Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store.

“That girl probably won’t be anyone’s girlfriend.”

“What?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, that Hyuga, she has been repeatedly confessed to by seniors, juniors, and people in the same club but she rejects them all in a roundabout way.”

“Heh. She’s so guarded, that makes her even more desirable.”

“Stop it, you pervert.”

“According to her, ‘I am not interested in romance at all because I am enjoying myself the most right now’.”

“Wow, that sounds like an insecticide!”

“What a waste! Aren’t high school girls supposed to sparkle precisely because they’re in love?”

“Hmm, in that case, those glasses are to ward off guys! Without glasses, she would undoubtedly be a diamond in the rough!”

“Shut up, Nishimura.”

“Well, I suppose there are such girls out there, though they’re rather strange.”

“You’re going to be shot down if you rush in there in vain.”

“Unfortunately… Hakamada, we don’t have to pick up your ashes.”

“Hah? What do you mean by unfortunate?”

I certainly didn’t get the impression that she was in love with me from her. I wondered why she was messing around with me.

Oh, that was only for fun, right? I was conscious that she was having fun with me.

I wasn’t seriously interested in her either. I thought we were even.

The relationship between me and Hyuga was not flawless. To put a name to the relationship, it would probably be just senior and junior. We were not even friends, and our relationship was unstable.

It didn’t matter to me when things ended. Wherever she disappeared from my life, I probably wouldn’t go after her.

I bet the same goes for Hyuga.

She took pleasure in everything. Enjoyment abounded everywhere for her and I was certain that I alone was nothing to her.

Perhaps she was playing around with other guys besides me, just like how she was messing around with me.

When I thought of that, I nearly developed a distrust of Hyuga. But right before that, I snapped back to myself. What would I do if I let that distrust sprout? She was less than a friend, a mere acquaintance.

It was absurd for me to harbor such feelings. I had nothing whatsoever to do with who she was talking with or who she was hanging out with.

All I had to do was maintain a moderate distance from her so that I wouldn’t be completely carried away by the pace of the younger student, and so that I wouldn’t get too close to her.

Right. The relationship between me and Hyuga was nothing more than a whimsical hanging out.

Other than that, no contact whatsoever existed between us.

At lunch break. On the rooftop of the old school building.

This was where I usually went when I wanted to be alone.

A sign was placed here stating that it was off-limits or something but I didn’t care about that. Thanks to the rusty lock, I could get in easily with a little fiddling.

The teacher would probably scold me severely should they find me but nowhere else in the densely populated school was it quieter and more relaxed than here. The rooftop of the main building was no good. Not only was it overflowing with people at noon, but at worst, couples would start flirting with each other without regard to the public eye… It was indeed a very active time of the year.

This rooftop, on the other hand, was better than that one since it was smaller and, aside from being slightly filthy, hardly anyone came here. For me, who would be stressed by a crowded place, this was the ideal place to be.

Although no particular reason existed, I felt like grabbing a meal alone today, so I told Kinoshita and the others in advance and headed out on my own. Being alone and stumbling about was not unusual for me.

I was haphazardly sprawled on the floor, stuffing a bento from a convenience store into my mouth.

Right then, Hyuga popped up next to me unexpectedly.

How long had she been there? I mean, was she a stalker?

Despite my exaggerated astonishment, I didn’t chase her away. Several months had passed since I had established this strange relationship with Hyuga. I have gotten rather accustomed to dealing with this guy. Trying to chase her away would conversely draw her interest in me and would drain my energy, which was why assuming a calm demeanor as if nothing was wrong turned out to be advantageous in this instance.

In response to such an attitude, Hyuga shrugged and grumbled, “How boring.”

Hah, it was not boring for me to witness you making that kind of face. It made me feel like I had done you a favor.

“Why are you here?”

“Just came to tease my senior a little.”

I pinched her cheek, which was as elastic as a takoyaki.

“Udadadad! It’s a lie! It’s a lie, senior!!”

“You’re full of lies! Damn you! I swear!”

When I released her, Hyuga made a pitiful face and pressed her cheeks together.

“Are you feeling like being alone right now? If so, I will leave you alone.”

“Whatever… go ahead and do whatever you want.”

“Yay, I did it!”

Who the hell was she directing that at, her “Yay, I did it.”

Recently it had occurred to me that this guy, despite all her poking and prodding, showed great care and concern for me. I was positive that if I told her that I wanted to be alone right now, she would grin and say, “See you later,” and leave.

She truly was a strange woman. Besides…

“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes?”

“You know, coming all the way out here just to mess with me.”

Every pupil at this school should be aware of the unnerving rumors about the old school building’s roof.

“Are you talking about the rumor about specters appearing?”

“Right. Besides, everyone is too frightened to enter. The only people who are comfortable entering this place are me and those who want to challenge their courage.”

I snickered, “There’s no such thing as specters.”

“I’ve heard all kinds of accounts about a woman in red standing there, a bloodied youngster sitting there, or some other enigmatic creature pursuing someone, and there’s just so much going on that it seems sketchy and I don’t believe it. I mean, I’ve actually been in here and nothing happened, which is a letdown.”

Everybody’s screaming like idiots and being dumb. You’re the kind of guy who doesn’t say you’re terrified of that sort of thing. When I said that, she turned around and laughed.

“Yes, I don’t find it frightening at all.”

“You’re really strange, huh?”

“You’re the same as well. You’re an inquisitive one, aren’t you, even though everyone else keeps away from here.”

“I prefer peaceful environments and dislike interruptions.”

“I see. But you should not go too close to the back.”

“Why?”

“Haha, no reason. Ignorance is bliss.”

What was she talking about? That was all I could think of at the time.

“The summer tournament is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“Before that, there’s the school festival, damn it…”

Yeah, the summer tournament was right around the corner but our school held a festival before the summer.

For my part, I was too occupied to waste my time on a school festival. If the class was planning to decorate the classrooms and corridors, I preferred to practice a bit for the tournament.

This was my last year. Above friends, above studies, above everything else, I have given priority to this.

It was my final baseball game in high school. Even if I didn’t make it to the Koshien Stadium, I wouldn’t care where my place finished so long as I did it with no regrets. If I could pitch until the end… that was all that mattered.

Winning of course was essential, but still, I want to finish the game in good mood.

Yeah, I was fine with that. High school baseball was the best.

The advisor kept telling me that I should pitch in university as well, so naturally, that was my intention after graduating from high school and continuing on to university. But you could never turn back the hands of time. Rather than dwelling on the future of university, now was the last summer of high school. I thoroughly didn’t give a thought to the school festival.

“This year too, the brass band will be there.”

“Oh, that reminds me, you are in the brass band, right? My friend told me about it the other day.”

“Yes! That’s why the brass band will be there to support you! I’ll make sure to capture your success with my own eyes!”

Hyuga retrieved a flute from the black case slung over her shoulder as she spoke.

“Not really. I can’t play an active role in the game. I have never even been to Koshien.”

“That’s not true. You are the ace, aren’t you! You’re well-known for not giving up pitching, right?”

“Hmm.”

“Please do your best, senior. I’ll be behind you!”

Hyuga stroked her well-maintained, polished flute and began to blow on it softly. She dexterously strung together the choruses of familiar cheering tunes and played a medley of them for me to hear briefly. Playing with deft fingers, she swayed her body with a flexible and spontaneous style, producing a clear and transparent sound.

Her black hair occasionally fluttered in the wind and she played without displaying any indications of seriousness; instead, she wore a serene countenance that implied she was indeed enjoying the music from the bottom of her heart.

It was hard to believe that such a Hyuga who was always playing around with such a playful and joking face could be like this.

For some reason, I was drawn to her at that moment.

“You’re incredible,” I said, in place of applause, when Hyuga took the flute out of her mouth.

“Not as good as you, I’m not even close.”

“No, you’re good enough.”

“Heh heh heh. You gave me a compliment.”

Damn, I said something that sounded like I was getting worked up.

“But the sound of the flute is less noticeable than other instruments. It can barely be heard at all…” Hyuga put the flute back in its case, remarking regretfully. “Oh, but the piece we’re playing at the upcoming school festival has a solo part, so it’ll stand out! Hehe, we’ll be performing in the gymnasium, so if you’d like to come and watch, please drop by.”

“If I have time.”

“Really!? Wow! Yay! Senior will be there! I’m full of power!!”

“No, like I said, if I only have time…” I noted hurriedly to Hyuga, who was hopping around the rooftop with the case in her hands. Good grief.

I wondered why was this woman so overjoyed and why did I always go along with this bizarre junior.

Even though I was a little amazed, I eventually allowed myself to be taken over by her due to her enthusiasm as her skirt fluttered.

If I have time. That was what I said but…

On the day of the festival, I left my post and came to listen to the brass band’s performance. With a frankfurt sausage in my hand, I unfolded the paper airplane that Hyuga must have placed in my shoe box the day before.

Perhaps I came a little too late because there were only two songs left to be played…

Ah, this one. Wasn’t this the cheering song played at the match?

Looking around, I found the hall was dimly lit and cool with the audience’s seats being neatly organized. On the stage illuminated by the lights, more than thirty members of the club were performing a cheering song for the match.

The fast-paced rhythm had me wondering what the song’s title was. I didn’t sit down; instead, I leaned my back against the wall’s corner and listened to it. I slowly searched with my eyes for those mischievous spectacles.

The third from the end of the second row… there she was.

With no makeup and red glasses. The black eyes beneath the glasses were following the sheet music and playing the flute diligently.

Nevertheless, the sound of the other instruments overpowered the sound of the flute she was playing, preventing it from penetrating to my ears.

As she said, the loudest instruments in a cheerleading song would undoubtedly be more prominent. Even so, Hyuga was playing attentively, moving her fingers and producing tones.

She slowly swayed her body, appearing to be having a great time while maintaining the air of seriousness I had last seen on her face.

Soon after the song finished, applause erupted across the hall. With a microphone in his hand and a light voice, the student who was the emcee guided the ensemble into the last song.

In contrast to the previous piece, the final piece began with a slow melody. Sounds of the instruments were joined and overlapped one after another in accordance with the conductor’s movements.

Hyuga, who had been seated on a chair up until that point, rose up by herself halfway through the song, following the song’s most uplifting chorus. Practically all of the other performers stopped playing their instruments and took their mouths off them as Hyuga stood up as a signal.

Only the sound of Hyuga’s flute resonated distinctly throughout the gymnasium. The audience members and the pupils on stage all turned to gaze at Hyuga at once as the flute’s soft tones began.

Not even a hint of nervousness was apparent as Hyuga played her flute, which until then had been obscured by the rest of the music, with an air of dignity.

This must be her solo part. The seriousness of Hyuga, who usually only behaved in a joking manner, and the face of Hyuga that I did not know.

She wasn’t merely playing; she was one person out of so many, exposed to the gaze of so many, and showing no signs of fear of failure as if she was genuinely relishing her performance from the bottom of her heart.

As I leaned forward slightly to watch, Hyuga’s flute flashed momentarily. It didn’t only shine once; a little while afterward, it did so twice or three times in succession. Either she was deliberately reflecting the lighting or she was casually tilting the flute and making it glow.

Then I noticed that Hyuga turned toward me and slightly relaxed her mouth. What a dexterous maneuver she did. Apparently, Hyuga had already spotted me, as I had been watching from afar without even occupying a seat.

The flute reflected in the light and shone again.

As if to say, “I get it, I get it,” I slowly waved my frankfurter skewer in the air like a conductor.

The crowd gave Hyuga a brief round of applause as she made a deep bow while standing before returning to her chair as the other performers picked up their instruments. Hyuga seemed to shine even more brilliantly than the other 30 or so performers, with a contented smile on her face and a glint in her eye, as she glanced out over the audience.

When the concert was over, the brass band was dispersing in droves. A large number of girls were surrounding Hyuga. Embracing each other and high-fiving one another, Hyuga was all smiles.

The advisor then approached and gave Hyuga a pat on the head. No doubt he was complimenting her on how well she did in her solo part. The conclusion of the concert was heralded by a rousing round of applause and cheers that dominated the whole gym.

“Hyuga!! Your solo part was so cool!!”

“Thank you, senior!!”

“Keep up the good work, incoming director!”

“Yes! But will I be able to fill the position of director?”

Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. A tall male member of the club remarked.

Hyuga put her hand over her mouth and shook her shoulder. The boys and girls alike congregated around Hyuga. They were attracted to her, tapping her on the shoulder and poking her.

Hyuga responded playfully to them.

While listening to the resounding laughter, I quietly left the gymnasium. I wanted to say something to her before leaving but it seemed that popular people were busier than I thought. Besides, I didn’t want people to give me weird looks.

Even Hyuga would be a bit uncomfortable with me approaching her right now.

I put some coins in the vending machine behind the gym and hit the button for cocoa.

Kinoshita and the others would come looking for me soon. They said, “Let’s go around together,” but their goal was to visit the haunted house, right?

A joyful voice erupted from behind me as I inserted a straw into the cocoa carton that had fallen down while thinking so.

“Senior!”

Hyuga, who had before been surrounded by numerous people, was standing directly behind me when I turned around.

“Why are you here?”

“You too, why were you leaving so soon?”

You came all the way here and left without saying a word, you’re too blunt. Hyuga turned away from me with her mouth aggrieved slightly.

Even if you said that, anyone could read the air in a situation like that.

“I mean, you were surrounded by the other members of the club, and you are very popular with them.”

If I barge in there, it’s clear what will happen, right? When I said that, Hyuga racked her brain and made a strange voice.

“Is it okay for you not to go back?”

“Yes, I won the rock-paper-scissors game, so I am now in the unrestricted group.”

“I see… Good work.”

I offered her the cocoa that I had just stuck a straw into right in front of her.

“Hmm? What?”

Hyuga stared at me with a face as if seeing this for the first time.

“What do you mean… Look, I’ll give it to you. Nice job on the performance. Oh, rest assured, I haven’t even put my mouth on it yet.”

“Are you sure?”

“I said I’ll give it to you. You don’t like cocoa? Then have something else…”

“Thanks!”

As I was about to fumble with the coins in my pocket, Hyuga shook her head broadly and took the carton from my hand.

“Kaaah! Tastyyyyyyy! I live only for this!”

“What are you, an old man after taking a bath?”

It was a remark without a shred of modesty coming from someone who had just received thunderous applause for putting her hands on her hips and gulping down cocoa with gusto. I didn’t understand the guys who approached Hyuga…

“Thanks for the drink.”

“You drank it all up in…”

“My best record is six seconds.”

“You’ll upset your stomach…”

“Yeah, I upset my stomach a couple of times.”

“Oh, right…”

“Thank you, senior.”

“Hey, it’s only 100 yen. Don’t be so formal.”

Hyuga bowed deeply after neatly crushing the finished carton.

“And thank you for coming.”

“Oh… I only listened to two songs.”

“Even so, I was delighted that you saw my solo part and that you could see me performing.”

“When you say it like that… I feel sorry that I only listened to two songs.”

“Pfft, no such thing… thanks to you, I have no regrets… now, I feel at ease…”

“What?”

“Because this is the last time.”

“Last…?”

With Hyuga’s eyes closed and her face downcast, I put some more coins in the vending machine and pressed the button for the black sesame milk drink.

“You’re trying to fabricate a lie.”

She flashed me a vile smile as soon as I stated this.

“How dull. You’ve developed a lot of tolerance toward me.”

“Whose fault is it?”

“I was hoping for a dramatic reaction like your first one.”

“What!?”

The first one… Don’t dig up the unpleasant story, you idiot. Saying this, I bent at the waist to meet Hyuga’s gaze.

“You know, you should respect me as a senior a little bit, right?”

My face and Hyuga’s were reasonably close but it didn’t mean particularly anything. There was no meaning to it but… this was not good.

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