Ch.32Chapter 5. What It Means to Like Someone (4)

First, let me clarify that I wasn’t the one who spread the rumors—neither the track team captain nor the kids next to him did it directly.

The biggest reason I can say this is because Kaneko didn’t react immediately.

I’m not sure if they intended to hurt me and taunt Kaneko, or if they wanted to hurt me just enough that I would push Kaneko away.

But either way, the fact that they targeted me instead of Kaneko herself suggests they were hoping Kaneko would be shocked by my suffering, right?

Considering Kaneko didn’t come to see me directly until after fourth period, that wasn’t the case.

Well, given that Kaneko didn’t even know about her junior being ostracized, I can imagine how insidiously she usually bullied people.

So there weren’t any problems during school hours.

But there were small signs of trouble brewing.

As time passed in the classroom, more and more students would glance at me during breaks. The girl who spoke to me in the morning must have told others about it.

…I wonder if they saw the tattoo on my wrist?

Thinking back, I had a hair tie wrapped around my wrist, so thanks to Yamashita’s thoughtfulness, it might not have been discovered. Besides, everyone’s attention was probably focused on the blood flowing from my forehead, so it might not be a big issue.

At least I was relieved about that.

It wasn’t my fault that I got hit, right? Being ostracized for something like this would be ridiculous.

“Um… Kurosawa?”

But regardless, it seems I ended up making Miura worry.

Around the end of the second period break.

“Did something happen yesterday?”

That’s what Miura asked me.

Miura has many friends.

Her closest friends are Fukuda and Yamashita, but she’s generally popular with everyone in the class.

Maybe some of the boys even have her as their first love.

“…”

I turned my gaze toward the girl who had spoken to me this morning.

Why did she bother to check with me? Simply to verify the truth? Or out of concern for me? I think it was probably the former.

“Nothing happened.”

“R-really?”

When I said that, Miura looked at me with a slightly anxious expression.

I tried my hardest not to look at Yamashita.

We agreed to keep it a secret.

While looking at Miura, I glimpsed Yamashita from the corner of my eye; she was staring blankly at the blackboard. Her phone was broken yesterday, right.

“Well…”

Miura briefly looked around, thinking, then said,

“If something happens, I hope you’ll tell me. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“…”

Ah, she’s really a nice person.

Well, that’s why she had to die in the original story. That demon… ate kind and good people.

Did it enjoy Miura’s screams of despair as she died? It would choose people who seemed ‘kind,’ ask them for help, and then eat them, so it probably did.

“Okay.”

When I answered like that, Miura nodded with a slightly stiff expression.

*

Kotone Kurosawa was a precarious child.

I don’t know the details. But anyone around her could easily sense that she was unusual.

It wasn’t just because the teacher asked Miura to be friendly with her.

No, that was part of it, but not all.

Even for Miura…

Leaving Kurosawa alone that time had been a heavy burden on her heart.

Kurosawa didn’t seem to remember what happened. The police never found the culprit, and naturally, no one knew exactly what Kurosawa had experienced. That included Mako Miura.

But—anyone who saw Kurosawa in that situation would easily understand that she had gone through something traumatic enough to last a lifetime.

Her parents didn’t even visit her in the hospital. She didn’t make more friends. She probably ate alone too.

Someone had seen this Kurosawa being supported by another student yesterday, with blood flowing from her head.

It didn’t seem like a false rumor. At least, no one in this class would mistake Kotone Kurosawa for someone else.

The other person in that rumor was—

Miura’s gaze turned toward Yuu Yamashita.

If that rumor wasn’t false, was Yuu involved in what happened yesterday? Miura thought about it but couldn’t easily reach a conclusion.

“…What?”

Sensing the gaze on her, Yuu looked at Miura and asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”

Miura just brushed it off like that.

Had Kurosawa suffered another incident while Miura wasn’t paying attention?

“…”

For the rest of the class, Miura was so preoccupied with the rumor that she couldn’t properly focus on the lesson.

*

After class ended, I hesitated for a moment.

Should I go up to the club room?

Or I could just go home.

A rare day off… well, not quite a day off, more like half a day? Since we had morning classes… Anyway, I had quite a bit of time left.

For someone like me who spends more than half the week working part-time jobs, this was precious time.

I was considering whether to finish Final Fantasy 6 while packing my bag when my body suddenly tilted forward.

“Kotone-chan. Going home?”

I turned around to find Fukuda with her arm on my shoulder.

“Um…”

“Don’t do that. Let’s hang out for a while. We have plenty of time.”

For a moment, my high school instincts almost awakened. You know, that feeling when a popular kid approaches and you shrink back. I was an otaku who just read light novels in high school.

But along with that instinct, I caught the faint scent of what must have been Fukuda’s perfume.

Sometimes in school stories, there are descriptions of girls smelling nice, and I think this must be that kind of smell.

“…Okay.”

With Fukuda right next to me saying that, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

“Is that okay?”

After getting my answer, Fukuda turned around and asked.

She was looking in Miura’s direction.

Miura, who had initially looked surprised, soon nodded with a slight smile on her lips.

“Yes. …What about Yuu?”

Then she hesitantly asked Yuu.

“…Fine.”

Yamashita nodded as she said that, but her face showed almost no expression, so I couldn’t tell if she was genuinely okay with it or not.

But then again, she’s always like that.

Miura’s expression brightened considerably after hearing the answer.

Maybe she wants to ask about the rumor she heard? Since the rumor probably doesn’t just involve me.

…Well, even if she asks, I don’t plan on answering.

*

Come to think of it, there aren’t actually that many things to do outside.

Even when I was younger and hung out with friends, we’d go to bookstores to check out new releases, visit places like Yongsan to look at games, eat a hamburger, and then go home.

What we did with these girls was the high school girl version of that schedule.

Walking around the streets, looking at clothes, small accessories, or cosmetics.

Of course, I had no interest in those things, so I just stood around blankly, but Fukuda and Miura enjoyed bringing clothes up to me and having fun.

After that, we’d go to a karaoke place or a dessert café.

Today it was a dessert café.

“We’re lucky today.”

Fukuda said with a smile.

“It’s not raining too hard, right? If it was, I wouldn’t have suggested walking around like this.”

The rainy season is still in full swing. It’s June 18th, and the rainy season will probably continue until mid-to-late July, so it might get worse.

It had been pouring since morning, then lightened up a bit when we left school, and started pouring again just as we entered the café.

Our plan was to wait patiently until the rain eased a bit, then head back.

“…”

Up to this point, everything seemed normal, but there was a strange tension between the four of us that hadn’t been there before.

Usually, even if I don’t talk much, or if Yamashita is quiet, the atmosphere doesn’t get awkward. Both Miura and Fukuda have bright, positive personalities.

But Miura seemed to have something she wanted to ask us. Fukuda had picked up on that and brought Yamashita and me out.

The problem was that neither Yamashita nor I wanted to answer that question.

Things definitely get troublesome if the story spreads. Just because the track team captain and his two lackeys quit the team doesn’t mean it’s over.

There are other members in the track team, and some of them might be close to those three.

And then there are their friends too.

The situation is already complicated, and I don’t want to drag Miura and Fukuda into it. I want to end this at my level. But if I explain everything that happened yesterday, even if I don’t talk about Yamashita’s family situation, I can’t avoid mentioning the track team.

…Best case scenario would be if things just end here.

As for Kaneko’s situation… I’ll have to think about whether I can resolve that when the time comes. I don’t even know the face of the person who was ostracized.

However, that “best case scenario” probably won’t be easy to achieve.

I realized that the moment I left school with my friends.

“…Kurosawa?”

“…Yes?”

Miura called out to me as I was staring at a corner of the café.

“What is it? Do you see someone you know?”

“…No.”

It’s not someone I know.

But…

They were following us much more blatantly than the stalker who had followed me before.

I’m not sure exactly where they started following us from. They weren’t waiting at the school gate, but probably somewhere inconspicuous.

Three men.

They weren’t all in school uniforms. However, they seemed to be around our age or slightly older. High school students?

They were in casual clothes, but their attire was somewhat messy. Cargo pants with chains—what era’s fashion—

Oh right, this is 2004.

But I think even then it was considered crossing a line.

Anyway, I forcibly tore my eyes away from those men.

At least they don’t seem to be planning to cause trouble here.

Since Miura and Fukuda haven’t noticed them yet, maybe I’ll just leave it be.

And—

“Um…”

Miura, seeing all eyes on her, seemed to think it was time to speak up.

“Yuu.”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask if you’ve been… worried about anything lately?”

Miura carefully chose each word as she asked.

“You left alone without saying anything last time too…”

“…You don’t need permission.”

Yamashita responded to Miura’s words.

However, she also seemed cautious in her own way; though her words seemed indifferent, her voice was much quieter than when she spoke with me yesterday.

“That’s… true, but.”

Fukuda just looked back and forth between the two of them.

As if this wasn’t the first time, she maintained her usual expression while bringing her straw to her lips.

“Has something happened between you two before?”

Yamashita and I remained silent.

“I… heard something.”

I glanced at Yamashita.

“Yesterday, they said Kurosawa was bleeding.”

Yamashita didn’t say anything.

Probably, the “I won’t tell either” from yesterday included the fact that I was dragged away by the track team members.

“…I slipped in the bathroom.”

“Huh?”

But if I don’t clear up the misunderstanding a little here, Miura will keep worrying.

“I hit my head on the sink, and Yamashita found me and took me to the infirmary. That’s all.”

“Really!? Are you okay?”

As expected, Miura’s face turned pale.

I knew it.

If she reacts this strongly to me just falling and getting hurt, how would she have reacted if I told her I was being bullied?

When I looked at Yamashita, she glanced at me once and nodded.

“We went to the hospital in the teacher’s car. They said she’s fine.”

“Really.”

Miura placed her hand on her chest and exhaled deeply.

“That’s a relief.”

“Well, it wasn’t as serious as you were worried about.”

Fukuda said with a chuckle, stirring the ice left in her cup with her straw. She also seemed a bit relieved.

“You know what she thought? She thought you two had fought.”

“…No way.”

“Yes, yes. I was just worried. You both seemed off…”

Miura slumped in her chair as if all her energy had drained away.

“You’re really not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. Want to see?”

When I tried to show Miura my head, she waved her hand with a wry smile.

“No, that’s not necessary. It’s okay.”

Good.

At least Miura and Fukuda seem reassured. I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but Yamashita also seems a bit more at ease.

…Now only those men are left to deal with.

In my opinion, they’re definitely related to the track team. Probably boyfriends or something. The numbers match perfectly too.

What should I do?

One solution does come to mind.

I glanced at a corner of the café as I thought.

*

We sat comfortably in the more relaxed atmosphere, waiting for the rain to ease a bit.

True to the rainy season, the rain that had been pouring like crazy for almost an hour finally eased up, and we went outside.

It was a bit of a walk from the café to the station. About five minutes on foot.

And during that time, those men continued to follow us, keeping a slight distance.

The others still hadn’t noticed. Well, it’s not that strange for people to be walking around in a busy area.

“Then, Kurosawa, see you tomorrow.”

“Kotone-chan, bye~”

“Take care.”

The three waved goodbye to me. I waved back and entered the station, then waited for a while.

…Even after waiting for quite some time, the men didn’t come in.

So, they weren’t following me.

Well, the person who left a bruise on the track team captain’s face wasn’t me but Yamashita.

I went back outside the station.

I knew which direction the three were heading. I didn’t know exactly where they lived, but we always parted at the station.

I hadn’t been in the station for long. Not even a minute.

So it wasn’t difficult to follow the three men who were following the three high school girls.

“Kurosawa.”

And having one more person to help makes things easier.

“Yuuki.”

As I thought when I saw her sitting in the corner of the café, there’s no one more welcome than an expert in these situations.

*

“…So you’re telling me you went through all that and didn’t contact me once.”

“…Sorry.”

The two of us walked while talking, keeping those men far behind us.

The rain had intensified a bit in the meantime. It wasn’t pouring like in the morning, but still.

“No, you don’t need to be sorry.”

Yuuki sighed deeply after hearing my apology.

Yuuki had also heard the rumors. Being in the next class, rumors would spread there quickly.

Maybe Souta Sasaki had heard them too. He was aware of my existence after all.

For now, only Yuuki had followed me.

Yuuki knows what kind of body I have. Regardless of how she thinks about it, she at least knows that I heal quickly even from major injuries.

So I could tell Yuuki the details of how I got hurt.

“So those men seem to be following… Yamashita-san?”

“Yes. They’ve been following since the school entrance.”

“Haa.”

Yuuki ran her free hand over her face, the one not holding the umbrella.

“What would you have done if I wasn’t here?”

“…Police.”

“You’re actually thinking of calling the police? Should I praise you?”

Even I know this is sarcasm.

And Yuuki probably knows too.

That this is just something I’m saying.

I had no intention of calling the police.

Rather, I would have… dealt with those men directly, to make sure they wouldn’t think of following again.

My body is basically sturdy as long as I don’t lose too much blood and collapse from hemorrhage. I may lack strength, but still.

“…I have a lot to say, but I’ll save it for later. Let’s resolve this situation first.”

Should I be scared?

Well, I’m willing to listen to Yuuki’s nagging.

She’ll probably treat me to a meal and then lecture me, right? Thinking about it that way makes me a bit excited.

The men walking ahead of us quickened their pace.

In the distance, we could see a blonde high school girl and a short-haired high school girl parting ways with a long-haired high school girl. They were waving to each other.

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be paying much attention to us.

The three men followed Yamashita, who had split off alone, with slightly faster steps.

Three men against one high school girl.

“Cowardly bastards.”

Yuuki expressed my thoughts, which was somewhat satisfying.

Yamashita was about to enter a residential area when she suddenly turned sideways and went between buildings. She didn’t seem to want to go home.

Well, that’s understandable, considering what I heard yesterday.

And the three men quickly followed Yamashita.

…There were no people in the residential area.

“Hey.”

I could hear one of the men, the one with dyed blonde hair, speaking.

“You there, in the sailor uniform.”

Yamashita deliberately didn’t stop.

So, perhaps annoyed, the man quickly ran up and grabbed Yamashita’s shoulder.

Yamashita turned around, shaking off his hand.

That cold, expressionless face I had seen before was fully visible.

As she looked toward the men—for a moment, when our eyes met, Yamashita showed a briefly surprised expression.

“Miss, do you have some time?”

The man said in a sleazy voice.

“If you’re free, we’d like to have a little chat.”

“…”

Yamashita’s eyes returned to the man.

Next to the man who spoke with his hands stuffed in his pockets, the other two casually walked up and surrounded Yamashita.

In broad daylight. On a Saturday in the middle of a Minato-ku street.

They’re bold.

In reality, even with such an approach, people around just glanced over and walked past. They didn’t want to get involved. It wasn’t like they were fighting. People probably thought it was just common street flirting.

“Hey!”

But someone like Yuka Yuuki wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

The blonde head turned around at Yuuki’s shout.

Looking at us, not particularly surprised,

“What? Got business with us? Want to join?”

The two men who had followed laughed sneeringly.

Yuuki gripped her bag handle tightly in her right hand and threw her umbrella to the side.

“Hmm? Hey, she really seems to want to get involved.”

“Is she crazy?”

They said such things after seeing Yuuki’s actions.

“Isn’t it a bit shameful for three men to surround one woman? At least match the numbers.”

“…”

The man snickered at Yuuki’s words.

“Hey, we’re not here because of numbers. My girlfriend owes her. Do you know how much she cried when she came home yesterday?”

Yuuki let out a mocking laugh.

She didn’t seem interested in hearing more.

“Ha, she really wants to try something. Hey.”

As the man said that, the other two slowly walked toward Yamashita.

I also threw my umbrella to the side at that point.

Despite appearances, I’m confident in my endurance. I may not be excellent at full power, but I can at least grab onto someone and hold them.

Just as Yuuki and I were about to rush at the man in front—

Suddenly, a blonde high school girl jumped out from the alley and delivered a low kick to the leg of the boy approaching Yamashita.

“Kuhek!?”

The buzz-cut man fell to one knee.

“Fukuda?”

I called out her name involuntarily.

“Hey, did you think I’d just go home after seeing that face?”

“Th-that’s right!”

From a distance behind Fukuda, Miura shouted.

“With such a worried expression!”

“…Mako.”

Yamashita murmured Miura’s name.

“…”

Ah, so they never intended to just part ways from the beginning.

“They’ve been following so obviously since we left school, how could we not notice? That yellow hair is too pathetic, isn’t it?”

The yellow-haired man scowled fiercely at Fukuda’s taunt.

While having yellow hair himself.

I swallowed that retort back down my throat.

“Looks like everyone had the same idea as you.”

Yuuki said to me with a smile.

I guess so.

This might be my imagination, but I think Yamashita smiled for a moment.