Sixth period was almost over, and Ryuuko still hadn’t returned to the classroom.
What exactly did Tobi make of that fact? Nothing in particular, really. The idle thought that she wasn’t back yet had simply crossed his mind. Their afternoon classes would be over soon, and he expected she probably wouldn’t come back at all. But was she really feeling that sick? That seemed odd, considering how energetically she’d been pacing around all day.
As Tobi mulled this over, the bell rang, signaling the end of sixth period.
“Mnhh…” Without meaning to, Tobi groaned.
“Lemme guess: Worried about Oryuu?” Baku asked.
There was no way Tobi could answer that honestly. “Not really,” he mumbled.
Baku stirred, though only a little. “What, seriously?! Well, I’m sure as hell worried! I didn’t know you were so heartless! I misjudged you, Tobi! Some partner you are!”
Baku was really going at it, and even though nobody else in the room could hear him, Tobi was starting to wish he’d stop kicking up quite so much of a fuss. Since Ryuuko wasn’t around, Tobi really was the only one who could hear him. At least in theory anyway.
“I’m curious what’s going on, I guess,” Tobi said, quietly enough so that only Baku could hear. Then, just in case, he glanced over his shoulder. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but his gaze met Asahi’s.
Before long, Mr. Harimoto arrived to lead the afternoon session of homeroom. He shared a few quick pieces of news with the class, including an update on Ryuuko’s condition: The school nurse had informed him that she wasn’t feeling well and was still resting.
Eventually, homeroom ended, as did the school day. Tobi shot up from his desk, grabbed Baku, and was about to march out of the classroom when Asamiya’s voice brought him to a stop.
“Hey, Otogiri,” he said. Tobi turned toward him, but Asamiya looked down at the ground. “Actually…it’s nothing.”
What’s his problem? I’m in a hurry, Tobi thought, a little annoyed by the interruption. He gave Asamiya a quick nod, then slipped out into the corridor. Tobi’s gaze fell on a poster on the wall with NO RUNNING IN THE HALLWAYS! printed on it. I’m not running, he thought. That’s right; I’m just walking really fast.
“Why are you panicking, Tobi?” asked Baku. “Oryuu’s just in the nurse’s office, isn’t she?”
I don’t need you to tell me that, and I’m not panicking, Tobi thought. I should slow down, though.
Tobi dropped his pace from a fast walk—not a run—to a more natural stride. His regular walking pace was still faster than that of the other students nearby, but he couldn’t help it. Tobi was a fast walker. He’d never liked dragging his heels, especially when he was on his own. If he was walking with someone else, he’d try to match their pace. But otherwise, he preferred to move nice and quickly.
“Blech…” Suddenly, Tobi heard a voice from behind him. “You walk way too fast, you know that?”
“…Huh?”
Tobi didn’t stop, but he glanced over his shoulder as he moved. He found the transfer student walking behind him with a scowl on her face. Despite her words, she struck Tobi as being astonishingly light on her feet. Her arms didn’t swing at all as she walked—she just put one foot in front of the other, rhythmically propelling herself forward. It was an odd way of walking, but she was matching his speed.
“Um…what?” said Tobi.
“Whaddaya mean what?” replied Asahi.
“That’s what I’m asking.”
“What do you care?”
“Well, I guess I don’t, but…” Tobi paused and cocked his head. “Care about what?”
“Well, now we’re just going in circles,” Asahi said with a snorting laugh.
Tobi briefly considered picking up the pace and leaving her behind but decided against it. He didn’t understand why she was following him in the first place—or, for that matter, whether she was even following him at all. Maybe she’s just walking in the same direction…? Or maybe not. No, if she was just going the same way, then why had she complained about how fast he was walking?
When they were almost to the nurse’s office, Asahi suddenly picked up her pace and tried to slip past him. Tobi didn’t have a good reason to race her but found himself speeding up anyway. In the end, he arrived at the door only moments before her and flung it open.
The school nurse wasn’t around, but a bespectacled student was sitting in her chair, idly spinning a pen.
“Oh, if it isn’t Tobitobi.” A moment after Rukana Shizukudani addressed him, once again using that peculiar nickname, she noticed Asahi, who was standing right behind him. “I’m guessing she’s the transfer student everyone’s been talking about?”
“Yeah,” she replied curtly. Then she quickly glanced around the nurse’s office, inspecting it from top to bottom, before looking back to Shizukudani. “Who’re you?”
“Ostensible member of Class 2-3 and permanent resident of the nurse’s office, Rukana Shizukudani, at your service! Nice to meet you, umm…?”
“Monika Asahi.”
“In that case,” Shizukudani said with a grin as she stopped twirling her pen. “Monimoni?”
Asahi’s eyebrows and the corner of her mouth twitched. Tobi was starting to think that was her way of smiling. “That’s so gross, I think I might actually barf.”
“Groooss!” Shizukudani said in a singsong tone as her pen once again sprang into motion. She seemed to be enjoying herself immensely. “Oh, I like you, Monimoni!”
Baku, who was currently slung over Tobi’s shoulder, trembled slightly. It seemed he wanted to say something. Tobi felt like commenting as well, but he had no idea what to say. Shizukudani and Asahi were both grinning, but Tobi wasn’t so sure their smiles were friendly. In fact, he was fairly certain they were anything but.