ACT I - Sunny Conditions

The next day, I was very happy to be back at my club activities. As much as I had assumed I'd be okay with homework, after taking the academic level test, I really didn't want to see any school related things back at home.

Why? While the test was easy, the homework wasn't—so I found myself doing anything but my assignments! Plus, my glasses had made me feel dizzy once again on my way back home, therefore I thought I earned the right to rest just a little bit before going back to studying, but the next thing I knew… I was making pleading eyes at Rena so she would show me her notes before class.

I felt pathetic, and her cold eyes didn't make me feel any better about myself. But I didn't want to let go of the 'academically alright' image I had given my teachers just yesterday…

The truth is, yeah, academics were just not for me. Moving my body, though? Just my cup of tea.

So I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh and warm air of the beautiful sunny evening. I was most glad that daylight was starting to last longer, unlike early spring. And I had to say, it felt amazing to do some physical exercise outdoors—compared to math exercise indoors!

As I was finishing my warm up stretches, our club captain, Akito Seiten, approached me while jogging. His blue hair matched with the cloudless bright sky, and his light yellow eyes weren't any less shiny than the sun. I didn't take it into consideration all that much before but—no wonder he was known for his good looks.

"Hey, Seira. Got something to ask you, will you join in my jog for a couple mins?"

I bowed my head as a quick greeting and joined him on his right side.

He didn't talk immediately after his invitation, and I didn't open a topic myself because I had an idea about his character at this point. He was the strong, silent type and didn't talk all that much, unless it was necessary.

That is—only during his club activities. When I saw him around the school, he was always surrounded with his friends and various admirers, enjoying chatter. Even then, he had a cool air to him, but it was so charismatic, rather than standoffish.

Man… How I wish that were me, being popular and loved like that. I'd need to take a couple pages from his book.

After our first round around the running track, he spoke up.

"So… Heard from the teacher that you broke your glasses during training and got those new ones instead. But that's not what happened, as far as I'm aware. Mind to explain the reason for that?"

I laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, that…"

Before our training began, our biology teacher had mentioned the 'what happened to Yuujin's glasses' story to the captain, but it was only her personal theory! I had feared that he would take note of what the teacher said and wished he just dismissed it as something unimportant, but here we were…

"Well, actually the teacher kinda made up the scenario on her own, and I went with it because it seemed appropriate in that atmosphere? I was about to take the test they made for me, and so I didn't feel like I had any time to explain the truth."

He didn't reply, just glancing towards me for a couple moments and then looking forwards to our track ahead.

It seemed I had to move forward with the conversation on my own.

"...would you like to know the truth? It's a bit of an embarrassing story, though."

A faint smile appeared on his features. His eyes shone with curiosity. That was my cue to go on.

"Uhh, so… Basically, I accidentally threw my glasses into the trash bin."

His eyes widened and he made a confused sound. My stupid sleeping self had managed to take our poised club captain off guard, now I really was something else…

"Did they get broken like that…? Couldn't you have just picked them back up?"

"Oh, so here's the second half of the story. Actually, I didn't even realize I had thrown them into the trash bin, sleeping and all. The thing is… My mom didn't notice them in the bin either, and took out the trash, so…"

"F-fuha! Hahahah!"

I got startled. Huh? The captain was laughing? I had made him burst into laughter—?!

As if I wasn't embarrassed enough, I heard the giggles of a girl who was standing next to the running track. I glanced to see if she was laughing at me, but thankfully she seemed to be looking at something on her phone. It was probably a funny picture or a text.

Or so I hoped.

I had seen her occasionally hang out around the running track, possibly attending a sports club as her legs were always covered in many colorful bandages. I wondered which sport she did as her structure was so small—wait, this wasn't the time to get distracted by such thoughts!

As the captain calmed down from his fit of laughter, I felt a blush creeping into my face.

"Hahaha, man. Of all the scenarios I was expecting, this wasn't anywhere near close. This is hilarious, forgive me for laughing so hard."

"It's… It's fine…!"

I never wanted to tell anyone about this story again. I felt him pat my back encouragingly.

"Don't get shy now, sometimes such weird things happen in life! I only asked in the first place to let you know that if you need them, I have a sports band for glasses. But guess you don't need them now?"

He looked at the chains of my spectacles. He had such a warm smile on his face that I couldn't believe it was directed towards me. Plus, his reason for asking showed how caring he was towards his club members...

Was it the sun getting me feeling all warm and fuzzy or was it the club president's kindness…?

"Oh, yeah, I think I won't have any accidents regarding them falling and breaking now. But, Seiten-senpai, why do you have such a thing? You don't wear glasses, right?"

"This might be a bit hard to believe I suppose, but during my first two years I had glasses, so I used such an item to secure them. I wear contacts now, but occasionally will bring my glasses to classes when I feel like it."

I tried to imagine him in glasses, but I couldn't come up with an image. He was just so tall and muscular, somehow glasses felt like it would be so out of place with such a sporty type of guy.

Well, I guess the same could be said for me, except for the tall part.

I started to feel a bit self conscious again. My mind started to get clouded with a million thoughts in an instant. Did they look silly on me? Was I really serving a grandpa vibe after all…? Would it be better to accept senpai's offer and switch to more… Normal type of glasses—

My thoughts got interrupted with his "Those suit you, though."

Thinking I misheard, I looked at his face but only found him jogging with his usual serious expression back on his face.

"Um, did you say they suit me?"

"Yeah, I did. Anything wrong with that?"

"N-no! I was just thinking if they don't suit my vibe, that's all…"

He went silent for a while. I realized that I should have at least said thanks for his compliment, but just as I opened my mouth to thank him, he elaborated his point.

"Your vibe? Well, I always thought you gave off a really kind and thoughtful vibe. Those make you look very wise and like a… Benevolent wizard? Ain't that good."

I smiled.

He was so good at pushing clouds away, making things sunny again. Whether it was his short yet supportive words, or his immediate first aid if anyone got injured, or him listening carefully to his club members' worries, he really was a reliable captain.

"Thank you, Seiten-senpai. Now I'm kinda curious how you look with glasses too, though."

He ceased jogging. "How about I show you? Let me borrow your glasses for a bit."

For some reason, it was at that instant I realized how long we had been chatting. He was treating me just like one of his many friends surrounding him, and since I was always used to a more silent Seiten-senpai, I wondered if I truly deserved to see his more friendly and open side.

I wasn't about to ruin the atmosphere with my excessive thinking and wondering, though. I handed him my glasses.

He put them on, and just as I was about to take a good look at how he looked, he held his temples.

He was wincing in pain…!