I propped my elbows on the desk and fiddled with my smartphone. Unfortunately, I didn't have any apps I was particularly hooked on, nor did I have the concentration to stare at the screen for long.
Whenever I found myself with too much time on my hands at the back of the classroom like this, I would find myself slowly surveying my surroundings. And every time I did, I couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of discomfort at the quietness—a stark contrast to how things used to be.
Recently, Wataru had been acting strange.
Normally, he would follow me around regardless of the occasion, spewing a constant stream of cheesy lines that made my skin crawl. But at some point, that annoying behavior had completely vanished. Well, maybe not completely, but it was enough that I’d initially felt a sense of relief, thinking it was a rare change for the better.
The turning point was likely that day. From then on, his behavior had clearly shifted. I remembered hurling some rather cold words at him. I’d hated that strange, fuzzy feeling in my chest so much that I had ended up barging into his house. I thought we could just talk outside, but I never imagined I'd be pulled into his home.
"I love you. Please go out with me."
Those were words I had been forced to hear countless times before. But after that day, he stopped saying those significant words used to convey such feelings entirely. Looking back, he had seemed unusually serious that time. Yet, I had brushed him off, thinking it was just the same old routine. Even so, I didn't think I was in the wrong for doing what I did.
"—That’s why I've decided to start reading the room."
What did "reading the room" even mean? Just what kind of "room" was he supposed to be reading?
There were things I wanted to ask him, but being in front of Wataru's family had made me so incredibly uncomfortable that I’d ended up running away. I didn't quite understand it myself, but I remembered feeling a surge of intense anger toward him at the time.
"Hey, you're Sajou-kun, right?"
Then, a cute girl with light brown hair started appearing around Wataru. Apparently, her name was Aizawa-san. Since he’d looked bewildered at first, I assumed they weren't acquaintances, but after that, he started going off somewhere with her almost every single day. Even though I hadn't asked, a classmate I rarely spoke to had filled me in for some reason.
"......"
It was quiet.
Usually, Wataru would pester me so much that I could hardly finish my meal. I used to feel like lunch break was far too short, yet lately, I was done eating in a mere fifteen minutes. That left me with far too much free time, and I found myself at a loss for what to do. Whether he was there or not, he really was a troublesome man.
He was likely off having a grand old time with that Aizawa girl right about now.
"...Fawning over her like that."
"Oh? Is Aika-chan jealous?"
"Wh—Kei!? N-No, I'm not! Why would I ever feel that way about someone like him!"
"It’s quiet without Sajocchi around. Isn't Aichi lonely, too?"
"I'm just glad that annoying pest is finally gone! Don't say such weird things!"
"You don't have to get so mad."
Kei often approached me with a smirk while watching the two of us. She probably thought our interactions were some kind of comedy routine. Even though he wasn't my boyfriend or anything of the sort, Kei teased me like this constantly. I trusted her, but this was a nuisance in its own way.
I told her exactly what I was thinking, but Kei didn't seem to care and simply continued, "By the way..." Hey, listen to me.
"That girl hovering around Sajocchi... until just the other day, she was walking through the hallways every day with her arm linked with her boyfriend's."
"Wait, a boyfriend?"
Come to think of it... I recalled a couple that had been quite bold about walking through the hallways with their arms linked until recently. If I remembered correctly, the boyfriend wasn't a first-year, but a senior.
But wait. Why would a girl who was snuggling up to her boyfriend until so recently suddenly start approaching him?
"Don't you think it's weird that she'd suddenly get close to Sajocchi after being all lovey-dovey with her boyfriend until the other day?"
"A-Are you saying she's plotting something?"
"Yeah. But maybe... instead of plotting, she already..."
When I pressed her, Kei gave a vague reply and then started muttering something under her breath. Honestly, what was it now?
If that girl really was plotting something and trying to harm him, shouldn't something be done? I-It wasn't like I was worried about him! I just wanted to make sure I didn't get dragged into any trouble myself!
"Ah! Sajocchi is back!"
"Eh...!"
"Well, I'm heading back to my seat, Aichi!"
"Wait, Kei...!?"
Kei whispered to let me know he had returned, then hurriedly packed up her lunch and retreated to her own seat. Stick with me until the end, geez! Was she really going to leave me to deal with this alone?
Once he sat down, he started preparing for the next class as if nothing had happened. Hey... why wouldn't he talk to me like usual, especially today of all days?
"—H-Hey... Listen."
"Hm...?"
It felt strange to initiate the conversation myself; I felt a peculiar, itchy sort of restlessness. Still, even if he was an infuriating guy, I couldn't just stand by knowing he might be in danger.
"Y-You... have you been eating with Aizawa-san every day?"
"Not necessarily every day... but yeah, mostly."
Wait, what? Why could this guy answer so nonchalantly? Didn't he supposedly like me? Usually, wouldn't someone try to gloss over something like that to avoid creating distance?
"Y-You're eating outside, aren't you? Someone mentioned they saw the two of you leaving together..."
I asked while pretending I wasn't the one who was actually curious. I knew that the moment I admitted to being interested, he would definitely let it go to his head. I wouldn't let that happen.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Tsk... I see."
Then why was he...! Why was he admitting to his relationship with another girl so easily? Did he even have any intention of doing anything about me? He was always calling me a "Goddess," but he didn't actually think that, did he? Was that really how he saw me?
After exchanging only a few words with me, Wataru did something unusual—he looked away, rested his chin on his hand, and began to think about something. So he was capable of making expressions like that... N-No, I wasn't making fun of him.
"Hey, Natsukawa. Did you know about Aizawa from before?"
"Eh? Y-Yeah, I knew of her, but... why?"
He had suddenly asked me something profound. I reflexively answered that I knew, but... could it be that he also thought Aizawa-san was suspicious? Otherwise, he wouldn't be asking about her past, would he?
...Or so I thought, until he uttered something incredibly thickheaded.
"I want to know more about Aizawa."
"...! As if I'd tell you anything, you pervert! You should really stop chasing after every girl you see!"
My head went white with rage. Why was I so indignant? It was likely because, despite someone going out of their way to worry about him, he was just fawning over a girl he’d only just met without a second thought. If I was going to feel like this, I shouldn't have even bothered trying to warn him!
I didn't want to see his face right now. I stood up from my seat with force and dashed out of the classroom as fast as I could.