The Members of Class B

(A reminder beforehand: some characters may differ slightly from the original work; please treat them as my personal headcanons.)

It should have been a short day, yet it felt exceptionally long.

After washing up and lying in bed, I turned onto my side. It was nearing midnight, but the class group chat was still buzzing with intense activity.

I scrolled through it briefly; it seemed they had discovered some shop's signature dish or were sharing photos of some novel items they had purchased.

Feeling it was pointless, I placed my mobile terminal on the nightstand to charge and wrapped myself back up in the quilt.

I had already tucked the documents away in the cabinet, originally intending to learn more about the situation in each class.

After a moment of contemplation, I gave up on that idea.

Just dryly chewing through data like that was truly a bit tedious.

Rather, since we are all students in the same grade, genuine, firsthand understanding is far more meaningful than so-called documented records.

I never care about what the files say about others; I only care about what I can observe and feel for myself.

I vaguely remember drifting into a dream.

The next morning, I finished washing up.

With plenty of time before class, I took a piece of toast at a leisurely pace and prepared to head toward the classroom.

The lower floors of the dormitory were for boys, and the upper floors for girls.

I stood at the elevator lobby, waiting for the lift to descend.

The elevator came down from the seventh floor to the third, where I was. The doors opened, and inside stood a girl who looked full of vitality.

Her brown hair was paired with a cute hairpin, and her purplish-red eyes seemed misted with water; being looked at by her felt as if one's soul were being hooked away.

Even though the first impression was only one of innocence, why did her gaze stir up a strange sense of desire?

There was a distinct sense of dissonance, but for some reason, it vanished the moment I looked again.

It felt as if I could superimpose her appearance onto a photograph in my memory.

I stepped into the elevator while trying to recall it.

Kushida Kikyo.

That seemed to be the name.

I tilted my head slightly, wanting to confirm it.

She wasn't looking my way; she seemed to be replying to a message, her fingers tapping away at the keyboard.

After pondering for a moment, I finally found a word to describe the first impression this girl gave me.

Affability.

Even without doing anything, there was a sense of safety and comfort radiating from her.

The elevator stopped at the first floor, and she stepped out first, walking away quickly.

It seemed she was heading to an appointment, but it was only early morning.

Was she meeting someone for breakfast?

My mobile terminal vibrated. I opened the chat room and discovered that Tetsuya had pulled me into a small group.

There were only three people in it; if I wasn't mistaken, the other was Ryota.

Then, a voice message appeared in the chat box.

"Are you free today! Are you free today! My dear Young Master Ryota, when shall we do something together?"

A reply came shortly after.

"None."

"Don't be so cold, you guy. We met a lot of classmates yesterday, and everyone is very friendly."

Tetsuya seemed unwilling to give up, wanting to pull Ryota into the class collective.

"Are there any activities today?"

I asked.

"Nothing for today yet. Do you have any ideas, Seisuke?"

I replied, mimicking Ryota's tone.

"None."

"Hey, hey, why are you acting like that too?"

Eh? I hadn't even clicked on a voice message, so why was I hearing Tetsuya's voice?

Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around instinctively to see Tetsuya beaming with a smile.

Every time I see him, he's wearing that same grinning face. This guy...

I get the feeling that if I sold him out, he'd still be smiling while asking for a cut of the profit.

"I asked Ryota to walk to school together, so let's wait for him here."

I nodded and slipped my mobile terminal into my pocket.

Come to think of it, is it really such a coincidence to run into me early in the morning?

I voiced my doubt.

"How did you manage to bump into me?"

Tetsuya rubbed his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

Then, he stepped in front of me and stared straight ahead.

So focused—what is he looking at?

I followed his gaze.

The road seemed filled with students heading to school; it all looked perfectly normal.

"Someone was just standing there, watching a certain girl walk away until she was out of sight."

Seeming a bit cynical, Tetsuya shook his head and sighed.

"I was just zoning out."

Tetsuya leaned in, folded his arms across his chest, tilted his head, and clicked his tongue repeatedly.

"Is that so? Really just zoning out?"

"You've probably even thought of what to name your kids by now."

"I have."

Tetsuya looked at me with an expression of pure shock.

"Then what about Ichinose?"

He left that sentence hanging in the air, light as a feather.

I couldn't help but think.

For a guy in his prime, I bet he wouldn't be able to cry for long after one punch from me.

I threw a mock punch, and Tetsuya scurried away in a flash.

"Ryota! Help me~"

I turned back to see Tetsuya rushing toward Ryota with his arms wide open, only to be stopped by a hand pressed against his forehead.

"If you could just quiet down, that would be saving my life."

He dragged Tetsuya over, his face full of disdain.

"Morning."

I greeted Ryota, then shook my fist at Tetsuya again.

"Good morning."

He nodded at me.

"He's bullying me again..."

Tetsuya's eyes welled up with tears.

Ryota patted his own head, speechless, and looked the other way.

As the day's classes neared their end, watching the clock tick away, a growing wave of sleepiness washed over me.

The lessons were a bit dull, though not because the teacher wasn't thorough or invested.

Even though no students were disrupting the class, everyone seemed to be doing their own thing.

Those who wanted to chat on their mobile terminals were chatting, and those who wanted to read extracurricular books were reading.

My deskmate slid a note over to me, the handwriting elegant and delicate.

(Teacher Hoshinomiya asked the two of us to go to the office together after class.)

After reading the note, I noticed her looking at me expectantly.

I gave her an inquiring look, and she waved her hands in a slight panic.

(I understand.)

Does that mean I should let Tetsuya and Ryota know I won't be walking home with them?

I sent a message to the group chat; both read it, but neither replied.

"Class is over, let's go."

I nodded, stood up, and headed to the office with Ichinose.

While chatting idly with Ichinose, my mobile terminal received a message.

A very long voice note:

"Seisuke, it's alright, I'm not lonely."

"It is I who have failed you."

"No, no, Seisuke, it's a good thing we didn't walk home together after school. If we had, I would have ruined your entire life."

"I'm leaving now."

"Take care of yourself."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye..."

Will we ever meet again, Seisuke? When we do, I hope you're happy.

Promise me, Seisuke, you must be happy and find joy with Ichinose.

Your world won't have me in it anymore (sobbing voice), but that's okay. You must carry my blessings and live well with her.

"Seisuke, Seisuke..."

"Seisuke! How am I supposed to live without you..."

Tetsuya and Ryota each chimed in, sounding as if they were deeply in love.

My brain instantly crashed. I usually play voice messages on speakerphone, you know.

Ichinose, standing beside me, didn't seem displeased; she just covered her small mouth, her eyes curving into crescents.

She found it somewhat amusing, yet she seemed afraid that laughing might make the atmosphere a bit awkward.

I tried to open my mouth several times, but I couldn't get a single word out.

Ichinose bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold it back, but she still couldn't hide the mirth in her eyes.