The next day, after school.
Sunlight fell through the treetops beside the sports field, casting dappled shadows. A figure sat on a bench beside the field.
"Onizuka, you're here!"
"Yeah, Ichinose. I still owe you a favor from last time, after all."
The two met on a bench beside the sports field.
"I was wondering, Ichinose, what did you want to see me about?"
Ichinose looked awkward as she slowly began to speak:
"It's actually about a confession..."
Huh?????
For a moment, Onizuka wondered if he was falling behind the younger generation. Why was she even talking to him about a confession?
He didn't think he and Ichinose were close enough to discuss this kind of thing. After all, this was only their second time meeting.
"Ichinose, um... why did you come to me?"
Seeing Onizuka's confused expression, Ichinose explained:
"The person who wants to confess to me is a little unusual, and they're in our class."
"I couldn't think of anyone to ask for advice, and after giving it a lot of thought, I decided on you, Onizuka. You don't have any history with them, and you're pretty reliable..."
A hint of pleading and helplessness showed in Ichinose's voice.
"Isn't Kushida there? It seems like you're all pretty close to her, aren't you?"
At Onizuka's words, Ichinose seemed even more troubled, frowning slightly.
"How should I put it... It's not nice to speak ill of someone behind their back, but I just don't think Kushida is very reliable..."
What a sharp sixth sense.
Most people might only feel Kushida's almost abnormal affability. To see through her true nature by instinct alone, without relying on observation, was impressive. No wonder she was Class B's leader.
Perhaps realizing that the conversation had strayed too far, Ichinose brought it back on track.
"Let's get back to the point, Onizuka."
"Anyway, this classmate is going to confess to me, and I'm troubled because I don't know what to do..."
Hearing that, Onizuka understood at once. Couldn't she have just said that in the first place?
"Um, can I ask how you feel about them? Do you want to accept their confession?"
"I don't... um... I absolutely can't!"
Wow, what a decisive answer! Onizuka couldn't help feeling sorry for that poor guy.
"Then why not just turn them down? Why are you troubled?"
"Huh? Is that okay? Won't it hurt them too much? I was actually hoping you'd pretend to be my boyfriend so I could turn them down more naturally..."
Onizuka couldn't process that for a moment.
"Ichinose... I won't agree to that. Something like that would be the greatest insult to your classmate."
"Just tell them how you really feel. You don't always get the answer you want, and I'm sure they've already made up their mind before deciding to do this, right?"
"No matter what the outcome is, they'll be able to accept it!"
Hearing Onizuka say that, Ichinose fell silent for a while, as if thinking it over carefully.
Then she lifted her head, clenched her fist, and gave herself a pep talk.
"All right, I understand. But please wait here a little while. I'll be right back."
"Huh? Nearby? A confession?"
Now it was Onizuka's turn to be surprised. This world really was one giant amateur production. Was she seriously going to do it that casually?
Without answering, Ichinose had already gone behind the school building near the sports field, where he could no longer hear her.
Before long, he saw a girl suddenly run out from behind the school building, crying.
A girl...
Huh????
No way. Had Ichinose's charm really reached that point? Could even girls not resist it?
Still, after thinking it over, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Ichinose was usually like a gentle, adorable big sister. Especially in such a harmonious class as Class B, it was only natural that the girls adored her.
Then Onizuka saw Ichinose emerge from behind the school building too.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Onizuka."
"Thanks for the advice. That girl was very strong and accepted it after I told her how I felt. We can still be friends from now on."
Very strong... All she did was run off crying after an eight-hundred-meter sprint...
"It's fine. By the way, I only just realized that the person who wanted to confess to you was a girl."
Hearing Onizuka say that, Ichinose looked surprised. She tilted her head slightly and asked with an innocent expression:
"Didn't I tell you that?"
Onizuka stared straight into Ichinose's eyes without moving, and Ichinose held the same pose as before.
"You didn't even use the word 'she' once, did you?"
The two of them stared each other down like that...
Before long, Ichinose guiltily looked away.
"All right, all right. I admit I deliberately kept that vague. But please keep it a secret, Onizuka. I don't want this to become a burden for her."
"Of course." Onizuka blinked his slightly dry eyes and asked:
"By the way, Ichinose, why did you ask me to stay?"