I simply couldn’t take my eyes off Wataru. Even though his soccer position had finally been settled into something relatively safe, it was disheartening to see how eager he was to actually play. While it was still a ways off, I couldn't help but feel that it would be for the best if he just stayed on the bench and never subbed in. Between his utter lack of self-preservation and the effort it took to look after the free-spirited Airi, I felt my mental energy rapidly depleting.
As I let out an involuntary sigh, I saw Shirai-san and Okamoto-san entering the classroom from the hallway. In contrast to my exhausted state, they both seemed to be in high spirits. It seemed the drama surrounding Sasaki-kun had finally died down, and I was relieved to see the classroom atmosphere returning to normal. Apparently, Ichinose-san had been working behind the scenes to make that happen.
Shirai-san followed Okamoto-san to the seat in front of Wataru, chatted for a moment, and then headed my way. She was likely planning to pass by me and loop around the back of the classroom to reach her own seat.
At that moment, I saw something flutter out of Shirai-san’s skirt pocket. Wataru must have noticed it at the same time I did, as he turned toward her.
"Shirai-san, you dropped something."
"Eh? Ah...!?"
Wataru reached his right hand toward the floor. When I looked over, I saw a small piece of cardstock about the size of a palm lying there. Wataru picked it up and tilted his head, flipping it over curiously. Shirai-san realized what had happened the moment he called out and let out a panicked cry.
"Sa-Sajou-kun, wait...!"
"Hmm...?"
Shirai-san lunged forward, reaching out her hand. But it all happened in an instant; she wasn't fast enough. Before she could even finish her warning, Wataru had already seen the back of the card.
"—Wait..."
"..."
"..."
Shirai-san froze with her hand still extended toward Wataru. Wataru fell silent, and I, too, caught a glimpse of what he was holding. A heavy silence dominated the room for several seconds.
"............This is—"
"Don't say it...!"
I caught a fleeting look at the card's contents. It featured a refreshing-looking boy drawn in a shoujo-manga style. His hair fluttered in the wind, giving the piece a sense of dynamism that highlighted the character’s coolness. Moreover, those distinct features clearly belonged to...
"Sasaki—"
"Cho-ah...!!"
Just as a specific name was about to leap from Wataru's lips, Shirai-san moved in a blur. Before I knew it, the card was clenched in her hand. She had snatched it from Wataru with blinding speed. I had never seen her move so nimbly before.
"Sh-Shirai-san..."
"P-Please...! Please don't tell anyone about this...! I'll do anything...!"
I was the one she chose to plead with. Literally clinging to the side of my desk as she slid across the floor on her knees, Shirai-san begged me in a frantic, hushed voice. I instinctively recoiled from the sheer desperation on her face. While the issues surrounding Sasaki-kun appeared to have settled, it seemed the obsession had merely gone underground.
"I-It's okay... I won't tell anyone."
"That guy... seriously, he's going to get stabbed one of these days... by his sister or something."
Wataru, wearing an exasperated expression, muttered something rather chilling. Sasaki-kun was certainly popular, but surely he wouldn't actually get stabbed by his own sister. After all, "little sisters" were supposed to be cute, precious things—like our Airi.
Relieved by our unexpectedly calm reactions, Shirai-san let out a long breath and patted her chest. It was a stroke of luck for her that the people who saw her handsome drawing of Sasaki-kun were Wataru and I, since we already knew about her secret feelings.
"By the way, that's really good. I didn't know you were so talented at drawing, Shirai-san."
"I am in the Art Club, after all..."
"Huh..."
Having regained her composure, Shirai-san carefully tucked the card—which looked like a postcard—back into her skirt pocket and walked away. I felt a lingering sense that I’d seen something I wasn't supposed to. Still, if that drawing helped Shirai-san keep moving forward, I suppose it wasn't a bad thing.
I looked out the window at the sky, which was beginning to take on a slight yellow tinge. What does it feel like to keep caring for someone even after your heart has been broken? As a girl myself, I still didn't understand, and I could only pose the question to the massive clouds drifting by.
◇
A few days passed. I arrived at school a bit late after struggling with the morning routine—mostly because of how long it took to get Airi ready—and found that Wataru and Kei were already there. A glance at the clock told me I had barely made it, and a chill ran down my spine. From now on, it might actually be easier to just change Airi’s clothes while she’s still asleep.
As I turned toward my seat, my eyes met Wataru’s for a split second as he sat sideways. There was a girl standing in front of him. It wasn't... Kei?
"—Then, see you later..."
"Yeah..."
Just as I reached my seat, Shirai-san walked away, passing me. Their exchange sounded like they were concluding a secret arrangement. Moreover, I felt like they had broken off their conversation in a bit of a rush. Was she in a hurry...?
I turned to Wataru, who seemed somewhat restless.
"Was something wrong with Shirai-san?"
"Eh!? Ah, no, I mean... it was nothing."
"It couldn't have been 'nothing'..."
"W-We were just making small talk, I guess?"
"Why are you answering me with questions...?"
I felt like he was hiding something... it was suspicious. When I looked down at him with an intentionally narrow, prying gaze, Wataru hurriedly turned forward and started focusing on his homework in an obviously staged manner. Honestly... you should be doing that at home.
Judging by yesterday, it wasn't as if Wataru and Shirai-san had suddenly become close friends. They barely seemed to know each other. So, even if he was hiding something from me, it shouldn't be anything scandalous.
It shouldn't be... right?
"..."
Wataru’s back shifted slightly with every movement of his pen. His left hand, still wrapped in bandages just like yesterday, rested on the desk. I wondered if it was recovering properly. Watching him day to day, I had my doubts.
After First Period ended, the sky outside the window began to look threatening. It was the first cloudy day in a while, typical of the unstable autumn weather. I wouldn't want it every day, but once in a while, a day like this felt nice. The classroom, illuminated by the fluorescent lights, felt unusually bright. It gave me a little thrill, making me feel as if I were in the classroom late at night.
This wasn't a feeling to be enjoyed alone. Seeking someone to share the sentiment with, I looked toward the seat in front of me—but it was empty. I instinctively scanned the room. As my gaze wandered, I spotted two figures heading out through the front door.
"Eh...?"
Was that... Wataru and Shirai-san...? Why?
If they were going to the restroom, they were heading in the opposite direction. And even if they were, it would be strange for a boy and a girl to head there together. I couldn't think of a single thing they had in common that would lead them to act in tandem. Even this morning, they seemed to be whispering about something...
"...Ugh..."
My head was spinning. Before I knew it, I was nervously rubbing my hands over my knees and pressing my legs together. Wataru’s suspicious behavior was only making me more anxious.
"..."
Amidst the conflicting thoughts in my head, I reached a conclusion. My movements stopped. In the first place, was there any reason for me to just sit here and wait?
Wataru was currently in a delicate state. Given his usual recklessness, he might worsen his injury if left to his own devices. In other words, someone close to him—like me—needed to keep an eye on him.
And it wasn't just Wataru. There was something vaguely dangerous about a quiet girl like Shirai-san being alone with a boy... N-No, it’s not that I suspect Wataru of anything—wait, who am I even making excuses to?
B-But still...
"............"
◇
I found them quickly after leaving the classroom and heading left down the hallway. They were near the stairs just before the connecting passage where Wataru and Sasaki-kun had spoken before. During the break between classes, students rarely used these stairs unless they were heading to the School Entrance. But... why were they in such a deserted place?
"...did you... bring it?"
"..................here it is."
They were standing quite close as they spoke. Even though I tried to listen, I couldn't catch the full conversation. I wanted to get closer, but this corner was as far as I could go without being spotted. Was I doomed to just stand here and grit my teeth without learning anything?
"...Hah."
That was when I realized what I was doing. Why was I spying on them like this? Hadn't I done something like this before? This feeling of peeking around a wall was far too familiar.
Wait, was I doing something very wrong? It’s bad to sneakily follow people and eavesdrop. As Airi’s older sister, what kind of example was I setting? Furthermore, unlike last time, I could walk away whenever I wanted. Knowing that, was it really okay to continue this?
"It's not right... is it...?"
Just as I whispered that and prepared to retreat, a sentence drifted over and caught my ear.
"—Oh, Sajou-kun... you really are a pervert, aren't you?"
"Hehe..."
"—!!"
I snapped back into my original position. The guilt in my heart vanished instantly. It seemed that following them had been the right choice after all. I might actually have a talent for detective work. If this intuition would one day prove useful for protecting Airi, I would hide behind the edge of a wall as often as necessary.
Perhaps because of the humidity from the cloudy sky, my eyes didn't feel dry at all. I sharpened my focus on the pair by the stairs, trying not to blink. There stood Shirai-san, blushing with an embarrassed look as she handed something to Wataru. I recognized the items in Wataru’s hands.
Were those... the hand-drawn postcards Shirai-san had dropped before?
Wataru held several postcards in both hands as if they were treasure, his eyes crinkling and his face going slack with a doting, almost lecherous expression.
"R-Really... this is the first time... I've ever drawn something like this."
"It's good, right?"
Though she said, "I guess I have no choice," Shirai-san looked up at Wataru with a strangely intense gaze, her face still flushed. As if responding to that look, Wataru stared back at her with a sleazy grin. That look on Shirai-san’s face... d-don't tell me! He made Shirai-san draw erotic illustrations!
"—W-Wataru!!"
"Uah!?"
Unable to restrain myself a second longer, I burst out from my hiding spot.