Episode 119 – Daily Life and Sense of Discomfort

After the afternoon classes, which would be the sleepiest of all, it was soon after school. Ichinose High School has been in a state of turmoil recently, but the daily lives of students unrelated to the turmoil continue as before. More than half of the students immediately go off to their club activities, and the remaining students either go home or stay behind with their friends and just make noise.

(Well, that’s probably for the best.)

There have been too many violent incidents, suspensions, and other disturbing events at the school recently. The scene that unfolds in front of me now is a typical after-school scene at a high school, and I don’t feel any sense of discomfort. And it is probably the same for Yukihana, who is looking at her phone next to me.

Even after school, she was not preparing to go home, just sitting at her desk and staring at the static screen. The person who called me is in this condition, so I can stay in the classroom for a while and spend my time in a daze.

(If this is the last time, well, there’s nothing wrong with that.)

Yukihana said that today’s conversation would be the “last” one. In other words, this would be the last time she would have anything to do with me. I want to keep my distance from Yukihana, who is involved in direct trouble with Shinya, and I also want to prevent the conversation from getting even more complicated by her meddling. I don’t have enough preparation to deal with Shinya right now.

“……”

I have nothing in particular to do, so I watch the students in the classroom again. The boys are talking about popular music video games. The girls are excitedly talking about foreign male idols. There are many others, but what they all have in common is that they are able to “talk about themselves” with their friends.

I have never had the opportunity to discuss my interests and tastes with them. It’s not that I’m ignorant of their hobbies, in fact, sometimes I’m one step ahead of them in knowledge.

But I have no passion for them. I never loved anything in particular, and once I got to the end of it, my interest quickly ran out. So I don’t know what I myself like or what I’m interested in. Therefore, I can’t

talk about myself. Even if I did, it would be either a lie or an appropriate excuse.

(……Phew)

Come to think of it, Yukihana was the first person I ever told about my past. I’ve never revealed anything to my sister, and she’s been very careful not to mention it. At that time, I was able to “talk about myself” for the first time, but that was only because I thought I needed to. And above all, my heat for the past had cooled to an extreme.

“So, you know, that scene over there……”

“Eh, isn’t that really crazy !?”

“Ah, it’s almost time for my part-time job…….”

Even when I look at them, I feel like I’m completely lacking in humanity, especially when I don’t want to join in their conversation. In the past, I would join in conversations with my friends, but I was always the listener, and if the conversation was going to be bad for me, I would try to force it into an unrelated topic. I always tried to put a smile on my face and think I was having fun, but I guess it was only stressful when I think about it.

(……Well, it was about time.)

About ten minutes had passed since I started doing some sort of human observation. She wanted to talk to me, so I waited. I was getting ready to leave if she didn’t make a move soon. With that in mind, I turned my attention to Yukihana. Then Yukihana took her eyes off the phone screen and glanced at me.

“……You can go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

“…….”

I left my seat after Yukihana told me that. I put my belongings in a locker so that Ican go home immediately. It is a declaration of intention that I do not want to get involved in any more unnecessary problems.

Then I stepped onto the stairs leading to the rooftop. The area is usually off-limits, but there are no barricades, and the door to the rooftop is unlocked. In other words, it was the perfect place to have a secret talk.

“Come to think of it, I came here once during the sports festival.”

No, it was not once, if I think about it. The first time was a chance encounter with former vice president Miura, and the second time was when Hisui brought me in as if he was half threatening me. It seems like a place with not so good memories for me.

I opened the door leading to the rooftop and stepped inside, tormented by these bad memories. Naturally, there was no one in particular, and I was greeted by an unpleasantly bright and sunny sky. I walked over to the railing and looked down at the playing field spread out below.

“…….The soccer club, and over there is the handball club, huh.”

Beyond that, I could see the baseball team running on their own field. A high school student who is seriously devoted to sports, unlike the playful time at the sports festival. I was dazzled by the opposite of what I am now.

“…………….”

Suddenly, I remember that time. That is a conversation with Miura, the former vice chairman. I’m sure Miura told me at the time that there was a backstory to the sports festival. And it was resolved via Hisui and the matter was settled. However, there is still a mystery that has not been solved.

How did Miura know that there was more to the sports festival than meets the eye?

“…..At that time, it was an unexpected proposal, so it was temporarily put on hold.”

I never thought that I would be approached to play as a substitute in another class’s (3rd year) match, so I was distracted by that and stopped thinking about that side until now. In hindsight, it was too convenient. I didn’t trust Miura from the beginning, but it was time to think about him.

“As I recall…..I used a vague method.”

I think Miura said something like that. What exactly is a vague method? I can think of several ways, but none of them can be done with half preparation. It is something that can only be done on the premise of at least some misdemeanors. But whether he, a single high school student, could take such a drastic step is a mystery.

“……No, no.”

Once I rejected my previous thoughts, I decided to look back on that sports festival from a bird’s eye view. Chronologically, it happened before Shinya transferred to this high school. And as I fit the pieces that are now in place one by one, there are things that come into relief.

“Don’t tell me……he was trying to get my attention?”

Miura didn’t participate in the relay that time, using his injury as an excuse. And what was Miura doing while I was running the relay for him? Even if I tried to find out by asking questions, it was almost impossible because I had attracted the attention of the whole school at that time.

“……”

I reassess my priorities and alertness. And at that time, I heard the sound of the door opening behind me. It seems that Yukihana has finally made it to the rooftop. I take my hand off the railing and turn around.

–Click

(……Hmm?)

Just before I turned around, I heard the rooftop door close and lock at the same time. Then I saw a figure slowly approaching me.

(……What kind of joke is this !)

There was a girl.

However, I could not see her face. Because a familiar rabbit mask was attached to her face.

Slowly, the girl came closer to me.