Our classes today were a breeze, consisting of an introduction by our new homeroom teacher and a breakdown of what we’d be learning this year. That, combined with the mild spring weather, meant the classroom was enveloped in a relaxed atmosphere. Frankly put, I was extremely sleepy, but I managed to survive.
After school, everyone disappeared to their extracurriculars. I wished I could say we had band practice today too, but we lacked Yamano because first-years had been dismissed in the morning. Then again, it would’ve been cruel to throw them straight into club activities on their first day at a new school. To begin with, open observation for clubs didn’t start until tomorrow, so first-years couldn’t sign up yet. Hence, I’d taken a shift at Café Mares today.
“Heeey, Mei. Let’s go to work,” I called out to my colleague.
“Okay. Give me a sec!” Mei scurried over once he’d finished packing his belongings. The two of us often worked the same shifts since we both had band practice. “You know, Natsuki, being in the same class as you really does feel novel.”
“That goes for me too. I’m still not used to it... Oh, did you want to walk home with Funayama-san?”
“It’s okay. Shizuki has a club meeting today.”
“Whoa, since when are you two on a first-name basis?”
“You didn’t need to point it out! And we’re dating, remember?!”
“Anyway, Funayama-san’s in a club? I had absolutely no idea.”
“She’s in the literature club.”
“Huh? Then she’s with Hikari.”
“Apparently, she’s friends with Hoshimiya-san.”
What? This is news to me. It sure is a small world, huh.
“Oh yeah, isn’t Nanase-san on the same shift today?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’d be nice if we could meet up before we leave, but— Oh, she’s right there.”
As soon as we exited our classroom, we saw Tatsuya and Nanase chatting amicably in the hallway. They’re as close as always.
“Oh, Haibara-kun.” Nanase lifted her hand up to chest height and gave me a small wave when she spotted me.
Mm-hmm, my oshi is cute today too. But, something is missing. “Don’t you mean onii-chan?”
Flustered, Nanase drew close to me and, in a hushed tone, complained, “Could you be quiet about that? There are other people around!”
“So it’d be fine if no one else was around?” I asked.
“I’m this close to getting genuinely angry, Haibara-kun.”
“Aw, I’m not trying to make fun of you. I just wanted you to call me onii-chan is all...”
“That’s even worse!”
I might be toast.
“Is something wrong?”
Tatsuya and Mei shot us puzzled looks, since the two of us had suddenly begun whispering to each other.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I-It’s nothing.” Nanase cleared her throat and stepped away from me. However, she silently pressured me with a look that said, “You better not blab.”
I know—I know. I’m your onii-chan, after all.
Sensing the awkward mood, Mei changed the subject. “Nagiura-kun, Nanase-san, what were you two chatting about?”
“Just some small talk. We were telling each other about our new classes,” she answered.
“Right. I told her that I think we’re going to have a fun time in ours. You guys agree, yeah?” Tatsuya said.
“Yeah, I’ve made some new friends too. What about you, Nanase?” I asked.
“I don’t have any particular complaints. Uta introduced me to many people. That girl is extraordinarily well-connected. To be honest, I’m a bit fatigued, but there’s no way around that on the first day.” Nanase smiled wryly. She was like putty in Uta’s hands.
“Nanase, you’re working today too, right?” I asked. I believe today’s shift is the three of us and Kirishima-san. The usual crowd.
“Yes. We should get going or else we’ll be late,” she said.
“See ya. I should head to practice.” Tatsuya waved goodbye and left in the direction of the club building.
The three of us descended the stairs and went outside through the main entrance.
“Oh yeah, apparently, we’re due for a raise.” Nanase broke the auspicious news to us.
“Wait, really?” I asked.
“We reach our one-year mark soon, so I was told we’re going to get a fifty-yen raise,” she said.
A fifty-yen raise? That’ll change my monthly income significantly. I might be able to get that effector I had given up on!
“D-Does that include me?!” Mei asked with expectant eyes.
Nanase giggled and shrugged. “You started half a year after us, so not yet.”
“Aw man...” He slumped forward in an exaggerated fashion.
His reactions are as amusing as ever. “Dang, has it been a year already?”
“Yes. Inviting you was the correct decision,” Nanase said.
“You took the words right out of my mouth. The café has such a great environment that I’d want to work there forever,” I said. It’s not just Nanase and Mei; I’ve gotten close to the manager and the other employees too. I’m comfortable there. Plus, I enjoy cooking.
“Thanks to this job, I’ve gotten much better at talking to people,” Mei said. “I used to be really anxious, and I couldn’t make any friends in the beginning. It’s all thanks to you, Natsuki.” He suddenly paused and then looked at me. “Wait, doesn’t this mean that I have to thank you for how my high school life has turned out? I could only join the band thanks to you too... And I’m dating Shizuki thanks to you...”
“No way, that’s not true,” I said.
“It is. After everything you’ve done for me, I owe you for life.”
I was just trying to find a bassist for our band, and Funayama-san had a crush on Mei from the get-go. I really didn’t do much. So please stop praying to me.
“Dear God, Buddha, and Natsuki-sama...” he began to mutter.
Fearing my apotheosis was imminent, I forced a change in subject. “N-Nanase! How’s piano been going lately?”
“Progress has been smooth. I’m taking it one small step at a time, but I plan to challenge myself on the big stage.”
After Nanase had overcome her mental barrier at the school music festival, she had continued to face the piano. That single success didn’t necessarily mean she had surmounted her trauma in its entirety, though, so she was cautiously and gradually increasing the frequency of her onstage appearances while consulting her parents and doctor. However, recently she had also been upping the scale of her performances. Even without our help, she would be fine.
“I can play the piano again thanks to you, Haibara-kun.”
“Nah, it’s a result of your efforts. I just lent you a hand.”
I’ve been getting praised a lot lately. To be honest, it’s making me uneasy—or maybe guilty is a better word. Everything I do is to achieve my own rainbow-colored youth. As a result, I’ve ended up making positive contributions to other people’s lives, but those were merely secondary side effects of my main goal.