“Well, of course she’d be like ‘Whaaaaaaaaat.’ That’s normal. That’s a really weird thing to hear coming from someone with such good grades.”
“But that’s the great thing about Taka-chan! I think I’d like him to open up a restaurant or something.”
“Oh, me too. And then we could all use it as our watering hole.”
“I don’t think that’d be sustainable, money-wise… Actually, where do you want to go for lunch? Is Kitamura here yet?” Ryuuji cast his eyes around the classroom, assuming he was probably still at the student council.
“Ah. Uh. Um. Hello, the student council is conducting a mic test. Uhh. Ngah…hey! Could you stop pressing that button! You’re not even part of the announcement!”
The sounds of a live broadcast suddenly flowed from the speakers, and Ryuuji almost fell out of his seat at Kitamura’s voice.
“Apparently they’ve gotten into a fight with the drama club over next year’s afternoon broadcasts. The broadcast club is staying neutral, so Kitamura was saying they’d be having a civilized discussion,” Noto explained, but the broadcast went on.
“Uh! Whoa! I’m not giving it up…like I’ll ever give it up!”
“Ahhh! Let go, you dolt!”
“Ahh, it’s going to fall! Stop! Hey, there’s equipment over there!”
“A civilized discussion, huh? That sounds pretty bad… Think things are okay?”
Thump, clatter. The sounds of the racket that filtered through the speakers made it seem like things might be getting violent.
“Hey, throw that over here…oh…whoa! Okay! Got it! N-next year, we’ll continue to bring the Patron Saint of Broken Hearts to you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I hope you precisely enjoy us cheering on your love! Guh… I’ll give it up over my dead body! Music! Hurry up and get something playing! I hope you have a listen to…oh?! AH!”
They heard the sound of something falling and—FZT! The broadcast ended momentarily.
Uhh… Ryuuji and the others automatically looked up at the speakers.
“Oh! I think I’ve heard this song on a commercial before!” Haruta bobbed his head to the rhythm of the song that came on. Ryuuji also recognized the music that Kitamura had probably put on to cut off the drama club’s speech and started to bob along with Haruta.
“This kind of makes me feel like going to karaoke. It’s been a while…” Noto came up with a good idea.
“Sounds good! How about we go today?”
“Yeah, let’s go. How about we go to ‘My Voice’ behind the station?”
“That’s the only option there is! Send a text to the master of love, he can follow afta’ us.”
Noto immediately took out his phone as he shouldered his bag. “‘Everyone’s going, so you better hurry it up!’ Done.”
Ryuuji left the classroom alongside Haruta, wrapping his scarf around his neck.
“It’s suuuper warm outside today, Taka-chan. Do you really need that? It was so hot, I had to take off my parka and put it in my bag.”
“Really. What…is it already spring?” He turned his eyes to the outside of the window. Now that Haruta had mentioned it, the line of cherry blossom trees leading to the school gate were hazy with faint pink. Though the flowers hadn’t bloomed yet, the swelling buds were already colorful.
“That’s right. The season of I, Haruta Kouji, has finally arrived! As you can see, my flowers, the Cherry Brocken Jr., are already vividly colored, and pink rain will fall on Berlin—”
“Don’t you mean cherry blossoms…?”
“Whoa! Looks like our paths have crossed with Ami-chan-sama’s party! Hee hee hee! Were you out to use the restrooms?”
Scary! Frightening! Terrifying! Ami, Maya, and Nanako, who had come out of the girl’s bathroom precisely as Haruta made his joke, all hugged themselves in the same pose as they looked at each other.
“What? You’re all still at school?”
“That’s kind of ridiculous.” Ryuuji pointed at the three girls’ long hair. They all had matching curls. He didn’t remember them looking like that during the end-of-day homeroom.
“We were all practicing curling our hair just now. ♥” As she sprung a curl near her chest with her fingertips, Ami cutely opened her mouth in the shape of a heart. She seemed in a good mood as she fluttered her long lashes at Ryuuji. “So, what do you think? Opinions? Ha ha, these super shiny, soft curls look scary cute on me, don’t they? It’s crazy, right? They’re bombastic, they’re powerful, they’re absolute! What do you think?! I’m even scared of myself, ahh! It’s so scandalous!”
“What’re you getting all worked up about? Actually, it’s ’cause of people like you that we’ve got hairs in the sink. Did you clean it up? Did you clean up all the hairs you shed from those smooth and fluffy curls?”
“How about you just go home?!” Hmph! Ami’s face contorted as she waved her hands at him, “Shoo, shoo.”
Maya and Nanako wriggled with laughter at Ami’s actions. Meanwhile, Haruta looked at Nanako’s hair. “I kind of think the way Kashii’s hair is curled is cute.”
“Really? Thanks. Actually, I kind of messed up.”
“Hmm. But you didn’t curl it super tight, so it’s kind of nice loose like that.”
Nanako opened her plump lips softly as Haruta praised her and then turned a meaningful look at Noto. “Hey, Noto-kun, how curly do you like a girl’s hair to be? Do you like it wavy like this or for it to be curled back and gorgeous like Ami’s? Or do you like it like Maya’s, with just the ends curled? What’s your favorite?”
“Huh?! Me?! Hair?! I—I—” Noto stared, against his better judgment, at class 2-C’s official knockout trio. “…Wanna karaoke?!”
That was unexpected.
Noto kept babbling as he headed past the girls’ bathroom door, “We’re just about to go, so… Well, I guess only if you’re not busy, but if you feel like coming—or if you’re like—well, see—there’s a Mos Burger across from the karaoke place, and we could buy stuff to eat there and the drinks are free. Well, whatever, but if you are—but well, you might not be.”
He turned around slightly, but he wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. “Kitamura’s coming, too,” he added in a quiet voice.
“What a coincidence!” Maya said, her voice so bright it seemed like she was trying to stifle Noto’s. “We were just talking about going! How about we all go together? It’s okay if they join in, right Ami-chan? Nanako?”
“Of course! The more the merrier, right, Ami-chan?”
“Ahh, but my secret will be out if these guys hear my beautiful voice.”
They walked through the hallway as a group and changed into their outdoor shoes at the shoe cubbies. The girls headed out first and, for some reason, Noto whined, “You think they’re going for Kitamura? Is that it?”
How should I know? Ryuuji smiled wryly and nonchalantly pushed Noto’s head toward Haruta.
Under the yet-to-bloom flowers, they formed a noisy troop as they progressed forward. Ami looked towards the sports grounds and started to run. Perfect timing! She approached the netted fence.
“Heeeeey! Minori-chan!”
“Huh? Oh, it’s you Ahmin! Oh, hey, and you’ve got everybody with you! Are you on your way home?” Minori wore her softball uniform, which was smudged with dirt, and her fingers were taped up, but when she took off her cap, she had her usual smile on. “Yo!” She also waved a hand at Ryuuji.
Yo! Ryuuji waved back.
“You look ridiculous… Are you still practicing? Are you working today?”
“I’m done after this, and I don’t have work!”
“Seriously? We’re going to karaoke right now. You should come after you’re done changing.”
“Care-ee-oh-kee! Whoa, it’s been such a long time since I’ve gone! I’ll definitely come! I’ll subject your ears to my solo anime song!”
“Okay, okay, okay, okay, we got it, so just hurry and come over!”
“Okay! I’ll hurr-over!”
Hurr-over…? As in hurry over…? Nanako and Maya cocked their heads at each other when they spotted Kitamura, who seemed to have just gotten their message, and was running down the stairs of the front entrance.
“HEEEEEEY!” Ryuuji waved vigorously at him. “Hurry up,” he yelled to his best friend.
Waving his hand as rigorously as Ryuuji, Kitamura smiled as he ran, his glasses bouncing on his nose. The girls had moved slightly ahead of them, and Minori was calling to end softball early that day like a wartime general. ROUND UP! ROUND UP, MY YOUNG COMPATRIOTS! Noto, Haruta, and Ryuuji waited for Kitamura to catch up to them.
Everyone’s here.
Now we just need you, Ryuuji secretly told himself in his heart.
Everyone’s here, so hurry up.
Hurry and come back to me.
Taiga.
I want to see you.