—Early the next morning.
Walking under a heavy, overcast sky, I arrived at school ahead of schedule and headed toward the spot where "that person" was likely to be.
My goal was to meet Kanade Tanaka, a fellow otaku and an old friend from middle school.
"Tanaka always gets to school early and camps out there until homeroom starts, right...?"
Kanade Tanaka was a loner and an otaku, just like me.
She was on the shorter side, with long bangs that completely obscured her eyes. Around extroverts, she was a classic case of an "indoor warrior"—a total introvert who could barely manage a mumble.
(Whenever we're geeking out, though, she talks my ear off like a professional storyteller...)
Like Kuroki, Tanaka was one of the few students here from my middle school. On top of that, her grades were exceptional—good enough to rival even Rui Kuroki herself.
(Back when I decided to apply for this school, the two of us spent a lot of time studying together.)
As fellow loners, Tanaka and I had been in the same class for all three years of middle school. We were close enough to spend our days comfortably talking about our hobbies without any pretense.
However, since entering high school, we had been placed in different classes for two years running. Naturally, the time we spent talking had dwindled.
"Alright, here we go."
The school rooftop was enclosed by a chain-link fence. While it was a popular hangout during lunch, it was deserted first thing in the morning—the perfect sanctuary for a loner.
I climbed the ladder leading to the top of the rooftop penthouse.
(It feels like it's been a while since I've been up here...)
"...Yo, Tanaka."
"Eh?"
There, sitting atop the penthouse and engrossed in her smartphone, was a petite female student. She looked startled for a split second, but her expression quickly dissolved into a grin.
"Oho~! If it isn't Ryouta-kun! It’s been an age, hasn't it?"
"Don't let that 'oho' laugh be the first thing I hear, Tanaka."
"Wh-What do you mean, 'oho' laugh?! I-I didn't mean to make a sound like that...!"
Red-rimmed glasses peeked out from behind her bangs. Despite her small stature, she had apparently bought an oversized uniform—either in the vain hope of a growth spurt or just for show—which meant that even as a second-year, her sleeves still swallowed her hands in a perpetual state of "moe-sode."
She looked like a little girl, but she was an otaku to the core... an irredeemable Shinichi Kudo.
"It’s been a while, Ryouta-kun."
"Yeah. Good to see you, Tanaka."
Kanade Tanaka—she was my one and only otaku friend.
Now then, it was time to get down to business.