Chapter 3: The Secret Society is in the Library.
“Hey, it’s morning! Wake your ass up!”
It was Friday. A shrill, loud voice echoed through the entire house, acting as my alarm and forcibly prying my eyes open as I lay in bed.
The source of the voice was on the first floor, and my room was on the second… Screaming like that first thing in the morning was a nuisance to the neighborhood, but it happened every single day, so the neighbors didn’t even pay it any mind anymore.
“…Ugh, is it that time already?”
Rubbing my sleep-filled eyes, I checked the time on my smartphone and reluctantly dragged my heavy hips off the bed. I put on my uniform and went down the stairs to the living room.
When I opened the living room door, the scent of last night’s leftover curry spilled out into the hallway.
“Finally up? Good morning, Sora.”
“Yaaawn… Morning, Sis…”
“Hey now, giving a yawn-mixed greeting to your senior in life? That’s some nerve. Back in our hometown, you’d have been killed three times for that.”
“Our hometown isn’t that dangerous.”
Exasperated by my sister, who was cracking violent jokes first thing in the morning, I sat down on my heels—seiza style—in front of the dining table where curry and salad for two were laid out.
Kanami Tsuzuki. My one and only older sister, and practically the person who raised me.
I don’t know the specific reasons, but my parents divorced when I was small. It happened before I was old enough to understand, so I don’t even remember feeling sad about it.
Although our father was given custody of us, he was rarely home due to work, so I spent the majority of my time with my sister from a young age.
She has a tomboyish and cheerful personality, but surprisingly, she also has a domestic side… No, she was probably trying to be a mother figure for my sake.
As a result, I’ve grown up healthy and strong, still completely spoiled by my big sister.
“Still, you’re as weak as ever in the mornings, Sora. Were you up studying late or something?”
“Do I look like the kind of goody-two-shoes who studies at home to you?”
“Nope. If you were, it’d be poison for your body. You should quit.”
“Don’t tell me to quit my duty as a high school student!?”
“I’m allergic to studying, you see. If we share the same constitution, you’ll probably puke just by looking at a math formula.”
“Don’t talk about gross stuff before I eat my curry…”
Normally, being looked after this much would mean I could never defy her, but perhaps due to her personality, we had built a relationship that was, in a sense, equal.
That said, despite claiming to be allergic to studying, Kanami graduated high school in March and advanced to a vocational school for fashion.
She says she “can’t study,” but it seems to be a different story when it comes to fields she’s interested in.
Despite her personality, she looks like a trendy female student. Since she’s studying a field that requires aesthetic sensibility like clothing, her awareness of beauty and fashion is high.
She has mature, milk-tea colored long hair and wears a street-style outfit in matching tones. Her slender, delicate frame matched her hair and clothes perfectly.
“Oh, right, Sora. Anything you want to eat for dinner tonight?”
“Nothing in particular, I’ll leave it to you. Since you’re the one making it.”
“That’s the most annoying answer. If you don’t give me any ideas and leave it to me, you’re going to end up with a life of cup noodles for breakfast and dinner, you know?”
“How is that health-wise?”
“It’s fiiine. Cup noodles are health food for the soul.”
What the heck is that quote?
“I mean, they’re tasty and satisfy the soul, sure, but you’d get sick of eating them every day…”
“There are tons of varieties, so I never get bored even if I eat them every day. Thanks to that, I’ve won the ‘Clean Cup Award’ for lunch every school day since high school.”
“Don’t go making up terms that sound like ‘Perfect Attendance Award’.”
Seriously, if I weren’t here, this girl probably wouldn’t cook at all.
“Wait, is that okay for you, Sis? Even after starting vocational school, you’re eating lunch at home every day.”
“Huh? Is there a problem?”
“It’s not exactly a huge problem, but regular college and vocational students usually have more freedom than high schoolers, right? Don’t you go out for dinner with friends?”
“Do I look like the type to make friends at school?”
“Yeah, actually.”
“Well, I do have some.”
It felt like she was just mocking me for having few friends. Honestly, super annoying…
“So, do those friends invite you to dinner?”
“A little bit. But the ones inviting me are all guys. I eat lunch with my gal pals, but they’re all busy with part-time jobs at night.”
“Don’t casually brag about being hit on by guys.”
“Taking that as a brag is exactly why you’re not popular, little brother.”
I couldn’t find a comeback.
“But even if I get invited, you know? Hanging out with guys I’m not interested in is boring, and a waste of precious youth. …Be-sides!“
My sister sat cross-legged at the dining table, holding the end of her spoon and spinning it around.
“Listen… I’m only interested in people with good looks.”
Then, ping, she pointed the tip of the spoon right at me.
Don’t show off your shallowness in front of your brother…
“So, you’re saying the guys who invited you weren’t handsome?”
“At least not my type of handsome. My definition of ‘handsome’ includes personality, so the standards are high.”
“Have you ever actually met someone who meets those standards?”
“If I had to say… maybe Sora.”
“Is he in heaven?”
“Not that kind of ‘sora’—I meant you.”
My sister puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, making a boo sound.
“Sigh… If you get asked similar things at school, don’t answer like that. It doesn’t sound like a joke, and people will think you have a bro-con.”
“Surprisingly, it’s not really a joke though.”
“Please let it be a joke…”
She winked at me while resting her chin on her hand, causing my face to twitch.
“Well, if you want to stop my bro-con ways, just bring home one or two super hot guys who are perfect inside and out.”
“I don’t know a single hot guy who fits those high specs.”
“I don’t care about gender as long as the face is good, you know?”
“…I hope I’m wrong, but are you roundaboutly saying ‘bring that person over’?”
“Ooh, sharp. You have the makings of a handsome guy yourself!”
My sister flashed a fearless grin.
Someone perfectly good-looking inside and out… if I can include girls, there isn’t anyone around me except her.
Yua Yushiro—my childhood friend whom I reunited with as a second-year in high school, and a girl who cross-dresses as a boy.
By chance, on the day I reunited with her, I had casually mentioned the day’s events to my sister.
“I guessed that’s what you meant, but obviously I don’t want to. Inviting her to the house…”
“You used to bring her over all the time in elementary school.”
“That was elementary school. We’re high schoolers now, remember? Inviting a member of the opposite sex over at this age… especially when we aren’t even dating.”
“Woah. Isn’t your mindset of ‘Inviting home = Doing the deed’ a bit too strong?”
“I’m not thinking about it that explicitly! Anyway, why do you want me to bring her over?”
“Well, I knew her as a kid. I’m interested in how she grew up, apparently she’s hot, and I want to meet a hot person.”
“I understand perfectly that you’re more interested in the hot guy part than her growth.”
“Your thirst is showing way too much. Hide it a little.”
“Well, just try inviting her. If she says yes, I’ll pull out all the stops and whip up a feast loaded with liver and garlic.”
“Stop picking ingredients solely for boosting stamina!”
She’s way more fixated on the “inviting home = doing the deed” idea than I am.
“Hmm, what should I do? Even if I wanted to ask her, it’s hard to talk to her at school…”
“Oh? So you’re giving in to your libido and inviting her over after all?”
“As if! …I just get where you’re coming from about being curious how she grew up, so I’m just considering that.”
“Hoh, never hurts to ask. So, can’t you just invite her via LINE like a normal person?”
“I actually don’t have Yua’s contact info yet.”
“Huh? Seriously!?”
“We’re in different classes to begin with, and there’s never really a good time to swap info at school… I really should have just done it the other day.”
When I grumbled that, my sister tilted her head, looking somewhat puzzled. It seems she found the idea that I “couldn’t find the timing” strange.
However, there was a major reason for this—one that anyone aware of Yua’s standing at school would immediately understand.
☆
“…Ugh, just as I thought.”
As soon as I arrived at school, the expected scene jumped into my view.
Walking along the path from the school gate to the main building was Yua Yushiro… or rather, her back. As she moved forward, the number of people around her gradually increased.
It had been over a week since I reunited with Yua, and this was exactly why I hadn’t been able to find the timing to exchange contacts with her.
Within just a few days of transferring, she had become so famous that there wasn’t a soul in the school who didn’t know her.
Now, fans who treat Yua like a prince—commonly known as the “Yu-s”—wait for her almost every morning at the station nearest the high school or in front of the school gate. Most of them are female students.
While she has quite a few male fans due to her naturally good looks and great personality, her fanbase is overwhelmingly female because of her “cross-dressing boy” visual.
With her boasting this level of popularity, I hesitated, wondering if a shadowy existence like me should even get close, childhood friend or not.
And yet, having no way of knowing my state of mind, her actions toward me were incredibly bold.
When Yua reached a spot a few dozen steps from the main building, she raised her heels slightly and began scanning the area thoroughly.
“Ah… Finally found you!”
“…I’ve been spotted.”
She turned back, and our eyes met. Immediately after, Yua left the “Yu-s” behind and dashed straight toward me.
But there was no way she could shake off such persistent fans with just that, and a group of about fifteen people trailed right behind her.
“Good morning, Sorato.”
Unlike the old nickname “Sora-kun,” she called me by my first name without honorifics. I was the one who asked her to change how she called me, but I still wasn’t used to it.
“…Morning. Well, see ya.”
“Hey, why are you trying to run away so fast?”
“Anyone would want to run away in a situation like this.”
When I glanced at the group behind Yua, the people who were genuinely in love with her were piercing me with cold stares filled with murderous intent.
“Who is this guy? What’s his relationship with Yu-sama?”
“Don’t make eyes at him. We’ll execute you.”
“Is this male the rumored childhood friend? Shall we castrate him?”
Open hostility and disturbingly violent remarks reached my ears from all directions, and all I could do was offer a slight bow and a strained smile.
Incidentally, the “Yu-s” crowd calls Yua “Yu-sama” with a sense of respect and loyalty. She’s no longer treated as a regular student, but rather like a member of the upper class.
However, despite ascending to the status of a high-caste student, every time Yua spots a bottom-tier student like me, she aggressively comes over to hang out, just like this.
Thanks to that, my name recognition has been gradually rising, and even when I walk through the school alone, I stand out unnecessarily. Of course, not in a good way.
That said, looking at it from another angle, her coming to me is also an opportunity.
“Sorato, is something wrong?”
As I stared intently at Yua’s face, she tilted her head, looking unsure of how to react.
Should I invite her directly with “Want to come over for dinner?” or ask for her contact info so I can message her? Under these circumstances, which option should I take?
“U-Um, well…”
The content of our conversation was being eavesdropped on by the entire “Yu-s” group. Depending on what I said, the hostility spreading through the school could become even worse than before.
Just imagining it made my heart pound, and I felt a pressure washing over me as if I were about to make a public confession of love.
So, once again—I took a deep breath, slowly opened my mouth, and…
“Sorry, actually, never mind!”
In the end, I ran away from the scene.
Even if I tried to focus only on Yua, those guys still flickered in my peripheral vision. Besides, in an environment where people are nearby, there’s a risk of strange rumors starting about Yua too.
If things continue like this, asking for her contact info—let alone inviting her to my house—is practically impossible. However, I wasn’t completely out of ideas.
As I trotted away from Yua, I had one method in mind to peel her away from the crowd.
☆
Lunch break. I finished my lunch quickly and hurried toward Class 6, where Yua is enrolled.
Peeking through the open door of the Class 6 classroom, the first thing that caught my eye was the crowd gathered around a desk in the center of the room.
And in the center of that gathering was, of course, my childhood friend.
Her seat was surrounded by several girls. As expected, it was an environment where, if I went to talk to her without a plan, I’d be hit with the same icy glares as this morning.
“…Still, doing this in front of people makes me nervous.”
Back in elementary school, we often played “Secret Society” at school and in the park.
“Secret Society” sounds grandiose, but in reality, it was just a pseudo-stealth game where we sneaked around to avoid being found by classmates and adults.
Thinking back on it now, it seems like a boring game, but sharing a secret while running through the school and park avoiding people’s eyes was somehow thrilling back then.
And today—for the first time since elementary school—I am about to execute that “make-believe game.”
A signal known only to Yua and me, used to move while sharing a secret.
Clap your hands twice. If the partner notices you, give a thumbs up pointing to the destination, and mouth the location. It was simple, but it was the only strategy I had to get Yua out alone.
“…I wonder if she’ll understand such an old game.”
Honestly, I don’t want to take the initiative to do something as conspicuous as clapping my hands in front of a crowded classroom.
Still, I wanted to test it. I wanted to know how much Yua remembered of the days we spent together.
Rubbing my palms together in circles, I steadied my breathing.
“…Alright.”
With my thoughts on the past, I reclaimed the self that used to belong to the Secret Society.
—Clap, clap!
Not caring that I might draw the attention of the students in the hallway and classrooms, I thrust my hands out and clapped them together hard, twice.
Several people around me reacted to the sudden clapping sound. Then, in a chain reaction, many eyes turned toward me.
“Sora-kun…? …!”
And then, finally, my signal reached its intended target.
Usually, Yua would come running over as soon as she noticed me, but this time was different. She covered her mouth with her hand, looked away, and watched my next move out of the corner of her eye.
Seeing that reaction, I was convinced she still remembered this game.
I stuck my thumb straight up and pointed toward our meeting spot.
“Li, bra, ry.”
Mouthing the location without making a sound, I trotted away from Class 6.
Believing that the message had reached her, I superimposed my past self over my current one.
☆
Having arrived at the library first, I stood there gazing blankly at the bookshelves, quietly waiting for Yua to enter.
There are few people in the library during lunch break, making it the perfect place for a secret meeting. In fact, there wasn’t a single student other than me, and the librarian seemed to be away from the desk.
“I wonder if she’ll come soon…”
I felt a little anxious about whether I had conveyed the destination properly. The number of times I checked the clock gradually increased, and the more conscious I became of the time, the slower it seemed to pass.
However, the moment I heard the sound of the door opening—my anxiety vanished instantly.
“‘Li, bra, ry’… Looks like I got it right.”
Thank god. It seems the message got through safely.
Yua walked briskly toward me, straightened her back, and gave a salute.
“Kept you waiting, Code Name ‘Sky’!”
“Don’t tease me, Code Name ‘Lovely’.”
Saying our names from the Secret Society era brought up such nostalgia and a ticklish embarrassment deep in my chest that a smile forced its way out.
We looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.
“Hahaha, that’s so funny… I never thought we’d be doing this in high school!”
“Me neither. But this was the only way I could think of to call you out alone. Seriously though, I can’t believe you remembered. The signal for the Secret Society game, of all things.”
“Of course I remember, right? For me, every day I spent with you was a memory full of happiness. I bet I’d even remember it in my next life!”
“Gh… How can you say such a cheesy line with a straight face…?”
I turned away to hide my cheeks, which had grown hot.
Not only her looks, but even her lines have become like those of a handsome leading man…
“So? Why did you go out of your way to summon Lovely? Is there some kind of emergency?”
“Yeah, a summons to the base. From our Commander High-Standards.”
“An invitation to your house, then. And from Kanami-san.”
“You understood ‘Commander High-Standards’?”
She nodded, grasping the meaning behind my melodramatic line.
“Well, simply put, my sister wants to meet you. She said, ‘Why not come over for dinner tonight?'”
“Hmm.”
When I conveyed the business at hand, Yua groaned, looking somewhat unconvinced.
“It is a sudden invite. Did you have plans?”
“No plans. It’s just…”
“Just?”
Yua audibly swallowed, then looked to the side, her face turning red.
“I wish… it wasn’t Kanami-san, but Sora-kun inviting me.”
She pinched the hem of my uniform and smiled bashfully, looking up at me through her lashes.
This girl, who is praised as a “hottie” by students of all genders, was showing a girlish side only to me—frankly, it was messing with my heart.
“Hey, how do you feel about it, Sora-kun…?”
“U… Uh, well…”
I was so flustered I couldn’t voice my thoughts properly.
Yua took a step closer, closing the distance between us.
“Did you invite me just because Kanami-san told you to? …If that’s the case, I feel bad for Kanami-san, but I don’t want to go… That would just make me feel empty.”
What she wants to know is my intent.
For a high school boy in the midst of puberty, inviting a member of the opposite sex who isn’t your girlfriend into your home is a pretty high hurdle.
In this case, I have the excuse—almost a get-out-of-jail-free card—that “my sister is inviting you,” but if you strip that away… she wants to know how much I, the current me, am willing to let her in.
She’s probably worried, so she’s testing me.
“Come over… just like old times.”
It was embarrassing to put into words, so my voice didn’t come out very loud.
But muttering it quietly wouldn’t convey my true feelings.
“I… If you’re okay with it, Yua, I want you to come hang out at my place too.”
I said it clearly, making sure she could hear me.
Immediately after saying it, my whole body flushed hot, as if I had suddenly developed a fever.
Covering my eyes with one hand, I turned my face toward the ceiling.
“Ehehe… Seriously, I’m such a lucky person.”
In the quiet library, even Yua’s small voice naturally reached my ears.
I peeked at her expression through the gaps between the fingers covering my face.
At that moment, a light weight landed on my chest with a soft poof.
“Yua…?”
She was resting her forehead against my chest, as if burying her face in it.
She must have felt relieved and let her guard down.
“I’m happy too. To hear you say that.”
Watching Yua entrust her weight to me like this, my heart strangely calmed down as well.
“…Sora-kun. Is it really okay for me to go today?”
Lifting her face from my chest, she tilted her head slightly.
“Yeah. My sister will start cooking after she gets back from vocational school, so it might end up being a bit late, though.”
“I don’t mind if it gets late. As long as I send a message to Grandma!”
Taking out her smartphone, Yua began typing a mail to her grandmother, whom she lived with. I also sent a LINE to my sister to report that I had successfully made the appointment.
“…Oh, right. Can we exchange contact info now? I actually wanted to invite you via LINE today, but I didn’t know your contact.”
“You should have just told me this morning. Also, wouldn’t it have been faster to just invite me directly?”
“There’s no way I can casually invite a member of the opposite sex to my house with that many people around…”
“So you went as far as playing Secret Society just to call me here?”
“Well, yeah. If weird rumors started spreading, it would make life harder for you too, right?”
“I wouldn’t mind, though… I don’t like being gossiped about, but if it’s with you, Sora-kun?”
“Think a little more about your popularity, or rather, the attention you get…”
Even if you don’t mind, I’m the one who’s going to get harassed by your fans.
Once we finished contacting my sister and her grandmother, we showed each other our smartphone screens and began exchanging LINE info.
“How do you add a friend via QR code again?”
“Actually, I don’t really understand it either. I almost never exchange contacts.”
“I don’t have many friends either, so I’m not used to exchanging. But that’s surprising. Didn’t classmates ask you after you transferred?”
“They did propose exchanging, but there were so many people around that it seemed endless, so I asked them to hold off for a bit. Apparently, it turned into this thing where exchanging contacts with me would be considered ‘sneaking a head start,’ so I haven’t done it with anyone yet.”
This girl really is getting the male idol treatment…
“…Wait a sec. Does that mean the first person you exchanged with after transferring is…?”
“You, Sora-kun.”
The name “Yua Yushiro” successfully appeared in my LINE friends list.
“I wanted Sora-kun to be the first… so my wish came true.”
She hugged her smartphone to her chest as if it were something precious and smiled.
“Calling it a ‘wish’ is a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Because I haven’t been able to contact you for so long until now. …I’ve been looking forward to being able to talk to you anytime like this, you know?”
…Yeah, me too.
I had also been picturing the day I could talk to Yua like this for a long time.
Hearing her true feelings, something clicked into place.
—Just then, suddenly.
The door to the library, where only the two of us were, opened with a dull sound.
“Whoa—! Crap…”
Because I had completely let my guard down, my reaction was delayed, and I fell into momentary panic.
If someone caught me having a secret meeting with Yua in a place like this, it would be only a matter of time before rumors spread throughout the school.
“Sorato.”
Just as Yua, who was facing me, called my name, she wrapped her arm around my back.
“Mmph…!”
To stop me from making any more noise, Yua’s other hand covered my mouth.
Guided by her, I crouched down on the spot, my back pressing against the bookshelf.
Cornered against the “wall” with my mouth covered by her hand, I couldn’t move.
Isn’t this the so-called “Kabedon”…!?
Generally, the image is of a man cornering a woman against a wall, but here the positions were reversed: I was in the woman’s role, and Yua was in the man’s.
From a distance, I could see the librarian; it felt like we were experiencing a continuation of our Secret Society game.
Maybe it was because Yua’s face was suddenly so close, or maybe it was the excitement of reviving old memories, or perhaps both… right now, my heart was pounding violently.
“This situation… is quite a bit more thrilling than the ‘pretend’ games we used to play, isn’t it?”
Yua whispered into my ear with a breathy voice so the librarian wouldn’t hear.
With her this close, she might be able to hear the sound of my heartbeat.
“Hey… Sora-kun.”
“Mm, hmm…?”
“Until that person leaves, shall we continue our ‘pretend’ game… just a little longer?”
Yua pressed her body against mine (pitoh), as if to stifle any sound.
Normally, my heart would be beating so hard it might burst, but looking at Yua’s expression somehow calmed me down.
If we’re in this situation anyway, I might as well savor this moment.
Yua closed her eyes as if entrusting herself to me, her expression giving me a sense of security.
Waiting for the moment the librarian entered the archive room inside the library, I had Yua retreat from the library first. If we were seen walking down the hallway together, there would be no point in having met secretly.
A few minutes after she left the library, I stepped out into the hallway alone.
“…Is it just my imagination?”
I hadn’t done anything wrong, but meeting a member of the opposite sex in secret—and not just anyone, but the most famous person currently attracting all the attention in school—made me feel a tinge of guilt.
Perhaps because of that, I felt a self-conscious sensation as if someone were watching me, causing me to look around nervously.
The fact that I was worrying about this at all just showed how conscious I was of having been with Yua.
I took my smartphone out of my pocket and gazed at Yua’s LINE account, which we had just exchanged.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated once, heavily.
“Yua?”
I looked at the screen and saw a single message notification.
I immediately tapped the notification and read the content.
“…Haha. How long does she plan on keeping this up?”
Mission complete, Code Name “Sky”.
Even if her appearance has changed, her playful spirit was—surprisingly—exactly the same as it used to be.
☆
“Fufu. I did it, I did it…!”
Leaving the library and entering the girls’ restroom, I stared at my smartphone screen, a smile spilling across my face.
Displayed on the screen was Sora-kun’s LINE account—I had been longing for the day his name would be added to my short list of friends.
My expression remained loose and happy, and I couldn’t go into the classroom like this. I sent a message to Sora-kun and took repeated deep breaths to calm my heart down.
“…I have to go soon.”
Checking my face in the mirror, I left the restroom and hurried toward the Class 6 classroom. The next class was in the chemistry lab, so I had to move quickly.
However, when I arrived, there were no classmates left in the room. There were only a few minutes left until class started, so they must have already left.
I grabbed my textbook and writing utensils from my desk drawer and returned to the hallway to head there alone.
“Where was the chemistry lab again…?”
Since I had just transferred, I still hadn’t grasped where all the classrooms were. This would be my first time going to the chemistry lab.
I wanted to ask someone for directions, but with the lunch break nearly over, there were very few people in the hallway. I looked around, searching for someone who looked approachable.
“Excuse me, you there.”
“Eh…!? M-Me!?”
I finally called out to a female student. However, for some reason, her reaction was incredibly excited.
“W-Waah…! I’ve been a fan ever since the day you transferred, Yu-sama!”
“I-Is that so? Thank you…”
Somehow, I immediately felt a bad premonition washing over me.
“Um, well! If it’s okay, could I shake your hand…!”
“Ah, sure. If that’s all… By the way, about the location of the chemistry lab—”
“Hawaaaa! Oh my god, I’m so happy! I’m so moved!”
Even though I tried to ask for directions, she was so excited that my voice wasn’t reaching her. Moreover, my “bad premonition” seemed to be functioning correctly.
“Wait, isn’t that Yu-sama?”
“Is that girl talking to him getting a handshake?”
“No way, is he alone right now?”
The surrounding area started buzzing, and I could feel a wave of people gradually closing in on me. Before I knew it, a crowd had formed, and I was surrounded by nearly ten female students.
This was the first time since transferring that I had initiated a conversation with a student I didn’t know, but I never imagined it would turn into a situation like this.
“Um, could we do the handshakes later… if you could just tell me where the chemistry lab is…”
I tried to call out to the people around me, but my voice was heartlessly drowned out. With this much commotion, calming things down would be difficult, and it was obvious that if I tried to push through, I’d just get pushed back.
“Hey, you people right there!”
Just then—a high-pitched voice echoed in my ears from outside the circle.
The area fell silent in an instant, and one part of the circle split open as if making a path. A hand reached in, grabbed my arm, and finally pulled me out.
“M-Minakata-san…?”
Seeing a familiar face, I inadvertently spoke her name.
The one who pulled me out was the female student I met on my first day—Saho Minakata, the girl who had mistaken Sora-kun for a suspicious person because of me.
“Alright, everyone stay quiet! You can’t go troubling the transfer student, can you!?”
Apparently, she held a relatively strong position within our grade.
Nobody argued with Minakata-san’s command; they apologized to us apologetically and dispersed from the scene one by one.
“…Thank you, Minakata-san. You saved me.”
“No, no, don’t mention it! I thought it might be meddlesome, but…”
“Not at all. I was helpless on my own.”
She continued speaking while keeping her hand on my arm.
“Um… since I’m already meddling, were you trying to ask for the location of the chemistry lab just now?”
“! You figured it out? Since I just transferred, I didn’t know where it was.”
“I knew it! An acquaintance in Class 6 mentioned that the next class was in the chemistry lab, so I thought that might be the case…!”
Her expression brightening, Minakata-san gave a little hop.
“I-If you’d like, shall I guide you to the chemistry lab…?”
“Eh, really? But wouldn’t I be a bother?”
“Not at all, not at all! The chemistry lab is right there!”
Saying that, she squeezed my hand and started walking down the hallway.
“Um, you don’t have to pull my hand, you know…?”
“Ah, excuse me! Just a sudden impulse!”
“…Impulse?”
“Slip of the tongue, please don’t mind it!”
Minakata-san hurriedly let go of my hand and scurried around to walk beside me instead.
She seems quite different from the impression I got listening to her conversation with Sora-kun through the restroom door… She doesn’t seem like a bad person, though.
“Yu… Yushiro-san, it’s rare to see you like this today. You’re usually with classmates, but to see you acting alone… Did you go somewhere?”
“Ah, yeah. Just a bit. I was summoned.”
“By the way… was the person who summoned you Tsuzuki-kun, perhaps?”
“Eh…? Correct… but how did you know?”
“No, just a hunch…”
I was momentarily shaken, but Minakata-san already knows that Sora-kun and I have a connection, so it was probably just idle chitchat during the walk without any deeper meaning.
“Speaking of which, are you two childhood friends or something?”
“Yeah, childhood friends. We were in the same class from first to third grade. But we got separated when I moved to Tokyo.”
“I see, is that so…”
Deciding it wasn’t anything to hide, I answered her question, but her expression seemed to cloud over slightly.
“Minakata-san, is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. …I just got lost in thought for a moment.”
“? Is that right…?”
After that, we arrived at the chemistry lab without much conversation.
When I thanked her, she shook her head saying “No, no” with the same formal attitude as before, and quickly hurried back toward Class 4.
“She’s a pretty quirkier girl than I imagined…”
Muttering that as I watched her leave, I composed myself in front of the chemistry lab door.
Alright… let’s switch gears and do my best to get through the afternoon classes.
Keeping the excitement awaiting me after school hidden in my heart, I stepped into the noisy chemistry lab.
Comments for chapter "Chapter 3: The Secret Society is in the Library."
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