Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 7 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Boy Called a Prodigy

Sunday.

I was on the clock from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Café Mares today. Uta and Hasegawa had chosen my workplace as their rendezvous point, so our meeting time was at 3:30 p.m. In other words, those two would be calling for me after my shift ended.

At any rate, I’ve got to give work my A game first.

The assistant manager, Nanase, and Mei were on the same shift as me today. After the lunch rush had ended and we could catch our breath, I explained the present state of affairs to Nanase and Mei.

“I see. I more or less understand the situation.”

“Wh-When did this all happen... The rumors about Shiratori-kun have made it all the way to my class too, but I thought there must’ve been some kind of mistake.” It was Mei’s first time hearing about the issue, so he was extremely surprised.

“Reita comes first. Stopping the rumors from spreading would be great too, though,” I said.

“I... I can’t do much, but I’ll help however I can!” He was enthusiastic, but considering how much clout he had, it wasn’t particularly heartening.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but the rumors aren’t going to die down just by correcting people.” If it were that easy, they’d already be gone by now. We haven’t been simply sitting back and watching either. All of us have been trying to dispel the misunderstandings through our connections.

I put those thoughts aside and turned my gaze to Nanase. “Are you going to join our talk at 3:30?”

She placed her hand on her chin and thought for a moment before shaking her head. “No. Hasegawa-san will be ill at ease if there are too many people.”

That’s true. We’re already talking about some hard to swallow stuff. “But you’d be saving my butt if you were there...”

“Could you refrain from dragging me in because you feel awkward being alone with Uta?” she said with a sigh. She’d hit the nail on the head.

Well, strictly speaking, Hasegawa will be there too. But on paper, it’s more like Uta and I are meeting with her. It’s been a while since I rejected Uta, but we haven’t really chatted just the two of us since then.

“It feels like...I’m wronging Hikari...”

“Needless to say, you fully explained what’s happening today to her, right?” Nanase asked.

I nodded. “Of course I did.” I called Hikari often, so I shared everything in detail with her.

“Then it’s fine. Uta has gotten over it too. The two of you are supposed to be friends now—keep up that namby-pamby attitude and you’ll make her sad.”

Her logic stabbed holes into my mentality. I don’t have any rebuttal. Nanase’s phrasing was merciless, but she’s pretty much spot-on... I washed dishes with teary eyes.

Nanase giggled lightly. “Haibara-kun... After the incident with Motomiya-san, haven’t you become a bit too self-conscious?”

“Ugh!” Excuse me. I really wish you’d stop piling on extra damage for no good reason. I know. I’m telling you, I am fully aware! I shouldn’t fret and just treat them like normal, right?

“Th-The woes of a popular man!” Mei looked at me with twinkling eyes for some reason.

Please stop.

Paying my quiet sobbing no heed, Nanase glanced out the window. I followed her gaze—the weather looked like it would begin to rain at any moment now.

Seeing that, she muttered, “If he’s not at home, then I wonder what he’s doing now.”

She didn’t say who, but I knew she was referring to Reita. I’m worried too. Is he sleeping somewhere random? Or is he hopping between his friends’ houses? Well, it’s also possible he just wasn’t home when Tatsuya and I visited; he might be there now... I’d like to believe that.

“It’s so shocking that the Shiratori-kun I’ve come to know is behaving this way.” Nanase’s eyes narrowed as though she were staring far into the distance. “Perhaps people who are exceedingly observant of their surroundings tend to overlook themselves.”

Her soft murmurs blended with the sound of the rain and faded away.

***

The café’s door chime rang, announcing a customer’s entrance. Uta was wearing a miniskirt even in the cold; she waved when she spotted me. It was 3:10, twenty minutes before our appointment.

“Heyo, Natsu!”

“Welcome. I’m off now, so sit over there.”

I led her to a table in the back where we would be able to talk privately and then changed out of my uniform in the break room. I then returned to the table where Uta sat. She was in the middle of a conversation with Nanase.

“Oh, Natsu!”

“Haibara-kun, what would you like to drink?”

“Coffee... Wait, aren’t you done with your shift too?”

“I can at least bring your drink over. The assistant manager will be brewing it anyway,” Nanase said, and then she returned to the counter.

I grabbed the seat across from Uta. She took a sip of her hot caffe latte. Silence stretched out between us for a while. However, rather than feeling awkward, she simply seemed to lack any energy. She had been the same yesterday. The pluck in her voice was gone, and she was reticent.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“S-Sorry. Just pondering a little.” Her eyes widened with surprise. “Do I look down?”

“Well, you seem different from usual.”

“It’s because Miorin and Rei went off to who knows where. It makes me sad for some reason... Well, I forgave Miorin because she apologized tons, though.” Uta let out a hollow laugh. We’d been encountering problem after problem, so she must’ve been mentally drained. “I want us all to return to normal soon... I hope we can go back.”

Just as she finished saying that, the door chime rang. I flicked my gaze in that direction to see Hasegawa Yoko looking around the shop. When she spotted us, a conflicted look spread across her face. She approached, mixed feelings and all.

“Hello...” she said listlessly.

“Good morning... Er, too late for that. Thanks for today, Yoko-chan,” Uta replied with a forced smile.

Talk about a stuffy atmosphere. She did say they weren’t chummy even though they went to the same middle school, though.

“Don’t thank me,” she said with a dark expression. “I figured it was something I had to talk to you all about.”

“First off, do you want a drink?” I said, passing her the menu.

“I’ll have a hot chocolate,” she replied.

I relayed her order to Kirishima-san—who’d taken over after Nanase ended her shift—and then returned my attention to Hasegawa. By the way, when Hasegawa came in, Uta had moved seats next to me.

I’ve never spoken to Hasegawa before, so I’ll leave the talking to Uta... Should I at least introduce myself? But I don’t think this is the time for that. We know one another’s names anyway, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t think too favorably of me.

Since they weren’t on good terms, Uta skipped the small talk and went straight for the main question at hand. “So, what’d you want to tell us?”

“Well, um, I’ll start from the beginning. It’s a long story, so bear with me,” Hasegawa began with a frown. “To be clear, it’s all my fault that things ended up like this.”

***

(Hasegawa Yoko)

“Die! You bitch! Someone like you should just disappear!”

It was the day I had told Miori that.

“What are you doing?”

Hoshimiya-san had heard my impulsive remark. I felt the blood quickly drain from my body. Realizing what I’d just said, I regretted it immediately. And that wasn’t all I had done. It was freezing outside, and yet I had dumped water all over Miori. From an onlooker’s point of view, it must’ve seemed like I was bullying her. No, it was full-fledged bullying.

My mind, which had been seething with rage only seconds ago, instantly cooled down.

Why am I doing this?

Anger had clouded my vision, and I had been convinced that my actions were righteous. But what was I doing now? Who would think my actions were just after seeing what I’d done? I finally realized how reckless I had been.

I loved Reita-kun. That was why, from the very beginning, I didn’t like Miori for dating him. Still, I wanted to respect his decision. Besides, I wasn’t chosen, so it wasn’t my place to meddle. I even tried to change my mindset and cheer them on.

However, no matter how I looked at it, Miori didn’t like Reita-kun—she was into Haibara-kun. It was plain as day upon closer observation. After all, she brightened up the most when she talked about Haibara-kun.

In that case, why is she going out with Reita-kun?

My displeasure significantly deepened then, and my desire to support their relationship immediately vanished. Around that time, I heard that story from Minase-san—the one where Miori hugged Haibara-kun in the park at night.

At the end of the day, Miori’s first choice was Haibara-kun, and she was just stringing Reita-kun along. That notion really irritated me. I loved Reita-kun so much, but he wasn’t interested in me at all. And he couldn’t take his eyes off of Miori, who was only messing around with him.

If he knew what she was really like, he’d change his mind.

So I spread negative rumors about Miori. Though I weaved in lies and exaggeration, the core was based on the true story I had heard from Minase-san. I predicted it would be hard for her to deny them that way.

The rumors spread just as I had planned. Reita-kun was the only one that didn’t match my expectations.

“I trust Miori over a mere rumor.”

Reita-kun brought Minase-san over to his side, scrupulously pulled some strings, and repainted the rumors about Miori. I honestly hadn’t thought he would go so far for her when she had betrayed him. What I had been hoping for...was for Reita-kun to break up with Miori after experiencing the shock of her betrayal.

But his feelings for her weren’t so light. As a result, I became the one backed into a corner. People learned I was the culprit behind the rumors, and my position worsened. Reita-kun determined that I was his enemy, and protected Miori.

Now that I think about it, I was reaping what I had sowed. I had unquestionably gone too far. It took the current situation unfolding for me to finally realize that. Once Hoshimiya-san reported me to the school, I would have to face suspension.

My mind went blank, and I fled the scene. I kept running and running, and the next thing I knew, I was home. While I was caught up in thoughts of self-preservation, Miori had gone missing.

Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t worried about her. I was just scared that the blame would fall on me. If Miori killed herself, when the authorities investigated the cause, it wasn’t hard to predict that Hoshimiya-san would mention my name. I didn’t think Miori actually would, but I wanted to make sure she was safe.

“Nii-san, can you help me look for someone?”

At times like this, my brother was the only one I could rely on. He was the only one who, no matter the circumstance, would always be on my side. My brother—Hasegawa Koya—was a year older than me and a second-year at Kakiwari High School. He was the head honcho of an infamous delinquent gang in the area. Though he was feared because of his strength, he was kind to me and the rest of our family.

“Your friend is missing? Leave it to me.”

My brother got the wrong idea, but I didn’t see any reason to clear up his misunderstanding. At my request, he began searching for Miori. He had a mob of underlings at his command, so he could use human wave tactics. He would have a higher chance of finding her than if I searched around blindly. I sent him a picture of Miori along with her profile, and left the rest to him.

That night, I got a call from my brother. I didn’t learn about Miori’s well-being; instead, I was informed that my brother had been arrested by the police. Furthermore, for some reason, he was with Reita-kun.

I had no idea what on earth had happened, but I hurried to the police station. When I arrived, they had just been released with a minor offense. Their faces were bruised. I suspected there were more marks elsewhere, just covered by their clothes.

“N-Nii-san, what happened?!” I asked.

“Nothing much. It was just a fight.”

My brother and Reita-kun were supposedly good friends. There was a period of time when they had always been together. In the first place, I had fallen in love with Reita because I’d met him through my brother.

It had been around when Reita-kun was out of control. His eyes full of despair had slowly drawn me in.

“Anyway, sorry about that. I couldn’t find Motomiya.”

My brother was always a man of few words, and all he offered me was a simple apology. How had he ended up in a fight with Reita-kun in the process of searching for Miori? I didn’t understand, but he didn’t explain anything more even when I asked.

“Reita-kun.”

“If you’re planning to ask me about Miori, she’s fine.”

I was confused, but Reita-kun clued me in. He didn’t divulge why they had fought, but instead he told me what I wanted to know most.

“Natsuki found her, so you don’t need to worry.”

“I wasn’t worried about her. But, it’s good she’s safe.” I was relieved...although I didn’t have the right to feel that way. I was the perp who had driven her to such extremes, after all. “I’m sorry, Reita-kun. It’s my fault.” I gave him a deep bow.

He looked somewhat surprised, and then languidly shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize to me. If we trace this back to the beginning, all of it’s on me anyway.”

The light in his eyes was gone. They were filled with darkness, just like they had been back then. But this time, I wasn’t attracted to that darkness. Instead, I was sad that the light had dimmed once more.

“Reita-kun. Um... What happened?”

Feeling drawn to his darkness had only been the initial spark. It had made me wonder why he looked so sorrowful. It made me want to clear away the darkness from his heart.

That was why when I saw that the light in Reita-kun’s eyes had returned—when his smile had returned—I had truly been overjoyed. So he can smile like that too, I had thought, relieved. That was the moment I realized I loved him.

“Reita-kun, you have the same look in your eyes as back then.”

“Because I understand just how awful of a human being I am.” His forlorn tone was heartbreaking. As though he could see right through the smoldering affection in my heart, he continued to speak. “You don’t have to care about me. I’m not the kind of person you think I am.” With that, he disappeared into the city night with my brother.

***

(Haibara Natsuki)

I had to admit, I wasn’t in a good mood after hearing Hasegawa’s story. She had been the one to drive Miori into a corner, but all she’d thought about was protecting herself. However, the fact that she had told us her unvarnished thoughts showed that she was trying to be as honest as possible. I could gather from the way she spoke that she was feeling remorseful.

“I’m sorry I don’t know the crucial parts...but this is everything I know.” Thirsty after telling such a long story, Hasegawa took a sip of her hot chocolate. However, her drink had already cooled down, and she made a disgruntled expression.

“For the police to get involved in their fight... It must’ve been huge, right?” Uta looked at me, her mouth hung wide-open.

If they had bruises on their faces, it must’ve been a dramatic brawl.

“They were let off after some questioning at the police station since both of them were to blame, but our school wouldn’t let them go unpunished,” Hasegawa said.

“And that’s how Reita got suspended,” I finished. Based on her story, I’m guessing Hasegawa’s older brother and Reita got into a fistfight. That must be the violent behavior in question. Not that we know why, though...

“But isn’t Yoko-chan’s brother with Rei now?” Uta asked me. I nodded. After about three seconds of silence, she tilted her head to the side. “Why?”

“Hmm... My brother can be impulsive... Maybe they had some kind of misunderstanding.”

They sat there, brows furrowed, as they speculated.

I gave them a sidelong glance and then said, “Just checking, but all that happened on the day Miori went missing, right?”

“Yes. I found out they were arrested by the police around 7 p.m. that day.”

So Hasegawa’s brother was looking for Miori when he ran into Reita. It only makes sense he would ask Reita if he knew where she was since they go to the same school. And Reita would question why Hasegawa’s brother was searching for Miori.

If we put the events in chronological order, Reita probably bumped into Hasegawa’s brother after his conversation in the mountains with me. I let the group chat know about an hour later that Miori was safe, so Reita should’ve known that she was fine... Did they have some sort of mix-up that resulted in a fight?

“In the end, we’re not going to get anywhere unless we talk to Reita again,” I said after organizing my thoughts. I’d like to talk to him alone when the others aren’t around.

“Please. I want the old Reita-kun to come back,” Hasegawa said.

She thinks that if anyone can do it, it’s us. That’s why she’s here. “We feel the same, but... Do you know where he is?”

“Um, I’d guess he’s at one of the gang members’ houses... Other possibilities are...”

She listed other places her brother frequented, like the underpass near the station, arcades, an abandoned hospital, and behind the convenience store near Kakiwari High School. I had been to one of those locations myself.

“Our best chance to talk to Reita is...at an arcade, then,” I remarked. It’ll be crowded and loud. It’s a chaotic place, so there will be a lot of places to hide too. If we wait until the other guys are focused on playing games, maybe we can secretly pull Reita aside.

“But there are a lot of possible places... What should we do?” I asked.

“Should we pick one and wait for him? That doesn’t sound very realistic,” Uta said.

“There’s no guarantee he’ll come too.”

Hasegawa chimed in then. “I can at least ask my brother where he is. They might not always be together, though.”

I see. They’re siblings, so checking in on where he is would be easy. “Can you handle that?”

She nodded, took out her phone, and called her brother. “Hello? Where are you right now? Oh, um, I was just worried... Yeah...” The call lasted for around ten seconds, and then she hung up. “He’s at an arcade right now. This might be your chance to talk to Reita-kun.”

Uta and I exchanged looks and then stood up.

“Thanks, Hasegawa. We’ll check it out.”

“I’m going too. If I distract my brother, maybe you can get Reita-kun alone,” she said.

“That’d be great, but... You sure? You don’t have to go that far.” She’d be going against what her brother wants. Based on how Hasegawa’s brother acted when we encountered him at the underpass, he wasn’t happy about us trying to bring Reita back. I get the feeling he’s respecting Reita’s intent to push us away.

“It’s fine,” she said with a nod. “The way Reita-kun is acting now... I don’t want to sit back and watch.”

It was hard for me to accept what Hasegawa had done in the past. Nevertheless, her love for Reita was genuine. She lost control of her feelings and hurt Miori, though... Then again, I hurt Miori too, so I don’t have the right to criticize her. The one thing I want to say to her is...

“You better apologize to Miori.”

Hasegawa nodded earnestly. “Yeah, I will. I’ll go to school on Monday and apologize to her.”

Then it’ll be up to Miori whether to forgive her or not. I should focus on getting Reita back. “Uta, let’s go.”

“Yeah. Let’s get Rei back!” She smiled, but her cheer seemed forced.

***

Though it was already pitch-black outside, the arcade was brightly lit. They closed at midnight, so we still had plenty of time. There was a group of people gathered near the entrance too.

This arcade had lawless vibes. There were a lot of thuggish-looking people here besides the gang from Kakiwari High. Because of that, regular folks rarely frequented; they usually went to the arcade inside the mall.

I stopped a short distance away from the entrance and looked behind me. Then, I locked eyes with the two trailing after me, their expressions stony, and we nodded at one another. Even I feel a little spooked, and I’m a guy. The girls must have it even worse.

“Right, I’ll go in first. Once I find my brother and his crew, I’ll strike up a conversation and distract them,” Hasegawa said.

“We’ll keep an eye on the situation and try to lure Reita away.” It’s a simple plan, but it’s all we’ve got. In the end, we’ll never know what’s going on if we don’t go inside.

We waited a minute after Hasegawa had entered the arcade before heading inside. The background music and game noises were deafening. There were more people than I’d expected, probably because it was the weekend.

Uta and I tried our best to stay behind cover and out of people’s line of sight as we searched for Reita. We didn’t see him on the first floor, so we went up to the second. There, near the fighting game machines, we spotted a bunch of familiar-looking faces. They appeared to be in the middle of playing matches within their group.

“Natsu, there he is.”

“I see him.”

Reita and Hasegawa’s brother were talking not far from the underlings. It was an opportune position for us.

“Nii-san.” Hasegawa knew that too, and went up to her brother.

“Yoko? Why are you here?”

“Because I heard you were here.”

“I told you not to go out at night alone. Why’d you come all this way?”

Hasegawa’s brother seemed quite surprised to see his little sister appear out of the blue.

“I need you for something. It’s loud here; follow me.” Hasegawa grabbed her shocked brother by the arm and dragged him away. Her gaze met ours for a split second. “You guys got the rest,” signaled her eyes.

Then, Reita was temporarily left alone, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Uta and I approached him while he was looking at the screen. When he heard our footsteps, he raised his head and spotted us.

“We need to talk. Come with us,” I said.

Depending on his next move, I was ready to drag him out by force, but Reita sighed. “I see. So that’s what this is about. You don’t know when to give up.”

“Obviously, a bit late for you to notice that.”

***

We led Reita out of the arcade and stopped in front of some nearby vending machines.

“If you try to run away, I’ll catch you!” Uta said, standing behind him. We were positioned so Reita was sandwiched between us.

He smiled dryly. “If I were going to run, I wouldn’t have followed you two here.”

Actually, I think it’s physically impossible for Uta to stop Reita, given how tiny she is... I pulled out my wallet and inserted a thousand-yen bill into the vending machine. “Want a drink?”

“Are you treating me?” he asked.

“Yeah. As thanks for coming out to talk with us.”

“In that case, I’ll take a hot coffee.”

“I want hot lemon tea! It’s cold!”

Somehow, I ended up paying for Uta’s drink too. I guess this is fine. Including my own coffee, I bought three drinks and tossed the other two theirs. My breath was white. The warm can felt pleasant against my chilled hands.

The light leaking out from the arcade and interspersed street lamps illuminated the darkness. Reita and I were about three meters apart, so the lighting made it a bit difficult to see his face.

“Have you been going home?” I asked.

“No, I’m crashing at my friends’ places. I’m looking for a part-time job right now.”

“Why won’t you go home? Did something happen with your dad?”

“Based on your attitude, did you meet my dad?” Reita shot back with a question of his own. He didn’t need to hear my answer, though; he had seen right through me. “What did he say about my whereabouts?”

A beat passed. “He called you a brat and said you weren’t home. That’s all.”

“That’s the sort of person he is. You’ve met him, so you understand, right? I don’t want to go home,” he said dispassionately. I got the feeling that the way he spoke now was closer to his true nature.

“What are you going to do about school? What about the soccer team?”

“I’m quitting. Once my suspension is over, I think I’ll hand in my withdrawal form.”

It felt like the temperature outside had plummeted.

“Rei, why? Let’s all graduate together,” Uta said in a doleful tone.

He looked down. “I don’t have the right to.”

“What are you talking about? What ‘right’? What does that even mean?”

Despite her questioning, Reita didn’t reply. He didn’t want to answer. The air around him screamed that he didn’t want us to pry. But I charged in anyway.

“What happened? Tell us. We’re friends, aren’t we?” I said. Come on, Reita. You’re the one who told me those words.

“It’s just...we’re friends, right? I wanted to know what’s got you so worried.”

What you said back then has really sustained me. So if you’re worried about something now, I want to be there for you this time.

“I don’t have the right to remain friends with you guys.” Reita’s eyes were lowered. He refused my efforts to break down his wall. “You were right about me. Even when my friend...when the person I love was in danger, I only thought about myself. I’m the lowest of the low. Someone like me shouldn’t be with you guys.”

That’s how Reita has been beating himself up. “I was wrong to say that then. I wasn’t thinking about your feelings, and I went too far,” I said.

“You don’t need to apologize. You were completely in the right. That’s just the kind of person I boil down to in the end. Even if I had found Miori before you did... I wouldn’t have been able to save her.” Reita continued on in a self-deprecating tone. “Miori came home...because you went to rescue her.”

He sounds absolutely confident about that, but hypotheticals are pointless. I didn’t really do anything. All I did was reject Miori’s confession.

“If anything, I should be grateful. What you said made me realize my true nature.”

“Then why did you fight with Hasegawa’s brother? Is it the same reason you didn’t tell him where Miori was? Your so-called violent behavior was a result of you trying to protect her, wasn’t it?”

“I’m surprised. I didn’t tell Yoko anything, but you still managed to figure that out. Still, you’re mistaken about the most crucial part. I wasn’t trying to protect Miori. I just wanted to take my anger out on Koya. That’s why we fought—I started it.”

Koya? That must be Hasegawa’s older brother. It looks like my conjecture was mostly right. “Take your anger out?” I knitted my brows, unable to comprehend those words.

“That day, after our talk, I ran into Koya on my way home. Yoko asked him to search for Miori. I knew she was safe thanks to your message, but I didn’t tell him that. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust him; we’re old friends, after all. It’s just, in the moment, I wasn’t calm enough to converse with anyone... So I told Koya this.”

Reita paused before reciting what he had said. “‘For starters, your sister is the reason Miori disappeared. So I don’t want to tell you...’ That’s what I said. I was just lashing out,” he told us derisively. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was the root cause behind it all. As a result, Koya got angry since he trusts his sister, and demanded I take it back. But I didn’t back down. That’s how we ended up in a fistfight. And I didn’t go easy on him either. I even felt glad because I was so pissed.”

“And then the police stepped in, huh.”

“Dumb story, isn’t it? But it was the perfect send-off for my old way of life. Someone like me shouldn’t hang around you guys. I don’t belong in the same world as you all.”

What kind of stupid shit is he saying? You were the one at the center of that dazzling light. “Reita, that’s my line.”

“Natsuki... I don’t want to hear that from you.” His gaze was dark and cloudy.

While Reita and I glared at each other, Uta spoke up. “Rei... Would you rather be with those guys than us?”

“Yeah. I feel at ease around Koya and the boys. It’s a bit too bright where you guys are.”

“Even if you feel that way, I want to keep hanging out with you...with everyone.” Her usual pep was gone, and it sounded like her voice was on the verge of fading away.

“I told you already. I don’t have that right. If I stay with you guys, your cozy little group will fall apart. That’s the type of person Shiratori Reita is. Above all,” he continued, “Miori must resent me. I’m the main reason she was driven to do that. I don’t know what she’s said, but I doubt she wants me anywhere near her.”

And that’s his end conclusion, huh? Reita’s guilt towards Miori is what’s cornered him. “Reita, your true feelings are out. Still, have you had a real talk with Miori since then?”

“I haven’t, not once.”

“Then you wouldn’t know how she feels. She tried multiple times to reach out to you. You know that, though, don’t you? She’s worried about you!” I yelled.

Reita’s eyes shook ever so slightly. He looked up at the night sky and let out a long sigh. “Natsuki, can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Miori confessed to you, right? What did you say?” He had predicted what sort of exchange she and I had when we were deep in the mountains.

“I turned her down. There’s someone I already have my heart set on.” I repeated the words I had told Miori that day.

Reita’s gaze sharpened. “You’re full of lies.”

I instantly knew what he was referring to. How could I not? “I’m not lying. I really did tell her that.” Though I knew what he actually meant, I pretended not to. I had resolved to stick to this stance, after all.

“If you had at least been honest with me, maybe I would’ve felt like coming back. But it’s too late now. As long as these feelings won’t disappear, I don’t want to be around Miori.”

Just as he finished saying that, Hasegawa came out from the arcade. Her brother, Koya, and his underlings were with her too. The whole gang scowled at us.

Looks like they found out we lured Reita outside. Hasegawa’s brother had her by the scruff of her neck. She shot me an apologetic look. Time’s up, huh.

“You again? You really want Reita back, don’t you?” Hasegawa’s brother took up a protective stance near Reita and glared at us.

“I just wanted to talk to him,” I said.

“Then quit trying to pull tricks on us. It’s honestly annoying.”

“So I should’ve been up-front and asked?”

“If that’s what Reita wants, we won’t butt in. It’s a different story if he doesn’t, though.”

“Why go so far?” I asked after a pause.

“Because he’s our friend.”

Their bond is strong. I heard they used to be close, but I didn’t think their connection ran this deep.

“Who are you guys to Reita?” he asked.

“We’re friends. At the very least, I think of him as one,” I replied.

“I don’t know the details, but...can you really claim that when he’s pushed you away?”

I didn’t have a rebuttal.

“Never mind them, Koya. Let’s go back in.” Reita turned away from us and thumped Hasegawa’s brother on the shoulder.

“I’m only going to ask you once, Reita. Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Hasegawa’s brother asked, as though reconfirming something.

Reita looked over his shoulder, gave Uta and me a quick glance, and then immediately averted his eyes. “Yeah. They...aren’t my friends anymore,” he stated in a cold tone, then went back inside the arcade.

“Natsu, what you guys just talked about...” Uta’s voice trailed off from where she stood next to me. “No, never mind.”

I wasn’t so dense that I couldn’t figure out what she wanted to ask. I wouldn’t be able to answer honestly even if she got the question out, though, so I didn’t say anything.

***

The next day, Monday.

Reita’s suspension was one week, until Wednesday. Talk about him had died down over the weekend. However, the empty desk in the classroom seemed to stick out a lot.

The gloomy air in the room likely wasn’t just my imagination. Our friend group usually held the spotlight, but we were being awfully quiet, which was affecting the other kids. It was all because Reita wasn’t here.

I had reported yesterday’s events to the group chat. Everyone had read it, but no one had responded. No one knew what to say.

I couldn’t concentrate on our lessons, and I idled the morning away until lunchtime arrived. Even though we’d made no progress, my stomach still got hungry. Should I eat in the cafeteria or hit up the school store? What to do... Hey, it sounds kinda noisy in here.

“Natsuki-kun, can I have a sec?” Hikari asked, interrupting my growing suspicions about the abnormal atmosphere in our classroom.

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah. Can you open Minsta?”

I complied and opened the social media app. “Don’t tell me: Did Reita post something again?”

“No, it was Miori-chan this time.”

The first thing that popped up on my screen when I opened the app was a lengthy written post by Miori. She had what was called a “real account” that only followed friends, so she didn’t have that many mutual followers. Despite that, her post had a considerable number of likes and comments.

Everything written here is the truth.

Miori’s post was a detailed account of everything that had occurred up until now.

Reita-kun and I used to date, but I was in love with someone else. I loved Haibara Natsuki-kun from class two. That’s why when Reita-kun confessed to me, I was going to turn him down. However, he said, “you can continue loving Natsuki,” and suggested we date anyway. “I’ll work hard to make you look my way,” he said.

My crush was already dating someone else, and I wanted to get rid of my feelings for him. Because of that, I found Reita-kun’s proposition very attractive. If I fell in love with him, I thought I would definitely be freed from this pain.

However, I couldn’t discard those feelings so easily, and I betrayed Reita-kun. Some time ago, there was a rumor going around that I hugged Natsuki-kun—that was true. I hurt Reita-kun by doing that, but he defended me anyway, and overwrote my bad rep. The story became that I didn’t mean to hug Natsuki-kun, I just tripped and he caught me.

Thanks to Reita-kun, I escaped from the gossip, though not completely. He must’ve felt responsible for that. It was my fault for dating him half-heartedly, yet he thought he was the one to blame for my suffering, because he suggested we date with strings attached.

The video about Reita-kun that’s going around on Minsta right now was fabricated by him. He posted it to completely reset my bad rep and direct all the nasty gossip at himself.

I think he’s doing this to atone. But I’m the one who committed a sin. I don’t want to be protected by a lie like that. I’m the one in the wrong, I should be the one being attacked. That’s why I’m posting this all here.

I’m sorry. Please believe in Reita-kun.

Her post divulged everything, including Reita’s attempt to cover up the truth. She had published it to restore his reputation at school.

“Miori...wrote this?” It’s a testimony from a related party. It’ll have an effect, without a doubt. In exchange, Reita’s plan to protect Miori’s reputation is moot now. 

“To be honest...Serika-chan and I knew she would post this today,” Hikari admitted apologetically. “I tried to stop her. The rumors have lost steam, so there was no need to bring it up again. Reita-kun’s plan would come to nothing too.”

Hikari must’ve kept it from me because Miori swore her to secrecy. If I found out about it, I would definitely stop her. I really don’t think this was a good idea. “This isn’t something that can be solved just by telling the truth.”

“I agree with you there. But she probably hated the situation. She didn’t want to be protected with a lie.”

Hikari and I talked as we stepped into the hallway. The area around the neighboring class was astir. When I peeked into their classroom, Miori was surrounded by the girls of her class.

“Hey, is this true?”

“If this is real, then isn’t it crazy?! Wow, the drama!”

“I knew it! This means Reita-kun is a good guy, right? That’s what I thought!”

“Yeesh, sounds like a lot happened... Miori, I get how you feel.”

It didn’t seem like she was getting lambasted. It was more like she was being barraged with questions from girls brimming with curiosity. Miori looks uncomfortable, though... Well, this is the result of the choice she made.

“I think she wanted to take responsibility for her actions,” Hikari murmured as she watched Miori. “Before this, she wanted to respect Reita-kun’s feelings because he protected her, but he tried to overshadow the gossip by making himself look bad, and she wasn’t having that.”

And that’s why she wrote everything down... I doubt her post will fix Reita’s bad rep. The kids who get along with Miori will believe her, though.

It’s still a fact that he was suspended due to violence, and it’s unlikely students who have no relation to Miori will believe her. Like Hikari feared, Miori’s breathing life back into a rumor that had mostly died down. That might end up reflecting negatively on both Miori and Reita.

This is a matter of how Miori feels. She’d rather accept whatever outcome from speaking the truth than be protected by Reita’s self-sacrifice.

“Miori-chan looks like a weight’s been lifted off her shoulders.” Hikari’s mouth softened, her gaze focused on our friend.

“H-Hold on! One question at a time! I’ll answer all of them, okay?” Miori exclaimed.

She may look uncomfortable, but her eyes have determination in them now. “Yeah.”

“So, shall we eat lunch?” Hikari asked.

Loitering around here wouldn’t help anyone. Besides, when Hikari and I were together, we attracted a lot of attention whether we liked it or not. I led her somewhere that we could eat alone.

***

Hikari and I went onto the roof.

“No one’s here,” she remarked.

“People come up here sometimes in the spring and fall, but it’s usually empty in the summer and winter.” There aren’t a lot of kids who’d choose to eat outside when it’s too hot or cold.

It was windless today, so it was relatively warm. Hikari and I sat side by side with our backs against the railing. I had bread I’d bought from the school store, and she had brought a bento.

I feel like it’s been a long while since I spent alone time with Hikari like this. I say that, but we do chat on the phone a lot.

“I’ll make you a bento next time,” she said.

“What? No, it’s okay! Cooking for two takes a lot of work.”

“I’m already cooking anyway. There’s not much difference between making food for one or two. Unless...” Hikari peered at my face. “You don’t want it?”

“I do! I really want to eat your cooking.”

“Good.” She nodded, satisfied.

A homemade lunch, cooked by my girlfriend? Of course I’d want to eat that! It dominates the upper tier of my Rainbow-Colored Event Ranking (by my investigation). I eyed Hikari’s colorful lunch as I ate my yakisoba bread.

“My mom made this, though,” she said when she noticed my stare, and smiled wryly.

“Hikari, can you cook?” I asked. I got the feeling she couldn’t when she came over to my house with Miori the other day.

“I’m practicing!” she exclaimed, one cheek puffing up slightly.

My girlfriend is cute as always.

“Come to think of it, Natsuki-kun, why don’t you make your own lunch?”

“I run and work out in the morning, so I don’t have time to cook.”

“It’s very like you to prioritize those things.”

Also, it’s just plain annoying to prep a bento. I don’t dislike cooking, but I don’t want to do it in the morning. And in the first place, putting together a bento is more cramming frozen foods into a box rather than cooking... It usually devolves into something like that.

For the record, my mom isn’t a morning person, so she’s never made me a bento before. She gives me lunch money, though, so no complaints here. Every person has their strengths and weaknesses. Still, when I see lunches like Hikari’s, I do feel a bit envious.

Hikari made an expression that looked like a light bulb went off in her head, picked up a slice of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks, and held it out to me. “You want a bite? Here, ‘ahhh.’”

“Huh? No, not really. That’s not why I was staring...”

“It’s fine, eat up.”

“Mmf.”

Hikari shoved the egg into my mouth. It was sweet and delicious.

“D-Don’t force food into my mouth,” I protested. “It was tasty, though!”

She giggled. “Feel a little better now?”

“What?” It took me a few seconds to understand her question. I’m making her worry. When I realized that, guilt welled up inside of me.

“You’ve been looking somber. I was concerned.”

“Sorry, Hikari...”

“Don’t be. I understand why.” She shook her head before continuing on. “But in return, tell me what you’re thinking. Rather than brooding alone, you might feel better sharing your thoughts... I want you to rely on me too.”

I wasn’t so thickheaded that I couldn’t pick up the hidden emotion behind her words. She must have her opinions on what I’ve been doing. Whenever I’m at a loss, I always go to Miori for help... Not like I can depend on Miori right now, though.

“Thanks, Hikari.” Anyhow, I had someone who wanted to support me. It genuinely made me happy. I put my jumbled-up thoughts into words and specified the problem at hand. “Reita plans to quit school once his suspension ends. So we need to change his mind.”

“Yeah.”

“We can’t ignore him. Right now, he’s disregarding what we’ve gone through together, and averting his eyes from reality. Throwing away his future is all he can see. It’s Reita’s life. It’s up to him to decide, but...I don’t think this is what he really wants.” Because Reita isn’t smiling. He doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself at all. “But even though we tried to persuade him head-on, our feelings didn’t reach him.”

“Yeah.” Hikari encouraged me to continue, despite my incoherent rambling.

“What should I do?” In the end, that was all it came down to. Now that I had failed to convince him face-to-face, I didn’t know what to do next. “I want Reita to come back, but if he doesn’t want that—”

“You don’t need to overthink this.” Hikari smiled; it was uncharacteristic of her to interrupt me. “Listen, all you can do is tell him how you feel, right?”

That’s... Hikari’s right. It’s my second round of high school, but in the end, that’s really all I can do.

“A lot has happened, but every time, we could go back to normal because... No, we became an even closer group, because you kept us together.”

Tell him how I feel. Stick to my guns. That’s all I’ve ever done whenever I run into trouble.

“Natsuki-kun, what do you want to do?”

I reflected on my feelings. I want to bring Reita back... Why? Because I want to be with you, Reita. I have fun when I hang out with you. And I believe we can share that sentiment. “He said we weren’t friends anymore. And he’s right: our relationship is about to vanish without any discussion. Maybe you can’t call us friends.”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, this time, I’ll become bona fide friends with him.”

I need him to be part of the rainbow-colored youth I’m aiming for. Once I’d organized my thoughts, I immediately knew what I wanted. Relief washed over me, and I looked up. A vast, cloudless blue stretched above. You know, I feel like I haven’t looked at the sky in a long time. I guess I’ve been hanging my head without realizing it.

“I think I know how Reita-kun feels,” Hikari murmured as she peered up at the sky with me. “When you become aware of your shameful side, you can’t help feeling disappointed in yourself. You think...‘Is it okay for me to be here?’ Because everyone else is... Because you, Natsuki-kun, are too dazzling. Excessively so.”

“Everyone says the same thing. I can try so hard because all of you are so dazzling.”

“And we find your efforts to be dazzling.”

Does that mean things would be better if I hadn’t tried too hard? Maybe everyone would’ve been happier if I hadn’t redone my youth.

“But, you know...” Hikari gently caressed my hair. “Because we’ve got you, we can also try our best. Little by little, we’re changing our bad parts... We’re each doing what we can to become someone we can be proud of. It’ll definitely be more fun if we’re all growing up together. I’m sure of it—the world is full of color. So...”

Hikari smiled. It was beautiful, like a blooming flower.

“I think Reita-kun actually feels the same way. We just need a chance to get through to him.”

“And how do we make that chance?” I asked.

“Won’t that depend on your passion?”

Hikari’s take is too high-handed and straightforward. I already tried to persuade him twice and failed. It’s unlikely that such a simple plan will yield results. However, did I truly convey my feelings to Reita during those attempts? Didn’t I merely try to sway him with sensible arguments?

You were wrong, Haibara Natsuki. Those acts were meaningless.

“I’ll uncover Reita’s true feelings and convey mine.”

Let’s be honest: I was a little scared. I didn’t want Reita to hate me. That’s why I couldn’t knock down his walls when he pushed me away. But...I can’t call what we have a bond if this is enough to break it.

I believe in Reita. It may be invisible to the eye, but I believe in the relationship we’ve built. If he’s going to say we’re not friends, then all we have to do is become real friends this time.

Seeing the newfound resolve in my eyes, Hikari smacked my back. “If anyone can do it, it’s you. You’re the best man for the job when it comes to doing embarrassing stuff.”

“Hikari?” The fact that she thought of me that way hurt just a teeny bit.

“Why are you getting depressed? I was praising you.”

“Because it didn’t sound like it...” I said, pouting.

She wrapped her hands around mine and lifted them up. “You know, I love that part about you.”

Hikari understands me very well. I’d rather not admit it, but that is my strong point.

“Do what you always do—proceed naively onward, okay?”

I’m glad I asked Hikari for advice. Her smile and encouraging words always spur me on.