I Could Be Your Crush-Sugawara Kōshi x OC

Chapter 23 : Is Sumire Going To Retire From The Art Club?

It was normal day, well, not so normal. I walked to school by myself since Kōshi went to The Nationals at Tokyo. I kinda missed him, but that doesn't stopped me from watching his games.

The day went by fast, it was club time. I went inside the club room to see what was going on, the club members were watching the Karasuno vs Tsubakihara match on the little TV Furudate-sensei left. I quickly ran and took a seat next to Yukari, who has her olive doll like eyes fixated on the screen.

As the match ended, we got up and did normal stuffs. We didn't have a big project so I advised them to try to draw little characters. "I know you all could do it!". Hours spent, paints were scattered everywhere, including markers, colour pencils, and eraser dust.

I've been thinking a lot of how could I continue this club. I don't actually know how I will progressed the club forward, I felt I was weighting them down.

Naho has excellent leadership skills and her knowledge of being a mangaka are extraordinary. Although Amane was very sarcastic but she cares for the club and her life painting of trees are out of this world. Takahiro's joker like personality he has incredible brush strokes if some paint and a brush was with him. Even though Yoshiteru was timid, quite, and very sensitive, he'd be the first one would helped if somebody needs help of creating little characters, which was the quality of a vice president that I was looking for.

Yukari was judge too soon for her stoic yet sarcastic attitude but she was actually a kind girl who could focus on one thing, she'd be the one who scolded us for wandering off every project we have. Jiro was a new edition, but like the volleyball team, he was like a prodigy, his lineart would look like his clean sketch.

Everyone was a powerhouse of art, except for me. Back then, they needed some who'd do calligraphy... now, they have Yukari. Should I retire? Or should I wait more? Furudate-sensei told me that I was a good leader, but if it wasn't for Naho's guidance of the concept, Yukari's strictness, Takahiro's mood making, Amane giving us a discouraging speech that made us believe that we could do it, Jiro's help with the poses, and especially Yoshiteru's little speech he did. The poster wouldn't be finished.

I was zoning out in my thoughts before being shake by Naho. "Sumire-san, we're ready..." She looked back at me with a stern face, I got up and inspecting their drawings. 'Oh God, they're good at this... even Amane, who resist on doing characters', I knew this club wouldn't need me anymore. They were all happy with each other.

"These look excellent!"

"Really?"

"Yep, I'll hanging on the wall next to the old third years!"

I took their art and tape. I walked over to the blackboard, memories flooded back. I was still so young when I joined this club. I didn't even knew that I was going to be the president of this club.

Drawings of the old members that I wished I'd be close to, Daisuke's robot drawing, and then there was mine, the girl with the raven hair and the silver boy. I gazed upon the nostalgia with sad eyes. I sighed and started to tape the drawings onto the board.

"You all did great"

"Thank you, Sumire-san."

I smiled at them, holding back my tears of joy. When they all finally left the building, I let out my tears. I'll retire sooner. I know I broke my promise of forcefully retire, but after seeing all of them progressed was a sign that I wasn't needed anymore in the club. 'Is this what Daisuke-san felt before retirement?'.

Wiping the tears away and walked outside the building. There was Yukari and Jiro at the gates, I jogged my way to them and pinched their cheeks.

"Are you guys waiting for me?"

"Obviously, what was taking you so long, Sumire-san?"

"Well, cleaning up the room was a bit long."

"I'm sorry, Hashimoto-senpai. I should have helped you out..."

"I-it's alright, Jiro-kun. I'm okay with it"

I walked alone, the winter air brushed through my raven hair. I readjusted my scarf and went to Coach Ukai's store. Of course, there was no Coach Ukai since he was at the nationals but there was an older woman watching the store. I bought some meat buns and the woman recognized me from my uniform.

"Hey, are you from Karasuno?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"My son went to Karasuno"

"Now he's the coach of the volleyball team and he hasn't gotten a girlfriend yet, that kid..."

"Oh..."

"Aren't you supposed to be at the nationals?"

"Oh, I'm not apart of the club"

"Really? But sometimes I would see that crow like hair of yours ever so often with those kids"

"Especially near that boy with the grey hair, I figured out that the two of you must be dating." I blushed red as a cherry as she finished her sentence, Mrs. Ukai looked at me with a knowing look. She looked just like her son. "Are you dating?" I began to sweat profusely and payed the meat buns.

She told me it was nice having company around when her son wasn't there. I felt sorry for her to watch the store alone, so I stayed. Mrs. Ukai and I talked about school, our interest, and how she wanted Coach Ukai to find a girlfriend instead of focusing on volleyball.

"Say, you didn't answered my question about that boy, Crow." She quirked an eyebrow at me who was started to sweat. "Frankly, I'd say your romance life is much more better than my son's." She chuckled. "W-well, I do have my eyes on someone but I don't think he'll like me back..." After I finished my statement, Mrs. Ukai started to shake me. "Don't ever doubted your feelings, Crow!"

I looked at the woman, head spinning like crazy. She looked at me with fire in her eyes, she told me that my graduation was nearing and this year could be the last year I could ever saw Kōshi.

"Me and Kōshi haven't been separated, everytime we'd be separated, he'd pleaded that we were not... it was so kind of him, he wanted to stick with me throughout our childhoods together."

"That's a sign that he likes you, way before you had feelings for him."

"But I made a promise to him that I'll retire from my club forcefully and I just broke it."

"What do you mean, Crow?"

"I'm the only third year in the club and the first and second years were like renaissance artists level of art. I thought that I couldn't keep up with them and just weigh them down—"

"Hey, don't get discouraged, sure you can't keep up with them but you are their leader. They needed you, but you made your choice and you chose to retire."

I looked at Mrs. Ukai with tears. "I don't even know you personally, but, don't give up." "Right!". Time went as fast as lighting and I soon realized that it was almost late. I bid my farewell to Mrs. Ukai and sprinted home.

"That boy will surely loves her back..."