I'M NOT GAY! [semi × shirabu]

Chapter Five: I don't mind you hurting me.

"Is it okay if we skip afternoon training for a week, coach?"

Everyone looked at the third-years as they bowed their heads down in front of Coach. Instead of our usual black shirt and jersey shorts, they were still wearing our school uniform. "Why?"

"Well, it's our hell week with projects, so..." Tendo-san scratched the back of his head. "We're hoping that we can get a little free time."

"Yes, Coach." Ushijima-san placed the excuse letter on Coach's hands. "Although Tendo said that if you allowed us, we will go to a—"

"Amuse our classmates with our projects! Y-yeah... haha."

Coach raised his eyebrows before signing the excuse letter. "Well if it's school works, I don't see any reason to decline. Make sure that you still do your daily exercises."

"Yes, Coach!"

"You can come back anytime," Coach said, walking into the gym where the first-years are playing. "You think I would go 'Oh no, how will the team work without you'? IDJITS. Go!"

"Coach would say all of that, but watch him cry later because they're gone." Yunohama laughed.

"What is that term again? A tsundere?" Taichi looked at me. "Well, it's good news that Semi-san's gone. I can have you all for myself now."

I looked away, creating an awkward silence between the three of us. It's been two weeks since I rejected Goshiki and I still can't tell the same thing to Taichi. I hang out with him and Yunohama as usual, but when his mouth spurts out things like that, I just don't feel comfortable hearing it.

Speaking of Goshiki...

"Shirabu-san!"

"Did I make you wait?" I asked him before picking up a ball from the bench.

"Nah, just on time. Give me some tosses, please!"

I removed my jacket and placed it on the bench before running to the net and joining in with their 2v2.

The day after "that", Goshiki told me to act normal. To be honest, I would prefer it if I would just avoid him to make him forget about me sooner, but he said seeing me play in the same court as him keeps him going, so... I'm just doing my best to not be so aggressive to him.

"Oops, sorry!"

"I told you about this so many times before, but can you check if there's someone before you hit it that way?"

"Right, sorry!"

... although he's still stupid as fck.

***

"Did you guys hear it?"

"Pfft— yeah. I can even hear Washijo-sensei crying from the teacher's dorm."

"Oni-sensei said he's looking at his phone and staring at his pictures with the senpais. Saito-sensei even said he wasted two boxes of tissues."

"Watch him act all cold tomorrow as if nothing's wrong."

"Then, we'll drop you off here," Taichi said when we arrived at the main gate before giving me my bag. "Be careful on the way home."

"Yeah," I answered as I pull out my phone from my pocket, texted my sister that I'm about to go home. "Oh?"

I was stopped in my tracks when I saw a new candy store opened up, two blocks away from my house. It won't hurt to buy some to chew on later, so I walked inside. Aside from a pair of schoolmates who were minding their own business, it seems like the shop is empty.