Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 7 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Violent Affair

“Shiratori-kun has been suspended for a week due to violent behavior.”

Our teacher had dropped a shocking announcement.

“Huh?” It took me a while to process what those words meant. That statement was so far removed from my image of Reita that I couldn’t connect it to him.

The classroom suddenly burst into an uproar. Surprise, curiosity, disappointment, concern—all sorts of emotions were running wild. Meanwhile, Hikari—whose seat was next to mine—sat, eyes wide, in a motionless daze.

I was in the same stupor as her. Uta, Tatsuya, and Nanase must’ve reacted the same way too.

“Pipe down. Homeroom is still ongoing,” our teacher yelled angrily, hushing the commotion. Even so, there was a palpable restlessness in the air of the classroom.

“Wh-What do you think happened?” Hikari whispered.

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

I really have no clue. I still don’t believe what our teacher said. Reita is a gentle person. He’s not someone who’d use violence on others. I’ve never even seen him get angry before. He’s always calm and makes levelheaded decisions. That’s the Shiratori Reita that I know.

That Reita, entangled in violence? And punished with a suspension? This must be a mistake. I’m certain there’s a reason behind all this. Reita would never say the things he did in the video that’s spreading on Minsta either.

Memories of the day Miori had gone missing suddenly flashed through my mind. I had bumped into Reita in the mountains then.

“I know Miori loves you. If you find her, she won’t have eyes for anyone but you. I’d hate that... I have to be the one who helps her!”

Reita was definitely acting weird that day.

“Even if it’s only temporary, I’m Miori’s boyfriend. It’s my job to find her!”

He would never say that if he were in his right mind. He wouldn’t prioritize himself in a situation where we didn’t even know whether Miori was alive or not.

“All you’ve been talking about is yourself.”

At that time, he had acted like he was being cornered by something. Reita, who was always more observant than anyone else, had seemed like a completely different person.

I had coldly and bluntly told him off because I thought he’d realize that. Also, my number one priority had been finding Miori. I hadn’t had the time to care about Reita.

“Was it...my fault?” I muttered. At that moment, I realized Reita was also another ordinary high school student, but Miori was all I could think about. After helping her, I should’ve worried about him.

Tatsuya raised his hand and asked, “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you kids the particulars.” Our homeroom teacher shook their head.

“Why not?” he pressed.

“I understand you’re worried about your friend, but those are the rules.” There was an implicit “Ask him yourself if you want to know,” hidden beneath those words. A teacher was not allowed to speak more than this. Understanding that, Tatsuya fell silent.

After the morning assembly ended, our homeroom teacher left the room. All at once, the class erupted into a tumult far louder than normal.

The usual crew assembled around my desk: Tatsuya, Uta, Nanase, and Hikari from the seat over. Their expressions weren’t very bright. We drew attention gathered there like that. It was honestly uncomfortable. We were a group that stood out on normal days, but the gazes focused on us were of a different nature than usual.

“Stop staring. Talk about lunch or something.” Tatsuya shooed our classmates away like he was waving off a dog. His intimidation worked, and the air became slightly more breathable.

Always the brute-force approach with him. He scattered everyone with just his presence. What is this, a battle manga?

“Hey, Uta. Have you heard anything from Reita?” Tatsuya asked. She must’ve sent him a message immediately after the morning assembly.

“No... He hasn’t even read it yet.” Uta gazed at her RINE chat with a worried look.

“I thought it was odd that he hadn’t said anything in the group chat... I can’t believe he was suspended,” Hikari murmured as she stared at Reita’s seat.

“I wonder what happened,” Nanase said.

Despite the clamor around us, we fell into silence. I hadn’t told them about the Minsta video that Yamano had sent me yet. However, we only had three minutes until our first period started. If I shared new information with them now, they would only become more confused. It was a dismal situation, but we couldn’t skip class either. That would only draw even more negative attention to our group.

“Let’s meet up during lunch break. I want to piece together the info we’ve got,” I said. They all nodded. Normally...Reita would be the one making the closing summary.

***

Although the atmosphere in the classroom was different from usual, we made it through our morning classes. I never really paid attention to our lessons in the first place, but the classes felt extremely long today.

Lunch finally arrived, but if the usual crew were to congregate in the classroom, we would be too conspicuous. I messaged our meetup spot to everyone over RINE. This time we would get together in the corner of the cafeteria. Our goal was to share information, but we still needed to eat lunch. A full belly is important in any situation, after all.

As I made my way to the cafeteria, I sensed people stealing glances at me. Their gazes certainly felt different from usual, and the air was abuzz. However, it wasn’t as bad as inside the classroom. Once I left the first-year hallway, the staring ceased.

Oh well, nothing we can do about it. Reita is the star of our grade, and even if there are people who don’t know who he is, they’d be pretty curious about him when they heard a student in the same grade as them was suspended because of violence. It only makes sense that people would gawk at me since I’m known to be good friends with him.

I bought my lunch ticket at the machine and gave it to a cafeteria granny in exchange for a yakitori don. I was the first to take a seat at the area I’d designated on RINE. Before long, Hikari, Uta, Nanase, and Tatsuya arrived in that order.

“Miorin and Seri said they’re coming too,” Uta said from the seat to my right as she stared at her phone.

Looks like she’s been in contact with those two from the class over.

“Aight, let’s eat first, then talk,” Tatsuya said with a frown. He began devouring his large katsu don.

Tatsuya, Uta, and I were eating school food today, while Nanase and Hikari had brought their own lunch boxes. There were a lot of second and third-years in the cafeteria. Because of that, no one really paid attention to us.

The topic of Reita’s suspension had spread quite a lot among the first-years, but that wasn’t the case for the grades above us. I was glad to have a break from the uncomfortable stares I’d been getting all morning.

Everyone ate in silence as Tatsuya had suggested, and we focused on scarfing down our food. Uta was noticeably quiet. I’d never had such a tasteless meal before. When I finished my yakitori don, Miori and Serika appeared at the cafeteria entrance.

“Miorin, Seri! Over here!” Uta waved, alerting them to our location.

“Guys...” Miori approached us with a worried look on her face.

The smile I had thought we’d restored had been lost once again, and that saddened me. Miori probably feels responsible for this.

“Is it true that Reita-kun was involved in a fight?” she asked.

We all exchanged looks, but no one answered her. No one knew the truth.

“We don’t know... But we do know a little bit, which is why we’ve gathered,” I said.

“Okay,” Serika said, “let’s start sharing what we know.” Even now, her tone was placid, and I found it reassuring. “I want to show you guys this video first. I’m sure some of you have already seen it, though.”

She pulled up the video that had been circulating on Minsta. It showed a rowdy-looking group gathered in a back alley. Reita was one of the boys there, and the footage appeared to have been shot from hiding.

I was agonizing over how to bring this video up, but it looks like Serika knew about it too. Yamano must’ve sent it to her at the same time she messaged me.

“Reita-san, what happened to your latest girl?”

“We broke up. We were only dating because I threatened her, anyway, so no regrets here.”

It was a short video, lasting just a few seconds, and that was the only part of the conversation that was audible. It had been filmed at night so the lighting was dim, but the person in the frame was undoubtedly Reita. His face, voice, stature, and the aura he gave off were those of the Reita I knew.

However, the words coming out of his mouth were unlike the usual Reita.

“What...is this?” Uta said incredulously.

“He doesn’t actually believe that. What the hell is he thinking?” Tatsuya spat out, his expression twisting into a frown.

I agreed with Tatsuya. On the day Miori disappeared, I had spoken to Reita. At the time, he’d been acting strangely, but his feelings for her were the root cause.

Reita definitely loves Miori. Besides, it’s not true he threatened her into dating, and I doubt he has no more lingering attachment to her. Reita is clearly lying in this video.

“Miori, is this true?” Serika asked.

I was startled by how direct her question was. Serika really doesn’t hold back. It’s just like her. Well, she’s the closest one to Miori here.

“Of course it’s not true.” Miori had been wordlessly replaying the video over and over, but she stopped and slowly shook her head. “I went out with Reita-kun because I wanted to. We might have dated under the condition that I could still have feelings for Natsuki...but I wasn’t threatened. Of course not.”

She paused for a moment to ruminate over something. “It’s a hunch, but...Reita-kun is probably trying to portray that condition as a threat. No matter how I look at it, I think he’s blatantly trying to paint himself the villain here.”

“This video is spreading on Minsta right now, and bad rumors about Reita are flying around left and right. His alleged suspension because of violent behavior has given them credibility, so I don’t think we’ll be able to stop the rumors from growing out of control,” I said, summarizing the current situation.

Everyone’s expression darkened further.

“The video looks quite forced. It appears to be Shiratori-kun’s doing,” Nanase said with a sigh.

“Nanase...?” I said quizzically.

“In the first place, don’t you think it’s much too unnatural for someone to take a video like this? The angle indicates that it was taken from hiding...but if you consider it logically, you can hear his voice clearly, so it was filmed at a distance where he’d obviously notice. We’re talking about Shiratori-kun here; his observation skills miss nothing.”

Yeah, of course. I’m of the same opinion. “Nanase, are you saying Reita staged this video himself?”

“That’s the only possibility from my perspective,” she replied.

“B-But, why would Rei do this on purpose...?” Uta trailed off and then suddenly gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

“I think...he did this to completely dispel all the bad rumors about Miori-chan. Instead of resolving the misunderstanding, he’s spreading more rumors... By publishing this video, Reita-kun can essentially overwrite the rumors and transform Miori into his victim,” Hikari muttered as though she were organizing her thoughts.

Rather than participating in the discussion, it was more like she was absorbed in her own world. She didn’t even realize she was talking to herself. This was probably what she was like when she wrote her novels.

“I see,” I murmured. Hikari’s deduction could sufficiently explain Reita’s objective, and was the most plausible theory so far.

“No...” Miori was struck speechless.

“If that’s his goal, then why would Rei deliberately do things this way?” Uta asked us, unconvinced.

His motive, huh? I think...I have an idea why. “Reita... Is this your way of atoning?” I unconsciously clenched my first. Do you really think sacrificing yourself would help Miori?

“Natsuki, calm down.” A deep voice pulled me out of my sea of thoughts, bringing me back to reality. “You know something else, don’t you? Spit it out.”

I hesitated a little. Is it okay to tell other people about the conversation I had with Reita that day? Well, we’re in a dire situation. I shouldn’t keep quiet about it. “On the day I was searching for Miori, I ran into Reita.”

I described the exchange I’d had with him in the rain, leaving nothing out. Miori’s expression visibly clouded over with each word.

“After that, I went to search for Miori. To be honest, I was so worried about her that I didn’t care about Reita. I was convinced that he would be fine because he’s a strong guy.”

When I finished recounting everything, Serika looked at everyone and asked, “Has anyone seen Reita since then?”

They all looked at one another, but no one spoke up. A pall of silence fell over the table. We were halfway through lunch break, and there were fewer people in the cafeteria.

It’s my fault... This wouldn’t have happened if I had shown any kind of concern for Reita. I should’ve considered how weird it was that Reita didn’t make a peep afterwards. I didn’t reach out to him first because I was trying to be considerate. I thought anything I said would just have the opposite effect, but that backfired on me.

“Nevertheless, even if the video was a hoax, it seems he truly was involved in some sort of violent altercation. After all, he was suspended. I’d first like to know what on earth happened,” Nanase said.

She’s right, but we don’t have any information on that end. The easiest thing to do in times like this would be to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, but if we could do that, then we wouldn’t be so worried to begin with.

Having nothing to lose, Tatsuya called Reita, but after numerous rings, he said, “Figures, he’s not picking up. The bastard,” and hung up.

I had an inkling when he didn’t respond in our group chat, but it looks like he doesn’t want to talk to us... Does that mean he doesn’t want to hang out with us anymore?

“It’s my fault... It’s all because I took advantage of Reita-kun,” Miori murmured, distraught.

Serika patted her back. “Don’t say that. It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s, really.” While she reassured Miori, she flicked her gaze to me. “Natsuki, you too. You were firm with Reita because you thought you were in the right, yeah?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah... That’s what I thought at the time, anyway,” I said weakly.

“Then you don’t need to regret it. Natsuki, I don’t think you were wrong either. What you should be thinking about now is how we can bring Reita back to us. Right?” Serika forcibly simplified the conversation.

She’s right, though. Moping around won’t solve anything.

“To do that, we need to figure out what happened to Reita-kun,” Hikari said.

I nodded. If we don’t know why he’s giving us the cold shoulder, we won’t know how to bring him back.

“First off, we should all gather as much information as we can.” Just as I finished saying that, the end-of-lunch bell rang.

***

The afternoon classes had begun. Our math teacher, Murakami-sensei, dispassionately listed formulas on the blackboard. I was looking at my phone under my desk. Frankly, I wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to class.

I reexamined the Minsta video of Reita. The poster had used an assumed name; the only information on their profile was that they were a student at Ryomei.

They’ve got a decent number of followers that are Ryomei students, and the fact that the video even spread in the first place suggests that this account has been active for a long time. So did they delete their old posts or something? Because I can’t find them. There’s no personal information on here that would help identify who they are.

If Reita really did stage this video, that would make the owner of this account his accomplice. I want to talk to whoever it is...but it’s going to be hard. Reita’s network is way too vast. And that’s exactly why this incident’s caused such a huge commotion.

“At any rate, is Shiratori-kun okay?”

“Why worry about him? The guy got into a fight.”

“We don’t know the details, so we can’t really defend him right now.”

“I don’t think he’s the sort of guy who’d do something like that. He’s normally such a nice person.”

During our breaks between classes, I kept my ears open and eavesdropped on other kids’ conversations. As expected, there were a lot of people talking about Reita. He interacted with our classmates frequently, so no one was speaking ill of him. However, students from other classes spoke of him less favorably.

“This is such a letdown. Shiratori-kun is so hot.”

“Resorting to violence makes him a brute! Ha ha ha! Wait, won’t this affect the soccer team?”

“True. I feel bad for the soccer team. They got dragged into a mess because of one idiot.”

“Eh, I hated that guy from the get-go. He looked sketchy to me.”

“Didn’t he hit Motomiya-san and force her to obey him?”

“Ugh, that’s awful. Unbelievable!”

Mixed in were malicious lies that I couldn’t bear to listen to, but it would’ve only had the opposite effect if I’d interjected. Either way, the gossip didn’t give us any new information.

Time to organize what we’ve got. There are several factors at play proliferating the rumors about Reita. The first is, obviously, Shiratori Reita is like the leader of our year. Second, it’s pretty much a continuation to the rumors about Miori. Third, the video is enough evidence to denounce him as the bad guy. Fourth, it’s a fact that he’s been suspended due to violence.

With all those factors combined, it’s inevitable that the rumors have spread explosively. Miori’s bad rep has been instantly repainted. If Reita set all this in motion, then how much of it is developing the way he wants? I don’t think he’d go as far as to get violent for this, though.

I was brooding over the matter when Hikari poked my shoulder from the seat over. What is it? I looked up. Her mouth was frantically opening and closing like a fish. At that moment, I sensed someone else behind me, and quickly hid my phone under my desk. It was a close call, but Murakami-sensei walked past me without noticing a thing.

We’d reached the problem-solving part of class, and he was making rounds to ensure that the students were diligently working.

Th-That was close... I exhaled in relief.

Hikari gave me a side-eye, silently asking, “What were you doing?”

She seems more flustered than I am, so I feel guilty. Hey, even if Murakami-sensei caught me using my phone and confiscated it, you have three strikes until you get in actual trouble.

After the fourth time, he would force students to cancel their phone contract. I was very familiar with his tactics, because during my first round of high school, my phone had been confiscated twice and he’d threatened to do just that. For the record, I was either playing a social game or reading web novels back then. Take your classes seriously.

***

After school.

“We’re not getting anywhere like this. Let’s go straight to Reita’s place,” Tatsuya said.

I saw that one coming. That’s the only thing I could think of too. “I’m down, but don’t you have practice?”

“Don’t sweat it. I can take a day off.”

Tatsuya had secured a spot as a starter on the basketball team, so even a single day of practice was crucial. It showed just how important this Reita affair was to him. After we watched the others take off for their club activities, Tatsuya exited our classroom, and I followed after him.

Something suddenly came to mind and he asked, “Come to think of it, is it okay for you to leave Hoshimiya behind?”

“She has literature club today. Besides, it’s better if it’s just us two anyway.”

A beat passed. “Yeah, true. We shouldn’t barge in with too many people.”

During our lunch break, we had made a group chat consisting of me, Tatsuya, Hikari, Uta, Nanase, Miori, and Serika. I had mentioned there that Tatsuya and I would visit Reita’s house, and though Serika and Nanase were free today, they’d replied with “You got it,” and “Please do.” They were probably trying to be mindful of bringing a big crowd along too.

We had been quiet as we headed to Reita’s house, but Tatsuya suddenly broke the silence. “To tell the truth, I’ve kinda got an idea what’s going on.”

“You do?”

“In your eyes, it looks like he’s lost sight of himself, right?”

“Oh yeah... I figured his feelings for Miori grew out of hand.”

“I don’t think you’re wrong there, but...there might be a different reason he’s emotionally burned-out... I’ve got a guess, and I bet Uta does too,” Tatsuya said in a low, flat tone. It seemed like he was suppressing a complicated hodgepodge of emotions.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked.

“It’ll be faster if you see it. You’ll probably get it once we’re there.” With that, he fell silent once more.

I’m usually slow on the uptake, but even I can understand what he’s implying. If I’ll get it once we’re there, that means the root of the problem is at Reita’s home.

“We’re here,” Tatsuya said, and came to a stop.

We’d walked about twenty minutes from the school, deep into the residential area. In front of us was a four-story building that appeared considerably worn out. It wasn’t well-kept by any standard. Reita lives here? Not gonna lie...this is unexpected.

We went up to the second floor, and the first door we saw had a nameplate with “Shiratori” written on it.

“All right, let’s do this.” Tatsuya took a deep breath before he rang the doorbell. He hesitated for a moment, and then resolutely pushed the button.

Tatsuya’s kinda acting weird. Is he nervous?

I could hear clattering and indiscernible noises from inside. Then, with a loud bang, the door flew open.

“Who’re you guys? You’re not the deliveryman.”

A man in a stained white shirt and shorts appeared before us. He was overweight, and his hair was unkempt. His stubble had been left unshaven, and—to be blunt—he looked kinda grimy. Also, he reeked of alcohol, which made me reflexively grimace. On a closer look, I noticed his face was red too. He must’ve been in the middle of drinking. Agewise, he seemed old enough to be Reita’s father, but I honestly couldn’t see it.

“Hello, it’s been a while. I’m Reita’s friend, Nagiura,” Tatsuya said after a pause.

However, judging from Tatsuya’s attitude, this man was indeed Reita’s father.

“Huh? Come to think of it, I’ve seen you before.” He looked at our faces and scratched his head in an annoyed manner. From his crude demeanor and tone, I could tell we clearly weren’t welcome. “If you’re looking for that brat, he’s not here. So hurry on home,” he said as he picked his ear, and then began to close the door.

Did he just say...“that brat”? The way he referred to Reita bothers me, but now’s not the time for that. His son is suspended, but he’s not at home? “P-Please wait! Do you know where he would be, then?!”

My question seemed to set him off, because he shot a terrifying glare at me. “How would I know?! Who cares—hurry up and scram! Get going if you don’t want a beating!” He yelled so loud that his voice echoed through the corridor, and I unwittingly shrank in fear. I couldn’t say anything more, and with a snort, Reita’s father shut the door this time.

“He hasn’t changed. Actually, I think he’s gotten even worse.” Tatsuya’s eyes narrowed.

I finally understood what he had meant when he said it’d be faster to see it myself. Reita’s father was a type of adult that didn’t exist around me. Because of that, I was all the more shaken.

“Let’s go. Reita’s not home, so we’ve got no more business being here,” he said.

I followed after Tatsuya, moving away from the front door. I’d caught a quick peek into the apartment when the door had swung open; the hallway was overflowing with things. There were numerous sake bottles rolling around, and clothes scattered on the floor. It didn’t look like they were leading a decent life.

“That man was Reita’s father, right?” I asked.

“Yep. Related by blood and all. Unexpected, yeah?”

“Well, yeah...” I thought Reita was raised by an affluent family. He’s kind to everyone and has elegant mannerisms that make it seem like he received a sophisticated upbringing.

“The Reita you know now was created by using his dad as the perfect example of what not to be like.”

“I see.”

Thinking back, I realized Reita had never talked about his family in our day-to-day conversations. Actually, he rarely talked about himself at all. He was a better listener than anyone else, and always kept conversations going by encouraging others to speak. Because of that, I knew even less about Reita than I had realized.

“It gets dark faster nowadays.” Tatsuya stopped in front of a vending machine a short walk away from Reita’s home. “Let’s drink something hot.”

I looked up—the sun was just about to hide behind the mountains. The sky had been dyed a stunning orange hue. It was already quite cold, but once night fell, the chill would worsen.

“It’s totally winter already. Time sure does fly.” A puff of white breath left Tatsuya’s mouth as he bought a hot lemon tea.

I bought my usual canned coffee, but when I picked it up, it was too hot. “Hot, hot...” I juggled the can in my hands, waiting for it to cool off.

Tatsuya continued speaking with a serious expression. “You can probably imagine what kind of environment Reita grew up in.”

“What happened to his mom? He doesn’t have any siblings, right?”

“He’s an only child. Apparently, his mom disappeared one day. Reita told me before.”

Disappeared. I know what the word means, but it just doesn’t feel real. Still, living with that man would make her want to run away. If that’s what happened, it makes me wonder why she married him in the first place. No... That’s not what I should be concerned about now.

“I figured it wasn’t something I should tell everyone.”

I nodded in agreement to Tatsuya’s consideration for our friend. That’s thoughtful in the right way.

“Anyway, we know Reita didn’t go home now. This means his home situation was definitely one of the factors that cornered him. He stopped talking about his family when we started high school, so I got the wrong impression that things were better... His old man’s clearly gotten worse. Now that I think about it, I feel like Reita’s been unsettled lately,” Tatsuya said, his voice thick with regret.

My canned coffee had cooled from being tossed in the air, so I lifted the tab. It was the same brand as always, but for some reason, it tasted more bitter today.

“Still, it’s bad news that he isn’t home when he’s suspended,” I said.

“No doubt.”

If the school finds out, Reita might not get off with just an extension of his suspension. He may not want to stay at home, but this is too risky. I hope I’m wrong, but what if he doesn’t care about school anymore? If that’s the case, the situation is getting all the more pressing.

“I skipped out on practice today, so I’ve got time. Wanna search for him?” Tatsuya asked.

“Do you have any idea where he might be?”

“Not really. That guy could be anywhere.”

Yeah... True that. He doesn’t have any hobbies that’d make it obvious either.

Together Tatsuya and I checked out the parks and shopping complexes around Reita’s neighborhood, but we didn’t find him. It seemed like an impossible task when we didn’t have any clues. Meanwhile, it continued to grow dark outside.

“No choice, let’s call it a day here,” Tatsuya said.

“Yeah.” We can’t find him in the darkness.

Just then, my phone rang, so I took it out—Hikari was calling me. Is she wondering how our house visit to Reita’s went?

“Hello?” I answered.

“Oh, Natsuki-kun? Is Tatsuya-kun with you?” she asked rapidly. She sounded frantic.

“Yeah. We dropped by Reita’s place, but he wasn’t home. So—”

“H-He’s here. Reita-kun’s here.” Uncharacteristically, Hikari spoke over me.

I was so shocked that it took me a few seconds to process. “Wh... What? Is Reita there with you?”

Tatsuya couldn’t hear Hikari, but he reacted to me. “What?!” he exclaimed.

Of course we were surprised. We had spent over two hours searching for Reita, and here Hikari was telling us that she had found our wanted man as soon as her club had finished.

“Y-Yeah... I happened to see him on my way home, so I’m secretly tailing him.”

“Tailing him?” I asked. “Why? If you spotted him, then why not call out to him?”

“I was going to, but he was with some scary-looking people, so...”

It’s rare for Hikari to beat around the bush like this. Reita must be with some real frightening people. As I thought that, the Minsta video flashed through my mind. “Is he with the same crew as the one in that video?”

“Now that you mention it, they might look similar? It’s dark, so I can’t get a good look, though...”

“Hikari, where are you? We’ll head over there now.”

“O-Okay. I’m a short walk away from Takasaki Station’s east exit. There aren’t a lot of people around here, so it’ll be hard for me to follow him much longer... They might spot me soon. I’m scared.”

“Got it. Hang tight there. Actually, it’ll take some time for us to get there, so I think you should head home first. Your safety is more important.” The night is wearing on. She said no one else is around, so it’s too dangerous to let her keep tailing them. Reita aside, I can’t trust the rest of the people with him.

“Natsuki-kun, what are you going to do?”

“I’ll chase after them with Tatsuya. Can you give me the direction they’re heading in?”

“Okay. They look like delinquents, so be careful.” Hikari sent me her position using a map application. It came with a message that said, “Walk along the railroad tracks from here.”

The location was far from where Tatsuya and I were now. Including the train ride, it would take us around thirty minutes to get there.

“Where are they?” Tatsuya asked.

“Near Takasaki Station. She said she happened to spot him.”

“I see. Let’s hurry.” He had quickly grasped the situation from the call.

The two of us broke into a run. When we reached Maebashi Station, we rode the Ryomo Line to Takasaki Station. It was late, so there weren’t a lot of people aboard. I took a seat next to Tatsuya. Although I felt impatient, that wouldn’t make the train move any faster. I took deep breaths and calmed myself.

“He was hanging out with a nasty-looking bunch, wasn’t he?” Tatsuya asked.

Based on what I heard from Hikari, I nodded my head. “Apparently, yeah.”

“Knew it,” he muttered. “It’s probably the same group from our middle school. We had a pretty big delinquent gang. I heard they all went on to Kakiwari High School, though... It figures he’s with the same kids again.”

Kakiwari High School—though it was in the same vicinity as Ryomei High, its academic scores were quite different. Compared to Ryomei, which was ranked high in the prefecture, Kakiwari was fighting for the lowest ranking. The aura of the students who attended that school was significantly different too. To put it bluntly, there were a lot of delinquents there. That was why Ryomei students steered clear of them.

“Was Reita close with them?” I asked. I can’t imagine that, though.

“He was pretty chummy with them for a time. But he cut ties.”

Cut ties, huh? But Reita is with them right now. The train pulled into Takasaki Station while my mind was still jumbled up. We entered the location Hikari had shared with us into our navigation app and set off right away.

“Oh, Natsuki-kun! Over here.”

I heard Hikari’s voice coming from an empty alley. I glanced that way to see her waving as she ran over to us.

“Hikari?! I told you to go home!” I said.

“I... I know, but...I’m worried about Reita-kun too.”

On a closer inspection, I saw that she was shaking nervously. Despite that, she was so concerned about our friend that she had chosen to stay.

“Sorry,” I said, realizing I’d been too harsh.

“Don’t be. I know you’re worried about me.” She shook her head. “They walked along the railroad tracks. I think they’re hanging out under the overpass up ahead.”

She even identified where they’d be? That helps a ton, but that’s way too reckless! I turned in the direction she pointed, but it was pitch-black, and I couldn’t see a thing.

“I hear laughing. Let’s go,” Tatsuya said.

“T-Tatsuya?” I questioned.

“You can hear it, yeah? They’re there.”

No, I don’t hear a thing... His hearing’s like an animal.

I stuck to Tatsuya, and gradually the sound of boys’ laughter grew louder and louder. Not gonna lie, I’m reluctant to continue onward. Actually, I’m scared of coming face-to-face with them. I’ve never interacted with any so-called delinquents in my entire life. I mean come on, normal people usually don’t have anything to do with punks like them...

Hikari followed us, clinging to my sleeve as she hid behind me.

“Hikari,” I began.

“I’m going too. Reita-kun is my friend.”

“All right,” I said after much hesitation.

Before long, we arrived at a lit area beneath the train overpass, where a group of people were gathered. There were about ten kids in total, and they appeared around our age.

“Huh? Who’re you guys?”

Their visage alone made me want to turn tail and run. Dyed blond hair, ear piercings, flashy clothes, disheveled uniforms, jangling necklaces and chains—there were even kids flagrantly smoking despite being minors. It’s bad for your health, so you better quit!

And finally...

“Reita.”

In the center of that group, Reita was leaning against a pole with both hands jammed in his pockets. When he saw us, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Wazzat? Are ya Reita’s friends?” The blond boy who had been the first to glare at us mellowed out and shouted at Reita, “Hey, these guys’re wearing Ryomei uniforms!”

Tatsuya exhaled slowly. “You guys never change,” he said, exasperated.

“Huh? What’re you say— Wait, aren’t you Nagiura?!” the blond yelled in surprise when he saw Tatsuya. It was dark so he hadn’t gotten a good look at our faces until we came closer.

“What?!”

“For real?”

“Talk about a blast from the past!”

The other kids exclaimed in astonishment as well. However, a few of them asked, “Who’s that?” and cocked their heads in confusion. That handful must have attended a different middle school.

“Took you long enough to notice,” Tatsuya snapped.

At any rate, Tatsuya’s clearly in a terrible mood. He’s always been a surly guy, but I haven’t seen him this hostile since our quarrel at the beginning of the school year.

“I-It was dark and I couldn’t see well,” the blond boy replied, flustered.

He seems a bit nervous; maybe he and Tatsuya have some history. Anyway, it’s great how reliable Tatsuya is. I haven’t said a single thing yet. Delinquents are the natural enemies of introverts like me... But Hikari is behind me, so I can’t let them see how shook I am. The least I can do is keep my head high. No matter what happens, I’ll protect Hikari!

I’m serious. I’ve been working out daily, so I should be pretty strong in case this turns into a fight. I’ve got a decent build too. Well, I doubt I have any knack for combat, though...

“Nagiura, huh? Long time no see,” said a large boy with a deep voice who was sitting on top of a wooden crate in the very back of the group. He had short black hair and an intimidating glint in his eyes. His steellike muscles were evident even underneath his clothes. He gave off a daunting boss aura, and he was definitely beefier than me.

“Hasegawa-senpai,” Tatsuya said, addressing the boy as his upperclassman, “why are you with Reita?”

“You should be asking Shiratori, not me,” he replied.

Tatsuya’s gaze slid over to Reita. “True. All right, Reita, what are you doing? Why are you with these losers?” He glared daggers at his friend.

“L-Losers?” The blond boy pointed at himself with a dry smile. I felt a bit sorry for him; he didn’t seem too bad.

“As you can see, I’m hanging out with my friends from middle school. Is there an issue?” Reita answered, his face devoid of expression. The air he gave off was clearly different from usual. He was rejecting us.

“Sure, fine. Even if that’s what’s up, then why haven’t you replied to us? You don’t even pick up calls.”

“Oops, sorry. Didn’t notice,” Reita replied aloofly. He was obviously lying.

“You bastard!” Tatsuya instinctively leaned forward, about to charge.

“Oh? You wanna go?” One of the delinquents in front of Reita cracked his knuckles.

This is bad. I quickly grabbed Tatsuya’s shoulder. “Calm down. We didn’t come here to fight.”

“You think I can stay calm?! Do you get what he’s saying?!” Tatsuya shouted.

“Don’t let it get to you, chill. Hikari is with us too.”

That cooled him down somewhat, and he clammed up. We should’ve sent Hikari home first. I was trying to respect her wishes, though. The situation isn’t too out of hand yet, but it’s precarious. I’d better say something.

“Reita. On that day, after we split up”—I hesitated for a moment—“what happened?”

A chilling silence fell upon us, freezing the area. I didn’t know how many seconds or minutes had passed before Reita finally opened his mouth. “Sorry... I’ve got nothing to say to you guys.”

Figures, he’s not going to explain anything. “I hope this isn’t true, but... Even after your suspension ends, are you not coming back to school?”

He didn’t answer my question. His silence was all the answer I needed.

“Reita-kun. Why did you spread that video around? What’s your goal?” Hikari asked from behind me, her expression resolute.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

“Don’t play dumb. We all know you didn’t mean a word of it.”

Reita had no reply in the face of Hikari’s confidence.

“The heck? Cat’s out of the bag already,” the blond boy said listlessly.

“Toshiya. Can you shut up please?” Reita glared at him.

“M-My bad,” the blond boy replied fearfully.

That reaction confirms our theory that Reita fabricated the video. On a closer look, that blond kid was in it.

“Are you trying to sacrifice yourself to help Miori-chan?” Hikari asked, her expression serious. Compared to Reita, she was unequivocally furious. However, her hand clutching my sleeve was still trembling. She was hiding her fear.

Reita avoided meeting her gaze. “My selfish actions hurt Miori, after all. It’s the least I can do to atone.”

“You think Miori’ll be happy if you make yourself a scapegoat?” I asked.

“At least it’s better than her bad rep sticking around. She’ll keep going to school after this. Even if you override my bad rep, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Because you’re not gonna attend school anymore?”

“That’s right. I won’t be seeing you guys.” There was a dark look in his eyes, as though he’d given up on everything in this world. It overwhelmed me.

“Spell it out for us. How’d you reach that conclusion?”

“Dude, what happened? What’s this about violent behavior?” Tatsuya chimed in.

“There’s nothing to explain; it’s exactly what it sounds like. I got into a fight, and the police detained me. That’s all.” Reita’s expression was deadpan the whole time. His gentle smile was nowhere to be seen.

“And I’m asking how that happened!” Tatsuya yelled.

“As I said earlier, I have nothing to say to you guys.”

“You little... If you’re gonna screw around, I’ll drag you home by force!”

Tatsuya ripped free from my grasp and stepped forward. However, a large boy blocked his way.

“Nagiura, if you’re gonna mess with my pal, then I’ll tussle with you.”

In the face of a giant, over two meters tall and exuding an intense pressure, even Tatsuya took a step back. I hadn’t noticed how huge the boy was since he’d been sitting on a crate, but he seemed even larger now.

“Pal? That’s funny when you guys cut ties once,” Tatsuya goaded him.

“I don’t cut ties. No matter what path they take, once a friend, always a friend,” the large boy he’d called Hasegawa-senpai calmly replied to Tatsuya. He looked down on him, exuding an air of confidence. “Sorry, but could you run along home?”

The atmosphere was on a knife-edge.

“I can’t go back to you guys anymore. I don’t have the right to,” Reita said, his tone cold as ice. He was utterly unapproachable and completely shutting us out. I couldn’t get a word in. “Well then, goodbye.”

Reita and the hoodlums walked off to move to a different spot, leaving the three of us standing there motionless. His parting words had relayed his intent to never see us again.

“That fucking shithead...” Tatsuya clenched his fist, holding back his rage.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but I’m glad Hikari is here. If she wasn’t, Tatsuya wouldn’t have controlled himself, and it might’ve turned into a brawl. I don’t want us to get suspended too.

“Based on how he was acting, I don’t think he’s coming back,” Hikari said with a mixed expression as she gazed in the direction Reita had gone.

“What the hell happened with him? This is too out of nowhere—I don’t get anything at all,” Tatsuya growled.

“I wonder what’s the right thing to do,” I whispered. I’m genuinely at a loss. We need to come up with some kind of plan.

That day, after we calmed Tatsuya’s ire, we quietly went home.

***

The next day was Saturday, the weekend. I didn’t have work or band practice today; I was completely free.

When I woke up, my room was freezing cold. I struggled to slip out from beneath my blanket. In times like this, the only way I’d get out of bed was by turning on the heater and waiting until my room warmed up.

Fortunately, I had the day off from school, so I could take my time. On weekdays, I crawled out in the morning with my teeth chattering. I didn’t want to be late, after all.

I heard it’s going to be even colder next week. Now that’s terrifying... I hate the cold. I’m more of a hot-temperature guy myself. I like summer more than winter. If I were to tell mom that, she’d say, “It must be because I named you Natsuki. ‘Natsu’ means summer, after all” with a smug smile.

Though I had the urge to remain wrapped up in my blanket, my room had warmed up, so I resolutely tore my covers off. I couldn’t slack off on my daily workout, after all. If I skipped a single day, my ideal physique would slip through my fingers. It’s important to train diligently every day to gain muscles.

After I finished my daily dose of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, I went for a jog in the neighborhood. I worked up a good sweat, showered, and took a breather. I made a cup of coffee before returning to my room. My phone screen was flashing from on top of my bed where I’d left it. It was a RINE message from Miori.

Miori: How did yesterday go?

I agonized over how to respond. How should I explain what happened? A bad response might hurt her. What now? I’d nearly escaped from reality through my daily routine, but now it felt like I’d been suddenly yanked back into the real world. A gloomy mood had enveloped me, when I got a call from Miori.

“Mm... Hey,” I said.

“Morning... If you’re gonna leave me on read, at least reply,” she said.

“I was thinking about what to say. It’s hard to explain.”

“That’s what I figured, so I called you. You’re not doing anything anyway, right?”

“Hey, I’m a busy guy. I’ve got my workout. Besides, shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“It starts in the afternoon today. The boys’ basketball team and badminton club are using the court this morning.” Miori paused and then sighed. “Reita-kun’s in hot water, so I’m not sure if I should be leisurely attending practice, seeing how I’m involved in all this... But I’ve been enough of a bother to the girls, so I can’t take any more days off either.”

She had missed almost a week’s worth of practice. Not to mention, she had skipped a day without receiving permission and even gone missing. Her teammates must’ve been markedly worried.

“Are you okay?” I asked. Just when I thought she’d gotten back on her feet, she was met with our current situation. Knowing Miori, she definitely thought this was all her fault, and she must’ve been quite anxious.

“I’m fine now. Don’t worry.” She delivered the words in a deliberate tone so I wouldn’t have any room for concern. I could always see through her strong fronts. However, I pretended not to notice. “So, how’d it go yesterday?” she urged. It was unusual for her to be so agitated.

“Well... Miori, have you heard anything from Reita?” I asked.

“I sent him a bunch of messages, and I even called him, but nothing.”

If he’s not responding to Miori, then he’s really made up his mind. That “goodbye” was meant for all of us. “I’ll get to the point, then. We found Reita. He was with a group of delinquents from Kakiwari High School.”

I gave her the rundown of our conversation with Reita yesterday. After I finished, Miori remained silent for a while.

“I knew it... It’s my fault,” she eventually managed to wring out of her throat. “I used Reita-kun and then rejected him. I knew I’d hurt him, but I had my hands full with my own emotions. I didn’t think about him at all...”

She was getting swept up by feelings of self-reproach, so I interrupted her. “No, it’s my fault. I’m the one who argued with him during such a dire situation and drove him into a corner.”

At the time, I was only worried about Miori, and my mind wasn’t working well. In the end, I haven’t changed from the past. I don’t pay attention to my surroundings, which is why I hurt my friends like this.

“I’m the reason behind that fight, though,” Miori protested, stubbornly laying claim to the blame.

“At the very least, Reita doesn’t think so.” If anything, it’s the opposite. Reita feels indebted to Miori too. He thinks all the nasty gossip about her is because of him. “He said he wanted atonement. That’s why he chose to do this.”

“Atonement...”

Besides that, there’s still so much we don’t know.

“I want to talk to Reita-kun face-to-face. I want to properly apologize to him. I don’t want to leave things as is and part ways,” she said through sobs. “He might not want that, though.”

For some reason, I felt a hole open up in my chest. Until this point, my relationships with those around me had almost collapsed multiple times. Despite that, I’d never felt the way I did now, and that was surely because Reita had been there for me. Because he was supporting me from the background, I’d thought my actions had led me to a resolution each time.

He gently watched over us dumbasses from one step behind. He always seemed the most emotionally mature out of us...but I never imagined he’d leave. Shiratori Reita has always been my—Haibara Natsuki’s—ideal.

But that was merely an idealization I projected onto him. I don’t know the real Shiratori Reita. I’ve realized that mistake over these past few days.

Silence lingered between us. I’d shared all the information I had with her. Seeing that I couldn’t think of a way to overcome the issue, I had nothing else to say. And it obviously wasn’t the right mood to start chatting about something unrelated either.

“Thanks. I should start getting ready for practice,” she said after several minutes, and hung up.

I hadn’t noticed, but my coffee was cold now. I bit the bullet and downed the lukewarm liquid to wet my parched throat before organizing my cluttered thoughts.

Under these circumstances, my goal is to bring Reita back to us. To do that, I need to figure out why he decided to distance himself and resolve whatever it is.

He broke up with someone he wholeheartedly loves, got into trouble with his friends, and he doesn’t have a place at home—given his situation, he’s definitely in a tough spot mentally. On top of that, I don’t know the particulars, but he got into a fight... Knowing Reita’s personality, I bet he’s blaming himself.

“Even so...”

Is Reita not going to attend school anymore and just hang out with that group of delinquents? If so, he must be extremely desperate. Is he going to throw away his school friends, soccer teammates, his future, and everything else? Does he feel so cornered that he can’t even think rationally?

“Why, Reita? If you don’t tell us—if you don’t depend on us—we won’t know what to do.” The words fell from my lips and melted into the air, disappearing without a trace.

My mind was running in circles. Based on how Reita had been acting yesterday, time wouldn’t be the solution to whatever the issue was. I was putting my thoughts in order as I stared at the ceiling when my phone rang.

It was a RINE message from Tatsuya.

Tatsuya: You free tonight? I wanna talk about Reita

Natsuki: I’m free. Sounds good

I didn’t have plans to hang out with Hikari today either. Nor was I in the mood to invite her out.

Tatsuya: I’ll send you the time and location later. Uta’ll be with me too

His concise texts indicated he must’ve been taking a break during basketball practice. I sent him a sticker that meant “Okay,” but it was left unread.

I didn’t have anything to do, yet I couldn’t calm down. I randomly opened my DM with Reita. The message I’d sent him after finding out he was suspended from school was still left unread.

***

I practiced guitar to distract myself until it finally became evening. I couldn’t concentrate well, so I didn’t exactly play that great, but such is life.

I glanced at the clock—it was an hour before our appointment. About time to head out.

When I opened the front door, the sky was already pitch-black. The frigid wind brushed against my skin. It was very cold today, but I was fully prepared, wrapped up in a coat and scarf. I was even wearing a HeatTech top and bottom underneath, so I was a bit toasty. Maybe I overdressed...

I was sweating foolishly on the train over to Maebashi Station. I entered the family restaurant Tatsuya had given me, where he was already waiting with Uta.

“Natsu, over here.”

Uta and Tatsuya sat across from each other at a table. I stopped to think for a second before sitting next to Tatsuya.

Hey, considering their sizes, it’s more spacious next to Uta, but sitting next to Tatsuya seems safer... I think. Recently, I was trying to be more considerate in these small ways.

Tatsuya handed me a tablet used for inputting orders. “Let’s talk while we eat. We already ordered our food.”

I selected a set meal with a cheesy hamburger steak and some rice. I wasn’t one to drink much juice, but I also ordered the drink bar option. Having drink bar access was a good excuse for overstaying at a family restaurant. We hadn’t explicitly decided to hang around for a long time, though, so it was just a precaution.

“So, what’d you want to talk about?” I asked.

“I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions,” Tatsuya replied.

“Yeah. I know Reita even less than I thought.”

I had finished organizing my thoughts on the way here. It had struck me that I didn’t know who Shiratori Reita was at all. I wanted to take this chance to hear what I could from the two people who had gone to the same middle school as him.

Yesterday, after Reita had left, it was too late to get more details from Tatsuya. He had understood that, which was why he’d set up a space to discuss today.

“It’s not something I should be telling other people, but Rei had a wild streak in the past.” Uta began to speak as she stirred her melon soda with a straw. “It started around our second year in middle school and ended in our third year. He suddenly became a truant and started hanging out with an infamous delinquent gang in our school. Everyone was scared and stayed away from him.”

“Is that the group we met yesterday?” I asked Tatsuya.

“Yeah. I didn’t recognize maybe three of them, but more than half of those guys used to be part of Mizumi Middle School’s delinquent gang.”

I recalled the group of boys from yesterday. There were a few hooliganesque kids at Ryomei, but they didn’t hold a candle to actual high school dropouts and the infamous delinquents from Kakiwari High School.

Not gonna lie, but I was super scared. If Tatsuya weren’t there, I would’ve run away. Even after I saw it with my own eyes, it’s hard to believe that Reita was with them. It’s so far removed from my image of him.

“That guy can get along with anyone. He was the liaison between that delinquent gang and the ordinary students who were scared of them. Still, he maintained a certain distance from the gang, and no one ever thought that the Reita would hang out with a bunch of hoodlums...including me,” Tatsuya said as though he’d read my disbelief.

“What happened back then?”

“I’ve heard about his home situation. His mom ran away, his dad’s violent, and it was too tough on their finances for him to continue soccer... All of that pushed him over the edge mentally,” he replied before adding, “I heard about all that afterwards, though.”

This is a heavy topic. I’m hesitant to even speak up. I can imagine how dreadful that sort of environment would be. However, I can’t empathize with Reita’s feelings in the truest sense, because I was blessed with a happy family environment even during my gray teen years.

“Rei was like a different person then, and stopped smiling.” Uta stared far into the distance, as though she were looking into the past.

“Reita was just like that yesterday. His expression was cold, and all he did was push us away,” Tatsuya said.

“Then... How did Reita return to his usual self back then?” I asked. If we know that, maybe it’ll give us a starting point.

“No clue. He suddenly snapped back to normal and severed ties with that gang. We figured it had to do with family stuff and didn’t push the subject.” Tatsuya sighed. “The only thing he told me is what I just told you.”

“I...see.” No matter how close they are, there’s always a line. It’s hard to ask your friends about family matters. Looks like Tatsuya has a tactful side after all.

“Are you thinking something rude?” Tatsuya shot me a sharp look.

H-How’d he know?! I whistled nonchalantly in an attempt to evade his question.

Uta disregarded me and piped up. “We were just happy that Rei had returned to his usual self.”

And that’s how Reita’s violent streak was left as nothing more than a stain on his past that no one wanted to bring up. After hearing about his family’s situation, it’s certainly difficult to touch on.

“In the first place,” Tatsuya began, “Reita’s always been a secretive guy. He’s a good listener, but never talks about himself.”

“Yeah. Rei does tend to do that.” Uta nodded multiple times in agreement.

“He’s still like that. He doesn’t ask us for help, so we never know when something happens. What are we even friends for, then? Or are we nothing to him?”

I found myself agreeing with Tatsuya’s indignation. A relationship where you don’t ask for help in times of need isn’t what you’d call true friendship. Maybe to Reita, the group he’s with now are the ones he considers his real friends. Maybe he hung around us simply because we were in the same class.

“If that’s true, it’s so sad,” Uta murmured.

I like Reita. I enjoy hanging out with him. I can’t explain it, but I feel comfortable around him. Just talking about the stupidest things every day makes the world seem vibrant and full of color. To me, Reita is my precious friend. Those feelings haven’t changed, even after he’s pushed us away.

“But Tatsu, I think you have a habit of not asking people for help too,” Uta pointed out, giving him the side-eye.

“Urgh.” He grabbed his chest like he’d taken heavy damage.

Well, I can think of several times that’s happened. He’s also the type to fret all by himself.

***

Our dinner arrived, so we took a break to chow down and energize up. When I finished eating and caught my breath, I asked the question that had been on my mind since yesterday.

“Tatsuya. You called that big guy Hasegawa-senpai, right?”

“Hm? Yeah, he’s a year older than us. Since his time at Mizumi Middle, Hasegawa-senpai has always been the top dog.”

“Is he...related to Hasegawa from the class next door?”

Tatsuya and Uta looked at each other and simultaneously spoke up.

“He’s her big bro.”

“He’s her older brother.”

I had a feeling that was the case since they have the same family name. I see.

Tatsuya, puzzled as to why I’d asked him that, cocked his head to the side. “What about it?”

“Well, Hasegawa was involved in spreading those rumors about Miori. I thought she might be connected here too.”

Tatsuya swished some cola around in his mouth and swallowed it. “That’s a good point,” he said, convinced.

“She’s been out sick for a while. Her reputation’s taken a hit because people found out she was exaggerating the rumors about Miorin, and she’s probably feeling cornered mentally,” Uta said with a concerned look.

I didn’t know that. I’m not up-to-date with the status in other classes. Hasegawa is the one who propagated Miori’s bad rep, but part of me can sympathize with her. There was a seed of truth at the heart of the gossip after all.

“I know her contact info, so I’ll try asking her,” Uta said as she pulled her phone out from her bag and began tapping on the screen.

“You’re friends with her?” Tatsuya asked.

Uta smiled wryly. “No, not really... Not as long as she doesn’t get along with Miorin.”

But she’s still willing to reach out to her because she wants Reita to come back.

“I’m not sure how to phrase this... I don’t want it to feel like I’m interrogating her,” Uta muttered as she fiddled with her phone, expression stern.

“Hey, she might already know that Reita’s hanging out with her bro,” Tatsuya remarked.

“If she does, she might also know where Reita is now,” I said.

Our side conversation was quickly interrupted by a surprised “Huh?!” Uta gawked at her phone screen, eyes wide as saucers. “She replied already, and...she says she wants to talk.”

I was hoping she might know something, but this is an unexpected turn of events. “Does the way she phrased it mean she wants to talk in person?”

“Probably...” Uta nodded, perplexed.

“What does Hasegawa want to talk to us about?” Tatsuya growled and then crossed his arms. But no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure it out.

Well, we do want more information, no matter how scant. We don’t have a reason to decline. Putting first things first, we decided to pick a time and a place to meet up with Hasegawa tomorrow.

“Sorry, but I have a practice game that I can’t miss tomorrow. I’ll leave this to you guys. ’Sides, she probably doesn’t want us to swarm her over this. She and I don’t get along, so it’s better if I’m not there anyway,” Tatsuya said.

“I’m not on friendly terms with her either, though,” Uta grumbled.

“By that logic, I haven’t even held a conversation with her, so...”

We shot each other looks as we discussed our plan of action.

I want more info, but this will definitely be awkward... “I mean it. It’s better if I’m not there. She said she wants to talk to Uta. Tatsuya went to the same middle school as her, so let’s count him out, but Hasegawa would definitely hate it if I were there when we’ve never even talked before.”

“I already told her that you’ll be there too,” Uta said.

“Why?!”

“She said, ‘Okay.’”

“Hasegawa, you weren’t supposed to agree to that!”

“Aw, come on, I figure it’ll be less awkward with three of us there. Ha ha ha...” she said, trying to laugh it off.

If Uta’s this reluctant to talk to Hasegawa, they must really not see eye to eye.

And so, it was decided that Uta and I would meet up with Hasegawa.