An Unaccountable Flutter

(Karuizawa)

This was probably paradise in the eyes of every student,

if you judged it solely by the time since enrollment.

A generous allowance, a free-spirited school culture, and even teachers who let students do as they pleased in class.

Honestly, I didn't care whether the supposed near-100% college acceptance rate was real in an environment like this.

But if things stayed this way, I felt that more and more things would get out of hand.

Even with a generous allowance, desire knew no bounds.

For a more extravagant lifestyle, or for something else entirely.

I couldn't even begin to imagine what the atmosphere on campus would become.

But no matter what, there were always people in the world who lived at the top, free to do as they pleased.

Worried about the future atmosphere on campus, I wanted to quickly establish my own authority in the class.

But that was... somewhat difficult.

I'd done my best to appear independent-minded and assertive, and had gradually earned the trust of quite a few girls.

But at the end of the day, one person's influence was too limited.

It wasn't as though I'd failed to reach this level back in middle school, it was just...

If something else threatened my position as the girls' leader, it would make me feel terribly insecure.

I looked at the person at the front of the classroom who seemed to be the class's center.

Hirata Yousuke.

To be honest, I shouldn't have been so shaken.

Because nothing mattered more than protecting myself.

I'd already made up my mind about that when I received my acceptance letter.

But...

It was the first time I'd received such a precious gift. No matter what, it had left a deep impression on my heart.

He'd suddenly entered my life when I least expected it...

And what's more, he was... he was so much like someone else.

Especially the memory of him carrying me through the rain. It moved me for some reason.

We were strangers, yet this guy had gone out of his way to show me kindness.

Even though I hadn't asked him for help...

Whenever I thought about it, I could still vaguely picture his profile beneath the streetlights that day.

His nose was rather prominent, and I'd glimpsed a hint of sorrow between his brows.

I couldn't help being drawn to him.

When someone gave off the same kind of vibe as you, you couldn't help wanting to find out more.

But if I couldn't even protect myself, there was no room to consider anything else.

Using Hirata Yousuke to establish myself as the most influential girl in Class D would finally let me feel a little more at ease.

Hirata's reaction surprised me a little.

After talking with me, he quickly said that he understood.

"Wouldn't that keep Hirata from enjoying his school life?"

"If we just act ambiguous in front of our classmates, it won't affect me much."

"But that might scare off any girls who would've fallen for you."

Hirata paused for a moment, then replied:

"My greatest wish is for everyone in the class to get along and support one another."

I supposed that was what you'd expect from the most influential person in the class.

"Karuizawa-san, you're going to the activity Hirata's organizing, right?"

"Of course. He already told me about it."

"I want to go too, but I'm not very familiar with most of the class yet... Could I come with you?"

A rather timid girl asked me for help.

She wasn't especially outgoing, yet she still wanted to join the activity Hirata-kun was organizing.

I didn't really care who liked whom.

"Of course, no problem."

After I reassured her, she lifted her face into a bright smile, looking delighted.

"Then let's go now."

I stood up and led her toward the classroom door.

"By the way... why isn't Kushida here?"

"I think she's going too, but I saw her in the classroom during class..."

I nodded to show that I understood.

But honestly, it would've been better to ask Kushida Kikyo about this than me.

Kushida Kikyo was quite pleasant to interact with, as long as you kept things at a classmate level.

She was sociable and considerate, and paid attention to everyone.

At first glance, she was an extremely pleasant person to be around.

But I had no desire to get close to her.

She seemed pure and sweet on the outside, but it was hard to guess what she truly thought.

There were too many unknowns.

Still, maybe other people needed a girl with that kind of personality.

The girls from the smaller groups gathered around us in twos and threes, seeming a little surprised by the unfamiliar face beside me.

"This is... Wang Meiyu, right?"

"H-hello, everyone..."

"You don't have to be so nervous. Everyone's nice."

As we walked, we chatted lightly about the latest popular topics.

Things like clubs and the boys in our year. The atmosphere soon livened up again.

"When you're in high school, you just can't miss out on a youthful school romance."

Sato-san fiddled with her bangs and suddenly spoke up.

"That's true, but it's not easy to find someone suitable to date..."

Matsushita-san folded her arms and picked up the thread.

"Suitable or not, your crush would at least have to be an attractive or outstanding guy, right?"

Sato-san turned around and sighed, as though summing things up.

I nodded in agreement.

"What do you think, Meiyu-san? Is there a boy you're interested in right now?"

Sato suddenly changed the subject and asked Wang Meiyu.

"Huh!? M-me?"

"Right now... n-no, not yet."

"Is it because you haven't gotten to know many of the boys in our class yet? But none of the boys in our class seem particularly outstanding so far."

"If I had to pick someone, Hirata would probably count. But I don't think he's my type."

Sato-san tilted her head back, seeming to think over the boys in our class.

At the mention of Hirata, Wang Meiyu seemed a little nervous.

But when she heard the second half, she seemed relieved.

"Still, you don't have to limit yourself to boys in Class D. You could try getting to know boys from other classes too."

"That's true, but figuring out how to meet them is a whole other matter."

"Just wear a shorter skirt and go talk to them. It's easy."

"Not every boy is that shallow."

Matsushita Chiaki disagreed.

"I'm not saying other people are shallow. It's just a little tip for us girls~"

Sato Maya twirled a strand of hair around her finger, speaking casually.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..."

A warm male voice came from behind us. Hirata-kun walked over with a few boys.

He came to stand beside me, then continued:

"We might not reach Zelkova Shopping Center until last, so it'd be better if everyone brought a bottle of water, if you can."

"Two more classmates are on their way, so we may have to ask everyone to wait a little."

I thought it over, but still couldn't bring myself to link arms with Hirata.

As I followed the girls toward the vending machines, I mulled things over.

Even if he'd agreed to let me use him, it was obvious that Wang Meiyu seemed to admire Hirata.

It wasn't hard to guess that because we were close to Hirata-kun, she could get near him naturally by tagging along with us.

If I genuinely liked Hirata-kun, that would be one thing. But since I was only asking him for help, would it be wrong to crush someone else's chance at a potential romance?

In the end, the so-called gyaru image I'd put on just wasn't enough to make me act so carelessly.

I was a little troubled, but this wasn't the sort of misunderstanding-inducing topic that would usually make me hesitate so much.

After lingering for a moment, I decided to buy two bottles of mineral water.

When I returned to the entrance of the teaching building, everyone was gathered together, chatting animatedly.

"Hirata-kun, here's the water you wanted."

"Thanks for the trouble. Let me introduce you to a new friend who just joined us."

"Hajima-kun."

Hajima-kun? I'd only seen one person with that surname on the enrollment list.

I followed Hirata-kun's gaze...

...It really was him!?

He was in Class B. Why was he joining an activity with Class D?

I turned to look at the girl standing not far from Hajima-kun.

Why... was Kushida Kikyo... acquainted with him...?

I couldn't take my eyes off him for a moment, my hands clasped behind my back.

Her trademark cute smile was still bright as ever.

Maybe they just knew each other.

"Hajima-kun... do you know Ayanokouji-kun?"

"No. Just now, I thought he looked like an old friend, but when I got closer, I realized I'd mistaken him for someone else."

Hirata-kun suddenly introduced me as well.

"This is Karuizawa Kei. Now that she's here, we're all accounted for. We've already planned our route, so just follow along."

"Thanks for the trouble."

Why had I run into him again in a situation like this...?

I looked down, gripping my water bottle, but couldn't help feeling a little hopeful.

I'd been somewhat uncomfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings when I first enrolled, and I'd also had a few girlish thoughts.

It wasn't like I'd... I hadn't been eagerly waiting for him to come find me or anything. He'd probably been busy with school too...

And it wasn't like I was afraid to approach him first or anything. That would've been a piece of cake for me.

I just hadn't been thinking about him much... I hadn't been paying much attention to him.

But still...

What did he mean, treating me like a complete stranger!?

There was no way I'd let him get away with that.

That guy...

I was just about to speak when Sato-san linked her arm with mine.

"Come on, come on. Hirata-kun and the others are already up ahead."

She half-dragged, half-pulled me away.

"Did you leave something behind? You seem to keep looking back."

Matsushita Chiaki slowed down and fell into step beside me.

"Huh!? Oh... I'm not looking for anything."

"You seem a little distracted."

"Mm..."

Matsushita Chiaki didn't say anything else. She just walked beside me.

I felt as if someone behind me was watching, so I pretended to casually adjust my bangs and sneaked a glance back.

Our eyes met all of a sudden, and for some reason I panicked.

We'd been chatting and laughing the whole way. Did they really have that much to talk about?

I... I meant those boys, of course...

I felt inexplicably irritated.

"Why did we come here today, Ayanokouji?"

"...Why?"

"Because of Kushida-san!!!"

What the hell was so special about Kushida Kikyo?

The somewhat rowdy voices abruptly fell silent, followed by a soft cry from Kushida Kikyo.

"Ah... That hurt."

What the...!?

They... How had they ended up in each other's arms?

It seemed they'd simply bumped into each other by accident.

Watching them quickly pull apart, I tried to make excuses for them.

But I still couldn't stop the same thought from repeating in my mind.

Bumping into each other like that was practically the same as hugging.

An inexplicable oppression weighed on me, making it hard to breathe.

Looking at the two of them surrounded by everyone else, I felt... inexplicably...

Uncomfortable.

It was a feeling I'd never known before, and I didn't know what to do with it.

I could barely keep my face blank. I bit down on my lip, trying to smother what I felt inside with pain.

My nails dug into my palm.

My hand felt cold, and even my fingers trembled slightly.

I hated this feeling...