“Ah...” began Yamana-san. “She went outside with Akari. Said they have to mess with some stage decorations.”
“Okay. Thanks,” I replied.
The cultural festival was going to end at four, at which point there’d be closing events for students only. After singers and bands who wanted to perform built some hype onstage, everyone would do a folk dance together around a campfire in the schoolyard, and that would be the end of the day’s events.
The clock had been ticking all along, and before I had realized it, it was almost four.
“I’m grateful to you and your girlfriend too, Yamada.”
“Yamada?” asked Yamana-san.
“Speaking of which, how long am I going to be ‘Yamada’ for?”
Kurose-san had found out about me long ago, but somehow, I’d kept missing an opportunity to correct Sekiya-san.
“Huh? I don’t remember your real name, though.”
“What?!”
This guy... I’m amazed he had the nerve to thank me in spite of that.
“I’m kidding,” said Sekiya-san with a smile. “Thanks, Ryuto.”
***
I walked down the stairs as I headed outside, talking to myself.
“I feel sorry for Nisshi, but that guy’s too strong of a rival...”
The difference in attractiveness between Sekiya-san and Nisshi was as overwhelming as the difference between Frieza and Yamcha in combat. Even the demon gyaru Yamana-san had become sweet like a kitten by his side.
It pained me to think about how Nisshi must’ve felt, but I didn’t think there had ever been any chance that Yamana-san would forget about Sekiya-san and consider Nisshi as a love interest in the first place, even if I hadn’t helped bring her back together with her ex.
“Well, enough of that.”
I should focus on my own problems.
I want to see Runa soon.
With that in mind, I headed to the outdoor stage, but Runa was nowhere to be seen.
“Shirakawa-san? The committee head called her over to the gym.”
“Runa went to help dismantle the reception area.”
“Oh, we already finished that. Shirakawa-san went to get her things.”
Runa had unknowingly given me the slip at every destination. I was like an RPG protagonist forced to go on a wild-goose chase.
“Wait, the room used for storage... That’s...!”
The classroom for class 3-D, where I had just been with Icchi and Nisshi. Meaning, had I stayed there, I would’ve already met up with Runa.
I wasted so much effort...
Looking at the clock, I saw that I’d been walking around in search of her for over thirty minutes.
“Huh?”
However, Runa wasn’t in 3-D either. Icchi and Nisshi seemed to have left already too because I couldn’t see anyone inside. The room was deserted, with the things previously stored inside it gone. The lights were off too.
Suddenly, I realized that the whole building was completely silent. On the other hand, the climax of a performance was happening on the stage outside. The loud music and cheers coming from that area felt like something of another world.
What am I doing?
Why not just call Runa if I want to see her?
I’m her boyfriend.
I’d acted so rashly that I’d forgotten about modern conveniences. When I took out my phone and pressed the call button, I heard a familiar ringtone playing nearby.
“Huh...?”
I saw Runa’s back on the balcony beyond the classroom window. From where I was, she was behind the window frame, so I hadn’t noticed her as I’d only paid attention to what was inside the room.
“Ryuto!” she exclaimed, bringing her phone to her ear.
When I opened the door to the balcony, she turned around in surprise.
It seemed like Runa had been watching the closing events. Looking down, the schoolyard stage was easy to see from up here.
“Hey,” I greeted her. “No more work today?”
“Nope. You?”
“I’m done too.”
As we had this safe conversation, I went up beside Runa and placed my hands on the balcony’s handrail.
“This was a good day, thanks to you,” said Runa. “My best friend found happiness at last.” Watching the stage, she smiled all of a sudden. “I heard the story from Akari. She said sorry for thinking I had a sugar daddy and for telling you that.”
“Ah, yeah...”
So Tanikita-san had told her about it. That meant I suddenly had one less thing to explain to Runa.
“Did you think I had a sugar daddy?” Runa asked jokingly, her eyes fixed on me.
“No. I didn’t,” I said, shaking my head.
She smiled at that. “I got the brand-name bags from my grandma. Until recently, she wouldn’t lend them to me no matter how much I asked. But apparently, she read a book about preparing for death and got into decluttering. It was just two bags, though.”
“I see.” So it really was just as I’d thought.
“You know, Nicole hadn’t seen her loved one for over three years...and now they’re finally together again,” said Runa in a quiet and serious voice, looking at the stage. There was a rock act on now. “While I watched Nicole and Sekiya-san together, I realized the sheer stupidity of what I’ve been doing. You told me you wanted to be by my side, and even I wanted that too, but I thought too much about Maria and decided to put distance between us instead.”
Then, she smiled. “We should be together if we love each other, right?” Runa said as though to persuade herself, and then she turned her face toward me. “The only guy I want to be with right now, the only one in the whole world, is you, Ryuto,” she quietly said while bashfully keeping her eyes down. After that, she gazed at me. “I thought I should put that feeling above all else. Life’s short and all.” She grinned as if to hide her embarrassment. “It’s a waste of my youth to distance myself from the guy I love!” she called out, and then her voice disappeared into the autumn sky of the evening.
Sports cars sped for the sake of speeding. Runa lived for the sake of living. That was what drew me to her—that purity of hers. I was charmed by how she lived in the moment, simply trying to find happiness.
“What a waste... There’s a school festival going on, and I couldn’t even see you during it. What I did was so stupid,” Runa said quietly all of a sudden, sounding regretful. “I’m always like this. Doing things at the drop of a hat and then regretting it...”
When I considered what she was referring to, I found it heartrending.
“I wanted to go to a haunted house with you and see lots of other places.”
“Runa...”
I’d wanted to spend the day with her too. Thinking about how we hadn’t been able to do so was unbearable.
Unable to contain my emotions, I spoke up. “Let’s go to a haunted house next year. I’m sure it’ll be there.”
“What if it isn’t?”
“Then I’ll suggest it,” I said. “That our class runs a haunted house.”
I didn’t know if an introvert like me had that kind of courage, but that was how I felt right now.
“Next year, huh...” uttered Runa, seeming a bit happy as she looked up.
The sky was still bright, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. Sunset must’ve been close.
“If next year doesn’t work out, there’s always the one after that,” I said.
Runa turned to look at me. “You mean we could come as alumni?”
“Yeah.” I gave her a deep nod. “I’m sure life can be short or long, depending on how you look at it.”
I wasn’t a sports car. I couldn’t live as lightly as her. But that was precisely why I was attracted to her. The same must’ve been true for her too. Because we were different, we were drawn to each other. And because we were different, we grew anxious. Back when I’d been alone, I’d never imagined that being so close to someone was so difficult—and so wonderful.
“As long as we’re alive, there’s always next year. And the one after that...and all that follow,” I said.
I wasn’t good at talking, but there was a feeling I wanted Runa to understand. Looking her in the eye, I made a strenuous effort to communicate it.
“Because...I think...even in that distant future...we’ll still...be together...”
I didn’t want her to say things like that anymore.
“I want you to think about...if it’s really a good idea for you to keep going out with me.”
Of course it is. Because I want to be with you.
With that on my mind, I returned Runa’s gaze.
“Okay,” she said, giving me an apologetic smile—perhaps I had gotten through to her.
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