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Chapter 7: The Angel’s Wrath
Part 1
“Good work, Io.”
Saturday, the day after the long talk with Minato. I spent the entire day working with Yukito at the store.
The influx of customers was more than usual today. But somehow, I welcomed it, being busy was better than the alternative.
When the day ended, even the veteran Yukito was tired. Now, from the clinks in the kitchen, he was probably fixing a drink. After a while, he came carrying a tray.
I unceremoniously picked the melon soda and took a sip. The prickling in my mouth jolted me awake, and with it, went the fatigue. Soda is supreme.
“It’s your fault we’ve got so many soda menus.”
“Not thanks to me?” I asked.
“There’s no demand, your sodas are guaranteeing a deficit.”
And although he said that, he still made it for me. Well, I probably never say this out loud, but he was a good guy.
“Also, good work, Io.”
“You already said that.”
“Not about today’s work. Yesterday’s, I mean.”
I grunted in accession.
With her permission, I had told him what happened between me and Minato, briefly though. I also skipped the, err
 emo parts. She probably won’t frequent here like before, so the explanation was like a courtesy.
“So, you’re pulling back
 No, looking at the long term, right.”
“Yeah, it was understandable that she wanted to get over it, however, many problems are impossible in the short term.”
If the cause of her Falling-in-love Peculiarity was really from how she was raised, if it was from her past, then there was only one solution. The past was the past, the only thing that could be done now was what to think about it, how to face it. And to do that, it would be over a span of a few years, at least.
“Because that was what you did?”
My heart dropped.
“You’re saying that you need time to forget that senpai?” He stared at me with a calm stare.
Still the usual meddlesome cousin.
“Going slow is okay, you know. But also, don’t mistake standing still as a slow progress, you’d only waste your time like that.”
I took a hefty gulp of melon soda, swallowing back down a retort.
Fizz, fuzz, the sorrowful fizzing sounded nostalgic and lovely then.
The sweet scent, the dreamy sweet, the coolness. All brought back Ayaha’s smile and laughter. Yes, I can’t move on. How can I? Sodas were just so sweet and endearing.
Yukito lets out a huff. Then he chuckled softly and stretched his arms. “By the way, if I may be so bold.”
“I told you
” My voice came in a snarl.
“No, no, this is to Minato-san.”
“Yeah?”
“To solve a problem, you have to address its cause. That’s a way of thinking. The point is, it’s not the only way.” A hint of smugness crept across his face.
“What do you mean?”
He held up a finger. The motion was pompous, suited him so infuriatingly well.
“No offense, but liking someone back because they like you, affection like that are cheap, don’t you think so?”
“Heh?”
Her affection was “cheap”?
“Of course, it’s still real affection, and I’m fully aware that sizing someone’s feelings like this is presumptuous, so think of it as an anecdote. She has never fallen head over heels for anyone before.”
“What does that supposed to mean?”
“My solution to her problem.”
His eyes became saturated with childish smugness. Come to think of it. This might be the first time this guy had ever spoken about Minato’s problem.
“She just has to be madly in love with someone. The sort of special someone that you love more than anything in the world. If she could do that, then the affections to anyone else would be insignificant, like how stars can’t outshine the sun.”
“‘More than anything in the world’?” I phrased.
“Silly word, eh? But that kind of thing exists, you know? I thought you’d understand this the best.”
Hmm. That might actually work, then

“It might not work, of course. You don’t just wake up one morning and become madly in love with someone, but there’s a possibility, no matter how slim. So why don’t you tell her that?”
“Yukito
”
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry, you’re a better adult than I imagined.”
“Oi, that didn’t make me happy in the slightest.”
We then lazily did the closing procedures and headed home.
[I found something, let’s talk this monday,] I sent a LINE to Minato before bed.
◆　◆　◆
Unease floated in the air.
Monday morning. The atmosphere in the classroom—in the whole school, was off.
I could see many students whispering in a low hush. It was as if a dark shroud of something dominated the school.
I remember this kind of atmosphere well. In elementary school, someone in my class got into a fight during recess, and without any conclusion, entered the afternoon classes. Tension, awkwardness, agitation. It was like this, an atmosphere intense with three equal emotions.
I thought I could finally rest

I took stock of the entire classroom.
Some clustered together and talked in whispers, some looked as dumbfounded as I was, and other reactions all over the place, observing gave away nothing. I racked my brain, coming up with conjectures, but the more I thought, the more mysterious it was.
In time like this

“Hiura.”
“Hm?”
I went for my confidant, Aki Hura. She was the only one with any sense of normalcy.
“Something’s wrong”
She clicked her phone and put it to sleep mode. “Agreed,” she replied curtly.
“You’ve got any idea? I’m at my wit’s end.”
“More or less.”
“Whoah! Really?
But just when she lit a spark of hope–
“But I won’t tell you.”
“Eeh? Why?”
How cruel!
“I’m verifying the truth. Everything’s a mess, give me until noon. Hold your tongue, don’t do anything rash.” Hiura then returned to her phone.
“O-oh
”
To be honest, I didn’t understand why I would do anything rash, but if she said so
 It’s frustrating, but for now, I’ll leave it to her. There must have been a reason for her words.
Still, am I overly reliant on her?
◆　◆　◆
The strange atmosphere persisted well throughout the morning classes. In fact, it was getting worse. Many curious faces changed to that of grimaces and curiosity. And then–
“Eeh, Yuzuki-san, really?”
That got my attention.
I half listened to that conversation as it went on, but I already knew what to expect. What Hiura said now made sense.
But I had to agree, there was nothing I could do now. And I had to admit, I would have been running around, making a fool of myself if she hadn’t said that.
My anger rose until it was nauseating, my heart raced. Somehow suppressing it until noon, I went to Hiura.
“Rumor, word of mouth and through LINE.”
“Yeah? Contents?” I demanded.
She raised her eyebrows. “Hey, calm down. And don’t snap at me, ‘kay?”
“Sorry.”
I took a deep breath, the dry rooftop air went in.
Hmph
 I got carried away. Focus.
“Sit”
I sat down quietly. We hadn’t brought lunch today.
“You should have noticed by now, it’s about Yuzuki, and it wasn’t good.”
“Tell me about it.”
Hiura nodded, “Yuzuki Minato is a bitch who toyed with several men in middle school. She came to Shiga to cover it up.” Her mouth twisted in disapproval at every word.
“I see
”
A jolt of pain, and then a head splitting headache
“Its origin?” I urged.
“Working on it. Won’t take long, tracing’s still easy in early stages.”
“‘Early stages’? So it’s not today?”
“Two days prior, saturday. It blew up just now because today’s the first day at school, before that just a small circles like clubs and gossip groups”
“I see
” Another throb of pain.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine how she would be. Minato

“I have a question for you too.”
Question? “Yeah?”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “If you can, tell me, the rumor, is it for real?”
Minato went out with a few boys to learn more about her Peculiarity. In that sense, “Toyed with several men” was half right.
“No, and she didn’t come here to hide. Although it might seem that way
 that wasn’t the truth.”
She nodded a few times, looked up a little, and rested her chin on her hand.
With creeping dread, I asked, “Minato, how is she doing?”
Only when I finished the sentence did I realize that I called her name. If Hiura noticed, she didn’t say so.
“Isolated. Everyone kept their distance, even though all they talked about was about her,” She chev=cked my expression. “Don’t even think of going.”
“Damit!” Having nowhere else, I let my anger out with the fist that hit my own lap. It hurted, but that didn’t matter.
“What would you do if you knew the source?”
Why did she have to ask? WHat else would I do? “Make them stop.”
“How? I know you’re blackmailing master and all, but then what? You know how persistent rumors can be, people will gossip.”
I slammed my fist on the concrete floor hard. “Then what do you want me to do?!”
She didn’t even flinch. Seeing her like this cooled down my temper. And in its stead, helplessness washed over me.
Minato is suffering. And if I mess up, there would be no one left to help her.
She sighed. “I’ll pin down the conspirator, or conspirators, by tomorrow. Remember, don’t. Do. Anything. Rash. If you try to mess this up, I’ll roundhouse kick your ass.”
“Got it
 Thanks, Hiura.” I bowed to her.
If it weren’t for her, I would have stormed Minato’s class and made a fool of myself, how remiss.
The bell rang and the lunch break was over. Through the afternoon classes, I didn’t hear a word.
How could I tie this rumor up, how to get rid of a rumor, I racked my brain thinking. By nature, rumors weren’t spread because it was true, but instead the pure amusement of the rumor. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, as long as it was interesting, people would talk. Besides, the Kuze’s Top Three being a bitch, that was a scoop of a lifetime for Kuze High. The fact that Minato didn’t have many friends played in the rumor’s favor.
“How
?”
Class ended, but still, nothing came to mind. All I could do was spacing out alone in the deserted classroom.