Summer vacation ended, and the second semester began.
It’s still sweltering from morning to night, but before I noticed, the sound of cicadas had almost completely disappeared. Slowly, but surely, the seasons are shifting.
Honestly, with the student council work and Hanamitsuji calling me out, it doesn't feel like I got any rest at all.
I also finished all my homework. This year, unusually enough, I even finished the math workbook I'm so bad at. During my previous high school life, I couldn't understand it no matter how much I struggled, so I had just abandoned it. But now, having already experienced university entrance exams once, I can manage the first-year curriculum somehow.
Even after lecturing Kadotani like that, well… if I can do it, it's better to just get it done.
After the opening ceremony, homeroom dragged into overtime.
The topic was what our class would do for the festival. Prez Shiramine stood at the blackboard, writing down the ideas people suggested.
They had already decided against a food stall because it would be too much work, but even so, there were quite a lot of proposals.
<Haunted House>, <Fortune-telling Room>, <Escape Game>, <Gender-Swapped Fashion Show>, <Maze>, <Casino>, <Mosaic Art> and so on. Some ideas were clearly influenced way too much by somebody's kinks.
"Okay, I guess that's about it…"
Just as Shiramine was about to set down the chalk-
"Um, can I add something too?"
A voice called out.
I turned to see Hoshigasaki raising her hand, looking a little nervous.
"Yeah, go ahead, Hoshigasaki-san."
"Um, what about… a summer festival?"
With Shiramine’s go-ahead, Hoshigasaki spoke up shyly.
"A summer festival… Ah, you mean we would do stalls like at a festival's fair?"
"Right, right! Like festival shooting games, yo-yo fishing, and ring toss! We can even prepare prizes and stuff… What do you think?"
"I see. That might be just right for the time we have to prepare."
Shiramine wrote <Festival (summer festival stalls, etc.)> on the board.
After she took her seat, her friends nearby spoke to Hoshigasaki.
"Ohh, Ruri, that's a great idea!"
"Ehehe, right?"
"Haa, I bet you went to one, right?"
"Ehh, how did you know?"
"Ah, she hit the mark."
"You're way too easy to read."
Hiiragi retorted, and Hoshigasaki giggled with an "ehehe".
According to Hoshigasaki, she had hung out with Hiiragi and the others a few times during summer break. Honestly, I had been a little worried that they might drift apart once vacation ended, but it looks like there's nothing to worry about.
In the end, our class decided the "festival" Hoshigasaki suggested was the best.
She looked pleased, but because of her FestCom duties, she couldn't really attend many class activities. The actual work would be handled by the rest of us.
"...Ugh, normally, I would have been in a producer-like position."
On the way to the Student Council Room that day, Hoshigasaki kept looking back toward the classroom, clearly reluctant to leave.
Guess I should try cheering her up a bit.
"Well, won't it feel more like you're a guest that way? Thinking of it as something to look forward to on the day of might make it more fun, right?"
"Oh! That's true!"
Seeing her mood brighten, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
*
Once September hit, there was FestCom work every weekday. Anyone without club activities or lessons after school was told to participate as much as possible.
Normally, I would want to skip with some half-baked excuse. But Hanamitsuji, Hoshigasaki, and Shiramine are all part of the committee. It would be awkward to ditch when I know people there.
The more you get involved with others, the less freedom you seem to have.
I miss the days when I was a loner, the freest period of my life…
Today, too, I headed to the Home Ec Room, which had become the Food Safety Team's meeting spot. Around 60-70% of the people showed up.
Well, it's still a while until the festival. This much is normal.
I skimmed through the minutes from the last general meeting, killing time while pretending to check something. Ahh, can't it be time to go home already…?
Hmm… Class 3-A is doing a play. <Summer Wars>, huh? A classic choice for a summer movie. And Class B is doing a casino café. Looks like they are even preparing costumes. You can tell they are serious about it. And Class C…
Just then, the door to the room slid open with a clatter, and someone called out, "Excuse me~"
Reflexively looking up, I saw a guy I didn't recognize standing there. Seeing me sitting near the door, he held up some documents.
"Umm, I'll leave the application documents I was asked for right here!"
"Ah, okay, thanks..."
"Well then, thanks in advance!"
The student closed the door and hurried off. It seems everyone involved in the cultural festival is acting busy these days.
Good grief, I wonder what these documents are. An application for ingredients to be stored in the fridge, or maybe paperwork for the health office? I would rather just hand this off to a senior who actually knows this stuff.
"...Hm?"
That's strange. At the top of the document, it says <Cultural Festival Outdoor Stage Volunteer Group Application Form>. Hey, hey, why are volunteer group application forms being delivered to the Food Safety Team?
Thinking that maybe someone actually requested them, I took it to the team leader. But the leader took one look and declared:
"Ah, this is a mistake. They mixed us up with the Event Team. Both HQs are in the special building, so they probably got confused."
"I guess that's it..."
"Is the student who brought this still nearby?"
"No, I don't think so... looks like he went back."
"I see. Then you, take this to the Event Team."
"Eh... Yes, understood."
I had a bad feeling about this from the moment I saw the documents, and sure enough, this is what it came to. Well, I suppose it's fine since it's a relatively easy errand.
I'll drop by the restroom and hang around the vending machine area on the way back to kill some time.
Carrying the documents I was handed, I headed toward the Earth Science Lecture Room, where the Event Team's headquarters was located. The Home Ec Room and the Earth Science Lecture Room were both in the special building, on the first and third floors respectively, so despite having to go up and down the stairs, it wasn't that far.
I arrived in about a minute. They shouldn't be teaching earth science at our school anymore, so it’s probably just a leftover room from when they still taught it.
"Umm, I have a delivery for you, where..."
I slid the door open and called into the room, but I was overwhelmed by an oddly tense atmosphere.
...Something is wrong.
Near the front of the room sat a student who looked like the team leader, with several other students standing around them. At a glance, it seemed like mostly upperclassmen.
And standing there, as if facing off against that group, was Shiramine.
"Thinking back on it, this isn't the only time you guys tried to switch or reduce your practice shifts, right? There was a sudden shift last week, and I had to explain it to the Drama Club so they could cover for it. Was that also because of the Light Music Club?"
"That wasn't me."
"Then who was it?"
"...I think it was Tsushima, right?"
Another guy, having the conversation directed at him, stared at Shiramine with a menacing look.
"Yeah, the Dance Club asked me to change it. What about it?"
His blunt tone seemed to say he had nothing to do with it.
Shiramine, with her arms crossed, closed her eyes as if suppressing a sigh and demanded an answer in a voice devoid of emotion.
"Why did you change the shift without permission?"
"Couldn't be helped, right? My girlfriend is in the Dance Club. She's working hard too, so as her boyfriend, obviously, I'm going to make the shifts flexible for her."
Well, how should I put it, it's a common story.
The opinions of the groups with more people or better connections get prioritized, and the inconspicuous, plain ones end up suffering the consequences.
Whether it's in a classroom, a committee, or a club, this kind of thing never goes away. You could say it's just the natural order of things.
But I can also understand why the earnest Shiramine can't accept it. She's been involved with the Drama Club since summer vacation, especially, so she probably has a personal attachment to them.
Shiramine took a deep breath and told the senior straight out.
"Arbitrary shift changes are unfair, and they affect the trust in the Event Team and the festival as a whole. It negatively impacts the schedule as well, so you need to stop doing this completely from now on."
Obviously, Shiramine was right. The seniors staying silent said it all. They knew they were in the wrong
Her argument would probably be acknowledged soon, and the discussion would end.
Just as I optimistically assumed that would be the case, something unexpected happened.
"...Hic... uh... sniff... but..."
Suddenly, a sob echoed through the room. Looking over, a senior girl was covering her face, sniffling and hiccuping.
The rest of the Event Team members hurriedly gathered around her trembling shoulders.
"Are you okay?"
"...Ugh, I... I was just, asked to..."
"Right, Haruna was just asked to do it, wasn't she?"
"Because, Mika and Ayane are both working so hard... I… I just wanted to help everyone out... sniff."
"Let's go over there, okay?"
Spoken to with a gentle voice, the senior girl gave a small nod and walked towards the back of the room. Several people, both boys and girls, gathered around her.
Some students had worried expressions, while others awkwardly looked away. Among them were some shooting hostile glares at Shiramine.
"That first-year..." "She went way over the line, right…?"
Whispers like that leaked out, filling the room with an unbearable atmosphere.
Naturally, those voices must have reached Shiramine too, but she just stood perfectly still without arguing back.
She was completely right. Without a doubt. If you just summarized the facts, almost everyone would agree.
But problems between people aren't that simple.
The atmosphere, the relationships, the way things are said. How much of a person's judgment comes from stuff that has nothing to do with the actual issue is honestly ridiculous. In this case, Shiramine was entirely at a disadvantage.
"I mean, she's a volunteer, right? If she has complaints, she should just quit."
Such heartless words could be heard too.
Having seen how hard Shiramine had been working, I wanted to say, “You make her do all that work and then say that?”
I let out a deep sigh, emptied my mind, and confidently strode right into the room. Standing next to a desk by the wall, I raised my voice as loudly as I could.
"Excuuuuse me! Got a second!?"
For a moment, the entire room pierced me with a "who the hell is this guy?" stare. I'm still bad at gathering attention, but if it takes the heat off Shiramine, it'll do.
"Is this tea here okay for anyone to drink?"
Placed on the desk was a portable water jug like the ones sports clubs use. The FestCom had set it up to prevent heatstroke.
"A-Ah, yeah. As long as you're from the committee."
"Thanks. I'll help myself."
I grabbed a paper cup nearby, poured some tea, and gulped it down in an instant. I then headed straight for the team leader's seat and placed the documents on the desk.
"These are documents that some volunteer group mistakenly left with the Food Safety Team. I think they are under the Event Team's jurisdiction, so please check them."
"Ah, okay. Thanks."
The team leader, seemingly still surprised by my sudden intrusion, hastily picked up the documents.
"Well, I'm off then."
Saying that, I headed for the exit, calling out to Shiramine on the way.
"Also, Shiramine, the committee chair, Kambara-senpai, was calling for you."
"Eh?"
"Said it was some kind of emergency. Hurry up and go."
"A-Ahh..."
Though bewildered, Shiramine followed me. The timing might have been a bit unnatural, but it was better than leaving her in that situation.
Closing the door, I let out a deep breath.
In the quiet hallway, only Shiramine and I were left behind.
"...Shall we go?"
"Yeah."
We started walking without a word, but just as we were about to go up the stairs, Shiramine stopped in her tracks.
"That part about Kambara-senpai calling for me, it was a lie, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. I figured if I said the committee chair was calling, the other team members would have a hard time stopping you. ...My bad, was I being a busybody?"
"No. If you hadn't come, Nanamura-kun, I probably would have stayed there, but I don't think the situation would have improved anyway. If anything, it might have gone in a worse direction. Honestly, you saved me."
"As long as you're okay with it."
Shiramine let out a tired smile and pointed in a different direction from the stairs.
"If you're done with your errand, do you have a minute to talk? I'll treat you to some juice or something as thanks."
At the vending machine area facing the courtyard, I took her up on her offer and bought a cola. Twisting the cap, the carbonation escaped with a hiss.
We sat down side-by-side on a bench bathed in sunlight filtering through the trees. Shiramine began to trickle out her thoughts about the commotion from earlier.
"My, my. I guess this is what they call turning the tables."
Shiramine joked when our conversation got to the crying second-year girl.
If she was going to talk about it with that kind of vibe, I might as well play along.
"It seriously was like that. It was like they took the corner in Othello and flipped everything over all at once." [TL: The modern version of Reversi.]
"Sheesh… Maybe I should have cried, too."
Shiramine smiled ironically.
Her venomous words caught me off guard. Glancing at Shiramine out of the corner of my eye, she was resting her chin on the arm she had placed on her knee, staring off into the distance.
That was a surprisingly thorny way of putting it.
Given this state of affairs, taking Shiramine out of that room was the right call.
Shiramine sipped from her carton of tea and sighed.
"I hate girls who start crying during discussions."
"That's pretty dry of you."
"I understand how the girl who starts crying feels. Even so, I'm clearly in the right. It's frustrating being made out to be the bad guy just because of a single tear."
"You say that like it's happened before."
"It's pretty common. I often end up playing the role of Coordinator for the class, after all."
"Yeah, a Prez-type girl just hits different."
"Everyone can cry with such great timing, I'm honestly so jealous."
"I understand how you feel."
As for me, I’ve been ganged up on plenty of times during class meetings and choir competitions. Should I have started crying back then, too? No, but still, a loner guy getting cornered by girls and crying would be incredibly off-putting, to say the least.
"Why don't you practice crying too, for when push comes to shove?"
"Hehe, I don't want to go out of my way to practice becoming the kind of person I hate."
If Shiramine had the kind of personality where she could cry whenever it was convenient, things would have been a lot simpler.
*
Nearly a week had passed since Shiramine clashed with the Event Team members.
Since I'm on the Food Safety Team, I don't really know what's going on with the Event Team. Even so, I figured that Shiramine's situation probably hadn't improved.
Whenever I saw Shiramine during work, she was always alone. And it wasn't just once or twice that I saw FestCom people pointing at her back and whispering to each other.
Then, after school one day.
"Hey, hey, Prez, let's help out with the class stuff today!"
I heard that voice as I was walking to the committee as usual. When I turned around, slightly behind me, Hoshigasaki was holding onto Shiramine's hand.
Shiramine was staring at Hoshigasaki's face with a confused look.
"No, I have FestCom work to..."
"Just a little bit will be fine! Besides, you're curious about the class preparations too, aren't you!"
"Well, I suppose."
"Please! Let's do it together!"
As if to push the hesitating Shiramine, Hoshigasaki put her hands together in a pleading gesture.
There probably weren't many people who could refuse after being pushed this far.
"Well, if it's just for one day..."
Welp, I’ll be better off going to the committee by myself today.
Thinking that, as I started to walk away, Hoshigasaki came running over, crying, "Wait, wait, Nanamura!"
"You heard what we were just talking about, right!?"
She stood ahead of me in the hallway, spreading her arms wide to block my path. Every time I see this pose, it reminds me of an intimidating anteater.
"I heard it, which is why I figured you and Shiramine wouldn't be coming."
"No, no, Nanamura, it's been decided that you will be coming to check out the class as well!"
"It hasn't really been decided, has it?"
This would be a terrible Japanese exam question. It's the kind of thing a prep school instructor would complain about in an explanation video uploaded the day after the exam.
"I mean, wouldn't the other guys be annoyed if I joined in?"
"I cleared up the misunderstanding about that incident with me, so it'll be fine!"
"No, I'm saying it would be awkward to try and help since I don't have any friends or anything."
"...I cleared up the misunderstanding, so it'll be fine."
"You just said the same thing twice."
Hoshigasaki just flat-out ignored the no-friends part.
It's a pain, but since it has come to this, I have no choice but to show my face in class. But man, considering I don't even know what they are doing right now, is there even anything I can help with?
I took out my smartphone and texted Hanamitsuji, letting her know I would be taking the day off from FestCom work.
The moment I sent the message, a reply came back instantly.
<Is Mashiro with you?>
<Yeah, Hoshigasaki too.>
<Take care of Mashiro, okay?>
Good grief, she sees right through everything.
Well, if Hoshigasaki is worrying about Shiramine like this, Hanamitsuji has probably sensed that something's off, too. She might have even heard what happened from her friends or acquaintances on the Event Team.
<It's impossible for me, so I'll leave it to Hoshigasaki.>
I replied with just that for the time being and put my phone away.
When we returned to the classroom, the desks had been moved to the back at some point. It wasn't just my desk as some kind of personal bullying, but all of them.
It seemed they had created a spot in the classroom to make the props needed for the festival stalls.
"Everyone! We're gonna help out here today!"
Hoshigasaki entered in high spirits, thrusting her hand into the air. Yet my presence had caused quite a stir among my classmates.
"They really are together..." "They seem kind of close, don't they..."
I could hear my classmates whispering. How about you lower your voice if you don't want me to hear?
What is this? The misunderstanding was cleared up, but I feel like a whole new one is being born…
I pulled myself together and looked around the classroom, only to see Hoshigasaki beckoning me over. That's exactly why they think that, you know.
As I tried to approach, a sharp, piercing glare shot my way.
It was Hoshigasaki's friend, Hiiragi. She made a grim expression when she saw my face, but well, she almost always makes that face when she looks at me, so there's a possibility this is just her default setting.
I ignored it and approached, finding Hiiragi and her group putting wooden boards together to make something.
"What is this?"
"The frame for the bouncy ball scooping. We're going to put a waterproof sheet and a vinyl pool inside."
"Huh, so we're doing bouncy ball scooping."
When I muttered that casually, Hiiragi stared at me with a dubious expression.
"Do you not even know what your class is making?"
"Well, I know that our exhibit was decided to be a festival. But I don't know what else we're doing. I haven't participated in the preparations either."
"No, the contents of the festival were decided during homeroom, weren't they?"
"I was asleep."
Hiiragi, speechless for a moment at my answer, let out a deep sigh and looked away.
"You're... definitely a weird guy."
Paying no mind to our exchange, Hoshigasaki was happily helping with the props. Well, if it serves as a breather for her, then that's just fine.
A girl from a different group came over and talked to Hoshigasaki.
"Hoshigasaki-san, you went to a summer festival, right? Do you remember what the target shooting was like? We're all trying to make it, but we can't get a unified image of it."
"Umm, target shooting, huh. I didn't play it myself, but..."
Saying that, Hoshigasaki spun around.
Ah, shit.
"Hey, hey, you played at the target shooting range, right, Nanamura? What was it like that time?"
Before I even had time to try to escape, Hoshigasaki asked me in a completely carefree manner.
The air within a radius of several meters stopped for a few seconds.
"...Hm? Huh?"
Hoshigasaki tilted her head. It seemed she finally realized she had messed up.
"Ehhhh!? You and Nanamura-kun went to a festival together!?"
The girl who had spoken to her covered her mouth with both hands and let out a cry of shock.
As if lured by her voice, the surrounding classmates began talking one after another.
"I knew it..." "I thought so." "Even back in the first semester, too..."
Hoshigasaki's face turned bright red.
"N-No, you've got it wrong! Uhh, Sora-chan and Prez and everyone else were there! It wasn't just the two of us at all!"
She explained, waving her hands frantically. I wished she could say it with more confidence, because now it looked like we had something to hide.
Shiramine, who was diagonally behind me, was watching the scene and chuckling. Hey, you were there too. Clean up this mess for us as well.
Hiiragi placed a hand firmly on Hoshigasaki's shoulder and announced gravely.
"Ruri, I really think you should reconsider... there is absoooooolutely someone better out there for you."
"I'm telling you, it's not like that!"
"If you want, I can introduce you to someone?"
Then, more of Hoshigasaki's friends gathered around, making a huge racket.
Ah, so annoying. As I headed towards the hallway to escape even a little bit, someone suddenly grabbed me firmly by the shoulder.
There was a boy with a buzz cut when I turned around.
"Yo, Nanamura."
"Ah... um, Kuno, right?"
"Did it kinda take you a while to remember?"
Kuno, a guy in my class who's in the Baseball Club, gave me a puzzled look.
"My bad, summer vacation messed with my memory."
"Ahaha! You say some funny things, Nanamura!"
No, that was actually a pretty serious reason. But it seems bro took it as a joke.
After laughing for a while, he suddenly brought his face close to mine.
"More importantly, it's about Ruri! That's the issue here!"
"There isn't an issue anywhere."
But paying no attention to my reply, Kuno lowered his voice and asked.
"Just between us, how far have you two gone?"
"...We haven't gone anywhere."
Probably, in the sense Kuno is thinking. If we're talking literally, we've gone to the beach and the summer festival, though.
"Eh? You two aren't dating?"
"No, there's no way. It's bad for Hoshigasaki, too."
Could you not say stupid things? Hiiragi-san's face, which had been flickering in the corner of my vision for a while now, was terrifying.
I somehow managed to brush him off and gave the girls' group from earlier a lecture on the sense of distance and table height for the target shooting.
After that, I walked around the classroom from end to end, wondering if some random group would let me join them, until Hoshigasaki took pity on me and appointed me to the role of cutting cardboard. If no one had called out to me for a little longer, I was about to consider it an off-duty notification and head home... Wait, wouldn't it have been easier if no one called out to me...?
As I was snipping away without even knowing what the cardboard was for, I heard Shiramine's laughter. It seemed she had joined a group with her friends and was doing various tasks.
Seeing Shiramine's face as she laughed with her friends, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
*
On the way home that day.
As I walked my bicycle out of the school gates, Shiramine was standing there.
"Hey."
"Yo."
It seemed she had something she wanted to talk about. We walked together, heading down the slope in front of the high school.
"Thanks for today, Nanamura-kun."
"Save your thanks for Hoshigasaki."
"Of course, I thanked her. But I figured I should at least let you know, too."
The air was still hot and humid, but before I knew it, the sound of cicadas had faded away. I could really feel that the seasons were steadily heading toward autumn.
"When Hoshigasaki-san invited me to the class... honestly, I felt saved."
Shiramine murmured quietly.
Her tone was unusually weak.
"It seems it was getting to me more than I thought."
"I see."
Suddenly, I remembered the incident from the previous time when Shiramine didn't join the student council.
Wasn't the reason for that, just like this time, because of some trouble in the FestCom?
Even if we hadn't gone back in time, the Event Team probably would have been doing similar unfair things anyway. And with Shiramine's personality, if she saw injustice, she would definitely call it out. As a result, her relationships likely soured, and it became hard for her to stay on the committee.
It wouldn't be surprising if that made her anxious about joining organizations, leading her to give up on getting into the student council.
I stole a glance at Shiramine's profile. I couldn't tell what kind of emotions lay behind her well-featured face.
"...Hey, Shiramine."
"What?"
"Is it impossible for you to just keep your head down for a while? Just turn a blind eye to things until the festival is over. If you do that, things will have cooled down by the time the actual event rolls around."
"You're telling me to give in?"
I couldn't reply to her strong tone. Shiramine seemed surprised by her own voice as well. She slowly shook her head and let out a breath.
"I'm sorry. I know you're just worrying about me."
"No, it's my bad. I was out of line."
"Yeah."
In the end, I couldn't find the right words to say until we reached the fork in the road that day.
*
After getting home, I told Hanamitsuji about the chain of events on LINE.
She seemed to be worried about Shiramine, so it should be fine to at least tell her this much.
A call came in immediately after I sent the message. I had expected as much, so I quickly pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Nanamura-kun. Thank you for looking after Mashiro."
"It was nothing. Hoshigasaki did everything."
"Right. I need to thank Ruri too... Anyway, about Mashiro."
After that, Hanamitsuji spoke up with a tinge of hesitation.
"I would rather have her quit the committee than get hurt."
Honestly, I was surprised.
I thought Hanamitsuji was more the type to say we should all get along.
When I told her that, Hanamitsuji let out a sigh.
"Even so, there's such a thing as being suited or unsuited for something. Mashiro has a strong sense of justice, so she won't bend her beliefs even if it puts her in a bad position. If she stays on the committee like this, she might get hurt even more. As her friend, I would hate that."
"I see."
Hearing her say that, I remembered the school trip.
Back then, Shiramine tried to get me to fit in with the group as well, even if it meant making her own position worse.
In the end, things settled down because I left the group on my own... but what would have happened if I had just stayed and acted with the group?
There's a possibility that not just me, but even Shiramine would have been shunned by the group members.
"Mashiro is my friend. I won't say unreasonable things like I do when I'm dealing with you, Nanamura-kun."
"Stop thinking it's okay to say unreasonable things just because it's me."
"Hehe, I'll take it back and consider it."
Isn't that the standard phrase used when politely declining something?
I hung up the call and let out a long sigh.
Just as Hanamitsuji said, Shiramine probably won't bend her beliefs even if she's at a disadvantage. I do feel a bit exasperated, wondering why she goes that far, but there's no point in saying that. Besides, looking at it objectively, Shiramine is entirely in the right.
Anyway, unless the fundamental situation improves, these clashes will keep happening over and over again. It wouldn't be strange if a situation similar to before happened as early as tomorrow.
What should I do to avoid that?
To be honest, it's not like I couldn't think of anything. There's no guarantee it'll go well, or rather, even if it goes as well as possible, there's no future where Shiramine gets along harmoniously with the Event Team members. But it's probably better than doing nothing.
The problem is how far I should stick my neck into this, but... Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki are both worrying about it, and I owe Shiramine for what happened during the school trip.
Besides, even I feel irritated by the Event Team's way of dealing with it. When I think about them acting all high and mighty to their friends while making the Drama Club and others draw the short straw, it makes me feel like, "Isn't that unfair?”. I mean, if I had friends, I would want to abuse my authority and act important too, but unfortunately, I don't have any, so it's impossible. In that case, the only thing a loner can do is drag them down. At the very least, I'll take the liberty of hammering down the nails that stick out.
Convincing myself with that, I let out a deep sigh.
Good grief. It seems that more acquaintances just means more problems.
*
The next day. After school.
After leaving the Student Council Room, I headed to the Earth Science Lecture Room, where the Event Team was working. From my casual chats with Shiramine, I knew they were doing the shift adjustments for next week today.
How the situation will unfold is a matter of playing it by ear, but well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
"Excuse me."
I knocked and opened the door. Entering with a clear file full of documents held behind my back, I found an argument similar to the one before unfolding, just as expected.
"That is unfair. Please change your mind."
"Shiramine, are you still going on about that? You know the Light Music Club has a lot of members and it's tough for them, right?"
"The Drama Club is working hard with a small number of people, too. If their performance at the festival goes well, it might lead to acquiring new members."
The person receiving her protest was the same second-year girl from the other day.
However, today there was no sign of her crying. If anything, she seemed kind of triumphant. That alone told you how much things had shifted since last time.
"I mean, if you're going to complain, say it to the others, too. I'm not the only one trying to get some leeway in our shift schedules. Isn't it unfair that I'm the only one being blamed?"
"That is, of course, a problem with everyone, not just you, senpai."
"Then what, you're telling us to overturn everything we have done so far? That would be an even bigger problem, wouldn't it?"
"Now, now, you two, let's leave it at that... I understand what Shiramine-san is trying to say too. But this is a matter between students, so wouldn't it be okay to be a little flexible, right?"
The team leader stepped in to mediate, looking like he couldn't just stand by and watch anymore. But rather than taking Shiramine's side, he seemed to be trying to smooth things over and sweep it under the rug. In the end, it was still just another attempt to shut down her argument.
Something about watching it all just pissed me off. Why wouldn't any of them just acknowledge that she was correct? Why were they treating her like she was the one ruining the mood when she was completely in the right?
Forget it. I'm just going to have to wreck everything. Who cares if a place that does nothing but gang up on honest people gets destroyed? At least, that's how I justified it to myself.
Swallowing down my frustration, I took a deep breath.
"Hey, excuse me!"
Just like last time, I shouted loudly enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room.
But today, I wasn't heading for the water jug.
I marched straight up to the team leader's desk and politely set the documents down.
"Team Leader. Please process this application for me."
"...What is this?"
"It's an application to add more practice shifts for the Magic Club's stage performance. The scheduled time isn't enough, so we're requesting an extension."
"Eh?"
Shiramine let out a weird sound behind me, but I didn't look back. I just kept staring dead ahead at the team leader's face.
"I'm super tight with the Magic Club, you see. And from what I've been hearing, as long as you're buddies with a committee member, you guys can be a little flexible with the schedule, right?"
"Umm, but there aren't any open time slots left..."
"Then just cut some time from the other clubs. If the Light Music Club is off-limits, then... how about the Brass Band Club or the Choir Club? They don't need the gym. They can just practice in the first or second Music Room. Hell, they even practice in the connecting corridors sometimes anyway."
"Who even are you? What are you trying to pull, spouting all this nonsense all of a sudden?"
The second-year girl glared at me, clearly bewildered.
I'm terrible at arguing with strangers, but I had to put up a strong front here. Clasping my hands together, which were growing cold from nerves, I shot back as if I didn't have a care in the world.
"It's not nonsense at all, it's exactly what the Event Team has been doing this whole time. Cutting into other clubs' practice time just to give your friends more time. What do you call it? The spirit of compassion? Mutual support? Something like that."
"Wait, you're a first-year, aren't you?"
The second-year girl looked at me like I was absolute trash. Some guys with a specific fetish might have enjoyed that, but unfortunately, I'm not into that kind of thing.
"Hey now, we're all FestCom members here. Plus, I was actually elected by my class, unlike the volunteers."
Even as I spoke, I could feel the veins in my neck throbbing loudly. Ah, damn it, getting this incredibly nervous just from speaking in front of people... I'm really pathetic. It really makes me respect Shiramine for doing this over and over again.
"It feels a bit unfair that it's okay for you guys to do it, but not for me. Is it that thing? Do we still have some Showa-era hierarchy going on where seniors are gods and juniors are slaves? Is this a prestigious Baseball Club's dorm or something?"
To play it off, I put a hand to my neck and forced a smile, praying I looked like I had room to spare. I mean, it would suck if she were thinking, "Ugh, this guy's face is gross..." but it couldn't be helped. Though if she actually said that to my face, I don't think I would ever recover.
Come to think of it, rap battles were popular for a while, but I wonder if lines like "your face is gross, man" or "your breath stinks" are considered banned cards. You would have no comeback if someone dropped that on you. Even if you won in the end, you would still just be known as "that guy with the stinky breath..."
Fortunately, the second-year girl clicked her tongue and looked away without commenting on my face or my breath.
The team leader, seemingly unable to decide whose side to take, darted his eyes around as if seeking help.
"It looks like you're convinced too, senpai, so please go ahead with the shift adjustments."
"A-Ah, okay..."
Seeing the team leader give a small nod, I secretly fiddled with my smartphone behind my back. I stealthily sent a message to a contact I had just added earlier.
I put my phone away, pointed at the shift schedule paper, and urged the team leader on.
"Could you cut the practice time for the Brass Band Club on Wednesday and the Choir Club on Friday right there, and just squeeze us in?"
"A-Ah, yeah... like this?"
"Yeah, exactly. Also, let's see, you can probably cut the Drama Club's shift on Saturday too..."
"H-Hey."
Just as Shiramine started to say something, the door to the Earth Science Lecture Room slid open with a clatter.
"Good work, everyone! How are things looking over here?"
"...Kambara-senpai?"
Shiramine, who had been about to grab my shoulder, got a blank look on her face. Kambara-senpai, standing in the doorway, looked at my face and gave a small smirk.
Perfect timing. It seems my signal reached her loud and clear.
"Looks like you guys are having a bit of a dispute. Let's see here."
Kambara-senpai briskly walked over and picked up the shift schedule from the team leader's hands. Seeing the traces of the "shift adjustments" written on it, she narrowed her eyes.
Then, with a pained expression, she looked around at the team members and me.
"This is bad, you guys."
"Is it bad?"
"Yeah. To think the gymnasium stage practice times were being unfairly rewritten at the sole discretion of a committee member. It sets a bad example for the clubs that are working earnestly, and it will tarnish the name of the Higashidani Festival. This first-year wasn't the only one that requested shift adjustments, right? Look here, they have been rewritten last week and the week before that, too."
The team leader, whose face had visibly paled, looked over at the girl who had been arguing with Shiramine.
"T-That's..."
"I didn't really think it was that bad of a thing! It's just, my friends..."
Watching her, Kambara-senpai put on a smile that gave off the cold feeling of porcelain.
"Right, it was for your friends. I understand that you all probably thought you were doing a good thing. But since I've caught you in the act, I have no choice but to deal with it."
Being reprimanded so dispassionately, the second-year girl and the team leader awkwardly looked down.
Kambara-senpai glanced at me for a split second and let out a small chuckle.
Before I even had time to react to that, Kambara-senpai declared in a voice that carried throughout the room.
"Just the people who are here today are fine, but gather the entire Event Team here. The Executive Team will determine how to handle this from here on out."
As the team leader and the others hurriedly started contacting people, Kambara-senpai quietly watched them. Shiramine was half-dazed, leaning against a desk.
All that arguing in front of people caught up with me at once, and I slumped down limply into a nearby chair. My my, I did something totally out of character... Somebody praise me. No, you don't even have to praise me, just give me some tax-free unearned income. Or even better, a cute girl falling from the sky.
As I was blankly thinking about such things, Kambara-senpai was standing next to me before I knew it. Looking down at my face in amusement, she spoke to me.
"You really come up with convoluted schemes, don't you? Wouldn't it have been enough to just appeal directly to me?"
"I figured catching them in the act would be quicker. Plus, the evidence would be right there."
I went to the Student Council Room and explained the Event Team's shift tampering to her today.
After that, I explained that I was going to intentionally mess with the shifts and asked her to enter the Earth Science Lecture Room when I sent a message as a signal.
It would have been fine to just tattle to Kambara-senpai, but there was a non-zero chance they would coordinate their stories and cover it up. Even if it was just that, it would still be a big problem if they managed to make Shiramine out to be the bad guy.
In that regard, you can't talk your way out of being caught red-handed.
If I played the role of the culprit, I could guarantee something would happen today, so that's what I did. I think this was the shortest route to solving the problem quickly.
After a brief silence, Kambara-senpai spoke up as if she had just remembered something.
"Nanamura-kun. You're the one who proposed opening up the library, right?"
"I am, but..."
"Well, the librarian gave us the green light, so it looks like we can actually make it happen! Isn't that great?"
"Ah... is that right..."
Given the timing, it was hard to feel genuinely happy about it.
Perhaps dissatisfied with my lackluster reaction, Kambara-senpai repeatedly nudged my shoulder with her elbow.
"What's with that weak reaction, man? If the library stays open next year and the year after that, it'll basically be a tradition! A tradition! By the time you're a third-year, you could totally brag about being the guy who started a tradition, couldn't you?"
"Not really. It's not like I have anyone to brag to anyway."
"Is that so?"
"I'm the kind of guy who told you to open the library precisely because I won't be able to enjoy the festival, remember?"
"Ahaha! That's certainly true!"
Bursting into laughter, Kambara-senpai patted my shoulder a few times and walked over to the Event Team.
During the discussion that followed, it was decided that the Executive Team would take jurisdiction over adjusting the practice shifts for the gymnasium stage and other venues. The Event Team wasn't given any specific punishment, but to make up for the practice time they had arbitrarily cut up until now, the gym's opening hours would be extended to provide appropriate compensation.
Supervision and presence at the gym during those times would be handled on a rotating basis by members of the student council and the Event Team. It seemed the committee members directly involved in altering the shifts, like the second-year senior who had argued with Shiramine, would be getting priority assignments for this extra work.
It would be an inconvenience for the clubs since the timeslots would be later, but that couldn't be helped to some extent.
By the way, the Magic Club that I tried to force into the shift schedule was a club that hadn't even planned to practice on the gym stage in the first place.
I myself have absolutely no connection to the Magic Club, nor do I know anyone in it. During the discussion, I pushed through with the excuse, "Because it sounded kinda fun," like some sort of prankster out for a thrill. I felt a little bad for using the Magic Club's name without permission, but I didn't have time to lay any groundwork beforehand, so I hope they can forgive me.
This will probably make the Event Team resent me a bit, but I don't plan on ever associating with them in the future anyway, so whatever. Besides, they'll forget about me soon enough, regardless.
It was heavy-handed, sure, but this should stop Shiramine from getting dragged into any more unnecessary conflicts. In truth, there might have been a better solution out there that didn't leave bad blood on both sides.
I just couldn't think of any better way to handle it.
Well, a loner can't mend human relationships in the first place. The best I can do is take relationships that are already bad and make them worse until they completely collapse.
...Writing it out like that just makes me sound like the absolute worst. If I were a girl, maybe I would have ended up being one of those club-wrecking drama queens.
*
A weekday in late September, with the festival only a week away.
I had my laptop open in the Home Ec Room, compiling all the classes' expense application forms into a spreadsheet. Surprisingly, there weren't many people on the Food Safety Team with PC experience, so the job fell on me since I knew my way around one a little bit.
Stretching my back at a good stopping point, my joints let out a satisfying pop. I thought it looked awfully dark outside the window, only to realize the sun had already set, even though it wasn't even 6 pm yet.
It made sense since the autumn equinox had already passed, but it was still surprising since it felt like it was just summer a little while ago.
It was almost the final curfew for leaving school, so I figured I should probably head home soon.
Just as I was closing my laptop and packing up my things, Hoshigasaki came rushing in.
"Hey, Nanamura, let's put on yukatas!"
"Ha?"
"We're doing fireworks now, right? We have yukatas that we're using for the class festival stalls, so let's borrow them and all wear them!"
Hoshigasaki said this with a beaming smile.
Today, after the final school departure time, there was going to be a fireworks show in the schoolyard. And a secret one at that, where only the FestCom members could participate.
I thought it was kind of ridiculous, but they said it was a committee tradition, so it couldn't be helped. Officially, it was supposed to be a "dry run for the campfire to be held during the after-party".
Of course, it was probably just an excuse made up by some seniors in the past who just wanted to mess around. But if it continues for generations, it becomes a bona fide tradition.
Besides, it wasn't a completely meaningless event purely meant for playing around. We had to check things like the placement of water jugs and fire buckets, the distance between the water supply and the campfire, and how to handle and extinguish fires properly.
...Or at least, that's what Kambara-senpai told me.
"Nope, I'm not going."
"Why not!? It's fireworks, you know!?"
Hoshigasaki yelled, looking as if she genuinely hadn't expected that answer. I couldn't help but feel like she should understand what kind of person I am by now. Do I really look like the type of guy who would get excited over fireworks?
"I mean, it'll be fine if I'm not there, right?"
"No way! You're totally missing out if you don't do fireworks!"
"The fireworks might get damp if I'm around."
"It's not like you're a water type! You can't even swim!"
As Hoshigasaki continued to forcefully argue her point, Hanamitsuji walked up. I guess they are planning on joining the fireworks show too.
"What's going on with you two?"
"Ah, Sora-chan! Nanamura is saying he's not going to the fireworks show! Isn't that unbelievable!?"
"Not exactly. We're talking about him, after all."
Hanamitsuji replied without looking the least bit surprised.
As expected of a fellow comrade who had gone back in time, she understands me well. In that case, wouldn't you help me persuade Hoshigasaki?
"But that's no good. You absolutely have to participate today, Nanamura-kun."
"Why?"
"Didn't you get the email? It said members in charge of the after-party need to stay behind for the fireworks."
"Eh?"
When I opened the email app on my smartphone, sure enough, there was an email titled <[Important] Regarding the Fireworks Show>. It was from a few days ago, so I had completely forgotten it existed.
Scrolling through the text, it definitely stated that committee members in charge of the post-festival party were required to participate in the fireworks show. And right there in the list of mandatory participants was the name "Hodaka Nanamura".
"W-Why am I on there…!?"
"Because you're in charge of the after-party, obviously. It was announced in a different email who the members in charge were, so make sure you check it later."
Are you kidding me? I don't usually use email, so I guess I've been overlooking some pretty important ones.
"By the way, Nanamura-kun, it seems your job for the after-party is to keep an eye on the water in the plastic jugs. Do your best."
This is like the most pointless thing I could think of. How do I even do my best at this?
Seeing me droop my head in dejection, Hoshigasaki laughed in a troubled manner.
"It looks like half the committee has jobs for the after-party, so it can't be helped. Don't mind it, Nanamura."
"By the way, Ruri, Mashiro, and I were left out of it. Kasai-kun, too."
Hanamitsuji chimed in with some thoroughly unwelcome supplementary information. Why was I the only one singled out?
Sigh... I just want to go home as quickly as possible, both today and on the actual day of the festival…
In the end, since it seemed I had no choice but to attend the fireworks show, I went to the restroom and changed into the yukata Hoshigasaki had picked out for me. I was supposed to meet up with Hanamitsuji and the others in the schoolyard.
Before I knew it, it had become the season where you could feel a cool breeze once the sun went down.
Even so, wearing a yukata layered over my regular clothes was still reasonably hot. Fanning myself with a round fan, I stepped out from the entrance into the schoolyard.
Even though it's technically work, is it really okay to be doing cosplay-like stuff? I had been thinking such commendable thoughts, but surprisingly, many of the surrounding committee members were also acting quite rowdy. Maid outfits, butler suits, and even a guy wearing a frilly idol costume. What kind of exhibit is that for?
I stepped out into the schoolyard submerged in darkness. There were no streetlights except for along the school building and the side facing the road. The center of the grounds was pitch black.
The people who do club activities until night are probably used to this, but for me, a permanent member of the going-home club, it was a novel sight.
"Nanamura-kun, over here."
As I was looking around the corner, a voice called out from behind me. Looking back, a familiar face was sitting on the stairs leading to the bicycle parking lot.
"You're in a yukata too, Hanamitsuji?"
"Yes, I borrowed it from Ruri. She said she had a lot, so it was fine."
Saying so, Hanamitsuji smiled sweetly. Her yukata, illuminated by the streetlights, featured lovely pale pink flowers blooming on a cream-colored background. This girl looks good in whatever she wears…
"It suits you surprisingly well, too, Nanamura-kun."
"Does it?"
My yukata was olive-colored, or rather, a subdued shade like dried grass with a pattern on it. Hmm, does she mean something old-man-ish suits me? I arbitrarily read into her words and got depressed.
"Yeah, yeah, it reminds me of the saying 'clothes make the man'."
"That's not really a compliment, is it?"
As we were bantering, a blonde girl with a side-tail came down the stairs, waving her hands vigorously. Beside her was a petite figure with black hair. Both were in yukatas.
Hoshigasaki's yukata had pale light-blue flowers scattered across a white background, a cool-looking design. I couldn't quite predict if traditional Japanese clothes would suit blonde hair, but seeing it like this, it wasn't bad at all.
"You're here too, huh, Shiramine."
When I called out to her, Shiramine gave a small nod and looked at Hoshigasaki.
"Yeah, Hoshigasaki-san and Hanamitsuji-san invited me, so I had no choice."
"But I wanted to do fireworks with you too, Prez!"
"Since you went through the trouble of joining the committee, you would be missing out if you didn't do it, Mashiro."
"Yeah, yeah."
Shiramine, laughing in a "good grief" kind of way, wore a yukata with large blooming peonies on a black background. It felt like a high-difficulty design to pull off, but the fact that she was wearing it so well was amazing. Her long black hair was tied back, and her slender, white neck and nape peeked out from the collar of the yukata.
As we were making idle chatter, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
"Alright, everyone! It's fireworks time!"
Near the center of the schoolyard, Kambara-senpai thrust her fist into the air. There were several lantern-style lights placed around, making it look a bit like a stage.
"Yay!"
The FestCom members pounced on the large bags of handheld fireworks that had been prepared, rummaging through them for this and that. They are all just normal sparklers, so I don't think there's much difference between them.
I waited until most of the people had cleared out before slowly approaching the firework bags. All around, vivid sparks were already scattering, and I could hear the voices of the students.
Holding a sparkler I had picked out at random, I lit it using a candle placed a short distance away.
With a sizzle, whitish sparks erupted from the tip. Whoa, it's been a while since I've done this, but it has quite a bit of impact.
Beside me, the three girls were facing each other, enjoying the fireworks. The whitish light of the sparks illuminated their yukata-clad figures against the night. Hanamitsuji murmured in a trance.
"Fireworks really are nice, aren't they? So pretty."
"Look, look, dual-wielding!"
"I get how there's always that one person who does it, but you're already doing it on your first fireworks?"
Watching Hoshigasaki frolicking with a sparkler in each hand, Shiramine laughed in exasperation.
I also enjoyed my sparkler, keeping a moderate distance. I felt a bit hesitant to join their circle of three, but it would also be embarrassing to wander off and do fireworks all by myself.
No matter how used I am to acting alone, doing fireworks all by my lonesome while surrounded by a large crowd of people doing the same is pretty rough.
My umpteenth sparkler burnt out, so I tossed it into a nearby fire bucket.
I glanced around. There weren't that many people making a loud ruckus anymore. Instead, they had gathered into their respective groups, quietly doing fireworks.
Why is that...? I wondered, before digging through the bag of fireworks and realizing the reason. I see. The flashy fireworks have run out, and they are now using the traditional sparklers.
Since it was a hassle, I grabbed the whole bag and wandered around looking for a candle. Then, in a sparsely populated area, I caught sight of a lone yukata-clad figure sitting down. A large peony faintly floated in the darkness.
"...Shiramine."
"Oh, Nanamura-kun. What happened to Hoshigasaki-san and the others?"
She seemed surprised when I walked up and called out to her.
"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you alone? Did you get separated?"
"No, I just got tired from all the excitement. I'm not used to it, you see."
Saying that, Shiramine gave a small smile.
For some reason, I also crouched down on the spot and handed her a leftover sparkler.
"Want to do one?"
"Are you sure?"
"I brought a lot of them."
"I see. Then I'll take you up on that."
Together, we brought our sparklers close to the candle's flame.
With a crackle, popping sparks began to scatter. Wanting to savor that faint light, we backed away from the candle as if we had agreed beforehand.
A soft, warm-colored light, different from the flashy handheld fireworks. Shiramine's face faintly emerged in the glow.
"I really like sparklers."
I was surprised by how Shiramine's words seemed to synchronize with my own thoughts, but it didn't feel unexpected.
"If I had to choose, I'm the same way. It's calming."
From the glowing orb at the tip, sparks resembling tiny spider lilies began to scatter with a soft slushy sound.
"Thank you for the other day."
"Eh?"
"About the Event Team. I wanted to thank you again properly."
So it was about that. It was really a bitter memory for me, though.
"I think I did something unnecessary. But I couldn't think of any other way to keep you from clashing with the others."
"It's fine. I actually felt a bit refreshed, too."
Shiramine smiled after saying that.
As if entering its final sprint, the sparklers vigorously shot out sparks with a crackling sound. They have a surprisingly dynamic side to them as well, huh?
"How are things at the committee?"
"Uncomfortable as always. Though that's to be expected."
Smiling bitterly, Shiramine shifted her posture as her shoe soles scraped the sand with a scuff. She rested both arms on her knees and buried her chin in the gap between them.
"Well, it can't be helped. I'm part of the volunteer group, and I had already factored in that things would turn out like this the moment I complained."
With a soft plop, the glowing orb fell from Shiramine's sparklers. Mine went out right after, leaving behind only an afterglow-like darkness and our silhouettes.
"Want to do another one?"
"Thanks. I'll take one."
We lit them and crouched there facing each other.
Watching the small, fragile sparks, it felt as though we were the only ones left behind in the darkness.
I felt like I heard Hoshigasaki's laugh in the distance and turned around, but all I could see were silhouettes gathered around scattered, warm lights, and I couldn't tell who was who.
The laughter was quickly swallowed by the darkness, and a deep silence fell. Perhaps thinking I heard Hoshigasaki's voice was just my imagination as well.
"Why do you go that far, Shiramine?"
Half-unconsciously, these words slipped out.
"Going against people, getting isolated. I don't really understand the point of going to such lengths just to force your sound arguments on others."
"Let me ask you in return, Nanamura-kun. Aren't you afraid? That people who make earnest, righteous efforts might go unrewarded?"
Illuminated by the sparklers, shadows formed on Shiramine's face.
"I want people who make an effort, people who live earnestly and righteously, to be properly rewarded... If they aren't, it's a problem."
Shiramine muttered, as if squeezing the words out. Her voice, which usually sounded mature, resonated just for now like a child with nowhere to turn.
She wants people who live earnestly to be rightfully rewarded.
That had always been her guiding principle.
During the school trip, she reached out a hand to me because she knew I had covered for Hoshigasaki.
Of course, even without that incident, there's a possibility she might have invited me, the odd one out, into her group. But that would have been purely to make the group selection process go smoothly. She probably wouldn't have tried so proactively to mediate between the group members and me.
It was the same when the class went to the zoo. When we met in front of the tanuki enclosure, Shiramine said she had mixed feelings about Hoshigasaki being the only one to benefit from the incident involving Sakado and me. But, seeing Hoshigasaki try to change, she revised her opinion.
"You want people like that to be rewarded, right?"
Ever since then, Shiramine had been saying the same thing.
"But the world isn't that simple, right?"
Even I think it's wrong that people who live earnestly are made fools of. A world where right deeds are rewarded is the ideal.
But that's not how it works.
Things like being savvy, being good at socializing, or one's social standing within a class or a club are the only things that get evaluated.
People like Shiramine aren't necessarily evaluated fairly.
"Thinking about it realistically, just because you act honestly doesn't mean you'll be rewarded. No matter how much you assert a correct opinion, there are times when the opinions of those who are wrong get pushed through. I think you're free to believe that doing the right thing will be rewarded, but you'll just be betrayed as much as you believe, and it will just end with you getting hurt."
"...That might be true."
That was the response she gave rather than a retort.
Before I knew it, the sparklers had gone out. A painful silence enveloped the area, and the surrounding noise faded away as if into the past.
As if to fill the gap, I picked up two more sparklers. I handed one to Shiramine, and together we lit them on the candle.
"I've actually been good at sports since I was a kid. Surprising, isn't it?"
The words gently slipped out of her delicate lips, illuminated by the fireworks.
Come to think of it, during the beach volleyball game, Shiramine's athletic ability was better than I thought, and I felt betrayed by that, somehow.
"That's right. The 'Bad at Sports Alliance' is disbanded."
"Like I said, I've never formed an alliance with you."
Shiramine gave me a wry smile.
Then she raised her head and continued talking while looking off into the darkness.
"I was in the Basketball Club until halfway through middle school. It's a bit much to say it myself, but I think I was pretty good."
"Huh. But in high school, you're in the going-home club, right?"
"I just wouldn't grow any taller. I wasn't even 140 cm tall in my first year of middle school, so I eventually gave up and quit the club. I had the confidence to overcome a minor height difference, but I was the shortest in my grade. That was the one time I cursed my genetics."
Feeling her hugging her knees tightly beside me, I became unable to say anything.
Honestly, it was a story beyond my imagination.
"I've grown quite a bit since then, so I've come to terms with a lot of things, but… even so, I'm still nowhere near average."
Shiramine laughed, as if trying to play it off. The tip of the sparklers, scattering its crackling sparks, shook slightly in time with her laughter.
"So, I decided to work hard on my other strong suit: studying. Height doesn't matter for this one, after all."
"That's positive of you."
"Yet I failed to get into my first-choice high school. Higashidani was my safety school."
Something lonely crossed Shiramine's eyes, and she let out a small sigh.
Higashidani High School is a university prep school, but it's not the top one in the region. It's often used as a safety school for smarter high schools, and only about half the students here enrolled with it as their first choice.
I made Higashidani my first choice because my internal grades were low, but it seemed Shiramine was aiming for a school a rank above.
"My internal grades were fine, and I got an A on the mock exams. But on the day of the exam for my first choice, I got sick, maybe from stress. I thought I could push through it, so I forced myself to take the whole thing, but when I graded myself afterwards, it was a disaster. Haha, if I had just reported that I was feeling unwell, I could have taken a makeup exam, but I did something stupid."
Shiramine got a self-deprecating smile and a distant look in her eyes.
Before I knew it, the fireworks were coming to an end.
"My life is just full of nothing but things like that."
As if to underscore the silence, the final sparks scattered, and it fell with a plop.
In the darkness, I felt Shiramine shift her body. I let out a small breath and stared into the empty void.
The story she just told is probably only the tip of the iceberg. I imagine she has had many other unrewarding experiences besides this.
Shiramine has long since known, deep in her bones, that this world is cruel and unrewarding.
That is exactly why she cannot forgive a world where earnestness and righteousness are not rewarded.
"...Sometimes, I get this overwhelming feeling. How can everyone be okay with right deeds and hard work going unrewarded? If trying my hardest still won't be rewarded, then what am I supposed to do?"
Suddenly, I remembered how, after the midterms in the first semester were returned, Shiramine went looking for the student who got first place in the class and ended up finding me.
If I hadn't been there, Shiramine would have been first in the class. That's how it should have been in my previous high school life.
However, because I went back in time or whatever, Shiramine ended up in second place. Even though I only got first place without studying much, thanks to the advantage of my time leap.
No matter how you look at it, her effort and the results didn't match up.
That's why I couldn't answer Shiramine's question. As someone who has never desperately worked hard for something, I have nothing I can say.
Her silhouette floated vaguely in the darkness, and her soft breathing reached my ears. Even though I could hear the surrounding noises, I had the illusion that we were the only ones left behind in the world.
Everyone has worries and sufferings that others can't understand. You often hear phrases like "everyone has their own personal hell".
Right now, I'm touching Shiramine's hell. That's what it felt like.
It would be easy to dismiss them as trivial worries. In fact, I've come to terms with this unrewarding world, and I still just drift through life laughing things off. It's not particularly painful, and I think it's easier that way.
I could just say something generic to comfort her, like "don't worry about it", "it's fine if you aren't rewarded," or "there are plenty of fun things out there..."
But I didn't want to disregard Shiramine's hell.
"...There's only one sparkler left."
So, this was the only kind of thing I could manage to squeeze out.
"It's gonna be too annoying to get another one. If you're okay with it, do you want to do it together?"
My eyes, adjusted to the dark, could see Shiramine give a small nod.
"...Yeah. Thank you."
I lit the sparkler and held it up right about in the middle between the two of us.
The soft, crackling sparks warmly colored the darkness.
Gradually, the sparks grew more intense, creating the illusion that we were looking up at actual fireworks bursting in the sky.
Even though the sparks were only about the size of the palm of my hand, it was so beautiful it felt as if it had captured the entire night sky filled with fireworks.
Suddenly, the momentum of the sparks faded, leaving a drop-like ball of fire at the very tip.
Like a tear rolling down from a cheek to the chin, the ball of fire fell weakly with a soft patter.
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