More Than One Witness

"I'd planned to, but then I suddenly felt like trying to look for something I'd lost."

"That's a strange way to put it... Had it been lost for a long time?"

"More or less. About twenty days."

"Was it something precious? I can help you look."

"It wasn't anything valuable. Hard to believe, but I just found it, so you don't have to worry about it... Would you like to sit for a while?"

To pick it up, I'd had to toss my shoulder bag onto the long wooden bench nearby, which also freed it from the lovers' violent display of affection. Luckily, there weren't many people around. Otherwise, being surrounded by couples as a single guy would've brought out my ugly, envious side.

"You already found it? But earlier, I had the feeling you seemed kind of sad." Ichinose sat down beside me as she spoke. I did my best to avoid her gaze.

"I wouldn't say I was sad." I didn't think I showed my emotions clearly on my face, so I was surprised Ichinose had picked up on anything. "I was just thinking about where to go next."

"Are you skipping dinner again, Raku?"

"Can you leave out the 'again'? Thanks to you, I haven't missed dinner once in the past three months. Anyway, why are you here, Ichinose? The shortest routes to the dorms, cafeteria, or shopping center don't pass through here. If one of those is your destination, you're taking a detour."

"Well, I actually came out for a walk."

She seemed unusually nervous.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?"

"How did you know?" Ichinose looked at me curiously.

"When I was little, I had a stomach problem. I remember it really clearly. The doctor told me that walking before meals could stimulate my appetite and improve digestion. I thought maybe you were doing something like that... Am I wrong?" As Ichinose's expression grew increasingly strange, I realized my words must have given her the wrong idea.

"I didn't mean to say you were fat. I was just talking about your health. Besides, I think you have a great figure."

"Um..." Ichinose didn't answer right away. Instead, her face grew a little red, though the blazing sunset made it hard to tell. At that moment, I felt like someone peering through a glass lens at the secrets of the world. As an outsider, I couldn't see the truth at all. I must have looked like a fool.

Our silhouettes looked like those of a couple in the evening light. To ease the awkwardness, I racked my brain for something to talk about.

"How come Shiranami and the others aren't with you today?"

"I had some personal matters to take care of, so I let them go ahead."

"They didn't insist on staying with you? Or ask to meet up later?"

"Of course not. Chihiro and the others wouldn't do that. Don't tell me you're prejudiced against girls, Raku?"

"If I were, I couldn't be sitting here chatting so happily with you. I just thought it was strange."

"Strange?"

"Uh... I mean, after what happened while we were resolving that incident. Even though you turned her down, Shiranami still talks to you like she always did. It just reminded me of the way she used to look at you and all that..."

"I don't think Chihiro is holding a grudge anymore. I was scared back then, too. I thought that if turning her down ruined our relationship, we'd never be the same again... But luckily, we were able to talk like usual the next day. I was so relieved. If I told you what she was biased about..."

"Biased?" Ichinose's sudden pause made me uneasy. The truth was right in front of me, but I still couldn't reach it.

"Sorry. The rest involves Chihiro's personal business, so I don't think I should tell you."

"Then forget it. I wasn't that curious anyway..." I shook my head, trying to throw away the useless information. After enjoying a few moments on the wooden bench, I continued the conversation.

"Do you want to keep walking, Ichinose?"

"Um, I guess I could stop whenever." After thinking for a moment, Ichinose gave me her answer.

"Then how about we go to the shopping center and have dinner together?"

"Huh? You mean Keyaki Mall?"

Keyaki Mall was the name of the complex students used, though I was more accustomed to calling it the shopping center.

"Yeah. It seems closer than the school cafeteria... Is there a problem?"

"Would you mind if it was just the two of us, Raku?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? Are you sure you're okay with it just being the two of us?"

"I don't mind..."

Why did she sound a little shy?

"If you don't mind, then neither do I. Let's go." I put on my shoulder bag and stood up. Ichinose followed close behind.

By then, the sun had completely set, and the streetlights on either side of the road suddenly came on. The surroundings looked like a ski resort set.

"Do you have any restaurant recommendations?" I asked Ichinose as we walked.

"Shouldn't you be the one deciding, Raku? You were the one who suggested it, and now you're asking me what I think."

"Even if you tease me, I don't have any ideas. I don't know Keyaki Mall at all, and I have no idea which restaurants are popular."

"Have you never eaten at a restaurant before?"

"Before?" I paused at the question. "Never. I usually just eat wherever I happen to be."

"You've never gone out to eat with friends?"

"Sorry. Once I 'burrow under the covers,' I don't want to go anywhere, so I turned them all down. Also, when I'm eating at a restaurant, I might feel a little... uh... lost?"

What had been going through my mind when I wandered around the streets alone? What had I been trying to do? Had I just kept going through the motions like a mindless shell?

"You mean you have trouble choosing, right? There are so many things you want to eat that you can't decide?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I can't think of anywhere to eat, so I'll leave the recommendation to you."

"Um, how about the Meatless Izakaya? I've been there a few times. It's inexpensive, the food is excellent, and there's a good variety."

Even if you asked me, I couldn't give you any useful advice. I had no answer, so I just nodded in agreement.

With Ichinose leading the way, we soon reached our destination. Izakaya had originally been small liquor shops that served simple dishes so customers could drink on the premises after buying alcohol. As a result, those shops tended to be cramped.

This place was different. It was spacious and very popular. Fortunately, there were still some seats available.

"Pan-fried tofu, chicken breast salad, chicken breast and avocado with wasabi soy sauce, pork rolls with bean sprouts, broccoli and egg salad, salmon stir-fried with mushrooms, bean sprouts with minced meat and miso... Is there anything else you'd like, Raku?"

What was this? These weren't the kind of small dishes you'd expect at an izakaya.

Then again, times changed, and so did culture.

"No, that should be enough."

"Okay, let's start with that."

Ichinose handed the server the menu with our selections marked, and then we settled in for a long wait.

"By the way, if you don't mind, could you take this?" As I spoke, I suddenly remembered the scheme I'd been plotting for a while. I took an elegantly wrapped little gift box out of my shoulder bag.

"What's this...?" Ichinose took it from me, looking puzzled.

"I bought it on impulse. It didn't really belong in my room, so I've been looking for a chance to give it away. But I couldn't think of anyone suitable..."

"Can I open it?"

"Go ahead."

"This wrapping... It doesn't look like it's been opened."

"Yeah. I regretted buying it right away, so I never dared to open it."

"What could be so dramatic..." Ichinose carefully unwrapped the gift, then opened the box.

"What a beautiful necklace... Are you giving it to me, Raku?"

"Yeah. I was shopping at the electronics market with Okabe and the others, but we got separated. I looked around on my own and spotted this necklace. I thought it was beautifully made, so I bought it without thinking. Only later did I realize it was for women. I guess I couldn't really accept wearing it myself, even if no one would notice."

"..." Ichinose didn't answer my explanation. She just stared straight at me.

I really wanted to die.

"That look in your eyes is kind of scary. If you don't like it, you don't have to accept it. Though I think it'd look nice on you..."

"Did you already know?"

"..." At Ichinose's sudden question, I fell silent.

"That today is my birthday."

"...It's your birthday today?"

"Don't try to dodge the question. No wonder everything you did and said today was so strange."

I thought I'd acted pretty naturally, but I'd clearly been too obvious after all. I should've done it in stages.

"But how did you know? I never told anyone—not even Chihiro... Don't change the subject. You definitely knew."

"...On the day we enrolled, Teacher Hoshinomiya had us check our points. I accidentally saw your personal file."

"So you already knew back then... Is that why you asked earlier why Chihiro and the others weren't with me?"

"That wasn't the only reason." Even now, I tried to make excuses, but Ichinose paid no attention to what I'd said.

"Then how do you explain what happened after that?"

"Was there something else I haven't explained...?"

"Of course. You realized I didn't want to celebrate my birthday and might even have been trying to avoid it. That's why you never brought it up until now."

Ah, what a total failure. She'd seen right through me.

"But I'm really happy you wanted to celebrate my birthday, Raku, so I'll gladly accept the gift." Ichinose wasn't angry or upset that I'd taken it upon myself to do this. Instead, her face lit up with joy.

"I feel like I messed up a little, but I'll wish you a happy birthday anyway." I let out a deep sigh. Ichinose's tiny victory smile only made the contrast sharper.

"Thank you so much. I really love the necklace you gave me, too. You must've spent a long time picking it out."

"More or less. I had no idea what you liked."

"The gift doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts, so I'd be happy with anything you gave me. But there's something else I want to ask you."

"What?"

"You're actually really smart, aren't you, Raku?" Ichinose leaned her pure, clear eyes close to mine, making me uneasy.

"Give me a break. I don't deserve that kind of praise. You know what my grades are like."

"But is that really true?"

"Haven't you already seen it for yourself?"

"Hmm, I'll let that answer stand for now. I won't press you any further. Oh, the pan-fried tofu is here! I'm going to dig in."

Well, at least Ichinose's mood seemed to have improved. But what had disappeared wasn't the deeper anxiety hidden inside her—just her ordinary sadness...

If I could, I wanted to avoid choosing the option of abandoning her.

...But it might be better to abandon her sooner rather than later. Otherwise, I couldn't be sure I wouldn't be affected by it in the future.

Watching Ichinose urge me to get started, I could only quietly say,

"Let's eat."

More Than One Witness

It was probably July third. The school still hadn't issued our points, but instead we learned why the distribution had been delayed.

"After club activities ended on the afternoon of June twenty-eighth, a student from Class D and three students from Class C got into a fight at the Special Building. We don't know exactly what happened. In short, those kids got into a brawl. The school still hasn't figured out the whole story. If no one steps in, this will drag on until next Tuesday, when the school will issue its final ruling."

"The reason I'm telling you this is that the school is looking for witnesses among the students. They want to find out what happened and obtain evidence. Witnesses must come forward voluntarily. In other words, if anyone forces you, your testimony won't be accepted. If any of you witnessed the incident and are willing to help verify what happened, please talk to a teacher before the final ruling."

After explaining the situation, Teacher Hoshinomiya fell silent and glanced around the room.

Not one student seemed willing to come forward and testify, though there was certainly plenty of lively discussion.

"One more thing: the school won't give any rewards to witnesses who come forward voluntarily." Only then did Teacher Hoshinomiya reveal the information that mattered most to us.

"What? No reward? Who would do something like that for nothing?"

"What? That's just asking for trouble."

As the students complained in confusion, Ichinose murmured,

"So a student from Class D got into a fight with some students from Class C..."

Ichinose always paid attention to matters of right and wrong, but I knew she wouldn't give this incident much thought for now. She was busy preparing for her Student Council interview, and things weren't looking too good. It seemed possible that she'd be rejected.

Not many people knew what was going on inside the Student Council, and there hadn't been much word getting around. By contrast, I'd heard a vague account of the fight.

The students involved were Sudo from Class D and Komiya, Kondo, and Ishizaki from Class C. After the fight, Class C had lodged a one-sided complaint with the Student Council, accusing Class D of disgraceful behavior. They claimed Sudo had attacked them unprovoked. The injuries on their faces and Sudo's unscathed appearance certainly seemed to support that; Class D's explanation was that the students from Class C had provoked Sudo first, and he'd acted in self-defense.

Perhaps because of the difference in their injuries, the rumors around school mostly blamed Class D. Some people said they often saw Sudo from Class D grabbing people by the collar in anger. He'd even explained how he fought and which parts of the body would hurt the most.