Chapter 97: Afternoon, the Time to Reject a Confession

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Afternoon, the Time to Reject a Confession"Where’s Senior Uesugi?" Chitose Mai asked after returning from the washroom, not seeing him in the shining floor of the Kyudo Field. Everyone was busy with chores. "Here." Sakurai Fumiko handed her a mop and said, "Uesugi thinks it’s not good to keep a girl waiting, so he went on ahead." "Ah?" Chitose Mai looked at the wet mop in surprise and then asked, "What about his cleaning chores today?" Sakurai Fumiko winked at her, pointed at the mop in her hand, and said with a smile, "It’s all yours." Through the lush green lawn, there were targets still up at the azuchi. "And what about those targets?" Chitose Mai pointed over there and asked. Sakurai Fumiko glanced to the side, spread her hands, and sighed, "Well, that’s on you too." Before Chitose Mai could protest, Sakurai Fumiko added: "The lawn needs some work today as well; the weeds have grown a bit tall." "Do I have to do that too?" Chitose Mai pointed to herself, her pretty face full of shock. Sakurai Fumiko shook her head: "Can’t be helped, can’t be helped; our Kyudo Club is short on members, and a few more just quit recently." She patted Chitose Mai on the shoulder and smiled, "Those who can, do more, right?" "..." —————— The twilight and sunset enveloped everything; yesterday’s raindrops lingered between the vibrant petals, making them more vivid and shimmering with a crystal-clear glow. Enjoyable times bring pleasant moods. Smelling the flowers climbing the courtyard walls, Uesugi Sakura switched the direction of the bow bag in his right hand and continued to walk slowly forward. A few lively girls with shoulder bags came laughing in front of Uesugi Sakura, sneaking glances at him as they noticed him. "Hey, hey, Yousuke, there’s a handsome guy." "Yeah, yeah, and he seems to be from the Kyudo Club." "I bet he looks even cooler in his Kyudo Uniform. We can see him at the sports festival, right?" "Hee hee, Mana, if you go to the Kyudo Club, you can see him shoot arrows. Do you want to go ask for his contact now?" "No... no need." "Haha, you’re shy." "No, I’m not, go away." Just like that, the group of high school girls teased each other and left. Uesugi Sakura shook his head helplessly, inwardly criticizing himself for having a charm level of 7 that felt fake. If it were to go up to 9, what could happen? Probably a halo buff with blessings, enhancements, and exhilaration all at once, surrounded so tightly he couldn’t run away. Being too handsome isn’t great either. Uesugi Sakura thought, deciding not to use those attribute points on charisma. His handsomeness should be for Hanabi alone to appreciate. "Little Hanabi~" In his mind, he imagined Hanabi smiling at him; she was so adorable he wanted to pinch her soft, squishy cheeks. The zelkova tree in the courtyard stood with a dignified posture. The tender green leaves spread and fluttered in the wind, casting a shadow over a girl with long hair. She bowed 90° in front of Uesugi Sakura, bravely speaking a simple confession: "Please go out with me, Uesugi." The wind at sunset blew her hair by her ears, brushing her cheeks. Uesugi Sakura was unmoved: "I’m sorry, um, Sawatori, but I already have a girlfriend." An old-fashioned response, but it’s the truth. Sawatori Minatsu looked up, shocked, confusion evident under her black glasses. She opened her mouth cautiously and asked, "Uesugi, you’re not...lying to me, right...?" Naturally, she had gathered information about Uesugi from various sources before confessing. "No need." Uesugi Sakura replied expressionlessly, the 2-meter tall black bow bag in his left hand adding a touch of cold indifference. This kind of foregone conclusion was better ended sooner. The ruthless rejection made Sawatori Minatsu hang her head. She had even imagined him holding her hand, happily strolling through the campus together. Countless classmates would look at them with envy, amazed, and jealous of their love. How could it be... like this... For a girl to muster the courage to confess, naturally, she had to put in ten times the effort. Sawatori Minatsu’s first love was not something she wanted to give up on. Come on! She gritted her teeth, giving herself one more shot of courage, her face full of determination, and loudly said: "Uesugi, we could at least become—" Under the rustling zelkova tree, the sincere expression on her face slowly faded, and the hand she reached out fell in disappointment. "Frie...nds..." The wind roared through the twilight, cutting across the silhouette already receding into the distance. —————— Uesugi Sakura arrived at the study meeting later than usual. Haneda Kimu, dressed in a professional outfit, was busy coaching Kiyohara Tomomi in the back row. When she saw Uesugi come in so late, she didn’t comment further. "Here." "Thank you, Sakura-kun." Receiving the milk Uesugi Sakura handed over, Hanamaru Hanabi nodded in gratitude. "None for me?" Ayaka Rie peeked over at the milk Hanabi was holding and asked Uesugi Sakura. "Nope." "For the class rep?" Ayaka Rie asked again. "Nope." Uesugi Sakura replied while sipping the same milk. Kyujuu Rika glanced over at them, saw nothing unusual, and continued studying. "So it’s only for Hanabi-chan?" "Obviously." Uesugi Sakura replied without turning his head. "The stench of love." Ayaka Rie grumbled with resentment, "Lately, Hanabi-chan doesn’t hang out with me anymore." Hearing this, Hanamaru Hanabi, who was sipping her milk, looked down in embarrassment; she had spent all weekend with him. Uesugi Sakura always felt that best friends existed just for gossip and jealousy. "You can tag along behind us." "?" "To watch you flaunt your romance?" Ayaka Rie deliberately lowered her voice so others wouldn’t hear. "Then you can go find someone yourself." "Tch," Ayaka Rie paused for a moment, then suddenly appeared disdainful, "I don’t like guys; there aren’t many good ones." "That’s a sweeping generalization." Uesugi Sakura stared at the crushed box in his hand, "Most people in the world are still good." Ayaka Rie turned back, her face not looking pleased, and said quietly, "My mom used to believe words like yours." Uesugi Sakura, with his sharp hearing, naturally caught her barely audible words. "Rie-chan..." Hanamaru Hanabi put down the milk she was holding and looked at her with concern. "It’s nothing." Ayaka Rie raised her head again, returning to normal, "It’s just that sometimes thinking about past things feels unpleasant." "So, was that why you were always targeting me?" Uesugi Sakura asked. "That’s not targeting; that’s protection." Ayaka Rie’s expression was normal, "You, Uesugi, are always hanging out with Goto. Who knows why you need so many girls’ contacts, and who knows if you’re that kind of scumbag, tricking gullible girls like Hanabi."