(Ichinose)
It had been almost a week since we started school, and the atmosphere on campus was relaxed and cheerful.
My friends all got along well, and I had plenty of spending money. It was practically like living in a dream.
Studying was every student's duty, wasn't it?
But even I, the one who said that, felt like I'd slacked off a little.
Maybe this was what high school was like, now that we were past compulsory education. The teachers didn't seem too concerned about classroom discipline.
There were students who kept up with the lessons, but they were definitely in the minority.
Chatting, sleeping, and even being late or leaving early happened all the time, and the teachers continued to turn a blind eye.
That didn't seem to fit the school rules—or the rules of the classroom, for that matter.
But no one objected...
Even Hamaguchi didn't seem to mind. He always liked to sleep in class.
He was like a sloth that never woke up, and even when he did, he always looked groggy.
It probably wasn't very nice to secretly think about another student like that.
Well... but he really did look like a little sloth.
His bangs were always messy when he woke up, and I'd get this inexplicable urge to straighten them for him.
It was just that he looked a little untidy and low-spirited, that was all.
It felt... a little strange.
Whenever I thought about something, my mind always wandered off in a strange direction...
"Ichinose, is something wrong?"
Shiranami looked over at me with concern.
"You haven't touched much of your food. Are you not hungry?"
"I had a big breakfast, so I'm not very hungry."
"That won't do! You'll feel awful if you don't eat at least a little!"
"Well, I feel like I've gained a little weight lately. It's fine if I eat less."
"No, no! You're not fat at all, Ichinose!"
"But... I really can't eat any more."
"Then make sure you eat more tonight if you're hungry, okay?"
"Mm-hmm."
Shiranami seemed to care a lot about these things. She always went out of her way to look after me.
Friends like her were people I had to protect, no matter what.
My teachers and classmates trusted me, so I needed to pull myself together and live up to that trust.
But honestly, I was a little lost.
Teacher Hoshinomiya wanted me to lead the class and help everyone get along and study hard together.
Of course, I wanted to see us all working hard together, too.
But I wasn't really qualified to be a leader.
I'd be happy just to help without getting in anyone's way. But if I tried to manage the class from a position of authority, telling everyone to pay attention in class and not cross the line...
I really couldn't bring myself to treat my classmates that way.
I wanted to talk about how I felt, but seeing Shiranami's bright smile made me hesitate.
It wasn't that I didn't trust her or anything like that. But when I couldn't even find my own way out of this maze, I needed a guiding light to show me which way to go.
On one hand, I didn't want to let Teacher Hoshinomiya down or betray her trust. On the other, I felt lost and powerless about moving forward.
Teacher Hoshinomiya said we'd be electing class officers during tomorrow's class meeting, and she hoped I'd try for class representative.
"I'll do my best," I said.
I just wanted someone to talk to, though I didn't know if Hamaguchi was the best person to go to.
Still, I was curious about how he'd react. What would he say about the problems I was facing?
"Wow, Ichinose, you didn't even notice that school was over?"
"You were so absorbed in watching him sleep? You were trying to distance yourself from him when we first started school."
"A school romance between a social butterfly and a social klutz. Those opposites-attract romance manga have been pretty popular lately."
I'd been staring off into space over something, and as soon as class ended, the girls gathered around me.
I always wanted to work up the courage to deny those kinds of rumors, but when I did, it felt like I was protesting too much.
I glanced back. It seemed the commotion had woken Hamaguchi.
"Let's... go sit over there," I suggested.
They accepted my suggestion.
"Are you saying we're too noisy, Ichinose? That we'll disturb Hamaguchi?"
"That's so unfair..."
"It's not that! I just don't want to disturb... someone else."
"Aw, you didn't mind having us crowd around you a few days ago."
"Is it because 'someone else' is sleeping today?"
"No, it isn't!"
For some reason, Kohashi handed me a small mirror. In its reflection, I saw myself.
The classroom had air conditioning...
So why was my face so red!?
I touched my cheek, and its burning heat reached my palm.
My thoughts felt like a mess, and even separating them out clearly seemed difficult.
D-don't lose your composure.
"I might have something to talk to Hamaguchi about, so I don't think I can hang out with you all today."
"Relax, nobody will mind."
"Don't look so relieved! I'm not going on a date."
I decided to work up my courage and stood.
I was about to put on a smile and greet him, but there was a girl crouching beside his seat.
Beneath her short brown hair was a bright, energetic smile.
I thought I'd seen her at Zelkova Shopping Center. Hamaguchi had mentioned her to me then.
Kushida Kikyo. She was very popular in Class 1-D.
But he'd only mentioned her in passing, so I hadn't given it much thought.
She seemed to notice me and turned to give me a friendly smile.
She beat me to it.
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