Chapter 111: Kirihara Arisu (2)

“Aya-ring and Arisu… weren’t exactly dating, but they were close.”
“Ah…”

That was shocking enough. The special attention I thought Aya had only shown me… had been given to someone else before?

My vision blurred. Tears welled up, and a pang of sadness pierced my heart.
I took a step back, and Mizuki grabbed my shoulder.

“Wait, Rina-tan! Don’t misunderstand. That’s not what Aya-ring meant at all. You know Aya-ring, right? She’s kind to everyone, but only a few are allowed to cross the line.”
“Yeah… I know.”

I still didn’t understand how I managed to cross that line, but… Aya was kind to everyone outside her inner circle, but she maintained a distinct wall, a defense mechanism that kept her aloof and untouchable, the ice queen of Takamari Academy.

“Arisu was one of those inside Aya’-rings circle.”

I listened quietly as Mizuki continued. She sighed softly.

“Arisu… seemed to think that Aya-ring, the middle school student council president, treated her specially. So, Arisu confessed to Aya-ring.”

Confessed…
Arisu, to Aya?
Mizuki chuckled softly, as if she still couldn’t believe it herself.

“Of course, Aya-ring rejected Arisu. And that’s when Aya-ring started distancing herself. The problem is… what happened after that.”

Mizuki lowered her voice.

“Rumors started spreading. Arisu, now outside Aya’s circle, was exposed to those rumors. Rumors that Arisu was… a pervert, a lesbian…”
“…That… that bad? Who started them?”
“Probably some girls who were jealous of Arisu. But the problem is, Arisu thought Aya-ring was behind those rumors. And now Arisu…”

Mizuki’s voice was filled with conviction. I held my breath.

“Rina-tan, she’s targeting you to get revenge on Aya-ring.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. She wants to take you away from her, to get revenge.”
“Mizuki… How do you know?”
“I asked Arisu directly.”

I see…
Ah, so that’s how it was.
I didn’t understand this world.
Same-s*x relationships… anyone could be a potential partner. Taking someone’s partner for revenge… did that even make sense?

The thought made my chest ache. If it were just a story in a novel, I would have remained detached, a bystander simply solving the problem. But this was different. I was no longer a side character; I was directly involved. And the thought of Arisu using me as a tool for revenge was deeply unsettling.

I should be angry. But instead of anger… I felt a confusing sadness.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I needed to think rationally. I had an IQ of 150, I was practically a genius.

“…What do you think about Arisu, Mizuki?”

Mizuki considered my question seriously.

“Honestly… I feel bad for both of them.”
“Huh…?”

Mizuki sighed and put her arm around me.

“Aya didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but she ended up hurting Arisu… and Arisu, whose feelings were genuine, ended up getting hurt. They’re both my precious friends.”
“…Right.”

I nodded slowly. Mizuki smiled.

“That’s why I hope they can talk things out someday. Share their feelings and clear up any misunderstandings. Then Arisu won’t be seeking revenge, and Aya-ring won’t be so cold towards her.”

Really?
I hoped so.

“That’s why I’m looking for a way to make that happen.”

A way…
I wasn’t sure.

Would time heal their wounds?
Or would it only fester and worsen the situation?

A breeze swept across the rooftop. I was lost in thought.
Did Arisu simply want to use me as a tool for revenge against Aya?
Or was she… jealous of me being with Aya?

I couldn’t understand Arisu’s motivations. But one thing was certain: she was hurting.

That pain wouldn’t have disappeared in the six months she’d been abroad. She’d confronted Aya while still carrying that pain. Perhaps what Arisu needed most wasn’t revenge against Aya… but someone to acknowledge her pain.

“Mizuki, I think I should talk to Arisu—”
“Rina-tan, I’m looking for a solution, not a way to detonate a bomb. For Aya’s sake, you shouldn’t get involved.”
“Me? Why? We have to do something quickly…!”
“Do you know why Aya confessed to you?”

Uh, that was…
Because I’d taken the male protagonist’s place…
But I couldn’t tell her that.

“Rina, you’re not a replacement for Arisu. Cherish Aya-ring’s feelings. If you truly love her…”

“So I should just… do nothing? Just watch them suffer like this, every time we have a student council meeting?”
“I’ll take care of it. They just need time. Time…”

“Time? The longer we wait, the deeper their wounds will become, won’t they?”

It was probably the first time I’d ever raised my voice at Mizuki. She seemed to reflect on my words, then took a deep breath.

“You’re right… of course.”
“I want all of us to be friends. I don’t like how Arisu is acting around me, testing my feelings. I only have Aya…”

I calmed down and spoke softly.

“I’m glad you told me that. Now I understand why Aya-ring likes you.”

Mizuki looked at me, a forced smile on her face.

“Aya-ring~! Welcome back~”

Back in the classroom, Mizuki acted as if nothing had happened on the rooftop.

“Yes.”
“What did the teacher want? It seemed like he had something to ask you.”
“He wanted me to enter a competition… I’m not really interested, though.”
“Eh~ I wonder if he’ll ask me next time~”

Aya sat down and looked at me calmly.
I was still thinking about my conversation with Mizuki.

“Rina, is something wrong?”
“Eh, ah, huh? No… nothing. I’m just a little sleepy. I’ve been feeling drowsy lately, hehe…”
“Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”

When Aya asked me directly like that, I couldn’t refuse.

“Yeah, a little.”
“What is it?”

Aya’s gentle approach was always reassuring. But she never initiated physical contact in public. And now, knowing the reason behind her cautious behavior made my stomach churn.

“It’s just… a personal problem.”

Aya must have been kind to Arisu too…
Even if she hadn’t given her her heart, what if…
No, why was I even thinking like this about Aya?

“Asakura~! The teacher’s calling you~!”
“Ah… See? I told you he’d ask me next. Sigh.”

There would be plenty of opportunities to talk to Aya alone later. I pretended to be tired and slumped over my desk. I was feeling unusually drowsy today.

****

After school.

After parting ways with Mizuki, I slowly approached Aya.
Aya wasn’t cold or distant towards me. After school, she always held my hand and wasn’t shy about physical affection.

“Aya.”
“Yes, Rina?”

Aya, as always, was kind and gentle.
But…

“You said you were close with Arisu in middle school.”
“Yes… that’s right.”

Aya’s expression looked… not just uncomfortable, but almost… disgusted. But my feelings were important too.

“Did you… have feelings for Arisu?”
“…No, absolutely not.”
“I see…”

I snuggled into Aya’s embrace, acting a little childish.

“Then… I’m your first, right?”

Aya chuckled and wrapped her arms around me.

“Of course. You’re my first, Rina, and I plan to be with you forever.”

Aya showed me her left ring finger. The promise ring.
The ring she only gave to someone she truly cared about…
Come to think of it, Arisu wasn’t wearing one.
I held out my left ring finger, aligning it with Aya’s.

“I’m sorry… for doubting you.”
“It’s okay. It’s understandable.”

We smiled at each other. I wished this warm, comforting moment could last forever.
But there was something I needed to say.

After we separated from the hug, I asked,

“Aya, are you going to keep being cold towards Arisu?”
“What do you want me to do, Rina?”
“Uh… Me?”

I was taken aback by Aya’s question.

“I… I want you two to make up…”

“I understand why you’d say that, Rina… But I still don’t understand what Arisu did. It’s not easy for me to just… forgive and forget.”

She added apologetically,

“But I understand why you’re saying this. I’ll try not to make you uncomfortable. But please understand that it’s difficult for me to make up with her right now.”

Ah…
Right, it wasn’t going to be easy.
This was a deep-seated conflict that wouldn’t be resolved unless one of them made a significant concession.