Episode 11 – Yukihana’s Melancholy

I didn’t know what had just happened at that moment.

Kisaragi Yuu entered the classroom with a bang, talking to me in a storm of incomprehensible gibberish, saying something unintelligible like we should be friends or something.

I turned my attention to the person who had entered the classroom after her.

“……You, what have you done?”

It would be understandable for me to say something like that. She was clearly not normal earlier, and there was someone watching her from the hallway.

And then that person who entered the classroom, Shiina Kanata, sat down on the seat next to me as if nothing had happened.

“Nothing, I didn’t do anything.”

“……I see.”

I think deeply about it, but I don’t think he can control her like a runaway train. In other words, that was Kisaragi Yuu’s own outburst.

Above all, he made me promise yesterday not to get involved directly with me. I’m not sure what the benefit is of him taking that action in the first place.

The person who sits next to me, I know nothing about him.

“…….”

I decided that thinking about him was a waste of time, and I pondered about Kisaragi Yuu’s sudden change.

I’m not sure about the fact that she’s saying something that doesn’t make sense, like helping me, but I’m more concerned about that expression than anything else.

That was…..sympathy for me.

If so, I seriously don’t understand what it means. I don’t want any help, and I’m not in trouble enough to ask for help.

I wonder what she meant by that….

“……”

When I looked sideways, Shiina Kanata was already gone somewhere, not in the seat next to me. For a moment I thought that he might’ve followed her, but there was no point in him doing that. If so, he either went to the bathroom or went to the vending machine to buy a drink.

“……Sigh.”

I sigh involuntarily. In my first year, the year passed by so quickly just by being quiet, but this year it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case.

The mere thought of spending two semesters in this class gives me a headache, but on the third day after moving up to the next grade, I’m already in trouble.

(……Kisaragi Yuu and Shiina Kanata……why did I end up in the same class as these people?)

The first thing that comes to mind is the idea of studying abroad. I dreamed about such a thing, but my parents won’t allow it. Or rather, there’s nothing in particular I want to learn even if I went abroad. Seriously, what should I do……?

I give up thinking about it and read the book I brought with me. I’m not so foolish as to continue solving a problem that has no answer. If I’m missing a piece of a puzzle, I should just wait until the pieces come together.

There’s no need for me to be in a hurry.

※

After school, I usually regret and think at the same time. I was the most foolish person to be so optimistic at that time.

(…… Annoying)

How did this happen? If I had to describe my feelings, I would use only one word.

“Hey, is your house near the station, Yukihana san?”

“……Not really.”

I was always alone on my way home. For someone like me, who likes to spend time quietly, it’s a peaceful everyday life. But right now, I’m being invaded on my way home.

(……Why are you following me?)

Kisaragi Yuu has been acting weird since this morning, but right now she’s even weirder than yesterday. She has been bothering me all day today.

During class

“Hey Yukihana san, we’re doing a pair in English lesson and I was wondering if you could work with me.”

“……”

Lunch break

“Yukihana san, let’s have lunch together !　Hm? Yukihana san, is that from a convenience store? Come on, I’ll share my side dish with you.”

“……”

And now after school

“Yukihana san, wait a minute. My club activities have been canceled for the whole week ! So, do you wanna come home with me?”

“……Hah?”

I tried to intimidate her a little, but she didn’t pull away at all and followed me. I widened the distance between us the moment she changed her shoes, but she still persisted. This made me feel like she’s a stalker. For the first time, I might’ve understood how it felt to be stalked.

I tried to shake her off by walking quickly, but there was no way I could get rid of her, a member of the track and field team, and I had brought her all the way to this place. She was on a bicycle and I was on foot. So there’s no way I could make her  go away.

“…… You must have a lot of friends. Go to them.”

“Don’t worry ! Earlier I promised I would make it up to them !”

“…..”

Not good. This girl is not going to back down at all. She’s not joking, she’s going to follow me all the way home. I didn’t want to let that happen.

So, I made a move to stop at a bookstore or a coffee shop on the way home, but she followed me everywhere without a care in the world. When she even followed me into the restroom of the shopping center we stopped at on the way, I almost lost my temper.

But I couldn’t use foul language in public, and as a result, I had to walk around for more than an hour with her following me.

So, as a last resort, I went to the station. And when I arrived at the station, I said to her.

“……Then, I’ll go this way.”

“……Ah.”

And I go to the ticket gate, which I don’t usually go to. I actually live near this station, but I made a gesture to get on the train to push her away. This way, most people would say goodbye here.

But Kisaragi…..

“Oh, Yukihana san, you commute by train? Then, I’ll start taking the train to school tomorrow.”

(This girl…..)

From her words, I guessed that she commuted to school by bicycle, the distance that would normally be taken by train. With her stamina as a track and field athlete, she might be able to do it.

And her words mean that she will follow me tomorrow as well….

(……It’s really…..irritating !)

And just like that, I went all the way to the next town to buy a ticket just to make her go away. I was made to spend extra money.

“See you tomorrow, Yukihana san !”

I went through the ticket gate without turning around. She probably waved at me until she couldn’t see me anymore.

“……Sigh~”

I haven’t been this frustrated and exhausted lately. Even my family, with its strong tendencies, has been quiet these days.

“…….What in the world does that girl want?”

She’s been following me around all day today, and I know that her behavior is different from yesterday. This means that something must’ve happened to her somewhere between yesterday after school and this morning.

There’s no particular reason for me to know, but I might as well do a little research to stop her from following me around any more.

“……”

I watched her disappear and slip out of the station. To get out of here, I would have to apologize to the station staff and ask them to let me out.

I thought I would have to apologize because I had bought a ticket I won’t use, but one of the station staff saw my face, bowed impatiently, and let me through. If anything, he refunded me the price of the ticket, which saved me a little money.

“… I have to go to the bookstore.”

It was almost completely dark, but I couldn’t even buy a book because of her. I decided to head back to the bookstore I had just stopped at earlier, even though I had to do it twice. Today is the release day of a new book.

I decided to buy a book and rest for the day. I was exhausted from all the things I wasn’t  used to doing.

“……”

That’s probably why I didn’t notice.

From the time I was with Kisaragi Yuu after school until now, I’ve been followed and watched.

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