"Thank you."
As the sun began to set, club practice ended, and the club members slowly left the dojo. Everyone was exhausted from the intense practice. Even I, who was just watching, was tired.
"You're tired," Mahima-senpai said to me, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a towel. Unlike the others, she seemed to still have energy left.
"You're tired too. Thank you for letting me watch practice today."
"It's my pleasure. How was it? Watching practice?"
"Um, it was amazing. Everyone was so powerful, and Mahima-senpai's power was amazing too. The way you swing the bamboo sword is so beautiful."
I'm an amateur, but it seemed like Mahima-senpai was on a different level.
"I see. I guess I put in more effort than usual because I knew you were watching." Mahima-senpai seemed embarrassed.
"You were really cool…"
The Mahima-senpai I saw in practice today was the Mahima-senpai I admired: cool, dignified, and…
" ...Fufu, thank you. I'm really happy to hear that."
A few seconds of silence passed. Mahima-senpai just fidgeted and didn't say anything. The silence was awkward, so I spoke up.
"Um, thank you so much for today. …Well, I'm going home."
"Wait. Um… If it's okay with you, Chihiro-kun, I'm going to change now, and then, if you'd like, we could walk home together…"
"Chihiro-senpai! Let's walk home together!" Before Mahima-senpai could finish speaking, Otowa-san, already dressed in her uniform with her twintails, came in energetically.
"Reina-senpai, you're tired! You were beautiful today!"
" ...You are tired too, Himeno. Thank you."
"Ah, speaking of which, Reina-senpai, Miyacho-senpai was waiting outside the dojo. Maybe you two are going on a date? Wow, that's hot!"
Otowa-san was in high spirits. It was hard to believe she just finished a tough practice, she was so energetic. I glanced at the entrance and, as Otowa-san said, Miyacho-senpai was standing there.
"I see…"
"It's so cool to go on a date with a handsome guy like that. Youth, huh… …Kasugai-senpai, shall we go on a date too?" Otowa-san said this and grabbed my arm tightly.
"N-no. Don't tease me. Also, y-you're close."
"Would you really go if it was serious?"
" …Himeno. You're bothering Chihiro-kun, so stop it."
"S-sorry!" Otowa-san straightened her back when reprimanded by Mahima-senpai.
"And let go of Chihiro-kun's arm. …He's uncomfortable."
"Y-yes!?" Otowa-san quickly let go of my arm.
"I'm sorry, Kasugai-senpai."
"It's, it's fine."
"Good. Well, it's not good to keep Miyacho-senpai waiting, and we should go home too. Excuse us! Come on, Kasugai-senpai too!"
"U-uh, yes. Excuse me."
"Right. Take care, you two."
"………………………………"