Uesugi Hara slipped back into the classroom on the very last chime of the bell.
Partly, he was trying to avoid Morishita Ai—who knew what weird new game she might come up with while clutching that hair tie? The other reason was that he felt a little embarrassed. Even now, thinking back to being chased out of the classroom, Uesugi Hara still cringed.
Uesugi Hara looked toward Morishita Ai, who was seated in front of him. She had her head lowered as she flipped through her book, the ends of her hair swaying gently with each movement. She seemed just like her usual self, so it looked as though she'd completely gotten over what happened with the cheering yesterday.
He breathed a quiet sigh of relief and opened the textbook on his desk.
This was English class with their homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomoya. Uesugi Hara tapped the desk. When it came to English, he didn't really need to pay attention, but then again, students had to look the part, so he still had to sit through class properly.
But anyone who'd ever been a student knew that once you truly didn't feel like listening, there were countless ways to kill time.
His fingertips tapped unconsciously on the desk. His gaze rested on the textbook, but it was unfocused, and he drifted off into a daze. Kamuro Masumi beside him was in much the same state.
The only difference was that he was thinking about going to Class D later. As for what Kamuro Masumi was thinking about, he had no idea.
The bell hadn't even finished ringing when Mashima Tomoya picked up his lesson plan and walked out of the classroom, not caring that half the grammar point on the board was still unexplained.
The teachers at this school really were good teachers!
Uesugi Hara thought that if his high school teachers had ever run out of time before lunch, they would've crammed in every last bit of the lesson before letting anyone go eat, even if it was already time for lunch.
Since Mashima Tomoya had already left, it was time for Uesugi Hara to get going too.
Outside Class D.
Uesugi Hara leaned against the doorframe, half crouched as he craned his neck to peer inside. His gaze swept back and forth across the classroom, as if he were looking for someone.
The sudden appearance of this "outsider" caught the attention of the students in Class D, and they reacted in all sorts of ways.
Kushida Kikyo was the most nervous of them all. The moment she saw Uesugi Hara, her back went rigid and her fingers tightened around her pen.
They'd been in the same class in high school, so Uesugi Hara knew exactly what she was really like beneath that sweet mask. She was always afraid he'd blurt out her secret one day.
She'd meant to talk to him last weekend, but her friends had kept her busy. She'd been planning to find an opportunity this week, but she hadn't expected him to come looking for her first.
Her heart was in her throat, but Uesugi Hara only gave her a casual glance. He wasn't here to see her, and besides, he had not the slightest interest in her petty schemes.
Meanwhile, a few girls huddled together and murmured, their voices low. "That's Uesugi Hara from Class A, right? He's really handsome..."
Those kinds of remarks clearly rubbed some of the boys the wrong way.
"Tch. If I had a face like his, I'd have girls lining up to give me love letters." One boy gripped his pen, his voice full of sour envy.
Someone beside him immediately chimed in loudly. "What good does being handsome do? Can you eat it? Unlike me—I made it to the national table tennis tournament in elementary school, and I was the baseball club's ace pitcher in junior high, number four! If I hadn't injured my leg during the high school league, I'd still be shining on the field! I'm this amazing, and I don't go around bragging about it, do I?"
As he spoke, he nudged Ken Sudō beside him. "Sudō, say something too! Don't just stare!"
Ken Sudō furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue. His gaze was fixed on Uesugi Hara at the doorway, and after a moment, he finally muttered, "...You're so noisy." Judging by his expression, he clearly thought the whole conversation was pointless.
"Ayanokoji... Ayanokoji..." Uesugi Hara's gaze swept across the classroom. He paid no attention to the curious or uneasy looks around him. "There he is—his seat's actually pretty much in the same spot as mine in Class A."
He turned his gaze to the other side of the classroom. "The red-haired girl... over there." But when he saw the girl hunched over with a self-conscious air, he frowned. "She doesn't look much like the person in Shizuku-chan's photos..."
Just as he was about to call out to Ayanokoji, someone beside him spoke up. "Hello. I'm Hirata Yosuke from Class D. Who are you looking for?"
Uesugi Hara looked toward the voice and saw a blond boy with a friendly, perfectly measured smile. He looked like a genuinely kind person. So Uesugi Hara held back from calling out directly and replied politely, "Hi, I'm Uesugi Hara from Class A. I'm here to see Ayanokoji."
"I see." Hirata Yosuke smiled and nodded, then called toward the back of the classroom. "Ayanokoji, someone's here to see you."
"Got it." Ayanokoji's calm voice came from the back of the classroom.
He'd actually spotted Uesugi Hara at the door a while ago. He just couldn't figure out why the guy had suddenly come to Class D. Now that he'd heard he was the one being sought, his brows drew together ever so slightly.
Elsewhere, when Kushida Kikyo heard that someone was looking for Ayanokoji, her heart dropped back into her chest. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief and mentally bumped her plan to talk to Uesugi Hara this week higher up her schedule.
As soon as Ayanokoji stepped out of the classroom, Uesugi Hara grabbed him and led him to a corner of the hallway without a word, not giving him a chance to speak.
"What's this all about? Why are you being so secretive?" Ayanokoji asked, puzzled.
"It's just... I have a friend." Uesugi Hara put some distance between himself and the situation. After all, he couldn't very well tell people he'd been looking at a girl's photo shoot. He rubbed his hands together and spoke vaguely. "He noticed something and asked if I knew anyone in Class D, so he asked me to look into it for him. You were the first person I thought of."
A hint of confusion passed through Ayanokoji's calm gaze. "Is it related to our class? I might not know anything about it."
"It doesn't have to be related to your class. I just want you to take a look." Uesugi Hara took out his Terminal, tapped around for a moment, then pulled up yesterday's picture and handed it to Ayanokoji. "Take a look. Is this the red-haired girl in your class?"
Is he asking about Sakura?
The thought crossed Ayanokoji's mind, and he lowered his eyes to the screen of the Terminal Uesugi Hara was holding out to him.
Is this Sakura?
He stared at the picture for a few seconds, then slowly replied, "Her personality doesn't seem to match, but based on her face shape and bust size... it should be Sakura."
Uesugi Hara opened his mouth. A jumble of crooked question marks flashed through his mind. He'd only asked him to identify the girl! Who'd asked him to judge her bust size?!
Ayanokoji waited a moment, but when Uesugi Hara didn't respond, he glanced up and met the other boy's complicated gaze—full of shock, confusion, distaste, and a hint of understanding.
"Ayanokoji," Uesugi Hara said, clearing his throat and patting him on the shoulder. "You should stop staring at girls' chests so much. People might think you're a pervert."
Now it was Ayanokoji's turn to fall silent.
Crap!
How had he ended up saying something like that? Had he picked up bad habits from Yamauchi and Ike lately?
Uesugi Hara paid no attention to his momentary daze and pressed on. "So the girl in the photo really is in your class?"
"Yeah." Ayanokoji nodded, then added, "Her name is Sakura Airi."
"So Shizuku-chan's name is Sakura Airi..." Uesugi Hara murmured without thinking.
Shizuku-chan?
Ayanokoji glanced up at him. "That 'friend' of yours... it wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" His tone was calm, as if he were stating a fact.
"Ahem—of course not." Uesugi Hara coughed twice and quickly waved his hand, trying to talk his way out of it. "I'm just asking on someone else's behalf. Anyway," he said, swiftly changing the subject, "what's Sakura like?"
A knowing look flashed in Ayanokoji's eyes, but he didn't call Uesugi Hara out. Instead, he followed his lead. "She's introverted, shy, and very timid around people. She's afraid of interacting with others and of being stared at. She doesn't have any friends in class either."
"I see..." Uesugi Hara nodded thoughtfully and slipped his Terminal into his pocket. "Got it. I'll tell my friend later. Thanks, Ayanokoji. I'll treat you to a meal next time." He waved a hand. "I'll get going."
"Yeah." Ayanokoji watched Uesugi Hara walk away, thoughtful.
As Uesugi Hara passed the Class D classroom, he glanced inside without thinking. In the corner, Sakura Airi was curled up in her seat, her head lowered so far it nearly touched the desk. Her hair hung down to hide her face, and she looked even more timid than Ayanokoji had described.
Huh...
I never expected my Shizuku-chan to be a socially anxious girl in real life.
This might make it a little hard to approach her.
His thoughts drifted as he kept walking, and soon he was gone down the hallway.
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