Episode 23 – Convergence and conclusion… and Friend A
Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818622174629237027
“Long time no see, Aya. How have you been? …Well, I guess I don’t need to ask. As expected.”
In the room. I heard that voice coming from the other side of the door. Even though it had only been two months since we had been separated, that voice felt strangely familiar.
“Senpai… I made a mistake.”
In my room, on my bed. I was hugging my knees and covering myself with a blanket. My heart was filled with guilt, and I felt more and more miserable every day, thinking that I had done something irreparable.
“Everyone makes mistakes. …But what you did isn’t something that can be easily forgiven.”
“I know.”
“Can I come in?”
“No…”
I didn’t want to see her. That wasn’t the reason. I had wanted to talk to her for a long time. But facing her here and now felt cowardly.
“I see.”
Her voice sounded a little sad, as if she had sensed something.
“Ah, I guess I’m just not cut out for this. I’m not good at getting angry at people.”
“…”
“Today? I came here to scold you. That’s the truth.”
“Yes.”
“But now that we’re separated by a door, I’m not sure if that’s the right thing to do.”
“It’s my fault. I did the wrong thing…”
“No, it’s my fault too. I pushed my manners too much. After all… in our generation…”
“──That’s!”
Before I knew it, I was standing up. And as I turned around, the door opened.
“Sorry, I just walked in.”
Senpai was smiling awkwardly.
“Senpai… I… I…”
Because she was there, I came to love the newspaper club. I found my place.
“It’s because senpai was there! Because she listened to what I liked! I wanted to protect that place! So don’t say that!”
Even if senpai is gone, that won’t change. That place will always be a kind place, a unique place filled with the things the seniors have created.
“I have to repay senpai..”
Tears streamed down my eyes and overflowed. I couldn’t stop them, couldn’t even hold them back.
“I’m sorry, Aya. I tricked you. I thought maybe we could talk face-to-face like this.”
“That’s unfair.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It was unfair. But I have to scold you, Aya”
Senpai gently stroked my head. Her face looked much more painful and sad than mine.
“I’m sorry…”
“Yeah, you should apologize.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect the newspaper club…”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
The embrace was so gentle that I couldn’t stop crying.
“I can’t go back to that school anymore, and I can’t apologize with you, but… I still care about Aya.”
＊＊＊
“I have one question. Why did you go to such lengths for her?”
“Huh?”
It was Monday. After a boring class, I visited the student council room. My purpose was, of course, the newspaper club incident.
“You didn’t have to go out of your way to contact a university professor and give up your day off. I can’t help but feel that way.”
It was just me and President Sanada in the room. To an outsider, it might have looked suspicious. …Well, rumors were already spreading, so it didn’t really matter.
“Excuse me, but I didn’t do anything special. I just gave someone what they wanted. …Actually, I’m sorry for meddling.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
It was as if she was trying to get me to say something I already knew.
“You don’t have to play dumb. Even if I hadn’t done anything, there would have been a place to store the newspaper club’s materials, right?”
Looking back now, I remember the day when the class representatives gathered and counted the school’s equipment.
“Shiramine and I were asked to help organize the student council room. But it’s strange, isn’t it? Why would they do something like that right at the start of the first semester?”
If they wanted to, they could have done it anytime. In fact, after last year’s student council election, they should have done some decluttering during the handover process.
“But it seemed odd to organize things during such a busy time.”
Unless President Sanada speaks up, this remains a hypothesis. But.
“—Didn’t you actually plan to use the empty classrooms created by moving the student council room and supplies to store the newspaper club’s articles?”
“…Hmm, you’re really smart, aren’t you?”
So that’s it. I feel a little relieved now. Or rather, I should say I feel reassured.
“After all, the president is human too.”
I’m glad she’s not a heartless, ruthless person.
“…Really, what did you think of me? You. Even I have some compassion.”
“Is that so? Then, since we’re on the subject of compassion, I have a suggestion.”
Actually, that was my main purpose for coming here today.
“What is it?”
“How about letting Tsuzurisato create a student council newspaper?”
“What’s your reasoning?”
“Simply put, it would be a waste. That’s all I thought. Besides, I think the student council should punish her for what she did this time.”
Crime deserves punishment. Without that, there can be no real resolution.
Chairman Sanada smiled at my suggestion.
“I see. So you’re not trying to save the newspaper club, but Tsuzurisato herself?”
Well, I guess that’s how it can be interpreted. However, it depends on what she does from now on.
“It’s difficult to manage the club room by yourself. So, we should invite her to join the student council and temporarily suspend the newspaper club.”
“I see. Then, once new members join, the club can resume its activities, right?”
“Yes.”
However, there are a lot of articles. It’s not something that can be managed by just a few people. In that case, it would be better to have a trustworthy university professor store them.
“Understood. I’ll approve it.”
“Thank you. Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Wait a minute, Hayami-kun. I have a proposal for you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
Cough. Chairman Sanada cleared her throat solemnly.
“Would you like to join the student council? There’s a vacancy for treasurer…”
“No, thank you. I’ll be going now.”
“Eh, wait..”
I don’t want to get involved in any more trouble. Besides, being a Friend A is the most important thing to me.
I left the student council room and stretched my body as soon as I closed the door.
“Hmm, now I can go back to being a Friend A.”
What should I do next? I could just wait for something to happen.
“──Good job, senpai.”
“Huh!? What!? When did you get here!?”
Suddenly, I heard a voice and turned around, and for some reason, there was a little devil standing there.
“Well, I heard that senpai went to the student council room, so I followed you here. I went out of my way to do that.”
If you went out of your way, you didn’t have to do that…
“Shall we go home? Oh, since we’re here, why don’t we hold hands?”
“…No, thanks.”
It seems my peaceful life as Friend A is still a long way off.
That’s right. As long as this little devil is around.
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Why do I feel this was originally coined as a reincarnation story. Having a nirmal person be so gungho to being a friend a type position feels off.