Daily Life 2

It was another peaceful, ordinary day. Nearly a week had passed since Hirata invited Qiuyue.

With the final exams drawing closer, everyone in Class D had more or less begun preparing for them.

Only Qiuyue knew that the real battle would come after the final exams, during the summer vacation on the Uninhabited Island.

Qiuyue: (...As soon as we get to the island, I need to approach Class B about working together, before anyone's had a chance to settle in. They'll be distracted then, so they probably won't notice me.)

(Using a drone to map the island is essential too. That'll count as part of the points.)

(I've more or less settled on two or three plans. I should imagine some possibilities, and make plans on the fly too. Plans never keep up with change, so I'll need to adapt.)

As soon as the lunch break began, everyone went to eat with their friends—except Qiuyue, Ayanokoji, and Horikita.

By contrast, Kushida was surrounded by people inviting her to lunch, boys and girls alike. Some were even upperclassmen or students from other classes.

Hirata, whose popularity in Class D was just a little below Kushida's, didn't get many invitations because he'd already gotten a girlfriend not long after the school year began. He usually ate with Karuizawa's little group.

The highly popular Ichinose Honami was in a similar situation, though she usually ate with a group of girls from Class B.

As usual, Qiuyue went to the second floor of the cafeteria and ordered the familiar two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, soup, and extra rice.

Qiuyue didn't have to think about any of that. Just as he put on his headphones and started eating, an unexpected visitor appeared across from him: Hirata Yosuke.

Qiuyue took off his headphones. One look at Hirata sitting across from him, with his lunch set on the table, told him Hirata must have something to discuss.

"Did you need something, Hirata? Your girlfriend's waiting for you."

As he spoke, Qiuyue pointed to Kei, who was watching them from a short distance away.

"It's fine. I'll eat here today."

"...I see..."

Qiuyue: (...Why's he suddenly coming to me? He did the same thing last time, inviting me to join him... What's he after?)

"Hirata, just say what's on your mind. When I eat, I usually like to wear headphones and keep quiet. I just focus on my food."

Hirata looked embarrassed. After hesitating for a while, he finally raised his head and looked at Qiuyue.

"Qiuyue, you might think I'm meddling, but I still want to ask: why are you always alone?

"You're always by yourself after class and at lunch. I asked some of our classmates, and they said you might even be alone during breaks."

"When I have free time or during breaks, I go to the Library. I read books there and discuss their stories with people. Is that enough for you?"

"That's not what I mean. Don't you get bored by yourself? Without friends, aren't you lonely being alone all the time? Wouldn't it be better to fit in with the class?"

Qiuyue: (Playing friendship games? I see. Now I know what Hirata's trying to do.)

(Is he worried I don't feel a sense of belonging in the class? He'd do anything to keep the class harmonious. Or is he worried that, like back in middle school, someone will be isolated and bullied? It's anyone's guess who's bullying whom.)

"...I do get lonely sometimes, but I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't get used to that, Qiuyue. This can't go on. I'll help you get involved with the class as much as I can, okay? You shouldn't always be alone."

Qiuyue didn't take it seriously. He fiddled with his phone, choosing a song as he prepared to put his headphones back on.

"Qiuyue, are you listening? I'm worried about you. I'm only saying this because I care about you."

Qiuyue: (...What a pain. I hate it when people say they're only doing something for my own good.)

"Hirata, I think you've misunderstood something. I don't like hearing 'I'm only doing this for your own good.' It's not that I can't get along with people, and it's not that I don't have a single friend.

"Like you said, being alone can be lonely. But I'm used to it, and that's not something I can change overnight. I like reading and listening to music by myself. I'm the kind of person who likes to immerse himself in his own world. I've been this way since elementary and middle school.

"I just want to prove one thing: people who are lonely aren't pitiable.

"I know these are just my own stubborn ideas. But I won't deny who I used to be. That spending time alone is a sin, that being by yourself is bad—I absolutely refuse to accept that.

"That's all I wanted to say. So, Hirata, thanks for your concern. I'm not saying you're meddling. People are social animals, and maybe your way of thinking is right. Maybe I'll change, and maybe I should. But I don't think it'll be now."

After finishing, Qiuyue put his headphones on, stood up, picked up his lunch, and moved to another table.

Qiuyue: (People stay up late playing games, watching anime, and reading manga to fill the emptiness inside them. Then they sleep for hours and act as if they're completely absorbed in those things.)

(But that emptiness can't be filled that way. All they're doing is distracting themselves. In truth, the emptiness inside only grows deeper, and follows them through their miserable lives.)

(But the question isn't whether it can be filled. It's whether a person is willing to let it be filled. So I know perfectly well that I'm running away.)

(...Hirata... Even if you're right, even if you put it as well as you can, people only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. I'm no exception.)

After Qiuyue left, Hirata's mood visibly sank, and he seemed weighed down.

When Kei saw Qiuyue leave, she quickly came over and sat beside Hirata.

Given Kei's personality, she could easily have ignored Qiuyue and come over to sit with Hirata from the start. The only reason she hadn't was that Hirata had told her not to come over so he could talk to Qiuyue properly. Qiuyue had seen through it from the beginning.

After lunch, the afternoon classes passed quickly. Whenever Hirata walked past Qiuyue's seat, he looked as if he wanted to say something, but Qiuyue's seat remained empty.

Qiuyue knew Hirata wouldn't give up so easily. To prevent rumors from spreading around the class, he went to the bathroom after every class and returned only shortly before the next one began.

At three-thirty, the school gates were crowded with students heading home. Hirata understood that Qiuyue was avoiding him. He felt helpless, but there wasn't much he could do. Keeping Qiuyue behind in front of the whole class would only make him resent Hirata.

Qiuyue walked alone through the crowd, headphones on and eyes on his phone. He went to the Library and read for two hours, then went to the cafeteria for dinner. After a tiring day, he returned to his room.

He took off his uniform, put his books away, sat down, turned on his computer, opened an emulator, and played Head-Patting Village.

Once it got late, he did a little exercise before taking a shower. Afterward, he opened the Tomato Novel app and read for a while before drifting off to sleep.