Sakayanagi Ai

Star Color returned to class.

It was lunchtime, but after enjoying the cafeteria all to himself and waiting for the crowds to thin, he had come back to the classroom.

Star Color noticed Righteous Memories on Tamiya Emi's desk. It was the novel he had personally recommended to Tamiya the day before. She was actually reading it seriously. He was so touched.

"Lovers blown from soap bubbles?"

Star Color remembered how deeply the line had moved him the first time he read it. It was a classic line from Cyrano. Though what he'd watched was the movie Cyrano de Bergerac.

"A lover is just a borrowed name, a soap bubble blown from fantasy."

"Take the letters. You can make pretense into reality. I was only whining without reason, pouring out love without aim, but now these wandering birds have somewhere to roost. You can see it in the letters."

"Take them. Because the words don't come from the heart, they sound all the more beautiful. Take them. That's what you should do."

He murmured a few lines from the original. They were rather amusing.

"Wait... Is Seishiki Otonashi a pessimist about love?"

"Eek!"

His body gave a little shudder. He'd been caught up in his own sentimental moment, only to realize someone had been watching him the whole time. It was as embarrassing as getting caught with a magazine by his mother.

Star Color turned around. Classmate Morishita stood before him.

Her deep blue hair was tied into twin tails that fell in front of her shoulders, with a lace-like hair clip holding them in place. She had an air of mystery about her. The cool, aloof girl had given off an almost otherworldly vibe during yesterday's self-introduction—like one of those "denpa girls" people talked about online.

Star Color could sort of keep up with Classmate Morishita's wavelength. Maybe...

After all, he'd once observed a creature who gave off poisonous signals strong enough to destroy the world: a Rabbit Monster who looked frail but was incredibly aggressive.

(A tribute to the legendary king of negative thinking, Sakayanagi Usagi.)

"Not at all! I just... um, borrowed a line from a movie I like."

"Question! What kind of movies does Seishiki Otonashi like?"

"Huh?"

It was like being asked to tell someone his kinks. That wasn't exactly comfortable. Star Color couldn't handle the strange feeling of someone trying to strip him naked right off the bat.

"Um... Scream?"

"A horror movie?"

"Yeah."

"That's unexpectedly bold."

"Huh? Bold?"

"You look so fragile, like a princess who needs a knight to protect her. I never would've guessed you liked movies that go so far beyond the norm."

"What are you talking about?! I'm not a princess! I'm a guy!"

Morishita Ai suddenly hooked a finger beneath Star Color's chin and leaned close.

"Uh... Classmate Morishita... What are you doing?"

Star Color tried to turn away, but Morishita Ai held his face in place with both hands.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

"Um... thanks... But could you let go of me?"

Star Color's cheeks flushed red. He met Morishita Ai's serious gaze and couldn't help looking back at her. Classmate Morishita's face was... so close...

"But what's hidden beneath that beauty? I can't tell."

Star Color finally managed to break free and rubbed his cheeks.

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Ordinary people have clear eyes. Of course, some have murky ones. Your eyes are bright, but they're like colors from the cosmos—impossible to understand, indescribable."

"What can you tell from someone's eyes?!"

"According to the Eight Trigrams Bureau... Huh? How can this be... I can't figure it out. Seishiki Otonashi, are you an outsider to the world?"

Star Color was caught between being half-numb and barely holding it together.

"The Eight Trigrams Bureau isn't for reading faces! Don't just apply its formulas to everything! What can you tell from someone's eyes?! If you're interested in physiognomy, go study Mystic Physiognomy!"

"Hmm, I see. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm very interested in you. You have the same ability as me."

"Huh? Ability? What ability?"

Star Color tilted his head and looked at her in confusion.

"Observing people."

"What kind of ability is that?!"

Star Color was speechless. He remembered activating the skill [Observing People] yesterday, and their gazes had indeed met. He'd thought it was just a coincidence. He hadn't expected Classmate Morishita to remember it. What was that about?! Was she pervert number two?

"It seems like you can see more clearly than I can."

Morishita Ai edged closer, and Star Color backed away.

He kept retreating until he could feel the wall clearly against his back. Just as he was about to escape the trap like a rabbit, Morishita Ai pinned him there with her hand.

"Um... Well... Uh..."

Star Color was forced to meet Morishita Ai's gaze again. It felt like they were doing something forbidden... Being pinned against the wall by a girl, unable to resist... It was so embarrassing.

Morishita Ai seemed to want to inspect every inch of Star Color's body through a magnifying glass. She was desperate to dissect him and see through everything inside.

"Can we stop now...?"

Star Color covered his cheeks with his hands, flustered, red-faced, and shy. He felt like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

"Hmph. One day, I'll cut you open."

"That's terrifying... Is that a death threat?"

Star Color pretended to be afraid, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the wall, trembling.

Morishita Ai struck Star Color in the head with her forehead. Star Color lost 10 HP.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I meant what's inside. Your heart."

"Huh? Isn't that even scarier?!"

Morishita Ai let go of his arms. Star Color rolled his shoulders a little.

"Um, Classmate Morishita, aren't you going to eat?"

"Ah, I already had yakisoba bread."

"Oh... Want a snack?"

Star Color took a few gummy candies out of a plastic bag.

"I want the grape flavor."

"You're pretty picky..."

Star Color searched through the bag for a few grape-flavored gummies and handed them over.

"Thanks."

And so ended an extremely otherworldly conversation.

Star Color opened his manga, Fire Phoenix and Burning Plains, and sat quietly at his desk to pass the time. Just like getting snacks ready before watching a movie, it was essential to make sure he could dig in whenever the story reached its most exciting part. It made the experience much more satisfying.

Classmate Morishita sat at her own desk, but never took her eyes off Star Color.

At that moment, Star Color thought Classmate Morishita was like a child, lying on the floor to observe an ant called "Star Color." She was so strange. He could keep up with her wavelength, but he had no idea how to respond...

Maybe he should join her in going crazy next time? That might be a good idea. Was Classmate Morishita a troublesome person? Her powers of observation were excellent, though not quite as good as his. But one of her other abilities was outrageously strong. It wasn't too impressive yet, but it would blossom in time.

As time passed, the classroom gradually filled with students returning for the afternoon classes.

When Tamiya Emi spotted Star Color, she headed straight for his desk.

He was glad. She'd returned with the other girls, which meant she'd made friends with someone of her own gender. It would've been strange if she only hung out with a weirdo like him.

"Star Color, what happened this morning? I didn't see you in class. Were you sick?"

"Mm-hm. It's an old health problem. My heart's a little weak."

"I'm really sorry. Was it because I took you out yesterday? I didn't think about your health or anything... I'm sorry."

"Huh? No, no. I already had some heart problems. It wasn't your fault, Tamiya."

Star Color tugged at her sleeve.

Soft sunlight fell across his pure, smiling face, warm light pattering down on it. The space around him seemed utterly immaculate in its glow, unbelievably beautiful.

"I had a really good time with you, Tamiya. So don't blame yourself."

"Really? That's good, then."

Tamiya Emi kept her ladylike expression, but her heart was pounding. She could think of only one thing: This kid is too cute! Why was there someone this cute in the world?!

Tamiya Emi had been unable to resist cute things since she was little. She'd hug adorable dolls tightly and stroke the fur of cute animals. Star Color always let his guard down and looked adorable without even realizing it... She was having a hard time keeping herself under control.

"Star Color, there's a club activities orientation this afternoon. Do you want to go?"

Tamiya Emi shifted the conversation to the club orientation that afternoon.

"Club activities, huh? Let me think."

Star Color rested his left cheek in his palm and deftly spun a ballpoint pen with his right hand. He tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"If it's an invitation from you, Tamiya, then I'll go~."