Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094101424177/episodes/16818622176151318315
And so began my days of being harassed by Orimoto, a first-class girl whom no one else could see.
We became friends, so to speak.
We were close, so to speak.
And then there was Yubaba.
All of her New Year’s money and savings had disappeared, so Orimoto herself was not at fault, but my wallet was looking a little thin.
Of course, once this situation is resolved, I plan to have her repay me with interest.
Orimoto Ryoka—former member of the Sera’s Harem.
A beauty among beauties. For someone attending an ordinary school, she was a bit too dazzling. Her appearance was so striking that there was even a fan club for her within the school.
The club formed by Orimoto’s followers was membership-based and even assigned numbers, though that’s just a rumor.
And now—she’s clenching her teeth next to me.
Her cheeks tremble slightly from the tension, and her breathing is heavy.
I can’t help but admire her emotional richness.
“No, no, no, no ! That’s impossible! No way, Kasugai kun !”
The season is rainy season. In the gymnasium.
The cloudy sky is still darkening, and the field has turned into a lake. The heavy rain pounding the ground is annoying, but what’s more annoying is Orimoto’s loud voice.
“—Damn it, you’ve been so noisy since earlier !? What, can’t you just shut up ! !”
“But look, look !”
Orimoto points to a group of men and women. There is one man and several women. They are surrounded.
It’s like kabaddi—no, you’re not supposed to touch them. It’s more like rugby. In any case, they’ve formed a group.
The yellow cheers are mixed with the heat, and you can see how the people in the middle are being judged. Orimoto taps me on the shoulder.
It hurts. I’m annoyed. I take a breath and hold it in.
“Keiichi ! Show us your cool moves !”
“Well, I’ll do my best.”
“Keiichi ! Look this way !”
Sera Keiichi is as handsome as ever today, and to top it off, he’s wearing a gym uniform.
The girls can’t help but gasp at his casual gesture of wiping the sweat from his forehead. He’s already being treated like an idol or a model.
It wasn’t an exaggeration; they were like insects drawn to a mothlight. I found myself forced to deal with Orimoto, who was openly showing her anger.
“If it bothers you, just leave.”
“No. It’ll bother me more if I do.”
“….Alright. I’d appreciate it if you’d also worry about my eardrums being hurt by your shouting in my ear.”
No one saw her, no one recognized her, no one called her name.
That was Orimoto Ryoka, the legendary figure.
On Saturday, I found myself in a situation where I had no choice but to help her—and no choice but to build a relationship with erm. From any angle, I don’t think this is my job.
Orimoto apparently slept in the hallway as the script said.
Seasonally, a blanket might not be necessary, but on a hard floor, fatigue doesn’t dissipate—it just accumulates.
“Keiichi, you’re getting carried away, aren’t you? Oh, I see. Anyway, you don’t care about me anyway ! Huh?!”
“Sera has always been like that, hasn’t he?”
“No, that’s not true. It was me ! This Orimoto Ryoka was a step ahead ! I was leading the way !”
Orimoto crossed her arms and stood tall with pride.
Her expression was confident, but considering that she had been contemplating suicide the day before, I couldn’t help but suspect there was more to her bold words.
“…Haa.”
I neither agreed nor disagreed, just muttered a half-hearted response to maintain the atmosphere.
“Since I’m here, Keiichi should reject the other girls ! But being kind is also typical of Keiichi.”
“Decide whether you’re praising or criticizing…”
Physical education class was unusually co-ed, and the girls couldn’t help but notice the boys, while the boys were completely fixated on the girls.
As for me, I just sat in the corner, ignoring Orimoto.
This is why I hated it.
However, this is reality.
No matter how many days passed, no one else noticed Orimoto except me. By now, Orimoto seemed to have gotten used to it, so his adaptability was incredible.
“Hey, it’s a bit late, but…”
The voices of boys and girls in the gym overlapped, creating a noisy commotion.
Even if I muttered to myself, no one would notice. I glared at Sera and asked the folded book, who was frowning.
“What?”
The folded book tilted its head and looked at me.
“Do you have any idea? Even if it’s something small, do you remember anything?”
“Hmm, any idea. Any idea…”
Orimoto puts her finger to her cheek and grunts.
For a few seconds, he furrows her brow and lets out a big sigh. I glance over at Sera.
“There is something, but it’s pretty far-fetched, and, well…”
I suddenly realized something.
I don’t know what Orimoto is referring to, but she’s been rejected by Sera.
And she hadn’t told me about it.
I was just an audience member who had peeked in on the scene of her defeat. For now, I should pretend I don’t know anything. Silence. Sometimes that’s the wisest choice.
“…You won’t tell anyone? And you won’t laugh? If you laugh, I’ll beat you up, I’ll beat you to a pulp.”
“There’s no one to tell. You’ve been following me around here all this time. Have you ever seen me talk to anyone? That’s how it is.”
“I wondered if you were an invisible existence like me. …Lonely people really exist.”
Perhaps it’s typical of Orimoto to speak so bluntly. The word “lonely” doesn’t faze me.
“Being lonely is good. You don’t have to worry about anyone else, and you can be my conversation partner like this.”
“That might be true. If Kasugai kun were popular in class, every time I talked to him and he responded, I’d be labeled a weirdo and lose my popularity.”
It’s not a follow-up.
It’s a stab. After stabbing, it’s like twisting the knife around, making it highly lethal.
“…Well, I’ll believe you. Don’t laugh.”
“I don’t think I’ve fallen so low that I’d laugh at failure or misfortune.”
—If it can break the current situation, I’ll listen. I added that at the end of my words.
“Actually, I was rejected by Keiichi. …I stopped being able to see after that.”
She spoke softly, with a faint sigh.
But the weight of those words was undeniable. Even though I had expected it, the air felt heavy.
But there was no point in getting carried away.
We weren’t in a relationship where I could sympathize with her, so I deliberately tried to sound surprised.
“…Wait a minute. Don’t drop a bomb like that out of the blue. —You were rejected? By whom?”
“By me.”
“By whom?”
“By Keiichi.”
“…….Really?”
Orimoto nodded deeply.
I knew it, but hearing it from her mouth made me a little surprised. It was hard to imagine that the heroine would be dumped.
Even if it was a coincidence, if I hadn’t been there at the scene, I wouldn’t have believed the words “Serah rejected Orimoto.” Orimoto fidgeted with the ends of her hair, looking a little awkward, and said,
“It’s awkward when you make it sound so serious.”
“Ah, ah, sorry. …I’m not used to talking about this kind of thing. Well, I guess.”
Orimoto shrugged her shoulders.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but admire her a little in my heart. Her relationship with her childhood friend had collapsed in a single day, yet she could casually dismiss such a serious topic with such ease. Perhaps I should admire her courage.
“You say it so lightly.”
“Well, I’m not really suited for heavy moods, you know? I’m not good at moping around either. …But I didn’t expect it to fail.”
—There was an atmosphere like it was official.
Orimoto tapped the wooden floor of the gymnasium with her toes. She was wearing loafers again today.
Maybe her sneakers had disappeared too.
The conditions are unclear, but the restrictions are evident even in her choice of clothing.
“…I won’t deny it. I’ve heard rumors that you were leading the way among them.”
“?!! Right?! I knew it !”
Oriben brightened her expression as if she had cleverly achieved something. I’m not lying.
…It’s just a rumor, though.
There were several people in Sera’s harem besides Orimoto, and among them, her childhood friend was in the position of the main wife.
“…But when I told him I liked him—I thought, ‘Oh, maybe he’s not looking at me?’”
“What do you mean, ‘not looking at me’?”
I couldn’t help but repeat her words.
“Do you think I was rejected because I’m me? In simple terms, it’s because there’s someone else he likes. And it’s my friend, too. It’s so depressing.”
“Did you confess because you sensed that?”
“No, not at all ! If I had noticed, I wouldn’t have said anything. …Maybe I rushed into it too quickly.”
Her laughter sounded dry.
There were few words I could say to her.
“So, you can’t be seen by anyone?”
“Yeah. I can’t. Not Keiichi, not my friends, not my teachers. It’s like the world has abandoned me, like I’ve been completely erased.”
I felt a cold wind blow through me.
It was now break time.
Apparently, a mixed-gender game was about to start in a few minutes. The court was like a cathedral.
“Kasugai kun can see me. …It’s really strange, isn’t it? But he says he’s not the culprit.”
“Ah, a loner like me doesn’t have that kind of power.”
“Indeed ! You’re right! ”
Orimoto laughed heartily, holding her stomach.
Her voice echoed in the slightly quiet gymnasium, and after a faint echo, it faded into the air.
“I even rehearsed it ! Practicing the confession! Saying ‘I like you’ in front of the mirror over and over !”
Orimoto’s eyes were slightly moist.
I see, now that I think about it, the slightly theatrical delivery of the lines was because of the practice.
“Will I just disappear like this? I’m scared of what will happen. I might be scared.”
She suddenly said that.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. I pretended to walk casually to distract myself while standing next to Orimoto, who was on the verge of tears.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s mean ! Be nice !”
“I don’t know what I don’t know. I don’t understand what I don’t understand. It’s not right to give false hope.”
I don’t know what’s going on either.
Is Orimoto invisible to everyone else?
Is it only me who can see her?
There’s no solution?
If I say the wrong thing, I’ll only hurt Orimoto more. Hmm…
“But I can see you. That’s a fact. …Find a solution somehow.”
“Wait, does that mean you’ll help me?”
“Don’t use such grand words as ‘help.’ I’ll just report anything that happens.”
Orimoto crossed her arms in front of me, who was dumbfounded.
Then she looked up at the ceiling…
“Ah.”
One word.
“Then, let’s do this ! Kasugai kun is my partner ! Please take care of me !”
“………………Huh?”
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