Rattle, rattle, rattle.
"Mornin'—"
"Yo."
The situation in class had taken a turn lately.
The usual idiots were as rowdy as ever, but the real headache was that the entire class now knew I was close with Satsukawa-senpai. To make matters worse, rumors that I was also close with Natsumi-senpai had recently been added to the mix, making the environment even more suffocating.
"Hey, Takanashi-chan! Isn't it about time we went out for some fun?"
"Seriously, I know this great spot. It’d be the best if you brought some girls along."
"The senpais would definitely be happy if you took them there."
It was bad enough that their appearance alone was an eyesore; the way they talked was even more grating. The reason I had never associated with my classmates in the first place was because guys like these were allowed to run rampant.
Perhaps because I had always avoided them, they had mistaken me for some timid pushover, but I wasn't actually scared of them.
To be honest, I even had a bit of a track record(?) for getting physical when I truly lost my temper. What I'm trying to say is that even I have a breaking point.
"Look... I know you guys are only talking to me because you’re targeting the senpais, but honestly? You’re annoying as hell."
"...Huh?"
"What’s with this guy..."
Naturally, that was their reaction. They were just small-fry who couldn't even act tough unless they were part of a pack.
"Why don't you try talking to them yourselves? As long as you don't end up in a situation where you have to voluntarily withdraw from school like those other guys did, that is."
In fact, after that incident on the rooftop, everyone involved had either voluntarily withdrawn or transferred schools. Aside from the social stigma they faced in person, it seemed they were given the criminal treatment online, where their real names and photos were leaked to the public.
I hadn't really understood the details at the time, but perhaps the Fan Club or someone similar had been pulling strings behind the scenes.
"Hey, we have no intention of letting people like you get anywhere near Natsumi-senpai, you know?"
"Did you really think you were in their league?"
Two girls from the Natsumi Yuzuki Fan Club suddenly joined the fray. True to their nature as cowards, the flashy guys clearly didn't want to pick a fight with the girls.
"...Tsk."
"Women again, huh."
With those parting words, they retreated. The atmosphere in the room had turned quite sour... but it was a bit late to worry about that now.
As always, I didn't give a damn about this class. Still, I made a mental note to thank those two for throwing me a lifeline later.
There was no Student Council meeting today. The President and Satsukawa-senpai apparently had matters to discuss with the teachers, so I ended up heading home ahead of them.
Since I'd lost my temper for the first time in a while, I decided to visit the shrine to offer a prayer and calm my nerves. I climbed the stone steps and arrived at the small shrine grounds.
I wonder if I should go say hello to Yukie-san on the way back...
Just as the thought crossed my mind—
"Ba-bam!"
"Whoa!?"
An impact from behind startled me. I didn't fall over, but since I’d been completely off guard, I stumbled forward a few steps.
"Now, now... this must be Mio-chan."
When I turned around with an exaggerated flourish, Mio-chan was looking up at me with her usual beaming smile.
"Onii-chan, carry me!!"
With her signature cuteness, she thrust both arms out toward me, begging to be picked up. Naturally, I had no reason to refuse, so I lifted her into my arms.
"Mio-chan, what brings you here today? Where's your mother?"
"Um, see... today I'm with Onee-chan!"
Onee-chan? If she meant Satsukawa-senpai, she would have called her "Sara Onee-chan," so I assumed it was someone else.
As I was wondering who it could be, I heard someone else ascending the stone steps. She appeared to have been running, as she arrived completely out of breath.
"Huff... huff... Mio-chan, sorry to keep you—?"
When our eyes met, her expression shifted from surprise to suspicion. She narrowed her eyes, eyeing me warily as she spoke.
"Um, that child is my..."
"Onii-chan, play with us too!"
Ignoring the girl’s concern, Mio-chan chirped at me.
I gathered that this must be the "Onee-chan" Mio-chan had mentioned. At a glance, she looked to be a middle or high school student. She had semi-long black hair and carried herself with a serious, earnest air. As someone who disliked the modern, flashy look, her appearance alone gave me a favorable impression.
"Onii-chan?" the girl repeated, sounding confused.
"Hey, Mio-chan. Is this 'Onee-chan' the person you were talking about?"
"Yeah! It's Marina Onee-chan!"
It seemed she had come to the shrine with this girl today. Since Mio-chan's Mother wasn't around, I assumed she was a relative or someone close to the family. If that was the case, I didn't want to be misunderstood, so I decided to introduce myself properly.
"I'm sorry for the late introduction. My name is Kazunari Takanashi. I've known Mio-chan for a while now, and we play together like this sometimes. If you check with Mio-chan's Mother, she'll be able to vouch for me."
I intended to be as polite as possible, but halfway through my greeting, a look of profound shock crossed her face. Had I said something wrong?
"......Takanashi... Kazunari... The same name? No, such a coincidence..."
What was she muttering about?
Perhaps noticing my suspicious look, she jolted slightly before quickly regaining her composure.
"My apologies. I am Marina Todo. I'm Mio-chan's cousin."
Cousin, huh? Well, that wasn't particularly strange, but it bothered me that her guard hadn't dropped in the slightest.
Do I really look that suspicious?