"It's fine, I'm pretty close with her." Sakurai Saki didn't elaborate.

Miko took the cup, sipping it like a little deer, slowly and gently. She clearly wasn't in great shape.

Even her voice was weak.

"Thank you, Senpai~" Miko said softly.

Did he really come to visit me? Sakurai-senpai is so gentle.

In Miko's perspective, Sakurai Saki had come here especially to check on her.

But in truth, he had just stopped by.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Osaragi Kobachi, wearing glasses, walked in.

Then, she saw Sakurai Saki sitting on the chair beside the bed.

In Osaragi Kobachi's mind, one idiom surfaced — [a moth flying into the flame].