Silent Kohinata: Volume 1 Epilogue

Epilogue: Drawing the Face is Something to Look Forward To

[Illustration: Epilogue - Drawing the Face is Something to Look Forward To]

Fortunately, the infirmary was close to the student council room, so we woke the school nurse, who had been dozing off there, and carried the student council president and vice president over together. No matter how ridiculous the reason, they were definitely bleeding.

As payback for being dragged through all this, I left a note by each of their pillows saying, 【You owe me one.】 before heading home. And I meant one favor from each of them, not one between the two.

It would have been one thing if they'd only dragged me into it, but Keiichi, Saejima, and even Kohinata had gotten caught up in the mess too. The next time something happened, I was going to make use of the student council's authority as a little insurance.

Incidentally, the dozing school nurse glanced at Kohinata and sighed, "Ah, the usual," which suggested those two were regulars at the infirmary.

If the damage only got worse the cuter Kohinata became, what on earth would happen once her expressions fully returned? There was no doubt the infirmary would run out of beds.

"Apparently, you're not supposed to draw a face on a teru teru bozu¹ right away."

After the commotion with the student council, the scene shifted to my house.

When I told Saejima and Kohinata what Takada had said before, they both looked surprised. Though in Kohinata's case, all she did was raise her eyelids the tiniest bit more than usual.

Using the cheap white cloth we'd bought on the way home, we were hard at work making teru teru bozu. We were gathered around the kotatsu just like the last time the four of us hung out, but even though we weren't playing games, I was still sitting next to Kohinata.

I mean, if I moved now, it would look like I was avoiding her.

I figured Kohinata probably felt the same way, but... ever since we'd started walking home, she'd seemed awfully distant. Aloof, even. It had to be because of what happened in the student council room, right?

"So we can't draw the faces yet? That's a shame..."

My comment stopped Saejima's hand just as she'd finished shaping hers and was about to draw the face. I felt bad for taking the fun out of it, but this was so we could get back to our usual daily lives tomorrow. She'd just have to bear with it.

"By the way, Tomoki apparently thinks these expressionless teru teru bozu are cute. He says he likes their silhouettes and how nice and round they are."

"──Ah... Hmm, I see. Yeah, I guess they are pretty cute!"

At Keiichi's casual remark, Saejima turned a knowing grin on me. Keiichi did the same, of course. These guys... they definitely knew I was comparing Kohinata to the teru teru bozu when they said that. He absolutely said "expressionless" on purpose!

With the air around us practically turning pink, Kohinata silently stared at the teru teru bozu she'd made. Judging by the way she was pouting with a pen in one hand, she was probably unhappy that she couldn't draw a face on it.

"I think yours turned out cute too, Kohinata."

I called out to Kohinata to escape Keiichi and Saejima's teasing, and she glanced at me before deliberately turning her face and gaze up and away. It was so exaggerated that it was actually cute.

She must have been incredibly embarrassed about rubbing her head against a classmate like that. But I'd been embarrassed too, so she didn't have to avoid me so blatantly.

It'll probably go back to normal with time, I thought, fondly watching the back of her head, when Saejima teased, "If you keep acting so aloof, Sugino-kun is going to hate you~."

At that, Kohinata gave a small twitch without turning around.

Then she timidly glanced back at me, only to snap right back to her original position the instant our eyes met. There was no way I'd hate Kohinata over something like this... but, well, it was kind of cute, so maybe I'd watch her for a little longer.

As I watched Kohinata fidget, Keiichi, looking oddly satisfied, muttered, "It really is spring."

"It's already late April, you know? Of course it's spring."

I knew what Keiichi meant, but I deliberately played dumb.

Because the feelings we had for each other weren't those of a boy and girl our age, but something closer to a father-and-daughter relationship. I wanted Kohinata to be happy, and she was trying to fill the hole left in her heart two years ago.

It was probably only because I was a classmate her own age that she felt embarrassed about it.

"I'll be sad if you keep treating me so coldly, you know."

Saying that, I rested my hand on Kohinata's head. If I thought of her as a little kid instead of a classmate, I could just about manage it. It was still more than embarrassing enough, though, and if she brushed my hand away, I'd probably be depressed for days.

But my fears proved unfounded. Still facing away from me, Kohinata straightened her back and moved her head toward my hand as if asking to be petted.

After I stroked her head for a while, Kohinata turned around to face me. But perhaps she was still embarrassed, because she kept her head down and refused to meet my eyes.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Since she'd turned toward me, I tried asking, but she gave no response.

She simply stared intently at my chest, fidgeting restlessly.

Eventually, as though she couldn't hold back any longer, Kohinata dove into my chest──or rather, headbutted it.

As I watched Kohinata desperately rub her head against my chest, one utterly trivial thought crossed my mind: I guess I can see why a group like the KCC exists.

Translator's Notes

¹ Teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主): A traditional handmade doll made of white paper or cloth and hung in a window to wish for sunny weather.

Silent Kohinata: Volume 1 Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Spoiled Child Headbutts

[Illustration: m007.jpg]

The day after I spent time alone with Kohinata.

Unusually, Saejima came to the Class 2-C classroom together with Kohinata first thing in the morning.

Saejima briefly exchanged greetings with her classmates, then marched straight toward the back of the classroom where Keiichi and I were. Her expression was so transparent it might as well have had 'Curiosity' written across her face.

Kohinata, who was trailing closely behind Saejima while being greeted by our classmates, was a bit flustered. Our classmates looked back and forth between me and Kohinata, then directed warm gazes our way.

Hey! You guys over there! Wipe those 'getting awfully lovey-dovey first thing in the morning' looks off your faces right now! I'll make you treat me to the special lunch set!

"Good morning, Sugino-kun, Karakusa-kun. ──So, when I asked Asuka, she said nothing happened, but judging from her reaction, that's definitely not true, right! What actually happened!? Ah, of course, if it's something you don't want to talk about, you don't have to say anything!"

Saejima spoke in a hushed voice so no one around us could hear.

As I was getting fed up with her intense rapid-fire questioning, a hand suddenly came down between Saejima and me from above. It was Keiichi's.

"Alright, stop. I understand how you feel, but calm down a bit, Saejima. Even though Tomoki is gradually improving, it doesn't change the fact that he's still bad with girls."

"Ah! I'm sorry, Sugino-kun!"

Saejima pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and apologized. Kohinata gave her a light smack on the back too.

"There's no need to apologize... but well, it would help if you didn't talk all at once."

When I answered with a wry smile, she placed a hand on her chest in relief.

"──So, Tomoki-kun. You told your best friend, 'We just played games and watched a movie.' Care to explain yourself?"

The good-guy act he'd put on to protect his friend a moment ago vanished completely. Keiichi was grinning now, his whole expression dedicated to teasing me.

Give me a break... I understood why people got curious about anything that smelled like romance, but it was a lot harder to sympathize when I was the one being interrogated.

I glanced at Kohinata. The moment she looked at me, she started shaking her head furiously from side to side. She was going at it so hard and so many times that I was starting to worry she'd make herself dizzy.

There was no mistaking what she meant: don't tell them about the time she fell sound asleep on my lap. Was her face red from all that head-shaking, or from embarrassment...? Either way, even if Kohinata hadn't objected, I had no intention of spreading the story around. It was painfully obvious we'd both get teased over it.

"Nothing happened. Right, Kohinata?"

As I answered Keiichi and tossed the question over to Kohinata, she nodded about twice as vigorously as usual. I was just as involved in this as she was, but seeing how desperately she tried to back me up, I couldn't help thinking she was cute.

"...Well, looking at Kohinata, it's safe to say that something definitely happened. Let's continue this during lunch break."

"Yeah. Maybe it's just hard to talk about in the classroom."

Keiichi and Saejima nodded to each other and carried on as if the matter were settled. I tried telling them again that nothing had happened, but they brushed me off with a dismissive "Sure, sure." It was apparently obvious that we were hiding something. If our positions were reversed, I probably would've been convinced something had happened too.

I watched Saejima head back to her classroom while Keiichi saw her off, then quietly sighed.

"...Good grief. Kohinata, aren't you way too bad at hiding things?"

Her expression alone might have been hard to read, but her body language was far too obvious.

Come to think of it, hadn't Shizuka-san once said that even though Kohinata used to be quiet, her emotions were easy to read? Did that mean she'd always been terrible at hiding things too?

Kohinata responded by lightly smacking my shoulder in protest. If I squinted, I could almost call that expression a pout.

"Well, maybe that's just like you, Kohinata."

For the time being, I settled on that convenient conclusion and brought the conversation to an end.

Why did I think being easy to read was 'just like her' when I'd originally seen Kohinata as quiet and expressionless...? I had no idea. Maybe the image of her in my head simply hadn't settled into one fixed shape yet.

My impression of Kohinata kept changing. Even so, there was one thing I was sure would never change, even if she regained more of her expressions and became more openly emotional.

"………………"

Maybe my words embarrassed her. Kohinata lowered her gaze and fidgeted with the hem of her uniform, then moved one foot just enough to tap lightly against my indoor shoe.

Each little thing she did felt slightly out of step with what you'd expect from an ordinary high schooler, but I didn't mind it at all.

Kohinata was cute──that, at least, was surely an unchanging fact.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Lunch break arrived, and we gathered in the courtyard as usual.

There had been a few incidents on the way over, like classmates teasing me about Kohinata, but we weren't dating, and nobody knew she'd been to my house. At most, all they could talk about were our matching straps.

I thought I'd be bombarded with questions from Keiichi and the others during lunch, but...

"It's clearly weird."

The sheer number of gazes coming from around us felt wrong. I'd tried not to pay attention, but there were far too many to ignore.

They weren't the warm, teasing looks my classmates gave us, nor did they feel like simple curiosity from students in other classes. None of the people watching us were smiling. For some reason, they all looked deadly serious, and whenever I looked back, they immediately averted their eyes.

"It's not me or Saejima. I can't tell about Kohinata, but you're definitely the one they're watching, Tomoki. And those are third-years, you know? Girls, every last one of them."

According to Keiichi, the people watching me were third-year girls. Even he apparently found the situation strange enough that he didn't try to drag yesterday's topic back up.

If not for everything that had happened in the past, maybe I could've gotten carried away and thought, "Has my popular phase finally arrived!?" Unfortunately, reality wasn't that kind. I'd only just been called out by a group of girls recently.

"What a pain... Did a rumor spread from somewhere again?"

I'd heard that Keiichi and Saejima had been correcting the false rumors about me, but only among the second-years. Naturally, that didn't cover the other grades.

"We can only pray that you don't get called out like last time... You really can't ignore third-year seniors, after all."

How much easier would this have been if those upperclassmen were guys instead of girls? Did I really need to go get an exorcism? Or was it time to seriously reevaluate the way I lived?

"If that happens, we'll go with you!"

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea too. I mean, it's not like it's been decided that it'll come to that yet, though."

Keiichi said that cheerfully, but I couldn't convince myself this would end so neatly. There were way too many of them, and more than anything, some sixth-sense-like part of me kept insisting something was up.

I swept my gaze around us one more time, grimaced at just how many eyes were still pointed our way, and let out a huge sigh.

Then, I spoke to Kohinata, who was looking at my face with an anxious expression.

"...Well, don't worry about it, Kohinata."

However, in response to my words, she neither nodded nor shook her head.

I returned home, finished taking a bath, ate a meal, and recalled today's events.

More than ten hours had passed since lunch, yet the only thing that kept resurfacing in my mind was the sheer number of gazes I'd felt in the courtyard. Plenty of people had looked at us when the four of us walked home before, but this time almost every stare had been aimed at me. I couldn't treat the two situations as the same.

While I was walking home with Keiichi, while I was eating after getting home, and while I was in the bath—that was all I could think about.

Lying face up on my bed, I let out a big, long sigh.

"What should I do..."

I'd finally made peace with the girls from Class E and become friends with Kohinata and Saejima. The latter especially was progress that would've seemed impossible if I compared myself to who I'd been in middle school.

And right on the heels of that, this happens.

Those stares were probably connected to my bad reputation. They could've been jealousy over me hanging around Kohinata, but the people watching me had seemed almost entirely female. If jealousy were the reason, there should've been just as many guys staring too.

So according to my theory, they were the same type as the Class E girls who'd called me out before──people trying to protect Kohinata from me.

"Good things really don't last forever. I don't need that kind of balance adjustment."

Not addressing anyone in particular, I muttered toward the ceiling.

I mean, if the world really had some kind of balancing system, then after how suffocating middle school had been, I deserved to spend at least a little of high school being happy. Was that really asking too much?

"If I want to avoid trouble, I should run away, shouldn't I. I don't want a repeat of elementary school, and I don't want to cause trouble for Kohinata and the others."

I thought of several ways to deal with the rapidly increasing gazes from the upperclassmen.

First, completely ignore them.

The upside was that I could keep living my school life freely without changing anything. The downside was having to endure all those inexplicable stares, along with the chance that ugly rumors might spread about the three people who hung around with someone like me. On top of that, I had to consider the possibility that the other side might resort to something more forceful.

Second, charge straight at the owners of the gazes.

It was a rough plan, but definitely the most straightforward. If those stares were about my bad reputation, clearing up the misunderstanding might solve everything quickly. Unfortunately, with almost all of them being girls, my condition made that option pretty brutal. I'd need a barf bag just to attempt it.

So both options carried risks, which made either one hard to choose.

For that reason, I decided to proceed with a third compromise plan.

The day after I was exposed to the massive amount of gazes—Wednesday.

"I get how you feel, but you really don't have to worry that much about us. Hell, Tomoki, you can stay put and I'll go confront them for you if you want."

Keiichi and I had come to the school cafeteria for the first time in ages.

Lately I'd only been in the cafeteria for cleaning duty, so it had been a long time since I'd actually eaten lunch there. A decent number of students from every grade filled the room with chatter as they ate.

"It's fine. This is a good chance to cash in one of those special lunch sets you owe me. Besides... I hate the idea of someone getting hurt because of me."

"Don't you think this action is actually hurting a certain someone?"

Keiichi gave an exasperated shrug. I knew that without him telling me.

Especially Kohinata. When I told her, "Let's stop hanging out and eating lunch together for a while," she'd looked incredibly sad. She seemed attached to me, so of course being told we should keep our distance wouldn't feel good.

I'd rather keep spending time together like normal too.

But if doing that ended with Kohinata or the others getting hurt, I couldn't stand it.

"It's not like we're going to act separately forever. Let's see how the other party changes because of this, and figure out our next move. If possible, I want to do something about this before Golden Week."

It was April 27th.

Golden Week was right around the corner, beginning with Showa Day on the 29th and running through Children's Day on May 5th.

Apparently my old man would be busy with work over the holidays, so I hoped I could hang out with Keiichi and the others again. If everyone's schedules lined up, I wanted Saejima and Kohinata there too.

It was also a busy season at work, so I planned to take a few shifts, but I was still going to give myself a few days off. I only got to be a second-year high schooler once. It'd be a waste not to enjoy it.

"Will we really get results that quickly? Before Golden Week means you'll have to do something about it today and tomorrow, right? It's not a proactive strategy, so won't it be pretty difficult?"

"That depends on the changes today. If nothing happens, I'll think of something else."

"If you're going to do something, at least talk to us first, okay? You look like the type to shoulder everything by yourself, Tomoki."

"Yes, yes. I'll rely on you."

With that, I looked around the cafeteria.

Maybe because we'd only just arrived, I couldn't feel any of those familiar stares on me yet. A few girls glanced our way from time to time, but their eyes were fixed on Keiichi.

Popular guys have it rough, I thought idly while keeping an eye on the room and continuing to eat, when...

"...Hm?"

A girl entered the cafeteria, looking around as though she were searching for someone. I didn't recognize her, and judging by the way she wore her uniform, she was probably a third-year. The instant she saw my face, her expression jolted in shock.

The third-year covered her mouth as if holding back a gasp. Her face went pale, and then she hurried straight back out of the cafeteria.

...No, I honestly have no idea what that means. Did I look like a ghost to her or something?

"What's wrong, Tomoki?"

Keiichi asked while quietly working through his cheap bowl of champon, but I understood the situation no better than he did. What was I supposed to tell him? That some girl had looked at my face, gone pale, and fled? It made no sense, which only made it sadder that it was true.

"No idea... I seriously don't know. But I guess something changed."

I answered haltingly, and Keiichi tilted his head.

So this was the change I was supposed to use to plan my next move──wait, what was I even supposed to do with this?

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

"I see... Yeah, this definitely counts as a change, just like you said."

Lunch break ended, and it was the break between the fifth and sixth periods.

Keiichi glanced toward the hallway and put a hand to his chin in thought. It was unfair how every little gesture he made looked cool. Couldn't he spare some of that for me?

"Those third-years who've been wandering around in front of our classroom for no reason are all student council officers. Even if you don't care about that stuff, you at least know the president's face, right, Tomoki?"

"At least that much, yeah. Though I don't know the vice president or secretary."

For some reason, a group of third-years kept pacing back and forth in front of Class 2-C. Among them was one face I recognized──the student council president. I'd never spoken to her, but I'd seen her election speech and still remembered her inauguration address. More recently, I'd seen her at the opening ceremony.

The current student council president was a beauty nine out of ten people would probably agree on, and she'd won the election by a landslide. I'd forgotten her name, though.

She seemed like the kind of person who normally drew looks of admiration and envy. Right now, however, almost everyone in Class 2-C was staring at her like she was the strange one. She was also catastrophically bad at sneaking glances. Why did her mouth turn toward us along with her eyes every single time?

As I watched the hallway, I remembered that the girls from Class 2-E had been called to the student council room for some reason. Then I noticed another familiar girl mixed in with the president's group.

"That girl who just passed by, I feel like she was in the lane next to us at the bowling alley."

"Seriously? ...Well, it's not like there are any other bowling alleys around here besides that one, so it's not exactly astronomical odds. That's gotta be a coincidence, right?"

"I guess... Maybe I'm just being too paranoid."

If that encounter had actually been arranged, then what they were doing was basically stalking. Whether the motive was hostility or goodwill, neither would make me feel any better. If they'd merely spotted us by chance at the bowling alley and taken the lane beside ours, I could probably let that slide.

"They're definitely interested in you and Kohinata, but they look seriously rattled. I don't get it."

Just as Keiichi said, every third-year acting strangely out there, including the student council president, looked flustered. I had no idea why. Judging by where they kept looking, though, it definitely had something to do with me and Kohinata.

Seeing how panicked they were, I was starting to think they might come talk to me before I ever had to approach them myself.

And that hunch came true almost immediately.

【Class 2-C, Sugino Tomoki-kun. Please come to the student council room after school. Repeating──Class 2-C, Sugino Tomoki-kun. Please come to the student council room after school.】

Sixth period ended, and it was time for cleaning.

The announcement summoning me echoed throughout the school.

The moment the announcement told me to report to the student council room, my classmates started murmuring and wondering what was going on.

Of course, I wasn't especially popular or the class mood-maker, so most people didn't seem to care. Well, I guess my bad reputation made me famous in a way. Sad.

A few guys openly rubbernecked and teasingly asked, "Did you do something?" But I didn't know the answer either, so all I could do was shrug and say, "Who knows."

Kohinata had been leaning out the window to beat the chalk erasers clean, but she stopped and stared straight at me. I'd have been happy if she was worried about me, though unfortunately I still couldn't really tell. Fundamentally, she was expressionless.

Naturally, a few girls were standing beside Kohinata as she cleaned the erasers, supporting her so she wouldn't lose her balance.

...Unlike me, she really is loved.

With me next to a girl like that, I wonder if people really do think I'm out of place.

Cleaning ended, right before the end-of-day homeroom.

Less than ten minutes later, my classmates had already lost interest in the announcement. The only ones still worrying over it were the people directly involved. If stress made me go bald, who exactly was I supposed to bill for damages?

"Maybe it's actually about something completely unrelated."

I rested my chin on the desk and muttered that wish while slouching. Ahh, I wanted to forget everything and play games.

"That's probably not it... They seemed to be looking at both you and her over there, after all."

By 'her over there,' Keiichi obviously meant Kohinata. So it really was going to be about her. I'd have felt a little better if this were only my problem, but I had a bad feeling somebody was about to start meddling in my relationships.

I rested my cheek on the desk, then turned to face Keiichi. He seemed to be in the middle of packing his textbooks into his bag, but I spoke to him regardless.

"The worst-case scenario is that they swallow the rumors whole and go, 'You villain! Stay away from Kohinata!' The other possibility is that they just hate seeing Kohinata and me together."

If it was the first one, I'd have to work to prove the rumors false. If it was the second, things would probably go a lot faster if Kohinata could tell them how she felt herself.

Honestly, I didn't care whether they were older than me or not──they had no business sticking their noses into someone else's relationships. And using the school PA system on top of that? Talk about abusing their authority.

"What did I even do...? Sigh."

As I started getting irritated, I noticed Keiichi looking behind me with a wry smile. I sat up and turned around to find the familiar expressionless girl standing there stock-still. The moment our eyes met, she started shaking her head furiously with what looked like an angry expression.

"Uh... you heard that?"

Kohinata nodded. When I'd explained my plan to her, I'd kept things vague and only said it was "because I felt like people were staring at me." Crap. I needed to explain myself somehow.

"What I just said was only one possibility──or really, it was just me imagining things, so don't worry about it, okay? You're popular with both guys and girls, Kohinata, so..."

I tried complimenting Kohinata with a perfectly factual statement, but the dark aura around her showed no sign of fading.

"Uh... right. They're the student council, so maybe they heard the bad rumors about me and wanted to check whether they're true. If there were some suspicious student around, they'd probably want to warn him, right?"

That guess conveniently ignored the fact that the student council members had also been watching Kohinata. Somehow, her dark aura only grew stronger.

I felt like a husband who'd just been caught cheating... Of course, I was a high school boy who'd been single his entire life, so I had absolutely no experience with anything like that.

"We won't know for sure until you go, so Kohinata, why don't you stay here with Saejima and me? If they accuse Tomoki of something he didn't do or say anything weird to him, we'll go complain to the student council together."

Keiichi threw me a lifeline. Hearing those words, Kohinata gave a large nod.

Did that count as settling things peacefully?

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Aside from Saejima charging in during homeroom demanding, "What's going on!?" we made it to after school without incident. I left the three of them waiting in the classroom with worried expressions and headed alone to the student council room on the first floor.

"Okay... this is making me nervous."

Apparently every member of the student council was a girl, and with my history around girls, every instinct in me wanted to turn around and leave. But if I wanted to start Golden Week with a clear head, I needed to settle this mess today.

After a few deep breaths, I knocked on the door marked 'Student Council Room.' When I called through it, "I'm Sugino, a second-year," a dignified voice answered, "Come in."

I timidly turned the knob and opened the door. Only two girls were inside. There were fewer people than I'd expected, and I quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

A window filled the wall directly opposite the entrance. In front of it stood a wooden work desk, where one girl sat in a president-like seat with her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Another girl stood by the whiteboard along the right wall.

The girl in the imposing seat had to be the student council president. I'd seen her a few times before.

The intellectual-looking girl with glasses on the right had also been pacing in front of Class 2-C earlier. Nine times out of ten, she was another student council member.

"Second-year Sugino, please have a seat first."

"Understood."

I did as the student council president instructed. I was still calm enough to think, She has a weird way of addressing people.

A long table was set up in the center of the room, and three folding chairs were lined up facing each other. I sat down in the middle chair on the left side.

"Let's start with introductions. I'm Ikaruga Iroha──I've been serving as student council president since the start of this school year."

Once I'd taken my seat, the student council president──President Ikaruga──spoke in a grave tone without changing her clasped-hands posture.

Long black hair, narrow eyes, refined features──her appearance was probably part of what made the atmosphere feel so heavy. To me, she looked so mature that it was hard to believe she was only a year older. Without the uniform, I could've easily believed she was a university student or even a working adult.

It felt like a high-pressure interview. Just hearing her introduce herself was enough to make me unconsciously straighten my posture.

I'd never thought much of her speeches during the student council election or school assemblies, but... was what she wanted to discuss really that serious? If so, was this actually about my bad reputation after all?

As my heartbeat pounded louder than usual and cold sweat ran down my cheek, President Ikaruga continued, "And──just like last year, I'm also serving this term as president of the KCC──the 'Kohinata-tan Chukichuki Club.'"

"…………Huh?"

I felt dizzy.

Setting aside the headache-inducing name 'Kohinata-tan Chukichuki Club' and banishing it to the far reaches of oblivion for a moment, the real problem was what the club actually did.

There was no need to infer anything from the name──it was exactly what it sounded like. These people obviously adored Kohinata. If anything, it wouldn't have surprised me if their affection for her was dangerous enough to cross into stalker territory.

And since I'd only recently started spending time with Kohinata, it wouldn't have been strange for people from a club with a name that ridiculous to resent me for it.

"...Are you seniors displeased because I've been hanging out with Kohinata recently?"

For a moment I thought the ridiculous club name might break the tension, but it didn't. President Ikaruga and the other student council officer were both completely serious.

And because I assumed they'd called me here to force me away from Kohinata, a hint of irritation crept into my voice.

My tone was confrontational enough that I expected some pushback, but to my surprise, President Ikaruga heard my guess, muttered bitterly, "Just as I thought," and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Looks like our hunch was right."

She sighed and looked toward the student council officer standing by the whiteboard. What hunch?

"Yes. It was right to approach him."

The female officer answered crisply, ignoring my baffled frown.

The student council officer standing ramrod-straight in front of the whiteboard was short, though nowhere near Kohinata's height. Her black hair reached her shoulders, and her bangs were pinned and swept to one side. She had an unmistakably serious air about her.

After replying to President Ikaruga, she turned her body toward me.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I'm Shiraki, the Student Council Vice President. A pleasure to meet you."

"Uh... nice to meet you too."

Even though I was thinking I'd rather not get to know her at all, I answered out of basic politeness.

Nodding at my reply, the Vice President──Shiraki-senpai──bowed her head to me with a polite demeanor.

Did this seemingly normal girl really belong to a crazy club like the KCC along with President Ikaruga...? Maybe she was only going along with the president because she had no choice?

"Sugino Tomoki-kun, we are aware that you have difficulty speaking with several girls at once. Naturally, we have also investigated the rumors about you and confirmed that they are all false."

Investigated...? These people had gone that far?

Was that because I was involved with Kohinata? Or simply because I was a student at Ousei High School? I had no idea.

"The reason only Vice President Shiraki and I are present is also out of consideration for you. As for why we called you here, I intend to let Vice President Shiraki explain it alone so that you can listen more comfortably. She ranks first in our year academically, after all. I'm sure she'll explain it more clearly than I could."

"You were also second in our grade on the previous test, weren't you, President?"

"There is a vast difference between first and second place, you know."

Heh heh heh. President Ikaruga laughed in amusement. There didn't seem to be even a trace of frustration on her face.

I couldn't care less about their test rankings, so I wished they'd just get to the point. Besides, being smart didn't automatically make someone good at explaining things.

As though she'd heard my thoughts, Shiraki-senpai cleared her throat and began with, "Well then."

"Sugino Tomoki-kun. Do you know the number of students who collapsed from anemia in April?"

"Huh? ...N-No, I don't."

The conversation veered so abruptly that an odd sound slipped out of me.

Me, Kohinata, and anemia──yeah, no matter how you look at it, they're unrelated.

"Including myself and the President──a total of thirty people. The number of visits to the infirmary easily exceeds a hundred."

All I could manage was a bewildered "Uh-huh" as Shiraki-senpai somehow delivered the numbers with pride. None of this made sense, and those numbers were absurdly high.

Was our school really packed with that many anemic people? What a bizarre concentration.

"Our angel──Kohinata-tan, who has now become a god, imparts a narcotic-like effect on our brains just by being in our field of vision for a single second."

[Illustration: p255.jpg]

Nope. This woman really was a member of the 'Kohinata-tan Chukichuki Club.' She wasn't some normal person reluctantly humoring the President. They were exactly the same breed.

"That amount of energy even surpasses the Big Bang that birthed the universe."

"Like hell it surpasses it! The Earth would be annihilated! You'd have universes being born all over the place!"

I forgot she was an upperclassman and fired back with a sharp retort.

Vice President Shiraki heard me perfectly well, but she didn't pause for even a second.

"Please rest assured, Sugino Tomoki-kun. We members of the KCC avoid disaster by venting that heat energy outside our bodies in the form of a 'nosebleed.'"

You couldn't exactly call collapsing from anemia avoiding disaster. And this woman was supposedly the top student in her year...? Was Ousei High School going to be okay? This was supposed to be a college-prep school.

After that, I was too dumbfounded to interrupt and could only listen blankly to Shiraki-senpai's explanation.

She was even using the whiteboard to explain things like "We are freed from the laws of physics" and "At that moment, I was unquestionably faster than light." What was I supposed to say to any of that?

Shiraki-senpai appeared completely serious, but I couldn't take any of it seriously. The whole thing was a gag. I'd come in here feeling like I was heading onto a battlefield, and now I just felt stupid.

"There were students who collapsed from anemia last year as well, but the number per month was about ten percent of this month's──in other words, it rapidly ballooned to ten times the amount in this past month. The cause of that is you, Sugino Tomoki-kun."

Shiraki-senpai suddenly said something alarming. Somehow I'd just been blamed for their anemia. Go eat some spinach yourselves.

"I haven't done anything, though."

When I answered with a sigh, Shiraki-senpai shook her head with a solemn look.

"Our angel──Kohinata-tan──became a god by spending time with a wonderful person like you. She used to be a silent angel, but when she's with you, Sugino Tomoki-kun, that precious way she acts──that shy little smack at your waist──excuse me, President, could you pass me a tissue?"

At Shiraki-senpai's request, President Ikaruga handed over the tissue box with an understanding nod. Shiraki-senpai took several tissues and stuffed them into both nostrils. She looked unbelievably ridiculous.

By the way, the President also eagerly started stuffing tissues into her nose.

"We in the KCC want to keep watching over that divine sight forever──in other words, Sugino Tomoki-kun, we do not want you to distance yourself from Kohinata-tan. Surely you understand why we called you here now?"

Shiraki-senpai's voice was muffled by the tissues in her nose. Ah, they were starting to turn red.

Setting her nosebleed aside, I finally understood. Because I hadn't eaten lunch with Kohinata today, the KCC had panicked over 'not being able to see cute Kohinata.' And apparently they understood that they themselves were the reason.

Shizuka-san had said the same thing, so hearing that I was having a positive effect on Kohinata made me genuinely happy. But seriously, KCC, you people were the whole reason this happened in the first place.

"If you're going to stare at us like you're monitoring us, of course we can't eat together. Why were you doing that?"

"Regarding that... we apologize. A discussion arose within the organization over 'how we could put ourselves in Sugino Tomoki-kun's position,' and that was the result. After this incident, however, reckless observation has been declared taboo, so please feel free to flirt in peace from now on. And for the record, our being at the bowling alley and family restaurant really was a coincidence, so please don't be angry."

"You were at the family restaurant too!? And we aren't trying to flirt in the first place!"

"We wish to climax when we are lucky enough to witness that sight."

"Could you stop putting it that way!? Even if it's a metaphor, pick a more decent one!"

"Excuse me? It is not a metaphor, though."

"It's too late! She might be beyond saving!"

Run, Kohinata! And I wanted out of this den of evil right now too!

Actually, couldn't I just leave now!? I could, right!? The conversation was over, wasn't it!?

While the President and Vice President were busy agreeing with each other──"That's normal, right?" "Perfectly normal."──I gripped the chair and slowly stood up.

I'd toss out a quick farewell and slip out before either of them could answer──that was the plan as I looked toward the entrance, just as the door clicked open.

I panicked, wondering if perhaps another student council officer had arrived, but...

"──Kohinata?"

The person who entered was the last person I'd expected.

Ignoring the three of us staring in shock, Kohinata trotted straight into the student council room as though none of us had any say in the matter.

For some reason, tears were pooled at the corners of her eyes, ready to spill. Her usual blank expression was gone; she was glaring openly and angrily at the President and the other officer.

~ Keiichi side ~

"Well then, I'm off. If I take too long to come back, don't worry about me and feel free to go on ahead."

Saying that in a light tone, Tomoki left the classroom.

The three of us answered in our own ways: I told him, "Don't you forget about us and go home without us, Tomoki," Saejima said, "Good luck!" and Kohinata shook her head to indicate 'I'm not leaving.'

At a glance, Tomoki looked perfectly calm, but I'd known him for years. I could tell he was putting on a brave face immediately. He was probably thinking something like, "I don't want them to worry," but it was obvious.

He was fine around Kohinata because she barely spoke, and Saejima knew how to be considerate, so she was probably manageable too. But an all-girls student council had to be rough on Tomoki.

Whether answering this summons would turn out well or badly... no matter how hard I thought about it, there was no way for me to know.

About twenty minutes had passed since Tomoki left the classroom.

I let out a sigh while gazing at the time displayed on my smartphone.

"...He's late."

A few classmates were still scattered around the room, but most had already gone to club activities or headed home. Through the windows came the voices of students throwing themselves into practice outside.

"But really, I wonder why the student council called Sugino-kun out."

Saejima said it with the troubled look of someone facing an impossible problem. Like I knew either. Kohinata was the most likely reason, but whether this had anything to do with Tomoki's rumors was impossible to tell.

"Shall we go check on him soon?"

A fair amount of time had passed, and I couldn't calm down staying in the classroom, so I suggested that to the two girls.

The routes from this second-floor classroom to the first-floor student council room are limited, so it's highly unlikely we'd pass each other without noticing.

"…………(Nod, nod)"

Kohinata, who had been staring at the floor the entire time, finally lifted her head and nodded. She was expressionless as ever, but there was a gloomier air around her than usual. She had to be worried about Tomoki too.

In this past month──a major change occurred in Tomoki's relationships with women.

And just as that month had changed Tomoki's relationships with girls, it must have changed Kohinata's relationships just as much. Of course, the person at the center of that change was my best friend.

"Yeah, let's go! If the student council people are bullying Sugino-kun, we have to save him!"

Saejima clenched her fists and spoke of justice.

The blade of justice swung in good faith could certainly be terrifying, but as long as I kept a firm grip on Saejima's reins, it shouldn't become a problem. My best friend would be in trouble if her rapid-fire talking went out of control.

I have to properly repay the debt I owe Tomoki, who stood up to save us when we were weak back then.

And if Tomoki ever got over his weakness around girls enough to have a normal romance, then maybe someday I could──

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

With Kohinata in between us, the three of us lined up and headed for the student council room.

Perhaps because everyone, including me, was nervous, there was no conversation. Though one person just doesn't talk to begin with.

When we got close, Saejima seemed to have reached the limit of her nervousness, and she spoke in an anxious voice.

"If it was a misunderstanding about the rumors, we can just cooperate and explain. If they say they don't like him hanging out with Asuka, then we'll fight the student council too. I don't care if upperclassmen hate us."

Saejima paused her story there, caught her breath, and turned this way.

"But what if... just what if? What if the student council tells Sugino-kun something like, 'If you stay with Asuka, you'll only cause trouble for her'? Wouldn't he back off? You know how kind Sugino-kun is, and how much he worries about causing us trouble..."

Her voice gradually became smaller, and towards the end, it was practically a whisper.

I understood what she meant, and of course I'd considered that possibility too. The student council president and vice president were rumored to be top students, and if they were clever, they might think of steering him that way. Then again, academic ability and that kind of cunning weren't necessarily the same thing.

"Ah... That's not the kind of speculation you should voice so lightly."

But the reason I hadn't spoken of that possibility was that it seemed like it would deal massive damage to a certain someone present here.

Exactly as I'd expected, Kohinata stopped walking toward the student council room and lowered her head. Her small hands clenched the fabric of her skirt. Some emotion inside her must have grown too strong to hold back.

The moment Saejima noticed, she rushed to Kohinata's side. She bent down to meet her eyes and said, "I-It's okay!" in a trembling voice that wasn't reassuring in the slightest. What was she doing?

"I'm sure Sugino-kun was called out for a completely different matter! When we get close to the student council room, we might surprisingly hear laughter, you know?"

Taking Kohinata's hands, Saejima spoke to her in a cheerful voice.

With an all-girls student council, hearing Tomoki laugh in there seemed pretty unlikely. Still, Kohinata gave a tiny nod without lifting her eyes from the floor, so maybe Saejima's reassurance had worked.

But in hindsight, it was a complete disaster.

"────! ──────!"

Because just as we got within a few steps of the student council room, Tomoki's shout rang out from beyond the door. I couldn't make out the words, but it definitely wasn't laughter.

Tomoki got about that loud when he really committed to a retort, but considering he was dealing with upperclassmen on the student council, that possibility seemed almost nonexistent. The image of him arguing with girls back in elementary school flashed through my mind.

At Tomoki's sudden loud voice, Saejima and I unconsciously stopped in our tracks.

But the one walking between us, almost as though Saejima and I were guarding her, reacted differently.

Far from stopping, she accelerated her steps forward, heading straight for the student council room door. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

It was Kohinata──the person I'd thought was the weakest of us and the least emotionally expressive.

"──A-Asuka!?"

"Kohinata!?"

Our voices probably didn't reach her at all. Even if they did, she might not have had room to think about anything else. Maybe she simply had no intention of stopping.

Because Kohinata's mind was probably completely filled with thoughts of my best friend right now.

~ Tomoki side ~

"──Kohinata?"

Kohinata, who had suddenly barged into the student council room, clenched her small fists as though holding back tears on the verge of spilling. Her sharp glare was fixed on the two student council members.

As for the two perverts being glared at by the goddess they worshipped, they were flustered to an almost pitiful degree. Their eyes darted all over the room, and their bodies kept making pointless, suspicious little movements.

And yet, every so often, their faces melted into blissful grins. Absolutely perverted.

They were probably happy to be able to see Kohinata up close, but you guys are currently being glared at, you know.

"…………Hay fever?"

Saejima, who entered the room after her, looked at the two student council members and tilted her head. Both of them had tissues stuffed in their noses, so it's a natural reaction.

But I want you to look closely, those tissues weren't originally red, you know.

Keiichi apparently couldn't make sense of the situation and could only stare at the room with a strained expression. Hard to blame him when the student council president and vice president were standing there looking like complete idiots.

Or rather, to think the three of them would charge into the student council room... Well, I guess it's fine. I was just thinking of taking my leave soon anyway. You could say it was the best timing.

I lightly patted Kohinata's shoulder. For some reason she was teary-eyed and glaring at the two student council members, so I lowered my voice and spoke so only she could hear.

"Kohinata, it's best if you don't get involved any further. It will only be a bad influence."

Kohinata shouldn't have to know a dangerous group like the 'Kohinata-tan Chukichuki Club' even existed. This den of evil──the student council room──should be the last place she ever came into contact with them.

Vice President Shiraki also said earlier that they would avoid careless contact, so as long as we don't get involved with them, it shouldn't become a problem. It's still fine since the other party is female, but one wrong step and they're no different from stalkers.

Be that as it may, it's better to be cautious.

I'll tell Keiichi and Saejima the truth later, and we'll stop these idiots ourselves.

I spoke those words to Kohinata while thinking such things, but for some reason, she vigorously turned this way and began shedding large drops of tears.

Her expression was barely different from usual, yet the sadness in it was unmistakable. She bit her lower lip and stared straight into my eyes as if desperately trying to tell me something.

"W-What's wrong, Kohinata!? Why are you crying!?"

Looking back on it later, I think the words I said to her at this time were missing the most crucial part.

I'd only told her she was better off not getting involved with the KCC──'the student council.' I hadn't told her not to get involved with 'me.' Apparently, though, that was how she'd heard it.

Unable to realize that fact in this agitated situation, I could only look around restlessly, seeking help.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!? The two student council members were frozen there with blood dripping from the tissues in their noses, and Saejima and Keiichi were just as panicked as I was! There wasn't a single person here who looked capable of helping me!

I had to fix this myself. With that thought, I looked back at Kohinata standing right in front of me... looked at her, and──?

"Eh?"

For some reason, the back of her head was suddenly moving toward me. Her pale, silky hair──smooth enough to make me want to run my fingers through it──filled my vision.

Then something bumped lightly against my chest. Bop. It didn't hurt or even sting; the impact was just enough to make me feel Kohinata's weight against me.

...Huh? What was this? A headbutt?

Ignoring my bewilderment, Kohinata began rubbing her head against my chest, keeping it pressed there. It was like a cat rubbing its scent on something, a movement even more like a small animal than usual.

Wait, why was I calmly studying the back of my classmate's head!?

"U-Umm, Kohinata-san? What might you be doing?"

I asked Kohinata, who was still rubbing her head against me.

From where I stood, all I could see was the back of her head, so I had no idea what expression she was making. But remembering the tears she'd been holding back only moments ago, I couldn't bring myself to stop her.

Still, what was this supposed to mean? What exactly was Kohinata trying to do?

While I was still flustered by all those questions, Saejima let out a delighted "Wow" that sounded completely out of place and continued, "That's something Asuka used to do to her papa all the time!"

She used to do that to her papa all the time──was that what Shizuka-san had told me about before? I vaguely remembered one of those stories about how clingy Kohinata used to be.

So that meant she was being clingy with me right now... but why?

I was still tilting my head at the sight of Kohinata rubbing her head against my chest when Keiichi came closer.

"It's a completely chaotic situation, but what exactly happened? What business did the student council people have with you, Tomoki?"

Keiichi asked me with a slightly bewildered expression.

Business──business, huh...

To put it bluntly, the student council──the KCC──had called me here to ask me 'to keep spending time with Kohinata.' But I had no intention of doing it because they wanted me to.

As I told Shizuka-san, I want to become good friends with Kohinata not because someone asked me to, but of my own volition.

"Simply put, it was an apology from them. They were sorry for directing weird gazes at us. They said it was heartwarming to see us getting along so well."

I couldn't tell the whole truth with Kohinata standing there, so I explained it to Keiichi while mixing in a convenient lie. He answered, "Well, that's good," though his expression said he wasn't completely convinced. I'd have to tell him the truth later.

As for Kohinata, who had been rubbing her head against my chest, she raised her face vigorously after hearing my words. Because she was looking down, I almost took a headbutt to the chin, but I successfully dodged at the last second. That was close.

Kohinata looked up at me with red-rimmed, tearful eyes. Her expression practically said, "Really?" Maybe Kohinata had awakened psychic powers in me. Extremely limited psychic powers, but still.

"It's true. Starting tomorrow, we'll eat lunch in the courtyard again. Want to make some teru teru bozu together so it'll be sunny?"

When I said that half-jokingly, Kohinata vigorously nodded her head up and down over and over again.

I felt like I understood why Takada had worked so hard making teru teru bozu for his little sister. If she hugged him here while saying 'I love you,' of course he'd fall for it. Even if Kohinata ever said those words to me, though, her 'love' would probably be affection rather than romance.

"Alright, then let's make a lot of them."

"…………(Nod, nod!)"

With an energetic nod, Kohinata gave my chest another bop with her head and started rubbing against me again.

As if to fill the gaping hole in her heart, as if to make up for lost time,

──Rubbing and rubbing.

Kohinata kept rubbing her head against my chest for a while. Eventually, perhaps because she'd calmed down, the movement quietly came to a stop.

"…………Kohinata?"

Stopping was one thing, but perhaps because she didn't want me to see her face, Kohinata stayed almost completely pressed against my chest. The tip of her nose was still touching me, in fact.

[Illustration: p273.jpg]

If she wanted to hide her face, she could just cover it with her hands or turn around... Ah, I guess turning around is no good since Keiichi and the others are behind her.

From the outside, the distance between us probably looked like we were hugging──but both of us were simply standing there stiffly. Neither of us had our arms around the other, and the only points of contact were Kohinata's nose against my chest and the faint brush of our uniforms.

One step backward would have ended the situation immediately, but if Kohinata was content like this, I figured there was no harm in staying put a little longer.

I feel like my heart rate is nearing its limit from embarrassment and nervousness, but let's try to hold out a little longer. I don't feel a single shred of disgust, after all.

"Are you two free today? If you are, come hang out at my place. We can make some teru teru bozu while we're at it."

I asked Keiichi and Saejima with a wry smile. It was probably an unusual invitation coming from a high school sophomore, but both of them agreed without hesitation. Saejima even got excited and said, "Let's buy materials on the way home!" Weren't tissues and string enough?

"So that's how it is, I'm heading home."

I turned toward the two student council members. Kohinata, meanwhile, shuffled along with me to preserve her nose-poke position. Cute.

Before I knew it, President Ikaruga had returned to the same pose she'd been in when I first entered the room, arms folded with one hand hiding her mouth and a sharp look on her face. She gave me a magnanimous nod, then looked to Shiraki-senpai.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Vice President Shiraki. I'll go¹ first."

After saying that, the student council president──no, the KCC President collapsed face-down on the desk like a robot that had lost its power source.

Blood was currently trickling across the desk like a murder scene, leaving me unsure whether to panic or just be exasperated. She'd probably only gotten another nosebleed from being overwhelmed by Kohinata's cuteness anyway.

"Leave it to me, President... Well then, Sugino Tomoki-kun. The rest is up to you. I'll go too."

With that, Vice President Shiraki collapsed to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.

"You haven't handled anything at all! You massive perverts really are beyond saving!"

This school's student council was seriously rotten!

Translator's Notes

¹ “Go” (イく / イきます, iku / ikimasu): Both forms are written in katakana, creating a sexual double entendre with “come/climax.”

Silent Kohinata: Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Father or a Lover?

[Illustration: m006.jpg]

Monday, before morning homeroom.

"Hey, did you give the other cat to Kohinata?"

Keiichi said that while looking at the school bag hanging from the side of my desk. Nine times out of ten, he was looking at the calico cat strap. I wasn't trying to show it off, but I wasn't hiding it either, so I'd expected someone to notice eventually.

I don't usually put any accessories on my bag in the first place, so even Keiichi probably found it strange just seeing something hanging from it.

Now that I'd actually attached it, it was easier to pick out my own bag, so it wasn't bad. I had no idea what other people would think when they saw it, but generally speaking, other people pay only about a tenth as much attention to us as we think they do. There was probably no point worrying about it too much.

But damn it, Keiichi. If he'd just been smirking at a time like this, I could've brushed him off. Why the hell did he look genuinely impressed? How was I supposed to react to that?

"Not bad, Tomoki. Just a little while ago, you couldn't even talk to girls properly, and now you're giving them presents."

"Don't tell me you... were watching from somewhere?"

"Hmm? I watched you playing the crane game from the shadows, but I didn't see you actually give it to her. Judging by that reaction, though, I nailed it, right? You were leaning forward and totally focused, and you're not the type to want something like that for yourself."

"Keiichi, you're definitely a fan of mine, aren't you?"

"Well, I might have that side to me."

"That's where you're supposed to deny it! That's embarrassing!"

What if someone hears you and more weird rumors start!? What if they make a doujinshi about us!? You really think there's demand for that!?

Keiichi brushed off my rather loud outburst with a carefree "Hahaha." The thoughtless ease of his laughter made me sigh.

"Haa... Just for the record, I was planning to give both of them to Kohinata. She just said she didn't need two."

It's not particularly rare for guys to attach keychains or straps, but when I do it myself, it feels strange for some reason.

Thanks to that, on my way to school I felt like I was getting strange looks not only from people in my own grade, where rumors about me extorting people and the like had spread, but from other grades too. I knew there was no reason to care, but I still couldn't help noticing.

"Ah, I see. And since it's a waste to throw away the extra one, you attached it yourself—is that it? But that's the strange part. Tomoki would definitely be too embarrassed to say something like, 'I want matching ones with Kohinata'... I feel like if Kohinata didn't take it, you would have just given it to someone else."

"Shut up. I've got my reasons."

If I told him I'd put it on because Kohinata asked me to, Keiichi might get the wrong idea about how she felt. That probably wouldn't be good for Kohinata.

"Anyway, we're not talking about this anymore."

Maybe because I made it clear I was ending the conversation, Keiichi didn't press any further. He only gave a simple "Hmm" while looking at my face. I could tell he was thinking about something, but asking would probably just make me dig my own grave, so I decided to leave it there.

Kohinata should be here soon. As I idly watched my classmates stream into the room, someone noticeably smaller than everyone around her finally entered the classroom.

As usual, boys and girls all around Kohinata greeted her with "Morning" as she pattered toward her seat. She really was popular.

On the school bag slung over her shoulder, in addition to the rabbit strap she originally had, the black cat I gave her yesterday was dangling alongside it.

I'd wondered what I'd do if I were the only one who put mine on... but apparently I'd worried for nothing.

As I watched Kohinata with a sense of relief, she looked at me too. Then, keeping her eyes on me, she passed by her seat, broke into a slight jog, and came pattering over to us. It was somehow heartwarming, like watching a puppy.

"Morning, Kohinata."

When I greeted her, Keiichi followed with a "Morning." She nodded twice.

Then she turned sideways and held out her school bag as if showing it off to me. If she had a speech bubble, it would probably read, "I put it on!"

"Haha, I'm glad you liked it."

Kohinata nodded over and over, even more vigorously than usual.

Then she stepped forward and leaned in. Apparently, she was looking at my school bag.

"I put mine on too. Look."

Since the cat happened to be hanging where Kohinata couldn't see it, I flicked it with a finger to show her the calico.

She crouched down right there and started poking the calico cat on my bag, then brought her own bag closer so the two cats could touch. I couldn't say I didn't understand the impulse, but if someone asked whether this was normal high school behavior, I'd have trouble answering.

With me, Keiichi, and some of our classmates watching, Kohinata spent a while letting the two cats "communicate," then let out a satisfied fusuu through her nose.

Then Kohinata stood up and stared straight at my face. For some reason, she gave my shoulder a tiny tsun with her index finger before returning to her seat.

...Huh? What was that just now?

"………………"

[Illustration: p201.jpg]

"………………"

Keiichi and I watched her small back retreat in silence. No, we'd both completely frozen. Even the classroom felt quieter than usual.

I had no idea what Keiichi was thinking, but I was desperately trying to figure out what Kohinata's 'shoulder poke' on her way out had meant. Maybe because my heart rate had shot up, I couldn't think straight.

I needed to reset for a second.

With that in mind, I turned to my friend in the next seat to talk about something else, only to find Keiichi staring at me dead seriously. His expression was unusually solemn, and there was some strange pressure in his gaze that kept me from speaking.

Then Keiichi closed his eyes, gave a slow, magnanimous nod, and muttered, "You look like a couple who just started dating."

My shout of "We're not!" echoed through the classroom that morning.

I had ended up getting a shoulder poke from Kohinata, the school's beloved darling, right there in the morning classroom.

If nobody else had been around, I wouldn't have had to say "ended up," but there had been a few witnesses besides Keiichi, so that wording was unavoidable.

And as the saying goes, you can't stop people from talking. In no time, word had spread through the class that Kohinata and I were pretty close.

I'd been afraid that once the class found out I was close to Kohinata, people would resent me for it, but their reactions were nothing like I'd expected.

'Wait, are Sugino and Kohinata dating?!'

'Now that you mention it, they've been eating lunch together lately. Well, if it's Sugino, I'm not worried.'

'Wait, they have matching straps! Whoa, that's so nice.'

'Not bad for a guy who's terrible with girls, Sugino. Congrats! Invite us to the wedding!'

'Damn it... I'm jealous of guys with girlfriends... That's it! I'm going to pick up girls!'

And so on. They were making some pretty wild assumptions, but not one classmate said anything negative.

I did make sure to deny it, saying, "It's not like that," but I wondered how many of those smirking classmates had actually believed me... I'd be happy if even half of them understood.

"I have no idea how to react to looks like these..."

After being thoroughly toyed with by my classmates, I laid my cheek on my desk and grumbled.

If they were the usual curious or disgusted looks, I could've just sighed and ignored them.

"Now, now. It's way better than being hated, right?"

"I just wish people wouldn't look at me at all."

"Not happening. Give up on that."

Keiichi laughed, hahaha, and slapped me on the back. Coming from a guy who got featured in magazines, that carried a lot of weight. Guess giving up really was my only option.

For her part, Kohinata was surrounded by squealing girls and trembling in her seat.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Lunch break.

I had some reservations, but in the end, the four of us ate lunch in the courtyard just like usual.

If we suddenly stopped eating together now, it'd look like we were letting the rumors get to us, so acting normally was best.

"See? I told you you were worrying too much, Tomoki."

As soon as we sat down on the picnic sheet Saejima had spread out, Keiichi said that. He might've been right. Maybe I'd been treating Kohinata a little too much like a special case.

The rumor that Kohinata and I might be a couple had apparently spread in no time, but while I was getting more warm, favorable looks, I hardly noticed any disgust.

As popular as Kohinata was, it wasn't as if she had an actual fan club or anything... Maybe because I was so used to being disliked, she had seemed even more dazzling to me.

"Well... aside from people getting the wrong idea, there weren't any problems."

I shot Kohinata a flat look as I said it.

When our eyes met, she huffily looked away toward the upper corner. For some reason, she'd been avoiding my gaze ever since what happened that morning.

If I judged by her gestures alone, I'd say Kohinata was in a bad mood, but her red ears completely gave her away. She even seemed to be puffing her cheeks slightly, as though she were sulking.

"Kohinata, you said 'it was fine' yesterday. If you're giving up, I'll take the strap off."

At that, Kohinata whipped around in a panic and shook her head furiously. So taking it off was definitely a no-go. Then what had been the point of acting so cold until now? Was she just trying to hide her embarrassment?

Saejima watched our trivial exchange with her arms crossed. Then she nodded along with a cheerful "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm" and smiled happily.

"Rumors and facts are two different things, so let's just ignore what everyone else thinks! Though I guess there's always a chance the rumor could become true~"

She capped that off with an ihihi laugh that, even being generous, couldn't be called pretty. It was the laugh of a veteran who could blend right into a circle of gossiping aunties.

"Come on, Saejima, not you too—"

Just as I was about to complain to Saejima in exasperation, I noticed my phone vibrating in my chest pocket. A chat notification only buzzed once, but right now the vibration just kept going.

"A call? Who could it be?"

I paused the conversation and checked my phone.

The name on the screen was 'Kohinata Shizuka'. It was Kohinata's older sister.

"For some reason, your sister's calling me. I'll answer."

When I told Kohinata, she tilted her head with a puzzled expression. Keiichi and Saejima were looking at me curiously too. I had no idea what this was about, but I didn't want to keep her waiting, so I tapped the 'Answer' button. What could she want?

"……Hello?"

【Oh! Long time no see, Tomoki-kun~. It's lunch break right now, right? Can you talk?】

"It's been a while. If you're calling me, is it something urgent?"

【Urgent, super urgent! —Oh, by the way, sounds like you had fun on Sunday. Asuka was so cheerful yesterday that even her big sister was surprised! Did you two kiss?】

"Like hell we'd do that, you id—w-we didn't do anything. S-so what was the urgent business!?"

That was close. I almost forgot she was older than me and insulted her.

【Tomoki-kun, you don't work on weekdays, so you're usually free, right?】

"Huh? Yes."

【All right! Hey, if you don't mind, could you take Asuka to your place like last time? My boyfriend wants to come over today, so could I ask you to look after Asuka until around nine? Please? I'm begging you!】

Ah... I see. So that's what this was about. She wanted some time alone with her boyfriend and would feel awkward with her little sister in the house.

The last time we hung out, we hadn't had much time and had only managed to play Life Maze. If the four of us played games together, the time would fly anyway. Judging from last time, we probably wouldn't run out of things to do.

Hanging out with Kohinata and Saejima was fun in a different way from hanging out with just the guys, so I was all for it. But this wasn't something I could decide by myself.

"Give me a moment. I'll ask Kohinata—Asuka-san."

With that, I explained the situation to Kohinata. She nodded as if she had no problem with it. I would've turned Shizuka-san down if Kohinata seemed reluctant to come to my place, but apparently there was no need to worry.

"Got it. If the time changes, just message me."

【Thanks! As long as you have Asuka's consent and use proper contracep—】

I hung up in a panic. What the hell was she saying in broad daylight...?

And doing something like that with Kohinata—yeah, no. Better not imagine it. It'd be rude to her.

After quietly steadying my breathing, I looked at Saejima and Keiichi, only to find both of them awkwardly avoiding my eyes.

"Why are Saejima and Keiichi looking away?" I asked them, tilting my head in confusion.

"Well... I normally don't have work on weekdays, but the client needs me today, so I kind of have no choice."

Keiichi scratched his head and gave a wry smile. Saejima added, "I don't usually have plans either, but some relatives are coming over today, so we're going out to eat..." then let out a dry "Ahahaha."

…………Yeah. However I looked at it, this was entirely my fault for not checking with them first.

They were both usually free on weekdays, so I'd just assumed their schedules were open. Saejima aside, I hadn't expected Keiichi to be unavailable...

"Ah... Kohinata-san, looks like it'll just be the two of us. Are you okay with that?" I asked with a wry smile.

She nodded to say it was fine. But the movement was clearly unlike her usual self—a stiff little nod that made her nervousness painfully obvious.

School ended, and the four of us headed home.

Although we spent lunch together, that was about the extent of our interactions at school, so this was actually the first time we'd walked home together among the crowd of other students.

The last time we hung out at my place was after cleaning the cafeteria, and there had only been a few people around, so we hadn't stood out much. Today, though, it was right after homeroom, so naturally there were plenty of people.

"Seriously, it's a lifesaver that Keiichi and Saejima are here. If we walked home together while being misunderstood like that, we'd never be able to stop the rumors."

I sighed as I glanced sideways at the Ousei High School students who occasionally looked our way.

What were all those looks for? Were they looking at Kohinata and feeling soothed, admiring Keiichi the model, glaring jealously at Saejima and me for walking home with them, or gossiping about me because of my bad reputation? It was impossible to tell. There were just too many eyes on us.

Well, given today's circumstances, it felt like there were plenty of onlookers curious about my relationship with Kohinata.

"We're going the same way anyway, so don't worry about it. If you're that worried, want me to pretend to go into your place with you? I've got enough time for that, at least."

"I'm fine with that too~"

Seeing how fed up I was, the two of them offered that out of consideration.

I appreciate their sentiments, but I really can't have them go that far just to ease my anxiety.

"Do you want them to do that, Kohinata? We'd make sure nobody else noticed, of course."

I didn't want to decide for her, so I asked Kohinata too.

Still walking with her right hand and right foot moving forward at the same time, she turned toward me with a rusty, creaking motion that practically begged for a gigi sound effect, then shook her head.

Kohinata might seem indifferent to romance, but even she was apparently nervous about entering a guy's home alone. She'd been like this ever since lunch.

Looking at Kohinata, I muttered, "Are you really okay...?" then told Keiichi and Saejima I appreciated the thought.

For now, I'll just have to make sure her awkward movements don't cause her to trip.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

Fortunately, by the time we reached my apartment building, the Ousei High School students were nowhere around, so Kohinata and I got inside without incident. For some reason, an image of an adulterous couple sneaking into a hotel flashed through my head. Not that I had any experience with that, of course.

"Sorry to leave you alone, but I'm going to change into loungewear. Feel free to drink some tea and relax, Kohinata. We have plenty of time until 9 o'clock, so make yourself at home."

Sitting primly at the kotatsu in front of the TV, Kohinata nodded at my words. She seemed a little less tense, but she still glanced around from time to time, unable to settle down. If anything, she looked more restless than the first time she'd come over.

I gave her a wry smile, went to my room, and quickly changed into a tracksuit.

Changing out of my school uniform—my outside clothes—and into something I wore around the house helped me relax a little. Maybe there really was something to "starting with the form," though I had a feeling I was using that expression wrong.

When I returned to the living room, Kohinata had set her phone on the kotatsu. Noticing me, she kept her head lowered and turned the phone around. On the screen was this:

【I'm inexperiencededed.】

"………………Uh."

I was at a loss for how to react.

First, should I point out the two extra 'ed's? Or that she hadn't followed it with 'but...'? Or maybe that this wasn't something you said when visiting a friend's house in the first place?

For now, I played it safe and replied, "Just relax."

Kohinata slowly nodded at my answer, so apparently I hadn't said the wrong thing. Thank goodness.

I let out a quiet breath, relieved to have cleared the first trial. Then I realized another trial was already waiting for me in the room.

"...Ah— yeah. Right, I see..."

Kohinata was sitting facing the TV, shifted to the right along the long side of the kotatsu. In other words, there was an empty space on her left just big enough for one person.

Kohinata had probably just sat where she'd sat the last time she came over. I'm sure she'd done it half-unconsciously.

But the situation was obviously different from last time, Kohinata-san. Crap, what was I supposed to do...?

If I sat where Saejima or Keiichi had sat last time, she might think I was avoiding her. To be perfectly honest, sitting next to Kohinata made me feel nothing but embarrassed and happy; there wasn't even a micron of dislike in me.

After agonizing, panicking, and getting thoroughly confused, I somehow ended up sitting directly across from Kohinata.

"………………Hahaha."

No, no, what the hell am I doing!? I can't play games with the TV right behind me!

Maybe she found my behavior strange, because Kohinata blinked at me with a puzzled expression. As I broke into a nervous sweat under her gaze, our feet touched beneath the kotatsu.

It was only the lightest brush, barely enough to call contact, but I could feel the softness and warmth of Kohinata's foot through our socks. My body temperature seemed to shoot up several degrees at once.

Kohinata and I twitched at almost the same time. Our eyes remained locked.

"Ah, hahaha... Just kidding. I can't play games from here, so I'll move over there."

When I said that, she finally seemed to realize that I was coming to sit next to her—she shrank her small frame even further, then gave a faint nod.

As I pulled myself out from under the kotatsu, she gave my calf a couple of little pokes with her foot. That was probably her way of hiding her embarrassment.

The first night I'd ever spent alone with Kohinata.

Of course, like proper high schoolers, we were supposed to call it a night at the perfectly wholesome hour of nine. Whether a guardian-free setting like this could really be called wholesome, though, was debatable.

And Kohinata was sitting under the kotatsu beside me, only five centimeters away.

It was a distance where we would touch if we shifted our bodies even slightly, and telling me not to be conscious of her was like telling a dog not to drool when a steak is placed in front of it. In other words, it was "impossible."

After we'd played the racing game for a while, I discovered that Kohinata was the type to lean her whole body into every turn.

I could probably watch her fluster every time she bumped into me forever, but at this rate we'd both get mentally exhausted. So, time to switch games.

When I started to get up from the kotatsu to change games, Kohinata jolted in surprise. I could understand her being wary when she'd come to the home of a guy who lived alone, but actually seeing her react like that still made me a little sad...

"You don't have to be that wary. I won't do anything—if you're scared, want to move to the other side?"

As I said that while crying on the inside, Kohinata lightly pinched the fabric of my tracksuit and shook her head. Her expression was as blank as ever, but the frantic speed of her head shake gave away her desperation.

"Then we'll stay here. Still, two hours until nine... Games are fine, but how about we watch a movie instead?"

After shutting off the game console, I asked her.

With just the two of us, our game options were fairly limited.

She seemed reasonably good at games, but in a straight competitive game I had a huge advantage as the owner. The racing game we'd just played narrowed the gap somewhat with the items you picked up during the race, but I still won most of the time.

If Keiichi and Saejima were here, the rankings would shift around more, but with just the two of us, that wasn't happening.

If I were playing against another guy, I wouldn't care about crushing him, but having to hold back made the game a little tiring for me too.

I'd been going easy on Kohinata, but I wasn't deft enough to hide it, so there must have been plenty of obvious moments. I could only hope I hadn't put her in a bad mood.

"Got it. I'll bring a few over, so pick whichever one you want."

After Kohinata nodded, I started pulling movie cases at random from the drawer. Most of them had been brought over by friends I'd known since elementary school, Keiichi included, and they ranged from famous blockbusters to B-movies.

I pulled about ten at random from the hundred-plus collection and showed her the covers. "See anything you want to watch?"

She started studying each cover and title intently.

Nodding or tilting her head, Kohinata looked over all ten cases. Eventually, she slowly pointed at one particular DVD.

"Let's see... 'Neko Neko Panic'? Huh? ...What the heck is this? I haven't seen it either."

The case she pointed to featured a staggering number of anime-style cats drawn on it. I had absolutely no idea what kind of movie it was, but I could at least be sure it wasn't a famous work. I'd never heard of it.

"Then let's give this one a try."

At that, Kohinata looked at me with eyes full of anticipation and nodded eagerly.

But seriously, what was this movie...? Someone had apparently brought it over, and then it had sat there gathering dust because I never got around to watching it. Well, I hadn't seen it either, so I could watch it fresh with Kohinata. Maybe it worked out after all.

With that thought, I put the DVD in.

Then I got us drinks, made a quick trip to the bathroom, and we were ready.

This "Neko Neko Panic".

Judging from the title and cover art, I expected it to be a warm, slice-of-life kind of movie. I hadn't read the synopsis because it seemed like it would give away the plot, but it was probably something like that. It looked like a B-movie, so there was a chance it'd be boring, but that was part of the fun.

I moved next to Kohinata, slipped under the kotatsu, and eagerly pressed play.

The movie opened with a cat bed scene.

No, no, no, no! What kind of movie is this!? It's even got a faint mosaic censor, and somehow the cats' meows sound erotic! Who the hell brought this dangerous thing into my house!?

I glanced sideways at Kohinata. She was blushing in embarrassment with her face lowered, but apparently she was curious, because every so often she peeked up at the screen. We'd just gone to the bathroom, so her fidgeting had to be because she couldn't settle down.

Neither Kohinata nor I could bring ourselves to say, "Let's stop this movie," and so the film continued.

The story was a full-on war between groups of cats over territory. Or maybe I should call it a turf war dressed up as an actual war?

The cats casually used machine guns and rocket launchers right in the middle of the city, fighting on while the humans around them yelled at them. The bullets and explosives were nuts and pollen, though, so nobody was actually dying in this war.

The protagonist cat, Mouse Destroyer, had one line—'So this is my last silver vine... Damn, that's rich.'—that hit me harder than it had any right to, but overall my verdict was still, "What the heck was that?"

For the record, Mouse-kun wasn't dead. He said that while being held in a police officer's arms. And his last silver vine had just been confiscated by the police.

I somehow made it to the end, but beside me, Kohinata had her forehead on the kotatsu tabletop and was sound asleep. Given what the movie was like, I couldn't blame her.

"It felt long, but it was surprisingly short... it's still only 8:30."

After sitting through the entire credits, I turned off the TV with the remote.

With the room quiet, I could hear Kohinata breathing more clearly.

"Her forehead is going to turn bright red."

I smiled wryly at the classmate sleeping beside me.

I wanted to slip a pillow or towel between her forehead and the kotatsu, but I didn't have the nerve to casually touch a sleeping girl. That had nothing to do with me being bad with girls.

I planted my hands behind me and looked up at the ceiling.

Now then... what was I supposed to do for the next thirty minutes? Come to think of it, had Shizuka-san messaged me? I'd been too distracted by the movie and Kohinata to check my phone, so maybe a chat had come in without me noticing.

Just as I reached into my pocket for my phone...

"H-hyiiiiiiih."

A bizarre yelp escaped me. Without any warning, Kohinata had suddenly tipped over and rested her head on my thigh.

Then she wriggled around, apparently found a comfortable spot, and went right back to breathing peacefully in her sleep.

With each regular suu-suu breath, warm air brushed my thigh. This was bad in all kinds of ways.

"K-Kohinata-san? I-I think this is seriously bad!?"

I called out to her in a panic, but she seemed deeply asleep and showed no sign of waking.

To add to that, while there wasn't a problem from my line of sight, if someone looked from the opposite side, they'd have a full view up her skirt. Where did her sense of caution go!?

Should I wake her even if it meant touching her? Or keep calling her name?

But wait. Kohinata might want to pretend the fact that she'd fallen asleep on a guy's lap had never happened. Which meant I wasn't allowed to know this had happened in the first place.

"I see! I just need to sleep too!"

Even I knew I'd reached a nonsensical conclusion, but if Kohinata woke up before I did, there shouldn't be any problem. And if she buried the whole thing deep in her heart, this lap pillow would effectively never have happened. Peace!

I set my phone's alarm to maximum volume for ten minutes later and placed it near Kohinata's ear. Then I let myself fall backward and lay down. The vibration from my movement must have reached her, but she still showed no sign of waking.

"Sleep. I need to actually sleep. If I'm just pretending, she might see through it."

With Kohinata's warmth and weight on my thigh, I slowly lowered my eyelids—then my phone buzzed. My eyes snapped open and I grabbed it.

"Shizuka-san!? It's not even nine yet. Can she go home already!? Wait, what am I supposed to do if that's it!? Blast the alarm now and pretend to be asleep!?"

Muttering under my breath, I quickly checked the chat screen. The sender was Shizuka-san, just as I'd expected.

But the message was the exact opposite of what I'd expected.

【Sorry, Tomoki-kun! Make it ten after all!】

It was a notice that Kohinata's stay had been extended.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

The humans had gone quiet enough that the wall clock took over the noise with a steady tick, tick, tick.

I looked toward the sound. The minute hand was pointing straight at the nine. Apparently this endurance test would continue for another seventy-five minutes. Whether that was good luck or bad luck was something only I could say.

"…………She's light."

Now that I'd calmed down a little, I propped myself up with my hands on the floor and absently gazed at the back of Kohinata's head. Once again, I felt the weight and warmth resting on my thigh. Not family, not a lover, but the warmth of a classmate I'd only met a short while ago. I wondered if people with cats or dogs felt this kind of warmth every day.

According to Shizuka-san, Kohinata doesn't speak because she's shy.

And her expressionlessness came from losing her father two years ago.

At first glance, her silence and lack of expression seemed related, but apparently they came from entirely different places. Maybe it had been necessary for me to learn that.

"Maybe Kohinata sees me as something like a father."

Maybe she was unconsciously trying to fill the hole that had opened in her heart. That was the thought that occurred to me.

"Maybe the way I talk or carry myself is similar to her father."

Or maybe my lecturing had struck some chord with her. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember ever seeing anyone get angry at Kohinata. Saejima was probably the closest.

As I seriously thought it over, some of my embarrassment and nervousness faded. What was I getting so carried away for?

If Kohinata was looking for a father figure, then I shouldn't be thinking of her romantically.

Of course, this was all just my own speculation, and I had no way of knowing whether I was right... but Kohinata had lost family and been hurt. I didn't want her to have to feel any more pain.

If the astronomically unlikely possibility that cute, popular Kohinata actually saw me as a guy was real, then this conclusion would be completely wrong... but thinking about that was pointless.

A little physical contact and sharing dessert after dinner weren't enough to make me so full of myself that I'd think, 'Could she actually like me?' I was pretty sure she didn't hate me, though.

"I'll wake her when it's time. ...I don't need weird little tricks like alarms or pretending to sleep. Kohinata probably doesn't think anything of me anyway."

Feeling like her guardian, I gently ran my fingers through Kohinata's hair. It was silky smooth and pleasant to touch, without catching on my fingers once. She might hate it if she found out, but if she did, I'd apologize honestly.

I consciously pushed the protectiveness that had started turning into romantic affection back to what it had been.

If my feelings damaged my relationship with Kohinata, it wouldn't help her when she was finally showing signs of getting better. It would also betray Shizuka-san's expectations of me.

"Don't worry. I never expected to fall in love so quickly anyway. I'll stay by your side, at least until that hole in your heart is filled again."

Besides, thanks to her, I was gradually getting over my discomfort around girls too. We were helping each other.

I wondered just how long this relationship would last.

Did I want it to continue, or did I want it to end soon...? Even I, one of the people in it, couldn't decide.

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

"Hey, wake up. Fifteen minutes to go."

I called out near Kohinata's ear as she slept peacefully on my thigh.

At my voice, Kohinata curled up tightly like a cat. The movement hit my numb leg and forced a mysterious "Nngh" out of me—a sound I never wanted anyone to hear.

After I called to her a few more times, Kohinata unconsciously attacked me by rolling around on my thigh, then finally squirmed upright. She looked at my pained expression through sleepy eyes and tilted her head in confusion. Her eyelids weren't even half as open as usual.

"I'll walk you home—but give me a second. My leg fell asleep."

I pointed with my chin at my still-tingling leg. Through half-lidded eyes, she looked at my thigh, then my face, then my thigh again.

Then, with enough force to practically make a boff sound, Kohinata's face turned bright red. Her eyelids flew all the way open.

"…………!!"

Kohinata flailed her hands in a total panic, but still no voice came out. And she was supposed to be expressionless—wait, was she really expressionless right now...? To me, she actually looked panicked.

"Don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone, and lending you my lap is no big deal. Besides, with a movie like that, I can't blame you for falling asleep."

When I said that with a wry smile, Kohinata looked down and gave a small nod. Then she glanced at the clock on the wall and froze stiff.

Ah, right. Kohinata didn't know about the extra hour either.

When I told her about Shizuka-san's chat asking to extend the time, Kohinata started flailing in panic again. She'd probably realized she'd slept much longer than expected.

"I told you, don't worry. And you don't have to be embarrassed. You were facing the kotatsu the whole time, so I didn't even see your sleeping face. So, um... could you do something about those hands of yours smacking my leg peshi-peshi?"

At that, she jerked backward in surprise. Then, for reasons I couldn't begin to understand, she started rubbing my thigh with both hands. How did we get here?

"That tickles too, so stop! Actually, this might be worse!?"

At my words, Kohinata panicked again—and her hands went right back to smacking my thigh peshi-peshi.

And so, thanks to Kohinata's rather rough treatment, the feeling returned to my numb leg, and I safely walked her home.

[Illustration: p229.jpg]

Translator's Notes

Translator's Notes: None

Silent Kohinata: Volume 1 Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Sharing Cake and Cats

[Illustration: m005.jpg]

 

 

　That Friday, I felt like I'd gotten a little closer to Kohinata and Saejima.

　After spending Saturday and Sunday hard at work at the cafe, Monday rolled around again.

　That eventful Friday had ended with one last surprise: as I was leaving, Kohinata's older sister, Shizuka-san, asked for my contact information.

　But although we'd exchanged contact information, neither of us had messaged the other. Other than one new name in my contacts, nothing had changed.

　She probably just wanted a way to reach me in case something happened.

　Still, I had mixed feelings about ending up with Shizuka-san's contact information before Kohinata's. Did Kohinata even know about it? Somehow, it felt awkward to ask.

"Heeh…… so you do want her contact information, Tomoki."

　Before morning homeroom, I finished telling Keiichi what had happened on Friday, and somehow that was the conclusion he reached. At least he had enough sense not to say Kohinata's name out loud in the classroom.

　It wasn't as though I didn't want Kohinata's phone number, email address, or chat ID. I just had no idea what I'd do with them if I got them. Message her tonight's dinner menu? Who exactly would benefit from that?

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Because having only her older sister's isn't enough for you, right? If you two are close enough for her to let you into her house, exchanging contact information seems pretty normal."

　For the record, I hadn't told Keiichi the details of the Kohinata family's situation, or about the embarrassing thing I'd said.

　The former wasn't something I had any right to share without permission, and the latter would obviously get me teased.

　What was I thinking, saying I wanted to be friends with Asuka-san because I wanted to……? I spent a good while writhing around on my bed after I got home. I hadn't said anything wrong, but let's watch what comes out of our mouth next time, Sugino Tomoki-kun.

"Kohinata wasn't the one who invited me inside. Anyway, I'm not dissatisfied. It just feels…… weird, I guess."

　It was true that I wanted to be closer to Kohinata.

　But after thinking about it all night, I'd concluded that what I felt was probably closer to a protective instinct.

　Sure, Kohinata was cute, soothing to watch, and relaxing to talk to.

　But it wasn't romantic. It had to be something closer to how someone might feel about a daughter or little sister. Of course, I had neither, and I barely understood romance either, so this was all guesswork.

　Either way, I still wanted to be friends with Kohinata. I just didn't want to date her. Probably.

"Hmm. Well, I guess that's fine for now──oh, speak of the devil."

　Keiichi jerked his chin toward the front of the classroom. I followed his gaze and saw Kohinata trotting in with her usual blank expression while our classmates greeted her.

　You're cute again today.

　You didn't fall over or anything, did you?

　You did your homework properly, right?

　Voices like that came from every direction, all of them doing their best to pamper Kohinata.

　I understood exactly how they felt──Kohinata was adorable, after all.

　But how many of us, Keiichi and me included, actually understood her?

　That she'd once been clingy. That she'd lost her father and was trying to stand on her own two feet. Why she refused to rely on the people around her.

　Even Shizuka-san had sounded uncertain about it, so Saejima, who had known her for years, was probably the only real possibility.

　Not that I could criticize anyone. I hadn't understood her either, and I hadn't even tried.

　Watching Kohinata from behind as she nodded at the boys and girls gathered around her, I murmured, "Even with that tiny body, she's doing her best too, huh."

　If I could, I wanted to become more than someone who simply spoiled her. I wanted to be someone she could want to lean on──something like a father. That thought crossed my mind as I watched her nod.

 

 

 

 

"So, Tomoki! Let's eat in the courtyard!"

"You really do spring things on me out of nowhere…… Well, I don't care where we eat."

"Then let's go! This is the best time of year for it. The cafeteria's always packed, but the courtyard still isn't too crowded."

　At lunch, just as I was reaching into my bag for my homemade onigiri, Keiichi suddenly made the suggestion. He had his usual sweet bread.

　The courtyard was a popular spot during lunch break, and it was normally crowded except during the dead of winter or midsummer.

　There still weren't many first-years using it this early in the year. If I remembered right, our year hadn't really started eating in the courtyard until after Golden Week. Before that, the first-years tended to defer to the upperclassmen, so it should still be fairly open.

　I followed Keiichi down the stairs and toward the courtyard without hesitation, then spotted a familiar face ahead.

"Ah, it's Saejima."

　Near the shade of the tree where Kohinata had once watched the line of ants, Saejima was flapping open a picnic sheet. Kohinata was already patting at the sheet on the grass, smoothing out the wrinkles.

　Come to think of it, girls who ate in the courtyard usually brought picnic sheets.

　The guys normally just sat straight on the grass and used their school bags as makeshift tables.

　As we walked up to Saejima, Keiichi called, "Sorry to keep you waiting~ Whoa, that's a big sheet." Wait. "Sorry to keep you waiting"?

"Yoohoo, Sugino-kun! Karakusa-kun! I kept a two-person sheet at school, but four people would be cramped, so Asuka and I went out and bought a bigger one this weekend!"

"Huh? You actually bought one just for this? Want us to chip in?"

"No, no~! The old one was getting pretty worn out anyway, so I was already planning to replace it. And if we fold this one in half, we can still use it for two people like before!"

　Saejima chatted with Keiichi with a bashful little smile.

　So this was that again. Another plan everyone had made while leaving me completely out of it.

　At this point, hadn't avoiding Kohinata and Saejima's names in the classroom become meaningless? If the four of us ate together in the courtyard, anyone could see us.

　I wasn't desperate to hide it, but now that things had come this far, I'd better be ready for at least a little jealousy. Good grief…… I just hoped nobody called me out again.

"We already played games together at my place. I'm not going to refuse to eat lunch together now. Just stop springing surprise events on me."

"Nah, I just wanted to see Tomoki freak ou──ow, ow, ow! Stop grinding your knuckles into my temples!"

　As I administered some discipline to Keiichi in the form of corporal punishment, someone tugged at the hem of my uniform from behind. I knew who it was without even turning around.

　Sure enough, when I looked back, I found a familiar little crown of hair.

　I released Keiichi's head──Guh──and turned toward Kohinata.

　I gave Kohinata a casual, "Yo," as she looked up at me from beneath her lashes.

　Shizuka-san had said Kohinata had been changing for the better.

　If that was true, I should probably just be happy she'd come over and tapped me on the waist like a greeting.

 

 

　The four of us settled into one corner of the courtyard, busy with second- and third-years, and unpacked the lunches we'd brought.

　Only a few white clouds dotted the sky. You could safely call it clear.

　The sunlight was warm, and a pleasant breeze drifted through the courtyard from the open windows and school entrances. It felt perfect now, though another rise in temperature would probably have us sweating. Keiichi had been right: this really was the ideal season for it.

　I had onigiri, Keiichi had sweet bread, and Kohinata and Saejima had homemade bentos. The four of us each took a corner of the picnic sheet Saejima had brought.

　With a salmon-flake onigiri in one hand, I looked around and said, "Let's stop worrying about everyone staring. It'll ruin the food."

"You say that while obviously worrying about it. Relax, relax. Kohinata might be popular, but I doubt you need to be that paranoid, Tomoki. This isn't a drama. Nobody's going to scream, How dare you get close to Kohinata!"

"Go tell that to those Class E girls," I replied with a sigh, instantly deflating Keiichi's breezy optimism.

　He gave a hollow laugh and looked away. While I stared at him flatly, Saejima tried to change the subject.

"Actually, I might be in more danger than either of you. I never really thought about it, but Karakusa-kun is an active model, right? Asuka's popularity might stop at the school gates, but Karakusa-kun's doesn't."

　Now that she mentioned it, she had a point.

　I didn't pry into Keiichi's love life, and he never volunteered much either. Still, he'd told me himself that he'd turned down a lot of confessions. I'd even asked if models had some idol-style dating ban, but apparently there was nothing like that.

　He acted like a goof, but anyone could see he was popular. Saejima's concern was perfectly reasonable.

"Ah…… maybe that's why I'm getting fewer nasty looks than I expected. Keiichi and Kohinata are probably equally famous around here, so maybe everyone just accepts them being together. In that case, Saejima probably doesn't need to worry either."

　Kohinata and Keiichi were probably safe, then.

　And Saejima might not realize it herself, but she was cheerful, outgoing, and pretty enough that nobody would question her being with those two.

　But what about me? A plain guy with ugly rumors following him around. Was I really supposed to be sitting here with them? Wasn't I painfully out of place?

　Just as I was sinking into despair over my own low stats again, Keiichi swallowed the mouthful of sweet bread he'd been chewing and spoke with a surprisingly serious expression.

"Honestly, who cares what anyone else says or thinks? If the four of us are fine with it, that's enough. I don't want to be friends with people who take cheap shots just because they're jealous anyway."

　Having cut the matter off cleanly, Keiichi took another bite of his bread. Should I tell him about the cream on the corner of his mouth? He'd just said something cool, so maybe I'd wait until after school.

　Still…… he really had gotten stronger. What happened to the crybaby Keiichi from elementary school, the kid who used to hide behind my back all the time? What had changed him this much?

"──Yeah, you're right. Still, Kohinata, Saejima, if anyone gives you trouble, tell me. You're hanging around a guy with a bad reputation. Some idiot might start saying nonsense."

　Compared with Keiichi, the reality I had just stated about myself was depressing. I wanted to cry.

　My voice came out embarrassingly pathetic, and in response──

"Ahaha, that's what you don't need to worry about. At least everyone in my class is fine! I've been casually spreading the word that all those rumors about Tomoki-kun were fake~."

"Same with Class C. I hear Takada correcting people here and there, and girls come ask me about it too."

　Saejima and Keiichi answered almost back-to-back.

　I'd seen what was happening in Class C myself, so that part was one thing…… but Saejima had been doing that in her own class? I had no idea.

"You've been going that far for me, Saejima…… Thanks."

"No problem~! The way it started wasn't great, but I'm glad I got to know you and Karakusa-kun! You're both fun! And that baby-making spree the other day was amazing!"

"Hey! Don't dig that back up! I wasn't the only one who took psychic damage from it!"

　I looked over at Kohinata, who had been about to pop a bright-red octopus wiener into her tiny mouth. Her little round mouth slowly closed, and she returned the wiener to her bento.

　She set her chopsticks down, reached toward me, and tap──smacked my knee.

"Huh!? Why am I the bad guy now!? That's completely unfair!"

　The moment I protested, Kohinata turned away from me with a little hmph.

　I couldn't tell whether she was angry or hiding her embarrassment, but I could say one thing for certain: she was cute.

 

 

　After everyone finished eating, we stayed on the picnic sheet for the rest of lunch. That was when the incident happened.

"──And then, and then! Ever since that day, the upperclassmen have been absolutely doting on Asuka. They're practically Kohinata Asuka believers now! Well, anybody can see how cute Asuka is, so I bet the first-years will catch on soon too."

　Calling it an incident was probably too dramatic. Saejima was simply talking at full throttle. She really could talk.

　I wasn't trying to interrupt her, so it wasn't as though she was refusing to listen to me. She wasn't forcing her opinions on anyone or attacking me, either.

　So I was mostly fine. Still, a faint shiver crawled up my spine.

　Keiichi seemed to be keeping an eye on me, but maybe he considered this part of my recovery too, because he showed no sign of stepping in.

　Rehab. This is rehab.

　I repeated that to myself while half-listening to Saejima ramble on──

"And then──mmph!"

　Without warning, Kohinata clapped a hand over Saejima's mouth.

　Saejima mumbled into her palm, eyes wide with surprise.

　Then she glanced at me and immediately wilted like a puppy that had just been scolded by its owner.

　As soon as Kohinata let go, Saejima bowed deeply toward me. She had already been sitting in seiza, so it practically looked like dogeza.

"Sorry. I talked too much."

"……No, don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong, Saejima. This is just how my body reacts," I said with a wry smile. Keiichi immediately chimed in brightly, "Exactly. I knew what was happening and didn't stop you either. Tomoki was starting to hit his limit, though, so nice save, Kohinata."

　Exactly──that was what surprised me most. Kohinata had acted on her own.

　Saejima's rapid-fire chatter hadn't stopped because she reined herself in, or because Keiichi intervened. Kohinata had stopped her.

　After a few slow, quiet breaths, I told her, "Thanks, Kohinata. See? I'm fine now."

　I wasn't completely back to normal, but I could at least smile at her without forcing it.

　Kohinata gave an emphatic nod, popped up a tiny thumbs-up, and let out an adorable fusuu through her nose.

　And then──she started doing something I couldn't make heads or tails of.

"………………Wh-what's wrong, Kohinata?"

　She fidgeted, leaned her head toward me, then suddenly shook herself back to her senses, returned to her spot, and went fusuu. Then she fidgeted again, tilted toward me again, pulled back again, and went fusuu again.

　She repeated the cycle several times. I felt bad saying this after she'd just helped me, but I had absolutely no idea what it meant.

[Illustration: p160.jpg]

　Keiichi watched Kohinata like he'd found something entertaining. Saejima's eyes widened for an instant, then she smiled gently, as though she'd understood exactly what Kohinata was doing.

　I wanted to ask Saejima what it meant, since she seemed to understand Kohinata. But right now, I wanted even more to simply sit there and admire this cute little creature.

　So that was what I did.

 

 

　A few days passed after that Monday lunch with Kohinata and the others.

　Before I knew it, the four of us were meeting in the courtyard almost every day, and eating lunch together had started to feel completely normal.

　Refusing out of nowhere would have felt strange, and I didn't have any real reason to refuse in the first place.

　Keiichi was there like always, spending time with Kohinata was soothing, and Saejima was actively helping me work through my problem with girls.

　If anything still bothered me, it was the reactions around us. But after the four of us talked on Monday, even that stopped weighing on me much. Maybe I'd only imagined those hostile looks because I was too self-conscious.

　As for Kohinata's strange behavior that Monday, Saejima refused to explain it, so it remained a mystery. Asking Kohinata herself, What exactly was that? felt awkward.

　Saejima's reaction told me it was probably something positive, so I didn't think I needed to worry. Still, it nagged at me a little.

"Here, Kohinata. Payback for all the candy."

　Once Kohinata finished lunch and hurriedly tucked her bento back into her bag, I handed her the bag of cookies I'd kept in my uniform pocket.

　Her eyelids lifted a little higher than usual as she looked back and forth between my face and the chocolate-chip cookie in her palm.

"Huh? Tomoki, where's mine?"

"Sorry. No luck. I only brought what we had left at home."

"Oooh! Lucky you, Asuka!"

　Keiichi sounded faintly teasing. Saejima, meanwhile, watched Kohinata with the warm smile of a mother looking at her child.

　Kohinata turned to Saejima and nodded repeatedly, so at least she didn't seem to dislike it. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Mont Blanc she'd eaten at Ikoi had chocolate in it too, so my guess had apparently been right.

　They were just convenience-store cookies, nothing special. Still, it made going out of my way to buy them feel worth it. I was embarrassed, so I'd lied and called them leftovers.

"You've given me candy a few times now. I'd feel bad taking without ever giving anything back…… so if you don't hate them, eat up."

　Kohinata nodded vigorously, about thirty percent harder than usual.

　Gah──what is this creature……? Is it even legal to be this cute!?

　But if other people saw this adorable side of her, the number of people trying to feed Kohinata snacks would definitely explode. The odds were easily over 120 percent.

　And there was no guarantee every one of them would be harmless.

　I hurriedly scanned the courtyard. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be looking our way.

"Listen, Kohinata. If some stranger says, I'll give you candy, you do not follow them, okay? Got it?"

"…………(Nod, nod)"

　If anyone had witnessed that angelic display, I'd have spent the rest of my school life watching them twenty-four seven. I needed to show some restraint and stop casually feeding Kohinata treats myself.

"Putting your sudden spike in paranoia aside, what are we doing Sunday? You're off from the cafe, right?"

　Admire Kohinata. Scan the surroundings.

　As I alternated between the two, Keiichi addressed me with an exasperated look.

　Good grief…… Do you seriously not understand Kohinata's adorableness? Your IQ is too low. Go meditate under a waterfall or something!

"Yeah. I work Saturday, but I'm off Sunday. No plans."

　I usually worked weekends, but not every single one.

　Doing nothing but school and work would wear me out and make it feel as though my high-school life was passing me by. So I made sure my schedule gave me at least two full days off every month.

"I'm free too~!"

"…………(Nod, nod)"

　The moment I said I was free, Saejima and Kohinata answered as naturally as though they had been waiting for it.

　These two…… realized that meant spending their day off with Keiichi and me, right? Then again, they'd already visited my workplace on weekends, so maybe it was a little late to be surprised.

　Noticing my puzzled look, Saejima looked a little apologetic. "It's not like we were hiding it or anything, but at those meetings, we talked about how it'd be nice to actually go somewhere with Sugino-kun on a day off if we got the chance. Whenever we visited your workplace, that was the whole point of the trip, so we always split up right afterward."

"Huh…… Couldn't you have just hung out afterward?"

"Well…… I didn't want it to feel like I was using your problem as an excuse to hang out with Karakusa-kun."

"You could've just called that a perk."

"I-It's not like that! Anyway, if we're going to hang out, I want all four of us there!" Saejima insisted, her cheeks faintly red. I couldn't help letting out an exasperated sigh.

　She really was the embodiment of justice…… the kind of person without a shred of malice in her. As a dedicated Kohinata admirer, having someone like that by Kohinata's side was reassuring.

"I see. I'd feel a little lonely being left out too, so count me in. Just don't make everything about fixing my problem with girls, okay?"

　If everyone spent the whole day tiptoeing around me, none of us would enjoy our precious day off.

　Thanks to Saejima, Kohinata, and Keiichi, I could feel my discomfort around girls gradually fading. The method was a little forceful, but I was genuinely grateful.

　If we kept spending time together like this and I eventually became capable of having a normal romance, that might actually be fun.

 

 

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

 

 

　And then Sunday finally arrived.

　When I really thought about it, I'd spent my whole life hanging out with guy friends. I had never once gone out with girls on a day off.

　I'd run into girls from class while hanging out with Keiichi in middle school, sure, but we'd never gathered specifically to spend the day together. Back then, I would've canceled at the last minute without question. That was how bad my aversion to girls had been.

"I hate that you look good in literally anything……" I grumbled, glaring sidelong at Keiichi as we walked toward the large supermarket where we were meeting the girls.

　It was just after noon, so we still had plenty of time before our one o'clock meeting.

[Illustration: p134.jpg]

　Keiichi wore pure-white pants and a sky-blue shirt, with a long wallet tucked into his back pocket and no bag at all.

　White pants felt like something only a guy with model proportions and serious fashion confidence could pull off. At the very least, I knew they wouldn't suit me.

"Hahaha! I do get paid for looking good in clothes, you know. But yours look good too, Tomoki. Did you always own that outfit?"

"I sprinted out and bought it after work yesterday."

"Oooh! You're unusually serious about this!"

"It's not like that…… I just didn't want to show up in worn-out, unfashionable clothes when I was going out with girls. I'm going to be standing next to you beautiful people all day. I at least want my outfit to look decent."

　Not that I'd done anything elaborate. Beige chinos and a white hoodie with a logo on the chest──a completely ordinary combination. I'd bought the exact outfit off a mannequin, so there was no way it looked that strange.

　Keiichi answered my self-deprecation with the obvious flattery, "Huh? Your face isn't bad at all, Tomoki." I snorted at him.

　The plan for today was to catch the bus from the stop in front of the supermarket and ride for about twenty minutes. Our destination: the bowling alley.

　As the supermarket came into view, I murmured, "Wonder what kind of day this is going to be."

　Half excited, half nervous. That was about right.

　Still, this was a rare day off with no work. Not enjoying it would be a waste.

 

 

　We reached the supermarket and killed about ten minutes chatting. Then I spotted Saejima on the opposite side of the road, waving both arms. Beside her stood Kohinata in a slightly oversized casquette.

　Saejima took Kohinata by the hand and jogged across the crosswalk. With their height difference, they looked more like sisters than classmates.

　The moment they reached us, Saejima exclaimed with her usual bright energy, "Sorry to keep you waiting~! Karakusa-kun looks cool in anything, like always. And Sugino-kun, seeing you in casual clothes is so fresh! They suit you! You're not in your usual black apron!" She had on denim shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt, showing a lot more skin than her uniform did.

"Idiot. That's my work uniform, not casual clothes," I shot back, trying not to show how embarrassed I was by the compliment. I could only pray my face hadn't gone red.

"You two look great too. Feels like you both know exactly what works for you. Right, Tomoki?"

"Ah──yeah. Definitely."

"Ehehe, thanks, Karakusa-kun, Sugino-kun! Since we're bowling today, I picked something easy to move in," Saejima said with a dazzlingly bright smile.

　Unfortunately, I didn't have Keiichi's nerve when it came to complimenting girls. I could agree with somebody else, sure, but saying it first myself? Impossible. I'd die of embarrassment if they teased me.

　Kohinata wasn't wearing the fluffy outfit she'd worn to the cafe. Today she had a plaid casquette with a matching skirt and a slightly oversized white knit top. The look was completely different, yet somehow it suited her perfectly.

　Normally, even thinking that wouldn't be enough to make me compliment a girl. Apparently, though, every rule had an exception.

"Morning, Kohinata. That plaid hat's cute. It really suits you." Somehow, the embarrassing line came out perfectly smoothly, without a single stumble.

　Maybe it was because I knew Kohinata wouldn't laugh at me or make fun of me. Or maybe the scream inside my head had simply become impossible to suppress.

　I didn't think Saejima would laugh either…… so what made Kohinata different? I honestly couldn't explain it.

　Still, wasn't she even cuter than usual today? If I let my guard down, I might start giving her spending money. Would twenty thousand yen be enough?

　At the compliment, Kohinata swayed from side to side without changing expression. Maybe out of embarrassment, she pechi'd my hand, then hurriedly started typing on her phone.

"──Let's see…… 【Sugino, it hits you】?"

　That baffling phrase was displayed on the screen she held out to me.

　It hits me? What exactly is supposed to hit me!?

"Hey, Kohinata. What's hitting me?"

　There was nowhere near enough information to work with, so I planted my hands on my knees, bent down, and asked her directly.

　She did a triple take at her own screen, then pechiri'd my hand again.

"H-Huh? How is this my fault?"

　Kohinata very clearly turned away with a hmph. While I stood there dumbfounded, I noticed Keiichi and Saejima smirking at us. What was with those we understand everything faces?

"That one was your fault, Tomoki."

"You're slow on the uptake, Sugino-kun. You've got to catch a typo like that instantly."

　A typo? So something on the screen had been entered wrong?

　It was around the time our bus pulled up that I finally realized Kohinata had been trying to type 【It suits you】.

 

 

　Twenty minutes on the bus later, the four of us reached the bowling alley.

　Keiichi and I had been there plenty of times, and I figured Saejima and Kohinata probably had too. It was a big, well-equipped facility──and, more importantly, there wasn't another bowling alley anywhere nearby.

　We handed in the forms we'd filled out, rented shoes in our sizes, chose appropriately weighted balls from the colorful racks, and headed for our lanes.

　Since there were four of us, we decided to make it a team match using two lanes.

　We used everyone's usual scores to split into teams. Three games, and the losing team bought drinks for the winners. Simple.

"That bastard Keiichi…… He definitely lowballed his score. Does he really want a free drink that badly?"

　I glared toward the next lane while changing into my rental shoes. Keiichi was over there rolling his shoulders.

　If memory served, Keiichi usually scored better than I did. Bowling almost always turned into a competition between us, so I had a decent sense of who won more often.

　And yet he'd said, "Tomoki's definitely better than me. Kohinata probably can't throw anything but a light ball, so putting her with Tomoki should balance things out. You girls okay with that?" That was how I ended up paired with Kohinata, supposedly the weakest bowler of the four.

　If the price of pairing with Kohinata was one drink, maybe that was actually a bargain. Though Saejima had made a strangely bitter face while Keiichi was arranging the teams…… What had that been about?

 

 

　Sounding exactly like a parent, I warned Kohinata as she tied her bowling shoes beside me, "Tie those laces properly. You could get hurt if you trip."

　She looked up at me and nodded repeatedly. Leave it to me! was practically written all over her.

　Bowling on a day off with girls in cute casual clothes, huh…… If I erased Keiichi and Saejima from my brain, this almost looked like a date. No, actually, maybe more like a parent taking his kid out. At the very least, I doubted Kohinata was thinking anything as romantic as a date.

"Keiichi said all that, but he's better than me. So don't get mad if we lose, okay?"

　My defeatist speech came before we'd even started, but Kohinata simply nodded without changing expression and gave my back a few encouraging pats. The fact that this alone made me feel ready to try harder suggested I might be much simpler than I thought.

 

 

　And with that, game one began. Both teams had the boys throw first.

　After two throws each, Keiichi had nine pins and I had eight. The first frame was basically a warm-up anyway. Nothing strange there.

"Man, it's been a while! I've lost the feel for this! Hahaha!"

"But that was amazing! The ball was so fast I thought the pins might break!"

　Their cheerful voices carried over from the lane to our right. Keiichi was more power than technique, so his throw probably looked especially impressive to the girls.

　Then there was Team Tomoki-and-Kohinata.

"That's about what I can do. Like I said, I'm not that good, so keep your expectations low."

　I tried to lower the bar, but Kohinata merely gave a slow nod and raised her thumb. It was clearly a thumbs-up, but with such a tiny finger, nyoki felt more appropriate than good. Cute.

　Then Kohinata trotted over to the ball rack and started communicating with Saejima. She looked strangely fidgety. What were those two talking about?

"Looks like we're both doing okay. This might actually be a good match," Keiichi called from the seat across from me while I watched the girls.

　The nerve of this guy.

"……A light ball doesn't automatically mean a low score, you know. Don't come crying to me if Kohinata makes you regret it."

"Huh? Is Kohinata good?"

"No idea…… but if she's an unknown, that means either possibility is still open."

　For all I knew, she could be the best one here. Bowling did need some power, though, so I wasn't exactly betting on it.

　Keiichi laughed at my mildly sulky answer.

"Fine, fine. If the score gets too lopsided, I'll adjust so it stays fun. Besides, you're more comfortable paired with Kohinata than with Saejima, aren't you?"

"Obviously. So that was your real reason."

　I'd suspected as much.

　So Keiichi had only rigged the teams to pair me with Kohinata. He hadn't lied about his score because he was desperate for a free drink. Thoughtful or meddlesome…… probably both.

　Well, win or lose, if we could end the day thinking that was fun, that was good enough.

 

 

~The Girls' Conversation~

 

 

"Aaa-suuu-kaaa?"

"…………(Hmph)"

"I know you want to team up with Sugino-kun, but pretending you're bad at bowling is a little much, don't you think?"

"…………(Fidget, fidget)"

"Looking away isn't going to fool me!"

"…………(Polish, polish)"

"Why did you suddenly start polishing the ball!? You never do that!"

"…………(Tap, tap)"

"Let's see…… 【Juice. Counting on you.】!? That's awful! You're not even going to hold back!?"

"…………"

"──Haa…… honestly. If our team loses, you're buying me a drink at school next time, okay?"

"…………(Nod, nod)"

"Then it's a deal! I'll do my best not to embarrass myself in front of the boys either!"

 

 

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

 

 

　Clack, clack, clack, clack──

　The four of us silently watched the pins topple to that almost comically leisurely sound.

　Kohinata had thrown the ball. The moment it left her hand, she turned around and headed back without even waiting for the result.

　Her ball moved so slowly that Kohinata could trot all the way back to the seats before it reached the pins. Keiichi and I probably couldn't pull that off even if we ran.

"………………Another strike. I knew she was good, but isn't Kohinata way too strong?" Keiichi muttered in a daze as the final pin fell.

　I agreed. I also felt like a small chunk of my confidence as a man had just been shaved away.

　We'd finished games one and two and were now partway through the third.

　The match was already over before the third game's result even mattered. Team Kohinata-and-me had clinched it. The culprit was Kohinata. She was ridiculously good.

"Average score around 220, huh," I muttered while staring at the monitor.

　Kohinata, sitting neatly beside me, nodded.

　That was nowhere near normal-high-schooler territory. Even on my best day, I'd never broken 200.

"And Asuka's actually having an off day. When she comes with me or Shizuka-san, she's even crazier," Saejima said with a grin.

　As for Saejima, even her first two games combined didn't reach one of Kohinata's scores. So that was why she'd made such a bitter face when the teams were chosen.

　Kohinata was the abnormal one; Saejima wasn't actually that bad. The four high-school-aged girls in the lane to our left were doing much worse.

　Then again, maybe their scores couldn't be helped.

　Apparently, all four were getting destroyed by hay fever and were bowling with tissues stuffed in their noses. I thought they should probably care a little more about how they looked in public, but I hardly had enough romantic experience to lecture strangers about appearances, so I kept the thought to myself. Besides, I didn't have the nerve to talk to girls I didn't know anyway.

　They looked vaguely familiar, so maybe they were students from Ousei High School.

　Anyway.

"Kohinata, you're seriously amazing."

　I'd lost count of how many times I'd said that since we started bowling. Kohinata swayed happily from side to side, then let out a proud little fusuu without changing expression. Was she happy to be praised?

"Next time, maybe we should make it guys versus girls."

　Judging from today's scores, that would probably produce the closest match.

　The moment I said it, Kohinata froze mid-sway and stared up at me from below, as if trying to tell me something.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

　I asked, assuming she had something to say. Instead, she closed her eyes and turned away with a hmph.

"The scores go Kohinata, Keiichi, me, then Saejima. Wouldn't that make the teams more even?"

"…………(Hmph)"

"Then what about amidakuji? Or we could split up with rock-or-paper."

"…………(Hmph)"

　Figuring out when Kohinata was happy was hard. Figuring out when she was displeased was surprisingly easy.

　What did I do this time?

 

 

　After bowling, we headed to the arcade in the same building. The first and second floors were bowling lanes, while a huge game center occupied the basement.

　As we rode the escalator down, Keiichi waved a coupon marked 【One Free Crane Game】 and said, "The crane games you can play with these free coupons are always either insanely hard or stocked with terrible prizes."

"Well, it is free."

"Even if you don't win anything, you still got to play for free! Besides, from the bowling alley's point of view, the real goal is probably just getting you into the arcade, whether you win a prize or not."

　Saejima and I answered Keiichi. The background music was getting louder as we descended, so our voices rose with it. Kohinata, as usual, simply nodded along.

　I'd already suspected it on the escalator, but Sunday meant the arcade was packed. Plenty of people probably came to the building for the game center rather than the bowling.

　A quick glance showed families everywhere, along with plenty of older people and students. Since I hated crowds, I had no desire to stay long.

　And here I was with Kohinata, basically the school's idol, and Saejima, who was almost certainly popular too. If someone from Ousei spotted us, things could get annoying…… Without Keiichi here, I might've been burned at the stake like some witch. Still, we'd come out to have fun. Obsessing over it would only ruin the day.

"You're not playing, Kohinata?"

　When we reached the crane game that accepted the free coupon, Kohinata handed hers to me. At my question, she nodded.

"Nothing here you want?"

"…………(Shake, shake)"

"Then you're bad at crane games?"

"…………(Nod, nod)"

"It's free. You really don't have to worry about wasting it."

　Even if she won nothing, moving the claw around and getting excited over the attempt seemed worthwhile to me. Kohinata only shook her head. She clearly had no intention of playing.

　Maybe because she'd carried our team at bowling, she was giving this turn to me? Not that I was good at crane games either.

"Then I'll give mine to Karakusa-kun too! I'm counting on you!"

"Whaaat!? Tomoki's decision somehow splashed damage onto me too!"

"How is that my fault!? Complain to the free coupon!"

"Free coupon, this is all your faaaault!"

"Don't actually yell at it…… You look like an idiot, Keiichi."

　Result: Keiichi and I, burdened with the girls' hopes, failed to win a single prize with the free coupons.

　Then the two stubborn boys fell perfectly into the company's trap and marched toward the change machine, wallets in hand.

　Goodbye, two hours of part-time wages. I regret nothing.

 

 

　After spending the day bowling and playing at the arcade like proper students, we decided to eat dinner at a nearby family restaurant.

　We had already decided to eat out that night, so everyone had told their families not to prepare dinner. That obviously didn't matter to me, living alone. I kept plenty of rice stocked in the freezer anyway.

　The restaurant had so many customers that comparing it with Ikoi almost felt unfair.

　Maybe because the entertainment complex was nearby, there were plenty of students like us mixed in with the families. I could only pray none of them were from Ousei High School.

　A server led us to a table for four. I sighed and gave the three people who had already sat down a flat stare. How did this happen?

"I suppose it's possible Keiichi and Saejima are secretly that close, but──for now, somebody explain."

　Keiichi had claimed the seat beside Saejima. The only open seat was next to Kohinata. In other words, that was my only option.

　If two boys and two girls who weren't couples sat at the same table, surely the normal arrangement was boys together and girls together. I had zero firsthand experience, of course, so this was merely a deduction based on common sense.

"Keep looking that unhappy and you'll hurt Kohinata's feelings~," Keiichi said with a far-too-pleased grin instead of answering me.

"I'm not unhappy──I'm not. It's just painfully obvious you're plotting something. I assume this is part of helping me get used to girls, but did Kohinata actually agree to it?"

　I turned toward the supposed victim. Kohinata looked straight back at me and nodded repeatedly. Hmm…… she didn't seem bothered.

"Come on, Sugino-kun. You're more comfortable having a guy across from you while you eat than a girl, right?"

"Mmm…… now that you mention it, yeah."

　Beside me or directly across from me──during a meal, having a girl beside me was probably easier simply because she wouldn't stay in my line of sight.

"Anyway, stop standing there and sit down. And pick your food already! I actually exercised properly for the first time in ages, so I'm starving!"

"Yeah, yeah, fine…… Kohinata, I'm taking the seat next to you."

"…………(Nod, nod)"

　Her face remained as blank as ever.

　Maybe it wasn't a matter of whether she liked or disliked sitting beside me. Maybe she simply didn't register me as a boy in the first place. With people of both sexes constantly doting on her, that wouldn't be too surprising.

 

 

　Keiichi ordered the steak set, I chose ginger pork, and the girls ordered carbonara and omurice.

　Kohinata was the one with the omurice. Between you and me, the sheer Kohinata-ness of that choice warmed my heart a little.

　The pair sitting across from me finished first, then rubbed their stomachs in almost perfect synchronization. I was nearly full too.

　Only Kohinata, seated beside me, was still studying the dessert section of the menu with deadly seriousness, going fusu-fusu through her nose. Without noticing me watching, she looked across at Saejima.

"Hmm? I think I'm done. I'm stuffed."

"I had another bowl of rice too. If you want dessert, go ahead and order something, Kohinata."

　The two of them understood what she wanted from the open menu and her silent stare, and both told her they didn't want dessert.

　Kohinata's lower lip pushed out by the tiniest amount. She looked longingly back down at the menu, then glanced sideways at me.

　Ah…… I see.

　She wanted dessert, but if nobody else ordered anything, eating alone would make her feel awkward. That had to be it. She usually seemed completely self-paced, but apparently she did worry about things like this.

"Tomoki doesn't really like sweets, so──"

"Maybe I'll get this matcha cake."

　I talked right over Keiichi before he could say anything else unnecessary and pointed at one of the desserts on Kohinata's page. Her eyes widened as she snapped her head toward me.

"Aren't you getting anything, Kohinata? I'd feel awkward being the only one eating dessert, so I'd appreciate some company."

"…………! (Nod, nod!)"

　Kohinata nodded so violently that gestures apparently weren't enough. She hurriedly typed on her phone and showed me the wonderfully broken sentence 【Eat. Me too. Dessert.】. Relax. The dessert wasn't going anywhere, and neither was my offer.

"Then pick what you want. My guess is this Mont Blanc."

　Even with facial muscles that seemed permanently locked in place, her excitement was obvious. When I guessed her order, Kohinata jerked her head up from the menu and blinked rapidly, practically radiating How did you know!?

"You told me you liked chestnuts at Ikoi, remember? Mont Blanc okay?"

"…………(Nod, nod!)"

　With my hand on the call button, I asked, "Got it. Keiichi, Saejima, you two are really sure you don't want anything?" The pair shook their heads in perfect sync again.

"Somehow I feel even fuller now."

"Yeah. I think I've had enough sweetness for now."

　For some reason, both wore wry smiles and said things I couldn't quite follow.

　Since when is carbonara sweet?

 

 

　While we waited for dessert, the four of us made trips to the drink bar and killed time with ordinary conversation──how the new classes were going, what might be on the next test, things like that.

　The moment we started discussing the test range, Kohinata abruptly began folding her wet towel into a rabbit. That was when I first began to suspect she hated studying.

　Anyway.

　The desserts were apparently prepared in advance, because despite all that talk of killing time, they arrived in only four or five minutes.

　A Mont Blanc was placed in front of Kohinata and a matcha shortcake in front of me.

　People say there's always room for dessert, and somehow seeing cake in front of me really did make my stomach feel a little larger. The human body was mysterious.

　I'd never been the type to order cakes or other sweets for myself, but I didn't hate them. With black coffee to cut the sweetness, I could enjoy them just fine. And the matcha cake I'd chosen shouldn't be too sweet anyway.

　Armed with black coffee from the drink bar, I was fully prepared.

"……That's an unusual way to eat it."

　Kohinata was going fusu-fusu through her nose as she sliced the dome-shaped Mont Blanc cleanly in half. Using her dessert fork and knife with surprising skill, she transferred one half onto a small plate.

　Then she slowly slid that half toward me.

"……Hmm? What's this?"

【Half for you too.】

"You want to try both cakes?"

　While I stared at the cake and her phone in confusion, Kohinata typed again.

【Sugino, you said you wanted someone to eat with you.】

　……Yeah. I definitely said that. That's not quite what I meant, though.

　If I rejected her now, she'd probably wilt. This cute little creature rarely showed her feelings on her face, but at the very least, I wanted her to be smiling inside.

"All right. Half and half, then. Can you pass me another plate?"

"…………(Nod, nod)"

　Kohinata nodded and timidly offered me a small plate with both hands.

　Every little movement seemed nothing like a high-school girl, yet it was so absurdly cute that I couldn't help smiling.

 

 

☆　☆　☆　☆　☆

 

 

　By the time our bus returned us to the stop where we'd met that afternoon, it was already past seven.

　After parting with Saejima and Keiichi, I walked through the night with Kohinata alone.

　The wind was cool, and the sun had already slipped below the horizon.

　I've always liked dawn and times like this, just after sunset. I couldn't explain why, but those hours calmed me.

"So, anyway. Here."

　What do you mean, "so, anyway"? Even I thought the transition made no sense as I pulled two thumb-sized cat-plush straps from my pocket and set them on my palm where Kohinata could see.

　One was a calico, the other black. The material was somewhere between plastic and rubber, and both looked a little like beckoning cats.

　Kohinata stared at the pair, looked up at me, then tilted her head.

"Remember when we split up and played crane games separately for a while? I got these then."

　Her gaze returned to the cats. She snuffled softly through her nose, plainly fascinated.

"I tried putting in a hundred yen and got lucky enough to win both. I don't really put this kind of thing on my stuff, so honestly, I wasn't sure what to do with them. If you like them, want them?"

　Kohinata nodded vigorously.

　The truth was, I'd fed the machine considerably more than one hundred yen. Still, she seemed to like them. Thank goodness.

　I'd tried the machine for the extremely simple reason that they looked like something Kohinata would like. Apparently, the persistence had paid off.

　After staring at the two cats for a while, Kohinata pinched one loop between her tiny thumb and index finger and lifted it. The black cat rose into the air.

"You don't have to pick just one. You can have both."

　She shook her head. Apparently, she didn't want the second one.

　That left me with a problem. If Kohinata didn't take it, what was I supposed to do with the other cat? I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Hmm…… Then maybe I'll give the calico to Saejima, Akane-san, or Manager."

　Surely at least one of them would want it. If all three refused, I'd secretly attach it to Keiichi's school bag.

　I was staring at the calico stranded in my palm when pechi──something tapped my waist. The culprit required no investigation.

"Hmm? Changed your mind? You want this one too?"

　Kohinata shook her head. Apparently not.

"……Then you don't want me giving it to someone else?"

　Kohinata nodded.

　Why was giving it away forbidden if she didn't want it herself? If she said that, the calico had nowhere else to go. It would be stuck with me forev──oh.

"You mean…… I'm supposed to use the calico?"

　Exactly! seemed to be the message behind her vigorous nod. Seriously?

"……Now, listen, Kohinata-san. Don't you think a guy with rumors like mine would look unbelievably creepy carrying around this adorable little kitty?"

　A guy rumored to beat and extort people walking around with an adorable calico strap…… Yeah, didn't that sound suspicious?

　Kohinata shook her head hard. Not at all!

"Is that so…… Well, if I just display it in my room, nobody has to see it. I can live with that."

　At worst, the friends who came over would tease me about it.

　I said it with a sigh. Pechi. She hit my waist again.

"Huh? That's not allowed either?"

　Kohinata gave one big nod. She was unusually forceful today.

　She wasn't talking over me or pressuring me verbally, so it didn't make me feel sick at all. My pulse, on the other hand, was another matter.

　Kohinata pulled out her phone and started typing.

　I suddenly felt like a defendant waiting for the verdict. Not that I'd ever actually been one.

　Then she turned the screen toward me.

"You mean my school──bag?"

　All she'd typed was 【Bag】.

　Was this tiny young lady seriously ordering me to attach the adorable cat to my school bag?

　Kohinata looked down near my feet, strangely restless, then dipped her chin in a small yes. Maybe I was imagining it, but her ears looked a little red.

　Was this supposed to be a "matching with Papa~" kind of thing for her?

　If that was how she felt, then knowing she'd lost her father made it hard to reject her outright. Maybe I was worrying more than necessary, but I couldn't pretend that fact didn't exist.

"……Okay, okay. I get it. But you're putting yours on something too, right? If we both carry matching straps, somebody might start assuming we're a couple. I'm used to people looking at me strangely, so I don't really care anymore, but you're still sure?"

　For me, strange looks weren't even the only concern. I also had to worry about some Kohinata fan stabbing me. Maybe I should start keeping a thick magazine under my shirt.

　At my self-deprecating joke, she gave a slow, emphatic nod, then typed 【I'm fine.】 and showed me.

　Come to think of it, I might be used to strange looks, but Kohinata barely cared about other people's attention in the first place. I'd completely forgotten.

"……Haa. Understood, Kohinata-sama."

　She nodded several times, looking thoroughly satisfied.

　Still, when she said I'm fine, which part did she mean? Being mistaken for a couple, or being stared at strangely……?