“Wow, it’s really coming down!”
I was walking down a dimly lit hallway after school.
It wasn’t really that late yet, but outside the window it was dark and the sky was heavy with black clouds. Fat drops of rain stabbed at the earth, chilling the air with the sound of their impact.
The air was brisk and humid.
“The chance of rain was only supposed to be fifty percent today, too. Man…”
It would have been fine if my umbrella had still been in the book club’s locker.
But when I opened the locker, I discovered that the umbrella I’d put in there when it rained last week was gone.
“Oh, sorry! I borrowed it the last time it rained and forgot to put it back,” Tohko said casually.
That day, the two of us had run home together, getting soaked.
“You need to put things back when you’re done with them!”
“I knowwww. But darting through the rain like this is so exhilarating. It feels so youthful!”
She thinks everything belongs to her, and no one better question it…
Not even Miss Piggy was as self-absorbed as she was. Seriously, why was I even in this club?
Hmm… it’s a mystery.
I’d had cleaning duty today, but the time had gone by in a flash. I was surprised at how late it had gotten by the time I finished up the work my homeroom teacher had assigned. Tohko was probably clattering her chair around, wondering where her snack was. There were lots of old books in the club room, but they didn’t keep very well in that environment and, as Tohko put it, “They’re past their expiration dates. They would mess up my stomach.”
“But you know,” she added with a very serious face, “if they’re stored properly, I think old books must have the taste of an aged wine or truffle. It makes me drool just thinking about it. And then, you know what else? Those handwritten manuscripts of Soseki and Ōgai and Mushanokoji that are on display at their memorial museums—I bet those taste better than anything you can imagine! I wouldn’t even care if they messed with my stomach. I wonder if I’ll ever get a taste.”
I was seriously concerned that Tohko might someday try to break into one of those museums.
As I was climbing the stairs to the book club room, I halted. “Oh man, I forgot my classics textbook.”
The classics teacher was really strict, and since I had the class tomorrow, I’d intended to review at home tonight.
I decided to go all the way back to the classroom to get it.
The halls were almost deserted, probably because of the rain, and very quiet.
I was reaching out to open the classroom door when I heard voices inside. Apparently some girls were still here talking.
I was reluctant to barge into a group of girls alone, and while I hung back in the hallway, I picked up the sound of their conversation.
“What! Eri, you’re after Akutagawa, too? Seriously?”
“Urf, you like him, too? That means we’re rivals, Mori.”
“Hang on! I think Akutagawa is hot, too.”
“No way! That makes three of us, Micks!”
Apparently they were talking about the boys they liked.
And they weren’t talking about Akutagawa, the famous author, but the tallest, most taciturn guy in our class. He looked very mature, his features sort of cool and insightful, so I could see why he was so popular.
But now what was I gonna do? It just got way harder to go in there.
“Awesome! It’s me and Hirosaki forever, then! No competition for me!”
“Oh, so you like Hirosaki, huh, Suzuno?”
“You know it. I’ve got a thing for bad boys. And as a matter of fact, we’re going to go see the dolphins next Saturday!”
“What?”
“When did that happen?”
“It’s only been a month since we got our new classes! You move way too fast!”
“I haven’t said more than ‘good morning’ and ‘see you’ to Akutagawa yet. You’re treating me to a Häagen-Dazs, Suzuno!”
“Me, too! Two scoops, too, not just one!”
“Oh man, that’s going to be tough to do after I buy all the clothes for my date. How about some ice cream cups instead?”
The girls laughed, joking and playing together.
Hmmm. Maybe it would be better to go to the club room and just come back later.
“Okay, now it’s Nanase’s turn.”
“Yeah! Everyone else fessed up, so now you’ve got to come clean, too.”
Nanase—as in Kotobuki? So she was in there, too.
“I know you don’t like Akutagawa, too.”
“Don’t even say that! She’s superhot, I could never compete.”
“I…”
I heard Kotobuki’s voice through the door.
I knew I shouldn’t be listening, but I wanted to know what kind of person a rude, uncompromising girl like her would go for. I held my breath.
“I don’t like anyone. There is someone I hate, though.”
“Oo, who?”
“Konoha Inoue.”
Kotobuki said my name with perfect clarity.
My thoughts ground to a momentary halt then. The next moment, my brain burned with fury.
“What? Why? He’s so nice, how can anyone hate him?”
“Seriously. He’s so harmless and ethereal, don’t you think?”
“He’s got a boring personality so he doesn’t really stand out, but if you look real, real hard, he’s cute.”
“Yeah! And he’s so nice to talk to, and he’s always smiling. What’s wrong with that?”
Kotobuki answered in an irritated tone. “That’s what’s so infuriating. He’s always got this deliberate little smile on his face. You never know what he’s actually thinking. It’s creepy.”
Heat seeped slowly out from my cheeks all the way to my ears, and my hands shook. My throat felt tight.
Why did she have to say stuff like that about me? I mean, I knew she hated me, but this… Talking about me so spitefully in front of all those people…
My sliver of pride fought down my desire to flee, and I put a hand to the classroom door. I shoved it aside, and the girls turned in unison to look at me.
I gaped at them, pretending I hadn’t heard anything. “Oh, hey, you’re all still here. Hope I’m not interrupting.”
The girls looked away uncomfortably. I went straight to my desk and grabbed my textbook.
“Can you believe I forgot my book? We have the class tomorrow and everything!”
Kotobuki was glowering at me, her face flushed. I turned toward her and smiled for all I was worth.
“I’ll see you, guys!”
The girls bade me a clumsy good-bye.
Kotobuki was the only one who kept her mouth firmly shut, instead continuing to sulk and glare at me.