The Loveless Genius and the Scowling Diving Girl – Grand Blue IF – - The Goddess of the Cafeteria and the Unrefined, Shameless Woman

Spring sunlight streamed through the large windows of the student cafeteria, "Wave." Two hundred seats were filled, the smell of curry mingling with the chatter of students. At a table by the wall, Sakurako narrowed her deep brown, upturned eyes and let out a sigh. In front of her sat a tray with miso soup containing shiitake mushrooms and a grilled mackerel set meal. Across the table, Iori was wolfing down curry rice. It had been a few days since they'd decided on their project in the library. Today, they were supposed to hash out the details for their Seahorse hands-on training session. "Hey, check this out!" Iori thrust his phone screen right up to Sakurako's nose. The display showed a lineup of colorful diving suits. "What kind of fish is that?" Sakurako glanced at it and delivered her line coldly. "Huh? It's not a fish! It's a wetsuit!" "I know that! I'm asking why you're showing me pictures of diving suits!" Sakurako's voice grew louder. Nearby students glanced their way. Fiddling irritably with the pin holding back her bangs, Sakurako lowered her voice. "I was thinking about which one to wear for the training. This blue one's pretty cool, right?" "You own a wetsuit?" "Nah, I'm gonna borrow one! From the club's gear!" "Then you can't pick! Just wear whatever's available!" Even as she snapped at him, a small warmth stirred deep in Sakurako's chest. Seeing Iori look forward to the ocean this much made her feel strangely ticklish. But more than that, it irritated her. Because this guy was always like this. Grinning like he didn't have a care in the world, oblivious to her feelings, talking to her however he pleased. Even though he was her best friend's boyfriend— "More importantly, did you actually check the training timetable?" Sakurako deliberately spoke coldly and pulled out her phone. "Ah... not yet." "Unbelievable! Why didn't you read the materials I sent you in advance?!" "Because I was busy reading books about the ocean!" "That's because you only borrow books that have nothing to do with the project!" Iori laughed without a trace of guilt. His slightly droopy eyes narrowed innocently. On his left wrist, the friendship bracelet Konan had given him swayed gently. Sakurako averted her gaze. Seeing that bracelet always made her stomach twist painfully. "Oh yeah, can you actually breathe underwater when diving? Is it like a bubbling feeling? And if there's an octopus, can I touch it?" "You already asked all of that earlier! And don't touch the octopus!" The moment Sakurako raised her voice, Iori tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "But man, I'm really looking forward to going to the ocean with you, Hamaoka-san!" Her heart leaped. Sakurako held her breath for a second, then turned her face away sharply. Her ears felt hot. This idiot—how could he say something like that so casually? "...Shut up. Just hurry up and eat your curry." She muttered quietly and sipped her miso soup. The shiitake broth spread through her mouth, but she couldn't taste a thing. As if to seal away her emotions, Sakurako gripped her chopsticks tightly. —No. This feeling... it's absolutely not allowed. I can't face Konan. That was when it happened. A stir of noise came from the cafeteria entrance. Looking up, she saw three female students entering. Walking in the center, her hip-length straight black hair swaying, was Takanashi Shiho. Behind her, two hangers-on from the cheerleading circle followed closely. Takanashi's narrow, sharp eyes swept across the cafeteria. And when they found Sakurako's table—those eyes narrowed coldly. But immediately, a perfect smile bloomed on her face. A flawlessly beautiful, meticulously crafted smile. A chill ran down Sakurako's spine. Takanashi began walking, tray in hand. Deliberately choosing a route that passed right by Sakurako's table. In that instant, Sakurako knew. —Here it comes. Takanashi passed beside Sakurako's chair. At that moment. "Oh!" A theatrical voice. Takanashi pretended to lose her balance, twisting her body. The coffee cup in her hand tilted—and its contents spilled onto Takanashi's white blouse. Every gaze in the cafeteria converged on them at once. "—Sakurako-san!" Takanashi shrieked in a high-pitched voice. Her face perfectly composed into an expression of hurt, she showed Sakurako the coffee-stained blouse. "Do you have some kind of grudge against me?!" The surrounding crowd buzzed. Sakurako was speechless. She tried to stand, her chair clattering loudly. "What? You're the one who bumped into—" But her voice faltered. The words stuck in her throat. The curious eyes of the onlookers were all fixed on Sakurako. "Isn't that Takanashi-san, the second-year?" "Poor thing... did she get coffee thrown at her?" She could hear the rubberneckers' voices. The blood drained from Sakurako's face. —Again. It was just like last week in Room 301. Takanashi always did this—made Sakurako out to be the villain in public. Perfectly calculated so she couldn't talk back. "Uh, should I step in or something?" Iori started to stand up, completely missing the point. That only drew more attention their way. "Just sit down and stay put!" Sakurako snarled back under her breath. The situation was getting worse by the second. Takanashi twisted the corner of her lips, just barely. In the blind spot of the crowd. At an angle no one else could see. "That's quite enough." Uttering the words coldly, Takanashi turned on her heel. But before she left—only when passing in front of Iori—Takanashi flashed him a dazzling smile for just a moment. "Imamura-kun, come talk to me again sometime, okay?" A sickly sweet voice. "Huh? Uh, yeah? Do you come by our class sometimes, Shiho-san?" Iori answered innocently. Seeing that, Takanashi smiled with satisfaction. And then. The moment she passed beside Sakurako. "Just you wait, you grubby, shameless woman." Her voice lowered to its absolute limit. At a volume only Sakurako could hear. Leaving behind a venomous smile, Takanashi departed with her entourage. The crowd dispersed. But the whispers around her still clung to Sakurako's ears. "Hey, is that girl a first-year?" "Yeah, probably. Picking a fight with a second-year out of nowhere..." No. No, no, no. She was the one who started it. But her voice wouldn't come out. Sakurako stood frozen, clenching her fists. Her nails dug into her palms, stinging slightly. —Just you wait, she said. Her head spun with rage. Her eyes grew hot with frustration. "Hamaoka-san? Shiho-san seemed kinda mad... did you do something?" A carefree voice. Sakurako bit down hard on her lip. "...It's nothing." She answered curtly. Desperately forcing strength into her throat so her voice wouldn't tremble. Of all people, Iori must not find out. Showing weakness... she absolutely refused. Sakurako picked up her remaining tray. Her hands trembled faintly. "...Really, it's nothing." She murmured once more, as if convincing herself. Sakurako carried her tray to the return counter. Her footsteps sounded strangely distant. —I absolutely will not cry. Gritting her teeth, Sakurako left the cafeteria. Night. After closing time at Café Rondo. Outside the window, streetlights flickered on one by one along the tree-lined avenue. Sakurako was silently polishing the counter. Gripping the white cloth tightly, she wiped the same spot over and over. "Your face has been looking tense again lately." A voice called out from across the counter. Yuzuki Saya. The owner, with her loosely tied chestnut hair and gentle eyes, left a lasting impression. Sakurako's hands stopped. "...No, it hasn't." "I wonder about that." Saya said nothing more, pouring warm cocoa into a cup. Steam rose, carrying a sweet aroma. The cup was placed gently by Sakurako's hand. Sakurako stopped wiping the counter and stared at the cocoa. —Should I tell someone about Takanashi? But who? Iori? No. Konan? Even more impossible. Saya-san? ...Would talking about it make me feel even a little better? But she couldn't talk about it. Talking about that woman meant admitting she was weak. And besides—even if she did talk, what would change? "Saya-san." She started to speak, then stopped. "...Never mind." Sakurako wrung out the cloth again. The cold water seeped into her fingertips. She couldn't find an answer. The guilt of her feelings. Her anger toward Takanashi. A loneliness she couldn't share with anyone. All three piled up deep in her chest, and the frustration of not being able to talk back in the cafeteria that evening surged up again. —Just you wait, you grubby, shameless woman. Takanashi's whisper echoed in the back of her mind. Sakurako squeezed the cloth tightly. Tomorrow, the training session alone with Iori was fast approaching. The ocean was her only refuge. Underwater, gravity and sound both vanished. She could shed her armor and return to her true self. —But that alone isn't enough. Unless she did something about her frustration with Takanashi. Unless she did something about these feelings she couldn't tell anyone. "...Yeah, there's really nothing to talk about after all." Murmuring quietly, Sakurako took a sip of cocoa. The sweetness seeped, just a little, into the thorns deep in her heart. But the things she truly needed to talk about— She still hadn't been able to say a single one of them.

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Episode 3

Name: The Loveless Genius and the Scowling Diving Girl – Grand Blue IF –
Author: Novelia

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