(LN) Please Leave Me Alone - Volume 02 (JNCodex)

Prologue
Visiting a girl's house is a must when it comes to rom-

coms.
Seeing the FMC in pajamas when visiting her during a

cold, walking into your extremely close childhood friend's
room, there are all kinds of scenes. Sometimes, there are
even mysterious plots like going into the bath with the
FMC's father.
At this point, let's take a moment and think about this

calmly. Isn't going into the bath with someone you don't
know well a hellish event? Rom-com MCs are too strong.
Of course, guys go to girls' houses in reality as well.

However, this scenario is definitely a scene I browsed in a
fiction novel for me.
For example, you thought your childhood friend was a

boy, but then you discovered she's actually a girl. Your
parents made you live with her. You two keep fighting each
other during the student council election. You share a secret
with a beautiful girl after some ridiculous events. Somehow,
a beautiful girl is treating a gloomy character warmly.
All of these are scenes that can appear.
It's not like I have no experience with the latter ones I

listed. However, they have nothing to do with what's
happening right now. Let's talk about this later.
Of course, I never had the chance to visit a girl's house in

my last 3 years of high school life. Come to think of it, I
『fb.com/JNovelCodex』
never went to a guy's house as well. Even if you expand the
definition of "going to someone's house" to maximum, the
best I did was giving a circuit board back to my neighbor.
Even I think this was expanding it too much.
However, even if I have the lowest points in interpersonal

relationships to the point where I'm excluded from statistics,
the day is finally here.
Today, I have the groundbreaking chance of appearing in

a girl's house!
Of course, I'm not involved in some sort of crime, nor did

I pay to get in. I formally asked for the girl's permission.
Shouldn't that be obvious?
I really didn't expect such activity to befall me in real life.

Right now, my mind feels like, "Hey, I've done this question
before!" It's a great thing that I've read rom-com light novels
beforehand.
Well, if you're asking me, who's rapidly rising on the

world's normie rank, for my feedback.
...Can someone come to save me!? This is seriously so

exhausting!
The room I'm in right now is filled with illustrations of 2D

girls. The bookshelves are full of colorful light novels and
mangas. It's very much an otaku's room.
As for the person sitting before me, he's a very sunny,

frivolous guy.
"Well? Which part of my little sister do you like?"
This frivolous person in front of me is the owner of the
room. He leaned forward and asked me. His eyes are filled
with interest.
Right, I'm not in a girl's room right now. It's this flighty
dude instead.
It's not guaranteed that I'll be in a girl's room even if I'm

in a girl's house. It's not even sure that I'll be with a girl. At
this point, I painfully realized how tragic reality is. This must
be the so-called narrative trap, right?
"No, that's not true..."
My expression must look exhausted, and I don't want to

hide it either. Yet, the frivolous guy in front of me is
laughing cheerfully. He's smacking the armrest on his chair.
"Alright, alright, no need to be shy! We're buddies!"
"That's not what you say to a person you just met,

right...?"
"Don't be so stubborn."
"You too. Don't try to make me spill the beans so

smoothly, alright...?"
"What do you mean by spilling the beans smoothly!?"
My emotions are so low that I feel I leave a "..." every time

I speak. Well, please don't be so strict on me today. A lone
wolf without experience in relationships always flats out
immediately when talking to a person with an unmatching
wavelength.
Initially, I was already in a super hostile place that is
another person's house. My HP and MP are slowly being
chipped away.
I sighed internally and thought about the absent culprit's

face.
By the way, the culprit that brought me here is the gal in

my class, Ruri Hoshigasaki.
Chapter 01: There are no rom-coms even if I'm in a
girl's house, right?
It's an afternoon of a Saturday in early June.
Today, even though I rarely go outside during weekends,

I'm standing in front of a slightly old apartment.
This area officially entered the rainy season yesterday. As

for today, it started raining afternoon. The Bureau of
Meteorology gained a lot of prestige back. The gloomy
corridor is filled with the sound of rain. It feels like I'm
walking in a tunnel.
I checked the 『Hoshigasaki』 nameplate hanging next to

the door. I put the tip of my finger onto the doorbell gently.
I remained in this pose for 2 to 3 seconds.
"What's wrong? Nanamura-kun."
The person who expressed her confusion behind is my

classmate, Sora Hanamitsuji. We went back in time due to
all kinds of reasons.
Today, her fluffy, curly hair is still accompanied by a

beautiful hairpin.
Although she was in sportswear during the trip, she's

wearing a shirt dress with a ribbon on the chest part today.
The low-top rain boots look good on her. The adorable light
green umbrella in her hands is dripping with raindrops. I
always admire that her aura changes based on what she
wears.
I don't like dressing up, so I only have clothes that barely
fit the requirements. I'm the guy who gives up and goes
outside in a school uniform during weekends.
My eyes returned to the doorbell after glancing at her.
"Well, I don't know whether I should press the bell."
"Do we have steps before pressing the bell!? By the way,

stop trying to run away if you're here already."
"But this is my first time coming to a girl's house."
"Didn't you come to my house after the entrance

ceremony?"
"The shrine doesn't count, right? I didn't even see the

『Hanamitsuji』 nameplate."
I feel like it's too much to include that into visiting a girl's
house. Even if someone is running a cake shop, you can't say
you visited their house just because you bought a cake from
them, right?
Well, let's leave that for later.
Right now, we're in front of my classmate Ruri

Hoshigasaki's house.
Yesterday, Hanamitsuji and I finished holding our

reflection meeting in the family restaurant after school.
Hoshigasaki invited me on Line. 『 Can you come to my
house later?』
Obviously, my mind went blank upon seeing the Line

message. Hanamitsuji also asked, "What. Is. This?" next to
me until I understood what that meant. I was the one who
wanted to know the most, okay?
However, I wasn't dumb enough to yell, "Ohh! I got

invited into a girl's house! Yahoo!" I knew the happiness
wasn't real.
The brain that got me first place in the test, along with the
3 years of high school I previously had, formed this lone
wolf's mindset. I easily saw through that there must be
something else behind this invitation!
Actually, Hoshigasaki and I made a connection after a

small incident earlier. We shared something in common
when we knew our light novel interests were similar. I've
heard that she also chats with Hanamitsuji on Line as well.
They are totally good friends now.
However, the relationship between Hoshigasaki and I is

we share the same hobby at most. Even though she sends me
a couple of Line texts from time to time, we've rarely seen
each other privately. Also, we didn't even hang out together
during the trip.
Of course, I'm just a nameless dude among the sea of high

school boys. If someone confesses to me, I think I can
genuinely accept it. It's just that there's no sign for a
romance scene now. A depressed dude who overthinks as
soon as he has a little contact with a girl is miserable. I
understand that.
Therefore, recently, I have increased my defense further.

After all, I will be the one who's suffering from depression
from voided expectations.
If the person is interested in love, she even calls an

unfamiliar guy into her house. Even if you're really energetic
and determined about it, that's not the order of things to
work. I bet she has other reasons, anyway.
So, at that time, I understood it already. "I bet she's going

to drag me into trouble again."
Did I want to reject her? Yes. However, is it too rude if she

went out of her way to invite me? Acquiring more references
for my light novel is a good reason. I felt like I could go. Also,
Hoshigasaki helped me when I was searching for
Hanamitsuji during the trip. I guess it's a nice opportunity to
return the favor, right...?
Screw it. I'll be honest.
Initially, my brain indeed went blank after seeing the

message. However, after the excitement had cooled down, I
understood what it meant. The first thing that ran over my
head was cheerful screams like, "Woooo! I've seen this in
rom-coms!"
I pretended to be calm since Hanamitsuji was next to me.

However, my brain was already playing all kinds of
instruments. In my mind, I did a victory pose as I dashed
across the finish line, yet I continued running to show off my
big W. The imagined audience all rose up and gave me a
hurricane of applause filled with congratulations. Are we
already in the finale now?
Hiya, it can't be helped. I'm a healthy high school guy. It's

hard not to imagine things when I have the opportunity to
visit a girl's house. While I did have a bad feeling afterward,
I was really happy for a short moment after receiving the
invitation.
I comforted Hanamitsuji, who was totally suspicious of

my relationship with Hoshigasaki, as I answered, 『I'm free
during the weekend.』 To a girl, this must be a subtle way of
saying, "I'm totally okay!" I bet this narrative expression
must find its way into future Japanese lessons.
It's fine even if there's trouble! I'm okay with you selling
me one or two pots! I can buy all of them! It's already a big
profit when I get to enter a high school girl's house!
...I have to say I was an idiot who only knew daydreaming

for even thinking about that.
The reason why Hoshigasaki called me here is clear, even

though it's today.
Oh, right, Hanamitsuji came here after seeing

Hoshigasaki's invitation. She was very upset after seeing the
message on Line for some reason. It took me a long time to
explain everything to her.
Phew, take a deep breath. My consciousness returned to

the cold sensation on the tip of my finger again.
"I'm really going to press it, okay? Can I?"
"You don't need to confirm with me at every step. I won't

tell you to stop."
"...Eh, wait? Are SECOM and ALSOK in this apartment

too?"
(TL: They are national-grade security companies that

helped in the Tokyo Olympics.)
"The parts that you pay attention to are exactly the same
as a criminal's."
"Will I get arrested if I pressed a girl's house's doorbell?
I'm scared..."
"Arrest what!? What laws did you break!?"
"It's better for me to dress up as a delivery guy or

mailman."
"That's exactly what a criminal thinks when he's in the

act! Ah- you're such a pain in the ass!"
A hand from behind was rapidly pressed on my finger.

The bell rang.
Ding. A refreshing sound played that totally didn't match

how I felt. Someone answered behind the door, 'Com-ing."
"Hey, don't make decisions for me! I'm still not mentally
prepared—"
"—It's already nighttime when Nanamura-kun is

prepared."
We quietly argued with each other. The door was

unlocked and gradually opened as well.
"——Hey, thanks for coming! Nanamura, Sora-chan!"
Hoshigasaki is standing next to the door with a bright

smile. As usual, her long, blonde hair is tied to the side.
However, her oversized shirt and grey culottes give off an
even lazier vibe than in school. She doesn't have that delicate
makeup in school upon a closer look. I think.
"Come in."
"O-Oh... Well, excuse me."
"Welcome."
Even though I received an invitation to enter someone's

house, I still felt pretty startled crossing the entrance.
"Excuse me. Hoshigasaki-san, where should I put the

umbrella?"
"Oh, just put it in the umbrella stand over there."
The entrance is pretty tidy. A few pairs of shoes are placed

to the side. Hoshigasaki took some towels from the top of
the shoe shelf and handed them to us.
"You two must be soaked, right? Use this to wipe your

heads and other parts!"
"Thanks, that's considerate."
Hoshigasaki shook her head and smiled bitterly after

hearing that.
"I'm sorry for today, Nanamura. Onii-chan really forced

you here."
Yes. I'm here because Hoshigasaki's brother wants to see

me.
Also, he included, "I want to read Nanamura's novel as

well."
"Isn't he a weird guy? He actually wants to see Nanamura-

kun's novel."
Hanamitsuji casually insulted me after she knew my weak

points. Hoshigasaki also bitterly smiled as she answered.
"After onii-chan and I talked about Nanamura, he said he
wants to see this person's novel. Bring him here."
Ahaha. Hoshigasaki laughed bitterly, but the premise is

wrong, right?
"It's fine for you two to talk about me if we take a hundred

steps back, but why did you say I'm writing novels!? I told
you girls to keep this as a secret, right!?"
"Oh, we kind of just spilled it as we spoke..."
"You too, Hanamitsuji. You weren't even trying to keep

my secret at all, right?"
"Not entirely. I just felt like it didn't matter whether I say

it or not."
"Your defenses are too low! At least think about it before

spilling the secret!"
"Isn't that nice too? Nanamura-kun's secrets are supposed

to be exposed, anyway, right?"
"There aren't any secrets like that in the world."
Hanamitsuji spoke casually from behind. Hey, come to

think of it, you spilled the secret to Hoshigasaki. You're the
culprit, alright?
After talking about why Hoshigasaki called me here on

Line yesterday, Hanamitsuji showed great interest. "I want
to go too!" Hoshigasaki agreed. "I'm fine with that!" Both of
us then visited her house.
I brought the novel draft that received serious critique

from the two girls in the family restaurant. My heart feels so
heavy right now.
"Are you doing well these days?"
"My body is fine, but my mind has a lot of issues."
I really wanted to run away after knowing why she called

me here. However, a text was sent to me Line, 『Onii-chan
said he'll come to get you in school if Nanamura doesn't
show up in the house. 』 I couldn't do anything. Getting
someone at the school entrance, are you an old delinquent?
This counts as mild intimidation, right?
"Nanamura-kun doesn't have anything to do. Don't mind

it."
"This is a fact, but it really pisses me off when

Hanamitsuji says it!"
I wiped my shoulders and backpack dry as Hoshigasaki

led us across the corridor. There's no noise from the living
room. Her parents must be out, right?
Hoshigasaki stopped in front of the door in the corridor.
Hanamitsuji and I looked at the door. There's no

nameplate on it, but this is her brother's room, right?
"Nanamura, did your face just freeze?"
"I can't help but get nervous when I'm meeting a

stranger..."
"It's okay. Onii-chan is an otaku as well."
"Ah, Hoshigasaki said that he dragged you into the world

of light novels."
"Right. It's because I was really timid when I was little. I
often stayed in the house alone with onii-chan as well. He
really influenced me a lot."
She bitterly smiled at the door. It's clear that the siblings'
relationship is still very good. There's no way they would've
talked about me otherwise, not to mention bringing a
classmate to her home.
However, I didn't expect Hoshigasaki was a timid child.

Well, now that she has said it. I think she couldn't speak up
properly when Sakado started bothering her. Perhaps she's
not a talkative person at the start.
Ah, now's not the time for that. The problem is how I
should get past Hoshigasaki's brother.
"Well, this shouldn't be problematic because he's an

otaku... Alright."
An insignificant person with plain clothes came into my

mind. That's the type of people I always find in the light
novel/doujin store I often visit.
Yes, he shouldn't be hard to deal with, maybe. People like

me always nod a few times when we're giving way in that
bookstore's narrow paths.
"Onii-chan, I'm opening the door."
Hoshigasaki knocked on the door. "Okay." Someone

answered.
She urged me to open the door with her eyes. The first
thing that came into view was the wooden desk filled with
grains next to the wall. The walls are full of illustrations of
2D girls. The bookshelf is filled with all kinds of colorful
light novels and mangas. The short table in the center of the
room has several kirara-kei mangas that received anime
adaptations.
(TL: Kirara-kei is kind of like yuri but focuses more on

the slice-of-life part instead of romance. Examples are K-
On, Laid-back Camp, and Yuri Yuri.)
It's clearly a dead-ass otaku's room, no matter how I look

at it. It's just that there's a being that totally doesn't belong
in here.
A young man is sitting on the wheeled chair before the

desk. His merry face matches insanely well with his bright
brown hair. He immediately released his infinitely
refreshing aura upon seeing me.
He's a solid sunny character. I'll be honest and say he's

frivolous.
"Ohh, you must be Nanamura-kun. I'm—"
—Bam.
I closed the door that was barely opened. Phew, I exhaled.

Hoshigasaki looked at the door and me dumbfoundedly.
"Eh? Nanamura, why did you close the door!?"
"Hoshigasaki, you got the wrong room."
"This is my house, though!?"
"But there's a flighty dude who looks like your boyfriend

inside..."
"He's not! By the way, boy—I don't have a boyfriend yet!"
Hoshigasaki answered me angrily, but I just had to get it

off my chest.
"It was way different from my imagination. I was

completely startled! Even though I'm 10% responsible since
I let my guard down when you said he's an otaku..."
"You're almost not admitting your mistakes at all, right?"
"But that sunny aura clearly shows that he's not an otaku,
right? This is against the Act Against Unjustifiable
Premiums and Misleading Representations."
"Aren't Nanamura too biased toward otakus!?"
Hoshigasaki listened to my complaint. She sighed

exhaustedly. Hanamitsuji is behind me too. She mumbled,
"Sheesh, what are you doing?"
"Onii-chan's appearance is indeed a bit frivolous, but he

loves light novels more than I do. Moreover, I care about
how I look as well. You won't know I'm actually an otaku
from the outside."
"Well, you're right..."
Hoshigasaki was a sunny gal the first time I saw her. She
was the kind of person I didn't want to get involved with
ever. However, I didn't expect her brother to be the same
too. Being blood-related is terrifying.
Although I'm used to talking to Hanamitsuji and

Hoshigasaki, speaking to another extremely sunny extrovert
tires me out. My mental strength is already draining bit by
bit when I'm close. Even if he's as gloomy as I do, the
tiredness doesn't get better.
Even so, we can't just stand in front of the door talking.

There's no turning back when we're here.
I made up my mind and gently opened the door again.
The frivolous dude on his seat looked at me, surprised. He

hmphed for a little.
"What was that? Whatever, I'm Ruri's brother, Kouya.

Nice to meet you—"
—Bam!
"Hey, why did you close it again!?"
"T-This is because..."
"Why can't you just give up struggling!?"
"I can't help it! An older sunny character is very scary!"
"Scary!? You're talking non-sense, Nanamura!"
The door opened by itself when we were squabbling.

Hoshigasaki's brother showed his face.
"What's wrong? You guys kept opening and closing the
door... Are you all trying to pretend those door pranks on
『Geinojin Kakudzuke Chekku』?"
(TL: The rough translation is Celebrity Rating Check. It's

basically a show where celebrities try to identify whether
something is expensive or not. After that, they have to go
into rooms to wait for the hosts to announce the result. This
process can be incredibly nervous. Also, since the correct
and wrong rooms are next to each other, some hosts will
open and close the door repeatedly to freak the celebrities
out.)
Hoshigasaki's brother came to the corridor. His eyes

opened slightly wider upon seeing Hanamitsuji and me.
"Oh-ho, it's not just Nanamura-kun? Nice to meet you

both. I'm Ruri's brother, Kouya."
"W-Well, I'm Hoshigasaki's classmate, Nanamura. Ah,

Hodaka Nanamura."
"I'm sorry for suddenly calling you here. No need to be

polite."
"Oh, sure."
From what Hoshigasaki said, Kouya-san is a sophomore.

He's slightly taller than me. His body is on the thinner side,
but not like skinny thin. Upon a closer look, he looks just
like Hoshigasaki. I bet he must be popular, right? There is
something transparent on his ears that looks like ear studs. I
asked Hoshigasaki afterward, and she told me it was to
prevent the holes from healing themselves.
His appearance is oozing frivolity, yet he has his manners.

I consider him a polite person.
"How about this one? Nanamura-kun's girlfriend?"
Kouya-san suddenly turned to Hanamitsuji. She waved

her hands awkwardly.
"N-No! I'm Ruri-san's friend. I'm Hanamitsuji. I just

wanted to use this opportunity to have fun in Ruri-san's
place. Sorry for not asking you beforehand... Are you alright
with this?"
"Ahh! I've heard about you from Ruri. Welcome."
After hearing that, Hanamitsuji looked at Hoshigasaki

with a smile.
"Hoshigasaki-san, you two have talked about me too?"
"Of course! Sora-chan is my important friend, after all!"
"No... whatever."
Hanamitsuji shrugged for a bit. Perhaps what she didn't

say was, "You two are close enough to mention me?" This is
also what I'm thinking.
Kouya-san must have worked hard to take care of the

timid Hoshigasaki in the past. As of now, the siblings have
maintained a rather close relationship, right? It's probably
not just light novels. Perhaps her fashion taste is influenced
by her brother too.
Kouya-san heard Hanamitsuji's answer. He put his hand

on his chin and looked into the distance.
"It's been a long time since Ruri brought a friend home. I

think the last time was in elementary?"
"Ah, I can just see my friends from school outside,
anyway. It's a bit awkward for them to see my room... By the
way, onii-chan! We're talking about Nanamura, right."
Very well, the conversation is slowly diverting away from

me. I thought we could just kill time with this. Regrettably,
Hoshigasaki brought us back to the track.
"Hmm, I was planning for everyone in my room to talk,

but it's not appropriate to invite girls into my room, right?"
Kouya-san said something that a frivolous guy without

common sense would ever say. Ohh, can we just chill in the
living room this way? I'll feel much less isolated... That's
what I thought.
"Ah, then Sora-chan can go to my room. Onii-chan can do

whatever you want."
Hoshigasaki easily voided my expectation.
"I see. Very well, I want to talk to Nanamura-kun alone as

well."
"Hey, what are we talking about?"
"Alright, Nanamura-kun, follow me."
"Hey, wait."
Kouya-san pushed my back forcefully with a cheerful face.

I couldn't even muster up my voice and yell, "Molester!" I
was brought into the room at once.
"Well, Hanamitsuji-san. Have fun."
"Thanks..."
***
Hoshigasaki's brother pointed at the cushion in front of

the short table.
"Sorry, there's one chair only. Sit over there." He urged

me chicly.
Instinctively, I tried to sit as far away from the owner of

this house. Yet, he pointed out, "Can we talk properly if you
sit there?" Therefore, I unwillingly sat in front of him.
The reason is the same. If it's possible, I hope there's a

physical distance between me and an unfamiliar extrovert.
For example, a first-met extrovert is like an alien to me. Do
you think an astronaut will charge blindly to an alien?
After I sat down, Hoshigasaki's brother showed a gentle

smile. Even though he looks frivolous, he cares about
younger people like us. I don't think he's a bad guy. It's just
that I can't talk to him naturally.
I thought about escaping from this uncomfortableness as

I spoke up without hesitation.
"W-Well, Hoshigasaki-san."
"Right, who are you calling?"
"Ha?"
I thought he suddenly didn't understand Japanese.
Yet, this Kouya-san swirled his finger left and right and
said, "Tck, tck." This pose kind of pisses me off.
"Ruri and I are both in the house right now. There are two
'Hoshigasaki-san' here, right?"
T-This is such a pain in the ass... I thought about that, but

I can't say it out loud, right? I utilized all of my mental
strength to suppress my sigh.
"No, you're the only Hoshigasaki-san in front of me right

now."
"Hey, Ruri! Nanamura-kun called you! He said he must

tell you something!"
Kouya-san suddenly opened the door and yelled. I've seen

this in rom-coms before, but this happening in reality just
annoys me!
Hoshigasaki came after a few seconds. She handed a

plastic bottle to Kouya-san.
"I found this one in the fridge. It's for Nanamura, right?"
"Oh, right. Thanks. You two can drink whatever you want
in the fridge. There's iced beer too."
"We're not legal yet, okay?"
Kouya-san looked at the plastic bottle. Hoshigasaki went

over his shoulders and stared at me. Her bitter smile seemed
like she was comforting me, "Don't mind it." After that,
Kouya-san closed the door and came back here.
"This is for Nanamura-kun."
"...Thanks."
I took the cola and chugged it. It's filled with bubbles.
Kouya-san then cleared his throat and spoke up properly.
"So, you can call me Kouya-san, or even Kouya."
"Why did you just yell?"
"This belongs to my plan of making you say my first name

by telling, 'We have people with the same last name here,
okay?' When my little sister's friends visit the house, this is
the third thing I want to do the most."
"What's the first and second one?"
"Anyway, call me Kouya-san. Seriously. We can't tell

who's who from last name alone."
"...Kouya-san."
"Very well, I shall call you Hodaka then."
"Uh, sure..."
I feel like we just skipped to him calling my first name.

How did he shorten our distance by suddenly calling a
person he just met by his first name? A gloomy character
like me has genetic differences with him, right?
Only super handsome MCs from light novels or mangas

can be forgiven when they do that... No, from Kouya-san's
appearance, I bet it works in real-life for him too. I bet a girl
must've already fallen for him by now. However,
unfortunately, I'm a guy. My heart won't go all flutter just
because my first name is called.
I don't know whether Kouya-san knows my frustration.

He looked around the room and laughed.
"As you can see, I also love light novels, mangas, and
anime too. I hope you can put your guard down."
"H-Ha..."
It looks like this person is really good at creating rivalries

among girls in the Tennis Club or Light Music Club...
I observed the room with a heart full of bias. Then, I saw a

black guitar box in the corner. Alright, -1 point. I bet that's
how he picks up kouhais in the Light Music Club. The tennis
racket is on the other side. -1 more point. I can't believe he's
revealing his fangs to kouhais in the Tennis Club as well...
"Are you thinking about something that's really impolite

to me?"
"You're overthinking."
Kouya-san noticed my weird look and asked me with a

bitter smile.
"Anyway, let's get to the chase. Hodaka, you're writing

light novels, right?"
"Uh, I guess."
"Oh, even though I haven't been writing things like this, I

still want to read a light novel by an acquaintance. My dream
is to pick on them from a higher position with a smug face."
"What a terrible dream..."
"Alright, alright, at least trust my opinion developed from

reading light novels. Also, isn't third-party comments
important during the creation?"
Kouya-san reached his hand out full of interest. I sighed
internally and took the draft out of my backpack.
Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki had already stomped this light
novel to the ground, yet I still have to let another person
read it. This is too harsh even for a punishment game, right?
However, I have already stepped into an activity where I will
lose. I should give up struggling.
...How is coming to a girl's house an activity where I will

lose? I'm very salty.
"Well, how should I put it? Please."
"Leave it to me."
***
Kouya-san read the draft silently for a while. I could only

imagine what were Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki doing in
their room.
Come to think of it, hanging out alone with a classmate's

brother while he is reading my light novel is super weird,
right? This is as awkward as taking a bath with the FMC's
father.
I don't want to stay here any longer, but I can't just leave.
All I can do is just cleanse my mind and wait for Kouya-san
to finish.
30 minutes later, Kouya-san finally raised his head and

sighed.
"Phew. I'm done."
"I-I see. Well, your feedback..."
"Well."
I gulped nervously and asked him. Kouya-san crossed his

arms together. His expression is imposing.
"Well... hmm, how should I put it?"
Kouya-san hesitated. Then, he finally made up his mind

and stood up. After that, he took a light novel from the table
and handed it to me with a refreshing smile.
"Right, Hodaka. Did you read the light novel by GA Bunko

last month?"
"What a terrible way to change the topic!"
It's the same reaction as Hoshigasaki when she read my

draft last time!
"Sorry, sorry. Hiya, I didn't know some works are a

headache to comment on."
"I already understand what you mean. Please stop

commenting."
"Well, it's amazing that a first-year high school student

can write this much. Yep."
"Gurk."
I came back from 3 years later. My mental age is the same

as a freshman! You siblings don't need to give me the same
comment! Why are you two emphasizing your relationship
in times like this!?
...Naturally, I couldn't say that. I could only moan quietly.
"Are Ruri still over there?"
Kouya-san suddenly asked. I nodded a bit confusedly.
"I see..."
Kouya-san mumbled. His face showed a tinge of

seriousness.
Oh, is he planning to point out actual mistakes for me?

But my HP is already zero.
"But, honestly, I'm not that kind of guy."
This is the first time we've met. Both of us know nothing

about each other's personalities. Kouya-san wrapped his
hands behind his head and sighed gently. He seems to be
hesitating.
Don't point out the mistakes if you feel so bad for them. I
actually don't need it. ...Kouya-san put his hands on his
kneecaps and lowered his head.
"It's a bit too late, but I really appreciate you."
"Eh?"
I couldn't help but speak idiotically since I didn't

understand where this was going. Why did he thank me?
"Don't tell me... you were just too embarrassed, and my

novel is actually super interesting?"
"No, the novel is sincerely boring."
The last tinge of hope I had left broke. What do you mean
by sincerely boring? Normally, doesn't "sincerely" means it's
interesting?
"Ruri told me about this before. You helped her in the

classroom before, right? I think I have to thank you for that.
I really appreciate what you did."
Kouya-san's face remained serious as he looked at me.
Ahh, I see. At this point, I finally understood what had

been happening since yesterday. After all, it's super
unnatural to bring your little sister's friend to your house
just because he wrote a light novel.
"So, you just said you wanted to read my novel and

brought me here."
"Yes, otherwise, Ruri would say, 'Onii-chan is taking this

too seriously! By the way, this is my own business. Why
does onii-chan have to thank on my behalf!?' That's why I
didn't say the reason."
Even though their genders are different, Kouya-san's

imitation was so realistic that the real one will probably
jump if she sees that.
"As her brother, I care a lot about Ruri. However, I can't

exactly step in when things involve school. I'm glad that
Hodaka is supporting from the side."
Kouya-san seemed to be embarrassed after such a

detailed explanation. He turned his head around. A wave of
guilt swept up from my back when I saw him like this.
I'm not a person who's worthy of praise.
That's what I'm thinking right now, but nothing will

change even if I explain it to Kouya-san. So, I have no choice
but to change the topic.
"...Hoshigasaki told you this much?"
"We're close, after all."
"Kouya-san is also a heavy siscon too."
"Well, a brother is more or less a siscon."
"Please don't say things like this with such a refreshing

smile."
Well, but I'm close with my little sister Satsuki as well. I'm
not going to pick a fight with him on this one. An older
brother always worries about his little sister.
However, if I tell that to Satsuki, she'll definitely say, "I'm

worried about onii-chan's future." She's going to look down
on me. Onii-chan has feelings too, you know?
My mind is coming up with all sorts of thoughts. Kouya-

san asked me with sparkling eyes.
"So? Which part of my little sister do you like?"
"No, that's not what's happening..."
Here we go again. That's how an extrovert thinks when it

comes to romance. Why do y'all always love shipping people
together? Honestly, I don't really understand. It's enough to
see plots like this in fictional rom-coms, right? Relationships
in real life aren't that clear.
Our debate raged on for a while. He finally understood

Hoshigasaki and I aren't like that. Even though I'm still a bit
irritated at Kouya-san's gratified expression, I won't
complain if we can end this topic as soon as possible.
"Oh, right. With this opportunity, let's exchange our

Line."
"Eh, why?"
Normally, I should've just gone for it and not overthink in

times like this. Perhaps Kouya-san didn't expect someone to
ask him for a reason. He became lost in thought.
"It's nothing. Right, please tell me if Ruri has a

boyfriend."
"What are you going to do if I do tell you?"
"I'll see if this person matches Ruri."
"Siscon..."
"That's why I told you already."
He sounded like he was joking, but Kouya-san's eyes were

serious. A siscon brother is terrifying.
After finishing the Line exchange that I've been getting

used to these months, Kouya-san paid attention to the
screen.
"Ohh, your Line icon is actually the default one. It's been
forever since I last saw one!"
"Why are you excited?"
"It's because most people change icons, right? Yours is

rare."
Indeed, all of my family changed the icon except for me.
Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki are also the same. However, I
didn't expect Kouya-san to be this surprised. Does changing
your avatar even have a meaning in it? It comes with your
name normally. Also, you're looking for names instead of the
avatars when you open up the chat, anyway.
Avatars only come in handy when it's a social app with

millions of users online at all times, like Twitter. However,
Line is one-to-one or limited to a certain group. Who cares
about your avatar?
"Did you just make an account?"
"I made it in middle school when I just got a phone."
"It's a natural memorial..."
"It's embarrassing when you're praising me."
"I'm not praising. However, Ruri did say you're the

loneliest person she has ever met."
"That girl is really impolite!"
Haa... I shook my head and sighed. I saw the light novel

on the table. That's the one Kouya-san talked about earlier,
the new GA Bunko novel.
"...By the way, I've read that book before."
"Eh? What did you say?"
"Didn't you just say it? This is the new release from last
month, right? Yeah, rom-coms are ever getting closer to the
end as winter approaches."
"Ohh! This one is amazing! I love when the main and
second heroine has an intense struggle, and then a third one
just shows up. The characters' actions often turn stiff as
drama is involved in rom-coms. However, in a good one, a
side girl who's a bit distant from the center really helps a
lot."
"It's really scary when I actually see an otaku who talks

fast suddenly..."
Actually, Kouya-san has read many light novels too. I

grew interested as we chatted. Hoshigasaki came to check up
on us an hour later. We had a pretty good time.
Indeed, having a common language is very useful for

shortening distances.
I fully understand that. However, I'm not interested in the

games or hot idols my classmates always talk about. In the
end, I'm just not suited for building good relationships.
***
The rain stopped when we were about to leave

Hoshigasaki's house. Kouya-san greeted us from the room.
The three of us walked toward the entrance.
Hanamitsuji's expression was strangely unnatural when

she was staring at her phone.
"What's wrong?"
Hoshigasaki asked her worriedly. Hanamitsuji raised her

head. She's startled.
"I-It's nothing. Forget about that. We have to deal with

the rumor about Nanamura-kun and me on Monday."
"Right, we've talked about that before."
Hanamitsuji wrapped her hands around her head

depressedly. Hoshigasaki gave her a bitter smile.
...Hmm? The rumor between her and me?
A question mark popped out in my mind, but I

immediately realized it. People saw Hanamitsuji and me
hanging out together during the trip. Some troublesome
rumors then got out.
Honestly, I was so worried about Kouya-san reading my

novel that I totally forgot about this. It's hard to say about
Hanamitsuji since she has a lot of friends. However, a rumor
like this doesn't hurt a loner like me much.
"It's kind of irritating to see Nanamura-kun putting out

such a 'none of my business' face."
"That's how I look."
Hanamitsuji sighed deeply. Even though I won't suffer

anything, I feel bad when she's this depressed.
"Well, uh, sorry."
"Don't apologize to me. It's just this is going to get a little
bit troublesome..."
The rumor is spreading around because Hanamitsuji and

I didn't come up with a proper explanation.
We went on the trip on Thursday. The rumors were

already spreading on Friday. We were scrambling our brains
for a solution during the weekends. In other words,
Hanamitsuji and I have yet to explain this to others. I can't
really blame the rumors that are spreading everywhere.
We went to the family restaurant for our reflection

meeting on Friday after school. Yet, Hoshigasaki invited us
to her house, where we are right now.
"People asked you for details on Friday, right? How did

you answer?"
"There are a lot of rumors about whether we're going out

and being a couple. I denied all of them because I didn't
know what would Nanamura-kun say. That's why I just gave
a vague explanation."
"I see. They were just whispering while watching me from

afar."
Since I was totally excluded from the class, I didn't even

have a chance to explain. To be fair, only Hoshigasaki and
Shiramine asked me about it.
If possible, I want to talk about this with Hanamitsuji on

Line. However, I don't want her friends to see us texting
each other.
"Right, Hoshigasaki heard the explanation, right?"
"Yeah, Nanamura left Prez's group, and then Sora-chan
came and asked you to go back angrily, right? Sora-chan
ended up seeing bad guys. Nanamura then found out where
Sora-chan was. She already told me beforehand. What a
disaster."
Even though this isn't 100% true, I can't explain our

relationship to her. We couldn't help but include some lies in
between. Hoshigasaki helped me out when I was searching
for Hanamitsuji. That's the best explanation I could give,
considering the flow of logic.
I already talked to Hanamitsuji yesterday. It looks like

Hanamitsuji didn't slip up when she was with her.
"I've already heard about it from Sora-chan. Can't we just

tell everyone like that?"
I shook my head.
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean I'll have to explain
how did I meet Hanamitsuji?"
"Ah... things will be bad if the word that Sora-chan is also

an otaku got out."
Hanamitsuji's face started twitching after hearing that.

She has no business or knowledge in the otaku field. Yet, she
started making things up for Hoshigasaki to accept her
explanation.
Hanamitsuji stroked her curly hair and spoke up

thoughtfully.
"Nanamura-kun and I left each of our groups. He

accidentally bumped into me when I was in trouble with
some bad guys, and he saved me. I guess this makes more
sense, right?"
"Maybe."
If people already saw what happened, Hanamitsuji and I

can't pretend we've never met. This is probably the most
proper explanation.
Perhaps she's glad that we now have a plan. Hanamitsuji's

expression lightened up. She put her hand on her chin.
"The remaining issue is how we should tell everybody. I'll

try to explain to everyone."
"I-I'll help as well! How about we just start telling

everyone on Line today?"
Hoshigasaki raised her hand and offered her assistance.

The so-called rumors always die down fast when there's no
follow-up. However, the more people can help, the less
damage the protagonists in the rumors will take. Ignore me
for a second. I'll feel really bad if Hanamitsuji's life is
disturbed. It's great that so many people agreed to help.
I'm the problem. Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki both have

a lot of friends. Lil' lonely me can't do anything.
Even though I won't be blamed because of this, I just feel

guilty... Ah.
An idea suddenly popped out of my mind. I asked the two

girls.
"Hanamitsuji, Hoshigasaki, are you two free tomorrow?"
"Right, now's not the time to play with friends."
"I have work until 1 PM. I'll be free after that."
"I want to tell someone about this. Can we meet up at the

usual family restaurant at 1:30 PM?"
Both of them nodded in confusion.
***
After getting home, I bumped into my little sister Satsuki

before the washstand. Satsuki probably just went to hang
out with her friends too. She's washing her hands in casual
clothes.
"Welcome back, onii-chan. Here."
"Thanks."
Satsuki moved to the side and let me use the tap. I

reached my hand out.
I stared at Satsuki when she was wiping her hands. She

noticed me and gave me a puzzled look.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Did you dry your hands properly?"
"Uwah, I'm already in middle school. Stop treating me as

a kid. Onii-chan is just as annoying as Dad."
"Don't use Dad as the standard of being annoying. Parents

everywhere will be very upset, you know?"
"That's because Dad always asks things like, 'Did you

bring your keys? Handkerchief and paper towels?' I'm not
in elementary school."
Satsuki frowned helplessly. I turned off the tap with a
bitter smile.
I understand how annoyed Satsuki must feel for being

overprotected. But, honestly, I understand how Dad wants
to keep her safe too.
It was when Satsuki was in 3rd grade. I went back after

the 6th lesson, yet I saw Satsuki sitting on the ground next to
the door. Her tiny body was obstructed by bushes. I couldn't
see her at all on the road to home. I still remember me
freaking out over that.
"I forgot my keys." Even though she looked pretty calm

when she said that, she wasn't even 10 years old. There's no
way she wasn't scared. Perhaps she had been crying before I
came back.
For a while after that, I immediately dashed home after

passing over the spot where most students disbanded. Come
to think of it, weren't we kind of cute at that moment? I
argued with Satsuki every day back then. It's hard to believe
I worried about her so much.
"Onii-chan, did you hang out with your friends in school

today too?"
I wiped my hands dry with the towel as I thought about

things while Satsuki suddenly asked me. She had already
wiped her hands, but she remained before the washstand.
"You don't have to say today too, right?"
"Didn't you already do that during the trip? You went to

have fun with friends again in less than 3 weeks. This is a
great achievement for onii-chan."
"Aren't your standard for great achievements too low?"
"It's onii-chan, after all."
An onii-chan like this is really... it's pathetic, but I can't

retort.
"Well, but onii-chan seems to be celebrating life. Your

little sister is throbbed."
"Who do you think I am?"
Ahaha. Satsuki laughed as she headed outside. I quickly

followed up.
"Back to what we were talking about, a brother will always

worry about his little sister."
"Hmm, but I think I'm quite reliable."
"Right, but still. So, I'll help Satsuki if you are ever in
trouble."
I tried to maintain my cool as I said that. Satsuki heard

that and went, "Oh..."
"Eh? Did my onii-chan just try to hit on me?"
"That's impossible! I didn't mean that!"
"I'm very sorry, but I can't answer your feelings. Ah, the
reason I rejected you isn't that we're blood-related."
"Is there any need to add that last sentence!?"
She thought I was hitting on her. I was rejected at

lightspeed, and the reason isn't that we're blood-related! I'm
probably on top of "List of Earth's Most Pathetic Older
Brothers" today.
Satsuki left after saying what she wanted. I stood there for
a while. Peace soon returned to the once lively area. Silence
has started radiating its existence.
I wasn't thinking about Satsuki. Instead, it's about

Hoshigasaki and Kouya-san.
Older brothers are creatures that always worry about their

little sisters.
He can even bow down to an unfamiliar high school boy

who helped her little sister.
Last time, I bet Kouya-san helped Hoshigasaki a lot when

she dropped out. So, even if she quitted from Higashidani
High School, she must still be moving forward in the end.
It's great that someone is next to Hoshigasaki. I'm

relieved. Right, Hoshigasaki would have definitely been fine
last time. Even if I didn't help her at that time, someone
would've reached their hands out eventually. So...
...So, things would've been fine even if I didn't help

Hoshigasaki in my previous life.
I immediately started hating myself after such a thought

appeared. Goosebumps appeared all over my back, and my
whole body began trembling. My ears were drumming as I
gulped.
I sighed anxiously, shook my head, and walked out of the

washstand. My hands are filled with goosebumps.
This feeling didn't go away. I lost the mood to go to the
living room, where Satsuki is. So, I climbed the stairs and
returned to my room.
From now on, I'll always live in the regret that I didn't
help Hoshigasaki in my last high school life.
Even though I forgot about Hoshigasaki quickly last time.

In the end, endless waves of regret are sweeping me when I
actually did get to help her. This is really depressing. Also,
there won't be any opportunity to remove this guilt anymore.
It's because the mistake was made in my previous life. It's
too late.
My encounter with Hanamitsuji is already irremovable.
And, as for Hoshigasaki, perhaps we already knew each

other.
Even if all of this is twisted beings tied to my guilt.
***
It's the next day. Perhaps Sunday is a window for the

catering industry. There's immediately an empty seat once
afternoon is over.
I achieved the historic achievement of seeing people on

Saturday and Sunday, at least that's what Satsuki said. Right
now, I'm sitting with three of my classmates.
Two of them are Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki.
"I didn't expect Nanamura-kun to call me out on the

weekend."
As for the person with a cup of iced coffee in her hands
next to me, she's my class president, Mashiro Shiramine.
She's radiating with elegance when she's putting her silky
black hair behind her ears.
Oh, right. Yesterday, I told Hoshigasaki, "Shiramine

knows our relationship." She was very surprised at that
time, but it was because she wasn't paying attention.
Shiramine urged me with her eyes. I looked at

Hanamitsuji, who sat diagonally to me.
"This is Hanamitsuji from Class F."
"I'm Hanamitsuji. Hello."
"You're the protagonist of the rumor. Hello."
Shiramine nodded at Hanamitsuji after her self-

introduction. She then turned to Hoshigasaki.
"Hoshigasaki-san, this is the first time we've seen each

other on the weekend."
Hoshigasaki answered a bit nervously.
"Ugh, hmm... well, Prez, you know what happened

between Nanamura and me?"
"Ahh, I accidentally overheard your conversation in the

library. I keep secrets well. Please relax."
"Sorry for hiding it from you..."
"No need to apologize. Everyone has something that they

don't want to tell others. However, I can't say I'm exactly
fine with it."
Shiramine's words seem to have a deeper meaning. She
took a sip of iced coffee and asked me in a slightly cold tone.
"Compared to that, I want to ask you a question first."
"O-Ohh."
"Did you come to high school to seduce girls?"
"Don't say dangerous things like that!"
What did this girl just spurt out!?
Seducing girls, this is a term that's literally the opposite of

an eternal lone wolf like me. Please send these words to
extroverts who have some dirty relationships with girls. I'm
a perfectly healthy boy if you exclude the content on my
phone and PC, alright?
However, Shiramine isn't moved by my retort at all. She

turned her disappointed eyes to Hanamitsuji and continued
in a plain tone.
"But, I can clearly see that this isn't the first time
Hanamitsuji-san and you have met."
"W-Well, you're right."
"Our high school isn't your hunting ground, boy."
"You're just being really mean right now!"
For some reason, I feel like Shiramine is similar to me

when she talks like that... Even though she'll definitely deny
this.
"Whatever. Come to think of it, you and Hoshigasaki-san
know each other as well. It's not that different whether it's
one girl or two."
"Do you have to stab me with every word...?"
To be fair, I knew three girls at once, including Shiramine.

Hiya? Aren't I just a legit normie now? I feel like I can't fight
back if real loners throw rocks at me. No, what even counts
as a real loner?
Hanamtisuji seemed to be upset with what Shiramine said

as well. She cleared her throat and retorted sternly.
"Exactly. Ignoring Hoshigasaki-san, how can a lone wolf

like Nanamura-kun seduce me?"
"You're right, but it really pisses me off when you say that
in front of me!"
"That's pretty mean to me too, Sora-chan!"
Hoshigasaki and I retorted Hanamitsuji at the same time.

Shiramine shook the cup filled with ice. It made refreshing
clicking sounds.
"Look, aren't you two pretty in sync as well? Am I reading

comic dialogs right now?"
"No! Don't misunderstand, Mashiro!"
Shiramine's eyes bulged as Hanamitsuji suddenly leaned

forward hastily.
"Wait? D-Did you just call me by my first name?"
"Eh? ...Ah."
Shit. That's what Hanamitsuji's face is saying.
I think she was good friends with Shiramine in our last
high school life. She must have just called her in that way
subconsciously. After all, she uses "Mashiro" when speaking
to me too.
"Uh, well, I knew your name from Nanamura-kun

yesterday..."
Hanamitsuji stuttered. She turned to me to ask for my

agreement. Her expression was clearly asking me, "Right?" I
nodded, but this is probably not the issue.
Shiramine lost interest. She swept her hair and rolled her
eyes. Indeed, this is not her point of attention.
"No, I'm fine with that. I'm just a bit surprised when
someone called me by my first name when we just met each
other."
"Ah... Sorry for startling you!"
"Don't mind it. I'm just thinking extroverts are indeed

amazing."
Gurk. Hanamitsuji sounded like something was stuck in

her throat.
Even though Shiramine's social skills are far superior to

mine, she's not an extrovert. I don't think she'll just call her
friends' first names right away. Instead, she's probably the
type to shorten the distance over time, right.
After that, Shiramine put down the glass in her hands.
"Even though there is a lot I want to say, please explain to

me what happened on the trip first."
She stopped caring about Hanamitsuji's mistake and
turned to me with a stern expression. I already gave her a
brief explanation on Line yesterday. Right now, I can guess
she wants to prove this is true by listening to me while
everyone's here.
"Ahh, right... Well, where should I start?"
I glanced at Hanamitsuji before the explanation. She

calmed down and nodded at me. This means that we're
going according to the plan. I drank some cola and put out
the explanation I said to Hoshigasaki.
I knew Hanamitsuji from the start. She called me over

after knowing that I had left the team during the trip. Then,
some delinquents came up to Hanamitsuji before we met. As
for me, I saved Hanamitsuji in the nick of time after seeing
her. The rumor mentioned that Hanamitsuji and I stayed
together. That probably stemmed from them seeing us
escaping from the bad guys.
There were some skipped parts here and there, but most
of them were true. Although letting someone else know that
Hanamitsuji and I are acquaintances is risky, Shiramine has
to know if we want someone else to help.
Shiramine listened. She sometimes answered with a

"hmm". At other times, she turned to Hanamitsuji and
asked, "Is what he said true?" This girl is really good at
hearing other people out.
"Indeed, I did stay with Hanamitsuji during the trip. This

part of the rumor is true. However, we didn't decide to meet
up beforehand, nor are we dating."
"I see."
"However, the rumor won't die down if only Hanamitsuji
and I tried. It's because our explanation is only half as
convincing. Also, I don't have anyone to talk to. So, I want to
ask for Shiramine's and Hoshigasaki's help because you two
weren't directly involved in this incident. Sorry for causing
trouble for you two, but this is the only solution I came up
with."
After that, I lowered my head and begged them.
So, Hanamitusji also followed me and lowered her head to

Shiramine.
"Shiramine-san has a high reputation for being Class A's

president. It would be great if you could calm down the
rumor for us. Perhaps this may waste your time, but we
really need your help!"
"Please, Prez! Can you help them?"
Hoshigasaki also asked for us. Shiramine fell silent for a

while. She wiped the water drops on her glass and spoke up.
"Can I ask a key question?"
"Ahh, I'll answer anything."
"Do I have to solve this?"
"Huh?"
What does that mean? I asked her for a reason while

Shiramine continued half-heartedly.
"Why don't you two just give up about the rumor and start
going out for real? A lot of work can be saved this way."
"Ehh!? No, wait, Ma... Shiramine-san!? This is absolutely
impossible!"
Hanamitsuji was startled by Shiramine's words. She

immediately protested. Of course, I had the same idea as
her. It's just that Shiramine continued calmly.
"I don't think it's impossible. A lot of what you just said
was clearly vagued."
"W-Well... we did hide some parts, but that has no other

meaning."
She noticed we were hiding something. That's why it's

hard to deal with a smart person. Hoshigasaki leaned
forward to us confusedly.
"Is that really true!? Eh, are you two really in such a
relationship...?"
"We don't need jokes like this right now. Don't talk,
Hoshigasaki."
"That's mean! I'll help too, okay!?"
Hoshigasaki dropped her jaw to show that she was very

upset, but now's not the time to worry about her. Forgive
me.
Shiramine didn't show a tinge of joy even after hearing

our conversation. She took a sip of iced coffee like this had
nothing to do with her.
"I don't really care about what you two are hiding from
me. However, if you two are already sharing secrets like this,
why not just go out for real? The responsibility isn't on me,
anyway."
I don't know what to say. Shiramine hmphed.
I finally understood after seeing her expression. Don't tell

me this girl...
"Well, this is just a guess... Shiramine, are you actually

really mad at me?"
I asked her tremblingly. Shiramine answered with a bright

smile.
"Isn't that obvious? I worked my buff off to try to bring

you into the class. Yet, you just disappeared without even a
greeting and enjoyed the trip with Hanamitsuji-san. How
about you think in my shoes and consider how I feel when
you ask whether I'm angry?"
"I'm incredibly sorry about that!"
I limited my voice so that the staff won't be mad as I

bowed down and apologized to her.
She's right. I can't retort at all...
Initially, I didn't want to get along with my classmates.

However, Shiramine helped me out when I was about to
leave a painful memory on the trip. I feel really bad for
wasting her efforts.
However, Shiramine would've been awkward if I didn't

leave the team. Well, but that was just my personal guess.
Even though she said it wouldn't, I still forcefully left the
group.
"You were already having fun with a cute girl during a

happy trip. Why not just let a trivial rumor like this spread?"
"Y-You're really holding a grudge... Also, can you stop
being so mean?"
Actually, my time with Hanamitsuji isn't all fun either,

okay? It's just like half of the time.
Shiramine glared at me fiercely once again. She continued

with a tone full of resentment.
"Perhaps you thought it was over once you left the group,
right? Did you know how I feel after that?"
"Eh?"
The question was unexpected. I answered her idiotically.

A tinge of sadness radiated from Shiramine's pupils. I felt
like a needle just stabbed into somewhere in my chest.
"Something like 'Ahh, did I mess up?' and 'What did I do

wrong?' I kept thinking about that when you were gone. I
was really guilty because I thought I did something bad to
you."
"No, that doesn't make sense, right? You're not wrong,

Shiramine."
"I was still worried even though I knew I was right. I

couldn't enjoy the trip in that state."
"...I see."
On that day, I only considered the fact that I messed up.

Since I have little experience with life and I'm not observant,
I made the wrong choice of secretly leaving the group.
However, I wasn't the only person struggling.
Shiramine also thought she was wrong too. She was fed
with regret.
"...Hey, Shiramine."
"What?"
"I only hurt Shiramine with my foolish actions on that

day. So, I've never thought Shiramine would be so upset...
I'm really sorry."
Unlike last time, I didn't let out too big of a voice. Instead,
I bowed down and apologized to her as sincerely as possible.
I raised my head. Shiramine closed her eyes. A knocking

noise was made. She put down the glass in her hands and
sighed.
"Whatever. That's all I wanted to say. Let's just wipe the

slate clean and start over."
"Sorry, and thanks."
Shiramine just forgave me like that. She's a genuinely

kind girl. It makes me wonder what kind of life experience
could've forged a girl like her.
I sighed in relief, yet Hoshigasaki carried an awkward

expression.
What's wrong? She voiced her dissatisfaction when I was

thinking about that.
"...Come to think of it, I was the only one who didn't do

anything with Nanamura during the trip."
"No, didn't we text each other on Line?"
"That's not the only time we can do that, right!?"
"—Ah, Shiramine. Just ignore Hoshigasaki. She's a pain."
"That's pretty mean!"
"Yeah, let's forget about Hoshigasaki-san."
"Prez is pretty mean too..."
"I understand your wish of halting the rumors. However, I

think it'll just cause a bigger misunderstanding if we just
spread what we discussed out."
"Shiramine's right. So, I hope Shiramine and us can work

together and hide part of the fact that's negative to us."
Then, I explained the plan Hanamitsuji and I came up

with yesterday.
"Nanamura and Hanamitsuji don't know each other.

They just left their respective groups due to different
reasons. After that, some delinquents came up to
Hanamitsuji. Nanamura coincidentally showed up and
saved her."
"No one will have any ideas this way."
"I see. We're pushing everything onto coincidences."
Shiramine nodded slightly and leaned to the straw. She

raised her head after taking a sip of iced coffee.
"Did Nanamura-kun ask for my help because

Hoshigasaki-san and I are the only two people you know in
the class?"
"This is one of the reasons, but there are others. You have
friends in Class F as well, right?"
"I do... but how did you know?"
"It's because you immediately came to ask me about the

rumors a day after the trip."
"Even though the rumors started spreading on Friday

morning, only a small group of people knew at that time.
Even so, Shiramine still got it in the first hand. That's why I
guessed you've probably heard it on Line or some other ways
from friends during the trip or on Friday morning. "
Shiramine's eyes squinted after hearing my explanation.

She looked intrigued. I just guessed half of it, but I was
probably right from her expression.
"I see. Aren't you quite smart?"
"I'm just more aware because I don't get to talk to people

much."
"I thought you weren't satisfied with just Hoshigasaki and

wanted to stalk me as well."
"You know I'm not like that, right?"
I remembered when I claimed I shoved my light novel

into Hoshigasaki's schoolbag. Then, rumors got out that I
was Hoshigasaki's stalker for some reason. This defamation
is too much for me. Even though a loner doesn't really care
about his reputation, I don't want to receive a stressing
down from teachers.
"The rumors will stop quickly if Shiramine can help with

your friends in Class F. That's why I asked you for help."
I lowered my head and begged her. After that, I can hear
gentle sighs.
"Sheesh, you're always involved in weird stuff... Well, but

I can't reject when all three of you are begging me."
She had some complaints, but she made a promise.
Hanamitsuji sighed in relief next to me as well. She

thanked her.
"I'm sorry. Shiramine, you're really popular. Things will

be a lot easier if you can help us."
"I don't mind you guys asking me for help, but I'm not a
pro at dealing with messes. In the end, you should properly
explain things."
"I'll remember it with my heart. It's just that I don't even

have a chance to talk to other people."
"I think you should live more normally."
"Despite my looks, this is already the most normal way of

living I know."
"It's already not normal when you left the group in secret
during the trip."
I couldn't retort if she brought that up. Although I had my

reasons, I knew a common high school student rarely does
that.
"But, your biggest problem is probably... you keep

changing your girls."
"I told you that's not true."
Yeah, Shiramine just loves to hold grudges.
***
It's the day after our meeting in the family restaurant.
I was more aware of my surroundings as I climbed up the

slope in front of the gates. It's because if things went south
during the weekends. People from other classes would be
shooting weird looks at me. Perhaps they would even talk to
me.
Luckily, I didn't feel anything unusual and went past the

gate in peace. Nothing changed as I walked to the first-year
students' shoe shelves.
I have to receive everyone's attention after getting into my

classroom. However, perhaps it's because the class is about
to start. No one came near me. I'm kind of confused since
this was easier than I've expected. I hung my schoolbag next
to my desk as I looked at my phone dazedly. To be precise, I
was pretending to be on my phone.
It looks like the mood had already changed when I wasn't

aware of it. However, I don't know the exact details.
If they spread the word on Line, I'll have no idea since I'm
not even in the class group. I'm helpless.
The class assembly was over in an instant. Kuno from the

Baseball Club came to me. He put his right hand on the desk
and faced me with a charming smile. I can smell deodorant
at the same.
"G'day, Nanamura."
"Oh, ah... what's wrong?"
We've never spoken to each other. How can he be so
casual? I can't copy him.
I wanted to greet him properly as well, but I ended up just

making "eh" and "oh". Only a small character sounds like
that. That's why I decided to spend the next lesson
reflecting, "How can I make my 'eh' and 'oh' sound more
proper...?"
"Hiya, I actually want to talk about Nanamura seeing

Hanamitsuji-san from Class F on the trip. You know
Hanamitsuji-san, right?"
I already expected this when Kuno was heading my way,

but I didn't expect him to be this blunt. It was surprising. It's
just that this is a great opportunity to clarify the rumor.
I planned to throw out the explanation we came up with

yesterday. I gulped and spoke up.
"Ah, that's—"
"—Hiya, it's because Hanamitsuji-san is very popular. You

two really created a hot topic this time. Everyone is guessing
whether you two are going out, you know?"
The opportunity was so bad that he interrupted me the

moment I tried to speak.
However, I can't face Hoshigasaki and Shiramine

afterward if I remain silent. I made up my mind and decided
to say something again.
"Well, actually—"
"—But I think it started yesterday night? Somebody said

Nanamura and Hanamitsuji-san just bumped into each
other. This started spreading on Line very fast."
Alright, okay. I know it. I should just shut up in this

situation. The determination I had just then collapsed in an
instant.
Based on Kuno's words, Hoshigasaki and Shiramine

quickly carried out the plan on Line after we disbanded from
the meeting. They are always helping me. In comparison,
I'm sorry for being a useless piece of garbage... My brain
went into full humble mode.
"At that time, someone else said Nanamura saved

Hanamitsuji-san from delinquents. Everyone wants to know
whether that was true. In the end, I lost at rock, paper,
scissors, so they asked me to ask you."
"It's just a punishment game in the end, huh..."
This person was sent to do something that everyone else

didn't want. Do you guys don't want to talk to me this much?
Whatever. I self-destructed during the Hoshigasaki incident.
It's not like I don't understand how they feel.
Kuno chuckled after I complained.
"Sorry." He apologized with a hand gesture.
It's fine. I'm not that upset, anyway. It's all fine. How can I
be a loner if I get upset over every little thing?
"So, did Nanamura really save Hanamitsuji-san?"
"A-Ahh... it was just a coincidence."
"Eh, really! You're strong."
"Nah, I was just caught up in the moment..."
"No need to be humble. You're a tough guy! Sorry for

asking a weird question! Uei."
A weird "uei" came up at the end of his sentence. He

smacked my shoulders with his palm before returning to his
extrovert group.
...What's with that touch/shoulder thump contact? Is this

the so-called body contact between boys? Of course, I've
never gotten used to it, yet I feel just a little bit happy for
some reason. I hate to admit it. Doesn't that look like we're
friends?
Hoshigasaki was in Kuno's group as well. She seemed to

be listening to Kuno's exciting explanation. Don't tell me she
was the one who suggested that.
I considered this possibility. Then, I noticed a girl

standing next to Hoshigasaki staring daggers at me. I think
her name is Hiiragi.
Hiiragi is a very charming girl in the extrovert group. Her

brown hair reaches her shoulders. She's as beautiful as
Hoshigasaki. However, her cold eyes and lazy appearance
give off an unapproachable feeling. It'll be a scene if she's
smoking behind the school building or on the roof.
However, she usually laughs when talking to friends. Also,

she has never caused any conflicts in school. Perhaps my
cold impression of her is because of how she stares at me
and her decision to observe during the Hoshigasaki-Sakado
incident.
After Sakado made such a mess, I'm always watched by

the extrovert girls, including Hiiragi.
Hiiragi will inject herself between Hoshigasaki and me
whenever I get too close. What a great shield.
Well, I can never rest if I don't stop worrying about every

little thing. She didn't cause me any real harm, anyway. Let's
just leave her alone.
So, I looked away like I had nothing to do with her. Peace

returned to my seat after Kuno left. I decided to read light
novels.
***
Everything remained calm until the morning lessons were

over. It's now lunchtime.
I planned to finish my lunch quickly as usual, so I made

my way to the library. However, someone called me just as I
was about to step onto the stairs.
"——Stop."
The voice sounded familiar. I turned around with a bad

feeling.
"...What?"
It's Hiiragi. She glared at me while putting her hands on

her waist.
"I got business with you."
Come to think of it, she glared at me when I was talking to

Kuno after the class assembly. She's definitely up to no good.
"What? Are you going to punch me flying?"
"Ha? Can you not say things that I don't understand?"
"You said it before, right? You'll punch me flying if I dare

to approach Hoshigasaki."
Well, Hiiragi did say she'll punch me flying right away if I

get close to Hoshigasaki.
Hoshigasaki. Hiiragi's eyes turned sharp once this name

was brought up.
"Did you do something bad to Ruri?"
"I didn't. I haven't been doing anything bad recently."
Well, actually, I didn't want to get involved with her when

Sakado was stirring up trouble. However, I purposefully
made everyone misunderstand me at that time. So, I have no
reason to blame others for talking shit about me.
In reality, I already met up with Hoshigasaki outside of

school a few times, but Hiiragi probably doesn't know about
this.
"Hmph, good."
Her sharp eyes didn't get any softer, but Hirragi looked
more relieved. With her look, I bet Hoshigasaki is close to
her group. They must have gotten closer after Sakado's rage
and the trip. I'm a bit happy to know that.
Hiiragi hmphed and spoke up.
"I heard you saved Hanamitsuji from Class F during the

trip, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"Hmph, I bet you felt you could do something lewd if you
saved her."
"Aren't you too biased toward guys?"
"This is just special treatment for you."
"I would've been very happy if you said that to me in a

different scenario."
"What kind of imagination is that?"
Ha. Hiiragi chuckled mockingly. Sheesh, it's tiring to

speak to a rude person.
"So? What business do you have with me? You're not here
to praise me, right?"
Please end this quickly. Perhaps she noticed that's how I

feel right now. Hiiragi smacked her tongue and got a bit
closer.
"Perhaps there's really something good in you. But, don't

you dare do anything bad from now on."
"You're telling me I shall never get close to Hoshigasaki?"
"Yes."
I see. In conclusion, she's here to warn me.
She admits that I helped Hanamitsuji, but this doesn't

mean I get a pass to approach Hoshigasaki. Hiiragi is still
not forgiving me.
That's why she talked to me.
"Got it. I'm not going to do that. Chill. My road to love is
already filled with obstacles after what happened with
Hoshigasaki. Right now, my restrain power is as great as a
monk, you know? I'm about to reach nirvana."
"Alright, alright, anyway, you must not approach within

100 meters of Ruri."
"I can't even go into the classroom that way, right?"
That's like saying I shouldn't come to school. I can't do

that.
"Okay, that's all I wanted to say."
"Ah, oh..."
She went up to the stairs before I could answer. Her back

showed no signs of turning around. It's kind of refreshing.
The library is upstairs, but it'll be awkward if I go up and

bump into her right now. It can't be helped. I went upstairs
after a while.
"Sigh."
I sighed. It's not just because of what I've been through

just then.
I made people feel like I'm disgusting to solve

Hoshigasaki's and Sakado's conflict. Shiramine tried to help
me resolve their resentment, yet I made Shiramine upset.
Weird rumors got out when I tried to save Hanamitsuji from
bad guys.
Then, there's this one. Hiiragi warned me when I tried to

solve the rumor between Hanamitsuji and me.
In the end, I just can't solve everything brilliantly like a
protagonist. Even if I want to solve a problem, it's always
interrupted by something.
A person like me probably can't become a so-called

protagonist.
With that, I climbed the stairs. My legs felt like they were
several times heavier.
Chapter 02: Is she trying to hurt me? Why is she
trying so hard to get close to me?
It's been a week since the trip. Those rumors have

subsided.
I can catch a breath for now. However, this is my first

time having such a rumor with a girl. A peaceful ending like
this left a tinge of regret in my heart. Who knows if this was
the only chance I had in my life?
No, what chance are we talking about here?
But I can't be sincerely happy if Hanamitsuji is sad. This

ending is already quite nice. I'm still upholding my morals in
situations like this. Aren't I amazing? Regrettably, I'm a
loner. No one will come to praise me. Isn't this sad?
The English teacher talks in alpha waves while chalks are

stroked against the blackboard. The double non-stop BGMs
made me look outside the window.
The sky outside is gray since it's the rainy season. It still
looks like it's about to pour down at any second. The air is
very humid. I feel like I'm drinking water from taking a
breath alone. However, it's still possible to get a heat stroke
no matter how humid it is. So, it's important to drink water.
Higashidani High School doesn't have a fixed date for

switching uniforms. Most students are wearing summer
uniforms at this point. Either that or they put on a long shirt
while rolling up the sleeves. Some guys are really excited
since the girls are lowering their defenses. As for the girls,
they send them their hate and disgust as usual.
But, by the way, I can't believe there's only a month left
until the summer holiday. I still feel like I went back in time
yesterday.
I was just going to be a loner again when I first returned.

However, my current life is orders of magnitude different
from the last one. Recently, I even started having trouble
with relationships. I realized being a loner is much more
relaxing once again.
Sleepiness is slowly taking over me with these boring

thoughts spinning in my head. So, I fell into the realm of
dreams dazedly.
***
The English lesson was already over when I woke up. It's
break time now. I observed the surroundings as I lay on the
table, but then I realized we had to change classrooms for
the next lesson.
The classmates chatted and laughed as they slowly walked

outside. I don't really want to follow the main group out, you
know? Even though everyone is walking in the same
direction, there's always an empty space around me. No, this
class has already decided to exclude me.
With that, I decided to keep pretending to be asleep.
I'll leave once fewer people are here so I won't be noticed

too much. I can hide in the toilet while going to the
classroom and sneak in at the last second. This way, I don't
have to face everyone laughing and chatting around the big
table while I just sit there in silence awkwardly.
Therefore, I pretended to be in a deep sleep even after the

lesson. However, who would've thought a voice came above
me?
"...mura. Nanamura."
No, this... is impossible, right?
I thought I misheard it, but the voice came up again.
"—Hey, Nanamura."
I can't keep up my act. This is already an unavoidable

reality. I raised my head while trembling. A blonde gal is
standing next to me.
"Oh, you're awake?"
I didn't know what to tell her, so I answered with

gibberish.
"...Uh, who are you?"
"Nanamura, are you still not awake?"
Hoshigasaki said that in a dumbfounded tone. Yeah, this

person is indeed Hoshigasaki. Even though I recognize her
voice...
"Well, this is the classroom, right?"
I answered her quietly and looked around. Although there

are a lot fewer people in the classroom, it's not totally empty.
It'll be bad for Hoshigasaki if people see us talking.
However, Hoshigasaki is totally oblivious to the confusion

written on my face. She continued calmly.
"We're changing classrooms for the next lesson. See you."
"Oh, sure..."
She explained what she wanted, turned around, and left

the classroom at once. I looked at her. My mind is filled with
questions.
Her attitude just then was really plain. It's like talking to a
totally unfamiliar classmate. However, why is she speaking
to me in the classroom...?
"Hey, Hoshigasaki-san actually talked to you in the

classroom. That's rare."
Shiramine was already next to my table before I noticed.

Even Shiramine thinks Hoshigasaki's actions are unusual.
"Yeah."
"But isn't this nice too? Someone's here to wake you up."
"I wasn't actually asleep. It's just that people will give me
weird stares when I'm inside their group. That's why I never
leave at the same time as they do."
"You always love thinking about irrelevant things..."
"People are thinking about their relationships while I'm

scrambling my brain for a loner's survival."
"Who would know that?"
Shiramine sighed. She looked dumbfounded.
No, I think this is key... to a lone wolf.
***
Hoshigasaki has been weird lately.

After that time, Hoshigasaki always tries to interact with
me in school.
One day, she gently waved at me when we met in the

corridor.
Of course, I didn't think she was waving at me, so I

ignored her. I bet she was waving at her friend behind me,
right? It only took me 0.2 seconds to reach this logical
conclusion. I nearly raised my hand and answered her.
Phew, nearly left an awkwardly painful memory there.
However, a message came through Line later. 『Why did

you ignore me?』 It sounded kind of scary. It looked like she
was mad at me for not answering her. I gave an honest reply.
『I thought you were waving at someone else.』 Then, when
we saw each other in the corridor the next time, her lips said
"Nanamura" as she waved at me.
At that point, I could only give up and greet her. I was

really afraid that other people would see us.
***
On another day, she came to chat with me for no reason.
"Someone dropped their eraser. Is it Nanamura's?"
Hoshigasaki bent down and picked up something as she

passed by. That was a plain eraser. However, it's not mine,
unfortunately.
"I-It's not mine..."
"Hmm. Ah, this is my eraser. Ahaha—"
"—That's how you admit your mistakes!?"
I accidentally spurt out what I was thinking. I quickly
looked around. Hiiragi was chatting with her friends at the
front of the classroom. She was staring daggers at me.
Seriously? She was the one who talked to me. It's not like
I have a good relationship with Hoshigasaki, okay...? I
debated non-stop in my heart. It's just that Hiiragi doesn't
have superpowers. I don't think she heard my protest, right?
***
Then, she raised Hiiragi's suspicion on another day when

she tried to talk to me.
"Ah, Nana—"
"—Ruri! Here are the notes for the next lesson."
Hoshigasaki tried to strike up a conversation with me

right when we saw each other in the classroom. Then, as if
she wanted to interrupt her, Hiiragi called Hoshigasaki from
a few meters away.
"Ah, Yuria, what's wrong?"
Hoshigasaki snapped out of it and dashed toward them.

Although I can only see her back, I bet her face must look
startled and guilty. We're talking about her, after all. My
stomach hurts from just imagining it.
"Ah, right, the notes. But—"
—At this point, Hiiragi stopped and glared at me with a

suspicious look. I observed the situation before quickly
looking away. Anyway, let's just focus on my phone's screen
for now.
"I've been worrying about this before. Ruri, Nanamura
and you..."
Hoshigasaki hastily interrupted Hiiragi.
"Eh? W-Who's Nanamura? What are you talking about? I-

I have no idea at all."
Oi, Hoshigasaki. "Who's Nanamura!?" is literally the

worst excuse ever! Also, don't just act like you don't
understand Japanese!
"Eh, your 'who' was brutal."
"But I can understand how Ruri feels! That happened

before, after all."
Luckily, Hoshigasaki's friends are just teasing her

reaction. They didn't ask too much.
"...I see. Whatever."
Only Hiiragi remains. Her tone still seems suspicious. She

hmphed.
I'm a few meters away from her in my seat with my

phone. All I can do is hide my presence and make myself as
silent as a rock. Why do I have to deal with mental pressure
like this? I have no idea why Hoshigasaki is doing this too,
you know?
She keeps forcing me to talk to her even though I don't

understand her motive. I'm pretty annoyed as well, alright?
The same goes for Hoshigasaki. She literally has zero
benefits from speaking to me in class. Is she threatened by
someone?
"Talking to Nanamura" because she is threatened... How
unpleasant must I be in their eyes?
***
I was searching for books in the library at that day's

lunchtime. Just like last time, Hoshigasaki appeared again.
Her blonde hair and earrings shaped a modern aura that's
totally outstanding from this gloomy library.
"——Nanamura, what are you reading?"
She walked inside that narrow path. It's very hard for us
to even bypass each other. She stood next to me and spoke
calmly. Her eyes are fixed on me. It looks like she's not
interested in the book I'm reading. She just wants to talk to
me.
I looked away from her beautiful face and sighed.
"You've been weird lately."
"...What do you mean?"
"You either call me in the classroom or wave at me."
The whole class knows the relationship between

Hoshigasaki and me is a victim and a perpetrator. Naturally,
it always raises suspicion when two people like this talk in
the classroom. Perhaps it may even reveal Hoshigasaki's
secret.
That's why, even though we've seen each other twice

outside of school, we always avoid contact when in the
classroom.
Although I'm very curious about why she wants to talk to
me so much that she broke the rule, I would be thinking of
myself too highly if I ask her on Line just for that. That's why
I've never asked her.
"Ah, that's what you're talking about."
Hoshigasaki's bitter smile seemed to have shown that I

was right.
"It feels unusual. You're like a person with a

communication disorder trying to force herself to make
friends."
"T-That's mean! D-Do I look that weird...? Wasn't I just a

bit nervous?"
After seeing what she did a few days ago, I finally believed
that she was a timid child. Perhaps she's fine with
interacting with a circle she's already in. However, I guess
it's too much if she wants to construct a new relationship.
"Don't talk to me if you feel nervous."
"But Nanamura is isolated by everyone because of me. I..."
Yeah, it's because of this.
Even though this girl is gentle and considerate, it's

meaningless if Hoshigasaki's stance collapses because of her
good points.
"I don't blame you. I was already a loner because I was

isolated."
"You're right, but—"
"—Also, there's the 'Class President and Person in Charge
of Nanamura' — Shiramine, right?"
"When did Prez get a weird title like this!? By the way, will
someone really insult themselves this way?"
I wouldn't throw out jokes like this in my previous high

school life. However, now that it's my second time, I can
easily crack one. Don't underestimate how cheeky I am, you
know?
"Didn't Hiiragi suspect you just then? It's best for you to
not talk to me in school. Well, I do appreciate your effort."
If there's a button that lets you talk to someone freely, but

the price is this person will lose all of the friends they have
made, I'll never press it. I don't think it's worthy of you to
pay such a heavy price just to talk to me. Also, a high school
student's only option is to make themselves comfortable on
the campus.
"We can just talk on Line, right? There's no need for us to

speak in school and raise unnecessary risks."
"Well, you're right..."
Hoshigasaki mumbled. She asked me.
"...Nanamura, do you think I'm annoying?"
Her expression looks very uncertain. My heart can't help

but beat faster. A normally rude and vicious gal is caring
about my feelings now. No boys in this world can withstand
such a contrasting charm. My reaction is natural.
If you're asking me like that, how can I answer you, "Yes,

super annoying."
"Not really... I just think this may harm you."
I hinted at her, "Perhaps your secret will be revealed too

if others know our relationship isn't actually bad."
However, Hoshigasaki isn't moved by that.
"If you don't think I'm annoying, I can chat with you,
right?"
"Eh? Well, that's one way to put it, but..."
Before I could express my clear rejection, Hoshigasaki left

the path instantly. Her face looks satisfied. I can see the
determination burning in her eyes.
"Well, I'll see you in the classroom."
"O-Oh."
Hoshigasaki smiled and waved. I could only answer her

with a vague nod.
***
It's now late June. I just finished my lunch.
I'm reading light novels in my seat. Shiramine came and

talked to me.
"Nanamura-kun, can I have a moment?"
As the class president, Shiramine won't raise any

suspicion even if she talks to me. That's why girls always ask
Shiramine to tell me whenever I need to know something.
Come to think of it, Shiramine really is the person in charge
of Nanamura... I feel bad for her, even though I'm the bad
person.
"What homework did I miss this time?"
"That's only what a forgetful person would ask, right?

...I'm not here to ask for your homework today."
"Your impression of mine is too bad, right?"
"I don't have to come to neg you if you hand them in on

time."
"Ha..." Shiramine sighed.
At this point, I finally realized she's here for something

different today. Shiramine's lips curled upward for some
reason. She's showing a shameless smile.
"...What's with your face?"
I have a bad feeling about this.
"Upon some calculations, I think you owe me a favor."
"Favor?" I asked her.
Shiramine looked at me. There seemed to be a deeper

meaning of this.
"Didn't I help you out when you tried to tame the rumors
with Hanamitsuji-san? I'm here to collect the favor today."
"Your words are rough, but you're right."
Honestly, I owe Shiramine more favors than I can

possibly remember. It's probably at the debt liquidation
level.
"I'll try to fulfill any wish you have, but please don't ask
me to make a friend."
"I feel you should make friends even when people don't
ask you... Whatever, you'll understand soon enough. Prepare
yourself."
"I can't prepare myself if you don't tell me what it is."
In the end, Shiramine left without explaining how she

wanted me to return the favor.
It would be great if her kindness suddenly surges and just

asks me to get her some juice. However, she doesn't look like
she wants me to do that. I hope that it's not going to be
anything troublesome. But, a mindset like this is a literal
flag. I don't want to recycle it.
***
That day's class assembly was different. The person

standing on the podium is the class president, Shiramine,
instead of the teacher. The teacher sits on a chair next to the
wall and casually crosses his legs.
"Well, we'll choose a Cultural Festival Executive Member

now."
Everyone started getting rowdy after Shiramine's

announcement.
Right, it's already this time.
I've already lived through high school once. At this point,

those sweet and sour memories from the Higashidani High
School Cultural Festival that my current classmates don't
have yet are slowly surfacing in my mind... Alright, there's
none.
It's not just there are no sweet and sour memories.
Everything I can remember is full of bitterness. They are
flowing out non-stop. If only there was a recycling company
for trash memories.
The so-called Cultural Festival Executive Member is

pretty self-explanatory. The name explains the job. This
position is supposed to help create a successful cultural
festival.
Everyone normally abbreviates the title as "Bunjitsu".
Higashidani High School's Cultural Festival normally

takes place in October. Even though the class decides what
they want to do after the summer holiday, the student
council, cultural clubs, and some enthusiastic students start
working during the holiday. So, usually, the selection of
Bunjitsu begins at the end of the first term to prepare for the
summer holiday.
No one wants to waste their precious summer holiday on

troublesome work. That's why the selection of Bunjitsu is
often a difficult task.
Also, Bunjitsu is responsible for the entire Cultural

Festival. That's why they often have less time for their own
classes. If that's the case, it's much happier to prepare for
the festival with your friends. So, there's no way people want
to become a Bunjitsu.
Shiramine looks especially energetic. She took out notes

from the plastic folder on the podium.
"We're spreading the notes made by the student council

now. Please pass it along, everyone."
We received the notes row by row. The uppermost part
has a title in trendy art fonts, 『 Notice on Recruitment of
Cultural Festival Executive Members (Bunjitsu) 』 . The
requests are listed below one by one.
『 Bunjitsu is an important position for supporting the

Higashidani High School Cultural Festival!』
『 The student council will also assist in preparing and

operating the Cultural Festival!』
『 The sense of achievement after a successful festival is

definitely out of this world!』
『Let's work together and push the Cultural Festival to its

highest!』
『 If there's no cultural festival in your middle school...

that's fine! People without experience are welcomed! Our
working environment is free and comfortable!』
Perhaps all of these descriptions are true, but it's rare for
someone to join because of this alone. Also, drop the free
and comfortable thing. Isn't this the definition of a terrible
working environment?
It's going to be like that, right? Doing weird speeches

during the morning assembly, everyone gathering to shoot
videos and post them to SNS, etc. The "comfortable and
free" (laughs) consciousness must be forged by attacking the
person with the lowest capability during work.
Why not prepare better bait if the point is to get people

in? 『 Free, simulated buffet for Executive Members! 』 ,
『 Easy passages that Executive Members can use only! 』 .
Let's ignore how many people there are on Friday when the
festival is open for our students only. The school will be
stuffed on Saturday when students from other schools and
local residents are here.
There are several important points listed below in a

smaller font.
Each glass needs to elect a guy and a girl as Bunjitsu. All

of them need to participate in several activities during the
summer holiday. On the event day, a shift system will be
implemented so that everyone has time to help their class's
preparation or just chill around in the Cultural Festival. All
volunteers are welcome to apply for Bunjitsu.
Everyone in the class should've already briefly read the

notes. Right now, I can hear them talking to their friends.
However, the mood isn't too enthusiastic. Most of the

conversations are, "This is a pain-", "I have my summer
classes.", "Isn't it too early to work in the summer holiday?"
Of course, even though I didn't talk to anyone, I feel roughly
the same as them.
Also, I especially agree with the girl who said, "This is a

pain-" It's because most things in the world are a pain.
Although I don't have any arrangements during summer,

this isn't a reason for me to work. I have to kill time by lazing
around during free days, you know? I'm a busy person. I just
don't have time for meaningful things like this.
Japan's summer is too hot for someone who wants to live

a serious life. It's already unbearable for me to move from
my air-conditioned room to nearby convenience stores.
Coming to school and working under this weather is just
pure penance. Perhaps I'll reach nirvana once I make it
through the summer holiday.
My dream of becoming a light novel author requires
trouble for the sublimation of my work. That's why I can't
remove myself from the troubles of the mortal plane yet.
Shiramine observed the class's reaction. After a minute,

she clapped her hands and raised everyone's attention.
"Everyone now knows what Bunjitsu has to do, right? You

can ask any questions. Volunteers can apply now as well."
The whole classroom returned to silence after Shiramine's

appeal. It's even quieter than when we have lessons.
Everyone in the class is as silent as I am. Be this quiet during
Japanese lessons, y'all. I bet the old teacher will burst into
happy tears.
Shiramine stood helplessly with her hands akimbo. She

looked around the classroom.
"It looks like there aren't any volunteers. Well, let's use
elimination then. First of all, classmates who have clubs or
other things to do can speak up first."
At this moment, the whole classroom is filled with

different noises. Even though everyone acted like a monster
would discover them if they dared to make a sound.
"Prez, our team has a big shift starting from summer! I

have to start preparing during the holiday, so I can't be a
Bunjitsu! Not even after summer!"
"Kuno, don't you normally say clubs are a pain!?"
"Shut up! My passion for baseball has just awoken!"
"Ah, we're going on a trip during the summer too."
"I'm probably not free since I have tutorial lessons."
"I have a part-time job! Sorry, Prez!"
"My parents said I did too bad in the final exam. They
banned me from doing stuff like this."
"My great-grandma said I must not become a Bunjitsu in

her will."
"I've been allergic to Bunjitsu ever since I was little."
All kinds of excuses for not being a Bunjitsu swept me by

surprise. That last one is definitely a lie.
So, Shiramine said, "Alright, alright, I'll record what every

one of you said."
Even though I wanted to say, "I can't. Summer's too hot."

I feared the whole class would quiet down in the middle of
my speech. That would be too awkward, so I remained
silent.
I really hope you guys won't make reactions like, "Eh? I

didn't know this dude could talk." Who said loners don't
talk? It's just because no one cares about us. That's why I
can't find a chance to speak, alright?
Shiramine looked around the class when the excuse

contest died down.
"Very well. The range is smaller now."
After that, those who didn't come up with an excuse or

were not good at talking plopped their heads down
immediately. I'm one of them, obviously.
From my experience, you'll lose the moment you decide to
act. Don't be too outstanding. Hide your presence as much
as possible. I should avoid attracting my classmates'
attention right now. Perhaps you may say, "Isn't this what
loners are always doing?" But, actually- you're right.
Shiramine continued calmly as if she had already

predicted this would happen.
"Still no volunteers?"
After she confirmed that we wouldn't answer, a slightly

shameless smile appeared on her face.
"Well, even though I don't want to do this, I'll appoint

someone."
At this moment, I remembered what Shiramine told me

just then.
At that time, Shiramine said, "I'm here to collect the

favor."
...Hey, are you kidding me?
I subconsciously looked at the podium. I was right.

Shiramine is staring straight at me right now! She seemed to
have smiled when we exchanged looks. Cold sweat dripped
from my back.
After a short pause, Shiramine quickly announced.
"Well, Nanamura-kun. Can you do it?"
Immediately, an awkward atmosphere filled the
classroom. "Eh...?"
Of course! I knew it! I knew it from the start!
But I didn't do anything wrong this time, right!?
It's all because of Shiramine!
...I screamed inside, but I didn't dare to voice out.
Although people had some positive impression of me

when I saved Hanamitsuji (It's great if it's true since this is
just my personal guess), everyone still remembers what I did
when Hoshigasaki and Sakado fought each other.
It's normal for the mood to turn weird when such a guy is
appointed as Bunjitsu.
"Prez, are you serious?"
I made a weak protest. Shiramine started making excuses

half-heartedly.
"It's going to be fine. Despite his looks, Nanamura-kun is

actually quite serious and reliable. Look, didn't he get first
place during the mid-term exam?"
What did you just say about me...!?
Although I didn't ask her to keep this a secret, I didn't

expect her to say it in front of the whole class.
After hearing what Shiramine said, I can sense the

disappointment in their voices wavering for a bit.
Perhaps it's because this school values academics. The
smartest person in the class does have some credit.
"Really? I thought Prez got first place."
"That's unexpected."
The classmates started making positive comments bit by

bit after hearing what Shiramine said. Gradually, the mood
turned to, "Whatever, I guess Nanamura works."
However, the problem is that I don't want to become a

Bunjitsu at all. Why are you shoving annoying things like
this onto me?
Things will really be settled if this continues. I have to

retort right away.
"Nope, I'll be busy too."
"Nanamura-kun, you're not in any clubs. Also, you don't

seem to be in tutorial classes as well. So, how busy are you?"
"W... Well."
How am I supposed to say I have to laze around in my air-

conditioned room? I have to hang out with my friends? I bet
people will tease me if I say that. "Loners trying to keep up
appearances...?" That won't work. Going to bookstores and
libraries during the summer isn't a solid excuse either.
"You may have less time to prepare for what our class will
do, but it's okay as long as you come to the Cultural
Festival."
On the surface, this means, "You can leave the classwork

to me." However, I understand the deeper meaning. "You're
just going to be awkward in the class's preparation. It's
better to just be a Bunjitsu, right?"
Indeed, it makes sense. I just don't want to admit it...
In the end, I can only relay that I gave up with silence.
Well, but we can use a bit of optimism. Everyone in the

class pushed the troublesome work of a Bunjitsu onto a
loner. As for me, I now have an excuse to escape from the
awkward class preparation.
As long as you ignore the fact that a loner is working hard

for a Cultural Festival he can't enjoy, this is a win-win
situation.
Did Shiramine predict this too? Are you Kongming?
"Well, we have Nanamura-kun for the guys. I'm sorry, but

I hope you can think of this as contributing to the class.
Please."
Clack, clack. The chalk sounds pleased. The name

『Nanamura』 appeared on the blackboard. Tch, she tricked
me into this.
Then, the following issue is that no girl will volunteer if I

become the Bunjitsu. I bet Shiramine must have thought of
that too.
Shiramine looked around the classroom. She put the

chalk next to my name.
Ah, I knew this was going to happen.
This is how this girl does things. She's serious and loves to
meddle in other people's business. She always takes up
responsibility for the prank she came up with.
This girl's personality really makes her lose a lot.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Shiramine spoke in a calm

tone.
"No volunteers for girls? Then I'll—"
"—Prez! C-Can I do it?"
"Eh?"
Shiramine turned back in confusion. The classmates did

the same thing. Obviously, I was the same. All of us looked
at the source of the voice.
Hoshigasaki stood up with both of her hands on the table.
Confusion is flowing across the classroom. The waves of

laughter from the other class seem especially loud.
Hoshigasaki's pose looks like she's hesitating whether she
should sit back down, but her tone is very clear.
"Ahh, well. I think doing both Prez's and Bunjitsu's work
will be too tough for you. As for me, I don't have any clubs,
and my summer shifts are pretty flexible too..."
Shiramine seemed to have snapped out of it after this. She

answered.
"Ahh, sure. Volunteers are welcomed."
"I see. Glad to hear that."
"Nanamura-kun also agrees, right?"
How can I even reject it? But I can't even give a gentle
nod.
It's because everyone is still misunderstanding the

relationship between Hoshigasaki and me. To be fair, we are
the ones who caused the misunderstanding.
In everyone's mind, I'm a disgusting asshole who shoved

light novels into Hoshigasaki's school bag. Hoshigasaki is
the innocent victim under my diabolical plan.
However, even so, she still volunteered to be my Bunjitsu

partner. Everyone definitely thinks there's a deeper meaning
to this. At this point, the classmates are all confused. The
mood seems like it doesn't allow anyone to speak.
Someone eventually spoke and tore this silence apart.
"Ruri... what's wrong with you?"
It's Hiiragi. However, the person in question just gently

shook her head.
"I'm fine. I just want to try doing it."
"But—"
"—It'll be fine."
"I see."
With that, Hiiragi could only back down. Shiramine

knocked on the blackboard with the chalk.
"Well, we'll have Hoshigasaki-san for the girls here.

Thank you. I appreciate your help."
The name 『Hoshigasaki』 appeared next to me.
"I'm looking forward to working with you, Nanamura-

kun."
Hoshigasaki smiled. I was about to sigh, but I swallowed

it with my full might. It'll be troublesome if the classmates
hear me sighing. They will suspect our relationship.
"...Ahh."
In the end, I just answered like that and looked away.
Come to think of it, this is a chance for me to prepare for

the Cultural Festival with a cute girl in class. Isn't this totally
what happens in rom-coms too? A classic among classics.
Light novel lovers should be more or less interested in this,
right?
However, this time, I just can't feel happy.
It's not just because I hate myself for being a Bunjitsu. It's
especially because I can easily imagine how things will go
wrong in the future.
***
On that day after school, I heard somebody's voice when I

changed shoes next to the shelves.
"——You."
"...What's wrong, Hiiragi?"
I already expected Hiiragi would look for me during the

class assembly. This girl is especially sensitive whenever it
involves Hoshigasaki. She's really easy to understand.
"I need to talk to you."
"But I don't..."
"I said I need to talk to you. Shut up, follow me."
"Sigh, fine."
Hiiragi quickly changed her shoes. She doesn't seem to

think I would reject. She urged me with a big attitude. I bet
this girl must be good at terrorizing others, right? ...It's hard
to not associate her like that upon seeing her actions.
I'm also at fault since I just obeyed her after slight

intimidation. The criminal's request should be heard before
the police barges to save the hostage, right? However, the
problem is that I'm playing as both the hostage and the
negotiator right now. Can someone please come to save me?
But I'm just a loner. It seems that no one will answer my
wish.
"Can I ask where we are going?"
"Behind the gym."
Oh, going behind the gym with a girl? Perhaps my heart

will start pounding to romantic scenes if she's more
adorable. However, I can clearly feel that I'm stepping into
danger. My heart is about to jump out. I bet I'll accept a
confession easily due to the suspension bridge effect.
Should I leave my last message somewhere? 『 I went

behind the gym with Hiiragi-san. 』 The police will have a
hard time if I don't leave any clues behind...
***
We're now behind the gym. The sounds of basketballs

hitting the ground, volleyballs tossed around, and weird
screams from the Kendo Club tangled to my ears. The noises
from the Kendo Club aren't from the gym. It must be from
the arena built close to the gym, right?
We're just a wall apart from these people flinging their

sweat of youth. Unexpectedly, no one comes around here.
There are railings a few meters away from the gym. After the
railings, it's the scene of the city.
Higashidani High School is located on a hill. Therefore,

since the gym is located at the edge of the campus, this place
is next to a cliff.
Both of us remained silent for a while. Hiiragi approached

me. Even though I slowly backed down the same distance, I
had already hit the back of the gym wall within a few steps.
"You, why aren't you in our class's Line group? It took me

another step to call you out here."
"It's just because no one pulled me in. It's not my fault."
After I answered, I heard her smack her tongue and went,
"Tch, I see." Hey, hey, you think you're so amazing because
you're in a Line group? But, come to think of it, I think
people in one are a bit better than those who didn't.
"Anyway, I want to ask you about Ruri. You still want to

be a Bunjitsu with her after doing something so disgusting?"
"I'm having a headache over this too. She's the one who
volunteered, right?"
"Did you blackmail Ruri?"
Hiiragi's eyes squinted as she intimidated me. Stop, stop.

Don't look at me like that.
"Why do you think that's the case?"
"It's because you did those things to her before. The

normal reaction is to avoid you at all costs, right? Yet, she
volunteered to be a Bunjitsu to work with you. Something's
definitely not right."
Hiiragi is exactly right. I think this is ridiculously unusual

as well. Everyone definitely thinks someone is planning
something when they are trying so hard to get close to you.
Moreover, the two of us are in a victim-perpetrator
relationship right now.
"This isn't the only instance. Ruri always tries to talk to

you recently."
I nearly jumped after hearing that. Perhaps the muscles

on my face twitched as well.
"No, it's not like that. Are you sure?"
"I'm so close to her that this is clear as day. Also, that's
what everyone in the class said."
Seriously... the same goes for Hoshigasaki. Should I say

she doesn't know how to hide something? Or should I just
say she's dumb? Such an unnatural way of conversation will
obviously raise suspicion.
"Let me ask something. What does everyone in the class

think?"
"Everyone is saying Ruri is trying to reconcile with

Nanamura."
I see. The classmates must think that the innocent victim

is trying to approach the isolated perpetrator.
Actually, they aren't wrong by a lot.
"Well, why not just go with that then? Who should I ask
when you ask me what is she thinking?"
"But is this reason enough for her to talk to someone she

hates? There must be something deeper going on, right?"
Hiiragi won't be so easily convinced. However, even so, I

can't expose my relationship with Hoshigasaki. I can only
divert the conversation.
"Maybe she just doesn't have any special motives?"
"Ha?"
"Perhaps that's just what an extrovert like her wants to

do. Maybe she just wants to talk to a depressed guy like me
and tease my reaction."
"Ruri isn't that terrible of a person! Don't flame her!"
Ugh, I feel like I'm the evil guy after she said that. I also
understand Hoshigasaki isn't like that.
Ah, damn, why do I have to deal with something like this?

...I can't leave it even if I want to. This so-called relationship
thing is so difficult.
"In the end, what does Hoshigasaki think?"
I have to change the topic. These two are friends. They

should be able to solve many things if they talk more. Please
just stop dragging a loner like me into this.
"Ruri said there's no special meaning. She even thinks it's

interesting..."
"Then why not just go with that? Hoshigasaki may have

just forgotten about what happened."
"That's imposs-sigh."
Hiiragi understood there was no point in questioning me

anymore. She took a step back and pointed at me.
"Anyway, Nanamura, don't you dare do anything bad to

Ruri."
"I won't. You can punch me flying if something does

happen."
Even though I don't know whether she trusted me, she

didn't say anything after that.
Hiiragi turned around. Then, when she approached the

corner, she mumbled to herself. "Seriously, I don't
understand..."
I agree.
Ah, I feel the same. I don't understand, Hoshigasaki. Why

are you trying to talk to me? Why did you volunteer as
Bunjitsu? What are you trying to do?
After a while, I left that place as well.
Come to think of it, it's Monday. I have to meet with

Hanamitsuji in the family restaurant. Let's report how I'm
doing and what happened to Hoshigasaki to her.
***
After that, I met up with Hanamitsuji in the family

restaurant.
Both of us got some beverages at the drink bar before

sitting down. Although Hanamitsuji's plan for me to make
friends seems to be abandoned, it's really because Shiramine
and Hoshigasaki kept messing with me recently. I'm kind of
frustrated. It's not like I don't care about being a loner
anymore.
I reported what happened to me recently. When I told her

I was forced into being a Bunjitsu, Hanamitsuji's eyes bulged
in surprise. She mumbled to herself.
"Well, it looks like Mashiro loves you quite a lot."
"It's just a pain in the ass for me..."
"Nanamura-kun, you weren't the Bunjitsu last time, right?

You're going to have a nice memory this time, right?"
"I've never enjoyed any Cultural Festival before."
"What does that mean?"
"Telling a person who never enjoyed the Cultural Festival

to help out is like forcing a kid who never tried chocolate to
work in a cocoa farm. How can I do it?"
"You have to apologize to the whole working class with

that alone."
Even so, I can't get myself out of this. Based on the

"Cultural Festival" name, this should be an activity that
manifests a culture, right? But why are there always classes
preparing shops, ghost houses, and festival booths?
"Right, who's the Bunjitsu for girls? Mashiro?"
"No, Shiramine meant to do that at first, but Hoshigasaki

signed up later."
So, Hanamitsuji's bulged eyes are filled with confusion.
"Eh? Why Hoshigasaki-san?"
"I don't know. She volunteered after Shiramine pushed

me to be the Bunjitsu."
"...Really?"
Hanamitsuji fell silent. She drank some iced tea and

pondered for a moment.
"Hmm, Hoshigasaki-san is indeed... into... Nanamura-

kun...?"
"What did you say?"
"I-It's nothing! Ah, right! Doesn't everyone think
Hoshigasaki-san is a victim under Nanamura-kun? Won't
she raise any suspicion from doing this?"
"Ah, about that..."
Yeah, I guess I should explain this to her as well.

Therefore, I told her about Hoshigasaki's unusual actions
and about me being warned by a girl named Hiiragi.
"What do you think she's trying to do?"
"Have you asked Hoshigasaki-san herself?"
"Oh, I asked her once. She just said she's responsible for
me being isolated by the whole class."
"Well, not that she's wrong."
Although I can clearly hear that Hanamitsuji's implying

something else as well, this is where she stops talking.
I won't figure this out if Hoshigasaki isn't here. It's better

to just ask her later when I have the chance.
"Right, who did you guys choose for Bunjitsu in Class F?"
"We chose them during the class assembly. Regrettably,

our class seemed to have just forced someone to do it as
well."
"I see."
"But... hmm, Nanamura-kun and Hoshigasaki-san...?"
I ignored her mumbles and went to get a refill of cola.
***
I got back home after the restaurant meeting. I went
straight to the living room after washing my hands. There's
still some time before dinner, and I want something sweet.
"——Welcome back."
I opened the door to the living room. Satsuki is lazing

around as usual. Although I'm relieved of such a familiar
sight, can she at least be a bit more elegant?
"Don't act like how Dad is during holidays, you know?"
"Uwah, onii-chan, you're offensive. I suffered trauma. I

need compensation from you."
"Nope, I declare bankruptcy."
"Sheesh, then give me one of your kidneys."
"Don't start a business with your brother's organs."
"Well, in exchange for this kidney, I order you to bring me

fruit cereal."
"Isn't my kidney too cheap?"
After a brief chat with her, I went into the kitchen next to
the living room. I prepared the fruit cereal according to my
little sister's introduction. Aren't I pathetic? However, this
habit is already engraved deep into my bones. I can't help it.
I got a deeper plate for more fruit cereal and came next to
the table.
"Here."
"Wow, onii-chan is smart."
"This 'smart' is for pets, right?"
"You got me."
I sighed and looked at the TV. It's basically regional sports

match results or scenes from tourists' hotspots. There are
some serious news reports in between. The shows at this
time slot are all really similar. I literally have no idea what
the differences are between them.
"Are these shows popular with middle school students?"
"That's impossible. It's just a coincidence. YouTube and

TikTok always recommend videos that I'm not interested in.
I feel like clicking them means I agree these videos are
interesting, right? At that point, doesn't it feel like you're
being controlled by those apps?"
"You know, I can really tell you're my little sister from this
part."
"What? I'll sue you for malicious falsehood."
"I'm telling the truth, okay!?"
Satsuki has a lot of friends, but she always picks up my

traits in weird places.
How can she make so many friends with such a

personality? Perhaps it's because she can change her
attitude appropriately in front of people.
She always greets neighbors outside like a total elite

student. That smile is really surprising. As for when we are
going back, she'll suddenly greet the residents with a bright
voice, "Good afternoon~" Isn't that scary? You can greet
people with a smile like this, right? Show that face to Dad
sometimes, girl.
At the same time, all I can say is a gloomy greeting, "Ah,

hello..." It's far less appealing than Satsuki. If Satsuki is the
sun, I'm the moon... I think I'm thinking of myself too
highly. I'm probably just a tiny light bulb.
If I get involved in something bad, I can guarantee that

someone will say, "I feel like that person is really sneaky. He
always mumbles to himself whenever I say hi to him." I
should be more serious in my life.
I pushed away Satsuki's legs to make room on the sofa for

me to sit. So, Satsuki put her legs onto my kneecaps.
Do you want to put your legs onto me that much? Sigh,

whatever.
"Satsuki, give me some fruit cereal too."
"Here."
"Thank you."
I grabbed a bunch of fruit cereal from Satsuki's plate. It's

crunchy. Even though this looks like bird feed, it's delicious.
"Onii-chan, are you eating dried fruit only?"
"Nope, my love for cereal and dried fruit is equal."
"Really?"
"Hahaha, you want me to say I love Satsuki as much too?"
"Uwah, that sounds a bit disgusting. It's best for you to

not say that to another girl."
Satsuki suddenly withdrew her legs and distanced herself

from me. From her reaction, it would be best for me not to
say things like this in front of Satsuki. Onii-chan learned
something.
"Right, I'm now an Executive Member for the Cultural

Festival. I won't be home sometimes during the summer
holiday. You can take care of lunch on your own."
After that, Satsuki immediately jumped and started
shivering. Hey, no need to be that freaked out, right?
"Ehh!? Onii-chan is now an Executive Member for the

Cultural Festival? What's going on?"
"I don't want to do it either. Someone pushed it onto me."
So, Satsuki fell silent. Her expression slowly turned sad.

Bang, she patted my shoulder.
"I see. Bullying? ...Onii-chan is surely having a hard time."
"It's not! Don't give me such a depressed face!"
I thought saying the joke aloud could reduce the mental

damage, but I really look pathetic if someone feels miserable
for me! At this stage, they are just trying to avoid me
consciously. It's not bullying yet.
"Onii-chan's trouble is my trouble. I'll help you out too."
"Even though I'm really happy that you're considerate,

people aren't bullying me, alright? It's also not that I don't
want to tell Mom and Dad because I'm in puberty, okay?"
Satsuki doesn't seem to be listening to me. She's on her

phone. Suddenly, she spoke up.
"Oh! I think this is a hotline for listening to students'

frustrations! Should you make a call later?"
"How can I leave everything to others!?'
Ahaha. Satsuki laughed as she ate fruit cereal.
"It sounds like it's really not bullying."
"It's actually someone being considerate to me. Well, even
though you can say it's unnecessary worries."
"I see."
Satsuki nodded chicly.
"Onii-chan seems to know more people now. Should your

little sister be happy or sad?"
"Sad?"
"Onii-chan used to be a brat... I'm kind of throbbed."
"Who do you think you are? Weren't you even younger

when I was a brat?"
Sheesh, this girl is a weird brocon too. Is it because we

spend so much time together since our parents are always at
work?
Well, whatever. Only cereal remained on the plate when I

noticed it, even though I wasn't eating.
Satsuki was the one who ate all the dried fruit, right?
***
The meeting of Bunjitsu takes place on that week's

Thursday. It's after school. I think they rented the
conference room next to the student council.
As for Shiramine, who appointed me as Bunjitsu, she

acted like this had nothing to do with her and said, "Well,
work hard with Hoshigasaki-san, alright? I'll come to check
up on you if I'm feeling it." Tck, now I don't owe her
anything...
There's a lot I want to complain about, but I don't dare to
not show up at the meeting. I immediately left the classroom
after the class assembly was over.
I'm walking in the corridor when I hear someone's

footsteps from behind. Just as I think that person's about to
pass me, my shoulder is slapped unexpectedly. I lost my
balance.
"Ouch."
What, what, am I really getting bullied!? Are Satsuki's

worries for real!?
I hastily turned around. Hoshigasaki is standing there.

She's running out of breath.
"W-What? ...Are you really here to bully me?"
"No! What makes you think that!?'
It's not bullying. I'm glad that I don't need to bother with
the hotline Satsuki told me about.
"Nanamura, why did you leave first?"
"Aren't I supposed to go to the Bunjitsu meeting?"
"I'm a Bunjitsu too."
"I know."
"If we have the same destination, we should go together in

the classroom, right!?"
Hoshigasaki's eyes are filled with anger.
Ah, come to think of it, that's a habit of extroverts.
However, I always go alone whether we're changing
classrooms or going to school. I can't understand even if you
come to teach me.
Forget about that. We'll definitely attract attention if we

just stand in the middle of the corridor. I sighed and took a
step forward. Hoshigasaki followed me. We're walking side
by side.
"You're not working today?"
From what I've heard, her shift seems to be on Tuesday,

Thursday, and Saturday or Sunday. Yet, Hoshigasaki shook
her head.
"I already told them about this. It's fine for me to be a bit
late. Also, I have some free time before my part-time job."
"That's good."
I answered her. Our conversation stopped.
I scrambled my brain for a new topic. Then, I realized

something.
With how bothered I'm by the silence, it shows how much

Hoshigasaki and I don't know each other.
Somebody once said, "Two people who get along with

each other won't be bothered even if they aren't talking."
However, before this level is reached, not all relationships go
through the "being bothered by not talking" stage.
If you want to be bothered when hanging out with

someone, it's important to realize that the person is
someone who chats with you from time to time.
For example, let's say you're in the elevator with a
stranger. It's fine to not talk, even if you're staying with that
person. It's because not talking is the obvious choice.
However, if you're with someone who chats with you
occasionally, the awkwardness comes naturally. Isn't it?
It's normal for a loner like me to not talk to my

classmates. Whether it's walking on the same path with my
classmates on the way to the classroom, bumping into them
while taking my bicycle from the parking lot, or just seeing
each other in the tutorial class. On rare occasions like this,
the default option is to not talk to them. I won't feel
awkward at all.
However, the relationship between Hoshigasaki and me

has already departed this stage.
The edge of my brain is thinking about these things as I

struggle to find a topic. However, Hoshigasaki speaks up
first.
"By the way, did Yuria say anything to you?"
"Who's Yuria?"
"Yuria Hiiragi! At least remember her name!"
"Oh, Hiiragi?"
Right, Hoshigasaki calls this name in the classroom, but I

just can't remember an unfamiliar girl's first name. It's not
like I have the chance to call her by her first name, anyway.
Compared to that, isn't it better to just remember a couple
more English words?
"So, she did tell you something, right?"
"Ah, we talked for a bit."
It's actually far more than just a bit. However, there's no

use in telling everything to Hoshigasaki, right?
"I see... Sorry about that."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"It must've been annoying, right? Despite her look, she

actually cares about her friends a lot. She's just worried
about me."
When even Hoshigasaki said "despite her look", I guess

it's common knowledge that everyone is afraid of Hiiragi. In
reality, she looks very, very scary to me.
"She didn't do anything too mean to me. Don't worry

about it."
"Glad to hear that."
"But I did think about leaving a message before death for

a moment."
"Isn't that super dangerous!?"
"I'm half-joking."
"I do hope none of what you said is true."
"But, by the way, you two are really close."
I can also see that Hiiragi is just worried about

Hoshigasaki. She wouldn't be chasing after me and
questioning everything if that's not the case.
"Ahaha, yeah. We were in the same group during the trip,
and we often hang out after school as well."
She answered. As for me, I looked at her side profile and

asked the question I had been thinking about.
"...Are you sure you want to volunteer as Bunjitsu?"
"Eh? Are you not willing to partner up with me?"
"Not really. That's not what I meant."
She answered. Her expression seemed like she

understood something.
"Don't tell me, Nanamura, are you into Prez—"
"—I'm not! I'm saying that Hoshigasaki teaming up as

Bunjitsu with me clearly raises suspicion, right? Actually,
Hiiragi is already suspecting us."
"Hiya, everyone is just overthinking."
"Why did you volunteer as Bunjitsu?"
"Eh? I just feel like it's nice to be Bunjitsu with

Nanamura."
Although I attempted to grasp the crux of the issue, she

answered me with a stiff smile.
"Ah, here's the conference room. Let's go."
With that, Hoshigasaki avoided my question and opened

the door to the conference room.
***
An unexpected person showed up in the room.
"Ara, isn't this Hoshigasaki-san and Nanamura-kun?

What a coincidence."
Hanamitsuji is sitting at the back of the classroom. She

waved and smiled at us when we entered. There's a short
dude from Class F next to her.
W-Why is she here...!?
"Sora-chan!? You should tell me if you're a Bunjitsu!"
Hoshigaskai gasped and dashed to Hanamitsuji before

sitting next to her. It can't be helped. I agree with her. "At
least give me a heads up!" I mumbled inside my heart and
sat down next to Hoshigasaki.
"...Hello."
I pretend that we're just acquaintances who had spent

some time together during the trip. Initially, I wanted to
complain as well. However, I decided to remain silent since
other people were around. The Class F dude also glanced at
me and nodded. I greeted him. "Oh, hello."
Hanamitsuji seemed to understand what I meant. She

started talking to Hoshigasaki after dropping an "Oh, what a
coincidence."
"Sorry, Hoshigasaki-san. I've heard that you're a Bunjitsu

on Line. That's why I want to give you a surprise today."
"Sheesh! That surprised me!"
I see. Hoshigasaki also told Hanamitsuji she became a

Bunjitsu. After that, Hanamitsuji looked at me. Her
expression seemed like we just knew each other today.
"I didn't expect Nanamura-kun to be here."
She said that to me. No, wait, didn't I tell you in the family
restaurant? By the way, you said another person was
selected to be the Bunjitsu, right?
"A-Ahaha... what a coincidence."
In the end, I could only give a vague answer and show a

stiff smile.
But how did this girl become a Bunjitsu...? I imagined the

process. During this time, a person who looks like a student
council member is standing in front of the classroom. He
said, "Well, let's start the Bunjitsu meeting." We quickly
ended our conversation.
First of all, they instructed everyone to form groups of two

classes. I complained about the fuss. However, Hanamitsuji
quickly moved her table here and paired it with mine.
"Hey, why are you here?"
"What's wrong? We know each other, anyway. It's tiring

to go that far."
"Fine."
"Hiya, I'm glad that Sora-chan is here!"
"Yeah, I'm happy when Hoshigasaki-san's here too."
"Let's work together for the Cultural Festival! Even

though I don't know what I need to do yet!"
"Yeah, I look forward to working with you."
Perhaps I'm not wrong. Hoshigasaki's mood is even more

excited. Come to think of it, she's actually a bit worried,
right?
"Everyone knows Hanamitsuji-san. You have a lot of

friends."
After moving his table in front of Hoshigasaki's, the Class

F guy mumbled. From his appearance, he doesn't look like
an outstanding person.
"By the way, Sora-chan volunteered, right?"
"Well, I guess..."
Hanamitsuji mumbled a bit embarrassedly. The Class F

dude interrupted in excitement.
"Ah, another girl is supposed to be the Bunjitsu, but I

think she had some difficulties in the middle... She said she
had tutorial classes during the summer holiday. Then,
Hanamitsuji-san said, 'I'm free during the summer. Let's
exchange.' She helped her out."
"Ahaha."
Oi, oi, you clearly decided that after hearing me out in

the family restaurant, right? I stared at Hanamitsuji. She
hastily looked away.
"Eh!? Sora-chan is amazing. You really know a lot..."
"That's too much."
"But Hanamitsuji-san really is amazing. Bunjitsu has a lot
of work to do. No one in the class wanted to volunteer."
That guy's voice is full of admiration. Hanamitsuji can

always take the opportunity to further increase her
reputation. She even became a Bunjitsu... I can deeply feel
that she's good at dealing with life.
Our chatters continued. A third-year guy stood before the

whiteboard. I think he's the student council president. He
started explaining Bunjitsu's responsibilities fluently.
We are mainly responsible for the whole organization of

the Cultural Festival. This includes the classes and clubs'
preparations, the prep work for the grand stage show, and
inviting the nearby residents.
Bunjitsu communicates via mail instead of Line. Hmm,

it's good that they are considerate to loners. But, in reality,
this is just a rule for students without Line, right.
Hanamitsuji is sitting in front of me. She's glaring at her

phone while frowning.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, my friend texted me on Line."
She showed a bitter smile to Hoshigasaki. It looks like

she's bothered by the Line message. I concluded that on my
own.
Even though I'm worried, this is Hanamitsuji's own

friendship. I can't intervene.
I remembered what happened at the last Cultural Festival

as I listened to the student council president. It's fine to be
alone at the festival. However, the lively campus really gave
me a headache. Also, the kiosk isn't open during the event.
The drinks in the vending machines are sold out pretty
quickly as well.
Moreover, suppose you try to scout a location without

people during the festival. In that case, there are always
flirting couples blocking your path. It's really suffocating.
The worst ones are people who confess to each other.
It's like knocking a car to scare the cats away before

starting the engine. Can y'all just check to see if there's a
passing loner before confessing? A small effort like this can
save me from the torture of watching the entire confession
scene at the edge of the campus.
Sigh, if the confession went well, I would think, "Why do I

have to witness the moment of you two holding hands!?" If
it fails, it's "Then why do I have to experience such an
awkward mood!?" I have no business in both scenarios,
alright?
When I'm thinking about these things, I realize

Hanamitsuji is looking at me.
"Nanamura-kun, are you thinking about weird things?"
"I'm thinking about how couples keep getting more

intimate during the Cultural Festival."
"You're saying things that nobody understands again..."
After hearing my answer, Hanamitsuji sighed

dumbfoundedly.
Chapter 03: Do you think a loner can grasp the
proper distance between friends?
The Bunjitsu meeting is over. It's a Monday in late June. I

guess it's time to start worrying about the final exam.
I was going to go to the library after finishing my lunch.

However, a girl I didn't know called out to me right after I
left the classroom.
"I'm sorry. Do you have a moment?"
"Eh? ha."
The girl's long black hair is tied into a ponytail. Her face
shows a lively and determined expression. There are tan
lines on her arms under the summer uniform's sleeves. That
together with the scent of deodorant in the air is enough for
me to judge that she's a sports club member.
I can tell that she's in the same grade from the color of her
shirt. It's just that I don't know her. It's most likely that she
wants me to call someone from my class, right?
However, the girl just kept staring at my face without

saying anything until a great deal of time had passed.
Is there something on my face? Or is there something

wrong with my clothes? But, if that's the case, she would've
just told me and left right away.
If not, is she here to invite me to join a cult? ...I don't even

have enough money to buy a charm or anything. Finally, the
girl made up her mind and spoke up.
"You are Hodaka Nanamura-san, right?"
"Nope, you've got the wrong person."
"Actually, I want to talk to Nanamura-san—Ehh!? I-I got

the wrong person!?"
Oh, shit. I instinctively denied her because I had a bad

feeling.
The girl in front of me mumbled, "T-That is impossible,

right...?"
She's confused and shocked. Perhaps she only came to

talk to me after confirming my identity. Of course, anyone
would freak out if somebody said they'd got the wrong
person. However, she's actually right about this.
Nevertheless, my instincts drove me to avoid any harmful

consequences. So, even though I feel bad for her, I must
leave with a calm face.
Goodbye, unknown girl. I wish you the best of luck.
However, before I could make my escape, that girl asked

one of my classmates next to the door.
"I'm sorry. Where is Nanamura-san from Class A?"
"He's standing right there..."
"Eh?"
The girl from my class giving the directions appeared

confused as to why anyone would ask for me but obviously
still pointed straight at me.
Truthfully, I'm glad my classmate didn't forget who I was
and ask, "Who's that?" first! Hiya, now I can't get away from
this girl. Still, I felt a tinge of warmth spread through my
chest when my classmate remembered my name. Perhaps I
left a bad impression in this classmate's heart after the
Hoshigasaki incident. Still, it's better to have your name fall
into disrepute than to have none at all. I'm still willing to
believe that a bad reputation outclasses being forgotten.
That girl is too shocked by the unexpected answer. She

froze on the spot. However, she immediately recovered and
tugged the bottom of my uniform.
"Don't you go anywhere!"
"Hey, don't tug me that hard."
"You're Nanamura-san! Why did you lie so calmly!?"
"It's because I can sense that something troublesome will

happen. This is proper self-defense."
"I don't understand! Sheesh, you just ruined my

rhythm..."
"Well, I'm the same."
"Ha?"
"You stopped me when I was preparing to go to the

library. My rhythm is ruined as well. So, you tugging at me
and my lie cancel out."
"How does this cancel it out? Fine, I'll admit that I was
wrong for tugging at you."
Regrettably, she won't be tricked into leaving so easily.
But my plan really has been interrupted. A loner's life is
always one of calmness and peace without any unexpected
events. So, being coerced by others normally stresses me
out.
Even though there are always plots in light novels where

the FMC calls the MC out during the holidays, in real life this
is just a pain. If I'm thinking of chilling in the house and
reading and someone calls me out, I always try to find an
excuse not to go. Even just getting a text on Line interrupts
my rest when I'm lazing around at home.
I'm so bad at dealing with people.
...Well, I'll just keep all of this to myself. It's not going to
help me out even if I tell this girl about it. As for the person
in question, she's giving me an intense stare while I remain
entirely silent. After a while, she seemed to give up and
sighed.
"Anyway, I'm Hinata Kadotani from Class F."
"Oh... no, I don't recognize the name. Who are you?"
I don't know her even after her self-introduction. Eh? Is

she an acquaintance of mine during middle school? Or even
elementary? But if I don't remember her, it proves that she's
a stranger.
My mind is filled with questions. As for Kadotani, she

answered me with a chic smile.
"I'm Sora's friend. Sora Hanamitsuji. You must be

familiar with her, right?"
"Ahh, her friend?"
Come to think of it, the only person I know in Class F is
Hanamitsuji. After she brought up the name, I finally
remembered that sometimes I could see a girl with a
ponytail in Hanamitsuji's group. It's just that I really don't
remember what the group members all look like.
Kadotani got slightly closer after seeing my reaction.
"I want to talk to Nanamura-san."
"Eh, what?"
"Except, there are too many people here. Why don't we go

somewhere quieter?"
Kadotani put her hand on her chin. What she just said
really excited a high school boy's fantasy, whether he wanted
it to or not.
A guy and a girl go to a quiet spot, like behind the school

building or the gym. Obviously, what's going to happen there
is a confession...
This is just my fantasy, no matter how healthy a high

school boy I am.
A pie won't just fall from the sky, you know?
No matter how often this occurs in rom-coms, conflating

reality with fiction is just stupid. It makes you vulnerable,
perhaps people will start having a laugh at my expense.
"Look at how excited you were when Hoshigasaki asked you
to come to her house." Of course, inconvenient facts like this
that can be used against me must be enthusiastically
ignored.
"Fine, where are we going?"
"Follow me."
I listened to Kadotani and let her lead the way. I feel like
girls have kept interrupting my routine and taking me places
recently... It would seem a good thing, but they are all here
to give me trouble. Did I do too many good or bad things in
my previous life? It's hard to say.
After a while, we arrived at the back of the Club Building.
The sports clubs' training in our school isn't that intense.

We don't have those admirable clubs that practice during
lunch as well. This is the ideal location for people who want
to talk in secret.
...Come to think of it, Hiiragi's always been the one who's

been next to me whenever I've been taken to quiet spots like
the little used stairs and behind the gym recently.
I see. This is why I need to avoid people. Unbelievable.

After that, Kadotani suddenly became a person who uses
force instead of words in my eyes.
"Kadotani, let's search for a way to solve this problem

peacefully, okay?"
"Ha? What do you mean? I don't understand...?"
From her reaction, it looks like Kadotani won't physically

harm me. Either that or she's saying, "You think you can get
away at this point?"
She turned around and faced me. Kadotani took a deep

breath and spoke up.
"Actually, I want to talk to you about the rumors."
"...Ahh, about that."
The rumors have died down recently, so I just swept it out

of my brain. There were rumors about Hanamitsuji and me
when we were on the trip.
Kadotani continued calmly.
"Were you really with Sora during the trip?"
"Ahh, yes. I think it caused some rumors too."
"I asked Sora about it. She said Nanamura-san saved her,
but it caused weird rumors. She apologized for causing
trouble for you."
"I see."
That girl said something like that? Even though she

complained about me grabbing her, she did feel bad for me.
Well, we both made mistakes that day. There's no need to
mind it at all.
Kadotani suddenly lowered her head while I was thinking

about that. I was confused. Her expression and tone are
incredibly sincere, even if I can't see her face.
"First of all, I have to express my gratitude. Thank you for

saving Sora."
"...Why is Kadotani the one to thank me?"
"I was in the same group as Sora. I didn't manage to get

her to stay when Sora asked to leave... she wouldn't have run
into trouble like that if I forced her to stay with the group."
I see. In other words, Kadotani blamed herself for not
protecting Hanamitsuji since they were in the same group
during the trip. That's why she's thanking me.
"I see, but it was just a coincidence that I saved her."
"Even so, I appreciate you, Nanamura-san."
"O-Oh... don't worry about it?"
She sincerely showed her gratitude. My heart is getting a

workout. I'm completely unused to receiving compliments of
any kind.
How should I react at times like this? I don't know. It's

bad to be too humble. Being too proud won't do either. Is
there a suitable response? ...At this point, Kadotani raised
her head.
Kadotani's aura had changed completely. She's staring at

my face right now.
I guess she doesn't just want to express her gratitude.
"Is there something else?"
"There's one thing I hope Nanamura-san can do."
"What?"
What is she going to tell me? ...Don't tell me this is a real

confession? The rejected possibility resurfaced again. Hiya,
hiya, it's impossible...
However, it's actually not impossible... My mind started

racing, my thoughts jumping from left to right.
My body turned stiff as Kadotani stared at me. She spoke
up in an incredibly serious tone.
"Can you break up with Sora?"
"...Wha?"
My voice sounded briefly and then cut out behind the

Club Building.
***
It's been a few hours since my conversation with

Kadotani.
I'm at the usual family restaurant.
Hanamitsuji is holding a cup of iced tropical tea in front

of me. She listened to me with a look of exhaustion on her
face.
"...and that happened. What's wrong with that Kadotani

girl?"
"I got it. Sorry, Hinata really bothered you..."
Obviously, I told Hanamitsuji about what happened

between Kadotani and me.
***
Our conversation continued after that. Kadotani is

worried about how Hanamitsuji and I got closer after the
trip.
Recently, she can see Hanamitsuji chatting with me on

Line occasionally. Indeed, we texted each other a while ago
to calm the rumors and talk about the Bunjitsu work.
That's why Kadotani suspected that we were indeed close.
Of course, I emphasized that Hanamitsuji and I aren't like

that. She believed what I said as well.
However, Kadotani asked me about what happened to

Hoshigasaki. She asked me whether Hanamitsuji was
tricked by me.
However, I couldn't spill the truth, so I remained silent.

Then, Kadotani's face immediately stiffened. It couldn't be
helped. No one wants a guy who loves shoving light novels
into a girl's school bag to talk to their friends.
"The enemy of girls...!"
"Gurk."
Even though this is retribution for my involvement, it hurt

my heart when a girl I had just met said that to me. I'm not,
alright? The so-called enemy of girls shouldn't be used to
refer to a loner like me, but boy bands and YouTubers
instead! I really wanted to scream out all of my biases.
Although I didn't know whether she sensed my

depression, Kadotani left me with a warning. "Please refrain
from approaching Sora."
***
That's what happened.
Hiiragi also warned me not to approach Hoshigasaki as

well. A lot of people hate me now. I want to cry. I hope
something good can happen in my next life.
Although I managed to deal with Kadotani for now,

Hanamitsuji and I already met in the family restaurant every
Monday before the trip. The troublesome part is that
Kadotani's worries aren't all misplaced.
"I couldn't pretend that I knew nothing about what she

was talking about. That's why I told her we just chatted
because of the rumors. That isn't a lie, right?"
"Thanks, I still bothered Nanamura-kun in the end..."
It's rare to see Hanamitsuji listen to me so calmly. It looks

like she was already aware of Kadotani.
"What happened between Kadotani and you?"
"We're normal friends... No, we were supposed to be

normal friends."
"That means you two aren't normal."
I can tell there's a deeper meaning in Hanamitsuji's

words. She finally gave up and explained her relationship
with Kadotani.
Kadotani is a member of the Hard Tennis Club. They were

good friends in her previous high school life.
This time, Hanamitsuji still wanted to befriend her. When

school started, she enthusiastically forged a deep bond with
Kadotani.
Hanamitsuji has experience from last time. So she knows

everything about Kadotani, whether personality or hobbies.
This made them good friends in basically no time.
It's just that she made one miscalculation.
Kadotani has grown way too fond of Hanamitsuji.
"I feel like she really, really loves me."
What Hanamitsuji said can probably hype up an otaku

into yuri. However, her expression looks very strange right
now.
Even though otakus want two girls to kiss as soon as they
meet, actual girls won't immediately be conscious of each
other even after getting closer. Kissing is, of course,
impossible.
However, I feel like girls are always closer compared to

boys. They often have skinship. I can always see girls sitting
on a chair and then another girl sitting on her in the
classroom. If guys have to replicate this scene, perhaps the
difficulty is higher since there's something between our legs.
I don't know whether Hanamitsuji can tell that I'm

fantasizing about yuri scenes from the look on my face but
she quickly added.
"Of course, Hinata thinks of me as a friend. She just loves

me very much as a friend, okay!? Uh, she doesn't think of me
as a lover. We're just friends. Well..."
"It's just that her feelings are way too heavy?"
I questioned Hanamitsuji when she stuttered. Her

reaction made me believe that I was right. However, she
quickly waved her hands in denial of her acknowledgment of
what I had said. She continued.
"Ugh... No, it's not like I think this is a pain, okay? I-It's
just that she sends a little too many Line messages. I don't
know why she always wants to use face cam whenever we're
on a call. She bumps into me a bit too often near the shoe
shelves when going to school. I also don't know why she
always follows me to the entrance before going to her club.
She always asks me out on Saturday or Sunday. That's really
all."
"Okay, I got it. That's already scary enough."
"I-It's not scary..."
Hanamitsuji clearly lacks the confidence to admit it but it

looks like she agrees this is a bit terrifying as well.
Come to think of it, lately, Hanamitsuji always has a

troubled look when she's on the phone, whether when we
were in Hoshigasaki's house or during the Bunjitsu meeting.
Perhaps this is due to Kadotani's text bombing.
Kadotani glued herself to Hanamitsuji. So, naturally, she's

concerned why a guy like me is messaging Hanamitsuji.
That's why she went out of her way to warn me too.
"I'll go ahead and ask this. Was Kadotani like this last
time?"
"I would've distanced myself from her if she was. We were

really just normal friends last time."
"So, Hanamitsuji did something wrong this time."
"Yes... I feel like I'm going too deep into Hinata's heart."
Hanamitsuji mumbled with an exhausted expression.
From what I've heard, I imagined Kadotani's and

Hanamitsuji's high school life up to this point.
She just got into high school. She's worried that there
aren't any acquaintances in her class.
Then, a classmate always tries to talk to her.
For some reason, this classmate quickly understood and

accepted her favorite things, hobbies and personality.
It's not just that. This classmate even guessed favorites
that she hadn't revealed yet and said, "I think you'll like
this."
...That makes sense. No wonder she can't leave you.
Kadotani could never imagine that Hanamitsuji already

knew her previously and had experience as a friend of hers
too.
Being friends with the same person in her second high

school life does seem like fate. Perhaps this can be a "saving
a friend who died in an accident in her previous high school
life" fiction.
"Ha... I didn't expect to be like this with Hinata."
"Do you hate her being so clingy?"
Hanamitsuji didn't answer right away. However, she

doesn't seem to be holding back for Kadotani's sake either.
Instead, I think she's thinking of a more appropriate answer
than a simple yes or no.
She sipped some of her drink and slowly explained.
"Hmm, actually, I don't think she's too annoying. It just

gives me a close friend feeling when she's normal."
"So, what's the problem?"
The answer is vague. I crossed my arms and looked at

Hanamitsuji.
"...The closer Hinata is to me, the fewer choices she has."
"What does that mean?"
"Previously, I wasn't Hinata's only friend. Not only did
she have other friends, but she also loved her club too. I was
just a part of her life. However, Hinata is spending way too
much time on me this time. I'm starting to worry about how
she's doing on other things."
"Oh... I see."
I finally understand what Hanamitsuji meant.
This time, perhaps Kadotani still has friends other than

Hanamitsuji. However, the most important person in her
heart is Hanamitsuji. But, since she knows what Kadotani
was like last time, she thinks she has killed the relationships
that Kadotani could've constructed.
This girl is thinking about some troublesome stuff.
"I know I'm thinking about something troublesome."
She said that as if she read my mind. I looked at her.
Hanamitsuji is drinking iced tea and looks tired. There's a

lot less liquid in the cup now. I bet only half-melted ice
cubes will remain soon.
"Sigh... the stress really piles up when I'm frustrated."
"You sure have it rough."
Hanamitsuji listened to me and sighed. Her lips curled

down in dissatisfaction.
"I know this has nothing to do with you, but can't you
think about this for me?"
"It's hard even if you say that. I was really thinking...
nevermind, I shouldn't say it."
"Don't leave me on a cliffhanger. Say it."
Even though I think I shouldn't say it, I can't help it if she

urges me.
"It's actually not that big of a deal. I'm just thinking that
even though Hanamitsuji always scolds me about making
friends, now it's you that made a mistake when dealing with
your friend. How interesting is that?"
"You're the worst! The worst in the world!"
"I know. That's why I didn't want to say it."
Even I feel that I'm the worst. However, I can't deny that I
feel lighter after learning about Hanamitsuji's blunder.
After all, as perfect as Hanamitsuji in her second high

school life is, she still makes miscalculations. If that's the
case, it's not strange for me to keep messing up.
I've recently started thinking about how many people can

even have a perfect high school life.
Hanamitsuji messes up too. Hoshigasaki doesn't want

others to know she's an otaku. I'm a loner. If high school life
is all about failure, then in a sense, being lonely is just
another instance of high school students.
Hanamitsuji's eyes are full of resentment. She sighed, put

her hands on her cheeks, and changed the topic.
"Anyway, Nanamura-kun, you let Hoshigasaki-san's

brother read your novel when we were in her house earlier,
right? What brutal comments did you receive in the end?"
"Are you so sure that it was brutal?"
She's exactly right, but can't Hanamitsuji show her kind

side a bit more? Think about it. Didn't we construct an
imperfect friendship during the trip? ...Don't tell me that
didn't count.
"At which point did he say it's boring?"
"It's not that clear cut. It's just that he tried to change the
topic when I asked him for feedback. They are really
siblings."
"Hoho, interesting."
"He even said it was sincerely boring but that it's amazing
that I can already write so much."
I tried to retain an emotionless face when I said that.

However, Hanamittsuji looks like she's about to burst into
laughter. Her shoulders are shivering.
"Pfft, haha... ahaha! Even his thoughts are the same as

Hoshigasaki-san."
"Hey, don't laugh. I'm crying inside, you know?"
"Sorry, it's too funny... Well, aren't novelists, creators, and

athletes always subject to criticism? Why don't you train
your mind right now?"
"Seriously? My mental strength has already skyrocketed

from spending time with Hanamitsuji..."
"No need to thank me."
"But my mind is almost at its breaking point."
"It's fine. I've heard that muscles only grow after being
torn apart. Also, I feel much better after laughing so hard."
"Am I your punching bag now?"
When I took a sip of my cola it had already lost its fizz, I

chugged it in frustration.
Whatever. What I said was kind of mean as well. I can

forgive her for a trivial thing like this. Also, I should think
twice before picking on Hanamitsuji.
However, there's something I should say to her.

Relationships are constructed out of mutual respect, after
all.
"You know, I may be Hanamitsuji's punching bag but it's

not like I've not been thinking about this at all. Isn't there a
better way to describe our relationship?"
Hanamitsuji pondered my question.
"Hmmm... I'm using your talent appropriately?"
"No! Please don't discover talents like that!"
Also, what I wanted to say was "have a sense of propriety".

Sigh, I'll admit that it was a dumb question.
***
On Wednesday, our homeroom teacher shouted for

everyone's attention at the start of the assembly.
"Alright, pay attention, everyone. Today's the start of
exam week. All club activities should take a break. Everyone
should know the scope by now. Remember to study hard."
As if on cue, the guys in sports clubs started cheering

"Yeahhhh!" Everyone already knew the schedule
beforehand, but they seem to be in consensus that now is the
moment to scream.
You guys are so happy whenever clubs take a break. Then

why just not join any of them in the first place? Well, but it's
not that simple.
It's tiring to keep up with club activities, even for

competitive people. I'd also feel pretty bored if I just read
light novels and manga without a break. I'd like to do
something else.
That said, I don't have any hobbies worth mentioning.

The most I manage is taking naps or chatting with Satsuki to
kill time.
Also, some people are not into the club activity itself but
just want to hang out with friends. To them, the most
important time is after the club ends. Honestly,
Higashidani's sports clubs are pretty weak. Students who
want to take club activities seriously probably have to stay
back a year.
The cheers in the classroom haven't died down after the

assembly is over. Everyone is chatting and laughing with
their friends.
"Hey, you up for karaoke?"
"There's no way we can study there."
"It's fine. Whoever's not singing can study with BGM."
"People will die from the noise if we all sing in the same
room."
"Where are we going?"
"We're studying at Miho's house."
"I'm going too."
"Well, should we go shopping for clothes on the way? I

want to buy new summer clothes!"
"The Science Room is full. Let's go to the arcade."
"Didn't you fail your math in the mid-terms?"
"Who said we can't study in arcades? We can calculate

how many 100-yen coins we'll receive in exchange for a
1000-yen bill."
"That's mental arithmetic instead of math, right?"
I perked up my ears and listened in on their

conversations. Whether it's sports clubs, cultural clubs or
Going Home Club, it's clear they have no intention of
studying at all. All of them are just thinking about playing
with studying as an excuse. I guess they are fighting over
who has the most interesting idea.
I constantly see study meetings before the exam in light

novels too. However, I'm deeply suspicious of its
effectiveness.
Let's think about it. Do you think a group of good friends

can quietly concentrate on their reference books and
textbooks and actually study?
They are guaranteed to stop and start trying to find

something fun to do. Even when I'm never invited to a study
meeting, I can understand such simple logic.
As a senpai in life who went 3 years back in time, I want to

warn all of you, "You'll lose motivation when you turn into a
third-year if you don't start studying now." However, I
don't take my studies seriously either, so I'm not really in a
position to lecture others.
Although there's this "loners study because there's

nothing to do" trend in light novels, it actually varies from
person to person. I want to say that hard working loners
would still study even if they had friends.
Well, at least I've never thought, "Hey, no one's inviting

me out. Let's study." I normally kill time with light novels,
manga or sleep.
A busy loner doesn't have time to learn.
You can also say that I'm so busy being a loner that I don't
have time for friends.
That sounds good, right?
In the first place, the goal of exams is to check how much

students understand. Isn't it wrong to go out of your way to
study for an exam? Lazing around after cramming to get a
good grade only hurts you in the end. Shouldn't we use our
honest ability to face exams and reality?
In conclusion, studying for an exam is living in a fool's

paradise. The most sincere and natural attitude is to show
my actual talent on a test.
...This conclusion makes so much sense that I ignored the
cheers in the classroom and headed home. That said, I
would still go home even if my conclusion was, "I should
prepare for the exam."
In the end, no one's going to invite me anyway. All I can

do is return to base.
As I'm walking in the corridor my phone suddenly

vibrated. I was puzzled, but it was just Hanamitsuji texting
me.
『Can you come to the family restaurant today?』
『I'm busy.』
『You got something to do?』
『It's exam week. I need to study.』
『You can't stay concentrated for long, anyway.』
『 Don't underestimate my effort. All of the Ninomiya

Sontoku statues will be changed into mine in the future!』
『The Ninomiya Sontoku statue in our school is already a

natural memorial.』
『Seriously?』
It looks like climate change wreaked havoc on the statues

too. Well, I've never seen a real Sontoku statue though. The
impression that there's a Ninomiya Sontoku statue in my
elementary school just comes from horror novels in the
library and Chibi Maruko-chan.
The Ninomiya Sontoku statue looks like a child lowering
his head and studying with piles of firewood on his back.
Their reason for building these statues is to spread the
mindset that studying while helping around the house is
amazing (I think).
Another Line text came through while I was thinking

about that.
『 Anyway, come here if you have nothing to do. We're

having a study meeting here.』
Oh, wow, this invitation came at just the right time! But I
just made up my mind that I'm against study meetings.
『 Did Hanamitsuji even consider how effective study

meetings are?』
『Shut up, come here. It's going to be fun.』
She didn't give me the chance to debate. She even said it'll
be fun. It's clearly not studying, right?
I sighed and checked the weather. Luckily, it's not raining.

I can go to the restaurant on my bike.
Sheesh, am I spoiling Hanamitsuji too much these days...?
Spending this much time with her seems to be going

against the principles of a loner.
***
Around an hour later, 4 people gathered in the old spot.
Hanamitsuji, Hoshigasaki, Shiramine, and me. It's the

same faces from when we discussed how we should stop the
rumors.
When I arrived, they had already placed each of their

glasses, notebooks, papers, textbooks, and documents on the
4-seat table.
"Why are Hoshigasaki and Shiramine here too?"
"It's a study meeting. The more, the merrier."
I asked Hanamitsuji quietly. She looked very surprised as

if I had said something weird.
"Is it...?" I mumbled.
As for Hoshigasaki, she sat even closer to Hanamitsuji

and answered with a bright smile.
"Of course! Right, Sora-chan?"
"I feel like I said something wrong when Hoshigasaki-san

agrees."
"That's mean!"
Shiramine smiled wryly as she looked at the two joking

with each other and ordered me:
"Alright, sit down too. You look like a waiter waiting for
our order."
"...Yeah, sure."
I just judged study meetings to be absolutely meaningless,

yet here I am now. Laughable. Well, but not that I can do
anything about it now. So, I sat next to Shiramine.
At the same time, Hoshigasaki pressed the call bell. A
noise sounded in the restaurant.
"Nanamura, you want drinks?"
"Yes."
"We were planning to order fries too, but the table would
be too small if we ordered first."
Shiramine said calmly next to me.
"Shiramine, when did you get so close to them?"
"I'm not really. Hoshigasaki-san invited me here."
"Yep, I think it's better to have more smart people in a

study meeting."
"I have no reason to reject when the No.1 in class,

Nanamura-kun, is here. Also, even the top of our grade is
here too, Hanamitsuji-san."
"I was just lucky."
Hanamitsuji said that with a humble face. This girl was

already an elite student last time. She got No.1 this time
because her starting line was way ahead after going back.
However, I got first place in class because of this as well.

Previously, I was just floating around the average. Perhaps
I'm the one who received the most benefit from going back
in time.
I put down my school bag and stood up after telling the

waiter I wanted drinks. After I got some cola, the three girls
paid full attention to their notebooks and question banks.
They are studying for real. I thought study meetings were
filled with lazy people. However, unexpectedly, these three
are studying hard for the exam.
So, I reluctantly took out my textbooks and papers and

placed them on the table. It's against my principles to study
during exam week. But...
The sound of automatic pencils stroking against the

papers is really gentle. I can also hear pages being flipped
and occasional chatter.
"Sora-chan, this question..."
"This one? The method is included here."
"Wow, you're right! Thanks."
"Hanamitsuji-san, can you teach me as well?"
"Of course! Where? Ah, this has at least one solution

between -2 and -1..."
Hoshigasaki and Hanamitsuji exchanged words quietly.

Both soon returned to their work. As for me, I'm reading the
textbook about modern society dazedly. It's about the
formation of capitalist and socialist economies.
Hanamitusji finished explaining shortly after. Shiramine

exhaled in awe.
"I see. You make it pretty easy to understand."
"No worries."
"The top in our grade is really something else. You really

know a lot about this unit... It's almost like a senpai is
teaching me."
"A-Ahaha, that's ridiculous. Sheesh."
Shiramine touched upon something dangerous the

moment she spoke up. As for Hanamitsuji, her face twitched
as she answered her with a smile. To Hanamitsuji, the first-
year material must be a piece of cake, right?
By the way, Hanamitsuji and Shiramine seem to be close.

Even though they were a bit stiff when we met last time, the
two are doing alright today from what I see. It's a relief.
Actually, I worried whether this group of people would

isolate Shiramine, but that doesn't seem to be the case now.
Come to think of it, while Shiramine isn't an extrovert, she's
good at socializing. My worries are unnecessary.
...Huh?
Wait, aren't I the one being isolated right now?
Even though the three girls are exchanging suggestions

and focusing on studying, how come I'm the only one
reading textbooks silently?
No, it's good to be quiet during a study meeting, but

what's the point if I come here and not say anything?
Come to think of it, this is a girl-girl-girl-me study

meeting. I'm obviously the excluded one. A group of girls is
ruined by a guy like me and forms this "3 girls 1 dude" scene.
The girls will be relatively close in this case.
If I did help Shiramine to get closer to the other two,

wouldn't I be a lubricant of relationships now? Should I brag
about this during future job interviews?
"Your face has been looking pretty weird for a while now.
What's wrong?"
Shiramine looked at me confusedly while I was thinking

about that. She said my face looked weird, but that's how I
look.
"It's nothing. I just didn't expect a gal to take her studies

seriously."
"Why are you talking about me now!? I-I do study."
"But, you know, isn't there this cliché plot in school light
novels? There's always a person who sucks at studying when
a few people are in a study meeting. The said person then
always fusses about not wanting to study, and the
surrounding people have to bait them into it."
"I know what you're trying to say! But I do study usually,

alright?"
"Don't pretend to be an elite student and ruin your gal

setting..."
"I'm not pretending! While my grades aren't good in high

school, I was smart in middle school!"
Despite everything, Hoshigasaki still got into Higashidani

High School, which is very academics-oriented. Perhaps she
wasn't lying.
"But, seriously, I'm surprised to see how hardworking

Hoshigasaki-san is."
"Ehh! Even Prez too!? I came here after rejecting Yuria's

invitation to go sing karaoke, alright?"
Yuria should be Hiiragi's first name. Even though I never
had the chance to say this name, I remember it after dealing
with her a few times.
"Are you sure you don't want to go with them? You two
are friends, right?"
"Hiya, I just want to study now. Yuria and I are both in

the Going Home Club. We can go to karaoke after exam
week is over."
"Hoshigasaki-san knows."
Hanamitsuji said that sarcastically. I agreed with her.
"Look, I have a relatively fabulous appearance. Mom will

be mad at me if my grades are poor. That's why I take my
studies seriously."
Ehehe, Hoshigasaki-san laughed in embarrassment. This

girl is more serious than I thought.
At least she sounds more like an elite student than I do.

I'm really sorry for having a bias based on your appearance.
"Come to think of it, that's the same look Kouya-san had

when we visited Hoshigasaki-san's house."
I nodded in agreement after Hanamitsuji said that.

Kouya-san's and Hoshigasaki's appearances seem to be in
the same style.
"Yeah, I guess onii-chan played a big part in my fashion

sense."
"I see. You're influenced by a man."
"That's pretty mean, Nanamura!?"
We were in the midst of chatting when I snapped out of it.

The study meeting had come to a pause. I checked the time.
It's already been 30 minutes. It's a bit too quick, but I don't
dislike taking a break.
A relaxing aura radiated between the 4 of us. I drank

some cola and spoke up.
"I still don't understand the point of a study meeting."
The three girls looked at each other and laughed before I

could even finish my sentence.
"Hoho... yeah, that's just who Nanamura-kun is."
"Oi, what does that mean?"
"It's nothing. We just talked about how Nanamura-kun

probably hates study meetings."
"I feel like you probably think, 'There's definitely no

meaning in studying with friends. Studying alone is
obviously more effective.'"
"Prez made it really easy to understand!"
Hanamitsuji knew what I was thinking while Shiramine

did a perfect imitation. They completed the picture for
Hoshigasaki. Am I that easy to read?
"Wait, I've been to many study meetings too. I'll dash over
to any study meetings even when I'm not invited."
"You'll only be a nuisance, right?"
I said something dumb to defend myself. Hanamitsuji
silently ignored me.
As for me, I can feel contempt in Shiramine's eyes.
She dropped an "Honestly, you can't go to study meetings

without friends." That's brutal. I mean, she's right, but she
really doesn't mince her words.
"Shiramine, didn't we promise to not talk about this?"
"I don't remember promising that to you."
Shiramine said that pointedly.
Hoshigasaki raised her voice exaggeratedly in front of her.
"Ehh!? Nanamura, you really haven't been to any study

meetings!?"
"Don't underestimate me. I did once."
"When?"
"Today."
"...What should we do, Sora-chan? I feel really bad for

Nanamura."
"There's nothing we can do."
Hanamitsuji closed her eyes and shook her head. Her

reaction made me feel unusual for not going to any study
meetings.
...Eh? Don't tell me I'm really the weird one here?
After that feeling appeared, I started thinking about
whether I should participate in a study meeting, even
though I hate it. Did I... go to activities like this before...?
So, after racking my brain, I finally searched for an

antique piece of memory at the periphery of my brain.
"Eek, yes! I did go to a study meeting before!"
I was excited. Hoshigasaki's eyes bulged in shock.
"Ohh! Someone's nice enough to accept Nanamura!"
"Hey, don't just think that I was pitied!"
I looked into the distance and announced that nostalgic

event.
"I was in the third year of my middle school back then. It

was a weekend during winter. The midterm exam was right
around the corner. I went to the nearby café to study and
change my mood."
It was a Komeda chain café store in front of the station

closest to my house. They always give you a small plate of
snacks when you order a cup of coffee. When I was a middle
school student, I felt pretty good when studying somewhere
other than at home. At that time, a drink and some manga
were enough to make me feel I had come to an amazing
place.
By the way, even though this happened 3 years ago, it's

only been half a year in this world. This is already from a
long time ago to me.
"I walked into the store feeling refreshed and sat at a

table. The first thing I did was order a melon soda."
Then Hoshigasaki tilted her head and interrupted me.
"Wait? There wasn't anyone with you?"
"I was there alone, of course."
"Please help him out, Sora-chan. His situation is dire,

alright!?"
"I can't do anything. The patient is Nanamura-kun after

all."
I ignored Hoshigasaki's irritating words and continued

my story.
"At that time, I heard some faint and weird noises behind
a screen..."
"It's getting intense!"
"I secretly looked in the noise's direction. It was actually

my classmates sitting behind me. We were just a screen
apart. Also, they were a normie group with guys and girls."
"Nanamura-kun, do you only have stories that other

people don't want to hear?"
Even though Hoshigasaki kept responding to me, she's

leaning on the sofa like a slime right now. As for
Hanamitsuji, she's pressing the spot between her eyebrows
with her forefinger.
Are these people not following the story? Even though the
next part is the best bit.
"Although I felt incredibly awkward back then, they would

definitely look down on me if I just finished the melon soda
at lightspeed and left. So, I had to stay there until they left."
"Please just admit defeat, alright...?"
Shiramine raised her head and looked at me. Her eyes are
full of disdain, but I won't stop here.
"After that, I paid attention to my studies for 3 hours.

They had already left when I snapped out of it, and I could
finally go home. Do you know how good I felt back then? I
felt like I had just won everything. Isn't this it? A group of
people studying in the same space generally counts as a
study meeting, right?"
I puffed up my chest and gave a chic look. The three girls

leaned their heads together with tired expressions. After a
moment of conversation, they raised their heads and stared
at me.
"""No."""
"What!?"
My best moment got rejected so easily. I can't believe it.
"If that counts, then everyone in the study room counts as

being in a study meeting."
"Yeah, my bad. I shouldn't look forward to Nanamura

saying something interesting about his study meeting."
"How should we even react to what you said?"
"Yep, I can't find any reason for a guy like Nanamura-san

to be with Sora."
Wait, even though I just talked about my study meeting
experience, I heard 4 servings of disappointment... Huh? 4
people?
The three girls noticed it at the same time as well. They

raised their heads and looked at the owner in a sudden
voice.
"Why are you here?"
The person standing next to me is the girl who really,

really, really loves Hanamitsuji, Kadotani. Her eyes are dead
cold. She's no longer hiding her hostility toward me.
"There's no club today because of exam week."
Kadotani's hair is tied into a tight ponytail. She looked

around with her arms akimbo. After that, she spoke up with
a face full of dissatisfaction.
"I'm really sorry for interrupting your study meeting, but I

have something that I want to ask Sora, Nanamura-san...
and for some reason, Hoshigasaki-san sitting here too."
"Eek! W-Why me!?"
Hoshigasaki moaned in fear and hugged Hanamitsuji's

arm. Kadotani's eyes turned even sharper after seeing her
like that. I feel dizzy at what I'm seeing right now.
Then, someone kept poking my elbow.
"Are all of your acquaintances girls?"
Shiramine mumbled that quietly. Only I could hear it. I

don't just want to deal with girls too, you know?
***
After that, Kadotani temporarily returned to her seat. She

had been sitting behind me just then. We were just a screen
apart.
I didn't notice her at all. A serious girl is scary...
Kadotani grabbed her school bag and drinks and sat next
to Hanamitsuji.
"Well, time for me to leave—"
I ignored everything and stood up. I planned to make this

a "4 girls having fun" situation. However, Kadotani grabbed
my arm tightly.
"Nanamura-san can't go yet."
I'm not happy, even though a girl just touched me. Her
grip is so strong that it hurts. Is it because she's training in
the Hard Tennis Club?
"I apologize for my sudden intrusion and for scaring

everyone. I'm Kadotani from Class F."
"Uh, she's my friend. Yep..."
Hanamitsuji is flanked by both Kadotani and

Hoshigasaki. She introduced her apologetically. On the other
hand, Kadotani is swimming in joy when Hanamitsuji
introduces her as a friend.
"Ehehe, yeah, I'm Sora's friend."
After hearing that, Hoshigasaki and Shiramine looked at

me. They seemed to be saying, "I don't mind this, but what's
her relationship with you?"
Sure, you girls can ask that, but I'm not even sure what
my relationship with Kadotani is.
"Well, we barely know each other."
"Nanamura-san is my enemy."
"Enemies...?"
Let's ignore what you said first. I don't remember

identifying you as such.
Kadotani hugged Hanamitsuji's arm. She's clearly not

going to let go. The person being hugged smiled as her face
twitched.
"By the way, why is Hinata here?"
"This is not worthy of mentioning. It's just that I decided

to protect Sora in secret after the club came to a pause, and
then I came here. Hiya, what a coincidence."
"How is this a coincidence!?"
Hanamitsuji complained as Kadotani casually revealed

her stalking tendency, but she just brushed it off with
chuckles.
I'm looking at a person who doesn't know the line

between usual and unusual...
"Hey, Hanamitsuji, think of a way to fix her. Aren't you

her guardian?"
"I'm not! Don't just make things up!"
"Forget about that. There's something more important."
Kadotani decided to put her unusual acts aside. Her face

looks like she's a clean and proper person as she stares at
Hanamitsuji and me.
"What's the relationship between Sora and Nanamura-

san? I've been observing for nearly an hour. You two are
indeed really close. It doesn't look like you two just met
during the trip at all."
"W-Well..."
It's hard to answer her question. We have to go pretty

deep if we wish to explain properly.
I raised my head. Hanamitsuji crossed her arms in

confusion as she glanced at me non-stop. Do you think I can
come up with an excuse with such a simple signal of yours?
After a moment of silence, Kadotani looked at

Hanamitsuji sternly again.
"I'm worried about Sora! Perhaps Nanamura-san did help

Sora out during the trip. But is there anything good about
him aside from that?"
"But it's also possible that those rumors aren't true..."
"There's a reason why people are talking. Perhaps

Nanamura-san has some issues of his own. Actually, I can
tell that he's ill-suited for society from your conversation."
"...I cannot deny that."
"Oi."
Please don't just accept it, but even I think I'm not suited
to school. Isn't this pathetic?
"Please, Sora. Wake up. Even though he showed you his

good side during the trip, don't let him trick you! Guys are
beasts once you take off their disguises! Please come with
me."
"Don't just try to make her choose you!"
This girl is more of a beast than I am, right?
Therefore, Kadotani turned to Hoshigasaki, who had just

curled herself up into the corner.
"There's something I still want to know. You are

Hoshigasaki-san from Class A, right? I've heard that
Nanamura-san did something disgusting to you."
"Ah, well... yes."
Hoshigasaki gave up and nodded. She put her hand next

to her mouth and mumbled.
"But isn't this weird? Why are the victim Hoshigasaki-san

and the perpetrator Nanamura-san in the same study
meeting?"
Hoshigasaki stuttered. I'm also struggling with this

terrible development. As Kadotani said, it's weird for
Hoshigasaki and me to be in the same study meeting.
What should I do?
We have to figure out a way to get through this, or

Hoshigasaki's secret will be revealed.
It took me a lot to protect Hoshigasaki in the classroom.
It'll be tragic if all of my efforts are wasted by this one
question.
I racked my brain and came up with a proper explanation

for this unreasonable situation.
"Kadotani. I'm actually not invited to this study meeting."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Kadotani questioned with a confused expression. I raised

my finger.
"Like you."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand. There's

absolutely no common ground between Nanamura-san and
me, right?
"You can still be this arrogant after all that stalking!?"
"The most is that we're both organic?"
"Both of us took science. There should at least be more

similarities, right!? Like how we share 99% of our genes!
Also, we are both warm-blooded and breathe with our
lungs."
"What exactly are you two fighting for?"
Shiramine interrupted us dumbfoundedly. That was close.

Kadotani almost got me off-topic.
I changed the mood and continued calmly.
"So, I heard Hoshigasaki was holding a study meeting
with her friends, and I came here ignoring their rejection.
You came here without an invitation, too, right?"
"I'm not. I'm not here for a study meeting. I just followed
Sora here and sat behind her."
"If that's not a stalker, I don't know what is."
"Ugh... forget about that. If what you said is true, why is

Hoshigasaki-san still here?"
"So, this is the moment where Hanamitsuji shines."
"Sora?"
"Hoshigasaki is obviously not comfortable with this, but

Hanamitsuji owes me a favor. I'm using Hanamitsuji to
smooth over my relationship with Hoshigasaki. So? Aren't I
as dangerous as what the rumors say?"
I exhaled in triumph. Kadotani backed down for a bit.

Hanamitsuji looked at me. Her eyes are filled with
resentment. As for me, I forced myself to not look at her.
Kadotani has had animosity toward me from the

beginning, anyway. I'm just lowering her opinion of me even
further now. It's nothing. I can trick her into forcing me to
leave later and go home to chill. I'm so smart.
An ardent voice suddenly exploded in this silence when I

came up with this plan.
"Ah, no! I-It's not like what he said!"
All of us looked in the voice's direction.
Hoshigasaki stood up from the corner of the seat. Her
right hand is on her chest. She looked at us and spoke up
again.
"Uh, Kadotani-san. What Nanamura said wasn't true."
"—Hey, stop saying nonsense."
I quickly interrupted her, but Kadotani ignored me and

looked at Hoshigasaki instead.
"Hoshigasaki-san is a victim of Nanamura-san, right?

Why are you defending Nanamura-san? What's going on?"
"Actually, Nanamura—"
"—Hoshigasaki."
I stopped Hoshigasaki when she was about to tell the

truth. I signaled her that things would go bad if she
continued.
No matter the truth, it's already acknowledged as a fact

that I literally stalked Hoshigasaki in school. Thanks to that,
this ended with her interest in light novels remaining a
secret. If people learn that's not the nature of our
relationship, the premise will definitely collapse.
Kadotani was about to accept that as the truth. What's the

point of rejecting everything at this stage?
However, Hoshigasaki just kept shaking her head.
"It's alright, Nanamura. I really appreciate you. Really."
If she said that, I had no right to interrupt. Hoshigasaki

took a deep breath.
"Kadotani-san said Nanamura is my stalker, right? That's
actually not true."
"...Can you explain?"
"Yeah."
After that, Hoshigasaki explained everything. She loves to

read light novels. She accidentally brought one to school,
everyone found out, and I protected her.
Kadotani and the rest of us didn't interrupt her. We

listened to her.
"...That's everything. I'm sorry for lying to you."
Kadotani paid attention to what she said. She put her

hand on her chin and mumbled.
"I see. This makes more sense."
"That's why Nanamura isn't a bad guy like the rumors

said! It's just that everyone misunderstands him because he
helped me to keep my secret. It's all my fault."
"Hoshigasaki didn't do anything wrong. I brought it upon

myself."
Hoshigasaki is blaming herself too much. I interrupted

her. I indeed brought it upon myself. I don't want to see you
taking all of the responsibility.
"Well, then why are Sora and Nanamura-san in the study

meeting?"
This time, Hanamitsuji gave up and sighed.
"If Hoshigasaki told the truth, I should no longer hide
it..."
"You mean what Nanamura-san said isn't true?"
"Yes, Nanamura-san and I already knew each other before

the trip due to circumstances I can't talk about."
"So..."
"So, right now, at least we're close enough for me to invite

him to this study meeting."
"Uh, so, are you two going out?"
"That's definitely not true."
Hanamitsuji said that without hesitation.
I mean, that's true, and I won't complain. But didn't she

answer too quickly? ...As for Kadotani, she gave me a
sympathetic look.
"Don't mind it, Nanamura-san."
"That's a big misunderstanding!"
Being rejected and pitied hurt my heart so much!
"I'm sorry, Hinata. I didn't explain things to you

properly."
After Hanamitsuji said that, Kadotani quickly flailed her

hands around.
"No, no, don't worry about it, Sora. It's more like I feel
much better now that I know."
"I'll apologize and ask you one thing. I hope you can keep
this a secret. Whether it's about Hoshigasaki or me. Please
don't tell others about it."
"Y-Yes! Of course! I won't tell anyone!"
Kadotani answered with sportsmanship. She made a

promise energetically. Even though she may lose it
sometimes, Hanamitsuji and she trust each other.
Then, she turned to me and lowered her head gently.
"I'm sorry, Nanamura-san."
"A-Ahh."
"I didn't confirm whether the rumors were true and

blamed Nanamura-san thoughtlessly."
"I'm also at fault for not clearing up the misunderstanding

with you. No need to blame yourself."
"But I did say something really mean to Nanamura-san...

I'm really sorry."
"I know. We can leave it here. Raise your head."
Kadotani slowly raised her head and gently smiled. I've

never seen her like this before. While she does give off a
thorny impression, this is how she usually looks, right?
"It looks like Nanamura-san is a kind person. You can't

really judge a book by its cover."
"The last part is unnecessary, right?"
"Sorry, I'm the type who doesn't lie."
"Your explanation is also unnecessary."
"Anyway, I'm relieved even though Nanamura-san and

Sora are close now. Also, you two aren't lovers... but don't
you get any bad ideas, okay?"
"Alright, alright."
Kadotani prepared to leave after saying that.
However, Hanamitsuji spoke up and kept her here.
"Why not come study with us?"
"C-Can I?"
Kadotani looked at me worriedly. I nodded.
The so-called study meeting is used to get closer to friends

half of the time anyway. Now that we have reconciled, it's
not bad to study together.
"Well, I'll obey rather than respect them... Ahaha, it's been
a long time since I've last studied."
Kadotani smiled in embarrassment as she put her

stationery on the table.
***
After that, within 10 minutes, I can already judge that

Kadotani is so stupid that even Hoshigasaki has to abdicate.
From what she said, her class and grade rank can be counted
on two hands, starting from the bottom, that is.
...You know, there's something you should prioritize more

than being Hanamitsuji's stalker. No, it's not good to stalk
people in the end.
***
We disbanded at 6 PM.
Everyone stopped when we were at the exit. At times like

this, it's hard for us to leave when no one speaks.
After an awkward moment of silence, Kadotani finally

spoke up.
"Well, I'll be leaving. I'm sorry for what happened,

Nanamura-san."
"It's fine. See you."
Hanamitsuji, Shiramine, and Kadotani are taking the bus.

Hoshigasaki and I watched as they left for the station.
"Well, I have my bicycle."
"Oh, yeah."
"See you."
After that, I turned around. However, I still can't forget

what Hoshigasaki said. I turned to her again.
"...I want to ask something."
"Yes."
I hesitated and wondered whether I should ask her at this

stage. However, Hoshigasaki's expression is very calm right
now. She clearly knows what my question is.
I still struggle with caring for others. However, it's
definitely not right to just pretend nothing happened.
"Why did you tell Kadotani you like light novels? We've
been keeping it a secret till now."
Even though Hanamitsuji, Shiramine, and I know it, it

was a gamble for her to tell Kadotani. Who knows whether
that girl can keep secrets after all.
We could've ended it if she had just played along with me

and tricked Kadotani. Yet, Hoshigasaki decided to give up
this option and told the truth. I still don't understand the
reason behind Hoshigasaki's action.
Hoshigasaki slowly closed her eyes and took a deep

breath. Then, she gently put her hands on her chest and
closed them.
That looks like a ritual to solidify her determination.
"Nanamura, do you have a moment? There's a park

nearby. Let's talk over there, shall we?"
I nodded silently.
***
The sunset is about to fade away into the orange sky.

We're on a narrow path within the residential area now. I'm
pushing my bicycle just a few steps behind Hoshigasaki.
"I didn't know there's a park here."
"Yeah, it's pretty close to my house. I've even played here

when I was little."
The park we're in is indeed not far from Hoshigasaki's
house. I randomly chose some tree shade and put my bicycle
there. After that, I sat with Hoshigasaki on a bench under
the tree.
There's no one in this residential park. The vending

machine is standing in the corner all alone. Our shadows are
being cast on the bench by the sunset.
Phew, Hoshigasaki took a deep breath as if she was

containing her nervousness. She looked up at the sky.
I followed her and raised my head as well. The western

sky burns like fire, while it's darker in the east. I can see the
color of the universe at the edge.
"Well, where were we?"
"Right, why did you tell Kadotani the truth?"
"This is all because of Nanamura in every way."
"Ha?"
She said it was my fault from the start. I don't understand.

I just said something appropriate to solve the crisis at
hand... Also, what does she mean in every way?
Hoshigasaki didn't look at me. She mumbled.
"You know, I've been a timid person ever since I was little.
I've said this before as well, right? However, onii-chan is my
total opposite. He pulled me up."
Even though I'm confused by Hoshigasaki's sudden

backstory, I should still listen for the time being.
"I got slightly better at socializing in middle school. With
that, I became much more outgoing after entering high
school..."
She stopped at this point and touched the ground with the
tip of her shoes, the pebbles rustling underneath. This sound
is followed closely by her voice.
"At that time, didn't Nanamura step in to save me when

Sakado started trouble? I think this is very important, you
know?"
At this point, I still fall into indescribable emotions

whenever I think of that. I only helped Hoshigasaki because
I went through my last high school life.
It's because the memory of not helping Hoshigasaki last

time is forever engraved into my brain.
It's still a needle in my heart. Even though this is

irrelevant to the Hoshigasaki before me right now, I just
can't control my emotions. Also, I'm not mature enough to
kill my emotions with reason.
In the end, I just lied to myself.
"I really brought that upon myself."
"Ahaha, perhaps."
Hoshigasaki chuckled and continued.
"I think I could never have done that if I were you."
I urged her silently. She slowly pressed on.
"Prez is amazing as well. She immediately brought you
into her group when Nanamura struggled to find someone."
Indeed, it's rare for people to have clear goals and

decisively work toward them as Shiramine does. Most
people are aimless and unreliable. They just change based
on the situation to have an easier time.
"Looking at you two, I always think I can never do things

like that."
I don't know how I should answer her sincere feelings.
An awkward silence filled the humid park. The quiet calls

of the insects formed an ethereal BGM.
After that, Hoshigasaki poured strength into her hands.

She clenched her fists on her lap.
"But that's not all. I want to be like you two."
Her tone sounds even more determined.
It seems that she isn't saying that to me. She's

admonishing herself instead.
"Nanamura, you tried to help me today too, right?"
"But you still ended up telling the truth."
Hoshigasaki laughed in confusion after hearing my

answer.
"I was really happy at that time, but I don't want to be

protected like this anymore."
"Hoshigasaki..."
"Actually, I've been thinking about this more and more
since I heard the rumors between Sora-chan and Nanamura.
I have to change myself!"
This sentence is truly plain and ordinary.
Humans want to deny the status quo and hope for growth.
It's a natural and obvious sentiment. It even seems cliché to
bring this up in the modern era. Hoshigasaki must feel the
same too.
However, why—
Why did I feel as if I was struck by lightning after hearing

what Hoshigasaki said?
Hoshigasaki's fists clenched even harder.
She must have been like that when talking to Kadotani in

the family restaurant, right? This thought appeared in my
head.
"Nanamura-san, you tried to paint yourself as a bad

person to convince Kadotani-san, right? The same thing
would've definitely happened again if I had done nothing. I
once again felt just how amazing Nanamura is. I can never
sacrifice myself for others and give up like that."
"...That's all? That's why you told Kadotani the truth?"
"Yes, I don't want to be like this anymore. This feeling is

so strong that even I'm surprised. I already spoke up before I
could even react."
Hoshigasaki moved her waist and got slightly closer to

me.
"Nanamura, do you think I can do it? Do you think I can
change myself?"
Her face is painted with a tinge of redness. It caught my

eyes in an instant.
"You definitely can, Hoshigasaki."
She showed a relieved smile after hearing my sincere

answer.
"I see. Glad to hear that."
"...You're amazing, Hoshigasaki."
"I-It's nothing. Right now, I don't even know how I should

change and what I need to do. ...Even so, I don't want to stay
like this anymore."
"I see. I'll cheer you on."
I added, "Even though I don't know if I can be of any

help."
Hoshigasaki angrily chided me, "Don't say that."
Hoshigasaki stood up. She took a few steps forward before

turning back.
"Thank you. I can work even harder after knowing your

feelings."
Hoshigasaki looks incredibly charming under the sunset. I

subconsciously closed my eyes.
***
I bid farewell to Hoshigasaki in front of the park, got on
my bicycle, and went home.
I know where Hoshigasaki lives. If we were in a light

novel, perhaps I should've said, "I'll walk you home."
However, it's quite difficult to say that to a girl in real life.

Will she be afraid if I do say that? What if she says, "No, my
house is there..."? I would be disappointed for days.
I passed the family restaurant we were just studying in. I

rode along the bus line toward my high school. The lights
from the vehicles are twinkling in and out across the slightly
dim city. It looks like an out-of-season light show.
My feet are pressing against the pedals. The evening air

seems to be chipping away all the unnecessary thoughts in
my head.
I think I understand now.
In the past, I had always thought that I had to protect

Hoshigasaki.
To put it bluntly, she was someone I should've been

protecting.
Perhaps one of the reasons is that I've seen a future where

Hoshigasaki dropped out of school. I thought I was someone
special. When Sakado and Kadotani were there, I was afraid
that the same thing would happen if I didn't solve the crisis
and protect her. I was afraid of not doing anything.
After that incident, I've been wallowing in regret for not

helping Hoshigasaki in my previous high school life. I was
always thinking someone had to protect Hoshigasaki.
I unilaterally limited interpersonal relationships as giving
to others.
This is definitely belittling Hoshigasaki's determination.
Conceited and arrogant.
I couldn't help but smile bitterly. I suddenly feel overcome

with embarrassment.
I'm not a light novel MC to begin with. I'm not even

someone who can save others. Come to think of it, I've never
solved any problems smartly.
In conclusion, it makes more sense for a loner like me to

be protected.
I was already near my house when I snapped out of it. The

shining decorations of the gift shop near the crossroad
brightened up the dark road as if it were a light in the deep
sea.
The traffic lights changed and I stopped my bicycle. The

pedestrian light at the side just turned green. I'll be here for
a while, right?
I looked at the crossroad dazedly. I remembered

Hoshigasaki's expression when she said, "I want to change
myself."
Her face is full of determination. That's the most beautiful

face I've ever seen from her. It has nothing to do with her
facial features. It was something from her heart that gave me
that feeling.
Hoshigasaki, she can definitely do it.
Her willingness to change is manifested in her heart. Even
if I wasn't there, and even if Shiramine wasn't there, I think
she could definitely have had the same thoughts and
developed the same desire sometime in the future.
The traffic lights started sparkling before me.
I held the grip as my feet pressed against the pedals.
I was enlightened when Hoshigasaki said, "I want to

change myself." At that time, perhaps I didn't truly
understand what it means for a person to change.
When I was a loner, I already thought personalities and

attitudes were set in stone. That didn't cause any issues. I
identified everyone in my school as humans who aren't me.
There's nothing wrong with it either. That's because the
more superficial the mistakes are, the less I'm willing to
interact with people.
However, now that I know Hanamitsuji, Hoshigasaki, and

Shiramine, I can't carry the same attitude I've had
previously, right?
Humans do change.
I can't escape the influence of my surroundings, or I

should say it's something inside my heart. They are all
changing constantly.
I can't treat people as NPCs that give specific reactions

after I complete certain actions. No one can guarantee what
happens today will be the same tomorrow and the day after.
It's just like when Hanamitsuji and I argued during the

trip. Our mindsets conflicted with each other's, which
caused me to change for just a bit.
The mindsets and emotions in humans who aren't me
vary over time. Also, there can be subjective changes as well.
I finally realized it after hearing what Hoshigasaki said.
The signal changed. I took a deep breath and stepped onto

the pedal.
Can everything change in a good direction? I prayed in my

heart.
However, the logical part of my brain is clearly aware that

life is definitely not that easy.
Chapter 04: How can a loner solves a troubles in
relationship?
The final exam of the first term is over. There's only

around half a month left until the summer holiday. It's kind
of like a "digest competition" at this point.
(TL: Shoka shiai (digest competition), where the

champion is already determined before the season is over
causing the remaining matches to be meaningless.)
Everyone is thinking about how they should spend their

summer holiday. Perhaps the teachers can sense that the
students have already lost the motivation to learn. The
lessons aren't as serious anymore, after giving us the
revision notes for the next term, nearly every teacher allows
us to self-study in lessons.
They must be thinking that everything we have learned

will be forgotten during the summer anyway. Of course, they
are mostly right.
On the day we got the final exam grade sheet, I gently

sighed after learning I'm still the no.1 in class this time. I bet
my rating will be excellent if this continues. However, I don't
really care as long as it's not good enough to get a
recommendation to universities.
My student number is all the way at the front.
So, I'm fully prepared to go home long before the other

students receive their grade sheets. I'm just waiting dazedly.
It takes a long time to distribute grade sheets to 40 people.
I looked around out of boredom. There's a group of people
talking loudly. It's Hoshigasaki's group. I admire how they
have endless topics to discuss in class every day.
I guess their grades immediately became a topic of

conversation. They must have already told each other how
they did, right?
Hiiragi is like the leader of that group. She looked at the

sheet in Hoshigasaki's hands.
"Huh? Ruri, didn't you do super well this time?"
"That's true. You did way worse last time."
Of course. She was very serious during our study meeting

in the family restaurant. It must be because of Hanamitsuji's
and Shiramine's efforts, right?
Everyone praised Hoshigasaki. She scratched the back of

her head in embarrassment.
"Eh, it's not that good. I just barely touched the average."
That really is not that good! Even though she said she
took her studies seriously at the meeting. Also, I'm starting
to wonder, Hiiragi-san, how did you do if you think she did
super well?
"Come to think of it, you didn't come when we invited you

to karaoke during exam week."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry."
"Don't tell me you've been studying really hard?"
"Not really hard. I just worked a bit more than last time. It
would be bad if I failed, you know?"
At this point, Hiiragi lowered her voice and mumbled.
"Did you go to a study meeting with Nanamura?"
"...Eh?"
Hoshigasaki answered after a moment of delay. Hiiragi

squinted her eyes. This time, even though her tone is calm,
her words are intense.
"Really? I can tell you went from your reaction. That's

hilarious."
"W-Well... P-Prez and my friend from Class F were there

too! We weren't alone!"
"Ah, Prez? She has it rough too. So, what? You think it's
more fun to study with them than going out with us?"
"That's... not true."
Hoshigasaki's voice slowly died down. I don't know

whether it's my imagination. Her back seems to have
shriveled up too. She looked at her hands worriedly.
"Ha, I'm saying you don't need to hide it. Just tell us if you
think it's boring."
"I-It's not boring..."
"I really hate that you're keeping something from us. Ah,
boring. Let's get something from the vending machine. Let's
go."
"Eh, ah... yes."
Hiiragi urged them on. Everyone else hesitated, but they
eventually left the classroom. Hoshigasaki tried to chase
after them. She then gave up, sighed, and returned to her
seat.
After seeing everything, I let out a deep sigh internally.
What the hell, Hoshigasaki and Hiiragi?
***
That night, as I'm changing into my home clothes after

getting home, a Line notification noise came through on my
phone. It's not a message. It's a call.
Who's calling me? I grabbed my phone. The screen is

showing 『Kouya Hoshigasaki』.
I stared at the screen for a while. He seemed to have given

up. The ringing stopped.
"Phew..."
It looks like I won this time. That was close. I would've

really picked it up if it kept ringing.
Even though I'm curious as to why Kouya-san is calling

me, it's not something urgent if he doesn't persist, right?
I continued changing. My heart feels like I just achieved

something great. Ding, ding, ding. This time, the Line
message notifications keep coming non-stop. What a terrible
sound!
My eyes squinted as I looked at the notification bar. It's

showing, 『 Hey~ 』 , 『 Are you there? 』 , 『 Come over
here.』
He's insane... I was planning to ignore him. However,

another message came through following a notification
sound.
『I have Hodaka's light novel.』
"Uwohhhh!"
I was so terrified that I screamed. Cold sweat dripped

down my back. He called me once again.
The hostage is still in his hands. I have to pick up the call.
『Ohh, you finally answered.』
Kouya-san sounds relieved.
"Hey, uh, it's not because I was ignoring you, okay?"
『 That's what you say when you really are ignoring me,
right?』
"It's not. My principle is that I won't pick up unless called

3 times. However, since this is Kouya-san's first time calling
me, I went out of my way to pick up your second call."
『 Why are you saying that as if you're welcoming an

important guest!? Also, doesn't that mean you ignored my
call?』
Kouya-san sighed on the other side of the phone and then

cleared his throat.
『It's a bit serious. Are you free?』
"What?"
『I want to talk about Ruri. Hasn't she been acting weird
lately?』
I see. This siscon has sharp eyes.
"Ah, I think so."
『Do you know why?』
"Maybe it's because she has some troubles with her

friends."
After hearing my answer, Kouya-san mumbled quietly. "I

see..."
『 I guess Hodaka won't know the answer but is that

because of her friend?』
"Hard to say. I can't say Hoshigasaki isn't at fault."
Her relationship with Hiiragi's group began crumbling

after Hoshigasaki volunteered to be a Bunjitsu. If that's the
reason for their argument, Hoshigasaki certainly has
responsibility.
Of course, the deeper reason is that she wants to change

herself. However, this whole thing is because she didn't tell
Hiiragi. That's why Hiiragi doesn't understand how she
should treat her.
I told that to Kouya-san. I shouldn't talk about the core

part with him at this stage. The relationships between the
girls in the class are kind of tenuous.
『 I got it. I don't think there's anything I can do now...

Sorry, can you tell me if something else happens?』
"Got it."
『Thanks. You are a great help.』
"Kouya-san really loves Hoshigasaki, huh."
『 I guess. This is the responsibility of an older brother

too. Well, I'll leave things up to you.』
After that, Kouya-san hung up. I can do nothing even if

you leave it up to me...
***
The situation still hasn't improved.
The closing ceremony is next week. On this rainy day, all

of the Bunjitsu got called to a meeting. I'm headed to the
conference room after school when I overhear Hoshigasaki
talking.
"Sorry, today I have to..."
I glanced at them. Hoshigasaki-san bowed with her school

bag and apologized to Hiiragi.
It looks like Hiiragi's invitation conflicts with the Bunjitsu

meeting again.
"Hmph, sure, bye."
"Ah, give it your all."
I feel like the other girls aren't replying sincerely. Hiiragi

glanced at Hoshigasaki before quickly looking away.
While Hoshigasaki's expression fell for a moment, she

quickly forced it off her face. At last, she squeezed out a
smile and waved at them.
"Yeah, thanks! See you."
Hoshigasaki dashed toward me. I couldn't help but look

away. I'd be targeted if I talked to her in the classroom.
That's why I came out to the corridor first.
"Let's go."
I heard Hoshigasaki opening the door. I didn't turn

around and mumbled to myself. Hoshigasaki also answered
with a "yeah". After that, we left a bit of distance between us
and departed.
Even though Shiramine forced me to be a Bunjitsu with

her calculations, or should I say scheming, my life didn't
change a lot. I'm as lonely as ever. However, this is certainly
within my expectations. Even if I'm a Bunjitsu, I can't make
friends right away, not to mention hang out with them.
The real busy period starts after the summer holiday

when we have to prepare for the Cultural Festival. Right
now, I just have to show up to occasional meetings. It's fine
even if I'm absent. However, I didn't want Shiramine to be
put in a tough spot when she recommended me. That's why I
plan to be present at every meeting starting today. Can
someone please praise me?
Life is quiet on my side. As for Hoshigasaki, she has been

having a rough time with Hiiragi since a few days ago.
Although I didn't interact with Hoshigasaki on my own, I
couldn't let this go.
Blaming myself like this is definitely arrogant. I gently

shook my head and these thoughts away.
After a while, we came to a quiet corridor.
This time, I finally looked at Hoshigasaki. She lowered her

head and stared at me.
"What's wrong?"
"...Hoshigasaki, did you have an argument with Hiiragi?"
"Eh, uwah, I can't believe Nanamura is observing me."
Hoshigasaki put her hand next to her mouth. Her

squinted eyes are full of interest. I answered in
embarrassment.
"Not really. It's just that you're too eye-catching. I always

see you whenever you're in the classroom. Then, well... how
should I put it?"
I was stuttering. Hoshigasaki shook her head.
"Yeah, it's fine."
"...Really?"
I'm worried about her. However, how much should I

intervene? In the end, do I even have the right to intervene?
First of all, I'm not smart when it comes to interpersonal

relationships. Hiiragi even hates me. I don't think things will
go better after I throw a wrench in there.
Everyone is good and bad at something. Fixing a

relationship with a friend is absolutely not something I can
do chicly.
However, I can't answer even if you ask me what I'm good
at.
Hoshigasaki sighed and slowly looked out the window.
The rainy season is almost over, yet today's weather isn't

good. Light grey clouds blanket the sky. The rain is pouring
down.
"It's not going well."
Hoshigasaki mumbled to herself. I don't know how I

should answer. I remained silent.
"It's going to be fine, Nanamura. Relax."
"...Ahh."
This is indeed what I want to hear. However, even though

I'm relieved, I can feel she seems to be pushing me away.
"Other people aren't responsible for this. It's my fault.

So..."
I followed her and looked out the window. The rain is

being stretched into long strings. There's no correct answer.
Even though a sunny sky is all we need to sweep away the

melancholy in our hearts.
I hope for it, but I understand this alone can't bring much
comfort to people.
***
Hanamitsuji texted me on Line that night.
『Hoshigasaki-san looked really down today.』

She was indeed very depressed when she talked to me in
the corridor, but she didn't show that during the Bunjitsu
meeting. I bet she couldn't hide it from Hanamitsuji's sharp
eyes.
『 Yeah, things aren't going well with her classmates

recently.』
『 Is it because she volunteered to be a Bunjitsu with

Nanamura-kun?』
『Maybe.』
A tinge of pain spread in my chest, but I ignored it.

Hoshigasaki decided to be a Bunjitsu on her own. This has
no direct relationship with me.
I didn't tell Hanamitsuji that people knew Hoshigasaki

was in our study meeting. Hanamitsuji will definitely stand
up and help Hoshigasaki if she knows, after all. However,
Hoshigasaki hopes to change herself. We outsiders helping
her will be overstepping.
These excuses keep running through my mind.
『What do you think we should do, Nanamura-kun?』
『I can't do anything.』
『Why?』
『 Hiccups between friends aren't something I can

solve.』
I purposefully answered like I didn't care.
Even if that sounds like I'm distancing myself from her, if
I don't constantly remind myself, I'll keep mistaking that I
have to help Hoshigasaki.
If I do that, I'm not respecting Hoshigasaki's

determination. I'll literally be behaving like a light novel MC.
Arrogant thoughts like that must be abandoned. Also, I
indeed can't do anything about this. I have no idea how to
even approach Hiiragi.
Hanamitsuji answered after a while. At this point, I held

my breath and gripped my phone.
『I want to help her however I can.』
This sentence appeared before the screen.
I mumbled to myself, "Do as you wish." Then, I left the

message and ignored it.
***
The next day, I came to class just on time as usual.

However, a ponytail girl is standing in front of me
menacingly.
"Can I ask what's wrong?"
It's because she's glaring daggers at me. I can't ignore her.

Anyway, let's start by greeting her first.
"Good morning, Nanamura-san."
"...Good morning."
Although some people have started talking to me recently,

maybe because I don't normally greet people in the morning,
somehow it feels embarrassing.
Kadotani ignored my feelings. She complained.
"Nanamura-san, class is about to start, alright?"
"There's no point in arriving early, right?"
"I've been waiting here for a long time."
Kadotani sighed dumbfoundedly. I'm really sorry about

that, but you didn't tell me beforehand. I'm not at fault here.
"Anyway, we don't have time right now. Let's add each

other on Line first!"
"Eh? O-Ohh..."
"Ah, sheesh, I would've already added you if I knew this

would happen!"
The bell rang while we were exchanging our contacts.

Kadotani quickly returned to her classroom. What is she up
to?
I walked into the classroom with my mind full of

questions. Strangely, Kuno comes to talk to me next to the
door.
"Nanamura, was that girl Kadotani-san?"
"Yeah."
"You two know each other?"
"Ah, I guess. She's a friend of a friend, probably."
"Hmm, well, I don't really understand, but it looks like
you know a lot of people."
"That's impossible."
At least no one beats me when it comes to who knows the

least people. The people I know in this class can be counted
on one hand.
While Kuno was being ridiculous he simply returned to

his seat after saying that.
***
Kadotani called me to the courtyard during lunch.
I don't know how it is in normal high schools. However,

the courtyard in Higashidani High School isn't occupied by
normies. There are benches and trees scattered around here
and there. However, people only take the courtyard as a
shortcut when moving between buildings.
Honestly, nobody but weirdos would come out from an

air-conditioned classroom and eat here during the hot
season, right?
"Sorry, I'm late."
A couple minutes later, Kadotani ran out from the

building. The school rules clearly state that we can't run on
campus. However, for some reason, with such a sporty aura,
Kadotani will probably be forgiven even when she runs.
We partnered up subconsciously and walked to the shade

under a tree.
Even though there's no one in the courtyard, you can see
everything from the building. It'll be troublesome if other
people see Kadotani and me together.
"What do you want to talk about? Don't tell me you're

here to complain about how bad you did in the final exam?"
I randomly threw out a topic. Kadotani smiled and shook

her head.
"No! Actually, I did a bit better than last time. Thank

you."
"I didn't really help you with your studies. It's kind of
ridiculous for you to thank me."
I don't think it's worthy of excitement when she just did a

bit better than last time. This girl, she didn't even say how
much better she did...
"Who cares about the results? I want to talk about

something else today."
"Something else?"
"Yes." Kadotani sighed gently.
"Sora looks really upset whenever she's on her phone

lately. Nanamura-san, do you know why?"
"Ahh, well... I can't say I don't know."
After hearing that, I immediately remembered the

message from Hanamitsuji. That girl really worries about
Hoshigasaki.
"Hmph, Nanamura-san does know why Sora is so
frustrated."
"But I can't just tell you. This is a private matter."
After that, Kadotani crossed her arms and raised her

head. She looked at me.
"I got it. Well, then I won't ask why Sora looks so down.
However, Nanamura-san, please help me deal with Sora's
problem."
"W-Why me?"
"That's obviously because I don't want to see Sora so

upset! Also, Nanamura-san knows the reason. You have the
responsibility to deal with Sora's sadness."
"When did I become responsible?"
"I just made you."
"Tyranny..."
"Anyway, if you can't explain why Sora is so depressed to

me, then I shouldn't just throw myself into the situation,
right? Instead, if Nanamura-san knows why, shouldn't you
have the responsibility to help Sora?"
"That doesn't make any sense."
There's no logic or any moral reason for it. She prioritizes

her own feelings and throws the difficult part that matters
the most to me. If you ask me whether I'm responsible for
helping Hanamitsuji, I guarantee that I'm not.
However, even so, my heart softens when she's asking me
so earnestly.
Dealing with Hanamitsuji's troubles means intervening in

Hoshigasaki's problem. This is too heavy for me, no matter
how you think about it. I don't think I can find a neat
solution to this, alright? It's just that being an observer is
just as agonizing.
I suddenly thought of something. I spoke up.
"Let me ask you something."
"What?"
"I've seen sides of Hanamitsuji that you haven't. Will you

be mad at me?"
Kadotani put her finger on her chin and started thinking

about my question. However, she answered me shortly
afterward.
"Hmm, a little, maybe? But I don't want to fight for a

position where I understand Sora more than anyone else.
Sora has sides that I know and don't know. I think that's
obvious."
I see. She's not going to fight for it. That makes a lot of
sense. How can you use friendships to tell who's better or
worse?
"I got it. Thanks."
"Well, can you deal with Sora's problem?"
"I'll try."
This is both an answer to Kadotani and to convince
myself.
***
There are only 2 days until the closing ceremony. It's the
last Sunday before the end of the first term. I came
downtown to search for new releases and BDs in the
bookstore.
I left the metro and took the shortest route based on my

years of experience. This street is filled with specialty shops.
After quickly browsing several stores, I acquired a few

interesting light novels. Just as I plan to walk toward the
station and go home, I see two familiar faces waiting for the
signal at the big crossroad with 3 lanes.
They are Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki.
It's a holiday today. Naturally, they are wearing casual

clothes. I want to praise myself for seeing those two in such
a distant place.
I decided the moment they entered my sight.
Let's get my ass out of here before they see me.
Even though I regret not being able to take the shortcut,

I'll just have to give my legs a workout today.
It's because I know how awkward it is to bump into my

classmates during a holiday! Most of the time, it's me, alone,
running into a group of people. I have an overwhelming
numerical disadvantage.
Even though I also complain about how weird this kind of
numbers game competition is.
So, I turned around and left.
Let's retreat, but I can hear someone from behind.
"Is that N-Nanamura?"
The game is up.
I won't walk over there, so I just standstill. They decided

to come to me.
Hanamitsuji is wearing a wide cardigan with a fluffy

dress. As for Hoshigasaki, she's wearing a summer sweater
with comfortable jeans. They seem to be holding paper bags
from a clothing store. It looks like they are enjoying their
day off a lot. They're really a world apart compared to me,
who only has a wallet, fan and light novels in his backpack.
"I didn't expect Nanamura-kun to be here on holiday. Is

there a festival here today?"
"Who do you think I am?"
My head already hurts after speaking to her for 5 seconds!

I wouldn't be here if there was a festival. I hate crowded
places. I'd be more determined than ever to stay home if
there really was one.
My mood got dragged back to when I was in the family

restaurant with her on Monday right when I talked to
Hanamitsuji. Goodbye, my peaceful holiday.
Hoshigasaki doesn't seem to notice I'm extremely

dispirited right now. She chatted with me cheerfully.
"It's rare to see you here! Are you shopping?"
"Yeah, I just bought some light novels. Well, see you."
I should scram. I raised my hand and bid farewell. Yet,

Hoshigasaki spread her arms and blocked me when I tried to
leave. She looks like an Anteater intimidating something.
"D-Don't! We didn't even get to talk!?"
"I feel like I shouldn't interrupt you two during your

outing."
Hoshigasaki smiled and looked at Hanamitsuji next to

her.
"We're quite willing to be interrupted. Right, Sora-chan?"
"We just finished shopping. No problem."
"Are those clothes?"
I glanced at the paper bags and asked. Hoshigasaki

nodded excitedly.
"Yes! We just went through so many shops."
"Can't you just buy everything at one store? They are just
clothes."
I asked nonchalantly. However, both of them sighed with

dumbfounded expressions.
"You really don't know? Different stores have different

clothes. Sora-chan and I have different tastes. We can't both
be satisfied at just one store."
"I see. Then why don't you just split up and go to different
shops?"
"There's no point in going together if we do it your way...

Even though Nanamura-kun can't understand it, it's fun to
just look at clothes, you know?"
I see... I don't really understand the joys of shopping.
It's also because I normally just buy light novels and

manga. Not only can I just buy them whenever I want, but
every store also has relatively similar stocks. You can even
find deals where the whole series only costs 500 yen in old
bookstores.
"Right, let's go shopping, everyone!"
Hoshigasaki looked at Hanamitsuji and me. Her voice is

pretty hyped.
"You girls aren't done yet?"
Hoshigasaki pushed me forcefully with her right hand. I

can't help but complain.
"It's fine. There's a place I know where everyone can have

fun!"
***
Then, Hoshigasaki brought us to the bookstore I had just

visited. This store mainly sells light novels, doujins and
manga.
Even though there are many similar stores, this one has
the most female customers.
Unbelievably, there is a sizable chunk of female customers
even in otaku bookstores. There are shops where it's all
males, while some have girls raising a cheerful ruckus as
they shop around.
"No, why here?"
I'm curious about why she chose this place. Hoshigasaki

answered calmly.
"It's because Nanamura and Sora-chan both love this

place, right?"
"Ah..."
Hanamitsuji put her hand on her forehead behind us. Her

face is full of regret. Come to think of it, Hoshigasaki still
misunderstands that Hanamitsuji and I know each other
from otaku interests.
"But I just came from here."
"I-I don't really want to buy anything..."
"It's fine! It's fine! It's nice to just look around."
Hanamitsuji and I subtly conveyed that we didn't want to

be here, but she just overruled us.
This must be Hanamitsuji's first time coming to a store

like this, right?
She was shocked by the gacha machines next to the

entrance when she arrived. Then, she held her breath when
she saw the anime illustrations, posters, and trendy
decorations in the store.
"I think... this place is amazing."
Hanamitsuji quietly whispered. I nodded in agreement.
"Ahh, I was shocked the first time too, but I think this
store welcomes girls and children too!"
"I can see a lot of girls and kids here."
Hoshigasaki charged forward excitedly. We followed her

as we chatted.
I just came to this store. The surrounding goods don't

raise my interest that much. On the other hand, it seems that
Hoshigasaki hasn't been here for a while. She stopped at the
light novel new releases section as she browsed with a
serious face.
"Hmm, there are a lot of rom-coms among the new

releases. It's the warring rom-com era."
"What era is that?"
"Ah, does this cover look nice?"
"Oh, I've seen this illustrator on Twitter before."
We chatted back and forth. As for Hanamitsuji, she's

comparing book covers since she has no love for light novels.
She has an awkward look on her face.
"Eye-catching."
"Indeed, this is much more vibrant than a manga's cover."
"I can't tell the difference..."
"It's fine. That happens to me as well, sometimes I can't
tell similar books apart and buy and bring one home that I
don't want."
"That matters a lot, right?"
Hanamitsuji squinted her eyes. She seems to be saying

she doesn't get it. However, she laughed after seeing
Hoshigasaki holding all kinds of light novels in her hands.
"Well, but it's nice to be here."
"...Yeah."
After that, aside from a small crisis where Hoshigasaki

asked Hanamitsuji, "Which one do you think is better?", we
had a great trip shopping at the bookstore after all. Even I
got caught up in the moment and bought a couple more. I
must have been influenced by the mood, right?
After browsing the bookstore for a while, we went to a

relatively cheap chain café. This café doesn't give away free
stuff. But, anyway, cheap stuff is the greatest thing for
students like us.
Is it because this is further away from the station? Or is it

because the sun is setting? There are only a few customers in
the store even though it's the golden period.
Each of us ordered drinks as we sat around a small table. I

sat on the hard circular chair while Hanamitsuji and
Hoshigasaki sat on the sofa with their paper bags.
"Hiya, I had fun today! I even saw Nanamura today."
Hoshigasaki said cheerfully. She lifted a glass of iced latte

to her lips and took a sip.
"I think nothing good can come out of seeing me, right?"
"That's not true. You know how happy it makes you to see
a friend during the holidays."
This is a feeling that I can't understand since I'm too lazy

to meet people during holidays. Hanamitsuji's expression
also turned soft next to her as well. It looks like the world
thinks this is something to be happy about.
We chatted for a short while. Hoshigasaki said she wanted

to eat something.
"Well, I'll watch over our stuff here. You can go ahead."
"Sure! Do you two want anything?"
"Nope."
"Me neither."
"Got it."
She went to the counter with the windowed showcases.

Hanamitsuji mumbled.
"I'm glad to see Hoshigasaki-san having such a good

time."
"You're a kind person."
Hanamitsuji is indeed worried about Hoshigasaki. That's

why she invited her out today.
"You must have invited Hoshigasaki to hang out because

of that, right?"
"That's part of the reason. It's also because I've wanted to
hang out with Hoshigasaki-san for a while now. This is just a
good opportunity before the summer holiday."
"So, what are you planning?"
"I haven't figured out the details yet. If Hoshigasaki-san

wants, I'll drag her out to hang out with my friends from
class. She even knows Hinata."
"I see."
I remembered her Line message, 『 I want to help her

however I can.』 It looks like this is her conclusion based on
Hoshigasaki's situation.
Even if Hoshigasaki can't be part of Hiiragi's group

anymore, Hanamitsuji will still be there to be her friend.
Hanamitsuji is preparing for such an eventuality.
I have no opinion, so I just drank my ginger ale.

Hanamitsuji gave me a cold stare and spoke up.
"Nanamura-kun, what are you going to do?"
"...What can I do?"
Even though Kadotani has urged me before, I still don't

know what I should do now. I don't want to just sit there and
do nothing, but I'm also not arrogant enough to think I can
just solve this for Hoshigasaki.
I'm just a loner even after going back in time. Even if I

pretend to be an MC and solve the problem, something bad
will happen.
"I don't want to pretend to be a protagonist and act like
one anymore. She may think I'm just there to meddle and
cause her trouble if I try to help her."
In conclusion, Hoshigasaki and I still aren't exactly close.

In the end, this all happened because I pissed Hiiragi off.
I've also thought that their relationship could've been fixed if
I had just distanced myself from them.
However, Hanamitsuji sighed deeply after hearing me.

Her eyes were full of disappointment as she glared at me.
She scolded me.
"Hey, Nanamura-kun, you're not thinking about this in

the right way."
"Am I wrong?"
"You keep going on about whether you're a light novel MC

or not. Who said people who aren't fit to be protagonists
can't help people out?"
"Well..."
Speechless.
"That doesn't make any sense. So what if you're a normal

person? If someone you treasure is struggling, you obviously
want to help her out. Isn't that normal?"
It's like what she said. Who said side characters can't help
someone? That doesn't make any sense.
"Also, you only ever say that you're going to cause her
trouble. Did you even think about how Hoshigasaki-san felt
when she talked to you?"
Hanamitsuji looked at me sternly. I remained silent.
"She's thinking 'I want to talk to Nanamura-kun'. Do you

think a person would talk to someone she didn't want to
even to the point of damaging her own reputation? Even
though Hoshigasaki-san is really kind, she's not dumb
enough to not measure her own losses."
"Hoshigasaki wants to talk to me?"
"I was really happy when you came looking for me during
the trip. It's because you didn't want to end your
relationship with me. I was really happy. That's why I want
you to believe Hoshigasaki-san doesn't want to break off
contact with you either. I want you to believe someone is
willing to hang out with you."
The fog in my mind has dissipated. I can't look away from

Hanamitsuji.
"It's fine even if Nanamura-kun isn't some kind of

protagonist. It's enough as long as you want to talk to
Hoshigasaki-san. So, please help her out?"
"...Yeah. Thank you, Hanamitsuji."
"No worries. This isn't deserving of thanks. It's just that I

can't communicate with Hoshigasaki-san's friends. That's
why I have to leave everything to Nanamura-kun."
"Even so, I still have to thank you."
Our conversation ended. Hoshigasaki came back with a

plate of Danish fruit biscuits.
"Sorry, sorry, the line to the cashier was really long."
"It's fine."
Hanamitsuji said with a smile.
I drank coffee as I digested the argument between

Hoshigasaki and Hiiragi, my conversation with Hanamitsuji
just now and what Kadotani had said to me previously.
There are two days until the closing ceremony. It will be

extremely difficult to break this stalemate before that
happens.
But I can't just lie to myself that this has nothing to do

with me or that I can't do anything.
***
It's a day before the closing ceremony. The teacher took

attendance and looked at the notes in his hand frustratedly.
"Hmm, there's not really anything to talk about for the

class assembly... You guys want to go to the zoo?"
At this moment, cheers erupted in the class.
"Yeahhhh!" "Zoo! Zoo!" "Wooooo!"
What's with this lively atmosphere? ...This classroom is

already a zoo, right? I can hear monkeys screaming.
Ahh, this happened in my previous high school life as

well... I sighed mentally.
It only takes a few minutes to walk from Higashidani High

School to the zoo and botanical garden. Since it's so close,
going to the zoo is one of the time killers, along with self-
study in the classroom and playing in the gym or
playground.
Do these activities really enhance class cohesion? At least,

I don't think it's working for me at all.
"Alright, alright, let's calm down, everyone. The teachers

have to play rock, paper, scissors to decide which class gets
to go."
The teacher told us before the first lesson started and left.
So, all of the lessons before the closing ceremony are over.
The final class assembly of this term is here.
The teacher stepped back into the classroom briskly as the

bell rang. He gave us a chic thumbs up. It appears the god of
rock, paper, scissors was on his side today.
"Right, today we get to go to the zoo! Let's go!"
"Yeahhh!"
My classmates are so excited that they don't look like high

school students anymore. While there's not the slightest
trace of a smile on my face, I'm a bit more excited than usual
when I get up since I'm able to leave school before classes
are over.
"Please be quiet when exiting the classroom."
I packed up my things to go home after disbanding in the

zoo. Even though I still have to return to pick up my bicycle,
there's extra freedom when I don't need to run back to class
again.
My classmates are walking in the corridor. They can
barely contain their excitement.
The other classes are curious to see which class was lucky
enough to get to go to the zoo. Some even pushed open the
window and yelled down the corridor. "How nice! You guys
can go to the zoo!"
My classmates also answered, "Jealous, right?" They

showed off without holding back.
It's lesson time already. Shut up.
No, saying that while not cheering with them literally

sounds like I'm jealous of them. That's why I didn't say it out
loud, but it's not like I could tell this to anyone, anyway.
We left the school and went through a nearby crossroad.

The zoo and botanical garden entrance can be seen before
the slope. The botanical garden is closer to us. However, it's
only a few more steps to the zoo area.
After everyone entered the park, the teacher started

taking attendance. The classmates can barely contain their
excitement. Some of them are about to dash off right this
instant.
Then, the teacher tells everyone not to leave the park

before the class assembly is over. We should regroup at this
entrance when class ends. After that, we're free to do
whatever we want.
There are no clouds in the sky. The weather is a bit too hot
to say it's warm.
Even though the rainy season just ended a few days ago,
no one has any more memories of the rainy season right
now.
The atmosphere in the zoo is pretty chill since it's a

weekday.
The zoo is probably more popular. Aside from a few

grandpas and grandmas, only our class is in the botanical
garden. Those cheering classmates of mine are obviously
going to the zoo. They didn't even look at the botanical
garden when passing by. I'm sorry, botanical garden. I shall
apologize, ...sorry, I'm not staying with you either.
I'm strolling leisurely, after distancing myself from my

classmates I arrived at the zoo as well. There's the smell of
beasts in the air, and I can even hear ape calls from a
distance.
While I complained a lot, I felt like my childhood

innocence had been awoken after entering the zoo. Perhaps
it's because this place is filled with happy memories from the
past.
However, today's not the time to enjoy the fun of the zoo.
In an environment where teaming up and having fun is the
default, there's a person being left out who shouldn't be.
I purposefully distance myself from my classmates and

walk at the back to try and spot the person I'm looking for.
Also, I don't want to show everyone how lonely I am by
staying in a crowded place. This last one only makes up 70%
of my reason, okay?
I looked around and searched for that familiar person.
After entering the zoo, the first thing I see is the tanuki
breeding garden. It's built by digging a big hole in the
ground. The crater is encircled by fences. You can see the
tanukis resting in the bushes from above.
There are even animals that look like tanukis nearby, but
those should be raccoons or civets, right? Honestly, I can't
tell the difference from afar.
I saw a familiar person by the railings.
"——Hey, you're late."
"Shiramine."
Her refreshing black hair is being gently caressed by the

breeze. This girl is our class president. She's not walking
around with her friends.
Regrettably, she's not the person I'm looking for.

However, given this rare opportunity, I should still ask her if
she's seen her.
"Well, Ho—"
"—Hoshigasaki-san is inside."
Shiramine pointed towards a nearby concrete building the

moment I spoke up. It's different from the fences and
outdoor breeding gardens. It's a lonely and quiet island.
"Koala house."
There's a koala sign next to the building. It shows that this

is the koala house.
Shiramine smiled after seeing my reaction.
"You're really here. I was thinking I would go if you
didn't."
"I can really feel that you're a kind person."
After that, Shiramine shook her head.
"Nope, it's not what you think. I wouldn't be worried

about Hoshigasaki-san right now if she was the same person
she used to be."
"Is that the case?"
My jaw dropped after hearing something so unexpected.

Shiramine continued calmly.
"I said that you were the only one who got hurt when
Sakado started trouble. Hoshigasaki-san must have reflected
on that too."
"...I certainly didn't think of that."
Shiramine smiled bitterly. She turned to the koala house.

Hoshigasaki is in there.
"But, she volunteered to be a Bunjitsu, and she solved

Kadotani-san's misunderstanding of you during the study
meeting... Hoshigasaki-san seems to be changing herself too.
Seeing such a person makes me wish everything could go her
way. Even if she ends up being isolated by Hiiragi-san's
group, I'm very willing to hang out with her if she wants."
I see. Shiramine has observed everything Hoshigasaki has

done. That's why she wants to help her.
"...You're indeed a kind person."
She didn't answer me. She just put her hands on her waist
like she wanted to end this conversation.
"It's time to go, right? It's better to talk inside than here."
"You're right. Thanks."
I took a step forward after thanking her.
Perhaps things will end up better if Shiramine goes

instead of me.
Even so, I should still be the one to do it.
It's because I don't want to miss Hoshigasaki.
The koala house is clearly separated between the bright

breeding grounds and dark passages. There's a glass ceiling
over the breeding grounds. That seems to be the lighting for
the entire building.
The gloomy passages are in sharp contrast to the breeding

grounds. I can see a blonde girl standing in the corner.
"It's her..." I blurted out loud.
What is she doing here?
She didn't notice I was approaching her. I called out.
"Hey."
Hoshigasaki quickly turned around. She looked at me

dazedly for a moment.
"...It's Nanamura. What's wrong?"
"That's my line."
After that, her expression became awkward. She smiled in
distress.
I can tell her relationship with Hiiragi hasn't been

mended. However, I can't just encourage Hoshigasaki to
chase after them right now.
It's already pretty weird for a loner to take the lead, but I
don't know how to talk this through otherwise. My head will
hurt if she freaks out and tries to get me to leave.
"...I'm actually alone as well. Can we look around here

together if it's okay with you?"
In the end, I just said it like I had to. Why did I even say
"actually"? I obviously came here alone.
"Eh? Oh, sure."
Hoshigasaki was surprised at my suggestion, but she

didn't reject it.
"Just look around. I don't own the koalas, okay."
"Has Hoshigasaki seen koalas before?"
"When I was little. But I don't remember it well."
"It's been a long time for me also."
There are glass panes over the passageway. They cover a

wide area enclosing a couple of trees. Some photos of the
koalas are set up on our side. They have the names and
birthdays of the koalas.
I tried to compare the photos to the koalas up in the trees.

However, regrettably, I can't tell them apart at all. Are there
cool guys and ordinary dudes in the world of koalas too?
...I'm just thinking about dumb sh*t right now.
There are a lot of koalas here. Some are creeping around

the trees, some are feeding themselves scores of leaves,
while some are just sleeping without caring about their
surroundings. They are all living in their own ways.
"...T-That's more koalas than I expected. I can't tell which

is which."
"Me too. I thought koalas were rarer."
Both of us looked at the koalas. We stopped. Perhaps

neither of us wants to leave this place.
I have to take the opportunity and broach the topic.
"Have you still not reconciled with Hiiragi yet?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Hoshigasaki answered as if she didn't care. However, I

can sense she wants to say something more, even though
she's not looking at me.
"Will Nanamura help me if I say I want to reconcile with

Yuria?"
She still didn't look at me. She just threw a sudden

question.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about troubled

relationships. I'm an honest-to-goodness loner, after all."
"Ahaha, you're saying that again."
She laughed and mumbled to herself.
"But I'm glad to hear that. I would've probably hated

myself even more because of how big an embarrassment I'd
be if you said you were going to help me."
What Hoshigasaki said was so depressing that there

wasn't any resemblance of her in the park. I shook my head
and swept away that sparkling scene from my mind.
I urged her silently. Hoshigasaki continued word by word.
"I want to change myself, but I can't change who I am

when I'm with Yuria. I'm not smart enough to present my
truest self to everyone while maintaining my current
relationships. Even though onii-chan is very good at this-"
"Hiiragi's group doesn't look like they accept light novels

or otaku culture."
"Haha, more or less. They just read Jump and shoujo

manga from time to time."
Hoshigasaki said that as she looked at the breeding

grounds. There's no koala there. Perhaps she's staring at
something beyond.
"I felt like I was a big liar when Sakado saw my light
novels. You just lied to someone. That sentence hit me like a
truck. That's why I couldn't explain things properly at that
time."
Hoshigasaki must have felt guilty for hiding things from

Hiiragi for so long, right? That's why she took Sakado's
criticism quietly.
Maybe that's why Hoshigasaki refused to go to school in
my previous life.
It's just that there's already no way to verify that at this

point.
"Nanamura and Prez aren't disguising yourselves at all.

You two always look like there's a unique self in you. Onii-
chan is the same too. Yet, here I am, lying and confusing
others. I start looking down on myself every time I think
about that."
Hoshigasaki mocked herself.
A unique self. Ah, I've seen a lot of chasing "the true self"
in fiction too.
A certain character always tries to protect themselves with

lies and secrets. Then, after a life-changing encounter, they
finally manage to show their true self. People love stories
like this because many of us think it's bad to live by telling
lies and hiding secrets.
"I always give up. I'm afraid something bad will happen
when I tell the truth... even though Yuria is really important
to me."
Perhaps it's very nice to have a sincere friendship without

any secrets.
However, is that the only correct answer?
"Who said you can't be friends without telling the truth?"
"Eh?"
The "fake self" abandoned in stories is perhaps just
hypocrisy that can easily be cast aside. However, in reality,
people aren't that simple.
"If lies and secrets are a part of a person, isn't it too

simple to just throw all of this away? There must be times
when we must hide something to keep important friends."
I've started interacting with people recently. That's what

I've been thinking. People will definitely get hurt if we never
hide anything. Therefore, we must at least keep up
appearances and measure the proper distance to avoid being
hurt.
She also has a pretty big misconception about me.
"What's more, it's not like I'm not disguising myself from
you at all."
"Eh?"
"Even though you probably don't know, I'm keeping many

things from you. There are things that I must not say even in
serious situations like this, and there are a lot of them."
I can never say I went back in time with Hanamitsuji.

We'll definitely keep that a secret. Of course, like most high
school boys, I'll never publish the collections on my phone
and PC.
"Also, I'm different when talking to Hanamitsuji than to

you. I'm somewhere in between when the three of us are
together. Moreover, I'm even more different when speaking
to my little sister."
Even I'm aware that I'm spoiling Satsuki too much.

Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki might even freak out if I
treated them that way. Maybe Satsuki hates me too.
Crap, I want to die when I think about that. Please don't,

Satsuki. I'm just worried about my little sister.
However, whether it's an individual or a group, changing

along with the environment shouldn't be a bad thing. It's
more like a genuine relationship can only be constructed by
adjusting ourselves based on differences between people and
groups.
"In the end, what self even counts as a true one? I'm being
myself when chilling in my room, but does that mean I'm
not being myself when talking to people? There's just a slight
emotional difference. Talking to an individual versus a group
generates different emotional responses too. So, which side
is the hypocritical and shameless one? Who can say that
both aren't true, who can guarantee that one or both are
false?"
"Well..."
Just because the reaction when talking to Person A is

different than talking to B doesn't mean it's alright to
arbitrarily draw both selves as false. Of course, I don't
classify it as a bad thing either.
"There's no need to scold yourself for being insincere just

because you're hiding something."
That's why Hoshigasaki doesn't need to be bothered by

keeping secrets from someone, at least that's what I think.
In the end, humans are creatures who pretend, conceal,

escape and turn a blind eye to some things.
That's why people are so stubborn about answers that
even they know are false.
Just like me when I was on the trip.
"What about you, Hoshigasaki? What do you think?"
I sighed at this point. I slowed down, spoke in a gentler

tone and asked her again.
"What do you think about talking to us versus when

you're talking to Hiiragi? Which one is your true self, and
which one is a fake filled with lies? Is it not fun after putting
on your disguise?"
"I..."
Hoshigasaki's voice is trembling.
"I'm willing to believe both sides are true. Both of them

are an inseparable part of who I am. I hope to own both of
them at the same time."
My shoulders relaxed after hearing this answer.
"If that's the case, it's definitely not bad for you to use two
different faces, one when facing Hiiragi and the other when
facing Hanamitsuji and me. I can guarantee that."
"Yes... thank you."
Hoshigasaki is having a good time, no matter who she's

hanging out with. If that's true, then even if she's
camouflaging herself, why not just treat all sides of
Hoshigasaki as the real one?
How can someone identify a side of themselves as
hypocritical just because they are keeping secrets?
"At least I quite like Hoshigasaki when you're talking to

me."
"Eh... really?"
Hoshigasaki's cheeks glowed a faint red. She fiddled her

fingers in front of her chest.
I was confused by her reaction, but then I realized what I

had just said was terrible.
...Well, let's just say it was clever wording.
"Hoshigasaki, you still want to be friends with Hiiragi,

right?"
"Yes, I really love everyone."
"Then it's clear as day. Don't give up your relationship

with them, okay? You two will really miss each other if you
let go."
I strongly hoped that my relationship with Hanamitsuji

wouldn't end during the trip. That's why I acted
uncharacteristically.
And that's why I can continue hanging out with

Hanamitsuji.
Hoshigasaki can definitely do it too.
"I will. Thank you."
Hoshigasaki raised her head and looked at me shyly. Yep,

in any case, it's good for you to smile.
"You won't be alone even if you have to break off from

Hiiragi. Not only does Hanamitsuji think of you as an
important friend, but Shiramine has also said she's worried
about you too."
"And there's also Nanamura, right?"
Hoshigasaki smiled cheerfully. I'm embarrassed by her

expression. Let's just look away and pretend I'm suddenly in
love with koalas.
"I.. .can. In the worst-case scenario, I can buy light novels

with you again. We can exchange the new releases. That
saves a lot of money too."
"Ahaha, that sounds nice."
"In the end, you said you wanted to change yourself last
time, right? If that's sincere, why not hold firm for a while
longer? Even though things may not end well, you can come
to talk to me at that time."
"Yeah, I'll try my best. Thanks."
In the end, I didn't help Hoshigasaki at all. I just listened

to her for a bit and said what was in my heart.
I'm not a protagonist. I'm just a normal person who wants

to relate to people. This is the best I can do.
Even so, as long as Hoshigasaki can move forward with

just a bit more passion, I'll be good.
After that, Hoshigasaki and I just stared at the koalas.

Although we've been looking for a long time, there's no
reason to leave now.
...However, both of us completely forgot about one thing.
We aren't the only two in this zoo today.
"Ah."
I looked in the direction of the voice. Hiiragi's group of

girls appeared. They came back from the depths of the zoo.
The air in this area seems to have frozen over in an

instant.
The girls have seen everything. Hoshigasaki and I are

looking at the koalas. We have no excuses. She spoke up
first.
"Who are you to Ruri? I really don't understand you."
"Well, I just bumped into Hoshigasaki, and we talked..."
"Ruri has been really strange lately. It's all because of you,
right?"
The other girls said that. Hiiragi stepped toward me

determinedly. She's standing before me now.
"Y-Yuria..."
Hoshigasaki stuttered next to us. Hiiragi ignored her. She

squinted her eyes and stared daggers at me.
"Explain."
"...We're really just classmates."
I answered. Hiiragi grew even more impatient. Her

emotions are getting more intense.
"You mean you two can talk this much as normal

classmates? Why do you think you can be with Ruri? What
do you even have going for you?"
That hurts. I'm not planning to argue with Hiiragi here.

Well, but it can't be helped if we encounter each other. I'm
not good at advance planning, anyway. I should just regain
my momentum and hit her with a straightforward question.
"Hiiragi, you hate Hoshigasaki for hiding something from

you, right?"
"Wha...?"
Hiiragi looked like she took a critical hit. She fell

speechless. She must have sensed that Hoshigasaki just said
something to me while keeping it a secret from her.
"You're suspecting that you're less important than me in

Hoshigasaki's heart, right?"
"...Yes, so what?"
Hiiragi admitted quietly. Hoshigasaki gasped next to me.

"Eh?" Hiiragi reacted to that by giving her a sharp look.
"But that's the truth! You're keeping something from me

and telling that to Nanamura instead, right!? Doesn't this
prove you think Nanamura is more trustworthy than I am!?
Doesn't that mean you don't want me to interrupt you two!?"
"T-That's not true..."
Hoshigasaki denied her with a weak voice. No, it's more

like she doesn't know what to do. It's just that she's not good
at making her own opinion known to others. Her pupils are
shaking worriedly.
"Why is Nanamura closer to Ruri than me!? In the end,
you—"
"—Ah, stop. Hiiragi, let's have a small contest, shall we?"
I stopped Hiiragi just as she was about to explode into a

full-blown rage. I came up with that suggestion.
It's not just because Hanamitsuji gave me a push earlier. I

won't allow myself to back down at this point after
intervening so far.
"Ha!? Why do I have to...?"
"We can understand who's more important to

Hoshigasaki with this little competition. You hate this vague
situation, right? I'll show you."
Hiiragi probably couldn't understand such a sudden

development. She squinted her eyes. However, she sighed
after a while. She looked at me and said, "Let's go."
Then, I can only let this run its course. I took a deep
breath and spoke up.
"Well, do you know when Hoshigasaki's birthday is?"
"Of course. August 4."
"Really? I didn't know."
"Ha?"
Perhaps she didn't expect my answer. Hiiragi gasped.

However, I ignored that and continued the questions.
"Well, what does Hoshigasaki like to eat then?"
"...Cake, coffee and sweets. She really loves seasonal
drinks too."
"I see. I didn't know."
"No, what are you trying to say...?"
I can sense Hoshigasaki's confusion from behind.

However, I ignored her and continued.
"Next question. Which brand of clothes does Hoshigasaki

like?"
"No shit, I've gone shopping with her!"
"I don't know that as well."
"Ah, sheesh! What the hell are you trying to say!?"
Hiiragi finally exploded. I spoke up calmly.
"Isn't it clear? You know a lot more about Hoshigasaki

than I do. You two have been together for so long, after all.
Now, do you understand who's more important in
Hoshigasaki's heart?"
"W-Well..."
Hiiragi fell silent. She has a complicated expression on

her face. She doesn't seem to find this acceptable.
"I'll definitely lose to Hiiragi if we're talking about who

knows her more. That's why you can relax."
All of this is from when I talked to Kadotani about "she

knows her more than everyone else". Let's call it
『Operation How Can I Win Hiiragi』. Even though it's an
operation by name, I'm just exposing that I know nothing
about Hoshigasaki. It's not even an operation. I'm just self-
destructing.
Silence ensued between the two for a moment. Hiiragi

mumbled.
"So, you're telling me to ignore what Ruri is hiding from

me and befriend her again?"
"I don't know. That's none of my business. It's a problem

between the two of you from now on."
It's time to leave after showing off. Let's leave the

aftermath to the people in question.
Hiiragi looked at Hoshigasaki with a poker face.

Hoshigasaki looks really nervous. They stared at each other
for a while. Then, Hoshigasaki sighed and spoke up.
"Sorry, Yuria. I'm actually keeping a lot from you."
"Yeah, I know. Honestly, I'm a bit angry about this."
"...I can't tell you everything, but I'll try my best. Actually,
Nanamura is friends with my brother. Both of them love
reading light novels."
"Ruri's brother?"
"Yeah."
Then, Hoshigasaki came up with a plausible story that

wasn't true.
Kouya-san and I are friends. We lend each other light

novels and Hoshigasaki helps pass light novels between us.
At that time, Sakado accidentally saw Hoshigasaki bringing
a light novel to school. At that time, Hoshigasaki and I didn't
have any direct interaction in front of the class at all. I
helped Hoshigasaki just as she struggled to come up with an
explanation. With that, my name and reputation sunk into
the mud and Hoshigasaki was trying to improve my
reputation.
Even though this lie isn't a total fiction, she's not revealing
everything either.
Kouya-san and I are friends. To be precise, we both share

the same hobby. That's true, but that's not how Hoshigasaki
and I met each other. Also, Hoshigasaki didn't tell her she
loves light novels too.
This is the best Hoshigasaki can do for now, right.
Hiiragi seems to have accepted what she said.
"Is what she said true...?"
Hiiragi mumbled to herself and looked at me. I ignored

everything else and nodded first. Now's not the time for me
to talk. However, Hiiragi slowly approached me.
"Nanamura... I'm sorry about everything from before."
Hiiragi deeply bowed down before raising her head

awkwardly. She scratched her cheeks.
"From what I've heard from Ruri, it looks like you're a

great person."
"N-Not really. I want to ask you for compensation now,

for example."
"Uwah, my head hurts from hearing that... Well, but it's
not like I can't let you pick a drink from the vending
machine over there. You also helped Ruri as well. Thank
you."
She said that before returning to Hoshigasaki. This time,

their faces got closer together. They are saying something
that I can't hear. I sighed deeply at this reconciliation.
Hoshigasaki is still hiding something from Hiiragi.
However, it's alright now. I don't want to believe they

can't construct an important relationship because they don't
confess everything to each other. That would be too lonely.
Keep a proper distance, explain things that shouldn't be

kept as secrets, don't say things that shouldn't be said.
I think this is what we should do to be truly considerate of

each other. Believing total honesty is for the best means
you're not thinking straight, right?
Even if cracks may appear in their relationship in the

future, they have ample time to reconsider their
relationship.
Evaluating their relationship based on the varying

situations, revealing secrets at the right time, and telling the
other person what they want to know.
Perhaps this is already a healthy relationship.
In the end, I realized I did nothing once again. The weird

challenge I had for Hiiragi was just for her to be aware of her
own biases. That's not why she reconciled with Hoshigasaki.
It's just that, I think this is the proper distance between
them and me, right?
With that, I secretly left the koala house. Everyone except

me is mending their relationship with Hoshigasaki. What
face should I even make to stay there with them?
Unfortunately, based on my short experience with life, I

can't find any correct answers aside from leaving them to
themselves.
***
The zoo incident is over.
The Monday family restaurant meeting is already routine.

Even if it's a day before the closing ceremony, it's still on.
Hanamitsuji and I sat before each other. My sweat
immediately turned cold upon entering the air-conditioned
store.
"Hoshigasaki is doing well."
We filled our cups from the drink bar. I took the

opportunity when she was taking a break and opened the
conversation.
Hanamitsuji's eyes brightened up. Her mouth quickly left

the straw she had just put into the cup of iced tea.
"Really!? What happened!?"
I briefly explained what happened today. Like about what

Hoshigasaki was bothered about, what I said to her, what I
said to Hiiragi. I told her everything.
The most important thing is that Hoshigasaki knows what
she wants to do now. She wants to get closer to Hiiragi.
That's enough, right?
The ice cubes in Hanamitsuji's iced tea had almost melted

by the time I finished explaining everything. They made a
clinking sound against the glass.
"I see. Hiiragi-san also understands now."
"She's not a bad person either."
She's just a little too obsessive when it comes to

Hoshigasaki. That's why she came to warn me. In a sense,
the way she views Hoshigasaki is like how Kadotani views
Hanamitsuji.
Hanamitsuji started drinking iced tea. Phew, she exhaled

in satisfaction.
"Anyway, we don't have to worry about her now."
"I wasn't that worried in the first place."
"Lies. Nanamura-kun, your face looked really sad lately."
"Are you serious?"
I can't believe she knows from my expression alone... No,

allow me to explain myself. How can I pretend everything's
fine when all of them are asking me what's wrong with
Hoshigasaki? Sigh, when did I become Hoshigasaki's
guardian?
"In the end, I left everything to Nanamura-kun again... I

didn't help at all."
Hanamitsuji said that self-deprecatingly. I quickly refuted
her.
"That's not true."
"Eh?"
Hanamitsujij's eyes bulged. She's surprised. I looked away

from the cup and to her instead.
"You gave me a push."
Hanamitsuji said it in the café yesterday. Even if I'm not a

protagonist, I can always help her if I want to relate to her.
She gave me a push.
"I would've really missed out on the opportunity to help

Hoshigasaki if I didn't talk about that with Hanamitsuji
yesterday. So, this has a lot to do with Hanamitsuji, alright?"
Hanamitsuji smiled after I said that. Her expression is

filled with relief, shyness and a dreamy sense of warmth.
"I see... Perhaps you're right."
Maybe this is the smile I've been wanting to see all along.
I was surprised by this flash of thought and quickly chugged
the remaining cola. It's not fizzy anymore.
My mouth feels especially sweet. This tastes completely

different than the usual cola.
Epilogue
The closing ceremony ended peacefully. Everyone had

already disbanded before noon. We are all happy school's
out.
The long-awaited summer holiday is finally here. I should

leave the classroom. I have to go home and chill, after all. So
busy.
My classmates are all chatting excitedly. As I put on my

school bag the extrovert group came into view.
The girls are standing at the front of the classroom and

chatting casually.
Of course, Hiiragi is among them. Hoshigasaki is laughing

happily next to her as well.
Even though I don't know how much their relationship

has improved after the setback, it looks like Hoshigasaki is
working on it and that it's on the mend. This way, I can
enjoy the summer holiday in complete relief.
Hoshigasaki suddenly turned towards me as I was

thinking about that. I hastily looked away, but Hoshigasaki
didn't mind at all. She raised her voice.
"Hey, Nanamura!"
After that, the whole class looked at me in confusion.
I knew this was going to happen. While Hiiragi and her

group know about my relationship with Hoshigasaki, other
classmates have no idea about what happened yesterday.
After that, Hoshigasaki looked at Hiiragi. She nodded as if
she was confirming something. Hiiragi nodded back at her
as well and gently pushed her forward by the shoulders.
Hoshigasaki took something from her desk. She walked

toward me. Everyone is giving us curious looks. Sweat began
to drip down my back.
"W-What?"
"Something."
Hoshigasaki is holding a black plastic bag.
The lively classmates all got quiet. I feel like the

temperature in the classroom has dropped.
Hoshigasaki hesitated for a moment. She took a deep

breath, made up her mind and reached her hand into the
bag.
She took out a light novel.
"Onii-chan said this one is interesting."
"...Light novel."
Hoshigasaki nodded after I said that.
"Yeah, didn't he tell me to pass light novels to you?"
She looks incredibly serious right now.
Ah, that's what she is trying to do. I almost laughed out

loud. I didn't expect she would do this in a classroom filled
with people.
Seriously, whether it's Hanamitsuji, Shiramine or
Hoshigasaski, everyone around me certainly loves meddling
in other people's business.
"You're right... Say hi to Kouya-san for me."
I answered Hoshigasaki calmly.
"Yeah, you can give it back at the Bunjitsu meeting. Well,

see you."
Hoshigasaki turned around and stepped forward.

Immediately, a group of girls gathered around her. They
opened their arms and brought her to the corner of the
classroom.
"Hoshigasaki-san! What does this mean?"
"What is the relationship between Nanamura-kun and

Hoshigasaki-san...?"
Hoshigasaki smiled apologetically at the barrage of

questions. However, she puffed up her chest and answered.
"Well, Nanamura and I actually knew each other from a

while ago. I'm sorry for keeping it a secret."
"Eh! Why!? Why!? What happened?"
"My brother and Nanamura both love reading light

novels. That's why they are kind of close. As for me, since
I'm in the same class as him, I've been passing light novels
between them. I was feeling quite embarrassed about it,
though. That's why I didn't make it clear earlier."
"So, it's the same for those found by Sakado-san?"
Hoshigasaki nodded at the question.
"Yeah, those light novels were supposed to be handed to

onii-chan from Nanamura, but everyone saw them in the
end. Nanamura was isolated by everyone when I freaked out.
However, I can speak to Nanamura properly in class these
days."
"That's why you've been talking to Nanamura-kun."
"That's right. Also, onii-chan has influenced me a bit, and

I'm also reading light novels now. They are actually quite
interesting."
At this point, Hoshigasaki stopped for a moment. This

time, she raised her voice so everyone in the class could
hear, not just the girls.
"Right, Nanamura!?"
Why are you throwing the ball to me right now!?
Everyone looked at me again. It can't be helped. I'll play

along with you at this point.
"Yeah, she's right. It's quite fun..."
Even though I imagined myself looking determined and

cool before I spoke, my words and bearing were utterly
pathetic.
Even so, my classmates know what I mean.
"See? I'm sorry for keeping this a secret from everyone.

Also, Nanamura, I owe you an apology for letting this drag
on for so long without an explanation. Terribly sorry."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
After that, Hoshigasaki mumbled, "Thank you." She

closed her eyes.
She raised her head a moment later. Her expression

showed she was in incredibly high spirits.
"But Nanamura really isn't a bad person. He's a super

kind boy. I'll be very happy if everyone can understand that."
Hoshigasaki bid farewell to me and picked up the school

bag next to her desk. She walked to the door to meet up with
Hiiragi's group.
For a moment, Hiiragi seems to be observing me.

However, she quickly looked away and left a few seconds
later.
"Let's go sing karaoke. We waited a long time for

summer."
"No, right? We can still sing even if it's not summer."
"What songs do you want, Ruri?"
"Hmm, me? What should I sing?"
Then, they just chatted as they left the classroom.
Weird laments can be heard around the room. Then the

quiet classmates got rowdy once again.
The otaku group is at the front of the classroom. Tashiro

talked loudly with his friends.
"A gal who can understand otakus... like those reprinted
manga on Twitter?"
"They are actually real. My life is full of hope!"
"You're impossibly hopeless."
I should leave before this gets troublesome, right? I

walked to the entrance, but Kuno from the Baseball Club
blocked the path.
"Wait, wait, don't go, Nanamura! Eh? Nanamura and Ruri

are like that!?"
"Ahh, yeah."
"No, right! When did you become friends with Ruri's

brother...?"
"Alright, let's leave this to tomorrow."
"Oi, hey!"
I went around Kuno and left the classroom.
"Isn't it the summer holiday tomorrow!?"
I can tell that he wants me to stay, but I don't care.

Sheesh, I'm glad today's the last day of the term... At this
time, Shiramine raised her hand. She has been leaning on a
wall in the corridor.
She's holding her bag. I guess she must have run into all
the commotion as she was coming back. She just watched
the entire thing through the corridor window, right? What a
chill girl.
"Hey, you've been showing off since yesterday."
"Showing off what?"
"No need to be humble. Even Hiiragi-san was seduced by

you too..."
"Please stop."
"You really only know how to get close to girls. Don't tell
me you're into bondage play?"
"Who'll be into play like that!?"
I retorted, but Shiramine's lips curled up joyfully. After

that, she looked at the classroom and urged me. "Let's go."
Both of us walked silently for a while. Shiramine spoke up

when we were in the middle of the corridor.
"It looks like it won't take you long to be part of the class
again."
"It's hard, right? We're talking about me, after all."
"I wish you were not so confident about that..."
Shiramine smiled bitterly.
"Well, see you then. I guess I can still continue dealing

with you in the second term."
"Sorry, but please take care of me. Shiramine is the

person in charge of Nanamura, after all."
"I don't remember being such a weird 'person in charge'."
Shiramine raised her hand when she was about to go
upstairs.
"See you. I'm going to the library."
"Ahh, see you in the second term."
"Have a nice summer holiday."
She waved and left. I walked toward the exit of the

building.
Even though the conversation in the classroom only lasted

a few minutes, I could clearly sense that the status of
Hoshigasaki and I had changed.
Hoshigasaki wasn't trying to help me.
She's just progressing toward her future. She mustered

her courage and told the truth to my classmates. That alone
had already changed my life.
We're always under other people's influence for as long as

we live.
A voice came from behind the pillar while I was thinking

about that.
"——Thanks for the work."
"Uwah!?"
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I looked in the

direction of the voice. Hanamitsuji is standing there with a
bright smile on her face.
"W-Why are you here...?"
"I just saw Hoshigasaki-san walking with her friends. I
asked her whether they were hanging out and she said yes
excitedly."
"Really?"
"I'm glad to see that they made up."
"Yeah, I don't need to endure any more internal mental

torment."
"Can't you just be genuinely happy for them?"
Hanamitsuji laughed awkwardly. I looked away.
Come to think of it, we're talking in school. Doesn't she

think this will cause her trouble?
Perhaps it's because the question is written on my face.

Hanamitsuji looked around and answered.
"What's wrong? We're both Bunjitsu."
"Yeah, right."
At this time, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I

took it out and received a totally unexpected notification.
"Uwah, are you serious?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well... it's—"
—I let Hanamitsuji look at the screen.
It shows 『Ruri Hoshigasaki is inviting you to join "Class

1A Line Group".』
"Isn't this nice? By the way, you are still not in the class
group yet...?"
Her eyes contain a subtle sense of pity, but now's not the
time for that. I'm invited to the class group... and the
invitation is from Hoshigasaki.
Come to think of it, Hiiragi didn't stop her from doing

that, right? Even though I don't mind you inviting me, it's
another matter of whether I'll join.
"What if I press reject?"
"Why are you rejecting it!? Join them!"
"Line groups are too heavy for me."
"That's the first time I've heard a Line group is too heavy
for someone."
Beneath the pressure bearing down on me from the

person beside me, I reluctantly pressed "Join". The brand
new chat screen shows 『 Nanamura has entered the group
chat 』 . I feel embarrassed at the thought that the whole
group can see this. Someone will definitely think, "Eh!?
There are still people who aren't in the group yet!?"
Although I considered whether I should greet everyone,

this would raise too much attention. Let's just leave it there.
I can reply to them when Hoshigasaki and Shiramine start
nagging me when I get home.
I put back my phone as I prepared to leave. However,

someone's tugging the bottom of my summer uniform.
I turned around. Hanamitsuji is looking at me with a

slightly nervous expression.
"...What's wrong?"
"C-Can we go to the family restaurant together? That old

place."
"Today's not Monday."
"I want to go. It's already summer, alright?"
"How is that related?"
I replied, but I didn't mean to reject her. Hanamitsuji

seems to have understood that too. She nodded gently.
We walked to the exit as we chatted about all kinds of

things.
"Right, Nanamura-kun, do you have any summer holiday

memories?"
"Only the memories of going on trips with my family."
"I see. Well, then you'll be a bit busier this summer. It's
not just the work for Bunjitsu. Also..."
"Also?"
"I'll drag you around and we'll have fun together."
Hanamitsuji showed a mischievous smile as she looked at

me. Her fragrance seems to be floating in the air. I'm so
attracted to it that my head feels dizzy.
These are all things that I've never understood before.
Everything that happened in the first term, the contacts

I've saved on my phone, Hanamitsuji next to me, I've never
understood these people and things before.
At the early stage of my return, I planned to repeat my
lonely life like last time.
From now on, my high school life won't be the same as the
one before.
Sweat appeared on my forehead as I walked shoulder to

shoulder with Hanamitsuji.
"It's hot..."
Come to think of it, this summer holiday will be longer

than any I've experienced so far.
Credits
Source/Translator:
skythewood.blogspot.com
PDF+ePUB:
fb.com/JNovelCodex

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Prologue

Visiting a girl's house is a must when it comes to rom-

Seeing the FMC in pajamas when visiting her during a

At this point, let's take a moment and think about this

Of course, guys go to girls' houses in reality as well.

For example, you thought your childhood friend was a

All of these are scenes that can appear.

It's not like I have no experience with the latter ones I

Of course, I never had the chance to visit a girl's house in

However, even if I have the lowest points in interpersonal

Today, I have the groundbreaking chance of appearing in

Of course, I'm not involved in some sort of crime, nor did

I really didn't expect such activity to befall me in real life.

Well, if you're asking me, who's rapidly rising on the

...Can someone come to save me!? This is seriously so

The room I'm in right now is filled with illustrations of 2D

As for the person sitting before me, he's a very sunny,

"Well? Which part of my little sister do you like?"

It's not guaranteed that I'll be in a girl's room even if I'm

"No, that's not true..."

My expression must look exhausted, and I don't want to

"Alright, alright, no need to be shy! We're buddies!"

"That's not what you say to a person you just met,

"You too. Don't try to make me spill the beans so

"What do you mean by spilling the beans smoothly!?"

My emotions are so low that I feel I leave a "..." every time

I sighed internally and thought about the absent culprit's

By the way, the culprit that brought me here is the gal in

It's an afternoon of a Saturday in early June.

Today, even though I rarely go outside during weekends,

This area officially entered the rainy season yesterday. As

I checked the 『Hoshigasaki』 nameplate hanging next to

I remained in this pose for 2 to 3 seconds.

"What's wrong? Nanamura-kun."

The person who expressed her confusion behind is my

Today, her fluffy, curly hair is still accompanied by a

Although she was in sportswear during the trip, she's

My eyes returned to the doorbell after glancing at her.

"Well, I don't know whether I should press the bell."

"Do we have steps before pressing the bell!? By the way,

"But this is my first time coming to a girl's house."

"Didn't you come to my house after the entrance

"The shrine doesn't count, right? I didn't even see the

Well, let's leave that for later.

Right now, we're in front of my classmate Ruri

Yesterday, Hanamitsuji and I finished holding our

Obviously, my mind went blank upon seeing the Line

However, I wasn't dumb enough to yell, "Ohh! I got

Actually, Hoshigasaki and I made a connection after a

However, the relationship between Hoshigasaki and I is

Of course, I'm just a nameless dude among the sea of high

Therefore, recently, I have increased my defense further.

If the person is interested in love, she even calls an

So, at that time, I understood it already. "I bet she's going

Did I want to reject her? Yes. However, is it too rude if she

Screw it. I'll be honest.

Initially, my brain indeed went blank after seeing the

I pretended to be calm since Hanamitsuji was next to me.

Hiya, it can't be helped. I'm a healthy high school guy. It's