Lunch break was over, and we’d started our afternoon classes.
I was busy looking out the window, remembering my first-ever strategy session with Kurumi—the time we hashed out the details of the eraser stamp plan.
Like today, it had been a sunny summer day. We’d taken advantage of a break in the rainy season to slip out of school and do our shopping.
In that moment, the two of us had been all alone in the school—in the world—together.
Let me join you.
Nanaougi’s words had rattled me, but ultimately the whole thing had gone a lot better than I’d feared. As long as we stuck to our guns and rejected her, we could maintain the status quo—just the two us, in the clubroom, scheming and making out.
But I couldn’t count on everything going smoothly. We were still in a dicey predicament. One student had already tracked us down. It was only a matter of time before our deeds became public knowledge and the school took us out.
The fact that Nanaougi was a brazen hedonist had bought us an extension on life, but that was all. While I’d impulsively used my recording of our conversation as leverage, Nanaougi was probably well aware that it wasn’t much of a threat. All it proved was that Nanaougi planned to carry out an attack, not that she actually had. And she was the top student in the best class in our grade. The teachers would side with her for sure. It would take a lot more than that to get her in any real trouble.
Meanwhile, we actually had carried out multiple attacks. If we started snitching on each other, it was obvious which of us would come out on top.
…This is pointless. All I can do is pray that things go in our favor.
“……”
I knew perfectly well that fretting about this wouldn’t accomplish anything, yet here I was.
I sighed and went back to staring out the window from my little corner of the classroom.
Summer was in full swing, with blue skies and big, puffy clouds. They were astonishingly white, totally devoid of answers or signs to point me in the right direction.
“If you haven’t made any progress on your homework yet, there’s no way you’ll finish by the end of vacation. Do you know what ‘summer homework’ means? It’s called that because you’re supposed to do it during the summer. Tch. You don’t have a clue. What a moron.”
As always, the teacher was ranting away. Nanaougi’s visit the day before hadn’t changed a thing. Saigou High’s summer lessons still sucked.
We were currently in the middle of homework progress checks. The teacher went to each student, one by one, and asked how much they had finished. If they hadn’t done enough, they were subjected to a torrent of abuse the faculty liked to call a “lecture,” forced to stand at their seats while insults rained down on them.
We were fifteen minutes into class, and not a single stray mark had been made on the green chalkboard. It was pure madness. The teacher clearly had no intention of ever teaching us anything.
“A real bargain! Takes place right at school!” That was Saigou High’s pitch for their summer lessons. But with classes this useless, you’d be better off paying for a proper cram school.
It was absurd on the face of it. Why, you ask? Well, we had to pay extra tuition to attend classes during what was supposed to be a vacation, and the teachers didn’t even bother to change their approach. Even though yelling insults, dehumanizing students, and storming out does no one any good. This school is rotten to the core.
“You’ve gotta make a plan for getting through your homework!” said the teacher. “Let’s get this class started. Open to page five. Here’s a problem you lower-ranking dunces couldn’t solve last time…”
Everyone sat down, and the lesson finally began. Not wanting to attract any unwarranted attention, I opened up my flimsy textbook.
Just then, my phone vibrated.
“…Hmm?”
Class was in session, but I figured I could steal a glance at the screen without the teacher noticing. I pulled my phone out under my desk, checking to see what that notification was.
I had a new text from someone with a black cat icon—Kurumi.
“I’m by the school gates.”
I checked the top of the screen; it was just past two PM. She was a few minutes early. Kurumi must have left the building ahead of schedule. I didn’t want to leave her standing there in this heat; she might get sunstroke.
The teacher had wrapped up the screaming session, so I took action.
As problems began to appear on the chalkboard and the room filled with the sound of pencils scratching against paper, I got to my feet and called out, “Teacher, I feel sick. Can I leave early?”
I was at the back of the room, so every other student turned to look at me. And on the other side of their stares, the teacher stopped writing and swiveled around to face me.
“You’re sick? You’d better not be faking it.”
“…If you need proof, I can throw up right here.”
“Tch, spare me. Get out.”
That was hardly any way to treat a sick student. Our teacher wasn’t just bad at their job, they were a bad person.
I stuffed my things in my bag and headed to the back door. As I left, Tanaka looked up at me from the next seat over and whispered, “You okay?”
I nodded back. Of course I was okay. I was faking it.
Saigou High’s summer lessons were technically voluntary. They didn’t affect your attendance record, so I figured the teacher wouldn’t bother arguing if I said I was sick. I was right.
Outside the classroom, I moved through the empty corridors. There wasn’t a soul in sight. I went down the stairs toward the shoe boxes, where I changed out of my school slippers and headed outside.
The blazing sun scorched my skin. The rainy season must have used up all the precipitation in the air, because the sky was very clear.
I found Kurumi hiding behind a tree near the gates.
“Sorry I left you stranded in the heat.”
“Ah, Natsume, at long last!”
Kurumi popped out from the shade. She still had her gray underlayer pinned up beneath her black hair and her bookbag over her shoulder. I’d assumed as much from her text, but it was clear she’d successfully gotten out of class early.
“…Doesn’t seem like anyone’s watching. Should we head to the station?”
“Yeah, let’s get moving.”
Side by side, we set out.
Kurumi and I had decided to bail early today so we could discuss how to handle Nanaougi the next time she made contact.
Since she’d tracked us to the Stargazing Club, it was no longer a good spot for clandestine scheming. That meant we’d have to find somewhere else, but with all the other students leaving right after classes, odds were high someone would spot us sneaking off together. We didn’t want anyone else finding out that Kurumi and I knew each other, so we had to be careful. After some consideration, we decided to ditch early, buying ourselves time to confer.
“Any ideas for where we should meet?” I asked.
“Yeah. Well, I’d already thought of one when I proposed leaving early.”
She did? Well, there were plenty of options. We could always just hit up a karaoke place. As I casually set off walking, I sensed Kurumi staring at me from the side.
I glanced over and found her watching me closely, an impish smile on her face.
“…What?”
“You’re not gonna ask where?” She stretched up to whisper directly in my ear. “I was going to suggest you come to my place. We’ll be all alone.”
…Hang on, that was an option?
Even in the blistering heat, I was very conscious of her breath on my cheek.