After a turbulent weekend caused by Saeki, a new week begins.
At lunchtime.
As usual, I had bento with Yagami. When I returned to my seat to clean up, a plastic bottle was placed on my desk. A milk tea bottle, 280ml.
Looking up, I saw Takizawa’s face.
“Thank you.”
I usually give him money and ask him to buy the milk tea at the canteen.
“She’s popular isn’t she.”
Takizawa sat in front of me, opened the newly bought can of coffee.
I also opened my milk tea bottle.
“Who?”
I took one sip to relieve my thirst, then asked.
“Saeki Kirika.”
“…”
I didn’t know how to react, and missed the proper timing to react as well, so – I ignored it.
“I just had lunch with another guy. Just a glance would tell you she is a beautiful girl with excellent grades. She may be modest but she still shines like a star, and she’s also gentle — “
“Sorry Takizawa, who are we talking about?”
“Where are you placing your attention at?”
Takizawa was shocked, then sighed.
Errmmm, I was just curious since the Saeki Kirika he described was the opposite to the one I know of.
Modest? Where? I only see noisiness and selfishness at home. Gentle? She’s the teasing master.
But…
“Erm, well, it is true that she’s always the center of attention.”
Aside from the hidden personalities, she could be considered a beautiful youngster.
“Wow, you are admitting it?”
“Why not? She looks cute.”
“I dare you to say it to her.”
“If I have a chance to.”
And, I took another sip. So did Takizawa.
And then…
“She’s over there”
“…”
I slowly looked over the classroom’s door.
There stood Saeki, and her classmate, Sakurai. Both looked like they have found the people they wanted to find in the room, but those people aren’t noticing it. And since the girls didn’t want to make some loud noise to attract attention, they could only stand there and look around the classroom
I and Takizawa saw both, seeing so, the girls heaved a relieved sigh, and waved at us.
I almost smiled at the two new students’ cuteness. And looking at her cheerful smile like that, my heart started beating faster…. Of course, I’m not letting any of it out.
Takizawa raised his hands to greet them back.
His gesture meant “Just come in”. After receiving the invitation, both stepped into the classroom.
In an instant, the class became noisier.
“That’s the student in the rumours.”
“That’s the first time I see her in person.”
“Is she looking for Takizawa?”
Etc etc
There was also someone saying “If I remember correctly, last year, Yumizuki did — “ something like that.
“…”
I knew it. Even if the topic was already in the past, people will bring it up whenever they got a chance to. I just hope Saeki didn’t hear it.
“Hello, Takizawa. We’re here to hang out.”
Saeki greeted Takizawa first. “I’m overthinking things.” – I thought.
“What are you two talking about?”
Sakurai turned to ask me.
“Some miscellaneous stuff.”
“We were talking about how cute Saeki was.”
I looked at Takizawa. What the hell were you talking about??
“Huh? There’s nothing to hide. I thought one of your main strengths is your honesty in praising others?”
“Who asked you to talk about it.
I grumpily answered.
That’s just, no one speaks about it in front of the person herself. How can I look at her face when we got home?
“Wow, I knew that even you find Kirika cute, right?”
Sakurai proudly said, with an enthusiastic voice.
She bent her knees down, put her hands on the table and put her head on top. Her brown hair swayed a bit. She looked up at me like a small animal.
“Haizz, that’s right.”
I gave Sakurai an affirmation, since I couldn’t find anything to refuse it.
I looked up to see Saeki rooted in place.
Our eyes met.
Then, she embarrassedly looked away, giving off some small noises “Ah, ehhhhhh…”
Truthfully speaking, I didn’t think she would react like this. I thought she was used to being praised, or at least she would reply with a smile. Her expression like this made me a bit flustered.
“No matter how you look at it, Kirika is cute.”
“Saeki’s rumour has reached us already. Everywhere you go, stares follow.”
Replying to Sakurai, Takizawa gave a wry laugh.
“Mouu, even Takizawa is saying that, I’m not that popular.”
Compared to me, Saeki seemed a bit more happy being praised by him, and gave him a pout.
I felt like even though I’m listening on in this conversation, I’m not a part of it, as if it had nothing to do with me.
I stood up.
“Takizawa, I leave the rest to you.”
Instantly, Saeki have me an incredulous look.
“You have somewhere to go?”
“Not really, I just want to walk around.”
After that, I left my seat.
“Wait, wait Yumizuki.”
Saeki’s voice sounded behind me, but I didn’t stop, and continued to the classroom’s door.
“Wait for me.”
After leaving the room, and walking a short distance, I heard her voice again. It seemed she had followed me.
I kept ignoring her and climbed the stairs nearby — Then I stopped.
I turned around, facing Saeki.
On the stairs.
Not a single person.
Just the noise of students enjoying their lunch break, coming from afar.
“What? Make it short.”
I said with a cold voice, but it seemed while she was chasing after me, she didn’t think of anything to say.
“Me coming by the class to play, does it give you any trouble?”
“If you want to see Takizawa, then I’m more than glad. He’s a good person.”
Takizawa was a model student, loved by teachers. He was also funny and friendly, so no one badmouthed him. After getting to second year, he also demonstrated being a perfect upperclassman.
“And Yumizuki?”
“You don’t have to.”
“Why?”
Saeki’s voice was much heavier, maybe unable to take my unreasonable excuse. I understood this, and I also sympathize with her.
However…
“It’s for your own good.”
“I don’t understand!!”
“I don’t need you to understand, just knowing is fine.”
“…”
“…”
Silence ensued, not a single word was uttered. She had to have a lot of complaints listening to my single-sided demands.
“I told you. Outside, I’m not someone kind, so you should not come close to me.”
“But…”
Saeki became noticeably weaker, but she still tried to argue back. However, that was the end of it.
“You should leave, before anyone else sees us.”
“…”
Saeki was silent, just looked at me with angry eyes, as if threatening to burst into tears.
Finally, she turned around and left.
I looked at her profile leaving the stairway, until I couldn’t see her anymore.
How tiresome.
I heaved a heavy sigh.
And…
“Yukitsugu.”
Suddenly, there was a voice from the opposite of my view, coming from the top of the stairs. In this school, there was only one person to call me by name. When I looked up, I saw a beautiful girl, with a calm and mature atmosphere, opposite to Saeki.
Miyuki Horyu.
“The ice queen”, the pride of Mizunomori high.
“You saw everything?”
“Yes.”
She honestly replied, no lies.
I leaned on the wall, while Horyu moved downwards.
“Stop. I find her pitiful… and also Yukitsugu”
She said, facing me.
“Stop what? And what of me?”
“That’s right. Yukitsugu doesn’t do anything, and won’t do anything until the very end.”
Horyu sighed. Either due to her not agreeing with my methods, or due to her anger.
“Part of the journey is the end.”
Who left whom, this kind of gossip was normal in highschool, people would soon forget it… But, just looking at the situation in the classroom earlier, people just needed a chance to start talking about it all over again.
“Alright, I’ll have to go… Ah, do you carry the keys to the terrace?”
“Yes.”
Horyu took a key out of her dress pocket.
It was a single key, not decorated by anything.
The terrace was an off-limits place, and the keys were heavily guarded. If you counted the spare keys, there were a total of three, but one was lost last year. It was said that a girl borrowed it and lost it.
“Can you lend me it? I want to visit the terrace a bit.”
“Don’t get caught.
“I know.”
This was the key thought to have been lost.
I took it from Horyu and decided to kill some time on the terrace before the fifth period started.
_________
After class, I didn’t want to visit anywhere else, so I went straight home.
Saeki hadn’t returned yet.
I went into my room to change my clothes, then went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Right as I pressed the button, the main doors were unlocked.
It seemed she didn’t visit anywhere either.
A while later, Saeki went into the living room, looking a bit depressed. This was probably my fault.
“You home already, Saeki? Do you want some coffee?”
“Ehh? Coffee?”
She asked, not understanding what I was talking about.
“Yes, coffee. I just started making some, so it would take about 10 minutes.”
I watched drips of coffee falling down as I told her so. But the tiny droplets fell into a steel container, so there was nothing to watch. I should buy a Vacuum coffee maker next time.
Right then, I heard something falling on the floor.
Turning back, I saw Saeki’s backpack on the ground. And immediately after, Saeki jumped at me.
“Oiii, be careful…”
I thought she was joking around at first.
But Saeki wrapped her arms around my body, and hugged me tight. She leaned her head on my chest and whispered.
“Thank god, Yumizuki is back to normal….”
“…”
Horyu did say that she was pitiful. Did my attitude worry her?
“Sorry…”
I apologized, but it was just verbal. Since this attitude of mine would continue for a while.
Saeki looked down, her forehead still on my chest. Looking down, I could see the stripes of brown in that fluffy and curly hair.
In an instant, there was an unknown force telling me to caress her head.
Of course I wouldn’t do it. I wasn’t so bold.
However…
“…pat it.”
“H-huh?”
“Pat my head.”
Some naughty thoughts appeared in my head, then immediately disappeared.
“….I refuse.”
“Tsk!!”
Did you really need to click your tongue like that?
“Alright, let me go.”
“Before that, I had something to say.”
“Yes yes, what?”
My voice was a bit cold.
“You said that I was cute, didn’t you.”
“…”
Thinking back, Takizawa did say something like this, this noon.”
“Is it true~~”
Saeki looked up, urging me to answer.
I looked down, there was a short distance before our faces met, making my heart beat faster.
“Well, I don’t remember it clearly…”
To stay away from her face, and to avoid her sight, I turned away.
“You are despicable.”
“Oi, oi, can you let me go now?
I grabbed Saeki’s shoulders and pulled her off of me. To ignore her, I returned my attention to the coffee maker.
Then Saeki told me.
“I think Yumizuki is cute~~”
“…”
…Let it be. Consider it as my punishment for today.