"Wataru is at the hospital..."
With those words echoing silently in her mind, Aika was no longer in any state to hold a conversation with Kei. She was seized by a sudden, desperate impulse to dash out and find the truth, but Kei gently placed a hand on her arm and shook her head. With homeroom about to start, they were stuck. Aika tried to scroll through her phone with trembling fingers to message Wataru and tell him she was worried, but without knowing why he was even in the hospital, she didn't know where to begin.
"..."
"Aichi... try to stay calm, okay?"
Aika must have been visibly distraught, as Kei tried to soothe her while she fidgeted restlessly. Aika stopped moving at the sight of her best friend's worried gaze and looked down, her shoulders sagging dejectedly.
"You're worried. I know you are."
"...Yeah."
Following Kei’s lead, Aika finally managed to steady herself. Before she realized it, she had been guided into her seat. Kei's arms wrapped around Aika from behind, as if winding a soft silk muffler around her racing heart to steady it.
"It’s Sajocchi. He’ll be fine."
"...Yeah."
The voice whispered softly in her ear. Conscious that her panic was beginning to subside, Aika used what remained of her reason to nod obediently. While her heart rebelled at the thought of enjoying someone else's warmth at a time like this, she couldn't deny the comfort of having her neck—which had gone cold as the blood drained from her face—warmed by her friend’s embrace.
Staring fixedly at the top of her desk, Aika felt the passing time slow to a crawl.
"About Sajou-kun—it seems he got injured and headed to the hospital. It's such a shame, especially since the Cultural Festival was almost over without any trouble."
"Injured..."
The homeroom Aika had been waiting for finally arrived. Through the facts provided by their homeroom teacher, Ohtsuki-chan, she gained a single piece of information regarding Wataru’s condition. Of the various scenarios she had imagined, this was the worst possible truth. Even the class’s usual jokers remained silent.
"Right, so about the schedule starting from the day after tomorrow—"
The topic immediately shifted to other administrative notices. Ohtsuki-chan skillfully managed the atmosphere to ensure it didn't become too somber. The students, effectively handled by their teacher, quickly regained their composure. The conversation soon turned into griping about an upcoming drinks meeting with the older staff members—and the thought of Wataru had already vanished from the minds of more than half the class, who now wore smiles.
When homeroom ended and dismissal was announced, Kei and Sasaki came over to Aika. Following behind them was a perplexed-looking Saito Mai. Her heart must have been in a complicated state; her boyfriend, whom she had only just started dating, had headed straight for another girl the moment homeroom was over.
"Natsukawa... what are you doing about the after-party?"
"Eh..."
It was Sasaki's own way of being considerate. Having once had feelings for Aika, he knew she wasn't the kind of girl who could simply forget about an injury to someone close to her and go off to enjoy herself. Aika’s hesitation was brief; since she couldn't imagine herself having any fun, she leaned toward not participating.
However, her best friend interceded.
"Aichi... let's go, okay? I think you’ll just feel more restless if you stay here by yourself."
"Kei..."
Kei’s argument was that since there was nothing they could do anyway, they should at least stay active to ease the emotional burden, if only by a little. Sasaki agreed with her.
"You're right... okay. I'll go too."
"Yeah, that’s better!"
The feelings of worry and kindness can't always reach the person they're meant for. Since they weren't going to reach him regardless, she decided to believe that continuing to fret would only be a burden to Wataru.
(...That's right.)
Having regained a small spark of vitality, Aika turned her gaze toward Mina Ichinose, who was also deeply concerned about Wataru. Sitting in her seat on the opposite side from Aika—the window seat by the hallway—she was still sitting motionless even though homeroom had ended.
(Wait...?)
She was surely in a daze after learning about Wataru's injury. That much was understandable. However, Aika tilted her head at the sight of her sitting all alone. Though Mina was usually quiet, since the start of the second semester, she had become popular enough to be constantly surrounded by people.
Aika headed over to her.
"Ichinose-san... are you okay?"
"!? Eh... ah..."
The moment Aika placed a hand on her shoulder, Mina's body jolted. As soon as she realized it was Aika, she looked around as if coming to her senses.
"Homeroom is over."
"Ah..."
Just as Aika had suspected, Mina hadn't realized they were dismissed. Realizing her mistake, she shrugged her shoulders and looked down bashfully. Having a hunch about the feelings that had led to this, Aika asked Mina the same question she had just been asked.
"Ichinose-san, are you coming to the after-party?"
"..."
If this girl's heart was in the same state as her own, then for the sake of her own peace of mind, she should come along as Kei had suggested. Thinking that, Aika considered taking Mina along even if she had to be a little forceful. She knew that before the Cultural Festival had even started, other classmates had been pestering Mina to join the celebration.
The girl looked up at Aika with trembling eyes—
"I-I... I have a part-time job!"
"Ah..."
Standing up with surprising agility, Mina declined with an excuse Aika hadn't anticipated. She grabbed her sub-bag and hurried out of the classroom. Because Aika had been caught off guard, her hand reached out too late to stop her.
"I wonder if she's okay..."
"You're so kind, Aichi."
Kei arrived, smiling as she gazed at the worried Aika with affection. Combined with the fact that she had been flatly rejected by Mina, Aika could do nothing but blush.
The reserved karaoke room was large, but it was a bit cramped for all the participating classmates. Since it was the end of the Cultural Festival, Kouetsu High School students were crowding the entire building. Students in familiar uniforms were constantly moving between the various rooms. Sasaki was soon put in a headlock by his seniors in the soccer club and dragged away.
The room was a cacophony of singing and rowdy excitement. Aika's expression naturally followed the mood, and her lips curled into a slight smile. She wasn't the type to get loud even when she was in high spirits, so she just sat quietly on the sofa, clutching her drink with both hands. It was more than enough to help blow away her dark thoughts.
Amidst the noise, a mellow intro began to play. It was a song by a female vocalist that everyone knew. The long-awaited turn for the girls had arrived, and the boys in the room erupted in cheers.
"Aichi! Let's sing!"
"Eh!? Wait...!?"
Kei set the glass on the table and pulled Aika by the arm. Bewildered by the sudden invitation, she was pulled out in front of everyone, and a microphone was thrust into her hands.
The singing started with Kei. When the first verse ended, Aika timidly began to sing so as not to fall behind. The boys listened quietly as if taking a momentary break, captivated by her whispering voice—a voice she had polished through countless lullabies to her younger sister. It was a classic karaoke scene.
It was only after she finished that she realized she had been singing a love song, and she turned bright red.
"Phew..."
As the girls' turns continued, the room settled into a manageable level of noise. Even though she hadn't moved much, Aika sat on the sofa and caught her breath. Elsewhere, Kei was spiking a party balloon someone had inflated, hitting a boy right in the face with it.
Just then, several smartphones on the table lit up simultaneously. Aika's was no exception. When she picked it up, she saw a notification for a new message in the class group chat.
[Sorry I couldn't make it. I messed up.]
At the short message on the notification screen, Aika's expression changed instantly as she unlocked her phone. She tried to respond immediately, but starting with Wataru’s post, the group messages began updating in a rapid-fire sequence. Plenty of classmates were already sliding their fingers across their screens with nothing else to do.
[I heard from Ohtsuki-chan. You okay?]
[Good work today. What kind of injury was it?]
[I figured something happened when you didn't show.]
"Ugh..."
Aika didn't spend much time on her phone during the day. It was a natural consequence that she couldn't keep up with the quick typing or the conversational speed of her smartphone-addicted peers. While she was struggling to choose her words, the group chat accelerated. Moreover, because everyone else was asking the questions she wanted to ask, she kept losing her chance to speak.
[The palm of my hand. A tool pierced it while I was cleaning up.]
"Ah..."
Small gasps of "Whoa" and "Ouch" came from around the room. It seemed everyone had visualized Wataru's words. Aika was no exception. She saw a boy clutching his wound, his face twisted in agony as he gripped his wrist with his other hand. She saw a boy collapsing to his knees, his cheek pressed against the floor as he groaned, unable to rise. The images of him being carried away by others played out in her mind with distressing clarity. Before she knew it, she was pressing her phone against her chest.
[Are you serious?]
[That sounds brutal.]
[It’s fine. It's not like I'm being hospitalized or anything.]
I can't believe those words.
You can't hear a voice through a message. You can't read a person's expression. How much truth could there really be in words sent with a few taps of a finger?
Eyes gathered on Aika as she stood up abruptly. Sensing the shift in her mood, several classmates on the path to the door shrank back into their seats. Aika hurried past them with quick, determined steps.