I Am Not Reconciled!

"Wow! Mako, why are you so worked up? I mean, Gojo-kun is really good-looking, but that's a bit much."

Kobashi Yume was startled and asked Amikura Mako in confusion.

Realizing she'd lost her composure, Amikura Mako quickly explained.

"S-sorry, I'm just too happy!"

But Shiranami Chihiro, who liked Ichinose, was puzzled and asked directly.

"Mako, didn't you say you had a guy you've liked for six years? Why are you getting so excited over a hot guy now? Did you fall for someone else?"

"No! That's not it! I didn't fall for anyone else!"

Stung by Shiranami Chihiro's words, Amikura Mako shouted in explanation.

The classmates in the classroom cast puzzled looks again.

Meanwhile, her friend Kobashi Yume had already caught on, signaling Shiranami Chihiro with her eyes while mentioning to Amikura Mako.

"No way? Didn't you say he went abroad?"

"I can't be wrong! His name hasn't changed, and I couldn't mistake his eyes!

Even if he went abroad, he'd come back, right?"

With that, she was about to head to first-year Class D to find Gojo Satoru.

But Shiranami Chihiro reached out and stopped her.

"Hold on! Even if you want to find him, shouldn't you wait until after school? Class is about to start!"

"But..."

Amikura Mako wanted to say more, but Kobashi Yume chimed in.

"Yeah, class is almost starting. You can go after school, right?

Anyway, he can't leave the school, and I heard he hasn't been to class for weeks.

Even if you go now, you might not find him."

But I don't want to wait!

Amikura Mako thought this, and the standoff dragged on.

"Did something happen? Why are you all so serious?"

Finally, Ichinose Honami walked in from the door, puzzled by the tense atmosphere.

"Honami!"

Shiranami Chihiro immediately hugged her and said pitifully.

"Mako wants to go find her crush right now, but class is about to start, and she won't listen!"

"I just want to hurry—!"

Before Amikura Mako could finish, Ichinose interrupted.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but it's almost time for class, Amikura-san. You can go after class or after school.

Besides, the day after tomorrow is May 1st, and the class points issue is still unclear."

"O-okay..."

Amikura Mako slumped back to her seat, but the joy and urge inside her kept stirring.

At that moment, Ichinose also saw the phone Kobashi Yume handed her. Looking at the picture of Gojo Satoru, Ichinose was momentarily dazed.

It can't be that much of a coincidence?!

After school, Amikura Mako, accompanied by Kobashi Yume, arrived at first-year Class D.

She looked around left and right but couldn't spot Gojo Satoru anywhere.

"Are you two also here to see Gojo-kun?"

Matsushita Chiaki came out from inside, looking at the two hesitating outside.

"How did you know, senpai?"

Having her purpose seen through, Kobashi Yume was puzzled. They hadn't even asked yet, so how did she know why they were here?

"Ah, that's because you're the fifth group already."

Matsushita Chiaki said, still a bit shocked inside.

Who would've thought that guy could be so good-looking!

Hearing this answer, Amikura Mako grew anxious.

"Then do you know where Gojo-kun is now? I heard he hasn't been to class in a while. Do you have his contact info?"

"I'm not sure about that. It seems no one in the class has his contact info. He always keeps to himself, and apparently, he only comes out when students are in class normally. You won't see him around otherwise."

It seemed she had thought of something, and then continued, "But you can go ask his girlfriend, Kamuro Masumi from first-year Class A. That photo of him was taken when he went to see her."

"Huh!? He already has a girlfriend?!"

Kobashi Yume was a bit startled, then looked over at Amikura Mako beside her.

Amikura Mako's face was now pale, her mind endlessly repeating the word "girlfriend."

As if unable to accept this fact, she silently walked away.

Seeing her friend like this, Kobashi Yume thanked the other person and quickly followed.

Watching the two suddenly leave, Matsushita Chiaki just found it a bit baffling.

"So? So? Was it about Gojo?"

As Matsushita approached her seat, Sato Maya beside her asked eagerly.

"Yeah, you guessed right again."

"I told you! My intuition is usually spot on!

But Chiaki, you really have good taste, falling for Gojo Satoru so early."

Knowing she was right, Sato Maya immediately grew smug, then sighed at her friend's judgment.

To have liked him without ever seeing him take off his blindfold—what a shame he already had a girlfriend.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Already fed up with this topic, she couldn't believe Maya brought it up again.

Great taste—next time, keep it to yourself!

Just recalling that scene made Matsushita Chiaki's skin crawl.

"Mako! Wait for me!"

Facing Amikura Mako, who kept her head down in silence and quickened her pace, Kobashi Yume felt helpless.

Though she sympathized with her friend's situation, she had no idea how to comfort her—this was the first time something like this had happened.

Before she'd even experienced love herself, she was forced to witness heartbreak up close.

Amikura Mako walked all the way to the seaside by the dormitory building, stopped in front of the railing, and lifted her tear-streaked face toward the ocean.

"Ah!!!!"

A cry of frustration pierced the sky.

Kobashi Yume, following behind, thought her friend might do something rash out of despair and was about to stop her, but instead heard that heart-wrenching scream.

As if she'd tired herself out from shouting, Amikura Mako spun around abruptly, tightly hugged Kobashi Yume, and sobbed out her grievances.

"It's not fair!

It's not fair!

It's so not fair!

We hadn't seen each other for so long!

We promised we'd be together next time we met!

If only it had been sooner! If only I'd known he was at this school! If only I'd kept chasing after him back then!

Would it—would everything have been different?

Waaaaah!!!

..."

But Kobashi Yume was frozen. She hadn't realized Amikura liked him that much—she'd thought it was just a simple childhood friend.

She wanted to say something comforting but didn't know how. For someone as clueless about love as herself, this situation was way too advanced. She couldn't even understand it, so she could only gently pat her friend's back.

After a long while, having calmed down a bit, the two sat down on a nearby bench.

Amikura Mako's eyes were already a little swollen.

Seeing her best friend so down, Kobashi Yume finally spoke up to comfort her.

"Mako, try to look on the bright side.

Even if you can't become lovers, you can still be good friends, right?"

She spoke those ill-timed words with ease.

But Amikura Mako paid her no mind, instead rambling on about her own thoughts.

"Hey, Yume-chan, do you think I'm useless?

I like him so much!

I came to this school just so I could go abroad and find him!

But!

But I already ran into him two weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it!

I knew!

My instincts told me, and my body even chased after him!

In the end, I thought it was an illusion and gave up!

If I had tried a little harder back then! If I had kept chasing, would everything be different now?!"

Meeting those eyes—already red and swollen, yet wide open from the surge of emotion—Kobashi Yume was stunned into silence.

Seeing no response, Amikura Mako stood up and walked toward the dormitory.