Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818622176122210576
Behind the school building. It’s the quietest and least crowded place in the school.
It’s also an essential location in romantic comedy stories.
“I’m sorry, Hayami-kun. I’m sorry for calling you here so early in the morning.”
“No, it’s okay. So, what did you want to talk about?”
It was before the first class started. I had been called out.
As soon as I arrived at school, someone called out to me in front of the shoe rack.
“Um, well, here!”
The girl handed me a letter. There was even a heart-shaped sticker on the envelope.
Yes. It was a love letter. There was no doubt about it.
The back of the school building, being called out, a love letter. The three essential elements of romance were all there. But I couldn’t jump to conclusions. Because…
“—Please give this to Hasegawa-kun!”
As I suspected.
Well, that’s typical of Friend A.
“Sure, leave it to me. I’ll make sure to give it to him.”
“Thank you! I’ll be going now!”
“See you later!”
Phew. Today was another good day. …Actually, that person is a third-year senior, right? Did something happen between her and Sota, like a romantic comedy event?
“…Well, whatever.”
I gently put the letter I received into my bag so that it wouldn’t get creased, then headed to the classroom.
After the turbulent encounter with her mother, Shiramine came to my house because she couldn’t calm down. After that, we had dinner together and went our separate ways as usual. …For some reason, she seemed a little dissatisfied.
I entered the classroom and immediately sat down at my desk. Then I took out…
“…Ah, here it is.”
This is the manga that Nishimiya handed me with a smug look on her face the other day.
I’ve been meaning to read it, but I never had the chance.
“Hmm…”
As Nishimiya said, it was a science fiction story with romantic elements. The artwork and expression had a sense of gravitas.
“Hey, Ren. What are you reading?”
“Oh, Aota. Good job with morning practice.”
By the time I had read about half of it, morning homeroom had started. Aota, who had finished morning practice, had also come to the classroom.
“No, it’s not hard work. I’m doing it because I like it.”
What a handsome guy. I want to say that too… No, I guess I’m not handsome enough.
“Oh, right. Aota, here.”
“Huh? What? A letter?”
I took the letter I had received earlier out of my bag and handed it to him.
“That’s good. It’s a love letter.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’ll read it later.”
“Just so you know, She is not expecting an answer.”
“…Oh, I see. I feel kind of bad about that.”
Aota stared at it for a moment, then put it in his desk.
“…Well, then.”
Now that I’ve accomplished my goal, I’ll take my time reading it.
Once again, I turned my attention to the manga.
＊＊＊
Fifteen minutes into the break after the first and second periods.
With the manga I had finished reading in my hand, I headed to the classroom next door.
“Is Nishimiya here?”
I asked a random student.
“Huh? Um, she’s absent today.”
“Really?”
Could she have a cold? If so, that’s too bad. It’s like I set the stage for this.
“Do you know why?”
“No, I don’t. Anyway, is something wrong, Hayami-kun?”
…For some reason, she knows my name. No, the reason is probably the newspaper article from the other day.
“Well, if she’s not here, that’s fine. Sorry to bother you.”
Hmm, I wonder if she’s okay. Maybe it’s just unnecessary worry.
“Oh, right.”
Come to think of it, I have her LINE ID.
“You seem to be taking a break, but are you okay?”
I send the message. Then, immediately.
“I caught a cold.”
Ah, it was a flag after all…
“Are you okay? If you’re feeling bad, I’ll bring you something during lunch or after school.”
“I’m fine. If I get hungry, I’ll order some pizza.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”
Finally, she sent a cat stamp with a salute, and the conversation ended.
It seemed like nothing was wrong, which was a relief. I hoped that was the case.
The next day, and the day after that, Nishimiya didn’t come to school.
Even when I sent her messages, she didn’t even read them. I was worried, of course.
From Nishimiya’s perspective, I’m just an acquaintance, not a friend. Still, that’s no reason to ignore Nishimiya…
So I skipped school that day and headed to Nishimiya’s house.
＊＊＊
My consciousness is hazy. My body feels heavy and sluggish.
My breathing is labored, and my throat hurts.
“…I need to drink some water.”
I never realized the distance between the hallway and the living room was so long.
It’s only a few meters. I lean against the wall and walk unsteadily toward it.
I have no appetite. I occasionally eat some of the nutritional food I bought earlier and take my medicine.
For the past three days, I’ve been sleeping the whole time.
“…Am I going to die?”
I downed the water in the cup in one gulp and sat down in front of the refrigerator.
I felt terribly lonely. I felt vulnerable. When I closed my eyes, anxiety swelled in my chest.
“I… I really can’t do anything…”
My spirit was broken. I no longer cared about anything.
I remembered a scene I often saw when I was at home. I was left alone in a world composed entirely of black and white.
“—Leaving the door unlocked is careless, Nishimiya.”
“Huh? Why are you here…”
The living room door opened, and in walked a boy I had recently met. It was Hayami Ren.
“Line. You didn’t reply, and skipping school for three days isn’t normal, is it?”
“Still, the room number…”
I didn’t tell him, and he didn’t ask. So how did he find out?
“I used a little trick. It’s not something to be proud of, so I won’t say it out loud… Hey, can you stand up?”
“Senpai! Nishimiya-senpai…”
“Over here. It seems like it was pretty bad after all.”
It seemed that Shiramine had also arrived, as I heard her voice from the entrance.
“First, let’s clean up. Shiramine-san, please take care of Nishimiya.”
“Yes, I understand. Nishimiya-senpai, let’s go to your room. I’ll give you a hand.”
“…I’m sorry, Shiramine-tan. Hayami.”
“I’ll treat you to dinner next time. Shiramine-san, please take care of her.”
“Yes.”
With her support, I finally managed to stand up. And at that moment, I caught a glimpse of it.
It was a sharp gaze. Eyes I didn’t recognize.
Hayami Ren. At school, he always seemed carefree and elusive.
But the person standing there now was calm and composed, appropriate for his age.
—He was like a completely different person.
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