Chapter 17: Locking my childhood friend in the art preparation room

Locking my childhood friend in the art preparation room

Sitting at the desk, I absentmindedly gazed out of the window at the schoolyard.

The soccer team members were vigorously practicing since the morning.

Among them, Tokita, who should be the ace, was nowhere to be seen.

He had been lamenting multiple times about having a meeting with the culture festival executive committee from the morning.

“Hey there, Boyan, staring outside again?”

“Good morning, Aya. Yeah, I was looking outside.”

“I-I see…”

In front of me stood a beautiful girl with short brown hair.

Her white short-sleeved blouse was dazzling.

“Aya, is your health okay now?”

“Yeah… probably just due to the air pressure.”

Yesterday, Aya had taken a day off from school.

It seemed like the fatigue from the amusement park two days ago and the tournament the day before that had hit her all at once.

Aya, who boasted of being confident in her physical fitness, had me quite worried.

“Air pressure, huh? I’ve never felt that.”

“Well, that’s you, Boyan…”

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Aya smiled awkwardly toward the window.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

It appeared that making eye contact with me in the classroom was uncomfortable for her.

Since the school trip, we had only exchanged greetings at school.

Having a conversation like this in the classroom was quite rare.

Suddenly, Aya turned around.

It seemed she was being called by her female friends.

Her profile transformed into a bright smile, seemingly glued on, as she responded.

“Alright, see you later, Boyan.”

Aya lightly vanished from my view. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Near the entrance of the classroom, her female friends were giving her encouraging words like “Too bad about Aya’s competition” or “Don’t worry!”

Classmates, particularly boys, were stealing glances at Aya.

Yesterday, the day Aya took off, one of the girls had been showing everyone a photo of Aya from the tournament.

Taking advantage of Aya’s absence and Tokita’s role as an executive committee member.

The boys were also nonchalantly peeking at their phones, pretending to be interested with comments like “Oh~” or “How did the results turn out?”

That girl came over to me too, with an innocent expression, asking, “You want to see too, Boyan?” I nodded honestly.

There were a few group photos of the team members and some action shots during the game.

But there weren’t any close-up shots of just Aya.

If there were, I’m sure they would’ve been told to delete them.

Aya was wearing the designated uniform: a pink-themed T-shirt and black shorts.

Without realizing it, my attention was captured.

I had never seen her in a uniform like this, and it was my first time seeing Aya wrapped in pink.

So incredibly fresh, cute, surprisingly fitting, and her expression during the game was cool… I couldn’t help but be captivated once again.

While I was lost in thought, the girl said, “Are you tired, Boyan? We’re done”, and left.

She had been gently advised by Aya’s friends, who are close to her, not to show it to the other boys.

In some way.

That atmosphere felt slightly uneasy.

Ah, so this is what Aya’s complex relationships are like, where she avoids unnecessary provocations.

Aya is currently having her head patted by her friends, returning the gesture in kind.

As I glanced at Aya, who was laughing happily, Tokita entered the classroom.

“Hey everyone, listen up!”

With the commanding voice cultivated in the soccer team, he addressed the entire class.

Once Tokita reached the teacher’s desk, he briefly looked at Aya and then put on a serious expression.

“Um, it’s about the preparations for the cultural festival. Our class 2 has the haunted house. Today marks the start of full-scale preparations. Everyone will be assigned tasks individually, so please cooperate. We only have three days left after today.”

As Tokita spoke, the classroom fell into silence.

Some students began to take their seats.

Impressive leadership.

Perhaps Aya was drawn to things like this as well.

“Edato-sensei… Oh, Edato-sensei, who had been leading the cultural festival preparations, suddenly left, and the executive committee is quite chaotic. So, everyone, let’s all work together on this!” Sparse applause followed.

Other students were responding with “Okay” or “Understood”.

Edato-sensei… The guy who recorded Aya and my intimate moment during the school trip, planning to use it to assault Aya. He left the school immediately after the trip, claiming it was due to taking care of his parents. However, rumors said he had been caught making advances towards other female students.

Confiscating Edato-sensei’s digital camera might have been one of the reasons he left.

I’m still carefully keeping the camera.

Perhaps Edato-sensei won’t try to approach Aya like that anymore.

But if he were to get close to Aya…

At that time…

“Alright, we’ll start the preparations in the afternoon, so everyone, let’s get to work!”

Tokita urged for applause once more.

The class remained peaceful today as well.

- - - -

Morning classes came to an end, and finally, the preparations for the cultural festival began.

Under Tokita’s efficient guidance, everyone worked together as a cohesive unit.

The unique sense of otherworldliness I felt during the school trip was beginning to permeate again.

I was assigned the task of coloring the sign for the haunted house.

“Whoa, we’re running out of paint… Boyan, could you get some from the art preparation room?”

A male student who was also in charge of coloring asked me, and I stood up.

Aya’s figure wasn’t in the classroom.

It seemed she was working on something for Class 2.

I walked out into the corridor and headed towards the art preparation room.

When I opened the sliding door to the art room, it was empty.

Yet somehow, I had a feeling Aya was there.

I passed through rows of paintings and canvases in the art room, then opened the door to the art preparation room in the back.

“Whoa! Oh, it’s Boyan… You surprised me.”

Aya was standing there, holding about ten boxes of paint.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at me.

“Wait, did you come to get paint too, Aya?”

“Yeah, we’re in charge of painting the walls, after all.”

For some reason, Aya said this in a proud tone.

She walked past me and placed the boxes of paint on a table in the art room.

“Should I help too?”

“No, it’s okay. Reinforcements are coming soon.”

“I see.”

“Boyan, are you also here for paint?”

“Yeah, I’m in charge of coloring the sign.”

I said it with a bit of pride.

“Yeah, yeah, Boyan, you’re good at art.”

Aya nodded with an oddly proud expression.

She seemed like a patron who had discovered a young talent.

“Your art has a unique world view too.”

“Hey, don’t belittle it~”

Aya has a knack for unique art.

Back in elementary school, she showed me a drawing of a peculiar creature with three hairs growing from a gourd, claiming it was a portrait of me. I’ve kept that drawing safe.

It was the first and last portrait she drew for me.

Even in middle school, Aya’s art retained its distinctive style.

One day, Tokita teased her, saying, “This drawing is insane!” After that, I didn’t get to see Aya’s art much. I remember being upset that it was ridiculed and it bothered her quite a bit.

Come to think of it, I was quite annoyed with Tokita back then.

Only Aya can create such cute drawings.

“…I like Aya’s drawings.”

I calmly expressed my opinion in a low voice.

“Oh… thank you…”

Aya looked down, rearranging the paintboxes meaninglessly.

– Bring her here.

A whisper from my gut feeling.

I was planning on it from the start.

“Sorry, Aya, could you help me for a moment?”

As I spoke, I entered the art preparation room.

“Oh, sure.”

Aya entered the room as well.

The room was dimly lit, with curtains drawn, and filled with the distinct smell of paint.

First, we looked for paintboxes prepared for the cultural festival.

Aya came next to me and pointed toward the cupboard.

“Boyan, there, under the cupboard, there are a bunch of them in the cardboard.”

I squatted in front of the cupboard and pulled out around ten boxes of paint from the cardboard.

“Aya, can you leave these here?”

“Sure thing.”

Aya carried the paintboxes and headed toward the door.

I followed her empty-handed.

Just as Aya was about to leave the art preparation room, I stretched my arm to close the door, blocking her way.

Aya came to a sudden stop.

I had closed the door right in front of her, reaching out from behind.

I thought she might be bewildered or surprised, but Aya remained silent.

“Haa…”

A small sigh escaped Aya.

She seemed troubled.

It appeared my little scheme was within her expectations.

Aya held the paintboxes and slowly turned towards me.

She seemed a bit annoyed.

“Are you only having me carry these?”

“I’ll carry everything.”

Saying that, I approached until our bodies touched.

“Boyan, this is school, you know…?”

Her tone was instructive, as if she was persuading someone who didn’t listen.

It was like the tone you’d use to reason with an unruly child.

If Aya became a mother, would she scold her children like this?

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I gently patted Aya’s head.

“Sigh…”

Aya let out another sigh.

This time, it seemed to be a mix of exasperation.

Despite her attitude, Aya’s cheeks had been turning pink since a while ago.

I extended my hand slowly and touched them.

Her skin was slightly warmer than my hand.

In the dimly lit room, we stared at each other for a while.

Through the touch of our palms, I could feel Aya’s emotions.

Kissing, maybe?

Is it okay?

Just a kiss.

Boyan, it seems.

Me too.

But…

…impossible.

Impossible, impossible.

It’s impossible.

Because it’s school.

If we’re seen.

By Tokita.

By friends.

If we’re seen.

If it’s known.

Things will break.

I don’t want them to break.

It’s scary.

Aya clenched her lips tightly.

Even though we did some pretty bold things during the school trip and at Aya’s house.

It seems she resists even kissing me at school.

School is the place where Aya is most cautious.

One might even say it’s the place where she’s most frightened.

She must be scared that if our relationship were to be discovered, it might break her friendships and other relationships.

Aya’s anxious heart is palpable, painfully so.

It’s like standing in a place that’s collapsing and crumbling.

“Boyan, let’s go…?”

Aya looked up at me.

Her expression was strained, on the verge of tears.

If it were the old me, I might have been flustered by her face.

I would’ve apologized and opened the door.

“Don’t leave.”

A gut feeling warned me.

“Aya, stay here a bit longer.”

“Why?”

Ignoring her question, I slowly leaned closer.

With both her hands occupied by the paintboxes, Aya couldn’t prevent my approach.

Aya’s eyes trembled with unease, but she didn’t turn her face away.

The moment our lips met.

The sliding door to the art room opened with a clatter.

The footsteps of several people entered.

Aya and I stood clustered, just inches away from each other.

“Oh, where’s Aya?”

“Hey, she’s not here.”

“Where’s Aya?”

The sounds of voices came from the direction of the art room.

The voices of Aya’s female friends could be heard through the door.

Come to think of it, Aya had mentioned earlier that reinforcements would be coming soon.

They were probably here to help with transporting the paint.

When I looked at Aya, her gaze wandered around my chest area, and she seemed frozen.

The color drained from her face.

Aya tends to look like this when she’s in a panic or her mind goes blank.

If she just left with a nonchalant expression, saying something like “I was helping Boyan”, no one would suspect a thing.

Could it be that guilty feeling is robbing her of clear thinking?

-Don’t go out.

God’s intuition was telling me to stay hidden and observe.

I gently held onto the door of the art room.