ch41-ch60 · 048-ch47

Chapter 47: Stopping on the Landing

"Haaah..."

Finally, school's over. I've been sighing like this every day lately.

Ever since that whole mess with Arizuki... which was totally my fault, by the way... the classroom hasn't felt like a place of peace anymore.

It's not like I'm being ignored or bullied or anything. Things are normal, I guess. Totally normal.

It's just... the way the girls treat me now is way different. And the guys have changed too, probably influenced by that. Honestly, it's depressing.

The timing was bad too. It happened right after the class shuffle, when I didn't have any close friends yet. That was the worst.

Back in junior high, I wasn't exactly popular, but I was part of the central group in class. Now I've fallen so far that it feels like no one would even notice if I was there or not. Guess that makes me just like the loners I used to look down on.

That's why the only place I can relax at school these days is during club activities. Practice has gotten harder now that we're in high school, but the seniors have high expectations for me since I was the ace in junior high, and there are teammates from back then too.

So as soon as homeroom ends, I hurry to get ready for practice and hustle out of the classroom.

"Yamanai-kun!"

Someone calls out to me, and I turn around in the hallway.

"! Shirakawa..."

Peeking out from the classroom entrance was Shirakawa.

She came jogging over. She probably meant to look hurried, but she's so small that she looked kind of... bouncy? It was, well... cute...

"Yamanai-kun, do you have a minute?"

"Y-yeah, sure."

When I answered, Shirakawa looked around and then beckoned to me.

"Over here!"

"Ah..."

I know. I know nothing to get excited about is going to happen.

But still getting all flustered... well, I'm a guy, so it can't be helped.

We went all the way to the top of the stairs, right in front of the door leading to the roof, and Shirakawa closed the distance without caring how nervous I was.

"Yamanai-kun, so, um――――――――"

She stood on her tiptoes to close the height gap and whispered something. A nice scent from her hair drifted toward my nose.

"..."

"―Hey, are you listening?"

"Ah! S-sorry, I spaced out for a second."

Crap, crap.

If I let my guard down, I'm probably making a really stupid face right now.

"Um, what were you saying again?"

"Geez! So, those scary guys from before―their friends might come, so be careful, okay?"

Wait, scary guys... the friends of those muscle-bound old dudes!?

"W-why? They're human traffickers selling people overseas, right? It'd be crazy for them to come back after failing."

"Ah, so that's what you thought... Um, I can't explain it well, but those guys didn't kidnap just anyone―they took me to target Papa. So, they might think you're involved too, so please be careful..."

"Who cares about me! If that's the case, you're the one in danger, Shirakawa!"

Crap, I suddenly raised my voice, and Shirakawa's eyes went wide.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... Did you tell the police?"

"...Hmm, there's some stuff going on, so I can't tell the police. Sorry, but could you not tell anyone either, Yamanai-kun?"

"I promised before that I wouldn't tell anyone, so..."

Why wouldn't she tell the police when she's being targeted by kidnappers?

I don't get it at all. But I can tell something beyond everyday life is happening. That whole thing before was the biggest incident I'd ever experienced. I doubt I'll encounter anything more impactful than that for the rest of my life.

"Good. Then, just in case something happens, can we exchange messages?"

"!!! ―Y-yeah, of course."

My personal big-impact moment, immediately updated.

We both took out our phones and exchanged contact info... N-no, don't grin yet, not yet...

I was holding back when Shirakawa suddenly smiled.

"I'm so glad. I was worried you hated me and wouldn't want to exchange contacts."

"I don't hate you at all!!"

Crap, I shouted again. And right on the heels of her words.

Shirakawa's surprised again. I'm really sorry.

"―I see, that's good then... Ah, and I told Sumi about that promise from before."

"Arizuki? ...Ah."

Right, she said she'd tell her "he's not a bad person."

Come to think of it, I haven't been glared at by Arizuki when we pass each other these past few days.

"It might be hard to go back to how things were right away, but Sumi's not the type to hold grudges, so I think you'll make up eventually. Ah, though... I don't know if things will work out romantically."

"Huh..."

Did Shirakawa know I had a crush on Arizuki too? ...No, more importantly, does she think I still have feelings for her!?

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. Sorry for taking your time. See you!"

With that, Shirakawa went down the stairs with a rhythmic pitter-patter.

"Ah, wait, Shirakawa..."

I wanted to call out and clear up the misunderstanding, but my voice wouldn't come out properly. Even though I was shouting so loudly just now.

As I helplessly watched her leave, Shirakawa turned around when she reached the landing.

Could she have heard my barely-audible voice...?

"Good luck at practice!"

Shirakawa smiled and gave a small wave, then continued down the stairs.

Even though the misunderstanding remains... I wasn't even thinking about that anymore. My head was completely filled with Shirakawa's smile.

"...I'll... I'll do my best! Let's go!!"

I pumped my fist with a guts pose I usually only did before tournaments. Probably the most fired up I'd ever been.

...That day at basketball practice, I scored over 50 points against the third-year team while on the first-year team, and secured a spot as a regular for the upcoming practice match against another school.