Welcome, to the Bad End Route - V1 SS 2

 

Volume 1, Side Story 2: Bad Selection ~Yukinaga Mutsuki~

 

 

Sunday. I was at school today because of club activities.

Shigure, who I went shopping with last time, was also present, but we hadn't spoken a word to each other even once today.

After morning practice, we had our break.

I was eating the lunch I had bought together with a few club friends of mine in my classroom.

 

"Tendou-kun, may I have a word with you?"

 

Someone called out to me, and I turned around and found out it was our student council president Yukinaga Mutsuki-senpai.

 

"Yukinaga-senpai? Can I help you?"

 

I got acquainted with Yukinaga-senpai in third semester last year, and she was such an elegant student council president.

I had an opportunity to help out with some student council work, and that was how I met her.

Yukinaga-senpai became the student council president this year. She was very popular because she was both smart and beautiful.

I wondered if this person had any flaws.

 

"I need some help with the student council, do you have time today?"

"Let me see..."

 

I was wondering what it was all about, but it was the same student council work as usual.

To be honest, it was a chore. I liked doing club activities because I liked soccer, but I didn't like the idea of working on a Sunday.

Still, Senpai was definitely a beauty. Even then, I was hesitating whether I would want to work with her.

 

―― Don't help

 

"Sorry, I have club activities to attend to..."

 

But a chore is still a chore. After all, why should I be working on Sundays?

 

"It doesn’t necessarily mean you’d work right away, you know?"

"No, I still think I'd be exhausted later."

"I see... It can't be helped, then."

"I-I’m sorry."

 

Yukinaga-senpai's disappointed expression made me feel slightly guilty.

 

"Um, if I change my mind later, I could go help..."

"Really? I understand, I'll pick you up here later, then."

"Understood. Let's see...I think you can stop by at around 3 o'clock, if that’s okay..."

 

To erase that guilt, I gave a positive answer, even though I almost certainly had no intentions of going back.

However, a small, happy smile from Yukinaga-senpai left me with another kind of guilt.

Then, just as Yukinaga-senpai left the classroom, a friend who was listening in came talking.

 

"You, you knew Yukinaga-senpai?"

"Sort of."

 

The person who spoke to me was my friend, Togawa Umi, who was in the club and class as me.

By the way, this guy was the ace of the soccer team and was also good-looking, yet it was weird that a guy like him never had a girlfriend.

He had been a friend of mine since middle school, but every time I was with him, I always felt a sense of inferiority.

 

"Hmm. More importantly, why did you refuse?"

"I mean, it's too much trouble..."

"I can't believe you turned down that senpai's invitation~. Well, it should be given, considering that you already have two girlfriends, Hareyama-san and Azumi-san!"

"They're not my girlfriends."

 

After lunch break, we resumed with our club activities.

 

 

At the appointed time.

Club activities were coming to an end, and I usually went out with friends or headed home after.

Now, what to do...or rather, the answer was obvious from the beginning.

I wouldn't go and help, this decision wouldn't change.

To tell the truth, I wasn't even that tired today. But still, I simply didn't want to work on a Sunday.

But, Senpai's expression... Should I at least contact her?

 

―― Don't contact

 

...Well, it should be fine. Senpai probably wouldn't be too happy if I contacted her to say no.

If she found out I wasn't there when the time came, she might give up, instead.

 

"Susumu, are you heading home~?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"You sure about this?"

"About what?"

"Yukinaga-senpai."

"It's fine, I'm tired."

 

I decided to go home after playing around with Umi for a while.

 

 

Next day. I went to school as usual with my childhood friend Hanae, then met Reika at the school, and we exchanged greetings.

I noticed the classroom had a bit of an unusual atmosphere.

There was a strange gathering of people at a certain corner. In addition, I could hear squeals coming from my female classmates.

All the boys' gazes, which were usually focused on Hanae and Reika, were fixated on that corner.

That seat I believe...was where Jimichi Ikuto is.

But it wasn't Jimichi there. Was some handsome guy from another class sitting in Jimichi's seat?

I never exchanged words with him. It's not that he had an unapproachable aura...but somehow, I just didn't want to talk to him.

Either way, I wasn't going to join the crowd there. I didn't like being part of a large group.

Fortunately, Hanae and Reika didn't seem interested at all either.

However, for a brief moment, I saw Reika's eyes flash across Jimichi's seat.

Anyone would be curious about the commotion. In fact, even I was initially curious, too.

 

―― If you're interested, why not go?

 

"Reika, if you're interested, why not go take a look?"

 

For some reason, the idea that Reika was curious irritated the hell out of me.

It wasn't so much that she really was interested, but that she only looked over for a bit.

 

"What, are you jealous?"

"Huh? The heck should I be jealous for?!"

 

I didn't notice it when I said that, but maybe she was right.

Maybe I didn't like the fact that the girls I was close with were looking at other guys.

Rather, what was I even talking about, she wasn't even my girlfriend. However, I didn't want to back down because she pointed out something rather embarrassing, and I raised my voice instead.

 

"W-what’s with you, you're just embarrassed."

"Whatever, just go leave!"

"L-like I said, what's been with you for a while?!"

"I told you to just go there if you're interested, didn't I?"

"...Fine! I don't care anymore."

 

Reika stormed out the classroom with an angry look on her face.

Now I'd done it. I didn't mean to say all that.

 

"Hey, Susumu-kun. That's no good... You have to apologize to Reika-chan."

"S-shut up. If you care about him too, then go ahead!"

"Are you okay? You've been acting weird since a while ago..."

 

Hanae was right. Looking back, I felt like I behaved that way towards Reika because I thought she going to do something unpleasant.

I didn't know what that unpleasant thing was. Maybe it really was just jealousy that was making me weird.

While I was thinking that, it felt like...I made eye contact with the person sitting at Jimichi's seat.

Somehow, that guy seemed like...he was grinning at me?

It wasn't long before I learned that that guy was the same dull, gloomy-looking Jimichi.

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