Chapter 403: Asserting Sovereignty?
At lunchtime, Kaede and Eriri sat together, watching from a distance as Usami, Kawashima Ami, Aisaka Taiga, and Kushieda Minori sat together.
Taking a sip of miso soup, Eriri whispered, "Kaede-kun, it seems Usami is really a bit angry."
"I don't think it's to the point of anger, after all, nothing has happened," Kaede shook his head and said, "But I never expected Uchimaki to actually chat with Imari for a few words; that's very rare."
Listening to Kaede, Eriri looked to the other side, where several boys were also sitting together. Kitamura Yusaku and Takasu Ryuji seemed to be teasing Uchimaki Subaru, and Uchimaki's expression was a bit downcast.
It seemed he knew Usami was in a bad mood now, but he didn't quite know how to deal with it.
"Kaede-kun, do you think Uchimaki will come to you for help later?"
"Help?" Kaede couldn't help but laugh, "It's no use asking me for help; I don't have any relevant experience. I'm wholeheartedly devoted to Eriri."
"Hehehe, that's true."
Eriri smiled triumphantly, then picked up a piece of beef from her bowl and put it into Kaede's mouth, "Your reward!"
The very ordinary daily interaction between the two once again made many students around them feel sour.
On the other side, Kawashima Ami looked at Kaede and Eriri, who were constantly showing off their affection, and quietly said to Usami, who was sulking by herself, "Look over there, then look at yourself. What's the use of sulking like this? Just do as we said earlier, go and assert your sovereignty properly, so others won't dare to make a move. Look at Asakura and Eriri being so high-profile every day; does anyone shamelessly try to get involved?"
"Ugh... that's true."
Usami said, blushing, "But for me to be like Eriri, I can't do it."
Just holding hands in public was something Usami couldn't do, let alone feeding each other in the cafeteria like Eriri, which would make her die of embarrassment.
Aisaka Taiga, sitting opposite, bit into a chicken wing and said indistinctly, "So, you're really useless. You're already dating, but you're still shy about this and that. Don't let someone really steal him away, then you'll truly have nowhere to cry. Well, although I think with Uchimaki's personality, besides you, Usami, no one else would be interested in him anyway."
Kushieda Minori looked at her good friend and didn't know what to say. Did she have to be so blunt?
However, Aisaka Taiga's words did make Usami react, and she immediately retorted, "Who says so? Uchimaki-kun has his good points too!"
"Oh? Then tell me?"
"Ugh..." Usami began to think, "Um... he's serious about things, very sincere with people, doesn't have any messy habits, and is very polite..."
"Those are all very normal things; it's normal to have them. Otherwise, you, Usami, would be abnormal." Waving her hand, Aisaka Taiga sighed and said, "Ah, never mind, what I said was a bit problematic. After all, when it comes to love, no one can really say how people fall for each other."
Kawashima Ami looked at Aisaka Taiga, who was speaking so eloquently, and laughed, "Oh my, you sound like you know a lot! Why don't you share some experience with Usami?"
"Me? I just saw it online." Aisaka Taiga blushed and glared at Kawashima Ami, then said to Usami, "Anyway, no matter what, he's your boyfriend. You have to keep a close eye on him yourself; we can't help with that."
Nodding, Usami said, "I understand."
Immediately, she made a decision: on the way home from school, she would definitely have a good talk with Uchimaki Subaru.
Just then, Kawashima Ami asked, "By the way, Usami, I haven't asked yet, how far have you and Uchimaki progressed? Have you kissed?"
As soon as this question was asked, the two girls opposite also looked curiously at Usami, hoping to get an answer from her.
Among their friends, currently, besides Kaede and Eriri, there was only Uchimaki and Usami as a couple. But Kaede and Eriri's relationship developed too quickly; they still wanted to see a relatively more ordinary courtship.
"Kkkk... kiss?!"
Usami's small face instantly flushed, and she waved her hands, saying, "What are you asking about?"
Looking at her shy demeanor, her avoiding gaze unable to meet anyone's eyes.
Kawashima Ami nodded, "Yeah, we kissed."
"Yeah, we kissed."
The two people opposite repeated the phrase, and then Aisaka Taiga said, "Since you've already kissed, what is there to be shy about?"
"Taiga, that's easy for you to say. Don't you know I'm the one who has to make a move?"
Usami retorted, "If it were you, would you be able to make a move?"
"Me?" Aisaka Taiga pointed to herself and said calmly, "I'm not dating anyone, so why would I be nervous? And if I were dating someone, I'd like to see who dares to steal my man
I'd cut them down with one strike!"
As she spoke, she mimed holding a wooden sword, and coupled with her fierce expression, it made Usami instinctively shrink her neck.
But, relatively speaking, she also gained some confidence and generally knew what she needed to do.
Soon after, it was time for the afternoon club activities.
Uchimaki Subaru was the student on duty today, so everyone else left the classroom first and headed to their clubs.
He erased the blackboard, cleaned the classroom, and finally took a bag of trash downstairs to dispose of it.
After finishing his tasks, Uchimaki Subaru wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, let out a breath, and turned to go back. He then saw Imari Maria sitting on a bench not far away, looking like she was spacing out.
Thinking back to the few words he had exchanged with her that morning, although it wasn't obvious, he could tell she was a kindred spirit. Thus, Uchimaki Subaru halted his steps toward the classroom and instead walked toward Imari.
After a while, inside the Art Club, Usami, who had already completed her competition entry, was not practicing with her drawing board as usual. Instead, she sat nervously on a chair, her gaze occasionally flicking toward the activity room door.
Noticing her actions, the Club President, who was lying on the sofa reading manga, asked, "Usami, what's wrong? You look restless."
Before Usami could speak, Eriri immediately said, "She's waiting for Uchimaki, of course. She's feeling threatened."
"Ugh... that's not it at all!" Usami quickly sat up straight and shifted her gaze to her drawing board, but she still didn't start drawing.
"Threatened?"
The Club President looked confusedly at Eriri. He was a third-year student and quite lazy, so he didn't know about today's transfer student, much less why Usami was so tense.
After Eriri's explanation, the Club President realized what was happening: a beautiful transfer student had joined the class and was sitting behind Uchimaki Subaru.
But to feel threatened just because of that, wasn't that a bit much?
Just then, the clubroom door opened.