An opportunistic thief could strike any day, so how could anyone stay on guard every day? Hoshino decided to make the first move and approach the boy in the corner.
Hoshino didn't intend to do much, but she wasn't going to do nothing, either. Some things were better handled in advance. It wasn't as if she had anything to hide, and she might even stumble across something interesting!
Should she look into him a little? After giving it some thought, Hoshino decided against it. That might trouble him, or even make him angry. There was no need to do anything unnecessary. She'd just go straight in.
After school, Hoshino stuck to their agreement and didn't leave right away. She stayed at her desk, quietly carrying on with her work.
She glanced around from the corner of her eye. Quite a few people were still in the classroom, gathered in their little cliques and chatting about whatever they were interested in. Where to go later, which anime or games they liked...
Hoshino was at a loss. They could at least keep their voices down! As it was, she couldn't help hearing them, even if she didn't want to.
The center of the class's "top group" was a student named Hirata. He had a lot of influence among the girls, and plenty of them had come because of his reputation. There were even quite a few "gyaru"? Hoshino knew the basics about her class, after all. People were always talking about it, and she felt like her ears were about to grow calluses.
The "second group" was Kushida's. Her main right-hand woman was an exchange student named Wang Meiyu. Since she wasn't from Japan, Hoshino remembered her fairly well.
Besides Wang Meiyu, there were two other girls around Kushida, along with three or four boys. One of them was the red-haired student who'd nearly started a fight outside the convenience store the other day. Hoshino didn't have a good impression of him. He'd made nasty remarks during introductions, like "Are you all children or something?" and put on a pretty unpleasant attitude, acting like some little delinquent. Combined with the incident outside the convenience store, it was hard to feel any goodwill toward him.
"Hey, hey, Meiyu, is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Kushida asked, looking like a little angel. She lightly tapped her chin with her index finger and gazed at the girl beside her as if deep in thought.
"..."
"Hey, hey, don't tell me you're going to stand me up again." Hoshino stopped drawing and glanced at Kushida's group, feeling rather speechless.
It had been a while since school let out, and Kushida didn't seem to have any intention of coming over to talk right away. Hoshino decided to go do what she'd just planned.
She packed her schoolbag and stood up, then looked toward the seat in the back corner. It was empty.
"When did he leave?" When she'd last noticed him, the boy in the corner had still been bent over his notebook, writing something. How had he left so quickly? Hoshino was surprised.
She'd meant to strike up a conversation with him and pass the time chatting, but it seemed she'd been a little presumptuous.
She turned to look at Kushida, who was still talking about something or other, and didn't know what expression to make.
That was enough for today!
With that thought, Hoshino picked up her schoolbag and quietly left the classroom, heading for the library.
Daily habits had to be cultivated!
After school, Hoshino had also started getting into the habit of spending some time reading in the library. It helped pass the time, since she didn't have anything else to do. The "money-making" plan she'd just settled on wasn't all that urgent, either, so there was no need to break her usual routine.
The familiar corner, the familiar time, and the sunlight coming in just right! Hoshino felt at ease.
The novel in her hands was getting more interesting, too.
But Hoshino soon changed her mind. The lousy author was dragging things out again. The protagonist was going through a boring daily routine. Some people liked that sort of thing, but Hoshino wasn't one of them. It was a shame. She wondered how long this part would last, and there weren't many pages left in the book. So she flipped to the end. Sure enough, the author was dragging things out again...
Hoshino closed the novel and looked up, rolling her slightly stiff neck. She was a little annoyed.
It wasn't that she especially disliked anything she wasn't interested in. Some things just lost their appeal when they were repeated too often. Daily life was always the same old thing, after all! Probably!
She glanced at the clock on the wall. An hour had passed before she knew it. Time did seem to pass more pleasantly when she had something to do. Hoshino was fairly satisfied with that, and coming to the library had definitely been the right choice.
"I'll go back and take a look." With Kushida still on her mind, Hoshino decided to return to the classroom after returning her book.
"Hoshino, where did you go? I looked for you, but couldn't find you. I was just about to leave. Thank goodness you came back!" Kushida looked surprised, but quickly hid the slight displeasure on her face and replaced it with a worried expression.
"Mm, I went to the library. Sorry! Is there something else you wanted, Kushida?" Hoshino kept a blank expression and quietly watched Kushida's face.
"Honestly, Hoshino, did you forget? I was going to treat you to a meal! And apologize for standing you up the other day!" Kushida put on an expression that said, "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"
"I accept your apology, but there's no need to treat me to a meal. You know how popular you are, right? To be honest, I'm a bit socially anxious. I'm not very comfortable in crowded places..." Hoshino's expression softened. Looking troubled, she gazed at Kushida with a hint of pleading in her eyes. Of course, that was all a lie!
"Mm, you're right. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable! Oh, could I give you a gift instead? I'd feel uneasy if I couldn't make it up to you somehow. Please, Hoshino?" Kushida wore a smile, seeming quite pleased with how popular she was. After thinking a little about Hoshino's "problem," she looked at her pleadingly and suggested the idea she'd just come up with, fidgeting with her hands.
"Sure. Then I'll thank you in advance, Kushida!" Hoshino breathed a sigh of relief and replied with a faint smile.
"Great, it's a promise, Hoshino!" She wore such a cute expression that it seemed perfectly natural on her.
After saying that, Kushida waved and went back to her desk to pick up her schoolbag. Then she left with a light step.
"Mm!" Kushida really was a beautiful girl. Hoshino noticed the fact. It was only skin-deep, but it was still captivating!
Hoshino's smile faded. She stared blankly in the direction Kushida had gone and felt that sense of discomfort again. She was now fairly sure Kushida was a "fake," though she was certainly convincing.
Kushida really did have a talent for this that ordinary people could hardly match!
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