If Asumi gave up, Kuchina would be able to reclaim the quiet life she’d had before, surrounded by that invisible wall, unbothered by other people. A peaceful, solitary life.
…Is that really okay?
“But…,” Moena said with a sigh, “even if you don’t particularly hate someone, you’d probably find them annoying and get fed up with them if they were super persistent. Or at least, I would.”
“Hnngh…” Asumi’s shoulders slouched in disappointment. They dropped so much you could physically see the difference in height. “…Yeah, true. I guess I just wanted to try to talk with her, even if it was about something trivial…”
“Hmmm…” Sousei folded his arms, making both his chest and left arm hurt.
But…if we give up just because things aren’t going well, nothing changes. Nothing will change—or will it…? Do I want to change things?
He glanced at Asumi and Moena. Sousei had hurt Asumi and outraged Moena. He was in the wrong. It was entirely his fault. He couldn’t wash away his feelings of guilt.
But even so, he was chatting with them during their lunch break like this.
If Hitsujimoto were here…
Sousei would be all right. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t with them. Asumi, Moena, and Kuchina all here, the three of them chatting about something.
It was a pipe dream, given their present situation with Kuchina rejecting Asumi.
I suppose this would definitely count as unnecessary meddling, but…
If Kuchina just accepted them, that day might actually come.
“Maybe I’ll…try talking to her…,” Sousei said. His lack of confidence was glaringly apparent, and his voice became noticeably weaker.
Asumi and Moena focused their gazes on Sousei. They were probably just looking at him, but he felt like he was coming under heavy fire.
“…I mean, Miss Hitsujimoto might not be willing to listen, but, well…I guess I could just do what I can, and…yeah, maybe try talking to her… Really, though, that’s all it would be…”
“Sousei,” Asumi suddenly placed her hands on his shoulders. The impact reverberated through his wounds, almost making him groan in pain. “Please do! I believe in you, Sousei. I’m counting on you!”
…Even if she believes in me…
The uncomfortably close proximity, along with everything else, was very distressing.
“…All right.”
For Sousei, it took all his effort just to respond at a volume barely within the audible range for humans.
Still, I…want things to change with Hitsujimoto…
The strategy was simple.
They wouldn’t let Kuchina sense any kind of movement from them. In other words, they would pretend they’d given up for the time being. Essentially, they would act like “normal.”
After school, Sousei would proceed as usual and leave the classroom quickly. He’d also get Asumi and Moena to go home at a suitable time.
Sousei would leave the school for a bit and waste time. After a while, he’d go back to the classroom, and if Kuchina was there, he’d carry out the plan. If she was still wary of them and had left school already, they’d do the same thing the next day.
If they repeated that patiently, an opportunity would eventually arise.
…That’s what I’d thought anyway…
He couldn’t read her.
The classroom door had a window in it. Sousei was looking through it to see inside.
She was there.
Sitting at the very back by the window, her chin propped up on her hand.
I thought she’d probably go home today…
All things considered, Sousei had expected her to stay on high alert for a week to ten days, or tomorrow and the next few days at the very least.
His prediction had been completely off.
Crap. I thought for sure she wouldn’t be here, which is why… Ah, my heart’s pounding…
His pulse had quickened, and the bruise on his chest ached.
Sousei wanted to turn back, but of course he couldn’t do that.
At times like this…
In his experience, the more he hesitated, the harder it would become to get his body to move.
Sousei opened the classroom door.
Normally, Kuchina Hitsujimoto wouldn’t respond. She’d be looking out the window without moving an inch.
Today was different. She turned to face him. It was instantaneous. She’d started moving before Sousei had even fully opened the door.
Almost as if she’d been waiting for him.
That’s probably not true, though…
As if she’d decided to do it ahead of time, Kuchina grabbed the bag hanging from her desk and stood up.
“Wai— Miss H…”
Sousei was panicking—the complete opposite of Kuchina. The classroom had two doors, one at the front and one at the back. Sousei had come in through the front one, and Kuchina was heading for the door at the back. Yet even so, Sousei opened his arms wide across the front door.
“W-w-wait, Miss Hitsujimoto, ummm…”
She looked at him and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were trapezoidal. They weren’t perfect trapezoids, but Sousei got the impression they were close to that shape. It was probably the result of Kuchina widening her eyes and then frowning. It seemed like she was both surprised and perplexed, almost certainly because Sousei was trying to block her way.
At the front door.
Even though she’d been going to exit through the back door.
“Ah…!” Flames were erupting from Sousei’s face. That’s how hot it felt. “Uhhhh…”
He was acutely aware that he was doing something rather foolish. He knew it all too well. He needed to either recover or correct it, so with his arms still spread wide, he began to walk sideways. If he continued moving like this until he reached the back door, he’d end up blocking her path. That had been his original intention all along. Due to a slight miscalculation, he’d just ended up doing something incomprehensible and meaningless.
Kuchina followed him with her trapezoidal eyes. She didn’t avert her gaze from him until he finally arrived in front of the door at the back of the room.
“…Wait,” Sousei said, deciding to start again with renewed determination. If possible, he wanted to pretend that hadn’t actually just happened. He tried to act as if he’d been at the back of the room from the very beginning.
“Miss Hitsujimoto, would you please wait?”
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they weren’t trapezoids anymore, but semicircles with the top parts missing.
It was the look of someone who was utterly dumbfounded.
“What are you telling me to wait for?”
“I—I was hoping you’d hear what I have to say…”
“Not here.”
“…Huh?”
“It’d be just the two of us here.”
“Just…the two of us?”
“I’d probably kill you again.”
“Ahhh…” Sousei lowered his gaze. He didn’t know if he should nod. “…Outside, then.”
“Yeah,” Kuchina responded without nodding.
Hm…?
Sousei tilted his head a little to the side.
“Really? Huh? You don’t mind…?”
“What are you doing?” Kuchina gestured to the right with her chin. “You’re in the way. Move.”
“…S-sorry,” Sousei said, moving aside.
Kuchina opened the door and left the classroom. Sousei hurried after.
It didn’t seem like she was planning to run away. She was walking at a pace that wasn’t particularly fast or slow, and Sousei followed her quietly.