“Do you really have an idea, Tanaka?”
“W-well, sort of,” Tanaka replied with a small nod.
“I was on the Broadcasting Committee back in junior high, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“The Broadcasting Committee handles everything from emceeing to setting up equipment in the wings for every event. That meant I was always backstage during school assemblies. There was a specific incident that happened during our second-year graduation ceremony.”
“A specific incident?”
“Yes. Right before the Farewell Address, Kuroki-san—who was the student representative—realized she’d forgotten the papers containing her speech.”
“What…?”
“No matter how much of a Perfect Superhuman she seemed, she was still juggling the Track and Field Club and her other duties back then. Apparently, delivering the address without her notes was too much for her to handle. It was pure chaos backstage.”
I had no idea that had happened.
It was true that during our second year, Rui Kuroki had been serving as both the Student Council President and the Track and Field Club Captain. She’d always looked busy, but even so, that was a surprisingly human mistake for a girl like her.
“Moving on, there was another incident during that same graduation ceremony, wasn't there, Ryouta-kun?”
“A-ah… Yeah, I definitely remember that one.”
That incident. It happened during the ceremony where we, as second-year students, were seeing off our seniors.
As mere background characters, we didn’t have anything to do but sit there. I’d been stuck in a folding chair, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
Sleeping in itself wouldn't have been a problem, but the moment I lost consciousness, I felt a sudden, jarring sensation of my body tilting. When I snapped my eyes open, I realized I’d already tumbled off my chair and onto the floor.
It happened at the exact moment the roll call for the graduates ended, leaving the room in a heavy silence. Every eye in the room was suddenly on me.
I was mortified, certain I’d made a fool of myself, but the homeroom teacher who rushed over assumed I’d collapsed from illness. I was whisked away in an ambulance, only to be diagnosed with mild dehydration. In reality, there was nothing wrong with me at all.
I’d never told anyone but Tanaka the truth—that I’d worried everyone and caused a massive scene just because I’d nodded off.
(Ever since then, I’d made it my mission to stay out of the spotlight and aim for a quiet, peaceful student life…)
“Wait, what does my incident have to do with Kuroki’s?”
“Your nap and Kuroki-san’s forgotten speech. On the surface, they seem unrelated, but they’re actually linked. Because you fell, Kuroki-san’s problem was solved before anyone realized it was happening.”
“...What do you mean?”
“You fell right after the roll call ended, right? Because of that, the ceremony was delayed by several minutes. During that window, someone was able to run to the Student Council Room and grab the speech she’d left behind.”
Which meant… in a roundabout way, I’d saved her.
“Then… ‘That Day’ she mentioned…”
“It’s just my theory, but there’s a good chance she was talking about that graduation ceremony.”
Did Kuroki convince herself that I’d saved her on purpose? Was that how she noticed me—and why she eventually realized I was the only boy who hadn't confessed to her?
(Wait, wait. That ceremony was at the end of our second year. If she’s been after me since then, does that mean she’s had her sights on me for two whole years?)
“Ah! It’s almost time for class. Ryouta-kun, we should head down.”
“A-ah, right.”
With a heavy weight of uncertainty in my chest, I left the rooftop with Tanaka.
When we reached the second-floor hallway, Tanaka stopped me before heading to her own classroom.
“We’ve talked about a lot of things, but just to be sure… you aren’t planning on confessing to Kuroki-san, right, Ryouta-kun?”
“Huh? O-of course not!”
“I-I thought so! After all, there’s no way you could ever pull off a confession!”
I felt like she was insulting me, but she wasn’t wrong.
A loner like me could never manage something like a confession in the first place.
“Well, I’m going in.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Tanaka.”
We parted ways there.
I felt a lot lighter thanks to our talk.
(I don’t know for sure if that ceremony is the key, but the fog in my head has cleared up a bit. I’ll have to do something to thank her later.)
With a refreshed expression, I stepped back into my classroom, but…
“Hey, did you guys study for the Classical Japanese test? Airi? Rui?”
“I did. Did you, Airi?”
“Nope! Rui-chan, let me cheat off you~.”
“Absolutely not.”
The Beautiful Girl Trio were huddled around a desk talking. Specifically, Airi Umiyama was sitting in my seat.
(Oh man, it’s the 'Umm, that’s actually my seat' situation. Every loner’s worst nightmare.)
Maybe I should go kill time somewhere else?
No, there were only two minutes until morning homeroom. I needed to sit down.
(It’s Umiyama. She’ll move once she realizes I’m here.)
I balled my hands into fists and started walking.
I made sure to approach from the front rather than sneaking up behind her, wanting her to notice me as soon as possible.
As I slowly approached my desk, Umiyama’s eyes met mine.
(M-move, Umiyama…!)
I projected the thought with all my might. She seemed to catch my drift, her eyes widening in realization.
“Oh, right! This is Ryouta’s seat, isn't it? Sorry, sorry!”
As Umiyama started to stand up… wait, Ryouta!?
(You idiot!)
The panic was so intense I nearly screamed it.
Calling me by my first name in front of Ichinose and Kuroki was a disaster waiting to happen!
“—Ryouta? Oh? Airi, since when do you call Izumiya-kun by his first name…?”
The reaction from Kuroki was instantaneous—the definition of god-speed.