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WITH the end of winter break came the start of the third quarter.
I spotted Tomoi during the opening ceremony for the first time since going on break. He was standing in the corner of the gym with his usual cool expression. He had gotten out of the car wearing a fluffy scarf around his neck and over his down coat in the ultimate combo to combat the cold. Once he entered the school building he abandoned his warm wardrobe for a suit, falling in line with the other male teachers.
A coat wasn’t necessary in the classrooms because they had heaters, but the unheated gymnasium felt like a freezer. He probably really wanted to wear that coat right now. He was facing the principal on the stage with a neutral expression, but upon closer inspection, I spotted him discretely rubbing his hands together for warmth. I couldn’t stop the stupid grin from reaching my face.
When I got back to class I shared my discovery with Rei, hoping she’d agree with me. “See? Isn’t he super cute? He was trying to endure the cold like that!”
It only earned me a pitying look. “…You watch Mr. Matsuda park and get out of his car every morning…?”
“Yup. I can see him from the classroom window. It’s the best spot to observe him! How lucky am I to have secured it twice in a row?!”
“If you say so. I have nothing left to say. I’ve finally come to understand why they say, ‘to each his own.’”
“Aw, don’t be a spoilsport! You’re missing out!” I protested, depressed with her criticisms of my crush.
Rei comforted me by patting me on the shoulder. “Sorry, sorry. I can’t get all worked up over him with you, but I can share some secret information about him to make up for it.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Eyes sparkling, Rei lowered her voice to a secretive whisper. “This is something I heard from one of the badminton club girls, but word has it that Mr. Matsuda can often be found at the shopping mall in front of the station during the afternoon on Sundays when he doesn’t have to coach the club.”
“He can?” I dropped my voice to a hushed whisper too.
“The badminton girls said they spot him mostly around the bookstore and electronics store. Isn’t it super sad for an adult man to be spending his precious day off all alone? That’s what everyone thinks when they see him wandering around the mall alone.” Rei shrugged.
I don’t think he has a girlfriend, but I know he has friends and isn’t a loner. I fought back my desire to defend Tomoi. I couldn’t share that information with Rei. It’d make her wonder why I knew that much about him.
Shinji once told me that Tomoi still hung out with friends from university and that he occasionally joins him for a drink out at night. He sounded disappointed when he told me, “A middle school teacher is really busy work. We can’t hang out as much as we did in our uni days.”
It was too difficult for me to share the information that Tomoi was my sister’s boyfriend’s best friend with friends from school. Not that I didn’t trust Rei and Eri and the girls, but I’d feel bad if weird rumors about him favoring me spread in the off-chance that the information leaked.
I know! Kon is the perfect person to tell! I wonder what kinda face she’ll make if I tell her that I actually have a crush on someone. Will she be surprised then smile like she always does while teasing, “I want to see who won your heart!” My mood brightened as I imagined Kon’s reaction.
I felt like I could tell her anything after she had declared that she was my ally, not Kou or Sou’s.
“Thanks a million, Rei! I’ll look around for him the next time I go to the mall.”
“Don’t mention it. I hope you can bump into him.”
At the time, I didn’t understand anything at all. Not even for a moment did I consider that Tomoi might be connected to Kon somehow. There’s no point in what-ifs after something has happened, but if I’d known about it in advance, I would’ve never, ever gone out that day.