Beep beep beep... Beep beep beep...
Phew... Alright, I managed to wake up on the first try.
I’d headed straight to bed last night without touching my games or manga, so I had plenty of time to get ready. Since we were meeting up, arriving early was only common courtesy.
I went to the bathroom to fix my hair and appearance. Staring into the mirror was a daily ritual, and it always served as a harsh reminder that I wasn't exactly what you'd call good-looking.
I’d be happy if I at least fell into the "average" category, but there was no use worrying about something I couldn't change now.
At any rate, I still needed to stop by the convenience store, so I figured I’d eat a quick breakfast and head out.
...
I bought a rice ball at our designated meeting spot and checked the time on my phone.
I still had about fifteen minutes before our scheduled meeting. I killed time by scrolling through my phone, occasionally glancing at my surroundings. About five minutes later, I spotted Senpai and her friend approaching.
They were earlier than I expected, but I was glad I’d beaten them there.
"Good morning, Takanashi-san. I’m sorry, did we keep you waiting?"
"Good morning, Senpai. No, I just arrived a bit earlier than planned, so I haven't been waiting long at all."
The girl standing beside Senpai also spoke up.
"Morning, Takanashi-kun!"
"Yes, good morning, Natsu... er..."
I hesitated, unsure of how to address her.
If I just called her "Senpai," it might be confusing as to which one of them I was talking to. On the other hand, calling her "Natsumi-san" right off the bat felt a bit too familiar.
"Oh, that’s right. This is as good a time as any for introductions. I already know a fair bit about you, Takanashi-kun, but you don't really know me yet."
"I’m sorry. I know you’re Senpai’s friend, but..."
"Takanashi-san, please forgive the delay," Senpai added. "This is my friend, Natsumi Yuzuki-san. I call her Natsumi."
"We’ve run into each other a few times and shared a few words, but let’s make it official. Nice to meet you, I'm Natsumi Yuzuki. Let's get along, okay, Takanashi-kun?"
"Nice to meet you. I’m Kazunari Takanashi. Is... Yuzuki-senpai alright?"
Up until now, I’d mostly just referred to her as "Senpai’s friend" in my head.
"Hmm, that works, I guess. But most people I'm close with just call me Natsumi. Being called 'Yuzuki' feels like I’m being addressed by a total stranger, you know? It’s a bit weird. You can drop the formal tone—be more casual. You can just call me Natsumi if you want."
I’d suspected as much when we spoke before, but talking to her like this confirmed it: she was very approachable and had a great personality.
"Understood. Then, would Natsumi-senpai be okay? Sorry for not greeting you properly sooner, even though we’ve met several times."
"No worries. I’d heard so much about you from Sara that I just ended up talking to you like we were already friends."
I supposed I’d just been going with the flow of the conversation myself.
"I felt like I’d missed my window to introduce myself properly, too. Oh, Natsumi-senpai, I’m a bit late in saying this, but thank you for your help on the rooftop the other day. You really saved me."
"Ah, I was panicking too, you know. I had a really bad feeling about it, so I rushed off to find Daichi."
Daichi... The person who had shown up back then was the Student Council President. What was his name again?
"Is Daichi... the Student Council President?"
"Yeah, Daichi Uesaka. Well, he’s a third-year, so even if you know he’s the President, I guess you wouldn't necessarily know his name."
So the Student Council President was named Daichi Uesaka.
The fact that she called him by his first name suggested they were quite close. Could they be... a couple?
"Oh, we should get moving. If we keep standing around here talking, we’ll be late. Let’s chat while we walk."
"Yes, you’re right. Well then, Senpai, shall we—Senpai?"
I paused.
Come to think of it, Senpai hadn't said a single word for a while.
When I looked over at her, she was smiling... but the vibe was all wrong. It was like I could see a dark, menacing pressure radiating from her back. It was actually a little terrifying.
"Nn? Sara? What’s... what’s wrong?"
It seemed Natsumi-senpai had noticed it too.
"Nothing at all... It's nothing."
No, that was definitely not "nothing."
What happened? Had I done something to upset her?
"Um... Senpai? Truly... did I do something wrong...?"
I got the distinct feeling that she was growing more displeased every time I spoke to her.
"Senpai?"