“Please, Sajou—you’re the only one I have left!”
If I had to compare it to anything, it sounded like a passionate confession. Hearing that, Kei and I both scrambled behind the wall of the spiral staircase located in the middle of the connecting corridor. I wasn't sure if we’d made the right call, but we’d inadvertently ended up hiding ourselves. Even if we tried to use the stairs to escape to the floor below, we’d be spotted halfway down. We were trapped.
More importantly, I had to calm myself down. My heart hammered against my ribs as I played Sasaki-kun’s words back in my head. They were certainly beautiful words, but no matter how many times I rubbed my eyes, the person he was saying them to was Wataru. A boy. It was a boy and another boy.
“Wh-Wh-What is even happening...?!”
“I-I don’t know...!”
Kei whispered, her eyes wide with shock. It seemed that one sentence had jolted her wide awake. I was the same way; I felt as alert as if I’d been sleeping until just a moment ago.
The footsteps of Sasaki-kun and Wataru stopped at the very spot where we had been sitting to get some fresh air. Kei dropped to all fours and pressed against the wall, trying to steal a glance at the other side.
“He-Hey...! That’s...!”
“Don’t give me that, Aichi, you’re trying to look too...!”
“Ah, e-err...!”
I moved to stop Kei, but somehow I ended up leaning diagonally over her, plastered against the wall. It was strange... I’d ended up in this position before I’d even realized it. I had to be a proper role model for Airi; I couldn't let her see her big sister being so unladylike...
However, the posture was strenuous. I decided to let myself rest my hands on Kei’s back to make it easier to peek.
“What do you mean, ‘the only one’...? I was just about to go home.”
“Just for a bit... just a little while!”
“Gr-Gross...”
His arm finally released, Wataru rubbed his wrist with a look of distaste as he sat down on a concrete step. Despite being needed, Wataru’s attitude was remarkably blunt. Was that just their usual dynamic? Sasaki-kun might be harboring serious feelings for him, so I thought he could afford to be a little kinder...
Even as I offered that silent criticism, a part of me still couldn't fully accept the reality before my eyes. Setting aside the possibility that Sasaki-kun might be "that way," I felt a wave of relief that Wataru hadn't given him a gentle smile and asked, “Yes, what is it?” If he had, I don’t think I could have walked home with a steady gait.
“Sasakichi’s serious face—th-this is definitely that, right?! Right?! Right?!”
“Shh, I can’t hear them, so be quiet...!”
We exchanged frantic whispers. Kei’s excitement was boundless; it was as if her previous sleepiness had never existed. Fortunately, the sound of the wind whistling against the wall seemed to prevent the boys from hearing us. If we were caught now, I didn't think I’d be able to move a muscle.
Once Sasaki-kun saw that Wataru was sitting down quietly, he pulled a plastic bag out of his school bag and held something out.
“Here, take this.”
“Oh—wait, it’s just a nutrient jelly...”
“It’s fine, isn’t it?”
“Well, at least it’s cold, so that’s something.”
Wataru looked up slightly as if reminiscing while snapping the cap open. Judging by the way he sat, it seemed he no longer intended to run away. Apparently, he had only been annoyed by the fact that he was being dragged along.
No, wait—thinking about it calmly, how would a normal boy react? If someone were about to receive a once-in-a-lifetime confession of feelings from another boy, could they really stay that calm? If it were me, I might have been terrified.
“Hey—can I sit next to you?”
“...!”
“Why?! Sit in front of me, in front!”
“No, facing each other at this distance is kind of...”
“Huh? Ah... well, I guess... No, if that’s the case, just sit down naturally. Don’t go out of your way to ask...”
“My bad.”
At Sasaki-kun’s nervous request, Kei’s back twitched beneath me. I let out a sharp, involuntary breath myself, but it seemed Sasaki-kun had simply chosen the spot next to Wataru because of the physical distance. Wataru gave the sheepishly smiling Sasaki-kun a look of slight annoyance.
“Aichi... wait, isn’t that kind of good?”
“Eh? What is...?”
“No, I mean, that vibe...”
“No way.”
“Ah, don’t look so disgusted.”
While I knew the concept of Boys’ Love, I had never personally seen the appeal from a girl’s perspective. But Kei had clearly seen something in the interaction between those two. I wasn't exactly disgusted, but I didn't think it was enough to make my cheeks flush like hers. I thought it was normal to feel happy seeing boys getting along well. But then again, were those two even close?
Wataru slid over to the far end away from us, and Sasaki-kun sat on the edge closer to our hiding spot. Below me, Kei let out a slightly sultry “Haaah~.” Apparently, she found some kind of special appeal in that sense of distance. I felt like I sort of understood it, just a little. Certainly, within the boundaries of friendship...
“—So, what is it? This ‘consultation’ you wanted with me.”
“Eh.”
“Eh—Kyaa?!”
Reacting in unison, Kei’s back suddenly slumped. By leaning my full weight onto her back with both hands, I somehow managed to keep us from falling. That was dangerous; I almost tumbled out headfirst.
When I pulled away to fix my posture, Kei looked visibly disappointed. She must have had some very different expectations for those two.
“Haaah. So it’s just a consultation...”
“I-Is it that big a deal? It’s fine, isn’t it...?”
In fact, it was probably for the best that Kei’s expectations hadn't become reality. As for me, I felt relieved to know that the possibility of Wataru and Sasaki-kun being in that kind of relationship was almost zero.
“Listen... don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“—Is this about Saito-san confessing to you?”
“Wait.”
“!”
“!”
At Wataru’s words, Kei immediately returned to her spying position. For that matter, I was leaning my ear in as close as possible, too. This really wasn't right. Eavesdropping is bad. But unfortunately, I couldn't move right now. Yes, this was unavoidable.
“H-How did you know?!”
“Well, I knew you were called out by a girl at noon. It’s easy enough to guess.”
“B-But, I haven’t said a word about Saito-san...!”
“I can tell just by the atmosphere.”
“Ugh...”
Wataru, speaking with a hint of envy, was being quite assertive toward Sasaki-kun. In contrast to Sasaki-kun, who spoke in a hushed voice, Wataru was replying bluntly at his usual volume. I felt like... he could afford to be a little more congratulatory.
(So that’s what happened earlier...)
I recalled the moment we’d left the classroom and I’d felt Wataru’s hand on my back. Wataru had said he was “reading the room.” I had wondered if that was it, but knowing the context—that Sasaki had been called out by a girl during the Cultural Festival—it wasn’t a difficult prediction.
“...That’s right.”
Sasaki-kun nodded quietly, as if making a confession of his own. While he looked embarrassed, there was also a hint of complexity in his expression. Since Saito-san is in the Tea Ceremony Club, even from my perspective as a girl, she’s refined and cute. So, isn't Sasaki-kun happy to be confessed to by a girl like that?
“—I knew it. Maybe Sasakichi is...”
“Eh?”
“...No, never mind.”
Come to think of it, Kei was being unusually quiet.
Normally, upon seeing Sasaki-kun nod, Kei would probably be squealing in a low voice, but right now she was wearing a slightly troubled expression, much like Sasaki-kun. Kei has a wide circle of friends, so perhaps she knows something about his situation.
“—So, you want to consult me on how to protect Saito-san from Yuki-chan’s demonic hands, right?”
“Eh...?”
“No, that’s not it! What do you think my sister is?!”
“An aggressive shut-in.”
“That’s not...—well, maybe it’s not wrong, but you’re wrong!”
I was about to be surprised by the unexpected topic of the consultation, but apparently, that wasn’t it. I knew he had a sister who adored him because he had mentioned it during committee meetings. He said he was troubled because his sister wouldn't give him any space, but is it really that bad? To be troubled by a sister’s affection makes him a bad older brother. If it were me, I’d welcome it with open arms.
Yes, Airi doesn't need to stop being attached to her big sister even when she grows up.
“A-Aichi...? Your back... you're pushing really—mugyah?!”
Ah, sorry.
Spiral Double Palm Strike—!