ON Monday, I went to school as usual. Though none were so bold as to openly stare at a Sakurazaka, the odd surreptitious glance every now and then followed me through the halls. By now, rumors of my actions should have spread far and wide. I hadn’t spoken to Rikka or Ruki since, to say nothing of Nonoka. My unexpected absence at the kibasen was a fact, providing more than enough justification for their coldness, but a part of me still wished we could have remained friends—just a part, though. The rest of me was wholly focused on my mission. This was the path I had chosen; I was prepared to accept any social isolation that came with it. Any present loneliness, I reminded myself, was minor compared to the ultimate loneliness of losing Shizuku. As a small silver lining, Asuka and Sayaka remained by my side. In class, I still enjoyed their company, and during PE, they were my teammates. Thanks to them, I managed to keep my head held high.
On Tuesday, I overheard a conversation between Nonoka and the rest of our class: Miyu had agreed to surgery.
“Thank you all so much for your help!” Nonoka exclaimed to the group that had formed around her.
“Oh my,” Rikka noted. “Even after our loss at Sports Day?”
“Yes,” Nonoka replied. “She’d been upset about it, at first, but something must’ve changed. Yesterday, she just agreed to it all of a sudden.”
“Well, we take those victories where we can, don’t we? I’m glad, truly,” Rikka said.
Around them, a chorus of relieved voices erupted, swiftly followed by: “None of this would have been a problem if someone hadn’t skipped out on her event in the first place.”
This snide remark came from Natsumi, Nonoka’s friend who had confronted me that day. I didn’t think she’d said it loudly with the intention that I would hear, but there’d been a dip in the din of the classroom, and her words had echoed across the room.
Asuka reacted first, positioning herself between me and them. “Excuse me?” she exclaimed sharply. “What are you insinuating?”
Sayaka was quick to follow, standing steadfast beside her. “I won’t abide any slander against Ms. Mio.”
“Stop,” I said firmly, cutting them off before the situation could escalate further.
They looked at me in protest. I knew this felt unjust to them, as the only people who knew of the true reason behind my absence, but I shook my head and ignored them. Natsumi, however, must’ve interpreted my attempt to de-escalate as a threat, her expression hardening further. “Just try and shut me up then if you’re so powerful.”
“Natsumi!” Nonoka chided in alarm.
“I’m not going to stay silent anymore, Nonoka!”
Even with her best friend calling for peace, Natsumi refused to stand down. I realized as she glared at me that this was where everything was going to come to a head.
“Where were you?” she asked accusingly.
“Not at the kibasen, clearly,” I replied haughtily. “Beyond that, it’s none of your business. I believe I’ve made myself abundantly clear on the matter. What happens to Nonoka and her ilk are of no consequence to me.”
“How can you…” Natsumi whispered through clenched teeth. I was poised to fire back with another biting remark when I noticed a shimmer of something other than anger in her eyes. At that moment, I chose to wait for what she would say next.
“I could tell you were a bitch from the moment I saw you,” she said quietly.
“Okay?” I replied, feigning indifference.
Her words were caustic, and deservedly so, yet beneath that harshness there lay a profound sense of…betrayal, as if I had wounded her deeply in some way.
She took another deep, shaking breath. “But Nonoka believed in you. She said you were a kind person at heart. And I love her, so I believed her. So how could you…”
Ah, now it made sense. Her anger was not her own; it was on behalf of Nonoka. She was furious that I had betrayed her dear friend’s trust.
That makes you a good friend, Natsumi. Nonoka needs someone like you. Stay by her side, won’t you?
My commendation for her loyalty would have to stay unvoiced. Now, I had to push back—but carefully. Otherwise, she’d be the sequel to Asuka and Sayaka nobody wanted, another victim of bullying by Sakurazaka-affiliated students.
If only Rikka would intervene, I found myself wondering, and I stole a gaze at her. But she didn’t seem willing, only observing the situation with what was sort of a scowl on her face. That was a shame. I was sure she would have arbitrated before; the fact that she didn’t meant I was no longer in her good graces.
It didn’t seem like I could count on Ruki either. He sported the same kind of displeased expression on his face but was feigning indifference, looking out the window.
And as for Riku, he was…glaring at me in disdain.
In that case, I’d have to ask Nonoka to step up to the plate. I shifted my gaze to her; she gasped and immediately pulled on Natsumi’s arm. “Natsumi, that’s enough! Can we please leave it?” she shouted.
“Are you seriously still trying to cover for her?” Natsumi asked in disbelief.
“No, I just…!” she started but swallowed her words, proof that she still wanted to believe in me, even at this juncture.
This made it all the harder, but I had already resolved myself—for the sake of my sister, I had to push Nonoka away from me. This was where it ended.
“Honestly, Nonoka, your guileless naivety was good for a laugh, but now it wears on me. Do us both a favor and grow up, will you?” With a swift flick of my wrist, I unfurled a fan before my face, concealing the mocking smile that tugged at my lips.