Higashi Hazuki Will Wait

[Today’s lesson is—]

The teacher’s voice echoed through the classroom.

Outside, a light drizzle fell steadily, dispersing the gradually rising heat.

[Aoyama, read this passage.]

[Okay, teacher—

I don’t know what my relationship with him is.

Maybe it’s simply exploitation, or maybe, through continuous time spent together, it has gradually drifted away from being something so simple.

Can it be called liking someone?

But I’m certain of one thing.

I have no right to accept anyone’s affection, nor do I have the right to like anyone.

And yet, someone like me has begun to cling to him unconsciously.

No matter how you look at it, this is meaningless.

We’re just using each other, and once that use is over, there will be no chance for us to ever have contact again.

But even so, I actually feel a trace of reluctance to let go.

This is completely different from who I used to be.

So, I truly don’t know how to sort this out.

What exactly are we to each other—]

[Alright, everyone, can you understand what the author was feeling at the time—]

[Ding-ling-ling—]

[As expected, Tooyama-sensei’s class is reaaally boring!]

Even if you pile on adverbs to express your boredom, I still won’t understand how you feel right now, Kaoru.

Because I’m different from you.

I’ve been immersed in deathly stillness for a long time now.

So I can’t truly distinguish levels of boredom.

To me, they’re all more or less the same.

[But thinking that we’ll be able to go back to the clubroom soon makes me feel full of energy.]

Looks like she really likes the tasks assigned by President Kudō.

How should I put it.

It sounds kind of silly, but from another angle, it’s an enviable mindset.

Being able to face your work happily is really nice.

[Kaoru, have you got any ideas?]

[Yeah, yeah.

I’ve been reading books about design lately.

You have to make sure readers can read comfortably all the way through!]

She looked determined.

Tenzan Kaoru is the type who keeps striving toward what she’s interested in.

Right now, she’s radiating even more passion than she does toward studying.

So—

[Um, Kaoru, why don’t you read a bit more regular books?

Midterms are coming up soon, you know.]

[Eh—eh?

Midterms already?

When?!]

[In two weeks.]

[Uwah—]

She grabbed her head in despair, letting out what might have been a desperate cry.

[What am I supposed to do?

How can I finish studying everything from middle school up to now in just two weeks?!]

[Why do you need to re-study middle school material?]

[Because I’ve completely forgotten it, obviously!]

Tenzan Kaoru said confidently.

[After starting high school, my brain’s been completely occupied by magical girls.

I’m not like I was in middle school, choosing to give things up just to study anymore.]

Is that really something to be proud of?

And also, you forgot everything in just a few months?

I nearly blurted out those complaints without any emotion.

Though, honestly, it doesn’t have much to do with me anyway.

But—

[If you’re really worried, Kaoru, I can teach you.]

[Really?

That’s great, Tsuki!]

[Just so you know in advance, I’m very strict.

If you’re too dumb, I won’t hesitate to scold you harshly.]

[Hehe, Tsuki would never have the heart to scold me.

We’re best friends, after all.]

She trusts me completely.

An idiot who looks extremely easy to deceive no matter how you look at it.

Once again, I cruelly squeezed a tiny bit of pleasure out of her.

Smiling, I said.

[Honestly, I give up on you, Kaoru.

But seriously, you really need to study properly.

You don’t want to see your name among the bottom ranks, right.]

That was perfectly in line with advice a good friend would give.

Tenzan Kaoru nodded.

[Mm-hm!]

And then—

[But, Tsuki, the new magical girl series is really amazing.

She can enter other people’s dreams and defeat the bad guys who bring despair into them!]

She switched back to the magical girl topic again.

But—

That’s fine too.

[Yeah, I’m following it as well.

Saving others from despair is really wonderful.]

I responded like that, earning an excited look from her.

[The heroine who longs to become a magical girl actually becomes one in a dream.

I got so excited watching it—]

Just giving casual responses is enough to keep her talking endlessly.

It’s much easier than back-and-forth conversation.

At least I don’t need to think about how to reply.

My gaze slowly shifted to the window.

There, scattered raindrops fell gently.

It wasn’t heavy rain, just soft and steady.

Occasionally, a breeze carrying moisture drifted in.

A refreshing feeling seemed to spread through the classroom, making one want to relax.

But for me, it was the same emptiness that’s existed for a long time now.

That feeling where nothing really matters.

Like falling with the raindrops into silent earth.

Looking at such a scene while experiencing decaying time.

Someone like me is probably beyond saving already.

So—

At noon today, can I still eat lunch outside with him?

The spring rain wasn’t heavy, but it was long-lasting.

Fine droplets kept tapping against the ground across the campus in a strange rhythm.

The drizzle continued until lunchtime.

[Looks like we can’t eat on the rooftop today.]

Tenzan Kaoru looked a bit dejected.

[Did you always eat on the rooftop before, Kaoru?]

[Of course.

There’s wind up there, so it’s really comfortable.

But eating alone is kind of lonely.]

As she said that, she glanced at me, intentionally or not.

Is she trying to invite me again?

Sorry, Kaoru.

No matter what, I can’t eat with you.

I don’t want you to see my almost savage way of eating.

Or how I feel like throwing up afterward.

Only Ichijō Riku knowing is enough.

[By the way, Tsuki, where do you usually eat lunch?

People say you disappear the moment lunchtime starts.]

[That is—]

I placed my index finger against my lips and smiled softly.

[I can’t tell.]

[Eh—how can you do that?

Tsuki, we’re best friends, aren’t we?

Why are you hiding it from me?]

Tenzan Kaoru looked hurt.

But I pretended not to see it.

[Hey, Tsuki.

Since it’s raining anyway, why don’t you eat in the classroom with me today?]

She was still pleading.

[Hmm.

How about you imagine a version of me and eat with that instead?]

I tilted my head and said it half-jokingly.

[Eh—wouldn’t that just make me look pitiful?]

[I’m really sorry, Kaoru.

I truly can’t keep you company.]

I put my hands together and apologized sincerely.

[Alright then.

I’ll let it go since you’re tutoring me.]

She still looked a little dissatisfied.

But thank goodness she let me off.

Kaoru, thank you.

And so, I took my umbrella and waited.

Until Ichijō Riku’s figure appeared before my eyes.

[I thought you might not come, Ichijō.]

[I thought you might not be waiting here, Higashi.]

Even though we both thought that, we both came anyway.

That alone brought an inexplicable sense of delight.

[Even if it’s raining, I’ll wait here.]

[Is that like saying, “Even if heaven sends rain, I will remain here”?]

Ichijō Riku smiled faintly.

You altered a line of poetry, didn’t you.

But the meaning is more or less the same.

Our umbrellas leaned together, finally finding a spot where we wouldn’t get wet.

[Alright, time to apply the ointment.]

I took out the tube of medicine that was still mostly full from my skirt pocket.

Narrowing my eyes, I giggled.

[Mm—]

Ichijō Riku naturally opened his shirt, letting me apply it to his back.

[Next—]

Turning my back to him, I began undoing my scarf.

[Um, Ichijō—]

[What is it?]

[I’m wearing blue today.]

He went silent for quite a while.

After a moment, he finally seemed to realize what I meant.

[Eh—]

In that time, I’d already lifted my clothes.

[See?

I didn’t lie.]

I said it with a smile.

Then I heard Ichijō Riku’s helpless reply.

[Even so, you don’t need to tell me that, Higashi.]

[Eh?

You don’t like it, Ichijō?]

I laughed softly.

[You must have thought about it at least once, right?

What color a girl’s underwear is.

Men are like that.

I know those kinds of feelings very well.]

[About that—]

Ichijō Riku’s hand pressed against me.

The coolness of the ointment stimulated my skin.

[I’ve never thought about it.]

[Is that so—]

I felt the tingling itch spreading from behind.

[I don’t really understand it either.

Just like you, Ichijō, I’ve never thought about it.]

After all, for a dried corpse, those kinds of desires no longer exist.

Anyway—

[But when I said it out loud, Ichijō, did you feel even a tiny bit of anticipation?]

There was no reply.

Ichijō Riku fell unusually silent.

[Uh, does it hurt, Higashi?]

Sometimes, not answering directly is already an answer, you know, Ichijō.

I couldn’t stop the smile on my face.

[Hehe—]

In the end, I didn’t laugh out loud.

A gust of wind blew past at that moment, making me shiver slightly.

[What’s wrong, Higashi?]

Ichijō Riku noticed.

There was no point hiding it.

[Hah, it’s cold.]

I shrank in a little.

[Sorry.

I’ll finish quickly, so please bear with it.]

His movements sped up noticeably.

Accompanied by brief pain, it eventually turned into relief.

[All done.]

[Mm.]

After I put my clothes back on, I noticed his cheeks were slightly flushed.

He only turned his head back slowly after hearing my voice.

[Are you still cold, Higashi?]

[If I said I was, would you hug me like the male leads in shōjo manga?]

While opening my bento box, revealing the humble food I’d been eating for over half a month, I turned my head and joked.

[Saying it’s to warm me up, but maybe you’d actually just want to take advantage.

There are plenty of other ways to keep warm, after all.

Of course, if you really wanted to do that, I wouldn’t refuse either.]

[Eh—]

He was completely at a loss for words.

[Hahaha.

I’m just joking, Ichijō.

I’m not cold anymore.]

[And if you don’t like my jokes, I’ll apologize too.]

That made him shake his head with a wry smile.

[If I really disliked it, I wouldn’t stay silent about it.

Actually, I quite like your jokes, Higashi.

They help me relax.

Alright then, Higashi.

Please try this.]

Another new dish.

He handed it to me.

[Thank you, Ichijō.]

[—Mm.]

We ate in a fairly pleasant mood.

After all, this is the happiest time of the day.

Next—

[Are you going to look for them alone, Higashi?]

[Seeing both you and Tsukihi get hurt because of them makes me really angry.

At the very least, we should teach them a lesson, right?

Otherwise, they won’t know to hold back.]

[Then please be careful, Higashi.]

[Mm—]

And finally, we parted in the rain.