Chapter 2: We Met Again in Front of the Bathroom

It was early June, already two months since I advanced to the second year of high school.

Just as most students were getting used to their new classes and social groups were gradually becoming established, I was slumped over my desk, trying to make myself invisible, hoping to wait out the break time without interacting with a soul.

It’s not that I don’t have any friends, but there isn’t a single person in this entire classroom I can casually chat with during breaks.

My school, Private Mebuki High School, is a massive institution with over a thousand students. With so many classes per grade, everyone I had managed to become friends with in my first year ended up in different classes.

Ideally, the best move would have been to actively talk to people and make new friends from scratch in this new environment. Unfortunately, I missed the timing, and now this is the sorry state I’m in.

Technically, I can make small talk with the guy sitting next to me, but unlike me, he’s sociable and currently busy chatting and laughing with the guys in the class’s core social group.

“Seriously, where did I take a wrong turn…”

I muttered into the crook of my arm as I buried my face, my voice too quiet for anyone to hear.

My elementary school days, when I was fearless and could talk to anyone regardless of gender, were starting to feel like memories from a different timeline.

But everyone changes little by little. As I grew up and learned my place, I gradually became more passive about everything.

If I still had the confidence I had back then, maybe I could have been leading a glorious high school life right now.

Peeking out with one eye from the gap in my arms, I looked toward the classmates gathered in the corner of the room.

Beyond my gaze was a collective of high school girls who stood out even within the classroom. It was a group of four gyarus who had jumped to the top of the class hierarchy as soon as the school year started.

Short skirts asserting their status as modern high school girls, cute nails, and elaborately styled hair—an intense pressure radiated from them, making one hesitate to even get close.

But even among those unapproachable types, there is a source of healing.

“…Minakata really is cute.”

Saho Minakata. I couldn’t help but be captivated by her warm atmosphere, which seemed to soften the intense pressure of the flashy gal group.

Blonde twin-tails, pale slender legs extending from her skirt, and a large chest visible even through her shirt—since moving up a grade, I found myself following her with my eyes every day.

She was undoubtedly high in the class hierarchy, but despite belonging to the gal group, Minakata herself didn’t seem completely dyed in their colors.

She was good with people and treated everyone equally; she even greeted me—a guy on the verge of isolation—with a smile in the morning and when leaving. For an unpopular guy like me, calling those greetings a form of “fan service” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

However, I’m not conceited enough to make the painful mistake of thinking, “Does she like me?” just because of that.

She’s the class idol, an object of admiration. The delusion of dating Minakata does cross my mind, but that’s something most guys who interact with her have probably imagined at least once.

And no matter how much I admire her, I don’t have the guts to talk to her myself.

I buried my face in my arms again, returning to my pretend-sleeping posture.

Since I wasn’t actually sleepy, shutting out my vision only served to sharpen my hearing.

“Hey, is that story for real?”

“Real, real! The transfer student in Class 6 is seriously handsome!”

“Wanna go see him after second period? Apparently, there’s such a crowd you can’t see from the hallway though.”

“He came from Tokyo, right? Is the rumor about him being a celebrity actually true?”

“No way. Wait, is it really a guy? I heard the transfer was gonna be a girl, isn’t that, like, too much of a surprise?”

The gals’ ridiculously loud voices kept entering my ears, getting annoying. If I have to listen to anything, I’d prefer Minakata’s voice, but she didn’t seem to be participating much in the conversation.

…Still, a transfer student from Tokyo, huh.

The memory of Yua Yushiro, the childhood friend who left our hometown back in elementary school, resurfaced in the back of my mind.

If I had only heard that “a transfer student came from Tokyo,” my heart might have raced with the faint hope that maybe—just maybe—Yua had come back. But having learned beforehand that it was a “handsome guy,” there wasn’t even a crack for that delusion to slip through.

“Anyway, let’s all go check out the hottie during the next break!”

The poor transfer student’s future as a zoo exhibit seemed set in stone. My condolences.

Opening my eyes a slit to look around, I saw that unlike the excited gals, the guys nearby were knitting their brows, looking less than thrilled. My brow was naturally furrowed, too. It’s a pathetic story, really—just simple jealousy. I can’t help but be envious of a handsome guy.

“Hey. You’re coming too, right, Saho?”

“…!”

The question one of the gals directed at Minakata shook me to my core.

I jerked my head up from my arms with considerable force, and before I knew it, I was staring right at them.

My desk rattled noisily, and my classmates’ eyes all converged on me at once. Among them were the icy glares of the gals, practically screaming, “Who the hell are you?”

“Tsuzuki, was it? You need something from us?”

The gal who made eye contact with me spoke in a flat voice, exerting a tremendous amount of pressure.

“Ah, no, nothing… I just had a nightmare and jumped awake, that’s all…”

I scratched my head, smoothing things over with a troubled smile, and immediately hid my face again.

I know eavesdropping was bad, but even if they caught me, did they have to glare with such intensity? The gap between the expressions they show the handsome guy and the ones they show me makes my chest ache.

“So, what about you, Saho? You’ve been quiet for a while now.”

Having intimidated and brushed aside my unnecessary existence, the conversation started up again.

Without learning my lesson, I strained my ears, my heart pounding as I waited for her answer.

Please, say “I’m not going.” Don’t be interested in hot guys. Let me dream, even just a little, that a guy like me still has hope—

“If everyone else is going, I guess I will too…”

Yup, dream denied.

Judging by her reaction, it doesn’t seem like Minakata is super interested in this handsome guy.

But even if it’s just out of peer pressure, the mere possibility of Minakata coming into contact with a hot guy was utterly despair-inducing for me, seeing as I put her on a pedestal.

With looks as cute as hers and her social skills, most guys would be easily captivated by Minakata.

If she takes an interest in that transfer student, my adoration will be shattered in an instant. But naturally, there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.

With my own tears slightly dampening my arms, I had no choice but to continue pretending to sleep.

☆

During the break after the second period, the gals apparently went to check out the transfer student in Class 6.

“Hey, wasn’t he seriously hot? There were so many hangers-on I could only get a glimpse of his face, though.”

“Competition for him looks high. Hey, what do you think, Saho?”

It seems the rumors were true; the transfer student is quite the good-looking guy. Since the superficial gals in my class are rating him this highly, he must actually be something else.

“Hmm. It was through the door window, and I barely saw him…”

Fortunately, it seemed Minakata hadn’t clearly seen the transfer student’s face.

Scratching her head with her index finger, she put on a polite smile and laughed, “Ahaha.”

Eavesdropping on the conversation of the gals who had returned to the classroom gave me a tiny bit of relief, but in the end, it was probably just a matter of time.

As long as we attend the same school, there’s no avoiding the moment Minakata sees that handsome guy up close.

That said, having trekked over to Class 6 once seemed to satisfy the gals to some extent.

By the next break, talk of the transfer student gradually dwindled, and their conversations naturally drifted back to the usual topics.

Even outside the gal group, the transfer student was the main topic of conversation all over the classroom until around lunch, but by the time school let out, things had calmed down significantly.

If the transfer student had joined our class, he probably would’ve dominated the conversation for much longer, but since it happened in another class, people were surprisingly quick to move on.

“Still, I can’t help but be curious…”

Once homeroom ended, I shouldered my bag stuffed with textbooks and hurriedly left the Class 4 classroom.

We were in the same building, but Class 6 was on the floor above Class 4.

Since it was after school, the crowd of hangers-on should have thinned out a bit, so I figured I’d be able to catch a glimpse of his face, even if just through the window in the door.

“…Wait, I was way off.”

Peeking into Class 6 from the hallway, I saw a circle of people gathered around a single desk.

Most of them were girls from Class 6, while many of the guys were leaving the room looking somewhat sulky. It’s no surprise they’d be annoyed when a guy suddenly shows up and monopolizes all the girls’ attention.

With the male students gone, the population density dropped, and the full appearance of the transfer student I was looking for finally became clear.

“!? Ah, are you kidding me…”

The moment his face finally came into view, I felt a sense of resignation.

He was sitting there with such overwhelmingly blessed looks that feeling jealous seemed presumptuous—a certified, bona fide ikemen.

Is that what they call “androgynous”? He had a pale, slender, beautiful look about him. His hair was a black-based wolf cut that reached his shoulders, with only the tips at the nape of his neck dyed red.

Even though he was wearing the exact same standard school uniform as me, his perfect appearance created a momentary illusion that he was wearing some completely different, glittering formal attire.

As I stood there captivated by the transfer student, he stood up and started gathering his things.

I couldn’t hear his conversation with his classmates from the hallway, but seeing him wave to his entourage, it looked like he was heading somewhere alone.

To look that cool just waving goodbye… he’s just too good-looking.

Suddenly, I realized he was walking toward the hallway, and I instinctively backed away from the door. He stepped out through the doorway, passed right by me, and hurried toward the stairs.

“Right, it’s his first day.”

Watching him descend the stairs near the staff room—opposite the shoe lockers on the first floor—I could guess where he was going and why.

Since he just transferred, he probably had to pick up various documents at the staff room or have a “how was your first day” chat with his homeroom teacher.

Anyway, it was a total defeat.

I never had even a shred of hope that a guy like me could compete with someone causing a “hottie” uproar so soon after transferring, but his looks were undoubtedly the best in the school… no, top-tier even if you searched the whole country. It makes sense there were rumors about him being a celebrity.

It’s not like Minakata and he know each other yet, but for a class idol as cute and sweet as her, only a guy as handsome as him would be a match.

I haven’t even stood at the starting line, but I already feel like I’ve been rejected.

However, just a little bit… something tugged at me the moment we passed each other.

Up close, it was even more painfully obvious: pale, fine skin and an unnaturally perfect profile. The red tips of his hair fluttering softly, and a faint, sweet scent.

Although he was a bit small compared to the average height of a high school boy, his straight, beautiful posture and slender, long legs made him seem like a real model.

Perfect, like something artificial—yet, somehow nostalgic.

But I couldn’t recall the source of that nostalgia at all.

“What is this? This feeling…”

I looked down the hallway where his back had long since disappeared from view. However, I didn’t chase after him; instead, I turned away and headed toward the stairs closer to the shoe lockers.

I wasn’t planning on doing anything to investigate the true nature of that nostalgia, and while the unease remained in my chest, the feeling was too abstract for me to know how to resolve it.

However—at the bottom of the stairs, I witnessed a scene I shouldn’t have seen.

It deepened the unease that had just formed in my chest and threw my mind into confusion.

Didn’t he head for the staff room?

Even if he didn’t, what’s with those suspicious movements?

He was around the restrooms near the entrance… to be more precise, right in front of the girls’ restroom.

Standing there was a single male student—that handsome transfer student.

Seeing him darting his eyes around, clearly on guard, I instinctively hid behind the wall near the stairs.

After confirming no one was around, he opened the door to the girls’ restroom slightly and stuck just his head inside, appearing to carefully check if anyone was already in there.

Immediately after—as if making up his mind—he pushed the door wide open and went inside.

“What am I supposed to do about this…?”

I stepped away from the wall and walked up to the girls’ restroom, standing there dumbfounded for a few seconds.

I never dreamed I’d witness a scene like this.

A new type of pervert… No, maybe he looks male but identifies as female?

I can’t rule out the transgender possibility, and I don’t have any prejudice against that, but there’s also the possibility that he’s a total pervert illegally trespassing in the girls’ restroom on his first day.

Even if he is a pervert, there’s practically zero benefit for me to get involved. That said, now that I’ve seen it, I couldn’t just ignore it.

Flustered, I paced back and forth in front of the girls’ restroom, just like he had moments ago.

If a female student comes, should I explain the situation and ask her to check inside? Or maybe I could just warn them so they don’t run into a pervert…

Time ticked by as I failed to organize my thoughts.

Still, no one came to use the restroom.

I considered various options, but it probably wouldn’t be right for me to cast suspicion on him or spread rumors when I don’t even know him well.

In that case, the best move right now is to wait for the handsome guy to come out—

“…Tsuzuki-kun?”

Just then, a voice called out from behind me.

Hearing that cute voice I’ve heard in the classroom almost every day since starting second year, my spine naturally straightened.

How happy would I have been if this were any other situation?

I slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice.

“M-Minakata-san…”

Saho Minakata—the classmate I admired—was standing right in front of me.

My voice cracked, and I couldn’t even look her in the eye properly. However, that wasn’t for some innocent reason like being nervous about my crush talking to me.

And for good reason—I was currently exhibiting “similar behavior” to the transfer student who had gone into the girls’ restroom a few minutes ago.

Just as the transfer student had loitered in front of the girls’ restroom waiting for a chance to enter, I was now standing in front of it, nervously checking my surroundings.

Just as I had found the transfer student suspicious, Minakata must have found me suspicious, too.

She narrowed her eyes, staring at me with a look of deep mistrust.

“Tsuzuki-kun, what are you doing in a place like this?”

“No… I just thought I’d use the bathroom. It seemed like there was someone in the men’s room, so I was just waiting here for a bit…”

“You were waiting in front of the girls’ room for someone to come out of the men’s room?”

No good. If I try to clumsily smooth this over, I’ll just dig my grave deeper.

Should I just explain the situation honestly and clear up the misunderstanding? “A male transfer student went into the girls’ restroom, so I was lying in wait to catch him”…? Even if that served as a temporary excuse, the fact that I was waiting for him to come out of the restroom wouldn’t exactly wipe away the “pervert” vibe.

“I don’t want to believe it… but were you trying to sneak into the girls’ restroom, Tsuzuki-kun…?”

“N-No! You’ve got it wrong! I was just curious about the person inside!”

“Curious about the person inside… s-stalker?! Wait, what? And that’s why you were in front of the girls’ restroom…? That’s definitely wrong!”

“No, I’m telling you, it’s not like that! There’s a guy inside, and I saw him by chance! So, I didn’t intend to stalk anyone…”

My mind was a mess, and my defense was falling apart. Minakata seemed to be slightly panicking from the sudden situation too, unable to properly process what I was saying.

Confronted with a “pervert” like me, she held her head and crouched down. She started muttering something, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Objectively speaking, isn’t this situation really bad…!?

If a third party were to see this, I’d undoubtedly be torn apart by Minakata’s fans—gals included—and mentally cornered to the point where I’d be forced to transfer schools.

But even if I tried to defend myself, Minakata was in this state, and running away wouldn’t solve anything. If anything, it would just confirm the stalking charges.

“——Hey.”

Suddenly, Minakata stood up.

“Wait, what are you…?”

“Let’s go to the staff room. Before there are any victims. Hurry.”

“The staff room…? I wasn’t stalking, and I didn’t plan to enter the girls’ restroom…!”

Ignoring my continued pleas, Minakata grabbed my hand and started walking toward the staff room. I planted my feet to resist, but she didn’t seem inclined to back down.

“Come on, hurry up.”

Seriously? Is she serious!?

Tears were welling up in Minakata’s eyes, and deep within them, they were dark and murky with contempt.

I realized that to her, I was already just a stalker, and no matter how many excuses I made, she wouldn’t even listen.

All strength drained from my body, and my shoulders slumped.

Even if I cleared up the misunderstanding at the staff room, a strong first impression is hard to overturn. The moment it came to this, it was over.

“Let’s go, Tsuzuki-kun.”

“Gh, yeah…”

Dragged by the hand, I walked trudgingly forward, looking down.

My school life ends today.

“…Screw it all.”

Just as I abandoned all hope—

The door to the girls’ restroom slowly opened without warning.

“Tsuzuki… By Tsuzuki, you mean Sorato Tsuzuki…?”

Coming out of there was the handsome transfer student who had entered a few minutes ago.

At the same time, a huge question floated into my mind.

“How do you know my name…?”

The transfer student, whom I was supposed to be meeting for the first time, had spoken my name.

My feet stopped, and I turned my gaze toward him, completely bewildered.

“Whoa…!”

In an instant—my vision was covered in darkness.

My face was pressed against something soft, and I stumbled backward, landing on my butt.

“Ouch… Geez, what was that all of a sudden…!?”

Panicked by the sudden turn of events, I pulled my face back and shouted instinctively.

A black-based wolf cut with striking red tips, and beautiful brown eyes—the transfer student’s face was right in front of me.

“Sorry. I just didn’t think I’d get to meet you in a place like this, so I got emotional…”

Getting emotional just by seeing my face? I still don’t get it.

He was straddling my lower body as if covering me, looking me in the eye from a position on all fours.

It seems that for some reason, the guy who came out of the girls’ restroom had tackled me into a hug.

My hand had slipped out of Minakata’s grip at some point, so it seemed I had avoided dragging her down with me. When I looked up, she was looking down at us, her eyes wide with shock.

“Hey, get off me already. How long do you plan on staying in this position!?”

“Right. …But, it might be impossible just yet.”

“H-Huh…!?”

The transfer student’s arms wrapped around my back, and I was held in a tight embrace.

Ignoring my confusion and resistance, he showed no sign of letting go.

I’m not the type to swoon over hot guys, and I’ve never once wanted to be held by a member of the same sex. …Yet, what is this feeling?

My cheeks burned strangely hot, and the somewhat “nostalgic scent” coming from him made my brain spin in a pleasant, dizzying way—but we couldn’t stay like this forever.

I grabbed the transfer student by the shoulders and forcibly put some distance between us.

“What the hell, we just met! And how do you know my name…!?”

“…Could it be that even seeing me this close up, you don’t remember me?”

Looking lonely, yet somehow sad, the transfer student looked up at me through his lashes.

Wait, isn’t this guy kinda cute when I look at him like this…? No, hold on, this is a dude!? Don’t think unnecessary things, me…!

Besides, I don’t recognize him. Even if we met in kindergarten or elementary school, there should be some trace of him left. I’ve never even spoken to a guy this good-looking in my life.

But—there was one, just one person who came to mind who shared these features.

However, the premise was all wrong. That person, the “her” in my memories, was a completely different gender.

A transfer student from Tokyo, perfect features, and a nostalgic scent—someone who knew my name despite this supposedly being our first meeting.

Little by little, truly little by little, his existence and hers began to overlap in my mind.

“——And then, when we’re both grown-ups and meet again, let’s get married.”

“…!?”

That line from the transfer student turned everything into conviction.

Those embarrassing words from elementary school that I still recall sometimes—there is only one person in this world I ever said them to.

“Yua… Are you that Yua…?”

When I asked that, she let out a happy smile.

“…Thank goodness. You finally, finally remembered me…”

Her expression, seen for the first time in about eight years—despite the time that had passed, that cute smile hadn’t changed one bit. …However, there were a few things that had changed drastically.

I mean, because she was wearing the “same thing as me,” I couldn’t remember her right away. …I couldn’t recognize her as herself.

Because Yua Yushiro—the childhood friend I parted ways with in elementary school—had appeared before me cross-dressing as a boy.

What Yua was wearing was a uniform meant for male students. Seeing her in the classroom from a distance, combined with her androgynous features, I had completely assumed she was just a handsome guy.

I’m sure the majority of the people in other classes who saw Yua must have perceived her as a “man,” just as I did a few moments ago.

The more I calmed down and thought about it, the less I understood. At the very least, up until third grade, she wasn’t the type who preferred wearing these kinds of clothes.

She always wore cuter clothes… or perhaps “girly” isn’t the right word, but she always wore feminine clothing.

During the time we spent apart—during those blank eight years—when exactly did Yua start dressing like a guy?

“Ah… uh…”

Looking to the side, I saw Minakata breathing somewhat heavily. Yua stood up and walked over to her.

“Um, Minakata-san… right?”

“Hwa, y-yesh…! I am called Saho Minakata!!”

She was definitely acting differently than usual.

Part of it was that she couldn’t speak properly, but her entire face had turned quite red, as if she were running a fever.

“Sorry. I heard your conversation from inside the restroom. Sora-kun thought it was suspicious that I, dressed as a boy, went into the girls’ restroom, so he was waiting here to check on things.”

Yua gently wrapped her hands around Minakata’s, looking her straight in the eye as if pleading with her.

“Sora-kun isn’t a stalker, and he didn’t do anything wrong. So… could you please continue to get along with him like before?”

“Hwah…!”

Minakata’s posture snapped straight, and all her visible skin turned bright red in an instant.

“H-Hey… Minakata-san, are you feeling sick or something?”

“…ool.”

“Huh…?”

I couldn’t catch what she said and let out a dumb sound.

“…So… so cool…”

C-Cool…!?

The moment I heard that, Minakata covered her face with her palms and ran away from the scene at full speed.

“Huh… Did I say something to make her hate me…?”

Minakata’s faint mutter apparently hadn’t reached Yua’s ears, as she tilted her head in unease.

“You’re a sinful woman.”

“Eh, what does that mean?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Somehow, I was tasting a sense of defeat for the second time today.

☆

Having escaped a forced march to the staff room, I left the main school building with Yua.

My usual route home involves walking from Mebuki High School to the nearest station, taking the train two stops to the station nearest my family home, and then riding my bike the rest of the way.

However, just for today, I didn’t use my bike after arriving at my local station. Instead, we walked the rest of the way together, just like in the old days.

Just as she did back in elementary school, Yua is apparently staying at her grandmother’s house upon her return. Her place is in the same direction as mine, a close neighborhood within a five-minute walk.

Walking home with her like this was the first time since third grade.

“This road is super nostalgic… but the atmosphere has changed a bit, hasn’t it?”

“Compared to elementary school, a little. Over the last few years, the shopping district near the station has gotten some new hair salons and izakayas. Though as always, there are more shuttered shops than open ones.”

Yua’s comment made me think back to the townscape from when we were spending time together.

Eight years feels like a long time, but it’s surprisingly short. After all, we went from elementary schoolers to high schoolers in a flash.

And naturally, just as the town changes, people change too.

Looking at Yua walking beside me, I could see she had changed drastically as well.

I wanted to blossom into reminiscing, but I had a mountain of questions I wanted to ask just as much. Where should I even start?

“The reason you moved to Tokyo was because of your parents’ circumstances, right?”

“Eh, you remember that well?”

“Well, yeah. Did your folks come back with you this time?”

“Nope, just me. Mom is still working in Tokyo. Apparently, there are almost no high-paying jobs in her field around here.”

Yua’s mother divorced when Yua was in kindergarten. During elementary school, she entrusted Yua to her grandmother while she went out to work every day.

I didn’t have much interaction with her, but from what I saw at entrance ceremonies and class observations, I didn’t have a very good impression of her as a child.

A young and beautiful mother… but compared to the other classmates’ parents, she was too flashy, and I remember her having an intense, pressuring aura.

It seems that impression wasn’t far off; I once happened to see her talking to the homeroom teacher, and while I didn’t know the deep details, she looked like she was constantly angry about something.

And—back then, Yua was always frightened of her mother.

“Ah… hey, Sora-kun?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“That’s the park we used to play in back then, right?”

Yua pointed to a large park that everyone in the neighborhood knew.

After school, we used to play in this park every day without getting bored. We even spent time under the roofed benches on rainy days.

“Jump rope, tag, and we played secret society too, didn’t we?”

Yua stopped in front of the park entrance and took a breath, as if digging up memories from that time.

“Sora-kun, wanna make a little detour?”

“As long as it doesn’t get too late.”

I took my smartphone out of my pocket to check the time.

“Did you have plans after this? You don’t have to force yourself to hang out, you know?”

“No, just regarding dinner. If I send a LINE to my sister, it’ll be fine.”

“Heh. You’re still close with Kanami-san?”

“Decently. When we’re home, it’s usually just the two of us.”

There was still plenty of time before my sister would finish making dinner. As long as I sent a quick message, being a little late shouldn’t be a problem.

I opened the LINE chat screen, reported that I’d be “a little late,” parked my bike in the lot, and we entered the park.

Walking into the square, the trees surrounding us were illuminated by the sunset, welcoming us warmly.

We walked to the pond in the center of the park, and she looked all around her.

“Everything is exactly the same as back then…!”

Her eyes sparkling like the water’s surface, Yua pulled my arm close.

“Y-Yua…?”

My arm was hugged tightly against her chest, and I couldn’t help but get flustered.

I have memories of her doing this back in elementary school, but my mindset and our bodies are completely different now. It’s no wonder I’m shaken.

“Sora-kun… how much of the conversation we had here the day before I transferred do you remember?”

“Everything… I still think about that day sometimes.”

“…Ehehe. I see, really… somehow, that makes me super happy.”

She grinned shyly, savoring the moment, and lightly scratched her temple with her index finger.

“But I couldn’t fulfill the promise from that day at all.”

“By promise, do you mean the talk about getting married when we’re adults?”

“Well, that too, but…”

We can’t get married as high schoolers, and anyway, the current me isn’t a match for her in any way.

“I said I’d get bigger, manlier, and come for you… Well, I’ve certainly gotten bigger since elementary school, but I don’t have a shred of manliness, and I never did manage to come for you.”