"Good morning, Kazunari-san."
I opened my eyes to find Sara-san sitting beside my bed for some reason. Her left hand rested on my head, while her right hand was clasped firmly with mine.
Um, did something happen?
I was a bit confused, but one look at Sara-san’s gentle smile told me everything I needed to know: there was no reason to worry.
"Good morning, Sara-san."
"Yes. Breakfast is almost ready, so please go wash your face."
She withdrew her hand, looking a little reluctant to let go. As she returned to the kitchen to finish the meal, I headed to the bathroom. While splashing water on my face, I turned my thoughts toward the day ahead.
I’d received a message from Hayato on RAIN the previous night.
"There's something I want to talk to you about. Do you have some time tomorrow?"
The fact that he’d checked with me beforehand instead of just barging in suggested he needed a significant amount of my time. In other words, there was a high probability the subject was serious.
I had a sneaking suspicion it involved Natsumi-senpai.
"Sara-san, I have plans to meet Hayato after school today, so I’ll be a little late getting back."
When I spoke to her, Sara-san was just finishing setting the table.
"I see. What would you like to do about dinner?"
"I don't think I'll be that late."
If we were just talking, an hour or two should be plenty.
"Understood. Then I shall wait for your return while I prepare our meal."
It was a bit late to be realizing this, but the image of Sara-san waiting at home for me while cooking dinner was... well, quite something.
"So, at the arcade in front of the station..."
As soon as the break started, the usual trio gathered around my desk. Today's topic was a cute girl Yamakawa had spotted at the arcade who was apparently exactly his type. He was currently delivering a passionate lecture on the subject.
"Your strike zone is way too extreme, man," one of them commented.
"Loli types and older sister types? At least pick one or the other."
They were certainly polar opposites. Honestly, I found it a mystery how he could be so intensely into both when they were nothing alike.
As I listened to them, the smartphone in my pocket vibrated. It was probably just an app notification, I thought—but then it buzzed a second and third time in rapid succession.
What now?
I pulled out my phone and checked the screen. It was a series of RAIN message notifications.
『Class is boring』 『School is boring』
It was Hanako-san. The messages were blunt and got straight to the point, which was very typical of her. Finally, she sent a selfie that made no effort to hide her grumpy mood. I nearly choked back a laugh.
『Focus on class,』 I replied.
『With my intellect, first-year lessons are a waste of time.』
『Well, I need them.』
『Then I'll teach you next time.』
Even through text, I could practically hear Hanako-san’s brusque voice. I was struggling to keep a straight face.
"Huh?! Wait, Takanashi! Who's that?!"
Clatter!
A loud voice erupted from right behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin.
"Dammit, Yamakawa! Don't scare me like that!"
"N-never mind that! Let me see!"
Yamakawa forcibly snatched my phone away, staring at the screen as if trying to bore a hole through it. It seemed he’d circled around behind me while I was distracted.
"............"
Kawamura and Tanaka leaned in from the side, clearly curious as well. But it was Yamakawa’s dead-serious expression that caught me off guard.
"Takanashi... no, Takanashi-san."
"Huh?"
"Please... introduce me to this girl..."
"I refuse."
Yamakawa made a theatrical praying gesture toward me, but my rejection was a total reflex. Even if it hadn't been, I had no intention of introducing them. Most of the women around me had suffered enough because of men, and Hanako-san was no exception. This was a delicate matter.
"Come on, please!"
"Give it up, Yamakawa. If you look at their RAIN history, you can pretty much guess their relationship status," Tanaka chimed in.
"!?"
"So Takanashi already had a girlfriend... you traitor," Yamakawa muttered, his shoulders slumping in an exaggerated display of defeat.
I felt like I’d been misunderstood, but then again, the nature of our messages probably did look a bit suspicious to an outsider. Oh well. It saved me the trouble of having to explain things further.
"No, but seriously, she’s gorgeous... Man, you're close with Satsukawa-senpai and now this? I’m so jealous. She’s not from our school, right? Where did you even meet her?"
"She really is cute. This is a total bullseye for Yamakawa's tastes."
Watching the guys in class make a fuss over girls being cute was a common occurrence, and in the past, I’d always watched such scenes with a detached, cynical eye. But for the first time, I realized I was actually part of the circle.
Realizing I was finally being accepted as one of their classmates filled me with a quiet sense of joy, though in a way, it was almost bittersweet.
Slide...
"Kazunari, sorry to keep you waiting."
I didn't even need to turn around to know it was Hayato. Predictably, every girl in the classroom turned toward the door in unison.
"Shall we go?" I asked.
"Yeah. Where should we talk?"
"I've got a spot. Follow me."
"Roger."
A group of girls in the corner watched us leave with strangely sparkling eyes. I had a feeling they were imagining something far more interesting than a couple of guys going to talk about their feelings.
I led Hayato toward the flowerbeds. I needed to do the daily watering anyway, so I figured I could listen to him while I worked. As the halls grew quiet and we reached the garden, we were finally alone. It was the same spot as always, but its seclusion made it perfect for this.
"I’m going to get the watering done, so go ahead and speak your mind," I said.
"Yeah, thanks. You probably guessed it, but it's about Natsumi-senpai."
As expected. I wondered if he was bothered by how close Yuji and Natsumi-senpai seemed lately. I started setting up the hose and prompted him to continue.
"Actually, I’ve been doing some thinking lately... about Natsumi-senpai. Specifically, about what I actually liked about her in the first place."
I’d heard the vague version of the story before, but since Hayato usually held back out of consideration for others, I’d never heard the details.
"I liked her straightforward personality, and how she treated me normally unlike the other girls. The biggest thing was probably the time she scolded me..."
Hayato laid out how he’d viewed Natsumi-senpai and what she meant to him. But as I listened, I started to notice a pattern. It sounded less like romantic love and more like he’d found someone reliable who was different from the usual girls who swarmed him—a sort of admiration for an older, mature figure.
If that was the case, it made sense why he’d never actually made a move despite his supposed interest. He probably felt something seeing her with Yuji, but it wasn't the jealousy of a rival.
"Hey, Hayato... what made you notice the inconsistency? There must have been a reason you realized your feelings for Natsumi-senpai might be different."
"......Well... the truth is..."
Apparently, right when he was feeling conflicted about Natsumi-senpai and Yuji, Todo-san had given him some candy.
Candy... It was probably the same kind she always carried for Mio-chan. I’d received some from her before, but I hadn't realized she had them on her that day too.
"It was like a shock to the system... I can't quite put it into words, but her kindness was so... pure. It didn't feel like there were any ulterior motives behind it."
I could see where he was coming from. She’d probably treated Hayato with the same natural warmth she showed Mio-chan. Since Todo-san was so remarkably earnest, someone like Hayato—who was constantly being approached by people with agendas—likely found a profound sense of peace in her presence.
"I see. I think I get what you're saying. Todo-san is definitely a healing type."
"Yes, exactly! It’s like... I don't feel the need to force a fun conversation. Just being near her feels relaxing. Her kindness just... hits different."
There was no doubt about it: he’d fallen for Todo-san. If that was the case, I definitely wanted to support him. Todo-san was often with Mio-chan, so she was usually at the shrine or the park.
"Got it. I'm behind you a hundred percent. You're at the same school and you've already met, so why not just try talking to her?"
"I don't know... I feel like it might be a nuisance if I just barge in on her..."
Right. Hayato stood out way too much. If he suddenly showed up at Todo-san's classroom to call her out, it would cause a massive scene. This was definitely a situation that required some backup.
"Don't worry, I'll help you out. For now, let's just focus on increasing your interactions and getting a little closer, yeah?"
"Thanks, Kazunari. I’m counting on you."
Supporting a best friend's romance was actually a lot of fun. It made me feel a bit better about everything. I wondered if I should talk to Yuji about his situation next.