Volume 8 - CH 9.5

“…”

First period was about modern society. The sound of chalk hitting the blackboard filled the otherwise quiet classroom. At the front stood the teacher with their textbook open, talking to no end, and we sat in the back, just copying everything, listening in dread and boredom…I wonder. I’m moving my pen across the paper like crazy, and yet I feel so bored. Isn’t there any way to get my motivation pumping?

As I was scratching my head, the teacher’s hand stopped as they placed the chalk on the blackboard, flipping through the pages. Finally, I can take a bit of rest. We students use this time to check our pens or scratch our noses, checking our bangs and whatnot. I wonder what Natsukawa’s doing behind me…She’s not making a sound. I’m curious now. Isn’t there any way I could check…Okay, I know just the thing to use. I put my elbow on my desk, pretending to slack off, while using the window to my left to check the reflection of Natsukawa—Only to feel utter dread.

“…Ugah?!”

“Huh? Wh-What?”

“What was that?”

Gaaaaaaaaaah! I forgot the injury in my left hand! The pain overwhelmed me, forcing me to grasp my left hand’s wrist in pain. Since the bandage was still wrapped around my hand, it didn’t seem too bad from the outside, which made me forget all about it. I happened to stab my own jaw right onto my palm, completely messing up. How could I be so stupid…

“…You okay back there, Sajou?”

“Y-Yes…”

The teacher glanced at me, figuring out what must have happened. While tearing up, I somehow managed to respond. S-So embarrassing…If there was a hole around, I’d do a Lupin dive straight into it.

“…Dummy.”

I heard a disappointed voice from behind me. Utterly devastated, I placed my hands on my knees and sat still for the rest of the class.

*

Living life without your left hand? Easy! Before the day started, I was brimming with confidence, but it didn’t long before I screamed in pain for the third time because I carelessly tried to grab something with my left hand. Add the previous incident to that, I realized I kept on relying on my left hand too much subconsciously. Maybe…I was actually left-handed my whole life?

“…Man…”

“You seem to be struggling quite a bit, Sajocchi.”

“This is just too much.”

Class ended and I stared at my left hand with a sigh, when Ashida called out to me. Behind her was Natsukawa, harsh as always. At first, she was worried about me, too. When I first screamed in pain, she rushed over to check up on me. I was honestly happy about this injury…in the beginning. Because the hell had just begun. The people around stopped bothering me…Natsukawa grew annoyed at my clumsiness…Yamazaki and the boys were all like “Trying to get attention?” I swear, I’ll let them eat my fist during the next lunch break. I showed the smile of a villain as I glared at the imaginary Yamazaki, swearing my revenge.

“L-Like hell I’ll give in because of this…Don’t underestimate my persistence. I’m confident in my body’s toughness. I’ll show all of you…!”

“Why are you glaring at them like that?”

“If you’re not careful, you’ll only make things worse.”

So said Ashida and Natsukawa, but I couldn’t let that stand. The girls are all fine and dandy, but those boys…those bastards, they will suffer. They use each chance they get to grin at me and tease me. I’m not gonna lose to them!

“I’m done being laughed at by them.”

“I swear…This shouldn’t be your focus right now! If you don’t stop, I’ll tell your sister!”

“Huh? Um, that’s…against the rules…”

“You just don’t know when to give up.”

“Sniff…”

“Not cute at all,” Ashida commented after watching my exchange with Natsukawa.

With Natsukawa being born an older sister, she knew exactly which buttons to push to scold me. It’s a sign of her worrying about me, so I did feel happy, but I couldn’t relax just yet. After all, the promised subject arrived, the subject we only had twice this week—P.E. With the sports festival coming up, the classes will focus mostly on ball sports. Second-year students have the right to the sports grounds, so we moved to the gym hall. Clearly, that limited us on what we could practice.

Offense and defense, one step forth and one back, the match heating up…and I sat at the side of the hall because I couldn’t participate, obviously. The bastards once again laughing at me. The girls snickering at how lame I was. Trying to bear with this shame…Just thinking about this scenario made my skin crawl. I can’t let this end with just me watching. I have to participate somewhere.

“…!”

“Is it just me, or is Sajou getting fired up?”

“I swear…Will he really be okay?”

*

Third period rolled around, meaning it was time for P.E. The girls headed to their designated changing room, whereas the boys did in the classroom. It’s finally time, huh?

“Hey hey, Sajou? Is there really any need for you to change?”

“Shouldn’t it be better for you to get some rest?”

“Y-You guys…”

“People with a girlfriend are to shut up.”

“Ugh…”

Sasaki cried to chime in and protect me from Yamazaki and Iwata grinning at me, but they shut him down faster than Natsukawa ever did with me. Seemed like that argument of theirs was highly effective as he just blushed and not uttered another word. Also, Sasaki! Since when did you turn into such a lovebird! Also also, guys with girlfriends don’t have any room to argue here!

“Don’t underestimate me. I’ll be your master referee today. Basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis, I’ve remembered the rules of every single sport. I get to decide when you get points…and when you don’t. And I’ve just decided…that all your points won’t be counted.”

“Huh?! That’s playing dirty, Sajou!”

“Are you really a master referee like that?”

That’s right. Even if I were to be unscathed and planned on participating in today’s class, two of the boys would be tasked to be the referees or handle other stuff. So even if an injured person like me is here, it won’t change a thing. But, I can use this to my advantage. I’ve still got hope.

“…All right.”

I made sure to adjust my bandage and headed to the gym hall. The girls seemed to have finished changing, too, gathering up. In the midst of that, I spotted Ichinose-san. When our eyes met, she looked at me with a worried expression and trotted over to me. Is there really any reason to be this secretive? Maybe she doesn’t want to be seen with me…?

Naturally, her gaze wandered to my left hand. The season was starting to get chilly, but we high school boys still wore our regular shirts. Unlike our school uniform, this look showed my left hand much more clearly, so looking at the bandage and everything must have worried her.

“S-Sajou-kun, I really think you should sit out for today…”

“No worries, no worries. I’m gonna be turned into the referee, so I’m pretty much sitting out, anyway. Not gonna use my left hand.”

“…”

Despite my attempt to reassure her, her worried expression did not disappear. I’m sorry, Ichinose-san…But sometimes, we men can’t back down from a fight. If I were to stay docile now, they would never let me live it down. I have to fight for my high school life.

“…Ah! Hey, Wataru!”

“Ack…”

Following that, Natsukawa and Ashida entered the gym hall. The moment Natsukawa saw me, she immediately ran over. Yep, she’s clearly angry…I’m scared.

“Why are you wearing your gym clothes?! You don’t actually intend to participate, do you?!”

“W-Well, I’m not gonna move much anyway! I won’t do anything to make the injury get worse! Right, Ashida?”

“Words spoken can’t be taken aback, Sajocchi.”

“Oh…Okay…?”

I frantically tried to make an excuse and checked over at Ashida, but she didn’t seem on my side at all. Rather, almost distracted. I could see a faint fire burning in her eyes.

“…Are the girls playing volleyball?”

“She’s in her own world already.”

“Ugh…”

Natsukawa showed a wry smile, as Ichinose-san staggered backwards, unable to face the fire coming from Ashida head-on. I’m guessing she doesn’t like all this passion and excitement you’d usually find in a club. But watching someone else be just as fired up as I led to my flame cooling down a bit. I gotta get my head into the game.

“…The boys and girls are separated, right?”

“So you just sit still and watch.”

“D-Don’t wanna…”

“So selfish…Don’t come crying later.”

“Ack…”

As we were talking, more and more students entered the gym hall. And finally, the gym teacher arrived so we all gathered up. Stretches done, the boys and girls were split up. The boys got to play basketball, with the girls playing volleyball. Basketball, huh? How nice…I would have loved to participate.

“Sajou, you handle the scoreboard.”

“Huh…? No, um, could I be the referee—”

“What are you talking about? That’d force you to run along the lines all the time. Can’t have you do that with your injury.”

“Th-That’s…”

“No buts. Off you go.”

“Um, wait…”

Y-You…! You ruined my perfect plan…! But, wait…I can still do something even if I’m only handling the scoreboard. Like cheerleaders during the world cup…So if I do it right, then—Yeah, of course that didn’t happen.

“Man…”

The gym hall was split into half, the side closer to the stage set up for the boys and their basketball field, the other half being the volleyball court for the girls. I grabbed the basket with the whistles and cloth with the numbers under my arm, pushing the scoreboard from the small storage shed into the hall. Phew, that’s most of the preparations done…Wait, am I just doing the dirty work?

“Thanks a bunch, Mr. Handicapped.”

“Shut up.”

Yamazaki swiftly evaded my kick. Folding his body, he laughed eerily as he jumped backwards. He really is wasting his face and height away by being so creepy. I don’t think he’s gonna be popular anytime soon. Under the decision of the teacher, the leading player was announced to be Yamazaki from the basketball club. He probably wants to neatly split up the boys into three groups. Which makes sense…But should he really have someone from the basketball club handle that?

“Guess you couldn’t become the referee, Sajou…Kehehe.”

“Ugh…!”

D-Damn you…! But I can’t start a fight in front of everyone or I’ll be the lame one…Rather than messing up by stealing his role, I should focus on not messing up the scores. Wait for your chance, Sajou Wataru…!

‘U-Um, Sensei?’

‘Hm? AH, right. Hey, Sajou!’

“Hm? Yes!”

‘Switch!’

“…What?”

*

“…Sajou-kun! One’s rolling over on your end!”

“G-Gotcha!”

Looking in the direction the girl pointed, I saw a volleyball colored blue, yellow, and white. And I ran after it like a genuine dog. I stopped it before it rolled over onto the boys’ court and then threw it across the net. Right after, I could see a shadow jump up next to the net in the corner of my eye.

“Next! Hup!”

“G-Got it…Ah?!”

“So close!”

The ball spiked towards the ground was scooped up with a receive from another girl. I’m guessing she must not be doing much exercise daily, because her angle was off, as it flew to the side.

“Sorry about that, Sajou-kun!”

“No worries, no worries!”

I once again ran after the next ball. Because of the weird spin it had, it did play with me for a moment, but I finally managed to capture it. This odd feeling of success had me wipe my sweat away. My new duty…was being the ball boy for the girls. One of the girls couldn’t participate and instead watched from the sidelines, so I came over to help.

“Hehe, thanks, Sajou-kun.”

“No biggie.”

The girl showed me a wink and stuck out her tongue. Paired with the faint sweat on her face, that youthful smile was utterly destructive. I finally realized…This is where I was always supposed to be. You bastards, go have fun at your sausage party!

“Next! Hup!”

“Eeek?!”

“Whoa?!”

Another harsh spike was rammed across the net, the girl being unable to receive it, as the ball zoomed past me. It slammed against the wall with a loud sound, the surprise making me let out a dumbfounded voice.

“Sajocchi! We’re running out of balls!”

“You’re just taking this too seriously! The girls can’t accept it anymore, and that’s why I have to keep running!”

“Tehe. Sorry, I’m just really motivated.”

Unlike the boys, the girls weren’t having a match. For the majority of the sports festival, it’ll be the third-year students participating in the matches, so any class lower than that is mostly just practicing. Now that the toss and receive practice was over, the next training was focusing on Ashida doing a spike, with the girls trying their hand at a receive, toss, and spike. From my inexperienced eye, they seem to be struggling with the receives…But Ashida also just doesn’t know how to hold back. Thanks to that, I can barely catch a break as the ball boy.

“Ashida-chan…This is too tough for beginners like us!”

“Kei, can you please hold back a bit…?”

I don’t blame those reactions. Seeing her body twist whenever she prepares a spike is making me shiver in terror. I mean, it’s perfect for a member of the volleyball club, but still…

“Hold back…Hold back…”

“Can you do it?”

“Yeah…Should be fine!”

I used this brief reprise to glance at the boys, as the match was heating up. Yamazaki was actually taking his role as a referee seriously. Iwata messed up his shoot and got laughed at. Sure seems fun…I would have loved to play with them.

“Ichinose-san, here I go!”

“Y-Yesh…”

Oh, it’s Ichinose-san’s turn? I’m a bit worried if she can actually receive the ball with those slender arms. I have to watch carefully to ensure she doesn’t get hurt—

“Huuup!”

“Huh?!”

“Ah?!”

“Wha…?!”

Ashida still didn’t seem used to holding back, as her spike went off to the side. It landed far away from Ichinose-san…and I guess I’m just imagining things, but the ball was heading right for me—Wait, it’s not just me cooking up things!

“Sajocchi!”

“Wataru!”

“Urk…?!”

To stop the ball, I pushed both my arms ahead of me—No, I can’t! Any more stress on my left hand and my injury will only get worse! I have to stop it with my body…No! That just looks painful as all hell! I’m done with pain for at least another week! So then…!

“…Hngh…!”

I believed in my reflexes and attempted a jab with my right hand. Through that, I can at least redirect it, and—What?! Before I realized what was wrong, it was already too late. Everything turned to slow motion. The ball I should have avoided bounced off of my hand diagonally, drawing an ellipse, as it twirled ahead. Springing off from the ground in a Z curve, the ball aimed directly at my lower body—-Oh, Goddess.

“XYWEUCHYWXH?!”

“S-Sajocchiii?!”

It felt like someone slammed a hammer right into my core. I lost all strength to keep standing, barely making it in time to slam my right arm on the ground so that I didn’t fall over completely. Since the floor of the hall was of top quality, the impact it felt mostly came back to me…And my lower body.

“…! Huff…! Ah…! Ugh…!”

“S-Sajocchi’s Sajocchi is dead!”

I felt the urge to vomit, like I was experiencing motion sickness but 500 times worse. The pain almost made me scream, but my pride wouldn’t allow for that to happen in front of the girls. I put all my strength into my legs to stand up again, getting on one knee while putting my right arm on my forehead to strike a pose.

“Ugh…Oooo…”

“Sajocchi!”

Footsteps approached me. Each step made the ground vibrate ever so slightly causing an earthquake with a magnitude of 1. Please…stop…slow…Don’t come running.

“Sajocchi! I’m sorry! Are you okay?!”

“…”

“S-Sajocchi…! Oh no, what do I do…Should I rub your back?”

Please stop. Don’t touch me. Don’t shake me. Please, just leave me alone. Forget I even exist.

“Or…would you rather I…”

Stop! Don’t stimulate my lower body by blushing like that! Don’t get closer to me with those dazzling bare legs of yours! Don’t lean over to allow me a glance inside your shirt! And don’t look down at that place!

“I…I’m okay…So…!”

“Um…”

I pressed my right palm ahead of me to urge her and step back. Once she did, I mustered up all the strength I had in my body to get up. I rested my body against the wall behind me, faking a smile as I recovered.

“Heh…Hehehe…”

“Y-You don’t have to force yourself to laugh, you know…?”

“Hehehehe…”

“I’ve never seen such a forced smile on you…”

Stop meddling already. Just accept it as my regular smile. Let me keep up my facade. I don’t mind becoming your slave for the next half year. I won’t ever make fun of you again. I’ll leave all my fortune in your hands.

“Huff…Huff…I’m good. Just get back.”

“O-Okay…I’m sorry…”

“No need to apologize…Just hold back…and keep it under control…”

“O-Okay!”

The girls in our class still stared at me, but I pretended to be fine. The urge to vomit slowly left my body, too. But I should still check up on my son once this class is over. More accurately, if all components were still healthy and attached. Can’t have more, or less. This one time I cannot be wrong in math.

“Um…Next is Aichi!”

“Y-Yeah!”

In front of me, Aika entered the court as it was her turn. That’s right, I should focus on her gym clothes for now! Because of the tight fit, the line around her behind really stood out—Please don’t turn your back on me! Do that once my son is healthy again!

“Huuup!”

“!”

All right! Nice one, Ashida! You held back just fine! Natsukawa can definitely pull off a clean receive now. I don’t need to run to her aid!

“Hup…!”

“Ichinose-san!”

“Waaah?!”

“Kaorin!”

“Hayah!”

“Nice kill!”

Natsukawa connected the ball beautifully, as Ichinose-san awkwardly passed it along, with Kobayashi-san jumping up and spiking it onto the opposite half of the court. Seeing this success, Ashida cheerfully raised her voice.

“You did great too, Kei.”

“Hehe, for real?”

“Can you do that again?”

“Sure!”

Ah, so soothing…This is all I need. For now, I just want to watch girls being cute. And forget about the tragedy that just happened. If there happens to be a hole around, I want to go to Brazil.

“…”

“…Hm?”

Suddenly, I saw Natsukawa looking at me with an expression like she was chewing on something unpleasant. She seemed to have remembered something, as she walked to my side like Ichinose-san usually would. N-No, please…Not now, Natsukawa-san…This is bad…I understand that I’m being picky right now, but just for today, I would prefer it if you hated my presence like usual and avoided me like the pest. Just say that I disgust you. Even I want to be alone sometimes. And with that, I mean my son wants to.

“H-Hey…”

S-Stop…Don’t whisper into my ear. Can’t we do this later? You’re too close. This is illicit. The public morals committee won’t let this slide. Your warm breath is hitting me…

“D-Does…your penis really hurt that much?”

“?!?!?!?!?!?!”

Fall of my first year as a high school student, I suffered a severe injury, unable to spend my days in peace. Despite being in the go-home club, I can not catch a break. And once again, I was the center of attention.

The cultural festival ended, and the tense, excited atmosphere inside the classroom had long vanished. The high school students had now calmed down and gotten used to their regular school life, too. However, one student sitting in the back near the hallway had returned too much to normal—Ichinose Mina, a quiet and small girl who loved reading more than anything else.

“…”

Recess was currently in session, and Mina took out her textbooks to prepare for the next class, as well as a novel. She opened it up and began reading through the lines. Through focusing, she became able to drown out the noises and other sounds around her, entering the world of the story—or so it should have been.

“…”

She couldn’t focus in the slightest. It was something she usually excelled at, but now utterly failed. But, she had a feeling as to what could be the reason. Diagonally ahead to the left was a high school student with a brown-haired bob cut—Shirai Nonoka. She might not be on the level of Mina, but she was very docile and mature, always kind to everyone. She also enjoyed reading, but she preferred shojo manga over novels, so she’s got a wider range to work with.

And there was another girl with black short hair. She sat on the opposite side of the classroom, also being like Mina in the sense she only had one boy she could put her trust in—Okamoto Aoi. She was a reader like the other two, but she also went into the shojo manga reader direction. But with these two, Mina could talk about her favorite books and the characters she loves so much.

And now, these two stayed all by themselves, sitting at their desks, heads down. When the second term began, both of them were exceptionally assertive at spending time with Mina, constantly gathering at her desk, and not letting Mina read something on her own. Mina didn’t know why these two were acting like that. Ironically enough, she should be happy that she could continue reading in peace…Because this way, she could fully enjoy the world she learned about—But that wasn’t the case.

“…”

She couldn’t help being curious about what was going on with those two. Let alone seeming fine, they looked saddened and depressed, dropping their shoulders. At the beginning of the second term, Mina had no interest in others. So, how did she end up this way? Because she started interacting with others. The life she spent months ago was now an irregular day. And this feeling she had was similar to another precedent.

…Sajou-kun.

This was the name of the only boy Mina could put trust in—Sajou Wataru. When she worked part-time during the last summer break, he looked after her a lot, and they talked on the regular. Sadly, their senior-junior relationship at work ended when the boy quit, but they’ve been getting along as classmates. Mina on the other hand continued to work and got to know more people, which meant she had less time to read. The time it took her to read a single book grew, making the list of books she still had to read grow and grow again. Sure, she did feel regret at that fact, but she also asked herself—if she wanted to return to how it was during the first time. The answer to that was a clear “Not in a million years.”

It was only a small ounce of courage. A single step forward is what allowed Mina’s change to such an extent. She found out that all these memories of days that were nothing special now remained firmly in her mind. Even the memories of the cultural festival that would have normally been a dark lump now were precious experiences. She realized how important it was to stand on your own legs, to change yourself. Because that strengthened your own emotional growth. This “youth” she never understood before turned out to be something so sweet and tempting.

And this…is the same…

Through various experiences, it didn’t take Mina long to grasp this situation. Because Shirai Nonoka and Okamoto Aoi had already become important people to Mina. They were not strangers she could simply ignore and move on. And…there was another person.

“So…Mina-chan?”

“!”

The third person in this group of girls greatly influenced Mina’s daily life—Saitou Mai. She had her tied into a single tail that hung down on one shoulder, emitting the air of a typical Japanese beauty, and she was another friend of Mina’s just like Shirai and Okamoto. Starting from the first term all the way to right before the cultural festival, those three basically had been inseparable. And she was also the only one who had special circumstances in this whole situation.

“Um…well…”

“…”

“…No, it’s nothing. I’m sorry.”

“Ah…”

The girl showed a hurt expression as she walked away. She always had a fickle impression on others. Whereas the other two would always run around and after Mina on the daily, she would slowly enter Mina’s life in a gentle way. And to Mina, Saitou Mai was the one she felt the closest to. And even though she had been smiling a lot more lately, there were days she had such a hurt expression. Because of that, Mina didn’t know the reason. But, she did pick up a feeling of familiarity from that expression.

As an avid reader, Mina loved being by herself. That’s why she chose to stay alone and spend her time the way she wants to, and yet sometimes a contradiction slowly crept up inside of her: “Being alone is lonely.” “I hate being so pathetic,” she could hear screams inside her heart. Looking at Saitou’s expression right now, it reminded Mina of when she felt like that back then.

I…want to do something.

Ever since the second term began, the three of them were constantly around Mina. Yet, they all acted independently now. Mina saw them as a bother in the early days, but now they’ve become a vital part of daily life. And she had no reason to deny that now. However, there was still another problem.

Just what happened…?

The reason for this sudden change in situation…She tried to think about it, but realized that she knew next to nothing about the girls. She never attempted to learn more about them.

This…I’m not good enough yet.

Mina knew the importance of getting back up again…so for starters, she needed information. Why are Shirai and Okamoto so devoid of any energy, and why did Saitou make that self-deprecating smile? For that, Mina had to learn more. Either by talking directly to them, or asking people close to them who could know more. She shot up from her desk, as if to raise her own motivation.

*

Urgh…

Her current position was at her desk. Compared to the first term, Mina had gotten involved with a lot more people. However, she was still shy and introverted even after all, so she struggled to initiate a conversation with other people. She knew how important it was to muster up her courage now, but this and that were different. She cursed herself for being so naive earlier. In the end…she could only rely on her former senior. Although she didn’t want to ask an injured person like him for help. Feeling regret, she headed his way and called out to him.

“U-Um…Sajou-ku—”

“Phew…Huh?”

“Wah!”

The moment she called out to him, Wataru stood up. The timing was so awful that Mina’s words got stuck in her throat. But even so, she tried to convey her words, when—

“Sorry, Ichinose-san. I gotta head to the toilet.”

“Ah…”

Wataru apologized with a slight bow and then walked off. Without giving Mina a chance to stop him, he walked out of the room. And since she realized he was in a rush, she didn’t try to chase after him either. Not like she could, either. But, losing her one and only hope, Mina was at a loss.

“…”

“Um…Ichinose-san?”

“!”

“Sorry about Wataru.”

“He’s so cruel!”

The two who called out to Mina was the girl sitting behind Wataru—Natsukawa Aika. Together with her good friend Ashida Kei, she’s always with Wataru. She’s a beautiful girl, always sparkling, and it always made Mina freeze up when they talked. In Mina’s eyes, Aika was Wataru’s good friend, so that would make her a friend’s friend. But at the same time, she was like a stranger. Continuing the conversation without Wataru was a bit rough on her. But as Natsukawa apologized like she was speaking of a family member, Kei showed a wry smile.

“Did you need something from Wataru?” Aika asked.

“Maybe you wanna invite him out on a date?”

“Ack…”

“Hey, Kei…”

Following Aika’s initial question, the representative of this class, the cheerful Kei, went on to tease Mina. And to her, Kei was an existence that she was bad at dealing with. If not for Aika reprimanding Kei, Mina might have run away at that point.

“Um, I can let him know if you’d like…?”

“…”

“Geez, Kei! You scared her so much she’s not even talking anymore!”

“Huh?! Is it my fault?!”

That was absolutely right, but also not the main reason. To Mina, even Aika was a weak point. A weakness she couldn’t defeat. Of course, she understood that the girl wasn’t a bad person in the slightest, but for introverted and shy people, logic takes second place.

“…”

“Okay, I got it. Kei, leave us alone.”

“Wha…?! Aichi?!”

“No buts!”

Pushed away by Aika, Kei pretended to cry and returned to her desk. Met with this unexpected turn, Mina’s eyes opened wide. Aika must have guessed that Mina was too shy to handle this situation and took the matter into her own hands. Thanks to that, Mina came to like Aika a bit more.

“So, what’s up?”

“Ugh…”

That being said—this still wasn’t enough. Mina didn’t know the last thing about Aika. And what scared her the most was making Aika angry without meaning to. As she was bad with expressing herself, that was a wall that almost seemed unsurmountable. She pressed one hand on her chest, trying to calm her confused heart.

“Is it something…you can only talk with Wataru about?”

“…Ah…”

Aika gently grasped that hand with both of hers. Even the words she told Mina were voiced with nothing but kindness. Like an older sister who allowed Mina to be selfish. It was different from Sasaki Fuuka, who would sometimes come to visit Mina at work. Then again, she was still younger than even Mina. But through this, the fear Mina had towards Aika slowly lessened, as she managed to calm down and remember her original goal. What’s most important right now is Shirai, Okamoto, and Saitou. Finding out what happened between them, and if she could find out, then it didn’t have to be Wataru. Making up her mind, Mina spoke up.

“Well…Th-There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Um…I’d rather not talk about it here…”

Okamoto’s seat was awfully close to Wataru’s. At this rate, she might be able to pick up on their conversation. And with that danger looming over them, she couldn’t ask for the details here. She could ask Okamoto directly, but that brought the danger of hurting her with it, and she didn’t have the courage for that.

“Okay, then let’s head somewhere else.”

“Y-Yes…!”

Pulled along by Aika’s hand, the two of them left the classroom. All the while being seen off by Kei’s lonely expression.

*

They stepped out onto the hallway, with Wataru not in sight. Mina and Aika were now facing each other.

“Well…I’m sorry for suddenly dragging you out here. I’m not forcing you to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I-It’s okay…!”

“R-Really? Then…”

Aika had considered just waiting for Wataru to come back if they were going to change their location anyway, but she swallowed that because Mina said she was fine with this. Plus, learning that there was something Ichinose Mina wanted to talk about with Wataru—she couldn’t completely erase any and all curiosity. The possibility of their bond deepening without her knowing—To the current Aika, that was not something she could just ignore. And while not knowing of this guilt, Mina made up her mind and spoke up.

“Um…the thing is…”

Mina then began telling Aika about the other three girls. That she wanted to do something for them, but didn’t even know why they were acting this way. So, she wanted to ask if Aika knew anything.

“…Hm. Now that you mentioned it, I haven’t talked much with them after the cultural festival…”

“…”

“…Ah, I’m sorry, okay! Don’t look at me like that.”

Aika must have felt the disappointment from Mina and her expression, as she frantically apologized and looked away. Recently, her mind could only think of Wataru and his grave injury. She didn’t have the leisure to worry about her other classmates or people that weren’t close friends.

“B-But…They do seem to be bothered by something. That influences the mood in the classroom, too…”

“…”

“Ugh…! I-I said I’m sorry!”

She spoke as if only now she realized that something was wrong in the classroom. Mina looked up at Aika like she couldn’t believe her. At the same time, Aika dropped her shoulders in defeat.

“…Natsukawa, Ichinose-san can be very delicate to handle, so you can’t treat her the same way as Ashida.”

“! W-Wataru, took you long enough. Did you let out everything?”

“Natsukawa, let’s calm down, okay?”

By the way, it was only a “small” deed.

“With only my left hand, it’s a bit hard…And it still hurts a bit,” Wataru said with a somewhat bashful tone, leaving Mina and Aika beet-red.

Nobody gained anything from that conversation. That being said, at least Wataru arrived to join the two of them. Figuring that at least he wouldn’t be as useless as Aika, Mina told him the exact same thing. As she progressed, Wataru suddenly began looking like he would break out in tears any moment.

“Ah…Oh…Ichinose-san…You’re trying to help your friends…”

“…Um.”

“Ah, sorry. We were being serious, right? I mean, I was just so moved, don’t blame me.”

Mina narrowed her eyes again in a judgmental way, which seemed to be very effective as a way to get others back on topic. Even Aika couldn’t entirely stand this, as she crossed her arms and looked the other way. She then cleared her throat once and faced Wataru.

“I’d like to help them too, if possible. They were the ones who first started talking to me when Kei and I grew closer.”

“You say that…But it’s gonna be something complicated.”

“! D-Do you know something…?”

“Well…I’ve got an idea.”

Both Mina and Aika moved in closer toward him, which left him staggering backward. But looking at his left hand and the bandage, they regained their composure.

“S-So…?”

“I mean…I don’t know if I could just spill the beans and…Ah, wait a second.”

“Huh…?”

Wataru suddenly looked at Mina, moving closer toward her. Out of shock and surprise, she bumped against the wall behind her.

“Not being able to help someone in their time of need…Personality-wise, that’s the opposite of Shinomiya-senpai. What if the one being troubled was Inatomi-senpai and not her…? What would make her happy…?”

“A-Ahhh…”

“W-Wataru! Aren’t you getting a bit too close? And…why is Shinomiya-senpai’s name popping up now…?!”

Stared down by Wataru up close, Mina blushed furiously. Aika was left in shock, trying to pull Wataru away from Mina. But, he was still thinking. Both of them had question marks up above their heads, looking at each other. Finally, Wataru must have reached a conclusion in his mind, looking at the two.

“Ichinose-san…Do you remember the first interview you had at work?”

“Huh…? Y-Yeah…”

“I want you to remember the courage you felt back then. Because of this problem…You could be the savior of our class.”

“Wha…Huuuuh?!”

Lunch break arrived, and the school cafeteria was packed with students. At the table in the back sat four students, facing each other.

“Um…Mina-chan?”

“Y-Yesh…”

“A-Are you okay?”

“…!”

Sitting to Mina’s left, Saitou Mai called out to her with a worried tone. Sitting across the table, Shirai Nononka did the same. Okamoto Aoi was next to her, not voicing it openly, but her worried expression spoke for itself.

I…I have to tell them properly…!

This gathering came into place because Mina called for everyone. She sent “I want to talk about something” to everyone. And she finished it off with “I would be happy if you could come to the cafeteria for next lunch break.” This was the beginning of the operation that Wataru, Aika, as well as Kei and the class representative Iihoshi Seina came up with. And the details were simple…For Mina to express her worries and problems to the group. They didn’t prepare any script, of course, so Mina was understandably worried. And then there was another group of four watching them from a distance.

‘H-Hey…why did you all just order bread and milk…? I’m the only one with a lunch box now…’

‘You lose once you worry about it, Natsukawa.’

‘I just wanted to join in from the sidelines, AIchi.’

‘A nutritious lunch box will be helpful for a long battle. Not bad, Natsukawa-san.’

‘A-About what?! You didn’t set me up, did you? You didn’t just forget to let me know, right…?!’

Despite a few ups and downs, they were just as prepared. They told Mina they would be watching from a distance…but in reality, it was more like insurance in the event that Mina’s limit was to be reached in front of the other three. If things derailed, Wataru and the others could step in to ask the girls about their problems…But, Wataru didn’t doubt Mina’s success for a moment.

‘Hmph…I would have loved to help myself.’

‘Now, now, Aichi.’

‘You’re such a hard worker, Natsukawa-san. But from what Sajou-kun told me, no hard work could be helpful here.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘This situation relies on the fact that the introverted Ichinose-san takes the first step. So apologies, but just please stay by my side for now.’

‘W-Wataru…?’

‘Now hold on, this isn’t what I was told about.’

‘Hilarious.’

As the conversation derailed into a sweet atmosphere, Kei and Iihoshi stepped on the brakes. Contrary to that, Mina’s table was mostly about everyone reading the mood, nobody knowing how they could start the conversation.

“So…what do you want to talk about? What happened?”

“U-Um…”

“Just tell us! We’ll do anything to help!”

“…!”

Okamoto called out to Mina in a warm voice. But she knew that she was just forcing herself to smile. She’s not in the mental state to listen to other people’s problems. Mina formed fists on her lap. She was aware that they all kept their true feelings locked away. And that frustrated her only further. It showed they had no trust in her. Just like someone told her before, it showed they simply treated her like a mascot.

“…!”

“…Huh?”

“…!”

“…”

Mina glared at the three of them in order. Met with such a determined and almost hostile expression, the other girls swallowed their breaths. Mina prepared herself to be hurt and hated, as she finally spoke up.

“I want to know what’s on your mind.”

“…?!”

Each word made it clear how much it weighed down on her. This surprised the girls. Mina was the one and only person who asked just what nobody else dared to.

“Lately, you all seem so…devoid of energy and sad…And it won’t let me go.”

“Ah…”

Shirai and Okamoto looked down at the table. After all, the reason for them acting this was to sit with them at the table—which was Saitou.

“All of you…by yourselves…and nobody talking to me…I was l-lonely…”

“…Mina-chan…”

Hearing Mina’s quivering voice, Okamoto raised her head. As expected, Mina’s eyes were tearing up.

“I don’t know what’s on our minds…And if you really can’t tell me, then that’s fine…”

“Ah…”

Finally, tears fell from Mina’s eyes. But she didn’t stop there.

“But…is there no way I could help you…?!”

“““…”””

These words conveyed with tears—Undoubtedly, they showed how Mina truly felt. In reality, she was just an existence they could spoil whenever they want. But when they were troubled with something, she was just there to heal their minds. Yet, this very mascot now said that she wanted to be their strength. These feelings, paired with her tears, deeply reverberated inside of them.

“…I see. I’m sorry, Mina-chan.”

“…! Aoi-chan.”

“It’s okay, Honka-chan. I’ll say it.”

Listening to Mina until the very end, the first one to speak up was Okamoto. Shirai seemed worried, but the light had returned to her eyes, as she looked at Saitou.

“You know, I was really shocked to hear that you started dating Sasaki-kun, Mai-chan.”

“Ah…”

“…Wha…?”

Hearing Okamoto’s confession, Saitou’s expression was distorted in sadness. Meanwhile, Mina stopped crying and looked between the two. Wataru said he had a feeling as to what caused the rupture in this group. He never told Mina, but she had no idea that it would be related to love and everything around it. And since this was a territory much more mature than she assumed, she was shaken.

“We always talked about Sasaki-kun being cool, started admiring him, talked to him from time to time while being excited, and then gushed about it in our group. I thought that would continue forever. So when I heard that Mai-chan and he started dating, I thought that she cut ahead of me.”

“Aoi…chan…”

“But, I’m the weird one for thinking that.”

“What…?”

Saitou was surprised to hear that, raising her head in shock.

“I always talked about Sasaki-kun being my favorite, my idol. But I just lied to myself. I was happy keeping him at a distance…like he was an idol. No way I wouldn’t develop any feelings.”

“…”

“I’m the same.”

“…!”

Following Okamoto, now Shirai looked directly at Saitou, confessing her feelings.

“Even after I fell in love with Sasaki-kun, I didn’t have the courage to confess. I sometimes talked to him but was happy with just that. With the possibility of him rejecting me hovering in my head, I couldn’t tell him my feelings.”

“Nonoka-chan…”

“You’re amazing, Mai-chan. You actually confessed to him.”

“You must have known that this would make things awkward between us. But you still did your best and mustered up your courage.”

“Y-You two…!”

Saitou’s expression was distorted in pain as she couldn’t keep up the facade anymore. She began shedding tears like Mina previously did.

“I’m sorry…I just couldn’t hold myself back any longer…I knew we couldn’t be friends anymore, but my feelings for him continued to grow…And I couldn’t tell you about that…!”

“It’s okay. It’s okay, Mai-chan.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

They said and then smiled at Saitou.

““Congrats.””

“…!”

They both were blessing her with tears in their eyes. The guilt Saitou felt grew even stronger, as she couldn’t hold back her own tears. Mina didn’t know what to do, so she just handed Saitou a handkerchief and rubbed her back.

“Um, if there is anything I can do, then…” she said.

“It’s okay, Mina-chan.”

“…Huh?”

“You already helped us. Because we could finally talk it out.”

“…”

“Thank you, Mina-chan.”

“Really…Thank you so much…”

“Ah…”

The courage Mina showed through her struggles was what allowed Shirai Nonoka, Okamoto Aoi, and Saitou Mai to become friends again. For high school girls in love with the same boy, this problem had to be resolved eventually. However, Mina’s courage allowed them to preserve their bonds. Being thanked, Mina realized the effort she put into everything was worth it. Looking at the table in the distance, the people supposedly watching over her had already disappeared.

*

Sixth period ended, and the students were waiting for homeroom to begin. The regular school life they were used to had returned. In the midst of that, Okamoto and Shirai gathered at Mina’s desk.

“Mina-chan! I only have you left, Mina-chan!”

“Not fair, Aoi-chan! Me too!”

“P-Please let go of me…!”

“I…I’m so sorry…”

Okamoto clung to Mina, with Shirai on top of her. Saitou watched this from afar, one hand on her chest. The group was finally back together.

“Ashida, this is how you and Natsukawa look on the regular.”

“Huuuh? No way, I don’t leap at Aichi like that.”

“I can’t believe you can just say that…”

“Natsukawa-san, you have the right to complain.”

Now that things had calmed down, class rep Iihoshi joined the others, watching this unfold from afar. Wataru and the others were relieved all the same.

“…Seems like everything worked out.”

“Sasakichi’s smiling, too.”

“I…had no idea that Sasaki-kun was this popular.”

“I’m more surprised you didn’t know about that.”

“…Welp, I can leave it at that.”

As it turns out, Aika never saw Sasaki as a potential love interest. Thinking about the fact that Sasaki had feelings for Aika not too long ago, if he hadn’t been dating Saitou right now, things would have been bad. He almost cried of joy, so he looked away. As for the other students, they seemed relieved that things had gone back to normal, smiling as they went about their day. It showed how big of an influence those three were.

“Oh? Ichinose-chan’s walking over towards us.”

“I wonder what she wants…?”

“?”

Wataru turned around as he saw Mina walking over. She held something like a sheet of paper in her hand.

“What’s up?”

“U-Um…Thank you very much.”

“No worries, no worries. We couldn’t go on our date, so I’m glad I made up for it.”

“You’re still on about that, Sajocchi?”

“…”

Wataru mentioning a “date” once again made Kei’s expression stiffen, as Aika simply remained silent with a sour expression. Since she remembered Sajou sulking the last time, she didn’t deny it again.

“So…You can have this…”

“Hm? What’s this?”

“A token…of my gratitude…”

“Oh?”

“Lesse! Is that a ticket?”

“Huh…?”

The group looked at the ticket Wataru was given. Kei and Aika were more than interested and checked out what it was for.

“Huh? A ‘Will do anything for you’ ticket…?”

““Now hold on?!””

“Hilarious.”

Right before classes come to an end, the students are most relaxed. However, the loud voices of the two girls completely disrupted this calm atmosphere.